Encore November 2019

Pastors on Patrol

Raising pups to be service dogs

November 2019

“We're Still Here”

Recognizing Kalamazoo’s Indigenous Roots

A look back at locally made products

Meet Shaun Robinson

Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

You can’t have EQUITY without

and

Every individual in Kalamazoo deserves the opportunity to provide a livelihood for their family, which includes high quality education and care for their children, a safe and affordable home, and the ability to earn a living — no matter zip code, race or gender.

Kalamazoo Community Foundation envisions our county as the most equitable place to live, with the mission to remove barriers so people can reach full potential. We support many Kalamazoo County nonprofit partners’ projects and initiatives focused on education, housing, healthcare and many more.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK

KALFOUND.ORG KALFOUND

IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT HOPE. IT’S HARDER TO LIVE IN ONE. FOR 116 YEARS, your generosity has helped Family & Children Services provide A Source of Hope to our community.

Child Welfare • Family Preservation & Support • Parent Education & Coaching • Foster Care & Adoption

Behavioral Health • Outpatient & School Based Counseling • Home & Community Based Mental Health • Social & Emotional Learning

Crisis Services • 24/7 Mobile Response • Crisis Residential & Respite • Shelter Foster Care

Please join us in providing critical services to nearly 8,300 individuals each year.

With your support, we can continue to be a foundation for a stronger community.

Please donate at fcsource.org or call 269.488.7936

1608 Lake Street, Kalamazoo, 49001 Thank you to an anonymous donor for their support of this advertisement.

EDITOR'S NOTE ENCORE

From the Editor They are small signs, but they’re big in importance.

There are now street signs around Kalamazoo that mark the nine-squaremile boundaries of the former reservation where the Match-E-Be-Nash-SheWish Band of Pottawatomi (also known as the Gun Lake Tribe) lived from 1821 to 1827. The signs honor a brief period of Kalamazoo’s history when European settlers and Native American communities co-existed. As with most situations involving the settlers and Native Americans, it didn’t end well for the Pottawatomi.

But, to quote John Shagonaby, senior director of governmental affairs for the Gun Lake Tribe, the indigenous people that once called the land we reside on home are “still here.” And as our community works to become more socially just and cognizant and respectful of all the diverse groups within its midst, paying homage to our area’s indigenous history is important and long overdue.

That’s why when writer Kara Norman approached us about writing a story about our area’s indigenous peoples, we were intrigued. Because understanding comes from awareness and knowledge. Kara’s story gives a good history of local tribes and an analysis of the controversy surrounding the Fountain of the Pioneers in downtown Kalamazoo’s Bronson Park and why the fountain’s removal was an important point in this tribe’s continuing history.

I, for one, am intrigued by our area’s rich cultural history, especially that of the indigenous people who were here before the European settlers. That rich history is something to honor, observe and celebrate, and we hope Kara’s story will spark an interest in it for Encore readers who may not know much about it.

Have a wonderful November!

A law firm focusing on estate planning, estate settlement, and the transfer of wealth.

William B. Millard • Ean P. Hamilton • Michael D. Holmes Michele C. Marquardt • Charles S. Ofstein 4 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

211 East Water Street, Suite 401 Kalamazoo 269.343.2106 dementandmarquardt.com

Pastors on Patrol

Raising pups to be service dogs

A look back at locally made products

November 2019

Meet Shaun Robinson

Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

“We're Still Here”

Recognizing Kalamazoo’s Indigenous Roots

Publisher

encore publications, inc.

Editor

marie lee

Designer

alexis stubelt

Photographer brian k. powers

Contributing Writers

jordan bradley, chris killian, lisa mackinder, bill mcelhone, kara norman

Copy Editor/Poetry Editor margaret deritter

Advertising Sales janis clark celeste statler krieg lee

Distribution

gregory macleery

A Banking Partnership with Staying Power (Snow or Shine).

Office Coordinator hope smith

Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2019, 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 Fax: (269) 383-9767 Email: Publisher@encorekalamazoo.com The staff at Encore welcomes written comment from readers, and articles and poems for submission with no obligation to print or return them. To learn more about us or to comment, visit encorekalamazoo.com. Encore subscription rates: one year $36, two years $70. Current single issue and newsstand $4, $10 by mail. Back issues $6, $12 by mail. Advertising rates on request. Closing date for space is 28 days prior to publication date. Final date for print-ready copy is 21 days prior to publication date.

“We strive to build long-term relationships, walking our customers through any buying concern or servicing question. Our number one goal is ensuring their satisfaction, First National Bank of Michigan shares this philosophy.”

Tim Howard, Owner Extreme Power Equipment

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.

fnbmichichigan.com | Downtown Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo West | Portage w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 5

CONTRIBUTORS ENCORE

Jordan Bradley Jordan loves to cook, so she was excited to talk to Shaun Robinson, Chartwells’ executive chef, for this month’s Back Story. Robinson oversees Kalamazoo Public Schools’ food programs and does catering with Chartwells as well. “One of the first questions that came to my mind was, ‘How does he feed all those kids, and how does he keep it interesting?’ I learned his passion for nutrition is what motivates him.” Jordan an the editorial assistant at Encore.

Chris Killian For this issue, Chris met up with several members of the Pastors on Patrol program, through which local clergy accompany Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officers on patrol. “The program seeks to help defuse the distrust that exists between the minority populations and the police,” Chris explains. “Through their involvement, the clergy are able to help these communities and neighborhoods become safer.” Chris is a Kalamazoo-based freelance writer.

Lisa Mackinder Lisa spoke with a puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence for this month’s issue of Encore. “Every day of the week Beth Schroeder is working to help others,” Lisa says. Since 1995, Schroeder and her husband, Randy, have raised puppies for the nonprofit organization, which provides highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to people with disabilities. “To date she has raised 20 puppies,” Lisa says, “and the 21st will arrive in the coming months. It’s a 24/7 job, and Beth’s passion and commitment are inspiring — and she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.”

Lisa is a Portage-based freelance writer and you can read more of her work, including updates on stories she’s written for Encore, at lisamackinder.com.

Kara Norman Kara talked to leaders of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians (also known as the Gun Lake Tribe) and of two other Pottawatomi bands in the area to write a story about the legacies of the area’s indigenous people. Kara admits that doing justice to the long presence of indigenous tribes in Michigan felt like an impossible task, but she was particularly impressed by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band’s concerted efforts to educate others about the historical facts. Kara lives in Kalamazoo and holds a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She has two kids and what she calls “a profoundly delinquent yoga practice.” She writes about books and films at karanorman.com.

A wealth management firm that believes in commitment … to its employees, its clients, and its community.

Ray Financial Group

We built it.

Kent Ray

Senior Vice President/Investments

Jeff T. Siefert, CFP® Vice President/Investments

Rena Fields

Registered Client Service Associate

Greg Seiler, CFP®

Vice President/Investments

Sue Brenner

Registered Client Service Associate

(269) 384-5024 | (888) 481-0002

www.rayfinancialgroupofstifel.com 950 Trade Centre Way, Suite 305 Portage, Michigan 49002 Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com 6 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

November

CONTENTS 2019

FEATURE ‘We’re still here’

Efforts to recognize and honor Kalamazoo’s indigenous roots have been ‘a long time coming’

24

DEPARTMENTS 4 From the Editor 6 Contributors

Up Front

8

14

First Things — Happenings and events in SW Michigan

Five Faves — A look at locally made products people loved

16

Pastors on Patrol — Local faith leaders travel with police to help defuse distrust

32

Good Works

46

Back Story

Perils of the Puppy Raiser — Saying goodbye is often the hardest part of training service dogs

Meet Shaun Robinson — Feeding 10,000 kids a day is a rewarding challenge for this chef

ARTS 38 Events of Note 43 Poetry

On the cover: A young dancer participates in the Gun Lake Tribe’s Sweetgrass Moon Pow Wow in July.

Photograph by Holly Henderson Photography.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 7

FIRST THINGS ENCORE

First Things Something Funny

Git-R-Done at Miller Auditorium What’s better than seeing one of the original

members of the Blue Collar Comedy group, Larry the Cable Guy, when he brings his special brand of comedy to Miller Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4?

Getting an exclusive discount to do so!

Not only is Larry a multiplatinum recording artist, Grammy nominee, Billboard award winner and one of the top comedians in the country, he also has his own line of merchandise and created The GitR-Done Foundation, which was named after his signature catchphrase and has donated more than $7 million to various charities.

Encore readers have an exclusive opportunity to receive 15% off tickets. This offer is not valid on previously purchased tickets and cannot be combined with other offers. To purchase, visit www.millerauditorium.com/encore.

Something Artistic

KIA Holiday Sale has new dates If you’ve got an art lover on your holiday list, then

check out the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts’ annual Holiday Art Sale Nov. 22 and 23.

This is a new weekend for the sale, which in the past has been held the first weekend in December.

The sale will feature works by more than 150 artists who teach or take classes at the KIA’s Kirk Newman Art School. The works include ceramics, jewelry, fused glass wearables and décor, paintings, photographs, prints and metal sculptures. In addition to being held on a different weekend than usual, this year’s sale is collaborating with artists from the Weavers Guild of Kalamazoo to offer fiber art.

The sale runs from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 22 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Nov. 23. KIA members can enjoy early shopping from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 21.

8 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

ENCORE FIRST THINGS

Something Rockin’

Goo Goo Dolls slide into State Theatre The Goo Goo Dolls, famous for such hit songs as “Iris,”

“Slide,” “Name” and “Black Balloon,” will perform at the State Theatre Nov. 8.

Together for more than three decades, the Grammynominated band, featuring John Rzeznik and Robby Takac, is touring to promote the release of its 12th album, Miracle Pill.

The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $39-$99, or $249 for VIP packages. For tickets or more information, visit www kazoostate.com.

Something Intriguing

Expert to speak on sports and justice Sports, justice and activism are the topics that will be discussed by an

internationally recognized expert on sports issues Nov. 4 at Kalamazoo College.

“Just Sport: A Conversation about Sports, Justice and Activism with Richard Lapchick” will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the college’s Stetson Chapel.

Dr. Lisa Brock, of Kalamazoo College’s Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, will talk with Lapchick.

Often described as “the racial conscience of sport,” Lapchick is the president of the Institute for Sport and Social Justice, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports, and the author of more than 600 articles and 17 books.

The local event is sponsored by the Arcus Center, K-College’s athletics department, Western Michigan University, the Fetzer Institute and Transformations Spirituality Center.

It is free, but registration to reserve a seat is recommended. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and reserved seats will be held until 7:15 p.m. To reserve a seat or for more information, visit transformationscenter.org.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 9

FIRST THINGS ENCORE

Something Important

Author to discuss ‘How To Be an Antiracist’ A writer who has tackled the hard topic of racism will speak

on “How to Be an Antiracist” at 4 p.m. Nov. 15 in Room 2000 of Western Michigan University’s Schneider Hall.

Ibram X. Kendi, the author of an acclaimed new book with that title and a professor of history and international relations, is the founding director of The Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University, in Washington, D.C. He is also the author of The Black Campus Movement, which won the W.E.B. Du Bois Book Prize, and Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. This year, Kendi was awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship.

His presentation, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Freedom Speakers Series of WMU’s Center for the Humanities.

For more information, visit wmich.edu/humanities.

Something Good

Listen to music and help food bank Several regional musicians are on the program

for the K’zoo Folklife Organization’s 22nd Annual Benefit Concert on Nov. 16 to aid the local food bank Loaves and Fishes.

Among those scheduled to perform are the Out of Favor Boys, The Schlitz Creek Bluegrass Band, Kaitlin Rose, the Mall City Harmonizers, Richard Bair and the Crescendo Fiddlers.

The event will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 504 S. Westnedge Ave., from 6-10 p.m. and is the KFO’s annual effort to raise funds and food donations for needy families and individuals in the Kalamazoo County area.

Admission is by cash donation or a gift of a nonperishable food item. For more information, visit kzoofolklife.org.

Clockwise from top left: Kaitlin Rose, Crescendo Fiddlers and Richard Bair.

10 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

ENCORE FIRST THINGS

Something Soothing Engage in sound immersion meditation

If you’re looking for a moment of peace and calm, then check out the Sound Immersion Meditation at 2 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Kalamazoo Nature Center.

Presented by the Connecting Chords Music Festival, Kalamazoo-based sound therapist Judy Huxmann, pictured above, will utilize ancient sound instruments, including Tibetan bowls, crystal bowls and tuning forks, to help busy minds downshift to relaxation, meditation and deep-state healing. No previous experience in music or meditation is necessary.

Tickets are a minimum of $2, with pay-what-youcan pricing. For more information or to buy tickets, visit connectingchordsfestival.com.

Something Dramatic

WMU to stage August Wilson play An August Wilson play with a message about holding on to your ancestry in order to forge your future will be staged Nov. 15-24 at Western Michigan University’s Shaw Theatre.

Gem of the Ocean is the ninth work in Wilson's 10play cycle recording the 20th-century black American experience. The play, whose title is the name of a legendary slave ship, is set in 1904 and begins on the eve of the 287th birthday of Aunt Ester Tyler, who has survived more than two centuries of slavery. When Citizen Barlow, a young man from Alabama who has committed a crime, comes to her home seeking asylum, she sets him off on a spiritual journey to find the City of Bones in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The show is recommended for mature audiences.

Those under the age of 8 will not be admitted, including babes in arms.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 and 2 p.m. Nov. 24. Tickets are $18-$20 and available at wmich.edu/theatre/gem-ocean or by calling 387-6222.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 11

FIRST THINGS ENCORE

Something Jolly

Something Inspiring

With marching bands, holiday-themed floats and giant balloon characters, the annual Kalamazoo Holiday Parade, on Nov. 16, is sure to get even the most crotchety humbug feeling a little Christmas cheer.

Grab a blanket or chair, bring a bag to stash all the candy you’ll get, and park yourself along Lovell Street, Park Street, West Michigan Avenue or Portage Street in downtown Kalamazoo to partake in the fun.

The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. For more information, visit downtownkalamazoo.org/events/holiday-parade or call 344-0795.

Local painter Suzanne Siegel, known for her urban landscapes of iconic area locations and buildings, has been looking off into the cosmos for new inspiration, and the results will be featured in three exhibits this month.

Her new works include soaring “starscapes” and diaphanous images of the aurora borealis. They will be featured in an exhibition titled The Painted Prayer at the Carnegie Center for the Arts, in Three Rivers, from Nov. 10 through Dec. 17. The show, which addresses Siegel’s spiritual journey, will also include some of her previous works. An opening Seigel's In How Many Ways May the Truth Be Known? reception for the artist will be held 2-4 p.m. Nov. 10.

Her new work will also be the focus of two other exhibits, at the People’s Church Nov. 23 through December and at Cosmo’s Cucina now through December.

Holiday Parade brings on the ho-ho-hos

Exhibits highlight painter’s new work

Licensed Memory Care Assisted Living

Brian Powers

• Purposeful Community Design • Certified Dementia Practitioners on staa • State-of-the-art motion-sensing technology in all resident suites • “New Directions”® tiered programming • 24-hour on-site nursing care • Multi-sensory Therapy Environment • Respite Stays

12 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Call today for more information

269.397.2200

6203 Stadium Drive | Kalamazoo, MI 49009 www.NorthWoodsMemoryCare.com

Lew i s Reed & Al l en P . C. attorneys

Front row, center: Richard D. Reed Middle Row (L-R): Stephen M. Denenfeld, Vernon Bennett III, James M. Marquardt, Jennifer Wu, Michael A. Dombos, Michael A. Shields, Owen D. Ramey, Kimberly L. Swinehart Back Row (L-R): Gregory G. St. Arnauld, Thomas C. Richardson, Joseph W. Vander Horst, Michael B. Ortega, David A. Lewis, Jonthan J. Vander Horst, Ronald W. Ryan 136 east michigan avenue suite 800 | kalamazoo

| michigan | 49007-3947

phone: 269.388.7600 | fax: 269.349.3831 www.lewisreedallen.com

The Doctor Will See You Now Connect face-to-face with a doctor using your phone, tablet or computer, any time, day or night, from the comfort of your own home — or anywhere else for that matter. Safe and secure, a BronsonConnect Video Visit offers the immediate care you need for $59 or less per visit.

Go to bronsonhealth.com/videovisit to download our app and start your online visit now.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 13

FIVE FAVES ENCORE

Five Faves

Museum director spotlights locally made products people loved by

BILL MCELHONE

We all take a special pride in products in made in Kalamazoo,

and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum is one of the best places to learn about these. Of the more than 60,000 artifacts in the museum collection, many represent the histories of the companies that manufactured popular products locally, including these companies:

Beach Products/DesignWare Richard Beach established Beach Products Inc., in Kalamazoo in the early 1940s. The company, which made greeting cards and paper party supplies such as tablecloths, napkins, wrapping tissue, plates and cups, began in a small warehouse at 1801 Factory St. and moved to 2001 Fulford St. in the 1960s. Over time, Beach Products was incorporated into many other companies, including American Greetings Corp. in 1999. The production plant, then located at 3825 Emerald Drive, was renamed DesignWare. The unopened party kit pictured here was produced by DesignWare in the early 2000s and features the popular Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. In the spring of 2010, American Greetings closed the doors of the Kalamazoo plant.

14 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Globe Casket Manufacturing Co. Oscar Allen, William Clarke and Jeremiah Woodbury established the Globe Casket Manufacturing Co. in 1870 in a building on the corner of Burdick and Water streets. By 1874, Allen had assumed sole control of the business. Globe Casket produced funeral furniture so efficiently designed that many competitors fell by the wayside. Their innovative casket design included a cloth-lined interior, one of the first of its kind in the country. A new company warehouse was constructed in the early 1900s on Water Street, between Pitcher and Edwards, and production continued there until the company closed in the early 1950s. Today the building houses office spaces and a local tap house, the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange. The cabinet card pictured here, from 1876, advertises the company’s patented sliding glass, giving “instant access to the interior of the casket at all times, and for all purposes, without taking off the whole cover."

ENCORE FIVE FAVES

Kool-Aid Bottling Works The brick building that once stood at 1011 Douglas Ave. housed the former Kool-Aid Bottling Works factory, owned by Florence and Virgil Nicklin. In 1947 and 1948, Kool-Aid syrup was shipped to the factory, where carbonation was added, the liquid was bottled, and the bottles were capped. This bottle advertises that “Kool-Aid comes to you as an outstanding quality in carbonated beverages. Made only from the purest ingredients under ideal sanitary conditions.” In the early 1950s, after the popular powdered form of Kool-Aid became more readily available, the company was renamed Nicklin Bottling Co., and it remained in business until 1968, bottling Double Cola, Squirt, Mason’s Root Beer and O-So Flavors.

Kalamazoo Sled Co. The Kalamazoo Sled Co. was founded in 1894 by Hale P. Kauffer. Its first big enterprise was making wooden handles for feather dusters, but after a few years children’s sleds became its major product. By 1905, the company was the largest manufacturer of children’s sleds in the world. The sled pictured here is an early example of the more ornately decorated sleds the company produced, generally meant for young girls. The company continued to be successful through the early 20th century, but post-World War II production ceased to reach pre-war heights. By 1968, the Gladding Corp. of New York bought out the company and made it a subsidiary. Within four years, Gladding consolidated all of its operations, leaving the Kalamazoo warehouse on Crosstown Parkway abandoned. In April 1974, an arsonist torched the empty building and it burned to the ground.

Be-Mo Potato Chip Co. The father and son-in-law partnership of Charles H. Mott and David Beshgetoor established the Be-Mo Potato Chip Co. in Kalamazoo in 1930. The unusual name of the firm came from combining the first two letters of the owners’ last names. The factory was located at the corner of Cobb and North streets, in Kalamazoo’s Northside neighborhood. While wax paper potato chip bags were invented in 1926 by California chip factory owner Laura Scudder to keep chips fresh and crunchy, potato chips and sticks were often hermetically sealed in cans. The cans prevented the chips from being crushed during distribution. In October 1984, after 54 years of operations, the local chip-making company was forced out of business by high potato prices, declining profits and mounting debts.

To learn more about products made in Kalamazoo and other items connected to the history of our community and the surrounding Southwest Michigan region, visit the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s Searchable Collection Database, available online 24/7 by visiting kalamazoomuseum.org/collections.

About the Author Bill McElhone, the director of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum since 2010, has worked in the museum and archives field for nearly 40 years. His philosophy is that history is all about “the story,” and to that end he serves as the editor of the museum’s museON magazine. He also wrote the “History Happenstances” column in the Birmingham Eccentric newspaper for eight years and has had articles published in several journals and magazines. w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 15

UP FRONT ENCORE

Pastors on Patrol

Faith leaders help defuse distrust of police by

CHRIS KILLIAN

16 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

ENCORE UP FRONT

They don't carry guns, don’t have a badge and can’t

Brian Powers

write tickets or make arrests. But for a year now, a half dozen local faith leaders have been on the front lines of sometimes challenging situations, often side-by-side with police in a team effort to build greater trust between law enforcement and communities of color.

The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety’s Pastors on Patrol program, launched in October 2018, pairs local ministers with public safety officers as they head out on patrol. The volunteer program is meant to ease tensions and build trust between officers and minority groups they interact with.

Currently five male pastors — four black and one white — participate in the program (Pastor Joseph Anderson of the City of Refuge Church, who died Aug. 20, was also a member of Pastors on Patrol.) The pastors go through extensive training and background checks before hitting the streets with an officer. They must volunteer at least eight hours a month to stay in the program, although many of them exceed that number.

The program was hatched in 2017 by Vernon Coakley, now assistant chief of operations for KDPS. “My own faith prompted me to ask how I could bring the church and law enforcement together. Law enforcement needed a shot of legitimacy and we couldn’t create our own,” Coakley explains. “The community we serve knows the pastors and the pastors know the community. Pastors on Patrol was a way to connect community and law enforcement together.

“Pastors on Patrol helps to mitigate the tension we sometimes see between officers and people of color in our community,” Coakley says. “When pastors are present with our officers, it doesn't just help to calm the anxieties Clergy and officers participating in Pastors on Patrol include, front row, from left: KDPS Assistant Chief Vernon Coakley, KDPS Chaplain Roger Ulman, POP Coordinator Pastor Gregory Jennings Sr., Pastor John Stokes, Pastor Hermon Phillips, Pastor Ron Coleman and KDPS Chief Karianne Thomas. Back row, from left: KDPS Public Safety Officer Aday, PSO Knauf, Lieutenant Treu, PSO Marshall, Lieutenant Rifenberg and PSO Walterhouse. Inset: Pastor Joseph Anderson was also a POP member at the time of his death on Aug. 20. w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 17

UP FRONT ENCORE

This page, top right: Pastor Gregory Jennings Sr. talks with two homeless men he and an officer encountered while on patrol. Bottom: KDPS Public Safety Officer Alford, on right, heads out on patrol with Pastor Ulman.

Opposite page: Assistant Chief Vernon Coakley created and coordinates the POP program for KDPS.

Brian Powers

of residents, it also helps our officers to not react. It’s a program that helps everyone involved when police interact with the community.”

Pastors have put in over 2,100 hours of community service. These hours include ride-alongs, block parties, community meetings, emergency neighborhood situations, death notifications, homeless outreach and counseling.

Clergy who are members of Pastors on Patrol: • Pastor Greg Jennings Sr. of Progressive Deliverance Ministries • Pastor Roger Ulman of Calvary Chapel of Kalamazoo Valley • Pastor Ron Coleman of Emmanuel Church in Decatur • Pastor John Stokes of Word Harvest Ministries • Pastor Herman Phillips of Rehoboth Ministries

What wealth management should be.

Setting a clear path forward.

Michael Brundage, CFP® & Michelle Eldridge, CFA,CPWA® Wealth Management Partners 18 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

259 East Michigan Avenue, Suite 105 • Kalamazoo 269.381.1700 • www.clearridgewm.com

ENCORE UP FRONT

Easing tensions As in many diverse communities across the nation, tensions exist in Kalamazoo between some residents in mostly minority neighborhoods, like the Northside and Edison, and the police, with community members of color believing they are unfairly targeted and profiled by authorities and police insisting they are simply doing their jobs, focusing their efforts on where crimes are being committed, regardless of the neighborhood.

A yearlong racial profiling study released in 2013 concluded that black motorists were twice as likely to be pulled over by Kalamazoo police as whites behind the wheel. Additionally, although they received fewer citations than whites, black motorists were more likely to be asked to exit their vehicle and be searched as well as put in handcuffs and arrested.

Those findings ushered in a slew of reforms and training programs meant to improve relations between the department and the city’s minority communities. Pastors on Patrol is part of that effort as well, even though pastors help out on patrols across all of the city’s neighborhoods.

For authorities, one of the more frustrating aspects of the trust gap is the difficulty getting witnesses to a crime to share information integral to conducting a successful investigation. Sometimes they simply refuse to talk to the police.

Greg Jennings Sr., pastor of Progressive Deliverance Ministries Church of God in Christ, remembers such an interaction. Police were at a home looking to talk to some residents there who refused to allow the officers in and would not answer any questions.

“I said, ‘Let me go talk to them,’” Jennings says. The residents knew him, and after a while they talked to the police.

“I told them 'the cops are not here to arrest you, they are just trying to do their jobs,'” he says.

Willis Law attorneys give back 10% of their time to the community through pro bono legal services and non-profit volunteer activity. Donald’s practice areas include Criminal Defense and White Collar Defense. Donald Smith is an active member of the Southwest Michigan Community and currently serves: -Volunteer Attorney, Christian Legal Aid -Volunteer Attorney, Kalamazoo Gospel Mission -Volunteer Attorney, YWCA Domestic Violence Victims

- Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, Willis Law Pro Bono clinic - Reformed Church of America Task Force

Fixed Price Legal Services Stop the

Clock!

(269) 492-1040 | www.willis.law w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 19

Brian Powers Above: Coakley, front left, checks in with Public Safety Officer Marshall and Pastor Phillips. Right: Pastor Coleman and Public Safety Officer Walterhouse team up to go on patrol together.

In fact, sometimes when officers have reached a dead end with a witness who declines to talk to them due to lack of trust, a pastor will be called in to assist the officers, even when he’s not on a volunteer shift.

Sharing struggles

As an Independent Agency, Trust Shield Insurance Group strives to offer the most comprehensive coverages with a competitive price. We are not here just to sell you insurance but to be a partner in protection for all of your personal & business insurance needs.

Business Coverage

• Commercial Property • General Liability • Business Automobile • Commercial Umbrella

452 N. Grand Schoolcraft

(269) 679-4918

Personal Coverage • Homeowners • Automobile • Umbrella Liability • Life Insurance • Annuities

301 N. Richardson St. Vicksburg

(269) 649-1914

20 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

trustshieldinsurance.com

For Hermon Phillips, pastor of Rehoboth Church of God in Christ and a volunteer in the program, his participation has given him a renewed appreciation for the work police do day in and day out.

“You can’t imagine what these people (cops) go through,” he says. “Sometimes they’re verbally abused by guys on the streets and have to always let it go in one ear and out the other. They are on a call for domestic violence and see a woman beaten up. I was on a call where a 4-month-old had died. It’s a very sometimes heartbreaking, stressful job.

“I see my role as trying to make sure people are being treated with dignity and respect by police and that people are treating police with dignity and respect too.”

Coakley says his more than 200 sworn officers are deeply appreciative of the pastors’ efforts, with many of them developing deep

Austen, Jorden and Branden DeHaan with their father, DRS founder, Robert DeHaan

THE QUALITY YOU DESIRE

THE PEOPLE YOU TRUST We listen and we deliver. Let us put our 38 years of remodeling expertise to work for you.

Confidence and trust...are just a couple of the things we build well.

(269) 343-3757 or DeHaanRemodeling.com

KITCHENS BATHS ROOM ADDITIONS LOWER LEVELS

Looking to be downtown?

• Prime Locations • Flexible Terms • Competitive Rates • Will Renovate to Suit • Suites to Accommodate Your Needs

Gilmore Real Estate Contact Chris Shook for more information: 269.381.3490 x102 • cshook@jgfdn.org

personal bonds with the men, sharing their struggles and frustrations and getting sound advice in return. Many officers ask for a pastor when on patrol duty. Jennings has even officiated at the marriages of several officers.

“It’s just simply profound the work that these pastors do,” Coakley says. “They are an indispensable resource to this department.”

Toward the end of his interview with Encore, Jennings’ cell phone buzzed on the table in front of him. He picked it up, read a text message and smiled.

“It’s an officer I recently worked with,” he says. “He’s just checking in on me, making sure I’m ok.”

Kuipers Advisors for all your

Investment and Insurance needs.

Serving the Kalamazoo area

for over 50 years!

Chad Schut • Mitch Wassink • Doug Koning

www.kuipersadvisors.com 268 East Kilgore Rd Portage 49002 • (269) 349-1432 Securities and investment advisory service offered through Cetera Advisors LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Kuipers Advisors, Inc. is not affiliated with Cetera Advisors LLC

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 21

Fresh, Local, Sustainable Ingredients Great Selection of Michigan Craft Beers on Tap 103 S. Grove St., Delton • (269) 623-8310 Open 7 days a week

Hand Cut Steaks – Fresh Seafood Awarded best desserts in Michigan

Where Fresh Ingredients Become Great Meals Gun Lake, Corner of 126th Ave. and Patterson Rd • (269) 525-1555 Open Tuesday – Sunday 4:00 pm

Craft Food & Drink

663 10th Street, Plainwell 269-685-1077 www.fourrosescafe.com

It’s PaRtY tIme Here. there. anywhere.

Modern American seasonal restaurant focusing on all natural, sustainable and organic foods, in a refined, warm setting.

Where New York culinary innovation meets the Kalamazoo dining scene.

2965 Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo www.cafethirtysix.com (269) 501-3399

Love Local?

Eat Local!

PRIvate PaRtIes / CateRIng RestauRant / maRKet Locally and thoughtfully sourced ingredients.

Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Book your party today. 269.743.2260 Downtown Kalamazoo 269.382.1888 / fooddance.net

22 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Encore is proud to highlight these locally owned & operated establishments Tell them you saw them in Encore!

DINING DESTINATIONS

local fine dining

Where Food Meets

Friends!

20 Beers On Tap! Get your growlers filled here Located inside the Delta by Marriott

Follow us online: @liftkzoo @deltamarriottkzoo

5402 Portage Road, Kalamazoo Phone: 269.344.7700 www.bravokalamazoo.com

F i n e

D i n i n g

I n d i a n

C u i s i n e

Bring your imagination alive with the sensuous aroma of Indian cuisine.

Show ‘em what you’ve got

With the area’s most affluent and sophistcated audience, Encore’s Dining Destinations reaches readers who appreciate fine dining.

Limited space available Reserve Your spot today!

269-383-4433 w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 23

‘We’re Still

HERE’

24 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Recognition of Kalamazoo’s indigenous roots has been ‘a long time coming’

by

KARA NORMAN

T

raveling west on Whites Road past the Kalamazoo Country Club, the road veers left, splitting into a triangular intersection. Whites Road continues straight ahead, ending at Oakland Drive, while back at the intersection the main road becomes Parkview Avenue, which straightens out after the curve and continues in a neat line to Oshtemo Township.

Those unfamiliar with historic documents may think little of this switch in roads, but there’s a story behind the concrete. Parkview Avenue follows Kalamazoo’s original boundary line, while Whites Road was once the boundary line of a reservation that belonged to the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, otherwise known as the Gun Lake Tribe, which is now located less than 30 miles away.

Members of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of the Pottawatomi Indians, also known as the Gun Lake Tribe, pictured here at the tribe's annual pow wow, are descendants of the original indigenous people who lived in Southwest Michigan. Courtesy photo.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 25

Brian Powers

If few people know that some indigenous people never left the area, even fewer realize that a reservation predates the city of Kalamazoo.

But that situation is beginning to change as efforts are being made to recognize and respect the area’s indigenous roots.

“Recognition of the peoples indigenous to the area has been a long time coming,” says Jodie Palmer, a retired Western Michigan University professor and Gun Lake Tribal Council member. “There are three federally recognized Pottawatomi tribes in the area, and all have made substantial economic strides over this past decade, which have made us more visible to the dominant culture.”

Making a mark In April of this year, signs designed by the Kalamazoo Reservation Public Education Committee went up around the city, marking the boundaries of the land that was owned from 1821-1827 by the Match-E-Be-NashShe-Wish (MATCH-ee-bin-ASH-ee-wish) Band.

The committee, co-chaired by retired archeologist David S. Brose and John Shagonaby, senior director of governmental affairs for the Gun Lake Tribe, grew out of an earlier Issues Resolution Committee, put together in 2004 by former Kalamazoo city manager Ken Collard to address the controversial Fountain of the Pioneers in downtown Kalamazoo’s Bronson Park. (Public outcry ultimately resulted in the fountain’s removal in 2018.)

26 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Above: John Shagonaby, senior director of governmental affiars for the Gun Lake Tribe, says the tribe is “thriving.” Opposite page: Tribe member Larry “Pun” Plamondon (bottom photo) stands in a grassy space in Bronson Park where the controversial Fountain of the Pioneers (top photo) stood for 78 years.

The education committee, made up of representatives of the Gun Lake Tribal Council, city of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Valley Museum and community volunteers, aims to build comprehensive community awareness of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Tribe’s past and present.

“It seems that our history is remembered only by the wars and our removal, but we’re thriving and have our own form of government,” Shagonaby says. “I just want people to know that we’re still here.”

The controversy over the fountain, which came to a head last year, has helped in those efforts.

The modernist sculpture, built in 1940 by Italian American Alfonso Iannelli, depicted a white settler standing over a Native American man in a headdress. Iannelli, who worked with the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago, was also a student of American sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who later became famous as the creator of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, another controversial work of art built on historically indigenous land.

2018, the Kalamazoo City Commission voted 5 to 1 to remove the fountain.

It was a moral victory for the those who saw the sculpture as a celebration of the forced removal of Native Americans from their homeland. Larry “Pun” Plamondon, a member of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, Turtle Clan, and a former member of its tribal council, says, “I'm glad the statue is gone. It's been an eyesore for decades.”

Plamondon, a storyteller who lives in Barry County, says that the fountain was inappropriate, since its placement in a “gateway park” implied that it was endorsed by the city. Speaking for himself rather than his tribe, Plamondon explains, “A statue depicting a ‘pioneer’ with an upraised weapon standing over a native man on his knees is degrading to most natives and a constant reminder of the genocide, land theft and ruthless destruction on the part of the dominant culture.”

A petition to remove the fountain, circulated on Change.org in 2018 by activist Monica Washington Padula, of Ojibwe descent, echoed Plamondon’s objection, stating that the statue reminded Native Americans of their years of fighting to merely survive. “NativeAmericans have the right to equal access of enjoyment to the public park without re-experiencing historical trauma,” Padula wrote.

But not everyone felt that removing the sculpture was the best way to address the true — and awful — events of U.S. history. Brose believes that taking down statues such as Ianelli’s will not solve problems of racism in our country. “That will bury our problems even deeper than they were a hundred years ago,” he says.

Brian Powers

In a statement sent to the Kalamazoo Public Library in 1940, Iannelli called the pioneer a “tower-symbol” and said the Indian is “absorbed as the white man advances.”

The sculpture was deemed racist by many people as early as 1970, according to Brose, but both he and Shagonaby cite two incidents that they say brought the issue to a head in Kalamazoo: the removal of Confederate monuments around the country and the car attack that killed a woman during a peaceful protest against a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. On March 5,

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 27

Becoming a Sovereign Nation

Such recognition is key to a tribe’s future, say tribal leaders The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, also known as the Gun Lake Tribe, is a federally recognized Indian tribe and therefore a sovereign nation with powers of self-government. This federal recognition became effective on Aug. 23, 1999, and the tribe’s constitution was adopted the next year.

According to John Shagonaby, senior director of governmental affairs for the Gun Lake Tribe, sovereignty establishes government-to-government relations between nations and is essential to a tribe’s economic development. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1834 granted some tribes this relationship with the U.S. government, while others, including the Gun Lake Tribe, were left aside.

Obtaining federal recognition is a lengthy process but, when achieved, allows tribes access to essential programs and services, Shagonaby says. It also allows them to negotiate gaming contracts. Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, federally recognized tribes can establish casinos if they negotiate a compact with the state in which they’re located and that compact is then approved by the federal government, specifically the Secretary of the Interior.

“Tribes don’t have a taxable base to fund programs,” Shagonaby says, so

gaming has been a crucial part of the developing economies of Michigan tribes, providing jobs, housing, education and environmental programs to members.

“You name it, we’re able to do it now,” he says, although he notes that federally recognized bands are held to a lot of rules and regulations.

“For the most part, tribes are looked after very carefully,” he says, laughing softly.

The first U.S. governmental agency to oversee indigenous peoples was the Department of War. Eventually, jurisdiction was shifted to the Department of the Interior, which oversees land and natural resources.

Shagonaby says he thinks that U.S. government relations with Indian tribes should be handled by Congress and the White House, and he finds it odd that tribes are under the Department of the Interior.

“It shows you the mindset,” he says. “’To deal with the Indians, let’s put them in the Interior.’

“But that’s just the way it is.” He pauses, then quips, “Well, it’s better than the Department of War.”

Shagonaby, a WMU graduate and chair of the board at Gun Lake Investments, recalls that his tribe felt similarly as far back as the mid-2000s, when it got involved because its former reservation encompassed Kalamazoo.

At the time, Shagonaby asked someone on the city’s Historic Preservation Committee whether the fountain was considered a historical piece or an art piece. When that person answered that it was an art piece, it changed things for Shagonaby.

“If it’s art, there can be an interpretation,” he says. “Historically, it may be uncomfortable, and maybe we have a problem with it, but the tribe’s position, then and now, is that works of art shouldn’t be censored.

“But get the historical facts right,” he adds.

The actual history Pottawatomi Indians didn’t wear headdresses, Shagonaby says. They also weren’t all driven westward. The state of Michigan itself is home to 10 federally recognized Indian bands, three of which are Pottawatomi and whose descendants remain in the region.

According to the Gun Lake Tribe’s website, there are 10 bands of Pottawatomi Indians, also spelled Potawatomi and called Bodewadmi or Bodewéwadmik in their original languages. Some of the Pottawatomi bands were moved west of the Mississippi River after the 1830 Indian Removal Act was

Family Law Experience

In Your Corner.

®

■ Family law matters including complex divorces, child custody, child support and parenting time ■ Experienced in mediation and collaborative law

Contact Erika Salerno at elsalerno@varnumlaw.com 28 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Ann Arbor | Birmingham | Detroit | Grand Haven | Grand Rapids | Kalamazoo | Lansing | Novi

A map from 1827 shows where the tribe’s reservation was located before it was ceded to the U.S. government that same year.

passed under U.S. President Andrew Jackson.

Some migrated north to Canada, but many remained and live in the area today.

Members of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Pottawatomi live on the Pine Creek Indian Reservation, in Fulton, Michigan.

This band has been a federally recognized tribe since 1995. The members are the descendants of people moved west on what the Pottawatomi call the Trail of Death, on which many of their ancestors died. Some snuck back to their northern homelands, however, and their descendants make up this tribe.

The Pokagon Band of Pottawatomi Indians, under the leadership of Leopold

Pokagon, successfully resisted removal by the U.S. government after Michigan became a state in 1837. They settled near presentday Dowagiac and have been a federally recognized sovereign nation since 1994.

The Pokagon Band website notes that the Pottawatomi — or Neshnabek, as in “original people” — have always been in the region.

It also refers to a migration from the East Coast with Ojibwe (anglicized as Chippewa) and Odawa (Ottawa) Nations, two indigenous nations with whom the Bodewadmi (Pottawatomi) share a similar language and a loose alliance known as the Council of the Three Fires, or the Three Fires Confederacy.

Within this alliance, the Bodewadmi became known as Keepers of the Fire, the Ojibwe as Keepers of Tradition, and the Odawa as Keepers of the Trade.

In 1821, Chief Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish and the Three Fires war chiefs signed the Treaty of Chicago, which the Match-E-BeNash-She-Wish website calls “the first treaty that directly affected our ancestors.” Under the treaty, four million acres were ceded to the U.S. government, including land that encompassed modern-day Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Jackson, Albion, Battle Creek, Niles, Three Rivers, Hillsdale, Adrian, Coldwater, Allegan, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, plus two Indiana cities — Elkhart and South Bend.

A three-square-mile reservation in what is now Kalamazoo was all that was left to the tribes. In 1827, the Pottawatomi tribes signed the Treaty of St. Joseph, which ceded the

SAME-DAY PSYCHIATRY URGENT CARE For This Exact Moment

Open daily for ages 18-65. Walk-ins welcome or call ahead for shortest wait time, questions or Medicaid preauthorization.

616.455.9200 pinerest.org/urgent w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 29

Kalamazoo reservation to the U.S. government, a deal for which the tribes never received compensation.

The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish tribe then began a period of constant northern migration to avoid being moved west. They eventually settled in Bradley, near Gun Lake, around 1838 and resisted efforts by the Episcopal Church to make them Christians. They held on to their traditions and set up a tribal government that persists to this day. After a prolonged application process, in 1999 the tribe gained federal recognition. It currently has 550 enrolled members and on Aug. 23 celebrated 20 years of sovereignty.

A book put out by the National Museum of the American Indian in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution in 2007 is titled Do All Indians Live In Tipis? Those familiar with indigenous people in the U.S. might find the title laughable, but, as Elspeth Inglis, assistant director for programs at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and a member of the Kalamazoo Reservation Public Education Committee, says, she used to overhear adults telling children that Indians lived in huts and tipis and that they were no longer here.

“Of course, Native Americans live in modern homes and wear modern clothing just like the rest of us,” Inglis says.

Also rarely covered in discussions of Native Americans were the brutalities indigenous children suffered in Christian boarding schools, where boys had their long hair cut and children were beaten for using their own language.

“There is much about the presence of Native Americans everywhere that has been overlooked — or willfully ignored, actually — in the telling of American history,” Inglis says. “There are elders around now who were subjected to this treatment, so we're not talking about the distant past.”

That’s why committee members are trying to get more factual indigenous history into Kalamazoo Public Schools classrooms, in the form of simple lesson plans that don’t overwhelm teachers who already have a lot on their plates.

Ready for Company?

Organizing Tips for Upscale and Casual Entertaining

New street signs designating the boundaries of the former Match-E-Be-Nash-SheWish reservation were installed in Kalamazoo in April. Photo courtesy of WMUK/ Sehvilla Mann.

‘Forward strides’ Committee member Palmer, the retired WMU professor and Gun Lake Tribal Council member, says she’s been informally working on this educational effort for decades but remains optimistic that changes are on the horizon.

“There have been forward strides and changes in the community,” Palmer says, citing the city of Kalamazoo’s official recognition of the past with the placement of the street signs.

There are further plans to mark the four corners of the historic reservation with works of art, an initiative on which all of the property owners have signed off.

In the meantime, Palmer says, the committee’s entry on Next Exit History, a mobile app that uses GPS to explore local historic sites,

Having friends or family over to share a meal or watch the big game?

Nothing says “welcome” to your guests like a beautiful, well organized home.

AUTHORIZED DEALER

Contact Bette Today AUTHORIZED DEALER

Contact Bette Today

hallsclosets.com

269.382.5182

hallsclosets@gmail.com

30 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

free design consultations

gives an overview of the Gun Lake Tribe and addresses the significant inaccuracies surrounding the Fountain of the Pioneers.

The entry lays the foundation for a school curriculum still in the works.

On Sept. 11, WMU’s Board of Trustees acknowledged that the university is located on historically indigenous land by approving a public statement inviting people to recognize the Ojibwe, Odawa and Bodewadmi nations that once resided there.

(Kalamazoo College has also acknowledged that it is located on historically indigenous land.)

“Please take a moment to acknowledge and honor this ancestral land of the Three Fires Confederacy,” the WMU statement reads, noting “the sacred lands of all indigenous peoples and their continued presence.”

Reporting that the Michigan History Center recently installed trilingual plant markers in Latin, English, and the Pottawatomi language on the Kal-Haven Trail, Palmer says, “I believe there is growing recognition and acknowledgment of the original inhabitants of the area.”

In 2017, the City of Kalamazoo changed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a decision that came about during debates about Ianelli’s fountain and signaled a shift in perspective.

The associate curator of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Paul Chaat-Smith, has something to say about what is needed to fully contemplate the histories of indigenous people in our country. In his book Everything You Know About Indians Is Wrong, he writes about the opening of the museum, which celebrated its 15th year in September. Worried that it could not possibly live up to its assignment to be a meditative space and a channel between public and Native cultures, both present and past, Chaat-Smith writes, “The museum should be a place where the evidence is presented in a thousand voices and in a thousand ways, a place where visitors make up their own minds; and a place where the most important exhibit comes after everyone leaves, as visitors, for the very first time, look closely at the ground beneath their feet.” w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 31

GOOD WORKS ENCORE

Perils of the Puppy Raiser

Saying goodbye is often the hardest part of training service dogs by

LISA MACKINDER

When Beth Schroeder arrives for class at

Anytime Fitness in Portage, her friend Paula Fisher waits with snacks: five dog biscuits.

They’re for Schroeder’s sidekick, Gable, a 10-month-old golden Lab. Gable is a student with Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a nonprofit organization that provides highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to people with disabilities. Schroeder brings Gable to the gym as part of that training.

“Gable has big shoes to fill,” says Schroeder, Gable’s puppy raiser.

Those big shoes — or paws, rather — belong to Schroeder’s previous student, 2½-year-old Elvis. In January, Schroeder, who’d had the black Lab/retriever mix since he was 8 weeks old, dropped Elvis off at CCI’s regional training center in Delaware, Ohio, for advanced training. Leaving Elvis was hard, to say the least, but Schroeder knows, as a puppy raiser, that saying goodbye comes with the territory.

Back in 1995, her family experienced their first heartbreak after dropping off Imke.

“We cried the five hours (coming) home from Ohio,” Schroeder says, “and I said in the car, ‘You know, this was a wonderful experience, but I don’t think we need to do this again.’ Well, then we got a call.”

That call came from CCI. The organization needed the Schroeders’ help raising puppies.

Now, 20 dogs later — the 21st will be arriving soon — Schroeder and her husband, Randy, can’t imagine not serving as puppy raisers.

“It’s like you can’t quit,” Schroeder says.

“You’re hooked.”

Raising the dogs Schroeder got hooked on raising puppies for two reasons: She enjoys loving, teaching and watching a puppy grow into a happy,

32 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Brian Powers

ENCORE GOOD WORKS

Left: Beth Schroeder, left, with current puppy-in-training, Gable, stands with her daughter, Rebecca Swallow, and Melia, who is trained to help Swallow with her speech therapy patients. Above: Gable is the 20th puppy Schroeder has raised to be a service dog.

well-behaved young dog, and — if the dog graduates from CCI — seeing that it will positively affect someone’s life.

“Being a small part in that dog’s success in helping someone live a more independent life is immeasurable,” she says.

This passion for raising service dogs began when Schroeder’s then-13-year-old daughter, Rebecca (now Rebecca Swallow), wanted to enter a 4-H dog care project working with service dogs. They contacted CCI and went through its extensive application process. After they were approved, 8-weekold Imke entered their lives and launched the Schroeder family on a lifelong mission.

Schroeder receives puppies from CCI’s national headquarters in Santa Rosa, California. CCI breeds puppies for temperament and health. In one calendar year there may be more than 800 puppies in the training process, Schroeder says, and an elaborate bookkeeping system tracks each dog and records things like hip dysplasia, joint issues and temperament concerns.

“They’re tattooed in their ears in sequential number order,” Schroeder says, flipping back Gable’s ear to show his number. “The first two numbers correspond to the year he was born — 18 — and then 657: He was the 657th puppy born in 2018.”

Every CCI puppy raiser uses the same commands and words in the same context to ensure that everyone is on the same page when the puppy arrives at regional headquarters for advanced training. For instance, the word “down” means “lie on the floor,” rather than “don’t jump on me.”

Puppy raisers receive a CCI manual of commands to teach the dog when the dog is 3 to 6 months old, 6 to 9 months old, 9 to

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 33

GOOD WORKS ENCORE assisting with transactions like transferring money, receipts and packages. Hearing dogs are specifically trained to alert the recipient to key sounds such as doorbells, telephones, and alarm clock and smoke alarms. Skilled companion dogs work with a child or an adult with a disability under the guidance of a facilitator like a parent, spouse or caregiver who handles and cares for the dog. Facility dogs are trained to work in health-care, visitation or education settings.

Swallow (Schroeder’s daughter), a speech and language pathologist at Jennings Elementary School in Quincy, Michigan, graduated from CCI with her own facility dog, a black Lab named Melia. She utilizes Melia in many ways, including to offer a calm and fun atmosphere for students working on their speech and language skills. Some of the children also have behavioral issues, Schroeder explains, and Melia’s presence helps redirect the kids’ focus to the tasks they are asked to do.

“Becky also uses Melia to help students working on specific sounds and speech patterns,” Schroeder says. “Kids can command Melia to do a particular task if that command word contains the sound being worked on.”

CCI always uses golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers or an intentional cross between the two, she says, even though there are certainly other breeds smart enough to learn the work, such as German shepherds, Belgian Malinois and Dobermans. But retrievers are better accepted by the public, she says.

12 months old, and so on. But after 25 years of doing the training, Schroeder admits she improvises. For instance, she will teach a puppy to stand on command earlier rather than later.

“A puppy is not going to sit very long,” she explains. “What’s he going to do? He’s going to stand up. So I put a command with that (when the puppy stands).”

Schroeder likens raising an assistance dog to building a home: It takes creating a strong foundation on which to build. Not only does this require teaching basics in obedience, she says, but it also means giving the animals love (“the easy part”) and instilling self-confidence in them by exposing the puppies to age-appropriate stimulation through public outings.

“Puppy raisers owe a debt of gratitude to business owners who welcome us into their establishments to essentially train our pups,” she says. “Without that exposure in restaurants, medical offices, schools, churches, exercise facilities, retail stores, etc., these pups in training would lack the experience and confidence necessary to behave appropriately in all situations as a graduate dog.”

The training organization CCI, started in 1975, trains four types of assistance dogs: service dogs, hearing dogs, facility dogs and skilled companion dogs. Service dogs are partnered with adults with physical disabilities and perform tasks such as pulling a wheelchair, pushing elevator buttons and

34 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Built for a lifetime of relaxation…

“We want the recipient of our dogs to be fully integrated into the general public,” Schroeder says. “People consider them (retrievers) friendlier-looking.”

Advanced training Once a dog such as Elvis is dropped off at regional headquarters, its training isn’t finished; it has only begun. For the next six to nine months, the dog will undergo advanced training.

“They’re taught to do the light switches, elevator buttons (and) taking clothes out of the dryer, putting clothes in the basket, dragging the basket to where (their companion) needs it, or holding onto their sleeve so they can pull their arm out,” Schroeder says.

All pools built locally

by Vlietstra Bros.

4266 Ravine Rd. Kalamazoo, MI 49006

Left: As a service dog, Melia was trained to open drawers for those who can’t. Below: Schroeder works with Gable to prepare him to work as a service dog.

www.vlietstrabros.com

269-349-7779

Winter Hours: Mon. – Fri. 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Sat. and other times by appointment

50 YEARS

1969-2019

Amish Furniture

HOLIDAY

sale

LOWEST PRICES OF THE SEASON

Brian Powers

beautiful woods, finishes and timeless styles. built to last a lifetime

12000 N US 131 (1 mile north of Schoolcraft) vandenbergfurniture.com (269) 679-4055 Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat 9:30-5:30 Wed, Fri 9:30-8 Sun 12-5 w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 35

GOOD WORKS ENCORE

If three months pass after dropping off a dog, it’s a “hold your breath” moment in training, Schroeder says. At this point, the CCI trainer will increase expectations of the dog while backing off of the rewards given to the dog for performing advanced commands.

“Some dogs don’t like the increased intensity of their training, and it will manifest itself in some unacceptable behavior,” Schroeder Brian Powers

Only about 50 percent of the dogs graduate from the advanced training, she says.

“We were naïve enough to think that all the dogs graduated because our first dog made it,” she says.

Some dogs are released from the program due to conditions like hip dysplasia or behavioral issues such as fear of thunderstorms. After Schroeder drops off a dog for advanced training, she waits for a call to see if it made it through the training. An early call generally means the dog has been released from the program.

Puppy raisers get the first option to take these dogs back as a pet, Schroeder says, Otherwise the dogs are adopted by well-screened applicants. The Schroeders have opted to take dogs back, such as Ojala, their now-13-year-old golden retriever, who was released from the program due to her high energy. But she still has a service role.

“She has played the role of “grandma” to the nine pups that have come into our home (after her) and counting,” Schroeder says.

Have you considered chartering a private jet for your next trip?

You should.

Whether for a business meeting, weekend getaway or family vacation, our private jet charters are a convenient, comfortable and safe travel option that is more affordable than you think.

Contact us today to learn how you and your group can to take your next trip with us.

582 5 W i l l o u g h b y D r., Po rta g e • 800.247.2834 • 269.651.2821 • w w w.Fl yR A I.com 36 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Aviation Specialists Aircraft Charter Aircraft Management Aircraft Maintenance

ENCORE GOOD WORKS explains. “The dogs are not forced to work if they are unhappy. The choice is theirs.”

Matching dogs with people

Brian Powers

When the dogs have completed training, the recipients of the dogs arrive at CCI’s training center for a two-week boot camp.

Beforehand, the recipients have completed paperwork to help trainers match them with potential canine candidates. The trainers select three dogs that appear to be good matches for recipients on paper, Schroeder

Top left: Schroeder creates photo albums for each puppy she’s trained. Above: Schroeder kisses Ojala, a 13-year-old golden retriever that she trained but was released from the program for her high energy.

Right: Schroeder watches as Elvis, the dog she trained, “graduates” from the program and goes with the young man he will assist.

explains, and then observe the recipient working with each of the three dogs.

One of the dogs might figure out a person’s weakness and have a “maybe I’ll do it and maybe I won’t” attitude, Schroeder says, while another dog will respond immediately. After dogs and recipients are permanently matched up, CCI holds a graduation ceremony.

“If you’re lucky enough to have a graduate dog, you have brunch with the person or family receiving your dog,” she says.

The recipients have the option of keeping in contact with their puppy raiser. So far, each person receiving one of Schroeder’s dogs has kept in touch with her family. She talks with them regularly, has attended weddings, and even dog-sits if needed.

After brunch with the recipient, Schroeder says her final goodbye.

“You have 20 minutes with your dog to hug on them and take pictures and get all emotional,” she says.

Then the ceremony begins, such as the one the Schroeders attended Aug. 9 when Elvis graduated. Each recipient is called to the stage. “You bring your dog up there and hand over the leash,” Schroeder says. Although it’s difficult to let go, meeting the recipients and discovering how the dogs make such a difference in their daily lives provide great reward, she says.

“That’s what gives you the incentive to keep doing it,” Schroeder says.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 37

Gull Lake Jazz Orchestra — Big-band jazz, 7 p.m.

Nov. 6, The Union Cabaret & Grille, 125 S. Kalamazoo Mall, 268-9199.

PERFORMING ARTS THEATER Plays Ken Ludwig's The Three Musketeers — Civic Youth Theatre presents Dumas' tale of heroism, treachery, close escapes and honor, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8 & 15; 2 p.m. Nov. 9, 10 & 16; 9:30 a.m. Nov. 13 & 14; 10 a.m.

Nov. 16, Parish Theatre, 405 W. Lovell St., 343-1313.

SoDown — Dance music, jazz and bass, 9 p.m. Nov. 6, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Bars of Gold — Detroit-based six-piece band, 8 p.m.

Nov. 8, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Goo Goo Dolls — Grammy Award-nominated rock band, 8 p.m. Nov. 8, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., 345-6500.

Flynt Flossy — Rapper, 8:30 p.m. Nov. 9, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Seth Bernard — Michigan singer/songwriter, 8:30 p.m. Nov. 14, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

eLLe — Face Off Theatre Company and Queer Theatre Kalamazoo present a story of competition, loneliness and identity among a group of queer women, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14–16, 2 p.m. Nov. 17, Jolliffe Theatre, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, faceofftheatre.com.

Tinsley Ellis & Tommy Castro — High-energy blues, rock and soul, 8 p.m. Nov. 15, State Theatre, 3456500.

Gem of the Ocean — August Wilson's story of holding on to your ancestry in order to forge your future, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15, 16, 21, 22 & 23; 2 p.m. Nov. 24, Shaw Theatre, WMU, 387-6222.

Loaves and Fishes Benefit Concert — K'zoo Folklife Organization presents an evening of acoustic performers, 6–10 p.m. Nov. 16, Trinity Lutheran Church, 504 S. Westnedge Ave., 209-0371.

It's a Wonderful Life — The holiday film portrayed as a live 1940s radio broadcast, 7:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Nov. 22–Dec. 22, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, 343-2727.

EagleMania — Eagles tribute band, 8 p.m. Nov. 16, State Theatre, 345-6500.

Musicals

Urinetown: The Musical — Tony Award-winning musical about a town suffering under a severe water shortage and the hero who leads the town to freedom, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 & 2, 2 p.m. Nov. 3, Williams Theatre, WMU, 387-6222.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde — A doctor conducts an experiment that brings out the dark side of his inner self, 8 p.m. Nov. 1 & 2, New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine St., 381-3328.

Spitfire Grill — A parolee forges a new place for herself in a small town, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7–9, 2 p.m.

Nov. 10, Festival Playhouse, Kalamazoo College, 129 Thompson St., 337-7333.

Carole's Kings — All-male Carole King tribute by a cast of New York stage veterans, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8 & 9, Farmers Alley Theatre, 343-2727.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical — The holiday classic comes to life on stage, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 & 16, 2 p.m. Nov. 16, 1 p.m. Nov. 17, Miller Auditorium, WMU, 387-2300.

A Christmas Carol — Dickens' holiday classic, 27 performances, Nov. 22–Dec. 28, New Vic Theatre, 381-3328, thenewvictheatre.org.

Elf: The Musical — A musical comedy about Buddy the Elf on a journey to find his identity, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22, 29 & Dec. 6; 2 p.m. Nov. 23, 24, 29, 30, Dec. 1, 7 & 8; 10 a.m. Nov. 30, Civic Auditorium, 329 S. Park St., 343-1313.

MUSIC Bands & Solo Artists The Mushmen, Hard Candy, Saxsquatch and Fools in the Rain — Halloween costume and cover show, 9 p.m. Nov. 1, Bell's Eccentric Café, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382-2332.

The Rutabega — Carp rock duo, 9 p.m. Nov. 2, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

38 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

The Lower Leisure Class — Kalamazoo-based band, 9 p.m. Nov. 16, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Enter the Haggis — Rock, indie and folk band, 9 p.m.

Nov. 21, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Trifocal — Funk-rock band, 8 p.m. Nov. 22, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

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

Pianist Laura Melton — Guest artist recital, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 3874667.

Tibetan Monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery: Concert of Song & Dance — International tour of The Mystical Arts of Tibet, presented by Connecting Chords Music Festival, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8, Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St., 382-2910.

Gold Company Sneak Preview — Featuring the WMU vocal jazz ensemble, 8 p.m. Nov. 8, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-2300.

Classics Uncorked: Sounds of Chile — KSO Artists in Residence survey the music of Chile from the 18th century to today, 8 p.m. Nov. 8 & 9, Jolliffe Theatre, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, 349-7759.

VOCES8 — A cappella octet, 8 p.m. Nov. 9, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-2300.

2nd Sundays Live: Michigan Hiryu Daiko — Traditional Japanese Taiko drum music, 2 p.m. Nov. 10, Parchment Community Library, 343-7747.

University Symphony Orchestra — 3 p.m. Nov. 10, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

Gilmore Rising Star Charles Richard-Hamelin — The Canadian pianist performs works by Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Chopin, 4 p.m. Nov. 10, Wellspring Theater, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, 342-1166.

Starfarm — East Lansing-based '80s band, 9 p.m.

Nov. 23, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Shifting Landscapes — Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra performs works by Mendelssohn, Franck and Bloch, 4 p.m. Nov. 10, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., 349-7557.

Greensky Bluegrass — Bluegrass/rock band, 8 p.m.

Nov. 29 & 30, State Theatre, 345-6500.

Live Electronics Concert — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

The All American Funk Parade — Funk and blues band, 9 p.m. Nov. 29, Bell's Eccentric Café, 382-2332.

Pianist Rob Clearfield — Guest artist recital, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More Karen Mason: Simply Broadway — Featuring the music of Broadway, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1, Civic Auditorium, 329 S. Park St., 343-1313.

KSO Brass Quintet— KSO's Family Fun Chamber Series presents works by Scott Joplin, followed by a craft and instrument petting zoo, 10 a.m. Nov. 2, Eastwood Branch Library, 1112 Gayle Ave., 553-7810; registration required.

Nobuntu — Kalamazoo Bach Festival presents this five-member a cappella ensemble from Zimbabwe, 4 p.m. Nov. 3, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., kalamazoobachfestival.org.

Rohan Krishnamurthy + Raaginder — Music that blends two classical Indian traditions with Hindu and Sikh chants, presented by Connecting Chords Music Festival, 4 p.m. Nov. 3, Dalton Theater, Kalamazoo College, 382-2910.

Western Winds — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

University Jazz Orchestra with Pianist Emilio Solla — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m., Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-2300.

Family Drum & Dance Night — Presented by Connecting Chords Music Festival, 7 p.m. Nov. 7,

University Symphony Orchestra — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-2300.

Campus Choir — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

Big Band Swing Tribute: University Jazz Orchestra and University Jazz Lab Band — 8 p.m.

Nov. 15, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-2300.

Pianist David Abbot — Guest artist recital, 4 p.m.

Nov. 16, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

Pete McCann Trio — Jazz guitarist, 8 p.m. Nov. 16, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

Schola Antiqua — Early music vocal ensemble performs Jerusalem 1000–1400, presented by Connecting Chords Music Festival, 4 p.m. Nov. 17, First Congregation Church, 345 W. Michigan Ave., 382-2910.

The Piano Guys — Classical and pop music accompanied by professional videography, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 20, Miller Auditorium, WMU, 387-2300.

JACK Quartet with Colin Currie, Percussion — Fontana presents the string quartet performing works by 20th- and 21st-century composers, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22, with pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m., Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 382-7774.

ENCORE EVENTS Beethoven's Symphony No. 3: Eroica — Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra performs Beethoven's symphony and Brahms' Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor, with KSO musicians JunChing Lin and Igor Cetkovic, 8 p.m. Nov. 23, Chenery Auditorium, 349-7759.

WMU School of Music Opera: Così Fan Tutte — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23 & 24, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-2300.

University Wind Symphony and University Symphonic Band — 3 p.m. Nov. 24, Miller Auditorium, WMU, 387-4667.

Western Horn Choir — 5 p.m. Nov. 25, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

University Percussion Ensemble — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 26, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667.

DANCE Orchesis Dance Concert — Featuring WMU student choreography, 8 p.m. Nov. 6–9, 2 p.m. Nov. 9 & 10, Studio B, Dalton Center, WMU, 387-2300.

Ochre & Indigo: Voice of Wellspring — Fall concert of dance by Wellspring, 7 p.m. Nov. 21, 8 p.m.

Nov. 22 & 23, 2 p.m. Nov. 23, Wellspring Theater, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, 342-4354.

The Sugar Plum Fairy — Ballet Kalamazoo presents this original ballet with a twist on the classic story of The Nutcracker, 6 p.m. Nov. 23, 2 p.m. Nov. 24, Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St., 267-6681.

COMEDY

Events

Cat & Nat: #Momtruths Live — Best friends share stories about the stress, guilt, joy and laundry of being a mom, 7 p.m. Nov. 6, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., 345-6500.

Creative Stands for Justice: A Multimedia Curation of the Work of Southwest Michigan Black Artists — DJ Disobedience (Michelle S. Johnson) presents spoken word, videography, digital images and music with the works of regional black artists, 6 p.m. Nov. 1.

David Sedaris — Humor writer and master of satire, 7 p.m. Nov. 17, State Theatre, 345-6500.

Nick Offerman: All Rise — Award-winning actor, writer and comedian, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Nov. 20, State Theatre, 345-6500.

FILM 2019 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour — Kalamazoo Film Society presents seven films, 5–8 p.m. Nov. 1, Jolliffe Theatre, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, kalfilmsociety.net.

VISUAL ARTS Kalamazoo Institute of Arts 314 S. Park St., 349-7775 Exhibits

Black Refractions: Highlights from The Studio Museum in Harlem — Traveling exhibition of works by artists of African descent, through Dec. 8.

Resilience: African American Artists as Agents of Change — An exhibition of works from the KIA's permanent collection, through Dec. 8.

Where We Stand: Black Artists in Southwest Michigan — Works by nine artists working in sculpture, photography, painting, ceramics and printmaking, through Dec. 8.

ARTbreak — Weekly program about art, artists and exhibitions: Michigan Festival of Sacred Music Connecting Chords Music Festival, talk by Elizabeth C. Teviotdale and Elizabeth Start, Nov. 5; Co-building a Creative Justice Movement: Fire's First Decade, talk by Michelle S. Johnson, Nov. 12; Longtime Kalamazoo Residents: A Conversation at the KIA, Von Washington Jr. moderates a conversation among Robyn Robinson, Moses Walker and Harvey Myers about history, justice, peace, family and the arts, Nov. 19; Black is the Color: African-American Artists and Segregation, video, art historians, gallery owners and contemporary artists examine key movements in the history of visual art by black artists, Nov. 26; sessions begin at noon, KIA Auditorium.

Purged: The Art of Metamorphosis — Nancy J. Rodwan discusses how she uses unwanted items to create art, 10 a.m. Nov. 13.

Film Screening: Where We Stand — Locally produced documentary about the artists featured in the exhibition, followed by Q&A, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14, with reception at 5:30 p.m.

M RE

Eco-Friendly & Road Hugging Technology!

• UP TO 54 MPG • LESS EMISSIONS • AVAILABLE ALL WHEEL DRIVE HYBRID MODELS!

269.375.1000

5850 STADIUM DRIVE w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 39

EVENTS ENCORE KIA Holiday Sale — Featuring art created by art school students and faculty, 5–8 p.m. Nov. 22 and 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 23. (Members’ Night, 5–8 p.m.

Nov. 21.)

Richmond Center for Visual Arts Western Michigan University, 387-2436

The Exquisite Corpse Video Project: Volume 2 — Through Nov. 4.

Cat Crotchett: Together — Exhibition combining Indonesian batik textile processes with abstract patterns, through Dec. 8, Netzorg and Kerr Gallery; artist lecture, 5:30 p.m. Nov. 7, Room 2008.

WMU Faculty and Staff Exhibition — Through Dec. 8, Monroe-Brown Gallery.

17 Days (Vol. 12) — One artist’s video work per day is played on 50-inch plasma screens, Nov. 5–May 1, Atrium Gallery.

Ladislav Hanka — Visiting artist lecture, 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 14, Room 2008.

Shaun Leonardo — Visiting artist lecture, 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 19, Room 2452, Knauss Hall, WMU. Other Venues Artists in Action: Tanisha Pyron — The artist will work on a piece to be featured in the December Art Hop as part of the Where We Stand: Black Artists in Southwest Michigan exhibition, 2–4 p.m. Nov. 1, Washington Square Branch Library, 1244 Portage St., 553-7970.

Art Hop — Art at various Kalamazoo locations, 5–8 p.m. Nov. 1, 342-5059.

Guest Artist: Jim Horton — Exhibition by the wood engraver, Nov. 1–29, Kalamazoo Book Arts, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, 373-4938.

Tibetan Monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery — Buddhist monks will construct a mandala sand painting, presented by Connecting Chords Music Festival, noon Nov. 6–3:30 p.m. Nov. 10, with a lecture about the mandala's meaning at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 10, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, 230 N. Rose St., 3822910.

Artists in Action: Al Harris — The artist will work each day on a piece to be featured in the December Art Hop as part of the Where We Stand: Black Artists in Southwest Michigan exhibition, 2–4 p.m. Nov. 11–15, with special program 5 p.m. Nov. 11, Oshtemo Branch Library, 7265 W. Main St., 553-7980.

Painting in the Park — Create a masterpiece of your own, 6–9 p.m. Nov. 15, Schrier Park, 350 W. Osterhout Ave., Portage, 329-4522.

Artists in Action: Audrey Mills — The artist will work each day on a piece to be featured in the December Art Hop as part of the Where We Stand: Black Artists in Southwest Michigan exhibition, 2–4 p.m. Nov. 18–20 & 22, with special program 5 p.m. Nov. 21, Van Deusen Room, Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St., 342-9837.

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS Kalamazoo Public Library

Confronting Violence: Improving Women's Lives — A traveling exhibit from the U.S. National Library of Medicine on the efforts of health care workers to identify violence against women as a serious health care issue, through Nov. 2, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St., 553-7800.

In-Depth Kalamazoo: Our City — See Kalamazoo in the late 1800s in 3-D and explore the origins of virtual reality, 6 p.m. Nov. 1, Central Library, 342-9837.

Telestrellas: Latino Soap Operas — Watch Hispanic telenovelas in Spanish with English subtitles and discuss the films, 6 p.m. Nov. 4, Eastwood Branch, 1112 Gayle Ave., 553-7810.

Page Turners Book Club — Discussion of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, by Phaedra Patrick, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4, Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St., 553-7980.

In-Depth Kalamazoo: Our City: Historic 3D Photography — Artist Colleen Woolpert discusses stereoscopes, binocular vision, and contemporary expressions of this medium, 7 p.m. Nov. 6, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 342-9837.

Meet the Authors: Grace Lin and Jewell Parker Rhodes — Hear why these authors weave community into their stories and the importance of sharing books with children, 6:30–8 p.m. Nov. 7, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 342-9837.

42nd Annual KPL Youth Literature Seminar — Featuring award-winning authors Jewell Parker Rhodes, Grace Lin, Kelly Baptist and Ed Spicer, 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. Nov. 8, WMU’s Fetzer Center, 2251 Business Court, kpl.gov/yls; registration required.

Samite in Concert — This Ugandan musician sings accompanied by the kalimba, marimba, litungu and flutes, presented by Connecting Chords Music Festival, 2 p.m. Nov. 9, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 342-9837.

Let's Honor Our Vets! — A movie and conversation in honor of Veterans Day, 6 p.m. Nov. 12, Alma Powell Branch, 1000 W. Paterson, 553-7960.

Weatherization and Your Old House — The experts from the Old House Owners Workshops discuss how to save on energy costs, 7 p.m. Nov. 14, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 342-9837.

Michigan, My Michigan: A History of This State: Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression and World War II — Lynn Houghton discusses Michigan's colorful history, 7 p.m. Nov. 18, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 342-9837.

Intercambio de idiomas/Language Exchange — Meet your neighbors, share your language and practice conversation with friends, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 20, Washington Square Branch, 1244 Portage St., 5537970.

Can Poetry Be Funny? — Poetry reading hosted by Friends of Poetry, 7 p.m. Nov. 20, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 342-9837.

Reading Race Book Group — Discussion of White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 21, Boardroom, Central Library, 342-9837.

40 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

ENCORE EVENTS Urban Fiction Book Club — Discussion of After the Hurricane, by Brandy Echols, 6 p.m. Nov. 25, Eastwood Branch, 553-7810.

Friends of KPL Annual Gift Book Sale — Noon–7 p.m. Wed., 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., Nov. 29–Dec. 31, Friends Bookstore, Central Library, 342-9837.

Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747 Parchment Book Group — Bring a favorite poem to share in this celebration of poetry, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4.

Donuts & Discussion: Everyday Conflict Resolution — Techniques and resources to resolve conflicts, 10:30 a.m.–noon Nov. 16.

Online Safety for Your Children and Family — Learn about tools you can use to monitor, protect and restrict your computer and internet usage, 6 p.m.

Nov. 20; registration required.

Other Venues Poet Cecily Parks — The poet and essayist reads from her works in the Gwen Frostic Reading Series, 7 p.m. Nov. 7, Rooms 157–159, Bernhard Center, WMU, 387-2572.

Poets in Print: Mary Biddinger and Amorak Huey — The poets read from their works, 7 p.m. Nov. 16, Kalamazoo Book Arts, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, 373-4938.

Mystery Book Club — Discussion of The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes, by Leonard Goldberg, and The Beekeeper's Apprentice, by Laurie R. King, 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 19.

Alumni Reading — Metta Sáma, Jeremy Llorence and Simone Person read from their works in the Gwen Frostic Reading Series, 7 p.m. Nov. 21, Rooms 157–159, Bernhard Center, WMU, 387-2572.

Yum's the Word: Happy Cheese from Happy Goats — Ron and Suzanne Klein share the story of Windshadow Farm & Dairy and their cheeses, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 20; registration required.

Air Zoo 6151 Portage Road, Portage, 382-6555

Holiday Book Sale — 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 23.

Portage District Library 300 Library Lane, 329-4544 SciFi/Fantasy Discussion Group: Afrofuturism — Explore the works of Jemisin, Okorafor and Butler to see where Afrofuturism is now and how far society has to go, 7 p.m. Nov. 12.

International Mystery Book Discussion: France — Discussion of Awkward Squad, by Sophie Hénaff, 7 p.m. Nov. 14.

Open for Discussion — Discussion of Educated: A Memoir, by Tara Westover, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 19.

Richland Community Library 8951 Park St., 629-9085 Mystery Club — Discuss a new mystery, 6 p.m. Nov. 7.

MUSEUMS

Apo11o — This new permanent exhibit shows the teamwork it took to put people on the moon via the Apollo 11 mission.

D-Day 75: En Route by Place and Parachute — This new permanent exhibit shows D-Day through the eyes of POWs, glider pilots and through artifacts from the Air Zoo's collection.

Memories and Milestones: Forty Years of the Air Zoo — A celebration of four decades of flight, spacecraft, science and education, through December.

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

Mindbenders Mansion 2 — Puzzles, brain-teasers and interactive challenges to test the brain, through Jan. 5.

Filling in the Gaps: The Art of Murphy Darden — Art focused on black cowboys, Darden's personal experiences in Mississippi, civil rights heroes and Kalamazoo's African-American community, through March 29.

Murphy Darden: Collection with Passion — The inaugural screening of an oral history dedicated to Darden's lifetime collection of the history of African Americans, 5:30–8:30 p.m. Nov. 2.

The Meaning of the Mandala — The artistic tradition of Tantric Buddhism of painting with colored sand, 1:30 p.m. Nov. 10.

NATURE Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574 Tim Tesar: "How I Came to Love Birds and to Worry About How Climate Change Will Affect Them" — Climate activist Tim Tesar shares his birding experiences and photographs and discusses the results of the Audubon Birds and Climate Change Report, 6–7 p.m. Nov. 7.

Candlelight Night Hike — The Fern Valley Trail will be lit with luminaries to guide your path, 8–9:30 p.m.

Nov. 8.

Sound Immersion Meditation — Judy Huxmann leads this program of ancient sound instruments that can aid your relaxation, meditation and deepstate healing, presented by Connecting Chords Music Festival, 2 p.m. Nov. 16.

Turkey Trot — Hike and search for wild turkeys, 2 p.m. Nov. 17.

Evening Prairie Hike — Hike to the Emma Pitcher Tallgrass Prairie to identify prairie plants, 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 21.

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, 671-2510 Fall Migration Celebration — Identify the waterfowl at Wintergreen Lake and participate in activities along the trail, 1–4 p.m. Nov. 3.

one good day

Book Club & Dessert — Discussion of The Lying Game, by Ruth Ware, 7 p.m. Nov. 14.

Willard Wigan, Microsculptor — Artwork so small it must be viewed through a microscope, through Jan. 26.

can make a big difference for you and your loved one.

• A welcoming, safe place for older adults during the day.

• Meaningful activities, entertainment, & social engagement.

• Individualized care from professional staff. a program of Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan

at

Adult Day Services here for li fe 269.345.0273 oaklandcentre.org w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 41

EVENTS ENCORE Birds and Coffee Walk — A morning bird walk and discussion over coffee, 9–10:30 a.m. Nov. 13.

Owl Prowl — A nighttime walk to listen for owls, 6–7:30 p.m. Nov. 13.

Other Venues Duck, Duck, Goose! Guided Bird Walk — Learn the basics of birding from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 2, Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery, 34270 County Road 652, Mattawan, 668-2696.

Fall Color Hike — Enjoy the fall season and create art from autumn leaves and seeds, 2 p.m. Nov. 2, Schrier Park, 350 W. Osterhout Ave., Portage, 329-4522.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society's Remote Viewing Session — View the night sky in this indoor observing session, 8–10 p.m. Nov. 16 (cloud date, Nov. 23), Room 1110, Rood Hall, WMU, 373-8942.

Audubon Society of Kalamazoo — Sudhir Reddy speaks on "Birding and Wildlife in India," 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 25, People's Church, 1758 N. 10th St., 375-7210.

MISCELLANEOUS Kalamazoo Farmers Market — 7 a.m.–2 p.m.

Saturdays, through November, 1204 Bank St., 359-6727.

Christmas Boutique Arts & Crafts Show — Artisans and crafters from throughout the Midwest, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 2, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, 2900 Lake St., 327-5373.

As fiduciaries for over 30 years, we remain dedicated to serving the interests of our clients and their families.

STEWARDSHIP STABILITY SUCCESS

A fee-only wealth management firm 7840 Moorsbridge Road Portage, Michigan 49024 269.321.8120 | 800.488.2036 lvmcapital.com

42 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Kalamazoo Numismatic Club Fall Coin Show — Buy, sell and trade coins, paper money and memorabilia, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 2, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 381-8669.

Walking Tour of Downtown Kalamazoo Breweries — Learn about the local beer culture, noon–4:15 p.m. Nov. 2, starting at Kalamazoo Beer Exchange, 211 E. Water St.; Nov. 9, starting at Central City Tap House, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall; Nov. 16, starting at Shakespeare's Pub, 241 E. Kalamazoo Ave.; Nov. 23 & 30, see schedule at westmichiganbeertours.com, 350-4598.

Dia de Los Muertos — Community culture celebration of the Day of the Dead, 5:15–8 p.m. Nov. 2, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 385-6279.

Just Sport: A Conversation About Sports, Justice and Activism with Richard Lapchick – The president of The Institute for Sport and Social Justice speaks about sport and social justice issues, 7 p.m. Nov. 4, Dalton Center, Kalamazoo College, TransformationsCenter.org; registration required.

Kalamazoo in Bloom's Pumpkin Soiree — A fundraiser and tasting competition featuring food made with pumpkin by local chefs and restaurants, 6–8:30 p.m. Nov. 6, CityScape Event Centre, 125 S. Kalamazoo Mall, kalamazooinbloom.org.

West Michigan Harvest Cluster AKC Dog Show — Conformation, obedience and rally trials, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Nov. 7–8, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Nov. 9–10, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 616-600-1578.

The Ghost Road: Anishinaabe Responses to Indian-Hating — Matthew Fletcher speaks as part of the 2019–20 Freedom Speaker Series, 7 p.m. Nov. 7, 2452 Knauss Hall, WMU, 387-1811.

Preserving the Viking Ship from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago — Learn the history of the replica of a ninth-century Viking ship, the Gokstad, that sailed from Norway to Chicago in 1893, 2 p.m. Nov. 10, Trinity Lutheran Church, 504 S. Westnedge Ave. Fall Flea Markets — New and used items, antiques and handcrafted items, 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Nov. 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 & 27; 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 16, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 383-8778.

Great Grown-up Spelling Bee — An adult spelling bee to support Ready to Read, 6–9 p.m. Nov. 13, Bernhard Center, WMU, 553-7885.

How to Be an Antiracist — Ibram Kendi speaks as part of the 2019–20 Freedom Speaker Series, 4 p.m.

Nov. 15, 2000 Schneider Hall, WMU, 387-1811.

KalamaTopia — A makers-mart outdoor shopping event to kick off the season, 5–8:30 p.m. Nov. 15, downtown Kalamazoo, 388-2830.

Vicksburg Project Graduation Craft Show — Arts, crafts and gifts, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 16, Sunset Lake Elementary School, 201 N. Boulevard St., Vicksburg, https://tinyurl.com/y4achoke Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Buy, sell or trade reptiles, amphibians and small mammals, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 16, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 779-9851.

Kalamazoo Holiday Parade — Marching bands, holiday-themed floats and giant balloons, 11 a.m.

Nov. 16, downtown Kalamazoo, 344-0795.

Kalamazoo Dance — Monthly ballroom dancing at 8 p.m., with West Coast Swing lesson at 7 p.m., Nov. 16, The Point Community Center, 2595 N. 10th St., kalamazoodance.org.

Weavers & Fiber Artists Sale — Handwoven items, hand-spun yarn, gifts and ornaments, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Nov. 22 & 23, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 S. Park St., weaversguildofkalamazoo.org.

Kick-Off Classic Synchronized Skating Competition — Featuring over 130 teams from the U.S. and Canada, Nov. 22–24, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, 345-1125.

WMU Turkey Trot — 5K run and walk, 8:30–11 a.m.

Nov. 23, Student Recreation Center, WMU, https:// tinyurl.com/y3l92ose.

Holiday Expo & Craft Show — Michigan vendors and crafters, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 23, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Nov. 24, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 903-5820.

Holiday Market — Tour the decorated W.K. Kellogg Manor House and buy handcrafted gifts, noon–5 p.m. Nov. 23, 29 & 30, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, 671-2160.

Turkey Trot 5K Time Prediction Run — Kalamazoo Area Runners host the Thanksgiving Day morning competition, 9 a.m. Nov. 28, Portage West Middle School, 7145 Moorsbridge Road, karturkeytrot. wordpress.com.

Tree Lighting Ceremony — Lighting of Christmas trees, 5–7:30 p.m. Nov. 29, Bronson Park, 337-8191, kzooparks.org.

Kalamazoo Antique Toy Show — Antique, vintage and collectible toys, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Nov. 30, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 262-366-1314.

ENCORE POETRY

Travel I thought it had to be mountains, snow-capped ones with pink dawns and blood-red sunsets, or turquoise oceans with palm trees and sand-powder beaches, the setting sun lining perfectly with my chilled glass of chardonnay before slipping into the sea each evening.

Now I think it might be that old barn in the middle of Illinois, the light swirling through the leaded glass window and striking the bulb of the candle-lamp like a chime,

or even just standing by the stream down the road, the sound of water, sweet smell of the air, patches of light and shadow, a dragonfly hovering above the water, waiting for the next thing. — Scott Peterson Before retiring, Peterson was an educator in Mattawan. He also taught writing classes at Western Michigan University and was a teacher and teacher consultant for the National Writing Project. He continues to live in the Kalamazoo area. His essays and poetry have appeared in Longridge Review, Topology, Plain Song Review and other anthologies and journals.

WMUK

102.1

 � �

Â? Â?Â?

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 43

Constance Brown Hearing Centers A Higher Degree of Hearing Care

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Arborist Services of Kalamazoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Ballet Arts Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Betzler Funeral Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Bravo! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Bronson Healthcare Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Café 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Clear Ridge Wealth Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Comensoli’s Italian Bistro & Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Constance Brown Hearing Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Cosmo’s Cucina & O’Duffy’s Pub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Dave’s Glass Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 DeHaan Remodeling Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 DeMent and Marquardt, PLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Family & Children Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Our audiologists have advanced degrees in hearing health care.

Their tests accurately assess hearing health. Free screenings don’t.

Call to schedule an appointment for a hearing evaluation.

Kalamazoo 1634 Gull Rd. Suite 201 269.343.2601

Portage 4855 W. Centre Ave. 269.372.2709

Fence & Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 First National Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Food Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Four Roses Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Gilmore Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

www.cbrown.org

Halls Closets & More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport . . . . . . . . 48 Kalamazoo Community Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Kalamazoo Public Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Kuipers Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Lee’s Adventure Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Lewis Reed & Allen, PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Lift Restaurant & Lounge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 LVM Capital Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Metro Toyota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 North Woods Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Oakland Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Park Village Pines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services . . . . . . . . . . .29 Portage Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Potter’s Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 RAI Jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Ray Financial Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Been thirsty for days?

Get ready for 2020 with our FREE historical calendar featuring a wide assortment of local landmarks and interesting people. Don’t delay, though.

These always go FAST (just like us).

Saffron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Trust Shield Insurance Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Tujax Tavern & Brewpub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Vandenberg Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Varnum Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

1116 W Centre Avenue 323-9333 PortagePrinting.com

☎

44 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Vlietstra Bros. Pool & Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Willis Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 WMUK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

ENCORE BACK STORY

BACK STORY (continued from page 46)

Robinson, 52, has been executive chef at Chartwells for 13 years, and two days are never the same, he says. From managing staff to catering events and educating students about proper nutrition, Robinson is always on the move. He challenges himself and his staff to come up with creative menus, sometimes seeking guidance from the students.

“Last year we did a student choice program at Loy Norrix High School,” he says. “You’ll go into a school, market a menu and do a big tasting of four different cuisines. The students will vote. We did a bok choy station for a few weeks. Then we had fresh pizzas to order, so they would pick their toppings every day.”

Robinson says the most rewarding part of his job is teaching and engaging with students about nutrition.

the staff and students safe. There’s also our catering program, which is very big, very demanding for the district.

What’s one of your proudest accomplishments?

Doing career cooking demos in classes with the students. Talking to students, getting them excited about foods, the super foods, what it takes to become a chef, inspiring them and figuring out what they want, what they're interested in.

You have a generation of students that come up to you at graduation and say, “Hey, I remember you in grade school when you came and did a pizza party for our entire school.” Having over 10,000 students, that's a pretty cool thing to jump out at you, to remember. Just little moments like that over a decade are, I think, what I'm most proud of.

How did you get started in the culinary world?

What’s your favorite thing about food?

I worked in high school washing dishes and kind of got a taste for it. After I left the military, I worked at a restaurant in Grand Rapids (owned by) a Sicilian family for over 10 years. I really loved the scratch cooking, so that kind of propelled me to finish (culinary training) at the Secchia Institute. For seven or eight years, I worked as a dietary manager for three different hospitals. I moved out west and worked for Warner Pacific College, in Portland, Oregon, came back, worked for WMU, so I have a lot of campus food service experience. Got into this opening for KPS, and it fit my family schedule. It was kind of the last leg of the industry that I hadn't tried, and I absolutely love it.

My favorite thing is to cook for other people. That's the reward. That's what you get back. Making somebody happy by preparing something special for them, for a party or a family member or my wife. That's the TLC that you spread, making food for people.

What is your job like?

We have over 30 buildings to manage for KPS, and every day I’m at a different building.

I do menu development and safety and implement the menu, make sure it's being filed properly. All our standards have to be met — county and company-wide — to keep

What is your favorite dish to cook?

One of my favorite appetizers to make is bruschetta. It's very basic but just so flavorful, and you can make so many different variations. And you can buy or grow local fresh ingredients during the summer that you can have year ’round.

Do you get saddled with all the cooking for family gatherings and holidays?

My wife's a really good cook and baker, so it's a family event. I love sharing and having everybody making things and showing what they can do. That's a unique family experience I love doing — getting everybody in the

kitchen. It's like a delicate ballet or dance.

And that's what we strive for here in the district as well with the staff. Once you get that delicate balance in the kitchen, they're hand-in-hand. If they can navigate day in, day out and feed 600 students a day, that's a success and it's not easy. We have such a fantastic staff that grinds it out every year.

What do you do when you’re not cooking?

Three simple things: the beach, live music and watching sports.

Do you have any advice for a budding chef?

The biggest obstacle is to find what you love to do, because when you leave culinary school, you can get your foot in the door anywhere you want to go. But you have to figure out what your niche is, whether you want to be front-of-the-house manager or you want to be a pastry chef or dietary manager of a hospital or a dietitian. And that'll take some time.

What changes do you see coming for the future of food in school systems?

Fresher foods with the local farms. All the way down to our elementary menu, the freshest food we can possibly produce.

Fresh sauces. While I can't go into detail, a few years down the road (we’ll have) our new production facility. That's where our future's going for KPS. It was approved by the voters of Kalamazoo, and our bond to use this production facility for our entire school district, so that's exciting.

— Interview conducted by Jordan Bradley and edited for length and clarity.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 45

BACK STORY ENCORE

Shaun Robinson

Executive Chef, Chartwells

Shaun Robinson, executive chef at Chartwells,

the food provider and catering company for Kalamazoo Public Schools, didn’t always know he wanted to be part of the culinary world.

What started as a way to make some extra cash washing dishes in high school turned into a fullfledged career after he completed a tour with the Army across Europe and the Persian Gulf countries.

Upon returning, Robinson went to school, eventually accumulating four degrees, including a bachelor’s in food service administration and a master’s in career and technical education in culinary arts, both from Western Michigan University.

Brian Powers

(continued on page 45)

46 | ENCORE NOVEMBER 2019

Kalamazoo Public Schools are reaching higher!

aduation rates gr ar ye 5d an 4g in  Ris school and high le d id m , ry ta n e m le  Rising e vement school student achie udents taking st f o r e b m u n e th le  More than doub the last 10 years in s e rs u co t n e m ce la Advance P and mandatory n io it tu ge lle co e e romise: fr ents apply)  The Kalamazoo P attendance requirem & cy en sid (re s e fees for KPS graduat Promise scholars  More than 2,000 grees have completed de ly 2,500 students e at im x ro p ap f o th  Grow e last 13 years (25 percent) over th

For enrollment or more information please contact Kalamazoo Public Schools at

269.337.0161

FLY HOME. BE HOME.

Don’t be here

90 9 192

2019

Hey. We just landed.

Be home in 10 minutes. ww

TH

An n i v e r s a r y

w.f

lyazo.co

m

Close. Convenient. Friendly.

Gofrom AZO

afe. Simple. Convenient.

When you want to be here