Expert Advice
Health Food
Q: What type of produce does Sawall’s carry?
A: Sawall’s has always carried local and certified organic produce. Its the very best quality that can be found. We receive produce orders almost every day! We also carry as much local produce that we can find seasonally. We are always looking for quality produce from local farmers. Come in soon and enjoy the areas largest selection of fresh CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCE!!
Mon-Sat. 8am-9pm, Sun. 10am-6pm
Sawall Health Foods
Oakwood Plaza • 2965 Oakland Dr. at Whites Rd. • 343-3619 • www.sawallhf.com
Financial Services
Chuck Henrich President & Owner
Q: When do I first sign up for Medicare?
A: You are first eligible to sign up for Medicare part A and Part B three months before you turn 65 and three months after the month you turn 65. When you enroll for Social Security, you will automatically be signed up for Medicare Part A and Part B. If you are still working and NOT taking Social Security at age 65, you can delay taking Part A and Part B until you fully retire. However, there are certain situations where delaying could potentially result in paying a monthly late enrollment penalty for Part B. To better understand your Medicare options, please feel free to reach out to our office.
Southwest Michigan Financial, LLC
The Atriums • 4341 S. Westnedge #1201 269-323-7964
Counseling
Kim
Powers, Owner, Licensed Professional Counselor
Q: Why would I set a boundary in my relationship?
A: Boundary setting creates a framework for how you can simultaneously love others and love yourself in a healthy way while communicating your wants and needs, without compromising yourself. Without safety and parameters, the relationship may become dysfunctional, leading to bitterness and resentment, even abuse. Boundaries can enhance the quality of a relationship, end a toxic relationship, or create better balance and improve the dynamics, helping you to honor yourself and your worth.
Heart Soul Mind Strength LLC Faith. Acceptance. Empowerment. Purpose. Www.HeartSoulMindStrengthLLC.com 510-827-1305
Transitions
Care Options
Matthew R. Brindley, MD Emergency Medicine
Q: What are my options for medical care and how do I decide where to go if I need care now?
In making the decision about where to go for care, Bronson suggests these care options:
• Your Primary Care Provider. Doctor’s offices offer daily urgent time slots, so it’s best to start there first. They can also offer advice based on your personal history.
• Bronson FastCare®. Convenient medical attention for patients 18 months or older with a minor illness or healthcare need. Two Kalamazoo locations.
• Bronson Urgent Care. For patients 3 months old and older with minor injuries or illnesses that need quick attention. Also provides X-rays and minor procedures, such as treating minor cuts and wounds. Located in Battle Creek with an additional Kalamazoo location opening on August 1.
• Emergency Department. For serious or life-threatening emergencies or per your doctor’s instruction, call 911 or go to the ED right away.
If you are uncertain about your care options, Bronson Care Advisors are available 24/7 to connect you to the care option that best meets your needs. They can be reached at (269) 341-7788. Learn more at bronsonhealth.com/needcare-now.
Bronson Healthcare
Roofing
Q: When should I join a life plan senior community waiting list?
A: Waiting lists assure you preferred access to the specific floor plans you desire, as they becomes available. Timing depends on the list program structure. You rise faster through the list when the community limits “strikes,” or opportunities to reject a unit, before you drop back to the bottom. Progression through an “open ended” list is slow, but you may maintain your positon at the top indefinitely, until you are ready to move in. Most lists require a deposit and some provide access to community amenities while you wait. Proactive planning increases your options, so sooner is generally better than later.
Friendship Village
“Where Connections Matter” 1400 North Drake, Kalamazoo 269-381-0560 www.friendshipvillagemi.com
Justin Reynolds Manager
Q: With all the recent stormy weather, should I have my roof repaired?
A: We recommend that roofs be inspected about once every five years if the roof is under 15 years old and then once every other year for roofs older than 15 years. These inspections can and should be done after the kind of stormy spring weather we have had this year. We have seen a little of everything since the first of the year including wind related damages and even hail damage on roofs that have been inspected so far this year. Inspecting a roof in this manner can often lead to minor repairs that can prolong the normal life expectancy of your existing shingles that are still in relatively good condition as this is confirmed more times than not during our inspections. For a free roof inspection, please give us a call at (269) 342-0153 or visit us at worryfreeroof.com
Mark Sawall Owner
Diana Duncan Director of Sales and Marketing
I love hearing little
Here are a few that seemed funny at the time.
I was recently in Family Faire in Vicksburg, buying a donut in the seven item or less checkout line. The cashier was on the phone. I heard her say, “I will write it in the book.” “We have not seen it in the store.” Yes, I will write it in the book.” She was having a hard time getting the person off the phone. When she hung up, I asked what the call was about. She said a customer just bought groceries and a magazine and when she got home she could not find the magazine. I asked what magazine it was and she said, “Pioneer Woman.” I had not heard of it and kiddingly asked if it was about Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. A lady behind me said, “ No, but thats Jayne Seymour. She now has her own jewelry line.” I said maybe it’s about The Little House on the Prairie woman. Another lady in line said, “No, the magazine is about cooking and trying to sell you a bunch of pots and pans.” I was still smiling as I left eating my donut.
blind. One boy said,”The birds were all asleep during the eclipse.”
In a baseball game, an umpire called the infield fly rule, a somewhat complicated rule to explain to 11-12 year olds. They were all excited, asking what this meant, as it cost us an out. I was coaching third so pointed to a friend near the dugout and said, “Ask the guy back there with the goatee,” thinking that would solve it. One kid yelled back, “Whats a goatee?”
I was in a local sub shop and the guy at the counter said he just got a call from a customer saying he had read on the internet that the owner had died falling off a ladder. He told the caller that it must have been very sudden as the owner he just left about 10 minutes ago.
I was in a local restaurant and the waitress was getting ready to close and asked how my day was going. We chatted for a minute and she told mer she was from Marcellus, I asked her if she knew any Ransbottom’ s and she said, “No, but I know some Langsbury’s. I left a little puzzled on that one.
Some of the funniest lines are from kids.
At one of our little league games we were discussing the eclipse and wearing the special glasses to not go blind. I asked the boys why birds don’t go
Jackies grandson was putting a disc in the DVD player and said, “Why does it say “Lord?” Jackie said, it says “Load.” When we added, “ Maybe it does say Lord and Jesus Christ gave the movie a 4 star!”
While playing an Old Maid type matching card game with Jackie’s 3 year old granddaughter, her dad was half heartedly playing while watching a game on TV. She could tell he was not paying attention and said “Dad, you need to focus!”
Lots of times its not some new comedy movie or comedian that brings a smile to your face but small, random conversations throughout the day.
Steve Ellis, SPARK Publisher steve@swmspark.com
FROM THE EDITOR
Julie Devers at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.
Photo by Steve Ellis
Point that thing somewhere else
Lee A. Dean screendoor @ sbcglobal.net
There are two kinds of people — those who like to have their photos taken and those who don’t.
I am emphatically in the latter camp. As a lifelong contrarian, I find it difficult to smile on command. The chain of logic is absurd: you point this object at me and, for that reason, I am supposed to smile. I need a better reason.
Attempts to conjure up an insincere smile have led to embarrassing results. My Grandma Dean only said one unkind thing to me. The occasion was her first look at my freshman class photo. For some reason, I had screwed my face up as if under attack by a hitherto unknown palsy. Gram looked at the photo and said, “Good lord, that would stop a clock!”
My history of taking pictures is far more positive, with a major assist from genetics. My mother was the official photographer of any number of annual events, including family reunions and church pageants. She had no formal training (other than from her mother, also an avid photographer), but was a true artist behind the lens. Mom had good eyes
and better instincts. She seemed to always have a camera close by just in case something happened.
I should have taken lessons from both Mom and Grandma Hartwell because my newspaper job duties included plenty of photography.
In 1981, I was a freelance correspondent. One year later, I was on the field at Spartan Stadium shooting a Michigan State University football game while trying to learn how to handle a 400mm lens.
The Spartans ran a play to our side of the field. In my field of vision, it appeared that running back Tony Ellis was only 10 yards away barreling towards me with ill intent. I nearly dropped the camera and fled.
“First time down here?” another shooter asked.
“Yes,” I squeaked.
“There’s nothing to worry about unless you see US run. Then you can worry,” came his sage advice.
I got better at sports photography, although the definition of “better” depended on the aesthetic of the beholder. One publisher criticized a photo I took of a running back shaking off a tackler.
I thought the shot was framed properly, conveying action and emotion.
My boss pulled out a copy of another paper, a weekly of which he was also the publisher. He pointed to the sports section and said, “Now THIS is a football picture.”
The image appeared to have been taken from a satellite in medium Earth orbit.
“Thanks for your input,” I said, in a rare successful attempt to make sure my words did not match my thoughts. Luckily, that publisher wasn’t around the day I started to give a date the grand tour of the building. The paste-up man, a world-class knucklehead, called me back to his department.
“She’s pretty,” he said. “Why don’t you take her to the darkroom and see what develops?” Nothing ever did.
In the 1990s, I began work with a business-to-business trade publication. The publisher was, shall we say, stuck in his ways. Before covering my first meeting, I asked about what cameras were available for use. The publisher proceeded to hand me a Polaroid camera.
There I was at the event, standing next to people with Canons, Nikons, and Leicas with a stinking Polaroid. I felt like Cousin Cletus on his first trip to the big city. Fortunately, I convinced this publisher that we could safely exit the Stone Age and, in the process, salvage my profes-
sional image.
Shooting for a daily newspaper was anything but predictable, especially when responding to accidents or other mishaps. These occasions produced mixed emotions. There was the excitement of wondering what you would encounter combined with “I hope this doesn’t involve someone I know.”
Even now, in the age of video, there’s something about the power of a still image to convey an unforgettable emotion.
One snowy Saturday, when I was on weekend duty, I smelled smoke and heard an eerie chorus of sirens. The house across the street was on fire. I grabbed my camera and sprinted to the scene, where I took a photo that would have won awards. A firefighter, with an anguished expression on his face, was carrying a blanket covering a small human form. Under the blanket was a child who had perished.
No one ever saw the image. I thought about what the family of that poor kid would have thought seeing the picture. Failing to run that photo was journalistic malpractice, but I didn’t have the heart
At the top of this column, you may have noticed a new photo of this writer, who sports an uncharacteristic smile. The image was taken at a wedding, where I was standing next to my wife, the Viking Goddess. If you saw what she looked like that day, you’d smile too.
Michigan Summertime Blues!
By Laura Kurella
Top to bottom, Michigan blueberry season is well underway, and our state’s abundance of blueberry farms makes it easy to find a fresh source of these summertime blues close to your very own place! With plenty of U-Pick farms scattered all over our great state as well there are many opportunities to get out in this gorgeous weather and hand-pick some of your very own, and the small effort of hand-picking pays off because it lowers their prices, making it well worth the little extra time it takes.
The blueberries’ special color is what gives them their superpower strength and gives them the power to prevent and fight both illness and disease, and provide us with a special inner strength to help our bodies function optimally (especially as we age).
The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) website shows the results of a study that found that eating blueberries can help reduce vascular Inflammation and improve the tummy in those who are aging.
The study noted that aging is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and that endothelial dysfunction (narrowing of blood vessels), and an imbalanced gut microbial ecology both play a pivotal role in age-associated vascular complications. Their study proved the hypothesis that dietary blueberries can correct vascular complications and gut imbalance in elderly mice, thus proving that dietary changes can be an effective strategy to improving vascular health.
Grilled Chicken with Blueberry Relish
Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 14 minutes; Yield: 4-6 servings
2 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary, divided 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup blueberry preserves
4 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon unrefined mineral
sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Into a small saucepan, combine blueberries, 1 tablespoon of the rosemary, balsamic, and blueberry preserves. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, and cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes until the liquid starts to thicken. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush the blueberries then set the saucepan aside. Preheat the grill or griddle to high. Drizzle olive oil over chicken and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken on the grill or griddle and cook for about 7 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chicken, until cooked through. Arrange chicken on a serving plate then top with the blueberry relish and remaining chopped rosemary.
Blueberry Cheesecake Chips
Prep Time: 5 minutes. Yield: 4 servings
4 ounces Neufchatel or cream cheese
1/4 cup honey, divided use
8 graham cracker squares
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract splash of fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh blueberries
Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the honey until smooth. Top each cracker with 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture, sprinkle blueberries over the top of the cheese, then drizzle each cracker with remaining honey.
Laura Kurella is an award-winning home cook who loves sharing recipes from her Great Lakes region kitchen. She welcomes comments at laurakurella@yahoo.com, and she invites you to check out her new (free) cooking series that can be viewed on YouTube. Look for direct links to it on Laura’s FB page and website.
Vandenberg Furniture
By Richard Martinovich
Brothers Anthony and Dewey Vandenberg opened Vandenberg Furniture in downtown Kalamazoo in 1937. In 1952, they moved to Westnedge Avenue in Portage, and then Schoolcraft in 1990. Anthony Vandenberg became sole owner and passed the business to his son Cal, who took over in 1972 as a 23-year-old.
There have been many furniture companies in Kalamazoo, but few have lasted 87 years! How do you stay in business that long?! “We take care of
people,” responds Cal. “Our service is second to none!”
Indeed, Vandenberg Furniture is a trusted friend you can depend on to make the right choice. Their friendly staff have spent years working at Vandenberg, gaining valuable knowledge you simply can’t get ordering furniture online. “Furniture still needs to be sat on,” adds Cal.
Vandenberg Furniture carries top name brands, including Ashley Furniture, Vaughan-
Bassett, Marshfield, Leather Italia, and Flexsteel. Vandenberg has built relationships with Midwest Amish furniture craftsmen and offers highquality, beautifully handcrafted Amish furniture that utilize regional wood products. There are many Amish pieces inside, and the wood finish is luxuriously silky smooth, owing to the Amish attention to detail!
You’ll always feel welcome to browse the Vandenberg showrooms for a wide range of furniture for every room in your home. Office desks, leather reclining sofas, couches, coffee tables, dining room sets, upholstered chairs, double-sided mattresses, and chair recliners.
“Recliners are huge!” says Cal. Recliners are a great way to relax after a long day, and can be multi-functional. Dad enjoyed watching TV in his recliner, with good intentions to turn off the TV and head for bed, but the recliner absorbed him and he was out the rest
of the night. With a Flexsteel “Zecliner” you can use it as a chair, and a fully reclined bed alternative! A friend, who had a knee replacement, was unable to sleep in a bed for several weeks, and slept in a recliner.
And color has returned to furniture, notes Cal Vandenberg, with magnificent shades of rust and green fabrics that make sofas dazzle!
The Vandenberg Furniture building off US-131, north of Schoolcraft, looks big, but inside it is vast. The large windows of the exterior let in lots of ambient light and make it easy to explore all the furniture!
An experienced sailor who has competed in the Race to Mackinac, Cal Vandenberg doesn’t have any plans to sail off into the sunset. He comes in daily to add a personal touch --- a friendly face to greet customers and make them feel right at home!
“Compassion and Empathy”– Marian Thornton
By Jim Coppinger, Milestone Senior Services Volunteer
When ask what is her inspiration for helping others, Marian Thornton says, “God and my mother.” Marian’s compassion and empathy are also driven by her own life experiences which mirror many of those she serves. People often tell Marian they feel a special kinship with her knowing she genuinely understands.
For example, for a short period of time, Marian was homeless and felt totally forsaken. She found shelter at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission. There, staff recognized Marian’s talents as they observed her interactions with people around her. She was surprised when a staff member said, “You should be working here.” She was soon hired as a staff member.
Marian’s career path led her to Community Healing Centers both the Elizabeth Upjohn Community Healing Center and the Jim Gilmore Jr. Center. Marian worked at Community Healing Centers for nearly a decade before retirement as a case manager for women. Marian led group sessions, did home visits, and provided individual assistance for clients.
Marian says it is clear to her when helping others that she is also helping herself. Reflecting on her mother’s influence, Marian recalls her mother’s dedication to values for hard work, perseverance, and dignity by often telling her children, “No matter what you end up doing in life—do it the best you possibly can.” Her mother taught school for forty-five years and held those around her to high standards—including her four daughters.
Marian, who was born on Christmas Day, fondly recalls, as a young girl, the delight of opening presents Christmas morning and then birthday gifts that afternoon—and celebrating with a three-layer cake her mother always made! When Marian retired, she discovered the perfect match for her talents and experience with Milestone’s Senior Companion Program. What she finds especially rewarding is the seniors she is paired with who find Marian a perfect match as well.
As a Senior Companion volunteer, Marian stays in touch with several seniors via personal visits, by phone, and even text and email. She says this simple act of having personal interactions means so much to people. She adds, it is humbling to realize “how many people are alone even in a house full of people.” And, how often what may seem like casual conversations lead to uncovering things that require attention.
Now living in a senior apartment center, Marian is involved in activities and events for residents like movie night. Her outgoing personality and spirit are always with her.
There is a good chance you may have seen Marian in one of the many Civic Theater plays she performed in between 1989 to 2012.
In summarizing her life of service, Marian says there is a simple yet profound joy that comes from sharing time with others; and more often than not, she says, “I receive things I didn’t know I needed.” Her favorite saying is “Today is the first day of the rest of my life.”
Milestone Senior Services (previously known as Senior Services of Southwest Michigan) is an AmeriCorps Seniors grantee. AmeriCorps Seniors empowers people age 55 and older to serve their communities. RSVP helps people find a volunteer opportunity that fits their passion. There are currently opportunities in Kalamazoo County and a few in Calhoun County. Volunteers are needed with Meals on Wheels, Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, Telephone Reassurance for Seniors, Milestone Home Repair, and more. Regular, flexible schedules available. Contact RSVP at 269-382-0515 or apply to volunteer at www.milestoneseniorservices.org.
Ove (2015)
Based on the successful 2012 novel by Swedish writer Fredrik Backman, the film adaptation of A Man Called Ove tells the story of Ove, a bad-tempered, suicide-failing widower who controls his housing association with an iron fist, despite having no authority to do so. When a young family moves in next door to the grumpy, recently fired engineer, the kindness they show towards Ove allows him to slowly become vulnerable enough to reveal the tragedies and joys of his earlier life. When attempts to end his life go humorously awry, Ove begins to find purpose in helping his Iranian neighbor Parvaneh learn how to drive. His icy, broken heart even goes so far as to warm to the stray cat that seeks Ove’s companionship. While the film is certainly passable, it’s mushy sentimentality and predictability cannot be sidestepped. – Submitted by Ryan G.
American Fiction (2023)
Adapted from Percival Everett’s satirical 2003 novel Erasure, writer and director Cord Jefferson’s 2023 film American Fiction retains its source’s ironic edge, while also digging into the very real drama surrounding its subjects. Literature professor Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (an award-winning turn from Jeffrey Wright) is an experienced and increas-
Movie Reviews
recent book is rejected by publishers for not being “Black enough”. While presenting at a literary seminar, featuring another best-selling author (Issa Rae) whose work Monk perceives as indulgent of Black stereotypes, he flashes on a notion to write a novel under a pen name (Stagg R. Leigh) which leans into those same stereotypes. The hardships portrayed in the novel contrast with the true traumas endured by Monk and his family. Though the broken family lives of his novel’s cast play much more melodramatically, American Fiction’s mirror world clearly reflects its characters’ struggles. – Submitted by Karl K.
One Fine Morning (2022)
One Fine Morning is a French film that meditates on the theme of both familial and romantic love, and one woman’s dogged navigation between the two. French actor Lea Seydoux give’s a heartfelt, bittersweet performance as Sandra, a widow and single mother trying to balance a passionate, on-again, off-again relationship with Clement, a longtime friend with the medical needs of her father that forces Sandra and her family to make difficult decisions regarding his care. Seydoux’s affecting capacity to render the emotional contradictions of both kinds of love, the way they both bring about pain and joy, hopefulness and disappointment, centers the quietly touching film written and directed by Mia Hansen-Love. – Submitted by Ryan G.
Reviews submitted by Ryan Gage. These great titles and others are available at the Kalamazoo Public Library.
Gibson, Inc. Factory and Office Building
The landmark three-story “daylight” style concrete factory building at 225 Parsons Street in Kalamazoo was designed and built for the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Company.
Completed in 1917, the $75,000 structure formed the heart of the Gibson, Inc. manufacturing facility for more than 60 years.
From Orville Gibson’s quaint workshops on Burdick Street and East Main, to the company’s first factory and offices in the former Witwer Bakery on Exchange Place, and eventually to a two-story custombuilt factory on Harrison Alley, the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Company struggled to meet the growing demand for its finely crafted musical instruments.
By 1912, the Gibson company employed some 60 workers and was doing more than $75,000 in business each year (nearly $2.4 million today). Despite its best laid plans, the firm had within three short years outgrown its facility on Harrison Alley, prompting company officers to seek still larger quarters.
by Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library
The company planned to double its workforce in August 1917 when it moved to the new Parsons Street facility.
and delays, construction plans began to move forward in November 1915.
In April 1912, the firm purchased a 130 by 265-foot residential block on the north side of Parsons Street near the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railway line. The original plans called for a 60 by 125-foot four-story structure with 30,000 square feet of floor space, ready for occupancy by January 1913, but the process took longer than expected. After numerous design changes
Designed by Kalamazoo architect George Gilbert Worden (1885-1972) and built by Kalamazoo contractor Gerard Van Eck (1863-1918), the final design called for a three-story 56 by 164foot building made of cast-in-place reinforced concrete with a stucco-like exterior and large steel-framed windows on all sides. The building, which occupies the southeast corner of the property, was designed so two more floors could be added, although that was never done.
The original building on Parsons Street (along with subsequent additions) saw the company through its glory years, when 85% of all fretted stringed instruments manufactured in the United States were made in Kalamazoo… when some 1,600 workers crafted upwards of 1,000 guitars each day—something Orville Gibson likely never dreamed of. After more than eight decades in Kalamazoo, having weathered two world wars and a Great Depression, the company moved its headquarters to Nashville in 1981 and ultimately closed the Kalamazoo plant in 1984.
The original factory building has since hosted a variety of tenants, including Heritage Guitars, a company started by former Gibson employees. In March 2021, it was announced that the former Gibson factory on Parsons Street would be renovated as a 125room Hard Rock Hotel, restaurant, museum, and entertainment facility. As of this writing, those plans are still underway, although a target date has yet to be determined. The historic building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in April 2022.
More at kpl.gov
DISTINGUISHED PAST -- PROMISING FUTURE
THE KALAMAZOO INSTITUTE OF ARTS MARKS 100 YEARS
By Dave Person david.r.person@gmail.com
The 100th anniversary of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts is not only a time to celebrate the past, but also to look to the future, its new executive director says.
“We’re setting the stage for the next hundred years of excellence.” says Michelle Hargrave, who came on board in May.
The first hundred years will be pretty hard to top, though, highlighted by a growing art collection, museum and library, popular local, national and international exhibitions, and classes that allow students to express themselves in a variety of forms of art.
As a result, the KIA has become a destination not only for Kalamazoo residents, but art enthusiasts far and wide.
“People recognize the facilities we have and the quality of the (art school) instructors, and are willing to drive,” says Julie Devers, who chairs the ceramics department.
Devers, who has her own studio, Newgrange Pottery in Gobles, has been an instructor at the KIA since 2001 and department chair for the past two years.
The KIA launched its celebration this July, the 100th anniversary of its incorporation, and will continue to celebrate the milestone for the remainder of the year and into 2025, culminating with a Centennial Celebration in the spring, Hargrave says.
The anniversary celebration started with a Centennial Community Day, membership drive and free admission for the month of July and will be followed with a variety of special exhibitions and other events that will be announced on the KIA’s website, kiarts.org, as plans are formalized.
Hargrave, who was previously executive director and CEO of the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, is excited about her new responsibilities overseeing the KIA, especially at this juncture.
“The KIA has been the cornerstone of arts and culture in Kalamazoo and southwest Michigan,” she says. “It’s definitely an exciting time.”
Hargrave says the KIA has about 100 staff members, including the part-time instructors in the Kirk Newman Art School, named for the artist and sculptor who joined the faculty in 1949 and served as director of education until 1978.
“We have about 1,000 people who take classes each semester,” she says.
Devers, one of eight department heads in the art school, says there are 13 to 15 ceramics classes each session with about 150 students.
Also, camps are held throughout the summer to give young people an opportunity to practice a variety of art forms.
“We’ve got 90 kids a week coming here for six weeks,” she says.
Michelle Hargrave, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Director (left), displays pottery alongside instructor Julie Devers.
“It’s just nurturing the community,” she says of the art school.
Currently, there are almost 5,000 objects in the KIA museum’s permanent collection, and the art school enrolls about 3,000 people annually in some 500 classes, workshops and camps, according to the Summer 2024 edition of Sightlines, the KIA’s quarterly magazine.
The numbers reflect strong and steady increases over the years since July 1924 when the KIA was incorporated by the Kalamazoo Chapter of the American Federation of Arts to encourage the creation and appreciation of art, according to information from the Local History Room of the Kalamazoo
Public Library.
During its first five years, the KIA used space in the YWCA, which was located on South Rose Street, and then for the next 18 years it moved farther south on South Rose into a pair of buildings owned by the Kalamazoo Board of Education.
The KIA purchased a building of its own, at 421 W. South St., in 1947, renovating it to provide space for exhibits and classes. That building gave way in 1961 to the current building at 435 W. South St., constructed largely through a grant from Donald and Genevieve Gilmore.
With the opening of that building, membership in the KIA
jumped to over 5,000; there had been 650 members two years earlier when the building project was announced.
A capital campaign launched in 1994 raised $14.5 million and enabled the KIA to expand four years later from 45,000 square feet to 72,000 square feet and renovate its galleries, studios and classrooms.
Through the years, guest lecturers and artists at the KIA have included Diego Rivera, Thomas Hart Benton and Frank Lloyd Wright. Exhibitions have featured the works of Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee.
In 2005, a Dale Chihuly glass art exhibition shattered KIA attendance records with an estimated 59,000 visitors during its 14-week “Chihuly in Kalamazoo” show. Visitors came from all 50 states and 17 countries.
One of the most popular events is the Kalamazoo Art Fair held each June in Bronson Park. Begun in 1951 as the Clothesline Art Show, its name was changed to the Kalamazoo Art Fair in 1969.
Sylvester Jerry was hired as the first full-time director of the KIA in 1931, which also was the first year art classes were offered. Jerry served for four years and was followed by several other directors, the most recent of which had lengthy tenures.
Harry Greaver, 1966-77, and Thomas A. Kayser, 1978-89, tied for the longest tenure in the position with 11 years each before James A. Bridenstine, 1990-2014, strung together 24 years of leadership. His successor was Belinda A. Tate, who led the KIA from 2014 until last year.
But Hargrave says it’s not the leadership, but the community that has made the KIA such a success story.
“Without the community,” she says, “we wouldn’t have the ability to have the exhibitions, programs and classes.”
Goldenrod and Asters: Sister Flowers of Fall
By Tom Springer, Vice President of Development, Kalamazoo Nature Center
I tried to quit beekeeping a few years ago. My hives kept dying out over the winter, the victim of obscure diseases and tiny parasites. I could’ve treated them with heavy duty bee meds, but that ran counter to the natural reasons that drew me to beekeeping in the first place. But then something borderline miraculous happened. For the last two years, wild bee swarms have moved in from parts unknown to occupy my vacant hives. Their generosity has saved me about $400 -- the cost of restocking two hives with mail-order bees. And best of all, they’ve provided me with ample stores of delicious fall honey.
Most of us were raised on the clover honey that bees produce in spring and early summer. It’s sharply sweet, pale gold in color, extremely palatable – and entirely predictable. By contrast, fall honey is ruddy brown and borderline uncivilized. It has a pungent fragrance with overtones that range from musky to dank floral. (Terms that might otherwise describe coffee or dark beer.) Much of the rich flavor of fall honey comes from the nectar of two signature autumn wildflowers: Canada goldenrod and New England asters. In “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, there’s a chapter titled Asters and Goldenrod. She describes these complementary flowers as well as anyone can. The goldenrods are “jet bouquets of chrome yellow in dazzling chrysanthemum fireworks.” The asters are resplendent in “full-on royal purple that would make a violet shrink.”
Their “daisy-like fringe of purple petals surrounds an (orange) disk bright as the sun at high noon.” Together, these “heraldic colors make them king and queen of the meadow.”
KNC hosted Kimmerer for a sold-out talk at Chenery Auditorium in Kalamazoo on July 12. For her,
she says the appeal of goldenrod and asters goes much further than skin (or petal) deep. In fact, it was the deeper question of why these two species complement each other – in the scientific, artistic and spiritual sense – that first drew her to a career in botany.
Although as an 18 year-old college freshman, her academic advisor scoffed at that idea. “Miss Wall,” he said, “I must tell you that that is not science. That is not at all the sort of thing with which botanists concern themselves.” Of course Kimmerer has since concerned herself very much with such unconventional questions. As a botany professor and writer, she artfully integrates science with her own Potawatomi wisdom and knowledge. This “sort of thing” has allowed her to write a bestselling book that’s sold 1.6 million copies in 20 languages.
Meanwhile, my “freebees” are now at work on their next vintage of fall honey. It may be an acquired taste but I’ve acquired it! At KNC, this summer’s heavy rains have produced a bumper crop of goldenrod, aster and fall wildflowers for bees and humans. The Prairie Pathways trail and Bluebird trail are both great places to see them. Their heraldic colors will bloom all the brighter with the forethought of the grey winter ahead.
Tom Springer is vice president of development at the Kalamazoo Nature Center and author of Looking for Hickories and The Star in the Sycamore.
Lending Hands
Lending Hands is an all-volunteer, Michigan, nonprofit social service organization located in Portage. They lend home durable medical equipment, for free for seven months, to residents of the Southwest Michigan counties of Allegan, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties and beyond.
Lending Hands of Michigan is a 501-c-3 tax-exempt organization.
The organization started in 2005 in the garage of its founder, John Hilliard. Now, Lending Hands is in a 10,000 square foot facility, with space for dozens of wheelchairs, walkers, bathroom benches, and more.
Since the beginning, Lending Hands has served over 40,000 clients with over 80,000 pieces of medical equipment. They have saved their clients, the health care system and various entitlement programs over $12 million in out-ofpocket expenses. Volunteers have contributed over 70,000 hours of service. In 2018, Lending Hands saved Kalamazoo County Residents over $70,000.
They are located at 4570 Commercial Ave, Suite E in Portage off Sprinkle Road.
Their hours are Monday: 9 a.m. to noon
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 9 a.m. to noon
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 9 a.m. to noon
Saturday: 9 a.m. to noon
Sunday: Closed
For more infomation or to volunteer or donate money or equipment, call Call (269) 567-4381 or email info@lendinghandsmi.org
Book Reviews
Book Reviews by the Portage
In My Time of Dying
Sebastian Junger
In the summer of 2020, Sebastian Junger noticed a pain in his lower abdomen. It didn’t take long for the pain and other symptoms to grow in severity to the point where his wife called an ambulance. It is fortunate that she did because he was suffering from a ruptured aneurysm on a pancreatic artery. Without anything other than immediate intervention, he would have died. As it was, his condition was very serious, and he came very close to dying. He had a near-death experience where he saw his deceased father reassuring him and encouraging him to join him. Junger recounts his entire experience, including his time in the ICU and his recovery. He also takes time to examine other accounts of near-death experiences, their similarities and differences, and what science has to say about the phenomenon. It is a lovely, lyrical book about what it means to be alive.
Funny Story
Emily Henry
Emily Henry’s latest book is charming and quite funny. Children’s librarian Daphne Vincent is stranded in Waning Bay, Michigan, with no family or friends and has moved in with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex, Miles. When an unexpected phone call from her ex-fiancé, Peter, turns to pity, Emily tells him not to feel sorry for her because she’s dating
District Library staff
Miles. Miles is more than happy to play along, getting back at his own ex in the process. Unlike her other books, Henry’s main character isn’t a struggling millennial but someone searching for what it means to create a home for herself and how to rebuild after a loss. Daphne and Miles are characters you can empathize with and root for—a very enjoyable read.
The Demon of Unrest
Erik Larson Erik Larson does it again. He has an informative but entertaining history about the immediate aftermath of the election of Abraham Lincoln and Fort Sumter. Larson covers just a few months of American history—but perhaps the most consequential few months. There are obvious parallels to the current moment: a refusal to accept the results of a presidential election, threats to march on the Capitol, a tendency toward civility and appeasement in the face of existential threat, and other more subtle links to the present. Some of the connections are unavoidable and necessary; others, Larson, may inject them as a result of recency bias. Many books have been written about the Civil War, and many authors have speculated what course of action key figures should or could have taken to avoid America’s bloodiest war. And maybe we will never figure it out, but The Demon of Unrest is a great read.
HEALTHY LIVING
Watching little ones run through the sprinklers in the heat of the summer can be the sweetest thing: The way they shriek in joy, amazed at the display, maybe stunned by the cold, but delighted by the refreshing spray. The way they keep going back for more, maybe tentatively, maybe bravely, maybe with reckless abandon. Back and forth. To and fro. Their giggles, infectious. The energy; nearly palpable. Kids just love the water. We should, too. At every age.
So maybe running through the sprinkler is not very mature or dignified…But when was the last time you went swimming? Put your toes in the water in the lake? Jumped into a pool? It’s not just for fun -- it’s GOOD FOR YOU!
According to an online article on Healthline.com/ health/benefits-of-swimming, there are several benefits that should motivate us to “dive in”:
Swimming works the whole body from head to toe. It:
• increases heart rate without stressing the body
• tones muscles
• builds strength
• builds endurance
Different strokes focus on different muscle groups, and the water provides a gentle resistance.
Swimming works on our inside parts, too. While the muscles are getting a good workout, the cardiovascular system is, too.
Swimming is appropriate for people with injuries, arthritis, and other conditions. It is important to have your doctor’s approval before beginning or resuming any exercise program. Swimming can be a safe exercise option for most people with:
• arthritis
• injury
• disability
• other issues that make high-impact exercises difficult
Swimming may even help reduce pain or improve recovery from an injury.
Swimming burns calories! Swimming is an efficient way to burn calories. A 160-pound person burns approximately 423 calories an hour while swimming laps at a low or moderate pace. That same person may burn up to 715 calories an hour swimming at a more vigorous pace.
Swimming could help to manage stress. Researchers surveyed a group of swimmers immediately before and after swimming at a YMCA in New Taipei City, Taiwan. Of the 101 people surveyed, 44 reported being mildly depressed and feeling stress related to fastpaced life. After swimming, the number of people who still reported feeling stressed decreased to just eight. While more research needs to be done in this area, the researchers conclude that swimming is a potentially powerful way to relieve stress
Swimming can be a mood booster! The article goes on to say that researchers evaluated a small group of people with dementia and saw an improvement in mood after participating in a 12-week aquatic program. Swimming and aquatic workouts aren’t just psychologically beneficial for people with dementia. Exercise has been shown to boost mood in other people, as well. Always consult with your physician for the type of exercise that is best for you
Submitted by Vicky Kettner, Association Director of Marketing, Community Relations, and Member Engagement at YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo. As with any new exercise or diet, please consult with your doctor or dietician to determine the right regimen for your personal health situation.
Kalamazoo Antique Auto Restorers Club
Red Barn Spectacular Gilmore Car Museum
Saturday, August 3 , 9am-4pm
This is the most is the most anticipated car show of the season! Hailed as the region’s “Grand Daddy” of antique, classic and special interest car shows, it is one big day. Two huge shows - a judged show field & a driver’s choice show field. Both are open to any vehicle 25 years or older, including cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, vintage campers, military vehicles, and fire trucks!
More that 1,500 show vehicles will be on the show field, along with special areas for antique campers brought to you by the Tin Can Tourists, cars for sale, and vintage bicycles. Plus, check out over 380 swap meet vendors onsite
and shop for those hard to find car parts, tools, literature, antiques, arts, crafts and more.
This years featured club is the National Woodie Club with Woodies from all over the U.S. on display
Admission includes the museum as well as the show.
• Adults / Seniors: $20
• Youth (ages 11-17): $12
• Children (10 and under): FREE
• Active Military (must present ID): FREE
For information, go to info@kaarc. org or the Red Barn Spectacalular’ s Facebook page.
WARRIORS Wednesday
All Kinds of Volunteers
This describes all the various volunteer work, including the Wednesday Warriors. SWMLC is incredibly lucky to have these awesome, loyal friends who selflessly give us their time, energy, and expertise. We rely on volunteers because our small staff could never accomplish the conservation work we do without their help! The people who volunteer for us walk long miles to monitor our conservation easements. They use their tools and talent to build stuff for us. They spend sweaty,
back-breaking hours every week removing invasive plants from our preserves. They enthusiastically lead guided hikes for us. They write stories and articles that help raise our profile in the community. They collect and sow native plant seeds. They plow preserve parking lots, mow trails, and pick up trash. They assist in looking for endangered plants and animals on our preserves. They help assess potential properties. They introduce us to other folks who they think could help and put in a good word for us in casual conversations. They are caring people who live right here in our community, who want to make sure nature will be here forever.
“People have asked me why I donate my time to SWMLC every week. I feel that donating my time to manage the land and remove the invasive plant species benefits us by improving a diverse animal, bird, and plant population. It feels good to try to take these preserves back to what they once were, taking a plot of scrub land and converting it back to an oak savanna so people can enjoy nature at its best. Being out in nature, working the land, learning about the various plants is very, very rewarding to me.” — Joe Dill, Wednesday Warrior and Privateers volunteer.
Thank you, volunteers, we couldn’t do it without you! We especially need stewardship volunteers! Want to help? You can join us Wednesdays and Mondays as your schedule permits. No experience necessary, just enthusiasm. Information on both groups is available on a week-by-week basis at swmlc.org/weekly-outdoor-stewardship. Hope to see you out there.
Kristi Chapman, volunteer, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
Tales road FROM THE
The Irish Hills
By Steve Ellis
In the early 1970’s, our family camped at Hayes State Park, south of Jackson in the Irish Hills. We loved this park and the sandy beach on Wamplers Lake seemed to go on forever.
Small towns along the historic US-12 in the Irish Hills were once full of great amusement and roadside attractions like the Irish Hills Towers, the Stage Coach Stop, Frontier City, Prehistoric Forest and The Mystery Spot.
The history of the Irish Hills dates back to the 19th century when it was a popular stopping point during the five-day stagecoach trip between Detroit and Chicago.
A couple months ago, I drove over to the Irish Hills to see what was left from my vacations there in the 1970’s.
My first stop was the large brick Walker Tavern. The Tavern and surrounding buildings and grounds are now part of Cambridge Justin Historic State Park. The park, which is open May through October, is home to Walker Tavern, Hewitt House and a reconstructed 1840s barn, an open-air farmers market, vintage baseball games, concerts and more.
Near this corner is also the Michigan International Speedway (MIS) which turns this sleepy area into a massive traffic jam on race weekends.
A couple miles east along U-12, I found the Irish Hills Towers, which are now closed and in bad shape. The grounds hold the remains of a miniature golf course overgrown in weeds.
In the early 1920s, the Michigan Observation Compa-
climbed the tower to gaze in all directions. The next door neigh-
bor was not happy and protested by erecting his own tower, several feet higher.
The two neighbors continued to build taller towers through the 1950s, until Frank Lamping acquired both and connected them with a gift shop at the ground floor. The Irish Hills Towers closed to the public at the end of the summer of 2000 with ideas of fundraising to save the landmark.
Down the road are the remains of the Prehistoric Forest. I pulled into the parking lot and was greeted with many Closed and No Trespassing signs and one large brontosaurus staring down at me. Another large dinosaur peaks through the trees. I was tempted to head off into the woods to see more, but the signs and security cameras held me back.
livery stable, and saloon. The saloon served drinks like sarsaparilla and redeye (root beer). Frontier City also had stagecoach holdups and street shoot-outs. Many well-known country performers appeared, including Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Roger Miller and Tex Ritter. It closed in 1974 and the property was sold to Cedar Point with the idea of building a huge amusement park but it never happened.
The Prehistoric Forest Amusement Park was built in 1963. The park offered a safari train ride through the woods, filled with over 70 fiberglass statues of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. Other attractions included a fossil digging pit, a volcano that smoked and rumbled, and a 400-foot water slide.. Admission in 1981 was $2.75 for adults, and $1.75 for kids. Prehistoric Park closed in 1999 and has been vacant and for sale ever since.
Further east is the Stagecoach Stop which opened in 1965. It is now closed, but the many “Old West” buildings are in decent shape and the Western-themed Copper Creek Lodge offers 14 rooms, a pool and a wedding chapel. Another section of the old attraction has been turned into a year-round Horror Town.
The original Stagecoach Stop included the Longhorn Saloon, a general store, movie theater and the Pistols & Petticoats ballroom. Mock train holdups, and shootouts with the marshal were held every few hours.
My next stop was Mystery Hill. These attractions are known for having “gravity defying” buildings where you can walk up walls, water runs uphill and balls refuse to roll downhill. Mystery Hill opened in 1952 and was closed the day I was there but was bright and freshly painted and now includes, “Ward Hall’s Museum of Oddities.”
Ward Hall was known as the “The King of the Sideshow” and produced sideshows for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey. His collection traveled the United States in the 1960s and 70s and was recently discovered hidden away in storage for decades.
Just east of Mystery Hill is the colorful Randy’s Roadside Barbecue and I can’t wait to get back to try it. Their menu consists of hickory smoked pulled pork, ribs, brisket, mac and cheese and much more. The owner says that, “The pulled pork gets smoked for 14 hours, then shredded. It’s cooked fresh every night.” He added that they go through around 2,000 pounds of pork every week during the summer.
Before The Stagecoach Stop was a similar attraction called Frontier City that opened in 1960, fueled by over 25 different western TV shows, The public’s appetite for anything “Western” was rabid at the time. Frontier City included a bank, blacksmith, jailhouse,
My trip found that much had changed but the Irish Hills still remains a draw for weekenders and sportsmen. The area features a unique combination of picturesque countryside, hometown charm and more than 50 crystal blue lakes for recreation and enjoyment.
One of the highlights is the Hidden Lake Gardens, A 755-acre botanical garden and arboretum featuring a lake, picnic area, canopy walk, conservatory, six miles of paved scenic drives and 12 miles of hiking trails. The at-tree level Reach for the Sky Canopy Walk, which opened in 2023, allows visitors a one-of-a-kind experience with up-close observation of the forest. It is open, year-round with an admission of $10 Adults (ages 18-64).
The Irish Hills still have much to offer and I can’t wait to get back!
ny erected a 50-foot-high enclosed platform to boost tourism. The Irish Hills Observatory opened in 1924. In a gala celebration, hundreds of people
