NSRA Street Rod Nationals North
Friday, September 19
Saturday, Sept 20
Kalamazoo County Expo Center
Expert Advice
Transitions
Roofing
Health Food
Q: How can I make it easier for mom to navigate her new senior community apartment, if she needs something in the middle of the night?
A: Perhaps she can ask Alexa! Many state-ofthe-art senior communities are creating “smart” apartments, with voice activated technology systems like Amazon Echo or Google Home. If this is available, your mother could tell her speaker to turn on the lights, adjust the thermostat, call for assistance or perform numerous other tasks, without leaving the comfort of her bed. Check with the administrators of your mom’s community to see if they provide this amenity. If they do, you can both rest easy.
Friendship Village
“Where Connections Matter” 1400 North Drake, Kalamazoo 269-381-0560 www.friendshipvillagemi.com
Funeral Services
Q: Most funeral homes appear to be about the same, so what’s the difference?
A: People and service make the difference.
At Adams and AdamsRedmond Funeral Homes, there is a real difference you can see and feel every time you walk through our doors. That’s why area families have come to rely on us to give them personal and caring service in their time of need.
Compassionate care, meaningful memories
Adams - Redmond Funeral Homes & Cremation Services and Adams Funeral Homes & Cremation Services
3 locations to serve you
269.343.6156 Kalamazoo
269.349.7735 Parchment
269.657.6347 Paw Paw
www.adamsredmond.com www.adamspawpaw.com
Justin Reynolds Manager
Q: I had my roof replaced 12 years ago with a 30 year shingle. It already needs to be replaced. What happened? Roofs used to last 20-25 years.
A: Asphalt is the main waterproofing ingredient in shingles giving strength and longevity. Due to improvements in the ability to refine a barrel of crude oil, less asphalt is available for roofing and road projects. And what is left for roofing lacks the quality that we received 20-25 years ago.
We have found that by blending polymers with the asphalt, we can make shingles tougher and more durable. Our shingles will last 25-30 years.
For a free roof inspection, please give us a call at 269 342-0153 or visit us at worryfreeroof.com.
Sherriff-Goslin Roofing Co.
342-0153
Since 1906
800-950-1906
Member Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Mark Sawall Owner
Q: Tell me about Café ’36
A: Located on the second floor above Sawall Health Foods , Café 36 uses natural and organic ingredients in preparing flavorful and exotic selections like Blackened Salmon with Blistered Tomato Rice, Asparagus, and Bleu Crea and Pork Secreto with Chimichurri rice, grilled fennel and charred lemon! There are wonderful pasta dishes including: Bolognese, Cavatelli and creative pizzas such as the Bambini, Margherita, Crudo and Vegano. Organic salads, with produce from local farmers, include Kale Caesar and Spinach & Arugula.
There are 20 wines, organic craft beers and hand-crafted cocktails that compliment any meal.
After dinner, delicious desserts include Amorino Gelato and Sorbetto, Eton Mess -- English whipped double cream, house-made Meringue, red berry Chambord coulis, Amorino Gelato, and Seasonal New York Cheesecake. Café 36 is very popular with Sawall customers looking for a healthy place to eat. Check out the new fall Café 36 menu! Café ’36 Wed—Sat 5-9pm 501-3399
Sawall Health Foods
Oakwood Plaza • 2965 Oakland Dr. at Whites Rd. • 343-3619 • www.sawallhf.com
Financial Services
Q: Why is gynecological care important for senior women?
A: As women age, their healthcare needs change, including their gynecological care. Regular visits to a gynecologist can help catch age-related health problems early and manage them more effectively.
Common issues for senior women include urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness, lower sex drive and a higher risk of infections. These concerns can affect daily life but are often treatable with the right medical support.
Gynecologists also play a key role in cancer screening. Older women should talk to their doctor about regular tests for cervical, ovarian and breast cancer. Bone health is another important focus. Getting bone density tests can help spot signs of osteoporosis early.
By staying on top of routine check-ups and screenings, senior women can protect their health and enjoy a better quality of life. Learn more at bronsonhealth.com/gynecology.
Bronson Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialists
Bronsonhealth.com/gynecology (269) 979-6432
Henrich President & Owner
Q: Do I have to use the SAME Medicare plan each year?
A: No, you do not. It is highly recommended that a Medicare eligible person look at all their Medicare options every year. New laws, rule changes and drug formulary updates will impact how well Medicare covers health care and drug expenses for most people.
Shopping around the various Medicare providers and different types of plans could potentially save a participant a large sum of money.
Please call our office with any questions you might have relating to your 2026 Medicare coverage.
Diana Duncan Director of Sales and Marketing
Mahmood Siddiqui, MD, FACOG
Chuck
Kyle Kutlik
Traditions
There are things on our calendars we look forward to each year.
Many involve holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc., while others are annual trips or get-togethers with family and friends.
As we get older, some of these traditions become a little more difficult to attend, not wanting to drive so far or health concerns.
It’s even easy to think of reasons to skip local events if the weather isn’t perfect or you are a bit tired, etc. However, once we stop attending or skip a year, it is hard to get back in the groove or routine.
I just returned from an annual get-togethers up north on the Boardman River, south of Traverse City with several of my friends.
This tradition started back in 1989 when a dozen or so Kalamazoo Gazette employees headed to Traverse City for an annual MESS (Michigan Editorial Softball Society) tournament involving 8-10 newspapers from across the state. The first couple years, we brought our young families and stayed in a motel.
After a few years, we started rustic camping, (even had a cabin for awhile) and it morphed into a guys thing and we added tubing down the Boardman River as part of the fun weekend in the woods. By the late 1990’s, the tournament kind of fizzled out and many of the guys had moved away, or no longer attended.
I even dropped out for several years, while a core group of the original gang continued
the trek each year, for a long weekend of golf, beer drinking, tubing, etc.
Five years ago, a friend and I, both part of the original group, decided to rejoin the others and were so glad we did.
We headed up north, to the same small campground (about a dozen sites) on the Boardman River. We quickly realized that many of the guys had upgraded their camping equipment, food, tents, tubes, etc.
My 30-year-old tent, leaky air mattress and tube, were woefully out of date.
We also found that the guys no longer stay up half the night, drinking beer and blasting loud music. We are now in bed by midnight or sooner and up early to appreciate the surroundings.
A lot of time around the fire is spent, bringing up old stories and remembering four of our former members that have passed away over the years.
It was a bit challenging this year, sharing a site with a guy who slept in his large truck with the front lights and bumper, about 5 feet from my tent. He warned me in advance that he gets up a lot during the night, to empty his weak bladder, and that when he does, his large headlights go on. Every few hours, I was awakened out of a deep sleep by a brilliant flash of light, enveloping my whole tent, like something out of a science fiction movie.
Overall the trip was wonderful and our time together flew by.
Who knows how much longer we will continue to enjoy crawling into small tents and the accompanying sore backs or spending many hours floating in a tube down a winding river, crashing into rocks and large tree branches, where tree spiders await.
One thing I know for sure, is that I will continue this tradition for as long as I possibly can.
Mike Crandall in his 1934 Ford Pickup.
Photo by Steve Ellis
I can’t believe people believe this
Lee A. Dean screendoor @sbcglobal.net
As a contrarian and a journalist of the old school, I am inclined to be skeptical of almost every statement. “If your mother says she loves you, check it out,” was our ethic in newsrooms of the old school.
This is why I am constantly amazed at what people believe to be true – and how they believe it without a second thought. Some of these beliefs are harmless, such as “famous people die in threes.”
We usually pass away one at a time. Human beings are constantly dying, and we can easily pick out any three in a row and say, “see, we die in threes.” Hulk Hogan, Malcolm Jamal Warner, and Ozzy Osbourne were all famous people who died within two days of each other. That’s three, right? But you forget the passing of Chuck Mangione in the same period. Does this mean people die in fours?
More nefarious theories have been with us for decades, if not centuries. They often rear their ugly heads as conspiracy theories, including these greatest hits.
--Wildfires in California are caused by Jewish space lasers. This little nugget was dropped by a sitting member of Congress who keeps winning re-election by wide
margins.
--The moon landing is fake
--9/11 was an inside job
--And the worst one of all: the Holocaust was staged
Ask conspiracy theorists for evidence, and they’ll say, “There isn’t any – and that’s part of the conspiracy!” Or they will string together a group of disparate events and tie them together in what they call “proof.”
Look up the “evidence” that Paul McCartney is dead for a prime example of this pretzel logic.
Social media drives the proliferation of unbelievable statements. Here’s a rule: if you see a post with the words “breaking news,” be very suspicious and don’t click on the link.
Sports fans are prime targets of this baloney. Did you know Netflix is about to release documentaries on Mickey Lolich and Willie Horton? Or that HBO/Max has a biopic of Ernie Banks in the works, with Mr. Cub being played by Denzel Washington?
Some of these fakeries are macabre. Morgan Freeman has been killed on Facebook dozens of times. I recently saw a photo of “Willie Nelson” in a hospital bed hooked up to oxygen.
These posts get thousands of likes, but they are all false. Such “breaking news” stories can be demolished with a 30-second ad-
ditional Google search.
Other beliefs come from an incomplete understanding of the subject matter. Did you know Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In the USA” and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In the Free World” are patriotic anthems? If we only consider each song’s chorus, there may be some truth to this. But Neil and The Boss did not set out to write worthy successors to “God Bless America.”
How can I say this with confidence? By paying attention to the lyrics of the verses. The Young song is a biting comment on George Bush’s America while Springsteen spins a dark tale of a returning Vietnam veteran.
My favorite howler these days is the proliferation of people who proclaim they are “sovereign citizens.” This is most often seen when police pull someone over during a traffic stop. When the officer asks to see a driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance, the monkey dance begins.
“I don’t have to because I’m a sovereign citizen.”
“I don’t have to because I’m not driving. I’m traveling.” This is said with a straight face even though there is only one occupant of the vehicle, and that occupant is sitting behind a steering wheel.
“”I don’t have to because I’m not engaged in interstate commerce.”
And the catch-all, “I know my rights! I know common law. I have the law right here.”
Then the “citizen” produces a document or a loose-leaf binder full of legal “proof” of the legitimacy of sovereign citizenship. Is this instant citizenship kit free? Or does the “citizen” have to fork over plenty of dough to a graduate of TikTok Law School to obtain this patchwork packet of prevarication?
Police are never swayed by this nonsense. “Call a sergeant! Call your supervisor!” is the demand from the driver, as if the police officer of higher rank will buy the “sovereign citizen” argument.
Believe what you wish, but there will be consequences if the police and courts don’t believe this rickety legal house of cards. The likely outcome will involve handcuffs. What I have just attempted to do is prevent you or someone you love from falling for a line of hooey, which an old-fashioned word that is a synonym for “bovine fecal material.” I used to try and convince the true believers of the errors of their ways. No longer. There is no sense wasting time attempting to combat invincible ignorance. Or to use a phrase that “Lord of the Rings” fans may understand, “Let Gollum have his Precious.”
Taking a few extra steps to verify a claim is time consuming and adds a complication to life. But ask yourself: would you rather be a skeptic or a sucker?
Seniors Fill an Important Role for Many Non-profits
By Dale Abbott, Milestone Senior Services
Volunteers play an integral role for many non-profit organizations, and many of those volunteers are older adults with available time after retirement who are looking for a way to give back to their community. Milestone Senior Services is contracted to facilitate two AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer programs. AmeriCorps Seniors is a federal program with a dual purpose of engaging people 55 years and older in volunteer service to meet critical community needs and providing a high-quality experience for the volunteers.
While people can volunteer at most any organization independently, when people 55 and older utilize the AmeriCorps Seniors programs, there are added benefits such as insurance, milage reimbursement, and in some cases, a small stipend for their time. Another advantage of going through Milestone’s AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer program is that they are they are connected to a wide selection of volunteer opportunities throughout Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties.
The AmeriCorps Senior Companion program matches older adult volunteers with seniors who would benefit from companionship of a peer. Senior Companion provides a great experience for both the program participant and the volunteer – both enjoy an ongoing one-on-one relationship that brings a deep sense of connectedness and friendship. Senior Companion volunteers frequently comment on how rewarding their volunteer experience is. A win for everyone.
The RSVP program connects people 55 and older to a volunteer situation in the community that matches their interests and availability. Many people in their
retirement years are looking for meaningful ways to give back in their community, interact with more people, and engage in stimulating experiences.
Milestone’s RSVP program is connected with dozens of nonprofit agencies in need of volunteers.
them onsite. Some of the volunteers are retired trades people who are experienced with the tools and building process; others volunteer with this program to learn about construction and how to use the tools. It’s a great fit for both groups, and best of all, it is providing ramps for older adults and adults with disabilities who would not otherwise be able to safely access their community. Again, everyone wins!
RSVP volunteers can be placed in an ongoing “regular” position, fill a one-time need, or be “on-call” as needed. The program is very flexible to best meet the needs of the volunteer and serve the needs of a wide variety of non-profits. There are opportunities with food banks, animal shelters, museums, and an array of other organizations. Ranjita Kaur, RSVP Program Director tells people, “The perfect volunteer situation is just waiting for you . . . let me help you find it!”
Some volunteers are looking for an opportunity to continue using the skills they have; others interested in learning a new skill – both are possible with the RSVP volunteer program. A good example of this is Milestone’s own ramp program which utilizes approximately 40 volunteers throughout the year to prebuild ramp components at their workshop and install
To learn more about the AmeriCorps Senior Companion or RSVP volunteer programs, contact Milestone’s Volunteer Services department at 269-382-0515 or get started right away by applying on the Volunteer page of their website: www.MilestoneSeniorServies.org/Volunteer.
Not Been to a Fen? Visit Ours Then!
By Tom Springer, Vice President for Development
For starters, it’s an odd word, fen. When most Michiganders see a fen, they’re likely to call it a bog, marsh, swamp or thicket. Or use the generic term “wetland” to describe it. But that’s like using “car” to describe a 1969 Shelby GT 350 Mustang. In both cases, the colorful details matter greatly.
While a fen may resemble any other
soggy, wet-booted wetland, there’s much more going on below ground than meets the eye. Beginning with the water source that makes all this saturation possible.
“The main difference between these wetland types is that bogs are fed from above by rainwater, while fens are fed from below by groundwater springs,” said Gingrich Robinson, conservation
technician at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. ‘Wetland bogs are more acidic, while fens (like the prairie fens on KNC property) are higher in pH.”
If you haven’t perused a high school chemistry textbook lately, the pH scale measures the acidity or alkaline level of a given substance. In more acidic fens, you’ll find acidic-loving plants like tamarack trees, blueberries and cranberries.
In the gorgeous and essential book, “A Field Guide to the Natural Communities of Michigan,” (Michigan State University Press, 2015) we read that “prairie fens are often associated with groundwater springs and headwater streams.” That accurately describes the series of three fens at KNC. They begin at the aptly named Source Pond, just below the aptly named Headwaters Trail. From this pure groundwater effusion rises Trout Run, a pristine stream with a brook trout population that’s rare in this southerly corner of Michigan. (No fishing is allowed, so perish the thought.)
The best place to enjoy the third fen is from the boardwalk on Habitat Haven Trail. It leads to an observation deck, complete with a bench and memorial plaque that reads “Be Still and Know.” Sit there for a few minutes and come to know it for yourself. There’s the soft, fluting trill of water. The silvery dart of small fish in the current. Overhead
a bowl of sky, and around the bowl, a forested fringe of swamp white oak, basswood, walnut and sugar maple. It’s a self-contained biosphere, one that seems more still for the plaintive echo of train whistles and hum of Kalamazoo traffic beyond the green horizon.
Here, the fen grows a little drier, with plants commonly found in a southern wet prairie such as wild strawberry, grass of Parnassus, black-eyed Susan and wild bergamot. Can you walk in a fen? Yes, but it’s too wet for much of the year. Given the sensitive plants found there, KNC asks visitors to enjoy the view from Habitat Haven Trail, a wide, flat and easy .7 mile-path that encircles the fen.
If you need another reason to respect the fen’s boundaries, know this: it’s home to a small population of endangered Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes. They’re small and reclusive, and their bite – while painful – isn’t deadly. But why press your luck and intrude on their home, even if it’s “only” an 18-inch rattlesnake? For some beautiful places, it’s enough to see from a distance and believe.
Tom Springer is vice president for Development at the Kalamazoo Nature Center and the author “Looking for Hickories,” and “The Star in the Sycamore.”
Go “Wild!”
By Laura Kurella
Now that summer has come and gone our thoughts (and appetites) tend to shift as well, but this September has me getting particularly focused on wild rice because a recipe I developed has been selected (out of 100 entries) to be a finalist in the 16th annual Minnesota Cultivated “Get ‘Wild’ about Wild Rice” recipe contest. Held annually to celebrate National Rice Month, the Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council (MCWRC) was thrilled to receive a record-breaking number of entries this year, which has me even more excited to be selected as a finalist.
“We received a record one hundred entries,” sighed MCWRC representative, Chelsea Russell, “which made it even more challenging to narrow it down to a dozen finalists.”
Holding ‘run-offs’ earlier this summer, Russell explained that the MCWRC took the time to cook up a large number of the recipes to help them determine which would become finalists. “It was a delicious challenge for us all, and we thoroughly enjoy that task every year!”
Honoring finalists by including them in their MCWR 2025-2026 brochure, and each finalist also receives 3 pounds of wild rice and a choice of two admission tickets to the Minnesota State Fair or a MCWRC t-shirt and hat.
“All finalists will have two chances to win cash prizes as well,” Russell said, adding, “there’s a $500 Grand Prize, which is awarded by a panel of judges that have sampled all the finalist recipes, and a $250 ‘People’s Choice’ prize, which the public selects by casting votes for their favorite recipe on our website during this month of September!”
I am super-excited and hope to ‘win one for Michigan!’ Check out their website to see all the finalist recipes now!
Wild rice is a natural food with no preservatives or additives. It is considered a grass and a whole grain that contains no sodium, sugar, saturated fat, or cholesterol. It also has more protein and fewer calories than traditional white or brown rice.
Wild rice is gluten-free and a great source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, calcium, and iron. Celebrate National Rice Month by indulging in this earthly delight and cast a vote if you are so inclined by September 30th!
Here now is my prize-winning Wildy Robust Beans and Rice Birria Bites entry. Enjoy!
To get more free wild rice recipes, view/vote in this recipe contest, visit mnwildrice.org.
Laura Kurella is an award-winning home cook who loves to share recipes from her Michigan kitchen. She welcomes comments at laurakurella@yahoo.com.
Kurella’s Wildy Robust Beans ‘n’ Rice Birria Bites
A fast, fun protein-forward finger food that infuses new flavor into any leftover meat you have on hand, and in less than 30 minutes! 2025-2026 Minnesota
Cultivated Wild Rice Recipe Contest Finalist
Yield: 6 appetizer servings
1/4 cup favorite cooking fat/ oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, minced
1 ½ cups cooked wild rice
1 (7 oz.) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 (15.5 oz.) jar of your favorite salsa
1 cup chicken bone broth, plus more if needed
1 ½ pounds leftover meat (beef +/- pork +/- chicken)*
1 (15.5 oz.) can small red (or kidney) beans
Pure maple syrup (or favorite sweetener), to taste
Garnish (optional): Seared/roasted sweet bell pepper, red onion, fresh lime wedges, etc.
*= Dish can be made with any meat, but multiple meat sources make it taste great!
[FYI: I like to use a combo of leftover pork baby back rib meat, beef rib meat, and chicken thigh/leg meat that was previously slow cooked in chicken bone broth for 24 hours before being skinned and deboned.]
In a heavy skillet over medium-high, melt butter in canola oil. Once melted, add minced onion and stir to coat evenly. Cook onion until it begins to caramelize then add rice, stirring in well. Reduce heat to low.
In the bowl of a blender, combine chipotle in adobo sauce, salsa, and 1 cup of chicken bone broth. Puree until mixture becomes very smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour puree into skillet and place over medium heat. Add leftover meat then, if necessary, use two forks to shred meat as it cooks in the sauce.
Once all meat is shredded, add beans then continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until puree reduces to a near paste-like consistency, about 10 minutes.
Add a little pure maple syrup (or your favorite sweetener), to taste to balance out both flavor and heat of the birria.
Serve as an appetizer in warm, pan-toasted (birria size) soft corn tortillas (or crunchy shells) along with your favorite garnishments.
Sound Factory Incorporated
Bryce Roberson was still in his teens and already an accomplished musician when he began experiencing life on the road with blues pioneer T-Bone Walker. By the mid-1950s, Bryce was touring with the likes of Dinah Washington, Ramsey Lewis, and B.B. King. Legend has it he was the first white musician to ever play New York’s celebrated Apollo Theater.
By 1957, Roberson had settled in Chicago and was working as a studio musician and sound engineer for Chess Records. Roberson became a vital part of the “Chess Sound” as he performed on, engineered, or otherwise contributed to (often without credit) hundreds of recordings by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, and others.
After a dozen years at Chess, Roberson had grown weary of the “dog eat dog” life in the big city. In December 1969, he and his wife Ginger moved to Kalamazoo and set up a recording studio in the old Burdick Hotel building on Michigan Avenue. They called it the Sound Machine.
Meanwhile, musician and music teacher Charlie Wicks had established a music shop called the Rock ‘n’ Drum Shack, which was also located in the Burdick Hotel building. Along with guitars, drums, and other musical equipment, Wicks offered a space for local musicians to gather, rehearse, and exchange ideas. Wicks and Roberson shared a common interest in music and the two became great friends.
By 1971, Wicks and Roberson had moved into a
by Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library
former factory building and storefront on Kalamazoo Avenue and joined with sound tech guru Greg Hochman in a new business venture called Sound Factory Incorporated. The new firm included Wicks’ musical instrument shop, Hochman’s tech company called SysTech (Systems & Technology in Music, Inc., which pioneered a revolutionary line of guitar effects pedals), and Roberson’s recording studios known as Uncle Dirty’s Sound Machine, where, for more than a decade, many of West Michigan’s best-known musicians came to record.
Sound Factory Incorporated was dissolved in 1974, but the story was far from over. Greg Hochman went on to become the North American sales director for Soundcraft, a manufacturer of mixing consoles and other professional audio equipment. Charlie Wicks remained in the building on Kalamazoo Avenue and formed Pro Co Sound, which became a well-known manufacturer of high-quality guitar and microphone cables and equipment for musicians worldwide. Bryce Roberson continued to operate his Sound Machine Studios until 1983, before moving to Detroit with plans to open a recording studio there.
Bryce Roberson passed away in July 1993 at the age of 60. Online music marketplace Discogs currently lists more than 100 recordings that feature Roberson’s work, either behind the scenes as an engineer/ producer, or as a musician, although that’s likely a tiny fraction of the works Bryce was involved with. Pro Co Sound remained an industry-leading manufacturer until Charlie Wicks death in 2010 at the age of 65. The Pro Co brand continues today as part of ACT Entertainment. Image: JHS Pedals
More at kpl.gov
Book Reviews
Book Reviews by the Portage District Library staff
The Boys of Riverside: A Deaf Football Team and a Quest for Glory
Thomas Fuller
In 2022, an all-deaf football team did something most people didn’t think possible: win a state championship. This book tells the story of that team, the players, the coaches, and the difficulties of living as a deaf person in a hearing culture. The author highlights different players and their families, focusing on a few key players as he follows the journey of this team through the season. He highlights key games, both the highs and the lows, as they navigate playing against deaf and hearing teams. In what might come as a surprise to some, being deaf gave these young football players some unique advantages. This inspiring story of coaches and players who defied the odds to rise to the top is a wonderful feel-good story. It’s a great book for football lovers and those who enjoy stories about resilience and human connection.
Rules for Ruin
Mimi Matthews
Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and Victorian romances, meaning that her romance novels are impeccably researched. Matthews perfectly balances historical accuracy with keeping the story accessible to modern readers in this first in a series. The
heroine, Euphemia “Effie” Flite, is the star pupil of Miss Corvus, who runs the Crinoline Academy, a secret society of women vigilantes. During a mission, she crosses paths with Gabriel Royce, whom she dismisses as unimportant to the secrets that she’s after. As they continue to cross paths and sparks fly, it becomes abundantly clear to them that their separate goals are in direct competition with each other. This rivals-to-lovers book hands over two very sweet and endearing characters to the reader, making it impossible to pick a side. Whip-smart, fast-paced, and full of wit and banter, Rules for Ruin will delight any historical romance fan.
3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool James Kaplan
Like jazz itself, 3 Shades of Blue has several layers. Part biography, part music history, (large) part substance abuse, with a little music theory thrown in, it spends the most time on trumpeter Miles Davis, with smaller components of sax man John Coltrane and Bill Evans, a white piano genius who found a place in the predominantly African-American genre during the era in which the book is set. It’s an astonishing thought on creativity and the strange hothouses that can produce its full flowering. And it’s about why the world of jazz most people know is a museum to this neverreplicated period. Above all, this is a book about three very different men – their
SOMETIMES DREAMS DO COME TRUE. JUST ASK MIKE CRANDALL!
By Dave Person david.r.person@gmail.com
Mike Crandall’s fascination with old cars began in the 1950s when he was a student at St. Augustine High School in Kalamazoo.
Perusing the pages of Rod & Custom and Car Craft magazines, he dreamed of having a classic automobile of his own. That dream got sidetracked, however, by college, marriage and fatherhood.
It wasn’t until about 50 years ago, with the blessing of his wife, Linda, that he brought home his first old car, a purple 1934 Ford pickup, which still graces a stall in the garage of his Portage home.
“I just kept it and it became part of the family,” he says.
He looks forward to showing it, as he does each year, at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals North at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center. The dates of this year’s event, which will feature about 1,800 street rods from throughout Michigan and neighboring states, is Sept. 19 and 20.
This is the 45th annual regional meet, which Kalamazoo has hosted since 1989 when it moved from Detroit to be more centrally located for participants, Crandall says.
In addition to the ’34 Ford pickup, Crandall, 84, has a 1931 Ford Model A coupe, which he purchased a couple of years ago; the Model A also will be on display at the nationals.
A 1948 Austin Dorset, Crandall’s first and only foreign-made automobile, is currently sidelined with a flat tire and he doesn’t know if it will be repaired in time for the nationals.
“Out of the three cars, I drive them all now and then,” he says, although “not as much as I’d like to.”
Sometimes, especially in the evening, it’s pleasure enough just to be near them.
“I’ll go out and get in (the Model A) and just sit in it,” he says.
Crandall says over the years he has owned six or seven classic cars, all of which have required only cosmetic changes when he
purchased them.
“I try to get something that’s ready to drive,” he says.
After Crandall purchased the ’34 pickup in the 1970s, decades passed before he decided to expand his collection
“I think it was the 1990s before I got my second car,” he says.
Some of the vehicles he brought home didn’t work out to his satisfaction.
He bought a roadster, for example, that was too windy for Linda’s liking and too
wet for Mike’s.
“I got caught in the rain one time and I decided that was it,” he says.
Although she has never driven any of her husband’s old cars, Linda Crandall has a role to play when he enters them in a car show. He drives them one at a time to the show’s location and she picks him up and brings him back home so he can get the next one.
“She’s my taxi service,” he says.
“I think it’s great,” Linda says of her husband’s hobby. “I support him all the way.”
By definition, street rods are roadworthy pre-1949 vehicles, often updated with modern conveniences, but in 2010 in order to attract younger participants to its events, the NSRA changed the qualifications for entering a car or truck into NSRA competitions to vehicles that were at least 30 years old, Crandall says.
This year, as a result, 1995 models and older will be accepted at the regional meet.
“It’s become a broad spectrum of a little bit of everything,” he says.
An NSRA member since 1978, Crandall says the number of vehicles entered in the NSRA Nationals North has decreased from about 3,000 in the 1980s to less than 2,000 in recent years.
Still, the Kalamazoo event always garners a lot of attention from the community and
enthusiasm from the car owners.
Much of its success can be attributed to the many car clubs that participate. One of them, the Rod Benders Car Club, of which Crandall is a member, is responsible for staffing the front gate each year.
As for the Rod & Custom and Car Craft magazines, which ceased publication in 2014 and 2020, respectively, Crandall still pulls old issues that he has collected through the years off the shelf and reads them once in a while.
They’re just not the same ones that he curled up with as a teenager. Like so many kids’ collections when they leave home, the magazines became the victims of a parent’s purge.
“When I got out of high school and started college my mom threw them all out,” Crandall says.
WILDLIFE PONDS –YOUR GARDEN’S MISSING PIECE
By Bart Litjens, member of Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones
Three springs ago, in 2023, I set out to dig a pond. Not just any pond, but a wildlife pond designed to support local wildlife.
The dream became urgent when a nearby wetland was lost to construction. The loud chorus of frogs and wildlife we’d enjoyed for years suddenly fell silent. This loss inspired us to create our own aquatic ecosystem for displaced wildlife. Sadly, this story repeats everywhere as we lose valuable habitat to rising temperatures, pollution, and development. The good news? We can take action while enjoying nature’s free entertainment.
Though our garden already featured native plants to attract wildlife, adding water transformed everything. Three years later, our garden brims with life. Daily, we watch green frogs, tree frogs, tadpoles, dragonflies, birds drinking and bathing and so much more. Water truly is life.
Whether you have a spacious yard or a small garden, anyone can create a wildlife pond. This weekend project becomes easier with a little help. The key is providing depth (at least 3 feet) alongside shallow slopes for wildlife access. Another crucial feature is reusing the subsoil to line your pond. While counterintuitive, this nutrient-poor soil gives your
pond a natural look while hiding the liner and providing a base for aquatic plants. These roots maintain healthy balance by adding oxygen and removing nutrients that would otherwise feed algae.
Interested in building a lasting wildlife pond? I promise you’ll spend countless hours enjoying your transformed garden. You will find my step-bystep presentation for the Kalamazoo Area chapter of Wild Ones on YouTube by visiting www.youtube. com/@kalamazooareawildones3344.
Portage FESTIVALS
Oktoberfest
Saturday, Sept 13, 2pm-7pm
South Westnedge Park-9010 S Westnedge Ave, Portage
In the spirit of German culture, break out the lederhosen and prepare to tanzen (dance)! The Portage Parks Foundation Oktoberfest is back and better than ever. Savor the flavors of mouthwatering German cuisine that will have your taste buds yodeling, then raise your stein and sip an authentic German beer.
Get your dancing shoes on to groove to the LIVE music that includes some familiar favorites! Be sure to hit up the cornhole boards and challenge your friends to some epic matches and be the first to make a cornzizzle. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of food, drink, music, and fun!
Fall Fest
Sunday, Sept 21, 10am-2pm
Celery Flats, 7335 Garden Lane, Portage
Embrace the captivating feel of autumn at the annual Fall Fest celebration! Step back in time with fun historical demonstrations like pottery, wheat weaving, blacksmithing, woodworking, etc.,and building tours. Marvel at the collection of antique tractors and engines, and meet some adorable live animals including Roscoe the camel. Express your inner artist at the craft station, browse the unique treasures at the fall boutique market, savor the delicious eats from the on-site food trucks, enjoy the bluegrass and folksy sounds of the Bourbon Brothers, and take a scenic tractor ride.
Mi Lindo Michoacan
By Richard Martinovich
An hour south of Detroit is Canada’s Point Pelee National Park, where from late August until mid-October thousands of Monarch butterflies gather on park trees before embarking on one of nature’s most spectacular journeys; crossing Lake Erie to winter 3,000-miles away in the oyamel fir forests of Michoacán, where the weight of their numbers will bend boughs.
Located in west-central Mexico and along the Pacific coast, the state of Michoacán also attracts top chefs known for their exceptional regional cuisine.
Often called the “Soul of Mexico” due to its indigenous heritage, Michoacán also is known as the Carnitas Capital of the World. Its cuisine utilizes fresh local ingredients cultivated from fertile agricultural fields, with unique flavor combinations.
Mi Lindo Michoacán opened on Lovers Lane in March of this year. Mi Lindo Michoacán -- “my beautiful Michoacán” -- is owner Fidencion Garcia’s homage to the
region he is from in Mexico, and where his parents still live.
You will recognize many of the offerings on the menu: tacos, enchiladas, flautas, tortas, tamales, burritos, but there are also Pambazos -- Mexican sausage with potatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and Mexican cheese bathed in a red sauce, and Choriqueso -- melted cheese on a skillet with chorizo; Papas Michoacánas – fries topped with steak, cheese sauce, Pico de Gallo; Alambre Pastor – grilled peppers, onions, tomatoes with melted cheese, and Molote --- chicken or potatoes with Mexican sausage, with lettuce, cheese and sour cream.
For dinner, there is Steak or Chicken a la Mexicana with grilled jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, beans and rice and avocado, or the Arroz con Pollo -- rice with grilled chicken covered in cheese sauce.
There are vegetarian selections and a kids menu that includes a quesadilla and taco combo with rice and beans.
Beverages include Aguas Frescas, non-alcoholic flavored waters popular in Mexico. You won’t have to journey far to find authentic Mexican recipes, and delightful choices, at Mi Lindo Michoacan!
HEALTHY LIVING
Ignite Your Inner Strength
Remember when superheroes were all the rage—with their capes, masks, and powers that could move mountains? They’re still everywhere, but as we’ve grown, we’ve learned that the most powerful heroics often come from within.
True heroism isn’t about lifting cars; it’s about the quiet, hidden strength we all hold inside. Tapping into that power is a journey we all can take, and it’s one that can be truly transformative.
Life is full of opportunities to be our own hero. Sometimes, it’s having the courage to try something new, even if we’re a little nervous. Other times, it’s the quiet strength we find in supporting a loved one, or the resilience to bounce back from a setback. These aren’t grand, epic battles, but small, daily victories that shape who we are. They are the sparks that ignite our potential.
So, let’s get conversational and ask ourselves some powerful questions.
What are our hidden strengths? Are we a natural motivator, able to inspire others with a positive outlook? Maybe our strength is in our patience, which allows us to find joy in a difficult situation. Or perhaps we are an incredible listener, providing a calm and safe space for friends and family. It could even be our creativity, helping us find new solutions to old problems. Our strength might simply lie in our unwavering consistency, showing up day after day to take care of ourselves, no matter what.
Bringing these strengths out can help in so many areas of our lives. It can give us the confidence to mentor a younger person, to lead a team, or to simply be a more pres-
ent and vibrant friend. By tapping into these internal powers, we find new ways to connect with others and with ourselves. It can help us navigate challenges with grace and find joy in the everyday, turning what might seem like a small action into a powerful act of self-care. The journey to a stronger us isn’t just about the weights we lift or the miles we walk; it’s about discovering the quiet hero that has been inside us all along.
The beauty of this journey is that we don’t have to take it alone. We can find a supportive community, a group to share with, or even a
quiet moment of connection with a friend. The important thing is to find spaces designed to help us find and nurture our spark. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to feel strong, connected, and capable. It’s never too late to begin this adventure.
So, what are we waiting for? It’s time to unleash our inner hero.
Submitted by Vicky Kettner, Association Director of Marketing, Community Relations, and Member Engagement at YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo.
It takes a special film to upset both Disney/ Pixar & Dreamworks at the Academy Awards, but that’s exactly what happened this year when Flow took home the Oscar for best animated feature. If you heard the film responsible for such a feat was produced by a foreign studio, you’d probably assume Studio Ghibli was the culprit, but this gorgeously animated production is the work of Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis. Featuring a minimalist narrative and absolutely zero dialogue, Flow tells the story of a criminally adorable black cat living in a world no longer populated by humans and littered with evidence of a series of great floods. As the waters once again rise, the cat scrambles to safety, encountering a whole cast of critters doing their best to do the same and finding refuge together aboard a wayward sailboat. Stunningly animated entirely using the open-source software, Blender, and exclusively relying on recorded animals to voice the characters, (the capybara was voiced by a baby camel, but the rest are authentic) Flow leaves interpretation of the world and depicted events largely up to the individual, providing a cinematic experience as unique as it is memorable. – Submitted by Patrick J.
High and Low (1963)
Upon learning that director Spike Lee’s newest film will be an interpretation of Japanese master Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low, I thought I would finally get around to watching this slowburning, police procedural centered around a kidnapping case. Most movie enthusiasts associate Kurosawa with his highly influential samurai stories that include Rashomon, Seven
Movie Reviews
Blood. But in 1963, he shook things up by making High and Low, a film based upon an Ed McBain detective novel called King’s Ransom A wealthy businessman played by Kurosawa regular Toshiro Mifune is confronted with a knotty choice between paying an exorbitant ransom to a ruthless kidnapper, or having the young son of his housekeeper killed. Brilliantly drawn out with measured attention to the ways in which the police methodically pursue the kidnapper, the unhurried thriller also served as a bold. – Submitted by Ryan G.
The White Lotus, Season Three (2025)
When television was a new medium, unlikeable characters as narrative TV series regulars were rarities. Those roles were usually reserved for comic rivals, nosy neighbors, or borderline frenemies. Even then, their hearts of gold would eventually show through, and their personas would soften as seasons rolled out. While villains were staples of westerns and crime shows, early on they were mostly oneoff characters. Once anti-heroes began to attract more TV viewers’ attention, programs featuring humans at their worst grew in number. While seasons of showrunner Mike White’s The White Lotus feature a mostlychanging cast – its titular luxury resort chain is the narrative backdrop and mainstay – the characters’ self-centered throughlines connect them. So, are episodes worth engaging? Watching actors from Walton Goggins to Parker Posey to Natasha Rothwell chew the scenery while navigating season 3’s messy plot arcs may be its own reward for viewers keeping an emotional distance. Whether or not The White Lotus’s characters are likeable or relatable is a small concern, considering a stellar cast when reserving sentiments. –Submitted by Karl K.
Reviews submitted by Ryan Gage. These great titles and others are available at the Kalamazoo Public Library.
Celebrities that came to Kalamazoo
Captain Kangaroo comes to Kalamazoo!
This sounds like the title of a Dr Suess book but it was an actual event that occurred back on March 25, 1961.
Captain Kangaroo was a television show created by Bob Keeshan, who played the title role in this very popular children’s TV show that ran from 1955 to 1984. Keeshan was 28 years old when the show began.
The show held the title of the longest running national broadcast children’s television program of its day. The show included popular characters, Mr Green Jeans and puppets, Bunny Rabbit and Mr, Moose. Keeshan won three Emmy Awards for the show.
Captain Kangaroo ran locally on weekday mornings on WKZO-TV, Channel 3
The New York Times commented: “Captain Kangaroo, a round-faced, pleasant, mustachioed man possessed of an unshakable calm ... was one of the most enduring characters television ever produced.”
Keeshaan started his career playing “Clarabell the Clown,” a silent Auguste clown on the Howdy Doody Show, who communicated by honking several horns attached to a belt around his waist. One honk meant “yes”; two meant “no”. Clarabell often sprayed Buffalo Bob Smith with a seltzer bottle and played practical jokes.
Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) came to Kalamazoo and performed with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Harman Felber, at the Central High School Auditorium (now Chenery Auditorium). There were three performances at Noon, 2:00pm and 4:00pm. Tickets were $2 for adults (1.50 balcony) and $1.50 for children ($1 balcony).
The review the next day in the Kalamazoo Gazette, reported that over 6500 children and their parents were on the edge of their seats, at each of the three, one-hour sold out performances.
“Captain Kangaroo was a man on the run as he kept pace with kids. He inspired them by saying. “The more you get to know good music, the better friend it becomes.” He then followed up by playing popular tunes and asking them to name them.
He even tried conducting the orchestra and playing some of the instruments, but with surprising results, The children and the Captain discovered it’s not as easy as it looks.
Captain Kangaroo also gave the kids a chance to participate. Kids were rocking back and forth in a horse race, so spirited that several toddlers slid off their chairs.
I have heard stories of Captain Kangaroo returning to Kalamazoo, and found that he did a similar performance at Miller Auditorium with the University Orchestra on November 6th, 1982.
--- By Steve Ellis
My son Sam, was married in Asheville, North Carolina, this past June.
Jackie and I loved exploring the area and one of the highlights was visiting The Biltmore.
Like most popular attractions these days, you cannot just show up, but must buy your ticket online for a specific tour time and pay in advance. Tickets are around $100, but well worth it.
The residence was built for George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. It is the largest privately owned house in the United States at 178,926 square feet of floor space. It is still owned by George Vanderbilt’s descendants and remains one of the most prominent examples of Gilded Age mansions.
Vanderbilt began to make regular visits with his mother to the Asheville area in the 1880s. He loved the scenery and climate so much that he decided to build a summer house in the area, which he called his “little mountain escape”. Vanderbilt named his estate Biltmore, combining De Bilt (his ancestors’ place of origin in the Netherlands) with more, an open, rolling land.
He eventually purchased 125,000 acres comprising nearly 700 parcels, including over 50 farms and five cemeteries.
Construction of the home required the labor of 1,000 workers and 60 stonemasons.
Tales road FROM THE the biltmore estate
By Steve Ellis
Vanderbilt made extensive trips overseas during construction to purchase thousands of furnishings, including tapestries, carpets, prints, linens, and decorative objects.
He opened his estate on Christmas Eve of 1895 to family and friends from across the country who were encouraged to enjoy leisure and country pursuits. The Biltmore mansion cost $5 million (equivalent to about $189 million today) to construct.
Vanderbilt, who was stressed by the passing of new income tax laws and the expensive maintenance of the estate, sold 87,000 acres to the federal government. Vanderbilt died unexpectedly in 1914 of complications from an emergency appendectomy. Vanderbilt’s wife, Edith, carried on with the family estate. She began consolidating her interests, selling Biltmore Estate Industries in 1917 and Biltmore Village in 1921. She intermittently occupied the house, until the marriage of her daughter
Cornelia to John Francis Amherst Cecil in April 1924. The Cecils had two sons. Cornelia and her husband opened Biltmore to the public at the request of the City of Asheville in March 1930, in an attempt to bolster the estate’s finances during the Great Depression.
The Cecils divorced in 1934. Cornelia left the estate never to return, but John Cecil maintained his residence in the mansion until his death in 1954.
The Biltmore Estate has been managed over the years by various family members. It now encompasses 8,000 acres and attracts around 1.4 million visitors per year.
The estate has been used as a filming location for movies such as Being There, The Last of the Mohicans, Forrest Gump, Richie Rich and Patch Adams.
Our tour of the estate began with a rustic four mile drive through thick woods up to the mansion. We imagined what this drive must have been like more than 125 years ago with
Upon leaving the parking area, while walking towards the mansion, we saw a large bear in the woods, down an embankment, not too far away. What an exciting way to begin our visit.
Our first stop was at the large building to the right of the mansion. It was once a stable but now houses a large restaurant, restrooms and gift store.
Entering the mansion, the principal rooms of the house are located on the ground floor. To the right of the marbled entrance hall, the octagonal sunken Winter Garden is surrounded by stone archways with a ceiling of sculptured wood and glass. The Banquet Hall is the largest room in the house, measuring 42 ft × 72 ft , with a 70-foot high barrel-vaulted ceiling. The table can seat 64 guests and is surrounded by rare Flemish tapestries and a triple fireplace that spans one end of the hall.
The two-story library contains over 10,000 volumes in eight languages. We wondered how many had ever
been read or even touched in decades.
On the second floor in the south tower is George Vanderbilt’s gilded bedroom with furniture. His bedroom connects to his wife’s Louis XV-style, oval-shaped bedroom in the north tower through a carved oak paneled sitting room. The large sitting room, between the two bedrooms, is where the Vanderbilts would meet and talk in the evening.
The third floor includes a number of guest rooms with names that describe the furnishing or artist that they were decorated with. The fourth floor has 21 bedrooms that were inhabited by housemaids, laundresses, and other female servants. Male servants were not housed here, but instead, in rooms above the stable and complex.
The Bachelors Wing includes the large billiard room, with rich oak paneling and a custom-made pool table and a carom table (without pockets).
The basement includes activity rooms, including an indoor, 70,000 gallon heated swimming pool with underwater lighting. We were told that most folks at the time couldn’t swim so they simply held onto ropes at the side of the pool and we were surprised to learn that it was emptied and cleaned after every use.
The basement also houses a bowling alley, and a gymnasium with state-of-the-art fitness equipment. The service section of the house is also found in the basement, which is the largest in the country. It holds the main kitchen, pastry kitchen, rotisserie kitchen, walk-in refrigerators that provided an early form of mechanical refrigeration, the servants’ dining hall, laundry rooms, and additional bedrooms for staff.
After our tour of the mansion, we walked the gorgeous grounds.
Originally, the grounds included 75 acres of formal gardens including a Roman formal garden, a bush and tulip garden, water fountains, and a conservatory with individual rooms for palms and roses. There was also a bowling green and an outdoor tea room.
The grounds also include The Inn on Biltmore Estate and the Biltmore Estate Winery.
The Biltmore Estate is a bucket list attraction for many, that is well worth a visit. We hope to return and spend more time someday.
horses and buggies making the trek.
FREE Heritage Festivals!
Canadiana Fest 2025 Can-Am Peace Jam
Saturday, Sept 20, 3pm-10pm Arcadia Creek Festival Site, Kalamazoo
The free (or pay what you will) Canadiana Fest brings the music, food, art, culture, and kindness of Canada and her peoples, shared in a festival setting to celebrate, educate, and help others heal through seeing the world in a new way, with proceeds going to fight hunger, homelessness, and hurt while supporting philanthropic organizations that do good in the community.
The Kalamazoo Scottish Festival
Saturday, Sept 6
Kindleberger Park, Parchment
The free festival is dedicated to preserving Scottish history and culture in the Kalamazoo area. The family friendly event has been a staple of Kalamazoo for 30+ Years. You can meet the clans, hear the pipes roar, learn more about your Scottish roots, and have a grand time. The Highland Games are the highlight event of our annual festival. Consisting of a series of field events where both men and women compete in feats of strength. Events include heavy and light hammer throws, stone throws and weight for distance throws. You will get to see the famous Scottish caber toss!
