LIFE IS SWEETER WITH CHOCOLATE! ~ PG. 10
Expert Advice
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Counseling
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know about heart health?
set a boundary in my relationship?
annual NOW® Vitamin & Supplement Sale going to be this year? Mark Sawall
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Q: Why would I
Q: When is your
A: Sawall’s annual
Heart Health A: Heart disease is the leading
A: Boundary setting
creates a framework for
Kim Powers, how you can simultaneOwner, Licensed ously love others and love Professional yourself in a healthy way Counselor
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
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cause of death for both men and women in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). February, during American Heart Month, is a great time to find out what you can do to be heart aware and learn how to take care of your heart year round.
Know Your Risks for Heart Disease • Family history of heart disease • High blood pressure or cholesterol • Diabetes (over the age of 30) • History of smoking • Previous heart attack Know the Warning Signs of Heart Disease • Difficulty breathing – Shortness of breath or trouble breathing. • Coughing – Frequent dry cough or cough that produces mucus or blood. • Fatigue • Swelling of feet, ankles or legs Know Your Healthy Numbers •A cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dL. •A blood pressure below 120/80 mmHg. •A fasting blood sugar level between 70-100mg/dL. •An A1C level below 5.7% is normal. •A triglyceride level below 150 mg/dL for adults. Learn more about heart health and your heart care options at bronsonhealth.com/heart.
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Bronson Advanced Cardiac Healthcare
510-827-1305
bronsonhealth.com/heart (269) 373-1222
Financial Services
Transitions
Roofing
Sawall Health Foods
Q: What types of
Faith. Acceptance. Empowerment. Purpose.
Q: May I still
investment bonds are there?
A: There are several different types of bonds thatcan be utilized within an investment Chuck Henrich portfolio. The 3 most comPresident & mon ones are: Owner • Corporate bonds issued by companies like AT&T orMcDonalds • Municipal bonds issued by states and municipalities • Government bonds such as those issued by theU.S. Treasury Bonds are considered a “conservative” investment as they do not have the big swings invalue like the stock market. You can buy bondsindividually or via mutual funds or ETFs. Give us a call to see what might be right for yourinvestment portfolio.
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travel if I live in an independent living community?
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continue to travel after moving into senior living. In fact, some communities provide discounts on monthly service fees if you intend on traveling for a month or more. Contact your community’s resident liaison or other staff member to understand your community’s policies on travel.
Friendship Village
“Where Connections Matter”
1400 North Drake, Kalamazoo 269-381-0560 www.friendshipvillagemi.com
Q: Should we be
concerned about the amount of snow and ice accumulating on our roof?
Justin Reynolds A: Since the first week of January, our total amount of snowfall Manager has been significant. Since the weight of snow and ice is substantial, we recommend removing as much of the snow and ice as possible. However, safety should be your foremost concern. Emergency room personnel can tell you many stories of unfortunate homeowners injured while climbing a ladder or getting onto their roofs to remove snow and ice. Therefore, we recommend purchasing a ‘snow rake’, a long handled shoveling device, designed to pull snow and ice off the roof while you stand safely on the ground. Please be aware, however, since a snow rake is made from aluminum, you must kept it away from any electrical power lines on your roof.
Sherriff-Goslin Roofing Co. Since 1906 342-0153 800-950-1906
Member Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo
FEBRUARY 2024
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1000 Hours Outside
children as well. There are so many things that compete for our time, that it’s easy for time outside to get put on the back-burnerer. They estimate that if we spread 20 hours a week, broken down into 4-6 hour chunks of time spread out over a few days, that it would add up to around 1,000 hours of outside activity over the year.
I stumbled upon something the other day that intrigued me. The organization,“1000 Hours Outside” is championing the idea of spending as much time as you can outside to reclaim your childhood, reconnect families and live a fuller life. Their studies show that the average child spends 4-7 hours a day on screens but only gets 4-7 minutes of unstructured free play outside each day - that’s alarming! The idea for the organization was founded by Ginny Yurich, a mother of five children under the age of 12 that lives in Southeast Michigan. She wanted to have her family spend less time in front of televisions, computers and other electronic devices and more time outdoors. This website makes a great point, that we track a lot of things these days - steps, calories, budgets, frequent flyer miles etc - why not track something so beneficial to our
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1. Aim for at least 1 hour outside a day in January, February, and December. 2. Walk your neighborhood or trails in the area 3. Spend lots of time outside every day in nicer weather. 4. Have meals outside. 5. Start a garden. 6. Go to the beach 7. Plan a camping trip. 8. Keep tabs on screen time.
FROM THE
EDITOR
ON THE COVER:
The 1,000 Hours Outside idea was originally a tool for parents and their children, but it makes sense for all of us. Even if you don’t reach 1,000 hours, you’re still a winner by enjoying the great outdoors. I challenge you to join me and give it a try! Steve Ellis, SPARK Publisher steve@swmspark.com
Cherri Emery and daughter, Ashley Rafferty in their Cherri’s Chocol’ art store. Photo by Steve Ellis
To advertise in upcoming SPARK publications, contact: Steve Ellis, 269.720.8157, steve@swmspark.com Editor and Publisher: Steve Ellis Graphic & Page Development: CRE8 Design, Kalamazoo Content/Photography: Lauren Ellis
INDEX FEBRUARY 2024 Lee Dean: They Did Things
Wednesday Warriors........................................12
We’d Never Seen Before ................................ 4
Volunteer: Rosemary Hogmire.......................13
Business Profile: Mitten Running Co. ...............6
Nature.................................................................15
Recipe: Desserts for Two....................................7
Spark Book Reviews..........................................16
Spark Movie Reviews.........................................8
Healthy Living....................................................17
History: The Blizzard of ‘67..................................9
Tales from the Road.........................................18
Cover Story: Cherri’s Chocol’art....................10
Celebrities That Came to Kalamazoo .........19
20,000 readers, 650 locations and online at swmspark.com
Writers and Contributors Include: Area Agency on Aging, Steve Ellis, Lee Dean, Laura Kurella, Richard Martinovich Dave Person, Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo Public Library, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Portage Public Library, Senior Services of Southwest Michigan, YMCA SPARK accepts advertising to defray the cost of production and distribution, and appreciates the support of its advertisers. The publication does not specifically endorse advertisers or their products or services. Spark is a publication of Ellis Strategies, LLC. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from the publisher.
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FEBRUARY 2024
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They did things we had never seen before Lee A. Dean screendoor@sbcglobal.net
The time has come once again for our annual tribute to notable people who have passed in the previous year. So many of these figures were oneof-a-kind characters. Their deeds could be filed under the heading, “things we’ve never seen before.” Rosalynn Carter enlarged the role of First Lady. President Jimmy Carter deputized his most trusted partner to tackle substantive diplomatic missions. No ribbons cuttings or trips to the funeral of the Bulgarian prime minister for her. She also helped make great strides in the public’s understanding of mental illness. Speaking of diplomacy, Henry Kissing was the first celebrity Secretary of State. This was an odd development for a portly bespectacled man with a thick German accent. But his skill as a diplomat and a bachelor lifestyle (until wife Nancy came along) kept him in the headlines. Sandra Day O’Connor was the first female Justice of the Supreme Court and served honorably. She was also the inspiration for one of the best things Barry
Goldwater ever said, firing back at a famous TV preacher objected to the appointment of a woman to the high court. In defense of O’Connor, a fellow Arizonan, the senator invited the preacher to kiss a certain part of his anatomy. Norman Lear revolutionized the world of television situation comedies. He took on controversial topics and situations, giving us such immortal characters as Archie and Edith Bunker, George and Louise Jefferson and Maude. Lear even broke the existing taboo against the sound of a flushing toilet on TV. With so much of today’s music sounding mass produced, the loss of unique voices and talents is even more regrettable.
by Herb Alpert, who wasn’t a singer. He sounded like an average Joe singing to his lover, and the rest of us average guys could relate. Jimmy Buffett lived his gimmick as the suntanned impresario of Florida Keys fun. Who else could inspire otherwise calm responsible adults to dress up as “Parrotheads” and make colorful spectacles of themselves at his shows? But his music was far more than fun and games. Songs like “Come Monday” and “Wonder Why We Ever Go Home” show that the man also could tug at the heartstrings.
Tina Turner broke free from the constraints of an artistically and physically abusive husband to carve out her own Of all the crooners, Tony Bennett was niche in the music world. Her story of my favorite. He rejuvenated his career in liberation gives hope to many women in the 1990s, appealing to a new generation similar straits and her music makes you of fans through an MTV special, a feat want to get up and dance. unrivaled among singers of his era. Then he did it again 20 years later through his What do you call an entertainer who collaboration and heartwarming friend- can sing, make you laugh, and pership with Lady Gaga. form amazing tricks with a yo-yo? You call him Tommy Smothers. Mom may Burt Bacharach was a pop music genius. have always liked his brother Dick the Each one of his songs had more hooks best, but fans of the Smothers Brothers than a tackle box and an unmistakable couldn’t wait for the latest surprises and distinctive sound. Making a Top Ten tall tales Tommy threw their way. list of best Bacharach songs is nearly impossible, but picking my favorite is The world of sports saw a great many easy: “This Guy’s In Love With You,” sung departures. Chief among them for
Detroit Tigers fans was Willie Hernandez became only the third player in Major League Baseball history to win the MVP and Cy Young awards plus a World Series title. All those awards came during the magical 1984 campaign, when manager Sparky Anderson gave Willie the ball and then sat back and relaxed. Has anyone ever played third base before or since with such flash as Brooks Robinson? Watch a highlight reel from the 1970 World Series, and you’ll see an infielder pick it like never before. He was no slouch with the bat either. When the discussion turns to sports feistiness and ill temper, one name comes to mind: Bobby Knight. Coach Knight spiced up the college basketball world by tossing chairs and profane locker room and press conference tirades. But he also won more games than almost every other coach without the slightest hint of NCAA violations. Willis Reed of the New York Knicks deserves mention for the most courageous performance I have ever seen on a basketball court. In Game 7 of the 1970 Finals, he willed his team to victory while playing with a terribly painful torn muscle in his thigh – and against no less an imposing figure than Wilt Chamberlain. These are lives worthy of celebrating (except for the thrown chair). Guts, glory, talent, innovation were their recipe for success — and can be ours, too.
FEBRUARY 2024
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Mitten Running Company By Richard Martinovich
For many runners, the thrill of victory can turn into the agony of ‘da feet. Just as no two people are alike, no two feet are the same, the left and right aren’t a perfect match either. Mitten Running Company understands the importance of properly fitted shoes. Their My Foot Balance 3D scanning service provides a proven approach in determining the best footwear selection for whatever your activity. Opened in October of 2023 in the expanded space of V&A Bootery in the Southland Mall, Mitten Running Company inventory includes the same high quality brands long-time customers of V&A have come to expect. Developed in Finland, the My Foot Balance 3D scanner is game changing technology. As you step on a scale, the feet are thoroughly scanned, measured and analyzed for individualized shoe recommendations. The results eliminate guesswork. “Your Movement. Personalized to Perfection” is the Foot Balance mantra. Mitten Running also has Foot Balance insoles that, through a heat process, are molded to the contours of
your feet. Shoes and insoles can be precisely fitted for maximum support. Mitten Running Company stocks top name shoe brands like Hoka, Altra, On Cloud, Brooks, New Balance, and KSwiss for the hugely popular sport of pickleball! There are Feetures socks, the number one rated running sock, Vermont-made Darn Tough socks for hiking, with a 100% wear guarantee, and socks designed for pickleball. Mitten Running carries a wide variety of fine apparel and accessories like the best-selling SmartWool socks, SmartWool gloves and headbands, and really cool SmartWool jackets! Clothing for the Mitten Running logo attire is made by Vuori of California, the hottest name in apparel, known for its super soft fabric for outdoor casual wear! There are Hoka sandals, and Oofos sandals -- great for recovery after a hard workout. You can depend on the expert staff at Mitten Running Company to ensure your feet won’t fail you when you need ‘em!
Mitten Running Company • 6290 S. Westnedge Avenue - Portage • 269-492-3544
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Desserts for Two (or, two for one!) by Laura Kurella
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Warm Brownie Sundae
Yield: 1 (6-inch) round cake
Cooking spray 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (42 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg 1/4 cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons (23 grams) semisweet chocolate chips 1 scoop of your favorite ice cream Heavy whipped cream (optional) 1 Maraschino cherry (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325°F, and spray a 6-inch cast-iron skillet (or other ovenproof small skillet) with cooking spray. Dice the butter into eight pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle the sugar and cocoa powder on top. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stop, stir, and then microwave for another 30 seconds. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave, and stir in the salt and vanilla. Stir for about 30 seconds to cool the mixture. Then, add the egg and stir well. Sprinkle the flour on top, and then stir vigorously for fifty strokes, using a wooden spoon. The brownie batter will become thick and glossy. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. Scrape the mixture into the prepared skillet. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes. It’s okay for the brownie to stay a little gooey in the middle. Top with the ice cream, whipped cream, and a cherry and serve immediately with two spoons.
Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge Yield: About 8 pieces of fudge 1/4 (60 grams) cup unsalted butter, diced 1/4 cup (56 grams) regular creamy peanut butter
Photo and recipes reprinted with permission from Dessert for Two by Christina Lane.
1/2 cup (28 grams) packed mini marshmallows 1 cup (100 grams) powdered sugar
Line a 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving enough parchment overhang to form handles. In a large glass bowl, combine the butter, peanut butter, and marshmallows. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap, and then stir in the powdered sugar all at once. Scrape the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, and let sit in the fridge for 1 hour. Slice and serve.
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.
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FEBRUARY 2024
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Movie Reviews Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022) If you ask me, there are still not enough parody biopic films out there, but the genre has a new champion in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Whereas Owen Wilson’s Paint (2023) cast him as a totallynot-Bob-Ross character and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) featured John C. Reilly in the totally-not-JohnnyCash role, Weird strides confidently in the opposite direction with Daniel Radcliffe portraying the man himself in an absolutely ridiculous sendup of the parody musician’s (arguably still ridiculous) real life. For example, Weird Al and Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood) never had a romantic relationship, but she did ask him to parody her 1984 megahit Like a Virgin, and while Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson) is a real-life friend and mentor to Al, he never dosed him with LSD-infused guacamole. It probably goes without saying that the real-life Yankovich never went toe-totoe with Pablo Escobar in the jungles of South America either, but all of this is presented unflinchingly as the life and times of the man we know as ‘Weird Al’. Co-written by Yankovich and director Eric Appel, fans of the aforementioned films, mockumentaries, or Daniel Radcliffe in general need to put this one on their lists. – Submitted by Patrick J.
The Holdovers (2023) Set in a New England boys’ boarding school in the late grey months of 1970, 2023’s The Holdovers is an engaging character study from director Alexander Payne. Students who have no place else to go during the holiday break are monitored by an uptight classics professor (played with the perfect balance of wit and pathos by Paul Giamatti). Also staying put is the cafeteria supervisor (a poignant turn from Da’Vine Joy Randolph), experiencing her first Christmas after the loss of her son in Vietnam. The student most affected as a holdover (a star-making debut from Dominic Sessa) struggles to come to terms with his separation from his family; his attempts to flee the campus lead to an unexpected road trip
which is life-changing for its passengers. Viewers familiar with the early work of New Hollywood filmmakers such as Hal Ashby and Peter Bogdanovich may be forgiven for thinking this movie was actually made in 1970. The cinematography is deliberately evocative of that era of cinema, and the narrative’s blunt truths steer clear of treacly sentiments designed to manipulate an audience’s emotions. However, The Holdovers is so much more than an exercise in homage – it cares for its quirky subjects, holding out hope that they’ll find the spaces to hold themselves together. – Submitted by Karl K.
Showing Up (2022) Director Kelly Reichardt’s small budget films often portray characters who exist in the margins, or who struggle against some aspect of larger society, in an effort to be better seen, heard, or understood. Her films avoid commercial flashiness, and tend to resist formal experimentation. Keenly observant, and interested in the interior lives of her characters’ desires, Reichardt’s work presents audiences with unromantic stories of everyday people. Her newest film Showing Up stars Michelle Williams, an actor she had previously worked with in films Wendy and Lucy (2008), Meek’s Cutoff (2012) and Certain Women (2016). Williams plays a sullen sculptor (Lizzy) whose daily challenges include getting her landlord and fellow sculptor-friend (Jo), to fix her broken hot water heater. Her growing consternation at Jo’s dithering is amplified by the fact that Jo’s artistic career is blooming while Lizzy’s appears to be on hold. Lizzy grows more stressed out over an upcoming exhibit of her ceramic figurines, and takes no interest in her administrative job at the local art school, viewing the time spent data-inputting as moments not doing what she really wants to focus on, her art. Toss in a brother struggling with mental illness, a selfabsorbed father whose interest in his children’s lives seems casual at best, and the arrival of an injured pigeon that may or may not function as an existential metaphor, and the result is an astutely rendered portrait of the life of a contemporary artist. – Submitted by Ryan G.
Reviews submitted by Ryan Gage. These great titles and others are available at the Kalamazoo Public Library.
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The Blizzard of ‘67 by Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library
Some thirteen years before Kalamazoo’s devastating 1980 tornado, and eleven years to the day before the “Great Blizzard of 1978,” a winter storm of historic proportion engulfed the upper Midwest and brought much of southern lower Michigan to a standstill. Folks called it “The ’67 Storm.” After an unusual five-day warm spell with temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s, a fast-moving line of thunderstorms moved across the region late in the evening on January 24, 1967, triggering a rare January tornado watch for Southwest Michigan. Strong southwest winds were reported with gusts in excess of 70 miles per hour. Thankfully there were no apparent tornados, but the fun was only just beginning. Temperatures dropped 20 degrees in an hour’s time as the front passed. Kalamazooans endured torrential rain, which quickly turned to heavy wind-driven snow. By Thursday morning, January 26th, Kalamazoo’s municipal airport was closed, as area roads became snow covered and extremely hazardous. Many schools closed early because of the storm, including Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College. For the first time in its 112-year history, Michigan State University in East Lansing was closed. By 1pm, more than 8 inches of snow blanketed the area and there was lots more
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twice the normal number of calls (remember, this was 1967, before the days of computer-controlled networks. Local and long-distance calls had to be connected manually by human telephone operators.) Hundreds of calls were placed by stranded motorists, which kept the telephone lines (and the operators) busy for hours. More than 60 members of the National Guard were called out in military vehicles to assist stranded motorists along I-94 and US 131. According to one Kalamazoo weatherman, “Nothing moved for two days; in the Kalamazoo area and across the state nothing went anywhere.” By Saturday, the storm had passed, and folks were beginning to dig their way out. A record 30 inches of snow fell on Kalamazoo, while the high winds caused heavy drifting. Most highways and secondary roads were drifted shut. US 131 remained closed near Schoolcraft, although some lanes were made passable between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. Area schools remained closed for several days. It would be a week or more before things would return to “somewhat” normal.
on the way. Winter had returned with a vengeance to West Michigan. By 6pm Thursday, I-94 was at a standstill. “Househigh” drifts were reported along US 131, where dozens of cars were left stranded. The local telephone systems were inundated with more than
The blizzard of 1967 was called one of the all-time worst winter storms in Michigan history, mostly due to the way weather conditions changed so rapidly. Within hours, Michiganders saw record high temperatures in the 50s and 60s plummet, as more than two feet of heavy wet snow brought life to a standstill. In the end, at least five deaths were reported in Kalamazoo due to the storm, with 17 others reported elsewhere across the state as the “massive dig-out” continued.
More at kpl.gov
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FEBRUARY 2024
THE RESULTS ARE SWEET WHEN
CHERRI EMERY COMBINES LOVE AND ART Cherri Emery has successfully combined her love of art with her passion for making chocolates and caramels in her 10-year-old downtown store appropriately called Cherri’s Chocol’art. “The visual is as important as the taste is,” she says of the displays of carefully crafted sweets in her shop at 101 S. Kalamazoo Mall, a former bank building at the corner of Kalamazoo Avenue.
While her trademark salted caramels and chocolate, caramel and nut turtles reign supreme, there are plenty of other mouth-watering and eye-dazzling choices to delight customers as Emery, her daughter Ashley Rafferty and about 10 employees ramp up for February’s tribute to lovers. “Valentine’s Day for us is really exciting,” she says. Emery, 74, who has been working in retail for more than 50 years, primarily as a proprietor of art galleries, did an about face in 2010, becoming a purveyor of sweets, and she has no regrets. She is quick to credit Rafferty with getting her to open the chocolate shop, which also has a coffee and hotchocolate bar and an ice-cream counter.
a mother to three children ages 10, 7 and 2.
“She is responsible for me going into retail again,” she says of her daughter, a professional chef who is general manager of Cherri’s Chocol’art and also brings her skills as a chocolate sculptor and painter to the business.
Emery’s popular caramels — which now come in several flavors including Coffee Lovers and Holy Hot Habanero — have been around since she was in her early 20s and would make a large batch for family gatherings and other special occasions.
Whereas Emery is self-taught, Rafferty, 35, honed her skills in the Culinary Arts and Sustainable Food Systems program at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
“I’d bring a huge bowl of them and within two seconds they were gone,” she says, using hyperbole for emphasis.
Emery is one of Rafferty’s biggest fans. “She’s extremely talented,” Emery says of her daughter, who is
“Then I started dabbling in chocolate,” she says, starting with a book on how to make it. “It was so mesmerizing I couldn’t put it down.”
PHOTO BY DEREK KETCHUM
By Dave Person david.r.person@gmail.com
FEBRUARY 2024
Emery started making chocolates at her home in Parchment, but when she had the opportunity to sell them at the former Food Dance restaurant in Kalamazoo, she needed a commercial kitchen, so she used the one at St. Mary’s Catholic Church until she and her husband, Jim Rafferty, moved to a home in Delton that had a commercial kitchen. “We had trays of chocolate all over the house (in Delton) so we could take them to the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays,” she says. Emery and Jim Rafferty have since moved back to Parchment while she plies her trade on the Kalamazoo Mall. Emery opened her first Cherri’s Chocol’art at 245 S. Kalamazoo Mall 10 years ago. “Ashley was key to opening up the retail store,” she says.
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A need for a larger kitchen and more space led to the move a block south in the fall of 2019. With a significant online-order business, especially around Christmas, through which their treats are distributed throughout the country and even internationally, the mother-daughter team have been modernizing their kitchen. “I hand-tempered the chocolate for three years; it’s a ton of work,” Emery says. “Then I got a little tempering machine.” Now they have what they call a robot, complete with a conveyor belt, that does the tempering. “We’ve gotten pretty good at it,” Emery says. Similarly, they hand-stir their caramel on the stove, but since they have a hard time keeping up with demand, they have added what Emery describes as “a big fire pot (so) we can make a lot more caramels in the same amount of time.” Using ice cream from the local Lafayette Creamery, Rafferty has created artistic “monster shakes,” which take on different flavors and themes, depending on the time of year. “It’s a giant milkshake with buttercream and sprinkles around the edge,” she says. The shop, itself, is furnished with restored counters, cabinets and shelving as pleasing to the eye as the sweets they display. “Everything has been repurposed,” Emery says.
ning at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, and closing at 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Emery says she enjoys being part of a vibrant downtown. Merchants recently formed a limited-liability corporation, The Downtown Kalamazoo Shops, which hosts a variety of “In the Zoo” events on the downtown mall, from ice-cream socials to ice sculpting, on the second Saturday of each month. At some point, Emery plans to turn the business over to her daughter, but she’s not ready to let go just yet.
In addition, she says, customers are able to watch the chocolate production.
“I love it; it keeps me as young as I can be,” she says. “I have to get up and go to work instead of sitting on the couch.
Cherri’s Chocol’art is open seven days a week, begin-
“You have to have a purpose in your life.”
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Wednesday
WARRIORS
Kristi Chapman, volunteer, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
Oh Savanna When I moved here from the woods of Pennsylvania, I had no clue about prairies. Or fens. Or oak savannas. Now I can picture an oak savanna, with a majestic oak tree, spreading its mighty branches out in all directions, amid a sumptuous carpet of waist-high grasses and blooming flowers. As a volunteer for the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, I have gotten a free
education about the marvelously varied habitats of this corner of the state, and what makes each of them so special. Oak savannas were the most beloved space to the early “settlers”, who moved right into them. Which is why they are practically all gone. Unlike the prior residents--the Indigenous people--we didn’t tend to the savannas with careful burns. And bringing in a boatload of alien plants with bad manners put the nail in the coffin.
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In a new project, we are turning the clock back at Chipman Preserve, and bringing an oak savanna back to life! It’s a little scary to see us swarming the hillside with loppers and chainsaws, leaving a really messy tangle of cut stuff in our wake. But our expert Jesse of the Michigan Natural Features Inventory tells us that a savanna is just what this place was and wants to be again. A fast-moving fire this spring is going to put the frosting on the cake. Right after that we will bring in lots of native seeds, and those plants will poke up from the charred ground, protected from deer by all those cuttings. Those hardy natives will be a big help to keep those bad mannered interlopers from taking over again. In a few years we will be admiring
seven acres of savanna rolling north from the interpretive circle. It’s been a wild and crazy journey from our first assignments 22 years ago, when we cleared trails and pulled garlic mustard till we were red in the face. Thanks to our exceptional leaders at SWMLC, along with our collective enthusiasm and knowledge, we can be trusted to take on these bigger tasks. I can’t wait to see what spring will reveal in our new savanna. If you want a frontrow seat in habitat restoration, come join us as your schedule permits. No experience necessary. We meet every Wednesday, and a second group, the Privateers, meets every Monday. Details of each week’s workday are posted on the website www.swmlc.org. Hope to see you out there.
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“A Little Kindness and a Big Smile”– Rosemary Hogmire By Jim Coppinger, Milestone Senior Services Volunteer
Rosemary recently participated in a mass-casualty training exercise which proved to be a remarkable experience for her to see people interact so well under a most stressful situation. It reassured her how lucky we are to have people ready and able to help in any disaster.
Rosemary Hogmire grew up in Decatur, Michigan and graduated from Decatur High. Her family owned the Cozy Theatre in Decatur where she began working at age twelve. Her father died when Rosemary was just fourteen and not long after that, her pregnant sister (whose husband of two years, died) moved into her mother’s home. There were seven children in her extended family.
Rosemary says volunteering provides a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction. Over her lifetime of volunteer service, she says “I feel like it helped me more than them.” She adds that being a volunteer is a continual source of satisfaction just knowing you’ve done something good for someone else.
After graduation, Rosemary met her husband, Max, and they married in Decatur. They moved to Portage for their careers and to raise a family of one son and two daughters. Rosemary began her career in production for the Upjohn Company and worked her way up within the organization to a position in the research and development department. Rosemary retired after thirty, what she calls “wonderful years” with the company. Her late husband, too, was an Upjohn employee. Rosemary says despite a busy work and family schedule—even growing up—she has never been one to sit still; she must always keep busy. It gives her an abounding sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. Now, with grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, there’s always something to do. A big part of Rosemary’s faith is to be an active volunteer for her church. As a mother, she was a Scout leader. And with her daughter being a teacher, Rosemary often helped tutor some of her daughter’s struggling students.
Finally, Rosemary believes that even life’s smallest moments offer an opportunity to help others— whether it is simply holding a door for someone, picking up a piece of litter in a parking lot, or offering a stranger a kind smile.
In October of 1991, Rosemary became a Meals-onWheels volunteer and loved it for the next twenty years. In 1993, she began volunteering as an allround service person at Borgess Hospital—which she continues to do to this day (now thirty years). Rosemary loves meeting new people and interacting with everyone at the hospital. A guiding principle for Rosemary is “A little kindness and a big smile” makes life a bit better for everyone—especially in hospitals, where loving care plays such an important part in healing and comfort.
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.
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Beyond Birdseed: Winter Caterpillars Help Birds Bulk-Up By Tom Springer, Vice President of Development, Kalamazoo Nature Center
It’s a phenomenon described by Douglas W. Tallamy in his book The Nature of Oaks: the Rich Ecology of our Most Essential Native Trees. Tallamy is a professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware. His readable, best-selling books explain how we can create lawn-sized native landscapes that benefit wildlife. As any true scientist should, Tallamy is curious enough – and humble enough -- to question his existing knowledge when he finds evidence to the contrary. That’s what prompted his caterpillar epiphany. “The assumption that there are no leaf-eating insects on bare winter branches is based on logic,”
Tallamy writes in The Nature of Oaks (page 54). “Not only is it too cold for such insects to function, there is also nothing for them to eat from October to April. Some insects, though, are just not logical!” What changed Tallamy’s thinking was the goldencrowned kinglet that he found pecking on oak branches outside his Pennsylvania home. Something didn’t add up. It was January, and Tallamy knew that golden-crowned kinglets subsist entirely on insects and spiders. Not exactly a diet that he associated with icicles and snowstorms. As luck or fate would have it, a few days later Tallamy came across a study by Bernd Heinrich, a legendary avian researcher. For whatever reason, Heinrich had decided to dissect some goldencrowned kinglets that had died from window strikes on a winter day in Maine. Inside their crops, he found a hefty haul of caterpillar carcasses. When caterpillars stop eating in the fall they produce glycerin, a natural antifreeze that allows them to go dormant. They hide in the crevices of bark and branches, and for camouflage, some have evolved to resemble woody twigs. That may fool some birds, but not all of them. Apart from feeding golden-crowned kinglets, Tallamy said that insects comprise 50 percent of a chickadee’s winter diet. They’re also an important food for titmice,
Photo Courtesy of Jim Triezenberg
It’s late winter, and with insect hatches and freshplucked earthworms still months away, many of us keep our birdfeeders filled with seed and suet. We want to give birds the calories and nutrients they need to endure until spring. Birdfeeders provide a vital supplement for over-wintering birds, and the 57 million Americans who spent $12 billion last year on seed help to ensure their survival. What I didn’t know until recently was that Michigan birds also rely on a little-known food source to carry them through the lean months: caterpillars! These dormant caterpillars can live on certain trees that grow in the yards and woods around us.
nuthatches and woodpeckers. Yet the larger ecological lesson here isn’t only about caterpillars. It’s about the need to plant more native oak trees, whose spring leaves feed the caterpillars that in turn provide a vital food source for birds as they prepare for the biological rigors of nesting. Plant an oak or two this spring, and you’ll help establish a caterpillar nursery that can benefit birds –year round -- for a century or more to come. Tom Springer is vice president of development at the Kalamazoo Nature Center and author of Looking for Hickories and The Star in the Sycamore.
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Book Reviews Book Reviews by the Portage District Library staff
The Old Woman with the Knife Gu Byeong-mo At sixty-five, Hornclaw is beginning to slow down. She lives modestly in a small apartment, with only her aging dog, a rescue named Deadweight, to keep her company. There are expectations for people her age—that she’ll retire and live out the rest of her days quietly. But Hornclaw is not like other people. She is an assassin. A sensation in South Korea, and now translated into English for the first time by Chi-Young Kim, The Old Woman with the Knife is an electrifying, singular, mordantly funny novel about the expectations imposed on aging bodies and the dramatic ways in which one woman chooses to reclaim her agency.
Start Here: Instructions on becoming a better cook Sohla El-Waylly A practical, information-packed, and transformative guide to becoming a better cook and conquering the kitchen, this ambitious foundational cookbook works equally well for a highly motivated beginner cook and anyone interested in refreshing their approach to cooking in the 21st century. Classically trained as a professional cook, Sohla El-Waylly is a former restaurant chef and popular technique instructor
featured by New York Times Cooking and other platforms. Grounding her approach to solid food science, she offers nearly 600 pages of recipes organized by technique, beginning with a chapter on tasting so that you’ll understand seasoning in everything else you learn from the book. Packed with practical advice, scientific background, and an almost endless assortment of recipe variations, tips, guidance, and how-tos, Start Here is culinary school—without the student loans.
A Promise of Fire Amanda Bouchet A Promise of Fire is the first book in Amanda Bouchet’s Kingmaker Chronicles. It’s fantasy! It’s romance! It’s Greek Mythology! Catalia “Cat” Fisa lives disguised as a soothsayer in a traveling circus. She is perfectly content avoiding the danger and destiny the gods have given her. That is, until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, fixes her with his steely gaze and upsets her illusion of safety forever. Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker, the woman who divines the truth through lies. He wants her as a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm until he realizes he wants her for much more than her magic. Cat fights him at every turn, but Griffin’s fairness, loyalty, and smoldering advances make him increasingly hard to resist and leave her wondering if life really does have to be short and lived alone. A Promise of Fire is a witty, funny, and sexy book.
HEALTHY LIVING February is American Heart Month, the time of year we give special focus to that one organ that represents the core and center of our bodies: It is the pumper of blood, the carrier of oxygen, the deliverer of hormones, the waste remover, the nutrient distributor, and pulmonary circulator. Our precious heart that works so hard for us beats over 100,000 times per day and pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood in the same time-frame. Holy Cupid! -- the heart is certainly deserving of a month-long focus. And of course, it stands to reason that we do so in February, the month of Valentine’s Day, when we’re encouraged to profess our affection to those who (you guessed it!) make the same heart flutter, stutter, and brim with love. But what if this year we also profess our affection to ourselves and our core center – in that “self-care” kind of way that says “Self, I honor you. Heart, I love you. I want to care for you”? Rebecca Lillie, Association Health and Wellness Director at the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo, says self-care and self-love are key to health management. She came up with four achievable things we can be doing to give our hearts the love and care that we deserve.
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GRATITUDE JOURNAL
GUIDED MEDITATION
Start each day with an entry that captures the things you are thankful for. Maybe all you can do at first is to list them. Add to the list each day. Stretch yourself to elaborate, and make time to write down why, and how these things make you feel grateful. Are you a drawer? Are you a photographer? Your journal doesn’t have to be the traditional pen and paper. Maybe you go public with it on your social media profile? Or maybe you start a photo journal of those things? No matter what the medium, whether you sketch it, use words or collect images (think decoupage), give yourself the time, space and creativity to put these thoughts together.
Self-care requires clearing your mind, being retrospective, and filling your mind with thoughts that bring you clarity, peace, and focus. “The most important part of meditation is the minute you decide to sit or lie down to do it,” says Rebecca. You are professing ‘self-love’.” Her first recommendation is to use an app called HeadSpace, which ultimately does require a monthly fee, but offers a one-month free trial. Rebecca also suggests Belly Breathing. Put an orange on your tummy while lying flat on the floor. Breathe in deeply. Exhale all the way. Watch the orange rise and lower itself and focus on the rhythm of your breathing. Slow the breathing down so that you are controlling the fruit. “This
PHYSICAL MOVEMENT The time we spend on the sofa should be monitored. In other words, look for ways to reduce your time “sitting around” watching television, scrolling on your phone, reading, etc. The National Institute on Aging tells us to try to be more physically active. Talk with your doctor about the type of activities that would be best for you. If possible, aim to get at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Every day is best. It doesn’t have to be done all at once. Start by doing activities you enjoy—brisk walking, dancing, bowling, bicycling, or gardening, for example. Avoid spending hours every day sitting. “Getting off the couch and finding something that keeps you moving, even if it’s mild, gets the blood flowing”, says Rebecca.
little exercise activates the good relaxation hormones,” she says.
BUBBLE BATH Let’s be honest -- sometimes self-care means indulging. And a long soak in sudsy hot water is the epitome of selfcare. Make sure you have the right scent that makes you calm and happy. Create a mood by using candles. Shut the door and shut out the world. It’s time for you, yourself, and no one else. Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy Heart Month. Happy Self-Love! Vicky Kettner is the Association Director of Marketing, Community Relations, and Member Engagement for the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo.
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FROM THE Pokagon State Park Potawatomi Inn has a large pool and hot tub with windows looking out over Lake James. The lake side of the Inn has large windows with many comfortable chairs and tables for reading, playing games or simply enjoying the beautiful view of the lake. The walls are decorated with photographs of the park from days gone by and old Chris Craft wooden boat pictures.
By Steve Ellis Pokagon State Park in Angola, Indiana has something for every season.
rentals run $20 per hour and $10 for each additional hour, per toboggan, and can hold up to 4 adults
This popular state park is just a little over an hour away. To get there, take I-94 east to I-69 and head south for about a half hour. Pokagon State Park is located just south of the Michigan border on Lake James and Snow Lakes.
The old lodge style restaurant has vintage wooden tables and chairs, can seat a couple hundred people and the food is very good. We ordered a pizza to go and ate near the fireplace while we played games.
It had been a few years since we’ve taken Jackie’s grandsons to Pokagon, so we packed up the vehicle and headed there in early January. We tried to stop at Louie’s Bakery in Marshall on the way, but it was closed for the month of January. So instead, we enjoyed a full breakfast at the classic Goodie Shoppe in Coldwater.
The new part of the Inn has game rooms, a gift store, free movie nights and a library. A fun and challenging activity for the boys was looking for and finding a Toby Toboggan statue that was hidden somewhere in the public spaces of the hotel. The front desk would offer the kids a clue or two. Several kids enjoyed looking for Toby. The prize was a small piece of candy, but the big prize was finding the next hiding place for Toby.
With the park offering: 270 campsites, great hiking trails, a toboggan run, indoor swimming pool and hot tub, fishing, boat rentals, horseback riding, a restaurant, cafe’ and a wonderful nature center that is open year-round, you will not run out of things to do.
The inn has a great collection of vintage boat motors, canoes, fishing equipment and other mementos that make it easy to imagine what it would have been like staying here 40 or 50 years ago. One highlight of the old section is a large room with a huge stone fireplace and many over-stuffed chairs and big wooden tables. The perfect room to warm up from a long hike or just a great place to curl up with a good book. There are always many tables full of families playing board games and cards. We played several rounds of Farkle, a dice game similar to Yahtzee and the lively gambling game, Right, Left, Center. Out the side window you can catch the tail end of the quarter mile-long toboggan run; a frozen track that runs with or without snow. Get there when they open at 10am to beat the crowds, as lines can get long on weekends.
The Nature Center has recently been remodeled and is a short mile hike through the woods from the Inn (driving is also an option). The rangers are very helpful and knowledgeable and introduced us to the large banded turtle, which is an endangered species. The bird viewing area is wonderful. When we inquired about one of the feeders, they shared a recipe for the bird dough that was stuffed into crevices in the feeder.
While most Michigan State Parks are very popular in the summer, Pokagon offers many year-round attractions that make this a great weekend getaway-even in the dead of winter. In the center of Pokagon is the Potawatomi Inn. The Inn includes 126 rooms, 8 cabins and 4 cabin suits. The Inn is divided into two sections-the older original section was built in the 1930’s and the newer more modern section. Was built many years later. The rooms in the older section tend to be smaller, cozier and less expensive.
Just outside the lodge, in the park, are over twelve miles of trails. We walked a few miles of trails around and through the wetlands, where the boys loved poking sticks through the thin ice.
The track is open from Thanksgiving Day until the end of February. Speeds reach 40 miles an hour. We clocked in at 30mph every time, but it felt like 50mph. The toboggan
Angola, Indiana is just down the road and is a fun little town with antique stores, restaurant/coffee shops and an old time movie theatre that is still in operation. If you are looking for a weekend getaway, any time of the year, Pokagon State Park is hard to beat.
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that came to Kalamazoo
Jimmy Hoffa By Steve Ellis James R. “Jimmy” Hoffa came to Kalamazoo on February 20, 1965 to try to stop what he called a “blatant organizing raid” at the Kalamazoo plant of Peter Eckrich and Sons, Inc. The Eckrich meat-packing plant was located at 631 Second St, just east of Portage St. In 1972 Beatrice Foods bought the company and merged it with Swift and Sons to then be called Swift-Eckrich. The plant closed in 1997. Hoffa was head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which had represented the Eckrich plant since 1942. In December of 1964, the local Eckrich employees voted 309 to 95 against accepting a new Teamster negotiated contract. The “raid” Hoffa referred to was a petition filed a few days later with the National Labor Relations Board by the United Packinghouse, Food and Allied workers, AFL-CIO. Hoffa spoke at the County Center building (now the Kalamazoo County Expo Center on Lake Street) in front of about 350 Eckrich employees represented by the Teamsters, guests and members of other
Teamster locals. Hoffa was his usual fiery self and said that “This is one of the most blatant raids ever taken place” and that Teamsters across the nation will not hesitate to cross any Packinghouse picket line and allow a company to continue to ship products despite a strike. “We have to teach certain unions a lesson, and “I’m warning these Packinghouse Workers people about it in advance.” Hoffa called the Packinghouse Workers a “Johnnycome -lately” and said, “I’m no “Johnny-come lately and I’m not exactly the easiest guy to get along with. I’ve been through more strikes than all of the Johnny-come-lately put together.” Hoffa said the Teamsters never recommends a strike unless there is something for the workers to gain. He said that the Teamsters can negotiate a contract for benefits as well as any union and if necessary “I’ll come to Kalamazoo to negotiate a contract and if a strike is necessary, I’ll walk the strike line with you.” On March 1, 1965 the National Labor Relations Board scheduled a new vote and employees voted 263 to 164 in favor of the Teamsters. The new three year contract, gave workers an additional 6 cents per hour.
Jimmy Hoffa continued to gain power and prominence. Hoffa was sent to prison in 1967 for bribery, mail and wire fraud for improper use of the Teamsters pension fund. He was released in 1971. Hoffa mysteriously disappeared on July 30, 1975 after a meeting at the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Hills His body was never found and their have been many reports and rumors of his bodies whereabouts. A few years after his disappearance, there was a big news announcement of Hoffa’s body possibly being found in the excavating for a new neighborhood near my house in Pontiac. I jumped on my bike and rode to the site with cars and and news helicopters everywhere. After much digging, the excavators found the skeleton of a collie. The 2019 Martin Scorsese film, The Irishman has Hoffa being played by Al Pacino and shows a possible ending to Hoffa’s life.