HOOKED ON PICKLEBALL! ~ PG. 10
Expert Advice
Roofing
Health Food
Q: Should we be
Counseling Q: What should
Q: What’s NEW
concerned about the amount of snow and ice accumulating on our roof?
for the NEW Year at Sawall’s?
I do to lift the weight of my hidden addiction?
CELEBRATING OUR 88th YEAR! Sawall’s has Owner been through a lot over the last eight decades & five generations and this last year without exception has amazed me. THANK YOU to all our loyal employees and customers for all you goodwill during 2023. From the Sawall Family to all of you and the Kalamazoo Community... THANK YOU for your kindness and friendship and thank you for supporting local small businesses everywhere. Mon-Sat. 8am-9pm, Sun. 10am-6pm
Kim Powers, Owner, Licensed admit you have deProfessional veloped behavior that Counselor
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Member Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo
Oakwood Plaza • 2965 Oakland Dr. at Whites Rd. • 343-3619 • www.sawallhf.com
Plastic Surgery
Financial Services
Transitions
Q: Thinking About Botox? A: Botox is a non-invasive
Happy New Year!
Q: May I still
Justin Reynolds A: Since the first week of Janu-
ary, our total amount of snowfall 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.
Manager
Sherriff-Goslin Roofing Co. Since 1906 342-0153 800-950-1906
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Mark Sawall
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A: It is a brave choice to
has become a stronghold. The next step is to choose a safe space, person, or professional to learn skills to overcome and manage the behaviors and hold yourself accountable to your goals. You can find the victory, strength, and encouragement to overcome! There is freedom in the light.
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With the New Year comes the opportunity to make some adjustments with your retirement account contributions. For 2024, the maximum contribution with IRA and Roth IRAs is increasing to $7,000, and if you are 50+ years old, you can make an additional $1,000 “catch up” contribution as well.
Chuck Henrich President & Owner
Don’t forget about your Health Savings Accounts (HSA) if you have a high-deductible health care plan in 2024. Contribution limits are rising to $4,150 for an individual and $8,300 for a family. Please call if you have any questions that we can answer and help you make an informed decision with your options.
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travel if I live in an independent living community?
A: Many residents
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Friendship Village
“Where Connections Matter”
1400 North Drake, Kalamazoo 269-381-0560 www.friendshipvillagemi.com
JANUARY 2024
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It’s the Journey
a big hurry this days. Even in the middle of the day when folks are not rushing to or from work, I have cars on my bumper all the time.
As I get older, I have slowed down a bit and try not to let most things bother me.
If I am going the speed limit on a two lane road, there always seems to be a person on my tail and in many cases, it’s a large truck at night with their high lights, blasting into my back window and rearview mirror, blinding me. As soon is there is a chance, they pass and fly by my car, barely getting back over in time to miss an oncoming car.
Are there really that many dentist or hair appointments to be late for?
I have no problem waiting for a table or food at a restaurant. It means it must be good. We usually wait around 10 minutes for a table at the Studio Grill in downtown Kalamazoo on weekends. It gives us chance to browse next door at the Michigan News Agency and chat with Dean, the owner, about what’s going on downtown or how the Wolverines or Tigers are doing.
A few weeks ago, there was a small yellow car on Centre Street, cutting in and out of traffic, zipping in front of cars, almost causing several accidents.
FROM THE
EDITOR
ON THE COVER:
A few minutes later, I see it pull into a laundromat-major emergency? When heading up north on 131, I am usually passed by dozens of cars and trucks, loaded to the gills with with bikes and boats, driving like crazy and probably all stressed, rushing up north to relax.
I don’t drive as fast. I was never a fast driver and as far as I can remember, have never received a speeding ticket. I tend to drive the speed limit which seems to annoy many other drivers. If I need to be somewhere at a specific time, I leave a little early and enjoy the ride. No need to fret over every red light or road construction sign. It may be me, but it seems like many more drivers are in
Going 80mph vs 70mph on a highway gains you about 10 miles in an hour. Why not leave a little earlier and enjoy the ride? I’m a firm believer in the famous quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson - “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” Steve Ellis, SPARK Publisher steve@swmspark.com
Julie Brown, Sheila Jaske, Laura Evans and Tamara Bergman at the West Hills Athletic Club. 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 JANUARY 2024 Lee Dean: We were always their kids .......... 4
Business Profile: One Well Brewing ................13
Wednesday Warriors..........................................6
Spark Movie Reviews.......................................14
Volunteer: Bonnie & Dennis Banghart............7
History: The Mittenthal Brothers.......................15
Spark Book Reviews............................................8
Healthy Living....................................................17
Recipe: Fighting Inflammation with Food......9
Tales from the Road.........................................18
Cover Story........................................................10 Nature: Winter Wildlife Adaptations..............12
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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JANUARY 2024
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We were always their kids Lee A. Dean screendoor@sbcglobal.net
On a Friday night in September, I decided to take a 10-minute walk to attend a high school football game. I had not been to a game since my days as a sportswriter in the 1980s. What I saw gave me hope and sparked a flood of warm memories and thanksgiving. The home team wasn’t doing so well, and the stands weren’t exactly packed out. But I still saw enthusiasm, school spirit, civic pride, and best of all, plenty of parents and older townspeople who showed up to cheer on the home team. Despite a news media full of stories about social and cultural disintegration, there was evidence that at least one small town was still doing it right.
ballgames to support our teams. They showed up even if none of their own kids were playing. They were there if we were undefeated or winless. There were always a few voices that could be heard above the crowd, encouraging the players (“Get that ball!”) or assisting the officials (“Come on ref, do you want to borrow my glasses?”). --One woman always kept the scorebook at basketball games, drove the team bus or the pep bus to away games, and polished up the gym floor at the beginning of each school year. That floor was so beautiful that even the phys-ed teachers were reluctant to have classes on it. --One of the dads became locally famous for a few weeks after his family placed an ad in the local shopper publication. The occasion: after 31 years of unsuccessful hunting, he finally got a deer.
My mind transported me back 50+ years to the even smaller town (Bloomingdale) I grew up near and the gratitude I hold for the parents and townspeople who supported me and my peers in so many ways.
--One of the dads appreciated America more than anyone I have ever known. After surviving imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp in occupied Yugoslavia, he came to the United States and became a fixture at school events. His way of expressing gratitude was through acts of service.
--A group of parents attended all the
--One special group of parents gave
us our first jobs. They hired us to pick asparagus, work in the blueberry fields and packing sheds, trim Christmas trees, bale hay, babysit, and clean houses. We learned the value of an honest day’s work and the joy of earned success, even though at the time such lofty sentiments were nonexistent while toiling in a hot haymow. --While these parents were teaching us a work ethic, they were busy putting food on their own tables in a variety of ways. They were factory workers, farmers, real estate and insurance agents, mechanics, and school employees. One of the dads had the most unique occupation of all: he was a house mover. He would place a full glass of water on a kitchen table in an otherwise empty house, move the structure 20 miles, and not spill a drop. --A farmer pulled off one of the greatest “dad moves” of all time. One summer morning, he saw his son sitting idly on the couch. The son said he was bored. His dad got a glint in his eye and said, “Bored, eh? Come with me to the barn.” A few hours later, the barn was clean and both father and son could take satisfaction in a job well done. Those parents, grandparents and other people in town kept a watchful eye on us. They knew how to contact our parents and would do so if they saw any misbehavior. At least in my house,
the response from my folks was never, “None of your business,” but “Thanks for letting us know, We’ll take care of it.” Those parents welcomed us into their homes to play with their kids, stay overnight, and at times take us along on family vacations. We never knew if their marriages were more “Married…with Children” than “Ozzie and Harriet.” Any discord was kept under wraps so we could enjoy our time with them. The only uncomfortable moment I encountered came when I visited a friend’s house for the first time. His dad answered the door, looked at me with a scowl and said, “What the hell do you want?” My friend later told me not to worry: “That means he likes you.” Now that generation is almost gone. Of all my classmates, there is only one set of parents still alive at the time of this writing. When I see them, they greet me the same way as they always have, with warmth and affection. The older generations looked out for us then and continued to look out for us even when our hair was as gray as theirs. We were always their kids. “We were lucky,” I sometimes think, before the self-correction comes a second later. We weren’t lucky at all. We were blessed.
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Wednesday
WARRIORS
Kristi Chapman, volunteer, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
stewardship. Okay, I confess, I don’t have these kind of big thoughts. Dave Brown, the conservancy’s Stewardship Specialist, challenged me to come up with an article about stewardship. Luckily he steered me to The Stewardship Network’s website which already did some heavy lifting on the subject. This network is a collection of organizations like SWMLC who share their ideas and information about conservation.
Stewardship As the Wednesday Warriors kick off another season of volunteering for the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, we stop for a big picture look at our mission. Sure, it’s fun to go out in the woods with a bunch of interesting characters, get a little exercise, see what’s in bloom that week, stomp around in a swamp or wade a creek. But, in our more reflective moments, we also need to cherish our role in what is called
So they say, “To steward anything is to take care of it and watch over it, accepting and embracing responsibility for its wellbeing and balancing direct intervention with wise, patient guidance.” See what I mean? That doesn’t sound like me, so I’m glad to share their distillation. They go on to say, it’s the opposite of neglect. Huh. Their point is that conservation is both preservation – setting places aside from development – and stewardship. After the ribbon cutting and news releases
about obtaining a new preserve, the work of stewardship begins. Sort of the poor relative who doesn’t get the funding or attention. That’s where the Warriors and the Monday Privateers step in. And oh yes, there are two full-time heroes in the organization who are in charge of this, plus the Stewardship Crew of paid workers who tend the 55 preserves. But a lot of that work is
tied to grants for specific projects on specific preserves. So, back to the volunteer gang who gets to do some of the work that isn’t covered by a grant. We have adopted a few areas and projects, and we get great satisfaction tackling them week after week, and then keeping an eye on them. For example, the Swan Pond at Bow in the Clouds preserve. I didn’t
even know there was a pond when we started. It was surrounded by an impenetrable wall of invasive buckthorn. But week by week, heck, year by year, we chewed away at the buckthorn and ta-da: there was this delightful pond, ringed with posies, complete with swans! Hikers can now see it from the trail. We even got to burn the big piles of cuttings – my kind of fun. If this sounds like your kind of fun, come out any Monday or Wednesday your schedule permits. Just check the website www.swmlc. org for details on each week’s workdays. Hope to see you there!
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“Like Mother, Like Daughter; Like Father, Like Son” By Jim Coppinger, Milestone Senior Services Volunteer
was an education in people and sociology when he went to MSU
Bonnie and Dennis Banghart met and married in Grand Rapids, Michigan and moved to Big Rapids while Dennis earned a degree in printing from Ferris State University. The couple relocated to Kalamazoo where Dennis was hired to teach printing at the old Kalamazoo Central High School. When the new Kalamazoo Central High School was built, Dennis, designed the printing department for the facility. After ten years of teaching, Dennis left teaching to work at the Upjohn Company’s printing division as an estimator and ultimately, department supervisor. When Upjohn transitioned to outside printing services, Dennis worked in purchasing for the last ten of his twenty-five years with Upjohn.
Dennis and Bonnie retired in March of 2004 and by May that year, became a husband and wife team delivering Meals on Wheels. They found it an immensely fulfilling endeavor and have become attached to the people they serve. She and Dennis are glad they, and all the other Meals on Wheels volunteers are here to help in so many ways.
After getting her master’s degree, Bonnie created a middle school counseling program at Forest Hills Public Schools and while living in Big Rapids created a counseling program for Reed City Public Schools. During the first three years they lived in Kalamazoo, Bonnie was a middle school counselor for Otsego Public Schools. When Bonnie returned to work, she led the classroom at St. Joseph Lodge for people from eighteen to seventy years old. St. Joseph Lodge later became Pathways where she continued to teach and served the last ten of her twenty-three-year career as intake coordinator before retiring. When Bonnie and Dennis retired, they devoted their time to volunteer service. Helping others was not
From time to time, Bonnie and Dennis bring their grandchildren along as they deliver their route. Bonnie says, she and Dennis never have to explain what they do or why it is important—the kids just get it. Their grandkids have frequently drawn colorful pictures to give to Meals on Wheels recipients—many of which continue to add cheer from refrigerator doors in those homes. new to either of them. Bonnie grew up in a family of dedicated volunteers. Bonnie’s grandparents needed assistance; her mother and aunts organized a couple of volunteer groups to support the work of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Grand Rapids which serves the elderly. She fondly recalls helping her extended family with the actual construction of St. Mary Magdalene Church—even helping to carry bricks. Her uncle was the priest. Her father and mother were active throughout their lives in many volunteer capacities. Dennis grew up on a farm says his early upbringing in the small and culturally diverse town of Romeo,
Recently, their sixteen-year-old grandson, who will be driving soon, said, “You know Grandma, I could do this on my days off.” She says her grandkids continue to ask about various Meals-on-Wheels recipients they care about. Bonnie and Dennis are proud to realize they are training the next generation to care about people and community service. What more noble cause could one have. Bonnie says “delivering food” is the physical side of what they do—the most important is being there to check on the welfare of these people. Dennis and Bonnie welcome anyone to ride along with them to see what this wonderful experience is all about.
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Book Reviews Book Reviews by the Portage District Library staff
Thief Liar Lady D. L. Soria “Happily ever after” is a myth! A princess controls her own story.You know the story. Well, you know the story that Lady Aislinn and her stepfamily dreamed up in order to raise her profile to get her married to Prince Everett. In reality, the whole sordid tale was spawned by Aislinn’s stepmother, Seraphina, who has been training all three of the young women in the house to be expert con artists specializing in illegal magic. Seraphina’s goal to secure wealth and security dovetails nicely with Aislinn’s true purpose, which has very little to do with gold and everything to do with a dangerous political prisoner. Twists and turns abound in this intriguing tale that features a myriad of strong female figures and a princess who is firmly in charge of her own destiny.
For Twice In My Life Annette Christie Layla is caught off guard when her boyfriend, Ian, who was everything she wanted in a partner, suddenly breaks up with her without giving her much reason. Shortly after, she receives a call from the hospital that Ian has been in a biking accident and needs someone to stay with him while he recovers. Unsure why Ian asked for her, she jumps at the opportunity to see him again and figures out that he has forgotten that he left her. He seems to have a new outlook on life and Layla latches on to the second chance with Ian… until his younger brother, Matt, shows up. Matt is unpredictable and restless, and he knows Layla’s secret. As Layla’s life gets more and more complicated at work and home, she realizes that she must face the truth
or risk losing her chance at true love and happiness. This is a fun, sweet romance that focuses on self-worth and honesty.
Sea of Tranquility Emily St. John Mandel We follow Edwin in 1912, Mirella in 2020, Olive in 2203, and Gaspery Roberts in 2401. Their very different journeys in life have one thing that is the same. They all experienced the very same strange phenomenon. Eventually their stories all weave together to a very satisfying conclusion. Along the way, as the reader is transported through time and space, the author explores themes about the nature of reality and how humans respond to adversity. She does this while also crafting a well-plotted and captivating story. This book is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys the time travel genre, or anyone who enjoys excellent storytelling.
The Invisible Hour Alice Hoffman In traditional Alice Hoffman form, The Invisible Hour, poignantly deals with the love of a child, restrictions, a magical novel, transcendent love, and a brooding writer. Mia finds herself in a cult in which reading is prohibited. A bibliophile, Mia, hides her novel so that “the Community” members do not uncover her literary secrets. After she escapes, she discovers that her favorite book invites her to a world of enchantment. Hoffman, the queen of magical realism, has well-captured how reading can transform you to other dimensions and connections. Full of first-love feelings and persuasive conviction, this book is sure to summon-up autumnal timbre and coziness.
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All these titles are available at the Portage District Library. For more information about programs and services available at PDL, go to www.portagelibrary.info
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Fighting Inflammation with Food by Laura Kurella
SPARK
Tummy-loving Turmeric Layer Biscuits Prep time: 20 minutes; Bake time: 15 minutes; Total time: 35 minutes. Yield:8 biscuits 1/2 cup unsalted cold butter 1cup cold buttermilk 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh baking soda 2 teaspoons turmeric powder 1 teaspoon unrefined mineral sea salt
Place a dinner plate in the freezer for a few minutes to get cold. Meanwhile, set out a piece of waxed or parchment paper the size of the plate then, using a potato peeler, peel the stick of butter into slivers onto the prepared sheet. Remove the dish from the freezer and place the sheet with slivered butter on it then return the plate with cut butter on it to the freezer. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large hand mixing bowl or a food processor, combine the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, turmeric, and salt. Pulse or blend with a spoon until well blended. Sprinkle flour mixture with prepared/chilled butter slivers then blend in, either with a spoon or by pulsing processor a few times. Add chilled buttermilk then mix by hand gently just until the dough comes together (dough should be messy and sticky). Cover bowl and Place in freezer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, set up a flat surface to roll dough on and dust with flour. Dust rolling pin with flour and then turn dough out onto surface and sprinkle with flour. Gently roll dough out to about 1-inch thickness then fold it over and roll out again. Repeat this rolling and folding a total of 4 times. Once laminating is completed, using a 2-inch biscuit cutter or similar, dip cutter in flour then cut straight down into the dough to cut out one biscuit. Do NOT twist or turn the cutter while cutting out biscuits because doing so will make them not rise. Dust the cutter before cutting each biscuit for the same reason, too. Place cut biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper so that each biscuit touches each other. This will help them rise higher. Gather any remaining dough, and gently re-roll, and cut until no dough remains. (Rerolled dough will not rise as high but they will taste just as good!) Place the pan into the oven and bake until golden brown, around 15 to 20 minutes. 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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JANUARY 2024
WARNING: REPEATED EXPOSURE TO PICKLEBALL MAY BECOME ADDICTIVE! By Dave Person david.r.person@gmail.com
bergs, also has been enjoying tournament success, and is herself an ambassador for the sport with the National Pickleball League, which is open to all players at any level.
A warning to potential pickleball players: Don’t try it if you don’t want to get hooked.
Both Evans and the Hackenbergs are quick to point out, however, that the competition isn’t the only reason for the growing number of pickleballers.
A surge in recent years in the number of participants in the serious game with a not-so-serious name, including in the Kalamazoo area, can be attributed to the addictive nature of the game.
She did, and she was instantly smitten. “I just loved it from that time on,” says Evans, who plays three or four times a week. Jim and Yvonne Hackenberg, of Texas Township, pooh-poohed the idea of the ridiculous-sounding sport when Jim’s aunt and uncle in Florida suggested they try it several years ago.
Yvonne and Jim Hackenberg.
“We dismissed it because of its silly name and we thought it was for older peopled,” Jim says. Some time later, in 2009, the Hackenbergs were invited to the Maple Street YMCA where early Kalamazoo pickleball enthusiasts Bob Northrop and Melissa Muha were giving lessons.
“We went down there and played one time and fell in love with it, and the rest is history,” says Hackenberg. The Hackenbergs, both 75, have since won several tournaments around the country and both are in the national Pickleball Hall of Fame. They also are ambassadors for USA Pickleball, the sport’s national governing body, sharing their love of the game wherever they go, including Arizona, where they spend the winters. Evans, a relative newbie compared to the Hacken-
“You can make it as social as you want or as competitive as you want,” says Evans, 58. “I like to build into my schedule a fun day, and then have a competitive day.” Evans, who has competed in softball and volleyball for many years, finds that pickleball is a good fit for her at this stage of her life. “I can’t play volleyball at the top level anymore,” she says. “Pickleball allows me to play at that level.” Yet, pickleball isn’t just for the 50-plus crowd. Hackenberg says many younger people are involved. “It’s a very multi-generational sport and it’s exploding across the country,” he says. “It’s the fastest-growing
PHOTO BY DEREK KETCHUM
“Without question it’s the people we’ve met and the friendships we’ve developed over the years,” Hackenberg says of the highlight of his and Yvonne’s pickleball experience.
Laura Evans, of Portage, learned about pickleball in 2020 from a friend who told her, “You’ve got to come out and try this.”
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sport in the U.S.”
One of the founders of the Kalamazoo Pickleball Club and its nonprofit fundraising arm, Kalamazoo Pickleball Outreach, Hackenberg says among the group’s goals is to get schools in the area more involved in the pickleball movement.
The Hackenberg family is a case in point. Yvonne’s 98-year-old mother, Minnie LaPoint, is a regular player at Centerpoint Church courts, and the Hackenbergs’ daughter and granddaughter play as well. In fact, the four generations of women have played together. While LaPoint is at one extreme at 98 — “She plays twice a week; she’s somewhat of a celebrity,” her sonin-law says — the game also has caught on with the younger set, with teenagers among the accomplished players, according to Hackenberg. “It’s for all ages and all skill levels,” he points out.
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He notes with pride that Kalamazoo Pickleball Outreach has so far doled out more than $100,000 to help construct pickleball courts in Portage, Texas and Oshtemo townships, Parchment, Plainwell and, due to be completed in the spring, Richland. Pickleball Outreach also has pledged to help with courts in Three Rivers, he says. Pickleball began in Washington state in the mid-1960s when three fathers invented the game, using a badminton court, ping pong paddles, volleyball net and whiffle ball, to give their bored children something to do, a story in the October issue of Reader’s Digest explains. Pickleball courts are smaller than tennis courts, so there is less running than in tennis, says Kalamazoo Pickleball Club and Pickleball Outreach president Pat Sinicki. “My best description is it’s sort of like playing ping pong, but you’re actually standing on top of the table,” he says. A major local Pickleball Outreach fundraiser is the annual Latitude 42 Pickleball Fever in the Zoo tournament, which is scheduled for June 21-23 in 2024. The tournament, which started in 2014, attracts 300 to 400 pickleball players. It is held on a 12-court pickleball complex at Ramona Park in Portage.
Yvonne and Jim Hackenberg.
Sinicki estimates there are more than 1,500 pickleball players locally, and that number is growing.
Laura Evans. “The most challenging thing for us is people trying to get on a court,” Hackenberg says. Outdoor courts are generally available on a firstcome, first-served basis and usually have people waiting to play, attesting to the need for the additional courts that are planned, local pickleball officials say. There also are several indoor locations for fall and winter play, including West Hills Athletic Club, Portage YMCA and Portage Senior Center. Many offer lessons.
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Winter Wildlife Adaptations
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preparation for the winter we can look to wildlife during this time for a lesson on slowing down, reserving our energy, and deepening our connection to the cycles of nature.
By Cheyanne Gandy, KNC Animal Care Manager, Kalamazoo Nature Center in their new environment. Crows are a great example! During fall, crows in the northern parts of North America migrate southward and generally winter south of the Canada-U.S. border. During this time, when it’s cold and not much food, crows will form enormous nighttime roosts and become very social. These roosts can be seen in Ann Arbor at night, as leafless trees become covered with black tops.
Winters in Michigan, although seemingly barren at times are full of life. There are multiple different animal species all around us who are slowing down, resting, in tune with the new season. Animals that are capable of overwintering the harsh and cold conditions are due to their specific adaptations. Adaptations can be physical or behavioral changes an animal makes to allow them to survive
Some other common adaptations are increasing fat reserves and growing a thicker coat of feathers and/or fur. These adaptations act as extra layers of insulation, keeping critters warm. During the fall, White tailed deer, for example, grow thick winter coats and increase fat by eating more. In winter, they reduce food intake (regardless of availability), relying on fat reserves for as much as 40% of daily nutritional needs. Owls are another species that are able to endure winter by using these adaptations! KNC’s eastern screech owl currently is eating more and growing down feathers to keep her warm this season. Including suet feeders and a heated water source on your property can be crucial during the harsher months if you want to lend a helping hand to your local winter wildlife. Other popular foods include chunks of fruit, mealworms, or peanuts. Whether it is a behavioral adaptation, or a physical change these animals go through in
You can support KNC’s Animal Ambassador program by symbolically adopting an animal, supporting its care and housing. An animal adoption makes a thoughtful holiday gift that keeps on giving. https://naturecenter.org/support/giftsofnature/
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One Well Brewing By Richard Martinovich
In 2023, archeologists unearthed a 5,000 year-old beer recipe on a cuneiform tablet in southern Iraq. Apparently, ancient Sumerians preferred drinking beer over water. No mention if the tablet included the disclaimer, “Drink Responsibly.” Always sound advice! Humans have enjoyed their brew for thousands of years, and with the popularity of craft beers, no more than now. One Well Brewing has hand-crafted beers, hard ciders, wine, IPA’s and non-alcoholic beverages to satisfy the most discriminating taste buds. Selections like the Xalapa, blonde ale jalapeno-flavored, Whoppy, happy wheat ale, Barbados Slim, refreshing white grapefruit juice IPA, Blueberry Sky, hard cider with Michigan blueberries! The food at One Well Brewing is equally appetizing. Start with munchies -- It’s Mine Nachos, with Xalapa beer cheese and jalapenos. Grab a sandwich: Go Cluck Yourself! – pulled chicken, bacon, and guacamole. Or a grinder -- Back ToThe Grinder -- ham, pepperoni, Genoa salami, Havarti cheese.
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One Well pizzas are popular: The Holy Moly Pepperoni has pepperoni on top and bottom, and double cheese! El Chapo Pizza is topped with chorizo and andouille sausage! One Well Brewing is the place for family fun and entertainment with the spacious Wizards Pinball Palace, where pinball players with supple wrists can ply their trade at 50 pinball machines! And if you’ve got a two piece custom-made pool cue, maybe you’ll find a guy named Jim to take you on at one of three pool tables. There are 20 arcade games, air hockey and foosball. One Well has dart boards, and dart leagues! Serious players can join the Competitive League, or if you are just looking for some fun while enjoying a beer, the Social League. There are luscious desserts; Holiday Cheesecake -- Victorian Bakery cheesecake -- with mint chocolate chunks, and Floater/ Root Beer Float with One Well root beer (best I ever tasted!). Kids have their own menu with Gee Whiz: Kid Pizza. Come join the fun at One Well Brewing on Portage Road!
One Well Brewing • 4213 Portage Road • 269-459-9240
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Movie Reviews Air (2023) For a relatively straight-forward movie about the origin of a shoe, Ben Affleck’s Air is considerably more fun than it might sound. Being the story of Nike’s Air Jordan, it is, of course also the story of how Michael Jordan cut a deal that would make him the highest-earning athlete of all time. It can be tough to tell a story in which the outcome is largely known, but Affleck proves his worth here, not only in the director’s chair, but also playing Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Co-starring are Matt Damon as Nike executive Sonny Vacarro and Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Michael’s mother and de facto business manager. At the onset of the 1984 NBA season, Vocarro and his colleagues at Nike are struggling to decide how to divide a pot of $250,000 among a potential roster of players, hoping to sign a few big names to the brand. Vocarro pitches the radical notion of taking the whole sum and betting it all on Jordan, recently selected by the Chicago Bulls as the number three draft pick. The suits at Nike aren’t the only ones who need convincing, however, and Vocarro soon discovers that the path to Michael leads directly through Deloris, whose unshakeable belief in her son and preternatural talent for negotiation ensure that the contract Michael signs would go down as the greatest in sports apparel history. – Submitted by Patrick J.
Moonage Daydream (2022) Moonage Daydream is the perfect film with which to celebrate the late David Bowie, on the occasion of what would have been his 77th birthday. Like the 1979 documentary on Bowie’s UK rock mates the Who, The Kids are Alright, this 2022 documentary provides no talking heads or text to guide
the viewer through the trajectory of its subject’s career. The movie relies on archival audio, film, and video of the artist – including much previously unreleased concert footage - to paint a portrait of his life’s work, revealing his intention to use himself as a sort of canvas. The consequences of his experimentation are not always pretty, but each move in a new direction (and nomadic movement between unfamiliar places) results in fresh creations and reborn purpose. Whether or not someone is well-versed in Bowie’s history may not matter. Being dropped into the story of his success without context offers Bowie novices that same feeling of discovery and curiosity original Bowie fans and observers experienced during his initial breakthrough. Familiar or not, Bowie’s fantastic voyage continues to fascinate, awakening and inspiring new daydreamers age after age. – Submitted by Karl K.
Alphaville (1965) The French New Wave’s most radical filmmaker, JeanLuc Godard, tackles the science fiction noir with his 1965 black and white film Alphaville, starring his actress wife Anna Karina and rough-faced Eddie Constatine. Set in a dystopian city called Alphaville, Constatine plays secret agent Lemmy Caution. Sent to assassinate the scientist (Professor von Braun) who created Alpha-60, the omnipresent computer which governs society with Orwellian authority, Caution meanders through the hallways of the city’s technocratic, logic-driven landscape, seeking out his target. Along the way, Caution meets Dr. Von Braun’s beautiful daughter (Karina) and attempts to persuade her to leave the city with him and embrace a life of freedom. An artful, stylish critique of artificial intelligence, political authoritarianism and soul-crushing drudgery, Godard adds to the conventionality of science fiction stories, his unique blending of cultural references and aesthetic flourishes. – 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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by Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library
The Mittenthal name itself has been linked to successful enterprise in the United States since the middle of the 19th century. But one Detroit-based branch of the Mittenthal family placed Kalamazoo closer than ever to the popular entertainment limelight. Four brothers from Kalamazoo – Aubrey, Sam, Harry, and Isaac – were to gain worldwide prominence as professional stage and screen actors and producers during the decades around the turn of the 20th century.
The Mittenthal Brothers
The Mittenthals began by managing a string of outdoor summer theaters around the Midwest, including one at Woods Lake near Kalamazoo. With important connections in New York and Chicago,
A quirky mixture of music, comedy, dance, and drama known as vaudeville quickly found massive new audiences in metropolitan areas and on the road in smaller communities. With established circuits throughout the East and the Midwest, the Mittenthal Brothers quickly capitalized on the lucrative new trend. At their peak, the Mittenthals controlled theaters in some 50 major markets across the country, including Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, and New Orleans. In 1913, they formed the Mittenthal Film Company and signed a distribution deal with film giant Pathé for a series called “Starlight Comedies.” The Mittenthal Brothers produced some 70 films before 1917, including an early comedy short called “Fatty’s Fatal Fun” featuring Oliver Hardy of “Laurel and Hardy” fame.
Around 1884, Isaac Mittenthal (1860-1942) became a wholesale fruit broker and opened Mittenthal’s New York Fruit House in Kalamazoo. He made weekly trips to the Chicago markets and returned with fruit and produce by the railroad carload. Peaches were 40¢ per basket, fresh oranges were 35¢ a dozen, and California grapes were 25¢ for a 5-pound basket. Within a year’s time, brothers Harry (18621940), Samuel (1866-1929), and Aubrey (1870-1937) had also arrived in Kalamazoo. Sam, Isaac, and Harry ran the fruit brokerage business, while Aubrey developed a keen interest in theatrical production and acting. The Mittenthal brothers would soon achieve enormous success by organizing and underwriting touring theatrical companies.
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they formed the Mittenthal Brothers Amusement Company amid a popular entertainment boom. In 1906, the brothers sold their Kalamazoo wholesale fruit business and moved to New York City’s famous theater district where they went on to manage some of the biggest shows in the business. Within a year, the Mittenthal Brothers had nine different productions on the road, with 250 employees and an annual payroll of $400,000 (over $13 million today).
The Mittenthal Brothers continued to produce plays and underwrite theatrical productions through the 1920s. Isaac remained in New York and Sam returned to Chicago, while Aubrey and Harry planned an ambitious string of lavish theaters in Florida which never got off the ground, but the mark they left on popular entertainment was indelible. In Sam Mittenthal’s own words, “No matter where I may go, or with what success my future may be crowned, I shall never forget Kalamazoo. Some of my happiest days have been spent here and the public have been good to me in more ways than one. I don’t know of a place I would rather spend the summer in than dear old Kalamazoo.”
More at kpl.gov
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HEALTHYLIVING: Make a New Year’s Wellness Pact
Every once in a while, I come across a sobering quote that stops me in my tracks and reverberates through all my being like a gong that’s been hit to summon a hard ominous reality:
“IF YOU DON’T MAKE TIME FOR YOUR WELLNESS, YOU WILL BE FORCED TO MAKE TIME FOR YOUR ILLNESS.” That one pulls the stylus straight across whatever happy record I might be playing in my head and leaves me needing to re-asses my efforts. The truth is that I’ve always thought that I had time to address an aging body. But it simply isn’t so. Good habits are not cans to kick into the future. THIS IS THE TIME, NOW, to do all the preventative things important to living healthfully, and developing healthy habits so that we (I!) can mitigate the potentiality for stiffness, poor health, disease, or other ailments. So, what are some things we can do this year to make time for our wellness?
REGULAR HEALTH CHECK-UPS: We’ve all
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heard this before: Making (and keeping) appointments for wellness exams is paramount. In between exams, listening to our bodies and seeking medical advice about the changes we notice is critical to catching issues at an early stage. Keeping a health log of how we’re feeling and the changes we’re experiencing can help us manage to track those changes and communicate feedback more accurately to our health professional partners. This includes dental check-ups. For us gals, this also means making sure mammograms and Pap smears are done routinely. And for you guys, remember that prostrate exams save lives! Of course, we all need to be attentive to the colonoscopy schedule, too. From one end to the other – all those check-ups are important!
EATING RIGHT: (Talk about broken records…) As an empty nester who works full time and loves to be on the go, it means I need to take the time to cook nutritious meals for myself and not take the easy route of defaulting to convenient, processed options. For me, it means not binge eating once a day after 8pm. It means deleting smart-phone apps that make ordering take-out so insanely easy! And filling the fridge with more fresh fruit options. You know what
they say about eating an apple a day…
VITAMINS: I’m no dietician, or health expert – I’m just a marketing girl – but it’s not lost on me that at 56, my metabolism isn’t what it used to be and my energy levels are, well, different… so I’m going to inquire (with a health professional!) about what I should be taking for optimal health. And then I’m actually going to DO IT! Lastly, on my personal short list:
EXERCISE: For the girl in me that wasn’t much into gym class throughout school, isn’t it so ironic that I end up, essentially, being the cheerleader for the Y?! But here I am, with my proverbial megaphone in hand, shouting out its benefits. (Because we all know. Now we just have to DO!) I’m grateful for the opportunities that the Y provides for every single type of human to live a more active lifestyle and providing a place to move. The kind of exercise that gets my heart rate up on a regular basis to help keep it strong; the kind of exercise that helps me tone my core so that I am confident on my feet; and the kind of exercise that limbers me up and helps me develop a flexible body so that I can bounce back if I do take a tumble. Making time for our wellness is how we invest in a potentially healthier future – and how we can turn that awful gong sound ringing in our ears into Michael Bublé singing “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new, day, it’s a new life --- and I’m feeling G O O D!” Happy New Year! Vicky Kettner is the Association Director of Marketing, Community Relations, and Member Engagement for the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo.
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Street is the most famous with several dozen bars, loud music, people hollering from the balconies and lots of drinking. Most locals avoid Bourbon Street and stick to the slightly quieter Decatur and Royal Streets filled with unique art galleries. One of my favorite galleries is Disco on Decatur, packed with large colorful pop art paintings of rock stars and NOLA houses. Mortal Machine and Anttieu Galleries are two other great galleries, chock full of great art. The famous Cafe du Monde is must stop for a bag of tasty, powdered sugar covered French beignets and the decadent coffee and chicory brew that they are famous for.
Tales
road
FROM THE New Orleans
By Steve Ellis New Orleans is an amazing city and one of the places I love to visit. With my daughter Lauren moving to NOLA about 7 years ago, it makes the trip much easier and more delightful. I flew down in late November and stayed with Lauren at her house in the Holy Cross neighborhood. Her bright orange and green house is what is known as a “shotgun house,” which are very very popular in the south; A narrow rectangle with doors at the front and back and rooms arranged one behind the other. They were mainly built from the time of the Civil War through the 1920’s.
Frenchmen Street is where the locals go to listen to music. Snug Harbor, The Spotted Cat, Blue Nile and the Maison (my favorite) are all great and have no cover charge. You can walk in and out of all the bars carrying your drink with you.
Epic Records in an old warehouse and Dr Bobs Folk Art, a large fenced in area packed with fantastical dinosaurs, elephants, carnival signs and much more. A great coffee and breakfast spot for a tasty egg dish is the Satsuma Cafe. The cafe is always bustling with colorful art on the walls and shelves of board games and books.
Dinner at Budsi’s Authentic Thai on the corner of St Anthony and Rampart offers great food on a quiet outdoor street corner. I ordered the Red Curry Soup (a meal in a bowl) with chicken, bamboo, red bell peppers, cherry eggplant, and kaffir lime leaf over jasmine rice. It’s so good!
Holly Cross is in the Lower 9th Ward and its boundaries are: St. Claude Avenue to the north, St. Bernard Parish to the east, the Mississippi River to the south and the Industrial Canal to the west. St Claude is one of the main thoroughfares heading into downtown.
The Detroit Lions happened to be playing the New Orleans Saints while I was in town and I was lucky enough to get a ticket. There were thousands of Detroit fans everywhere wearing their Barry Sanders and Adam Hutchinson jerseys. It was a great game and the Lions won.
Just south of Holy Cross and across the drawbridge on St Claude is the colorful, quant and eclectic Bywater neighborhood where Lauren and I had a delicious outdoor lunch at the Sneaky Pickle. We split a very tasty veggie burger on multigrain breed and large plate of mac-n-cheese with cashew chorizo, broccoli and butternut squash. After lunch, we walked a few miles with Lauren’s dog Ada through this colorful neighborhood. Each corner has large blue street tiles embedded in the cement with colorful names like Dauphine, Rampart, Burgundy and Desire-made famous in Street Car Name Desire.
On my last day in town, Lauren wanted to give me a different view of Louisiana. We loaded up kayaks, her dog Ada and drove about an hour north across the huge Lake Pontchartrain to a remote boat launch on the Bayou Cane. She told me that the bayou has alligators but they will be hard to come across this
One night in the Bywater, we went to the packed B.J.’s Lounge for an outstanding concert of traditional New Orleans creole music by Leyla McCalla, Louis Michot and Corey Ledet-all have either been nominated for or have won a Grammy. There are many great Mexican restaurants nearby and we dined at two on St Claude: Galaxie in a converted old gas station with Christmas lights, great tacos, guacamole and chips and Rosalitsa Backyard Tacos where you order in front and then walk down an alley between buildings to a large lighted area around back. A few of the funky Bywater stores include: Parlour Books (a small book store containing a plethora of vintage, modern, rare, obscure titles under one roof. Ray, the female owner was very friendly), The Bargain Center (a large, wild and crazy art and antique store packed to the gills inside and out), Hidden South (a small place packed with art, oddities and antiques), the two story
The best pizza in the Bywater is Pizza Delicious, voted the 39th Best Pizza in the U.S. in a recent poll. The French Quarter is the main tourist attraction in NOLA. Walking through this historic area is like nowhere else in the country with its colorful old buildings, narrow brick streets, street vendors, music, horse drawn carriages and so much more. Bourbon
late in the year. We kayaked for about 3 hours through the gorgeous bayou. No buildings, people or any sign of human life except a few small signs at forks in the bayou. It was very peaceful and quiet with little current and no alligators. Ada enjoyed the float and sat lazily on Lauren’s lap the whole time. I had a wonderful trip and would highly recommend NOLA to everyone!
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