Spark-Kalamazoo-March 2024

Expert Advice

Counseling

Kim Powers, Owner, Licensed Professional Counselor

Nutrition

Financial Services

Q: When is the best time to participate in therapy?

A: Right now is the best time to engage in mental health counseling. Each day is an opportunity to pursue your best life. When you improve your mental health, other aspects of your life start to improve as well. Physical, financial, emotional, spiritual, and environmental health encompass holistic wellbeing. As we begin this new year, are you ready to challenge yourself to grow?

Heart Soul Mind Strength LLC

Faith. Acceptance. Empowerment. Purpose. Www.HeartSoulMindStrengthLLC.com 510-827-1305

Transitions

Diana Duncan Director of Sales and Marketing

Q: Why do I need a medical assessment if I’m moving to Independent living?

A: Having a medical assessment with the community you have chosen assists the community in understanding any services that may need to be set up prior to move-in. For example if you have given up driving, transportation can be scheduled prior to movein to avoid any delays in your health care routines or check-ups.

Friendship Village

“Where Connections Matter”

1400 North Drake, Kalamazoo 269-381-0560

www.friendshipvillagemi.com

Tina Guajardo, MA, RD, Registered Dietitian & Health Educator

Q: Why Fiber?

A: Fiber can keep you feeling fuller longer, lower your cholesterol levels, reduce your risk of certain cancers and more. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. Most adults need 25-35 grams of fiber a day.

Tips for eating more fiber:

• Fill half your plate with vegetables,

• Add beans to soups and salads,

• Choose 100% whole grain bread and high-fiber cereals,

• Top oatmeal with diced apples or berries,

• Swap rice for quinoa in stir-fry.

Bronson’s Community Health team offers free, healthy living classes. Find one today at bronsonhealth.com/nutritionclasses.

Bronson Healthcare

bronsonhealth.com/nutritionclasses

Roofing

Justin Reynolds Manager

Q: Should we be concerned about the amount of snow and ice accumulating on our roof?

A: Since the first week of January, 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.

Sherriff-Goslin Roofing Co.

Since 1906

342-0153

800-950-1906

Member Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo

Chuck Henrich President & Owner

Q: Do you need an annuity for retirement?

A: Annuities have helped people live out their final years for centuries. There are 3 main types of annuities:

• Fixed – which give a fixed rate of return

• Fixed Indexed – guarantee you will not lose money when the markets go down and they tie any earnings to the performance of certain market indexes

• Variable – the value can increase or decrease based upon market returns

Annuities can come with riders that allow the owner/annuitant to create a stream of income during their retirement years to supplement any social security or pension income. Give us a call to see if an annuity is appropriate for you.

The

Health Food

Mark Sawall Owner

Q: What type of produce does Sawall’s carry?

A: Sawall’s has always carried local and certified organic produce.  Its the very best quality that can be found.  We receive produce orders almost every day!  We also carry as much local produce that we can find seasonally.  We are always looking for quality produce from local farmers.  Come in soon and enjoy the areas largest selection of fresh CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCE!!

Mon-Sat. 8am-9pm, Sun. 10am-6pm

Sawall Health Foods

Oakwood Plaza • 2965 Oakland Dr. at

Greatest Hits

When growing up Pontiac, my dad played a lot of old Johnny Cash and Hank Williams records on our big stereophonic record player and speaker cabinet that took up half of the living room.

Their distinct voices and words left a lasting impression and when I hear them today, I think back on simpler times as a child.

The DJ’s had call-in contests, which my mother loved. Questions like: “Who is the Male Star of the Soap Opera, Love of Life? I’m looking for the 5th caller with the correct answer.”

The prize was typically a $5 gift certificate to a local restaurant, which she won quite frequently.

FROM THE EDITOR

I remember the whole family singing along to: I walk the Line, Hey, Good Lookin’ and I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry.

Our dad once mailed away for a two record set of the “Greatest Country and Western Hits of All Time.” We wore it out, listening to Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline, George Jones, Ernest Tubb and many other great early stars. These are still some of my favorite records. He also would also adjust the speed on the stereo and play a 78 RPM copy of Johnnie Ray’s great song, Cry, with Ray’s haunting voice echoing through our house.

My mother enjoyed Glen Campbell and Roger Miller and their records made fun birthday presents.

I found an old Voice-O-Gram recording my dad made back in1954 from a recording booth.

I have held onto all these records over the years and still play them.

We listened to WPON Radio in Pontiac and loved the 1960’s top 30 Hits by The Mama’s & the Papa’s, The Monkees and The Beach Boys.

Our mother loved shopping at Kresge’s and we would save up and buy a 45 record for 69 cents, struggling over which new hit to buy. I remember finally saving up enough to buy a 33rpm album for $3.79, which seemed like a fortune at the time. A shiny new copy of Herman’s Hermits Greatest Hits. Years later as an on-the-road sales rep, I had the luxury of making regular rounds at all thrift stores, finding lots of cheap 45’s and albums.

I loved the early 1960’s girl groups like: The Supremes, The Chiffons, The Crystals and The Ronettes. Finding these 45’s for 5 or 10 cents was always a thrill. Mary Weiss, the lead singer of the Shangri-Las, with their big hits, Leader of the Pack and and (Remember) Walking in the Sand, recently passed away.

I once found a copy of Needle in a Haystack by Kalamazoo’s own girl group, The Velvelettes.

It’s not as easy as telling Alexa to play What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye, but it’s very enjoyable to dig through a stack of old records and put on a few. The needle touching down on vinyl and a few crackles and pops, brings back great memories.

Steve Ellis, SPARK Publisher steve@swmspark.com

Owner, Jamie Kavanaugh at O’Duffy’s Pub.

Photo by Steve Ellis

Over the river and through the drifts

Lee A. Dean screendoor@sbcglobal.net

I’ll Be Home for Christmas is my favorite non-carol holiday song, but it leaves out important details: how do we get there, when do we get there and what’s the weather forecast?

Everyone – even the president of the United States – grapples with these details. Jimmy Carter’s White House diary entry for 1980 describes his Christmas Day schedule.

• Exchange gifts at home with immediate family.

• Travel to his mother’s house for breakfast.

• Go to his mother-in-law’s house “to have another Christmas there.”

• Head back home for a little quiet time.

• Return trip to the MIL’s house for lunch.

• Then to brother Billy’s house. (I wonder if the Secret Service scoured his place to pick up the empty beer cans, which could be trip hazards.)

Jimmy and Rosalynn had three factors working in their favor. The first is that all this travel happened in and near one small community. The second is that they had Air Force One to get them to and

from the White House. Me, on the other hand, usually had modes of conveyance ranging from a Greyhound bus to a rusty Ford Maverick.

And that third factor? Plains, Georgia is in a geographic region that rarely sees snow.

Last Christmas, my wife, the Viking Goddess, and I tried twice to visit family in Illinois. Both times we were repelled (in more ways than one) by bad traveling weather. This marked the first time holiday conditions prevented Christmastime travel.

One year, while traveling from Grand Rapids to St. Joseph with Wife the First, we endured glare ice for the entire trip. Just before St. Joe, we were tailgated by a supremely ignorant driver, who eventually passed us horn blaring and middle finger upraised.

Wife the First then pointed at his car and drew an X over it with her index finger. Ten minutes later, we met that car again, pulled over by a state trooper. We crept by him, honking and waving with more than one finger.

The VG and I were returning to Grand Rapids from Illinois in the days when almost no businesses were open on Christmas. After struggling through snow around the big lake, I was famished for a warm meal. The only business open was

a gas station where I could at least get a hot dog.

I approached the hot dog roller and found exactly one dog. It had seen better days, and those days began somewhere around the Taft Administration. It was split down the middle. It had purple spots. As it slowly turned on the roller, my stomach was also turning at the prospect of eating this specimen of demonic cuisine.

“Let’s get a bag of chips instead,” I told the VG, who was also suspiciously evaluating the condition of the forlorn frankfurter.

Why did we navigate treacherous Midwestern weather every year for these gatherings? Memories provide the answer.

--The variety of locations. Were we going to the farm in Bloomingdale or at relatives’ homes in Portage, Otsego, Lawton, or Richland?

--The juggling act between visiting both sides of the family on the same day. This required the logistical skills of a baseball team’s traveling secretary and the diplomatic skills of a Secretary of State.

--The year we gathered at Uncle Richard and Aunt Jean’s house in Kalamazoo when Cousin Nadine played “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” on the organ.

--The little kids trying to guess which

one of the uncles or older cousins was wearing the Santa suit.

--The food smelled so delectable and tasted even better, even if we couldn’t figure out the ingredients of an exoticlooking fruit salad.

--The sounds of our gatherings were a blue-collar symphony. Laughter, the crinkle of wrapping paper, oohs and aahs from a delightful gift, muted gratitude for year another bottle of aftershave, the overall din of conversation, all created a joyful noise.

My favorite memory I carry is the playfulness of it all. Often our antics would make the civilized members of our clan (the women and girls) roll their eyes at the juvenile antics of the uncivilized people (the men and boys). Years later, I discovered that the older generation had serious differences, and yet these were set aside so we kids could have a great time. As wonderful as those gatherings were, there was one thing missing: any mention of the origin of Christmas. As I grew older, I realized that filling in this blank spot was my responsibility. This is why every year I make sure to stay with the story – the story of the humble origins of a human baby born into poverty and how that birth makes all the difference in the world.

If advancing age robs me of all the other memories, I pray that the memory of this story will endure.

“Following in her Father’s Path”– Donna Rickli

By Jim Coppinger, Milestone Senior Services Volunteer

Donna Rickli has lived in Kalamazoo her entire life. She attended Catholic schools and went on to business college. Donna began working at Bronson Hospital as an inpatient pharmacy technician for seventeen years and then as a drug buyer for the remainder of her forty-one-year career at Bronson.

Donna and her ninety-five-year-old father, Jake Rickli, live together in Donna’s childhood home. Jake has always been, and continues to be, physically active. Weather permitting, he walks one to two miles a day; and if he can’t walk outside, he walks a track he’s marked off in the basement—next to the exercise bikes. He also grows a backyard garden each year that keeps them well stocked in fresh vegetables, sunshine, and fresh air.

Donna, too, loves to exercise and keep fit. She is a member of a local bike club for seniors called the Monday Morning Cruisers. From April through October the group meets weekly for six- to fifteen-mile rides on a variety of routes and trails. Jake has also been an avid biker.

But it is not just a penchant for fitness that Donna picked up from her father. Soon after Jake retired, he became a Meals on Wheels volunteer. This is his thirty-first year delivering meals. Over those years, Donna had ridden along with him. When she retired, she also became a regular Meals on Wheels volunteer; they each handle a separate day and route. Donna and her father feel extremely blessed

they have the ability and vitality to help others. Donna, who never played organized sports, loves college football and basketball. For the past twenty years, she’s had Western Michigan University football and basketball season tickets. She enjoys attending home games and rooting for WMU. She loves travel and has journeyed a few times to Switzerland, her grandparents’ homeland, to visit relatives who live there as to see some of the surrounding countries. She’s currently working on plans for a trip this summer with a friend—perhaps

to Maine and the Atlantic coast or Oregon and the Pacific coastline.

Speaking of friends and family, Donna is a big believer in maintaining close ties. As for family, she organized a family Facebook page and once a month family members meet for breakfast—she says the get-togethers are well-attended and an enjoyable time.

Donna also belongs to a group of retirees (not just Bronson people) who enjoy meeting at various area restaurants for lively conversation and to say in touch.

Donna says being a volunteer is rewarding not only for helping people but also for the heartwarming feeling one gets being around caring volunteers. It’s uplifting and just feels good to the core. She adds, that no matter one’s talents and experiences, sharing them makes a huge difference in this world.

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.

Sweet on St. Patrick!

by Laura Kurella

While many of us tend to focus on wearing and even drinking things green on St. Patrick’s Day, I think we should also celebrate the man behind it, and raise a glass filled with something Irish to honor him, such as a well-made cup of Irish coffee!

Believed to have originated in a Limerick airport during the cold and miserable winter of 1937, this airport was often visited by the likes of John F. Kennedy, Humphrey Bogart, Eleanor Roosevelt, Edward G Robinson and Ernest Hemmingway.

One night the weather was so bad that it had grounded several flights and filled the airport with many a VIP. The cook decided he needed to whip up something both special, warm, and Irish to impress his prestigious guests.

Starting with freshly brewed coffee, kicked up with a splash of fine Irish whiskey, he topped off his warm and flavorful blend with a crown of rich, and fluffy, freshly whipped cream!

Guests were very impressed with its taste, prompting them to ask what it was. The cook politely replied, “What you have there is the finest coffee that will ever cross your lips. Irish coffee is what it is!”

While you can buy something that tries to replicate the taste, I can personally convey that nothing comes close to the honest-to-goodness real thing.

If there is ever a day to go the distance, St. Patrick’s Day is the day to make yourself a real Irish coffee.

Original Irish Coffee

1 jigger Irish whiskey smooth as the wit of the land

1 tablespoon brown sugar sweet as the tongue of a rogue 1 cup freshly-brewed coffee strong as a friendly hand

Heavy cream as rich as an Irish Brogue

You are to heat a stemmed whiskey goblet. Pour in one jigger (1 ½ ounces) of Irish whiskey. Add one tablespoon of brown sugar. Fill with strong black coffee to within one inch of the brim. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Then top off with heavy whipping cream that you slightly aerate by pouring it over the back of a spoon, which will cause it to float on top. Do not stir after adding the cream as the true flavor is obtained by drinking the hot coffee and Irish whiskey through the cloud of cream.

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.

WARRIORS Wednesday

Kristi Chapman, volunteer, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

Connections

Besides Warrioring, winter is a good time for reading. The word I keep running into is connections. Relations in nature and our relations with nature and each other. The latest buzz is about pollinators, all those tiny insects, bees, wasps, moths, butterflies that are doing a gangbuster job keeping the big nature machine running. They are like the currency when you want to

measure the importance of a plant when you are planning out your garden. Or preserve. Oak trees rule! They support the largest number of species who go on to feed those baby birds, break down the soil, pollinate our food crops. By “largest” I mean incredible: those oaks are hosts to over 500 different kinds of butterflies and moths. And the exotic trees that you are supposed to plant because they are “trouble free?” Maybe 2 or 3 at best.

We are also connected when we go out into a preserve and get to know the plants and soils. Besides the cheerful chatter with each other, we hear the birds, look for critters, breathe a lot of fresh air, and go home tired with some good soil under our nails. We see the seasons change, the vernal pools fill up, the good plants growing after we removed the aliens. There seems to be a flood of new research showing that we feel better when we’re outdoors. I could have saved them money – who doesn’t know that?? Access to nature is now included as a United Nations universal right. More than a century ago, my hero John Muir wrote, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” Right on John.

the Wednesday Warriors for some good feelings, good friends and lots of learning. If you want a front-row seat in habitat restoration, come join us as your schedule permits. No experience necessary, just bring your enthusiasm. We meet every Wednesday, and a second group, the Privateers, meets every Monday. Details of each week’s workdays are posted on the website swmlc.org/ weekly-outdoor-stewardship. Hope to see you out there.

So skip the therapist, turn off the TV, get off the couch, and come join

Book Reviews

Book Reviews by the Portage District Library staff

God of Neverland Gama Ray Martinez

Peter Pan is missing, and Neverland is falling apart. The dreams and imagination of children all around the world, who draw power from Pan’s godlike power, are in danger of being lost forever. To the rescue comes the youngest of the Darlings, Michael. A former Knight of the Round, specifically tasked with keeping humanity safe from mythological creatures. Michael must go back to Neverland as an adult, find, and hopefully rescue Peter Pan and reality as we know it. A great book to become immersed and escape reality for a bit. This book is recommended to any Patrick Rothfuss fans.

Medieval Worlds of Neil Gaiman

Shiloh Carroll

For having not read anything of Gaiman’s, I found this book absolutely fascinating! I have always been intrigued by medieval literature, so when I saw that this book was available to listen to, I knew I needed to listen. After a brief introduction to medievalism, the narrator draws you into the stories by showing how Gaiman pulled different elements from well-known medieval works such as Beowulf and Canterbury Tales. They also show how much of the

literature and culture of the Middle Ages has been interpreted and reinterpreted over time. After listening to this, I immediately put copies of some of Gaiman’s works on hold, as well as added others to my ever-growing to-be-read list. With Gaiman having his hand in many different forms of media, I know that I will be able to be entertained in multiple ways. Thanks to this book, I am not at a loss for anything entertaining!

The Future

Naomi Alderman

The Future is a plausible, worldending, daring, thrilling novel that may be the most wryly funny book about the end of civilization. It follows executives Lenk Sketlish, founder of the social network Fantail; Zimri Nommik, who runs the largest online retailer Anvil; and Ellen Bywater, who heads Medlar, a leading PC company. These powerful techies have spared no expense to create safe havens for themselves and are ready to leave the rest of the world to face destruction. The billionaires’ plan is thwarted by a band of rebels who share a conviction of bettering our world rather than manipulating it for their own ends; this group may just save civilization after all. Alderman keeps the plot moving forward despite constant shifts in perspective and time. Clearly, Alderman cares deeply about our future and believes that we already have the skills in place to course-correct. By the end of the novel, you might too.

The Last of Kalamazoo’s Original Blacksmiths

by Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the village “smithy” was an essential part of the American landscape. Shoeing horses, making tools and hardware, and repairing farm implements was hot, dirty, laborintensive hard work, and it took great skill. As such, blacksmiths were highly respected among their peers.

Born in The Netherlands in 1855, Arend Bos immigrated to Holland, Michigan in 1882 after serving briefly in the Dutch army. He married Jacoba Roseboom and in 1885, they moved to Kalamazoo, where Arend found his calling in Garrett Rabbers’ blacksmith shop on North Rose Street.

Bos later partnered with an Irishman named John Carroll and opened their own blacksmith shop just up the street in 1885. After a half-dozen years on North Rose, Bos petitioned the city for permission to build a blacksmith shop on Eleanor Street. Permission was granted and in May 1894, they moved the shop to a new building at 122 Eleanor, next door to the Cornell & Co. carriage factory.

The Bos & Carroll blacksmith shop was one of roughly 20 such businesses in Kalamazoo at the time, but the quality of their work seemed to supersede the others. With four men working at

a time, they managed to shoe some 15 horses a day. One of their key products was a flat board-like horseshoe called a “muck shoe” that allowed the horses to work in the celery fields without sinking. Carroll and Bos eventually parted ways. Meanwhile, Arend’s son Jerry loved hanging around his dad’s shop. Jerry never wanted to be anything but a blacksmith and by the age of 14, he had begun working for his father, running errands, carrying tools, holding horses, and pumping the bellows on the forge. Jerry eventually pursued the blacksmith trade himself and became a partner in the business.

Other blacksmiths in town saw the coming of the automobile as a threat to their trade, but auto repair brought new opportunities, so Jerry and his dad forged ahead and embraced the changing times. Jerry claimed that he was the first in Kalamazoo to ever straighten an automobile axle. He once fashioned a trailer hitch for an early auto when no one else in town would touch it.

After the First World War, Bos moved the shop to North Park Street and brought his son Jacob into the business. Jake was a highly skilled welder and was especially adept at straightening and repairing automobile frames. Jake’s skill helped the company make the necessary transition from “horse flesh to horsepower.”

When Arend Bos retired in 1928 after 45 years in the trade, he was said to be the oldest blacksmith in Kalamazoo. The boys continued to do a brisk business welding up trailer hitches, sharpening saws, and replacing lawn mower blades.

Jacob Bos died in June 1949 at the age of 58, while Jerry carried on as the Bos Blacksmith & Welding Company. After 49 years in the trade, Jerry Bos was the last blacksmith listed in the Kalamazoo telephone directory when he sold off his tools and closed the shop in 1957.

More at kpl.gov

YOU’LL FIND THAT IRISH HOSPITALITY ABOUNDS AT O’DUFFY’S PUB

By Dave Person david.r.person@gmail.com

The crowd at O’Duffy’s Pub in Kalamazoo will be hoisting their Guinnesses, enjoying a meal of corned beef and cabbage or a corned-beef sandwich and listening to live Irish music on March 17, just as they have every St. Patrick’s Day

for the last quarter of a century.

“A pub is a gathering place, and that’s what this is,” says Jamie Kavanaugh, who owns the establishment that is located on the first floor of a two-story, red-brick building built in 1890 at 804 W. Vine Street and is surrounded by older, well-kept homes that make up the Vine

Neighborhood.

Nearby residents are a significant part of the clientele for whom Kavanaugh fosters an environment “for family and friends, welcoming and cozy.”

Kavanaugh, 63, has enhanced his knowledge of Irish traditions by getting to know the country of his ancestors and its people during three trips to the Emerald Isle a decade or so ago.

“The Irish people are very humble,” he says. “Unlike Americans, they wanted to know about me; they didn’t want to tell me about themselves.”

Kavanaugh reflects that modest persona in his role as proprietor of O’Duffy’s. He’s almost always on hand during the pub’s hours, from 3 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, to greet the largely familiar crowd and listen to their stories. It’s an atmosphere reminiscent of Ireland, he says, where St. Patrick’s Day isn’t a raucous, drunken holiday — the reputation it has gotten in the United States — but a more respectful observation of the traditional anniversary of the death of the country’s foremost patron

saint.

“In Ireland it is a family/church holiday,” Kavanaugh says.

So even though this year St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday, he didn’t hesitate to make the decision to open the pub on a day when it is normally closed.

“I love the idea that it’s on Sunday this year,” he says, anticipating an ambience that will be more reflective of a true Irish observance.

The pub will open at 9 or 10 a.m. for those who want to get an early start on the celebration with the kitchen open earlier than usual that day to serve traditional Irish fare.

Kavanaugh and his late wife, Kim, bought the 19th century building at Vine and Locust streets in 1992 and opened the upstairs restaurant, Cosmo’s Cucina, where Kim Kavanaugh displayed her culinary talents.

“Kim fell in love with this building,” Kavanaugh says. “She wanted to have her own place (restaurant) so we made it happen.”

PHOTO BY DEREK KETCHUM

For the next seven years she operated the Cosmo’s Cucina restaurant on the second floor and the couple leased the downstairs to a variety of retail businesses. “Nothing really stuck down here,” Kavanaugh says.

“It was our dream to get a liquor license,” he says. That happened in 1999, and the couple opened O’Duffy’s in addition to Cosmo’s.

Sadly, Kim Kavanaugh died of cancer at the age of 53 in December 2010.

“I miss her greatly,” Kavanaugh says. “We try not to let things change too much. We still use her recipes.”

Stephen Cole-Wick, who trained under Kim Kavanaugh, is now chef at the pub and at Cosmo’s Cucina, which currently is only open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays for breakfast, with the exception of St. Patrick’s Day this year.

The pub, however, serves a wide range of soups, salads, burgers, entrees — such as pasta with vodka tomato sauce, pumpkin tortellini, and wild mushrooms & butternut squash lasagna — and desserts from 5 to 9 p.m. on the days the bar area is open.

“We make everything here in house with the exception of the desserts,” Kavanaugh says.

His staff of about a dozen people make it happen and allow Kavanaugh to mix with customers.

From 7 to 9 Wednesday and Thursday evenings, patrons are treated to live music from local bands such as Out of Favor Boys, Whiskey Before Breakfast and Who Hit John?

One of the unique features of the pub is its ornate back bar, a 24-foot-long structure that was originally in the Spaulding Hotel, a 1920s-era establishment in Michigan City, Ind. It eventually found its way, in pieces, to The Heritage Co. in Kalamazoo, where Kavanaugh purchased it.

It lends to the old-time feeling that is enhanced by the fact there are no television sets at O’Duffy’s, allowing customers to be able to enjoy one

another’s company.

“We liken ourselves to (the1980s and early ‘90s sitcom) ‘Cheers,’ because when somebody walks in here, there’s a good chance we know them,” Kavanaugh says.

It’s likely St. Patrick’s Day won’t be the only momentous occasion at O’Duffy’s this year. This summer the pub will mark 25 years and Kavanaugh expects to celebrate the milestone, although he doesn’t have details of what that will look like.

“We don’t have anything planned yet,” he says. “Stay tuned.”

Sweet Legacy: Maple Sugar Making and the Rich Heritage of Woodland Tribes

By Chris Chosa, Grants Manager, Kalamazoo Nature Center

As the Kalamazoo Nature Center prepares for its 59th Annual Maple Sugar Fest on March 9, it is crucial to reflect on Cooper’s Glen as a potential site for maple sugar production by the land’s original inhabitants over 400 years ago. The process of maple sugaring is a shared tradition among Woodland tribes along the Great Lakes and New England regions in the United States.

As winter transitioned to spring, families would journey from their winter camps to their “Sugar Bush” camps. This communal activity wasn’t just a seasonal chore; it was a vital means for tribes to produce calcium-rich maple sugar, sustaining them throughout the year. Traditionally, as ice receded from lakes and rivers, men shifted their focus to pursue spawning fish, leaving the sugar production in the dedicated hands of women. Many months were allotted not just to sugaring but also to preparing for the next season, including basket making, restoring food caches, and wood collection. Their skills

ensured a steady supply of maple sugar for sustenance and trade.

Maple sugar, as a commodity, dates back to the early Fur Trade era. During the Civil War, tribes were called upon to meet the nation’s sugar demand due to bans on cane sugar plantations using slave labor. In 1865, a single tribal agency reported over 450,000 lbs. of sugar produced – a haul worth nearly $3.9 million in today’s market.

As we celebrate Maple Sugar Fest, let’s honor the legacy of Woodland tribes and recognize the cultural and historical significance of maple sugar making. The sweet elixir gracing our tables today isn’t just a treat but a connection to a rich heritage spanning generations.

Chris Chosa is grants manager of the Kalamazoo Nature Center and has for many years produced maple syrup with his family in the Upper Peninsula.

Elbo Room

By Richard Martinovich

Snow is swirling on the campus of Michigan State University in the opening scene of the 1960 beach movie classic WheretheBoysAre. College students across the Midwest are heading for Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to escape the cold, and bask in the sun. Many will end up at the Elbo Room, along Las Olas Boulevard, across from the beach.

During a quick winter trip to Ft. Lauderdale, I stopped by the Elbo Room, where memorabilia from the movie adorns the interior.

The Elbo Room was featured prominently in WheretheBoys Are, starring Connie Francis and the perennially-tanned George Hamilton. Built in 1938, the iconic beach bar still stands and always draws a crowd. Order a drink and listen to live entertainment. No food is served but people often grab something to eat nearby and sit outside on the patio.

The movie was based on the novel, WheretheBoysAre, by Michigan State English professor Glendon Swarthout. Swarthout was

so intrigued by an MSU student with a red convertible talking about going to Ft. Lauderdale for Spring Break that Swarthout would fly down and join his MSU students in Ft. Lauderdale! That would provide grist for the novel. The movie is credited with establishing the ritual exodus known as “Spring Break” where college kids around the country flock to southern destinations. Keith Howard, local historian at Kalamazoo Public Library who writes insightful articles for Spark, recalls his 1976 Spring Break trip to Ft. Lauderdale while a student at Western Michigan University. “One of my friends from the dorm had a dad who let us drive his new Cadillac Eldorado convertible to Ft. Lauderdale! His father also had a 56-foot yacht we stayed on down there!”

Keith and his WMU dormitory buddies dropped in the Elbo Room, too!

You can document your experience of the Elbo Room by sponsoring a brick on their patio. Include your name and a comment, and you may achieve immortality!

HEALTHY LIVING

Healthy Aging Tips

Taking care of our bodies as we age is very important. We’ve only got the one we’re given. That requires as to be purposeful about what we eat, and how we keep active. As a leading nonprofit dedicated to improving the nation’s health, the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo offers the following tips to encourage older adults to live healthier lives.

Have fun with your food

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring! Have fun with your fruits and vegetables by trying them fresh or frozen. Find a new recipe that uses a different source of protein or find a way to incorporate fish or beans into an old favorite. Remember as you age, it’s important to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lowfat or fat-free dairy and lean meats to help your body get the necessary nutrients.

Fill up on fiber and potassium, hold the salt

As you age, your body needs more fiber rich foods to help it stay regular. Aim for a variety of colorful foods on your plate (i.e. fruits and veggies) to keep fiber rich foods a part of your diet. Additionally, increasing potassium along with reducing sodium or salt may lower your risk of high blood pressure. Fruits, vegetables and low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt are good sources of potassium.

Get Active

Physical activity is safe for almost everyone, and the health benefits of physical activity far outweigh the risks. Regular physical activity is one of the most important things older adults can do for their health. It can prevent many of the health problems that seem to come with age (such as osteoporosis and arthritis) and reduce the risk for developing, or help manage, depression, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain kinds of cancers. For older adults who have chronic conditions that hinder their ability to be active on a regular basis, some physical activity is better than none, and older adults who participant in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.

Tweak your routine

To get the recommended 30 minutes

of daily physical activity, change your routine to 10-minute sessions throughout the day. For example, stand on one foot while brushing your teeth to increase balance, and do squats while washing dishes to increase strength. Make sure you can grab hold of something to maintain balance—safety first! To increase your cardio, take the stairs instead of the elevator or park farther from the entrance to work. When sitting in front of the TV, march during commercials or do some light stretching to break up sitting for long periods.

Get social

Socialization is an important part of aging. As we get older, it’s important to be active socially to stay healthy. Take a walk with a friend or a neighbor, join a book club or volunteer at your local pet shelter or local Y. Social interaction provides meaningful engagement, builds relationships, enhances a sense of belonging and provides opportunities for involvement—all resulting in greater bonds and a stronger sense of community. Being connected to the community keeps you healthy!

For more information on how

your family can live a healthy, active life, visit your local YMCA or go online kzooymca.org

Vicky Kettner is the Association

Director of Marketing, Community Relations, and Member Engagement for the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-)

Following the conclusion of the Chris Pine alternate timeline Star Trek film trilogy which wrapped up in 2016, a variety of new Star Trek TV shows were rolled out ostensibly to leverage a successful brand and drive interest in CBS All Access and its successor platform, Paramount+. Star Trek: Discovery (2017-2024) was the first, followed by Picard (2020-2023), and a pair of animated shows, Star Trek: The Lower Decks (2020-) and Star Trek: Prodigy (2021-2024). While each show managed to attract a core audience, they all seemed to struggle to attain broad appeal. Enter Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. A prequel series, as was the case with Discovery and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005), Strange New Worlds promised a return to the exploration-driven Federation depicted in The Original Series. Anson Mount stars as Captain Christopher Pike, canonically the fourth captain of the USS Enterprise, whose crew contains young Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), and Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding). Simultaneously new and familiar, with a focus on classic aesthetics and bolstered by sharp writing, strong cast performances, and just the correct amount of humor, Strange New Worlds is also a low commitment endeavor at ten episodes per season. Whether you’re fresh out of the academy or an erstwhile veteran of the franchise looking to reconnect in the wake of the deluge of new material, consider making Strange New Worlds your jump-off point. – Submitted by Patrick J.

Movie Reviews

A Disturbance in the Force (2023)

November, 1978 – the previous year’s surprise movie hit Star Wars has exploded into a major cultural phenomenon, with merchandising flying off the shelves well after its initial summer theatrical run. Sequel The Empire Strikes Back is in production, but won’t be in theaters until 1980. Creator George Lucas is concerned about keeping Star Wars in the public consciousness (hard to believe in retrospect), so he signs off on a TV holiday special featuring the film’s characters but doesn’t exercise creative control. 2023 documentary A Disturbance in the Force follows up on the legacy of the resulting Star Wars Holiday Special, aired officially only once, but preserved through home videocassette recordings which have made the rounds among collectors ever since. In the context of variety shows from the 1970s, the special’s weird features make more sense - Harvey Korman bringing the comedy as an alien cooking show host; musical turns from Bea Arthur, Diahann Carroll, and Jefferson Starship; stunning Bob Mackie costumes and snappy Bruce Vilanch dialogue. The film’s top-billed stars all grace the special in character; archival footage of their later impressions emphasize their embarrassment (often without much comment). Since the special remains unreleased, the clips and commentary in this documentary will give the uninitiated a better sense of what the disturbance surrounding the special is all about. –

Submitted by Karl K.

Reviews submitted by Ryan Gage. These great titles and others are available at the Kalamazoo Public Library.

Tales road FROM THE

By Steve Ellis

In January, I headed up the winding, two-lane M-43 highway through Delton, Hastings and Lake Odessa, to end at my destination in Grand Ledge to visit my uncle.

My first stop was Hastings, which began in 1836 when three entrepreneurs named Dibble, Kingsbury and Kendall bought 480 acres along the Thornapple River. The 88 mile river begins a few miles east of Charlotte and winds its way west, eventually emptying into the Grand River north of Grand Rapids.

In 1843, the state legislature designated Hastings as the County Seat of Barry County. Hastings became a Village in 1855, with a population of around 300, and in 1871, it officially became a city. The historic Barry County Courthouse, which is still in use today, was built in 1893.

Summerfest, Jazzfest, Fridays at the Fountain, Art Hops, the Christmas Parade, and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, are just a few of the fun events in Hastings. The largest is the Barry-Roubaix bike race held every April since 2009. The race is known as the world’s largest gravel bike race with over 3,500 participants. I rode last year and hope to do it

again this year.

Richie’s Koffee Shop is a great little restaurant that has been around since 1979. They are known for their hamburgers, French fries and malts.

I stopped in for breakfast and sat at the counter. My omelette and pancake were very tasty. I asked the waitress if there was anything new at Richie’s and she said, “Not in the 33 years I have worked here.” Another waitress, who sat next to me eating her breakfast, told me that many regulars come in every day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can often learn more about a town and its people by visiting a small, local restaurant, than by reading guide books or looking on the web.

I stopped into the Way Too Cheap thrift store packed with a little of everything. After buying a few old books, I asked the friendly owner where he got all his merchandise and he told me that most of it comes from online auctions of unpaid storage units-kind of like the Storage Wars TV show, minus all of the colorful personalities.

Across the street is Arris Matrix Computer Sales and Service. The store is “packed to the gills” with old computers in various states of repair. My first job out of college was selling computers so talking to Chuck the owner, about all the old computer brands from 40 years ago was very enjoyable.

The Walldorff Brewpub and Bistro, in a classic brick building on the main corner downtown, is very popular. The 1866 building once had large ballrooms upstairs and the main floor has held a billiards and lunch room, hardware, furniture, clothing, drug and grocery stores. The brewpub and bistro opened in 2006 after a major renovation of the building. The Walldorff is known for their tasty wood fired pizza, wood grilled steaks, ribs and burgers and pasta. They also brew a nice selection of beers and offer 9 different ever changing taps.

I drove north through the small towns of Carleton and Woodland, and along the east side of Jordan Lake to end up in Lake Odessa.

My first stop was Meyer’s Hometown Bakery and Beanery. I love donuts, and this great bakery, voted 1st place in Mlive’s 2020- Michigan’s Best Donuts contest, did not disappoint. Jeff Meyer, the owner, was very friendly and we had a nice talk.

Lake Odessa has several antique malls and I could have spent hours visiting all of the stores and individual booths. I browsed through the 3 floor, Lake Odessa Antique Mall, Bonanza Antiques and the 2 Sisters Antique Mall, buying a few small paper items.

On the way out of town, I stopped at the Lake Odessa Area Historical Society & Depot Museum. The unique, onion-dome depot museum was closed but the friendly ladies at the Ionia County Genealogical Society, with an office inside, gave me the scoop on local history.

My very enjoyable backroads trip ended up winding back down through Woodbury, Sunfield, Mulliken and Grand Ledge.