HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS AT THE KELLOGG MANOR! ~ PG. 10
Expert Advice
Financial Services Q: Should I start
Transitions
Q: What is the time-
contributing to a Roth IRA?
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Diana Duncan Director of Sales and Marketing
frame for move-in for an independent living apartment or cottage in a senior community?
A: A move to a community may include a visit to your physician, a medical interview from a qualified health professional, financial qualification and proof of assets, as well as the renovations or building of your new home. This process may take 30 days to a year or more depending on your specific circumstance.
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Q: I hear that Sherriff Goslin Roofing uses their own unique shingle. Can you tell me more about this shingle?
A: The Art Loc shingle is SherriffJustin Reynolds Goslin’s original patented shingle. It Manager can be used as a re-roofing shingle over another layer of existing shingles, or as a primary shingle over roof sheathing. It assures a smooth, windproof and watertight job. The Art Loc shingle provides a unique appearance and lends character with distinction to any home. Today’s Art Loc shingle has been modified to include an ingredient known as an SBS (Styrene-ButadieneStyrene) polymer, which is used to alter the properties of asphalt, making the asphalt tougher and more flexible. This polymer dramatically slows down the aging process of the asphalt, providing superior waterproofing, low temperature flexibility, impact resistance, high wind endurance and extended life expectancy. Call us at (269) 342-0153 or visit us at worryfreeroof. com today to learn more.
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Roofing
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Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
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collection. There is nothing like going to a live sporting event. Jackie and I went down to South Bend in October to tailgate with some friends and watch the Fighting Irish beat Central Michigan University. We had to maneuver the huge crowds and try to stay cool on that hot sunny day but we had blast.
The Detroit Lions are the talk of the town in Michigan and around the country. At last, they have a good team and their future looks bright. With many Michigan transplants across the country and rabid fans willing to drive long distances, the announcers have commented on how loud the Detroit fans were in Kansas City and Green Bay. The chant of “Lets Go Lions” could easily be heard on the TV screen.
A week later, we took Jackie’s grandsons to their first Detroit Tigers baseball game. We gave them the full experience of walking a mile or so through downtown Detroit past the gorgeous old buildings and managed to even scarf down a few coney dogs at the legendary Lafayette Coney Island on the way. It was the weekend of Miguel Cabrera’s last games and the stands were packed with 40,000+ screaming fans. We chose the right weekend game as they won 8-0.
The Detroit Lions have never played in or won a Super Bowl and have only won one playoff game since 1957. However, there appears to be a glimmer of hope for us long-suffering Lions fans. My dad first took us to a few Lions games at Tiger Stadium in the snow in the late 1960’s. The field stretched across the outfield grass from right field to left field. When the Lions moved to Pontiac to the Pontiac Metropolitan Stadium in 1975, living nearby made it much easier to go to games. Tickets were only $4.25. The stadium name was quickly changed to the Silverdome, which sounds so much cooler. My brother Mark and I loved to collect things when we were kids and I remember running through the stands after games, looking for leftover programs and ticket stubs to add to our
If you’re looking for something fun to do this fall, get outside and support a local sports team-WMU, Kalamazoo College or local high school sporting event! Steve Ellis, SPARK Publisher steve@swmspark.com
FROM THE
EDITOR
ON THE COVER:
Kellogg Manor. Photo by Steve Ellis
To advertise in upcoming SPARK publications, contact: Steve Ellis, 269.720.8157, steve@swmspark.com
INDEX NOVEMBER 2023
Cover Story: Kellogg Manor...........................10
Lee Dean: The Return
Wednesday Warriors........................................13
of Thoughts at Random .................................. 4
Business Profile: Wyman’s Cafe......................14
Nature: Long Trip or Long Sleep?
Volunteer: Michael Vandeveer......................15
Michigan Butterflies Prepare for Winter..........6
Spark Movie Reviews.......................................16
History: Street Cars in Kalamazoo ...................7
Healthy Living: Neighboring............................17
Spark Book Reviews............................................8
Tales from the Road.........................................18
Spark Recipe: Autumn’s Abundance............9
The Dormouse Theatre ...................................19
Maple Hill Holiday Parade..............................12
20,000 readers, 650 locations and online at swmspark.com
Editor and Publisher: Steve Ellis Graphic & Page Development: CRE8 Design, Kalamazoo Content/Photography: Lauren Ellis 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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The return of thoughts at random Lee A. Dean screendoor@sbcglobal.net
For the second time in the history of this column, I present a few nuggets, shared with you all because I think they’re worth your time (a good-sounding reason) and because I didn’t have a compelling single topic to write about this month (the real reason). And remember: my objective isn’t to make you mad but to make you think or even laugh. Enjoy! AI (artificial intelligence) my eye. I don’t need the help of any entity, human or technological, to finish one of my sentences. I don’t say a lot, so hush up and let me talk. With that grumble out of the way, I’m not as upset about artificial intelligence as I am genuine stupidity. For many glowing examples of this, look no farther than Capitol Hill. I like college football overtime rules better than how the pros do it. In college, each team gets a crack at winning the game. In the pros, the outcome can depend on a coin toss,
which means that more than 60 minutes of intense gridiron combat can be decided by luck instead of skill.
number of clicks. We’re way past the point of lowering the bar. That bar has been buried — deep.
The fellow who gets the prize for “best use of a Shakespeare line” is the bloke who heard two politicians yelling at each other and TV and observed, “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” (The Tempest, act 1, scene 2)
While we’re talking about headlines, consider this gem about an NFL quarterback: “Garoppolo set to cross the bay to sign with Raiders.” I have written tens of thousands of headlines and have a rule: read the lead of the story first. The lead of this story mentioned that the QB in question was signing with the Las Vegas Raiders from his old team, the San Francisco 49ers. You don’t have to know that the Raiders had moved from Oakland to realize that a gigantic bay does not exist between San Francisco and Vegas. At least they spelled “Garoppolo” correctly.
Every time the weather honchos declare an “air quality alert,” I am reminded that our family could have declared one of those warnings every time Dad ate beans. A job-hunting site that alleges to perfectly match skills with open positions thinks I would be a great used car salesman. To invoke the words of that immortal philosopher, Bugs Bunny, “They don’t know me vewy well, do they?” The website of a major cable news agency wanted to keep us informed about a railway mishap in Ohio that released poisonous gas. This headline is how they wanted to tell us the really really important part of the story: “Rosie O’Donnell goes on TikTok to rant about Ohio train derailment.” I don’t know which is worse: that a team of so-called journalists thinks this is a story or that it probably got a huge
Have patience. Life is a race and you’re not the hare. I challenged myself to say three good things about Ohio State football. Here goes: the current coach isn’t despicable, as was his immediate predecessor. The Buckeye marching band’s “script Ohio” is a feast for the eyes. That’s two, and that’s the best I can do. For many decades, I have heard Michigan governors running for re-election boast that they balanced the budget. They all leave out one fact: the state’s
constitution requires that the budget be balanced. These governors haven’t accomplished a feat as astounding as achieving peace in the Middle East. They don’t have to brag about simply obeying the law. Two events happened in proximity: I visited the Kurt Vonnegut museum in Indianapolis and Salman Rushdie was attacked. A significant portion of the museum is devoted to freedom of expression, an issue near and dear to each of these gentlemen. Writers are essential to civilization. Barbarians will attack them, but the Vonneguts, Rushdies, and Solzhenitsyns of the world will not be silenced. Ever. I’m not looking forward to next year’s election, especially the part where the candidates go door to door. In 2022, a state House candidate visited and proclaimed that Covid came from a lab in Ukraine. I noted his opinion and then instructed him to get off my lawn before some of his virus rubbed off on me. If you post a completely nonsensical statement on Facebook on its own, you’ll look like a dummy. If you add a photo of Morgan Freeman, you’ll sound like Socrates. And finally… What if we all quit fighting each other and fought cancer instead?
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Long Trip or Long Sleep? Michigan Butterflies Prepare for Winter By By Tyler Allyn-White, Kalamazoo Nature Center As autumn moves towards winter, countless species of birds and insects across Michigan prepare to undertake extraordinary journeys. Of these, the most remarkable are butterflies. Improbable as it may seem, these delicate creatures with wispy, paper-thin wings can migrate south, just as birds do. Not all migrate, as some butterflies will enter diapause or hibernation depending on their stage of development. However, some of our most well-known species cannot survive the freezes that come with Michigan’s harsh winters. This requires them to leave each fall in search of warmer temperatures and adequate food sources. The annual journey by monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) is often regarded as the paragon of insect migration. But monarchs are not alone in this phenomenon. Many other species migrate similar distances, and our Michigan species depend entirely on their seasonal migration to recolonize our backyards and favorite natural areas each year. A handful of widely known species, the painted lady (Vanessa cardui), American lady (Vanessa virgini-
ensis), red admiral (Vanessa atalanta rubria), and common buckeye (Junonia coenia) begin heading south in October. Where individual monarchs can fly “non-stop” the entire way to the same overwintering grounds each year (up to 3,000 miles), other species move through successive generations. In relay fashion, an individual butterfly will stop and lay eggs that move through the life cycle until they produce an adult. That butterfly will fly the next leg of the migration journey and produce another generation that does the same. Their movement is dictated by food availability, which can fluctuate greatly with respect to rainfall and temperatures. Some species travel just as far as monarchs, like the painted lady that often reaches northwest Mexico (and may flit along at 25 mph on their way!) or the red admiral, whose destination is southern Texas. Other species like the question mark (Polygonia interrogationis) can survive our winters through hibernation, yet may fly south and either continue on or hunker down for the winter in a place slightly warmer than Michigan. Across various species, and even within a given species, butterflies use an im-
pressive variety of adaptive strategies to ensure their survival from year to year. Come spring, the reverse process will come to fruition. As food availability returns to northern latitudes, the butterflies will follow. Eventually, they will return to Michigan as if they never left. Some years, heavy rainfall in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States can cause “booms,” or population explosions that create swarms of butterflies that reach astonishing totals. For example, over one billion painted ladies were estimated to have moved through California in the spring of 2005. Once these seasonal residents begin their journey south, we won’t see them again until spring. This fall, take time to get out and relish their presence before it’s too late.
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“All Aboard!” Streetcars in Kalamazoo by Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library
When Kalamazoo was incorporated as a city in 1884, things were on the grow. That’s when Jerry Boynton, a driving force behind the street railway service in Grand Rapids, proposed building a horse-drawn streetcar system in Kalamazoo. The village trustees liked the idea, and the Kalamazoo Street Railway Company was formed. As construction got underway, Boynton purchased 26 new streetcars in New York and St. Louis, along with some 40 horses from area farmers. New horse barns and offices were built on Portage Street near the fairgrounds (in today’s Edison Neighborhood) and tracks were put down along several of the city’s major thoroughfares.
and depots were sold to a new firm at public auction. Meanwhile, the movement toward an electric system began to gain momentum. In January 1893, the era of Jerry Boynton’s old horsedrawn streetcars came to an end when the General Electric Company purchased the Kalamazoo City and County Street Railway Company with plans to institute an electric system in its place. Kalamazooans saw this as “the dawn of a new era.”
By mid-June, the first few lines were up and running while construction continued. On a sunny Saturday morning in September, Kalamazooans were invited to take a free ride on the new streetcars to celebrate the system’s grand opening.
Some 500 workers were hired to lay the twelve miles of new track, four miles more than the old horsecar lines. Power poles were put up, electric wires were strung, and the old rails were replaced to accommodate the faster, heavier cars. Electric cars ran for the first time in Kalamazoo on June 18, 1893.
The new streetcar system was declared “a complete success,” but the period of profitability was short-lived. By 1888, the Kalamazoo Street Railway Company was having trouble paying its bills and went into receivership. Two years later, the company’s cars, horses, tracks, barns, real estate,
After two decades of operation and numerous changes of ownership, the First World War “changed everything.” The country underwent dramatic social change after the war, much of which was driven by the automobile. No longer tied to the streetcar lines, travelers could go wher-
ever they wanted, whenever they wanted. This led to the rapid decline of the street railway industry. Profits continued to decline through the 1920s. Electric interurban railway lines in and out of Kalamazoo were abandoned, and the local streetcar system itself was sold in 1929. Streetcars were discontinued in November 1932 when the Kalamazoo Motor Coach Company was permitted to begin bus service. Today, little remains of Kalamazoo’s once vibrant street railway system, except for bits and pieces of steel rails that appear occasionally during street repair, and the former depot on Portage Street, which has found new life as the InterUrban Building.
More at kpl.gov
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Book Reviews
Book Reviews by the Portage District Library staff
A Lady for a Duke Alexis Hall Fans of the shows Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte are going to want to scoop up a copy of A Lady for a Duke! This lush and sweeping romance begins with a secret: Viola Carroll has two lives. The one before the Battle of Waterloo and the one after. When she became aware that everyone presumed her dead while recovering from her injuries, she seized the opportunity to finally live the life she wanted to live. Her one regret is that this decision requires her to abandon her friendship with Justin de Vere, Duke of Gracewood. Thankfully for Viola, the small circle of relatives she trusts with her secret cannot help but meddle a little bit and soon Viola is in close proximity to Justin helping his sister with her first London season. The forced proximity causes their friendship begins to take a tantalizing new form. Will they risk everything to be together? Delightful tension, nuance, and romance keep the pages turning in this queer historical romance.
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days Jake Knapp “Sprint” by Jake Knapp and his team presents an innovative problem-solving approach that has changed the way businesses tackle complex challenges.
Knapp introduces the Design Sprint, a five-day process born at Google Ventures, which has since been adopted by numerous companies across various industries. The book is a practical guide to offering a roadmap for teams to quickly identify a problem to prototyping and testing solutions. I found this book helpful to use across various industries. What sets the Design Sprint apart is its efficiency. It condenses the timeline to obtain critical insights from customers, ultimately saving time and resources. Knapp’s writing style is engaging and relatable, making complex concepts understandable for readers of all backgrounds. Whether you’re a part of a small startup or a large company, “Sprint” is a valuable resource that uses innovative problem-solving methods with a more efficient, intentional, and effective approach.
Thornhedge T. Kingsolver Everything you thought you knew about the story of “Sleeping Beauty” is wrong! What if the evil faery, was in fact, trying to help the kingdom? What if the spell had been placed because the princess was a danger to society? For hundreds of years, the faery has been keeping watch over the princess’ tower, making sure that nothing gets in… and nothing gets out. Full of suspense, a tiny bit of horror, and the nostalgia of fairy tales, this book kept me on my toes! Definitely something that can be read in one sitting.
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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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Autumn’s Abundance! by Laura Kurella
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Fall is one of the most spectacular seasons in Michigan, and just like summer, seems to end too soon. As we begin our “goodbyes” to autumn, we also have another special season fast-approaching, so I like to think of Thanksgiving as our way of also saying “Thank you!” for all the beautiful things that autumn brings. With the cooler temperatures drawing us toward warmer and more comforting foods, I taped an area resident, Karin Malesh, of Colon, to ask what her favorite things are to make, especially during the final days of this oh-so-beautiful autumnal season. “When cold temperatures arrive in Michigan,” Malesh said, “I take out my soup (and chili) recipes and start cooking! There is something comforting that happens when I curl up on the sofa, eat homemade soup with some crusty bread, and read a good book. It just doesn’t get any better than that! Here now is Karin’s favorite fall soup recipe. Enjoy!
Karin Malesh’s Butternut Squash Soup 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large sweet onion 4 cups peeled and diced butternut squash 3 large apples (any kind) peeled, cored, and chopped 1 quart chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 bay leaf 2 cups apple cider 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Melt butter over medium heat, stir in onion, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Add squash, apples, broth, salt, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, covered until squash and apples are soft, about 20 minutes. While soup simmers, pour cider into a medium skillet. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 1/3 C. Remove from heat. Remove Bay leaf from soup. Spoon solids into a food processor and process until smooth. Stir back into broth. Add reduced cider. Reheat soup, stirring in brown sugar and spices. Serves 8 Laura Kurella is an award-winning recipe developer, food columnist, and author of the new culinary memoir, MIDWEST MORSEL, which celebrates all the classic and favored flavors in the Great Lakes Midwest. She welcomes your comments at laurakurella@yahoo.com.
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THERE’S A FESTIVE HOLIDAY MOOD COMING TO THE KELLOGG MANOR By Dave Person david.r.person@gmail.com
Dealing with declining health, the Kelloggs vacated the 12,000-square-foot house in 1942, leasing it to the U.S. government for a nominal amount to support the war effort, according to Cotugno. For the next two years it served as an induction station for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Volunteers at the Kellogg Manor House, once the summer residence of Battle Creek cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg, are in a festive mood as they prepare the home for the holidays. “Our biggest event is our Holiday Market,” said Janine Cotugno, a longtime Kellogg Manor House volunteer and co-chair of the market. “We decorate the house … and we recruit local craftsmen and artists. We’ve got over 25 vendors for this year’s Holiday Market.”
Participants in the event will be able to tour the English Tudor Revival house, Christmas shop for books, artwork and crafted gifts, drink spiced tea and
The home sat empty from 1949 to 1951, the year Kellogg died at the age of 91, leaving his property around Hickory Corners, including the Kellogg Manor House, to Michigan State University. MSU used the house for offices and as a women’s dormitory.
enjoy other activities. Events such as workshops and special teas, one of which will include a visit from Mrs. Claus, also will be held over the holidays. The Kellogg Manor House was built
in the mid-1920s on the highest point overlooking Gull Lake as the summer home of Kellogg and his wife, Dr. Carrie Staines Kellogg. They lived there for some 15 summers, spending the winter months in Pomona, Calif.
In 1998, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek awarded a $3.5 million grant to restore the deteriorating structure to its original splendor as part of the 4,100-acre Kellogg Biological Station, MSU’s largest off-campus education complex. The restored manor reopened in 2000
PHOTO BY DEREK KETCHUM
The Holiday Market will be open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for five Saturdays from Nov. 18 to Dec. 16 and the Friday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, at the manor, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners. Cost is $5; students, children 5 and under, and Manor House members will be admitted free.
In 1944, the Army began using it as a rest-and-rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers from Percy Jones Hospital in Battle Creek, she said.
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with a mission, according to its website, “to preserve and interpret the legacy of W.K. Kellogg’s education and philanthropy” and to encourage community involvement. It is available for rent as a wedding venue, for conferences or for other uses. Cotugno moved to Richland from Rhode Island 13 years ago to be close to her daughter’s family, and wasted little time signing up to be a docent at Kellogg Manor House. “I love history and I am a genealogist; that is my pastime,” she said. In addition to working on the Holiday Market, Cotugno, part of a contingent of 25 to 30 volunteers, serves as a tour guide for large groups and helps out wherever else she can. The Manor House is open year-round and available for self-guided tours, in addition to the group tours, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, unless it is rented out in advance for special events. Self-guided tours are free. The Manor House will be closed to the public, however, from Oct. 30 through Nov. 17 while volunteers decorate for the holidays. When it reopens, Monday-throughThursday tours will resume, with visitors having the added benefit of shopping at the Holiday Market. The market will feature handmade jewelry, pottery, glass art, wall hangings, rugs and other items, Cotugno said. “We also have this year several authors’ books available,” she said. “Some are adult books, a lot of them about Michigan, and there are also several children’s books available for purchase.”
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There will be special activities, such as craft-making, book-readings, puppets, hot cocoa and a candycane hunt for children from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 2, one of the Saturdays that the Holiday Market will be open. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, there will be a “Sip and Shop” event with free shopping and a cash beer and wine bar. Also during the holidays, there will be two special teas that require advanced registration. On Sunday, Dec. 3, there will be a “Mrs. Claus Tea” at which children, accompanied by an adult, “can talk to Mrs. Claus and have her give Santa their list of what they want,” Cotugno said, and on Wednesday, Dec. 13, there will be a “Holiday Spice Tea.” Both teas will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. For more information on the Holiday Market and related events, visit the website conference.kbs.msu.edu, call (269) 671-2160 or email manorhouse@ kbs.msu.edu Meanwhile, Sherri Snyder, artist and owner of Green Goddess Farm in Hickory Corners, will lead decorating workshops in the manor’s carriage house classroom. Although the Nov. 13 Winter Porch Pot Make-and-Take Workshop is full, there are still openings for the Autumn Boxwood Wreath Make-and-Take Workshop on Nov. 16, the Whoville Evergreen Arrangement Class on Nov. 29 or the Evergreen Swag Class on Dec. 5. All are from 6:30 to 8:30 in the evening. Cost of the wreath and evergreen arrangement workshops is $45 for Manor House members and $50 for nonmembers; the swag class is $36 for members and $40 for nonmembers. Call (269) 671-2160 or email conference@kbs.msu.edu to register.
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MAPLE HILL HOLIDAY PARADE Saturday, November 18 - 11am Downtown Kalamazoo
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Wednesday
WARRIORS
Kristi Chapman, volunteer, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
Special Gifts In the movie “Encanto,” each member of the family has a special gift. I realized that our volunteer conservation group that meets on Wednesdays – and Mondays – has an assortment of special gifts. Joe is our gear guy who can drop a tree exactly where he plans it. Stan is our
inspiration who in his mid-eighties just keeps going and going. David is our techno geek with all kinds of databases and maps that keep track of where we’ve been and what we’ve done. Carol is my inspiration with her work ethic. I’m barely out of the car when she is already plowing into the ugliest thicket of multiflora rose. Brad is our host and outreach
person, ready with cider and doughnuts at the end of the workday, and a cheerful greeting to all who come by. John is the steady botanist who patiently teaches new people, and keeps people like me (who ought to know better) from cutting down native swamp rose. Jeff is the seed expert. He scouts all season for each plant to come into its own, ready to share. Harry is our free-thinker who seems to find additional places to work whenever we set out from the parking lot. He comes back with stories about parts of the preserve we may have never ventured into. Virginia is our eagle eye who keeps finding rare plants that surprise
even Mitch. I’m still looking for my gift. I may be like the character in the movie who encourages others. If you think you might want to meet some of these interesting people and add your special gift to the mix, come and join us any Wednesday and/or Monday. We work yearround and get to see many of the 50 preserves of the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, even the ones that aren’t open to the general public. Attendance is as your schedule permits, and all you need to bring is enthusiasm. Just check the website www.swmlc.org for details on each week’s workdays. Hope to see you there!
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Wyman’s Cafe By Richard Martinovich
When Uncle Joe was a restaurant manager he made a habit of sitting down with customers at their table as they ate! Unfortunately, his cozy hospitality proved too much for patrons and he was fired. Good personal service is very important for a restaurant’s survival, and owner Carol Wyman has made a special effort to make the atmosphere at Wyman’s Café inviting and welcoming. Restaurants were hit hard during the pandemic and finding help is still an issue. But the wait staff at Wyman’s is friendly and attentive. Since Wyman’s took over from Bucky’s Café on September 1st, 2022, new booths have been installed, chairs replaced, and a long padded bench purchased from Western Michigan University lines a wall. The inside has been repainted, and Carol has added a personal touch with pictures and mementos. The results have been
positive, as a steady stream of customers frequent Wyman’s Café. There is even an oblong “conference table” a group of regulars brought to Wyman’s to congregate around for breakfast! Wyman’s opens at 6am for breakfast and stays open for lunch until 1:30pm (1pm Saturday and Sunday). The food is a generous selection of hearty American staples. There is Carol’s Breakfast; two eggs, potatoes, meat, and the Everything Burrito; eggs, cheese, meat, potatoes in a tortilla covered with gravy. Breakfast also includes omelets, steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, French toast, breakfast scrambles, pancakes, Belgium waffles and plenty of sides. Those who walk in on empty stomachs, can fill up on He-Man specials like the Wyman’s Barbarian – three sausage links, two bacon strips, ham, potatoes, served with a pancake and toast! On the lunch menu are burgers -- The All Mighty Wyman Burger -two ¼-pound patties stacked on a toasted bun – sandwiches, grilled wraps, salads, chicken tender baskets and fish baskets. You’ll find Wyman’s Café a home away from home, with a pleasant atmosphere and food at very reasonable prices.
Wyman’s Cafe • 8675 Portage Road • (269) 329-3255
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“A Vision for Helping Others” – Michael Vandeveer By Jim Coppinger, Milestone Senior Services Volunteer
and inaccessible villages to provide much needed eye care for people young and old.
Michael Vandeveer, originally from the Spokane area, graduated from high school in Missoula, Montana. His dream was to become a jet fighter pilot and was accepted at the United States Naval Academy. However, his visual nearsightedness excluded him from qualifying as a fighter pilot.
When Mike retired from the VA, he knew he wanted to continue to contribute as a volunteer. He says he happened to see one of these “Profile” articles about volunteers building handicap ramps. Being handy with tools and woodworking, he called Milestone to ask about becoming a volunteer. He says he wasn’t sure where he would fit in—but once he joined the team, everything came together and he is happy he did.
Mike then enrolled at Montana State University where he earned two bachelor’s degrees in biology and visual science. From there, he went on to Southern California for four years to receive his doctorate of Optometry. Mike continued his post-graduate education in the Puget Sound area for further training in hospital-based eye care and to complete his residency. Mike’s professional career began with a position at the VA Hospital in Battle Creek. Mike says he started out with one small exam room and a part-time receptionist to begin providing veterans with a full range of eyecare services. In March of this year, Mike retired after thirty-six years of service as Chief of Eye Care Services and a department that had grown to include two large clinics, a dozen full-time staffers, and both a teaching and residency program—the first in Michigan. Mike says, even after the disappointment of not becoming a fighter pilot, he never lost interest in the military or flying and served in both the Naval Reserves in the northwest and the Air National Guard in Battle Creek. In 2005, Mike retired as a Lieutenant
Mike, and his wife, Deb, are both certified Master Gardeners and for the past twelve years, work with a group of like-minded volunteers to manage the gardens at Crane Park in Kalamazoo. Mike says there are countless needs to be filled and just as many ways to help. The first step is simply to call Milestone and say “where and how can I help?”
Colonel from the Air National Guard. He also had the opportunity of a lifetime to co-pilot in an F-16 at Kingsley Air Force Base in Klamath Falls, Oregon several years ago. He contributes his military service for inspiring his sense of humanitarian service and making life better for individuals and communities. Over the years, he participated in many humanitarian operations— especially in Central America. Some of his fondest memories are of helicoptering into often remote
Milestone Senior Services (previously known as Senior Services of Southwest Michigan) is an AmeriCorps Seniors grantee. AmeriCorps Seniors empowers people age 55 and older to serve their communities. RSVP helps people find a volunteer opportunity that fits their passion. There are currently opportunities in Kalamazoo County and a few in Calhoun County. Volunteers are needed with Meals on Wheels, Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, Telephone Reassurance for Seniors, Milestone Home Repair, and more. Regular, flexible schedules available. Contact RSVP at 269-382-0515 or apply to volunteer at www.milestoneseniorservices.org.
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Movie Reviews You Hurt My Feelings (2023) The dialogue in writer-director Nicole Holofcener’s 2023 comedy You Hurt My Feelings plays as straightforwardly as the film’s title. This perception is distorted, even as the language used among the movie’s characters is unassuming. Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is a writer and teacher working on a new novel, following up on the early triumph of a successful memoir. She shares her progress with her husband Don (Tobias Menzies), a therapist beginning to question the effectiveness of his counsel. Beth and Don have settled into comfortable routines interacting with each other, family members, and clients, rarely expressing any negativity. Potential tensions during conversations, especially among family, can be curbed with catch-phrase platitudes likely honed over time. The couples’ routine breaks down when Beth overhears Don talking candidly about his doubt in her new work, calling into question the long-lived trust they’ve built. Regaining that trust requires a hard look at the way they communicate, shedding new light on familiar words and forged habits. What’s been said is revealed to be as deceptive as the simplicity of the language You Hurt My Feelings so expertly employs; however uncomfortable, the expressions of unsaid truths may hurt less than feelings left unspoken. – Submitted by Karl K.
Poser (2021) The first featurelength production from directorial team Noah Dixon and Ori Segev, Poser offers a very authentic view into the underground indie music scene of Columbus, OH as seen through the eyes of an outsider desperately trying to work their way in. Sylvie Mix (Obstacle Course) is Lennon, a deep admirer of the bands, artists, and style that infuse the clubs, abandoned buildings, and galleries where her twenty-something peers create and experiment. In a self-imposed effort to “get out of her comfort zone” Sylvie decides to start a podcast in which she will interview stand-out acts, simultaneously earning her way into the inner circle while contributing to the scene in what appears to be the only untapped form of creative expression left within it. She soon strikes up a friendship with the confident and striking Bobbi Kitten (as herself), half of indie pop duo Damn the Witch Siren, who encourages her to expand her creative horizons ever further. Cornered by her lack of experience in songwriting but entranced by the possibility of becoming accepted as an artist in her own right, Sylvie begins to cut corners, ultimately betraying her new friends and the principles at the heart of creativity itself. – Submitted by Patrick J.
Reviews submitted by Ryan Gage. These great titles and others are available at the Kalamazoo Public Library.
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sugar. Shoveling each other’s driveways. Their kitchen windows faced each other and they knew of each other’s comings and goings. Their habits and irregularities served to tip the other off for being needed. It was a reciprocal relationship. It was what they did, a verb, indeed.
HEALTHYLIVING:
Neighboring
Neighboring (as in the verb). Loosely defined, it’s a big part of what it means to live in community. It’s the idea that we are ‘in care of’ each other: Aware. Attentive. Available. I never considered using the word ‘neighbor’ as a verb, until I heard Madelyn Goodrich use it to describe the 45 plus year relationship she and her husband Jack had with my parents before they passed away. She brought this up in a melancholy way, as a thing of the past. They “neighbored.” Beyond the sharing of houses and yards as their kids grew up was the looking out for each other and the sharing of life. Sharing conversations in the driveways. Learning and growing together and sharing in the experiences. Recognizing the wins, the milestones, the blessings. Trusting each other for help and support when needed. Sharing
More recently, I had the opportunity to find myself in an Uber ride on the way to Chicago’s Union Station with a youngish driver from Uganda. A father of three, he was squeezing in a few trips before starting his eight to five gig, making his way through a long day to support his family with this, his third job, to ensure a safe and enriching lifestyle. He is a very busy guy. Away from home longer than he wishes. In this conversation, again, the term “neighboring” was brought up, as a missing component of his current experience in that bigger city. There was that verb again. His definition? -- knowing and caring for the persons/ families you live close to. Being accountable to each other. Serving as an automatic support system. And so we talked about it. And he expressed, from his observations driving every day, meeting new people, walking his neighborhood, how he has arrived at a very basic conclusion. And that conclusion is, that every new opportunity for interaction with another human being can lead to either getting closer to “neighboring”, or closer to isolation. And that decision, whether to engage or not engage, is the difference between working toward creating community. Or not. And I’ve been thinking about how, in fact, these decisions need to be so purposeful and intentional. Enter Shelly and Tom, the new owners of the house next door to Jack and Madelyn’s. I stopped to visit with the Goodriches the other day, and heard all about how, already, they are getting each other’s mail and learning about each other in the driveways. Neighboring. Building community. And that is a beautiful thing. Vicky Kettner is the Association Director of Marketing, Community Relations, and Member Engagement for the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo.
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Tales
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road
FROM THE sturgis, michigan
By Steve Ellis
bered the biscuits and was insistent that the town be named Sturgis. In 1896, Sturgis officially became a city.
I took a road trip a few months ago south of Kalamazoo though the rolling farmland around Mendon, Nottawa, Sturgis and Howe, Indiana. My return trip north, took me through Burr Oak and Colon.
Sturgis is known as the “Electric City” due to its municipal electric utility and hydroelectric dam, which dates back to the early days of the community. The City-owned electric department has served the Sturgis area since the city’s inception in 1896. In 1909, the City of Sturgis approved construction of a hydroelectric dam on the St Joseph River near Centreville. The dam began operation on September 3, 1911, and continues to serve the community.
I hadn’t stopped in Sturgis for a few years and decided to spend a few hours in the city close to the Indiana border. The first settler, Judge John Sturgis came to the St. Joseph Valley area in southern Michigan territory and settled in what is now Sturgis in 1827. The original site of his home can be seen at Pioneer Park, maintained by the City of Sturgis. Legend has it that Sturgis was chosen as the town’s name because Mrs. John Sturgis baked a pan of biscuits and sent them to a surveying party near their cabin. Lewis Cass, who later became governor, was part of that surveying party. When the time came to name the town, Governor Cass remem-
In June of 2014, the historic Sturgis Rail Depot was moved from its location on West Main & N. Clay Streets to a more central location on W. Chicago Road. The building, featuring masonry walls up to 2 feet thick and weighing 304 tons, was not easy to move. The Tudor Revival brick depot was originally constructed in 1895 to serve passengers traveling on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern (LS & MS) railway. In the early days of train travel, some passengers contended that “LS & MS” stood for Long Stops and Muddy Stations. Passenger service in Sturgis ended in 1956. The Depot underwent major renovations to be used as a museum by the Sturgis Historical Society. I stopped in the museum and was impressed with the exhibits and the cities rich history and found that Tom Bodett of the Motel 6, “We’ll leave the light on for you,” fame, may be their most famous alumni. Another Sturgis local treasure is the Sturges Young Center for the Arts. The city wanted a civic auditorium that could be used for multiple purposes. The City of
Sturgis received several large estate grants from three different philanthropically minded women to make the dream come true. The Sturges-Young Auditorium opened in 1955 to fanfare and celebration. The 986-seat multipurpose facility was much larger than would be expected for a small community like Sturgis.The venue has hosted many famous musicians, comedians, and public figures. On March 22, 1974, bandleader Duke Ellington (1899-1974) give his final performance here, two months before he died. The classic Strand Theatre first opened in 1917 and has continuously been showing movies ever since. It is one of the 10 oldest theaters in the U.S. and attracts 75,000 patrons annually A few of the most popular drinking and dining establishments in Sturgis, include: Iannarelli’s Italian Restaurant, El Taco Loco, Maria’s Restaurant and the Sturgis Brewing Company. The Open Door Art Gallery is worth a stop. The SturgisFest is held each year in June-go to sturgisftmi.com for details. If you are looking for a nice late fall drive in the country, take a trip to Sturgis.
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The Dormouse Theatre Dormouse Theatre is a 100 seat venue that produces its own unique brand of sketch comedy, as well as original, and non-traditional works. In addition, The Dormouse hosts and features live music and an array of other performance artists throughout the season. The setting is relaxed with eclectic seating options. Patrons will be able to chill before and after a show, while enjoying beverages and house made snacks from our rotating menu. The building itself is a fixture of the Kalamazoo community, as the Dormouse team has repurposed a one hundred and twenty five year old church building.
NOVEMBER EVENTS Tres Souls Sunday, November 5, 4:00-6:00pm
Saturday Night Fever Fundraiser Saturday November 11, 6-10pm
Out, Vanity Plate, Happy Day Monday, November 6, 7:30pm
Canned Champagne Improv with Special Guest Rio November 18, 7:30-9:30pm
Call Conway and Cathedral Comes… Wednesday, November 8, 7-9:30pm
For more information go to Thedormousetheatre.com 269 332-5011 • 1030 Portage St (at Lake St), Kalamazoo, MI 49001
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