FYI Family Magazine April/May 2016

April/May 2016

2016

Summer Camp Guide!

Naughty: Nature or Nurture?

Solving Tech Clutter Paint with Shaving Cream Family-friendly events, recipes and more!

Published by

Now in Kalamazoo and Portage

Hope Starts Here

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· Child, family and couples counseling · Therapy for depression, anxiety, behavior problems, addiction and more · Testing for ADHD, learning disabilities, concussions Professional. Confidential. Compassionate.

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r o t i d E e h t from

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M a r i e L eitoer Ed

fyiswmichigan.com •

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ren briggs

Who are these lovely people? See below.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Ren’s Make This! recipe is one of her mom’s triedand-true family-pleasing dinners, which also happens to be easy and simple.

Ren is an Allegan mom, a graduate of Grand Rapids Community College’s Secchia School of Culinary Arts and a former baker for Alpen Rose, Via Maria and deBoer Bakery.

April/May 2016

2016

Summer Camp Guide!

Naughty: Nature or Nurture?

Solving Tech Clutter Paint with Shaving Cream Family-friendly events, recipes and more!

anne lape

Melissa Lam

brian lam

Published by

Describing himself as a lifelong Spring Breaker, Laugh Last columnist Brian Lam says if being too wild on Spring Break is wrong, let him know because he doesn’t want to be in the wrong. His ideal wild Spring Break is spent working at his firm, Lam Creative Solutions, and spending time with his family. Since he’s a lifelong Spring Breaker, this is pretty much what he always does.

Melissa Lam has spent her professional career working in early childhood education, with a focus on arts, crafts and creativity. In this month’s FYI, she shares an unusual but simple painting craft that is fun and safe for children of any age. Melissa lives in Kalamazoo with her husband and 6-year-old daughter, who, fortunately, loves arts and crafts as much as her mother.

Anne did some major technology taming for this issue and provides great hacks on corralling cords and dealing with devices. The mom of a high-schooler, Anne is a writer and teacher living in Kalamazoo.

Publisher

encore publications, inc.

Editor

marie lee

Graphic Designer alexis stubelt

Contributors

ren briggs, brian lam, melissa lam, anne lape, jef otte

Advertising Sales

sophia jacobs, celeste statler, krieg lee

Office Manager hope smith

Distribution kama mitchell

FYI is published 6 times a year by Encore Publications, Inc. Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.

Editorial, circulation and advertising correspondence should be sent to Encore Publications, 117 W. Cedar St. Suite A, Kalamazoo MI, 49007. Phone: 269 383-4433. General email correspondence to publisher@encorekalamazoo.com FYI is distributed free of charge at locations throughout Southwest Michigan; home delivery subscription rate is $18 per year. Advertising rates and specifications at fyiswmichigan.com or by request.

FYI does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors; articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect FYI’s opinions or those of the FYI staff.

To learn more about us visit fyiswmichigan.com

Jef ot te

About the cover:

Our Family Man columnist Jef Otte is a formerly naughty child whose writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines all over the country. He is now raising three kids and is very well adjusted.

From left, campers Clementine Bailey, Ti’atti Clark and Desmyne Randale enjoy their experience at a City of Kalamazoo Department of Parks and Recreation camp.

Photo: Courtesy of City of Kalamazoo Department of Parks and Recreation

Correction: In the School Smarts

Guide in the FYI’s Feb/March 2016 issue, the enrollment number provided for Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center was incorrect. The correct enrollment number is 300.

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4 • April/May 2016

April/May 2016

In Every Issue 3

From the Editor

4

Our Contributors

6

Fun for Free

Family-friendly fun at no charge!

8

Playground Pick

9

Kindleberger Park is great for all seasons

Make This!

Easy, simple Chicken Parmesan

10 Everyday Hacks

Tame that technology

12

Creation Station

Painting with shaving cream? You bet!

14 Is This Normal?

FEATURE

15

Summer Camp Guide Plan your kids’ summer of fun and frolic with our 2016 Summer Camp Guide. From art to aviation, sports to science, there is something for every child!

Why is my child so grade-obsessed? You ask, experts answer.

PARENT TO PARENT 30 Family Man

Naughtiness — it runs in the family

38 Last Laugh

Ac tivities

A different kind of “wild” Spring Break

32 Family Events

The area’s most comprehensive calendar of family events

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Fun For Free FYI

Celebrate Earth Day, Twice

Show the big blue marble we live on a little love by observing Earth Day at two local celebrations.

Start with a visit to the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in Augusta. Admission to the sanctuary is free on April 22 in celebration of Earth Day. Explore trails and the variety of habitats surrounding Wintergreen Lake and see waterfowl, gamebirds and raptors on display.

When: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. April 22 Place: W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 12865 East C Ave., Augusta Ages: All ages More info: 671-2510, birdsanctuary.kbs.msu.edu The next day, you can enjoy Portage’s Green-a-Thon.

This family-friendly Earth Day festival, hosted by the Portage Youth Advisory Committee and the Portage Environmental Board and Park Board, includes live music, games, face painting, activities and giveaway items, including seedlings of Eastern redbud, white flowering dogwood, black gum and white pine trees.

More than 30 organizations and businesses will be on hand to provide entertainment and discuss environmental ideas that can be used at home or work.

Plus, the kids can meet Mr. Crispy! (That’s him above).

When: 11 a.m.–3 p.m. April 23 Place: C elery Flats 7335 Garden Lane, Portage Ages: All ages More info: 329-4512, portagemi.gov

Take in a Concert

No one is going to shush your little one at this performance.

In fact, Fontana Chamber Arts’ Crybaby Concerts are geared for dancing, moving, cooing and chatting (and even crying) little ones under the age of five.

The 45-minute concerts provide children and their parents, caregivers and siblings a performance of beautiful music in an open environment. There is room to move and plenty of space for stroller parking.

And here’s a bonus: a nutritious, kid-friendly snack is provided after the performance.

When: 11 a.m., April 9 Place: B ronson Gilmore Center for Health Education, 7 Healthcare Plaza, Kalamazoo Ages: 5 and under with caregivers More info: 382-7774, fontanamusic.org •

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April/May 2016

Gain Mental Health Awareness

Combining fun and information, the Kalamazoo Wraps’ National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day Carnival is an annual event that seeks to reduce the stigma of mental health issues as well as inform attendees about local mental health services available for youth and their families.

This is the 11th year of the carnival, which offers two tents with entertainers, a magician, balloon twisters, face painters, bounce castles, many mascots, a family photo station and emergency vehicles on display.

In addition, there’s free food — popcorn, hotdogs, cotton candy and water — as well as activities to keep little hands busy while adults gather information about children’s mental health resources and assistance.

When: 4–7 p.m. May 5 Place: K alamazoo County Expo Center 2900 Lake St., Kalamazoo Ages: All ages More info: 553-7122

theayres-group.com

Get Bubbly

This man does amazing things with soapy water.

Check out “The Bubbleman” Ron Loyd as he creates cubeshaped bubbles, double merry-go-round bubbles, smoke-filled bubbles and bubbles inside of bubbles at the Kalamazoo Public Library’s Oshtemo Branch.

The Bubbleman will present two shows, at 2 and 3 p.m., but tickets — which are free — are required as space is limited. You can pick up a free ticket at KPLOshtemo starting one week before the show.

Insurance for Families. Insurance for Business. Insurance for You.

Homeowners l Automobile Umbrella Liability l Life Insurance Annuities l Medicare Supplements

When: 2 p.m. & 3 p.m., April 4 Place: K alamazoo Public Library-Oshtemo 7265 W. Main St., Kalamazoo

Ralph Hayward Insurance 220 West Prairie P.O. Box 87 Vicksburg, MI 49097

Ages: All ages More info: 553-7980

269.649.1914 • 800.646.9773 Athens

Constantine

Edwardsburg Harbor Springs Schoolcraft *offices independently owned & operated.

Sturgis

Vicksburg

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Playground Pick Kindleberger Park Accessible in all seasons, Kindleberger Park is a rambling jewel of nearly 40 acres in the heart of Parchment.

Located at the intersection of Park and Maple Streets, the park includes two newer playground areas with swings, slides and climbing structures, rolling hills for roaming

and walking paths. In the summer, the park hosts the family-friendly Kindleberger Summer Festival of the Performing Arts as well as weekend concerts. In the winter, the park’s hills are popular with local sledders.

Where: Park and Maple Streets, Parchment Hours: Dawn to dusk Best Age: All ages Amenities:

• Two playgrounds • Regular and baby swings • Paved walking paths • 3 covered picnic pavilions • Roller hockey courts • Tennis courts • Baseball and softball diamonds • A sunken formal garden with gazebo

Teach Your Children Well

Give them the gift of organization with custom storage from Halls Closets & More...

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8 • April/May 2016

Family Dinner

Make this! FYI

Mom’s Best Chicken Parmesan by

Ren Briggs

We all have favorite memories from our childhood.

One of mine is a certain dish that my mom used to make: Chicken Parmesan. It is the most moist and delicious chicken ever!

So, in honor of my mom and the upcoming celebration of Mother’s Day, I am sharing this recipe with you. Maybe it will inspire you to create a recipe to hand down to your kids one day!

Ingredients 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup milk 1 32 oz. jar of pasta sauce (or homemade sauce if you prefer and have the time)

How To 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish generously with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Place chicken breast in baking dish.

4. Mix cheese with milk and spread evenly onto chicken breasts.

5. Bake for 30 minutes.

Hints • Buttered noodles of any kind are a great pasta choice with this meal.

• Make this super easy by buying pre-grated Parmesan cheese.

• Place a fresh basil leaf on each piece of chicken before serving for a delicious kick.

6. Pour pasta sauce over chicken and bake for another 20 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees.

7. Serve over cooked pasta of your choice.

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Everyday Hacks FYI

Taming Technology by

Anne Lape

A recent residential move found me face-to-face with the technology in my life and it wasn’t pretty.

Staring at a pile of remotes, chargers, a couple of long-unused flip phones and a snake pit of cords that I had no idea which device they belonged to or if they even worked anymore, I was overcome with a need to reduce my technology clutter — fast.

First, the good news: you can recycle most of that old stuff. A quick online search will give you the names of local retailers and recyclers who will take old electronics off your hands.

Now, how to tame the technology that remains?

Curtailing cords Cords and chargers are the bane of my existence; I think I buy a new one every week because one is broken, lost or an extra is needed for work, school or travel. The challenge is to keep these cords with the devices they belong to and in good working order.

That’s how 1-inch binder clips become miracle organizers: • Loop the cord several times around the three middle fingers of your hand. Pinch the loops together in the middle and attach the clip over the cords. Label the clip with the name of the device the cord belongs to.

• The same binder clip can hold the charging cord in place while you charge your device. Thread the end of the cord that plugs into the device through the handles of the clip. Attach the clip to the edge of a desk or counter.

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Hanging charging station Taming my teen’s technology was the next hurdle. A small plastic basket we hung on the wall with adhesive wall hooks near his bed became a charging station.

An extension cord runs from a nearby outlet into the basket, allowing my son to charge his phone plus store his earbuds (so I don’t wash them for 20th time), eyeglasses and other necessities.

Spring protection One of the first places a charger cord will go bad is at the junction of the connector that plugs into the device. I’m guilty of plugging in my phone or tablet and then resting it on a table, letting the charging cord hang off into space, which a tech employee told me was probably one of the reasons I have to replace so many chargers. To protect your cable, wrap a spring from a ballpoint pen around the connector and the cord to help keep the cord straight and cut down on wear and tear.

Corralling chargers No doubt, you’ve got phones, tablets, MP3 players, portable speakers and a gaggle of other devices that need to be charged, resulting in chargers protruding from every electrical outlet visible.

Make a central charging location for smaller devices: place an electrical power strip in a drawer of a cabinet, dresser or nightstand and plug chargers into the power strip. In the evening, after attaching the devices to their chargers, tuck them inside the drawer. Not only are they charged and ready to go the next morning, but they are all in one easy place to find.

Amplify your alarm Like many people, I use my smartphone as an alarm clock but sometimes have trouble hearing it in the sleepy hours of the morning.

Amplify the alarm’s sound by stashing your phone speaker-side down in an empty glass or coffee mug next to your bed. This also works as a cheap and easy speaker if you like to listen to music as you’re working around the house.

Label cords As I settled into my new home workspace, I put masking tape labels on all the cords plugged into my power strip, folding the tape over and writing “printer” and “laptop” on the appropriate electrical cords with a Sharpie so next time I’m crawling on the floor wondering what cord goes with what device, the search will go much faster.

So, cords tamed, tech organized, desk and bedroom no longer looking like a snake pit, I am feeling pretty accomplished and ready to work — until I realize I’ve forgotten the password to my computer.

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Creation station FYI

Shaving Cream Paintings by

Melissa Lam

Not all art projects need a lot of expensive supplies. Using a few household items, you can create a beautiful piece of art with children of almost any age. It’s quick, inexpensive and the finished product looks great!

Here’s how you do it:

• Tin foil or baking tray

Materials Needed

• Muffin tin or small bowls

• Foam shaving cream

• Medicine dropper (or spoon)

• Food coloring

• Spatula

• A drinking cup filled with water

• Paint brush

• Several sheets of thick white paper

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Directions 1. Put several drops of food coloring in the hollows of the muffin tin or in small bowls — just one color in each hollow or bowl.

2. Spray shaving cream onto the tin foil or tray and spread it out with the spatula. The shaving cream should be about ½-inch thick and cover a space larger than your white paper.

3. Use a medicine dropper or a spoon to deposit drops of food coloring on to the shaving cream. Be sure to dip the dropper into the cup of water between colors.

4. Using a paintbrush, twirl the drops of color and shaving cream into colorful patterns and swirls.

5. Place the white paper straight down on the nowcolorful shaving cream. Press lightly to make sure every part of the paper is exposed to the shaving cream.

6. Hold there for a few seconds and then carefully lift the paper up. Using the flat end of the spatula, scrape shaving cream off of the paper.

7. What remains is a colorful, patterned work of art.

Let dry.

Tips • If you have food coloring gel, you’ll want to water it down a little before using the medicine dropper.

• Have a trash receptacle accessible when it’s time to scrape off the shaving cream.

• Don’t overdo it on the swirls. You want to create patterns, not blend all the colors.

Join local author, Michelle Seelye Drucker for penguin treats and a signing of her new book

The Flightless Adventures Of Princess And Pearl!

Princess and Pearl are two Gentoo penguin chicks who love splashing away their days in the ocean. When their parents suddenly disappear, the pair sets off on a journey to find them. Will Princess and Pearl find their parents and finally make it back home? This children’s early chapter book, aimed at readers ages 6-10, is a delightful story about diversity, growing up and friendship.

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

BARNES & NOBLE 6134 S. Westnedge Ave. Portage

fyiswmichigan.com •

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Is this normal? FYI

You Ask, Experts Answer

Q:

My sixth grade daughter is obsessed with her grades. She is very smart and school isn’t hard for her, but if she makes a mistake on an assignment, she loses it. She got a C on a rough draft of a paper and cried before and after school for two days. We do not reward or punish our kids for their grades, so we don’t know where this pressure to get only A grades is coming from. How can I help her?

— Kalamazoo Mom

A:

Although it’s positive your daughter is self-motivated and strives for academic excellence, she seems to be putting unnecessary pressure on herself. A helpful place to start may be to explore and list some possible

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14 • April/May 2016

things that are fueling this high expectation. Even though the messages for high success may not be coming from within the family directly, there may be other sources. Some examples include a culture within the classroom or school offering academic rewards, peer or sibling competition, believing in unrealistic requirements for her future academic and career goals, or seeking authority approval. Having her identify possible reasons someone would strive for high grades may provide insight for all parties involved regarding this need for perfection.

Also, to encourage her to think outside of herself, ask her to think about the advice she would give to someone

she cares about who is putting a lot of pressure on themselves for good grades. Your daughter may also benefit from creating more balance in her priorities by identifying her other strengths and talents in addition to academics. Work on fostering growth in those areas to take the focus off of the need to excel in academics.

It may also be positive to help her look back at previous times she did not meet a goal she set for herself and process how she was able to move forward and continue to succeed.

If these suggestions do not seem to relieve some of her stress, it may be beneficial for her to see a mental health professional to prevent it from becoming a more significant clinical concern.

Questions answered by Nichole Holliday, MA, LLPC, LLMFT, Private Practice at Child & Family Psychological Services Portage, and Alyssa Noonan, LLMSW, Private Practice at Child & Family Psychological Services Kalamazoo.

2016 p m a C R SUMME Guide

G

ood News! Thanks to the abundance of area camp options, kids will be hard pressed to find a dull moment this summer.

Many parents have expressed that one of the hardest things about planning kids’ summer activities is just knowing what options are out there. That’s why FYI Family Magazine has compiled this comprehensive guide of camps and summer activities for kids. Whether your children want to explore space or sports, be artistic or dramatic, or just get close to nature, there’s a camp that’ll fit their interests and your schedule.

So prepare to plan, but don’t take too long, because summer will be here before you know it!

(See, we’re just full of good news around here.)

DAY CAMPS Adventure Quest — 3rd–4th Grade, Air Zoo, 6151 Portage Road, Portage, 350.2848, airzoo.org

June 27–July 1, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Adventure awaits! Embark on a journey into the world of courageous knights, swashbuckling pirates and bold treasure hunters. Role-play your favorite characters, explore hidden cities and traverse the exciting ropes course at Airway Fun Center! See ad on page 23.

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16 • 2016 Summer camp Guide

Air Zoo Olympics — 3rd–4th Grade, Air Zoo, 6151 Portage Road, Portage, 350.2848, airzoo.org

Aug. 8–12, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Activate your inner athlete and race for good health and serious fun! “Official” opening ceremonies kick off a week of silly sports, obstacle courses and wacky water activities. Everybody wins working as a team! See ad on page 23.

Academically Talented Youth Program (ATYP), Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, 387.3553

Art Bayou Summer Camp, 3306 Stadium Dr., Kalamazoo, 375.2600 Aviation Summer Camp, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., 964.7846, hubspot. aviation.wmich.edu/aviationsummercamp

WMU’s College of Aviation partners with Kalamazoo Air Zoo to provide an interactive opportunity for high school students to learn about the field of flying. Two levels of camps are offered. See ad on page 19.

Business Camps, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., 387.5860, wmich.edu/financecamp

New business camps in finance and entrepreneurship for high school students. Explore the intricacies of starting a business or learn about the stock market, how the economy works and how to save. See ad on page 19.

Camp Kzoo — High Five Week, City of Kalamazoo Department of Parks and Recreation, 251 Mills St., Kalamazoo, 337.8191, kzooparks.org

Camp Kzoo — Olympic Week, City of Kalamazoo Department of Parks and Recreation, 251 Mills St., Kalamazoo, 337.8191, kzooparks.org

Campers enjoy five days packed with rich Michigan history and a trip to our state capital! High Five Week is offered at camp locations from 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; early drop-off available at Mayors’ Riverfront Park. See ad on page 25.

It’s game on for campers with five days of Olympic feats! Olympic Week is offered at camp locations from 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; early drop-off available at Mayors’ Riverfront Park. See ad on page 25.

2016 Summer camp Guide •

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Campus Kids Summer Camp, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, 387.2572, wmich.edu/childcare/campuskids

10 years old. We offer one field trip Design Lab STEM Academy — per week, daily health and fitness, 5th–6th Grade, Air Zoo, 6151 Portage and education. Application required. Road, Portage, 350.2848, airzoo.org See ad on page 26.

Crescendo Academy of Music, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 112, Kalamazoo, 345.6664, crescendoacademy.com

Campus Kids Summer Camp features 12 different themed camps. Choose to study music, water or theater or many other exciting topics. See ad on page 19.

Civic Academy of Theatre Arts, 329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo, 343.2280, kazoocivic.com.

Music for infants to adults. Private lessons, chamber ensembles, Music Together for infants and toddlers, Community Voices for teens and adults with physical and mental challenges, Epic Broadway! musical theater camp, master classes, workshops and more! See ad on page 21.

Aug. 22—26, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Modeled after NASA’s aerodynamic investigations, take original designs from concept to 3D printed prototypes and develop, test and build a glider! Investigate STEM careers with tours to the Kalamazoo Airport Control Tower, Duncan Aviation and WACO. See ad on page 23.

Design Street, 115 West Bridge St., Plainwell, 615.0884

Enriched for Life at Portage Public Curious Kids Summer Academies, Schools, 8107 Mustang Dr., Portage, 1010 W. Milham Ave., Portage, 323.6700, ppscommed.org 323.6764, ppscommed.org Day camps for ages 9—18. Acting Day Camp “World of Words,” Aug. 1–5, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., $195. Musical Theatre Day Camp “And the Winner Is…,” Aug. 8—19, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., $395. Financial aid may be available. See ad on page 27.

Community Learning Center, 6330 King Hwy., Kalamazoo, 345.7243, comstockcc.com/children-youth

Classes and Camps for Kids and Adults

SUMMER ACADEMIES To Register:

269-323-6700 or online

www.ppscommed.org

Summer fun for ages 6+. Field trips, crafts, food and activities to keep kids busy and learning new things all summer long. Sign up for one or all!

Curious Kids is a program of Portage Public Schools. See ad on page 29.

Register at www.ppscommed.org

Summer fun for kids and adults. Improve your fitness, learn a new skill or learn to dance. Sports camps, drama camps and more will keep you and your kids busy all summer long. A program of Portage Public Schools.

See ad on page 29.

Excel Dance Center, 6775 West Q Ave., Kalamazoo, 568.0582

Summer fun at the Community Learning Center is 6/13 through 8/6 for children entering 1st grade up to

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18 • 2016 Summer camp Guide

GO to summer

Academic Prep

camp 2016

Art

Nearly 50 camps offered!

Career Planning

Explore a wide variety of camps geared for students of all ages.

Games

Aviation Business Children Computer Programming Language Math Music Reading Sports Writing

fyiswmichigan.com •

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Fort St. Joseph Archaeology Camp, Hackett Catholic Prep Summer 508 E. Main St., Niles, 269.683.4700 Camps, 1000 W. Kilgore Road, Ka4-H Camp Kidwell, 39000 1st Ave., lamazoo, 381.2646 ext. 114, hackettBloomingdale, 521.3559, camp- summercamp.org

Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo, 381.1574, KNCCamp.org

kidwell.org — See listing under Residential Camps and ad on page 28.

Gilmore Piano Camp, at Sherman Lake YMCA, 6225 N. 39th St., Augusta, 2016 Summer Athletic and Academ342.1166, thegilmore.org ic Camps. All camps are held on the Hackett Catholic Prep campus. Registration information is available on the website hackettcp.org. See ad on page 27.

Immerse yourself in music at The Gilmore’s Piano Camp. Pianists of all levels and experience enjoy daily lessons and performances. Electives include music production, composition, jazz and improvisation, Sherman Lake outdoor camp activities and more. See ad on page 26.

Girl Scouts of America Heart of Michigan, 601 W. Maple St., Kalamazoo, 532.7063 Gull Lake View Junior Golf Clinic, 7417 38th St., Augusta, 731.4149, gulllakeview.com

Why stay inside when you can be OUTSIDE having FUN! Try the giant Slip n’ Slide, splash in the Natural Kalamazoo Creative Art Camp, Playground and horse around with 3681 Fawn Cove Lane #5, Portage, our farmyard friends. Older campers enjoy the zipline, challenge course 569.0146 and campouts! See ad on page 29.

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Summer Camps, 314 S. Park St., City of Kalamazoo Department of Parks & Recreation, 251 Mills St., Kalamazoo, 349.7775, kiarts.org Kalamazoo, 337.8191 — See ad on page 25.

Family Overnights, Binder Park Zoo, 7400 Division Dr., Battle Creek, 269.979.1351, binderparkzoo.org

Register online for full- or half-day camps for grades 1–5; half-day camps for 4–K; specialty camps for 11–17, and 8-week Saturday classes starting in June. Members enjoy discounts.

Log on to kiarts.org or call 349.7775.

Learn about Africa and the animals See ad on page 27. and people of this continent. Partake Kalamazoo Valley Museum Free in a live animal presentation and fun Golf clinic for ages 6–13, teaching the Summer Hands-on Art Programs, activities and sleep in an authentic fundamentals. Each Wednesday, July 230 N. Rose St., Kalamazoo, 373.7990 African tented camp while learning 13–July 27, PGA pros offer a new golf how you can help animal conservalesson and instruction in endurance, tion. See ad on page 17. patience and teamwork. Family Fun Day July 31 for campers and families.

See ad on page 21.

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20 • 2016 Summer camp Guide

Fun and varied STEM experiences for students pre-K to high school since 1987.

Brochures online or at school 3/25.

Visit kamsconline.com.

600 W. Vine Street, Kalamazoo kamsconline.com • 269.337.0004

Learn to play golf and meet new friends!

Music Instruction for All Ages & Abilities

Our mission is your musical growth and enjoyment!

Member

• Study & learn in a positive & supportive atmosphere with professional, enthusiastic, experienced, university-trained teaching artists including Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Artists-in-Residence • Private instruction on strings, woodwinds, brass, piano, guitar, percussion, voice, theory & composition • Crescendo Fiddlers • Chamber Ensembles • Workshops & Masterclasses • Community Voices ensemble for teens & adults with mental & physical challenges • Music Together® classes for infants, toddlers, & preschoolers • Orff Studio classes for ages 5 & up • Epic Broadway! musical theater camp starts in August!

Epic Center, Suite 12, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall information@crescendoacademy.com www.crescendoacademy.com 269/345-6664

JUNIOR GOLF CLINIC

GULL LAKE VIEW GOLF CLUB & RESORT

July 13, 20, 27, 31

July

Kids ages 6 through 13 are invited to learn the fundamentals of golf from our PGA pros this 13, 20, 27 & 31 summer at Gull Lake View.

Each Wednesday for three weeks we will offer a fun and easy to learn golf lesson. On July 31st, we will host a family fun day when junior golfers and their families are invited to play Stonehedge North. Kids’ golf clubs available.

Registration:$70.00

( Early sign ups encouraged )

Ryan Gumpper (269) 731- 4149 rgumpper@gulllakeview.com

2016 Summer camp Guide •

21 •

KAMSC Sizzlin’ Summer Math & Science Program, Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center, 600 W. Vine St., Kalamazoo, 337.0004, kamsconline.com

Kids Gym, 9027 Portage Industrial Dr., Portage, 323.7657 Kids Sports, 6712 Financial Parkway, Kalamazoo, 544.3000

Sherman Lake YMCA Summer Camp, 6225 N. 39th St., Augusta, 731.3000, www.ShermanLakeYMCA.org

Mad Science, 6811 W. KL Ave., Kalamazoo, 978.8543 Marshall Music, Portage, 321.0415

951

Mall

Dr.,

Opening Act Theatre Company, 61268 County Road 657, Lawton, 714.757.4971

Put some STEM fun and learning in your summer! Part- or full-day for ages 4 and older. Look for brochure Paradise Ridge Ranch, 9886 West L at school or online by March 25. On- Ave, Kalamazoo, 375.2823 line registration goes live April 1.

Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, 701 W. See ad on page 21.

Cloverdale Road, Hastings, 721.4190 Kazoo School Summer Session, 1401 Cherry St., Kalamazoo, Portage Parks & Recreation, 7719 S. 345.3239, kazooschool.org/summer- Westnedge Ave., Portage, 329.4522 session

Portage Public Library, 300 Library Lane, Portage, 329.4544

Give your child the “Best Summer Ever” at Sherman Lake YMCA Camp!

Fun activities abound with swimming, hiking, canoeing, indoor/outdoor climbing, sports, horseback, ropes course and more. There’s something new and different every week! See ad on page 27.

Space Voyage — K–2nd Grade, Air Zoo, 6151 Portage Road, Portage, 350.2848, airzoo.org

Robin’s Nest Art Camps, 5115 Texas Dr., Kalamazoo, 508.801.5242 Safari Day Camp, Binder Park Zoo, 7400 Division Dr., Battle Creek, 269.979.1351, binderparkzoo.org The Kazoo School Summer Session programs challenge and develop the intellectual, physical, creative and artistic interests of students who want to reap the benefits of exciting experiences when school lets out in June.

See ad on page 25.

Keith Hall Summer Drum Intensive, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, Children ages 2–17 can experience nature and wildlife in a variety 201.406.5059 of camps designed to specific age Kids Being Scientists Camp at Kel- groups and interests. Explore the logg Bird Sanctuary, 12685 East C wonders of the natural world through Ave., Augusta, 671.2510 exploration, crafts, observation and meeting some unique animal ambassadors! See ad on page 17.

•

22 • 2016 Summer camp Guide

July 11 – 15, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Blast off to adventure and get to know the mysteries of outer space! Investigate the worlds of our solar system, discover Mars, explore zero gravity, and launch a rocket! See ad on page 23.

The Air Zoo is one

of the nation’s premier, hands-on,

indoor aerospac e and science education center s.

From physics to forensics, che mistry to rocket science, the Air Z oo’s affordable, “h ands-on” Science Camps for Pre-K 12th Graders are becoming the #1 camp choice fo r innovative paren ts looking to give their kids fun yet educational experiences!

Find out more at www.AirZoo.org or (866)524-7966.

See the Air Zoo Education Catalog:

www.AirZoo.education

LEARN MORE TODAY:

AIRZOO.ORG 6151 PORTAGE ROAD PORTAGE, MI 49002

fyiswmichigan.com • 23 • (866) 524-7966

Summer Explorers at Appletree & Gilden Woods, 4620 Arboretum Pkwy., Kalamazoo, 389.0118; 909 Dix St., Otsego, 692.3695; & 1528 E. Centre Ave., Portage, 359.1115; gildenwoods.com, appletreekids.cc AROUND THE

WORLD IN

80

WMU Children’s Place, 2210 Wilbur St., Kalamazoo, 387.2277, wmich. edu/childcare/campuskids.org

4-H Camp Kidwell, 39000 1st Ave., Bloomingdale, 521.3559, campkidwell.org

The WMU Children’s Place Learning Center is the home base for Campus Kids summer school-age program.

Participants will learn about the arts, explore museums, take a trip around the world in food, and more.

See ad on page 28.

4-H Camp Kidwell offers overnight and day camps for children 4–16 years. Campers experience activities like horse riding, rock climbing, jumping on the water trampoline, canoeing, archery and more! Check our website for more details! See ad on page 28.

School-Age Summer Fun Register Today

DAYS

Get ready to travel the world! Our Summer Explorers will “visit” the seven continents and learn about the most famous landmarks on Earth.

Register today for a summer filled with friendships, field trips and fun!

See ad on page 29.

Summer Youth Robotics Camp, Kellogg Community College, 405 Brady Hill Road, Battle Creek, 269.965.4137

YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo Summer Camps, 1001 Maple St., 345.9622 ext.166, kzooymca.org

Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo, 381.1574

Third Coast Camp for Young Writers, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, 387.4356, thirdcoastwp.wikispaces.com

Lake of the Woods Camp for Girls, 84600 47-1/2 St., Decatur, 423.3091

The Y offers day and sport camp experiences: Kinder Camp (ages 3–5), Junior Explorer Camp (ages 6–10), Portage Ahoma Camp (ages 6–12), Mini Sport Camp and Early Teen Adventures Camp (ages 11–14). Scholarships available. See ad on page 21.

There are two different themed writing camp experiences offered — each are two weeks in length. You’ll meet lots of other motivated, highspirited young writers like yourself — people who love to write.

See ad on page 19.

RESIDENTIAL Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, 300 E. Crystal Lake Road, Twin Lake, 800.221.3796 Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo, 915 Lake St., Kalamazoo, 349.4485 Camp Henry, 5575 Gordon Ave., Newaygo, 616.459.2267

•

24 • 2016 Summer camp Guide

Greenwood Camp for Boys, 84600 47-1/2 St., Decatur, 269.423.3091

Lincoln Lake, 15113 Lincoln Lake Ave. NE, Gowen, 616.984.2125 Miracle Camp, 25281 80th Ave., Lawton, 624.6161 Pretty Lake Vacation Camp, 9123 Q Ave., Mattawan, 375.1950 Sherman Lake YMCA Camp, 6225 N. 39th St., Augusta, 731.3000, ShermanLakeYMCA.org — See entry under Day Camps and ad on page 27.

WMU High School Music Seminar, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, 387.4681 YMCA Camp Eberhart, 10481 Camp Eberhart Road, Three Rivers, 269.244.5125

The Greta Berman Arbetter

Performance Training Summer Camps

K azoo School

Great for most sports! Learn how you can improve strength, speed, agility and prevent injury.

Summer Session

High School Camp (Grades 9 – 12) July 11 – 14 9 a.m. to noon

Our programs challenge and develop the intellectual, physical, creative and artistic interests of students.

PK –8th grade

Middle School Camp (Grades 7 – 8) July 18 – 21 9 a.m. to noon

Experts in fun!

The location for both camps is at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo. Camps are open to the public for both boys and girls. To register go to bronsonhealth.com/classes. If you have questions, call (855) 618-2676, ext. 4579.

kazooschool.org/summer-session

269-345-3239

bronsonhealth.com/performancetraining

9

camp weeks 9am – 5pm Mon-Fri Jun 20th - Aug 19th

3

Cam p K zo o

Locations

Mayors’ Riverfront Park Youth Development Center Douglass Community Association

Learn more & Register at KzooParks.org 2016 Summer camp Guide •

25 •

SPORTS Bronson Performance Training Summer Camps (Grades 7–8), Loy Norrix High School, 606 E. Kilgore Road, 855.618.2676 ext. 4579, bronsonhealth.com/performancetraining

July 18–21, 9 a.m.–noon. Boys and girls, grades 7–8. Basic strength training (squats, lunges, pressing), speed and agility drills, total body flexibility and range of motion and injury prevention techniques. Great training for most sports! See ad on page 25.

Bronson Performance Training Summer Camps (High School), Loy Norrix High School, 606 E. Kilgore Road, 855.618.2676 ext. 4579, bronsonhealth.com/performancetraining

July 11–14, 9 a.m.–noon. Boys and girls, grades 9–12. Basic strength training (squats, lunges, pressing), speed and agility drills, total body flexibility and range of motion, and injury prevention techniques. Great training for most sports! See ad on page 25.

City of Kalamazoo Department of Parks & Recreation, 251 Mills St., Kalamazoo, 337.8191. See listing under Day Camps and ad on page 25.

Climb Kalamazoo, 136 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo, 385.9891 Courthouse, 7365 S. Sprinkle Road, Portage, 329.0033 Gull Lake Schools Sports Camps, 11775 East D Ave., Richland, 488.5018 Hackett Catholic Prep Summer Camps, 1000 W. Kilgore Rd., Kalamazoo, 381.2646 ext. 114 — See listing under Day Camps and ad on page 27.

Junior Golf Association of SW Michigan, 4200 Lovers Lane, Kalamazoo, 447.1484 Kalamazoo Christian Sports Camps, 2121 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo, 381.2044 Kalamazoo College Boys Soccer Camp, 1200 Academy St., Kalamazoo, 615.5682 Kalamazoo College Girls Soccer Camp, 1200 Academy St., Kalamazoo, 615.5245

THE GILMORE PIANO CAMP 2016 July 10-15

ds New Frien Making education fun for the summer!

Sherman

Lake Fun

• Nationally accredited • Accepting children entering 1st grade to 10 years old • One fun-filled field trip per week • Daily health & fitness activities • Fun summer-themed educational activities

1046 River Street, Kalamazoo 269-345-7243 communitylearningcntr.com info@communitylearningcenter.com

•

26 • 2016 Summer camp Guide

All Types o

f Music

ns Daily Lesso 269.342.1166 thegilmore.org/education

sum m e r

CAMPS ATHLETICS • ACADEMICS All Are Welcome

HACKETTSUMMERCAMP.ORG PMS 364 - GREEN

PMS 872 - GOLD

1000 West Kilgore Kalamazoo 269-381-2646 hackettcatholicprep.org

FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT® FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

PICTURE YOURSELF

HERE

REGI FOR BSTER EAR CAMP EST RATELSY !

VIS

IT DA Marc YS A h 20 ( May pril 17 (12-4) 15 (K ids R 4) OAR)

2016 SUMMER SHERMAN LAKE YMCA

SUMMER CAMP

ShermanLakeYMCA.org 269-731-3000

2016 Summer camp Guide •

27 •

Kalamazoo College Volleyball Camp, 1200 Academy St., Kalamazoo, 337.7086

YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo, 1001 Maple St., 345.9622 ext.166 — See ad on page 21.

Cherry Creek Community Church, 10641 Shaver Road, Portage, 327.9090

Kalamazoo Growlers, 251 Mills St., Kalamazoo, 492.9966

RELIGIOUS

Kalamazoo First Assembly of God, 5550 Oakland Dr., Portage, 329.1977

Kids Sports, 6712 Financial Parkway, Kalamazoo, 544.3000

Camp Henry, 5575 Gordon Ave., Newaygo, 616.459.2267

Haven Church, 5350 N. Sprinkle Road, Kalamazoo, 344.5871

Kingdom Sports, 8151 Merchant Place, Portage, 226.2000

Kalamazoo Christian Summer Programs, 3800 S. 12th St., Kalamazoo, 544.2332

Oakland Drive Christian Church, 7331 Oakland Dr., Portage, 327.7602

KVCC Baseball Camp, 6767 West O Ave., Kalamazoo, 488.4781 KVCC Basketball Camp, 6767 West O Ave., Kalamazoo, 488.4421 KVCC Sports Camps, 6767 West O Ave., Kalamazoo, 488.4799 KVCC Volleyball Camp, 6767 West O Ave., Kalamazoo, 488.4780 West Hills Athletic Club Tennis Camp, 2001 S. 11th St., Kalamazoo, 387.0437 WMU Sports Camps, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, wmich.edu/admissions/camps

Miracle Camp, 25281 80th Ave., Lawton, 624.6161 Pine Ridge Bible Camp, 8415 17 Mile Road, Cedar Springs, 616.696.8675

Vacation Bible School

Portage United Church of Christ, 2731 W. Milham Ave., 327.3114 St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, 7211 Oakland Dr., Portage, 327.7832 Southridge Reformed Church, 6726 Texas Dr., Kalamazoo, 353.2700

June

Trinity Lutheran Church, 504 S. Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo, 344.6181

Calvary Bible Church East, 5495 E. Main St., Kalamazoo, 344.4472

Valley Family Church, 2500 Vincent Ave., Kalamazoo, 324.5599

Centerpoint Church Adventure Camp, 2345 N. 10th St., Kalamazoo, 375.4815

Victory Baptist Church, 308 W. Milham Ave., Portage, 344.0842

!

4-H CAMP KIDWELL Overnight Camps * Day Camps Specialty Camps * Ages 4-16 * Weekly Sessions with fun themes June 13 - Sept. 2

Register online at www.campkidwell.org Discount code for $25 off - FYI2016 www.campkidwell.org campkidwell@btc-bci.com

(269) 521-3559 •

28 • 2016 Summer camp Guide

July Berean Baptist Church, 7813 S. 12th St., Portage, 375.0244 Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, 7028 Oakland Dr., Portage, 327.6643 Milwood United Methodist Church, 3919 Portage St., Kalamazoo, 381.6720 St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 1150 W. Centre Ave., Portage, 327.5165

August

Hope Reformed Church, 910 Jenks Blvd., Kalamazoo, 349.9788 Westwood United Methodist Church, 538 Nichols Rd., Kalamazoo, 344.7165 Disclaimer: This guide is researched and compiled by FYI Family Magazine editorial staff. Enhanced listing information provided by those entities. While every reasonable effort was made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, FYI assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Information contained here is subject to change without notice.

P.S. If you’re not in this listing, we didn’t do it on purpose, we promise. Email us and let us know we left you out — we’re happy to add your camp to the guide online and keep you on the list for next year’s guide!

AROUND THE

WORLD IN

80 DAYS

Join Us For a Summer of Fun (ages 6-12 years old)

Kalamazoo • Otsego • Portage www.gildenwoods.com | www.appletreekids.cc

Ultimate Summer Camp Guide!

Fill your child’s summer vacation with a variety of full and half-day camps!

Choose from more than 200 exciting science, sports, drama and art camps and classes promoting learning, activity and new friendships.

Adult programs too!

Check out our online catalog!

To register, call 269-323-6700 or

www.ppscommed.org 2016 Summer camp Guide •

29 •

Family Man FYI

The Naughtiness Gene by

Jef Otte

I was a naughty child. I learned this fact growing up,

and probably my parents’ generation will have to die off completely before I’ll ever get to forget it.

Often have I heard these stories: The time I found a chisel and engraved my name into the neighbors’ front walk. The time I rode my bike into a lake, despite being told just seconds before, “Jef, don’t ride your bike into that lake.” The time I uttered the phrase “I want shrimp” one bazillion times.

Nobody says it out loud, but I know my family takes a gross karmic glee in the disposition of my 4-year-old son.

Indeed, he’s a kid you might generously call “spirited.” On our best days, when he’s pinballing off the furniture while whacking a lamp with a stick and making that face — if you’ve ever had a 4-year-old, you know that face: the lunatic grimace, wrenched-open eyeballs and tremor suggestive of electrocution from some internal source — my wife will look at me and say, “He’s going to be one interesting adult.”

•

30 • April/May 2016

For what is naughtiness, really, but a set of qualities we value in adults: courage, exuberance, defiance in the face of grave personal cost? I’ve been thinking about this because not too long ago I became father to my first daughter and my family keeps giving me this wink-and-nudge, like “thank goodness this one won’t be so naughty.” Because boys are naughty and girls aren’t, I guess? Is that why?

Because if so, that would be absurd. My wife was exceedingly naughty as a child. Once her mother found a “macaroni farm” stashed behind her dresser — cooked macaroni and cheese, liberally watered, partially decayed and emitting a wretched stink.

Another time, my wife called herself in sick to high school saying she had mononucleosis and got away with it for an entire month before her parents caught on.

Indeed, my wife descends from a long line of naughty women. Her mother once tried to frame her older sister, Deb, by writing “Debbie did this” in lipstick on their mother’s best white chair. Disastrously, she was 4 at the time, and since Deb was 8, her crappy handwriting gave her away.* My own mother has carefully obscured the details of her murky and probably scandalous past. Both her parents passed away long ago and took those stories to the grave. But an old black-and-white photo I have of her, a round-faced little kid coolly scowling and slouching on a low-ride banana-seat bike, strongly suggests delinquency. She’s pretty much still a delinquent.

And my baby daughter, though limited by yet-coarse motor skills, is trying her best to be naughty already. My *My mother-in-law’s version of this story is that she actually wrote “Debbie did this” on a white doily, and only scribbled in lipstick on the white chair. Either way, her mother’s white things plainly endured many years of peril.

4-year-old had the gleam of evil in his eye from an early age, but I don’t remember even him developing quite so early the nuanced, subtle range of vocal sass she’s been cultivating since her earliest days. I fear she may be the naughtiest yet.

In contrast, my 13-year-old son, my oldest, was a model child: quiet, reserved, averse to risk. I was younger then — so young I still liked to sleep in — and when he was about 4 I showed him how to read a clock and told him not to wake me up before 9:30 a.m. And he obeyed. He would just play quietly until the clock said 9:30 and then come wake me up. I can’t imagine trying this with my younger son. Actually I can imagine it, and in my imagination it involves fire, weeping, devastation and possibly police.

It’s worth noting that my (shocking, now that I’m thinking about it) degree of youth when my oldest was born is

itself an expression of my late-stage, advanced naughtiness: out of wedlock, in a different town, with a woman I’d fallen out of touch with and didn’t know was pregnant. When I broke the news to my parents — Guess what!

You’re grandparents! — he was already 4 months old. My mother absorbed it with a weary sigh. “Well,” she said, “I can’t say I’m surprised.”

And even though he’s actually naughtier now than he ever was as a little kid — his teen years have bestowed him a talent for telling filthy, conniving lies with such practiced guile it actually frightens me — he’s also grown into a sweet, thoughtful, conscientious kid, an interesting kid with surprising insights, a beautiful kid, a wonderful kid I wouldn’t wish away in a million, gazillion years.

And if that’s naughty, I just don’t want to be nice.

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fyiswmichigan.com •

31 •

s

WEEKLY WHERE IS?

Addresses, phone numbers & websites of venues frequently appearing in the calendar: Air Zoo — 6151 Portage Rd, 382-6555, airzoo.org Binder Park Zoo — 7400 Division Dr, Battle Creek, 979-1351, binderparkzoo.org Bounceland — 6255 Technology Ave, 353-0940, bounceland.com Comstock Township Library — 6130 King Highway, 345-0136, comstocklibrary.org Jungle Joe’s Family Fun Center — 7255 S Sprinkle Rd, 324-1992, junglejoesffc.com Kalamazoo County Expo Center — 2900 Lake St, 383-8778, kalcounty.com/parks/expo Kalamazoo Institute of Arts — 314 S Park St, 349-7775, kiarts.com KPL-Alma Powell — Kalamazoo Public Library-Alma Powell, 1000 W Paterson Ave, 553-7960, kpl.gov KPL-Central — Kalamazoo Public Library-Central, 315 S Rose St, 342-9837, kpl.gov KPL-Eastwood — Kalamazoo Public Library-Eastwood, 1112 Gayle Ave, 553-7810, kpl.gov KPL-Oshtemo — Kalamazoo Public Library-Oshtemo, 7265 W Main St, 553-7980, kpl.gov KPL-Washington Square — Kalamazoo Public Library-Washington Square, 1244 Portage St, 553-7970, kpl.gov Kalamazoo Nature Center — 7000 N Westnedge Ave, 381-1574, naturecenter.org, Kalamazoo Valley Museum — 230 N Rose St, 373-7990, kalamazoomuseum.org Parchment Library — Parchment Community Library, 401 S. Riverview Dr., 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org Portage Library — Portage District Library, 300 Library Lane, 3294544, portagelibrary.info Richland Library — 8951 Park St, 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org Sky Zone — 5103 Portage Rd, 459-9243, skyzone.com/kalamazoo

•

32 • April/May 2016

Mondays Open Bounce @ Jungle Joe’s, indoor inflatable park, 9 am–8 pm, Jungle Joe’s Family Fun Center, all ages, $10 unlimited play, $3 adults with child, $2 ages 0–23 mo Toddler Playtime, (April only), for toddlers & their caregivers, 9:15– 11:30 am, The Point, 2595 N 10th St., 350-5496, ages 0–5, FREE Family Storytime, stories, rhymes, music & a mystery letter, 10 am, Portage Library, ages 3–5, FREE 2–3 Year Old Storytime, stories, songs & craft (registration requested), 10:30 am, Comstock Township Library, ages 2–3, FREE Storytime @ Barnes & Noble, story, coloring & treat, 10:30 am, Barnes & Noble, 6134 S Westnedge Ave, 324-1433, all ages, FREE Tuesdays Open Bounce @ Jungle Joe’s, indoor inflatable park, 9 am–8 pm, Jungle Joe’s Family Fun Center, all ages, $10 unlimited play, $3 adults with child, $2 ages 0–23 mo Baby Lapsit—Infants, (May only), songs, bounces & rhymes, 9:30 am, KPL-Central, ages birth–walking, FREE Baby & Toddler Storytime, (April only), stories, finger plays & movement, 9:30 am & 10:30 am, Portage Library, ages 0–23 mo, FREE Toddler Time @ Sky Zone, trampoline park, 10 am–noon, Sky Zone, ages 1–5, $7/hour Toddler Time @ Bounceland, indoor inflatable park, 10 am–1 pm, Bounceland, $5 ages 3–5, $4 ages 2 & under Open Jump @ Bounceland, 10 am–7 pm, Bounceland, all ages, $8 ages 2 & older, $4 under 2, adults vary Toddler Tales Storytime, story, songs, finger plays & movement, 10:15 am, Parchment Library, ages 2–3, FREE 1–2 Year Old Storytime, stories, songs & craft (registration requested), 10:30 am, Comstock Township Library, ages 1–2, FREE Baby Lapsit –Walkers, (May only), rhymes, songs & books, 10:30 am, KPL-Central, ages walking–24 months, FREE Gentle Water Exercise, class for prenatal & postpartum women, 11 am, YMCA, 1001 W Maple St, 345-9622, adults, FREE Baby & Me Time, stories, rhymes & songs, 11:15 am, Parchment Library, ages 0–23 mo, FREE Preschool Storytime, book & a craft, 1 pm, Richland Library, ages 3–5, FREE Open Jump @ Sky Zone, 4–8 pm, Sky Zone, all ages, $10/30 min; $14/60 min Wednesdays Open Bounce @ Jungle Joe’s, indoor inflatable park, 9 am–8 pm, Jungle Joe’s Family Fun Center,

all ages, $10 unlimited play, $3 adults with child, $2 ages 0–23 mo Toddler Playtime, (April only), for toddlers & their caregivers, 9:15– 11:30 am, The Point, 2595 N 10th St, 350-5496, ages 0–5, FREE Animal Encounters, story, coloring & a live animal, 10 am, Kalamazoo Nature Center, ages 0–5, regular admission plus $2 fee Toddler Time @ Bounceland, indoor inflatable park, 10 am–1 pm, Bounceland, $5 ages 3–5, $4 ages 2 & under 2 & 3 Year Old Storytime, stories, songs & movement, 10 am, Portage Library, ages 2–3, FREE Open Jump @ Bounceland, 10 am–7 pm, Bounceland, all ages, $8 ages 2 & older, $4 under 2, adults vary Toddler Talk, toddlers play & adults share with a parent educator, 10:15 am–12:15 pm, KPLOshtemo, ages 1–3, FREE 3–5 Year Old Storytime, stories, songs & craft (registration requested), 10:30 am, Comstock Township Library, ages 3–5, FREE Baby Talk, talk infant care with Connie Koning, RN, 1:30–3:30 pm, KPL-Oshtemo, ages 0–12 mo, FREE Reading with Tucker, (May only), read to a friendly Golden Retriever (registration required), 4–5:30 pm, KPL-Alma Powell, all ages, FREE Open Jump @ Sky Zone, trampoline park, 4–8 pm, Sky Zone, all ages, $10/30 min; $14/60 min Thursdays Open Bounce @ Jungle Joe’s, indoor inflatable park, 9 am–8 pm, Jungle Joe’s Family Fun Center, all ages, $10 unlimited play, $3 adults with child, $2 ages 0–23 mo I’m a Big Kid Now Storytime, stories, rhymes, music & a mystery letter, 10 am, Portage Library, ages 3–5, FREE Toddler Time @ Bounceland, indoor inflatable park, 10 am–1 pm, Bounceland, $5 ages 3–5, $4 ages 2 & under Open Jump @ Bounceland, 10 am–7 pm, Bounceland, all ages, $8 ages 2 & older, $4 under 2, adults vary 3–5 Year Old Storytime, stories, songs & craft (registration requested), 10:30 am, Comstock Township Library, ages 3–5, FREE Family Storytime, stories, songs & activities, 10:30 am, KPL-Eastwood & KPL-Oshtemo, ages 0–5, FREE Storytime @ Barnes & Noble, story, coloring & treat, 10:30 am, Barnes & Noble, 6134 S Westnedge Ave, 324-1433, all ages, FREE Gentle Water Exercise, class for prenatal & postpartum women, 11 am, YMCA, 1001 W Maple St, 345-9622, adults, FREE

Reading with Tucker, (April only), read to a friendly Golden Retriever (registration required), 4–5:30 pm, KPL-Oshtemo, all ages, FREE Open Jump @ Sky Zone, trampoline park, 4–8 pm, Sky Zone, all ages, $10/30 min; $14/60 min Fridays Open Bounce @ Jungle Joe’s, indoor inflatable park, 9 am–9 pm, Jungle Joe’s Family Fun Center, all ages, $10 unlimited play, $3 adults with child, $2 ages 0–23 mo Toddler Time @ Sky Zone, trampoline park, 10 am–noon, Sky Zone, ages 1–5, $7/hour Open Jump @ Bounceland, indoor inflatable park, 10 am–9 pm, Bounceland, all ages, $8 ages 2 & older, $4 under 2, adults vary Preschool Storytime, book & a craft, 10:15 am, Richland Library, ages 3–5, FREE Family Storytime, stories, songs & activities, 10:30 am, KPL-Alma Powell & KPL-Central, ages 0–5, FREE Open Jump @ Sky Zone, 3–8 pm, Sky Zone, all ages, $10/30 min; $14/60 min Drop-In Gymnastics, supervised, structured gymnastics class, 6–8 pm, Greater Kalamazoo World of Gymnastics, 2723 Kersten Ct, 3815749, gkwg.net, ages 6 & up, $10 membership fee Jumpapalooza, 2 hours of jumping, 8–10 pm, Sky Zone, all ages, $15/jumper Saturdays Open Bounce @ Jungle Joe’s, indoor inflatable park, 9 am–8 pm, Jungle Joe’s Family Fun Center, all ages, $10 unlimited play, $3 adults with child, $2 ages 0–23 mo Open Jump @ Bounceland, indoor inflatable park, 10 am–6 pm, Bounceland, all ages, $8 ages 2 & older, $4 under 2, adults vary Open Jump @ Sky Zone, trampoline park, 10 am–8:30 pm, Sky Zone, all ages, $10/30 min; $14/60 min Sky Jam, jump time for teens, 8:30–10 pm, Sky Zone, ages 14 & up, $18/jumper Sundays Open Jump @ Bounceland, indoor inflatable park, 11 am–6 pm, Bounceland, all ages, $8 ages 2 & older, $4 under 2, adults vary Open Bounce @ Jungle Joe’s, indoor inflatable park, noon–6 pm, Jungle Joe’s Family Fun Center, all ages, $10 unlimited play, $3 adults with child, $2 ages 0–23 mo Open Jump @ Sky Zone, trampoline park, noon–6 pm, Sky Zone, all ages, $10/30 min; $14/60 min

ONGOING Thru April 10, Kalamazoo Gals, story of the women who built WWII-era Gibson guitars, museum hours, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, all ages, FREE Thru May 8, Goose Bumps: The Science of Fear, explores the physiological, neurobiological & sociological aspects of fear, museum hours, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, all ages, FREE Thru June 12, Bear Tales, identify constellations thru stories & natural history, 1 pm Sat, 2 pm Sun, Kalamazoo Valley Museum Planetarium, all ages, $3 Thru June 12, The Artists’ Sky, experience the stars thru story, song, painting & music, 3 pm Tues & Thurs, 2 pm Sat, Kalamazoo Valley Museum Planetarium, all ages, $3 Thru June 17, Invaders of Mars, orbit in a spacecraft & explore Mars, 3 pm Sun, Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat, Kalamazoo Valley Museum Planetarium, all ages, $3 April 1–21, Flick’s Family Film Festival, Celebration! Crossroads, 6600 Ring Rd, 324-7469, celebrationcinema.com, all ages, adults $5, 12 & under free April 1–30, Poem Tree Display, view the “Poe-Tree” display, KPLCentral, grades 5–12, FREE April 4–8, Springtime Discovery Programs, a different activity each day during Spring Break, 11 am ages 3–5, 2 pm all ages, Kalamazoo Nature Center, regular admission April 8–17, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Tony Award-winning musical of a small town girl’s adventures in New York City, 7:30 pm April 8–9 & 14–16, 2 pm April 10 & 17, Shaw Theatre, WMU, 3876222, wmich.edu/theatre, all ages, call for ticket prices April 26–May 14, The Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, multiple concerts featuring world-class musicians, various area locations, 342-1166, thegilmore.org, all ages, see website for schedule & ticket prices May 6–22, Hairspray, a teenager pursues stardom & rallies against racial segregation, 7:30 pm May 20 & 27, 1 & 4 pm May 21 & 28, 2 pm May 22, 9:30 am & noon May 25 & 26, Civic Theatre, 329 S Park St, 343-1313, kazoocivic.com, all ages, call for ticket prices May 20–28, Still Life with Iris, Civic Youth Theatre production about a young girl’s quest to regain her memory, 7:30 pm May 6–7, 12–14 & 20–21; 2 pm May 15 & 22, Parish Theatre, 426 S Park St, 343-1313, kazoocivic. com, all ages, call for ticket prices

April Friday, April 1 Stories with Mrs. Uggabumper, 4 pm, Treat Street, 3023 Oakland Dr, 388-5505, all ages, FREE Art Hop, art @ locations around Kalamazoo, 5–8 pm, 342-5059, kalamazooarts.org, all ages, FREE Saturday, April 2 Thunderbirds RC Club 2016 Swap Show, RC airplanes, cars, boats, helicopters & drones, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Dr, 345-1125, wingseventcenter.com; see website for information Kalamazoo Numismatic Club Annual Spring Coin Show, buy, sell & trade coins, paper money & memorabilia, 9 am–3 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 3818669, all ages, FREE Spring Arts & Crafts Show, 9 am–4 pm, Wings Event Center, 345-1125, wingseventcenter.com, all ages Spring Cleaning Model Railroad Swap Meet, buy & sell, 10 am–3 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center Room A, 344-0906, kmrhs.org, all ages, $3, 10 & under free LEGO @ the Library, build, race & imagine, 10:30 am, KPL-Oshtemo, all ages, FREE Creature Feature: Owl, see animals up close, 11 am, Kalamazoo Nature Center, all ages, regular admission First Saturday @ KPL, stories, activities & door prizes, 2–3:30 pm, KPLCentral, all ages, FREE All Ears Variety Review, All Ears Theatre radio-theater presentation, 6 pm, First Baptist Church, 315 W Michigan Ave, 342-5059, kalamazooarts.org, all ages, FREE Gold Company Invitational Vocal Jazz Festival Closing Concert, 8 pm, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4667, wmich.edu/music/ events, all ages, call for ticket prices Disney in Concert: Alice in Wonderland, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Singers & Kalamazoo Children’s Chorus in a multi-sensory event, 8 pm, Miller Auditorium, WMU, 349-7759, kalamazoosymphony.com, all ages, $12.50–$40 Sunday, April 3 Spring Arts & Crafts Show, 10 am–4 pm, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Dr, 345-1125, wingseventcenter.com, all ages Animal Family Trees, how to classify animals, 2 pm, Kalamazoo Nature Center, all ages, regular admission Monday, April 4 LEGO @ the Library, build, race & imagine, 2 pm, KPL-Alma Powell, all ages, FREE Bubbleman, Ron Loyd entertains with bubble tricks, 2 & 3 pm, KPLOshtemo, all ages, FREE (ticket required) Movie Matinee: Winnie the Pooh, Disney classic (registration required), 2–4 pm, KPL-Central, ages 3–11, FREE

Animanga Club, watch anime & check out manga, 4:30–6 pm, Parchment Library, teens & tweens, FREE Tuesday, April 5 Kalamazoo Indoor Flea & Farmers Market, 8 am–2 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, all ages, FREE Fantastic Flying, experiment with kites, gliders & planes & make a flying machine (registration required), 9 am–noon, Air Zoo, preschool–kindergarten, $25 Rockets & Roller Coasters, learn about aerodynamics & the science of speed (registration required), 9 am–4 pm, Air Zoo, grades K–5, $50 “5 & Under” Drive-In Movie, bring a box to create a car & enjoy popcorn & a movie, 10:15 am, Parchment Library, ages 0–5, FREE Toddler Storytime, songs, movement & stories, 10:30 am, KPL-Central, ages 2–3, FREE Drop-In Crafts, choose 3 crafts, 11 am–7 pm, Comstock Township Library, all ages, FREE Art Exploration: Romare Bearden, explore art & create a collage, 1 pm, KPL-Central, ages 6–11, FREE Let’s Make a Stink About Skunks, hands-on activities, stories, science & a live skunk (registration required), 2 pm, KPL-Eastwood, all ages, FREE Avian Wonders, parrots & feathered friends entertain & educate, 2 pm, KPL-Washington Square, ages 0–6, FREE (ticket required) Teen LEGO Club, build with LEGOs, 4 pm, Portage Library, grades 6–12, FREE Carnival Extravaganza, bounce house, face painting, Fresh Food Fairy & activities, 6 pm, KPL-Alma Powell, all ages, FREE Wednesday, April 6 Kalamazoo Indoor Flea & Farmers Market, 8 am–2 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, all ages, FREE Ocean Explorers, puppets, music & dramatic play teach about animal species (registration required), 9 am–noon, Air Zoo, preschool–kindergarten, $25 Rescue 911, learn to respond to emergencies like real paramedics (registration required), 9 am–4 pm, Air Zoo, grades K–5, $50 Knee High Naturalists, a nature program for children (registration required), 9:30–11:30 am, Binder Park Zoo, ages 2–5, $10 Miss Lisa: Stories & Dance, (registration required), 10:30 am, KPLCentral, ages 3–8, FREE Get Groovy with Miss Lisa, learn hip hop & dance moves, 2 pm, KPLAlma Powell, ages 6–11, FREE LEGO Club, create & build, 2 pm, Parchment Library, ages 6–12, FREE Game Central featuring SmashKart Tournament, video, board & card games, 2–4 pm, KPL-Central, grades 5–12, FREE

Thursday, April 7 Astronauts in Training, learn about the International Space Station & design your own spacesuit (registration required), 9 am–noon, Air Zoo, preschool–kindergarten, $25 Candy Chemistry, experiment with floating chocolate & soda geysers (registration required), 9 am–4 pm, Air Zoo, grades K–5, $50 Knee High Naturalists, a nature program for children (registration required), 9:30–11:30 am, Binder Park Zoo, ages 2–5, $10 Miss Lisa: Stories & Dance, (registration required), 10:30 am, KPLEastwood, ages 3–8, FREE Create-a-Craft, (registration required), 10:30 am, Parchment Library, grades 1–4, FREE LEGO @ the Library, build, race & imagine, 2 pm, KPL-Eastwood, all ages, FREE Comic Book Crafts, create comic book bubble glass magnets, 2–4 pm, KPL-Oshtemo, grades 5–12, FREE Manga Workshop, artist Tatsuhiko Watanabe demonstrates how manga is made, 3:30 pm, KPL-Eastwood, grades 5–12, FREE Friday, April 8 Preschool Play & Learn, pre-reading & fine motor skills & counting, 10 am, Portage Library, ages 2–5, FREE Miss Lisa: Stories & Dance, (registration required), 10:30 am, KPLWashington Square, ages 3–8, FREE Around the World in 60 Minutes, hands-on activities using maps, 2 pm, KPL-Central, ages 6–11, FREE Miss Lisa: Stories & Dance, (registration required), 2 pm, KPL-Oshtemo, ages 3–8, FREE LEGO Club, imagine & build (registration required), 3:30–5 pm, Comstock Township Library, all ages, FREE Friday Teen Night, view the galleries & have pizza & pop, 6–8 pm, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, teens, FREE Saturday, April 9 Michelle Seelye Drucker Book Signing, author of The Flightless Adventures of Princess and Pearl, 10 am–noon, Barnes & Noble, 6134 S Westnedge Ave, 327-9589, barnesandnoble.com, ages 6–10, FREE Build & Grow Kids’ Clinic, build a birdfeeder (registration required), 10 am, Lowe’s, 5125 West Main St, lowes.com/buildandgrow, all ages, FREE Southwest Michigan Postcard Club Show & Sale, postcards from the 1890s to present, 10 am–5 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 517-230-0734, all ages, $2, 16 & under free Crybaby Concert, a concert for little ones in an open environment, 11 am, Bronson Gilmore Center for Health Education, 7 Healthcare Plaza, 382-7774, fontanachamberarts. org, ages 0–5, FREE

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Creature Feature: Snake, see animals up close, 11 am, Kalamazoo Nature Center, all ages, regular admission Art Detectives, story & art gallery visit, 11 am, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, all ages, FREE Girls That Can Robotics Challenge, a STEM event for high school girls to learn robotics and computer programming (registration required), noon-3 p.m., KPL-Central, www.girls thatcan.org/robotics, FREE A Team of Their Own, documentary film about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943–1954, 1:30 pm, Kalamazoo Valley Museum Stryker Theatre, all ages, FREE Manga Workshop, artist Tatsuhiko Watanabe demonstrates how manga is made, 2 pm, KPL-Central, grades 5–12, FREE Sunday, April 10 Birds of Prey Live, learn about & view the Bird Sanctuary’s injured birds, 1–2:30 pm, Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, 12685 East C Ave, Augusta, 671-2510, birdsanctuary.kbs.msu. edu, all ages, $7 adults, $5 ages 2–17 Monday, April 11 Maker Mondays, create with different materials & tools, 4–6 pm, KPLCentral, ages 6–11, FREE Musical Storytime, stories, songs & special guests, 6:30 pm, KPL-Oshtemo, all ages, FREE Tuesday, April 12 Kalamazoo Indoor Flea & Farmers Market, 8 am–2 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, all ages, FREE Stroller Stroll, walk on strollerfriendly paths, 10 am, Kalamazoo Nature Center, ages 0–5 with adult, regular admission Toddler Storytime, songs, movement & stories, 10:30 am, KPL-Central, ages 2–3, FREE Bookworms, kids’ & grown-ups’ book club: Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller by Xavier Garza, 4:30 pm, KPL-Oshtemo, ages 6–11, FREE Journeys, grief support for children, teens & families (registration required), 5:45–7:30 pm, Oakland Centre, 2255 W Centre Ave, Portage, 345-0273, hospiceswmi.org, children & teens, FREE Wednesday, April 13 Kalamazoo Indoor Flea & Farmers Market, 8 am–2 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 3838778, kalamazooexpocenter.com, all ages, FREE Knee High Naturalists, a nature program for children (registration required), 9:30–11:30 am, Binder Park Zoo, ages 2–5, $10 Just Move Playdate, indoor play, 10:30 am–noon, Just Move Fitness, 626 Romence Rd, Ste 104, 4252387, justmovefit.com, ages 0–5, $5 per family

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LEGO @ the Library, build, race & imagine, 6:30 pm, KPL-Washington Square, all ages, FREE Meet the Author: Jason Reynolds, winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, 6:30 pm, KPL-Central, grades 5–12, FREE Thursday, April 14 Knee High Naturalists, a nature program for children (registration required), 9:30–11:30 am, Binder Park Zoo, ages 2–5, $10 Preschool Explorers: Turtles, experience the natural world, 10 am, Kalamazoo Nature Center, ages 0–5, regular admission Teen & Tween Poetry Night, share your poetry & play games, 6 pm, Parchment Library, ages 11–18 FREE Canvases with Kara—Teen, a stepby-step process to paint a masterpiece (registration required), 6:30 pm, Portage Library, teens, FREE Friday, April 15 Preschool Art with Inoka, learn to paint step-by-step (registration required), 10 am, Portage Library, ages 3–5, FREE Saturday, April 16 2016 Autism Walk, 9 am–2 pm, Celery Flats Historical Area, 7335 Garden Ln, kalamazooautismsociety.org, all ages, outdoors; see website for schedule & fees Kalamazoo’s Ultimate Indoor Garage Sale, 9 am–3 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 903-5820, all ages, $2 adults, children free Spring Expo & Craft Show, 9 am–4 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, 903-5820, all ages, FREE Small Wonders: Fantastic Flowers, interactive nature stations, 10 am, Kalamazoo Nature Center, ages 0–5 with adult, outdoors, $4 fee plus regular admission Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo, buy, sell or trade, 10 am–3 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center Room A, 779-9851, all ages, $5 adults, $2 children, under 6 free LEGO @ the Library, build, race & imagine, 10:30 am, KPL-Central, all ages, FREE Rip Van Winkle, All Ears Theatre radio-theater presentation, 6 pm, First Baptist Church, 315 W Michigan Ave, 342-5059, kalamazooarts. org, all ages, FREE Sunday, April 17 Kalamazoo Record & CD Show, collector records, memorabilia & supplies, 11 am–4 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center Room A, 734604-2540, rerunrecords.com, all ages, FREE Princess Tea Party, Queen Elsa & characters entertain with tea, storytelling, dancing & a tour of the castle, 1–3 pm, Henderson Castle, 100 Monroe St, 344-1827, hendersoncastle.com, $31.27 Interactive Family Health Fair & Summer Camp Extravaganza, open swim, wall climbing, games

& prizes, 1–4 pm, Sherman Lake YMCA, 6225 N 39th St, Augusta, 731-3000, shermanlakeymca.org, all ages, FREE Building Bridges, Kalamazoo Children’s Chorus spring concert, 3 pm, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S Westnedge Ave, 337-0440, cheneryaud.com, all ages, $10 Monday, April 18 Comic Book Crafts, create comic book bubble glass magnets, 4 pm, KPL-Central, grades 5–12, FREE J-Pop Club, latest media & food from Japan, 4 pm, KPL-Central, grades 6–12, FREE Tuesday, April 19 Small Wonders: Fantastic Flowers, interactive nature stations, 10 am, Kalamazoo Nature Center, ages 0–5 with adult, outdoors, $4 fee plus regular admission Toddler Storytime, songs, movement & stories, 10:30 am, KPL-Central, ages 2–3, FREE Found Poetry, create poetry with words from magazines, 4 pm, KPLEastwood, grades 5–12, FREE Teen Murder Mystery Party, solve a murder mystery (registration required), 6:30 pm, Portage Library, grades 6–12, FREE Wednesday, April 20 Celebrate Earth Day Crafternoon, discover the Great Lakes ecosystem & craft a 3D lake habitat (registration required), 4:30 pm, KPL-Alma Powell, ages 6–11, FREE Comic Book Crafts, create comic book bubble glass magnets, 6:30 pm, KPL-Washington Square, grades 5–12, FREE Thursday, April 21 Pinball @ the Zoo, games for sale & play, auction & tournaments, 2–10 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, 628-4628, pinballatthezoo.com, all ages, $15 adults, $8 ages 5–13, under 5 free Celebrate Earth Day Crafternoon, discover the Great Lakes ecosystem & craft a 3D lake habitat (registration required), 4 pm, KPL-Eastwood, ages 6–11, FREE Interview Etiquette for Juniors & Seniors, learn tricks & tips to prepare for an interview (registration required), 4:30–7 pm, W.K. Kellogg Manor House, 3700 E Gull Lake Dr, Hickory Corners, 671-2400, conference.kbs.msu.edu, grades 11–12, $20 Friday, April 22 Earth Day Free Admission, 9 am–5 pm, Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, 12685 East C Ave, Augusta, 671-2510, birdsanctuary.kbs.musu.edu, all ages, FREE Jump, Turn, Dance & Learn, creative dance, props & stories, 10 am, Portage Library, ages 3–5, FREE Pinball @ the Zoo, games for sale & play, auction & tournaments, 1–10 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, 628-4628, pinballat-

thezoo.com, all ages, $15 adults, $8 ages 5–13, under 5 free Earth Day Celebration, repurpose, reuse & DIY gifts, 3:30 pm, KPL-Central, grades 5–12, FREE Tasting Kalamazoo History: It’s 1884; Do You Know Where Your Food is Coming From?, recipes & food of our Kalamazoo ancestors, 5–8 pm, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, all ages, FREE Saturday, April 23 Weekend Kalamazoo Indoor Flea & Farmers Market, new, used & handcrafted items & fresh foods, 8 am–3 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 383-8761, all ages, FREE Wings Event Center Mom to Mom Sale, 9 am–1 pm, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Dr, 345-1125, wingseventcenter.com, all ages, $2 Earth Day Celebration, 5k & Raccoon Run, activities & crafts, 9 am–4 pm, Kalamazoo Nature Center, all ages, regular admission Pinball @ the Zoo, games for sale & play, auction & tournaments, 9 am–6 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, 628-4628, pinballatthezoo. com, all ages, $15 adults, $8 ages 5–13, under 5 free Kalamazoo Color Run, 5k paint race, 10 am, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, thecolorrun.com/kalamazoo; see website for schedule & fees Family Fun with the Kalamazoo Chinese School, crafts, Chinese games & diablo, 10 am–noon, Portage Library, all ages, FREE KazooPex Stamp & Cover Show, buy & sell stamps, covers, postcards & supplies, 10 am–5 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 3756188, all ages, FREE Green-a-Thon Earth Day Festival, music, exhibits, games & giveaways, 11 am–3 pm, Celery Flats, 7335 Garden Ln, 329-4512, portagemi.gov, all ages, outdoors, FREE Ballet Arts Ensemble Spring Concert, 2 pm & 7 pm, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S Westnedge Ave, 3370440, cheneryaud.com, all ages, call for ticket prices Celebrate Earth Day Crafternoon, discover the Great Lakes ecosystem & craft a 3D lake habitat (registration required), 4 pm, KPL-Central, ages 6–11, FREE Sunday, April 24 KazooPex Stamp & Cover Show, buy & sell stamps, covers, postcards & supplies, 10 am–3:30 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 3756188, all ages, FREE Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra Concert, 4 pm, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S Westnedge Ave, 337-0440, cheneryaud.com, all ages, $5–15 Monday, April 25 Little Scientists, stories & science (registration required), 10:30 am, KPL-Central, ages 3–6, FREE Maker Mondays, create with different materials & tools, 4–5 pm, KPLCentral, grades 5–12, FREE

Money Smart Kids Save, decorate a piggy bank & learn to save (registration required), 4:30 pm, KPLAlma Powell, ages 6–11, FREE Musical Storytime, stories, songs & special guests, 6:30 pm, KPLCentral, all ages, FREE Tuesday, April 26 Money Smart Kids Read, Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells (registration required), 11 am, KPL-Central, ages 3–5, FREE Money Smart Kids Save, decorate a piggy bank & learn to save (registration required), 4 pm, KPL-Central, ages 6–11, FREE Teen Game Club, video games, Dungeons & Dragons, comics & snacks, 4 pm, Portage Library, grades 6–12, FREE Money Smart Kids Save, decorate a piggy bank & learn to save (registration required), 4:30 pm, KPLEastwood, ages 6–11, FREE Journeys, grief support for children, teens & families (registration required), 5:45–7:30 pm, Oakland Centre, 2255 W Centre Ave, Portage, 345-0273, hospiceswmi.org, children & teens, FREE Wednesday, April 27 Money Smart Kids Read, Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells (registration required), 10:30 am, KPLOshtemo, ages 3–5, FREE Money Smart Kids Save, decorate a piggy bank & learn to save (registration required), 4:30 pm, KPLOshtemo, ages 6–11, FREE Money Smart Kids Save, decorate a piggy bank & learn to save (registration required), 6 pm, KPL-Washington Square, ages 6–11, FREE Thursday, April 28 Just Between Friends Kalamazoo, children’s & maternity consignment sales, 4–9 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 383-8761, all ages, $3 Bookworms, kids’ & grown-ups’ book club: Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller by Xavier Garza, 4:30 pm, KPL-Central, ages 6–11, FREE Create-a-Craft, paint a piggy bank (registration required), 4:30 pm, Parchment Library, grades 1–4, FREE Friday, April 29 Just Between Friends Kalamazoo, children’s & maternity consignment sales, 9 am–9 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 383-8761, all ages, FREE LEGO My Library, build with LEGOs, 10 am–2 pm, Portage Library, all ages, FREE Kalamazoo Rock, Gem, Jewelry, Fossil & Mineral Show, dinosaur skeleton replicas on display, 4–8 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, 979-3348, kalamazoorockclub.org, all ages, $3 adults, under 12 free

James & the Giant Peach, 7 pm, Family Center for the Arts, 6136 S. Westnedge Ave, Ste D, 321-8385, familycenterforthearts.com, all ages, call for ticket prices Saturday, April 30 Just Between Friends Kalamazoo, children’s & maternity consignment sales, 9 am–5 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 383-8761, all ages, FREE Kalamazoo Rock, Gem, Jewelry, Fossil & Mineral Show, dinosaur skeleton replicas on display, 10 am–6 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, 979-3348, kalamazoorockclub.org, all ages, $3 adults, under 12 free Breaking “Boardom,” board & card games, 10:30 am–3:30 pm, Comstock Township Library, all ages, FREE Creature Feature: Hawk, see animals up close, 11 am, Kalamazoo Nature Center, all ages, regular admission The Name of the Tree, All Ears Theatre radio-theater presentation, 6 pm, First Baptist Church, 315 W Michigan Ave, 342-5059, kalamazooarts.org, all ages, FREE

MAY Sunday, May 1 Kalamazoo Rock, Gem, Jewelry, Fossil & Mineral Show, dinosaur skeleton replicas on display, 10 am–5 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, 979-3348, kalamazoorockclub.org, all ages, $3 adults, under 12 free Monday, May 2 Zentangle, create compositions with patterns (registration required), 4:30 pm, KPL-Alma Powell, grades 5–12, FREE Animanga Club, watch anime & check out manga, 4:30–6 pm, Parchment Library, teens & tweens, FREE Wednesday, May 4 May the 4th Be With You, Star Wars-themed crafts & activities, 4:30 pm, KPL-Alma Powell & KPL-Oshtemo, grades 5–12, FREE May the 4th Be With You, Star Wars-themed crafts & activities, 6 pm, KPL-Central, grades 5–12, FREE Thursday, May 5 Scholastic Book Fairs Warehouse Sale, book sale, 11 am–7 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 800-843-0112, scholastic.com/ bookfairs/warehouse, all ages, FREE Mother’s Day Gift Making, make a Scrabble tile necklace or other crafts, 3:30–5:30 pm, KPL-Central, grades 5–12, FREE Cinco de Mayo Crafternoon, create a Cinco de Mayo musical instrument, 4 pm, KPL-Central, ages 6–11, FREE National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day Carnival, information on community services, 4–7 pm,

Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 553-7122, all ages, FREE Alton Brown Live: Eat Your Science, comedy, puppets, songs, experiments & audience participation, 7:30 pm, Miller Auditorium, WMU, 387-2300, millerauditorium.com, all ages, $39–125 Build & Grow Kids’ Clinic, build a chalkboard planter (registration required), Lowe’s, 5125 West Main St, 345-2110, lowes.com/buildandgrow, all ages, FREE; call for time Friday, May 6 Scholastic Book Fairs Warehouse Sale, book sale, 9 am–7 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 800-843-0112, scholastic. com/bookfairs/warehouse, all ages, FREE Stories with Mrs. Uggabumper, 4 pm, Treat Street, 3023 Oakland Dr, 388-5505, all ages, FREE Art Hop, art @ locations around Kalamazoo, 5–8 pm, 342-5059, kalamazooarts.org, all ages, FREE Meijer Kids’ Fun Run, 6 pm, Borgess Health & Fitness Center, 3025 Gull Rd, 345-1913, borgessrun. com, up to age 12, FREE; see website for schedule Saturday, May 7 Free Comic Book Day, free comic books while supplies last, 9 am– noon, KPL-Central, grades 5–12, FREE Kalamazoo Expo Mom to Mom Sale, buy & sell children’s items, 9 am–1 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 903-5820, all ages, $2 adults, children free Scholastic Book Fairs Warehouse Sale, book sale, 9 am–3 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center North, 800-843-0112, scholastic. com/bookfairs/warehouse, all ages, FREE Touch-a-Truck, see & touch unique vehicles & learn about healthy eating, 10 am–2 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 815-0034, jlkalamazoo.org/Touch-A-Truck, all ages, outdoors, $10 family, $4 adults, $2 children, 2 & under free Frontier Days, reenactments from 1754–1898, vendors, entertainment, 10 am–6 pm, Olde World Village, 13215 M-96, Augusta, 5801290, oldeworldvillage.com, all ages, outdoors, $10 adults, 12 & under free LEGO @ the Library, build, race & imagine, 10:30 am, KPL-Oshtemo, all ages, FREE Mother’s Day Storytime, stories, songs & a Mother’s Day craft (registration required), 10:30–11 am, Comstock Township Library, ages 2–5, FREE Mother’s Day Craft, make a recipe card holder or picture holder (registration required), 11 am–noon, Comstock Township Library, all ages, FREE

Recycled Art in the Park, sculptures, music & craft area, noon–3 pm, Celery Flats Historic Area, 7335 Garden Ln, friendsoftheparksportage. com, all ages, FREE Three Book Battle, Battle of the Books teams compete (registration required), noon–4 pm, KPL-Central, grades 6–8, FREE First Saturday @ KPL, stories, activities & door prizes, 2–3:30 pm, KPLCentral, all ages, FREE Sunday, May 8 Kalamazoo Marathon & Borgess Run for the Health of It, full & half marathon, 10k & 5k runs, 5k walk, times vary, Borgess Nazareth Campus, 3427 Gull Rd, 345-1913, borgessrun.com, all ages; see website for schedule & fees Frontier Days, reenactments from 1754–1898, vendors, entertainment, 10 am–6 pm, Olde World Village, 13215 M-96, Augusta, 580-1290, oldeworldvillage.com, all ages, outdoors, $10 adults, 12 & under free Mother’s Day Brunch, 10:15 am–1:30 pm, W.K. Kellogg Manor House, 3700 E Gull Lake Dr, Hickory Corners, 671-2400, conference.kbs. msu.edu, all ages, $29 adults, $17 ages 5–12 Mother’s Day Brunch, Native Plant Sale & Program, 11:30 am & 1 pm brunch, 12:15 program, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, 701 W Cloverdale Rd, Hastings, 721-4190, cedarcreekinstitute.org, all ages, $18 adults, $9 children Invite a Monarch to Lunch: Plant a Milkweed, learn about monarch butterflies, 1:30 pm, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, all ages, FREE Monday, May 9 Maker Mondays, create with different materials & tools, 4–6 pm, KPLCentral, ages 6–11, FREE LEGO @ the Library, build, race & imagine, 4:30 pm, KPL-Alma Powell, all ages, FREE Musical Storytime, stories, songs & special guests, 6:30 pm, KPL-Oshtemo, all ages, FREE Tuesday, May 10 Bookworms, kids’ & grown-ups’ book club with summer reading recommendations, 4:30 pm, KPLOshtemo, ages 6–11, FREE Journeys, grief support for children, teens & families (registration required), 5:45–7:30 pm, Oakland Centre, 2255 W Centre Ave, Portage, 345-0273, hospiceswmi.org, children & teens, FREE Wednesday, May 11 Hidden Oracle Party, celebrate Rick Riordan’s The Trials of Apollo, 5:30 pm, KPL-Washington Square, grades 7–12, FREE Thursday, May 12 Michigan Youth Arts Festival, high school artists & performers, Western Michigan University, 248-545-9200, michiganyoutharts.org, all ages, FREE; see website for schedule

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LEGO @ the Library, build, race & imagine, 4:30 pm, KPL-Eastwood, all ages, FREE Create-a-Craft, (registration required), 4:30 pm, Parchment Library, grades 1–4, FREE Friday, May 13 Michigan Youth Arts Festival, high school artists & performers, Western Michigan University, 248-545-9200, michiganyoutharts.org, all ages, FREE; see website for schedule LEGO Club, imagine & build (registration required), 3:30–5 pm, Comstock Township Library, all ages, FREE Friday Teen Night, view the galleries & have pizza & pop, 6–8 pm, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, teens, FREE Saturday, May 14 Michigan Youth Arts Festival, high school artists & performers, Western Michigan University, 248-5459200, michiganyoutharts.org, all ages, FREE; see website for schedule Race for the Cure, Susan G. Komen Michigan fundraiser for breast cancer, 9 am, Homer Stryker Field, 877566-3679, komenswmichigan.org, all ages; see website for schedule & fees Buccaneer Bash, pirate-themed entertainment, vendors & food, 10 am–6 pm, Olde World Village, 13215 M-96, Augusta, 580-1290, oldeworldvillage.com, all ages, outdoors, $10 adults, 12 & under free

Art Detectives, story & art gallery visit, 11 am, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, all ages, FREE 3rd Annual Astronomy Day, solar observing, hands-on activities & educational displays, 11 am–4 pm, Portage Library, grade K–adults, FREE The Murders in the Rue Morgue, All Ears Theatre radio-theater presentation, 6 pm, First Baptist Church, 315 W Michigan Ave, 342-5059, kalamazooarts.org, all ages, FREE Sunday, May 15 March for Babies, March of Dimes fundraiser, 10 am, Celery Flats Historical Area, 7335 Garden Ln, marchofdimes.org/michigan, all ages, outdoors; see website for schedule & fees Buccaneer Bash, pirate-themed entertainment, vendors & food, 10 am–6 pm, Olde World Village, 13215 M-96, Augusta, 580-1290, oldeworldvillage.com, all ages, outdoors, $10 adults, 12 & under free Kids ROAR, a rogue obstacle adventure race, noon–2 pm, Sherman Lake YMCA, 6225 N 39th St, Augusta, 731-3000, shermanlakeymca. org, ages 8–14, $15 Monday, May 16 J-Pop Club, latest media & food from Japan, 4 pm, KPL-Central, grades 6–12, FREE Pizza & Pages: WNDB Edition, discuss Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir from the We Need Diverse Books campaign,

Free Upcoming Shows APR 2 - All Ears Variety Review APR 16 - The Legend of Rip Van Winkle APR 30 - The Name of the Tree MAY 14 - The Murders in the Rue Morgue MAY 28 - Escape from Christiana

All Ears Theatre performs newly scripted radio programs for live audiences, complete with old school sound effects, from January through May. Shows are later broadcast on 102.1 WMUK-FM. Performances are at 6:00 pm at the First Baptist Church and are FREE to the public.

For a complete schedule of shows, visit Kalamazooarts.org Funding provided by

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36 • April/May 2016

4:30 pm, KPL-Eastwood, grades 7–12, FREE Tuesday, May 17 Chromebook Gaming, open gaming on the library’s Chromebooks, 4:30 pm, KPL-Alma Powell, grades 5–12, FREE Wednesday, May 18 LEGO @ the Library, build, race & imagine, 6:30 pm, KPL-Washington Square, all ages, FREE Thursday, May 19 Art Exploration: Georgia O’Keeffe, Explore O’Keeffe’s work & create botanical art, 4 pm, KPL-Central, ages 6–11, FREE Code Camp, learn to write code using the library’s Chromebooks, 4 pm, KPL-Eastwood, grades 5–12, FREE Saturday, May 21 Circus Maximus Antique Toy Show, antique, vintage & collectible toys, 9 am–2 pm Kalamazoo County Expo Center Room A, 262-2467171, circusmaximustoyshow.com, all ages, $6, after 1 pm free The Donald Gilmore Classic Car Show, original stock vehicles, special awards & activities, 9 am–4 pm, Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 W Hickory Rd, Hickory Corners, 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org, all ages, outdoors, $12 Family Fishing Fair, activities & instruction on fishing, boating & aquatic conservation, 10 am, Ramona Park, Portage, 329-4522, portagemi.gov, all ages, outdoors, FREE Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo, buy, sell or trade, 10 am–3 pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center Room A, 779-9851, all ages, $5 adults, $2 children, under 6 free LEGO @ the Library, build, race & imagine, 10:30 am, KPL-Central, all ages, FREE Peter and the Wolf, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra’s Woodwind Quintet performs the classic, with an Instrument Petting Zoo (registration required), 10:30 am & noon, KPLCentral, ages 3–11, FREE Tabletop Throwdown, cards, chess & board games, 1–3 pm, KPL-Central, grades 5–12, FREE Ballet Arts School of Dance Spring Recital, 2 & 7 pm, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S Westnedge Ave, 3370440, cheneryaud.com, all ages, FREE Monday, May 23 Little Scientists, stories & science (registration required), 10:30 am, KPL-Central, ages 3–6, FREE Maker Mondays, create with different materials & tools, 4 pm, KPLCentral, grades 5–12, FREE Tuesday, May 24 Journeys, grief support for children, teens & families (registration required), 5:45–7:30 pm, Oakland Centre, 2255 W Centre Ave, Portage, 345-0273, hospiceswmi.org, children & teens, FREE

Thursday, May 26 West Michigan Apple Blossom Cluster Dog Show, AKC dog show featuring obedience trials & rally trials, 9 am–5 pm Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 616-706-2314, midogshows.com, all ages, $5 per vehicle Bookworms, kids’ & grown-ups’ book club with summer reading recommendations, 4:30 pm, KPLCentral, ages 6–11, FREE Pizza & Pages: WNDB Edition, discuss X: A Novel from the We Need Diverse Books campaign, 4:30 pm, KPL-Central, grades 7–12, FREE Draw Cool Stuff with Paul Sizer, how to draw comics characters, 4:30 pm, KPL-Eastwood, grades 5–12, FREE Friday, May 27 West Michigan Apple Blossom Cluster Dog Show, AKC dog show featuring obedience trials & rally trials, 9 am–5 pm Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 616-706-2314, midogshows.com, all ages, $5 per vehicle Saturday, May 28 West Michigan Apple Blossom Cluster Dog Show, AKC dog show featuring obedience trials & rally trials, 8 am–5 pm Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 616-706-2314, midogshows.com, all ages, $5 per vehicle May’d in Michigan, Michigan artisans, entertainment, vendors & food, 10 am–6 pm, Olde World Village, 13215 M-96, Augusta, 5801290, oldeworldvillage.com, all ages, outdoors, FREE Magic in May, magician Jeff Wawrzaszek teaches tricks, stunts & illusions (registration required), 1 pm, KPL-Central, ages 6–11, FREE Escape from Christiana, All Ears Theatre radio-theater presentation, 6 pm, First Baptist Church, 315 W Michigan Ave, 342-5059, kalamazooarts.org, all ages, FREE Sunday, May 29 West Michigan Apple Blossom Cluster Dog Show, AKC dog show featuring obedience trials & rally trials, 8 am–5 pm Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 616-706-2314, midogshows.com, all ages, $5 per vehicle May’d in Michigan, Michigan artisans, entertainment, vendors & food, 10 am–6 pm, Olde World Village, 13215 M-96, Augusta, 5801290, oldeworldvillage.com, all ages, outdoors, FREE Monday, May 30 West Michigan Apple Blossom Cluster Dog Show, AKC dog show featuring obedience trials & rally trials, 8 am–5 pm Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 616-706-2314, midogshows.com, all ages, $5 per vehicle Memorial Day Parade, honoring veterans & featuring floats, bands & military vehicles, 10 am, downtown Kalamazoo, 501-9971, all ages, FREE May’d in Michigan, Michigan artisans, entertainment, vendors & food, 10 am–6 pm, Olde World Village, 13215 M-96, Augusta, 5801290, oldeworldvillage.com, all ages, outdoors, FREE

Last Laugh (continued from page 38)

that isn’t Omaha is flat grassland. Arriving in Colorado is also very deceiving. We cross the Nebraska-Colorado border and experience a sense of accomplishment, thinking, “We made it!” But no. It’s another three hours from the state line to anything resembling civilization.

Realizing a nonstop drive was not in the cards, we pull off the highway and park at a gas station to get some sleep. In what should have been an indication of things to come, we learn our kiddie sleeping bags are not warm enough, even in an enclosed car.

After two hours of restful sleep one can only experience in a reclined car seat, we wake and make the midnight drive to our friend’s home in Fort Collins. Our plan is to get up early, hike into Poudre Canyon and stay there for three nights. After arriving, we prepare for our hike the next day by doing what any outdoor safety instruction manual would recommend: we stay up all night drinking.

The next morning, when Joe and I are dropped off at the base of the Poudre Canyon, we tell our friend, “Meet us back here in four days.” That’s what people did before cell phones. They also used to specify times, but with just three hours of sleep, we kind of skipped that detail.

Equipped with only 16 ounces of water, a few cans of SpaghettiOs and several tins of pineapple chunks, Joe and I make our ascent up the trails of the Poudre, ready to take on the Rockies.

Six hours into our hike, we’ve lost the trail. We push through trees and brush, step over rocks and look for any sign of the other hikers we saw earlier that day. Stumbling onto a large clearing jutting out from the steep canyon wall, we decide to set up camp. While searching for kindling, we discover a small cave. Inside we find a chewed hat.

By sunset, we have a campfire going and SpaghettiOs simmering. The fire that illuminates our camp also creates total darkness around us. At this point Joe asks a simple question that dictates our nocturnal behavior for the rest of the trip: “Do you think there are any bears up here?”

We both think of the hat. We stare intently, and wordlessly, into the darkness, listening for the subtlest of sounds. We whittle the end of a stick into a spear because nothing repels bears like a sharp stick. We finally fall asleep and wake before the sun, frozen solid.

Day 2 and we’re out of water. There is a stream near the base of the canyon, and we realize it will be a long walk down to it and back. Also, what was that our friend said about water purifying tablets?

We spend the day retrieving another 16 ounces of water from the stream and trying to relocate our campsite.

We make it back to camp with just enough daylight left to start a fire and eat the last can of SpaghettiOs. Joe asks again about bears. We spend the rest of the night in silence, whittling sticks.

Day 3 and we’re down to the last can of pineapple chunks. We are so dehydrated and hungry that the pineapple tastes like nectar sent from the gods. “When we get home,” Joe says, “all I’m eating are these pineapples. I’m investing in Dole.”

We spend our last night like the first two, listening for the slightest indication that we are about to be eaten. In the morning, we pack up our camp and head back down the canyon, tired, sunburned, itching, dehydrated and so hungry we’re in pain.

By some miracle, our friend is there.

When we return to Kalamazoo, we tell all of our friends who went to Florida and the Bahamas that ours was the best trip ever. I’ve been to Florida and the Bahamas and while those trips were much more relaxing, they weren’t quite as memorable. That’s why I recommend that you head to nature, or at least I will as soon as I make sense of this pile of crayoned notes my daughter has sprawled across the floor. And maybe after I grab some Subway.

Take Stock of Your Paper Stock In business, every purchase is really an investment in the value of the company. No matter how great your design looks or how compelling your message might be, the value of your investment depends a lot on the paper it is printed on.

Before you sign your approval on your next print order, take a moment and ask if you would get more value from a new paper color or a unique paper stock.

Printers always have detailed catalogs and samples of paper stocks and finishes that take print orders to the next level. But we aren’t just supply providers. We are your partners in success. We want to give you the best product that maximizes your return.

What impression do you want to make? When you give us a call, take stock in the choices at your disposal and enjoy greater value from your investment.

☎

1116 W Centre Avenue 323-9333 PortagePrinting.com

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37 •

LAST LAUGH FYI A Rockie Spring Break

By Brian Lam

Spring is in the air, and it smells

like Subway honey oat bread. Maybe because I live above a Subway restaurant and I’m sitting on my balcony dictating this article to my 6-year-old (hey, she needs the handwriting practice).

Even though we had a mild winter, that doesn’t mean we don’t deserve a Spring Break. The lack of snow made good sledding and skiing days virtually nonexistent, so we could all use a little outdoor activity. And instead of lying around on some beach, I recommend that you engage in a nontraditional Spring Break involving physical movement and nature like the one I endured — I mean, enjoyed — years ago.

Instead of heading South like everyone else was for Spring Break, my friend Joe and I decide to head West to lose ourselves in the Colorado wilderness. On the first day of the break, with sleeping bags last used at sleepovers in elementary school and ski jacket shells rated for low temperatures of 56 degrees, we jump in my parents’ minivan at 4:30 a.m., determined to make the 20-hour drive to Colorado in one day.

The drive to Colorado is extremely boring. Omaha is the only major city on the way and everything you see (continued on page 37)

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38 • April/May 2016

KPL_FYI_SUM2016Ad.pdf 1 2/11/2016 2:27:47 PM

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• April/May 2016