Encore Magazine June 2023

The Story of a River

After 100 years of abuse, will the Kalamazoo River Watershed be saved?

From the Editor

There’s something about a river. I grew up along the shores of the Snake River in Southeast Idaho, floated and biked along the Boise River, which is the center jewel of that city, and camped, boated and floated on dozens of other rivers where access to the waters and natural beauty were bounteous. But when I moved to Kalamazoo in the 1990s, it was hard to see that the Kalamazoo River did not enjoy the same admiration and reverence as its Western counterparts.

A large portion of the river is polluted, it is dammed, parts of it are hemmed in by concrete channels, and it has experienced much degradation from hazardous materials released into the river, a million gallons of oil spilled into its waters, and 369,000 cubic yards of mud deposited downstream after a drawdown of the Morrow Lake Dam. But after hundreds of years of neglect, this river that has given our community so much is finally getting restored through the efforts of many different organizations. This month writer Robert M. Weir gives us a wonderful overview of this natural gem, how it built Kalamazoo, and what its future holds.

Speaking of progress, this issue also features Tracy Hall, former Kalamazoo County commissioner and now executive director of OutFront. This nonprofit LGBTQ+ advocacy and service organization holds one of the biggest festivals in the area, Pride, which occurs this month. In a time when anti-LGBTQ+ political rhetoric is growing around the U.S., the services, safe spaces and awareness OutFront provides are critical.

We also learn that a longtime musical institution is getting a bit of a rebirth. The Kalamazoo Bach Festival officially changed its name and its focus last month, and writer Kalloli Bhatt talks with the organization's leaders about why the changes were made and the future of the newly minted Kalamazoo Choral Arts.

And if you know some smart and motivated middle-schoolers, you'll want to read our story about the Academically Talented Youth Program, which has provided high school- and college-level learning to this age group for 42 years. Students come from as far away as Grand Rapids and Niles to take advantage of this opportunity.

We hope you enjoy this issue because there is nothing better than sitting in the warm June air, a beverage by your side, and enjoying a quiet moment to read about the great things going on in your community.

Left to right: Tyler J. Stewart, Charles S. Ofstein, William B. Millard & Hannah M. Recknagel

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The magazine that celebrates the best things about the greater Kalamazoo community. Support local journalism at its best! Subscribe today and for just $36 a year, you'll never miss an issue! Go to encorekalamazoo.com/subscribe.

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Editor marie lee

Designer

alexis stubelt

Photographer

brian k powers

Contributing Writers

kalloli bhatt, marie lee, brendan ragtozy, penelope ragotzy, robert m weir

Copy Editor/Poetry Editor

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janis clark, janet gover, krieg lee

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Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2023, Encore Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation and advertising correspondence should be sent to:

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The staff at Encore welcomes written comments from readers, and articles and poems for submission with no obligation to print or return them. To learn more about us or to comment, visit encorekalamazoo.com. Encore subscription rates: one year $36, two years $70. Current single issue and newsstand $4, $10 by mail. Back issues $6, $12 by mail. Advertising rates on request. Closing date for space is 28 days prior to publication date. Final date for print–ready copy is 21 days prior to publication date.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by those interviewed and published here do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Encore Magazine or the official policies, owners or employees of Encore Publications

Kalloli Bhatt

Kalloli, an intern at Encore, wrote about the Academically Talented Youth Program (ATYP) for this month's issue. "As a former ATYP student, I don't think I ever truly understood the commitment of those leading the program to provide affordable accelerated education for anyone who wanted to join," she says. She also wrote about the Kalamazoo Bach Festival's renaming, noting that the change to Kalamazoo Choral Arts "reflects what is at the heart of the organization." Kalloli is a student at Western Michigan University majoring in journalism and digital media.

Marie, the editor of Encore, sat down with Tracy Hall, executive director of OutFront Kalamazoo, to talk about that organization's work in light of the anti-LGBTQ rhetoric heating up across the U.S. "While Kalamazoo is more accepting than a lot of places, Hall and her staff have received hate email and threats," Marie says, "but Hall says those threats underscore the need for OutFront to continue to provide a safe space for the LGBTQ community."

Robert M. Weir

Bob's story about the Kalamazoo River in this issue involved comprehensive research and reporting. He interviewed more than a dozen people, watched videos, viewed online recordings of public meetings, and read parts of many government documents. He also drew upon his own experience canoeing and kayaking the river over the years and an article he wrote for Encore in 1998 in which he personified the river, allowing it to speak for itself. Weir says the information for this month's article, like the river itself, just kept “flowing along.” Bob is a Kalamazoo-based freelance writer whose work can be seen at robertmweir.com.

Marie Lee

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It’s

First Things

Some Things Celebratory

Local events mark Juneteenth

Several local events this month will commemorate the Juneteenth holiday, which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth, generally celebrated on June 19, became a federal holiday in 2021 and marks the liberation of the country’s last slaves, in Texas in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Among the local events celebrating Juneteenth will be:

• Rootead’s Juneteenth “Family Reunion,” from 3–7 p.m. June 17 in Bronson Park, a family-friendly event with food, drumming and dance. Kandace Lavender, also known as "DC," will emcee, and DJ Boogie will deejay. The Rootead Youth Drum & Dance Ensemble (RYDDE) will perform, and there will be games, family activities, a drum-and-dance tutorial, and food and craft vendors. For more information, visit rootead.org.

• Juneteenth Community Day, from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. June 17 at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, an event that will include screenings of Tar Beach by artist Faith Ringgold, a story time, and creation of a community paper quilt. There will also be docent-led tours featuring works by African American artists in the KIA’s permanent collection. For more information, visit kiarts.org.

• A Juneteenth Activity Table for children and adults from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. June 16 and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. June 17 at the Portage District Library. The library will be closed June 19 for the holiday. For more information, visit portagelibrary.info.

• A Juneteenth Celebration and ribbon cutting for the new Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, at 1000 ML King Drive, Portage, at 11 a.m. June 16. This new park includes five bronze sculptures of King, a Garden of Hope, meditative benches, shade trees and an interactive kiosk highlighting King’s legacy. For more information, visit portagemi.gov/calendar.

• The Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Black Film Fest from 5–8 p.m. June 16 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, 230 N. Rose St. will feature a screening of the 2021 documentary Summer of Soul and a community discussion with a panel of Kalamazoo musicians. For more information, visit kalamazoomuseum.org.

Something Seared Colon offers Magic City Grill Fest

Get out those tongs and grill forks because there’s grill magic happening this month in Colon.

The Magic City Grill Fest — formerly known as the Magic City Egg Fest in honor of the Big Green Egg grills it featured — will be held from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. June 17 at 123 E. State St.

The event is a culinary competition and barbecue festival for enthusiasts of all types of charcoal briquette, lump charcoal and smoking grills and smokers. There are four categories — ribs, chicken, Waygu beef sliders and an open category — where teams of up to four cooks will compete.

Tickets are $15–$20 and include tasting of the entries. Event proceeds will benefit Colon American Legion Post 454. For more information, visit magiccitygrillfest.com.

Something Musical Toad the Wet Sprocket at Bell’s

Celebrating more than three decades since they first performed as a band, Toad the Wet Sprocket will bring their alternative pop music to Bell’s Eccentric Cafe at 8 p.m. June 27.

The band found success with hits that included “Walk on the Ocean,” “All I Want,” “Something’s Always Wrong” and “Fall Down.”

The warmup act for the show will be Marcy Playground, best known for their 1997 hit “Sex and Candy.”

Tickets are $44 in advance or $49 the day of the show, with VIP tickets priced at $130. They are available at bellsbeer.com.

Something Humorous Jordan Klepper to visit Kalamazoo

While it may no longer be possible get a ticket to see Jordan Klepper’s presentation Celebrating Books While They’re Still Legal! at 7 p.m. June 30 at Miller Auditorium (it is at capacity), you might still be able to get the comedian to sign a book for you.

Klepper, who has not written a book, will sign a book of your own that you bring to the Kalamazoo Public Library between 4 and 5:30 p.m. that day.

Klepper is a writer, producer and comedian perhaps best known for his segments as a correspondent on The Daily Show on Comedy Central and for his recent stint hosting the show. He is also the creator and star of the Comedy Central docu-series Klepper. A Kalamazoo native, he graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School and Kalamazoo College.

If you don’t have a book to bring, you may purchase one at the Friends of the KPL Bookstore, in the lower level of the library.

Something Silly Do-Dah to parade through downtown

You're likely to see a few of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters in downtown Kalamazoo June 3 when the Do-Dah Parade takes to the streets at 11 a.m.

The theme of this year’s parade is “Kalama-Seuss: Children’s Stories Take to the Streets!” The parade, now in its 39th year, features floats and groups in whimsical costumes that reflect the theme or involve some kind of parody. The parade will start at the intersection of Lovell and Portage streets and proceed west on Lovell, north on Rose Street, east on Michigan Avenue and south on Portage Street back to the starting point.

For more information, visit kelcevents.wixsite.com/dodahkzoo.

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Five Faves Best things about The Barn Theatre

BY PENELOPE & BRENDAN RAGOTZY

The Barn Theatre has been a unique summer staple of Southwest Michigan for 77 years. The summer stock theatre has produced more than 600 plays and musicals in its time, featuring young apprentice actors (affectionately called Barnies) who learn the craft of theater production alongside accomplished professionals who belong to the Actors Equity Association and guest artists, including some who have worked on Tony Award-winning Broadway or Emmy Award-winning television shows.

But there's more to take in at the Barn Theatre than just our Broadway-caliber shows. Here are some of our favorite offerings:

Charming Countryside

The Barn’s 80-acre location between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo offers the perfect retreat from city life. Breathe in nature’s beauty while strolling through our bucolic grounds, the centerpiece of which is the theater itself, a former dairy barn that was designated as a Michigan Historic Site in 1985.

Back 40 Pizza

Dinner and a show? Yes, please. And since October 2021, patrons have been able to get both at the Barn. Our Back 40 Pizza offers handcrafted pies, crisp salads and snacks that are available before and after a performance. Whether it's our gyro (gyro slices, spinach, feta cheese, olives, tomato, topped with diced cucumbers and tzatziki sauce) or the Kickin’ Chicken Pizzas (with barbecue sauce, chicken and red onions and drizzled with our house-made white barbecue sauce), you'll find something delicious to try. We also offer a vegetarian, gluten-free pizza with a cauliflower crust.

Bar Shows

After the mainstage shows each night at the Barn, the party continues in the Rehearsal Shed with the Bar Show. The young and talented apprentice company provides great music and performances, and you might even be treated to an appearance by a Barn special guest star. It's a great way meet the shows’ casts up close and see future stars in action. Reservations are suggested, and they fill up fast.

Wall of Fame

It's no secret that many Barnies that “trod the boards” at our theater have gone on to be very successful, and we are proud to show them off. The Barn's Wall of Fame, erected in 2019, honors our famous Barnies, including Tom Wopat of The Dukes of Hazzard, Lauren Graham of The Gilmore Girls, Golden Globe winner Jennifer Garner, Robert Newman of TV's Guiding Light, and Lance Barber, who is currently starring in his sixth season on NBC's Young Sheldon, and many more.

Miss Penelope’s Saloon

No need to guzzle that beverage before a show or during intermission — you can now take your Barn libations into the theater to enjoy during a performance. Miss Penelope’s Saloon, which opened in June 2021, is located along the back of the theater and offers cold water, beer, wine and cocktails. This unique saloon is chock-full of Barn memorabilia, including our secret-reveal black-light portraits from the comedy Whistle Pig’s Revenge

To see the Barn's 2023 season lineup, visit barntheatreschool.org/events.

About the Authors

Brendan and Penelope Ragotzy are the second generation of the Ragotzy family to run the Barn Theatre, overseeing all operations of the venue and the theater training school. Brendan, son of founders Jack and Betty Ragotzy, is the theater's artistic producer and director, and Penelope is dean of the Barn Theatre School, the theater’s publicist and an Equity performer. In their spare time, they are parents to four children: Luke, Calli, Jacob and Melina.

Brendan Ragotzy Penelope Ragotzy

ATYP-ical Education Program offers accelerated courses for middle-schoolers

BY KALLOLI BHATT

Think of it as middle school education on steroids.

Middle school students in the Academically Talented Youth Program learn English, math or computer science at the high school and college level and achieve in a semester what would normally take them an entire year.

Sounds intense. Would a middle-schooler really choose to do this voluntarily?

The answer is yes. In fact, a couple hundred of them are doing it.

“I chose ATYP because I felt that through elementary school and early middle school I wasn’t being challenged enough,” says Emily Demlow, a second-year ATYP English student and an eighth-grader at Lakeview Middle School in Battle Creek. “ATYP has been harder, but it’s also been much more rewarding.”

ATYP, housed at Western Michigan University, is a program that provides more-challenging education for students than what they

would get through regular middle school courses. Through ATYP, students meet peers with similar mindsets and learn material two years ahead of their grade level in a collegiate-seminar manner. These advanced classes can also result in college credit and have a grading scale equivalent to honors classes offered at their home schools.

Started in 1981 by Carol McCarthy, a Kalamazoo parent passionate about gifted education, ATYP’s first class had 22 students enrolled in math. Currently there are more than 200 enrolled in ATYP math, English and AP Computer Science courses. Over the years, ATYP has enrolled almost 3,000 students from 60 Southwest Michigan schools.

ATYP courses differ from middle school classes due to their college-seminar style, where student discussions drive the learning.

Above: ATYP student Emily Demlow, left, discusses her stamp carving project with Lorrie Abdo at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center. Right: Kelly Schultz, left, is the ATYP program director while Nan Janecke, right, is ATYP's program coordinator.

Brian Powers

Due to the rigor and content of these courses, the faculty members also have to be well prepared. For example, ATYP English department faculty teach at a collegiate level, and math department faculty teach at a high school level.

“What we’re looking for (in faculty) is someone with a high level of content knowledge who also doesn’t mind being the dumbest person in the room,” says ATYP Director Kelly Schultz.

Becky Cooper teaches ATYP’s AP English classes in language, composition and literature. She has been teaching with ATYP since 1997 and chair of its English department since 2010. “I love being on this journey with them,” she says. “I love seeing every 'aha' moment, every smile of delight, every spark of scholarly fire in their faces. I appreciate how much they care about our explorations together, each other and the world around them.”

To recruit potential students, the program asks school districts and teachers to recommend students they think would qualify. This can mean students who either have high test scores on state exams, such as the M-STEP (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress), or who think about math and English in a different way than their peers.

“Some of the things we ask teachers to consider are questions such as: Is the student getting bored or misbehaving? Are they not trying hard enough because they’re not challenged? Are they asking advanced questions or using advanced vocabulary?” says Nan Janecke, ATYP program coordinator.

In order to qualify for ATYP, students must take the SAT or ACT and receive the required test scores. For math, that’s 540 points or higher on the SAT and 20 points or higher on the ACT, with a combined math and reading score of 38 or greater. For those who have

Brian Powers

already taken algebra, a minimum of 570 points on the SAT math section is required or 22 points on the ACT with a combined math and reading score of 40 points or more. For ATYP’s English program, a minimum score of 520 is required on the SAT reading section or a combined ACT English and reading score of 46 points or more.

ATYP doesn’t limit the numbers of students it will admit; instead, the program creates classes based on the number of students who enroll. The teacher-student ratio is one teacher for every 15 to 17 students. In the past, students have traveled from as far away as Niles and Kent County to attend ATYP courses.

“We haven’t really found a practical limit yet for the number of students we can take,” says Schultz. “It just depends on how many teachers I can hire and classrooms I can get at WMU. I'm sure there is one, but we just haven’t found it yet.”

While finding teachers and classroom space hasn’t posed a problem for the program, the Covid-19 pandemic did, forcing the program to revamp courses for a virtual environment and close its Battle Creek program. Previously the Battle Creek program, which offered classes at WMU’s Battle Creek location, hosted four classes

per year. Each class had seven students, and some students took both math and English.

“Our biggest challenge currently is rebuilding our Battle Creek classes and providing the students there with an academically challenging program,” says Janecke. “Currently, students from that area have to commute to Kalamazoo for those classes or hope that we have enough students who want to do it virtually.”

Another challenge for ATYP has been funding. ATYP is under the auspices of WMU’s Office of Pre-college Programming, and the university gives the program in-kind donations of space and services rather than direct funding. ATYP’s funding comes mostly from the students’ home schools, which pay tuition of $425 per class per semester for

Top left: ATYP students spend an afternoon at the Kalamazoo Book Arts carving stamps to learn about the art of letterpress printing. Top right: ATYP student Riley Danner, left, works on her stamp next to ATYP instructor Laura Citino. Above: Students Madeline Hunt, left, and Elwen Trost-Bailey, work on their project at the KBAC.

Brian Powers

years one and two and $475 for years three and four.

Tuition accounts for 82 percent of ATYP’s budget and covers the salaries of its teachers but not that of its English coordinator or student scholarships. This is why donations — 11 percent of ATYP’s total budget — have become important for the program’s sustainability, says Schultz. Currently, ATYP gets donations from the WMU Foundation, the Zhang Scholarship and Endowment, parents and community members.

“Donations are becoming a bigger part of our budget,” she says. “Charles and Lynn Zhang (owners of a financial planning and investment firm based in Portage) donated money to cover all our scholarships for the year for students who can’t afford a

calculator, books or registration fees. Their endowment also covers the cost of our English coordinator.”

But donations can only do so much for the program when schools, counselors, parents and students don’t know about the program’s existence.

“It’s hard getting the word out about ATYP to counselors in smaller school districts so they can tell their students to apply,” says Janecke. “We want to find students who would benefit from our program, but it’s hard to do that when people don’t know about us. I think what makes our program successful is the partnership we have with schools and that we are an academically challenging program that’s an affordable public-school option for kids and families.”

Some of the rewards of being in the program include high school credit while still in middle school and improved skills in writing, depth of analysis, grammar and reading as well as some life skills.

Those life skills have been particularly helpful for ATYP student Demlow.

“I’ve learned professionalism, time management and self-advocacy,” says Demlow. “There aren’t many ATYP students at my school, so I’ve learned to be polite when writing emails to say that I’ve already

taken eighth-grade English. I’ll also be able to take substantial college credit while in high school, which will help me when getting into colleges and in college as well.”

Demlow travels from Battle Creek once a week to attend class, missing part of her regular school day.

“It’s not too hard to make up anything I’m missing. ATYP work is definitely harder than middle school work, but it hasn’t been harder for me to understand it,” she says.

Demlow also appreciates the relationships ATYP students forge with one another. “You can make lots of good relationships,” she says. “It’s useful when I have homework problems to reach out to classmates before my teacher, but it also makes the program more fun. It’s different when you have people you can talk to that share experiences.”

ATYP also offers half-day summer camps for sixth- to ninth-graders on topics such as cipher code breaking, chess, virtual reality and pinhole photography. ATYP campers do not need to take a test to qualify for the camps, and the camps do not count for credit.

“Any kid who is interested in the topic can come and take these camps,” says Schultz. “They are fun but also educational.”

free SUMMER concerts ARE BACK!

Summertime

2023

The Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo is collaborating with the cities of Parchment, Portage, Oshtemo Township, Richland Township, Vicksburg and Kalamazoo, as well as numerous venues, artists, and the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation to bring you the 2023 Summertime Live concert series. This year’s series is bigger and better than ever, with:

1 3 venues & 115 free concerts!

All types of musical genres are represented, so there’s something for everyone. Best of all, each concert is FREE of charge so bring your family and friends to soak up some soul-soothing live music this summer!

For full schedule, visit: KalamazooArts.org/Summertime-Live/

Saving the Kalamazoo River

Myriad agencies, groups working to restore watershed

BY ROBERT M. WEIR

An aquatic offspring of pure waters released by glaciers 12,000 years ago, the Kalamazoo River is one of Southwest Michigan’s most defining geological features.

Covering more than 2,000 square miles and including all or parts of 10 counties, the Kalamazoo River Watershed has been many things to those who live within it. To indigenous people, the river is intricately connected to their culture and identity. To early white settlers, it was a magnet. To industries that ultimately came with those settlers, it was a critical component of business.

Yet for decades the river was treated as a dispensable resource, polluted by those who used it. The detriments to it included raw sewage, industrial discharges, carcinogenic chemicals and dams,

causing much damage to the water, the riverbanks, the floodplains, the biota and humans. And the river has faced additional degradation in very recent history from an oil spill and a dam drawdown that caused excessive sediment to be released into the river.

But the river has not been forsaken. Spearheaded by many organizations on the federal, state and local levels, efforts began in earnest a few decades ago to repair the river. And just as collective messes led to the river's degradation, it is going to take a collaborative effort and many, many decades to restore the mighty Kalamazoo.

The river's human history

The Potawatomi say, “Bmadzewen yawen I mbish,” meaning “Water is life.” To tribal members, it is “the substance that supports life, our

Brian Powers

path on Grandmother Earth.” When the Potawatomi migrated west from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean more than 1,000 years ago, they followed the prophesies of their creation story: “Go to the place where food grows on water.” In the Kalamazoo River Watershed, they found that food: mnomen, or wild rice. They also found sustenance in freshwater lake sturgeon that swam in the river.

In 1620, the first Europeans to paddle the Great Lakes arrived, and Michigan’s first settlements followed, at Sault Ste. Marie in 1668 and St. Ignace in 1671. The Mission of St. Joseph was established on the St. Joseph River in what is now Niles in 1684.

By signing the first Treaty of Chicago on Aug. 29, 1821, leaders of the Ottawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi people ceded to the U.S. 5 million acres in the Michigan Territory south of the Grand River, except for several small reservations. In 1838, U.S. soldiers forcibly moved many of the Potawatomi from southwestern Michigan to Kansas in what is known as the Potawatomi Trail of Death.

At the same time, the influx of white settlers along the Kalamazoo River and its tributaries began: Titus Bronson built his first cabin near Arcadia Creek in Kalamazoo in 1829. Marshall and Saugatuck were founded in 1830, Battle Creek in 1831, Albion in 1833, and Allegan in 1838. It was only a matter of time before development would become a detriment to the Kalamazoo River.

Paper and PCBs

With abundant nearby forests and waterways as power sources, the area became a natural — and lucrative — spot for industry. And with industrial development came dams. Constructed where the current was fast, the first dams were built in the 1830s to power grain mills and sawmills. Such dams continued to be built until 1900. From 1890 to 1940, larger dams were built to generate electricity. Until 1980, some dams were built to control lake levels for recreation and waterfront development.

There are more than 100 dams in the Kalamazoo River Watershed that are registered with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). Thirteen of these are on the river’s main stem, with many unregistered, smaller dams on its tributaries.

No industry enjoyed more prosperity from use of the waterways than papermaking, which flourished for nearly 100 years after the Kalamazoo Paper Co. was built on the banks of the river in 1867. Paper mills thrived thanks to immigrant labor, proximity to Detroit and Chicago, railroads to transport the product and waterways that provided water for the papermaking process and a handy drain to wash away the waste.

Heavy machinery is used to remove contaminated soil along the Kalamazoo River's bank north of the Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant and adjacent to the Graphic Packaging facility.

Bryant Paper Co. began operating in Kalamazoo in 1895, and the King Paper Co. in 1901. By 1902, paper mills also were operating alongside the river in Plainwell and Otsego. In 1909, Jacob Kindleberger established yet another paper-producing facility, the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Co., by the river north of Kalamazoo. Mills were also built along waterways in Vicksburg, Three Rivers, Watervliet and White Pigeon.

The invention of carbonless paper in 1953, which was met with great praise from typists who no longer had use inky carbon sheets to make multiple copies of documents, created a new opportunity for the paper mills, which began recycling the paper to make new stock.

Kalamazoo's mill operators may have thought they were helping the environment by de-inking and recycling carbonless paper rather than harvesting virgin timber to make pulp, but the paper contained polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a carcinogen, the environmental impact of which was not fully known at the time.

The mills deposited PCB-contaminated paper residue in landfills on the Kalamazoo River's banks. The Kalamazoo River Watershed Council, a nonprofit organization focused on improving and protecting the health of the watershed, estimates that more than 120,000 pounds of PCBs and millions of cubic

yards of PCB-contaminated sediments were contained in these disposal areas. The runoff from the areas created large repositories of contaminated sediments behind the dams, most specifically the Plainwell Dam, Otsego City and Township dams, Trowbridge Dam and Lake Allegan Dam. Sounding the alarm

In 1985, the Lower Kalamazoo River was designated an Area of Concern (AOC) by the International Joint Commission (IJC), a U.S.Canadian entity established to protect water in the Great Lakes Basin. The IJC found eight “environmental degradations,” or Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs), which, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cause “a change in (the river's) chemical, physical, or biological integrity.”

These include loss of fish and wildlife habitat, degradation of fish and wildlife populations, restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, and bird or animal deformities or reproduction problems, in addition to degradation of the waterway’s aesthetics.

The presence of PCBs as well as per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in the river led the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to issue “limited” consumption or “do not eat” advisories for most fish species in the Kalamazoo River downstream from Comstock.

Perhaps most damning, in 1990 the EPA gave the Kalamazoo River AOC the infamous status as a Superfund site, a designation given to locations polluted with hazardous materials. This designation, though, may have been the hazmat-clad white knight the river needed.

A Superfund designation allows the EPA to force parties responsible for contamination to either perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup work, with the goal of returning the site to productive use.

Officially known as the Allied Paper Inc./ Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site, it includes five mill disposal areas, five paper mill properties, 80 miles of the Kalamazoo River from Morrow Lake Dam to Lake Michigan, and the three miles of Portage Creek. The entirety of the site has been divided into six cleanup projects known as operable units (OUs) (see graphic).

Cleanup is no small task. It requires removal of millions and millions of cubic feet of contaminated soil and sediments, and to do so means changing the course and structure of the river, starting with the dams.

Removing dams

While having served a purpose in the past, the many dams in the watershed are now viewed as detrimental, according to John

A map of the Kalamazoo River, its tributaries, and watershed. Source: National Atlas.

Riley, an environmental quality specialist in EGLE’s Water Resources Division. “Dams fragment habitat, and most of the dams on the Kalamazoo River serve no purpose,” he says.

In addition to accumulating debris and contaminated sediments, dams also disrupt fish migration, negatively affect aquatic animal and plant life, and raise water temperatures in the impoundments. Dams with hydroelectric turbines can kill or injure fish and wildlife that attempt to pass through or over them.

A pivotal part of the Kalamazoo River Superfund cleanup is the removal of many of these dams. According to a 2022 U.S. Geological Survey report, multiple dams on the river are in various stages of removal, and “restoration work will be completed in the coming years.”

If one were to float the river today, one would see evidence of this work.

In the Upper Kalamazoo, the area of the river from its headwaters west to Morrow

Lake, near Galesburg, “there’s actually quite a long stretch of pretty naturalized river, including passages through Fort Custer State Recreation Area and land conservancy properties," according to Matt Diana, fisheries biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

In downtown Battle Creek, the river’s course is controlled by a concrete channel, but some of that has been removed and replaced with natural rock embankments, parks and floodplains.

On the Lower Kalamazoo, the Plainwell Dam was removed in 2010 and the Otsego Township Dam in 2018.

In Marshall, a dam owned by Consumers Energy generates a small amount of electricity but has a high cost of maintenance and needs repairs, according to Diana, who says the DNR will “help get grants to remove it.”

The dams that remain include Morrow Lake Dam, a hydroelectric facility; Plainwell No. 2 Dam, a water diversion dam; Otsego City Dam; Trowbridge Dam; Allegan Dam, in

downtown Allegan; and Calkins Dam, an active hydroelectric facility that creates Lake Allegan.

Constructed in 1898 by Consumers Energy, Trowbridge Dam was one of seven built to supply power to paper mills and municipalities along the river. Equipped with the first long transmission line in Michigan, the dam was to provide hydroelectric power for a newly installed streetlight system in Kalamazoo, 24 miles to the southeast.

“There was a single generator at Trowbridge. They flipped it on, and three or four hours later somebody rode to the dam site on horseback, saying, ‘The lights are on.’ He came all the way from Kalamazoo," says Mark Mills, Southwest Region manager of the Michigan DNR’s Wildlife Division. "This just goes to show that they weren’t really sure how the dam was going to work.”

Such stories, Mills says, generate sentimentality about dams and mixed feelings about removing them. “The earliest (dams) have been here a long time. People

• OU 1—Allied Paper Property/Bryant Mill Pond Area (south of East Cork Street between South Burdick Street and Portage Road);

• OU 2—Willow Boulevard and A-Site Landfill (32 acres near the intersection of Lake Street and Olmstead Road);

• OU 3—King Highway Landfill (23 acres at the intersection of King Highway and East Michigan Avenue);

• OU 4—12th Street Landfill (in Plainwell, north of M-89 where 12th Street ends at the Kalamazoo River);

• OU 5—Portage Creek and Kalamazoo River sediments;

• OU 7—Plainwell Mill (on M-89 west of Main Street in downtown Plainwell).

Note: There is no OU 6; that designation was left as a placeholder for possible future parts of the Superfund site.

Because OU 5 is large and complex, the EPA has further divided that OU into seven areas. Each is separated by a dam.

Source: US EPA Superfund program

grew up with them. They hold an important part of people’s personal history.”

The Allegan Dam, for example, is a historical component of that city. Its removal would be “a big undertaking,” says Allegan City Manager Joel Dye, and a decision to do so would be made “with all kinds of education.” He says the benefits would include “positive recreational activity, improved access to the riverfront, and being able to paddle from the Trowbridge Dam all the way to Lake Allegan." He says Allegan residents are “cautiously optimistic” and in favor of removing the dam “if the results are something they’ll be proud of.”

The difficulty of removing the dams is compounded by the contaminated sediments accumulated behind them. These must be removed or stabilized before a dam can be taken out, lest they be released and pollute an area downstream.

The steps to removing a dam, implemented by the EPA are: first, eliminate ongoing sources of contamination, including exposed

paper wastes along the riverbanks and in floodplain soils; second, remediate in-stream sediments behind the dams; and third, remove the dam structure.

Dan Peabody, an environmental quality analyst in EGLE’s Remediation and Redevelopment Division and the state’s representative to the Kalamazoo River Superfund site, says that even though the river was listed as a Superfund site in 1990, “the project languished for a while, and large-scale projects were not getting done early on. There were a lot of building blocks that needed to be done first. Now there is a lot of physical work going on, a lot of earth moving, a lot of remediation. We’re starting to see the fruits of our labor.”

Since 1998, 470,000 cubic yards of contaminated material have been removed from the Kalamazoo River Superfund site, 12 miles of the river and its banks have been restored, and 82 acres of contaminated material have been capped and locked away to prevent further contamination, according to the EPA.

EPA and EGLE have cleaned up four of six specific sites, or operable units: Willow Boulevard/A-Site Landfill, near the intersection of Lake Street and Olmstead Road; King Highway Landfill, at the intersection of the highway and Michigan Avenue; 12th Street Landfill, in Plainwell; and the paper mill site in Plainwell.

Peabody says cleanup of the Allied Paper Landfill, between Cork and Alcott streets in Kalamazoo, began in 2020 and will be completed around 2025. The cleanup of the Lower Kalamazoo, plus part of Portage Creek, will require more than a decade to complete, he says.

PCBs have been removed from Verburg Park Pond, between Gull Road and East Paterson Street, and the heavy removal equipment has moved a quarter mile to a half mile downstream, the efforts readily visible as one drives along Riverview Drive.

Verburg Park remains closed and used as a staging area.

Boat traffic is still permitted throughout the length of the river, but boaters and paddlers should, of course, steer clear of the big machinery.

Oil and mud

PCBs and PFAS have not been the only substances to foul the Kalamazoo.

On July 28, 2010, Pipeline 6B, owned and maintained by Enbridge Inc. of Calgary,

Canada, ruptured in wetlands near Marshall. The 6-foot break spilled approximately one million gallons of tar sands oil into Talmadge Creek and adversely affected 38 downstream miles of the Kalamazoo River. The river level was high at the time, enabling the oil to penetrate riverbanks and floodplain wetlands.

As a result, the use of the river for fishing, recreational and foraging purposes was prohibited until June 2012. This oil spill was

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Before and after: Top left, the Kalamazoo River runs through a concrete channel in Battle Creek; bottom left, what organizers envision when the natural river is restored. Above, top: The Allegan City Dam as it exists today; bottom right, how it might look if the dam is removed.

particularly detrimental to the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, since the entire Kalamazoo River Watershed lies within the NHBP’s traditional territory and tribal members rely upon the river, its tributaries and floodplains for medicine, spiritual nourishment and sustenance from the wild rice that grows naturally in the waterways.

“I saw the spill on the news as I was going to work. That’s how I was notified," says John Rodwan, NHBP environmental department director. "I didn’t have a grasp of the magnitude of that spill, but I came to work thinking, ‘How are we going to respond to this?’ Our council had to convene. It became a mission.

“My phone was literally ringing off the hook. Government agencies, including the Justice Department, were asking, ‘What does the tribe want? How could we assist?’ We were totally unprepared for anything of this magnitude. We had no baseline.”

Rodwan says the tribe knew it shared its area with pipelines but didn't know much more than that, a plight that Michelle DeLong,

environmental quality analyst for EGLE’s Water Resources Division, understands.

“While they (the lines) were clearly marked as pipeline areas, many people in Marshall and the surrounding communities just didn’t have a working understanding of how oil products are transported and how close they are to their communities or where they are within their communities,” DeLong says.

Enbridge reported 843,444 gallons of oil was released, while the EPA estimated recovered oil at nearly 1.2 million gallons, plus oil components that evaporated or dispersed prior to collection. The Line 6B leak is ranked as one of the largest inland oil spills in U.S. history.

For three months after the spill, hundreds of boats and thousands of workers deployed booms and removed oil-covered sediment and vegetation. The Talmadge Creek corridor was almost completely excavated, according to the Watershed Council. Where oil had sunk to the river bottom, the sediment was dredged or agitated to float to the surface

for collection. The council estimates that about 3,000 animals — mostly turtles but also water birds, mammals, and snakes — were collected, cleaned and released.

Even though the spill has been cleaned up as much as possible, the Potawatomi are still concerned about diminished eco-diversity. Rodwan quotes a tribal elder who calls the Enbridge oil spill “the great stain.”

DeLong says the spill “is a cautionary tale, for sure. A lot of information was gained about how we transport material of that nature and how we might respond — not if, but when — a tragedy like that happens in the future. We’ve done more education of people, whether in government or local communities, about where those confluences are between water resources and pipelines.”

Rodwan concurs. “Now we have a baseline,” he says. “We know what resources could be impacted.”

Morrow Lake mud

Downstream, the Morrow Lake Dam, near Comstock, was built in 1985 to create a reservoir — Morrow Lake — to provide cooling water for the now-defunct Morrow Power Plant, a coal-burning facility that sits abandoned and for sale on the lake's south side.

The dam was retrofitted to produce a modest 800 kilowatts of hydroelectric power and is now owned and operated by STS Hydropower, of Lowell, and its parent company, Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC (ECRE), of Bethesda, Maryland.

On Oct. 31, 2019, STS/ECRE notified federal and state regulatory agencies that it needed to release water to lower the lake level by 10 to 14 feet to make emergency repairs to

the dam’s floodgates. This drawdown was expected to last four months, with repairs to be completed prior to spring rains and snowmelt. In May 2020, STS/ECRE notified state agencies that the floodgates could not be repaired but were to be replaced and the water level in the reservoir would remain low until the end of the year. The floodgates were finally replaced in December 2020. However, during the 13-month drawdown, an estimated 369,000 cubic yards of sediment — mud — flowed through the dam, causing major damage to river habitat downstream.

Members of the Kalamazoo River Alliance (KRA), a group of environmentally oriented fly fishermen, may have been the first to observe the muddy discharge, in the early spring of 2020. They reported that mud was filling inlets and creating islands that reduced the river's navigability. Mud deposits as large as 15 feet wide and 14 feet deep made river access impossible or marginal at Mayors' Riverfront Park and Verburg Park and sediments were reported in Lake Allegan, 40 miles downstream from the dam.

“I put my hand in the water,” says KRA President Ryan Baker. “When my wedding ring was at the surface, I couldn’t see my fingertips. The water was black.”

According to the Watershed Council, entire stretches of the river bottom and banks are covered with sediment, in some places more than 10 feet deep, affecting fish spawning, life cycles of all aquatic life, and, in some cases, killing river wildlife such as macroinvertebrates, mussels, turtles and fish. Deer have even been trapped in the deep sediments, and the number of fish caught on the river has been dramatically reduced.

KRA members consider this volume of mud to be an ecological disaster far greater than the Enbridge oil spill of 2010. “You only need a quarter inch of sediment to totally destroy spawning habitat for smallmouth bass,” says Baker.

“We screamed from the rooftops. We called News Channel 3, MLive, Fox 17," Baker recalls. "We contacted Kalamazoo City Commissioner Chris Praedel and Kalamazoo

Top: The Morrow Lake Dam. Bottom: A series of photos taken two months apart show the progressive sludge buildup on the river's bank from the sediment that came through the Morrow Lake Dam.

Photo by Ryan Baker.

County Commissioner Tracy Hall. We took media people out on the river in our boats so they could observe the muddy water firsthand.

“It’s hard to wrap your head around nearly 400,000 cubic yards of mud, so picture 40,000 dump trucks atop the dam dumping 10 yards of sediment at a time. That’s the equivalent of what opening Morrow Lake Dam did to the river.”

The sediments also made an existing problem worse: “Those sediments released at the upstream end of the Superfund site put additional material on top of the PCBcontaminated material, and that increases the cost of the cleanup,” says Lisa Williams, a contaminants specialist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“There’s not a good source of funds to do anything about it quickly, so the mud is being slowly distributed farther and farther downstream.”

EGLE's Peabody says that even now, three years later, only a small amount of the mud

has been removed, most of it close to the dam. Currently, there is no timeframe for removing the greater volume of mud, and where to take the mud that is removed will depend on future chemical testing.

Williams adds a warning about walking along the muddy riverbanks. “You can get your boots in pretty deep, pretty quickly in a way that you might not expect.”

Both the Kalamazoo County and Kalamazoo City commissions sent letters to STS/ECRE seeking details and assurance that the company will clean up the sediment from Morrow Lake and hold themselves accountable for the damage done to the river.

EGLE and the DNR also initiated legal action against STS, saying the company "caused significant public safety hazards, massive damage to the State’s natural resources, and significant impediments to recreational use.” That case is in the early stages of litigation, and EGLE and DNR representatives would not comment on it.

Saving the river

From all the information above, it is obvious there are several groups monitoring, protecting and advocating for the Kalamazoo River — from the EPA on the national level to EGLE and the Michigan DNR on the state level to smaller organizations, some voluntary, on the local level.

One of the latter is the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council, a group of individuals and representatives of agencies and local government created in 1972 as a result of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement signed by the United States and Canada. “Our footprint crosses many jurisdictions throughout the entire watershed," explains KRWC Executive Director Doug McLaughlin. "We work with others to understand the science and then apply that science in a way that is most relevant to improvements of the river and interactions that people have with the entire river ecosystem.”

McLaughlin notes that the efforts to improve the health of the river impact “a diverse audience."

“Everyone who lives in the region and people from outside the region,” he says. “Those interested in increasing outdoor economy. Neighborhood associations that are right next to the river. People who enjoy walking along the river or paddling through

Waterfowl share a natural stretch of the Kalamazoo River near Comstock.

a forested wetland, fishing or looking at birds, hearing the sound of the water.”

Another organization, the Kalamazoo River Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG), is an all-volunteer organization that shares information and makes recommendations to the EPA on the cleanup at the Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site. It is made up of citizens who live in many of the communities affected by the contamination. CAGs are created under EPA guidelines for larger, more complicated Superfund sites, says the organization's facilitator, Doug Sarno. "Members are a diverse group of stakeholders who provide advice to the EPA and keep the community better informed.”

Not associated with any of the federal, state or municipal governmental units is the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Tribe, whose work to revitalize the watershed is intricately intertwined with its efforts to preserve its indigenous culture.

From the river’s shallow areas and related waterways, the tribe is harvesting mnomen, reseeding some and using some for its ceremonies and sustenance. Roger LeBine, a citizen of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe, says his goal is to harvest 1,300 to 1,500 pounds of the rice each year “for the elders, ceremonies, seeds” and food.

The tribe also conducts a Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation Program that it started in 2010 in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Michigan DNR, Grand Valley State University and the Kalamazoo Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow.

Jeff Martin, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Tribal Council secretary, says lake sturgeon are “one of the strongest of the fish species. They’re majestic. We have them in our culture. They’re one of our clans because of their greatness, their ability to live as long as they do (more than 100 years).”

The program involves placing egg mats downstream of Calkins Dam at New Richmond Bridge Park, in Allegan County. During spawning season, tribal members carefully collect fertilized eggs and take them to a hatchery where they grow into small fingerlings that are released around Labor Day.

“The egg mats are basically like furnace filters. Collecting the eggs protects them from predation and from harsh water and

debris that comes rushing through and over the dam,” which would wash away or crush and kill the eggs, says Elizabeth BinoniemiSmith, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Tribe environmental director.

“The sturgeon supported previous generations of the tribe. Now, through this program, the tribe is supporting the sturgeon,” she says.

In a nutshell, all these efforts have resulted in the health of the river improving, but it’s still a Superfund site. There is progress — albeit slow and painstakingly hard — and fish consumption advisories are still in place. What is certain is that the people, communities and industries that once turned their backs on the river or trained their discharge pipes on it are now turning around and paying attention to it. As the documentary Zibi Yajdan: The River Tells It says in the voice of the river: “People of all walks of life are coming together to restore, conserve and protect me for seven generations to come.”

FINLEY GLEASON

LUKE LARSON

Brian Powers

TheArts

Spotlighting greater Kalamazoo's arts community

Bye Bye, Bach Music organization shifts its focus to vocal arts

BY KALLOLI BHATT

With the Kalamazoo Bach Festival getting a new name and a new focus, it’s clear there’s no going Bach for the organization.

After nearly three-quarters of a century since its founding, the group announced last month that it was changing its name to Kalamazoo Choral Arts and focusing more on vocal music.

The Bach Fest was founded in 1946 as a community effort to honor the choral and instrumental works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Over the years, it grew to include events throughout the year, including organ

crawls, choral festivals and the Bach Legacy Lecture, all of which focused on the works of Bach and his contemporaries. In recent years, however, the Bach Fest purposely expanded its repertoire, shifting from instrumental music to primarily choral music and featuring works by other composers such as Beethoven and Brahms. This year’s Love Is concert even included a commissioned piece by composer David O.

Below: Music director Chris Ludwa leads a rehearsal of Kalamazoo Choral Arts members. Right: The new logo and name for the former Kalamazoo Bach Festival.

Brian Powers

And as the focus of the organization changed, the need to rebrand became clear, according to Music Director Christopher Ludwa.

“We've decided that it is time to move in a different direction and make sure that the name that we're presenting reflects what we do as an organization,” says Ludwa. “(Bach Festival) doesn't really reflect the breadth of repertoire and the inclusivity that I think we really embrace as an organization.”

Examples of inclusivity efforts by the Bach Festival include recent programs that featured works by “living composers, women and BIPOC (Black, indigenous and people of color) composers,” says Ludwa. The festival has also sung well-known pieces such as Hadyn’s Creation in Spanish.

“We have expanded our repertoire, been more inclusive and expanded our diversity with who we represent in the music world,” says Cori Somers, the organization’s executive director. “Kalamazoo is a really progressive town, so we felt like doing anything less than a full name change was paying lip service to the idea of inclusivity instead of fully embracing it. The direction we are going in

is opportunities in the community that are more vocal-arts-focused.”

Since the organization has changed its repertoire significantly over the past few decades, the name Bach Festival doesn’t truly summarize what is at the heart of the program, says Ludwa.

“Our name feels exclusive, so this is a way to take away barriers for community involvement,” he says. “Younger people don’t even know who Bach is, which is sad but also represents the privilege of that musical education. Kalamazoo Choral Arts is a more expansive umbrella organization, and we could spin off of that when the time is right.”

Ludwa likens the organization’s changes to renovating a house, wherein the foundation of the structure stays the same. In this case, the organization’s foundation in choral music will remain. What won’t continue will be its weeklong choral festival, its annual organ crawl with Bach works played on organs at area churches, and its sponsorship of the Stulberg International String Competition’s $1,000 Bach Prize, which is awarded to the semifinalist, among 12, who gives the best solo Bach performance.

Since the former Bach Festival is “moving towards being a choral-centric organization” and “the Stulberg is strictly for string players, it doesn’t make sense to support them in that way,” says Somers.

Kalamazoo Choral Arts will still collaborate with other local music organizations as it does with the Kalamazoo College Singers, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and the First Congregational Church Chorus to provide its annual Love Is concert.

In the future, Ludwa says, Kalamazoo Choral Arts plans to put an emphasis on living composers that aren’t necessarily white or “male-identifying.”

“Curation of newer composers is an intentional process,” he says. “While Haydn and Brahms will remain timeless, the Kalamazoo Choral Arts should be a place for all types of singers, from Broadway to classical. I’d like to see us do more commissioning of underrepresented composers specifically.”

“We haven’t had any pushback from our supporters,” Somers says of the changes. “They recognize that if you don’t change, you die.”

TheArts

Art Fairs

June 2 & 3

Downtown Kalamazoo & Bronson Park

Rent

June 22–July 9

Farmers Alley Theatre

This play is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today.

Rent follows a year in the lives of a group of friends living in Lower Manhattan. Mark (played by Jason Koch), a filmmaker, and Roger (Logan Farine), a musician, are living in the apartment of their former friend Benny (Kemar Williams), under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

The local production is directed by Trey Ellet, and show times are 7:30 p.m. June 22–24, June 29–July 1 and July 6–8 and 2 p.m. June 25, July 2 and 9. Tickets are $25–$49 and available at farmersalleytheatre.com.

You will find artwork in all shapes and sizes of media at two events on the same weekend in downtown Kalamazoo this month:

Art on the Mall, which occurs on the Kalamazoo Mall and South Street, is a soft-juried event that will feature more than more than 60 local and regional artists showcasing their works in media including painting, jewelry, pottery, sculpture and garden arts. The event will include art demonstrations and live entertainment. It is presented by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and will run from noon–8 p.m. June 2 and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. June 3. For more information, visit kalamazooarts.com.

The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair will bring more than 100 artists from all over the U.S. to Bronson Park to exhibit their paintings, sculptures, photography, jewelry, ceramics, glass art, fiber art and more. The fair will include music, food trucks and family activities, and there will be free admission to the KIA galleries, at 314 S. Park St. The fair will run from noon–8 p.m. June 2 and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. June 3. For more information, visit kiarts.org.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

LinesThat...

Through June 11

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

THEATER VISUAL ARTS

UnveilingAmerican Genius Through Dec. 31

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

CrossCurrents:East/West WoodblockPrints

Through July 28

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

TheArts

TakesonTango

June 4

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

Chilean violinist Freddy Varela Montero will join the KSO chamber players for a 3 p.m. performance in the Dalton Center Recital Hall on Western Michigan University’s campus.

Montero is the concertmaster of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has performed as a soloist in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and North and Central America.

Tickets are $5–$35. For more information, visit kalamazoosymphony.com.

Summertime Live Concerts

Various times

Various venues

A full roster of summer outdoor concerts is planned for Kalamazoo, Portage, Richland, Vicksburg, Hickory Corners and Oshtemo Township. Unless stated otherwise, the concerts are free. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets or chairs. The groups performing in June and the concert locations are:

• A Night with Lady Ace, 6 p.m. June 2, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St.

• Kalamazoo Concert Band, 4 p.m., June 4, Bronson Park

• FlyLiteGemini and Out of Favor Boys, 5:30 p.m. June 7, Bates Alley (between Pitcher and Portage streets), downtown Kalamazoo

• Chris Karl, Gilmore Car Museum, 5 p.m. June 7, 6865 W. Hickory Road, Hickory Corners

• Motortown All-Stars, 7 p.m. June 8, Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road, Portage

• Ada LeAnn, 11:30 a.m. June 9, Bronson Park

• Zion Lion Reggae Band, 6 p.m. June 11, Flesher Field, 3664 Ninth St., Oshtemo Township

• Denise Davis and the Motor City Sensations, 6:30 p.m. June 11, Kindleberger Park, 122 N. Riverview Drive, Parchment

• BenJammin, 3 p.m. June 14, Richland Area Community Center, 9400 E. CD Ave., Richland

• Formal Invitation, 5 p.m. June 14, Gilmore Car Museum

• Sage Castleberry and DJ Mel V, 5:30 p.m. June 14, Bates Alley

• Hurricane and Left on Main, 5:15 p.m. June 14, 126 N. Kalamazoo Ave., Downtown Vicksburg

• Out of Favor Boys, 11:30 a.m. June 15, Bronson Park

MUSIC

• Queer the Block, 5:30 p.m. June 17, State Theatre

• Gun River Band, 3 p.m. June 21, Richland Area Community Center

• Hi-Views, 5 p.m. June 21, Gilmore Car Museum

• Allie Garland Band, Sean Gibson and Old Hank's Son, 5:15 p.m. June 21, Downtown Vicksburg

• J.Cam.G and DJ Jason Veeder, 5:30 p.m. June 21, Bates Alley

• Crooked Root Band, 4:30 p.m. June 23, Celery Flats, 7328 Garden Lane, Portage

• Joshua Tree, 6:30 p.m. June 23, Celery Flats

• Kanola Band, 11:30 a.m. June 23, Bronson Park

• Megan Dooley Trio, 4 p.m. June 25, Bronson Park

• The Hoot Owls, 3 p.m. June 28, Richland Area Community Center

• Tony Reynolds, 5 p.m. June 28, Gilmore Car Museum

• John Louis Good, Rose City Troubadours and Greg Cordes, 5:15 p.m. June 28, Downtown Vicksburg

• Sam Luna and Grace Theisen Trio, 5:30 p.m. June 28, Bates Alley

• Jeffery Cavataio, 7 p.m. June 29, Overlander Bandshell, Portage

• Dylan Tolbert, 11:30 a.m. June 30, Bronson Park

PERFORMING ARTS THEATER

Musicals

Rent — Jonathan Larson’s musical follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists & musicians in New York’s Lower East Side under the shadow of HIV/AIDS, 7:30 p.m. June 22–24, June 29–July 1 & July 6–8; 2 p.m. June 25, July 2 & 9, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, 343–2727, farmersalleytheatre.com.

MUSIC

Bands & Solo Artists

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Concerts — Lucius Fox, June 1; Mike Love & The Full Circle Band, June 7; Dres & Friends w/Witches Wedding & Domain Masters, June 9; Thee Sinseers & The Altons, June 11; Damien Jurado w/Chris Pureka, June 12; Max Lockwood w/Hanna Lane of Earth Radio, June 15; Mike Gordon, June 21; Yo La Tengo, June 23; Toad The Wet Sprocket w/Marcy Playground, June 27; Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton, June 28; black midi, June 30; all shows begin at 8 p.m., 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

State on the Street — Live concerts on select Fridays outside the State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St.: A Night with Lady Ace, June 2; Queer the Block, June 17; seating starts at 5 p.m., music at 5:30 p.m., kazoostate.com.

The Out of Favor Boys — Blues trio, 8–10 p.m. June 3, New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine St., thenewvictheatre.org.

Kalamazoo Concert Band — Symphonic band, 4 p.m., June 4, Bronson Park, kalamazooarts.org.

Cruise-In Concerts — Live concerts at 5 p.m. Wednesdays at the Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners: Chris Karl, June 7; Formal Invitation, June 14; Hi-Views, June 21; Tony Reynolds, June 28; 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org

Gun Lake Live Summer Series — Lakefront concerts at 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Lakefront Pavilion, Bay Pointe Inn, 11456 Marsh Road, Shelbyville: Jedi Mind Trip, June 7; Funkle Jesse, June 14; Rick Deez, June 21; Sushi Roll, June 28, 888–486–5253.

Beats on Bates — Live music at 5:30 p.m., Bates Alley (between Pitcher and Portage streets), downtown Kalamazoo: FlyLiteGemini & Out of Favor Boys, June 7; Sage Castleberry & DJ Mel V, June 14; J.Cam.G & DJ Jason Veeder, June 21; Sam Luna & Grace Theisen Trio, June 28; kalamazooarts.org.

Motortown All-Stars — Motown songs, harmonies & choreography, 7 p.m. June 8, Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road, bring a blanket or chair, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Lunchtime Live! — Live music, games & food, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Bronson Park: Ada LeAnn, June 9; Out of Favor Boys, June 16; Kanola Band, June 23; Dylan Tolbert, June 30; kzooparks.org.

Pub Anniversary — Backyard bash celebrating 30 years of Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, with live music, throwback prices, lawn games & merchandise giveaways, noon–10 p.m. June 10, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

Zion Lion Reggae Band — 6–7:30 p.m. June 11, Flesher Field, 3664 S. Ninth St., oshtemo.org/ events.

Denise Davis and the Motor City Sensations — 6:30 p.m. June 11, Kindleberger Park, 122 N. Riverview Drive, Parchment, kalamazooarts.org.

BenJammin — Children's music, 3 p.m. June 14, Richland Area Community Center, 9400 E. CD Ave., Richland, kalamazooarts.org.

Burg Days of Summer — Live music 5:30–8:30 p.m. Wednesdays in downtown Vicksburg: Left on Main & Hurricane Reggae, June 14; Allie Garland Band, Sean Gibson & Old Hank's Son, June 21; Greg Cordes, John Louis Good & Rose City Troubadours, June 28; vicksburgmi.org.

Gun River Band, 3 p.m., June 21, Richland Area Community Center, kalamazooarts.org.

The Hoot Owls, 3 p.m. June 28, Richland Area Community Center, kalamazooarts.org.

Friday at the Flats — Live music at the Celery Flats pavilion, 7328 Garden Lane, Portage: Crooked Root Band, 4:30 p.m.; Joshua Tree, 6:30 p.m. June 23; kalamazooarts.org.

Megan Dooley Trio — Kalamazoo vocalist performs, 4 p.m. June 25, Bronson Park, kalamazooarts.org

Jeffrey Cavataio — Upbeat pop covering music of Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin to Josh Groban, 7 p.m. June 29, Celery Flats, 7335 Garden Lane, bring a blanket or chair, portagemi.gov.

Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More Takes on Tango — Chilean violinist Freddy Varela Montero joins Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra chamber musicians, 3 p.m. June 4, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 349-7759, kalamazoosymphony.com.

FILM

Kzoo Parks Summer Cinema — Free outdoor movies, 6–10 p.m.: U-Pick the Flick, drive-in-movie style, June 16, Spring Valley Park, 2600 Mt. Olivet Road (help pick the movie by voting online); The Bad Guys, with face painting, June 30, Kalamazoo Farmers Market, 1204 Bank St.; kzooparks.org/ events.

Guardians of the Galaxy — Begins after sunset (approximately 9 p.m.) June 23, Celery Flats, 7335 Garden Lane, bring a blanket or chair, portagemi. gov/calendar.

VISUAL ARTS

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

314 S. Park St., 349-7775, kiarts.org

Exhibitions

Lines That … — Show exploring the versatility of a line, through June 11.

West Michigan Area Show — Juried exhibition in a variety of media by artists from a 14-county region of western Michigan, through Aug. 27.

Unveiling American Genius — Abstract & contemporary works emphasizing stories told by African American, Latino & other artists, through Dec. 31.

Events

Unveiling American Genius Guided Tour — 1:30–2:30 p.m. June 4 & 11.

ARTbreak — Program about art, artists & exhibitions: The Photography of Gordon Parks, Renaissance Man, talk by KIA docent Sam Grossman, June 6; Artistry & Spectacle in the Kabuki Tradition, talk by Quincy Thomas, Kalamazoo College assistant professor of theatre arts, June 13; West Michigan Area Show Artist Highlight, June 20; Taxigami … What, How & Why? with Kalamazoo native Aerick Burton, June 27; sessions begin at noon in the KIA Auditorium; register online.

ARTful Evening: An Evening with the Black Arts & Cultural Center — BACC Interim Executive Director Janine Seals and Programs Director Dani Lewis discuss the organization, 6–7 p.m. June 15, KIA Auditorium; registration required.

Juneteenth Community Day — Featuring the movie Tar Beach, playing in the KIA library all day, plus activities and a story time, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. June 17.

African American Artists in the KIA’s Collection Guided Tour — 1:30–2:30 p.m. June 18.

Book Discussion — Geraldine Brooks’ Horse, 2–3 p.m. June 21.

Sugoi!200YearsofJapaneseArt Guided Tour — 1:30–2:30 p.m. June 25.

Other Venues

Art on the Mall — Soft-juried art show featuring works by 60 artists, plus art demonstrations and live entertainment, noon–8 p.m. June 2 & 9 a.m.–5 p.m. June 3, Kalamazoo Mall, kalamazooarts. org/art-on-the-mall.

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair — Juried art show with paintings, jewelry, photography, sculpture and more, noon–8 p.m. June 2 & 9 a.m.–5 p.m. June 3, Bronson Park, kiarts.org/arts-fair.

Cross Currents: East/West Woodblock Prints — Exhibition by Kalamazoo artist Mary Brodbeck & Japanese artist Yoshisuke Funasaka, through July 28, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, kalbookarts. org.

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS

Kalamazoo Public Library

553-7800, kpl.gov

KPL Tech Days — Personal session to learn technology & the internet, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. June 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 24, 26, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.; sessions are first-come, first-served.

KPL Mobile Library — 3–4:30 p.m. June 6, Texas Township Hall, 7110 West Q Ave; 4–5:30 p.m. June 20, Park Street Market, 512 N. Park St.; 5–7 p.m. June 21, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, 420 E. Alcott St., as part of Family Literacy Day, with multigenerational activities; 10–11 a.m. June 27, Lodge House, 1211 S. Westnedge Ave.

The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and WonderCanChangeYourLife — Online talk by author Mike Rucker, 4–5 p.m. June 7; registration required.

An American in Provence — Online talk by photographer Jamie Beck, 2–3 p.m. June 15; registration required.

Tananarive Due — An online talk by the author about her latest book, The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, 8–9 p.m. June 28; registration required.

Book Signing: Jordan Klepper — The comedian, who has not written a book, will sign one of your books, 4–5:30 p.m. June 30, Central Library (before his appearance at Miller Auditorium); bring a book or buy one at Friends of KPL Bookstore.

CelebratingBooksWhileTheyAreStillLegal! — Comedian Jordan Klepper gives a talk in honor of KPL’s 150th anniversary, 7–9:30 p.m. June 30, Miller Auditorium.

Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org

Parchment Power! Summer Reading Program — Read books, earn prizes and learn about Parchment; registration begins June 5.

60th Birthday Celebration — For the library, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. June 10.

Parchment Book Group — Discussion of Elizabeth Letts’ The Ride of Her Life, 6 p.m. June 12.

Bee-yond the Bees’ Knees — Charlotte Hubbard provides insights into honeybees & beekeeping, 6:30 p.m. June 13.

Maris Soule — Talk by the author of Eat Crow and Die, 6:30 p.m. June 20.

Portage District Library 300 Library Lane, 329-4544, portagelibrary.info

Friends of the Library Book Sale — 9 a.m.–3 p.m. June 3; Friends of the Library members can shop early, 4–5:30 p.m. June 2.

Pub-Style Trivia Night — Bring a team or attend without one, 6:30–8:30 p.m. June 8; registration required.

Saturday Sound Immersion — Wind Willow Consortium provides a relaxing well-being experience, 10 a.m. June 10; registration required.

Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society — Open to those interested in genealogy, 6:30 p.m. June 12.

What Some Are Reading: A Book Talk Soiree for Book Clubs and Avid Readers — For readers looking for suggestions & resources to start their own group, 6:30–8 p.m. June 15; registration required.

Juneteenth Activity Table — Activities for children & adults, June 16–17; library will be closed June 19 for the holiday.

Kalamazoo Plant It Forward June Swap — Join indoor & outdoor plant lovers for a plant swap social event, 10 a.m.–noon June 24; registration required.

Family Harry Potter Trivia Night — For kids & adults, 7–8 p.m. June 29; register a team or family.

Richland Community Library 8951 Park St., 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org

Bridge Club — Noon Tuesdays.

Evaluation & Care of Trees and Shrubs

Kalamazoo, MI • 269-381-5412 • www.arboristserviceskzoo.com

Richland Road Rally 2023 — Adult teams race around Richland to solve puzzles & win prizes, with music & food in the Village Square, 1–3 p.m. June 10; registration required.

Vicksburg District Library 215 S. Michigan Ave., 649-1648, vicksburglibrary.org

Book Club for Adults — 9:30–10:30 a.m. June 1.

Ladies Library Auxiliary — Meets first Friday of each month, noon–3 p.m. June 2.

Bridge Club — 9:30 a.m.–noon Tuesdays.

Tai Chi Class — 7–8 p.m. Tuesdays & 10:30–11:30 a.m. Thursdays.

Book Sale — 10 a.m.–5 p.m. June 9 & 10, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. June 12.

Anime/Gaming Social Group — Discuss your favorite anime & games with other adults, 5–5:45 p.m. June 15.

Comedy Movie Club — Watch a funny movie, with popcorn & drinks, 6–8 p.m. June 21; adults only.

Craft & Chat — Bring a craft project to work on, 12:30–1:30 p.m. June 23; adults only.

Movie Club for Adults & Seniors — Watch & discuss a movie, 1–3:30 p.m. June 26.

Writer’s Roundtable — Meet with other writers to discuss your current project, 1–2:30 p.m. June 28.

Jigsaw Puzzle Day — Assemble the library’s new jigsaw puzzles, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. June 30; adults only.

MUSEUMS

Gilmore Car Museum

6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org

Wednesday Night Cruise–Ins — Collector cars, oldies music & food, 5–8 p.m. Wednesdays on good-weather nights, through September.

Experience European Luxury — Classic Car Club of America Museum’s annual show & driving tour, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. June 3.

Vintage Motorcycle Weekend — Motorcycles of the past 100 years, parts & memorabilia, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. June 10–11.

Air-Cooled Gathering — Rare air-cooled cars, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. June 16–17.

Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals Meet-Up — High-performance cars, swap meet, live music, driving tour & remote radio broadcast, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. June 24.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum

230 N. Rose St., 373-7990, kalamazoomuseum.org

Exhibitions

Moments In Time: The Kalamazoo County PhotoDocumentaryProject— Documenting life in Kalamazoo since 1984, through June 4.

Mental Health: Mind Matters — Exploring mental health & mental illness, through June 18.

50 Years of Service, Scholarship, Sisterhood and Social Action— Focusing on the Kalamazoo Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, through June 25.

Wonder Media: Ask the Questions! — Test your media literacy skills and learn to discern misinformation & disinformation in the media, through 2023.

Events

Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Black Film Fest — Screening of Summer of Soul and community discussion with a panel of Kalamazoo musicians, 5–8 p.m. June 16.

Splat! The Buzz About Flyswatters — Flyswatter collector Iza van Riemsdijk discusses her 3,000-piece collection from around the world, 1:30 p.m. June 17.

Adventure Awaits! — Drop-in summer sessions for kids & their adult caregivers, with hands-on crafts, planetarium shows & special performances: Explore the Land, June 21, 22, 28 & July 1; Explore the Water, July 5, 12 & 15; Explore Space, July 19, 26 & 29.

NATURE

Geo Mystery Tour: Secret Life of Bogs — Geocaching in Portage parks, June 1–30; register at mypark.portagemi.gov and click Recreation Activities & Facility Rentals.

Wild Wetlands: The Secret Life of Bogs — Exhibition exploring how wetlands like fens & bogs help combat climate change, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday, June 1–Sept. 5, Portage City Hall Atrium, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi.gov/ calendar.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society General Meeting and Speaker — Michael Velbel discusses The Search for Ancient Microbial Life on Mars, 7–9:15 p.m. June 2, Kalamazoo Math and Science Center, 600 W. Vine St., kasonline.org.

Birds and Coffee Chat Online — Learn about Michigan’s bald eagles, red-tailed hawks & owls in this Kellogg Bird Sanctuary program, 10 a.m. June 8; registration required, 671-2510, birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu.

Garlic Mustard & Dame’s Rocket Pulling Day — Hand-pull these invasive species, 8:30–10:30 a.m. June 10, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574, naturecenter.org.

Scalin’ Up for Summer — See & touch a variety of reptiles & explore the world of fishing, with first 100 kids receiving a free fishing rod, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. June 10, Celery Flats, 7335 Garden Lane, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Public Observing Session — Great Globular Clusters, June 10; The Moon & Summer Deep Sky, June 24; both from 9:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m., Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., kasonline.org.

Ramona Beach Bonfire — With live music & s’mores materials, 8 p.m. June 11, Ramona Park, 8600 S. Sprinkle Road, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Bioblitz — Learn about local plants & wildlife using the iNaturalist app, 10 a.m.–noon June 17, Bishop’s Bog, 9920 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi. gov.

MISCELLANEOUS

Kalamazoo Farmers Market — Over 100 vendors & artisans, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturdays, through October; Night Market, 5–10 p.m. June 16, July 21, Aug. 18 & Sept. 15; 1204 Bank St.; pfcmarkets.com.

Kalamazoo Pride Festival — Live entertainment & information booths, presented by OutFront Kalamazoo, June 2–3, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St., outfrontkzoo.org/events.

Kalamazoo Indoor Flea Market — New & used items, antiques & crafts, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. June 3, South Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., 383-8778.

Touch-A-Truck — Fire trucks, police cars, large construction equipment, race cars & more, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. June 3, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, kalamazoo.jl.org.

Do-Dah Parade — Whimsical parade, with the theme Kalama-Seuss: Children’s Stories Take to the Streets, 11 a.m. June 3, Lovell Street to Rose Street to Michigan Avenue to Portage Street; kelcevents.wixsite.com/dodahkzoo.

A Walking Tour of Downtown Kalamazoo Breweries — 1–4 p.m. June 3, 10, 17 & 24; 350–4598, westmibeertours.com.

Portage Farmers Market — 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Sundays, through October, Portage City Hall, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., 329-4522.

Paddlesport Sampler — Learn basic skills of a variety of watercraft with certified instructors, equipment provided, 6–8 p.m. Tuesdays, Ramona Park & Beach, 8600 S. Sprinkle Road; registration required, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Monday Morning Cruisers — Weekly bike ride on the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail begins at 9 a.m.; meet at Kal-Haven Trail 10th Street trailhead, June 5; Commerce Lane in Parchment, June 12 & 19; Mayors’ Riverfront Park, June 26; 760–4711, kalcounty.com/newsandevents.

Kalamazoo Food Truck Rallies — 5–7:30 p.m. June 6, Water Street, downtown Kalamazoo; 5–7:30 p.m. June 13, The Mill, Vicksburg; 5–10 p.m. June 16, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, downtown

Kalamazoo; 5–7:30 p.m. June 20, Fannie Pell Park, Plainwell; 5–7:30 p.m. June 27, Warner Vineyards, Paw Paw; foodtruckrallykz.com.

Richland Farmers’ Market — Local produce, artisans, artists & food trucks, 3–6 p.m. Wednesdays, through Sept. 13, Richland Community Center, 9400 East CD Ave., Richland, richlandareacc.org/richland-farmers-market.

Vicksburg Old Car Festival — Friday Cruise Night and Drive-in & Saturday Car Show, June 9–10, Main Street, Vicksburg, facebook.com/vixocf.

Vintage in the Zoo — Outdoor vintage market & handmade goods with music, noon–7 p.m. June 10, KVCC’s Anna Whitten Hall, 202 N. Rose St., vintageinthezoo.com.

Juneteenth Celebration — Ribbon cutting for the new Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, with selfled meditation & education session, 11 a.m. June 16, 1000 ML King Drive, portagemi.gov/calendar.

UKC Premier Dog Show — Featuring agility, obedience, terrier racing & dock diving in addition to traditional show ring, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. June 16–18, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, ukcdogs.com.

Buttermilk Jamboree — Music & arts festival with swimming, dancing & food, June 16–18, Circle Pines Center, 8650 Mullen Road, Delton, buttermilkjamboree.org.

Rootead’s “Family Reunion” — Family-friendly event celebrating Black culture, with food, drumming & dance, 3–7 p.m. June 17, Bronson Park, rootead.org.

Summer Jerico Faire — Local makers & artists, 2–8 p.m. June 24, Jerico, 1415 Fulford St., hellojerico.com.

Meet & Greet Animal Station — Meet ambassador animals from John Ball Zoo & learn how their young grow up, 2–3 p.m. June 20, Portage Parks & Recreation Building, 320 Library Lane, portagemi.gov/calendar; registration required.

Friday at the Flats — Food trucks, live music & vendors, 4:30–8:30 p.m. June 23, Celery Flats Pavilion, 7335 Garden Lane, portagemi.gov/ calendar.

Cheetah Chase — 5K run through Binder Park Zoo, 8 a.m. June 24, binderparkzoo.com.

Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Reptiles, amphibians, small mammals & other exotic pets, plus supplies & food, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. June 24, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, kalamazooreptileexpo.com.

He Trusts Me with Scissors

He trusts me with scissors. Sits in the swivel chair, shoulders toweled, glasses off, eyes closed, smiling. I come at him with pointed blades.

He sits in the swivel chair, shoulders toweled. I know the lay of his head better than my own. I come at him with pointed blades. A wire springs from his eyebrow, snip.

I know the lay of his head better than my own. He says the last time someone else cut his hair was 1974. A wire springs from his ear canal, snip. His brain is churning numbers.

Says the last time someone else cut his hair was 1974.

I hum to the bluegrass twanging on the radio. His brain is churning numbers. Says we’ve been together about 15,985 days.

Humming to the bluegrass twanging on the radio, I kiss his balding crown. Smells sexy. He says we’ve been together about 15,985 days. Says I’ve probably cut his hair 200 times or so.

I kiss his balding crown. Smells sexy. He trusts me with scissors. Says I’ve probably cut his hair 200 times or so, his glasses off, eyes closed, smiling.

— Sharon Sargent Eckstein

Eckstein lives in rolling woods near Lawton with her husband, Brian, Gustave the dog and Fiona the cat. She has had careers as an artist and painter, a counseling psychologist, and now as a writer. Her poem here is a pantoum, a Malaysian verse form that consists of a series of fourline stanzas, with the second and fourth lines of each stanza repeated as the first and third line of the next. In the last stanza the second and fourth lines repeat the first and third lines of the first stanza.

Tracy Hall (continued from page 38) was hired as KGLRC's first program director. At the same time, I was teaching at both Western and KVCC. I was here (at the former KGLRC) for about two and a half years but wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I thought about a Ph.D., but I also wanted to get involved in politics.

I ran for the Kalamazoo City Commission in 2013 and lost but ran for the Kalamazoo County Commission in 2016, won and served three terms. (She did not run for re-election in 2022.) During that time, I still volunteered here and joined OutFront's board of directors. In April 2022, our executive director, Amy Hunter, resigned and my former good friends on the board (she laughs) appointed me as interim executive director. I became permanent in July 2022.

I never really thought I was an executive director, but I absolutely loved it. It took, literally, just a few minutes and I was like, 'I can do this.' Because I love the organization and this space. Providing resources and services and programs for my community, it just fills up my heart.

What changes have you seen in Kalamazoo's LGBTQ community?

Part of Kalamazoo's greatness is that it's been a really accepting place, at least since the '90s. We have a rich gay and lesbian history here. In 2004, the city of Kalamazoo started offering same-sex benefits to domestic partners of its employees. In 2009,

voters approved including sexual orientation and gender identity expression in our city's non-discrimination ordinance, (a proposal)

Kalamazoo Pride 2023

What: A two-day festival celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, with drag performances, music, exhibitors, food, drinks and dancing.

When: Beginning at 6 p.m. June 2 & noon June 3.

Where: Arcadia Creek Festival Place, downtown Kalamazoo.

Cost: $8 for each day or $10 for a weekend pass.

Tickets and more info: outfrontkzoo. org/pride2023.

which passed by nearly 62 percent, which is a high rate. Most of those individuals were allies, and that is symbolic. What do you see as the LGBTQ+ community's challenges?

Our number-one challenge is still acceptance. We might have a larger, broader community that accepts us, but the political rhetoric against our community continues to heat up. Michigan just amended the Elliot Larson Civil Rights Act (which had banned discrimination in Michigan against anyone on the basis of “religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status”) to include sexual

orientation and gender identity. But what we're hearing from Montana, Oklahoma, Ohio, Texas and Florida makes it so much more important for OutFront and other LGBTQ organizations to be out there so younger people know there are safe, welcoming and affirming spaces. I'm glad we're downtown and I'm glad we're visible. We have a rainbow crosswalk on Lovell Street, and while I know some of these things are just symbolic, still, people see that, especially younger people.

Why is the Pride event so important?

Pride is our biggest fundraiser and allows us to do the important community work that we do. Our first one at Arcadia Festival Place was in 2007, and 1,500 people came for a one-day event. Now it’s two days, close to 17,000 came last year, and it's been growing steadily. The first night there is a drag show and contest. The next day is about building community and education. We have vendors, supportive services and our community partners there, including the (county) health department, CARES, El Concilio and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, as well as live entertainment.

I will tell you, one of the big game changers is having a huge supporter and sponsor in Bell's Brewery, which came on board in 2011. Some of our other big sponsors are Pfizer, Stryker and Zoetis. That support says a lot.

Lori Hannemann, Michael Brundage, CFP® & Michelle Eldridge, CFA,CPWA® Wealth Management Partners

Tracy Hall

Executive Director, OutFront Kalamazoo

The anti-LGBTQ rhetoric heating up around the country is very worrisome for OutFront's Tracy Hall, but it’s how it affects youth that worries her the most.

Hall, who grew up in Milford and came to Kalamazoo to attend Western Michigan University, says she knows what it's like to be young, gay and feeling unsafe.

"When those political actors are spewing their hateful rhetoric, it trickles down to us and it’s damaging to younger people who might not realize that there are many supportive people out there," Halls says. “I really do believe this is life and death for our younger people, whether they're going to take their own life or some harm's going to come to them because of all this hateful rhetoric. That is why we provide services like we do — to help keep them as safe as possible."

Hall, who also served for three terms on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, including a term as its first lesbian chairperson from 2020 to 2022, lives in the Oakwood neighborhood with her partner, ex-wife and four dogs. "I know, I know," she says with a laugh about her unusual living situation. "I'm proud of it. Life happens, and our marriage ended, but we are still very much family. We have a platonic partnership where we raise our girls, which are dogs. My partner has lived with us for about two and a half years now. They are the two most important people in my life. It's a unique chosen family that I absolutely love." How did you get where you are today?

OutFront's been part of my life in some fashion since 2007. I was a volunteer when it was the Kalamazoo GayLesbian Resource Center (the name was changed to OutFront Kalamazoo in 2017). In 2010, I

(continued on page 37)

Brian Powers