Encore May 2020

Navigating Art Hop with New App

Youth at Heart of KYD Network

May 2020

Porch Portraits

Capturing family life during COVID-19

Meet Authenticity Project Creates Cross-Genre Concerts Ben Lando

Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

SUPPORT URGENT RELIEF EFFORTS TODAY!

The Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF) in partnership with United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region has activated our respective community crisis relief funds to address the emerging needs in key services for our most vulnerable community members and we are looking for your support.

Your gifts, large or small, can help us support local nonprofits provide meals, shelter, childcare and other necessities for families and individuals impacted by COVID-19 in Kalamazoo County.

GIVE TO THE COMMUNITY URGENT RELIEF FUND TODAY AT

KALFOUND.ORG/COMMUNITYURGENTRELIEF

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO KEEP UP WITH OUR EFFORTS 2 | ENCORE MAY 2020

KALFOUND

ENCORE EDITOR'S NOTE

From the Editor T

his May issue should probably be called the “MAY-be” issue.

I have a Post-It note on my computer screen that says, “Be Nimble.” It is a daily reminder that COVID-19 has taught us exceedingly well that we don’t know what’s going to happen on a daily basis and that we can’t control much outside of our own homes. We need to accept, adapt and adjust.

We decided to keep publishing Encore through the COVID-19 crisis because we believe that with all the daily noise and constant barrage of scary information we are subjected to, it’s nice to be able to read stories that show the good side of the communities we live in. And there are so many of those stories this month. We have our cover feature, The Porch Portrait Project, by our own photographer, Brian K. Powers, which provides a poignant and fun look at how families across our area have reacted to all that social distancing. Our Five Faves feature highlights some good-hearted contributions to our communities that Encore staff members found unique or touching. We also introduce you to Ben Lando, founder of the news website NowKalamazoo, which is providing a kind of one-stop shop for local COVID-19 coverage.

Here’s the tricky thing about publishing a monthly magazine during a time of uncertainty: You run the risk of the content becoming outdated before it even hits the stands. We’ve made every attempt to have relevant and updated information about local events and activities, but there’s every chance that the events we’ve published will have been changed, canceled or postponed by the time you read this.

Despite these challenges, we press on. And we do so with deep gratitude to those advertisers who have stuck with us during this time, since their support makes the magazine possible. We are also very grateful to our entire staff and our freelance writers, photographer and copy editor/poetry editor, as well as our production crew, including Lawson Printers and First Fulfillment. And, finally, we are grateful to those good people at the United States Postal Service who keep on delivering.

Remember, be nimble.

A law firm focusing on estate planning, estate settlement, and the transfer of wealth.

From left to right: Michael D. Holmes, William B. Millard, Morgan L. Rogalke, Michele C. Marquardt, Charles S. Ofstein, Tyler J. Stewart

211 East Water Street, Suite 401 Kalamazoo 269.343.2106 dementandmarquardt.com w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 3

Navigating Art Hop with New App

Youth at Heart of KYD Network

May 2020

Meet Authenticity Project Creates Cross-Genre Concerts Ben Lando

Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

Porch Portraits

Capturing family life during COVID-19

Looking to be downtown?

Publisher

encore publications, inc.

Editor

marie lee

• Prime Locations • Flexible Terms • Competitive Rates • Will Renovate to Suit • Suites to Accommodate Your Needs

Designer

alexis stubelt

Photographer brian k. powers

Contributing Writers

Gilmore Real Estate Contact Chris Shook for more information: 269.381.3490 x102 • cshook@jgfdn.org

jennifer clark, zoe jackson, elizabeth kerlikowske, chris killian, marie lee, gail martin

Copy Editor/Poetry Editor margaret deritter

Advertising Sales janis clark celeste statler krieg lee

Distribution

gregory macleery

Office Coordinator hope smith

Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2020, Encore Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation and advertising correspondence should be sent to:

www.encorekalamazoo.com 117 W. Cedar St. Suite A, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Telephone: (269) 383-4433 Fax: (269) 383-9767 Email: Publisher@encorekalamazoo.com

Evaluation & Care of Trees and Shrubs Kalamazoo, MI • 269-381-5412 • www.arboristserviceskzoo.com 4 | ENCORE MAY 2020

The staff at Encore welcomes written comment 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.

May

CONTENTS 2020

FEATURE Porch Portraits

Photographer Brian K. Powers captures poignant and fun glimpses of family life during the coronavirus restrictions

20

DEPARTMENTS 3

From the Editor

6 Contributors 7 10

Up Front

First Things — A round-up of things happening in SW Michigan this month

Five Faves — Heartwarming community responses to COVID-19

12

Art Hop Goes Green — New app will let attendees navigate monthly event digitally

15

Good Works

38

Back Story

For the Whole Child — KYD Network supports those providing critical youth programs

Meet Ben Lando — His news website NowKalamazoo is providing a one-stop shop for local COVID-19 coverage

ARTS 28 Curating Collaboration — Authenticity

project to feature collaborative, cross-genre concerts

32

Events of Note

35

Poetry

On the cover: The Porch Portrait of the Houchins family of Kalamazoo is reflective of the effect of COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions had on a lot of families. Clockwise from bottom left, Reagan, Steve, Melissa and Brody Houchins.

Photo by Brian K. Powers.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 5

CONTRIBUTORS ENCORE

Zoe Jackson

One of the best parts about life in Kalamazoo is how easy it is to find good live music and arts events and activities. For this issue, Zoe wrote about the new Art Hop app as well as Ashley Daneman’s Authenticity concert series. Zoe says she has a lot of appreciation for Kalamazoo’s professional artists and the unique DIT (Do It Together) scene and is looking forward to seeing how both the concert series and the app enhance local arts. Zoe is a reporter and senior at Western Michigan University whose work has appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and The Flint Journal and on radio station WMUK. You can find her on Twitter @zoemjack.

Marie Lee

Marie interviewed Ben Lando for this month’s Back Story. She first heard about him more than two decades ago when he was a journalism student at Western Michigan University, and she says his commitment to and passion for journalism was obvious even then. “After he started Iraq Oil Report, he was on Encore’s radar for a feature,” she says, “but then he came back to Kalamazoo and became a freelance writer for us.” That was short-lived, however, as Ben became immersed in developing The Homefront, a publication on the county’s homelessness crisis, and NowKalamazoo, which is covering the COVID-19 crisis locally. He also still runs Iraq Oil Report from afar. “Ben represents a new generation of local news coverage in Kalamazoo, and it will be interesting to watch his next steps,” she says. Marie is the editor of Encore.

6 | ENCORE MAY 2020

Chris Killian

While COVID-19 has altered everyone’s existence in the past few months, Chris says it was interesting to watch how different organizations adapted to the challenges, especially KYD Network, whose mission is to work within the community to enrich out-ofschool time for students. “COVID-19 made out-of-school time all the time, and KYD Network responded quickly and efficiently to make sure the kids their partners serve were still taken care of,” he says. Chris is a travel-loving freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Christian Science Monitor, Detroit Free Press and The Grand Rapids Press and on radio station WMUK.

Brian K. Powers

The COVID-19 restrictions have had a devastating effect on freelance photographer Brian Powers’ business. “It all but dried up,” he says. But that didn’t keep him from clicking. He started The Porch Portrait Project to capture what he calls “a very unusual time for so many families.” “I took all the necessary precautions and found that the people I photographed were genuinely grateful,” he says. “For some it was the first family portrait they had ever had taken.” In addition to taking photos for Encore, Brian shoots for clients that include Hour Media, Bronson Healthcare and the University of Michigan. To see more of his work, visit briankpowers.com.

ENCORE FIRST THINGS

First Things

Something Musical

Stulberg Competition to be streamed online Think a little virus is going to keep the Stulberg International String Competition from

happening? Think again.

The annual competition, in which young string musicians compete for monetary awards and opportunities to perform with symphony orchestras, is using technology to stream the competition live to audiences across the globe.

Beginning at noon May 16, the competition judges — Clive Greensmith, Yura Lee and Cho-Liang Lin — will view submitted digital videos from the 12 semifinalists and decide the winners of this prestigious competition. Audience members at home will be able to see and hear all 12 of these young artists compete and hear the winner announced.

To view the event via live streaming, visit stulberg.org for details.

Something Fresh

Two farmers markets may return this month This is another one for the “MAY-be

happening column.” May is the month when outdoor farmers markets usually return to their Kalamazoo, Portage and Texas Township locations. This year, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the Kalamazoo Farmers Market will not be opening in May, but at press time two other markets were still planning to open this month: • Fresh on Q Farmers’ Market, 7110 West Q Ave., is scheduled to be open from 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, beginning May 9, and from 4-7 p.m.

Tuesdays, from June 2 to Aug. 25.

• Portage Farmers Market, in the Portage City Hall parking lot, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., is scheduled to be open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays, beginning May 10.

The Kalamazoo Farmers Market, at 1204 Bank St., is tentatively planning to open June 6 with its seasonal schedule of 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturdays, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesdays and 2–6 p.m. Thursdays.

All three markets may have possible limitations on attendance and shopping because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Something Animal Visit the zoo, virtually

So you’ve binge-watched Tiger King and are now wishing you could visit a real zoo? Although visiting Binder Park Zoo is not possible for the time being, the zoo is offering the next best thing: its ZooCam, at binderparkzoo.org/zoocam.

With a bird’s-eye view of the southern part of the zoo’s 18-acre Wild Africa savanna exhibit, the ZooCam offers remote access to watch giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, addra gazelles, addaxes and bonteboks as well as ostriches, vultures and storks going about their business in real time.

With the current camera view, you’ll be able to watch the animals’ annual reintroduction to the exhibit as well as their release in the morning and return each evening. You can also witness the ever-changing weather, cloud patterns and sunsets over the savanna. w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 7

Private Banking Customized Solutions Contact Kim Melvin 269.488.8854

Something Active

Observe Bike Week with a ride

Your First National Bank of Michigan Private Banker will provide LOCAL customized solutions for all your banking needs. Please contact us for details.

fnbmichigan.com 318 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo 49007 | 269.349.0100

May is National Bike Month, and May 9-16 is Kalamazoo Bike Week, an annual celebration to promote the use of bicycles as a means of transportation. The week’s organizers, however, are warning that, due to the coronavirus restrictions, this year’s events are likely to be virtual, postponed or canceled.

Nevertheless, the organization is encouraging people to observe Bike Week by taking a ride for transportation and to stay fit and healthy. Here are a few rules to follow: • Ride alone and enjoy the outdoors in noncrowded areas. Try timing your rides for when you know your route will be less crowded.

• Practice safe social distancing (stay at least 6 feet apart from others).

• Do not gather in groups.

Fence, gate and railing services since 1981 Kalamazoo, MI • 269.381.0596 • www.fngfenceandgarden.com 8 | ENCORE MAY 2020

• If you have any symptoms, including a fever or a cough, or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you should not be going for a ride, since you risk spreading it to others. (Even those without symptoms may be at risk of spreading the virus to others, hence the need for social distancing.)

For more tips or to get an update on Kalamazoo Bike Week, visit kalamazoobikeweek.org.

local fine dining

DINING DESTINATIONS Fresh, Local, Sustainable Ingredients

ing Serv

ut ke O

Ta

& To

Go

ness

ous elici

D

Great Selection of Michigan Craft Beers on Tap Hand Cut Steaks – Fresh Seafood Awarded best desserts in Michigan

663 10th Street, Plainwell 269-685-1077 www.fourrosescafe.com

Classic Italian with bold twists 6997 West Q Ave, Kalamazoo 269.375.2110 • gustokzoo.com ing te Din le!

Priva Availab Room

SIMPLE FOOD…

BIG FLAVORS

6915 West Q Ave, Kalamazoo 269.375.8551 • bolddining.com

Open for takeout & delivery Monday – Saturday 4 to 8 pm 103 S. Grove St., Delton (269) 623-8310

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 9

FIVE FAVES ENCORE

Five Faves

Heartwarming community responses to COVID-19 by

ENCORE MAGAZINE STAFF

COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing have created stress

sanitizing supplies to hospitals, this pandemic has brought out the and uncertainty for many, but they have also resulted in a lot of best in many people. And while it was hard to choose from so many creative, heartwarming efforts by those in our community to reach great stories of kindness, the Encore staff each chose their favorite out to help one another. From food drives to porch portraits (see COVID community outreach efforts to share. story in this issue) to schools and Binder Park Zoo donating surplus

Schupan gives students Chromebooks About one-third of Kalamazoo Public Schools

students have limited or no access to technology outside of school, which presents a challenge for the district as it institutes online learning.

This challenge is especially acute when it comes to high school seniors, who were mere months and one trimester from graduation. Schupan Asset Management, the electronics side of the the recycling company, removed this barrier to online learning by donating 430 refurbished Chromebooks to KPS as well as to Kalamazoo Covenant Academy. The Chromebooks were then distributed to high school students. Not only is Schupan helping a lot of kids in need, it is also being a great environmental steward by refurbishing the Chromebooks for new life in the hands of students.

Brian Powers

— Marie Lee, editor

Museum asks public to share stories The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic is “history in the making,” so the museum is asking people in the community to help document and record this experience by sharing their stories of how the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has affected them, their families, their work or schooling, and other areas of day-to-day life. As the museum’s website says, “Each individual perspective during this time is valuable and adds to our community’s story as a whole.” The public can share their stories through journals, images and more. If you want to share something with the museum, you can do so at https://tinyurl.com/yx6m8oej.

— Celeste Statler, advertising sales representative 10 | ENCORE MAY 2020

ENCORE FIVE FAVES

‘Happy Birthday’ from police and firefighters

Alexis Stubelt

As someone who has a child with an April birthday, I found it hard to tell my son his grandparents and friends couldn’t come to celebrate his birthday. That’s why I liked it when I learned that the Portage Police and Fire Department offered another way to celebrate: For kids 10 and under celebrating a birthday, they drive by your home, wave and shout “Happy Birthday” from a safe distance.

My son, Owen, who turned five on Easter, was thrilled to have a fire truck drive by that was just for him.

— Alexis Stubelt, graphic designer

Facebook page tracks takeout options As the stay-at-home restrictions took effect, it became hard to keep track of which local restaurants were offering takeout and delivery. In an effort to help locally owned restaurants, a group of folks who like to eat out set up Kalamazoo Menu, a Facebook page that keeps people up-to-date on the locally owned establishments that are serving takeout food. After two weeks, the page had more than 24,000 members. Kalamazoo Menu has also created a website, kalamazoomenu.com, that allows visitors to search by food type or favorite restaurant to see what’s available.

— Hope Smith, office coordinator

Janis Clark

Restaurateurs come to the rescue The COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have resulted in a surge in domestic violence worldwide. To make sure YWCA Kalamazoo, which provides shelter to victims of domestic violence in our area and their children, was able to serve those who need help, several local restaurants stepped up.

AJ Danias, owner of Fuze, a fine-dining restaurant in downtown Kalamazoo, donated surplus food from his restaurant to the YWCA, including apples, beets, cauliflower, cream, yogurt, potatoes, onions, tofu, oranges and cucumbers, which were used to assemble a Sunday dinner for eight families.

Black Rock Bar & Grill also delivered several carts of fresh produce for the YWCA’s domestic violence shelter at the very beginning of the coronavirus restrictions. Then, knowing it might be hard for the Easter Bunny to visit the YWCA, Stephen Blackwood, owner and operator of five local McDonald’s restaurants, delivered 20 Happy Meals for the kids and 20 combo meals for their mothers to the YWCA on Easter Sunday.

— Janis Clark, advertising sales representative w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 11

UP FRONT ENCORE

Art Hop Goes Green

New app will let attendees navigate monthly event

BY ZOE JACKSON

The Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo will be saving a

lot of trees.

The monthly Art Hop brochures it produces, delivers, and mails out by the thousands before each monthly event will be phased out and replaced by a digital app.

The Arts Council hopes that this change, which will be in place when the monthly in-person Art Hop resumes, will make the event easier for attendees to navigate while doing less harm to the environment, says Arts Council Executive Director Kristen Chesak.

“We have come to the conclusion that taking a month to try to pull together and print a brochure is probably not the best use of our resources,” Chesak says. “Because we have all sorts of technology at our disposal now, it might be easier for folks to use their phones to be able to navigate Art Hop.” The Arts Council has been developing the app, or responsive website, since last fall. The app has Global Positioning System (GPS) connectivity.

A new app, left, will take the place of the printed schedules and maps denoting Art Hop exhibits. Large sandwich board signs and posters, seen above and at right, will continue to mark Art Hop venues.

Images courtesy of Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.

12 | ENCORE MAY 2020

ENCORE UP FRONT

“It's interactive in the sense that you'll be able to navigate your way through Art Hop using the pins and be able to click on those pins and see what business you'll be going to and who the artist is,” Chesak says.

The app won’t track users after the event but, while users are using it, will provide up-to-date information. The Arts Council will continue to use on-site sandwich boards with large Art Hop posters and wayfinding signs, launched by the Arts Council in February, to signify venues.

In addition to being environmentally friendly, the app will allow for participating artists to gain more exposure, says Chesak.

“Using the app allows us to be able to let artists decide to participate a little later in the process, which is nice. It'll also be a little more robust because for budgetary reasons in the brochure we've only ever been able to let people give us a 25-word description of what the Art Hop stop is about,” she says.

Artists and businesses can opt to include links, videos and photos into their description in the app, for a more detailed and educational experience, says Chesak.

“We are really excited to have this expanded information so that you might be looking at somebody's paintings and be able to read a little bit more about the artist, about who they are and where they've come from and how maybe that journey has influenced their work,” she says.

Ask

THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

LAWYER Please send your questions to:

Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A.

Q. Am I able to

A. Yes! Many firms, like Willis Law, are offering con-

sulations via conference call and Zoom/Skype. Further, estate planning documents may be signed remotely in ASK or update my ASK plan, Willis Law almost every client situation. Under the current law, LAWYER Q. LAWYER 491 West South Street estate plan, during the lawyers are unable to meet with clients face-to-face exA. Kalamazoo, MI 49007 state isolation order? cept in the case of urgent needs that likely involve an Q. Q. 269.492.1040 Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. I need to update my emergency court proceeding. Therefore, utilizing techwww.willis.law A. nology and remote signing is effective and the best path A. Will and my Trust. for most as it relates to updating estate plans in today’s crisis. We pray for health and safety for all readers!

MICHAEL J. WILLIS, J.D., C.P.A., WILLIS LAW

estate ASKcompleteTHEmy BUSINESS THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

LAWYER

AND ESTATE PLANNING

THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

Please send your questions to:

My husband is going into a nursing home. I’ve been told it is Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. possible for me to create a trust and protect my assets from the spend Willis Law down at the nursing home. Is that true?

491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 MICHAEL J. WILLIS, J.D., C.P.A., WILLIS LAW 269.492.1040 MICHAEL J. WILLIS, J.D., C.P.A., WILLIS Yes. MostLAW often when folks talk on trust planning, they are www.willis.law referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more Please send your questions to: husband is goingto: into a nursing home.

I’ve been toldMichigan it is law generally than 99% of the time.

A revocable trust under Please sendMy your questions husband isspend goingHowever, into athere nursing home. I’ve been told it is is setand up only to avoid probate--that’s only benefit. possible for me to create a trust protect myMy assets fromitsthe Willis Law an irrevocable trust for for persons circumstances that and can beprotect my assets from the spend mein toyourcreate a trust down at the nursing home. Isisthat true? possible 491 West South Street established with your assets to the extent they exceed the protected Willis Law Kalamazoo, MI 49007 down at the nursing home.

Is that true? amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000).

491 West South Street 269.492.1040 If the trust istalk irrevocable andplanning, the assets arethey effectively established in an Yes. Most often when folks on trust are Kalamazoo, MI 49007 www.willis.law annuity income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more 269.492.1040 such a circumstance the Yes. trust will no longeroften be considered Most whena countable folks talk on trust planning, they are www.willis.law than 99% of the time. A revocable under Michigan asset, buttrust instead an income streamlaw and generally thereby exempt for Medicaid referencing a However, revocable trust.andInI highly fact, that is the case probably more purposes. its This is a benefit. sophisticated planning technique, is set up only to avoid probate--that’s only there encourage to seek counsel implementing this technique trust or than 99% of before the that time. under Michigan law generally is an irrevocable trust for persons in you your circumstances canAberevocable any other Medicaid planning.

Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A.

asset, but instead an income stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid and I highly technique or any other Medicaid planning.

-Preeminent integrity. He

9471992-01

is listed in the Best Lawyers in America.

9471992-01

established with your assets to the extent protected is setthey upexceed only totheavoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there amount (which under Michigan law williscap a little over $125,000). anat irrevocable trust for persons in your circumstances that can be If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an established with your assets to the extent they exceed the protected annuity income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000). such a circumstance the trust will no longer be considered a countable If thereby the trustexempt is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an asset, but instead an income stream and for Medicaid purposes. This a sophisticated technique, and I highly annuity income stream back to you the is terms of the trust, then in Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of isWillis Law, planning Attorneys and Counselors atper Law, licensed to practice law in Florida and Michigan, and is registered as a certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V encourage you to seek counsel before implementing this technique a circumstance the or trusthas will been no longer be considered countable Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according tosuch Martindale, which rating lawyersa for over a century, signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and any other Medicaid planning.

Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, is licensed to practice law in Florida and Michigan, and is registered as a certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been rating lawyers for over a century, signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America.

Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, is licensed to practice law in Florida and Michigan, and is registered as a certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been rating lawyers for over a century, signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America.

9471992-01

Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, is licensed to practice law in Florida and Michigan, and is registered as a certified public accountant purposes. This is a sophisticated planning technique, in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been rating lawyers for over a century, signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.

He is listed in the Best Lawyers America. counsel before implementing this encourage you to inseek

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 13

UP FRONT ENCORE

Chesak hopes the app will encourage attendees to branch out and see more of what Art Hop has to offer.

“I think what the app will do is open up people's understanding that Art Hop is not just downtown, it's not just at (the) Park Trades (Center), although it's very robust in those two places. But we also have folks in the Vine Street neighborhood and the Edison neighborhood that participate, as well as other neighborhoods,” Chesak says.

For those who still prefer to hold a paper schedule in their hands, a version will be available online to download and print, but the Arts Council will no longer be mailing brochures. “(The app) will replace the brochure, and part of it is us trying to be a little more sensitive from an environmental standpoint," says Chesak. The Arts Council had been printing nearly 4,500 brochures a month, mailing half of those and distributing the rest at participating venues and public locations.

“The brochure is only good for three hours, and then it's not,” says Chesak. “So, for three hours of use it really seems like a lot of paper and a lot of ink that can be replaced really easily by this technology.”

How to Get the Art Hop App 1. Visit KalamazooArtHop.com and install the app.

2. Create your profile and log in 3. Click “Art Hop” and enjoy!

Art Hop typically falls on the first Friday of the month. The app was scheduled to launch at the April Art Hop to coincide with Earth Month and bring attention to the amount of resources that people use, says Chesak. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, April’s event became an online “Virtual Art Hop.” The app will officially launch at the next in-person Art Hop.

Built for a lifetime of Ero coritis trumqui debis ne et volore veri to dem antorelaxation… tatiam, omnis niet ad ulparum rem iuntiberio odit.

All pools built locally

by Vlietstra Bros.

4266 Ravine Rd. Kalamazoo, MI 49006 www.vlietstrabros.com

269-349-7779

Summer Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 5:30pm, Saturdays: 9:00am - 12:30pm

14 | ENCORE MAY 2020

The Art Hop app will appear like this on users’ mobile devices. Image courtesy of Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.

ENCORE GOOD WORKS

For the Whole Child

KYD Network supports those providing critical youth programs CHRIS KILLIAN

Brian Powers

by

Meg

Blinkiewicz knew the Kalamazoo Youth Development Network (KYD Network) was dipping its toes into the shallow end of its potential. It was time to take a deep dive.

In 2014, she had the opportunity to do just that as head of the Kalamazoo Youth Development Network, an organization born in 2000 as a partnership between community partners and funders in the youth development sector wanting to come together to support the area’s after-school and summer programs.

Blinkiewicz, a Kalamazoo native, came back to Southwest Michigan from Detroit in 2005, where she had worked with the Skillman

KYD Network staff members, left to right: Stacy Jackson, Lilly Mazzone, Meg Blinkiewicz, Ashley Lanting, Elizabeth Garcia and Abra Steppes.

Foundation in developing the same kind of programs seen at KYD Network today. But when she arrived here, she saw a bigger purpose for KYD Network than the “middle man role” it was serving.

“I kept saying, ‘This can be so much more impactful. It’s time to put the pedal to the metal and get to work.’

“We have become a true systems builder, kind of like the glue that binds together the out-of-school-time sector. We went from being w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 15

KYD Network’s efforts continue during COVID-19 crisis

For an organization such as KYD Network that focuses on afterschool and out-of-school programs for youth, the COVID-19 closures of schools, businesses and organizations have made out-of-school time all the time.

That means the staff at KYD Network and its partner organizations are working even harder than before.

KYD Network Executive Director Meg Blinkiewicz answered these questions by email about how the organization has adapted during the pandemic: How have the COVID-19 restrictions and closures impacted what KYD Network does?

KYD Network quickly reached out to each cohort member to ask about their individual needs and what supports they would like from us. As a result, we have: • Provided numerous virtual professional development workshops for youth development professionals and will continue to do so until the shelter-in-place order is lifted. We have had up to 40 individuals participate in the virtual trainings and have received positive feedback.

• Continued to convene our Affinity Groups virtually. We had over 40 individuals participate in our Inclusion and Equity Affinity Group, during which we discussed "COVID-19 Through an Inclusion and Equity Lens," looking at the inequitable access to technology that many of our families face. We want to address this inequity so that youth and families can take full advantage of what local school districts are offering and what our cohort members will be providing through online learning platforms. We learned about different hotspot options and are coordinating our efforts with local school districts, nonprofits and our cohort members to provide hot spots in neighborhoods in need of this support. We hosted a workshop on virtual learning on April 10, during which Don Neal from Wayne State University demonstrated the virtual learning platforms they are using with 16 sites in Detroit.

• Partnered with Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes and the Boys and Girls Clubs to distribute 150 boxes of food every Friday to BGC members. We have had assistance from Kalamazoo College, the Kalamazoo Nature Center and Fresh Food is Fun in this process.

Finally, we are in the process of convening online youth forums so that we can hear from them regarding how they are faring, what they would like from us, and how the community as a whole can come together. We want to ensure that we intentionally provide space for youth voices during this time.

16 | ENCORE MAY 2020

How will this impact KYD Network’s summer youth programs?

We are in the process of revising our summer plans so that the entire cohort can quickly open their doors to youth once the shelterin-place order is lifted. We have two weeks of summer training for staff that we will be able to offer at different times once we know when the order will be lifted. We have offered two summer trainings already and are coordinating with Kalamazoo Public Schools to more deeply align our summer work with their curriculum so that we can minimize the "COVID and summer slide."

How are your partner organizations faring?

None of our organizations are serving youth in person. Most are attempting to identify online learning options, as are we. Some of our organizations are able to pay staff during this time and have staff participate in training and planning activities. All are quite anxious to be able to be with the youth and families they serve.

Why are KYD Network's efforts so important during this time?

Now, more than ever, the out-of-school time sector matters. We know that schools do so much more than support academic learning and that learning doesn't just happen in schools. We know that youth annually spend 1,000 of their 6,000 waking hours in school. Onethird of our 16- to 19-year-olds have jobs. The bulk of the remaining time is spent informally with adults or friends.

As thought leader Karen Pittman stated recently, "Learning happens everywhere. Educational equity, therefore, can't stop at the schoolhouse doors." She encourages us to use the summer to imagine what a true partnership among schools, the out-of-school sector, youth and families can look like. We are committed to ensuring we have universal quality in learning environments, be they in or out of school so that all Kalamazoo County youth are college-, career-, and community-ready by 21.

We are committed to maintaining our innovations beyond this crisis and to addressing inequities in a more impactful way. We are painfully aware that the impact of this crisis is not equal and that marginalized communities have been impacted more negatively than privileged communities. We hold ourselves accountable to reducing structural barriers to success for our youth and families.

a convener of groups to a true collective force with a shared vision and approaches to developing the potential of young people.”

KYD Network has grown from seven to 60 partner organizations in the past five years, receiving nonprofit status in 2018. Funded by a handful of foundations and private donors, KYD Network helps its partner organizations serve between 3,000 and 4,000 youth each year with a range of programming during after-school hours and summer months.

The types of programs offered by the groups that affiliate with KYD Network are

diverse — some focus on poetry and writing, others on sports like basketball, others on fine art — but all of the groups are committed to continuous improvement in how they deliver their services as well as to ensuring that the kids they serve have a voice in what programming is offered, Blinkiewicz says.

“We want to make sure that the groups we partner with are never happy with the status quo. We are constantly seeking ways to improve.”

Breaking down barriers At the heart of KYD Network’s efforts is breaking down the barriers that create inequities in education, so that every young person in Kalamazoo County is collegeor career-ready by the time they are 21.

KYD Network does this by guiding cohort members through the Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI), a continuous quality improvement process created by the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality. This process allows cohort members

to collect data in different areas — quality, social emotional learning (SEL), family engagement, youth leadership and inclusion and equity — and to use data to establish goals. KYD Network provides training and coaching to youth-serving organizations so that program quality improves and youth gain critical social emotional learning skills.

Thank you to all those helping in the fight against the coronavirus.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and those families whose lives have been affected.

STEWARDSHIP STABILITY Clockwise from left: KYD Network staff member Abra Steppes leads the Summer Learning Affinity Group session; Meg Blinkiewicz leads a discussion on ensuring the high quality of summer programs; and, from left, Stephanie Jackson, KYD Network board member Alexis Caples and Elizabeth Garcia design the organization’s 2020 Summer Planner.

“This isn’t latchkey,” says Blinkiewicz, meaning the programming is not simply supervised care before or after school. “We support social and emotional learning for kids and know that this work leads to higherquality learning environments and better academic performance and behavior.”

SUCCESS

A fee-only wealth management firm 7840 Moorsbridge Road Portage, Michigan 49024 269.321.8120 | 800.488.2036 lvmcapital.com

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 17

Kuipers Advisors for all your

Investment and Insurance needs.

Serving the Kalamazoo area

for over 50 years!

Chad Schut • Mitch Wassink • Doug Koning

www.kuipersadvisors.com 268 East Kilgore Rd Portage 49002 • (269) 349-1432 Securities and investment advisory service offered through Cetera Advisors LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Kuipers Advisors, Inc. is not affiliated with Cetera Advisors LLC

KYD Network says research shows that if a child’s participation in high-quality outof-school-time (OST) programs is frequent and consistent, then by fifth grade the gap between the math test scores of lowand high-income students is significantly reduced. Also, youth who participate in these programs are more likely to engage in school and graduate from high school.

Furthermore, research has shown the importance of educating and supporting the whole child — attending to each child’s emotional needs and helping the child develop skills related to empathy and belief in oneself — in order to help the child realize his or her full potential, Blinkiewicz says.

It is work that is perhaps more important than ever, as social-media platforms have started to replace meaningful, in-person modes of connection and the growth that results from those, she says.

“Students are connecting, but they’re sometimes not connected,” Blinkiewicz says. “In this age of expressing yourself with emojis, it’s about having an impact on the life skills of youth, skills we all need.”

Youth from low-income homes are sometimes in greatest need of the kinds of programs provided by KYD Network’s partner organizations, and there are many lowincome homes in Kalamazoo County. Of the almost 50,000 school-age students in the county, half live in households that qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches.

It is KYD Network’s ambition to ensure that, beginning in 2021, all students in the county are college- or career- and community-ready by the time they graduate from high school.

(The average graduation rate in Kalamazoo County is currently 73 percent.) To that end, inclusion and equity, advocacy and youth leadership development are key parts of the training and assistance KYD Network staff provide their partner organizations.

Evidence-based results Sam Lealofi is the executive director of Eastside Youth Strong, a youth development and support agency that serves about 300

18 | ENCORE MAY 2020

Constance Brown Hearing Centers kids and teens from Kalamazoo’s Eastside and Eastwood neighborhoods. It began partnering with KYD Network seven years ago.

“We wanted to be part of a model that follows evidence-based results,” she says, “and KYD Network provides the training for our staff and support when we need it.”

In participating with this KYD Network partner organization, students are assessed with the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment, which looks at eight social and emotional skill domains of a child, such as self-awareness, relationship skills and personal responsibility. This assessment gives Lealofi and her staff an idea about each of their young participants’ strengths and weaknesses based on national averages, and where individualized focus should be aimed to help them make improvements.

“Some of our kids don’t get those skills taught at home, and teachers often don’t have the time to teach them either,” Lealofi says. “But having these skills is integral for a child as they grow and mature. If they don’t have them, they are going to struggle in life.”

KYD Network also supports what they call affinity groups — specialized programs their partners offer that focus on one particular issue. Members have learned that youth who participate in an intentional SEL strategy over a sustained period of time have higher gradepoint averages, score higher on standardized tests and are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors.

To inform its work, the organization examines youth issues through an equity and trauma-informed lens, including how race and lack of economic opportunities can affect a child’s sense of self-worth and ability to reach their full potential, Blinkiewicz says.

There’s an indication that KYD Network is not alone in its efforts.

“The state of Michigan is moving toward a more ‘whole child’ model of education,” Blinkiewicz says. “It’s an exciting time to be involved in this work. We are seeing the power of cooperation, the power of ‘we.’”

A Higher Degree of Hearing Care

The qualification of the person fitting your hearing aids does matter.

An audiologist will make sure you are taking full advantage of the technology you purchased.

Call to schedule an appointment.

Kalamazoo 1634 Gull Rd. Suite 201 269.343.2601

Portage 4855 W. Centre Ave. 269.372.2709

www.cbrown.org

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 19

20 | ENCORE MAY 2020

Porch Portraits

Helen and Bob Coleman, of Portage, encourage togetherness.

W

hen Encore photographer Brian K. Powers saw an item on the national television news about a Wisconsin photographer taking porch portraits during the COVID-19 stay-athome restrictions, he knew he wanted to do the same thing in our community.

He immediately set up a Facebook page and website, invited his friends to be photographed and asked them to invite others. He expected a dozen or two to take him up on it. Instead, he shot more than 130 portraits in two weeks.

For The Porch Portrait Project, Powers offered to take pictures of families or individuals on the front porches of their homes. He asked the subjects to make signs with messages to hold, and he photographed them holding the signs.

Once the picture with the signs was taken, he had the subjects drop the signs, posed them and created a more traditional family portrait.

Powers says he shot all of the photos with a long lens so that he could stay 20 feet away from the subjects. “It was a very safe distance,” he says. “There was no physical contact whatsoever between the subjects and me.”

Powers encouraged people from multiple houses in various neighborhoods to take advantage of his offer, and many did. “I would take a portrait, jump in the car, drive to the next house, take the portrait, and jump in the car to go to the next house,” he says.

Powers ended up taking shots of people from all over Kalamazoo and Portage and from all walks of life. He didn’t take the photos for profit. Instead, he gave all of the participants the digital images for free.

But when more strict stay-at-home orders were issued on March 23, Powers put the project on hold, but says when the order is lifted, he will complete the project and take portraits of the remaining registered families.

“It is so fun to do,” Powers says. “People were loving it, and I loved it. It just felt good to bring them some joy during this time.”

To see more of Powers’ portraits, visit The Porch Project Group on Facebook at bit.ly/2VLpvb5.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 21

1 2

1. From left, Aash, Gita, Sonali and Sansara Deshpande, of Grand Rapids, are having “family quantity time.� 2. From left, Jennifer, Grant and Kennedy Kaufman, of Kalamazoo, have what they need to survive. 3. The members of the Loso family, of Kalamazoo, show support for their dad, Tim, a Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officer, and his colleagues. Back row (l to r): Madeline, Tim, Marianne and Haleigh; front row (l to r), Isabelle, dog Bella and Sophia.

22 | ENCORE MAY 2020

3

4. From left, Emily, Cecelia and Darrin Merwin, of Kalamazoo, smile despite admitting to being stir crazy. 5. The Welch family, of Kalamazoo, has a message for their loved ones. Back row (l to r): Brody, Rachelle and Evelyn; front row (l to r): Clara and Lyla. 6. From left, Donyale, Becky and Jodi Hall-Curnutte, of Kalamazoo, are just glad to be together. 7. Lee Johnson, of Kalamazoo, lets the world know how he’s feeling.

4 6

5

7

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 23

8. Maybe Mark Jeffrey, in mask, and wife Cindy, of Portage, think Darth Vader can scare the virus away. 9. Optimistic thoughts from Kate and Theodora Sutherland of Grand Rapids.10. Everyone in the Rich household, of Schoolcraft, has a custom-made mask, including the baby. On the left, the Rich family: Brittanie holding Emberly, Cody and Parmelee. On the right: grandparents Lecia and Tim Lamphere.

8

9 10

24 | ENCORE MAY 2020

11 12

13

11. Edie Trent, of Kalamazoo, is content to knit until spring arrives and the virus is over.

12. The Joseph family, of Kalamazoo, have faith in the future. Back row (l to r): Renu, Anthony, Jenson and Rachael; front row (l to r): Grace and Daniel. 13. Stephanie Maes, on right, holding Otis the dog, has her hands full with (l to r) husband Jason, and sons Evan and Parker, all of Kalamazoo.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 25

14

15

16 14. It’s all about being together for, clockwise from top left, Madelyn, Melissa and Landon Gibson, of Kalamazoo.15. Trisha and Chris Slater, of Kalamazoo, are chillin’ with dog Blue Curaçao. 16. It seems the Crump family, of Kalamazoo, opted to wear pants for their portrait, although it’s hard to tell what’s behind the dogs. Back row (l to r): Jacob, Lauren and Jody; front row (l to r): Emma, dog Harper, Jeff, and Tessa. 17. Snacks are important for the survival of the Van-Mullers, of Portage. Top row (l to r): Kellen, Jeff and Mandy; bottom row (l to r): Carson, Liv, Cooper and dogs and Marley (left) and Frank.

26 | ENCORE MAY 2020

17

18. From left: Tyler, Haley, Adam, Cori and Nicholas (on drums) Downey, of Kalamazoo, keep on doing what they normally would. 19. Everything is good for (l to r) Kristen, Beckham and Joe Rowell, of Kalamazoo, as long as the young one has a cookie. 20. From left, Victor, Kaylin and baby Brianna Galli, of Kalamazoo, call on a higher power. 21. Brenda Hill, of Kalamazoo, engages in a noon-day prayer via phone.

18

20

19

21

Connect from home.

25+ local, licensed therapists Our Kalamazoo and Portage Clinic therapists are available to help with anxiety, depression, addiction and more during the COVID-19 crisis through teletherapy. Visit our website to learn more and set up your first appointment.

pinerest.org/teletherapy

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 27

ARTS ENCORE

Curating Collaboration

Authenticity project to feature cross-genre concerts by

ZOE JACKSON

K

alamazoo has a vibrant music scene with artists of various genres from all walks of life. But the power of these performers may be overlooked in the area’s smaller venues, which are sometimes filled with loud bar patrons, and by larger venues that tend to feature touring acts.

To combat this problem, musician Ashley Daneman wants to bring the Kalamazoo area’s high-caliber artists a big-city-style concert experience where all eyes and ears will be on them.

The concert series, called Authenticity, will be both collaborative and cross-genre, bringing artists of all kinds together in front of 50-seat audiences at the Jazz and Creative Institute/Kalamazoo Piano Co., 310 N. Rose St. The series was to begin this month, but with the uncertainty of COVID-19 restrictions Daneman is holding off on announcing performance dates.

“I think the idea came in stages,” Daneman says. “I was in school in New York, and some of the places that we would play there were called listening rooms. People go, and that's what they do. There's no food, there's no drink, you just sit and you take in what the artistry is. I wanted to create that type of space for people here.”

Listening room experience While listening-room-style spaces do exist in Kalamazoo, these are generally larger auditoriums that feature national touring artists from out of town, Daneman says.

Musician Ashley Daneman is curating a cross-genre concert series featuring local artists. Photo by Lori Morgan Gottschling.

28 | ENCORE MAY 2020

ENCORE ARTS

Authenticity 2020 Authenticity’s 12 Collaborators • Samuel Nalangira, African folk/ reggae singer-songwriter * • Dave Crider, vibraphone and electronics fusing jazz and classical • Eddie Codrington Chamber Ensemble, African-American orchestral chamber music fusing jazz and classical

Here's a peek of how they will be paired together in concert: Eddie Codrington Chamber Ensemble with Sherdizzil Last Gasp Collective with Bahar Ensemble Elizabeth Start with OUT Schlitz Creek Bluegrass Band with Samuel Nalangira

• Sherdizzil, hip-hop/rap artist • Elizabeth Start, cello and electronics Sherdizzil

• Last Gasp Collective, hip-hop/ neo-soul* • Celebris Ensemble, eclectic choral chamber music* • Schlitz Creek Bluegrass Band, bluegrass* • Basic Comfort, indie/synth-pop* • Bahar Ensemble, acoustic Middle Eastern ensemble*

Where: All shows will be at the Jazz and Creative Institute/ Kalamazoo Piano Co., 310 N. Rose St. When: Shows will be scheduled once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

To sign up for updates on the Authenticty schedule and ticket sales, visit authenticitykalamazoo.com.

• Cynthea Kelley, jazz/folk singer-songwriter • OUT, rock* Bahar Ensemble

*Tentative

Cynthea Kelley w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 29

ARTS ENCORE

Schlitz Creek Bluegrass Band and Samuel Nalangira, an African folk and reggae singer-songwriter, are just one of the cross-genre pairings that will perform as part of the Authenticity concert series.

“I was feeling like, well, what about us? We live here. We're not chopped liver,” she says.

As a professional musician who performs in and around Kalamazoo and other parts of western Michigan, Daneman craved an intimate venue.

“Because 100 percent I don't believe that my music is meant to be background music,” Daneman says. “And those are most of the performing opportunities here in Kalamazoo

30 | ENCORE MAY 2020

for the people who live here, and I just wanted to change that.

“The opportunities to work here are not the same as they are in a big city. Obviously, I can't make a music town, but this helps give significance and purpose to people who do choose to spend their lives here, even though they're highly trained, highly skilled musicians.”

Daneman moved to Kalamazoo three and a half years ago for family reasons and began formulating her idea for Authenticity about a year ago. The project is funded in part by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.

“This is for Kalamazoo, by Kalamazoo.

(Artists) have to live here or within 30 miles of here to participate, because this is the community I want to impact,” Daneman says.

ENCORE ARTS

Double bills Through an application process, 12 individual artists or groups from various music genres will be selected, and Daneman will curate them into double bills, or shows with two performances. The hodgepodge of genres will become 12 double-billed concerts.

“I was always fascinated with this idea of juxtaposition of genre,” Daneman says. “This was really to create the perfect concert that we want to see.”

Her hope is that Authenticity will largely be a collaborative experience. During each Saturday night show, both musical acts will play 35 minutes each of their best work. Then the two acts will come together to perform an original collaborative piece that they rehearsed during the weeks prior to the show.

“My goal is for people to create relationships with each other that transcend a lot of the cultural and societal barriers that we typically will experience, because playing music is powerful enough to do that,” Daneman says.

The Last Gasp Collective is one of the groups that will participate. Jay Jackson, founder of the Kalamazoo group, came across Authenticity on Instagram. After watching one of Daneman’s videos, he was sold.

His group of nine to 10 musicians fuses hip-hop, jazz and soul, among other genres. They tend to tour within West Michigan in the winter months and to festivals across the state in the summer.

Jackson is looking forward to experiencing a totally focused audience.

“To be able to play in an atmosphere where the crowd is solely focused on you, where you can hear a pin drop almost, it challenges your artistry,” Jackson says. “It makes you really focus on how you capture a crowd, how you portray your art in front of an audience that is actually giving you 100 percent of their attention.”

It can be easy to lose that focus when performing in a venue where people can barely hear you or don’t care about your performance, Jackson says.

“Hopefully we're gonna get to a stage where people are paying to come see us. They're not there to drink,” Jackson says.

Involving small businesses The Authenticity collaborations will extend to Kalamazoo’s smallbusiness community.

“Two or three local businesses or organizations will be part of the concert event with us,” Daneman says. “They're going to be either tabling or selling their wares or talking about what they do and connecting really intimately.”

These businesses aren’t unlike vendors at a music festival, Daneman says. She hopes that their presence will help ameliorate some conflicts that exist between artists and businesses.

“I've always felt that link between businesses and performing artists was either missing or kind of messed up because musicians sometimes are paid poorly by business owners,” Daneman says.

With Authenticity, Daneman also hopes that the community will keep a closer eye on the talent in Kalamazoo that is sometimes ignored.

“I think Kalamazoo, per person, per capita, has so many highly trained, talented musical people,” she says. “I feel that they are largely overlooked by the presenting organizations. They're largely playing in bars and restaurants or they have to produce their own concerts in churches and stuff, and that's fine. But the power of the creation that's happening in this city is not being paid attention to. I know we're not New York or Chicago or Nashville or L.A., but this is relevant and this is our community.”

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 31

Please Note: Due to the COVID–19 virus, some of these events may have been cancelled after press time. Please check with the venue and organizations for up-to-date information.

PERFORMING ARTS THEATER

Storytellers: Music & Muses, Part 1 — The New Vic gang performs music from the best storytellers and their muses in country, folk and contemporary styles, opening May 15, New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine St., 381-3328.

MUSIC Bands & Solo Artists The Soods — CD-release show for musician Jason Roy, 8:30 p.m. May 2, Bell’s Eccentric Café, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382-2332.

Satsang — Reggae-infused folk-rock and melodic hip-hop, 8 p.m. May 6, Bell’s Eccentric Café.

Road to Summer Camp w/ Markus Rezak’s Shred is Dead — 8:30 p.m. May 8, Bell’s Eccentric Café.

Garcia Peoples — Grateful Dead-inspired band, 9 p.m. May 9, Bell’s Eccentric Café.

online starting at noon May 16, 343-2776; see www.stulberg.org for details.

Crescendo Academy of Music Student Recital — 2 p.m. May 17, First Congregational Church, 345 W. Michigan Ave., 345-6664.

Most libraries offer a wide variety of digital options, including e-books, e-audiobooks, e-videos, and e-music. To learn more, please visit your library’s website.

DANCE

Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov

Marigold & Rust: Best of Collaboratives — In its Spring Concert of Dance, Wellspring dance company presents revivals of pieces created in collaboration with many musical artists, 7 p.m.

May 14, 8 p.m. May 15 & 16, 2 p.m. May 16, Wellspring Theater, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, 3424354.

VISUAL ARTS Kalamazoo Institute of Arts 314 S Park St., 349-7775

2020 Young Artists of Kalamazoo County — Artwork by local elementary students displayed online at tinyurl.com/Kiakids.

Zoso: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience — 9 p.m. May 15, Bell’s Eccentric Café.

Richmond Center for Visual Arts Western Michigan University, 387-2436

Baccano w/ Flexidecibel — Progressive rock band, 8:30 p.m. May 22, Bell’s Eccentric Café.

All galleries are closed. Naomi Van Niekerk’s exhibition Interval, which had been scheduled for April 2–19, will be rescheduled at a later date. A student exhibition will be presented online; visit wmich.edu/art/exhibitions for more information.

Joint Operation w/ Rolling Zen — Funky-rock band, 8:30 p.m. May 28, Bell’s Eccentric Café.

Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More 45th Stulberg International String Competition — Twelve young musicians from around the world compete in an event streamed

32 | ENCORE MAY 2020

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS

Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé — Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra with pianist Joyce Yang, 8 p.m. May 22, Miller Auditorium, WMU, 349-7759.

Ona — Indie-rock band, 8:30 p.m. May 14, Bell’s Eccentric Café.

We Were Promised Jet Packs — Scottish rock band, 8 p.m. May 27, Bell’s Eccentric Café.

Online 2020 Illustrated Accordion — Nonjuried exhibition to be held online, May 1–18, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, kalbookarts.org, 373-4938.

KPL Card Sign-up — Online registration for a library card available at www.kpl.gov/about/ news/kpl-card-sign-up.

Freegal — Free 24-hour streaming music through KPL: tinyurl.com/KPLmusic AncestryLibrary.com — Free access to Ancestry. com through KPL: tinyurl.com/KPLancestry Comstock Township Library 6130 King Highway, 345-0136, www.comstocklibary.org Closed until further notice.

Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibary.org Closed until further notice.

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

Other Venues

Closed until further notice.

Virtual Art Hop — Art displayed online by area artists, 5-8 p.m. May 1, 342-5059; visit kalamazooarts.org for details.

Richland Community Library 8951 Park St., 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org Closed until further notice.

ENCORE EVENTS

MUSEUMS

MISCELLANEOUS

Air Zoo 6151 Portage Road, Portage, 382-6555

Kalamazoo Marathon and Borgess Run — Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the run has been switched to a virtual run. Those who registered

by April 20 can run the 5K, 10K, half-marathon or marathon courses anytime from May 1-17 and report times to organizers. Times will be posted, but the run is not a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

Launchpad to Learning — The Air Zoo is temporarily closed to the public, but you can still explore new games, activities and documentary clips online daily: airzoo.org/launchpad-tolearning.

Gilmore Car Museum 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089 Closed until further notice.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum 230 N. Rose St., 373-7990

Ocean Bound — Exploration through our watersheds, oceans, aquatic animals and the ecosystems that depend on them, May 30–Sept.

13.

NATURE Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574

Fresh on Q Farmers’ Market — 8 a.m.–noon, Saturdays, beginning May 9, 7110 West Q Ave., Texas Township, 375-1591.

Kalamazoo Bike Week — Promoting the use of the bicycle as a means of transportation, May 9–16; see kalamazoobikeweek.org for details regarding virtual events, postponements and cancellations.

YOUR CLOSET. ONLY BETTER.

Our expert designers will create a custom closet that’s stylish, efficient and built around you.

hallsclosets.com

269.382.5182

hallsclosets@gmail.com

Contact Bette Today

AUTHORIZED DEALER

AUTHORIZED DEALER

free design consultations

Nature Now — Connect with nature from your own backyard: www.naturecenter.org/ naturenow.

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, 671-2510 Mother’s Day — Moms get in free to the bird sanctuary, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. May 10.

Birds and Coffee Walk — Enjoy a guided bird walk looking for birds of the season, 9–10:30 a.m. May 13.

Sustaining the Vision Open House — Visit the bird sanctuary for free and enjoy a spring walk in celebration of W.K. Kellogg’s birthday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. May 31. (Also, see MISCELLANEOUS for Kellogg Manor House tours.)

Other Venues Binder Park ZooCam — Offers remote access to watch a variety of savanna animals go about their business in real time, binderparkzoo.org/ zoocam.

Ranger Hike: Local Flora Identification — Stroll through the Eliason Nature Reserve with park rangers, 10 a.m. May 9, 1614 W. Osterhout Ave., Portage, 329-4522.

Become a member today!

Colleen Woolpert - Individual Member Inventor, TwinScope Viewer Photo by: Jingyu Wan

I received the KADI grant which enabled me to partner with the Kalamazoo Public Library, Zhang Legacy Collection, and the Ladies’ Library Association to present first-ever displays of late 19th century stereographs (3D photos), while also bringing people to these great community centers. I’m so grateful to the Arts Council for making it possible!

Learn how we can support you too!

KalamazooArts.org/membership w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 33

EVENTS ENCORE

Fixapalooza with Open Roads — Bike repair clinic with mechanic instructors, bike tools and replacement parts, 9–11 a.m. May 9, Lakeview Park, 9345 Portage Road, Portage, 329-4522.

Portage Preservation Month Celebration — Guided tours of historic buildings at the Celery Flats Historical Area, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. May 9, Celery Flats, 7335 Garden Lane, Portage, 329-4522.

Portage Farmers Market — 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Sundays, beginning May 10, Portage City Hall parking lot, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., 329-4522.

Mayor’s Ride — Portage Mayor Patricia Randall and Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson lead an 8-mile bike ride to commemorate Kalamazoo

34 | ENCORE MAY 2020

Bike Week, 8:30 a.m. May 16, Portage Creek Bicentennial Park, 910 E. Milham Ave., Portage, 329-4522.

Kalamazoo Antique Toy Show — Sale of antique toys, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. May 16, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., 262-366-1314.

Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Buy, sell or trade a variety of reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. May 16, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, Room A, 779-9851.

A Starry Night — Enjoy a three-course dinner, drinks and dancing, 6 p.m. May 16, Hayloft Theatre, Celery Flats, 7334 Garden Lane, Portage, 329-4522.

Kalamazoo County 4-H Tack Sale — Buy essentials for horses and farms, 5 p.m.–9 p.m.

May 18, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, www. canr.msu.edu/kalamazoo.

Family Fishing Fair — Experience the benefits of fishing, boating and aquatic conservation, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. May 30, Ramona Park & Beach, 8600 S. Sprinkle Road, Portage, 329-4522.

Sustaining the Vision Open House — Enjoy a free tour of the W.K. Kellogg Manor House in celebration of W.K. Kellogg’s birthday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. May 31, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, 671-2400.

Kalamazoo Farmers Market — Has delayed its seasonal opening until June 6. Visit tinyurl.com/ kfarmmkt for more information and updates.

ENCORE POETRY

St. Genevieve, Patron Saint of Disasters, Fever, and Paris (422-512 A.D.) It’s not the devil giving us these tribulations, but the sweet boy at the gas station picking his nose and spring-breakers trying to get drunk before everything closes.

We are all busy not touching our faces. Come to our aid, Genevieve. Shake off hands that reach out to touch. Protect us from sneezes, coughs, and white smiles of phony prophets. Remove from our path the person who thinks six feet is one foot. Stand with us in this time of empty stadiums. We’re out of wipes. Can you get us some wipes?

Beseech God for us. Let fly your somber lips, perched like red wings between two fat braids that trickle down your blue gown. And what of that bread you hold at your hips? We’re all out of bread, only one pumpernickel left on the shelf. Toss us a crumb of your whole-wheat faith, though sourdough will do.

Alive, you inhaled God and got by on small bits of barley bread and beans. Take us in now, lest we become host to fresh troubles. As we’re hunkered at home, let us inhale you who squelched fires of fear. When Attila and his Huns crossed the Rhine, people prepared to run. You convinced them—a band of women—to remain and pray. Their eyes on God, Attila turned away.

A thousand years after your death, when the burning fever trooped through towns, you cared for us. Care for us again. It’s no longer possible to reach your shrine, so come unleash kindness and close distance between shuttered hearts.

Priests carried your bones down the street. People came out to touch and greet you. Even without touch, though, you saved. Favor us, Genevieve. Help us not touch. Help us save.

— Jennifer Clark

Quarantined for 24 days now in Michigan and last night we lost power in a windstorm at the moment we’d connected with our son and grandkids on computer, then by back-up battery and candlelight. This darkness feels a little like the Middle Ages, our middle ages, wondering which middle-aged neighbor will not survive, wondering if we will.

We wash our vegetables in soapy water and wash our hands constantly, our sheets, blankets, doorknobs. In Wyoming the family eats pizza with their hands, and kids show us favorite trucks and rubber calves, Play-Doh sculptures, drawings of nothing they explain into something. We don’t say it, even to each other: Will we ever hold them again? When the quarantine began, I started burning candles, flickers of hope in a dark window.

I had rescued so many from yard sales and thrift stores, but my supply dwindles. Last night I lit one of the pillars, almost a foot tall, but I only let it burn an hour at a time.

It has to last at least four more weeks. By then, lawns will be alive with green, trees budding. Will we smell the lilacs?

Will forsythia light the living room yellow? I know it will, but we may not see it.

— Elizabeth Kerlikowske

Clark is the author of three full-length poetry collections, most recently A Beginner's Guide to Heaven (Unsolicited Press). She is also co-editor of the anthology Immigration & Justice for Our Neighbors (Celery City Books) and has a hybrid collection, Kissing the World Goodbye, forthcoming in 2021 from Unsolicited Press. Her website is jenniferclarkkzoo.com.

Kerlikowske is president of two nonprofit organizations, the local Friends of Poetry and the Poetry Society of Michigan, which are not meeting for awhile. She gets an aerobic workout by going up and down stairs in her house or doing laps outside around it.

Late Night Desert Walk I can’t imagine crossing this. In the black sky I can name four constellations: the dippers, Orion. . . . Okay, three. Appalling really how little I know. I can’t even figure out how to spend a slow afternoon, walk a rough gully between should and want. Not everyone has this voice in their head. Stick with what you know for sure. The shape of agave, saguaro, brittle bush. The Catalinas severe in this odd light. Tonight the flat edge of the half moon looks torn by a careless hand. Will we turn back now? Will we build a small fire?

— Gail Martin Martin is the author of Begin Empty-Handed (Perugia Press). Her manuscript won the 2013 Perugia Poetry Prize and the Housatonic Book Award for Poetry. Martin’s first book, The Hourglass Heart (New Issues Press) was published in 2003. Her recent work can be seen on the online poetry sites Blackbird, Juxtaprose and Willow Springs. Martin is a Michigan native with roots in both southern and northern Michigan. She works as a psychotherapist in Kalamazoo. She has a website at www.gailmartinpoetry.com.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 35

Business Coverage

• Commercial Property • General Liability • Business Automobile • Commercial Umbrella

Personal Coverage • Homeowners • Automobile • Umbrella Liability • Life Insurance • Annuities 452 N. Grand Schoolcraft

(269) 679-4918

301 N. Richardson St. Vicksburg

(269) 649-1914

trustshieldinsurance.com

A special Thank You to our advertisers!

Arborist Services of Kalamazoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Betzler Funeral Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Blackberry Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Bold & Gusto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Comensoli’s Italian Bistro & Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Constance Brown Hearing Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Dave’s Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 DeMent and Marquardt, PLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fence & Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 First National Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Four Roses Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Gilmore Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Halls Closets & More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport . . . . . . . . 40 Kalamazoo Community Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Kalamazoo Public Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Kuipers Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Lift Restaurant & Lounge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 LVM Capital Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Park Village Pines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services . . . . . . . . . . .27 Portage Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Stulberg International String Competition . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Trust Shield Insurance Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Tujax Tavern & Brewpub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Vlietstra Bros. Pools & Spas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Willis Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 WMUK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Never Miss A Month!!

Climate Chan on the Local ge Front

New Art at the KIA

A Poet’s Look at Life, Love & Loss

Meet Jessica Mall

ow

March 2020 Southwes

t Michigan’ s Magazine

‘20/20 Imagination’ The Art Aaron Shaof fer

How sweet it is.

☎323-9333

1116 W Centre Ave PortagePrinting.com

36 | ENCORE MAY 2020

Have SW Michigan’s favorite magazine delivered to your home or office!

Subscribe online at encorekalamazoo.com or call 269-383-4433.

ENCORE BACK STORY

Ben Lando (continued from page 38)

In November, NowKalamazoo published The Homefront, a printed and online magazine that took a deep look at Kalamazoo’s homelessness crisis. (Editor’s note: Encore Publications Inc. was a partner in the production of The Homefront and its content is archived at encorekalamazoo.com/about-homefront.)

In March, as Lando’s wife, Gabrielle, gave birth to the third and fourth of their children, Lando launched nowkalamazoo.com as an online news website dedicated to covering the COVID-19 crisis in his hometown. According to the description on the site, NowKalamazoo is “a community dashboard of resources, the most important updates about COVID-19 in Kalamazoo County, and other essentials to staying safe, happy, and connected during these trying times.”

The development of both The Homefront and NowKalamazoo was driven by what Lando says is “a gap in local news coverage of broad and of specific issues in Kalamazoo and in terms of daily hard-news coverage.”

“There is clearly a gap in our local news ecosystem that has been growing over the decade,” Lando says. “There's a massive amount of unmet demand that we are trying to figure out how to meet. We want to use journalism as a tool to identify problems in the community and help potentially guide stakeholders into determining solutions.”

How did NowKalamazoo get started?

It came about during the homeless encampment in Bronson Park in 2018. As a Kalamazoo resident, I saw the encampment as exposing what was clearly a problem in our community and exposing the issue as a crisis when it had not before been called a crisis. There didn't seem to be that much work being put into developing solutions or a sustainable way to address the growing homelessness crisis. We wanted to cover the issue to understand what was happening, who was trying to effect change, who is supposed to effect change and what they were doing.

It took a while to get our arms around the story and the various sub-stories that answered those questions. Over the course of a year, we put together a magazine called The Homefront that was free for people to read and we hoped would lead to at least more conversations, if not some change on how we approach the issue of homelessness in the county.

We wanted it out on record that in November 2019 this was the status of this crisis and who the people are who are supposed to be doing something about it and what they're supposed to be doing.

What led to NowKalamazoo’s development as a daily COVID-19 news source?

There is so much misinformation and noise out on social media about the COVID-19 pandemic that we wanted to help the community cut through that and understand how the global COVID-19 pandemic impacts their health and way of life. We are putting all the local COVID-19 news and information on a single site so it’s easier for

people to consume. Providing daily updates on the local efforts and news regarding the pandemic helps people understand the pandemic and not become overwhelmed by all the information, myths and rumors being thrown at them.

The response has been good. People say they find that it's helpful to have everything in one place. We can provide that single focus, because other news organizations have a lot of other things that they're covering as well. We also are supporting those news organizations by shining a light on and linking to their stories.

How is NowKalamazoo being funded?

Right now it’s coming out of Ben Lando’s pocket (he laughs). But we recently found a fiscal sponsor so we can get grant funding, donations and sponsorships to help us continue our efforts as well as do more original news reporting about the pandemic and its effects on our community.

This is probably not the easiest time to launch a news outlet.

What have been your biggest challenges?

There have been two main challenges. One is that I tend to underestimate how much time it takes to start a new news company while maintaining an existing company (Iraq Oil Report) and expanding my family by two. That was the easy one to deal with. I just, you know, reduced the amount of sleep I got.

But the other challenge is to convince people that there is a workable business model for local news coverage and that the failure of traditional daily news outlets to maintain the quality and quantity of their operations is not indicative that daily news is a dead model.

We want to convince people that there can be a successful business model in providing high-quality local daily news coverage about the issues that matter and are important to the community.

Has your success with Iraq Oil Report inspired you?

Iraq Oil Report provides high-quality, deeply contextualized reporting for anyone who has operations in Iraq or is a decisionmaker or a stakeholder in Iraq who needs to know what's happening in the oil market and energy sectors. We try to provide some kind of a holistic understanding of what's happening in a country that changes on a daily basis. Our extremely talented reporters and editors make sure that the news organization has the best understanding of what's happening despite how frequently it changes. Running Iraq Oil Report has given me the understanding of what it takes to make this kind of news organization work, and it’s what I hope to do for my hometown through NowKalamazoo.

It’s a challenge for sure, but I spent four years living in Iraq, which helped me prepare for almost anything that life could throw at me, including having a new news organization, having twins and having a pandemic all at the same time.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 37

BACK STORY ENCORE

Ben Lando

Founder & Publisher, NowKalamazoo

In 2009, Kalamazoo native and journalist

Ben Lando was living in Baghdad, Iraq, when he launched Iraq Oil Report, which became a leading daily online source for news and information on the oil and energy industry. With 12 full-time reporters and thousands of subscribers, Iraq Oil Report is an award-winning, financially successful news enterprise that Lando still oversees as publisher and editor-at-large.

But now, 10 years after launching that news enterprise, the 40-year-old Loy Norrix High School and Western Michigan University graduate is back living in Kalamazoo where he has launched a new journalistic venture that’s closer to home called NowKalamazoo.

(continued on page 37)

38 | ENCORE MAY 2020

Kalamazoo Public Schools are reaching higher!

ar graduation rates  Rising 4- and 5-ye dle school and high id m , ry ta n e m le e g in  Ris vement school student achie er of students taking b m u n e th le b u o d  More than e last 10 years th in s e rs u co t n e m Advance Place ition and mandatory tu ge lle co e e fr : e is rom ply)  The Kalamazoo P ance requirements ap nd te at & cy en sid es (re fees for KPS graduat mise scholars ro P 0 0 0 2, an th re o M grees have completed de 500 students 2, ly e at im x ro p ap f  Growth o e last 13 years (25 percent) over th

For enrollment or more information please contact Kalamazoo Public Schools at

269.337.0161

FLY HOME. BE HOME. Don’t be here

When you want to be here

90 9 192

Hey. We just landed.

Be home in 10 minutes.

Close. Convenient. Friendly.

Gofrom AZO

fe. Simple. Convenient.

ww

2019

TH

An n i v e r s a r y

w.f

lyazo.co

m