Encore September 2023

Publisher encore publications, inc

Editor marie lee

Art Director alexis stubelt

Photographer brian k powers

Contributing Writers kalloli bhatt, marie lee, donna mcclurkan

Copy Editor/ Poetry Editor margaret deritter

Advertising Sales janis clark, janet gover, krieg lee

Distribution robert zedeck ron kilian

Office Coordinator kelly burcroff

Proofreader hope smith

Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2023, 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

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

From the Editor

I personally wasn't a fan of turning 50 a few years ago, but having Encore turn 50 is very exciting! This month marks the magazine's 50th year, and at a time when advertising-supported print publications like Encore are fighting to keep publishing, that is something to celebrate and reflect on, which we do in many ways in this issue.

We are also excited and honored to feature Kalamazoo native, comedian and The Daily Show correspondent Jordan Klepper on the cover of the first issue of our 50th year. Encore has always featured those in and from our community who are thriving, succeeding and achieving, and Jordan is no exception. Featuring him is in keeping with the magazine's tradition of "local kid does good" stories (sorry, Jordan, I know that, at 44, you are no longer a kid), and we were so pleased he agreed to an interview. When we asked him how he would know he had "made it" professionally, he replied, "I'm the cover story for Encore, right?" I love that man.

In honor of our anniversary, we feature five little-known facts about the magazine, a visual retrospective of how the magazine's design and masthead have evolved over the years, some of our favorite covers, and a look back at one of the most-loved features of the magazine — the Guess Who? photo riddle.

And lest you think we are done celebrating, we are not! Future issues this year will include "update" articles about people and organizations we've written about in the past that, like the magazine, have evolved and gotten better and better over the years.

Finally, if you are in a celebratory mood, we encourage you to honor Encore's birthday in two ways: First, patronize our advertisers and tell them you see them in Encore. They have many ways they could spend their marketing budgets and they choose to support this communityfocused magazine. We could not publish without them. Second, subscribe to Encore and receive the magazine in your mail at home or at your business. Both of these are terrific, simple ways to support Encore and ensure that we can carry on for another 50 years.

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

Evaluation & Care of Trees and Shrubs

Kalloli Bhatt

Kalloli says she had the most awesome job assignment for a solid two weeks. In preparation for Encore's cover-story interview, she got to research one of her favorite comedians, Jordan Klepper, watch all of his Daily Show and interview clips, and meet him in real life. "I'm grateful that my idol is just as I imagined," says Kalloli, who shared writing and interviewing duties on this month's cover story with Editor Marie Lee. Kalloli is a Western Michigan University student majoring in digital media and journalism and creative writing. She served as an intern at Encore until last month.

Donna McClurkan

Donna says she had wanted to connect with our Back Story subject, Joy Morris-Burton, since taking a tour a year ago of the sustainable building called The Creamery, where the dance, yoga and fitness instructor has her studio. Donna's visit included participating in a dance class and observing a class where children were dancing and joyful.

"The memory it jogged for me is family lore," says Donna. "I was removed from ballet lessons at about age 6 for not being able to tell my right foot from my left. Participating in a class the evening before our interview was a stark contrast with my early dance experiences. Here, in this studio, the music provided the beats we moved to repeatedly and reinforced the beauty inherent in all of us, just the way we are." Donna is a Kalamazoo-based freelance writer and climate activist.

Fifty Years of Contributors

This issue features many references to the amazing writers, editors, photographers and publishers that have made this magazine possible and have brought our readers great information and images for 50 years. We can't list them all here but want to give a shout-out to them and recognize their creativity, hard work and dedication to bringing some of the best local journalism to our pages. Thank you to all our contributors, past and present!

First Things

Something on Wheels Street rods, hot rods and classic cars on display

You can see more than 2,000 custom and classic cars Sept. 8–10 at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center.

The 43rd annual Street Rod Nationals North event will feature street rods, muscle cars, hot rods and classic cars and trucks, all over 30 years old. There will also be activities, entertainment, displays and games. A number of vendors, including Vicksburg residents Joe and Paul Van Nus from Dutchboys Hot Rods, will be on hand to showcase the latest technology and parts.

Gates are open for spectators from 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Sept. 8, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Sept. 9, and 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Sept. 10. Tickets are $19, or $6 for children ages 6–12. Younger children are admitted free. Family, senior and military discounts are also available. For more information, visit nsra-usa.com/rods-spectators-north.

Something Celebratory

Brillosa Celebration at Bell’s

A celebration of Latin culture is on tap for Bell's Brewery's third annual Brillosa Celebration, from 2–6 p.m. Sept. 24.

This free family-friendly event will be held in the Bell's Beer Garden, weather permitting, and will include live performances by the Latin jazz band Acana and the dance troupe El Concilio Baile Folklórico. Teresa’s Kitchen will be on site providing food such as tacos, quesadillas and tortas, and Bell's will have a special tapping of its Brillosa Vienna-style lager. (“Brillosa” (bree-YOHsuh) is a Spanish word that means shiny and bright and was the inspiration for this beer made by Bell’s.)

For more information, visit bellsbeer.com/event/brillosacelebration-2023.

Something Outlander-ish Scottish Festival celebrates the Highlands

If watching seven seasons of Outlander has made you crave more Scottish culture or if you just want to learn more about it, then head over to the annual Kalamazoo Scottish Festival Sept. 9 at Kindleberger Park, in Parchment.

The event, organized by the Kalamazoo Scottish Festival Association, includes such Highland athletics as the hammer throw and caber toss as well as a parade of clans, music, piping, dancing, cultural exhibitions and educational talks about Scottish history.

The performers will include the Kalamazoo Scottish Country Dancers, Kalamazoo Pipe and Drum Band & Highland Dancers, and musicians Brian McClure, Grayson Barton and Toby Bresnahan.

The festival runs from 9 a.m.–4 p.m., and admission is free. For more information, including a schedule of specific events, visit kalamazooscottishfest.org.

Something Musical

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors perform

Emmy Award-winning Memphis artist Holcomb, whose music has been featured on more than 70 of TV's most-watched shows, will perform at the State Theatre at 7 p.m. Sept. 24.

This Americana artist, touring with his band to promote their ninth album, Strangers No More, already has several critically acclaimed albums under his belt and been featured by NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard and CMT.

Opening for Holcomb will be Josiah & the Bonnevilles, known for the singles “Tennessee Song” and “I am Appalachia.”

Tickets are $37.50–$117.50. For more information, visit kazoostate.com.

Something Historical

Walks explore two neighborhoods

Frequent Encore contributor Lynn Houghton, author of the historical architecture book Kalamazoo: Lost & Found, leads walks this month that delve into two of the older neighborhoods in Kalamazoo.

The 60- to 90-minute walks are free, and no registration is required. The tours and meeting locations are as follows:

• South Street/Bronson Park, 8 a.m. Sept. 8; meet at Gazelle Sports, 214 S. Kalamazoo Mall.

• Westnedge Hill Neighborhood, 8 a.m. Sept. 22; meet at the northwest corner of South Westnedge and Inkster avenues.

For more information, visit gazellesports.com/pages/kalamazoohistoric-walks.

Five Faves

Quirky facts about Encore

BY encore staff

A s years go, 1973 was interesting. The Vietnam War ended; Skylab, the U.S.'s first space station, was launched; the Watergate scandal blew up; and the first patent for the ATM (automated teller machine) was granted — all happenings that have had lasting effects in one way or another. That same year, Encore was created, with its own lasting legacy. For 50 years the magazine has been publishing stories and images that celebrate Southwest Michigan and the greater Kalamazoo community. Encore has published more than 3,900 articles, on everything from the arts, local businesses, nonprofit organizations and community leaders to sports, dining, farming and beer. In honor of our 50th anniversary this month, we're digging out some of the quirkier facts about the magazine.

3535 Bronson Blvd.

When current Encore owners Marie and Krieg Lee invited thenowners Rick and Penny Briscoe to their home in 2011 to talk about buying the magazine and gave them their address, Rick said, "You've got to be kidding me." Turns out that the Briscoes had also once owned the house at 3535 Bronson Blvd., from 1991–1997. Two owners later, the Lees bought the house and moved there in early 2011. The Briscoes were able to explain a lot of the house's idiosyncrasies (such as the "unfindable" switch for the front outside lights, which was located inside a cabinet in the bar off the kitchen). And when Marie and Penny took a tour of the upstairs, Penny pointed out that the Briscoes owned the same line of bedroom furniture as the Lees: Victorian Sampler by Lexington Furniture, which the Lees had bought while living in Virginia and the Briscoes had bought in Kalamazoo at Stewart & Co. Interestingly, both the Briscoes and the Lees sold the house at 3535 Bronson Blvd. to move to lake homes.

Guess Who

One of the most enduring — and endearing — features Encore printed was its Guess Who? — a photographic riddle that graced the magazine's center spread from November 1998 until October 2009. Guess Who? featured a local notable who was disguised in costume, and readers were given a few clues to try to identify the costumed individual (a sort of precursor to today's TV show The Masked Singer). There were 170 Guess Whos; the first person to be featured was former Western Michigan University president Diether Heineke, who was adorned as Santa Claus, and the final was former Kalamazoo Institute of Arts executive director Jim Bridenstine as Galileo. The Guess Who? above features Kalamazoo attorneys James and Michele Marquardt, dressed as a king and queen in the September 2008 issue. We run a visual look back at this feature starting on page 24.

See and Hear More about Encore

Encore's 50-year history will be highlighted in two events this month at the Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St.:

Visually Telling a Community's Story — A retrospective view of Encore's design and photography over its 50 years of publication will take place from 6–8 p.m. Sept. 1 in the library's first-floor rotunda as part of September’s Art Hop, which has a theme of storytelling and identity. The exhibit will include iconic photography, notable covers and a scavenger hunt.

Telling a Community's Story — Encore owner and editor Marie Lee will discuss the magazine's 50year history, its importance in documenting the community's stories, and its future in the digital age in a presentation at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27 in the Van Deusen Room.

In addition, longtime contributor Robert M. Weir will discuss his quarter-century tenure of writing articles for Encore, in which he has covered a myriad of topics from international travel and civil rights to profiles of more interesting people than we can mention. Weir's Encore articles from 1996 to 2023 are now showcased in two books, Outstanding People and Their Amazing Accomplishments and Awesome Adventures and Exciting Experiences, available via Amazon.com and from the author.

The dates, times and locations of Weir's upcoming presentations are:

• Sept. 12, 6–7:30 p.m., Paw Paw District Library, 609 W. Michigan Ave., Paw Paw

• Sept. 27, 7–8 p.m., Ransom District Library, 180 S. Sherwood Ave., Plainwell

He will also be on hand at both the Art Hop and Sept. 27 presentation at the Kalamazoo Public Library.

Longest-running advertiser

Encore has always been an advertiser-supported publication, and thousands of local businesses have promoted themselves on our pages through the years. It is really fascinating to peruse the back issues and see the businesses that have come and gone. But we are happy to say one of the magazine’s first advertisers is still advertising today. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is the longest consistent Encore advertiser — it ran this ad in Encore's first issue, in September 1973, and has continued to promote its concerts and events through advertisements in Encore every year since.

That's a lot of words

Encore has had a number of writers over the years, but a few have had remarkably long — and prolific — tenures with the magazine. Robert M. Weir, pictured at right, holds the title for having written the most recorded stories published in Encore: 182. He first wrote for the October 1996 issue, a story about portrait photographer Marc Kelemen and his service dog Odie, and continues to contribute to the magazine to this day. His most recent story, on paddling the Kalamazoo River, was the August cover story. Tom Thinnes, who wrote for the magazine for nearly 20 years, may actually have written more, but the early issues of Encore did not include bylines, so it's hard to know. The next most prolific writers after Weir and Thinnes would be current editor Marie Lee, who has written 100 stories; and historian Larry Massie, who wrote 95. It wasn't uncommon for both Weir and Thinnes to have written profiles that were 5,000 words in length. Today the average cover story is half that length.

Started as a playbill

Encore can credit its inception to Miller Auditorium, on the WMU campus. Phil Schubert was hired in 1972 to sell ads for the auditorium's program guides for symphony concerts and other shows performed there. He had a little extra space to fill one month and quickly dashed off an article. It was so well received by Miller patrons that he decided to create a full-fledged magazine, Encore, Magazine of the Arts, which debuted in September 1973, pictured above, although the cover says October 1973. The publication was given free to patrons at Miller and included program notes for the auditorium's performances that month. Encore continued to be distributed at Miller shows until 2020, when the pandemic shut down the facility. Postpandemic, Encore is no longer distributed at Miller but has increased its public pickup locations across the community, giving more readers access to its content.

Brian Powers

‘I’m Not That Famous’

Kalamazoo native and TheDailyShow correspondent Jordan Klepper keeps it humble

BY KALLOLI BHATT & MARIE LEE

When Jordan Klepper went into comedy, he didn’t have a backup plan.

“This was not something I necessarily planned on doing, getting into this — this world of comedy and the world of entertainment,” says the 44-year-old Kalamazoo native and correspondent for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, “but I never had a real strong backup plan, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend that for someone.”

Actually Klepper, a 1997 graduate of Kalamazoo Central and the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center (KAMSC), did have a backup plan of sorts — math. As a Heyl scholar at Kalamazoo College, Klepper was a talented STEM student with opportunities to further his studies at Yale. To Klepper, though, who wasn’t so sure about a career in math, having a scholarship allowed him to pursue a double major. After attending a performance by Monkapult, K College’s student improv group, he knew what that second major would be —theater.

“K is really a place that you can jump in and be a part of something right away,” he says. “A mild interest in theater means you are on the stage in a week.”

Looking at Klepper’s career bio might make one think that his foray into comedy was as easy. He is an alum of Chicago’s Second City improv group and New York City’s Upright Citizens Brigade and in 2014 became a regular correspondent on The Daily Show. He even had his own shortlived late-night show, The Opposition, which aired on Comedy Central after The Daily Show.

But, despite an impressive resume, Klepper says he continuously tackled doubt during his rise.

“I think the imposter syndrome is something I think we all reckon with,” he says. “The arts are something that you're constantly questioning

Klepper poses in The Stamped Robin, a local cocktail lounge owned by his cousin Emily Deering-Caruso, which is decorated with many items from their grandmother's basement, such as this knick-knack shelf.

Brian Powers

whether it’s the right path. A benefit I've always had is that the world of improv is one where you fail a lot and fail often and you get comfortable in failure.

“There was never anything that I actually wanted to do more than what I was doing, so even if there was doubt, there wasn't an option to get off the path that I was already on and more excited about.”

Even his parents, Mark and Betse Klepper, were on board. When their son performed a Michael Jackson lip sync battle with a friend for a talent show at K College, they were in the audience.

“When he came out, the place went nuts,” recalls Mark Klepper, the comedian’s father. “He blew us away. At that point, Betse said, ‘He could do this.’ He could play a role. He could act.”

At the time of this interview, in June, the Writers Guild of America strike had hobbled the entertainment industry, putting The Daily Show on hiatus. Klepper was using the break to return to Kalamazoo for his June 30 filled-to-capacity presentation, “Celebrating Books While They Are Still Legal!” at Miller Auditorium as part of the Kalamazoo Public Library’s 150th anniversary celebration. During the program, Klepper discussed his ties to Kalamazoo, but, in keeping with his comedy persona, found humor in the news and current events.

Comedy & current events

Current events have always been a mainstay of Klepper’s comedy, from his days doing improv with The Second City to his role on The Daily Show that supercharged his career, where he covered the Trump candidacy, Trump’s subsequent presidency and its aftermath. For his regular segment, “Fingers the Pulse,” Klepper attended political rallies and events, conducting person-onthe-street interviews to get to the root of the logic behind political viewpoints.

“I love interacting with people and finding comedy and humor out of that interaction. The best thing about The Daily Show is you get to go to places and talk to real people. When Trump ran, I found sort of a sweet spot going out and talking to people about that,” he says, acknowledging that he had “a real sense of curiosity."

"I want to know why people believe or trust some of these things this former reality show host would say. That curiosity led me (to) a place where I also got to confront people with the frustrations I had and to actually engage with people and issues face-to-face.”

Klepper says he was astonished by the ingenuity and creativity some Americans showed in their ability to create realities at the drop of a hat. He recounts an interview he did with a woman at the time of the first Trump impeachment. She says she believed the then-president’s claim that he did not pressure Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to launch an investigation into Democrats, including his political opponent Joe Biden and Biden's son Hunter, and Trump’s claim that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind the interference in the 2016 presidential election. She reasoned that Trump would not lie because he had nothing to hide. Klepper reasoned that if Trump were innocent, then he would want everybody to talk. When she concurred, Klepper pointed out that the president had not cooperated with Congress and had made threats over Twitter (now called X) to those who testified against him, in an attempt to intimidate them.

“The woman took a really long beat and she just said, ‘I don't care.’ That left me speechless, because it was so truthful,” Klepper says. “The reality is she loves Donald Trump. It's a part of her identity. She believes in this guy, and there's no piece of information or debate that is going to change that.”

Host with the most?

But Klepper doesn’t just roam the streets for interviews. He has also proven he can sit behind the host's desk. Klepper filled in for The Daily Show host Trevor Noah in October

2016 and then again for a week in April after Noah left the show. During the April stint, Klepper traveled to Kalamazoo to interview Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over a beer at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe.

“When her folks said, ‘What if we do it in Bell’s?’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? I get to fly back to Bell’s and talk to Governor Whitmer about politics for The Daily Show? Like, at my hometown brewery where my son took his first steps? Oh, wow!’" Klepper recalls. "That was a special week in so many ways for me — to host a show that I loved, and for four days I really got to enjoy getting to do this thing that I loved so much. A big part of that was literally coming home and talking about things I care about in a place that is special to me.”

Klepper’s week behind the desk was also an audition of sorts to fill the host spot, which has been vacant since December 2022. But with the show on hiatus due to the writers’ strike, the announcement of Noah’s replacement has yet to be made.

“It's exhausting and takes a toll on your life, but it is a dream job,” Klepper says. “I'd love to be part of The Daily Show in some way. But wherever it goes, I hope whoever gets that job takes it seriously and has fun because it's a really lucky seat to sit in.”

If he were given the spot, he says, he’d tell his parents first. “I have to say that partially because my dad's here right now,” he says with a laugh, nodding to his father, who sits a few seats away.

From left: Jordan Klepper with his father, Mark Klepper; Klepper during his The Daily Show interview with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; and Klepper behind the desk at The Daily Show

Brian Powers

Nonetheless, Klepper keeps an eye out for new projects. Every month, he hosts “Shit Show,” a monthly live show at The Bell House, in Brooklyn, that mimics a British news panel.

“We invite friends from The Daily Show, writers for all the late-night shows, and other comedians who are in town, and (we) get into the news stories of the week. We riff, we have fun, and we kind of celebrate them in a room

with an audience who kind of is also up on the news and wants to talk about stuff,” Klepper explains. “It started as a chance to connect with an audience post-Covid, and now in a time when writers are striking, nobody is making TV. It's become a chance for late-night writers and all creative types who are out of work in New York City to kind of come onto a stage and have a moment of catharsis.”

Klepper is also working on a narrative show that utilizes his skill set from The Daily Show in a documentary style to portray conversations and interesting storylines that

are in the news but a little outside The Daily Show’s content realm.

“It's been a strange, funny time that, I will say, I didn't expect — being an improviser and to now suddenly be interacting with very serious people and very silly people all in the same breath,” he says. “It's an exciting place to be working in.”

Klepper is a New Yorker now, living there with his wife, Laura Grey, who is also a comedian — he met her while performing with The Second City — and their threeyear-old son. But that doesn’t mean Klepper doesn’t miss his hometown. When home, he says, he loves going to The Stamped Robin, Bell’s Eccentric Cafe and the Kalamazoo Nature Center and to revisit the K College campus as well as give directions to strangers in true Kalamazoo fashion, based on where businesses used to be.

“My sister (Caycee) and I laugh about how the directions in Kalamazoo are always like,

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Brian Powers

‘Go up, take a left to where Burdick’s used to be, or take a right where Olde Peninsula was. We’re triangulating everything based on the things as they once were.”

Host with the most?

When Klepper does return, he visits his cousins, sister and parents and works on teaching his young son to not be afraid of birdsong.

“When we came back to Kalamazoo, we found my son is scared of bird sounds. My son is growing up in New York, and birds are scary. But the sirens he's totally cool with.”

As Klepper’s stardom continues to rise and he rubs elbows with more and more celebrities, he admits he still gets starstruck from time to time.

“On The Daily Show, you would see people all the time. You're like, ‘Wow, that's Jerry Seinfeld, that's Keegan-Michael Key, or that's Tom Cruise.’ It's always really fun to see that. But the more time you spend with them, you realize the people you respect most and still hold on those pedestals are folks who work super-hard all the time. And Jon (Stewart) is a great example of someone who became a boss and a mentor and still holds a really high place in my heart because, beyond all of that, he’s just a super-hard worker who put on a really hard show every day.”

Now, as he himself might be an idol on a pedestal for young comedians, Klepper acknowledges both the good and the bad about fame. The good: It's easier to get dinner reservations and meet nice people wherever you go. The bad: There’s potential for selfcenteredness.

But mostly Klepper is grateful for the amount of fame he has. “I benefit from the fact that I'm not that famous and there are many younger, more attractive, famous people than me, so I have a beautiful level of fame. It's mostly just I get to talk about things I love and get an occasional good reservation here or there.”

CELEBRATING 50 Years

of Telling Kalamazoo's Stories

Encoreat 50 From KSO program book to community publication

Phil Schubert began selling ads for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra's program book for Miller Auditorium back in 1972. As ad sales in the program grew and extra space became available, Schubert added an article or two on local arts or dignitaries that proved very popular with patrons and gave Schubert the inclination to create something new. In September 1973, Encore, Magazine of the Arts, was born. The magazine, published nine times a year, was primarily distributed to Miller Auditorium patrons and to leaders in the community. It was very successful, growing in size every month, and it began featuring more and more stories outside the arts: stories about community leaders and business people, area history, travel and more. It was during Schubert's time at the helm that one of the most-loved features of Encore was created — the "Guess Who?" feature, where readers tried to guess the identity of local dignitaries dressed in costume.

Schubert stayed at the helm of his creation until 1996, when he sold it to Penny and Richard Briscoe. Penny, a former high school yearbook advisor, became the publication's editor, while Richard, who had a long career in health care administration, became the publisher. By focusing on making Encore “the People magazine of Kalamazoo,” as Penny used to call it, the Briscoes ushered in a new era in the publication’s popularity, offering in-depth profiles of local movers and shakers without letting go of coverage of the local arts and culture scene. Encore’s distribution in the community also grew during this time, through targeted mailing to members of local country clubs.

In 2011, Marie and Krieg Lee bought the nearly 40-year-old magazine, bringing the publication into the digital age. Marie, a former newspaper journalist and communications professional, functions as the publication's editor and publisher. The Lees began publishing Encore 12 months

A timeline by design

How Encore's look and full name have changed

1973 1975

Encore's first issue is published in September 1973, with a truly "groovy" masthead (the name as printed on the cover) reflective of the times.

a year beginning in 2014 and revamped the magazine’s content to include more and shorter features on the arts, business, lifestyle and culture of the greater Kalamazoo community, as well as stunning photography. A digital edition and new website allowed readers to access the magazine’s content online. The Lees also expanded the magazine's distribution, adding many more public pickup locations, growing the number of paid subscribers and cultivating additional readers through the availability of the magazine’s content online.

As the world has changed, the magazine has endured. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Encore continued to print and provide community coverage while many other local publications ceased producing. Paid subscriptions increased, and the publication's

A new masthead debuts with the September 1975 issue, featuring an enlarged E framing the rest of the name. It stays virtually the same for the next 39 years, with only slight alterations.

online readers quadrupled in number. Coming out of the pandemic, Encore was no longer publicly distributed at Miller Auditorium, but the owners more than made up for that loss by adding new public pickup locations. The magazine now enjoys a pickup rate of 95 percent, meaning nearly all the copies printed in a month are snatched up by readers.

There have been many changes for Encore during its 50-year history, but one thing has remained constant — each issue celebrates the people, places, organizations and businesses that make the greater Kalamazoo area the unique community it is. With hard work and the continued support of the community, Encore will continue to do so for the next half-century.

Cover Worthy

Encore covers deserving a second look

For Encore's staff, there’s nothing more fun — or fraught with angst — than deciding which image should grace the magazine's cover each month.

When the magazine started in 1973, publication production was a very different animal than it is today, and full-color imagery was an expensive printing option. The magazine's cover that first year was usually a black-and-white photo on a singlecolor background. By the next year, the financial success of the magazine allowed it to occasionally feature full-color covers (but mostly black-and-white interiors). The first was a portrait of then-Western Michigan University President John Bernhard and his wife, Ramona.

Technology increasingly made color imagery more accessible and affordable, and by the early 2000s the entire magazine was printed in full color. Now it's something we all just take for granted.

Photography is an undeniably critical component of any magazine, especially Encore , which has been able to enjoy the talents of many area photographers, including Don Rice, John Gilroy and currently the very gifted Brian K. Powers. And while not every cover of Encore is a photo — some are illustrations, collages or graphic illustrations — the imagery we feature is always the most-talked-about aspect of the magazine. It is a credit to the aesthetic talents of longtime designer Peter Brakeman, of Brakeman Design, who laid out the magazine for more than 30 years, and Alexis Stubelt, who has made our pages sparkle since 2013, that our covers have been such a pleasure to behold over the years.

Here are some of our more memorable Encore covers from the past 50 years:

It is believed Don Rice took this portrait of Kalamazoo baker Judy Sarkozy for the February 1993 issue.

Photographer Brian K. Powers captured this portrait of Murphy Darden for the cover February 2019 issue.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra provided this photo of its conductor, Raymond Harvey, for the cover of the September 1999 issue.

Fred Ashby created this illustration for the cover of the April 1984 issue.

It is unknown where the image for the January 1980 cover came from but the color palette and dot pattern is reflective of the times.

It is believed that Ann Wilbur Conroy provided this sunset photo for the February 1983 issue, which featured a story about her global sailing adventures.

It's not clear whether Don Rice or Jim Riegel took this photo of 85-year-old Western Michigan University graduate Lina Marshall for the April 1981 issue. Both photographers are listed in the staff box.

The portrait by photographer John Gilroy of Ed Bernard, founder of Bermo Enterprises, a clothing retailer, with two of his employees, graced the January 2003 cover.

Banjo musician Rock Bartley plays as the sun goes down in this illuminating photo taken for the December 2012 cover.

Writer Bonnie Jo Campbell posed in the barn of her childhood home in Comstock for this Brian K. Powers portrait featured on the October 2015 cover.

Cosplayers David Perrigo (Dr. Doom) and Matt Perrigo (Captain America) are photobombed by an unknown princess for our February 2018 cover taken by Brian K. Powers that featured the Kalamazoo cosplay scene.

Brian K. Powers reveals the simple beauty of blues guitarist Dave Beckman's well-played 1987 National Duolian guitar for the June 2016 cover.

Singer Matt Giraud and American Idol contestant gave us a dose of humor in this January 2016 cover shot by Brian K. Powers.

Guitar guru Rendal Wall is photographed at

Guitar by Brian K. Powers

‘Guess Who?’ Dignitaries in disguise a reader favorite

The "Guess Who?" feature, a photographic riddle featuring local notables in costume, ran as the magazine's center spread from 1988 to 2009.

Created by Phil Schubert and continued by Richard and Penny Briscoe, who were the succeeding publisher and editor, respectively, the feature involved an arduous day of shooting. Anthony and Laura Gerard, owners of The Timid Rabbit Costume & Magic Shop, at 2011 W. Main St., were meticulous in developing the costuming, makeup and staging to disguise the month's subject, and photographer John Gilroy captured the subject on film.

It was hard to choose which "Guess Who?" pages to highlight in this visual retrospective, but this sampling provides a brief glimpse at why this photographic riddle became a favorite feature of the magazine.

Orthopedic surgeon Mark Veenstra is a convincing Frankenstein in this January 1995 Guess Who? He is joined by Igor, played by Tony Gerard, Jr., son of Tony Gerard, owner of the Timid Rabbit and costumer for the feature.

It is unknown who or what Judge C.H. Mullen was disguised as for this Guess Who? of October 1991.

Longtime local banking executive Tom Schlueter takes aim as Daniel Boone in April 2008.

Beverly Moore, Kalamazoo's mayor from 1991–93, was disguised as a nun in September 1992.

Cori Terry, founder of Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, delivers the news as a paperboy in May 2006.

Judy Markee, a former news anchor for WWMT-TV Channel 3, made a lovely Mrs. Claus for the December 1997 issue.

Commercial real estate broker and partner of Signature Associates Ellie Callendar posed as a surveyor in October 2005.

Judge Carolyn H. Williams (now retired) was a stunning black cat for the October/November 1990 Guess Who?

Blaine Lam, president of Lam & Associates, prefers running marathons to the running of the bulls, but posed as a matador in February 1996.

Amy Upjohn makes a sweet Little Bo Peep in March 2003.

Moses Walker, then-vice president of behavioral medicine services at Borgess Medical Center, was a Brooklyn Dodger in April 1995.

In the April 1996 issue that marked Phil Schubert's last issue as Encore's publisher, he is tarred and feathered and "run" out of town by "Keystone

The leadership for the United Way campaign poses as a football team in September 1991: Front row, from left: Diether Haenicke, George Arwady, Don Parfet, Randy Webber, Jim Rikkers, Tom Lambert and A.W. "Bud" Betts. Back row, from left: Betty Upjohn, John Schreuder, John Everts, Robert Holt and Wes Freeland.

As Cleopatra, Marilyn Schlack, president of Kalamazoo Valley Community College from 1982–2017, eyes the asp that leads to her doom for the April 1990 Guess Who?

Fran Washington, as Canadian Mountie Dudley Do-Right, comes to the rescue of her husband Von Washington, Sr. in disguise as the damsel in distress, in October 2001.

Kops," photographer Don Rice, left, and writer Tom Thinnes.

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New books by Robert M. Weir

Two new books showcasing writer and public speaker Robert M. Weir's Encore articles from 1996 to 2023 are now available via Amazon.com and from the author. To schedule Robert to speak about his “Encore years” at your school, library, company, organization or house party, contact him via his website, robertmweir.com, or by email to robtweir@aol.com.

TheArts

Clue TheGift Barn Theatre

The Barn will stage two productions this month, each running for one weekend only.

The first, Clue , is a comedic whodunit based on the classic board game Clue follows six eccentric guests at a dinner party, who find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery that has many possible endings.

Show times are 8 p.m. Sept. 7-9 and 5 p.m. Sept. 9 and 10.

The second production is The Gift , a drama about a woman who can see the future with a mere touch of a hand and her efforts to protect her daughter. Show times are 8 p.m. Sept. 14–16 and 5 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17.

Tickets are $43–$51. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 731-4121 or visit barntheatreschool.org.

BigFish Sept. 15-Oct. 1

Kalamazoo Civic Theatre

A musical about a son seeking the truth behind his father's larger-than-life tales will be staged by the Civic Theatre this month.

From meeting witches to stealing important documents during a war, traveling salesman Edward Bloom (played by Dustin Morton) has seemingly done it all. On his deathbed, he repeats these stories to his son, Will (played by Jordan Bruner), who gets suspicious and dives into the life and times of his father. This play is adapted from the Tim Burton film and based on the novel with the same name by Daniel Wallace.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30 and 2 p.m. Sept. 17, 24 and Oct.

1. Tickets are $17–$30. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit kazoocivic.com.

Working:TheMusical

Sept. 21-Oct. 8

Farmers Alley Theatre

This Farmers Alley production will share the experiences of those living and working in Kalamazoo.

The musical is based on the Studs Terkel book Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do (1974), which has interviews with people from different regions and occupations. The musical celebrates the search for the meaning, dignity and satisfaction of earning a living, and the local production includes original stories of people in our community.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21–23, 28–30 and Oct. 5–7 and 2 p.m. Sept. 24, 30 and Oct. 8. Tickets are $44–$48, or $15 for students. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 343-2727 or visit farmersalleytheatre.com.

Spotlighting greater Kalamazoo's arts community

Author Talks

Online or In-person Various Locations

Authors of fiction and nonfiction works will discuss their writing in talks this month.

The Kalamazoo Public Library will host three online talks:

• Lidia Bastianich, Emmy Award-winning host of PBS's Lidia’s Kitchen, will talk about her memoir, My American Dream: Life, Love, Family and Food, and give a preview of her new cookbook, Lidia’s From Our Family Table to Yours: More Than 100 Recipes Made With Love For All Occasions, at 7 p.m. Sept. 7.

• Adam Alter will talk about his book Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters the Most, at 2 p.m. Sept. 20.

• Award-winning author Amor Towles will talk about his three bestsellers, Rules of Civility, A Gentleman in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway, at 8 p.m. Sept. 27.

Registration is required for these events. To register or for more information, visit kpl.gov.

Two other authors, both from the area, will give in-person talks:

Tom Springer, author of Looking for Hickories and The Star in the Sycamore, will give a talk on turning personal experiences into stories. This event runs from 1–3 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. The cost is $7 for KNC members and $10 for others. For more information, visit naturecenter.org.

Parchment Community Library will feature a presentation by Cindy Semark, who will discuss her book, They All Grow Up: Parenting Adult Children with Special Needs, at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25. For more information, visit parchmentlibrary.org.

Scott Bade and Dustin Pearson

Sept. 23 Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

These two poets will read from their works at 7 p.m. as part of the KBAC’s Poets in Print series.

Bade teaches at Kalamazoo College and the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and is the coordinator of Western Michigan University’s Center for the Humanities. His chapbook, My Favorite Thing About Desire, was a co-winner of the 2018 Celery City Chapbook Contest. His poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and appeared in publications including Fugue, Shadowgraph, Reed Magazine and Foothill.

Pearson is an assistant professor at the University of Toledo and the author of A Season in Hell with Rimbaud, Millennial Roost, and A Family is a House. He was awarded a 2021 Pushcart Prize, Best Collaboration at the 2020 Cadence Video Poetry Festival for a film adaptation of his poem “The Flame in Mother's Mouth,” the 2019 John MacKay Shaw Award, and the 2015 Katharine C. Turner Prize from the Academy of American Poets.

For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.

Scott Bade

Cindy Semark

Dustin Pearson

TheArts

Janice Carissa

Sept. 10

Wellspring Theater

The Gilmore will start its 2023–2024 Rising Stars season with a performance by Carissa, a 2022 Gilmore Young Artist. She will perform the world premiere of a commissioned piece by Carl Vine.

Carissa debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra at 16 and is pursuing a master’s degree at The Juilliard School. In addition to Vine's Gothic Fantasy, her program will include works by Busoni, Liszt and Scriabin.

The concert starts at 4 p.m. Tickets are $28, or pay-what-youcan for livestream tickets. For more information or to buy tickets, visit thegilmore.com.

ANightonSwanLake

Sept. 23

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

Pianist Awadagin Pratt will be a guest artist when the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra opens its season at Miller Auditorium with a program of romantic and classical pieces.

Pratt, professor of piano at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and artistic director of that school's Art of the Piano Festival, will perform Rounds, a piano concerto written for Pratt by Jesse Montgomery. In addition, the KSO will perform Richard Strauss’s Don Juan and Tchaikovsky's Suite from Swan Lake

The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25–$68. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit kalamazoosymphony.com.

WHAT’S NEW

Who will we celebrate in 2023?

Summertime Live Concerts

Various times

Various venues

September offers a few last chances to enjoy live, outdoor concerts. Unless stated otherwise, the concerts are free. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets or chairs. The groups performing and the concert locations are:

• Grace Theisen, 11:30 a.m. Sept. 1, Bronson Park

• Out of Favor Boys, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 1, Haymarket Plaza, 139 N. Edwards St.

• The Skeletones, 5 p.m. Sept. 6, Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 W. Hickory Road, Hickory Corners

• His Boy Elroy, 5 p.m. Sept. 13, Gilmore Car Museum

• The Family Tradition Band, 7 p.m. Sept. 14, Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road, Portage

• Delilah DeWylde, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 15, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St.

• Rockslide, 5 p.m. Sept. 20, Gilmore Car Museum

• Chris Karl, 5 p.m. Sept. 27, Gilmore Car Museum

For more information, visit kalamazooarts.org/ summertime-live.

Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo

NOW ACCEPTING 2023 NOMINATIONS

UNTIL OCTOBER 10TH!

Do you know someone who is a leader in the arts, volunteers their time in the arts, or is a talented youth with a promising future in the arts, or building an exceptional body of work? Or perhaps you know of a local business that consistently supports or advocates for our local arts scene? If so please nominate them for a 2023 Community Arts Award!

View all of the award categories and make your nomination on the Community Arts Awards page on our website.

The Awards Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 5th at the Gull Lake Center for the Fine Arts.

Delilah DeWylde

Mary Whalen and Colleen Woolpert

Sept. 1–29

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

This unique joint exhibition by two local artists will combine history and photography with papermaking.

Whalen, a photographer and chair of the photography and digital media program at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, works in both digital image making and traditional darkroom and historical photo processes.

Woolpert will be showing works from her project Echo Location, which explores the former Lee Paper Co. Mill in Vicksburg and includes historic images of the mill and workers as well as actual sheets of paper produced before the mill closed.

The exhibition will open Sept. 1 with a reception from 5–8 p.m. The KBAC gallery is open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday. For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.

ABridgeBetweenTwoWorlds:

WorksbyWuJian’an

Sept. 16–Dec. 31

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

This is the first major U.S. exhibition to feature this contemporary Chinese artist’s meticulous work.

Wu Jian’an’s primary medium is cut paper, but he also works in painting and sculpture. His compositions often include thousands of elements referencing contemporary, mythological and obscure folklore. The exhibition features works showing his creative evolution over two decades.

Wu Jian’an's work can be found at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University.

The KIA is open 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday and noon–4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, or $2 for students and free for members. For more information, visit kiarts.org.

Art Hop

Sept. 1

Downtown Kalamazoo

This month’s Art Hop has a focus on storytelling as a means of education, entertainment and/or cultural preservation.

This free event, organized by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, runs from 5–8 p.m. and will feature the social and cultural activity of sharing stories.

The Arts Council has an app that provides a guide and maps of Art Hop sites, information about participating artists, and walking directions. For more information or to access the app, visit kalamazooarts.org.

C.C.Wang:Lines ofAbstraction

Sept. 16–Dec. 31

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

This exhibition, which spans seven decades, focuses on Wang’s distinctive synthesis of Chinese ink painting and American postwar abstraction.

Wang was born in China in 1907 at the twilight of the Qing dynasty. He mastered traditional ink and brush techniques and immigrated to New York City in 1949. He drew inspiration from past masters of Chinese painting as well as from New York’s artistic climate following World War II. Wang died in 2003.

This exhibition was organized by Hunter College Art Galleries, in New York City.

PhotosynthesisII

Through Nov. 18

Richmond Center of the Arts

Works in a variety of media by 17 Southwest Michigan artists are part of this exhibition in the center's Albertine Monroe-Brown Gallery.

Linda Rzoska, the exhibition's curator, says the show provides "compelling reminders that we are all elementally tied to the world around us." The artists participating are Lorrie Grainger Abdo, Melody Allen, Susan Badger, Justin Bernhardt, Maryellen Hains, Anna Z ILL, Alexa Karabin, Elizabeth Kerlikowske, Helen Kleczynski, Honore Lee, Dave Middleton, Lynn Pattison, Linda Rzoska, Nichole Riley, Joe Smigiel, Vicki Van Ameyden and Randy Walker.

A reception for the artists will be at the gallery from 5–8 p.m. Sept. 22 and will include an auction of works by local artists from the personal collection of James and Lois Richmond.

Gallery hours are noon–6 p.m. Tuesday–Friday and 8 a.m.–noon Saturday.

Ongoing Exhibitions

Sugoi!200YearsofJapaneseArt , through Sept. 3, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

UnveilingAmericanGenius , through Dec. 31, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

2023·2024SEASON

PRESENTS

FRI, OCT 13, 2023 · 7:30 pm

FRY STREET QUARTET a multifaceted ensemble taking chamber music in new directions

SUN, NOV 5, 2023 · 3:00 pm

BEN GULLEY, TENOR

PETER DUGAN, PIANO a musical journey across genres

FRI, FEB 23, 2024 · 7:30 pm

CASTALIAN STRING QUARTET one of the most in-demand quartets on the world stage

FRI, MAR 15, 2024 · 7:30 pm

CYRILLE AIMÉE, JAZZ VOCALIST

improvisation is not just a technique, it’s a way of life

SAT, APR 20, 2024 · 7:30 pm

AMERICAN BRASS QUINTET celebrated for peerless leadership in the brass world

All performances held in WMU’s Dalton Center Recital Hall

SUBSCRIPTIONS & SINGLE TICKETS fontanamusic.org | 269/250-6984

BenMiller’s Stand-UpScience Sept. 23

Crawlspace Comedy Theatre

Is there anything funny about science? New York City scientist and comedian Ben Miller thinks so, and he’ll tell audiences about it this month.

Miller has a degree in materials science and engineering from Columbia University and has worked with electron microscopes. He uses photos, videos and graphs in his show Stand-Up Science, which started as a web series and turned into a live show that sold out at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Miller also made history by being the first stand-up comedian selected by the National Parks Arts Foundation to be an artist-in-residence at a national park. He served in February at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.

Show time is 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $20. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit crawlspacecomedy.com. or to purchase tickets, visit kazoocivic.com.

POETRY ENCORE

The Carpenters

We were leaving Home Depot and heard conflicting noises: the rumbleroar of a motorcycle revving and belching and the loud but soft tones of Karen Carpenter singing We’ve only just begun, clear enough for us to hear.

The rider pulled his machine near our car and shut it down but the music kept coming from his strutting two-wheeler –White lace and promises, a kiss for luck and we’re on our way…

He listened to the whole song before getting off his megabike. He adjusted his leather vest, swatted a fly from his tattooed arm and walked past our car. I gave him a thumbs-up and said, She's still my favorite. He said, Mine, too, and went shopping.

— Elaine M. Seaman

Seaman is the author of the 2019 chapbook My Mother Sewed Dresses for Five. She lives in Texas Township.

PERFORMING ARTS THEATER

Plays

Clue — In this play adapted from the classic board game, six eccentric dinner guests are embroiled in a game of whodunit, 8 p.m. Sept. 7–9, 5 p.m. Sept. 9 & 10, Barn Theatre, 13351 West M-96, Augusta, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org.

TheGift — A woman’s extraordinary ability to see the future brings an emotional and captivating journey to protect her daughter, 8 p.m. Sept. 14–16, 5 p.m. Sept. 16 & 17, Barn Theatre, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org.

Big Fish — Edward Bloom tells larger-than-life tales that his son is determined to find out the truth behind, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15–16, 22–23, 29–30; 2 p.m. Sept. 17, 24 & Oct. 1, Civic Theatre, 329 S. Park St., 343-1313, kazoocivic.com.

Musicals

Nunsense — Comedy, dancing and music as the Little Sisters of Hoboken stage a show to raise money to bury a deceased Sister accidentally poisoned by the cook, 8 p.m. Aug. 29–Sept. 2, 5 p.m. Sept. 3, Barn Theatre, 7314121, barntheatreschool.org.

Working:TheMusical — Behind every job there is a person with a story to tell, and this production includes stories about people living and working in Kalamazoo, Sept. 21–Oct. 8, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, 343–2727, farmersalleytheatre.com.

MUSIC

Bands & Solo Artists

Grace Theisen — Americana blues artist performs during Lunchtime Live!, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Sept. 1, Bronson Park, kalamazooarts.org/ summertime-live.

Out of Favor Boys — Americana/blues group performs, 7:30–9 p.m. Sept. 1, Haymarket Plaza, 139 N. Edwards St., kalamazooarts.org/ summertime-live.

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Concerts — Andrew Rathbun, Sept. 1; Major Murphy, Crooked Spires & Phabies, Sept. 7; Emily Nenni w/Rachel Brooke, Sept. 9; PUP w/Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Sept. 12; Quasi w/Ava Mendoza, Sept. 14; The Bright Light Social Hour w/Choses Sauvages, Sept. 15; The Krelboynes w/Charles the Osprey & Glass God, Sept. 16; Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, Sept. 22; The Waco Brothers w/The Bright Shiners, Sept. 23; The Gibson Brothers, Sept. 29; all shows begin at 8 p.m., 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

Cruise-In Concerts — 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners: The Skeletones, Sept. 6; His Boy Elroy, Sept. 13; Rockslide, Sept. 20; Chris Karl, Sept. 27, kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.

REO Speedwagon — Rock band, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, wingseventcenter.com.

Koe Wetzel — Punk-rock band, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8, Wings Event Center, wingseventcenter.com.

The Family Tradition Band — 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14, Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road, portagemi.gov/calendar; bring a blanket or chair.

Delilah DeWylde & The Lost Boys — Live concert Sept. 15 outside the State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St.; seating starts at 5 p.m., music at 5:30 p.m., kazoostate.com.

Friday at the Flats — Live music and food trucks, 4:30–8:30 p.m. Sept. 22, Celery Flats Pavilion, 7335 Garden Lane, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors — Americana band, 7 p.m. Sept. 24, State Theatre, kazoostate. com.

St. Paul & The Broken Bones — Alabama-based soul band , 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.

Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More Selkie – Celtic trio playing traditional and original music, 2 p.m. Sept. 10, part of free monthly series 2nd Sundays Live! at Parchment Community Library, 401 S. Riverview Drive, 3437747, parchmentlibrary.org.

Janice Carissa — 2022 Gilmore Rising Star, 4 p.m. Sept. 10, Wellspring Theatre, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, 342-1166, thegilmore. org.

UnforgettableMusicfromtheGreatAmerican Songbook — Classic songs and jazz standards from the early 20th century, 7 p.m. Sept. 16, Ladies Library Auditorium, 333 S. Park St., followed by complimentary dessert reception; tickets at door or in advance by sending email to ladieslibraryeventschair@gmail.com.

Crescendo Fiddlers — Performance during Portage Fall Fest, 10 a.m.–noon Sept. 17, Celery Flats, 7328 Garden Lane, Portage, 345-6664, crescendoacademy.com.

A Night on Swan Lake — Pianist Awadagin Pratt performs with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23, Miller Auditorium, WMU, kalamazoosymphony.com.

COMEDY

Ben Miller: Stand-Up Science — New Yorkbased scientist turned stand-up comedian, 7:30–9 p.m. Sept. 23, Crawlspace Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave., crawlspacecomedy.com.

VISUAL ARTS

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

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

Exhibitions

Sugoi! 200 Years of Japanese Art — Celebrating the artists and art practices of East Asia, through Sept. 3.

Arty's Perspectives — Visitors look for clues in works that portray time of day, weather and seasons, through Sept. 10.

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

A Bridge Between Two Worlds: Works by Wu Jian’an — First major U.S. exhibition by this contemporary Chinese artist, who works in cut paper, painting and sculpture, Sept. 16-Dec. 31.

C.C. Wang: Lines of Abstraction — An exhibition focusing on the late artist’s synthesis of Chinese ink painting and American postwar abstraction, Sept. 16-Dec. 31.

Celebrate — Images of joyful events and environments, Sept. 23–Jan. 14, 2024.

Events

ARTbreak — Program about art, artists and exhibitions: Art and Social Justice, talk by Emily Williams, Sept. 5; The Photography of Gordon Parks, Renaissance Man, presented by KIA docent Sam Grossman, Sept. 12; Explorations in Print with printmaker Trevor Grabill; these inperson and online sessions begin at noon.

LEGO to the KIA — Join Bricks and Minifigs Kalamazoo for a day of art and building, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Sept. 8.

Book Discussion: The Trackers — Discussion of the book by Charles Frazier, 2 p.m. Sept. 20.

ARTful Evening: ExploringPopularCulturein Japan — Presentation by Brian White, assistant professor of Japanese at Kalamazoo College, 6–8 p.m. Sept. 21, online and in-person.

Unreeled: Anime at the KIA — A screening of Mamoru Hosada’s critically acclaimed film Mirai, with popcorn and beverages served, 6–8 p.m. Sept. 23; ticket required.

Other Venues

Photosynthesis II — A 17-participant exhibition curated by Ninth Wave Studio, through Nov. 18, Albertine Monroe-Brown Gallery, Richmond Center for Visual Arts, Western Michigan University, 387-2436, wmich.edu/art.

Art Hop — Visual art, improvisation, music, slam poetry and dance with the theme “Storytelling and Identity,” 5–8 p.m. Sept. 1, downtown Kalamazoo, 342-5059, kalamazooarts.org.

Mary Whalen and Colleen Woolpert — Photography and interdisciplinary artwork, Sept. 1–29, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, kalbookarts.org.

Portage Community Art Award — An array of works from this year’s winning Portage artist, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday, Sept. 8–Oct. 30, Portage City Hall Atrium, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi.gov/calendar.

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS

Comstock Township Library 6130 King Highway, 345-0136, comstocklibrary.org

Writing with Wilma — Reminiscence writing led by Wilma Kahn, 10–11 a.m. Tuesdays Sept. 19–Oct. 24; registration required.

Euchre Night — Grab a partner and come to play, with light refreshments, 5:30–7 p.m. Sept. 20; registration required.

Adult Book Club — Discussion of Alice Feeney’s Rock Paper Scissors, 6–7 p.m. Sept. 28; registration required.

Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov

KPL Tech Days — Personal session to learn technology & the internet, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Sept. 2, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25 & 30, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.; sessions are first-come, first-served.

First Saturday of the Month — Visit with community organizations, create crafts, do fun activities and more, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Sept. 2, Alma Powell Branch, 1000 W. Paterson St. KPL Mobile Library —11 a.m.–noon Sept. 6, Ecumenical Senior Center, 702 N. Burdick St.; 4–5:30 p.m. Sept. 19, Park Street Market, 512 N. Park St.; 5–7 p.m. Sept. 20, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, 420 E. Alcott St., as part of Family Literacy Day, with multi-generational activities; 3–4 p.m. Sept. 26, Maple Grove Village, 735 Summit Ave.

Author Talk: Lidia Bastianich — An online talk by the author of Life, Love, Family and Food, 7–8 p.m. Sept. 7, kpl.gov/live; registration required.

Author Talk: Adam Alter — An online talk by the author of How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most, 2–3 p.m. Sept. 20, kpl.gov/live; registration required.

Telling a Community’s Story — Encore owner and editor Marie Lee will discuss the magazine’s 50-year history in documenting the community’s story and its future in the digital age, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Sept. 27.

Author Talk: Amor Towles — An online talk by the author of three international best sellers, including The Lincoln Highway, 8–9 p.m. Sept. 27, kpl.gov/live; registration required.

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

Parchment Book Group – Discussion of Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half, 6 p.m. Sept. 11.

Warm-Up Eclipse: October’s Ring of Fire – Kalamazoo Astronomical Society President Richard Bell on why annular eclipses occur and how to view the Oct. 14 eclipse safely in Southwest Michigan, 6:30 p.m. Sept 13.

Mystery Book Club: Agatha Christie Series –

Discussion of A Deadly Affair, 6:30 p.m. Sept 19.

Eclipse Craft Party – Make indirect viewers and cases for eclipse glasses and learn how to observe the sun safely, 10 a.m. Sept 23.

Kalamazoo County ID Mobile Unit – Get a Kalamazoo County ID or find out more information, 1:30–4:30 p.m. Sept. 25.

They All Grow Up: Parenting Adult Children

With Special Needs – Author visit by Cindy Semark, 6:30 p.m. Sept 25.

Portage District Library

300 Library Lane, 329-4544, portagelibrary.info

Muffins and the Market — Librarian Warren Fritz discusses market trends and resources, 9 a.m. Sept. 7 & 21.

Documentary and Donuts — Watch Elephant Whisperer and take home locally made donuts, 10 a.m. Sept. 8.

An Afternoon With the Arts — Reception featuring artist Patrick Thomas and the Paw Paw Community Chorus, 2–4 p.m. Sept. 10.

The Importance of Music in Film — Librarian Ruth Cowles will discuss how different music can change the meaning of a scene, 7 p.m. Sept. 12.

International Mystery Book Discussion — Discussion of Ernest Cunningham’s Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, 7 p.m. Sept. 14.

Kalamazoo Macintosh Users Group — Get help with Macintosh programs and accessories, 9 a.m.–noon Sept. 16.

Saturday Sound Immersion — Wind Willow Consortium members play instruments for relaxation and a well-being experience, 10 a.m. Sept. 16; registration required.

Plots and Pages: A Local Writers Group — Author Mark Love discusses the craft of writing, 6–8 p.m. Sept.19.

Sustainability: Next Steps — The BeeJoyful Shop owner Jessica Thompson shares her journey to sustainability, 7–8 p.m. Sept. 19; registration required.

Cookies and Conversation: Heartwarming Reads Book Club — Discussion of Tom Hanks’ The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece, 2 p.m. Sept. 20.

Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones: Healthy Soils Lead to Healthier Food and Environment — A monthly program discussing and promoting environmentally friendly landscaping, 7 p.m. Sept. 27.

Is an Electric Car Right for Me? — Electric vehicle owner Steve Grieve discusses his research on the evolving technology and marketplace of electric vehicles, 7 p.m. Sept. 28.

Richland Community Library

8951 Park St., 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org

Bridge Club — Noon Tuesdays.

Adult Art Club — 6 p.m. Sept. 5 & 6; registration required.

Richland Area Writer’s Group — 10 a.m.–noon Sept. 9.

RCL Film Club — Discussion of The Mole Agent, 6 p.m. Sept. 13.

Richland Genealogy Group — Roundtable discussion group open to new members, 10 a.m.–noon Sept. 21, in person and via Zoom.

Team Trivia at the Library — Put together a team of two to five to compete with other teams, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27; registration required.

Adult Dungeons and Dragons Level 1 Session — Play a live game with other adults, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Sept. 30; registration required.

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

Dungeons & Dragons for Adults — Play D&D 5th edition, 5:30–8 p.m. Sept. 6 & 20.

Book Club for Adults — 9:30–10:30 a.m. Sept. 7.

Writers’ Motivational Group — Report progress, set goals, share resources and advice and brainstorm projects, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Sept. 13. Speculative Fiction Book Club — Read and discuss a sci-fi/fantasy/horror novel, 4:30–5:30 p.m. Sept. 21.

Wisdom From Your Neighbors — Adults give short presentations on their areas of interest and expertise, 1–3 p.m. Sept. 23; registration required for speakers.

Movie Club for Adults — Watch Cyrano, 1–3:30 p.m. Sept. 25.

Adult Comedy Movie Club — Watch Love and Monsters, 4–6 p.m. Sept. 27.

Other Venues

Poets in Print — Scott Bade and Dustin Pearson, 7 p.m. Sept. 23, Kalamazoo Book Arts, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, kalbookarts.org.

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 Sept. 20.

Ultimate Truck Show — Open to all types and years of trucks, pickups, utility vehicles and semis, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 9.

Track Day — Bring your car and run it on a track with others, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 13, Gingerman Raceway, South Haven; registration required.

Ford Model A Days — A celebration of the historic Model A, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 15–16.

Movie Night: Ford vs. Ferrari — Free movie event celebrating the last Wednesday Night

Cruise-In, 7:30–9 p.m. Sept. 20; bring a chair or blanket.

Cadillac Fall Festival — A celebration of Cadillacs from 1903–present, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 22–23.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum

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

Exhibitions

Explore Your World! — Undertake a quest across land, sea and space to explore the role of mapping and navigation in everyday life, through Oct. 15.

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

SPLAT! The Buzz About Flyswatters — Iza van Riemsdijk’s collection of 3,300-plus fly swatters, through Jan. 2024.

Events

Rain Garden Tour Showcasing rain gardens, storm sewers and native plants, 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. Sept. 2.

NATURE

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

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society General Meeting and Speaker — Richard Bell will speak on “The Two Great American Eclipses,” 7–9:10 p.m. Sept. 8, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., and online, kasonline.org.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Public Observing Session Jupiter, Saturn & Summer Clusters, 8 p.m.–midnight Sept. 9; The Moon, Jupiter & Saturn, 8 p.m.–midnight Sept. 23; both at Kalamazoo Nature Center, kasonline.org.

Ranger Hike: Monarch Waystation — A hike to learn about the life cycle of monarch butterflies, 2:30 p.m. Sept. 10, beginning at the Hayloft Theatre, in the Celery Flats Historical Area, and ending at the Monarch Waystation by Portage District Library, portagemi.gov/calendar; registration required.

Birds and Coffee Chat Online — Learn about fruit-bearing trees for birds, 10 a.m. Sept. 13, Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, 671-2510, birdsanctuary@kbs.msu. edu, registration required.

Creative Wilderness: Artists & Authors — Meet area author Tom Springer, 1–3 p.m. Sept. 14, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 381-1574, naturecenter.org.

Social Hike at Wau-Ke-Na Preserve — A family- and dog-friendly hike led by a volunteer, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 21, starting at 1599 Lakeshore Drive, Fennville, swmlc.org.

MISCELLANEOUS

Vicksburg Farmers Market — 2–6 p.m. Fridays, through Sept. 29, 300 N. Richardson St., Vicksburg, vicksburgfarmersmarket.com.

Kalamazoo Farmers Market — 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturdays, through October; Night Market, 5–10 p.m. Sept. 15; 1204 Bank St., pfcmarkets.com.

Outdoor Craft Market — Over 150 booths plus music and food trucks, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 2, Kalamazoo County Expo Center West Lawn, 2900 Lake St., 903-5820.

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

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

Dog Days of Summer at Bell’s — Dog-friendly day at Bell’s Beer Garden supporting the Animal Rescue Project, with puppy kissing booth, dog treats and special menu, 3–10 p.m. Sept. 6, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com; dogs must use special entrance.

Historic Walks — Walks discussing local history and architecture: South Street/Bronson Park, begins at Gazelle Sports, 214 S. Kalamazoo Mall, 8–9:30 a.m. Sept. 8; Westnedge Hill Neighborhood, begins at South Westnedge and Inkster, 8–9:30 a.m. Sept. 22, gazellesports.com/ pages/kalamazoo-historic-walks.

NSRA Street Rod Nationals North — More than 1,800 street rods, muscle cars, custom cars, trucks and specialty vehicles, all 30 years and older, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Sept. 8 & 9, 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Sept. 10, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, nsra-usa.com.

Peacock Strut Walk/Run — A 10K and 5K walk with proceeds supporting the Portage Community Center, 7 a.m. Sept. 9, starting at the Grain Elevator, Celery Flats Historical Area, 7336 Garden Lane, Portage, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Scottish Festival and Highland Games — A celebration of Scottish history and culture with Highland games, clans, food exhibits, music and dancing, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 9, Kindleberger Park, 122 N. Riverview Drive, Parchment; for a schedule of events, visit kalamazooscottishfest. org/2023.

Youth & Teen Entrepreneur Fair — Youth under the age of 18 showcase their businesses, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Sept. 9, Mayors’ Riverfront Park,

Community Room, 251 Mills St., kzooparks.org/ events.

Vintage in the Zoo — Outdoor vintage market & handmade goods with live music, noon–7 p.m. Sept. 9, KVCC’s Anna Whitten Hall, 202 N. Rose St., vintageinthezoo.com.

Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and other exotic pets, plus supplies & food, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Sept. 16, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, kalamazooreptileexpo.com.

Fall Bike Celebration Bike Tour — Begins and ends in Vicksburg’s historic village, with several routes to choose from, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Sept. 17, Vicksburg, fallbikecelebration.org.

Fall Festival — Horse-drawn hayrides from City Hall to Celery Flats Historical Area, plus all historical buildings open with crafts, craft demonstrations, cooking demonstrations and petting zoo, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Sept. 17, Celery Flats, 7335 Garden Lane, Portage, portagemi.gov/ calendar.

Kalamazoo Music Instrument Swap — Buy, sell, network and share, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 17, South Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 517-410-6409.

Portage Craft Market — Local artisans, 4:30–7 p.m. Sept. 22, Celery Flats Historical Area, portagemi.gov/calendar.

A Walking Tour of Downtown Kalamazoo Breweries — Noon–4:15 p.m. Sept. 23, begins at Shakespeare’s Pub, 241 E. Kalamazoo Ave., westmibeertours.com; registration is required.

Brillosa Celebration 2023 — Third annual Latinx Celebration, with special tapping of Brillosa beer, live music and food, 2–6 p.m. Sept. 24, Bell’s Eccentric Café & Beer Garden, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

Fall Stamp & Cover Show — Stamp show with buying and selling of covers, postcards and supplies, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sept. 29 & 30, North Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 375-6188. Fall Craft Show — 150 booths with decor, clothing, jewelry and handmade crafts, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Sept. 30, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 903–5820, kalcounty.com/newsandevents.

Joy Morris-Burton (continued from page 38) for the feeling of community and belonging this space provides and look forward to continuing sharing the experience."

Where did the business name Move with Joy come from?

I had been teaching dance, yoga and Pilates at various locations throughout East and West Michigan for 20 years as an independent contractor for gyms, dance studios and community programs. In 2020, during the pandemic, I began teaching online and outdoors. My husband noticed the need for a formal logo and website and created them for me. The name has the double meaning of moving our bodies and moving through life with joy.

When did you become a dancer?

I’ve been dancing since I could walk. My mom started taking me to ballet lessons at Weaver Dance School, in the Vine neighborhood, when I was 5. The studio was always a welcoming, accepting environment and my first experience of feeling really at home. The business closed when I was 16. Some parents of the younger dance students approached me about continuing their lessons. I also worked at restaurants, movie theaters, coffee shops and whatever part-time jobs I could get to pay for ballet classes at Kalamazoo College.

I became certified in yoga and Pilates in 2008 and graduated with a bachelor-of-science degree in dance performance on a scholarship at Eastern Michigan University in 2012, which is when I returned to Kalamazoo and resumed teaching locally.

What are the classes like that you offer?

All classes — ballet, yoga and Pilates — are drop-in, though many students attend on a regular basis. Beginning Ballet starts at ages 4 to 6, which is the range children are most ready to learn. I occasionally make exceptions for younger children that show an interest. Youth and adults, even those into their 70s and beyond, of all abilities are welcome. We accommodate those with mobility limitations and make it work for every individual. Many older adults are surprised at what they can do.

Although I was classically trained in dance, I prefer to teach lyrical and contemporary ballet, as they allow for “organic” expression and the telling of personal stories relevant to the dancer. We accept students at every experience level. Beginners and advanced dancers are often in the same class. We learn from each other and don’t have to compete or conform. Move with Joy is an intentional movement space that allows for healing through self-discovery and expression. How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your dance studio/ school plans?

We were stuck in our homes, so in a way dance was taken from us. You can dance alone, but it’s not the same. When we are together in a deep way — and by that I mean moving together, breathing together collectively — community is created. Moving together keeps us grounded and centered and reinforces that we are all connected.

Within the first week of the pandemic, I posted a Pilates video online and was asked to keep making them, so I started posting daily. There was no charge. And then people started sending donations to support me. They said the videos helped them through the isolation of quarantine. So many people were hurting. The videos became a way to cope with this new situation, with this new way the world was.

When indoor classes started back up, I resumed teaching at gyms and other locations. Demand was high. The need to have a home for all the classes I was offering became apparent. My husband was expanding his freelance artist work, and we realized with our own space we could build a home for both our dreams. We started looking for space to rent. During this time, The Creamery, an affordable housing apartment complex in the Edison neighborhood, was being constructed with a commercial unit. We moved in in January 2022. The space doubles as a gallery to display Aerick’s art and (works by) other artists. We host arts-related events here too.

— Interview by Donna McClurkan, edited for length and clarity

Please send your questions to:

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

Please send your questions to:

Willis Law

Please send your questions to: Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. Willis Law 491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007

ASK LAWYER

Q. What is a Ladybird deed?

Q. My husband is going into a nursing home. I’ve been told it is possible for me to create a trust and protect my assets from the spend down at the nursing home. Is that true?

491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Please send your questions to: Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. Willis Law 491 West

MICHAEL

Please send your questions to:

269.492.1040

Michael

269.492.1040

www.willis.law

Willis Law 491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269.492.1040 www.willis.law

A. Yes. Most often when folks talk on trust planning, they are referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more than 99% of the time. A revocable trust under Michigan law generally is set up only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there is an irrevocable trust for persons in your circumstances that can be established with your assets to the extent they exceed the protected amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000).

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

ASK LAWYER

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

Please send your questions to:

Please send your questions to:

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

Q. What does it mean when a married couple holds property as tenancy by the entirety?

Q. My husband is going into a nursing home. I’ve been told it is possible for me to create a trust and protect my assets from the spend down at the nursing home. Is that true?

Q. My husband is going into a nursing home. I’ve been told it is possible for me to create a trust and protect my assets from the spend down at the nursing home. Is that true?

491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269.492.1040 www.willis.law

If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an annuity income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in such a circumstance the trust will no longer be considered a countable asset, but instead an income stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid purposes. This is a sophisticated planning technique, and highly encourage you to seek counsel before implementing this technique or any other Medicaid planning.

J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. Willis Law 491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269.492.1040 www.willis.law

Michael

ASK LAWYER

A tenancy by the entirety is a form of ownership where a married couple, together, own undivided interest in a property. When the coowners are married, tenancy by the entirety is presumed, and does not necessarily need to be mentioned specifically in the deed or conveyance. The married persons each have a survivorship right, which means that the surviving co-owner automatically owns the entire property when their spouse passes, without the asset passing through probate.

THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

Q. My husband is going into a nursing home. I’ve been told it is possible for me to create a trust and protect my assets from the spend down at the nursing home. Is that true?

A. In Michigan, a Ladybird deed allows a Grantor to transfer his orher real property upon death to a named beneficiary, the Grantee, while avoiding the probate process. The Ladybird deed is appealing because the Grantor will typically retain the right to sell or mortgage the property, or convey the property to another third party at any time, thereby not losing control. Further, the property receives a full “step up” for capital gains tax purposes on the death of the Grantor (this is not available without the reserved life estate or additional powers). The Grantor’s interest is called an enhanced life estate, and the Grantee’s interest is a remainder interest (subject to divestment).

A. Yes. Most often when folks talk on trust planning, they are referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more than 99% of the time. A revocable trust under Michigan law generally is set up only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there is an irrevocable trust for persons in your circumstances that can be established with your assets to the extent they exceed the protected amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000).

Q. My husband is going into a nursing home. I’ve been told it is possible for me to create a trust and protect my assets from the spend down at the nursing home. Is that true?

Q. Am I able to complete my estate plan, or update my estate plan, during the state isolation order? I need to update my Will and my Trust.

trust under Michigan law generally is set up only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there is an irrevocable trust for persons in your circumstances that can be established with your assets to the extent they exceed the protected amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000). If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an annuity income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in such a circumstance the trust will no longer be considered a countable asset, but instead an income stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid purposes. This is a sophisticated planning technique, and I highly encourage you to seek counsel before implementing this technique or any other Medicaid planning.

Neither husband nor wife may sell or transfer their interest in the property without the other’s consent. Further, the creditors of one spouse may not attach to the property and force its sale to recover debts unless both spouses consent to the transaction or are liable to the creditor.

A. Yes. Most often when folks talk on trust planning, they are referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more than 99% of the time. A revocable trust under Michigan law generally is set up only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there is an irrevocable trust for persons in your circumstances that can be established with your assets to the extent they exceed the protected amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000). If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an annuity income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in such a circumstance the trust will no longer be considered a countable asset, but instead an income stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid purposes. This is a sophisticated planning technique, and highly encourage you to seek counsel before implementing this technique or any other Medicaid planning.

Of interest, it is generally believed that a form of the Ladybird deed was used by President Lyndon Johnson to transfer property to his wife, “Lady Bird” Johnson, hence the name of the deed today.

9471992-01

If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an annuity income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in such a circumstance the trust will no longer be considered a countable asset, but instead an income stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid purposes. This is a sophisticated planning technique, and highly encourage you to seek counsel before implementing this technique or any other Medicaid planning.

Yes. Most often when folks talk on trust planning, they are referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more than 99% of the time. A revocable trust under Michigan law generally is set up only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there is an irrevocable trust for persons in your circumstances that can be established with your assets to the extent they exceed the protected amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000).

A. Yes. Most often when folks talk on trust planning, they are referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more than 99% of the time. A revocable trust under Michigan law generally is set up only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there is an irrevocable trust for persons in your circumstances that can be established with your assets to the extent they exceed the protected amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000). If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an annuity income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in such a circumstance the trust will no longer be considered a countable asset, but instead an income stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid purposes. This is a sophisticated planning technique, and highly encourage you to seek counsel before implementing this technique or any other Medicaid planning.

A tenancy by the entirety may only be dissolved through death, mutual consent or divorce.

9471992-01

If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an annuity income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in such a circumstance the trust will no longer be considered a countable

Joy Morris-Burton

Owner, Move with Joy

"Dance is Life." These words are stenciled above a window in Joy Morris-Burton's dance studio in The Creamery, in Kalamazoo's Edison neighborhood.

"Dance and life have many parallels: Sometimes we fall, but we get back up and keep going," says the 38-year-old, who opened the studio Move with Joy with her husband, Aerick Burton, in 2022. "Dance has helped me push through and survive many traumas, and I know it has helped many others as well. Having the movement to come back to every day, learning to breathe when things get challenging, listening to our body’s intuition and our heart creates a discipline that is truly a mind/body/spirit experience."

Morris-Burton, a Kalamazoo native, has been teaching since 2002 and offers dance, yoga and Pilates for people of all ages and experience levels at the studio, located at 1103 Portage St. Her location doubles as an art studio and gallery for her husband, who is one of the founders of the local breakdance group Kalamacrew and works as a graphic designer and artist in various media.

"I am grateful for everyone who has been a support to us by attending a class and community members that visit to explore the art on our studio walls," says Morris-Burton. "I’m beyond grateful

(continued on page 37)

Brian Powers

RISING STARS SERIES

Performances are Sundays at 4 pm at the Wellspring Theater, Kalamazoo.

Juan Patino