DR. CROOM CARES FOR PETS ON THEIR TURF ~ PAGE 10
Expert Advice Transitions Do you have any tips for move-in day at an assisted living community?
Q:
Diana Duncan
Roofing
Health Food
Q: Should we be
Q: When is your
concerned about the amount of snow and ice accumulating on our roof? A: Since the first week of Janu-
annual NOW® Vitamin & Supplement Sale going to be this year?
A: Sawall’s annual
Friendship Village
Justin Reynolds ary, our total amount of snowfall Manager has been significant. Since the weight of snow and ice is substantial, we recommend removing as much of the snow and ice as possible. However, safety should be your foremost concern. Emergency room personnel can tell you many stories of unfortunate homeowners injured while climbing a ladder or getting onto their roofs to remove snow and ice. Therefore, we recommend purchasing a ‘snow rake’, a long handled shoveling device, designed to pull snow and ice off the roof while you stand safely on the ground. Please be aware, however, since a snow rake is made from aluminum, you must kept it away from any electrical power lines on your roof.
Woodside Assisted Living and Memory Care
Sherriff-Goslin Roofing Co.
1400 North Drake, Kalamazoo (269) 381-0515 www.friendshipvillagemi.com
Since 1906 342-0153 800-950-1906 Member Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo
Oakwood Plaza • 2965 Oakland Dr. at Whites Rd. • 343-3619 • www.sawallhf.com
Insurance
Pharmacy
Funeral Services
Director of Sales and Marketing
A: Set up necessary
spaces first, such as comfortable seating for sorting as well as the bedroom and bathroom. Pack and overnight bag with enough supplies for 2-3 days, including medication. Plan for meals and take breaks when needed. Seek the support of experienced staff members.
Q: I moved to an Advantage plan during the Annual Enrollment period after being on a traditional Medicare Supplement Charley Endres plan for years. I am a high user of health care and the copays are killing me. Can I get back to my traditional Medicare Supplement Plan? A: During January, February and March of each year Medicare allows those who are on Advantage Plans to modify their coverage. Call me at 269-323-7888 to discuss your options. Charley Endres, CIPA
Endres Insurance Agency 2004 W. Milham Ave., Portage • 269-323-7888
charley@endresins.com
Mark Sawall
25% off NOW® Supplements SALE runs for the entire month of February. Save on all your Favorite NOW® Supplements including: Vitamins, Herbs, Essential Oils, Flax Oils & Acidophilus (NOW® food products not included). Sawall’s also carries the largest selection of vitamins supplements & herbs in Michigan, with healthy choices in every aisle. STOCK UP NOW®! Mon-Sat. 8am-8pm, Sun. 10am-5pm
Owner
Sawall Health Foods
Q: What can you
tell me about the COVID Test you are offering? Arun Tandon, R.Ph A: We are offering a PCR - Co-
vid test (Nasal Swab taken to a lab) Which has been approved under Emergency Authorized Use. You can call the pharmacy for an appointment or walk in for the test. The lab will bill your insurance and currently there is no out of pocket expense. The uninsured people can still get the test and that is billed to the government. The test itself takes less than 5 minutes and the results are available within 24 to 72 hours. To help the community and the businesses, the employers can contact us and we can come to your place of work and do this testing for all the interested employees. You don’t need any prescription. Fast, reliable and easy test for your peace of mind. Please call us at 269-324-1100 if you have any questions or need to make an appointment.
Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-1
Advanced Health Pharmacy 7916 Oakland Dr at Centre St 269 324-1100 • FREE DELIVERY advancedhealthpharmacymi.com
K. Lynn McFarlen Community Outreach Director
Q: I want to talk about planning my funeral ahead of time. How do I handle that now with COVID? Do I have options? A: In the era of COVID,
Langelands has developed a way to meet with families without physical contact. With the use of the telephone, email, and virtual learning we can get families all the information they need using modern methods of communication. If you aren’t comfortable with a computer, or simply like meeting face to face, we still meet in person with the appropriate steps taken for social distancing. Call us and let us know what works best for you and we’ll be happy to help you help your family.
Langeland Family Funeral Homes “Quiet dignity with compassion” has meant so much for many people... for many years.
6 locations to serve you 269-343-1508 • www.langelands.com
FEBRUARY 2021
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Early every year, I jot down a list of things to do and accomplish. With all that we have been through in 2020, my perspective on what is important has changed and this year’s list is quite different than previous years.
Here is Ben Franklin’s “List of Virtues.”
My thoughts now lean more towards day-to-day ways of dealing with challenges, getting along with others and just enjoying each day.
3. Order. Let all your things have
In thinking about all of this, I found an old column I wrote, highlighting a list written almost 300 years ago that is just as relevant today as it was then. This is Ben Franklin’s list of 13 virtues that he first put down on paper in 1726 at the age of 20. These virtues were used by Franklin to develop what he called “moral perfection.” Franklin did not work on them all at once. He placed each of the virtues on a separate page in a little book he carried with him for more than 50 years. Each day he evaluated his performance with regard to each of them. Each week he selected one of the virtues as a point of special focus, concentrating his attention on the select trait for seven days. While Franklin did not live completely by his virtues, and by his own admission, he fell short of them many times; he believed the attempt made him a better man contributing greatly to his success and happiness.
1. Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. 2. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself;
avoid trifling conversation.
FROM THE
their places; let each part of your business have its time. 4. Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. 5. Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing. 6. Industry. Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. 7. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. 8. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. 9. Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. 10. Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation. 11. Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. 12. Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. 13. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
EDITOR ON THE COVER:
Dr. Turnera Croom. Sincerely, Steve Ellis, SPARK Publisher steve@swmspark.com
Photo provided.
To advertise in upcoming SPARK publications, contact: Steve Ellis, 269.720.8157, steve@swmspark.com
INDEX
Editor and Publisher: Steve Ellis Graphic & Page Development: CRE8 Design, Kalamazoo Content/Photography: Lauren Ellis
FEBRUARY 2021
Lee Dean: Heroes who took their final bow ........... 4
History: Schuyler Colfax Baldwin .................................13
Recipe: Salted Caramel Craze! ................................... 6
Spark Book Reviews .......................................................14
Healthy Living: At the Heart of It................................... 7
The Root Spring Scraper Company ..........................15
Nature: Fewer Birds at your Feeders? ......................... 8
Sage Advice....................................................................16
Business Profile: The DoughChicks ............................... 9
Looking Back - Sheldon’s Service Garage ..............17
Cover Story: Dr. Turnera Croom ..................................10
Tales from the Road: Taste of the Town....................18
Volunteer: Larry Hagg ..................................................12
Spark Movie Reviews.....................................................19
All current and past issues can be read at swmspark.com
Writers and Contributors Include: Area Agency on Aging, Steve Ellis, Lee Dean, Laura Kurella, Richard Martinovich Dave Person, Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo Public Library, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Portage Public Library, Senior Services of Southwest Michigan, YMCA SPARK accepts advertising to defray the cost of production and distribution, and appreciates the support of its advertisers. The publication does not specifically endorse advertisers or their products or services. Spark is a publication of Ellis Strategies, LLC. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from the publisher.
Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/swmspark
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These heroes took their final bow in 2020 Lee A. Dean screendoor@sbcglobal.net So many illustrious figures left us in 2020 that I nearly asked the publisher to allot two pages for this column, in the belief that the normal 800 words would not suffice. Instead, I decided to stick to the theme of heroes, in one form or another, who took their final bow in the last lamented year. Four of my musical heroes played their final notes last year, including three of my remaining four giants in the musical genre known as “Americana.” (Willie Nelson is the last man standing.) I’m one of those people who like to quote song lyrics, and my most often-quoted songwriter is John Prine. His music was simple, but his use of language was genius and often complex, covering the entire emotional palette. All you need to do is listen to his first album, which contains humor, sarcasm, tenderness, and the saddest song I’ve ever heard, “Sam Stone.” Prine’s State Theater appearances turned into giant sing-a-longs – we all knew the words by heart. Billy Joe Shaver wrote my theme song,
“I’m Just An Old Chunk of Coal.” He and I share a devotion to Jesus. The difference is that his was quite unorthodox in method, expressing itself through the medium of outlaw country music. If you put me in charge of church music, we’d be singing “Everybody’s Brother” and “You Can’t Beat Jesus Christ” along with the timeless hymns of the faith. Jerry Jeff Walker was born in upstate New York, but he moved to Texas and became my on-ramp to the glories of Lone Star State music. Everybody knows his classic “Mr. Bojangles,” but he wrote and covered many other peculiarly Texan treasures and gave me another lyric that I hold in reserve when needed: “I’m not strange. I’m just like you.” My fourth hero came from north of the border. I wanted to play drums in the elementary school band. My mother, not wishing to be subject to any more unpleasant noises, vetoed my request and thus dashed any meager chance I had to grow up and be like Neil Peart. He helped Rush, a three-piece band, sound like 30 musicians. He also wrote the band’s intelligent and challenging lyrics. In sports, baseball took a particularly hard hit in 2020. You could field the guts of an unbeatable squad with the players who died last year. The starting rotation
would be Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Don Larsen and Phil Niekro. Lindy McDaniel and Ron Perranoski would be the set-up man and closer. These position players would look great in your team’s uniform: Dick Allen at first base, Joe Morgan at second, Tony Fernandez at shortstop and outfielders such as Lou Brock and the “Toy Cannon,” Jimmy Wynn. That leaves one outfield spot for my favorite ballplayer of all: Mr. Tiger, #6, Al Kaline. He never played a second in the minor leagues, was a consistent .300 hitter with power, and owned right field at Tiger Stadium. More than anything, he was the epitome of a steady class and grace that seems to be missing from so many of today’s players. Can you imagine Al Kaline doing a bat flip after a homer, speaking disrespectfully of an opponent, or engaging in a contract holdout? Few heroes can be found among our political leaders, but we did lose one of them in 2020. John Lewis faced hatred with steely courage as a young man fighting for civil rights, suffering a broken skull at the hands of racist goons. In an era where so many politicians seem to be in it for themselves, Lewis served as a voice of conscience and a reminder that our worst times weren’t that long ago and that we still need
some work to achieve times. The curtain also came down on two actors who often portrayed heroes. There has been a long-standing cinematic debate over who was the best James Bond. To me, the answer is an easy one: Sean Connery. He was the ultimate Bond – cool, dashing, suave – and all at the proper time. My wife, the Viking Goddess, is not given to celebrity crushes. But the sight of Connery wearing a Russian admiral’s uniform in “Hunt for Red October” makes her weak in the knees. Chadwick Boseman left us all too soon, at age 43. He was a brilliant actor who is most known for his starring role in “Black Panther,” a long overdue and worthy addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But my favorite Boseman role came in “42,” when he portrayed my other alltime top baseball hero, Jackie Robinson. Our last hero doesn’t fall under any category other than “great American.” During World War II, Chuck Yeager and his P-51 fighter plane became the scourge of the Luftwaffe. In 1947, while Jackie Robinson was breaking the color bar in baseball, test pilot Yeager became the first man to break the sound barrier. He rose to the rank of brigadier general and became a symbol of American daring and fortitude.
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Salted Caramel Craze! by Laura Kurella
There is nothing quite like the flavor of salt and caramel combined. And, though our nation has been combining salty with sweet for quite some time-dipping salty pretzels in peanut butter or chocolate, or munching on salty peanuts stuck to stickysweet caramel-coated popcorn inside we find inside a Cracker Jack box, somehow we managed to never take this fabulous flavor combo any further. Fortunately, God blessed us with a French chocolatier - Henri Le Roux- who did! Pairing the salty-sweet flavors that we have long-loved about Cracker Jack, La Roux first put together his blend of ooey-gooey-sweet caramel and oh-so-earthy salt in the 1960’s. And, he did so for reasons you might not think: Simply to showcase a regional product – salted butter - as a key ingredient in his confections. Creating a high-end confection that offered up the blending of high quality salt and caramel sweet, La Roux’s confections were so good that they won the “Best Sweet in France” award by the Salon international de la confiserie of Paris in 1980. Truly a pleasure to eat, Le Roux’s salted caramel combination soon swan its way across the seas, causing it to become a part of mainstream American culture by 2008. Advancing itself from an elite culinary obsession in Europe to, unfortunately, a lower level, American mass market spree, today you’d be hard pressed not to find salted caramel flavoring in many foods, from doughnuts to coffee to popcorn, and everything in between! Sadly, its rise in popularity here in the states caused its flavor profile (quality) to decrease. Depriving many of us from ever having experienced the true flavor of LeRoux’s hand crafted, top-shelf treat. Blending only the very best of ingredients, Le Roux’s flavor pairing was so brilliant that I’m sure it made you want to sing! With a just-barely-there sprinkle of pure salt on top of a top-quality, chocolate-covered caramel sweet, I have found that the ones you take time to make at home most definitely beat anything you can buy on the street. I thank God, and Mr. Le Roux, every time I get the pleasure of biting into this marvelous, mouth-watering treat. And, I say with great conviction that everyone needs to make some of their own, so that they too can experience this remarkable flavor combo that’s tough to beat! Here now are some easy ways to bring the amazing flavor of quality salt and caramel to all the Valentines on your list. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Salted Caramel Mousse Flight Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 10 minutes; Total time:30 minutes. Yield: 4 servings 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons of water 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed 3/4 cup heavy cream
a pinch of unrefined sea salt 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped 3 large organic eggs, separated
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Place over low heat, stirring with a metal spoon until sugar dissolves into a clear syrup. Stop stirring and raise the heat to medium. Allow syrup to come to a full boil. After about 5 minutes of cooking, syrup will begin to color. Using a whisk, gently whisk caramel occasionally while allowing it to reach a dark amber color, turning heat down as it begins to caramelize. Once it reaches color, add the cubed butter, and whisk until incorporated, 1-2 minutes. Raise heat up to medium-high then slowly drizzle in cream, whisking continuously, then add in salt. Reduce heat, stop whisking, and allow the caramel to cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Pour 4 ounces of the salted caramel in a small bowl and set aside. Pour remaining caramel into a medium-sized heatproof bowl and add the chopped chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for a minute to let the chocolate melt, then whisk until smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, divide reserved (plain) caramel between 4 flight-style serving glasses. Place glasses in the fridge to cool. Once chocolate/caramel mixture has cooled to room temperature, whisk in egg yolks. In another medium-sized bowl, using a whisk, beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Gently fold one third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Once the mixture looks smooth, fold in the remaining egg whites, taking care not to knock too much air out of the mousse. Divide mousse between the 4 glasses. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least two hours, but even better the next day, so if you have the time, make it the day before you want to serve it. Just before serving, top with (unsweetened) whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
For more on this and other cooking subjects, look for Laura on Facebook at LAURA KURELLA COOKS! Contact Laura at: laurakurella@yahoo.com. Check out Laura’s cookbooks, her new children’s book and more great recipes at Laurakurella.com
FEBRUARY 2021
HEALTHY LIVING :
At the Heart of It by Vicky Kettner, Marketing and Communications Director of the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo February is American Heart Month, the time of year we give special focus to the one organ that represents the core and center of our bodies: It is the pumper of blood, the carrier of oxygen, the deliverer of hormones, the waste remover, the nutrient distributor, and pulmonary circulator. Our precious heart, which works so hard for us, beats over 100,000 times per day and pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood in the same time-frame. Holy Cupid! -- the heart is certainly deserving of a month-long focus. And of course, it stands to reason that we do so in February, the month of Valentine’s Day, when we’re encouraged to profess our affection to that one person who (you guessed it!) makes the same heart flutter, stutter, and brim with love. But what if this year, we add a component to the traditional Heart Month exercises and actually professed affection to ourselves and our core center – in that “self-care” kind of way that says “Self, I honor you. Heart, I love you. I want to care for you”? Rebecca Lillie, Association Health and Wellness Director at the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo, says self-care and self-love are key to health management. She came up with three super easy and achievable things we can be doing to give our hearts and full-selves the love and care that we deserve.
GRATITUDE JOURNAL End each day with an entry that captures the things you are thankful for. Maybe all you can do at first is to list them. Stretch yourself to elaborate, and write down why, and how these things make you feel grateful. Are you a drawer? Are you a photographer? Your journal doesn’t have to be the tradi-
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tional pen and paper. Maybe you go public with it on your social media profile? Or maybe you start a photo journal of those things that you’re grateful for? No matter what the medium, whether you sketch it, use words or collect images (think decoupage), give yourself the time, space, and creativity to put these thoughts together. You will be amazed at how inventorying these things fill your heart with contentment and appreciation.
GUIDED MEDITATION Self-care requires clearing your mind, being retrospective, and filling your mind with thoughts that bring your clarity and peace, and focus. “The most important part of meditation is the minute you decide to sit or lie down to do it,” says Rebecca. “That’s the moment you’re saying to yourself that you believe in caring for yourself. You are professing ‘self-love’.” Her first recommendation is to use an app called HeadSpace, which ultimately does require a monthly fee, but offers a one-month free trial. Start it up in February and see if it’s a good fit. Rebecca also suggests doing what she refers to as Belly Breathing. Put an orange or other likesized fruit on your tummy while lying flat on the floor. Breath in deeply. Exhale all the way. Watch the orange rise and lower itself and focus on the rhythm of your breathing. Slow the breathing down. Control it so that you are controlling the fruit. “This little exercise activates the parasympathetic nervous system – the good relaxation hormones, and combats stress,” she says. Do this at the end of the day every day in February and you’ll notice a calmer you. And her third recommendation?
BUBBLE BATH Let’s be honest: Sometimes self-care means indulging in something super luxurious. And a long soak in sudsy hot water is the epitome of self-care. (And this is not just for the ladies!) Make sure you have the right scent that makes you calm and happy. Create a mood with low lighting by using candles. Shut the door and shut out the world. It’s time for you, yourself, and no one else. Tell yourself, “Self, I care about you. These suds are for you!” Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy Heart Month. Happy Self-Love!
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Fewer Birds at your Feeders? By Richard Keith, Director, KNC’s Kalamazoo Valley Bird Observatory During its 60-year history, the Kalamazoo Nature Center (KNC) has answered wildlife inquiries from the community. Perhaps the most common naturalist question in winter is, “Where have my goldfinches gone?” From the nearly 40 years of data from our Michigan Winter Feeder Count, we know that the American Goldfinch is among the most abundant feeder species in Michigan each winter. So why are they sometimes absent, perhaps for extended periods? People also wonder if we make birds dependent on our feeders. In severe weather events like ice and deep snow, our feeders may be crucial to the survival of some individuals, but most are simply using our feeders as one of many food sources. In early winter, seeds of many plant species are abundant across the landscape, even in places we may consider barren. Flocks of goldfinch likely have older individuals who know where these food sources are. Later in winter, as natural food sources are
consumed or covered with snow, the American Goldfinch will again visit feeders in numbers. Hawks are another frequent subject of calls in winter. For most of the year, hawks do not prey on birds at your feeders; even the most common hawks, Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, do not take many birds during their breeding season, instead focusing on large insects while feeding their nestlings. In winter, those insects are not available and our feeders look very attractive to hawks. The concentration of birds at feeders is not natural and to the hawks there is something wrong with this picture. The job of hawks in winter is to take diseased, injured or otherwise weak birds out of the picture to insure the overall health of all birds. We hope you’ll continue to feed birds in winter for your enjoyment. Place some food on the ground for doves, sparrows and yes, even for the squirrels. Every species you see at your feeders will bring joy, including hawks. All of them have evolved in tandem and will continue to thrive in tandem.
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The DoughChicks By Richard Martinovich Runners who enter road races know half the fun is the refreshments available after pounding the pavement! Tables normally stocked with post-race treats were gone as most road races in 2020 went “virtual.” But after running a virtual turkey trot, tucked in a bag of goodies for pickup, was a cookie in a bright yellow wrapper called KaraComet. It was packed with healthy ingredients like Michigan honey, raisins, dark chocolate chips; a real tasty treat and a much needed energy boost! The energy cookie was created by DoughChicks of Kalamazoo, a mother-daughter duo committed to making healthy treats. Kara is the daughter of Denise Steely and together they have been baking since Kara was a child. “I love working with her!” says Denise. “We work together like best friends.” Mother and daughter are avid runners and cyclists geared towards a healthy lifestyle. Denise and Kara started by making bread and treats for friends, neighbors and teachers. Their focus was making recipes not only delicious but filled with nutritious all-natural ingredients. DoughChicks products are designed for active people: high in protein and fiber, and gluten, soy and dairy-free. “Fuel 4
Motion” is stamped on every package. The list of DoughChicks products includes Two Mittens Pancake/Waffle Mix with teff flour -- an ancient light-grain mixture with a pleasant taste – and golden flaxseeds and chia seeds. There is also a selection of “breakfast cookies” to get your day started right! Midnight Crunch is a dark chocolate gluten and dairy-free granola with organic chia seeds and organic flaxseed meal! Crunchy Brittle with cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and organic coconut sugar is a great snack any time of day. DoughChicks products are available at a number of food co-ops and health food stores in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek and in Bronson Hospital cafés. They can also be ordered from their website: https://doughchicks.com/
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A DOG MAY BE A MAN’S BEST FRIEND,
BUT A DOG’S BEST FRIEND
IS DR. TURNERA CROOM By Dave Person david.r.person@gmail.com
Dr. Turnera Croom is a veterinarian without an office, which is just the way she likes it. “I decided to start ... (Dr. Croom Mobile Veterinary Services) because I don’t like to be stuck in a building all day,” she says. Dr. Croom, whose mobile clinic covers the greater Kalamazoo area, including surrounding small towns and cities, also is outside the norm because she primarily offers holistic-health services. She even recently became a certified animal chiropractor, which she has added to her practice that includes food therapy, Chinese herbs and her own brand of pet CBD products, which are available online and at various locations in Kalamazoo. “I like to be able to give people a holistic alternative,” she says. Although she still offers standard veterinary services, she is phasing them out in favor of her specialized approach. With two exceptions, she is not taking new patients other than those whose owners are interested in her holistic approach to treatment. Those two exceptions are puppy and kitten vaccinations and her Last Wishes service, in which she comes to a people’s homes to humanely euthanize their aging and ailing pets. “I still do new puppy (and kitten) appointments. ... Keeping unvaccinated puppies and kittens away from older animals (through in-home visits) is crucial to keeping them from becoming sick with parvovirus, distemper and cat leukemia,” she says. Dr. Croom says her typical patient is a middle-age dog whose owners have a regular vet for diagnostic and surgical procedures, but want holistic treatment for other ailments. As with all of her visits, with the exception of the Last Wishes service, the initial consultation is via Zoom, an aspect of her practice that was necessitated by the Covid outbreak and has been enormously successful. “We have instituted the video visit as the crux of our practice,” Dr. Croom says. “I can see them and hear what they’re saying,” she says of the pet owners. “I can give them my full attention.” “We (also) get to see their pet,” she says, “and I can give an initial physical exam that way.” From there, she can either schedule an in-person visit — which during Covid is held outdoors — or suggest a holistic remedy using products that she will have delivered to the home if she has them in stock, or that the pet owners can order.
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In addition to her practice, Dr. Croom has led students from elementary through high school in a Future Veterinarian Program. Although the in-person program has been suspended during Covid, she is working on a virtual version that will be suitable for college students as well. She also treats farm animals. “It’s more like herd health,” she says of her work with chickens, goats, sheep and the like. Dr. Croom is enthusiastic about the benefits of holistic healing. Besides using her own line of hemp-derived CBD products that she says aid in the reduction of pain, inflammation, stress and anxiety in pets, she promotes other products that help animals with hip and joint issues, and helps pet owners improve their pets’ nutrition. Her work, she says, is especially important for older dogs. “They could really be living a lot longer by using holistic services,” she says. Dr. Croom believes the sky’s the limit when it comes to holistic medicine for animals. “I’m adding new holistic modalities — creating new holistic offerings — all the time,” she says.
While telemedicine is becoming more common for medical doctors, it is relatively new in the veterinary field, Dr. Croom says. “This is how it’s going to be,” she says. “I like to think that I’m ahead of the pack.” Because of the video consultation, she now knows before heading out on an appointment what she needs to bring with her, and whether she needs to be accompanied by her veterinary technician, Toni White. Dr. Croom, 46, grew up in Grand Rapids, the middle of three daughters of James and Gertrude Grant Croom, schoolteachers who stressed the importance of a good education. Her father was a middle school life-sciences teacher and “his love of science, in general, pulled me that way,” she says. While in high school, she traveled to Australia and New Zealand for two weeks to study marine mammals as part of the People to People Science Exchange. After high school, she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and pre-medicine from Xavier University, a historically black university in New Orleans, La. She followed that up by getting her veterinary degree from the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine in Tuskegee, Ala. Tuskegee University also is a historically black university. Dr. Croom then served for four years in the Army Veterinary Corps at Travis Air Force Base in California, training soldiers and airmen in conducting medical procedures. She retired with the rank of major. After her military experience, Dr. Croom returned to Michigan where she worked as a clinical research veterinarian with the former MPI Research in Mattawan and then as a public health veterinarian with the U.S. Department of Agriculture before opening her veterinary practice about four years ago. In addition to White, known as Vet Tech Toni in her own practice, Dr. Croom is assisted by her daughter, Imani Jenkins, who serves as her office manager. Dr. Croom lives in Portage with her 4-year-old cattle dog-mix Mio, which she rescued last year.
She can be reached through her website, www.DrCroom.com, where you can schedule yourself under the appointments tab. You also can follow her Facebook page, DrCroom.ArmyVet. Or to order pet supplements, go to www.drcroom. nevetica.com/our-products.
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A Calling to Volunteer By Bill Krasean, Senior Services, RSVP Advisory Council Volunteer Larry Hagg is a practical fellow when it comes to volunteering: “I’m not good at sitting around,” he said. At a deeper level, however, he admits that helping others is his “calling. It’s what I like to do.” A 60-year-old Detroit native, Larry has spent much of his life meeting that calling of helping others: 25 years working at the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital and 22 years as a Firefighter/ Medical First Responder for the Oshtemo Township Fire Rescue. His years at the psychiatric hospital were not easy because many of the patients had major mental health issues. “But I loved my job,” he said. “I was a really good fit for that kind of work.” Over the years he witnessed the hospital patient load shrink from about 800 in 1982 to a maximum of 200 or less as funding decreased and patients were moved to residential facilities. The Kalamazoo facility is one of the two psychiatric hospital in Michigan that remain open. Decades ago there were six. Larry said that in the years when he was a medical first responder he occasionally would see people he knew when he worked at the hospital, many now homeless and in need of care. Since he retired in 2011 and joined RSVP – Your
Invitation to Volunteer in 2018, he has volunteered with enthusiasm, spending time with the American Red Cross, the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, Loaves and Fishes and Heartland Hospice, to name a few. “I try to volunteer at two or three places every week, although the COVID pandemic restricted the number of opportunities for all volunteers. I feel good when I do good for others,” Larry said. “I like to see a happy outcome and the reward is a very good feeling.” He said society often views its heroes as people in sports or acting. “But the real heroes who are making a difference are people at places like Ministry with Community, the Gospel Mission, and St. Vincent DePaul’s along with many other organizations where volunteers are so badly needed. My attitude has always been that if I can help out I will try.” RSVP – Your Invitation to Volunteer is a program of Senior Services of Southwest Michigan. Membership is free. RSVP offers placement assistance and benefits for people age 55 and better to volunteer. Many opportunities in Kalamazoo County and a few in Calhoun County. Volunteers are needed with Meals on Wheels, Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP), Senior Services Home Repair, and more. Regular, flexible schedules available. Contact RSVP at 269-382-0515 or www.seniorservices1.org.
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Schuyler Colfax Baldwin: Pioneering Kalamazoo Photographer By Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library
Photographs taken locally before 1850 are rare, but one enterprising young daguerreotypist forever changed the way West Michigan residents saw themselves and their environs. The images captured by Schuyler C. Baldwin between 1851 and 1900 offer fine examples of how life looked in nineteenth century Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, and beyond. Born in New York in 1822, Schuyler Colfax Baldwin was the grandson of Revolutionary War hero General William Colfax and a cousin of Schuyler Colfax, who would later become vice president during Ulysses S. Grant’s administration. Already an experienced photographer, Baldwin traveled to Kalamazoo in 1851 where his brother-in-law was a professor of language and literature at the Kalamazoo Theological Seminary (Kalamazoo College). Baldwin set up “one of the most magnificent galleries to be found in the Union” in second floor rooms overlooking East Main Street. Baldwin was to become the first permanent full-time daguerreotypist in Kalamazoo County. Daguerreotypes, the first publicly available form of photography, required an abundance of natural light and exceedingly long exposure times. Subjects were required to sit perfectly still for long periods of time, often several minutes. Regardless, customers eagerly posed for once-in-a-lifetime artistic portraits in Baldwin’s Main Street rooms or aboard his “Daguerreotype Car,” a fully equipped horse-drawn studio. Photographic technology was changing rapidly and by the mid-1850s, Baldwin had discontinued taking daguerreotypes in favor less expensive ambrotypes, tintypes, and paper photographs. By the end of the decade, six dollars would buy a dozen large photo prints at “Baldwin’s Premium Gallery.” Over time, Baldwin’s interests shifted from portraiture toward architecture and landscape photography. When stereoscopic photography came into vogue after the Civil War, Baldwin captured hundreds of stereographs of Kalamazoo, Saugatuck, Grand Rapids, and elsewhere. Baldwin apparently planned to release a book of his photographs in 1891, featuring “Kalamazoo houses and scenes, including 24 pictures which will be a gem of art.” A complete book of Baldwin’s work was never published, however many of his photos can be found in other local publications. Though uncredited, several of Schuyler Baldwin’s photos were seen Kalamazoo Illustrated, a book published locally by Ihling Bros. & Everard in 1892. It is also highly likely that photos taken t k by Baldwin were included (again uncredited) in the Art Work of City of Kalamazoo series, published in 1894 by the W.H. Parish Publishing Company of Chicago. Schuyler Baldwin remained an independent photographer in West Michigan until his death in August 1900. He is buried in Valley City Cemetery in Grand Rapids. Baldwin’s Kalamazoo studio space on East Main Street (Michigan Avenue) was recently renovated as part of a multi-million-dollar redevelopment project. Many of Baldwin’s images are held in collections at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the Clarke Historical Library, Bentley Historical Library (U of M), the George Eastman Museum, and the Kalamazoo Public Library. More at kpl.gov
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Book Reviews Book Reviews by the Portage District Library staff
Blood World Chris Mooney This part-thriller, partscience fiction novel takes place in a world where a small percentage of the population, called Carriers, possess blood that has amazing properties. It can cure disease, lessen the effects of age, and essentially make people feel invincible. This blood is so in demand by the uber wealthy that an underground criminal enterprise develops where Carriers, the younger the better, are abducted and imprisoned, their blood commanding an astonishing price. Ellie Bautista is a patrol officer who goes undercover as a “stickman”, someone who identifies carriers. Sebastian Kane is the head of Pandora, the secretive blood ring that caters to only the finest clients. Both of them carry secrets from their past that explode in the present, as Ellie works to destroy his criminal enterprise and he works to save it. This is a fast-paced thriller with complex characters and a tight, interesting plot.
The Ex Talk Rachel Lynn Solomon To save their jobs, rival public radio co-workers pretend to be exes for a new show and end up getting much more than they bargained for. Shay Goldstein hates her new co-worker, Dominic Yun. Their competition boils over during a stationwide brainstorming session when Shay suggests starting a new dating show hosted by exes, and Dominic writes it off as tawdry commercial radio. But their shouting match has unexpected consequences when the station’s program director tells them their verbal sparring and obvious tension would make them the perfect hosts for Shay’s show. As the show skyrockets in popularity, the fake exes become real friends, but a growing attraction might spell disaster. Shay and Dominic are brought to life with multilayered backstories. Witty dialogue meets steamy slow-burn tension while fun romance tropes take a refreshing turn. A vibrant supporting cast of family, friends,
and co-workers helps round out the plot. Delightfully romantic and emotionally uplifting.
Tidewater Bride Laura Frantz In 1634, Selah Hopewell helps guide the women coming from England to the Virginia Colony who have been recruited to marry the colonial men. Her friend Xander Renick is one of the wealthiest tobacco lords in Virginia, and is married to Mattachanna, the Powhatan chief’s daughter. Xander and Mattachanna travel to Xander’s native Scotland. Unfortunately, Mattachanna dies of illness, causing Xander to return alone. As feelings develop between the widower and fiercely independent Selah, one tragedy leads to another. Her love and faith are tested all around. With its well-rounded characters and tense frontier conflicts, Frantz’s entertaining romance will resonate with people who like a little romance with their history.
Joint Custody Lauren BaratzLogsted & Jackie Logsted This mother-daughter writing duo debuts with a laugh-out-loud romance set in New York City’s publishing world and narrated by Gatz, an erudite border collie. When the three-year relationship between Gatz’s owners, the Man and the Woman ends, the two agree to share custody of their beloved pooch. Gatz does not approve. Convinced that the Man and the Woman are meant to be together, he resolutely gobbles up two pounds of chocolate, hoping his resulting health crisis will bond them. But his plan backfires, causing an argument that sends the Man into a series of meaningless affairs and the Woman into the arms of a possibly perfect New Man. Gatz, a Renaissance canine with an appreciation of all things literary and a love for Bruno Mars, provides a unique perspective on his owners’ human foibles and emotional vulnerabilities as they struggle to move forward with their lives. This touching, hilarious outing is worthy of two paws up.
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All these titles are available at the Portage District Library. For more information about programs and services available at PDL, go to www.portagelibrary.info
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The Root Spring Scraper Company The Root Spring Scraper Co., located on Kalamazoo’s North Side, has been making roadmaintenance and snow-removal equipment since 1891. The inventive genius of Fred Root provided the initial impetus for the enterprise. By 1893, electric streetcars were replacing horse- drawn vehicles for public transportation. On occasion, people, much like deer in the headlights, froze on the tracks as these newfangled vehicles raced toward them. To save them from serious injury or death, Fred Root invented a basket—hidden under the front of the streetcar—that extended automatically if a sensor rod mounted on the front of the vehicle bumped a pedestrian. The basket caught the person, avoiding a collision. Transit systems quickly adopted the device although its effectiveness was questionable. Fred was not content, however, and that same year he created a snow scraper to clear the tracks for trolleys. After improvements, Root’s snow scrapers became the basis of a growing company. He opened a new factory on North Street in 1910, where the company is still located today. Root loved horseracing and noticed that the horses’ hooves tore up the track. The surface needed to be smoothed before the next heat or race. So he put his inventive mind to work and developed a scraper that effectively leveled the track. It was so efficient that it was quickly in demand by race tracks around the country. Scrapers that smoothed race tracks could also be modified and used to improve roads, just as the popularity of the automobile created a demand for better roads. d Root R developed d l d scrapers mounted d on trucks. k Once O more, the Root Spring Scraper Co. had a new product that was popular across the country.
After Fred Root died in 1925 and his daughter Marie Root became president of the company. She was a business leader in a day when few women were executives. The company’s products, however, were in need of modernization. Marie hired Ernest Weeks in 1927 and the two of them developed the idea of
a hydraulic scraper rather than a springcontrolled one. This innovation kept the scraper in greater contact with the road, making the surface smoother. Marie Root described their invention, which they patented, as “the very best idea we ever had.” Weeks, who became president after Marie’s death in 1935, added snowplows to the company’s product line in 1928. As the popularity of air travel soared in the 1950s and 1960s, Root Spring Scraper added yet another product—snowplows for airport runways. Today, the company is one of the country’s largest manufacturers of road and runway snowplows. Ernest Weeks and his son, Dan, ran the company from 1935 until the early 1990s. When Dan Weeks retired, Fred and Bill Root, great- grandsons of the company’s founder, took over the management. Museography. Reprinted with permission from the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. The museum is operated by Kalamazoo Valley Community College and is governed by its Board of Trustees. For more information about the museum visit www.kalamazoomuseum.org.
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Samantha A. Carlson, LMSW, Older Adult Services Director Area Agency on Aging IIIA, 311 E Alcott St., Kalamazoo Phone: 269-373-5173 www.Kalcounty.com/aaa
With the arrival of the New Year; many are hopeful for a healthier, happier 2021. The 2020 pandemic expedited the digital and technological world we live in with Zoom meetings, and Face Time instead of in-person time at the holidays. Unfortunately, for some older adults, limited knowledge of technology use increased isolation rather than diminished it. Transitioning to communication and social engagement online is an extreme change for many, and can be overwhelming and intimidating. Thanks to the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS), that does not need to be the case for 2021. MDHHS’s Aging & Adult Services Agency
(AASA) has established a partnership with a national education technology company called GetSetUp. GetSetUp is an organization dedicated to creating learning opportunities for older adults. In short, it is an opportunity for older adults to learn technology and connect socially to older adults on the internet, free of charge, thanks to grant funding through the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. The program hosts free, live, interactive programs for older adults hosted and taught by older adults. Programs include social hours such as seasonal games, holiday recipe swaps, sports, dancing to music from the 1960s-1970s and holiday events. They also host over 150 online group classes designed by older adults, and led by older adults. Topics focus on older adults teaching others how to use smartphones, video conference platforms online, use digital tablets, understand and use social media, the ins-and-outs of email, and more. This a national partnership, with Area Agencies across the country, AARP Community Resources, and the YMCA. The live, interaction classes run 10 hours a day. As of December 28th, 2020, over 18,444 older adults in Michigan participated in over 28,618 sessions in just three months! The most popular classes to date are “Getting started with Zoom”, “iPhone Basics”, “Tips & Tricks for Taking Great Photos with your
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phone”, “How to Organize & Manage Digital Pictures”, “Amazon Alexa, What is it and Why you Might Want One”, “How to use Google Maps and Navigation”, “Virtual Museums & Tours”, and Using Positives Thinking to Manage Stress, Health, & Your Mood” and “Building Your First Website”. How does it work? GetSetUp is a simple, online program that involves live interaction with other older adults. Users learn activities “by doing, not watching”. This is an interactive and engaging program older adults are teaching older adults, and creating a welcoming community for generations age 60 and up. While registration is required for this programming, it is provided at no cost through MDHHS’s Aging & Adult Services Agency. In fact, they are hiring! Older adults are being hired as teachers across a variety of topics. Check out the “job-guide” for more information at https://www.getsetup.io/join-guide when visit their website. Regardless of if it’s simply taking a fun class to meet new people, or kick-starting your New Year’s resolution to become a bit more tech savvy; this tool is an amazing opportunity for Michigan. For more information, visit https://www.getsetup.io/michigan or call 888-559-1614.
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CONSUMING MASS QUANTITIES
Sheldon’s Service Garage - About 1939 Sheldon’s Service Garage was located at 2009 Portage St., just north of Alcott. Note all of the cool signs out front, including the Phillips 66 gas sign and gas pump. Southside Lumber was located just to the right of the service garage. The building is now occupied by Furr Auto Service.
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FROM THE
road
~ taste of the town ~ By Jay Newmarch One of the great things about travel is the chance to try out some tasty new foods from restaurants that we don’t have at home. Well, my sisters and I took it up a notch a few years back when we travelled to New York City during NYC Restaurant Week to celebrate my younger sister’s birthday. Restaurant Week offers the option of dining at some of the city’s finest, best known restaurants, at a more accessible price point. Participating restaurants offer prixfixe menus for both lunch and dinner. Lunch consists of two courses, dinner consists of three courses. A couple of things to note. First, Restaurant Week takes place at the end of January. So, don’t count on great weather. In our case, it was brutally cold. Even with layers of clothing, it always felt as if the icy wind was slicing through us. Second, while the fixed menus might not be your first choice, I doubt you’ll feel let down. Every meal we had was both special and delicious. And, the restaurant experience itself is part of the allure. Our Big Apple culinary tour began with one stop that wasn’t a part of Restaurant Week. As my sister had always wanted to go to an afternoon tea at the Plaza Hotel, that had to be on our list. My favorite part of it was the grand architecture and design of the Plaza. Afternoon tea takes place in the Palm Court, a beautiful space in the center of the hotel. It is resplendent with wood lattice, stained glass and, yes, large palms. While the multi-tiered display of sandwiches and pastries is incredible, the setting and service combine to make the experience something even more grand. A complete turn from the quiet, gracious afternoon tea at the Plaza, was our dinner in what was once the roudy, party atmosphere of Studio 54. Feinstein’s 54 Below is literally in the basement of what was the disco-era club, Studio 54. At Feinstein’s 54 Below, you’ll receive a delicious dinner alongside a show. As the space is small and intimate, you don’t so much watch the show as feel a part of it. A fun time with delicious food. Moving on, what culinary tour would be complete without dinner at the swanky 21 Club? You may know the 21 Club, or 21, as the bar and restaurant adorned with 37 jockeys atop the railings outside. The jockeys stand at attention while simultaneously drawing attention. The interior is equally eye catching. The walls and ceiling of the Bar Room, in which we dined, are filled with antique toys and sports items that line the walls and hang from the ceiling. The space is so cozy and intimate, you can’t help but feel relaxed. And, if people watching isn’t enough, there’s plenty of items surrounding you to keep your interest while waiting for the next course. The 21 Club was a favorite haunt for many notables including Elizabeth Taylor, Ernest Hemingway, Frank Sinatra, Gloria Vanderbilt, Aristotle Onassis and Mari-
lyn Monroe, just to name a few. Sadly, as the pandemic continues to take a toll on restaurants, The 21 Club is not immune. 21, which has been in existence in one form or another for nearly a century, recently announced that they have closed, with no plans to reopen at this time. I, for one, hope it finds a new life after COVID-19 is behind us. Another notable with a history just about as long is Tavern on the Green. The restaurant, tucked away at the edge of Central Park, once served as the sheepfold for the sheep that grazed in nearby Sheep Meadow. The restaurant first opened in 1934. With trees and shrubbery all around, you feel as if you are coming upon the restaurant in a forest glade. Our dinner wasn’t at the top of our list, but the location on the Upper West Side is quite spectacular and one to see. While on the West Side, we also made a stop at the famous Zabar’s deli. The grocery store and diner is a definite must see. The compact space is overflowing with so many delicious sights and smells. If you can’t find time to eat there, just pick up some bagels and cream cheese for a quick breakfast in your hotel room. But, it would be a shame to miss out on a thick, authentic deli sandwich from Zabar’s. Last, but definitely not least was a Sunday brunch at the Rainbow Room. It’s brunch with a bird’s eye view of New York City. The Rainbow Room was opened by the Rockefeller family in 1934 as the pinnacle of panache atop the RCA building, now the Comcast building. The building is home to NBC. Even with the lavish brunch topping my list, the real star is the view. It is simply incredible. You step out of the elevator to a spacious restaurant lined with floor to ceiling windows and New York City filling every window frame. From this vantage point, the Empire State building looks so close that you feel like you could almost reach out and touch it. If you’re a food and restaurant buff, Restaurant Week is a vacation in itself. Nothing, after all, beats a great meal in a great restaurant, shared with equally great company. And, I’m happy to announce that after last year’s hiatus, NYC Restaurant Week has returned for 2021 as Restaurant Week To Go. Not even a pandemic can keep such a good thing down.
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New Residents Welcome!
Movie
Crosstown Parkway Senior Apartments
Reviews The Darjeeling Limited I generally delight in putting forth Anderson’s 2007 offering, The Darjeeling Limited, as my preferred candidate for favorite Wes Anderson movie. Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody, and Jason Schwartzman are brilliantly cast as Francis, Peter, and Jack, three brothers who have not spoken to one another since the death of their father. When Francis experiences a near-death accident, he seeks to correct their falling-out by inviting Peter and Jack on what he intends to be a spiritual journey across India aboard the film’s titular train. The brothers swiftly descend into what we can only imagine are decades-old behaviors, each electing intentionally or otherwise to retreat deeper into their own eccentricities in lieu of embracing the intended nature of their trip. They incisively bicker, team up, and deflect while the viewer is gradually and cleverly introduced to the elephants in the room. The cinematography is stunning and the Indian landscape through which the Darjeeling Limited winds is both necessarily exotic and beautiful. The film is wonderfully humorous and heartfelt, driven by Anderson’s own trademark style and an appropriately eclectic soundtrack which is currently available on Hoopla! (www.hoopladigital. com) Be sure to also watch the short film prologue, Hotel Chevalier, included on the film’s DVD release. — submitted by Patrick J.
Cronos Guillermo del Toro says, “Cronos is an exploded view of my brain.” Cronos, the crafty debut of a young Mexican filmmaker named Guillermo del Toro, emerged as a warning shot. His tale of vampirism and immortality is half horror, half historical fable-like all the best del Toro work to come. As in Kathryn Bigelow’s brilliant Near Dark (1987), another reinvention of the genre, the word vampire is never uttered and though parts of the familiar lore arise, there is no one to rattle off the explanations of the transforma-
tion. He has to stumble across these as new experiences and teach along the way, with the support of his adoring young granddaughter, Aurora, who is wary of his addiction to the device but stands by him unconditionally. Just as Angel becomes his devil, Aurora is his angel: sweet, always dressed in white and always protective of the old man who will do anything to guard her from evil. Its part melodrama, part morality play and part thriller, more Dorian Gray than Bram Stoker and infused with a heady brew of ancient science, supernatural shadows, mutant organisms, demented villains driven by a greed for youth, and one man’s struggle for his soul. Yet it is the emotional connection between Jesus, tempted by this fountain of youth, and his granddaughter Aurora, devoted in the face of mystery and dark magic, that grounds the story. A beautifully creepy, hypnotic horror-thriller that paints a vivid picture of why del Toro is such a beloved, wonderfully haunting filmmaker today. — submitted by Angelina R.
First Cow Director Kelly Reichardt makes slowly paced films with seemingly unassuming narratives that play out on the surface as finely tuned character studies of outsiders in the throes of conflict with social and institutional forces. The seemingly “simple” stories and subtle humanism of Kelly Reichardt’s films do not mask the depth or diminish the power of her work. With her most recent film, the outstanding First Cow, Reichardt has made an incredibly profound and tender work out of a story grounded in themes as varied as male friendship and the subtle deconstruction of American capitalism. Set in early 19th century Oregon, the film’s two protagonists (Cookie and King Lu) hatch a scheme to enrich themselves by stealing milk from the head of the trading post’s recently purchased heifer. The two then brazenly sell dairybased biscuits for profit to the locals, including the official they are stealing from. When the plan implodes, the two head off on the lamb.— submitted by Ryan G.
Reviews submitted by Ryan Gage. These great titles and others are available at the Kalamazoo
Apartments - Immediate Occupancy! - 1 bedroom apartments for 62 years and up. - Gas, electric, heat, air conditioning, water and sewer included. - Recently renovated kitchen and bath. - Rent based on 30% of income. - Medical alert bracelet in each unit.
- Small pets welcome with deposit. - “Care One” on-site. - Professional, courteous staff. - Free community room for parties. - Weekly resident activities. - Weekly grocery trips.
RENT BASED ON INCOME 550 W. Crosstown Pkwy. Kalamazoo 344-3968 Professionally Managed by Medallion Management, Inc. TTY 711
