MLIVE: The Kalamazoo Gospel Mission has opened warming rooms for the homeless and extended its hours to 24/7 access, as ice and snow storms hit the Kalamazoo area this week. The mission will have warming rooms and safe nightly shelter and will serve hot coffee and three hot meals a day, the organization said in a press release. The mission will not turn anyone away. “We don’t want anybody out on the ice,” Tammy Clubb, Kalamazoo Gospel Mission’s director of development said.

Published: February 13, 2019

2ND WAVE: In a neighborhood that percentage-wise has more children under the age of 17 than any other in Kalamazoo, a little known youth-centered nonprofit has worked since 2011 to provide programming to increase academic and social-emotional skills – using time- and research-proven curricula and assessments. “Our mission has always been that Eastside youth reach their fullest potential,” says Sam (Sandra) Lealofi, Director of Eastside Strong. “To get there is knowing, listening, understanding, and bringing in access and inclusion resources. It’s a social justice issue for the youth on the Eastside.”

Published: February 13, 2019

Every month, the KPS publication Excelsior arrives in mailboxes all over the school district, providing broad updates, calendar dates, and feature stories. If you want to go deeper, there are three different ways to keep up with the KPS Board of Education and all the many ways they are assessing and evolving the school system. KNM provides some helpful links for the curious and for those who might want to get involved.

Published: February 12, 2019

Ten years ago, a proposal to build a tax-funded event center on the vacant northwest corner of downtown Kalamazoo went nowhere. In 2018, a group organized by Southwest Michigan First came up with the same idea a second time, but the County Board showed no interest in it. It has recently resurfaced in the context of a possible land-swap between the County and the West Michigan Cancer Center. An event center might be a good thing, but in 2019, suggesting that it be built in Arcadia Commons West suggests a lack of attention to what has changed since 2009.

Published: February 10, 2019

Kalamazoo News Monitor is where local news waits for you, in one place, so you can catch up anytime. Follow us on Facebook or twitter to receive periodic reminders that you can easily find the news you may have missed, right here.

Published: February 10, 2019

WMUK: Raven Britt was at a fundraising dinner a couple of years ago when a fellow guest made a prophecy that startled her. Raven had just moved to Kalamazoo, and she was telling the other guest about it. “And he’s like, ‘you’ll stay,” Raven told WMUK’s “Why’s That?” And I was like, ‘Excuse me?’” The man went on to suggest that no one really leaves Kalamazoo: not the native-born and not transplants. He said that people who take off for a while inevitably come back, and he told Raven that this phenomenon has a name: Kalamaglue.

Published: February 10, 2019

KNM: Did you know that there are school promise programs nationwide? In October 2018, Kalamazoo’s W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research published a policy paper in 2018 that assessed them, “Promise Scholarship Programs and Local Prosperity.” The conclusion of the report lists ten “observations and lessons”:

1) Promise programs anchor residents, especially those with children, to their communities.

2) The strengthening of school districts makes communities more attractive to new residents and businesses.

Published: February 07, 2019

MLIVE: An annual evaluation shows the city of Kalamazoo is making progress toward its goals to improve access to affordable housing and assist people experiencing homelessness. The report evaluating Kalamazoo’s work from July 2017 to June 2018 found the city effectively used $2.53 million in federal grant funds to address housing and community development needs, but a lack of funding remains the “primary obstacle” to meeting underserved needs of low- and moderate-income populations. “This challenge is beyond the capacity of the local jurisdiction to satisfactorily address," the report states.

Published: February 06, 2019

KZCF: Each year, Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF) awards approximately $1 million in higher education scholarships to 350 area students, with almost $30 million in scholarships awarded over the years. The 2019 deadline is March 1. Scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors, current college students, and non-traditional students. KZCF has 57 scholarship funds with a variety of eligibility criteria. Awards range from $500 to $7,500 and are based on merit and/or financial need, with some being renewable.

Published: February 06, 2019

MLIVE: A school administrator’s report suggesting improvements in student behavior at Kalamazoo Public Schools does not reflect what teachers are experiencing inside their classrooms, the president of the district’s teachers union says. Amanda Miller, president of the Kalamazoo Education Association, said behaviors among students are not getting better, despite the decrease in expulsions highlighted by district administration at a recent school board meeting. In fact, Miller said, behavior issues are getting worse, and teachers need help.

Published: February 06, 2019

MIBIZ: Kalamazoo is radically rethinking how its street network connects its people to neighborhoods, businesses and major institutions. In a January agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation, the city of Kalamazoo accomplished a long-standing goal of getting back under local control the major streets through its downtown and into adjacent neighborhoods. Now, officials want to reconfigure the streets into a multi-modal part of the city’s urban center. (Image: Google 3D)

Published: February 06, 2019

KALAMAZOO DEFENDER: Kalamazoo County has signed a contract with Kalamazoo County Defender, Inc. to create a 21st century public defender office for the county that is modeled upon the nation's most successful holistic representation defenders. Veteran criminal and civil attorneys, former judges, mental health experts, social workers and other community caretakers came together to inform the development of the Kalamazoo Defender model, which prioritizes treating the whole client, and not merely triaging that client's immediate criminal legal action.

Published: February 04, 2019

The decision to close schools is based on a number of factors. No decision has been made, yet, about extending the school year to make up for lost days. Statement from KPS on 1/2/19 at the link. 

Published: February 04, 2019

KNM: At its meeting on February 7, the Commission will vote to approve the Oakwood Neighborhood Plan and to offer support for “Imagine Fun” – a long-term plan for Kalamazoo parks and recreation. The Imagine Fun plan is guided by five city-wide goals, including designing parks for all users and providing access to quality, nearby parks to all residents. The plan contains an inventory of the city’s parks, a 10-year plan, and detail on how it aligns with the Master Plan. Drafts of both plans are available for review by everyone in Kalamazoo. 

Published: February 03, 2019