KNM: At their 7pm meeting on February 4, the City Commission will vote on measures to increase city water system and wastewater service system revenues and on the adoption of the Edison neighborhood’s “Neighborhood Plan” into the city’s long-range Master Plan.

Neighborhood Plans are intended to enable residents to shape the future of the areas where they live. The newly announced Creamery development in Edison reflects elements of that neighborhood’s planning. You can find the plans for Edison and four other neighborhoods at the link below.

Published: February 02, 2019

SECOND WAVE: A new, $14.2 million development on the vacant lot at the corner of Portage and Lake streets plans to include affordable housing and an affordable childcare center. All 48 residential units are designated for renters making 30% or 70%-120% of the area median income, which is about $14,460 per year. The childcare center will meet the needs of low-income families, parents who work the night shift, and emergency drop-off situations. The project is the result of diverse community stakeholders working together to achieve goals defined by the Edison neighborhood itself.

Published: February 01, 2019

Kalamazoo News Monitor (KNM) is a daily web publication covering news, information, and resources that are directly relevant to people who live in Kalamazoo, Michigan. 

You will immediately notice that KNM is an unusual news website. Instead of writing and publishing our own content, we are a convenient homepage that provides previews of and links to Kalamazoo stories published on other websites. The "read more" button of each story identifies the website you'll be clicking through to. 

Published: January 31, 2019

KZOOKIDS: KzooKids has found more than 15 kid-friendly Valentine's Day events around Kalamazoo – Feburary 2 to 15 – and provides descriptions and links to them all. The events are taking place in libraries, book stores, restaurants, hardware stores, and other locations throughout the county, and activities include crafts, food, reading, and more. Many are free. Some cost $5 to $20. The last event, on the 15th, is just for parents.

Published: January 30, 2019

MLIVE: A major shift in discipline practices at Kalamazoo Public Schools has staff coaching students toward resolution rather than issuing punishments and moving on. As a result, the already decreasing number of district-wide expulsions dropped to zero in the 2017-18 school year. Restorative practices, like daily class meetings or conflict resolution meetings, allow students to remain in school and learn resolution skills. Students learn to resolve differences while considering the perspective of others using skills like peer mediation, peace circles and mentoring.

Published: January 30, 2019

As Kalamazoo's shelters fill with refugees from the cold, we do well to remember how many homeless children live in our community. In fact, as of April, 2018, Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) had the largest number of homeless students of any district in Michigan. Researchers defined "homeless" as having a lack of a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. More than 900 of the nearly 13,000 students at KPS experienced homelessness during the 2015-16 school year, which was 200 more homeless students than any other district in the state.

Published: January 29, 2019

New Balance sponsored a running shoe fitting for 2019 participants in the Girls on the Run program at the Borgess Health and Fitness Center in Kalamazoo, on Sunday. The fitting is in preparation for the annual local race, which will take place on May 23, 2019. Girls on the Run is still looking for coaches for the event. If you run, consider paying it forward. WWMT covers shoes and coaches, below.

Published: January 29, 2019

Kalamazoo’s first tiny house community is a step closer to reality. A site plan was unveiled Friday at the Trailblazers Tribute, held at the Northside Community Center.

The project addresses a very specific housing issue with a solution pioneered in other cities: When you provide housing and employment within 30-45 days of an individual re-entering the community after incarceration or drug treatment, the likelihood of a repeat offense drops 72%.

Published: January 28, 2019

Curtis Woods hands a sample of brisket and hamburger chili to a particant at the 14th annual Chili Cook-Off in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan on Saturday. Woods is the owner of PJW Cajun/Creole Cuisine, a food truck. MLive's Emil Lippe provides an extensive photo gallery of the day's events. 

Published: January 28, 2019

SECOND WAVE: “My equipment is portable,” says Eastside resident Tiffany Burns, who has been taking her hygienist skills on the road for the past five years, in a full-time capacity since May as the director and operator of her nonprofit, Smile Savers. Whether she’s headed to the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, the Kalamazoo County Juvenile Detention Center, or to local nursing homes, she's addressing a healthcare gap. “Dental health is so important, especially as it relates to systemic diseases," Burns says. "That’s why I’m drilling this message home. Teeth are important.”

Published: January 27, 2019

MLIVE: A new partnership between school and city officials will allow any Kalamazoo Public Schools high school student to ride a city bus for free. The students' bus fares will be paid for by the Youth Mobility Fund through the Foundation of Excellence. Students will have unlimited access to Kalamazoo Metro Transit buses with their school-issued ID, beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, through the Kalamazoo Youth Mobility Fund. The Board of Education unanimously approved the partnership during a meeting Thursday, Jan. 24.

Published: January 25, 2019

Eric Hennig’s interest in photography started with a vintage clothing business and a desire to present the attire artistically on an Etsy site. “I wanted to earn my chops as a photographer, so to speak, so I started developing film again and making my own prints.” Over the years, Hennig has expanded his photography repertoire to include portrait, event and wedding photography with tintypes (pictured) as the “artistic passion” for his business, Vague Photography. 2nd Wave talked to Hennig and provides a gallery of his diverse work.

Published: January 24, 2019

Now located exclusively in Texas Township, Rykse’s & Co. Market and Eatery is the latest evolution of a local institution. “One of the things we want people to know is, just because we’re at a different location, different look, different building, we’re still making all the same things from scratch," Mark Rykse said. "That’s who we are as a company. That’s how I grew up with my parents, that’s how Ryan grew up, so that part of our company is not changing, event though the actual look is different.”

Published: January 23, 2019

2nd Wave SW Michigan has published an extensive profile of Kalamazoo's Eastside neighborhood - touching on its history, people, culture, and current effort to add small businesses to its commercial corridor. Over the past few years, the neighborhood of nearly 3,000 has expanded its housing options, improved its two parks, and launched a group of engaged neighbors, business owners, governmental officials, and nonprofit leaders.

Published: January 22, 2019