Health FoodQ: What type of produce does Sawalls carry? A: Sawalls has always carried only Certified Organic produce. It’s the very best quality

that can be found and we receive orders almost every day! We also carry as much local produce that we can find seasonally. We are always looking for quality produce from local farmers! Come see our locally grown organic vegetable plants from Fat Blossom Farms.Great selection!

Mon.-Sat. 9-8, Sun. 10-6

Sawall Health FoodOakwood Plaza • 2965 Oakland Dr. at

Whites Rd. • 343-3619 • www.sawallhf.com

Linda SawallOwner

Funeral ServicesQ: Why do many choose to pre-arrange funerals?A: There are probably as many reasons as there are people, but most often we hear about these: Every one of us would like to be remembered – and remembered for something good. Here’s a great opportunity to “tell the stories.” Ultimately, when people hear them, they do remember – and they can add stories of their own.

That’s a big part of what we’re all about.There’s personal satisfaction, too. Lots of people have told us that knowing things are in order, and their wishes will be carried out, gives them real peace-of-mind.They also tell us about the emotional satisfaction – knowing someone else won’t be put in the position of making choices for them with little or nothing to go on. Even if it’s just a list of “what I want and what I don’t want” – and it’s down on paper – it’s one of the best gifts a family can get.And how about the money questions? When people pre-arrange and set up a payment plan, they know the money will be there when it’s needed. Others won’t have to find a way to come up with it.

Lee SimpsonCommunity Education Program DirectorFamily Services Consultant

Langeland FamilyFuneral Homes

“Quiet dignity with compassion” has meantso much for many people... for many years.

6 locations to serve you269-343-1508 • www.langelands.com

TransitionsQ: This senior living com-munity keeps calling me to schedule a “learning session,” isn’t that just a sales hustle?

A: No, the more you know, the better you can plan and make educated choices. There are a wide variety of

senior living communities, with a broad spectrum of services, amenities, care levels and qualifications for entry. The differences are in the details, so get the facts. Waiting until you are “ready to move” due to a health crisis or memory issue will narrow your op-tions, and may force you onto waiting lists for higher levels of care at significantly in-creased costs. Procrastinating can also result in a total loss of control over the decisions being made for your future. Learn today to build a better tomorrow!

Madeleine Socia

Friendship VillageSenior Living Community1400 North Drake, Kalamazoo

(269) 381-0560www.friendshipvillagemi.com

Expert AdviceFinances

Q: How much of my portfolio should I keep in stocks?

Douglas Drenth

A: Financial professionals advise that if you are saving for retire-ment, the younger you are, the more money you should put in stocks. Though past performance is no guarantee of future results,

over the long term, stocks have historically provided higher returns and capital appreciation than other commonly held securities. As you age, you have less time to recover from downturns in the stock mar-ket. Therefore, many planners suggest that as you approach and enter retirement, you should begin converting more of your volatile growth-oriented investments to fixed-income securities such as bonds. Investing involves risk including the poten-tial loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss. In general, the bond market is volatile as prices rise when inter-est rates fall and vice versa. This effect is usually pronounced for longer-term securities. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to a substantial gain or loss.

Drenth Financial Services5659 W. Michigan, Kalamazoo

269-978-0250 • ddrenth@fscadvisor.comSecurities offered through FSC Securities Corporation, member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance services offered through Drenth Fi-nancial Services and is not affiliated with FSC. HFG Financial Group is not affiliated with FSC or registered as a broker-deal-er or a registered investment advisor. Individual situations will vary. Please contact a professional for specific advice. Entities listed here do not offer mortgage services. Prepared by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2013.

RoofingQ: I’ve gotten 3 estimates to have my roof replaced. The prices fall into a wide range. Why?A: Like most any product, shingles come in varying qualities. The old adage “you get what you pay for” is as true today in the roofing busi-

ness as it ever was. Ask about product quality, expected lifetime of the shingles and whether the actual work would be done by full time employees of the company or sub-contracted out. Ask if workers are covered by workers compensation insurance in the event of an accident. (Sub-contracted employees are supposed to provide for their own insurance coverage). Better yet, ask for a copy of the ‘Certificate of Liability Insurance’. We proudly provide this document for our customers since our roofers are full time company employees. Ask if the workmanship is guaranteed and for how long. Is the guarantee transferable? Don’t rely on the product warranty. Warranties are designed to protect you from defective material only and are prorated. They are not a promise from the contractor to stand behind his work.

Justin Reynolds Manager

Sherriff-Goslin Roofing Co.Since 1906

342-0153 800-950-1906Member Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo

PharmacyQ: Who is your Pharmacist?A: You have a regular Doctor, a Dentist, but do you have a Phar-macist?Whenever I  ask this question, most people don’t have a phar-macist they can claim as their provider.

In this age of complex medical treatments, having a pharmacist who knows all about your medical con-dition and all the medications you take from differ-ent doctors can be a great free resource. A pharmacist is one of the most accessible health care providers. One who can not only  spot drug interactions but also save you money by suggesting less expensive alternatives. Just like you go for a year-ly physical, you should have your pharmacist review all your Rx and over-the-counter medications.You will find me sitting with my patients and discuss-ing their medical concerns every day. My passion is helping find a solution for my patients whether it’s about cost of the medications or their wellbeing.

Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-1

Advanced Health Pharmacy7916 Oakland Dr at Centre St

269 324-1100 • FREE DELIVERYwww.advancedpharmacy.com

Arun TandonR.Ph

JUNE 2014 3 spark

All current and past issues can be read at swmspark.com Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/swmspark

I spend about fifty hours a month, driving all over Southwest Michigan delivering the paper you are now reading. Until recently, I spent much of this time listening to the radio and music CD’s.

Two months ago, I was dropping off papers at the Vicksburg District Library and happened to walk by the audio books section. I had never given this much thought but glanced at the titles and checked out four or five.

From the moment I inserted the first CD, I was hooked. I now find myself pulling into my garage and sitting in my car for another ten min-utes, not wanting to shut the CD off. A few times, I have pulled the CD out and brought it into the house to continue listening.

I still love to read hard copies of books, maga-zines, newspapers and anything else I can get my

hands on but find that I have about 15 minutes at the end of the night for reading and it takes three weeks to get through a book.

With the audio books, I tend to rotate between slightly deeper non-fiction books and popular novels.

In the last two months I have read (listened to) the complete Dragon Tattoo Trilogy, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed, The Outliers: the Story of Success (a great book about what makes high-achievers successful and what the Beatles an Bill Gates

from the EdITOR

To advertise in upcoming SPARK publications, contact: Steve Ellis, 269.720.8157, steve@swmspark.com

Lee Dean: Give me a head of hair–and a back, too 4History: Kalamazoo City League Baseball ............... 6Amazing Tales: World Records ............................... 7Tuesday Toolmen: 2014 Star Award Recipients ...... 8Spark Recipe: Cool as a Cucumber ........................ 9The Kalamazoo Climate Change Coalition ............10Artist Profile: Jake Ruiz .......................................... 11History: Law and Order, Kalamazoo Style ............. 12Spark Movie Reviews ............................................. 13Cover Story: Preserving the Classics .................... 14

Spark Book Reviews .............................................. 16Kurt Pugh: Attention Golfers! .................................17Kathy and Maria go to Washington! ......................18Michigan Pickers: Paving Bricks ............................ 19The Kalamazoo Bank Street Flea Market ...............20Volunteering: Ellie Heacock .................................. 21Sage Advice: Long-Term Care Ombudsman ....... 22Healthy Living: The Essentials of Walking ............ 23Tales from the Road: Bois Blanc, MI ..................... 24Golf: Short Game Keys ...........................................25Community Calendar ............................................ 26

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.

Editor and Publisher: Steve EllisGraphic Design: Jay Newmarch at CRE8 Design, LLC

Creativity/Photography: Lauren Ellis

Writers and Contributors Include: Area Agency on Aging, Steve Ellis, Lee Dean, Laura Kurella, Dave Person,

Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation, Kalamazoo Public Library, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Portage Public Library, Senior Services of Southwest Michigan , YMCA

InsIde | JUNE 2014

Bob haas and his 1955 ford fairlane at the Gilmore Car museum

Photo by: Steve Ellis

oN the CoVer:have in common), Dolores Claiborne and The Long Walk by Stephen King , You’re Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom by Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond and a few other books.

I have to admit that some of the voices (not usually the authors) can be a little annoying (the raspy voice of the woman reading Dolo-res Claiborne) but most add a little something to the book.

Audio books may not be for everyone, but if you spend a lot of time in the car, you may want to give it a try.

Sincerely,

Steve Ellis, SPARK Publisher steve@swmspark.com

spark 4 JUNE 2014

Lee A. Deanscreendoor@sbcglobal.net

Have you ever seen a collective bad hair day? I have.

It came during the late 1970s when a television station decided to rebrand

its news program, complete with new slogan, new set, new logos and even new matching blazers. As each of the news, weather and sports anchors ran to their posts

at the top of the show, there was one other change that any viewer

this side of Ray Charles had to notice: the men, who were bald or balding the day before, were sporting floppy new toupees.

That was good for a chuckle, but to many people, hair is no laughing matter. Many of us make our livings from it by caring for hair or selling and making products related to it. For cancer patients, the loss of hair during chemo-therapy is a small death while its regrowth is a visible beacon of impending recovery.

There is a lot we can do with hair. We can wash it, shave it, curl it, cut it, shape it and color it. We can do just about everything with hair except ignore it.

Hair is often the source of intergenerational combat, and never more so than in the 1960s and 1970s. I had heard about the people known as “hippies,” but had never ac-tually seen any until my dad and I countered one in the old Meijer store on Douglas Avenue. In an early display of my countercultural tendencies, I wanted to emulate that guy and grow some long hair of my own. And I could

have done it. All I needed was one thing: a change of address. Hair length was always sure to invoke the classic “if you live under our roof, you’ll abide by our rules” line from my folks.

The rules against long hair did not translate into a man-date for very short hair. When we were little, my brother got buzz cuts. I asked Mom why I didn’t get the same kind of haircut, and she said, “You did. Once.” The fact that she didn’t go into details probably meant that the results were too hideous to repeat.

I have always had what is known as “fine baby hair.” And the baby can have it back. Making it behave has always been difficult, so the solution early on was a generous helping of Brylcreem. It was nasty, greasy stuff. It didn’t taste very good either, as I found out one morning when I mistook it for Gleem and tried to brush my teeth with it.

Professional hair cutters have earned their money trying to tame my flyaway locks. These are the people who to-day we call “hair stylists.” But then, all we had were “bar-bers,” and they had real barber names. Mine were called Jack, Homer and Dewey. There was going to be nothing foo-foo about what these guys did. I walked in with a certain amount of hair and walked out with a certain amount less, and if fortunate, no Alfalfa-style cowlick.

My best friend wasn’t so happy one day after his trip to the barbershop. The next day in school, he pointed disgustedly at his head and snorted, “Look at these onion rings!” He was referring to an inch-wide strip of bare skin around each ear.

I had better luck, because one of those barbers saved my hearing. In high school, my politics leaned considerably

to the left, which put me in (friendly) combat with my good buddy Bob Jr. and his dad, Bob Sr., who were both advocates of George Wallace. One day we were all in the barbershop and I was in the chair. Knowing that I was in close proximity to a man with sharp implements, and therefore extremely vulnerable, Bob Sr. started throwing verbal haymakers. I was able to keep my cool, until he said, “I think Joe McCarthy had the right idea!”

Reflexively, I was about to rise up out of that barber chair until I heard Homer behind me say, “Sit still, or you’re going to lose an ear.” Compared to that prospect, onion rings would have been an unmitigated blessing.

In those days, the main objective of a haircut was to keep the hair from hanging down into my eyes, a look my mom deemed as slovenly. Well, ma, there’s nothing to worry about any more on that front. Hair in the eyes is no longer possible unless I can shorten my forehead or start experimenting with Rogaine

That will never happen. I decided long ago to let nature take its course with my hair. If it falls out and turns gray, I won’t stand in the way. There will be no toupees, dyes or ludicrous Donald Trump-style combovers. When it comes to my hair, I’m laissez-faire.

Besides, I have nothing to be insecure about. I know this to be true because the dear woman I am married to reassures me on this point. “You have the exact same amount of hair now as when we first me,” she says. “Only now, most of it is on your back.”

I could ask her what color it is, but some things are better left in the realm of mystery.

Give me a head with hair — and a back, too

spark 6 JUNE 2014

Baseball had been played in Kalamazoo since the late 1800’s but declined during and after World War I. In 1924, baseball sup-porter Pete Moser rekindled a third run of the Kalamazoo City League, which would span an unprecedented 66 seasons. At its peak during the 1950s, the Kalamazoo City League boasted 40 to 50 teams in several divisions each season. With the inclusion of fast pitch and slow pitch softball for both men and women, the 1976 season included nearly 300 teams.

One of the leading teams during the postwar period was sponsored by the Suther-land Paper Company. Team manager Ivan Forster, built the company’s champion-ship baseball team with support from company president (and avid sports fan) Louis W. Sutherland. The Sutherland Company began sponsoring teams during the late 1930s and ultimately laid claim to 18 Kalamazoo City League championships, seven state amateur championships (six consecutive), and two national titles.

Sutherland began to reach its peak during the late 1940s when the team landed its first state title in 1946. “It was not an easy job,” explained former player Ivan Forster in a 1999 Gazette article, “all the city league players at that time had to work at the place they represented in the league… It was a year-round process, lining up college players for summer jobs and getting others who were not in college on our payroll.”

In July 1948, a massive crowd was on hand to see the Sutherlands take on the Chicago White Sox in an exhibition game at the Western Michigan College of Education (WMU) Hyames Field. During the late 40s, Lacosta “Punk” Smathers replaced Ivan Forster as field manager, and ultimately led the Sutherland team to a pair of Amateur Baseball Congress Stan Musial World Championships.1949 was “an amazing season” (Ga-zette) for the Sutherland team. The Papermakers won 46 games in a row during the regular season, and finished with a 53-5 overall record. Sutherland then went on to win 16 of the 18 games played during the postseason playoffs, including the national championship ABBC Little World Series. Not to be out-done, Sutherland repeated the feat two years later, winning a second national amateur title in 1951. The Sutherland Company (later KVP Sutherland, the

Brown Company, and then James River) sponsored teams in the Kalamazoo City League through the 1955 season.By the 1980s, however, city league baseball in Kalamazoo was in trouble. From its peak of popularity during the 1950s and a strong resurgence of participation during the 1970s, the league barely managed to survive the 1981 season with just three teams. Renewed efforts and the incorporation of the Kalamazoo Amateur Baseball Association (KABA) kept amateur baseball afloat for a few more seasons, but after 1989, the Kalamazoo City League was no more.

Story courtesy of Kalamazoo Public Library. More local history stories and photos at kpl.gov/local-history

Sutherland Paper Company

Kalamazoo City League Baseball

and the The 1946 Sutherland Paper Company baseball team

JUNE 2014 7 spark

Worlds Smallest Auto Comes to KalamazooWilliam Clark of New Way Service is bringing the new Cannon Ball car to Kalamazoo. The car has a wheel base of 84” and weighs 250 pounds. With a little help, the car can be picked up and lifted into the smallest parking spaces. It can carry up to 450 pounds and reach a top speed of 20 mph.

June 13, 1936

Oldest Work horse in the U.S. Queen, owned by John Roelof, Galesburg dairy farm operator, is believed to be the oldest horse still working in the United States. Queen is 35 and has been hauling a milk or ice cream wagon for the past 30 years. She is in excellent health and behaves like a colt as soon as her harness is strapped on.

June 28, 1936

Worlds Largest Tire Here June 27The world’s largest tire, weighing 3,900 pounds and valued at $5,000 will be in Kalamazoo from 1 to 3 on Saturday. The tire will arrive from Benton Harbor and has been exhibited in virtually every state. It will be displayed at the Hathaway Tire Company at Michigan and Westnedge Ave.

June 26, 1931

Woman Stops SneezingBattle Creek-As suddenly as she started a week ago, Mrs. Pearl Wakefield, 26 stopped sneezing Wednesday. Physicians were in doubt as to what caused the sudden cessation.

November 15, 1934

I am fascinated with quirky old stories, and over the years, working in the newspaper industry,

I have accumulated more than 500 of these little gems. This is the latest installment in a series, with more to come in future issues of Spark.

{ {

World records

spark 8 JUNE 2014

COnGRATULATIOns TUesdAY TOOLMen2014 sTAR AWARd ReCIPIenTs! The Tuesday Toolmen volunteer group began as a “grass root” pro-gram for Senior Services, Inc. in Kalamazoo nearly 20 years ago with four retired, civic minded individuals that wanted to give back to the commu-nity. Today, that number has now grown to include 20 Tuesday Toolmen that meet each week on Tuesdays for coffee, donuts and their day of service and fellowship.

The Tuesday Toolmen are a group of retired individuals that unselfishly volunteer their skills, talents and tools to provide emergency home repairs, safety and accessibility modifications to low-income seniors in Kalamazoo. Their mission is to promote and enhance the safety and well being of older adults, adults with disabilities and those who care for them. Some of the many tasks and repairs that they do include installing grab bars and handrails, smoke detectors, building wheelchair ramps, conducting Home Safety Evaluations, as well as a vast array of handyman type fixes and projects.

The volunteers are all registered through R.S.V.P. (Your Invitation to Volunteer.) and oper-ate through the Home Repair Program at Senior Services of Southwest Michigan, which is the leader in providing aging care and assistance to seniors in our area. Senior Services provides 21 different services ranging from Meals-on-Wheels to Home Health Care. With the mission of keeping seniors safe and secure in their own homes while promoting their independence, the Tuesday Toolmen became a perfect fit for the local, ever evolv-ing non-profit agency. The Home Repair program also receives funding through a City Development Block Grant from the City of Kalamazoo, funding from the Area Agency on Aging, United Way as well as private donations.

In 2013, the Tuesday Toolmen volunteers contributed a total of 2,231 volunteer hours, which equates to $49,394 worth in volunteer labor. “By utilizing the Toolmen volunteers, our Emergency Home Repair program is able to reach even more seniors in need, en-abling the program to stretch our grant funding even further by utilizing volunteer labor as opposed to contracting out to a service provider for pay,” says Program Manager/Vol-unteer Coordinator, Brian Penny. Last year, the program completed 165 home repairs, provided 97 barrier free renovations and built 14 accessible ramps.

“This volunteer group really deserves the recognition; they are an amazing bunch of guys!” says Brian Penny. “They range in ages from 63-88 years young and I am constant-ly amazed by their commitment and stamina. Each volunteer brings a unique set of skills and knowledge base to the program. All of the Toolmen are retired individuals that come from very diverse backgrounds, from a retired detective, tradesmen and engineers to factory supervisors, Chemist and a patent attorney. These retirees are continuing to prove that their skills can still be utilized and put to work for the greater good and to help others less fortunate.”

“I look forward to each Tuesday and working with these guys, it’s like being around 20 of your favorite uncles” says volunteer coordinator Brian Penny. “They always manage to make the job fun and educational while mentoring me along the way. Not only do I glean a bit of wisdom and insight on every topic imaginable from repair tips, to health, to politics, but they taught me the secret to longevity; always keep active in mind, body and spirit and appreciate your blessings. Most of all be sure to leave this world a little better than you found it. I tell them, when I grow up, I want to be a Tuesday Toolmen.”

Brian Penny is the Program Manager for the Home Repair Dept. at Senior Services of Southwest Michigan and the volunteer coordinator for the Tuesday Toolmen Volunteer Program.

toolmen tuesday

By Brian Penny

JUNE 2014 9 spark

Cool as a Cucumber! ~ by Laura Kurella

For more great recipes, visit laurakurella.com. Laura is host of Radio Recipes- a LIVE show that airs Tues. mornings at 7:15 am (EST) at 99.3 FM - True Oldies radio

Cu-slaw

Slice the cucumber into sticks and toss into a bowl.

Dice chillies, adding as much as you like then add remaining ingredients and toss gently.†

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving and be sure to toss again before serving.

Approximate servings per recipe: 2. Per serving: Calories 175; Fat 4g; Sodium†545mg; Carbohydrate†34g; Fiber†2g; Sugar 29g; Protein†3g.

1 cucumberRed chillies, to taste2 tablespoons poppy seeds1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar1/4 cup sugar1/4 cup water

Cucumbers are cool and by that I mean more than just that their inner tempera-ture being up to 20 degrees cooler than the outside air. The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome, all prized it, not only as a food but also for its health benefits.

Containing the two compounds - ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and caffeic acid, cucumbers can prevent water retention and when used topically, can reduce swelling under the eyes, skin irritations, inflammations, bedsores, burns, sun-burn, scalds and even heat rash.

Rich in fiber and containing the beneficial minerals silica, potassium and mag-nesium. Scientifically known as Cucumis sativus, cucumbers belong to the same family as watermelon, zucchini, pumpkin and other types of squash and, according to

spark 10 JUNE 2014

The Kalamazoo Climate Change Coalition (KCCC) is a group of citizens and organiza-tions that are committed to addressing climate change on a local scale. The coalition is comprised of working groups that coordinate projects that will mitigate the effects of cli-mate change by disseminating climate resources and empow-ering community members to take action. The KCCC was created in 2013 by founders Ashley Anne Wick and Sarah Reding of the Kalamazoo Nature Center.

Currently, the coalition consists of six working groups. Storm Water Action Group (S.W.A.G) recently secured a grant to sell rain barrels at a reduced cost to Kalamazoo residents. On May 17th, the group held a “Roll Out the Barrels” pick-up event at the WMU community gardens with a rain barrel demonstration. The Sustainable Gre-enways Working Group is brainstorming ways to connect different entities that are working to green the Portage Creek area with a leader in Kelly Clarke (Kalamazoo Land Bank). The KalamazEE (Energy Efficiency) Working Group is collaborating with local graphic design students to create materials that compile all of the energy efficiency programs currently in our community. The group realized that there were many pro-grams and incentives that many community members did not know about.

The Communities Working Group is working on a commu-nity’s needs assessment in or-der to better understand how to work with communities in re-sponse to climate change. This group is headed by Dr. Brian Petersen (WMU Environmental Studies faculty members). Our Food Systems group is looking at aspects of farming and food building in the community. Members of this group recently helped organize and attended a food justice workshop at the People’s Food Co-Op. Lastly; we have a temporary subgroup that is working on PACE (Prop-erty Assessed Clean Energy).

This is a new and innovative way for commercial prop-erty owners to pay for energy efficiency upgrades, on-site renewable energy projects, and

water conservation measures. PACE financing has many features that can uniquely solves barriers to the adoption of energy efficiency measures. The KCCC is pooling community efforts to get PACE funding in Kalamazoo County. PACE would be a boon for business owners that wish to increase their energy efficiency and reduce costs.

As the coalition grows in strength, Kalamazoo residents can look forward to a brighter, more sustainable, future due to the work done by the KCCC and community. Visit naturecenter.org/ConservationStewardship/ClimateChange for more information.

Lisa Panich, Kalamazoo Nature Center, lpanich@naturecenter.org (269) 381-1574 ext. 38, www.naturecenter.org

Addressing Climate Change LocallyThe Kalamazoo

Climate Change Coalition

JUNE 2014 11 spark

SCiSSorS Beat PaPer

Jake Ruiz really started to focus on art in his mid 20’s after being encouraged by his roommates, who were artistic, to be creative. He became obsessed early on with the mashing of found images together to create something new. His early collages were quite rough, but still engaging, and were much more of an obvious nod to pop art than his current works. Jake considers him-self a completely self taught artist. His progression entailed a lot of trial and error, but his basics have always been the same: scissors, glue and found images.

Jakes states that one of the real plea-sures of working as a collage artist is the endless possibilities of rearrang-ing found images into something new. He believes art is a gift that needs to be shared humbly. The artist as a magician is an analogy he particularly likes.

Art has become, for Jake, an alter-nate world. It has the ability to take him to a place of calm and focus. In a way he uses art as a form of medi-

Jake CreateS art

tation. It calms him and gives him a sense of purpose on a daily basis. The process of creating something beautiful for the world to enjoy is one of the greatest things about be-ing an artist.

Jake grew up in Berrien Springs, but has lived in Kalamazoo for many years. He also lived in Chicago for 3 years and spent a year on the coast of Maine.

Jake gets most of his “found images” from old National Geographic’s, but also likes to use pictures of old statues and photos of Renaissance artist’s paintings.

All of Jake’s collaging is done with scissors, glue and found photos. None of his work is done with Pho-toshop or computer programs. He does scan his completed collages to enlarge for shows.

Jake lists Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Henry Darger as three of his favorite artists.

Jake can be reached at jakebruiz@yahoo.com

spark 12 JUNE 2014

museON. 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.

JUNE 2014 13 spark

The secret Life of Walter MittyActor/director Ben Still-er makes a decent go at breathing new life into a classic story by James

Thurber that was originally adapted in 1947 with Danny Kaye playing the lead. Thurber disliked the MGM film and I suspect that as an artist who cared deeply about his work, he’d find few remains of his classic tale of a so-cially awkward introvert prone to viv-id daydreaming in Stiller’s ambitious yet uneven attempt. It’s a movie with a heart even if it’s one that is cloying and flavored with a simplistic “just do it” spirit. Stiller’s Mitty fantasizes as a means to escape his life of corpo-rate downsizing and failure to find love. As a heroic everyman willing to brave danger to save a damsel in distress, Mitty finds agency, meaning and purpose (the hyper-masculine sort of course) but then again, that’s only a narrative exercise that takes place between his ears. It’s when he’s propelled by urgency, self-interest and romantic inspiration that our ill-at-ease hero pushes aside his fear and anxiety, leading to the kind of self-discovery one finds in adventure but also the sort found in every self-help book (live life to the fullest dude!). Stiller’s harmless, family-friendly and entertaining take on a classic is worth a viewing for its reimagined Mitty and superb cinematography but you may want to simply head to the library and pick up Thurber’s story for the substance.

The Great BeautyPaolo Sorrentino’s mesmerizing film The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) is a trium-

phant depiction of a conflicted man standing at an emotional crossroads. Both wry in its biting humor and satire, it is a powerfully visual film (crane shots, close-ups, pans, track-ing shots, slow motion, zooms—the entire kitchen sink) with boundless charity toward plumbing the emo-tional depths of universal themes (death, regret, lost love, artistry, spiri-tual desire) from within a carefully sketched milieu (Rome’s glamorously debauched and powerful).

Confronted with both the ubiquity of beautiful things found in every-day moments (the radiant smile of

a young child, ancient sculpture, an early morning sunrise) and the grotesque and decadent trappings of Rome’s high society, well-tailored flaneur Jep Gambardella, hops from party to party, engaging in vacuous conversation that leaves him bored and wearily wondering whether being the “king” of the vapid souls of conga lines and performance artist flunkies is worth his growing ennui. When he learns of the death of a woman he had a youthful affair with many summers ago, our protagonist begins to soul search in between attend-ing parties for 104 year old Saints (a dead ringer for Mother Teresa), a trip to the Botox shaman and a visit to a magician who makes giraffes disap-pear. Much of that contemplation on the frivolousness of his life takes place during quiet strolls back to his lonely bachelor pad and this is where some of the most touching scenes of the movie take place. Sumptuous in its portrait of Rome’s scenic beauty and borderline whimsical in a way that echoes the fantastical leanings of Fellini, The Great Beauty is just that, a magnificent spectacle of visual eye candy that poetically affirms our human yearning for something other than self-absorption. Lastly, this film has an eclectic soundtrack that really enhances the film. Musicians include Arvo Part, The Kronos Quartet, and Damien Jurado. Far and away my favorite film from last year, The Great Beauty is also available to stream from Hoopla.

PhilomenaThis is the true story of one woman’s pursuit for answers to ques-tions long dismissed by an institution of power

and secrecy. For Philomena, her story begins as a young, unmarried teen saddled with the birth of a son in a socially conservative Ireland dur-ing the 1950’s. Teen pregnancy was considered a moral sin that required a person’s atonement according to church practices. Taken in by a lo-cal abbey, she was coerced to sign away her parental rights, forced into performing labor and tragically witnessed the selling of her child to an American couple. Decades later, having stumbled across a former journalist and political spin doctor who was looking to revive his career by penning a “human interest” story for a magazine, Philomena sets out on a journey toward emotional clo-sure and to learning about her son’s life in the United States. As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but wonder if reading the memoir wouldn’t have been a much better way to learn about Philomena’s story. Judy Dench and Steve Coogan are skilled actors but they can’t save much of the film’s uninspired focus on the odd couple’s personal quirks and arguments about faith, most of which makes up much of the film prior to the charged finale.

Reviews by Ryan Gage, Kalamazoo Pub-lic Library. These great titles are avail-able from the Kalamazoo Public Library.

MovieReviews

spark 14 JUNE 2014

Phil renuart.You never know when Phil Renuart gets behind the wheel what he’ll be driv-ing, but chances are it will outdate him, and he just celebrated his 80th birthday.

Renuart and his wife, Donna, are owners of about a dozen classic cars, ranging from a 1904 two-cylinder, 10 horsepow-er Holsman high-wheeler motor buggy to a 1945 Army Jeep, his most recent purchase, which is just like the ones he used to work on when he was in the service from 1954 to ‘57.

“I’m very diversified; whatever strikes me I pick up,” the longtime Kalamazoo Burger King franchisee said.

Renuart has been interested in cars for as long as he can remember, but wasn’t able to pursue owning and driving them as he wished until he was in his late 40s.

“In high school I had a couple of old ones … (but) then I had to drop out (of collect-ing) because of family obligations for a while,” he said. “You get more serious about them as you get older and don’t have so many obligations.”

Renuart has friends who do the body work and upholstery for him, as well as much of the mechanical work that he used to do himself.

One of his pride-and-joy vehicles is a 1923 Kissel Gold Bug, “a gentleman’s speed-ster, which is not very fast in today’s world,” he said.

The Gold Bug, which was on display at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Cor-ners for the Dust Off Car Show on May 10, was part of a classic-car collection in Chicago, then was sold to A.C. Baker in Battle Creek, who willed it to his daughter, who sold it to Renuart.

“I’ve had it nearly 20 years, but it took a while to get around to restoring it,” he said. The Gilmore event “was the first time we’ve had it out since we had it all back together.”

He’s also anxious to show off his 1931 Packard, which has recently been re-chromed and painted. “They’re all drivers,” he said, “it’s just that I don’t have enough time to drive them.”

In addition to the Gold Bug, Renuart has a 1908 four-door, seven-passenger Kissel touring car with jump seats. Produced two years after the automobile maker went into business, “it’s the oldest-known running Kissel,” Renuart said.

Another of his prize cars is a 1909 Chalmers-Detroit, also a four-door touring car. Chalmers later merged with the Maxwell Automobile Co., which ultimately was absorbed by Chrysler.

Renuart is hesitant to choose a favorite, but when pressed he picks the one that played a role in his and Donna’s wedding day 23 years ago.

“I hate to be partial, but I’d have to say a 1935 Auburn four-door convertible sedan,” he said. “The day we got married I drove in it. She even had to help push to get it started one time.”

“They’re all adventures when you take them out,” he said.

a Passion to Preserve the classics from the past

By Dave Person – david.r.person@gmail.com

Photo by John Lacko

JUNE 2014 15 spark

bob haas. Back in 2003 when Bob Haas, of South Lyon, first-laid eyes on the 1955 Ford Fairlane, he was not impressed.

The owner knew that Haas, a member of the Crown Victoria Association, col-lected Fords from the mid-’50s and saw it as a chance to get rid of the eyesore. He wanted a mere $300 for the four-door sedan.

Haas reluctantly agreed to the deal and forked over the money.

“I took it home and put it in my shed because I was working on a couple of other cars,” Haas said.

When he finally got around to examin-ing it more closely he realized he had a prize. “It only had 35,000 miles on it although it was very rusty … because it

sat in a real wet garage for a number of years,” he said.

Haas, who has been “playing with cars” for more than 30 years, began to ponder what he could make out of it. Would it be a police car? Or a taxicab? “I like unique things,” he said.

“I had … Coca Cola stuff down in my basement that I wanted to display some day and I thought, ‘Let’s make it a dinette car.’”

So Haas cut the roof off, welded the back doors shut and took the backseat out, replacing it with a flat black and white floor, antique table and benches.

He painted the car in Coca-Cola red and white and added an ice cream sundae bar, a Coke machine and a gumball machine.

His modifications have been a big hit wherever he goes, including to Florida, where he and his wife, Lorraine, live as snowbirds in the winter; the World of Coke in Atlanta, where he was warmly received at the soft-drink headquarters; and at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, where he displayed it at the May 10 Dust Off Car Show.

“I get lots of compliments on it,” he said.

Want to check out some old cars?Here are a few examples of car shows coming up in the next couple of months:

Gilmore Car Museum, Hickory CornersClassic Car Club of America “Grand Classic”9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 31

Classic Car Club of America Museum “Grand Experience”9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 1

34th Anniversary Vicksburg Old Car Festival9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, June 14

Parchment Kindleberger Summer Festival – Cruisin’ Car Show10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, July 12

Schoolcraft 4th of July Celebration – July 4th Car Show

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The doctor and the dinosaurs: A Weird West Tale by Mike Resnick

Mixing the Western with Steampunk, author, Mike Resn-ick creates a fun read of the Old West. Doc Holliday is given an extra year to live as long as he can stop two paleon-tologists, Edward Drinker Cope and Orthniel Charles Marsh, from digging in Comanche burial grounds. The threat is that the Comanche medicine man will resurrect the very dinosaurs Cope and Marsh are trying to discover and devour anything or anyone getting in their way. On his way, Holliday runs into his old friend, Theodore Roosevelt who can’t resist the adventure and

joins Holliday on his quest.While The Doctor and the Dinosaurs seems like a stretch at first, Resnick draws the reader into the story with his writing style and never lets go until the finale. Anyone who likes Westerns or Steampunk will be treated with an entertaining story.

dukes, dukes, and more dukes by Kieran Kramer

You need more Dukes? You have been through

the Cynsters and are clamoring for more? Kieran Kramer is an author to take a look at. Her two series, Impossible Bachelors: When Harry Met Molly; Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right; Cloudy With A

Chance Of Marriage; If You Give a Girl a Viscount; and House of Brady: Lov-ing Lady Marcia, The Earl is Mine, Say Yes to the Duke, and The Earl with the Secret Tattoo combine lush drawing rooms and sexy dukes with a sprin-kling of the wit and contretemps out of a Georgette Heyer novel.

In Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right, Lady Poppy Smith-Barnes has sworn she will only marry for love, and to ward off her last 12 proposals, she has told them of her soon-to-be-announced engagement to the Earl of Drummond. He is a figment, so she thinks, of her Cook’s imagination, so she is safe. Imagine her consterna-tion when Nicholas Staunton, Earl of Drummond, appears at a ball, armed with a mandate to become leg-shack-led immediately so as to escape the public scrutiny that an “Impossible Bachelor” receives, attention that interferes with his work as a spy for His Majesty. A fun romp.

Lillian and dash by Sam Toperoff

This novel explores the private and perhaps unknowable aspects of

Dashiell Hammett, author of The Mal-tese Falcon and The Thin Man series, and Lillian Hellman who penned the plays Little Foxes and The Children’s

Hour. Hammett and Hellman’s rela-tionship evolves over three decades during Hollywood’s heyday, the New York literary scene, the Spanish Civil War, McCarthyism, and both world wars. Toperoff reimagines the ecstatic attraction and often emptiness of a fast-living, hard-drinking, creatively brilliant literary couple through their individual passions, politics, and liter-ary creations. We experience the highs and lows of their popularity, literary masterpieces, political activism during world wars, the Spanish Civil War and later the McCarthy witch hunts.

As often happens in novels taken from actual lives, truth and fiction get twist-ed together. What one hopes to garner is a sense of who the characters and actual historical figures were and what it was like to live when they did. In the case of Lillian and Dash, Depression-era Hollywood through Hammett’s burial in Arlington National Cemetery in early 1961 is depicted intimately. Through letters, dialog, and narrative we feel the ups and downs of this tu-multuous time mirrored in Lillian and Dash’s conflict-ridden, tenacious and nurturing relationship.

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.

Book Reviews by the Portage District Library staff

Book Reviews

JUNE 2014 17 spark

ATTENTION GOLFERS!WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN 2 FEET AND 2 FEET?

By Kurt Pugh

Say what? – when it comes to putting the difference between 2 feet and 2 feet is nothing…or everything? How’s that?

Let me explain. When it comes to put-ting - the difference between 2 feet and 2 feet is everything if:you are consistently leaving your initial putts 2 feet or less short of the hole – be-cause none of those putts will ever go in. But if you putt with enough speed to go 2 feet or less past the hole – some of those putts will go in – and when it comes to putting some putts going in the hole is a whole lot better than none – believe that!

On the other hand - the difference between 2 feet and 2 feet is nothing because: whether you leave your initial putt short or long of the hole – the dif-ference between taping in from 2 feet short or 2 feet long is nothing – because 2 feet = 2 feet. So don’t “baby” your

initial putt and be afraid to go past the hole – it’s better to consistently tap

in from behind the hole be-cause at least you are giving your initial putt a chance to go in.

(You can find helpful tips like this in my book “Master

golf…and you master life itself.” available on Amazon.

com.)

Well, when it comes to putting, nothing….or everything.by Kurt Pugh

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Kathy and Maria go to Washington!

Kathy Coats (left) and Maria De-neau (right) recently returned from Washington DC after attending the Alzheimer’s Association’s National Forum from April 7-9! This disease has affected Kathy and Maria, both personally and professionally. As local constituents, they were able to see first hand, some of the new research, poli-cies and legislation that will affect this disease and help end it while provid-ing more resources for those affected and their families.

On April 9th, they joined over 800 other constituents from around the

country “storming Capitol Hill” as lo-cal advocates. Maria states that, “To be able to humanize this disease to mem-bers of Congress with my own story (mom is in end stages) was extremely powerful. This is the most expensive disease in America with costs set to skyrocket in the next decade!”

You can support the Alzheimer’s Accountability Act to your local reps and senator online.

You can also go to (and “like”) the Kalamazoo Gals Advocates for Alzheimer’s, Facebook site.

JUNE 2014 19 spark

MICHIGANPICKERSPaving BricksBefore the advent of cement and asphalt, roads were paved with bricks. Most were eventually torn up or paved over but a few, such as Academy Street running up through the middle of Kalamazoo College, still remain.

Several years ago, Jerry and Donna Wilinski found a few of these “paving bricks” and have been hooked ever since. Their collection now numbers over a thousand.

At one time, there were thousands of brick companies across the country. Many stamped their name in the brick and this is what collectors look for and collect.

Besides these large, dark colored paving bricks, collectors also look for the smaller, lighter, fire bricks.

Some of the Wilinski’s favorite bricks include ones from the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exhibition in Chicago, and a brick from 1918, stamped with the message, “Don’t Spit on the Sidewalk.” Jim explained that in this period, their was a flu epidemic. The sick would spit on the streets and the women’s long dresses would drag on the ground, coming in contact with the germs and then infecting them and their families.

The Wilinski’s have a large paved area behind their house with hundreds of different bricks from around the country. They also have a large garden area full of old bricks, rusty typewriters and other fun artifacts.

Kalamazoo did not have a large brick company but the Wilin-ski’s do have a few tiles stamped “Kalamazoo,” found on the banks of the Kalamazoo River.

Jerry and Donna travel around the country to swap meets

hosted by the International Brick Collectors Association. In 2010 an IBCA swap meet was held in Kalamazoo and collec-tors from around the country came to the Wilinski’s house.

If you would like to find out more about this interesting hobby, feel free to call the Wilinski’s at 269 38-3471.

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ThE KALAmAzOOBANK STREET FLEA mARKET

Every Wednesday 8am-2pm(and holidays)

Off Portage Road – same location as the Farmers Market

A great selection of inexpensive antiques, books, tools, dishes, jewelry, sporting goods, etc.

You never know what you will find!

JUNE 2014 21 spark

When Ellie and Roger Heacock were raising their three small children many years ago, their church, the Community of Christ, chose the fam-ily for its annual Christmas generosity project. “They showered our children with gifts and they showered us with food,” said Ellie, a 66-year-old Kalamazoo native who in the years since has lost both her husband and a son. “The church has been very important to me with the loss of Roger and my son, Leon.”

The church’s spirit of generosity also reflects on Ellie’s own spirit, a life-long desire to help other people in need, a spirit that has magnified since Roger died one year ago after 47 years of mar-riage. Not long after he died, Ellie started volun-teering, first as an usher at the Civic Theater and, since joining the Senior Services’ RSVP program last fall, a number of other areas: the Medicaid/Medicare Assistance Program, Project Connect, the Senior Services Ambassador, an administra-tive assistant for two Senior Services departments and the Region IIIA Area Agency on Aging preven-tive health program. That’s not all. She also is a volunteer fingerprint tech for Kalamazoo Township Police and is taking classes at Cornerstone University for a degree in non-denominational ministry leadership. “I have

it worked out so that I volunteer three days each week and the other days I go to school,” she said. “That pretty-much fills my time. If I get the least little bit bored I look for new ways to give back to the community. There are so many people who need help and it makes me feel good to be able to help them.” Ellie worked at several companies over the years and took an early retirement from SignArt where she was a project manager for four and a half years. She took the early retirement to

devote full-time care to Roger. All together, she was his caregiver for 14 years. “Volunteering is something that I want to do, that I feel led to do,” she said. “There are so many people who are hurting, who need help. If I can bring a little sunshine into their lives it makes me feel good, that I’ve accomplished something.” More information about volunteer activities is available from RSVP Director, Tracie Wheeler at Senior Services of Southwest Michi-gan, 269-382-0515. information about RSVP and volunteer opportunities is available from RSVP Director Tracie Wheeler at Senior Services of Southwest Michigan, 269-382-0515.

Volunteering: By Bill Krasean RSVP Advisory Council Volunteer

Full Plate of Volunteering, Full Heart of Giving

spark 22 JUNE 2014

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, serving the counties of Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph, was created to address the quality of care and quality of life experienced by people who reside in licensed facilities, such as nursing homes, adult foster care and homes for the aged.

Recently, our Lead Ombudsman, John Weir, retired after 26 years working as an ombudsman. John literally helped thousands of residents, their families, and facility staff to provide the best care and environment possible. John also assisted on a state level, working with legislators to pass meaningful legislation, especially in the area of elder abuse.

Kelly Jonker, BSW, has been our area’s long-term care ombudsman for the past 5 years. Kelly learned the ropes from John, after working as a nursing home social worker and AAAIIIA Information & Assistance Specialist. Kelly invites you to contact her when you have unresolved questions or concerns about care in a licensed facility and she wants you to know about the rights of nursing home residents, some of which are listed below:

• Therighttoliveinacleanandsafeplaceandbelistenedtocarefullyandspoken to respectfully

• Privacyinreceivingcare• Beinformedaboutmycareplanbeforeitgoesintoeffect• Allowmyfamilyandfriendsoranombudsmantolookatmyrecords• Attendsocialandreligiousactivities,insideoroutsidethefacilityandtovote• Sendandreceivemailunopenedandusethephoneprivately• Participateinchoicesaboutfood,activities,andhealthcare• Receiveawrittenaccountoffundshandledbythenursinghome• Receivea30daynoticeaboutbeingdischargedalongwithmyrighttoappeal

and the name and phone number of the Ombudsman

Kelly can be contacted at 269-373-5161 or 1-866-485-9393.

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Ready to Help

Judy Sivak, MSW Director, Area Agency on Aging IIIA, 3299 Gull Rd., Kalamazoo, Phone: 269-373-5173 (Info & Assistance Line)www.Kalcounty.com/aaa

Kelly Jonker, BSW

JUNE 2014 23 spark

HEALTHY LIVING

Walking is a safe, simple and effective form of exercise if you follow the three S’s-shoes, stride and surface.

SHOES. Not all walking shoes are good for walking. If the shoes that you are wearing are not the correct ones, then you could be setting yourself up for problems, such as plantar fasciitis, muscle pulls and knee problems. Walking shoes should be light weight and flexible, in good condition and the correct size.

•Lightweight: Walking shoes should be light weight while providing support cushioning•Flexibility: If you have shoes that don’t bend and you can’t twist them, they are

too stiff for fitness walking. Walking shoes should be flexible so you don’t fight them as your foot rolls through the steps.

•Good Condition: The cushioning and support in your shoes degrades over time. You should replace your shoes every 300-500 mile.

•Correct size: Your feet swell when you walk for a long distance or time. Your walk-ing shoes should be larger than your dress shoes if you walk 30 minutes or more for exercise.

Get fitted for the right shoes at a technical running shoe store in your area. The athletic shoe experts will make sure that you get the shoes that are flexible enough for walking and sized right for swelling when you fitness walk.

STRIDE. Walking the right way can give you better health, fitness and attitude. It can also help you walk faster and more smoothly. The correct shoe will prevent slapping or flapping of your feet by providing flexibility and cushioning. Another way to help prevent slapping feet is to strengthen your shins, ankles and lower legs

The EssentialsOf Walking

by doing toe raises frequently.

One mistake that many walkers make is overstriding. Overstriding is to lengthen your stride by reaching out further with your front foot. This leads to a clumsy gait, as it causes you to strike hard with your heel. This can also cause your shins to hurt but you don’t walk any faster. If you are trying to walk faster, concentrate on taking shorter quicker steps and roll through with your back leg which gives you a good push off.

SuRFACE. Where you walk is as important as how long you walk. In inclement weather, walking indoors is a good option. Walking on a track does provide more cushioning for your feet and an even surface that prevents potential injuries. To burn more calories, try walking on grass or gravel rather than the sidewalk or track. Of course, walking uphill will build your strength and stamina and burn more calories but you will want to shortened your stride as you begin to climb the hill.

Now that you know the three S’s, it is time to put on those walking shoes and start moving!

By Matt BarrettaYMCA of Greater KalamazooActive Older Adult Directorwww.kzooymca.org

spark 24 JUNE 2014

and no more no gas for vehicles.. There are a few dozen or more folks that spend the winter on the island and either stock up in advance for many months or take a plane over to the mainland for groceries, medical appointments, etc.

Our initial reaction an hour or so after arriving on the island was, “What are

we going to do for 4 days?” We quickly found that limited cell phone service, riding bikes all over and siting and talk-ing on the beach was very relaxing. One morning , we awoke early and noticed a lighthouse out on a point several miles to our right. We hoped on our bikes and found a very rough trail through the woods back to the lighthouse. Along the way, we spotted the remains of an old steam engine on its side, deep in the woods. When we arrived at the lighthouse

we saw private property signs in front but were able to walk around and enjoy the beauty . As we sat and relaxed, we heard talking and were surprised to see a half dozen kayakers rounding the point. We later learned that they were head-ing to Drummond Island the next day.

We saw a note at the store about Saturday’s Ice Cream Social, Antique Car Show and Book Sale at the Community Center.

Having nothing on our calendars, we headed in and were served scoops of ice cream out of large buckets and got to know some of the folks on the island. The car show consisted of 4 or 5 vehicles that were still being used for transportation on the island.

In the small museum, I read that Bois Blanc was ceded by the local Chippewa to the U.S. federal government in 1795. During the War of 1812, U.S. Navy Captain Arthur Sinclair’s fleet took shelter at the island while waiting to attack the British at Fort Mackinac and in 1880 the island provided a haven to alleged murderer Henry English who escaped from Pennsylvania authorities before his trial. He was apprehended on Bois Blanc by Pinkerton agents.

Bois Blanc is not for everyone in that there is little in the way of shopping, golf or nightlife, but if you are looking for a very relaxing, peaceful place, not overrun by tourists, you will find it very enjoyable.

By Steve Ellis

Taking the ferry over to Mackinac Island, I had always wondered about the large, wooded island to the right.

I did a little research and learned that it is called Bois Blanc and you reach the island by way of a ferry out of Cheboygan. The island covers 34 square miles, is 12 miles long, six miles wide and contains 6 lakes. The natives pronounce the name “Bob Lo”

I convinced some old camp-ing buddies that this would be fun and we headed to Cheboygan. We boarded the ferry that has been run by Plaunt Transportation since 1923. They charge $60 per ve-hicle and $17 per adult. This ferry service is a little more low-key than the Mackinaw ferries. We paid in the back of an old dark building and boarded the ferry a mile or so up the river from Lake Huron.It is a short 20-minute ride over to the island. The Bois Blanc Visitors Center at the dock is a small building with a few notes on a bulletin board with notes like: “Jim and Carole! -We will be back Tuesday -The Carlson’s.

We headed to the far side of the island to find the campground. The entire island is dirt roads and the road leading to the campground was a two-track. An old wooden sign proclaimed “Bible Road.” I was later told told that “Bible” was the name of the family that once had a farm near the campground. We found a half dozen or so camping spots tucked back into the woods near the rocky beach. The campsites had no electricity or facilities but we did find an old outhouse with no door back in the woods. Mackinac Island could be seen to our left and was very pretty at night

Bois Blanc’s main hub is the Hawks Landing Island Store and Restaurant. The “store” is a small room in back selling the basic essentials.

The island also has Barb’s Boblo Tavern with a small TV and wooden shuffle-board table. We spent time here watching the Tiger games. The bartender told us that by the end of October, Hawks Landing and the bar close for the winter

Tales roadfromthe

~ Bois Blanc, mi ~

JUNE 2014 25 spark

Short Game KeysFor Better Scoring

Paul SimondsHead Golf Professional/InstructorEastern Hills Golf Course

Let’s face it it’s not rocket science that everyone can take strokes off of their scores by improving their short game. Here is a simple way to improve your chips and pitches.

The biggest flaw I see as an instruc-tor is breakdown in the left wrist on chips and pitches. I hear a lot of people say keep your wrists stiff when you chip and pitch. I’m a big believer in feel around the greens. If you toss a ball underhand to the hole your right wrist will always have a little hinge. I believe you need that with chipping and pitching too.

Practice hitting chips with differ-ent clubs but focus on allowing the club set a little on the backswing. Your focus should be on your follow through. Watch and make sure your hands finish past your left leg. If that happens it’s virtually impossible to have left wrist breakdown.

A good drill is to take an alignment stick and run it up between your hands and club so it extends up your left side. If you finish properly it will finish away from your body. If you flip or try scooping the ball it will hit you in the side for instant feedback.

Do this drill with short chips and pitches when you practice and you’ll see the strokes drop off those scores.

spark 26 JUNE 2014

SPECIAL EVENTS Greek Fest, June 5-7, Arcadia Festival siteArt hop, June 6, Downtown KalamazooArt on the mall, June 6, 7-Downtown KalamazooKalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair, June 6-7, Bronson ParkRed Sea Pedestrians, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, June 6, 6-8pm, FREEDo-Dah Parade, June 7, Downtown Kalamazoohidden Kalamazoo –Tour historic locations in Down-town Kalamazoo, June 14, 15 337-8804 for infoKalamazoo Farmers market, Saturday’s 7am-2pmBank St Flea market, Every Wednesday Kalamazoo Bicycle Club 2014 Season www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org for detailsGilmore Car museums Vintage motorcycle Ride, June 7Vintage motorcycle Show, June 8 ,$10, Gilmore Car Museummichigan horse Drawn Vehicles Assn, June 7-8, Kal county Expo Center, 517-712-7085Kalamazoo Brewery & history Walking Tours, Every Sat, $19, 205-4894 for detailsKalamazoo Pride, June 13-14, Arcadia Festival siteUltimate Air Dogs & Dog Show, June 13-15, Kal County Expo CenterVicksburg Old Car Festival, June 13-14, Downtown VicksburgIsland Festival, June 19-21, Arcadia Festival siteSouth haven harborfest, June 19-22, South HavenThe 14th Annual Irish Fest of Kalamazoo, Presented by The Irish American Club of Kalamazoo to Benefit Kalamazoo’s Loaves and Fishes , Fri June 27, 4:30pm-Mid, Sat June 28 10:30am-Mid, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, Downtown Kalamazoo, kalamazooirish.org Super Summer Flea & Antique market, June 7, Kal County Expo CenterShakespeare in hollywood, June 10-22, Barn Theatre 731-4121Waterfront Film Festival in South haven, June 12-15, 857-8351Case of the Dead Paparazzi, June 13, 8pm, Downtown Kalamazoo 337-8295Air zoo Trip – Detroit Tiger Baseball – Wednesday, June 18. Contact Tamra at 269-350-2815 or visit the website at www.airzoo.orgOpen house: Grassland Birds & Pastures, June 10, Kellogg Farm-Pasture Dairy Center 671-2402Ice Cream Social, Ladies Library Assn. Bldg, S. Park, June 7, 10am-2pmPlant Sales, June 7, 8am-3pm, 2129 Ames Dr, North side of West Lake, Fundraiser for Petal Pushers Gar-den ClubThe United States Air Force Band, Airmen of Note, June 23, 7:30pm, Miller Aud. 387-2245 for infoParade of homes, June 20-28, 375-4225 for ticket infoGalesburg Community mkt, Every Sat across from HardingsThe Classic Car Club of America museum will host the “2014 Grand Experience, June 1, $10, Gilmore Car MuseumCheff Center-Cowboy Trail Run, Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, June 1, 731-4471Greater Galesburg Days, June 21, Downtown Gales-burgKalamazoo Reptile and Exotic Animal Show, June 21, Kal County Expo CenterKalamazoo Record Collectors Show, June 22, Kal County Expo CenterCelebrate Friends Tea, June 24, W.K. Kellogg Manor House, 671-2400Kal Valley Antique Tractor Show, June 27-29, Gilmore Car MuseumArt in the Park at milham Park, June 28, 349-1185Kal County 4-h Open horse Show, June 28-29, Kal County Expo Center

YmCA OF GREATERKALAmAzOO1001 W. maple St., 269-345-9622Blood Pressure Clinics: Tues, June 3, 3p-5p, Wed, June 18, 11am-1:30pm, Fri, June 13, 10am-12pm, Thu, June

26, 1pm-3pmDiabetes Support Group Monday, June 16, 1:30p-2:30p,. Learn information about living with diabetes, exchange recipes, and meet new friends Chapel“Y” Book Read Group, Fri, June 20, 1:30-3pm, , “First Phone Call from Heaven” by Mitch Albom. ChapelSilverSneakers Yoga (formerly YogaStretch), Wed. 9:30am-10:30am. Members free/ $30 Community.SilverSneakers Classic (formerly muscular Strength and Range of movement), T/Th 11a-12p. Members free/ $58 Community. SilverSneakers Splash (formerly SilverSplash), M/W/TH 3p-4p. Members free/ $87 Community, 2 times a week, $75 Community. Tai Chi for Arthritis, T/TH 10a-11a, $32 Mbr/$48 Com-munity. Instr: Glenda Van Stratton. 345-9622 x127.SilverSneakers Circuit (formerly CardioCircuit), M/W 11a-12p, Members free/$58 CommunitySilverSneakers Cardio (formerly CardioFit) New class, T/Th, 1:30p-2:30p Members free/$58 CommunityDrums Alive, Wed 3pm-5pm, Member free/$24 Com-munityzumba Gold is Back Fri 1:30-2:20pm, Members free, $42 Community

YmCA OF GREATERKALAmAzOO Portage Branch 2900 West Centre Ave., 269-324-9622Blood Pressure Clinics, June 2, 10:30a-12:30p. YogaStretch, Friday 11:45a-12:30p Members Free, Community $23.muscular Strength and Range of movement, Monday 1p-2p, Members Free, Community $30, Wednesday/Friday 10:30a-11:30p, Members Free/ $60 Community Soothing Yoga, Friday 9:30a-10:30a, Members $27, Community $42

COmSTOCKCOmmUNITY CENTER269-345-8556Bell Ringer’s Choir, Mon 10am-12pm, all levels wel-comeBingo: Every Thursday at 1pm. Bring a $1.00 value item in a paper sack. Free.Bridge: 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month, 1pm. This is a group of experienced players. 324-2404 to sign up to play. 50 cents to play. Ceramics: Tuesdays, 1-3pm, $5 per week includes sup-pliesConversation Cafe: Every Tues, Wed, Thur. at 11:30am. Enjoy a home cooked meal. Call by noon the day be-fore to order. Cost is $5 and includes beverage. Flex & Balance Tuesday 9:30-10:30am . $2 per class, can use your punch card. Foot Care Clinic: 2nd Monday of the month. Please call 345-8556 to make an appt. Cost is $25 per visit. Knitting and Crocheting: Every Mon and Wed, 1-3pm, FREELine Dance: Wednesdays at 9-10:30am. Cost is $2.massage: Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s by appoint-ment only. Cost is $20 for 1/2 hour and $40 for hour.mystery Lunch: 3rd Wednesday of month, 11am-3pm. Must be able to walk. Call to register. Cost is $3 and lunch cost in on your own.Out to Breakfast: 8:30am. Meal cost is on your own. June 3 @, Bob Evans on Stadium Dr, June 17 , Rykse’s on Stadium DrOut to Lunch: 11:30am. Lunch cost is on your own. June 27 @ Mar-Jo’s in SchoolcraftPotluck: 3rd Monday of each month at noon. Bring a dish to pass and your own tableware. Free .Tai Chi , Mondays at 5:30pm-6:30pm $5Texas Hold ‘em Poker: Tuesdays at 12:30 pm. Begin-ner’s welcome. Free. Therapeutic Swim Class: Comstock Community Cen-ter Water Class‚ meets every Tues and Thur from 10-11am. (269) 552-2358. Cost is $40 for 8 week class. TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly): Every Tuesday 5pm-7pm. 383-0312. Membership is $26 annually.

Wellness Drumming: Thursday’s, 9:30-10am. $2Yoga: Thursday’s, 10-10:30am. $2zumba: Thursday’s, 6:30-7:30pm. $3Beeswax Candles Class: June 23, 10am-12pm, $15Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park Excursion: June 16, 11am-6pm. $40Father’s Day Lunch: June 12, 11:30am-1pm. $6Fly Away Clutter Class: June 25, 10-11amFREEGrowlers Baseball Game Excursion: June 1, 4:30-9pm. $5Lifeline Screening: June 23, 8am-5pm. 800-324-1851 fro detailsOut to Dinner: June 19, 5-8pm. Crane’s Pie Pantry,$5 plus meal cost, June 30, 5-8pm @River Lake Inn in Co-lon, $5 plus meal costBrown Bags, Amish Traditions & haystack Dinners, June 19. $109Detroit market & Casino Excursion: July 1. $50 345-8556Crossroads Village and huckleberry Railroad Excu-rion: July 10, $56 , Detroit Tigers vs Cleveland Indians, July 20th. $190, 345-8556

ECUmENICAL SENIOR CENTER702 N. Burdick Street, 381-9750monday - Exercise, Free Blood pressure 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Bible Study 1 to 2 p.m.Tuesday – Craft (knitting) Ceramic Class Instructor: Tina Krum Cost $4.00 per classTrip to Beauty School – 3rd Tuesdays of each monthWednesday– Bible Study 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Medicine Check 12:30 p.m. - Book ReadingThursday – Scrapbooking 10:00, Spanish Class, (six week class) and Community Prayer Circle @ 2p.m.Friday – Computer classes @10:00, Bingo @ 10:30 a.m. Lunch 12:00; 1:30 p.m. - Wii Bowling, games, and movies.Grocery Bingo- 2nd Friday in each month Monthly Birthday Celebration, Bible Study monday - 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Wed. 10:30 to 11:30

PLAINWELL COmmUNITY CENTEREUChRE Tuesdays 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. singles or couples.ENhANCE FITNESS Mon, Wed, Fri, 1-2pm Jazzercise M 6:15-7:15pm & T & Th 6-7pm $zumba M-W-F 6-7pm $

PORTAGE SENIOR CENTER269-329-4555AARP Smart Driver Program, Thurs, June 9, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., $15 AARP mem or $20 non-AARP mem-bers. Reg at PSC.Alzheimer’s Assoc. Support Group, 7-8:30pm 3rd TuesArt Club, 1:00 p.m., Mon, PSC Members only.Bid Euchre & Other Cards, 6:30 p.m. Tues. New play-ers welcome. PSC members only.Big Screen movie: Monday, June 9, 1:15 p.m. “Winged Migration” View the movie for free; popcorn 50 cents.Bike Club (PSC), Wed, 8:30am, May-OctBilliards – 12:30 – 4:45 p.m., Tue, Thur, Fri. Mem only.Blood Pressure Clinic, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., 2nd ThurBody Rebound, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m., Mon, Wed, & Fri all month. Non-aerobic exercise class. 8-weeks: $42/$52 non-mem. Register at PSC. Bridge – Relaxed Pace, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., Mon and Wed all month. Relaxed pace, won’t you join our group? PSC members only.Bridge, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Tues and Fri all month. Expe-rienced players welcome. PSC Members only.Canasta Club, 1:15 p.m., Mon. Exp and beginning play-ers welcome. Lessons available. PSC Mbrs only.Chair Volleyball Drop-in Play: 1:00 – 2:30 p.m., Tues The PSC offers free, drop-in play come and try it out. PSC Members only.Choir Practice, 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Community Service Van (CSV) Program Transporta-

tion, 8:30 – 1:00 p.m., Mon - Fri. Trans. available for PSC programs or PSC lunch. Call 329-4555 for apptmtComputer Tutoring: Paul S., 12:00 -1:00 p.m., Mon and Wed and Gordon H., 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, Mon & Fri Reg at PSC, members only. Fee $10/hr.Cribbage, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m., Mon, no fee. You’re wel-come to join our group. PSC Members only.Dining Out Club - Dinner, 5:00 p.m. Mon, June 2, Brann’s Steak House 700 MLK Blvd.,Portage Hosted by Hal & Shirley Ray. Advance reg PSC 329-4555 by prev bus day is required. Self-pay.Dining Out Club - Breakfast, 8:30 a.m. Tue, June 10, Tiffiny’s, 3271 W.Centre, Hosted by Hal & Shirley Ray. Advance reservation at PSC 329-4555 by prev bus day is required. Self-pay.Dining Out Club -Lunch, 11:30 a.m. Thur, June 19 Café Meli, 5200 Portage Rd, Portage Hosted by Hal & Shir-ley Ray. Advance reserv at PSC 329-4555 by previous bus day is required. Self-pay.Dominoes, 1:00 p.m. 2nd and 4th Fri. New players welcome. PSC members only.Enhance Fitness, 8:10 – 9:10 a.m., Mon, Wed, and Fri. Improve fitness, muscle strength, & balance. 8-week: $42/$52 non-member, . Register at the PSC. Euchre, 1:45 – 4:45 p.m. Wednesdays. New PSC mem-bers/players welcome.Foot Clinic, 12:15 – 4:00 p.m. Thur by appointmentFused Glass Flower or Bug Stakes Workshop by West michigan Glass, Friday, June 20, 10:00 a.m. $42/$52 non-members. Register at PSC.Laptop Intro to Office, 10:00 – noon, Wed. 7 weeks. Royce Bland teaches Microsoft Office. $24/Mem only. Register at PSC.Loaves & Fishes Bag Recycling – Bring your plastic & paper bags to the Center the first week of the month.Lunch, 11:45 a.m. (Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri) Reserva-tions required, call Senior Services at 382-0515. mah Jongg, 1:00 p.m. Tues. New PSC members wel-come.Ping-Pong, 3:30 – 4:45 p.m., Mon and Thur. Have fun and exercise at this drop-in event. Equipment pro-vided. Members only.Pinochle Double Deck, 1:00 p.m., Friday (1st, 3rd, 5th). PSC Members only.Pinochle Single Deck, 1:00 p.m. Thur, PSC mbrs only.Poker Night – Just for Fun, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. on 2nd Tuesday. Free. Dealer’s choice poker game, call PSC for more information. PSC Members only.Portage Rotary, Noon on Wed.Potluck, 2nd Tuesday, June 10, 5:30 p.m., Register at PSC.PSC Band Practice, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m., Tues. New play-ers welcome! For schedule or more info call 329-4555. PSC Members only.PSC Social Golf League, Thursdays, 9:00 AM at States Golf Course – register at 329-4555. Event is self-pay.PSC Needlers, 9:00 a.m. – 12 Noon, Thursdays. Knit-ting and crocheting. Items made are donated to chari-ties. New needlers welcome.PSC Trip Office, open for res (324-9239), Tues and Fri, 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Quilting, 1:00-4:00p.m., Fri all month. Bring quilting supplies. New quilters welcome.Readers’ Theatre, 2nd and 4th Wed , Recycled Card Project, 10:30 a.m. – noon, Tues. New PSC participants welcome, members only. Make new greeting cards from used cards. Red hat Society, if you are interested in joining this group, contact Marie Tucker at 375-2104.Reminiscence Writing, 10:30 a.m. Wed Write and share essays/poems, family history, travels, etc In-structor: Wilma Kahn, MFA, DA. 7 wks, Fee: $32/$42 non-member, register at PSC. Scrabble, 1:00 to 4:45 p.m. 1st and 3rd Frid. New members welcome.Silver Sneakers Splash, 11:00 – 12 noon. Tues and Thurs. Aquatics based exercise program held at YMCA Portage, designed to build strength, increase range of movement. Fee: Pay at YMCA Portage, $60/7 wks. PSC or “Y” Members only. Sisterhood Group, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., 2nd Fridays. Sisterhood is a women’s social group that meets the second Friday of each month. Welcome new “sisters”.

COmmUNITY CALENDAR

JUNE 2014 27 spark

Stay Independent – Prevent memory Loss, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m., 2nd Thursday. Instr: Suzanne Gernaat, fee $7/$9non-member per ses. A discussion/activity groupStrength & Stretch, 9:20 a.m. – 10:20 a.m., Monday and Wednesday at PSC.$42/$52 (7 weeks) Instructor: Joy MorrisT’ai Ji, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., Tuesdays. Instructor, Ed Ke-hoe, 7-weeks. Fee: $42/$52 non-member. Register at the PSC. Three C’s: Coffee · Cards · Conversation, 2:00 p.m., 1st and 3rd Saturday. Bring a snack to pass. Informa-tion: 329-4555. Members welcome.Walkers with Walkers, 9:30 a.m. Crossroads Mall Tues. and Thurs. PSC Members only.Walking - Daily, 8:30 a.m., Mon – Sat at Crossroads Mall, Food Court entrance.Wii Bowling, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Tues. Have fun with this video game bowling league without spending $$ at an alley. PSC Members only.Woodcarving, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Tues. PSC member’s free/non-members $3.00/wk.Yoga, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m., Mon. 8 weeks. Christine Peck-els, Location: St. Catherine’s of Siena – Stanley Center. $72/82Non-members.zumba Gold, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Mon, 8 weeks. Instructor, Gretchen Pouliot, $26/$36 Non-members.

SENIOR SERVICES OF SOUThWEST mIChIGAN269-382-0515Lunch M-W at 11:45am. Reservations must be made by noon, one day in advance. 382-0515. Bingo: Mon. 11:00-Noonmedicare medicaid Assistance Program: Mon-Fri, call 1-800-803-7174 to make an appointment. “Swinging with Susan” Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program, M & W, ALL fitness levels. 10:00am-11:00am. Susan Iervolina. $30/7wks (14 classes)TOPS for Seniors. Mon. Lose weight with support and encouragement ($3 per month) 12:00-2:30pm Ballroom Dance. MON. (basic and intermediate) $25/8 weeks. 3:15-4:45pmArt Painting. Tue. Bring your own supplies and enjoy the fellowship. No fee. 9:30-11:30am TimeSteppers. Senior tap class with Sue Forrester. Be-ginners welcome. Tues. & Thurs. 9:30-10:30amhelping hands. Tue (June 10 & 24) Knit/crochet items to distribute to community agencies. 1:00pm-4:00pmVisually Impaired Group. WED (June 4 & 18) Support for the visually impaired. 10:30am-12:00pm Senior Foot Clinic, Wed ($25, & bring bath towel). 344-4410 for appt. 10:30am-4:00pmGrief Support: Counselor available for support. Weds. 10:30 am-11:30 am. Call for datesTai Chi w/instructor Ed Kehoe. $5/week, 1:30pm-2:30pmIntermediate/Advanced Ballroom Dance. W 3:15-4:45pm Don and Ann Douglass instruct advanced steps of this popular dance style. $25/8 weeksBridge Experienced Players TH 12:30-4:00pm Friends & Fun Dance ($5.00 per person) Live enter-tainment. Thurs.(May 8) 7:00pm - 9:30pmLine Dance Fri 10:00-11:00am . Susan Iervolina leads this advanced class. $35/7weeks.Prime Time Players Rehearsal. Talented seniors per-form for the community. –Fri. 1:30pm-3:00pm Blood Pressure Clinic (Last Wed only-June 25). Free check and monitoring. 11am-12pmFriends and Fun Dance: ($5.00 per person) Live en-tertainment. Thurs.(June 12t & 19) 7:00pm - 9:30pm

RIChLAND AREA COmmUNITY CENTER629-9430 Senior Ballroom Dance-3rd Sun of the Month, 2-5pm Tai Chi Weds. Beg class 4:30-5:30/Intermediate 5:30-6:30 ,$5Yoga w/Sherry King: Mondays 12-1, Wed, 9:45-10:45 $10 per sessionGentle Yoga w/Cathy Tucci: Tues/Thurs. 10:15-11:15am Sliding fee for Gentle Yoga: 49-under $10, age 50-59 $8, age 60-69 $6, 70 and above $3 per class. Buy 10 classes and receive the 11th free!Swingin/Exercising with Susan (sponsors: Laurels of Galesburg)Tues/Thurs. 10:30-11:30, $3 per classEuchre: Weds. 12:30-3:00Bridge: Mondays: 12:30-3:30hand and Foot (cards): Weds. 12:30-3:30Book Discussion Group: 3rd Thursday, 9:30-11RACC Drop-in Coffee hour: every Tues/Thurs. 9:30-10:30

Senior Dining Coupons sold on Tue 9-1, Weds, 9-5Square Dancing/Line Dancing/Round Dancing: 3rd Sat. 7:30-10 pmPainted Lady Studios Art Class: Wed. 9:00 am-12:00 pm. $30

SOUTh COUNTY COmmUNITY SERVICES Weekly Fitness classes, Out-to-eat, Matter of Balance Class, Line Dancing Class, Tai Chi, flu shot Clinics 649-2901 for info

ThREE RIVERSSENIOR CENTERPhotography, Calligraphy, Polymer Clay Beading, Open Art Studio, Bridge Club, Hooping, Arthritis Ex-ercise, Balance Exercise, Bingo, bunco, Book Club, Breakfast club, massage, hair cuts, computer classes, wifi, wii. Call the COA for dates and times at 269 279-8083.

Plan Your TripU.S. 12 FAR EAST, A SAUK TRAIL, June 12. . $73 members, $83 others. Portage Senior Center, 269-324-9239. “ThE LAST ROmANCE”, June 18, Purple Rose Theatre, Jackson/Chelsea. Portage Senior Center, 269-324-9239.“ThE LOOK OF LOVE”, July 3, Tibbits Theatre in Cold-water and to Marshall. 324-9239“ThE LOOK OF LOVE”, July 3, Tibbits Theatre in Cold-water and to Marshall. ChICAGO CUBS VS. COLORADO ROCKIES, July 31 to Wrigley Field. A CULINARY WALK, August 13 to Saugatuck. “RING OF FIRE”, Johnny Cash Musical, Aug 21, Corn-well’s Turkeyville in Marshall. ShOJI TABUChI, August 22, Auditorium Theatre in Shipshewana, Indiana.

KALAmAzOO COUNTY mEAL SITESNutritious hot lunches are served by Senior Services Inc. to people 60 and older at Kalamazoo County meal sites. To reserve a lunch, call the Nutrition Center at 269-382-0515 by 1 p.m. the day before you plan to visit. A cost-sharing donation is suggested for each lunch. Here are the meal sites, their addresses and the days they are open:Coover Center, 918 Jasper St., 11:45 a.m. Mon-Wed.Crossroads Village, 6600 Constitution Blvd., 11:30 a.m. Mon-Fri.Dillon hall, 3299 Gull Rd, 11:30 a.m. Mon-FriEcumenical Senior Center, 702 N. Burdick St., 11:45 a.m. Mon-Fri.Evergreen Community Room, Evergreen North Com-plex, 5700 Vintage Lane, noon Mon-Fri.Northwind Place Apartments, 1004 Douglas Ave., noon Mon-Fri.Portage Senior Center, 320 Library Lane, 11:45 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.Spring manor Friendship Center, Spring Manor Apts, 610 Mall Drive, Portage, noon, Mon-Fri.Spring Valley Crossing, 2535 Mount Olivet Road, Parchment, noon Mondays-Fridays.Washington Square Friendship Center, Washington Square Apartments, 710 Collins St., noon. Mon-Fri.

ST. JOSEPh COUNTY mEAL SITESThe St. Joseph County Commission on Aging helps co-ordinate lunches for people age 60 and older at three meal sites and 11 participating restaurants.Call 800-641-9899 or 269-279-8083 for information on how to make reservations, which are required by 10 a.m. the day before you plan to visit. A cost-sharing contribution of $2 at meal sites and $3.50 for restaurant vouchers is requested for each lunch.Meal sites, their location and the days they are open are:Kline’s Resort meal Site: Fridays Noon-1:00p.m.Sturgis Senior Center, 304 N. Jefferson St., Monday-Friday.Three Rivers Senior Center, 103 S. Douglas Ave., Mon-day-Friday.

New Residents Welcome!Crosstown Parkway Senior Apartments

550 W. Crosstown Pkwy. Kalamazoo 344-3968Professionally Managed by Medallion Management, Inc.

TTY 800-649-3777

Apartments- Immediate Occupancy- 1 Bedroom Apartments for 62 years and up. - Gas and electric included. - New countertops and oak cabinets, plus new appliances.- Rent based on 30% of income.- In-house medical alert system. Community Health Directions services on site. - Small Pets welcome with deposit.- Free heat

RENT BASEDON INCOME