The Digest
What’s Happening at KVCC
What’s below in this edition
Fun on Fridays (Pages 1/2)Our Art Hoppers (Pages 16/17)
Groundbreaking (Pages 2/3) SSC events (Page 17)
‘Adults in Transition’ (Pages 3/4)Downtown project (Pages 17/18)
A big ‘Deal’ (Pages 4/5) City’s early days (Pages 18/19)
Wellness screens (Pages 5/6)4 sky shows (Pages 19/20)
Senior Games (Pages 6/7)ValleyOne update (Pages 20/21)
Life’s secrets (Pages 7/8)Police academy (Pages 21/22)
‘About Writing’ (Pages 8/9)ISAAC leader (Page 22)
5 interns (Pages 10/11)Edison streets (Pages 22/23)
‘Spirit of the Mask’ (Pages 11/12)Turkish Festival (Pages 23/24)
College Night (Pages 12-14) 2 pick KVCC (Page 24)
3 in ‘ArtPrize’ (Pages 14/15) ‘The Poetry Feast’ (Page 24)
And Finally (Page 24)
☻☻☻☻☻☻
U2 sky show, Art Hop concert open ‘Friday Night’
While Kalamazoo is not a stop on U2’s current “US 360o Tour,” the legendary rock band's music is still coming to town, complemented by the Kalamazoo Valley Museum's updated planetarium technology.
To kick off the new "Friday Night Highlights" programming at the museum as part of the Oct. 2 Art Hop in downtown Kalamazoo, "U2" -- the planetarium show -- will debut that Friday evening at 8:30 and play return engagements through the end of the calendar year and into 2010. Tickets are $3.
Prior to the "U2" Kalamazoo premiere, the museum will launch the series with a concert by guitarist Micaela Kingslight from 6 to 8 p.m. in the first-floor gallery. That performance, along with the December Art Hop concert, is free, but later "Friday Night Highlights" events will have fees -- $3 for a movie and $5 for a concert.
Kingslight’s show will coincide with the release of a CD of her music. The break-dance group Kalamacrew will be part of the attraction as well.
With a laser-light show in full color streaming across the planetarium's 50-foot dome, the 35-minute production will feature the classic hits of the Dublin, Ireland, combo that has earned 22 Grammys, sold 146 million albums, and warranted induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility.
Though a solo performer, guitarist Kingslight uses audio loops to season her concerts with depth and diversity. Raised in a musical family that was frequently on tour, she was a recording artist by the age of 5 in Taos, N. M., and a member of the Austin Girls Choir in Texas as a 9 year old.
She's been a Kalamazoo resident since 1994 when she realized that the guitar came naturally to her. By the age of 17, she was performing in local and regional venues, developing her brand of pop-music style. She's also a teacher of guitar and various musical styles at Kalamazoo College and the Crescendo Academy of Music.
Kingslight was selected to receive an Emerging Artist Grant from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation and used that financial support to record 12 of her original compositions. She has also been involved in the Kalamazoo Blues History Project.
Here the "Friday Night Highlights" schedule through the end of January:
Oct. 9: The Tom Hanks-Denzel Washington 1993 movie, "Philadelphia."
Oct. 16: Celtic and folk music by String Cheese.
Oct. 23: The 2004 version of "The Phantom of the Opera."
Oct. 30: "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein," a 1948 comedy as part of Halloween 2009.
Nov. 6: Hoot Owls and the group's style of bluegrass and country music.
Nov. 13: The 2008 film "Twilight."
Nov. 20: "Miracle on 34th Street," a 1948 flic to kick off the holiday season.
Dec. 4: A free concert by the Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra.
Dec. 11: Carmea, the trio that won the 2009 Fretboard Festival play-in competition at the museum.
Dec. 18: The 2002 movie "8 Crazy Nights."
Jan. 8: Music by Belfast Gin.
Jan. 15, 22 and 29: The movies "Cutting Edge,” "Miracle," and “Cool Runnings,” respectively.
The doubleheader opening of "Friday Night Highlights" at the museum and the succeeding attractions are being supported by a grant from the KVCC Foundation.
Campus expansion about ready to start
The first major construction on the Texas Township Campus since the Student Commons project was completed in the fall of 2001 is about ready to start.
A ground-breaking ceremony for the $12-million renovation and expansion is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday (Sept. 30) at 1:30 p.m. and the college community is invited.
Once that first shovel of dirt is turned, completion of the phased project should take 15 months.
The first two components will be:
- Building a 30,000-square-foot, two-level addition on the west end of the campus adjacent to the “A” gymnasium to house the Student Success Center, the Office of Admissions, Registration and Records, the Office of Financial Aid, the Office of Institutional Research, and the college’s central-receiving functions. Included in this new wing will be a large lecture hall with a 150-person capacity.
- Installing a permanent parking lot for 250 vehicles at the northwest corner of the campus and O Avenue on the other side of the ring road. The plan is to have the area asphalted before the snow arrives.
“There will be a domino effect as each phase is completed,” says Mike Collins, vice president of college and student relations. “When the addition is ready for occupancy, all of the departments and offices will be moved there.
“As these functions are relocated,” he said, “that will free up space in the central part of the building to construct 10 new classrooms. Once that phase is completed, eight existing classrooms adjacent to the current faculty offices on the east end will be converted into additional office space, conference rooms, and student-friendly waiting-and-reception areas.”
The other phases include:
● A 6,000-square-foot interior remodeling where Central Receiving and Facility Services are now located. In addition to the latter, that space will also be the new home of the Office of Financial Services and the pay station, both functions of which will be closer to the new student-service wing. In the vacated space, the college will install a multi-purpose science lab. The relocating of Central Receiving to the outer part of the new addition will make it easier for large trucks to make and pick up deliveries.
● Remodeling, upgrading and restoring the existing geology and physics labs.
“While the construction of the main addition will be somewhat out of the way of students,” Collins said, “the other phases will be a bit more intrusive. We’ll try to get those components done during the summer months as much as possible.”
Dollars for such projects are banked in capital funds by the state and by the college, and are not part of each’s general fund. Michigan’s formula for higher-education projects has not changed from past years. Each community college and the state provide 50 percent of the costs.
The Kalamazoo architectural firm of Eckert Wordell is designing the expansion and remodeling, while the Miller-Davis Co. will serve as construction manager.
Bids for the site work, foundations, landscaping and underground utilities were due by Sept. 16.. The second bid package for the rest of the project is scheduled for Oct. 13.
Overseeing the project is a steering committee whose members include Marilyn Schlack, Collins, Laura Cosby, Terry Hutchins, Deborah Dawson, Ron Young, Steve Walman and Rick Margelis.
Under that group will be subcommittees that focus their attention on components of the project.The smaller subgroups of college personnel will target these individual components of the project.
They will help outline the implications of construction on daily operations and incorporate any last-minute suggestions.
Helping adults find a new career path
Adults who are facing career changes, downsizing by their employers, and other situations resulting in job layoffs are invited to a comprehensive, evening seminar at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
“Adults in Transition" is slated to begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, in the Student Commons on the Texas Township Campus and run to 8:30. It is free and open to the public. It will be preceded at 5 p.m. by a one-hour Community Resource Fair.
Because the number of participants is limited to 200, pre-registration is required at or by calling (269) 488-4744.
Among the seminar sessions will be the employment outlook for Southwest Michigan, a presentation on job-search strategies, and a discussion about the importance of networking.
Also planned is a follow-up session to the fair titled “Utilizing Community Resources.”
Among the speakers will be Brian Pittelko, a research associate for the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
Speaking about the importance of networking and the impact of unemployment will be Doran Lefaive, who is part of the networking ministry operated by the St. Catherine of Siena Church in Portage for more than five years. More than 100 people have found employment and remain connected via an e-mail networking group.
Panelists will talk about community resources such as Michigan Works! and the college’s system of academies that are available for this sector of the population and how to tap into what’s available. Human-resource personnel will also talk about what they look for in a resume and offer tips for having an effective job interview.
Jointly sponsoring “Adults in Transition” are KVCC’s Office of Prior Learning Assessment, Office of Career Services, and Office of Student Employment. All are under the umbrella of the college’s Student Success Center.
Such a deal, and KVCC in line for ‘Deals’ award
KVCC’s activities in promoting wind energy and the training of technicians in this emerging alternative source of power has been nominated by Business Review West Michigan magazine as a finalist in its 2009 “Deals of the Year” awards.
In all, the weekly magazine had designated 26 finalists in eight categories for its 2009 “Deals” salutes that honor the most significant business transactions in West Michigan that took place between Sept. 1, 2009, and Aug. 31, 2009.
Winners in the eight industry categories will be named during a black-tie gala Oct. 23 at the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids. Finalists will be featured in a special print edition Oct. 22, as well.
Also nominated in the education category was Michigan State University for securing a nuclear-research facility and the Battle Creek Food Training Institute. Other categories are health care, the life sciences and biotechnology, construction and development projects, real estate, business services, manufacturing, and alternative-energy initiatives.
Other Kalamazoo-area nominees are the city of Battle Creek for its downtown revitalization, the terminal expansion at the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport, the coming of the Gun Lake Casino, the purchase of Pfizer’s office complex in Portage, and Mann & Hummel adding jobs at its Portage plant.
Last July, KVCC’s foray into the arena of alternative-energy production via its Wind Energy Center based at the M-TEC received one of the publication’s annual Innovation Michigan awards for 2009.
As reported by the magazine, KVCC “is leading the way for wind-energy research and education in Michigan” as illustrated by its M-TEC becoming the national training headquarters for Entegrity Wind Systems Inc., a leading manufacturer of wind turbines that erected a 145-foot, 50-kilowatt unit on the Texas Township Campus.
Stated Jim DeHaven, vice president for economic and business development: “The Wind Energy Center improves the image of KVCC in the state and nation. It also helps improve Kalamazoo’s reputation with manufacturers.”
He also told the magazine that in October, KVCC will become the first school in the nation to host a 26-week academy to train wind-turbine technicians in the installation, maintenance and repair of the giant turbines that are clustered on wind farm.
To produce the next generation of wind-energy technicians, KVCC has also established a one-year certificate program. It began with the fall semester as has a multi-discipline eight-credit course in which students will be designing a wind turbine, fabricating its components, assembling the power-generating unit, and making certain it produces electricity.
Employee-wellness assessments begin at ACC
Sue Avery, a registered nurse who is the wellness coach and coordinator for Holtyn and Associates, will be conducting free wellness screenings and counseling from Tuesday (Sept. 29) through Oct. 30 for full-time KVCC employees and their spouses who are both either new to the college’s program or continuing participants.
Website willing, KVCC’ers and spouses can book their own 30-minute appointments through their own computer instead of making a telephone call. This can be done by going to the Holtyn website: and following the directions.
Avery will be at the Arcadia Commons Campus for employees in Anna Whitten Hall, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and the Center for New Media this Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (Sept. 29-Oct. 2). Tuesday slots are available from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Texas Township Campus appointments begin on Oct. 7 and here is the schedule:
- Oct. 7 -- 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Oct. 8 – 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Oct. 9 – 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Oct. 12 – 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Oct. 19 – 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Oct. 21 – 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Oct. 22 – 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Oct. 23 – 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Oct. 26 – 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Oct. 27 – 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Oct. 29 – 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Pct/ 30 – 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
While payoffs in the past have focused on one’s personal and individual health, it is now starting to pay off in the pay checks of employees.
The one-on-one appointments include a glucose analysis, an HDL and cholesterol evaluation, a blood-pressure check, a body-composition reading, an assessment of cardio-respiratory fitness, an overall health survey, an individual fitness assessment, and a personal consultation.
The 30-minute screenings can be done on work time. For more information, contact Blake Glass, manager of the college’s Employee Wellness Program, at extension 4177 or or Avery at (269) 267-3712 or . She can be contacted for assistance in enrolling in the wellness program for the first time and in registering spouses.
All full-time staff, faculty and administrators – and their spouses -- are encouraged to sign up for this college-sponsored program, even if previous screenings had not identified any health risks.
Participants should wear comfortable, loosely fitting clothing. Short-sleeve tops are recommended. Fasting is not required, but it is advised not to consume caffeinated beverages two hours prior to the assessment and to refrain from smoking.
The testing is paid for by the college.
“Our employee-wellness program has been successful in helping to control health-care costs for the college and in assisting staff members achieve their personal goals,” Glass said. “We are hoping for a record number of fulltime employees to take advantage of this service. Hopefully, more participation will mean dollar savings in the long run.”
Shilts guides local squad in Senior Games
In August, Dick Shilts practiced what he preaches – competitive basketball.
The KVCC men’s basketball coach and five other Kalamazooans took part in the Summer National Senior Games on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.
There were 27 teams entered in the 60-64 age division for 3-on-3 basketball and, when the last three-pointer was drained, his Kazoo Cougars came home with 2-4 record.
The local entry split four games on the opening day of the competition, dropping the first two to 3-on-3’ers from Massachusetts and New York. They bounced back in the next two contests, downing the Gunning Geezers from California 61-51 and Alabama’s Smokey Mountain Papas 63-22.
“Our heart-breaker came on Thursday morning,” said KVCC’s athletic director, “when we blew a five-point lead with 34 seconds left. The game went into overtime and we lost to the Bama Boys 60+ 35-31, who had gone undefeated the previous day. Their 6-foot-8 horse stepped out to the arc and drained a triple with seconds left.
“I think it was his first three-pointer since he had become a senior,” said Shilts, ever the coach. “We liked our chances so we let him shoot it – a defining-moment mistake,”
The final game of the six was against Fayetteville’s Finest from North Carolina, a 49-40 loss.
“We outscored our opponents by 20 points,” Shilts said. “We may have been the shortest team there, but we battled hard. One of our players, Andy Lehman, liked to say that we were the best 2-4 team in any of the divisions. We enjoyed playing against guys who were varsity performers at places like Northwestern, San Jose State and Texas A & M.
“When they asked us where we played,” Shilts said, “we said ‘First United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo. I could have said Wittenberg University, but they probably would not have heard of that either. We were dubbed ‘The Local Yokels.’”