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Community input reshapes path for Winchell-Howard school safety plan
Kalamazoo City Commissioner Chris Praedel said the process reflected strong community engagement.
“It’s refreshing to see these outcomes when it happens this way. It does not always turn out this way, and I am grateful that it has — but it only happens this way when everybody is willing to lean in and try something a little bit different,” Praedel said.
The project combines improvements along two corridors — Winchell Avenue and Howard Street — under a single MDOT contract, meaning the elements cannot easily be separated for approval.
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Watershed Voice is an independent, nonprofit civic news magazine based in Three Rivers, Michigan. We seek to highlight solutions to your pressing concerns in an effort to make our community a better place.
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Additional damage assessments scheduled in Cass County following tornado
Three assessment teams will be deployed and will move between affected jurisdictions throughout the day Tuesday and Wednesday. Residents in impacted areas may see officials visiting neighborhoods to visually assess damage from public rights-of-way or, in some cases, briefly approaching properties to document storm impacts.
Local meeting primer: Three Rivers City Commission
Tuesday’s meeting has a short agenda with two business items. However, many residents are expected to attend and speak during public comment about their experiences during the tornado and the city’s response.
Some residents have criticized the city’s response to the storm, including coordination of volunteers and distribution of resources.
Mayor Angel Johnston told Watershed Voice during a phone call on Monday, March 9, discussing the city’s tornado response, that she is frustrated with City Manager Joe Bippus.
“I think it’s time for a new city manager and I’m not afraid to say it,” Johnston said. “That’s what I will probably be saying repeatedly on Tuesday night.”
Local stories hit the big screen at Kalamazoo Film Society’s fourth annual showcase
The event features mostly filmmakers from Kalamazoo and the surrounding region, with films shot in — and in some cases about — the city itself.
One of the featured filmmakers, Jerod Kauffman, created a documentary about the final days of the longtime dive bar Harvey’s on the Mall, which closed after a buyout. Kauffman said he wanted to capture the story of a place that helped define Kalamazoo’s nightlife culture.
“The closure was sudden to everyone — the community and staff — so I wanted to immortalize a place that was loved by so many,” Kauffman wrote to Watershed Voice. “I saw a fence and bulldozer outside the building today on the way to work. I think it’s going to be torn down, so I am happy I was able to capture a piece of Kalamazoo history and the bar that stood and served the community for 40+ years.”
Useless Creatures to donate all of today’s sales to tornado relief
Useless Creatures Brewing Company plans to donate all sales today, Thursday, March 12 to tornado recovery efforts. All of the money will go to The Huss Project who has been organizing volunteers, collecting donations, and providing resources for those in need in the wake of the tornado.
Sturgis Civic Players to present “Anne of Green Gables” March 20–22 at Sturges-Young Center for the Arts
Directed by Elizabeth Smith of Sturgis and adapted from one of the best-selling books in the world, Anne of Green Gables follows Anne Shirley’s journey from a mischievous girl to a young woman, exploring themes of imagination, belonging, and family.
This production spans six years of Anne’s life — from her arrival in Avonlea as a 12-year-old to her young adulthood at 18 as she prepares to set out on her own. The production highlights many of the story’s most beloved moments.
Rapid fire film festival Kazoo 48 returns for its seventh year
Designed to introduce people to filmmaking while also challenging experienced creators, Kazoo 48 gives teams 48 hours to complete a short film between one and six minutes long. Each team must incorporate an assigned genre, line of dialogue, character, location, and prop into their film.
Once completed, the films are judged by a panel of local talent. Awards include prizes for best use of an assigned item and the festival’s signature award — a gold engraved kazoo — presented to the best films in both the amateur and professional categories.
