Kalamazoo’s name is so distinctive strangers around the world have been known to break into song at hearing the name. With such a recognizable moniker you’d think Kalamazoo wouldn’t need nicknames, but through the years changing names have reflected the city’s refusal to stand still. The Zoo, Celery City and the Mall City are a few. The innovative thinking that brought downtown K’zoo the nation’s first pedestrian mall in 1959 continues to work today. Innovators have developed thriving life sciences, biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. They build on the expertise of Kalamazoo’s universities. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Davenport College all are centers of research, development and technology. They surround a downtown vibrating with condos, apartments and homegrown, top-notch restaurants. The universities are woven into the city’s social fabric and contribute to a cultural scene that Kalamazooans love to boast about. The Kalamazoo Symphony, Kalamazoo Institute of Art and a vibrant local theater community are a few of the offerings. Locals also love their festivals that fill the air with music and the scents of ethnic foods wafting over the Arcadia Festival grounds and the Kalamazoo River. Outdoor activities from biking on the Kal-Haven trail to disc golf and standard golf on a nationally-acclaimed course in Milham Park are the start of the city’s leisure side. Sports fans have competitive college teams, minor league baseball and hockey to follow. And it all comes with a Promise. All high school graduates who live in Kalamazoo qualify for a scholarship that pays 100 percent of their tuition at any public university or community college.
When it came to evaluating Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety's response to civil unrest in 2020, consultants say they tried to "find where that truth is in the spectrum. But it’s not all one way or another."
How can we recognize Asian accomplishments in Kalamazoo? Here is a handful of women who can help in that regard.
En las Escuelas Públicas de Kalamazoo se han implementado planes para tratar de asegurar que los estudiantes latinos se mantengan al día con sus lecciones y triunfen académicamente.
A night to get to know your local public safety officers has grown to so much more. This year opportunities to learn how to train for good-paying jobs were part of the celebration in the Northside Neighborhood.
Plans to try to assure Latino students keep up with their lessons and succeed academically have been put in place in the Kalamazoo Public Schools.
Anonymous donors have once again presented a gift that has the potential to transform the City of Kalamazoo.
What youth do when they are out of school can determine their success later on. Organizations that work with KYD Network find youth feel ownership of the projects they're participating in and are therefore more engaged.
There is increasing evidence that exposure to plants and green space, and particularly to gardening, is beneficial to mental health. That's the idea behind a garden primarily for veterans across Southwest Michigan located in Kalamazoo County.
The rate of vaccinations has slowed in Kalamazoo County over the last six weeks. The demand for COVID-19 inoculations has dropped from a peak of 3,000 to 3,500 per clinic during the winter months and early spring, a Kalamazoo County health officials says to 30 to 40 shots per clinic presently.
DeMargeo White was one of 100 who received a Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grant last year and it helped his business move from a part-time gig to a full-time enterprise. This year another 90 businesses will have the opportunity for the same type of cash infusion for their work.
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