🌱 County Recognizes Juneteenth As Holiday + City Attorney Interviews

Hi all. It's me, Michelle Paul, your host of the Kalamazoo-Portage Patch newsletter. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in town today.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Partly sunny. High: 49 Low: 37.
• Saturday: Snow and rain in the morning. High: 47 Low: 29.

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Here are the top three stories in Kalamazoo-Portage today:

1. The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to approve Juneteenth as a county government holiday during the county board's meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 22. With the new policy, all county government offices will close on Jun. 19 from this year on in observation of the Juneteenth holiday, which will be recognized as a paid holiday for county employees. Commissioner Monteze Morales said of the decision, "I expect to see city and county officials participate in uplifting what Juneteenth really means." (MLive.com)
2. On Thursday, Mar. 23, the Kalamazoo City Commission interviewed the top three candidates they have chosen to replace outgoing City Attorney Clyde Robinson, who is staying in his role until a suitable candidate is selected, and he can move forward with his plans to retire. The three candidates are Royal Oak City Attorney Aaron Leal, former legal counsel for Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, Lewis Smith, and Assistant Corporation Council for the City of Detroit Ivars Steins. Last year, the city commissioners selected Oshtemo Township Attorney James Porter for the role, but Porter had to withdraw during contract negotiations due to personal matters. (WNWN-FM)
3. Kalamazoo fifth-grader Clara Mervak of Northglade Montessori Magnet School will be heading to Washington, D.C. to represent Kalamazoo at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Mervak won the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee in Kalamazoo on Mar. 4 with the word "cyclone." Her expenses for the trip will be covered by Discovery Kalamazoo. (MLive.com)

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Today and tomorrow in Kalamazoo-Portage:

Friday, March 24

• Women's Lifestyle Expo At Kalamazoo County Expo Center (12:00 PM)
• Hip Hop With Speak It Forward At POW/Barnabee Gallery (3:30 PM)
• Immanuel Wilkins Quartet Concert At Western Michigan University Dalton Recital Hall (7:30 PM)

Saturday, March 25

• Protest Art With Frida At Oshtemo Branch Library Community Room (1:00 PM)
• Dragons And Mythical Beasts At Miller Auditorium (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Join Kalamazoo College for a free show sponsored by the Department of Japanese. Katsura Sunshine, a master of Japan's 4oo-year-old art of comedic storytelling called rakugo, will be visiting next month on Thursday, Apr. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts. (Kalamazoo College via Facebook)
• Do you have fresh foods and handmade goods to sell? Join the Kalamazoo Farmers Market as a vendor! Find out more and apply online by clicking here. (Kalamazoo Farmers Market via Facebook)
• Spring recess has arrived at Portage Public Schools! Schools will be out today, Mar. 24, through Friday, Mar. 31. See you back on Monday, Apr. 3! (Portage Public Schools via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! See you soon for another update.

— Michelle Paul

About me: Michelle Paul is a Utah-based writer and photographer with a professional background in content management and registered nursing. When not working on projects ranging from photo editing to copywriting, they enjoy traveling, video games, and expanding their skills.