🌱 Helping Hands Wellness Center Opens + Comstock Twp. Boil Advisory

Hi all. It's me, Michelle Paul, your host of the Kalamazoo-Portage Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with all the most important things happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: Milder with showers around. High: 64 Low: 56.
• Thursday: A shower and thunderstorm. High: 79 Low: 46.

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

1. The Helping Hands Wellness Center officially opened its doors on Monday, Apr. 17, after holding its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday. The center is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offers free health care services to those in Kalamazoo who are experiencing homelessness, in transition, lack insurance, or are living at 250 percent below the poverty level. Those in need of grant-funded services can seek treatment by appointment or walk-in. (FOX 17 West Michigan News)
2. A portion of the Comstock Township neighborhood is currently under a precautionary boil water advisory until Friday, Apr. 21, at the earliest. The City of Kalamazoo issued the advisory on Tuesday, Apr. 18, due to water infrastructure work that dropped the water pressure in the neighborhood. Residents who live on Merry Brook Street, Cedar Brook Drive, Spruce Brook Drive, Fawn Brook Drive, and Willow Brook Drive are encouraged to boil their water for at least two minutes before consumption. (WKZO)
3. The first phase of construction to convert West Michigan Avenue from Main Street to Harrison Street into two-way traffic is set to begin this week. Over the next two weeks, any drivers in that area will encounter lane shifts as construction workers conduct road repairs to prepare Michigan Avenue for the upcoming conversion project scheduled for 2026. The Michigan Department of Transportation would also like to remind drivers that this week is National Work Zone Awareness Week, and the department would like to encourage drivers to be more aware when driving through work zones such as this one. (WWMT-TV)

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Today and tomorrow in Kalamazoo-Portage:

Wednesday, April 19

• Book Discussion - Fierce Poise: Helen Frankenthaler And 1950s New York At Kalamazoo Institute Of Arts (2:00 PM)
• Dungeons And Dragons Game Night At Kalamazoo Public Library Washington - Square Branch (5:30 PM)
• Earthwork Spring Tour At Dormouse Theater (6:00 PM)

Thursday, April 20

• Tibetan Sound Healing At KP Fitness (6:30 PM)
• Live Music With Neil Jansen At Green Door Distilling (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Looking for your new home? To help in the search, here's a list of some of the real estate properties currently on the market in and around the Kalamazoo-Portage area. (Kalamazoo-Portage Patch)
• The Zeigler Kalamazoo Marathon is taking place this weekend! Runners and spectators will be all over the city on Sunday, Apr. 23, and to ensure a safe race, some streets will be closed until about 2:30 p.m. Find out more about the map of the marathon and potential street closures here. (The City of Kalamazoo, Michigan via Facebook)
• Happy Earth Week! Come celebrate the occasion and take care of our planet by joining the City of Kalamazoo's clean-up event today, Apr. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will work to clean up the Kalamazoo River and local parks! Volunteers will meet at the corner of River Street and Hotop Avenue. (Kalamazoo River Watershed Council via Facebook)

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll be in your inbox soon with 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.