🌱 New Portage Elementary School + Wear Orange Day At Bronson Park

Hello, everybody! Michelle Paul here with your fresh copy of the Kalamazoo-Portage Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the local information you need to know right now.

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: Breezy in the afternoon. High: 79 Low: 49.
• Thursday: Breezy in the afternoon. High: 77 Low: 51.

From our sponsor:

Today’s Kalamazoo-Portage Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Kalamazoo-Portage Patch newsletter possible.

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

1. The community celebrated the groundbreaking of a new elementary school, the second within two weeks, in Haverhill Elementary School. The project, costing $36 million, will construct a larger school with flexible learning spaces to accommodate 600 students, compared to the current capacity of 450. Portage Public Schools aims to replace five elementary schools, funded by a $175 million bond, to create innovative learning environments and stimulate creativity among students, with Woodland Elementary School being the next in line for replacement. (MLive.com)
2. A crowd of people wearing orange shirts went to Bronson Park on Monday evening for Wear Orange Day to advocate for an end to gun violence. There have been five homicides in Kalamazoo this year. Wear Orange Day is an annual nationwide event in early June started by the Wear Orange organization to bring awareness to gun violence. Many supporters came out to the park to support the gun reform legislation recently passed by the Michigan Legislature. (WZZM13.com)
3. Three Western Michigan University students were honored by YWCA Kalamazoo as 2023 Young Women of Achievement. The honor is awarded to young women who dedicate themselves to improving the community. Morgan Jones, Whitney Lewis, and Sierra Ward were honored at a ceremony held on May 18. The honorees were nominated by local high school, college, and university employees. (WMU News)

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Today and tomorrow in Kalamazoo-Portage:

Wednesday, June 7

• Line Dance At Comstock Community Center (9:00 AM)
• Acrylic Pour Painting At Washington Square Branch Library (3:00 PM)

Thursday, June 8

• Ukulele Class At Comstock Community Center (10:30 AM)
• Talk Read Sing Playgroup At Washington Square Branch Library (10:30 AM)
• Bingo At Comstock Community Center (1:00 PM)
• Summer Concert Series: Motortown At Central Park (7:00 PM)

In partnership with T-Mobile:

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From my notebook:

• The Kalamazoo State Theatre will celebrate Pride Month on Jun. 17 with "Queer the Block," held outside at the theatre. The event is sponsored by DRUE and the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. There will be beats by DJ Dazzleship and a drag show at the event. (Kalamazoo State Theatre via Facebook)
• The Portage Parks and Recreation Department has released its program schedule for June! There are many exciting events in June including a Paddlesports Sampler, a Smart Cycling Program, and IdeaWorx Workshops. You can learn more and register at here. (The City of Portage via Facebook)
• The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre is taking registration for its "Summer on Stage" series for young people. There are two classes being offered, including "We Haz Jazz," where students will learn about the history of jazz and great artists such as Fats Waller and Benny Goodman. The "Shakespeare and Stage Combat" class will culminate with students performing on stage at the end of the session. You can register here. (Kalamazoo Civic Theatre via Facebook)

You're officially in the loop for today! 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.