Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: What changes will Kalamazoo County’s new health director bring?
Also, don't miss CHAMPS and YEP Holiday Party on the Kalamazoo Patch calendar
Good day Kalamazoo! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- What changes will Kalamazoo County’s new health director bring?
- What the new K2W pathway really offers Kalamazoo Promise students
- Why Kalamazoo’s cat cafe is turning to legal action now
📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Kalamazoo? Post it to Kalamazoo photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️
Find out what's happening in Kalamazoo-Portagefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in Kalamazoo-Portagefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Tuesday: Rather cloudy and not as cold, with a high of 34 and low of 30 degrees.
- Wednesday: Areas of morning fog, temps: high: 37, low: 30.
- Thursday: Windy with rain, with a high of 44 and low of 20 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Deb Lenz expected to be approved as Kalamazoo County's director of public health (wkzo.com) — Kalamazoo County is poised to make interim director Deb Lenz its permanent director of public health, a move that will shape how local services and future health emergencies are managed. Lenz plans to streamline internal operations, strengthen staff communication, and become a more visible, trusted voice to residents during both routine work and potential crises. 
2. Kalamazoo Promise Adds New Partner to Support Michigan Students (wkfr.com) — Kalamazoo students now have a new, more affordable path from local high schools or KVCC to a four-year degree at Wayne State University, thanks to an expanded Kalamazoo Promise partnership. The K2W program adds housing, textbook help, and guaranteed rides home during breaks, building on a scholarship that has already helped more than 8,700 Kalamazoo Promise scholars earn degrees.
3. Three cats left outside Kalamazoo Cat Cafe; shelter plans legal action (wwmt.com) — Three cats were recently left outside the Kalamazoo Cat Cafe and Rescue in freezing weather, prompting the shelter to consider legal action and warn against animal abandonment. Staff ultimately found emergency foster homes, and the cats are now safe, but the group is urging Kalamazoo residents to contact rescues or Kalamazoo County Animal Services for help instead of leaving pets outdoors.
4. Consumers Energy schedules electric upgrade for early Friday morning on Kalamazoo's west side (wkzo.com) — Thousands of customers on Kalamazoo’s west side should prepare for a planned overnight power outage early Friday, December 19, while Consumers Energy and ITC Michigan upgrade substation equipment near West Main and U.S. 131. The work, scheduled from 12:30 to 2:30 a.m. with a backup date on December 21, is meant to strengthen the grid and improve reliability for Kalamazoo homes and businesses.
5. Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners transforms food waste into 3.5 million meals in first year (wwmt.com) — A Kalamazoo-based nonprofit has turned surplus local produce into 3.5 million servings of fruits and vegetables in its first year, helping fight hunger abroad while engaging volunteers and farmers across the community. Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners washes, trims, chops, and dehydrates imperfect produce for shipment to places like Liberia, Honduras, and Uganda, and plans an even larger shipment to Honduras this January.
📸 Around Kalamazoo
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Kalamazoo
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
- CHAMPS and YEP Holiday Party
SunnySide United Methodist Church , 2800 Gull road , Kalamazoo
8:00 am - Foot Care Clinic
Comstock Community Center , 6330 King Hwy , Kalamazoo
9:00 am - Pārrunu grupa “Aka”
Kalamazoo Latvian Association , 122 Cherry Hill St , Kalamazoo
11:00 am - Dievkalpojums/Church Service
Kalamazoo Latvian Association , 122 Cherry Hill St , Kalamazoo
10:00 am - CHAMPS and YEP Closed for Holiday Break
Eastside Neighborhood Association Building , 1301 East Main Street , Kalamazoo
8:00 am - Dievkalpojums/Church Service
Kalamazoo Latvian Association , 122 Cherry Hill St , Kalamazoo
5:00 pm
Wednesday December 17
Thursday December 18
Friday December 19
Sunday December 21
Monday December 22
Wednesday December 24
📣 Kalamazoo Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- Ukulele Jam
Comstock Community Center , 6330 King Hwy , Kalamazoo
4:00 pm - Mystery Book Club - A Fashionably French Murder
Parchment Community Library , 401 S Riverview Dr , Parchment
6:30 pm - CHAMPS and YEP Holiday Party
SunnySide United Methodist Church , 2800 Gull road , Kalamazoo
8:00 am - Author Visit: Colleen Cambridge
Parchment Community Library , 401 S Riverview Dr , Parchment
11:00 am - Foot Care Clinic
Comstock Community Center , 6330 King Hwy , Kalamazoo
9:00 am - Pārrunu grupa “Aka”
Kalamazoo Latvian Association , 122 Cherry Hill St , Kalamazoo
11:00 am
Tuesday December 16
Wednesday December 17
Thursday December 18
Friday December 19
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- I just received the new keys to my house!
Only issue is, I can’t shovel the snow on my own, so I am looking for someone who wants to earn and clear a path for me to be able to move things in… (Nextdoor Kalamazoo East Side) - What do you like on your grilled cheese sandwich to crisp and brown it?
1. Butter Or 2. Mayonnaise My vote is for Helmans Mayonnaise Butter prefers have you tried it with mayo instead. If not you might like the little… (Nextdoor ML Avenue)
- Meijer, Inc. posted a job opening for Grocery Clerk - Gull Rd, Kalamazoo in Kalamazoo. Apply here.
- Harvard Maintenance, Inc. posted a job opening for Janitorial Cleaner-32694 in Kalamazoo. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Kalamazoo here.
Ok Kalamazoo! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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