Featured Leader: Randy Eberts

Founded 76 years ago by the man considered Kalamazoo's First Citizen, the W. E. Upjohn Unemployment Trustee Corporation has established itself internationally as an important think tank. Locally, it's increasingly looking like a Do Tank, thanks to Dr. Randy Eberts, who has had the reins for the past 15 years. Eberts, a Ph.D. economist who came to Kalamazoo by way of Northwestern and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, arrived with a resume dedicated to labor markets, regional economic development, productivity, public finance, job training, income distribution, infrastructure and, significantly, education.

As the Kalamazoo Promise made education something of "first among equals" in the Southwestern Michigan regional economic development mix, Eberts hardly galloped to the fore to take charge of initiatives linking education with economic development. Rather, he became a reluctant hero of sorts, leveraging knowledge and relationships to allow other leaders to focus on the big picture.

In a region in which there are no shortages of good causes and agendas, Eberts most persuasively proclaimed that "we need to be the education community," and the notion is beginning to stick.

Eberts not only has a supportive Board of Trustees made up of people with strong ties to education, but also has key staff who focus on education, notably Senior Economist Tim Bartik, who lives his economic theories on the Kalamazoo Board of Education. Bartik, with Senior Economist Susan Houseman, wrote "A Future of Good Jobs?", and their lessons dovetail nicely with the ongoing, clarifying work of Senior Economist George Erickcek, who's something of a rock star on the local business scene because he brings data to life. Behind the scenes on the education front, Sarah Klerk and Bridget Timmeney have made Eberts more than a one-man band, as they were instrumental in organizing PromiseNet, the national conference on Promise-like programs recently. Similarly, Michelle Miller-Adams, writing exclusively about the Kalamazoo Promise and doing research on its effects, has helped the Trustee Corporation, working since 1945 as the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, in its emerging leadership role.

Eberts' facilitative style involves asking two questions for every statement he utters, but increasingly his work is making a statement about the future of the greater Kalamazoo area.

Celebrate the 4th of July in Kalamazoo

Kings Spectacular!

Nothing screams “red, white and blue” like baseball and fireworks. Don’t miss the Kings Spectacular on July 4th at 5:05 p.m. The Kalamazoo Kings will take on the Chillicothe Paints at the Homer Stryker Field at 5:05 p.m. Don’t miss the special jersey auction in conjunction with military appreciation, followed by a fireworks display at dusk. The baseball field is located at Mayor’s Riverfront Park, 251 Mills Street in Kalamazoo. General admission is $5, or $8 for box seats. Children under 3 get in free, and seniors 55 and older get $1 off admission. For more information, call 269.388.8326.


Races and Fireworks at the Kalamazoo Speedway!

The Kalamazoo Speedway will host a night of races and skyrocketing fun on Friday, July 4th at 7 p.m. Festivities include an enduro race, “the Stars and Stripes 200,” spectator drags and a truck pull. Don’t miss what Kalamazoo Speedway calls “the largest fireworks show in Michigan!” Admission is $15 for adults and $12 for teens 12-15. Children 11 and under get in free. The Kalamazoo Speedway is located at 7656 Ravine Road, near Exit 44 of US 131. For more information, call 269.692.2423.

Art in the Park this Weekend

Check out one of the areas most popular craft shows at Milham Park on Saturday, June 28 from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. More than 200 exhibitors from across the nation will come to Kalamazoo to display and sell their arts and crafts. Unique exhibits include woodwork, stained glass, jewelry, metal art, paintings, sculptures and custom fishing rods. Art in the Park features activities for children, including face painting and Child ID’s from the Sheriff Reserves. Watch the annual duck race along the riverbeds and enjoy food vendors throughout the park. Milham Park is located at 599 E. Kilgore Road. For more information, call 269.349.1185.

Road Trip!

Last week I drove to Atlanta with two college girlfriends to visit my very best childhood friend. As we turned a bend on I-75 in northern Georgia, the skyline came into view—every building revealed a unique silhouette. So this is Atlanta; this is why my friend left Kalamazoo and pursued a new career. My two girlfriends let out a shriek of excitement. We turned up the radio, glanced at the GPS and let the adventure begin.

I was enthralled by the metropolis my friend calls her new home. For such a large southern city, Atlanta was both laid back and quaint. We shared meals on colorful, mismatched dishes and shabby-chic furniture in open-air cafes. Bowls of fresh fruit and honey, granola pancakes, biscuits and peaches comforted like a meal from grandma’s kitchen. The city is considered one of America’s “urban forests,” where many trees and green vegetation are incorporated into the city. So the view from almost anywhere within Atlanta reminded me of sitting on the back porch of a cozy wooded lot, where buildings jutted into the sky like the tallest trees of the forest.

But Atlanta is also renowned as a melting pot of culture, and anyone strolling downtown can feel excitement ribbon through the air, cross the street and flow into all the unique shops and restaurants. On our first night in the city, my girlfriends and I sat in a chandeliered booth eating sushi and sipping mojitos. We enjoyed valet service and befriended an Irish soccer team on holiday. I suddenly realized we had evolved from the Easy-Mac and Slurpees of our college years.

The return ride to Michigan seemed longer than our trip South. I felt like I was leaving so many thrills behind…not to mention, my best friend. But it’s funny how 12 hours in the car will make you realize the beauty of our country. As we rode through the peaks and valleys of Tennessee I was completely taken by the view. I realized that the redundancies of everyday life have isolated me from the culture, excitement and nature that surround me daily in Kalamazoo.

Nearly 20 years ago, my best friend and I were two blonde girls sharing a single seat on the school bus, practicing our spelling words. Only 5 years old, we giggled as the driver curved the back roads of Kalamazoo. We sang songs, drew pictures in the moisture on the windows and spoke in our secret language. We were special friends who aspired to become veterinarians, marry brothers and someday float together on a cloud in heaven. We didn’t know much of life beyond our bus route—we only knew each other.

I’m proud of my friend for molding a new life and pursuing a passion in Atlanta. Reuniting with her always awakens my inner child. She now calls a beautiful, lively city her home. But for me, without the love and presence of good company, Atlanta would have been only a bustling cluster of tall buildings in a southern forest. Just one of the many lessons I’ve learned since I rode the bus with my best friend in grade school: it’s the people who make the place.

B.Y.O.B.

If the petroleum in 14 plastic bags could drive a car one mile, how far must Kalamazoo go to turn GREEN?

Two hundred dollars and 20 plastic grocery bags later, you unload your car disappointed about the increasing cost of milk, produce and eggs. But the real cost may be hidden in the plastic bag.

Like all plastic products, plastic bags are made from petroleum. Americans use more than 380 billion bags each year—which accounts for millions of barrels of oil. In effect, the use of plastic bags depletes oil supplies and contributes to increasing costs of petroleum-based products like gasoline.

And that’s not all. Plastic bag production also contributes to global warming and pollution. Once a plastic bag is thrown away, it eventually begins to photodegrade and break down into smaller, more toxic pieces of plastic. It may take hundreds if not thousands of years to break down—if it makes it to the landfill. Because plastic bags are light, they can fly from trash bins and land in natural habitats, posing a threat to plant and animal life. A recent study estimates that 100,00 marine animals are killed annually by plastic bags. According to the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, there are six pounds of plastic for every one-pound of zooplankton (or fish food) in some parts of the ocean.

If you think that switching to paper bags may be an environment-friendly move, think again. According to the US EPA, 70% more global warming gases are emitted during the production of a paper bag than a plastic bag. In 1999, Americans used over ten billion paper shopping bags—and 14 million trees were destroyed in the process. While paper bags may seem biodegradable, landfills do not offer the proper mix of air, light and water necessary for paper bags to biodegrade.

Efforts to reduce the use of disposable bags are becoming a worldwide trend. Ireland led an initiative in 2002 by declaring that “the day of the plastic bag is over.” When the country began charging approximately 20 cents per bag, the use of plastic bags dropped by 90% in one year. Australia reduced bag use by 45% from 2002-2006 by urging retailers to sell reusable bags and by encouraging citizens to purchase them. China’s State Council banned plastic bags on June 1, 2008. As a result, the country projects that it will save 37 million barrels of oil annually.

While Kalamazoo hasn’t taxed or outlawed plastic bags, three major grocers in the area are offering environment-friendly plastic bag alternatives. Made from polypropylene, these reusable, recyclable, non-toxic bags are available near the checkout at D&W, Meijer stores and Harding's Market stores for only $1. The bags are designed to endure weekly use for up to two years—meaning one bag could replace hundreds of plastic bags. Harding's Markets are also selling an insulated version of the reusable bag that has a zipper to keep cold products their coldest for just $2. As an additional incentive to reduce plastic bag use, D&W will take 5 cents off your total purchase when you bring your own environment-friendly bag.

The reusable plastic bag alternative is more than just an option. It’s an opportunity. By simply not using a plastic bag, every consumer has the opportunity to help prevent pollution, protect natural habitats and reduce oil consumption. Last year, San Francisco became the first city in America to completely ban the use of plastic bags. A similar ban in the City of Kalamazoo could help to expand its current leadership role across the state. In recent months, Kalamazoo has shown the state of Michigan how economic development, job creation and a hoppin’ art scene can attract fresh new talent and ideas to the area. An environmental movement such as the banning of plastic bags would invite the rest of the state to B.Y.O.B. Bring Your Own Bag!

It's Time to Give Plastic Bags the Sack!

If the petroleum in 14 plastic bags could drive a car one mile, how far must Kalamazoo go to turn GREEN?

Two hundred dollars and twenty plastic grocery bags later, you unload your car disappointed about the increasing cost of milk, produce and eggs. But the real cost may be hidden in the plastic bag.

Like all plastic products, plastic bags are made from petroleum. Americans use over 380 billion bags each year—which accounts for millions of barrels of oil. In effect, the use of plastic bags depletes oil supplies and contributes to increasing costs of petroleum-based products like gasoline.

And that’s not all. Plastic bag production also contributes to global warming and pollution. Once a plastic bag is thrown away, it may take hundreds if not thousands of years to decompose—if it makes it to the landfill. Because plastic bags are light, they can fly from trash bins and land in natural habitats, posing a threat to plant and animal life. A recent study estimates that 100,00 marine animals are killed annually by plastic bags. In some parts of the ocean, there are 6 pounds of plastic for every one pound of fish.

If you think that switching to paper bags may be an environment-friendly move, think again. According to the US EPA, 70% more global warming gasses are emitted during the production of a paper bag than a plastic bag. In 1999, Americans used over 10 billion shopping bags—and 14 million trees were destroyed in the process. While paper bags may seem biodegradable, landfills do not offer the proper mix of air, light and water necessary for paper bags to biodegrade.

Efforts to reduce the use of disposable bags are becoming a worldwide trend. Ireland led an initiative in 2002 by declaring that “the day of the plastic bag is over.” When the country began charging approximately 20 cents per bag, the use of plastic bags dropped by 90% in one year. Australia reduced bag use by 45% from 2002-2006 by urging retailers to sell reusable bags and by encouraging citizens to purchase them. Meanwhile, San Francisco became the first city in America to completely ban the use of plastic bags.

While Kalamazoo hasn’t taxed or outlawed plastic bags, three major grocers in the area are offering environment-friendly plastic bag alternatives. Made from polypropylene, these reusable, recyclable, non-toxic bags are available near the checkout at D&W, Meijer stores and Hardings Market stores for only $1. The bags are designed to endure weekly use for up to two years—meaning one bag could replace hundreds of plastic bags. Hardings Markets are also selling an insulated version of the reusable bag that has a zipper to keep cold products their coldest for just $2. As an additional incentive to reduce plastic bag use, D&W will take 5 cents off your total purchase when you bring your own environment-friendly bag.

Featured Leader: Ron Kitchens

Because he came to Kalamazoo as something of a 'hired gun' to help pull the community out of the economic development doldrums, Ron Kitchens seemed like an unlikely candidate to call Kalamazoo home.

But three years after being lured away from Corpus Christi, TX, Kitchens -- with remnants of an Ozark drawl notwithstanding -- sounds as much like a local as anyone. He's even helped tell stories of Kalamazoo's historical successes, both through the national media and his new book, Community Capitalism: Lessons from Kalamazoo and Beyond. You can buy the book at Amazon.com

People also wondered how Kitchens' easy-going style would fly in the wake of the cloudburst that was Barry Broome. As a member of the National Speakers Association, Kitchens has won over audiences large and small around Kalamazoo while maintaining his focus on targets he's trying to attract from other parts of the country, and more recently abroad.

Kitchens took the Corpus Christi helm in 2000 as its first President and CEO. Prior to that, he served as president of the Moberly/Randolph Economic Development Corporation in Moberly, Missouri. He also helped facilitate the establishment of Moberly as the financial services leasing capital of the United States. He spearheaded the development of three business and industrial parks totaling 480 acres, and he raised $1.2 million in private sector funding. Under Kitchens leadership, the agency earned five major state economic development awards in 1998 and the 1999 Economic Development Marketing Program of the Year Award. Governor Mel Carnahan twice named the organization the Business Retention and Expansion Organization of the Year.

Prior to economic development, Kitchens served as field director for United States Senator John Danforth of Missouri. Kitchens began his public service at the age of 21, when he was elected and served six years as a City Councilman in his home town of Ozark, Missouri.