Featured Leader: Ken Miller

Beauty pageants have given a runner-up meaning to the word "congeniality" but Ken Miller's congenial manner has winner written all over it.

This successful and much-beloved businessman, who makes community work fun, creative and interesting, is at the hub of a lot of the wheels that are turning the greater Kalamazoo area into an even better place to live and work. As chair of WMU's Board of Trustees, Miller has spearheaded a new spirit of cooperation with downtown interests, and he's a staunch supporter of the arts and just about anything else that helps improve the quality of life in the region.

Principal partner of Millennium Restaurant Group, Miller is a bridge-builder in the community. He and his wife, Julie, make the serious work of community building pleasant. And Julie may be the only person around more well-liked than Ken.

Miller's self-effacing style is part and parcel to a strong belief in team-building, as managers in his businesses will attest. He likes to "make sure the corners of the box are square;" he give his teams resources to work with; and then he "gets out of the way."

When honored recently by Rotary with their Red Rose citation, he modestly said, "I'm fortunate to be surrounded by good people." A lawyer by training, Miller has put his talents to work in a variety of business interests, success being the common ingredient.

On civic projects, Mr. Congeniality has a way of stepping in and keeping the ball moving. He emphasizes the positive and offers creative solutions along the way.

Put Your Pedal to the Metal...

Back in my college days, I always got a thrill from riding my bike to lectures. I was a speed demon on my blue five-speed, weaving in and out of the walkers, roller-bladers and fellow bikers. Riding a bike was the quickest, most efficient way to get to class---if you had the guts to do it.

Pedaling to class cut 20 minutes from my walking commute. I had more time to sleep, finish a homework assignment or stand in front of a full closet to complain, “there’s nothing to wear.”

Back then, I envisioned myself in my “adult life” wearing a power suit and owning the streets as I drove a shiny new truck to work in a big city. But after I graduated I took advantage of a career opportunity in Kalamazoo and my commute to work was only 10 minutes each way by small, but very cute car.

In other words, I’ve cheated the national average commute time of 24.3 minutes, and sometimes I wonder what my “big city” friends are doing during those 100 hours a year they spend in their cars. Amazingly, though, as I navigate the streets of my “10 minute town” in a car so small it has a bug’s name, I’m finding myself spending more than $200 a month on gas.

Every time I fill up my gas tank I wonder what happened to my blue five-speed. I could use it right now. What’s really great is that biking to work is suddenly very fashionable, even on days “there’s nothing to wear.”

The Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce and state Sen. Tom George (a physician who regularly bikes to work) recently hosted the “Bike to Work Event” and the movement is gaining traction.

Saving gas is just one benefit to biking to work—think of the environmental and health benefits. It’s more than a commute to work; it’s a workout! If biking to work simply isn’t an option, consider taking the bike for a “scenic drive” or to run an errand. Another beauty of our “10 minute town” is the growing trail system, not to mention the special lanes designed for cyclists.

I’m ready to hang up my car keys and hold on to the handlebars. It’s time to give new meaning to the expression “pedal” to the metal.

A sign of our times. Is this necessary?

Take the 3.1 mile route from my Winchell neighborhood home to my downtown business. Along that route there are no less than 356 individual markers. That's 114 signs a mile. The signs point out where you are, where you are going, whether you should yield, where you can park, where you can't park, where you can park on Sundays and holidays, where you can park for 90 minutes, where you can park from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., where you can turn, where you should turn, where you must turn, where you must stop, where you must not stop, where the bus stops, where trucks can't go, where thru traffic is prohibited and where the road ends.

Words, pictures, symbols, numbers, lights, arrows and the infamous Bar-Through Circle P (the No Parking brand) provide us with reminders and warnings about speed limits, center lanes, traffic lanes, turn lanes, one-way streets, T-intersections, pedestrian crosswalks, bicycle lanes, railroad crossings, fire hydrants, detours and road projects. And my favorites: signs telling us that other signs are ahead.Of the hundred-and-some signs within a frisbee throw of Michikal and W. Main, roughly 35 are meant to be instructive to the northbound traveler who approaches that intersection near the Downtowner Motel. At the intersection, you're faced with 11 arrows pointing five different directions (down and left, down and right, up and right, right, and up). If the light is green, about the only way anyone but an Evelyn Wood speed reading graduate can safely "wayfind" is ignore all 35 signs. Besides, there's a nice billboard there.

Adding to the blur in and around downtown is the Business Loop (BL) and Business Route (BR) System, which was supposed to be America's urban planning answer to freeways. Designed, but no longer serving the function of, getting people off the highway and into one's downtown, these are the knickknacks and decorations of our urban culture. But as for directional tools, don't kid yourself. People just stop in the Shell station and ask for directions.Not that state and federal highway officials aren't determined to help. Various downtown groupings of BR-131 and BL-94 and M-43 markers have 10, 11, 12 and even 13 individual signs and arrows on a post. Unfortunately, if you tried to follow these signs, your chances of going in a four-block circle would be significantly greater than your chances of finding your way back to I-94.

And speaking of getting lost . . . If that's your thing, and you employ signs to do so, I recommend the green Bike Route signs. You'll find these Bike Route signs in cities all over America. The Bike Route system was put in place either to amuse bicyclists or as an economic stimulus for the metal fabrication industry . I love to bike and I love to find bike routes. But these green Bike Route signs -- the ones with the bike and the arrow -- originate nowhere. They go nowhere. If they were supposed to go somewhere, then where are the maps showing where they go? There is nothing distinctive about the roads along which they sit. Some of these roads have extra lanes, which is great, but, unfortunately, most do not. I saw one of these green signs in Salt Lake City which proclaimed "Bike Route Ends Here." It would be interesting to know if that was just for Salt Lake or for the entire United States. Because of the prevalence of these signs in American cities, one would presume we have a national bike path system, but the reality is that we have a National Green Sign System. Are signs a burning issue in our community? Heavens no.

But signs pile up like dirty dishes, old newspapers and undone laundry in an unkempt home. After a while, you hardly notice the clutter. Then, when you have to get ready for company, you look around and say, "My God, have we been living in this?"Kalamazoo's newest sign system is a "wayfinding" project for downtown Kalamazoo. The theory is that if you know you are in the Haymarket District, South Town, Arcadia, the Bronson Park District, the East End or the area referred to as "Kalamazoo Mall" (1959-1999), you will have less trouble "wayfinding," also known as "finding your way" in the central city area, also known as the downtown. Each district has its own logo, its own color, its own shape and its own letter (for instance, "Kalamazoo Mall" is a burgundy diamond with a gold border and a white "K" and black type). The "graphics standards" are published, and they're strict. One can't help but admire the design integrity of the downtown wayfinding system which, unlike the Bike Route Sign System, does have maps.Even if the new wayfinding system doesn't help people find where they're going, it might just represent an opportunity to examine and reflect upon what these new wayfinding signs will have to compete with. Keep in mind that there are literally thousands of existing directional and location-identification signs in and around downtown Kalamazoo and they are supplemented by street banners, business signs, billboards, awning signs, historical markers, construction signs, parking lot instructions and building identification markers. Maybe for every new wayfinding sign that goes up, two existing street signs should come down.

As for improving the appearance of the larger community, I offer a simple three-step approach:

1. Get Rid of America's Green Bike Route Sign System. This system leads nowhere and, if anything, detracts from the aesthetic pleasure of bike riding.

2. Secede from the national Business Route and Business Loop Sign System. This system was designed to lead nowhere.

3. Form a committee. No, wait. That may have caused this problem. Better to take a page out of the successful anti-litter, Adopt-A-Highway, campaign, although that program unfortunately spawned yet another national sign system. I'm recommending an Adopt -- Then Abandon -- A Sign program. Individuals, service clubs, churches and businesses could work to reduce the number of signs along our area roads. I'm not suggesting, of course, that private citizens actually take it upon themselves to physically remove these signs the way they would with other litter. No, the signs are way too deep in the ground for that, and many are embedded in concrete. I recommend working through channels, which includes your local government, the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Although you could do this sign-abandonment work geographically, it would seem to make more sense to adopt-and-abandon signs by category. I would love to take the "No Parking" signs, for instance, and set a goal to have every third one removed. But, alas, with my heavy volunteer load, that may be too ambitious, as these signs are placed every few yards along some city streets. For the moment, then, I'll take something easier -- like "Stop Sign Ahead."

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.