5/30/23: Shrinking and growing

Some parts of Kalamazoo County are growing; others are shrinking according to new Census data. Also: A new initiative aims to decrease gun violence in southwest Michigan. And downtown Kalamazoo will look very Seussian this weekend.

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NowKalamazoo Managing Editor Kristie May has been selected by the Poynter Institute to participate in the 2023 Leadership Academy for Women in Media. She joins 30 other media leaders from around the world to build on their expertise and newsroom leadership.

News You Need To Know

Shrinking and growing in Kzoo County

Kalamazoo County is shrinking. That’s according to U.S. Census data released this month. The data shows that, overall, Kalamazoo County lost 0.2% of its population between 2020 and 2022. But not all areas of the county are shrinking evenly. In fact, some areas are growing.

Texas Township was the fastest growing part of Kalamazoo County over the first two years of the decade. The township gained 253 people, increasing its population by 2.56%. On the other side of the coin was the city of Parchment. The tiny city lost 26 people, or 1.35% of its population. Overall, data shows that more rural areas of the county gained population while urban areas shrank. The city of Kalamazoo lost 0.95% of its population over two years while Richland added 1.5%. There could be a number of reasons for the shift. Among them could be people fleeing cities due to pandemic-era work-from-home rules. [MLive]

Preventing summer gun violence

Federal officials have a plan to reduce gun violence in southwest Michigan this summer. It’s called Safe Summer 2023 and it was announced by Western District U.S. Attorney Mark Totten last week. The initiative seeks to increase penalties for certain gun crimes through the rest of this summer. Specifically, people caught with a gun that’s been used in a previous crime will be prosecuted federally instead of by the state. That potentially means bigger penalties with the goal of deterring more gun violence. Officials say similar programs have had an impact in other areas. [Michigan Radio]

A Seussical Do-Dah

It’s just about time for Kalamazoo’s Super Saturday. It marks the unofficial start of summer with myriad events in downtown Kalamazoo. Among them is the annual Do-Dah Parade. This year’s theme aims to inspire a love of reading and an even bigger love of outlandish costumes. The theme is “Kalama-SEUSS: Children’s Stories Take to the Streets.” Of course, participants don’t have to strictly adhere to the theme and there will be plenty of unique presentations. The original Do-Dah Parade was launched in 1984 with the purpose of encouraging spontaneity and satire. The parade kicks off this Saturday at 11am. [WWMT]

Things To Do In Kalamazoo

Brought to you by

West Michigan Area Show Artist Highlight – Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
12:00PM 5/30

Jazz with Barry Ross, Violin, and Terry Lower, Jazz Piano – Martell’s
5:30PM 5/30

4th Annual Donut Eating Contest – Sweetwater’s Donut Mill
5:30PM 5/30

Open Mic with THE DOC! – Old Dog Tavern
6:00PM 5/30

Trivia night – Shakespeare’s Pub
7:00PM 5/30

3 of a Kind – Hilton Garden Inn
6:00PM 5/31

Board Game Night – Main Street Pub, West Main
6:00PM 5/31

The Heavy Heavy – Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
8:00PM 5/31

Karaoke – Shakespeare’s Pub
8:30PM 5/31

Wednesday Comedy Night – Final Gravity Brewing Co.
8:30PM 5/31

Open Mic – Satellite Records
5:30PM 6/1

Old Time Jam – Old Dog Tavern
6:00PM 6/1

The ABC’s of Roses – Wenke Greenhouse
6:00PM 6/1

Sound Immersion w/ Ola Sagrada Sound, Backyard Yogis – Jerico
7:00PM 6/1

Music Exchange Series: Sophia McIntosh + Lexi Adams – The Clover Room
7:00PM 6/1

Brontë Fall & Friends – Dormouse Theatre
7:00PM 6/1

“Don’t Call Me Michael,” a stand up comedy show – Crawlspace Comedy Theatre
7:30PM 6/1

Lucius Fox – Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
8:00PM 6/1

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