3/27/23: Foul odor complaints expand
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It was early in 2022, yet another contentious election cycle year, and the things that the local, state, and national GOP were saying just weren’t adding up. We covered it in Falsehoods fuel fear underscoring Kalamazoo GOP’s election strategy. The Michigan Press Association gave us the third place prize in the News Enterprise category in the Better News Contest.
More Kalamazoo neighborhoods complain of foul odors
Residents on Kalamazoo’s northeast side aren’t the only ones complaining about a smell that is causing concerns for potential health risks as well. West Main Hill residents are telling the Kalamazoo City Commission that an unpleasant smell has gotten worse lately.
They suspect it’s Graphic Packaging International’s factory in the adjacent Northside neighborhood and are frightened for their kids. Residents in that neighborhood have pleaded with local and state officials for more than a decade to take their odor and health concerns concentrated in the area more seriously. Studies are being conducted and a report that is looking at the paper company as well as the city’s nearby wastewater treatment plant is expected soon.
Vice Mayor Don Cooney says the city should make solving the issue a higher priority and take action as soon as the culprit is identified. Commissioner Jeanne Hess says those the conclusion of the scientists conducting the study should guide all actions. Despite a recent increase in investment in the Northside neighborhood, there is a history of racism in policymaking in majority Black neighborhoods, from marginalizing the concerns raised by residents to housing and banking discrimination in a practice called “redlining.”
Kalamazoo County begins massive digitization of records
County Clerk and Register of Deeds Meredith Place says a $600,000 project to digitize documents has begun. Land records dating back to 1836, shortly after settlers began building in the area and Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, had been written by hand into 1,500 books.
Those documents are now at risk because of age, and the originals and microfilm copies are being scanned under a contract with US Imaging for digital preservation. Place said the records from 1969 to 1985 have been completed. When finished, she said, the records will be better preserved and easier for staff and the public to access.
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Visible Mending Workshop – Climate Emergency Month
11:00AM 3/27
Ripple Effects of Wolf Restoration in Isle Royale National Park – Audubon Society of Kalamazoo
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More Than a Pretty Face: The Power of Portraits – Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
12:00PM 3/28
Green Drinks- Sustainable Business on the Kalamazoo Mall – Kalamazoo State Theatre
5:00PM 3/28
Board Game Night – Main Street Pub, West Main
6:00PM 3/29
Local Author Spotlight: Ted Vadella – Kalamazoo Public Library, Central
6:30PM 3/29
Paul Clements Presentation: Ethics & Politics of Global Climate Justice – Climate Emergency Month
7:00PM 3/29
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