Vicksburg residents interested in learning more about municipal operations are invited to a first-of-its-kind program organized by the village’s highest appointed official.
Village Manager Jim Mallery at the Village Council’s Jan. 29 meeting announced the formation of a citizens’ academy. He said working with citizens on the village’s strategic planning last year was the impetus for the six-week program.
“Our next movement in this (citizen involvement) area … I am proposing a citizens’ academy,” he said. “We anticipate having spots for 16 people to do a deeper dive in what the village is about, governmental-wise.”
Information and an application are on the village’s website.
“If you’re a citizen of the village or an owner of a business, have you ever wondered how many miles of sewer and water pipes are underground in Vicksburg? How many police officers work here? What goes on in economic development of our core downtown? Have you asked yourself ‘What actually do my tax dollars pay for?’” Mallery said.
The free series of classes is designed to teach citizens how their local government works. Mallery said the academy will focus on various functions of village government and will include tours of village facilities, including its police department, public works, inside the municipal water tower, Angel’s Crossing Golf Course and more.
During the sessions, participants will learn about the responsibilities of village departments and the services they provide the community through presentations and behind-the-scenes facility tours. All give participants a better understanding of the role local government plays in the quality of life that the residents of Vicksburg enjoy, Mallery said.
“Each session will be held in one of our facilities, giving citizens a true sense of what it’s like to work in local government,” he added.
It will run Wednesday nights, April 17 through May 22. Sessions will start at 6:30 p.m. and can last up to two hours.
“I’m pretty confident that we can find 16 individuals that want to learn more about their local government,” Mallery said.
Council member Ryan Wagner said the idea of such an academy is a great way to teach the public more about the village, its employees and its operations.
“Looking at my own path into local government and involvement, this is something that the Ryan six years ago would have absolutely jumped on, to get involved in and learn more instead of just coming to the meetings and just getting brought into the fold by everybody because I was an interested party,” he said. “I really love the direction of this. This is an amazing project and it’s fantastic. I’m looking forward to it.”
Village President Tim Frisbie praised Mallery and the concept of the citizens’ academy.
“When Jim first approached me on this, I was ecstatic … what a great idea,” he said. “We get these questions all the time from residents and this is an opportunity for them to step up and learn what goes on behind these walls. I really encourage anyone who’s interested in local politics/government to take part in it … if you want to know where your money goes. Sixteen people, I hope and trust we can get that many interested people in it.”
Top left photo by Leyah Buiskool (1st place), top middle photo by Reed Tassell (2nd place), top right photo by Leah Swander (3rd place). Bottom left photo by Kendall Miller (4th place), bottom right photo by Ava Snell (5th place). Thanks to all students who participated!
The South County News team presents the results of the second annual South County News February cover contest for Vicksburg High School photography students.
The theme: “My Hometown.”
Art and photography teacher Tony Lindeman presented the project to his three photography classes in late September, which allowed over three months for students to capture their best images to express the project theme. Thirty-eight students submitted entries for consideration. The top five are recognized and presented by the South County News team this month. Included with each photo is the artist’s statement. Judges were impressed with the creativity of the students and the photography techniques students used. The winning cover photo, “Bloom History,” by Leyah Buiskool, shows a portion of Vicksburg’s Historic Village. Leyah’s photo and artist’s statement emphasize the uniqueness of the historic village and her appreciation of her home town and its history. The 2nd place winner, Reed Tassell, presents an interesting angle of his family’s vintage truck and signage from an old gas station. Reed also emphasizes, in both his writing and photo, his gratitude for the history of his family and hometown. The 3rd place photo by Leah Swander is especially creative, showing her lower legs and shoes. Her artist’s statement explains her “walk” around town and what she appreciates. The judges enjoyed Kendall Miller’s 4th place photo and the stance and patient expression on her dog Georgia’s face. Ava Snell’s 5th place photo of the rural road and the farm buildings and fields in the background and her artist’s statement shows a sensitivity to the rural community.
2024 SCN Cover Competition Artist Statements
1st Place: Leyah Buiskool
Vicksburg couldn’t be what it is now without the history behind it. This picture, “Bloom History” as I call it, expresses the feeling of Vicksburg, the old and the new. When did Vicksburg become a town? What was life like for the first people in Vicksburg? These are questions that make up some of Vicksburg’s history. The ‘57 Chevy represents the history of the village and likely drove through the streets of Vicksburg. The town was busy with cars and horses and buggies, kids crying on the sidewalk because they couldn’t have a piece of candy in the store, men carrying wood down the road and women loading the cars with groceries. Further down the road, you can see a filling station, people filling their cars with gas that only costs 30 cents a gallon. The Village Garage represents where the first cars would go if they needed maintenance, to become the perfect car. Driving in, you could smell fumes of oil and gas. You could hear the rumbling of another car next to you. You could see the rugged wood that supports the building. This image encompasses the passion my dad and I share for old cars, Vicksburg’s history, and the roots that my family and I established growing up in Vicksburg. Vicksburg is my hometown; I’ve lived here all my life. This beautiful town started the same way all other hometowns have started: one person, one family, one building, and one stake in the ground. Soon other people started coming, venturing in on horse and buggy, and then rolling into town in cars. My old car “JDbloom” has been in my family for about a year now, and I always wonder where it has been, what hometowns it has driven through, and the history behind it. People who travel could have gone through Vicksburg, my hometown. Maybe some celebrities, maybe your great grandparents who live in the Netherlands, relatives who live in Florida, or an aunt who lives the next town away. Vicksburg has more history than we know. That’s why I love this picture of my hometown and the history behind it, knowing there is more than what I can see now.
Note: Bloom in the title of her photo refers to her elderly Chevy, “JDbloom.”
2nd Place: Reed Tassell
When I was told I had to take a picture of something that reminded me of my hometown, this was the first thing that came to mind. This was the truck that my great-grandfather drove my grandpa out to Vicksburg with, and the sign in the background is from an old gas station at the corner of our street. I wanted to make sure that I got them both in the picture. The silos and fields in the background reminded me of the farmers market and harvest festival that we have in town every year, which is where some of my favorite memories are from.
3rd Place: Leah Swander
Vicksburg, Michigan is where I have lived my entire life. This place has made me who I am, and it held my family together as we grew. Our roots are here in this tiny town, our bare feet have beaten its paths and streets making memories while this village helped raise us. I never feel more peace coming home from a long journey than I do when I see the water tower rising above the city and pass the stadium that means I am home. From my house I can hear my town celebrating at that stadium, the band practicing. It is the soundtrack of my life, the background noise to the hum of my home. Converse has always meant something to our family. These are the only shoes I can remember my stepdad wearing for the first 7 years of my life. That tradition has been passed down to me and my siblings. For every birthday I choose to get those shoes as they remind me of my hometown, Vicksburg and our first little apartment.
4th Place: Kendall Miller
The subject of this picture is my dog, her name is Georgia. Georgia has been part of my family for 3 years, therefore I consider her family and part of my hometown. Every moment I am with her she brings me and my family joy. She loves the outdoors, especially during the fall. One of her favorite things to do is run around in the grass with some leaves. Every once in a while, she will get tired and sit down and let the wind hit her face which is shown in this picture. When I get home from school the first thing I do is go outside and play with her.
5th Place: Ava Snell
I took this picture because I love cool nights and the sunsets. I love being out in the country and exploring nature. If I could be anywhere, I would want to be outside with the trees and the fresh air. I love to go for walks and walk my dog and enjoy the wildlife. I have lived out in the country my whole life and have been able to enjoy what I love most such as riding a quad and playing softball. Or picking corn out of the field. Shucking it and trying to eat it. Don’t eat it!
New coaching sessions this year for the Tournament. Top left to right: Kathy Forsythe, Leeanne Seaver, and Susan Kallewaard. Bottom left to right: Rick Chambers, Annette Smitley, and Denise Miller. Read their biographies in vicksburgarts.com.
By Syd Bastos
In 2014, Deb Christiansen, president of the Schoolcraft Friends of the Library, had a vision. As Deb explained back then, “We wanted to create something a little fun and exciting for the writers of the community.” With support from the Schoolcraft Community Library and small cadre of volunteer judges, the Tournament of Writers was born. Back then, if you had a Schoolcraft Community Library Card, you could submit poems and stories in fiction and nonfiction in several age divisions with a promise that all stories would be published in a compendium. That first book featured 19 authors and was 114 pages long. In 2019, Deb asked the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center to be the Tournament’s fiscal sponsor and in 2020, the VCAC adopted the Tournament as a permanent program.
While the impact of the Covid pandemic stinted the Tournament in 2020 with only 13 authors, the Tournament, as with so many other things, rebounded. Last year 71 authors submitted 98 works and the anthology grew to 373 pages! The book signing party has expanded to a book release and book signing celebration with the authors, family, friends and the public at large. Over 100 people attended last year’s celebration.
The Tournament encourages and promotes our local writers with a competition that is open to both new and seasoned writers of all ages. In addition to celebrating writers with cash prizes, the competition also provides constructive and encouraging feedback from judges to help participants gain insights from thoughtful readers. Every entry received for the Tournament of Writers is published in our annual Tournament Anthology, which participants receive for free. The cost to enter the Tournament is $20 for Adults and Senior Age Divisions and $10 for Junior and Young Adult.
This year, in response to requests from prior Tournament participants, the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center has added free coaching sessions with six local authors and educators to give emerging authors an opportunity to perfect their stories before submitting them for judging. Coaching sessions started in January and will end February 22. Writers can sign up for a coaching session at the Vicksburg District Library by going to vicksburgarts.com.
Submissions will be accepted February 1-29. In March, 20 judges will read, score and provide comments on each submission. On April 1, the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center will announce 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in poetry, fiction and nonfiction and in four age divisions. Prior participants of the Tournament as well as the current participants will join us on location as we go Live on Facebook to announce the winners!
The 10th Anniversary Tournament Celebration will be held at Wind + James Event Center in Schoolcraft on April 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Keynote speakers and selected readings from this year’s entries will be featured. Two new awards will be announced as well as winners of the Tournament’s Grand Prize and Gilbert & Ivy Youth Grand Prize. A total of 40 prizes worth over $2,500 will be awarded. The 10th issue of the Tournament Anthology will be released at this event and this year’s authors will be in attendance for book signing. The public is invited to this exciting celebration and will be able to purchase their own copy of the Anthology at the event.
For more information about the Tournament of Writers, or to enter the Tournament, visit the VCAC website: https://vicksburgarts.com.
Evie Hall is a Gemini who loves trying new things and then moving on to the next thing. So it even surprises her when she hears herself say, “My business is about to turn 20 years old.”
Her business, Home Again Consignments, opened in 2004 at 123 South Main Street in downtown Vicksburg. Three years at that location gave way to more space at 107 South Main for the next decade-plus until growth and opportunity moved the store to an 8,000 square foot building at 815 West Prairie Street a bit west of the former downtown location.
“2023 was our best year by far. We could use a 20,000 square foot space, and expanding or opening another location are topics of discussion,” Hall says.
One might think that a resale shop would be a simple and straightforward business, but one could display a considerable amount of ignorance in saying that out loud.
All items that come into the store are checked in through a process of inspection and research to determine fair market value. Furniture is consigned for six months and all other items will be in the store for three months, if the item reaches its time limit it moves through a short clearance period and then leaves the store through return or donation. Items with price expectations beyond reason are refused.
Hall’s shop is an important part of Vicksburg’s business scene in several ways. She has grown to a staff of 12 – “all local hires,” she is proud to add. The store provide cost savings to people who have needs for items and clothing that would be out of reach at brand new prices. And a mind-boggling number of people travel to Vicksburg to visit the shop. Hall says, “On an average Saturday we’ll see 500 people in the store.” Home Again Consignments works with almost 2,500 consignors, many of them from out of the region, and even out of the state. Hall also feels, “We’ve become such a throw-away society that reuse and repurposing things and keeping them out of landfills is an important environmental step.”
The past 20 years have provided many challenges, many changes and a pandemic that brought an end to many small businesses. Hall says, “When I started in 2004, antiques and primitives were the rage, and now many of those items have lost both interest and value.
“I opened our new location with a determined mindset to have something in the store to meet the needs and interests of every shopper. We have things for women, things for men, and things for kids. We carry clothes, kitchen items, furniture, home accessories and everything in between. We pride ourselves on having new items available constantly.” Hall also participates in social media by having a once-a-month Facebook Live sale on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:15 p.m., and by keeping a Facebook page updated daily.
Hall is grateful for the strong local support she has received over the last 19 years that has kept 80% of the items that are placed on the shelf selling within their consignment periods. To that end, Home Again Consignments will be holding a Birthday Bash on “Leap Day”, February 29 to “Leap into year 20.” The store will be open that day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and reopen for the Birthday Bash from 5 to 8 p.m. The event will include food, drinks, and special shopping discounts. The event is open to everyone. If you haven’t met Evie Hall this might be a great time to do so, if you can keep up with her.
Visit “Home Again Consignment Store” on Facebook, or on the web at: HomeAgainVicksburg.com.
Take Your Child to the Library Day – Saturday, February 3 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Enjoy hands-on crafts, snacks, story time, and more!
Mugs and Hugs – February 7 and 21 from 10-10:45 a.m. Stories, activities, and interaction.
Family Storytime – February 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 10-10:30 a.m. Books, songs, and more!
STEAM – February 19 from 11 a.m.-noon. Evening STEAM February 15 from 6-7 p.m. Engage in hands-on activities and use problem-solving skills.
LEGO Club – February 20 from 1-2 p.m. Evening LEGO February 20 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Individual creativity is the goal.
Teen Break and Bulldog Break – Thursdays, February 8 and 22 from 2:45-5:45 p.m. A safe space for teens and tweens to get together and have fun. Crafts, games, social activities, and tasty treats for people under 18.
Light Therapy Lamps – Beat the winter blues. The library has light therapy lamps available for in-library use by adults. Ask at the Circulation Desk.
Book Club for Adults – February 1 and March 7 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Discuss a book with the group. Check with the library for this month’s book.
Chocolate Tasting Event – February 13 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sample and rate eight different varieties of chocolate. All-ages program open to first 25 people to arrive.
More than 400 students from 14 schools competed at Western Michigan University’s 2023 Innovation Expo. This event offers hands-on experience with engineering. Vicksburg High School brought 23 teams from CTE programs to this year’s competition.
By Jef Rietsma
Vicksburg School Board members in January learned more about what the district can expect when Kalamazoo Regional Education Service Agency’s Career Connect Campus opens next year.
The report from Assistant Superintendent Steve Goss focused on the fall 2025 opening of the KRESA campus under construction near the intersection of I-94 and Sprinkle Road.
In addition, the board approved terms of an updated career technical education (CTE) consortium agreement between the agency and the school districts which will be in effect at the start of the 2025-26 academic year.
“This is just a necessary step to go through to prepare for that transition,” Goss said. “The general concept that the county’s been operating under is continuing. More or less, it’s just an update to reflect the fact there will be a centralized campus. The accounting will be a little bit different because school districts generally won’t be hosting programs like we are today.”
Vicksburg High School Principal Adam Brush said the district hosts six programs through the CTE consortium: agriscience, horticulture, vet science, computerized manufacturing, mechatronics engineering and AP computer science. In addition, it offers accounting and marketing to VHS students exclusively. Approximately 35% of juniors and seniors who attend Vicksburg High are enrolled in the county-wide CTE program.
Meanwhile, there are nearly three dozen programs offered through the CTE consortium, Brush said.
Goss said many details related to CTE starting in fall 2025 still need to be ironed out over the next year and a half. During the board’s Jan. 15 meeting, he said it appears Vicksburg students will more than likely be afforded the same number of slots under the new agreement compared to the current agreement.
“It’s too early to say for sure (but) some districts will gain a lot, some will lose some,” he said. “I think for us, it’s not going to be a huge impact at this point based on the numbers I’ve seen so far.”
He said the district has traditionally had “robust participation” in CTE, adding he has no reason to think that will change with next year’s opening of the regional site.
The district will continue to provide transportation for CTE students, though many opt to drive themselves. They will continue to have that option, Goss said.
Goss said he expects programs offered at the CTE center to be exclusive to that site.
“The purpose is to make sure the center is able to run as efficiently as possible and that districts aren’t starting to create their own CTE programs … more administrative structure and overhead,” Goss said. “If you start drawing students away from the CTE center, then that could have some implications.”
As a follow-up, Goss said some of the more popular programs – he cited accounting and business/marketing as examples – will probably not be a part of the center and instead offered at local districts.
“It’s still early and we all have a lot of questions but this is just one step in the process of starting to fill those blanks in,” Goss noted.
Echoing Goss, Superintendent Keevin O’Neill said there are a lot of moving parts to the situation and many questions will be answered over time.
“There’s a lot to be done in the next year and a half before it opens,” O’Neill said. “We’ll be able to answer questions pretty clearly I would say by the summer (including) how it’s all going to operate with enrollment.”
In other action, the board said goodbye to Rick Place, principal at Pathways High School. Place, whose last day was Jan. 12, said he has accepted another job. He gave heartfelt parting comments and thanked the board for its support of the Pathways program.
Board President Skip Knowles complimented Place for a job well done.
“You gave the job more than 110 percent. It was always obvious that you really held those kids near and dear, and the program grew and excelled under your leadership,” Knowles said. “We will miss you.”
Pathways has its winter graduation at 6 p.m. Feb. 7. Place said he will be present.
