by Justin Gibson | Aug 4, 2017 | Community, Vicksburg
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Vicksburg naturalist Fred Rapp called this snowy owl a pet.
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Dogs sat for portraits, too, like this local hound photographed by Koons.
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Dogs as hunting companions have a long history in Vicksburg.
By April Bryan,
Curator, Vicksburg Historical Society
Animals play a significant role in Vicksburg’s history.
Wild animals shared the land with the Potawatomi and provided them with food, skins, and protection. Horses brought settlers such as John Vickers to Kalamazoo County and proved essential to local agriculture. Our downtown dogs and cats are more than pets – they serve as furry ambassadors for many Main Street businesses today. How did our relationships with and views on animals change over time? How have animals moved from the wild into our hearts and homes?
A special exhibition answering some of those questions opens in the Historic Village’s Township Hall on Thursday, August 31 and runs through Sunday, October 29 with free admission Wednesday through Sunday, 1-5 p.m. The location is ADA-accessible.
A reading nook where the exhibition is housed at the Historical Society will provide a comfortable space for families to enjoy an animal tale or two. Children may dress up as their favorite animal friends and color pups and kittens from historic coloring books.
Seen through a local lens and using artifacts and images from its permanent collection as well as those on loan from Alamo Township Museum, the exhibition, Dog House to House Dog: The Changing Roles of the Animals in Our Lives, explores animals as protectors, producers, providers, and pets. Our changing perceptions about them are highlighted through examples of art, advertisements, products, and pop culture.
What impact did mechanization have on animal agricultural roles? How did Vicksburg’s Joseph Frakes immortalize his prized racing horse? Who was Main Street’s Stub the Cat and how did he win a medal? Discover the stories of exotic pets, such as the monkey who lived across the street from Old El, and memorable moments including the day a Prairie Street Saint Bernard went through a picture window after the postman. Animal-related books, films and toys are considered and an eye-opening dog’s life timeline shows the progress from doghouse to house dog. With its snapshot wall, the exhibition takes a nostalgic look at our community’s beloved pets, past and present.
by Justin Gibson | Aug 4, 2017 | Local History, Vicksburg
By Sue Moore
The August 15 speaker for the Vicksburg Historical Society focuses on a more modern historical luminary: former U.S. Atty. General Elliott Richardson and his role in the 1973 Watergate crisis.
Tom Vance, marketing and communications officer for the Kalamazoo Foundation, wrote a biography of Richardson. He will talk about the research he conducted as part of his master’s degree work at Western Michigan University. The book was originally available in 2000 as an online publication by the Council for Excellence in Government. Vance’s master’s degree from WMU is in U.S. History with a concentration in biography. He is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve.
Richardson, who died in 1999, holds two records in American history. As a lawyer, he was the only person to serve as a U.S. attorney, a state attorney general, and U.S. attorney general. As a politician, he headed four federal cabinet-level posts: secretaries of the former Health, Education and Welfare; Defense; Justice; and Commerce departments. His legacy as a brilliant and versatile public servant is equaled by only a handful of Americans. Richardson believed that “politics is the most difficult of the arts and the noblest of professions,” notes Vance.
He is primarily remembered for his courageous actions as U.S. Attorney General during the 1973 Watergate investigation. Although he served in this post for only five months, his tenure at the Justice Department has no precedent. While widely known for his resignation over Watergate, less well-known is that he was responsible for the simultaneous investigations of both Vice President Spiro T. Agnew and President Richard M. Nixon. Richardson succeeded in persuading the Vice President to resign, clearing the way for the appointment of Gerald R. Ford as vice president before President Nixon became the first president to resign from office.
“Nixon assured Richardson that he had nothing to do with Watergate, so he took the job and just seven months later resigned because he wouldn’t tell Archibald Cox to stop investigating Watergate. There are some parallels to our current situation in Washington,” Vance told WMUK in a radio interview last month.
Vance conducted a one-hour interview with Richardson shortly before he passed away in 1999. He will be speaking at the Vicksburg Community Center at 7 p.m. on August 15. The public is encouraged to attend.
by Justin Gibson | Aug 4, 2017 | Community, Vicksburg
By Sue Moore
Manufacturing Marvels, a show on Fox Business News Network, featured Eimo Technologies in July in a video segment that focused on “world class decorative injection molding” production in its three Vicksburg manufacturing plants.
The two-minute video showed the production facilities in Vicksburg, the quality of its product, the employees and some of the interior areas as different products were manufactured. It emphasized the superior look and texture that clients demand in the molding products and demonstrated the quality that Eimo produces.
The company produces decorative molding for the automotive, consumer and medical industries and is one of the largest employers in Vicksburg.
“The producers contacted us only four weeks ago,” said Gary Hallam, operations manager at Eimo. “They have a very streamlined process. The timeline is actually quite amazing in retrospect.” Here’s how it came about:
Hallam received a call from Bob May, the producer of Manufacturing Marvels on June 27. He is located in Dallas. He stated they were going to do a segment on decorative injection molders and Eimo was a candidate. Eimo signed the contract the next day and the first draft of the script was submitted: A two-minute video with a script of 257 words maximum. A final revision of the script was approved by Eimo on June 29. Filming at Eimo with a professional photographer from Detroit took place on July 12. The first draft of the video was received by Eimo six days later. Final revisions were approved by Eimo on July 20. The video then aired on Fox Business Network on Tuesday, July 25.
The video is posted on eimotech.com. Eimo is a Nissha company.
by Justin Gibson | Aug 4, 2017 | Community, Vicksburg
Peg Crissman, Nancy Rafferty and Jan McNally received the Partners award from South County Community Services for their years of service with the Schoolcraft Food Pantry.
By Brian Freiberger
South County Community Services (SCCS) at its annual meeting in July extolled the virtues of staff, board members and volunteers who make things happen every day in the community. “Our goal is to have each person leave the agency having been heard and helped in some way,” said SCCS Board President Jackie Skinner.
SCCS serves approximately 25,000 residents in the lower half of Kalamazoo County with food, financial, emergency and family support services. About a third of the residents in South County live below the poverty line or are families lacking basic needs such as food, utilities, transportation and health care, according to SCCS.
Volunteers served over 2,500 hours assisting with veteran services, collecting and delivering food, organizing the food pantry and answering phone calls in 2016, according to Executive Director Danna Downing. “We have very dedicated people and without them we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” said Downing.
Other donations from the community include 15,000 pounds of food, 1,300 pounds of household items, $11,000 Meijer food cards and $2,200 in Family Fare support.
Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Robert Barton provides help to military veterans. His commitment “makes him a four-star general in our eyes,” according to Downing. “He is one of a kind.” Appointments with veterans through SCCS have increased 44 percent, from 129 in 2015 to 186 in 2016, according to SCCS. “When you wear the green for so long, we have a saying, ‘leave no man behind’ even when we are home,” said Barton.
Transportation Coordinator Patty Brown and her dedicated drivers were able to increase community service van trips by 48 percent in 2016. The volunteer leaders work with the SCCS emergency assistance team to meet client needs.
Jackie and Dave Sirotti organize and maintain the Vicksburg food pantry with their son Michael and others in the Pantry Team. Together, in 2016, the team completed 799 pantry visits. “They are so kind and welcoming to the people who shop. This is food for your body and soul,” said Downing.
Each year at the annual meeting, the agency recognizes a Partner of the Year. This year the nod went to the Schoolcraft Food Pantry, led by Jan McNally, Nancy Rafferty and Peg Crissman. These ladies work with John and Nancy Bambacht to make about 660 food deliveries possible over a year’s time to families in the Schoolcraft area. “They are truly amazing,“ exclaimed Downing.
SCCS is located at 105 S Kalamazoo Ave. in Vicksburg.
by Justin Gibson | Aug 4, 2017 | Community, Vicksburg
By Sue Moore
Laura Howard, chair of the Vicksburg United Way fund drive and allocations committee has announced that $12,750 will be distributed to two Vicksburg agencies. Generous Hands (GHI) will be awarded $1,750. South County Community Services (SCCS) will receive $11,000 to be used in the coming year.
The awards are tied together in that the two social service agencies have a partner program to assist children with back-to-school supplies. The allocation includes a pilot program with GHI and SCCS for a First Day Shoe Fund.
The grant will be used to help cover the cost of athletic shoes for each registered child. They will walk away with a brand new fitted pair of shoes during the annual Backpack Bonanza in August. Families have told Generous Hands and South County that without this event, their children would not have the supplies they need when school begins in September, according to Sheri Louis, GHI executive director.
South County’s senior outreach plan, “Aging Well in South County Phase 2” will receive the $11,000 allocation. It will continue the current effort of providing short-term senior assistance along with other fully-funded SCCS services. Executive Director Danna Downing said the agency is striving to develop a sustainable approach to deal with future challenges and opportunities for the senior population and the community at large. A survey of seniors has been conducted; results will be tied to the findings of specific needs for seniors.
Howard also announced plans to retire from leadership of the United Way fundraising efforts in Vicksburg, effective August 1. She has been on the committee and served as its chairperson for over 30 years while being employed as system director for ProHealth and Rehabilitation for Bronson Hospital and previously operations manager of Bronson Vicksburg. She will be greatly missed according to Alisha Siebers, United Way of Greater Kalamazoo and Battle Creek’s associate for corporate relations.
“We have such a strong, dynamic committee that Howard has headed these many years, filled with folks who understand the needs of Vicksburg. I also want to make sure that the committee continues. I wouldn’t dare make allocations without a Vicksburg committee there to help with the decisions. My hope is to add a few new members who can learn from the group’s collective expertise,” Siebers said.
by Justin Gibson | Aug 4, 2017 | Community, Vicksburg
John Vreeman stands in front of the Veterans Honor Roll. His helpers standing on the tank are Aiden and Tyler. Standing from left to right: Jakob Schmidt, Mrs. Schmidt, Bella Oswalt, Renee Hawkins, Kevin Borden, unidentified, Scott, Randy and Angie Vreeman.
By Sue Moore
It took a whole village to help John Vreeman with his Eagle Scout project. He chose to upgrade the veteran’s sign that is featured prominently in front of the Brady Township Hall. He is 16 and will be a senior at Vicksburg High School this fall. He was able to organize so many contributors to the sign project that he gets high marks for organizational skills, said his scoutmaster, Kevin Borden.
All the work was finished by the end of July. He and his dad, Randy, laid out the actual structural plan for the huge new sign honoring Vicksburg’s veterans. He worked with Ken Wolhuis to design the concrete walkway with Fryling Construction. Cary Fryling donated his time to pour and level the concrete.
Vreeman convinced Consumers Concrete to donate the concrete block that is the major structure holding the sign in place. His grandfather, Tom Thomas, who works at Consumers Concrete, helped to make that connection. Next step was to meet with A1 Signs in Portage to design and print all the names from a database in the Brady Township archives. The township donated the cost of materials to make the sign and Rich Raske of A1 donated his time.
To top it off, Vreeman worked with Greg Mills of Vicksburg High School’s Industrial Arts class to design the silver medallions at the base of the sign. These honor each branch of the armed services. They are solid aluminum. The students designed them in their computer engineering class.
Vreeman recruited younger scouts to repaint the flag pole and on the final day of getting all the village workers together, his mom, Angie, fed all the volunteers.
