Month: May 2020

Apollo and his harp have reigned in our region for almost 100 years through the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (KSO) with musical education and world-class entertainment. During this difficult time, KSO’s music director, Julian Kuerti, and musicians wanted to find ways to continue creating music together for the community, even if only virtually. The result of […]

We are raising our glass to all of the local distillers that add spirit to Michigan on National Craft Distillery Day! Local craft distilleries are on the rise (almost like a Phoenix rising from the ashes) and producing award-winning spirits. “We found a niche in a community that we love and the possibilities are endless,” […]

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)’s Match on Main program, which serves as a tool for local units of government, downtown development authorities, or other downtown management organizations to support place-based businesses, is being expanded to provide access for more communities. The program allows Main Street community-serving organizations to make grants to place-based small businesses […]

There’s nothing quite like a fresh coat of paint to update a room, but with executive orders limiting the work for local painting company Quality Touch, CEO Quincy Nunn decided to focus on cleaning-up something else, our hands with hand sanitizer! In late March, Quincy and his team closed up shop and headed home with […]

Whether you’re missing Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, or your own loved ones, social distancing can make it challenging to stay in touch with everyone. While we don’t recommend you host a backyard get-together right now, we do have some other suggestions on how you can spread some joy to your loved ones. Make someone in […]

No matter how you slice it, pizza can make any night better. Since it’s National Pizza Day (and Friday, in case you’ve lost track of the days), there shouldn’t be any excuses getting in the way of you celebrating with a local pizza pie tonight. We even dished up a list of all the local […]

It’s that time of year in West Michigan for our standout companies to shine bright! On Tuesday, May 12, 2020, the Best & Brightest Companies to Work For® program celebrated regional award-winning companies for best practices  during its annual ceremony. Traditionally held during a luncheon, the event went virtual this year. The program was moderated […]

There are some serious benefits to us all taking precautions and wearing masks while out and about or at work. But has anyone noticed how uncomfortable those things are? Marie and Dennis Marsh, owners of Crown Trophy, took on the mission to alleviate the discomfort and ear pressure of masks by using their skills and […]

When takeout business wasn’t enough to keep her business alive, Krystal Gast, owner and manager of Fido Motors Café, was inspired to act after hearing from other small business owners who had their own concerns about not being able to sell their products. “I just kept thinking about how I know so many people that […]

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1.7 million in Brownfield Assessment Grants to four Michigan entities representing communities in Region 5, which oversees most Great Lakes States and is based in Chicago. The funding will be used for projects happening on blighted properties so that they can once again become a source of […]

Recently you may find yourself eating more meals out of takeout containers or, if stocking up at the grocery store is your thing, perhaps you’re noticing that your recycling bin is full of empty cereal boxes and yogurt containers. Whatever your meal of choice has been while sheltering in place, there’s a good chance that […]

With the closing of school buildings, many students are mourning the loss of their senior seasons and group activities in which they participated. While teams can no longer run bases at the baseball diamond, score a penalty shot on the soccer field, or cradle a lacrosse ball down to the rack, one local team is […]