Commissioner McCann at Swearing-in Ceremony

The 47th Kalamazoo City Commission was sworn in this evening at City Hall. Sean McCann was re-elected with a total of 5803 votes, placing him third after Hopewell (6118) and McKinney (6064).
Photo: Dominick Gladstone

Tour a Norman Carver, Jr. house in Parkwyn Village

Loads of Letters to the Editor

Check out Sunday's slew of letters in the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Highlights of Sean at the Second Candidate Forum

Preliminary Survey Results

A few months ago, we began distributing a short survey with four multiple-choice questions about City issues and how the City was doing in addressing them. What follows is an overview of the results to-date.

Surveys distributed
7000 (100.00%)
Surveys returned to date
343 (4.90%)

Male
135 (39.36%)
Female
138 (40.23%)
M/F (two voters)
31 (9.04%)

Age
18-30--21 (6.12%)
31-55--106 (30.90%)
56-75--136 (39.65%)
76-95--45 (13.12%)

Question 1--City Met or Exceeded Expectations
1 Downtown Revitalization 183 (53.35%)
2 Parks & Recreation Programs 126 (36.73%)

Question 2--City Aspects or Services Need Improvement
1 Economic Development 186 (54.23%)
2 Neighborhoods 161 (46.94%)

Question 3--City's most pressing concerns (check two)
1 Jobs 215 (62.68%)
2 Poverty 137 (39.94%)

Question 3--City's least pressing concerns (check two)
1 Historic Site restoration 162 47.23%
2 Parking 140 40.82%
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Obviously, these are early numbers. We'll be getting more data in the weeks ahead. We promise to publish more comprehensive results soon.

Highlights of Sean at the First Candidate Forum

United Way Campaign Kick-Off

Today was the kick-off for the 2007 Greater Kalamazoo United Way campaign. Kalamazoo is a very generous community. Last year, residents gave over $10 million to the GKUW, which in turn distributes those funds to a variety of local agencies that help people in need. The picture tells the story--one community, one goal. For more information, go to www.kalamazoounitedway.org.

Strong, diverse neighborhoods key to safe city

The following is an excerpt from Sean's viewpoint in today's Kalamazoo Gazette:

All our streets must be safe, and part of ensuring that lies in keeping the roots of our community strong. Empowering citizens and neighborhoods to engage in these matters is critical to securing both our economic and social futures. This is a fundamental way to begin addressing some of the illnesses at the cause. There's no quick and easy cure, but there certainly is a need to bring all our resources to the table. One broken window in a building quickly becomes many if left unattended.

Safe, inclusive and successful communities are created from the bottom up, not the top down. That was Jane Jacobs' message more than 40 years ago, and it is no less true today. Diversity sparks creativity, the seed from which all great social and economic enterprises grow. Investing resources in strengthening our neighborhoods and empowering our residents is never wasted.

To read the whole article, go to:
McCann_VP_KG_083107

Fierce Storm Hits Kalamazoo

(VINE NEIGHBORHOOD)
A massive burr oak fell during the storm on Thursday, barely missing the houses that border Pioneer Park on Westnedge Ave. In the background, one resident can be seen putting his flag back up after first round of wind and rain.

Kalamazoo County residents had more power outages than anywhere else in West Michigan, with 35,000 homes without electricity at this writing.

National Night Out--plus the Dunk Tank

Do-Dah Parade 2007

Sean McCann and his Tin Can Telephone Operators, Saturday, June 2nd (Photo courtesy of Creed Stegall)

A Nickname No One Wants

by Sean McCann

Over the years, Kalamazoo has had several nicknames—the Burr Oak City, the Celery City, and the Debt-Free City, to name a few. By the 1930’s, the area was home to over fifteen paper mills, and Kalamazoo was dubbed the Paper City.

Around this time, the Swann Chemical Company began commercial production of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. In 1935, the Monsanto Industrial Chemical Company purchased Swann and continued PCB production until 1977. They were used in production of power transformers, capacitors, heat transfer systems, hydraulic fluids, pigments, adhesives, liquid-cooled electric motors, fluorescent lights, plasticizers, and in de-inking carbonless copy paper.

It is this last use that now concerns us in Kalamazoo. Even decades before their ban, some knew that PCBs posed serious health risks with even minimal exposure. Others saw the tremendous commercial potential, hailing polychlorinated biphenyls as a break-though substance. According to legend, one Monsanto engineer declared PCB’s to be “as perfect as any industrial chemical can be.” Unfortunately, the very attributes for which mid-twentieth century industrialists valued polychlorinated biphenyls are the same that now pose a threat to us and the environment—high resistance to thermal and chemical breakdown.

Certainly, it is past time to begin river cleanup efforts and re-routing the river to dry-dredge the contaminated soil is currently the best option. Biological solutions—such as bacteria that eat PCBs—are at least a good ten years away from viable use. As of this writing, one key question about the plan that remains unanswered is this: If the proposal to dump sediment in the middle of three residential neighborhoods is merely phase one—approximately two percent of the total known contaminated sediment— where is the remaining sediment going to end up? In other words, if another Superfund containment site will eventually be needed, should it not be built now, closer to the contaminated area in Allegan County to minimize risks in transporting the toxins?

The EPA also seems uncomfortable answering this question: When is the eventual clean-up of the existing toxins going to occur at the Alcott/Cork site since it is ostensibly supposed to have been a temporary location? We should all be wary of Orwellian replies like, “We have to call it ‘temporary’ because it hasn’t been classified as ‘permanent’ yet.” It is also yet unclear what effects this plan will have on our municipal water system.

The EPA has insisted bringing the additional toxins into the community “poses no risk.” Perhaps. Let’s remember, though, in 1933, workers at the PCB manufacturing plant exhibited acne-like pustules, with some registering a loss of appetite, energy, and libido, as well as other skin ailments. Then, in 1936, scientists issued a report attributing the workers’ disease to “poor handling techniques” and the workers’ “natural laziness.”

Those in a position to profit from polychlorinated biphenyls and the products in which they were used, when faced with the choice of people and positive returns, far too often in the past opted for the latter. General Electric was not insensitive to the workers’ pain and disfigurement in 1937, and many executives at first concluded they had to “get rid of it—get it out of the plant.” This decision—easily said, not so easily done—would have forced the Wireworks to essentially close up shop. Ultimately, despite their personal ethics, the GE executives decided to continue using PCBs, understanding that doing so would mean problems would continue as well.

When the EPA first announced its intentions to truck and dump PCB contaminated soil from Plainwell in the middle of the City of Kalamazoo, there was no indication that the plan was anything other than a done deal.

The degree of organizing and outcry from our community thus far has been nothing short of amazing. Never before has a single issue galvanized all sectors of the community to fight what is so clearly a bad idea.

Now, in the face of mounting pressure, public backlash and some questions asked by high-level political officials, the EPA says they will conduct further “public dialogue” and communication about their plans. Yet they continue to stick to their talking points and give no sign of any serious reconsideration of their intentions. To date, none of the rationales the EPA has given for the plan can truly justify it. It continues to appear that they wish to truck the poison here because to save money for the potentially responsible parties, not because they should.

We must not let this happen. Kalamazoo will not accept the nickname “The Toxic City.”

Sean's comments at the Monday afternoon rally

Kalamazoo’s Downtown—How Far We’ve Come

by Sean McCann

Saturday night of New Year’s weekend started out no different than any other Saturday in Kalamazoo, but it ended up teaching me a very good lesson.

Some friends and I had made plans for dinner out followed by a movie downtown at the new Rave Theatre. We were to have dinner at 7:00 and then see the 8:30 showing of The Good Shepherd, which was released over a week before. We were running a few minutes late for dinner, but the newly expanded Martini’s was only a couple blocks away. Oops. When we got to Martini’s it was jam-packed, with people waiting. No way we would have time to eat and make it to the movie on time.

We went to “Plan B” and found a slightly less-crowded restaurant nearby. We managed to get through dinner with 10 minutes to spare before the show started, and we knew the theatre was close by. Hustling into the theatre during the previews, we found, to our surprise, a packed auditorium, compelling us to sit together in the second row. After the show I saw people I knew who remarked how nice it was to have the new theatre.

Later on, I reflected on my lesson learned. As a long-time patron of downtown, I have seen interest in what’s going on building slowly and steadily. Now, I suddenly realized, it’s getting very busy downtown. This is the wildest dream come true of a great many people.

In thinking about how far we’ve come downtown in just the past 10 years – I call it “remember when?” – I joke with anyone I meet who hasn’t been on an Art Hop yet that they were once well-kept secrets. Art Hops, which used to be nice, quiet affairs, are now practically automatic events on my calendar and the calendars of hundreds of others (thousands over the course of a year).

I also remark lately how much I love seeing the big crane downtown that is helping construct the new building by the Greenleaf Cos. for the Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone law firm. It is a symbol that downtown continues to have great forward momentum and is developing at a strong clip. But even the many smaller projects are critical – Martini’s being packed is a great example, as well.

Nothing exemplifies downtown’s progress more for me than when I show what’s new to Kalamazoo visitors, particularly those who haven’t been here in several years. The list is long: the Plazacorp redevelopments on the northeast of downtown, the renovations by Jon Stryker on the southeast, new entertainment venues by Ryan Reedy – including the soon-to-open Wild Bull; the City of Kalamazoo’s new Transit Center; the downtown mall and all its unique stores; the fantastic restaurants; the many renovated building facades; the museum and the library; helpful wayfinding signs; the Radisson renovations; the many lofts and housing opportunities; the Arcadia Festival Site; the State Theatre; the Civic Theatre; the Rave Theatre; and so much more.

I think the Rave Theatre bears special mention. How many other midsize urban cities have a brand-new, 14-screen multiplex movie theatre in their downtown? I continue to hear amazement from people who are unaware of it when I tell them about this downtown gem. When I take people there or ask those who have gone, the feedback is extremely positive. The Rave Theatre is such a tremendous accomplishment and asset to our downtown. I suspect it will, in hindsight, represent the point in time when Kalamazoo’s downtown took off and never looked back.

It also means that, from now on, I need to factor in a little more time when I want to take friends to dinner and a movie – downtown!

(City Commissioner Sean McCann lives in the historic Vine Neighborhood in Kalamazoo. A version of this artical was published in the Kalamazoo Gazette as a Viewpoint in January 2007.)