A brief hiatus

Apologies for the lack of updates the past few days. I spent my weekend looking after my father who is recovering from some surgery. More soon!

National Night Out--plus the Dunk Tank

Baseball Camp

Today I was privileged to be a guest at the commencement picnic of Derek Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation Baseball Camp, which ran for the past four days at Mayor's Riverfront Park and operated in partnership with the City of Kalamazoo's Parks and Recreation Department. Photos are (1) under the tent with all the baseball campers and their parents, and, (2) the motivational speaker, Kevin Carroll, author of the book "Rules of the Red Rubber Ball" - he gave an excellent talk with a great message for the many youth present.

Give Blood, Save Lives!

Today I donated my 24th pint of blood - three gallons! I started giving blood regularly after I began working at the American Red Cross. Quick facts: blood supply can only be created through donations - science can't reproduce it; if every blood donor who gave once a year gave twice a year, there would never be any shortages; products derived from a pint of blood can save up to three lives.

National Night Out

National Night Out is always a fun, encouraging (and hot!) night. Many of Kalamazoo's neighborhoods host parties for residents working on proactive crime prevention. Here's a crowd from Milwood, one of our City's best organized watch groups.

Art Hops and Whiskey Before Breakfast

Art Hops used to be well-kept secrets, but once it got out how fun they are, they have become one of Kalamazoo's great success stories. They often feature art, entertainment and food - here's my favorite local band, Whiskey Before Breakfast, playing an outdoor venue. Art Hops have been a big factor in downtown's revitalization and are great opportunities to see neighbors and friends.

McCann to Video-blog from Neighborhoods