West Michigan School District Promises a Future

July 27, 2009

Kalamazoo Public Schools boasts one of the lowest pupil-teacher ratio among urban schools. There are approximately 11,500 students in 2 traditional high schools, 1 alternative high school, 3 middle schools and 17 elementary schools. Of these schools, 8 are magnet schools. Approximately 800 teachers and 1300 other employees work to meet the needs of the students.

The Kalamazoo Promise is a program designed to guarantee educational opportunities for students in Kalamazoo Public Schools. All students who graduate from KPS, have continuous residency and enrollment in the district and have been KPS students four years or more are eligible for the program. Anonymous donors fund up to 100% tuition for eligible KPS graduates. Tuition is only guaranteed at public colleges and universities in Michigan.
The tuition benefit is based of length of attendance in the Kalamazoo Public School system.

Length of Attendance Benefit

K-12 …………………..100%
1-12 ……………………95%
2-12 ……………………95%
3-12 ……………………95%
4-12 ……………………90%
5-12 ……………………85%
6-12 ……………………80%
7-12 ……………………75%
8-12 ……………………70%
9-12 ……………………65%
10-12 …………………None
11-12 …………………None
12-12 …………………None

For more information on the Kalamazoo Public Schools or The Kalamazoo Promise, please visit:
www.kalamazoopublicschools.com or www.kalamazoopromise.com

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Buy Michigan Week

July 27, 2009

The governor has declared the week of July 27th as “Buy Michigan Week” throughout the state. This week was created to help retailers, restaurants, towns, and cities showcase their Michigan-based businesses and highlight locally-grown and locally-made products.

The state estimates if every household spent $10 a week on Michigan-produced food, it would generate $40 million dollar a week in economic activity. Organizers want to encourage everyone to go out and buy from local farmers’ markets or check out Michigan-made products in local stores.

There are various events and participating retailers across the State. The City of Northville kicked off their Buy Michigan Now Festival today. Spartan Store’s and Hiller’s Markets are also participating by marking items “Made in Michigan”.

For more information visit www.buymichigannow.com and take the pledge to speak positively about Michigan and make a concerted effort to buy Michigan products!

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Today in Michigan History

July 27, 2009

July 27, 1864

The siege of Atlanta began.

General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Union army prepared to lay siege to the Confederate stronghold of Atlanta, Georgia. Battery F, First Michigan Artillery, is credited with firing the first shells into the important rebel city.

Thank you Michigan History Magazine for this glimpse into our past.  See more at www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

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Today in Michigan History

July 24, 2009

July 24, 1701

Detroit was founded.

Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and about one hundred soldiers and workers arrived after a six-week canoe trip from Montreal. The Frenchmen landed on a sandy beach at the foot of a thirty-foot bluff along the Detroit River. Here, Cadillac built a log fort that he named Ponchartrain du De Troit. Soon, the settlement’s name was shortened to Detroit.

Thank you Michigan History Magazine for this glimpse into our past.  See more at www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

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Michigan is Amazing Needs Your Help!

July 23, 2009

We are looking for your help!  Michigan is Amazing wants to start a Top Ten list and our first Top Ten list will be Michigan summer destinations.

Please submit your ideas via comment or email (michiganisamazing@michaelflora.com).

Thanks for all your help and we look forward to seeing what and where you think should be on that list!

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Houghton Lake – A Lake for all Seasons!

July 23, 2009

Houghton Lake is Michigan’s largest inland lake with over 32 miles of beautiful shore line and 22,000 acres of sandy bottom water.

Enjoy spectacular fishing on Houghton Lake!  If you are lucky enough to catch Big Wally the Walleye or any of his friends (blue gill, pike, bass, crappie or perch) you could be eligible to win $50,000.00 in cash and a brand new Smoker Craft Boat package from Spicer’s Boat City. Each fisherman catching a tagged fish will receive a $50.00 gas card and earns a place in the finals for a chance at $50,000 and the boat package in April 2010. Big Wally IV and 29 of his closest friends have been released into Michigan’s Other Great Lakes – Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake and Lake St. Helen. These tagged fish are waiting for you to catch them.

Houghton Lake is also Home of Tip-Up Town USA, one of the country’s largest Winter Festivals since 1951.  Two local businessmen, Bob Sweet and Bob Carmen, conceived the idea of creating a little fun on the ice to relieve the long winter months, and by which they might attract more tourism to the area during the off season.

A Grand Parade opens the festival activities on the first Saturday of the festival at 10:00am. The Grand Parade travels east from the Houghton Lake Heights along M-55 and ends up at the TUT USA site, where clowns, games, contests, concessions, cavorting, demonstrations and aerial performances are part of the feverish activity.  A spectacular fireworks display over the ice in front of the TUT USA site begins at dusk on both Saturday evenings of the festival.
Tip-Up Town USA visitors can take the Polar Bear dip, watch snowmobile races, join a fishing tournament, watch pie eating contests, go ice skating, or just sip hot cocoa.  This large festival has something for all ages.  Tip-Up Town USA is held annually the last two weekends in January.

For more information or to plan a visit to Houghton Lake, please visit: www.visithoughtonlake.com or www.tip-up-townusa.com

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Today in Michigan History

July 23, 2009

July 23, 1872

Elijah J. McCoy patented the first automatic lubricator cup.

The son of former slaves, Elijah McCoy, was born in Canada in 1843. After studying in Scotland, he returned to Canada as a mechanical engineer. In 1870, he took a job with the Michigan Central Railroad. There, he invented an automatic lubricator cup that eliminated the need for trains to make time-consuming stops to oil the locomotive bearings. McCoy’s device revolutionized the railroad business and brought the term “the real McCoy” into common usage.

Thank you Michigan History Magazine for this glimpse into our past.  See more at www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

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Michigan Icon – Big Boy

July 22, 2009

Big Boy restaurants are a Michigan tradition.  A road trip through Michigan isn’t the same without that iconic Big Boy character appearing on the horizon just when you need to take that food break.

Fred, Louis, and John Elias started their Big Boy franchise in 1951, changing the diners they currently owned into the Big Boy brand and growing and franchising their vision of the brand.  In 1987, Marriott sold the chain they purchased from Bob Wian (the founder of Bob’s Big Boy) to the Elias Brothers.  In 2000, Elias Brothers filed for bankruptcy and was bought by Robert Liggett who formed Big Boy Restaurants LLC.

Big Boy is involved with many charities and communities across Michigan.  Since 1978 they have been working with the Boy Scouts on Operation Can-Do; which collects food across the state for the disadvantaged.  They also are involved with the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Toys for Tots, and sending needed items to our troops overseas.

For more information on this Michigan staple or for the location nearest you visit www.bigboy.com.

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Come Follow us on Twitter!

July 22, 2009

It’s official…we have a Twitter account.

Please come follow us and tell your friends too!  Here’s the link: https://twitter.com/amazingmichigan

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Today in Michigan History

July 22, 2009

July 22, 1930

Detroit Mayor Charles Bowles is recalled.

One of Detroit’s least fortunate mayors, Charles Bowles, was elected in 1930 as the Great Depression tightened its grip on Detroit. Bowles promised to cut the city’s budget at a time when the growing number of unemployed looked to government for help. Since most of his recommendations generated hostility, angry Detroit voters called a special election and ousted the mayor only seven months after he entered office.

Thank you Michigan History Magazine for this glimpse into our past.  See more at www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

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