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In the third episode of the Good Grief. Podcast, Watershed Voice’s Aundrea Sayrie explores one of the most common misconceptions surrounding grief: the Five Stages of Grief. “Many of us have searched for ourselves somewhere between denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, wondering why our grief didn’t seem to follow the ‘right’ order. The truth may surprise you.”

Come join us at The Huss Project this Saturday for Watershed Voice’s sixth annual artist showcase featuring local musicians, spoken word artists, and journalism. This Saturday, July 25 beginning at 6 p.m. Watershed Voice will showcase artists from Southwest Michigan and beyond at the Huss Project’s Imaginarium, located at 1008 8th St. in Three Rivers. 

If the amendment had failed, the Three Rivers Housing Development Corporation board would once again be subject to the original residency requirements, making several current members ineligible to continue serving. According to the proposed bylaw language, most current board members live outside the city. Mayor Angel Johnston began her portion of commissioners comments by going through each commissioner’s comments sharing her thoughts on them. Johnston then moved to questioning City Clerk Leslie Wilson about whether the housing board’s IRS Form 990 filings were up to date and why her FOIA asking for that information was delayed if the documents “should be available online.”  Soon after Johnston began this questioning, Commissioner Pat Dane interrupted and “called the question,” a parliamentary motion to end debate and proceed to a vote. After the meeting, Mayor Johnston went live on her YouTube channel in a video titled, ‘Your mayor was silenced. Here’s what she wasn’t allowed to say.’ In the video, Johnston criticized the vote and argued the amended bylaws would allow nonresidents to oversee decisions involving taxpayer-funded housing projects.

Vice Mayor Jeff Mullins and Commissioner Aaron Miller have argued Kuk’s resignation is directly tied to an environment created by Mayor Frank Perez and several other commissioners. Perez has denied wrongdoing, and specific allegations have not been publicly disclosed because commissioners and the city attorney have said they stem from confidential closed-session discussions. Several commissioners used their closing comments Wednesday to thank Kuk for his service. Miller said Kuk deserved to retire from the position rather than leave under the current circumstances. “There really are no adequate words,” Miller said. “I’ve always appreciated just how high your character is and just how good of a job you do and how thorough you are and how knowledgeable you are. “This has not been your city your entire life, but you have given to it as if it was.”

The basic outline of the program: A one-time community investment — federal, state, local government grants, and/or philanthropic — goes into building a new home that’s affordable for families with modest incomes. That first family, and following families, agree to “pay it forward.” A requirement to keep the property at a price for a specific area median income, for generations, is baked into the deed. For the program to work, they buy it and sell it at under market value.  Saying this will run for “99 years” is a way of saying it’s “more or less permanent,” Beth McCann, Executive Director of KNHS says. “In theory, it should outlast Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services. It should outlast everybody.”

The Sturgis City Commission will meet tonight, Wednesday, July 22 at 6 p.m. for a regular business meeting at City Hall. Commissioners will set a budget discussion public hearing, consider allowing the Sturgis Historical Society (SHS) to host cemetery tours, and consider a property transfer and an AEP pole line purchase. Wednesday will also be City Manager Andrew Kuk’s final city commission meeting as his resignation goes into effect July 24.