Cara Lieurance recently spoke with editor Marie Lee of Encore Magazine to discuss the regional stories covered in the new year.
The February edition features a cover story on Kalamazoo's pickleball phenomenon, revisiting the sport first profiled in 2018. Writer Robert Weir examines how pickleball has evolved beyond recreation into a force for community building and economic development. Kalamazoo now ranks seventh in Michigan for number of players, with four indoor venues and outdoor courts across the region. The average player age has dropped to 35, dispelling notions of it being solely a senior sport.
Local couple Jim and Yvonne Hackenberg have fueled this growth through their nonprofit Pickleball Outreach, helping communities like Delta, Plainwell, and Richland build courts.
January's issue, still available at encorekalamazoo.com, featured the Vine neighborhood's remarkable preservation of community character. The Vine Neighborhood Association, led by Steve Walsh, owns several commercial corridor buildings and strategically recruits businesses like Satellite Records to maintain the area's walkable, hyper-local character.
Other January highlights included profiles of Glow Hall, a new downtown venue founded by Christopher Keener offering pay-what-you-want (up to $20) all-ages shows, and musician Luke Conklin, music director of Early Music Michigan, who performs on historically accurate instruments.
February's issue also examines Sleeping Giant Capital, a firm helping local family businesses develop succession plans to keep ownership local, and profiles Sean Willis, who runs both Willis and Willis Law and a sports agency representing baseball players and coaches.
March will feature the Out of Favor Boys marking their 40th anniversary, plus a story about a locally-authored pizza cookbook.
For more information, visit the Encore Magazine website.
The interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author.
