This is my story of Cereal Fest 2010, and the Quest for Sugar Bear... The Cereal Fest 2010 in Battle Creek afforded beautiful weather for all who attended.  If you have never been to this part of the country in June, is well worth checking out the Cereal Fest.  Where else in the world for one time a year can you eat breakfast with ten thousand other cereal loving people?  The main supporters of this annual event are Kellogg, Post and Ralston Foods Cereal companies, which all have their factories right here in Battle Creek.  Literally tons of cereal is donated to Cereal Fest every year, and kids and adults get to come and eat as much cereal as they desire.  Cereal Fest is also a chance for you to meet famous individuals like ‘Snap, Crackle & Pop', ‘Toucan Sam', 'Dig'em Frog', ‘Sugar Bear... 06/15/2010

My personal greenhouse in Michigan is my favorite place to escape to.  About 5 years ago I built my greenhouse from a kit I purchased from California.  I researched online all kinds of personal greenhouses, and finally decided on a redwood greenhouse kit.  When the big freight arrived I was suddenly overwhelmed with boxes of parts, instructions and a huge assembly project.  The ultimate test of an assembly project, believe me!    At one point I began to despair, thinking maybe I had taken on too much.  I finally called a contractor friend of mine and he helped me get the project off the ground.  I built my personal greenhouse foundation with pressure treated 4 X 4's that were sunk 3 feet down into the earth, 4 to each side.  The base board was also built of pressure treated lumber.  Thi... 06/08/2010

Have you ever really looked at the homeownership goal?  Are you one of the many million Americans that have been out there renting, because that is what you have always done?  Have you been renting, just because that was how you started out when you moved away on your own, and for some reason between work, fun and general living you never gave a thought to the homeownership goal?  The homeownership goal may not be for everyone.  For example, if you are in a job that has you transferring around the country frequently, renting may be the best thing for you right now until you know where you are going to land in your final location.  For the rest of Americans who are not in this situation, and intend to remain in their area for quite awhile, the homeownership goal is worth reaching for.  H... 06/03/2010

It is now a golden time for Real Estate Investors.  At the height of the largest buyer's market in history, and a tidal wave of foreclosures across the country, there is no better time to acquire investment property.  Bank owned properties are also known as REO's, which stands for ‘Real Estate Owned' which is the bank line item description in their asset column for homes they have in their foreclosure inventory.  REO inventory is at its highest ever in the Michigan market place, and it is the best time to buy for investors looking to acquire rental property.  HUD homes are additional foreclosures sold through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.  These are homes taken back in foreclosures that were secured by government loan programs.  This is truly a golden time for Real... 06/02/2010

Some perennial herbs that grow well in Michigan, and are great for tea are Lemon Balm, Bee Balm and all varieties of mint.  Being a fan of a warn cup of tea before ending off my day, I began exploring perennial herbs that grow well in Michigan a few years ago.  I used to devote my time in the greenhouse to growing culinary herbs, but most were annuals, like basil and coriander.  About 5 years ago I decided that I wanted to create a perennial herb garden around my greenhouse that I could have as a resource for fresh tea all summer long.  Over the years I have added a variety of other plants that also make great teas for medicinal purposes.  For example, another perennial herb that grows well in Michigan is Horehound which makes a bitter licorice tangy tea that doesn't taste too great, bu... 05/26/2010

For investors, one of the key challenges is to acquire investment properties in a high demand area of the City to minimize vacancy rates.  At this time, Lakeview Area Investment Properties in Battle Creek, Michigan seem to be in the highest demand.  To any investor who seeks to acquire a portfolio of homes in and around the Battle Creek area, one should definitely consider Lakeview Area Investment Properties.  There is nothing like popular public opinion to drive a market, and in the Battle Creek area, homes in the Lakeview School District tend to have a higher preference level to other areas of town.  Statistical comparisons of SAT score of the local school districts of Battle Creek, Harper Creek, Pennfield and Lakeview does not create any distinguishing difference of one being superio... 05/24/2010

The Burnham Brook Community Center in Battle Creek, Michigan is a great resource for the downtown district.  The Burnham Brook Community Center offers Community activities for its membership. A minimum age of 50 is required for membership, and the facility offers meeting rooms, libraries and clubs that interact with the community.  Some of their clubs include book clubs, photography clubs and line dancing clubs.  There is also the ‘Area Agency on Aging' located within the Burnham Brook Community Center building, and also a ‘Community Action Center'.   The Burnham Brook Community Center in Battle Creek, Michigan is a sizeable building in downtown, offering approximately 10,000+ square feet of facilities.  With membership, one can take advantage of their fitness room, Billiards, evening d... 05/24/2010

The Masonic Temple in Downtown Battle Creek is a landmark building intimately connected with the surrounding community.  The building boasts an all brick façade, with columns and a dated ‘1913' granite marker on the left front corner.  There is a granite boulder on the front lawn with a special brass plaque that reads: "The tablet erected by the citizens of Battle Creek in connection with the centennial celebration 1931, marks the place which was builded, in 1831, the first dwelling in Battle Creek."  I find it interesting that the word ‘Builded' was used in place of ‘Built', but perhaps that was the correct grammar of the day when this was unveiled.  The location of the Masonic Temple in Downtown Battle Creek is more significant by testimony of this sign, than just the architecture its... 05/24/2010

How is that for a headline: The Secret Rule of Abundant Peppers Revealed!  I have been gardening for about 7 years now, and although some years I have not planted as much, I always grow some peppers.  Up until last summer I did not know the secret rule of abundant peppers, and it was a fellow gardener that passed along the tip to me. I used to plant my peppers much like I did my tomato plants, wide with room to grow.  Although this works, and you will get peppers from what you plant, I was never satisfied.  I tried to find the secret rule of abundant peppers on my own, but had no success.  I tried fertilizer changes, lots of additional watering, shade, full sun, partial sun, etc.  Never got the results I wanted.  You see, my wife and I love to make salsa every year.  I grow the tomotoes... 05/24/2010

The Battle Creek Federal Center buildings have been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.  It has been on the Register of Historic Places for both the State of Michigan and City of Battle Creek since September 1989. The reason for this distinction of the Battle Creek Federal Center is not merely that the buildings are old, big or important looking, but because of the many historically significant things which have happened in the location in the past 150 years. In 1876, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg became Physician in Chief of the Western Health Reform Institute, the first health retreat operated by the Seventh-day Adventists located on the site.  In 1878 he built a new structure on the site of the present Battle Creek Federal Center and named it the Sanitarium.   In 1902 t... 05/18/2010

The Leila Arboretum in Battle Creek, Michigan is a treasure of the City.  An Arboretum is defined by Wikipedia as: "A place where many varieties of trees are grown for research, educational, and ornamental purposes".  Another definition I found on the web describes it as: "a protected park-like environment where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are studied for their capacities to thrive in the ecological zone where the arboretum is located; more recently, to that function has been added the role of helping to sustain the genetic diversity of the various species".  In either definition, the Leila Arboretum in Battle Creek, Michigan is a treasure of the City. The Leila Arboretum in Battle Creek, Michigan dates back to 1922 when Leila Post Montgomery, widow of cereal magnate C.W. Post,... 05/18/2010

The Spring into the Arts in Battle Creek, Michigan featured a showcase of local art walk throughout downtown Battle Creek, courtesy of the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership, on Friday, May 15th, 2010 from 9-5 PM.  The Spring into the Arts in Battle Creek is an exciting mix of many fields of the arts.  At the recent Spring into the Arts, visitors were able to see throughout downtown merchants' spaces and artist venues, nearly every kind of art imaginable, from the simplicity of paintings at varying locations, original chalk drawings on the sidewalk, to the diversity of a wearable art fashion show.  The ‘Spring into the Arts' Art tour grew from to 37 venues from last fall's 29, when the twice-annual Art Walk held the ‘Fall into the Arts' event last year.  Participating artists in the Spri... 05/17/2010

Orchard Park Area Investment Properties in Battle Creek, Michigan are one of the best kept secrets in the local market.  Orchard Park Area Investment Properties in Battle Creek, Michigan are quite accessible to the Kellogg Community College and Miller College, which is convenient for students attending these schools from out of the area, and also those that work there.  One can make quick access down Morgan Road and North Ave, and arrive quickly at either college.  Orchard Park is also accessible to Pennfield, and parts of the area overlaps into that school district.  There are also convenient bus lines, grocery stores, shopping plazas and commercial districts.  It is also accessible to downtown Battle Creek.  Another reason Orchard Park Investment Properties are popular with investors,... 05/17/2010

It is springtime, and the flowers are blooming in Battle Creek, Michigan.  The first wave of flowers blooming came in April, and now it is May.  I never get tired of taking time to look at the wonders of nature.  Right now the daffodils and tulips are all gone, but we can remember their beauty in photographs.  The flowers are blooming in Battle Creek, Michigan, and continue to bloom.  Each week, despite the fluctuations in weather, Mother Nature parades in a new round of flowers to bloom.  Coming into bloom now are the Sweet Rocket and other wild flowers.  This year, I even took photos of dandelions, because if you look at them closely they are amazing!  Later in June and July we will have sunflowers, cone flowers, my favorite the Michigan native ‘Bee Balm' (Bergamot).  So flowers are b... 05/10/2010

Living near Piper Park in Battle Creek, Michigan is fun year round.  In the summer there are the usual park attendees: walkers, picnickers, runners, and just kids having fun.  Week nights, there are baseball and softball games, almost every other evening.  So one might ask, what is it about living near Piper Park in Battle Creek, Michigan that makes it so special?  Well when one considers that most neighborhoods geographically do not have a park as their center piece, it does make it a little different.  The City does a great job of maintaining it, through mowing; seeding, trimming trees and general clean up.  However, perhaps the best thing about living near Piper Park is that the neighborhood surrounding it takes a pride in it.  It is not uncommon to see neighbors out in the park in a... 05/04/2010

Urbandale Area Investment Properties in Battle Creek, Michigan are becoming quite popular.  There are many reasons for this.  Urbandale homes have a common thread in design, and their own unique charm. As investors are finding out, the Urbandale Area Investment Properties in Battle Creek are quite accessible to the Fort Custer Business Park District, which employs people that work at DENSO and related factories in the Industrial park.  One can take a short cut through Fort Custer Drive from Michigan Ave, and arrive on Dickman Road within minutes from Urbandale.  Urbandale is also accessible to not only Battle Creek, but also Augusta, Galesburg and Comstock in Kalamazoo County.  Urbandale has bus lines, grocery stores, shopping plazas and a small commercial district.  Another reason Urba... 04/14/2010

These two beautiful rivers run through Battle Creek, Michigan.  The Kalamazoo River runs through Battle Creek, and joins with its tributary river, the Battle Creek River, right in downtown.  Along the banks of the Kalamazoo River, one can see the Kellogg company headquarters, silhouetted in the background by the two towers downtown.  From a bridge over the river, one can see the manicured lawns adjoining the waterway inviting an afternoon stroll along its banks.  When one walks or takes a bike ride just a few blocks to the North, one crosses the Battle Creek River.  The Battle Creek River, follows the linear path bike trail, and passes by the famous ‘Clara's on the River' restaurant that was created from a former railroad station. These two beautiful rivers run through Battle Creek, Mic... 04/13/2010

Piper Park in Battle Creek, Michigan is perhaps one of the most family friendly parks in the city.  Boasting one of the best playground areas in town, the modern play equipment was installed around 2001 and draws children from all over through four seasons.  Piper Park in Battle Creek also has a baseball field, a walking/running path and shaded benches throughout.  For runners coming to run the paths, it should be known that 5 times around equals 2 miles.  It has a few slight hill sections on either end of the park, and it is asphalt paving in good condition all the way.  There are also two pavilions with picnic tables for birthday parties, BBQ's and family get-togethers.  I have lived across from Piper Park in Battle Creek for 9 years, and have enjoyed looking out my windows year round... 04/13/2010

The Fallen Officer Memorial in Battle Creek, Michigan is a tribute to the history of police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.  The project to design and create the memorial followed the aftermath of the loss of one of Battle Creek's finest officers: Laverne Brann, a detective whom was killed by gunfire in 2005 while making a visit to a suspect's house during an investigation. Having personally met Mr. Brann on one occasion at a public ceremony and having had the honor to be present when he received numerous awards for valor in the line of duty, I can say only that he was a man of few words, and he had an air of kindness about him.  Having had the opportunity to shake his hand and converse with him briefly, I will always remember him as a hero of the Battle Creek co... 04/12/2010

Conference centers for businesses in downtown Battle Creek Michigan are provided by the Kendall Center, which also offers lifelong education resources.  Students attending programs here can earn degrees in Manufacturing Engineering, Business Administration and Professional Teacher certification among some of the programs on their curriculum.  Being essentially a branch of the Western Michigan University, conference centers for businesses and private and civic organizations are available.  Located in the heart of downtown Battle Creek, the Kendall Center was a gift to the University from several community and private organizations and is a symbol of the shared commitment of Western Michigan University and The City of Battle Creek to quality, lifelong education. Named in honor of the late... 04/06/2010