Special Friendships:

Plainwell’s Holiday Labor of Love

What does 35 turkeys plus 35 hams plus 750 lbs of potatoes equal? More than 1,000 meals made of love, good will and community pride!

Each Thanksgiving and Christmas, the proprietor of Plainwell’s Kristine’s Kafe, Judy Himmelein, coordinates a tremendous community effort to fix meals and give gifts to local residents in need.

“I can’t remember a holiday when I didn’t do something like this,” Ms. Himmelein states. She brought this idea with her when she relocated to Plainwell more than a decade ago. “I did all of this out of my house for years and years, and now the City of Plainwell allows me to use the Community Center.”

The night before each feast, about 25-30 residents get together for a potato peeling party. According to Judy, many treat this activity as their regular holiday tradition. “This has become just as important to the volunteers as it is for me; it’s like a big family get-together!”

“My goal is to treat residents and families who have ‘fallen between the cracks’, the folks who need some extra help,” Judy continues.

Nearly everyone in Plainwell gets involved, in some way or another. Judy can name off numerous volunteers and donors; the local Harding’s and Arie’s Café have gone “above and beyond” in recent years. Last year the Plainwell Chamber of Commerce sent letters soliciting donations and volunteers. “I ended up with so much help, I cried,” Judy states.

Kristine’s Kafe is a quaint eatery located at 142 S. Main Street in Plainwell, (269) 685-2201.

 

Plainwell and Otsego: Bound Together by history and the river.

On its way to Lake Michigan, the Kalamazoo River runs through two distinguished SW Michigan communities – Plainwell and Otsego. For most of their histories, the river has determined the economies of both communities, binding them together in both friendship and (friendly) rivalries.

Images of America: Otsego and Plainwell

Ryan Wieber, historian and librarian at the Otsego District Library, discovered a series of books called Images of America at the bookstore. He called amateur historian Sandy Stamm from Plainwell and asked if she would be interested in using the “Images of America” format to produce a book about Plainwell and Otsego with him. The result is a remarkable compendium of history, photos, and nuggets of wisdom about their two communities. Sandy says that she has many photo albums that they pored over, finding just the right photos to tell the stories of their towns.

The paper industry has always determined the economic well-being of Otsego and Plainwell. The Bardeen Paper Mill was the oldest mill, founded in Otsego in 1887; eventually 7 paper mills operated in Otsego and a like number existed in Plainwell. Ironically, the Bardeen Mill, the first one, has recently been purchased. The new name is to be Otsego Paper and will be a viable economic entity in two years. In Plainwell, the large paper mill has recently been purchased by the community and is available for redevelopment.

Otsego just celebrated its 175th anniversary as a community. In honor of the anniversary, the Otsego Historical Society redeveloped the old pumping station along the river and turned it into a museum, now open on Saturdays and during festivals. It is filled with Otsego memorabilia.

One of Plainwell’s most identifiable features is the Soule fountain which used to be located at the community’s center. It had 4 drinking fountains for people and spigots for horses and dogs. Created for the town’s first homecoming festival, it survived until 1953 when a careening car destroyed it. In 1970 the Jaycees rebuilt the fountain in a much safer place in Hicks Park, where it stands today.

The Images of America: Plainwell and Otsego book is available for purchase at the libraries in both communities and at various other businesses in the area.

Otsego: A Town that Loves a Parade

Tracy Allard, the Executive Director of Otsego’s Chamber of Commerce, laughed as she said, “This town loves a parade.” She is proud of the community’s Halloween costume parade, the Christmas Parade, and especially the Creative Arts Festival that occurs on the fourth weekend in September. Highlights of the Creative Arts Festival include the car show, which attracts as many as 400 cars that park all along the main street of Otsego, food tents, and a parade, of course. The Otsego Band Festival occurs the same weekend attracting high school bands from all over SW Michigan, which adds to the festivities.

Plainwell: Island Festival Fun
Everyone loves the Plainwell’s Island City Festival, which occurs on the last weekend of July each year. It began as a homecoming festival and has continued to call people home for almost 30 years. Festivities happen in all the parks and include a duck race, a parade, a huge car show, and a children’s activity area. A new activity last year was kayak races on the river, sponsored by Old Allegan Canoe. Chris Haas, chairperson of the event, is proud of all the community support behind the event. She indicates that this is one of the most identifiable aspects of the community; “the unified goal is the good of the community.”

Small Town Life Breeds Friendship and Friendly Rivalries

In conversation with residents of both communities, the common question was: “Are you going to talk about the rivalry between the two towns?” Small town life often hinges around high school sports, and of course, the rivalries between Otsego High School and Plainwell High School is intense. Because the two communities merge at Interstate 131, kids spend a lot of time at the McDonalds and the M89 Cinema, so the rivalries act more like friendships with a lot of friendly banter going both directions. Annual football and basketball match-ups bring out both communities.

These are quintessential small communities. Both communities have busy downtown streets lined with antique shops, restaurants and diners, consignment shops, and professional offices. Residents are pleasant, and merchants are eager to greet visitors. It doesn’t take more than one cup of coffee at any of the downtown diners, like Kristine’s Kafe in Plainwell, or Otsego’s Judy’s diner, to get the full scoop on the community’s current events. Chris Haas said of Plainwell; “This is a community that truly enjoys each other and are there for each other.” When asked, Ryan Wieber suggested that the sense of community in Otsego is very strong. “Go to Hardings, and you always see someone you know.”

The sense of community is what brings people to Otsego and Plainwell; the sense of community is what keeps people here.

Home | Local | Food | Fun | Parents | Kids | Advertise | Customer Service | Subscription | Site Search