Police & Fire Reports Plans in place to deal with expected traffic ...

By Annette Christie

The Watervliet Township Board

approved a resolution supporting the

transfer of a business license permit at

their Monday, August 15 meeting. The

township had received a letter from

Jeff Schmitz, Managing Partner of JS

Hotel Operations, L.L.C. and

Watervliet Hotel Properties, L.L.C.

announcing that Surfari Joe’s is plan-

ning an ownership change.

The letter states that following the

sale, the hotel and water park will

become a Holiday Inn franchise of

Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG).

To meet Holiday Inn requirements, the

food and beverage facilities will be

upgraded to include full service

restaurant capabilities within the guest

room’s area. The improvements are

estimated at $250,000.

With that, the board approved the res-

olution supporting the transfer of the

2011-B Hotel Licensed Business with

Dance-Entertainment Permit from

Michigan Outdoor Products, Inc to JS

Hotel Operations, L.L.C.

In other business, the township

approved additional funds for the

safety improvements at Watervliet

North Elementary located at 827

Baldwin. Previously the board had

authorized up to $35,000 for a parking

lot expansion at the school. At

Monday night’s meeting, the board

approved an additional $3,700 for a

concrete divider to be added. Trustee

Joe Matthews spearheaded the project

after a request from the schools was

made. The current parking at the

school is limited and especially after

school there is much congestion with

several vehicles parking off the side of

the road and kids darting in and

around vehicles. The project is being

funded out of the township’s road

fund.

Watervliet Joint Fire

Department changes

It was announced at the meeting that

some changes have been made within

the structure of the Watervliet Joint

Fire Department Board. Chairman

Dan Jones, who served on the Fire

Board as a representative from

Watervliet Township has resigned and

has since been hired by the Fire Board

to serve as Director of Fire Services.

Jones will be holding office hours

Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from

8-9 through 5-6. He said that the move

would allow the department to be

more proactive and involved in the

communities. He said that the other

members of the Fire Board wanted

someone with the time available to

make improvements in the department

and that they asked him if he would be

willing to lead the department and

address all the things that have not

been addressed.

Jones said after the meeting the

salary he will be receiving is tentative-

ly set at $39,000 per year without ben-

efits. He is at at-will employee.

The change was made at the Fire

Board meeting on Wednesday, August

10. Of the position, Jones said, “It

takes someone who has the time, ded-

ication, and skills. Hopefully, I’m the

guy, only time will tell.” Jones origi-

nally served on the Fire Board as an

at-large member but then moved into

the township representative spot. Prior

to his resignation, he was serving as

the chairman. Jones said he has been

involved in the fire industry for 31

years, 14 of which were with the City

of Benton Harbor. He said his last

position there was in the role of fire

inspector/fire marshal and he left in

1993-1994. Recently he has been a

consultant for fire departments and for

fire investigation.

Jones said that Capt. Dave

Beukelman and Capt. Tom Adams

would continue in their roles. The job

proposal for the Director of Fire

Services states that the position would

be supervisory and encompasses all

duties as described in the job descrip-

tion of Fire Chief with emphasis on

but not limited to effectively and safe-

ly mitigate all calls for service within

the designated response area; develop-

ment, implementation, and mainte-

nance of a program to cultivate future

leadership within the department; pro-

vide oversight to maintain the depart-

ment in a compliant status with all

current and future state and federal

requirements and standards; maintain

high community visibility with fixed

The Hometown Newspaper for Coloma - Hartford - Watervliet Call... 463-NEWS E-mail... [email protected]

TRI-CITY RECORDOur 129th Year Issue #33 August 18, 2011 Seventy-five Cents

Police& FireReports

By Annette Christie

See POLICE

continued on Page 6

By Mary Brost Reck

As the time for the August 30 opening

of the Hartford Four Winds Casino

nears, there are a number of logistical

considerations to be addressed. At

their August 11 meeting, the Hartford

Township Board heard the details

about plans to alleviate traffic prob-

lems on Red Arrow Highway.

Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office

Department representative Sergeant

Steve Starner described plans to facil-

itate traffic flow. According to Starner,

more people came to some previous

casino openings than the buildings

could accommodate. The Sheriff’s

Department is planning for this possi-

bility, which would necessitate turn-

ing away some visitors.

The casino entrance would be closed

in this instance, according to Starner.

Traffic would be directed to continue

on along Red Arrow Highway in the

same direction to the next exit.

Eastbound traffic would continue on

through Hartford, and westbound

would proceed to Watervliet. Due to

the construction in Watervliet, some

traffic may be directed south on

County Line to Dan Smith and on to I-

94, he said.

There will be electronic signs and

additional officers on duty, according

to Starner. “We are as ready as we can

be.”

Fire millage renewal,

right-of-way approvedThe board approved a request to put

Resolution #11-06 Fire Apparatus and

Equipment Renewal on the November

ballot. This is a renewal of the 0.7150

mills for 2011-12 for the Hartford Fire

Department. If passed, it is expected

to raise $48,065.60. The previous

millage expired in 2010. The millage

is contingent on approval from the

City of Hartford, as well.

The board also approved requests

from Bloomingdale Communications

for a fiber cable right-of-way, and an

AT&T Metro Act right-of-way exten-

sion.

Projects to begin,

others completedAccepting the lowest bid from

Southwest Transport in Hartford, the

board agreed to proceed with plans to

resurface the Township parking lot, a

road to the maintenance building, and

other repairs at a cost of $40,522.40.

Additionally, $1,200 was approved

for Bob’s Tree Service to remove

shrubs from Maple Hill Cemetery, and

$802 to GFC Fence Co. to repair dam-

age to a privacy fence in the cemetery.

Township Supervisor Ron Sefcik

expressed satisfaction with the wedge

seal work on 60th Street, and the com-

pletion of work on 62nd Avenue.

“They did a great job, including

removal of trees and clean up.” He

noted that the job might provide seal

coating savings for the Township next

year.

VanBuren County

expenditures detailedVan Buren County Commissioner

Richard Freestone provided the

Township with an update on recent

county expenditures for county facili-

ties. Air conditioning and window

efficiency upgrades were authorized

for the jail in the amount of approxi-

mately $156,000. These were done,

according to Freestone, to ensure the

safety of the workers, and to eliminate

high humidity and mold problems.

Additionally, a video recording sys-

tem, totaling $34,000, was purchased.

This system, in line with most other

courts, is considered more efficient

and cost effective than transcribing.

The $47,973 for the drug court pro-

gram has been very successful,

Freestone continued. The program to

get people off of drugs rather than

simply incarcerating them has been

more effective and less costly, he

noted.

Plans in place to deal with expected traffic

congestion when casino opens August 30,

Hartford Township Board hears at meeting

Many file

for local city

offices; mayor

seats contestedKeeler Twp. filing

deadline is Aug. 19By Angela Stair

The return of nominating petitions to

the city clerk’s offices by the deadline

of 4 p.m., Tuesday, August 16 for can-

didates running for local office in the

November 8 General Election shows

many contested seats.

Watervliet: 2 run for

mayor, 3 unnopposed

for commission seatsThere are two candidates running for

the four-year Watervliet Mayor posi-

tion. They are, incumbent David

Brinker who lives at 336 Elm Street;

and Karl Bayer who lives at 620

Riverside Drive and was formerly the

Mayor.

There are three Commissioner Seats

available, this is a four-year term, and

there are three candidates. They are;

incumbent Kevin Beckman who lives

at 441 Butternut; incumbent Duane

Cobb who lives at 557 Park; and for-

mer Watervliet City Treasurer Barbara

Schofield who lives at 345 First

Street.

Hartford: 3 run for mayor,

4 seek 3 commission seatsThere are three candidates for the

position of Hartford City Mayor, a

two-year position. They are incum-

bent Ted Johnson who lives at 114

Oak Street; Janice Kelly who lives at

23 Hilliard Street; and Frank Dockter

who lives at 27 Church Street.

Three Commissioner Seats are avail-

able and there are four candidates

vying for the two-year positions. They

are incumbent Rick Hall who lives at

442 Olds Avenue; incumbent Leo

(Bud) Latus who lives at 22 South

Street; Dennis Goss who lives at 3

Hilliard Street; and Jeffrey Fuller who

lives at 24 Mary Street.

Coloma: 2 run for mayor,

6 seek 3 commisison seatsThere are two candidates running for

the four-year Coloma City Mayor

position. They are incumbent James

Polashak who lives at 225 Wilson; and

Commissioner Bill Smith who lives at

153 Elvern.

There are three, four-year

Commission Seats available and there

are six candidates. They are incum-

bent Julia Smith who lives at 153

Elvern Drive; incumbent Mike

Muenchow who lives at 362 Cherry

Street; Alexander Gates who lives at

232 E. Logan, Apt. 2-W; Jason Hicks

Sr. who lives at 128 E. St. Joseph; Jeff

Krolzick who lives at 285 Coloma

Avenue; and Kent Churchill who lives

at 264 Leedy Street.

Running unopposed for their posi-

tions are: incumbent Cathy Megna

who lives at 155 Banks Street; she is

running for the two-year Treasurer

UNCOVERED... the entrance sign at Four Winds Hartford was briefly

uncovered last week as workers continued to ready the casino for its open-

ing on August 30. (Angela Stair photo)

Fire Board Chair resigns,

Board hires him at $39,000

salary for 3 day a week postSurfari Joe’s sale to Holiday Inn gets

okay from Watervliet Twp. Board

Trio arrested in

Hagar Twp.

drug bust;

Five children

taken into

protective custodyThe Berrien County Sheriff’s

Narcotics Unit with assistance from

the road patrol and the Tactical

Response Unit executed a search war-

rant for illegal narcotics on August 10

at approximately 8:15 p.m. at 5100

Ecker Dr., Apt. G in Hagar Township.

The warrant followed a two-week

long investigation into illegal narcotic

activity at the residence.

At the time of the search warrant exe-

cution, the officers located five adult

subjects and five children in the resi-

dence. The ages of the children

ranged from 14 weeks to eight years).

During the search, officers located

methamphetamine, marijuana, and

other evidence of illegal narcotic

activity.

Officers seized $351 and a 1993

Chevrolet Suburban under the State of

Michigan’s Civil Forfeiture Law.

Three of the adult subjects were

arrested and lodged at the Berrien

County Jail. The other two adult sub-

jects were released with no criminal

charges being sought against them.

The officers took the five children into

protective custody and the children

were turned over to the State of

Michigan’s Department of Human

Services Children Protective Services

Unit.

Ronald Santos, 26, was charged with

maintaining a drug house and on a

valid civil warrant out of Kalamazoo

County for failure to pay child sup-

port.

Brooke Danyeil Krueger, 30, 440

Millburg Dr., Benton Harbor, was

charged with possession of metham-

phetamine.

Stephen Paul Hardy, 31, 955 Boyer

Rd., Benton Harbor was charged with

possession of marijuana, second

offense.

Highway accident delays

morning commute

Van Buren County Sheriff Dale

Gribler reports that Stephen

Montgomery was east bound on I-94

in Hartford Township on Wednesday

morning, August 10 at 8:00 a.m. when

he drove his 2010 Dodge Charger into

the back of an eastbound semi driven

by Jose Herrera.

Montgomery advised deputies that he

did not see the truck. Officers from

Van Buren County, Michigan State

Police, and the Pokagon Tribal Police

closed eastbound I-94 for approxi-

mately 45 minutes while rescue from

Hartford Fire and Medic One extricat-

ed Montgomery from his vehicle.

The driver of the semi was not

injured. Montgomery suffered a bro-

ken ankle and wrist and suffered sev-

eral lacerations. He was treated at

Brooke

Krueger

Ronald

Santos

Stephen

Hardy

Dan Jones

named Director

of Fire Services

Vick Kinzler

named Fire

Board Chairman

See FIRE

continued on Page 6

See CANDIDATES

continued on 1

Crew dangles

from helicopter

to repair

high voltage

lines near

Watervliet...

Page 12

Hagar Twp. could repeal dog ban in September... Page 2

Review of local football teams in Press Box... Page 9

Mayor back on the job following mild stroke... Page 11

Kelly-Miller Circus comes to Hartford Speedway... Page 11

Coloma Schools trying to build character... Page 12

2 Tri-City Record August 18, 2011

��

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New Service!

OWNERS MIKE AND REBECCA ZWAR...invite you to come join them

for lunch or a treat at the new Beaches and Cream Ice Cream Shop on

Main Street in Watervliet. (Angela Stair photo)

Watervliet’s Beaches & Cream Ice Cream

Shop now open on Main Street

By Angela Stair

The City of Watervliet has a new ice

cream shop in town, right on Main

Street, Beaches & Cream. It’s located

at 366 North Main Street, (across from

the former Elite Bar), and is owned by

Make and Rebecca Zwar of

Watervliet.

Mike said they wanted to bring some-

thing new, bright, and exciting to

Watervliet and they decided on an ice

cream shop. They serve Sherman’s Ice

Cream so you don’t have to go to

South Haven to get the well loved

treat, its right here.

Sherman’s Ice Cream is well know in

the South Haven area and has been

there for many years. If you haven’t

tasted it, you are missing something.

The Zwar’s say, “Come in and try it!”

They have soup and sandwiches, cof-

fee, soft drinks, hot dogs, and of

course a variety of ice cream flavors

with a variety of cones available. They

offer Sundaes, Banana Splits and

shakes also. Rebecca said they are

adding to the menu as they grow.

You can enjoy a lunch or your banana

split inside or out with seating avail-

able in both areas. There is plenty of

parking along the side of the building,

in front and in back. There is a back

entrance for the convenience of peo-

ple parking in back or coming in from

Flaherty Park, which is located direct-

ly behind the shop.

Beaches and Cream is open seven

days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00

p.m., phone number 269-463-8420.

Mike said they will be open year

round and plan to get more involved

with the community. He said they

would like to organize some events for

the park in the future and have already

contacted the Watervliet Schools to

arrange to give a free cone to the stu-

dent of the week.

“Dog ban” repeal decision could be made

in September by Hagar Township board;

trustee’s study finds overcrowding and

enforcement are bigger issues at the parks

By Chrissy Meek

A decision will be made in September

as to whether or not keep the current

“dog ban” on Hagar beaches and

parks.

Trustee Deb Kavanaugh gave a very

comprehensive presentation of the

issue concerning the “dog ban” on

Hagar parks and beaches. She had

done her own research and presented

it at the Monday, August 8, Hagar

Township Board meeting.

Kavanough told the Tri-City Record

she had compiled information from

multiple sources, including the

Berrien County Health Department,

MDNRE, St Joseph Parks and Berrien

County Sheriff; as well as a Township

Opinion Survey, Parks and Recreation

Plan, resident input, and her own

observations of beach activities.

Supervisor Izzy Dimaggio not only

said it was thorough but “actual and

precise.”

Kavanaugh had been giving monthly

reports to Dimaggio about the action

at the Hagar beaches and parks as to

what dog owners were doing with

their dogs (cleaning up after them, let-

ting the dogs run wild, aggressive

dogs, etc.). The presentation lasted

about 40 minutes.

Kavanaugh started by saying she

feels there is an extreme need to get

down to the matter of “HOW deci-

sions should be made.” She said it

should not be by personal opinio but

by collecting and analyzing data.

Kavanaugh said that is why she per-

sonally went down to the beaches and

parks to observe for herself exactly

what was going on during the busiest

time of the year.

She then went into the time period

before the original July 2010 motion

to ban dogs was first brought up. She

said she dug into the 2006/2007

Community Survey and the Apil 2010

Parks and Recreation study and pulled

out things that had not been noted

before, such as many comments from

those who had dogs and enjoyed tak-

ing them down to the beaches.

Kavanaugh said, “It must be empha-

sized that these two studies were not

simple or informal surveys but very

thorough and costly studies. The total

reached over $8,000 to complete

them. The studies reached out to

Hagar Township residents for ‘their’

opinions and feelings on the issue.”

Kavanuagh went on to say that the

former Board had initiated these stud-

ies and had complete access to the

results.

Kavanuagh also checked into the

August/September 2010 decisions and

data that had been generated from

that time forward. She “physically”

went out to the beaches and parks and

asked people on both sides of the issue

for their opinions. After gathering all

of her evidence, she summarized all

her findings and made her recommen-

dation to the Board. She gave each

member a copy of her study support-

ing all of her documentation.

She said, “My study found that the

clear issues on Hagar beaches are

overcrowding and enforcement of

ALL park rules. There is no health risk

or increased liability associated with

having dogs on our beaches and there

is nothing to suggest baning dogs

would resolve overcrowding. I found

clear and overwhelming opposition to

the ‘dog ban’ that was passed last

September but have found no evi-

dence of overwhelming support for

the ban. I recommend that the Board

rescind the ordinance change and sug-

gest a greater focus on ordinance

enforcement, managing overcrowd-

ing, and increasing maintenance on

our beaches.”

Dimmagio was very impressed with

her detail. He gave his recommenda-

tion that the Board hold off voting on

anything until it has had a chance to

go over all of the documentation.

Dimmagio said, “We are not going to

take action until September. We want

to hear from everyone in the Township

what their belief is on the ban. After

all that is completed, the Board will

make its decision.”

Previous recall organizer John

Nadeau was “very impressed” with

Kavanugh’s presentation.

Nadeau said, “Kavaugh did exactly

what a Parks and Recreation person

should be doing: going out and getting

data from everyone, to personally

observe for herself what is going on.”

He went on to say, “She did not

candy-coat her analysis of the former

Board’s conduct/decision making.

She called them out directly and said,

based upon the available data, they

should never have made the call in the

first place. They should have listened

to the people at the August and

September 2010 meetings.”

Nadeau was amazed to find out that

there was nothing in any of the studies

the previous Board members had.

By Angela Stair

Mill Creek Charlie’s restaurant locat-

ed at 3801 North M-140 in Watervliet

is now open. Jack and Rebecca

Traughber, who also own Hartford’s

Panel Room and Paw Paw’s Copper

Grill, purchased the former Waffle

House of America.

Renovated and renamed Mill Creek

Charlie’s reopened August 1 and is

being managed by their daughter

Jessica and her husband Jeff Michael.

Jessica said they manage the Paw Paw

enterprise full time, but was brought

over to organize and get the Watervliet

business up and running. They will

eventually return there and put some-

one in charge here, although they will

still over see it.

Mill Creek Charlie’s employs approx-

imately twenty people in the positions

of servers, cooks, and dishwashers.

Many are returning employees of the

Pan Cake House as all were given the

option, when it was purchased, to

return if they wanted when the

Traughber’s reopened it.

The Banquet Room has been newly

painted, carpeted and has new tables.

The restaurant part has newly uphol-

stered booths and .the Salad /Buffet

bar has been improved. There was

painting done to the main part of the

restaurant also and wainscoting was

put around the room.

There is always a soup and salad bar

available and is part of the dinners

served. On Saturday and Sunday

morning there is a breakfast bar, and

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday it turns to

a lunch bar. A dinner buffet is served

Saturday’s and on Friday night they

have a Seafood Buffet with several

types of fish and shrimp. There are

also nightly specials.

Jessica said their food is all home-

made, from their roasts, to soup, to

pie. Mill Creek Charlie’s will also do

catering for all size events, from

preparing food of your choice to pick

up or to catering a party where they set

up and serve. She said you just have to

come in and sit down with some one

and plan your event. The food is not

limited to the menu either, but you do

have to make arrangements.

The restaurant is open from 6:00 a.m.

to 9:00 p.m., Monday through

Saturday. Sunday’s they are open

from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The phone

number is 269-463-4212.

Head Start

enrollmentTri County Head start is now taking

applications for fall enrollment!

Head Start is a federally funded pre-

school and family development pro-

gram. Applications are being accepted

for the 2011-2012 school year.

Children must be three on or before

December 1.

Families are eligible based on indi-

vidual need and income. Head Start

also welcomes Foster children and

those with disabilities.

Recruiters will be in the area through-

out the summer. Call 1-800-792-0366

for an application.

Mill Creek Charlie’s

open in Watervliet

MILL CREEK CHARLIE’S NOW OPEN...Standing in front of the

Saturday night Buffet at Mill Creek Charlie’s in Watervliet is Jessica

Michael. She and her husband Jeff manage the new restaurant. It is locat-

ed in the former Watervliet Waffle House on Main Street.

(Angela Stair photo)

Can’t wait to read

The Red SkirtDear Editor,

Kudos to Pat Gibson featured in last

week’s Record. I can’t wait to read her

book, The Red Skirt, Memoirs of An

Ex Nun. Nuns were once the back-

bone of Catholic education but have

all but disappeared along with their

habits.

I was taught by Adrian Dominicans,

Pat’s order, which makes her book

even more appealing to me. They

were wonderful, warm, fun loving

women and the reason I continued my

education in a Catholic college. Sister

Antoinette took me to her sister’s

home in Detroit when I told her I had

never been to Detroit, I taught Sr.

Bernard Mary to drive, helped clean

the convent, and drove all the way to

the Upper Peninsula to visit Sr. Dennis

Maureen when they took her from us.

I could almost write a book about how

my life was blessed for knowing them.

Nuns were dedicated to God and the

children they taught. I think Pat is for-

tunate to have had the unique experi-

ence of being one of them if only for a

time. I’m grateful she is sharing her

experience with us and also grateful

that she has consented to sell and sign

her book at our Holiday Market at the

Catholic School September 3. Here’s

to a best seller, Pat!

Mary Adams

Come on Karl

...you can’t believe

everything you read

in the papers!Dear Editor,

Come on, Karl. I didn’t question the

right of a non-city person to comment

on what went on at our commission

meeting. I suggested that since she

wasn’t there to hear the entire discus-

sion that took place at the time, she

was misinformed. And I still hold to

that statement. Being able to com-

ment is a right our Founding Fathers

made sure we all had. But it is the

responsibility of those who so vehe-

mently criticize to make sure their

information is correct. After all, we all

know that you can’t believe every-

thing you read in the papers!

Sincerely

Julie Smith (Coloma Commissioner)

Frustrated with

ending of the

Coloma-Watervliet

football rivalryDear Editor,

I share your frustration with the

announced ending of the Coloma –

Watervliet football rivalry. With a year

to go before the 2012 season, I would

hope that a solution could arise that

would allow this storied tradition to

continue. I’m sure that there will be

several solutions proposed but let me

share mine with you.

I know that the MHSAA has rules and

regulations about how many games

and practices high school athletes can

participate in but I also know that

these rules are flouted blatantly by

every high school sport. Wrestlers

have a limit on matches but when the

high school season ends, most partici-

pate in free-style events virtually year

around. The same with baseball and

softball whose players are almost

required to join “traveling teams”

after the high school season and even

travel to indoor facilities in the winter.

With that in mind, my proposal would

be for two civic organizations from

the two communities, Lions Clubs

perhaps or volunteer firefighters asso-

ciations, to form some sort of travel-

ing football clubs and unless one of

the two teams makes the play-offs,

they could meet on the first Friday in

November with the sponsoring organ-

izations paying the expenses and col-

lecting the gate receipts. If a tenth

game doesn’t hurt the scholastic per-

formance of the players on the 256

teams that make the play-offs every

year, our boys should be able to stand

the strain also.

Like this idea? Got another one?

Let’s not sit back and moan about

something that we should be able to

remedy. We’ve got a year, but a year

goes by quickly.

Sincerely, Bob Wooley

In response to

Mr. Larsen’s

commentsDear Editor,

I thank you for your service and

appreciate your right to your opinions

sir. That being said, there comes a

point where many of the young people

in our community are demanding

respect but don’t seem to understand

exactly how to show some.

When I was raised in this very com-

munity we were taught to respect our

elders, pick up after ourselves not to

drive around with the bass so loud it

can be heard two blocks away and we

need an ordinance to stop it which

isn’t being enforced anyway. Rather

we get kids who leave basketballs in

their neighbor’s yards, ignore requests

to turn down their stereos.

I would at this point in my life rather

be back in the service than live in a

community where your own neigh-

bors who mock respect at the loss of a

relative, are not willing or seemingly

capable of actually giving anyone else

true respect.

What exactly are they learning during

sports by these very same parents?

Discipline? Probably not. Respect?

Definitely not.

Sincerely,

Jerry Kendzior

Watervliet dam

project needs

a stop work orderDear Editor,

I am asking for Congressman Upton’s

aid in stopping the removal of one

dam in Watervliet, so that it may be

used for the production of hydropow-

er in a quantity approaching 2

megawatts per hour.

Not only is this good for the environ-

ment, but it will bring more eco-

tourism to the area, and tourism is one

of the bedrock industries of Michigan.

NOAA so far has claimed they did not

fund the $900k, there is no record that

I have found for historical research on

these dams, and yet the Brownfield

Redevelopment Commission is claim-

ing they have been funded by NOAA

and others and are today mobilizing

the equipment to begin removal of the

dams this week.

Watervliet needs to have a stop work

order issued for the good of the

upstream fishery, green energy,

tourism, and a better way of life.

David R. Snyder

Thanks to

Christina Gelder for

Glad-Peach Festival

news coverageDear Editor,

The coverage that Christina Gelder

did on the Glad-Peach Festival was

wonderful. Her articles were well

written and the pictures that were

taken were great. She is an excellent

reporter and we are thankful she is on

your staff.

Sincerely,

Roseann Clements

Comet Boosters

say thanks to allDear Editor,

The Coloma Athletic Boosters would

like to thank the many volunteers that

helped during the recent Glad Peach

Festival booth. Doug and Marci

LeClear, Tracy Spaulding, Anita

Hauch, Tom Swihart, Nate Kahne,

Audrey Heater, Darlene Kolenko,

Mike and Jamie Cade, Harold and

Amy Rye, Tammy Kreitner, Wendy

Goodline, Mike and Jodi Steinhoff,

Mia and Brett Bousseau, Sue and

Olivia Zvonar, Natalie and Carsten

Johnson, and Raylene Hart-Wilson.

A special thank you to Chris and Guy

Leach, of Paw Paw Lake Station, for

the use of your building. Thank you

for your continued support!

The winner of our raffle drawing was

Cory Edelburg! Congratulations

Cory!

Thank you to everyone who stopped

by to stock up on your green and gold

attire…school is right around the cor-

ner and with that comes middle

school, jr. high and high school sport-

ing events. When you support our

group, you are supporting all of these

teams! GO COMETS!

Thank you,

Heidi Ishmael and Tom Swihart

Coloma Athletic Booster Members

Thanks from Annie

Bisbee FamilyDear Editor,

On behalf of the Bisbee Family, we

would like to express our sincere

thanks to the community and dear

friends and family who supported us

during our time of grief and loss of

‘Annie’. Our mother, wife, sister,

grandmother, and best friend who left

us so suddenly after fighting and beat-

ing the odds twice.

In this rapid wake of the Lords taking,

no matter how much was done in

advance, with so much still to do, sev-

eral of you make it possible to com-

plete these necessary tasks. With that

we would like to thank, Jerry of

Calvin funeral Home and Staff,

Steven Bisbee, family and Pastor of

Hartford Baptist Church. Hartford

American Legion, Hartford Harding’s

and a special thank you to those who

prepared, transported, set up and

cleaned up, of the feast and memories

in honor of Annie.

Natalie and Shawn, Kim, Carrie,

Roxy, Reba, Carrie and Terri.

Thank you to those who carried

onward, Pallbearers, Mike and Jimmy

Meachum, Mike Kellog, Jimmy

Bolin, grandson Robbie Holder and

loving son Andy.

To everyone for the beautiful flowers

we each cherish in her memory

including, Creative Foam who’s

resides at her feet, UAW 2122 who’s

graces her table, Tammy for the roses

planted in her honor, and First

Assembly of God for all your prayers.

Tom Smith Tractor for your profound

acknowledgement.

A sincere apology if anyone was not

mentioned.

There was an accidental omission

from the obituary and service. Anna

Bisbee is also survived by a brother

who traveled this distance, David

(Joanne) Robling of Dublin, IN, and

brother in law Gabe (Fern rest in

peace) Albertson of Kodak, TN.

Once again thank you to all. Annie

and Nyle were known county-to-

county, north, south and west to

Montana. May her angel wings now,

really fly.

Sincerely,

All the Bisbee Family

It’s sad for me... the tree in front of

the Record is gone. I am one who

always looks to the sky. I love the

clouds. I love the trees blowing in the

wind.

The fact that this tree shed these little

golden leaves in the fall did not both-

er me a bit. I felt everyone knew that

the leaves were from the trees. What

did it matter?

In the fall, the leaves FALL. To me,

that is a pretty sight.

I can remember one time when I was

working I came to the light here in

town, which was red. I waited my

turn. While waiting, the wind picked

up to a loud roar and the leaves from

the nearby trees began to fall. It was a

sight to behold. I could not see across

the street. It was a blur of red, gold,

and hues of burnt umber. I was so fix-

ated on the colors I missed the turn

time. I got a honk from the cars behind

me. Nature is amazing!

I want to comment on the fact that I

am so sick of rumors. What the heck is

this all about? Why, if something is

bad, do we have to make it worse? I

hear so many remarks while I am on

the road selling ads. I wonder if these

people ever really supported their city

in ANYTHING.

I have heard about bad neighbors and

bad landscaping. I have also heard

about businesses going out of business

and others coming in. I have heard

that some of our merchants are mov-

ing to other cities. I have heard about

businesses being for sale and they are

not. What the heck?

Every time I hear a rumor about a

merchant, I go ask him or her. Usually

it is false, as it is with most rumors.

We must support ourselves; that

means our town as well. That is some-

thing I do not understand. The people

of this area are the first ones to jump

in to help someone in need. We care

for many, not just our own families.

Then why not support our own towns?

Support the mayors and the rest of the

commissions. Try not to look for only

the bad but also look for the good.

I admire the persons who have the

gumption to try to stand behind their

ideas to work for their city. They may

be someone I do not always agree

with, but I admire that they stand

behind what they say. They take steps

to be heard, right or wrong.

I feel that rumors could also be the

undoing of a community. We have to

perceive ourselves as better, not

worse.

There is a saying... “Put your money

where your mouth is.” I take it to

mean stop talking and help. Whatever

the problem, maybe you can actually

help someone.

This is most giving area toward the

sick and the dying... let’s let them all

know they are loved before they die.

There is nothing in rumor that means

love. It does not help; it is only nega-

tive. If we keep our words positive,

then we can help.

There was a saying during World War

II that said, “Loose lips sink ships.” I

say, “Loose lips sink shops... and

cities.”

Be careful that you are not one of

these people.

SECOND CHANCE FOR TREE… I’m still “miffed” with the city cutting

down three Honey Locust trees on Main Street, including the one in front of

the Tri-City Record. Maybe even a bit more so since I was told the decision

had to be done right away as the trees were holding up the installation of the

sidewalks. The trees were cut down on Wednesday, August 10; at press time

this week there still was no sign of sidewalk work.

Anyways, where’s there’s life there’s hope! The exposed roots of the doomed

tree are sprouting branches!

Since the roots will have to be removed for the new sidewalks (or else why

cut down the trees) I cut out a length of root from in front of the Record office

and planted it at the back of the lot. Hopefully a sprout or two will struggle to

survive and a new tree will grow to its full glory.

TREE PLANTED AT FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE PRIVY…Planting a tree

can be a fairly simply exercise, but not for any newspaper columnist looking

for a story.

The spot I picked to plant the tree is located near the stumps of two giant black

walnut trees that perhaps once stood in front of the first schoolhouse in the

Village of Watervliet.

According to the late local historian, Bill Beverly Jr. the original Watervliet

schoolhouse built in 1862 was located at the back of the lot where the Record

now stands.

Bill and I walked the site one day when I told him I had uncovered the foun-

dation corners to the building.

“More likely it was the privy”, Bill remarked. He added, the schoolhouse had

been “cut in two” and relocated; one-half became a farmhouse on Dan Smith

Road, he thought, the other half he couldn’t say where it ended up.

So there I was this past Saturday morning, locating the site to plant the piece

of tree root, hopefully near where I imagined the front of the old school house

once stood.

I was even thinking of “pioneer” schoolchildren sitting in the schoolhouse lis-

tening to the teacher talk of the “Rebellion” raging in the South as I dug

through the weedy sod.

CLINK! That was when my shovel stuck the foundation of the old privy! I

moved the shovel over a bit, made a shallow trench to hold two feet of root and

finished the planting project.

Hopefully the root will engender the life of one or two Honey Locust trees

Someday some local historian might note the trees mark the spot of the privy

that once served the first schoolhouse in Watervliet. The trees that were plant-

ed by former Tri-City Record publisher Karl Bayer behind where the Record

office once stood in August, 2011.

August 18, 2011 Tri-City Record 3

Karl’sKolumnBy Karl Bayer, Editor and Publisher

TheBack

FenceBy Anne Bayer, Co-publisher

Deja vu all over again... another classic Jim Keech cartoon

Letters and Commentary

Email a letter

to the [email protected]

or mail to

Letters

P.O. Box 7

Watervliet MI 49098

Music hath charms...The sands of time are slowly sifting

down through the glass... and we have

lost another Hartford kid... one who

just seemed larger than life. Out in

New Jersey, John Cade left this life

surrounded by family and friends. He

has been gone from the halls of old

Hartford High for many years, but we

still miss him.

Out in the land of fruits and nuts,

friend Stu Elder put out the word; and

memories of Johnny were immediate-

ly recalled by another good friend,

Ray Sreboth, down St. Joseph way. He

had some of the following memories...

and thus we are returned to our title...

which comes from an old saying:

Music hath charms to soothe the sav-

age breast. Back in the day, we were

all savages. We were of middle school

age (we called it Junior High!), and

that is when Ray Sreboth and Johnny

Cade met right here in Hartford.

Our old high school had the gymnasi-

um on the north end. Up over it were

the study hall and classrooms at both

ends. Study hall... what a waste of

time. None of us studied. It was a

place for a social hour... and if, per-

haps, some studying got done, it was

at best peripheral. Now my Chief

Accountant disagrees with the afore-

going. She says she actually did some

studying! But I was thinking more of

us guys, who were at the time merely

apprentice human beings.

Ray said: “I met John on the day after

Labor Day, in 1937, the first day of

my education at HHS. John and I met

in the Study Hall by sheer

chance. John had recently arrived

from New York City (accent intact). I

had been graduated in June from the

Douglas Taylor Grammar School in

Chicago. Neither of us was acquainted

with any other kids in the school,

except John’s big brother, Fred. John

and I shared one off those double bot-

tomed, fastened to the floor, hard

maple topped desks in the row nearest

the windows, north side of the room,

and did so for 3-1/2 years.

“At Christmas vacation time, 1940,

Harry Parrett and I helped to assemble

new book lockers to be placed in the

corridor and large maple tables which,

along with chairs, replaced the desk

type seats in the Study Hall. Kellogg

Foundation provided the funds for the

new equipment. Mr. Yost hired the

two of us at 30 cents an hour, as I

recall. I have many fond memories of

the Cade family and will never forget

the kindness extended to me by John’s

mother, Agnes — oh so proud of the

fact that her grandmother had been

Corset Maker to Queen Victoria.

“Now, about John’s being a singer. He

was with us in the choir, chorus, what-

ever; and it came about because of the

Operetta, Pickles or Old Vienna,

directed by Miss Doll, who also taught

English, John and I were in her 9th

grade class and exhibiting some mild

misbehavior. The play practice was in

progress, and neither of us had been

involved in music to that point. Smart,

in addition to being a beautiful lady,

soft spoken and from Missouri, she

invited us to try out for the chorus in

that production.

“This was the only time I was in that

little room off the stairway in the old

building which served as her office. It

contained a piano for auditions; and I

must have sounded OK, because she

put me in the chorus. I continued to do

the vocal music/choir stuff from that

point on. John got a spot, too, and her

discipline problems with us were

over!

“Birdie Boynton had the lead in our

operetta. The opening lines of the first

tune, cast and chorus, went like this:

‘Oh it doesn’t matter much, whether

Yankee, Dane or Dutch, in Vienna you

can certainly be jolly. We will linger

here a while, etc. For we rather like

the style, and compared to this, the

other towns are frightful. And so

we’ve come learn the customs of the

country!’

“Birdie sang a solo (he was the hero,

Pickles) and it went thus: ‘Pickles,

pickles, sixty-nine varieties of pickles.

Some were sweet and sour as they

could be. But they filled my heart with

glee, and my stomach with agony!’

Etc.

“You may recall that Larry Olds had

a role as an officer in Franz Josef’s

Imperial Army and wore a beautiful,

white uniform. Yes, John did sing

tenor and along with some other HS

kids, sang in the choir at Hartford’s

Immaculate Conception Church in a

group organized by Miss Peggy

Galbreath. Bill Locey was also in the

group. Father Francis J. Murphy came

from St. Joseph’s in Watervliet to cel-

ebrate Masses. W.F. Galbreath was an

altar boy along with Joe Gretzle, and

before that the Old Twins (John and

Bob) were servers.

“Incidentally in one of the school

plays, John played the part of a gang-

ster, Killer Somebody, hence my refer-

ence. The play was directed by Mr.

T.R. Nunn. Maybe our Senior Play,

but I know Stu Elder must have saved

the program and will have the straight

scoop on that point. The Junior Play

was Professor, How Could You? The

plot of that one probably didn’t

require a gangster character, so John

(who became type cast) didn’t have a

part. The Senior Play was set in a

Lunch room/diner and it was a more

likely place for a bad dude. Thus

Johnny Cade got to give a sterling per-

formance.”

Ah, John...even though you have been

gone from Hartford for years, we miss

you yet in these storybook towns

along the Paw Paw River!

DO YOU REMEMBER?

4 Tri-City Record August 18, 2011 Tri-City Area History Page

The Paw Paw River Journal

By Roy M. Davis

Rolling Back The YearsLocal News and Newsmakers of Days Gone ByAs reported in the local newspapers: Coloma Courier,Hartford Day Spring, and Watervliet Record.

NEWS FROM THE COLOMA COURIER

NEWS FROM THE HARTFORD DAY SPRING

NEWS FROM THE WATERVLIET RECORD

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100 YEARS AGO - 1911

The Paw Paw Lake Yacht Club has

erected a clubhouse on the south shore

of the Lake. It is handsome in designs,

commodious, luxuriously furnished

and airy. Last Saturday saw the formal

opening of the racing season when

three valuable cups were awarded.

60 YEARS AGO - 1951

By unanimous vote of the commis-

sion it was ordered that Watervliet

service should be shut off at the west-

ern city limits of Coloma on US-12.

Commissioner Glenn Randall turned

in $7 in building permits.

Commissioner Ed Schreiber said the

city-township dump on the property of

his father, Otto Schreiber, was about

full. The place should be filled in with

earth and a new location found, he

suggested.

Gyl and Gayle Johnson, daughters of

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Johnson, won top

honors in the Baton Twirling contest

staged at the high school athletic field

following Saturday’s grand floral

parade of the Gladiolus Festival. The

contest attracted 150 participants from

six states.

30 YEARS AGO - 1981

Chuck Henderson has opened

Chuck’s Lock and Key Service at 158

Paw Paw. Sandy, his wife, decided to

start a paperback book exchange when

she discovered how much extra room

her husband had in the shop. Attention

Youth Bowlers - Register Saturday,

August 22 - ages 5-21. Bowl 2 games

regular price - receive 3rd game free!

Coloma Lanes.

Submitted by volunteer Sandi

Munchow at Coloma Public Library,

from the Coloma Courier newspapers

donated by the Tri-City Record.

Hours: Monday & Friday, 10:00 a.m.-

5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday &

Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; and

Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Phone: 468-3431

90 YEARS AGO - 1921

The boldest robbery perpetrated in

Hartford in years occurred last Friday

night when thieves took a new Buick

touring car from the sales floor of the

Kaye Auto Sales company in the

opera house block and made a clean

getaway. No trace of the car has since

been found. It was traced west from

this village, the thieves probably head-

ing straight for Chicago.

Plans to preserve Van Buren County’s

historical data will be perfected at a

meeting of the Van Buren County

Pioneer association to be held at Ely

Park on Wednesday, August 31, and

an amendment to the by-laws will be

presented to change the name of the

organization to the Van Buren County

Pioneer and Historical society.

60 YEARS AGO - 1951

The Hartford Summer Band, 40

strong and directed by Don Johnson,

will journey by bus to Chicago to take

part Wednesday in Riverview

Amusement Park’s annual

“Tournament of Music”. The local

band will compete with more than 100

bands from Illinois, Indiana,

Wisconsin and Michigan for a trophy.

40 YEARS AGO -1971

Members of the Stoddard post of the

American Legion at Hartford have

started to build a new hall themselves.

Members of the post plan to do most

of the work themselves. Located west

of Hartford on Red Arrow Highway,

the 50x120 foot building will be

cement block construction and will

include a meeting room which will be

rented to other organizations. The esti-

mated cost is $20,000.

Mr. and Mrs. Rhoades have

announced the engagement of their

daughter, Linda to Neal Schilling, son

of Mr. and Mrs. William Schilling of

Hartford. Neal is a 1971 graduate of

Hartford high school and plans to

attend Southwestern Michigan

College.

Submitted by Librarian Stephanie

Daniels at Hartford Public Library

from microfilm copies of the Hartford

Day Spring. Hours: Monday &

Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.;

Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 10:00-

5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-

2:00 p.m.

Phone: 621-3408

90 YEARS AGO - 1921

George Keritner, who is handling the

village pumping plant, has given out a

warning that the pump is on danger of

going to pieces under the strain put

upon it in trying to keep up a supply of

water from only one well, and that one

not flowing freely.

C.N. Stevens is establishing a chick-

en industry at the Boyd Farm in North

Watervliet. Oscar Smith, who operates

the farm, is building two modern

chicken houses, one 16x60 and one

16x48. They will raise White

Wyandottes.

60 YEARS AGO - 1951

The Watervliet Auxiliary Police

Department got an idea somewhere

that they could play softball, so an

invitation was extended to the

Watervliet Fire Department. As a

result, there will be a seven inning

softball game starting at 2:30 pm,

Sunday, August 26th, at Baldwin

Field.

This year there will be twenty-eight

teachers on the faculty, and about 800

students enrolled with about 100 more

in the grades that in the High School.

The Watervliet Civic Garden Club

presented their annual flower show at

the High School auditorium on August

22nd and 23rd. There were 216 entries

with 64 first prize awards.

30 YEARS AGO - 1981

The Watervliet School Board

Monday night named former board

member Presley Olson to the fill the

School Board vacancy created by the

resignation of the Rev. Lawrence

Wilford, the board president.

Over one hundred people from

Coloma and Watervliet jammed Ed’s

Café for the August meeting of the

Paw Paw Lake-River Ventures. The

subject of the meeting was the obvi-

ous deterioration of Paw Paw Lake.

Submitted by Sally Q. Gonzalez from

files at Watervliet District Library

from the Watervliet Record newspa-

pers donated by the Tri-City Record.

Hours: Monday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.;

Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.;

Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.;

Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.;

Friday, 10:00-5:00 p.m.; and Saturday,

10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Phone: 463-6382

Museum to host

free “Native

Americans” kids

program on

August 24The North Berrien Historical

Museum will hold a free program for

kids ages 6-12 on Wednesday, August

24, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon, called

“Summer Time Travelers: Native

Americans.” Touch stone tools made

more than 2,000 years ago by prehis-

toric Indians of southwest Michigan

as well as local Potawatomi artifacts.

Taste cornmeal pemmican, play an

authentic Native American game, and

make a model birch bark canoe to take

home. The highlight will be a lively

performance by Ojibwe Storyteller

Shawanah Jane Murray. There is no

cost, but registration is required to

ensure space. Register your child by

calling the museum at (269) 468-

3330. Families are welcome to attend.

Summer Time Travelers are free,

interactive programs that each bring to

life a unique theme so we can discov-

er how the past differed from the

world today. All programs feature a

fun and welcoming atmosphere,

crafts, hands-on activities, demonstra-

tions, and real museum artifacts. For

more information, contact the North

Berrien Historical Museum.

Watervliet

Library NewsBook Club

We are interested in holding a Book

Club here at the Watervliet Public

Library. For anyone willing to partici-

pate they are welcome to call the

library for more information at 463-

6382.

Home deliveries availableWe are currently doing home deliver-

ies for those who cannot get out. If

you are interested in signing up, or for

more information, call (269) 463-

6382.

Under constructionWe have been undergoing some

library construction recently. Our

patrons may have noticed our new

handicap ramp being built around the

back of our building. This will be fin-

ished very soon and very useful for

the Community Room rentals.

Do you remember this boys team playing locally? Call the North Berrien Historical Museum at 468-3330.

By Denise BarowiczFinancial Advisor

Investing in Your Future

154 Badt Dr., Coloma468-4153

Head LiceIf your child gets lice, DON’T

PANIC! They have nothing to do with

cleanliness of the child or home. But

they are very contagious.

Head lice are small (1/10 to 1/8 inch

long), wingless, six-legged insects

who need a human host for nourish-

ment. Head lice live only on the scalp

and hair of humans. They are not

known to transmit disease, but their

bloodsucking causes intense itching.

Lice is spread by contact with an

infested person or by wearing that

person’s clothing or by sharing

combs, bedding, hats, or the backs of

chairs.

To inspect for head lice use a magni-

fying glass and good lighting. Look

for small grayish white eggs (nits) on

the hair close to the scalp, usually

around the nape of the neck and

behind the ears.

Removing head lice can involve sev-

eral steps. Medications to kill head

lice are available over-the-counter or

by prescription from your doctor.

Follow the directions carefully, and

do not apply more often than direct-

ed. Next, comb out the hair to

remove lice and nits. Usually nits are

attached to the side of a hair strand,

close to the scalp, with what feels like

glue.

To prevent the spread of head lice,

discard combs and brushes used on

the child with lice, wash clothing and

bedding in hot water, vacuum all car-

pets and upholstery, seal all toys and

stuffed animals the child has been

close to in a plastic bag for one week,

and be sure your child does not share

combs, hair accessories or hats.

Joint Select Committee

to restore

Nation’s Fiscal Integrity We need to restore economic certain-

ty in order to encourage job creation

and make Michigan and the nation

more competitive. We can no longer

afford to get by as a debtor nation –

spending trillions of dollars we do not

have and passing the tab along to

future generations.

Earlier this month, Congress passed

and the President signed into law the

Budget Control Act, an agreement

that allowed the United States to avert

default on its debt as well as begin the

process of putting our nation’s fiscal

house back in order. The Budget

Control Act made a modest down

payment on our debt in the short term

and called on Congress – through the

Joint Select Committee on Deficit

Reduction – to build on those savings

with meaningful spending controls

and program reforms that focus on

the long term.

I am honored and humbled to have

been trusted by House Speaker John

Boehner with the responsibility of

serving as one of three House

Republicans on the twelve-member

Joint Select Committee, alongside

House Ways and Means Chairman

Dave Camp (R-MI) and

Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX).

Like all Michiganders, I know how

important it is to get our economy

back on track and get Americans back

to work. As someone who worked on

the federal budget for President

Reagan, I saw firsthand that sound

economic policy is the bedrock of job

creation and fiscal responsibility. And

as Chairman of the House Energy and

Commerce Committee, I know the

exploding cost of health care is at the

root of our long-term fiscal chal-

lenges; it is why my committee has

already produced legislation to save

taxpayers $90 billion, and that was

just the beginning. Much more needs

to be done to bring down health care

costs, promote economic growth, and

begin to tame runaway government.

No one believes the task before us is

going to be easy, but working with

our colleagues on both sides of the

aisle and in both Chambers of the

Congress, we will work to address

our fiscal challenges and get

Michigan back to work.


By Vonda VanTil, Social SecurityPublic Affairs Specialist

1-800-772-1213

Social Security & youSpiritualCompassPoints

By Pastor David C. HelmsPlymouth Congregational Church

MMyy vviieewwffrroomm tthheeCCaappiittooll

byFred Upton

Congressman

Cooking outside the box

Traditional recipes recalled by Olive GradyTo share your recipes with Olive, dial 463-4030

��

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Newsfrom

Lansing

By Sen. John Proos

If it is not .gov, it is not

Social Security

When you go on a road trip, you

need to follow the signs to arrive at

the right place. Going online can be

very much the same. Look for the

“.gov” at the end of the Web address

- if it isn’t .gov, it isn’t the real Social

Security Web site - www.socialsecu-

rity.gov.

Countless consumers nationwide are

victimized each year by misleading

advertisers who use “Social Security”

or “Medicare” to entice the public to

use its services. In many cases, these

companies offer Social Security serv-

ices for a fee, even though the same

services are available directly from

Social Security, free of charge. These

services include: updating a Social

Security card to show a bride’s mar-

ried name; replacing a Social Security

card; and getting a Social Security

number for a child.

These for-profit businesses may

cleverly design their Web sites so

when people use Internet search

engines, their advertisement pops up.

They may even make their advertise-

ment look similar to the real Social

Security Web site. Some of these

sites, at first glance, appear to be

affiliated with Social Security.

However, upon closer examination,

these are for-profit companies charg-

ing individuals for a service that is

provided free by Social Security.

For instance, a quick Google search

on “replacing a Social Security card”

brings up paid advertisements for

Web sites that charge a fee just to get

an application for a new card. That

service is absolutely free from Social

Security.

The law that deals specifically with

misleading Social Security and

Medicare advertising prohibits peo-

ple or non-government organizations,

like for-profit businesses, from using

words or emblems that mislead oth-

ers. Their advertising cannot lead

people to believe that they represent

or are somehow affiliated with or

endorsed or approved by Social

Security or the Centers for Medicare

& Medicaid Services (Medicare).

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop adver-

tisers from trying.

Overcoming worryWe are all tempted to fear and to

worry. We may fear what the future

holds for us or for our family, about

our jobs, our lack of work, or about

our health. Lately there is more worry

about the future, especially about eco-

nomic stability worldwide. Worry is

fear of the unknown.

What will happen if the dollar fails?

What if there is another market crash?

How can we protect ourselves against

food shortages?

Then there are the “astronomical wor-

ries”. What if huge sunspots cause

grid-disturbing electromagnetic puls-

es? We could lose electricity for

months!

Worrisome concerns usually start

with, “What if…” and can go any-

where from there.

David’s conclusion in Psalm 55:22

was: “Cast your burden upon the

LORD and He will sustain you.” And

Jesus gave his disciples (and us) some

practical advice about dealing with

worry in Matthew 6:19-34 when He

pointed out that worry was not neces-

sary for two reasons: 1. Their heaven-

ly Father’s sufficiency, and 2. God’s

awareness of their needs.

Worry is about what we believe. We

should, of course, “do the next thing”

as we meet immediate responsibilities

to the best of our ability, but if we are

to conquer worry we must decide to

believe in God’s goodness, His sover-

eignty (he is in control of all of the

details), His care for us personally,

and His intimate awareness of our sit-

uation.

We can prayerfully hand off, “cast”,

our burdens to the LORD. (Caps indi-

cate the creator God, Jehovah, Who

single-handedly made everything –

He is all-powerful.)

Then we must decide to focus on Him

instead of focusing on our problems.

Thank Him beforehand for what He

will do, even when we don’t under-

stand. He will sustain us in our fear-

displacing faith, and we will be on our

way to overcoming worry.

“Cherry Pudding”(from Ruby Langdon)

Use a 9” baking dish or pie plate.

(I prefer the baking dish.)

Add the ingredients in this order, stir-

ring after each addition:

1 1/2 cups cherries

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. soda mixed with 1 cup of flour

before adding.

Bake at 375F about 40 minutes or

until golden brown on top.

“Baked Beans”(for a crowd, from Jeanne

Hayden)

2 pounds red or pinto beans

Cover with water and boil until skins

wrinkle.

Put in 6-quart crock pot with two 15-

ounce cans of Spartan tomato sauce,

and 1 pound of hot dogs cut into

“pennies.”

Add hot water to one inch of the top.

Cook 9-12 hours on high.

Positive state credit outlook

result of tough choices

Unlike recent actions in Washington

that resulted in a downgrade of the

federal government’s credit rating,

one of the nation’s leading rating

agencies, Fitch Ratings, has improved

its outlook on Michigan’s credit to

positive, citing “prudent budgeting”

and a rebounding economy.

This is extraordinary news for

Michigan, and is the result of tough

choices that put the state on sound fis-

cal and economic footing.

We adopted a proactive plan that

eliminated Michigan’s $1.5 billion

budget deficit without one-time fixes

and replaced a job-killing business tax

with an easy-to-understand corporate

income tax that reduces the burden on

our small businesses.

When we balance our family budgets

we live within our means and pay our

bills on time. Forcing state govern-

ment to do the same wasn’t easy, but

it was worth the hard work. An

improved bond rating will reduce the

costs of capital projects, like fixing a

road or school roof, and also help tax-

payers save millions of dollars in

interest.

The most important reason for ending

the status quo in Lansing was job cre-

ation. To create jobs it is vital to

attract entrepreneurs and employers to

Michigan. Fitch embraced our

approach and that positive outlook on

our state sends a powerful message to

prospective new job providers:

Michigan is a good place to locate and

build a business.

The improved credit outlook – along

with reduced unemployment and

increased economic activity since

January – illustrate that Michigan is

now on the long road to recovery. I

am committed to doing all I can to

keep us on the path to the prosperity

that southwest Michigan families

deserve.

Obesity: a major health risk that’s also treatable Obesity is quickly becoming one of the nation’s biggest health risks. One quarter of Americans are obese, and another 97 million are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In our image-based society, obesity can be a cosmetic concern. But the consequences are far greater than what we see in the mirror. “Obesity poses huge health risks for the person who is carrying those extra pounds,” says Dr. Michael Schuhknecht, a bariatric surgeon with Lakeland Community Hospital’s Comprehensive Weight Loss Center in Niles. “Weight gain can lead to diabetes, stroke, heart disease, joint problems and some forms of cancer. Obesity – and its complications – can even lead to early death.” Your doctor can help you determine if you’re overweight or obese. Weight gain carried around your middle is especially dangerous. In general, a woman’s waist measurement should fall below 35 inches, and a man should be 40 inches or less around the waist. Weight gain is usually the result of consuming more calories, each day, than you burn through exercise. But other factors can cause weight gain including age, some medical conditions, and certain medications. If you are overweight or obese and can’t lose those extra pounds, Lakeland’s Comprehensive Weight Loss Center has a variety of resources to help you lose weight. These include:

a re-sectioning of your digestive system that limits your food intake, and keeps absorption of calories low.

- utilizes an individual’s unique medical pro�le to design a safe and medically supervised �tness program to achieve optimal health.

– an 8-week program designed just for you that tailor-makes a diet and exercise program to help you lose weight, and keep it o� for life.

“It’s di�cult to lose weight on your own. Our Lakeland programs give you the nutritional tools and emotional support you need to shed pounds and maintain a healthy body weight for life,” says Dr. Schuhknecht. If you’re struggling with your weight, come and investigate the unique and individualized services Lakeland has to o�er. “Obesity is a treatable medical condition,” says Dr. Schuhknecht. “Let our sta� teach you how to lose weight, gain energy and protect your health for a lifetime.”

Michael Schuhknecht, DOBariatric Surgery

Please share your

sports news and photos

with the

readers of the

Tri-City Record

Email [email protected]

Don’t let short-term market

volatility derail long-term

investment perspective

Local investors should not

allow short-time stock market

fluctuations to derail their

long-term investment deci-

sions. “Today’s stock market

volatility is being fueled by

fear—fear over US and

European debt, not by market

fundamentals, which we

believe are generally strong.”

“We believe that long-term

investors should stay the

course if they have a well-

diversified portfolio of quality

investments and a long-term

perspective.”

Edward Jones does not see

today’s volatility as a repeat of

2008, when the country was in

a recession and a financial cri-

sis.

“Because there are now funda-

mental differences in economic

and market conditions, we

believe this has the potential to

present good opportunities for

long-term investors to pur-

chase quality investments at

lower prices.” Edward Jones

cites positive economic

growth, an additional 1 million

jobs added in the first seven

months of the year compared to

about the same as in all of 2010

and record high corporate earn-

ings as indicators of strong

market fundmentals.

“In addition, oil prices are

lower, giving consumers some

help, and U.S. financial com-

panies in general are in better

shape as many are much better

capitalized and have reduced

risks in their businesses.”

The sidelines are no place to

be when it comes to one’s long-

term money, the firm said.

Edward Jones provides finan-

cial services for individual

investors in the United States

and, through its affiliate, in

Canada. Every aspect of the

firm’s business, from the types

of investment options offered

to the location of branch

offices, is designed to cater to

individual investors in the

communities in which they live

and work.

The firm’s 12,000-plus finan-

cial advisors work directly

with nearly 7 million clients to

understand their personal goals

— from college savings to

retirement — and create long-

term investment solutions that

emphasize a well-balanced

portfolio and a buy-and-hold

strategy.

Edward Jones embraces the

importance of building long-

term, face-to-face relationships

with clients, helping them to

understand and make sense of

the investment options avail-

able today.

Lelon Argaret

(Whisenant) BerryMrs. Lelon Margaret (Whisenant)

Berry, age 97, formerly of Watervliet,

Michigan, made a

peaceful journey

into the arms of her

Lord and Savior on

Wednesday, August

10, 2011. Over the

past several months,

she struggled as her

body gave up life;

but her eternal life was not affected…

it remained secure, resting on the

“solid rock,” Jesus the Christ. Her

family grieves today, but not without

hope, looking forward to the next

reunion with her.

She will be deeply missed until then

by: her children - Nadean (Don)

Goodrum of Eau Claire, MI, Mary Jo

(Era) Snyder of Watervliet, and Roger

(Judie) Berry of Grandville, MI; son-

in-law Jay Wolford; special nephew

Henry (Nancy) Whisenant; and many

grandchildren, great-grandchildren,

and several great-great-grandchildren.

Lelon was preceded in death by: her

husband, Thomas Leland Berry; and a

daughter, Fayrene Wolford.

Lelon was a long-standing member of

Midway Baptist Church of Watervliet.

She and her husband moved to

Michigan from Alabama in 1940.

Auto Specialties employed her hus-

band for many years. She formerly

worked at Saluto Foods and Loose

Leaf Binding. Her family and church

were the most important parts of her

life and she devoted herself to them.

Funeral services were held at 11:00

a.m. Monday, August 15, at Midway

Baptist Church. Burial followed at

North Shore Memorial Gardens.

Friends may leave a message for the

family in the online guestbook at

www.duffieldpastrick.com. Memorial

donations may be made to Midway

Baptist Church.

Leslie L. MensingerLeslie L. Mensinger, 91, of Port

Charlotte, Florida passed away

August 11, 2011. He was born August

1, 1920 in Kiron, Iowa and moved to

Florida in 1977 from Watervliet, MI.

Mr. Mensinger was a retired sales-

man, a member of the V.F.W. and

American Legion both in Port

Charlotte, and a member of Trinity

United Methodist Church in Charlotte

Harbor. He served in the Army Air

Corp, Military Police stationed in

England during World War II.

Survivors include his wife of 40 years

Joyce; daughters, Terry (Steve) Steele

of Naples, FL: Baker (Andre)

Gendron of Sedona, AZ; sons, Robert

Mensinger of Battle Creek, MI; John

(Linda) Baker of Springdale, AR;

Ronald (Debbie) Baker of Port

Charlotte, FL; ten grandchildren and

many great grandchildren.

Memorial services were held August

14, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. at the Trinity

United Methodist Church.

Memorial donations may be made to

the Trinity United Methodist Church,

Food Bank, 23084 Seneca Avenue,

Port Charlotte, FL 33980.

Arrangements were made in Port

Charlotte, Florida.

Mary Elizabeth SweetMary Elizabeth Sweet, 93, of

Bridgman, Michigan, formerly of

Hartford, MI, went to be

with the Lord on

Wednesday, August 10,

2011, at Jordan’s Life

Care Center, Bridgman.

Mary was born June 12,

1918, in Tacoma, WA, the daughter of

William and Myrtle (Stroud) Ray,

both of whom preceded her in passing.

She was also preceded in passing by:

her first husband; James Drake, her

second husband; Azur Sweet; and

three brothers - George Ray, Billy

Ray, and Earl Ray.

Mary was a hard worker, which was

evident in her working for Hilltop

Orchards until she reached the age of

70. During this time, she was working

on the farm and raising her five chil-

dren.

Survivors include: her children -

James (Kay) Drake of Paw Paw, MI,

Gerald (Mary) Drake of Bangor, MI,

Joyce (Jerry) Duncan of Clermont,

FL, Lewie (Paulette) Drake of

Coloma, MI, and Mary (Skip) Gwyer

of Stevensville, MI; a stepdaughter;

Pat Hall; nine grandchildren; 22 great-

grandchildren; six great-great-grand-

children; a sister; Myrtle Stoddard of

Hartford; and a sister-in-law; Bernice

Ray of Medford, OR.

The family received friends from

10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Monday,

August 15, at Calvin Funeral Home,

Hartford, at which time the service to

honor her memory will commence.

Pastor Gerald C. Schroer of St. Paul’s

Lutheran Church, Stevensville, will

officiate. Mary will be laid to rest in

Maple Hill Cemetery, Hartford. The

family has requested memorials in her

name be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran

Church of Stevensville.

Faustine E. SnooksFaustine E. Snooks, 90, of

Greenwood, Indiana, formerly of

Coloma, Michigan, passed away

peacefully, surrounded by her family,

on Monday, August 15, 2011 at

Rosegate Nursing Home, following an

extended illness.

She was born in Jasper County,

Indiana to the late Frank Sylvester and

Myrtle Ann (Kerns) King.

On August 16, 1941 Faustine married

the love of her life, Emerson E.

Snooks at a ceremony in Jasper

County, Indiana. It seems fitting that

on their 70th wedding anniversary the

couple will be reunited.

A homemaker most of life, Faustine

was a gifted artist and enjoyed grow-

ing flowers. She had a close relation-

ship with God. Faustine was devoted

to reading her Bible and attended

Smith Valley United Methodist

Church. Faustine also loved spending

time with her family and friends, espe-

cially the many years and family get-

togethers at her home on Paw Paw

Lake.

Faustine is preceded in death by her

parents, her husband, a sister Barbara

Robinson and three brothers; Glen,

Dallas and Malcolm King.

She is survived by a daughter Glenda

(Martin) Abbert of Greenwood,

Indiana, a son Emerson LeRoy

(Kathy) Snooks of Marquette,

Michigan, six grandchildren and

seven great-grandchildren.

In keeping with Faustine’s wishes,

she was laid to rest next to her hus-

band on Tuesday, August 16 at North

Shore Memory Gardens in Coloma,

Michigan.

A memorial service to celebrate

Faustine’s life will be held on Sunday,

August 21 at 3:00 p.m. at Smith Valley

United Methodist Church located at

5293 Old Smith Valley Road,

Greenwood, Indiana 46143.

Memorial contributions may be made

in Faustine’s memory to her church.

Condolences, photos and memories

may be shared with the family at

www.brownfuneralhomeniles.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to

Brown Funeral Home, Niles.

Death NoticesMark D. Blakeman Sr., 62, of

Hartford, Michigan, died Tuesday,

August 9, 2011, at home. Duffield &

Pastrick Family Funeral Home and

Cremation Services, Coloma.

Marjorie Lee Peirce, 75, of

Hartford, died August 8, 2011, at her

home. Calvin Funeral Home,

Hartford.

Jean L. Hughes, 82, of Coloma, died

Monday, August 15, 2011, at

Countryside Nursing Home, South

Haven. Davidson Chapel, Florin

Funeral Service, Coloma

FIREcontinued from Page 1

office hours and public access; devel-

opment of a structured Public Fire

Education program focusing on senior

citizens and pre-K through fifth grade;

site planning, plan review, inspec-

tions, and life safety code enforce-

ment; fire pre-planning; long term

pre-planning of departmental needs

such as funding, budget, equipment,

apparatus, and future building

improvements/maintenance; and

development and maintain a pro-

active departmental posture. Vick

Kinzler, also a Watervliet Township

representative on the Fire Board has

been named Chairman and Patt

Bambrick, Watervliet Township Clerk

has been named to fill the vacancy left

by Jones. Watervliet City representa-

tives are Dave Brinker, Mayor and

Kevin Beckman, Commissioner. Dave

Hasse is the at-large member.

POLICEcontinued from Page 1

Bronson Lakeview Hospital in Paw

Paw.

Coloma Township Police

investigate larceny

The Coloma Township Police

Department is investigating a larceny

of rented property. Officers were

called to the 7000 block of Hagar

Shore Road by an employee of Rent-

a-Center in Benton Harbor for a larce-

ny report. The employees of the rental

store were there to retrieve home fur-

nishings that included a couch, wash-

er/dryer, and a X-Box gaming center.

They were told that the renter of the

merchandise had moved out of state

but the items were in the home wait-

ing to be picked up. The items were

not located in the home.

According to witnesses, the renter of

the home sold them prior to leaving

the state. He then called Rent-A-

Center to say the items were in the

home and ready for pick up. Attempts

to contact the 28 year-old Coloma

man by the police department have

been unsuccessful. Family members

did make contact with him and

advised him to call the police.

Warrants for the subjects arrest for lar-

ceny by conversion have been

requested through the Berrien County

Prosecutor’s Office.

Keep cars locked;

Keep items secure

Berrien County Sheriff Deputy Guy

Puffer who provides police coverage

in Watervliet Township is repeating

his warning to residents to “Keep your

cars locked and keep your items in the

car secure.”

Recently Puffer responded to some

vacation goers who had loaded up

their truck to head home and went

down to see the sunset one more time.

Upon the vacation goers return to the

truck, he found several items stolen

from his vehicle.

Puffer said that it is happening over

and over again where drivers leave

valuables in clear view with unlocked

doors and thieves are making quick

grabs of whatever they can get. Puffer

also would like to remind residents

that if they see anything suspicious,

they should call the office so it can be

followed up on.

Fire ReportsNorth Berrien Fire

Rescue Department

Chief Jim SpiegelThe North Berrien Fire Rescue

Department is all over the place

including advertising in print and now

on large billboards. A federal grant

program has provided the funds for

the billboards to help raise awareness

of the need for volunteer and paid on

call firefighters. Drivers will see the

billboards on M-63 and Coloma Road

and Red Arrow Highway near Roslin

Road.

In addition, the department is using

the social media site, Facebook, to

advertise for high school juniors and

seniors to let them know they can get

their firefighter certification through

the high school technology program

and use the class work towards gradu-

ation credits.

Wanted by

the policePhotos and information about people

from the area who are wanted on out-

standing warrants for various alleged

felonies are listed below. This infor-

mation was provided by the Berrien

County Sheriff’s Department and

Crime Stoppers.

Kasey Melissa McGraw is wanted

on a felony warrant for

burglary. Her last known

address is in Niles.

Leah Marie Mondy is wanted on a

felony warrant for embez-

zlement. Her last known

address is in Niles.

Norman Eddie is wanted on a

felony warrant for deliv-

ery of marijuana. His

last known address is in

Benton Harbor.

John Curtis, Jr., is wanted on a

felony warrant for larceny

from a building. His last

known address is in

Benton Harbor.

Crime Stoppers will pay $1000.00 for

information that leads to the arrest of

any of these people. Callers don’t

need to leave a name but will be

assigned a code number. To give

information, call 1-800-342-STOP or

288-STOP.

This information comes from Crime

Stoppers and the Berrien County

Sheriff’s Department. All warrants

must be reconfirmed before an arrest.

To comment on the accuracy of this

information, call 269-983-7141, ext.

6287.

Tri-City Area Obituaries6 Tri-City Record August 18, 2011

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Stop by the Coloma

F.O.P.Fraternal Order of Police Lodge

Kitchen open 5-8pm,Thursday - Friday - Saturday

Fish Fry3rd Friday each monthAll you can eat, $8/person

Hall for RentKitchen and bar facilities...

dance floor, paved parking lot Perfect for private parties,

weddings, etc. 468-3432 3470 Angling Rd., Coloma

We are here to helpwithall

yourfuneral and cremation needsCalvin & LeonardFuneral Homes8 E. Main St., Hartford 621-4101

Gerald M. Birmele, Manager

222 E. St. Joseph St., Lawrence674-8131 Dale D. Leonard, Manager

NORTH BERRIEN FIRE RESCUE... On August 14, 2011 around 10:08

p.m. NBFR was dispatched for a vehicle fire on Red Arrow Hwy. near

Bessemer Rd. in Coloma. Firefighters arrived to find the car engulfed in

flames. The fire deptartment shut down Red Arrow Hwy. for approxi-

mately an hour and half while they extinguished the fire and cleaned up

the road. The vehicle was a total loss. (Megan Quinn photo)

CCertifiedAAutoRRepair

468-5555Front EndAlignment

Includes front wheel drives and 4x4 PU

$40 & UpMost American Made CarsOpen Mon - Fri 8:30-5:30DOWNTOWN COLOMA

VISA & MASTER CARDS ACCEPTED

One Day...After spending the night together on

their college graduation, Dexter (Jim

Sturgess) and Emma (Anne

Hathaway) are shown each year on the

same date to see where they are in

their lives. They are sometimes

together, sometimes not, on that day.

The Help...Jackson, Mississippi, 1962: aspiring

writer Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan

(Stone) returns home after college,

where unexpected friendships with

African-American maids Aibeleen

Clark (Davis) and Minny Jackson

(Spencer) result in a book that gives a

previously unheard voice to a commu-

nity's suffering.

Rise of the Planet of

the Apes ...In present day San Francisco, a scien-

tist (Franco) looks for a cure for

Alzheimer's disease by experimenting

on a chimpanzee named Caesar. The

development of animal intelligence

brings about a war for supremacy

between humans and apes.

Captain America:

The First Avenger After being deemed unfit for military

service during WWII, Steve Rogers

(Evans) volunteers for a top secret

research project that turns him into

Captain America, the Sentinel of

Liberty -- a superhero dedicated to

defending America's ideals. His first

mission: to combat the Nazi propa-

ganda effort headed by Johann

Schmidt (Weaving), also known as the

Red Skull.

August 18, 2011 Tri-City Record 7Movie Guides & Community Calendar

Community CalendarSponsored as a community service by

Orchard Hill Sanitary Landfill

Send Community Calendar listings to:

Tri-City Record, Box 7, Watervliet, MI 49098;

Fax to (269) 463-8329;

or E-mail to [email protected]

Listings must be renewed weekly; the listings deadline

for next week’s newspaper is 12:00 noon on Monday

Taking care of your disposal needs

Orchard HillSanitary Landfill

3290 Hennessey Rd., Watervliet

463-5588Open Monday - Friday 7a.m. - 4:30p.m., Saturday 7a.m. - 12 Noon

Movie GuideNOW SHOWING

Please check

Celebration Cinema

and LOMA

ads on this page for

ratings & showtimes

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Mondays, 7:00 p.m., “SUMMER MIDWEEK SERVICE” at Salem

Lutheran Church, 275 Marvin Street, Coloma.

Third Monday of the month, 7:00 p.m., “HARTFORD PUBLIC

LIBRARY BOOK CLUB MEETING.” Everyone is welcome, even if

you have not read the book.

Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. & Thursdays at 1:15 p.m., “HARTFORD

PUBLIC LIBRARY CHILDREN’S STORY TIME,” for ages 2-5. No

registration required. Parents and caregivers are always welcome.

Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m., “COLOMA PUBLIC LIBRARY STORY

HOUR” for ages 3 & up; must be accompanied/supervised by an adult.

Second Thursday of each month, “COMMODITIES PICKUP AT

WATERVLIET FREE METHODIST CHURCH” at 7734 Paw Paw

Avenue in Watervliet. Call 463-8280 for more information.

Every Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., “WATERVLIET TRI-CITY

FARMERS MARKET” at St. Joseph Catholic School, Lucinda Lane and

M-140, Watervliet. Delicious bakery items and fresh fruit and produce in

season.

Tuesday, August 23, SMOKE-FREE LIFE PROGRAM. Sponsored by

Lakeland HealthCare. Visit www.lakelandhealth.org/smokefree or call

(269) 556-2808 for more info or to register.

Thursday, August 25, 1:00 p.m. LAKE MICHIGAN COLLEGE

MUSIC PROGRAM orientation and auditions for 2011-2012 school

year. For more information call 269-927-8100.

Thursday, August 25, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. CHARLES THAMES

FUNDRAISER. Benefit for family. Mickey’s Pub is hosting, located at

1007 Main Street, St. Joseph. More information call Amanda Milliken

269-927-0473 or Dorothy Frazier 269-468-3522.

Monday, August 29, 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. FREE PREDIABETES

CLASS OFFERED. Offered by Lakeland HealthCare. Class will be held

at Benton Harbor Public Library, 213 E. Wall Street. Call 269-556-2868.

Wednesday, August 31, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. “NUTRITION MAT-

TERS IN CANCER TREATMENT”. Offered Lakeland HealthCare.

For more information or to register call 269-556-2808 or 866-260-7544.

Wednesday, September 2 – November 30, MASTER GARDENER

TRAINING. Offered by Michigan State University Extension. Will be

held at Michigan Technical Education Center (M-TEC). Training fee of

$250, includes reference textbook and handouts. Information and applica-

tions available from the Berrien County MSU Extension office at 1737

Hillandale Road, Benton Harbor, by calling 269-944-4126,

http://www.msue.msu.edu/berrien; select “Home Horticulture” then

“Master Gardener Information”.

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“Kute Kids”…THIS “KUTE KID”... is Joselyn Pupedis

of Oakdale, Minnesota. She will be cele-

brating the second anniversary of her

birth in September. Her proud parents

are April and Matthew Pupedis of

Oakdale, Minnesota. Her proud grand-

parents are Barbara and Kenneth

Wolford of Grant, Minnesota and Julie

and August Pupedis of Coloma,

Michigan.

Share a photo of your “Kute Kids” with

your friends, neighbors, and relatives who

read the Tri-City Record. Make sure you

write your kids’ names on the back of the picture and include any other

information about it you’d like to see in the paper, including mom and

dad, grandma and grandpa, and so on. Send the “original” photo to the

Tri-City Record, P.O. Box 7, Watervliet, MI 49098. Pick up the photo after

it appears in the paper or include a stamped, self-addressed envelope and

we’ll mail it back to you.

Where are your “Kute Kids”?

Four students

receive Lake

Michigan College

Foundation

Incentive

scholarshipsFour Lake Michigan College stu-

dents have been awarded Academic

Incentive scholarships for the 2011-

2012 academic year. The $500 schol-

arships are given annually by the

Lake Michigan College Foundation

to Student Support Services (SSS)

participants who have demonstrated

academic achievement and have

actively participated in the SSS pro-

gram.

“The Academic Incentive

Scholarship recognizes the ability of

students to overcome the unique

challenges faced by first-generation

college students or students with a

low income or disability,” stated

Nancy Johnson, SSS project director.

“It acknowledges academic achieve-

ment and brings each student one

step closer to realizing his or her goal

of obtaining a college degree.”

This year’s scholarship recipients

include:

James Chuhak - Coloma, 2001

graduate of Coloma High School,

drafting and design major;

Alisha Gioupis - Stevensville, 2008

graduate of Lakeshore High School,

nursing major;

Nailya Lau - St. Joseph, 1992 grad-

uate of Kazan Secondary School

(Russia), nursing major;

Priscilla White - Benton Harbor,

1987 graduate of Grand Rapids Adult

Education, early childhood education

major.

SSS is a federally funded program

that offers additional support services

to first-generation college students to

assist in the successful completion of

their college programs. Individuals

with low income and students with a

disability are also served.

Participants receive intensive aca-

demic counseling, financial aid appli-

cation assistance, help with study

skills development, and assistance in

transferring to four-year colleges and

universities. TRIO Computer Lab, a

laptop-lending program; and a text-

book-lending library assist with par-

ticipant’s technology and academic

support needs. The opportunity to

mentor other students and engage in

volunteer service in local communi-

ties broadens the collegiate experi-

ence of each student.

For further information about the

SSS program, contact Nancy Johnson

at (269) 927-8100, extension 5209.

Lakeland

offering

Smoke-Free

Life programLakeland HealthCare is offering

Smoke-Free Life, a series of free pre-

sentations and support sessions to

help people quit smoking.

The next presentation will be held on

Thursday, August 25, from 6:00 to

7:00 p.m., at the Marie Yeager

Cancer Center, Lakeland Health

Park, 3900 Hollywood Road, St.

Joseph.

Edmund Paloyan, M.D., hematolo-

gist/oncologist, of Lakeland Cancer

Specialists, will explore the health

risks of smoking, the benefits of quit-

ting; the reasons why it is so difficult

to quit; and available support

resources, including medications.

Working in concert with the monthly

Smoke-Free Life presentations are

support sessions called “Beat the

Pack.” These meetings address the

behavioral aspects of quitting and

provide additional tools to help par-

ticipants stay quit, including motiva-

tional handouts and peer support.

The support sessions are ongoing,

and participants can attend them at

any time and for any length of time.

Upcoming times and locations of the

meetings are as follows:

Tuesdays, August 16, 23

12:00 to 12:30 p.m., Lakeland

Community Hospital, Niles;

6:00 to 6:30 p.m. Lakeland Regional

Medical Center, St. Joseph.

Tuesdays, September 6 and 13

6:00 to 7:00 p.m., Lakeland

Community Hospital, Watervliet.

Tuesdays, October 4 and 11

6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Lakeland

Community Hospital, Niles;

Tuesdays, November 1 and 8

6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Lakeland Regional

Medical Center, St. Joseph.

Visit www.lakelandhealth.org/

smokefree or call (269) 556-2808 or

(866) 260-7544 for more information

or to register for any of the Smoke-

Free Life sessions offered by

Lakeland HealthCare.

Class registration is encouraged;

walk-ins welcome.

CMU announces

Graduates and

Honor StudentsCentral Michigan University is

pleased to announce the students

from the Tri-City area that graduated.

They include Derek Stonebraker,

Bachelor of Arts; and Caitlin

Worden, Bachelor of Social Work.

Central Michigan University’s

spring semester honors list includes

students from the Tri-City area, who

earned 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) and high-

er grade point average. They include

Kristina K. Griffith, Kyle Jeremy

Garland and Caitlin Marie Worden.

Congratulations!

Fundraiser to

help family of

Charles ThamesCharles Randall Thames, who grew

up in Covert, lost a seven-year fight

with Bechets Disease.

He went home to his Father on May

20, 2011 in Tucson, AZ.

He left this world at the young age of

30 years old. He left behind a wife,

Heather Marie Cowgill-Thames, and

three children: Sapphire, age 7;

Bryce, age 3; and Jade, age 1.

Heather, who was raised in Coloma

and Kalamazoo, has returned back to

Coloma, to raise their children.

Mickey’s Pub is hosting the benefit

for this family on August 25, from

5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This benefit is

open to the public. There is a silent

auction being held that night. Rock

80-90 music entertainment will be

furnished.

Mickey’s Pub is located at 1007

Main Street, St. Joseph, MI 49085,

269-983-0900.

The family is hoping to make the

public more aware of the Bechets

Disease. Donations are welcome.

For further information please con-

tact: Amanda Milliken 269-927-0473

or Dorothy Frazier 269-468-3522.

Fundraiser at

McDonald’sSt. Joseph Catholic Church is having

a fundraiser on Monday, August 22,

from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The cost

is $3.00 per person.

Featuring: ‘Hot Cake Supper

Fundraiser’. All you can eat and

drink, ONLY at McDonald’s of

Coloma. Includes soft drinks, coffee,

or tea. Sausage will be available at an

additional cost.

End of Summer

Dance at

Surfari Joe’s

HotelOn Saturday, September 3, 2011

from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the

Conference room at Surfari Joe’s

Hotel, the Watervliet Varsity

Cheerleaders will have an End of

Summer Dance for all children in

Watervliet, Coloma or Hartford

between the ages of 10 and 15.

The charge for the evening will be $3

per child. There will be refreshments

on sale, including pizza and pop.

Along with the fee, school appropri-

ate clothing will be required. This

event will be chaperoned by adults

and all music will be approved. For

more information call Coach

Loshbough at 876-1326.

READY TO SELL

THE FOLLOWING…abandoned

goods stored at Coloma Motor Sport

You-Lock Storage, 5270 Paw Paw

Lake Rd., Coloma, Michigan, must

be paid in full by September 30,

2011, or same will be sold for storage

due. Donna Gage #2, Kathy Nemethy

#17. (8-18-11-TCR)

GARAGE SALE

65555 63rd STREET…Hartford,

August 18, 19 & 20 from 9:00 a.m. -

?. Entertainment center, old wooden

desk, old wooden tool box, twin head

boards (2), 8 dining room chairs,

small kitchen table w/2 chairs, 2

sofas, & misc. furniture, stereo sys-

tem, kids & adult clothing, house-

hold/kitchen misc., picture frames,

infant seat with base, stroller, toys

and clown collection.(8-18-11-TCR)

ANNUAL R-TURN JUNIOR

POOL LEAGUE RUMMAGE

SALE

SATURDAY & SUNDAY…August

20, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and

Sunday, August 21, from 9 a.m. to 3

p.m., 70303 Red Arrow Hwy.,

Coloma.(8-18-11-TCR)

LIEN SALETHE FOLLOWING UNITS – have

been taken under possession by

Sparkle U-Stor-It for lack of pay-

ment. These units will be auctioned

on September 1, 2011 if the Tenant

fails to claim unit.

2080 S. M-139, Benton Harbor,

MI 49022

Robert Decosta, Powderly, TX Unit

#28

JoAnn Rayford, Benton Harbor, MI

Unit #69

1085 Nickerson Ct. Benton

Harbor, MI 49022

Michelle Lee, Benton Harbor, MI

Unit #173(8-18-2011-TCR)

LIEN SALETHE FOLLOWING UNITS – have

been taken under possession by

Sparkle U-Stor-It for lack of pay-

ment. These units will be auctioned

on August 22 if the Tenant fails to

claim unit.

2080 S. M-139, Benton Harbor,

MI 49022

Jameson Hall, Benton Harbor, MI

Unit #129

Annette Richard, Benton Harbor, MI

Unit #3

Sherman Norwood, Benton Harbor,

MI Unit #54

1085 Nickerson Ct. Benton

Harbor, MI 49022

Jackolin & Antonio Ingram, Benton

Harbor, MI Unit #210

Tacarra Jackson, Benton Harbor, MI

Unit #229

Patricia Kelly, Benton Harbor, MI

Unit #185

David Martin Sr., Benton Harbor, MI

Unit #257(8-18-11-TCR)

COLOMA

ZONING BOARD OF

APPEALS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC

HEARINGTO: THE RESIDENTS AND

PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE

CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF COLO-

MA, AND ANY OTHR INTEREST-

ED PERSONS:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the

Zoning Board of Appeals of the

Charter Township of Coloma will

conduct a public hearing, concerning

the following matter on Thursday,

September 1, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at

the Coloma Charter Township Hall,

4919 Paw Paw Lake Road, Coloma,

Michigan.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER

NOTICE that a hearing will be held

to consider a request from Bruce

Benjamin, 6940 Shore Dr. Coloma,

MI 49038, regarding property code

11-08-5950-0050-00-1. The request

is for a variance from the setback

requirements for front yards in

Section 7.01 District Regulations of

the Zoning Ordinance. Mr. Benjamin

wishes to build a screened in porch

on the front corner of his home.

All interested parties are invited to

attend. Written comments will be

received from any interested person

concerning the foregoing matter(s)

by the Coloma Charter Zoning

Administrator at the below listed

address at any time during normal

business hours of normal business

days up to the date of the hearing and

may be further received by the

Planning Commission at the hearing

will provide necessary reasonable

auxiliary aids and services, such as

signers for the hearing impaired and

audio tapes of printed material being

considered at four (4) days notice to

the Coloma Charter Township

Zoning Administrator. Individuals

with disabilities requiring auxiliary

aids or services should contact the

Coloma Charter Township Zoning

Administrator at the address or tele-

phone listed below.

Cheryl Van Drasek,

Zoning Administrator

(269) 468-7212

(8-18-11-TCR)

CHARTER

TOWNSHIP OF

COLOMA

ZONING BOARD OF

APPEALS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC

HEARINGTO: THE RESIDENTS AND

PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE

CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF COLO-

MA, BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHI-

GAN AND ANY OTHR INTER-

ESTED PERSONS:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the

Zoning Board of Appeals of the

Charter Township of Coloma will

conduct a public hearing, concerning

the following matter on Thursday,

September 1, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at

the Coloma Charter Township Hall,

4919 Paw Paw Lake Road, Coloma,

Michigan.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER

NOTICE that a hearing will be held

to consider a request from Edwin

Baumgart, 6068 Kiegley, Coloma,

MI 49038, regarding property code

11-08-4230-0239-00-1. The request

is for a variance from the setback

requirements for front yards in

Section 7.01 District Regulations of

the Zoning Ordinance. Mr. Baumgart

wishes to build a screened in porch

on the front of his home.

All interested parties are invited to

attend. Written comments will be

received from any interested person

concerning the foregoing matter(s)

by the Coloma Charter Zoning

Administrator at the below listed

address at any time during normal

business hours of normal business

days up to the date of the hearing and

may be further received by the

Planning Commission at the hearing

Coloma Charter Township will pro-

vide necessary reasonable auxiliary

aids and services, such as signers for

the hearing impaired and audio tapes

of printed material being considered

at four (4) days notice to the Coloma

Charter Township Zoning

Administrator.

Individuals with disabilities requir-

ing auxiliary aids or services should

contact the Coloma Charter

Township Zoning Administrator at

the address or telephone listed below.

COLOMA CHARTER

TOWNSHIP

Cheryl Van Drasek, Zoning

Administrator

4919 Paw Paw Lake Road

Coloma, MI 49038

(269) 468-7212

CITY OF

HARTFORD

COUNTY OF VAN

BUREN

STATE OF

MICHIGANNOTICE OF PUBLIC

HEARING ON CLOSEOUT

OF THE FOLLOWING

PROJECTS:

DOWNTOWN FAÇADE PROJECT:

MSC 209055-CDF

WELL REPLACEMENT PROJECT:

MSC 209606-R

TO: ALL RESIDENTS OF HART-

FORD AND INTERESTED PAR-

TIES.

The City Commission of the City of

Hartford will a hold a public Hearing

to close out and inform the public on

the results of Downtown Façade

Project and the Well Replacement

Project as required by the Grant

Agreement, during a regular meeting

on August 22, 2011 at 7:30p.m., in

the City Commission Room at City

Hall.

Everyone interested will be given

the opportunity to be heard.

RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht, Clerk

City of Hartford

19 West Main Street

Hartford, MI 49057(8-18-11-TCR)


Public Notices and Want AdsWANT ADS

For sale, for rent, help wanted,

lost & found, work wanted,

personal announcements,

thank-you notes, etc.

$12.00 per ad of 25 words.

Add $.10 a word over 25 words.

Repeat same ad for $2 less.

Add $2 to border want ad.

Add $2 for tear sheet.

Ad must be paid in advance

AD PLACEMENT DEADLINE

IS NOON ON TUESDAY

Tri-City Record

138 N. Main st., Box 7

Watervliet, Mi 49038

(269) 463-6397

e-mail [email protected]

Credit cards accepted

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Keep up with the

hometown news

with a subscription

to the

Tri-City Record...

see Page 4

for information

SAVINGS.MADE IN MICHIGAN.

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HE NEEDS A LOVING HOME…

“Timmy” a tan, 1-year old

Chihuahua, is neutered and current

on all his shots. There is a $95.00

Animal Aid adoption fee. Please call

Maryanne at 463-8326.

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Here we are just a little more than a

week away from the start of the fall

high school football season.

It was a great summer but now it is

time to move on to the fall when foot-

ball rules the weekends from Friday

night to Sunday evening.

This week we will take a look at our

Tri-City area teams to give a bit of

insight of what we can expect from

them this fall.

I was also wondering about all of the

experiences that people have had over

the years watching or playing in the

Watervliet-Coloma football classic

and, if you have one you would like to

share, send it in to the Record or to me

at [email protected] and we will

try to run some of them in next weeks

issue.

Now lets take a look at our Tri-City

area teams. Watervliet Football

Coach Jeremy Andrews returns some

very nice players including 11 seniors

that lettered last season.

They are led by offensive and defen-

sive tackle Jaxon DeHaven who is a 4-

year starter. Also returning are wide

receiver and linebacker Kevin

Dembinski, runningback and defen-

sive end Brett Thumm, runningback

and linebacker Tyler Scott, inside line-

backer and kicker Charlie Leaf, defen-

sive back and wide receiver Dan

Isbrecht, wide receiver and defensive

backs Kyle Roberts and Jared

Goodrich, offensive lineman and

defensive end Kevin Bryant, offensive

lineman and defensive linebacker

Austin Openneer, along with line-

backer and offensive lineman Brad

Thomas who was the teams leading

tackler last season despite playing just

six and a half games because of injury.

One new senior out this season is

offensive and defensive lineman Chris

Ryan.

Coach Andrews returns three junior

letter winners that were sophomores

last season in wide receiver and defen-

sive back Travis Bolin, starting quar-

terback Jake Cowsert, along with

defensive tackle and offensive line-

man Nick Steinke.

Other juniors on the team that have

JV experience from last season

include wide receiver and defensive

back A.J. Crow, offensive lineman and

linebacker Freddy Little, offensive

and defensive linemen Joe Harding,

Chance Angelo, and Andrew Rye,

wide receiver and defensive backs

Marcus Rodriguez and Ernie Kellogg,

along with quarterback and linebacker

Jacob Lefor.

There are two sophomores on the

team this season that lettered as fresh-

men last season in wide receiver and

linebacker Devin Schultz and offen-

sive lineman and linebacker A.J.

Rudel.

So, despite having to replace a few

key positions the Panthers should

have decent experience at most posi-

tions particularly in the backfield as

most everyone returns.

That is good because the SAC South

Division is going to be pretty solid

with several strong teams including

Lawton, Decatur, and Hartford should

be strong, while Marcellus is sup-

posed to be better as well.

Coach Andrews is assisted by Jason

Riley and R.J. Rudel while the JV

coach is Josh Trembly.

The Panthers will host a Jamboree

this Friday at 11:00 a.m. when they

will host Brandywine, Bridgman,

New Buffalo, and La Lumiere from

Indiana.

The Panthers have just one week to

prepare for their last meeting of the

102-year series with Coloma to be

played next Friday night at Watervliet.

Be there! Coloma Football

Coloma football coach Mark Eddy is

preparing his team for their last season

in the Lakeland Conference before

moving to the bigger Class “B”

Wolverine Conference for next year.

That includes preparing for their last

meeting with the Panthers of

Watervliet in their season opener.

Coach Eddy returns nine senior letter

winners from last season including

offensive and defensive linemen Max

Murray, Tim Forker, Marcus Hughes,

Spencer Umphery, Alex Masters, and

Jesse Howard. Matt Thomas returns as

a defensive back, runningback, and

back-up quarterback, Sexton Ashley

returns as a defensive lineman and

runningback. One new senior is out

this season that does have previous

experience in safety and wide receiver

Devin Williams.

The Comets also return 5 juniors that

lettered as sophomores last season in

quarterback and defensive back

Andrew Steinhoff, defensive back and

runningback Ricky Payne, linebacker

and runningback Andy Garcia, along

with linebackers and offensive line-

men Tyler Fisher and Travis Potter.

Offensive and defensive lineman

Brad Cobb joins the team as a transfer

with some experience; Nick Cobb (no

relation) is new to the team at run-

ningback and outside linebacker.

JV products that will join the team

this season include wide receiver and

outside linebacker Omar Hernandez,

runningback and defensive back

Dallas Wilkins, wide receiver and

defensive backs A. J. Bruder, Josh

Jobe, and Darius Steed, offensive and

defensive linemen Tyler Green,

Dakota Sanders, Justin Lambert,

along with wide receiver and defen-

sive back Matt Greco.

There are 3 sophomores on the team

this season with JV experience in

offensive and defensive linemen Abe

Sypian, Dillon Joiner, and Joshua

Vorce.

Dave Ehlers, Joe Stevens, and Kenny

Ashley will assist Coach Eddy this

season. Once again the JV coaches are

Bruce Dings, Jack Goodrick, and John

Baumgartner.

Coloma will host a Jamboree this

Friday at 6:00 p.m. that will include

South Haven, Spring Lake, and Unity

Christian.

The Comets hope to bounce back and

contend for the Lakeland title in their

last season as a member. Hartford Football

Hartford coach Dave Janicki has

some holes to fill this season after los-

ing his 3-year starting quarterback

along with their number one running-

back.

But the Indians cupboard is not bare

by any means as they return ten sen-

iors that were letter winners from last

season. They include offensive and

defensive lineman Adam Barajas,

offensive tackle and linebacker Jared

Meachum, kicker Juan Perez, tight

end and outside linebacker Zach

Clauser, offensive lineman and line-

backer John Scherer, flanker and

defensive back Ethan Koshar, along

with offensive and defensive linemen

Patrick Hammel, Andrew Garcia, Eric

Perez, and Noey Lopez. One new

senior that has joined the team is

offensive and defensive lineman Jose

Rodriguez.

Youth bowling

sign upSaturday morning youth bowling sign

ups for kids ages 5 to 19 on August 27

from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at

Coloma Lanes. Individuals or already

formed four person teams welcome.

First day of bowling will be Saturday,

September 10. Call 269-468-7127 for

information or to leave a message.

Form a team

and help a

rider ride!The Therapeutic Equestrian Center

(TEC) will be hosting the Second

Annual Pitchin’ In for TEC (PIT) on

Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 9

a.m. to 4 p.m. PIT will be held at

Stockbridge Equestrian Center located

at 615 N. M-140, Watervliet, MI

49098. You can help by forming a

team of two to play horseshoes for this

“Fun” Fundraiser! Cost per team

starts at $20.

Teams of two will compete in horse-

shoe, pitching Challenge Matches,

where they “Challenge” another team

to earn points in this “Fun”

Fundraiser. Participants do not need

any experience playing horseshoes. To

play, complete a Team Registration

form and return it to TEC with your

payment by August 26. Teams start at

$20. Your team can also be sponsored

by a local business. Riders from TEC

will be performing riding demonstra-

tions during PIT, and two silent auc-

tions will also be held. There will be

food and beverage available for pur-

chase.

Proceeds raised from this event will

be used to ensure that individuals with

special needs in Berrien, Cass and Van

Buren County will be able to continue

to receive the benefits of year-round

therapeutic horseback riding. Funds

raised will also allow help to fund the

Saddle STARS program, collaboration

with Blossomland Learning Center, a

continuation of a successful pilot pro-

gram that uses horses as a theme for a

6-week lesson plan.

There are over 55,000 people with

special needs in Berrien, Cass and Van

Buren County Michigan and TEC is

the only year-round therapeutic riding

program. The gait of a horse mirrors

the human gait, so riders who have

limited mobility can experience

movement that cannot be replicated in

a doctor’s office while gaining core

muscle strength. Riders with

ADD/ADHD often amaze their par-

ents by finding focus while riding on a

horse.

The Therapeutic Equestrian Center

(TEC) is a non-profit 501(c)3 that was

founded in 2005. TEC provides year-

round therapeutic horseback riding as

well as other equine activities to indi-

viduals with special needs age 3-103.

TEC has partnered with Blossomland

Learning Center, a local school, to

provide school based programs using

horses as a theme as well as provides

a Day on The Farm, where special

needs classroom can come out to TEC

for a day.

A complete schedule of events, spon-

sorship information, and team regis-

tration forms are available at

www.tecfarm.org. For more informa-

tion contact Jennifer Scally at

[email protected] or call TEC at

269-429-0671.

August 18, 2011 Tri-City Record 9Tri-City Area Sports & Outdoors

My viewfrom the

Press BoxBy Mike Leith, Sportswriter

Pit StopBy Mike Leith

NEW AND USED SYSTEMS IN STOCK AND READY TO GO!

Laptops and Desktops

Marcos Ambrose gets first

win at “The Glen”It was a wild one as usual at Watkins

Glen with a one-day rain delay to boot

but, in the end Marcos Ambrose

passed Brad Keselowski on the first

lap of a green-white, checkered flag,

finishing first for the first time in a

Sprint Cup race under caution after a

violent wreck broke out and froze the

field on the final lap.

Because the wreck behind him was so

violent it somewhat overshadowed the

win, but no one was seriously hurt so

the party could go on.

With the win Ambrose becomes the

fifth first-time Sprint Cup winner this

season.

The wreck behind him saw David

Ragan and David Reutimann crash

violently off the walls. Greg Biffle

blamed Boris Said for causing the

wreck as the two of them had words

after the race as well. Said threatened

to come over to Biffles house and beat

his rear end while Biffle called Said

the most unprofessional driver he

knows, so that isn’t over yet.

Then there was still some bad blood

between Kyle Busch and Jimmie

Johnson in last weekends race with a

lot of talk between the two but nothing

else.

The victory also was Richard Petty

Motorsports’ first since Kasey Kahne

won on the road course of Infineon

Raceway in 2009. It was Ford’s first

win at the Glen since 1996 (Geoffrey

Bodine).

Ambrose became the third qualifier

for the Sprint Summer Showdown,

joining Keselowski and Paul Menard.

Those three drivers, plus the winners

from upcoming races at Michigan and

Bristol, will compete for an aggregate

$3 million bonus, should one of the

eligible drivers win September 4 at

Atlanta.

Kyle Busch came in third, followed

by Martin Truex Jr. in fourth, and Joey

Logano in fifth. Kevin Harvick, Juan

Pablo Montoya, AJ Allmendinger, Jeff

Burton and Jimmie Johnson complet-

ed the top 10.

This week they head to Michigan

International Speedway where they

will run the Pure Michigan 400 this

Sunday.

STRAIGHT SHOOTERS 4-H CLUB OF WATERVLIET...went to State on August 6, 2011. These kids represent-

ed our County extremely well by their great conduct of behavior while they spent the entire day at Centerline of

Calhoun County. (front row, from the left) Andrea French, JR. target archery open scoring our top score at 426;

Rose Safranek, JR. target archery open scoring 364; Lilag Rosier, JR. field .22 rifle scoring 252; Luke Schneider,

JR. field .22 rifle scoring 305; Sarah Holtsclaw, JR. target archery open scoring 414; Victoria Holtsclaw, SR. tar-

get archery open scoring 339. (back row, from the left) Matthew Andrasi, SR. 3-D target archery open scoring

248; Clayton Helwig, SR. Trapshooting scoring 31; and Ben Helwig, JR Trapshooting scoring 32. The Straight

Shooters meet most every 2nd and 4th Sunday at the Watervliet Rod and Gun Club on Hennessee Road,

Watervliet at 2-4 p.m. Ages 9 - 19 are welcome to come see what we are about. (contributed photo)

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John’sGlass

VINYL REPLACEMENT

WINDOWSCustom Mirrors

Full Line Glass ShopScreen Repairs

468-4227271 Paw Paw St.

Coloma

The Department of Natural Resources

(DNR) weekly report says that the

expected upcoming milder weather

across the state should bring good

fishing.

The St. Joseph River is producing

Walleye and a few Steelheads in the

creek mouths. In Lake Michigan out

of Saugatuck this past week has pro-

duced consistent fishing in the 65 to

90 foot depth with limit or near limit

catches of Lake Trout, Chinook

Salmon and Steelhead. The piers off

Saugatuck have produced pretty good

Steelhead fishing as well.

St. Joseph Perch fishing has been

really good in 35 feet of water north of

Rocky Gap. Pier fishermen have

reported a few Perch on the north side,

while Steelhead fishing has been very

slow. Trollers on the lake are doing

pretty well in 50 to 80 feet of water on

a west/southwest troll with small

spoons that are blue in color.

South Haven is finding Perch around

30 feet of water from Deer Lick to the

State Park. King Salmon, Steelhead

and Brown Trout are being taken in

115 to 145 feet of water; the bigger

sizes at 224 to 300 feet of water

New lights have been installed in the

fish cleaning station at the South

Haven City launch site. It also has a

new combination lock installed when

the launch gate is not being manned.

Stop in Pyle’s Porthole for the combi-

nation if coming off the lake after 5:00

p.m. or in inclement weather.

Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery will

host “Get Hooked on the Hatchery”

August 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00

p.m. The Hatchery is located at 34270

County Road 652, Mattawan, MI,

right off of M-43. Here are some of

the free activities they will have: catch

& release fishing for kids; hatchery

tours; hiking trails; fishing seminars;

and photo exhibit.

The program is being sponsored by

the Friends of Wolf Lake State Fish

Hatchery (FOWL) a new, nonprofit

organization. To schedule a group tour

or register for a Saturday Children’s

fishing program, call the visitor center

at 269-668-2876.

The DNR, Michigan State University,

Tower-Kleber Limited Partnership

and Sturgeon for Tomorrow will host

Sturgeon Hatchery tours at the Black

River facility near Onaway on

Saturday, August 20. Tours will run

from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Group

tours of 10 or more participants are

asked to pre-register by calling 231-

625-2776. The Hatcher is located in

Cheboygan County on the Upper

Black River on Twin School Road,

adjacent to the Kleber Dam.

The DNR and Marquette Police

Department personnel successfully

relocated a young bull moose that had

taken up residence in Presque Isle

Park in Marquette.

Detective Mike Wasie of the police

department said they were receiving

calls regarding traffic and public safe-

ty concerns at the park, “due to people

wanting to see the moose and in some

cases getting close enough to touch it.

This led us to request assistance from

DNR wildlife professionals in relocat-

ing the animal.”

The moose was tranquilized and

moved to State land with good moose

habitat north of Marquette. Within an

hour of darting it, the moose was up

and walking in the woods.

The DNR will be offering women an

opportunity to learn the skills needed

to take part in a Deer Hunting

Workshop that will be held at the

Detroit Archers Club on Saturday,

August 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information, visit

www.michigan.gov/bow.

Coloma Rod and Gun Club

The Coloma Rod and Gun Club will

be hosting a Hunter Safety and

Archery Training Class September 19

through September 23. Class times are

6-9 p.m. daily, Monday through

Friday, with a Range time on

Saturday, September 23, from 9 a.m.

to 12 noon. Sign up is August 28 at the

Clubhouse from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Contact Larry Lute at 269-468-3416

or 269-208-5095 or the call the Club

House at 269-468-6745

The Club also offers a CCW

(Carrying Concealed Weapon) class

the second Saturday of every month.

It is a one-day class with range time

afterwards. Sign up is on the Sunday

morning prior to the scheduled class

date at the Clubhouse. The cost is

$100.00 with a non-refundable $50.00

deposit at the time of sign up. Contact

Dan at 269-621-3370 for details.

I’d like to share with you readers a

press release recently issued. Those of

you who read this column may want

to participate. It reads: “Our nation is

searching for cost-effective solutions

to daunting societal problems. We

need to boost our economy and pro-

vide more jobs. We need to shrink the

time we spend stuck in traffic as our

population climbs. We need to reduce

our dependence on foreign oil as gas

prices skyrocket. We need to address

the towering health-care costs tied to

obesity.”

Luckily, there is a time-tested answer

ready and waiting. Bicycling is an

economic, versatile solution that can

work in all 50 states and cities and

towns of all sizes.

Peopleforbikes.org is a movement to

unite one million people in support of

better, safer bicycling in the U.S. The

goal is to make our country a better

place to ride, and live, by sending a

unified message to our government

leaders that Americans support cost-

effective legislation that improves

bike paths, lanes, trails and other facil-

ities from coast to coast.

In just a year, more than 225,000 peo-

ple have joined the movement by

signing the pledge for better biking,

including seven-time Tour de France

winner Lance Armstrong (as well as

yours truly, the Country Cyclist).

Peopleforbikes.org is a movement

designed to resonate with any type of

rider - whether he or she rides once a

week or once a year.

To support this campaign, you can

use the Internet and go to peoplefor

bikes.org and give your pledge.

Many people are reluctant to ride a

bike for fear of traffic and the inherent

dangers of trying to claim a portion of

the road to ride on when there are no

bike lanes. Think of a day in the future

when the local road commissions plan

for every road to be improved with the

extra width needed to include a bike

lane.

In Paw Paw recently, a portion of M-

40 was reconstructed and changed

from four lanes to three with the addi-

tion of wide bike lanes on both sides

of the road. This is a state road and it

shows that someone somewhere had

the foresight to allow for better, safer

bicycle usage!

Friday Road heading south from

Coloma is another nice example of a

wide, paved shoulder for safe biking.

It will be interesting to see if any pro-

visions for bikes are included in the

massive rebuilding project for M-140

through Watervliet!

A few years back, Almena Road was

rebuilt east of Paw Paw. It is a beauti-

ful road but when all done and said,

nary one foot of paved shoulder

exists and instead of a scenic road for

bikes to use; it remains very danger-

ous for any cycling!

There, I’m done venting.

Sign the pledge today and let’s all ride

safe and be healthy!


Hunting &Fishing Reports

By Angie Stair621-4329 [email protected]

DAVE WILLIAMS BUILDING

SALES FARM COMMERCIAL 429-7611 Stevensville

Dragonflies don’t like drumsticks.

That was the first thing to go when a

white-tailed dragonfly chose my arm

as a perch for lunch. I couldn’t deter-

mine what the mangled mass in its

mouth used to be. Flying insects are

the favored prey. I hoped my dragon-

fly, now named Fred, had snagged a

pesky deer fly. Some dragonflies are

strong enough to even take down

hummingbirds!

The first thing Fred did, after landing

on my arm, was to chew off two spiky

legs. These were probably the rear

legs of his prey. Then the jaws went to

work chewing while the lips (the

labrum and labium) maneuvered his

morsel. He turned it this way and that

as he gobbled it up.

The whole time he kept a close eye on

me. Actually it was 30,000 eyes. Each

of his giant compound eyes has

15,000 separate lenses, which operate

together to give him 360-degree

vision. They are so large that they

cover most of his head. My tired arm,

weary from holding it up and still, was

a small price to pay for my up close

encounter with one of nature’s fiercest

predators.

Take a walk with a naturalist on

Sunday, August 21 at 2:00 p.m. to a

milkweed field to search for monarch

butterfly eggs, caterpillars and adults.

Please call the nature center to regis-

ter. Regular admission fees are in

effect.

By Eileen CarlsonSarett Nature Center Naturalist

927-4832 [email protected]

Sarett Nature Center is located at 2300 Benton Center Road

near the intersection ofRed Arrow Highway and I-196

Nature Notebook

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Paw Paw Lake MotelOpen All Year... Bedrooms & Suites

Daily - Weekly - Monthly Rates

4881 Wil-O-Paw Drive, Coloma

Call for a reservation

(269) 468-6080 or (269) 921-3024

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By Angela Stair

Hartford City Mayor Ted Johnson

was back on the job Monday night,

August 15, for the City’s workshop

meeting, after a few weeks off for

physical therapy. The Mayor said he

had suffered a mild stroke that affect-

ed his ability to walk.

Good thing too, as Mayor Pro Tem

Rick Hall is on vacation and City

Manager Yemi Akinwale was out of

town.

Chris Cowgill, engineer from

Wightman Jones, updated the

Commissioners on the Well project. It

is mostly finished, with just a few

items to finish from their punch list.

He said the final payment estimate

was $77,228.00, with a reduction in

the total bill of $18,083.83. The final

bill total will be in the neighborhood

of $450,853.02. This was as close as

they could get to the $441,000.00

grant amount.

Upcoming casino traffic

Police Chief Ramon Beltran reported

having a couple of meetings with the

Van Buren County Sheriff and the

Four Winds casino personnel on the

expected traffic for the grand opening

ceremony on August 30 and the

expected volume of traffic for the first

week.

Chief Beltran said the casino would

be picking up the bill for one extra

officer to be on full time with the City

for the first week. The Sheriff is also

sending additional officers to help

with the traffic in the City. It is esti-

mated that approximately 150 cars per

hour would be passing the main four

corners of the City.

There are expected to be some traffic

back-ups, especially the first few

days, and Chief Beltran said they

would do their best to keep traffic

moving. He asked that everyone use

patience if caught up in the traffic.

Some help may come from the lighted

signs on I-94 that will indicate when

the casino is at capacity.

The Commission voiced concern over

cars parking along Red Arrow

Highway and drivers walking into the

casino, but Chief Beltran said the casi-

no would not let walk-ins enter. You

have to enter and park to have access

to the casino. The main concern is the

traffic back-ups that may occur.

Storm clean up and brush removal

Superintendent of Public Works, Dan

Staunton reported to the Commis-

sioners that he has completed the

removal of brush from the storms,

with the exception of one pile that will

be taken care of this week. He said the

problem now is that people are cutting

up trees or having trees cut up and put-

ting it out for the City to take care of.

He even caught someone coming from

the Township and dumping brush in

town to be cleaned up.

Normally the only time the City picks

up brush for free is twice a year, once

in the spring and once in the fall.

Otherwise there is a $25.00 charge.

After a big storm the City picks it up

free as a courtesy.

City Clerk RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht

said if you are cleaning up and want to

take a load of brush to the wastewater

treatment plant it costs $2.00 per load

or $10.00 for a season pass. Trees are

not taken and the specification for

brush is that it must be less than 6’ in

length and less than 4” in diameter. If

you are having a tree removed by a

tree service, it is their responsibility to

remove the tree from your property.

Other business

Resident Jeff Fuller again asked the

Commission for an update on his peti-

tions.

Clerk Rodney-Isbrecht again told him

that it was in the Governor’s office

and they were waiting for a decision

to be made.

Fuller asked if the Council did not

understand that what they were doing

was inappropriate. He said he had

given then a copy of the law the last

two meetings, showing them that they

were going about it wrong.

Mayor Johnson said they were going

by their Attorney’s decision. (City

Attorney is Harold Schuitmaker)

Fuller said in his opinion the Attorney

was in the least misguiding the

Commission and at the worst collud-

ing with them to deny people their

rights.

Commissioner Terry Tibbs asked

Fuller if he was a lawyer.

Fuller said you know the answer to

that.

Commissioner Tibbs said, “No sir, I

do not, I do not know you. I’m asking

you if you are a lawyer. Are you?”

Again Fuller refused to answer. He

directed the Commissioners to have

Manager Yemi Akinwale fire their n

get another, or at least get another’s

opinion, because they were wrong.

Commissioner John Miller asked if

he had gotten a lawyers opinion on the

law, or it was just his opinion.

Fuller said, “You are trying to trick

me and dismiss me!” He said the law

is very easy to understand.

Commissioner Miller said he had

read the law and his opinion was dif-

ferent from that of Fullers opinion.

Mayor Johnson told Fuller he had

exhausted his time and they needed to

move on. He said the Commission

would take the advice of their attorney

on the matter.

New

King & Queen for

Berrien County

Youth FairThe new king and queen will have a

busy week serving as public relations

representatives of the fair, handing out

ribbons and trophies, and attending

ceremonies and concerts throughout

the week, in addition to showing their

exhibits.Ms. DelMuro is an 18-year old senior

at Niles high school who participates

in science olympiad, church youth

group and volunteering at BCYF. She

has been an exhibitor at the fair since

2006, and shows equine and still

exhibits. She plans to attend Lake

Michigan College and study early

childhood education. She is the

daughter of Dave and Deanna

DelMuro.

Mr. Gonder is an 18-year old senior at

Buchanan High School who partici-

pates in mission trips, soccer, year-

book and community service. He

plans to either get a job at Cook

Nuclear Plant as a construction work-

er or attend Northwestern Ohio

University. Jay has been a Berrien

County Youth Fair exhibitor since

2000 and shows Poultry and Rabbits.

He is the son of Bob and Julie Gonder.

The 66th annual Berrien County

Youth Fair kicked off Monday, August

15 and ends Saturday, August 20 with

the theme “Proud of the Past, Poised

for the Future.”


CANDIDATESconintued from Page 1

position, and incumbent Martha

Darling who lives at 247 S. Church

Street, and is running for the two year

Clerk position.

Keeler Township

nominating petition

deadline is August 19Due to the recall of three officers of

the Keeler Township Board, the

Supervisor and two Trustees Seats

will be on the November ballot if

there are people that are interested in

them. To get your name on the ballot

you can do it in one of two ways. If

you file a qualifying petition with the

Van Buren County Clerk you do not

need to claim party affiliation.

The other way is to contact the

Chairman of the Democratic Party or

the Chairman of the Republican Party,

your choice, and express your interest

in having them put your name on the

ballot. The issue is complex and if

you need more information or help on

how to do apply contact the County

Clerk at 269-657-8218.

The filing date for the qualifying peti-

tion or paper work from the party of

your choice is August 19, 4:00 p.m. at

the Van Buren County Clerk’s office.

As of August 17, one person has sub-

mitted a qualifying petition for the

position of Supervisor. That person is

Joseph True who lives at 91495

Pitcher Drive, Benton Harbor.

BERRIEN COUNTY YOUTH FAIR...Dana DelMuro of Niles and Jay

Gonder of Buchanan will represent the Berrien County Youth Fair as the

Queen and King at this week’s fair. The new royalty were chosen Sunday,

August 14 during a contest in the Grandstand at the fair. First runner-up

to the queen is Rebecca Castner, of Niles. The fair, in Berrien Springs,

closes Saturday night. (contribued photo)

Hartford Mayor back to business; City gearing up for

increased traffic when Four Winds Hartford casino opens

Mayor Ted Johnson

By Don Carney, Coloma

The Watervliet Airport was host to

some very talented and interesting vis-

itors last week. A helicopter power

line maintenance/repair crew from

Haverfield Aviation Corp. of

Gettysburg, PA based their aircraft

there when not flying. The crew gave

an hour-long presentation on their

work to the Experimental Aircraft

Assoc. Chapter 585. The presentation

was as fascinating as the additional

hour of questions and answers that

followed.

The Haverfield crew is literally from

all parts of the country. The pilot is

Kley Lucas from Pontiac, IL, foreman

and lineman Jed Gerbrecht is from

Greenwell Springs, LA, lineman Kris

Shelton is from East Wenatchee, WA

and helicopter mechanic Chris Tynan

is from Somerset KY. The crew works

all over the U.S., Canada and even

Chile and Puerto Rico. Haverfield has

18 helicopters and an extensive

amount of crews.

The crew’s “office” is a Hughes 500D

with a jet turbine engine developing

425 horsepower and burning 30+ gal-

lons of jet-A fuel per hour. It has five

rotor blades instead of a more tradi-

tional two to four blades so that each

blade can be shorter in length. The

shorter blades allow the helicopter to

get closer to the lines and towers to

work on them. The helicopter is also

modified in other ways. Most notable

is the 30-inch wide platform bolted to

the landing skids that extends nearly

six feet on each side of the aircraft.

When working, one side of the plat-

form supports the lineman and the

other side equipment is attached need-

ed for each particular job. The equip-

ment could be a generator to run

power tools, a hydraulic pump to run a

60-ton press (that’s 60-tons of pres-

sure not weight) used to attach fit-

tings, or even a chain saw to cut down

wooden structures. Also, placing the

equipment and lineman on opposite

sides of the helicopter helps balance

the load. The interior of the helicopter

has been “gutted” of all excess weight

including passenger seats, insulation

and flooring. When working on the

lines, all doors and excess weight is

stripped from the helicopter. The heli-

copter has no autopilot. Each task is

up to the skill of the pilot and it can be

45 minutes of absolute concentration

at a stretch. The pilot has to “feel”

each wind gust and is responsible not

only to keep the lineman within inch-

es of his work but for his life.

The lines they were repairing last

week connect the Cook nuclear plant

in Bridgman to the Palisades nuclear

plant in Covert. The lines between the

plants carry 345,000 volts of electrici-

ty! However, the crew has worked on

lines as high as 765,000 volts.

How does all this work? The lineman

sits on the platform and straps himself

in with what amounts to an over the

lap seatbelt before takeoff. The pilot

takes off and then hovers within inch-

es of the power line. As they hover

near the line to be repaired or main-

tained, the lineman extends a wand in

his hand, to the “live” wire and

grounds it to the helicopter. An elec-

tric arc flashes between the two.

While still holding the wand to the

wire, he clips on a secure wire that is

connected to the helicopter. He can

then begin his work. When contact is

either made or broken with the

grounding wire, it will make a large

arc of electricity. If the crew is work-

ing in low light situations, a circle of

light can be seen completely around

the tips of the rotor blades! The

grounding between the wire and the

helicopter equalizes the electrical

potential between them and every-

thing else, including the lineman and

the pilot. That means they have

345,000 volts! When there are sever-

al lines close together and the helicop-

ter can’t get inside of the lines the

lineman must unhook his safety belt

and climb over the wires to get to the

one he has to work on.

While watching the crew from two

hundred feet Thursday morning south

of Covert, EAA member Grant Griffin

remarked: “I have seen and met some

of the best pilots in the world. But I

have never witnessed anything near

the level of skill and concentration it

takes to do that! That’s scary good fly-

ing.”

You might think that these profession-

als, as good as they are, would tend to

have something of a “Top Gun Fighter

Ace” attitude, nothing could be farther

from the truth! These gentlemen are

some of the best in their field yet they

would fit right in with the crowd at a

little league game or neighborhood

picnic. They do a very dangerous job

that not many people even know

about. They also have a pretty good

sense of humor. When asked about his

favorite work story, Jed Gerbrecht

thought for a moment and said: “That

would have to be about the lady who

was watching us work one day and

called 911. She told the 911 operator

that there was a helicopter caught in

the big power lines near her home and

the pilot had crawled out of the heli-

copter and onto the lines to try and

untangle it!”

If you’re wondering, insurance com-

panies don’t even want to talk to

them!


Helicopter power line repair crew at Watervliet Airport

HIGH POWERED... repairs on a 345,000 volts power line was performed

last week by a crew that went to work dangling from a helicopter. The

crew gave a briefing on the dangerous work to the EAA chapter based at

the Watervliet Municipal Airport. (contributed photo)

Gospel and Bluegrass music

Sunday at St. Paul’s UCCAre you a fan of Gospel and Bluegrass Music? If so, you are invited to join

the congregation of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, at the corner of Hill and

Bainbridge Center roads, this Sunday, August 21, at 10:30 a.m. Special guests

at this worship service will be the Hamilton-Glynn Family Band, which

will offer a ministry of music and Christian testimony. The service will include

a sing-a-long of old favorite hymns.

St. Paul’s UCC, which has offered worship, Sunday School, and fellowship

activities to area families for 160 years, is delighted to offer this special wor-

ship service to the community. The congregation welcomes everyone - “no

matter where you are on your faith journey,” and looks forward to getting to

know you. For more information, call Pastor Miryam at 269-605-9912, or

leave a message at the church, 269-468-5379.

Annual Peach FestivalTwelve Corners Community Church of 3902 Hick Ave. Benton Harbor will

host the Tenth Annual Peach Festival on Sunday, August 21, at 5:00 p.m.

There will be Southern Gospel Music, featured by ‘Bought and Paid For’ from

Battle Creek and ‘Don “Wands” Magic Show’ by Donald Shuemake from

Stevensville.

Coloma Schools trying

to build characterBy Annette Christie

At their Monday night meeting, August 8, the Coloma School Board approved

the districts’ participation in a new model for academic and character develop-

ment.

The program entitled, “Learning for Life”, features grade-appropriate, theme

oriented lesson plans to be used in the classroom to enhance and support the

core curriculum. The program offers a recognition plan that is to help motivate

them. The board approved implementing the program for the 2011-2012 school

year at the Coloma Elementary School.

The board also approved a medical leave for one year for teacher, Heather

Vanderboegh. This in essence started a chain of re-assignment, allowing for

Kevin Oles to be re-called from an earlier layoff. Oles is a middle school sci-

ence teacher.

The board also approved a contract with Charles Luchies who will serve as the

high school welding class instructor. In addition, the following coaching con-

tracts were also approved: Jack Goodrick, Asst. Varsity Baseball Coach; Joe

Stephens, Junior Varsity Baseball Coach; Marilyn Paulsen, 7th grade volley-

ball coach; and John Baumgartner, 8th grade boys basketball coach.

Also approved were the bills in the amount of $238,458.99.

Last concert of the year is August 25

at Hartford’s Ely ParkThe 2011 Concerts in the Park, will end their season with two Concerts at 7:00

p.m. on Thursday August 18 and Thursday August 25.

To replace a group that dropped out of our schedule, on Thursday August 18,

the Country Band, “24th Avenue Band” will be performing instead. The band

includes co-founders, Allen Pullins and Paul Valentine, John and Roger

Valentine, and drummer Charles Fritsche. The 24th Avenue Band is from the

Bangor area.

Our last concert of the year will be our end-of-the-summer party. Our party

band will be “5:00 Somewhere”. “5:00 Somewhere” is a five-piece band who

is extremely versatile and lots of fun! They are from the Marshall, Michigan

area and have provided entertainment throughout Michigan and Northern

Indiana. They specialize in Jimmy Buffett and beach music, but also have lots

of fun with oldies and 80’s hits. Many former students may recognize two band

members Tony and Missy Shapow, since Tony is a former music instructor at

Hartford.

Free prediabetes class offeredLakeland HealthCare is offering a free program designed to help anyone with

higher-than-normal blood sugar levels that are at risk for developing type 2

diabetes. This program does not require a physician referral and helps area res-

ident’s change their lifestyles to delay – or avoid – the onset of diabetes.

The class will be held on Monday, August 29, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., at

the Benton Harbor Public Library, 213 E. Wall Street.

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is the biggest pub-

lic health crisis of the twenty-first century. Nearly 26 million children and

adults in the United States have diabetes, including 7 million people who have

not yet been diagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention. In 2010, about 1.9 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed

in adult’s age 20 or older. In addition, another 79 million adults are estimated

to have pre-diabetes, a condition that increases the risk for diabetes. Early diag-

nosis of the disease is critical to successful treatment in order to delay or pre-

vent complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney disease.

Pre-registration for this free prediabetes class is required. For more informa-

tion or to register, call (269) 556-2868.

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