02-08-2018 Ian Haight  former Hagar Twp Clerk, announces candidacy for Michigan Senate, 21st Distric

Ian Haight  former Hagar Twp Clerk, announces candidacy for Michigan Senate, 21st District

The first Democrat announces his candidacy for Michigan’s 21st State Senate district comprising Berrien, Cass, and St. Joseph counties. Ian Haight, a resident of the city of St. Joseph and former Clerk for Hagar Township in Berrien County, is running for the State Senate seat being vacated by John Proos. Proos has represented the 21st District since 2010 and is term limited from running again.

Haight identified the issues that he thinks are central to residents of Southwest Michigan. “Good-paying jobs, access to educational opportunities, and affordable healthcare are the concerns I hear people talk about repeatedly,” said Haight. “Wages have not significantly increased for most people, even while the stock market has been booming. In education, repeated cuts by a Republican controlled state legislature have weakened public education and decreased Michigan’s ability to compete for new business. The ongoing debates about healthcare prove how important access to affordable, quality healthcare is to Americans.” Haight says he is running because he wants to bring a practical and sensible approach to Lansing. “You can’t come in with a lot of preconceived notions. The key is to gather and consider all the available information before reaching a conclusion and to be open-minded about new ideas and approaches.” Haight believes listening to people is the most important thing. “During my years as Hagar Township Clerk, I enjoyed working with constituents, listening to their concerns, and trying to help them in their interactions with local government. I have always thought a good politician listens twice as much as he talks.” Haight was raised in rural Southwest Michigan and is a graduate of Kalamazoo College and Wayne State University. He lives in St. Joseph with his wife and two children and is employed by Berrien RESA as an educational technology specialist. His website can be viewed at ianhaightforsenate.com for more information.

New dryer vent debuts at National Home Builders Show; brainchild of local builder on shelves at Watervliet Hardware

By Annette Christie A brand new invented product made for home builders and the do-it-yourselfer has just finished its first production run, and can now be found in the Watervliet Hardware Store. Dryer Vent Made Easy was invented by Watervliet resident Dale Christie after struggling with the installation of dryer vents for many years. Christie, a residential custom home builder for over 35 years, found the cumbersome and unreliable way that dryer vents hook up, a common frustration and one that left a larger than desired space behind the dryer.

After thinking about a solution for years, in the spring of 2017, Christie attended the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, Nevada with a prototype. The product was included in the new inventor’s spotlight. Based on the amount of positive interest he received, Christie moved forward with mold development and securing a packaging company. The product, which has a patent pending, includes an adapter for the dryer; a front and back plate with the seal for the wall that accepts the adapter on the dryer; and all the necessary hardware. “This connection actually seals better than the standard flex pipe that would usually be used, mostly eliminating the extra space behind it,” Christie said. The packaging provides a template for easy installation and the website includes an installation video as well, www.dryerventmadeeasy.com. Aside from eliminating wasted space and a cumbersome installation, the Dryer Vent Made Easy provides for an easy removal and re-installation of the dryer so that the homeowner can maintain a safer home environment. The Federal Emergency Management Association states that 2,900 clothes dryer fires occur every year in this country. It is recommended that dryer ventilation systems be cleaned annually to keep them free of things that can become an accelerant in a fire. With the ease of removing and re-installing the dryer from the wall, keeping up with safety is hassle-free when using a Dryer Vent Made Easy. Now that production is underway and the item has been debuted at the National Homebuilders Association Show in Orlando, Florida, sales across the country have been steady. As he works at making the product have a presence at the retail market level, Christie turned to his local hardware store to make it available. The Watervliet Hardware Store is the first store in the country that is carrying the product currently. Watervliet Hardware has a large inventory of landscaping materials, tools, plumbing supplies, electrical equipment, paint and supplies, and most everything for the do-it-yourselfer and the contractor. They are very open to special order items as well. The Watervliet Hardware Store, located at 343 N. Main St., Watervliet is open Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Murder mystery to be played out at Watervliet District Library, Feb. 22

The Watervliet District Library is hosting a murder mystery, and is looking for a few brave souls to sign up to participate and solve the crime. “Sour Grapes of Wrath” will be held Thursday, Feb. 22 at the library, from 5:30-8:00 p.m. The library’s community room will be transformed into the fictitious Killingsworth Vineyard Manor where the assembled guests will try to uncover the truth about the demise of Robert Killingsworth, the manor’s recently deceased owner. Six participants will be given specific parts to play (and all of them will be considered suspects). All other attendees will play the role of party guests; everyone will try to solve the mystery. A murder mystery is an interactive experience, where participants dress up to play an assigned role or match a theme. The evening’s setting will be a somewhat elaborate dinner party; all guests should dress accordingly. Participants can expect clues to be revealed throughout the evening, and work together in teams or alone to try to determine “who done it.” Approximately one week before the event invitations will be sent out to everyone who has signed up, providing further details of each individual’s role. Six people will be identified as suspects. The event offers plenty of food and fun for would-be actors and detectives, alike. Preregistration is required; contact the library at 269-463-6382, through Facebook messenger or info@wdlib.org to sign up. “Sour Grapes of Wrath” was written by Michael Akers and is made available for non-commercial use.

Babies born at Lakeland celebrate Heart Month with red knit hats

Volunteers for the American Heart Association and Lakeland Health are celebrating American Heart Month by knitting red hats for all babies born at southwest Michigan area hospitals in February. The Little Hats, Big Hearts project raises awareness of heart disease, the number one killer of Americans, and congenital heart defects (CHD), the most common type of birth defect in the country and the leading killer of infants with birth defects.

Volunteers from across Michigan have knitted nearly 4,000 hats that will be given to all babies born at 23 of the state’s hospitals during the month of February. After the hats arrive, volunteers make sure the hats are washed, sorted and individually packaged with health information for moms and babies, and then sent back out to area hospital birthing units. The Children’s Heart Foundation is a national sponsor of the project. While all babies at participating hospitals are expected to receive a Little Hat, some of those infants have very special hearts. Congenital heart defects are structural problems with the heart present at birth. They result when a mishap occurs during heart development soon after conception and often before the mother is aware that she is pregnant. CHD affects approximately one in every 125 babies every year in the United States alone. Michigan’s Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week will take place from February 7 to 14, during American Heart Month. The American Heart Association is second only to the federal government in funding cardiovascular and stroke research, including congenital heart defects. For those wishing to contribute little red hats for 2019, information is available at www.heart.org/LittleHatsBigHearts. Parents receiving hats are encouraged to post photos at #LittleHatsMI.