03-21-2019 Letters and Commentary

TEMPUS FUGET… Time marches on and waits for no one. The first day of spring is history, the last pile of February snow has melted into a puddle and the daffodils and crocuses are fixing to blossom in all their spring glory. Of course, “the no free lunch” axiom applies to spring as well. As much as we don’t lament the passing of winter, there is still plenty of debris on the ground to fill a couple weekends worth of trash and limbs. Also, the telltale tunnels of gophers and moles appeared faster than a mushroom in a barnyard. Sending those denizens of a healthy lawn to their reward is a challenge in itself.

RIP AL… Former Watervliet City Mayor Al Steffens passed away recently. His obituary is in this week’s TCR, see Page 6. Al had already left office when I came to town in 1984, but he was still active in his home town, sitting on several boards and teaching school at Hartford. That doesn’t mean it took some time for me to get to know him. Al didn’t enter a room; he swept in, his toothy grin adding to any occasion. When he and Audrey moved to Texas, some of that light left with him. He was a consummate watchdog citizen, not accepting any “BS” from anyone. I’m sure they never made a special trip to Michigan to pay their subscription but it was a coincidence that they paid their sub, in person, each year. When they came into our office, they filled the room with questions about the local issues they had read in the Record and liberally distributing advice at the same time. They had moved back to Michigan the past few years, and I saw them both a couple years ago. Sadly, Audrey preceded him to heaven. Happily, I think, they are together again.

Drumming fundraiser for Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month Dear Editor, My cardio drumming club is having a fundraiser for “Traumatic Brain Injury Month”. Please promote this in the Tri-City Record, so that we can have an awesome fundraiser with a large turnout. We are having a “Cardio Drumming Event” on Saturday, March 23 from 9 to 11 a.m.; this will coincide with Brain Injury Awareness month. The event will be in the Alwood Gym at Coloma Intermediate Building, 274 South West Street. The cost is $25 for two hours of cardio drumming. Participants can drum for one hour or two hours for the same fee (includes a Tea or a T-bomb). We will be having a drawing with door prizes that include t-shirts, drumstick bags, and Herbalife items. One ticket per registration, extra tickets available to purchase. This fundraising event is open to the public. Donations will be accepted and can be made out to “Mary Free Bed”. Our donation will go toward the purchase of a special need bike for a child with traumatic brain injury. Searching Facebook for “Drumathon Brain Injury Awareness” will also result in finding the information on the fundraiser. Thank you in advance for your support in this fundraiser and giving the community the information to support our cause. Thanks again, Diana D. Parrigin

Many thanks for a spectacular St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in Coloma Dear Editor, Thank you to all that participated in the St. Patrick’s Day Evening Lighted Parade held on Saturday, March 16 in downtown Coloma and all the other fun activities during the day. It was a jam packed weekend with something for everyone. The weather was clear and cold for the 40 entries that paraded through the downtown and the large crowd that came out to watch. Prizes were awarded in categories of Float, Costumed Individual, Marching Unit, Municipal and Decorated Vehicle in adult and youth, as well as an “Over All” winner. We distributed $1,200 in “gold” coins between all the winners, as well as generous gift certificates donated by area merchants. The deserving winner of our window display contest this year was Four Seasons Spa and Pool Services and they received $150.00 of advertising courtesy of the Tri-City Record. The 4th Annual St. Pat Run/Walk held that morning was a success and we appreciate the LEO and Lion’s Club and their hard work in organizing the event. The proceeds go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and The LEO Club. Thank you to the Coloma Public Library as they held their popular Book Sale. The North Berrien Historical Museum had a fun Irish Scavenger Hunt for the kids and served delicious refreshments and treats. Thank you to the Coloma United Methodist Church for hosting their delicious Irish Stew Dinner. A big thank you to Sieg Freitag of Custom Truck and Tractor and his dedicated crew as they created a beautifully crafted judges station to keep our judges warm! Each year none of the activities could be done without the support of the merchants and businesses in the community and the help of volunteers. Thank you to the following: American Homes Real Estate Mikki Swisher, Blackbird Waterhouse Restaurant & Event Center, Centsible Heating and Air, Chemical Bank, Coloma City, Coloma Lionesses Club, Coloma Lions Club, Coloma Public Works, Coloma Charter Township, Coloma Township Police Department, Coloma Watervliet Area Chamber of Commerce, DiMaggio’s Pizza, Don Young Insurance, Easy Street, Edgewater Bank, Edward Jones Brian W. Smith, Four Season’s Spa and Pool, Friendly Tavern, Getz Dentistry, Grapevine Nursery, H&R Block, Honor Credit Union, Karla Smothers State Farm Insurance, Lifestyle Chiropractic, Linda and Sieg Freitag, Lisa Streu, Marsha Hammond, North Berrien Community Development, Orchard Hill Landfill, R&B Stelter Farms LLC, Vincent J. Jewelers, St. Pat Committee members: Fire Chief Mattix, Ross Streu, Sandy Kraemer, Kandyce Hays, Susie Moser and Tony Bertuca. A special thank you to North Berrien Fire Rescue, for hosting the parade registration line-up and awards ceremony, and the Ladies Auxiliary for coordinating refreshments after the parade and to our wonderful Leprechaun Skylor who gave out candy during the scavenger hunt and the parade! Thank you to the volunteers that judged the parade and window decorating contest. If you would like to be a part of the committee next year please contact the Coloma Watervliet Area Chamber of Commerce office at 468-4430 for more information. We look forward to the 2020 parade on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Sincerely, Chana Kniebes Coloma St. Patrick’s Day Committee

Best scavenger hunt ever Dear Editor, I am happy to announce that the third annual St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt at the North Berrien Historical Museum was a success. On Saturday, March 16, we had a total of 44 visitors stop by the Museum to find the hidden pot of gold. They accomplished this by following clues pertaining to Irish-American history. Over half the guests received temporary St. Patrick’s Day tattoos from the event’s newest feature, Paddy’s Tattoo Parlour. One guest was overhead saying, “This is the best scavenger hunt ever!” The North Berrien Historical Museum would like to thank the Coloma Watervliet Area Chamber of Commerce for including us in their St. Patrick’s Day festivities as well as all of the community members who volunteer their time to make wonderful local events such as this a reality. Gratefully, Peter Cook Director of Programs and Outreach

Spectrum Health Lakeland notifies patients about data security issue Spectrum Health Lakeland is in the process of notifying approximately 60,000 patients about a data security issue involving a vendor. Wolverine Services Group (WSG), a mailing company contracted by Spectrum Health Lakeland, experienced a cyberattack. WSG engaged a third-party security expert to investigate and return its information systems to normal after a ransomware attack encrypted data. The expert found no evidence that patient information was removed from WSG’s system or that any patient information has been misused as a result of the attack. It also could not confirm that information had not been removed so the incident has been reported to regulators as a data breach. Spectrum Health has been working with its own technology experts since it was notified of the problem on Dec. 17, 2018. Because WSG sends billing statements to patients, the information in question includes patient name and address, type of health service(s) provided, date(s) of those services, health insurance provider and amount(s) due on the patient account. WSG believes Social Security numbers may also have been involved. WSG has arranged for free credit monitoring and financial investigative services through AllClear ID services for affected patients for 12 months and is recommending they regularly review account statements and obtain a free credit report. Spectrum Health regrets any concern this incident may cause the affected patients and their families and is working closely with WSG to prevent this from happening again. Patients will receive a letter in the next seven to 10 days if their information was possibly affected. For questions regarding this issue, the public may contact AllClear ID services at 877-412-7144 or visit www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/datasecurity.

BC Youth Fair announces grandstand line-up Youth Fair officials have announced the 2019 Berrien County Youth Fair lineup of entertainment acts for Berrien County’s premier summer youth showcase! The BCYF entertainment committee is excited to bring the award winning country group, The Eli Young Band, on Wednesday, Aug. 14 with special guest performer Paul Erdman. Demolition fans will be pleased when two nights of destruction come to town, an all truck derby on Thursday the 15th and an all car derby on Friday the 16th. Time honored favorite, the Tractor Pull, will return on Monday, Aug. 12, but with a new twist! This year, the pull will be a NTPA regional event featuring super farm, mini rods, and hot farm classes. The ever popular Circus Continental will return on Tuesday, Aug. 13 and Bullmania on August 17. Tickets for grandstand shows go on sale Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. at the Fair office, online at www.bcyf.org or by phone at 269-473-1500 (ticket fees do not include gate admission). The Berrien County Youth Fair is celebrating their 74th year in existence with the theme of “Country Nights, Carnival Lights” from August 12-17, 2019.

Purdue Club of SW Michigan hosts Provost Jay Akridge for spring meeting The Purdue Club of SW Michigan will hold its spring meeting on Thursday, April 18 at Timothy’s Restaurant, 16409 Red Arrow Highway, New Buffalo. The guest speaker is Purdue Provost Dr. Jay Akridge. Dr. Akridge is provost and executive vice president of academic affairs and diversity, with a faculty appointment as professor of agricultural economics. The dinner meeting will begin at 5:30 with a cash bar followed by recognition of this year’s Purdue Club scholarship recipients, a short business meeting, Dr. Akridge’s remarks and dinner. The cost of the dinner is $20 per person. Reservations can be made through the Club website www.PurdueAlum.org/SWMichigan. Reservation deadline is Monday, April 18.

Faith’s vision There is a chapter in the Bible dubbed the “Faith Chapter”. Hebrews 11 commemorates specific people that had demonstrated faith in their lives. Moses is mentioned in a few contexts there. His parents are also honored in that they, by exercising active faith, preserved Moses’ life when the government said to kill him. They “saw” that Moses was a beautiful baby, and chose to hide him from Pharaoh’s baby police. Their fearing God more than fearing the government power helped facilitate God’s deliverance of the Hebrew nation from slavery and to lead them to the Promised Land (promised to Abraham centuries earlier). In Moses we see that faith is not blind. Faith “sees” what we can’t perceive with our physical eyes. Moses saw the suffering of his people with his physical eyes (Exodus 2:11), but he also saw the distant future when God would provide the ultimate Deliverer. In Hebrews 11:24-27 we find, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.” (NASB) Moses cared. He wanted to deliver the Hebrews, and his destiny pointed in that direction. With further training he would indeed become the one God would use to free His people. Meanwhile, Moses would exercise faith in the God he did not yet “see”. The responsibility of faith is to not ignore human suffering, but also to rest in God’s promises and in His ultimate solution revealed in His Living Word, Jesus Christ. Faith in God is not a “blind faith” it’s a faith that sees more.

Medicare: Rules for those with higher income

If you have higher income, the law requires an upward adjustment to your monthly Medicare Part B (medical insurance) and Medicare prescription drug coverage premiums. But, if your income has gone down, you may use form SSA-44 to request a reduction in your Medicare income-related monthly adjustment amount. Medicare Part B helps pay for your doctors’ services and outpatient care. It also covers other medical services, such as physical and occupational therapy, and some home health care. For most beneficiaries, the government pays a substantial portion — about 75 percent — of the Part B premium, and the beneficiary pays the remaining 25 percent. If you’re a higher-income beneficiary, you’ll pay a larger percentage of the total cost of Medicare Part B, based on the income you report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You’ll pay monthly Part B premiums equal to 35, 50, 65, 80, or 85 percent of the total cost, depending on the income you report to the IRS. Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage helps pay for your prescription drugs. For most beneficiaries, the government pays a major portion of the total costs for this coverage, and the beneficiary pays the rest. Prescription drug plan costs vary depending on the plan, and whether you get Extra Help with your portion of the Medicare prescription drug coverage costs. If you’re a higher-income beneficiary with Medicare prescription drug coverage, you’ll pay monthly premiums plus an additional amount, which is also based on the income you report to the IRS. Because individual plan premiums vary, the law specifies that the amount is determined using a base premium. Social Security ties the additional amount you pay to the base beneficiary premium, not your own premium amount. If you’re a higher-income beneficiary, we deduct this amount from your monthly Social Security payments regardless of how you usually pay your monthly prescription plan premiums. If the amount is greater than your monthly payment from Social Security, or you don’t get monthly payments, you’ll get a separate bill from another federal agency, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or the Railroad Retirement Board. You can find Form SSA-44 online at www.socialsecurity.gov/forms/ssa-44.pdf. You can also read more in the publication “Medicare Premiums: Rules For Higher-Income Beneficiaries” at: www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10536.pdf.