THESE “KUTE KIDS” are… the grown-up children of Joan Duday of Hartford, formerly of Watervliet, and the late Walt Duday. Pictured (from the left) are: Ed, Mary, Anna, Steven and Sandy. Share a photo of your “Kute Kids” with your friends, neighbors, and rela-tives 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 would 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 or email it with your information to record@tricityrecord.com. Pick up your photo after it appears in the paper or include a stamped, self-addressed envelope and we will mail it back to you.               Where are your “Kute Kids”?

Watervliet Public Schools

Calendar of Events

Thursday, April 13

HS Juniors State Testing; 8th grade Social Studies M-STEP Testing; Varsity Baseball and Softball at Coloma (DH), 4:30 p.m.; JV Baseball and Softball Home vs. Coloma (DH), 4:30 p.m.; MS Track Home, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 14

NO SCHOOL (Good Friday)

HS Track at Marcellus, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 15

Varsity Softball at Dowagiac Tournament, 9:00 a.m.; 9th & 10th Track at Hartford Invitational, 10:00 a.m.; JV Baseball at Vicksburg Tournament, TBA

Monday, April 17

JV Baseball & Softball at Fennville (DH), 4:30 p.m.; Varsity Baseball & Softball Home vs. Fennville (DH), 4:30 p.m.; MS Track at Gobles, 4:30 p.m.; Soccer at Kalamazoo Christian, 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18

Jazz Festival at South Haven High School; Golf at Saugatuck – Ravines, 4:00 p.m.; National Honor Society Induction, HS Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 19

2 Hour Early Dismissal

JV Softball, Home vs. Bangor, 4:30 p.m.; Track SAC Tri-Meet at Home, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 20

JV Baseball Home vs. Saugatuck, 4:30 p.m.; JV Softball Home vs. Marcellus, 4:30 p.m.; Varsity Baseball & Softball at Saugatuck, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 21

MS Dance, 3:00-5:00 p.m.; Golf Home – Paw Paw Lake, 3:30 p.m.; Soccer at Berrien Springs, 4:30 p.m.; HS Track at Edwardsburg Relays, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 22

7th & 8th Band Solo & Ensemble at SMC; Softball at Buchanan High School, 10:00 a.m.

Lake Michigan College students to host mystery dinner theatre and auction

 Lake Michigan College Hospitality and Culinary Management students will host Treasure in the Trunk, a mystery dinner theatre experience and silent auction on Friday, April 28 at the Mendel Center.

Students will prepare and serve a five-course, locally sourced dinner. The interactive mystery production will be performed by the TORP Comedy Troupe and LMC drama students. The silent auction will include hotel packages, restaurant gift certificates and personalized chef dinners.

This is the fourth year for the student-organized event, which has sold out every year. Proceeds support the Hospitality and Culinary Management Student Club.

The 2017 dinner also celebrates 40 years of hospitality education at LMC.

“I’m so proud of our students and their enthusiastic involvement in the planning and execution of this event. I always hear great comments from our guests,” said instructor Chris Woodruff.

Doors for the silent auction and bar open at 5:30 p.m. Appetizers and First Clue begin at 6:00 p.m. Tickets cost $40 per individual, $75 for two guests or $350 for a table of 10.

Visit www.themendelcenter.com/treasure-in-the-trunk to purchase tickets or make a donation online. Call (269) 927-1221 for more information.

The Lake Michigan College Mendel Center is located at 2755 E. Napier Avenue in Benton Harbor.

Lakeland leadership program graduates third cohort

 “Leading Toward the Future,” a leadership development program at Lakeland Health, recently graduated its third cohort of team members. The ongoing program is presented by Lakeland University, a corporate university within Lakeland Health that develops and delivers educational programs for growing clinical, management, and leadership capabilities. To date a total of 51 team members and 13 physicians have completed the program.

For the past year and a half, 18 Lakeland team members dedicated over 1,000 hours to complete the intensive, in-depth program which develops leadership skills and characteristics, such as collaboration, emotional intelligence, crucial conversations, and resilience to change, among others.  Participants included leaders with years of experience, new leaders, and team members with aspirations to become leaders in the future.

Within Leading Toward the Future, participants completed a 360-survey process, met with members of Lakeland’s Senior Leadership Team, experienced hands-on simulations, and attended Lead USA, where they heard presentations from esteemed leaders across the country.  Participants also identified an Action Learning Project, and made presentations about their project at the final class. In order to complete the program, graduates will teach segments of leadership classes to the program’s next cohort.

“Each graduate team member from this cohort of the program has grown and changed through the last 18 months and each one has accomplished so much in this short time,” said Sandi Plank, Chief Learning Officer and Executive Director of Lakeland University. “I was impressed with the depth and breadth of their final presentations and how each project was strategically focused to help Lakeland to positively transform the healthcare and the health choices of those we serve and employ. I predict great things from each of them as they journey with Lakeland into the future of health care.”

“This cohort is an amazing group as a whole, but individually, each person has a remarkable story of growth, both professionally and personally, throughout the program,” said Gwen Day, Manager, Organization Development, Lakeland University. “It has impacted the way they think about their work, their impact, how their team functions, and Lakeland as whole.  I am so proud of what each of them has accomplished.”

6th annual Upton Middle School salmon release

Upton Middle School 8th-graders will release their classroom’s hand-raised Chinook salmon between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25 and Thursday, April 27 at Flaherty Park in Watervliet.

Parents and community members are invited to join in the fun!   Watch the students as they release their smolts into Mill Creek which feeds into the Paw Paw River.  The students also rotate in small groups through six learning stations where they evaluate stream flow; identify algae from the stream; identify bugs and other “stuff” in the stream; assess overall water quality in the stream, and they will evaluate land use around the stream and its impact on stream health.   There is also a “casting” station where students can prepare for fishing season!

Salmon in the Classroom is a year-long natural resources education program in which teachers receive fertilized salmon eggs from a DNR fish hatchery in the fall; hatch them out; feed and raise the fry through spring, and then release the young salmon (smolts) into a local river.

“Salmon in the Classroom teaches students about everything – from the life history of fish to the importance of the Great Lakes and fishing to Michigan’s traditions and way of life,” said Natalie Elkins, a DNR education specialist who oversees the program for the department.

Thank you to the Southwest Michigan Steelheaders Association and PhycoTech, Inc. who help to make this program possible.  Also to the City of Watervliet for allowing us access to Flaherty Park.  For more information, please contact info@phycotech.com or call 269-983-3654.

Friday, Apr, 14, 9:30 a.m. “GOOD FRIDAY BREAKFAST” at Hartford United Methodist Church, 425 E. Main Street. All women are invited to attend this free event.

Friday, Apr. 14, 5:30-8:00 p.m. “LENTEN FISH FRY” at Coloma American Legion Post 362, 351 E. St. Joseph Street, Coloma. Fish dinner $8/all you can eat $10/children 4-12 $4/under age 3, free. Take-out available, call 269-468-5501.

Saturday, Apr. 15, 11 a.m. “EASTER EGG HUNT” by the Coloma Lions Club at the FOP Sports Park in Coloma. Baskets are allowed only for kids one to three years of age. The Easter Bunny will be making an appearance at the FOP Pancake Breakfast that runs from 8 to 10 a.m.

Saturday, Apr. 15, 11 a.m. “EASTER EGG HUNT” by the Watervliet Lions Club at Hays Park in Watervliet for all children 10 and under. No baskets allowed for children over 4. Call Linda Kabel at 463-4746 for more information.

Sunday, Apr. 16, 10 a.m. “EASTER EGG HUNT” at Coloma Upper Elementary held by Freshwater Community Church following an 8:00 a.m. sunrise service.

Monday, Apr. 17, 6:00 p.m. “WATERVLIET INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION” planning meeting at the Watervliet Fire Department. Everyone interested in helping should attend this meeting.

Tuesday, Apr. 18, 7:00 p.m. “SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN IN VIETMAN” hosted by the North Berrien Historical Museum, 300 Coloma Avenue. No RSVP is required for this free program. For questions, contact the museum at (269) 468-3330 or at kristen@northberrienhistory.org.

Thursday, Apr. 20, 5-7 p.m. “MEET THE CITY MANAGER” Open House at Hawgsville.

Saturday, Apr. 22, 2:00 p.m. “WILDFLOWER WALK” at Sarett Nature Center, 2300 Benton Center Road. Cost is $3/person.

Saturday, Apr. 22, 8:30 p.m. “AMERICAN WOODCOCK WALK” at Sarett Nature Center, 2300 Benton Center Road. Cost is $3/person.

Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. or Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. “STORY HOUR” at Watervliet District Library for children 3-5 years old. Sign up required, call 269-463-6382 for information.

Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. “TINY TOTS LEGO STORY TIME” at Hartford Public Library for children 5 and younger; every week during the school year. Call 269-621-3408 for information.

Thursdays, 6 – 10 p.m. “Trap shooting” at the Coloma Rod & Gun Club.

Second Thursday of each month, 3 – 5 p.m. “BERRIEN COUNTY PARKINSON SUPPORT GROUP” at Lakeland Healthcare Frederick S. Upton Education Center rooms 5 & 6, 1234 Napier Ave. For info, contact Michigan Parkinson Foundation at 800-852-9781 or bcpdsupport@aol.com.

Third Monday of each month, 3 – 6 p.m. “FOOD BANK” at Central Assembly of God, 6801 Ryno Rd., Coloma, 269-468-8422.