Community Calendar

Saturday, Aug. 31, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. “YARD SALE” hosted by American Legion Auxiliary at Coloma American Legion Post #362, corner of Red Arrow Hwy & Sassafras St. in Coloma. Sept. 5-8 “ANTIQUE ENGINE & TRACTOR SHOW” at Michigan Flywheelers Museum, 06285 68th Street, South Haven. Cost is $7; children 12 and under are free with paid admission. Watch for more information on www.michiganflywheelers.org or Facebook. Friday, Sept. 6, 5-6 p.m. “SOUP & SALAD SUPPER” at North Berrien Senior Center, 6648 Ryno Rd., Coloma; menu includes soup, salad, bread, dessert and beverage; public is invited. Cost for adults is $5; $3 for children up to 12 years of age; and free for children under three. Proceeds go to the H.O.P.E. Resources Food Pantry. Hosted by First Congregational UCC – Coloma. Saturday, Sept. 7 “FALL INTO AUTUMN FESTIVAL” at Sarett Nature Center, 2300 Benton Center Rd., Benton Harbor. Family friendly events all day including nature hikes, wagon rides, crafts, music from Campfire Stu, face painting and more throughout the day! Check out www.Sarett.com for more details. Sunday, Sept. 8, 9:30 a.m. “CONSIGNMENT AUCTION” fundraiser at Michigan Flywheelers Museum during Antique Engine & Tractor Show. For auction information, contact Mike at 269-369-9500. Saturday, Sept. 14, 5 p.m. “END OF SUMMER DINNER” at Twelve Corners Community Church, 3902 Hicks Ave., Benton Harbor. Fundraiser event includes complete dinner (suggested price $8/plate) and a raffle. Proceeds go to building fund. Saturday, Sept. 14, 5-7 p.m. “SWISS STEAK DINNER” hosted by Lakeland Hospital, Watervliet Auxiliary at North Berrien Senior Center, 6648 Ryno Rd, Coloma. Tickets: $10/adults, $5/children under 7; available from Park Bench Gift Shop in the Hospital, N.B. Senior Center or from any of the Auxiliary volunteers. Sunday, Sept. 15, 9:45 a.m. “OLD TIME HYMN SING” at Coloma United Methodist Church, 144 S. Church St. Public is invited. Saturday, Sept. 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. “FESTIVAL OF FAMILIES” hosted by Berrien RESA at the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds, Berrien Springs. Saturday, Sept. 21, 1-4 p.m. “175 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OPEN HOUSE” at Coloma United Methodist Church, 144 S. Church St. Public is invited; event includes food, history, games, music and time capsule burial. Saturday, Sept. 21, 5-8 p.m. “BBQ FUNDRAISER” at Coloma Rod & Gun Club, 6145 Angling Rd. Tickets are $15 and must be purchased in advance at the club’s Glad-Peach Festival booth, at the clubhouse or by phone to 944-6464. Kids 5 and under are free. Proceeds go to playground fund. Kids games, marshmallows and bonfire at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, 9:45 a.m. “COVENANT RENEWAL SERVICE” at Coloma United Methodist Church, 144 S. Church St. Saturday, Oct. 26 “HALLOWEEN IN THE PARK” Community Halloween celebration in Randall Park in downtown Coloma

Senior Services

Hartford United Methodist Church, 425 E. Main St. OPEN: Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 4 Coffee and Conversation, 10:00–11:30 a.m.; LUNCH served at 12:30 p.m.; Bingo – Cards/ Euchre/ Dominoes – Knitting/ Crochet/ Quilt Group, 1:30 p.m. Thursday, September 5 Coffee and Conversation, 10:00–11:30 a.m.; Tai Chi, 11:30 a.m.; LUNCH served at 12:30 p.m.; Computer with Emma, 1 p.m.; Quilting/ Knitting/ Crochet – Cards/ Euchre/ Hand & Foot, 1:30 p.m. Friday, September 6 Coffee and Conversation, 10:00-11:30 a.m.; Tai Chi, 11:30 a.m.; LUNCH served at 12:30 p.m.; Bible Study, 1:00 p.m.; Cards/ Euchre/ Dominoes, 1:30 p.m. NOTE: County Wide Picnic – Wednesday, September 11 – All Sites Closed Any questions or comments, please contact Senior Services, Senior City on 76th Street at 269-637-3607 or Senior Services Paw Paw office at 269-655-8000. Rides are available through Van Buren Public Transit with no less than 24-hour advance notice at (269) 427-7921.

Bangor Friends Used Book Sale

Books and volunteers are needed for the annual Used Book Sale at the Bangor Branch Library. Sponsored by the Bangor Friends of the Library, the sale will be held Saturday, Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the city’s Apple Festival. Donations of gently used hard or soft cover books, audio books, and DVD tapes can be dropped off at the library during library hours. Materials need to be clean and in good shape. Please do not donate items with mold, mildew or other damaged conditions. Older media such as VHS tapes, cassette tapes, vinyl records, coloring books, encyclopedia sets and Readers Digest condensed books are not accepted either. Volunteers are needed during the week before the sale to help sort and price books. Help is also needed on the day of the sale. Prices range from 50 cents to $2.00. Proceeds from the sale will be used to support library activities like summer reading club and author visits. For more information, call 427-8810. The library is located on the corner of Division and Monroe streets.

Bones in Balance classes helps individuals with osteoporosis

Lakeland Orthopedic Physical Therapy is now enrolling participants for Bones in Balance, a four-week program designed to teach those diagnosed with osteoporosis and osteopenia how to successfully live with these conditions through self-management. Bones in Balance incorporates education and exercise and is led by specially trained physical therapists. The program includes valuable self-management tips from a pharmacist, registered dietitian, and nurse educator. Classes meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a four-week period at the Center for Outpatient Services, located at 3900 Hollywood Road in St. Joseph. Registration is now open for the next set of classes which will run from September 3 to 26 and be held at 9 to 11:30 a.m. or 5 to 7:30 p.m. Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease that affects over 44 million Americans, and although both men and women can develop the disease, over 80 percent of sufferers are women over the age of 45. Osteoporosis is commonly referred to as “the silent disease,” because bone loss occurs without any visible symptoms at first. Many people don’t realize they have osteoporosis until their bones are so weak that the smallest strain or fall causes a bone to fracture. A physician’s order is required to participate. There is a $25 registration fee to cover the cost of materials; the remaining amount is billable to your insurance. For more information or to register, call 269-556-7150.

66TH CLASS REUNION… Watervliet High School Class of 1953 held a class reunion recently at Millcreek Charlie’s. The ten members attending were (from the left): Back row – Bob Lee, Harold Lottridge, Henry Fisher, Jack Turner, Donna (Hoffman) Yore, Gloria (Wigent) Anderson; Front row – Margaret (Disbrow) Burton, Wilson Frazier, Carol (Yingling) Birmele and Joyce (Krieger) Griffin.

WHS Class of 1953 gathers for 66th Reunion

The senior class of 1953 Watervliet High School held their 66th class reunion at Millcreek Charlie’s in Watervliet on Aug. 10, 2019. Ten members were present, five guys and five girls. Jack Turner and his wife Harriett worked hard to make all the preparations. Class members had to be located and several had passed away since the last reunion. Their addresses had to be found and letters written and addressed. Harriett can be thanked for much of the hard work. Of all those who turned out, Henry Fisher came the farthest, coming all the way from Florida for the reunion.

Public invited to walk Warren Dunes State Park Sept. 14

The public is invited to a free family event on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. Preserve the Dunes and Chikaming Open Lands are hosting a guided tour of the beautiful scenery and wildlife at Warren Dunes State Park. The featured speaker is Ryan Postema, Executive Director of Chikaming Open Lands. “This is your chance to experience the park with an expert who will be able to tell you why the area is unique and show you the rare plants and wildlife found there,” says Marcy Hamilton, president of Preserve the Dunes.

Postema will lead tour participants on a hike through this unique property. After the hike and tour, Preserve the Dunes will be giving away a framed print of a dune landscape by local artist, Randall Higdon. For the tour, meet at the parking lot on Floral Lane west of Red Arrow Highway (north of the main park entrance). Be prepared – this dune hike will include walking up a sand dune. Dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes and bring bug spray and drinking water. This event is rain or shine. For questions, you can contact Marcy Hamilton at 269-925-1137 x1525.

This is a family-friendly event, so everyone can experience the amazing dune landscape and the wildlife it contains. So bring the whole family along! Preserve the Dunes encourages everyone to bring any and all family members – everyone can learn a little about the dunes’ ecosystem and share/create some memories. This tour will guide you through dune ecosystems and you will learn about unique plants and animals as well as the threats of invasive species. “Michigan’s coastal sand dunes are truly a world-class natural asset,” says Marcy Hamilton, president of Preserve the Dunes.

Michigan has the largest collection of freshwater sand dunes in the world. The coastal dunes support more unique species of plants, insects and animals than any other ecosystem in the Great Lakes Basin. Citizens of Van Buren and Berrien counties formed Preserve the Dunes (PTD) in 1997 and now the non-profit has 1,300 members. PTD focuses on increasing awareness about how unique and special the dune ecosystems are. Along with offering public dune walks, PTD funds a dune education class for children at Sarett Nature Center. PTD has also recently donated money towards a dune restoration and education project in Van Buren County and to the purchase of Cherry Beach in Chikaming Township. For more about Preserve the Dune’s efforts, visit www.sosdunes.com. Preserve the Dunes will be the beneficiary of Community Night at The Livery in the Benton Harbor Arts District on Thursday, Aug. 29 from 5-8 p.m. Visit www.facebook.com/events/ 504291086973523/.

Chikaming Open Lands is the local land conservancy dedicated to preserving the open spaces and natural rural character of southwest Berrien County. COL works to protect and restore native plant and animal habitat, improve water quality, and permanently preserve ecologically significant forests, prairies and wetlands, as well as prime farmland and other open spaces in this area. COL serves nine townships in southwest Berrien County, and has been instrumental in preserving 1,755 acres of open space since its founding in 1999. Visit www.chikamingopenlands.org.

Learn to live well with heart failure

Spectrum Health Lakeland will offer “Living Well with Heart Failure,” a free class for community members about congestive heart failure (CHF), a chronic condition characterized by the heart’s inability to meet the blood flow needs of the body. The program will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 3, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Center for Outpatient Services, located at 3900 Hollywood Road in St. Joseph. Participants will learn to identify common causes and symptoms of heart failure, as well as new daily routines that can dramatically improve one’s quality of life. Preregistration for the class is required; call 269-556-2808 or 866-260-7544.