11-02-2017 History

GLIMPSES

Watervliet Fire Department in front of City Hall

North Berrien Historical Museum is always interested in photos, stories or information sharing.  The museum can be contacted at 269-468-3330 or by email to info@northberrienhistory.org.

From the photo collection at the North Berrien Historical Museum

300 Coloma Avenue, Coloma

The Paw Paw River Journal

Let’s chow down!

 Yeah, I want to talk about food… institutional food.  We all have times in our lives when we have to deal with food prepared in large quantities.  And I think the cooks involved in that do a marvelous job, in spite of the bad rap they sometimes get.  My experience was in the U.S. Air Force, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always life sustaining. The Chief Accountant has told me she had the same problems with institutional food when she was in nurse’s training.  One time they had a “salad” that was nothing but macaroni with two or three pieces of celery in it!  My best food ever was on a hospital ship coming back to the U.S. from Asia… can you imagine hot biscuits for breakfast?

The only thing to rival that was later in our lives when we visited cousin Dot out in Idaho.  Her mom, Aunt May, was from Texas, so she cooked in that style and passed it on to her daughter.  Dot had pork chops, biscuits and gravy for breakfast!   Such luxury!  Good thing we knew little about cholesterol back then!

One base in my flight training they could have used some good nutritionists.  Evidently the guys were not eating all the food, so they took to putting it on our trays as we passed… one cook dropped a big piece of greasy pork on my tray… I didn’t want it, but I had no choice!  I sat and looked at it, then took my tray to the door where we would bang it on a barrel to get the uneaten food off and into the garbage.  When a sergeant saw me coming along, he pointed a finger at me and said, “All right, soldier, back in there and eat that meat!  We don’t waste food around here!”

I went back in to the farthest point away in a corner.  Then I sat there a few moments, got up and went out another exit where no one was checking trays.  It was so bad that one cadet in my flight, an old man of about 25,  was married and used to his wife’s cooking.  He would often come out from breakfast, toss his cookies, and sit down on the curb until some of us would come along and help him get back to the barracks.

When I was in Burma, on one occasion my friends and I became instant heroes!  We went out deer hunting one night… boy, would that be illegal back here!  The area by this time was reasonably secure, so we weren’t worried that any Japanese would be lurking about.  We shot two deer and brought them back to our cooks.  Their eyes lit up when they saw what we had.  Everyone on our base thereafter enjoyed a delicious fresh venison stew.  In addition, they saved us hunters a venison steak!

We lived in Ann Arbor for 16 years, and I had connections to the University of Michigan.  I taught there while I was working on an advanced degree, and all the time I was in the public school system I trained student teachers for them.  So we got to know a lot of their people.

One friend was a guy named Fred.  He had a very responsible position, and in the course of events he and some of his colleagues were scheduled to attend a conference at Michigan State University in Lansing.  He said if we would give him daughter Becky’s phone number, he would look her up.  She was a student on that campus at the time.

Well, he did.  Fred and a friend had a room together at the Kellogg Center.  So one afternoon, Fred said to his roommate, “Guess I’ll call up and see if I can get a dinner date for tonight!”

The friend said, “Yeah, right!”

They were supposed to go to a meeting with their group.  So he listened while Fred got out his little black book, found Becky’s number, and dialed her.  He said, “Hi, Becky, it’s Fred. How would you like to go out to dinner tonight?”  Of course, Becky was delighted at the thought of a change from dorm food.  She said she would enjoy that!

Fred continued, “Well, get dressed up and pick the best place you can think of.  I’ll buy you the biggest steak you can eat!”  The friend sat there with open mouth while they confirmed the details, and Becky told him she would come over to leave from their place.

Came a knock on their door, and there was Becky… nice dress, dangly earrings and all!  The friend said, “You know, Fred, I’m not really interested in that meeting.  How about if I go to dinner with you guys?”  Could he have been trying to keep Fred out of trouble?

Well, Becky said they had a great time and the steak was delicious!  When Fred’s group got back to the U of M campus the word soon spread!  The friend said, “Boy, that Fred is sure a chick magnet!  In 10 minutes he had a date with one of the college girls for dinner, and I went out with them!”  And thus Fred’s reputation around there was secured for all time!

I can remember one time in Primary Flight Training at Uvalde, Texas, I got tired of mess hall food.  First time we got a day off and went into town, I found a restaurant… I was all by myself. I went in and ordered a huge steak!  And I ate it all!  But they were lonesome days, and I was far from my home in this storybook town along the Paw Paw River!

Hartford Public Library news

 The Hartford Public Library will be hosting a free photo editing class on Monday, Nov. 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. Please call the library at (269)621-3408 to register for this free class. Space is limited.

Watervliet District Library News

Pottawatomie Culture: Past & Present

During the month of November, a display of their culture is on loan from the North Berrien Historical Museum.

Teen Table Projects: November

Dream catchers to make and take all during the month of November. Nothing but pleasant dreams from now on!

Food for Fines Nov. 6 – 18

Pay it forward in November and clear up those overdue fines at the same time! Bring in a non-perishable food item and receive $1 fine forgiveness. All food items will be donated to Feeding America West Michigan.

LEGO Club Nov. 7, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Builders of all ages are invited to attend. There is a wonderful assortment of LEGO bricks to share! No registration required.

In Stitches Nov. 10, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

A monthly knit-together for everyone passionate about their yarn & needles. Limited supplies are available for beginners.

Third Monday Book Club Nov. 20, 7–8 p.m.

Attend for a great book and fabulous conversations. The Nov. book is “Swimming Lessons” by Mary Alice Monroe.

Story Hour: Wed. at 10:30 a.m. & Thur. at 1:30 p.m.

October through April show-and-tell, stories and crafts for children ages 3 – 5 years and their families. Sign up to share this structured literacy program with your preschooler!

Toddler Time Sep. thru Nov., Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Early literacy stories and games, designed to build pre-reading skills for little ones 18 – 36 months. Lots of fun for everyone! No registration is required for this drop-in program.

Yoga

Monday morning, 9 – 10 a.m. and Wednesday evening, 7 – 8 p.m.; Chair Yoga on Wed. evening, 6:00 – 6:45 p.m.

Coloma Library News

Read with Spirit

Spirit, a certified therapy dog will be at the library on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 –7:30 p.m., beginning on November 7. Children may sign up for a 15-minute slot by stopping in at the front desk or calling the library at 468-3431. Reading to therapy dogs is a fun way for children to build reading confidence and fluency.

Book Club

The Coloma Library Book Club is meeting on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m. The title to read before the discussion is “A Dog’s Purpose” by W. Bruce Cameron.  Generally, depending on demand there are titles available for check-out at the front desk. The book club regularly meets every other Thursday and is always looking for new members.

Story Hour

Story Hour meets on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Join Miss Amy for a story, craft and song time. Story Hour is a free weekly program for toddlers and preschool-aged children, it does not require sign-up.

Baby and Me

The library will be offering a Baby and Me program on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. through November 17. This program is for babies, young toddlers and their parents/caregivers. Join Miss Holly for a short story, interactive play and songs as well as an opportunity to introduce babies to the library. If you have any questions please call the library at 468-3431.

COLOMA

100 years ago – 1917

 Each Coloma High School student will earn a dollar to go toward the purchase of a Liberty Bond. The bond, purchased by each proud owner, will be held as a trust fund for the high school library.

New postal rates in effect: It now takes 3 cents to carry letters. The postal department is handling an enormous increase in mail due to the opening of the training camps. Take care to properly address your mail.

60 years ago – 1957

 Coloma qualifies for federal aid for the new sewage disposal plant. A total of 40 communities applied for this grant.

Halloween was appropriately observed by Coloma students. The elementary children enjoyed parties in their classrooms while the junior and senior high students attended an evening affair in the gymnasium.

Coloma’s reserve football squad played Santa Claus to the Watervliet Jayvee team as they presented their hosts with a 13 to 6 victory.

A general science trip of 40 freshmen visited Chicago museums. They were accompanied by their instructors William Lehew, Miss Jean VanHorn and Principal Victor Wier.

Donald B. Myers and Bruce J. VanDerveer have enrolled in the Ferris Institute. Enrollment at this college has steadily increased.

30 years ago – 1987

 Marvin Taylor, President of the Coloma Ambulance Service is the new mayor. He outdistances three other candidates; Robert A. Wooley, Dale Stover and Galen L. Blough.

Chiropractic health tip from Dr. Gary Washington of Coloma Chiropractic Clinic, learn a simple exercise to strengthen the neck. Call or stop at the office.

Coloma Band Boosters needs your help. Contact Mrs. Karen Miller, Mrs. LeahRae Kniebes or Mrs. Slaughter.

Comet Tom King makes it over the goal line in double overtime to give Coloma the win over Watervliet. What a thriller of a game!

HARTFORD

100 years ago – 1917

 The Reliance Picture Frame Company is shipping the greater part of their equipment back to their Chicago factory. For the present they have abandoned the project to locate a permanent factory in Hartford.

Hartford experienced its first heavy snow storm Monday night, and yesterday the ground was blanketed with snow to a depth of nearly two inches. The rain of the past few weeks and the present cold snap have seriously hampered work upon the farms, where much corn is still unhusked, potatoes undug and beans unharvested.

75 years ago – 1942

 With plans developing rapidly for Hartford’s Armistice Day program Nov. 11, sponsoring organizations were looking forward this week to one of the largest demonstrations in recent years. Veterans and civilians will join in a parade which will form at the school house. Members of the American Legion, the VFW, DUV, Legion Auxiliary, servicemen at home on furlough and all auxiliary firemen, policemen and air raid wardens are asked to participate in the parade and the services which follow.

The members of the Hartford Mother’s Club were guests at the home of Mrs. Marge Hastings on Nov.4. During the business meeting it was decided to donate to the Hartford hot lunch fund. A letter was read asking the cooperation in the plan for national collection of hosiery. Mrs. Kay Smith was in charge of the program for the evening.

50 years ago – 1967

 News was received this week that Lawrence Larsen, stationed in Vietnam, was promoted to Corporal on Oct. 15. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Aage Larsen. Larsen enlisted in the Marines April 1, 1966. He is a 1964 graduate of Hartford High School.

Miss Terry Rice, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Rice, has been accepted as a member of the Honors College at Michigan State University. Honors College provides special academic programs for superior undergraduate students.

WATERVLIET

90 years ago – 1927

 Dr. Harry H. Hammel, former Watervliet boy, returned from a big game hunt in Northern Alberta, Canada in Nov. 1927. He was successful in shooting a mountain sheep with very heavy horns, an average-sized Rocky Mountain goat, large moose with spread of over 50 inches, extra-large bull caribou, a golden eagle with a wing spread of eight feet, ten inches, a two-year-old silver tip grizzly bear and a large chocolate colored bear – black bear species.

Deldee Myrick of Watervliet was elected secretary of the senior class of Western State Teachers College. This office is one of the highest honors the class can bestow. There are 200 fourth-year students enrolled at Western State this year.

60 years ago – 1957

 Mr. and Mrs. Walter Eichelberger of Watervliet returned from a trip to the Straits and across the Mackinac Bridge. They report an unforgettable experience.

Mr. and Mrs. James Dunham entertained at a family gathering honoring their nephew, Delmar Rudig, Jr., U.S. Air Force, who is home on leave from Texas. Young Rudig will leave on a three-year tour of duty in Germany as an Air Force Policeman.

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Sexton are the proud parents of an 8 pound three and a quarter ounce baby girl born July 15, 1957.

30 years ago – 1987

 Rose Scheid has been appointed to the recently established position of New Account Consultant at Peoples State Bank. Scheid has been the branch manager of the Watervliet office for five years. In total, she brings 25 years of banking experience to her position. She also serves as the vice chairman of the Watervliet Downtown Development Authority.

Community Hospital of Watervliet proudly announces the promotion of two nurses: Roslyn Hickmott, R.N., promoted to the hospital’s Clinical Supervisor for the day shift, and Mary Ann Hyde, R.N., M.S.N., promoted to Patient Resources Coordinator and Discharge Planner.