12-19-2019 School news & calendars

HARTFORD HIGH SCHOOL… “Students of the Week” for December 9 – 13, 2019 are: (from the left) 9th Grade – Brenda Hernandez-Mendoza, student of Elia Mendoza; 10th Grade – Owen Pitcher, student of David & Jennifer Pitcher; 11th Grade – Lainey Goodson, student of David & Lisa Goodson; 12th Grade – Sergio Canseco Jr., student of Sergio & Citlali Canseco. Congratulations to these “Students of the Week” and keep up the great work!

Watervliet Library accepts Upton Foundation matching grant

The Watervliet District Library has accepted a matching grant of $7,000 offered through the Frederick S. Upton Foundation, towards replacement of the library’s public computer fleet. The project, entitled “Supporting Community Access to Fundamental Technology,” seeks to purchase new computers for public use. Director Sharon Crotser-Toy says, “Most of our computers were purchased out of necessity years ago, and just didn’t have the capabilities that are required today. These older models are no longer able to accept updates. Maintenance is incredibly difficult. Most repairs are out of the question.” The library’s public computers are in constant use. Homework, job applications, correspondence, research and gaming are daily uses. While more and more companies and institutions require online interactions, broadband access has not kept pace. Libraries seek to fill the gap, providing people with the tools to do what needs to be done for employment, education, and program assistance, among others. In the past year the library’s computers have been put to use for over 5,500 one-hour sessions, used by community members of all ages – something library staff is happy to see. “Providing information access is exactly what we’re about,” states Crotser-Toy. “Being able to offer the public reliable computers is fundamental to our mission, and we’re committed to making that happen.” The matching grant has a one-year deadline, ending in September of 2020. The $7,000 match must be in new donations specifically for this project. To meet that goal, library staff has planned a series of fundraisers for the months to come. The first, an online game-a-thon, will be held January 24, from 4-9 p.m. Details will be released in the coming weeks. Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the project can do so online through the library’s website PayPal account or by mail. Please include “Computer Upgrade” in the subject line. The library welcomes questions or comments at any time. Anyone needing further information is encouraged to call 269-463-6382 or via email at info@wdlib.org.

2020 Little Miss Blossom and Miss Pre-Teen Blossom Pageants

Applications are still being accepted for the 2020 Little Miss Blossom and Miss Pre-Teen Blossomtime pageants being held January 11, 2020 at 1:00 at St. Joseph High School. Deadline is December 20, 2019. The Little Miss Blossom pageant is open to girls who reside in Southwest Michigan between the ages of 5-8 by January 11, 2020 with talent required. Miss Pre-Teen Blossomtime is for young women between the ages of 9 and 12 by January 11, 2020 with talent required. Contestants will participate in the categories of private interview, onstage question and formal presentation. All participants will receive a tiara and an opportunity to ride in the 2020 Blossomtime Festival Grand Floral Parade. Please contact the Blossomtime Festival office at office@blossomtimefestival.org or by calling the Blossomtime Festival office at 269-982-8016. For additional information about each pageant and other pageants offered, please visit their website at www.blossomtimefestival.org.

B.C. Youth Fair announces grandstand line-up

Youth Fair officials have announced one of the 2020 Berrien County Youth Fair grandstand entertainment acts for Berrien County’s premier summer youth showcase! The BCYF entertainment committee along with welcoming station B100 and presenting sponsor Indiana Michigan Power – Cook Nuclear plant is excited to bring the legendary country group, The Oak Ridge Boys. That’s right, the whole gang, Duane, Joe, Richard and William Lee, will perform on Wednesday, August 19! Theirs is one of the most distinctive and recognizable sounds in the music industry. The four-part harmonies and upbeat songs of The Oak Ridge Boys have spawned dozens of Country hits and a Number One Pop smash, earned them Grammy, Dove, CMA, and ACM awards and garnered a host of other industry and fan accolades. Every time they step before an audience, the Oaks bring four decades of charted singles, and 50 years of tradition, to a stage show widely acknowledged as among the most exciting anywhere. And each remains as enthusiastic about the process as they have ever been. “When I go on stage, I get the same feeling I had the first time I sang with The Oak Ridge Boys,” says lead singer Duane Allen. “This is the only job I’ve ever wanted to have.” “Like everyone else in the group,” adds bass singer extraordinaire, Richard Sterban, “I was a fan of the Oaks before I became a member. I’m still a fan of the group today. Being in The Oak Ridge Boys is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.” The two, along with tenor Joe Bonsall and baritone William Lee Golden, comprise one of Country’s truly legendary acts. Their string of hits includes the Country-Pop chart-topper Elvira, as well as Bobbie Sue, Dream On, Thank God For Kids, American Made, I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes, Fancy Free, Gonna Take A Lot of River and many others. The group has scored 12 gold, three platinum, and one double platinum album – plus one double platinum single – and had more than a dozen national Number One singles and over 30 Top Ten hits. Their career has spanned not only decades, but also formats. The Oak Ridge Boys have appeared before five presidents. And they have become one of the most enduringly successful touring groups anywhere, still performing some 150 dates each year at major theaters, fairs, and festivals across the U.S. and Canada. They did it with a consistently upbeat musical approach and terrific business savvy. “We always look for songs that have lasting value and that are uplifting,” says Allen, who co-produced many of the Oaks’ recent studio albums. “You don’t hear us singing ‘cheating’ or ‘drinking’ songs but ‘loving’ songs, because we think that will last. We also don’t put music in categories, except for ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ When we get through with it, it’s probably going to sound like an Oak Ridge Boys song no matter what it is.” The Oak’s high-energy stage show remains the heart and soul of what they do, and they refine it several times a year, striving to keep it fresh well into the future. Tickets for this concert go on sale Friday, Dec. 20, 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). Show time is 7:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $38, $27, and $12. The Berrien County Youth Fair is celebrating 75 years in 2020 with the theme “Diamonds are Fair-ever”. The 2020 Fair will run from August 17-22, 2020.

Lake Michigan College seeks Alumni Award nominations

The Lake Michigan College Alumni Association Board of Directors is seeking nominations for its 2020 Alumni Awards. The college first presented Alumni Awards in 1986. Since then, more than 80 recipients have been honored. Best consideration for the awards will be given to nominations received by February 28, 2020. To be considered for the awards, nominees need to have attended Lake Michigan College or its predecessor, Benton Harbor Community College, and have earned at least 30 credit hours through the college. To nominate an individual for an alumni award, access the nomination forms online at www.lakemichigancollege.edu/nomination. For more information, contact Barbara Craig at craig@lakemichigancollege.edu There are three award categories (awardees are listed with their affiliation at the time of the award): The Clarence Beckwith Distinguished Alumni Award, named in honor of the first president of Lake Michigan College, is given to an alumnus who has accomplished significant success in his or her personal or professional endeavors. Recent winners of the Clarence Beckwith Distinguished Alumni Award include Wilce Cooke (Nurse and former Benton Harbor mayor), Gloria Ender (owner and CEO of Freedom Finishing), Dr. Marilyn J. Stolberg (retired dentist), Andrew Bauer (Conservation Officer for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources), Dr. Mark A. Kuriata (dermatologist and owner of Advanced Dermatology in St. Joseph), Valerie Dell Huber (president of the DC-based National Abstinence Education Association), Becky Kliss (business owner and board president of Michigan’s Great Southwest Sustainable Business Forum), Richard Schinkel (naturalist), James F. A. Turner (founder/president/CEO of M&T Paradigm Group Financial One), Steven C. Fairbanks (president and CEO, Iowa Mold Tooling Co.), Mamiella Chavis-Brown (counselor, South Bend Community School Corporation), Dr. Gyl Kasewurm (owner, Professional Hearing Services, Ltd.), and Sam Monte (owner, Monte Package Company). The Alumni Achievement Award is presented to a recent alumnus who attended LMC within the past 15 years and has demonstrated significant achievement and distinguished themselves in their career, education or community such that they would be role models to current LMC students. Recent Alumni Achievement Award honorees include Lynne Christiano (Berrien County Public Defender’s Office), Melanie Owen (co-owner of Lazy Ballerina Winery), Cindy Reuss (retired LMC director of enrollment services), Brittnee Ashten Carter (PhD candidate at the University of Kansas), Brian Doak (Legacy Wealth Group), Stephanie Henderson (former LMC student athlete and collegiate softball coach), Mary Jo Tomasini (CEO, Competitive Edge), Brad Gorman (Whirlpool Corporation), Melissa Zmyslo (Berrien County Health Department), Dana Harris Slagle (Jet Magazine), and C. Jesse Green (Michigan Trial Lawyers Association). The Alumni Service Award is given to an alumnus who has offered significant personal contributions to the college or community, with community being broadly interpreted as local, the state of Michigan, or the nation. Recent past selections for the Alumni Service Award are Craig Stilwell (radio personality and attorney), Rick Smiedendorf (school/ community resource officer for the Berrien Springs/ Oronoko Township Police Department), Edward J. Todd (retired businessman), Donald C. Mitchell (retired veteran, industrial engineer, and mortgage originator), Brenda Kniebes (elementary teacher at Decatur Public Schools), Dr. Susan Lentz (biology instructor at Lake Michigan College), Colleen Cullitan (attorney), Barbara Lane (retired executive director of the Berrien County Cancer Service), Diane Curry (principal and special education director, Niles Community Schools), Patrick Lynch (pharmacist and operator, Hill’s Prescription Shop), Nancy Conybeare (formerly of Lake Michigan College), Karen Kolberg Kietzer (Berrien-Cass-Van Buren County Counselors Association), Melissa Stolfo (Goodwill Industries), Paula Wygonik (Competitive Edge), Paul Landeck (Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant), Sharon Tyler (formerly of the Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance), and Mary Goff (former mayor, City of St. Joseph). Upon nomination, an application will be sent to the candidate. Award winners will be recognized at the college’s 2020 Honors Convocation in mid-April.

Community Calendar

Thursday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m. “GRAND REOPENING” at Coloma Subway Sandwich Shop, 152 N. Paw Paw St. Thursday, Dec. 19, 11 a.m. “GRAND REOPENING & RIBBON CUTTING” at Thrifty Phoenix, 7139 Red Arrow Hwy., Watervliet Thursday, Dec. 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m. “BURGER NIGHT” at Coloma American Legion Post 362, corner of East St. Joseph and Sassafras streets. Thursday, Dec. 19, 6-8 p.m. “SANTA VISIT” at Coloma Township Hall, 4919 Paw Paw Lake Rd. Cookie decorating, barrel train rides, cocoa, and candy canes Friday, Dec. 20, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. “BAKE, CANDY & CRAFT SALE” hosted by Lakeland Hospital, Watervliet Auxiliary in classroom C in the Hospital Lobby. Proceeds benefit Auxiliary projects at the hospital. Saturday, Dec. 21, 9-11 a.m. “BREAKFAST WITH SANTA” at Coloma FOP Lodge, 3470 Angling Rd. $6/each; 12 & under are free. Saturday, Dec. 21, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. “PARK BENCH GIFT SHOP” at Lakeland Hospital, Watervliet open for holiday shopping. All profits are used for Lakeland Hospital, Watervliet Auxiliary projects. Dec. 21-Jan. 5 “WINTER BREAK SCAVENGER HUNT” at Sarett Nature Center, 2300 Benton Center Rd., Benton Harbor. Stop at the front desk for details. Tuesday, Dec. 24, 6 p.m. “CANDLELIGHT SERVICE” at Plymouth Congregational Church, 123 First St., Watervliet. Public is invited. Tuesday, Dec. 24, 6 p.m. “CANDLELIGHT COMMUNION” at Watervliet Free Methodist Church, 7734 Paw Paw Ave. Public is welcome. Sunday, Dec. 29, 10:30 a.m. “SPECIAL WORSHIP SERVICE” at Watervliet Free Methodist Church, 7734 Paw Paw Ave., by Christian Motorcyclists Association. Public invited. Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020 “MISS COLOMA PAGEANT” Sunday, Jan. 12, 3 p.m. “MISS WATERVLIET PAGEANT” at Watervliet High School Auditorium. For more information on purchasing tickets to the event or becoming a supporter of the 2020 pageant, please contact the Watervliet Pageant Organization through their WPO email at watervlietpo@gmail.com. Saturday, Feb. 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. “INDOOR SHOP HOP” hosted by Sweet Charity Sewing Group at St. John’s United Church of Christ, 601 Sycamore St., Niles. Quilting related items for sale from Indiana, Illinois & Michigan vendors. Raffle tickets with paid $5 admission and food by Brew Ha Ha of Niles.