THIS KUTE KID IS… is Hannah Hart and her pig, Waylon, at a Holi-day jackpot show. Hannah, 16, is a junior at Watervliet High School; the daughter of Grant and Wendy Hart, and granddaughter of Phil and Barb Ameling and Penny Hart.

Hometown Holiday Happenings

Pokagon Band provides Christmas food boxes

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and its Four Winds Casinos has donated 1,000 Christmas food boxes to those in need during this holiday season. Each Christmas box includes a frozen ham, corn, potatoes, cranberry jelly, and an apple pie.  The Pokagon Band and its Four Winds Casinos also donated 1,000 food boxes in November for Thanksgiving.

Food Boxes are available at the Cooperating Ministries Food Pantry at the Hartford United Methodist Church.

N.B. Historical Museum to host virtual holiday programs in December

The North Berrien Historical Museum is not hosting an in-person holiday event this year. Instead, the event has been renamed I’ll Be Home For Holiday Open House and is hosted virtually throughout December.

The online open house includes the North Berrien Holiday Tree Contest. Local businesses, community members, and NBHM society members are encouraged to decorate a holiday tree and enter the contest! Details on how to participate and an entry form can be found on the Museum’s website at: northberrienhistory.org/homeforhoh.

Also included in the event is Storytime With Mr. & Mrs. Claus. A short pre-recorded video of the jolly couple is available on the Museum’s Facebook page on December 24 at 1:00 p.m. In addition, there are many posts containing local stories of the holiday season. Since the Museum cannot host field trips from area schools, staff has put together an activity booklet for students that can be downloaded at the previously mentioned link.

Those interested in donating to the I’ll Be Home For Holiday Open House virtual event can do so by becoming a Star Tree donor. With a donation, staff will add your family’s name on a golden star and hang it from the center tree in the Main Gallery. To donate, simply go to: northberrienhistory.org/donor/become-a-star.

Feel free to call the Museum with any questions during regular business hours: Tuesday–Friday from 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Outdoor Christmas Eve candlelight service

Thursday evening, Dec. 24 at 6:00 p.m., the Watervliet Free Methodist Church will be holding CHRISTmas Eve candlelight communion outside around the bonfire, in the lot west of the church (weather permitting). In the event of rain or temperature too cold the service will be moved inside to the sanctuary.

Now more than ever, this CHRISTmas we need to gather and worship the new body KING.

Watervliet Free Methodist Church is located at 7734 Paw Paw Avenue.

SANTA’S HELPERS… Berrien County Reserve Sgt. Quandt (left) and Berrien County Reserve Captain Dumminger deliver Christmas gifts and a dinner basket to an area family in need.

Berrien County Reserve Deputies spread Christmas cheer to local families

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit recently completed their annual “Shop with a Cop” program on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020.  For the past several years, the Reserve Deputies would shop with selected families at the Niles Walmart.  Due to the COVID pandemic, the deputies altered this process and delivered food baskets and gift cards directly to each family’s door step.

This year’s program served five families with a total of 19 children. The families resided in Coloma, Watervliet Township, Niles Township and New Buffalo Township.

This event would not be possible if it were not for generous donations from the following donors:  United Federal Credit Union, Honor Credit Union, Niles Walmart, Pike Funeral Home, DA Dodd, Red Bud MX, Wightman & Associates, Milano Pizza, Dumminger family, Snyder family, and the          Zimmerle family.

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Reserve Unit hopes that everyone has a safe and joyous Holiday season.

Coloma Public Library has a new service that Brings the Internet Home

The Coloma Public Library is bringing the Internet into Coloma homes. As of December 21, patrons may now borrow one of eight Mobile Beacon HotSpots from the library.  The HotSpots are portable, pocket-sized routers that provide wireless Internet connections for up to 10 devices at a time.

The program was made possible with a $1,500 grant from the Southwest Michigan Cares Fund through the Berrien Community Foundation.  The library pursued the grant to assist families with children that need to attend school virtually, but may not be able to afford Internet service.  The program is also vital for patrons who live in an “internet dead zone”.  Mobile Beacon’s Internet service is provided on Sprint’s 4G LTE network which covers most of Coloma.

HotSpots may be checked out for two weeks at a time to adult library card holders.  There are no costs associated with borrowing a HotSpot.  In tandem with the new HotSpots, students can further their virtual education by connecting to free tutors online through the Library’s “Tutor.com” program.

Visit the Coloma Public Library website, www.colomapubliclibrary.net for program details.  Patrons can also call 269-468-3431 or email readcoloma@gmail.com for additional information.