Letters to the Editor

HOPE Resources

September activity

Editor,

In September 2023, HOPE Resources [in Coloma] distributed food to 141 households, having 369 total people. Seventeen of these families were new!

Within these 369 individuals: ages ranged from (105) 0-18 years of age, (179) 19-59 years, and (85) 60 years +; 13 veterans were identified; 45 deliveries of food were made. Also distributed were 595 articles of clothing, 25 pairs of shoes, four blankets and one sleeping bag.

Twenty-five volunteers plus the Board of Directors assisted these folks.

The demographics by zip code for these 141 households was 49022 (3), 49038 (86), 49043 (2), 49084 (1), 49098 (48) and 49111 (1).

Carole Sternaman,

Executive Director

What is Michigan

College Month?

Coloma Schools community:

All students deserve opportunity.

Michigan College Month is all about making sure high school seniors know their post-graduation options and have the resources to ask questions about them. For many students, the appropriate option is applying to college, while for others it’s exploring technical careers, trade school or joining the military. There are multiple paths to success for our students and we want to make sure they have an opportunity to learn about each of them.

At Coloma High School, our students are competing to see if they can achieve 100% Common App sign-ups by the end of October. For those who do not know, Common App is a digital tool used to make applying to college easier. Later this school year, we will encourage students to fill out the FAFSA, which is federal student aid to make college more affordable for all students.

As part of our focus on ensuring our students are aware of their options, we are proud to have Mr. Chris Coburn on the Coloma staff. His role is to help students learn more about college and plan for their future after graduation. During October, he asked teachers to use the first five minutes of class on Mondays to discuss their own college experiences. Other events he has organized for students this month include:

Viewing short videos featuring different career pathways and the post-secondary education they require. Students will be quizzed and the winning classroom will receive donuts delivered by our drumline.

Encouraging all students and staff to wear college gear to create a positive mindset.

Meetings for parents with representatives from multiple colleges and the Armed Forces during parent-teacher conferences on Oct. 24 and 26.

We look forward to seeing where our students take their talents after graduation.

To learn more about Coloma Community Schools, or enroll your child, please visit ccs.coloma.org.

Superintendent Dave Ehlers

Coloma’s 2023 Halloween Trunk or Treat

Editor,

The weather cleared up to be a great day for our 2023 Annual Trunk or Treat in Coloma. For the fourth year in a row, we held our event at the Activity Field at Salem Lutheran Church. This location allows us to have more businesses and individuals easily park their vehicles, decorate a trunk and hand out candy.

The Coloma Lions Club grilled hundreds of hot dogs and volunteers handed out popcorn, fresh apples, juice, Gatorade, bottles of water and lots and lots of candy. The lines moved quickly and 20 businesses creatively decorated their trunks. Andy Kendall played festive Halloween music for the day and watching the kids in their beautiful costumes enjoy the day was wonderful.

No event is possible without the generosity of volunteers, sponsors, and municipal contributions. We encourage any business or individual next year to contact us and be a part of this fun event, there can never be too many trunks and we have plenty of room and parking to accommodate everyone.

We appreciate the candy/monetary sponsors and the businesses that set up a trunk, you are amazing and we are grateful for the continued support: ABC Truck Repair, Andy Kendall, Best Way Disposal, Big P Express, Brian W. Smith - Edwards Jones, C.A.R. Certified Auto Repair, CCPO - Coloma Community Pageant Organization, Century 21 Affiliated, City of Coloma DDA, Coloma Community Schools, Coloma FOP #147, Coloma Glad-Peach Festival, Coloma Lions Club, Coloma Township Police Dept., Coloma Public Library, Coloma United Methodist Church, Coloma/St. Joseph KOA Holiday, Cutting Corners, Duffield & Pastrick Funeral Home, D & V Motorsports, Enchanted Bead, The Friendly Tavern, Fruit Acres, Grapevine Nursery, Hair Innovations, Honor Credit Union, Hub Central 185, Leon Burke, Loma Theatre, Medic 1 Ambulance, Menasha Packaging, North Berrien Community Development, North Berrien Fire & Rescue, Orchard Hill Landfill, Pink Hat Ladies, Red Arrow Realty - Rhonda Strasser, Salem Lutheran Church, Southwest Gold Coast DeMolay Chapter, Teed Heating & Cooling Inc., United Federal Credit Union, Waterfront Restaurant, YDC Youth Development Company, WTP Inc.

Thank you to Mayor Hammond, Commissioner Freitag, Commissioner Balkin, Sandy Kraemer, Jen Schreier and Rachel Edwards for volunteering before and during this event. We could not do this without the hard work of our Coloma Public Works Department.

Winners of this year’s Window Display Contest were Coloma True Value, Huntington Bank, El Asadero and Cutting Corners.

Sincerely,

Chana Kniebes

Community Development Coordinator,

N. Berr. Community Development/

Coloma Watervliet Area Chamber of Commerce

Wesco helps serve the needs of those with food insecurity

Dear Editor,

We are thankful for the wonderful act of kindness happening at Wesco in Watervliet & Coloma. Through the end of November, they will match up to $2,000 per store for Living Water Food Pantry, a ministry of Watervliet Free Methodist Church. Your participation can make a difference by simply rounding up your purchase or using the donation jar available at each store.

This helps us do God’s work to feed those with food insecurities throughout our community. The pantry served 320 families and 700 individuals last month alone. The need for food increases this time of year and we are thankful for you and our friends at Wesco that step up and help meet the need in our community.

If you or someone you know is in need of food, please stop by the Living Water Food Pantry located at 7734 Paw Paw Ave in Watervliet on Mondays from 9:00am-3:00pm and let us serve you.

May God Bless You!

Pastor Brian E. Hall

Lonna VanderLinden - Pantry Director

Living Water Food Pantry

Homeowners can “fall” into energy savings this season

Cue the leaves and cooler temperatures, fall is fast approaching. Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) encourages homeowners to prepare now for the weather to come. Basic practices, like those below, can save energy - and possibly a little money - on your next bill.

Safely repair and/or apply weather stripping to air leaks. Up to 25% of energy used to heat homes escapes through improper sealing. Check recessed lighting, attic entrances, ducts, doorframes and window frames to confirm if weather stripping is needed.

Seal the edges of unused doors and windows with rope caulk. Prevent intruding air flow, but don’t permanently seal these shut as you might need quick ventilation or escape in an emergency.

Schedule a heat system inspection. A $50-$100 tune-up before seasonal use can help reduce heating costs by 5%.

Check furnace filter regularly. Replace the filter monthly as dirt and dust forces the system to work harder, making it susceptible to breaking down.

Close fireplace dampers when not in use. Keeping the dampers sealed shut and glass doors closed will prevent unwanted air from getting in.

Add extra “insulation” with rugs on hard surface floors. Remove the chill from walking on tile and hardwood flooring and stay warm this fall and winter.

I&M customers can complete an Online Energy Checkup to identify additional energy-saving opportunities at home. Small changes can add up to savings and help the environment. For immediate savings, I&M will send homeowners a free kit (valued at $37) of energy-saving products upon survey completion. Kits are limited to one per I&M account every three years.

I&M understands that financial hardships happen and customers may need help paying their bills. Through assistance programs in Indiana and Michigan, along with payment arrangements, they can help keep your bill manageable. They also work with several organizations that help to find local and federal assistance. Call 211 or visit 211.org for more information about utility, housing, healthcare and other types of assistance available.

For additional energy-saving tips, visit ElectricIdeas.com/Home or ElectricIdeas.com/Work to find products, rebates and discounts to help save even more.

State surplus begins monthly in-person sales

(Press release) The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget’s (DTMB) state surplus will host in-person sales the first Friday of each month, from 8 a.m. - noon. In-person sales will be held in Lansing at 3111 W. St. Joseph St., Building 600.

The sale includes a wide array of items, including sporting goods, tools, automotive equipment, desks, file cabinets, chairs, bookshelves, jewelry, and other fashion accessories. Sale inventory is obtained from property seized by police, items voluntarily surrendered at airports, surplus property from local public colleges, and property no longer needed by government agencies. Payments can be made with cash and credit cards. All items are sold as is and no loading assistance will be available. All sales are final.

A sale may be cancelled due to lack of inventory, so please visit Michigan.gov/Surplus for more information and the latest news on state surplus events.

New auction website for surplus sales

The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB) has launched a new online auction website for surplus sales, Michigan.gov/MiBid.

The new MiBid site offers users an improved bidding experience, up-to-date security features, additional payer options, and enhanced bidder confidentiality. The site is integrated with the State of Michigan MiLogin portal, which provides a secure, single point of access to many state services. By building the new website in house, DTMB can ensure it meets the highest security standards and will save the state nearly $250,000 a year.

The MiBid auction site is open to everyone, including local governments. While auction items are publicly viewable online at Michigan.gov/MiBid, anyone wanting to place a bid will need to create a free MiLogin profile. Users who already have a MiLogin profile to access other state services are ready to go.

DTMB’s state surplus team works with state agencies to reutilize and sell State of Michigan surplus property. Surplus also sells confiscated property for the Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State Police, and the federal Transportation Security Administration. Office furniture, vehicles, specialized equipment, and electronic equipment are among the products available for bidders at Michigan.gov/MiBid.

Bidders with questions can email DTMB-Surplus@Michigan.gov. Additional information about DTMB’s surplus program, including monthly in-person sales, can be found online at Michigan.gov/Surplus.

NOTE: Previous MiBid users may need to clear their browser history for navigation to new MiBid website.

Michigan releases transparency dashboard detailing use of recovery funds

(Press release) Michiganders are able to learn how the State is investing the $6.5 billion in flexible state fiscal recovery funds (FRF) provided by the federal government with the launch of the new Fiscal Recovery Funds Dashboard.

“This user-friendly dashboard ensures that all Michiganders can easily see where and how the State has leveraged its federal FRF dollars,” said State Budget Director Christopher Harkins. “The FRF dashboard takes a wealth of data and transforms it into information people can use to see how the State has funded projects that align with its strategic goals.”

Featuring a modern design, the dashboard allows users to view FRF project key performance indicators and to visualize projects on a map, which can be filtered by census tract, or state legislative and congressional districts.

“As a lifelong Michigander, I take great pride in my role within the pandemic recovery effort,” said Chief COVID-19 Accountability Officer Jennifer Edmonds. “The Fiscal Recovery Funds have afforded Michigan a remarkable chance to review the performance of these funds, glean invaluable insights into their significant impact on aiding Michiganders throughout this recovery, and derive lessons learned. This knowledge positions us to tackle future recovery efforts with a far greater understanding of the programs that yield the most effective results.”

As part of the American Rescue Plan passed in 2021, the federal government provided funds to Michigan and other states to support programs and policies that promote social and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michigan is using these historic funds to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and make strategic investments to improve critical infrastructure and address disparities that lead to disproportionate impacts of the pandemic for many Michiganders.

As of Sept. 30, Michigan appropriated nearly all of its $6.5 billion in state FRF to 14 different state agencies to execute a wide range of projects. The appropriated projects include a diverse array of investments in environmental sustainability, workforce and economic development, and public safety. The dashboard will be updated quarterly, with the next refresh expected in early November.

Using FRF, the State of Michigan has supported programs benefiting hospitals, foster homes, small businesses, disadvantaged communities, schools, and many others. More information about programs funded by FRF can be found in the State’s 2023 Annual Recovery Plan Report.