Off The Water - July 18-24, 2014

SB Civic presents 'The Producers' .. p.5Zany Comedy

Cracker returns to Three Oaks ......p.6Rocking the Acorn

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Week of July 18-24, 2014 Volume 6, Number 29Off The Water | The place to be entertained.

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Up for it?Urban Adventure Games

offers diverse challengesfor Michiana athletes

Page 2 • Week of July 18-24, 2014 Off The Water, Michiana

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South bend— If you’re an athletic person who has wanted to get to know South bend and Mishawaka on a more intimate level, then the ur-

ban Adventure Games are an event you won’t want to miss.

Scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. with a mandatory rules meeting on July 26, the Sixth Annual urban Adventure Games will set racers on a course of checkpoints set up throughout the urban area, beginning and ending at Kamm Island Park, located at 600 W. Front St. in Mishawaka.

“our new thing this year is that the start and finish will be at Kamm Island in Mishawaka,” said Kyle ev-erett, a member of the event’s leadership committee. “the course still goes through South bend and Misha-waka, but moving the course allows us to change up some of the checkpoints.”

Set up in a format similar to “the Amazing Race,” the urban Adventure games pits teams of two racers against each other as they complete a scavenger hunt, travelling from one checkpoint to the next via bicycle. once at those checkpoints, team members must com-plete various physical and mental challenges.

In the past, checkpoints have included rafting on the east Race, riding elliptical bikes at howard Park and riding a mechanical surf board. however, that doesn’t mean those challenges will be included this year.

“Part of the fun is that we try to mix up the activi-ties and checkpoints each year. that keeps it fresh and fun for us and the participants,” everett explained.

In order to make the race accessible for everyone, organizers have developed three different courses for three divisions: elite, open and Fun.

“the elite division is for the more extreme, athletic racers,” everett said. “the Fun division is more fami-ly oriented, and in the middle, we have the open divi-sion. that’s where most racers sign up.”

the urban Adventure Games’ website, www.urba-nadventuregames.com, lists the physical expectations for participants in each group, including the distances that participants should be able to run, bike and swim. the site also has information about the type of gear that racers should bring.

“Racers must bring their own bike helmets, but all the other safety gear, like harnesses, will be provided,” everett said. “Safety is a big priority for us when we put this on. We always make sure we have safety per-sonnel available for all of the events.”

Participants as young as 13 are welcome to join the race, and everett said that the parents of many younger teens use the race as an opportunity to spend some ac-tive time with their children.

“What we’ve seen in the past is that kids over 13 will team up with a parent. older teenagers often team up with a friend,” everett said. “We’ve seen a really nice mix of age ranges.”

In addition, awards are given to different divisions within each group based on the genders of the partici-pants.

GET OUT!

Are you up for it?

Submitted photoSome parents use the Urban Adventure Games as a way to spend fun, active time with their teens. BELOW LEFT: Participants got to try out their paddle boarding skills in a challenge from a previous year. BELOW RIGHT: Organizers expect a record-breaking crowd for this year's event.

By JILL McCAUGHANjill.mccaughan

@leaderpub.com

By JILL McCAUGHANjill.mccaughan @leaderpub.com

""“Part of the fun is that we try to mix up the activities and check-points each year. That keeps it fresh and fun for us and the participants,”

Kyle EverettMember of Urban Adventure Games committee

Urban Adventure Games offers diverse challenges for Michiana athletes

“there are awards for male/male, male/female and female/female teams,” everett said. “there’s also a costume contest. It’s a lot of fun, and that keeps it exciting.”

once the race ends, the after-party will begin with entertainment provided by the band everyday People.

“our after-party is taking place on Kamm Island, and the party goes from about 12 to 3:30 or 4 p.m. there will be free beer for the racers over 21, and other people are welcome to come out, too, includ-ing kids,” everett said. “People should bring lawn chairs and blankets so they can enjoy the after-noon’s entertainment and hang out in the park.”

those who are interested in participating in this ultimate urban race can learn more and sign up on the event’s website. More information is also avail-able on their Facebook page. however, as everett noted, there isn’t much more time to sign up, and space is limited.

“We already have close to 400 teams signed up, and we cap it at 500 teams, so people should sign up soon,” everett said. “If you haven’t done it be-fore, you should come out and try it because no matter what your skill level is, we have a division for you, and it’s really a lot of fun.”

Off The Water, Michiana WeekofJuly18-24,2014•Page 3

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Michael CaldwellPublisher(269) [email protected]

Ambrosia NeldonLayout Editor(269) [email protected]

Jill McCaughanFeature Writer(269) [email protected]

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Rhonda RauenAccounting Manager(269) [email protected]

Cindy KlingermanDistribution Manager(269) [email protected]

SalesDonna KnightClassifieds(269) [email protected]

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Phil Langer(269) [email protected]

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Off the Water is available throughoutsouthwest Michigan and the greater

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Off The Water | The place to be entertained.

Sunday School: Sunday 9:30 amChurch Service: Sunday 10:30 am and Wednesday 7 pm

All are welcome to worship with us.Cass Fellowship

Bible ChurchPastor Richard Doran

(269) 274-572664016 M-62, Cassopolis, MI 49031

(269) 445-2195

St.JoSePh— “to be, or not to be? that is the ques-

tion.” W h o h a s n ’ t h e a r d

these fami l ia r words from hamlet’s soli lo-quy?

over the pas t 450 years, the bard’s plots a n d c h a r a c t e r s h a v e seeped into popular cul-ture to the point that pretty much anyone can quote a line or two of Shakespeare.

even kids as young as 3 or 4 can recite the ba-sic plot of “Romeo and Juliet,” having been ex-posed to it in “Gnomeo and Juliet” or some other (albeit sanitized) rendi-t ion of Shakespeare’s great work.

With that kind of rep-utat ion preceding his plays, it can be hard for a theater company to find one that an audience can come to without cer-tain expectations, but that is exactly what the Pigeon Creek Shake-speare Company has done with their new pro-duction of “Coriolanus.”

“It’s not a play that people are very familiar with,” said Katherine Mayberry, executive director of the company and producer of the production. “It’s a play that most people can come to fresh and not necessarily know what the outcome will be.”

As one of Shakespeare’s Roman tragedies, “Cori-olanus” tells the story of Roman warrior Caius Mar-tius Coriolanus, played by Chaz bratton. Struggling to gain the support of the Roman populace, Corio-lanus forms an unlikely alliance with his greatest military rival, the Volscian general tullus Aufidius, played by Scott Lange.

As their characters go from mortal enemies to close co-conspirators, the off-stage friendship of the two main actors’ most certainly enhances the ten-sions that the audience witnesses.

“Working with Chaz has been good. he is one of my best friends,” explained Lange. “‘Coriolanus’ is one of those plays where, throughout the entire play, the characters talk about each other, but they don’t spend a lot of time on stage together, so it’s been great to go to rehearsals and see his work.”

Pigeon Creek’s production also features actors Kathleen bode, Antonio Copeland, Kat hermes, Sean Kelley, owen McIntee, Sarah tryon, Kate tubbs, Kyle Westmaas and Scott Wright.

Also playing a critical part in this production of the play are the audience members themselves, drawn into the roles of members of the Roman pop-ulace from whom Coriolanus seeks support.

“this production really makes good use of the audience. there is a lot of intrigue over who will

have political control, and many of the speeches are directed to the audience as though they are the peo-ple of Rome,” Mayberry explained. “the box Fac-tory is a great venue for a play like this.”

the performance is further enhanced by the ori-entation of the production’s guest director, dennis henry.

“‘Coriolanus’ is the pet project of the director, dennis henry, who we brought in to work with us. he was previously an actor with the American Shakespeare Center in Virginia, and that company does something similar to what we do,” said May-berry, referring to their shared preference of staging plays using performance conditions similar to those of Shakespeare’s own time period.

“this was my first time working with dennis, and it was really great,” Lange said. “As a compa-ny, it’s always really good to bring in someone with new ideas and a fresh way of seeing things. And, he fit in really well with the personality of our compa-ny. It was a great experience.”

Pigeon Creek’s performance of “Coriolanus” is sure to bring that same great experience to audience members at the box Factory.

tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are available in advance at www.boxfactoryforthearts.org, by phone at (269) 983-3688, or at the door. Wine and light re-freshments will be available for purchase at this event, and Special VIP tickets of $15 per person with prepaid reservations, which include a drink ticket, are available for this event. General admis-sion tickets are $10, with senior and student tickets available for $8.

ON DISPLAYGET OUT!

'Coriolanus'


@leaderpub.com

Photo Submitted by Kat HermesMuch of the tension in "Coriolanus" stems from the evoloing relationship between the title character (Chaz Bratton) and Tullus Audfidius (Scott Lange).

Pigeon Creek Company does Shakespeare like audienced have never seen him before


hARbeRt— the episcopal Church of the Mediator, located at 14280 Red Arrow highway., has a wide variety of events planned in the upcoming weeks, in-

cluding a French Market, an evening of star-gazing, and two musical performances.

“our larger mission is to be able to share the church in the community and to reach out to as many people in the com-munity as we can,” explained Kristen dow, senior warden at the church. “We’d like people to know that we’re another lo-cation in harbor Country where people can attend events.”

For those who love shopping local and finding great bar-gains, members of the Church of the Mediator’s Flower and Garden Guild have planned their annual French Market to take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 19.

“this event has been going on for a long time. It started out as a bake sale and a rummage sale, and we used to call it the european Market,” said organizer and co-chair of the church’s Flower Guild, Jeannine totzke. “I took over this event four years ago, and I just kind of expanded it.”

now, the event includes a variety of vendors.

“there are all different kinds of people sell-ing items, and most of them are handcrafted. one girl sells books. She always does really well. We also have someone who does resale. It’s very nice stuff—linens, dishes, outdoors stuff,” totzke said.

“I also have an artist. She does note cards and such. there will also be a lady who sells perennial flowers. Also, Purple bicycle Wine Jelly will be there. they use local wines to make all kinds of nice jellies. they’re very good.”

While the sale included nearly 40 vendors last year, totzke said that there are still some spaces available for vendors who would like to participate in this year’s market.

Interested parties can contact totzke at [email protected]. booth spaces are $15 each, and those funds will be used by the Flower Guild to provide flowers for the al-tars and other areas in the church to make it warm and friendly for visitors.

“there is also a bake sale put on by the episcopal Church Women. that’s always a big success,” totzke said. “this year, we plan to add box lunches as well so that shoppers and vendors can get something to eat be-sides the sweets we sell at the bake sale.”

the episcopal Church Women plan to use those funds to renovate the church kitchen.

If star-gazing is more your thing, the Church of the Medi-ator will also be hosting an evening of activities related to as-tronomy on Saturday, July 26, 2014.

beginning at 7:30 p.m., the evening will start off with a telescope-building session, and participants are also encour-aged to bring a picnic dinner along with them.

Commemorating discover-ies made by Galileo 400 years ago, participants will build replicas of the telescope he designed. Kits for those telescopes will be available for $25 each, and tripods for the instruments will also be available for $25 each.

After the telescopes have been built, viewing of the night sky will take place in the church’s gardens at sun-set, which will take place around 9:15 p.m.

A 5 1⁄2-inch reflector and a 12-inch dobsonian tele-scope will be available for viewing, and event-goers are welcome to bring their own

telescopes as well. Information about planets, constellations, and other astro-

nomical phenomena will be provided by two experts for the evening, Jennifer Francis, director of the upton Planetarium and Mike durren, Instructor of Astronomy at Lake Michi-gan College. other experts are also welcome.

Finally, music lovers are invited to attend two separate concert programs that the Church of the Mediator is offer-ing.

on Sunday, July 20, the Lighthouse Chorus, with special guest quartet the Reveliers, will be performing at the church at 4 p.m.

the Lighthouse Chorus is dedicated to the preservation of barbershop singing, and they will perform in the tradition-al a cappella style that barbershop quartets are known for. the Reveliers will also sing a cappella, including old fa-vorites, fun and novelty songs, doo wop and barber shop tunes in their repertoire.

then, on Aug. 3 at 4 p.m., the episcopal Church of the Mediator will host a performance by the tenors three.

Comprised of accomplished vocalists, Robert dure, bruce Johnson and Matthew daniel, tenors three will en-tertain the audience with a variety of vocal standards, classi-cal pieces and seasonal favorites.

A free will offering will be taken at the door for both of these musical events.

More information about these and other events, including a children’s summer reading camp scheduled for August, can be obtained by calling the Church of the Mediator at (269) 469-1441 or by visiting their webpage at www.churchofthemediator.com. they also have a Facebook page where upcoming events are listed.

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Members of the Episcopal Church of the Mediator are anx-ious to share their recently-expanded church with the Har-bor Country community.

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Church of the Mediator offers variety of events for community


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1521 E. Main St. • Niles, MI(269) 683-8000 • (800) 924-7525

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Spice of Life SUBMITTEDFrom the zany imagination of comedy legend

Mel brooks comes “the Producers,” the blockbuster musical that won a record 12 tony Awards.

downtrodden producer Max bialystock and his meek accountant Leo bloom come up with a fool-proof scheme: produce the worst show in history and make off with the investors’ millions. What could go wrong? everything of course! A wild and fantastic romp that is side-splittingly funny and a valentine to broadway.

“the Producers” is based on a book by Mel brooks and thomas Meehan with music and lyrics

by Mel brooks.david Case, director, and music director Roy

bronkema lead a cast featuring ted Mainer as Max bialystock and nick Mezak as Leo bloom, with brandon Armentrout, olivia becht, Sarah beudert, emily Case, Silas Chester, Pierre Cooks, Kathryn denny, Katie Fry, daniel Grey, Will heckaman, Laura heft, Christa hill, Allison Jones, Katie Jung-Zimmerman, Jacob Kramer, Sean Leyes, evan McSorley, hilary Murrmann, Alexandria Sadowski, nicholas Salay, Sara Schmidtke, david Stefenc, Mark torma, Patrick trimboli, and Libby unruh.

Sponsors for "the Producers" are Villing and Company, Alfred and Martha Choitz, the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, and Matthew Kahn, Merrill Lynch.

"the Producers" will be presented in the Wilson theatre at South bend Civic theatre July 11 to Aug. 3.Performance times are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. tickets are $21 Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and $18 Wednesdays and thursdays. to purchase tickets call the SbCt box office (574) 234-1112 or go to sbct.org.

South Bend Civic presents ‘The Producers’

Submitted photos by Jon Gilchrist

"The Producers" promises plenty of laughs for audience members.


6

NILES-BUCHANANRELAY FOR LIFE

So many events to participate inat Relay For Life:

Opening CeremonySurvivor’s Lap & Celebration

Caregivers LapLuminaria CeremonyFight Back Ceremony

Closing Ceremony

Activities for all ages • Food • Music

There are many ways to be a Superhero at the Niles-Buchanan Relay For Life

Talent Contest - To sign up contact Lindsay Prenkert at

[email protected]

Silent Auction - Contribute an item or bid in the auction

To donate an item contact Kellie Welch at [email protected]

Still time to start a new team or join an existing team.

Join as a Survivor or Caregiver

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Sat-Sun, July 19-20that Niles High School Football Field

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@leaderpub.com

t hRee oAKS — Local “Crumbs”— that is, diehard fans of Cracker — probably already know that the rock band fronted by david Lowery will be returning to the

Acorn on Aug. 1. however, casual fans of early 1990s music may want to

“get on with it” and go buy their tickets before the show sells out. After all, VIP tickets are already gone.

“We’ve played the Acorn in the past, and we really liked it,” said Lowery, who sings and plays guitar with Cracker. “It’s a great venue, and I like that part of the world. A lot of my friends come over from Chicago to see us play there.”

the music of Cracker, best known for their hits like “Get off this,” “Low” and “euro-trash Girl” from their gold-sell-ing 1993 album “Kerosene hat,” has been called “alternative rock” and even “alternative country,” but according to Lowery, their genre is “rock, just rock.”

“Cracker’s pretty much a mainstay, adult alternative rock band. Stations like WXRt in Chicago play our stuff a lot,” Lowery said. “but, there’s always been a roots element to our music.”

however, fans with really good memories will remember Lowery’s early days as the frontman for Camper Van beethov-en, a band that was famous on the college-rock circuit for songs like “take the Skinheads bowling” and “Pictures of Matchstick Men.”

In fact, Camper Van beethoven lives on, just having re-leased the companion album to 2013’s “La Costa Perdida”—what Lowery called “our northern California album.” Re-leased in June 2014, “‘el Camino Real,’ is the Southern Cali-fornia portion of that project.”

“We’re doing some shows together,” said Lowery. “Camper Van beethoven had the most recent album, so they’re doing a lot of shows.”

While Camper Van beethoven won’t be playing at the Acorn with Cracker, fans will have the unusual pleasure of hearing Cracker perform their hit songs with all of the musi-cians who originally recorded them.

“Cracker’s always been just Johnny [hickman] and me,” Lowery explained. “In most bands, you usually have two peo-ple who do most of the work, so when we set up Cracker, we made sure that it was just me and Johnny. however, we’re go-ing to have the two guys with us who played on that album. they’re guys we basically grew up with.”

Lowery promised that the audience will hear songs from all

of their albums from the last 20 years, including some from the band’s most recent release, 2009’s “Sunrise in the Land of Milk and honey.”

they may even play a song or two from their as-yet-untitled album that is scheduled for release in december or January.

beyond recording a lot of music with the two bands, as well as releasing a solo album in 2011, Lowery has also been busy teaching students about the recording business at the university of Georgia’s terry College of business.

“I basically help run their music business program,” Lowery said. “It’s a fairly progressive business school in that they hire people who are professionally qualified to be teaching students about how the business really works.”

beyond that project, Lowery has also taken a front-and-center role in the fight against music piracy over the last couple years, publishing a blog, “the trichordist,” and recently tour-ing in China.

“We discovered that there are a lot of young people who know our music because of ‘the Perks of being a Wall Flow-er,’ which was a very highly featured movie over there,” Low-ery said. “We were also doing a sort of a cultural exchange, speaking with our counterparts there, people from indie labels, concert promoters, and artists, discussing how piracy impact artists and what their government’s doing about it.”

As busy as he has been, Lowery continues to find the time to tour each summer, and whether you’re a Crumb, a former Camper Van junkie or just someone who appreciate some good rock ‘n’ roll songs written with a sense of humor and irony, Cracker’s show at the Acorn is one you shouldn’t miss.

Cracker will take the stage at the Acorn, located at 107 Gen-erations dr., three oaks, at 8 p.m. on Aug. 1. tickets for the show are available at www.acorntheater.com, and more infor-mation can also be obtained by calling the box office at (269) 756-3879.

SPOTLIGHT

Photo Submitted by Jason Thrasher

Cracker will be playing at The Acorn Theater on Aug. 1.

Cracker returns to rock AcornSummer tour precedes upcoming album release


7

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SUBMITTEDFernwood and WVPe Public Radio are

bringing the music of howard Levy and Chris Siebold to Fernwood on Friday, July 18, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Fernwood Friday is an annual concert that is part of the WVPe Summer Concert Series, which takes place on Fernwood's Green. Food by Chef tim Carrigan, beer and wine are available for purchase.

howard Levy is a virtuoso of the diatonic harmonica and an excellent pianist. An origi-nal member of bela Fleck’s Flecktones, he has radically changed the approach to the harmonica, broadening its musical range and winning Grammy awards for his recorded output.

his duo partner, master guitarist Chris Sie-bold, is fluent on a number of fretted string instruments, including mandolin, lap steel guitar, and banjo, with occasional percussion.

together they traverse an incredible range of sonic territory: blues, swing, bebop, fla-menco, tango, european folk, and American song-stylings from Gershwin to dylan often sounding like a full ensemble. the howard Levy and Chris Siebold duo has performed

in numerous theaters, universities, and clubs across the uS, South America, and europe.

the concert is free to Fernwood and WVPe Members; all others are only $5 each. Want to experience Fernwood Friday from the comfort of the café decks? Fernwood is offering an exclusive package that includes a farm-to-table dinner complete with dessert and a bottle of wine (one bottle per couple), plus reserved seats with the best view in the house. the cost is $40 ($75 per couple). Res-ervations are limited so call Fernwood today at (269) 695-6491 to register.

Fernwood is a special place where nature blends with gardens and art to create an ex-perience of wonder for all ages. Fernwood comprises 105 acres on the St. Joseph River near buchanan, Michigan, at 13988 Range Line Road, niles. hours are tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. the Fernwood Café is open tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 3 p.m. Fernwood is closed on Mondays. Call (269) 695-6491 or visit www.fernwoodbotanical.org for more information and to confirm sta-tus of classes.

SUBMITTED

benton hARboR, Mich. — Partner-ing to support the area’s amateur photogra-phy talent, Cornerstone Alliance and Cor-nerstone Chamber of Commerce are launch-ing “Picture Yourself a Winner” contest through Friday, August 15 and is designed to capture images from berrien County that depict four distinct perspectives of Michi-gan’s Great Southwest.

the contest is open to amateur photogra-phers only; amateur is defined as someone who earns less than 50 percent of their in-come from photography.

the four contest categories for photo-graph submissions are: Manufacturing, In-dustry and/or technology; Arts, Leisure and/or Recreation; Street and/or Cityscapes; unique & Creative Perspectives. Photogra-phers can submit one photograph per each category, and submitted photos are to be tak-en within berrien County.

tammie howard, president of Corner-stone Chamber of Commerce said, “We en-courage photographers of all ages to be part of this contest and submit entries in one or all four categories. there are so many inter-esting and picturesque venues throughout

the county-we look forward to receiving many submissions.”

there will be first, second and third place winners awarded in each category. Winners will be announced the week of September 8, 2014. the 12 award-winning photographs will be displayed in a rotating photo exhibit throughout various public locations in ber-rien County beginning this fall.

All photographs must be submitted via email to [email protected] and should include first and last name; full ad-dress; phone number; category and a brief description of the photograph including lo-cation, venue and date. digital photographs should be taken at the highest resolution possible, a minimum of 300 ppi is recom-mended.

“We are delighted to work with the Chamber on this project,” said Cornerstone Alliance President, Victoria Pratt. “We want this contest to inspire and promote creativity that sometimes can only be captured through a camera lens. We are excited to tap into our area’s talent.”

to learn more details about “Picture Yourself a Winner” and the complete set of rules, please visit www.Cornerstonecham-ber.com or call (269) 925-6100.

Submitted photo

Howard Levy and Chris Siebold will be bringing their music to Fernwood on July 18.

Cracker returns to rock Acorn

Calling amateur photographers

Fernwood Friday features Howard Levy and Chris Siebold

CLEARING OUT YOUR ATTIC?Call Classifieds to sell your stuff! 269-683-4804


8

Summer Seed

SALE

93532.indd 1 6/11/14 12:17 PM

Summer Seed

SALE

93532.indd 1 6/11/14 12:17 PM

Summer Seed

SALE

93532.indd 1 6/11/14 12:17 PM

Buy 4; Get 1 FREE!* Mix &

MatchSALE

Suet & No-Melt Dough

Bird Food Cylinders

Mealworms

Stackables®

Bark Butter®

15% OFF5, 10 and 20 Lb.

Bags of Seed

The University Crossing Store - 421 E. University Drive, GrangerIn the Super Target Shopping Center

(574) 247-0201 • www.mishawaka.wbu.com

Valid only at Granger store. One discount per purchase. Offer not valid on previous

purchases, or sale items. Other exclusions mat apply. See store for details.

MUST PRESENT COUPON. Offer valid thru 7/31/14

NewLocation!

WE BUY • SELL • TRADE

2516 Lincolnway WestMishawaka, INOpen: Mon-Sat

Nunemaker’s Coin Shop

www.nunemakers.com

Cash in your Coins, Jewelry Gold & Silver

FreeIn-Store

Appraisals!574-288-7464

Spend a day

Discovering Buchanan!Saturday, July 26, 2017 • 1-7pm

Start the day at the Buchanan Farmer’s Market 8am-1pmGet maps and information on over 20 participating businesses and organizations.

Then spend the day visiting these locations for samples, give-a-ways and activities . . . all for free!

After the fun stay for the best free concert our area has to offer at 7pm on the Common!

www. b u c h a n a n .m i . u s

the method for preserving food using glass jars was sparked by a contest sponsored by the French military led by napoleon bonaparte. the French military offered a cash prize of 12,000 francs to the person who devised a method to preserve food for long peri-ods of time. French inventor nicolas Appert was responsible for introducing the heat seal process of canning in the early 1800s. he won the prize!

Later, glass jars came of age. In the late 1850s—1858 to be exact—when the Mason fruit jar was patented by tin smith, John Mason, everything changed in the world of canning. the Mason jar solved the food preservation problem with the use of a lid and rubber seal. Mason’s patent was for the machine that cut tin into threads making it easy to manufacture a jar with a reusable screw top lid. Mason’s sealing mechanism comprised of a glass container with a thread molded top and a zinc lid with a rubber seal ring was patented on november 30, 1858.

bacteria was killed by heating the jars in hot water and sealing the jar while still hot. the heat seal process gave glass jars an important place in the col-lectibles realm. today, collectors look for glass canning jars, also called fruit jars for canning and for kitchen decoration in the antiques market.

If you think one canning jar is no different from another canning jar, then, think again …

Clamped Glass JarsIn 1882, henry Putnam of bennington, Vermont, invented a glass canning

jar that used a glass lid and a metal clamp closure. Called lightning jars because they could be opened in a flash, the glass lids were popular because they did not present as many contamination problems as the common zinc lids.

Many companies produced glass canning jars: Lustre, Climax, Atlas, Swayzee, Samco, etc.

the buffalo, new York family named ball (the ball jar) headed by William Charles ball and his five brothers produced paint and oil storage cans. From a new factory in Muncie, Indiana following a fire at their buffalo facility, the ball Company began producing glass storage jars. Like Mason jars, soon ball jars became a household name. While the majority of glass canning jars sell in the $10 to $75 range, a ball Perfection half pint glass fruit canning jar sold recently for $600 at auction.

While both Mason and ball took great strides in the arena of glass canning jars, Alexander Kerr made canning easier for those working in the kitchen with his introduction of wide mouth/easy to fill self-sealing canning jars. his jars allowed a threaded metal ring to stay in place during the heating process. these jars could be quickly filled and re-used, too.

When it comes to valuable glass canning jars, look for embossed pattern decoration and lettering advertising the origin and maker of the jar, clear condition, no cracks or chips, and the original accessory lid, seal ring, or clamp. happy canning and collecting!

Collecting Glass Canning Jars

COLUMNIST

Dr. Lori VerderameArts & Antiques

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, Dr. Lori hosts antiques appraisal events worldwide. Bring an antique for a FREE appraisal by Dr. Lori at Suburban Home & Garden Show in Oaks, PA on Feb 21 thru 23, 2014. Dr. Lori is the star appraiser on Discovery channel. Visit www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori, Lori Verderame on Google+ or call (888) 431-1010.

Show your love by placing a

Birthday Celebration Adin the newspaper!

HAPPY 5thBIRTHDAY to my little pirate!

Brayden you have truly been such a blessing in our lives. You make everyday a new adventure. We love you so much. Love, Mom, Dad and Cortney

Contact Donna or Nicole at 269-687-7717

3.125” x 3”Color $45BW $35

4.8125” x 3” Color $65 BW $50

Ads need to be purchased 4 days prior to the publication date.


9 MARKETPLACE

General Notices 106WRONGLY DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY

DISABILITY BENEFITS?I can help. (269)473-2370

Business Oppor-tunities

200

Earn Extra Cash onthe Weekends

delivering the LeaderAREA ROUTES AVAILABLE

As an independent con-tractor you determine thehours you work on Sat-urday and/or Sunday. Youmust have a valid drivers li-cense and your owntransportation.Contact Cindy at 269-687-7727 orcindy.kl [email protected] to learn moreabout this profitable op-portunity

Help Wanted 300EXPERIENCED

MACHINEOPERATORS

National Standard. See ourlarger ad in today'snewspaper.Kibbechem is hiring in theirMaintenance Department.See the larger ad in today'spaper.

LEADERPUBLICATIONS

ROUTESAVAILABLE

See our ad under businessopportunitiesNorth Woods Memory Careis seeking an EnvironmentalService Director. See ourlarger ad in today's paper.

NOW HIRINGREALTORS

Call today 269-683-4507Coldwell Banker R. E.

Specialists1400 Chicago RdNiles, MI 49120

25 DRIVER TRAINEESNEEDED NOW!Become a driver forTMC Transportation

Earn $900 per week!NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED!

Sponsored LocalCDL Training

1-800-882-7364

WANT A JOB?20 Open Positions

$8.50/HourBuchanan, MI

Call Now!!!(269) 408-1980

stjosephmi.expresspros.com

Elderly Care 307KARE SERVICESCompassionate Home

Care Services(269)684-1984(574)292-2900

email:[email protected]

Instruction & Training

309

P.D.K.Firearm Instruction

Concealed Pistol LicenseClasses. Contact Paul: 269-

462-2584 or Kelly: 269-783-6570

pdkfirearms.com

Apartments 4122 BEDROOM

Apartments Available$565/month

(269)684-4500tanglewood-niles.com

CassopolisSTONE LAKE MANORSenior Apartments. 2months free on select units.Spacious, two bedroomlocated on beautiful StoneLake, Intercom entrybuilding, elevator, emer-gency pull cords. Seniors 62years or older. Rent starts at$631.00 (based on income).Please call Toni at 269-445-3333 or stop by today at145 Stone Lake St. for moreinformation. EHO. TDD 1-800-649-3777 AmericanPreferred 1-800-968-1792

Rental Property 490COMMERCIAL

BUILDING FOR RENTHigh traffic area on M-60East, Niles. West end ofbuilding. 1600 square feetwith two overhead doors.Please call (269)683-3223

Houses for Sale 500

Single mom looking for ahome or a 1st time buyer?

Call Mike at(269)470-2995

HOUSE FOR SALE

4068 King Dr., Sodus, MI.Located on quiet dead endstreet in the heart of winecountry, this home is justwaiting for you! Updatesthroughout this 3 bedroomhome. Roof, furnace,windows, well, waterheater, electrical, insu-lation, and more! But if thatis not enough sellers areincluding a 1 year homewarranty with an ac-ceptable offer to assureyour peace of mind. Allappliances also included.Enjoy quiet evenings on thelarge front porch, in thespacious backyard or takea walk to the nearby park.Minutes to the bypassmake it convenient toeverywhere! Come take atour today! MLS14029450

Coldwell Banker, RWGPatty Lauten

574-340-4271269-663-8800

WHETHER BUYINGOR SELLING

Integrity Real EstateProfessionals

would love the opportunity toserve you. Call any of ouragents for professionalservice you expect and de-serve.

269-684-5030Integrity Real Estate

Professionals

Manufactured Homes

502

FAMILY HOME,$686/MO!

3 bd/2 bth, 1,456+ sq. ft.Many updates!

Central air, SkylightsBuchanan, 269-695-3119HOMES FOR SALE

IN DECATUR

3 Bed, 2 bath homes readyto be moved into. LeaseOptions at starting at $621per month (includes lot rent,insurance, water, trash) Call269-423-7024 or visitwww.phelpscommunity.comto view pictures

Mobile Homes 506SPRING SAVINGS ONAFFORDABLE HOMES•Preowned 2&3 bed homes•New 3 bed, 2 bath homes

for $34,500•Many standard features

•Modular homes availableColonial Acres

(269)663-2424

General Mer-chandise

595

NOW OPENNILES FLEA MARKET

Wed.-Sat. 10a-5pSun. 12p-5p

111 E. Main StA few Vendor spots stillavailable. For more info

call 574-323-4187

Antiques 600ALLEGAN ANTIQUE

MARKETSunday, July 27

8am to 4pm400 ExhibitorsRain or Shine

Located at the Fairgrounds,right in Allegan, Michigan$4.00 Admission. No Pets

Cemetery Lots 6172 ADJACENT

CEMETERY LOTSMission Hills MemorialGardens, between Niles-Dowagiac, Mission Sectionnear the old Chapel. $1,295each, includes transfer feeand deed fee. (269)683-3473

2 CEMETERY PLOTSSave $1,100 per lot, NilesMission Hills MemorialGardens, Garden of Missionsection, $600 for both, lotsinclude transfer cost. Call(269)782-6822

Household Mer-chandise

642

FOR SALE•Used and Reconditioned

Appliances•Washers & Dryers

•Ranges•Air Conditioners

•Refrigerators841 Carberry Rd. Niles

(269)687-8639

HUGE SALE ATBILL'S USED APPLIANCESHours: Mon-Fri. 10a-5pm

Sat. 10a-3pmClosed Sunday

2559 S. 11th St. Niles(269) 340-5952

Merchandise for Sale

643

YOUR E-CIG EXPERTSVaporizers & e-hookahOver 50 liquid flavors.

US 31 Tobacco50552 US 31 N, South Bend

(574) 271-0333

9 MARKETPLACE

MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENTA local plastics corporation seeks motivated individual for a career in our Maintenance Department. If you are able to commit to the job responsibilities and meet the qualifications then we look forward to reviewing your application.

Qualifications & Responsibilities:• You must be punctual and arrive for your shift when expected. Attendance is critical. • Industrial Experience is required, however there is no minimum as long as you are knowledgeable in the field. Plastic Injection Molding or Extrusion Experience is a plus.

Please submit all applications and inquires to [email protected]. No soliciting, thank you.

North Woods Village, a new, premiere Assisted Living/Memory Care facility in Mishawaka is looking for an experienced

Environmental Services Director to manage the maintenance and housekeeping

departments. Previous management experience is preferred and a strong maintenance

background is required. If interested send your resume to [email protected]

or call Mick Feauto at 574-247-1866.

MDS ASSISTANTLocal long-term care facility is accepting resumes

for an MDS Assistant.Interested candidates must have a valid Michigan

RN or LPN nurses license and previousexperience working as an MDS Coordinator in a

long-term care facility is preferred. We offer a very competetive wage and benefit

package. Qualified candiates shouldsubmit resumes to: [email protected]

WOUND CARE NURSELocal long-term care facility is accepting

resumes for a Wound Care Nurse.Interested candidates must have a valid

Michigan RN or LPN nurses license and previous experience working as a wound care nurse in a long-term care facility is preferred. We offer a very competetive wage and benefit

package. Qualified candiates shouldsubmit resumes to: [email protected]


10 HALF CLASS

Garage-Yard Sales

669

Benton Harbor - 2882Kerlikowske Rd

ESTATE OFBILL CHANDLER

Thurs. & Fri. July 17 & 18,10am-5pm,

Sat. July 19, 10am-1pmThis is a sale unlike any youhave ever seen! There arehundreds of pieces of an-tique furniture. Mr.Chandler collected for yearsand now it will be sold.There are too many itemsto mention, you'll have tosee for yourself! Saleconducted by The GreatEstate.

INDOOR YARD SALENew things in every week

at the oldMartin's Auction House

6525 M-139 (Old US31)Berrien Springs, MI10:00am-5:00pm

EVERYThursday, Friday & Saturday

Nile/Cassopolis- 62010Anderson Rd. (BetweenWhite St. and Pokagon Hwy)

BARN SALEJuly 17, 18 & 19, 10-4

Saddles, cast iron, old tools,vintage glassware, col-lectibles, kitchen items, 2very nice china sets (1930's)and much more. (269)684-4469

Wanted to Buy 672BUYING

repairable scrap and un-wanted vehicles, top dollarpaid. Call or text for a freequote today. Free towing.Kevin (817)437-0450

CASH PAIDfor used appliances. Call(269)687-8639

WE WILL BUYyour junk car. We haul forfree. Paying up to $1500cash. Please call anytime269-687-8098

Home Improve-ment

700

#1 GUTTERSWe do seamless gutters.Free estimates, call(269)782-0401

FRYMAN'S SEAMLESSGUTTERS & SIDINGFRYMAN’S ROOFING

Your home exterior experts.Quality guaranteed! LocallyOwned for 50 years. (269)782-5008 (David & Terri Fryman)

HOME REPAIRS &REMODELING

Over 30 years of experience,tile work, kitchens, bath-rooms, decks & porches,windows & doors, windowwrapping, siding, fascia &soffit. Call Randy (269)782-3139 (269)208-9838

JDS HOMEIMPROVEMENT

Repairs, Replacement, NewSmall Jobs welcome.Licensed/Insured. Call John(269)445-7005

MK CONSTRUCTION

Pole barn & other garagesspecialist. Roofing Siding,Framing and more. Over 25years experience. Licensed.Contact Michael N. Knepple(269)476-9777

MR. MAINTENANCEFREE ESTIMATES

Roofing, Siding & Windows,Light Hauling & SpringClean-Ups, No Inside orOutside job too big or small.Low affordable rates.(269)591-1403

Lawn Service 721GARDENING WITH

INTEGRITY, LLC•Lawn maintenance,

•Full Landscaping Service• Spring Clean Ups

clean beds, preen, mulch,trim shrubs, edging, createnew beds & much more

Call Ellen (269)759-1012

Tree Service 725C & S MARSH

TREE SERVICETrees, brush, stump removal,high lift work, insured.(269)362-4331 or 683-1065leave msg.

PAYNE'S TREESERVICE

Tree Trimming & Removal.Stump Grinding & Firewood.Bobcat & Concrete Work.Insured. (269)663-8091

THE CUTTING EDGEPRO TREE CAREComplete Tree ServiceSAME DAY ESTIMATES

Insured, Competitive Rates.269-687-4972

Pool Service 727SWIMMING POOL

LINERS & REPAIRSAny size, great prices, allequipment, 35 years exper-ience. Robertson’s Sales &Service, Niles. Call (269)684-2669

Paving Service 739C & C CONCRETE

Flat work of all kinds,stamping, sidewalks,concrete patching, patios,driveways and pole barns.No job too small. FreeEstimates. Insured(269)228-1163

HOPPER EXCAVATING"Have Gravel Will Travel"

Driveway, stone, slag, re-cycled concrete, asphalt, topsoil, sand & fill. (269)782-1744/(269)783-1744

Recycling Service 743CA$H 4 JUNKERS

Turn that Junker in your yardto cash in your hand

801 Carberry Rd, Niles269-687-5865

Misc. Services 747BRADY CONCRETE

Specializing in Flat work of alltype, seawalls, stamped con-crete & Bobcat Service. Freeestimates. Insured. Fast, de-pendable service. (269)445-3349 or (269)591-0100

CASPER MASONRYBrick/ Block/Stone. Custom& Insurance work. Insured &Bonded. (574)298-3520

COMPLETECONCRETE

From start to finish.Stamped, flat & dirt work.Insured (269)663-8091CONCRETE SERVICESDriveways, Patios, Side-walks, and Room Additions.15 years experience. Call Jay269-635-4393.

KLIMEKENTERPRISES

Electrical Contracting, No JobToo Big or Small. Free Quotes.Affordable Pricing, Licensed &Insured. (269)684-6290 or(269)470-4097.MICHIANA MASONRY

& CONSTRUCTIONAll your Masonry needs!Chimney Cleaning. Insured &Bonded. Senior discounts .(269)362-1566

MIDWEST ROOFINGFamily owned since 1984.Lifetime Warranty ShinglesFlat Roofs & Gutter Covers.Call (269)684-7199

POLE BARNS &GARAGESBY NIEBOER

Quality Built (269)684-6673POND LINERS

EPDM Rubber, Any sizeLowest Prices, FREE De-livery, Huge Inventory, TRMEnterprises, South Bend.(574)246-1922(574) 329-9294WEAVER CONCRETE

And masonry, driveways,porches, patios, tearout/replace, all repairs,brick, block, stone, fire-places. Will fix wet base-ments big or small, insideand out. All concrete flat-work $2.25 sq. ft. Land-scaping. Fast dependableservice. Quality work. Aaron(269)655-4158

We do all the Loading,Hauling & Clean up!!!

Commercial/Residential/Industrial

•Storage Units, Decks•Construction Debris•Rental Clean Outs•Property Cleanup

•Farms/Barns•Concrete/Asphalt

Removal•Demolition

7 days a week(269)213-1746

Like us on Facebookwww.facebook/

A2zrecycling.com

Painting Service 754

J.M. HUNTENTERPRISES, LLC

Painting & Drywall. Insured.Free Estimates. FamilyOwned & Operated for Over50 years. 269-683-4442.

Cleaning Service 757RICK'S POWER WASHING

RVs, homes, decks, farmequip. & boat docks. Smallcommercial jobs. ServingCass., Dow. & Niles. FreeEstimates, Senior Dis-counts. Will beat anycompetitors estimates.Satisfaction Guaranteed.Call 269-470-9507 or 269-470-9498

Insurance 758LOWER YOUR

INSURANCE RATES!Home - Auto - Health - Life

We do the shopping for you!TCU Insurance AgencyCall Deb Asmus today

(269) 683-6700 x5901

Boats, Motors 900FOR SALE

12' V Bottom boat with 6 hp.Evinrude motor and newoars, with trailer and extras.$850. Call (269) 357-6750

Motors, Boating Equipment

903

SHORE STATIONShoreMaster, Medium sizewith blue canopy, held 16 ftTri-hull I/O, On diamondlake. $1400. Call 574-340-1684

RVs, Campers, Trailers

921

COACHMEN 2004Captiva 275-DS Slide fullyloaded travel trailer, 27feet, excellent condition.$10,800 or best offer 269-473-1779

Autos for Sale 9451987 PONTIAC

FIREBIRDRed, Factory 5 Speed, 350,56,000 Original Miles,Some fender damage$3,800 (269)362-3068

2004 MERCURYSABLE

$1800.00Call Scarlett Auto Sales

269-461-4197NEED A CAR NOW?

WELL WE HAVE THE ONEJUST FOR YOU!!!!New Arrivals at

Scarlett Auto Sales!Loaded 2010 Hyundai

ElantrasLow Miles! you can't beatthat! COLD A/C RUNS GREATTax , Title and fees are yourdown payment $275/mo NoInterest! No Credit Checks!7979 Deans Hill Rd Berrien

Center, MI 49102(269) 461- 4197

10 HALF CLASSWHAT'S HAPPENING?iSubmit calendar events to Jill McCaughan, fea-ture writer, by email at [email protected] or [email protected] or visit the Leader Publications office at 217 N. Fourth St., Niles.

July 17

i The Acorn Theater in Three Oaks will pres-ent Roxy Bellows at 2 p.m. Roxy Bellows is an improvisational caba-ret singing diva with a lightning fast delivery. Whether belting out a totally improvised song or engaging in sidesplit-ting banter, Roxy nev-er fails to delight and amaze her audiences. Tickets are $20. Coffee and dessert are includ-ed in the ticket price.

Enjoy storytelling in the Acorn’s intimate New Leaf Lounge. The eve-ning will be fun, smart, and safe with gifted per-formers connecting on the most human level. Those who listen to The Moth or This American Life, you have an idea how it feels. Tickets are $10. Dinner Op-tion: BYOF! The New Leaf Lounge is ready for entertaining, so come early and bring your own picnic and enjoy the show. Front bar will be open. Please do not bring your own alcohol.

Barn Swallow Theatre announces auditions

for “Fox on the Fairway” to be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. July 17 and 10 a.m. to noon July 19. Character parts needed for the show are three men, ages 18 to 60+ and three women also ages 18 to 60+. All au-ditions will be held at the theatre, located at 22334 U.S. 12 East of Edwardsburg, and will involve short readings from the script. Directing this play is Lois Owen. She may be contacted at (269) 445-2142 or call Carol at (269) 445-2511 for more information.

i

The Cass County Chap-ter of the Michigan As-sociation of Retired School Personnel will meet at the Lowe Build-ing, COA facility located

at the corner of Deca-tur Road and M-60, Cassopolis. The busi-ness meeting will begin at 1 p.m. in the Plym Room. The speaker will be Roseanne Marchetti on the restoration and plans for the historic courthouse in Cassopo-lis. Lunch is available at the dining room at noon. All retired school personnel, or those ex-pecting to retire are in-vited to attend both the lunch and the meeting. Members are reminded that the collection cam-paign for Cass County food pantries is continu-ing. Items needed are canned goods, boxed dinners, non-perishable items, and paper prod-ucts. Reservations are encouraged by calling Carol at (269) 445-2511, emailing [email protected], or with a caller

contact person.

July 18

Woody Sez is a joyous, toe-tapping, and moving theatrical concert event that uses Woody Guth-rie’s words, and more than 25 of his songs to transport the audience through his fascinating, beautiful and sometimes tragic life. Shows begin at 8 p.m. July 18 and 19 and 4 p.m. July 19 at the Acorn Theater. Cost for the 8 p.m. shows is $35. Tickets are $30 for the 4 p.m. show.

Fernwood and WVPE Public Radio are bring-ing the music of Howard Levy and Chris Siebold

to Fernwood from 5:30 to 9 pm. Fernwood Fri-day is an annual concert that is part of the WVPE Summer Concert Se-ries, which takes place on Fernwood’s Green. Food by Chef Tim Car-rigan, beer and wine are available for purchase. The concert is free to Fernwood and WVPE Members; all others are only $5 each.

July 18-20

The Twin City Junior Players (TCjP) will per-form its the final main-stage production of the 2013-2014 season, the Tony Award winning drama “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, directed by Christy Sloan and Lloyd Bolick. Perfor-mance dates are July


11

WHAT'S HAPPENING?i11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20. Tickets will be $15 for adults, $12 for se-niors and $7 for children (12 and under). Group rates are also available. All seats are reserved. Reservations can be made by calling the TCP box office at (269) 429-0400. TCP is also offering online ticket purchases for the first time at twincityplayers.org. Performance times are 8 p.m. for Friday and Saturday evening per-formances and 4 p.m. for Sunday matinees. All performances take place at the Twin City Players Playhouse lo-cated at 600 West Glen-lord Road in St. Joseph.

July 19

Organizers of the Out-door French Market in Harbert, Mich. are seek-ing vendors for their event to be hend on July 19th at the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, 14280 Red Arrow Hwy. The group is accept-ing space reservations now. Contact the mar-ket committee for de-tails at [email protected] or call Jeannine Totzke on (269) 921-1127.

Athletes from across the Midwest will compete in the Sister Lakes Triath-lon and Relay July 19. Participants will swim Round Lake, bike the smooth and rolling ter-rain of country roads and run a course that takes them around Big Crooked and Dewey lakes and many resi-dential areas of this summertime Mecca. The two-transitional event which features both Olympic and Sprint distances begins at 8 a.m. On-site registration takes place at Sister Lakes Lions Clubhouse, where post-race festivi-ties are held. For on-line registration, visit www-3Disciplines.com

The Episcopal Church of the Mediator will host the 2014 Annual French Outdoor Market at the church, 14280 Red Ar-row Highway in Harbert, Michigan. Organizers are accepting space

reservations now. Con-tact the market commit-tee for details at [email protected] or call Jeannine Totzke on (269) 921-1127.

The Box Factory will host the Blvd. Billies with Dan Geib, and Art and Rusty Hardwater. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 general admis-sion; $8 students and seniors; children 12 and under free.

The Blvd. Billies with Dan Geib and Art & Rusty Hardwater per-forms at the Box Factory for the Arts, 1101 Broad St., St. Joseph, Michi-gan at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at the door are $10 gen-eral admission; $8 stu-dents and seniors; chil-dren 12 and under free.

Lemon Creek Winery will host an all-day con-cert featuring three live blues bands: The El-wood Splinters Blues Band, Shake N Chill and The David Gerald Band. Food will be available for purchase. Admission is $10.

The Southwest Michi-gan Symphony Orches-tra invites you to an evening of symphonic suites by Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award, Academy Award, and Grammy Award winning compos-er Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim on Silver will be performed on Satur-day, July 19, 2014, 7:30 p.m. at Shadowland Pavilion – Silver Beach with gates opening at 6:30 p.m.

July 20-25

Pleasant View Church of Christ will host a Va-cation Bible School pro-gram from 6 to 8:30 p.m. July 20 to 25. The theme for this year’s program is Transformers, based off of Romans 12:2. Ev-ery night participants will enjoy energetic mu-sic, skits, crafts that they will be transforming into

something cool, games, snacks that they will make themselves and lessons from the Bible. Call (269) 932-2715 for more details.

July 22

i

Southwest Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees will hold its annual picnic at a mem-ber‘s home. Main food and drink will be provid-ed. Please bring a dish to pass. All retired/cur-rent federal employees and their spouses/fami-lies are welcome. For information call Jean Rowe at 269 782 2769 or e mail [email protected]

July 23

The Twin City Players will present “A Midsum-mer Night’s Dream” at 7 p.m. at the Whitcomb Terrace, located at 509 Ship St. in St. Joseph. The performance is open to the public, but there is a suggested $5 donation.

July 24

St. Patrick’s County Park will offer a basic ar-chery lesson on Thurs-day, July 24, 2014 from 6-8 p.m. at the Brown Barn. This program is geared for ages 12 years and up, accom-panied by an adult. The fee is $10/person. Reg-istration and payment are required by July 21.For more information or to make reserva-tions, please call (574) 654-3155. St. Patrick’s County Park is located on Laurel Road in South Bend, IN.

July 25

Elkhart County Parks will be presenting a pro-gram which will explore the wonderful world of amphibians and rep-tiles on at 1:45 pm. at the Heritage Park Stage during the Elkhart Coun-ty 4-H Fair. This will be a fun, hands on program featuring a variety of live amphibians and reptiles.

Niles will host a Craft Brew and Wine Festival from 3 to 9 p.m. in Riv-erfront Park, featuring brews, music and food. Visit www.nilesmi.com for more information.

July 26

The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company will “Coriolanus” in a cabaret setting at the Box Factory for the Arts. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 general admis-sion; $8 students and seniors; children 12 and under free.

i

The Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its first ever “Buchanan Open House Day” from 1 to 6 p.m. Organizers are asking for all merchants, organizations and com-mittees alike to partici-pate in this community wide event. For more information, contact [email protected] or (269) 695-3291.

A reminder to Dowagiac Band Alumni of the sec-ond band reunion to be held on Saturday, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Dow-agiac Elks Club. Those who would like to at-tend, but haven’t sent in a reservation still have time. The deadline has been extended to July 14. Invitations were sent out to classes 1960 through 1973. Dowagi-ac band members who were in band before 1960 or after 1973 are still most welcome to attend. Contact Linda Nelson, (269) 782-5212 if you would like to re-ceive an invitation and it will be sent to you right away.

iResidents and busi-nesses in Berrien Coun-ty are invited to recycle their unwanted e-waste items and tires on Sat-urday, July 26, 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m, at the New Troy Community Center, 13372 Califor-

nia Rd., New Troy. For more information or to volunteer to assist with the event, please con-tact FONT’s Recycling Committee member, Janna Riley, at 773-275-1514 or [email protected].

The Episcopal Church of the Mediator in Harbert, Michigan would like to invite the public to join us for a “Starry Starry Night” under the stars on July 26th at 7:30 p.m. (EDT). Our experts to guide us through the sky viewing are Jenni-fer Francis, Director of the Upton Planetarium in St. Joseph and Mike Durren, Instructor of As-tronomy at Lake Michi-gan College. There will be a 12” Dobsonian telescope available for viewing or you can bring your own. Binoculars are also a great way to see features in the night sky. If you don’t have a telescope and would like to purchase a Gali-leoscope kit they are available for advanced purchase at a cost of $25. A tripod is recom-mended for stability and they will be available for $25.

Lubeznik Center for the Arts will hold a panel discussion, Art As Auto-biography: The History of the Artist in the Work from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Panelists include au-thor Stephanie Medlock and artists Suzanne Cohan-Lange, Richard C. Lange and Material Possessions exhibiting artists John Paul Morab-ito and Aram Han. Pan-elists will discuss what influences inspire their works, from the more obvious fascination with forms and materials, to the socio/political is-sues that interest them, and the deeply personal memories that may un-consciously direct their choices.

Aug. 2

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians’ Four Winds casinos will host a concert by Heart at Four Winds New Buffalo’s Silver Creek Event Center on Satur-day, Aug. 2, at 9 p.m.

Eastern. Tickets for the event can be purchased beginning on Friday, May 9 at 10 a.m. East-ern exclusively through the Ticketmaster web-site, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling at (800)745-3000. Ticket prices start at $50 plus applicable fees.

Galien United Methodist Church is hosting a BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and Ice Cream Social event from 5 to 7 p.m. A free will offering will be available at the door. All proceeds will benefit mission trips. Call 269-362-4917 for carry-outs.

The Box Factory for the Arts will present Gary Brandt and Jackie Da-vidson. The concert be-gins at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 general admission; $8 students and seniors; children 12 and under free.

Nature

Community

Crafts

Food

iInformation

Family

Theatre

Tourist

Parting Shots

Art

Business

Religious

Music

Alcohol

LEGEND

Sports

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Shopping

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SummerCamping


12

It’s been just over 6 months since Christmas came and went, and even if you haven’t started to miss all of the snow, you might be in need of a shot of Christmas cheer.

If that’s the case, you don’t have to go too far to enjoy a little “Christmas in July,” and the Christmas tree, located at 2675 Mizpah Park Rd., is just the place to do that.

Sisters Kathleen Park and Madeline Kimball have been serving up Christmas in July, and August, and in pretty much every other month for the past 25 years at the Christmas tree.

despite the many years of success that the store has enjoyed, one might wonder how the two sisters and their mother, also named Madeline, found the nerve to open a Christmas-themed store all those years ago, but as Kimball explained, that was not what they set out to do back in 1989.

“the goose was the first thing,” Kim-ball recalled. “both Mom and I are sewers, and Mom is a designer, so we said one day, ‘We need to be doing something.’ I had been volunteering for the Krasl at that time and I said, ‘the holly Market is coming up, and maybe we could make something that we could sell there.’”

After discussing possible projects over coffee and cookies, the ladies hit upon the idea of creating elegant, stuffed geese that they would sell as fundraisers.

“We had a good time planning for that. So, that’s where we started,” Kimball said. “Mom made scarves for the geese out of really good material. they were so nice that you could take them off and wear them if you wanted to. We sold a lot of them. We got so tired of stuffing their necks!”

From the Christmas goose project, the trio moved into a business focused on helping other businesses prepare for the holidays.

“We really were focused at the begin-

ning on doing the Christmas decorating for big corporate Christmas parties. We did the centerpieces for the tables, we did the wreaths, we purchased and gift-wrapped all of the employees’ Christmas presents,” Kimball said.

that led into assisting with home Christmas parties, and soon the ladies found that they had so many samples, they needed a place to put them all.

“We set up a nice sample room of about 800 square feet, and that’s really when it started to be a retail store,” Kimball said. “We had customers peeking in the win-dows and asking questions as soon as we put out the sign. that was when we real-ized we needed to go to market to get things that people would want to buy. that’s just part of the story.”

While the emphasis has always been on Christmas, the Christmas tree is, in fact, really three shops under one roof—a gift shop, a gourmet shop and of course, the Christmas shop.

“this destination store has unusual things and things for every occasion,” Kimball said. “We have everything from new baby gifts—things that are a lot of times keepsakes, to children’s things, gifts for weddings, birthdays and home accent things, too. our gift basket business is busy all the time, too.”

the Christmas tree also carries a selec-

tion of Michigan-made artwork, hand-crafted products and gourmet foods.

“When you go to market, almost every-thing is made in China,” Park noted.

“We try to sell locally-made prod-ucts,” Kimball added. “We also try to pull artists in here when we come across their work and we like it. I think that makes our store special.”

Some of those Michigan art-ists include Carl Sams II and Jean Stoick, the duo that has produced a variety of nature-themed photog-raphy books, including t h e b e s t - s e l l i n g “St ranger in the Woods.”

“Another of our Michigan artists is Peg-gy Reimel Abrams. We’re hoping to have her come for a signing soon,” Kimball said. “She’s known for her wind-swept Santas.”

“We’ve known her for quite some time,” Park added. “She’s in Swartz Creek, Michigan.”

Visitors to the shop may also have the pleasure of hearing Christmas music produced by local musician, brian Siew-ert. his Cd, “Christmas is Love” can also be purchased at the shop.

other Michigan products can be found in the shop’s gourmet pantry, from which customers can choose individual items or combine them into custom-made gift baskets.

“We have all different kinds of gour-met foods,” Park noted. “We carry French truffles, and lots of different dips. We have a lot of Michigan things in here, too, like Kalamazoo Kettle Corn. their caramel corn is so wonderful!”

While the amazing variety of products tucked into the shop is reason enough to visit the Christmas tree, it is the people

you will meet there that makes it really special.

“We have several gals, all long-time employees who have become like a fami-ly,” Kimball said. “helping customers find exactly the right gift, no matter what the occasion, is something we all love about our work.”

TOURIST FOR A DAY Discover the local destinations right in your own backyard


Leader Photo/Jill McCaughanSisters Madeline Kimball and Kathy Park love to spread holiday cheer, selling Christ-mas ornaments and decora-tions year-round.

The Christmas Tree celebrates 25 years of year-round cheer

The Christmas Tree is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on

Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information can be obtained

by calling them at (269) 849-3360.

Ring in the season early

Documents

Off The Water - July 18-24, 2014