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The Place to be Entertained. Leader Publications
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Train performs at Four Winds ....... p.3Full steam ahead
Krasl Art Fair next weekend .........p.5No bluffing
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Week of July 4-10, 2014 Volume 6, Number 27Off The Water | The place to be entertained.
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All aboard!Greenbush, Sunset Coast team up to provide trolley service...p. 2
Page 2 • Week of July 4-10, 2014 Off The Water, Michiana
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FOCUS
All aboard!
By JILL [email protected]
sawyer—Tourists from all around come to southwest Michigan to enjoy the wineries and craft breweries that
the area has to offer.sometimes, though, it can seem like
just a little too much of a hassle for area residents to drive down to a different town to enjoy the nightlife, even though making the drive is definitely worth it once they get there.
That is why Greenbush Brewing Company is now offering a bi-monthly, round-trip trolley service from st. Joseph to sawyer.
“after booking a trolley pub crawl for an event in Chicago recently, it dawned on us that teaming up with the sunset Coast Trolley Company in st. Joe to essentially be the designated driver transporting groups of people to and from Greenbush on a frequent basis was bound to appeal to a lot of people,” said Greenbush’s market-ing director, Jennifer Piotter.
Now, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, guests can catch a trolley at the Maids of the Mist fountain in st. Joseph and ride down to Greenbush Brewing Company. That fountain is locat-
ed at 200 Lake Blvd., across the street from the Veranda at the whitcomb.
“It was my idea, and I got in touch with Dave Krock at sunset Coast Trolley Company,” Piotter said. “we worked with him and Kristin Cornell at sunset Coast to coordinate it.”
round-trip tickets for the trolley, which
seats 32, cost $15 per person. Those tick-ets must be purchased in advance from the sunset Coast Trolley Company website at www.sunsetcoasttrolley.com/events.
Pick-up time is 6:30 p.m. at the foun-tain, and the trolley will return riders to the fountain at 9:30 p.m.
“It’s a great way to get a few friends
together and head down to Greenbush for dinner and some drinks,” Piotter said.
The scenic trip down red arrow Highway to the brewery takes about 30 minutes each way.
“you’ll stay at Greenbush for 2 1/2 hours, which is plenty of time to have din-ner and enjoy yourselves,” Piotter said. “It’s very leisurely, and you won’t feel rushed at all. we tried to plan this on days when the brewery is not so crowded.”
The cost of the ticket also includes an optional Greenbush growler.
“They usually cost $4 in the taproom, and folks can fill it up on the way home if they want to,” Piotter said.
The dates for upcoming trolley rides are July 8, July 22, aug. 12 and aug. 26. More dates may be added if the rides prove to be very popular.
“we just started offering them last Tuesday, and we’re pretty stoked about giving people an easy way to get down to Greenbush without having to worry about driving,” Piotter said. “we sold 17 tickets for the first one.”
More information about the trolley trips can be found on the Greenbush Facebook page under the events tab as well as at www.sunsetcoasttrolley.com/events.Submitted photo/BEN PANCOAST
From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on satuday, aug. 16, The region of the Three Oaks Museum welcomes Leslie Hindman auctioneers for an appraisal event. Guests are invited to bring one to three items in the following categories: Fine art, Fine Jewelry and Timepieces, Fine Furniture and Decorative arts, asian works of art, and Fine Books and Manuscripts. specialists from Leslie Hindman
auctioneers will meet each guest to
privately evaluate each item on a compli-mentary basis. a $20 entrance fee bene-fitting the Three Oaks Museum will be collected at the door.
The region of the Three Oaks Museum collects and displays historical artifacts, papers and records that tell the story of the historical heritage of the region. It serves the inhabitants of New Buffalo, Chikaming and Three Oaks Townships.
For over three decades, Leslie Hindman auctioneers has been an indus-
try leader combining recognition as the Midwest’s leading fine art auctioneers with a global reach of buyers. Founded in 1982, sold to sotheby’s in 1997 and reopen in 2003, Leslie Hindman has remained a force behind high profile auc-tions of everything from contemporary paintings and fine jewelry to French fur-niture and rare books and manuscripts, and always achieves the strongest prices while maintaining high levels or integrity and customer service.
Region of Three Oaks Museum hosts appraisal event
Greenbush, Sunset Coast team up to offer trolley service
Submitted photo/MiChAEl KiSEr
Greenbush Brewing Company and Sunset Coast Trolley Company have joined forces to make it easy for folks in St. Joseph to get down to Sawyer for a craft brew and a meal.
Off The Water, Michiana WeekofJuly4-10,2014•Page 3
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SPOTLIGHT
Full steam aheadBy JILL McCAUGHAN
If you’ve been waiting on Train to release a new album, you’re not alone.
The members of the band have been waiting, too, and they are looking forward to sept. 16 when “Bulletproof Picasso” finally comes out.
“It’s a difficult time, touring and waiting until the album is released,” said Jimmy stafford, guitarist with the band. “we can’t really play a bunch of the new stuff because people aren’t familiar with it yet. we’re dying to play it for somebody. we can’t wait to play it!”
The current tour will bring Train to Mt. Pleasant’s soaring eagle Casino on July 10 and to the Four winds Casino in New Buffalo on July 11. Later this summer, they will be playing two shows at the ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois. Tickets for those shows can be pur-chased through www.ticket-master.com.
“right now, we’re just doing a lot of promo stuff. a lot of it is just set-up work for the record that will be released in september,” stafford said. “at the con-certs in Michigan, we’re definitely going to be play-ing the new single. we’re also going to rely heavily on the back catalogue, and maybe play a song or two off the new album.”
That new single, “angel in Blue Jeans,” has already been released, and it can be heard at www.savemesan-francisco.com. Last week,
the band was in the desert outside of L.a. shooting the video for the song.
“‘Bulletproof Picasso’ is another song on the record, and it could possibly be the second or third single off the new album,” stafford said. “It’s one of my favorite songs on the album, and it just sounded like a cool name for the record when I heard the lyric.”
Monahan and stafford, the only two remaining original members of Train, are now embarking on their 20th year of playing togeth-er.
“It’s pretty great that, after all these years, people still want to listen to our music,” stafford said. “I feel like this new record is the best we’ve done. It’s great to know that we’re not just phoning it in. The band is still playing at its best.”
stafford feels that the upcoming album represents
the best of what Train is all about.
“I’ve probably said this about every one of our albums at one time or anoth-er, but truly, from start to finish, this is our best batch of songs that we’ve put on an album,” stafford said. “There are no filler songs. every one could be a single, and I’m really proud of it.”
when Train isn’t in the studio or on the road, they can often be found support-ing their company, save Me, san Francisco, which takes its name from one of their most popular albums.
“‘save Me, san Francisco’ was an album that came after taking a three-year break from the music. we didn’t know if anybody would still care about us or want to hear our music,” stafford explained. “It was kind of a plea to our hometown, to san Francisco, where the band started back
in 1994, to ask them to save us—to save our careers.”
san Francisco and the rest of Train’s fans must have heard that plea loud and clear because the response to the album was phenomenal.
“‘Hey, soul sister” was a song on the album, and it became such a big hit, we decided to do something for a charity,” stafford recalled. “we’ve always been involved with charities—mainly ones about kids, but with this, we wanted to focus and make sure the money was really being put to use for the kids and not just going into a big void. The company’s name just seems sort of symbiotic with the album.”
save Me, san Francisco produces wines and choco-lates, and the proceeds from their sales go to supporting Family House. Their mis-sion, according to their website at www.family-houseinc.org, is to serve “as a home away from home for families of children with cancer and other life-threat-ening illnesses by provid-ing physical comfort and emotional support, free from financial concerns.”
“a portion from the wine and all of the money from the chocolate goes to Family House,” stafford said. “It’s really taking off. we sold over one million bottles of wine last year, and we hope to double that this year. It’s a way to give back.”
another activity Train has been involved in is hosting “sail across the sun,” a music, food, and wine festival that takes
place on a ship.“we started doing the
sail across the sun cruise last year,” stafford said. “you book a cabin, get on a ship with us and a bunch of other bands, and you hang out with us for a week and have a great time.”
with so many different projects going on, Train just keeps on rolling along.
“we’ve been a band for 20 years, and we’re just excited to still be playing to sold-out shows. It’s amaz-ing that people still care about us and love our music,” stafford said. “we’re super proud of this album and we can’t wait for people to be able to hear it. Hopefully, we’ll put some smiles on some faces.”
Train still going strong after 20 years
Submitted photos
The two remaining original members of Train, Jimmy Stafford and Pat Monahan have been playing together for 20 years.
Page 4 • Week of July 4-10, 2014 Off The Water, Michiana
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CUISINE SCENE
New generation takes overBy JILL McCAUGHAN
sOUTH BeND—It used to be that when one generation decided to
retire from running a fami-ly-owned business, the next generation would automatically step up and keep it going.
Nowadays, though, it seems more common for a small business — even a very successful one — to close its doors or be bought out by the competition when the founding generation
decides it is time to move on to a new phase in life.
Fortunately for the dedi-cated customers of eby’s Old Fashioned Meat Market, located at 56977 s. Mayflower rd., that busi-ness will stay in the family and continue its traditions under the ownership of Paul Lagodney, nephew and son of the current own-ers, when he fully takes the reins in august.
“My uncle started eby’s in 1983, and shortly after that, my father joined him,” Lagodney explained. “They are brothers-in-law
and friends, and they’ve been very successful for the last 30 years.”
Lagodney first started working in the family busi-ness when he was 14 years old.
“I remember the day that I first went to work there. It was July 2. I was just hang-ing out at home with noth-ing to do, so my dad took me to work with him. I just started washing pans and carrying out groceries for customers, and I thought, ‘This is really cool!’”
Lagodney continued to work at eby’s through high
school, but when he gradu-ated, his father told him it was time to leave the nest.
“My dad told me that if I wasn’t going to go to col-lege, I needed to go out into the real world and find out what it’s like to get a job,” Lagodney said. “He told me, ‘you have to work for what you want.’”
so, Lagodney applied for a job at Martin’s supermarkets.
“I started out as a clean-up kid and apprentice, and I worked my way up over 20 years there to become the meat manager,” Lagodney said. “when they asked me to become the meat manag-er at the Heritage square store — that’s their premier store — I knew then that I was successful, and I had made it on my own.”
although Lagodney loved working for Martin’s, he always dreamed of returning to eby’s.
“Leaving Martin’s was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, even though it was always my dream to go back to eby’s and work with my dad and uncle,” Lagodney said. “It’s really awesome to come back and work with them — the two
guys I’ve always looked up to. It always made me proud when they would come in and say ‘Hi’ to me and see what I was doing at Martin’s.”
Now that Lagodney has returned, he wants custom-ers to rest assured that they will continue to receive the same quality of service and the homemade products that they’ve come to love.
“The big thing with our market is that all of our stuff is homemade,” Lagodney said. “Polish sausage is our specialty. I’ve known that Polish sausage recipe and the other secret family reci-pes since I was 14 years old, and nothing is changing.”
That includes eby’s salisbury steak and meat-loaf recipes as well as the recipe for stuffed peppers that was handed down from his “great-busha,” or great-grandmother.
“you can’t get that any-where else in the south Bend area,” Lagodney said proudly.
Coming from a younger generation, Lagodney has implemented a few new ideas at eby’s while retain-ing the quality and service that customers have come
to expect.“I’ve already been trying
to put a few new things in place, like the Facebook page, and we’re doing some new advertising in the sunday paper,” Lagodney said, noting that eby’s Facebook page already has 2,000 followers. “I’ve also added some new items like pre-marinated items and ready-to-cook items.”
Nonetheless, the focus will continue to be on the homemade sausages and hand-cut meats that people travel hundreds of miles to buy from eby’s.
“we have customers who come from as far away as Tennessee and Florida to buy our Polish sausages,” Lagodney said. “People keep asking when we are going to start shipping our products. That’s how popu-lar they are!”
eby’s also carries other grocery items as well as fresh produce, and custom-ers can visit the Facebook page to see what the spe-cials will be each week. They are typically open Monday through saturday from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., and they can be reached at (574) 287-3586.
leader photo/ShEriNA GONZAlEZ
Following a dream he has had since he was a teenager, Paul lagodney has returned to take the reins at the meat market his family has owned for more than 30 years.
Off The Water, Michiana WeekofJuly4-10,2014•Page 5
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ON DISPLAY
No bluffingBy JILL McCAUGHAN
sT. JOsePH — For the 53rd year, the Krasl art Center’s art Fair
on the Bluff will be return-ing to st. Joseph’s Lake Bluff Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 12 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 13.
The weekend’s festivi-ties also include a “Friday Night Kick-Off,” taking place from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 11, and a “smooth Jazz at sunset” concert by 98.3 The Coast at 7:30 p.m. on saturday night at the shadowland Pavilion.
“an art fair is one of the few places where you can see the art, meet the artist, and sometimes even see the artist doing a demonstra-tion,” said sara shambarger, director of art fairs at the Krasl. “each year, we look for the best possible fine art and fine craft that we can deliver for our community.”
The nationally-ranked art fair includes artwork that will be displayed at 216 booths, all of which are included in the art Fair’s guidebook, which is cur-rently available at the Krasl and at area restaurants.
“we have 32 states rep-resented as well as a Canadian artist,” said shambarger, who has been involved with the art fair for 19 years. “we received 978 entries for about 170 openings. we invite about 30 percent of our artists back each year based on the scoring in 19 categories that is done on the first day of the art fair.”
while art of such high quality can be expensive, organizers have tried to make sure that there will be art that is affordable for
everyone, and they have several suggestions for ways to fit art purchases into one’s budget.
“a lot of artists have what they call ‘bread and butter’ items,” shambarger said. “Those are pieces of art at smaller price points. There will certainly be some art under $25.”
shambarger herself was able to purchase a smaller, original oil paining for $100 last year.
another method by which patrons can purchase art at the fair is to use Krasl Bucks, which not only come with special perks, but also help to support the Krasl art Center itself.
“when you purchase Krasl Bucks and use them to purchase art at the art fair, you get some art fair amenities, close-by park-ing, a goody bag and an art fair poster,” shambarger said. “Patrons purchase the Krasl Bucks in $25 incre-ments with a $100 mini-mum, which includes a $25 donation to the Krasl.”
shambarger also recom-mends setting up payment plans with artists if patrons wish to purchase pieces of work that are priced beyond their immediate budgets, something she herself has done in the past.
“artists want to sell their work. They want to negotiate how it is paid for, but not its price,” shambarger explained. “It’s insulting to artists to try to bargain with them.”
another program that enables children to pur-chase affordable art is the Children’s art Purchase Program, or CaPP.
“artists can voluntarily participate in this program, and their booths are marked with orange flags. They sell art for $10 or less to chil-dren 14 and under,” shambarger said. “It
encourages children to enjoy art, have art and pur-chase art during the art fair.”
another way that the Krasl art Fair caters to younger patrons is the Krasl Kid’s Zone, located on the grounds of the art center.
“There is a make-and-take craft that the children can make, and it’s based on this year’s art fair poster that shows a blown-glass
vase by Douglas and renee sigwarth,” shambarger said. “Once they finish the crafts, they can exhibit them during the fair and then take them home when they leave the fair.”
The Kid’s Zone will also have a stage for per-formances that children and families will enjoy, as well as an emerging artists’ booth where teenage and college-age artists can dis-play their work.
“any teenagers can par-ticipate, and we still have space for more,” shambarger said. “Teens can contact Cindy Jakeway by calling the Krasl if they are interested in participat-ing. Fired-Up students from water street Glassworks will also have their artwork for sale at the Kid’s Zone.”
“The Krasl Kid’s Zone
is a fun place, and it’s real-ly cool to have a creative outlet for the kids,” shambarger said. “It’s important to get them involved because these kids will become our future patrons and collectors.”
with more than 500 vol-
unteers working to make the art Fair on the Bluff a success, both patrons and artists are sure to enjoy the weekend. More informa-tion about the event is available by visiting www.krasl.org or by calling (269) 983-0271.
Michael CaldwellPublisher(269) [email protected]
Ambrosia NeldonLayout Editor(269) [email protected]
Jill McCaughanFeature Writer(269) [email protected]
Anne JohnsonCreative Services(269) [email protected]
Rhonda RauenAccounting Manager(269) [email protected]
Cindy KlingermanDistribution Manager(269) [email protected]
SalesDonna KnightClassifieds(269) [email protected]
Sherina Gonzalez(269) [email protected]
Phil Langer(269) [email protected]
Jenny Yarbrough(269) [email protected]
Produced and printed by Leader Publications 217 N. 4th Street, Niles, MI 49120
Off the Water is available throughoutsouthwest Michigan and the greater
South Bend, Indiana area.
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Off The Water | The place to be entertained.
Submitted photos
Above: The Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff will include 216 booths from which to purchase fine arts and crafts. left: Participants in the art fair, Douglas and renee Sigwarth’s blown-glass vase was chosen as the subject for this year’s art fair poster.
53rd Krasl Art Fair will have something to offer for everyone
Page 6 • Week of July 4-10, 2014 Off The Water, Michiana
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Small town has big city outlookFor the second year in a
row, I was invited to attend the Whirlpool PRIDE Net-work’s annual Celebration and fundraiser at the World of Whirlpool in downtown Chicago. For those of you unfamiliar with the corpo-ration’s extensive outreach programs, I am really proud to say that as a native of Southwestern Michigan,
Whirlpool Corporation has been named one of the Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality for 10 years in a row. This is an amazing ac-complishment for any com-pany, especially one from a small, historically conserva-tive community like ours.
The Pride Celebration benefits the Out Center in Benton Harbor, which is committed to provide sup-port and advocacy for re-spect, understanding, and nondiscrimination to les-bian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender and allied persons and their families in Berrien County, Michigan. This year the PRIDE Network event raised a record $40,000 for the Center!
It’s no surprise this party was such a lucrative endeav-or. The World of Whirlpool is a gorgeous space on the top floor of a historic build-ing overlooking the Chi-cago River. I’ve been lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time there shooting cook-ing videos for eHow.com.
You step out of the el-evators to walls of windows with Chicago skyline views,
top-of-the-line test kitchens to your right and left as far as you can see. The walls are lined with shelves for rare stand mixers and small kitchen appliances cooks dream of.
At this particular event, they fill the test kitchens with celebrity chefs, design-er cocktails and KitchenAid swag silent auction items. They set up a live band on the roof deck, and people from all over come together for the love of food, festivi-
ties and equality. A personal highlight each
year is the vegan drag queen Honey LaBronx. Honey has made a name for herself as a vegan chef by using online TV and radio shows to make healthy cooking light, sexy and fun. Her sassy approach is not only memorable but engaging.
Also, her recipes are in-credible! The first dish she made us was a gluten free mac and cheese with a cheese sauce made from scratch in minutes. She used coconut milk to evoke the rich and creamy flavor es-sential to a good mac while keeping it clean.
Honey also shares stories of growing up in a Milwau-kee family known for its bak-ing prowess. Like most of us Midwesterners, she grew up watching the women of
the family buzz around the kitchen and has close ties to food. It was really fun for me to hear her present the plant-based principles in such a re-latable and lighthearted way.
Oh, and the dishes she created were smash hits. I highly encourage you to check out vegandragqueen.com and bigfatveganradio.com for a sample of Honey’s flavor and recipes.
During one of her demos, I looked around at the crowd in this packed luxury space and a huge smile spread across my face. A vegan drag queen doing a cooking demo at a swanky corporate party? It really doesn’t get much more all-encompassing than that.
KitchenAid and Whirlpool have also been so supportive of me in helping to promote veganism, but it is even more
touching to see such a large corporation can devote so much time and energy to making all types of people feel welcome. Their support of the Out Center, the LGBT workplace outreach, the al-ternative lifestyle of vegan-ism, and all of it helps all those who might otherwise feel like complete outsiders have a community to turn to.
It can be hard to come into your own identity in a tight knit community, so thank you to all of you out there who work daily to break down boundaries and ex-pand horizons.
Kat Barry, a St. Joseph, Michigan native, is owner of Kat’s Hot Cakes vegan catering, and co author of "The New Chicago Diner Cookbook: Meat Free Recipes from America’s Veggie Diner." She also develops recipes for eHow.com, where you can find over 30 of her vegan instruc-tional cooking videos. She is also a certified yoga instruc-tor. Kat currently resides in Chicago, and in her free time she enjoys practicing yoga, sampling local spirits, listen-ing to live music, and getting outdoors. Follow @katshot-cakes on twitter. Kat can be reached via email at: [email protected].
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Diamond in the rough
By JILL McCAUGHANjill.mccaughan
@leaderpub.com
Be N T O N TOwNsHIP—Just a few miles north of st.
Joseph off of M-63, rocky Gap County Park is tucked away from the crowds and hubbub of the more popular beaches in southwest Michigan.
“we don’t track the num-ber of users there, but use of this park is much less fre-quent than that of silver Beach,” said Brian Bailey, director of Berrien County Parks.
Located on rocky Gap rd., the park provides visi-tors with 1,100 feet of white-sand beach access as well as a beautiful view of Lake Michigan and the st. Joseph lighthouses to the south.
a parking lot sits directly at the entrance to the beach, so the walk from one’s car to the water is quite short com-pared to that of some other beaches. That can be a big plus when one is carrying lots of beach equipment or taking smaller children to the beach. Dogs are not permit-
ted at rocky Gap.“I like rocky Gap
because it’s easy to access,” said area resident Terry Ives. “I like the out-of-the-way beaches. you can walk the beach and swim there. I love it.”
although rocky Gap is one of the Berrien County parks, visitors to the park do not need to pay a fee to park and use the beach.
“There is no entrance or parking fee at this park,” Bailey explained. “The $35 annual pass is not needed there.”
That makes rocky Gap a great beach to visit for short-er periods of time.
while rocky Gap pro-vides visitors with an easily accessible and free way to enjoy the beach, the park does lack some facilities, including restrooms.
“It’s a wonderful park, but we know some improve-ments could be made,” Bailey said.
For that reason, the County has submitted a $600,000 grant application to the Michigan Natural resources Trust Fund for improvements to be made at
the park.according to the
Michigan Department of Natural resources website, The Michigan Natural resources Trust Fund began as the “Kammer recreational Land Trust Fund act of 1976.”
“The money comes from mineral rights in the state of Michigan, mainly oil and gas, and the money is ear-marked only for natural resource acquisition — that is, buying property — and recreational development,” Bailey explained. “No tax dollars would be used for
the project.”It was through this type of
funding that Berrien County acquired and developed both silver Beach and the new Galien river County Park.
The park improvement plan, which can be viewed at www.berriencounty.org/Parks/rGImprovementPlan, separates rocky Gap into two areas, an upper and a lower section.
The upper section, locat-ed on higher ground north of the current beach access area, is currently a large gravel parking lot. However, plan-ners envision an area there
that would include a viewing platform and picnic areas for visitors to enjoy.
“we’d like to build a viewing platform in the upper area. That would pro-vide visitors with a place to eat lunch and see the lake,” Bailey explained. “with the platform, you’d be able to see the North and south piers and the lighthouses.”
That upper area would also include a place that could accommodate small weddings of 40 to 50 people. Parking for 18 cars and sev-eral “picnic pads” would also be built there, some of which would be wheelchair acces-sible.
“we don’t want to change the park atmosphere, but we want to provide better view-ing opportunities,” Bailey said.
Improvements to the lower section of the park would include a paved ramp that leads to the water’s edge.
“One of the main improvements would be a barrier-free access road in the lower part of the park. That would allow emergency vehicles to access the water, it would allow beach-clean-ing equipment to get down there, and most importantly, it would allow wheelchairs to access the water,” Bailey said.
In addition, restroom
facilities would be built, as would curved overlooks with benches and a sandbox for toddlers to play in on wavy days when their parents might not want them too close to the water. That sand-box would also serve as an efficient place to collect sand from the parking lots.
as the plans for rocky Gap are still in the design phase, the implementation phase would not begin until the fall of 2015 or the spring of 2016, provided that the plan is approved by the trust fund and the funding is granted.
“The governor and the legislature would have to authorize that funding,” Bailey said. “If people want to see the plan put into effect, they can contact the legisla-tors for their communities and let them know that they support the improvement plan.”
even without the planned improvements, rocky Gap remains a beautiful, secluded and peaceful place to spend some time by the lake. However, as Bailey noted, there are no lifeguards at rocky Gap.
“Think ‘safety first’ when you’re near the water,” Bailey cautioned. “Never swim alone, and be sure to observe the water safety signs.”
Rocky Gap Park could shine even more with proposed improvements
leader photos/Jill McCAUGhAN
rocky Gap County Park provides families with an easily-accessible beach.
Page 8 • Week of July 4-10, 2014 Off The Water, Michiana
8
1521 E. Main St. • Niles, MI(269) 683-8000 • (800) 924-7525
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East Main Gardens
When you say it with flowers, say it with ours!
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259 E. Front StreetBuchanan, MI269.409.8464
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Tacos & triviaTHURSDAY
TOURIST FOR A DAY Discover the local destinations right in your own backyard
Food, fun and a history lessonBy JILL McCAUGHAN
VaNDaLIa—From July 11 through 13, the Village of Vandalia will host the fifth annual Underground
railroad Days, providing visitors with an exciting “opening night” program and two full days of food, fun, music and history.
“This is our fifth year for Underground railroad Days,” said Cathy LaPointe, trea-surer of the Underground railroad society of Cass County. “It’s gotten bigger every year.”
Co-sponsored by the Village of Vandalia and the Underground railroad society of Cass County, this year’s activities will include many favorites from past years as well as some new additions to the sched-ule.
started in 2010, Underground railroad Days was originally the idea of Bill ayers, a Quaker and the director of public works for the Village of Vandalia.
“Bill was very taken with the history of the Quakers in Vandalia. It was actually his brainchild,” LaPointe explained. “Tragically, Bill had a heart attack and passed away in May of that year, and we were left to carry out his idea. He is now one of the guiding spirits of the festival.”
The weekend kicks off with an opening night program at sam adams Middle school in Cassopolis.
Beginning at 7 p.m., the eve-ning’s program will include a staging of the sam adams Middle school students’ play, “The Kentucky raid in Ten Minutes.” That play won this year’s Michigan state youth Performance award for Michigan state History Day.
Their play will be followed by a dra-matic reading of Dr. Von and Fran washington’s Underground railroad play, “a river to Cross.”
On the following two days, Milo Barnes Park, located at the corner of state and water streets, will be one of the main focal points for the festival’s events.
Guided van tours of Cass County’s Underground railroad sites will begin and end there on saturday and sunday, and tickets for the tours can be obtained there.
In addition, a replica of a ramptown
cabin will be set up on the grounds of the park, and many activities will be taking place there.
“we added the replica of a ramptown cabin last year,” LaPointe said, explaining that ramptown was a small african american settlement on the Bonine prop-erty. “They were allowed to live there in exchange for clearing the land.”
an Underground railroad society information booth will be set up in the
park, and a number of free concerts and other presentations will be taking place there as well.
“There will be music, poetry, choirs, art and everything going on all day long at that cabin,” LaPointe said. “The cabin’s become almost symbolic of the festival.”
Other highlights of the festival include a classic car show on saturday, a “soul food dinner” available on both days, a number of arts and craft booths, guided
tours of the Bonine House, and a Civil war living history encampment.
“The Michigan 1st and the 102nd Colored Troops will be involved with that,” LaPointe said. “These are all Cass County folks, and many of the 102nd Colored Troops are from right around Vandalia.”
several informative presentations will also take place on saturday.
“One is about Cass County in the Civil war by Keith Harrison, and one is about two early african american pioneer fami-lies, the sanders and the allen families. That will be presented by Maurice sanders,” LaPointe said, noting that those would take place in the Village youth Center at 1 and 3 p.m., respectively.
Later in the day, at 5 p.m., Mary Charlotte Bonine roberts will be at the Bonine House to talk about what it was like to grow up in the house during the years from 1934 until 1953 when the fam-ily moved.
sunday’s activities will begin with a community church service 11 a.m. in Milo Barnes Park. Then, at 1 p.m., the students from sam adams Middle school will pres-ent their “Cass County Underground railroad wax Museum” in the youth Center.
“The premier speaker is anna-Lisa Cox. she’s a nationally-known author, and she will be speaking at 3 p.m. on sunday about african american migra-tion in Cass County and
southwest Michigan,” LaPointe said. “a lot of our families here are the descendents of those people.”
with the exception of the soul food din-ner, all of the activities, presentations and tours during Underground railroad Days will be free.
However, as LaPointe noted, “Donations will be happily be accepted for the tours and the presentations at the middle school.”
More information about Vandalia’s Underground railroad Days, including a complete schedule of events, can be found at www.urscc.org. Information on booth space and car show entry is available by calling Vandalia Village President Beverly young at (269) 476-2344. Other questions can be directed to [email protected] or to (269) 445-7358.
Submitted photo
Students from Sam Adams Middle School will be performing their award-winning play, “The Kentucky raid in Ten Minutes” on July 11 as a part of the Underground railroad Days celebration.
Off The Water, Michiana WeekofJuly4-10,2014•Page 9
9 MARKETPLACE
WE ARE GROWING ANDNEED YOU FOR OUR TEAM!
NOW HIRING caring people that have a sincere desire to assist individuals with developmental disabilities; a team player that can contribute to our positive work environment. Oppor-tunities for advancement.
COORDINATIOR ASSISTANT2 SALARIED POSITIONS to assist OC/QDDP in daily opera-tions. Must possess the ability to be organized, multitask, show initiative, and make sound judgments. Time management, budgeting/money management skills and flexibility is a must. Medical, vision, dental, 401K, paid leave time, and holidays. Prior education and/or experience in residential services are preferred. Cover letter and resume required.
DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALSNEEDED PT/FT to assist individuals with developmental disabilities with daily living skills. Starting pay $8.25/hours. We will train.
REQUIREMENTS: HS diploma/GED, valid driver’s license, auto insurance, a good driving record, and NO CRIMINAL HISTORY. You must have a reliable and safe automobile that is insured within the legal requirements of the State of Indiana.
Apply in person Monday - Friday, 9 am - 4 pm at:
Partners In Opportunities, Inc.6101 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, IN 46628
Email: [email protected]: 573-968-0133
Silverbrook Rehabiliation & Nursing Care Center is accepting applications for the following positions.
MDS Coordinator - Requirements are one year RN nursing experience preferred. Candiates must have current RN license by the State of Michigan. Previous experience working in a long-term-care facility as an MDS Coordinator preferred. RN’s and LPN’s and CNA’s - We have openings on all shifts for full-time, part-time or PRN nurses and CNA’s. All candidates must be licensed/certified by the State of Michigan.
Housekeeping-Currently have openings for 3 housekeepers. Hours may vary. Previous experience working in housekeeping in a long-term-facility preferred. Silverbrook offers a very competitive wage scale & we are currently offering a
sign-on bonus for all CNA’s. Interested candidates may apply in person at 911 So. 3rd St., Niles, MI or submit resumes to [email protected]
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 300DRIVER WANTED
Class A CDL Driver Needed.Home weekends, someweek nights. No tarps.40+ k / year. 2 years ex-perience. 574.295.1905
LEGAL ASSISTANT-TYPIST
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DRIVER/SERVICETECH
Joy's Johns HiringDuties include delivery,pickup and cleaning ofportable restrooms. Musthave 1 year straight truckexperience, chauffeur li-cense, current D.O.T.physical, clean driving re-cord. Able to read a mapwith knowledge of Michianaarea. Reliable trans-portation and able to workflexible hours a must. Applyat 1325 Airport Rd. Niles,MI
Kenneth Smith, Inc.Truck Drivers Pulling
Dump Trailers WantedDRIVERS NEEDED:
Class A CDL and Dumptrailer exp. preferred. Tri-state area, Home nightsand weekends, Fuel Sav-ings Sharing Program,Safety Bonus, Health Be-nefits.
Apply in person2596 Detroit Road (M-60)
in Niles, MIor call 269-684-5960to request application
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Experienced single ladywould love to take care of anelderly lady or man who is inNEED of help with HouseCleaning and Cooking (St.Joseph area). Willing to ex-change room, board, andsmall pay for my services.I'm loving, faithful to theLord, and willing to give youmy best!Call Dee at 269-635-2173
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
RIVER OAK APTS1729 Oak St., Niles
(269)687-83402 Bedrooms
Heat, Water, Hot Water &Trash All Paid
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Wanted to Rent 439WANTED TO RENT
3-4 bedroom home incountry available by Aug.1st, within 15-20 minutes ofNiles. Call Todd (989)854-9715
Houses for Sale 5002 STORY HOUSE
3 bedroom, 2 car detachedgarage, utility basement.Call (269)683-2940
4 BEDROOM RANCHin Edwardsburg SchoolDistrict. Built in 2007. Openconcept. 2 full baths, 2 halfbaths. Full finishedbasement. 3 car garage.$299,900Matt and Tonia Petruska(269) [email protected]
OPEN HOUSEJULY 5, 2-4
Affordable Waterfront68500 George Smith Ct.
Edwardsburg, MIChris Moore,
Freedom Realty(269)362-5665(269)687-8484
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
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Single mom looking for ahome or a 1st time buyer?
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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, 269-695-3119
HOMES 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 617CEMETERY LOT
Niles, Mission Hills Me-morial Gardens. Deed toBeautiful Psalms, Lot/Vault& Setting, Bronze marker.$2600. Savings of $990.Call Robbie Bowling (317)435-2017
Consignment 625Turn your Closet into
CASHKids' clothing:
newborn to teen,Baby gear & furniture,
MaternitywearAccepting Spring &
Summer wearCall for appointment.
Who kNew Consignment269-782-9800
We are open Mon. - Sat.10am-5pm,
so you can replace thewinter clothes your kids
are outgrowing
Page 10 • Week of July 4-10, 2014 Off The Water, Michiana
10 HALF CLASS
Things to Do 637CASS DISTRICT
LIBRARYhttp://cass.lib.mi.us
(269)445-3400Check out our
online services:Freegal, Learn4Life, andmore! Call for more info.
LEHMAN'S TARTCHERRIES
Starts 7/4You Pick, We Pit. Mon-Sat, 9-5. Sun 12-5. Bring con-tainers. 2280 Portage Rd.,Niles. (269)683-9078.
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
Garage-Yard Sales
669
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
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
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)476-9777MR. MAINTENANCE
FREE ESTIMATESRoofing, 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.DAN'S TREE SERVICEExcellent Cleanup, Insured.Free Estimates. Visa/MC.(574)361-9747
PAYNE'S TREESERVICE
Tree Trimming & Removal.Stump Grinding & Firewood.Bobcat & Concrete Work.Insured. (269)663-8091THE CUTTING EDGE
PRO 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)228-1163HOPPER 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)663-8091
CONCRETE SERVICESDriveways, Patios, Side-walks, and Room Additions.15 years experience. Call Jay269-635-4393.
JOE'S DUMP TRUCKSand, Gravel, Top Soil, R/CConcrete & Asphalt, BushHogging, Land Clearing.
(269)[email protected]
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Electrical Contracting, No JobToo Big or Small. Free Quotes.Affordable Pricing, Licensed &Insured. (269)684-6290 or(269)470-4097.
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All 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
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We do all the Loading,Hauling & Clean up!!!
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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
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
Motors, Boating Equipment
903
SHORE STATIONShoreMaster, Medium sizewith blue canopy, held 16 ftTri-hull I/O, On diamondlake. $1400. Call 574-340-1684
Autos for Sale 945NEED A CAR NOW?
WELL WE HAVE THE ONEJUST FOR YOU!!!!New Arrivals at
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WHAT'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 3
This year, the Four Flags Chamber of Commerce is planning an entire evening of family fun at the 29th Annual Fire-works Display and Open Stage Fun Fest at the Four Flags Area Apple Festival Fairgrounds, 1740 Lake St., in Niles. New activities include live music, kiddie bounce houses, more vendors, craft projects for children and games. The fun be-gins at 6 p.m. Donations
are encouraged to help continue the event in the future.
Learn about the Frogs, Toads and Salamanders of Sarett Nature Center on July 3 at 3 p.m. Ad-mission is $3 for adults.
Round Barn Winery throwing a party and rocking out to live mu-sic with Alligator Black-bird at 5:30 p.m. and ET and Elephant Rescue at 8:30 p.m. ET, during Baroda’s annual fire-works show. The out-side bar will be set up for convenience as visi-tors enjoy live tunes and the fireworks show. $5 entry fee.
Island Park in South Bend will host a holiday party from 5:30 to 10 p.m. There will be grilled goodies and beverages. Tickets are $5 at the gate. Children 12 and under will be admitted for free.
July 3-4
The Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra will present its two an-nual Independence Day beach concerts starting at 8:30 p.m. July 3 at Lions Pavilion Park in New Buffalo, followed by a performance at Shadowland Pavilion in St. Joseph at 9 p.m. on July 4. Each concert will conclude with a finale
including a fireworks dis-play accompanying the symphony. The July 3rd New Buffalo concert is free to the public, while tickets to the July 4th St. Joseph concert start at $15. Doors open at 6 p.m.
July 4
Lakeside Michigan has planned a new 4th of July parade for 2014. The parade starts at noon, Michigan time, at the lake end of Pier Street in Lakeside. Marchers should just show up and they will be welcomed to be a part of the parade. Pa-rade participants can walk, pull wagons or ride bicycles, but mo-torized vehilces are not permitted.
The Acorn Theatre will host a free puppet work-shop at 2 p.m. This is a Three Oaks Theatre Festival event for the en-tire family.
July 4-27
Award Winning Photog-rapher Susan K. John-ston’s “Nature’s Palette” will be on display at Ta-bula Rasa Gallery, 8918 First St., Baroda from July 4 through the 27. he artist’s reception will be from 3 to 5 p.m. on July 19th. Photos in this exhibit showcase South-west Michigan food, flowers and the Lake. The gallery open Friday through Sunday from 12-5, or call (269) 422-2642
for an appointment.
July 5
The Box Factory for the Arts will host The Duo Project with guitarists David Youngman and Derek Brown. The con-cert begins at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 general admission; $8 students and seniors; children 12 and under free.
The Acorn Theatre will present “A Piano with Two Tales” at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. as part of the Three Oaks The-atre Festival. Tickets are $15. In this produc-tion, a classical piano recital masquerading as
CLASSIFIEDS
Off The Water, Michiana WeekofJuly4-10,2014•Page 11
11
WHAT'S HAPPENING?ipuppet show, young audiences experience masterworks by monu-mental composers for the instrument, not to mention an enthralling tune for toy piano by liv-ing composer Stephen Montague. To register, visit threeoaksfestival.com.
Learn about the feder-ally endangered Mitchell Satyr Butterfly at Sarett Nature Center on July 5 at 2 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults.
July 6
There will be an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon at the Indian Lake Volunteer Fire Depart-ment, 33104 M62 West, Dowagiac. Adults are $6 and children half-price. Carry-out will available. Volunteers will be sell-ing luminaries, and fire department equipment will be open for view-ing. Info: Carol Goodell, (269) 782-5673, or Jean Rowe, (269) 782-2769.
Kayak the Kalamazoo River with Sarett Na-ture Center on July 6 at 1 p.m. The $25 fee includes transportation and all equipment. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Please call (269) 927-4832 to register.
When they’re not playing in front of thousands as members of Wilco, John Stirratt and Pat Sansone create their own music filled with smooth har-monies and melodious guitar playing See them live at the Acorn Theatre at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.
July 7-11
iCurious Kids Museum will host a five-day day camp entitled “Reaching For The Stars” for chil-dren ages 7 to 12. Camp-ers will explore universe as they plunge into as-tronomy. They will spend time identifying these same constellations and their functions that serve people, as well as learn
how to use star maps to find constellations in the planetarium sky, and ul-timately in the real night sky. Cost is $150 for members and $170 for nonmembers.
July 11-13
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. Performance dates are July 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20. Tickets will be $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 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 tick-et 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 11 - Aug. 3
“The Producers” per-forms in the Wilson The-atre at South Bend Civic Theatre July 11 to Aug. 3, 2014. Performance times are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sun-days at 2 p.m. Tickets are $21 Fridays, Satur-days, and Sundays and $18 Wednesdays and Thursdays. To purchase tickets call the SBCT Box Office (574) 234-1112 or go to sbct.org.
July 12
Jazz sensation Jessy J will headline the 12th Annual Smooth Jazz at Sunset concert in con-junction with the Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff. A limited number of re-served seats priced at $30 in advance, $35 day of show will be available beginning Friday, March 28, as well as general admission seating, $25 in advance, $30 day of show. General seating
concert-goers are en-couraged to bring their own lawn chairs to en-joy the show. Tickets will be available at the Coast Studios at 580 E. Napier Ave. in Benton Harbor and online at www.smoothjazzatsun-set.com.
On July 12 Isola Jones returns in Isola Jones and Friends, joined on stage by tenor John Concepcion. Tickets at $25 are available on-line at harborcountryop-era.org, at David’s Deli, Michigan Thyme and New Buffalo Savings, or by calling (269) 231-0027.
The Harbor Country Opera will feature Isola Jones and Friends at 8 p.m. at the New Buffalo Performing Arts Center, 1112 Clay St. in New Buffalo. Tickets at $25 are available online at harborcountryopera.org, at David’s Deli, Michigan Thyme and New Buffalo Savings, or by calling (269) 231-0027
July 13
Learn about the feder-ally endangered Mitchell Satyr Butterfly at Sarett Nature Center on July 13 at 2 p.m. Admission is $3.00 for adults.
July 14-17
At Curious Kids Muse-um’s “All Aboard” camp, campers will build a Thomas the Train Tank-er to play in throughout the week. It’ll be exciting to learn about the differ-ent kinds of trains and their functions each day. We’ll be reading a differ-ent train book every day as the campers make fun train crafts to take home. A train parade throughout the museum will delight the campers and guests. Cost is $75 for members and $95 for non-members.
July 14-18
i
Curious Kids Museum will host a five-day day camp entitled “Abraca-
dabra.” Campers will spend hours learning how to create magic under the watchful eye of Master Magician, John Dudley. John has been performing magic and comedy for over 39 years. Each day throughout the week they will learn different tricks — culminating in a performance for fam-ily, friends and museum guests on Friday, July 18, at 11 a.m. In addition to the magic activities, daily beach play, lunch on the bluff and water play will be taking place during the week. Each camper will be taking home the book by John Dudley, “Magic Tricks To Fool Your Friends,” a magic wand, and tricks to share with others. Cost is $150 for mem-bers and $170 for non-members.
As part of its Summer Theatre Boot Camp se-ries, Kids On Stage is offering music theatre camp for students go-ing into 1st-10th grade in the fall. The camp will culminate with one performance of Disney’s “101 Dalmatians.” The two-week camp will take place Monday through Friday, July 14-18 and 21-25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. “101 Dalmatians” will be performed Fri-day, July 25 at 6:30 p.m. Classes will take place at the Kids On Stage Theatre located at the Orchards Mall in Benton Harbor.
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, 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 Arrow Highway in Harbert, Michigan. Or-ganizers are accept-ing space reservations now. Contact the market committee 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
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 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 pro-gram featuring a variety of live amphibians and reptiles.
Nature
Community
Crafts
Food
iInformation
Family
Theatre
Tourist
Parting Shots
Art
Business
Religious
Music
Alcohol
LEGEND
Sports
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Shopping
Movies
Holiday
SummerCamping
Page 12 • Week of July 4-10, 2014 Off The Water, Michiana
12
PARTING SHOTS
hundreds of people visited Niles this weekend as the city welcomed
an 80-percent replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. The wall was escorted into town with a parade all the way to Niles
high School, where visitors could go find the names of their loved ones
who were lost in the war.Photos by CrAiG hAUPErT
IN THEIR HONOR
Submit Your Shots!Send your photos to
[email protected] they may be published
in a future issue.
