Horizons 2016

L E A D E R P U B L I C AT I O N S • M I L E STO N E 3 5 T H E D IT I O N

Horizons SHOWCASING THE PEOPLE WHO SHINE ACROSS MICHIANA AND BEYOND

2016

M I C H I G A N P R E S S A S S O C I AT I O N ’ S B E S T S P E C I A L S E C T I O N

2

Horizons 2016

NILES COMMUNITY SCHOOLS www.nilesschools.org

Watch them shine

Making a decision about where you send your child to school is about more than textbooks, bricks and mortar. It’s about providing the vital preparation necessary to ensure success as they take their place in the world. At Niles Community Schools, your child is important to us.

You are important to us. We will work together with you for the best education for your child.

Northside School

Eastside Connections School

Howard/Ellis Elementary

Ballard Elementary School

Northside Child Development Center

PreK-K experience for our GSRP Preschool, Early Childhood Special Education, Montessori and Kindergarten children. We partner with our local day care providers for training and collaboration.

Eastside Connections School

K-8th grade magnet school experience with endorsed Problem-Based learning instruction and an expectation of 100% parent involvement.

Oak Manor 6th Grade Center

Howard/Ellis

K-5th grade experience where leveled reading, multi-age classrooms, and integration of the latest technological tools are used for instruction. K-1st grade children attend Ellis and 2nd-5th grade attend Howard.

Ballard

K-5th grade experience with opportunities for whole brain learning with an emphasis on engaging through active learning.

Oak Manor 6th Grade Center

Designed to help transition students from the elementary experience to the “middle school” experience.

Teachers embed technology applications within their lessons as students enjoy one-on-one laptop use.

Increased related arts offerings and advanced math options for select students.

Ring Lardner Middle School

Ring Lardner

Students are placed on teams and spend two years working with the same group of core teachers, allowing us to better address the unique academic and social needs of middle school students.

Niles High School

Where options for learning include: Early College Academy, Professional Health Careers Academy, Math/Science Center, Career & Technical Education, Accelerated & Advanced Placement, Special Needs Services, Award Winning Fine Arts Programs, Extended Day Tutoring/Athletic Study Table, Career & College Center, Extra Curricular- Athletics, Musicals & Plays, National Honor Society, Service & Competition Clubs.

Alternative Education

Niles New Tech

9 - 12th grade experience combining problem-based learning with a culture built on trust, respect and responsibility.

Alternative Education

W-A-Y & W-A-Y Forward: 6-12th grade virtual experience combining project-based and online learning with personalized face-to-face instruction. Home Schooling: Partnership allowing flexible scheduling and non-intrusive enrollment requirement. Cedar Lane: 9-12th grade opportunity giving young adults an opportunity to learn in a classroom environment with lower student/teacher ratios, allowing for improved relationships and focused achievement. Niles Adult Education: 16-adulthood experience providing a high school diploma, GED preparation testing, and adult basic education.

Niles High School & New Tech

Horizons 2016

3

NAPIER AVENUE CAMPUS

Higher Learning Commission

ACCREDITATION

BERTRAND CROSSING CAMPUS

SOUTH HAVEN CAMPUS

half to two-thirds

lower than all

Michigan

COMMUNITY E D U C AT I O N

and

WORKFORCE

TRAINING programs offered each year

LAKE MICHIGAN COLLEGE NAPIER AVENUE CAMPUS 2755 E. NAPIER AVENUE, BENTON HARBOR, MI

lakemichigancollege.edu • teachatlmc.com

Contents

Veteran spotlight strong 24 Army Dowagiac man overcomes

26

Semper Fi for life Memories, mentality stuck with Marine after war

32

A modern day hero Soldier reflects on tour of duty in Iraq after 9/11

adversity after returning home his passion 28 Fueling Gulf War veteran found love for flying

7

Shining Stars Standout students share paths to success

13

What is in your treasure chest?

Patrick Hamilton kindergarteners weigh in

14

Sixth Generation Niles band reunites after 40 years apart

18

Cold case reopened Police dedicated to finding answers

20

A shared passion Married museum directors preserve history

32

The amazing Heather Antos Niles woman makes living creating comic books

36

Hot ham and more Oldest business in Michigan still going strong

38

Hooked on history Heddon Museum celebrating 20th anniversary

40

Made in Michiana Factory makes treasures used all over U.S.

43

Spoonful of success Niles woman’s at-home business goes national

46

Main Street Bridge Timeline chronicles Niles’ newest treasure

48

High flyers Local aviators share passion for flight

57

Making the grade Longtime teacher weighs in on state of education

60

Hidden history Monuments, landmarks part of region’s treasures

63

A fresh coat of paint Edwardsburg shop capitalizes on DIY trend

69

Behind the curtain Dowagiac’s Beckwith Theatre has rich history

73

Meet the staff Leader employees weigh in on making newspapers

79

Unsung Heroes Outstanding community members honored by peers

Helping our

community

treasures truly shine W

hen you turned the first page of Horizons 2016, you opened up a proverbial treasure chest. Thank you for taking the time to see what gems are within.

The publication you hold in your hands is the culmination of not only four months of hard work by our entire staff this year, but actually the product of 35 years of Horizons editions that have given us the experience needed to produce a section that really reflects our amazing communities.

We can honestly say we believe it is our best edition ever.

In addition to marking that 35-year milestone, this year is extra special because it is essentially part two of an effort that began last year to showcase the amazing people who call Michiana home.

Our 2015 Horizons edition — recently honored by the Michigan Press Association as the best special section by a community newspaper — focused on the theme of

Heroes & Heritage. We showcased some of the amazing police officers, firefighters, military personnel and others who call the area home.

For 2016, we chose the theme of Community Treasures, with the goal of focusing on the amazing people who may not get the spotlight as much as traditional “heroes.”

We certainly don’t feel this is an allencompassing list, as there are so many more people, businesses and organizations we would have loved to showcase.

Of course, we couldn’t have done any of this without the support of our amazing advertisers, all of whom did a spectacular job of embracing the theme and sharing a little about themselves and their businesses — community treasures in their own right.

We hope you enjoy discovering all the precious assets within and realize we have some amazing “gems” right here in Michiana.

hunt!

Join the

Leader Publications’ staff searched for treasures all across southwest Michigan to create Horizons. Now it’s your turn! Can you find these hidden treasures or information throughout the publication?

Send your answers to

news@leaderpub.com by March 11 or drop them off at our office at 217 N. Fourth St., in Niles.

Michael Caldwell is the publisher and president of Leader Publications LLC. A native of eastern Kentucky, he has been in the publishing business for more than 15 years and has launched several community magazines. Moving to Michiana in 2013, he lives in Niles, Michigan, with his wife and two daughters.

• What day did the Main Street Bridge open to the public?

• What was the name of the Sixth Generation’s No. 1 original song that played on radio stations in the 1960s?

• What year did Al Walker enlist in the Marines?

• What is the oldest business in Michigan, and where is it located?

• Five sculptures sit on the lawn and K&M. What are their names?

• What celebrity put Kristin Bivens’ do-it-yourself product on the map?

• Name three purposes the Beckwith Theatre served before becoming a theater.

• What was Bob Koshar’s first plane?

• At which museum did Steve and Christina Arseneau both work?

Of course, all treasure hunts have prizes at the end. Entries with the most correct answers will be entered into a drawing for

$100 CASH!

• Who were the first three women to receive the habit of the Sisters of Holy Cross?

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SHINING STARS Standout students pave the path for success in southwest Michigan

STORY BY AMBROSIA NELDON

T

here is truly no greater a reflection of a community than its youth on the brink of adulthood.

This spring, hundreds of young adults will leave the comfort of the classrooms that have become a second home throughout the last 13 years and enter a world full of opportunities. Before walking across the stage to receive their diplomas, these youth will no doubt be filled with equal parts nostalgia and excitement, and therefore provide a unique perspective into not only the progress their communities have made, but the promise they have for the future.

Leader Publications spotlighted six standout young adults who will take those steps into adulthood, leaving behind memories at Brandywine, Buchanan, Cassopolis, Dowagiac, Edwardsburg and Niles.

Some will leave behind legacies of programs they helped to grow.

Others will bravely pass the torch to underclassmen as they leave the basketball court for the last time. Some will leave with a plan mapped out for the next steps into their future; others will have no idea where their lives are headed — and that’s OK! All six can agree on one thing, though: Had they not grown up in southwest Michigan, they would not be where they

are today.

Chosen by their administrators as the best representatives of their respective communities, these Shining Stars are a direct reflection of their roots, and the epitome of the human treasures in our communities.

Rachael Szilagyi has embraced the opportunity to shine as a female athlete as Brandywine’s Lady Cats basketball and tennis teams have taken home countless awards in her tenure. Peyton Ritchie has grown up on the very racetrack that put Buchanan on the map. Colin Kelley knows better than most how valuable the farming community is to Cassopolis.

Zach Davis’ school spirit surpasses other students, just as the Chieftain Heart surpassed all other fan bases in the MHSAA’s Battle of the Fans contest in 2015. Makayla Long has embraced the Edwardsburg community’s giving spirit through her philanthropy and volunteer work, and Mika Farinella learned to collaborate alongside the pros at the Niles New Tech Academy, which has prepared him for the life of a leader.

Just as their communities have shaped them into the promising young adults they are today, these Shining Stars have paved promising paths in their communities.

The future looks bright.

8

Horizons 2016

Peyton Ritchie Buchanan Buchanan

A

Rachael Szilagyi Brandywine

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ost siblings have a tough time coexisting, let alone getting along with each other.

But to Rachael Szilagyi, her big brother isn’t only her best friend, but her hero.

“My brother has been such a big role model ever since my parents got divorced,” Rachael said. “He’s such a good person. When I’m having a bad day or just need to vent, he’s the one I call.”

The 17-year-old says she hates to talk about herself, but is more than happy to give credit to all the people in her life who have helped her on her journey — and that journey is chocked full of accomplishments.

The lifelong Niles resident and Brandywine student plans to follow her brother to Allendale next fall to study criminal justice at Grand Valley State University. Throughout high school she has played multiple sports, and quite successfully.

“I started tennis my sophomore year. That changed my life,” she said, explaining her decision to quit soccer and try her hand at tennis with good friend Alyssa Bolin. The duo went undefeated two seasons, won conference and regional titles and placed 12th in the state two years ago.

In the winter months, she stays conditioned for tennis by playing on a league team, but also as a member of the successful Lady ‘Cats basketball team. Since her freshman year, the team has taken home three conference championships, two district championships and two regional championships — an impressive feat she credits her coaches and team with.

Joining her fellow athletes and coaches in what she calls her “support system” are her parents who “ensure I have the best that I can have,” and also several of her teachers.

“That’s one of the great things about being from a close-knit community,” Rachael said. “There are teachers here who really make an impact and I’ve become so close with a bunch of them. Mr. Schau (one of her English teachers) has always been so great. He’s an inspirational kind of guy. Mr. Derucki has pushed me really hard with my grades. I’m thankful for that.”

Taking into account the lessons she has learned from her role models, Rachael says she has one piece of advice for teenagers: “Make sure you stay yourself. Don’t ever try to change to be cool,” she said. “What is cool changes every year, and you end up changing yourself. Don’t be afraid to be who you are.”

lot lot ofof sounds sounds evoke evoke aa sense of community: community: The The sound sound of of a crowd cheering cheering atat aa football football game, game, the sound soundof ofchildren children laughing laughing on a playground, of of families families chattering at a picnic. picnic.

To To Peyton Peyton Ritchie, Ritchie, though, though, no sound represents represents the the Buchanan Buchanan community community better better than dirt than bikes dirton bikes a racetrack. on a racetrack.

That That is, is,except exceptone oneword, word,yelled yelledloudly loudlyand andproudly proudlyat atmost mostBuchanan Buchanan functions: functions: “REDBUUUUDDD!” “REDBUUUUDDD!” “Everyone “Everyone in in this thisschool schooland and really really anywhere anywhere around around here,here, they know they know when when you yell, you ‘Redbud!’ yell, ‘Redbud!’ you’ve got you’ve to yellgot it back,” to yellshe it back,” said. “It’s shecool said. to “It’s know cool thattomyknow familythat built mythat. family … It’s built so important that. … It’s to the so important community.” to the community.”

It’s not surprising that that sound represents the city in the Buchanan senior’s It’s not mind, surprising either,that because the sound she has represents grown up theon city a nationally in the Buchanan famous senior’s racetrack. mind, Her parents either, own because the Red sheBud hasMoto grown Cross. up on the nationally famous Although racetrack she doesn’t her parents ride motocross own. herself, the sound of roaring engines Although andshe the doesn’t feeling of ride vibrations motocross beneath herself, her toes the sound are likely of roaring second engines nature toand Peyton, the as feeling she has of lived vibrations five minutes beneath from her thetoes raceare track second since nature she wastoborn.

Peyton, Along aswith shethe has lived five minutes from the the motor speedway “For the last since forshe years wasnow born. my brothers and I have been old enough to help “Forout theatlast the Fourth four years of July now Race, my brothers and everyand year I have we shoot beenoff oldfireworks enough to forhelp everyone out athere,” the Fourth she said. of July “I’ll be Race, with and my friends every year having wea good shoottime off fireworks and sittingforwatching everyonethe here,” fireworks. she said.

Everyone “I’ll be with around myus friends is sohaving happy, ahaving good time a good and time.” sitting watching the fireworks. Everyone around us is so Peyton’s happy, having sense of a good community time.” transcends the track, though. Throughout high Peyton’s school,sense she has of been community actively transcends involved in tennis, the track, yearbook though. and Throughout National Honor high Society. school, she has been actively involved in tennis, yearbook While she andisn’t National sure what Honorthe Society. future has in store for her yet, Peyton has While worked she hard isn’t to sure getwhat a jump the start future on her hasfuture, in store andfor will hergraduate yet, Peyton high has school worked with more hard than to get 20acredits jump start from Lake on her Michigan future, and College. will graduate high While school stillwith undecided more than on 20 college, creditsPeyton from Lake is leaning Michigan heavily College. toward attending AlthoughMichigan she is still State undecided Universityon to college, study. the teenager is leaning heavily Like most toward young attending people,Michigan Peyton feels State tornUniversity. about the thought of leaving home.

Like Regardless most youngof people, where her Peyton futurefeels takestorn her, one about things the for thought sure: On of leaving hot summer home. days, Regardless she’ll be on ofthe where track,her surrounded future takes by the her, community one thingthat is for made sure: herOn who hotshe summer is today. days, she’ll be on the track, surrounded by the community that made her who she is today.

Horizons 2016

9

Zach Davis Dowagiac

L

Colin Kelley Cassopolis

A

t 17 years old, Colin Kelley can say without a doubt who his greatest role model is, and for as long as he can remember, the teenager has been trying to be just like him.

“My grandpa, George Brossman, is my hero,” the Ross Beatty High School senior said one day last fall. “Day in and day out, no matter what day it is, he puts 110 percent into his job and makes sure everyone has what they need to do their job, too. It makes me want to do the same.”

That work ethic certainly seems to have been passed down through the generations and is evident in Colin’s self-discipline and focus on the future.

A three-sport athlete, Colin has earned bragging rights as team captain and most valuable player in soccer, has been all-conference in the 125-pound weight class every year he has wrestled and was a regional qualifier his junior year. He also golfs, is a member of the National Honor Society and an avid member of the Cassopolis chapter of the Future Farmers of America — all while holding a 3.75 grade point average.

The support for the farming community has left a mark on his life, amplifying Colin’s desire to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and become a farmer.

“The support we get is just amazing. Every time we come back from state we’ll have a parade,” Colin said. “We had a performance for my parli pro [parliamentary procedures] team and the whole gym was filled with people coming to support us. That was a great feeling.”

Like most people in Cassopolis, Colin recognizes the strong agricultural presence in the rural village, and has embraced the trend. “[Cassopolis] is definitely a little different from most communities.

We’re one of the only schools that has FFA and ag classes around here, and there’s a huge push to participate,” he said. “It definitely gives you qualities you don’t get anywhere else.”

He believes his participation in those programs has set him apart from other students his age and, while sometimes it can be time consuming in addition to all his other extra curriculars, Colin has found FFA to be an invaluable experience.

“When I was a freshman, I didn’t talk very much. I was kind of shy,” he said. “But being in FFA forced me to get out of my shell, and now I talk in front of people all the time with no problem. I’ve learned good communication skills and teamwork, and I’ll take that with me forever.”

ate last fall, Zach Davis attended one of his first “lasts” — the last football game he would cheer from the student section.

To prepare for the important game that was sure to be a memory he would not soon forget, the 18-year-old lifelong Dowagiac resident prepared to go all out for the school’s “Pink Out.” Donning pink socks, leggings, hairspray and even a pink tutu, Zach looked as though he was preparing for a dance recital rather than a football game, but that did not deter him because, as he puts it, not much embarrasses him.

“I’m not afraid to express my school spirit, no matter how silly I look,” Zach said, emphasizing the camaraderie and community that comes from breaking out of your comfort zone for a common cause.

“It shows me how a group of people can come together to achieve a goal,” Zach said. “Last year we competed in Battle of the Fans and before that we hadn’t really had a great student section. Then suddenly we were the best student section in Michigan.”

After graduating in the spring, Zach plans to stay in Dowagiac and attend Southwestern Michigan College to study computer science — which he is pursuing as more of a pathway than a career focus as he decides exactly what he wants to do with his future.

“I like Dowagiac. I don’t see the point in going out to a university if I’m not sure what I want to do yet,” he said.

Perhaps because of his love for the community, Zach has filled his plate to the brim with extra-curricular activities ranging from athletics to the arts.

All four years of his high school career, he played tennis, basketball and golf in addition to participating in 4-H, Rotary Interact, student council and National Honor Society.

“I’m a treasurer in both NHS and student senate,” Zach said. “I like business and money and it interests me, so it seemed like a good fit.”

In addition to the personas he has taken on while cheering on the Chieftains, Zach has portrayed a number of characters on stage through six years of musicals including “Wizard of Oz,” “Annie,” “Cinderella,” and Zach’s favorite, “Disco Inferno,” in which he played the best friend of the main lead.

Based on his experience, Zach has one piece of advice for younger students: “Express yourself and be involved as much as you can. Meet new people and broaden your friendships and you’ll become a more well-rounded person.”

10

Horizons 2016

Mika Farinella Niles Buchanan

IA

Makayla Long Edwardsburg

M

akayla Long has always been up for a challenge, and when she sets her mind to something, it’s very difficult to stop her.

The 17-year-old Edwardsburg senior has overcome a lot of obstacles in her lifetime, and is proud to say that she hasn’t let any of them keep her from reaching her goals. Passionate about getting absolutely everything she can out of her high school years, Makayla has kept herself busy leading the school’s successful marching band as head drum major, playing soccer, volunteering in her community, participating in the National Honor Society and challenging herself academically.

For three and a half years, though, Makayla struggled with a frustrating heart condition that physicians couldn’t seem to figure out. After countless exams, tests and doctors’ visits, today she has a diagnosis — and she has learned to cope with it in order to continue getting the most out of her time at Edwardsburg.

“I have neurocardiogenic syncope. Basically it means I pass out a lot,” Makayla said. “I’m not the type of person who sits out, and it really bothers me when I do. I always want to be doing something, so I’ve learned to know my signs and triggers and how to avoid them.”

And while fainting spells can be a huge problem on the soccer field or at marching practice on hot summer days, Makayla has learned to make the best of her situation. This fall, she plans to begin a pre-med track to become a cardiologist like the man who finally determined what health problem was plaguing her.

“He was a noninvasive cardiologist. He worked with adults and I want to work with pediatrics. I like kids and youth and being involved with that generation of people as well,” Makayla said. “I feel this is where I belong, that I can make a difference because I’ve experienced that.”

When the senior leaves to pursue her dreams, she’ll be leaving behind a town that she believes has grown tremendously, a band that is near and dear to her heart and friends as well as mentors who have shaped and guided her.

“We have this motto in Edwardsburg. When we play games or have competitions, you’re not just playing a team, you’re playing a whole town,” she said, explaining how she feels fortunate to be part of that.

“There’s so much of a community experience in Edwardsburg. If you go to an away game, we completely fill the visitor’s side. Everyone is there for the awards assemblies. When we’re packing baskets at the local food pantry, some of the people who pack those baskets are likely the ones who will come pick them up.

“In Edwardsburg, we help our own, and we celebrate each other.”

f anyone that there is noa“I” in team, lot knows of sounds evoke sense of it’s Mika Farinella.The sound of a crowd community: Partcheering of the second graduating classthe at at a football game, Niles New Tech, the 18-year-old has been sound of children laughing on a playground, an active part in shaping the educational of families chattering at a picnic. opportunity the City of Four Flags.

To PeytoninRitchie, though, no sound In addition to providing feedback and represents the Buchanan community better suggestions as the school has grown throughout the last five years, Mika than dirt bikes on a racetrack. hasThat beenis,anexcept innovator all over the school district, despite busy Buchanan schedule. one word, yelled loudly and proudly his at most Simply put, the senior isn’t afraid to try new things and lives by the functions: mentality, “if not you, then who?”

“REDBUUUUDDD!” “My biggest for people is thatanywhere if someone tells you you can’t do “Everyone inadvice this school and really around here, they know something, take that and fuel your ability to actually do it,” he said.

“Create when you yell, ‘Redbud!’ you’ve got to yell it back,” she said. “It’s cool to new for family yourself.

Doing be so fartoahead — not just in knowlimits that my built that. that, … It’syou’ll so important the community.” school, but in your life.”

It’s not surprising that that sound represents the city in the Buchanan In addition participating in she the group-style classroom setting at New senior’s mind,toeither, because has grown up on a nationally famous Tech, which he says tends to be more time-consuming than traditional racetrack. Her parents own the Red Bud Moto Cross. learning styles, is dual-enrolled at Lake Michigan College, Although sheMika doesn’t ride motocross herself, the sound of getting roaring aengines jump start on credits before he transfers to Michigan Tech in thesecond fall to and the feeling of vibrations beneath her toes are likely pursue a degree in either computer or industrial engineering. nature to Peyton, as she has lived five minutes from the race track since In addition a heavy course she was born.toAlong with the load, Mika works at Massimo’s Backside Bar“For andthe volunteers whenever last for years nowhe mycan. brothers and I have been old enough to “The more involved you get with community thewe more youoff learn about help out at the Fourth of July Race,the and every year shoot fireworks it,” Mika said.

“Niles is special because of how involved every part of for everyone here,” she said. “I’ll be with my friends having a good time our community is with each other.

Saying that, I mean, like the Burn Run and sitting watching the fireworks. Everyone around us is so happy, downtown, justtime.” about every part of this community puts some effort into it.” having a good Perhaps because the value he’s learnedthe to place teamwork, Mika Peyton’s sense ofofcommunity transcends track, on though.

Throughout recognizes that he wouldn’t be where he is today without some of the high school, she has been actively involved in tennis, yearbook and people who are part of his life.

National Honor Society.

“Michael Bakerson haswhat always a big my life.

He was first While she isn’t sure thebeen future haspart in of store for her yet, my Peyton soccer coach and I stuck with him for about five years, and after that I came has worked hard to get a jump start on her future, and will graduate high back and coached his kids,” Mikafrom said.Lake “We’re still close friends, and he school with more than 20 credits Michigan College. gives me guidance when I need it.”

While still undecided on college, Peyton is leaning heavily toward Mika also recognizes theUniversity value in friendships, attending Michigan State to study. and says he owes a lot of hisLike successes to another of his heroes who hasabout been the by his side for most young people, Peyton feels torn thought of several leaving years. home. Regardless of where her future takes her, one things for sure: On “That’s a best of on mine thesurrounded name of Larry Last year hot summer days,friend she’ll be the by track, by theLamb. community that especially we were attached made her who she is today. at the hip because we had every single class together,” Mika said. “He’s always been a big help in helping me with college and keeping me in check. It’s good to have a person like that.”

Lewis Cass Intermediate School District What can LCISD offer you and your child?

Special Education

Brookside Learning Center, North Pointe Center and six classrooms housed in the Cassopolis Public Schools provide Special Education programs for Cass County residents ages birth through 26. We also provide therapy and diagnostic services to all local districts in the county. We target skills that lead to gainful employment and independent living for students with special needs.

Instructional Services

This program sustains professional growth of six or more major offerings per year for all of our county’s educators. It advances achievement and success for Cass County students through professional development, school improvement and leadership training for educations. It broadens student opportunities by organizing the Cass County Spelling Bee, Elementary Science Olympiad, Math-A-Rama, Young Writers’ Day, Middle School Math Meet and special events such as the MSU Spartan Marching Band clinic & Exhibition.

Career Technical Education

We prepare students with necessary academic, technical and occupational skills to enter, compete and advance in their education and careers. CTE programs introduce students to career options allowing them the opportunity to make informed educational choices. Most programs offer early college credit creating a seamless transition to post-secondary education.

Family & Children Services

All programs are strength-based and are geared towards building assets in the lives of each participant. Furthermore, they are flexible to meet the participants’ needs at their scheduled time or in time of crisis. The Family and Children Services Department includes the following programs: Families First of Michigan (Berrien), Family Reunification (Berrien), Tri-County Family Reunification (Cass, Van Buren & St. Joseph), Wraparound (Berrien), In-Home Family Services (Cass & St. Joseph), Families Together Building Solutions (Berrien) and Families Together Building Solutions (St. Joseph).

Special Education — Learning for All, Whatever It Takes Lewis Cass Intermediate School District operates center-based special education programs for all schools and families in Cass County. These programs serve the most impaired of our special needs children in the County. Our center-based programs serve the low incidence, high needs populations in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. LCISD has operated these programs on behalf of our local school districts since 1963, providing high quality individualized experiences to meet the unique needs of this special population.

The special programs operated by LCISD serve populations in Early Childhood Special Education, Severely Multiply Impaired, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Emotionally Impaired, Cognitively Impaired, Physically and Otherwise Health Impaired, Hearing Impaired and Visually Impaired. In addition to operating these programs, LCISD provides highly specialized itinerant staff to our local schools including Speech & Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, School Social Workers, Behavior Specialists, School Psychologists, Visually Impaired Consultants, and School Nurse Services.

Fifty years ago the first County-wide millage was passed to support special education services at the ISD, and still today special education supports remain our largest, most comprehensive service. Every program and service provided in the area of special education through LCISD is mandated by State and Federal regulations. Without this county-wide plan for delivering services, each of our local school districts would have to meet these mandates on their own. The ISD delivery model really is the most effective and cost efficient manner to meet the needs of our special populations.

Over the past two decades our total student population in the county has declined by almost 12% while the number of special needs students has remained the same. This trend simply means a higher percentage of the students in our county are identified as special needs students. Perhaps the most significant challenge in our special populations has been the dramatic rise in the incidence of Autism. The number of children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder has increased 85% in the past twelve years.

ASD students may require intensive, highly structured programming, sometimes necessitating one-on-one attention. As this and other special needs populations change, our service and intervention efforts throughout the county evolve to meet the challenge our districts face in providing high quality education for all students.

As an example, we have a dedicated Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Consultant who assists our 4 local districts in meeting this critical need in a number of ways. She helps develop individualized supports for students and extensive training for staff and parents. We are committed to providing the special needs resources of Cass County students served by our four outstanding school districts. Lewis Cass Intermediate School District — over 50 years of “Providing Services Today for a Better Tomorrow.”

Sincerely, Robert E. Colby, Superintendent

Great Start Readiness Preschool

The Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) is a high-quality preschool program for four-year olds in Cass County. The focus of GSRP is to prepare children to make the most out of their time in school and to give parents the opportunity to actively encourage their children in school success. GSRP uses the Creative Curriculum to help children develop a strong interest in learning. GSRP also works to create partnerships with parents to benefit their child’s education and future; parents can join the Parent Advisory Committee, attend family nights and volunteer.

Robert Colby Superintendent

Donald Curtis President

David Gordon Secretary

“Providing services

Transportation

LCISD provides handicapped accessible transportation for Special Education students to Brookside Learning Center, North Pointe Center, Squires (Adult Education), Sam Adams Elementary, Ross Beatty Jr/Sr High School, Berrien Springs and programs in local school districts that students attend outside of their resident school district.

Pat Adam

Vice President

Tom Atkinson Treasurer

Kevin Anderson Trustee

Lewis Cass Intermediate School District

today for a better tomorrow

”

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What’s in your

treasurechest?

Patrick Hamilton kindergartners weigh in on what they hope to find where X marks the spot

“I think it would be a Transformer.”

— Travon Jackson

“I would like to find Barbies, because I like Barbies.”

— Chloe Samuel

“I would like to find gold doubloons.”

— Aaron Morgan, Jr.

BY SCOTT NOVAK

“I would like to find a lot of diamonds.”

“I would like to find diamonds.”

“I would like to find diamonds.”

“I would like to find gold.”

“I think we will find money.”

“I think we would find gold.”

— Katelin Glon

— Maci Eichel

“I would like to find dollars.”

“I think we would find toys.”

— Aiden Martin

“I think you would find gold doubloons.”

— Daniel Mathews

— America Ruiz

— Jocelynn Klein

— Chase Austin

— Julliana Radke

— Madriana Gallegos

RON HAMRICK

DAVE WALENGA

FRED HULCE

PAUL DAVIES

SIXTH Generation Horizons 2016

STORY BY CRAIG HAUPERT

Niles band reunites after 45 years apart

T

hey don’t have thousands of screaming fans at their shows.

They don’t have a number one hit playing in an endless cycle on the pop radio stations.

They aren’t making millions of dollars.

But those things aren’t important to The Sixth Generation.

What does matter to the four Baby Boomer rockers of the Niles-based band is that they are making music they and their growing fan base like to hear. They are also recapturing a bit of their youth.

“It’s an experience that we absolutely love,” said Ron Hamrick, who does most of the songwriting. “I get emails all the time about how much people enjoy our music and that feeds us to keep going with this thing, to see where we can take it. We are always thrilled to be on stage together.”

It is pretty amazing, when you hear their story, to believe that Paul Davies, Hamrick, Fred Hulce and Dave Walenga are making music at all.

The band actually broke up in 1970 when the members went off to college, but got back together 40 years later.

They live, collectively, 600 miles apart.

They are all in their mid-60s.

Despite all this, they are still performing shows and writing original music straight out of the 1960s.

Their second album, “Feelin’ Good,” with eight new songs is scheduled to drop Feb. 26.

All the songs, while different in composition, center on the theme of being happy.

“We are a ‘60s band playing ‘60s music and writing ‘60s music,” Walenga said.

“If you come to our show, it is the same as if you were at the old American Legion on a Friday night back in 1967. We play the same show we would’ve played then.

It’s music that, when you throw it in, your day gets better.”

That was the time To gain an appreciation for what the band members are doing now, you have to take a look at where they came from.

The Sixth Generation formed in Niles during the summer of 1966 with six members, including John Dale, of Buchanan, and Fred Bachman, of Niles, who are no longer with the band.

The name comes from the fact that they had six members, and that they were playing the music of their generation.

“After bouncing around 1,000 names that one just seemed to stick,” Walenga said.

They covered the big hits of the ‘60s and gained popularity playing dance venues throughout the Michiana area, even opening for some big name bands of the time, like the Kingsmen and the Box Tops.

The group recorded just one original song in their first stint together. “This is the Time” was played on radio stations from Chicago to Pittsburgh and was a No. 1 hit regionally.

The band eventually disbanded in December of 1970 as members pursued college, careers, the military and other life choices.

15

16 Back again Paul Davies and Dave Walenga stayed in touch after the band broke up, visiting each other a couple times a year to reminisce about the old days.

At one such visit in Niles in 2010, Davies’ daughter, Amanda, asked a question that would change their lives forever: Why don’t you get the band back together?

“The idea got planted,” Paul said.

“Just from that little throwaway statement, everything else has happened,” Walenga said.

The two began tracking down their former band members and eventually found them. They agreed to rent rehearsal space in Mishawaka.

“We went down and thought we’d play a couple songs and have fun with it. It turned out to be quite an experience,” Walenga said.

Although members say they never publicized the reunion, somehow word leaked out and around 50 people showed up to hear them play.

The music wasn’t perfect, they said, but it didn’t take long to settle into the rhythm they had back in the day.

“We had to knock a little rust off but I’ll tell ya, it didn’t take us very long,” Hamrick said. “It was like we had never been off the stage. The fans were rocking.”

With the impromptu audience and the good vibes, the band members knew it wouldn’t be the last time they played together.

“We all felt like there was unfinished business, that there was still music to be made,” Walenga said.

About a year later, The Sixth Generation reunited for real, playing its first show in 40 years at the Buchanan American Legion — the same place where they played their final show four decades earlier.

A new generation Today, the band members are spread out all over the United States. Davies lives in Niles, Hamrick in Virginia, Hulce in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Walenga in Maryland.

They play shows regionally every month or so, with their busiest schedule coming in the summertime. They mostly play on the east coast and across the Midwest with gigs at places like the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the Workhouse Art Center in Virginia and on the Chicago lakefront.

Horizons 2016

However, their tour has taken them as far away as Liverpool’s Cavern Club — the bar known as the birthplace of the Beatles — in 2013.

“That was a big thrill,” Davies said.

Despite the distance between them — about 600 miles — the members still manage to practice and create new music.

They released their first album, a nostalgia ‘60s throwback “That was… This is,” in 2011.

They began work on a second album in 2015, with Hamrick doing most of the songwriting.

To do so they had to embrace technology, uploading portions of unfinished songs online to practice and finish on their own.

“We can pull up what music we will be developing, we can add our parts to it and practice so that when we get together we are ready to record,” Walenga said. “Grandpa has gone high-tech.”

As for their audience, band members say they consist largely of Baby Boomers like themselves, although they have fans of all different age groups.

Hamrick said the ‘60s music pervasive in movies, television and commercials helps younger people connect when they hear their shows.

“Sixties’ music is kind of osmosis today with the younger generation,” Hamrick said.

“They hear it, and so when we play they

are attracted to that also. You’d be surprised at the number of younger people who enjoy our music.”

Social media and the internet has also helped the group broadcast the Sixth Generation’s sound to a larger audience.

The band’s single, “That Was the Time,” has more than 100,000 views on YouTube with listeners from all over the world.

Band members say they have no intentions of stopping anytime soon.

“As soon as we feel we are not producing good music we will retire,” Walenga said. “I still think that there is a lot of good music left.”

Horizons 2016

17

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Horizons 2016

: E S A C D L CO N O T L E F LEON ing d n fi o t d e t t i Police comm 003 2 e c n i s g n i s s Niles man mi

PERT

BY CRAIG HAU

ough it eon, even th ce.

L , d n a b s u er her h t a tra ams about e disappeared withou nding near water in h re d ll ti s n o h ta lt rnestine Fe re than 10 years since man would see him s . e o o v w m li a s n r e e has be ear-old Nil that he was no longe part of her visions.

-y 7 5 e th t, At firs longer to mean e she took n, but the water is no g a im n a dreams — ever, she sees Leo ing . ment work g rt a p Lately, how k he’s dead,” she said e D e c s Poli missin “I don’t thin so sure. ith the Nile n is more than just a w s e v ti c te ’t o e Others aren itchell, one of two d reasons to believe Le ce to y M n d a a m h are rete eviden ber c re n Det. C e o c th o id n a e s case, eptem ey hav on the cold eger say th sn’t been seen since S ru K k ic R a . e person case e and fellow detectiv -year-old Niles man h However, h eories as to why the 48 said. th ,” Mitchell Our ig d support any to g . in y there.

61 toda keep try of 2003. is back out n would be is why we want to th o lt g e in F tt e e g rk d in Leon Cla ore to this — that are intereste talk.” e w m y h is w re s d e “Th that’ ard an knows and come forw “Somebody le is getting people to biggest hurd

E

MISSING PERSON

Name: Leon Clarke Felt on Height: 5 feet, 11 inches

Weight: 170 pounds Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Horizons 2016

ho was there. the other person w or r he t ’s girlfriend and ou ab ils other deta woman was Leon e th s ve lie be e o.

Ernestine said sh worked in Chicag and who lived or is sb e hu nc a ra d . ea ha e rty pp sh pa sa e di at fe Street lie reasons detectives believe Leon’sion to crack cocaine, th She said Leon acted normal during th One of th with an addict self,” she said. , but arrived untrustworthy the man struggled “He was his plain st friend — was also at the party suspicious, is that me associated with dangerous and be co Bobby — Leon’s ed, but leading him to be d an e m ho at the time he arriv to Ernestine had left. on e r m te Le af ho ith m w fro rls . gi d le o ce op un pe e. were tw -related and e habit, Leon bo girl — had to leav to meet Bobby said there Unable to kick th w minor arrests, but they were drug the light-skinned t ot no fo — on . em m th a. of 1 a fe that one e party at around few blocks away. When job to job. He had e said. t to know y said he left th ge lic bb to po Bo le t, ab en complex a e ol er vi w g in noth y said he gh-rise apartment the detectives hi e s, th in at nru ne e eo me morning, Bobb es m sa th so at th r te la e Because of ac ’s pl nice guy and a he returned to Leon and left.

Leon fairly well. ribed Leon as a got in his vehicle sc g day only to e de of H e th e. ag bo sid nt ll in va he go ad itc n ’t M ke dn place the followin ta d di ’s an en on be er Le ve to ha Krueg ck y ba sil e ea m d ne who coul Bobby said he ca follower — someo viduals.

Leon went. e th on n In L di & him missing. she knew where in B d if e e fin iv or th at hb at ul ig ip as ne w an , a m id d sa by aske guing with a here Advance on worked, police Concerned, Hogan or told him she had seen Leon ar The last place Le and South 11th streets in Niles, w hb ig ook Hogan said the ne of the party. welfare corner of Silverbr t gh ni e. e lif th s de hi entification card, tsi in id t ou in ’s w. rl po on no gi e is Le m id rts so sa Pa at y o ny Aut d Bobb r a concrete compa . “Any time I ever met with Both Ernestine an ned in the home.

He also worked fo id sa ai er m eg ho re ru s w K y he ” ot gu y, gu nice ogan said. card and cl “Leon was a good alt with him in the past… he is a hing with him,” H yt an ke ta ’t ” dn de , n. di m io “He him, talked with hi ing. He just struggled with addict at Lakeland th as ht w rig y, e sa th e lic do po to , en tried place Leon was se The last verifiable pain, and was Hospital in Niles. lf in Sept. 5, 2003, for abdominal He checked himse him,” day. of anybody seeing Theories & speculations rd co re released the same l ia fic of ve ha e w st la e “That is th from Leon Ernestine and Bobby say they haven’t heard people say Mitchell said. heard have since he disappeared, although they na.

India in e n wher some o n or go e he they have seen him in Chica and L Chicago and she first met him w ely unlik is it Ernestiannd eLeon that but s, thing ar in simil up heard ve grew Police said they’ on up Ernestine ing show ut that Leon could be living somewhere witho grade. id, because her she was in fourth her often back then, Ernestine sa Hogan lives their radar. . missing They saw each ot , was one of Leon’s best friends e th til un up Det. Mitchell said Leon is listed on a national an on og H Le also friends with are st e brother, Bobby Polic be .org. d ifyUs ne Ident ai m called re ase person’s datab says he used been t in Niles now and hasn’ monitoring his social security number, which ing. d they both moved day he went miss when she was 19 an year it was when d rie ar m t go since he went missing. on what Ernestine and Le no longer doesn’t remember ne o. sti ag ne ic “He was receiving state aid at the time and he is Er Ch gh in ou ily remains m states to fa all to Niles — alth r ed ei check th “We . said. of ell e nd Mitch m Be aid,” receiving state higan. So es in South liv w no ho none and w they came to Mic card er ID went daughter togeth see if he has applied for a driver’s license or d at the time he te ra pa The couple had a se e er w e and Leon of that has taken place. out why.

Ernestine said sh sed. We into great detail ab id she would visit go to t an “Those are pretty good indications that he is decea w ’t dn nestine sa Er missing, but di d, te ra . pa m why.” se or hi e how wer rcing just don’t know Even though they e and had no intention of ever divo id, adding n to go on sa Police say they did not have much informatio tim e sh to e ,” er tim th m fa ’s by to say ba Leon fro lling y unwi m were le ’s e. odby from the beginning because peop because that e without saying go av le “I still love him d an up st nce. ju peara much about Leon’s disap like him to to talk, that it would be un that.” do ’d “When you are in that lifestyle people are afraid he hy w ow e,” polic “I don’t kn the like people don’t come forward, people don’t rd forwa come to s want e on, sh Mitchell said. “You get nobody that time she saw Le st la and es e The lasErtnepstianerty hurdl th the are e rs Thes to . be e street the em lic rem because it’s the way of is no way for po Although y it was, so there before or after Leon’s da t ha w walls that we come up against.” r be em m ok place doesn’t re be willing to n io ct ra te in r ei Police hope that, as time has passed, someone will if th know for certain n. to invited her l. to come forward with new informatio holding visit to the hospita er Friday or Saturday when Leon d house on re th Even though it is unlikely, Ernestine said she is still ei g bi as a w at the time: She said it ng day. yi some sta home as come will w Leon he that onto the hope place station in Niles. come over to the she said. til around ss from the radio ro un “I would kiss him and say, ‘How you doing?’” d ac ye et re sta St d an fth g Fi in en ev North g e puttin th for a in him d an sometime “Then I would slap the piss out of . She said a man Ernestine arrived gh me to pick her up ou ca lth er A ht g. ug in da us through this.” r rty he pa l ere al 11 p.m. when on and that they w bers no Le em m ith w re e ne er sti th e ne er woman w skinned, Er e woman was light she remembers th

19

20

Horizons 2016

A SHARED

passion

Married museum directors dedicated to uncovering, preserving Niles and Dowagiac history STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMBROSIA NELDON

S

teve Arseneau has a passion for storytelling.

From the history of Dowagiac’s Round Oak Stove to the people who put Cass County on the map, the Dowagiac museum director has been telling true tales of times long past for most of his life.

One of his favorite stories to tell, though, is about a pair of historians whose shared passion for uncovering artifacts led to a love story fit for film.

The setting of that tale starts at the Milwaukee Public Museum — a place that has marked many milestones in the Milwaukee native’s life.

Comparable in size to Chicago’s Field Museum, the history center contains more than 4.5 million specimens within its collections that fill exhibits ranging from local history to prehistoric artifacts. Simply put, it’s a history buff’s dream space, so it is no wonder this elaborate wonderland sparked a fire in Steve when he was 10 years old that he has chased ever since.

Determined to pursue his dream, Steve stayed in Wisconsin after high school, attending the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse to earn his bachelor’s degree in history and the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee for his master’s in public history.

While earning his master’s degree, Arseneau returned to the Milwaukee Public Museum to pay his dues as an intern, staying there for two years while finishing his studies.

The year Arseneau finished his degree, he moved to Michigan to work at the Dowagiac Area History Museum, which was then located at Southwestern Michigan College.

Five years later, he returned to his beloved museum for a conference.

There, he met Christina Hirn, who, following a similar passion, earned degrees in classics at the University of Illinois and New York University.

“I knew that I didn’t want to go into academic work, so I started volunteering and interning at all the museums on campus, trying to get as much experience as I could, including a summer at the Milwaukee Public Museum,” Christina said. “[Steve] was working there at the time, we figured out. We could have crossed paths and never even known it.”

As fate would have it, the conference brought them together seven years later, and not long after, Christina Hirn became Christina Arseneau.

Horizons 2016

21

Moving to southwest Michigan

After marrying Steve, Christina relocated to southwest Michigan, where her husband had already planted roots at the museum in Dowagiac. She began working as the director at the Heritage Museum in St. Joseph in 2007, and stayed there until taking on her current role as the director of the Niles History Center.

Leading the way in the history field in neighboring cities makes for an interesting dynamic at the dinner table if nothing else, Steve jokes.

“It’s nice that we’re able to talk about our work and know what we’re talking about,” he said.

Christina added that even while she was working at the Heritage Museum, the two loaned each other artifacts for various exhibits and share similar networks and elements of history.

“We know a lot of the same local characters,” she said.

While on a smaller scale than the metropolitan museums they worked at previously, the husband-wife duo said the work is very similar.

“Museums are the same all across the country because they face the same challenges,” Steve said. “We’re both bigcity people, so that’s a change of pace for us… but as far as the museum feel, we’re all facing the same challenges: funding, how to take care of our collections, how to draw visitors, what kind of events are appropriate.”

Christina is originally from Chicago and is accustomed to younger generations who haven’t grown up in the city, unlike in Niles and Dowagiac where many generations of families can be traced back in the same town.

“I will say people here in this region, they’re more connected to their local history and are more invested in it,” Christina said.

The Arseneaus, who live in Niles, work to share the history of the communities they represent with unique exhibits and programming.

While Steve has been uncovering Dowagiac’s history for the past 18 years or so, Christina is relatively new to the Niles history scene, only serving in the role since early November 2015. Nonetheless, she has big plans for the history center.

22

Horizons 2016

A passion for storytelling

Of the many facets of directing a local history museum, Steve and Christina both say their biggest passion is the end product: creating exhibits to showcase their findings.

“For me, [exhibits] are where the collections and public part of museum work meet for me,” Christina said. “I like putting on those presentations where we can tell a story with our artifacts, and then have the public see that part of it.”

In that sense, the Arseneaus are very much treasure hunters although, Christina said, not in the traditional sense of the term.

“I guess what we might consider a treasure isn’t what the average person would consider a treasure. We don’t look for monetary value. We look for stories that are behind an object.”

Both have a knack for finding those extraordinary gems and showing their value, though.

“We’ve got a lot of community treasures on exhibit in the upstairs gallery,” at the Dowagiac History Museum, which opened in 2015, Steve said. “I love the wheelbarrow that was used for transporting sugar and flour to the bakery.”

Another one of Steve’s favorite parts of the exhibit in the museum’s relatively new home is a collection of toys that, to the average person, may seem like ordinary trinkets. However, the museum director’s eyes light up when he tells the story of the ironworkers who created molds in their free time so they could bring home toys for their children.

“Those are real community treasures, and the only way people know about them are that they’re things that are passed down through family or friends,” Steve said, adding that while he’s good at “talking people out of things,” he often tells people interested in donating that they should keep their treasures with their family.

Among many projects Christina is excited for in her new position is the annual archaeological dig at Fort St. Joseph this summer.

“Our open house is going to be held in August this year and one of the things that we’re working on first is updating the exhibits that have to do with the fort,” she said. “We’re working on combing through the artifacts that have been found and really telling that story.”

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STRONG Horizons 2016

Army

Veteran overcame adversity after returning home from Korean War STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY TED YOAKUM

F

or Dowagiac veteran David Steele, the biggest impact of his service in the Korean War came not during his time overseas during the armed conflict, but when he returned home.

Returning to the U.S. from a year-long tour in the war torn nation in 1953, the Army soldier was home for a little less than two weeks before he was diagnosed with polio. Spending 10 months in Ann Arbor for treatment, doctors told the Dowagiac man that it was unlikely he would ever walk again, Steele recalled.

Seven years later, he proved them wrong.

“I found a muscle in my leg I could stand on, and for 45 years I worked on that muscle,” he said.

Born in Dowagiac, Steele grew up in Cassopolis at the family farm, where he developed the work ethic that would carry him throughout his life. Even before his graduation from Cassopolis High School, Steele was working in factories.

In 1951, while working at a factory with the Chicago Hardware Foundry, the 21-year-old Steele was drafted into the U.S. Army. After completing basic training, Steele was deployed to Korea in 1952.

“It was like driving into a dark tunnel,” Steele recalled thinking at the time. “You didn’t know what to expect.”

As part of a contingent of new troops sent to relieve soldiers who had been fighting since the beginning of the conflict, Steele was originally slated to

serve as a guard with a POW camp before asking to be reassigned, he said.

His new assignment was to be sent north to serve in the engineer corps, just 17 miles away from the front lines, where he would assist in building bridges (some of which still stand today). While never involved with active combat, the sounds of mortars and gunfire from the main front were a constant reminder that the horrors of war were never far away.

“It’s a bad feeling to know you may have to shoot at someone you don’t even know,” Steele said.

After returning home and overcoming his protracted fight with polio, he worked as a steel hauler for 30 years before retiring in 1992. He has also been a member of the American Legion for more than 50 years, receiving a commendation for his years of service last year.

He and his wife Joyce, who were married shortly before his deployment, have six kids, many of whom still live in the Dowagiac area.

He has been in frequent contact with his old company from his days in Korea, traveling almost every year to their reunions, he said.

Even today at 85 years-old, the spirit and determination that has helped him overcome his many battles burns as brightly as ever. Only a few months removed from having one of his legs amputated due to a blood clot, the soldier said he is looking forward to getting a prosthetic leg put in place so that he can get back to tending his garden this summer.

“I’ll be back and ready to go.”

Horizons 2016

25

SEMPER FI for life

26

Horizons 2016

Memories, mentality have stuck with veteran since serving in the Vietnam War

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRAIG HAUPERT

I

t was some 50 years ago that Al Walker served his country in the Vietnam War as a member of the United States Marines Corps.

Even though it was so long ago, the 71-yearold Niles man is still living with the scars — both physical and mental — he acquired during two tours there.

One, in particular, still clings to his mind.

Some Vietnamese children, he said, set off trip flares on the perimeter of an area he was camped in for the night.

Walker explained that a trip flare, once activated, lights up the area in which it was tripped, allowing soldiers to know exactly where the activity is.

Walker happened to be on watch at the time when the flare went off, so he aimed his sub machine gun and fired.

“The first thing you do is shoot first and ask questions later,” he said. “The scream of that child has stayed with me for a long time.”

Today, if you see Walker around Niles, there is a decent chance he will be wearing the uniform of the Marine Corps League Wolverine Detachment, a group of former enlisted Marines in Berrien County.

One of the important civic duties the group

performs is to collect new toys to give to less fortunate children at Christmas time.

Walker’s mission, as he sees it, is to head up the Toys for Tots collection effort for his hometown of Niles.

He has been doing it for the past seven or eight years. And to hear him explain why he does it, is heartbreaking.

When Walker returned home from war, he said he had trouble sleeping because of the screaming he still heard — the broken record as he described it — playing over and over in his head.

The record still plays, although less frequently, because of things like Toys for Tots.

“It’s therapy for me because a smile on a child’s face is better than a scream coming from a child,” he said. “I always make sure I hear a child laugh than a child cry and scream.

“Knowing I was instrumental in putting a smile on a child’s face — that’s what makes me happy.”

Unlike many, Walker was not drafted to fight in Vietnam. He enlisted in the Marines at age 18 in 1963 as a way to get away from home. He also loved geography and history — two things the military offered.

“I was able to go places, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico. … and going to these places and getting paid to go, that is even better,” he said. “For me it was an honor to go in and a pleasure to do that. I volunteered because it was what I wanted to do. I wasn’t forced to do it.”

After six years in the military and two tours in Vietnam, Walker decided it was time to get out in 1969.

“In baseball it is three strikes and you are out,” he said. “I didn’t want to go back again.”

More than 58,000 Americans died during the Vietnam War and while Walker is thankful he wasn’t among them, he did have his fair share of scary moments.

He recalled a time when a Viet Cong attacked him in close quarters with a knife that had a blade at both ends.

“I grabbed his arm, brought it over like that and his knife went in my side and after that I ended up rolling over and put my knee in his chest and did what I had to do,” Walker said. “Between the kid and taking that guy out, those are the things that stick with me the most because the child was something that I saw after. This other was right up and hands on.”

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It was at that time that Walker realized the importance of the training he underwent.

“You train and all your training comes into effect and then… you find out that the training is what saves you,” he said.

When Walker returned home, it was not to a hero’s welcome. At that time, Vietnam veterans were not celebrated in the United States. Oftentimes, they were vilified, misunderstood and looked down upon.

“It hurt because when you come back you have problems and you don’t know what the issues are or where the answers are going to come from,” he said. “You have no help and everyone is looking at you like there is something wrong with you.”

Because of his experience after the war, Walker, like many Vietnam vets, was determined to make sure future generations of military men and women did not receive the same type of treatment they did.

“Every time a veteran leaves, there is always a Vietnam veteran to welcome them home when they come back. When we left, we had no

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sendoff. When we came home, there was no welcome home,” he said.

“The warriors of today are the offspring of the Vietnam veterans — every veteran said what happened to me will never happen again. So now the respect of veterans has gotten a lot better.”

To further the cause, Walker speaks about patriotism and his experiences to schoolaged children in the Niles area, as well as at other functions. When he comes across a veteran in need, he lends a helping hand.

“When you’ve helped someone and they’ve turned around and said, ‘thank you, you helped me’ — that goes a long way,” he said. “Helping another veteran means that you’ve done your job. Some help is always better than no help and that’s the way we veterans look at it.”

Considering all the good and the bad that came as a result of his time in the military, Walker said he has no regrets.

“Serving my country was a proud thing. Would I do it again? Yes, I would,” he said. “I learned to love and respect my country by serving my country.”

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Horizons 2016

his passion

Gulf War veteran found love for helicopters while serving in the Army STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT NOVAK

I

t did not take Chris Bergen long to figure out what direction his life would take.

Bergen, who moved to Cassopolis in sixth grade and is a 1984 graduate of Ross Beatty Jr./Sr. High School, spent one semester at Southwestern Michigan College.

“I realized this probably isn’t for me,” he said.

So Bergen chose to enlist in the military and, because he could not reach the Air Force recruiter, he wound up joining the Army.

“The Army recruiter searched me out,” Bergen said. “I expressed an interest in aviation and aircraft maintenance. The recruiter informed me that the Army does have aircraft, most specifically helicopters, but some fixed-winged. I thought that was one way to go about it.”

Finding a path Bergen’s interest in aircraft would lead him to a military career of working with Chinook helicopters.

The Chinook has a long and storied history in the military. The twin-engine tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopters have served the armed forces well for troop movement, artillery placement and battlefield resupply. Introduced in the 1960s, the Chinook is still in service to this day.

Upon joining the Army, Bergen, who is an active member of the Cassopolis VFW and helps organize the annual Memorial Day Parade, did his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

“I did eight weeks of the usual learning how to be a soldier thing,” Bergen said. “I ended up being the trainee of the cycle, which meant I was the No. 1 trainee in our battalion cycle, which means I got to give the speech at graduation. That was a horrible, horrible speech that I gave. But it got the job done.”

After returning home for a week, Bergen was off again, this time to Fort Eustis in Virginia to begin learning about medium helicopter repair.

“Not fully understanding what the Army meant by “medium” helicopter, when I first walked into the hanger at Fort Eustis to look at the aircraft I would be learning how to maintain, I was taken aback by how large the Chinook really is,” Bergen said. “I thought to myself, ‘medium? What the heck does a large look like?’ I spent three months and a day there.”

Going abroad After a quick trip back to Cassopolis, Bergen was deployed to Germany where he would begin hands-on training in how to maintain a Chinook.

He spent two and a half years there and says it was one of his most enjoyable stops in the military.

“I truly enjoyed Germany,” he said. “All of this was a choice by me when I first went into the Army. My choice of schools was for the Chinook and my first duty station was Germany. It was offered to me in my contract and it all worked out.”

Germany is where Bergen really got to know how to work on helicopters.

“In any aviation unit you start off in your basic maintenance crew,” he said. “You do the overhauls. Basically you take them all apart. You take the rotor blades off, take the engine off, check everything out and then put it all back together. In a lot of ways your three months of schooling teaches you the very basics of what needs to be done. You really learn the aircraft once you get to your permanent duty station.”

In addition to working with the helicopters, Bergen, like all other soldiers had to maintain his physical condition, which included training three times a week.

“You spend the next eight hours working on the aircraft,” Bergen said.

“You are learning from guys who have been doing it for a while, so you get more in depth training.”

While he continued to learn about maintaining helicopters, the soldier also learned what other jobs were available. One of them caught his attention.

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Career Diversion “I noticed a lot of these guys walking around in flight suits and going up with the aircraft,” he said. “I decided that was a job I wanted to do. So you start asking questions and you start talking to these guys to find out what those requirements are. You make yourself known as a mechanic and try to fight for one of those few slots that are available. It took a little over a year of being in maintenance and talking to these guys and making it known that is what I wanted to do before I was offered a slot.”

It took a few more months of learning what that job entailed, which included maintaining the helicopter while in flight and working as a crew with the pilots, much like NASCAR drivers work together with their crew during a race.

“The Chinook aircraft crew operation is a little bit different than the other aircraft used by the Army and even the Air Force in that it has two enlisted crew members — a flight engineer and a crew chief,” Bergen said. “Basically the crew chief is learning how to be a flight engineer. So basically it is the responsibility of the flight engineer to train that crew chief and get them up to speed as quickly as possible.”

Learning that job would lead Bergen to his next stop at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which is the home of the infamous 82nd Airborne Division, which maintains a state of readiness that allows them to deploy anywhere in the world 24 hours or less.

Bergen said that the Chinooks cannot be deployed that quickly, but follow shortly thereafter for support of the division.

“We knew wherever they went, we could be immediately following them within the next couple of months,” he said.

Operation Just Cause While stationed at Fort Bragg, Bergen would be sent to Panama for Operation Just Cause, which included the removal of de facto Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.

“I was informed to visit the commander in the production control office one day,” Bergen recalled. “I thought oh boy, what have I done now. I reported to the commander in my formal military attire as required and he then asked me to volunteer to go to a certain place at a certain time. Basically you had to

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do it no questions asked. He was asking me because of my qualifications and training that I had had most notably on the C-model experience I had gained in Germany.”

What was being asked of Bergen and three others was to volunteer to go to Panama just prior to Operation Just Cause. Bergen and the three other “volunteers” were the only ones at Fort Bragg who met the qualifications.

They joined with eight other individuals who deployed to Panama as a small unit.

“That is a long, long flight in a C-130,” Bergen laughed. “We knew we were going and why we were going, but were not allowed to inform their families of where we were going for obvious reasons.”

The Panama invasion was a bit different from any other in military history, because Bergen and the rest of the team had to clear customs before heading to the base to begin preparations for Operation Just Cause.

“When we landed at Howard Air Force Base in Panama City, we waited on the tarmac what seemed like a very long time,” he said. “We had to clear customs. The Panamanian customs inspector sticks his head in the aircraft, stamps our paperwork and off we go. Heckuva way to do an invasion.”

It would be another month and a half before the invasion, but the reason for the early arrival was to train on aircraft, from the Vietnam War era, stationed in Panama.

The eight flight engineers each took an aircraft, got them up to speed and began in-country training for the Dec. 20, 1989, invasion.

Bergen said that while the combat operations were short, they were extremely intense.

“Our job with the Chinooks was not only to supply cargo, refueling other aircraft, but we also did a lot of troop insertions into the area that were not exactly friendly,” he said. “My job on the Chinook was not only as the mechanic, but as a door gunner.”

His job was to protect the aircraft and to eliminate any potential dangers.

Protecting that helicopter was extremely important not only for the personnel on the aircraft, but the aircraft itself.

“That was my baby,” he said. “You would get a little ticked off. You become fond of a machine just like you become fond of a favorite car.”

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Horizons 2016

A modern day

Army soldier reflects on time spent in Iraq post September 11, 2001

STORY BY AMBROSIA NELDON

S

trapped into a collapsible steel seat covered with canvas, Daniel Perrine focuses on the immediately present facts.

It’s hot, he thinks. This seat is uncomfortable.

The C-130 military aircraft he is traveling in is used for transporting equipment or large groups of people, so it’s fairly massive in size. Seats line the sides of the plane, facing inward to a row of double seats, and on this particular day, dozens of Army soldiers are being transported into Iraq, most for the first time.

Shoulder to shoulder with other soldiers in one of the side seats, Perrine feels the weight of his platoon shift to his right as the plane takes off.

Almost four years to the day after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, nerves rush over the Buchanan native as he crosses the Kuwait-Iraq border for the first time.

After being steady in the air for some time, he feels a shift in turbulence, a slight change in the engine vibration.

Without an explanation why, the plane begins a spiral descent.

Perrine looks to his fellow soldiers for answers, and they share the same concerned expression.

“People were asking one another what was going on in raised voices, mainly to be heard over the sound of the engines,” Perrine said. “We weren’t instructed to do anything, but we were packed in there so tight there isn’t much we would have been able to do any way.”

Daniel looks down the row of seats and sees a buddy about to be sick.

“Luckily we had these big one-liter bottles,” Perrine said. “Mine was almost empty, so I chugged it down real quick, pulled out my knife and cut off the top of it and handed it down.”

Later, Perrine found out that the early spiral descent was taken to avoid any oncoming fire as the pilots landed in the first safe place available.

“Pretty much as soon as we passed the Kuwait-

Iraq border, one of our engines went out, so we had to do an emergency landing at some little base,” Perrine said. “We landed, they got us all out of the plane, fixed what they could and sent us on our way. Welcome to the country!”

Time in Iraq

Perrine injured his hip during basic training, so his first deployment — from September 2005 to September 2006 — was spent doing radio operations behind a desk 12 hours a day. During his second deployment from September 2007 to November 2008, however, the soldier was more active.

“I was part of a personal security detail for our battalion commander. He would go around meeting with local mayors and sheiks and attempt to work with those local leaders to get the mortar

attacks to decrease,” Perrine said. “We used to get mortared about four or five times a day.”

During three such missions, Perrine and the soldiers who accompanied him were targeted by improvised explosive devices.

“After the third one they had to pull us off the road,” Perrine said. “Luckily the only real injuries were a mild concussion and some ruptured eardrums.”

Perrine said he never participated in any truly violent acts, but was aware of some of the more detrimental situations going on in the country, which left a mark on his life.

Perrine remembers some memories fondly.

For example, some days were spent handing out school supplies or helping the Iraqi people. Down time was spent in the Military Wellness Center, which housed recreation facilities.

Horizons 2016 “There were places where you could get online, call centers where you could call home,” he said.

“Certain nights they would do karaoke, and there was a movie theater so they could show new movies. It let you forget where you were at for awhile.

“It’s always in the back of your mind, ‘I’m here. This could happen. I could die,’ but it let you relax a bit and decompress.”

Perrine said a common misconception is that all Muslims are violent and must be treated this way.

“On downtime during our missions, people would come up and they would converse with us. … One of the guys would come up and talk to me about music. I listen to heavy metal, and this guy was into heavy metal, so I started writing him a list of suggestions and giving it to him whenever I saw him,” he said. “The next time I was in town, he’d say, ‘I checked out that band.’ It was like we were friends.”

Perrine said memories like those and some of the other amenities helped lighten the pain of some of the dangerous missions, but admits some images will likely never be erased.

Coming home

After returning home from his second deployment, Perrine was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He was considered 60 percent disabled for his hip, some feet injuries and sleep apnea.

“I had to transfer from the South Bend VA to Benton Harbor because I wasn’t getting the

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care I needed,” he said. “But after the counselor diagnosed me with PTSD, that meant more trips to Battle Creek,” which handles more severe problems veterans battle than the more local outpatient facilities.

In addition to the health issues, Perrine said one of the toughest battles he faces back home in the United States is breaking down misconceptions about the military and the war.

“I don’t consider myself especially patriotic, but some people spout off without having any information whatsoever,” Perrine said. “Some

of them are my friends, some are people who are just plain anti-government. Usually you just try to show them that their concerns are misconceptions. I haven’t run into it where people were extremely rude to the point they were spitting in my face, but it’s definitely been an issue.”

Daniel said despite the issues, he is thankful for his time in the Army because of the lessons he learned and the education he is able to pursue.

“It will always be a part of me, those memories, my experience.”

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AMAZING

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the

HEATHER ANTOS

Niles native follows passion to become assistant editor at Marvel Comics

A

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMBROSIA NELDON

year after moving to the Big Apple, Niles native Heather Antos still has her share of “pinch me” moments.

Glancing up and seeing the Chrysler building as she walks to work still takes her breath away.

Or feverishly debating whether comic book characters and modern cultural icons Deadpool or Wolverine would win in a fight, and then realizing she’s getting paid to do it.

Or, maybe the biggest of all, flying to Lucas Films in San Francisco to make sure the comics she is leading the way to create are aligning properly with the “Star Wars” movie that premiered last December.

“Sometimes I can’t even believe this is my job,” the 26-year-old said during an interview on a brief trip back to Michigan over the New Year holiday. “It’s literally my dream come true.”

For the last year, the self-proclaimed “girl who will never grow up” has turned her passion into a paycheck by making the stories she and her friends have followed for years come to life as an assistant editor at Marvel Comics in New York City.

The daughter of a musician, Heather has been on stage most of her life. After graduating from Niles High School in 2008, she attended Eastern Michigan University to major in film and theater.

Always a self-proclaimed “nerd” at heart, Heather recalls being very into science and math as a child.

“One of my biggest claims to fame, the nerdiest of all nerdy things, I created the chess club in sixth grade at Eastside Elementary,” Heather said. “I was part of the first drama club ever at Niles High School.

There was no question. I’ve always been a nerd.”

While creating a mini series for Dude, WHAT? Films — a film label created by she and her friends — a childhood passion of Heather’s was rekindled.

“My favorite TV show growing up was the Adam West ‘Batman,’” Heather said, explaining how she read the comic books and played the video games that featured the superhero icon. “But my venture back into comic books is completely embarrassing as a comic book person.”

She rolled her eyes at the memory, shooting a glance at her fiancé, Zakk, as if to ask, “should I tell this story?”

In anticipation for the “Green Lantern” movie release in 2009, she and Zakk read all the comics, just as an avid book reader would devour a novel in preparation for its film adaptation.

“It was terrible. Everything about it. It’s considered to be one of the worst comic book movies of all time,” Heather said. “But hey, it got me back into comics.”

After attending a number of comic conventions, Heather set a goal to become a comic book editor.

“I did comic reviews, but it had never crossed my mind that I can get paid to work in comics, so I began reaching out to the editors I knew, and of course I didn’t have an email for these people, so I did it on Twitter,” Heather said. “I would tweet Jordan White and say things like, ‘will you talk editing with me?’”

In order to show off her skills as a comic book editor, Heather created a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to publish her own comic anthology. She reached her goal and published “Unlawful Good: An Anthology of Crime,” revisiting her Dude, WHAT? days under the publishing label Dude, WHAT? Comics.

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Horizons 2016

PHOTO BY MASHED ME DIA

“This would be my resume,” Heather said, explaining that she needed some sort of evidence that she could do the vague work only comic book editors do. “I thought, ‘maybe in five years I’ll have a plan. This will work until then.’”

And then, she was invited to speak at the New York Comic Con about her project.

“Before the comic went to press I had an interview at Marvel,” she said, grinning ear to ear at the memory.

Jordan White, one of the editors she had communicated with on Twitter, reached out to Heather to tell her there was an opening at Marvel.

“We set up an interview, and I moved from Michigan last February,” Heather said.

Today, she revisits her film background frequently, leading “Star Wars” comics, as well as “Deadpool,” for which the film adaptation released earlier this month.

Unlike many comic books turned into movies, Lucas Films feels it is very important that the popular “Star Wars” movies are congruent with the comic books. All story lines, plot developments and characters are carefully discussed with the filmmakers.

“It’s a shared universe. The movies are obviously the most essential part of what is called ‘canon’ — the story that counts, the story that matters,” Heather said. “The way the Marvel Universe works for most comics is that they don’t blend with the movies. You have the comics, and you have the movies, but never the two shall meet.”

As assistant editor of the “Star Wars” and “Deadpool” comics, Heather takes the lead on the books, working with creators — letterers, artists, colorists and writers — to steer the project.

“We did a comic leading up to the [“Star Wars”] movie about [a key character’s] parents, and baby Poe gets mentioned in it.

It’s kind of cool that any fan can pick up a comic book and find Easter eggs in the movies,” Heather said. “We work very, very closely with Lucas Film to keep everything as tight and cohesive as possible.”

This is where one of Heather’s pinch-me moments came from, when she flew out to San Francisco with her editor to meet with writers and ensure that cohesiveness was followed.

“They were like, ‘here’s a breakdown of the next five movies. Here’s some scripts or manuscripts of things you guys can read ahead of time.’ It was intense,” she said. “My circle of friends is all ‘Star Wars’ fans. They read theories online all the time, and they ask me if these theories are going to happen. I’ll say, ‘none of this is going to happen.’ They’ll say, ‘I read it on the Internet!’ and I get to say, ‘But I read it in the script!’”

Heather said Marvel puts out roughly 70 to 80 issues a month, and while her job is technically a 9-5, it’s not really.

“We’re working with creators who live in Italy, or who live in Brazil, in a totally different time zone. If the artists are working weekends, we’re working weekends,” she said. “But it’s one of those jobs that you’re so invested in that you don’t mind.”

The long hours and many miles from home take a toll on the young adult, but at the end of the day, Heather still believes she is living the dream.

“My biggest problems are trying to find out what Darth Vader is going to do, or if this scene is too inappropriate for ‘Deadpool’” Heather said. “Yeah, I’d say I’m perfectly content with where I’m at.”

A

Chicago man and his South Bend business partner are bringing many positive changes to the former Silverbrook Rehabilitation & Nursing Care Center in Niles.

The business has been renamed the Chalet of Niles.

Owners Michael Elkes, of Chicago, and Jeffrey Sax, of South Bend say Chalet will still offer the same services — skilled nursing and rehabilitative care — but with a renewed focus on customer service.

Their mission is to create a vibrant environment and provide overall satis-

faction for patients and their families.

Elkes said the facility would undergo some changes in the near future, including getting new signage, new roof, aesthetics and upgrades to rooms and common areas.

Michael Elkes

Jeff Sax

911 S. 3rd Street, Niles, MI • 269.684.4320

Chalet of Niles serves South Bend, Niles and surrounding areas, specializing in skilled nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, hospice, memory/dementia care, wound care and rehabilitation care. For all your nursing home needs, contact Chalet of Niles today for your personal tour.

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Horizons 2016

&

Hot ham more Old Tavern Inn a local favorite for more than a century STORY AND PHOTOS BY CRAIG HAUPERT

T

he scene has played out nearly the same way at least a hundred times at the Old Tavern Inn. Someone orders the Niles restaurant’s famous hot ham and cheese sandwich.

The wait staff brings out the gargantuan entrée, with cheese dripping ever so slightly onto the plate off the side of the toasted French bread and fresh shaved ham — not enough to be too messy, but enough to make your mouth water when you see it.

Almost everyone is shocked by the size of the one-pound sandwich — even the half order.

“I bring them the half and they say, ‘That’s a half?’” owner Jeff Gaideski recalls. “That’s become the signature saying of the ham sandwich.”

Oldest business

Although the Old Tavern Inn — locals just call it the OTI — is well known locally for its hot ham and cheese, it has gained a statewide reputation because of its history.

It has actually been recognized by the State Historical Society and the State Chamber of Commerce as the “oldest continuous business” in Michigan.

Horizons 2016

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ADDRESS 61088 Indian Lake Road, Niles, MI 49120 PHONE (269) 683-9510 WEB Facebook.com/OldTavernInn

In 1835, two years before Michigan became a state, the Old Tavern Inn began to serve as a stagecoach stop and overnight inn, serving food and drinks in Sumnerville, a village along a route between Chicago and Detroit.

A town eventually formed around the tavern, which became a meeting place for citizens of Sumnerville and the nearby communities of Berrien Springs, Niles, Cassopolis and Dowagiac.

Although not the hub that it was back in its heyday, the old inn on Indian Lake Road still serves as a popular meeting place for regulars, snowmobilers, bikers and tourists looking for a place to get good food and a drink.

Many people, Gaideski said, make the trip from miles away after learning of the OTI’s history. While the building doesn’t contain much of anything original to the old structure, it still sits on the original foundation,

he said. There are old beams and logs stored in the basement.

“Once they realize we are the oldest, they come here for that fact,” he said.

Bucket list

The OTI was recently included on the website onlyinyourstate.com as one of the 17 restaurants you have to visit in Michigan before you die.

In May, the same website ranked it as one of the state’s best places to get a burger.

“It’s pretty cool to be included on those lists — we get some business from it I think,” Jeff said.

The secret to their food, he said, is that they buy fresh ham, beef and chicken from a meat market in nearby Sister Lakes.

“That really makes a difference,” he said. “We also

have excellent employees, some that have been here eight or nine years. They are fast and friendly and that helps.”

Most of OTI’s business comes from food sales — about 75 percent. The Gaideskis focused on food as opposed to alcohol sales when they purchased the place approximately 10 years ago.

They serve homemade chili and goulash using a recipe from Val’s aunt, who used to work at OTI some 40 years ago.

“We go through a lot of goulash here,” he said.

Besides the food and the history, Jeff said he thinks the restaurant remains a favorite spot because of the tavern’s atmosphere.

“It’s a down-to-earth place. People are comfortable when they come here,” he said. “It is not like a chain or a fast food deal. You can really feel at home.”

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Horizons 2016

Preserving the past Heddon Museum to celebrate 20th anniversary STORY AND PHOTOS BY TED YOAKUM

M

ore than a century ago, Dowagiac’s James Heddon and his eldest son, Will, reinvented the angling world by manufacturing the first commercially produced artificial fishing lure.

In the nearly eight decades that followed, the Heddon company grew to become one of the most well-known and respected names in the fishing industry — and within the city the Heddons called home.

Today, under the watchful ward of Dowagiac’s Don and Joan Lyons, the hundreds of products and countless contributions that help weave the tale of the Heddon legacy are on display for people living in the Grand Old City and beyond at the Heddon Museum.

The Dowagiac institution, located inside the former Heddon plant and headquarters on West Street, will turn 20 years old this spring.

Opened in 1996 in conjunction with the city’s annual Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, the Heddon Museum showcases products, prototypes, advertisements, documents and other artifacts from throughout the angling company’s 80-year history. Receiving between 500 and 600 visitors every year from southwest Michigan and beyond, the quaint museum has become a popular destination for collectors of vintage fishing lures, the couple said.

Horizons 2016

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ADDRESS 414 West St., Dowagiac, MI 49047 PHONE (269) 782-4068

“It is the definitive Heddon collection in the world,” Joan said. “No one collection or museum has as many artifacts as we do.”

While Joan and Don share a fondness for history and fishing, they never set out to become curators of such a vast assortment of local artifacts.

Don, the owner of Dowagiac’s Lyons Industries and the current mayor, purchased the former Heddon factory in 1991 simply to ensure it would remain standing, Since being closed following the Heddon Company’s demise in June 1984, the building had fallen into disrepair, with leaking pipes, deteriorating façade and a plethora of other issues, Joan said.

“Don, being a hometown boy, was afraid the building was going to be torn down as a health hazard,” Joan said.

After getting the structure back into shape, the couple used the space for product storage for the family business, as well as a showroom for Don’s collection of restored vintage automobiles (another passion of his).

A few years later, they were approached by retired Southwestern Michigan College professor Stan Hamper, who asked if they would be interested in showcasing some former Heddon products that belonged to one of the company’s former managers, Trygue “Trig” Lund, who had amassed hundreds of pieces of memorabilia since he began working with the company in 1948, Don said.

“He felt it was important history — and he was right,” Joan said.

Despite previously having expressed interest in parting with his collection, when Don met him to broker a deal, Lund was hesitant to let go of it.

Eventually, Don asked what Lund wanted for just one of the boxes of Heddon artifacts in his possession — and repeated this process until Lund sold him every box he owned.

The couple then set out to determine the history behind every item they acquired. Using product catalogs published by the angling company, they identified which lures they had in their possession, and put up photos in the display for the ones they didn’t have.

Over the years, the two have visited various collector and antique markets to fill in the gaps from their initial collection. Today, they have more than 400 Heddon lures on display, sorted in chronological order on the wall of the museum.

“We have an example of every lure of which an example of is known,” Don said.

The museum is also home to an assortment of the company’s line of bamboo fishing poles, which are highly sought after items among the collecting community. It also features many different incredibly rare prototype lures that never made it to market.

The museum is more than just a showcase for the might of the Heddon manufacturing machine, though. Don and Joan have acquired many artifacts that tell the story of the members of the influential Heddon family itself, including a set of pool balls owned by Charlie Heddon, a billiards champion.

“Whatever we acquire has to help tell the Heddon story,” Don said.

When the couple first opened the doors to the museum in 1996, they expected it to be of interest mainly to Dowagiac history buffs, Don said. They quickly discovered that the appeal of their collection wasn’t limited to just their hometown, though, as collectors from all over the U.S. began visiting. With Heddon products considered the most prestigious of all vintage lures, the museum continues to be a hot spot for angling fans today, with collecting clubs and historical groups regularly scheduling visits, Joan said.

The Heddon Museum is open from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday evening, and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on the last Sunday of each month. People can also schedule appointments to visit the museum by calling (269) 7825698.

“It’s an important part of Dowagiac history,” Joan said. “And people are still very interested in it.”

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Horizons 2016

Made in Michiana Cassopolis factory makes treasures used all over U.S. STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT NOVAK

O

n M-60 in Cassopolis, two enormous sculptures grab the attention of those whizzing by on the rural highway.

The two fixtures, one abstract and one depicting workers, have become symbols for the business they belong to — K&M Machine-Fabricating.

But many may not know what goes on inside the 378,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, which has been there since 1951.

K&M is a full-service contract manufacturing company that produces large machined parts and fabrications.

The three buildings located on 92 acres houses a machine shop with more than 35 state-of-the-art CNC milling and boring machines, a separate facility with robotic welders, submerged arc welding as well as MIG and TIG semi-automatic welding.

It also has a dedicated burn shop with laser, plasma and oxy-fueled steel plate cutting capabilities.

Milling machines and arc welders are used at plenty of fabrication facilities, but the size and scope of what is possible at K&M is massive.

Horizons 2016

41

K&M MACHINE-FABRICATING ADDRESS 20745 M-60, Cassopolis, MI 49031 PHONE (269) 445-2495 WEB k-mm.com

The business started out small, according to Emily McLoughlin, director of human resources at K&M. “The original building looked like a little lean-to building. There wasn’t much to it,” she said. “My grandfather, Earl Marhanka, actually founded it with another gentleman, who I think was only around less than a year. That is the ‘K’ in K&M. He had an idea and just kept going with it.”

At K&M, employees are able to create locomotive components, mining equipment and parts used in agriculture, gas and oil, construction, power generation and wind power.

The company has come a long way from its origins as K&M Tool, where it used be “a tool and die maker using manual lathes,” according to McLoughlin.

“We just built a customer base and we did production work to our customers’ specifications,” McLoughlin said. “We ensured timely delivery and reduced manufacturing costs to our customers.”

McLoughlin also said that being located in Cassopolis put the business within easy driving distance of Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and South Bend, Indiana, as well as being less than three hours from Detroit and two hours from Chicago.

That location also allows K&M to serve customers across the United States, but particularly in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

But while the manufacturing world may know K&M by its name, most people know the facility by the lawn sculptures — “Jendiva” and “Great Lakes Transfer,”

by Michael Dunbar; “Spring Temple,” by Father Austin Collins; “Family,” by Phyllis Nordine and “A Time to Rejoice,” by John Merigian.

And then there is the most famous of them all, “The Builders,” which consists of four steel weldments and four cast bronze figurines by Kirk Newman, a Kalamazoo sculptor, who was commissioned by K&M. The sculpture honors the men and women of the metalworking industry and the role they played in the building of America.

The centerpiece towers weigh 41,000 pounds with the tallest tower standing 50 feet, 4 inches above the ground.

The four bronze figures range in height from 6-foot-10 to 7-foot-2 and weigh 500 pounds each.

Each year, K&M awards the Earl G. Marhanka Scholarship.

The program was started in 2001 in recognition of the company’s 50th anniversary and it honors the entrepreneurial spirit of its founder.

To date, K&M has awarded more than $190,000 to sons and daughters of K&M employees who meet the program requirements.

In 2015, the scholarships were in the amount of $2,000.

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Horizons 2016

43

Spoonful of

success

Niles woman’s at-home business goes national after being picked up by celebrity’s project STORY BY CRAIG HAUPERT

K

ristin Bivens never imagined something as simple as a painted spoon would provide her a taste of the American dream.

The 2005 Brandywine High School graduate sells homemade crafts on her Etsy.com page, June & Roland — named after her two cats.

She began painting the tips of wooden spoons and offering them up for sale on the site about a year ago.

She did not sell many — maybe six or seven the entire year.

So imagine her surprise when she received an order for 500 spoons from a person representing celebrity Sarah Michelle Gellar, who is most famous for her role as Buffy in the hit TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

“I’d never done anything like that before so I had no idea what to charge people and what to negotiate,” she said. “I went into panic mode.”

Bivens accepted the order, not knowing exactly how she was going to finish 500 spoons in a couple months.

After all, she didn’t have any employees — unless you count her fiancé — and no proper workspace other than a small room in the basement of her Niles home.

That, plus having a full-time job, meant Bivens would have to bust her butt to get the order finished on time.

She did it and her efforts resulted in a second, larger order.

For 2,000 spoons.

44

Horizons 2016

CELEBRITY STATUS Bivens’ spoons are being used in a subscription box that can be purchased at Foodstirs.com, a website selling cookware products designed to bring families together in the kitchen.

The subscription box contains other cookware in addition to Bivens’ spoons.

Gellar’s face is on the box.

When the product went live last fall, Bivens began seeing her spoons pop up in pretty high profile places.

She said they appeared in a People Magazine online article about the Foodstirs subscription box launch.

Gellar can be seen holding the spoon in her right hand as she bakes cookies.

“We started jumping up and down when we saw the website with the pictures and she was holding the spoon,” Bivens said. “I was like — what?”

Bivens even sees the spoons appear at random on Instagram with families using them to cook.

“Not that anyone knows where they are from, but I do,” she said. “It is a cool experience.”

A lifelong entrepreneur When Bivens was about 10 years old, she started her own business called KB Enterprises.

She made crafts, like magnets and other trinkets, and sold them to family members.

In her family, she is the one people turn to when they need something creative done.

“I am kind of the guru in the family about that kind of thing,” she said.

Today, Bivens has two Etsy sites: Hey Alice, which is devoted to stationary; and June & Roland, which is devoted to home decor and upcycled crafts.

Crafting is a large part of her life.

“I am always trying to do creative things — that’s just how my mind works,” she said. “If I didn’t have it I don’t know what I would do. I would go crazy.”

The experience with the spoons has her thinking — could this be her calling?

Could she be a full-time crafter?

It would be a dream come true, she said. She’d be working for herself, following her passion. Pursing the American dream.

“It is really exciting to see that become a big thing,” she said. “If I could figure out a way to combine all that together and make something where I get up in the morning and that is what I do — that would be the best thing I could think of.”

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MAIN STREET BRIDGE

46

Horizons 2016

After more than a year of construction, Niles’ newest treasure opened to the public

October 2014

January 2015 The bridge railing was one of the first things to go during the demolition process, which continued through the winter.

After a one-year delay, the Michigan Department of Transportation announced that the Main Street Bridge in Niles would close Oct. 13, 2014, so that work could begin to replace the structure, which had stood for more than 90 years.

Late September 2015 A crowd of about a dozen people gathered in Niles Riverfront Park to watch a 550-ton crane set beams on the bridge.

October 2015

Workers pour concrete to form the bridge deck as winter looms.

Originally scheduled for mid-November, the bridge opening was delayed a few weeks due to weather and unanticipated conflicts with utilities.

Late November 2015 With snow covering portions of the concrete, workers put the finishing touches on the bridge.

November 2015 A worker leans over the edge during construction of one of the bridge’s lookouts.

Horizons 2016

47

July 2015 Concrete was poured to form the second of two piers that would help the bridge span the St. Joseph River.

May 2015

The old bridge was completely removed by the time spring arrived. In this picture, a large jackhammer hoisted in the air by a crane drives pilings into the riverbed.

September 2015 The first of 21 bridge beams, weighing 72 tons each, arrive via semi in downtown Niles.

August 2015 The bridge abutment on the west side of the river is nearly finished as the heat rises during a beautiful summer day.

December 2015 Niles Administrator Ric Huff cuts the ribbon signifying the opening of the Main Street Bridge on Dec. 10. Hundreds of people attended the bridge-opening party, which included a self-guided walking tour, cake and live music. The arched railing, seen in the background, is reminiscent of the railing on the bow-string bridge that spanned the river from 1868 to 1919.

The MDOT-led project cost more than $10 million.

48 48

Horizons Horizons 2016 2016

High flyers Local aviators share their passion for flight at Dowagiac airport STORY AND PHOTOS BY TED YOAKUM

A

s the saying goes, everyone needs a hobby.

Some people spend their down time behind the lens of a camera, capturing the breathtaking beauty of nature and the humble heartfelt moments between friends and family.

Others find tranquility with a steering wheel between their hands and pedals beneath their feet, with nothing but the trail of exhaust behind them and the open road ahead.

And some find their little moments of Zen hundreds of feet above the ground, surrounded only by the realm of blue skies and white clouds that can best be witnessed from the cockpit.

Inside a humble Dowagiac field, situated between the institution of Dowagiac Union High School and the sports complexes of Russom Park, is a gathering spot for many of this rare breed of daredevils in

southwest Michigan.

At least once a week, Watervliet’s Bob Koshar and Marcellus’ Dick Martin can be found inside one of the hangars located on the grounds of the Dowagiac Municipal Airport, caring for the flying machines that have energized their lifelong passions for flight and aviation. The two are among the dozens of area pilots who use the local airport as storage for their beloved aircraft, as a staging ground for their flights, and as place to swap stories about their years of flying with fellow aviation enthusiasts.

Just like so many other people with a burning love of something, all one has to do is ask Koshar or Martin about their passion to learn all they ever wanted to about aircrafts and flight — and how those two things have shaped their lives.

Horizons Horizons 2016 2016

49 49

Reaching the highest heights For Koshar, his devotion to the skies has earned him one of the top distinctions an aircraft owner could hope to obtain.

In 2000, the retired automobile salesman participated in the annual Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture fly-in show, located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the home of the venerable aviation advocacy organization. The airshow is among the largest gatherings of aviation enthusiasts in the entire world, with more than 15,000 planes flying into the weeklong event that year, Koshar said.

“There’s nothing like it, be it for automobiles or anything else,” Koshar said.

The local pilot and his son, Steve, flew into the show with his nearly 50-year old Cessna 172, entering the vintage aircraft into the event’s contemporary classic contest. In spite of their plane being just one of nearly 3,000 entered into the contest (290 of which were also Cessnas), the pair were named the grand champions of the airshow, receiving a coveted “Golden Lindy,” named in honor of aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh.

For even the modest Koshar, the fact that a self-proclaimed “old farm hand from Hooterville” received one of highest honors a pilot could ever possibly attain is something worth bragging about.

“For as many planes were there, I was pretty honored to be named the best,” Koshar said.

Even 15 years later, I built my first Koshar continues to proudly model airplane display his award inside his hangar at the Dowagiac when I was airport, along with the 10 years old. various other awards he and his aircraft have received Back then, I in subsequent visits to the dreamed of world-renowned airshow. just being able A native of Watervliet, Koshar traces his fascination to touch a realwith flying all the way back life airplane. to his early childhood.

“I built my first model — Bob Koshar airplane when I was 10 years old,” Koshar said.

“Back then, I dreamed of just being able to touch a real-life airplane.”

After graduating high school, Koshar entered the military, where he was stationed at various bases across the country.

Despite serving as a pilot while enlisted, his passion for aviation remained, leading him to obtain his private pilot’s license while working in the automotive sales industry.

He purchased his first plane — the Cessna 172, from a fellow pilot inside an old rundown hangar in Indiana in 1972 for just $5,000.

“I ended up paying more to have it painted than I did to actually buy it in the first place,” Koshar said.

He has been flying the aircraft ever since, hailing out of the Dowagiac airport.

Although the plane has received a few upgrades over the years, including the aforementioned green, red and black paint along with updates to the radio and navigation system to comply with contemporary regulations, the overwhelming amount of parts inside the prop-powered plane are original, from the engine to the rivets. Sitting in one of the orange cockpit chairs, with a dashboard lined with various mechanical gauges and switches, makes one feel like they’ve stepped back in time.

Koshar credits his machine’s seemingly endless airworthiness to the care and attention he has poured into his beloved flyer the past four decades, he said.

“It’s like I never left the military,” Koshar said. “I keep everything maintained to the nth degree.”

BOB KOSHAR

“

”

DICK MARTIN

50

Reaching the highest heights Despite the accolades the machine has garnered him over the years, Koshar’s beloved Cessna is not a mere spectator piece. The pilot continues to take his plane out for a spin whenever he gets a chance, to stoke the flames of his love for elevation that has been burning since his earliest days.

“That’s the fun in flying — it’s always a different experience whenever you’re in the air,” he said. “Even when you pass over the same field you always do, you always see something different.”

Piece by piece Martin’s love of flying, on the other hand, has led him down a different path — a path he has built entirely with his own two hands.

Situated in a hangar a short distance away from Koshar’s sits a shiny red and silver colored Sonex plane, that has belonged to Martin for more than 10 years.

And while many pilots claim that they know their aircraft both inside and out, that truly is the case for Martin.

In 2003, the Marcellus aviator decided, after years of owning airplanes, he would try his hand at building one himself, purchasing construction kits to build the popular sport monoplane.

“If you don’t know how to read a blueprint before, by the time you get done you will,” Martin said.

After two years of building, welding and machining, Martin finally took his new flyer for its first ride in 2005. In the 10 years that followed, he has racked up more than 400 hours of airtime, making regular trips across the Midwest

Horizons 2016

and beyond, he said.

Like Koshar, Martin was bitten early by the aviation bug. His father, who was also a pilot, took him flying for the first time when he was 6 years old, in the process charting a course for him he would follow the rest of his life.

“It’s one of those things you just can’t forget,” he said.

Martin, a native of Galesburg, joined the Air Force two days after graduating high school, serving from 1959 to 1962. After leaving the service, he committed himself even more fully to aviation, including teaching others how to pilot ultralight aircraft while living in Hastings.

In 2006, Martin moved from Hastings to Marcellus, and in the process began flying out of the Dowagiac airport.

Since it is a homebuilt machine, Martin’s Sonex is considered an experimental aircraft. In comparison to Koshar’s vintage flyer, the monoplane’s cockpit is equipped with only a single digital monitor, which gives him many essential readings all in one convenient location.

Another advantage of homemade flyers are the reduced costs for maintenance and annual checks required for licensed aircraft, Martin said. In fact, the pilot is the only person authorized to make repairs to his aircraft, even if he ends up selling it down the road, he said.

Just like Koshar, Martin continues to take to the skies with the plane on a regular basis, he said.

When asked why he, like others of this increasingly rare breed of enthusiasts, continues to pursue his passion for flight, Martin said pilots treat flying the same way a car guy treats car or a sports guy treats his favorite game.

“It’s something we love to do.”

Horizons 2016

51

Edwardsburg Public Schools

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DOWAGIAC DOWAGIACUNION UNION UNIONSCHOOLS SCHOOLS SCHOOLS

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EDUCATION EDUCATION AND AND COMMUNITY COMMUNITY UNITED UNITED

Thanks Thanks to the to the $37.2M $37.2M bond bond passed passed in 2015, in 2015, we we are are transforming transforming the the district district for the for the nextnext generation generation of Dowagiac of Dowagiac students students by providing: by providing:  Safe  Safe andand secure secure buildings buildings  Flexible  Flexible teaching teaching spaces spaces  Technology  Technology improvements improvements  Equity  Equity at each at each elementary elementary school, school, so students so students have have the the same same opportunities opportunities st st  Furniture  Furniture upgrades upgrades to 21 to 21 century century standards standards while while honoring honoring the the goals While honoring goals of: of:  The  The bestbest useuse of dollars of dollars for taxpayers for taxpayers  Keeping  Keeping the the history history andand tradition tradition of Dowagiac of Dowagiac Union Union Schools Schools  Keeping  Keeping communication communication open open withwith community community  Handicap  Handicap accessibility accessibility throughout throughout the the district district  Providing  Providing local local contractor contractor opportunities opportunities  Allowing  Allowing for local for local investments investments via via bond bond purchases purchases

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Horizons 2016

Making the

grade

57

Sara Gleason teaches developmental kindergarten at Brandywine’s Merritt Elementary School, a place she has called her professional home for more than 30 years. With three decades of experience under her belt, the popular teacher reflects on the evolution of the classroom, the growth of children and the challenges of the education system.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY CRAIG HAUPERT Q: Why did you get into teaching?

Kids just always came natural to me. My folks were teachers, my grandmother was a teacher — it just was one of those family things and seemed right for me.

I was actually considering going into high school teaching, doing speech and theatre at first. My roommates were elementary teachers and I started dealing with that and thought, “I like this better.”

Q: What makes a good teacher?

You have to like kids and you have to respect kids. You have to know what they can and can’t do. You have to be able to look at kids, know what they aren’t getting and try to figure out how they can get it.

The moment when you see that light bulb go on — that is why you do it. To see them suddenly get it. I can’t fathom doing anything else. I really can’t.

Are you having fun teaching?

I am, even after 32 years.

Q: How do you maintain your energy and enthusiasm for teaching after three decades?

I don’t know — the kids just bring it out in me. I like what I do and I just maintain that energy. I like where I am at and I don’t even have caffeine anymore. I still enjoy teaching them and seeing them get enthusiastic for learning.

58 Q: How has teaching changed since you first started?

These children are not coming into schools with the same backgrounds and information. They don’t have the same skillset. Kids are not going outside and playing anymore, so their physical development is less.

Parents are not shoving their kids out and shutting the door like they did when we were little. They are being protected inside so they aren’t developing their gross motor skills, they aren’t developing their bodies. All of those things we did — rolling around in the grass, riding our bikes, playing basketball — helps with brain development. Their brain isn’t getting that, so already the kids today are behind.

The use of iPads and phones are changing the way kids’ brains are developing and parents have used those kinds of tools as surrogate adults. Kids aren’t getting the same personal dialog and interfacing that they used to. It is child to a computer screen. How is that interacting? It’s not.

They sit and expect to be fed information. They don’t seek the information. They expect to be told what to do — they don’t just try to do it.

Q: Do you think children are receiving a better education now than when you first started?

When I look at 5-year-olds and what they are asked to do in the regular kindergarten classes — it is what you and I were doing in the first grade.

Education has been squashed down and these kids are being forced to do things that they are not developmentally ready to handle. They are being forced to handle it. Kids are not being allowed to take things as they naturally come upon it, unfortunately.

We as teachers know that, but we are being told by our politicians now that your children have to do this.

Some of the kids aren’t ready for it. They aren’t cookie cutters. It is frustrating.

Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching?

My favorite thing is watching the kids and waiting for that light-bulb moment.

My favorite thing to do during the course of the day is to read them a story and do language lessons to teach them words, language and what it all means.

A simple story that would take you five minutes to read to your daughter at home takes me 20 to 25 minutes to read to the kids because we are going over the words so we learn what they mean. We talk about the pictures, describe things. That particular element of my day — I love it. I live for being able to read to the kids and take them through every avenue of that story.

Q: What is the most challenging part of your job?

Keeping up with all the paperwork. I do some state assessing and it is a good thing to be able to prove that you are doing your job, but still all that paperwork is very overwhelming.

When you are teaching, you don’t get a break for seven hours — it is non-stop. After you get that done, then you have to sit and do paperwork to show what you have done. I don’t think many other jobs have that kind of accountability that you have to do on your own time. Whereas teaching, you can only prove that on your own time. You can’t sit and work on that during the day.

Q: What is the No. 1 issue facing public education in Michigan today?

It is the accountability part. It just seems like our politicians have worked on making us in the teaching profession the bad guys, that it is our fault that the

kids aren’t progressing, when no one is addressing the home issue.

We haven’t touched these kids for five years. They come to us with what their parents — their first teachers — have taught them. Yet, we are accountable if they aren’t up to these standards when nobody is holding the parents accountable for those first five years.

A child learns the most they are ever going to learn in their first five years of life.

Why aren’t the parents being held accountable? We only have them seven hours, so what are they doing the rest of the day? I find that very frustrating.

Q: If there is one thing you could change about education, what would it be?

For me, I still get to do a lot of teaching the way I’ve always taught because I don’t have the same demands. But as I watch my colleagues, I wish they could be able to have fun again teaching. They aren’t having fun because of all the demands and the requirements. I wish that they could get back to having the same amount of fun that they used to be able to have, working with the kids.

Are they doing a great job? Yes, they are. I am not saying that, but it is more drudgery. It is not as much fun for them because, “oh my gosh, we have to prepare for this test. We have to do this, we have to do that.” That, to me, is what is frustrating.

Q: What is the best teaching advice you’ve received?

My first principal, Leo, gave me this advice: Don’t be afraid to admit when you are having trouble and need help. Ask for help.

I have clung onto those words and I am not afraid to ask. Those have been the best words for me.

Q: The best lesson you’ve learned from your students?

The enthusiasm of learning something new and

the discovery when you get it.

They find such delight in the smallest things.

To see these 5-year-olds get excited by some of the simplest things and the energy they get from that kind of stuff — that is a cool thing to look at and to get from them.

They are happy to learn, happy to discover.

Q: How have you changed as a teacher over the years?

I feel being a mom helped me a lot because I got to see more of what kids were doing and it has given me a lot of patience. I did not have a lot of patience in my first few years. As I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten more patience and more to draw back on.

I can pull back from all my years of experiences and I think it has made me a stronger person and a stronger teacher. I can talk to today’s parents and say, “I’ve done this and this is what you need to do.” They trust that because they know I’ve been around the block a time or two.

Q: Would you advise someone to get into teaching?

I would. Even though teachers are taking a hard hit and there is a lot of people that would say, ‘don’t go into teaching,’ if you have a passion for teaching you need to do it.

It will be tough, but we need good teachers.

We are already feeling a shortage in the state of Michigan. The teaching profession is taking a huge hit and in the next few years we are really going to see a big hole, especially in Michigan.

Q: How do you hope your are remembered by your students?

That I cared and loved them and held them very near and dear to my heart. Once you are a student of mine you are always my kid.

I hold that very near and dear to my heart. I truly do. My kids, from my first year of teaching, still call me Ms. Meyer.

I will go to the high school and call a junior or senior by name and it blows their mind that I still remember them and can pull out their name.

I would like to be known by the fact that the kids knew I cared about them.

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Horizons 2016

Hidden history Monuments, landmarks reveal treasures of southwest Michigan’s past

T

he old chapels, courthouses, residences and landmarks that dot the local community are more than just interesting places to visit — they’re the paint with which the picture of our region’s history is created.

Home to nearly three dozen locations on the Michigan State Historic Sites registry, Niles, Buchanan, Dowagiac, Cassopolis and Edwardsburg are communities rich with history and heritage that continues to be preserved and protected to this day. These properties, like others on the list, have the trademark historic marker sign erected on their grounds, giving visitors a brief synopsis of their significance in the overall tale of the community.

While sites such as Fort St. Joseph, the Cassopolis Vintage Courthouse and the Old Rugged Cross Church are known by many throughout the area, there are many historic landmarks that are found off the beaten path — true “hidden treasures.” Here are a few of these sites:

St. Joseph’s Mission — Niles Township Recognized Sept. 18, 1964

Nestled inside a small wood near Bertrand Road lies an old cemetery — and what remains of an old Catholic church once built on the grounds.

This church, dedicated to Saint Joseph, was built in 1837 in the then flourishing village of Bertrand, which was established only a few years earlier in 1833.

On Sept. 6, 1844, Sister Mary of the Holy Cross, Sister Mary of the Nativity and Sister Mary of Mount Carmel became the first women to receive the habit of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in the U.S. at the Bertrand church. The sisterhood opened a school the same year in the village, which later relocated to Indiana and later became Saint Mary’s College.

Sadly, the town of Bertrand would fall into decline around the turn of the 20th Century, once the railroad system built in the area passed it by. The church would soon follow suit and was torn down in 1911. Madeline Bertrand, wife of the town’s founder, is among those buried in the cemetery.

Chain Lake Baptist Church and Cemetery — Calvin Township Recognized Dec. 5, 1986

Overlooking the tranquil waters of Chain Lake, this church and cemetery may not be large in size, but hardly has a small story to tell.

Located outside Vandalia, the birth of Chain Lake Baptist Church was spurred by, like much of the history surrounding the Cass County village, the activity of the Underground Railroad, a network of hidden routes and safe houses used to usher escaped African-American slaves to freedom during the 1800s. Aided by a number of abolitionists living in the area, Vandalia became a safe haven for many slaves attempting to reach Canada.

Some of these former slaves decided to stay in Cass County and, with the help of Quakers who were sympathetic to them, organized the Baptist church in 1838 — becoming one of the first black churches established in the recently founded state of Michigan, and the first one in Cass County.

Once just a simple log cabin, prayer services were held inside private homes until a more permanent structure was erected in 1850. After its completion, the Michigan Antislavery Baptist Association (known today as the Chain Lake Baptist Association) was formed following a meeting at the church in 1853.

Three years later, a cemetery was added next door to the structure thanks to a donation of land by Rev. Turner Byrd and his wife, Irena. The names of several of Calvin Township’s early settlers are found on monuments at the site, including George and Green Allen, and the Anderson, Ash, Artis, Calloway, Evans, Hawks, Sanders, Stewart and Wilson families.

Many prominent people have spoken at the church, including Sojourner Truth and Booker T. Washington. The church continues to hold service today, inside a chapel that was built in 1968.

Horizons 2016

61

Southwest Michigan historic markers

Moccasin Bluff — Buchanan

Recognized April 14, 1972 The residents living along this stretch of land located above the St. Joseph River are the latest line of settlers to call the Buchanan bluff home.

People have been residing on Moccasin Bluff for more than 8,000 years, with archeologists unearthing arrowheads on the grounds dating from 6300 B.C., believed to have been left over from people living in small, temporary campsites.

With easy access to the river and hills located to the north, west and south offering natural protection, the stretch of land offered many benefits to the Native Americans who settled there.

People eventually began to construct more permanent homes on the bluff nearly 1,000 years ago, using the grounds for farming.

The bluff is believed to have been named after Cogomoccasin, a leader of one of the permanent Potawatomi villages in the area.

Moccasin Bluff is one of the more important sites in the state of Michigan in terms of its archaeological importance, being placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. However, the construction of the railroad and Red Bud Trail in later years is thought to have destroyed many of the old burial mounds constructed on the site 2,000 years ago.

Sumnerville Mounds — Pokagon Township Recognized Jan. 20, 2000

These pair of small hills located off Pokagon Highway were not made by nature — but instead were crafted by a group of Native Americans that predate even the ancient Potawatomi tribes of southwest Michigan.

The structures, known as the Sumnerville Mounds, are believed to have been made between the first and fourth century A.D. by American Indians known today as the Goodall Focus.

This group is part of the Hopewell tradition, a population of Native Americans that settled along the northeastern and midwestern U.S. from 200 B.C. to 500 A.D. The mounds were reportedly used as burial sites by this nation of Native Americans, and excavations have uncovered skeletons at the site.

There were once nine of these mounds located throughout the Sumnerville area, though all but two were later destroyed due to farming. In the late 1800s, the mounds were excavated, when it was discovered that the structures contained a number of different items, including arrowheads, smoking pipes and pottery.

Most of these artifacts were sold off, and many of them now are considered lost. The Public Museum of Grand Rapids acquired one of these items.

BUCHANAN • Pears Mill — 123 S. Oak St. Cassopolis • Cass County Courthouse — 110 North Broadway • Cass County Office Building/ Masonic Temple —109 North Broadway • Sylvador T. Read House — 529 East State St. • The Underground Railroad — Bonine Elk Park M-60 Dowagiac • First Methodist Episcopal Church — 31994 Middlecrossing Road • First Universalist Church of Dowagiac — 306 Courtland St. • Indian Lake Cemetery — School Street at Sink Road • Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church — SE corner of Leach and Priest roads • “Old Rugged Cross”/Methodist Episcopal Church — 31294 East St. • St. Paul’s Church — 306 Courtland St. Edwardsburg • The Presbyterian Church — 68961 Lake St. Niles • Bertrand — 3088 Adams Road • The Chapin House — 508 East Main St. • Ferry Street School — 620 Ferry St. • Fort St. Joseph — South Bond St. • Four Flags Hotel — 404 East Main St. • John and Horace Dodge — 1724 North Fifth Street • John B. Reddick Building — 224 Front St. • Johnson Cemetery — US-31, north of M-140 • Michigan Central Railroad Niles Depot — 598 Dey St. • Morris Chapel Church — Pucker Street and Chapel Road • Portage Prairie United Methodist Church — 2450 Orange Road • Ring Lardner — 519 Bond St. • Saint Mary’s — 211 South Lincoln • Second Baptist Church — 601 Ferry St. • Trinity Church — 9 South Fourth St. • Wesley United Methodist Church — 302 Cedar St.

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A F RESH COAT OF

PAINT

Edwardsburg gift shop capitalizes on do-it-yourself ‘upcycling’ trend STORY AND PHOTOS BY TED YOAKUM

E

DWARDSBURG, Mich. — While she doesn’t consider herself an artist, a glance at Sweet Comfort owner Donna Lasswell’s paint-caked knuckles as she greets visitors to Edwardsburg shop and studio would definitely give that impression.

Unlike most who pick up the brush and palette, the South Bend woman applies her imagination to an unconventional canvas — one more at home sitting in the corner of a bedroom than on the walls of an art museum.

Lasswell and her husband, Tony, have spent the last three years making a living in the “upcycling” industry, repainting and refurbishing old pieces of furniture into works of art for sale to the public at their Edwardsburg business. The couple relocated their operation from next to Signworks to a building further down M-62 last November, offering them a larger parking lot, a larger storefront, and perhaps most importantly, a larger space to paint and create, Lasswell said.

While the name “Sweet Comfort” may make people passing by the humble shop think of a bakery or candy store, the hand painted Dr. Seuss quote (It’s not about what it is. It’s about what it can become) on the exterior gives visitors a taste of what they can expect when they enter the front door.

“People have come in just because of the decorations on the outside,” Lasswell said.

The pieces making up the front showroom just compound the whimsical nature of the couple’s work. What were once old, discarded or forgotten dressers, coffee tables and chairs have been revitalized into appealing, pastel-colored decorative pieces that would stand out in any household.

“

I love seeing the transformation process — of taking something old and turning it into something new.”

— Donna Lasswell, owner of Sweet Comfort

64

Horizons 2016

A native of Niles and graduate of Brandywine High School, Lasswell has been enamored with the creative arts for nearly her entire life.

Learning photography while attending Ivy Tech and working as a kitchen designer with South Bend-based Spesco Inc. for years, the business owner has lots of experience turning the designs and colors developed inside her head into masterpieces others can enjoy.

In particular, painting has been a long held passion for her. While she dabbled in her youth with more traditional versions of the artform, transforming old furniture has been a hobby she has enjoyed for as long as she can remember, Lasswell said.

“If I didn’t like how something looked I painted over it,” she said. “I love seeing the transformation process — of taking something old and turning it into something new.”

After retiring from her full-time job around four years ago, the South Bend woman fell in love with chalk-type paints — a substance that adheres to almost any type of surface, Lasswell said. As a result, she began producing works at a rate she never could before, she said.

“I liked it so well I decided, ‘Hey, I could do this for a living,’” Lasswell said.

In addition to her tried-and-true furniture, Lasswell and her husband repaint a number of other vintage items, including children’s toys and baby shoes.

Doing business in the Edwardsburg area has naturally drawn in many a resident from nearby waterfront communities like Eagle and Diamond Lakes, who are drawn to the handcrafted wooden works of art the couple produces, Lasswell said.

“They love the fish,” she said. “They’re fun, colorful pieces. If you have one, it’s one-of-akind. They’re all hand-painted, so no two are alike.”

Outside of its handcrafted wares, the store has a load of unique gifts for sale, including Edwardsburg Eddies T-shirts, signs, logos, photos and more. The painters also handle custom orders, with customers bringing in their own vintage furniture to be repainted.

One of the best things the business has done for Lasswell was to give her a chance to share her lifelong passion for painting and creating with Tony, she said. A plumber by trade, the man spends much of his off time working side-byside with his wife, helping to cut and sand parts, come up with new designs and dabble with the brush himself from time to time, she said.

“We both really like it, and it’s nice because we both do it together,” Lasswell said.

Besides just being an outlet for their imagination, the South Bend couple is looking to turn the shop into a place for the community as well. Since the beginning of the year, Lasswell has offered painting lessons to customers, showing them how they can use the store’s chalktype paint to create their own unique treasures.

“We want to be that small-town shop where people can feel free to just stop in and say, ‘hi,’” she said.

In spite of working full-time on her projects for three years and counting, the business owner’s imagination has yet to lag behind the pace with which she and her husband work.

With work on one piece leading to ideas for a dozen more, Lasswell rarely spends a day away from her shop toiling away on her latest work of functional art.

Sweet Comfort is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

“I have like a gazillion things I still want to do,” Lasswell said. “It’s why we’re here all the time.”

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69

curtain Behind the

Dowagiac’s Beckwith Theatre has deep history

BY JUSTIN FLAGEL

E

ach day, we move past points in history, locations easily ignored as a part of our daily scenery. Rarely do we consider the significance of the places around us and the lives once lived in them. If we were able to look at any location through the lens of time, we would see the stories of community and culture that led us to today.

The red brick structure at 100 New York Ave. is familiar to anyone living in or driving through Dowagiac, Michigan. Placed in the triangular lot along M-51, its unique shape, bright colors and signs promising a cultural experience within are difficult to miss.

The building is currently the home of the Beckwith Theatre Company.

The non-profit community theater group, with its 26th season beginning in 2016, has become known for quality dramatic arts, but it wasn’t always so.

The building and its location have a long history prior to housing community theater.

From 1981 until 1994, the building acted as the hall for the Dowagiac chapter of the Knights of Columbus. Prior to that, it was the longtime home of the First United Methodist Church in Dowagiac. Before the current building was standing, the lot found its purpose as a place for sermons and other gatherings for the community.

In 1854, the site served a unique purpose for children taken from the streets of New York. The “Orphan Train,” an effort by the New York Children’s Society to transport youths westward to foster homes, made its first stop in Dowagiac. Close to 50 boys, after several days of journey by boat and train, were taken to the location for placement with families. Many found homes in the region and those who did not continued by rail from the train depot toward Chicago, in search of homes along the way.

According to many records, a school building existed on the site from 1850 until later in the decade. Sermons and meetings for Dowagiac Methodists took place there starting early in the decade. However, it wasn’t until 1858 that the lot was purchased from Mitchell Robinson on behalf of the church by the recently created board of trustees.

Top photo courtesy of the Dowagiac Area History Museum

70

A place to worship

The Methodist congregation in Dowagiac and the surrounding area had been growing steadily since 1854 and local members had considered both this site and one on Main Street for a permanent place of worship. Construction was started soon after the purchase of the lot and was completed in 1859 at a cost of $3,000. One of the builders, Aaron Harwood, was a member of the first class of local Methodists and one of the group listed as purchaser of the lot.

The building existed in this form until the early 1900s.

The Dowagiac Methodist congregation continued to grow. Early in the 1900s, they were led by a popular preacher, Reverend H.L. Potter, who began to push for a new church. Records are unclear, but the building was either altered, with the original wooden structure enclosed by brick, or built anew on the same site.

Rebuilt or remodeled, the design for the structure we know now was designed by Henry H. Johnson, an architect who grew up in Wayne Township. Over the decades, the congregation would continue to grow, finally becoming too large to remain in the building in the 1960s. New land was purchased in 1968 and the last sermon was given in the original location on May 15, 1974.

A place to perform

While the building was still occupied by the Knights of Columbus in 1990, the Beckwith Theatre Company was formed. The group was named in honor of the Beckwith Theatre, a cultural destination of early downtown Dowagiac that hosted talent such as John Philip Sousa and Lillian Russel. Originally formed with the intent to stage a small number of productions, the response from local actors and audiences led to an ongoing schedule of performances. The troupe performed in both the former Elks Temple on Front Street and on the stage at Southwestern Michigan College before seeing their success as a sign to find a permanent home.

In 1994, the Beckwith Theatre Company set out to raise the funds to purchase the Knights Of Columbus building, with the hopes that the new residence would allow them to expand their show line-up and run times, to present speakers and workshops for the community, and to attract more area youth to the troupe. On April 1 that year, they became the newest owners of the brick building.

The theater enthusiasts would put much work into the structure, including

Horizons 2016 building the stage, the addition of seating, lighting and sound equipment, and a number of cosmetic and functional repairs and upgrades. On April 20, 1995, “The Gin Game,” the first show in the company’s new home, opened to the public.

“I remember a lot of dust,” said Jeff Gunn, a current member of the theater company, recalling the remodeling. “We initially had risers and subsequently built the stage.”

He went on to describe the other additions, including the removal of seating, initially replaced by metal chairs before the current theater style rows. He also pointed out the changes above us and the difficulty of the first theater company productions in the building before production lighting was fully installed.

“This ceiling went the entire expanse of the room,” Gunn said. “It was interesting. We lit a lot from underneath. “ “None of this was here,” he said, offering a tour of the backstage area. “When we started letting people in, the actors had to hide behind the set.”

A place to celebrate

Throughout the years, the Beckwith Theatre Company and its home on New York Avenue have grown in their offerings. The schedule includes a season of plays and musicals offered through most of the year. Many of the plays performed have been original pieces written by members of the troupe.

The company has sponsored and hosted a number of events during the annual Dogwood Fine Arts Festival.

The theater has hosted live music, including an annual concert from Irish performers Kennedy’s Kitchen. In 2014, the Emerging Playwrights Contest started as a joint venture between the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival and the Beckwith Theatre Company, attracting an array of local writing talent and leading to awards, staged readings, and a full production. Improv nights, readings, and children’s workshops are all a part of the offerings.

On a small triangular lot between New York Avenue, Commercial Street, and M-51, children who might have otherwise been lost have found homes.

Communities have gathered and congregations have worshipped. A redbrick building stands as a monument to theatre, culture and art in our own community.

Here and elsewhere on the routes of our daily lives, we pass crossings in history.

Continuing education for adults 50+ Our mission is to improve the quality and dignity of senior adult life through continuing intellectual challenge, spiritual reflection, and social interaction.

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Meet our

STAFF

Get to know the full-time Leader Publications team MICHAEL CALDWELL Publisher, President

“Newspapers continue to be a vital part of a community. I love working to inform our readers, celebrating the inspiring people who live here and helping our businesses grow.”

Cassopolis

Niles

Cassopolis Family Clinic

Niles Community Health Center

261 M-62 North Cassopolis, MI 49031

Medical (269) 445-3874 Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sat. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Dental (269) 228-8500 Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Pharmacy (269) 228-8505 Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

AMBROSIA NELDON MANAGING EDITOR

“I feel blessed to be able to showcase all of the amazing people and opportunities in the region I’ve called home my entire life. Every day is a new adventure and I’m fortunate to share it with a talented team and a beautiful community.”

SHERINA GONZALEZ ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR

“I love being part of a team that cares about best serving the residents and businesses of Michiana. It’s an added bonuses that we all rock at what we do and have fun doing it!”

CINDY KLINGERMAN DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

“I love my job because I have the privilege to work with a great team who assures that all of our products are delivered and available in all of our coverage areas each day, week, month and year.”

24 N. St. Joseph Ave., Suite G Niles, MI 49120 (269) 262-4749 Mon. - Thurs. 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

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Obstetrics & Gynecology / Maternal Infant Health Program 60 N. St. Joseph Ave. Niles, MI 49120 OB/GYN - (269) 683-0300 MIHP - (269) 683-6859 Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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Every business needs a strong foundation—and a strong insurance partner—to remain resilient and be successful. As an independent, employee-owned insurance agency, Kemner Iott Benz is dedicated to helping local businesses prepare for the unexpected, mitigate risks and protect their key assets with comprehensive commercial insurance options.

Plus, with our Let’s Connect 24/7 portal, businesses have on-demand access to key insurance information when and where they need it—because knowing is a strong foundation.

DONNA KNIGHT CLASSIFIED MARKETING CONSULTANT

“I love working at the newspaper because of the community connection that it provides. I love being a marketing consultant because I enjoy helping local businesses grow their customer base by promoting them in our publications.”

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“Graphic design is my passion because I enjoy the process of problem solving and finding solutions using colors, shapes and text. It becomes exciting when you create something from nothing and connect with your audience to achieve results for your clients.”

CRAIG HAUPERT NILES COMMUNITY EDITOR

“I love being able to share with the community all the interesting and important things that happen in the greater Niles area.”

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“Even after 22 years, my job is still exciting and always changing.

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“One of the best things about coming to work is that no two days are alike. Leader Publications, like all newspapers, gives you an opportunity to create a new product every day.”

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SHELBY CHRISTIE GRAPHIC DESIGNER

“I love helping local businesses look their best while promoting themselves. Writing and designing are my passions and I’m able to apply them everyday while helping my community.”

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“I love selling products that help our customers sell theirs. I love the products and tools we have and the awesome team of coworkers!”

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“I like the leadership and working with the people. I actually really love my job, and that has not always been the case.”

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“I like the people and the old style of printing. I really like working at Leader because of the leadership.”

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1/25/16 11:32 AM

Unsung N Heroes

By MICHAEL CALDWELL

ow in its third year, Leader Publications’ “Unsung Heroes” recognition is exactly what the name states: a way to honor the men and women in our community who go above and beyond to serve others and make our region a better place to live.

Rather than Leader staff choosing these individuals we ask our readers to tell us about the people who they feel are making a difference but don’t get the recognition they deserve.

This is truly just representative of the whole region, as we know there are countless other individuals working behind the scenes to make our communities thrive. All show humility, sacrifice and commitment through leading by example.

Here are your 2016 “Unsung Heroes.”

Jan Nowak

J

an Nowak has served this community for the past nine years as the social service director of the Niles Salvation Army or the director of “Caring Ministries” (as she calls it). I have personally known Jan for the past six years and have listened to her glowingly talk about her love for the Niles community and the wonderful people who live here.

When a job became available in the Niles Corps, I was eager to ask for a transfer from another Salvation Army, in part because I wanted to be part of something special.

And I found it.

Jan serves this community with compassion, empathy and love. I love of people, their stories, love of God and ministry. She oversees our food pantry, our community lunch program and school backpack program. She is our social worker and endlessly takes time to listen and sit with all who walk through the door seeking help, solutions or just someone to talk to. Her door is always open and all are met with a smile, a heart and coffee. In an age of technology where we barely look up from our phones, tablets or computers she greets everyone personally, knowing most of their names. She gives handshakes and hugs.

Many of our guests are homeless or transient but are greeted just the same as a friend.

A few days ago a man called for Jan. He couldn’t remember her name but he said “a very nice lady with brown hair who was the social worker.” I knew of whom he was asking for. She was out at that time checking on her mother (who is elderly and lives with her). I asked if I could take a message. He said, “I was homeless two years ago and came in wanting to talk to someone. She brought me in her office and just sat with me. She gave me a coat and food but I left with so much more: kindness from a stranger. I am no longer homeless. I have my own apartment now and I am doing so much better. I have never forgotten her and I am calling to thank her.” I took the message and number and hung up the phone with tears in my eyes. Jan and her heart stayed with this man for years.

Jan has never asked for a raise in the nine years she has been at her job. “I don’t do it for the money” she says. “I do it because I want to, because I am meant to be here, helping.”

She raises her teenage son by herself, cares for her elderly mother, is involved in her church, ministers to the community and is a great friend. Jan Nowak is my Unsung Hero.

— Kolleen Bennett

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Scott Stewart, Agent 2429 South 11th Street Niles, MI 49120 Bus: 269-683-2025 scott.stewart.lj2u@statefarm.com

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Pastor Jeff Reese

P

astor Jeff Reese of Hope United Methodist Church in Edwardsburg, Michigan, is an Unsung Hero.

Some say a pastor only works one day a week, for a couple of hours while preaching. Anyone who has followed Jeff Reese around knows that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Reese family has been in the area for more than 20 years.

It is pretty uncommon for a pastor to stay in one area for so long, but when good things are happening people notice. Shortly after Jeff and his wife, Carin, came to the area, Jeff took on the task of combining the two local Methodist churches.

This was huge, but he did it. He oversaw the construction of two stages out of three so far of the current Hope UMC. He has tirelessly and continually given 110 percent of himself to all who are lucky enough to know him.

He is involved in the daily operations at Hope, mentors to other churches, assists with the Edwardsburg Emergency Fund/ Food Pantry, works with the local schools, worked with God’s Wearhouse, all along with the “normal” pastor duties of weddings, funerals, hospital calls, baptisms, plus so much more of which most of us are unaware.

He did all this while raising two awesome daughters who are both in college now. He is currently involved in “Project Hope,” the new vision for Hope UMC to grow strong families and grow our membership.

Jeff truly embodies what a “Community Treasure” means to me.

He deserves all of the recognition.

— Anonymous

Unsung Heroes

Community Of Abundance

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Find a true community treasure at the Cass County COA. Share fun, friendship, and activity with people who enjoy being engaged in life. Stop by one of our locations today.

Call 269.687.9681 or email us at info@riverfrontparkcampground.com to make your reservation TODAY! • RV Owners • We have lots available year round for $400/month!

Lowe Center Front Street Crossing 60525 Decatur Rd. 227 S. Front Street Cassopolis, MI 49031 Dowagiac, MI 49047 (800) 323-0390 (269) 445-8110 www.CassCOA.org facebook.com/CassCOA

1701 Pucker Street Drive, Niles, MI www.riverfrontparkcampground.com

Mill Pond Apartments 1 Bedroom Apartments for 62 Years of Age or Disabled of Any Age Located within walking distance of shopping, banking and medical offices.

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Rent Based on Income This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Cars & Bars

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Auto & Marine Upholstery

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Main Library 319 M-62 North Cassopolis, MI 49031 269-357-7822

http://cass.lib.mi.us

Our Main Library has had some major renovations!

Join us at our Open House to celebrate and tour the updated areas.

Come experience the most comfortable chair in the world

Main Library Open House Saturday, March 5 1-3 pm

1512 East McKinley, Hwy. 20 Mishawaka, IN

Light refreshments provided!

Edwardsburg Branch 269-487-9215

Howard Branch 269-487-9214

Local History Branch 269-357-7823

Mason/Union Branch 269-357-7821

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For all yo printng neeur ds!

From corporate polos to team duffel bags to family reunion t-shirts, we will expertly screen print your vision. Bring your own design or have our in-house artists create something perfect!

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NEW DAY COMMUNITY CHURCH

WWW.NEWDAYCOMMUNITY.ORG New Day's mission is Loving, Learning & Leading A church for your whole family Bible based and Christ centered Sundays at 10 AM for worship and teaching Tuesdays at 7 PM for our discipleship class

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Cash in your Coins, Jewelry, Gold & Silver WE BUY • SELL • TRADE

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ED YOU'RE INVIT TO JOIN US! Lead Pastor Cameron & Kathie Wright

Ken Mais

K

en Mais does not get enough recognition for all the support he gives to the community.

Ken serves at the Edwardsburg Food Pantry — where he is a long-time volunteer — delivers food boxes to residents for Commodity Day, is an active member of the Edwardsburg Lions Club who picks up glasses from various businesses around the community, is a member of the American Legion, and is an active member of the Edwardsburg Presbyterian Church, not to mention an avid Cubs fan.

— Roseann & Jerry Marchetti

Gary Grathwohl

I

am nominating Gary Grathwohl, an NHS Class of ‘78 grad and a man who has spearheaded several volunteer activities to improve our city, most recently the spring clean-up of the Niles City Parks in 2015.

During this year’s Ice Festival, he — on his own time and using his own equipment — plowed the sidewalks of downtown Niles so they would be passable during the event. Gary is passionate about getting a grassroots movement going to improve our city physically, in addition to bringing new business to downtown.

— Caryn Adler

Cindy Yawkey

T

he Underground Railroad Society of Cass County (URSCC) is proud to nominate Cindy Yawkey of Vandalia as an Unsung Hero. Cindy has volunteered with URSCC since our beginning in 2010. She came to the Bonine House during our first Underground Railroad Days and pitched right in greeting visitors, sharing her warmth, humor and knowledge, and has remained a wonderful ambassador and cheerleader for URSCC. You can count on Cindy to be behind the scenes of every URSCC project--she is the kind of volunteer who shows up without being asked, and does whatever needs to be done. She is a docent for the Bonine House during our season June through September, and always willing to cover for other docents when needed.

Cindy is a terrific photographer and has chronicled the restoration of the Bonine House over the years, creating a priceless scrapbook.

She is also an accomplished artist, using pencil to depict beautiful and often poignant scenes from the UGRR, the Bonine House and Carriage House. We appreciate Cindy on so many levels and are happy to celebrate her in this way. Thank you Cindy!

Unsung Heroes

— The Underground Railroad Society of Cass County

Your community-owned electric utility is at your service.

Go Green with the City of Niles Use PSN (Payment Service Network) to make utility and tax payments by phone or online at www.ci.niles.mi.us Taxes and Utility bills can be paid using our convenient drivethrough service.

The Utilities Department will be distributing CFL bulbs this spring to electric customers to encourage energy savings.

The Utilities Department offers rebates on the purchase of energy efficient appliances, air conditioning and commercial applications. For more information, contact Franklin Energy at 877-674-7281.

Niles Utilities Department is located in City Hall: 333 N. Second Street Niles, Michigan 49120 269-683-4700

www.ci.niles.mi.us

Unsung Heroes

Denise Peters

D

enise Peters exemplifies servant leadership. Without her, Summer My Way would have never gotten off the ground. She is a driving force behind Hope Grows, a project that raises funds for cancer screenings at our local YMCA. She is a key player in the Optimist Soccer program that benefits hundreds of children. Every Christmas season, you’ll find her in the cold ringing the bells for the Salvation Army. She is always willing to pitch in to make great things happen in Niles. These are just a few examples of her tireless service to our community.

— Nancy Studebaker

Leonard Kanczuzewski

L

eonard Kanczuzewski, of Cassopolis is an Unsung Hero who deserves the recognition.

Leonard sponsored the Stone Lake Festival this past fall, was one of the chief fundraisers for the Cass Family Clinic, is a past member and treasurer of the Cass County Economic Development Corporation, is always the first to volunteer to help the community either by allowing meetings at his Innovateus Center in Cassopolis or by a monetary donation.

Through the Innovateus Center, he has opened the door for many small businesses. He is also a major supporter of the Council On Aging and a member of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Edwardsburg.

— Roseann & Jerry Marchetti

Helene Johnson

B

efore retiring, Dr. Helene Johnson delivered four of the most beautiful grandchildren to my family. I’m guessing she has delivered thousands of babies over the years. As an OB/GYN for Lakeand Health, she can tell you exactly what will be happening next as you are giving birth. She is wonderful and goes above and beyond to take care of both the mother and the baby. I just want her to know that we are so blessed to have her in our community giving countless selfless hours to give us our most precious gifts.

10% OFF ANY SERVICE

Local. Healthy.

Fresh. Delicious.

Come to the Buchanan Farmers’ Market and taste what’s in season!

Open May 2 – October 17, 2016 Every Saturday 8 am – 1pm

Computerized Wheel Alignment & Balancing Air Conditioning • Brakes • Shocks • CV Shafts • Springs Tie Rods • Ball Joints • Towing Available • Much More!

Downtown Buchanan on the Common Vendor opportunities available

For information call 269-506-3021 or email BuchananFarmersMarketMaster@gmail.com

INVEST HERE

LIVE HERE

VISIT HERE

www.BuchananFarmersMarket.com

515 Wayne St. • Niles, MI 49120 Ph: 269-683-3727 • Fax: 269-683-9065

City of Real People, Real Community, Real Opportunity As you explore Dowagiac, you will begin to appreciate its progressive creativity and deep roots. Enjoy a vibrant downtown with specialty shops, flavorful restaurants, abundant public art and family entertainment.

Immerse yourself in the area’s rich history, stately architecture and captivating museums.

The citizens of Dowagiac are dedicated to saving and building on our diverse heritage, while at the same time embracing and encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit that creates opportunities for all of her citizens.

With excellent schools, an outstanding community college, a quality full service hospital, a healthy industrial and commercial base and a community wide commitment to the arts, Dowagiac has all the amenities of a city many times its size while retaining and enjoying its small town warmth and charm.

Whether you’re a first time visitor or someone who knows us well, we invite you to take a little extra time to get to know us better. We are confident you’ll be impressed with Dowagiac’s commitment to building a better future on the solid foundation of a remarkable heritage.

www.CityOfDowagiac.com

Larry Balok

L

arry Balok has been a valued volunteer of the Cass County COA in many ways. In 1998, he was instrumental in locating the COA’s current building in Cassopolis and in raising funds for a new addition.

Larry also spearheaded the COA’s income tax preparation program and coordinated it for many years. In doing that, he helped about 250 seniors with their taxes each year. He traveled to seniors’ homes if they could not come to him and attended IRS refresher training at his own expense. He helped seniors to get money they may not have known they deserved through programs like the Homestead credit and Home Heat credit.

He has said that it is “such a tragedy how many poor live in our community,” so he took it upon himself to help low income seniors in this way.

Beyond these initiatives, Larry has also engraved bronze leaves on the COA’s donor recognition tree, and he has driven for both the Meals on Wheels and Medical Transportation programs. He has also helped with the COA’s intergenerational programming, including GrandFest and the etiquette program for high school students.

He has a very positive attitude and a great rapport with the people he serves.

His commitment to making the community a better place has been so valuable to the COA and the people he has helped.

Unsung Heroes

— Sandy Hoger and Leslie Vargo

Lisa Winquist

L

isa Winquist is instrumental in ensuring the community luncheon at Trinity Episcopal Church takes place as scheduled each Saturday morning.

Lisa always has the time to lend a helping hand to anyone she knows. She continually brings ideas to the table to help those less fortunate.

Her amazing regard for people, and the attention she pays to details, impresses all who work with her on her many projects.

She is a treasure!

— Ginger Brawley

Portage

Niles

204 S. 11th Street, (269)684-4050

8800 Shaver Rd. (269)323-0660

4025 M-139 (269)429-1707

1111 W. Chicago Rd. (269)651-5388

Sturgis

St. Joseph

South Haven On Phoenix St., (269)-639-7788

Dowagiac M-51 South (269)782-7788

Kalamazoo 370 N. 9th St. (269)372-0340

www.hannapel.com

Why Pay to Watch tV? One time affordable fee and then it’s free!

A variety of free HD and digital channels Complete Installation Repairs • Tower Removal We Work All Year Round!

FREE Estimates • Use Your Own Wiring

Specializing in DJ services, photo booths, weddings, and corporate events Buchanan, MI (269) 217-8550 sales@dpmevents.com www.dpmevents.com

ANTENNAS PLUS 269-357-6352 • AntennasPlus1.com

Don’t Trust Your Car to Just Anyone Bring your vehicle to us for expert service with a guarantee.

All Repairs Fully Guaranteed

oil change • heating & cooling • check engine light diagnosis • engines & transmissions • brakes, shocks & struts • tune-ups • tires • batteries • & more

Day Camp • Challenge Ropes Course• Low Ropes Initiatives • Climbing Tower • Picnics • Retreat Lodging • Hayrides • Winter Tubing and Cross-Country Skiing

24-Hour Emergency Service available.

Division Tire & Battery 631 Rudy Rd. • Dowagiac, MI (269) 782-5141 Cell: (269) 806-3307

6597 Smith Road Berrien Center, MI • (269) 471-1396 • www.fivepines.org

Compassion & Understanding in your time of need.

We offer unique opportunities for families to create healing moments after loss. Our experience, coupled with our perspective on the importance of ceremony, will help you discover ways to pay tribute.

Whether traditional or unique, these tributes allow us to love, laugh, and live well again.

521 East Main Street • Niles, MI • 269-683-1155 • www.brownfuneralhomeniles.com Helping Families Connect, Honor & Remember

Ric Ladonski

R

ic Ladonski is a “retired” Niles High School teacher of computer design (and more), but he is far from retired. I know him as the senior member of the Niles Park Board. Over the past year he has provided comprehensive plans from his computer design abilities for proposed uses of several city parks, printed maps of the city highlighting the locations of our 21 parks, ID cards for board members and other board services too numerous to list here.

Ric is also a collector of buttons and fragments from the old button factories in Niles, as well as beautiful mother-of-pearl artifacts; all things related to fishing. He often gives talks about these to civic and social groups. He also spends many hours (volunteer and pleasure) at our river (reminding dog walkers to clean up after their dogs and keeping the peace when difficulties arise).

Smart, low-key, dedicated and loyal, Ric deserves recognition as an outstanding volunteer, although it would undoubtedly embarrass him!

— Janey Waterhouse

Gil MacNeill

G

il MacNeill is the backbone of the free community luncheon held each Saturday at Trinity Episcopal Church.

Gil opens the doors every Saturday morning to allow different churches access the kitchen to prepare their meals. Gil starts the coffee and makes sure everything is ready to serve up to 130 hungry guests.

Gil is also a pillar of the Episcopal Church. He is much loved by all of us. He always praises others and takes no credit for this ministry.

— John Brawley

DOWAGIAC AUTO SERVICE Quality Pre-Owned Vehicles Are Arriving Daily!

Ask for Gary or Tommy.

Meeting on your schedule, not ours.

Face-to-face meetings. One-on-one relationship. How did Edward Jones become one of the biggest financial services companies in the country? By not acting like one. With more than 10,000 offices. Including the branches in Niles.

Specializing in: Exhaust systems • Brake and steering • Full service oil change • Any make or model • Minor and major repairs • Diagnostic and electrical work

Greg A. Surber Financial Advisor 2010 S. 11th St. Suite 140 269-684-6733

We are dedicated to providing you with the quality service that you deserve.

269-782-5643 • 57748 M-51 S. • Dowagiac, MI

www.edwardjones.com

Shane R. Shidler Financial Advisor 2726 S. 11th St. Suite 10 269-684-7398

Kevin Kelsheimer

K

evin spends countless hours assisting veterans with identifying and submitting claims. Without his help, vets would have no chance of knowing their benefits and wading through government paperwork. He has helped thousands of veterans process and receive their disability checks. He himself is a decorated Marine and Vietnam veteran.

— Wayne Thomas

Thank you for 95 great years!

Georgia Boggs

F

irst Ward Alderman Georgia Boggs is an Unsung Hero. I have yet to call her with a question or request that I did not receive a speedy reply.

She has served the City of Niles selflessly for many years. I have known her as a woman of honor and truth, and she should be recognized for what she has attempted to do. Georgia has received numerous honors from the NAACP and different churches. It’s time for the entire city to give her what is due to her.

When you say it with flowers, say it with ours!

East Main Gardens Florist 1521 E. Main Street, Niles, MI 269.683.8000 • 800.924.7525 www.eastmaingardensflorist.com

Family owned since 1921

— Deborah Holden

215 N. Mechanic Street Berrien Springs, MI

269-471-7121 www.ZicksMeats.com Order Online!

Specialty Meats • Old World European style smoked sausage • Wild Game Jerky & Meat Snack Products • Venison Processing (trim only)

Money doesn’t grow on trees...

But you can find it in your local newspaper.

With hundreds of dollars in coupon savings every week, your local newspaper pays for itself... and then some!

Call today to subscribe!

269-687-7710

Leader Publications www.leaderpub.com

ALLEGAN ANTIQUE MARKET 400 QUALITY DEALERS AT THE ALLEGAN COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS RIGHT IN ALLEGAN mICHIGAN! 2016 DATES 8 am to 4 pm

APRIL 24 • MAY 29 • JUNE 26 JULY 31 • AUG 28 • SEPT 25 Rain or Shine

MICHIGAN’S LARGEST ANTIQUE MARKET! $4 Admission - Free Parking - Food Picnic - Camping - No Pets Information: 616-735-3333 www.AlleganAntiques.com

Always the last Sunday of the Month

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89

Gold Standard in Ambulance Service • Fully Licensed & Experienced Paramedics • Municipally Owned & Operated • Non Emergency & Transfers • Medicare & Medicaid Approved

your garden, naturally

Non-Emergencies & Transfers: 925-2141 Administrative & Business Calls: 925-2143

www.fernwoodbotanical.org 269.695.6491

EMERGENCIES - DIAL 911

For a Safer Healthier Community

For All Your Wheelchair Needs 7 Days A Week

Since 1977 • www.medic1ambulance.org

Get to know your AAA Agent.

Every AAA Sales Agent is highly trained to provide expert guidance and help customers make informed decisions about their auto, home and life insurance coverage.

• Our Meaningful Moments® programming honors each resident’s life story.

• Around-the-clock nursing provided by our caring, thoughtful staff, trained in memory care.

Cindy McCall Insurance Agency

• Regain your life knowing your loved one is in good hands.

Laura Anderson, Authorized Agent Chasity Williams, Service Assistance

Talk to us - we can help.

Cindy McCall

574-247-7400 | 1215 Trinity Place | Mishawaka

269-683-3500

camccall@aaamichigan.com

815 E. Main Street, Suite A, Niles, MI 49120

Visit Our Community, Meet Our Staff, Take a Tour | www.jeaseniorliving.com

Automotive ADDISON TIRE SERVICE, INC. Established Business since 1987

We do tires plus automotive repairs That’s how we roll!

26041 US Highway 12 Edwardsburg, MI (269) 663-7435

10% OFF ANY SERVICE

Murdock Used Cars Guaranteed Credit Approval

Computerized Wheel Alignment & Balancing Air Conditioning • Brakes • Shocks • CV Shafts • Springs Tie Rods • Ball Joints • Towing Available • Much More!

515 Wayne St. • Niles, MI 49120 Ph: 269-683-3727 • Fax: 269-683-9065

Bankruptcies, collections, divorces, fixed income, collecting unemployment, 1st time buyers, Sam Appleberry 616-723-3273 self-employed, medical bills

3158 S. 11th Street, Niles 269-683-8677 MurdocksUsedCars.com

The Friendly Car Center

“We Service GM, Chryslers, Ford & Most Foreign Cars”

269-683-7220 Cars & Bars Auto & Marine Upholstery

Seats, Carpet, Tops Complete Restorations

(574) 904-3317 1990 S. 11th Niles, MI

Commercial Upholstery

Restaurant booths, bar stools, chairs

90

Horizons 2016

ROM:

IN ferson St. 152

Three Oaks, MI 2 S. Elm St. 269-756-9502

Eau Claire, MI 6524 E. Main St. 269-461-6981

Years in Business

95 Years

76 Years

Celebrating 95 Years

Established 1940 LOCAL SUPPLIER OF METAL COMPONENTS

fit properly ts will look

For a complete list of our 16 locations, visit us at BigCLumber.com

107 Years

2190 IndustrIal drIve • nIles, MIchIgan

269-683-2550

57 Years brating Cele

www.MOdINEER.COM

over

50

Years

LLJ

EVERYTHING FOR THE WOODWORKER

L.L. JOHNSON

A Division of L.L. Johnson Lumber Mfg. Co.

Serving Berrien, Cass & St. Joe Counties

51315 Indiana State Route 933 South Bend, IN 46637

(574) 234-4633 • www.amerigas.com 25701 State Road 2, South Bend, IN

L.L. JOHNSON LUMBER MFG. CO.

&

LUMBER MFG. CO.

Johnson’s Workbench

574-277-8350 800-292-5937 theworkbench.com

America’s Propane Company

Over

1a6rs0of

Ye History

214 N. 4th Street, Niles • (269) 683-4900 501 Main Street, St. Joseph • (269) 983-7101 www.imsinsuranceagency.com

23 Years

FAMILY DINING

1701 TERMINAL ROAD, NILES, MI 49120

Phone 269.683.1910 l Fax 269.683.1953 l www.nilesst.com

Serving Michiana since 1947

35 Years THE RIGHT SERVICES FOR YOU!

Business • Home Auto • Life • Farm

Thank You For 23 Wonderful Years!

NILES STEEL TANK

THANK YOU!

From our family to yours...

S. 11th St at Bell Rd 269-684-0190 Meat: 684-6850

118 Years

ASME Pressure Vessel Manufacturer Section l Section lV (HLW) Section Vlll, Div 1 Multiple Internal Coating Capabilities

Some things never change...

Like our promise to deliver you the freshest possible fruits, vegetables, meat, and unsurpassed service.

SHelTON FArmS

163 Years

MANUFACTURING TANKS FOR INDUSTRY SINCE 1898

69 Years

Open Daily 6:30am to 9:00pm

1915 S. 11th St. • Niles • 269-684-2112 M-51 Just South of US-12 Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner

WE ARE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

LAWN CARE PROFESSIONAL

• LAWN FERTILIZING • WEED & INSECT CONTROL • AERATION & LIMING • TREE & SHRUB CARE • ORGANIC FERTILIZER • IRRIGATION Over 35 years in business!

2612 S. 11th Street • Niles, MI

(269) 683-7533

www.spring-green.com/cwolfe

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91

Churches and Ministries

SUMMIT CHURCH

269.683.9245 www.summitniles.com

Join us Sundays at 9AM & 10:45AM

penn friends

Trinity Episcopal Church

Community Church

Sunday Worship @ 9:30 Wednesday Healing Service @ 5:30

All Are Welcome!

Worship: Sunday 10:30 am | Christian Education: Sunday, 9-10 am

Youth Group: Sunday, 5:30-7pm

Saturday Lunch In at 11:30am

Nursery Care Provided

9 South 4th Street, Niles - Corner of 4th and Broadway 269-683-6060 • trinityniles.org

Pastor: Greg Compton

19107 Quaker • Cassopolis, MI • pennfriends@yahoo.com

Michiana Christian Embassy Worship Sunday at 10 a.m.

Our Service Times Sunday School

(Christian Life Academy)

First Presbyterian Church

269- 423-4981

119 East Delaware Street, Decatur, MI 49045 • See Us on Facebook

Sunday Worship Sunday Night

9:45am Wednesday

7:00pm

Powerhouse (youth) 11:00am Warriors (age 7-12) 6:00pm Bible Study (Adults)

www.michianachristianembassy.com

1922 E. Main St., Niles, MI 49120 • (269) 683-3518

Our Father’s Family Keeper Ministries

www.ourfathersfamilykeeper.org P.O. Box 9, Vandalia, MI

• After-school educational initiatives • Lakeside day outing host • Nonprofit child care provider • Self-directed overnight camping host • Women’s transitional housing program Curtis & Bianca May Co-Founders & Directors Phone 269-476-1257 Fax 269-609-5900 ourfathersfamily@ymail.com

(269) 684-2770

There is HOPE in Niles, come grow with us!

Voted Best of the Best Place to Worship 5 years in a row!

92

Horizons 2016

Best of the Best Thank You for Voting me as a

Best Realtor!

Pizza of the Month!

2015

Julie Capron REALTOR®, Broker Manager

269-684-6600

1439 Oak St., Niles, MI

18 Years Experience Call me to see why! (269) 357-3525 Cell

juliecapron@cressyeverett.com • cressyeverett.com/juliecapron

WelcomeHomeMichiana@gmail.com 2015

616.516.4084

574.298.2737

215 E. Main St., Niles | www.pizzatransit.com OUT DINE IN CARRY DELIVERY

Murdock Used Cars Voted Best among used car dealers!

A Mother-Daughter Real Estate Team Serving Michiana

Home of the

Thank You for voting us

Best Grocery Store 2015

Mowitt S. Drew, III

2015

Voted Best of the Best

Dick Murdock 269-470-0242

3158 S. 11th Street, Niles 269-683-8677 MurdocksUsedCars.com

since 2009

Niles Office

12 Longmeadow Village Drive, Suite 100 Niles, MI 49120 p: (269) 591-6915 f: (269) 684-4026

Buchanan Office

223-225 E. Front St. P.O. Box 72 Buchanan, MI 49107 p: (269) 695-3849 f: (269) 695-2004

South Haven Office 317 Center St. South Haven, MI 49090 p: (269) 689-5983 f: (269) 684-4026

www.kotzsangster.com

Thank you for your trust.

We offer pediatric to geriatric exams. We treat glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes and retinal problems, including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

2015

120 Longmeadow Village Dr., Niles (269) 684-6400 • www.greateyecare.com

A Luxury All Suite, All-Inclusive Pet Retreat

Thanks for Voting Us Best New & UsedCadillac Car Dealer!

Tyler Chevrolet

1810 South Street Tyler Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 11th Tyler Chevrolet Cadillac Kia Niles, MI 1102 S 11th St (M 51 South) 1810 S 11th St (M 51 South) Niles, MI Niles, MI (269) 684-8200 (269) 683-1710 Visit us online: www.tylers.com

269-683-1710

Thank

1740 W. Bertrand Rd. Niles, MI

Repairs, Remodel, Windows, Siding, Additions, Painting, Plumbing & More!

bunkandbiscuit.net

Certified Mobile Home Work.

Senior Discounts.

Voted Best Pet Services!

www.TheCatsMeowMichiana.com

(269) 635-1527

williamsconstructco@gmail.com

269-684-BUNK (2865)

2607 S. 11th Street, Niles, MI 269-683-MEOW (6369)

Williams Construction

Voted Best Landscaping Business in Michiana

you! lakemichigancollege.edu (269) 927-8100

• Property Maintenance & Lawncare • Landscaping • Irrigation & Fertilization

(269) 687-8845 www.maacps.com

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93

HEALTHY LIVING STARTS HERE

Health and Wellness FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TM FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Connect with us on Facebook

Niles-Buchanan YMCA

905 N. Front St. • Niles • 269-683-1552 • www.nb-ymca.org

Gold Standard in Ambulance Service Non-Emergencies & Transfers: 925-2141

Administrative & Business Calls: 925-2143

EMERGENCIES - DIAL 911

Fully Licensed & Experienced Paramedics Medicare & Medicaid Approved

For All Your Wheelchair Needs 7 Days A Week

For a Safer Healthier Community

Since 1977 • www.medic1ambulance.org

The Best in Chiropractic Care The Home Run Formula model focuses on all aspects of health:

Toxicity Stress

Michiana’s Comprehensive Studio for

Yoga • Pilates • Massage

Emotional Stress Nutritional Stress

A grade above the rest!

Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Home Health Care & Staff Relief 1125 E. Milham Ave., Suite A, Kalamazoo, MI (269) 383-9112 (800) 531-0272

Physical Stress

MICHIANA WELLNESS & LONGEVITY CLINIC

Call Today! 574-258-4444 605 West Edison Rd., Suite G, Mishawaka Dr. William Lyden

www.MichianaWellness.com

Blurred vision?

Blind spot?

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Symptoms include blurred, wavy or distorted vision and a blind spot in your central vision.

BeyondZenStudio.com 574.387.3691 318 Toscana Blvd, Granger, IN

New Patients Welcome!

A pAthwAy to Healthy SMILES richard L. beckermeyer, d.d.S., Pc www.drbeckermeyer.com

123 marmont Street • niLeS, mi 269.683.6461 • FaX: 269.683.7618

r

High Quality r Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Aged Balsamic Vinegars Over 30 Flavors to Taste! q Garlic q Blood Orange q Herbs de Provence Now Available!

Ben Nicholson, M.D. Southwest Michigan’s only Retina Specialist

CaLL ToDay! 269.684.6400

Your Local Pharmacy Free Delivery Service Available

All Insurances Accepted 69045 M62 Suite G Edwardsburg, MI 49112

www.greateyecare.com 120 Longmeadow Village Dr. Niles, MI 49120

Spice & Tea Merchants Spices q Teas q Gifts Freshest, high quality herbs & spices Open 7 days a week

269-414-4554

Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm Sat 10am-2pm

www.theolivebranchinc.net q 574.855.1059

225 Toscana Blvd, Suite #2 (next to Villa Macri) q Granger, IN 46530

94

Horizons 2016

Apartments Four Flags Plaza

INDIAN HILLS APARTMENTS/ TOWNHOUSES QUALITY HOUSING AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE To suit your needs we have the following types of units: Section 8 and 236 one, two, and three bedroom townhouses Section 8 and market rate one and two bedroom apartments

Now Accepting Applications for Elderly

• Mobility Impaired Access • Pet Friendly (Restrictions Apply)

269-684-2246

To arrange a visit call

269-782 5603

17 North 7th St • Niles

TDD/TTY: 1-800 649 3777 Or stop by the Management Office at: 400 Cleveland Rd., Dowagiac Michigan

Niles Housing Commission 251 Cass St., Niles, MI Office: (269) 683-2783 Fax: (269) 683-7435 www.NilesHousingCommission.com

Stone Lake Woods HUD subsidized Independent Living for those that qualify.

Physically Disabled age 55 and over.

Senior Citizens age 62 and over.

335 W. State St., Cassopolis, MI

269-445-8040

Auctioneers Inc. 1203 Market St. Napanee, IN 46550-2246

574-773-8445

LICENSE # AC39800021

HIAN IC

AREAS LARGEST!

MALL

Thousands of items to choose from.

A

Hahn

M

Antiques & Auctions

Something for Everyone!

Michiana Antique Mall 2423 S. 11th St. • Niles, MI 49120

269.684.7001 Open 10 am - 6 pm Daily

We buy estates and excess home furnishings!

Moving? Downsizing?

Call Kelly 574-383-8859 Plaza Resale Store 2607 S. 11th St, Niles, MI

You Never Know AUCTION HOUSE & FLEA MARKET

Auctions every Friday 5:00 pm We auction all winter.

Flea Market hours: Wednesday & Thursday 11-6 Friday & Saturday 11-7 Sunday 11-6

Everything from A to Z

You’ll never know what you’ll find!

Rental spaces available 53788 CR 9, Elkhart, IN For more details, call David at (574) 522-1020 License #AU01042788

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95

n u F d n a d o o F in Michiana Take This to Your next Party We Offer a Variety of Deli Trays• Deli Sandwiches & Wraps • Macaroni & Potato Salads • Chips & Snacks • Eckrich Deli Meats • Variety of Cheeses •Great Selection of Wines

The

Manor Mini MarT

107 W. Railroad St. • Dowagiac, MI

269-782-3744

BEER • WINE • LIQUOR

521 Lake Boulevard, St. Joseph, MI 269.983.6600 www.theboulevardinn.com

The

ilway RaCafé

as • W p a T

ine Bar • Attit

ude

Tuesday is

Breakfast all day, Seniors’ Day! Lunch & Dinner

10% OFF

Thurs.–Sun. 6am–8pm • Mon.–Wed. 6am–2pm 109 W. Rail Rd., Dowagiac, MI • 269.462.9423

Hilltop Cafe Finest in family dining!

Maria Cullum or Dion Bouzas contacthilltopcafe@gmail.com

Check out our menu and specials on Facebook! www.facebook.com/HilltopCafeBuchanan

708 E. Front Street Buchanan Michigan 49107 269.695.9515

HOURS: Monday-Thursday 6am-8pm Friday 6am-9pm Saturday 6am-8 pm Sunday 6am-3pm

WOOD FIRE 134-136 S. Front Street Dowagiac, MI (269) 782-0007 www.woodfiredining.com

Daily Food & Drink Specials • Karaoke Every Friday

Where fine tapas-style cuisine and attitude unite to create an ultimate and unforgettable dining experience.

A local favorite since 1972!

Great Burgers, Hand-Carved Steaks, Seafood & Tex-Mex Cuisine Great Selection of Craft Brews 4179 M-139 • St. Joseph, MI

Sean Kelley

269.429.2941

markiiirestaurant.com Mon-Thurs: Open at 3:30pm || Fri & Sat: Open at 11:30am Closed Sunday

Green Coffee & Home Roasters 3725 Foundation Ct. Suite E South Bend, IN sales@thetaridge.com

800-745- 8738

403 N. Main Street, South Bend, IN

www.sbct.org or (574) 234-1112 for complete show schedules & tickets

1213 E. University Drive, Granger 574.273.0443 • www.tempergrille.com Tuesday–Saturday 4–10pm

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Horizons 2016

Senior L iving Riveridge Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center Continuing education for adults 50+ 541 91 IRONWOOD RD. SOUTH BEND, IN 46635

574.282.1901

foreverlearninginstitute.org

Compassionate Home Care Services Home Care - Private Duty Staffing Expert Healthcare Consultants Offering Your Parent:

• Independence • Quality of Life • Wide Range of Support Services • Well Trained Assistance • Socialization

269-684-1984 574-292-2900 email: KKaidanRay@aol.com kmkaidan@aol.com www.KAREService.com www.kareservice.com

Family Serving Families with Compassion & Care

Proudly serving the Niles Community with excellence for over the past 60 years!

(269) 684-1111 • 1333 Wells St., Niles, MI www.RiveridgeRehab.com

810 Rynearson Street

Visit us on Buchanan, MI Facebook www.BuchananAreaSeniorCenter.com (269) 695-7119

We specialize in skilled nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, hospice, memory/dementia care, wound care and rehabilitation care.

1-800-288-7221

www.acoustic-audio.com South Bend • Three Rivers • Goshen 59 Years of Excellence!

911 S. 3rd St., Niles, MI 269.684.4320

Delivered ay Monday–Frid

5

$ 00

per day

1211 State Line Rd., Niles, MI

269.684.2810

y - Friday. livered Monda de e ar ls ea M ls per day. y for two mea $5.00 per da

Call 269-687-1462

574.247.7400 1215 Trinity Place, Mishawaka www.jeaseniorliving.com

Does this sound familiar?

My dad needs a lot of assistance at home; I can see that my mom is exhausted trying to provide the care he requires. ”

We Keep Memories Alive Our communities are thoughtfully designed to cater to the unique needs and demands of today’s seniors.

Our care programs are designed specifically for each individual, providing the highest level of service when it’s most needed.

As your needs change, we change with you. It is our privilege and honor to share in life’s journey.

Whether you or your family need tips on handling the medical and physical aspects of a loved one’s care, are concerned about emotional or spiritual issues, or simply want to know about legal and financial decisions, Hospice at Home can help.

If you know someone who needs help, Hospice at Home cares for people at all stages of a serious illness.

Call us today for your personal tour!

269.782.5300

Together, we can help sort out your choices.

29601 Amerihost Dr • Dowagiac, MI 49047

Call (800) 457-1603 today for a free consultation www.hospiceathomecares.org

leisure-living.com

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97

Home Improveme nt B-Dry® System

LIFETIME

WARRANTY

Cut Above Wood Designs

of Central & West Michigan, Inc.

RICK'S POWER WASHING RVs • Homes • Decks • Cement Sidewalks Driveways • Small Commercial Jobs

IN HOME CONSULTATION

Basement Waterproofing Foundation Repair

Serving Cass, Dowagiac and Niles • Free Estimates • Senior Discounts

www.bdrywestmichigan.com 1-800-237-2379 • (269) 345-2900

Satisfaction guaranteed!

We’ll beat any competitors estimates!

An Independent Licensee of B-Dry System Inc.

Call 269-470-9507 or 269-470-9498

ROHDY’S

2536 Detroit Road • Niles, MI

Heating & Cooling

(269) 687-7166

Residential & Commercial Service & Installation Licensed • Insured

www.cutabovewood.net

29575 M-62 West, Dowagiac, MI

Phone: (269) 783–0440

Quality Custom Cabinetry and Furniture

C & S Marsh Tree Service Trees, brush, stump removal, high lift work, insured.

(269) 362-4331 • (269) 683-1065 Leave Message

KRUEGER’S

SEPTIC 684-2580 CLEANFINGER SYSTEM

CommerCial • residential Unbeatable Prices Licensed, Bonded, Insured

Radio Dispatched Trucks

KRUEGER’S SEPTIC SERVICE

269-684-2580

5 OFF

$ 00

Heating Maintenance Check Expires 12/31/2016

Relax! Enjoy!

MICHIANA MASONRY & CONSTRUCTION

We have the appliance you want.

All your Masonry needs!

Chimney Cleaning Insured & Bonded • Senior Discounts Open Year Round We do service & repair on all spas!

269-362-1566

YOUR COMPLETE SPA & POOL HEADQUARTERS • Electronic leak detection • Above ground pools • Spa & pool maintenance • Replacement covers • Pool & spa chemicals • Liner replacement • Free water analysis • Large parts inventory • Qualified service technicians

1-800-779-0909

Hours: M-F 10-6, Sat 10-2

160 N. Paw Paw St., Coloma, MI • 269-468-3118

Your Hometown Your Hometown Your Hometown SearS Premier Store SearS Premier SearS Premier Store Store

Sears of Dowagiac Sears ofDowagiac Dowagiac Sears of

John Fox (owner) John Fox John Fox(owner) (owner) 56153 m51 South 56153 m51 South • 269-782-1953 56153 m51 South• •269-782-1953 269-782-1953

Premier Store JohnSearSFox, Owner Your Hometown

SearsSouth of Dowagiac 56153 M51 • Dowagiac John Fox (owner) 56153 m51 South • 269-782-1953 269-782-1953

Skinner ConStruCtion Co. RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL • New Construction • Home Improvement • Home Repair & Alteration • Insurance Claims Welcome James Skinner, Owner State License #21010857

(269) 684-5004

2220 Yankee, Niles, MI

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Home Improvement Payne’s Tree service

MARTIN TRUSS MFG. 62332 C.R. 1 Elkhart, IN 46516

Williams Construction

• Tree Trimming & Removal • Stump Grinding & Firewood • Bobcat & Concrete Work • Insured

Andrew Martin

574-862-4457 Little Red Barn Trusses, Houses & Post Barns, Lean-Tos, Garages, Laminated Posts

(269) 635-1527

williamsconstructco@gmail.com Repairs, Remodel, Windows, Siding, Additions, Painting, Plumbing & More!

N (269) 663-8091

O NEED TO GO TO THE BIG BOX STORE WE OFFER PARTS AND SERVICE AFTER THE SALE.

Certified Mobile Home Work.

Senior Discounts.

* Crist & Sons and FREE Delivery!

AreHuge You Savings Ready for Spring?

5 Mile Storage

MARTIN

Unlimited Inc. A tradition of excellence

ARE YOU READY FOR WINTER?

10% OFF ALL HUSQVARNA

269-445-8205

February 29–March 5, 2016

www.martinunlimited.com

• FENCE – Aluminum, Vinyl, Chain Link, Wood • Railing Vinyl, Aluminum

(269) (269) 782-5378 782-5378

Your satisfaction is our top priority!

Easy • Drive Up Access Affordable Monthly Rates • 24/7 Access 3 sizes available: 3x5 • 10x10 • 10x20

1 month*

free!

• Vinyl Brock Dock

www.CristAndSonsSelfStorage.com

30155 Yaw Street, Dowagiac, MI *1 month free with 6 months paid storage.

30155 YAW STREET, DOWAGIAC MI 49047 269.782.7178 • www.AusraEquipment.com Crist & Sons 5 Mile Storage • 28101 M-152 • Dowagiac, MI

Free estimates all major credit cards accepted

(269) 782-7178 | WWW.AUSRAEQUIPMENT.COM

Visit our showroom

51675 Bittersweet Rd, Granger, IN 574.277.8864 800.523.9730 www.PatioEnc.com

Art Creativity tailored to your business, not just a template.

Logos, business cards, menus, brochures, and more, designed & printed for you.

Locally owned and operated in Buchanan, Michigan

Visit FroschStudio.com to see all our services

269-357-9010 • shelby@froschstudio.com

Quality Clock Repair House Calls & Free Estimates

Front Street Framery Custom Framing & Gift Shop

801 E. Front Street, Buchanan, MI (616) 990-8885 Open Monday through Friday 9am - 3pm

For anyone suffering from breathing issues from seasonal allergies, to year-round asthma, or if you just want a dust-free home or office,

we can help.

Give one our of Air Quality Experts a call for a free indoor air quality check. We have many solutions for your indoor air pollution.

Home Quality Specialists 69950 M-62, Edwardsburg, MI 269-591-7740

Business s l a n o i s s e f o Pr

Directory

Your Locally Owned and Operated LP Gas Company We Thank You for Your Business Where You’re Not Just a Customer, You’re a Neighbor.

800.226.6779 269.415.0425

37174 Red ARRow HwY, PAw PAw, MI www.Tapperpropane.com Serving ALL of Southwest Michigan

Pets and Animals Cass County Animal Control & Shelter 323 M 62 North, Cassopolis, MI

Don’t Delay, Neuter or Spay

Heating & Air

www.casscountymi.org • 269-445-3701 PO Box 132, Cassopolis, MI 49031 • ccac@cassco.org

Home of the Best Service Agreement!

Whispering pines Kennel

Boarding & Grooming Halle Vermillion & Dan Gann

269-683-8566

Heating • Air Conditioning • Plumbing Call for more information!

269-683-8549 Heating & Cooling Systems

www.RobertsService.com

Pickup & Dropoff Times ®

M, Tu, Th, F 7:30a–1:00p & 3:00p–6:00p Wed & Sat 7:30a–12 Noon

3150 Portage Rd, Niles, MI • whisppines.com

Horizons 2016

99

Business Professionals Directory

Community

Insurance

BETTER PRICE BETTER BETTER PRICE, COVERAGE BETTER COVERAGE • Car Insurance • Homeowners Insurance • Business Insurance • Motorcycle Insurance

Vicki Brossman Account Executive

• Personal Umbrella • Renters Insurance • Life Insurance • Watercraft Insurance

Contact TCU Insurance Agency today

for yourPersonal Insurance Insurance Review: Debbie Asmus, Agent Debbie Asmus, Personal Insurance Agent 1-800-772-8043 (269) 683-6700 ext. 5901 tcuinsurance.com

We Know Insurance. You Know Us. Let’s Talk.

tcuinsurance.com

Insurance Agency 269-445-2425 | 800-228-7855 | kemneriottbenz.com

Brian P Watson Agency Owner Chairman’s Conference Brian Watson Agency, INC

Tim Smith, Executive Director tsmith@gatewayvro.com

Allstate Insurance Company 1218 Oak Street Niles, MI 49120

1440 E. Empire Avenue, Benton Harbor, MI 49022 (269) 487-9839 • www.gatewayvro.com

The Bell Building

Phone 269-684-5200 Fax 269-684-4334 brianwatson@allstate.com

Fridays & Saturdays (weddings, receptions, reunions) $675 $200 deposit (birthdays, small parties, showers) $300 $200 deposit Sundays–Thursdays (bar area only for meetings, etc) $125 $100 deposit

269-684-2100 | Niles, MI

24-Hour Customer Service

Beauty

T’s Salon Audrey Thayer, Hair Stylist

269-414-2034 1111 East State Street, Cassopolis, MI Located at Copper Beach Tanning

www.allstateagencies.com/brianwatson/welcome Auto, Home, Business, Life

Legal & Financial

Fresh Money

Need Extra Cash?

1st $100 loan interest free!

2015

g

in

t ! s S .99 e ag 9 ck $1 a P at

FRESH H T TANNING

25% off any monthly package

New Customers

1 FREE TAN! Try before you buy!

The hottest place around!

Open Monday - Friday 9am - 8pm • Saturday 9am - 3pm • Closed Sunday

705 Spruce Street • Dowagiac, MI • 269-782-4100

Mowitt S. Drew, III

Voted Best of the Best

Andrew W. Barnes John R. Colip John E. Dewane Amber D. Lind Kelly L. Travis

705 Spruce St., Dowagiac, MI 269-782-4100 t ar

(269) 683-8185 1700 Oak St. Niles, MI 49120

TCU Agency, LLC is a subsidiary of TCU. Insurance products are offered through various approved carriers.

Corporation | Banking, Partnership & Business Law Divorce & Family Law | Real Estate | Municipal Law Criminal Defense | Estate Planning & Administration

Niles Office

12 Longmeadow Village Drive, Suite 100 Niles, MI 49120 p: (269) 591-6915 f: (269) 684-4026

Buchanan Office

223-225 E. Front St. P.O. Box 72 Buchanan, MI 49107 p: (269) 695-3849 f: (269) 695-2004

South Haven Office 317 Center St. South Haven, MI 49090 p: (269) 689-5983 f: (269) 684-4026

www.kotzsangster.com

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Real Estate

LOUX & HAYDEN REALTY

68925 M-62 Suite C Edwardsburg, MI 269.663.0100 Francee Foster Owner

0 years Over 3 g the servin nity! commu

Licensed in Indiana & Michigan

Brian: 269-362-4029

Francee@FranceeFoster.com

Debbie: 269-362-2599

574.876.8570

Jeff Foster

Licensed in Indiana

574.993.5333

Jeff@JefferyDFoster.com

Your Coast & Country Connection Nancy Blanks REALTOR®

13696 Red Arrow Hwy. Harbert, MI 49115 Cell: 630.215.7164 Office: 269.231.5950 NancyBlanks@ColdwellBanker.com www.SellingHarborCountry.com

Licensed in Michigan & Indiana

Debbie & Brian Floor

Susan Loux

REALTORS®, ABR, GRI, e-PRO

1501 S. 11th St. H Niles, MI 49120

Thank You for Voting me as a

Best Realtor!

2015

Julie Capron

Certified Residential Appraiser License # 1201002510

125 S. Broadway Cassopolis, MI 49031

Office: 269/445-2633 Fax: 269/445-8293 Toll Free: 269/545-2633 wloux@louxhaydenrealty.com

Debbie@DebbieFloor.com

Becky Gushwa Mobile: (574) 250-5952 beckygushwa@aol.com

REALTOR®, Broker Manager 1439 Oak St., Niles, MI

18 Years Experience Call me to see why! (269) 357-3525 Cell

Each office is independently Owned and Operated

Farm • Residential • Commerical • Lake

juliecapron@cressyeverett.com • cressyeverett.com/juliecapron

Real Effort.

Real Results.

1439 Oak St. • Niles, MI 49120

Serving Michigan and Indiana

Modern Realty, Inc. 603 E. Main Street, Niles, Michigan

Nobody sells more real estate.

THe sign you wanT, The agenT you need!

Modern Realty, Inc.

603 E. Main St. • Niles, MI

Lisa McCarthy (269) 683-2211

lisamccarthy@remax.net

Your Search Ends Here!

The buying/selling experience should be stress free. Connect today!

Call Rich

269-591-0122

Tina Holloway Call to list or buy today!

www.richshep.com Modern Realty, Inc.

Proudly serving Southwest Michigan for 15 years! www.tinaholloway.com • 269-845-0708

603 E. Main St. • Niles, MI

Turning Dreams Into Reality

Over 19 years of experience to best care for ALL your real estate needs!

Modern Realty, Inc.

603 E. Main St. • Niles, MI JenniferStoops@remax.net

www.markskene.com

Proudly serving the community for 31 years!

Pick the Right Agent!

Jennifer Stoops (269) 313-2233

Mark Skene (574) 807-1650

Modern Realty, Inc.

Ginny Jerzykowski (269) 470-8242

603 E. Main St. • Niles, MI

www.ginnyj.com ginnyjrealtor@gmail.com

Putting Customer Service First

Andy Stern

Modern Realty, Inc.

603 E. Main St. • Niles, MI

(574) 514-6429 cell (269) 683-2211 trystern@yahoo.com

Horizons 2016

Business Index Automotive _________________________________________________________ Automotive Directory........................................................................ 89 Dexter’s Wayne Street Automotive.................................................. 84 Division Tire & Battery...................................................................... 86 Dowagiac Auto Service..................................................................... 87 Route 66 Interiors.............................................................................. 79 Tyler Automotive............................................................................... 45

Apartments & Real Estate _________________________________________________________ Apartments Directory........................................................................ 94 Integrity Real Estate Professionals................................................. 71 Mill Pond Apartments........................................................................ 79 Real Estate Directory...................................................................... 100 Re-Max Modern Realty, Inc.....................................................17 & 100

Churches & Ministries _________________________________________________________ 5 Pine Ministries................................................................................ 86 Church & Ministries Directory.......................................................... 91 Hope Community Church................................................................. 91 New Day Community Church........................................................... 80

Community Business _________________________________________________________ Berrien County Sheriff’s Department.............................................. 68 Bunk & Biscuit................................................................................... 54 Cass District Library......................................................................... 80 The Cat’s Meow................................................................................. 54 City of Dowagiac................................................................................ 84 Fort St. Joseph Archaeology............................................................ 85 Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce......................................... 59 Lyons Industries, Inc......................................................................... 55 Niles-Buchanan YMCA...................................................................... 12 Niles Main Street................................................................................ 76 Sister Lakes Area Business Association........................................ 35 Years in Business Directory............................................................. 90

Education _________________________________________________________ Brandywine Community Schools.................................................... 22 Dowagiac Union Schools.................................................................. 52 Edwardsburg Public Schools........................................................... 51 Indiana University South Bend........................................................ 68 Lake Michigan College........................................................................ 3 Lewis Cass Intermediate School District........................................ 11 Moored Beauty College..................................................................... 62 Niles Community Schools.................................................................. 2 Southwestern Michigan College.................................................... 103

Financial Services _________________________________________________________ 1st Source Bank................................................................................ 72 Chemical Bank................................................................................... 42 Dowagiac Area Federal Credit Union.............................................. 56 Edward Jones.................................................................................... 87 United Federal Credit Union............................................................. 76

Food & Entertainment _________________________________________________________ The Boulevard Inn & Bistro.............................................................. 76 Buchanan Farmer’s Market.............................................................. 84 Cruises International, Kay Walker................................................... 62 DPM Events........................................................................................ 86 Fernwood Botancial Gardens........................................................... 89 Food & Fun Directory........................................................................ 95 Four Flags Area Apple Festival........................................................ 67 Mark III Grille & Bar........................................................................... 77 Martin’s Supermarkets...................................................................... 62 Morris Performing Arts Center......................................................... 84 Pizza Transit....................................................................................... 71 Riverfront Park Campground........................................................... 79 St. Joe Today..................................................................................... 72 Temper Grille..................................................................................... 95 Theta Ridge Coffee, LLC................................................................... 75 Wings Etc. Grill & Pub....................................................................... 78 Zick’s Specialty Meats...................................................................... 88

101

Home Improvement _________________________________________________________ Big C Lumber....................................................................................... 6 Cass Outdoor Power......................................................................... 75 Christianson Furniture ..................................................................... 80 Custom Awning................................................................................. 65 Flo-N-Grow Hydroponics Company................................................. 84 The Granite Shop............................................................................... 67 GreenMark Equipment...................................................................... 66 Hales True Value Hardware.............................................................. 53 Hannapel Home Center..................................................................... 85 Home Improvement Directory.......................................................... 97 Johnson’s Workbench...................................................................... 77 Judd Lumber Building Supply & Rental Center............................. 55 Michiana Fence.................................................................................. 74 Patio Enclosures, Inc........................................................................ 67

Utilities _________________________________________________________ AmeriGas............................................................................................ 66 City of Niles Utilities Department..................................................... 82 J&H Oil Company.............................................................................. 74 Midwest Energy Cooperative......................................................... 104

Medical _________________________________________________________ Dr. Richard Beckermeyer, DDS, P.C................................................ 45 Buchanan Family Medical Center.................................................... 88 Cassopolis Family Clinic Network................................................... 73 Four Flags Family Dentistry............................................................. 72 Great Lakes Eye Care........................................................................ 65 Health & Wellness Directory............................................................. 93 Lakeland Health............................................................................... 102 Michiana Wellness & Longevity Clinic............................................ 72 South Bend Orthopaedics................................................................ 59 Southwestern Medical Clinic.......................................................... 102 Wheelchair Express.......................................................................... 89

Business Professionals _________________________________________________________ Best of the Best Directory................................................................ 92 Business Professionals Directory................................................... 98 Home Improvement Services Antennas Plus.................................................................................... 86 Dowagiac Heating & Air Conditioning............................................. 74 Howell Electric LLC........................................................................... 80 Robert’s Service Company............................................................... 23 Insurance Brian Watson, Allstate Insurance.................................................... 99 Cindy McCall, AAA Insurance Agency............................................ 89 Insurance Management Service....................................................... 67 Lorie Bowers, State Farm Insurance............................................... 78 Kemner Iott Benz............................................................................... 73 Scott Stewart, State Farm Insurance............................................... 78 Legal May Oberfell Lorber Attorneys......................................................... 42

Retail _________________________________________________________ Allegan Antique Market..................................................................... 88 Antiques & Auctions Directory........................................................ 94 Bella’s Gifts & Memories.................................................................. 80 The Dugout Sporting Goods............................................................ 80 East Main Gardens Florist & Greenhouses..................................... 88 Lemon Creek Fabrics........................................................................ 78 Nunemaker’s Coin Shop................................................................... 80

Senior Living _________________________________________________________ Acoustic Audio Hearing Service...................................................... 65 Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services.................................. 86 Cass County Council on Aging........................................................ 79 Chalet of Niles Nursing & Rehabilitation Center............................ 35 Forever Learning Institute................................................................ 71 Halbritter Funeral Services............................................................... 78 Heritage Point Alzheimer’s Special Care Center............................ 89 Hospice at Home............................................................................... 96 Riveridge Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center................................ 78 Senior Living Directory..................................................................... 96 West Woods of Niles Nursing Center.............................................. 56

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Center for Women’s Health High Quality Care for Women

We are here to listen and help, whether it’s: • discussing infertility options • managing menopause symptoms • preparing for a birth • treating pelvic health disorders

Our obstetricians and gynecologists had a key role in The Joint Commission awarding Lakeland Health with the Perinatal Care Certification.

Located at: 42 North St. Joseph Avenue, Suite 201 Niles, Michigan 49120

(269) 687-0200 www.swmc.org

There’s Never a Good Time for an Emergency A long wait can seem unbearable when you need help.

You will be seen by a medical provider in 29 minutes or less!

The Emergency Department has expanded to 18 exam rooms, and is equipped with modern amenities designed for patient comfort.

29 MINUTES

OR

Accredited Chest Pain Center Certified Primary Stroke Center

www.lakelandhealth.org/niles

LES

S

SMC has everything you’d expect at a university— great academics, thriving student life, on-campus housing, a beautiful 240-acre campus—on a smaller scale and with a cheaper price tag.

SMC can get you started in nearly any field of study, including criminal justice, agriculture, sports management, IT and business. Plus bachelor’s degrees and certificates are offered on our Dowagiac campus through partners Ferris State University, Bethel College and Michigan State University.

The living is good aT sMC. • Suite-style housing means you get your own private bedroom.

•

The Student Activity Center has a fitness center, gym, racquetball courts, endless pools, a café, student theatre, gaming room and six miles of wooded trials.

•

Intramural sports, fine and performing arts, trips, special interest groups and more keep campus busy all year round.

Check it out! visit swmich.edu.

sMC is ranked in the top 10% nationally for student course success.

Southwestern Michigan College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. www.higherlearningcommission.org

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