Off The Water

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'Ice cream colors'

Search for stars

WNIT seeks local talent.................. p.2

Week of February 21-27, 2014

Artist's work reflects 1950s.............. p.4

Off The Water | The place to be entertained.

Volume 6, Number 8

Step back in time Bonine House offers look at Underground Railroad ... p. 3

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Page 2 • Week of February 21-27, 2014

Off The Water, Michiana

FOCUS

WNIT seeks 'Rising Star'

By JILL McCAUGHAN offthewater @leaderpub.com

s

outh BEnd — Amateur performers of all ages and talents have a shot at making it big with “Michana’s Rising Star 2014,” WNIT’s second annual talent competition, while helping to support public broadcasting at the same time.

Similar to popular shows like “American Idol” and “The X Factor,” “Michiana’s Rising Star 2014” provides a venue for residents of WNIT’s 22-county viewing area to compete for a grand prize and the title of “Michiana’s Rising Star.”

“We want people to know that this isn’t just a competition for young people,” said Angel Hernandez, vice president of production at WNIT. “If there are older adults who have talents that they’d like to showcase, this is their opportunity, too.”

The grand-prize winner will receive $1,000, and the second-prize winner will receive $500. Both of those competitors will also be given the opportunity to cohost an evening with Gordy Young on WNIT’s “Experience Michiana.”

The contest operates in a fashion similar to other nationwide talent search shows.

“It’s a combination of all of them—‘The Voice,’ ‘American Idol,’ ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’” Hernandez said. “It’s a great way of finding talent in the community, and there’s so much of it here!”

Contestants must first submit a CD or DVD of their act to the television station before March 28.

Those acts will be reviewed by a panel of judges, and chosen acts will move on to

Submitted photo

WNIT’s "Michiana’s Rising Star 2013" finalists (from left): Dara Marquez, Matthew Smith & Kate McGowan, Brandon Williams, Caroline LaDue, Ivory West, Billy D and Joey Garcia. a live audition to be held at one of four regional locations.

Those auditions will take place in mid-April and midMay at Warsaw Community High School, The Lerner Theater in Elkhart, The Mendel Center in Benton Harbor and the Kroc Center in South Bend. A panel of judges, comprised of area arts professionals, media personnel, professional performers and local celebrities, will be on hand.

While the judges will be partially responsible for choosing five acts from each venue that will continue through to the next round, those auditions will be taped and televised, giving viewers the opportunity to vote on their favorites as well.

“We’ve been looking for more ways to get our viewers more involved,” Hernandez explained. “We want them to have more of a voice in the program.”

Based on those results, the top three from each venue will move on to the final elimination, resulting in a group of performers

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that Hernandez called “The Magnificent Seven.”

“This year, we’ve added some new crinkles, including a coaching session, whereby all of the seven finalists will get the advice of a coach, who will also be a part of the program,” Hernandez said.

Those seven performers will then be featured on special programs that air live during the first week of August. Again, the public will have the opportunity to weigh-in, voting on whom

they believe should be Michiana’s next Rising Star.

Throughout the contest, votes can be cast online or via text message, with each vote costing $5.

Organizers reason that a $5 charge per vote will enable them to recoup some of the costs associated with using a voting service provider. At the same time, the charge will discourage “ballot box stuffing.” On the other hand, the cost should be low enough that it will not prohibit authentic voters

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rific for us, and it accomplished a lot of great things for us,” Hernandez said.

“We have high hopes for this season.”

In addition, the program is dedicated to the memory of the late Kurt Simon, a South Bend businessman and philanthropist who supported WNIT and many other charitable organizations.

The organizers of Michiana’s Rising Star 2014 are making it as easy as possible for would-be contestants to apply for the contest. All of the contest rules and considerations are detailed on WNIT’s website at www.wnit.org/risingstar and more information can also be obtained by calling the station at (574) 6759648, extension 309.

“There are so many great performers in Michiana,” Hernandez said. “We’re hoping that a wide range of people will take advantage of this opportunity to have their talents seen on television.”

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from supporting their favorite acts.

Unlike many of the nationally broadcast talent competitions, WNIT’s contest welcomes dancers, vocalists, musicians and even magicians to their competition. In fact, last year’s winner, Dara Márquez, performed using the spoken word.

“Dara was so powerful in the various dissertations that she did,” Hernandez said. “We were very much taken by that.”

Also unlike those other programs, “Michiana’s Rising Star” has a philanthropic component since the show is a fundraising vehicle for the public broadcasting station. According to Hernandez, the series was designed to replace the PBS auctions by which the station raised money in the past. The majority of the funds will be raised through sponsorships, like that of Lexus of Mishawaka—not through the voting charges.

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TOURIST FOR A DAY

Week of February 21-27, 2014 • Page 3

Discover the local destinations right in your own backyard

Bonine House offers peek into African American history

s . r

By JILL McCAUGHAN offthewater @leaderpub.com

V

ANDALIA — Residents of Vandalia, Cassopolis, and the surrounding n area are most likely well - aware of the important role that the locale played in the history of the Underground Railroad. However, residents f further afield, as well as newcomers to the area, may not be so familiar with the - activities of the abolitionists - that settled in Cass County. s Settled by Quakers, other e abolitionists and Free African e Americans, the Cass County countryside was so signifin cant in the fight for freedom g that Henry Clay, a senator from Kentucky, referred to the area as “that hotbed of t abolitionism” on the floor of ” the U.S. Senate.

“This was a huge f Underground Railroad dise trict right around here in Vandalia, probably more - than anywhere else in the country,” said Cathy LaPointe, treasurer of the Underground Railroad Society of Cass County (URSCC). “We not only have the Bonine House, but we also have the Carriage House right across the street, and there are many other important houses around here, too.”

The Bonine House, built

by James E. Bonine and Sarah Ann Bogue Bonine in the mid 1840s, is the centerpiece of the URSCC’s efforts to revive interest and preserve the history of the Underground Railroad in Cass County. It is located at the corner of Penn Rd. and M-60 in Vandalia, MI. The Bonines and their neighbors were critical figures in the fight for African American freedom, acting as station masters by hiding freedom seekers in their carriage house and in other nearby locations.

Purchased by the society in 2009, the Bonine House had almost fallen victim to time and the elements, but thanks to generous gifts from the society’s 350 members as well as various grants, the house is well on its way to becoming the museum and research site that society members dream of.

“It’s stabilized. We’ve really come a long way,” said Mike Moroz, president and chair of building and grounds for the URSCC. “Now, it’s mostly aesthetics from here

m y

Leader photos/JILL McCAUGHAN

Cathy LaPointe and Mike Moroz stand in the foyer of the 19th century Bonine House. on out.”

According to the URSCC’s website, located at www.urscc.org, their mission is “to provide a focal point for exploration into the origins and activities of the Underground Railroad; the unique role the people of Cass County and the surrounding region played throughout its existence, and how it impacted local, state and national history.”

While the Bonine House is currently closed for the season, it will reopen in April with free tours led by docents. July 12-13 will also provide an excellent time to visit the Bonine House, as those are the dates of their Underground Railroad Days celebration.

However, those who would like to celebrate African American History Month now can take advantage of copious materials available on the organization’s website.

Southwest Michigan residents and tourists can explore the history of the Underground Railroad in Cass County by viewing a video tour of the Bonine

House. They can also retrace a driving tour of historic Underground Railroad sites that the society has assembled.

“We have a 14-site driving tour, self-guided, with all the Underground Railroad stops. It’s on our website, and they can download it,” LaPointe said. “Or, they can pick up a copy at Milo Barnes Park in Vandalia.

That’s the first stop, and there are always brochures there.”

That tour includes many homes and farms as well as other sites that relate to the famous “Kentucky Raid” that took place in 1847.

Slave catchers from that state followed freedom seekers to Cass County, attempting to recoup the slaveholders’ lost “property.” In fact, due to the outcome of this raid and subsequent court trials,

fugitive slave laws became much more stringent in the run-up to the Civil War. The driving tour begins at the Under-ground Railroad State Marker/O’Dell’s Mill at M-60 and Milo Barnes Park in Vandalia, where a marker outlines Underground Railroad history from about 1837 to the beginning of the Civil War. The significance of Cass County to the success of the Underground Railroad movement is only beginning to be understood. With the completion of the museum and research room at the Bonine House, that task will become much easier.

“They say there were about 1,500 freedom seekers who came through here,” LaPointe said. “Most of them were taken from here to Schoolcraft, and from there to Battle Creek by conductors. Most people who came through here went on to Canada.”

Others stayed and settled alongside many Free African American families in Ramptown, a community that James E. Bonine fostered on his own farmland.

Because of the historical significance of these many sites, Cass County is growing in popularity among those who appreciate cultural tourism.

“People come in from out of town to see the Bonine House or go to the history museum or the Log Cabin Museum, or all these things that are happening in downtown Cassopolis, and the Courthouse, too, and all of that is a part of what we’re trying to do,” Moroz said.

“And, it brings outside dollars into the area.”

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One of the missions of the Underground Railroad Society of Cass County is to restore the Bonine House in Vandalia.

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Page 4 • Week of February 21-27, 2014

Off The Water, Michiana

ON DISPLAY

Local artist offers collage in 'ice cream colors'

S

cott Hatt is a rather shy — at times almost reclusive — yet artistically forceful artist who has been working for nearly 40 years.

His primary mediums are collage, assemblage and painting.

I have known Hatt for many years and have come to regard him highly not only for his artwork, but also for his curatorial skills. Hatt was the owner of a very popular South Bend gallery called the Spurious Fugitive, which closed in 2009 after threeplus years. It was described as a “post-modernist gallery,” but also showed avant-garde work and represented a small stable of artists.

Hatt was raised in a small town near Ann Arbor. About his childhood, he states, “The nuclear family model of Dr. Benjamin Spock and Donna Reed were the norms I grew up in.”

This statement will give you your first clue about Hatt’s work as an artist.

“The visual shift from black and white television to color television was but one of the visual cultural shifts that I experienced while coming of age in the late-1960s, and early ‘70s,” he said.

“The drives to leave ‘my little town’ led me on a 10-year sojourn during which I had multiple studios in multiple locales in the states and abroad,” he said. “Along the way I encountered terrific art, and terrific artists. When I finally settled in South Bend in 1985 I found ‘home.’”

I met with Hatt at Monroe Street Studios in South Bend to discuss an upcoming contemporary show. Entering his studio

COLUMNIST

Kathee Kiesselbach on the second floor, I was met with a literal collage of colorful works on the walls. The brightly colored paintings, collages, and small wooden boxcollages, covered every inch of wall space and every small bit of floor space along the walls.

The place screams of ice cream color.

Everywhere I looked I saw the happy faces of innocent children playing ball or running, painted acrylic backgrounds,

1940s automobiles and collages. It quite literally was overwhelming to see them all together in that small studio. I had to take a few minutes to just pivot around on one foot.

Hatt uses original ephemera from which he clips images of children, objects, vintage maps, automobile and especially loves using children’s reading books featuring “Spot” and “Dick and Jane.”

Describing his own work, Hatt wrote, “Grounded in solid design principles, color theory, and art history, I consider my works to be documents of the postmodern in the manner of naive graphic surrealism.

Creating conceptual works that provoke a drive to narration — in the viewer and myself — has created a self-reflexive body of work.

“Dr. Susan B. Hood, a

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eral years of exhibiting.

We all have stories to tell.

This work is the way that I tell mine.”

Having been selective about exhibitions in past years, Hatt is eager to work with curators and jurors who “get” his work.

Hatt has shown his work occasionally through the years, often at the Midwest Museum of American Art in Elkhart, or the South Bend Museum of Art. He has a following of collectors, and his prolific body of work makes its way one by one from his little Monroe Street studio, often as soon as they are dry.

“This has proven to be a most satisfactory adventure. The collectors of my work provide me the opportunity to engage in dialogs about their collections, my work and art as a whole. I must say that I am having an awful lot of fun these days.”

Hatt’s work is indeed an adventure. You will See COLLAGES page 5

Off The Water, Michiana

Week of February 21-27, 2014 • Page 5

ON DISPLAY

Museum spotlights locals

By JILL McCAUGHAN offthewater@leaderpub.com

b

uchanan—Every six weeks or so, visitors to the Buchanan Art Center can expect to find a fresh crop of art in the museum’s three galleries and display cases.

This month is no exception. Right on schedule, the art center is in the process of packing up its current exhibits and making ready for a new show that heralds the coming of spring with an abundance of color.

“There are going to be a lot of interesting pieces,” said Janet Flahaven-Law, executive director of the Buchanan Art Center. “There is a wide variety in this show.”

The show features the work of four locally-based artists: Howard Scott, Amy Lingle, Richard Loose and Neil Benham.

Working in various media and with differing styles, the artists will present pieces that evoke a variety of thoughts and emotions.

“This will be a very eclectic collection,” Flahaven-Law said.

In the main gallery, the work of Howard Scott will be displayed in an exhibit entitled “Imaginative Cartography.” Scott uses watercolors to paint a humorous portrait of our world. Scott credits himself for always trying to bring laughter into the lives of those around him.

“There will be a lot to look at,” FlahavenLaw said. “He uses a lot of humor, word-

play and visual gags in his pieces.”

Based in northern Indiana, Scott is a member of the Northern Indiana Artists Inc., the Saint Joe Valley Watercolor Society, and the Indiana Watercolor Society. He has been exhibiting his work since 1975, with pieces in galleries as far away as Bermuda and oneman exhibits as close as Andrews University.

Amy Lingle’s work, on the other hand, utilizes the medium of large-scale photography to present viewers with details that would be overlooked in smaller pieces.

Born and raised in Southwest Michigan, Lingle earned a degree in photography from the Art Institute of Pittsburg. Inspired by the work of Ansel Adams and Clyde Butcher, Lingle’s exhibit, “Everyday,” invites viewers to see the world with fresh eyes every day, just as she strives to see the world around her in an ever-evolving way.

Richard Loose, also with ties to southwest Michigan, draws his inspiration from nature as well. Working in mixed media, he presents his memories of the animals he encountered during his time in the Western states of Montana, Utah and Wyoming.

His exhibit, “Living in a Dream World,” affords viewers with a window into the remote world that he came to love as he photographed moose, bear, cougar and deer against a backdrop so different from his native Niles.

“He has never shown much,” FlahavenLaw said, “but he has some beautiful, soft

COLLAGES continued from page 4 feel several things immediately upon seeing his work. First, especially for those of us who were born in the 1950s, you will be transported to those innocent days of your youth.

Secondly, you will feel the calming force of those pastel colors at work on the stresses of your day.

“What meeting? What deadline? Let’s just run and play!” Then, you will feel the curiosity and excitement that comes from seeing children and parents excitedly driving over vintage maps in their vintage automobiles toward their vintage vacations, from seeing little boxes in pinks and yellows and mint green acrylics filled with moments in time.

You can see it — and feel it — all in February at the Clark Gallery, Fernwood Botanical Garden in Niles, in The Contemporary Show.

You can reach Kathee Kiesselbach at katheek@ comcast.net.

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pictures from his time out west that we’ll have in the back gallery.”

Finally, the turned wooden bowls and plates of Neil Benham will be on display in the museum’s cases. Using found logs, Benham explores the simultaneous constancy and chaos of his natural surroundings.

“Benham has several pieces in our gift shop, and he is very proficient at that art,” Flahaven-Law said.

Benham’s exhibit, “Inner Beauty of a Tree,” is the product of nine years of working in the medium. Having taken lessons on how to turn wood bowls on a lathe in 2006, Benham fell in love with the process.

“I’m constantly amazed at both the sameness of each turned piece and yet Submitted photo the uniqueness of the Top: A poster from Howard Scott’s exhibit “Imaginative same pieces,” Benham said.

Cartography." ABOVE: A photograph from Amy Lingle’s Visitors to the exhibit “Everyday.”

Buchanan Art Center, located at 117 W. tion will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on March Front St., can get their first peek at the new 2. The artwork will continue on display exhibits on Feb. 26, and an opening recep- through April 19.

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Page 6 • Week of February 21-27, 2014

Off The Water, Michiana

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Home Improvement

700

FRYMAN'S SEAMLESS GUTTERS & SIDING FRYMAN’S ROOFING

Your home exterior experts.

Quality guaranteed! Locally Owned for 50 years. (269)7825008 (David & Terri Fryman)

HOME REPAIRS & REMODELING

Over 25 years of experience, tile work, kitchens, bathrooms, additions, decks & porches, windows & doors, window wrapping, siding, fascia & soffit. Insured! Call Randy (269)782-3139 (269)208-9838

JDS HOME IMPROVEMENT

Repairs, Replacement, New Small Jobs welcome.

Licensed/Insured. Call John (269)445-7005

Off The Water, Michiana

Submit calendar events to Jill McCaughan, feature writer, by email at jill.mccaughan@leaderpub.com or offthewater@ leaderpub.com or visit the Leader Publications office at 217 N. Fourth St., Niles.

Ongoing

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Narcotics Anonymous meetings are held 8- 9:30 p.m. each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 306 Courtland St., Dowagiac. Narcotics Anonymous is a self-help group for addicts seeking recovery and for people who think they may have a drug problem. Dowagiac meetings are held in a closed format.

Now – Feb. 23

Twin City Players presents “Deathtrap.” Tickets are $15 adults, $12 seniors and $7 children (12 and under). Group rates are available. Call (269) 429-0400 or visit twincityplayers.org for tickets. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 4 p.m. on Sundays. 600 W. Glenlord Rd., St. Joseph, MI. Now – Feb. 27

Winter Yoga at Fernwood.

Thursdays with Greta Hurst. Walk-ins are welcome. $10 (Members $8).

Fernwood Botanical Garden, 13988 Range Line Rd., Niles, MI 49120. For more info,

MICHIANA HANDYMAN

Home repairs, siding, windows, doors, drywall, plumbing and much more!

One call does it all!

(269)405-2643

MK CONSTRUCTION

Pole barn & other garages specialist. Roofing Siding, Framing and more. Over 25 years experience. Licensed.

Contact Michael N. Knepple (269)476-9777

MR. MAINTENANCE FREE ESTIMATES

Roofing, Siding & Windows, Light Hauling & Spring Clean-Ups, No Inside or Outside job too big or small.

Low affordable rates.

(269)591-1403

i

7 HALF CLASS

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

visit www.fernwoodbotanical.org or call (269) 695-6491.12:15-1:30 Love-Themed open mic p.m. night, a part of Harbor Country’s Chocolate A variety of glass and Classic Month. The Acorn ceramics classes are being Theater, 107 Generations offered throughout Dr., Three Oaks, MI. February at Fire Arts, 305 Show starts at 8 p.m.

E. Colfax Ave., South Come at 7 p.m. to try Bend, IN. Call (574) 282- locally crafted choco2787 or visit www.fireart- lates, selected wines and sinc.com. creatively romantic drink specials. No cover. For Now – Feb. 28 more info, call (269) 7563879 or visit www.acorntheater.com.

Len Cockman’s exhibit, “Ceramics about Speedways and Food” will be at Fire Arts, 305 E. Colfax Ave., South Bend, IN. Call (574) 2822787 or visit www.fireartsinc.com for more info.

Vickers Theatre will open for the season with screenings of “Philomena” and “OscarNominated Short Films.”

6 N. Elm St. Three Oaks, MI. Tickets prices: Now – Mar. 1 Adults: $10.00; Seniors and Students with ID: $8.00; 100-year-olds: Free. For more info, call Scholastic Art Awards (269) 756-3522 or visit Exhibition, presented by www.vickerstheatre.com. the South Bend Museum of Art and The NW Feb. 21-23 Indiana & Lower SW Michigan Region of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

Warner South Bend Civic Theatre Gallery, SBMA, Century Presents “Disney’s Center, 120 S. St. Joseph Beauty and the Beast Jr.” St. For more information, Bendix Theater in visit southbendart.org. Century Center, 120 S. St. Wednesday - Sunday, Joseph St., South Bend, 12-5 p.m.

IN. Showtimes: Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 and Feb. 21 7:30 p.m., Sunday: 2 p.m.

For tickets call 574-2341112 or visit www.sbct. org. $10 per person or a Brass Transit: The four-pack for $32.

Musical Legacy of Chicago at LMC Mendel Feb. 22 Center. Tickets are $29, $34 & $39. Mendel Center Box Office, (269) 927-1221 or www.lmc- Dowagiac Conservation mainstage.org. 8 p.m.

Clubs’ Wild Game

Recycling Service

743

CA$H 4 JUNKERS

Turn that Junker in your yard to cash in your hand 801 Carberry Rd, Niles 269-687-5865

Snow Removal 745 ROOF SNOW REMOVAL Affordable rates.

(269)591-1403

Call

Insurance Ser-

758

LOWER YOUR INSURANCE RATES!

Home - Auto - Health - Life We do the shopping for you!

TCU Insurance Agency Call Deb Asmus today (269) 683-6700 x5901

Week of February 21-27, 2014 • Page 7

Misc. Services 747 CONCRETE OUTFITTERS Concrete countertops, vases, and more.

Please visit our website for more information. www.concreteoutfitters.com (269) 228-8131

KLIMEK ENTERPRISES

Electrical Contracting, No Job Too Big or Small. Free Quotes.

Affordable Pricing, Licensed & Insured. (269)684-6290 or (269)470-4097.

WEAVER CONCRETE

And masonry, driveways, porches, patios, tear out/replace, all repairs, brick, block, stone, fireplaces. Will fix wet basements big or small, inside and out. All remodeling windows, siding and doors.Aaron (269)655-4158

Dinner, 54551 M 51 N, Dowagiac, MI. Adult meals $8; children under 12: $4. Dishes include venison, elk, goose, rabbit, muskrat, squirrel and others. Raffle at 3 p.m.; $5.00 tickets sold at the door. Call (269) 782-5508 for more info. 12-3 p.m.

Classical 12-string guitarist Neil Jacobs will introduce songs from his upcoming CD at the Box Factory for the Arts, 1101 Broad St., St. Joseph, MI. Tickets available online at www.boxfactoryforthe a r t s . o r g / calendar/#jacobs, or at the door. $10 general admission; $8 students and seniors; children 12 and under admitted free.

7:30 p.m.

fiesta dinner buffet starts at 5:00 p.m.; tournament runs from 6 to 10 p.m.

Tickets are $15.00 each.

Payout 1st to 6th place finishers. Cash bar available. Tickets are available at Redbud Insurance Services or from any Buchanan-Galien lions club member. For more info, call Alice Kring at (269) 695-3000.

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Fernwood Book Group Discussion: “A Painted House” by John Grisham.

Fernwood Botanical Garden, 13988 Range Line Rd., Niles, MI 49120. For more info, visit www.fernwoodbotanical.org or call (269) 695-6491. 10:30 a.m.

Make a fully beaded bracelet or necklace with finished ends. Choose from a selection of beads and metal findings (priced separately - up to $20 for bracelet and up to $30 for necklace).

Tools provided. $10 (Members $8) Register

by Feb. 20. Fernwood Botanical Garden, 13988 Range Line Rd., Niles, MI 49120. For more info, Owl Prowl at Sarett visit www.fernwoodboNature Center , 2300 tanical.org or call (269) Benton Center Rd., 695-6491. 2 to 4 p.m Benton Harbor, MI. Call (269) 927-4832 to regis- . ter. 7 p.m.

Curious Kids Discovery Zone Family Program: “Can We Talk.” Join us for fun bug crafts. Free with admission. 333 Broad Street, St. Joseph, MI. For more info, call (269) 982-8500 or visit www.curiouskidsmuseum.org.

Euchre Tournament sponsored by the Buchanan-Galien Lions Club. American Legion Post 51, 403 E. Front St., Buchanan, MI. Mexican

Painting Service

754

J.M. HUNT ENTERPRISES, LLC Painting & Drywall. Insured.

Free Estimates.

Family Owned & Operated for Over 50 years. 269-683-4442.

Motorcycles & 15% OFF!

Installation of Officially Licensed H-D® products through Feb. 28th McDaniel's Harley Davidson, 1910 Lincoln Way East, SB (574) 289-6650

Snowmobiles

918

2 SNOWMOBILES

Trivia Night, Niles Service League at the Bell Building, Niles, MI. Winning prize $200 to the table. Raffle, Door Prizes. Pizza by the slice, snacks, cash bar. 7 p.m.

(Doors open at 6 p.m.)

Auto. Service927 Repair Wallace Auto Repair & 24hr Towing llc Best rates in town 67218 Cassopoils Rd Cassopolis, MI Call 269-699-5374

Autos for Sale 945 2006 FORD EXPLORER

2Wheel drive Very Nice $275.00 monthly payments Call Scarletts 269-461-4197

2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

1993 Artic Cat EXT 550EFI, Low Miles 4,000 miles, $1,200. 1989 $275.00 Monthly payments Yamaha XLV 540 2 seater, Just pay your tax title and 2,100 miles, $1,000. Very good condition. (708)363- fees as your down payment Call Scarletts 269-461-4197 5200

LEGEND

Alcohol

Art

Business

Family

Community

Focus

Crafts

Music

Food

Religious

Information

Tourist

Nature

Theatre

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Parting Shots

Winter

Viking Fest at the Journeyman Distillery.

Live music, Viking feast and cocktails. Admission is free. Email tiffany@ j o u r n e y m a n d i s t i l l e r y. com for more info. 12 -11:00 p.m.

2008 HYUNDAI TIBURON

Very Nice, 6 speed $275.00 Monthly payments Just pay your tax title and fees as your down payment!

Call Scarletts 269-461-4197

2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

$275.00 Monthly All you pay is your tax title and fees as your down payment!

Stop by or call Scarletts 269-461-4197

Page 8 • Week of February 21-27, 2014

Off The Water, Michiana

CUISINE SCENE

Drought could hinder wine season N ews from the world’s wine regions can affect even the average wine drinker. There is a lot going on, particularly in California, which can affect future wine prices.

The biggest news and fear from the west coast is the on-going drought. The 2013 harvest was huge, but vineyard owners and managers are concerned about the future.

Northern California had a heavy five days of rain recently, but it was not nearly enough to offset dry conditions. The extended rainfall certainly brought about some sighs of relief, but long-term weather predictions call for dryer than normal conditions until at least early summer.

Anyone in the Midwest knows what happens with agriculture when things dry up. There are smaller crops and less quality product.

That is doubly true with fruit, or in this case, grapes.

No one is predicting a catastrophic 2014, particularly on the heels of a strong 2013 crop, but it bears following.

Each year the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service provides a harvest report and it’s always interesting reading.

California’s 2013 crop was up six percent over the previous year. That means

COLUMNIST

Howard Hewitt Grape Sense more than four million tons of wine grapes were harvested.

What’s the top grape in California? Well, most people would probably guess its Cabernet Sauvignon, but actually there is more Chardonnay being harvested each year. Chardonnay accounts for 16 percent of the harvest to Cabernet’s 11 percent. Zinfandel comes in at 10 percent of harvest followed by Merlot, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.

And to understand wine prices, or the price of any consumer good, you have to have an appreciation for raw material costs.

Everyone learned that in basic economics, right?

California is best known for its big, expensive Cabernet wines. Well, the

average price for a ton of grapes in California was $706.29 a ton. But if you have Cabernet on those acres the average cost is $5,500 per ton.

So how much wine does that make? It depends on a lot of variables, obviously.

But if we just take averages, you have to crush 600800 grapes to make a bottle of wine. That could be anywhere from three to 10 clusters. It takes a little more than 30 pounds of grapes to make a case.

Do you have your cal-

culator out yet?

That means you can make approximately 750 bottles of wine from a ton of grapes. Now get your calculator out and you begin to see the differences in the cost of a bottle of wine from label to label. There are many other variables but it all starts with raw materials.

Two other interesting stories center in Napa/ Sonoma. There is quite the community battle underway in Sonoma over how many tasting rooms are too many. On three trips to

Sonoma, I’ve noticed an increase around the charming town square during each visit. Some fear it’s chasing out small business while winery owners and the wine industry contends all those tourists keep the town alive. That one will be an interesting one to follow.

The other is a much needed discussion about rebuilding Highway 29, the main street of wine country in Napa. The road looks like a Midwestern two-lane highway through the middle of all these multi-million dollar winery opera-

tions.

After a year-long study, a presentation has been made to local government officials to rebuild the famous 17 mile stretch with front roads, bicycle paths, sidewalks and more.

Don’t look for Napa wine prices to go down in our life time. The cost for that local project is projected to be $349 million.

Howard Hewitt, Crawfordsville, writes about wine for 23 Midwestern Newspapers.

Visit his wine blog at: www.howardhewitt.net

Always right time to try something new

L

ast week I decided to go shopping for fresh produce at one of the Puerto Rican produce stores in my neighborhood.

These groceries are known for offering excellent deals on certain varieties, as well as Latin specialty products.

It was really fun to shop in a store where fresh pinto beans, cactus and plantains are readily available. It was also by far the best deal on fresh cilantro, mint and parsley I’ve found in Chicago. I had a great time perusing the aisles, taking in some of the unfamiliar or atypical fruits, vegetables and herbs.

There was a fresh pepper variety I wasn’t familiar with. It was bright green and small like a habanero but round. I asked a fellow shopper if they were hot and she said no, they were sweet.

Her English wasn’t extensive, and my Spanish is extremely limited, but we managed to have a conversation about cooking, pointing out the different veggies

COLUMNIST

Kat Barry Kat's Hot Talk we liked to work with. She motioned towards the fresh herbs and asked if I’d ever worked with recao, otherwise knows as Mexican Coriander. I told her I hadn’t.

She said she didn’t really know how to explain it in English, but it was good, a main ingredient in sofrito, (which I later discovered is a popular Latin Caribbean tomato sauce) and I must try it.

I bought some upon her recommendation, not really sure what to do with it, but

excited about the chance to work with something new.

I’m so glad I did; Mexican coriander is delicious! It’s similar in flavor to cilantro, but much stronger. Because the flavor is so strong, it really works well in soups and sauces that need to simmer over time. I used it in a chili variation because it was a cold winter night.

I’m so thrilled I expanded my horizons and tried something new. It goes to show that the world of plants is vast, but the language of good food is universal.

Cook’s Note: In Southwest Michigan, you will probably have the most luck finding recao at La Perla in Benton Harbor or El Paraiso in South Bend.

Kat Barry, a Saint Joseph, Michigan native, is owner of Kat’s Hot Cakes vegan catering, and coauthor of "The New Chicago Diner Cookbook: Meat Free Recipes from America’s Veggie Diner."

She also develops recipes for eHow.com where you can find over 30 of her vegan instructional cooking videos. She is also a

certified yoga instructor.

Follow @katshotcakes on twitter. Kat can be reached via email at: kat@katshotcakes.com.

Mexican Coriander Chili ½ tablespoon grapeseed oil Avocado for serving (optio ¾ cup red onion nal) Hemp seeds for serving (op 1 ½ - 2 cups green cabbag tional) e, chopped 1. Heat oil in a large stock pot. Add the 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced onion and cook until alm 1 carnival or acorn squash ost translu, peeled and cent. cut into ½ inch pieces 2. Slowly add the vegetable 8 cups vegetable stock stock, then the squash, cabbage, and garlic.

6 ounces tomato paste Bring to a boil, reduce to 1-2 serrano peppers, finely a simmer, chopped then slow stir in the tomato ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rin paste with sed and a heavy whisk . Let simmer about 10 drained minutes or until the squash 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped starts to bec ome tender.

1 cup corn 3. Add the quinoa, let sim 2 15 ounce cans pinto bea mer another ns, rinsed 5 minutes, the n stir in the serranos and and drained spices. Let simmer 8-10 mi ½ cup fresh Mexican corian nutes, then der, rough add the tomato es, corn, pinto beans, chopped and fresh parsley. Cook ano ¼ cup fresh parsley, rough ther chopped 5-7 minutes.

About 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste 4. Turn off heat and let sit, 2 teaspoons chili powder about 10 mi nutes. Serve topped wit ½ teaspoon turmeric h sliced green onions, avocado, 1 teaspoon cumin and hemp seeds. ¼ teaspoon paprika Sliced green onion for (se rving) Yield: ab

out 10 cups soup