Off The Water - March 10-16, 2016

FREE

Like the Boss

Easter Fun

Civitan Club hosting egg hunt....... p.4

Week of March 10-16, 2016

Springsteen launches unique tour... p.5

Off The Water | The place to be entertained.

Volume 8, Number 10

'Egg Stravaganza' Springtime celebration set for South Bend

www.offthewater.com

Page 2 • Week of March 10-16, 2016

Off The Water, Michiana

FOCUS

'Egg Stravaganza' of Fun in South Bend

By Jessica Hines

S

OUTH BEND, Ind. — As the snow melts and flowers begin to bloom it can only mean one thing — spring has finally arrived!

On March 19, community members are invited to spend the day in downtown South Bend during the 7th annual Egg Stravaganza. The springtime celebration features more than 25 activities for

all ages including demonstrations, crafts, games, and snacks.

“With winter coming to a close, many people are looking to get out of the house,” said Kylie Carter, events and operations coordinator at Downtown South Bend. “The Egg Stravaganza provides a perfect opportunity to celebrate spring and the arrival of warmer weather with events that are fun for the whole family.”

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10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the St. Joseph County Public Library. Visit your friends at the library to make a springtime craft or join the scavenger hunt.

Cash Egg Hunt: 12:00 p.m. at the Gridiron. Pick up your clues at the Downtown South Bend Tent on the Gridiron and keep an eye out for eggs hidden throughout downtown containing cash prizes.

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Events happening during the Egg Stravaganza include: Bunny Buffet: 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. at The Tippecanoe Place Get your morning off to a “hoppy” start while eating breakfast with the Easter Bunny himself. Cost is $4 for children ages 2-6, $8 for children ages 7-12, and $12 for those 12+.

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Egg-Spress: Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the Chocolate Café Take a ride around the city on the “Egg-Spress Wagon” pulled by bunnies unlike any you’ve seen before. Rides are $3 per person, excluding infants.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Petting Zoo: 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the Gridiron. A new season also means the celebration of new life. Stop by and say hello to baby goats, rabbits, and other animals in the petting zoo. Event is contingent on weather conditions.

For a complete list of “egg-cellent” events, visit www.dtsbEggFun.com

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Off The Water, Michiana

Week of March 10-16, 2016 • Page 3

SPOTLIGHT

Literary classic comes to life Twin City Players presenting ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’

S

T. JOSEPH, Mich. — The Twin City Players (TCP) announces its next production of the 2015-2016 season, the literary classic, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” based on the novel by Harper Lee, dramatized by Christopher Sergel and directed by August Garritano.

In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Scout, a young girl in a quiet southern town, is about to experience the dramatic events that will affect the rest of her life. She and her brother, Jem, are being raised by their widowed father, Atticus, and by a strong-minded housekeeper, Calpurnia. Wide-eyed Scout is fascinated with the sensitively revealed people of her small town but, from the start, there’s a rumble of thunder just under the calm surface of the life there.

“This is an American literary classic. Most people read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in school and remember it’s a beautiful, yet somewhat haunting, tale of race relations in America,” Garritano said. “In our current political climate, I feel this piece is very relevant and timeless.”

Two casts will present “To Kill a Mockingbird,” each appearing in five performances.

These casts include Mary Deno and Nina Koziuk as Jean Louise Finch, Alex Prouty and Steve Smith as Atticus, Malia Deno and Emily Andrina as Scout, Rowan Clark as Jem, Asher Prouty and Megan Yacobozzi as Dill, Kendra Ann and Naki Yates as Calpurnia, Susan Graham as Stephanie, Samantha Houser and Kathleen Driscoll as Miss Maudie, Connie Glanzar and Beth Fanning as Mrs. Dubose, Alex Kerr and Jacob Holmes as Heck Tate, David Prouty as Walter Cunningham, Jim Richards as Bob Ewell, Coreana Frampton and Cayla Phillips as Mayella Ewell, Coreana Frampton and Cayla Phillips as Mayella Ewell, Andrew Glisson as Judge Taylor, Dave Wood as Mr. Gilmer, Craig Brent as Reverend Sykes, Christine Smith as Helen Robinson, Kendall Rogers as Tom Robinson, Steve Hamel as Boo Radley and Nathan Radley, Jacob Holmes and Chase Samuelson as Big Voice/Man and Dezahrae Burton as Kid Voice.

Assisting Garritano are stage manager Debi Harris Robertson, student director Megan Yacobozzi, properties master Beth Fanning, lighting designer Scott Bradford, set designer Cassandra Hora, lead set builder Bob Myers and production manager Nina Koziuk.

Performance dates are April 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois. This production is sponsored by The Boulevard Inn and Bistro.

All Seats Reserved Tickets will be $15 for adults and $12 for seniors.

Group rates are also available. All seats are reserved.

Reservations can be made online at twincityplayers.org or by calling the TCP box office at 269-429-0400.

Performance times are 8 p.m. for Friday and Saturday evening performances. Sunday performances will now

Off The Water | The place to be entertained.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Produced and printed by Leader Publications 217 N. 4th Street, Niles, MI 49120 Off the Water is available throughout southwest Michigan and the greater South Bend, Indiana area.

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be held at 2 p.m. All performances take place at the Twin City Players Playhouse, located at 600 West Glenlord Road in St. Joseph.

Opening Night Afterglow Reception On opening night, join cast and crew after the show for a reception featuring refreshments provided by Lemon Creek Winery and Bit of Swiss Pastry Shoppe.

About Twin City Players Formed in 1932, Twin City Players is one of the oldest, continuously operating community theaters in Michigan. It is a volunteer based nonprofit organization that strives to be recognized for organizational excellence with an abundance of resources, producing irresistible, quality performances in southwest Michigan. The TCP Playhouse is located at 600 West Glenlord Road, St. Joseph, MI. New members are always welcome.

For more information about TCP, call (269) 429-0400 or visit us at twincityplayers.org.

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Page 4 • Week of March 10-16, 2016

Off The Water, Michiana

FOCUS Children collect eggs during the Berrien County Civitan Club’s annual Easter egg hunt at Riverfront Park in 2015.

Niles Easter egg hunt returns Civitan Club to host free event at Riverfront Park

By CRAIG HAUPERT craig.haupert@leaderpub.com

N

ILES, Mich. — Ready. Set. Go. Children will be off to the races this month, moving with the speed of a bunny to pick up as many eggs as possible during the Berrien County Civitan Club’s annual Easter egg hunt.

This year’s free event is scheduled to begin at noon, Saturday, March 19 at Riverfront Park in Niles. Kids and parents can fuel up for the festivities

during an all-you-can-eat pancake and sausage breakfast at the Niles Eagles Lodge from 9 to 11 a.m. the same day.

Annie Chapman, of the Berrien County Civitan Club, said the Easter egg hunt attracts approximately 300 children when the weather is nice.

“It is just a really fun time,” she said.

Children ages 2 through 10 can participate. Eggs will be placed in roped-off areas and split up into four age groups: 2, 3-4, 5-7 and 8-10.

Eggs will be filled with candy or prizes, including gift certificates to

area businesses. One special egg in each area will contain a ticket redeemable for $25.

The Civitan Club has been hosting the event for more than 20 years.

The non-profit service organization meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month at Hob Nob restaurant in Niles.

Chapman said they are taking donations of candy, eggs and prizes through March 16.

Anyone interested in helping can call her at (269) 683-1632 to make a donation.

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Off The Water, Michiana

Week of March 10-16, 2016 • Page 5

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very year or so, there comes a time when it is a bit more likely for someone to see me singing and dancing while sitting in my car, through the windows of my living room, or in downtime at my day job.

This sudden increase in my musical energy originates from the fact that The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, is back on tour.

I have had the pleasure of witnessing Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band live from every angle and distance, from the near-stage positioning of the general admission pit to the highest corners of the Palace in Detroit.

Whether the band was within reaching distance or appeared as a tiny speck on a bright stage, the energy of the room is always all around. This time, we took in the show somewhere in the middle, seated in the corner of the second balcony of the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Our position provided an excellent view of one of my favorite aspects of Springsteen and company, the crowds he draws in.

As my companion Jeff said, “I love the demographics of a Bruce show”. The crowd is a mixture of age, race and culture. Rockers, frat boys, hippies and suits all singing and dancing the night away together. Young children, musical veterans and every age in between is represented.

As my fiance, Kristin, once said, “It’s amazing that one dude can bring all these people together.”

The concert took place

COLUMNIST

Justin Flagel this past Thursday, March 3. This is a unique set of shows for Bruce and company. The tour, appropriately titled “The River Tour 2016,” is largely dedicated to the album of the same name, with each show featuring performances of the recording in its entirety.

Full of energetic cuts such as “Out In The Street” and “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch),” it has many opportunities to bring the energetic dance party the E Street Band is known to create.

I did, though, have reservations before the show.

While it is a record with plenty of fast-paced songs, at 20 tracks, it also has a number of Springsteen’s slower, lyrical stories of personal darkness and the struggles of love and opportunity in America.

These are experienced entertainers, however, and they knew how to balance the two styles, creating long reflective moments as breaks to the ever increasing energy of the evening.

“Stolen Car” in particular captivated the audience with an emotional rendition

of the tale of a relationship lost and a soul unsure where to turn.

The balance ended with the final track of the album.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band gave only a moment of reflection on “The River” before launching into a string of performances meant to keep the crowd moving.

Nils Lofgren gave an astounding guitar solo on “Because The Night,” leaving the arena rumbling long after the song had ended.

Jake Clemons has come into his own in filling the shoes of his beloved uncle, Clarence, especially during the signature saxophone solo in “Jungleland.” The spirit of his uncle was in the room through him and during “Tenth Avenue FreezeOut,” a song that has transformed from one of mourning to one of celebration since his death in 2011.

I had barely returned home from the concert before I was already scheming ways to afford catching another concert on the tour. However, even if sold-out tickets keep me from going, I will be singing and dancing around the house for the near future.

If you have yet to see The Boss yourself, I urge you to make it a priority.

Justin Flagel is the founder of the web magazine and podcast Anywhere the Needle Drops, where he and others showcase their interest in music, pop culture, creativity and life.

Follow their work at anywheretheneedledrops.com.

Feedback can be directed to contact@anywheretheneedledrops.com.

Page 6 • Week of March 10-16, 2016

Submit calendar events by email at offthewater@ leaderpub.com or visit the Leader Publications office at 217 N. Fourth Street, Niles.

i

works of Hindemith, Copland, and other impactful composers on Sunday, Mar. 10, at 2:30 p.m. at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

WHAT'S HAPPENING? groups of 10 or more. For information about group rates, pre-show party options, and other special arrangements contact the Box Office.

March 12

March 4-May 30

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“Canadian Made: Studebaker of Canada” presents the story of the Canadian Studebaker operations to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the last Studebaker built. This pictorial exhibit will examine the Studebaker plants in Walkerville and Hamilton, Ontario, as well as the the last car to roll off the Hamilton assembly line.

This exhibit is on display at the Studebaker National Museum, 201 S. Chapin, South Bend.

March 10

The South Bend Symphony will close its 2015-16 June H. Edwards Chamber Series with “20th Century Masters,” featuring

The legacy of the beloved Mister Rogers lives on with the hit television series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood from The Fred Rogers Company and airing daily on PBS KIDS. Now, Daniel and all of his friends are hopping aboard Trolley to delight live audiences with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! coming to The Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College for two big performances at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 12.

Tickets for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood LIVE! at The Mendel Center Mainstage start at $20 and are available at www.

TheMendelCenter.com, and through The Mendel Center Box Office at (269) 927-1221, weekdays 2 to 6 p.m. Special rates are available for

A South Bend Parents without Partners dance will be offered from 7 to 11 p.m. March 12 at ZB Falcon’s Hall, at 323 S. Sheridan (at the corner of Western and Sheridan) in South Bend.

Admission is $9. A DJ will play music. For more information, call (574) 259-6381.

March 16

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Dr. Carolyn (Carrie) Whittier, Assistant Dean of Students at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, will be the speaker at the March 16 general meeting of the Berrien County Republican Women’s Club. She will be speaking on “Current Trends in Higher Education”.

Carrie holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education

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from Vi r g i n i a Commonwealth University along with multiple other degrees.

The meeting will be held at Pebblewood Restaurant in Bridgman and will begin at noon.

The buffet luncheon is $15, payable at the door.

Please RSVP to 4221839 by March 11. The public is invited to attend.

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Former Studebaker of Canada executive Stu Chapman will present “The Last Studebaker: 50 Years Later,” looking at Studebaker’s history in Canada and the company’s exit from the automobile business.

There will be two opportunities to attend the March 16 program: 1:30 and 7 p.m. Chapman will be available for a book signing following the 1:30 program and prior to the 7 p.m. program.

His book, My Father the Car: Memoirs of my Life with Studebaker, is available in the Museum Store. Public Programs are in the Wiekamp

Auditorium on the Museum Campus.

Admission to each program is $2. Regular admission fees apply to tour the Studebaker National Museum and The History Museum.

As always, Studebaker National Museum members receive free admission to the public programs.

Chicago’s Griffin Theatre Company turns classic fairy tales inside out for the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center Presenting Series season’s final family show: “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.” William Massolia adapted the play from the book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. With a host of wacky characters and silly songs, the production offers an 11 a.m. and a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, March 12 on the Patricia George Decio Theatre stage. All tickets are $10 and available online at performingarts.nd.edu.

March 17 A benefit concert will be given by well-known folk singers Anne Hills and David Roth. These two singers will start their Michigan tour in Stevensville on St. Patrick’s Day at 7:30 p.m. The program will benefit the Light House Ministry programs of Benton Harbor, Michigan. The concert will be at Stevensville United Methodist Church, 5506 Ridge Road, Stevensville, Michigan. Cost is a $15.

March 18 Kids On Stage will present “James and the Giant Peach Jr.” at the Kids On Stage theatre at The Orchards Mall. The show will be performed Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 at 7 p.m., Sunday, March 13 at 3 p.m., Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 20 at 3 p.m. All tickets are $8.00 in

Dowagiac Dogwood Fine Arts Festival 25th Anniversary May 5–15, 2016

Wednesday, May 11

Storyteller Michael Reno Harrell Appalachian Grit & Wit

Tickets $6 per person 866.490.2847 • www.dogwoodfinearts.org

The Dowagiac Dogwood Fine Arts Festival is funded in part by a grant from the St. Denys Foundation

March 26 Peace Lutheran Church, 3590 Lincoln Avenue, St. Joseph, will have an Easter Egg Hunt at 1 p.m. March 19 at the church. The event is open to children through fifth grade. Please dress for the weather and bring your own basket.

To register your child, please contact the church office at 5567000 or visit our Facebook page at Peace Lutheran Church NALC. March 22 A Drum Festival will be offered Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m. A collaboration of students, instructors, and community artists will present a lively performance. Guest per-

A concert by rock icons ZZ Top will be offered Four Winds New Buffalo’s Silver Creek Event Center on Saturday, March 26, 2016, at 9 p.m. Hotel and dinner packages will also be available on the night of the concert.

Tickets can be purchased beginning on Friday, Dec. 18 at 11 a.m. Eastern exclusively through the Ticketmaster Web site, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling (800)745-3000. Ticket prices for the concert start at $55 plus applicable fees. The show will begin at 7 p.m. Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park in downtown Benton Harbor and will be open to the public.

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cussionists include Eric Oliphant and Randy Ripley, among others.

Music department instructors include Marc Churchill, Jim Cooper, and John Owens. Student performers will be announced at a later date.

$

p.m. Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more. For information about group rates, pre-show party options, and other special arrangements contact the Box Office.

Food Food Religious Religious Camping Summer Summer Family Parting Shots Camping

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August 13, St.Camping Joseph, Michigan. Applications The car owner application may be submitted at www. deadline for the 12th C o n c o u r s S W M I . c o m . applications are Annual Bluff Paper Nature Lake HolidayNature Holiday Camping Summer of available by contacting Concours d’Elegance Southwest Michigan is Dar Davis, entrant liaison, approaching. The event at drd43@sbcglobal.net committee will accept or 269-983-0742 to receive a paper Parting ShotsuntilFamily applications March Familyapplication or for Parting31 Shots more information. for the event to be held $ Information Shopping

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Hartmeyer will be speaking on the Michigan Maritime Museum Campus from 11 a.m. to noon March 19.

Admission is $8 for adults and $7 for seniors.

There is no admission fee for Museum memMarch 19 bers.

Visitors are encouraged to bring along a bag lunch to Michiana Humane enjoy during the lecture.

Society’s 18th annual Spring Fling will be Saturday, March 19, at Long Beach Country One of the best loved Club, located at 2309 and most recognized Larchmont Ave., in Long operas is coming to The Beach, Indiana. Mendel Center Cocktails and hors Mainstage when the d’oevres begin at 5 p.m. Comic Opera Guild central time, followed by presents Rosinni’s dinner at 6:30 p.m. and Barber of Seville in a a live auction at 8 p.m. new English performing To purchase tickets, call version with live orches(219) 872-4499, or buy tra Saturday, March 19, them online at michiana- 2016, at 8 p.m. humanesociet.org.

Tickets for The Comic Opera Guild’s presentation of The Barber of Seville at The Mendel The Michigan Maritime Center Mainstage start Museum will host a pre- at $30 and are available sentation by maritime at.TheMendelCenter. archaeologist Phil com, and through The Hartmeyer from NOAA’s Mendel Center Box Thunder Bay National Office at (269) 927Marine Sanctuary. 1221, weekdays 2 to 6

Week Business

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advance and $10 at the door.

All seating is reserved with limited tickets available at the box office. Tickets may be purchased at www.dougskidsonstage.com or by calling (269) 313-2796.

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Page 8 • Week of March 10-16, 2016

Off The Water, Michiana

‘Charlotte’s Web’ coming to LMC B

SUBMITTED

ENTON TOWNSHIP — One of the most beloved children’s stories of the last 60 years is coming to The Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College.

Theatreworks USA’s production of “Charlotte’s Web” explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship. It

takes the stage for two performances at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 16.

E.B. White’s story focuses on the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte.

Wilbur has a problem: how to avoid winding up in the slaughterhouse.

Enter Charlotte, a fine writer and a true friend, who assures Wilbur she will save him.

Charlotte hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman — she will create a “miracle.”

Spinning the words “Some Pig” in her web, Charlotte weaves a solution which not only makes Wilbur a prize pig, but ensures his place on the farm forever.

“Charlotte’s Web” began its national tour in the fall of 1993, and has been one of Theatreworks USA’s most popular pro-

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ductions ever since. The play by Joseph Robinette is based on the Newbery Medal-winning book by White with an incidental music score by Jeffrey Lunden. The scenic design is by James D. Sandefur, and the costumes are by Anne-Marie Wright. This 60-minute play is recommended for audiences age 5 and older.

Theatreworks USA has a distinguished history of providing young audiences with their first taste of the performing arts, and giving young actors, writers, directors, and designers an early opportunity to work in the performing arts field.

Tickets for Theatreworks USA’s production of Charlotte’s Web at The Mendel Center Mainstage start at $14 and are available at www.

TheMendelCenter.com, and through The Mendel Center Box Office at (269)

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One amazing documentary to be shown on March 19th is “T-Rex”, a riveting documentary on Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, a 17-year old female boxer from the hard knock streets of Flint, Michigan who is competing in the first ever women’s boxing competition of the 2012 Olympics. Follow her tumultuous relationships with her coach and her family as she gets closer to her dream of fighting for the gold. “T-Rex” will be shown at 8:30 p.m., Saturday March 19th at the Oak Room at the Citadel, 91 Hinkley St., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. For more on this film visit: www.t-rexthefilm.com

In addition, Coastline Children’s Film Festival sees educational opportunities as central to its mission so, alongside the screening of features, shorts and documentaries, festival participants have the opportunity to learn about the history of the medium, as well as the craft of filmmaking, through hands-on workshops and filmmaker presentations. Future plans include single-film events throughout the year. For more details, visit: www. coastlinechildrensfilmfestival.com

927-1221, weekdays 2 to 6 p.m. Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more. For information about group rates, preshow party options, and other special arrangements contact the Box Office.

Meijer and Honor Credit Union are sponsoring The Mendel Center Mainstage performance of Charlotte’s Web. Ticket prices listed do not include fees. Program subject to change.

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Off The Water, Michiana

Week of March 10-16, 2016 • Page 9

Applicant deadline approaching for 12th Annual Lake Bluff Concours d’Elegance of Southwest Michigan

S

T. JOSEPH, Mich. — The car owner application deadline for the 12th Annual Lake Bluff Concours d’Elegance of Southwest Michigan is approaching.

The event committee will accept applications until March 31 for the event to be held Saturday, Aug. 13, in St. Joseph, Michigan. o The Lake Bluff Concours d’Elegance of Southwest m Michigan is a highly regarded invitational show featuring automobiles from the Brass, Classic, Vintage, and Muscle Car eras, as well as an array of special-interest vehicles.

Vehicles eligible for inclusion must be at least 35 years old, and be restored to stock specifications, or be in very good original condition. All vehicle owners whose automobiles meet these criteria are encouraged to apply.

The committee is also seeking Nash vehicles produced from 1916 to 1957 for the show’s featured marque.

t e e

Cars and trucks also are needed to complete the following 2016 featured classes: • Chrysler and De Soto Airflow models produced from 1934 to 1937 • Squad cars, model years 1981 and older • Jeep vehicles in celebrations of Jeep’s 75th anniversary. In addition to Jeeps that are 35 years or older, newer Jeep vehicles manufactured between 1982 and 2016 will be considered.

Applications may be submitted at www.

ConcoursSWMI.com. Paper applications are available by contacting Dar Davis, entrant liaison, at drd43@sbcglobal.net or (269) 983-0742 to receive a paper application or for more information.

The event, which attracted 3,000 spectators in 2015, includes a display of 75 vehicles along tree-lined Lake Bluff

Park in downtown St. Joseph overlooking Lake Michigan.

A three-part Pass in Review of all the vehicles is narrated by auto authority F. Edward Lucas II, who has been with the Lake Bluff Concours d’Elegance of Southwestern Michigan since its inception in 2005. Lucas is also the voice of some of the most prestigious Concours events in the U.S. including the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and Hemmings Concours d’Elegance.

This year’s featured designer is auto designer and awardwinning auto artist Tom Hale.

Net proceeds from the Lake Bluff Concours benefit Hospice at Home, a Lakeland Health Affiliate. Businesses and individuals interested in sponsoring the 2016 Lake Bluff Concours d’Elegance of Southwest Michigan should contact event chairperson Anne Odden at oddena@mac.com.

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Page 10 • Week of March 10-16, 2016

General Notices 106 WRONGLY DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS?

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Off The Water, Michiana

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Instruction & Training

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on a double lot in Union Pier just feet from LAKE MICHIGAN. $450k Call Mike Stover (269) 470-2995

P.D.K. Firearm Instruction Concealed Pistol License At: Edwardsburg Conservation Club

Contact Paul: 269-462-2584 or Production for tempered Kelly: 269-783-6570 glass. Read tape measure, pdkfirearms.com calipers. Good work ethics, good attendance.

Apartments 412 Apply in person at: Cassopolis Paragon Tempered Glass 1830 Terminal Road, STONE LAKE MANOR Niles, MI 49120 Senior Apartments.

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FOR RENT Employment requirements 1 BR APT will include employment history check, background A perfect country apt. One check, driving record re- bedroom, for one adult or two senior citizens. port and drug testing.

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Week of March 10-16, 2016 • Page 11

Collectibles 602 THE MARKET PLACE

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Page 12 • Week of March 10-16, 2016

TOURIST FOR A DAY

Off The Water, Michiana

Discover the local destinations right in your own backyard

Celebrating 25 years Dogwood lineup has heavy Michigan influence for milestone anniversary

again sponsored by Securit, the tickets for this familyfriendly event cost $6.

Harrell will also be sharing the secrets of his trade during a special master class at the Cass County COA Front Street Crossing Facility at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 10. Registration for this event costs $10.

Harrell, who has toured the U.S, the British Isles and much of Europe through his act, came recommended to organizers with the festival by fellow storyteller Kim Weitkamp, who was the featured Dogwood storyteller in 2014.

“The very first story we heard from Michael on a video pretty much made us all go, ‘well he’s my favorite, I hope he’s everyone else’s favorite,’” said Bobbie Jo Hartline, festival secretary. “He was everyone’s favorite at the same time.”

By TED YOAKUM ted.yoakum @leaderpub.com

D

OWAGIAC, Mich.

— Organizers with Dowagiac’s annual celebration of the arts are keeping things close to home for this year’s silver anniversary event.

Volunteers with the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival announced the lineup of featured artists for this year’s upcoming festival Wednesday evening, which takes place from May 5-15.

During the 25th anniversary of the annual springtime event, many of the faces featured during the 10-day festival will share a common distinction — a connection to the Great Lakes State.

The major artists included in this year’s lineup are: Starfish Circus The first group of performers will be familiar to many in the community — as they will be comprised of students from throughout Dowagiac.

Aerial Angels, a renowned acrobatics performing group based out of Kalamazoo, will be bring their Starfish Circus show to the Grand Old City for two nights, on May 5 and 6.

However, the dancers with the group won’t be the ones featured in the spotlight.

Instead, they will be teaching participating students from the local school district how to perform an array of highflying dance moves through an intensive two-week course, culminating in the two performances on stage at the performing arts center.

“We have a program that is going to be exciting and fun,” said Jim Benedix, president of the Dogwood Board of Directors. “I think it’s something where the kids will have fun, everyone will have a good time…and we’ll have EMTs there for the mothers who have a heart attack, because when mom sees their kids up high like that, they’re going to flip.”

Poet James P. Lenfestey and Novelist Mardi Jo Link For the 25th anniversary of the oldest of all Dogwood events, organizers are delivering double

James P. Lenfestey the goods.

This year, the festival will feature two authors: James P. Lenfestey, the Poet in Residence at Mackinac Island’s famed Grand Hotel, and Mardi Jo Link, a true crime novelist who hails from Traverse City. The two authors will give lectures back to back, then will share the stage together as they sit down and answer questions from an interview, Benedix said.

Another major change is that the author event will take place inside the smaller confines of Southwestern Michigan College’s Dale A. Lyons Building theater, a more appropriate venue for the atmosphere the festival is trying to create for the talk, Benedix said.

“It will be an opportunity for us to be in an intimate setting, listening to the authors and feeling like we’re sitting in the living room with them in a conversation,” he said.

Lenfestey is author of “Seeking the Cave: A Pilgrimage to Cold Mountain,” a personal and

Michael Reno Harrell

Mardi Jo Link

Rick Herter “When Wicked Takes the Witness Stand” spent time on the New York Times’ Crime & Punishment Bestseller list. “When Evil Came to Good Hart” and “Isadore’s Secret” both spent several weeks on the Heartland Bestseller List and “Isadore’s Secret” was named a Michigan Notable Book. Mardi’s personal essays have been published in Creative Nonfiction, Bellingham Review, Bear River Review, Publishers Weekly, Traverse Magazine, and the Detroit Free Press.

Starfish Circus lively journey to the cave where legendary hermit and poet from the Chinese T’ang Dynasty, Han-shan actually lived, and “The Urban Coyote: Howlings on family, community, and the search for peace and quiet.” His poetry collections include; “Earth in Anger: Twenty-five poems of love and despair for planet Earth”; “A Cartload of Scroll: 100 Poems in the Manner of the T’ang

Dynasty Hermit Poet HanShan;” and “Into the Goodhue County Jail: Poems from Prisoners.”

Link is the author of “Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm,” the film rights to which have been purchased by Academy Award-winning actress, Rachel Weisz. Her true crime novels of infamous Michigan murders have received much acclaim.

Storyteller Michael Reno Harrell Breaking from the trend of most of the other performers featured this year, the storyteller visiting Dowagiac in May hails not from the Midwest but from the crags of the South’s Appalachian Mountains.

Award winning storyteller Michael Reno Harrell will be share some of his original stories and songs with local audiences on Wednesday, May 11, at the Lyons theater at SMC. Once

Aviation Artist Rick Herter This year’s 25th anniversary ends with an artist who, like the Dogwood event itself, traces his roots back to the Grand Old City.

Renowned Aviation Artist Rick Herter will return to his hometown to share his years of experience of combining his passion for art and flight in lecture Saturday, May 14, at the Dowagiac Area History Museum. The presentation is free.

Herter will also be showing off a few pieces of his art inside the museum.

“Rick is Dowagiac graduate, and he is excited and happy to come home,” Hartline said.

A native of Dowagiac, Herter has spent more than 30 years creating works of art depicting aircraft and air battles all over the world, for clients such as the U.S. Air Force and Navy, the Pentagon and Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. His mural showing off the history of aviation inside the Kalamazoo AIR ZOO museum is the largest indoor, hand-painted mural in the world, measuring 32 feet high by 900 feet long, covering 29,000 square feet total.

For a complete listing of Dogwood events and ticket information, visit the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival Webpage at http:// dogwoodfinearts.org.