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Chikaming Board agrees to reach out to libraries regarding new agreement
from April 7, 2022
Members of the Chikaming Township Board of Trustees approved reaching out to New Buffalo Township Library, Three Oaks Township Library and Bridgman Public Library with a request to revert to their original agreement with the libraries of $30,000 plus penal fines split equally and that New Buffalo and Three Oaks libraries charge Chikaming residents $25 annually at a special meeting Wednesday, March 30.
The one-year agreement would take effect July 1. It was approved in a 4-1 vote, with trustee Rich Sullivan voting “nay.”
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In early 2017, the township began discussions with the three libraries when there were concerns that Chikaming wasn’t paying its fair share in penal fines, which had started to decrease from $30,700 to approximately $27,000.
“Through those discussions, we came to an agreement that we’d commit $30,000 out of our general fund to support the three libraires ($10,000 per library), split equally, plus the penal fines,” Chikaming Township Supervisor David Bunte said.
Bunte added that the initial proposal was $90,000 but “we felt we couldn’t afford out of our general fund to commit to $90,000 out of our fund.” A three-year agreement to pay $30,000 plus the penal fines was signed and went into effect in June 2017.
In early 2020, due to difficulties with meeting in person, it was agreed that the terms of the current one would continue until it was cancelled or a new one was put in its place.
In October 2020, Bunte said New Buffalo Township Library requested an increase in the current agreement by adding a cost-ofliving increase adjustment to $900, which would increase Chikaming’s contribution to $30,900 ($10,300 to each library). Chikaming agreed to pay that amount without changing the agreement, which remained in effect until the following spring.
When renegotiation requests surfaced last August, it was initially requested that Chikaming continue to pay the $10,300 per library and evenly split the penal fines; however, New Buffalo Township Library would additionally charge Chikaming users
BY FRANCESCA SAGALA $25 annually.
“Comments from New Buffalo Township Library continued to extol we were not paying our fair share to the libraries in comparison to New Buffalo City and New Buffalo Township residents,” Bunte said, adding that both municipalities, along with Three Oaks and Bridgman, have voter authorized millages for their libraries.
In September, the board reviewed what had been submitted to date and requested libraries on possible new agreement with “a couple of different requests,” which were communicated to New Buffalo Township Library the day after the Sept. 9 board meeting (representatives from the libraries were unable to attend due to other commitments).
“The requests were that the current agreement would be changed and agreed to by all three libraries,” he said, adding that the $25 fee was not agreed to by Bridgman.
Bunte said they were asked to increase their contribution to $31,500 split equally for the next three years, that penal fines remain split equally and that Chikaming residents be charged the $25 fee to use New Buffalo Township Library. Chikaming board members requested that an annual review and report on the number of Chikaming residents currently using New Buffalo Township Library and when they paid the annual fee.
In November, Bunte brought a proposal to the board for the township’s contribution to be $30,500 and that they’d split the penal fines for three years. Board members “wanted more discussion,” Bunte said.
After board trustees Bill Marske and Rich Sullivan met with library representatives to discuss the proposed agreement the day after the meeting, summations of the discussion were emailed to Chikaming trustees. Based on those summations, recommendations were made to the board to eliminate all agreements or select a library of choice for Chikaming residents.
After the December meeting, based on the summations, board members approved making Bridgman Public Library the library of choice for township residents.
A letter was sent to the libraries informing them that the current agreement would expire in June 2022 “per the terms of the agreement.”
“The response from New Buffalo Township Library was that on Dec. 15, they are terminating the relationship with Chikaming residents as of Jan. 1, 2022, and began to inform residents of this change,” Bunte said, adding that the terms required a six month out clause.
This past winter, per the agreement, all three libraries agreed that Chikaming residents “be accommodated” until June 30 and penal fines be split between all three libraries.
“From June 2017 and as of March 30 of this year, we’ve paid $121,800 to the three neighboring libraries out of our general fund - irrespective of the penal fines,” Bunte said.
He added that general funds have been declining due to 2020 census numbers and that state revenue sharing, the township’s source of income “to function,” is also declining.
Marske said New Buffalo and Three Oaks libraries said it wasn’t guaranteed that the $25 would stay the same but could increase. Currently, nonresidents of New Buffalo City and Township are charged an annual $50 fee to use the library.
Sullivan said that, to his knowledge, that a letter that was sent to Chikaming residents by the New Buffalo and Three Oaks libraries after the board agreed on making Bridgman the township’s library wasn’t sent to Bridgman Public Library and that it was sent without being “run” by Chikaming board members.
He said that Chikaming Township “didn’t break the agreement, New Buffalo and Three Oaks broke it and said they want out of it.”
“Right now, they could still be getting the $10,500 plus the additional $6,000-plus in penal fines…In addition to that, they wanted an additional $25 from you,” he said, adding that they didn’t mention the annual fee in the letter.
“I resent it when they mischaracterize what happened and don’t tell the public the truth,” he added.
The Michiana Humane Society and Friendship Botanic Gardens invite you and your dog to Paws & Pints from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 7.
Paws & Pints will feature a dog-walking course through Friendship Botanic Garden’s beautiful 100+ acres of hiking trails and gardens. Tickets include admission to The Gardens, a goody bag with items for you and your pet, a Paws & Pints bandana made by Z’s Dyed Goods, and live music from Nate Miller and the Turn Ups. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from local favorites like Burn ‘Em Brewing, Shady Creek Winery, Social Que BBQ, and Zorn Brew Works. All dogs must be leashed.
Proceeds from ticket sales will support Michiana Humane Society and Friendship Botanic Gardens. Sponsorships will fund the care of approximately 1,000 homeless pets that Michiana Humane Society will take in this year.
Get outside with your furry friend and support two great organizations at Paws & Pints.
To register and for more information, Friendship Botanic Gardens can be reached at 219-878-9885, info@ friendshipbotanicgardens.org or www.friendshipbotanicgardens. org. Michiana Humane Society can be reached at www. michianapets.org, and 219-872-
SPORTS
From the Bleachers
COLUMN BY KURT MARGGRAF IN CHICAGO
Well, there you have it.
Kansas will be playing North Carolina for the NCAA college basketball championship.
By the time this edition of the paper is published, the winner will have already been crowned. Because this column is due before Monday night, I’m going to make one of my fearless prognostications. Right or wrong, I won’t change my mind (maybe, if I talk to the editor really nice...).
Here’s what I think will happen in the championship game: Simply put, I think Kansas has too much firepower for North Carolina to win the game. While I greatly admire the play of North Carolina in this tournament, I believe their dream will fall short. When the tournament started, the people who rank the teams had North Carolina seeded eighth. This means they thought that between 28 and 31 teams were better. Obviously, they were mistaken. Kansas, on the other hand, was a number one seed, meaning that they were one of the top four teams. There have been so many upsets in this year’s tournament that at first, I thought that Carolina may indeed have a chance; however, the more I thought about it, the more invincible Kansas seemed. In any event, we will all know who came out on top of March Madness Monday, April 4.
The beginning of the season for the Cubs is Thursday, April 7, and the opener for the White Sox is Friday, April 8. I have so many opening day memories. My oldest memory happened when I was in grade school. After finishing my shift as a patrol boy, my dad let me play hooky for the afternoon. We drove from the south side to Wrigley Field. Just when we arrived at the ballpark, it began snowing. The game ended up being snowed out. As a young boy, I was devastated. Fortunately, my quickthinking father told me that he had an alternate plan and took me bowling. I had a lot of fun and the day was saved. Opening day as a young, single adult brought a different kind of fun that may have included having a couple of beers. As a married man, my wife and I met friends to enjoy the festivities. After my wife passed, I started going to Yakzie’s with my kids, their friends and some of my young friends. We would arrive at 6 a.m. to enjoy pregame festivities with radio station WXRT, and to enjoy the game. Because we didn’t want the day to end, we went out afterwards.
Even though the Cubs didn’t win the majority of the games we attended, to me, opening day has always been the best (albeit unofficial) holiday of the year. The Sox should be one of the best teams in baseball and the Cubs are a mystery. Good luck to them both.
Charles Wadsworth said, “By the time a man realizes that his father was right, he has a son who thinks he’s wrong.”
Talk to you next week. Peace, love, and happiness.
School of American Music to present a program of classical violin, jazz standards
“From Classical to Jazz,” a unique pairing of solo violin and the Great American Jazz Songbook, will be presented at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 24, at Converge Community Church, 601 W. Buffalo Street, in New Buffalo.
The Free Family Concert will feature legendary locals Nic Orbovich on violin, Ron Spears on electric guitar, and Dino Jackson on French horn. Spears and Jackson perform together as Duo Jazz, a new venture that has even surprised its founders.
Spears plays guitar for “Down by the Docks,” a NW Indiana big band, and teaches at the School of American Music. Jackson can often be found performing with one of the bands in Ed Bagatini Musical Groups, a St. Joseph-based collection of ensembles that perform around the area.
For the SAM concert, Duo Jazz will perform selections from the great American Jazz Songbook, including music by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Sonny Rollins and others. Orbovich will perform his own arrangement of “Recitativo alla Fantasia,” “Chaconne” by J.S. Bach, “Caprice in G Major” by Henri Vieuxtemps, and “Sonata for Violin” by Antonio Vivaldi.
“Nic Orbovich is not only the consummate concert violinist, he also is one of the best music educators I know,” said Donna M. Mitchell, executive director of the School of American Music. “His talent, combined with the originality of Duo Jazz, will leave audiences feeling enriched by the complex tapestry of music we’re presenting.”
In addition to his roles as a classical violinist with the South Bend Symphony, the Hot Springs Festival Orchestra, and many others, Orbovich and his wife Sunny are the co-founders of the Michigan City Chamber Music Festival (MCCMF). He is a prolific performer, appearing in more than 20 concerts annually.
“From Classical to Jazz” is a free concert, but donations are appreciated, and reservations are requested. For more information, to donate or to reserve a spot, visit the events page of SchoolofAmericanMusic.com or call SAM at 269-409-1191.
The SAM Family Concert Series is made possible by a grant from the Pokagon Fund, and donations to the School of American Music. Please join SAM in celebrating Art Attack, April 29 to May 1 in Three Oaks.
Visit the School of American Music online for more information or to donate to the Future Fund, an endowment campaign to guarantee SAM’s financial future. Every dollar donated to the Fund is matched by the Michiana Arts Foundation. SAM is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible. — STAFF REPORTS
Students encourage audience participation during “Forward”
Students dance with their batons during their spring show
Students show their pride during ‘Bison Stampede’
BY FRANCESCA SAGALA
Bison pride
was out in full force during “The Bison Stampede,” the spring concert for third, fourth and fifth graders at New Buffalo Elementary School, at the New Buffalo Performing Arts Center Wednesday, March 30.
Students showed their commitment to making their school – and the world – a brighter and better place through an array of uplifting songs, such as “In This World Together,” “Intentional Heart” and “Tomorrow Needs Us.” They also encouraged the audience to get in on their mission to improve their surroundings during “Forward,” a closing number that required everyone to tap their knees in time to the beat.
The concert was directed by Chris Beushausen, music teacher at the elementary school.
Students clap their hands to the beat of the music
Students raise their arms in celebration
HIKERS PLAN WILDFLOWER HIKE
The Harbor Country Hikers will hike what some consider the prettiest wildflower trails in the area at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer.
The hike will be led by Mike Latus, outdoor explorer guide with the park. Latus is well-regarded for his broad knowledge of nature, from geology to botany to astronomy.
About two miles long, the hike will begin with a 15-minute introduction to local wildflowers. Guests should dress in layers, wear a warm cap and sturdy shoes or boots, and bring plenty of water. This hike is rated moderate to difficult, with stretches of loose and packed sand.
Though membership is encouraged, the Hikers welcomes all to join its hikes. Unless the venue’s rules prohibit them, wellbehaved dogs on leashes are also welcome.
For more details about the April 16 hike, including directions, visit www.harborcountryhikers.com or Harbor Country Hikers on Facebook. — STAFF REPORTS
BLOSSOMTIME PAGEANT TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Tickets are now open for public sale for the 2022 Miss Blossomtime and Mr. Blossomtime Pageant/Showcase of Queens.
New this year, get up close to the action with premium seats. Limited Premier Seating tickets will be available for both Sunday and Monday night pageants.
This year’s theme, “Past, Present, Future,” has inspired two wonderful evenings of entertainment, music, and glamour. Hosting the evening festivities for the Blossomtime Festival will be Lainie Lu Von Behren, a former Miss Blossomtime and Phil McDonald, AD to Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Schools, for the two-day show.
The Mr. Blossomtime and Showcase of Queens Pageant is at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 25. All community queens and community kings’ representatives will compete in the following categories on Sunday: Communication, Modeling and Photogenic. The Miss Blossomtime Pageant is at 7 p.m. Monday, April 25.
General admission tickets for both nights are $30 and Limited Premier Seating tickets are available at $45 each and the program price will be $5. The Mr. Blossomtime Pageant/ Showcase of Queens and Miss Blossomtime pageants are held at the Lake Michigan College, Mendel Center Mainstage and is guaranteed to be two wonderful evenings with 21 community queens and 27 community kings vying for the titles of Miss and Mr. Blossomtime and their respective royalty courts.
Please call the Blossomtime office at 269-982-8016 or stop by at 2330 S. Cleveland Avenue in St. Joseph to purchase tickets in advance. Availability is limited. — STAFF REPORTS
Community effort brings American Indian costume back to Three Oaks
Just in time for its opening day later this month, The Region of Three Oaks Museum (TROTOM) has received a rare find thanks to the funds from generous donors that will be featured in a display of Three Oaks’ Centennial Celebration in 1967.
Recently, an American Indian costume that was originally worn by David Savage to promote the Centennial Celebration was discovered by Kent Sechler and Pamala Dahms, a Three Oaks resident, in Great Lakes Antique Shop in Coloma, Michigan.
Dahms shared the costume on a Facebook post, which got the attention of resident Colleen Newquist.
“I saw it and thought, ‘We should buy this - why not?’” she said.
While Newquist said she knew a residents could have “easily just paid for it,” she thought it’d be more fun to get the whole community involved by having everyone pitch in and donate a small amount toward the $295 price tag to get the costume returned to Three Oaks. Plans were to donate it to TROTOM.
“I thought, ‘How about we have 20 donors donate $10 each - we had 30 donors and we raised $755,” she said.
The excess funds were earmarked as a donation to the museum. In the end, an anonymous donor paid the full cost of the costume, so all the funds went to the museum.
Savage, who made the Indian chief costume, said his greatgrandfather was half-Indian.
“What he did was he went around with a whole bunch of other residents in old costumes in other towns and promoted the Centennial,” Newquist said.
According to an informational sheet, Savage’s adopted daughter, Andrea, remembers her father wearing the costume to community events from when she was very young. A portrait of him wearing feathered headdress that accompanied the costume hung in the family home.
The costume will be displayed with other items from the Centennial, including souvenir dishes, buttons, ties, and certificates.
The celebration featured several performances of “Growth of an Acorn,” which featured a cast of 300 local residents in an outdoor “thrilling historical spectacular” in Memorial Field.
Nick Bogert, a member of The Region of Three Oaks Board of Directors, said that he was pleased by how quickly word spread about the effort to get the costume to the museum.
“Facebook and social media get misused a lot, so it’s very heartening to see the community can come together in a virtual way and do something really good and show community spirit and appreciation for the area,” he said.
Newquist said she was most heartened to see how people from “all walks of life” – whether longtime residents, second homeowner or transplants - donated to the effort. Included in the donors was Savage’s niece, Teresa, who lives in Michigan.
“That’s what makes Three Oaks Three Oaks is this really strong sense of community - that’s what we have more than any other village around here, that’s what people gravitate toward in this town and so to have that displayed in this way is neat,” Newquist said.
The Region of Three Oaks Museum’s opening day for the 2022 season is Friday, April 29. The museum, which is opened free of charge May through October from noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, is located at 5 Featherbone Avenue in Three Oaks.
BY FRANCESCA SAGALA
