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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022
SPORTS
Schedule of events released for ‘Author! Author!’ gathering
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n Saturday, June 11, Friends of New Troy Community Center will provide area authors and the public an opportunity to meet, mingle, and learn at Gather & Author! Author! Several authors will be on hand to present, sign, and discuss their books. Presentations, a reading, and a workshop will also be offered. The event will kick off a fundraising effort to renovate the New Troy Community Center’s lending library, which coincidentally holds a small but growing collection of books by local authors. The schedule of presentations is as follows: 10:30 a.m.— Writing Local History Elaine Thomopoulos will draw on her experiences authoring “Images of America: St. Joseph and Benton Harbor,” “Legendary Locals: St. Joseph and Benton Harbor” and “Resorts of Berrien County.” She will take you through the entire process from motivation to researching, writing, editing, and marketing, offering helpful hints based on failures as well as successes. 11:30 a.m. — Be Your Own Publisher Charley McKelvy will explain why self-publishing is the writer’s best friend in 2022. He will show you how to produce, publicize and ship your own books. All will be revealed. Dunery Press, which Charles founded with his wife in 1988,
has self-published more than 40 titles, including, “Chicagoland,” “Holy Orders,” “Kids in the Woods,” and “Plays with Fire.” 12:30 p.m. — Reading & Discussion Chandra Blumberg will read from her debut novel, “Digging Up Love,” and discuss the writing process, including inspiration, setting and characters, with a follow-up Q&A session. You will also learn about her upcoming July release, “Stirring Up Love.” Other participating authors include Jan Ackerson, “Stolen Postcards;” Lisa Dawn, “The Adventures of Raffee and Jabari;” Lorraine Oman Hanover, “My Name is Grace;” Cherisse M. Havlicek, “Anna at Last;” Charles Osgood, “Dutch Love;” Denise McGowan Tracy, “Eleanor’s Very Merry Christmas Wish;” and Ed Tracy, “Gorilla in the Room and Other Stories.” A light lunch will be available in the gymnasium at noon. The gathering will include a drawing to win a locally authored book or locally handcrafted bookmark. Sponsored by Friends of New Troy, Red Arrow Roasters, and Center of the World Woodshop, this event is free to the public. The Friends of New Troy Community Center is located at 13372 California Road, in New Troy. For more information, please visit www.friendsofnewtroy. org or call 269-426-3909. Friends of New Troy is a non-profit 501(c)3 committed to “Building a community one neighbor at a time.” — STAFF
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From the Bleachers COLUMN BY KURT MARGGRAF IN CHICAGO
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appy week after Memorial Day. Hope everyone took a moment and reflected on all of the brave souls who have fought so valiantly to keep our country free. Most of us have had friends and/or family who have sacrificed so much, some even their lives, to keep our country free. While things in our country are not perfect by any means, the fact that we can gather together and discuss issues of great importance that we have different opinions about, allows us to maintain hope for the future. When I spend too much time watching the news and reading about the atrocities going on here and around the world, it seems that things have never been this bad. While having a discussion with family members recently, I was reminded of 1968. I was in college at the time and while I wasn’t political back then, I certainly sympathized with the young people in Chicago who were protesting during the democratic national convention. Mayor Daley issued the infamous order to shoot to kill the protesters. Vietnam was raging and the young people in our country were being asked to go fight in a war for reasons that they really didn’t understand. I remember talking with friends and pondering whether or not we should bring children into this world. As divided as we seem to be right now, fifty two years ago things seemed just as bad, if not worse. While all of this is happening, sometimes we are lucky enough to be able to take a break and watch a sporting event. Boston
will be taking on Golden State for the NBA Championship, the Chicago Bears organized team activities are going so well that Bears fans are starting to have some hope for the upcoming season, and the Cubs and White Sox are both under performing. The White Sox are so good that they’ll probably start playing better soon, and the Cubs are a year away from competing at the highest level. Unrelated to sports, I’m sorry to report on the loss of a friend and a great member of the New Buffalo community, Sophe Fatouros. Sophe and her husband Nick raised two fine young men, Dino and Alex. She was the loving, and loved, Mother-in-law of Kristin, and the extraordinary Yia Yia to Sophia, Niko, Gus, and Alex. Sophe and Nick owned and operated the old Log Cabin restaurant that we frequented when my family first arrived in the New Buffalo area in 1980. She was always ready to help a friend or family member. She loved her original home town of Vliho on the island of Lefkada, Greece, and when she got the chance, loved to visit and reunite with friends and family. Sophe took great pride in her children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments and was always there to lend a helping hand or words of encouragement. She passed away peacefully, in her sleep, last week and by now she’s in heaven with her husband Nick. Emily Dickinson said, “Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.” Be careful out there. Talk to you next week. Peace, love, and happiness.
REPORTS
Whatever possession we gain by our sword cannot be sure or lasting, but the love gained by kindness and moderation is certain and durable. — Alexander the Great
