October 27, 2022

FRANCESCA SAGALA

JANINE

OR JANINEADAMSKI@GMAIL.COM

Marquette Greenway Trail Project to kick off

fundraising campaign with give back dinner

The long-anticipated Marquette Greenway Trail, imagined and led by a group of tireless volunteers for more than 10 years and sponsored through the non-profit Friends of Berrien County Trails, is fast becoming a reality.

The formal community fundraising will be launched at an exciting give back celebration from 4-10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at Bentwood Tavern, located at 600 W. Water Street in New Buffalo.

The restaurant will donate 50% of all food and beverage revenue from that evening to the Michigan trail portion of the project. There will be opportunities to learn more about this exciting project and further donate at the event. Our featured local business, Pedego Electric Bikes Harbor Country, will be demonstrating its newest model, the “Avenue,” which was just launched in September, as well a surprise for all attendees.

This non-motorized greenway will connect the Chicago lakefront trail from Illinois through Indiana all the way to New Buffalo.

The $5.6 million, four-mile Michigan portion from the Indiana border to downtown New Buffalo has already received over $5.3 million in federal, state, municipal and foundation grants, including nearly $800,000 from The Pokagon Fund. A final $300,000 is being sought from the community to commence construction of the Michigan portion by mid-2023. Tax deductible donations can be made at www.berrientrails.org/marquettegw. asp.

“We are tremendously excited to be getting this fundraising off to such a terrific start with the help of the give back dinner Bentwood Tavern has so generously agreed to host,” said Gary Wood, fundraising chair. “So many years of hard work are finally coming to fruition, and we are looking forward to the community rallying around this last, important financial effort to complete the trail to New Buffalo. Our dream is to one day have a nonmotorized trail that goes

all the way to the Mackinac Bridge!” Since inception, the Michigan portion of the project has been guided by Marcy Hamilton, deputy executive director of the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission. She has been responsible for championing multiple successful projects throughout Berrien County, including securing significant state funding for the recent lakefront purchase to expand Cherry Beach in Chikaming Township.

In addition to Wood, the Marquette Greenway fundraising team consists of Willa Lang, Peggy McTigue, Diane Pyshos and Joanne Sims.

More information on the give back dinner is available by calling Bentwood Tavern directly at 866-238-2208. Reservations are encouraged.

The Friends of Berrien County Trails is a citizen-based nonprofit striving to connect Berrien County to a network of trails (pedestrian, biking and waterways) and encouraging their use. — STAFF

Local Government Meetings

CITY OF NEW BUFFALO JOHN HUMPHREY, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL LOU O’DONNELL, IV. MARK ROBERTSON, JOHN HUMPHREY, ROGER LIJESKI, BRIAN FLANAGAN City Council meets on the 3rd Mondayof each month at 6:30PM

CITY OF NEW BUFFALO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS to be determined

NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP BOARD

PETE RAHM, MICHELLE HEIT, JUDY H. ZABICKI, PATTY IAZZETTO, JACK ROGERS

Board meets on the 3rd Mondayof each month at 7PM

NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION

Meets on the 1st Tuesdayof each month at 6:30PM

NEW BUFFALO AREA SCHOOLS BOARD

CHUCK HEIT, PRESIDENT HEATHER BLACK, VICE PRESIDENT JOHN HASKINS, TREASURER LISA WERNER, SECRETARY JOYCE LANTZ, TRUSTEE FRANK MARGRO, TRUSTEE PATRICIA NEWSTON, TRUSTEE

CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP BOARD

DAVID BUNTE, PAULA DUDIAK, LIZ RETTIG, RICHARD SULLIVAN, BILL MARSKE

Chikaming Board meets on the 2ndThursday of each month at 6:30PM

CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION

Meets on the 1st Wednesdayof each month at 6:30PM

THREE OAKS

THREE OAKS TOWNSHIP BOARD

Meets on the 2nd Mondayof each month at 7PM

VILLAGE OF THREE OAKS BOARD

Meets on the 2nd Wednesdayof each month at 7PM

GRAND BEACH

Meets on the 3rd Wednesdayof each month at 7PM MARY ROBERTSON, CLERK

DEBORAH LINDLEY, BLAKE O’HALLORAN, JAMES BRACEWELL, PETER DOERR, PAUL LEONARD, JR.

MICHIANA

VILLAGE OF MICHIANA COUNCIL

Meets on the 2nd Fridayof each month at 1PM

Church heavily damaged by fire

BY STAN MADDUX

Achurch in LaPorte County was heavily damaged by fire last week.

Firefighters about 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, were called to the New Jerusalem Church of God In Christ in Kingsford Heights.

Smoke was spotted coming from the roof of the structure.

Kingsford Heights Fire Chief Justin Francis said the fire was confined to the attic, where it apparently started from an electrical issue based on the path of the flames.

“It went through the attic and pretty much followed the wiring all of the way through,” he said.

Firefighters were still there two hours later punching holes in the ceiling to make sure the flames above it were fully extinguished.

Church member Frank Evans, 81, of Kingsford Heights said he helped build the church more than 30 years ago with volunteer labor.

Evans said an electrical issue was suspected after the lights in the hallway recently went out and never came back on.

He said the problem was not located after examining the wiring in the basement.

Evans said nobody had been in the attic yet to try and identify what caused the lights to go out.

“We knew we had a problem. We were working on it,” he said.

Evans said a funeral at the church for his sister two days after the fire had to be rescheduled until another location for the ceremony was found due to the extent of the damage.

Pastor Michael Bush, who has been the church pastor for 13 years, made the drive from his home in South Bend when notified about the fire.

“I’m just at a loss for words,” he said.

Bush is also pastor at Impact Ministries in South Bend. He said his displaced congregation will likely attend services there until the damage is repaired.

“We’ll gather together. Rally together. We’ll just make it happen,” he said.

Vehicle towed from collision with airborne drywall

AA LaPorte County woman was shaken up from her vehicle colliding with an oncoming, airborne sheet of drywall.

Lisa Ludlow, 57, was westbound on U.S 6 near Union Mills at about 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 21, according to LaPorte County Police.

Suddenly, a sheet of drywall flew out of a utility trailer pulled by an eastbound SUV.

Police said a tow truck was called for Ludlow’s 2008 Chevy Silverado due to the damage.

Fortunately, the Union Mills woman was not injured, but she was rattled by the collision, which happened in the blink of an eye.

“It was a split second, and it was so fast that you see the road, and then the next thing you don’t see the road, and this white piece of something is coming at you. It shook me up pretty good,” Ludlow said.

Ludlow said the damage included a caved in windshield on the driver’s side.

“It knocked part of my bumper off. It dented my hood. There was glass all inside the vehicle,” Ludlow said.

The Union Mills woman said winds were gusty at the time, but the sheet of drywall was not secured to the trailer.

According to police, the other driver, John Rosenbaum of Union Mills, stopped and waited for police. He was not ticketed.

The drywall flew out despite each side of the trailer having high guard rails.

— STAN MADDUX

Lindley, Leonard honored for serving on Grand Beach Village Council

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Two longstanding members of the Grand Beach Village Council were honored before their terms run up in November at the council’s Wednesday, Oct. 19, meeting.

Council president James Bracewell gave letters of appreciation to councilmembers Deborah Lindley and Paul Leonard.

“These two human beings have been on the council for a total of almost 30 years,” he said.

Leonard has served on the council over the past 12 years as streets and water commissioner and also as past president.

“We were very fortunate to have you and your legal expertise on the council for so many years - your years of service have shown your commitment to the Village of Grand Beach,” Bracewell said.

Lindley has devoted 25 years of her time to Grand Beach by serving on the council – “probably the longest serving member of the council that we’ve had” – and has served as past president and police commissioner.

She was also instrumental in helping the village acquire the 45 acres, now known as the Grand Beach Nature Preserve.

Councilmembers approved a 3% pay increase for the fiscal year 20222023 (beginning Nov. 1) for village employees and a $.50 per hour increase for pro shop employees.

Councilmembers approved the employment of Chad Butler as assistant building inspector.

Building inspector Bill Lambert said his goal is to get Butler trained and ensure he gets his certification before Lambert retires in a couple years. He added that he has a license to become a building official.

Lambert said that Butler’s fee will be taken out of the fee he’s being paid, so there will be no budget adjustment needed.

Councilmembers approved the purchase of BS & A Software to correlate with the village’s new water billing process.

Deputy clerk Kathy Butler said the software, which is cloud-based, can do water receipting and water billing and will “make everything more tied together in the office and be more digital as we move forward.”

She added that the village currently uses UB Max for its water billing.

Currently, when there’s a receipt or billing, it must be handwritten in the receipt book and inputted in the QuickBooks program.

The program is $26,000. Payment will be distributed among 75% from the water fund, 10% from the golf fund, 5% from the building fund and 10% from the general fund.

Butler said the program “interfaces” and the reason why the payment is spread out is because it will allow

the village to receipt for every fund. Every time there’s pro shop receipts, for example, it’ll go on the digital program.

Councilmembers also approved amendments to the 2022-2023 water, building and golf funds.

In a 3-2 vote (Lindley and Peter Doerr voted “nay”), councilmembers voted to accept the Golfmore Estates donation. Bracewell said he was contacted by Ron Farina from the Farina group and that they’ve sold out Golfmore Estates; however, they’ve earmarked two lots – located in the southwest corner of Golfmore- to give to the village.

It was suggested by Ron that the village sell one of the lots and use the proceeds to purchase pickleball courts on the remaining lot.

Bracewell added that the village was

asked to give a response by Nov. 15.

Lindley was concerned regarding having drainage issues in the area, and said it took the village 15 years to solve drainage issues with the 15 Acres and they’re just getting solved. She asked if it can be guaranteed that “this is not going to be a flood area.”

She added that they’ve had generous offers from the two other developers that left land to them, and they’ve dealt with problems from the donated land.

“I just wanted to make sure that’s not going to be the source of a water problem and another $60,00 or $70,00 drainage project to put pickleball courts in,” she said.

Lambert said that for houses that are going on back there, the water table is in the four to five feet area and that they wouldn’t have any problems with a pickleball court there.

He added that the village already “solved part of the issue by diverting the water out of the 15 Acres way from there,” which is what was causing the flooding.

Superintendent Bob Dabbs said that the engineering firm that was out there last summer discovered that a couple homes couldn’t be built there because it was too wet; however, pickleball courts could if “you build it up,” with Lindley adding that if they don’t do that “it could flood.”

Councilmembers approved the purchase of two ice cream dipping cabinet can holders and covers for a cost not to exceed $1,300.

Councilmembers approved budget amendments for 2022-2023 to the following funds: general, water, golf, major street, local street, building and capital projects.

Councilmembers approved transferring Local Revenue Sharing Board funds in the amount of $26,880 to the Capital Projects Fund for the repair and rehab of the clubhouse.

Members of the Grand Beach Village Council: (front) James Bracewell, Blake O’Halloran (back, far left) and Peter Doerr (far right) honor Paul Leonard and Deborah Lindley

NICHOLAS HOLEVAS

If elected to city council I will bring a perspective of thinking that is much needed in our city. New Buffalo is a wonderfully unique place. We are situated on the coveted southwest coast of Lake Michigan, Blue-Ribbon schools, world-class locally owned restaurants & shops and just over an hour from America’s third largest city. We have a solid base of full-time residents like me as well as a diverse population of second homeowners, full-time and short-term rental owners.

My unique career and places I’ve lived positions me to work with the council and residents to make New Buffalo work in harmony with all its’ residents and visitors. It is our diversity that will bring us together rather than tear us apart

I was born in Hammond, Indiana, and grew up on the south side of Chicago. My father, grandfather uncles and close family friends worked in the steel mills to build a better life for their families and helped build a stronger America.

I graduated from the University of Illinois with a financial and international business degree. I have worked for financial institutions, driven limousines, waited tables on a cruise ship and at my family’s restaurant. When I was in my 40s, I went back to school and received my postgraduate degree and got licensed as a Certified Public Accountant for the State of Illinois. I started my own tax firm and I work for a company specializing in the medical and veterinarian fields.

I have lived in many places including Texas, Illinois, California, Iowa, New York, New Jersey, Athens (Greece) and since 2013, my adopted city, New Buffalo. And I have worked in many industries. All this experience has allowed me the good fortune of meeting and befriending people from all walks of life.

Should I be elected to city council my priorities will be the following

1. Help heal the divide that exists between the diversity of residents and the city council

2. Protect the rights of property owners and tenants by not allowing government overreach

3. Audit the increases in water bills: How did this happen?

4. Use ACTUAL DATA to determine a healthy balance of Short Term Rentals to full time residents

5. Use ACTUAL DATA of the economic impact of tourism and how we can harness it to grow a more diverse source of income. While tourism has become a year-round industry we cannot rely on tourism alone.

6. Reinvigorate and complete the infrastructure projects that have been stalled or neglected.

permanent residents have to come first. They are the ones who will have elected me and they are the ones who will be most affected by the decisions that are made.

I believe the number one issue in this election is to try and make housing more affordable for permanent residents. Parents should not have to feel that they live in a community where their children could never afford to live. While I don’t agree 100% with the actions of the current City Council, I do support their efforts to stop the unrestricted growth of shortterm rentals. The short-term rental movement is not going to go away, and we have to find a way to regulate it in an equitable manner. If we don’t, someone from Lansing or elsewhere will do it for us. I have some ideas I would like to present to the other Council members to deal with the issue.

MICK LANTIS

Ihave lived in Harbor Country for most of my adult life, and in the City of New Buffalo for the last six years. I am a semiretired educator, having been a university professor for thirty years. I have college degrees in Business, Computer Technology, and Education. I was elected and served as a senator to the university senate for nine years.

My goal is to serve the people of the City of New Buffalo by learning from the incumbent members of the Council and working together with them to do what is in the best interest of everyone in the City. A big part of that is trying to lower the tension that sometimes exists between permanent residents and secondhome owners--we are all neighbors. With that in mind, I would also take the approach that as a Council member the values and needs of

JENIFFER PARELLO

Idecided to run for City Council this year for one reason: I’m concerned by the level of rancor between city officials, citizens and business owners. I’d like to offer my deep experience as a communications expert and empathic, solutions-minded manager to help calm divisions so we can focus on fixing the serious challenges facing our community.

The city is facing several difficult and sensitive issues—including regulating short-term rentals, the lack of affordable housing, rebuilding a struggling business community,

and the impact of ever-changing lake levels. From my perspective, citizens, business owners and city officials are all working toward the same goal: we want to find practical, actionable answers to these problems to create an awesome community for all. We just disagree on some of the pathways to get there.

It’s nearly impossible to find clear and constructive solutions to problems during a raging storm. I believe my more than 25-years’ experience as a people manager and successful business strategist will help us navigate to safer waters so we can consider our challenges with a cloud-free perspective.

I bought a second home in New Buffalo in 2003. Two years later, I became a full-time resident. Shortly after, I was recruited to serve on the Park Board. It was my first time serving in public service and I loved collaborating with my fellow members to effect positive change. During my time on the board, we worked with City Council to install the beach walk, revitalize Oselka Park, and erect the ice rink.

Last year, I volunteered to serve a one-year term on the Zoning Board of Appeals. It gave me an opportunity to hear difficult problems directly from residents and business owners and collaborate to find solutions.

I’m not running for City Council because I have all the answers to our challenges. I’m running because I have the skills to work with people throughout the community to identify and prioritize our problems and find solutions that will benefit us all. During my time on the park and zoning boards, I always put our residents’ and business owners’ needs ahead of any other consideration, and I’ll continue to do so if elected to City Council. Even if that means acting against my own personal interests.

Our city has long had a “colorful” city government. I’ve lived here for 20 years and have witnessed countless dramas as various officials have fallen in and out of favor. Regardless of what you think of their performance, our councils, boards and committees are led by citizen-volunteers—all of whom have the best intentions.

Their jobs often are thankless, and many have limited experience in public service, which can cause some stumbles.

In this election, you have five outstanding candidates to choose from. What I’d bring to the job is the ability to consider every problem an opportunity for positive change. I hope I get your vote.

now attend college.

As a long time resident of our city, I feel I’m aware of the needs of the community and of the public concerns that face our city. I think the problems facing the city include the following:

Zoning and how it affects future development

Lack of volunteers serving on boards - I would work hard to find qualified volunteers and make sure they get the training they need to make decisions based on laws and the best interest of the community.

Long term planning for infrastructure improvement- I will work with the current board members on a long term plan for infrastructure improvement.

Public Safety- I believe our Police department and Code Enforcement could use more officers to manage the number of people that fill our city during the summer and weekends.

while I have been on the council and I attended city council meetings for four years prior to becoming a council member. I previously served on the cemetery board for four years and have served on the Local Revenue Sharing Board for the past two years.

I take my position on the city council very seriously and have listened to many different opinions on the issues that we deal with in the city. I have tried to talk to everyone respectfully and take in all aspects of the conversation in making my decisions on issues.

VANCE PRICE

My name is Vance Price and I am proud to be running for city council. It seems to me that the last few elections have divided many in the community between longtime residents and residents that have recently moved to New Buffalo. Too much money and time has been spent on lawsuits and recalls. I feel we need to end this division and work together to make New Buffalo the best city it can be for all residents. This can be done by being transparent and hearing from all stakeholders.

I was raised in New Buffalo and attended both New Buffalo public schools and St. Mary’s Catholic School. After college, I moved back to Harbor Country and took a job at New Buffalo teaching High School Science. I have been a science teacher at New Buffalo MIddle/High School for the past 28 years, as well as a Cross Country and Track coach at NB since 1999 and 1997 respectively. My family consists of my wife,Julie, who teaches pre-k at New Buffalo Elementary and two daughters, Libby and Zoe who both graduated from New Buffalo and

Short term rentals and the impact they have on our city and schools.

If elected, I will take the time to educate myself on all aspects of the role of a city council member and be the best council member I can be.

Some of the accomplishments I am proud to be a part of while serving on the city council are the downtown redevelopment and streetscape, a network of sidewalks for walkability, major reconstruction of Clay Street and resurfacing of other streets, multiple infrastructure upgrades, a balanced budget and the hiring of two city managers. We have also garnered multiple grants for different projects around the city.

Currently we are in the process of updating our zoning ordinance language.

If re-elected, I will continue to work hard for the City of New Buffalo. My goals are to keep moving the city forward in a positive manner, and to be respectful to all opinions. My objective is to keep looking at all sides of the issues and to make common sense decisions for the benefit of the city.

I feel very qualified to move the city forward after dealing with multiple subject matters during my six years on the council. I would appreciate your vote on November 8.

MARK ROBERTSON

My name is Mark Robertson and I am running for re-election to the New Buffalo City Council. I have lived in New Buffalo for approximately 60 years and have served on the City Council for the last six years.

I have attended numerous planning commission, DDA and ZBA meetings

LETTERS TO THE NEW BUFFALO TIMES

DEMOCRACY

DEAR VOTERS...

I’d like to address a topic that I touched briefly on during the Candidate Forum on October 4th. My intent in writing this is to hopefully give you pause before casting your votes on November 8th.

Our district, as well as numerous other districts throughout Michigan and across the nation are in a precarious position. The movement on the national stage by special interest groups, wealthy private individuals and corporations who invest millions in far-right political causes are funding and endorsing school board candidates around the country. Make no mistake, those efforts have landed here in New Buffalo through their support of the We The Parents (WTP) candidates. They use political buzzwords like CRT, SEL, DEI and misinformation about Title IX, all aimed at disrupting the basis of what public schools are and how they operate. Their goal is to cause mistrust of your schools, their administrators, educators, and school boards, to enrage parents and caregivers enough to battle with the district over perceived issues, or even pull their kids from the district and in some cases, if allowed in that state, redirect their tax dollars to non- public schools. I encourage you to do some research from reputable, unbiased news sources so you understand exactly what is at stake.

Todd Tanksley, Patrick Kennedy, Ashley Grzywacz, and Justin Baney claim to run on a “No Politics” platform, or at least their marketing says so…. yet they are each backed, endorsed, and/or funded by several PACS (Political Action Committees) and special interest groups including We The Parents of Berrien County, The 1776 Project PAC, Great Lakes Education Project, and Conservative Country USA…. as recently highlighted in an October 24th article in USA Today. The candidates running on these political platforms are

beholden to those PACs, and they are expected to carry out their agendas if elected. Furthermore, recent comments on the We The Parents Facebook Page responded to a question about being apolitical with “Those days are gone.”

How is this “No Politics”? As I stated at the Candidate Forum….my only agenda has been and continues to be the students of this district.

I am proud to say that I have run a grassroots campaign and aligned myself with three other candidates who are also grassroots with their campaigns. We each agreed to decline all official political endorsements and/or politically tied contributions because school boards need to remain local and non-partisan. I am running on my name, and my word that I will do everything in my power to serve and represent this community and the students of the district in a fair and equal manner.

The We The Parents Candidates and their backers are using their political agendas to spread misinformation about our school system. New Buffalo has and will continue to do a remarkable job in providing transparency, familial involvement, respect for Parental Rights, and a focus on educating the WHOLE child.

To be clear, public schools serve the public. They represent ALL students, not just a particular demographic, or those of a particular religious/moral belief system.

It is important that public schools serve all students. While all types of school systems must meet certain state and federal criteria in how they are structured and operate, private, charter, and parochial schools have more flexibility and can cater to a targeted audience if they choose. Public schools do not have this same flexibility, nor should they, as they exist to serve all students.

What about a public-school board? Public school board members cannot

change state or federal laws, and blatant disregard or rejection of the law not only creates liability, it will have grave consequences to state and federal funding of vital programs in our district. While NBAS is an “out of formula” district, and we don’t receive as much funding as other “in-formula” districts do at the state and federal level, we are still reliant on the funds we receive to keep vital programs in place, such as our Building Trades Program and Free and/or Reduced lunch. School boards serve to provide oversight and governance. They work to ensure school districts are operating within the realm of educational policies set at the state and federal level, and are fiscally responsible in the acceptance, distribution, and management of funds.

Do the We The Parents candidates fully comprehend the limitations of power a public-school board member has? Are they willing to sacrifice the viability of vital programs to push forth their agenda which will result in discrimination against certain student populations, not teach full and factual history, and remove core competency skills from being taught… skills that all people need in order to be contributing members of society?

There is so much divisiveness in this election, from the national level all the way down to our school board election here in New Buffalo. We need to work together, no matter the outcome of November 8th, for the sake of every member in this community. School Board members cannot be self-serving, to be a successful school board and a successful school district, its board members must serve in a manner that represents the community as a whole. I am confident in my ability and those of Brad, Lisa and Vanessa to come to the NBAS school board with a non- partisan, unbiased, inclusive, and transparent approach to address the issues of our district while remaining in line with our legal authority. We will keep your child’s best interests at heart.

current structure is at minimum cost to Chikaming Township taxpayers, as we are paid a nominal fee for attending monthly meetings. As elected officials, we are accountable to the taxpayers; as Chair, I am in regular contact with the Township Supervisor as we manage projects and routine maintenance.

Given the unpaid status of the Board, we have been able to efficiently use taxpayer dollars to maintain and make improvements to Township properties. In times of rising inflation and economic uncertainty, choosing to transition to a paid Parks Administrator (who could be a contracted nonresident) over unpaid community volunteers diverts tax dollars from parks development to government salaries.

Our community is faced with a choice: continue with our current elected Park Board that has efficiently used taxpayer dollars to develop and maintain our beautiful parks, preserves and beaches, or choose to fund a paid administrator. Please educate yourselves about the pros and cons of each option, and cast your vote on November 8.

Highlights of the past year: 40 new trees were planted at Harbert Community Park, along with a community fern garden, new pathway and performance platform, a gazebo donation, and a Children’s Discovery sand area with plenty of room to play. A new platform for the shelter at the Dog Park was installed, the fishing platform at CT Park & Preserve was rebuilt, and a gate was installed at Harbert Road Preserve. Finally, several invasive treeof-heaven trees were removed at Miller Beach, and a new set of stairs was installed at Pier Street Beach.

— JILL UNDERHILL, HARBERT, MI

VOTE YES...

On November 8th Chikaming Township residents will get a chance to vote for the dissolution of the elected Park Board. This question is on the ballot as a result of a petition circulated this summer. We encourage you to vote YES.

PROS AND CONS...

As the Chair of the Chikaming Township Park Board, I would like to address how the structure will be impacted if the referendum passes and the Park Board is dissolved. The

Dissolving the elected Park Board has been a topic of frequent conversation for many years. Chikaming Township is an outlier – most other townships (literally 99%) never organized this way or eliminated elected boards at some point. Before gathering signatures for the

— WRITTEN BY DENISE CHURCHILL, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BRAD BRUNNER, LISA WERNER, AND VANESSA THU

petition and putting the question to the public for a vote, we spoke to a number of other townships to hear about their experiences. In those conversations it became clear there are many models of Park Board organization to choose from. We believe that a good-faith, consultative effort by the Trustees will yield the right solution for Chikaming Township. Here is what other Michigan Townships have to say:

Pere Marquette Township is one community that chose to dissolve their elected board. Township Clerk Rachelle Enbody commented on efficiency and improved communication being the benefits of the new model of park management and that their new system is more accountable to the public.

When speaking about what makes an effective park board, Bridgman’s City Manager Juan Ganum shared the following perspective. “Appointments allow local governments to act deliberately in assembling citizen teams with members of various backgrounds, diverse walks of life, and differing geographies. Rather than have a board that is comprised of residents from a concentrated geographic area or who belong to a particular socioeconomic class, a thoughtful appointment process should lead to more balanced outcomes when the group speaks as a whole.”

Patrick Donnelly, Parks Director for New Buffalo Township attributes the success of its program to communication. “Projects get accomplished because we all share a similar mindset and work together as a team to get things done. The Parks Department, the Township Board of Trustees and our volunteer Park Committee operate as one while working toward a common vision for the community”.

These communities and others see the benefits of an integrated park management system and it is time for Chikaming to adopt this model. Vote YES for our parks on November 8th.

A RESPONSE...

Mr. Marks is uninformed in his letter to the editor, possibly because he’s getting misleading information from the candidates he’s supporting.

WTPBC is self funded by local donors, no different than the committees to elect the other candidates. There is no “outside money” supporting us. This is one of the “red herrings” that Brunner, Werner, Churchill and Thun have been spreading about our group, among others.

The former superintendent Jeff Leslie and former principal Wayne Butler both have acknowledged that Critical Race Theory has indeed been taught at New Buffalo schools. The actual lesson plan from a teacher at New Buffalo, which included the topics of Systemic Racism and White Privilege, are included in the Evidence we have provided at StopCRTNewBuffalo.com. Mr. Marks can view it for himself if he questions its existence. Whoever he supposedly asked at the district is probably aligned with Brunner and company who consistently deny its existence, despite the clear proof we have provided. We have done our research, and it’s all on the website.

Regarding Title IX, New Buffalo schools has plenty of money to compensate for the loss of the minimal federal funding we receive, a fact which we confirmed with an existing board member. We can easily continue our lunch program with our own money, and without being beholden to the federal government forcing these dangerous changes on our school. Title IX will destroy girls sports by allowing boys to participate, allow boys to use girls bathrooms, locker rooms and bunk together on field trips, hide gender transitions from parents, and anyone who uses the wrong pronoun could be charged with sexual harassment.

Is this the kind of school Mr. Marks wants?

It is the school Brunner, Werner, Churchill and Thun appear to want, as they continue to deny and distort these issues and avoid valid concerns of parents all over the district.

We would appreciate your vote on Nov 8th. We pledge to take on these serious issues while maintaining and improving on the great school system that we have.

Members of the New Buffalo Elementary School Student Senate were busy packing 700 pumpkin-themed treat bags at the New Buffalo Fire Station Tuesday, Oct. 25, for the New Buffalo Community Halloween Parade Sunday, Oct. 30.

The gathering of children will begin at 2 p.m. on North Thompson Street, with judging beginning at 2:15 to 2:30 p.m. The parade will step off at 3 p.m. Trick-or-treating in the city will take place from 3:30-5:30 p.m. — PHOTO BY

FRANCESCA SAGALA

— FRIENDS OF THE PARKS: ARTHUR ANDERSON, SHERRI CURRY, STEVE ELLIS, DEBORAH HALL-KAYLER, SUSAN PHELAN, GARTH TAYLOR

— BISON PARENTS FOR SCHOOL BOARD: JUSTIN BANEY, ASHLEY GRZYWACZ, PATRICK KENNEDY, TODD TANKSLEY

Sian Deaton snacks on Rios Guacamole and Chips during a spontaneous wagon picnic on a splendid

with pooches Leia and Louie in downtown Union Pier

SCHOLASTICS

New Buffalo school board approves employment of special education teachers, new social worker

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Members of the New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education approved the employment of two new special education teachers and a social worker at their Monday, Oct. 24, meeting.

At the last meeting, interim superintendent Dr. Michael Lindley said that the state legislature has allocated some additional funds and that the district’s counselors, student advocate and social worker would like the board to consider hiring another social worker. He’d also talked with personnel about the possible need to add to two new special education teachers.

“We’re required by law to do this according to our numbers but based upon our student needs, we think it’s important,” he said.

He added that because of the additional revenues that are coming from state, a lot of people are seeking social workers and special education teachers and “hopefully, we can be a very attractive district and attract the right people.”

Board members approved the resignation of Rodney Wash, Bison After School Enrichment (BASE) director, effective Oct. 14.

In his resignation letter, Wash had requested a hearing in front of the board that’s applicable under his contract. Lindley said he assured Wash of his rights under Policy 9130.

Board members accepted the gift of $12,645.50 from New Buffalo Township, toward the purchase and installation of a safety sign at New Buffalo Elementary School. This gift is half of the cost, and the district will assume the rest of the cost, with Section 97 grant funding. The township has also offered to order and coordinate the installation.

The purchase of two safety signs at the middle/high school for the same price as the one at the elementary school was also approved.

The signs will be blue toothed enabled, as well as can be programmed to have the light come on for students who are going back and forth across the street from the future STEAM building or the pickleball and tennis courts as well as at the beginning and end of the school day.

Board members approved the purchase of a 3D printer from Raise3D Technologies, Inc. for the STEAM building

that’s being constructed across from the middle/high school.

The bid of $22,800.00 from L&S Metal Recycling for the demolition of property located at 12332 Lubke Road was accepted. Lindley said this is the Conway property and will be used as the Building Trades site next year. He added that he hopes to begin looking at the entire property as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and will bring it to the board when it’s decided.

During public comment, parent Donna Messinger said that a stop needs to be put to the “ongoing lies” that are spreading about Critical Race Theory (CRT) and sex education being taught at the elementary school.

Patrick Kennedy, who’s running for a four-year term, said he believes that parents should be the “sole decision makers for a child” and they should have a say in the school’s curriculum. He added that, as far as a he knows, “we are not discussing sex ed with community members at the elementary ages.”

The hiring of Nathaniel Tripp Jr., in the position of junior boys’ basketball coach for the 22-23 school year was approved.

Board members adopted the 2023 Summer Tax Resolution.

Linda Wash, wife of Rodney, said he “took the BASE program that had 60 students to almost 100 students enrolled in BASE today,” as well as “implemented and run the sports program, coached JV boys’ basketball, and developed lasting relationships with staff, students, and community members.”

“He has created opportunities for his staff for professional learning related to their job in afterschool. You would think the same thing would happen if Rodney would have been given a two-week notice,” Linda said, adding that he was instead faced with a “ultimatum to resign or be terminated.”

“The problem you have is still in that building, it will never be resolved until you address the issue,” she added.

Lindley said that a grand opening for the STEAM building will take place Dec. 6, with the board approving it taking place from 5-7 p.m. Lindley said he hopes students and instructors will be involved and there will be displays.

HIKERS TREKKING THROUGH MADELINE BERTRAND COUNTY PARK THIS WEEKEND

The Harbor Country Hikers will hike the trails of Madeline Bertrand County Park in the second of its annual fall visits to Berrien County parks Saturday, Oct. 29.

The event will begin at 2 p.m. and is expected to last about two hours. Led by the park, Derek Pelc, the park’s chief naturalist, the 2.5-mile hike will take attendees through Madeline Bertrand’s 121 acres of pine and oak forests, and along a bluff overlooking the St. Joseph River. Physical difficulty for this hike is rated moderate, with some hills and a riverbank. The Hikers recommends participants wear long pants (preferably tucked in), a sun hat, sturdy shoes or boots and insect repellent, and to bring plenty of water. Though membership in the Hikers is preferred, the public is welcome at this event. An allterrain rollator--a wheeled walker with oversized tires for unpaved surfaces--is available on request, on a first-come, first-served basis, by emailing harborcountryhikers@ gmail.com.

For driving directions and other details, visit harborcountryhikers. com or Harbor Country Hikers on Facebook.

— STAFF REPORTS

New Buffalo Times

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE

SINCE 1942 —

Bison volleyball team places third in conference tournament

BY STAN MADDUX

The New Buffalo High School girls’ volleyball team placed third in their conference tournament hosted by River Valley High School Saturday, Oct. 22.

The Lady Bison (20-13-3) won their first match in a finger nail biter against Howardsville Christian.

New Buffalo lost the first game 25-21 but won the final two games 25-22 and 15-13.

The Lady Bison went on to get swept in two games by Michigan Lutheran 25-16 and 25-19.

New Buffalo and Lake Michigan Catholic advanced to the consolation round in the seven team Berrien Cass St. Joseph Conference tournament.

The Lady Bison lost the first game 25-22 against LMC but took the match by winning the final two games 25-21 and 15-10.

River Valley defeated Michigan Lutheran for conference tournament championship.

Sophomore Jane Funk and junior Ava Johnson, as they have all season, led the Lady Bison offense.

For the whole tournament, Funk had 20 kills while Johnson dished out 29 assists.

Senior Ellie Cybulski had her best performance of the season, perhaps, with 12 kills and three blocked shots.

Amanda Jones and Liz Schmock, both seniors, led New

Buffalo defenders with 34 and 17 digs respectively.

Funk, defensively, added 15 digs.

Other major contributors for New Buffalo included sophomores Benita Puskinigus with seven kills and seven blocked shots to go with two aces and Cassidy Saunders, who had 11 kills.

Head Coach Bruce Molineaux said he was especially pleased with how Cybulski and Saunders attacked the ball to give his team a more balanced offense.

Funk has been the primary hard striker all season.

“It’s good to see some other players put the ball down besides Jane,” he said.

New Buffalo opens the district tournament Nov. 2 against Lake Michigan Catholic.

The Lady Bison are hoping to make a solid run but have fallen short to Michigan Lutheran each time during the season and, recently, were swept by River Valley.

Molineaux is not ruling out his team’s chances but feels his players have to cut down on mistakes.

“Anything can happen. Whoever makes the most mistakes usually loses.

The district tournament this year is being held at Michigan Lutheran.

From the Bleachers

COLUMN BY KURT MARGGRAF IN CHICAGO

I’m beginning to believe that up is really down. That summer is capable of interrupting autumn. That it’s an upset if the favorite wins. Our topsy turvy sports world mirrors our society in ways that heretofore seemed impossible. What in the world is happening?

The Bulls opened their season with an impressive road victory over the Miami Heat. Missing both Lonzo Ball and Zach Lavine, the Bulls won going away 116108. Visions of championships danced in fans heads. Then, after a day off, they fell behind the Washington Wizards by 17, but mounted a furious comeback and tied the game. Unfortunately, there was no magical ending as the Wizards prevailed by a score of 102-100. After playing their first two games on the road, the Bulls came home to play the Cleveland Cavaliers and Zach returned to the lineup. This was a game the Bulls were favored to win, but it was not to be. The Cavs took control early and blew out the Bulls 128-96. So after only three games, the Bulls won a game nobody expected them to and lost a game most people expected them to win. This could be one roller coaster of a season. Hey Bears fans. Can you imagine how you would have felt if the team had traded Walter Payton? Unthinkable isn’t it. Christian McCaffrey is not Walter Payton, but he is the best running back currently in the NFL. Fans of the Carolina Panthers found out what it feels like to lose their great running back when the team traded McCaffery

to the San Francisco 49ers. Then, because it couldn’t possibly happen, the 49ers lost and the Panthers won. Also, two of the best quarterbacks ever looked mediocre. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers teams both lost Sunday and their teams, the Bucs and the Packers both have losing records for the first time since hector was a pup. With all of this weirdness happening, could the Bears actually beat the Patriots on Monday night? By the time you read this, you’ll know. As for me, I’m not sure if any outcome will surprise me.

I’m not finished. The Blackhawks decided to tear apart their team this season and rebuild with youngsters. The consensus is that they will be one of the worst teams in hockey. They lost their first three games and everything looked like it was supposed to look. But not this year. The Blackhawks roared back and won their next three. There isn’t a full moon, is there?

At least the Dodgers and Yankees would face each other in the World Series, right? The Dodgers were heavy favorites and the Yankees always win. Not this year. The Phillies and the Astros will face off instead. The Astros will be favored so Philly fans might want to get ready to celebrate.

Michael Crichton said, “At the edge of chaos, unexpected outcomes occur. The risk to survival is severe.”

Keep smiling. Talk to you next week. Peace, love, and happiness.

The greatest power is not money power, but political power. — Walter Annenberg

Much improved Raiders win final game

BY STAN MADDUX

The Red Arrow Raiders ended the regular high school football season by winning six of their last seven games.

The Raiders (6-3) defeated Bangor 60-6 at New Buffalo Friday, Oct. 21.

Head Coach Matt Johnson said the defense was the biggest factor in the outcome by keeping Bangor from moving the ball much on offense and forcing turnovers resulting in touchdowns.

“Between special teams and defense, they were probably responsible for half of our scores,” he said.

The first touchdown for the Raiders was set up by a fumble recovery from junior Ryder Wolnik, who gained about 30 yards on the return.

Senior Eli Thomas on a quarterback keeper quickly took the ball 28 yards into the end zone.

The Raiders, who started their next series of downs in excellent field position, needed just a few plays before a 10 yard touchdown run by Wolnik.

Later, Bangor was backed up close to their end zone when their punter appeared to kick the ball off the side of his foot.

Junior Payton Lijewski caught the 10 yard punt and ran 12 yards for a touchdown.

The final score of the first half was from a 50 yard touchdown

pass to Wolnik, who caught the ball in mid-stride and took it the rest of the way into the end zone.

The Raiders, consisting of players from New Buffalo and River Valley high schools, improved noticeably after blow out losses to Fennville and Bridgman in their first two games.

Much of the improvement was from several athletic players, who hadn’t taken part in much organized football in the past, learning how to play the game and young returning players like Payton Lijewski on defense and quarterback Ethan Lijewski coming into their own.

The Raiders even performed well after losing key starters Jaquan Pierce and David Fairchild to late season injuries.

Fairchild, along with other major impact players such as Thomas, Josh Seifert and Cadden Krieger are being lost to graduation.

However, the team has a solid core of returning starters like Wolnik, Pierce, the Lijewskis and Cameron Forker, a solid a 6-footby-3-inches, 300-pound lineman on offense and defense.

“The cupboard is not going to be bare at all. We’re exciting for what we have coming back,” Johnson said.

Showing Bison pride for Homecoming 2022

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

The upcoming spooky holiday wasn’t the only one that was being celebrated during New Buffalo High School’s Homecoming Week, which took place Monday through Friday, Oct. 17-21.

Members of each class were asked to decorate a golf cart in honor of a holiday to be rolled out on the multiplex field for the big homecoming game. Winners of the golf cart contest were as follows: first place was seniors for their Halloween-themed cart, second place was juniors for their 2023 New Years-themed cart, third place went to sophomores for their Valentine’s Day-themed cart and fourth place went to freshmen for their Christmas golf cart.

Winners of this year’s homecoming spirt week were (by a 1.5 lead) the seniors. Second place was the juniors, third place was the sophomores, and fourth place was the freshmen.

In between watching the Red Arrow Raiders battle it out against Bangor Public Schools during Friday’s Homecoming game, students cheered as seniors Bella Notorangelo and Angelo Ciccarelli were crowned homecoming king and queen.

Members of this year’s Homecoming court were Ellie Cybulski, Ciccarelli, Camille Czech, Haruki Eberly, Carys Gallas, Neil Johnson, Notorangelo, Keagan Papke, Addison Stover and Joey Pokuta. Class representatives were Angelina Bryk and Nick Haskins, freshmen; Emily Walters and Vaughn Nikkel, sophomores and Ava Johnson and Sam Wendel-Suppa, juniors.

Cheerleaders rally the crowd on during the game against BangorStudents cheer for their Bison during the game

Students pull eachother along during one of the pep rally’s competitions Cheerleaders rally the crowd on during the game

Boy cheerleaders are riled up at the PowerdPuff game

Members of the color guard perform before Friday’s game

Senior football players pose with their parents on the field

Holiday-themed golf carts ride around the track

rally

The Bison made an appearance at the pep rally

The 2023 New Years themed-cart rides around the track Students compete in a scooter race during the pep rally

Elementary students go in on the action at the pep rally

Students competed in several competitions at the pep rally

Homecoming King and Queen Angelo Ciccarelli and Bella Notorangelo

Students competed in several contests at the pep rally

Girls compete during the powderpuff game

Senior band members pose with their parents on the field

Members of the high school band perform during Friday’s pep rally

tense moment during the powderpuff football game

of the color guard show their American pride Members of the 2022 Royal Court

The Raiders rush onto the field

Seniors shout out their graduation year at the pep rally

The Bison makes an appearance during the pep rally

The color guard performs during the pep rally

Students get fired up during Friday’s pep rally Students get riled up during Friday’s pep rally

Teacher Lisa Mollison rallies on the students during tug of war at the pep rally

The New Buffalo High School Band performs before the game NBES students play tug of war at the pep rally

Elementary students play tug of war at the pep rally

cheerleaders do a cheer during the powderpuff game

seniors’ Halloween-themed cart

cheering section during the powderpuff football game

PUBLIC NOTICES

CITY OF NEW BUFFALO BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHIGAN ORDINANCE NO. 257

ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 18; ARTICLE I; SECTION 187(A) OF THE NEW BUFFALO CITY ZONING ORDINANCE

THE CITY OF NEW BUFFALO ORDAINS:

Section 1. Amendment. Chapter 18; Article I; Section 18-7(A) of the New Buffalo Code of Ordinances is amended so that it reads in its entirety as indicated below. Except as expressly modified herein, the remainder of Chapter 18 is reenacted in full:

A. Each owner of property on a public street within the City of New Buffalo is required to construct a sidewalk in accordance with the specifications of the City of New Buffalo if any of the follow ing conditions exist:

1. The owner of a vacant lot or parcel applies for a building permit to build a 100% new structure.

2. The owner of a lot or parcel applies for a building permit to build an addition to a main structure, if said proposed con struction is to comprise more than 30% of the floor area of the building, as it existed prior to the construction permit.

3. The owner of a lot or parcel applies for a permit to repair any damage to a structure, if said proposed construction is to comprise more than 30% of the floor area of the building, as it existed prior to the damage. The Building Official shall determine the percentage of damage.

4. The owner of a lot or parcel applies for a permit to renovate a structure, if said proposed construction is to comprise more than 30% of the floor area of the building, as it existed prior to the permit.

Section 2. Publication and Effective Date. The City Clerk shall cause this ordinance or a summary thereof to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, and the ordinance shall be effective 20 days after enactment or upon publication, whichever is later.

YEAS: Flanagan, O’Donnell, Robertson, Lijewski, Mayor Humphrey NAYS: ABSTAIN: ABSENT:

CERTIFICATION

This is a true and complete copy of Ordinance No. 257 adopted at a regular meeting of the New Buffalo City Council held on October 17, 2022.

JOHN HUMPHREY, MAYOR ANN M. FIDLER, CITY CLERK

HORR0R-SCOPE

ARIES MARCH 21—APRIL 19

It will be a dark and stormy night with a strange howling and barking in the distance. Try as you might to turn on the lights or find your umbrella, you will be in the dark and wet with fright. Whatever you do, stay away from the windows and keep that aluminum foil helmet on!

TAURUS APRIL 20—MAY 20

This is the week that everything about you changes. You will grow long fangs, sharp claws, and intense facial hair. The desire for very rare meat and sweet treats like eyeballs and cow’s tongue will be overwhelming. Others may be very frightened, but that’s what will make it feel normal.

GEMINI MAY 21—JUNE 21

You will have many sleepless nights this week because of all the chanting and stomping you will hear. You may notice a strange cone of light coming up from the woods behind your home and figures dancing in a ritual fashion. Be afraid, be very afraid.

CANCER JUNE 22—JULY 22

A box will be delivered to your home. Inside you will find a packet of seeds. Do not plant these seeds or expose them to water and certainly do not sing to them. Any kind of acknowledgment will awaken them. They may not be real but they can be conceptualized.

LEO JULY 23—AUGUST 22

A large group of crows will encircle your home. A man with an unnatural expression will speak to them and they will do his bidding. You will feel rooted to the ground, expressionless, swaying in the breeze. These crows will dive down and peck at you. Wait, is your home in a corn field?

VIRGO AUGUST 23—SEPTEMBER 22

You will visit a cabin in the woods this week and even though you are a book lover, do not open any books you find there. A book bound in strange leather, written with blood red ink has the ability to change the earth as we know it and release hell and all its demons. No more reading!

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23—OCTOBER 22

The men in black will arrive at your home again this week. It seems the recent trip you made to the desert, to a certain area has created a rip in the time space continuum again and the neighbors chihuahua has been sucked into another dimension. The local humane society has some questions also.

SCORPIO OCTOBER 23—NOVEMBER 21

A caravan will be approaching your home, a night circus or dark carnival of sorts. Trucks with trailers filled with all manner of horrifying creatures great and small will be making its way to your neighborhood. Avoid this carnival and stay away from the cotton candy. It rots your teeth.

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 22—DECEMBER 21

Today your lucky numbers will be imaginary and your winnings will be unseen. You will hear nothing when there is no sound. You will see nothing if you do not look. If you keep your eyes closed, you will only see darkness. Also. if you keep them closed and walk, you’ll have a nice trip.

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22—JANUARY 19

Lock your doors!

Close the windows and do not go outside. The government has just released an announcement that the there has been a strange odor and a weird vapor has settled over the cemetery near your home. The dead have risen. They’re coming to get you Capricorn.

AQUARIUS JANUARY 20—FEBRUARY 18

You may be able to tell yourself it was only a dream and the lab wasn’t a real place. No, not that recurring dream. The one with the thunderstorm! The lightening! The howling winds. No, not last night. The night the creature lived! The towns people came with torches.

PISCES FEBRUARY 19—MARCH 20

Your feet will grow extremely large and will not fit any of your shoes. Your face will turn white and an unusual smile will caress your lips. Your car will become extremely small but will hold more people than you can imagine. The mere presence of you will make babies puke.

Celebrating 11 years of running to the ‘Center of the World’

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Even 11 years later, the Run to the Center of the World in New Troy is still gaining new fans.

Brodie McQuillan, a 16-yearold senior at Coloma High School who runs on the cross-country team as well as plays soccer, said he decided to give the 5K a try after a cross country meet was cancelled.

He earned second place in the 5K, with a time of 20:45.9.

“I pr’d (personal record), but it was pretty good,” McQuillan said of his time.

In addition to being new to the 5K, McQuillan is also somewhat new to running – while he ran in junior high, this is his first year running in high school.

McQuillan was running with his fellow teammate on the crosscountry team - 16-year-old Boden Genovese, a junior at Coloma High School.

Genovese, who ran in the 5K before, earned the first place spot out of the runners in the 5K, with a time of 16:235.0.

Having run for a while, he said crossing the finish line always instills in him a sense of accomplishment.

“It’s nice when you finish and it’s over,” he said.

Mandy Brunke, who, with a time of 26:20.1, was this year’s first place female runner, said she used to help train everyone before the 5K back in the day.

The Sawyer resident called the 5K “nostalgic,” having spent her childhood visiting there.

“I grew up playing in blueberry fields – my grandparents had a farm,” she said.

Runners and walkers began

bright and early at the start/ finish line at the New Troy Community Center Saturday, Oct. 22, where they then set out on a journey down the township’s rolling, paved rural roads.

All finishers received a unique paved wooden plaque, which was made by Terry Hanover, president of the Friends of New Troy (FONT) Board of Directors as well as owner of Center of the World Woodshop.

Afterwards, runners and walkers could pick up a breakfast bag, with some having a gift card from a local business (some having given two or three cards) in it. This year, there were 68 gift cards. For the younger set, there were also bags with tokens for the Silver Beach Carousel, passes to the Curious Kids Museum and other fun prizes.

Ollie Rosenthal, who does “Miss Ollie’s Wiggles and Giggles Story Hour” in the community center, secured the cards and contacted sponsors for donations.

Rosenthal also prepared the breakfast. Marleen Newmiller, the race director, said Victoria Petroff designed the T-shirts.

Students from River Valley High School also volunteered.

“It was a team effort,” she said.

Money raised from the 5K will go toward renovation of the library and meeting room to create a media center.

Lorraine Hanover said that both the library and meeting rooms will be updated with new flooring, paint and window treatments.

Amy Blaine crosses the finish line

Steven Blaine crosses the finish line

Howard Speizer nears the finish line

Marta Czerniak-Manning cross the finish line

Brodie McQuillan nears the finish line

Walkers near the finish line down California Road

Daniel and Carter Brunke round the corner toward the finish line

“We’ll have age-appropriate areas in there

(the media center), we’ll have a preschool area with well mounted toys for kids,” she said, adding that there will be a little kid iPad mounted section as well as for story hour and a crafts table.

Other improvements will include tables for gaming, Lego bricks and board games.

The staff station will include storage for 20 Chromebooks that were donated by Comcast. In the meeting room, patrons will have a quiet place to work.

Lorraine said this will come in handy for those who don’t have Wi-Fi or high-speed internet.

“During Covid, I know people sat in the parking lot to use Wi-Fi for work - one teacher sat out here to Zoom her class,” she said.

The monetary goal is to raise $43,550. As of Oct. 25, $11,020 had been received or committed

already. FONT has committed $7,200 and around $4,000 has been received in donations.

Lorraine has been heading the grant effort, and will be applying to the Berrien Community Foundation, the Upton Foundation and Lakeland Foundation.

A fundraiser is being planned for this winter.

S eeing improvements to the center, which was the site of the empty elementary school in 2005, has been exciting for Lorraine.

“I think we’re on the threshold of really stepping up to a whole new generation of volunteers,” she said.

Those who want to donate can visit www.friendsofnewtroy.org/ donate and use the link, or mail a check to Friends of New Troy, P.O. Box 125, New Troy, MI 49119 to specify that the donation is for the Library Renovation Fund.

Boden Genovese crosses the finish line

Runners near the finish line

Linda Beck crosses the finish line

Walkers make their way down California Road

Runners set off down California Road Runners are off to the races at the community center

Taking a break after the 5K

Runners are off to the races

Novice potters helping the community through bowl-making

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Members of the community have jumped onboard the effort to give back during the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, which is held at New Buffalo Middle/ High School every winter.

The second Monday of the month (the third one in January) for the next two weeks, Community Adult Pottery workshops for the public to learn wheel throwing and create ceramics for the fundraiser will be taking place in the New Buffalo Middle/High School art classroom.

Novice potters were at the wheel for the first session, which was held Monday, Oct. 24.

Art teacher Ashley Jager said last year, she had middle school students create all the bowls.

“I really thought it’d be nice to bring the community aspect in, so then I applied for a grant to have the workshops sponsored by the New Buffalo Fine Arts Council,” she said.

Jager said she’s volunteering her time as well as all the materials to replenish what the potters are using from the school supply.

She added that she didn’t expect the workshop sessions to fill up within a few days, with a waiting list.

Jager said the sessions allow adults a glimpse into “what it’s like to be in the classroom, what do the kids do and how do they throw pottery on the wheel.”

“I was really looking for them to experience pottery and then give back to the community by attending Empty Bowls, which is using these bowls to support Blessings in a Backpack,” she said.

Jager said pottery can be a lesson in patience, strength and calm and “when you mess up, just start another one.”

“It’s forgiving, it’s an outlet but also it kind of builds up a little bit of resilience in you, too,” she said.

Members of the pottery club are helping to trim the bowls after a session as well as to glaze them. A couple leaders who have a lot of experience and are comfortable working with adults have volunteered as teachers.

Senior Camile Czech was there at the first session helping to guide the adult students on how to make a pinch pottery bowl.

“You start off with a ball (of clay) and then you stick your thumb in it and slowly pinch it out until it becomes bowl,” she said, adding that the challenge is to “keep it even.”

Czech said she did some pottery in middle school but really got into it last year.

In addition to helping her advance her skills more, Czech said she volunteered to teach to spend more time with her mom.

Mom Amy Czech is also warming up to the hobby.

“I’ve never done thisit’s very cool,” she said. Jager said she’s surprised with how fast the first session flew.

“This is what I love, this is my passion, this is what I do – it’s really fun to see people get as excited as I am,” she said.

This year’s Empty Bowls dinner fundraiser will be held Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023.

Proceeds from the dinner benefit the New Buffalo chapter of Blessings in a Backpack, which is supported by Water’s Edge United Methodist Church in New Buffalo and gives sacks of food to elementary school students who may not be receiving enough to sustain them through the weekend.

Camille Czech and Ashley Jager (front) pose with students after the first session

Students listen as Ashley Jager demonstrates how to use the wheel

Students listen as Ashley Jager demonstrates how to use the wheel

Vote For Candidates Who Understand

The importance of keeping campaign and election processes relevant to NB. School boards are non-partisan entities. School board candidates should therefore be nonpartisan; one should not support or accept support/ funding/endorsement of a political party or PAC. Unfortunately, public school districts across the country are under attack by efforts on the national stage to dismantle public schools as we know them; the ultimate goal being to privatize schools. NBAS is not immune to this attack. Various Republican PACs have formed around the country spreading misinformation to create mistrust of our school systems, school boards and educators. Todd Tanksley, Patrick Kennedy, Ashley Grywacz, and Justin Baney claim to run on a “No Politics” platform, yet they are each backed, endorsed, and/or funded by several political and special interest groups including, We The Parents of Berrien County, The 1776 PAC, Great Lakes Education Project and Conservative Country USA. The candidates running on these political platforms are beholden to those PACs, and they are expected to carry out their agendas if elected. How is this “No Politics”?

A school board also is responsible for hiring its one employee, the Superintendent. It determines matters relating to school employees and contractors, and sets the curricula and courses taught in schools.

In Michigan, school boards have only the powers given to them by the legislature, those powers are not unlimited. School boards are bound by the provisions of the state and federal constitutions and laws designed to protect the rights of people.

The importance of adhering to constitutional, federal and state law.

If a district were non-compliant to the law, it would create liability and open the door to legal action against it. Examples of this include, but are not limited to:

1. Loss of federal and/or state funding, which could put certain programs in our district at risk, like our Trades Program

2. Millions of dollars in civil claims that school districts must pay out for non-compliance if an incident happens on their watch

3. Immeasurable harm to students and extensive damage to community trust

What is the role and responsibility of public school board members.

The primary functions of public school board members in the state of Michigan are to provide oversight and governance of the district. The board exists to ensure the district is operating within the realm of education policies set at the state and federal level, that the district is fiscally responsible in the acceptance and distribution of funds, and that every student is provided full and equal access to education.

4. Extensive litigation fees and future litigation risk

If you would like to make a donation and help our non-partisan, grassroots campaign, visit nbschoolboardcandidates.com/donate

Denise Churchill, Committee to Elect Brad Brunner, Committee to Elect Lisa Werner,

Vanessa Thun,

Proudly endorsed by the New Buffalo Teacher’s Association and theEducationMichigan Association!

After-school guitar program returns to Three Oaks Elementary

Parisi, guitar instructor at the School of American Music (SAM), made his debut as after-school guitar instructor at Three Oaks Elementary School Wednesday, Oct. 19.

For the past five years, the School of American Music has provided music lessons and enrichment to the local elementary schools under the leadership of Donna Mitchell, executive director of SAM.

“We are so happy that Tom stepped up! He has proven himself as a private teacher at the music school in this past year. We have enjoyed having him with us and admire his willingness to volunteer and to give back. Please say thank you to Tom when you see him,” Mitchell said.

A retired college professor and longtime resident of South Bend, Parisi views an elementary classroom as a joy and a challenge. He tells his students, “There is a long and winding road ahead. Making music a part of your life will enrich the

journey.” Parisi performs many varieties of music and can be frequently heard on stage at sing-alongs and other music school events.

TheSchool of American Music after-school programs are staffed by volunteers. To ensure against the day when these positions might require compensation, the music school has instituted a Future Fund endowment campaign.

“The Future Fund is for the future – not for rent or heating bills. It is the community’s statement of support and hope for another 10 years of community benefit from the school -- which was founded in 2012,” Garth Taylor, president of the SAM Board of directors, said.

For more information, please contact the School of American Music at schoolofamericanmusic@gmail.com, 269409-1191 or www.schoolofamericanmusic.

STAFF REPORTS

Tom Parisi

OBITUARIES

Janet Margaret Hayes

1949-2022

JanetMargaret Hayes, 73, of New Buffalo, passed away, Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at Franciscan Hospital in Michigan City, Indiana. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11:00 A.M. (Michigan Time) Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at St. Mary of The Lake Catholic Church in New Buffalo, with Fr. Basker Lopez officiating. Burial will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family from 3:00 until 7:00 P.M. (Michigan Time) Tuesday at Sommerfeld Chapel, 15 N. Barton St., New Buffalo. Memorial donations in Janet’s name may be made to New Buffalo Public Library or New Buffalo High School. Those wishing to sign Janet’s Memory Book online may do so at www.sommerfeldchapel. com.

Janet was born August 26, 1949 in Chicago to Merrill & Kathleen (Wheeler) Wilbur. She graduated from The Academy of Our Lady High School in Chicago, Class of 1967. Janet was blessed with the gift of writing, and she served as an editor of the high school newspaper. She furthered her studies at Northern Illinois University where she also contributed to the University newspaper and was the Dean’s Award Recipient and continued her education at Loyola University, earning a Master’s Degree in Journalism.

Janet gained employment with the South Town Economist as a feature writer with her own regular column. After several years, Janet was hired by Centel Phone Company where she traveled the country promoting the company. After many years, Janet retired and moved to a community she truly loved-New Buffalo. She purchased Mailbox Etc. which she operated for many years and then worked for the New Buffalo Chamber of Commerce members as a public relations consultant. In recent years, Janet also contributed articles for the Harbor Country News. Janet was an avid supporter of New Buffalo, the New Buffalo Library and New Buffalo High School. She truly loved her community.

Janet was a member of St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, and in her free time, enjoyed tending to her flower gardens around her home. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Janet is survived by her sister Helen Fioresi of Lake in the Hills, IL and her brother Thomas M. Wilbur of Michigan City, IN. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother James Wilbur, her brother-in-law Peter Fioresi, her long-time love Thomas Ray, and his mother Hazel Burns, who Janet cared for after Thomas’ death.

Mary Elizabeth (Bortz) Redamak

1946-2022

MaryElizabeth (Bortz)

Redamak, 76, of New Buffalo, passed away on Friday, October 14, 2022. Private family services will be held. Arrangements have been entrusted to Sommerfeld Chapel – 15 N. Barton St., New Buffalo, MI.

Mary was born on February 10, 1946 in LaPorte, IN to the late Benjamin and Edna (Oman) Bortz, Jr. On October 3, 1970 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in LaPorte, she married Terry Lynn Redamak; he preceded her in death on March 28, 2004. They moved to New Buffalo in 1972. Mary was a 1972 graduate of the Valparaiso University School of Law and then became a member of the Michigan Bar. She then joined Terry at the law firm of Farina & Redamak and practiced law for many years. Mary also worked and retired as bookkeeper from the New Buffalo Area Schools. She was a member of the New Buffalo Area School Board; a member of the New Buffalo Township Library Board; a member of the New Buffalo Service League; and an avid supporter of girls sports.

Mary is survived by her three daughters – Julia (James) Flick of New Buffalo, Sara (Beau) Mead of New Buffalo and Amanda Desermia of Tega Cay, SC; six grandchildren – Michael, Andrew, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Seth and Steven; a sister – Barbara (Kurt) Perschke of LaPorte; a brother – Robert (Karen) Bortz of LaPorte; and many nieces and nephews. Mary was a very kind and loving mother and grandmother and enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren.

Memorial contributions in Mary’s memory may be made to the New Buffalo Township Library. Friends wishing to leave the family a message of condolence can do so at www. sommerfeldchapel.com

B-DUBS SAFE BURGLAR STILL UNKNOWN

Aburglar at a Buffalo Wild Wings cut a hole in a safe to steal money without tripping the alarm system.

A week later, LaPorte Police were still busy trying to come up with a suspect in the early morning Oct. 18 break-in.

According to police, a glass door on the patio was shattered to gain entry into the building in the Pine Lake Shopping Center beside the U.S. 35 overpass.

The burglar ventured past the kitchen area then cut a hole in a wall to get inside an office where the safe was kept.

Police said a hole was then cut in the safe to remove at least $1,500 from inside of it.

According to police, the security system at the chain restaurant failed to activate because no outside or inside doors were opened to trip the alarms.

LaPorte Police Chief Paul Brettin said investigators were contacting other law enforcement agencies to see if they’ve had any similar cases to try and develop a suspect. Brettin said some degree of planning was apparently involved in the crime.

“Desperate people do desperate things. Anything is possible if they put their mind to it,” he said.

— STAN MADDUX

CLASSIFIED ADS

Please submit your classified ad via email at classifieds@newbuffalotimes.com. New Buffalo Times can now accept online payments with a credit card or paypal. Go to our website, www.newbuffalotimes.com, and submit $14 per week for a classified ad of up to 160 characters. Deadline is Friday 5PM before the following week’s publication.

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