December 29, 2022

Blizzard conditions, frigid temperatures wreak havoc on the region PAGE 4

Students grace the stage for annual talent show PAGES 8-9

Students treat audience members to the ‘Sights and Sounds of the Season’ PAGE 10

Chikaming Open Lands announces a new nature preserve in Buchanan PAGE 14

First Mates’, Rotarians’ blankets bring comfort and warmth at Christmastime

PHOTO OF INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT DR. MICHAEL LINDLEY SPEAKING TO THE CROWD AT THE RIBBON-CUTTING BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Berrien County Health Department to host hearing, vision screening clinic for homeschoolers and virtual students

The Berrien County Health Department will host a hearing and vision screening clinic Wednesday, Jan. 4, for students in kindergarten through ninth grade who are homeschooled or attend school virtually.

The walk-in clinic will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at BCHD’s Benton Harbor office, 2149 E. Napier Avenue and Niles office, 1205 N. Front Street The clinic is free and open to all Berrien County residents.

“It’s important for students to be screened by a professional for hearing and vision so they can be successful learners,” said Melisa Jordan, BCHD’s hearing and vision coordinator. “No matter their grade, we know a student’s ability to learn, read and follow instructions can be negatively impacted if a hearing or vision problem goes undiagnosed.

“These hearing and vision screenings are critical to ensure students who aren’t in a school setting are prepared to

learn.”

The hearing screening takes two to three minutes and features six sounds for the child to identify. If any hearing issues are discovered, the BCHD provides a referral for a hearing exam at the family’s health care provider or the Berrien Springs Public Schools Hearing Center.

The vision screening takes five to 10 minutes and features six letters facing different directions for the child to indicate which way each one is pointing. Shapes are used for students who have a cognitive disability. If any vision issues are discovered, the BCHD provides a referral for an eye exam at the family’s eye doctor of choice.

Find more information about the hearing and vision screening clinics on the BCHD’s website or contact Melisa Jordan at mjordan@bchdmi.org or 269926-7121, ext. 5293. — STAFF REPORTS

CONGRESSMAN FRED UPTON ANNOUNCES THE

PASSING OF HIS FATHER, STEVE UPTON

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, announced that his father, 98-year-old Steve Upton, also of St. Joseph, passed away peacefully the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 28.

A veteran of World War II (Battle of the Bulge) and later a senior vice president at Whirlpool, he was involved in many community activities all his life. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 71 years, Elizabeth, and five kids, 17 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.

“Dad led us all by example to give back to our community and try to make this world a better place,” Upton, who’s retiring after 36 years in Congress, said in announcing the news.

Steve Upton’s father was one of the founders of Whirlpool Corporation, which has headquarters in St. Joseph, Michigan.

Local Government Meetings

CITY OF NEW BUFFALO JOHN HUMPHREY, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL

MARK ROBERTSON, ROGER LIJESKI, JOHN HUMPHREY, BRIAN FLANAGAN, VANCE PRICE

City Council meets on the 3rd Monday of 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 Monday of each month at 7PM

NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM

NEW BUFFALO AREA SCHOOLS BOARD

PAUL KELLER, LISA WERNER, HEATHER BLACK, DENISE CHURCHILL, BRADLEY BURNER, VANESSA THUN

CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP BOARD

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

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

CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6:30PM

THREE OAKS

THREE OAKS TOWNSHIP BOARD Meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7PM

VILLAGE OF THREE OAKS BOARD Meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7PM

GRAND BEACH Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of 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 Friday of each month at 1PM

Blizzard conditions, frigid temperatures wreak havoc on the region

COMPILED BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

For those who were wishing for a white Christmas, the weather certainly delivered the late afternoon and evening of Thursday, Dec. 23.

According to the National Weather Service in Northern Indiana, an Arctic cold front swept through the region that afternoon and evening. Temperatures dropped over 30 degrees in 18 hours (highs in the mid-30s to lows in the single-digits below zero)

The front was accompanied by a brief period of moderate to heavy snow as it passed, with “most areas seeing a quick 1 to 3 inches of snow,” NWS stated in a summary of the weather events.

“The rapid drop in temperatures (flash freeze), new snowfall and reduced visibility from both the snow and blowing/drifting snow quickly resulted in treacherous travel that persisted in some areas for over 24 hours. Wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph arrived in the wake of the front and persisted for several hours as the low pressure area continued to rapidly deepen,” the summary stated.

The greatest impacts occurred near Lake Michigan. In Berrien County on I-94, multiple vehicle accidents occurred that resulted in several injuries to passengers, as well as a few first responders, NWS stated.

Per directive from Lansing, for a large stretch of the afternoon Dec. 23, I-94 from New Buffalo to Watervliet was completely closed due to the mass number of crashes. Per the Michigan

State Police Fifth District Twitter, a nine semi-tractor trailer crash was reported at mile marker #41 in Watervliet Township. Impacts from the hazardous winter weather were felt throughout the state. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) at 1 p.m. Dec. 23 to respond to the hazardous weather conditions, resulting from the statewide winter storm. As of 4 p.m., there were no requests from local governments for state resources.

Due to hazardous road conditions, which can change quickly, Michiganders were encouraged to avoid nonessential travel throughout the day, if possible.

As a result of the extremely cold temperatures across the region creating extraordinary demands on the power system, Indiana Michigan Power asked businesses and the public to help by immediately reducing electricity use as much as possible “without sacrificing safety,” a press release stated. I&M made the emergency request in coordination with PJM – the regional power grid operator. Customers were asked to take these actions from Dec. 24 to 10 a.m. Dec. 25 “to help ensure adequate power supplies.”

On Dec. 23, the City of Benton Harbor experienced a power outage involving approximately 1,000 people, according to a press release from the Berrien County Emergency

Management. The county declared a state of emergency to “support efforts in responding to the needs of the City of Benton Harbor and in the protection of the public from dangers presented by the potential exposures to extreme cold temperatures.” At about 3 am. in the early morning of Dec. 24, the power was restored to the city, as power crews worked through the night to repair the outage.

The Berrien County Emergency Operation Center and the City of Benton Harbor worked to get people to refuge from frigid temperatures, which included a temporary warming center at the 2nd Baptist Church. The church staff provided a safe place for people to stay while overnight accommodations were being set up at the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center.

“There were many agencies involved and we are grateful for their hard work,” said CPT Rockey Adams, the Berrien County Emergency Management coordinator. “Our teams dropped everything to come in to help, and they did it under extreme conditions.”

By Wednesday, Dec. 28, temperatures had already reached nearly 40 degrees by noon and were expected to soar to above 50 degrees by the end of the week and into New Year’s Day.

I grew up with an incredibly loving and supportive family that gave me the impression there were a lot of options for me out there.

COREWELL HEALTH AMONG COMPUTERWORLD’S ‘BEST

PLACES TO WORK IN IT’

Corewell Health™, formerly Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health, has been named one of the Best Places to Work in IT for 2023 by Foundry’s Computerworld. Corewell Health ranked No. 15 among the 56 large organizations on the list.

The award recognizes the top organizations that challenge their IT staffs while providing great benefits and compensation. Organizations will be included in coverage on Computerworld.com along with results from the 2023 Best Places to Work in IT survey.

“Our team is driven to excel, because we are made up of team members who are always looking at how to make things better. We are building a culture that unlocks this spirit of innovation, and that allows us to bring our best to work, each and every day,” said Jason Joseph, chief digital and information officer, Corewell Health. “It is an honor to be recognized by Computerworld as one of the best places to work in IT, and an honor for me to lead this Corewell Health team.”

Two unique initiatives highlighted in the nomination were Corewell Health’s Year of Onboarding program and its IS Summit. The onboarding activities offer new team members opportunities to engage and collaborate under the framework of Corewell Health’s values of courage, collaboration, clarity, curiosity and compassion. The IS Summit is an annual conference organized for team members by team members, that offers tools, resources and breakout sessions to encourage individual growth and growth as a department.

“Adapting to a ‘new normal’ has put additional demands on IT organizations at companies of all sizes. This year’s winning companies have stepped up with increased IT staffing and a variety of innovative professional development opportunities. The result of these efforts is that not only are IT staffs engaged and productive, but the entire business benefits from IT’s ability to support evolving workplace models and changing business and customer needs,” said Rob O’Regan, global director, content strategy, Foundry. “Importantly, this year’s award winners are laser-focused on diversity initiatives to expand the IT talent pool and promote workplace diversity and inclusion.”

— STAFF REPORTS

The Acorn to present American Idol winner Lee DeWyze, folk rock band The Steel Wheels

The Acorn will be hosting singersongwriter Lee DeWyze, winner of the ninth season of American Idol, Saturday, Jan. 21, and Americana Roots folk rock band The Steel Wheels Friday, Jan. 20.

With an earnest ability to create a delicate balance of harmony, melody, deep emotion and subtlety, Lee DeWyze’s depth as a songwriter call to mind some of his earliest influences like Simon and Garfunkel, Yusef Islam (Cat Stevens) and Johnny Cash. As the winner of American Idol Season 9 in 2010, DeWyze made his major label debut with Live It Up on RCA.

His songs have appeared in over 70 movies, TV shows, and commercials. His latest synch was for his song “Castles,” which highlighted the season finale of Station 19. His video for “Castles” won 11 awards worldwide (Los Angeles, New York and London) for best animated video with TIFF (The International Film Festival).

Over the last 10 years, DeWyze has released five albums, including his critically lauded Frames (Vanguard Records, 2013), which included the top 40 Billboard Hot AC hit “Fight.”

After signing with Shanachie Records in 2016, DeWyze released the album “Oil and Water,” which hit Number One on the iTunes folk and singer/songwriter chart, followed by “Paranoia”

(2018), which hit Number One on the Alternative chart. His last four releases, “Victims of The Night” (April 2020), and the EP “Castles” (Oct 2019) have garnered over 1 million streams. His single, “Weeds” (October 2020) is currently highlighted on the largest folk playlist Chill Folk, streaming 3500 times per day. “Horizon” (April 2021) was featured in the motion picture “The Secret: Dare To Dream,” starring Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas.

General Admission tickets are $25. Reserved seating is available at $50.

The Steel Wheels have long been at home in the creative space between tradition and innovation, informed by the familiar sounds of the Virginia mountains where the band was formed, but always moving forward with insightful lyrics and an evolving sound. In 2005, Jay Lapp (vocals, guitars, mandolin) and Eric Brubaker (vocals, fiddle) joined lead singer Trent Wagler (guitar, banjo) in forming the band as a vehicle for Wagler’s songwriting. They released several albums under Wagler’s moniker, before officially adopting the The Steel Wheels name with the 2010 release of Red Wing.

Quickly staking their claim as independent upstarts in the burgeoning Americana scene, The Steel Wheels followed up this release with three more self-produced albums in the next

five years, before joining forces with producer Sam Kassirer for “Wild As We Came Here” (2017) and “Over The Trees” (2019). Kevin Garcia (drums, percussion, keyboards) joined in 2017, bringing a new level of sonic depth and polish to the outfit.

The Steel Wheels responded to the time of isolation and loss formed by the pandemic by seeking to connect with their audience in new ways. In 2020, unable to perform their brand of Americana for crowds in live settings, the musicians turned their creative powers to crafting songs for individuals. Produced in isolation in the band’s home studios, mixed and mastered by Kevin, the “Everyone a Song” albums are part of an ongoing project to collect the personal experiences of fans and forge them into that most enduring, yet ephemeral format we call “song.”

An accompanying podcast, “We Made You a Song,” explores the stories behind these songs, and the songwriting process itself.

General Admission tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the show. Reserved Seating is available for $55 in advance and $50 the day of the show. Both shows start at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at acornlive.org. The Acorn is located at 107 Generations Drive in Three Oaks.

New Buffalo Area Schools cuts the ribbon on STEAM facility

“T

he future is now.”

Members of the audience who had gathered in the New Buffalo Area Schools’ new Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) building heard this message that was stated by Dr. Michael Lindley, interim superintendent of New Buffalo Area Schools, loud and clear during the building’s longanticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, Dec. 20.

“We hear lot about what skills are necessary to be successful in the future…The STEAM building will help science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics skills and students will be able to apply knowledge that they learn in the classroom to the steam structures,” Lindley said.

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

He added that additionally, the building will be used for robotics and engineering courses, a “place for our robotics team to explore, build and compete” and a place to build sets for the Performing Arts Center.

“We envision developing new courses, afterschool and summer enrichment and other learning opportunities not yet envisioned,” Lindley said.

Lindley thanked the following individuals for making the STEAM building possible: Brandon Holdeman and Mike Kounelis from SkillmanConstruction Management; Gary Folino and Evan LeDuc from Abonmarche; Robotics Team sponsors, Todd Tanksley and Darrick Fairchild; Robotics and Engineering Instructor Richard Eberly; Director of Operations Keith Carlson; Mark German, maintenance; Director

of Technology Jacob Stella, Director of the Performing Arts Center Dwayne Whitmyer and Director of Finance Pano Arvanitis.

New Buffalo Area School Board of Education members Lisa Werner, Heather Black, John Haskins, Trish Newton, Brad Brunner, Denise Churchill, Paul Keller and Vannessa Thun were also thanked and present to cut the ribbon on the facility.

According to Kounelis, the STEAM Building, which contains just under 10,000 square feet inside of it, is part of a project that’s almost $4.5 million that includes pickleball courts, a pavilion and a skate park.

Gazing around at the crowd, Rick Blake, who is the founder and president

of Edgewater Automation and has been in the custom automation field for 40 years, said that he “sees an investment – and we don’t make investments unless we see a future.”

“We invest in the future and the future then brings the opportunity… When I look at the young people around here, they’re going to get the chance to go through this facility and learn different technology, robotics, programming, 3-D printing, different kinds of technology that we don’t even know about yet but just the thought that we’re going to invest now so that we’re ready for the future and when that opportunity comes, we can jump on it – that’s what I see this investment being: A chance for our young people and our community to take advantage those opportunities when they come in the future,” he said.

New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education President Lisa Werner speaks at the ribbon-cutting

Robotic demonstrations were taking place in the STEAM facility

Demonstrations were in full swing in the STEAM facility

Mildred Leslie, mother of former superintendent Dr. Jeff Leslie, and Mike Kounelis display the plaque

Interim Superintendent Dr. Michael Lindley speaks at the ribbon-cutting

The crowd gathers in the STEAM facility

Since 2008, Edgewater has been involved with First Robotics. “Since that time, Michigan as a state is one of the strongest states in the First Robotics in the nation,” Blake said.

New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education President Lisa Werner said that the “need for innovation today has forced companies to move innovation to the forefront, building it into their communications and mission statements.”

“As a leader, you must lead by example and embrace innovation and a leader must be willing to devote the resource necessary to allow innovations to succeed…A leader must innovate in what a company does well todayinnovation is the lifeblood of a company and foundation of its mission,” she said, adding that “employees do not dedicate themselves to what a company is, they dedicate themselves to what a company is going to be.”

Werner said that technology is the “driving force” in innovation in a variety of industries, such as healthcare, retail and finance.

She added that there “remains certain soft skills that computers simply cannot replicate in the workforce: teamwork, cooperation, creativity and adaption to change.”

“By providing this space for students and having a strong set of soft skills helps employees become more versatile and can open up more opportunities for growth in today’s job market,” Werner said.

Eberly thanked the school district for always being “really supportive of the initiatives we take to bring opportunities to the kids.”

“This is one of those things that with having done a lot of engineering projects, New Buffalo as a district recognized the need and they responded to it,” he said.

In addition to having the space

to build the robots, Eberly said that the building also features a metal fabrication lab, a wood fabrication lab, 3-D printers and carbon fiber.

“So, we’ll be able to cut aluminum, 3-D the carbon fiber - just some of the capabilities to make the parts is here on site rather than having to farm it out to other machine shops,” he said.

With the spring musical on the horizon, Whitmyer said that it’ll be nice to not have to “tear everything down” in terms of building sets and being able to have space for their construction and storage.

“Having this over here and being able to wheel things across the road…It’s going to be really nice,” he said.

New Buffalo High School

Principal Tracy Ripley said that Eberly will be using some of the space for his engineering class, which will “come out here to build some of those robots and engineer some of the things that they do right now in the classroom.”

“But in addition to that, that’s a partnership now that we’ve created with our robotics team, so students on our robotics team, which is an extracurricular, will actually be getting standards met and getting science credits because they will be mastering some of their standards that Mr. Eberly will be ensuring that meet the science standards,” she said.

Ripely added that the same partnership will occur with the art and drama and let students building sets “get some of those standards and credits by being in the drama department.”

“Being back here and building the sets and then being able to quickly transport those across the street and working throughout the school day on those things in your art and science classes and having this facility is now just going to take our education to whole new level,” Ripley said.

My father is from the village of Beranci, Macedonia, and my mother is from Greece.

— Alexander Volkanovski

Rick Blake speaks during the ribbon-cutting

Members of the New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education cut the ribbon on the STEAM facility

The crowd gathers in the STEAM facility

Students grace the stage for annual talent show

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

After a two-year hiatus, it was back to normal programming when students graced the stage for another entertaining segment of their very own Christmas version of “New Buffalo High School’s Got Talent” in the New Buffalo Performing Arts Center Thursday, Dec. 22. The talent show (which, a per usual, took place the day before Christmas break), featured a wide variety of acts, from singing (a duet by Ella Roch and Bella Notorangelo singing “For Good” from the musical “Wicked” as well as Amanda Jones’ take on “Crazy” by Jessica Reyes garnered lots of applause) to the playing of a variety of instruments (Ava Totzke played “Let It Go” from “Frozen” on her trumpet and Martin McGinn played a medley of Christmas tunes on the marimba) to the singing of songs from Christmas around the world (featuring Sr. Bayley and members of the AP Spanish class kicking off the show with Christmas carols sung in Spanish). Teachers also got into the act, joining Mrs. Jager and the Dance Company in a song and dance routine to “Never Going to Give You Up” by Rick Astley.

At the end of the show, students lined up onstage for the annual ugly Christmas sweater contest, allowing everyone to show off their multi-colored and, in some cases, light up sweaters to the student body.

Mrs. Jager and Compny performs Never Gonna Give You Up

High school principal Tracy Ripley and SADD advisor and health teacher Nicole Bowen were decked out in ugly Christmas sweaters

Ashley Jager leads the Mrs. Jager and Company team

Ava Totzke plays Let It Go on her trumpet

Deonna McGrew sings Glimpse of Us

Students in AP Spanish kick off the program with carols

Students line the stage for the ugly sweater competition

Members of the AP Spanish class kick off the program with carols

Neil Johnson and Gavin Escoto perform Drive

Martin McGinn plays a Christmas medley on the marimba

Students line up for the ugly sweater competition

Bianca Llescas Villa sings Never Enough

Amanda Jones sings Crazy

Bella Notorangelo and Ella Roch sing For Good

Matt Bayley kicks off the program with some carols

Ren Nash and Lauren Gradowski emceed the program

Students Francesca and Han play Ode to Joy

Members of the AP Spanish class, along with Matt Bayley, kick off the program with carols

Guests were treated to a full-on display of the season during the New Buffalo Elementary School’s

Students treat audience members to the ‘Sights and Sounds of the Season’

annual Christmas program, “Sights and Sounds of the Season,” which took place in the Performing Arts Center Wednesday, Dec. 21.

Students in

kindergarten through second grades sang through a medley of holiday tunes, from the traditional ones reserved for that special time of year (“Rudolph the Red

Nosed Reindeer” and “Jingle Bells”) to unique ones that audience members may not have heard elsewhere (“Hurry Santa,” Hip Hop Reindeer” and “Sounds

of Santa’s Workshop”), in anticipation of the arrival of Christmas.

The show was directed by Christina Beushausen, the elementary school music teacher.

Kindergarteners sing Jingle Bells

Students perform Shout

Second graders sing Peppermint Candy Canes

First graders sing Hip Hop Reindeer

CITY OF NEW BUFFALO BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHIGAN ORDINANCE NO. 258 AN

BUFFALO, MICHIGAN

THE CITY OF NEW BUFFALO ORDAINS:

Section 1. Amendment. Section 39 of Article VI, Chapter 18 of the Code of Ordinances, City of New Buffalo, Michigan, is hereby amended in its entirety to read:

Section 18-39. Initiation of proceedings. Proceedings for the vacation, discontinuance or abolishment of any street, alley, public ground, or

part thereof, may be initiated (1) by the City Council as allowed by law, or (2) by the owners of more than 2/3 of the property abutting the part of the street, alley or public ground to be vacated subject to the procedures as set forth in this chapter.

Section 2. Publication and Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, and shall be effective 20 days after its enactment or upon publication, whichever is later.

YEAS: Flanagan, Price, Robertson, Lijewski, Mayor Humphrey

NAYS: ABSTAIN: ABSENT:

ORDINANCE DECLARED ADOPTED. CERTIFICATION

This is a true and complete copy of an ordinance adopted by the City Council of the City of New Buffalo, Berrien County, Michigan, at a meeting held on December 19, 2022.

JOHN HUMPHREY, MAYOR ANN M. FIDLER, CLERK

Largest Amish Dealer in SW Michigan

Chikaming Open Lands announces a new nature preserve in Buchanan

Chikaming Open Lands (COL) has announced that it’s partnered with Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) to acquire a new nature preserve in Buchanan.

The 45acre forested property was donated to COL in full by the landowners, Julie Dorfman, Jerry Herst and Anne Krantz. Located on Wolkins Road a few miles northwest of the City of Buchanan, the new property will be named Myron Perlman Nature Preserve after Krantz’s late husband and will be open to the public for outdoor recreation. COL is developing plans to build a trail system through the preserve next year.

“With its high-quality mature forest, this is a really beautiful property,” said COL Executive Director Ryan Postema. “It’s also our first nature preserve in Buchanan Township. A big part of our long-term vision as an organization is to increase our impact by working in a broader expanse of Berrien County, and this is a great first step on that path.”

Working with the donors, COL

and SWMLC partnered to protect the property. SWMLC holds a conservation easement on the land, while COL owns and manages the new nature preserve.

“We fell in love with these woods in Michigan 36 years ago,” said Herst. “We long knew that we did not want this precious piece of land to be … compromised when the time came that we would not be able to maintain [it] or address invasive species in the forest as we aged. We knew we wanted to put a conservation

easement on the property and turn it into a nature preserve. COL and SWMLC helped us to fulfill this dream.”

Added Dorfman, Herst and Krantz, “We hope this forest will inspire others as it has inspired us and so many dear ones. We want people to love and protect this precious gem. We can all share in the satisfaction of doing something positive to encourage biodiversity and protect life on our planet.”

STAFF

HOROSCOPE

DECEMBER 29, 2022-JANUARY 4, 2023

AS INTERPRETED BY SANDY “STAR” BENDT

ARIES MARCH 21—APRIL 19

Let your emotional attachments to home and family come to fruition this coming year. Let these strong attachments fuel your self-image in ways that are productive and beneficial. Use experiences from your home-life to uplift your identity and build your reputation as the new year unfolds.

TAURUS APRIL 20—MAY 20

Goals and pledges for the new year ahead will be best built on earlier educational experiences. Draw on those early apprenticeships when formulating where you want the new year to take you. There is a lot of growth potential when you build on past experiences so, expand on what you already know.

GEMINI MAY 21—JUNE 21

Rely on your resources and trust in your ideas of what is valuable when meditating on the year ahead. Friends will supply the emotional security when you need it most, and it is these interconnections with others that will build your resources and sense of satisfaction over the next twelve months.

CANCER JUNE 22—JULY 22

Seeing yourself as separate or outside of the group will change a lot this coming year. There will be a strong sense of belonging and solid partnering that will develop as the year unfolds. It is your creative gifts that will arise and grow out of interacting on a more public level. Shell time is over.

LEO JULY 23—AUGUST 22

In the year ahead, let go of keeping secrets and embrace your authenticity. Don’t shy away from exploring or doing things that are outside of your normal everyday routines. Your ability to be flexible and accommodate for the needs of others will promote personal growth in amazing ways this new year.

VIRGO AUGUST 23—SEPTEMBER 22

Many of the social connections you have made will change over the coming year, and you will be pleasantly surprised when the most seemingly unstable connections prove to have the most strength. Make resolutions that feed your creative drives and let the social systems work themselves out.

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23—OCTOBER 22

Expect a lot of shifts in your career and public life over the next twelve months.

Don’t worry, your resources will stay stocked during the shifts. As you develop your relationship skills during these occupational and leadership phases, trust that the right place for you will take root.

SCORPIO OCTOBER 23—NOVEMBER 21

The learning phase is over and it’s time to put your skills to use, in the year ahead. Any physical limitations, travel or health issues will be resolved this year. Rely on your elementary skills or primary resources to overcome fears of communicating. Reach out to the neighborhood you are already in.

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 22—DECEMBER 21

This coming year, some of your long-standing commitments will phase out and you will be forming new alliances that are all your own. There is an element of being selfsufficient and on your own for much of the year ahead. Working by or for yourself will bring you much wealth and satisfaction.

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22—JANUARY 19

Relationships will be undergoing some remodeling this year. You will be very happy with the results when it’s all over, but during the renovations you may feel very unsure where it’s all going to end up. Don’t worry; the changes will help you become more self-reliant and stable on you own.

AQUARIUS JANUARY 20—FEBRUARY 18

Let your daily routines shift in the year ahead. Don’t try to stick to some rigid plan or resist spontaneity, thinking you cannot accommodate fun time in your serious goals for the future. The beauty in growing is adapting to changing conditions as they arise. Bent trees have more interest than straight ones do.

PISCES FEBRUARY 19—MARCH 20

What you derive pleasure or satisfaction from will be changing in the new year, so don’t make your guidelines too strict. Allow for some bending and shifting in the romantic areas too. The year ahead has some nice surprises for Pisces, that will move you to warmer waters with nicer beaches.

First Mates’, Rotarians’ blankets bring comfort and warmth at Christmastime

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Once again, members of the New Buffalo Yacht Club’s First Mates put their sewing skills to good use this past Christmas season to create blankets and other accessories to deliver to those who need something to snuggle up with for warmth – and comfort.

The group is comprised of women who have been making blankets for Ronald McDonald House in South Bend since 2018. According to Rita Watson, the group has donated over 2,000 hats, preemie jackets, adult and children’s fleece blankets.

Members of the Yacht Club also donated various items for the food pantry.

Watson said the Ronald McDonald House has 20 bedrooms for guests and provides three meals a day for them. They also have laundry facilities and a large playroom for the brothers and sisters of the sick patients.

This past January, the Rotary Club of Harbor Country started making blankets as well. The two groups recently joined

forces for the “Rotarian Appreciation Blanket Project.” Watson said they’ve donated over 160 blankets to community police, firefighters, nurses, cancer and dialysis patients, paramedics and Ronald McDonald House.

Blankets were distributed to local first responders, including the firefighters at New Buffalo Township and the City of New Buffalo, this past fall.

Watson joined the Rotary Club last December after helping to put together the Rotarians’ annual Christmas baskets to distribute to area families.

This year, blankets that were made by the two groups were tucked into the basket along with the other items.

The public is welcome to help make the blankets at Three Oaks Township Public Library, located at 3 North Elm Street in Three Oaks, every Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. beginning Jan. 10. All you need to do is to know how to tie knots.

First Mates display their handmade blankets

First Mates display their handmade blankets for Christmas

Handmade blankets are ready to go

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.

FOR RENT

NEW BUFFALO RETAIL

US 12 high-visibility rental & pop-up spaces next to popular yoga studio. Great parking. 700-2,000 SF. Call to view/rates @ 312-259-4011.

NEW BUFFALO

Rent Year Round in New Buffalo. 1 or 2 bedroom apartments starting at $800 per month. Quiet living—no pets. For more information call 269-469-1364.

HELP WANTED LOVE WORKING OUTDOORS AND IN THE TREES?

Awesome, outdoor, low covid exposure, summer work. C&A Arborists, your local tree care professionals, are looking for help!! Drivers license required, CDL preferred. Please call 269-756-2571, mail jamietreephilosophy@gmail.com.

FULL TIME COOK POSITION IN

LAPORTE

1 Year Experience. Call Oak Woods Manor for more details. 219-362-6600.

SEEKING AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FOR SMALL

OFFICE

Must be proficient in Microsoft Office. Quickbooks knowledge a plus. FullTime position. Office is located in New Buffalo, MI. For an interview, call 708-917-0055.

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS EXPERIENCE PREFERRED

Carpentry drywall flooring tile setting windows doors and decking. Must be 18 years or older with valid drivers license. Heavy lifting involved. 219-808-1329. johnrtaylor1953@gmail.com.

SERVICES

FISH FOR STOCKING

Most Varieties Pond and Lakes. Laggis Fish Farm 269-628-2056 Days 269-624-6215 Evenings.

ELDERLY CARE NEEDED?

Compassionate help available to care for your loved ones. Experienced and Dependable. Call Diane 219-344-2265.