Blizzard conditions, frigid temperatures wreak havoc on the region

Local Government Meetings

New Buffalo Times

Democracy Requires Transparency

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

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

COMPILED BY FRANCESCA SAGALA 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. — Esperanza Spalding

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

“The 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.

The crowd gathers in the STEAM facility

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

Rick Blake speaks during the ribbon-cutting 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 today - innovation 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.