Ticket sales brisk for talent-laden basketball tournament

BY STAN MADDUX

Tickets are selling fast in LaPorte for an upcoming invitational featuring some of the best major college invitational to provide social distancing because of the latest COVID-19 surge at the request of the invitational committee. He said masks will be provided basketball recruits in the nation.

La Lumiere is one of the eight teams in the U.S. Marines National Interscholastic Basketball Conference Invitational to be televised by ESPN.

All of the games during the three-day invitational beginning Jan. 6 will be played at the nearly century old Civic Auditorium.

Tickets are $20 for each day, with games scheduled Thursday at 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m.

Games Friday and Saturday are scheduled at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m.

LaPorte Civic Auditorium Director Brett Binversie said more tickets have been sold for the games on Jan. 8, which he expects to sell out by the end of the week.

Ticket sales are not too far behind for games scheduled the first two days of the invitational.

“Thursday and Saturday are going to be some great days as well as Friday,” he said.

Tickets are available at www. civictix.eventbrite.com. or at the Civic Auditorium, the LaPorte Park and Recreation Office and the LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Civic Auditorium, which used to be home to the LaPorte High School boys’ basketball team until the 1970s, has more than 1,300 seats.

Binversie said about 1,000 seats will be available for the to people who want one but are not mandated. “We’re going to reduce the capacity by 25% just to help with things,” he said. He said extra glass backboards have also been brought in just in case any of the ones used during the games are shattered from a slam dunk by the high-quality athletes. “We’re trying to plan accordingly just in case,” he said. Binversie said the Paragon Marketing Group, which is putting on the event, along with crews from ESPN, have visited the Civic Auditorium several times in recent weeks to help prepare for the invitational and telecasts. “The behind the scenes work on this has been extensive,” he said. Binversie said he and other city employees have also invested extra time making sure the always well-maintained Civic Auditorium is as spotless and ready to go for the invitational as possible. “This is our chance to shine on a national spotlight as well, so, a lot of effort has been put into making sure everything is perfect,” he said. The NIBC is a new conference, which contains La Lumiere and seven other basketball teams from college prep schools from Maryland to Utah and as far south as Florida.

SPORTS

From the Bleachers

COLUMN BY KURT MARGGRAF IN CHICAGO

Get your party hats on people,

it’s time to celebrate the New Year. The past couple of years have been doozies, and 2022 appears to be starting off the same way.

The bad news is that the new Covid variant seems to be spreading like wildfire but the good news is that so far, people who have been vaccinated and boosted don’t seem to be getting as sick.

I sure hope that trend continues and Covid becomes more like the common flu. People are growing weary of the pandemic and they’re letting their guards down, and the clinics that administer the tests that determine if you have Covid are getting longer and longer.

This past week I heard that multiple clinics actually ran out of testing supplies and the at home tests are sold out everywhere you look. So be vigilant and hopefully we can finally put an end to this awful disease.

The Bulls played the Indiana Pacers Sunday night and beat them rather handily, 113-105. The last time these two teams got together, the Pacers beat the Bulls by 32 points. Even though the Bulls coach and point guard were out ( Covid protocol ), the teams chemistry is improving and they are definitely one of the elite teams in the NBA.

This basketball season is going to be a lot of fun, and when the playoffs roll around the Bulls will be participating instead of observing for the first time in what seems like forever.

Speaking of the playoffs, the Bears are officially eliminated, but that did not stop them from playing a really good game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Nick Foles, the teams third string quarterback led them to a 25-24 last minute victory. Foles, who played only because Fields and Dalton were unable to participate, looked good in his first, and probably last, activity of the season. Looking forward to next season, probably with a new coach and coordinator, the teams offense will look quite a bit different. Some of the offensive linemen are playing better, but getting another one or two will probably be added to the roster. In my opinion,the skill positions are in pretty good hands.

Justin Fields should improve greatly because he got to play his rookie season. Montgomery and Herbert are both fine running backs and Tarik Cohen should probably return from his injuries as a change of pace back. Darnell Mooney continues to impress me as a wide receiver and Cole Kmet continues to improve at tight end. The team’s defense, always their strong point, should be good once again. After thinking and writing about this, I think the team will be much better next season, and a return to the playoffs is probably in the cards.

William E. Vaughan said, “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”

Refuse hate. Happy New Year. Talk to you next year. Peace, love, and happiness.

La Lumiere off to a strong start in basketball

BY STAN MADDUX

The college prep school basketball team at La Lumiere is going into the New Year ranked No. 6 in the National Top 20 basketball rankings.

The only loss suffered by the Lakers (9-1) was to No. 1 ranked Sunrise Christian Academy out of Kansas on December 11.

Head Coach Pat Holmes said this year’s team nestled in the rolling hills of northern LaPorte County has the potential to reach the National Tournament, which La Lumiere won in 2017.

“So far, so good. We still have plenty of work yet to do,” he said.

Holmes said the toughest part of the schedule coming up will be a major test for his team filled with players recruited by major college basketball programs.

The Lakers face Indianapolis Cathedral in the Mac Jelks Invitational at Hammond Central High School on Jan. 1.

La Lumiere then plays three games Jan. 6 through 8 in the U.S. Marines National Interscholastic Basketball Conference Invitational.

The invitational to be played at the LaPorte Civic Auditorium is going to be televised by ESPN.

More than 30 of the top 100 NCAA Division 1 recruits are on the eight teams taking part in the basketball extravaganza.

“We can lose to any one of these teams but we’re very capable to beating every one of these teams. We got to bring it every single night,” Holmes said.

Among the starters for La Lumiere this year are 6-foot junior guard Jeremy Fears, Jr., from Joliet, Illinois, and J.J. Starling, a 6-foot-5 senior guard from Baldwinsville, New York.

Starling has committed to play at the University of Notre Dame next season.

Fears is being pursued by the University of Illinois, Michigan State and the University of Michigan.

Rounding out the starting line-up are Ryan Mabrey, Chisom Okpara and Kebba Njie.

The 6-foot-4 Mabrey, a senior guard from Lincroft, New Jersey, is being recruited by the University of Washington and other colleges like Valparaiso University.

Okpara, a 6-foot-7 senior forward out of Saxtons River, Vermont, is signed to play next season at Harvard University.

Njie, a 6-foot-10 senior forward from Dayton, Ohio, has committed to Penn State University.

Holmes said this year’s team is stronger than last year’s squad, which was 10-10 during a COVID-19 shortened season.

“This is a great team we have here. We’re just trying to stay healthy and keep getting better every single day,” he said.

The Acorn to present Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre with the Aqualung 50th Anniversary Tour featuring original band Member Clive Bunker, other guests

The Acorn will welcome Martin Barre in the Aqualung 50th Anniversary Tour at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 19.

In 1969, Jethro Tull, a band of four English musicians, arrived in New York and took America by storm. Over the next 50 years, this legendary band accumulated over 65 million record sales and a following of loyal fans that are the envy of rock bands worldwide.

“Aqualung,” probably the most famous and celebrated of all of Jethro Tull’s albums, is now celebrating 50 years since its release in 1971. At the center of Tull’s unique sound is guitarist

Barre, who is renowned for his formidable mastery of historic riffs, power chords and soaring melodic solos.

Barre is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of the iconic and legendary album

“Aqualung” with a worldwide tour. He will be bringing a spectacular show playing the album in its entirety with his touring band The Martin Barre Band. The band features Dan Crisp on lead vocals, Alan Thomson on keyboard, and Darby Todd on Drums together with former Jethro Tull band members Clive Bunker on drums and Dee Palmer on keyboard.

“Aqualung was the album that defined Tull. Sumptuous melodies, big dynamics, and power riffs galore. Acoustic met electric...and it all worked,” Barre said.

The anniversary tour will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to sit back and relive this legendary album, being played in full and in sequence for the first time.

Barre was Jethro Tull’s guitarist for over 43 years. His sound and playing was a major factor in their success. Album sales have exceeded 60 million units and they continue to be played worldwide, representing an important part of classic rock history.

Barren’s guitar playing has earned him a high level of respect and recognition. His solos were voted 25th best solo ever in the USA and 20th best solo ever in the UK for his playing on

“Aqualung.” His playing on the album “Crest of a Knave” earned him a Grammy award in 1989. Barre has worked with many other artists including Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa and Chris Thompson and has shared the stage with such legends as Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin.

Special guests will include Clive Bunker Dee Palmer.

Bunker was the original drummer with Tull and played on Stand Up, Benefit and Aqualung. He was part of the original band from 1969 that stormed the USA.

Palmer arranged string, brass, and woodwind parts for Jethro Tull songs in the late 1960s through to the present day. After formally joining the group in 1976, he played keyboards on albums including Songs from The Wood, Heavy Horses and Stormwatch.

The Acorn is located at 107 Generations Drive in Three Oaks. Tickets are available at www.acornlive.

‘Christmas at the Acorn’ returns for 17th season

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

On the night before Christmas

Eve, a crowd gathered in The Acorn Theater for a night of opera and good old fashioned Christmas cheer.

After a one-year hiatus, members of the audience were happy to be back for Harbor Country Opera’s 17th annual Christmas at the Acorn, which took place at the theater Thursday, Dec. 23.Founder Robert Swan said he was attaching the phrase “Survivor’s Edition” to this year’s show.

Tenor John Concepcion had survived an infection after injuring his leg. Holly Link, who was hit by a car last year while walking her dog, was still here to tell her story. Swan himself had recently survived a second bout with cancer.

Everyone had weathered the nearly twoyear pandemic.

“Everyone here tonight is surviving it,” Swan said to the audience.

Audience members could enjoy a lively repertoire of Christmas tunes, from Concepcion’s haunting rendition of “Balulalow” (which was accompanied on the harp by Ramona Kim), some rarely heard medieval Christmas motets, John Lennon’s “So This is Christmas” (sung by the entire ensemble) and the Christmas Song sung by Swan, “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.”

There were also opportunities for the audience to join in song, with selections like “Silent Night” and “White Christmas.”

The ensemble closed the show with a rousing rendition of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” with Joe “Rudolph” the dog (clad in red antlers and a jingle bell collar) stealing the show.

John Concecpion (left) with harpist Ramona Kim The singers stand for applause

Joe (aka Rudolph) the dog makes his appearance John Concepcion sings carols with an operatic spin Michael Cavalieri takes the stage

Singers join Robert Swan (fourth from left) during Christmas at the Acorn