N 8TH YEAR March 2011 NEIGHBORS - Phil Vitale 2011/1-Mar-11-screen.pdf · Youth Council and Kohls Cares for Kids program. If transportation is an issue, ... To request a scholarship

inside...Regional News....................Pages 2, 3

Regional Events........................Page 4

Recipes ...........................Pages 10, 11

Floyd’s Postcards..............Page 15-17

The Last Word ........................Page 19

Neighbors is published monthly from

March through December.

Neighbors102 S. Broadway

Cassopolis, MI 49031(269) 445-9200

http://www.cassneighbors.com

[email protected] @beanstalk.net

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Cass Co. Neighbors102 S. BroadwayCassopolis, MI 49031

NOW IN OUR 8TH YEAR! March 2011Vol. 8 No. 1 © 2011 Neighbors Inc.

NEIGHBORSNEIGHBORShttp://www.CassNeighbors.com

A Cass County Newspaper distributed in Dowagiac, Cassopolis, Edwardsburg, Vandalia, Jones, Marcellus, Decatur, Union, Sister Lakes, Three Rivers, Elkhart and Mishawaka

with home delivery at Diamond, Eagle, Birch, Corey, Donnell, Indian, Magician, Shavehead, Baldwin, Long, Dewey, Cable, Juno, Christiana, Painter, Paradise, Stone, Buck, Lewis, Big & Little Twin and Bair Lakes

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PAGE 2 NEIGHBORS MARCH 2011

REGIONAL NEWSLadies Night Out!

Relay for Life of Cass County will

host its 2nd annual Ladies Night Out on

Friday, March 11 at Dowagiac Middle

School from 6 to 8:30 pm. A donation of

$10 at the door covers your American

Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

Membership, a door prize ticket and any

refreshments. Enjoy a fun filled evening

with your girlfriends while shopping from

some of our areas best vendors. Door

Prizes will be given away thoughout the

evening while you enjoy homemade

refreshments. Event proceeds benefit the

2011 Relay for Life of Cass County.

For more information or if you want to

participate, contact Diana Bower,

Chairperson at (269)782-9293.

Federal employees to meetOn Tuesday, April 26 at 6 pm, the

National Active & Retired Federal

Employees Association, SW Michigan

Chapter will hold its monthly meeting at

the Super Buffet in Pipestone Plaza,

Benton Harbor. All retired & current fed-

eral employees, spouses & families are

welcome. For information call Jean Rowe,

269 782 2769 or email jeanrowe70@com-

cast.net

Michigan Lake & Stream to host annual meeting

Michigan Lake and Streams

Association will host it’s 50th annual con-

ference and banquet April 15 and 16 at

Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls.

Make reservation no later than

March 15 at http://mlswa.org/.

Eighth annual Parent Expo Mar. 22Tuesday, March 22 is the 8th Annual

PARENT EXPO in conjunction with

Parenting Awareness Month. The cele-

bration this year will echo a circus theme.

There will be games and activities includ-

ing a petting zoo. There is no cost.

Due to such great attendance in the

past the Parent Expo will be held at the

Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School

Gymnasium from 5-7:30 p.m.

Healthworks Museum of South Bend

will have a one-of-a-kind carnival of fit-

ness called “Kohls Fit Festival.” Other

activities include face-painting, door-

prizes and opportunities to learn more

about our community agencies, a free

“family photo” and the Edwardsburg

Lions Club will offer free vision screen-

ings for all members of your family.

The Great Start Early Childhood

Department of Lewis Cass ISD will have

plenty of useful information and agencies

reps there to answer questions. A repre-

sentative from the Michigan Primary

Care Association will be on hand to help

people qualify for one of the state health

and dental insurance programs. Cass

District Library will have a special area

for enhancing literacy. Additional area

agencies such as Midwest Energy, United

Way of SWMichigan, Woodlands BHN,

Southwest Michigan Community Action

Agency, DHS, Early On, and the

Volunteer Center. This program is avail-

able due to support from the Cass County

Youth Council and Kohls Cares for Kids

program. If transportation is an issue,

call 445-6282 to make arrangements.

New Programs this fall at SMCSouthwestern Michigan College is

launching four new degree programs and

three new certificate programs beginning

with the Fall 2011 semester.

The College is starting two new asso-

ciate degrees programs in business, one

with concentration in hotel management

and the second with concentration in spe-

cial events planning; an associate’s

degree construction trades green technol-

ogy; and a fourth associate degree in

mechatronics technology.

The hotel management concentration

prepares business majors for entry level

supervisory positions in hotel manage-

ment with an emphasis in business man-

agement.

The special events planning concen-

tration provides a background in hospi-

tality with a specific focus in sales and

event planning and an emphasis in busi-

ness management.

The construction trades green tech-

nology degree provides students with a

solid foundation in ‘green’ construction in

accordance with the National Association

of Home Builders guidelines.

The emerging field of mechatronics

integrates electrical, mechanical, and

computer systems for students who want

a career in manufacturing. Graduates of

this program will learn to install, main-

tain, and repair automated manufactur-

ing equipment. In addition to the associ-

ate’s degree program, students will be

able to get a certificate in mechatronics.

Two specialty certificates, hotel man-

agement and dance education, will start

this fall as well. Specialty certificates are

shorter term programs that can be com-

pleted in less than a year.

The hotel management certificate

prepares students in lodging manage-

ment and is ideal for someone who is

working in this field who does not have a

degree. The curriculum is designed for

students who have previous dance experi-

ence and technical training.

Midwest Energy offers $500 college scholarships

Midwest Energy Cooperative is

accepting applications for its annual

scholarship program. High school seniors

whose parents or guardians receive

Spring Pops ConcertFriday, March 25, 7:30 p.m.An offering of jazz, rock, and other popular styles by the Select Voices,

Show Choir, and Jazz Ensemble.

Spring Band ConcertFriday, April 1, 7:30 p.m.A program of classical and popular styles featuring the Symphonic

and Brass Bands, and selected small ensembles.

Spring Choral ConcertFriday, April 8, 7:30 p.m.A concert of classical and popular music presented by Select Voices,

Men’s Ensemble, Women’s Ensemble, Concert Choir, Show Choir, and

Evening Chorale.

“In Retrospect”Celebrate a decade of danceFriday, April 15, 7:30 p.m. & Saturday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.An exciting program featuring selected works from the past 10 years

of dance interwoven with creative new material by students, faculty,

and alumni.

Collage ConcertThursday, April 28, 7:30 p.m.A non-stop showcase featuring bands and choirs along with soloists

and small ensembles, seamlessly woven together into a dazzling

evening of music.

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Southwestern Michigan College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. www.higherlearningcommission.org

Ticket Prices: $7 general admission, $5 students and senior citizens, and free to those

18 and under. Tickets can be purchased from the Box Office at 800-456-8675, ext. 1280.

All performances are in the theatre of the Dale A. Lyons Building on the Dowagiac campus.

58900 Cherry Grove Road • Dowagiac, MI 49047

The Underground Railroad Society of CassCounty recently completed the purchase of theJames E. Bonine House and Carriage House inVandalia at M60 and Calvin Center Road, withthe intent to preserve and restore both proper-ties for use as education and community centers.The property is important for its architecturalsignificance as the ancestral home of the Boninefamily, and for its connection to theUnderground Railroad activity in this area. Thegroup noted that the immediate priority isemergency repairs on the roof and water diver-sion. Area residents are invited to become aFriend of the Bonine House by going tourscc.org or writing to URSCC P.O.Box 124,Vandalia MI 49095. The group said they planto have regular hours at at 808 E State Street,Cassopolis (in the Family Dollar shopping cen-ter) in the near future.


monthly electric service from Midwest

Energy, and whose primary residence is

in Midwest’s service area, may apply for

one of the four $500 college scholarships

to be presented in spring 2011.

Selection for the scholarship is based

on academic performance, extra-curricu-

lar activities, community involvement

and/or employment, and honors and

awards. Applicants will also be asked to

submit a short essay. A minimum cumu-

lative grade point average of 3.5 on a

four-point system is required.

Scholarship applications must be

postmarked by Friday, March 18, and

winners will be notified in late April.

To request a scholarship application,

please contact Midwest at 1-800-492-

5989. You may also download the appli-

cation at www.TeamMidwest.com.

Trivia night helpsThe fifth annual Cass County

Council on Aging Trivia Night is set for

April 29. Proceeds from the evening will

support the COA Handy Helpers pro-

gram, a service to help older adults stay

in their homes safely. The program pro-

vides assistance with limited home repair

or maintenance services to seniors over

the age of 60. The work is performed by

COA volunteers, with minimal or no

charge to the customer.

The entry fee is $100 per team, and

each team may have up to 10 members.

The top three teams will win cash prizes,

and everyone will be able to join in extra

games, enjoy the food and drinks for sale,

and have fun for a good cause.

Teams may arrive at 5 p.m. and the

game will begin at 6 p.m. at the Council

on Aging on corner of M-60 and Decatur

Road in Cassopolis.

Please call (269) 445-8110 or (800)

323-0390 to reserve your team’s table

today.

Compassion Cupboard openThe Compassion Cupboard at the

First Church of God in Cassopolis, locat-

ed at 21083 Spencer Road behind Family

Dollar, will be open from 9 to 11 am on

March 26, April 23 and May 28.

Midwest Energy teen offerMidwest Energy Cooperative is look-

ing for a few good teens for the annual

Teen Days and Youth Tour events.

Teen Days, sponsored by the

Michigan Electric Cooperative

Association and Michigan’s electric coop-

eratives, will be April 27-29 at the

Kettunen 4-H Center near Cadillac.

Teens from around the state will gather

with co-op staff to participate in fun,

interactive activities designed to help

them learn how cooperative businesses,

especially rural electric co-ops, operate.

Students learn about electrical safety and

leadership in a relaxed setting by watch-

ing a live hotline demonstration, experi-

encing what it’s like to climb a utility pole

wearing 25 pounds of lineworker’s gear,

and running an electric cooperative

Board of Directors meeting. Students will

also visit an energy control center and

watch a live television newscast.

High school sophomores or juniors in

the Midwest Energy Cooperative service

territory are eligible to apply and four

students will be selected to attend.

Midwest will then select two participants

for the 2011 Youth Tour, an all-expenses

paid tour of Washington, D.C. With the

exception of personal spending money,

both trips are funded by the cooperative.

More information and an online

application are available at

TeamMidwest.com. Interested students

may also contact Nicole Barfell at 269-

445-1112, or by email at nicoleb@team-

midwest.com. The application deadline is

Friday, March 11, 2011.

New Cassopolis Village ManagerI feel privileged to be able to introduce

myself. My name is Margaret Cluckey, butI go by Meg. I am the new Village Managerfor Cassopolis and am very excited to be apart of a positive and productive momen-tum here in Cassopolis.

I recently came from Buchanan afterspending just shy of five years as CityManager there. Public service has been inmy blood since I was a youth — my fatherwas active in the business community, withthe school board and civic endeavors, aswell as being the City Attorney for Green-ville Michigan. I often tagged along withhim and was bitten by the bug at an earlyage. As an adult working on my masters

degree, I determined that municipal man-agement was my calling and am happy tosay that I LOVE this field and the civicinvolvement that comes with it.

I have an open-door policy andencourage residents, business owners andanyone interested in the continuedimprovement of the Village of Cassopolis tocome and see me.

I try to get out of the office during theweek and talk to local business owners tosee how they are and if they have any con-cerns. I would sincerely love to have peopleapproach me with a suggestion, recom-mendation, complaint or thoughts on howthe Village is doing. I welcome this.

I am hoping that the monthly contribu-tion to Neighbors from the Village Hall willprovide updates on the Village ofCassopolis and what we are doing, as wellas to solicit comments regarding how bestwe can capitalize on the assets here in theVillage. I hope many of you will take thetime to let us know how we are doing; it’syour voice that can have a positive impacton where we go from here!

-Meg Cluckey

REGIONAL NEWS

Lee Memorial Hospital

A member of Ascension Health®

Winners of the first prize of$600 each at the eighth annualStone Lake Ice Fishing Derby,which was sponsored by theCassopolis/Vandalia Chamberof Commerce and several areabusinesses. The event, heldJan. 29, attracted 147 fisher-men. The prizes went to DonHarrison, bluegill, 9”; BrianHensley, perch, 11-5/16”;Nathan Machowiak, crappie,12-3/16”.


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UNION INSURANCE AGENCYCorner of US 12 & Union Rd., Union, MI 49130

Independent Agency

269-641-5995fax: 269-641-5787

email: [email protected] www.unionins.net

March 9-12 — Kalamazoo area Homebuilder’sHome Show in the former Sam’s Club building inPortage, Wednesday 5-9 pm; Thursday and Friday12-9 pm, Saturday 10 am to 7 pm, http://www.kala-mazoohomepage.com

March 10 — Nature Munchkins squirrelprogram, St. Patrick’s County Park, South Bend,9:30 - 11 am, $16 for four classes, 574-654-3155

March 16 — Cass District Library BoardMeeting, Main Library, 7 pm

March 18 — Deadline for Midwest Energy’sannual scholarship applications, 800-492-5989or www.teammidwest.com

March 18 - 20 — Southwestern Michigan Home,Garden & Leisure Show, Lake Michigan CollegeMendel Center, www.swmhomeshow.com

March 19, 20 — Sugar Camp Days pancakebreakfast at Bendix Woods County Park, So.Bend, $35, 574-654-3155

March 22 — Southwest Michigan Chapter of theNational Association of Retired FederalEmployees meeting, 782-2769,[email protected]

March 22 — Lewis Cass Parent Expo, RossBeatty High School gymnasium, Cassopolis, 5-7:30pm; 445-6282

March 26 — Girls Know How, Howard Branch ofthe Cass District Library, 10 am

March 27 — Dowagiac Easter Eggstravaganza,11:45 am, [email protected], 782-8212(Rain date April 3)

March 29 — Family Movie Night, showing“Tangled,” Mason Union Branch of the Cass DistrictLibrary, 6 pm

April 4 — Howard Branch Friends Meeting,Howard Branch of the Cass District Library, 6 pm

April 13 — Friends Meeting, Mason Union Branchof the Cass District Library, 6 pm

April 15, 16 — Michigan Lake and StreamsAssoc. annual conference and banquet, BoyneMountain Resort, Boyne Falls. Reservations byMar. 15 at http://mlswa.org

April 16 — Easter Eggstravaganza, downtownDowagiac, [email protected], 782-6810

April 20 — Board Meeting of the Cass DistrictLibrary, 7 pm

April 29 — Cass County Council on Aging’sTrivia Night, $100/team, 5 pm, 445-8110

April 27-29 — Midwest Energy Cooperative’sTeen Days and Youth Tour events, Kettunen 4-HCenter, Cadillac. Application deadline March 11,445-1112, or email Nicole Barfell [email protected]

May 26 — start of Beckwith Park SummerConcert Series, Thursdays, [email protected], 782-8212

May 26-29 — Community Wide garage sale,[email protected], 782-8212

May 30 — Memorial Day Parade, Dowagiac, 424-5538

June 25 — John Tuka Memorial Charity GolfOuting, Dowagiac, [email protected],783-0451

September 24 — 11th Annual Schoolcraft CoinShow, Krum Community Center, 515 East Clay,Schoolcraft, MI - just off US 131, 9 am - 3:30 pm,free admission, www.schoolcraftcoinshow.com

April 4 — Howard Branch Friends Meeting,Howard Branch of the Cass District Library, 6 pm

May 6 - 14 — Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, vari-ous location, [email protected], 866-490-

2847, 782-1115

July 9 — Sister Lakes Lady Lions Craft Bazaar,9 am to 3 pm, 424-3670 or 944-1308

July 23 — Sister Lakes Triathalon events,www.3disciplines.com,[email protected]

July 28-30 — Summer in the City with SidewalkSales, [email protected], 782-8212,www.dowagiacchamber.com

July 30 — Steve’s Run, Ron Gunn, 782-1000,www.swmich.edu/fireup/stevesrun

August 1-6 — Cass County Fair, 445-8265http://www.casscountyfair.com/

August 20 — Rod & Roll Classic Auto Show,

Dowagiac, 7:30 am,[email protected],782-8212, www.dowagiacchamber.com

October 8, 9 — Wicks Apple House Ciderfest,782-7306, www.wicksapplehouse.com

November 18 — Old-Fashioned ChristmasCelebration, Dowagiac, [email protected],782-8212, www.dowagiacchamber.com

November 19 — Theta Mu Sorority Craft Show,DUHS, 9 am - 2 pm, 782-4053

December 2 — Candle-light Christmas Parade,Dowagiac, [email protected], 782-6810,www.dowagiacchamber.com

February 4, 2012 — Dowagiac Ice Time, [email protected], 782-8212

REGIONAL EVENTS CALENDAR

Thinking GOLF and FISH DINNERS? Think

FOUR LAKES COUNTRFOUR LAKES COUNTRY CLY CLUB!UB!

Call 269-699-5701 269-699-5701 ffor gor golfolf — 269-699-5349 — 269-699-5349 ffor diningor dining

FOUR LAKES COUNTRFOUR LAKES COUNTRY CLY CLUB IS OPEN UB IS OPEN TTO O THE PUBLICTHE PUBLIC4 Miles East of Edwardsburg on US 124 Miles East of Edwardsburg on US 12

Check our Website: www.fourlakescc.com

Our GOLF COURSE is

NOW OPEN!

Call to discuss your plans forCall to discuss your plans for

OutingsOutings LeaguesLeaguesLessonsLessons TTee Tee Times imes

DINING ROOM opens April 1st for our first ‘Fish Nite’ (no foolin’)

Call for reservations Call for reservations and make plans soon for and make plans soon for

ReceptionsReceptions Rehearsal DinnersRehearsal DinnersPartiesParties Business LunchesBusiness Lunches

By Brenda Harris

Cass COA

The benefit of weight training goes

much deeper than muscle. For many

years, working with weights was thought

of as a male thing. It’s not any more.

There are so many benefits to women

from doing a strength-training program,

including halting bone loss, improving

balance, boosting metabolism and mood,

and toning the body.

Why are you waiting to start that

workout plan? It is so easy to say “I will

start my workout tomorrow or next

week.” STOP RIGHT THERE!!! You

know very well there will be some other

excuse to not starting that workout. The

hardest thing about getting started is fit-

ting it into your schedule and finding the

right place to do it.

When finding the right type of class

or gym, remember to choose the one that

will keep you motivated and will work

with your busy schedule. It also helps to

have a buddy to push each other to go

with to workouts as planned — so find a

buddy that will crack the whip.

Remember, you won’t see a differ-

ence for about six to eight weeks. It’s not

going to happen overnight, and that

means being dedicated and really work-

ing out.

It may start out slow, but you have

to keep reaching for that goal. What is

this going to do to your confidence? If

you are a patient person, it will be easier,

but you may have to push yourself more

each time.

There may be times when you feel

like just throwing up your hands and for-

getting it. STOP RIGHT THERE!!

It takes time to get in shape and that

is what the buddy system is for — to help

encourage and give you that little extra

support. Also, you may need some help

from a personal trainer or a qualified

trainer. Getting your workout right is

important so your can be proud of your-

self. Give it time and keep working out.

When strength training, think about

the power of the workout burn. Weight

training will stress the muscles and a

burn feeling will happen. This is good

and means you are stressing the muscle,

creating small tears in the muscle fibers.

Your muscles respond by laying down

new layers. That little reconstruction

project burns calories as it makes your

muscles toned and stronger.

It is a great feeling to stand in front

of a mirror while working out and see the

changes in your physique. The first

change most likely will be that your

clothes will fit you better. It is so awe-

some to see your arms get some toning in

them. Don’t worry, ladies, you won’t get

muscled up like the professionals. They

work hours and hours every day to get

that way.

But physiology is only part of the

equation. Strength training also triggers

a psychological process that begins to

undo the negative thoughts many women

have about their body image.

The mood change, self-confidence

and body image will come the more you

accomplish your goals. There is a power

of strength and attitude when you start

seeing your body change.

A greater feeling is when a friend

sees a change and comments about it to

you. Then you know that finally all that

time and hard work is paying off ... and

what a great feeling that is!

Many women have had a bad body

image about their own bodies since they

were young. As time goes on, and you

see muscle and toning of your body, you

begin to challenge yourself even more.

Your body now keeps the new muscle

tone — it doesn’t just vanish. This brings

you to another level of confidence and

that makes life so much easier. Your

confidence is on a roll now and you will

even work out harder and more often, to

reach another goal.

Try a new exercise each day to spice

up your workout. This will help in two

ways – first, it will keep you from getting

bored with your workout. Secondly, it will

make your body wonder what you are

doing today. Through strength training,

your body will form a strength, balance,

energy and calmness.

So PUMP UP YOUR CONFIDENCE

and get started on your workout today!


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Ladies, pump up your confidence

The following activities are scheduled at the CassCounty Council on Aging in the month of March:

March 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, and 30,Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: Fitness inDowagiac. Vim & Vigor Aerobics and S.E.A.T. (Sit,Exercise, and Tone) classes get Dowagiac moving atthe First United Methodist Church, 306 N. Lowe St.,Dowagiac. S.E.A.T meets from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.and is a chair-based fitness. Vim & Vigor combinesbasic aerobics with some dance and fun from 8:30 to9:15 a.m. Cost per class is $25 per month or $5 forwalk-ins.

March 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 25, 28 and 30, Mondays andWednesdays: Zumba® class. Zumba® combinesfast and slow rhythms and resistance training to burnfat and tone. Note there is no class Feb. 21(Presidents’ Day). Make-up class is set for Feb. 25(Friday). $5 per class or $20 per month. Mondaysand Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Feb. 9, 16, 23 and 30, Wednesdays: Cribbage Club.

Open to Cribbage players of all skill levels, playbegins at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays.

March 10, 17 and 24, Thursdays: Dance Club.Dance to a variety of musical styles and enjoy the fel-lowship of friends. 9 a.m.

March 11, 18 and 25, Fridays: Knitting andCrocheting. Like to knit or crochet? Join this group,regardless of your skill level to share techniques, sto-ries and fun while knitting items to donate to charity.10 a.m. to noon.

March 12, 19, and 26, Saturdays: Yoga. Stretch andstrengthen with registered instructor Margaret Filchakfrom 9 to 10:15 a.m. $8 per class.

March 14 through 18, Monday through Friday: BrainAwareness Week. Take a few moments to exerciseyour brain and find out more about brain health. Wewill have an interactive display with games, informa-tion, and lots of goodies. The week will get startedwith Brain Aerobics class on Monday (class repeats

Tuesday in Dowagiac).

March 14, Monday: Brain Aerobics. “Fitness foryour Mind” exercises the brain and stimulates neu-rons. This is a free class, but you must register dueto space limitations. This class is open to everyone.10 a.m. to noon. Same class is repeated on Tuesdayat the First United Methodist Church in Dowagiac.

March 14, Monday: Movies for Grown-ups. Thisseries features a new movie each month from theAARP’s “Best movies for Grown-ups” list. Free pop-corn, movie starts at 1:15 p.m.

March 15, Tuesday: MS Support Group. Providessupport and understanding for people diagnosed withMS and their families. 1 p.m.

March 23, Wednesday: Cancer Support Group.The Cancer Support Group welcomes anyone affect-ed by any type of cancer, and is led by a registerednurse at the COA. Open to anyone looking for sup-port during the journey of cancer treatment. 1 p.m.

March 23, Wednesday: Caregiver’s SupportGroup. Aimed at those taking care of ill or elderlyloved ones, the group offers a chance for caregiversto discuss issues, coping strategies, and gain supportfrom others. Care services during the meeting forthose in need can be arranged free of charge by call-ing Suzanne Beurmann at the COA at (269) 445-8110 or (800) 323-0390. 1-3 p.m.

March 24, Thursday: StoryCircle. The COA Chapterof “The Organization for Women with Stories to Tell”will continue the anthology project, “True Words fromReal Women.” If you’re interested in claiming andraising your clear voice, join the discussion and in-class writing, including short story, true life and poet-ry/free verse. 10 to 11:45 a.m.

These are just some of the activities and classes thatthe COA has to offer. For more information on this orother COA programs, call (269) 445-8110 or (800)323-0390 or visit www.casscoa.org. The Cass COAis located at the corner of M-60 and Decatur Road inCassopolis. All activities are at the COA unlessanother location is specified.

CASS COUNCIL ON AGING

by Sandy Fleming

MMost families watch their students’

grades pretty carefully. Parents

promise rewards for stellar

report cards and some even pay big bucks

for the A’s. Great grades are indeed cause

for celebration, but what happens when

the grades fall below what you’re expect-

ing? A fly on the wall might get an earful

when a poor grade card comes home.

Voices are raised, dire threats made, and

privileges are lost. The question is, does it

help? If you have experienced this at your

house, give some thought to this question.

Have the strategies you’ve been using to

push home the point that you expect bet-

ter grades been working? Have the grades

improved?

Once in a while, yes, those tactics do

work. They work when a child has slipped

up and made a few irresponsible decisions

about turning in homework, putting effort

into studying, or getting overextended

with extra-curriculars or social life. They

work on short-term, temporary problems.

More often, though, the battle rages

every time the report card comes home. A

loud fuss with lots of anger, lots of tears

and accusations, and punishments large or

small don’t seem to have a long-term

impact. Why is that? Don’t assume that

your child just doesn’t care. Very few chil-

dren simply don’t care about their grades.

If you’re seeing falling grades or consis-

tently low grades, that’s often a signal that

something else needs to change besides

your child’s attitude or motivation. Let’s

take a look at other strategies to help

struggling students of all ages.

How Are Grades Calculated, Anyway?Ever wondered how the teacher looks

at your child’s in-class behavior, home-

work quality and test performance and

assigns a grade to it? The process varies

from class to class and grade to grade, but

the same essential elements are nearly

always present. At least part of the grade

is based on sheer accuracy of work. Some

types of work have definite right or wrong

answers, like answers to math problems or

responses to geography questions. Other

types of work are a bit more abstract.

Teachers gauge the quality of reports, for

example, based on accuracy and thorough-

ness of research, organization, grammar,

spelling, neatness and more.

Grades can also be influenced by

behavior. Some teachers give points for

effort, citizenship, or following directions.

A child who appears to be trying to suc-

ceed will earn a few extra points even if

things aren’t going well in some classes.

Students who consistently talk out of turn,

neglect to return assignments on time, or

turn in sloppy work may be penalized.

Nearly every class includes tests of

some sort, as well. The supposition is that

when a child sits in class for so many

hours of the day, he or she should be mak-

ing progress toward accomplishing the

learning that is the goal of the course

work. Grades are based in part on the

child’s performance on tests. These might

be formal, like paper and pencil tests and

quizzes, or less formal, like large projects

or papers.

In elementary school, most class activ-

ities are assigned simple point values and

scored accordingly. If your child gets 80%

of the items correct on the test and 90%

correct on the homework, the scores are

averaged together to yield an 85%, or a B.

Things get a bit more complicated when

teachers attach more value to some activi-

ties than to others, as often happens in the

upper grades. For example, test scores

might be weighted, or worth more, than

homework scores. This means that a test

score might count as double or triple, or

even more, points than a homework score.

A 90% homework score might be worth 9

of 10 points, and a 60% test score might

actually be 60 of 100 points. If you put

that A homework paper together with that

D- test paper, they average out to 63%.

That’s tipped pretty dramatically toward

the lower score because of the weight of

the test grade.

In some classes, it is quite possible to

get stellar grades on thirty homework

assignments, fail three tests and get a D-

or an F in the class. Now how can some-

thing like that happen? It’s actually not

too uncommon. A student who gets extra

legitimate help on homework by asking a

parent or even a teacher, can turn in excel-

lent work without truly understanding the

concepts. The adult mentor assumes that

the concept is mastered since the student

gets a good grade on the assignment, but

then everyone is in for a rude awakening

when the test scores are posted. Another

scenario unfolds when a student has

issues with test anxiety. He or she actual-

ly does know the concepts, but freezes up

uncontrollably when it’s time to take the

test and fails miserably.

So if poor grades signal that a student

is having problems with academic per-

formance, what can be done?

Check Basic SkillsThe first place to check is your child’s

basic skills. Does he or she have the nec-

essary tools for learning? Your child

should be able to read, write, and do basic

math at the level expected for his or her

grade placement. Do your own informal

tests in this regard.

For reading, have your child read

aloud from a page or two from a classroom

text book or from a fiction book at grade

level. Keep a count of the number of

words missed or stumbled over. If there

are more than five per page, your child

might be having a reading problem. Ask

five to ten questions about the content of

the text. Your child should be able to

answer at least sixty to eighty percent of

them.

To check math progress, have your

child do sample problems from the units

covered. You can often find these in the

backs of the chapters or on the internet.

Your child should be able to solve the prob-

lems with at least 80% accuracy without

help.

For writing, have your child write a

story (fiction or nonfiction). Look for fluen-

cy (how long it takes to write how many

words), complete sentences with appropri-

ate punctuation, sound paragraphs, and

organization in the piece. Early elemen-

tary students should be writing several

sound sentences. Middle elementary stu-

dents should be able to produce para-

graphs with topic sentences and details.

Upper elementary students should include

conversation. Middle and high school stu-

dents should be able to write five or more

paragraphs with clear organization, sound

mechanics and spelling, and good gram-

mar. Students in high school should be

able to plan, write and proofread a five

paragraph essay in thirty minutes.

Monitor Homework PerformanceIf grade card grades are an issue,

keep a closer eye on homework routines.

Set and enforce a daily homework time,

whether or not assignments come home

from school. The time can be used for

extra reading/writing/math practice if

there is truly no homework, and if there is

homework, students quickly learn that

they might as well do the assignments and

get the points if they have to spend time

working anyway.

Check your child’s assignments for

neatness, completeness, following direc-

tions, and accuracy. If you cannot under-

stand your child’s work, find a resource

person who can and ask them to spot

check assignments. If work is inaccurate,

do not give out correct answers, but ask

your child to “take another look.” You can

even list the types of errors to look for to

make a scavenger hunt. For example,

when proofreading, have your child find

six places with missing periods, four miss-

ing capital letters, and two missing quota-

tion marks.

Help your student make sure work

gets turned in after completion by prepar-

ing all things to go to school the night

before. Put completed work into the back-

pack, notebook or planner. Make a check-

list and have your child check off when

homework is actually turned in to the

teacher. Reward these things when they

happen as planned.

Study EffectivelyOften, students are told to study but

given little guidance about the mechanics

of effective study habits. Help your child

learn to study by starting sound practices

early in the school career.

■ Study in the same format as the test. If

the test will be written, study with paper

and pencil. If the test will be oral, study

out loud.

■ Find ways to engage the mind when

studying. Simply rereading material or

notes isn’t usually enough. Make flash-

cards, work new practice problems, answer

questions, make outlines or use graphic

organizers.

■ Play games to help memorize facts,

vocabulary words, formulas or procedures.

Many familiar games, such as Memory or

Old Maid, can be adapted to use cards

with content or vocabulary instead of tra-

ditional playing cards.

■ Organize and recopy notes. Take notes

from textbooks as well as in class.

■ Use a study strategy such as SQ3R

(Survey or skim the material, ask

Questions about the content, and Read,

Recite and Review).

■ Make up memory tricks, key sentences,

or mnemonics to aid learning.

Keep in Touch with the SchoolWhen grades are an issue, it’s far bet-

ter to stay in close contact with the

teacher. Ask for grade progress reports

frequently or check the school’s online

grade book. Keep track of missing assign-

ments and know how late work is handled.

Request a conference if you see things get-

ting off track to get suggestions about how

to best help at home.

If your child is consistently failing, or

if you suspect skills deficits, it’s time to ask

the teacher about what sorts of special

help are available to get the student back

on the right track. Sometimes, minor

accommodations can be made to help a

child over a rough spot in learning. Other

times, interventions such as testing and

specialized classrooms are necessary.

Keep in mind that everyone’s goal is really

the same: both you and the teacher (and

probably your child) want the student to

learn the necessary material and get ready

for the next phase in his or her life. By

working together, you can make reaching

this goal more likely. Respond to low

grades on grade cards with practical aca-

demic first aid instead of ineffective behav-

ioral consequences.

***************************

Sandy Fleming is an educational consultant andtutor in Edwardsburg. Visit her website,http://www.parentasteacher.com, for details aboutaffordable academic help for your student.

Strategies to boost gradesOUR CHILDREN


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BUSINESS & FINANCE

“A man who dies without adequate lifeinsurance should haveto come back and see

the mess he created.”-Will Rogers

Provided by Vicki BrossmanKemner-Iott Agency of Cass County

Let’s face it — Life insurance isn’t

the most fun subject to dwell on

at length or think about. Most

of us don’t want to think about this

subject at all. If something happens to

you, do you want your family to be able

to continue living as they are now?

Life insurance is an important mone-

tary investment, and you don’t want to

buy an unsuitable policy or discover

that you have purchased too much or

too little.

What are your

life insurance needs ?

People often substantially underes-

timate the amount of life insurance

they should buy. Before purchasing a

life insurance policy, consider your

financial situation and the standard of

living you want to maintain for your

dependents or survivors. You might

want to ask yourself who will be

responsible for outstanding medical

bills and funeral costs. What would

happen if your family had to relocate

or otherwise change their standard of

living once you’ve died?

The assumption of immediate

death is necessary to determine the

current life insurance needs for a fami-

ly or individual.

Add in the longer term financial

needs of the remaining family mem-

bers, such as: children’s expenses,

income for the surviving spouse, mort-

gage and other debt payoffs, college

education funds, an additional emer-

gency fund and paying estate taxes for

heirs.

Remember the

non-working spouse

In addition to underestimating the

cost of replacing the income of a work-

ing spouse, life insurance buyers often

neglect to place correct value on a non-

working spouse.

One source says it takes about

$117,000 a year to replace that person,

and most people don’t understand the

impact of what a stay-at-home spouse

saves a family.

Policy choices — Life insurance

policies are divided into two main

types:

■ Term life insurance, which provides

only a death benefit without any “cash

values” (offering the least expensive

cost per $1,000 of death coverage pur-

chased). Some questions to ask if you

are considering a term life policy are:

(a) what is the initial rate guarantee

period;

(b) is the policy renewable past the ini-

tial rate-guarantee period without a

physical exam and if so, what are the

premiums, and;

(c) is the policy convertible to perma-

nent insurance without a physical

exam.

■ Permanent life insurance, which has

a “cash value” account in which a

return-on-investment component

becomes an often complex and expen-

sive part of the policy (most expensive

cost per $1,000 of coverage).

The types of permanent life insur-

ance are whole life insurance, univer-

sal life insurance and variable life

insurance.

Buy from a financially

strong company

The insurance company should

have an “A” rating or higher from rat-

ing agencies such as A.M. Best,

Standard & Poor’s, Duff & Phelps,

Weiss, Moody’s and Fitch Ratings.

Ratings indicate a company’s ability to

pay claims.

The life insurance buying process -

the life insurance application process

can take 30 to 45 days. You can expect

questions in detail regarding your

lifestyle, intended foreign travel desti-

nations, your family health history,

and your personal health history. A

face-to-face paramedical examination

may be required depending on the

amount of coverage requested.

Make adjustments as needed

Your life insurance needs will

change over the years — most notably

when you marry, divorce, have a child

or start caring for an aging parent. It

is important to review your life insur-

ance needs as your life changes.

Insurance experts recommend revisit-

ing the coverage of your policy once

every five years or whenever you expe-

rience a major life event.

Consult a professional agent

If the fear of making a bad life

insurance decision is stalling your

effort to buy life insurance, know that

failing to buy life insurance at all can

be one of the most costly mistakes you

can make for your family. Your inde-

pendent insurance agent can help you

through this process.

Life insurance as an investment

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Why not just buy some software?

Software has no experience. It can’t

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This material was prepared by Peter MontoyaInc., and does not necessarily represent theviews of the presenting Representative or theRepresentative’s Broker/Dealer. This informa-tion should not be construed as investmentadvice. Neither the named Representative nor

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This is an excerpt from the Civil warDiary of James Wesley Riley of Volinia, inCass County, Michigan, transcribed byJon Wuepper of the Cass District LibraryLocal History Branch for Neighbors.Original spelling, grammar and punctua-tion intact. At the time of this writing,Riley was in Tennessee.

Oct. 17, 1864 — Today the 1st and 2nd

Brigades of our Division came down from

Chattanooga and Jim Hill came over to

the Company to see the boys.

Oct. 18, 1864 — This morning we had

orders to pack up everything and be ready

to move. We did so, but we laid around all

day expecting to march or to take the cars;

but we did not leave our camp.

Oct. 19, 1864 — This morning we got our

breakfast very early and then marched

down to the R.R. and got on the train but

did not start until noon. Then started for

Chattanooga, Tenn. Arrived there at dark

and went into camp.

Oct. 20, 1864 — This morning we drew

rations and laid around camp until after-

noon; then we marched out a short dis-

tance and went into camp again.

Oct. 21, 1864 — We got up in good season,

got breakfast and them we drew clothing.

We expected to march today but we did

not. I visited the 13th Mich. Regt. and

found some of the boys I used to know.

(Much of the 13th Michigan Infantry consisted oftroops who were from Allegan, Barry, Kalamazoo,

St. Joseph and Van Buren Counties).

Oct. 22, 1864 — This morning we had

orders to march at 10 a.m. and at the hour

we started. Passed through Rossville and

marched over the Chickamauga

Battlefield where our Division fought on

the 19th and 20th of September 1863. We

camped at Gordon’s Mill on the

Chickamauga Creek for the night.

Oct. 23, 1864 — This morning we resumed

our march at 7 a.m. Crossed the

Chickamauga Creek and marched through

some very nice country. We marched

through a little town by the name of

Lafayette and we marched seventeen

miles and went into camp.

Oct. 24, 1864 — This morning we resumed

our march at 7 a.m. We only marched 15

miles today but we crossed several creeks

and marched through some good country.

Oct. 25, 1864 — This morning we did not

start out of camp until ten. Then we only

march five miles and went into camp

where we camped over one year ago,

before the battle of Chickamauga.

Oct. 26, 1864 — This morning we did not

leave our camp so we rested until noon.

Then quite a number of us went out forag-

ing and got some chickens, potatoes, ham

and shoulders, sorghum and a hog. You

may bet we had a good supper. Some talk

of our Regiment going out on a scout.

To be continued...


CCiivviill WWaarr DDiiaarryy the Civil War Diary of James Wesley Riley

from Volinia Township in Cass County

CIVIL WAR DIARY

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Welcome back Neighbors! Wereally had an old fashionedwinter. Now we can start

looking for the spring we have beenwaiting so long for! I hope you enjoythese selections.

Sincerely, Kathy

Irish Car Bomb II“Tastes like a chocolate milkshake! This

is a great beverage for St. Patrick’s Dayparties.”Ingredients■ 3/4 fluid ounce Irish whiskey■ 3/4 fluid ounce Irish cream liqueur■ 6 fluid ounces Irish stout beerDirectionsFill a shot glass with half Irish whiskey andhalf Irish cream. Pour Irish stout beer intoa pint glass. Drop in the shot glass anddrink entire contents at once. Irish Cream Liqueur Ingredients■ 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensedmilk■ 1/4 cup liquid non-dairy creamer■ 3 eggs■ 1 drop vanilla extract■ 1 1/2 tablespoons chocolate syrup■ 1 cup whiskeyDirections1. Pour all ingredients into a blender andblend on high until mixed. Pour into a seal-able container and store in the refrigerator.Serve in shot glasses.

Morning Glory MuffinsYield: Makes 2 dozen muffinsIngredients■ 1 cup chopped pecans■ 3 cups all-purpose flour■ 1 teaspoon salt■ 1 teaspoon baking soda■ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon■ 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg■ 2 cups sugar

■ 3/4 cup canola oil■ 3 large eggs■ 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract■ 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple,undrained■ 2 large carrots, finely grated (1 cup)■ 1 cup golden raisinsPreparation1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in asingle layer on a baking sheet 5 to 7 min-utes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.Cool completely on a wire rack (about 15minutes).2. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, bakingsoda, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in alarge bowl; make a well in center of mix-ture.3. Whisk together sugar, canola oil, eggs,and vanilla extract; fold in crushed pineap-ple and carrots. Add to flour mixture, stir-ring just until dry ingredients are mois-tened. Fold in toasted pecans and raisins.Spoon into lightly greased muffin pans, fill-ing two-thirds full.4. Bake at 350° for 23 to 25 minutes or untila wooden pick inserted in center comes outclean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes.Remove from pans to wire rack, and coolcompletely (about 30 minutes).Note: Muffins may be made ahead andfrozen in a zip-top plastic freezer bag up to1 month, if desired. Remove from bag, andlet thaw at room temperature.

Hot & Creamy Swiss Almond SpreadIngredients■ 1 (250 g) package Philadelphia BrickCream Cheese, softened■ 1 1/2 cups shredded Kraft Swiss Cheese■ 1/3 cup Miracle Whip Dressing■ 1 green onion, finely chopped■ 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toastedDirections1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Mix all ingredients except nuts in oven-proof serving dish or pie plate.

3. Bake 15 min., stirring after 8 min. 4. Top with nuts.

Traditional HummusThis Middle Eastern dip is traditionally

made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice,and olive oil; it lends itself to several varia-tions. Prepare and refrigerate it a dayahead; let it stand at room temperature for30 minutes before serving. Garnish with alemon wedge and fresh parsley sprig, andserve with Spicy Baked Pita Chips.Ingredients■ 2 (15.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added chick-peas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained■ 2 garlic cloves, crushed■ 1/2 cup water■ 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)■ 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice■ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil■ 3/4 teaspoon salt■ 1/4 teaspoon black pepperPreparation1. Place beans and garlic in a food proces-sor; pulse 5 times or until chopped. Add 1/2-cup water and remaining ingredients; pulseuntil smooth, scraping down sides as need-ed.

Feta-Baked Hummus: CombineTraditional Hummus, 1/2 cup (2 ounces)crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese, 1/4 cupchopped fresh parsley, and 1/2 teaspoonground cumin. Transfer mixture to an 8-inch square-baking dish coated with cook-ing spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup (2 ounces)crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese. Bake at400° for 25 minutes or until lightlybrowned. Garnish with parsley sprigs.Yield: 4 cups

(I was asked to search for potatorecipes. Hope they are helpful!)

Roasted Red Potatoes w/Bacon &CheeseWhat You Need1/2 cup KRAFT Light Ranch Dressing 1/2 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded CheddarCheese 1/4 cup OSCAR MAYER Real Bacon Bits 2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Make ItHEAT oven to 350°F.MIX first 3 ingredients in large bowl.

Add potatoes; toss to coat. SPOON into 13x9-inch baking dish

sprayed with cooking spray; cover. BAKE 55 min. or until potatoes are ten-

der, uncovering after 40 min. Sprinkle withparsley.

Bacon Cheese PotatoesIngredients■ new potatoes (2-1/2 to 3 pounds)■ 1/2 cup finely chopped onion■ 1 pound process cheese (Velveeta)■ 1 cup mayonnaise■ 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crum-bled■ 3/4 cup sliced ripe olives (if desired)■ Chopped fresh parsley, optional

■ Paprika, optionalDirections■ Place potatoes in a large saucepan andcover w/water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat;cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or untiltender. Drain. In a large bowl, mix potatoeswith onion, cheese and mayonnaise. ■ Transfer to an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in.baking dish. Sprinkle with bacon and olives(if desired). Cover and bake at 350° for 30minutes or until heated through. Sprinklewith parsley and paprika if desired. Yield:8-10 servings.

Mini-CheeseburgersWhether you’re planning a party or just

a festive night in, make mini-cheeseburgersusing ground beef, party rolls, and slices ofAmerican cheese, cut into quarters. Servewith a side of baby carrots for a scaled-down meal that’s fun to eat.Yield: Makes 20 burgersIngredients■ 1 pound lean ground beef■ 2 tablespoons ketchup■ 1/4 teaspoon salt■ 1/4 teaspoon pepper■ 1 (7 1/2-ounce) package party rolls or lit-tle slider buns■ 5 (3/4-ounce) process American cheeseslices, quartered■ Condiments: mustard, ketchup, mayon-naise, minced onion, dill pickle slices, toma-to slices, lettuce leavesPreparationCombine first 4 ingredients. Shape mixtureby tablespoonfuls into patties, and place ona rack in a broiler pan.

Bake at 350° for 15 to 17 minutes oruntil done.Split rolls horizontally, and place a piece ofcheese and a meat patty in each. Serve withdesired condiments.

Note: Place in heavy-duty zip-top plasticbags; seal and freeze. Remove desired num-ber of burgers from freezer; pack frozen inlunchbox. Sandwiches will thaw in approxi-mately 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Calzones with Italian Tomato SauceIngredients■ 1 pound lean ground beef■ 3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) shredded moz-zarella cheese, divided■ 1 (6-ounce) can low-sodium tomato paste■ 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawedand drained■ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning■ 2 (10-ounce) cans refrigerated pizza crust■ Olive oil■ Italian Tomato Sauce (see next recipe)Preparation

Cook ground beef in a large skillet overmedium-high heat, stirring until it crum-bles and is no longer pink. Drain.

Combine beef, 2 1/2 cups cheese, andnext 3 ingredients.

Unroll each pizza crust, and cut eachcrust into thirds. Roll each portion to a 5-inch circle. Spread 3/4 cup of meat mixtureevenly over half of each circle. Moistenedges with water; fold dough over, pressingor crimping edges to seal. Place on a lightly

KATHY’S RECIPE CORNERLooking forward to the spring!

~STEAK BY THE LAKE~~STEAK BY THE LAKE~STSTACYACY’S FOOD &S FOOD & SPIRITSSPIRITSHome of the 20 oz (plus) Home of the 20 oz (plus)

Clydesdale Cut Prime RibClydesdale Cut Prime Rib

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Wednesday ~ 16 oz. Ribeye

Thursday ~ BBQ Ribs

Friday ~ Swordfish or 10 oz. Sirloin

Saturday ~ 32 oz. Sirloin for Two

Sunday ~ BBQ Ribs or Lake Perch

23018 S. Shore Dr.5 miles East of Edwardsburg off US 12 on Eagle Lake Road

(269) 699-5113Open Wed & Thurs, 5-9:30Fri & Sat, 5-10:30Open Sunday at 5 pm

Hewitt Roll-a-Dock combinessuperior strength with maximum stability.

It can be extended to any lengthRoll-a-Dock is low maintenance and

corrosion-resistant.

The Classic Dock offersgreat appearance and

flexibility. Perfect for those whowant to make the most of theirtime on the water. Aluminum

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greased baking sheet, and cut slits in topsto allow steam to escape. Brush with oliveoil. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes oruntil golden. Top with Italian TomatoSauce; sprinkle with remaining cheese.Melt cheese under broiler, if desired.(Italian Tomato Sauce Recipe)Ingredients■ 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce■ 1/4 cup tomato paste■ 1 garlic clove, minced■ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoningPreparation

Cook all ingredients in a small saucepanover medium heat 5 minutes or until thor-oughly heated.

Diane’s Colcannon“While Colcannon seems to be associat-

ed with St. Patrick’s Day, I love the combi-nation of potatoes, cabbage, onion andbacon anytime.”Ingredients■ 2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed■ 4 slices bacon■ 1/2 small head cabbage, chopped■ 1 large onion, chopped■ 1/2 cup milk■ salt and pepper to taste■ 1/4 cup butter, meltedDirections1. Place potatoes in a saucepan withenough water to cover. Bring to a boil, andcook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. 2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cookover medium high heat until evenly brown.Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and setaside. In the reserved drippings, sauté thecabbage and onion until soft and translu-cent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the veg-etables cook faster. 3. Drain the cooked potatoes, mash withmilk and season with salt and pepper. Foldin the bacon, cabbage, and onions, and thentransfer the mixture to a large servingbowl. Make a well in the center, and pour inthe melted butter. Serve immediately.

Corned Beef and CabbageIngredients■ 1 medium onion, cut into wedges■ 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered■ 1 pound baby carrots■ 3 cups water■ 3 garlic cloves, minced■ 1 bay leaf■ 2 tablespoons sugar■ 2 tablespoons cider vinegar■ 1/2 teaspoon pepper■ 1 (3 pound) corned beef brisket with spicepacket, cut in half■ 1 small head cabbage, cut into wedgesDirections1. Place the onion, potatoes and carrots ina 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine water, garlic,bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and con-tents of spice packet; pour over vegetables.Top with brisket and cabbage. Cover andcook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat andvegetables are tender. Remove bay leafbefore serving.

No Peek Irish Beef StewIngredients■ 2 pounds cubed stew meat■ 6 carrots, chopped■ 2 onions, chopped

■ 2 cups cubed potatoes■ 1 tablespoon brown sugar■ 3 tablespoons tapioca flour■ 1 cup tomato-vegetable juice cocktailDirections1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120degrees C). 2. In a roasting pan, combine the meat,carrots, onions and potatoes. In a separatebowl, combine the sugar, tapioca flour andjuice cocktail and mix well. Pour this mix-ture over the meat and vegetables andcover tightly with foil. 3. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 hours.

Grandma McAndrews’ Irish SodaBreadIngredients■ 4 cups all-purpose flour■ 1/4 cup white sugar■ 1 teaspoon baking soda■ 2 teaspoons baking powder■ 1 teaspoon salt■ 2 eggs■ 1 1/4 cups buttermilk■ 1/4 cup corn oil■ 1 cup raisinsDirections1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175degrees C). Grease a baking sheet, or linewith parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour,sugar, baking soda, baking powder, andsalt. In another bowl, whisk together eggs,buttermilk, and corn oil. Make a well in thecenter of the flour mixture, and pour in thebuttermilk mixture. Add the raisins, andstir a few times, just until the ingredientscome together into a soft dough. Turn thedough out onto a floured surface, and withfloured hands shape dough into a ball.Place the dough on the prepared bakingsheet, and cut a large cross in the top witha sharp knife. 3. Place the bread on a middle rack of thepreheated oven, and bake until goldenbrown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Peanut Butter TrufflesIngredients■ 1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolatemorsels■ 1/2 cup whipping cream■ 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter■ 3/4 cup finely chopped, salted roastedpeanuts■ Wax paperPreparation

Microwave first 3 ingredients in a medi-um-size microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 to1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth,stirring at 30-second intervals. Let cool10 minutes.

Beat chocolate mixture at mediumspeed with an electric mixer 1 to 2 minutesor until whipped and smooth. Cover andchill 2 hours or until firm.

Shape chocolate mixture into 1-inchballs, using a small ice-cream scoop. Roll inchopped peanuts. (If chocolate mixturebecomes too soft to shape, refrigerate untilfirm.) Place on wax paper-lined bakingsheets. Chill 1 hour before serving. Storetruffles in an airtight container in refrigera-tor up to 5 days. If you overbeat the choco-late mixture in Step 2, beat in 2 to 3 Tbsp.more whipping cream to return mixture to

a smooth consistency.

Homemade Pop Tarts(Fun in the kitchen with the kids!)1 package of refrigerated piecrustGlaze:1-cup confectioners’ sugar2 tablespoons milk½ teaspoon vanilla extractSugar sprinkles for dusting

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.Transfer the piecrusts to a lightly

floured surface and cut it into 2×3 rectan-gles. It is easiest to measure the pieces witha ruler, score the crust with a knife and cutit with a pizza cutter.

Spoon about 2 teaspoons of strawberryjam onto one of the rectangles, leavingabout ¼ inch of space before the edge. Use acookie cutter or paring knife to cut heartshapes out of the second rectangle. Thenplace the heart rectangle over the jam andseal the edges together with the tines of afork. Baking on a cookie sheet for 8 to 10minutes, then allow to cool.

To make the glaze mix the powderedsugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl and addfood coloring if desired. Drizzle the glazeover the warm pop tarts and sprinkle withsanding sugar.

Note: You can use any kind of fillingyour children enjoy. Butter and cinnamonsugar would be delightful also.

Chocolate Mint Dessert Brownies“It’s a brownie covered in mint cream

topped with chocolate, mmmmmm!”Ingredients■ 1 cup white sugar■ 1/2 cup butter, softened■ 4 eggs■ 1 1/2 cups chocolate syrup■ 1 cup all-purpose flour■ 2 cups confectioners’ sugar■ 1/2 cup butter, softened■ 2 tablespoons crème de menthe liqueur■ 6 tablespoons butter■ 1 cup semisweet chocolate chipsDirections

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch-baking dish. 2. In a large bowl, cream together 1-cupsugar and 1/2 cup of softened butter untilsmooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, andthen stir in the chocolate syrup. Stir in theflour until just blended. Spread the batterevenly into the prepared pan. 3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the pre-heated oven, or until top springs back whenlightly touched. Cool completely in the pan. 4. In a small bowl, beat the confectioners’sugar, 1/2-cup butter or margarine andcrème de menthe until smooth. Spreadevenly over the cooled brownies, then chilluntil set. 5. In a small bowl over simmering water,or in the microwave, melt the remaining 6tablespoons of butter and the chocolatechips, stirring occasionally until smooth.Allow to cool slightly, then spread over thetop of the mint layer. Cover, and chill for atleast 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Bailey’s Sundae Coffee DrinkIngredients■ 12 cups brewed coffee■ 1 pint French vanilla ice cream■ 12 fluid ounces Irish cream liqueurDirections1. Brew 12 cups of coffee. While the coffeeis brewing, fill each cup with a scoop of icecream. Be sure to use large cups (the over-sized types you get at coffee houses arebest). Top each scoop of ice cream with justenough Irish cream so that the ice creamlooks lightly coated. 2. When the coffee is brewed, pour it sothat each cup is filled up about halfway. Itis then up to each individual to add moreIrish cream, half-and-half, or sugar to suithis/her taste.

Well, it’s good to be back with youagain. If you have any recipes youare looking for, please let me know.Have fun with these recipes!

Kathy Ruple, One of your [email protected]


KATHY’S RECIPE CORNER

GREATER NILES COMMUNITY

FEDERAL CREDIT UNION507 E. MAIN ST. 1050 E. STATE ST. 69045 M-62, SUITE KNILES, MI 49120 CASSOPOLIS, MI 49031 EDWARDSBURG, MI 49112PHONE: 684-6005 445-1951 414-4327

FAX: 684-6173 445-1974 414-4329

WWWWWW..GNCFCUGNCFCU..ORORGG

I AM THE GREATER NILES

COMMUNITY FEDERAL

CREDIT UNIONHi, I’m Tracy Snyder. My husband and I are long time

residents of Cassopolis and have three grown children

and three grandchildren. I currently serve on our local

Chamber board, School Foundation and I’m the Survivor

Chair for Relay for Life. I’m proud to be a member of this community, and proud to

work for an organization that values people more than numbers. Visit or call me

today so I can let you know all the benefits of becoming a member.

WE ARE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITYWith the help of our members, our neighbors and our friends,

we were able to raise and donate over $15,000 last year for

LOCAL charitable organizations including Relay for Life,

Kiwanis, Big Brothers Big Sisters, United Way, area youth

projects and community events.

IS YOUR BANK LEAVING TOWN? Transfer your checking account (with debit card) to us and receive

$50 in cash or .25% off your next consumer loan.●● GNCFCU just celebrated it’s 75th anniversary

●● GNCFCU’s Cassopolis branch will celebrate it’s

5th anniversary in July of this year!●● ●● WE’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE! ●● ●●

ChecCheck ourk our

WWeebsitebsite

fforor

updaupdatestes

SSo a couple months agowhen Fred and I visitedthe incredible mansion

called Copshaholm, we discoveredthat at the same location was thiscool “Center for History,” asprawling museum of artifactsand memories from the early daysof South Bend’s history.

And like good visitors every-where, we stumbled around, try-ing our best not to break anythingvaluable (we didn’t).

What we did do, however, wasdiscover some pretty cool thingsthat even I, as a South Bendnative, didn’t know ... like thewhole women’s baseball thing ...and the manufacturing artifactsthat went waaaay beyondStudebaker and Oliver ...

Anyway, we decided it wouldmake a great day trip for any ofour readers who wanted to learnmore about the area ... so weincluded it this month as a secondfield trip to, essentially, the sameplace we went last time ...

Check it out. It’s definitelyworth a separate visit!

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March 10-19at our Mishawaka location

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FIELD TRIP!


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IN CASSOPOLIS

445-2111

JL LANDSCAPINGFor all of your landscape installation needs

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FIELD TRIP!

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Before After

ContactJim

Leachfor a

personalconsulta-tion and

quote

[email protected]

www.jllandscapingsite.com

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IITTAALLIIAANN BBEEEEFF SSAANNDDWWIICCHH

AANNDD BBEEEEFF//SSAAUUSSAAGGEE CCOOMMBBOO

served on sliced FrenchBread with a side of au jus

(giardinera available)

WINTER HOURS STILL IN EFFECT

CLOSED FOR LUNCH WATCH NEXT MONTH’S

NEIGHBORS FOR MORE INFO

Open Wednesdaythrough Saturday

at 3:30 pm

Closed Sunday, Monday & Tuesday

525 South Broadway n Cassopolis, MI

Dine in orCarry Out


FIELD TRIP!

ATTENTION ATTENTIONAll your vacuum cleaner needs

KirbyRainbowTri Star Electrolux

Filter QueenHooverBissellEureka

BissellCentral vacsAnd all otherbrands

120 S. Front, Dowagiac269-782-9786

Bill’s Vac Shop

FOR THE RECORDThe Center for History, at Washington and

Chapin on South Bend is open seven days aweek, except New Year’s Day, Easter,Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas. Allhours are Eastern Standard Time;Monday–Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday noon to5pm. For information call 574 235 9664 or visitwww.centerforhistory.org. The Center includes:•Copshaholm, the 38-room mansion that was oncehome to local industrialist J.D. Oliver•Worker’s Home, reflecting a Polish immigrant fam-ily in the 1930s•Changing Gallery, Leighton Gallery and CarrollGallery exhibits•Voyages Gallery, chronicling local history of theSt. Joseph River Valley region•Ernestine M. Raclin Gallery, featuring history ofthe University of Notre Dame, including the leg-endary Knute Rockne

•Women Who Played Hard Ball: The Real Leagueof Their Own •Kidsfirst Children’s Museum•Archives of local history, including the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League•Educational programs such as guided tours, lec-tures, film series, children’s programs, living histo-ry and historical theater•Adjacent to the Center is Studebaker NationalMuseum. Visitors can enter one door, buy one tick-et and visit two museums.

The Center is open seven days a week, exceptNew Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, ChristmasEve and Christmas. All hours are EasternStandard Time; Monday–Saturday 10am to 5pm,Sunday noon to 5pm. Adjacent to the Center isStudebaker National Museum. Visitors can enterone door, buy one ticket and visit two museums.For information call 574 235 9664 or visit www.cen-terforhistory.org

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Carter’sElectric Motors

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102 So. BroaddwayCassopolis, MI 49031


In this issue of Neighbors,

Jerdon Real Estate of

Dowagiac, owned by Floyd

Jerdon and his son Tom, has pro-

vided antique postcards of a few of

the many lakes in our area. Floyd

and his wife Donna started collect-

ing post cards 17 years ago, and

since Jerdon Real Estate specializes

in marketing lake property, it was a

natural fit that Floyd’s interest be

directed to the lake cards. The col-

lection now numbers many thou-

sands.

Jerdon has recently used many

of his postcards featuring the Sister

Lakes area in a book written by RL

Rasmussen. The book, which

retails for $19.99, is in its second

printing by the publisher, Arcadia

Publishing.

Among other places, the book

may be purchased at the Jerdon

Real Estate office on M-62 West,

Wicks Apple House near Sister

Lakes, and at Whistlestop Gifts,

which is operated by the Dowagiac

Chamber of Commerce.

For more information or to get a

copy of Jerdon’s book, visit the web-

site:

www.arcadiapublishing.com

In this edition of Neighbors

we have selected postcards

showing the Corey Lake area.

In future issues, we will couple

additional cards from one or

more of the area’s lakes with

views of nearby communities

and countryside.

Historic postcards depict early life

HISTORIC POSTCARDS


HISTORIC POSTCARDS

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(269) 687-5006 - Niles (269) 663-2820 - Edwardsburgwww.bowlesjwwelldrilling.com

2” - 6” WellsSales & Service

Residential ● Commercial& Irrigation

Pump Sales & Service

Screen changesTank Replacement

Acid TreatmentConstant Pressure Pumps

PAISANO’SBar & Grill

16 N. Main, ThreeRivers, MI

(269) 278-8525Open Tuesday -

Saturday 11 am - 2 am;

Sunday Noon -

Midnight

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ENTERENTERTTAINMENT IN MARAINMENT IN MARCH:CH: March 11, 3 bands, God of Kansas, Ritual

Suicide, and End of Reason, start @ 9:30; March 12, Mardi Gras Party DJ

with DP3 Productions start @ 9, Miller Lite will be there with giveaways;

March 17 St. Patty’s Day drink specials all day ,Miller Lite will be there

with Giveaways; March 19 St Patty’s party DJ DP3 Productions, drinks

special, Budweiser will be there with giveaways start @ 9; March 26

Band. Slap Maggy, Sponsored by jagermeister, start @ 9:30ALL KINDS OFALL KINDS OFCONSTRCONSTRUCTIONUCTION

*New Buildings*Remodeling*Additions*Custom Homes*Systems Built Homes

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or 1-1/2 mile north of state line 222266669999----666688884444----7777000044448888

The Full Bull Full Bull TTaavverernnin Downtown Cassopolis

Great Food ... Drinks ... Music ... Fun

Daily Lunch

& Dinner SpecialsOpen 11 am Monday - Saturday

Noon on Sundays

445-6070 (kitchen)

445-5757 (tavern)

LuncLunch Specials eh Specials evverery day dayy

$1-of$1-offf bbururggerers s TTuesdauesday nighty night

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Non smoking!Non smoking!


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61120 Cass Road Jim GroverCassopolis, MI 49031 (269) 445-3458

Complete Lawn Care Maintenance

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■■ Lawn Fertilization Programs ■■ Shrub trimming■■ Brush Hog work ■■ New Lawns Installed■■ Spring & Fall clean-ups ■■ Aeration & Dethatching■■ Mole Treatment ■■ Snow Plowing

HISTORIC POSTCARDS

onumentsBY DDeessiiggnnM

LLC

Jeromy Bogue64760 Robinson Road Phone: 269-445-3848P.O. Box 202 Fax: 269-445-3828Cassopolis, MI 49031Custom Monuments, Field Stones, On Site Lettering and more

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INDEX TO NEIGHBORS’ ADVERTISERSBoats, Marinas, Piers, Sports

Four Lakes Country Club......................4..........................669-5701

http://www.fourlakescc.com

High’s Marine..........................................18 .......................423-7065

http://www.highsmarine.com

O’Donnell’s Docks ...................................10, 15 .................244-1446

http://www.odonnellsdocks.com

Wyland’s Marine.....................................12................574-259-1510

http://www.wylandsmarine.com

Construction, Home Improvement, Home Repair

Advantage Plumbing..............................17 .......................687-7192

Agape Designs, Architect.......................19................574-774-7434

http://www.agapedesigns.com

Bill’s Vac Shop.........................................14 .......................782-9786

Bowles Well Drilling...............................16 .......................663-2820

http://www.bowlesjwwelldrilling.com

Budget Blinds..........................................14................888-882-8343

http://www.budgetblinds.com

Cass Heating ...........................................17 .......................445-5350

Cass Outdoor Power Equipment ..........Insert .................445-2231

Design + Decorating...............................14 .......................445-8060

Diamond Construction...........................18 .......................759-4010

Grover’s Plumbing Service ....................17 .......................445-3458

Hearth & Home.......................................17................800-769-3031

http://www.hearthandhome-sb.com

Lakeshore Home Builders.....................16 .......................684-7048

http://www.lakeshorehb.co/

Lutz Concrete ..........................................8..........................279-7973

Midwest Energy......................................20................800-492-5989

http://www.teammidwest.com

Pluta Roofing...........................................17 .......................646-6152

RS Pest Control.......................................17................574-534-7378

Salela Construction ................................14 .......................445-1920

Sun & Shade Awning.............................7, 18 ...................244-5307

http://www.sunandshadeawning.com

Dental/Medical/Health

Afdent.......................................................15................800-325-1593

http://www.afdent.com

Borgess Lee Memorial Hospital............3..........................783-3052

Cass COA.................................................5..........................445-8110

http://www.casscoa.org

Forest Glen ..............................................9..........................782-5300

http://www.leisure-living.com

Smile Center............................................9..........................445-5550

http://www.smilecentermi.com

Education

Cass District Library..............................18 .......................445-3400

http://www.cass.lib.mi.us

Southwestern Michigan College ...........2..........................782-1280

http://www.swmich.edu

Financial

Compass Wealth Advisors.....................8..................888-820-9100

http://www.compasswa.com

H&R Block...............................................9 ..........1-800-HOBLOCK

Kemner Iott Insurance...........................7..........................445-2425

http://www.kemneriott.com

Niles Credit Union..................................11 .......................445-1951

http://www.gncfcu.org

Union Insurance Agency........................4..........................641-5995

http://www.unionins.net

Food, Restaurants, Liquor, Catering, Markets

Full Bull Tavern .....................................16.........................4455757

Hardings ..................................................17 .......................445-2607

Lindy’s Restaurant .................................14 .......................782-4533

Marcello’s .................................................13 .......................445-3900

Paisano’s...................................................16 .......................278-8525

http://www.myspace.com/paisanosbar

Stacy’s.......................................................10 .......................699-5113

Woodfire ...................................................11 .......................782-0007

http://www.woodfiredining.com

Jewelers

S&R Jewelers ..........................................5..........................445-6006

Lawn/Landscaping

Carter Electric Motor .............................14 .......................476-2220

JL Landscaping.......................................13 .......................445-2111

http://www.jllandscapingsite.com

North Star Landscaping ........................4 ........................ 445-9100

http://www.northstarlandscape.net

Wright Way Lawn Service ....................17 .......................445-3302

Misc.

Cleopatra’s Hair Hut..............................14 .......................445-2686

Monuments by Design ...........................17 .......................445-3848

SCORE.....................................................8..........................445-2520

http://www.score.org

Vetter Chevrolet......................................19 .......................278-1485

http://www.vetterchevy.com

ALL AREA CODES ARE 269 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

See HIGH before you buy

HIGH’S

Marine is

Michiana’s

#1 source

for

Bennington,

South Bay

and

Mercury

outboards

MERCURY PREMIER SERVICE DEALER

409 E. Delaware, Decatur, MI

423-7065www.highsmarine.com

POWERED BY

DIAMOND CONSTRUCTION

Licensed & Insured No Job Too LargeFree Estimates or Too Small

Bob Bienz 269-759-4010email: [email protected]

63366 Kinsey St., Vandalia, Michigan

Main*Edwardsburg*Mason/Union*Howard*Local History

*Home Delivery*Summer Reading Programs & Story Time

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THE LAST WORD

by Phil Vitale

Once again the timeless wisdom

of my near-sainted mother has

come home to roost in the form

of an adage that I heard countless

times growing up.

No, not the one where she told me

that “no one is worthless ... you can

always serve as a bad example,”

although that one has served me well

over the years.

The particular pearl I’m referring

to is her oft-repeated promise that “no

good deed goes unpunished.”

Cynical though it might be, as I

age I have come to rely on it as an

absolute truth, a form of dogma that

even the most resolute, most optimistic

and most politically correct among us

could dispute with credibility.

Let me fill you in on the latest

“proof” of mom’s philosophy.

The whole story started years ago,

so long in my past that its origin is just

a dark blur.

As a lifelong, practicing dent-o-

phobe (definition: someone who fears

visiting the dentist more than he fears

the monster under the bed, the disem-

bodied hand clutching the car’s door

handle or the appearance of 1,000 zom-

bies at the daycare), I kind of let my

teeth go for a while ... ok, for a few

years ... or so.

And when I finally bit the bullet

(so to speak) and went for a catchup,

my mouth was in pretty bad shape ...

bad enough to require a half-day of vis-

cous, bloody and painful surgery that

put me off solid food for a week (I pret-

ty much subsisted on breadless

Ibuprophen sandwiches).

Anyway, the surgery worked, my

mouth got much better, and my errant

gums have been holding their own

quite nicely against the ravages of

plaque and aging for the better part of

15 years ... during which time I have

faithfully been visiting my regular den-

tist twice a year for cleanings ... and

my new best friend, a specialist I call

Dr. Mengele, for two additional clean-

ings a year, plus a “check up.”

Now, after the awful things that

happened to me the first time, I was

more than willing to go along with this

routine, especially since my medical

insurance paid for the whole shee-bang

(except, of course, the “co-pay”).

To complicate the situation, during

this time my beloved spouse (BS for

short) developed a similar but different

problem (she had been much more

faithful in visiting the dentist than I ...

and she simply was unlucky where I

had been neglectful) with her mouth.

To make a long story shorter, she soon

found herself visiting the same special-

ist, having a less-severe, but nonethe-

less equally scary procedure per-

formed, and ultimately was enrolled in

the same four-cleanings-and-checkups-

a-year program that I’ve been in.

Which now has been going on for

both of us for a loooong while.

Ok, here comes the rub.

Both of us, being politically aware

and socially conscious people, began to

question whether or not four cleanings

a year were really necessary, especially

in light of the fact that the cleanings at

the specialist’s office were more expen-

sive ... and that the specialist hadn’t

found a reason to do anything more

than to “monitor” our mouths in the 10

years we had been seeing him.

So we discussed it privately and

decided that the “right” thing to do

would be to talk to our dentist and see

if he would be willing to perform three

cleanings a year so we could cut out

the visits to the specialist (assuming

the dentist thought he could “monitor”

our mouths for signs that we might

need to return to the specialist for fur-

ther work). This would save our

insurance company a minimum of 25%

off our total dental bills, we thought.

The insurance company should

love this, we thought.

That’s what we get for thinking.

Imagine our surprise when our

insurance company rejected the bill for

the third cleaning of the year, inform-

ing us that they would only pay for two

cleanings per year from a dentist.

Still trying to be diligent, to do the

“right” thing and help our insurance

company reduce its payment ... and

thereby to help our nation reduce our

skyrocketing health care costs, I called

the insurance company and explained

the reality of the situation, noting that

we only wanted to cut expenses.

We only wanted to be pro-active.

To do the right thing!

At which point a friendly customer

disservice representative told me how

foolish I was being.

It’s a matter of coding, I was told.

Seems that the cleaning of our

teeth, when done by our dentist,

arrives on their forms as a code that

represents, “Cleaning, dental,” while

the more-expensive — but very similar

cleaning of our teeth by a specialist is

coded in a formula that appears as

“Cleaning, specialist.”

Didn’t matter that the specialist

hadn’t done a thing to our teeth other

than clean ‘em, look at ‘em and put

some icky-tasting goop onto ‘em in 10

years, they explained.

It’s coded differently, don’t you see.

If you get your teeth cleaned more

than two times a year ... and you

expect this insurance company to pay

for it ... you’ll just have to go back to

the specialist for the more expensive

treatment, the clerk explained with

what I can only guess to have been a

straight face.

After picking my jaw off the table,

I explained the situation to my wife,

who, as only a woman can do, immedi-

ately saw the logic.

Of course they don’t want to

change anything, you dope, she said,

lovingly. Don’t you see?

The specialist has that new Lexus

he has to pay for, she explained.

And the insurance company has

that new building in Indianapolis they

have to pay the mortgage on.

And besides, if we go back to four

cleanings a year each, the co-pay is

less than the cost of a single cleaning.

Kind of makes you wonder what

the “right thing” to do is, doesn’t it?

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Documents

N 8TH YEAR March 2011 NEIGHBORS - Phil Vitale 2011/1-Mar-11-screen.pdf · Youth Council and Kohls Cares for Kids program. If transportation is an issue, ... To request a scholarship