EPWAMI News

We are Welcoming Daniel to The Beach Glass Spa!

Jo Ann Bertrand — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:38:14 GMT

The Beach Glass Spa & Gallery (formerly About Faces Inc) proudly introduces our new Massage Therapist, Daniel Kwon. We are so lucky to have him joining our team!!! Daniel is a 2005 graduate of the Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences. He has recently relocated here from the Detroit area. To prepare you all for the impending Senior PGA and to welcome Daniel, The Beach Glass Spa is offering all of our massages at 50% off! There IS a catch!!! This extraordinary offer is for the VERY limited time of Thursday, May 17 through Monday, May 21, 2012. If you are reading this announcement, you’re a “local” to us. Come meet Daniel and experience his amazing technique. Daniel is trained in many forms of massage from relaxation to medical and more. Call RIGHT NOW to reserve your appointment during this limited time offer and help us welcome Daniel to Michigan’s Great Southwest! 269.983.8003 Visit us at www.BeachGlassSpa.com to learn about our massage services.

Community Clean Up Weekend! May 18 and 19

Jo Ann Bertrand — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:21:45 GMT

Benton Harbor Community Clean Up Weekend! May 18 & 19, 2012 Friday & Saturday

Benton Harbor is getting ready to host the Senior PGA. One particular area that will require a lot of “manpower” is the community cleanup effort. The major transportation routes have been identified and volunteers are being sought to help clean up these targeted areas during a “Community Cleanup Weekend”, which will take place from 9am to 5pm, Friday, May 18^thand Saturday, May 19^th. Go to www.volunteerswmi.org, log in as a volunteer and link to Cornerstone Alliance and the Community Clean Up volunteer.

2012 Girls On The Run 5K - Berrien County - Thursday, May 31, 2012 6:30 PM

Jo Ann Bertrand — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:05:56 GMT

Girls on the Run & Girls On Track of Berrien County - a life-changing, non-profit prevention programs for young girls. The Girls On The Run (GOTR) curriculum is for girls in 3rd - 5th grades, Girls On Track (GOT) is for girls in 6th - 8th grades.

Mission: to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

Vision: to envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.

Girls on the Run combines training for a 5K (3.1 miles) running event with healthy living education. Our programs provide the opportunity for:

Increased self-esteem through health education,
Life skills development,
Mentoring relationships with trained adult volunteers, and
Physical exercise

all of which are accomplished through an active collaboration with the girls, their parents, schools, volunteers, staff, and the community.

Girls on the Run of Berrien County is an Affiliate Council of Girls on the Run International, which has a network of over 186 locations across the United States and Canada. Each year over 80,000 girls participate in Girls On The Run internationally.

to Volunteer, please go to http://www.uwsm.org/webform/girls-run-volunteer-opportunities

For more information about GOTR/GOT or to volunteer contact:
Peggy Schaffer - Phone: (269) 982-1700, ext. 30
Email: peggy.schaffer@uwsm.org

Girls On The Run® of Berrien County was brought to our area through a partnership between United Way of Southwest Michigan and the Benton Harbor/St. Joseph YMCA Family Center.

Waterfront Framing & Fine Art

Jo Ann Bertrand — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:17:33 GMT

This week marks the 11th anniversary in business, and you are invited to the
party" with a 20% savings on all custom framing projects and all art in the store, both framed and unframed.
It's a perfect time to bring in graduation and family photos, vacation memorabilia, or whatever you'd like to have custom framed.
This promotion runs from May 1st through May 14th.
You can find Waterfront Framing and Fine Art at 606 Ship Street, downtown St. Joseph MI. . .

Driving Positive Change by Encouraging Intrapreneurship - Wednesday, April 11, 2012 1-2 p.m. ET

Jo Ann Bertrand — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:42:00 GMT

Impact at Work: Driving Positive Change by Encouraging Intrapreneurship

Volunteer March Solutions - Free Webinar.

Tired of business as usual? Leverage the skills you and your employees have to bring real change to your workplace undefined and the world undefined no matter your industry or job title. Learn how to create a workforce of Social Intrapreneurs: Internal innovators who challenge their organization’s status quo while developing and implementing solutions that both benefit their organization and create positive social and environmental impact..

During this session, Britta Durtsche from Net Impact will outline the valuable benefits of supporting intrapreneurs in the workplace and offer a tangible toolkit that will enable you to launch workplace projects, engage co-workers, and bring social and environmental change to your community..

Click here to register for this event.

This coming Saturday, April 7 at 1PM

Jo Ann Bertrand — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:51:41 GMT

Cook Nuclear Plant will test all emergency sirens for three minutes as part of the comprehensive safety plan. The test will take place in our community within a 10-mile radius of the Cook Plant.

Typically the sirens sound for about one minute on the first Saturday of the month, so don’t be alarmed when this particular test lasts longer. This means the sirens are working!

Siren and other basic emergency information can be found in the emergency information calendars that are produced by the Cook Plant and mailed annually to residents and businesses in

Berrien County. The calendars are more than a popular display of local scenery. They are a ready resource for residents, tourists and visitors on what to do when they hear the sirens.

If friends or neighbors have questions or would like additional emergency information calendars, they can visit www.cookinfo.com, call 800-548-2555, or email cookinfo@aep.com. Also, please remember to report nonworking sirens right away. If anyone notes a problem with a siren, call 269-983-7141. The Berrien County Emergency Management Office maintains the sirens.

the Beach Glass Spa and Gallery - Open April 2

Jo Ann Bertrand — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:17:40 GMT

It’s magic and it’s happening! Diana Graham owner of About Faces Permanent Cosmetics announces the opening of the Beach Glass Spa and Gallery!. The first Premier Spa in the downtown core of St. Joseph will be located (around the corner from The Boulevard and just in time for the PGA) in that BEAUTIFUL, white, Victorian mansion at the corner of State and Market! A full range of Spa services is being offered from Massage, Facials, Body Treatments, Pedicures and Manicures to Lash Extensions, Air Brushed Make Up and Electrolysis. Bring your girlfriends, bring your bridal party and gentlemen you could use a little pampering yourselves! All are welcome at our luxurious new location.
The Spa is tastefully decorated with a beach and nature theme. The art works of our talented local Artists are on display and available for sale.
So, calling all Artists who work in beach/nature mediums and looking to show and sell your work!
Diana is also hiring Massage Therapists, Aestheticians, Nail Techs and Make Up Artists. About Faces Permanent Cosmetics will continue and have a private office within the Spa. The phone number is 269.983-8003 and until the new Beach Glass Spa and Gallery website is up you can check us out at www.AboutFacesInc.com
See you in April!

Mosquito Squad of Southwest Michigan is inviting you to join them on Facebook.

Jo Ann Bertrand — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:18:12 GMT

Mosquito Squad of Southwest Michigan is inviting you to join Facebook.

Once you join, you'll be able to connect with the Mosquito Squad of Southwest Michigan Page, along with people you care about and other things that interest you.

Thanks,
Mosquito Squad of Southwest Michigan

Professional Tune Up - Monday, March 26

Jo Ann Bertrand — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 13:15:36 GMT

Western Michigan University will present a free program Monday to help people take steps in Professional advancement.
The program: "A Professional Tune-Up: Make Yourself Stand Out in a Crowd" is scheduled from 5:30-7:30 pm at WMU-Southwest on the Lake Michigan College campus on East Napier Avenue.
Lynne Kelly-Albertson, executive director of Career and Student Employment Services at WMU will conduct this meeting.
People attending can get information about how to use social media professionally, build a career network, brand yourself positively, and other topics.
The free program is open to the public. Register by calling 269-934-1500.

Williamson Employment Services stays in the family

Jo Ann Bertrand — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:38:32 GMT

Published: Sunday, March 11, 2012 1:01 PM EDT

Williamson Services stays in the family

ST. JOSEPH - Williamson Employment Services Inc. has stayed in the family, with Judee and Jeff Hopwood, daughter and son-in-law of founder Peg Williamson, having bought the business, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary.

The Hopwoods took over the family-owned and operated staffing company Jan. 1. Williamson Employment Services, a certified Women's Business Enterprise, is based on Hilltop Road in St. Joseph, with additional offices in Niles and Grand Rapids. All the offices provide a range of staffing services, including direct-hire placement, information technology, temporary, short and long-term staffing and screening and background services.

"We are so proud to have this opportunity to preserve and grow the company built by my mother," Judee Hopwood said. "Her dedication to helping people as well as her commitment to the highest standards of integrity and customer service are ideals that she instilled in me throughout my life. My husband Jeff and I plan to use that legacy as a platform for innovation and growth."

Judee Hopwood has managed the daily operations of the company as its president since January 2008. She got her master's degree in business administration from Western Michigan University in 2004. She serves on the Women's Business Center Advisory Board and the Executive and Professional Women's Association Board.

She is a member of the Human Resource Council of Southwest Michigan, the American Staffing Association, the Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance, the Women's Business Enterprise National Council and the Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce board, and is a Cornerstone Alliance steward.

Jeff Hopwood most recently worked at Robert Bosch Corp. as manager of the technical team for North America. In his new role as vice president of Williamson Employment, he will apply 30 years' experience to directing technology for the company, including modernizing internal systems and developing a nationwide IT Recruiting division.

He got his degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1986 and has a background in computer technology, software development and management.

Williamson Employment Services - Open House Invitation - Thursday March 8 - Celebrating 20 Years of “Placing People First”

Jo Ann Bertrand — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:38:24 GMT

Williamson Employment Services, Inc
Celebrating 20 Years of Placing People First

Williamson Employment Open House Invite.pdf

You are cordially invited you to attend our Open House and Cornerstone Business After Hours celebrating our 20th Anniversary Thursday, March 8, 2012 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. 213 Hilltop Road Saint Joseph, Michigan 49085

R.S.V.P. by February 29, 2012 • (269) 983-0142

A real heart for art - Born and raised in Benton Harbor, Anna Russo-Sieber fell in love with art while she was a student at Benton Harbor High School in the early 1970s.

Jo Ann Bertrand — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:04:27 GMT

A real heart for art

Published: Monday, February 6, 2012 1:06 PM EST

Born and raised in Benton Harbor, Anna Russo-Sieber fell in love with art while she was a student at Benton Harbor High School in the early 1970s.

So when it came time to open her own art gallery and studio she knew she wanted it to be in Benton Harbor, where two teachers had nurtured her love for art and where she could share that love with children who need it most.

The Anna Russo-Sieber Gallery, which includes exhibit space and three classroom studios, is at 147 Fifth St. in the Barentsen Candy Co. building.

Russo-Sieber, 56, worked 15 years at the Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph and had a studio for five years at the Box Factory For the Arts in St. Joseph.

She and her husband, Ron, live in Stevensville, where they raised two children, Matt, 30, and Juliana, 28.

Staff Writer Julie Swidwa visited with Russo-Sieber at her gallery in downtown Benton Harbor.

Tell me about how you got involved in art.

Well, I've been an artist my whole adult life. My junior and senior year in high school, the two teachers there, Mr. Kussy and Mr. Murray, they were really special. They were so passionate about their teaching and about art itself and so highly involved that it just sucked you right in, you know. We did print making and oil painting and painted landscapes, all sorts of subject matter, and created jewelry, so it was a really awesome two years in high school.

And then my dad is very artistic and creative. And I was always crafty, always very messy. I always liked getting dirty and playing and creating things and building things, drawing, painting, and I took my first ceramics class and fell in love.

When did you open your own studio?

Officially the first of September 2010. That's when we became sort of a little art center and started offering the classes. But technically it started in 2008 on the foundation of the art camps and teaching kids for years at the Krasl, and really starting and implementing a summer art program at the Box Factory. It was my program. I ran it out of there, leased their space, so I've been creating camps on my own since 2008. This will be our fifth summer.

So (in 2010) I thought, I'm going to bring it here to Benton Harbor. I thought, you know, I keep trying to get local kids from here, just across the bridge to the Box Factory, and I couldn't get even one. So I came here and sometimes I'd have to go drive around and pick up the kids, or whoever was working for me that summer would go pick up the kids.

Tell me more about your art camps.

My goal is to get kids in Benton Harbor in the camps. I want at least half the kids in the camps to be kids who would never be able to afford it. The first year we had sponsors for 15 kids. It had a domino effect. Folks were like, "Oh, we want to sponsor a kid, we want to sponsor a kid." So that's what we're working on is building that up.

We run five weeklong camps. Each child comes for a week. Last year's theme was on Italy. So it's a cultural experience. They're experiencing a culture, a language. We focused a little bit on the Italian language, we read books to them about the culture, we showed them maps. It's like, in the beginning of the week they're not sure about all this and by the end of the week they're all savvy and understanding. They'd walk in and go "buon giorno." That means hello or good morning.

Tell me a little bit about your own passion for art and how you relate it to the kids.

You want to see them learn. It helped me so much in school personally. Having my art teachers really brought that balance. It helps with your math and your sciences and it helps with your self-esteem. It helps with so many things. You feel so good when you take an art class and produce something. In a program like the summer camps, you're teaming up with kids you never met before, and they're experiencing some things for the first time.

We've talked a lot about your programs, and this is supposed to be about you.

Well let me tell you, every class that I offer here is me. It came from here in my heart and it's what I love. I thought if I'm going to be here, I'm going to outreach to kids.

And I'm all about my culture, my dad's history. We're all cooks, and if you come to my house and my parents are there, and my brother and sister, we're all elbowing each other and everybody wants to add something and it's very loud and very pushy and very aggressive and "I cook better than you, and you didn't add enough salt."

Besides art, you seem to have a passion for food, which is hard to believe as thin as you are.

I am definitely a cook, yes. All the years I worked at the Krasl, and having a studio at the Box Factory, I did a lot of food preparation for receptions.

What do you do when you're not here at the studio?

I love working out. I take classes in Pilates. It's very centering. When it's summertime I love to walk on the beach. I can walk on the beach for miles. I like to cook and I like to have my family over, feed my family, feed my friends.

What else would you want people to know about you?

Just that this art center is my heart. The gallery is my heart. It's everything I've always wanted to do kind of in a nutshell. A lot of it is outreach. A lot of it is targeted to Benton Harbor, coming from here and giving back. My goal is to constantly, all year around, look for money to support these kids. I work with the Benton Harbor art teachers, and they help me select the children who have a love for art but don't have two nickels to rub together. It's all about that.

February 3-12: 2nd Annual Coastline Children's Film Festival

Jo Ann Bertrand — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:14:35 GMT

Award-winning Shorts, Documentaries, Features and Workshops

The mission of the Coastline Children's Film Festival is to bring high quality independent films and animation for children and young adults to Berrien County. Alongside the screening of animated and live action films, features, shorts and documentaries, our festival participants will have the opportunity to learn about the history of film, as well as the art of filmmaking through hands-on workshops and filmmaker presentations. A film festival for a children’s audience is the first of its kind in Berrien County.

At the following venues:

Acorn Theater, Anna Russo-Sieber Gallery, Box Factory for the Arts, Bridgman Public Library, Citadel Dance and Music Center, Krasl Art Center and the New Buffalo Performing Arts Center

Call 269.925.3544 or go to www.brookviewschool.org

You must pre-register for workshops at: www.annarussoart.com (269.208.4409) or www.krasl.org (269.983.0271)

Funded in part by the New Buffalo Fine Arts Council with support from Chemical Bank

I&M interim Michigan rates in effect

Jo Ann Bertrand — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:59:37 GMT

Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) received notice in December from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) that its

November 21, 2011proposal to set interim rates met requirements for implementation. As a result, I&M is now starting to recover $16 million in annual revenue effective Jan. 1, 2012 -- a portion of the $24.5 million overall revenue requirement proposed in the rate case -- until a final order from the Commission is received.

Michigan Public Act 286 permits a utility to self-implement rates, if the MPSC has not issued an order within 180 days of a completed application. Under interim rates, a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month would see an increase of about $6. The majority of residential customers (65 percent) use 1,000 kilowatt-hours or less every month.

The interim rate increase will appear as a surcharge on customer billing statements until a final order on the rate case is received by the MPSC which could be on or before

July 1, 2012.

I&M is currently the lowest cost electric provider among investor-owned utilities in

Michiganwith rates that are 32 percent lower than the state average. Should the rate case be approved in its entirety, a monthly bill could be about $98; still 23 percent lower than the state average.

WMU-Southwest Spring Semester begins January 9

Luann Harden — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:31:51 GMT

WMU-Southwest spring semester begins January 9. Most classes are offered in the evening. Programs include bachelor completion programs in business, education and nursing and master's degrees in education and social work. Visit www.wmich.edu/southwest or call (269) 934-1500 for more information.

NEW WINTER CLASSES IN THE GALLERY STARTING THE END OF JANUARY..SO THE WEATHER OUTSIDE MAY BE FRIGHTFUL... BUT ITS WARM & FUN IN THE GALLERY...LET IT SNOW!!!

Jo Ann Bertrand — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:59:27 GMT

Anna Russo Sieber Gallery

147 Fifth Street

Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022

arsieber@sbcglobal.net

269-208-4409

New exciting class line-up at The ARS Gallery for winter, plus some past highly requested favorites for a not so boring winter in the arts district.

The ARS Gallery is offering some exciting new classes, which include “Photography”, “Detox Yoga”, “Mosaic Bottles & Boxes”, “Painted Panels”, two wonderful new children’s clay classes, and a children’s film education month long workshop.

We are also bringing back some favorites that are being highly requested again, like “The Art of Entertaining”, “Begin Italian”, “Cabernet & Canvas”, and a children’s Mixed Media class on Saturday mornings titled "Saturday Morning Art". The gallery will keep you warm, art educated, and happy this winter.

or more information go to annarussoart.com, or call 269-208-4409

Anna Russo Sieber Gallery

Jo Ann Bertrand — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:56:19 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Coastline Children’s Film Festival, international films and film workshops at Anna Russo Sieber Gallery

Contact: Anna Russo Sieber - P.O. Box 9151 - Benton Harbor, Mi. 49023 arsieber@sbcglobal.net - - - annarussoart.com

Tuesday-Saturday, February 7-11 ARS Gallery will be screening award-winning films from around the globe and offering hands-on film workshops for kids.

In celebration of the 2nd Annual Coastline Children’s Film Festival, ARS will be one of the host sites showcasing several award winning independent films paired with one-of-a-kind hands-on workshops.

To most children across the county, a weekend out of school often equals cartoons and decade-old Disney movies on television. We hope to change that. One of the best things about going to the movies is how magical the experience can be: the flip-up seats, the expectant crowd, the lights going down, and the enchantment of the film. There are over 50 films in this year's festival. There’s comedy, adventure, love, music, dancing, lots of happy endings and a few sad ones. ARS gallery is screening some of the best.

A three-day workshop/film viewing for youth ages 11-16 will be held Tuesday-Thursday, February 7-9 from 5:00-6:30 pm at the gallery.

This workshop will cover and focus on learning about the structure of a story, storyboarding, visual story telling, film vocabulary, writing, directing, cinematography, & editing. They will also learn the vocabulary of each film, as well as different roles in the art of filmmaking, e.g., cast, crew, & director’s roles, etc. Students will walk away with a plethora of information as well as a finished project.

The following films will be screened for participants and the general public at 6:30 PM each evening.

Tuesday: Amreeka 2009 (96 min) A mother & son leave the West Bank for a small Midwestern town (13 plus/strong language)

Wednesday: The 400 Blows (99 min) b/w 1959 French w/subtitles, Francois Truffaut’s striking coming of age story (8 plus)

Thursday: One Lucky Elephant 2011 (84 min) a 10,000 lb. love story about a circus elephant’s retirement…what the NY Times called “Sweet, heart and trunk tugging” (8 plus)

Films and workshops offered during the second weekend of the festival:

A two-day workshop/film viewing for ages 6-10, Thursday & Friday, February 9, & 10, from noon-2:30 pm at the gallery. This workshop will focus on the structure of a story, storyboarding, visual story telling, film vocabulary, some writing, directing, cinematography, & editing. They will also learn the vocabulary of each film, as well as different roles in the art of filmmaking and the basics of creating short films. Students will walk away with a project and a heart to create their own shorts.

Canadian Film Shorts (68 min/All ages) will be screened for participants and the general public at 2:30 PM on Thursday (Feb 9). A kaleidoscopic showcase of some of the best short films and animation from film festivals around the world (ages 6-10) will screen on Friday (Feb 10) at 2:30 PM.

On Friday evening (Feb 10) at 5:00 PM we will screen What’s On Your Plate 2009 (76 min) a witty and provocative documentary film about kids and food politics. Over the course of one year the film follows two 11 year-old multiracial city kids as they explore their place in the food chain (8 plus). This will be followed by a dinner and sustainable food workshop from 6:30 – 8:00 PM. (ages 8 plus)

On Saturday Feb 11th from 1:00 – 2:15 PM we will screen the shorts from the New York International Children’s Film Festival (for ages 7-12). At 2:30 PM we will show White Mane (40 min) b/w 1953 French w/ subtitles, a stunning black and white film where a young untamed white stallion and young boy meet. Winner of the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix (8 plus). Immediately following, from 3:30 – 5:00 PM we’ll hold a writing workshop that will cover learning to tell a story through writing, and how to create a beginning, middle, and end to a story. This class will discuss how stories are then put to a moving motion picture. Students will walk away with a written lesson.

Seeing a movie can be like a visit to a wonder-filled land we may never come across in our everyday lives. The best films provide a place where we are all invited, no borders, no visas required, and no possibility of being excluded or exiled. The films planned for the festival speak positively to children and families of diverse ages, backgrounds and ethnicities. They include award-winning films that have been screened all over the globe. All films will be offered free of charge with a $1 suggested donation. Parents will be given guidance to content and age appropriateness.

The purpose of these workshops is to help students see from a filmmaking perspective how films are made, and the process and roles played in the process from beginning to completion. The subject matter of each film will be touched on to complete the learning process, and create a clear comprehensive process for the students to follow, understand, and implement to some degree. These workshops are an abbreviation of film camp offered at ARS Gallery in the summer. We are proud to share the art of film with your children.

A complete final list of all the films and venues will be available on January 3rd. For film descriptions visit www.brookviewschool.org.

All of the above workshops and films will be held at The Anna Russo Sieber Gallery. These events require pre-registration and each session has a nominal fee of $30. A discount will be offered to parents signing up for 2 or more sessions. Parents may sign up for workshops by going towww.annarussoart.com or calling 269-208-4409, or mail a check to ARS Gallery, P.O. Box 9151, Benton Harbor, Michigan 49023.

Mailmax Salute to Women in Business

Jo Ann Bertrand — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:00:45 GMT

Publish Date, Saturday, January 28

Copy Deadline - Noon; Friday January 20

Promote your success and your business to over 37,000 Homes in Full Color. $49

Call your Mailmax Representative today.

Jo Farrell ..........................................208-4440

Jeff Painter ......................................208-2445

Nancy Bishop Nieset ....................208-6949

Lynne Gathright ..............................934-7522

Home Rental.....Contact "Be Our Guest"

Karen Halleckson — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:18:07 GMT

How to rent your home

Home rentals will be one option for Senior PGA visitors in May

By JOHN MATUSZAK - H-P Staff Writer

Published: Sunday, November 6, 2011 2:16 PM EST

About 30,000 people are expected to roll into Southwest Michigan in May for the Senior PGA Championship at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor.

According to the Southwest Michigan Tourist Council, there are 1,600 hotel and motel rooms in Benton Harbor, St. Joseph and Stevensville. At four to a room, that's 6,400 guests.

Where will everybody else stay?

Jeff Hintz, director of the Senior PGA Championship, said the majority of people attending are expected to come from within a two- to three-hour radius of the venue, and will likely return home at the end of the day.

He also expects there will be plenty of visitors filling hotel and motel rooms. "It will be a hard task to get a hotel room."

Local leaders are interested in hosting as many visitors as possible, reasoning that people spend money at shops and restaurants near where they stay. Cornerstone Alliance's Community Showcase Committee and the Southwest Michigan Tourist Council are marketing the region.

One alternative to hotel rooms is allowing residents to rent their homes during the PGA event.

Nancy McDonnall, one of the owners of Be Our Guest, which markets and manages such rentals, said homes are available in about 42 communities in the region, from New Buffalo to South Haven, in the Paw Paw Lake and Silver Lake area, and as close as the greens of Harbor Shores.

The St. Joseph law streamlines the approval process for a special event rental to a couple of days by not requiring a public hearing on the permit application.

Special event rentals will be limited to a period of time approved by the city commissioners. A permit for a short-term rental lasts for two years.

A public hearing is scheduled in St. Joseph Nov. 14 for commissioners to consider designating the two weeks around the PGA Senior Tour, scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, as its first special event. The PGA Tour will return to Harbor Shores in 2014.

Special event rentals are allowed in all zoning areas of St. Joseph, and properties must be inspected before being approved for a permit. There is a $200 application fee, a $45 inspection fee and a $15 per unit rental fee. Off-street parking is required for any vehicles.

The people at Be Our Guest stay current with local regulations and advise homeowners on the right way to go about preparing to open their doors to visitors, McDonnall said.

Playing host
How does one go about getting a home ready to host PGA spectators?

For one thing, you can't wait until the last minute, McDonnall said (St. Joseph's ordinance requires an application be submitted no less than 30 days before the special event period).

Be Our Guest has between 50 and 75 listings for rental homes at this time, and McDonnall expects to list around 200. The Tourist Council also has listings for home rentals, cottages, bed and breakfasts, and other accommodations. St. Joseph has around 40 short-term rental properties.

Homeowners can only rent their homes for 14 days during the year before losing a homestead tax exemption.

It's a good idea to contact your insurance agent to determine if any additional coverage is recommended, McDonnall said.

Before the guests arrive, the homeowner should put food and alcohol they don't want consumed while they're gone in the garage, she recommended. Items with sentimental value should be removed from the home.

McDonnall has opened her own rental properties to vacationers, and will make her Lincoln Township home available during the PGA event.

She recommends having a "safe area" in the house, such as basement, where extra clothing and other valuables can be locked up. Leave closet space for guests, she advised.

Once the guests have arrived, Be Our Guest keeps tabs on the property and provides a 24-hour help line. Special keys can be made available for an added level of security.

"While you're out having a good time, we're making sure your guests are having a good time," McDonnall said.

The company checks the home before you come back, checking for stains on the carpet or other problems to avoid the "'Oh my God' moment" for the homeowner, she said.

Homeowners who want to stay with their visitors in a bed and breakfast arrangement wouldn't need any other type of permit, according to St. Joseph Community Development Director John Hodgson.

But McDonnall doesn't recommend this. She said it's easier to allow an agency to take care of all the arrangements, enabling the homeowner to enjoy his or her own getaway.

A lot of people have asked about having one of the golfers stay in their homes, McDonnall said.

Not likely. Jeff Hintz said that when the PGA Tour was in Louisville, only five golfers stayed in private homes, and the rest booked hotel rooms.

Disability Network of SW Michigan fighting for rights for 30 years

Karen Halleckson — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:15:13 GMT

Disability Network of SW Michigan fighting for rights for 30 years

By JOHN MATUSZAK - H-P Staff Writer

Published: Sunday, November 6, 2011 2:16 PM EST

ST. JOSEPH - If Joanne Johnson had been born 30 years earlier, her life would have been very different.

"I would have had a very limited life compared to what I have today," said Johnson, community education and systems advocate for the Disability Network of Southwest Michigan, celebrating its 30th anniversary in October.

Johnson has a physical disability. Had she grown up a few decades earlier she probably would have gone to a segregated high school for students with disabilities. She would have been considered unemployable, someone who would live with her parents, who would never marry or have children.

There were no ramps for the disabled then, and even getting on a bus would have been impossible.

"I would have been expected to live off the government, to sit at home and watch television until I died," Johnson said.

Instead she has earned a master's degree in social work and advocates for others with disabilities who face barriers to living a full life.

"I'm glad I was born in '85 instead of '45," Johnson said from the St. Joseph office of the agency that serves a nine-county area.

"Sure, things have improved in the last 30 or 40 years," said Jenny Wyly, an independent living specialist with the Disability Network. "But we definitely have a long way to go."

Words matter

As part of its 30th anniversary year, the Disability Network's St. Joseph office is hosting a series of community discussions about issues relating to people with disabilities and their place in the community.

The first discussion, held Oct. 4, was on "Disability Language and Etiquette."

How we talk about disabilities has a big impact on how we think and act on the matter, Johnson said.

At one time terms such as "cripple" for the physically disabled and "moron" for the mentally disabled, were common.

Today the word "handicapped" is considered "old-fashioned" and conveys a negative view, Johnson said.

Advocates now strive to promote a more neutral term.

"It's just one part of what they are," Johnson said.

A disability doesn't exist until a person encounters a barrier, the Disability Network's literature points out.

"It is the environment or culture that needs to be fixed, not the individual with the disability."

The first stop

Promoting that fix has been the the Disability Network's mission since it started in Kalamazoo in 1981 with one full-time and one part-time staff member, working in a room donated by Goodwill.

It has grown to have an annual budget of $1.9 million and 29 staff members. The Berrien/Cass County office on Lakeview Avenue in St. Joseph opened in 2009.

Johnson has been with the agency for two years and in her current position for 18 months.

The Disability Network, she explained, is the first stop to connect people with needed services, to educate the public and to advocate for social change.

In addition to being a referral service, the agency supports independent living, offers counseling for Social Security work incentives, hosts peer support groups and helps clients make the transition from nursing facilities to home. The office helps people apply for technology to assist them.

Clients are taught how to advocate for themselves.

It's vital that people with disabilities have a voice in making the policies that affect their lives, Johnson said.

Their rallying cry is "Nothing about us without us."

At least 51 percent of the board and staff of the Disability Network must be made up of people with disabilities.

"Our clients know they are talking to someone who has lived with the experience," Johnson said.

For the community and businesses, the agency provides evaluations for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, workshops and presentations, consultations on home and workplace modifications, and a resource library.

Seemingly small things can make a big difference in a disabled person's life.

It can be convincing an apartment manager to put in a ramp close to a building's entrance. It can be getting a social services agency to allow a home-bound person to mail in an application, instead of requiring that it be delivered in person.

It can be helping a local hospital modify its job applications to remove questions about disabilities, which are illegal, Johnson said.

These are a few of the successes the Disability Network has achieved recently, Johnson said.

Invisible barriers

There are disabilities you can see, and disabilities you can't see.

When Jenny Wyly joined the Disability Network last year, she thought of disabilities as mostly physical.

She has since discovered they also can be mental, emotional or intellectual.

She has been working with recovering heroin addict Jennifer Ballard for about a year.

Ballard, 43, who also has an anxiety disorder, was referred to the Disability Network through Michigan Rehabilitation Services.

She said Wyly has helped in every way to get her life back together.

"Without Jenny I don't know what I would do," said Ballard, who has been clean for about a year. "She has been the most valuable player (for me)."

Ballard, was homeless. Wyly helped her find a house in a drug-free neighborhood. She has brought her clothes, accompanied her to meetings with other social service agencies and has driven her to appointments at a methadone clinic.

Ballard said an anxiety disorder led to her addiction. Many people don't understand that, but Wyly does, she said.

"She had the most faith in me," Ballard said. "She goes above and beyond."

Catherine, a 24-year-old Dowagiac resident with learning disabilities, praised her own independent living counselor, Jackie Curtis.

"She not only helps because it's part of her job, she takes the extra initiative to give you someone to trust," said Catherine, who asked that her last name not be used.

Curtis helped find a home for Catherine and her twin 2-year-old boys, helped her get Medicaid assistance and is helping her enroll in cosmetology school.

Counselors at the Disability Network help clients speak for themselves, Catherine said. "They help our opinions, our voices to be heard."

Independence is always the goal, Catherine said.

"I am able to do things on my own that I would have never had the confidence to try" before contacting the Disability Network, she said.

Statewide struggles

Along with working at the local level, staff members lobby for changes in statewide policies. This year Johnson took part in Transit Advocacy Day in Lansing, pushing for greater accommodations in public transportation. She also is part of the Berrien County Transit Advocacy Group (TAG) Team, which works to improve local bus systems.

Michigan's 1.9 million disabled are facing challenges due to state budget cuts.

Starting Oct. 1, stricter guidelines were put in place for people with disabilities and senior citizens receiving home chore assistance through the Department of Human Services. This assistance with cleaning, shopping, cooking and other tasks helps people stay in their own homes.

Also this month, State Disability Assistance payments for new enrollees were reduced from $269 to $200 a month.

The Disability Network of Southwest Michigan and other agencies are fighting to have these programs fully funded, Johnson said.

Accommodations for the disabled benefit everyone, Johnson said. Sidewalk ramps help mothers pushing strollers as well as people in wheelchairs. Close-captioned television broadcasts, started for the deaf, allow patrons in noisy bars to keep up with the big game.

And no one knows when they or a family member might have a disability requiring the same accommodations.

If Johnson had a magic wand, what would she change about the way society deals with disabilities?

"I would like to see disabilities recognized as a diversity," like race and gender, she said. "It would just be there. Everybody would be included. People would be part of the community."

Wyly said she would like to see disabilities viewed as "just a characteristic, like being tall or being short. It just is."

The Disability Network's Berrien/Cass office can be reached at 985-0111. The Kalamazoo office can be reached at (269) 345-1516. The website is www.dnswm.org.