off the water - may 30 - june 5, 2014

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Week of May 30 - June 5, 2014 Volume 6, Number 22Off The Water | The place to be entertained.

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Mike and Sarah Melcher celebrate 25 years of Captain Mike’s Fun Park

StillSailing

• Week of May 30 - June 5, 2014 Off The Water, Michiana

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TOURIST FOR A DAY Discover the local destinations right in your own backyard

By JILL [email protected]

BRIDGMAN—“We’re family-orient-ed, and we cater to young families,” said Mike Melcher, who has been

running Captain Mike’s Fun Park with his wife Sarah for the last 24 years. “This will be our 25th season.”

“It’s a place for all ages to have fun,” added Sarah. “All seven of my grandchil-dren have worked here over the years. There’s always a family member present at the park.”

In fact, on opening day, May 24, Mike and Sarah were joined by three of those grandchildren—Mikey, Perry and Alex.

Remembering the fun they had grow-ing up at the Silver Beach and House of David amusement parks, the Stevensville natives opened the fun park to provide that same sort of experience for newer generations of residents and tourists.

“We started it from scratch, my hus-band and I did,” recalled Sarah. “We’ve been very happy. We’ve seen children grow up.”

Captain Mike’s Fun Park took its name from Mike and Sarah’s other passion—sailing.

“Ever since we’ve been married, we’ve loved sailing, and we’ve had all different size sailboats,” Mike explained. “We wanted a theme, so we decided that a nau-tical theme would fit in this area. The lake is right across the highway and Warren Dunes is just down the road.”

In keeping with that theme, the park includes a mini golf course decorated with a lighthouse and several freshly-painted, salvaged boats. Flowers from Barbott Farms beautify the landscape as well.

Besides mini golf, the fun park also offers go-karts, junior go-karts for kids

ages 5 to 10 and bumper cars.“The big draw is the go-karts,” Sarah

pointed out.Perfect for warmer summer days, a

water-fun area includes bumper boats, which can be piloted by children as young as seven years old, and “Water Wars,” a game that involves launching water bal-loons at an opponent.

“We have a lot of repeat customers who come just for that,” Mike said. “They show up in their bathing suits. People love it on hot days!”

A well-stocked game room, two “jump-shot basketball” games and batting cages round out the list of attractions.

While Mike and Sarah estimate that about 75 percent of their business comes from tourists, they also offer packages for birthday parties and other group outings that would appeal to area residents.

Furthermore, since there are no admis-sion or parking fees, visitors can stop in for just one round of golf or a go-kart race,

or they can spend the whole day there.“We have a picnic area, and they can

bring their lunch in, or they can get food at our snack bar. We have hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, ice cream and ‘Snowies’—those are our snow cones,” Sarah said.

Located at 10975 Red Arrow Hwy., Captain Mike’s Fun Park can be reached at (269) 465-5747. They also have a website at www.captainmikesamusementpark.com.

The park is now open on weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. After June 9, they will be open daily during those same hours. Then, after July 4, the hours on Mondays through Saturdays will be extended to 7 p.m. On Sundays, the park will close at 5 p.m.

“We have a lot of repeat visitors, and they always remark on how clean it is here,” Sarah said. “That’s my thing. It has to be clean. It’s a safe environment, too. People can feel safe bringing their kids to have fun here.”

Leader photos/JILL McCAUGHAN

Bumper boats and go-karts are just two of the ways families can have fun at Captain Mike’s Fun Park this summer.

Mike and Sarah Melcher celebrate 25 years of Captain Mike’s Fun Park

Still Sailing

Off The Water, Michiana WeekofMay30-June5,2014•

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Michael CaldwellPublisher(269) [email protected]

Ambrosia NeldonLayout Editor(269) [email protected]

Jill McCaughanFeature Writer(269) [email protected]

Anne JohnsonCreative Services(269) [email protected]

Rhonda RauenAccounting Manager(269) [email protected]

Cindy KlingermanDistribution Manager(269) [email protected]

SalesDonna KnightClassifieds(269) [email protected]

Sherina Gonzalez(269) [email protected]

Phil Langer(269) [email protected]

Jenny Yarbrough(269) [email protected]

Produced and printed by Leader Publications 217 N. 4th Street, Niles, MI 49120

Off the Water is available throughoutsouthwest Michigan and the greater

South Bend, Indiana area.

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Off The Water | The place to be entertained.

Fernwood hosts

summer camps

Day camp T-shirts are availablefor purchase for $12 for youth sizes and $15 for adult sizes. Visit Fernwood’s website for camp details and to register online, or call (269) 695.6491.

What are your kids doing this summer? Register them for one of several summer day camps, where they will learn about sci-ence, nature, and art while having fun in the gardens and pre-

serve of Fernwood.Fernwood's popular nature and art camps are joined this summer by

our NEW science day camps. Camps run Tuesday through Friday, serv-ing a different age group each week. Registration is easier than ever with our new online registration system.

SThe Roy and Ethelbel Knauer Art Camps

are an ideal complementary course to the Jon Meyer Nature Camps. These camps combine the arts with natural sciences and are designed to stimulate curiosity, apprecia-tion, and knowledge of the natural world.

Cassatts: 9-11 year-oldsJune 24-27; 9:30 am to 2:00 pm$100 (Members $80)

Rembrandts: 9-11 year-oldsJuly 8-11; 9:30 am to 2:00 pm$100 (Members $80)

NEW O'Keeffes: 12-16 year-oldsJuly 15-18; 9:30 am to 2:00 pm$110 (Members $88)

Monets: 6-8 year-oldsJuly 22-25; 9:30 am to 1:30 pm$90 (Members $72)

Audubons: 6-8 year-oldsJuly 29-August 1; 9:30 am to 1:30 pm$90 (Members $72)

New this year are three exciting Science Day Camps for kids. Students will learn valuable skills through hands-on experiments, activities, and exploration of the gardens and grounds. Price for each camp is $130 (Members $104). Register by the Friday before each camp.

Junior Botanists: 10-12 year-oldsJune 17-20; 9:30 am to 3:00 pmExplore the fascinating world of plants including plant life cycles, pollination, eco-systems, types of plants, and ethnobotany. This class will also discuss hot topics like genetically modified plants. Mythical Monsters and Plants:10-12 year-oldsJune 24-27; 9:30 am to 3:00 pmImmerse yourself in the world of mythical and literary creatures. Students will learn about real life monster plants like the Corpse Flower as well as engaging in "potion" mak-ing through hands-on chemistry experiments.

Fernwood Planeteers:10-12 year olds July 15-18; 9:30 am to 3:00 pmGet down and dirty (literally) in this camp when learning about geology, paleontology, and climate science. Students will conduct hands-on experiments to learn about the weather cycle, rock formation, and fossils and minerals.

SS

The Jon Meyer Nature Day Camps use Fernwood's for-ests, ponds, river, and prairie as classrooms. Hikes along nature trails, fun games, educational activities, and crafts open children to the wonders of nature while encouraging appreciation of the plants and animals of our region. Ecology Explorers and Earth Day Adventurers camps include an overnight at Fernwood.

Nature's Sensors: 4 year-olds June 10-13; 9:30 to 11:30 am $60 (Members $48) Animal Explorers: 5 and 6 year-oldsJune 17-20 OR June 24-27; 9:30 am to 1:30 pm$75 (Members $60) Habitat Happenings: 7 and 8 year-oldsJuly 8-11 OR July 15-18; 9:30 am to 2:00 pm$90 (Members $72) Ecology Explorers: 9 and 10 year-oldsJuly 22-25 OR July 29-August 1; 9:30 am to 2:30 pm$115 (Members $92)

Earth Day Adventurers: 11 and 12 year-olds August 5-8; 9:30 am to 3:00 pm$130 (Members $104)

S S


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Keep your wine just right this summerA bag of ice or the

fridge can keep your wines chilled for

any summer outing as easy as any geeky wine device. But if you want something practical and even stylish for summer picnics there are lots of ways to chill your favorite beverage.

Wine education should always include some dis-cussion on the proper serv-ing temperature for red and white wine. A general rule of thumb is most people serve white too cold and red too warm. If you put your lighter bodied red wines in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, just to drop them to the upper 60-degree range, you'll be surprised how bright the fruit will taste.

The proper chilling tem-perature for white wine is a bit trickier. I recommend putting the bottle in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. You'll have to experiment. But a word of warning comes with the kitchen appliance solution. Over-

chilled wines will not have the same mouth feel or fruitiness as when you get the temperature just right. You want reds in the high 60s, while near 60 is a good

temperature for your whites.

But if you're hosting guests on the patio, picnic table, or porch those wines will warm up in a hurry. A bucket of ice will do the trick but there are some inexpensive solutions which are stylish and fun.

The first of the many outdoor wine chillers is simply the wine bag. These are often give-aways for

wineries, wine-related pro-motions and such. It's a simple heavy plastic bag big enough for a wine bot-tle, water and ice. The wine bags are inexpensive, usu-ally about $10. I've been given several through the years and they are eye catching on the outdoor table. Perhaps it's been my bad luck, but the 4 or 5 I've tried have all leaked and they're messy.

The next step up in the bag approach is "Chill It Bags" in colorful combina-tions and walls made of a safe chemical freezing component. You just throw them in the freezer and they'll keep your wine in great shape. The downside to these bags is when they freeze you must be careful in opening them back up for your bottle of wine. If you force a bottle into a frozen bag you will proba-bly damage the bag. These bags come in multiple sizes and colors and work well. They are also very afford-able at less than $10 up to he mid teens.

The insertable chill

devices have been big the past couple of years. The insert device is often mar-keted as wine chiller, wine-sickle, and more. The devices have a long post which you freeze then insert into the wine. Most have a pour top or a pour/aerator top for a non-messy chilling and glass of wine. The insertable chill devices are usually under $20.

The last chiller is by far the most expensive but guarantees no mess. The Angle33 cement chiller does a great job with style. Yes, it is made of poured cement and weighs about seven pounds. You put the cement chiller in the fridge for 45 minutes, stick the bottle in the cool concrete and your wine will stay nicely chilled for a long while – no water or ice! The downside to the cement chiller is price at $64.99.

So no matter whether you use one of these nifty devices or a bucket and ice, get outside and enjoy those summer white and dry rose’ wines!

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, Ind., writes about value wine every other week for more than 20 Midwestern newspapers.

COLUMNIST

Howard HewittGrape Sense

Submitted photo

Keeping your wine the right temperature is important. There are lots of options to do so.

Dave Carlock’sUnexposed Talent names 4th edition winners

The 4th and most recent edition of Dave Carlock’s Unexposed Talent has announced winners, includ-ing contestants who traveled from the Lansing and Chicagoland areas to participate. The contest showcases singing and rapping talent who record entries with Grammy-winning engineer Dave

Carlock in his Benton Harbor Arts District production studio.

Round Four winnersBEST FEMALE: Lindsey Lagestee, performing “Red”BEST MALE: Wes Shenker, performing “Don’t Wanna Be”BEST RAP: Austin Edick, performing his original song, “Choices”BEST UNDER-18 (overall): Madeline Schrock, performing “Defying Gravity”

The winners’ videos can be viewed at www.youtube.com/dcunexposedtalent.Carlock says the best part of the contest is the networking aspect.“Meeting all the new talent and helping them discover what a pro recording studio experience is has

been a lot of fun for everyone, including myself,” he said. “Participants get a glimpse of the self promotion and hard work necessary to succeed as a musical artist while networking with an established record pro-ducer at the same time.”

Dave Carlock’s Unexposed Talent records participants year round. If you know someone you think should be invited to participated in the monthly contest, email info to: [email protected]


5

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CUISINE SCENEKeep your wine just right this summer

Roadside stands ready for seasonBy JILL McCAUGHAN

[email protected]

NILES—One of the things that makes life unique in southwest Michigan is the opportunity to enjoy the bounty of the many small farms that produce both

flowers and food from the rich soil here.Farm stands along the side of the road allow custom-

ers to buy the freshest produce while supporting small family farms at the same time.

The owner of one such farm stand, located at 201 E. Bertrand Rd., Mary Fraser grew up on a family farm in Vermont.

“My father had horses, and we had beef cattle and sheep and, of course, a huge garden,” Fraser said. “I learned a lot about gardening from both of my parents.”

After years of working as an executive secretary for a large engineering firm and raising three children, Fraser returned to her farming roots.

“I did this for 20 years back in Vermont, and I had a repu-tation for gorgeous mixed baskets of flowers,” Fraser said.

About 5 years ago, Fraser moved to Niles to be closer to one of her sons and his family, expanding her farm to raise and sell a wide variety of organic vegetables and cut flowers from seed. Depending upon the season, Fraser offers cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, onions, squash-es, strawberries and a wide variety of perennials for sale.

“Customers will say, ‘Your plants are so healthy,’ and they are healthy! I try very hard to be as organic as I can,” Fraser explained. “In buying my own seed, I can get things that have not been genetically engineered, and I

feel better about that.” Little by little, Fraser has expanded her business and

the services she offers. While customers can stop and buy plants to grow in their own gardens, she also makes cus-tom planters and does landscape design. Produce from Fraser’s garden, organic eggs, salsas and pesto are also available at her stand.

“I also do this lettuce mix that people just love,” Fraser said.

Fraser is also expanding her customer base beyond the stand. Having started doing flower arrangements for weddings and parties last year, her newest activity will be raising fresh produce and flowers for Weiss’ Gasthaus in Roseland, Indiana.

“They opened about a year ago, and people tell me it’s just fabulous food,” Fraser said. “They do a lot of German food and other types of food as well. I’ll probably put in a couple hundred more red cabbages because they use a lot of cabbage. It’s just gong to work out so well!”

Fraser has also expanded by planting a garden in Galien, where she plans to grow squash, pumpkins, cucumbers and other vining plants.

While she loves working with her plants in the garden and in the seed room in her home, Fraser also appreciates the opportunity to meet new people through her stand.

“Gardening opens itself up to meeting new people and lots of wonderful experiences,” Fraser said.

Customers with questions can reach Mary at The Farm Stand on Bertrand by calling (574) 383-5569.

Mary Fraser designed and built this greenhouse where she cultivates many of the plants she sells at her farm stand at 201 E. Bertrand Rd. in Niles. Leader photos/JILL McCAUGHAN


6

FOCUS

Find it all at Harbor MarketBy JILL McCAUGHAN

[email protected]

BENTON HARBOR—At this time of year, farmers’ markets abound. On any given weekend, you’ll find one

in just about every town in southwest Michigan.

What’s rare, though, is a market that includes a variety of vendors who special-ize in farm produce, cottage food prod-ucts, crafts, artwork and antiques.

What’s even more rare is a market that doesn’t charge the vendors a fee to par-ticipate, but rather provides them with tents, tables and help setting up—all at no charge.

Welcome to Harbor Market, where you’ll find all that—and more.

Originally the shared enterprise of Julie and Bob Montgomery and Thom Golba, Harbor Market will soon enter its third year, opening on June 6 at 510 W. Main St. in the parking lot next to Mosaic Resale Shop.

“Over the last two years, we’ve had over 150 vendors and almost 5,000 people come through the market,” said Bob Montgomery, a resident of Stevensville and an organizer of the market.

By purchasing a group vendors permit, Bob, Julie and Thom have been able to allow all vendors to come and sell their wares each summer Friday at no cost. This

year’s hours will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.While the basic experience of the mar-

ket will remain the same for both vendors and shoppers, something new at the mar-ket this year will be its funding structure.

“In the past, we were privately funded. Now, we’ve joined a nonprofit, the OCCDA—the Overflow Christian

Community Development Association—which runs the Mosaic Resale Shop and Harbor Shine,” Bob explained. “That’s going to allow us to raise money through donations and sponsorships to allow for the long-term funding of the market.”

The idea for the market actually arose when the Montgomerys first heard about a

plan to raise the cost of water service in Benton Harbor.

“One trigger for starting the market came up three years ago when Benton Harbor raised the water bills. We wanted to help provide a way for people to earn the 50 extra bucks they were going to have to spend for water,” Bob recalled. “We realized that we have to bring money into Benton Harbor to get it into the pockets of the people in the community.”

Now, two years later, the Mongomerys feel as though they have achieved two of their own goals, and they are thrilled to see the success of the vendors at their market as well.

“Two goals were achieved with Harbor Market. One was that we’ve brought peo-ple into Benton Harbor, and we’ve shown them that there’s a fun, safe way to spend time there,” Bob said. “Second, we’ve provided a way for people to try out new ideas, whether it’s been cupcakes, or glassware, or many other products.”

Julie agrees, viewing the market as a community of vendors who have similar goals and who share information and ideas that lead to the greater success of all.

“It’s really hard to say which group of vendors I’m most excited about,” Julie said. “First, there are the vendors that are coming back. I just get thrilled when I see their applications coming in.”

Julie also loves welcoming new vendors to the market. They can apply and begin

Submitted photos/JULIE MONTGOMERY

At Harbor Market, shoppers can find all sorts of locally-made products—from these handmade stuffed animals from Gib’s Goods to these cupcakes from the Barfus Family.


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Find it all at Harbor Market

selling at any time throughout the summer. Applications are available at Mosaic as well as on the Harbor Market Facebook page or at www.harbor-market.com.

“I love getting the emails from all of the first-timers who are just so excited to be doing something new,” Julie said.

Finally, there are the Harbor Market success stories.

“I just get such a kick out of people who have had success and who have

grown their businesses. For example, Austin Bock now has a storefront on State St. in St. Joseph for his Bound for Freedom business,” Julie said. “Also, the Organic Gypsy started with us, and now she has her own space at Renaissance Athletic Club.”

The organizers of Harbor Market plan to continue having specially-themed market days, bringing back some favorites from last year, and trying out some new ones as well.

“We’ll be doing some new things—like Senior Day and Dog Day—as well as bring-ing back some of the things that were really popular,” Bob said. “The Pie Contest was really a big hit, and so was the Kids’ Day.”

In fact, supervised chil-dren are welcome to sell their wares—whether its lemon-ade, handmade crafts, or something unique—on every market day.

“I think that it’s really exciting when we see the kids getting involved in selling things, too,” Julie said.

Bob and Julie hope that folks from all over the area will make a visit to Harbor Market a part of their weekly routine this summer.

“It’s a simple, easy, fun way on Fridays to come enjoy yourself, have a great lunch, and be inspired by—as well as help support—small business people,” Bob said.

Submitted photos/JULIE MONTGOMERY

In years past, Norleen LeClear has sold her locally-produced beeswax candles, lavender and honey at Harbor Market.


8

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BU C H A N A N — A public reception will be held on Sunday,

June 1 from 2 - 4 p.m. at the Buchanan Art Center, and will feature four new exhibits by local artists: A Journey Through Self-Expression; Abstract Oils by Erin Warner, Portraits; by Alan Fore, Pure Michigan & Indiana; pas-tels by Mary Meehan Firtl, and Bling it On; Jewelry Design by Darlene Troyer.

These exhibits will run through Saturday, July 5th.

Painter Erin Warner (A Journey through Self-Expression) is a lifelong resident of South Bend. She graduated from St. Joseph's High School and studied at Indiana University at South Bend.

Drawing since she could grip a pencil, Warner worked mostly in charcoal, pen and ink until she expe-rienced a "baptism by color" about eight years ago. After completing her first piece using oils, there was no turning back. Warner feels that this show is a culmina-tion of her personal journey through the past two years – in her words, “These paintings are everyday

experiences that are expressed and put to can-vas; from the joy of new life to the tragic loss of it, and everything in between. These experiences are visu-al, and tangible through abstract expression.”

Portrait artist Alan Fore (Portraits by Alan) has been drawing and painting for as long as he can remember. After high school, he attended the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, where he studied for four years and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in Illustration.

Over the next decade, Alan cultivated a steady freelance career doing web, literature and logo design work as well as illustration work for various publish-ing companies.

Five years ago, Fore turned his illustration skills and attention to the area of portraiture, where in addi-tion to his design work; he offers portraits of adults, young people, animals and characters created in vari-ous styles. Though the pro-cess, and the nature of his story-telling are a little dif-

ferent than doing illustra-tions for publication, and his commissions are usual-ly for a smaller audience, Fore uses traditional mate-rials, usually pencil and paper. Fore enjoys to the one-on-one nature of por-trait work to create one-of-a-kind pieces that tell a beautiful story and evoke a specific emotional mean-ing. Fore works out of his home studio in Buchanan, where he lives with his wife, Autumn.

An award-winning pas-tel artist, Mary Meehan Firtl (Pure Michigan & Indiana) received her BFA in

Painting from the Herron School of Art and is a char-ter member of the Northern Indiana Pastel Society.

As a former courtroom sketch artist she continues the habit of working quick-ly, capturing the essence of the scenery experienced on her travels via biking or hik-ing.

When not out on a trail or beach, Mary works as a Senior Graphic Designer at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame. Her paintings are available through CircaArts Gallery in South Bend, or the Dot Shop at the South Bend Museum of Art.

Jewelry artist Darlene Troyer (“Bling it On”) start-ed working with precious metals over ten years ago and has recently added the element of glass fusing and copper etching into her jew-elry designs. She has stud-ied and learned from some of the best metal artists in the business including: Celie Fago, Linda Kaye Moses, CeCe Wire and J. Fred Woel. She holds a Level I & Level II certifica-tion in Metal Clay from PMC Connection. Troyer continually strives to learn the newest techniques that are available and believes

that her desire to continually learn and experiment with new techniques is what sets her jewelry apart from the ordinary.

Troyer lives in Vandalia with her husband on a beau-tiful 300 acre lake, which provides much of the inspi-ration for her jewelry designs made of fine silver, bronze and fused glass.

Each piece captures her spirit for wearable art and is unique, distinctive, and affordable and has been crafted with care to last for years of normal wear.

The Buchanan Art Center is located at 117 West Front Street in Buchanan, Michigan. The Center fea-tures three galleries with rotating exhibits of regional artists’ works, a program of educational art classes for all ages, and a gift shop offering works of local artists.

Current hours are Monday – Thursday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Closed Sundays. More information, including a schedule of classes, can be obtained at the Center by calling 269-697-4005, or by visiting their website at: www.buchananartcenter.org.

Buchanan Art Center opens new exhibits

Submitted photo

The Buchanan Art Center’s new exhibits include works by Erin Warner (left) and Alan Fore (right) as well as pieces by Mary Meehan Firtl and Darlene Troyer.


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MARKETING EXPERTLeader Publications seeks

a proven media seller.Applicants should be ableto develop advertisingplansutilizing multipleplatforms.

Qualificationspreferred include:

Advertising or other salesexperience; excellent verbaland written communicationskills; computer skills; anda drive for success. Validdriver’s license required.

Leader offers:competitive compensation,benefits.E-mail cover letter, resume

and references [email protected]

NOW HIRINGREALTORS

Call today 269-683-4507Coldwell Banker R. E.

Specialists1400 Chicago RdNiles, MI 49120 TRUCK DRIVER

TRAINEESNEEDED NOW AT

US XPRESSEarn $800/wk

Local CDL TrainingNO EXPERIENCE NEEDED!Be trained & based locally!

1-800-882-7364

SENIOR PGATOURNAMENT

May 14th to May 31stGrounds CrewBe Part of anExtraordinaryLocal Event!30-40 hours

$8.00/hr.Day and Night Shifts(269) 408-1980

stjosephmi.expresspros.com

Elderly Care 307KARE SERVICESCompassionate Home

Care Services(269)684-1984(574)292-2900

email:[email protected]

Instruction & Training

309

P.D.K.Firearm Instruction

Concealed Pistol LicenseClasses. Next Class Sat.

June 21st, 8a-5p. ContactPaul: 269-462-2584 or

Kelly:269-783-6570pdkfirearms.com

Apartments 4122 BEDROOM

Apartments Available$565/month

(269)684-4500tanglewood-niles.com

CassopolisSTONE LAKE MANORSenior Apartments. 2months free on select units.Spacious, two bedroomlocated on beautiful StoneLake, Intercom entrybuilding, elevator, emer-gency pull cords. Seniors 62years or older. Rent starts at$631.00 (based on income).Please call Toni at 269-445-3333 or stop by today at145 Stone Lake St. for moreinformation. EHO. TDD 1-800-649-3777 AmericanPreferred 1-800-968-1792

RIVER OAK APTS1729 Oak St., Niles

(269)687-83402 Bedrooms

Heat, Water, Hot Water &Trash All Paid

www.coreleases.com

For Rent 418Dowagiac - 407 1/2 Front2 BEDROOM HOUSE

no pets, $525/month, wa-ter & sewer included.(574)323-1102

Houses for Sale 5002 STORY HOUSE

3 bedroom, 2 car detachedgarage, utility basement.Call (269)683-2940

BARRON LAKE

1139 Shady Shores, NilesYear round enjoyment on200 acre, all sport, 3bedrooms and 2 full bathhome for sale. Spaciousareas for entertaining bothinside and out! 70’ of sandybeach. Come take a tour andsee all this home has to of-fer!

Coldwell Banker, RWGPatty Lauten

(574)340-4271(269)663-8800

Before selling your home inBerrien County

Call Mike at(269)470-2995

WHETHER BUYINGOR SELLING

Integrity Real EstateProfessionals

would love the opportunity toserve you. Call any of ouragents for professionalservice you expect and de-serve.

269-684-5030Integrity Real Estate

Professionals

UNION, Mi

One Owner Home2.89 AcresPole Barn

Near Baldwin Lake$136,000

Call or Text Chris Moore(269)362-5665Freedom Realty(269)687-8484

Manufactured Homes

502

A GREAT HOMEFOR LESS

2 bd/1 bth,Newer appliances,

New flooring throughout,Qualifies for $199

base lot rentFor 24 months!

Riverside EstatesCall 269-695-3119

HOMES FOR SALE IN DECATUR

3 Bed, 2 bath homes readyto be moved into. LeaseOptions at starting at $621per month (includes lot rent,insurance, water, trash) Call269-423-7024 or visitwww.phelpscommunity.comto view pictures

Mobile Homes 506SPRING SAVINGS ONAFFORDABLE HOMES•Preowned 2&3 bed homes•New 3 bed, 2 bath homes

for $34,500•Many standard features

•Modular homes availableColonial Acres

(269)663-2424

General Mer-chandise

595

NOW OPENNILES FLEA MARKET

Wed.-Sat. 10a-5pSun. 12p-5p

111 E. Main StA few Vendor spots stillavailable. For more info

call 574-323-4187

Antiques 600ALLEGAN ANTIQUE

MARKETSunday, June 29

8am to 4pm400 ExhibitorsRain or Shine

Located at the Fairgrounds,right in Allegan, Michigan$4.00 Admission. No PetsPICKERS PARADISE

ANTIQUE MALLHuge Selection Of Treasures

2809 U.S. 33-M51 South,Niles (269)683-6644

10:00am - 5:00pm Daily

Cemetery Lots 6172 BURIAL SPACES &

2 VAULTSat Mission Hills MemorialGardens, Niles. Current price$2,850. Asking $2,095. Fordetails call (850) 878-62822 PLOTS & 2 VAULTSin Mission Hills MemorialGardens in Niles, $1,900negotiable, will pay transferfees! (219)393-1977

Consignment 625Turn your Closet into

CASHKids' clothing:

newborn to teen,Baby gear & furniture,

MaternitywearAccepting Spring &

Summer wearCall for appointment.

Who kNew Consignment269-782-9800

We are open Mon. - Sat.10am-5pm,

so you can replace thewinter clothes your kids

are outgrowing

Good Things to Eat

636

FREEZER BEEFnon GMO's, no hormones,vacuumed pack. (269)362-0993

Things to Do 637CASS DISTRICT

LIBRARYhttp://cass.lib.mi.us

(269)445-3400Check out our

online services:Freegal, Learn4Life, andmore! Call for more info.

Household Mer-chandise

642

FOR SALEWe buy, repair & clean upused appliances, refri-gerators, washers, dryers,gas & electric ranges.Geiger Refrigeration Service

841 Carberry Rd. Niles(269)687-8639 9am-5pm

HUGE SALE ATBILL'S USED APPLIANCESHours: Mon-Fri. 10a-5pm

Sat. 10a-3pmClosed Sunday

2559 S. 11th St. Niles(269) 340-5952

Merchandise for Sale

643

YOUR E-CIG EXPERTSVaporizers & e-hookahOver 50 liquid flavors.

US 31 Tobacco50552 US 31 N, South Bend

(574) 271-0333

Lawn & Garden 648OPENING

FOR THE SEASONThursday, May 8th

The Farm Stand On BertrandHanging Baskets,

Mixed Containers, Plants Perfect Mother's Day Gifts

201 E. Bertrand, Niles

CALL CLAssifieds


10 MARKETPLACE

10 MARKETPLACE

Garage-Yard Sales

669

4 BIG SUBDIVISIONS!Save time and gas!

Over 100 sales in PrairieLane, Anderson Lake & TerriBrooke No. & So. subdi-visions, Granger IN

May 30-31, 9-5Take M62 (IN 23) to Bit-tersweet and go south to 1ststop sign at Anderson Rd. Goeast. There are 6 entrancesoff Anderson and Bitter-sweet plus 3 off Adams &Ash. Sale Maps available at11910 Buttercup. Furniture,kids, antiques, records,housewares, collectibles.Dowagiac- PokagonekEdawat on Daily Roadcrossing Matthews.

COMMUNITYRUMMAGE SALEMay 30- June 1, 9am-5

Clothes, furniture, tools,appliances, and Heddonlures and reels.

GIANT RECORD SALEMay 30-31, 8-6

Over 10,000 recordsMost LP’s $1-2, 45’s 25-50C. All music types. Nojunk! 11910 Buttercup Ln,Granger. From M62 (IN 23),go south on Bittersweet to1st stop sign at Anderson.Turn left, ½ mile to Chicory,turn right. Info? (574)329-1483Nile/Cassopolis- 62010Anderson Rd. (BetweenWhite St. and Pokagon Hwy)

BARN SALEMay 30, 31 & June 1, 9-4

Ox yokes, Anvil, old steamheat radiators, vintage tools& glassware, kitchen items,collectibles & much more.(269)684-4469

Wanted to Buy 672

ALWAYSBUYING

★★★★★★★★

•Junk Cars•

•Free Pick Up•

Cash Paid OnThe Spot

Up to $1,500

(574)850-1222

24 hours,7 days a week

BUYINGrepairable scrap and un-wanted vehicles, top dollarpaid. Call or text for a freequote today. Free towing.Kevin (817)437-0450

WE WILL BUYyour junk car. We haul forfree. Paying up to $1500cash. Please call anytime269-687-8098

Home Improve-ment

700

#1 GUTTERSWe do seamless gutters.Free estimates, call(269)782-0401

FRYMAN'S SEAMLESSGUTTERS & SIDINGFRYMAN’S ROOFING

Your home exterior experts.Quality guaranteed! LocallyOwned for 50 years. (269)782-5008 (David & Terri Fryman)

HOME REPAIRS &REMODELING

Over 30 years of experience,tile work, kitchens, bath-rooms, decks & porches,windows & doors, windowwrapping, siding, fascia &soffit. Call Randy (269)782-3139 (269)208-9838

HOME SERVICES &REPAIRS LLC

All kinds of Project & Re-pairs. 30+ years exp.

Plumbing, Elect., Drywall etc.269-782-7919269-357-4853JDS HOME

IMPROVEMENTRepairs, Replacement, NewSmall Jobs welcome.Licensed/Insured. Call John(269)445-7005

MK CONSTRUCTION

Pole barn & other garagesspecialist. Roofing Siding,Framing and more. Over 25years experience. Licensed.Contact Michael N. Knepple(269)476-9777MR. MAINTENANCE

FREE ESTIMATESRoofing, Siding & Windows,Light Hauling & SpringClean-Ups, No Inside orOutside job too big or small.Low affordable rates.(269)591-1403

Plumbing Service 706

Sewer Rodding•Drain Cleaning•

Internal Inspection-Locating•

Sewer Replacement-RepairLicensed, Bonded, Insured.

(269)228-0496

Lawn Service 721GARDENING WITH

INTEGRITY, LLC•Lawn maintenance,

•Full Landscaping Service• Spring Clean Ups

clean beds, preen, mulch,trim shrubs, edging, createnew beds & much more

Call Ellen (269)759-1012

Landscaping 724PEMBERTON

LANDSCAPINGSpring Clean up, Mowing,Fertilization, Shrub Trim-

ming, all Yard Maint.needed, Residential and

Commercial. Licensed andInsured.

Call 574-876-1127

Tree Service 725C & S MARSH

TREE SERVICETrees, brush, stump removal,high lift work, insured.(269)362-4331 or 683-1065leave msg.

DAN'S TREE SERVICEExcellent Cleanup, Insured.Free Estimates. Visa/MC.(574)361-9747

THE CUTTING EDGEPRO TREE CAREComplete Tree ServiceSAME DAY ESTIMATES

Insured, Competitive Rates.269-687-4972

Pool Service 727SWIMMING POOL

LINERS & REPAIRSAny size, great prices, allequipment, 35 years exper-ience. Robertson’s Sales &Service, Niles. Call (269)684-2669

Paving Service 739C & C CONCRETE

Flat work of all kinds,stamping, sidewalks,concrete patching, patios,driveways and pole barns.No job too small. FreeEstimates. Insured(269)228-1163HOPPER EXCAVATING

"Have Gravel Will Travel"Driveway, stone, slag, re-cycled concrete, asphalt, topsoil, sand & fill. (269)782-1744/(269)783-1744

Recycling Service 743CA$H 4 JUNKERS

Turn that Junker in your yardto cash in your hand

801 Carberry Rd, Niles269-687-5865

Misc. Services 747BRADY CONCRETE

Specializing in Flat work of alltype, seawalls, stamped con-crete & Bobcat Service. Freeestimates. Insured. Fast, de-pendable service. (269)445-3349 or (269)591-0100

CASPER MASONRYBrick/ Block/Stone. Custom& Insurance work. Insured &Bonded. (574)298-3520

COMPLETECONCRETE

From start to finish.Stamped, flat & dirt work.Insured (269)663-8091

CONCRETE SERVICESDriveways, Patios, Side-walks, and Room Additions.15 years experience. Call Jay269-635-4393.

GLEN'S HAULING &GARDEN TILLING

(269)683-8389.Cell (269)340-4233Topsoil•Stone•Etc.

JOE'S DUMP TRUCKSand, Gravel, Top Soil, R/CConcrete & Asphalt, BushHogging, Land Clearing.

(269)[email protected]

joesdumptruck.webs.com"Integrity - Teach it by example"

KLIMEKENTERPRISES

Electrical Contracting, No JobToo Big or Small. Free Quotes.Affordable Pricing, Licensed &Insured. (269)684-6290 or(269)470-4097.

MICHIANA MASONRY& CONSTRUCTION

All your Masonry needs!Chimney Cleaning. Insured &Bonded. Senior discounts .(269)362-1566

MIDWEST ROOFINGFamily owned since 1984.Lifetime Warranty ShinglesFlat Roofs & Gutter Covers.Call (269)684-7199

POLE BARNS &GARAGESBY NIEBOER

Quality Built (269)684-6673

POND LINERSEPDM Rubber, Any sizeLowest Prices, FREE De-livery, Huge Inventory, TRMEnterprises, South Bend.(574)246-1922(574) 329-9294

WEAVER CONCRETEAnd masonry, driveways,porches, patios, tearout/replace, all repairs,brick, block, stone, fire-places. Will fix wet base-ments big or small, insideand out. All concrete flat-work $2.25 sq. ft. Land-scaping. Fast dependableservice. Quality work. Aaron(269)655-4158

Painting Service 754

J.M. HUNTENTERPRISES, LLC

Painting & Drywall. Insured.Free Estimates. FamilyOwned & Operated for Over50 years. 269-683-4442.

Cleaning Service 757RICK'S POWER WASHING

RVs, homes, decks, farmequip. & boat docks. Smallcommercial jobs. ServingCass., Dow. & Niles. FreeEstimates, Senior Dis-counts. Will beat anycompetitors estimates.Satisfaction Guaranteed.Call 269-470-9507 or 269-470-9498

Insurance 758LOWER YOUR

INSURANCE RATES!Home - Auto - Health - Life

We do the shopping for you!TCU Insurance AgencyCall Deb Asmus today

(269) 683-6700 x5901

Horses-Livestock 809GRASS ALFALFA

MIXED HAY FOR SALEAlso workers wanted(269)782-3848

Boats, Motors 9002005 24' ODESSEY

PONTOON40HP Honda with 6 hrs onmotor. Call for details(239)322-6292 or(269)445-8801

BOAT AUCTIONBUY one or SELL yours!!!Toons PWC Speeds RowMotors

Saturday, 5/31, 3pmRain or Shine (Indoor)

64259 Calvin Center RoadCassopolis 49031

Info Dave 269 476-2222dave@

boatbutlermarine.com

BOAT FOR SALE1999 Hurricane Sun Deck2100 Deckboat & ShoreStation Boatlift for Sale onBirch Lake in VandaliaMichigan. Selling the boat,trailer, boat cover & boatliftw/canopy as a package ismy preference, however, Icould sell just the boat, boatcover and trailer. The askingprice for the package withthe boatlift and canopy is$13,000. The price for theboat, boat cover and traileronly is $9800.CONTACT GARY ESHLEMAN@ 317-752-2184 [email protected]

Motorcycles & ATV’’s

915

2003 YAMAHATT-R 90, $600 or best offer,runs good, looks good.(269)782-3139

McDaniel'sHarley-Davidson

Stop in to check out the Dyna Low Rider & Sportster

SuperLow 1200T. 1910 Lincolnway East,

South Bend (574) 289-6650 or shop www.mcdanielsharley-

davidson.com

RVs, Campers, Trailers

921

TRAVEL TRAILER2010 Crossroads Zinger, 25ft, 1 slide, full kitchen, fullbath, like new, $10,000 obo.Call 269-684-0744

Trucks, Vans, 4-Wh Drives

942

02 GMC YUKON XLblack, leather tan int., 2-4-allwh. dr., 5.3 liter, trailerequip., $5,900 (269)782-7734

Autos for Sale 945FOR SALE

93 Ford Ranger Reg. Cab4x2, 4 Cyl., 5 Spd., greatrunner, low mileage, andgood mpg, $1,895.00'96 GMC Sonoma Reg. Cab4x2, 4.3 liter V-6, Auto.,A/C, Cruise, Tilt, very clean,good transportation$3,495.00'96 GMC Topkick with 20'Box Bed, $3,995.00'93 GMC Topkick with 24'box bed, $3,995.002000 Feightliner, passesDOT, good tires, but nowhas no engine or trans.$3,000.002000 GMC Yukon Denali,luxury, fully loaded withheated seats etc. lowmileage, $6,995.00Please call 269-462-9260or 269-262-6448

New Arrival atScarlett Auto Sales!

Loaded 2010 HyundaiElantra 36k

Tax , Title and fees are yourdown payment

$275/mo No Interest! NoCredit Checks!

7979 Deans Hill Rd BerrienCenter, MI 49102(269) 461- 4197


its and education programs. For more information on Potawatomi Zoo please call 574-235-9800 or visit www.potawatomizoo.org.

Radio Harbor Country is having it’s second BikeN-Brunch ride. Riders will de-part from an artist’s private country home near Three Oaks and ride 15, 30 or 45 mile loops through some of Harbor Country’s most beautiful bike trails. Reg-istration begins at 8:30 and the ride begins at 9 a.m. Af-terward, a gourmet brunch of farm to table food from local restauranteurs and growers will be served at the farm There will also be a tour of the artist’s studio and the WRHC radio station.

Berrien County Crime Stop-pers will host a golf outing fundraiser with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The organization is seeking sponsors at various levels. Teams can sign up for $300. Send checks and en-try forms to Berrien County Crime Stoppers, P.O. Box 273 St. Joseph, MI 49085.

June 7

Songwriter and composer Bryan Edington will present a debut concert of his origi-nal work at the Box Factory for the Arts, 1101 Broad St., St. Joseph at 7:30 p.m. Joining him on stage will be guitarist Joe Gyamati and singer Matt Baumgartner. Tickets are available on-line with PayPal at /www.boxfactoryforthearts.org/calendar/#edington or at the door. Cost is $10 general admission; $8 students and seniors; children 12 and un-der free.

June 9-13

The Elkhart County Parks will offer a Junior Indi-ana Master Naturalist Day Camp from 9 a.m. to p.m. June 9-13. The Junior Indi-ana Master Naturalist pro-gram is a state-sponsored program designed to bring together natural resource specialists with young peo-ple ages 9-12. The camp fee is $90, if registered by May 15, or $110, if registered after May 15. Registration deadline is May 30. More information such as a tenta-tive schedule can be found on the Elkhart County Parks’ Facebook page or by calling our Administration office at (574) 535-6458.

Kids On Stage is offering MADD Camp for beginning theatre students going into K-4th grade in the fall. The camp will take place Monday through Friday, at the Kids On Stage Theatre located at the Orchards Mall in Benton Har-bor. Camp times are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Campers will prepare and perform musical num-bers and dance routines; make their own props, costumes and set pieces to create their own telling of Disney’s “Frozen” while performing several mu-sical numbers from the popu-lar movie. Registration fee for the camp is $185 with a $25 Early Bird Discount for those who register by June 1. For more information visit Doug Fordyce’s Kids On Stage at www.kidsonstage.com or call 269 313-2795.

June 10

iThe Berrien County Demo-cratic Women will host their monthly meeting at the St.

Joseph Public Library. So-cial time will begin at 5:30 p.m. At 6 p.m. Benton Har-bor resident, Samantha Jor-dan, campaign organizer, will speak. Samantha has a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies with a focus on public relations. Samantha will speak about building relationships with the media, plugging into lo-cal women, and the social media and how to use it for political campaigning. The last event of the evening will be the regular monthly meeting of BCDW.

11

WHAT'S HAPPENING?i

Apartments start at $435/mo.SPECIAL: Move in by June 20th, 2014, pay your first month’s rent

and security deposit, and receive your next month’s rent free!

1,2 Bedroom apartments and 2,3 bedroom townhouses

•SWIMMINGPOOL •AIRCONDITIONING •24HR.MAINTENANCE •COMMUNITYROOM •SECURITYACCESSINTERCOMSYSTEM•PLAYGROUND Call for your own private tour of this great community

A little piece of Heaven, right here on Earth!Arbor Trails

1615 N. 5TH St.• Niles, Mi 49120

(269) 683-1850

Spring is in the air2014

This event is organized by North Berrien Community DevelopmentFor more information contact Chana Kniebes at 269-468-4430

Saturday June 14th(Rain date is June 15) Live Music from

2:00PM to 10:00 PM. Bring your lawn chairs & appetites to this non-alcoholic, free event, sponsored by the area merchants.

Entertainment: • Rum Boogie • Out of Favor Boys • Crossroads Resurrection

• Gee Daddy’s BIG Blues Revue featuring Martila Sanders

Baker Park Downtown ColomaEnjoy A Classic & Muscle Car and Motorcycle Cruise In, 9am-1pm

Great BBQ Vendors and Amateur BBQ Contest

Nature

Community

Crafts

Food

iInformation

Family

Theatre

Tourist

Parting Shots

Art

Business

Religious

Music

Alcohol

LEGEND

Sports

$

$

Shopping

Movies

Holiday

SummerCamping

Submit calendar events to Jill McCaughan, feature writer, by email at [email protected] or [email protected] or visit the Leader Publications office at 217 N. Fourth Street, Niles.

May 30

Jay Leno will visit the Four Winds Casino in New Buf-falo at 9 p.m. Tickets for the event can be purchased be-ginning on Saturday, April 12 at 10 a.m. Eastern exclu-sively through the Ticket-master Web site, www.tick-etmaster.com, or by calling at (800)745-3000. Ticket prices start at $75 plus ap-plicable fees.

May 30-31

The Elkhart County Parks will offer a Family Cam-pout on Friday and Satur-day, May 30-31. Cost for the campout is $15 per per-son or $50 per family. Par-ticipants must preregister by 4 p.m. on May 23. For more information or to preregis-ter please call the Elkhart County Parks at 574-535-6458

May 31

The Everyday Angels Re-lay for Life team invite the public to join them for a girls’ night in from 5 to 8 p.m at the Community Church of Christ, located at 110 N. Cleveland Rd. in Galien. There is a $5 entry fee, which covers food and entry into a door prize draw-ing. Vendors include Thirty One, Origami Owl, Pam-pered Chef and more.

Brooklyn based husband and wife duo, Jillian Speece

and Nathaniel Paul Hoff, are the architects behind the vibrant sound known as The Bergamot. They make their first appearance on the Box Factory for the Arts stage on May 31 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, avail-able online with PayPal at www.boxfactoryforthearts.org/calendar/#bergamot or at the door, are $10 general admission; $8 students and seniors; children 12 and un-der free.

Adults and teenagers can learn the basics of kayaking with Sarett Nature Center at North Lake Park in Ste-vensville at 2 p.m. The fee is $15. Call (269) 927-4832 to register.

iEveryone loves animals. Join the Curious Kids Mu-seum from 12 to 4 p.m. for a live animal program with “Wild Tracks/Tom Moore,” featuring many species of reptiles.

June 2

Award-winning Elvis trib-ute artist Doug Church will provide the entertain-ment for the annual dinner benefitting the Frantz L. Dantzler Friends For Life Fund. The dinner will be held at Parisi’s Italian Res-taurant, 1412 South Bend Ave., South Bend. A social hour will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m. The cost is $45 per person. Come early to enjoy the social hour, raffle and silent auc-tion.

Award-winning Elvis trib-ute artist Doug Church will provide the entertainment

June 2 for the annual din-ner benefitting the Frantz L. Dantzler Friends For Life Fund. The dinner will be held at Parisi’s Italian Res-taurant, 1412 South Bend Ave., South Bend. A social hour will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m. The cost is $45 per person. Come ear-ly to enjoy the social hour, raffle and silent auction.

June 6

The fifth annual Swinging for Sculpture Golf Outing and Party will begin with a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m. at Berrien Hills Golf Club. Golfers will have the oppor-tunity to participate in lively games and contests includ-ing the most loudly dressed and most artistically dressed golfer. Afterwards, fresh and filling food from Ray’s on the Green will be served buffet-style. A silent auction will offer unique combina-tions of art, food, sports and services and live music by the ever-popular Slim Gypsy Baggage will round out the evening. Cost is $140 per person. Proceeds will benefit the purchase of a new sculpture by the Krasl Art Center.

The Potawatomi Zoologi-cal Society will be hosting a wine tasting event, The Grape Escape from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Potawatomi Zoo. Tickets are on sale now and cost $35 per person and include a tasting glass, wine samplings and food sampling from area restaurants. Tick-ets can be purchased online at potawatomizoo.org, over the phone by calling (574) 288-4639 Monday through Friday, or by visiting any open admission gate at the Potawatomi Zoo. Proceeds from The Grape Escape will benefit wildlife conserva-tion, new naturalistic exhib-


12

GET OUT!

By JILL McCAUGHANjill.mccaughan

@leaderpub.com

THREE OAKS—Situ-ated on 500 acres of fields, ravines, wood-

lands and rolling hills, Deer Creek Hunt Club is a beautiful location to spend a day or just a couple hours. And, whether you have never shot a gun before in your life or you are a sea-soned hunter, the club has something to offer for everyone.

“We can accommodate the whole gamut—from the beginner to the sea-soned hunter,” said Tammy Umlauf, sales manager at Deer Creek. “You can come in with your own gun and your own shells and just purchase the targets that you’ll be shooting at, or you can walk in with nothing, and we can supply you with everything.”

Located at 18000 Basswood Rd. outside of Three Oaks, Deer Creek Hunt Club is a private hunting club, but the public is welcome to come in and use the facilities as well.

“We have three different structures of memberships, but you can just walk in off the street, too,” Umlauf explained. “If you want to just come in for the day and shoot, that’s an option. For

anybody who’s going to come in more often, we have memberships that will give you discounts.”

Umlauf and manager Tom Crook have been running the club since 2007, and they offer a wide variety of shoot ing activities for their v i s i t o r s , i n c l u d i n g year-round sport-ing clay courses and skeet shooting, as well as live pheasant hunting from September through April.

“We have two full sport-ing clay courses set up. It’s like golfing with a gun,” Umlauf explained. “So, you’ll go from one shoot-ing location to the next. You can either walk or you can rent a cart, just like it would be if you were golf-ing, but you’re using a gun to shoot targets with.”

To accommodate both beginners and pros, the club has an easier course and a more difficult one.

“Every station has a dif-ferent presentation of tar-gets. There’s stations 1 through 12 on each course,” Crook said. “We have all different types of targets. Some run along the ground

like rabbits, and some shoot up straight in the air. Some twist and turn. The more difficult course

changes all the time.”On the spa-cious lawn in

front of the c l u b house, a s k e e t shooting range is

set up. “Skeet shooting is a spe-

cific game. We do that out front. It involves shooting ‘birds’—clay targets—that cross from the left and the right,” Umlauf explained.

A third option at the club is to arrange a live pheasant hunt.

“For the live bird hunt-ing, the only thing that is required is that, if you’re

under the age of 50, you have to have a hunter’s safety course. You no lon-ger need a preserve license in the State of Michigan,” Umlauf said. “We have safety instructors here who meet with people when they first come in and who guide them along because we get a lot of first-time shooters here.”

Like the sporting clay courses, Deer Creek’s pheas-ant hunts are designed with the capabilities and wishes of the hunters in mind.

“It’s a ‘put and take’ hunt. We crate the birds, and then we take them and plant them out in the field, and then the hunters will go out with the guides and the dogs and hunt them,” Umlauf explained.

Visitors can choose to have the birds planted in wild areas or in cultivated areas on the grounds of the club, and they can bring their own hunting dogs or choose to be accompanied by a pro-fessional guide and his dog. They also offer European hunts, and they will clean the pheasants as well.

“For a pheasant hunt, 90 percent of the time, you’ll want to book it at least a day in advance, so that we can be sure we have a guide here for you,” Crook said. “Or, you can also come out on your own. You don’t have to

use one of our guides.”While individuals are

welcome to come out to the club and hunt or shoot the sporting clays, Deer Creek is also a great place to have corporate outings and other get-togethers, like bachelor parties. The club also offers monthly “fun shoots” throughout the summer.

“We do a lot of corpo-rate outings here,” Umlauf said. “We can open up the restaurant for larger groups who plan their outings. We’ve done pig roasts, or we do burgers. We can do just about anything people want.”

In fact, Crook says that many groups that used to go golfing now choose to come to Deer Creek instead.

“People just love it, and it doesn’t cost much more than golfing does either,” Crook noted.

In fact, visitors who bring their own guns and ammunition can visit the club and shoot 100 sport-ing clays for just $45.

More information about the services and member-ships available at Deer Creek Hunt Club can be found at www.deercreek-huntclub.com, and they have a Facebook page as well. The club can be reached by calling (269) 756-6600.

Leader photos/JILL McCAUGHAN

Deer Creek winds its way through the 500-acre hunting preserve located just outside of Three Oaks. Pheasant hunters are welcome to bring their own hunting dogs or use a guide and dog provided by the club.

Hunt club open to enthusiasts, newcomers

Tammy Umlauf, Tom Crook and their chocolate lab, Shooter, welcome both club members and the public to enjoy the facilities at Deer Creek Hunt Club.Leader photos/JILL McCAUGHAN

off the water - may 30 - june 5, 2014

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