By Sue Moore
The South County News is proud as a peacock to announce that our first offspring is The Connection, a monthly newspaper published by the Crossroads Missionary Church on M-60, just west of the village. Our staff met with their volunteers several times and offered our experiences in starting up a newspaper to fill the void of communications within the community.
It was nearly a year in the making when they published their first issue in late August; the second one arrived in September. We are proud to report that the baby is doing well, and the aunts and uncles are thrilled with watching The Connection become a valued member of its community.
A Step Backward for Jarrad Whited
Vicksburg’s big defensive end, Jarrad Whited received a scholarship to play football at Siena Heights College in Adrian this fall. Things were going well in practice until the coach sent him in for the first set of downs against Lindenwood-Belleville, IL. After three snaps of the ball, Jarrad was on the ground writhing in pain. He had suffered a crackback block which broke his tibia. Surgery ensued and he will probably be eligible to play the next four seasons as a will be a redshirted freshman, according to his coaches. He appeared on the sidelines of the Vicksburg Bulldogs’ Homecoming game with his leg in a boot, riding on one of those little scooters that have become more popular than crutches for the injured.
Vicksburg Hardware Paint Job
Steve Schimp has updated the front and back of his Vicksburg Hardware store façade in recent weeks. He has taken the first step for Vicksburg’s store owners through the Downtown Development Authority’s façade program to beautify the exterior of Main and Prairie Street store fronts. Others are following closely in his footsteps, with Pet Emporium rushing to finish painting before the cold weather sets in. Rudy and Fawn Callen are redoing the old Gambles store façade. They plan to live upstairs once interior renovations are complete.
Schoolcraft Boosters
Wade Rutkoskie has stepped in the take the reins of the Schoolcraft Athletic Boosters Club as president this season, which is good news for the sports program at all levels of competition. He is being assisted by a group of dedicated community members including Gary Davis, vice-president; Josh Graber, treasurer; and Kristin Flynn, secretary. With a championship caliber football team leading the new SAC league, volleyball ranked at the top in the state class C category, and soccer coming on strong, it’s a great time to be an Eagle, he says.
Halloween Observances
Since October 31 falls on Saturday this year, both villages will be scrambling to figure out how best to organized the kiddies for their annual candy stampede. Vicksburg will not have the benefit of the Chamber of Commerce’s Hall of Horrors this year; its founder, Dr. Dustin Morton, has been unable to find a premier location for his scary creatures. The South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority will have its doors open at station 2 in Vicksburg from 5 to 8, and station 1 in Schoolcraft for hot dogs and drinks from 5:30 to 8:30.
The Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce is urging its merchants to decorate the downtown with scarecrows on the lampposts, leading up to the Halloween events.
Christmas Barn to Close
Mardee and Phil Mott have decided to close their Christmas Barn and tree sales for good, they say. This will necessitate finding a new source of fresh cut Christmas trees for the thousands who thronged there each year. The barn was famous for its beautiful ornaments and the handmade wreaths. It will be a loss to Vicksburg’s economy as they brought a lot of folks from out of town to their farm on 22nd Street. They will still be selling their holly but only through the wholesale markets that they have developed. Mardee is planning a huge barn sale of the many left over decorations from past years on October 16, 17, and 18.
Busy Weekend in Vicksburg
September 25, 26, and 27 in the village was like a continuous festival. It started with the Homecoming parade on Friday, the Cultural Arts Center’s grand opening right after that, then the football game. Saturday was the Tobey Elementary School’s Fun Run, Youth Football contests, and Sunday the Harvest Festival which attracted an estimated 3,000 attendees. It was great to have so much activity on a beautiful fall weekend.