Allison Dygert, the new principal at Vicksburg Middle School.
By Jef Rietsma
Vicksburg’s School Supt. Keevin O’Nell announced Allison Dygert’s appointment as the new principal at the Middle School at a mid-February meeting.
Dygert, 41, took over the post from Matt Vandussen, who left at winter break to pursue other opportunities. Though filling such a high-profile position in the middle of the school year has challenges of its own, the circumstances ended up working in the district’s favor.
Dygert, a 20-year Vicksburg resident, said the district played a crucial role in the early years of her professional career.
She did her student teaching under current Sunset Lake principal Amie McCaw in 2005 and was subsequently hired by Vicksburg. Dygert would go on to serve as a teacher at Indian Lake and Tobey elementaries, later as an academic coach, instructional consultant and other leadership positions during her 11-year tenure as a Bulldog, O’Neill said.
Dygert most recently served six years as principal at Riverside Elementary in Constantine.
O’Neill said the district assembled a nine-member committee charged with securing and interviewing candidates, and ultimately recommending its preferred choice.
He said the panel included representation from administration and teaching staff. Five candidates were interviewed.
“We had a very strong field and in the end, we selected Allison as our choice,” he said. “We are very excited, excited for (her) leadership and looking forward to great things.”
O’Neill said Dygert would be starting her job in late February.
Afterward, Dygert elaborated on the opportunity to return to the place where she earned her start in the world of education.
“My dad actually opened Vicksburg Auto Body almost 50 years ago and my brother owns it now, so we’ve had roots in Vicksburg for well over 40 years,” she said.
Dygert said she struggled and lost a few nights of sleep over whether to give up her post in Constantine. But, she noted, opportunities of this nature don’t present themselves often. With a heavy heart, she said she trusted her intuition and accepted Vicksburg’s offer.
“I love my current staff in Constantine and they all understand why I would want to move and have that opportunity to be back here to serve the community that offered me so much and really jump-started my career,” she said. “I have nine or 10 years left and I hope to just retire here.”
Dygert said the transition has been going well and she remains optimistic that she made the right decision.
The mother of a sophomore and seventh-grader who both attend VCS, Dygert said she has come full circle in returning to Vicksburg. She explained some of this year’s eighth-grade students were kindergarten students of hers at Tobey Elementary.
Dygert is on staff as an 11-month employee. The position’s salary is $94,000 a year.
The school ranked among the best public middle schools of 2022 by U.S. News & World Report. The ranking is based on state-required tests, graduation, and how well students are prepared for high school. The school ranked 150th among Michigan’s middle schools, placing it among the top 30%.
Evan Anderson, Vicksburg’s #14, takes it to the hoop.
By Travis Smola
The Vicksburg varsity boys’ basketball team had another nail-biter on the road against the Dowagiac Chieftains, winning 43-42 on the strength of some strong defensive play in the game’s final seconds.
The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the 3-12 Bulldogs, who have been in almost every game they have played this season but have simply had a hard time closing things out.
“Last week we played a couple of close games, so it’s good to see us pull out a close game,” Head Coach Zach Wierenga said.
Vicksburg had a 16-8 lead at the end of the first. Dowagiac narrowed the gap slightly in the second to 24-19 at the half. At the start of the third, the Chieftains became more aggressive and slowly started to mount a comeback. Wierenga acknowledged the energy shift that took place to make the game close in the third and fourth.
“Instead of taking the first look, they worked through, reversed the ball, got a really good look,” Wierenga said of the Chieftains. “They started getting the ball at the free throw line. They started doing a lot of good things offensively to make us use more energy.”
The Chieftains passed the ball well all game. Fortunately, the Bulldogs were able to limit their chances thanks to the excellent rebounding of players like Dylan Zemitans, who also had four points in the contest. Dowagiac’s limited chances came in key in the game’s final moments.
“It’s been a big focus for us for a couple weeks now to try and limit possessions to just one shot,” Wierenga said. “We’re improving, we’re getting there. It’s good to see it show up in games.”
Dowagiac finally managed to take the lead 42-41 with only 1:13 left in the game. It was the only time it led Vicksburg all night. Debiak scored again with only 30 seconds left in the game to give the Bulldogs a one-point lead. The team held defensively and ran out the clock to get the team their third win of the season.
Carter Brown was the leader for Vicksburg in scoring with 12 points. Grant Anderson had eight. Devin Debiak had eight. Evan Anderson had four. Logan Jones had three on a field goal and free throw. R.J. Vallier had two points in the contest. Luke Bainter had a successful free throw late to help keep the Bulldogs on top.
“That was a very fun game. It was intense, there’s a lot of action going on there. We’ve been kind of on the short end for a long time, so it felt good to finally win one,” Wierenga said.
While this season hasn’t been very successful for the Bulldogs, they have kept it close in most contests. Prior to the win over Dowagiac, their two games before that against Niles and Edwardsburg were decided by three points or less.
“Things have been tough, but I don’t think we’ve given up, we keep working,” Wierenga said. “Guys show up every day with great attitudes, good enthusiasm. We take a lot of pride in who we play for, and what we’re trying to do.”
The Vicksburg varsity girls’ basketball team is having a great year, with a 12-7 record as the season winds down.
“The season has been incredible, honestly,” Head Coach Tim Kirby said after a 45-34 loss against Portage Central.
Most of the losses by the Bulldogs this year have been in tougher matchups like Edwardsburg and Otsego. Earlier in the year the team lost to Paw Paw before taking the rematch 55-44.
“Our losses are against good teams,” Kirby said. “We’re 12-7 and five. Our losses are to the best teams in the area. We compete with everybody and I’m happy about that. We’re so young, and we’ll learn. We’ll learn from this one.”
Against the Mustangs, Vicksburg jumped out to an early lead before Portage Central firmly took control.
“I thought in the first half we got shots, we just didn’t make shots,” Kirby said. “We’ve hung our hat in the second half of the season on our energy and our effort. I didn’t feel like we played as hard that game as we have been.”
Maddison Diekman was leading scorer for the Bulldogs, scoring 18 points that came from three 3-pointers, a field goal, and seven free throws. Emma Steele was the next leading scorer with 10 points. Kendra Cooley had four points, and Karyna Lewis had two. The team played much better in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, Vicksburg ran out of time before it could truly capitalize.
“We kind of caught fire there in the fourth quarter. It was a bit too little, too late,” Kirby said.
The team didn’t really change up anything except the intensity in the second half of the game. Kirby believes it would have been a different story if they had kept that pressure on the Mustangs for the entire game.
“Honestly, we didn’t change anything at the end of the game, we just decided to be aggressive,” he said. “In the first half we were just tentative to shoot the ball.”
He also noted the defensive scheme may have also compounded to making things more difficult for the Bulldogs.
“We’ve haven’t played a whole lot of one-on-one this year and they kind of tripped us up in that.” Kirby added, “If we maybe had the intensity we had in the fourth quarter for the first three quarters, it would have been a different ballgame.”
Despite the loss, the Bulldogs should be in a good position once the postseason starts. Kirby noted he’s already looking forward to District play.
Delbert (Del) Charles Jr.Robert E. “Bob” HambrightAlan L. HarrisRobert J. HollandNorman KohlerTimothy Alan KosacekThomas C. OliphantMaureen Therese (Shook) SimmsMarshall Donald Whitaker
Delbert (Del) Charles Jr., 97, Three Rivers, passed away at Birch Meadows Senior Care Facility on February 23, 2022. Del was born on June 22, 1924, in Schoolcraft, the son of Delbert and Leitha Charles. After high school, Del joined the army and fought in WWII, receiving two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. He retired from UpJohn in 1985 as a supervisor of security. Del enjoyed family time and attended many sporting events throughout the years where he proudly cheered on his grandchildren. Del is survived by his children, Rebecca (James) DeLaBarre and Bradley (Jodie) Charles; grandchildren Matthew (Allison) Charles, Andrew (Kristina) Charles, Trevor (Danielle) DeLaBarre, and Tyler (Bianca) DeLaBarre; seven great-grandchildren; and special friend, Jean Richardson. Del was preceded in his passing by his parents; wife, Phyllis; brother, Monte; and father and mother-in-law, Marten and Lillian Kersten. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Donations may go to Birch Meadows Senior Care, Schoolcraft American Legion Post 475, or Centrica Care Navigators. Please visit Del’s page at amsfuneralhomes.com.
Robert E. “Bob” Hambright, 80, Mendon, died February 21, 2022, at his home. He was born in Kalamazoo March 27, 1941, the son of Ernal and Eleanor (Cushing) Hambright. He graduated from Portage Central High School in 1960. He worked briefly at the Kalamazoo State Hospital before going to work at the Fisher Body Plant in Kalamazoo where he retired after 34 years. He was married to the former Cheryl Noblock, they later divorced. Bob enjoyed bowling and rolled a 299 with a rented ball in 1962. He enjoyed golf, fishing, and deer hunting “up north.” He was a big Michigan State fan and attended many home games. Bob is survived by children Terry Lynn Asselin of Mendon, Robyn Hambright off Brownsville, Texas, Donna Marie Tool of Dallas, Texas, Stephen R. (Kathy) Hambright of Vicksburg, and Angela (Thomas) Gerrgye of Parkland, Fla.; grandchildren Layla, Heaven, Morgan, Parker, Jackson, Benjamin, Sydney, Allison, Jessica, and Grayson; and brother-in-law Bernie Foster. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his sister, Janet Foster. Visit his page at eickhofffuneralhome.com.
Alan L. Harris, 74, Vicksburg, died on February 12, 2022. He was born on July 27, 1947, in Kewanee, Ill., the son of Winston and Louise (Heneger) Harris. He graduated from Vicksburg High School in 1965. During the Vietnam War, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving two years. He returned home to Vicksburg and Simpson Paper Company, where he worked for 33 years. He eventually retired from Pfizer. Al married Wanda Gose on August 28, 1971, and together they raised their two children, Seth and Shayne. Al helped coach Shayne in hockey and soccer, and played adult hockey with Seth. He loved hunting with Seth during the winter season and spending time on the lake during the summer. The family spent a lot of time up north camping near Fountain, Michigan on Round Lake. During retirement, Al and Wanda enjoyed traveling. Al’s family includes his wife, Wanda Harris; his children Seth Harris and Shayne (Daniel) Schiedel; his mother, Louise Harris; his brothers and sister Morrie Harris, Carol (Bob) Gose, and Dave Harris; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Winston Harris. Visit his page at langelands.com.
Robert J. Holland, 88, Scotts, passed away February 20, 2022. Robert was born on February 12, 1934 in Paw Paw, the son of Glenn and Winnie (Gleason) Holland. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy. On October 5, 1957 he married Kathryn Mortellaro. Robert worked for the Upjohn Company for over 30 years before retirement. He enjoyed travel, yardwork, and caring for his family. Robert is survived by his children, Mark (Marion) Holland of Indiana, Annie (Joe Tsui) Mathis of Kalamazoo, and Judy Holland of Scotts; grandchildren Tara (Chris) Hebeler of Stevensville, Cassandra (Jon) Overstreet of Missouri, Travis Mathis and Hannah Mathis, both of Grand Rapids, Dylan (Stacey) Seymour and Alex Seymour, both of Portage; and great granddaughters Hailey Hebeler and Millie Hebeler. He is also survived by siblings David (Carol) Holland of Oklahoma, Richard (Jenell) Holland of Louisiana; brother and sisters-in-law Andrew (Barbara) Mortellaro of Kalamazoo, Frances (Diale) Taliaferro of Rhode Island, Bev Mortellaro of Detroit; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Kathryn; parents Glenn and Winnie Holland; brother and sister-in-law Charles (Kitty) Holland and brother-in-law James Mortellaro. Visit his page at amsfuneralhomes.com. Donations may go to Centrica Care Navigators.
Norman Kohler, 87, Vicksburg, died on February 11, 2022. Norm was born at home, June 6, 1934, to Harold and Mildred (Headley) Kohler in Augusta, Michigan. Shortly after graduating with the class of 1953 from Big Rapids High School, Norm was drafted into the United States Marine Corps. He later received a transfer to the Army, becoming a baker for a military police unit. He married Melva in 1958 and they raised four children. Norm worked as a mechanic for Cole Krum Chevrolet (Vicksburg) and later accepted a position as a forklift mechanic for General Motors. He enjoyed cars and traveling. Norm was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Clarence Kohler; and granddaughter, Alicia. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Melva; children Jan (Greg) Bierlein, Jim Kohler, Ruth (Dee) Kelly, and Michael Kohler; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; brother, Ron Kohler; sister, Donna Crouch; and many nieces and nephews. Visit his page at BetzlerLifeStory.com. Donations may go to Crossroads Missionary Church.
Timothy Alan Kosacek, 51, Sterling Heights, passed away on January 24, 2022. He was born in Kalamazoo on July 2, 1970, the son of David and Janet (Gardner) Kosacek. Tim graduated from Portage Central High School in 1988. He enjoyed music, especially playing guitar, and attended the Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles following graduation. He later attended Davenport University and graduated with his degree in computer science. He worked in the Detroit area for VisionIT and Compuware. He loved dogs and owned several Irish setters throughout his lifetime. Tim will be remembered for his generous and kind heart, his love for cooking and trying new recipes, being an avid reader, possessing trivia knowledge, and his lifelong devotion to the Detroit Tigers, Red Wings, and Lions. He was preceded in his passing by his brother, Steven, and his grandparents. He is survived by his parents; brothers Mike (Angie) Kosacek and Joe Kosacek; aunt Gene Gardner; uncles Bill and Richard Gardner; niece and nephew Amanda and Alex; great nephew Leo Salas; and several cousins. In accordance with the family’s wishes, cremation has taken place and no public services will be held at this time. Donations may go to Kalamazoo Animal Rescue. Please visit his page at amsfuneralhomes.com.
Thomas C. Oliphant, 72, Schoolcraft, passed peacefully February 22, 2022, surrounded by loved ones. Tom was born December 1, 1949, in Kalamazoo, the son of Richard and Beulah (Adams) Oliphant. Tom graduated from Schoolcraft High School in 1968. He and Judy were married October 18, 1969. Tom served proudly in the U.S. Navy for four years. After an honorable discharge, he attended Davenport College. He worked at Quality Films for over 35 years and at Concept Molds until he retired. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, skiing, golfing, biking and bowling. He loved to spend time with his grandchildren, and he enjoyed the cabin on Drummond Island. Tom is survived by his wife of 52 years, Judy; children Sandra (Dave) Gray, Yvonne (Jason) Hoffman and Laura (Steve) Buford; grandchildren Emma, Elise, Lydia, Hannah, Rhet, Sam, Natalie and Aaron; siblings Sue (Jeff) Harris and Marvin (Deb) Oliphant as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins. Tom was preceded in his passing by his parents and his father-in-law Ernest Shelley. Services have been held. Donations may go to Schoolcraft United Methodist Church. Visit his page at amsfuneralhomes.com.
Shirley Jane Shannon, 95, Vicksburg, passed away on February 14, 2022. She was born on May 3, 1926, in Battle Creek, the daughter of Lyle Adams and Edith Domke. When she was in 10th grade, she decided to leave school and enter the workforce. She began her career at Shakespeare Manufacturing, producing fishing equipment, before transferring to the Gibson Guitar company in Kalamazoo. Following that, she worked as a nurse’s aide at Harold and Grace Upjohn Nursing Home, retiring in the early 1990s. She will be remembered for her love of gardening, drawing, painting, crossword puzzles, and cats. She loved living out in the country. Shirley was preceded in her passing by her parents; sisters Lavern, Norma, and Betty; and son John Shannon. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Thomas and Donna Shannon; grandchildren Holly and John Shannon; and many nieces and nephews. Donations may go to the Alzheimer’s Association. The family would like to thank the Centrica Care Navigators Hospice Group and Fresh Perspective Home Care. Visit her page at amsfuneralhomes.com.
Maureen Therese (Shook) Simms, Milford, passed away on January 27, 2022 after a four-year battle with colorectal cancer. She was a lovely singer that played piano and violin. She graduated from Vicksburg High School in 1974, then studied music at WMU before starting a flight attendant career. Her beloved grandchildren called her “Nini.” Maureen is survived by her husband, David Simms; children Amanda (Victor) Princz, Eric (Christine) Simms, Kevin (Morgan) Simms and Abigail (Kyle) Kowalsky; grandchildren Gabriel (Amanda), Maxwell (Eric) and Warren (Kevin) and another on the way in June (Amanda). Maureen was raised on a 260-acre farm in Fulton. Her siblings include Lyn (Mike) Wilson, Chis (Katherine) Shook, Steve (Jo Ellen) Shook, Marianne (Joe) Kuiper, Larry (Darla Cook) Shook, Bob Shook, Pauline (Mark) Giacobone and Kathleen (Steve) Waldron. Maureen also has numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Maureen was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Adele (Hoy) Shook, and her brother, Timothy Shook. Donations may go to Karmanos Cancer Center towards colorectal cancer research.
Marshall Donald Whitaker passed away on February 11, 2022. Don was born June 13, 1937, in Caraway, Ark. to Marshall and Cora Hill Whitaker. He attended Caraway High School. The family moved to Michigan in 1953. Don met Nancy Bartelt and they were married in 1958. Don worked at Voice of Music, then at Du-Wel Metal Products in Bangor. In 1978, Don started the Overhead Door Company which is now run by his son and grandson. Don is survived by his wife Nancy Whitaker of Vicksburg; sons, David (Carla) Whitaker of Vicksburg and Jerry (Joyce) Whitaker of Portage; sister Lefty (Ralph) Russo; grandchildren Leah Bourdo, Aaron, David, Seth, Cole, Josh, and Kai Whitaker; and great-grandchildren Kennedy and Harper Bourdo and Cooper and Willow Whitaker, along with numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, eight brothers and sisters, infant sons James and John, a very tiny great-grandson, Isaiah Aaron Whitaker and a great-granddaughter, Nora Katherine Whitaker. Donations may go to the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission. Visit his page at amsfuneralhomes.com.
Vicksburg Village Manager Jim Mallery received a strong rating on his annual performance review.
During the village council’s Feb. 7 meeting, board president Tim Frisbie said Mallery, 54, received a score of 528.5 on a 595-point scale.
Frisbie said Mallery’s review was conducted in a process that involved the village’s Human Resources Committee, whose members met with Mallery for the review. Frisbie said feedback was given during the meeting.
“We went over everything with Jim, question by question, and gave him the results on that,” Frisbie said. “Jim, we thank you for your leadership and your tenacity … as you’ve said before, you’re not going to be everybody’s friend but it’s going to be a ship that stands upright and sails proud.”
Frisbie said the HR team is going to make recommendations for changing the way the village’s evaluation form is put together. He explained the form is time-consuming and recommended a switch to a business model, which is comprised of general benchmarks such as “fails to meet expectation”, “meets expectations” and “exceeds expectations”.
“Get it a little more simplified … I know this is a task for everybody that took quite a while to put it together,” he said. “Jim, thank you for all you’ve done. Tremendous results in everything you’ve done financially for this community. I think your score reflects that.”
Mallery, who joined the village in 2016, has an annual salary of $93,000.
In a separate matter, village council members discussed an upcoming event that ties in with the year-long celebration of Vicksburg’s sesquicentennial: Frisbie said the village is sponsoring a “food truck rally” March 10 downtown.
Mallery said he looks forward to the number of people it will bring downtown and hopes the village’s merchants benefit from the special event. The matter required council approval to close off Main Street, between Prairie and Washington streets, from 4:30 to 8 p.m.
There will be four food trucks and live music. Mallery said the event takes place within Vicksburg’s Social District, allowing patrons to enjoy adult beverages from any of the five Social District alcohol-serving businesses while sampling the offerings from the food trucks.
Mallery said the village’s director of community engagement, Alex Lee, spearheaded this event and is behind several more planned to celebrate the village’s milestone.
Left: Arielle Mayo with food to be delivered to Portage Terrace. Right: Nancy Herson with food to be delivered to homebound folks.
By Sheri Louis
Change can teach us to adapt, to learn and to grow. Generous Hands has been serving families in our community for over 18 years and continues to adapt and change to meet the needs of those who are facing food insecurity and difficult circumstances.
The Friday Pack Program at Generous Hands no longer packs food or delivers food on Fridays. The program has evolved and changed over the last few years, and will soon be re-branded the “Power Pack Program” to reflect the changes being made to better serve our families. Although packs are not being delivered to schools, Generous Hands has found creative ways to distribute food packs and meet the needs of the children and families who face food insecurity.
• Generous Hands is open for clients to pick up packs every week, Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon, and additional hours as needed.
• Volunteers are delivering packs to homes when there are health concerns or transportation barriers.
• A Blessing Box is located in front of the Generous Hands/SCCS building at 606 Spruce Street, and another Blessing Box is now located in the Portage Terrace Mobile Home Park. The Blessing Boxes contain nonperishable food, snacks and hygiene items. Supplies are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Snacks and hygiene items are being delivered to all school buildings.
Generous Hands’ mission remains the same: to benefit hungry children by strengthening their physical, emotional, nutritional, and educational well-being. Generous Hands is simply embracing the never-ending changes, adapting to new circumstances, and using the knowledge gained as an opportunity to better serve our families.
Generous Hands is thankful for our volunteers who keep the Blessing Box stocked – Steve Buell, Carole Boal, Janet Kosacek, Arielle Mayo, and Ken and Jill Weyenberg, and for Nancy Herson, who has been making food pack deliveries to those who cannot make it in for packs.
Visit generoushands.org or follow Generous Hands on Facebook to stay up to date with news, events, and more!
