The Vicksburg Farmers’ Market started its 15th season May 17, with returning favorites and an excellent array of over 20 new vendors.
The Pavilion on 300 N Richardson St. will be filled with locally grown produce, fresh baked goods, and artisan craft vendors every Friday from now until September, growing as the season goes on. New additions this year include Manrique Coffee, Monty’s Microgreens, Bankson Lake Farms, and more!
Customers will also enjoy live music by local favorites at all of the markets this season. In addition, the Vicksburg Library, the Big Read Machine and the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center will be providing activities for children!
We look forward to connecting with our community on Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m.
Tanda Stiffler, Dave Stiffler, Adam Fort, and Virgil Briggs.
By Deb Stafinski
The Vicksburg Lions Club is all in when it comes to supporting people with vision problems, especially our children! Lions Clubs of Michigan began providing free vision screenings for children in 2003 using portable high-tech cameras. The goal is to identify children with vision disorders that hinder their ability to succeed in school and develop normally. The Edwardsburg Lions Club, also known as the “Edwardsburg Project KidSightTeam” brought this new technology to the Vicksburg Lions Summer B&B Festival several years ago. This program has grown considerably in the last three years and now provides screenings in many school districts across five counties in southwest Michigan.
The Vicksburg School District has benefitted from this service since 2021, screening students in K-12 and beyond. The Vicksburg Lions assist with the local screening and with screening in other school districts as needed. The screening takes just a few seconds per child and identifies vision problems with 90% accuracy. The screening detects disorders in several areas including myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), amblyopia (lazy eye) and astigmatism (refractive abnormality), which are common problems that often go undetected. If a problem is identified, parents are notified with the results and a follow-up with an ophthalmologist or optometrist is recommended. This year the Edwardsburg Team screened 22,089 students in southwest Michigan, identifying 2,384 for further testing.
The Vicksburg Lions Club works with local optometrists and families to assist with the cost involved with further screening and the purchase of glasses. Because of the high demand for screening in schools around the area, the Vicksburg Lions Club recently presented the Edwardsburg Team with a new camera and printer at a cost of $9,000 to help sustain this important project. The KidSight Team will be available at the Vicksburg Lions Club Summer B&B Festival during Kids Night, Thursday, July 25th. Join us for a fun evening and free vision screening!
ChapNaz Clothes Closet volunteers: Cindy Kundrat, Cyndi Frakes, Sandy Johnson, Alice Granger, Stacie Kingsbury, and Carol McClure.
By Cyndi Frakes and Sandy Johnson
Since moving the community Clothes Closet to ChapNaz Church in the fall of 2019, many changes have taken place. What started out in a small space on the upper level of the church has now expanded into much of the lower level. All donations are carefully reviewed to be free of stains, tears, and are washed when necessary. Everything is available at no cost to those in need, due to the generosity of the community.
In the beginning, the Clothes Closet served around 15 people per month. Now, it serves many more families and children, upwards of 85 children and 55 adults per month. In December of 2023, it helped clothe over 100 children!
In addition to clothing, footwear, undergarments, and coats, it also provides free diapers on a limited basis. Currently, most of the diapers available are funded through South County Community Services. However, it continues to need additional donations. Diaper sizes in greatest need are 4 through 7.
Donations may be received at ChapNaz Church, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., or by appointment, at 7520 E U Ave, Vicksburg. Our greatest need is always children’s clothing, ranging in size from infant to children 18-20; especially pajamas.
The Clothes Closet is run solely by volunteers. Open hours are the second Thursday of every month from 4-5:30 p.m., the second Saturday of every month from 10 a.m.-noon and the fourth Wednesday of every month 9-10 a.m., or by appointment.
The Clothes Closet is here for the community. Please contact ChapNaz Church at 269-649-2392 for questions regarding how to donate or if in need.
Chris Laaksonen, Susan Pepps, Donna Cubbage, Brian Lambdin, and Laura Wiercioch.
By Jef Rietsma
The Vicksburg school district is saying goodbye to a small number of employees to retirement, losing more than a century of experience.
Five staff members, including 32-year district employee Chris Laaksonen, will teach their final day this month.
Superintendent Keevin O’Neill said the quintet of soon-to-be retirees gave their all to Vicksburg Community Schools and its students.
“Vicksburg Community Schools has been blessed to have such a strong and dedicated group of employees who will soon be enjoying well-deserved retirement,” O’Neill said. “Their shoes will be difficult to fill, but the district wishes nothing but the best to each of them. Thank you for your devotion to VCS.”
The retirees are:
Laaksonen, who most recently taught seventh-grade English at Vicksburg Middle School. She is completing more than three decades of service to the district.
“I’m grateful to this community for providing a livelihood and allowing me to teach their children. The time has flown by and I’m stunned to be at the retirement phase of my career. It has been a beautiful way to spend my time – in the company of young people with all their hopefulness and enthusiasm.”
Susan Pepps, a 15-year Indian Lake Elementary teacher. The first-grade teacher said she loves all the teachers, students, principals (past and current) and staff. “I appreciate everyone’s sacrifice to make our district and Indian Lake the best that they are. I am a very proud teacher and grateful to be here in Vicksburg.”
Donna Cubbage, an eighth-grade science teacher at Vicksburg Middle School, started her career as a reading specialist. A 23-year VCS veteran, Cubbage has taught science at all three middle school grade levels and chemistry, physical science, biology and environmental science at VHS. “I loved the ‘ah-ha’ science moments, discussing sports and life outside of school, and I truly enjoyed being a positive influence to my students. One special seventh grader years ago has even become my son-in-law. I thank you, VCS, for giving me all the years you have for me to be a part of the thousands of students who have walked through my classroom doors.”
Brian Lambdin, who most-recently taught world history and AP world history. A 25-year VCS employee, Lambdin previously taught for seven years at LC Mohre High School in South Haven. Lambdin is an avid fisherman. He said he is also looking forward to singing and playing the guitar at local establishments during retirement.
Laura Wiercioch, who has taught math at Vicksburg Pathways since 2016. “Pathways has been the ideal spot for me because of the one-on-one connection that we have with students. It will be hard for me to leave my position.”
The Vicksburg varsity softball team concluded the regular season on a triumphant note, clinching its second consecutive Wolverine Conference title. This victory was made sweeter considering the fierce competition that marked this year’s conference.
“We played against a lot of tougher competition out of conference this year,” Head Coach Paul Gephart said. “Districts are going to be tough because there’s some really good teams in our district and our region.”
The girls displayed some of that resolve in the opening game of their doubleheader, a “battle of the Bulldogs” against Otsego. The two teams were scoreless in the bottom of the second when Otsego made a nifty double play. With two outs and no one on, Emily Zemitans came in and made a hit that turned into a double on a fielding error. Grace Zimmerman brought her home a few pitches later on a big double of her own.
Zimmerman scored to make it 2-0 after Maddie Diekman hit a low drive down the third baseline. Vicksburg played near-flawless defense all night with Delaney Monroe pitching. She also had a good at-bat in the bottom of the third, hitting a nice single to center. Otsego walked Peyton Smith to put two on with only one out. Kayla Chisholm then hit a big double that brought Smith and courtesy runner Katie Veres home to make it 4-0.
Zimmerman walked early in the bottom of the fourth before Diekman put down a perfect bunt. Otsego was slow to get to the ball, and Diekman used her speed to beat the throw to first. Vicksburg loaded the bases just a few minutes later after Ella Luegge walked. Otsego then walked Brooklynn Ringler to make it 5-0 Vicksburg.
Monroe was up to bat next, and she made another big hit to center that just missed going over the fence. Two more runners scored to make it 7-0.
“We’ve been playing solid,” Gephart said. “I think we’re not hitting the long ball as often as we had previously, but so long as we’re scoring runs and shutting people out, it doesn’t matter to me.”
Otsego had a hard time getting out of inning four. They walked Luegge a second time before Chisholm popped up another ball to center that was dropped. Vicksburg took advantage of another Otsego error when the fielder dropped an Audrie Dugan pop-up, allowing Smith to score and make it 8-0. There was no more scoring after that, as Vicksburg quickly shut down all hopes of an Otsego rally.
Gephart said their conference was tough this year, and he expects district play won’t be easy either. However, like last season, this year’s team feels they can hang in there against almost any opponent.
“We feel like we can score every inning. I mean, everyone in the lineup can hit,” Gephart said. “We are very solid fundamentally on offense, very solid fundamentally on defense. We just keep battling. We always feel like we can score if we get behind, we always feel like we can come back.”
