SOUTH BEND NEWS BRIEFS
Elkhart native, Times correspondent to discuss first ladies at Goshen College
GOSHEN — New York Times correspondent and Elkhart native Katie Rogers speaks about U.S. first ladies at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 6 at Goshen College’s Music Center.
Her talk focuses on her new book, “American Woman: The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden.”
Rogers will share opening remarks and answer questions during the event and a reception will follow, where she will be available to sign copies of “American Woman,” which was released Feb. 27.
This is a return visit to Goshen College for Rogers, who has worked at The New York Times since 2014. In the fall of 2019, a few months before the start of the pandemic, Rogers delivered a Yoder Public Affairs Lecture on “Covering the White House in an Age of Misinformation, Mistruths and Mistrust.”
Rogers began work on “American Woman” shortly after President Joe Biden took office.
The book sheds light on Jill Biden’s role in the White House. The book also details Jill Biden’s determination to continue teaching full time while assuming the duties of first lady, despite some resistance from her husband.
Rogers has covered two presidential administrations, writing extensively about domestic policy, foreign policy and the complicated dynamics of first families.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago and a master’s degree from Northwestern University. Early in her career, she worked for The Elkhart Truth, where her beat included education.
Admission is free.
For more information, visit goshen.edu/news.
Mobile pantries set for March
The Food Bank of Northern Indiana will distribute boxed and bagged food to those in need at remote locations in the coming month. The food can be picked up in a drive-thru format on a first-come, first-served basis.
● March 7: 9 to 11 a.m. at The Excel Center, 2626 Prairie St., Elkhart.
● March 8: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Plymouth Parks, Pool Parking Lot, 1660 N. Michigan St., Plymouth.
● March 13: 10 a.m. to noon CST at Salvation Army, 3240 Monroe St., LaPorte.
● March 14: 10 a.m. to noon at Kosciusko County Fairgrounds, 1400 E. Smith St., Warsaw.
● March 15: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Walker Field, 2198 S. Walnut St., South Bend.
● March 21: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the former Bargain Lane, 1302 Elwood Ave., South Bend.
● March 22: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST at Knox United Methodist Church, 201 S. Shield St., Knox.
● March 27: 10 a.m. to noon CST at Kingsford Heights Community Center, 515 Wayland Road, Kingsford Heights, Ind.
Present, former Dismas House directors address League of Women Voters
SOUTH BEND — Maria Stancati and Maria Kaczmarek will be the featured speakers for the March League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area Lunch with the League on Zoom event at noon Friday, March 8.
Stancati is the executive director of Dismas House. Kaczmarek is a former executive director of Dismas House and is the community involvement assistant for the South Bend Community Re-Entry Center.
They will discuss what their work entails and discuss their organizations’ history and future plans.
Stancati has lived on South Bend’s west side her whole life.
A former teacher, she was sentenced in 2009 to Rockville Correctional Facility for one year and then to Dismas House from August 2010 to November 2011.
When she graduated from Dismas House, she joined the board and volunteered. In 2014, she became program director and in 2018 was promoted to executive director of Dismas House.
Kaczmarek has always worked for notfor-profit organizations, including 17 years working for several Girl Scout councils across the country.
Returning to Indiana in 1992, she served 22 years as the executive director of Dismas House, retired for a short time and then returned to work as with the South Bend Community Re-Entry Center, where she facilitates the men’s groups in the program encouraging engagement in the arts through South Bend Civic Theatre, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Broadway League, Notre Dame and other opportunities, along with service work in the community.
To join the Zoom meeting, visit lwvsouthbend.org to find this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/ j/89964330458?pwd=MEJmU0xmc3l2R0JrZlEydmJtNDVudz09
For more information, visit lwvsouthbend.org or facebook.com/LWVSouthBend.
Rhyme & Reason holds fundraiser with McGill, Eastburn
SOUTH BEND — Rhyme & Reason will hold a fundraiser to raise money to construct its new building in Lakeville at 6 p.m. March 8 at Howard Park, 219 S. Saint Louis Blvd.
Rhyme & Reason, which supports individuals with physical, mental and emotional challenges, envisions a fully accessible 84-acre campus nestled amidst mature woods with hiking trails, ponds throughout and private cabins for tranquil retreats.
These features, along with its versatile event center and main house (R&R Headquarters), will serve individuals with diverse needs, fostering personal growth, community connection and skill development.
Titled “Help US Spread Our Wings,” the event features Mark McGill as the emcee and Brett Eastburn as the guest speaker. He has worked as a radio broadcaster for more than 30 years and is currently the South Bend Cubs’ outfield emcee. Additionally, he is the director of member relations for the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Eastburn was born without arms and legs, but he believes he was born without handicaps and people can only succeed if they choose to.
Raised in North Liberty, he works as a comedian, motivational speaker, author and actor.
A silent auction also takes place. Tickets are $60, $100 for two and $300 for table of six.
For more information, visit rhymeandreason.net.
Unity Gardens holds 14th annual ‘Growing Summit’ at main library in South Bend
SOUTH BEND — The 14th annual Unity Gardens “Growing Summit” takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 9 at the Community Learning Center of the Main Branch of the St. Joseph County Public Library, 305 S. Michigan St.
The event features more than 20 free classes for kids and adults with more than 20 local vendors dedicated to health and wellness.
Specialty classes cover topics such as fruit, waste reduction, kombucha, worm composting, pollination, specialty gardening, natives and more.
Also, there will be screenings of the film “Regenerate Indiana: Land and People Made Whole” at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. followed by a panel discussion from some of those who have been directly affected by gardens within the Indiana prison system.
The Rico Suave food truck will also be on site.
Admission is free.
For more information, call 574-2222266 or visit theunitygardens.org.
Learn about composting and why it matters
SOUTH BEND — Have you ever thought about composting your banana and orange peels and other vegetable scraps? Or didn’t know how to begin a proper compost pile by your pretty garden?
A free, public talk March 9 at the Little Flower Catholic Church Parish Center, 54191 Ironwood Dr., will help you to understand the basics of composting and how it can be an important way to help the environment.
The talk will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The two speakers include Ben Carson of the St. Joseph County Solid Waste Management District, who will discuss why keeping food waste and other organics out of the landfill is good for the community and the environment. Also, Brian Will of St. Pius X Catholic Church’s Creation Care Team will talk about wasting food, food rescue, best composting practices, and why these things are environmental and social justice issues.
County-City Building, courthouses closed after water main break
SOUTH BEND — The County-City Building and all three county courthouses in downtown closed abruptly Tuesday morning, putting a one-day halt to meetings, after a water main broke in the main courthouse.
Carl Baxmeyer, president of the county commissioners, said he expected the buildings to reopen Wednesday.
It was déjà vu for the buildings this winter after a cold snap in January caused them to be closed for a few days, thanks to what Baxmeyer had described as an aging boiler that struggled to generate enough heat and keep up the internal temperature.
This time, he said, a water main broke behind a wall on the second floor of Courthouse 1, 101 S. Main St. Some water spilled onto the floors but didn’t lead to any real flooding or damage, he said.
In order to fix it, though, the water had to be shut off to all of the courthouses and the County-City Building because the water system is all interconnected. The other utilities were functioning.
“Legally,” he said, “we can’t operate unless the bathrooms are operating.”
The county immediately announced that all meetings Tuesday were canceled, including the commissioners’ meeting at 10 a.m. Its agenda, Baxmeyer said, will simply be moved to the commissioners’ March 12 meeting.
He said the County-City Building suffered a pipe break last year, too, though at that time it was isolated, so the county didn’t have to close the entire building.
The problem then, he said, was the same as on Tuesday: aging galvanized steel pipes that are corroding.