Proceeds from the event will be matched dollar for dollar by the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, and will support growth and development of Opportunity Enterprises’ Lakeside property.

Acquired in 2007, OE Lakeside, a 158-acre parcel of land and water on Lake Eliza, currently houses two day service programs – Enriching Possibilities and the Renewed Horizons Adult Day Center. Together, these programs serve just over 100 adults with disabilities each day.

Enriching Possibilities offers a variety of programs, designed to fit the needs of individuals with multiple or severe disabilities. Programs such as community integration, art enrichment, and life skills training are just some of the options available to clients in this program.

The Renewed Horizons Adult Day Center provides a comprehensive, structured environment to senior adults with developmental disabilities. Bingo, arts & crafts, and Wii games are just some of the activities clients participate in on a daily basis.

For more information about this fundraiser, contact Wagner’s Ribs in Porter at (219) 926-7614, or Wagner’s Restaurant in Valparaiso at (219) 465-9247.

Since 1967, OE has been a non-profit organization which enriches the lives of individuals with disabilities by providing exceptional support and creating meaningful opportunities that allow its consumers to serve as an inspiration to the community. Today, OE serves 1,100 adults and children with disabilities in Porter County and throughout Northwest Indiana. For more information, visit www.oppent.org.

“The Popcorn Festival is fun on so many levels. Our family has always participated in the 5K run – my husband Kyle runs it, I’ve walked it, and my two girls have grown up running in the Lil’ Kernel Puff races. So that kicks off our day early. Then the whole day lies ahead for booths, jump houses, and crazy food – it’s just a great kick off for fall,” She stated. Although, this was her first year participating in the contest she is certainly not new to the field of art. As a graphic designer at Porter-Starke Services and with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Drawing & Painting from University of North Texas, Robyn is a veteran in the world of art.

Robyn Werberig shows off her winning poster design for the 2011 Popcorn Festival

“While I enjoy the entire process of creating art, I’m most excited and focused when I’m editing down an idea to its core message. Reducing, eliminating, and shifting things around until the essence of the idea is most simply and directly communicated – I love that part,” She stated.

In addition to bragging rights, the winner receives a check for $1000 as the top prize. “Winning this contest is its own treat, but the prize money means a lot for me personally. It will help cover the costs of going to the beach in Florida this summer to distribute my father’s ashes with my family. He would’ve been over-the-top excited about all this. Lots of special connections have surfaced in the process of winning this contest.”

Robyn’s design will create the look for the event and is not only displayed on a poster, but it also appears on t-shirts, buttons and brochures for the event. The style of art she used for her design is called Pop Art and couldn’t be a more fitting style for the Popcorn Festival.

The Popcorn Festival brings over 60,000 visitors to Downtown Valparaiso each year and has been named “The Best Festival in the Region” by The Times readers for 13 years. For more information about the Popcorn Festival and other events planned for this year, visit VCFE at www.valparaisoevents.com or call 464.8332.

Porter County, IN. 4-20-2011 – The May 1 event is a fundraiser for the Westchester Township History Museum. Tickets for the 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. performances are available for $15 at the museum and must be purchased by April 29.  Each performance is followed by coffee, teas from Molly Bea’s Ingredients, and a special dessert from Tonya’s Patisserie. The Museum, which is operated as an educational and cultural service of Westchester Public Library, is open 1 – 5 p.m. Wednesday – Sunday at 7000 W. Porter Ave., Chesterton.

The cast for the interactive living history performance will consist of Glenn Keldsen, who will play George Brown, the first owner of the Brown Mansion; Jane Walsh-Brown, who will play his wife Charity; Mike Acsbok who will play Arthur Bowser, the first publisher/owner of the Chesterton Tribune; and Angel Goins, who will portray Hilda Swenson, the Brown’s fictional cook.

Funds raised by the event will be used to restore two vintage portraits of George and Charity Brown.

Cobie Ball and Joan Costello will serve as managers, assisting guest movement through the four performance locations. Eva Hopkins and LuAnne DePriest will coordinate the refreshment service with the assistance of volunteer Olympia Diamond. Museum custodian Bill Corrigan will assist with operations. Several museum volunteers will also assist with the event: Jim Brown, Cliff Goins, Nancy Hokanson, Suzanne Keldsen,  Pat Mitchell, Rita Newman, Dorothy Meyers, and Lynne Welch.

For more information call the museum at 983-9715.

Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Pick Up Sticks

Strong winter storms and high winds take a toll on your trees and shrubs.  Pick up all of the sticks and twigs in your yard and put them in your fire pit.  Pull all the dead branches and twigs out of your shrubs too.  When you get a good fire going you can roast some marshmallows.

Weed Removal

Getting rid of weeds is an ongoing problem for the homeowner.  The easy way to get a handle on those pesky weeds is to spray some weed killer where the weeds usually come up before they get a chance to gain a foothold in your yard.  If they have trouble getting started, they won’t become unmanageable later in the spring.

Deck Cleaning

Pick up a bottle of deck cleaner and a long handled scrub brush at your local hardware store and take of that layer of winter grime.  This is also the first step if you want to repaint your deck.  Cleaning off the dirt also makes your paint job look smoother.

Power Lawn Tools

Before grass cutting season begins, take your lawnmower or lawn tractor and check to see if your blades need replacing or sharpening.  Change the oil and perform all seasonal maintenance before the grass starts growing.  Change your spark plugs and make sure your belts are not worn.  Give it a good cleaning and you are all ready to start cutting grass.  You should also check the line in your weed trimmer and make sure you have a fresh supply for the season.

Hoses and Faucets

Before you bring your hose back out of storage and hook it back up, make sure your outdoor spigots are working properly.  If they are leaking you need to replace the washer.  Your local hardware store can help.  Unwind your hose and make sure there are no kinks, tears or leaks.  Make sure you have plenty of washers on hand for the connection between the hose and the spigot and the hose and your attachments.

Fertilizer

This part is easy.  Get a four step program from your local hardware store and follow the simple instructions.  Step One should be applied soon while your lawn is wet and hasn’t had a chance to dry out.  Step One is designed to prevent crabgrass from sprouting.  Step Two should be applied a couple weeks later and will help to green your lawn and prevent dandelions.  Step Three is for the summer months and it helps your lawn absorb nutrients and resist the heat.  Step Four is for the fall and feeds your lawn before it goes dormant over the winter.

Patching

Patching your lawn is easy with many of the commercially available patching products.  Read the directions carefully as they will not work if you are fertilizing.  Generally, you should wait a few weeks after you apply fertilizer in order for your patches to take hold.  When you are ready just loosen the soil where you want to apply the patch and spread the patching material over the loose soil.  Water frequently and within a week or two you should have a stable patch of grass.

Seeding

If you do not need to patch any small areas and you just want to thicken up your lawn, buy a bag of grass seed and spread it out over your lawn as the grass starts to turn green.  As with all patching and seeding, you need to water frequently to insure success.

Mulch

To give your flowerbeds and landscaping a professionally finished look, add fresh mulch.  It will make your gardens look new and it also helps to hold water in the soil for your flowers and shrubs.

Obstructions

Check all of your downspouts and drains for obstructions left by the melting snow and small animals that are looking to make a home somewhere.  If we get a heavy rain and your downspouts are blocked, the water can back up and cause flooding.

“Three years into this event, it’s still amazing to see the tremendous turnout from Northwest Indiana every year at Fan Fest” said President/General Manager Andy Viano. “Even the great blizzard of 2011 couldn’t stop our legions of devoted fans, corporate partners, coaches and players from descending on the Radisson and we as an organization are sincerely touched by the support from everyone who makes our continued success possible. With another Fan Fest now in the books, we can’t wait to get to Opening Day!”

A swarm of RailCats fans were lined up at the Radisson before the doors opened at 10 a.m. eager to get the festivities underway and to ensure their chance each of the day’s giveaways which included a commemorative poster and program for the first 1,000 fans and a free t-shirt for the first 500 adults and 300 kids.  The Third Annual Fan Fest began with a packed house at the Opening Ceremony where the RailCats introduced the day’s special guests including New York Mets Pitcher and former ‘Cat Tim Byrdak and former major leaguer and Gary Roosevelt High School grad Wallace Johnson, in addition to the 16 former and current RailCats players and coaches in attendance.

After the Opening Ceremonies, fans broke out across the Radisson to take part in a wide range of activities including a number of their favorite ballpark games and challenging their favorite RailCat to home run derby on the Nintendo Wii. Down the hall, RailCats players and coaches were available for hour-long autograph sessions throughout the day. Young RailCats fans had an opportunity to participate in five different baseball clinics and receive expert instruction from RailCats legends including former Player of the Year Tanner Townsend and former major leaguer Tony Cogan. Players, team administrators and special guests also took part in the always popular Question and Answer sessions. Byrdak and Johnson also each had their own autograph sessions at the First Midwest Bank booth in the Main Room.

The RailCats and the Post-Tribune displayed all entries to the Photo Contest and crowned a winner in Linda Drinski, who took home a luxury suite night for 20 people and four VIP parking passes at an upcoming ‘Cats home game. A number of fans also took part in the “Dress like a RailCats Player” photo session taking turns trying on actual sized jerseys and pants in both serious and comical poses.

Hundreds of fans stuck around for the Closing Ceremony and the unveiling of the RailCats Tenth Anniversary Team which celebrates ten wonderful years of professional baseball in Northwest Indiana.

The RailCats would like to thank each and every sponsor who made this year’s Fan Fest a huge success including: Presenting Sponsor First Midwest Bank; Grand Slam Sponsors North Coast Distributing, Radio One Communications, Radisson Hotel and the Post-Tribune and Home Run Sponsors Barry’s Photography, Century 21, Edward Jones, Garman Printing, Lakeshore Public Television, Miss Pam, Popo’s and Red Hot Chicago.

The RailCats now turn their attention to the countdown to Opening Day at U. S. Steel Yard, which is only 102 days away.  The 2011 home opener for the RailCats is Friday, May 20 at 7:10 p.m. against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.  Season tickets and flex packs are all on sale now by calling the RailCats front office at 219.882.2255 or visiting www.railcatsbaseball.com.

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The original, world famous Harlem Globetrotters are set to take the floor at the Crown Point High School gymnasium at 7:00 PM to entertain an audience of many in this high energy performance in Northwest Indiana.

The Me Gang’s Greg Harper had a few words on the phone with Blenda Rodriguez, the 4th season guard of the Globetrotters the other day and he had some great things to say.

(Click the image for a full Bio of Blenda Rodriguez)

Greg H.: How much practice do you and the other players have to do in order to create the magic that you do on the court as far as trick shots and all that the Globetrotters do?

Blenda: We play about double the amount of games that the teams in the NBA do, so we are on the road a lot. We usually arrive at the playing arena about 2 to 3 hours before the game so that we can get warmed up and get a good feel for where we are playing. We always feel like we are playing on home court by the time we start the game.

Greg H.: The Globetrotters have always been a unique team as far as special talent in basketball and entertainment. What inspired you to do what you do and to be where you are today with the Globetrotters?

Blenda: I grew up watching the Globetrotters. I watched and studied their every move. I have always tried to be creative and innovative with my own moves and through the years, I developed my own type of ball handling skills. “Pistol Pete” Maravich was an excellent ball handler in the NBA and was a big influence in my life and career trail. I love the game of basketball but ball handling has always been tops on my list of talents that I had true passion for.

Greg H.: Can you share a couple of secrets that led you to some of the ticks and ball handling skills that you have?

Blenda: I started with trying to mimic the Globetrotter’s every move, pass and the way they did their trick shots. I have created some of my tricks from different types of sports moves, for instance;

I do a trick that is kind of like a swimming type move to where I put the ball on top of my fingers and do a sort of a swimming type motion. I also have a boxing type move to where your guards are up and the ball is in between my arms and then I have another move that I call the Helicopter to where I put my arms out and the ball behind my neck and then twirl in a helicopter type motion.

Greg H.: What can you say about the upcoming game in Crown Point, and can you share a few words with the fans in Northwest Indiana about what they can expect to see?

Blenda: Absolutely, I would like to say that we are very excited to see our fans in N.W. Indiana. Bring your Moms, Dads, Uncles, Sisters, Brothers, your kids and your friends because we have a great show for you. We will deliver the goods as always with trick shots and all that we do including our new four point shot. We always appreciate the support that we get in the Midwest and we’re not about to let anyone down. We are all about Family Fun and entertainment but we also take our gaming skills very serious.

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Blenda finished by saying that they are there for the fans. After the game, they set the game clock for 30 minutes so that they can spend a little time signing autographs and meeting some fans, then it’s time to shower up and get back on the bus.

I would like to thank Blenda Rodriguez for taking time out of his busy schedule to say a few words to Northwest Indiana and the Me Gang.

For those of you who still need tickets, they are still available at www.ticketweb.com and at the Crown Point High School Gym the day of the game which is Wednesday, January 26th 2011 at 7:00 PM .

We’ll see you there!

Some parents have found great value by having their kids join martial arts facilities and classes. In an interview with Aaron Johnson, chief instructor and owner of Achievement Martial Arts in Valparaiso Indiana, he explained why this is.

Aaron runs a martial arts instruction facility that is focused on teaching the fundamentals of martial arts and he offers classes from ages 3 and up for kids as well as classes for adults.  Aaron went on saying that some of the main core values of martial arts are based on life skills, integrity, confidence, discipline, focus, and respect for yourself and for others.

Class in session at Achievement Martial Arts

The Me Gang attended a few of his martial classes for kids that ranged in ages from 5 to upper teens and I can honestly say that integrity and discipline are a main focus in his classes.  There is a real family friendly atmosphere when you are there and many parents stay to watch as their kids are taught some fundamental skills, important moral lessons as well as the feel of achievement.

Micah Moore, an instructor at Achievement Martial Arts, is a great example of what type of character can come out of someone that has made this sport a way of life. You can tell right away that he enjoys his job yet still loves to work with kids but takes his skills quite seriously.

Is martial arts something for you?

Achievement Martial Arts is located at:

786 North McCool Road
Unit 6
Valparaiso, Indiana, 46383
(219) 759-3905

View Their Website HERE

Have a look at some of the clips that we took while attending some classes at Achievement Martial Arts.

NWIMe.com is proud to present our 1st annual Holiday Spirit Award to a bowling alley located in Chesterton Indiana called Westchester Lanes.

Evelyn and Tony Ello run this warm and inviting family friendly bowling alley and we were proud to be a part of their Christmas party and felt that an award was due them.

Below you can see a video of some highlights of their fantastic party.

Westchester Lanes is located at:

124 N. 8th Street

Chesterton IN. 46304

(219) 926-2523

You can also visit their website at www.westchesterlanes.com

Congratulations Westchester Lanes, you folks throw a great party!

]]> http://www.nwime.com/2010/12/1st-annual-nwime-com-holiday-spirit-award-goes-to-westchester-lanes/feed/ 0 http://www.nwime.com/2010/12/box-seat-tickets-event-tickets-the-easy-way/ http://www.nwime.com/2010/12/box-seat-tickets-event-tickets-the-easy-way/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2010 20:17:12 +0000 Greg H. http://www.nwime.com/?p=4989 Buying event tickets could be the start of a great relationship, especially if you are a resident of Northwest Indiana.

It was a pleasure talking to John Wilson, the owner of Box Seat Tickets in Valparaiso, Indiana.

In an in depth interview, John gave me a tour of his place of business as well as a walk down memory lane with the people and places that he has met and seen with what he does for a living.

John has been operating Box Seat Tickets for over 14 years and the stories that he has are truly fascinating. He adds a classy approach to obtaining tickets to your favorite events including dropping the tickets off right to your door if need be which I think is a touch of class from this one of a kind ticket seller.

Meet the man, his business and a few stories from John himself in the 9 minute highlights video below of the interview and I’m sure that it will be as exciting to watch as it was to make.

Box seat Tickets is located at:

607 N. Morgan Ave
Valparaiso IN. 46383
(219) 462-3349
BOXSEATTICKETS@LIVE.COM

]]> http://www.nwime.com/2010/12/box-seat-tickets-event-tickets-the-easy-way/feed/ 0 http://www.nwime.com/2010/12/giving-ideas-this-holiday-season-2/ http://www.nwime.com/2010/12/giving-ideas-this-holiday-season-2/#comments Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:04:22 +0000 MeMouth http://www.nwime.com/?p=4279 When you are out shopping this holiday season, remember the folks who are braving the freezing cold weather to help those in need. Teaching your kids about giving and charity is a valuable life lesson. One thing my family has been doing for about 6 years now is we go to the bank and purchase a roll of $1 dollar coins for the kids to put in the various drums. My two kids each get $12 dollars to give to whatever charity they choose.

Certainly the most visible of all of the holiday charities is The Salvation Army and their bell ringers. Stationed at nearly every grocery store and Wal Mart, they are collecting funds to aid needy families, seniors, and the homeless, in keeping with the spirit of the season.  Donations provide Christmas dinners, clothing, and toys for families in need. Financial assistance also helps with basic necessities, along with seasonal aid.

So the next time you are out and about, remember those friendly volunteers standing out in the elements and their willingness to help those in need.