Suing for what?

According to court documents, Phoenix Ventures, LLC, the company attempting to bring a strip club to Michigan City is suing the La Porte County Board of Zoning Appeals for denying their variance request.

WHAT?

Why should a community that is focused on improving their image be forced to accept a strip club in their area? Why can't the people, who clearly are against such a place, simply say no because it will have an affect on the socioeconomic statues of the area?

Shame on the petitioners for filing such a lawsuit.

Top MC stories of 2011

I have put together a list of what in my opinion constitutes the top 10 stories of the 2011 calendar year in Michigan City.

10. Common Council members vote against ensuring that Moon Valley, a 57 acre tract of greenspace between Lake Shore Drive and US 12 will be preserved. An ordinance reapprorpriating $75,000 would have all but guaranteed that Moon Valley would be saved through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). Since the May 4 no vote, the Save the Dunes council is still awaiting word from NOAA on the response of the grant application.

9. IU Health La Porte Hospital lays off 112 employees, and legal battles are still being fought.

8. Citizens and community leaders speak out against a proposal for a "gentlemen's club" near US-421 and I-94. The variance is denied by the La Porte County Board of Zoning Appeals, but the petitioners have now taken the matter to court and are requesting a jury trial.

7. "Snowmageddon" shuts down much of Michigan City in early February.

6. A 17-year-old girl is killed and an 18-year old man injured after a family party at Krueger Memorial Park in July ends with gunfire. According to the Michigan City Police, there were two shooters in the parking lot. The one allegedly responsible for the death is still at-large.

5. Former La Porte volleyball coach Robert Ashcraft is sentenced to 21 years in prison after being found guilty of having a sexual relationship with a former player.

4. The revival of Franklin Square into the Uptown Arts District is strengthened as Common Council members vote unanimously to purchase the Warren Building for the Redevelopment Commission, who will then sell it to Minneapolis-based Artspace, a non-profit group dedicated to finding housing for area artists. Once renovations are complete, the seven-story Warren Building will be a colony for about 30 artists.

3. A major up-hall of the Sanitary District includes a new General Manager and board members. Shortly after former employee Ron Meer wins the democratic mayoral primary, GM Al Wals resigns. Meer later names Michael Kuss, a former IDEM to executive to the post.

2. One Chicago-area teenager is dead and another faces manslaughter and battery charges following a July 4 fight at Stop 26 in Long Beach where 17-year-old Kevin Kennelly Jr. was allegedly struck in the head by 19-year-old James Malecek. Malecek is set to go to trial in July.

1. Ron Meer is elected Mayor, completing a two-year turnaround where he was fired by the Sanitary District for being a whistle-blower, and now in the midst of appointing top personnel at the District. His "fighting blight" and "aggressive on crime" approach won over many voters as well as his close ties with the local unions.

Photo: Although she only acquired a little more than 300 votes on Election Day, Independent mayoral candidate Nancy Moldenhauer (pictured) said the campaign was a success because the platform of turning Michigan City into the "Green City of Northern Indiana" was brought to the forefront.

Saint Xavier...Number 1 at last

Saint Xavier University, my alma mater, is at the top of the NAIA Football rankings, the first time SXU has reached the number one ranking in any sport.

I would have liked for that to have come while I was a student, and seeing Sioux Falls move to NCAA Division II sure aided in the Cougars' eventual rise to the top, but this is still a monumental distinction for a school that has been steadily good, just unable to "get over the hump."

In Women's Basketball, its either a team from Tennessee of California that dashes national championship dreams every year.

In football, it's either Carroll or Sioux Falls putting an end to a dominant Saint Xavier season.

But maybe not this year.

Sioux Falls is gone from the NAIA and Carroll has begun the season 1-1. If SXU can put together an undefeated regular season run like they usually do, the NAIA playoffs may go through Mount Greenwood in 2011.

Post Manning era may begin early

Over the last few years, Colts fans have begun realizing that the Peyton Manning era will come to a close at some point, but nobody had imagined it coming as early as 2011.

But that may be the case, as Manning has already missed his first game to injury last week at Houston and may be out for quite a while.

This is the time for the other Colts to step up. They need to be motivated and give even more of an effort to show that this 10-year run of greatness was not just because of one player.

I think they will be fine. They probably will not make the playoffs, which would be the first time since 2001. But they will not be 2-14 like everyone else seems to assume.

Let Manning take the year off, completely heal, and then come back in 2012 with comeback player of the year on his mind. If that happens, Indianapolis is a force once again.

Movie tour in Chicago

CHICAGO - My friend Ramon comes up with a lot of the ideas for my travels and experiences, and he hit another good one this weekend with a Sunday movie tour. We would spend the day traveling through Chicago and the norh suburbs in search of famous scenes from some of the most popular films with ties to the Windy City.

The first stop was Winnetka, where we would see the famous house from "Home Alone." It looked similar to how it did in 1991 when the movie was released. An article in the Chicago Tribune the very day we went to see the place had it listed as for sale. A woman from across the street was not too pleased with the mass amount of people coming on her block that day.

From there it was to Highland Park, which served as the home of famous scenes of two 1980s classics, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Risky Business."

We actually had to go on private propery to see the place where Ferris Bueller allowed his friend's father's car to reverse through glass windows and into a ditch. May be the most memorable site from this movie tour.

Risky Business was right around the corner from Ferris, and the famouns "Old Time Rock n Roll" scene took place inside those very walls.

We also drove through Lincoln Park to see the site of Child's Play, one of the movies affiliated in the Chucky series. And then, of course, it was Pilgrim Baptist Church, where Jake and Elwood finally saw the light and decided they were "On a Mission From God" to get the band back together.

Of course it wasn't just a movie day - we checked out some of the neighborhoods on one of the busiest days of the year with the Air and Water Show taking place on the lakefront.

The traffic was bad everywhere, especially on I-94 eastbound, but we still saw the Belmont Corridor, Roscoe Village, Lakeview, South Chicago, Pilsen and Bridgeport.

I was also really impressed with McKinley Park, which seems to be a testament in to how the Chicago Park District has improved over the last few years.

Photo: The house from the early 90s hit, Home Alone.

An eventful summer in Michigan City

MICHIGAN CITY - It is my first summer as a resident of Michigan City and I cannot remember any time in my life where there was so much going on.

Michigan City is a town on the rise. With at least one really fun event every weekend, the city is a destination spot for any summer traveler.

We had the Supr Boat Grand Prix events and race day last Sunday. The Taste of Michigan City was a successful event with local eateries displaying what they have to offer without the crime of the similar Chicago event.

And Franklin Square is the place to be the first Friday of every month, with art, shopping and dining opportunities for anyone who strolls by.

We still have the Lakefront Art Festival this weekend and a few more weekends of Washington Park beach being packed with swimmers from around the Midwest.

Next week, the In-Water Boat show should serve as the anchor event for the end of summer, when more than 2,400 students head back to school in the city.

Joe Doyle and the Summer Fest committee have done an excellent job making this a cool place to go in the summer.

Impressed with drum show at Lucas Oil

INDIANAPOLIS - It was well worth the long day for 10 Michigan City residents that attended the Drum Corps International finals Saturday in Indiana's capital city.As a reward for the Michigan City Summer Festival committee's role in the 2011 DCI season, five members of the committee rode a Blue Chip Casino bus to the event in Indianapolis with family and friends."It was well worth it," said Mayor Chuck Oberlie, who joined committee chairman Joe Doyle, members Bill Greene, Ron Hamilton and Mike Hale and family/friends Cathy Hale, Mike Greenlaw, Becky Greenlaw, Charmian Kalk and bus driver Kim on the ride. And thanks to Doyle, the News Dispatch was invited to come along. The day began early and ended late. Doyle and Bill Greene began packing the coolers with refreshments well before the bus left the Blue Chip Casino at 10 a.m Saturday morning.At 2 a.m. the next day, they unpacked. Everything in between provided a fun-filled atmosphere, from the morning stop at Jimmy John's in Michigan City to massive rain storm that grazed across Indiana on the way home. Doyle was excited on the way to Indianapolis to see the "best drum corps in the world," but the would-be-perfect ride down highlighted by comfortable seats, Bloody Mary drinks using some of the best tomato juice in the Midwest and delicious Jimmy Johns sandwiches was a bit tampered by an air conditioning malfunction after a pit stop in Lafayette. The well air conditioned Lucas Oil Stadium was on everyone's minds as the bus rolled down Capitol Street in Indianapolis, but even after Oberlie went to will-call to retrieve the tickets, the crew had to wait in the sun until 3:30 p.m. for gates to open.

The waiting would not be over even as the doors opened, as seating was off-limits until 4:30 p.m.That angered some Drum Corps fans, one who visited all the way from texas and said he paid more than $400 for his seat. But not Doyle, who knew that the show would be worth it once they did get seated. He said the hour time-frame after the doors opened and before seating was available was the cover costs. "It gives people an extra hour to spend money at the concessions and the Drum Corps souvenir shops," he said. When the stadium was open, the Michigan City crew was treated to access the Lucas Oil Stadium press boxes, where Mike Hale seemed to be excited about seeing "where ESPN goes," and "where the (NFL) calls get overturned."And nearly anyone outside the crew that heard 'Michigan City,' had a positive reaction.

"I love Michigan City," said Christina Mavroudis, DCI Individual Ensemble event coordinator and writer for DCI.com. "The Dairy Queen across from the stadium (Ames Field) rocks!"But even better than the journey was the destination. The Michigan CIty visitors were treated to seats at the 50-yard line, which would seem to be the perfect spot for a DCI fan, since many of the shows involve the entire field. The shows itself were thrilling displays of entertainment. Oberlie pointed out the difference in the top five and latter seven corps. "They are on a whole other level," he said, referring to the Cadets, Blue Devils, Cavaliers, Carolina Crown and Phantom Regiment. It was not until the bus ride home when anyone on the trip began to get tired.

"We had a good day," Doyle said as the bus entered the casino just before 2 a.m. Good show, good stadium, good ride and good company. It was a day well worth the months of hard work the committee members put in not only for the two Michigan City drum corps events, but all the summer activities planned and organized by the group.

Photo: Michigan City Summer Festival committee chairman Joe Doyle (right) looks over the program before the Michigan City crew enters Lucas Oil Stadium. Summer Fest committee and school board member Bill Greene (left) looks on.

Two for two in Toronto

A mid-July game between the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays doesn't seem like the ultimate baseball experience.

In addition to not even taking place in this country, the Mariners were losers of eight straight and the Blue Jays haven't been relevant since winning back to back titles in the early 1990s.

It wasn't a game I had particularly looked forward to either, just another stadium to see on my goal to see a game at all 30 major league parks.

But Tuesday night's 14-inning affair by two clubs long out of the playoff race was the best experience I've had at a ballpark in a while.

When I arrived at the Rogers Centre in Toronto Tuesday night with my father, I noticed a small crowd, with some sections on the upper level being closed off for the night.

My dad and I probably could have found a seat on the first level, but we went up to the 500 section and were in for quite an experience.

A few members of the church group that sang the American and Canadian National Anthems that day were treating the game like they were the Cameron Crazies and Duke was playing North Carolina.

Every pitch, they had a reaction. Standing, many shirtless, and all yelling at the umpire crew after every call that went the Mariners way, the group was clearly the loudest in the park that day. And two rows behind us.

That was great.

A group like that would not have surprised me much at a Cardinals or Red Sox game, but the Blue Jays? Go figure.

The game itself was may have been the most exciting I've ever seen. After falling behind early, the Blue Jays tie it with three runs in the seventh. Nobody crosses home plate for the next six innings, until Rajai Davis steals a pair of bases in the bottom of the 14th and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly.

I was able to watch it, even though I officially left the park after the 11th. We decided to check out the hotel attached to the stadium, and they have a clear glass sheet connected to the restaurant so people could have a perfect outfield view of the game.

We were only in the hotel restaurant at that time because it was the very site of my first baseball experience outside the city of Chicago.

It was 1996. I was an 11-year-old die hard White Sox fan that fell in love with the 1993 'Good Guys Wear Black' team that won the division and lost to the, oddly enough Blue Jays, in the American League Championship Series.

This time, on a family vacation on the way home from Niagara Falls, we decided to stay at the SkyDome (former name of Rogers Centre) hotel for a night.

Once we checked in and hit the button for the elevator, out walked Frank Thomas. The Big Hurt.

Also one of my favorite players. That night, the White Sox just happened to be in town the very day we were. And we met pretty much all of them, including broadcaster Hawk Harrelson, who dove in front of an elevator while it was closing when he saw me (an 11-year-old kid in Toronto wearing a White Sox hat) yell out, 'HAWK!'

I don't think anything could top that experience. As an 11-year-old baseball fan, what could be better than meeting all the players on your favorite team, and having a conversation with your favorite broadcaster?

Nothing yet, but that experience has led me on a goal to see a game in every ballpark. I have 21 of the 30 covered so far, with many of the nine to go on the west coast.

Toronto is not a baseball hotbed. It's an afterthought in between the 'hockey and no hockey' seasons. But as far as my experience as a baseball fan at the SkyDome, or Rogers Centre, it sure has been a charm.

A fabulous Fourth weekend

Fourth of July 2011 will go down as one of my favorites, and most of what I had planned was done while working.

While there are many inconveniences working as a news reporter in Michigan City, weekends like this make it all worthwhile.

On Friday night, I participated in the city's monthly downtown "Art Walk," featuring all the galleries and stores in between 4th and 11th Street on Franklin. It was an experience of a lifetime and you can bet that I'll be back next "First Friday" of the month in August.

A day filled with rain came to a conclusion by enjoying some nice art while snacking on pretzels and such and tasting some fine wines. I ran in to a good number of people that I know, showing me that it is truly the place to be on a Friday night.

Saturday was fun too, taking in every moment of the Michigan City parade down Franklin Street, viewing the various entries. It was a little hot that day, but I'm glad the rain did not interfere.

Sunday I had a chance to relax back home in Oak Lawn after attending St. Cajetan Church in West Beverly, the 10th on my Chicago church tour.

But the best day of the weekend was the Fourth itself. With the demise of the South Side Irish Parade, I think I have a new favorite. It's the Long Beach Fourth of July march down Oriole Trail and Foxdale Trail.

The weather was nothing short of perfect. 72 degrees, blue skies, and shady with all the trees that grow in the vacation community just south of Michiana Shores.

I also had a chance to go to the Washington Park Beach Monday afternoon with my girlfriend.

A great weekend.

Photo: The crew at Walnut Ink Gallery on First Friday in Michigan City.

A Grand (Beach) finale

Wednesday night reminded me why bike riding is right up there with sports and traveling as one of my favorite activities.

A beautiful early-summer night, I thought it was finally time to take the bike out and experience nature and my surroundings. What better place to begin than Michiana Shores. (That's where my bike was, I kind of had to begin there).

I left my parents' cottage on Powhatan, drove down El Portal, the "main stretch" of the summer vacation community and headed up Old Grand Beach Road toward Michigan. Passing the state sign was a great feeling, as was observing some of the trees and animals on my route.

I turned around about half way to New Buffalo on US 12 near Grand Beach. But on my way back, I made sure to bike through Grand Beach, which is one of the richest areas I've ever been to. It's traditionally an irish community nestled on the southern tip of Harbor Country that is filled with Chicagoans vacationing at their second homes.

I followed the main drag in Grand Beach and it took me to Lake Michigan, my best friend.

I love the Lake. I can;t be without it. I tried for two and a half years in Clinton, but I just needed to have it. When I was transfered to La Porte two months ago, I felt a little frustrated that I was even 15 minutes from a Lake Michigan beach.

But I knew I would find it in Grand Beach Wednesday night. And making it all better was that I got there just as the sun was about to set. A great way to conclude a great five-day weekend for Memorial Day.

The five-day weekend in itself was less motivating, but I did improve the look of my car, a 2003 Saturn and relaxed at my parents' home in Oak Lawn, Illinois, also enjoying the annual Memorial Day Parade in Beverly down Longwood Drive.

Some day I just want to bike across the nation, pass all of the state signs and experience every place. Maybe one day. Hopefully while I am still young enough to have the energy.

Just like the 1990s

It's NBA Playoffs time, usually one of my favorite parts of the sports year. Watching games that have a higher meaning in a seven-game do or die series is what I live for. I could go the whole season without seeing a basketball game and still be interested come playoff time.
In 2011, I am particularly interested. That's because the Chicago Bulls, a team many experts thought was a year or two away from competing for a title, have the league's best record and have looked pretty unstoppable for the last two months of the season.
Still, as it is with most Chicago teams except for the Cubs, the Bulls aren't getting national recognition. Most of the country still figures the NBA Finals will come down to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat.
But the Bulls have a certain MVP, the most likeable player in the NBA - Derrick Rose. He makes the Bulls the most likeable and classiest team in my opinion. Teams like the Heat and Celtics are the bad guys in this story.
I can't wait to see the Bulls advance past Indiana and take on some of those other teams with more playoff experience. I think they will take the challenge head on.

Memphis: BBQ, Blues and Beale Street

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - My first trip to Memphis, at long last. The weather really could not have been better at any point on this three day trip to the home of Barbeque, Blues music and Beale Street.
From April 1 to April 3 this year was one of my favorite weekends away from home.

The first memorable experience from the weekend came as soon as I left the hotel when my friend Ramon and I went on to search for Grizzlies tickets at the FedEx Forum.

Apparently we went on the "bad" side of the Stadium and ran in to three or four suspicious characters that looked like they may have been trying to pull something. Fortunately, most of them left quickly but one stayed and talked to us about Memphis, the NBA, etc... just stalling us. He looked like a much older Kevin Garnett. We walked toward Beale Street and the busier side of the FedEx Forum where it appeared we were safer.

After purchasing $5 tickets for the next night's Grizzlies game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, I had the chance to eat at the World Famous Gus' Chicken on Front Street. The chicken was good, but less than spectacular. The water was the worst I had ever tased making the experience a little less easy to enjoy, but enjoy it I did.

I spent much of the first night on Beale Street, mostly at BB King's Blues Club, which was another good experience.

The second day featured much of the history that Memphis is known for, including a morning visit to Elvis' home in Graceland, taking a tour of the mansion before signing my name on the wall. After a brief drive down to Mississippi (my first time in the state), we went to the National Civil Rights Museum and the Lorraine Motel exactly 43 years after Martin Luther King Jr. had been assasinated there.

Lunch at Rendezvous Charles Vergos was better than the last night's dinner at Gus. The ribs there wewre delicious, although very expensive.

I liked the experience at the Grizzlies game, but there wasn't much of a crowd and security wouldn't let anyone with 500 level seats on the first level at all. The Grizzlies won, but I was disappointed because I was unable to see Kevin Love play for the T-Wolves or Rudy Gay suit up for Memphis.

The last day was mainly a tiring drive home, but I did see 'Victorian Village' in Memphis and stopped at Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, Missouri, a place that reminded me of New Buffalo's Redamak's with the waiters throwing the roll at customers.

Great place, with the best food. Better than any food I tasted the entire weekend in Memphis. Who knew?

Overall Memphis was great and an underrated place to visit. I'm glad I finally found my way there. It's a place all American travelers should put on their to-do list.

Bridgman swimmers prep for conference

BRIDGMAN - Members of the Bridgman High School swimming team take a moment to acknowledge the camera-man at a Friday, Feb. 17 practice at the Bridgman High School Aquatics Center. The team is preparing for the SWAC Conference meet this weekend at Western Michigan University after finishing the 2010-11 regular season with a 7-2 overall record and a 3-2 mark in conference. 

Bees' head coach Kevin Anderson told the Harbor Country News that he has hopes of the 2500 free relay and the 250 free events continuing on to the MHSAA State Tournament. 

Bizarre week

The week of Feb. 14 to Feb. 20 of 2011 proved to be one of the oddest weeks I've ever experienced. 

It got off on a sad note, as I attended the wake of a college friend that died suddenly a few weeks ago while hiking near the waterfalls of Nakhon, Thailand. Angelo Bonadonna was a traveler like myself, but someone who experienced different events and cultures on a worldwide basis. He and I worked together on the radio station at Saint Xavier University and he was the one who gave me a second chance at hosting a show when he invited me on his sports show in 2006. His carefree attitude and genuine passion for life made him a favorite with everyone he encountered. No one who met him felt that he was anything less than their friend. I feel terrible that the world lost such a kind, fun-loving individual and even worse for his family. But the spirit of Angelo lives on in everyone's lives. He was a special person that epitomized living life to the fullest. He will be missed. 

With that in mind, I had to move on with life, returning to the world of sports in Southwest Michigan for a Tuesday night basketball game between Grace Christian and River Valley. The odd part of that day was that the Mustangs won, their first victory of the year. 

After a relatively normal Wednesday, things got odd again Thursday when I covered the New Buffalo-Countryside Academy girls basketball game. The CD that had the National Anthem on it did not work, so the Lady Bison sang the song themselves, and they knew all the words unlike Super Bowl singer Christina Aguilera. 

The final score of that game was also an odd one, 65-4. The Bison routed a Countryside team that clearly was not on the same level as even a junior varsity team in the Red Arrow Conference. But the sympathy for the Cougars was evident as every time they did manage to score a point, the New Buffalo crowd would give them a standing ovation. It was much louder when they scored than when the host Bison made a basket. 

Friday provided an experience I'll never forget. I had an interview with a fifth grade teacher at New Buffalo Elementary on her students' assignment to write a letter to the editor. Little did I know I was coming in to be the guest speaker of the class for the day and would be calling on the students to hear their opinions on some of the topics the letters covered. 

They were the best behaved set of fifth graders I've ever seen and were real excited to have a newspaper reporter in the classroom. They all had many questions for me and my job which made me think how cool of a job I really have being able to experience something different every day. I finally understand what compels someone to want to be a teacher. To have an impact on a young person's life is as rewarding of a feeling there is. 

But it was Friday night's event that really got me questioning how weird this week was. At another game for the one-win River Valley men's basketball team, I witnessed Trevor Harlan of the Mustangs dunk in the final points of the third quarter during a loss to Lake Michigan Catholic. I've never seen a high school player dunk in person, and the last team I would guess to have done that would be River Valley. Not Brother Rice, not Maroa-Forsyth, not Bridgman, but River Valley? Go figure. 

Saturday went by, but Sunday topped the cake. At the last minute I decided to visit a church for Sunday mass and had decided upon St. Francis de Sales on the east side of Chicago. When I got there I found out that not only was I a half an hour early, but the mass would be held in Spanish. I didn't understand hardly any of it, but it was a fitting way to end a bizarre week. 

Glavin purchase put on hold

HARBERT - The Glavin Property, located in between Chikaming Township Hall and the River Valley Senior Center in Chikaming Township, will remain under the same ownsership, at least for now.

A special meeting scheduled between the Chikaming Township Board and the Park Board regarding the township's possible acquisition of the Glavin Property, was scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 27, but cancelled two days earlier. Park Board secretary/treasurer Brad Williamson cited a pair of circumstances for the meeting's cancellation.

"It was a combination of the seller's asking price and the new Michigan Natural Resource Trust fund acquisition grant law that requires us to provide 40 percent matching funds for a grant," Williamson said. "We could have handles either one alone, but the decision was to put it on hold."

The park board will continue to work on developing Harbert Park with or without the grant, but Williamson said the board is hopeful someone in the township would purchase the property and donate the land to the township.

"The current price is $280,000," he said. "For some of these people that's not a lot of money and there is precedent for people buying and donating property to the park."

He added that the precedent was a number of local buyers bought and donated a portion of the Chikaming Park and Preserve near Warren Woods Road.

Photo: Chikaming Park Board member Dan Buckenmeyer laces up the skates before the grand opening of the Harbert Park rink on Friday, Jan. 28.

Preparing for the big one

From all accounts, Chicago and Northwest Indiana/Southwest Michigan is hours away from the biggest snow storm since at least 1999, and possibly worse than the one that crippled the city in 1967.

Meteorologists are predicting somewhere in between 18 and 24 inches of snow. In 1967, I believe the city of Chicago had 23 inches accumulated, so if we do get two feet this year it will be a recorded record.

Never before have I experiences such a storm as a driver, as he 19 inches we had in 1999 came before I was old enough to get my license. Because of that, I am hoping this does not live up to the hype. Snow is fine until you have to drive in it. I don't mind the constant shoveling, but when you have no choice but to drive to the places you need to be, it can be dangerous.

But no matter how bad it gets, I hope everyone knows not to go super fast on the road. We need to be in this together and try not to kill anyone.

I am all for historical occurrances and breaking the record, but in this case, at the end of the year - I just hope we can still talk about 1967 as the worst winter storm in Midwest history and not the 2011.

Today in Sports History...Da Bears!

On this date in sports history, 25 years ago, in 1986: the Chicago Bears brought home the franchise's first and still only Vince Lombardi trophy by soundly defeating the New England Patriots, 46-10 in Super Bowl XX held at the Louisiana Superdome.

It was an outcome that could not have been more fitting. The team that was dominant all-year with their '46' defense under coordinator Buddy Ryan put up 46 points in their biggest game and Ryan's final with the Bears.

The game's scoring was presumably over with the Bears ahead 44-10 late in the fourth quarter. But a safety by third stringer Henry Waechter gave the Bears their 46. At the time, it was the most lopsided result in a Super Bowl.

Outside of an early Walter Payton fumble and a quick 3-0 lead for New England, the game seemed to pit an all-star team against a struggling franchise. The Bears roughed up Tony Eason, and the Patriots had -1 total yards at halftime.

It was a blowout, through and through.

1985 was all about the Bears. Even though they lost a game to Miami, I still believe this is without question the greatest team of all-time. On defense, they had hall of famers Dan Hampton and Mike Singletary. Richard Dent, the Super Bowl MVP, should also be in the Hall. Not to mention Gary Fencik, Dave Duerson and Steve McMichael.

On offense, let's start with one of the greatest runningbacks of all-time with Walter Payton, a solid backup in Matt Suhey and speedy receivers Willie Gault and Dennis McKinnon.

At quarterback - of course it was the Punky QB named Jim McMahon.

Head Coach Mike Ditka's bunch was the NFL story of 1985 and ended with a fitting demolition of the Patriots.

But to New England's defense, it wasn't like anyone was going to beat the Bears in the playoffs, or come close. In the trek to the title game, the Bears silenced the New York Giants (21-0) in the NFC Divisional and the potent offense of the Los Angeles Rams (24-0) in the NFC Championship.

Clinton Too(hill) much for Sullivan

DECATUR - With senior and team leader Brooklyn Gregory out with an injury, Clinton fans wondered who would take charge in their Okaw Valley Conference tournament opener against Sullivan Saturday, Jan. 22.

The answer was freshman point guard Haley Toohill.

In her first ever conference tournament game at the high school level, Toohill poured in a career-high 26 points as the Lady Maroons advanced to the tournament semifinal with a 60-46 victory over the Redskins at St. Teresa High School.

"I couldn't have done it without my teammates, it was really a team win," Toohill said.

It was Toohill's first conference tournament game as a high schooler, a date she said was circled on her calendar for about a year.

Right off the bat, she was lights out from beyond the arc, hitting three treys in the first quarter as Clinton held an 18-13 advantage after the stanza. She added another five points in the second, giving her 17 for the half and a 29-20 lead for the Lady Maroons.

"She came out shooting the ball real well," Clinton head coach Josh Williams said. "With Brooklyn out, we need someone who can step up and score for us and this time it was Haley. It's often Haley."

"She works so hard, staying after practice at the gym, working on her shots. She just gets better and better as the season goes on."

With 33 seconds remaining in the first half, Toohill held on to the ball until the nine second mark and made a swift pass to Alicia Mitchell, who layed it in for the final points of the half, preventing Sullivan from getting a legitimate shot off at the buzzer.

Mitchell had ten points for Clinton.

"Alicia gave us some good minutes and played real well," Williams said. "We like to take it down to get the last shot (of the half). Sometimes our kids get anxious, but we are working on it and it's something we need to do when we get to the regional."

Toohill continued her dominance into the third quarter, accounting for the first four points of the second half, pushing the Clinton lead up to 13 at 33-20. But the Redskins stayed within striking distance, only trailing by eight (40-32) at the end of the quarter.

And even with Toohill out for the final few minutes after picking up her fifth foul, her teammates closed it out. Mitchell, Madi Bevins and Hannah Holt all hit key shots from the free throw line, and Clinton pulled away with the 60-46 win.

Sullivan only led at two points during the contest, hitting the game's opening basket for a quick 2-0 lead and briefly holding a 13-12 lead late in the first quarter.

Amber Miller added seven points for Clinton. Holt and Bevins each had

With the win, the Lady Maroons advanced to play Warrensburg-Latham in the tournament semifinal Monday night.

"We're going to have to rebound, and we're going to have to make shots," Williams said. "And we need to figure out their pressure, with the 1-2-2 press. If we can get through that, our guards can keep their heads up and our bigs make good cuts, we should be okay."

Photo: Haley Toohill scored 26 points in the Lady Maroons' win over Sullivan Saturday night in Decatur.

Bison comeback falls short

COLOMA - The New Buffalo Bison came from behind to shock Eau Claire on Jan. 10. The next Friday, they nearly pulled off a similar upset.

Despite trailing 16-2 early in the second quarter, the Bison outscored the Coloma Comets by 12 points bridging the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarters. Jordan Stover had 17 points for New Buffalo, and hit a shot with a minute and a half remaining to close the Comet lead to a basket.

But Coloma hit their free show shots in the final minute and thwarted New Buffalo's comeback attempt, 45-42.

Stover said the key is to come out stronger right out of the gate. "I don;t know why, but for some reason we don;t turn it up defensively until late in the game," he said. "If we can start better, we could seriously make a run at conference."

Photo: New Buffalo's Kevin Levine (5) tries to get past a Coloma defender.

The biggest game in the history of sports

In a way, it really does not get any bigger than this. The Bears against the Packers in the playoffs. hasn't happened since 1941, and this time the winner goes to the Super Bowl.

The Bears have been lucky all year, and that continued in the post-season, only having to beat a 7-9 Seattle team at home before getting another home game against their chief rivals.

As far as rivalries are concerned, it does not get better than Chicago against Green Bay in football. It is the best and most historic rivalry in all of sports. And there has never been a bigger Bears-Packers game than the one that will take place at Soldier Field in Chicago this Sunday. The winner pretty much has bragging rights forever. The loser will be wishing the game never took place. This is as close as it gets to a Cubs-White Sox World Series in terms of bragging rights.

The Packers are coming in hot, having just dismantled the NFC's top-seeded Atlanta Falcons. But they have struggled against this Bears defense in both of the team's previous meetings, losing at Chicago and winning a narrow one in the season finale at Lambeau Field.

People are saying there has not been a bigger event in Chicago Bears history - and I can;t argue with that. With New England losing to the Jets yesterday, the Bears have a legitamate shot to win their second Super Bowl and first since 1986. But if they do win this one, it will be a much sweeter run than the '85 team because the 2010 bunch will have to beat the Packers in order to get there.

The winner on Sunday wins the Halas Trophy, named for the Bear's most famous coach and team founder. The winner on Sunday will also play for the Lombardi Trophy, the famed Packers coach that won the first two Super Bowls in 1967 and 1968.

Go Bears. I can't think of anything better than this. So Chicago and Green Bay, enjoy this, because this is truly a rarity.

Bridgman woman starting regional mobility program

BRIDGMAN — If you see Bridgman resident Joan Arnold around town, whether she's on foot or on her bicycle, you may not be able to tell how much determination and will power she has put forth over the last decade just to be able to get around.
Arnold can no longer drive. While working as an occupational therapist in Colorado, she suffered a stroke during an angioplasty in preparations for open heart surgery. While describing the stroke as "dumbfounding and saddening," Arnold credits the tough time in her life as the inspiration for writing a program for people suffering similar physical setbacks.
A year after the stroke, Arnold began rehabilitating at the barrier-free Ridgway State Park. There, she re-learned how to walk, ski, hike, kiyak and ride horses among other physical activities recent stroke sufferers don;t usually partake in. She became involved with several therapy programs in Colorado.
"It was tough," she said of the rehabilitation process. "But being an occupational therapist was an absolute blessing. It saved me because I knew what to do right away. I lost some of my capabilities, but I never lost my knowledge."
"The therapeutic program I was involved in made me see that there are opportunities out there for disabled people."
Her experiences in rehabilitation at Ridgway State Park led her to suggest that they set up a handicap program. But park officials told her they didn't know anyone who would organize it. That's when Arnold took it upon herself. She spent the next three years writing a handicap program for the state of Colorado.
"It was quite a long project," she said. "Since I was involved in similar type programs in Telluride, Colorado after my stroke, I am very passionate about doing this for disabled people."
After presenting her idea to the state, Colorado accepted it, but equipment still needed to be purchased.
"We needed the equipment and since the economy was in terrible shape, we were never able to get it off the ground," she said.
Arnold left Colorado three years ago and after living with her daughter in New Mexico for a year and a half, she moved to Bridgman to be closer her son Bill and near her home town of Stevensville.
And since she already has the idea for a handicap program and a proposal that has already been accepted by one state, she would like the program to finally get off the ground here in Michigan. She has already met with the Bridgman Lions Club about the idea and they agreed to support the plan.
"Since we have Lake Michigan we can do kayaking and swimming," Arnold said. "We're also going to look into camping, fishing, biking, arts and crafts and therapeutic gardening. If we make it a district program, Lions Clubs across Michigan can support it."
For lack of funding, the program never got off the ground in Colorado. But Arnold's friends in Harbor Country could make the program a reality in Michigan. Bridgman resident and kayak renter Jack Nordgren has already agreed to provide kayaks for the program should it take off. Nordgren is also Arnold's Pastor at South shore Fellowship, a church group that meets every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. at the Weko Beach House.
"Joan is an inspiration to the people of our church and the people of Bridgman. We see how she keeps a positive attitude through everything and gives all of us hope," Nordgren said. "I've never done anything like this before, but I'd love to be a part of the program by donating kiyaks and gathering volunteers."
Nordgren would be a volunteer himself, and also conduct surf lessons and other beach activities for the program. The kayaking would take place at Weko Beach, with Warren Dunes as another possible site for non-beach activities.
Arnold is in the midst of perfecting the proposed plan and is working on a few funding issues before presenting it to the state for approval.
Although only having lived in the town for less that a year and a half, Arnold is a recognizeable face in Bridgman, often seen walking or on her bike going to the grocery store, at church, or at the Weko Beach House participating scrapbooking classes.
Pam Campbell has been a good friend of Arnold's since they met at church a little over a year ago.
"It's an inspiration to talk to Joan and get her perspective," Campbell said. "We're the same age and have a lot of similar interests. And even with this disabling stroke, she was able to move on and be independent."
Campbell is another proponent of Arnold's program idea and is confident she will be able to get it off the floor in this area.
"I think she can pull it off," Campbell said. "She already has a support group helping her. She is great with groups of people and has the knowledge and preservation to do it."
For six months following her stroke, Arnold lived in Ann Arbor with her son John and grandson Maxwell. She says spending time with her grandson is what motivated her to ensure she continued to live an active life.
"After the stroke I went in to a terrible sadness," she recalls. "But seeing my grandson motivated me. He wondered why I couldn't pick up toys and play with him. That is really what motivated me to rehabilitate and continue to be active."
Arnold also credits her faith as motivation. "My friend Linda in Colorado said I was the saddest thing she ever saw in the months following my stroke. So she introduced me to a Pastor who invited me to a Thanksgiving Day service. Right after that my faith kicked in."
Arnold's faith and determination in her own personal recovery efforts could go a long way should her proposal be accepted in Michigan. She has already proven that the right attitude can be a huge difference for one individual, but she hopes that same attitude can make a difference for an entire community.

Photo: Joan Arnold, of Bridgman, makes her way around town, often via her bicycle, despite suffering a stroke some 10 years ago.

Bison fall to Lake Michigan Catholic

NEW BUFFALO - The New Buffalo Bison boys basketball team continued their struggling season, falling to arch-rival Lake Michigan Catholic, 38-34 Monday night at Slater Gym in New Buffalo.

The Bison play hard, especially star player Jordan Stover. But the shots just weren't falling and after leading until the middle of the second quarter, a four minute scoreless stretch gave LMC the 18-17 lead at halftime.

The Bison missed free throws in the game's final minutes, preventing them from coming back and winning. Kurtis Hatfield led the Bison in scoring with seven points.

New Buffalo already has one win on the season, and the loss to LMC simply lowered their Red Arrow Conference record to 1-1. It will be interesting to see how they fare against conference favorites Eau Claire and Covert. Hopefully they play better than they did the other night against LMC.

Photo: New Buffalo's Kyle Levine puts up a shot against a Lake Michigan Catholic defender.

2010: Year in Review

2010 was a good year for me, at least until the middle of September. Through the year I enjoyed working at the Clinton Journal, heading their sports department and writing feature stories about former players and current coaches. I also had a chance to see places I have never seen before, and also places I haven't seen in years.

My favorite travel experience was meeting Ed Farmer in an elevator in Minneapolis, just before hearing a tornado was in the area when I was at the top floor of the Foshay Tower. But the best trip was the week-long vacation I took with my father and friend Ramon to Washington DC, Baltimore and the Shenandoah National Park. Washington DC was another New York, almost as exciting and way more historical. I enjoyed walking through Ford's Theatre and the Watergate Complex the most. We also made sure to see some of the famous monuments that are cornered around the National Mall. I wish the day we drove through Virginia's Shenandoah National Park was less foggy, but the dense fog added to the atmosphere and the memories of that day and the trip.

2010 was the first year in a long time that I did not go to a single Chicago pro sporting event (except the Blackhawks Championship parade). Instead, I took in games at Nationals Park, Target Field, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and of course, Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Colts had a down regular season (if winning 10 games is considered a bad year), but now my hope is that they can make a playoff run since they are playing much better as of late. The White Sox fizzled out, but 2010 will always be the year of the Chicago Blackhawks, for any Chicagoan. No team in my lifetime captulated the entire city like the Hawks did in 2010.

Personally, the move from Clinton to New Buffalo was the biggest event of 2010, and being able to enjoy Harbor Country as a journalist and photographer rather than just a summer visitor.

Family circumstances made the last two months of the year more difficult than most, but everything is a lesson in life, and the more experiences you have, good or bad, can make someone a better person.

Hopefully 2011 will be even better. I have more trips planned and hoping I can see all there is to see in Memphis, the California Bay area, the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit.