May 1, 2015Volume 13, Number 6Benton Harbor, Michigan and South Bend, Indiana (Michiana Community)www.bentonspiritnews.com

Informing, Enhancing, Showcasing, Promoting and Educating Michiana -- Southwest Michigan and Northern Indiana

Complimentary

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Benton Harbor – The Heart of BlossomtimeBy Princella TobiasSpirit Correspondent

‘Tis the Blossomtime Season. With a week full of Blossomtime festivities, the Grand Floral Parade

will make its way from downtown St. Joseph: the route continues across Bicentennial Bridge, and into Benton Harbor. Featuring more than 120 units, including antique cars, ters, clowns, tractors, and unicycle teams. The famed Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Motorcycle Drill Team will also mark its fifty-second consecutive appearance leading the parade in 2015. Join Mr. and Miss Blossomtime

and 22 community queens as they preside over the parade. Benton Harbor was one of the founding co-cities,

with St. Joseph, since the first Blossomtime Parade started in 1923 and the first Blossomtime Queen in 1924. In fact, “legend” has it that the spiritual inspi-ration for “Blossom Sunday,” the forerunner of the Blossomtime Festival began with Reverend William Jay Cady of Benton Harbor’s First Congregational Church, which held its final worship service on May 13, 2007.

In celebrating 150 years since Brunson Harbor changed its name to Benton Harbor (March 14, 1865), the Benton Spirit will highlight the Queens of

Benton Harbor. The very first Blossomtime Queen was Catherine Burrell of Benton Harbor. Altogether, there have now been six Miss Blossomtimes from Benton Harbor: Catherine Burrell (1924), Violet Peters (1927), Jane Filstrup (1931), Annette Miller (1953), Brittney Brown (2004) and now on the occasion of 150th anni-versary of Benton Harbor’s name, Miss Blossomtime 2015 is Miss Benton Harbor, Kalabrya Gondrezick.

This Blossomtime edition gives us yet another reason to celebrate Benton Harbor -- The Heart of Southwest Michigan.

Miss Blossomtime’s

Voices Of Reflection

1 in 1,000:Carlos Henderson

Receives Gates Millennium Scholar

Pages 10-11

It’s Graduation

Time

Page 5

An Icon“Babe”

Passes at 84

Page 3

7Benton-Michiana Spirit Newspaper • May 1, 2015Community

Kalabrya GondrezickMiss Blossomtime 2015“Voice of Reflection”

n January 18, before a packed room, Kalabrya Gondrezick stood among two dozen other young ladies vying for the title of Miss Blossomtime -- the oldest festival in the State of

Michigan. Kalabrya may not have known that the very first young lady to wear the crown of Miss Blossomtime in 1924, was from Benton Harbor; but did she know that this year’s 109th Blossomtime Festival also marked the 150th year that the village of Brunson Harbor changed its name to “Benton Harbor” in 1965.

Miss Blossomtime 2015 - Kalabrya Gondrezick shares her “Voice of Reflections” as given dur-ing the Blossomtime Pagent:

I am Kalabrya from the community of Benton Harbor. Tonight, I am the Queen of Art. Art has special meaning because it allows me to carry the seed of freedom in my level of intelligence which expresses my creative and eccentric style.

One must exude a strategic, peaceful intention when real change is desired. It is imperative that we nurture our ability to hear those things that are silent in our conversations. We don’t always have to understand what something is in order for it to exist.My heart has its own culture and what separates me from others is the simple fact that my language is universal with no ethnicity; and, my life photo is much larger than its frame … the silhouette of my soul is truly blessed. --Kalabrya LeBrae Gondrezick

Below we present the full listing of Miss Benton Harbor Queens by year from the first in 1924 to the present in 2015. The list provides other information such as which Miss Benton Harbor Queens

were also Miss Blossomtime. In addition, pictures of some of the Queens are shown based on space and availability considerations.

The following is a list ofMiss Benton Harbor Queens

1924 – Catherine Burrell (Blossomtime Queen)1925 – Lillian Bookwalter1926 – Bonita Scott1927 – Violet Peters (Blossomtime Queen)1928 – Ruth Ramlow1929 – Virginia Dorgan 1930 – Maxine Sealey1931 – Jane Filstrup (Blossomtime Queen)1932 – Dorothy Allerton1933 – Bernice Krieger1934 – Viola Ruth Speese1935 – Betty Brady1936 – Margaret Dougherty1937 – Grace Anderson (Blossomtime runner-up)1938 – Winifred Lerch1939 – Ruth Lynn Holder1940 – Frances Forburger1941 – Betty Lou Benning1941 – Margaret Williams (African American Benton Harbor Queen on first float of black queens)1942 – Thora Aleen Dallard1952 – Karol Ann Dragomir 1953 – Annette Miller (Blossomtime Queen)1954 – Dixie Duell (Blossomtime runner-up)1955 – Sandra Tuckman1956 – Dorcas Mayer1957 – Joanne Bartels 1958 – Kathryn McLeod1959 – Marlene Murphy1960 – Judy Grimes (Blossomtime 1st runner-up)

Above Miss Benton Harbor Queens: Top Row (l-r): Rakeisha Jackson, Miss Benton Harbor 2014; Geena Seats, 2013; Raija Woods, 2012.Second Row (l-r): Joy Joseph, 2010; Adrienne Clabin, 2009; Ashley coleman, 2008.Bottom Row (l-r): Dawn Tayia Sims, 2005; Ashley Hampston, 2005; Tiauna Archibald, 2001.

8 Benton-Michiana Spirit Newspaper • May 1, 2015 Community

Miss Benton Harbor qlueenscontinue

1961 – Gaylene Morse1962 – Carol Eichler Bickers1963 – Susan Pschigoda1964 – Susan H Judy1965 – Connie Foster Shank1966 – Susan Tietz (Blossomtime 2nd runner-up)1967 – Gale Strieter (Blossomtime 2nd runner-up)1967 – Gloria Whitelow (Miss Benton Harbor NAACP)1968 – Susan Eileen Naylor1968 – Mona Lisa Brown (Miss Benton Harbor NAACP)1969 – Christy Lynn Dragomir 1969 – Daisy McCoy (Miss Benton Harbor NAACP)1970 – Deborah McClellan1971 – Laura Mansfield1972 – Sharon Denise Stewart (First African American Ms Benton Harbor)1973 – Jill Charlene Herman1974 – Sandra Denice Yarbrough1975 – LaTanga Joseph1976 – Cathy Lee Schneck 1977 – Deborah Michelle Joseph 1978 – Laura Smith 1979 – Sharon Appel1980 – Gina Nicole Haire1981 – Vernella Hull1982 – Annette Davis1983 – Guyla Wrens (p) 1984 – Patrice Bettison-Clark 1985 – Donna Adkins (p)

Miss Benton Harbor Queens, continued from page 7

Above are photos of Ms. Brittney A Brown, the first African American Miss Blossomtime. She currently resides in New York City attending graduate school to pursue her dreams in dance, acting, and singing. In 2013, Brittney performed in China on a 2-month tour as a dancer and lead vocalist of FEME (Chicago Girl Group) and filmed her first Web Series, “Great Controversy” which premiered in July of 2013. In comments to the Benton Spirit she said, “Congratulations! Benton Harbor, for 150 years of inspiring your youth to achieve higher goals. My reign as Miss Benton Harbor/Miss Blossomtime 2004 and the support of the Benton Harbor Community during that wonderful exciting experience has greatly contributed to my becoming the confident, self assured, young woman that I am today.”

Above Miss Benton Harbor Queens: Top Row (l-r): Keisha Scott, 2000; Kenisha Nichols, 1997; Shari Bass, 1995Second Row (l-r): Tymessalya Brown, 1994; Michella Bethea-Jones, 1993; Larina Robbins, 1991

9Benton-Michiana Spirit Newspaper • May 1, 2015Community

Miss Benton Harbor qlueenscontinue

1986 – Alica McManus1987 – Lisa Lloyd 1988 – Arika Jones1989 – Billie Leona Whitfield 1990 – Shiree Edward1991 – Larina A Robbins 1992 – Joy Marie Sallis1993 – Michealla Bethea Jones 1994 - Tymessalya Candace Brown 1995 – Shari E Bass 1996 – Tennille Wilhite 1997 – Kenisha Monique Nichols 1998 – Anya Wiley 1999 – Nikia La’Trice Byers (Blossomtime Ms Congeniality)2000 – Keisha R Scott 2001 – Tiauna Nicole Archibald 2002 – Shontielle Marsh(Blossomtime 2nd runner-up)2003 – Alexandria (Shannon) Foster (Blossomtime 1st runner-up) 2004 – Brittney Brown (1st African American Blossomtime Queen)2005 – Ashley Hampton 2006 – Dawntayia Sims 2007 – Jasmine Nichols 2008 – Ashley Coleman 2009 – Adrienne Clabin 2010 – Joy Joseph2011 – Denavvia Mojet 2012 – Raija Woods 2013 – Geena Seats 2014 – Ra’Keisha Jackson 2015 – Kalabrya Gondrezick (Blossomtime Queen)

Thank you community and queens for submitting phtoto!

Congratulations to ALL!Benton Harbor Proud!

Miss Benton Harbor Queens, continued from page 7

Above Miss Benton Harbor Queens: Top Row (l-r): Donna Adkins, 1985; Patrice Bettison-Clark, Laura Smith , 1998

Second Row (l-r): Deborah Joseph, 1977; Cathy Schneck, 1976; Latanga Joseph, 1975

Third Row (l-r): Sharon Stewart, 1972 and Margaret Williams, who in 1941 was the First African-American Benton Harbor Queen to ride in Blossomtime Parade --a first for Blossomtime.

HAVE A FUN TIME AT THE GRAND FLORAL PARADE!

Saturday, May 1