Did You Know?

WELLFIELD BOTANICAL GARDENS | ELKHART

• Aug. 8, Tai Chi in the Gardens, 5-6 p.m. Monday, call to purchase punch card • Aug. 8, 15, 22, 29, Beacon Health Nature Walk, noon to 1 p.m. Mondays, free with paid admission • Aug. 9, 16, 23, 30, Bird Walk, 4-5 p.m. Tuesdays, free admission • Aug. 9, 16, 23, 30, Stories in the Gardens, 5:30-6 p.m. Tuesdays, free admission • Aug. 3 (through September), Yoga in the Gardens, 6-7 p.m. Wednesdays, 9:15-10:15 a.m. Saturdays, $8 per class or $72 for 10 classes for members, $10 per class or $90 for 10 classes for nonmembers • Aug. 11, 18, Groovin’ in the Gardens Concert Series, 7-9 p.m. Thursdays, $13/adult, $7/children 3-12, free for children 2 and under Venue is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, $10/adults, $5/children 3-12 1011 N. Main St. 574-266-2006, ext. 105 wellfieldgardens.org

POTAWATOMI ZOO | SOUTH BEND

• Aug. 1-31, Keeper Chats, 11:30-11:45 a.m., 1:30-1:45 p.m., 2:30-2:45 p.m. daily. Zookeepers and education staff teach about the animals in their care. Look for Keeper Chat signs around the zoo. $12/adults 15-61, $10/children 3-14 and adults 62+, free for members and children 2 and under. Summer hours through Aug. 31: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. 500 S. Greenlawn Ave. 574-235-9800 potawatomizoo.org

CITY OF FOUR FLAGS | NILES, MICH.

• Aug. 12, 19, 26, Free Friday Movie in the Park, 9:15 p.m., Wonderland Cinema Outdoor Screen, 402 N. Front St. Aug. 5, “Lost and Found”; Aug. 12, “Jumanji”; Aug. 19, “Cars”; Aug. 26, “Sing 2.” Free admission, concessions available for purchase from Wonderland Cinema. • Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28, Summer Concert series, 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Niles Riverfront Amphitheater, Riverfront Park, Front Street. Aug. 7, Elvis impersonator Tim Dudley; Aug. 14, The Erly; Aug. 21, Lake Effect Jazz Band; Aug. 28, Raucous Leo. Free admission. • Aug. 14, 28, Niles Homegrown Market, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Front and Main streets. Free admission. nilesmi.org. n Information from Parade.com

Did You Know?

Anne Frank penned her last entry into her diary. “[I] keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would like to be, and what I could be, if...there weren’t any other people living in the world.”

Three days later, Anne and her family were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps. Anne died at Bergen-

Belsen concentration camp on

March 15, 1945, at age 15.

AUGUST

President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act establishing the system which guarantees pensions to those who retire at age 65. The Social Security system also aids states in providing financial aid to dependent children, the blind

AUGUST and others, as well as administering a system of unemploy1ST ment insurance. 1944 President Dwight D.

Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Hawaii to the Union as the 50th state.

These historical events took place in AUGUST 14TH 1935 AUGUST 21ST 1959

AUGUST 17TH The first transatlantic balloon trip was com1978 pleted by three Americans; Max

Anderson, Ben Abruzzo, and Larry Newman, all from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Starting from Maine on August 11th, they traveled in Double Eagle II over 3,000 miles in 137 hours, landing about 60 miles west of Paris.

AUGUST 28TH The March on Washington occurred as 1963 over 250,000 persons at-

tended a Civil Rights rally in Washington, D.C., at which Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his now-famous I Have a Dream speech.

... and now you know!

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR GARAGE FOR winter weather

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By Dani Messick House and Home Feature Writer

Winter is coming. Homeowners know that fall is the time to prepare for the cold winter months. That includes caulking, heating system checks, and checking gutters and chimneys. But are you putting the same care into preparing your garage for winter?

“Having a game plan to prepare for the colder months can help you enjoy the sweet summer even more,” said Jack Stites, sales manager at Coach House Garages. “It doesn’t take that much time if you plan ahead and execute your plan over a few select days.”

According to Stites, you should begin prepping your garage as early as August by making a checklist of any routine maintenance that may need to be done. “If you wait till the first snow falls you may be too late,” he said. Get a game plan for what you’re up against – what needs to be done? Take notes and plan ahead to make the needed updates and repairs.”

Stites suggests doing a walk-through of your garage and taking note of what’s being kept in it - and if you have enough room for what needs to be in it over the

winter. Do you have a fishing boat to store? A trampoline? A grill? Also take note of any necessary repairs to siding, roofing, and gutters. “Does your siding need to be washed or your walk-in door need a new seal?”

Overhead doors that are rough will only worsen in the ice and salt. “For unheated garages, be sure to move those items that can be ruined if frozen,” he said. “For heated garages, be sure it’s properly ventilated. Sealing it too tight can be dangerous.”

September is when the real work begins. Stites suggests trimming any trees that are rubbing siding or roofing, cleaning out gutters, and installing leaf guards, if you haven’t already.

In the yard, fill in low spots to keep impending moisture away from the foundation of the garage and lubricate the overhead door track and tighten any loose connections, so you don’t have to do it when it’s really cold. Repair and replace any overhead door, walk-in door, or window seals. “Close the doors on a sunny day to look for light,” he said. “Seal up any gaps from the inside out.”

Stites warns: don’t press your luck. “There’s no shame in hiring a professional to do the harder tasks,” he said. “Saving a few dollars by standing on a step ladder may not be worth the risk of a broken hip. Specifically, he said, adjusting the overhead door can be tricky so it’s a good idea to call a professional for help. “Please, for your own safety, do not attempt to adjust what you’re not familiar with.”

Coating a garage floor with epoxy isn’t cheap, but Kelly Weaver, estimating and purchasing for Ideal Coatings, says it’s certainly worth it. “Applying a coating is a preventative for a likely scenario,” she said. “The odds that it’ll pit over time are pretty likely, not guaranteed but pretty likely. It’s an investment for the long run.”

In the winter, the value of garage coating is only increased.

“Vehicles will collect salt when they’re out on the road and then you take your vehicle and park it in the garage and it melts off,” Weaver explained. “With time, the salt will begin to erode and pit the concrete surface. One way to prevent that is to coat your garage floor with an epoxy coating. It will protect it from the salt and it will make it easier to clean and keep it tidy.”

Weaver said garages that aren’t coated risk costly long-term damage. “We’ve seen garage floors that are in terrible condition and it’s primarily due to bringing the salt in the wintertime,” she said. “If someone doesn’t coat their garage floor and they use it winter after winter after winter, over the years, it can really damage the surface of the concrete.” You’ll see it on sidewalks in front of storefronts, Weaver explained. Erosion and pitting make the entry a dangerous path. “At some point, if it doesn’t have a coating, you’re literally going to have to replace it,” she said. “It really depends on the concrete slab as to how it holds up to the salt.”

Coatings come in an array of colors, but they’re also available in clear. “Having a coated garage floor certainly makes it easier to keep your garage clean and tidy. It’s easier to clean, and it’s more attractive.”

Ideal Coatings prides itself on offering high-end coatings, ranging between $9-$12 per square foot, but more consumer-friendly options exist in the industry. Sealer is also a temporary solution that homeowners can use.

“Sealer is something that wears off every couple of years; epoxy doesn’t wear off. Sealer is great for sidewalks and it’s actually a do-it-yourself project. Epoxy is not DIY.” n

Photos courtesy of Coach House Garages