The League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties and six co-sponsors announced four public candidate events on three dates in July.  These events will give voters a unique opportunity to meet and evaluate candidates in the most hotly contested local races on the Aug. 7 ballot.

The six co-sponsors are: Leader Publications, Rotary Club of the Three Oaks Region, Dowagiac Rotary, Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce and Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce.

The first event is on July 10 and will be a “Meet the Candidates Night ” for the Cass County Commissioner candidates. It will begin at 7 p.m. and will be hosted by the Cass County Council on Aging Lowe Center, 60525 Decatur Rd., Cassopolis. Cass County’s commission districts have been reduced from 15 to seven, and 18 people, many incumbents, are running in a political version of musical chairs. Candidates will each have two minutes to present remarks to the assembly, after which they will disperse to tables to talk to voters. The moderator will be John Eby, of Leader Publications.

On July 19, in a “Double Feature” using a traditional League forum format, the five candidates for District 78 will take questions from the sponsors and then the audience. This forum starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed at 8:15 p.m. by candidates for the Berrien County drain commissioner. Both will be held at the Berrien RESA, 711 S. Joseph Ave., Berrien Springs. The moderator for the District 78 forum will be J. Patrick Yoder, of the Three Oaks Area Rotary and Three Oaks village manager, and the moderator for the drain commissioner forum will be Geoffrey Gilbert, of the League of Women Voters.

On July 25 at 7 p.m., there will be a “Meet the Candidates Night” similar to the July 10 Cass event but for the Niles Township candidates. The venue is the Greater Niles Senior Center, 1109 Bell Rd., Niles. The moderator will be Katie Rohman, of Leader Publications.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information, go to the League’s website, lwvbcc.org, or contact one of the co-sponsors.