Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 124, Number 49, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 5 December 2001 — Page 4

\ap pa nee Advance News Wednesday, December 5, 2001

Page 4

TO THE ADVANCE-NEWS: My name is Todd Grove —a nine-year veteran police officer with the Wakarusa Police. This writing is solely an individual private idea only shared with my wife, Jeanne. I write this with conviction and only for the anticipated well being it can bring for anyone. I am an ex-North Wood basketball star that was voted “most popular” in my senior class, and brought up in a “Christian" home, with parents that provided sound moral and ethical values. With these tools provided to me as a younger person, great things were in store for me! What happened? A whole lot of hurt, pain and damaged relationships. You ask why? Because I partied. learned how to tell halftruths, and learned how to “get out of’ trouble and the consequences instead of “leam the lessons" from my wrong choices. Jeanne and 1 have teenagers also. They are “good” kids like your teenagers. Will they make some wrong choices growing up? Of course. And from our bad choices that we made and

“Serving the community for over 120 years’ ' POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NAPPANEE ADVANCE-NEWS 158 W. Market St., P.O. Box 230 Nappanee, IN 46550 Phone:2l9-773-3127 Fax:2l9-773-3512 Hours: open M0n.9:30a.m.-Noon Tues.-Fri. 9:3oam-4:3opm Published Wednesday - Entered at the Post Office at Nappanee, Indiana, as a Periodica) Class Mail under the Act of March, 1879 Publication Number 370960 Copyright 2000 - Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. 2001 Rights Reserved Terri Dearth, Publisher fJpREss Barb Keiser > Managing Editor tf'M UEEteK $20.00 Per Year in Indiana $25.00 Per Year - Outside Indiana (Service Personnel-College Students Pay Local Rate) NOTICE-Pictures for publication are welcome, but no picture will be returned by mail unless a self-addressed, stamped envelope is sent with it No charge for publishing pictures, news stories or announcements. DEADLINES: News and photos-Monday Noon Classifleds-Thursday 3:00p.m. Display Ads-Thursday4p.nl,

Have a Win-Win Christmas:

What you do: 1 .Tell her to go to Park Pharmacy and create her gift list (which we keep on hand for you). 2. Go to Park Pharmacy and select the perfect gift from her list. You II be a Champ!

u—H-.V— * Free Gift Wrapping \ ' Jv JV. “'Uptown Service with r 'LISjLIH Hometown Trust!” Goshen » Mlddlebury • Nappanee « Syracute

Frank’s Truck & Van Holiday Sale a G : -: \. .jpr •■ r -|t-^ B -gß ßill 'y ' *:d| y Zi 2000 Chevy Silverado 4x4 Extended Cab $25,995 $23,995 2000 Chevy Blazer LT 4x4. .... Payment 380.00 mo.* Vi 1999 Chrysler Town & Country Van $17,995 $15,995 |||| 1999 Dodge Ram Van 12 pass Payment 252.00 mo.* 1999 Chevy Venture Van LS $16,995 $14,995 Chevy S-10 Payment 158.00 mo.* 1997 Dodge Dakota $11,995 $10,595 _J|i>ow 2001 Traclter LT f 1997 GMC Sonoma Payment 137.00 mo.* co p-_" 1996 Ford 250 XLT w/ Cap .... $12,995 $9,995 S r FrankHprUe 1992 Chevy Silverado ~ 4x4 Extended Cab $11,995 $10,995 jgmpßP«HaiiilMgMßm^ * Payment with SIOOO.OO Down Including Tax & DOC roil Change with this Coolant l___« I includes lube, oil & filter Coupon only at... Flush I , $18 95 FRANK'S $79 _ occ= „ e , ' > I 7bfl Free: 96*s46-33^

Letters to the editor

Injustice?

to realize now the damage it caused not only us but many others, our teenagers know if they “play” be prepared to “pay.” The law and judicial system have high standards that demand respect. Perfect? Of course not! Can it be beat? Sometimes. I will be the first one to admit that attorneys are a must in some legal situations and would not blink an eye to retain one if an injustice was done against one of our kids. The question that we would have to answer first is “what is the lesson we hope our teenager will leam from OUR reaction to their action?” And “do we really know the whole truth of the situation?” Are we acting for community status or because of conviction and the betterment of our kids? On Saturday night, November 24, a party in Wakarusa was "busted.” I know and work with all the officers involved. Come to find out, after the fact, I knew most of the kids at the party. All “good” kids. Despite the misunderstanding and chaos that is expected with even the

c What you i/a: 1. Go to Park Pharmacy and create your wish list (help him select what you really want). 2. Remind him to go to Park Pharmacy before December 25th. ( J/ouii be Weighted!

most ideal plan in a situation like that, 1 know the officers involved acted with impartiality! Even though certain procedures or ways might have been conducted a little different by so many different officers, 1 am 100% confident in saying not a kid at the party was purposely allowed to leave because of “who they are” or “because of their name.” We all have a different way of parenting. We have to do what we feel is right and what we want out kids to leam. Maybe it is best to get an attorney, maybe it’s not. Each individual case is different. It just concerns me enough to take the time to write this in hopes that, as the parents, we keep our focus healthy and then do what we need to do. I only know what I know and am no better or no worse than you. The only real expectation or hope I have because of this letter is that maybe some of our kids will have a little better life than we did and are helped in a little clearer way to leam their lessons. Sincerely, Todd Grove

Comment & Opinion... The staff of the Nappanee Advance-News welcomes the viewpoints of readers on its editorial page. Publication of any letter will be at the discretion of the editor—letters containing personal attacks on individuals, libelous statements, or profanity, will not be published. Editing will be held to a minimum, and will not alter the intent of the letter. Please include your name, address and telephone number, so that your letter may be verified. Publication of name is required.

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There IS good news

(EDITOR’ S NOTE: The following article was written by former Nappaneean Rob Lehman, and appeared in the newspaper in Kalamazoo, where he presently resides.) Deepening the American Dream: love you. Thank you for being in my life. love you. Look after the children. love you. Have a good life. love you. Thanks for everything! These words of love and gratitude expressed on September 11, 2001 from the fated planes and twin towers continue to sound the ring of truth this Thanksgiving day. I believe that the words spoken by those at the edge of death on that September day signify, today, the rebirth of the soul of a nation. It has always made sense to me that being present with dying releases an attitude of love. Yet I had not considered the deeper implications of this until my own experience with cancer some three years ago. I remember how, in the weeks after learning that my body was filled with lymphoma, I began to experience overwhelming feelings of love and gratitude for my family and friends. The reality of dying seemed to melt the walls created by my ego and I began to surrender to a deeper dimension, to a more inclusive, interdependent experience of the world. I remember clearly one cold, damp November day when I was especially weak and vulnerable. I had decided to go for a walk in the woods behind our house. I walked very slowly and cautiously through the woods until I came to the edge on the other side and stopped to gaze upon the still, wintry meadow stretching out before me. At that moment I felt myself letting go of anxious control of my life into the quiet trust of a deeper order. With the gift of acceptance of my own death, I

found myself awakening into a reality that I cannot describe with any other word but love. That eternal moment three years ago keeps on giving in the abiding knowledge that within life there is an endowment of love that can be lost if not given away each day in acts of simple kindness and caring. It took a personal crisis, placing me in front of my own death to awaken me to this truth. I believe that what I learned as an individual American is now being learned by our country. The saving legacy of that awful day last September is that the terrifying hatred of a few has released the self-giv-ing compassion of millions. Evil is real but love is eternal. During the past several decades, many observers of our culture have suggested that faith in the American dream is • dying, that our vision of hope for the future is fading from view. It has been said that we have lost a sense of common destiny and as yet, have been unable to see what is emerging in its place. It has taken a national crisis, placing us all in direct awareness of our own vulnerability and mortality, to awaken us to the truth that the American dream is not dying. I believe we are witnessing a new birth of freedom and that freedom is a freedom of Spirit. What was self-evident to the Founders of our country must become sacred to us, and that is simply: We have not only been endowed by our Creator with Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, but the spiritual ground of that endowment is Love. Where do we look to discover this deeper American dream? I think if we listen carefully to those final, lifegiving word's of love and thanksgiving spoken on

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September 11, we will begin ■ understand a deeper way leaS ing us back to the soul fl America. Many years ago, the grejp African-American Langston Hughes, observM that the seed of a neSjjj American dream is not far in some distant idea, but veQt near in our own hearts: An ever-living seed, Its drew lies deep in the heart of me. On this Thanksgiving dfl in this dark hour of our naticn the good news is that a deepjj vision of the American drew is waiting to be discovered fl the soul of every citizen, wifi ten in the story of our ojj lives, if only we have ta courage to open our hearts an read what is written there, fl Rob Lehman Thanksgiving, 2001 Kalamazoo, Michigan (Note —Rob Lehman is prejq dent emeritus of the Fetw Institute, where he is leading a project callw “Deepening the America Dream Sowing the Seeds of a National Conversation.” www.fetzer.org. Center , sponsors s bazaar $ Woodlawn Nature Center, located at 604 WoodlaWji Avenue, Elkhart, is plannih£ its annual “Winter in tlif Woods Craft Bazaar,” Saturday, December 8, 9a.m.3p.m„ with raffles held throughout the day. There is no entrance f it charged, and proceeds frotn the day will help to benefit tftk center, which is a non-profjt organization. Please bring canned goods to held the Earth Savers arid Teed Adventure nature clubk with their collection of food for the homeless of Elkhart County.