Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 127, Number 41, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 7 October 2004 — Page 1

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Vol. 127 Issue 41

Inside This Issue • Homecoming Pictures • Black Crunch takes a bite out of Memorial •United Way CAMPAIGN BEGINS

|pl Pancake and Sausage The Wakarusa Volunteer Fire Department will be having a pancake and sausage fundraiser breakfast, Saturday, Oct. 9 from 5 to 10 a.m. at the firehouse. Fish Fry The Nappanee American Legion Post #154 will be holding a fish fry Friday, Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. A fish fry is held at the Legion on the second Friday of each month. License Branch New Hours - The Nappanee License Branch, located at 219 W. Market St., has new hours. It is now open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 8:30 to 12:30 p.m. It is closed Monday. Walking Class A free women’s walking class will be offered at the First Church of God, comer of CR 7 and CR 54, Nappanee. Starting Monday, Oct. 11, a morning walking class will be offered from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. An evening class will start Tuesday, Oct. 12 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Anyone can join at any time. The classes are for women of all ages, junior high and above. Childcare is not provided. Basic walking steps are used. The classes will feature Leslie Sansone’s “Walk the Walk” and, ‘‘•Walk Away the Pounds” .videos. Fright Factory The Nappanee Civic Theatre will present the Fright Factory in the Coppes Factory, 401 E. Market St. The hours will be Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 8,9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. On Halloween night, Oct. 31, the hours will be 6:30 to 9 p.m. Admission is $5; $1 for a children’s fun area; free for the movie theater. Continued on Page A 6

Contact Us Advance News 158 W. Market St. P.O. Box 230 Nappanee, IN 46550 Office Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday and Friday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday Phone: 574-773-3127 (news) 1-800-933-0356 (ads) Fax: 574-773-3512 E-mail [email protected]

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Woman receives transplant from son

By Amy Wenger * Correspondent NAPPANEE As a mother to three grown children, Diana Smith knows and understands fully what it means to give of oneself. She can appreciate how, over the years, it was necessary for the needs of her children to often supersede her own. Anyone who strives to become an exemplary parent works endlessly and tirelessly to ensure that the little ones brought into this world are raised to believe in empathy, in sharing, and in embracing good faith towards friends, family, and fellow man. Trenton Smith, the only son of Diana and her husband, Dick, certainly grew to realize those values. And it would seem only fitting that he would want to venture along his adulthood with a desire to thank his mother for all of her years of nurturing, love and sacrifice. So he planned to bestow upon her a most tangible gift to express his deep and heartfelt appreciation. Trenton has given his mother one of his kidneys. ** * 3k **** * ******** * Dick and Diana have been a part of the Wa-Nee community for quite some time, and they are friends to many. Most folks know them well. Perhaps they are familiar with Diana's work as a travel specialist for Menno Travel. Or it may be that they are a former student of "Mr. Smith's” classes during his long tenure teaching history and other subjects in the Wa-Nee school system. Though Dick has since retired, the Smiths have remained exceptionally busy pursuing a variety of interests. One of their greatest sources of joy is, of course, their family, which includes three children and five grandchildren.

Newmar officials confirm layoffs

By Jim Hekel Managing Editor NAPPANEE Newmar officials have confirmed Sept. 23 layoffs from their Nappanee plant, but declined to be more specific about the number of people who were laid off and future plans. The company recently had property rezoned by the Nappanee City Council for a future expansion. Company spokesperson Holly Osborne said the company is not yet ready to talk about those plans. Larry Andrews, executive director of the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce and Nappanee Community & Economic Development, said he expected the layoffs to be temporary. “Newmar has been a very good corporate citizen,” Andrews said. “They are very supportive of com-

Economic development continues in Nappanee

Most land in INDUSTRIAL PARK ALREADY COMMITTED TO INDUSTRIES By Jim Hekel Managing Editor NAPPANEE Larry Andrews, executive director of the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce and Nappanee Community & Economic Development, said that when Community & Economic Development was formed five years ago, there was no industrial land to market. “With the creation of the Redevelopment Commission, that group, the city and Roger Buss formed S partnership to create a 60acre industrial park on the west side of Nappanee near US 6,” Andrews said. “The land in that park is all committed, except for a few commercial lots right on US 6." Andrews said there were plans to expand the park to the west, but the land was sold to another industry and so was the next piece of property. He said announcements of those expansions should be coming from the companies involved over the next few months. • Many local industries have relocated and expanded their operations at Buss Park, according to Andrews. These companies include Bontrager

Serving Nappanee & Wakarusa

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Yet for Diana, her medical woes began during a season of her life when she and Dick were §till fairly new parents, together raising their three young children. Back in 1966, doctors first discovered there was something amiss with Diana's kidney function, but at that time, they were unsure how to proceed with a successful course of treatment. Fourteen years later, in 1980, a medical professional’s misinterpretation of her condition left the family even more baffled. Some 17 years later, Diana finally began to find some closure in her quest to determine the cause of her symptoms. Diagnosis made She visited Nephrology, Inc. in Mishawaka, where she was attended to by Dr. Dennis Mishler. It was he who would make the initial diagnosis, one which was later confirmed by the Mayo Clinic. Diana was told that she was afflicted with a disorder known as FSGS, or Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis. Each kidney is equipped with thousands of tiny nodules called glomeruli, which help to filter impurities from the body. “Focal segmental” alludes to the fact that the disease creates scar tissue on certain sections of glomeruli, or can cause damage to individual parts. The cause of FSGS is typically not known, and the parameters for those with the condition can be quite narrow, which makes Diana's case all the more unusual. FSGS tends to strike males more often than females, and it is also more often seen in patients of African-American descent. For example, basketball athlete Alonzo Mourning also has the disease. The end result, however, is generally the same, and does not discrimi-

munity activities. They are owned locally and have a good quality workforce.” According to the company website, Newmar was started in 1968 when Marvin Newcomer and Marvin Miller left jobs as vice president of sales and vice president of manufacturing, respectively, for another major RV company with the firm idea of doing things better. The corporate name comes from blending Newcomer and Marvin. They set up operations in an old fire station in rural "Five Points,” an intersection of roads about 12 miles from the company's current location. Freemon Borkholder joined the venture a short time later and the company moved to Nappanee into a small building that is still used for manufacturing and as part of Newmar's main office.

Concrete and Williamsburg Furniture. “Williamsburg Furniture wanted to expand their operations, but the city did not have the space until the park was created,” he said. “If the city had not acted when they did, we probably would have lost that industry.” Currently, there is no industrial land to market for new or existing industries, but Andrews said the city is beginning discussions with industries to set up a partnership for a new park. ATTRACTING INDUSTRY Nappanee is attractive for industry, according to Andrews, because of its quality of life. “We have a good, hard-working labor force," he said. "We have a good school system and are just a high-quality small town. Things are headed in the right direction." Nappanee is a member of the Elkhart County Economic Development Group, which is trying to bring more industries to the county. “We are doing this as a team, not as competitors," Andrews said. “Any industry that brings jobs to Elkhart County will benefit us all.” He said a long-term goal is to attract a larger base of industries to the area. Currendy the economy of the Nappanee and Wakarusa area is tied to the health of the recreational vehicle industry. Another area of note for Elkhart

Thursday, October 7,2004

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTO/STEPHANIE MIDDAUGH Diana Smith holds a photo of her son Trenton, who recently donated one of his.kidneys to his mother. Both did well during surgery, and Diana is now recovering In Indianapolis.

nate. As the illness progresses, it can develop into chronic renal failure. There was no question as to how the family would respond and react. Her children all came forward, willing and ready to be tested to offer their ailing mother one of their own kidneys. The process of testing the Smith's two daughters, Lenina Close and

In 1976, Marvin Newcomer sold his share of the company to Marvin Miller and Freemon Borkholder, making Marvin Miller the majority stockholder of Newmar. In 1984, Mahlon Miller, then president of Holiday Rambler, purchased Marvin Miller's interest in the company. After resigning at Holiday, Mahlon Miller became chairman of the board at Newmar Corporation. . In 1991, Mahlon Miller bought all of Freemon Borkholder's interest in the company and became the sole owner of Newmar Corporation. In 1992, Newmar became a bona fide motor-home manufacturer with the introduction of an even larger power slide-out in the Class A product and the advent of Newmar's first class A diesel pusher in the Kountry Star and London Aire brand names.

County and Nappanee is tourism. “Tourism is extremely important,” Andrews said. “It brings in clean business there is no pollution with tourism. If Amish Acres makes money, everybody gains.” AMISH ENTERPRISES Andrews is excited about two grants he has applied for which would assist Amish merchants in the area market their products. The grant applications were to the Indiana Rural Development Council for $200,000 and the Indiana Department of Commerce Tourism Division for $70,0000. The funds would be to develop a prototype model encouraging the development the Nappanee area, in part, Amish shingle shops. The funds would create business educadon programs, a low interest pool and cooperative marketing campaigns. “Although many Amish work in the RV factories, they want to work out of their homes in the afternoons and Saturdays,” Andrews said. “We have identified about 35 of these small shops in the area," he said. “These grants would provide money for education and planning of these businesses. There could be some low-interest loans to help get businesses started." Andrews should find out if his grants will be funded in about two months.

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Jennifer Taggard. and their son, Trenton, was one that took nearly two years to finalize. There were several factors that eventually weighed into the decision that ultimately rendered Trenton the most suitable donor. To begin with, Lenina lives in Denver, Colo., and is a wife and mother to two sons. Her husband,

North Wood Homecomingt

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Cooper Davis served as crown bearer and Abby Slabaugh served as flower girl during Homecoming.

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTO/STEPHANK MIOOAUGH Queen and King Crowned Bethany Etsinger was named this year’s Homecoming Queen, while London Martin was named Homecoming King, during NerthWood’s Homecoming game, last Friday. The Panthers won the game against Elkhart Memorial. 49-7. For details on the football game, and more Homecoming photos, see Section B.

574-773-3127

Chris, is a sales manager for Victaulic, a pipefitting company in Colorado. Meanwhile, Jennifer lives even farther away, near Sacramento, Calif., and her husband, Derek, is stationed at Travis Air Force Base. He is a neurosurgeon who must always be See Transplant on Page A 3

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