Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 127, Number 50, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 9 December 2004 — Page 10

Page 10

• Advance News • Thursday, December 9, 2004

Wakarsua Public Library Events

BOOK WEEK > Children's Book Week is concluded and the winners are Samantha Paul received "Olive's Ocean" and Elizabeth Kern received "Owen." i RED RIBBON WEEK During Red Ribbon Week children in the grades 1-5 in the elementary schools of the WaNee School Corporation were asked to make posters about drugs, alcohol, etc. These posters were then judged and the winning posters are on display in the meeting room hallway at the library. The winning posters belong to Darin Yoder, Brittany Zimmerman, Baxton Linville, Jade Murphy, Kaitlyn Heckaman, Jacob Smith, Amber O'Conner, Austin Click, Nick Myers, Danea Ehret, Bailey Shay, Cody Lanzon, Stacy Klotz, Jordan Snodgrass, and Karen Hochstetler. The posters will also be on display at other locations through the school district.

Searching for the perfect Christmas tree

I was tired. I was cranky. And I wanted my Christmas tree. I'm one of those people who refuse to Skip holidays, so there is no Christmas decorations, songs or celebration until Thanksgiving has passed. But, when the clock strikes midnight on turkey day, I want my Christmas tree up and every piece of holiday cheer out of the Rubbermaid containers and strung through the house, inside and out. To me, the Christmas tree is the official welcome wagon for the holiday season. It should go up as soon as possible and it should stay up through the New Year - even if a pile of dried, brown needles encircle the tree by January. I think this dedication to the Christmas tree came from my childhood (doesn't everything). In my family Christmas was big, and our tree was even bigger. It all started when my father received about 100 free Christmas tree saplings from the Department of Natural Resources. I remember sitting on the back of our old wooden wagon, pulled by an even older tractor, dropping saplings into rows cultivated in a couple of acres out back. I immediately became impatient and questioned my parents on how long it would take the little twigs to turn into Christmas trees. Well, it didn't take long. Pine trees grow fast. There was at least one occasion where a bird's nest came in with one of our homegrown trees, and another time when the truck became stuck out back while Searching for the perfect tree. And perfection was in the eye of the beholder, as most of the trees were about as straight as a river road.

Military Update

Rice ?. Marine Corp Pvt. Jeremy S. Rice, son of Kristy L. Yoder of Nappanee, recently completed jUgals 119 Nappanee Legals PUBLIC NOTICE On or about December 22, 2004, the City of Nappanee intends to apply tc the Indiana Department of Commerce for a modification to its Community Focus Fund Grant. This program is funded by the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program through Title 1 of ths Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended These funds are to be used for economic development, public facilities and housing projects. The purpose of this application was for the Nappanee Central School Project. The City of Nappanee will hold s public hearing on December 20 2004, at 7:00 p.m., at Nappanee City Hall, at 300 West Lincoln Street Nappanee, Indiana, 46550, to provide citizens an opportunity to express their views on the modification request, community development and housing needs, past community development and housing activities and the Nappanee Central Schoo Project. This grant was originally awarded on June 30, 2002, foi $495,000. If approved, this modification request will not change the grant amount. The grant was originally awarded for the following activities Senior Housing, the Boys and Girts Club, and a Senior Center. The modification will remove the Boys anc Girts Club as a grant activity. Records regarding the accounting ot these beneficiaries and funds ars available from the address listed below. Interested citizens are invited tc provide comments regarding these issues either at the public hearing oi by prior written statement. The grant modification application will be available for review and comment December 20, 2004. Information concerning the proposec project may be obtained from Kimberly A. Ingle, Clerk-Treasurer, at (574) 773-2112, from 8:00 a.m. tc 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 300 West Lincoln Street. Nappanee IN 46550 Kimberly A. Ingle, lAMC, CMC Clerk-Treasurer City of Nappanee Oec«mt»f 9 2004 N- 10H

It wasn't long before our Christmas trees, became Christmas bushes. But that didn't stop us, as I grew up in a 100 year-old house with 12-foot ceilings and large rooms. I now fondly gaze at childhood photos where our tree reached the ceiling and spread across three large windows. One time we even had to place our tree in front of two French doors with wire wrapped around the tree and then tied around the doorknobs. I'll call this tree, "Goliath." But my fondest memory is the time, that after bringing one of those giants into the house; my father realized it was too tall. Frustration reached its peak, and my father was not going to drag the tree outside again - so in came the chainsaw. Pine chips went flying and the house smelled like gasoline for a day, but the tree was perfect. So, now let's go back to me being cranky and wanting my tree. My husband pulled our van up to the intersection of SR 19 and CR 40, and I had a choice. Go to Lowe's and just buy our family tree as quickly as possible, or brave the elements and ride the Christmas Tree Train at the Old Wakarusa Railroad.

12 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif., designed to challenge new Marine recruits both physically and mentally. Rice began training at 5 a. m., by running three miles and performing calisthenics. In addition to the physical conditioning

Hometown Giving Our Hometown Agencies are in need this year. Pick up a wish list for each the hometown agencies FBCU office. MAIN OFFICE COLLEGE GREEN OFFICE NAPPANEE OFFICE 301 W. Lincoln Ave. 1501 College A»e. TOO North Tomahawk Trail __ . __ 574-533-8290 574-773-5400 574-534-2506 MIDDLEBIRY OFFICE NEW PARIS OFFICE WtWfc JIV T 106 C 0 Hall M2WC.R.23 ■ ■ 574-825-6752 574-831-3600 M MILLERSBIRC OFFICE WAKARUSA OFFICE {Bum aSr Un!on M 3 W WtobuponSl 6*613 SB 19 KMawuuwiMim 574-642-4009 574-862 2450 WWW.fbcU.COm

CHRISTMAS IDEAS As the holidays approach thoughts turn to crafts, cooking, decorating and more. Some Christmas books will be placed on a cart at the end of one of the bookcases. Here you will find ideas for Christmas crafts, food, gifts, and more. DIAL A STORY Dial A Story for next week is "Prometheus and the Great Gift." The precious gift of fire is given to the newly created man. Hear this tale at 862-4441. NEW CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS BOOKS "Henry the Christmas Cat" by Mary Calhoun "Merry Christmas to You Blue Kangaroo!" by Emma Chichester Clark "Finding Christmas" by Helen Ward "Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale" by Martin Waddell "Sleepyheads Christmas Story" by Alan and Linda Parry

Commentary By Stepahnie Middaugh Correspondent

program, he spent numerous hours in classroom and field assignments which included learning first aid, uniform regulations, combat water survival, marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat and assorted weapons training. He performed close order drill and operated as a

Community

In a split second, I made the decision to keep the search for the perfect tree a tradition. And am I glad I did. The evening was a true family experience. The boys looked precious all bundled up and riding the train. Everyone laughed while gazing at roosters decorated with Christmas lights, while holiday music r blared in the train cars. And after the ride, we choose a beautiful locally grown tree. The evening concluded with a meal at the Family Table restaurant. And just like any good memory there were mishaps. The tree was too big for the van, so all the way home the tree hung halfway out the back. My oldest son held tightly to the tree with both hands, exclaiming, "Everything's alright. I'm keeping the tree in the van." And true to tradition, we bought a tree too big for its holder. But unlike the past, a hacksaw was used to trim the tree rather a chainsaw (even though my husband threatened that was the next step). As the evening concluded, my oldest son summed up things best. He said, "Mom, when we get our Christmas tree, it's an adventure." He's right. There was the time We put him in a backpack at six months old to tromp through a Minnesota tree farm. And there was the time that he and his father found a tree on Christmas Eve for sl, since *we had just moved into our home the day before and mommy had to have her tree. I wonder. Would we have those memories, if we just went to Lowe's? I don't think so.

small infantry unit during field training. Rice also received instruction on the Marine Corps' core val-ues--honor, courage and commitment, and what the core values mean in guiding personal and professional conduct. Rice ended the training phase with The Crucible, a 54-hour, team evolution culminating in an emotional ceremony in which recruits are presented the Marine Corps Emblem, and addressed as "Marines" for the first time in their careers. Rice is a 2004 graduate of Northwood High School.

Afi Tuning I 1a V off p “ k,,K I 9 Gift Certificates & I Holiday Items available I Ml 1756 E. Market Sf. • Nappanee •773-4808 £j

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTO/ANTHONY GADSON Front to back; Kourteney Meister, Kaylin Hoopes, Heaven Vick, Allison Klotz, Boys and Girls Club Director Marcus Johnson and Rotary Club member Tom Lehman.

Selling poinsettias The Boys and Girls Club of Nappanee and the Nappanee Rotary Club announced that holiday poinsettia plants are available for sale. These plants are red in color and come in sixinch pots. The plants are priced at $lO each and may be purchased by contacting any Nappanee Rotarian, or by visiting the Boys and Girls Club of Nappanee. For more information please contact Gale Gerber at 773-4623 or John Ferguson at 534-5933.

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY STEPHANIE MIDDAUGH Christmas Card Winner Cody Yerger, a senior at North Wood High School, is this year’s winner of the Wa-Nee Christmas card competition. Each year the winning card is created by a Wa-Nee student and then mailed by Superintendent Joe Sabo as the official Christmas card for the school system. Cody has taken several drawing classes at the high school with art teacher, Mrs. Barkey. He plans to major in pre-med at either Grace College or lUSB.

Kiwanis Club Meeting

Early Bird The program last week featured Marcus Johnson, the director of the Nappanee Boys and Girls Club. He gave us a

good run down of the activities and aims of that club, and told us what he needed most was more volunteers to help run the program, but that the program is growing nicely. He explained the mission of the club and the principles of the national Boys and Girls Club movement. Regular Meeting Last week's meeting was brought to order by President Jeff Krusenklaus by the ringing of the bell, we sang "America", pledged allegiance to the flag and -Don gave the Invocation. We were pleased to have Lt. Governor Willis Ault with us, and he was a member of an Interclub from Warsaw. He requested that any donations we might be interested in making be made to the IDD program or to Riley Hospital. The winning 50/50 ticket was held by Louie Bonacorsi, but he failed to draw the Joker from the pack. The amount in the kitty now totals all of $7.00. Gotta build that up, again! Louie also reported that the Citrus Sales netted about S3IOO this year with total sales at