Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 129, Number 31, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 3 August 2006 — Page 1

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Embrace the Pace A «l RED CROSS • An additional blood drive will be held on Friday, Aug. 4 at Ciphone credit Union from 9 a.m. until 3 pm. Chiphone credit Union is located at 1655 W. Beardsley in Elkhart. All presenting donors will receive a Tshirt. If you are at least 17 years of age, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and are in god general health, you may be eligible to donate blood. All donors need to present positive identification. For more information or to schedule your blood donation appointment, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE. • The location for the blood drive on Saturday, Aug. 5 in Elkhart Count, has changed. The location has changed from the Wakarusa Missionary Church to the Wakarusa Elementary School cafeteria from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, or to schedule a blood donation appointment, call the American Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543). FUNDRAISER A car wash fundraiser for the North Wood High School boys and girls soccer teams will be held on Saturday, Aug. 5 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the L.J. Wagner parking lot, 1200 E. Market St., Nappanee. Raised funds will be used to purchase team bags for new players, soccer equipment, etc. WEIGHT WATCHERS A free open meeting will be held at Miller's Senior Assisted Living on See AROUND, poge4 Contact Us . , Advance News 158 W Market Si. PO. Box 230 jr W f; * I Nappanee, IN 46550 10 sun to 2 p.m. Wsinesday Friday %sr|p| I; ' Phone; §?f§p.. 574-773-3127 (news) 1-800-933-0356 (ads) Fax: 574-773-3512 .

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Downtown project is back on

By Anthony Gadson Editor The trip to improving Nappanee's downtown took another turn recently, with the project now expected to begin within the next two months. "We are about to sign a contract with Rieth-Riley," Nappanee Redevelopment Executive Director Larry Andrews said last week. "We're told they can start in six weeks, which puts it close to the Apple Festival." In the beginning stages of the project, the city had hoped to begin work on the down-

Acres set for 44th festival Staff Report Named as the only arts and crafts festival in the American Bus Association's Top 100 events in North America for 2006, the 44th annual Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival opens as the nation's number one event dedicated to the celebration the artist* and crafters and their patrons. This year, 386 exhibitors, 16 of whom have participated for over 20 years with 53 more 10-year veterans, will display and sell their creative wares in the marketplace at the farm's pond. These familiar faces will be joined by 94 first-time exhibitors, all hailing from 291 cities in 34 states. This year's festival will be held between Aug. 10 and 13 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Attractions and entertainment are continuously scheduled throughout the four days. In addition to the main stage filled with bluegrass and old-time music bands, the dancin' tent full of line dancers, doggers and toe tappers, and the children's stage aflutter with marionettes and magic shows, there will also be Amish Acres farm wagon rides, live Broadway musical theater (featuring productions of Camelot and Plain and Fancy), Threshers Dinner (served family-style dinner in the famous old bam restaurant), and guided tours of the only Amish farmstead listed in the National Register of Historic Places, makes the combination of the festival and farm unique. "Although our dreams for this event were amazing in their time, we never considered die number one position of national prominence the arts and crafts festival has attained," said Richard Pletcher, founder of the festival, originally located in front of the former Pletcher Furniture Village, and third generation owner of the former retail store in downtown Nappanee. Food and refreshments become art in their variety and presentation. Visitors will find funnel cakes, dill pickles, bean soup and pulled-pork sandwiches. The Soda Fountain offers phosphates, sundaes and sodas. Shoofly pie, grilled sausage sandwiches, sweet com and sassafras tea return as festival goers' favorites. Donkey ears will also debut, along with sweet Sm FESTIVAL, page 2

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town streets and sidewalks during the summer months, avoiding construction during the festival. However, when bids came in higher than expected, the project had to be put off for a period of time. "The bids did come in high, so we had to re-bid it," Andrews said. In order to get the price down, some items within the project had to be cut, including re-working parking lots and alleyways. "The parking lot south of Hepler's Barber Shop will be done, but it won't be part of the initial work," Andrews said.

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Mishler visits Miller’s Merry Manor

By Anthony Gadson Editor Moving into a nursing facility is never an easy decision, but in 2003 the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation to help provide the state's elderly with the best possible care. That legislation authorized the Indiana Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning (OMPP) to collect money through a quality assessment fee (QAF), which in turn, is used to reimburse nursing facilities. The assessment is determined based on the number of non-Medicare days within a facility, with Continuing Care Retirement Communities, hospital-based facilities and the Indiana Veteran's Home being exempt. In all, approximately sllO million dollars is raised through the fee, with the state using that amount within the Medicaid program. The money spent on the program then allows the state to become eligible for federal matching funds, which the federal government pays $1.62 to Indiana Medicaid for each dollar the state spends. So when the sllO million is matched, the federal government is paying $289 million, with 80 percent of that amount being returned to long-term care. The other 20 percent (approximately SSB million) is men used by the state's discretion in the Medicaid program. Last Wednesday, State Representative Ryan Mishler, an advocate erf the program, paid a visit to Miller's Merry Manor in Wakarusa. "I stopped in here today to

Other items to be cut were irrigation sprinklers and fencing around the new greenery. The items which will still be done, will be paid for through a Transportation Enhancement Grant and an additional $114,129.10 put up by the city. "Almost always, with a grant, you have to also put up some money as a match," Andrews said about the city's money into the project. Though some items have been cut, North and South Main Streets will be improved, as will the sidewalks. New street lights and greenery will also be placed

A day in the park

take a tour of the facility with the faculty," the Republican from Bremen said. "I try to stay up on long-term care issues." Through his family's business, Mishler Funeral Home in Bremen, Mishler has visited many nursing facilities and walked away from Miller's impressed. "This is one of the cleanest I've seen," he said. "I like how the assisted living and nursing facility are connected. With that, if a family has a relative in both facilities, they can just walk from one to the other." Along with Mishler was Mary Ann Maroon, the direc-

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTOANTHONY GADSON Stats Roproaontafive Ryan Mahler speaks Mlh (left to right) Victor Mxter, Burt Stover and Marion Mtehter daring a visit to Miter's Many Manor last week. .., I

in the area. The only negative is that the work may take place during the city's large downtown festival, which is not ideal. "It all depends on the timing," Andrews said about how much of the festival may be affected by the work. "We are encouraging the work to stay out of the way of the Apple Festival. If they can get in and get done on the south street, it would be great." Earlier, it was hoped that work could begin on the north side and be completed by the festival, beginning on Sept. 16. Once the north side

Even with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees this week, 8-year-old Ryan Price (on swing) still took part in Camp Explorer at the West Side Park in Nappanee. ADVANCE NEWS PHOTO/MANDY MCFARLAND

tor of public affairs for the Indiana Health Care Association. "I want to make sure (politicians) are very educated (about nursing facilities)," she said. "So when they go into the Statehouse, they can talk about it because they've seen it first hand. Truly the employees of nursing facilities have a calling, and I'm very grateful to the folks that can do that. Without these folks, I wouldn't have my job, and Miller's knows how to do loftg-term care." And Mishler is more than happy to help pass legislation which helps facilities. "I take great pride in doing

was completed, work would be halted until the festival was complete, but with the time frame to complete the work smaller, the festival and construction may have to coexist. "We're going to do our best to accommodate the merchants and consumers," Andrews said. Although the work may take place at an inopportune time, it must be done. "We really want to do this," Andrews said about improving the area. "It's something we've been working long and hard on."

this," he said. And by taking the tours, he's able to communicate with faculty and better understand the issues they face. "Cost," he said about the largest issue. "The cost is just getting pretty expensive because they are just getting less and less from Medicaid, and that will continue unless we do something." Through the QAF, Wakarusa's facility is estimated to receive $248,968 in fiscal impact, and with 97 nursing facilities closing between Jan. 1,2000 and Dec. 31,2005, perhaps the assessment will reverse some dangerous trends.