Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 133, Number 50, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 15 December 2011 — Page 1

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'REENTRY INITIATIVE' MEETING PLANNED State Representative Wes Culver, Elkhart County Sheriff Brad Rogers and members of the Elkhart County Reentry Initiative invite the public to learn about the initiative, an innovative project which can positively affect the community. The project's goal is to successfully re-integrate exoffenders. The meeting to learn about the 2012 plans will be held Friday, Dec. 16 at 8 a.m. at the Elkhart County Administration building, 117 N. Second Street, Goshen and will last about a half-hour. RSVP to Sheriff Rogers via email at brogers® elkhartcoimtysheriff.com. SANTA IS COMING The American Legion Post 154, located at 201 W. Lincoln St. in Nappanee, will be hosting a Christmas Party for Wa-Nee children ages 12 and younger, Saturday, Dec. 17. The party starts at noon and Santa arrives at 1 p.m. There will be activities for the children to do, and they can get their picture taken with Santa. The event is free but donations of nonperishable items will be accepted for the Open Door food pantry. Clothing donations will also be accepted for the Homeless Veterans Shelter in South Bend. MUSICAL PLANNED FOR DEC. 17, 18 The Nappanee Missionary Church Worship Choir and NMC Winds will present its 25th annual Christmas musical Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 17 and 18 at 6 p.m. There will also be a cookie reception in the NMC Grand Hall on Saturday only from 5 to 5:45 p.m. This year's musical is entitled "Only Love." The musical is free. The church is located two miles north of Nappanee on State Road 19. For more information visit www.nmconline.net online or call the church office at 574-773-7773. SPECIAL SERVICE SET FOR DEC. 24 Nappanee Church of the Brethren will offer a Christmas Eve service Dec. 24 at 7 p.m. There will be singing, candle lighting and a children's program. The church is located at 301 Mack Drive, Nappanee. To learn more contact Pastor Byrl Shaver at 574-773-4044 or email [email protected]. Contact Us Advance Mwra Mdlttna Address 126 E. Plymouth St. Bremen, IN 46506 Phone 574-209-0704 (news) 1-800-935-0356 (ads) Fax: 574-546-5170 m

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Winter means some teams are extra busy

By Angel Perkins Editor NAPPANEE/WAKARUSA While most teams have fans on the sidelines of courts, fields and pools, one team gets most of its favorable attention in the winter, while fans are toasty and warm. Nappanee Street Department Superintendent Wayne Scheumann said his fiveman team has roughly 40 to 45 miles of streets and alleys to keep clear each winter. Depending on snowfall there could as many as eight trucks out and about in Nappanee clearing the way and dusting the ground with a salt and sand mixture.

Photo by Angel Perkins North Wood’s Dawning Generation members (from left) Jacob Smith, Ashley Stump, Martin Flowers, Chayla Bellman, Conner McGuire, Sara Balogh, Nathan Bailey, and Destiny Hossler led by musical director Jeff Cramer offered several holidayinspired song and dance routines Dec. 5 including this one, during “Christmas Tonight."

Holiday scene like a storybook

By Angel Perkins Editor WAKARUSA —Wakarusa looked like a page pulled out of a Dr. Seuss storybook featuring the town of Whoville the evening of Dec. 5 when the Chamber of Commerce put on its annual "Christmas Around the Tree" event. Townspeople of all ages, many decked in holiday attire or wearing Santa hats or antlers gathered at the town's center in front of a mammoth Christmas tree decked in white lights. There they visited with friends and neighbors, partook in free cookies (made by Grandma's Pantry) and hot coca served up by with Wakarusa Chamber Board

‘Rudolph’ runners withstand weather

By Angel Perkins Editor NAPPANEE - Though the weather outside was frightful, runners and walkers proved that weather conditions were not an obstacle when it came to raising money for a good cause. More than 70 runners and walkers braved the 39-degree temperature Dec. 3 at McCormick Creek Golf Course for the first "Run Run Rudolph" run/ walk put on by North Wood High School members of the National Honor Society to benefit the annual Christmas Jubilee put on by members of the Family Christian Development Center (FCDC). "For the past several Set Runners, Page 8

SPORTS Panthers lift off Page 5

Mother Nature doesn't work only business hours, so that means snow removal teams can work all shifts and Scheumann said that means safety has to come first. "We don't want any accidents and overwork slows reaction times," he explained. "My guys may work 12 or 14 hours but they'll have six hours off (for rest)." He said that working his team at that extent hasn't happened for several years and that they may be assisted should the snowfall be extreme or freezing temperatures be extreme by water or park department personnel, even in the wee hours of morning. Annually, the town goes

Member, Lois Meissner and "Doc" (Dr. Robert) Abel. Children's answers to what was the height of the event varied from visiting with Santa, listening or singing along to North Wood's Younger Generation and Dawning Generation groups' singing and dancing, or taking a wagon ride led by two black, bell-decked Percheron draft horses from Bristol. Qint Yeager and his nine-year-old granddaughter Amber led the duo. Yeager, who owns eight horses available from Bonneyville Carriage Rides, said this was his second year offering his services to Wakarusa residents and that last year, he was kept busy for two-and-a-

Photo by Angel Perkins Justin Bell (center) was the first male to come in from the 5K (at 20.5 minutes) and Jeff Stueve (page 8) came in second (with 21.13). The first female in from the 5K was (right) Erin Stickley (with 21.43) followed by (left) Lisa (with 27.10).

through between 450 and 500 tons of salt/sand mixture to keep the streets safe for all drivers. Terry Flickinger has spent 21 years worlting to keep Wakarusa's 15 miles of streets, intersections, alleys, and the fire department and public parking lots primarily free of snow and ice. "The police tell us if it's really bad and we'll head out earlier," he said. "We normally head out early mornings though before the schools get started and the factories get out." The Wakarusa team has four town employees, one dump truck to distribute its salt and sand mixture (with a plow) and three pickups

Photo by Angel Perkins Eight-year-old Mojo, chaperoned to the event by his owner Don Foster, did his best reindeer impersonation while earning a treat wearing a holiday sweater and antlers with bells. See Scene, Page 3

Next week Letters to Santa

with plows to get the job done. During the winter season, www.TrafficWise.in.gov is regularly updated to let drivers know if road conditions are good, fair or difficult. The information will also be available by calling 800-261-ROAD (7623). In a press release, Mike McPhillips, LaPorte District Deputy Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), said, "We're encouraging Hoosier drivers to remember proper winter driving techniques. Drivers should slow down and allow additional space between other vehicles."

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Jingling bells DAT photo The annual Open Door bell ringing has begun. Members of the Nappanee service clubs, Kiwanis and Rotary as well as the Scouts have volunteered for the two-weekend project. Pictured are members from the Nappanee Boy Scout Troop #733 that rang the bells at Rite Choice Foods, last Saturday. Those members (from left) are Danny Fattorusso, McGwire Nickerson and James Fisher. The bells will be ringing again at the following locations again this coming Saturday, Dec. 17: Alco, Chiphone, and Rite Choice Food. All money donated will go to the Open Door food pantry.

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Photo provided New To You owner Sharia Weldy recently moved her store’s contents to a larger location at 109 E. Waterford St. in Wakarusa. Grand opening celebrated WAKARUSA "Wejust keep passing on blessings" said Sharia Weldy, owner of the hign-quality consignment store New To You in downtown Wakanxsa, who is feeling very blessed herself. Weldy and her husband Shane bought New To You two-and-a-nalf years ago in the 900-square-fo<st storefront on N. Elkhart Street but have moved to 109 E. Waterford St. into a 3,000 square foot building (two doors down from Wakarusa Dime Store). Formerly concentrating on children's clothing, New To You has added adult clothing to its boutique. With the goal of "Helping the community," Weldy looks forward to having men's suits "so those needing to look nice for a job interview can do so without a huge expense." She said she finds so much joy in being able to oner brand name clothing at a fraction of the price. New To You works with 455 consigners and is now accepting gently used coats, boots and snow pants. This familyfriendly store has a kids area with toys to occupy them and a comfortable area fqr men to sit while their wives shop. Grand opening sales indude 50 percent off yellow-tagged items and 30 percent off blue tags. The store is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Learn more by visiting the New To You Facebook page.

McPhillips also urged drivers to be alert while driving near snow plows on all state and local roads. The LaPorte District maintains 5,668 lane miles of state roads, including 560 lane miles of interstate. There are six sub-districts (Gary, LaPorte, Monticello, Plymouth, Rensselaer and Winamac) and 13 counties (Carroll, Cass, Fulton, Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Starke and White) within the LaPorte District. INDOT is encouraging drivers to ready their vehicles for winter and use See Teams, Page 8