Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 134, Number 3, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 19 January 2012 — Page 1

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Advance News SERVING NAPPANEE 8c WAKARUSA

life YOUTH BASEBALL SIGN UPS SET NAPPANEE The Nappanee Youth Baseball League will hold open registration Saturdays, Jan. 21, and 28 at McCormick Motors, from 9 a.m. to noon for children 5 to 12 years old. Fees will be $25 per individual or S4O max per family. To learn more call Matt at 574-354-2707. OIY MEETING RESCHEDULED NAPPANEE The City of Nappanee Redevelopment Commission meeting regularly scheduled for Tuesday Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. has been moved to Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 7 a.m. in the meeting room at the Nappanee Center, 300 block of West Market Street, Nappanee. For more information call 574-773-2112. BAND BARBECUE JAN. 27ATNWHS NAPPANEE The North Wood Band Program is hosting its annual Backyard BBQ Friday, Jan. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the North Wood High School cafeteria. Tickets are $6 per person and can be purchased from any band member or at the door. Ages 5 and younger eat free. SEMINAR SET FOR FEB. 4 AT NFBC NAPPANEE Nappanee First Brethren Church is hosting Ashland Seminary's "Words that Shaped the World: Celebrating 400 Years of the Bible in English" featuring Dr. John Byron Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. Guests will have access to archaeological items spanning 2,000 years of biblical translation and 500 years of printing history. A reception will follow the presentation. There is no cost to attend, but an RSVP is required by Jan. 27 online at seminary.ashland.edu/events or call 888-287-4483. Nappanee First Brethren Church is located at 1600 N. Main St., Nappanee. CONCERT FEB. 4 NAPPANEE Miller's Dutch Kitchen, 700 N. Tomahawk Trail, Nappanee, is hosting an old-fashioned concert, Branson on the Road, Saturday, Feb. 4 with performances at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Borkholder Event Center. Call 574-773-9380 to make reservations or to learn more. FLORIDA'S DAY FOR WAKARUSA FEB. 7 WAKARUSA WakaSee Around, Page A 2

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Missional Renaissance to continue in 2012

By Meuue Chapman Correspondent NAPPANEE Nappanee Mayor Larry Thompson delivered his 2012 State of the City Address during the first council session of the new year Jan. 3. "In the 2011 State of the City, I talked about a Missional Renaissance taking place in Nappanee," said Thompson who backed up that thought by using examples such as city programs to help restore homes

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Photo provided Tanner Fervida, of Nappanee, shakes hands with his flight instructor Harry Sheetz of Warsaw, before his first solo flight Dec. 26j— his 16th birthday. fHlot-in-tminiim wniy? nil fint rmn m uoivimy mi 11191 - solo flight for Iflth birthday

By Lydia Beers Staff Wrtter NAPPANEE - Dec. 26 was a big day for Tanner Fervida, of Nappanee. Not only was it his 16th birthday, but it was also the day of his first solo airplane flight. He had been practicing and taking flying les-

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NWMS singers to perform

Photo provided North Wood Middle School eighth grade singers (from left) Logan Berger, Maddie Moore, Jessica Powell, Bailey Murphy, and Zach Snider have been selected to be in the Indiana Music Educators’ Conference (IMEA) All-State Middle School Honor Choir. They will rehearse next Thursday (Jan. 19) and Friday (Jan. 20) at the convention center in Ft. Wayne as part of the IMEA Professional Development Conference and will perform on the Embassy Theatre stage at 4 p.m. Friday.

Neff recognized for serving Wa-Nee schools

By Angel Perkins Editor NAPPANEE At the North Wood girls basketball game Dec 15, Wa-Nee Schools Superintendent Joe Sabo awarded Veloris Neff for his 47 years of service with the Wa-Nee School Corporation. "1 started in 1964; drove a bus for 20 years and was taken off that in 1984 when they made me transportation director," Neff said. "For seven years I took care of the buses, managed the drivers and the discipline,

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and improve quality of life for local citizens. Thompson expressed that he was in favor of the Missional Renaissance continuing. He stressed city programs were needed to help citizens deal with changes in the economy leading to fewer jobs over the past decade, and in some cases, pay cuts in order that companies could continue operating. "How we help each other in the next year will separate us from other communities

sons for three months, and was more than ready to go up on his own. "He thought it was kind of neat to be able to fly an airplane by himself before he could actually drive by himself," said Tanner's father Jeff Fervida, who is also a pilot.

so 1 was engaged with the schools one way or the other for many years." After managing the transportation department he was offered the task of delivering school board packets to the members' homes twice a month. "It was about a 40 to 50 mile drive every other week but they send them all by computer now," die 86-year-old explained, "so I retired after that, die middle of November." Formerly a dairy fanner Neff was called and asked to work as a bus driver and

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suffering the same fate," he said. "Some examples of direction and change could be as simple as improving on what we have and teaming together to tell our story and help our struggling families. However these families have to allow us to speak into their lives with changing mind sets, not for us to simply enable them on a month-to-month basis." The mayor went on to explain that people must be taught how to improve their own situations through

Tanner performed three take-offs and landings on his own at the Nappanee Municipal Airport, in his family's Cessna 150 plane. Each flight was about 10 minutes long. "He was pretty excited," See Pilot, Page A 5

he told them he would do it "for maybe a year" but told them they should look for someone else. "It was probably one of the most satisfying things I Sm Naff, Pap A 5 DAT photo At the North Wood girls basketball game Dec. 15, Wa-Nee Schools Superintendent Joe Sabo (left) wwarded Veloris Neff wm a plaque for his many JWars of service with the Wa-Nee School Corporation.

Celebrating 103rd birthday Page 2

everyday decisions, lifestyle changes, and learning new ways of thinking about life issues. Thompson said this would create new perspectives, personal power, new direction, order in the home, sound financial standing, deeper family connections and promote community connection as well in individuals and families being helped. His focus was to not only help people, but to also change their lives and

Local chambers get involved in collective legislative positions By Angel Perkins Editor NAPPANEE/WAKARUSA Area chambers of commerce have collectively chosen positions regarding legislative issues that members feel directly affect their individual communities. Each chamber involved with the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana received a basic draft from another chamber lobbyist and then gave input for a completed draft. To stand behind the beliefs, the 2012 Regional Legislative Positions document has been, approved by (locally) the Bremen, Nappanee, Wakarusa, Goshen and St. Joseph County Chambers many members of which have chosen to travel to the Statehouse Jan. 26 to show their solidarity. The bus trip to Indianapolis, during the General Assembly, is sponsored by the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce. Besides networking, those planning to attend expect to experience a briefing from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, to have lunch with legislators, and physically set up appointments to discuss those issues addressed on the regional agenda. Views and items focused upon in the collective chamber document include: • Supporting the Right-to-Work legislation which is expected would attract more economic development through job creation; • Providing long-term funding to schools to match the new teacher evaluation mandates; • Opposing unfunded mandates which directly See Chambers, Page AlO

Be Nappanee’s ‘biggest loser’ NAPPANEE Nappanee Health and Fitness, in conjunction with the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce is inviting community members to compete to be the "biggest loser" in Nappanee. Individuals may sign up on their own or as a team of four and cost is $lO per person. The goal is to become more healthy by May and is a four-month commitment with a once-a-month (private) weigh-in (in January, Feb. 16, March 12 and May 3) at the Chamber office, 302 W. Market St. In order to win, the contestant must lose the largest percentage of weight and be present May 3. The final three individuals and final three teams will be the only weights disclosed at final weigh-in. Winners will receive: 30 percent of total entry fees for the individual; 50 percent of total entry fees for the top team; with 20 percent of the total entry fees to be donated to the Nappanee Boys & Girls Club. There is no limit on the number of people that can participate (49 people have already) but entrants must be at least 18 years old and must weigh in at the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce. Nutritional meetings at Nappanee Health and Fitness See Loser, Page A 3

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lifestyles through coaching from a caring community. "A Missional Renaissance is to help, not enable," said Mayor Thompson. "To heal, not bandage. To blend, not blame. To instill gratitude, not anger." He went on to praise current programs available within the community, and encouraged every individual to donate their efforts so the outreach of a Missional Renaissance could continue See 2012, Page A 3