Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 134, Number 4, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 26 January 2012 — Page 1

i*2 w. Mmtm sl, %m • s?*-m-rm i*a r*m: rn-m-tm

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH TO MEET NAPPANEE - The Nappanee Neighborhood Watch will meet Thursday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. at the senior center, 451 N. Main St. Karen Stoltzfus of the Family Christian Development Center (FCDC) will speak on what the organization does and what the community can do for it. Also a short program will be given by Nappanee Police Patrolman Steve Rulli on what is going on in Nappanee. 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 horn any band member or at the door. Ages 5 and younger eat free. YOUTH BASEBALL SIGN UPS SET NAPPANEE - The Nappanee Youth Baseball League will hold open registration Saturday, Jan. 28 at ' McCormidc 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 leam more call Matt at 574-354-2707. 'BIGGEST LOSER' CONTEST ON 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 (Feb. 16, March 12 and May 3) at the Chamber office, 302 W. Market St. Nutritional meetings at Nappanee Health and Fitness meet at 7:20 p.m. for those signed up and while meetings are not mandatory, they should prove to be beneficial and will last 30 to 45 minutes each. They will be held every two weeks (Jan. 31, Feb. 13, Feb. 27, March 13) and attendees need not be members of NHF to be in the program or attend die meetings. Call 574-773-7812 to leam more. See Around, Page A 3

AHssse - - e News SB rANEE & WAKARUSA

Committee gets organized, cautioned and tipped

By Angel Perkins Editor NAPPANEE Members of the Nappanee Retail Committee met for the first time in 2012 for an eventful meeting with the organization of its and its associated agencies and learning cautions and tips from local law enforcement. About 60 members present elected committee leaders for the year with Evidene Graber being chosen as chairperson, Dianne Debelak as vice chair, Lucinda Gaut continuing as secretary, and Dan Mast being elected as

North Wood honors Neff for 600th victory

By Steve Sittler Correspondent NAPPANEE The year was 1976. America was celebrating her bicentennial of independence; a peanut farmer from Georgia named Jimmy Carter was elected president; and a couple of guys named Steve started a computer company in their garage and named it after a fruit. Oh, and one other thing North Wood High School hired another young fellow named Steve (Neff to be exact) in what was expected to be a one-year gig as the girls basketball coach. "I took the job as a favor to (then-girls athletic director) Sarah Munsell with the understanding it was just going to be a one-year deal," said Neff. "But then we won the sectional, played in the regional at North Side gym, and had a lot of fun. 1 decided 1 would stay on and here I am, 35 years later and it's still fun. I wouldn't have kept doing it if it wasn't" North Wood honored Neff for his 600th win, achieved in a victory over Hobart Dec. 27, 2011 in a holiday tournament, just prior to the Panthers' game with Goshen Jan. 21 in front of a big crowd that included many former players. Neff, a four-sport star at Wakarusa High, didn't have girls basketball on his radar when he graduated from Manchester College in 1974 as the reigning MVP of the Spartan baseball team. "I always figured I would coach high school baseball," he said. "I did coach junior high basketball at Northfield High School (in Wabash County) as a senior in college, so I had some experience there." That experience paid off when Neff failed to land an open position teach-

Day off gives opportunity to reach out

By Angel Perkins Edttor NAPPANEE Many North Wood students spent the early afternoon of their day off from school at the Nappanee Public Library. They weren't studying or doing research though, but enjoying their love for basketball and Wa-Nee athletes at a special meet and greet set up by the library's Children's Services assistant Maggie Carr. "We.- did this several years ago when I was in elementary school," she said with a smile. "I remembered how much 1 enjoyed it

Panthers Scores and more Page 6

treasurer position that was left unfilled with the stepping down of Larry Andrews. Debelak and Mast had served briefly this year as co-chairs in the absence of anyone else nominating for or volunteering for the unpaid position. The schedule for meeting was kept the same, the See Tipped, Page AS Photo by Angel Perkins Nappanee Police Chief Julie Dijkstra addressed business owners about better protecting their stores.

’ |^f ffc ■ $f MjjMm

DAT photo From left are North Wood Athletic Director Norm Sellers, girls basketball coach Steve Neff and NWHS Principal David Maugel during a recognition in Neff's honor.

ing Biology at North Wood and instead, ended up at Jimtown where he was in charge of the seventh grade boys basketball team. "I enjoyed Jimtown and planned to stay there," stated Neff, "but the next year when another Biology job opened up at North Wood, Doc Abel talked me into applying and I came back to my home school." Neff immediately began serving as a football assistant coach, a job he continued for another 30 years, and also served one year as the girls gymnastics coach. "I was pretty much a glorified spotter," chudded Neff, "but it helped me out when I got the girls basketball job because I already knew some of the players." One of his first players was Angie Olson, mother of current North Wood sophomore standout Morgan, and former player Taylor, a 2011 graduate. "I remember when Taylor was bom, I

and so approached the AD (Norm Sellers) and he spoke to the coaches about having this on a scheduled snow make-up day." Both the boys and girls high school basketball teams were fully represented Jan. 16 and signed balls and posters, and spent time coloring, playing with or mentoring the 43 children that came to the event. Carr read aloud the book written by Michael Jordan, "Salt In His Shoes A Dream" and organized a 30-second dribbling game, a 90-second, electric shoot-off game and a cardboard back

* I .. 1 ■ I 1 w

visited Angie at the hospital and she and Jay commented on how neat it would be if I were still coaching when Taylor got to high school. 1 said 'lf I'm still coaching then, come shoot me,'" laughed Neff. "I'm glad they didn't hold me -to that!" Probably more remarkable than the 606 (and counting) victories is the fact that Neff achieved them all at one school. "I'm really proud of that," he said, "and also the winning percentage (.782) that shows what a consistent program we've had." Neff was quick to credit his long-time assistant, Brad Newcomer, on the bench for nearly two decades, as well as junior high coaches Jim Hess and Brad Eby, both of whom have more than 25 years in the program, for helping build the state-renowned program. "When you have See Neff, Page A 7

board (with hoop) coloring activity as well as set up for the players to offer autographed balls and posters. See Reach, Page A 7 Photo by Angot Porklns North Wood’s Lady Panthers (from left) Jordan Frantz, Savannah Bley, Maddie Schwartz (standing), Ashley Yoder and Taylor Stutzman with their teammates, signed “Queens of the Court* posters to give to children attending the basketball meet and greet at the Nappanee Public Library last Monday, Jan. 16.

Tri Kappa Gets in on the games Page 3

Financial Aid Night Jan. 30 at NWHS NAPPANEE North Wood High School is hosting a financial aid night Monday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The program will provide financial aid information to high school seniors and their parents, or anyone else in the community, who plans to attend a post-secondary institution during the 2012-13 school year. Joel Short, financial aid representative from Goshen College will explain how to accurately complete the Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA), which is required by most colleges for financial aid consideration. He will troubleshoot the process of filling an electronic FAFSA on the Web. Parents and students will receive the FAFSA on the Web worksheets at this meeting. , If parents or students prefer to fill out a paper FAFSA instead of the electronic FAFSA, they should download a copy and print it out at www.fafsa.ed.gov or call 800-433-3243 to request a copy sent to them. Jim Webster, guidance counselor, will give a brief update about local scholarships available to North Wood students.

Photo provided Wakarusa Dime Store is partnering with the South Bend Silver Hawks baseball organization to launch a series of promotions featuring the treats, with this year’s blue “star player” being the 2012 flavor, cotton candy. Flavor of the year unveiled •/ By Amy Wenger Correspondent WAKARUSA syrup will be flowing in the town of Wakarusa, and with this time of year, there also follows a longtime tradition featuring another beloved confection. The jumbo jelly beans are back in the spotlight, with See Flavor, Page A 7

B r: BHH «SB I 'JHBb