Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 134, Number 8, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 23 February 2012 — Page 1

SMfLEdfIT M nm. ttt-m-rm Dr. Troy Holder

|il

NWHS WINTER CONCERT IS FEB. 26 The North Wood High School choirs will perform the annual Winter Concert Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m. in the school auditorium. Freshman choir, concert choir, vocal jazz, and Dawning Generation will be performing as individual groups as well as performing several pieces as one combined choir. Tickets to attend are $5 for adults, $2 for student and children five and younger are free. Tickets may be purchased by calling the NWHS Music Office, 574-773-4127 and will be available at the door. All seats are general seating and doors open at 2 p.m. WATER AEROBICS SESSION 2 REVISED NAPPANEE - The second session of Wa-Nee Continuing Education's water aerobics class has been revised and will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 27 through Marcn 28. Gasses cost $25 per session (10 classes per session) and take place at the NorthWcxST'Hlgh School pool. To learn more call 574-773-3131. KIWANIS TO MEET NAPPANEE - The Nappanee Kiwanis meets at noon Tuesdays at the Dal-Mar Banquet Hall. Feb. 28 Nappanee Mayor Larry Thompson will speak to the group on the state of the city. The public is welcome to attend to learn more. BREMEN MASONIC LODGE 414 MEETS BREMEN All Nappanee and Bremen Freemason are invited to attend the Tuesday, March 6, meeting. Dinner will be served at 6:15 p.m. at the Bremen Lodge, with the meeting at 7 p.m. DIALING FOR DOLLARS PLANNED NAPPANEE March 6 and 8, North Wood students will be participating in the annual Dollars for Scholars Phone-A-Thon. This event contributed more than 20 scholarships totaling more than $20,000 for graduating North Wood seniors in the Gass of 2011. The money donated through this year's phone-a-thon will enable many 2012 graduates to receive monetary support. North Wood students will be calling from 6 to 9 p.m. from NTA, Inc. (which will See Around, Page 4

Contact Us Advance Newt Moaina Address 126 E. Plymouth St. Bremen. IN 46506 Phone 574-209-0704 (news) 1-800*350356 (ads) 57^5460170

sm

Aa\ iN CWS SERVING NAPPANEE & WAKARUSA

Wa-Nee school board member steps down

By Amy Wenger Correspondent NAPPANEE - One of the most noteworthy issues to be brought forth at the recent session of the Wa-Nee Community Schools Board of Trustees was a matter that wasn't even on the agenda. During the meeting held Monday, Feb. 13, the members were informed about the impending departure of Chris Gillam, who is the

Three cheers for NW’s Pam Slagle

By Steve Sittler Correspondent NAPPANEE - It all started out as a favor to her kid sister and 25 years later, Pam Slagle has finally decided to call it a "career" as the coach of North Wood's cheerleading squad. "I always said when it stopped being fun, 1 would quit," said Slagle, "but after 25 years, it's still fun! However, 1 want to be able to go watch my daughter (North Wood senior captain Emily) cheer in college so I decided this would be a good time to step down." Slagle, a former Panther cheerleader herself, originally got involved to help out an inexperienced coach when Slagle's younger sister was a senior at North Wood. "1 volunteered for a year, really enjoyed it assisted for

Hal buzzes through bee

By Angel Perkins Editor NAPPANEE —One Nappanee Elementary School fifth grader buzzed her way through winning her school's contest, and will continue on to compete at a regional spelling bee at Bethel College March 1. Eleven-year-old Alana Hall from Anita Ward's class was this year's annual spelling bee winner Jan. 24 versus the entire Bulldog fifth grade. The achievement came with having her name on a "golden plaque" on a wall in the school's cafeteria as well as the honor to compete against fifth graders from schools all across the region in Mishawaka. No stranger to See Bee, Page 6

Citizens invited to speak up

Bv Angel Perkins Editor NAPPANEE Nappanee residents have been given an opportunity to do a little to help their community and put their city "on the map." A nationwide initiative, "We Hear You America" hosted by Reader's Digest is in its second year and was designed to encourage towns all across the country

I *SO OFF I I any complete pair of eyeglasses or ism u»hor Road, (Shan, in 4«k> j. J I contact lens package |

Black Swish Ends season at regional Page 7

at-large representative. His resignation from the board becomes effective March 1, which will leave his seat open for a suitable replacement. "Mr. Gillam recently accepted a new job, and due to his new work responsibilities, felt it was best to step down from the board at this time," said Superintendent foe Sabo. Gillam has held a seat on the school board since

DAT photo Pam Slagle was recognized for coaching hforthWood’s cheerleaders for the past 25 years. a few more years and then finally started coaching the squad," said Slagle. "In the early days, we would have six or maybe eight girls on

ml a ~ iv ; , B mF m f --^m pPPPI iSSp V \ ,-r JH

Photo provided Nappanee Elementary School fifth grader Alana Hall (left) earned champion status after competing against her classmates with contest runner up Coleen Schwartz (right) coming in a strong second in the annual spelling bee.

to compete to win money and gain recognition for their cities. Residents can vote online at www.readersdigest.com/ am erica and enter their zip code (46550). The site will ask information that takes only moments to fill out and every vote counts toward the possibility of winning a grant of up to $50,000 for community projects. Gtizens can vote as many

~ ' W, fi

July of 2000, and the person who eventually takes his place will fulfill the remainder of Gillam's term, which runs through Dec. 31, 2012. Sabo further explained the state statute which dictates how the successor of Gillam's term must be selected. "If a vacancy occurs," he said, "the remaining board members shall, by a majority vote, fill the vacancy by appointing a person from

the squad, but now, with all of the competitions and routines we do, the numbers have grown tremendously." Slagle's Panther cheer team is coming off three straight regional titles and subsequent runnerup finishes in the Indiana Association of Principals State Cheer Competition, all to Ft. Wayne Bishop Dwenger who, as a parochial school, can recruit whomever they want from all over Allen County. "We lost this year by something like two one hundredths of a point," noted Slagle, who considers Dwenger to be the "arch rival" of North Wood cheerleading. "The girls all have worked very hard to be one of the best teams in the state, and it is really rewarding to See Cheers, Page 6

times as they like but the voting period ends March 1. The Nappanee Chamber of Commerce encourages citizens to become involved and "show how much spirit and support the citizens of Nappanee truly have." Those that register and vote are also allowed to download pictures of Nappanee, include what they would See Speak, Page 6

Valentine royalty crowned at LuAnn Page 3

within the boundaries of the community school corporation, with the residence and other qualifications provided for a regularly elected or appointed board member filling the office, to serve for the term or balance of terms, respectively." So now the search gets underway to find a new candidate, and for those who might be interested in taking on Gillam's vacated seat, there are certain stip-

Comfort good for the soul

By Lola Whitmer Correspondent NAPPANEE Area residents who are craving homestyle cooking and all-American classics and don't want the hassle of having to prepare them at home, the newlyestablished White Dove family restaurant is an appetizing, cost-efficient alternative. White Dove Family Restaurant, conveniently situated inside the Country Center building on Market Street in Nappanee, offers an extensive menu that features fresh, home-style cooking at affordable prices. Appealing to the locals and adjusting his menu accordingly, are considerations co-owner and restaurant manager Bernardo Velazques takes great pride in. Regardless of the nature of the cravings, the White Dove restaurant is sure to have something on the menu that appeals to all appetites. Co-owned by Bernardo and his brother Isabel Velazques, the restaurant has been open for business since Aug. 15 of 2011. Serving breakfast all hours of the day, the White Dove can satisfy hunger from 5:30 a.m. through 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. With a menu thoughtfully-constructed to include local favorites, Bernardo aims to provide comfort foods to Nappanee residents and intends to add an Amish favorite called "Mush" to the variety of choices already available. He said he also intends on adding a buffet to the restaurant, which should please many former frequents of the See Food, Page 7

Utilimaster moving By Lola Whitmer Correspondent WAKARUSA Utilimaster has recently confirmed what has been widely reported. A significant contributor to the economy in the Wakarusa area, the company will be closing down the area's facility and relocating to Bristol. Utilimaster founded in 1973, as a manufacturer of delivery vehicles for large fleet companies, and has been in the Wakarusa area ever since its doors opened. The decision to move the deeply-rooted company's location to Bristol was one that John Forbes, Utilimaster E resident, weighed with careful consideration. Forbes, who as been dedicated to the company for a total of three years (two years serving as president) says the decision came after a few years of thoughtfully weighing options available to the company. "Wakarusa has been a good home," stated Forbes. Reluctant to say goodbye, Forbes knows the move is the right thing for the company which has seen an influx in sales over the past few years. Boosting 16 separate buildings set on 26 acres Utilimaster's Wakarusa property is bursting out at its seams. With 425,000 sq. feet of space in one building on 106 acres, Forbes said the new complex in Bristol will "support our business growth," and will allow for Utilimaster "to set up business in a more efficient manner under one roof. After having already added more than 200 jobs in 2011, Forbes stated that the new location will make it easier to "set up for future growth." With anticipation that sales will increase throughout 2012 and into the future, Forbes predicted that many more jobs will be added over the coming years. Although the company suffered slightly from negative impacts of the poor economy in 2008 through 2010, it are recovering nicely and need room to accommodate expansion. The process of relocating, considered a "phased approach" by Forbes, is something that he anticipates will be completed by the end of this calendar year. A total of 600 full time employees, balanced between multiple shifts, and 200 additional employees referred to as contract team members make up Utilimaster's workforce. Concerning the move, the employees are said to be "excited about the opportunity." John also stated that all current employees will be conSee Moving, Page 2

ulations to consider. Th< Wa-Nee School Board Policy outlines the criteria to stati that applicants must b( American citizens, qualifiec voters, and at least 21 year: of age. Persons must also b< a continuous resident withir the school district for a mini mum of one year, as well as i minimum two year residen of the state. One must alsc be a resident in the schoo See Board, Page 3