Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 135, Number 43, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 24 October 2013 — Page 4

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Advance News • Thursday, October 24, 2013

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Students making a statement against f drags and aicoliol Nappanee students Brooklyn Redd, first grade; Jessica Schwartz, second grade; Landon Weldon, third grade; Esther Miller, fourth grade (not pictured, Jamie Eggers is holding poster); and Braxton Burnworth, fifth grade, won awards for their rockstarthemed drug-free poster artwork. Red Ribbon Week for much of the community was held last week. Students at Nappanee elementary School and Wakarusa Elementary School held the same schedule, dressing tike a cowboy on Monday, a rockstar on Tuesday, had a 70s day on Wednesday and an 'Bos day on Thursday.

Preparing gardens for winter

I was asked recently for advice on prepar- it

ing our area quilt gardens for winter, and as 1 pulled the information together, it occurred to me that many people share the same challenges that the managers of our quilt gardens face each year. Fall is a good time to

check the soil. A good quality soil test will cost around S2O, and can point out if the pH is too high (basic) or too low (acid). Adding lime or sulfur to correct a pH problem, as well as adjusting for phosphorus or potassium deficiencies just makes good sense, especially as you prepare the bed for winter. More than half of our Master Gardenera€™s soil tests this fall required pH adjustment. ■ The remoyaUof annual and herbaceous plant debris prom the flowerbed is very 'iwpprttM!. 1 Proper smfMWm decreases-4fce chance of disease and insect problems in the spring. Diseases and insects use plant debris as over wintering a€oehiding places.a€D Diseased debris should be discarded rather than composted because temperatures in most compost piles do not get hot enough to kill all pathogens. In addition, perennials that show signs of disease should be cut back in the fall. Healthy perennials can be cut back in the fall or spring. Perennials that provide winter interest, such as ornamental grasses, should be cut back in early spring. Cutting back in the spring has some advantages, which include providing winter protection and preventing premature plant growth. After removing the plant debris, the soil in annual flowerbeds can be improved by applying and incorporating organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure. Using a rotary tiller when adding compost can improve annual flowerbed health because

Continuous Publication Since 1879 Advance News Serving Nappanee SWokciusa Published Weekly • (USPS 370-960) Periodical postage paid in Nappanee, IN 46550 POSTMASTER: Please send address corrections to P.O. Box 220, Plymouth, IN 46563 Managing Edttor Lois Tomazewski Editor Dani Molnar Accenting Manager Judi Miller Sports Edtor James Neil Costello Marketing Manager Cindy Stockton PreMCflan/IT Manager Greg Hildebrand Advertising Sales Angi Rodriguez CiradatleH Manager Ashley Han pi aM |f| al | Call 1-800-933-0356 Monday ciassmen ads through Friclay 8a m t 0 5p m All classifieds must be pre-paid. I Deadline: Monday at 11:30 a.m. I Advertising Call Angi Rodriguez at 1-800-933-0356 for rate information or to place an ad. Deadline: Thursday at 5 p.m. Legal Notices Deadline: Wednesday at 5 p.m. (Week prior) SHhCCPlntlant Annual subscription price (52 issues) OUDSbI ipueill js j 2l in . state arx j $26 out-of-state. To renew or start a new subscription, or to solve delivery problems, call the Circulation Department at 1 -800-933-0356. - News Email news items and pho,os to advanceOnpoc.net, or drop them off at the Bremen office, 126 E. Plymouth St. For possible story ideas, contact Dani Molnar, editor, at the office at 574-546-2941 or cell, 574-209-0704. Deadline: Friday at noon. Publisher reserves the right to reject, edit I or cancel any advertising at any time without liability. Publisher's liability for error is limited to the amount paid for advertising.

reduces compaction, increases drainage

Extension Tips By Jeffßurbrink

Tilling perennial beds or a mixed annual/ perennial bed is not recommended as tilling could damage perennial root systems, which could slow or prevent plant growth in the spring. Most of our quilt gardens are planted on a slope, which provides a better view of the garden. However, sloping gardens challenge growers to keep the soil in place, especially after the foliage is removed. inches of mulch on the surface of sloping flowerbeds can be beneficial to ho d soil in place. Newly planted perennials should be mulched in late fall to reduce damage from freezing and thawing conditions, which may heave poorly established plants out of the ground. Most well established perennials do not require protective winter mulch. However, wood chips or shredded bark can be applied as permanent mulch to wellestablished perennial flowerbeds to aid in water retention, erosion control and weed suppression. Finally, do not forget about water. Perennials need additional water when the weather in late summer and fall is dry. Even though the temperatures are dropEing, plants are not dormant yet. In the fall, umidity usually drops and the air becomes dry. These conditions combined with a stiff wind can quickly dry out soil. So, remember to water before the ground freezes if condi-

tions are dry.

Opinions

and increases organic matter. Although tilling can be time consuming and strenuous work, it does provide a wonderful way of incorporating organic matter into the flowerbed.

Advance News Letters to the Editor Policy

•All letters must include the name, address and day telephone number for confirmation purposes. Address and phone numbers will not be published. •Only one letter will be published during any 30-day period by the same person on the same general subject •Letters must be no longer than 300 words in length. •Letters that attack the character or integrity of an individual or organization will not be published. Likewise, we

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What issues matter to you? Looking for insight and direction

It's been a busy week for me. I think I'm

getting into the swing of things in Nappanee and Bremen. I'm meeting with officials and new people every day and learning new things about everyone and everything around here in an effort to be able to provide better and more timely news.

All I ask of you is to keep sending it. I've had numerous calls and emails, welcoming me to the community and giving me random tidbits of advice, here and there. I appreciate all of it. I'm so glad to be in a community that understands my new-ness and accepts it as a reality while I find my way in these towns. While I'd love to provide you with a col-

Using the microwave in a nutritional diet

As I type this column I think about the bors.

fact that apples and pumpkins are plentiful this year and we all should be planning to enjoy them in a variety of ways in our healthy eating plans. I have had calls and emails with questions on microwave cooking, asking how

a microwave works and what happens to the food value when cooked in a microwave. I am not sure who is the source of much misinformation but I want you to have accurate information. Almost every American home has at least one microwave and many have two. The convenience offered by a microwave oven is undeniable. There is a lingering feeling that using a microwave to cook food may somehow make food less healthy. Knowing how microwaves work can help you understand. Microwave ovens cook food with waves of .<)saJiaJ»ng k p)pctrom4gnetic. \ similar to radio waves but move back and forth at a much faster rati. These quicker waves are remarkably selective, primarily affecting molecules that are electrically asymmetrical: one end positively charged and the other negatively so. Chemists refer to it as a polarity. So the next part that helps in understanding is to know that water is a polar molecule, so when a microwave oven cooks or heats up food, it does so mainly by energizing it, which is to say heating up water molecules, and the water energizes its molecular neigh-

That ought to be in the Advance News! Stop by and see Editor Demi Molnar from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesday at the Chamber of Commerce in the Nappanee Center. Call her at (574) 209-0704.

umn that discusses some local hot topics, I'll

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[ditop's Pspsnem By Dam Morn Editor

news and I'll do my best to keep making sure it's covered. Better yet, get into contact with me and tell me what you'd like to see more of in your local paper. What local topics aren't covered enough? What do you want your local paper to tell you about your hometown? What issues matter to you?

Food and Nutrition By Mary Ann Lienhart Cross

rather slowly, moving inward from outside by process of conduction. What you need to know is that some nutrients do break down when they're exposed to heat, whether it is from microwave or a regular oven. Vitamin C is perhaps the clearest example. So, as a general proposition, cooking with a microwave does a better job of preserving the nutrient content of foods because the cooking times are shorter. As far as vegetables go, it's cooking them in water that robs them of some of the nutritional value because the nutrients leach into water. So when you are cooking broccoli it loses glucosinolate, the sulfflrcontairtirig compound that may give the vegetables its cancer fighting properties as well as the taste that many find distinctive and some not enjoyable. So that is why I steam vegetables in the microwave, the broccoli holds on to more glucosinolate. Vegetables, pretty much any way you prepare them are good for you and most of us don't eat enough of them. The microwave oven is a marvel of engineering, a miracle of convenience and a real bonus is that it is nutritionally advantageous.

do not publish letters concerning complaints about service at area businesses. •We reserve the right to edit all letters for brevity, clarity and grammar. i •Send e-mail letters to: advance@bnionefc fax letters to 574-546-5170 or drop them off at the Bremen office at 126 Plymouth Street in Bremen or leave them at the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce office.

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admit, I'm not sure what those are yet. If you're looking for more in-depth columns, or my perspective on a specific topic, feel free to write, call or stop by and let me know. In the mean time, keep sending me your

In addition to being more selective, micro-wave-oven energy is also more penetrating than heat that emanates from an oven or stovetop. It immediately reaches molecules about an inch or so below the surface. In contrast, regular cooking goes through food

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