Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 135, Number 1, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 7 January 2016 — Page 1

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SIP, CHATTER AND CANVAS NAPPANEE—Second Saturdays and 1 Dutch Village Market invite you to be a part of 'Sip, Chatter and Canvas' at Dutch Village on Saturday, January 9. The event starts at 1 p.m. with supplies provided. Registration is $35 per attendee, to register, visit ucanpaint2.com/registration.

PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING CHANGE NAPPANEE —The Nappanee Board of Parks and Recreation meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 has been rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 11, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. at West Park Pavilioa 500 N. Nappanee St. BIGGEST LOSER COMMUNITY CHALLENGE NAPPANEE —The Nappanee Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with NBC and The Biggest Loser, will be participating in NBC's "Biggest Loser Community Challenge". Starting nationally in February, the program is open to area residents who are encouraged to get healthy by establishing a team of four participants to compete to lose the most weight. Cost of entry is SIOO per team and includes over SIO,OOO in possible prizes. For more information visit the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce website or www. Biggestlosercommunity .com.

2016 APPRECIATION DINNER NAPPANEE— The Nappanee CHamber of Commerce invites residents to join them on Monday, Feb. 29 for the chamber's annaul Appreciation Dinner. Nappanee Mayor Phil Jenkins will be the guest speaker and share his vision for Nappanee. The event will be neld at DalMar Banquet Hall (159 E. Lincoln St.). Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m. with dinner served at 6 p.m. Registration begins at 5:15 p.m. HAVE AN EVENT? List it here by emailing [email protected] or call 1-800-933-0356.

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2015: The year in review

Ingle announces candidacy for council seat Thursday, Jan. 8 2015 Kimberly A. (Slabaugh) Ingle announced her candidacy for the 2nd District Council Seat in the city of Nappanee. Ingle intends to file for office by Jan. 8. In a submitted statement Ingle said, "Nappanee is a growing, thriving community and is going to experience a change in its administration. My prior experience in municipal government will allow-for continuity at a time when it is needed." Kitson seeks 3rd term Thursday, Feb. 19 Jeff Kitson's service to the community as a Common Council member first began in January 2008. Over the past seven years his role has grown to include starting ms own business, Kitson Development Corporation, to serve as the contracted Executive Director of Nappanee Area Chamber of

NPL knits one, purls one

Photo/David M. Palmer Nappanee Public Library's Cube Makerspace hosts many of the library's regularly run and special events.

By David M. Palmer Assistant Editor NAPPANEE —Nappanee residents will soon be knee deep in purls, but probably not the kind one typically thinks of. On Tuesday, Jan. 12 the Nappanee Public Library will hold the first meeting of their newly formed knitting group, which will meet on the second Tuesday of every other month from 6-8 p.m. in the library's Cube Makerspace. According to Adult Programming and Events Manager Lindsay Brandon-Smith, the knitting class caitie about after the library held several instructional classes on knitting that turned into big hits with the community. The class's popularity prompted attendees to return to the library, asking for more installments of the program which taught the basics of needle and yam knitting. In the original classes attendees learned the fundamentals of knitting while working on projects, and the class's initial success grew into the idea to nold the class on a regular basis in 2016. "Last year we had some requests with our knitting class, and it was very successful. The knitters wanted to come back and continue working on their projects, learning new skills." : Brandon-Smith said that library personnel then spoke with Rebecca Haney, the volunteer who lead the knitting events that would become the regular knitting group in the Cube. As a volunteer, Haney is not paid for tier time running the class, but agreed out of her own interest in knitting to run die bi-monthly program. The original installments of the knitting event were atten-dance-capped at 12 people, according to Brandon-Smith, due to space constraints in the Cube. Despite the See Knits, Page A$

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Nappanee Mayor Larry Thompson and his wife, Linda, pose while Thompson receives award as 'Citizen of the Year'.

Commerce. Panthers top Wawasee for sectional title Thursday, March 12 Dakiyron Fox had 19 points and 10 rebounds his thirdstraight postseason double-double as the Class3A 7th-ranked North Wood Panthers

defeated Wawasees3-48 to capture their second straight sectional championship. Thompsons honored for service to community Nappanee Mayor Larry Thompson, and wife Linda Thompson were together named 'Citizen of the Year' by the Nappanee Area

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Photo/Nell King Former mayor Larry Thompson swears in Mayor Phillip Jenkins as Jenkins' wife, Diane, holds a leadership bible that Thompson passed on to the new mayor.

New Year, new officials

By Neil King Correspondent NAPPANEE There was an air of excitement in the City Council Chambers of Nappanee City Hall on the first day of the new year as a new mayor was sworn in along with two new city common council members. Former Mayor Larry Thompson, who held the office from 1996-2016, swore Mayor Phillip Jenkins in during a ceremony in front of a crowd of over 50 witnesses. As Jenkins was sworn in his wife, Diane, held a leadership bible that Thompson gave to his prot6g6. "I have a lot of respect for Phil to continue to build on the these things that we've worked on together," Thompson said. "The city is headed in a good direction now, and as long as he continues to do things that are in place and to build on those projects, he'll do a great job." Thompson said that Jenkins was working towards being mayor of Nappanee for his whole life and noted that even as a college student Jenlcins had worked for file dty during the summer. According to Thompson, it was Jenkins' hard work ethic,

INSIDE Nappanee 2016 plans Page A 2

Chamber of Commerce during the Annual Appreciation and Awards Dinner, held last month at Amish Acres Restaurant, Nappanee. The duo were said to be good stewards of their hometown community. They were described as offering leadership based on service, fueled by love of fellow man, and supported by a strong Christian faith.

intelligence and his leadership abilities that led Tnompson to groom Jenkins as his replacement. Previous to taking over his new office, Jenkins served as a member of the Board of Works and of the City Common Council. Randall Figg from South Bend came down to watch the ceremony on invitation by Jenkins. "I know Phil through , church, the Bible Baptist Church, and wnat I've noticed about him is that he is extremely professional," Figg said. "He's a good choice to take over a town that is growing as much as Nappanee is. One of the things about Phil is that he's an architect, so he has a mind for building things. He has a business mind that will help with file growth happening in this town." As for Jenkins, he says it felt good to see file culminatibn of the last two years of running for office come to fruition. "My first order of business is to look at the day-to-day operations of the dty and become more familiar with what everyone is doing and how things are being run," Said Jenkins. "I'm very humbled by the position See Officials, Page A 2

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Nappanee honors veterans Thursday, May 28 The City of Nappanee celebrated all veterans near and far, May 25, during a morning Memorial Day Parade followed by a memorial service outside City Hall. Nappanee Mayor Larry Thompson was escorted to the event in a motorcycle sidecar driven by Freedom Riders Mitch and Linda Grevenstuk. National Anthem was sung by Steve Hunsberger, father- of the late Travis Hunsberger, a North Wood High School graduate killed in action during 2008. Time is now for North Wood Senior class Thursday, June 11 Approximately 176 students from the North Wood High School class of 2015 bid adieu to their high school careers as they joined for graduation on June 5. See Review, page A 8