EASTSIDE SPORTS: Volleyball team defeated by two opponents, MORE ON PAGE 4
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2013
THE
Butler An edition of
The
Bulletin
147th YEAR — ISSUE #37 On the web at: kpcnews.com
75 cents Butler, Indiana ESTABLISHED IN 1866
Students learn of texting hazards
Jeff Jones
Senior Danielle Didion watches as classmate Wes Timmerman attempts to text and drive in a simulator during the Distracted Driving program at Eastside Wednesday. The event is part of the National Save a Life Tour, and was sponsored by DeKalb Health hospital.
COMMUNITY EVENTS Sewer district board to meet Sept. 18 SPENCERVILLE — The St. Joe-Spencerville Regional Sewer District board of directors will hold their monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the Spencerville Community Club. The public is invited to attend.
Two railroad crossings closed BUTLER — Two Norfolk Southern railroad crossings are closed for repairs, according to DeKalb County Central Communications. The affected crossings are at C.R. 75 and U.S. 6 and C.R. 53 and U.S. 6.
Spencerville farmers market open SPENCERVILLE — The Spencerville farmers market is open every Thursday. The market will be located at the Spencerville Community Building on C.R. 68. Hours are 4-7 p.m. each Thursday. For more information, please call Roberta Carnahan at 238-4532.
Helping Hands Ministry open BUTLER — Helping Hands Ministry is an outreach ministry of Christ’s Church at Butler assisting needy families in the Butler area. Monetary contributions and donations of new or gently-used clothing and bedding items are accepted during business hours. Individuals may visit and shop for bags of items priced at $3-$5 each. Helping Hands is located at 136 W. Main St. and is open Tuesdays 4-6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to noon. A food pantry is open the second Tuesday of each month from 4-6 p.m.
Submit your news BUTLER — The Butler Bulletin has a new email address for your church, club or group to share its news and photos. The new email address is jjones@ kpcmedia.com. THE
Butler Bulletin P.O. Box 39 Butler, IN 46721 PHONE: 868-5501
BY JEFF JONES jjones@kpcmedia.com BUTLER — Eastside High School senior Wes Timmerman sat behind the wheel, driving along a windy road, with passenger cars, school buses and fire trucks whizzing past in the opposite lane. As he drove, he was also attempting to read a received text message. Seconds later, Timmerman’s car crashed into a school bus, and he was dead. Fortunately, this wasn’t an actual crash, and Timmerman and the passengers on the bus are alive and well. Timmerman’s “accident” occurred in a simulator as part of the Distracted Driving Program in Eastside’s Millie Hansen Auditorium Wednesday. Distracted Driving is a division of the National Save a Life Tour, based in Grand Rapids, Mich. The presentation was sponsored by DeKalb Health hospital. “Texting and driving is really dangerous, and you probably shouldn’t be doing it,” Timmerman said when asked what he learned from the program. “I was dead,” Timmerman said. “It sends a message pretty well.
“A lot of people I know (text and drive),” he said. “I’ve done it a few times, but I don’t do it often. I’m probably going to stop doing it now.” “They’re getting a safe perspective of what it’s like to text and drive,” explained presenter C.J. Rich. “As trivial as it may seem, it serves a point. You got into an accident in a simulator. The end. That’s the point,” he said. Rich’s involvement comes from personal loss. His sister died in a drinking-and-driving accident 15 years ago. Rich’s mother died when she was thrown from a motorcycle driven by his father, who was drinking drunk while on military leave. “My little sister was killed by a drunk driver 15 years ago, so I decided to go out and do presentations like this at high schools and military bases,” Rich explained. “I wanted to heighten the awareness of kids and make sure they know what can happen if they get in a car and text and drive or drink and drive.” During his presentation, Rich wore jeans and a T-shirt, typical apparel for his audience.
“When I first started doing this, I was a robot — in a suit and a tie,” he explained. “You have to build an association with the kids or with any kind of group and make them feel like, ‘Hey, that could be me,’ and give them a greater association with what you’re trying to explain to them. “Maybe when they go out, they’ll keep this in mind,” Rich said. In addition to the simulators, students watched a video with a graphic representation of a traffic accident and its aftermath. While texting and driving and drinking and driving are both impairments, most kids have a cell phone, and as a result, are more likely to be tempted to text while driving. “Drinking and driving is more dangerous because the alcohol goes to your bloodstream,” he said. “Even if they pull over to the side of the road, people get into accidents. You can’t take the alcohol out of your bloodstream while you’re driving. ➤ Texting, Page 6
Eastside band places fourth BY JEFF JONES jjones@kpcmedia.com BLUFFTON — Eastside’s Marching Blazer Pride band finished fourth in Class D at the “On the Banks of the Wabash” contest at Bluffton High School Saturday. Adams Central swept the special awards for best music, visual effect and general effect in taking first place. Woodlan was second, followed by Eastern (Greentown) and Eastside. Less than 1-1/2 points separated Woodlan, Eastern and Eastside, according to Eastside director Damon Newell. “The kids felt very good about the show,” he said. “At first, they were disappointed in our placing. However, after looking at how incredibly close the scores were, they became very excited. “I felt our band performed fairly well for their first time out this season,” Newell said. “Everyone was anxious to see
Close margin separates 2nd-4th places how the show would translate to the judges and to the audience. Obviously, there is a lot of work to be done as this week and the season progresses. “What I appreciated most about this first show is that we now have a snapshot of where we are and where we need to go,” he added. “This will help us to better focus our rehearsals on specific areas of concern. The theme for Eastside’s contest show is “These Gifts,” featuring music from “Scenes from Simple Gifts” by Key Poulan. Concordia captured all three ➤ Band, Page 6
Jeff Jones
Members of Eastside’s Marching Blazer Pride band perform at a recent football game. The Blazers finished fourth, less than 1-1/2 points out of second place, at Saturday’s contest at Bluffton High School. Eastside performs at the DeKalb Invitational this Saturday.
Butler to raise water rates 27 percent BY JEFF JONES jjones@kpcmedia.com BUTLER — Next year, Butler’s downtown water mains will receive much-needed replacement. Sept. 3, the Butler City Council adopted an ordinance to raise water rates by 27 percent and authorized city attorney Gerald McNerney to prepare a bond ordinance. The average household water bill will increase by about $7 per month, city officials said. The rate increase won’t take effect until the ordinance is adopted on its third reading. Council members approved the
first reading at the meeting. The increase was recommended in an August rate survey by consultant Crowe Horwath. The bond ordinance could be in the $1 million to $1.4 million range, McNerney said. “The water line on South Broadway is in desperate need of repair,” Mayor Ron Walter said. “In the 200 block, there are many places where it’s been repaired on the east side of the street. With the state indicating they are going to pave S.R. 1 sometime in the summer of 2015, if we’re going to do this, we need to do this in 2014.” The existing South Broadway
Aging water main to be replaced water mains are believed to be at least 100 years old. Another component of the project will replace a leaky water main along U.S. 6 to businesses east of the Norfolk Southern tracks. “It’s something that’s been talked about for a few years,” Walter said of the project. “Those
things don’t fix themselves, and yet it’s easy to ignore, because you don’t see them. The time for ignoring this water line has run its course, and it’s time to deal with it.” A rate increase would have been necessary even without the water main project, Walter said. That’s because Butler’s water utility lost just over $81,000 in 2012. State law prohibits utilities from operating in the red. That shortfall is partly the result of rising chemical costs, replacing a water pit in front of Eastside Junior-Senior High ➤ Butler, Page 6
Three new teachers join Butler faculty BY JEFF JONES jjones@kpcmedia.com BUTLER — Three teachers have joined the Butler Elementary School faculty in time for the 2013-2014 school year. Teachers will be featured in alphabetical order. A story about new teachers at Eastside Junior-Senior High School will appear in a future edition. Stephanie Griffith comes to Butler Elementary from Avilla. She is a graduate of Manchester College. She teaches first grade at Butler. “My passion is working with young children, and after experiencing the first “light-bulb moment” as a teacher, I was hooked,” Griffith said. When asked what she enjoys most about teaching, she said, “Watching my students learn and grow. It is amazing to see what children can do.” Griffith said fellow teachers and staff members at Butler Elementary have been
very helpful, and the building has a wonderful atmosphere. Before coming to DeKalb Eastern, Griffith was a cadet teacher in high school, participated in field placements in college, and was a student teacher with first- and fourth-grade students. Griffith enjoys reading, watching movies, playing volleyball, and spending time with family and friends. Todd Gump is from Fort Wayne. He graduated with a degree in telecommunications from Ball State University, and earned his master’s degree in elementary education from Valparaiso University. He will teach third grade at Butler. “I believe my desire to be an educator stems from my own love of learning,” Gump said. “I feel if I can instill that same love of learning in my students, then I’ve accomplished something. “My favorite thing about being an educator is seeing the transformation a student makes
when they finally understand a skill or concept that was once abstract to them,” he said. Gump said Butler Elementary and DeKalb Eastern is a made up of “a community of people who care, not just about education, but about each other as well,” he said. Before coming to Butler Elementary, Gump was a student teacher in Valparaiso. Upon moving back to Fort Wayne, he was a paraprofessional at DeKalb High School, working with special needs students. While thoroughly enjoying the experience, Gump wanted to start his teaching career. In his free time, Gump is an Ohio State Buckeyes fan. He also enjoys reading and movies. Gavin Wisel calls Garrett home. He is a graduate of Trine University, and holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. He teaches first grade. ➤ Teachers, Page 6