Dupont Valley Times - June 2013

Page 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Business & Professional .................................................... B6 ClassiďŹ eds..............................................................................A4 Community Calendar ...................................................B14,15 Dining & Entertainment ..................................................B4,5 Healthy Times ................................................................A10,11 Leo-Cedarville Freedom .............................................. A14,15

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fwdailynews.com

Serving Northwest Fort Wayne & Allen County

June 28, 2013

Swimmers put safety ďŹ rst

Leo-Cedarville celebration mixes music and ďŹ reworks

By Garth Snow By Garth Snow

gsnow@kpcnews.net

gsnow@kpcnews.net

Heather Kresl says swimming classes also must be safety classes. Kresl, the instructional assistant at the Northwest Allen County Schools natatorium at Carroll High School, coordinated the schedule, lessons and instructors for the summer swimming program. Another class begins in September. Registration is not limited to NACS residents. Though she only recently began coordinating the classes, she has been close to the NACS swimming program for years. Her daughter Courtney, now 15, has been swimming competitively since age 7. Courtney belongs to the Northwest Aquatic Club and swims for Carroll High School, where she recently ďŹ nished her freshman year. “And it started because the school corporation offers school day lessons. They bus the kids over during gym class,â€? she said. “It’s

PHOTO BY GARTH SNOW

Gavin Robbins, 6, gets a hand from swimming examiner Claire Ellingson. Swimmers are assigned to class levels based on the skills they demonstrate.

been a great thing for our family.� Some of Carroll’s instructors also assist with the community swimming program. Just weeks into the

summer program, Kresl has seen results. “We’ve had a couple moms stop and tell me that they go to the lake a lot during the summer and they feel so much better about taking the kids

Allen fair queen contest July 21 Tayler Cummings says her year as Miss Allen County has allowed her to volunteer throughout the county. Even the 2012 pageant itself was an education, she said. “There is so much to learn from just being in the pageant,â€? she said. “You don’t have to place your ďŹ rst year. It’s the whole perspective behind it, and you’re wanting to represent where you live. I’m a huge advocate of volunteering. So this was deďŹ nitely right up my alley in volunteering.â€? As the pageant winner, she helped at promotions and other events. “You put your title out there and it helps tons of businesses,â€? she said. Her volunteer service included Camp Watcha-Wanna-Do, which serves children who are battling cancer. “It allows them to just go out and be kids,â€? she said. “Maybe they’ve been in the hospital and couldn’t do community events.â€? Cummings’ volunteer record includes the 2012 Fort Wayne downtown cleanup, a walk against autism, the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign, and a walk against breast cancer. “It was cool to see how strong these women were,â€? she said. Cummings will hand off the title July 21, when the 2013 queen is crowned. The application deadline is July 1. Cummings was entering her sophomore

year at IPFW when she won the 2012 pageant. The Carroll High School graduate was competing for the third time. “My mom was into beauty pageants, and I started off when I was 16, so I was deďŹ nitely one of the younger ones in the group,â€? she said. “I was just testing out the waters to see if I liked it, and I did. It was so much fun.â€? Cummings was second runner-up her second year in 2011, before winning in 2012. “So persistence pays,â€? she said. She enjoyed presiding over fair events. “There was something every day,â€? said. “A greased watermelon contest. A pizza eating contest. I helped out with karaoke. I got to announce the demolition derby and start it off.â€? Cummings said the state fair pageant was another level of competition. “I wouldn’t say it was overwhelming, but I’ll say it was an experience,â€? said Cummings, who described herself as “more of a hometown, down-to-earth kind of girl.â€? Tradition calls for each girl to bring something that represents her county, to share with her roommate. “Of course we’re all in Indiana, so we’re all corn lovers, but everybody brought something unique,â€? she said. “So I brought a little box of DeBrand chocolates and a little clutch from Vera Bradley, and a little pamphlet, a little snippet of what Allen County is about.â€? Pageant coordinators scheduled See FAIR, Page A4

See LEO, Page A15

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Times Community Publications

gsnow@kpcnews.net

3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808

By Garth Snow

up there, because the kids are more conďŹ dent in the water,â€? she said. “They’re not afraid of the water, and the kids have more fun when they’re not afraid. See SAFETY, Page A4

The Freedom Festival celebrates Independence Day, although the festival dates fall in June. This year marks Leo-Cedarville’s 13th Freedom Festival celebration. “This is actually the community of Leo-Cedarville’s ďŹ reworks, the Fourth of July celebration,â€? said Joe Justice, a committee member and festival performer. “With the Fourth of July falling on Thursday, we chose the weekend prior, so it didn’t conict with other events. So the whole event will culminate with the ďŹ reworks right on the river.â€? Events are held Friday and Saturday, June 28 and 29. “And it’s in Riverside Gardens in Leo, which is right on the reservoir in Leo, a lovely location,â€? Justice said. Peggy Garton, Leo-Cedarville’s town manager, is a co-chairperson of the festival. Garton has served on the committee for 10 years. She shares the lead role with John Clendenen, the town council president and the festival’s founder. “It’s grown from a hometown ďŹ reworks to what is now a two-day festival,â€? she said. Proceeds from the festival beneďŹ t Northeast Fire & EMS. Justice said he has served on the festival committee for at least ďŹ ve years. “What I personally like — what got me really involved — is the promoting of local entertainment, local churches, local organizations and businesses,â€? he said. “It really helps to foster a strong community in the Leo-Cedarville area, and it’s very family friendly.â€? “It’s a very well attended event,â€? he said. “By the time of the ďŹ reworks we have upward of 7,000 people in that park, and the ďŹ reworks itself is one of the best in the area.â€?

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