RAILROADER DEFENSE key in win over Chargers. MORE ON PAGE 6
The Garrett Clipper An edition of The
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2013
VOL. 127 ISSUE #72 On the web at: kpcnews.com
75 cents Garrett, Indiana Established in 1885
Students shine in IREAD3 testing By staff reports DeKalb County school districts are celebrating the performance of students and teachers in achieving superior results on this year’s IREAD3 tests. Results announced this week showed the Garrett-Keyser-Butler School District achieved a 92.6 percent passing rate on the reading test for third-graders. The state average was 91.1 percent. Superintendent Dennis Stockdale attributed his district’s pass rate to personalized learning. “I just think we are seeing
NEWS IN BRIEF PTA plans principal and pizza party
significant improvement in the growth of students by utilizing personalized learning,” Stockdale said. “It just shows that our commitment to personalized learning is working and that our staff is doing a tremendous job in getting students prepared.” Personalized learning tailors learning to the individual needs of each student. Students achieved 100 percent proficiency at both private schools in the county, Lakewood Park Christian School and St. Joseph School in Garrett.
At St. Joseph Catholic School, the school’s overall ISTEP scores were the highest in DeKalb County last year, and every third-grader passed IREAD3 for the second consecutive year. The school makes time for prayer and religious instruction during a typical week. “We’re here to prepare these kids for eternity,” St. Joseph Principal Kristine Call said. “I’m glad we do well on ISTEP, but the most important thing to me is eternity.” DeKalb Central school district
achieved a 97.4 percent. “We are very pleased with our students’ performance. I think our students’ success is reflective of strong classroom instruction, the strength of our literacy framework, the focus or priority we place on literacy instruction and professional development as well as the commitment our staff members, teachers and administrators give to ensuring our students’ learning needs are being met each and every day,” said DeKalb Central Assistant Superintendent Lynn Simmers.
JAM Center plans basket bingo
Medical chopper makes emergency landing ARI — A medical helicopter made an emergency landing in a bean field on the Noble County side of the Noble-Allen county line shortly before 11 a.m. Friday. The pilot of the helicopter out of South Bend advised there was a strong odor of something burning in the cockpit so it was necessary to set down, said Noble County Emergency Management Agency executive director Michael Newton. The pilot made an emergency landing on C.R. 600S near S.R. 205. No one was injured in the landing. A patient on board the helicopter was transferred to an ambulance and taken to a Fort Wayne hospital, Newton said. The LaOtto Fire Department was first on the scene and stood by while the transfer was made. Names of the patient and crew were not released. No fire was found after the landing, Newton said.
The Garrett Clipper P.O. Box 59 Garrett, IN 46738 Phone: 925-2611 ext. 45 Fax: 925-2625 attn: Garrett Clipper
Photos by Sue Carpenter
ABOVE — Garrett High School senior representatives for this year’s homecoming, from left, are Zujay Colin, Katie Hunkler, Matt Singleton, Dayton Sweet and Michaela Scherer. Bayley Ort is not pictured. AT RIGHT — Junior representatives, from left, are Shae Rowlison, Sivanah Ybarra, Wesley Totten and Amanda Stump. The homecoming king and queen will be named during halftime Friday on Memorial Field
IREAD3, Page 4
Tom Leech among Hall of Honor inductees
GARRETT HOMECOMING COURT
GARRETT — The J.E. Ober PTA is hosting a brief meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Enter door no. 4. Principal Kristi Surfus will be on hand to answer any questions. Pizza and snacks will be provided. One guest will win his or her choice of a student or adult Big Train ticket. The Garrett Fire Department will be on site to talk to kids about fire safety.
GARRETT — The 29th fundraiser for the Judy A. Morrill Recreation Center will be Sunday, Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. The event will feature games with prizes of Longaberger baskets, pottery and accessories. Doors open at 1 p.m. Admission is $25 in advance, which includes a Longaberger gift and 15 bingo games. Tickets will cost $30 at the door, if still available. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Tickets are available at all branches of Garrett State Bank, Hair Depot, Judy A. Morrill Recreation Center at 357-1917, Peoples Federal Savings Bank in Auburn, Thomas Funeral Home at 357-0444, Sue Blotkamp at 357-4788, Tom and Tina Drzewiecki at 357-6323, Anita Tullis at 437-4279 or from any JAM Center board member. All proceeds will benefit the Judy A. Morrill Recreation Center. The event will be held at the center, located at 1200 East Houston St.
“Our students and staff in each school are to be commended for such outstanding achievement,” said DeKalb Central Superintendent Sherry Grate. “As we review our results, we know that this is one more data point that we use to guide our instruction with our learners and to ensure our curriculum is aligned and meeting the needs of our students. This type of progress and transformation is a direct result of all staff working together to create a climate, culture
GARRETT —Three Garrett High School alumni from the 1950s will be inducted into the school’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Honor during homecoming festivities Friday, Sept. 13. Each will be recognized for his or her accomplishments in the academic and business world during events at the school on Friday, Sept. 13. Nominees are Dr. Shirley (Dickison) Phillips and John W. Green, PhD, both from Leech the Class of 1953; and Tom Leech from the Class of 1954. Leech, an author, coach and poet, is the third child of John and Catherine Leech. He was raised on S. Cowen Street and has high praise for the experience of growing up in Garrett and attending Will Franks Grade School and Garrett High School. His early experiences were as a paper boy on the Randolph Street route, hardware store worker-bee, and Garrett pool splasher helped shape his business and communication skills. These specialties led to teaching at several universities, and then starting his consulting-speaking business. As an author and journalist, he’s written books and articles on business, world travel, and nature, one of his major interests and concerns. Leech received his BS in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue in June 1959. He then took a job with General Dynamics in San Diego, and has lived there since. In 1970 he received his MS in Management Hall of Honor, Page 4
Coffee shop pours blessing in community By Sue Carpenter scarpenter@kpcmedia.com GARRETT — There won’t be a ribbon cutting for the grand opening of a new coffee shop in downtown Garrett this week. “God cut that ribbon in heaven a long time ago,” said Brother Bud Owen about the Cup a Blessing, part of the Corner Haven outreach mission of the First Church of Christ. “The Cup of Blessing is all about giving God the glory,” he said of the unlikely — or perhaps God-likely — circumstances that made Corner Haven a reality. The church originally looked at the former Ort’s Jewelry Store location at 131 S. Randolph St. to add space for a youth program. Most recently the site is was used as a church for another congregation. “We were just looking for a place for kids, but it was way too much,” he said of the $70,000 cost and the huge amount of space. Each time he and Jerry Weller, worship and pastoral minister at the church passed by the site, Owen said he had the feeling they were not done with the building — but couldn’t put his finger on it. After three years in the pulpit, Owen felt something was missing and began to question his purpose at the Garrett church where members were taking ownership about community impact. He phoned his dad, Pastor
Larry Owens in Kentucky and asked him for guidance. Larry Owen told him he believed were more challenges out there for the church. During a short vacation, Owen took along the book, “The Circle Maker” in which he ran across the passage where Christ fed the multitude with the fishes and loaves. Christ instructed the disciples to pick up the broken pieces left on the ground to feed many more so none would remain lost. “That was the challenge — we are going to go pick up the broken pieces,” he said. Suddenly that building came to mind and the idea to add a coffee shop in front to provide the needs of the community — like paying utility bills or car repairs. Another portion of the building could be used to feed the needy in the community — such as a roundtable church. The building could also provide enough space for Gina’s Clothing Closet run by Gina Walker from the church. But the for sale sign is gone when he returned from vacation. “I was sick to my stomach, couldn’t sleep for two days wondering why this was happening,” he said. It was a holiday weekend so he set a goal to find Realtor Jodi Kleeman to ask about the property — and to pump up a low tire on
Sue Carpenter
Carol Farney grinds coffee beans for a customer at the Cup of Blessing coffee shop in downtown Garrett. his truck at a local gas station. While there, he turned around and there was Kleeman fueling her car. “I said ‘Thank you, Lord,’” he said. She told him the bank now had the property and revealed the price had been reduced to about $42,000. In the meantime, Weller
realized all of his daily devotions were dealing with reaching out to people, believing in God more than yourself. Weller and Owen asked the bank to borrow a key for the building — and hadn’t even gotten to the business part yet. The pair Coffee, Page 4