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January 20, 2017

Local railroaders accept retired Nickel Plate 624 From contributed material Steam Locomotive No. 624 will gleam once again, 60 years after hauling its last freight for the Nickel Plate Road.

The engine will steal the show at the Headwaters Junction railroad attraction envisioned for downtown Fort Wayne.

The 624 might even see limited service with Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society Inc. excursions.

The City of Hammond donated the engine to the FWRHS, rescuing No. 624 from a fenced-off park just six miles south of Lake Michigan, where it had battled decades of northwest Indiana weather. A private donor will finance the restoration.

FWRHS Vice President Kelly Lynch announced the agreement Jan. 4.

No. 624 is a Mikado-type locomotive built by the Lima Locomotive Works in 1922 and donated to the City of

Hammond in 1955 after racking up over a million and a half miles in freight service for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, more commonly known as the Nickel Plate Road. In recent years, 624’s condition has deteriorated due to exposure to the elements.

The FWRHS has owned and operated Nickel Plate Road No. 765, a larger Berkshire-type engine rescued from a Fort Wayne city park display in 1974.

“It’s been disheartening to see the deterioration over the years,” Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said of the 624.

“I’m happy to see it go to a good home.”

Lynch said the FWRHS is excited to carry on the legacy of this artifact of Hammond railroad history.

“Conversations about what to do with park engines like the 624 can be challenging for any community and it’s rare

COURTESY PHOTO

Engine No. 624 has stood silent in an outdoor enclosure in Hammond since 1955. It will be restored for display at a railroad attraction in Fort Wayne.

to have both the right opportunity, partners and experience as we do in the situation with 624,” Lynch said in a statement.

No. 624 will receive a full cosmetic restoration

COURTESY PHOTO

Fort Wayne Rugby Club members and guest athletes clash during a Snow Bowl at Winterval in downtown Fort Wayne.

Rugby players to clash in Snow Bowl at Winterval

January is tough for outdoor athletes, even for the rugged players of the Fort Wayne Rugby Club.

But rugby has never been about comfort,

according to Sam DiFilippo, the club president and the development officer for Rugby Indiana.

The Snow Bowl rugby match returns at 1 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 28, for the sixth installment of Winterval, a Fort Wayne

Parks & Recreation celebration of frosty sights and welcoming shelters.

“We’ve actually been pretty lucky,” DiFilippo said of Snow Bowl playing conditions.

See WINTERVAL, Page A14

INFortwayne Publications

gsnow@kpcmedia.com

3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808

By Garth Snow

and may be considered a candidate for restoration to operation pending a more thorough inspection.

The work to remove and rehabilitate No. 624 will be sponsored by a private

donor who has stepped forward and offered to manage the restoration project with the FWRHS providing technical support. Due to space limitations at the FWRHS

facility east of New Haven, restoration will be done at a private site in northeast Indiana.

“The railroad preservation industry and organizations like ours have to innovate in order to achieve their mission and this approach allows us to keep time and resources focused on the 765 and our core operations, while giving another important artifact a new lease on life,” Lynch said.

Lynch, whose family is from Munster and worked at the Indiana Harbor Belt Roundhouse in Hammond, originally became involved as a consultant to the effort to preserve 624 in 2007 during the first meeting of the Northwest Indiana Railroad Preservation Society.

Since 624’s arrival near Hammond’s Civic Center, the engine has received occasional maintenance, including asbestos abateSee LOCAL, Page A13

A2 • INfortwayne.com

New Haven • January 20, 2017

Central Lutheran School expands to absorb growth

By Rod King

For Times Community Publications

Enrollment has been growing exponentially at Central Lutheran School in New Haven over the past five years.

Every classroom is full to overflowing. The preschool even meets in the basement of Emanuel Lutheran Church just across the parking lot, and conference rooms and storage areas have been converted to offices.

That’s why special fencing has been erected and steel reinforcing rods are in place along Green Street for the new gym while concrete has been poured and walls are in place at the northeast end of the school for the new Early Childhood Center.

The Childhood Center will be completed in August and ready for the 2017-18 school year. The gym is expected to be ready in September.

“The Early Childhood Center will afford us an opportunity to continue to grow while providing a quality, Christ-centered education,” Principal Kevin Creutz said. “It is designed to better meet the needs of kids while allowing teachers greater flexibility. It will house four preschool rooms, two kindergarten classes

An architect’s drawing of the additions to Central Lutheran School shows the Early Childhood Center at the northeast end of the school and the new gym in the foreground. The project, which will cost around $6 million, was raised in a capital fundraising campaign.

PHOTOS BY ROD KING

Central Lutheran School Principal Kevin Creutz is excited for the new Early Childhood Center under construction behind him to be open for the start of the 2017 school year. It will house two preschool rooms, two kindergarten classes and two first grades.

and two first grades and each room will have a restroom. Also included is a student activity room, an office, conference room and kitchen.”

The gym, which has been a dream of the school’s for 30 years, will have a high schoolsize basketball court and retractable bleachers with seating for 400 spectators. In addition, it will include locker rooms, rest rooms, a conces-

sion area and a stage for drama productions. “This building will not only be an upgrade over the present gym which was built in 1952,” Creutz said, “but will give us a great deal of flexibility for scheduling practices, holding band and choir rehearsals and concerts, chapel services and other special events that come up during the school year.

“We’re anxious to get

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the preschool out of the church basement and into regular classrooms with more space and windows.

The program started three years ago with just 37 children and is nearly double this year. The Childhood Center will also alleviate some of the crowding in the present building when the kindergarten and first grades move in there. Secondthrough eighth-grade

students will remain in the current building.”

“Over the past eight years the school has grown from 290 students to more than 400,” he added.

The expansion has been in the talking and planning stage for the past five years. In 2015, a capital funding campaign was undertaken that garnered more than the $6 million

budgeted for the project.

“With the enrollment growth and the new facilities will also come the need for additional teachers, staff and custodial help,” Creutz said.

“We’re blessed to have the pledges in place to move forward with the construction and excited to have this new facility to serve our school families and the New Haven community.”

Circus plans seven shows Jan. 26-29 at Coliseum The 71st annual Mizpah Shrine Circus will present seven Fort Wayne shows, Jan. 26-29, at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, 4000 Parnell Ave., Fort Wayne.

Tickets range in price from $14 to $22.

Show times are: Thursday, Jan. 26, 6:30 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan.

29, 1 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.

The Tarzan Zerbini Circus will present three rings of fun.

Features include white and gold tigers, Tulga the Mongolian Strong Man, horsemanship by Erika Zerbini, the Tarzan Zerbini Elephants, the Wheel of Death, daring acts on the flying trapeze, The Bullet human cannonball, and clowns.

Between performances,

guests may visit the free Circus Fair in the lower level, where animals are available to see up close.

Pony rides and elephant rides are available for a fee.

Tickets are for sale at the Shrine Circus office, 1015 Memorial Way, east of Kroger on North Clinton Street. Tickets also are available at the Coliseum Ticket Office or online at MizpahShrineCircus.com.

INfortwayne.com • A3

New Haven • January 20, 2017

Community Center to add social, recreation options

By Rod King

For Times Community Publications

Progress toward a new community center in New Haven marked a milestone when the New HavenAdams Township Parks & Recreation Department moved its offices to 7500 S.R. 930 E. “We’re not officially open for business and won’t be until March or April, but residents are welcome to come in and take a look around,” Mike Clendenen, Parks & Recreation superintendent, said at the time of the move on Dec. 13.

“We’re located directly behind McDonald’s,” he said. “Our sign on the highway is right between Enterprise Car Rental and McDonald’s on the south side of the street. There’s a boulevard entrance with one lane on the west side of our sign closest to Enterprise leading in and two exit lanes on the east side of the sign closest to McDonald’s. The fast food restaurant is sharing the cost of maintaining the 100-yard-long boulevard leading to the center.”

“There is still work going on,” he said. “Some of our senior citizens have been dropping in to play cards. There’s actually one room, the Hickory Room, at the southeast

Work continues inside the former Fort Wayne Auto Auction facility, the new home to the New HavenAdams Township Parks & Recreation Department.

Landscaping and work on the walking trail will begin when favorable weather returns.

PHOTOS BY ROD KING

Mike Clendenen works in his new office at 7500 S.R. 930 E. in New Haven.

Clendenen is superintendent of the New Haven-Adams Township Parks & Recreation Department, which moved from its home on Hartzell Street last month.

corner which is dedicated strictly for seniors where they can gather for cards, luncheons, meetings or just hanging out. The room will have tables and comfortable couches and chairs.”

Visitors will find an expansive waiting area with two, large, wallmounted flat-screen television sets where people can wait for persons completing classes. Comfortable furniture has been ordered and a faux fireplace will be added. On the south side of the waiting area

is the Apple Orchard Dining Room with space for a dozen round tables.

The kitchen is empty now, but after being suitably equipped, will host dinners, Park Board meetings that are presently held in City Hall, and could possibly be used for cooking classes. Also on the south side is the Sassafras Room that could be used for child care.

The Willows Room on the west side of the waiting area is the classroom. It is equipped with an overhead projector, seminar tables and chairs.

Outdoors show returns with Beer & Bacon Fest The Outdoor Sport Lake & Cabin Show will feature a show within a show this year. Beer & Bacon Fest will be held Friday, Jan. 27, inside the outdoors show, which continues through Sunday, Jan. 29.

David Marquart of Coliseum Productions is producing both events at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, 4000 Parnell Ave., Fort Wayne.

Outdoors show hours are: Friday, Jan. 27, noon-10 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, with children 12 and under admitted free. Half-off admission is available to active military families with ID, or with a Shrine Circus ticket stub, or a Savor Fort Wayne restaurant receipt. The “Be Back Pass” to return any other day of the show is available at the exit.

Attractions include the lumberjack show, live chainsaw carving, a deep sea fishing simulator, air rifle and BB gun shooting ranges, Bass Pro and other fishing expert seminars, and more. Get details at outdoorsportlakecabinshow.com.

Beer & Bacon Fest will be available from

5-10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, within the outdoors show; a VIP hour is from 5-6 p.m. Tickets are $35, with an additional $10 charge if bought on the day of the event. Honor Flight Northeast Indiana will receive $5 from each ticket, with a goal to raise $10,000. “2017 is new and improved with new features like three times as many bartenders, twice the space, more breweries, more food, more cash bars, a VIP ‘fast pass’ line, Uber rides, games, a larger

dance area, two bands, the Walking Dead Winnebago, and all weekend access to the OSLCS,” promoters said in a statement. Registration covers all beer and food sampling, entertainment and shows. Purchase of full beer, cocktails and meals is separate. Capacity is limited to 2,000 people.

For more information, follow the beer-bacon-fest link at the outdoors show website.

Coliseum parking is $5 for the main lot, or $8 for preferred parking.

The building, which was formerly owned by Fort Wayne Auto Auction, has a 5,000-square-foot garage area on the west end that is being transformed into a three-room fitness center. The largest room, which covers 3,000 square feet, will be the workout area with a variety of exercise machines and free weights, while the remainder of the space will be configured so it can be partitioned into two exercise classrooms. Exercise classes will continue to be held in the Parks & Recreation building on Hartzell Street until the construction is complete.

Clendenen said it should be ready to occupy in the spring.

“Things are a little behind schedule,” he said, “because the Park Board felt the original bids were too high. They requested the bids be resubmitted and split into several different projects. That caused the external work to fall behind, and then it was stalled by winter weather conditions. The

The former Fort Wayne Auto Auction garage is being transformed into a three-room fitness center for the new New Haven-Adams Township Parks & Recreation Department Community Center. A workout center will cover 3,000 square feet, and will hold a variety of exercise machines and free weights. The other 2,000 square feet will be partitioned into two exercise rooms.

final coat will be applied to the parking lot in the spring and we’ll be planting trees and grass and we’ll then develop the walking trail.

“Meadowbrook Community Association has donated $3,000 to purchase trees which will be planted along the perimeter of the property and by the walking track, which will connect into the Meadowbrook addition. We’re hoping to do the planting around Arbor Day, April 28.”

Before being purchased by the City of New Haven, the property had been the site of East 30 Drive-in

Theater, the Marine Corps League reception hall, bar and restaurant and the Fort Wayne Auto Auction.

Desks left behind by the auto auction have been repurposed for use in the Parks & Recreation Department offices. The former Department headquarters on Hartzell Street will be listed for sale.

Clendenen said he and his staff are eager to get the building in full operation, but are taking things slowly because they want to make sure everything is done right. He added that he and his staff are open to any new program ideas from the public.

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A4 • INfortwayne.com

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Walk, service remember those who died homeless

By Garth Snow

Department offers free radon test kits year-round

Community members and “The Rescue Mission family” trekked from the Superior Street shelter to a downtown church Wednesday night, Dec. 21, for the annual Longest Night memorial walk.

The 99 people who filled the Krauss Chapel at Trinity English Lutheran Church heard the Rev. Sharon Gerig and Rebecca Karcher read the names and ages of nine homeless men who had died in Fort Wayne since the same walk on the first night of winter in 2015. One man’s age is unknown, but the oldest was 62 and the youngest 22. A pause separated the reading of each name.

“That might not be all, but it’s all that we know about,” Gerig said.

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health called special attention to the hazards of radon in January, but advocates for awareness year-round.

The Department urges residents to reduce their risk of lung cancer by having their homes tested for radon, and provides free test kits for that purpose.

Kits are in high demand during January, which is National Radon Action Month. Residents should call (260) 449-7561 to check availability before visiting a distribution site to pick up a kit.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is odorless and invisible. The kits, though, can determine whether there are dangerous levels of radon in a house. Radon is responsible for more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths

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New Haven • January 20, 2017

PHOTO BY RAY STEUP

Marchers remember loved ones and others who lived on Fort Wayne streets, during a Longest Night procession through downtown Fort Wayne.

community engagement for Trinity, told KPC of her reaction to the service.

“To think that I have a 23-year-old son and to see that the youngest was 22, it touches my heart,” she said.

Gerig, the director of emergency services and community outreach for The Rescue Mission, told KPC the service helped to show that all individuals have the same desires and deserve the same dignity and respect.

Karcher, the director of communications and

(Read the full story and see more photos by Ray Steup at INFortWayne.com.)

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Direct Mailed Distribution to 82,000

In Allen County & Surrounding Area

Our Staff: Randy C. Mitchell Publisher randymitchell@kpcmedia.com

Garth Snow Editor/Feature Writer gsnow@kpcmedia.com

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Fort Wayne Creative bwelty@kpcmedia.com

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Allen County Fair Queen Sophi Schultz (right) was named Miss Congeniality at the Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant in Indianapolis.

The Woodlan High School senior will be part of queen’s court at the 2017 State Fair, Aug. 4-20. Becca Lax (seated) of Vanderburg County is the 2017 queen.

Gabi Reese of Boone County is first runner-up.

Sydney Dobson of Jasper County is second runner-up.

Ashley Fritz of Hancock County is third runner-up.

Kaylee Gray of Pike County is fourth runner-up. Allen County pageant director Michelle Love, who was in Indianapolis for the pageant, said Schultz was chosen by the 86 other contestants.

“What an honor,” Love said. Schultz also was Miss Congeniality of the 2016 Allen County Fair, and was chosen Miss Photogenic.

each year in the United States.

Contact these locations to pick up a kit: • Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health, 200 E. Berry St., Suite 360, Fort Wayne. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. MondayFriday.

• Vector Control & Environmental Services, 2242 Carroll Road, Fort Wayne.

8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. MondayFriday.

• Grabill Town Hall, 13717 1st St., Grabill.

9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. MondayThursday.

• Leo-Cedarville Town Hall, 13909 Pony Express Run, Leo-Cedarville. 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. MondayFriday.

• Monroeville Utility Department, 101 S. Water St., Monroeville. No hours listed.

• New Haven Utility Payment Office, City Hall, 815 E. Lincoln Highway, New Haven. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Monday-Friday.

• Woodburn City Hall, 22735 Main St., Woodburn.

8 a.m.-1 p.m. MondayFriday Kits can also be purchased at local hardware and home improvement stores for about $30. Residents can also hire a qualified radon professional to perform a test.

“Be sure to follow the directions on the packaging for the proper placement of the device and where to send the test kit to get your results,” the Department said in a statement. “If a high radon level is detected in your home, a professionally installed reduction system can remove the radon from beneath your home and discharge it harmlessly outside.”

For more information on radon, visit allencountyhealth.com or epa.gov/ radon.

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Jazz trombonist Jackson to teach clinic at Snider Jazz artist, director and engineer Joe Jackson will teach and perform at the 26th annual Nicholas Invitational Jazz Festival on Saturday, Feb. 11, at Snider High School.

The school’s performing arts boosters have invited area middle school and high school ensembles.

Admission is $5. Watch INFortWayne.com for the schedule and updates.

Jackson, a trombonist, will present a clinic and perform with the Snider “Wind Machine” as part of the festival. Jackson is the former lead trombonist and music director of the famed Airmen of Note. He also has some Fort Wayne roots having attended both Shawnee Middle School and Northrop High School.

As a freelance trombonist

and arranger, Jackson performs with top East Coast big bands including the Woody Herman Orchestra, the David Liebman Big Band, Chaise Lounge, Melting Pot Big Band and Doc Scantlin. He has contributed commissioned arrangements to dozens of ensembles across the country, and his educational arrangements are published by Alfred Music.

Kevin Klee is director of bands and Helen M. Hockemeyer is orchestra director at Snider High School, 4600 Fairlawn Pass, Fort Wayne.

The jazz festival is named in honor of the late Carl Nicholas, whom Klee described as “former Snider choir director and longtime stalwart of Indiana school music activities.”

New Haven • January 20, 2017

INfortwayne.com • A5

Special Olympics enlists brave allies for icy dip Friends of Special Olympics will be “Freezin’ For a Reason” on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the lake at Metea County Park near Leo-Cedarville. Registration will be 10-11:30 a.m., followed by the Polar Plunge and then an After Splash Bash in the Metea County Park Nature Center.

Participants register online at polarplungeIN. org, then work to generate at least $75 in pledges. As of Jan. 13, four teams were registered for the northeast Indiana event. Donors may select a team to support at that same website.

The Polar Plunge will be repeated at 18 Indiana locations in February and March to take in pledges and to foster awareness of Special Olympics’ training and competition

programs. Volunteers are needed to organize and staff each event.

“We’ve been doing this a long time now, and most people are familiar with the concept — but I think the newcomers are surprised at how much fun we have in spite of the cold,” Special Olympics spokesman Scott Furnish said in a statement. Furnish is the senior director of development for Special Olympics Indiana.

“Whether you want to challenge yourself by taking the Plunge or you just want to support our athletes throughout the state, this is a great opportunity to get involved and to support what we do,” he said.

Funds directly benefit more than 12,000 Special Olympics athletes throughout the state, giving them the means

to train locally and to compete at the state level in a number of Olympic-type sports.

The organization’s signature fundraiser has raised more than $3 million in support of year-round programs and events, including a record $690,232 in 2016.

Locally, the total was almost $30,000. More than 3,000 individuals are expected to take the plunge in Indiana this year, raising a minimum of $75 each.

The Polar Plunge is presented by the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Special Olympics Indiana. Companies and other organizations can support the Polar Plunge through corporate sponsorships or employee matching programs.

COURTESY PHOTO

Special Olympics athletes and Fort Wayne Police Department officers pose with the Special Olympics torch after a Freezin’ For a Reason Polar Plunge at Metea County Park Nature Center, where the 2017 Plunge will be held Saturday, Feb. 11.

Children’s Zoo accepting scholarship applications The Fort Wayne Zoological Society is accepting applications for the Lawrence A. Ackerman Scholarship, which bestows a one-time, $2,000 award to a college-bound high school senior pursuing an animal-related career.

The scholarship award is based on an applicant’s character, commitment to the stewardship of animals, financial need and scholastic achievement. Graduating high school seniors in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties in

Indiana are eligible to apply.

The Fort Wayne Zoological Society established the scholarship in 1992 to honor the career of the late Dr. Larry Ackerman, who served as the zoo’s veterinarian for 25 years.

Interested students can download an application at kidszoo.org/ employment-opportunities/. Students may also request an application by calling the zoo office at (260) 427-6800 or visiting their school guidance office. The application deadline is Feb. 1.

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A6 • INfortwayne.com

Grabill partnerships help whole community

By Bridgett Hernandez bhernandez@kpcmedia.com

For a small community, a grocery store has the power to bring people together, but sometimes “you have to lose your grocery store or your gas station before you appreciate it,” said Wilmer Delagrange, Grabill Town Council president.

This was the situation Grabill found itself in, in 2005. Amish resident Elmer Lengacher said the town was headed in the wrong direction.

“Our grocery store left, the gas station closed up, businesses were closing up left and right in this town,” he said.

Concerned members of the community – both Amish and non-Amish – came together to discuss possible solutions for bringing a grocery store back to the community and getting the town back on the right track.

At one community meeting, the idea of pooling resources to create a co-op grocery store was proposed, Lengacher said.

As a result, 86 families each put $5,000 forward to get the ball rolling. A year later, the investors opened a Save-A-Lot. “This is where the Amish

PHOTOS BY BRIDGETT HERNANDEZ

An Amish employee stocks the shelves at Grabill Country Sales.

and the non-Amish – we call them ‘English’ – work together,” he said. “This community is strong on working with each other.

We need each other.”

The Save-A-Lot in Grabill was the first in the chain to open under a co-op, Delagrange said. In talks with the chain, he said Save-A-Lot considers the Grabill location its most successful operation out of 1,200 stores.

“It’s turned our whole town around,” he said.

The venture was such a success, the same group of investors decided to invest in a second commu-

Full-Time Reporter KPC Media Group is seeking a full-time reporter to work in our Fort Wayne office.

Job responsibilities include: • Write well-researched, data-driven, breaking news stories • Prepare weekly column • Use social media to promote stories • Assist with proofing pages as needed • Assist in sponsored events Qualifications: • Bachelors Degree, preferably in Journalism • Experience working under a tight deadline • Must know how to use basic Microsoft Office programs, experience in InDesign & Excel a plus • Basic photography skills, video skills a plus • Ability to multi-task and work in a team environment KPC Media is a family-owned company offering competitive pay and benefits.

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EOE/Drug Free Workplace

The Save-A-Lot grocery store in Grabill operates under cooperative ownership.

nity grocery store, Grabill Country Sales, a bulk food retailer offering Amishmade foods and goods. The store is located right next door to the Save-A-Lot. “You would think that Grabill Country Sales would be in direct competition with the Save-A-Lot, but they’re not,” Lengacher said. “They feed off of one another.”

Lengacher, who is on the board of directors that oversees both stores, said the success of the SaveA-Lot has opened doors for Amish and non-Amish people to find ways to work together. These part-

nerships have splintered off into other cooperative ventures.

Lengacher is excited about Grabill’s future and the partnerships that have yet to be realized. A few ideas that he’s hoping to make a reality include a restaurant and hotel “in the Amish fad” as well as a concept he’s calling “dinner on wheels,” a horse-drawn buggy ride that tours the Grabill countryside while its riders dine.

(Bridgett Hernandez is a reporter for Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly. Read this article in full and find a related article about Amish entrepreneurs in LaGrange County at fwbusiness.com.)

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New Haven • January 20, 2017

Carroll Classic features area school show choirs Middle school and high school show choirs and soloists will compete in the Carroll Classic Show Choir Invitational.

Carroll High School is at 3701 Carroll Road, Fort Wayne.

Middle school choirs will compete at 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 20, with awards at approximately 10 p.m. High Schools will perform Saturday, Jan. 21.

Friday night admission is $6. Single-session admission for either Saturday morning or Saturday night is $10.

Admission for all day Saturday is $15.

The local middle school choirs competing Friday evening include Carroll Middle, Memorial Park, Northwood, Indian Springs, Shawnee and Churubusco. Maple Creek Middle School will be the evening’s host.

The high schools competing all day Saturday in the unisex division include Bishop Dwenger, Anderson and Northrop. Carroll’s Select Sound will host the Unisex division.

The high schools competing in the Varsity division on Saturday

include Bellmont, Garrett, Pendleton Heights, Ada and Crestview.

The high schools competing in the Championship division on Saturday include Woodlan, Bishop Dwenger, New Castle, Anderson, Bishop Luers, Northrop and Churubusco. Carroll’s Minstrel Magic will host the Championship division.

Women’s groups begin performing on Saturday at 8 a.m. Varsity groups begin performing on Saturday at approximately 9:30 a.m.

Women’s awards start at approximately noon, followed by a lunch break. Championship groups begin performing at 1 p.m. Preliminary awards are at approximately 5 p.m. Women’s finalists begin performing at 6:30 p.m. Mixed finalists begin performing at approximately 7:55 p.m.

Final awards begin at approximately 10:30 p.m.

The event also includes individual solo vocal competitions on Saturday, with over 30 singers competing.

Vendors will be on site. Food will be available.

Windsong sets talent calls for two 2017 family films A local movie company will hold a cast and crew call-out from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Allen County Public Library in downtown Fort Wayne.

Windsong Pictures is looking for bands, musicians, singers, dancers, actors, artists and technically oriented students and adults for two family-friendly productions in 2017. Windsong has operated as a nonprofit, educational motion picture company since 1975.

In “Musical Movie Magic,” a core group of actors travels throughout the region scouting for musical and dancing talent that perform in the area. Their goal is to highlight the top performers and air them on social media to help rocket them to fame and success. “This highly entertaining film will showcase talent and be a mega music video hit parade,” Windsong said in a statement.

The short film

“Cinderella” will feature children at the title character’s magic castle and in a secret enchanted forest with friendly animals. “Children of all ages will delight in performing in this fantasy production as good triumphs in the end because love always wins the day,” Windsong said.

Call-outs also are planned at: • Eckhart Library, Auburn, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 6:30-7:45 p.m.; • Kendallville Library, Kendallville, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 7-8:30 p.m.

• Carnegie Public Library, Angola, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 6:30-8 p.m.

• Peabody Library Auditorium, Columbia City, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 6:30-8 p.m.

• LaGrange County Public Library, LaGrange, Tuesday, March 7, 6:30-8 p.m.

Michael Floyd is the executive producer of Windsong. For more information, visit WindsongPictures.com.

INfortwayne.com • A7

New Haven • January 20, 2017

Fort Wayne effort aids Syrian refugees in Indy

By Rod King

For Times Community Publications

Sarab Horani of Fort Wayne is passionate about helping Syrian refugees coming into Indiana. She spearheaded collections here of clothing, furniture and household necessities to be distributed to more than 50 families who have arrived in Indianapolis.

She has helped to send four truckloads of goods since May. Her brother, who lives in Evansville, brought up an 18-wheeler full of goods.

Another truck will be heading south from Fort Wayne in the spring.

Horani adopted a woman from Chad and her five children and has been helping them to assimilate into life here in Fort Wayne. “Her story of how they existed with practically nothing moved me so much that I reached out to the local Islamic community for help,” Horani said.

“It was humbling and amazing how people didn’t hesitate to donate money, some as much as $500 to $1,000 to purchase furniture, food and other supplies.

People I didn’t even know called and donated.

My feeling that people are basically good was reaffirmed.

“That woman is a real success story now. She learned English, has

moved into a nicer house and opened a licensed, Level 4 day care facility, and she’s done it all with only an eighth-grade education. In addition, three of her children have earned scholarships to Canterbury School. I couldn’t be happier.”

Collecting items has not been a one-person job. Many throughout the community have been picking up items from friends and neighbors and some have even driven van loads to Indianapolis. One local woman has turned her three-car garage into a warehouse to store goods for the next shipment.

Because most of the refugee families live in the same apartment complex in Indianapolis, trucks just pull up in front and the people come out. “They tell us what they need,” Horani said, “and we try to accommodate. It’s not just for Syrian refugees.

If others living there need things, we help them too because poverty encompasses all races, nationalities and religions.”

“I’ve gone along with each of the trucks and I’m thrilled to see improvements in the refugees’ quality of life.

Their kids are in school and they’re all learning English. Some of the children were so excited to go to school they were

PHOTO BY ROD KING

Sarab Horani examines a bag of donated clothing to be provided to Syrian refugees arriving in Indianapolis.

getting up at 5 a.m. and waiting on the curb long before the school bus was scheduled to arrive because they didn’t want to be missed. Since I speak and write Arabic and most of the new arrivals don’t speak any English, I made labels in Arabic to put on cleaning supplies so they would know how they are to be

used.”

Syrian refugee families began coming to Indianapolis in May. Since then Catholic Charities and a group known as Exodus have been sponsoring refugees and finding them short-term (three to six months) accommodations.

“However, once that time has elapsed,” Horani

said, “they’re pretty much on their own. It’s scary for them because most can’t speak English and haven’t been able to find work which literally means they’re left out in the cold.”

She said the first 50 Syrian refugee families to come to Indianapolis are now self-sufficient, working at least one job.

“Most of them have paid back the air fare loaned them by Catholic Charities and Exodus and they have purchased vehicles,” she said. “These are not people who just left Syria and moved into a settlement camp.

They’ve been living in camps and have been on a waiting list for four to five years. They’ve been thoroughly vetted by the U.S. government and have even gone through a government sponsored workshop to learn what it takes to adapt to life in America. In addition, they are well educated tradesmen, physicians, pharmacists, mechanics, repairmen and shop owners.

“Now that the state is accepting Syrian refugees, I’m hoping two or three families will make it to Fort Wayne. I personally would adopt Syrian orphans and help others get settled here.”

Horani and members of the Islamic school on Goshen Road where she volunteers started

an online organization called Our Fort Wayne Community. They use it to post stories about the struggles confronting refugees.

Horani and her daughter, Deena, are planning to go to Turkey this summer to work in an orphanage for two or three weeks. Deena, a junior at Canterbury High School, is organizing a drive at school this month to collect quality goods for the refugees.

Horani, a native of Damascus, came to the U.S. in 1982 at age 19.

She and her fiancé, Imad, who came in 1981, were married and lived in Maryland before moving to Fort Wayne. She has lived here longer than in her own country. She was a substitute teacher for Fort Wayne Community Schools for 12 and a half years. Imad, a physician, is involved in Syrian American Medical Society, which raised more than $250,000 in Fort Wayne alone for medicine and medical equipment for refugee camps in Syria, Turkey and Lebanon.

Persons interested in donating money, furniture, pots and pans, clothing and supplies can drop off those donations at Friends of the Third World, 611 W. Wayne St., Fort Wayne. Call (260) 422-6821.

Cinema Center presents animated ‘Prince Achmed’ Cinema Center will complete the season’s Sound & Shadow silent film series with the first animated feature film, “The Adventures of Prince Achmed.”

The screening will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at Cinema Center, 437 E. Berry St., Fort Wayne. General admission is $15; members and students pay $10. Tickets are available at cinemacenter.org. This screening will be accompanied by a live score from the duo Silbo Gomero. All proceeds benefit the musicians and Cinema Center.

Artlink Contemporary Gallery will sponsor the screening.

Huntington University faculty member Steve Leeper will lead a discussion of the film and animation style at 6 p.m. in the Spectator Lounge.

“The Adventures of Prince Achmed” was directed by German director Lotte Reiniger, who spent three years making this silent animated film based on the Arabian Nights legends. “The dashing Prince Achmed saves a lovely damsel from evil

witches and mythical beasts, as well as discovering Aladdin’s lamp, all in the beautiful silhouette style of animation which Reiniger herself developed,” Cinema Center said in a statement.

The animated film was released in 1926, 11 years before Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

Silbo Gomero is Hope Arthur and Kurt Roembke. The two

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composers first heard each other’s work at the Fort Wayne Fringe Festival. Arthur had just founded the Hope Arthur Orchestra and was playing her debut album, and Roembke was performing

a multimedia performance piece titled “Hunting For Mushrooms.” The two started composing together for live dance productions, film scores and other mediums, eventually taking on the name

Silbo Gomero.

Fort Wayne Cinema Center Inc. is a not-forprofit society. To read more about its mission and to follow the schedule, visit cinemacenter.org.

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A8 • INfortwayne.com

New Haven • January 20, 2017

Jan. 24 summit targets Allen County food waste

By Garth Snow

gsnow@kpcmedia.com

Food is going to waste while people are going hungry.

The Allen County Solid Waste Management District hopes to address both problems and to capture the momentum for change at a Food Waste Reduction Summit on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

Jodi Leamon, the District’s business technical coordinator, expects that conference to present an overview and to generate smaller task forces with short-term action plans. “We’ve all committed to eliminating food waste,” Leamon said. “Most people can get behind that. It’s a very solvable problem.”

The summit will

convene from 10 a.m.12:30 p.m. at The Parkview Mirro Center for Research and Innovation, 10622 Parkview Plaza Drive, Fort Wayne.

All are welcome, but attendees are asked to RSVP to assist the District with planning.

Visit acwastewatcher.org/ food-waste-reductionsummit, or email info@ acwastewatcher.org, or call (260) 449-7878.

Tom Carpenter, the director of Sustainability Services for Waste Management, will discuss the state of food waste in the United States. “He will speak on zero-waste initiatives, and he will give us a bird’s-eye view of what he has seen from all over the world,” Leamon said.

“He will give us some of

the more concrete steps we can take as soon as possible.

“We will have a panel discussion with experts from the EPA and Kroger and Republic Services, which is our hauler, and from the Board of Health to answer questions. All of the municipalities in Allen County will be represented in an open discussion.

“We’re covering a lot, the whole spectrum of food waste from farm to disposal and then circling back around to composting on the farm.

We hope to leave that day having formed some smaller groups with some action plans, some task forces on topics such as getting food from large events to the hungry and homeless in

our community.

“We hope to answer questions about the legality of donating food, and clear up misconceptions so there’s a more clear pathway for the food to reach the people.”

Leamon cited reports that perhaps 40 percent of the food produced in America goes to waste, while an estimated 1 million Hoosiers are food-insecure.

She said freshness dates on packaged foods contribute to confusion and to a food shortage.

“There are several different terms. There’s ‘Sell By.’ There’s ‘Use By.’ There’s ‘Best By.’ And those are completely unregulated, and people don’t know what they mean,” Leamon said.

DR. ALAN WOLFELT SEMINAR April 18th and 19th It is the desire of the McComb family to offer assistance to everyone throughout the Fort Wayne community who has been touched by grief. D.O. McComb & Sons will be hosting Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D., at our annual grief seminar. This will be our 26th consecutive year sponsoring Dr. Wolfelt and his teachings. We have designed two seminars to better meet the needs of all attending.

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For those grieving the loss of a loved one to assist him/her through the journey of grief.

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5 clock hours or CEU credit hours available for a small fee; call or visit our website for more information.

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“People are throwing away food that is perfectly fine.”

Families might hesitate to donate food that is approaching one of those dates. “But there is zero liability,” Leamon said. A federal law to that effect took effect in the ’90s, she said.

She said the District also will provide tools for families to plan ahead to create meals while the food is at its freshest.

So-called “ugly food” — produce that might not be cosmetically desirable but which is perfectly edible — might not make it to market.

With the help of partner agencies such as Serving Simply, food that is left over from large, public events can go directly to those who

need it on very short notice.

“There are different strategies for producers, consumers, grocers, restaurants, institutions and charities,” the District said in a statement. “Attendees will share their experiences and the District will serve to provide resources for finding solutions to the problem of food waste.”

Leamon’s high hope for the January summit is based on the enthusiasm that grew from an exploratory meeting in October. “We overflowed the room, and we had so much interest, and the Mirro Center was generous enough to donate their facility for a larger meeting,” she said.

Nominations due for 12th Athena Awards program Greater Fort Wayne Inc. is accepting nominations for the 2017 Athena Awards program, through Feb. 17.

The 12th annual Athena Awards luncheon will be 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 29, at Hotel Fort Wayne, 305 E. Washington Center Road. Nominees will be recognized and the awards recipients will be announced.

Individual tickets are $35. Payment is nonrefundable. RSVPs are required. Register

by March 22 at athena. gfwinc.com.

The Athena Awards program celebrates exceptional men, women and organizations who have served the community in a meaningful way and have assisted women toward professional goals and leadership skills. These individuals are recognized through the Leadership Award, the Young Professional Award, and the Organizational Leadership Award.

The Leadership Award honors individuals who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession, who contribute time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and who assist women in realizing their leadership potential.

The Young Professional Award honors emerging women leaders, 40 and under, who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or professions, provide

valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and serve as role models for young women both personally and professionally.

The Organizational Leadership Award recognizes an organization within the community that creates an organizational culture that encourages women employees to achieve their full leadership potential and that gives back to the larger community of women and girls through leadership development opportunities and initiatives.

Nomination forms for the three local awards are now available on the GFW Inc. website at greaterfortwayneinc. com/athena. Nominators are encouraged to work closely with nominees to complete the nomination forms. The deadline for nominations for all awards is Feb. 17.

Table sponsorships are available at $500. Table sponsors receive one table for eight individuals to attend the event.

Distinguished sponsorships are also available; contact Audrea Castaneda at (260) 420-6945 or acastaneda@greaterfortwayneinc.com.

Founded in 1982, Athena International’s mission is honoring, developing and supporting women leaders, inspiring women to reach their full leadership potential to create a balance of power worldwide. Learn more at athenainternational.org.

INfortwayne.com • A9

New Haven • January 20, 2017

Festive fairgrounds trees bring cheer to the needy

By Garth Snow

gsnow@kpcmedia.com

Decorated Christmas trees that drew admiration and prizes at Christmas in the Country were donated to the area’s less fortunate.

Cross Border Partners delivered the trees that were on exhibit two recent weekends at the Allen County Fairgrounds. The public voted for their favorite trees.

Henry Kiess is the director of the philanthropic agency that chose the homes and delivered

the trees. He thanked the fairgrounds workers who made the trees available.

Fairgrounds workers remove lights and ornaments from the trees, pack them in a box, and make it all available to CBP. “The Fairgrounds furnishes the stands, and we supplied them with the stands this year,” Kiess said. “They donate Christmas trees to us and have a lottery where we pass out the trees to our voucher people.”

CBP helps families with other needs, too, and depends on donors to make that possible.

“We pick up all over Fort Wayne and all the surrounding areas,” Kiess said. “We pick up anything but food and we pass it out to the needy.”

“To be classified as needy you have to come from an organization here in Allen County that has a home visit to make sure you are needy. You can come to us 12 times — one time a month — never to come back onto the program.

“We are here to assist you, and you’re limited to certain things: one couch in a year; one living room chair; six

Comedy festival accepts action and other genres Concordia Lutheran High School is accepting entries for the expanded Concordia Comedy Festival.

The festival will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, April 28, at IPFW. In its second year, the Comedy Festival is moving beyond comedy to include action/suspense/ thriller, documentary and animation.

Entries are due Feb. 24, and finalists will be announced April 10. All of the finalists’ films will be shown on the big screen in Neff 101 at IPFW and

then a reception will be held in the lobby where the finalists can meet and talk to the judges. The names of judges will be announced at a later date.

The winners will be announced at the event April 28. The winner will receive a GoPro camera. The top winner in each category will be awarded a Fandango gift card. Groups will only be awarded one prize.

Entries can be uploaded at ConcordiaComedyFestival.com. Submissions may not be longer than three minutes, including

credits, which are not required. Entries should be free of profanity and appropriate to show in front of a large audience of students and adults. No more than four entries per person will be accepted.

The Concordia Comedy Festival is open to any student in Grades 6-12 currently attending a school or being homeschooled in the following counties: Allen, Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, Wells and Whitley.

To learn more, visit ConcordiaComedyFestival.com.

pieces of clothing for everybody per month. We need books and pictures.

We need silverware, pots and pans, can openers, coffee pots, dishes, bed frames. We never get enough skillets and such items, and we only allow them one skillet or one pot. They’ve got to be a little bit responsible.

“We need mattresses, too. We’ve had a good supply of linens the past seven or eight months, and we are buying blankets as we can afford them.”

CBP sells some surplus items to help pay for

the insurance on its two trucks and one van.

CBP keeps two parttime employees. “We have roughly 20 volunteers to make this place go,” Kiess said.

“It’s all nonprofit. We are represented to our voucher people through about six churches here in the Fort Wayne area.

It’s a Christian-based organization, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with a board. And the board people are right here; they’re volunteers too.”

He repeated that the assistance is tempo-

rary. “We’re helping roughly 27 people on a Tuesday and that many on a Thursday, taking on about seven or eight new ones a month and that many going off every month. That’s it. Period.

Forever. We’re here to get them started, help them get their house put together.”

Cross Border Partners is at 4611 Newaygo Road, Fort Wayne. It is next-door to D&R Lubricants. “The building is donated, but we pay the utility bills,” Kiess said.

Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays.

SANTACON SCENE

FILE PHOTO

Brooke Auld and Sean Dold, both of Fort Wayne, become Cindy Lou Who and The Grinch for the first Santacon Fort Wayne. Hundreds of Santas and other Christmas characters visited nine downtown pubs Dec. 10 for the charity fundraiser. Learn more about Santacon by watching Ray Steup’s video on InFortWayne.com.

YLNI’s My City Summit keys on value of diversity Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana will hold the My City Summit on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the University of Saint Francis Performing Arts Center, 431 W. Berry St. in downtown Fort Wayne.

The event will run from 5-9 p.m., with registration opening at 4:30 p.m. and speakers beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at MyCitySummit.com.

The Ian Rolland Courageous Leadership Award and YLNI Emerging Leader Award recipients will be recognized at the event.

My City Summit will address harnessing diversity to generate and implement ideas. The keynote is author, speaker and political and cultural analyst Rich Benjamin, who wrote “Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America.” Courtney Tritch of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and Allison Green from Lincoln Financial Group also will speak.

My City Summit began in 2012, created to strengthen community attachment for young

college graduates.

“These inspired individuals are the future of our economy and the cornerstone of cultural development that will continue to shape Fort

Wayne as an attractive place to live and work for all generations,” said Stephanie Veit, YLNI president.

For details, visit YLNI. org.

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A10 • INfortwayne.com

New Haven • January 20, 2017

Genealogy Center assists in research of ancestors

By Bridgett Hernandez bhernandez@kpcmedia.com

The growth of websites such as Ancestry.com has helped bring more people into the fold of genealogical research by making resources more accessible.

These online tools are helpful to those searching for family connections, but the avalanche of possible matches can be overwhelming.

“For most researchers, it’s like drinking from a fire hose; there’s so much information coming at them,” said Curt Witcher, manager of the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.

It’s this information overload that brings visitors to the center in Fort Wayne where the staff can provide research guidance and help make sense of the results of online searches.

The center is home to the largest public collection for family history research in the world.

In 2016, the center drew 67,000 visitors.

PHOTO BY BRIDGETT HERHANDEZ

Cheryn Whitehurst researches the history of properties for Environmental Data Resources at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.

Despite the growth of the availability of online resources, the center’s in-house resources, including the expertise of its staff, are perhaps more valuable than ever before, Witcher said.

When researchers hit a dead end or a fork in the road, the staff can point them in the right direc-

tion.

In addition, volumes of materials are only available in print.

Although the center has worked to digitize its collection for a decade, only about 13,000 of its 400,000 books have been scanned. The lag is due to reasons including copyright law, the cost

to scan and the limitations of optical character recognition software.

So what motivates visitors to come in and pore over the books?

Everyone has a story, Witcher said. Not many people become interested in ancestry and then decide they don’t like it; once they’re in, they’re

Salvation Army and the families that don’t have anything for Christmas,” Vandeveer explained.

“And No. 2, and most importantly for me, we’re trying to do this in honor of my wife, Linda Vandeveer, who died of [complications from] colon cancer.”

Across the kettle, Acosta echoed Vandeveer’s statement. “We’re supporting Jerry, who is promoting colonoscopies,” Acosta said. “He lost his wife to colon

cancer and he wants to get the word out, and he thought that bell ringing for Salvation Army would be a good vehicle to deliver his message.”

Two major contributors came forward to help the Salvation Army meet its goal of $250,000.

Bruce Dye and Bill Bean combined to donate $100,000. “I can joyfully say they saved Christmas once again,” Acosta said in a memo. “This puts us right where we need to be towards our goal.

I consider them to be the superheroes of Fort Wayne.”

The Salvation Army campaign ended Dec. 24, but Acosta said the mission is not restricted by a calendar. “I think more than anything we want to support one another,” he said.

Potential donors and volunteers may follow corps.salvationarmyindiana.org for updates.

hooked, he said.

“I think there’s something in us as human beings that longs for context and longs for a story,” he said.

Genealogy answers the age-old questions of humankind: Who am I? Where do I come from?

How do I fit in?

“I’ve been in this field for 37 years, and I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t care about his story,” he said.

It’s important that the research experience is enjoyable, Witcher said. He is fascinated by seeing people modify their lives around what they learn through research — like planning a vacation to an ancestral home.

To meet the needs of this growing trend in tourism, several hotels offer special genealogy packages for those visiting the city to do research.

Witcher and the center’s staff are excited about the growth of downtown. Usually genealogists focus solely on research, but that’s

slowly changing, he said.

More visitors are sticking around to explore what else the city has to offer.

The center also makes the city a draw for genealogical conventions.

In 2016, the city hosted the Indiana Genealogy Society which brought in 200 visitors for two or three days. The Midwest African American Genealogy Institute also held its first convention in Fort Wayne, bringing in about 40 visitors for four days.

In August of 2018, the Federation of Genealogical Societies will hold its national convention in Fort Wayne, bringing 2,000 visitors to the city for a week.

Kristen Guthrie, director of marketing for Visit Fort Wayne, says the organization spends a great deal of resources on marketing to promote the center and draw these sorts of conventions to the city.

(Bridgett Hernandez is a reporter for Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly. Read her full report at fwbusiness.com.)

Red Kettles campaign meets goal

By Garth Snow

gsnow@kpcmedia.com

Two men stood near the Salvation Army’s signature Red Kettle outside Kroger of Coventry. Jerry Vandeveer wore a Santa cap and handed out candy canes. Capt. Luis Acosta wore his Salvation Army uniform. Both rang bells.

Kroger customers also saw a sign reading “Schedule a Colonoscopy.”

“No. 1, we’re trying to raise money for the

(For more information on the Dec. 21 photo and event, visit InFortWayne.com.)

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Salvation Army Capt. Luis Acosta and volunteer ringer Jerry Vandeveer greet customers outside the Kroger of Coventry.

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INfortwayne.com • A11

New Haven • January 20, 2017

NACS plans to celebrate Carroll High School ‘era’

By Ryan Schwab

rschwab@kpcmedia.com

No one year is more important than another.

With that idea in mind, Northwest Allen County Schools is planning to celebrate an “era” beginning in 2017.

The 2017-18 school year marks the first of three 50-year anniversaries for Northwest Allen County Schools — the 50th anniversary of the final classes at Huntertown High School and Arcola High School.

That is followed by the 50th anniversary of the first

graduating class of Carroll High School. The building, however, wasn’t complete yet and those students attended Huntertown High School. Which means, the following year will represent the 50th anniversary of the opening of Carroll High School.

That’s a lot to celebrate.

“We don’t celebrate often enough and this is something worth celebrating,” NACS Superintendent Chris Himsel said. “It’s a neat project and we are excited about some of the things that will

go on.”

First, the district is collecting names of those individuals who were a part of those particular graduating classes.

The district has posted a link to a survey online where individuals can submit information and provide suggestions on ideas for celebrations.

The survey can be found on the both the main district page — nacs.k12. in.us — as well as the Carroll High School site — nacs.k12.in.us/site/Default. aspx?PageID=9.

CITY OF CHURCHES TOUR

PHOTO BY RAY STEUP

Visitors tour the sanctuary of First Wayne Street United Methodist Church in Fort Wayne during the inaugural City of Churches tour. Many of the historic downtown churches opened to visitors. Several offered food and refreshments during the free tours. See 24 photos by Ray Steup at “City of Churches Tour” on InFortWayne.com.

Homestead H.S. to celebrate half-century mark

By Garth Snow

gsnow@kpcmedia.com

Homestead High School is gearing up for a three-year celebration of the school’s 50th birthday, and has invited five decades of Spartans to contribute.

The school opened in the fall of 1970, but the Class of 1971 completed studies at Elmhurst High School. The Class of 1972 was the first to graduate from Homestead High School. The 50th anniversary celebration will span the years 2020-2022. The school is gathering memorabilia and contact information to mark the occasion.

Southwest Allen County Schools was formed in 1966, and construction on the high school began in 1968.

Work was completed in August 1970.

Principal Park Ginder has enlisted the help of office intern Kelly Asiala to reach out to the first several classes. Asiala, a senior, has launched the Homestead Spartans Alumni page on Facebook, has sent letters to more than 80 early graduates, and is compiling her findings.

“People will message me with their information, that I put in a database,” Asiala said.

“When the time comes for a Blue & Gold anniversary, Mr. Ginder and his current intern can reach out to those who want to be part of it.”

Alumni are invited to message the Facebook page with their name, graduation year, email and postal mailing addresses in order to receive information on the 50th anniversary.

Questions can be directed to HomesteadOFC@ sacs.k12.in.us or to (260) 431-2200.

The school has asked alumni and the community to donate memorabilia for a permanent display. Already,

Fletcher Moppert donated a 1973 Homestead letter sweater for a permanent display at the school.

PHOTOS BY GARTH SNOW

Homestead High School alumni can catch up on 50 years of school photos on Facebook, at Homestead Spartans Alumni. Kelly Asiala, a senior and office intern, created the page to gather contact information to plan a Blue & Gold celebration of the school’s 50th year.

Asiala has received a 1973 letter sweater, an early Homestead T-shirt, a basketball program and other items. She marks each item with the name of the donor. The school office located a program from the dedication ceremony in the fall of 1970.

But many blanks remain to be filled, such as a graduation program from 1972. “That would be really great,” Asials said.

“Really, anything that is unique to Homestead.”

Asiala is drawing from the archived yearbooks to supplement the Facebook page. She has scanned and posted eight photos from each year.

“When I first published the page people were looking at the albums and commenting on the pictures, like ‘Oh, I know who this is,’ or tagging them in it,” she said.

More recent posts have included some current events, such as the Friendsgiving at Homestead. Overall, though, the page is attuned to alumni and victories past.

Intern Emma Leininger, a junior, has written several “Where Are They Now?” features for the Facebook page. Asiala,

a senior, also wrote a profile.

“I think it’s a really good way to connect people back to their high school,” Asiala said.

“Homestead is turning 50, so to speak. That’s a

long time, and for all the alumni back to 1972 to as current as the spring of 2017 to come together is an interesting mix. It’s interesting to see how people from then and now experienced Homestead.”

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A12 • INfortwayne.com

New Haven • January 20, 2017

Scholar House would offer 44 rental units

By Linda Lipp

llipp@kpcmedia.com

An ambitious project that combines low-income housing with education, support services for single parents and innovation in renewable energy represents a marriage of ideas and resources by Fort Wayne faith-based nonprofit, Joshua’s Hand, and Indianapolis developer Gary Hobbs and his firm, BWI.

Posterity Heights Scholar House is seeking $2.5 million in funding from the Regional Cities Initiative, about 20 percent of the project’s total cost of $12.5 million. The project concept - although not specifically this version of the proposal - was part of the region’s Road to One Million development plan. It was presented to the Northeast Indiana Regional Development

Legend of

Leadership 2017

Honoring Chuck Surack

Founder & President of Sweetwater

LEGEND OF LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST Tuesday, February 14, 2017 7:30 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. Allen County Memorial Coliseum Official host of 2017 Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly events.

Tickets $25 This event honor will honor entrepreneur, philanthropist, community volunteer, pilot, musician, husband, and father, Chuck Surack, who has spent his career not only serving as a leader in his profession but also as a servant leader for nonprofits and the community.

The Legend of Leadership breakfast will feature speakers honoring Surack by providing background and anecdotes that pay tribute to him and his vast contributions to northeast Indiana. At the conclusion, Surack will take the stage to talk about his passions and leadership philosophy.

Attractive sponsorship, advertising, and other unique marketing opportunities are available.

For more information contact events@kpcmedia.com.

Authority in December and could come back for a vote as early as the RDA’s Jan. 17 meeting.

The 44-unit rental development would be built on the site of the former McMillen apartment complex, in the 4200 block of Plaza Drive, which is owned by the city. The city has offered an option on the land, but will not transfer title until the financing and other elements of the plan are in place, said Greg Leatherman, director of community development for the city of Fort Wayne.

The scholar house development would only occupy about 25 percent of the site, Leatherman added.

The complex would provide on-site child care, support services and include features such as a half-megawatt solar array and electric vehicles and charging stations designed to lessen residents’ housing and transportation costs.

Scholar house residents would be enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast, Indiana University-Purdue

University Fort Wayne or Indiana Tech, and be encouraged to pursue careers in finance, information technology, health care and advanced manufacturing – fields that are important to the region’s economy.

Hobbs and the Rev. Cedric Walker, of Joshua’s Hand, hope eventually to expand the project beyond the apartments in the first phase to include phases devoted to commercial and retail development and market rate homes, to bring the total number of residential units on the site to 150. The later phases are not part of the current request for funds.

The scholar house concept originated in Lexington, Ky., and has grown to include a number of locations in Kentucky and Ohio.

The goal of the model is to assist lower income, single parents while they earn degrees and work their way toward self-sufficiency, while their children simultaneously receive a high quality introduction to learning.

Walker tried twice,

with other developers, to put together a project but was unable to obtain housing tax credits.

Hobbs, meanwhile, had obtained funds from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s Moving Forward initiative for a housing project that would incorporate solar power and electric vehicle use to reduce a person’s total combined cost for housing and transportation to less than 45 percent of income.

On the very day Walker got word his second request for tax credits had been turned down, he got a call from Hobbs.

A native of Louisville, Hobbs was familiar with the scholar house concept.

“And, at the end of the day, we were able to connect and he had the same, or very similar, idea that I had with respect to the concept of creating pathways to selfsufficiency for single parents,” Hobbs said.

The southeast side of Fort Wayne is the most densely populated area

in the city – even in the region – and yet there is very little in the way of new housing stock, Walker said.

A 2014 study commissioned by the city of Fort Wayne noted that southeast Fort Wayne needed 3,600 quality, affordable rental units, noted Mary Tyndall, public information officer for the department of community development.

It’s also not unusual for proposals such as Posterity Heights Scholar House to go through multiple versions before all the pieces come together.

“They get tweaked until they can get their financing correct,” Tyndall said.

One of the city’s main goals is to continue to support the development of housing that can be made available to low- income residents, Leatherman added. “This project lines up precisely with that No. 1 goal.”

City Councilman Geoff Paddock and Greater Fort Wayne Inc. CEO Eric Doden both submitted letters of support for the project to the RDA.

Public programs’ topics cover hobbies and health The Allen County Extension Office will offer several public programs this winter and spring. The general public is invited to attend. No registration is required. All programs are held at the Allen County Extension Office on the IPFW campus,

4001 Crescent Ave., Fort Wayne.

Direct questions to Vickie Hadley at the Allen County Extension Office, (260) 481-6826.

The Extension Office offered these details and descriptions: • Vitamin D: Sunshine or Supplement?

Thursday, Feb. 9, 1 p.m.

Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, plays an important role in bone health and overall health. How much do you need? Are you getting enough from your diet and the sun?

Are supplements safe?

What foods provide

Vitamin D? Come learn how Vitamin D plays an essential role to your health.

• Easy Care Flower Favorites. Monday, March 13, 7 p.m. Do you enjoy the beauty of flowers in your gardens, but it is becoming more difficult to keep up with their care? Learn easy care flower favorites from a Master Gardener.

• Raised Bed Gardening. Tuesday, April 25, 7 p.m. Enjoy gardening, but getting down and back up is challenging? Frustrated with the high level of clay in the soil that makes gardening success difficult? Learn how to garden in raised beds from a Master Gardener.

• D.A.S.H. to the Mediterranean. Tuesday, May 9, 7 p.m. All of the eating plans out there add to the confusion of which one to follow.

The D.A.S.H. and Mediterranean eating plans are both top-rated for being relatively easy to follow, nutritious, safe, effective for weight loss and protective against diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. This class will contrast and compare the plans and will include some healthy recipes and menus that you can try.

INfortwayne.com • A13

New Haven • January 20, 2017

Local coffee shops hold their own against chains

By Linda Lipp llipp@kpcmedia.com

With a Starbucks on nearly every busy corner of Fort Wayne, Tim Hortons building its own stable of cafes around town, and other chains moving into the area, you might think that locally owned coffee shops were doomed to go the way of dinosaurs.

For the most part, you would be wrong.

“I am very pleased to report that business is doing very well for us. We saw our best year yet last year,” said Cyndi Demaree, who owns and operates the Firefly, on North Anthony Boulevard, with her husband Paul.

The Demarees have been running the Firefly in the same location for 17½ years. Not all of those years were easy, Cyndi said.

There was a little dip when Starbucks first came to the area, and then again when the recession took hold in 2008.

“We did find we were able to keep going but never able to really grow that much…but a lot of that was the recession.

It didn’t really have that much to do with competition,” she said.

Demaree’s daughter, Allison Demaree-Coale, also came home and joined the family business, and that has helped drive its recent growth, Cyndi said.

“She’s been wonderful for quality control, for training, for social media,” Demaree said. “She’s all over that and she’s very good with it and it’s been a huge boost.”

Demaree said she had tried doing some social media herself to build awareness and traffic, “but you can only wear so many hats. It’s better to have somebody younger in there who is confident in it and comfortable and really understands it.”

Just a few doors down from the Firefly is Old Crown Coffee Roasters, and both have been able to survive and thrive despite the proximity. Old Crown expanded into more of a restaurant and bar, while the Firefly retains its classic coffee-is-king persona.

Bon Bon’s Coffee Co. opened its third location in Fort Wayne earlier this year, at the Orthopedic Hospital of Lutheran Health Network. There already was a Tim Hortons at Lutheran Hospital, but its south lobby location is a good walk from the ortho facility.

Brian Kieffer, the owner of Bon Bon’s, in 2012, bought two Higher Grounds locations, one in

COURTESY PHOTO

Dignitaries pose with the 624 at its dedication ceremony in a Hammond park in September 1955. The engine was built in 1922, and hauled freight for more than a million and a half miles.

PHOTO BY LINDA LIPP

The family-run Firefly Coffee House on North Anthony Boulevard has held its own against competition.

St. Joe Village near Kroger and the other at Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne. He changed the name to Bon Bon’s in 2013.

The first Higher Grounds started in Fort Wayne in 1996, and the name was well known and the business well liked. It was a big challenge to rebrand it from a customer loyalty standpoint, Kieffer said.

“It took a lot of effort, of proving myself, to just say ‘just try this, come along with me and I can prove that what I’m doing here is as good if not better,’ ” he recalled.

A second challenge came when Kroger decided to expand the St. Joe store, taking over the spot that Bon Bon’s had occupied.

Kieffer wanted to stay near the intersection of St. Joe Center and Maplecrest roads, and found a location just a stone’s throw away in a high visibility Maplecrest strip center. It has worked out well, he said.

In some ways, Demaree said, small, locally owned coffee shops have benefited from the introduction of better coffee to a large number of customers that has been provided by Starbucks.

“When they come into an area, it is kind of scary to the owner of a small coffee house, but we appreciate the fact they train their staff well; and their customers, once they get a taste of Starbucks and understand specialty coffee, a lot of times they will start looking for the local coffee places,” Demaree said. “So we actually feel they do an education for the community and that only benefits the small-business owner.”

Starbucks also has gotten people used to the idea of routinely paying $5 or more for a cup of coffee.

The locals stay in that same range to be competitive, even though they offer what they believe is a better quality cup of java.

What makes places like Bon Bon’s and the Firefly stand out, however, is that they offer better service and a unique atmosphere

along with their carefully brewed beverages, their owners insist. So, even if the price were a little higher on some items, “I think from a loyalty standpoint, from a quality standpoint, if you put out a good product people will be willing to pay for that,” Kieffer said.

Cafes and bake shops like Tim Hortons also go well beyond coffee in terms of what they serve, so in some respects it’s not even an apples-to-apples comparison, Demaree added.

(Linda Lipp writes for Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly. Read her full report at fwbusiness. com.)

LOCAL from Page A1 ment in the 1970s. Recent efforts by the NIRPS were intended to further stabilize 624 against weather and vandalism, but work recently ceased.

“Considering how long the locomotive has been outside, it’s in remarkably good shape. The abatement early in its display life did wonders to preserve the boiler. While there is some obvious deterioration, it can be repaired. Beneath all the rust and faded paint is a locomotive in decent condition,” Zach Hall, of Portage, the society’s operations manager and mechanical consultant, said in a statement.

Current plans call for

the 624’s boiler, frame and tender to be separated and trucked off-site. The relocation and cosmetic work on the 624 is estimated to cost $250,000 and a full mechanical restoration could cost as much as $1.2 million.

Fundraising for Headwaters Junction is expected to begin in late 2017/ early 2018. If the 624 is returned to operation, current plans do not call for it to operate consistently in excursion service like the 765, but several options are being considered.

“While a restoration to operation would be wonderful, the 624 will make a compelling attraction in Fort Wayne and be displayed in an evocative,

exciting fashion,” Lynch said.

The 624 is considered a close relative to the society’s own restored No. 765, which is closely associated with the City of Fort Wayne. In recognition of No. 624’s connection to northwest Indiana, the locomotive will be named the “City of Hammond.”

The FWRHS is working to expand its membership in its 45th year. The organization claims over 600 members from 45 states and three countries, plus dozens of volunteers from around the Midwest.

To join the organization, or to read the full statement on Engine No. 624, visit fortwaynerailroad.org.

FORTY NOW ACCEPTING 2017

NOMINATIONS! Deadline Feb.1, 2017

Forty Under 40 Awards Dinner Thursday, March 23, 2017 5:30 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. Allen County Memorial Coliseum Official host of 2017 Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly events.

Tickets $50 This event honors 40 individuals younger than 40 who are making a difference in northeast Indiana both on the job and in the community. The honorees are chosen by a panel of judges from nominations submitted online.

Each “Forty” is honored with an award at an elegant dinner and featured in a special publication included in Business Weekly on March 24.

Attractive sponsorship, advertising, and other unique marketing opportunities are available.

For more information contact events@kpcmedia.com.

KPC_40U40_57601 1/3 pg S

#55 tr

A14 • INfortwayne.com

New Haven • January 20, 2017

WINTERVAL 2017 ACTIVITIES

Downtown Fort Wayne. Most activities are on Saturday, Jan. 28. Visit fortwayneparks.org for details.

• Live ice carvings. Times to be announced. Watch ice sculptors create their masterpieces at: Botanical Conservatory, 1100 S. Calhoun St.; Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, noon-2 p.m.; The Community Center, 233 W. Main St. • Presculpted ice carvings. Stop by these sites at your convenience to see completed ice carvings: Hoppy Gnome, 203 E. Berry St.; Riverfront Fort Wayne, 916 S. Calhoun St.; Visit Fort Wayne, 927 S. Harrison St.; Saint Francis Performing Arts Center, 431 W. Berry St.; and Freimann Square, 200 E. Main St. • Winter Carnival at the Community Center, 233 W. Main St., 1-4 p.m. Bring the whole family out for snow crafts and activities, ice carving demonstrations and treats. If there’s no snow, the fun will move indoors. Fort Wayne Youththeater presents “Dr. Seuss on the Loose” at 2 p.m.; free. Carriage rides are available on a first-come basis from 1-4 p.m.

• Winterval at the Botanical Conservatory, 1100 S. Calhoun St., 10 am.-3 p.m.

Make a winter bird feeder, learn about the different winter survival strategies of animals, and explore the “Mary Poppins” garden exhibit. Regular Conservatory admission applies.

• Nouvelle Annee: A French Garrison 1757. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Experience a winter with the French of Fort Miamis.

Re-enactors from “Les Habitants et Marines du Post ed Miamis” will spend the weekend living in The Old

Fort and re-creating events that occurred in and around what is now Fort Wayne in the year 1757. They do so by examining letters written by the French commanders of what was then known as Fort Miamis and then attempt to re-create those events. Mail call, military drills, scouting, cooking and sewing are some of the activities that will be re-enacted.

• Snow Bowl rugby game. 1 p.m., Lawton Park, 1900 N. Clinton St. • Winterval at Science Central, 1950 N. Clinton St., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular admission rates apply.

• Winterval at the Library, 900 Library Plaza, 2-4 p.m. Free.

• Ice skating at Headwaters Park, 333 S. Clinton St., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Regular fees apply.

• Freeze Frame Picture Car & Truck Show, First Presbyterian Church, 300 W. Wayne St., 8 a.m.-noon. Bring a photo of your model car to be judged. $10 entry. Spectators admitted free.

• Penguin Hunt; new for 2017. The Winterval penguin will be hanging out downtown in the days prior to Winterval. Go to majic951.com each morning for clues to its location for the day. Find the penguin, take a selfie and send it to the WintervalFW Facebook page (facebook.com/Wintervalfw) to be entered into the daily prize drawing. During the Winterval event, a Grand Prize winner will be selected from those who participated.

• Winter Cozy; new for 2017. Friday, Jan. 27, 8-10 p.m. Historic Wells Street Bridge. This event will feature a heated tent, bonfires, live music and beverages for ages 21-plus. Tickets are $10. Space is limited.

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WINTERVAL from Page A1

“We’ve had some that were pretty muddy.

We’ve only canceled one in the last 10 years. That was because of really bad weather, like negative 8.”

“If it’s good snow, it’s a great game. It it’s mud, it’s a great game,” he said. But there’s something about crunching through jagged ice in rugby shorts and short-sleeve jerseys that takes the fun out of a midwinter match, even for the fiercest of athletes.

The hits just seem harder when the world is frozen. “It’s gonna hurt a little worse than usual, but it’s kind of a tradition,” DiFilippo said.

“Some of the older guys are like ‘I’ve had my fair share of Snow Bowls.’ ” “We call it a motley game,” he said. “Since it’s the middle of winter we don’t want to be super-competitive, so we mix the teams up and we get some guys from Taylor University and IPFW that come out and they mix in with the local men’s club.”

Spectators are welcome to assemble at Lawton Park, 1900 N. Clinton St., and watch the match. Anyone who is willing to wait in the cold is welcome to see some good, free rugby, DiFilippo said, adding that the match also serves

COURTESY PHOTO

Ice sculptors create art from blocks of ice for Winterval. Completed sculptures also will be available for viewing at six stops in downtown Fort Wayne.

as a recruiting tool.

“January is a time when people are getting their New Year’s resolutions together and they say this looks like fun. But at the end of the day, it’s a community event for us, because we don’t have many opportunities to put ourselves in front of the city. So it’s a good opportunity for people to understand what rugby is all about.”

And what is rugby all about? DiFilippo loves to hear that question.

“Rugby is the meeting in the middle of soccer and American football,” he said. “It was popular here [America] during the Victorian era, but

01

they thought it was just a little too violent, so they started adding some rules.” And some padding, he added; and football was born. “[Rugby] is the most fun you can have in a contact sport because there are no pads, and it’s a very athletic game. Not only do you have to be the kind of person to sustain the contact, you also have to be able to play the whole game, because we play an 80-minute match.”

‘You have to have really great stamina and be a hard hitter. We’re one of the fastest growing sports in the country.

We’re where youth soccer was 10 years ago,” he said.

The team plays 18 competitive matches each year, and four competitive tournaments across the Midwest, with the bulk of the games in Indiana. Home matches are played at McMillen Park; for the schedule, follow fwrfc.com.

Fort Wayne also supports a women’s rugby team. Boys club teams bear the names of Bishop Dwenger, Carroll, Leo, Homestead, Angola and Warsaw high schools, and there is a Bishop Dwenger girls club team.

In his position with Rugby Indiana, DiFilippo trains coaches around the Midwest on safe tackling techniques and the coaching process.

Fort Wayne Rugby has played the Snow Bowl for several years, usually on the day after Christmas or New Year’s Day. When the Parks Department asked the club to lend its talents to the new Winterval, the match moved to late January.

“It’s just a chance to play between seasons and have a social event.

December-January is kind of the middle of playing in the fall and the spring, so we just kind of dust the cobwebs off and get outdoors no matter what the weather is and have a little rugby game,” DiFilippo said.

Community Calendar

INfortwayne.com • A15

New Haven • January 20, 2017

Include news of your group, too Send news of your group to gsnow@kpcmedia.com by Feb. 8 for the Feb. 17 issue. Items will be selected and edited as space permits.

January

Community Calendar 2017

THURSDAY, FEB. 2

“No Place for Hate.” Cordier Auditorium, Manchester University, 604 E. College Ave., North Manchester. 7 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Musician and author Daryl Davis will be the keynote speaker at the university’s 49th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance and Rededication Ceremony.

Community Calendar 2017

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

Tuffy’s Trivia Night. Bishop Dwenger High School, 1300 E. Washington Center Road, Fort Wayne. 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person in advance or $15 per person at the door. Assemble a team of 10, or be placed on a team. Carry-in food is OK; a cash bar will be available.

Must be 21 or older to attend. Register at bishopdwenger.com/trivianight or call Molly Schreck at (260) 496-4775.

Art exhibit opening. University of Saint Francis, 2701 Spring St., Fort Wayne. 6 p.m. The USF School of Creative Arts is presenting “Milton Glaser: Sixty Years of Design” in the Weatherhead Gallery of the Mimi and Ian Rolland Art and Visual Communication Center. The opening reception is in the Weatherhead Gallery, just off Leesburg Road on the USF campus. A free public lecture will be presented at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 2, by Sue Walsh in the USF North Campus Auditorium, 2702 Spring St.. Walsh is the creative director at SYPartners, New York City, and is faculty at the School of Visual Arts. She worked with Milton Glaser for nearly a decade and has maintained an independent practice for over 15 years. The lecture is co-sponsored by the American Advertising Federation of Fort Wayne and the University of Saint Francis School of Creative Arts.

“Our Promise” rally. Allen County Courthouse, downtown Fort Wayne. 3-5 p.m. At about 4 p.m the rally will migrate to the Allen County Public Library for an information fair featuring many groups and organizations. This rally is the inaugural event a coalition formed to advocate for social and political liberties. For details, visit People for the Common Good on Facebook.

United States of Fort Wayne. Trubble Brewing, 2725 Broadway, Fort Wayne.

4 p.m.-close. For ages 21 and older. The brewpub is throwing the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump as president “to put the divisive politics from the 2016 presidential race in the past.” In an announcement, the brewpub stated, “The event will do that by celebrating Fort Wayne’s diversity of culture, individuality, creativity and heritage.” Visit United States of Fort Wayne on Facebook for details.

SUNDAY, JAN. 22

School open house. Concordia Lutheran School, 4245 Lake Ave., Fort Wayne. Noon-3 p.m. Tour the school and meet with the teaching staff.

For more information, call Lori Stout, enrollment director, at (260) 4269922, ext. 208.

Sunday Night Singles Dance. American Legion Post 47, 601 Reed Road, Fort Wayne. 6-9 p.m.; doors open at 5 p.m. $7 cover includes disc jockey, cash bar and potluck carry-in. For more information, call Doug at (260) 704-3669.

“Little Shop of Horrors” auditions. IPFW, Williams Theater Room 113, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd., Fort Wayne. 3 p.m. Bev Redman directs performances April 20-29. For reheaersal details, call the Department of Theatre Office at (260) 481-6551.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25

Walk Through Wednesdays. East Allen County Schools invites parents to tour their students’ prospective schools and talk with the school principals. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. No appointment necessary. For more information, call (260) 446-0100 or visit eacs.k12.in.us.

Free lecture on ISIS. University of Saint Francis, 5201 Spring St., Fort Wayne; in the Brookside Ballroom. 7 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Dr. Adam DeVille presents “ISIS and the Crusades: On the Uses and Abuses of History.” This lecture is sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and Theology.

THURSDAY, JAN. 26

Adult coloring and craft time. Roanoke Public Library, 314 N. Main St., Suite 120, Roanoke. 7 p.m. Coloring supplies will be available, but feel free to bring your own craft or coloring supplies to use or to share.

FRIDAY, JAN. 27

Silent film and music. Cinema Center, 437 E. Berry St., Fort Wayne. 7 p.m.

Tickets $15 general admission, or $10 for members and students. The animated film “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” is part of the Sound and Shadow silent film series. Silbo Gomero, featuring musicians Kurt Roembke and Hope Arthur, will provide the score. At 6 p.m. in the Spectator Lounge, Huntington University faculty member Steve Leeper will lead a discussion on the film and animation style.

Fish fry. Fort Wayne Sport Club, 3102 Ardmore Ave., Fort Wayne. 4:30 p.m. $9 for adults, $4 for children 6-10, younger children eat for free.

Dinner includes dessert, all made by members of the Sport Club.

“The Sultan and the Saint.” USF Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center, 431 W. Berry St., Fort Wayne. 7 p.m. Free. USF presents the Fort Wayne premiere of this film. During the Crusades, Saint Francis of Assisi risked his life by walking across enemy lines to meet the Sultan of Egypt, the Muslim ruler Al-Malik al-Kamil. “This encounter, and the commitment to peace of the two men behind it, lessened the negative impact of the Crusades on Muslims and improved the relationship between Muslims and Christians,” the university said in a statement.

“Love Worth Fighting For” marriage event. First Assembly of God, 1400 W. Washington Center Road, Fort Wayne. 6 p.m. Tickets $20-$50. Actor Kirk Cameron will present this program in association with Trinity Communications. The evangelical Christian’s special guest will be Christian pop singer Warren Barfield. Visit TrinityCommunications.org for details and ticket information.

SUNDAY, FEB. 5 History lecture. The History Center, 302 E. Berry St., Fort Wayne. 2

p.m. Free and open to the public. Anthony Conley presents “War as a Tool for Group Uplift: African American Thought & Wartime Military Service in the 20th Century.” The lecture is part of the 23rd annual George R. Mather Sunday Lecture Series.

TUESDAY, FEB. 7

Appleseed Quilters Guild. Classic Cafe, 4832 Hillegas Road, Fort Wayne.

Social time at 6 p.m.; meeting at 6:30 p.m. Members of Appleseed Art Bee will present new techniques they used for their award-winning “Zoom In” entries for the August 2016 AQS Grand Rapids Quilt Show.

For more information, visit appleseedquiltersguild.com.

THURSDAY, FEB. 9

“The Price is Right” stage show. Embassy Theatre, 125 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne. 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $33, $43 or $53, and are available at ticketmaster.com, charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000, and at the STAR Bank box office at the Embassy. Eligible contestants can win cash, appliances, vacations and possibly even a new car. Jerry Springer will emcee the stage show.

Lecture: “Polkas and the Masses.” University of Saint Francis, 5201 Spring St., Fort Wayne; in the Brookside Ballroom. 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Dr. Lance Richey presents this installment in the Department of Philosophy and Theology lecture series.

THURSDAY, FEB. 16

Grief and support. The Peggy F. Murphy Community Grief Center, 5920 Homestead Road, Fort Wayne. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dar Richardson discuss the various aspects of grief and its uniqueness. A light supper will be served. The program is open to anyone who has suffered a loss. RSVP

by Feb. 13 by calling (260) 435-3261.

SATURDAY, FEB. 18

Winter musical: “Hello! My Baby.” Concordia Lutheran High School, 1601 St. Joe River Drive, Fort Wayne. 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students. This musical features hits of Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, Eubie Blake, and more, weaving their updated classics and fresh, new tunes into a comic valentine set on the gritty sidewalks of New York at the turn of the last century. Emmy Award winner Cheri Steinkellner (“Sister Act”) created this romantic farce for all ages.

Winter Spiel Nacht indoor sports and game night. Fort Wayne Sport Club, 3102 Ardmore Ave., Fort Wayne. $15 entry fee. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. with the draw for partners at 6:00 p.m. and play beginning at 6:30 p.m. Take part in corn hole or euchre tournaments. Teams will be organized from a blind draw. Enjoy snacks including brats, hot dogs and other treats.

Drink specials will be available. Fort Wayne Sport Club is celebrating its 90th anniversary.

SUNDAY, FEB. 19

Winter musical: “Hello! My Baby.” Concordia Lutheran High School, 1601 St. Joe River Drive, Fort Wayne. 2 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students. This musical features hits of Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, Eubie Blake, and more, weaving their updated classics and fresh, new tunes into a comic valentine set on the gritty sidewalks of New York at the turn of the last century. Emmy Award winner Cheri Steinkellner (“Sister Act”) created this romantic farce for all ages.

NOTICES / REGISTRATION / MULTIPLE DATES / TICKETS ON SALE

FRIDAY, FEB. 10

Männerchor fish fry. Park Edelweiss Reception Hall, 3355 Elmhurst Drive, Fort Wayne. 4:30-7 p.m. $9 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and under. This dinner is presented by Fort Wayne Männerchor/Damenchor, a men’s and women’s choir dedicated to the preservation and promotion of German heritage as expressed in choral music. The meals are served the second Friday of each month, September through May. Association musicians play guitar and accordian and other instruments, singing mostly German music. The meal includes all-you-can-eat fish, sides, coffee and dessert.

Drinks are available for purchase. Visit fortwaynemaennerchor.us for more information on the history of the association.

Fort Wayne ChocolateFest 2017. Parkview Field Event Center, 1301 Ewing St., Fort Wayne. 6-9 p.m. Friday. Visit eventbrite.com for $35 tickets, or buy from a Kiwanis member for $30. John Chapman Kiwanis Club Foundation presents this fundraiser to support Riley Hospital for Children and local children’s charities. Kick off the Valentine’s Day weekend with three all-you-can-eat chocolate fountains, chocolate desserts and hors d’oeuvres. Dance to live entertainment from the Dee Gees Band. Cash bar. Free parking. Silent auction.

My Cold Hearted Valentine: Season III. Science Central, 1950 N. Clinton St., Fort Wayne. 6-10 p.m. Must be 21 to attend. Early-bird and member price, $20 for individuals or $35 for couples. Nonmember price after Feb. 2, $25 for individuals or $45 for couples. A night of mystery and mingling. Explore the science center, drink in hand, interview suspects and examine the evidence. Deluxe ticket packages are available at a higher rate, include one beverage ticket per person and a reserved seat in the Demonstration Theater during the 9:30 p.m. reveal. Get tickets at sciencecentral.org.

SATURDAY, FEB. 11

Down the Line 11. Embassy Theatre, 125 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne.

7 p.m. Tickets for this all-ages show are $20 VIP (advance seating) and $15 general admission at the STAR Bank box office at the Embassy Theatre, Ticketmaster.com and (800) 745-3000. Five local bands pay tribute to legends of rock ‘n’ roll. Visit fwembassytheatre.org for details.

Artist reception. Crestwoods Frame Shop and Gallery, 314 N. Main St., Roanoke. 2-5 p.m. Free and open to the public. The gallery celebrates its fifth anniversary with “A Winter Wonderland of Art,” which opened Jan. 21. All mediums are represented. Visit crestwoodsgallery.com for exhibit details and gallery hours.

71st annual Mizpah Shrine Circus. Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, 4000 Parnell Ave., Fort Wayne. Tickets start at $14. Performances: Thursday, Jan. 26, 6:30 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 29, 1 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. For tickets, visit mizpahshrinecircus.com.

Outdoor Sports, Lake & Cabin Show. Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, 4000 Parnell Ave., Fort Wayne. Tickets $10 for adults, with children 12 and under admitted free. Show hours: Friday, Jan. 27, noon-10 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit outdoorsportlakecabinshow.com for details. Beer & Bacon Fest will be held within the outdoors show area from 5-10 p.m. Jan. 27, for a separate admission.

Fort Wayne Artists Guild call for entries. The Guild invites members to submit artwork for the upcoming Members Show at the Jeffery Krull Gallery, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne. Entry deadline is Monday, Feb. 6, with artwork to be dropped off Monday, Feb. 13. Artists who are not members and want to participate may join the Guild at drop off. Exhibit dates are Feb. 20-March 31. Prospectus and entry forms are available at fortwayneartistsguild.org.

Fort Wayne RV & Camping Show. Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, 4000 Parnell Ave., Fort Wayne. Tickets: $8 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, $2 for children 5-12; family pass for two adults and up to three children is $16. See hundreds of travel trailers, motor homes, fifth wheels and toy haulers. Parking is $5, or $8 at the preferred lot. Hours are: Thursday, Feb. 2, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 3, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 4, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Fort Wayne Farmer’s Indoor Winter Market. Lincoln Financial Event Center, 1301 Ewing St., Fort Wayne. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., every Saturday. Local market enthusiasts and vendors have come together in a grass-roots effort to create an indoor farmers market. For details, visit ftwaynesfarmersmarket.com.

Headwaters Park Ice Skating Rink. 333 S. Clinton St., Fort Wayne. Through Feb. 28, 2017. Mondays-Thursdays, 1-8 p.m.; Fridays, noon-10 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sundays, noon-8 p.m. Admission: 14 years and older, $5; 13 years and under, $3; skate rental, $2.

Jerry Seinfeld tickets. Embassy Theatre, 125 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne. Thursday, April 6, 7 p.m. Tickets $50 to $150. Tickets on sale at the Embassy box office or at ticketmaster.com or (800) 745-3000.

The comedian will perform his stand-up routine, joking about the little things in life that relate to all audiences.

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SATURDAY, JAN. 28

Summit Show Choir Invitational. Bishop Dwenger High School, 1300 E. Washington Center Road, Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne. Shows and awards throughout the day. $10 for the day show only, $10 for the night show only, or $15 for full-day admission; $10 for all day for high school and college students with valid student ID; and free to children 5 and under. The invitational will feature 19 choirs from Fort Wayne and the surrounding area, with music, dancing and all things show choir. The day will begin with a 7:30 a.m. performance by Bishop Dwenger’s own unisex choir, Elegance, and continue throughout the day with performances by unisex, small and large mixed choirs. Day awards will start at 6:15 p.m., and finals will begin at 8:25 p.m. Night show awards will begin at 11 p.m.

Preserve work day. Tom & Jane Dustin Nature Preserve, 1802 Chapman Road, Huntertown. 10 a.m.-noon. Volunteers will work to remove/treat vinca, cut small trees, trim trails and pick up garbage. Volunteers need to wear long sleeves, pants and gloves. Some tools are available, but volunteers are encouraged to bring their own tools. This work day includes indoor restrooms, hot beverages and warm baked goods. ACRES Land Trust sponsors the cleanup.

Fort Wayne. 6-9 p.m.; doors open at 5 p.m. $7 cover includes disc jockey, cash bar and potluck carry-in. For more information, call Doug at (260) 704-3669.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15

SATURDAY, FEB. 4

February

SUNDAY, FEB. 12 Sunday Night Singles Dance. American Legion Post 47, 601 Reed Road,

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