Vol. 38, No. 46
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
of Wabash County Inc. January 6, 2016
www.thepaperofwabash.com Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Local officials receive oathes By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com
Mayor Robert Vanlandingham addresses guests during his invitation-only farewell luncheon on Dec. 18. Photo by Joseph Slacian
Vanlandingham reflects on 12 years By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com Ask Mayor Robert Vanlandingham what the crowning achievement of his 12 years of mayor was, and one might expect to hear the city’s selection of a Stellar Community in 2014. That would be wrong. “The biggest success is getting everyone working together on the same page,” he told The Paper of Wabash County during an hour-long interview in his office, just weeks before his third term in office and his time as mayor came to a close. “If we hadn’t have done that we would never have been a Stellar winner or an (America’s Best Community) winner or anything like that,” he said. “The whole success the last 12 years has been having everybody on the same page working together, young and old. We have some good young, energetic young people. We’ve got some great organizations. We’ve got everyone working together, and they weren’t doing that before. “We get along well with the county commissioners. We got along well with Dan Hannaford, and now Dave Schoeff from North Manchester. We’re all on the same page. That’s been my biggest success.” Bill Konyha, former President and CEO of the Economic Development Group of Wabash County, agreed. “The mayor developed a collaborative relationship with county government which has been the envy of the rest of rural Indiana,” Konyha said. “He developed mutually supportive relationships with North Manchester. “He led and people happily followed.” But he also is proud of the city’s being named a Stellar Community in 2014, as well as being named an America’s Best Community quarterfinalist in 2015. “Stellar’s been great,” Vanlandingham said. “There was a lot of misunderstand-
ing about Stellar at the beginning. But once we got to understand the process and got the first year in, I think people understand how it works. It’s been great to partner with.” It took two tries before the city was named a Stellar Community by the state. It was a finalist in 2013, but fell just short of winning then. “When found out I was mad, upset, disappointed,” he said of the 2013 efforts. “You name it, I was probably doing it. Then after getting through the pity party, I sat there and said, ‘You know, we spent a lot of time and effort. A lot of energy went into that, let’s see why we didn’t get it.’” The city’s Stellar Committee met with state officials and learned the good and bad points of its application. But the loss hurt so much, Vanlandingham wasn’t sure if the city would seek the designation in 2014. “When we didn’t get it, I said no, that’s it,” he said. “We put too much time and effort too in this. But after sitting down and looking at it I could see why we didn’t win. But initially I wasn’t going to do it.” But committee members urged Vanlandingham to reconsider, which he did. In August 2014, Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann announced Wabash as one of two Stellar Communities, paving the way for a series of improvements panned for the city. “I was so excited I couldn’t talk,” Vanlandingham said. “I had my things all planned to say, how to say it in case we won. When they said Wabash, I honestly couldn’t get up and walk up the stage. Probably looked goofy and sounded goofy. It was very emotional. “The thing of it was we were in a room with a lot of winners. Yes, we won, but some of those people were in the same (continued on page 3)
Mayor Scott Long took the oath of office on Dec. 30, at the City Hall Chambers during the inauguration of newly elected officials. Christine Flohr, Wabash County Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director of tourism, welcomed officials, their families and friends and other audience members to the historic event. “Numerous chapters through our community’s history have been engraved by those who have served before us,” Flohr said in her welcome speech. “Through their vision, their leadership and their guidance and today marks a day where we close their chapter in our community’s story and we start a new one.” Following the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation by Bachelor Creek student minister Aaron McClary, Judge Christopher Goff swore Long into his office as mayor. Elected in November, Long has anticipated his inauguration for nearly two months, but the day of the event, he felt calm. “I was pretty calm day,” Long told The Paper of Wabash County. “We carried some stuff into the office, got my computer hooked up. We ended up attending a funeral for a friend that passed away. “I didn’t really lose it until the end of the oath because it’s pretty emotional.” In his oath, Long swore that he will “support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Indiana, and that I will faithfully, impartially and diligently discharge the (continued on page 4)
WebTV to air Wabash City Council meetings By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com Beginning Jan. 11, Wabash WebTV will begin airing Wabash City Council meetings. “We realize that many people are interested in the workings of city government, however they may have other obligations on the nights the council meets,” said Mike Rees, General Manager of The Paper of Wabash County. “By airing the council meetings on WebTV, we will enable the citizens to see the council in action in an unedited format.” Council meetings are at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Mondays of the month. For those unable to view the meetings live, they will be available for viewing from WebTV’s archive. “I want to make sure every citizen has access to City Council meetings,” Mayor Scott Long said. “If they are not able to make it in person, they can watch it in the comfort of their own home via computer on WebTV.” Wabash WebTV is accessible via the internet at www.wabashwebtv.com. It also can be accessed via The Paper’s webpage, www.thepaperofwabash.com. Click on the Wabash WebTV link.
Celebration time: Members of the Manchester Squires basketball team swarm teammate Chase Fierstos (3), seconds after he hit a buzzer-beating basket to give Manchester a 52-50 win over the Northfield Norsemen in the championship of the Wabash County Tourney. Manchester’s boys and Wabash’s girls repeated their county championships in the two-day tourney which took place Dec. 29-30 at Northfield High School. For more coverage of the tourney, see Pages 18 & 19. Photo by Joseph Slacian