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2 inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS Troupe 89743 Shines at Thespian Festival
Holiday Pictures
Middlebury Portraits Lanny & Jan Kimes Chris Wheeler
8
12 15
Cookies, Carols & Cans Kathy Huys
21
On the Cover – Northridge High School Junior, Drew Stahly, caroling downtown Middlebury in his PJ’s with the NHS Choral Department.
Advertise with us Share your message with every home and business within the Middlebury School Corporation. We mail the magazine to homes and businesses throughout the Middlebury School District and publish it online. Your ad can reach each home for as low as 1.5¢ per address. Design is free with purchase of your ad. Our Account Managers are here to help, just give us a call at 574-825-9112.
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CONTRIBUTORS: PUBLISHER:
William Connelly
EDITOR:
Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
ADVERTISING: Outdoor Living: Head Outside in 2021, 6 Dr. Carla Gull Middlebury Parks Department, 7 Troupe 89743 Shines at Thespian Festival, 8-9 Boys & Girls Club of Middlebury, 10 Trails of Middlebury, 11 John McKee
Scholar Athlete, 19 Hannah Hoffman Shouts, 22 Give a shout of gratitude Northridge Athletics, 24-25 Middlebury Chamber Page, 26 Mosquito Eyeball Soup, 27 Gloria Salavarria
Scott Faust
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Magdalena Franke
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dr. Carla Gull, Chris Wheeler,
John McKee, Kathy Huys, Gloria Salavarria and Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Russ Draper, Linnea Wheeler and Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021 3
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Editor’s Note
JANUARY WEEKLY MON: TUES: WED: FRI:
Table Games, Greencroft – 6:30 p.m. Euchre, Greencroft – 6:30 p.m. Middlebury Exchange Club, Essenhaus – 6:30 a.m. Optimist Club Breakfast, Essenhaus – 6:30 a.m.
MONTHLY AMERICAN LEGION DINNERS 5 -7 p.m., Public welcome 1st Friday: All-You-Can-Eat Fish by the Legion 2nd Friday: Grilled Smoked Pork Chops by Legion Riders 3rd Friday: Bottomless Soup & Sandwiches with Dessert by Auxiliary, 2 soups to choose from, $8 4th Friday: Sandwich Baskets by SAL 5th Friday: Lasagna dinner by Boy Scout Troop 7 Last Saturday: Steak Grill – Call 825-5121 for more info 1ST & 3RD MONDAYS: Town Council Meetings at Town Hall – 6 p.m. 1ST & 3RD WEDNESDAYS: Middlebury Men’s Club Meetings at the American Legion – 7 p.m.
We are finally at the tail end of the year 2020 that will never be forgotten. This year has impacted everyone’s personal lives in very unique ways. For some it has been much harder than for others. If you are one that it truly hit hard my genuine compassion is sent your way for your trials. If you feel you have made it through fairly unscathed, I hope you know how blessed you are. I am thankful that my family has pushed through with great caution and are approaching the other end of the tunnel with hope for the future. Finally the year 2021 is drawing near, let us all hope together that it brings answers and a slow return to normalcy. A New Year with love to everyone! - Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
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2ND AND 4TH MONDAYS: Middlebury Lions Club - 7 p.m., American Legion Hall
Jan. 29 - Feb. 6 – Annual York PTO Auction www.32auctions/YorkPTO
M A E T E C N A D HOLIDAY CHEER 4 inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021
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OUTDOOR LIVING The new year often brings new goals. Why not take them outside this year? Here are a few options: First Day Hike—We have been taking a First Day Hike for years. These are often hosted at nearby state parks, though 2021 may be a year to hit the trails with your pod rather than a larger group. For us, taking a First Day hike sets our intentions for the year, putting us out on the trail and getting exercise from the very start of the year. Find out more at https://americanhiking.org/first-day-hikes/ 1000 Hours Outside—One thousand hours outside can be a little daunting; however, setting a goal to get outside more can be very motivating. The creator of the movement, Ginny Yurich, suggests if children can consume an average of 1200 hours of screentime on electronics, they have the time to get outside more. But it’s not just for families with children—in the 1000 Hours Outside Facebook group, I see preschool classrooms, family childcare providers, and adults benefitting from Try gardening with na- the challenge. Track your hours on a walk, tive plants in 2021 when camping, taking a hike, gardening or howyou embrace plant as one ever you might get outside to show proglittle word for the year. ress toward your goal. Even if you don’t reach 1000 hours, you’re probably getting outside more than normal. Print a tracking sheet at: https://www.1000hoursoutside. com/ 52 Hike Challenge—Pretty simple! Take a hike every week of the year. We have plenty of trails to explore in the area. Enjoy getting outside in 2021 with one hike a week. I love that this can happen wherever we might be. Join the challenge at: https:// www.52hikechallenge.com/ Word of the Year—While one little word for the year can embrace many options, we’ve had plenty of outdoor opportunities We like to hike and explore in early spring when we embraced the words before the mosquitoes and poison ivy grow and explore as our family come out. word. We grew our outdoor skills (gardening, vermicomposting, and maple sugaring), interest in nature (Indiana Master Naturalists!), and community as we got outside more. Listen for a guiding word in your life and where it might take you outside. Discover more about a word of the year at: https:// www.happinessishomemade.net/word-of-the-year-ideas-onelittle-word/ As we start 2021, be intentional about your time outside through one of these challenges or your own personal quest. Let’s head outside in 2021!
HEAD E D I S O UT IN 2021!
Our family took our 2020 First Day Hike at Lieber Nature Preserve/Pipewort Pond in Bristol. We love this tradition!
Dr. Carla Gull blogs at www.insideoutsidemichiana.com and podcasts as Loose Parts Nature Play. She is often seen with her four tag-along explorers in the greater Michiana area. Getting outside in all kinds of weather will eventually add up to 1000 hours!
6 inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021
in Riverbend Park
Are you “Making Life Better” in Middlebury? by Marla Krider Our Middlebury parks probably play a significant role in your enjoyment of our lovely community: riding your bike or walking along the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, the Memorial Day program in Memorial Park, Riverfest in Riverbend Park, a wedding in Krider World's Fair Garden, a picnic, family reunion, senior pictures, fishing, swimming, festivals and/or the Christmas Tree Lighting. We are fortunate to have so many parks programs in our town. Did you know, however, that many of the activities provided in our parks must be funded by individual donations? Our taxes provide funds for the parks’ Operating Budget, but many of the park activities you enjoy do not qualify as an operating expense. Some examples would be Riverfest, decorating the Christmas tree in Memorial Park, art work and other special items for the parks, as well as supplies and speakers for educational programs. These items, and many others, are made possible through generous donations from businesses and individuals like you! Would you like to support our beautiful parks with your time and your monetary gifts? You might be interested in joining Friends of the Middlebury Parks. You might wish to make a donation to a specific program, or a specific park, or the town Flower Fund. There are several opportunities for supporting the Middlebury Parks by visiting the webpage www.middleburyin.com, clicking the Parks and Recreation tab under the Departments header, and then click the Volunteer and Giving Opportunities tab.
Bundle up, breathe some fresh air, and enjoy some nature sleuthing in beautiful Riverbend Park: • Find the biggest “tree cookie” in town; read all about it. • Seek out the wood duck house along the river. • Look for the bird blind along the Villas Boardwalk Trail. • Take your binoculars—what can you find? • Count the bee houses throughout the park. Did you find the one with the bird’s nest built on top? • Pay a visit to the “Water Bars”; pull up a log and learn how it protects the trail from eroding. • Don’t forget to read the January installment of Trail Tales! • Look up to find the bat house, currently being renovated by some woodpeckers!
May 21 Zoo animals in Memorial Park (Middlebury Then and Now) June 18 Movie in the Park at Riverbend Park June 26 Pasture Performance featuring "The Bergamot" in Riverbend Park July 23 Movie in the Park in Riverbend Park Aug. 13-14 Summer Festival in Memorial and East Parks Aug. 20 Movie in the Park in Riverbend Park Aug. 29 Riverfest in Riverbend Park Sept. 10-11 Fall Festival in Memorial and East Parks Sept. 17 Live Raptors in Riverbend Park (Middlebury Then and Now) Nov. 12-13 Mini Golf at the Middlebury Community Public Library Dec. 4 Christmas Tree Lighting in Memorial Park (All programs are tentative due to the pandemic.) THIS PAGE SPONSORED BY
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inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021 7
Last year the Northridge Middle School Theater Program, under the direction of Nicole Deckert and Ellen (Augi) Augustine, chartered a Theater Troupe. This troupe fall under the direction of both the Indiana Thespian Society and follows the guidelines of the Educational Theater Association, which governs the US and International Theater Programs. As a benefit of chartering this troupe, Northridge Middle School students are now able to compete as a group as well as individually at the Junior Thespian Festival (JTF), receiving comments and critiques that will help further their skills of acting. This year, like many events, the JTF was conducted virtually on Saturday, December 5. Because of COVID restrictions, there was no play competition this year, but students were encouraged to enter individual events - called Thespys - to be adjudicated by theater directors from throughout the state. These events can be musical solos, group acting, group musical performance, or technical event such as costume production, lighting design, or film making. This year Northridge Middle School entered its first two Thespys. In the category of musical solo was Erica Dorbin. She performed a song from Something Rotten entitled “Right Hand Man.” Judges rated her in the excellent category with several great compliments on her voice and her performance. In addition she was named Best of Show, meaning she earned the highest score in her category. The video of her performance was shared virtually across the state at the end of the Festival. Neeki Vaghfi and Samuel Norris performed a dialogue from the play “I Never Saw Another Butterfly,” a play about the children who survived a Nazi camp of WWII. Neeki and Samuel were rated in the good category with multiple compliments from the judges on their acting abilities at the middle school level. Both Thespys have qualified to compete at the state level in January. We are extremely proud of these young people for accomplishing such high ratings on their first time attempts.
8 inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021
ADDITIONAL INFO IF YOU NEED IT. Since COVID has canceled the in person regional and state competitions for both the middle school and high school troupes, directors Nicole Deckert and Ellen Augustine decided this would be a good year to work with our middle school students on serious theater. The cutting Neeki and Samuel performed - “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” - is the play the middle school has been working on. This play portrays the children of a Nazi transport camp whose minds were occupied by teacher Irena by having
Celebrating
them create drawings, paintings, and poetry of the things they experienced. These would become the historical documents that proved what really happened in this camp. It’s sequel “Terezin Promise” is being produced by the high school troupe members. Both will be performed Thursday, January 14 at 7:00 in the high school auditorium. Depending on the status of COVID, audience attendance may be limited.
CELEBRATING
110 YEARS of caring for your Firsts.
YEARS 1910-2020
www.YourFirstMatters.com inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021 9
During and After School Middlebury Club Ages 6-18 • 1st-12th Grade
DBoysU&RGirlsINClub GofAMiddlebury ND Ahas FTbeen ERoffering SCvirtual HOlearnOL ing support to Middle School & High School teens who do not have adequate internet connection, need academic help & accountability, and a place other than home to do schoolwork. They have team members ABOUthat T Uhelp S during the day and serve elementary and intermediate youth after school. There As soon as our members walk through our doors, is a waiting list for after school due to limiting the number an environment of stability, ofthey Clubenter members in school pods due to Covid-19 and social consistency, and physical distancing recommendations. To and openemotional another podsafety. and pull more students off of the waiting list the Club needs more team Each day we build deeply powerful relationships members. with the youth we serve and open avenues of
MIDDLEBURY CLUB
with the youth we serve and open avenues of opportunity youngwalk people across “As soon as our for members through our our doors, they entercommunity. an environment stability, and physical Weofoffer safeconsistency, places where young and emotional safety. Each day weand buildsucceed. deeply powerful relationpeople can learn, grow
ships with the youth we serve and open avenues of opportunity for young people across our community. We offer safe places where young people can learn, grow and succeed.” - Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County BENEFIT
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Administrative Office PO Box 614, Goshen, IN 46527 102 W Lincoln Ave., Ste. 240 Goshen, IN 46526
The Continuation of the
Bikers come from the US 20 tunnel and turn onto Ridge Run Trail
North Ridge athletes on the Ridge Run Trail
By John McKee The Park and Recreation Department’s vision for the Trails of Middlebury has resulted in “Making Life Better” in our community. The Trails of Middlebury along with the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail have made Middlebury a regional destination for bikers, hikers, walkers and vacationers. Trails in the Middlebury community are an “economic development engine” for the entire community. There are people who have purchased or built homes to be close to the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. Vacationers rent vacation properties, or stay at our campgrounds, at our hotels, and bed and breakfast inns. They eat in our restaurants and shop in our retail businesses. There are businesses that have incorporated the word “Pumpkinvine” in their name in some form. Some examples are: The Pumpkinvine Cyclery and Dips on the Vine. The backbone of the Trails of Middlebury is the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. The information gleaned from the recently installed trail counters in Goshen, Shipshewana, and Middlebury indicates that the Middlebury section is the most used part of the Pumpkinvine Trail. The Ridge Run Trail and Wayne Street Trails connect town center, businesses, churches, Northridge school campus and the Das Essenhaus complex. Plus, they make a 5k loop that is popular with Northridge athletes in training. But our trails aren’t just for bikers and runners! Olde Mill and Riverbend Parks have walking trails and boardwalks
Nature overlook on the boardwalk in Riverbend Park
to get really close to nature. Trails along and to the Little Elkhart River offer picturesque views and access to a blue ribbon, cold water trout stream. It’s a paradise for birders and a long list of birds sighted in the park is available. In the spring the nature trails feature native wildflowers with a brochure for plant identification. In addition, there’s “Trails Tales” , a signed walking trail in Riverbend Park featuring a children’s story book for youngsters and their families. But, there’s more! The Park and Recreation Board, recently formed a “Trails Committee” for oversight and future development of trails in our community. These two groups and the Town Manager are meeting to develop a detailed long term strategic plan to connect our Middlebury communities and businesses. They are also considering appropriate amenities to make trails interesting and informative. A group of volunteers acting as Trails Stewards has also been developed to help keep trails clean and report maintenance issues. An important consideration for current trails and future developments includes continuous safety improvements. The Trails of Middlebury have been and will continue to be open throughout the year, a fabulous feature of our Park system and a valuable resource to our community during the pandemic. For more information on the Trails of Middlebury, or to volunteer as a Trails Steward contact Tom Enright, Park and Recreation Superintendent at 574-536-2305 or email parks@middleburyin.com. inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021 11
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14 inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021
Middlebury Portraits: LANNY AND JAN KIMES
By Chris Wheeler, Photos by Linnea Wheeler Lanny and Jan Kimes are entering their 24th year of running the Varn’s Guest House on Main Street in Middlebury, which they bought around its 100th anniversary. The main house was built in 1898, and it’s as cozy and welcoming as ever. Of course, the full gourmet breakfast that Jan prepares for guests in the morning has something to do with that, as well as the beautiful perennial gardens, which offer color throughout the year and netted the Kimes honorary Master Gardener titles from the Michiana Master Gardeners Association. The hospitality they offer is legendary enough that guests who have been coming from the beginning have become long-time friends, stopping by for a stay with their children and grandchildren. For years, they would light a fire out back and sit there into all hours of the night swapping stories. After 9/11, things changed a little. People wanted to stay in their rooms with the doors locked when they arrived. And with 2020’s most unwanted guest (COVID-19) hanging around, the Kimes haven’t had many chances to sit on the back porch and swap tales in recent days. But
they still open their doors to those in need of a place to slow down. Middlebury is the perfect place for this - a place not too unlike the tiny farm town of Leo (now LeoCedarville), where they both grew up. Lanny’s parents were farmers of a 179-odd acre plot in Leo, mainly growing corn, hay, and soybeans. His grandfather raised horses and swore by them; when their tractors got stuck he would chuckle and come pull them out with a team of horses. Lanny’s favorite team was Queenie and Prince. He remembers crawling up on Queenie’s back and falling asleep listening to rain drumming on the tin roof of the barn. “She was so wide you could put an egg on her back and it wouldn’t roll off. She would not move ‘til I woke up.” Lanny’s father would get the boys up at 4 AM for chores. After they were done, they’d have to wash up, change into school clothes, grab a bite to eat, and book it half a mile down the lane to the road to catch the school bus. If they missed it, they missed it, and that was a work day. In the winter, it was often up to five days before the single road grader in town would dig them out.
inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021 15
Janice grew up down the road, and they both recall the thrill of Saturday night, when neighbors and family would come over and they would play kick the can and hide-and-seek, then enjoy all-you-could-eat homemade ice cream and Saltine crackers for supper. Lanny’s mother died when he was 11, and his father left soon after, so he grew up with his grandmother. His grandmother was in her 70s at the time, with $77 a month social security to her name, so he went out and got a job with a local farmer at 50 cents a day, then at the local Sinclair station washing cars. The owner, Eddie, took him under his wing. “After school I would go across the field, climb the fence, go to the gas station, and work there until closing. Pretty soon I was doing grease jobs, putting headlights in and adjusting them. I got $5 to wash a car inside and out, and 16 inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021
he’d give me half. That’s luck!” When he turned 17 in 1960, Lanny decided he was going to join the Navy, spending four years in active service. He was initially assigned shore duty in Jacksonville, FL, but after intentionally missing muster to get orders, he was placed on the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise. With a length of 1,189 feet, the Enterprise was considered to be the longest carrier in the US Navy. It stood at 23 stories high, and it took 26 miles to turn at full speed. Its flight deck area was 4.5 acres, and its hangar deck area three football fields. Lanny recalls standing on the flight deck as it turned, looking straight down into the water. Lanny was the 15th of 200 plank owners (original crew members) to arrive on board. In the first shakedown cruise they carried 300 civilians along with them, running tests and drills day and night for two months to get their efficiency flag and join the fleet. After an 8-month voyage in the Mediterranean, they returned home to replenish. They were in the middle of stocking up on supplies when the announcement came over the broadcast system that all liberty was cancelled. They quickly rolled up their sleeves and sped up the reloading of food, ammunition, and bombs - some of which weren’t strapped down and rolled off the carts, sending everybody running. “They didn’t have the end in there that discharged it. We didn’t know that, though. Scared the crap out of us.” In 24 hours they had loaded everything onto the hangar bay and flight deck, and they launched. 300 miles off the coast, they were finally told what their orders were: blockade Cuba. “We had no idea how dangerous it was until years later. We were cruising off the coast, close enough to see cars driving along the roads on the coastline. We could hear Castro giving speeches about how he had just sunk the mighty carrier Enterprise. We all laughed!” The USS Enterprise was formidable enough to rebuff Russian ships and their allies heading for Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, ultimately helping to divert nuclear war. But not every experience in the Navy was quite so tense. He visited Rome, Spain, and France, where their home port was on the French Riviera. Once, while they were docked there, the admiral placed an urgent call for him. Lanny arrived in his swim trunks to find the admiral hosting a film festival. He wanted a gross of Zippo lighters with their insignia to hand out to his guests, which included John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Alfred Hitchcock, Tippi Hedren, and Frank Sinatra. Lanny retrieved the lighters, but because he was only wearing swim trunks, didn’t have anything for the stars to sign. John Wayne, who was quick to say how much he liked the Fort Wayne area, pulled a five-dollar French bill out of his pocket and handed it to Lanny. Everyone signed it. Lanny was duly honored for his part as plank owner on board the USS Enterprise. Six months before Kennedy was killed, he presented Lanny with a commemorative
plaque for his service. During the decommissioning of the USS Enterprise in 2013, he received a private tour and one of the best seats in the house. “All this for a farm boy who got his GED in the Navy because he left school at 17. I got more of an education traveling in the Navy than in high school!” When he returned home to Indiana after his service, one of his Navy buddies in Bristol, IN got him a job working on trailers for Travel Equipment. From there, he went to Country Squire (now Imperial), and with the work ethic he had built growing up and in the Navy, he worked his way up from building cabinets to group leader of the cabinet shop, to foreman, to superintendent. All told he spent 40 years in the RV industry. Janice had moved to Orlando, FL to help start up Disney World as payroll clerk for the mechanical contractor. When she returned home to Leo after 18 years in Florida, she had $15 in her pocket, a car payment, three children, and no job. The first thing she did was go to an expensive area in Fort Wayne, look at the yard, and send the kids up to the house with a quote for raking the leaves and their phone number. The very next day she and the kids made $85 raking leaves. Soon she was working several jobs to make ends meet. But she wouldn’t have traded it for Orlando, where they had to lock their doors and she once had an alligator as big as a canoe show up in her backyard. Not long after she returned to Indiana, Lanny’s brother notified her that she and Lanny (who also had two kids from a previous marriage) should meet up. “I told him: whatever! I was busy raising three kids with no child support, working all the time. Didn’t have time for guys.” This didn’t stop Lanny from popping in without notice one night, right after he got off his second job as a bartender in Elkhart, and she was about to go to her second job as a catering manager at the Marriott. He ended up watching the kids for her. Their first date was on one of her few days off, to a hay maze with Lanny’s brother and his fiance and Jan’s son, Jeff (who was ten at the time). Jan recalls: “I had decided if he didn’t pay for the food I probably wasn’t ever going to see him again. But he paid for everybody. Jeff wanted a pumpkin. Out there it was 25 cents a pound, and what does the boy pick? The biggest one he could find! Lanny paid over $8 for that pumpkin.” Due to the amount of jobs they were both working, their dates happened in the middle of the night. Lanny would get off of his bartending job and go hang out with the kids while Jan worked. When she returned (usually around 2:30 in the morning from big events), the kids would be sleeping. They would drive out to Fort Wayne to get breakfast together, then Lanny would drop her off at home and drive back to Elkhart for work at 5:30. The rest, as Jan says, is history. “From the time we met, we knew we were meant to be together. We didn’t have to horse around dating all those
years. He basically dated my kids, and it paid off!” Lanny and Jan used to travel from Fort Wayne to Union, MI regularly, and after trying many different routes, settled on the one that cut right through Middlebury. Jan would spend time in Middlebury while Lanny was living for a time in Michigan, and soon they decided to settle here. They eventually purchased the Varn’s Guest House, the third bed and breakfast they owned, and invested their energies into making it cozy for guests. For a while, Jan would host high teas for people there. That is, until one Christmas event where they had to serve 950 people in 45 minutes, which saw her, Lanny, and their girls cooking in three different locations. She still does fresh bakes every morning and provides homemade cookies for visitors at the Guest House. Now they spend most days caring for guests, having lunch at the Corral in Shipshewana, and reading over a cup of coffee. Lanny is very connected to the American Legion Post 210, serving on the color guard and burial detail there. They keep up with their 13 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, and Lanny takes regular walks through their neighborhood and along the Pumpkinvine with one very popular basset hound: Penelope. “Our daughter and granddaughter lived with us for about three years or so, and they brought Penelope with them. Once they moved out to Shipshewana, the dog had to be under 50 pounds and she was... not. Lanny inherited her and taught her to go on walks without a leash. The two are like Mutt and Jeff!” Over their 70-plus years, Lanny and Jan have seen quite a bit of what the world has to offer. What made them decide that Middlebury was the place to settle? Jan relates it to the values they have held throughout their lives: “There’s a lot of value in something not so worldly, more common. Simple and straightforward.” You don’t have to spend much time here to recognize that Middlebury is exactly Lanny and Jan (and Penelope’s) style: hardworking, straightforward, and dedicated to a simple way of life.
inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021 17
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NORTHRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
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HANNAH
HOFFMAN My name is Hannah Hoffman, daughter of Amy and Brian Hoffman, and I am a senior at Northridge High school. I am a Varsity Athlete in both Northridge Soccer as well as Track and Field. My participation in Northridge Athletics has led me to meet some of my closest friends and I enjoy being a part of the different team atmospheres that come with each of my sports. No matter which sports season we are in, we all work to build each other up and strive to be at our best. Each group of people is so unique and I love the transition from one sport to the next. Especially with the current COVID situation, I find myself looking forward to practices even more because it will allow me to interact with friends face to face rather than through a screen. Not only does my involvement in Northridge Athletics allow me to
interact with those I don’t see every day but, it also allows me to challenge myself and keep myself disciplined in both athletics and academics. Outside of sports I love to spend time with friends and family. I am involved in Student Council, Middlebury Youth Council, and am an active member of the National Honor Society. I will graduate in the spring with academic honors and hope to attend Purdue University to Major in Health Sciences in order to prepare me for Medical school where I intend to study to become a specialist in Dermatology. I hope to try some new activities while in college such as intramural sports and different clubs. I look forward to starting a new chapter of my life and seeing what the future holds.
Elite credit
inMiddlebury Magazine  | JANUARY 2021 19
3RD ANNUAL VIRTUAL
Cookies, Carols & Cans Written by Kathy Huys
As the year 2020 drew to a close, many of us reflected on how life had been so different during this year of the pandemic. It was sometimes easy to get down about the things that we had missed and the changes we had to make in order to have things seem almost “normal”. We also needed to spend time reflecting on what things had stayed the same, or how we had actually improved on them in order to keep everyone safe. The Northridge Raider Dance Team (NRDT) and the CK Dance Company spent several months preparing for the 3rd annual Cookies, Carols, and Cans Christmas performance. The outcome of this performance/recital was two-fold. One, they wanted to raise awareness of need and collect food, toys, and monetary donations for the food pantry in Middlebury. Two, it was a way to show support to the community who has been so supportive of our teams and dancers. In the past, the Cookies, Carols, and Cans program had taken place at the Northridge High School Auditorium where dancers have their backstage area to prepare for the show, families could come and comfortably sit in the auditorium for the performance, and cans and food items could be collected out in the lobby for the food pantry. Last year, approximately 1,600 pounds was collected. This year, the goal was to collect 2000 pounds! As food items came in they were weighed, toys counted as a pound each, and every dollar donated counted as another pound. As of the printing of this article, it was not yet known if the dancers made their goal. However, there was a big change in how the program was shared with our families and the community. For 2020, the dances were live-streamed and shared on social media. People watching the videos had the opportunity to help the
dancers fundraise the money that they would have normally collected through the sale of tickets. You could “tip” the videos of the teams and classes through the use of Venmo. The studio has faced many obstacles in 2020 and your donations were and still would be greatly appreciated. During the week of December 14-18, the dancers collected for the food pantry. They had a table set-up out in the canopy area outside of the dance studio. Dancers and community members could bring in their donations during this time.
Specific needs for the food pantry continue to be: • Toddler Kid Pack Supplies • Small juice boxes • Squeeze applesauce • Small animal cracker boxes • Sugar • Flour • Rice • Mayonnaise • Jelly • Ketchup • Toothbrushes • Toothpaste • Body Wash • Dish Soap
• Laundry Detergent • Cleaning Supplies • Canned Chicken • Canned Tuna • Spaghetti Sauce • Diapers (sizes 3-4-5-6) • Wipes • Special Holiday Needs • Gas Cards • Grocery Gift Cards • Walmart/Target Gift Cards • Monetary Donation (for older kids who are past getting toys)
The NRDT and CK Dance Studio students also adopted two large families who were in need of Christmas donations. Instead of Coach Casey and the teachers at the dance studio buying the students presents, they decided to take this money and put it towards helping these families. Coach Casey said that these dancers are “a great group of kids who have a mindset for helping others.” Director/Studio Owner Casey Nordman and her teachers would like to thank all of the dancers, parents and supporters. Without you, we would not be able to love back on our community in such a large way. It is extremely important to us to be able to instill these values in our dancers. “Love Each Other!” To connect with the NRDT teams or CK dancers and to make donations, check out these social media sites:
20 inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021
Facebook CK Dance Company -Northridge Dance Team @ckdanznrdt Instagram Northridge Raider Dance Team nrdt_dance_ Venmo CK Dance Company, Middlebury @ckdanzCasey
WHAT HAS IT MEANT TO YOU TO BE A PART OF A TEAM THAT GIVES BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY?
Shamaria Thomas, Senior
It means the world to me! Over the past four years on this team I have had the opportunity to surround myself with people who dedicate themselves to bringing joy to their community. It has allowed me the opportunity to come across many people friends, families, and experiences that I am now so grateful to have and will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Paige Maurer, Senior
Being a part of a team that gives back to our community means so much. We use our name for amazing reasons because we want to help the best we can, as a team and not as individuals. Being able to help people who are struggling will not only make the people we are helping smile, but will make the team smile knowing we did something good for our community!
Brooklyn Yoder, Freshman I learned that you always will have someone to count on and you should always help others no matter what. Being kind is always the right thing to do!
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM BEING A PART OF THE NRDT TEAMS ABOUT BEING A LEADER?
Katie Walther, Junior
Being a part of the NRDT teams has taught me so much about being a leader. A leader means that you are flexible no matter what the schedule is, and the challenges that you are faced with. But it’s also standing up and directing teammates in the right direction even if that means making the opportunities for yourself when they aren’t directly given.
Lexie Huys, Junior
I’ve learned that being a leader requires your all. Leading doesn’t always have to be done through taking the reins either – it could be something as unobvious as running dances full-out each time, but it brings a positive impact to the team.
inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021 21
Welcome to our
SHOUT PAGE!
I’d like to send a THANK YOU to my dance parents! Your willingness to help in any way I need is so appreciated! I am blessed to have such an amazing group of Dance Parents standing with me! - Casey Nordman
A big shout out for friends. You are so important to me - - - thanks for your caution so we can be safe around each other. Love our bridge games! - Judy Huys Thank you to the Heritage Intermediate School Office Staff for working so hard every day and for going above and beyond this December. The teachers and building staff were surprised with beautiful Christmas cookies and every student in the building received a bag filled with fun holiday goodies. -Brook Friesner
To the gentleman who filled up his Legendary Grind punch card and left it for a random customer that day: thank you! It was the cherry on top to my afternoon out just me (five kids at home with Daddy). - Linnea 22 inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021
If you know of a community member or group of people whom you would like to offer out a SHOUT of gratitude in a future magazine, please send your nomination to our editor Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher at Delightfullyhere@gmail.com To the guys at the Middlebury Fire & EMS that don’t blink an eye when they are called to go - no matter what the situation, conditions, time of day or night or weather. Thank You! -Kris Mueller A shout out to all of the volunteers I work alongside at the Center for healing and hope covid test site in Goshen. It takes 120 volunteers every week to run this test site. -Linda Pieri I would truly like to thank Carrie Norris for all that she contributes to our magazine. Over the last year she has donated so many amazing photos of our youth and our community for articles and covers! She makes my job not only easier but also more blessed to have such a kind soul who loves the people of our town as much as I do. Thank you Carrie for all you add to this publication. -Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
I ‘d like to give a huge shout out to Pastors Allison Yankey and Caleb Strom (and their families). They have both taken on new positions at the First United Methodist Church during a pandemic and have done everything they can to keep the parishioners safe, in the know, and somehow involved. We appreciate all that you have done and are doing for us. - Kathy Huys
We had so many shouts this month that they are continued on page 23.
Keep up the great work everyone!
We would like to give a Shout Out to the librarians and staff at Middlebury Community Public Library!! They have responded to covid precautions with great care and a positive attitude. The MCPL website is cheery and easy to navigate and makes finding books and audiobooks for our family easy and fun. We are so thankful for the LibraryTo-Go option, which is well organized and safe. In addition, the Storybook Trail at Riverbend Park is a joy to my kids. We love running through the forest path to read each page of the story! Thank you, MCPL librarians and staff! - The Norris Family
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inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021 23
Northridge Athletics Photos by Russ Draper
s
r
We don’t need a miracle on 34th Street. This year we need miracles on Main Street. Be someone’s miracle. Support Local.
Happy Holidays Roger Huffman
Vicki Wingard Board of Directors Treasurer
Jim Neff
Jeremy Miller
Jason Bontrager Board of Directors Kent Yoder Board of Directors, Past President
Mary Kay Beer
Board of Directors Member
Board of Directors, Vice President
Christina Rheinheimer Board of Directors Secretary Chris Stauffer Board of Directors Member
Board of Directors Member
Board of Directors Member
Jane Allen Board of Directors Member Carmen Carpenter
Middlebury Chamber Communty Outreach Coordinator
Sheri Howland Middlebury Chamber Executive Director
Warmest Holiday Greetings
From the Middebury Chamber Team
The Chamber purchased gift cards from 31 of our Hometown Businesses. The 25 dollar “Flamingo Gift Cards” were given to 38 random shoppers, on Business Saturday to spend locally. A special thank you to our “Middlebury Flamingo Flock” for your flamingo purchase in effort to support LOCAL. Especially during the difficulties of 2020! Watch for Flamingo Recovery Support coming in 2021! 26 inMiddlebury Magazine | JANUARY 2021
Mosquito Eyeball Soup by Gloria E. Salavarria An idea this awful doesn’t just come to you while you’re sitting at home. It takes contact with a friend who has a Japanese wife to come up with something like this. Because of my friend’s fascination with things oriental, I heard about this latest challenge to Japanese culinary creativity. Even if he’s just pulling my leg, I find the idea of mosquito eyeball soup to be intriguing. As a regular blood donor, the notion of depriving these miserable little pests of their eyeballs is tempting to say the least but it took the Japanese to come up with the recipe. It’s only natural that in a land where making a cup of tea is an art form the Japanese would accept a challenge to make the improbable edible. What could be a more unlikely soup ingredient than mosquito eyeballs? The supply of the key component has never been a problem—at least in Middlebury. The challenge is in the collection and processing; and for that you need an animal that eats a lot of mosquitoes—the Japanese found that the common brown bat will do.
Lock a bat in a room full of mosquitoes for several days and he’ll process these pests into bat guano (aka bat poop). Collect this quano, refine it down to the most indigestible part and what you have are mosquito eyeballs. When you have at least a teaspoonful, you’re ready to make mosquito eyeball soup. Of course, if you’re me you’ll warm up some clear soup, add a light sprinkling of poppy seeds and serve it to a kid under the age of 12—along with the story of Mosquito Eyeball Soup. A kid may say, “Cool!” A kid may say, “Ewwwww!” But no kid can resist the idea of mosquito eyeballs in their soup. Now that you know the recipe, too—I double dare you!
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