inMiddlebury Magazine P.O. Box 68 Middlebury, IN 46540
Postal Patrons
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE ecrwsseddm PAID Berne, IN Permit No. 43
Boredom
Busters
Middlebury comes together... Celebrating Life in Middlebury, Indiana
May 2020
Hello Everyone! We are hoping to reopen in the month of May. Please watch our Facebook page for updates on reopening and hours. www.facebook.com/ bargainwrightmiddlebury We are looking forward to seeing everyone again! Stay safe and healthy!
500 Spring Valley Rd. Middlebury, IN 46540 (Between Margaritas & Flower Basket)
574-825-9500
Table of Contents
6
7
Outdoor Living, 6 Getting outside while social distancing Middlebury Comes Together, 7 To wish a special senior Happy Birthday Middlebury Parks Department, 9 Social Distancing, 10-11 Northridge E-Learning,12
10
23
Boys and Girls Club, 14-15 Members not forgotten in pandemic Middlebury Community Collections, 16 Boredom Busters, 18-19 Loose Parts Bingo, 20-21 Shouts, 22 Give a shout of gratitude
Contributors: Publisher:
William Connelly
Editor:
Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
ADVERTISING: Scott Faust
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Cori Vilardo
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Dr. Carla Gull, Carrie Norris, Marcus Boucher and Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher,
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS:
14
Russ Draper, Carla Gull, Kris Mueller, Marcus Boucher, and Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
24
Scholar Athlete, 23 Kenzie Weber Northridge Athletes, 24-25 Middlebury Chamber of Commerce, 26 Vibrant Communities, 27 The last few weeks have been like no other we’ve been through in Elkhart County. Along with a photo collage.
May’s Cover: Spring flowers caught blooming at Krider park by Marla Krider. More of Marla’s beautiful photography capturing Middlebury can be found on greeting cards available at Varns and Hoover Hardware.
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.
Advertising deadline for the June issue is May 14. inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020 3
Community Calendar In light of ongoing developments resulting from the coronavirus, Indiana is working to contain the spread of the virus and has banned events larger than 10 people. The Great Paint Off which was planned for April 28 at the Middlebury Public Library has been cancelled. The next Great Paint Off, on June 27 at Waypoint Community Church (56893 CR 29), will take place as planned. These are 10 minute mini drawing tutorials free for all to learn to draw. All you need is a pencil and some paper! Come draw with me!
MAY Weekly Mon: Table Games, Greencroft – 6:30 p.m. Tues: Euchre, Greencroft – 6:30 p.m. WED: Middlebury Exchange Club, Essenhaus – 6:30 a.m. Fri: Optimist Club Breakfast, Essenhaus – 6:30 a.m.
https://www.facebook.com/lindapieristudio/?ref=bookmarks
Monthly
Editor’s Note
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: Tacos and More by Auxiliary 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
Well, goodness, just when I thought life couldn’t get any more surreal as we navigate our way through this trying time, I woke up to an inch of snow covering my yard and car smack dab in the middle of April. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Mother Nature was having a go at us...like a long, drawn out April Fool’s Day gag. Unfortunately, there is nothing funny about what we are all experiencing right now here in Middlebury and around the globe. I do hope you are all staying safe if just a little stir crazy. In this issue there are some fun ideas of ways to ward off the boredom. During this time I feel even more blessed to be both an artist and a person who enjoys cooking. Boredom has not been an issue for me as I have been able to use this time at home to focus on creating both art and more culinary experiments, two things that stimulate my mind while simultaneously calming my spirit. Hopefully everyone else is finding fun ways to spend their extra time at home and to all of our essential workers who must go in to work daily, thank you for everything you do and the risks you take so that the rest of us can benefit from your selfless efforts. Stay safe, Middlebury!
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. 2nd and 4th Mondays: Middlebury Lions Club - 7 p.m., American Legion Hall
What’s Happening Online
inMiddlebury? Facebook
www.Facebook.com/inMiddlebury
Coupons
www.inMiddlebury.com/coupons
4 inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020
- Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
Milestones Birthay Wishes 5/3
Sally Cooper, 44
5/13 Maxine Gipson, 80
5/7
Hayden Scheidel, 13
5/29
Kari Beechy, 12
5/9
Kaitlyn Troyer, 9
5/30
Ian Vilardo, 12
Happy 13th Birthday Hayden! We love you, Mom & Dad
Anniversary Wishes 5/19 Marcus and Desiree Boucher Happy Anniversary to my love Marcus Boucher!
Have a celebration in June? Let us know by May 14.
1. Website: inMiddlebury.com/milestones 2. Facebook: Facebook.com/inMiddlebury. Click on the blue (Submit) tab 3. Call us at: 574-825-9112 4. Mail: inMiddlebury Magazine: PO Box 68, Middlebury, IN 46540. Please include a phone number or email address in case we have a question inMiddlebury Magazine  | May 2020 5
OUTDOOR LIVING
Getting outside while social distancing
Life changed very quickly for many of us as we headed indoors for social distancing. However, that doesn’t mean we have to give up nature. There are many ways to keep space while still getting outside in a responsible way. • Start a garden! Now is a per- • Ride bikes on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. Cycle, jog, fect time to start plants and or use inline skates along the seeds outside and will give Pumpkinvine. Check out the you fresh produce in your own wildlife and plants as you travbackyard. el. • Learn about wild edibles. Nature grows many food items if • Hike at Bonneyville Mill. Look for signs of beaver activity, exwe’re willing to look for them. plore the pond, or run the trails. Check out “Eat Wild” on Facebook for regional suggestions • Take up bird watching. Warand edibles. blers and other migrating birds are passing through right now. • Try weaving with natural Grab an app like “Merlin Bird items. Make a cardboard or ID” and get to know our feathstick frame with yarn. Add a ered friends. warp with yarn and then use natural items to weave your • Learn about native wildflowcreation. ers. Flowers are blooming in the woods! Do you know their • Check out a spring activity names? on 52thingsoutside.org. Find 10 spring specific activities like smelling the earth, dancing in • Explore Riverbend Park. Go fishing or hiking at Riverbend the rain, or discovering a tadPark. pole. During this time, trails are most likely open, but amenities such as playgrounds, bathrooms, and some courts may be closed. Try to stay at least six feet away from other groups and avoid crowded areas. While our lives have changed wildly in a short amount of time, we can use this time of cleared schedules to connect to our natural surroundings. Perhaps some of our outdoor activities will stick beyond social distancing. Top right –Bonneyville Mill is beautiful in May Middle Right – Trillium often blooms in May.Bottom right – Birds are hopping this month! 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. 6 inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020
Middlebury comes together to wish a very special senior
a happy birthday as she turned 95 years young
Photos taken by Kris Mueller
I’ve known for some years that our Middlebury community has been helpful, generous, and outgoing – a caring community. But on April 2, 2020 – my 95th birthday – I added more pronouns. People in Middlebury are friendly, courteous, and know how to be especially loving. THANK YOU for your cards, your calls, and effort to make me feel so loved! First time I have had a parade of cars by my home. Back in 1947, my husband Bill promised we would live here only one year and then move back to Wakarusa. Never happened. Middlebury is a community to raise a family, and be a part of a community which is a compassionate and committed community. I will pray we will continue those three Cs. A thankful Middlebury resident, Rosealene M... Long
inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020 7
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Summer Fun
With great sadness the Middlebury Parks and Recreation Department has decided to cancel the Summer Fun program for this year due to Covid-19. While no one knows for certain when things will start to open back up, it seems that the cautious, responsible thing to do is to cancel. We absolutely plan to continue this program next year, and we are very sorry to disappoint our families this year.
What’s Happening in the Parks from your Middlebury Park Board
New Krider Windmill
We didn’t get the opportunity to attend the Chicago Flower and Garden Show where the ECCVB booth was to feature the Krider World’s Fair Garden windmill replica. But when the Middlebury Community Historical Museum reopens with its new exhibit, come see the windmill and their display featuring Krider Nurseries.
Original Krider Windmill to get a facelift
Krider World’s Fair Garden’s historic Dutch Windmill will get a facelift in May. A new coat of blue and white paint is coming to keep our iconic windmill looking fresh and photogenic.
Some Good News
The good news is that the Trails of Middlebury are open and ready for spring. Come walk, jog, and bike the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, Ridge Run Trail, Olde Mill Boardwalk, and enjoy the Trail Tales book as you walk through Riverbend. Just being outdoors in the fresh air is healthy and helps our attitudes. Please continue to practice social distancing – even outdoors! For more information visit the Middlebury Parks Facebook pages.
Reminders
A Walk Through Krider World’s Fair Garden, the book about the history of our park, is available through Amazon. If you are ordering anything through Amazon, you can use the Amazon Smile feature and designate the Friends of the Middlebury Parks (FOMP) as the recipient of a percentage of your purchase price on anything you buy through Amazon. Don’t forget to renew your membership in the Friends of the Middlebury Parks!
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inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020 9
Social distancing Written by Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
Trying to decide how to approach this article has not been easy. Do I maintain that line of professional versus personal or do I just talk to those who are reading this like I would my friends and neighbors? Well, many of you are my friends and neighbors and I feel invested in you as well as feel many of you have invested in me or my family personally over the years. During this icy time of social distancing when we can’t even visit our elderly loved ones, or hug our friends when we run into them in public, or even share a smile with a stranger as a mask is hiding our mouth, I feel the need to be more personal and less professional in this piece. I hope I can be forgiven for that. I am so proud of our town right now as I see the way so many are responding to this crisis. Our schools are doing their best to meet the needs of children and families, on the rare occasion I must leave our home and venture out to a store I see people being courteous and respectful of other people’s space while still being kind. I hear stories from people in other cities and towns nearby where their communities are being less polite to one another. I am glad I have not experienced any of this rudeness here in Middlebury. Instead, the general sense I get from people around town is that we are all in this together. I see many of you wearing masks and practicing safe distances. Like myself, I know many other women who have been sewing masks
10 inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020
in bulk to share with families, friends or strangers who need one, again in such contrast to stories I hear of people hoarding and price gouging others for these and other essential items in other parts of our country. I have heard of so many local businesses who have chosen to close shop for a few weeks in order to protect the health and safety of their employees and customers alike despite the personal financial cost that may have on them. These things make me, once again, so proud of this community I call home. Living on a downtown street that connects with the Pumpkinvine, an upside of all of this that I have seen is a lot more families walking by with their children and pets, I say pets because, yes, I recently saw a cat on a leash. During the warmer months we as a family spend so much time outdoors that I have become very accustomed to the “regulars,” the folks that walk by daily and have for several years now. I even know many of
the dogs by name even if I forget the owner names on occasion...a shout out to Penelope, the neighborhood basset hound, who I can’t wait to pet and love on again soon. Recently, however, I have been seeing four or five times more people walking down the road as they head to the trail and from across the street I have shared smiles and waves with so many more families than in previous years. I went on a drive recently and saw a lot of families, like my own, have been taking advantage of this time at home with kids to color their sidewalks in chalk or foamy homemade washable paint. The creations are all so colorful and inspiring as more and more people seem to be finding the simple joys of just being in their own backyards. I feel like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz would be so pleased. While driving around last week I started taking photos of people out and about staying active while also staying safe. I know I hear some grumbles about social isolation but I also feel I see a
lot of families spending more time together and enjoying activities that are limited to people in their own household. I hope after all of this has passed people will continue to enjoy more family-focused activities. I know this is a scary time for many people. I hope you are finding some peace in the eye of the storm. I feel even I, typically a fairly “go with the flow” sort of person, was beginning to feel an overwhelming level of panic a week ago. Thankfully that anxiety has lessened as I become more comfortable with what normal looks like right now. I have always believed if we do everything in our natural powers then God will chip in on the things outside of our abilities. I am making good choices and being careful and I know many of you are
as well. I find comfort in that. I know that there are also lots of canceled and postponed events or experiences that are forever lost, however as long as we are making it through all of this safe and healthy and our loved ones are as well, then this all will pass eventually and even though it’s strange and difficult I have hope for our future and hope that valuable lessons are learned during this time.
I like the way the world is gathering – as we honor the need for separateness – to support each other and have community in little, beautiful ways. Recently, I learned that across the globe, families are painting rainbows in their windows with the words “Let’s All Be Well” to show their support for each other. We join in this opportunity to be together in our separateness, to share love and prayers and hope, as we stay home to honor and care for at-risk family members, for nurses and doctors and healthcare workers, for people we don’t know across the globe for whom this virus will be an overwhelming fight, for the mail carriers and truck drivers and pharmacists and teachers (figuring out Zoom with 20 crazy and excited students), for the people working hard to provide breakfasts and lunches for all the kids who depend on them, for the artists sharing their unique beauty with the world. The way my family is taking part is small. We will stay home. We will pray. We will strive to be kind and gentle with each other, we will make signs for our front door and our yard with construction paper hearts and “Thank yous,” we will continue to learn and grow. And we will have hope. Let’s all be well. Carrie Norris inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020 11
E-learning for northridge E-learning will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week. If you are signed up for paper packets, a week’s worth of lessons will be available on Wednesday at the administration center. If you would like them delivered to your A.M. bus stop, please call your child’s school. We will pick up completed packets on Mondays and deliver them on Wednesdays. Meals will be distributed on Monday and Wednesday from now until the end of May. Meals can be picked up from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Jefferson Elementary School or at the Northridge Middle School north parking lot. The pickup on Monday will be for Monday and Tuesday and on Wednesdays, meals will be distributed for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Lunches will be delivered to A.M. bus stops on Mondays and Wednesdays for the rest of the school year for those students who are signed up. There is a great resource for our students that may need help with math and science turoring. Students needing help with math and science homework can visit askrose.org or call 877-ASK-ROSE (275-7673) for free tutoring. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology provides the service to all students in grades 4-12. Help is available every day of the week by calling, emailing or chatting online with trained tutors who can guide students through solving problems.
Meal Pick-Up Schedule April 13- May 27 Jefferson Elementary School or Northridge Middle School North Parking Lot Between 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Date
# of breakfasts and lunches for each student
Mondays For M, T
2
Wednesdays For W, TH, F
3
If your child qualifies for free or reduced lunches, you may call the administration center at 574-825-9425 to have the meals delivered to your home on Mondays and Wednesdays
E-Learning May 1-28, 2020 Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
E-Learning
4 5 6 7 8 E-Learning E-Learning Waiver Day E-Learning Waiver Day 11 12 13 14 15 E-Learning Waiver Day E-Learning Waiver Day E-Learning 18 E-Learning
19 Waiver Day
20 E-Learning
21 Waiver Day
22 E-Learning
25 26 27 28 29 Waiver Day E-Learning E-Learning Records Day No School 12 inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020
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inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020 13
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
Club members not forgotten during pandemic The pandemic is not only hard on adults, nonprofits, and small businesses, but also hard on our club members. During this time they aren’t allowed to go to the places where they feel they thrive. We want to let them know that we miss them and are still here for them. Program Manager Rhonda Eicher and Natasha assembled
14 inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020
CLUBatHome kits for 54 of our club members. The kits contained educational items such as a reading log, a fun math activity (with candy!), information about our CLUBatHome virtual platform, a fun hands-on art project, and yummy treats. Club members will receive rewards if they bring completed activities to the club after it reopens. Each packet also included a personalized handwritten letter from a team member. Club members were selected as those we believe could use some encouragement. The team hopes to do another round of packets within the coming weeks. Although most of the packets were mailed, Natasha delivered some to club members, leaving the packet on the porches. She called ahead to let the parents know and she would be coming by, wanting to extend caution and social distancing. Two of the families had a request, “The kids want to wave at you through the window. Could you please make sure you look at the window before you leave?” What a privilege! This is what we do – inspire and empower even in times like these.
Boys& Girls& Creativity& Innovation& Adapting to Change
&
Whatever It Takes to Build Great Futures.
To continue to support our Club members and families while our sites are closed, we are excited to announce the launch of our CLUBatHome platform!
WHAT IS CLUB AT HOME? Club at Home is the virtual version of BGCEC where Club members can participate in fun programs and meaningful activities, and keep in touch with their leaders and friends, without leaving their homes. We want to continue to build Great Futures in our virtual environment using videos, Stride Academy, MyFuture.Net, and other online resources
WHY CLUB AT HOME? Club members will be able to stay connected and engage with their Club Directors and favorite staff with fun activities and programs to keep brains learning, bodies active and connections strong. Read-alongs, Arts, DIY STEM, Career Exploration, and Healthy Habits are just some of the programs we are running virtually. Club members not only learn great skills, but can also earn prizes based on how many activities they accomplish, and how many badges they earn in the MyFuture program.
CLUBatHome Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County
FOR MORE INFORMATION SCAN THE QR CODE
OR VISIT US ONLINE AT
GreatFutures.club inMiddlebury Magazine  | May 2020 15
E-learning at home has been an interesting process for our family. We have four kiddos, one in each level – elementary, HIS, NMS, and NHS – so the range of work has been immense! It’s been a very hands-on experience with our younger children and we have actually really enjoyed seeing where they are truly at in their learning and the different ways that their teachers have been presenting lessons. Our older kids are pretty independent about getting their work done (with only minimal grumbling so far). They are only a year apart in school and have been able to help each other with most homework questions – thank goodness because high school biology is challenging! We cannot thank all of the teachers and MCS staff enough for all of the hard work they’ve put into creating these lessons for the kids! The amount of effort they’ve put into connecting with them during this time has been amazing – from live Google Meet band and choir games to teachers recording themselves reading books to the students. It’s reminded us how much we love being a part of the MCS community. -Erika Leisure
When I started my sophomore year at Indiana University Bloomington this past fall, I was prepared for the normal college life. I was living in my first apartment, learning how to cook, joining new clubs, and spending countless hours studying for classes towards my Fitness and Wellness degree. Unfortunately, most of this was cut short in March when I, along with thousands of other students, had to go home to complete the rest of the semester online. My classes are completely different now. No longer do I spend my afternoons walking across the beautiful campus to go to classes such as exercise physiology and psychology. Instead, I walk between the rooms in my house, trying to find the motivation to complete my assignments. Through all of this though, I find that I have a lot to be thankful for. I am lucky to be blessed with the internet so I can still participate in lectures held online and connect with my classmates and club members through weekly Zoom calls. I feel very appreciative of the things and people that I do have and look forward to returning to IU once again in August. - Chlöe Thompson
Middlebury Community Collection
I miss the kids. I miss the daily interactions that make our jobs so rewarding and enriching. With that said, I am so thankful that technology allows us to at least keep the connections. Seeing them even in our limited capacity is the highlight of my day. -Bryce Cone
The homeschooling/e-learning has definitely been a learn as we go process, which of course has gotten easier to use for both my son and I. At the beginning I felt that the teachers and school administration were not fully prepared for using e-learning even on a smaller scale of a day or two. It seemed as if they were on different pages of the “how-to” book of the app and planning daily lessons. By like I said earlier, it has gotten easier to work with as time has passed, for all involved. Now actually getting the work done with a willingly first grader has been frustrating. I definitely have more admiration for teachers and school administration now. -Christy Ritchie
I feel that with online school it’s really helped me be more self-disciplined and responsible, and I just find it easier to do work than if it wasn’t online. Not that it doesn’t come with its challenges, but I feel it has really helped me take more initiative in my life. I’m able to plan out more of what I want to do in a day, than if it was physically at school. -NHS Freshman
Being at home right now is both a bonus and a struggle for me. I only have one year where I get to experience high school for the first time and it was taken away. I also have a brother who is a senior and he lost so much. The problem is that life is moving on and days are passing and we are told to sit and be quiet while the best days of our lives are taken away from us. On the other hand this quarantine vacation is also a nice time to start projects or things I’ve wanted to do that I’ve not been able to do because of school. It is also nice to be able to FaceTime or stay up late and do other things without school holding me back. -Hannah Templeton
This time E-learning isn’t a snow day where I will see my students the next day. I will not get to interact face to face with my class ever again, and that is devastating. My main goal is to maintain relationships with my students through Google Meet or Flipgrid Video sharing. If teachers can keep sharing with and listening to students, then we can continue to provide experiences that will increase their academic skills. I am so thankful for the flexibility of the students and the parents as we settle into a routine for the next 20 days. I’m learning something new every day. From sending feedback to setting up a routine in my house with my own children. And sometimes that means I need to rework an assignment or an expectation because in this moment in time, grace will be my hero. -Michelle Rohrer
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inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020 17
Boredom
Being stuck inside with the kids covered in sugar and the stickiness of Easter candy? Playing boring old games that have been collecting dust? Spice it up! Playing with a variety of ages with different skill levels can be tricky when trying to incorporate the whole family. To even the playing field there aren’t any rules that say you can’t make up your own “house rules” for any game. For example, Scattergories is a favorite in our household as it offers lots of potential for replay and adaptation as well as laughter and opportunities for expanding our vocabulary in fun, socially based game play. Many of you may own this game and played it with peers but a fun way to bring your kids into it and make it more fair and fun for all is to alter the rules slightly for younger players. For example, if the letter is “T” and the category is items found in your closet, you might think of trousers or a tie, but for a younger child that might be a challenge. In our home we offer points to the gradeschool children if they can just write down any item in their closet, it doesn’t have to be letter specific but as they grow we offer bonus points for them as they learn to answer with the correct letter. There are plenty of bonus points written into the actual rules for older kids and adults as well. If playing with an even younger child perhaps ask them to simply write the letter that was rolled as many times as they can before the timer goes off. The key is to make it fun and achievable for all players to join in on the family fun. While playing Monopoly, sometimes it just lasts too long and the kids get bored. Try limiting the game to the first person to make it around the board so many times, or once everyone makes it around five times the game is done and you count your money. Another fun way to liven it up and burn some physical energy versus mental energy is make the kids do so many jumping jacks every time they pass “Go,” or run around the table, or if you’re feeling like some extra energy is needed to vent then run around the whole yard on warmer days. With games like Sorry, allow kids to pull their pieces from start more easily by offering new rules for what qualifies as a start move, or make a rule that says you can only send a player back to start if they are older than you, or allow kids under 10 twice as many turns per turn, etc. For games like Trivial 18 inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020
Busters Written by Marcus Boucher
Pursuit, change the answers to multiple choice (and make some of the answers silly and goofy) or make the questions ones you know your kid will know.... even better yet incorporate their E-learning with the game and ask questions about topics you know they are currently studying. Since there are no rules that say you can’t add your own rules to a game, I say do it! Make up any rule you can or want to to help make the game fun for all involved. Just make sure the rules are defined prior to the start of play so that no one feels like they are constantly changing or unfair. If you’re home with kids that have a wide gap in age, discuss the new rules with the older children so they all agree to the change. This will help them understand that the goal is to make it fun and not about winning...typically the rule changes should still allow all children and adults an equal chance at winning since they aren’t meant to let other players win but rather to level the playing field of fairness for all participants. The point being, if there are game parts missing or not all the players are the same age, don’t be discouraged! Use what you have and make a new game, a custom tailored game for your family. Make your own rules or even completely new games, using your own clothes earn points by seeing who can put on the most shirts or put in the most hairties or wear the most hats, etc. Maybe see who can dress the most like dad or mom or like a 5-year-old or like a grandparent or a celebrity. You’re only limited by your own imagination and your willingness to be silly. Stay safe my friends.
Knitting • See a tutorial at https://youtu.be/MsZsUBYU0qU
Leaf Painting
• Begin by taking a walk to collect fallen leaves. • Then, set kids up with paint and paper. • Simply paint the leaves, turning each
one into a unique canvas. • Have kids paint the leaves, and then press them to paper to make leaf prints. • Paint the leaves with a variety of colors to make rainbow leaf prints. • Use them as a paintbrush and paint WITH the leaves. • Make intricate designs and patterns on the leaves using a fine-point brush and paint.
Shadow Art
• Set up your sketchbook outside in the sunshine. • Place toys, figures or blocks on paper. Turn them in different
directions to see how their shadows change.
• Encourage little ones to trace around the
shadows to create their very own shadow art. • To take the shadow art to another level, try coloring them in with crayons or paint.
Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars
• Measure some colored paper and cut it the length of your paper rolls. Glue your paper onto your paper rolls.
•
•
• •
•
Glue the first part of your paper onto the roll, wrap it all the way around and glue to finish. (Or simply decorate the rolls with paint or markers) Glue your rolls together. You can do this with regular glue, but they are much sturdier if you use hot glue for this step. **If you wrap pipe cleaner around the rolls, you want to wait to glue your rolls together until you wrap the pipe cleaner. Add your decorations! We had so much fun stringing sequins onto our pipe cleaner! Since my daughter is pretty young, I apply a dot of glue, and she sticks her items on. Punch a hole on the side of each paper roll. Tie your string onto your lookers. I just double knotted the string at each hole and trimmed the extra. Let your child’s backyard safari begin!
Other Fun Ideas • Make a “laser” maze in a hallway with crepe paper and scotch tape. • Encourage little builders with some mini marshmallows and toothpicks. • Create a target practice for little ones with a box, some string and some paper cups. • And most of all, let the fun begin!
inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020 19
20 inMiddlebury Magazine  | May 2020
Loose Parts Bingo We LOVE loose parts! During this time of social distancing, try a few simple loose parts ideas! How many BINGOs can you get? Remember these are starting points – make it your own! Have an adult share what you have done in the Loose Parts Play FB group.
Make a face with found objects. Try another way.
Fill a shallow bin with water. Add scoops and other utensils. Play!
Find the biggest box you can! How might you use it?
Experiment with the wind. What might you need, like string, ribbon, a paper bag?
Dig into the recycling Pull out the blocks. bin! What can you What else can you use make? with them?
Create our own nature art. Look at art by Andy Goldsworthy or Take ‘Em Outside.
Combine toys or building sets. What happens with new combinations?
Make a musical instrument from nature or things you use in our space.
Experiment on YOUR How many ways can own! What can you do you use a stick? Write with objects around a list. you?
Can you make a ramp for something to slide or roll down? Is there another way you might do this?
Find rocks! Can you tell a story with them?
Read a loose parts-inspired book! Try Rosie Revere, Engineer, Not a Stick, Not a Box, etc.
What can you make with cardboard?
Make your own junk jar! Gather random “extras” from around your space to use in creations.
Grab a flashlight. Experiment with shadows. Try another option.
How many ways can you use playdough outside? Be sure to leave no trace.
Find pieces of nature on the ground – sticks, leaves, rocks, seed pods, etc. How might you use these?
Time to experiment with sound! Try jars, utensils, water, and stainless steel bowls. What else?
Make a math equation with or sort items you find outside.
Pull out the button jar! Explore!
Build your own fort! Will you use blankets, pillows, boxes, sticks or more?
It’s Not a . . . Choose an object and brainstorm new uses. Try it!
Take apart an old appliance with permission. Have an adult cut off the cord first.
inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020 21
Welcome to our SHOUT page!
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 I would like to give a shout out to the Middlebury Fire Department and ambulance for helping us celebrate Rosalynn Long’s 95th birthday April 2. They led the way along with 30 cars to Greencroft Middlebury as we did a drive-by happy birthday parade. Thank you to everyone who participated. You made her day! -Diane Kauffman
Shout out to Mrs. Martin who has been reading to her students virtually every day since we have been in quarantine! -Carla Gull
I want to give a shout out to Erica for being principal, teacher, cook, and coordinator holding up the household. Quarantine is better because of what she does. -Idris Busari
A big shout to everyone that has done/is doing their part at being responsible during this pandemic. -Middlebury Then & Now
Shout out to Mr. Hamilton at HIS who has been connecting his students virtually as we social distance! -Carla Gull
22 inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020
InMiddlebury Shout out to MCS teachers for their hard work!
Thank you to all of the people packaging and distributing breakfast and lunches for the MCS kids. Signed~No Raider Goes Hungry
‐Chris Erlacher
The whole MCS staff for providing food, reworking the way they teach, supporting the students and their parents. -Kristen Nevill
Varns and Hoover would like to give a shout out to the Middlebury Parks Department for all the hard work they do. Trails and parks look great!
N o r t h r id g e H i g h S chool
Scholar Athlete Of the Month Photo by Russ Draper
Kenzie Weber Kenzie Weber is the daughter of Stephanie and Michael Weber and a senior at Northridge High School. She has participated on both the swimming and dive teams and is a member of the clubs National Honor Society. Kenzie says, “I enjoy being a part of a team that always pushes me to be my best and how much fun we have in the process.” She also volunteers at the Middlebury Food Pantry, helps coach younger kids on her club team, lifeguards, and teaches swim lessons. Kenzie plans on going in the fall to Illinois State on an athletic and academic scholarship. She is considering going into business or elementary education.
If you’ve ever played Euchre for 4 hours.
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inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020 23
photo by Russ Draper
24 inMiddlebury Magazine  | Mayedw 2020
inMiddlebury Magazine  | May 2020 25
Chamber Members Giving Back Culver Duck, First State Bank, Grand Design, Heritage Ridge Creamery, Jayco, Jenkins/Napa, Maple Leaf Printing, Middlebury Animal Clinic, Middlebury Community Schools, Rulli’s Itailan Restaurant, Souper Brew, and West on Warren.
Please help us grow our list!
One Stop Drive-Thur Clinic Schedule Elkhart County Response Team & Elkhart General Hospital Kaley Reeves Miller, the winner of the Middlebury Chamber of Commerce Tumbler!
Wakarusa Location: 207 N. Elkhart St. Open Mon., Wed., & Fri. - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Middlebury Location: 206 W. Warren St. Open Tues. & Thurs.- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Middlebury Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center held a Social Distancing Easter Egg Hunt on Social Media March 31. Each participant decorated and hung paper eggs in their home front windows, then took a walk/drive to see how many eggs they could find. In participation, the below participants received an Easter Basket from the Easter Bunny! Congratulations Everyone!
Liam and Lyllian’s Easter Egg
Addison Armstrong’s Easter Egg
Skarlette Miller’s Easter Egg
Trentin Miller’s Easster Egg
Don’t forget to support your local small businesses... Call the chamber 574-825-4300, we can help connect you to your needs.
26 inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020
The last few weeks have been like no other we’ve ever been through in Elkhart County. But what has warmed our hearts is seeing the amazing ways we have
rallied to help each other in this time of social distancing and extra precautions. That’s the way Elkhart County has always responded in a crisis. What’s tougher is having to stay at home and away from the many places where we love to gather – for music, for dinner and drinks, for school plays, even those work meetings that we used to dread. So that’s why we’re sending you this Love Note and asking you to pass it on to the people who are special in your life. Visit https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=211243080149325 to see Premier Art’s Love Note to Elkhart County. Premier Arts is special in Elkhart County’s life, and so are the fun and creative people in every city and town. We’re all uniting (apart) to tell each other that better days are ahead. Over the next few weeks, we’re posting many examples of Elkhart County residents reminding us “the sun’ll come out tomorrow.”
We’ll get through this together because we believe in here.
Love, Arvis and Suzie
April Snow 2020 Photos by Marcus Boucher
Local Business Directory Global Tax & accounTinG Jan Plummer, CPA
O:574-825-2277 • F: 866-385-7177 globalcpa@aol.com PO Box 1135 Middlebury, IN 46540
/ TCC
Pretty Petals Greenhouse • Bedding Plants • Hanging Baskets • Vegetables • Succulents • Perennials
• Herbs • Fairy Garden Plants • Organic Compost
Martha Bontrager • 825-9565 ext. 5 • 54244 CR 43 • Middlebury, IN Hours: Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
HealthyPets Pet Food and Accessories 851 US 20 • Middlebury 574-825-3238
Chris Gunn Groomer
574-849-6401
NISLEY
Home Improvement
202 W. Spring St. • Middlebury, IN
Specializing in Residential Interior Painting
851 US 20 Next To Rulli’s Middlebury 574-358-0146
Steve Nisley 574-849-4788
Advertise in our Business Directory
for as low as $50 a month! For more information call 574-825-9112 or Advertising@inMiddlebury.com
28 inMiddlebury Magazine | May 2020
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+ BETTER TOGETHER The Community Foundation and United Way have partnered together to meet the needs of the community by creating the COVID-19 Community Response Fund. We invite you to learn more, give or apply. We are all in this together.
The COVID-19 Community Response Fund fund will support nonprofit and other community organizations engaging in immediate basic needs relief, short-term response and longer-term recovery in Elkhart County impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. You can apply, give or learn more by visiting us online.
INSPIRINGGOOD.ORG | 574 295 8761 inMiddlebury Magazine  | May 2020 31
Open House
851 US 20, Middlebury • 574-825-3238
Saturday, May 23 Free Nail Trims 9 a.m. to Noon Sales Rep. from Canidae Pet Food will be here from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free Samples and refreshments!
“We are here in Middlebury and ready to serve you with any celluar needs or help answer any questions.”
/ TCC 851 US 20 • Next To Rulli’s • Middlebury • 574-358-0146
