WN VOLLEYBALL SCORES FIRST-ROUND SECTIONAL WIN; AT HOME SATURDAY: PG. 6
The
Advance An edition of THE NEWS SUN
THURSDAY OCTOBER 24, 2013
Leader
75 cents Ligonier, Indiana, USA On the web at: kpcnews.com Vol. 129, No. 43
Cromwell Halloween Carnival set for Saturday Sparta Township firefighters also hosting chili supper at firehouse CROMWELL — The Cromwell Historical Society and the Sparta Township Fire Dept. will be hosting special events on Saturday, including the annual Halloween Carnival, which has been moved to the fire station. The annual Halloween parade precedes the carnival. Line-up for the parade will begin at 4 p.m. at Wysong’s and the parade begins at
4:30 p.m. Participants — kids as well as adults are welcome — will parade around town and then end up at the Sparta Township Fire Department for the judging. There will be treats for every child in costume. At 5 p.m., the Halloween Carnival will begin and there will be tickets for the carnival in the treat bags. The fire department will host its
chili supper starting around 4 p.m. at the station. “This year’s carnival will be even better than ever,” said Lavina Alderfer, president of the historical society. “There will be games and the bounce house will be back. We are very excited with the plans for this year.” Fashion Farm will provide pumpkins for decorating. Classic
Cut Hair Salon is sponsoring a contest for best pumpkins and there will be prizes. This decorating can be done as a family or individual. Decorated pumpkins will then be placed around the town at area businesses. “We will also have a prize at the carnival for the best adult costume,” said Alderfer. “This is a night to be enjoyed by the
entire family. We also have many new games this year to share with everyone.” The chili supper includes homemade chili and side dishes. Proceeds benefit equipment purchases for the fire department and everyone’s welcome. More information on the Cromwell events is available by contacting Alderfer at 856-2861.
Grant turns students into strummers BY BOB BUTTGEN bbuttgen@kpcmedia.com
LIGONIER — West Noble Elementary School students are playing a new tune this year, thanks to an innovative idea from a music teacher and grant from a local foundation. Toward the end of the last school year, the school’s music programs received what principal Mark Yoder called a “generous” grant from the Dekko Arts Foundation. The money was used to purchase 24 new guitars for students. Staying local, the school purchased their instruments from Simple Sounds, a folk music store in Shipshewana owned by Gary and Linda Zehr. Linda is also a graduate of West Noble schools. The instruments arrived in August and took the students’ collective breath away, according to Yoder, who credited music teacher Megan Murphy for the new program that has been a huge hit with their students. “I had been searching for a unique and fun way to engage students in music class, and what’s cooler than a guitar?” asked Murphy. Murphy said she was inspired at a music education conference last year when she happened upon a Mariachi session led by two prestigious music educators. “What better way to celebrate
Photo Contributed
Students in Mrs. Noll’s fourth-grade class at West Noble Elementary show off the guitars they are now using in their music class. In the back row, from left, are Isaac Campos, Andy Garcia, Carlos Bonilla, Josiah Hoogsteen, Darren Reyes, Peter Bradley, Devin McLaughlin, Chastin Lang and Nickolice diversity and learn about world music than through guitar?” she asked. Using a combination of Mariachi and folk curriculum, the fourth graders at West Noble are getting a fresh new look at music class, as well as the opportunity to learn to play guitar.
Not only is this a unique challenge for the fourth graders at West Noble, but also for their music teachers, she noted. She would like to expand the program and bring more community groups into the school. “I would love to have parents,
Bromley. In the front, from left, are Natalia Alcala, Ella Stoner, Uma Bair, Mckenzie Tackett, Kayla Fry, Lupe Silva Barraza, Mariela Romero-Rodriguez and Alia Najera. The instruments were purchased with a grant from the Dekko Foundation. local musicians and other West Noble students involved in this curriculum,” Murphy said. “I only know what I have learned from a book, but there are so many knowledgeable people in this community who could strengthen our Mariachi program and give students a first-hand performance
experience.” Anyone interested in becoming involved with this program and who would like to help teach a class or give a performance, can contact Murphy at West Noble Elementary School, 894-3199, ext. 1070, or by email at murphym@westnoble.k12.in.us.
Lt. Governor meets with local business leaders BY DENNIS NARTKER dnartker@kpcmedia.com
KENDALLVILLE — “A sense of urgency” is how Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann described what she heard from local and area business leaders regarding their need for skilled workers. Ellspermann stopped at B & J Medical Inc., on U.S. 6 west of Kendallville, and the Noble County Courthouse in Albion Tuesday afternoon as part of her Listen & Learn Tour of Indiana’s 92 counties. At both sites, she listened to business leaders and elected officials to learn about the strengths, challenges and priorities of Noble County. She also visited LaGrange County Tuesday morning for a Listen & Learn session at Yoder Popcorn Co. in Topeka. LaGrange County and Noble County were the 70th and 71st counties on her six-month-long tour. Ellespermann said one topic of her conversation with business leaders was the need to develop a skilled work force. “Beginning in the high school learning skilled trades that can lead to jobs in manufacturing and agriculture is something I heard a lot,” she said after the session. “They have the jobs, but
Chad Kline
Indiana Lt. Gov Sue Ellspermann met Tuesday with several business leaders, including John Wicker, left, owner of B&J Medical Inc., and several other area factories, and Noble County Economic Development Corp. Director Rick Sherck. need people with the skills.” She said it was “eye-opening” for her how desperate local and area businesses are for skilled labor. In Topeka, Ellespermann said, she heard similar comments from LaGrange County business
The fast just got Faster...
leaders and elected officials. “In agriculture, I heard there needs to be more amenities for young farmers in rural areas so they stay on the farms in the area,” she said. Asked what the state is doing to address the problem, Ellesper-
mann mentioned the Indiana Regional Works Council initiative announced by Gov. Mike Pence and signed into law in April. Each region will bring educators and employers together to evaluate and develop
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career and technical education that meets the demands of employers in that region. Each region is responsible for preparing a comprehensive report for the governor and the education roundtable by Nov. 1. State Rep. David Ober, R-Albion, attended both sessions. He supported the creation of the Indiana Regional Works Councils and the evaluation of available career, technical and vocational education opportunities for high school students in the area. Concerns at the government session included the lossening of controls on some funds so they can actually be used, and the bureaucracy created through the Department of Local Government Finance. Ellespermann worked her way through Purdue University as an engineering cooperative education student with General Motors. She graduated from Purdue as an industrial engineer and established a career in engineering and management at Michelin and Frito-Lay. She founded a consulting business that provided problem solving and strategic planning facilitation and training. She built her practice throughout North America and completed a masters degree and a doctorate in engineering at the University of Louisville. She was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2010 and sworn in as the state’s 50th lieutenant governor on Jan. 14, 2013.
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