SLEIGH BELLS CRAFT SHOW IS SATURDAY AT WEST NOBLE: SEE PAGE 2 FOR DETAILS
The
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2013
Advance
Leader
An edition of THE NEWS SUN
75 cents Ligonier, Indiana, USA On the web at: kpcnews.com Vol. 129, No.46
Benefit for firefighter is Saturday
Clarissa Benavides has been missing since Nov. 7 from her father’s South Bend home.
Police asking for help in locating girl LIGONIER —The Ligonier Police Department is working with law enforcement agencies in South Bend to locate Clarissa Benavides. She’s 15-years-old and has run away from her father’s home in South Bend. Ligonier police were notified Friday by family members that the girl may be in Ligonier. She also has friends in the South Bend area. Her mother, Leighann Kesterman, attended West Noble High School. Ligonier Det. Gary Cox has been making inquiries in the West Noble area, but so far none of the leads has helped locate her. Cox drove to South Bend on Tuesday to gain additional information and look for her there. Anyone with information on Clarissa Benevides is asked to call the Ligonier Police Dept. at 894-4111.
CROMWELL — The Sparta Township Volunteer Fire Department is pulling the community together to stage a benefit this Saturday night for one of its own members. The benefit event is being held to help James (Jimmy) Heintzelman, a 34-year veteran of the department. Activities will start at 4 p.m. at the firehouse in Cromwell. Tickets are $10, and that includes a pulledpork dinner and all the trimmings, along with
both silent and live auctions, a 50-50 drawing and other festivities. “This benefit is being organized to help Jimmy and his family through this difficult time and to help alleviate some of their financial burden and medical expenses,” said Eric Moser, a fellow firefighter who is among the many volunteers in the department helping organize the fundraiser. Heintzelman has been in and out of the hospital over the past several months and can
no longer work. The department is also accepting donations. They can be mailed to: Sparta Township Fire Department 201 Water St. Cromwell, IN 46732 Donations of items for the auctions are also being accepted. To make arrangements for a donation, or for more information, call 856-4555 and leave a message or contact any member of the fire department.
Kids salute veterans Patriotic emotions ran high at West Noble Elementary School on Monday as students and teachers staged their annual “Salute to Veterans.” About 50 veterans attended the program on Veterans Day. Mr. Jeff Iden, one of the fourth-grade teachers and a veteran, talked about etiquette and singing of the National Anthem. Members of the school’s Student Council read a poem, “Veterans Day” by Cheryl Dyson. The West Noble Super Singers sang “America the Beautiful” and “Proud of Our Veterans.” Each veteran addressed the students and told which branch of the military they served, and for what years.
Photo Contributed
Veterans Day was Monday, and American Legion Post 243 delivered hundreds of American flags to West Noble Primary School in Ligonier and distributed them to the students. Here, students in Troy Risser’s first-grade class display their flags. In the back is Risser, left, and Andy Anderson, one of the commanding officers from West Noble American Legion Post 243 in Ligonier, who delivered the flags as part of a Veterans Day observance.
Special school fund started Fundraisers, talent show set LIGONIER — Students and staff are sponsoring a “Month of Giving” at West Noble Middle School. All proceeds go to the school’s new Benevolence Fund to help students and families with financial emergencies. Special events are being used to raise funds, including a penny pitch, bake sale, dress-up days, talent show and a basket silent auction. “We are also selling raffle tickets to turn Gene Teel, our school’s athletic director, into a giant ice cream sundae,” said Karena Wilkinson, music teacher. The new fund will be used to help families with emergencies such as a house fire, medical situation and other special needs. For more details, contact Wilkinson at 894-3191, ext. 2330 or ext. 3710, by email at wilkinsonk@westnoble.k12.in.us, or on her Facebook page. The talent show is set for Monday at 7 p.m. at the middle school, featuring students on stage. Admission is $2 or an entire family for $5, and pre-schoolers admitted free. Bring a canned food item and receive $1 off the admission price. ➤ Special Fund, Page 2
The Advance Leader P.O. Box 30 Ligonier, IN 46767 Phone: 894-3102 • Fax: 894-3102
Photo Contributed
Here are the veterans, and some active-duty personnel, who attended the annual “Salute to Veterans” event held at West Noble Elementary School on Monday. Many of the men in the group have grandchildren or great-grandchildren attending the school.
Public provides park plan proposals BY BOB BUTTGEN bbuttgen@kpcmedia.com
LIGONIER — Public input has been given to the Ligonier Park Board as the parks and recreation department works to develop a master plan for the future of Pettit Park. Pettit Park is the city’s newest park and located on about 3.5 acres on the north edge of the downtown area of Ligonier. The site was formerly home to a factory but it was razed several years ago and the land cleared for use as a park. S.R. 5 borders it on the east; Lincolnway West to the south; and the Elkhart River to the north. The park already has a large pavilion, parking lot and a picnic area. It has been used for several special events, including the Ligonier Strawberry Festival since it opened just over a year ago, and is also the new home for the city’s farmers market. Alan Duncan, director of parks and recreation for the city, worked with the park board to hold two public input sessions to develop a future-use plan for Pettit Park. Several members of the public attended the two meetings and put together a long list of possible features and potential uses for the park. It’s a long-range plan that will continue to be developed, Duncan told the Ligonier City Council at its Tuesday night meeting. A third public-input session is being planned to give the public another chance to provide input on the master plan. Included in the list of items that the public would like to see as part of Pettit Park is: • Sidewalk vendors to sell food; • More electrical service for vendors and events; ➤ Park Plan, Page 2
Graphic Contributed
This architect’s drawing is a draft of the possible look for Pettit Park in the future. The city’s park board is developing a master plan for the park, with the public being asked for its input for the plan.