RAILROADERS TOP WOODLAN in ACAC opener Friday, MORE ON PAGE 6
The Garrett Clipper An edition of The
NEWS IN BRIEF Garrett Schools selling retired iPads GARRETT — The GarrettKeyser-Butler School District will be offering a limited quantity of retired Apple iPad devices next week for $65 apiece. The first-generation, 16 GB iPads and power supplies are in good working order, sold as-is with no warranty. Some applications may not work, because the devices are not capable of updating to current IOS. The devices will not be eligible for the school’s Bring Your Own Apple Device program due to application issues. The devices can be used for Internet access, Facebook and other applications. A sale will be held Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 18 and 19 from 8-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. at the central office at 900 E. Warfield St. Those interested should enter the east door of the building. Phone 357-7040 for information.
Adopt a Christmas bureau family GARRETT — The Garrett Christmas Bureau is accepting names of individuals or organizations wishing to adopt a family this Christmas season. Donations of new items and monetary donations can be dropped off at City Hall between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily. Food donations may be dropped off at the Community Care Food Pantry at the Garrett United Methodist Church at the corner of Houston and Cowen streets. Contact Sue VandeZande for more information at 357-3836 or email sue@garrettindiana.us. Volunteers are also needed for the program. Donations can be mailed to the Christmas Bureau at P.O. Box 52, Garrett, IN 46738.
Santa Paws event is Sunday GARRETT — The Garrett Parks Authority is sponsoring a Santa Paws event at the Eastside Park Pavilion on E. Houston St. Sunday from 2-4 p.m. Bring your pet to have a photo taken with Santa Claus. Donations will benefit the Garrett Parks Department. Refreshments will be served.
Santa to visit elderly, shut-ins Dec. 21 GARRETT — Santa Claus will be visiting local shut-ins, senior citizens, special needs and handicapped children on Dec. 21. A tentative schedule includes stops at Sunny Meadows Home and Miller’s Merry Manor in Garrett. Contact the department at 357-6670 to leave name, phone number and address for Santa’s visit, which is sponsored by the Garrett Fire Department.
The Garrett Clipper P.O. Box 59 Garrett, IN 46738 Phone: 925-2611 ext. 45 Fax: 925-2625 attn: Garrett Clipper
DECEMBER 9, 2013
VOL. 127 ISSUE #98 On the web at: kpcnews.com
75 cents Garrett, Indiana Established in 1885
City considers fiber-optic service Proposed plan would connect with Auburn Essential Services By Sue Carpenter scarpenter@kpcmedia.com GARRETT — The Garrett Board of Works Tuesday gave the go-ahead to pursue a fiber optic connection to the city. Chris Schweitzer of Auburn Essential Services fielded questions about the plan to provide broadband and fiber-optic services to the Garrett municipally owned fiber network. The proposed project would
connect to the Auburn Essential Services network east of Interstate 69 at C.R. 50, where a path would be bored under the highway to the west side of the interstate. It then would lead south on C.R. 52, north on C.R.. 19 anduntinue to C.R.. 48 (Auburn-Garrett Road), where it would attach to American Electric Power poles for 12 spans and cross to the north side to attach to Garrett poles, Schweitzer said. Garrett’s current Internet
service is slowed by central dispatch and other inter-county services, according to city officials who have been meeting with Schweitzer this week. A Source One representative who provides information technology services to Garrett noted a line of fluctuation in the current system that currently brings the city’s system to a halt. The total cost of installation would be between $56,646 and $58,949, according to consultant Rod Sibery of Spectrum Engineering. He proposed a 48-count fiber strand to meet the growing needs of the city. Sibery estimated some four miles of cable
Photos by Sue Carpenter
ABOVE — Cast members of “A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol” join in a musical welcome to the audience in Saturday night’s performance. The musical featured both middle and high school singers. AT RIGHT — This group of singers are part of the J.E. Ober third, fourth and five grade choirs who presented a program in the Performing
Patriotic Christmas concert in Kendallville Friday By Sue Carpenter scarpenter@kpcmedia.com KENDALLVILLE — Three national recording artists will share the stage Friday in the Cole Auditorium for a Patriotic Christmas concert. Todd Allen Herendeen, Ray Walker and Ronnie Knight will honor all veterans and also present each with a gift. They ask those attending the concert to bring items to send overseas to those heroes now serving their country. Herendeen of Panama City, Fla, is a graduate of East Noble High School. He and his band have performed in Las Vegas and other venues, but he always remembers his Northeast Indiana roots. Bass singer Walker, a Grammy Award winner was a member of the Jordanaires, the longtime back-up singers for Elvis Presley. Walker, who also performed with Patsy Cline and Ricky Nelson, is one of the most-recorded voices in history. He will share his experiences behind the scenes with Elvis on stage and on the screen in movies such as “Blue Christmas.” Two of his fellow members of the Jordanaires passed away in the last year, but Walker keeps up the singing tradition with Herendeen and other stage shows. Knight, also a bass singer, is
Todd Allen Herendeen, left, and Ray Walker will be joined by Ronnie Knight in a Patriotic Christmas concert at Cole Auditorium Friday night.
a Nashville-based artist who has sung backup with Kenny Rogers, the legendary Blackwood Brothers and J.D. Sumner. Although retired, he heard Herendeen and said he “liked what the group was doing” and recently joined them on the road. He will add his baritone voice at Friday’s concert. The first half of the program will include Walker’s stories and anecdotes of working with the various artists through the years, mixed with nostalgic music. The second half he will share his experiences working with Elvis Presley, with music by Heredeen and backed up vocally by Knight
would be spanned across exisiting lines. The city currently pays nearly $3,300 per month to Frontier for phone and Internet service, according to Clerk-Treasurer Marcie Conkle. She said the new fiber-optic connection could provide a savings of $2,300 to $2,500 per month, Sibery offered a more conservative time frame for payback of two to three years. The first phase would concentrate on business and industrial users, then expand to Fiber optic, Page 2
Garrett Schools seek calendar input
SOUNDS OF THE SEASON
AfterProm fundraiser raffle ends Friday GARRETT — The Garrett High School After Prom Committee is holding a Christmas fundraiser through Dec. 13. This year, two prizes will be given away — first prize is an Apple iPad mini; second prize is a Fill the Freezer pack from Albright’s in Corunna with 6o pounds of meat. Tickets are available for a cost of three for $5 at the three school offices or by contacting Julie Christensen at 357-7003. The winning tickets will be drawn at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 in the superintendent’s office. All proceeds will benefit the 2014 After Prom Event.
MONDAY
Online survey deadline is Wednesday GARRETT — The GarrettKeyser-Butler Community School District formed a calendar committee to study and propose an academic calendar for the 2014-2015 school year. The committee, formed in May of 2013, consists of teachers, administrators, parents and school board members. The committee is exploring all options, including a new option, a balanced calendar. The committee has been charged with making a recommendation to the board regarding a proposed calendar with a focus on the academic achievement of all students in the Garrett-KeyserButler CSD. School patrons are invited to visit the GKB website to complete a survey regarding a school calendar. The website will have a document with frequently asked question and sample calendars. These calendars are simply examples showing examples of a balanced calendar and traditional calendar. “By no means are these calendars exact dates of vacations,” said Tonya Weaver, director of administration and innovation. “Again, it is just a visual guide to see what they could look like in each scenario.” Patrons are asked to complete the survey by Wednesday at 1 p.m. when the survey will close. No decisions have been reached at this point. The school’s website is www.gkb.k12.in.us “Everyone’s input is valued,” Weaver said.
Photo contributed
DeKalb Chamber plans open house events Wednesday
and Walker. Patriot music will be played in both sets, plus gospel and holiday favorites. Friday’s concert will begin at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and available at the Kendallville Chamber of Commerce and at the Paradise Buffet in Auburn and Rome City American Legion Post 381. Tickets will also be available at the door for $30 the day of the show. Cole Auditorium is located at East Noble High School at 901 Garden Street.
AUBURN — The DeKalb Chamber Partnership will play host to three open house events Wednesday from 7-9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30-6 p.m. at the chamber office, 208 S. Jackson St., Auburn. The events will share the many changes the chamber has made. Guests will view the chamber’s new website, the 2014 calendar of events, and meet and mingle with peers and the chamber staff and board members. Visitors can ask questions about the chamber’s changes and meet new executive director Shannon Carpenter. Refreshments will be provided.