an
Aboite News
Serving southwest Allen County & Roanoke
INfortwayne.com
APRIL 2019
Celebrating 150 years of shared tradition
Choir bonds over German heritge
Covington Plaza 6410 West Jefferson Boulevard Fort Wayne, Indiana
260-436-3138
By Megan Knowles
INSIDE ABOITE
mknowles@kpcmedia.com
A visit to Park Edelweiss on a Thursday evening makes it immediately evident why the Fort Wayne Maennerchor/ Damenchor has persisted for 150 years. Men and women gather around a small bar, sharing rounds of beers, stories and laughs. Everyone knows everyone, and some have even known each other for half a century — in short, gemuetlichkeit. “Friendship,
Entertainment ..................... A2 MEGAN KNOWLES
Members of the Fort Wayne Maennerchor/Damenchor rehearse March 7. The choir is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
camaraderie,” Klemens Zumbraegel, a German native who has been a member of the club since
“
To me it means that roots are important. This is about heritage and who we are and where we came from.” — Tom Remenschneider, choir director
1972, explained. Much as now, the society was formed on Oct. 4, 1869 as a way for German immigrants to keep a connection with their homeland and each other, choir director and 40-year member Tom Remenschneider said. “German singing societies were big in Germany at the same time. So they came here and they wanted to start their own societies where they could sing the
CONTRIBUTED
The Homestead High School Dance Team poses for a picture with their awards after the state championship.
Bringing down the house Homestead dance team shines at state competition
By Bridgett Hernandez bhernandez@kpcmedia.com
These days it’s common to come across social commentary critical of younger generations — that they’re too sensitive, that they can’t handle criticism, that they’re needy for affirmation. Homestead High School’s dance team
has spent this season smashing this stereotype to smithereens. The team is led by head coach Britney Lombardo and assistant coach Ashlie Manor and gets design help from Jon Bay Designs. The team also trained with Kevin Grant over the summer. At the beginning of
the season, the coaches found themselves working with an exceptionally young team — mostly freshmen with only four seniors on the varsity team — but the team was exceptional in other ways, too. “These kids are a different breed,” Lombardo said. Throughout the season, the dance program regularly brings in guest dance instructors from studios in the community See DANCE, Page 6
songs they remembered from the homeland,” he said. The club was originally called the Fort Wayne Saengerbund, according to a brochure from the organization. While seven other singing societies also arose, by 1899 they all joined under the name Concordia Gesangverein. “The last holdout,” Saxonia Gesangverein, joined the club in 1922, and in See SAENGERBUND, Page 5
Food & Drink ....................... A3 Recreation ........................... A8 Summer Camps.................. A9 Community Calendar.....................A14-A15
SAVINGS…
Check out the savings and coupons in this month’s Penny Saver.
Easter Basket Stuffers for all ages