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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WABASH, IN PERMIT NO. 233 Vol. 45, No. 1
War in Ukraine proves close to home for Wabash woman By Phil Smith psmith@thepaperofwabash.com
Cars driven by Josh Trammell (44) and Isaac Johnson maneuver around turn number three at the Brickhouse RC Raceway in Roann. Photos by Phil Smith
High-speed fun RC car enthusiasts flock to Roann to try their hands at scaled-down racing By Phil Smith psmith@thepaperofwabash.com
Racing fans who love burning up the track on a much scaled-down level can head to Roann most weekends to either watch or participate in the high speed, thrill-a-minute action that is remote control car racing. Thanks to a weekly event and a facility coordinated by Shawn Bucher of Roann, enthusiasts of the hobby RC racing travel to the small Wabash County town from all over to compete on a realistic indoor dirt oval that mimics the thrill of full-sized auto racing. “We’ve got 143 entries,” said Bucher on a recent Saturday at his downtown Roann facility known as The Brickhouse. “This is a big show. This is actually a record show.” Bucher said the idea has been growing for the past several years. “My uncle (Jim Bucher) and two of his friends opened The Brickhouse in North Manchester four years ago,” said Bucher. Jim Bucher now serves in the role as announcer at the track. “They started it more for family and just a few friends, and it blew up, it just got huge,” said Shawn Bucher. Bucher said the buildings in
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Shawn Bowen of Goodrich, Mich. prepares his remote-controlled race car prior to recent Brickhouse action.
Race Coordinator Shawn Bucher runs onto the track during racing action to turn a race car back onto its wheels. which the program began became of the county. dilapidated. Several buildings were “I have people who come from purchased in Roann and the whole Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan,” he operation moved to a different part Continued on Page 13
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Russian native and Wabash resident Tatiana Perkins paused for a number of seconds to gain her composure before managing emotional words that were hindered both by her struggle to overcome tears, as well as her heavy Eastern European dialect. “It’s a very hard situation, just heartbreaking,” she said. “That is exactly Tatiana Perkins how I feel. I cannot help them. I feel very hopeless.” Perkins moved to the United States from Russia several decades ago, becoming a U.S. citizen in 2010. Her parents, who are divorced, still live in that area of the world currently being ravaged by war. Her mother, Natasha, lives in Khabarovsk, Russia. Her father, Victor, lives in Ukraine. Tatiana was born in Russia, but visited Ukraine on at least two occasions. Perkins described her situation as a combination of feelings, including dread and helplessness. Her contacts in Russia include not only her mother, but also extended family on that side as well as friends. In Ukraine, she worries about the safety of not only her father, but also extended family on his side. While war rages in her father’s country, the news for Perkins, personally, has been good so far. “They are all doing fine, there’s nobody in trouble right now,” she said. “I spoke to my brother from Ukraine this morning (March 9). He’s my half brother through my dad. He said they are fine. There is no immediate danger right now for them. They live in Dnipro region.” According to Perkins, being fine is a relative term for people living in a part of the world where apparently not even maternity hospitals are considered sacrosanct. “He said they are unhappy, they are scared, but it’s still OK,” Perkins Continued on Page 11
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