Dan Hile, Churubusco High School choir and music director, spends a considerable amount of time at school sponsoring and directing students in various activities, including the now-showing musical, Les Miserables.

That was one of the reasons cited for naming him Smith-Green Community Schools Teacher of the Month for November. Hile was recognized at the Nov. 2 school board meeting.

CHS principal Austin Couch said over the past several years he has witnessed Hile’s music programs grow rapidly. But most importantly, Couch said, what he has witnessed is the excitement and love for music than Hile instills in his students.

“He has been able to reach a few students that may have had a history of apathy and has turned them into excited and enthusiastic young men and women,” Couch said.

“(Dan Hile) is not only a fantastic teacher, but also a positive role model for Churubusco’s student body,” Couch said.

Spotlight on Success - NE 12

At that same board meeting, the Spotlight on Success award was given to 12 high school students who make up the capella group, NE 12.

Honored as outstanding students were Brenan Herendeen, Cassandra Petrie, Meghan Huelsenbeck, Jeff Royer, Jana Lewellyn, Chelsea Roth, Alayna Skinner, Taylor Sordelet, Brandon Green, Alex McDowell, Zane Sade and Randy Speaker.

“Getting through the day is a daunting task for many students,” Couch said. “However, this group of individuals dedicate themselves day after day and night after night with rehearsals and performances. They sacrifice their personal time to maintain their studies as well.”

The students are all members of New Era and are currently starring in Les Miserables which will play again this Saturday and Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. respectively, in the high school auditorium. Tickets are $8 and are available at the door.

This photo was taken in the school commons shortly before the students traveled to Fort Wayne to Sweetwater recording studio. The students’ performance was taped and will be aired on Fort Wayne television channels WPTA-21 and WISE-33 during the Indiana News Center’s “Sounds of the Season” series.

Spotlight on Success

Isabelle Turner

At the Nov. 17 school board meeting, Isabelle Turner, was recognized and presented the Spotlight on Success award for her achievements at Churubusco Elementary School, where she attends fourth grade.

Isabelle, daughter of Rachel Skinner, is responsible , helpful to other students and gives 100 percent to her schoolwork,” said CES principal, Nicole Singer.

“She is talented in art, gets her work done on time and is involved in DaVinci’s Art Club and Soundmasters (music group)” Singer said of Turner.

(Photos by Brenda Sade and Viv Sade for buscovoice.com)

Follow these easy steps from the Alliance to Save Energy to start saving on your electric bills now.

Go to their Web site at www.ase.org for more information and energy-saving tips.

Replace Light Bulbs

If you want to save energy, replace your energy-hogging incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs. Yes, the initial cost is higher - basic CFLs costs $2 to $5 apiece compared to $1 to $2 for an incandescent bulb - but they’re far more efficient. If a New York resident replaced just three frequently-used incandescent light bulbs, he could save more than $130 over the lifetime of the bulbs, according to the New York City based nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund

Unplug and Turn Off

All those gadgets you leave plugged in all day cost you - even when they’re not in use. Standby energy use accounts for five to ten percent of all home energy consumption and costs the average household $125 a year, says Ronnie Kweller, a spokeswoman with the Alliance to Save Energy. Understandably, there are some items that are just too annoying to unplug all the time, including cable boxes, microwaves and other appliances with clocks. Plug other items that you use frequently, such as your computer or television, into a power strip that can be switched off before you leave the house.

One other helpful hint: Enable your computer’s “sleep mode” rather than letting it go to a screen saver. That small gesture can save up to $75 a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Buy Energy-Efficient Appliances

When shopping for household appliances, look for the Energy Star label. Buying products that meet Energy Star’s criteria can save consumers up to 30%, or $400 a year, according to the EPA.

If you own a refrigerator that’s been around since the early 1990s or even earlier, it’s time to shop for a new one. Refrigerators are the biggest energy-guzzling appliances in the home, next to the air conditioner, says Paul McRandle, deputy editor of National Geographic Green Guide. New units now consume 50% less energy than ones from 2000 or earlier. Not ready to replace the refrigerator? Older models can run up to 30% more efficiently if the coils and top of the unit are clean and if the temperature is set at 40 degrees in the main compartment and at five degrees in the freezer, says McRandle.

3. Take Advantage of Tax Incentives

Bundled inside the $700 billion financial rescue package is a little gift for consumers. The Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives, which expired at the end of 2007, were extended to 2009. Consumers are getting one last shot to take advantage of a tax credit worth up to $500 to help defray the cost of making their homes more energy efficient. Qualifying items include everything from insulation and exterior windows to hot-water boilers and oil furnaces. The one catch: Homeowners need to wait until January to make the improvements. The incentive is only good during 2009.

5. Winterize Your Home

Close to half of a household’s utility bill goes toward heating and cooling the house, according to the Department of Energy. By sealing the leaks surrounding windows and doors and laying insulation in the attic, consumers can reduce their energy needs by 10%. That’s good news whether the home is heated with electricity (29% of the population), natural gas (53%), or heating oil (9%). Those with a programmable thermostat can save another 10% on heating and cooling bills by turning the temperature down two degrees in the winter and up two degrees in the summer.

Even folks who heat their homes with heating oil or natural gas use electricity to heat their water. Insulating a water heater and its pipes can save 10% on one’s electricity bill. Increase efficiency a bit more (by about 3% to 5%) by decreasing the water temperature from 140 degrees to 130 degrees, says the Alliance to Save Energy’s Kweller.

This past spring, Cheryl Nimtz, Columbia City resident and mother, approached Count Me In! (CMI) regarding a grant to coordinate a summer art club for middle school aged girls.

CMI approved the request and the New Moon Art Club was formed. A series of eight classes followed over the summer. Emphasis was on various forms of art ranging from stamping, beading, sketching, cross-stitching, and face painting. At the end of the summer program, the girls visited the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. In addition to viewing the art on display, they discussed their favorites. And as a part of the trip,

they learned proper museum etiquette since many had never been to a museum. Adults sharing in the experience along with Nimtz were Beth Seaton, Sarah Smith, Joni Walker, Leah Jagger, and Peggy McCarthy.

All materials and supplies were purchased by CMI while the adults served as mentors, teachers, and supervision for the young women who participated.

This is just one example of the sixty-four grants that have been approved by CMI since April 2002. To date, CMI has approved $41,780 in grants that connected caring adults with kids. Grants have been for scrapbooking classes, soccer club in South Whitley, bike safety rodeo, music week, tutoring program, show choir week, wood carving class, Sign Language Club, fishing derby, garden club and many others.

CMI exists to fund new programs that make connections with Whitley County youth and adults, and to promote the 40 Developmental Assets as researched by the Search Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Assets are forty areas that a responsible, caring adult would have experienced in their development from child to adulthood. These assets are found in eight broad categories: Support, Empowerment, Boundaries and Expectations, Constructive Use of Time, Commitment to Learning, Positive Values, Social Competencies, and Positive Identity.

According to the Search Institute, while the majority of Americans say they believe it is a good idea to contribute to the healthy development of young people, very few act

ually take action. Fortunately, for the young women above interested adults stepped forward to make a connection.

CMI will consider grants to new and innovative ideas that require funding in Whitley County. CMI can even help to register participants and find a location to host the session or sessions in addition to assisting financially. Please be aware salaries will not be funded by a grant.

If you are interested in a grant or learn more about CMI, contact John Slavich, program officer for the Whitley County Community Foundation, at 244-5224.

CMI adult volunteers available for counseling include Rhonda Jones, Amy Shaw, Larry Wooley, Krista Pope, Monica Trump, Darcy Hoopingarner, Amber Lecklider, Peggy McCarthy, Ryan Carper, Nikki Trier, Kendra Zickafoose and David Addison.

For more information about the 40 Developmental Assets go to www.search-institute.org.

Story and photo contributed.

Two middle school girls were recognized in the month of October in the Smith-Green School’s Spotlight on Success.

Emily Hively and Nicole Lampe were recognized for their award-winning work in the Columbia City Post & Mail’s Design an Ad contest.

Emily is the daughter of Jodie and Tony Hivley and won the design contest with her ad created for Eel River Golf Course in Churubusco. She is involved in basketball, track and choir.

Nicole - the daughter of Len and Erin Lampe - was named runner-up in the contest with her ad created for Culligan Water Treatment. She is involved in volleyball, choir, Girl Scouts, church youth group, Destination Imagination and maintains high academic honors.

The girls were recognized at an October school board meeting and introduced by their principal, John Davis.

After elementary student Olivia Huelsenbeck wrote a letter to the editor in March noting that the 15-year-old Clavinova keyboard and piano in her music class was in poor shape, the community took note.

The Turtletown Players community theater group hosted a concert on June 1 that raised funds for the purchase of a new digital Clavinova piano.

With the help of the Turtletown Players, Churubusco Rotary, the Dekko Foundation, the CES PTO and private donations, donations exceeded the $5,000 goal, said Sue Lough, longtime music teacher at Churubusco Elementary School.

Two weeks ago, a new Clavinova was delivered to Lough’s classroom.

“With the extra money, we were able to purchase some accessories like cables and a microphone that we would not have had the money for,” Lough said.

The new digital Clavinova contains the technology to connect to a computer, something the old one did not, Lough said.

Manufactured by Yamaha, the piano/keyboard combines the accurate reproduction of sampling technology with the richly textured harmonic nuances of a real grand piano. The piano offers such features as Internet Direct Connection (IDC), enhanced song and lyric LCD displays. 

Two fifth grade students who are preparing for the All State Choir auditions joined Lough after school Thursday to practice their songs while Lough accompanied them on the new piano.

“We’re all very excited,” Lough said, “And we certainly want to thank everyone in the community who made this possible.”

Scott Kruse, longtime director of the Whitley Superior Court Drug and Alcohol Program, celebrated his final days with the program Thursday. From left, above, is Jill Snyder, Bryan House, Scott Kruse, Sharlene Meslo and Julie Jensen-Kelley. Jensen-Kelley will become the program’s new director on Monday.

 

(Talk of the Town photos by Jennifer Zartman Romano)

 By Jennifer Zartman Romano

 

After seven years of watching the Whitley Superior Court Drug and Alcohol Program grow, walking away will be difficult for director Scott Kruse.

Kruse, who initially helped build the department, spent his last day at the helm of the program today before leaving for new career horizons.

On Thursday, coworkers celebrated Kruse’s involvement in the program over the years with a small reception in their offices in the upper level of the Work Release Center building … for more on this stiory go to our Whitley News Web partner talkofthetownwc.com.

 

By Karla Hazen Hart

Churubusco Class of 1975

My father, Leonard Hazen, a graduate of the Churubusco High School class of 1951, and I interviewed Mr. Jim Guiff on a warm, July afternoon in his neat and  cozy farmhouse near Churubusco.

Jim is proud of the fact that he lives and maintains his home by himself, with a little help from family now and then.

James Lewis Guiff or ‘ole J. L. or Jimmy (as his friends fondly nicknamed him) was born on September 23, 1911. He is the son of John Jay and Elizabeth Fulk Guiff. His siblings were Ed, Fred, Ila and Jake.

Jim is the last known living alumni from the class of 1928. Vivien Ardman Gregersen from the same class cannot be located, and Jim doesn’t know her whereabouts.

Jim was quick to point out that my deceased grandfather, Guy Gross, was a very good friend to him.

Elbert Huston, “‘ole Quack,” and Kenny Felger were also great friends from the class of ‘28. Elbert and Kenny are now deceased. There were 18 graduates in Jim’s class and he showed us a beautiful photo with their senior pictures, all in one photograph.

In his younger days, Jim walked to the one-room schoolhouse (Madden School) where he attended grade school. This was about one mile from his home. Later, he would drive a horse and buggy to the old Churubusco School in town. Still later, Arlo Gump would pick Jim up in his car from time to time.

Jim said the basketball coach at ‘Busco wanted him to play on the team, but the roads to town were dirt and could be impassable in the winter months so Jim declined to play.

Jim told us about one beautiful Thursday in September when Kenny Felger drove his Model T to school. Kenny parked his car near the school building and got the urge to skip school since it was such a nice day.

He said to his friend Jim, “Let’s go to the Kendallville Fair!” Other friends of the boys (Pete Garrison and Carl Richey) said, “Can we go, too?” So the four boys skipped school and had a fun day at the fair.

The next day, Jim decided to skip school again so that he could make some money from spending so much at the fair the day before. His job was topping onions at a local farm. This also delayed his punishment until Monday at school. He was hoping that Mr. Updike, the principal, would have forgotten about his shenanigans by then. Unfortunately, he did not.

After graduation from high school, Jim married Belle Kugler in 1930. The couple had three children, Audrey, Gladys and Jerry. Audrey is deceased and Gladys just passed away a couple of weeks after we interviewed Jim.

He also has eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Belle passed away in 1973. Jim remarried in 1977 to Irene O’Connell. Irene passed away in 2007 with Jim at her side. He told us he took care of Irene for 40 months and he is still grieving over her passing.

Jim was a farmer all of his life and still enjoys living on the same farm and house that he grew up in. In the beginning, Jim’s family used horses for plowing and field work. They grew corn, wheat, alfalfa and soybeans. The family also raised hogs but mostly dairy cows. Jim worked at International Harvester for a time but was laid off after only a few months.

After a lifelong tradition of rising early, Jim still gets up around 6 a.m. each morning, and retires around 9 p.m. He usually has supper at his son and daughter-in-law’s home - Jerry and Marsha Guiff - each evening. He enjoys talking about his love of CHS and his many friends and family. He is a devout Chicago Cubs fan and had a Cubs tee shirt on to prove it.

Dad and I agreed it was such a delight to spend a little time with ‘ole J. L., and we will not soon forget our time with him. Jim is filled with many interesting memories and he sure has a lot of “spunk” left in him.

Thanks for the memories, Jim!

 

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