Pet of the Week

Sponsored by Fort Financial Credit Union

Bindi is one of the cutest and sweetest pups ever – she has charisma!

She is approximately 12 weeks old – a boxer-mix who loves people and other dogs. This brindled beauty, who initially arrived at the shelter as a stray, is already microchipped.

Bindi is a playful and loving girl who will make a magnificent pet. Come visit her at the Whitley County Humane Shelter and see for yourself.

The shelter is located at 951 S. Line St., Columbia City. Shelter hours are Tuesday and Thursday, 2-7 and Saturday, 1-5.

If you would like to arrange a time to meet her, call the shelter at 260-244-6664; e-mail dirhswc@yahoo.com, or visit the WCHS Web site at www.hswc.org.

Who do you know that is going above and beyond to make a difference for kids?  Who do you know that works to create an environment that ‘lifts up’ young people?  Who do you know that is looked up to and admired by young people?  Who do you know who volunteers their time and talent to better the lives of young people?  If you know someone who fits this description, there is a way you can honor them. 

Count Me In!, Whitley County’s 40 Developmental Assets initiative, is sponsoring an award called “Count On Me.”  This award is designed to recognize those who make a difference in the lives of young people in Whitley County and people who serve as quality role models for youth in our communities.  The winner or winners will be recognized at the Heart of Gold reception in late April, and will also be able to direct up to $500.00 to the youth serving agency of their choice in Whitley County.

Nomination forms are available at the Whitley County Community Foundation and Whitley County YMCA or click here to view the form.  All you need to do is write your reasons as to why an individual should be recognized. 

Nomination forms are to be returned to the Whitley County Community Foundation by April 9th, 2010.  If there are any questions please call the Community Foundation at 244-5224.

Congressional candidate Tom Hayhurst

COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. (Feb. 2010) — The Whitley County Democrats will rally Saturday, March 15 for Third District Congressional candidate Dr. Tom Hayhurst and other local candidates at 9 a.m. at CC Deli, 118 W. Van Buren, Columbia City (across from the north side of the courthouse).

Hayhurst has announced his candidacy and will face off against incumbent Replican Mark Souder in the Third District. Hayhurst challenged Souder in 2006 in a campaign that Souder has said was his toughest re-election. Souder won with 54 percent of the vote. Hayhurst, a retired doctor, has been active in advocating for reform of the health insurance system. Souder has said he does not support many of the components of the bills under discussion in Congress.

For more information or to RSVP, call Scott Allison at 260-609-6168.

Map of Indiana's Third District

Hayhurst will challenge Souder for Congressional seat of Indiana's Third District.

Celebrate the first weekend of spring with the new “Cabin Fever Craft Show,” to be held Saturday, March 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 4H Center in Columbia City.

Over 60 vendors of crafts, food and other items will be featured, making this a great opportunity to shop for gifts or a unique item for yourself!

A raffle benefitting the Whitley County Animal Shelter will be held as well.

A special raffle to benefit the Whitley County Animal Shelter will feature over 30 items.

Lunch will be available.

Scot Goskowicz, Whitley County’s ISBDC (Indiana Small Business Development Center) Advisor, was recently praised for his accomplishments in 2009.

Goskowicz was recognized as one of the best in the state and named to the Two Million Dollar Club due to his efforts to assit his clients in obtaining more than $2 million in capital throughout 2009.

To learn more about the Northeast Indiana SBDC, visit www.isbdc.org, or call (260) 481-0500.

For more on this story, visit our partner in the Whitley News Network, Talk of the Town here.

Pet of the Week

Sponsored by Fort Financial Credit Union

Tandy is a beautiful female Torbie who was born around March 2009. She is one of the most affectionate cats around – she will cuddle up to people and walk on their shoulders, giving them head butts the entire time – a sweet and pretty young kitty.

If you are interested in adding this lovable kitten to your family, please stop by the Whitley County Humane Shelter to meet Tandy.

The shelter is located at 951 S. Line St., Columbia City. Shelter hours are Tuesday and Thursday, 2-7 and Saturday, 1-5.

If you would like to arrange a time to meet her, call the shelter at 260-244-6664; e-mail dirhswc@yahoo.com, or visit the WCHS Web site at www.hswc.org.

[Whitley County – March 4, 2010] On Wednesday March 3, a group of 20 individuals from around Whitley County met for their first official countywide chamber meeting.

The process of merging smaller area chambers has been a work in progress for several years, but really started to move forward in October, 2009, when a small group of business people met to decide how it all can come together.

Sharon Sallot of Sallot Ventures, a business-consulting firm from LaGrange, Indiana, led the “transition team” consisting of employees and business owners from South Whitley, Columbia City & Churubusco. Benefits of the county-wide chamber range from consolidated support for all businesses in the county, to greater networking capabilities and more volunteers to help support each and every community.

The following board officers were elected Wednesday evening:

• Chairman: Mike DeFreeuw, Northeastern REMC
• Vice Chair: Chris Tomlinson, Gonink: Web Design & Print
• Secretary: Darci Kessie, South Whitley Library
• Treasurer: June Keiser, J&J Insurance

The remaining board members are:

• Bob Koontz, Koontz Realty
• Melinda Woll, Edward Jones Investments
• Kim Balser, The Brownstone on State
• Carrie Hoffman, Huntington University EXCEL
• Randy Holler, Crossroads Bank
• Jim Horne, Parker Insurance Agency
• Steve Hostetler, CC Deli
• September McConnell, Whitley County Community Foundation
• Dave Smith, Star Financial Bank
• Jorell Tucker, Whitley County Solid Waste
• Jennifer Zartman-Romano, Columbia City – Talk of the Town

Although the board is in place and ready to move forward with the organization, there is still a large amount of work to be done and the organization encourages each and every business owner to take part in any way they can to help it succeed and grow.

Front Row, Left to Right: Chairman of the Board Mike DeFreeuw, Northeastern REMC; Vice Chairman Chris Tomlinson, Gonink: Web Design & print; Secretary Darci Kessie, South Whitley Library; Treasurer June Keiser, J&J insurance Solutions; Second Row, Left To Right: Steve Hostetler, CC Deli; Jennifer Zartman Romano, Talk of the Town; Kim Balser, Brownstone on State; Carrie Hoffman, Huntington University EXCEL; Third Row, Left To Right: Randy Holler, Crossroads Bank; Bob Koontz, Realtor & Hoosier Self Storage; September McConnell, Whitley County Community Foundation; Melinda Woll, Edward Jones Investments; Back Row, Left to Right: David Smith, STAR Financial Bank; Jim Horne, Parker Insurance Agency; Jorell Tucker, Whitley County Solid Waste

Whitley County high school and home-schooled seniors are invited to apply for four $1,000 Parkview Whitley Healthcare Scholarships offered by Parkview Whitley Hospital.

 The scholarships are designed for seniors who have chosen to pursue their higher education in the medical field. Areas of priority are clinical healthcare, rather than administration or management.

 One scholarship each will be awarded to a home-schooled senior and to the following high schools:

•  Columbia City High School
• Whitko High School
• Churubusco High School

 The scholarship applications have been distributed to the high schools listed. Home-schooled seniors may call (260) 248-9375 to request an application.

 The $1,000 scholarships have a one-year renewal option if the following requirements are met:

•  Contact the granting agency to request a renewal
• Maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 (“B”) or better
• Show proof of enrollment in classes for the next year of study
• Provide a copy of the current transcript
• Provide a brief summary of your educational experience to date

 Recipients must plan to attend an accredited institution to pursue a two-year or four-year degree. The scholarship will be paid directly to the college for application toward the student’s expenses.

 Applications for these scholarships are to be submitted to the Human Resources Department, Parkview Whitley Hospital, 353 N. Oak St, Columbia City, IN 46725, no later than April 9, 2010.

Seen at right is an artist’s rendering of Parkview Whitley Hospital’s Medical Office Building.

The Columbia City Plan Commission recently held a Development Plan Review in regards to the 53,400 square-foot building that will be located at the south and east of the new hospital.

Whitley County is applying for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) for various capital projects.

 As a requirement of the application process, the community must provide combined family income information for the households within the proposed service area, or those who will directly benefit from the use of grant funds.

 Whitley County has sought the services of Ball State University to conduct the survey and collect data. Community volunteers will be contacting you and will identify themselves as working on behalf of Ball State University. The survey should take only a few moments of your time.

 The communities’ continued support and participation in this data collection process is crucial for the success of the project. All information provided will be kept strictly confidential and only a collective summary of the information will be provided to Whitley County and included in the application.

 Official representatives of Ball State University will never ask for any personally identifiable information such as a person’s Social Security number or bank-account information.

 Please direct any questions you may have to Duane Ginder, Manager of Whitley County EMS, at (260) 248-9340.

Thanks to our partner in the Whitley News Network, Talk of the Town:

Taken at the 2009 Relay for Life

With The American Cancer Society’s annual Whitley County Relay for Life rapidly approaching, a planning meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 2, at 7 p.m. at Parkvew Whitley Hospital Auditorium A.

Other topics of discussion will include t-shirts, fundraising ideas and deadlines for this year’s event.

Visit Talk of the Town and this article here.

 The Whitley County Family YMCA presents Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University:

CANI (Community Action of Northeast Indiana) is proud to announce a new program that will make the dream of home ownership come true for families in our service area.

In simple terms, CANI will purchase, rehabilitate and resell homes to qualifying families in the counties that we serve. The goal is to make attractive homes available to families and support the stability of neighborhoods. Home buyer education will be provided to guide potential home buyers through the process. CANI will hire local contractors to remodel the homes prior to buyers moving in.

CANI will market the homes to interested families for purchase at a price below market value. The selected homes will be three or more bedrooms, approximately 1,200 square feet, and centrally located near everyday conveniences.

Initially, CANI will concentrate its efforts in DeKalb, Noble, and Whitley counties. The agency intends to purchase and rehabilitate two homes by the end of July.

To qualify, families must desire to purchase a home in one of the three counties, meet income guidelines, and obtain financing from a lending institution.

For more information, contact Barb Cayce at (260) 423-3546 ext. 257. Applications are now being accepted.

CANI helps communities, families, and individuals remove the causes and conditions of poverty. For more information about CANI and the services provided, visit the website www.canihelp.org.

From our partner in the Whitley News Network, Talk of the Town (visit their original article here):

Citizens of Whitley County have a reason to be proud as Whitley County is among the top 10 healthiest counties in Indiana, according to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Whitley County ranked 7th out of all 92 counties with Hancock County being ranked 1st.

The study took into account a variety of factors including premature death, population health conditions, smoking adults, teen pregnancies, health behaviors, binge drinking, clinical health care, inadequate social support, unemployment, poverty, air pollution, homicide rates, college degrees and more.

Parkview Whitley Hospital chief operations officer John Meister said “This snapshot view gives us feedback that we’re on the right track to improve the health outcomes and quality of life in Whitley County for all citizens.”

To view the full report and learn more about how the study was conducted, click here.

Article Contributed

John M. Barrett says if re-elected to serve another term on the county council, he will approach the fiscal matters of Whitley County with integrity, dedication and make prudent and logical decisions.

Barrett has thrown his hat into the ring and has announced his intentions to run for re-election of County Council District #1 on the Republican ballot. District #1 is comprised of Smith, Union and Columbia Townships (Northeast).

 Barrett is a veteran of the United States Air Force where he served 5  years, from 1959 to 1964. In 1966, he became an Indiana State Trooper and retired in 1992 with 27 years of service.

John M. Barrett

He then became the Avilla Town Marshal and served the Town of Avilla 5 years. In 1997, Barrett became the Investigator for the Whitley County Prosecutor’s office in Columbia City, retiring in 2007.

 Barrett served on the Churubusco Town Council for ten (10) years and is serving his first term as a councilman for Whitley County District # 1.

 Barrett is a member of the Churubusco Lions Club, Churubusco American Legion Post # 157, American Legion Riders, Blue Knights IN II, and the Whitley County FOP.

 He and his wife, Linda, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in June, 2010. They have three children and 13 grandchildren.

Fort Wayne, Ind. – Monday, Feb. 15, 2010 — Parkview Whitley Hospital chief operating officer, John Meister, has accepted a leadership position with Parkview Health’s corporate office in Fort Wayne.

Meister will serve as vice president of special projects. He will help lead and participate in the implementation of key projects for Parkview Health and Parkview Physicians’ Group, a physician-led and physician-governed division of Parkview Health.

Meister will continue to be involved with the building of the new Parkview Whitley Hospital, as well as continue to be a leader in Whitley County.

John Meister (third from left)

Rick Henvey, regional COO, Parkview Community Hospitals, will oversee Parkview Whitley Hospital until a permanent replacement is hired.

“It has been a true honor for me to help improve access to care for Whitley County residents,” said Meister. “We continue to hear from residents and businesses that Parkview Whitley Hospital is making a positive difference in the delivery of patient care. I’m looking forward to my new opportunity with Parkview Health. This is a great time to be involved with several unique initiatives aimed at improving the health of the communities in our region.”

Meister has served as COO for Parkview Whitley Hospital since 2005.

Columbia City attorney David Heritier has announced his plans to pursue the Whitley County Superior Court judge’s seat.

A lifetime resident of Whitley County with roots nearly 200 years deep in this community, Heritier attended two years at Culver Military Academy and graduated in 1963 from Columbia City High School where he was vice president of his senior class.

Following graduation, Heritier served extensively in the military. With the US Army, he participated in several tours of duty for special operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.

In 1977, he graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law with his juris doctorate. He returned to Columbia City to open his legal practice. Heritier has practiced law here since the late 1970s, opening an office in downtown Columbia City in the early 1980s.

In 1978, Heritier was elected as the first full-time judge for Whitley County in a Noble-Whitley County split court. He served in that role until 1982. That judgeship later became what is known today as the Whitley County Superior Court Judge’s seat.

Married to his wife, Joanne, for 40 years, the Heritiers are the parents of sons Christian (Cathy) Heritier and David Heritier of Columbia City and a daughter, Claudia Braman, of Greenwood. They also have five grandchildren.

Heritier enjoys many hobbies, including outdoor sports, golf and history. For eleven years, he operated the community fireworks program. He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and was a past commander of the American Legion. Two years ago, Heritier was the grand marshal of the Old Settlers Day Parade. He is a founding elder of Trinity Presbyterian Church and is the president of the Eagle Glen Property Owners Association. He is an original member of the Tree Board.

Having practiced law for close to 34 years, he’s specialized primarily in family law and criminal defense.

“I do a little bit of everything because this is a small community,” Heritier said of his practice.

Professionally, he is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Heritier feels that a judge is the representative of the people and having spent his life here, he feels he is of the people.

“I love the people around here,” Heritier said. “I’ve lived here all my life and my family has been here almost 200 years. I like the small town, conservative values.”

To learn more about David Heritier, visit his Facebook page and become a fan of his campaign.

Article Contributed

COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. (Feb. 2010)  — Whitley County businesses are collaborating efforts to form a county-wide Chamber of Commerce.  Currently the county has three chambers supporting businesses in their respective communities including Columbia City, South Whitley and Churubusco.  So, why is a county-wide Chamber of Commerce needed and what will the benefits be to business owners?

Why do we feel a need for a county-wide chamber?

The discussions concerning a county-wide chamber have been raised in individual chamber meetings for several years.  Here are a few of the many benefits:

• Consolidated support to all county businesses;
• Greater networking capability among businesses county-wide;
• Larger involvement of businesses at events and programs at a county level;
• More volunteers to support expanding programs and services;
• Staff support for all communities involved in the new chamber; and,
• More exposure on local, state and national levels. Increased visibility on the internet and through social media.

What is the current status of the Whitley County-wide Chamber?

The South Whitley Chamber of Commerce and Columbia City Chamber of Commerce board of directors signed a letter of intent to begin a Whitley County Chamber of Commerce in October, 2009.  A small transition team made up of local business leaders and chamber representatives was selected to develop a process, goals and objectives and provide initial support for the new organization during its development.  Transition team meetings have taken place bi-monthly since October, 2009.  2010 is seen as a transition year for the new organization.

Who is on the transition team?

• Melinda Woll – County at-large representative
• Mike DeFreeuw – County at-large representative
• Jack Moore – County at-large representative
• John Meister – Columbia City representative
• Chris Tomlinson – Churubusco representative
• Bob Koontz – South Whitley representative
• Sharon Sallot – Transition team facilitator
• Judy Earnhart, South Whitley, and Pat Hatcher, Columbia City, were involved on the transition team through January, 2010.

What is the role of the transition team?

The transition team will create a process and procedure for a new county-wide chamber to be developed.  Team members have pledged their time and support of the new organization through December, 2010, and have become the initial “champions” of the county-wide chamber project.  The transition team provides recommendations for strategic development and will work closely with the new Board of Directors for all approvals and implementation of the organization.

Is any of the current staff in charge of this project?

No.  The new county-wide Chamber has been developed through the transition team up to this point.

How will county-wide representation be handled?

From left, immediate past president of the Churubusco Chamber of Commerce, Jim Horne; Executive Secretary, Dee Dee McCoy; Secretary, Beth Brown; 2010 President, Chris Tomlinson; and Treasurer, John Schmidt. (Buscovoice file photo)

It is important for a county-wide chamber to be inclusive of all businesses, business owners and business types (i.e.: manufacturing, retail, service, home-based, non-profit, etc.).  To support this objective, the transition team has recommended a utilizing a board of 15 members.  These will include four representatives from South Whitley, six representatives from Columbia City and five at-large representatives for the county.  A nominating committee, made up of area business representatives, has provided names of potential board members to the transition team. Representatives were chosen for the ability to represent different types of businesses, age groups, and interests within the community. The new Board of Directors should be in place by March 1, 2010.

How/when will officers be elected?

The new Board of Directors will be in charge of approving new bylaws for the organization.  The bylaws will provide direction for electing officers.  Additional duties of the Board of Directors will include approving a strategic plan, setting an organizational budget, hiring staff and launching the new organization.

When is it going to launch?

It is expected that the new organization will be implemented in phases.  The transition team was “phase one” of the development of the organization.  A second milestone will be the selection of the Board of Directors.  It is projected that staff will be in place by June, 2010, and the organization available for membership by Fall, 2010.

What is the mission of the new organization?

The proposed mission is: To support, promote, and advocate business opportunities that provide value to our members and the Whitley County Community.

How will the new Whitley County Chamber of Commerce be different from the existing organization?

The new organization will provide the value of communication, connection and sharing with other member businesses in Whitley County.

The biggest change is the introduction of grass roots, member-driven teams to champion, organize and sponsor events, networking, programs and projects for the membership.  These voluntary teams will work on activities that they have a passion for, and investment in.  Once the activity is complete, the team members will be free to move on to another activity or take a break and dedicate their time and talent for other priorities.  The types of activities and events may be totally different from those that have taken place in the past.  Activities and events will be member-driven and supported.

The Board of Directors will be responsible for oversight and strategic planning for the organization.  The staff will provide coordination and support of events and projects for the teams.

How much will it cost me?

The dues structure has not been determined yet.  It is expected that the Board of Directors and a challenge team will review all options available to the new Chamber and recommend a dues structure for the 2011 calendar year.

The transition team would like to thank every business who has been a member of the South Whitley, Columbia City or Churubusco Chambers and encourage them to support and champion the soon to be new Whitley County Chamber of Commerce.

A few weeks ago, BuscoVoice told you about the Shelter Challenge being sponsored by The National Animal Rescue Site and Petfinder. So now we bring you this update and are happy to say the Whitley County Animal Shelter is #6 today in Indiana, and #202 overall, in the Animal Rescue Site’s Shelter Challenge!

Keep voting!

If you missed the original article with the instructions/info, here you go:

The National Animal Rescue Site and Petfinder are hosting a Shelter Challenge competition.

The Animal Rescue Site is awarding $100,000 in grants to eligible Petfinder member rescue organizations. The grand prize is a $20,000 grant. Just imagine how many animals the Whitley County Humane Animal Shelter could help for $20,000!

 The rescue organizations with the most votes will win the competition. You can help the Whitley County site win by clicking to help animals at www.theanimalrescuesite.com, and then voting for your favorite participating shelter. Clicking and voting are free, with no registration required.

Visitors may vote once every day during the Challenge, which runs through April 18, 2010. At the site (www.theanimalrescuesite.com), go to the purple tabs on the right side of the page. Click on “Shelter Challenge,” and it will take you to a ballot page where you canvote for the Whitley County Shelter. Just type in “Whitlley County Animal Shelter, Columbia City, IN.”

According to Dessie Arnold, a volunteer at the Whitley County Shelter, funding is limited and they can use all the help they can get.

“Although many things are going well at our shelter, we are not receiving any support from our county government, so our finances are tight,” Arnold said. “We have limited the number of animals we can have at the shelter, and we have also cut back on some of the things we do in order to economize, so we can really use some additional financial support. For these reasons, it would be great if we could get some of this grant money.”

 ”So please vote for us and tell all of your friends to vote for us – daily through April 18!”

Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home, a locally-based, non-profit hospice and palliative care provider is looking for volunteers to assist in a variety of ways including gardening, in Hospice Home and in nursing homes.

 This special work is for people that seek a meaningful volunteer pursuit and requires individuals that are emotionally mature, comfortable with issues of death and dying, and can work two to four hours per week on a steady basis. 

Volunteers prepare light meals for patients, assist families and staff, visit with, sing or read to patients, and clerk at the nurses’ station.  Volunteers are a vital and essential part of the interdisciplinary team that brings broad end-of-life support to patients and families. 

Volunteer work in the halls of Hospice Home is needed and greatly appreciated by staff, patients and families. Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home has a well-established volunteer program that provides ongoing support and guidance for the volunteer.  A  thorough 19-hour training will be held in April. 

 For additional information visit the agency website at www.vnhh.org or call Ann Blue, Volunteer Coordinator at 435-3222 or annblue@vnhh.org.