(Talk of the Town photo by Jennifer Zartman Romano) The Columbia City Rotary welcomed District Governor John Balvich of Rensellaer to their meeting on Thursday. Above, from left, is assistant District Governor Mike Rush of Columbia City, District Governor John Balvich, assistant District Governor Floyd Lancia of Fort Wayne and past District Governor Dale Pence of Columbia City.
]]>
(Photo provided) The Columbia City Lady Eagles Tennis Team sponsored a tennis tournament for the community on June 28-29 in Columbia City. The Junior Tennis winners are, above from left, Brooks Walker, Ben Parry-Lemon (champion), Celia Gust and Lindsay Ray.
By Katie Brandon
The Columbia City Lady Eagles Tennis Team sponsored the First Annual Columbia City Tennis Tournament at Devol Field on June 28 and 29.
The tournament was successful with 51 participants from all over Northeast Indiana. Many of the tennis players participated in more than one of the following categories: juniors (9-13 yrs. old), high school girls singles, high school boys singles, woman's singles, women's doubles, mixed doubles, men's doubles and mens 45+ singles.
Winners included: men’s doubles champs- Brian Copice and Mark Richard; junior tennis- Brooks Walker, Ben Parry-Lemon (champion), Celia Gust and Lindsay Ray; women’s singles- Lee Dunstedter (champion) and Kathy Markley; Spirit of Tennis Award- Ed Reed; women’s doubles- Lee Dunstedter and Kathy Markley; high school girls- Kaycee Bills; mixed doubles- Sarah Wright and Chris Pritchard; and high school boys singles- Ryan Mey.
Some weeks ago, we at Talk of the Town alluded to some big news coming in the weeks ahead – news of great importance to not only our publication, but more importantly, to the citizens of Whitley County.
Well, it’s time to tell.
Soon you’ll not only have round the clock, true daily (including both Saturday and Sunday) news coverage, for not only Columbia City and Whitley County via Talk of the Town, but also local news specific to Churubusco and South Whitley/Larwill as well.
As part of the newly-formed Whitley News Network, Talk of The Town is excited to announce the creation of two affiliate websites that will focus entirely on the news of South Whitley/Larwill and Churubusco.
Lead by the team of award-winning journalist Viv Sade Rosswurm and talented graphic designer Chris Tomlinson, both lifelong Churubusco residents, Churubusco has its own online news source in the form of www.buscovoice.com
Their site is already being updated daily and greeting visitors with an interest in and ties to Churubusco.
In South Whitley, award-winning journalist and South Whitley resident Teresa Smith is spearheading her own community-centric news site www.southwhitleyonline.com
Smith’s site is under construction and will continue to develop over the next few weeks.
Soon, we’ll be sharing feature stories about the people behind the new sites and creating easy access buttons on our site so that you can quickly travel throughout Whitley County via the internet – creating a virtual online community.
All three sites are independently owned and operated, however they will be working together cohesively to provide indepth, community-focused news coverage of what is happening in and around Whitley County – coverage that is fresh, new, archived and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For the citizens of Whitley County, this development means more news, an enhanced awareness of the community, the ability to have news published as it is happening and the opportunity for everyone to be a part of the news reporting process. All sites are eager for the participation of the community with regards to comments, opinions and submissions.
What do you think? Post your comments below or send a message to: jennifer@talkofthetownwc.com
]]>
(Talk of the Town photos by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Denise Hearld, above, stands outside Snippers on her first day as the new owner of the salon on North Line Street. Below, Hearld takes a phone call from behind the desk in her "new" salon. Hearld has been a stylist at Snippers since 1990.
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
Yesterday marked an important milestone for Larwill resident Denise Hearld as she transitioned from stylist to owner of Snippers, a Columbia City salon.
Hearld, a stylist at the salon since 1990, had been in the process of transitioning the ownership of the salon from former owner Kim Tubbs for the past year, with Tuesday named as the official first day of Hearld’s ownership. 
“We’ve been working on it for the past year,” Hearld said, “trying to keep a smooth transition.”
The salon, located at 513 North Line Street, was originally located on Chauncey Street, but moved to the current location in 1989. Having worked with Tubbs for so many years, Hearld said, “This is as exciting for Kim as it is for me.”
Hearld said Tubbs plans to continue working at the salon, but the sale of Snippers will allow her to pursue some other interests as well.
Although she’ll be overseeing new areas of the business as the owner, Hearld still plans to continue in the day to day operations of a busy salon. “We’ve got a good group of girls here and I’m still going to be available to help get hair done,” she said.
With the youngest of her three children in school this fall, Hearld anticipates having more time than ever to devote to the salon.
This is Hearld’s first business ownership experience, but she said, she’ll be looking to her husband, Tim, for guidance. Tim Hearld has significant business ownership and management experience that will be helpful.
Snippers currently employs six stylists and offers a wide array of services, including hair cuts, coloring, perms, manicures, pedicures, wedding styles and updos, children’s cuts and men’s cuts as well.
“We do quite a few men’s cuts here,” Hearld said. “They’ve just gotta get over the whole beauty parlor thing,” she said, laughing.
Looking ahead, Hearld is hoping to make a few subtle changes here and there. She feels optimistic after a strategy meeting with her staff earlier this week, saying, “If it’s not broke, there’s nothing to fix, but there are things the girls would like to tweak.”
“We haven’t had anyone to do facials in a long time,” she said, hoping to expand offerings in that area.
“We’re also working on figuring out how to do wedding parties where they can have a whole room to themselves and don’t have to worry about anything else,” she said. Hearld would like to be able create packages where a bride and her party can enjoy a day together at the salon, enjoying a variety of services in a private area dedicated to them.
She’s expanding the salon’s hours on Wednesdays, too.
To celebrate the day, Hearld provided lunch for her staff Tuesday. “I wanted to do something else, too, but we’ve been so busy,” she said.
Hearld describes the salon’s environment as a busy, fun, family-oriented place. She appreciates the notion that, like herself, her stylists are able to have a job they enjoy and balance a happy home life as well.
She’s hoping to have a new ownership celebration for Snippers sometime this fall.
Snippers hours are Tuesdays 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m.-2 p.m. The salon is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Snippers at 248-8350.
]]>
(Talk of the Town photo by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Crews made considerable headway Tuesday afternoon in clearing debris from the site of an old nursing home facility that is being torn down on North Line Street near Hardee's in Columbia City. The building, which sat vacant for many years, is being demolished this week.
]]>
Boom! It's almost here. Can you believe it’s Independence Day already?
Several local communities are planning fireworks displays for residents to enjoy this holiday weekend.
On Friday, July 4th, catch the Tri Lakes fireworks display at 9 p.m.
On Saturday, July 5th, there will be evening fireworks shows in Columbia City, Loon Lake and Blue Lake. Shows will begin at nightfall.
In Columbia City, activity will abound in Morsches Park, so arrive early and stay all day. At 6 p.m., the newly created Splashpad is expected to be unveiled, followed by live music from 7:30-8:30 and a fireworks show at dark.
Festivities at Loon Lake will begin with a 5K race Saturday morning, followed by a pancake and sausage breakfast served pier-side at the home of Tim & Ruby Brower from 8-11 a.m. Around mid-day, a sailboat race will begin. At 4 p.m., look forward to the creative, competitive boat parade. The fireworks display will cap the events of the day at dark when the fireworks are launched from the eastern shore of the lake.
At Tri Lakes, the Martin Brothers Blues Band will perform at Timmy’s Nook during the fireworks display which is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.
]]>
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
Located in a building that has been the cornerstone for Whitley County’s medical care for prior generations, it seems fitting that Adarna Home Healthcare has found a home in the Linvill Building in Columbia City. 
Headquartered in Merrilville, the eight-year-old Adarna Home Healthcare opened their Columbia City office in December 2007. They now serve Allen, DeKalb, Noble, Whitley, Huntington, Kosciusko and Wells counties from this location.
With a staff of LPNs and certified home health aids, they are able to take nursing care into the home – where most patients want to be.
“We are Medicare approved,” said Kathy Starr, RN. “Basically, what we do is provide in-home nursing, home health aid and in-home therapy as directed by a primary care physician.”
“We like to be able to help our patients maintain their ability to remain in the home,” Starr said. “It is our main goal to keep them at home and not in a hospital.”
“Their home environment is a place they know and especially with mildly confused patients, it is a more comfortable setting, more familiar,” Starr said.
“We can also do lab work for them,” she added.
Starr said most of their patients are referred by the hospital, rehabilitation facilities and from physician office referrals.
“We then call and establish an appointment time to go in and determine what services will be needed,” she added.
Since opening the Columbia City office, Adarna Home Healthcare continues to grow.
]]> “As we grow our clients, we grow our staff,” said marketing manager Gary Buenconsejo. They company plans to hire additional staff in the near future.“The majority of our business is in Fort Wayne,” he said, with office receptionist Gemma King adding, “but we’d like to grown our business here.”
In addition to working with Medicare, Adarna Home Healthcare frequently works with private insurance companies for coverage of their services. “We may have to do approvals, but we have dealt with private Medicare and private insurances,” said Starr.
Most of Adarna Home Healthcare’s clients are typically over the age of 65, however they do work with younger clients as well, including those recovering from accidents.
“We’re very proud it is a family-owned company,” said Buenconsejo. With family at the forefront of their business, they’re particularly proud of a tool they’ve developed that they believe keeps families connected and well-informed about their loved ones’ care.
Inside a ring-bound book, all of a patient’s daily care information is recorded. Additionally, the book features reference material and helpful suggestions for family members – making the home care process truly family-oriented.
“It’s a good tool for a family,” Starr said. “It’s a compilation of information, really. It contains all the requirements from Medicare for admission.”
“It is a documentation format that is really unique to our field,” said Starr. “It stays in the home and keeps the lines of communication open.”
The book also contains medication lists, educational information, dietary guidelines, precautions and suggestions for the family in preparing a safe home environment for the patient.
“We also have a section on advanced directives, which a lot of people don’t understand,” Starr said.
“The book is a good way for patients to communicate with their family members and physician,” Buenconsejo said.
“It shows we really do care about our patients,” Buenconsejo said. “This is how Adarna Home Healthcare has grown and built a reputation as a good provider of home health services.”
Nurses are always on call, however office hours at the Linvill Building are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The office phone number is 244-0224.
]]>
Summer means family: traveling, sports, water fun and more. A day at the beach, an afternoon of ball, a weekend camping or a Saturday evening gathered around the courthouse gazebo.
Gazebo?
Over the past few years, one growing tradition in Whitley County has been the annual summer concert series, sponsored by the Whitley County Community Foundation and presented by the Peabody Public Library. Over the weeks of July and August, several varied and fun musical groups appear at the gazebo on the courthouse square. This year is no exception, with both the new and the familiar to satisfy all of your musical tastes.
Our first offering this summer is on Saturday, July 12 and features the band Pop-N-Fresh. This accomplished band plays oldies, blues, and R&B. They have opened for Kenny Wayne Shepherd at the Three Rivers Festival and have played the area for several years.
On Saturday, July 26 we will be listening to Bootleg, a newer country band in this area.
August 9 brings back old favorites Pat Murphy and Friends. Pat and his group play old time family friendly tunes, as well as folk songs and other “quiet” music. Be prepared for a fun time when Pat starts making music.
Last, but hardly least, is local favorite The Blue River Big Band, appearing on August 23. Unlike its namesake, this band will sweep you away in its currents of swing and jazz tunes. From Glenn Miller to Benny Goodman, the boys in the band will get you up and dancing.
In addition to the fine music, you will be able to indulge your sweet tooth with Dilly Bars sold by the Friends of the Peabody Public Library. Music, ice cream and fresh air – what more can you ask for?
All concerts are on Saturdays, starting at 7 p.m. In the event of bad weather, concerts will be cancelled. Call the Peabody Public Library at 244-5541 for more information.
]]>
(Talk of the Town photos by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Seated along the logs near the lodge at Camp Whitley, and talking in small groups, campers of the past reminisce about their days at Camp Whitley. Below, former camper and counselor Chick Harker signs a banner signifying the camp's 80th year. Three generations of Harker's family have attended Camp Whitley. Below, in a photo provided by Camp Whitley, Pleasant Guy Stickler is shown proudly holding a Camp Whitley t-shirt. The late Stickler was a long-time supporter of the camp. Recently, his family donated some memorabilia to the camp for future generations to enjoy.
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
Pulling up the long gravel drive to Camp Whitley Saturday afternoon, a sense of nostalgia was immediately present.
Groups of adults, standing in small clusters, or seated together on logs near the lodge building reminisced about their days as campers…not so long ago, it seemed. 
Yet, the camp has now been opened eight decades, enough time for as many as four generations of the same family to attend camp at the same scenic spot on the shore of Troy Cedar Lake in northwestern Whitley County.
Saturday afternoon marked the 80th anniversary celebration for Camp Whitley and brought out dozens of former campers and past counselors to share their memories and take another look around a place they remember so fondly.
“I looked at the lake and it looked like is must have shrunk,” said Richard Phend who attended the camp between the years of 1944-1947. “I think I could swim across it now!”
John Pence looked at some of the older cabins on site and said, “I helped build some of those cabins.”
Laughing, Pence added, “And back in the day, as campers, we probably helped tear down a few too.” 
JoEllen McConnell didn’t remember what year she attended camp, but did recall she had been a Pirate and had won the best archer award that year.
Camp Whitley board member Carrie Gates, herself a former camper, said they are currently collecting stories and memorabilia from the past 80 years and hope to compile it into a book eventually.
With 80 years of experiences at camp, she said, “we’d hate for those memories to be lost.”
Gates said she hopes the book, upon completion, would be available for sale and a copy would also be given to the Whitley County Historical Museum for future generations to enjoy.
In a small display inside the lodge, a collection of recently donated memorabilia can be found. The family of the late Pleasant Guy Stickler contributed a booklet, a 1933 attitude award patch, ribbons and certificates from his stay at Camp Whitley in the early years. Several generations of Stickler’s family have been Camp Whitley participants.
As with any great experience, you want your children and grandchildren to experience it as well. Chick Harker said three generations of his family had attended camp there. Bill Kettelkamp’s family might mark four generations.
Ted Gruver of Phoenix, Maryland, remember great times at camp, is carrying the tradition on with his grandson, Patrick Anderson.
Anderson has never attended an overnight camp before, but accompanied his grandfather to Camp Whitley on Saturday from Maryland and will be staying there this week – a 13th birthday gift from his grandparents. Gruver hopes to eventually send his granddaughters to Camp Whitley as well.
“I thought it would be a great thing for him to come to camp,” Gruver said. “I have such fond memories here.”
Gruver and his family traveled the furthest to attend the 80th anniversary celebration Saturday.
Standing in the center of a circle of log benches, similar to the log benches campers have been seated around for decades, after each person present introduced themselves and talked briefly about their camp experience, Gates said, “Hopefully, Camp Whitley will be around for another 80 years.”
]]>