Berne Shopping newSThe Week of Tuesday December 12, 2017

By JOE SPAULDINGDecatur Daily Democrat

Hawaiians and oth-ers in the United States today will observe the 76th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the empire of Japan. That act, one that then President Franklin D. Roosevelt labeled as “December 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy,” was the final blow that got the United States involved in World War II as the surprise air and sea attack by Japan resulted in just over 2,400 men, women and children being killed,

one of the worst war-time losses of life in his-tory. Of those casualties, 1,177 alone came when the U.S.S. Arizona sank after receiving a direct hit from a Japanese bomber while it was sta-tioned with numerous other ships around Ford Island. A total of 49 civil-ians at locations around the Hawaiian island of O’ahu also lost their lives that day, many coming unfortunately from “friendly fire” from American forces trying desperately trying to defend their stations. That “friendly fire” also downed several

American planes that were able to get off the ground in an attempt to battle Japanese pilots. Many planes were destroyed on the ground without a chance to fly as military officials feared espionage more than an air attack and ordered planes on military bases to be stored wing to wing. They thought that would give them a better chance to defend their planes when in reality they became open tar-gets for the Japanese air attack. Other American warships were also destroyed or heavily

damaged during the sur-prise raid shortly before 8 a.m. that horrid morn-ing. As was document-ed in the famous movie “From Here to Eternity,” many of the military per-

sonnel were caught com-pletely off-guard by the attack despite numerous threats an attack on the Hawaiian Islands was a distinct possibility. It was a Sunday morn-

ing and many soldiers awoke to air raid sirens and the sound of bombs being dropped. Battleships sunk that day in the battle include

See PEARL, Page 2

As the nation remembersPearl Harbor, Hawaii prepares for nuclear threat

The USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, is one of many reminders of the horrors that occurred Dec. 7, 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

Photo by Joe Spaulding

The month of December is always a busy one in Adams County. With the holidays quickly approaching, the days are packed with fun activities and events if you know where to look. The Adams County Public Library System has events sched-

uled at both branches in Decatur and Geneva. Both branches will be closed Dec. 34-26 and Jan. 1, 2018. For more information about these events, contact the APLS-Decatur at 724-2605 or the APLS-Geneva at 368-7270. The events at the library are as follows:

APLS-DECATUR: • Wednesdays — From 9:30-11:30 a.m. Needs, Hooks and Pins will meet for handcrafting, companionship, fun and crafts; • Fridays — From 3-5 p.m.,Buddy Reading. Sit and read

See LIBRARY, Page 3

Holiday fun at Adams County libraries

PSST! —

Brooke Rich, 5, leaned close

to whisper her Christmas

wishes in Santa’s ear as the Jolly

Elf visited the Decatur library

Dec. 4. The lines were

backed up out of the chil-

dren’s area as many children wanted to do

the same

Photo by Ashley Bailey

By JANNAYA ANDREWSand THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Indiana State Board of Education voted Wednesday to approve new requirements man-dating that students do more to graduate from high school in the years to come. The new requirements passed on a 7-4 vote after hours of testi-mony from those who overwhelm-ingly opposed the changes, includ-ing educators and labor unions. Beginning in 2023, students will have to complete additional coursework, demonstrate employ-ability skills through service or work projects or show they're ready for college by receiving high scores on exams that include the SAT and ACT. The added rigor has stoked fears that the graduation rate will plummet and local schools will be overworked administering the requirements. But others see it as necessary to ensure students are ready for either college or the workplace. "The conversation on diploma pathways was begun as a way to improve the high school instruc-tion options," said North Adams Superintendent Brent Lehman. "There are some good things in

the final rule, such as no more State required End of Course assessments at the high school level. However, more tests such as the SAT and ACT were added. The biggest issue is the rule was not ready to be finalized. There is no estimate as to what this new system will cost local schools or the state. There is no plan for how the work based experi-ences will be tracked and validated. There is no definition of a term found in the rule that states there can be local pathways. "There were hun-dreds of educations who attended and shared the message that we want to help frame the details. At the end of the day that was obviously not of any value to seven mem-bers of the state board. I want to thank Mrs. Cari Whicker, Dr. Steve Yager, Dr. Maryanne McMahon and Dr. Jennifer McCormick for their understanding of the issues and their support of students as they voted against implementation

at this time." McCormick voted against the measure, however the superinten-dent expressed her sup-port for the IBOE and the board's work for Hoosier students. “Although dis-appointed in the vote, I'm extremely proud of our K-12 colleagues," McCormick said. "They continue to be tireless advocates for our chil-dren and have remained student focused throughout this process. It is clear our Indiana educators are committed to being part of a solu-tion to workforce and higher education con-cerns. The department will continue working with our legislators, con-centrating on successful implementation of the Graduation Pathways, and collaborating with all those who work on behalf of our students on

a daily basis.” South Adams Superintendent Scott Litwiller said, "South Adams is in the business of educating

See GRADUATION, Page 3

Indiana education board passes new graduation requirements

Litwiller

Lehman

Monroe council holds firm on

delinquent billsBY MEL BAILEYDecatur Daily Democrat

The Dec. 7 Monroe Town Council meeting included another discussion on the delinquent water bill issue, and town officials are not backing down. A final notice is being prepared and will be delivered to residents in the next few days. In September, residents were sent a letter giving them 90 days to pay their overdue account in full, or their water would be turned off. There was a notice sent out in November as well; however, according to Town Clerk Rachel Tauge, there was no response from any of the residents. “We’ve given everyone plenty of time. We’ve done everything possible to give everyone a chance to get caught up,” Board President Deb Giessler said. “We also have to look at those who are paying.” Giessler went on to recommended water will be shut off unless the overdue accounts are paid in full. Council members Jeff Johnson and Mike Geels were in agreement with Giessler. “It’s not fair to the ones who are paying,” Johnson said. The council has extended the deadline from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2, due to the New Year’s Day holiday, but assure residents they are serious about the upcoming deadline. “As of January 2, 2018, if water bills are not paid in full, they will be shut off,” Giessler announced. In addition to the door hanger, delinquent residents should expect to receive a letter from Monroe Town Attorney, Jeremy Brown to encourage all payments to be made in full. The council talked about a change in policy to keep bills from becoming excessively overdue in the future. The possible first ordinance of 2018, would give residents 70 days to make their late payments, or their water would be turned off. This course of action, to be discussed at the Jan 4. town council meeting, would follow the same guidelines as neighboring towns, like Decatur. When an account becomes delinquent after 30 days, a notification will be sent with the next water bill. If the bill is still left unpaid when the second billing cycle is due, residents receive a door hanger and have 10 days to make the complete payment or water will be disconnected. The fee to have the system reconnected could be $75. Often landlords are unaware of a renter’s unpaid utilities, and ultimately are responsible for the outstanding charges. In an effort to help landlords from getting stuck with the bills, the town council talked about giving copies of the late notices issued to their renters. This would give landlords the ability to take necessary action against their tenant. Any landlords inter-ested in receiving notifications of their tenants overdue accounts are asked to contact Tauge. In other news, after approving a Bond Anticipation Note during one of the two public meetings held in November, the town council voted and accepted a proposal from Bank of Geneva in the amount of $575,000 with an interest rate of 2.1 percent. The proposal, which is set to close on Dec. 22, will provide necessary funding needed for the first phase of the town’s sewer project. Giessler reminds the community about Breakfast with Santa from 5:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Monroe Fire Department. Santa will make his appearance starting at 9:30 a.m.

Berne Shopping NewsPage 2A • Tuesday, December 12, 2017

www.CMATruckAndAuto.com

$6,500CMA Truck

& Auto7315 N. US Highway 27Berne, Indiana 46711

260-402-6585

$21,900CMA Truck

& Auto7315 N. US Highway 27Berne, Indiana 46711

260-402-6585

2014 Ford Escape 4x4 Heated Leather Back up camera

Panoramic sunroof32,000 Miles

$14,900CMA Truck

& Auto7315 N. US Highway 27Berne, Indiana 46711

260-402-6585

2003 F-2506.0L Powerstroke

97,000 MilesWestern V-PlowReady for Snow$14,900CMA Truck

& Auto7315 N. US Highway 27Berne, Indiana 46711

260-402-6585

2011 Lincoln MKX95,000 miles

Panoramic SunroofRemote StartHeated Seats

Rear Heated Steering Wheel

CMA Truck& Auto

7315 N. US Highway 27Berne, Indiana 46711

260-402-6585

2015 Honda CRV EXAll Wheel Drive

20,000 MilesHeated Seats, SunroofExtra Nice, Local Trade

2008 Subaru Outback140,000 Miles

All wheel DriveWell Maintained

Local Trade$12,900

PRICE REDUCED! PRICE REDUCED!

BONANZAUsed Car

B r i n g i n t h i s a d f o r $ 1 0 0 G a s C a r d w i t h a n y v e h i c l e p u r c h a s e

PRICE REDUCED!

Berne Shopping NewsPublished each week and distributed throughout

the southern Adams County area by:The DecaTur Publishing co. inc., PO Box 1001,

141 S. 2nd St., Decatur, Indiana 46733(260) 724-2121

Delicious Alaskan White Fish ALL DAYWed. & Thurs.

Served with fries, cole slaw, roll & butterSorry, No Substitutes!

Dinners2 foronly

$1199Celebrating

39 Years

ALL DAY Dec. 13 & 14 - Dine in Only!

www.thegalleydecatur.com -The Galley

622 N. 13th St. • US 27 North • Decatur • 724-8181

Give Galley GIFT CERTIFICATES!

Indiana Michigan Power, an American Electric Power company, is introducing a new design for its residential and commercial customer bills. “Our customers want a bill that is visually appealing, user-friendly and easy to understand,” said Nick Elkins, I&M director of customer ser-vices and business development. “We value our customers’ opinions, and we listened and made changes based on their feedback. This improved communication will provide customers with more information to make informed decisions about their monthly energy use.” The new bill format features color, graphics and section headers to make it easier for customers to find important information. A cover page provides a snapshot of what cus-tomers want the most: the total amount due, due date, current balance, usage and payment options. A new circle graph shows a quick breakdown of the monthly charges. Customers will find more details on the following pages. This includes line item charges, meter readings, and charts to see energy usage trends. Customers will begin receiving the new bills effec-tive immediately. Changes to the bill were guided by input from more than 1,400 customer surveys. For more information, visit Indiana MichiganPower.com/NewBill.

I&M bIll has a new look

By MACKENZIE DEGROOTDecatur Daily Democrat

The South Adams School Board hired a new Title I and Curriculum Director Dec. 5 in a spe-cial meeting. Joe Meyer, a graduate of South Adams High School, will begin a two year contract with the school corporation beginning in February. His daily pay rate will start at $355.71, 96 percent of the previous Title I and Curriculum Director’s pay, according to the board. Meyers received his Bachelor’s Degree in Education from IPFW, and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration. He began his career teach-ing in Crown Point, Indiana, where he worked six years before moving to Fort Wayne and becoming the principal of Huntertown Elementary, where he has been for the last five and a half years. “I’m convinced that his knowledge and experi-ence in education will help move South Adams forward as we continue to progress with our curriculum instruction and student learning,” Superintendent Scott Litwiller said about Meyer. Meyer is licensed to teach general elementary, as well as grades one through nine language arts and social studies. He has an administrator license for all grades. “I’m excited,” Meyer said. “It’s a great oppor-tunity and I’m glad to get the chance to come home” The board voted unanimously to hire Meyer.

Meyer

SA grad hired as new Title I director

PEARLFrom Page 1

the U.S.S. Arizona, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Utah and California. The U.S.S. Nevada sustained heavy damage, while the U.S.S. Pennsylvania, Maryland and Tennessee received moderate damage. All ships, with the exception of the Arizona, Oklahoma and Utah (all considered to be a total loss), were repaired. Three cruis-ers, the Helena, Honolulu, and Raleigh were repaired as was the destroyer U.S.S. Shaw. The U.S.S. Cassin and Downes — both destroyers — were heavily damaged and eventually rebuilt. Other ships requiring repair were the U.S.S. Vestal, Oglala, and Curtiss. The Oglala was a mine-layer and was sunk but was still saved by the military. Preparation by the Japanese military showed the entrance to Pearl Harbor to be quite shal-low, so they equipped many of their planes to carry torpedoes that had their desired effect — to be able to navigate the waters around Ford Island and Pearl Harbor and strike U.S. warships docked along Battleship Row. Their plan was to block entrance to Pearl Harbor so ships would not be able to leave, but the one aspect that perhaps saved the United States naval mission that fateful day was the fact their aircraft carriers — such as the U.S.S. Enterprise and others — long thought to be the strength of the Navy, were out on maneu-vers and not at Pearl Harbor that day, thus minimizing a major objective of the Japanese attack, which was to destroy the carri-ers. There were signs earlier in the day about the attack. At 6:45 a.m. the U.S.S. Ward dis-covered a Japanese midget sub and sank it. At 7:15 a.m., Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, Commander in Chief of the Pacific fleet, was notified about the action of the U.S.S. Ward but he made the decision to wait for more verification, since there had been many false reports of submarines in the area in recent days. At 7:20 a.m., an Army lieutenant in training at the radio-network operations center at Fort Shafter received a radio report from the Opana Mobile Radar Station concern-

ing the siting of 50 or more aircraft heading for Oahu. The officer believed the planes to be a flight of U.S. B-17 Flying Fortress bombers heading to Hawaii from California and dis-missed the call. It was just 20 minutes later Japanese planes reached the north shore of O’ahu and at 7:49 a.m. the bombing at Pearl Harbor commenced. It wasn’t until 7:55 a.m. that U.S. radio operators sent out the famous message “AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” The first wave of the Japanese attack consisted of 183 aircraft while a second wave saw nearly an identical number of planes. Believing the attack had been successful, Japanese command-ers called off a planned third wave and by 1 p.m. the majority of Japanese planes were return-ing home. In addition to Pearl Harbor, military bases at Hickam Air Field (the damage here result-ed in 400 persons being killed or injured and 18 American planes destroyed), Wheeler Field, Ewa Marine Corps Air Station, Kane’ohe Naval Air Stations and Bellows Air Force Field were also targets of the Japanese strike force. Japan used 27 subma-rines in various positions around the Hawaiian Islands that day for reconnaissance, to aide in destroying fleeing U.S. ships, protect the Empire’s First Air Fleet from U.S. counterattacks and to launch five two-man midg-et subs; all five midget subs were lost, with 9 of the 10 Japanese submariners killed. While those nine were considered national heroes in their homeland, the only survivor was captured and in Japan he officially ceased to exist. Japan lost 29 planes in the two-wave attack on Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941.

Hawaii Today Using the theory that people who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, Hawaii became the first state in the U.S. to become pro-active last week by bringing back a siren alert system. In addition to a monthly test-ing of its tsunami alarm system throughout the island, Hawaiian leaders decided to bring back the air raid tests as well, after North Korea had a successful launch nine days ago of a long-range

intercontinental ballistic mis-sile capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The missile was launched in North Korea and eventually splashed down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan’s exclu-sive economic zone. American officials estimated that had the missile flown on a flatter trajec-tory — rather than the lofted angle it did for 54 minutes — it could have a range of more than 8,100 miles, well within the limits of Hawaii and even the western coast of the United States (Hawaii is located 4,600 miles from North Korea, approxi-mately the same distance as someone flying from Fort Wayne to Honolulu would travel). During the first test of the island-wide alert, it lasted for 50 seconds after the hurricane/tsunami test. Hawaii’s emergen-cy management administrator, Vern Miyagi, said that should the unthinkable actually occur and a nuclear warning was nec-essary, Hawaiians would have about 12-20 minutes to reach a safe shelter. The problem that arose was a universal one for cities and states that test emergency alert systems, and that was many on the island of O’ahu could not hear the siren. At 11:45 a.m. Dec. 1, about 180 sirens on O’ahu and 385 statewide blared for the first time since the late 1980s, but many complaints were received from individu-als who were left out (editor’s note: the writer of this story, Joe Spaulding, was driving near the town of Moanalua close to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, and he was able to hear the alert without difficulty). All hotel rooms on the islands received a notice from the Hawaii Tourism Authority concerning the alert so they would under-stand what was occurring. HTA president and CEO George D. Szigeti wrote to tourists that, “leisure and business travelers planning a trip to Hawaii should not be alarmed by the testing of this new Attack Warning System. Its implementation is consistent with the state’s longstanding pol-icy to be prepared and informing the public well in advance of any potential threat to Hawaii’s well-being.” He also called the possi-bility of an attack on Hawaii by North Korea “a highly unlikely possibility.”

The South Adams Senior Center, 825 Hendricks St, Berne, will host its annual community Christmas luncheon at 12 p.m. Thursday. The cost is $7 per person. Those in attendance will hear the "Sights and Sounds of Christmas!"

presented by the South Adams High School a cappella choir, directed by Jennifer Thompson. Diana Winteregg of Summer Kitchen will serve a traditional Christmas feast. Seats will be limited, so reg-ister today by calling 589-8877.

ChrIstMas lunCheon set for south adaMs senIor Center

Send your Christmas decoration pictures to:jandrews@decaturdaily

democrat.com

Berne Shopping News Tuesday, December 12, 2017 • Page 3AFor the record

BETHELBRETHRENCHURCH

718 E. Main St.,Berne, IN 46711(260) 589-3381

Pastor Joseph NassSunday: Sunday School, 9 a.m. Morning Worship, 10 a.m. Evening Service, 7 p.m., Wednesday: Prayer and Bible Study, 7:30 p.m.

————

CROSS UNITED CHURCH OF

CHRISTMeeting at St. George

Episcopal Church,1195 S. Hendricks St.,Berne, Indiana 46711Rev. Timothy Price

Sunday: Sunday Worship, 9 a.m.

—————

FAITH BAPTISTCHURCH

U.S. 27 & 700 S.,Berne, IN 46711(260) 589-3797

Pastor Travis CombestSunday: Sunday School, 9:30 a.m. Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Evening Service, 6:30 p.m.Thursday: Evening Service, 7 p.m.

Our Purpose — Please God Help People

————

NEW CORYDON BIBLE CHURCHon Clay St. in New

Corydon, Ind.Pastor Patrick Young

(260) 589-3028or (260) 525-2830

9 a.m. Kids Club & Sun-day School

10 a.m. and 6 p.m. church service

7 p.m. Wednesday service

Area Church Directory

Sincere appreciation to thebusinesses below who sponsor this directory

Obituaries

Hu

rr

y

In

F

or

B

es

t

Se

le

ct

io

n!

H

ur

ry

I

n

Fo

r

Be

st

S

el

ec

ti

on

!

H

ur

ry

I

n

Fo

r

Be

st

S

el

ec

ti

on

!

Hu

rr

y

In

F

or

B

es

t

Se

le

ct

io

n!

Hurry In For Best Selection! Hurry In For Best Selection!

Hurry In For Best Selection!

New Truckload ofScratch and Dent

GE AppliancesHas Just Arrived…In time for under your Christmas Tree!

Hurry In For Best Selection!

Hurry In For The Best Selection!

Klenk’s Sales& service, ltd.

1125 Southampton Drive, Decatur, IN 46733

260-724-7623 Monday - Friday 9-6 • Saturday 9-5

Hurry In For Best Selection!

GEDishwasherBlack or WhiteClose OutPrice

$359GESide By SideRefrigeratorsScratch and Dent10 AvailableVarious Models & Colors

$599

GETop Mount RefrigeratorsScratch and DentPrices from

$348

All GE Washers & Dryers At The

Lowest Prices Ever!

Model# GSD520

Prices Starting At

Over 250 Appliances In Stock And Ready For Delivery Or Customer Pick Up Today

Celia Dunmoyer260-334-5436

6222W 825S Geneva

Rebecca R. Werst Rebecca R. “Becky” Werst, 88, Berne, passed away Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, at Swiss Village. She was born in Adams County July 12, 1929, to the late Alfred P. and Minnie E. (Burkhart) Hirschy. On July 30, 1949, Becky married Arthur Werst; he preceded her in death on Aug. 20, 2009. Becky was a member of Cross Community Church, where she was active in the life of the church and in the youth ministries for many years. She was a homemaker and had worked at CTS for 14 years, and Wal-Mart for 18 years. Becky was an avid sports fan, especially for her grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She loved her flowers and gardening. She lived 19 years at Goose Lake and attended Mt. Etna UMC in Columbia City, where she started their Kids Club. Among survivors are four sons, Gregory (Madonna) Werst of Bella Vista, Arkansas, Mark A. (Pam) Werst of Berne, Kent A. (Becky K.) Werst of Geneva and Matthew T. (Glenda) Werst of Elkhart; two daughters, Ladonna (Ronald) Habeggar of Berne and Christina (Tim) Dellinger of Willshire, Ohio; two sisters, Ardena Lehman and Arlene Sue (Lee) Sprunger, both of Berne; 26 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by four brothers, Melvin, Glen, Russel and Olen Hirschy; a sister, Verna Mae; three grandsons and a granddaughter. Preferred memorials are to Cross Community Church Student Underground (youth) or Compassionate Ministries. Online condolences may be made at www.hshfu-neralhome.com.

Denny F. Morgan Denny F. Morgan, 71, Geneva, passed away at 2:35 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, at Lutheran Hospital of Indiana in Fort Wayne. He was born in Decatur Tuesday, Oct. 8, 1946, to the late Clarence “Red” Morgan and Helen (Sheets) Morgan. He married Marian (Jamieson) Morgan in Decatur Saturday, Feb. 20, 1993; she survives. Denny worked for GE in Decatur for 21 years. He owned the Pioneer restaurant in Decatur for one year. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Geneva. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. Denny enjoyed RVing, camping, barbecuing, antiqu-ing and his dogs, Billie and Lucky. He had been a Scout leader at St. Marks, and a member of the Berne American Legion Post 468. He had a very strong faith and loved his family. Among survivors are his sons, Tim (Teri) Morgan of Huntington, Ted (Dusty) Morgan of Van Buren, Indiana, Paul (Robin) Ryan of Decatur, Chris Ryan of Fort Wayne and Shawn (Suzanne) Osborne of Fort Wayne; daughters, Tanya (Derrick) Cannon of Decatur, Sarah Derosett of Geneva, Trisha (Dusten) Shoaf of Decatur and Teresa Morgan of Berne; 24 grandchil-dren, five great-grandchildren; and a brother, Karl Wayne Morgan and his family. Preferred memorials may be made to The Lord’s Table Food Pantry at the First United Methodist Church, Geneva. Arrangements handled by Downing & Glancy Funeral Home.

GRADUATIONFrom Page 1

students and receiv-ing a high school diplo-ma means that a stu-dent is ready for his/her next step, whether that is attending college or entering the workforce. It is difficult to deter-mine how the new gradu-ation pathway require-ments will affect schools and what changes we will implement at South Adams. The new require-ments lack clear details, which is one of the rea-

son why many educators petitioned the state board of education to delay the approval. "Regardless of the new requirements, South Adams will focus on cur-riculum that teaches timeless principles and essential skills." Indiana State Teachers Association President Teresa Meredith was among those opposed to the new requirements. "I am disappointed in the board's vote today. Following hours of public comments and hundreds of emails from parents,

teachers, counselors and school administrators, asking members to slow down and figure out the many unknowns, their voices were ignored." The proposal does have supporters, though. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette previ-ously reported Mark Melnick, with Benteler Automotive in Goshen, supports training for jobs that don't require a col-lege education. He said that when look-ing at students emerg-ing from Indiana schools one reason for the lack

of skilled workers is an overemphasis on the col-lege track. He especially lauded the apprentice-ship recommendation. "Middle school needs to plant the seed that there are honorable and well-paid jobs that do not require a college degree," Melnick said, according to the Journal Gazette. Local districts can also create their own pathway, however the State Board of Education would have to approve any such mea-sure, the Journal Gazette reported.

LIBRARYFrom Page 1

aloud with a buddy in a no pres-sure environment to promote growth in reading abilities; • Dec. 13 at 12 p.m.MiddayMusic returns, with Diane Logan; •Dec.14from3:30-4:30p.m.,Lego Club for ages 5-12; • Dec. 18 at 3:30 p.m. ABCBook Club will meet in the Decatur meeting room. This months book is "A Breach of Promise" by Anne Perry; •Dec.18at3:30p.m.,K123Club will meet and create angel ornaments; • Dec. 29 from 1-5 p.m.,Teens: Explore and Create. Teens are invited to take some time to explore the Maker Space room and to create cards with the Cricut machine. APLS- Geneva: •Mondays—From6-8p.m.,Magic: The Gathering Gamers will meet in the Porter Room to play, trade cards and share ideas. Light refreshments will be available; • Tuesdays — From 2-2:30p.m., Early Literacy Storytimes for preschool children; • Tuesday afternoons—LegoClub meets and snacks will be

provided; • Wednesdays — From 11a.m.-12 p.m., Knit-Along will meet. Contact the library for the pattern and supply list; • Thursdays— At 6:30 p.m.,Yoga. This event is free; however, registration is required; • Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. inthe Geneva Reading Room. This month's book is "The Pull of the Moon" by Elizabeth Berg. • Dec. 16 from 10 a.m.-12p.m., Pokemon Playgroup will meet in the Porter Room; Both libraries will also have the following Christmas break activities: APLS-Decatur: •Dec.22at10a.m.,popcornand a movie, "Moana;" • Dec. 27, all day, boardgame challenge with family and friends; • Dec. 28 from 10:30-11:30a.m., winter craft creations; • Dec. 29 from 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Noon Year's cel-ebration. Children ages 2-6 will celebrate the new year with hats, noise makers, sparkling grape toast and a huge commotion. Registration is required for this event.

APLS-Genva: •Dec.21from1:30-4:30p.m.,

winter craft drop-in. Materials will be provided to make a winter or holiday themed craft; • Dec. 22 from 10 a.m.-2p.m., holiday ornament and card make and take; •Dec.22from4-6p.m.,fam-ily movie and dinner. Free din-ner and family friendly film in the Porter Room. Registration is required for the meal. Walk-ins are welcome for the movie.

The Berne Public Library also has several events this month. For more information, call 589-2809. The events are: • Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m.,Essential Oils. This event will be for adults who will experience edible items made with oils, a free ITovi wellness hand scan and an optional make and take gift item for a small fee; • Dec. 21 from 1-5 p.m.,Christmas crafts for children. This is a come and go event; • Dec. 27, all day, ChapterBook Scavenger Hunt. Children will be able to learn their way around the junior section of the library better; •Dec.28,allday,boardgamesfor the entire family; • Dec. 28 from 12-5 p.m.,Traditional Swiss Christmas experience for all ages; •Dec.29at2p.m.,DespicableMe 3 movie and popcorn.

Please RememberTo Recycle.

Berne Shopping NewsPage 4A • Tuesday, December 12, 2017

www.decaturdailydemocrat.comCall 724-2121

PleaseRemembeR

toRecycle!

Open HouseAUCTION 12/19 @5 PM721 Water St.,Ligonier, IN3 Bedroom, 1 BathHome w/ Det. Ga-rage north of down-town Ligonier.SELLS REGARD-LESS OF PRICE! -GREAT INVEST-MENT OPPORTU-NITY!Also Selling: Furni-ture, Appliances,Mowers, Tools & Ga-rage ItemsOPEN HOUSE:12/18 @ 5-6:00 PMScheerermccul-loch.com(260) 441-8636

Looking For New Customers?Start Advertising Today!

260-724-2121www.decaturdailydemocrat.com

DECATUR DAILYD E M O C R A T

Something For

Everyone In The

Classifieds!

Sometimes crying is healthy

In the 2008 film“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” Peter Bretter(Jason Segel) takes aHawaiian vacation to get over his recent breakup.But his ex and her newboyfriend turn out to bestaying in his hotel. Thediscovery shatters him,andheendsupsobbingonhisbalcony.Thenthefrontdesk calls: “We’re gettingcomplaintsaboutawomancrying hysterically,” thedesk clerk says. “I thinkit’s from the floor aboveme,” he replies, trying todeflect blame. “You’re onthetopfloor,”istheretort.

BeingacrierlikePetermaysoundembarrassing,butscienceshowsthathewas getting healthy, onseverallevels.

--Researchindicatesthat crying activates the parasympathetic nervoussystem,oryour “restanddigest” state. That’s alsoequivalenttoameditationresponse to stress, andtheoppositeofyouralert,fight-or-flightstate--goodfor the cardiovascularsystemandthespirit.

--Tearsthatexpressemotioncontainbeneficialchemicals and helpeliminatetoxinsfromyourbody.

--Crying alsostimulates release of the

love hormone oxytocin, achemical associated withcomfortingandhappiness.

--It is thought thatcrying releases opioidsin the brain,whichhelpsreduce pain. In short,cryingisaneffectiveformof self-soothing. (“There,there,thingswillbeOK.”)

--In theblinkof aneye, you’ll be transferringoxygen, moisture,nutrients and antibodiesthatfightinfectiontoyourcornea.

--Ithelpsrallysupportfrom those around youwhenyou’redown.

OuradvicetoPeter:Cry it out; hop the nextboat toMaui; find a newgal!

Potassium For The Heart

Ifyouwereshoppingin a grocery store in the 1940s, you wouldn’trecognize the bananas in the produce section. TheGros Michel species wasshorterandstubbierthantoday’s version, withoutthatsignaturecurve.Thatbananawaswipedoutbythe TR-1 (Tropical Race-1) fungus.TheCavendishbananasweeattodayareresistant to TR-1, andthey’reclonesofabananaspeciesthatwasgrowninthe Duke of Devonshire’shothouseinChina.

Nowanew fungus,TR-4, resistant to allfungicides, is threateningCavendish bananas,and the race is on for aresistantreplacement.

We don’t just hopebananas stick around fortheir great texture andflavor;they’realsoagreatsource of potassium, andmounting evidence showshow importantpotassiumis for heart health. (But

don’t go nuts; each oneaverages105calories.)

A new lab studypublished in the Journalof Clinical Investigationfoundthatpotassium-richfoods could help protectagainst atherosclerosis,which reduces yourrisk for a heart attack.The study showed thatanimalswithlowerdietarypotassium were morelikely to experiencearterycalcification, hardening oftheir arteries. Inaddition,previous research foundthat increased potassiumlevels and lower sodiumlevels reduce the risk ofheart disease. Plus, adeficiency can trigger anirregular heartbeat andboostyourbloodpressure.

Somakesureyou’regettingenoughpotassiumin your diet: Adolescentsand adults should aimfor4,700mgdaily.Notafanofthebananaandits425 mg potassium)? Trysalmon(3ouncesgetsyou300mg), beans (1/2 cupequals300-475mg)and/or a baked potato (925mg).

Exercise Fends Off Depression

In the 2003 movie“Lost in Translation,”over-the-hill AmericanmoviestarBobHarris(BillMurray) rambles aroundTokyo--he’stheretoshootawhiskycommercial--inafogofdepression.Tryingtopickhimselfup,hehitstheelliptical(hehadtherightidea), but ends up losingthebattleofthemachinesand limping aroundfeelingblueuntilCharlotte(Scarlett Johansson)shows up. Fortunatelyfor Mr. Harris, those(American) Scandinaviansknowathingortwoaboutdealingwithdepression.

Recently,researchers

looked at nearly 34,000Norwegian adults andmonitored their physicalactivity, along withdepression and anxietysymptoms,overthecourseof11years,makingitthelargest study of its kind.They found that forsomefolks who suffered fromdepression,exercisingjustone to two hours aweekfought off their funk. Infact,thestudyshowedthatjustoneroundofexercisecouldsnapyououtofyourfunkymood.

So, if you’re feelingdowninthedumps,getupandmove!Don’tstopatanhourortwoaweek--startfrom there. There’s tonsofsolidscientificevidencethat shows working outfor at least 30 minutes,five or six days a week,battleseverythingfromtheblues to the bulge -- andalltheassociatedailmentsthat make it hard to feelupbeataboutyourfuture.Plus,you’llbewellonyourway to 10,000 steps (orequivalent) per day. Nomatterwhatlanguageyousayitin,asunnieroutlookcomes with regularexercise,andnothinggetslostinthattranslation.

Do The Math And Stay Young

The top U.S.elementary school inthe 2016-2017 MathLeague was MedinaElementary School inMedina, Washington.Congratulations, kids!Thesestudentsknowtheirnumbers. Unfortunately,manyhighschoolstudentsaroundthecountrydon’t.

According to thelatest results of theProgram for InternationalStudent Assessment --its worldwide exam isadministered every threeyears; in2015, itwent to540,000 15-year-olds in

72 countries -- the U.S.ranks 40th in students’averagemathscores.

Maybethat’swhyit’ssohardtoconvincepeoplethat carrying aroundeven a little extra weightdamages their health:Theycan’tadduptheinfo.

Well,anewstudyinNature Communicationsmakesitprettyeasy:Every2.2poundsofextraweightyoucarryreducesyourlifeexpectancybytwomonths.

For the 30 percentof U.S. adults who areobese (say, 50 poundsoverweight), the lostmonthscanadduptoeightyearsormore!But,there’shope.Theresearchersalsosaylosing2.2poundsaddstwo months to your life.Andlosingapoundaweekcanundothe50-pounds-overweight lifedeficit inayear!

Gettherebywalking10,000 steps dailyand doing two to three30-minute, strength-building sessions weekly.Eat nine servings of veggies and fruit daily; skip redand processed meats,refined grains and highlyprocessedfoods.Getsevento eight hours of sleepnightly (sleep influencesweight management).Another boost: You canadd a year to your lifefor each year you spendstudying something afteryour last year of formaleducation (high school orcollege).

Do As I Do

Thatmuch-favored,hypocritical sayingbandied about by lazyauthoritarians, “Do as Isay, not as I do,” neverseems very convincing toanykid.Andnow,researchhasdemonstratedthattheexact opposite is actuallywhat motivates kids totackle tough situations --becausewhenresponsibleadults communicate “Doas I do,” it’s inspiring toyoung ‘uns, especially ifthedoingtakeseffort.

Researchers fromthe MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,aninstitution that regularlyturns out award-winningmathematicians, rocketscientists, engineeringmarvelsandworldleaders,did a study published inthe journal Science thatshowedthatkidsasyoungas 15 months old whoobserve adults struggleat different tasks beforesucceeding try harder attheirowntasks,comparedto kids who watchadults sail through theirproblems/tasks withoutany trouble. And otherstudies have found thatakindofpersistenceandtoughness in the face ofadversitypredictssuccessmorethanIQdoes.

Sofolks,thepressure’soff:Youdon’thavetoknowhow to put together thatrobot-in-a-kit rightoff thebatorputthatcarseatinthemini-vansmoothly.

Crying CAn releAse opioids in the brAin

By Michael Roizen, M.D.,And Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Berne Shopping News Tuesday, December 12, 2017 • Page 5A

BLUFFTON | 5068 E. 100 N.1-800-876-9351 or (260) 565-3659

www.troxelequipment.comE-mail us at troxel@troxelequipment.com

RUGGED

JOHN DEERETOYS ARE BUILT FOR TOUGH FUN!

Sturdy, die-cast scale models of the realthing, these toys really hold up in the

rough and tumble world of today’s kids.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

NOW THRU CHRISTMAS

HRNONONOOWWW THHTH10%

IALLIAOFF

RUUHRHHHR

FFOFOOALLTOYS

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

from

John Deere

1105 North US Hwy 27260.589.2151FIRSTBANKOFBERNE.COM

IN THE MAGICOF CHRISTMAS

Friday, December 15th from 3:00 - 6:00Saturday, December 16th from 9:00 - 12:00

.

By JANNAYA ANDREWSDecatur Daily Democrat

Safety hazards and other emergencies can occur without warning. Public safety service per-sonnel respond to thou-sands of emergencies each year, such as fires, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning. In an effort to help reduce these hazards, NIPSCO has released the follow-ing reminders to help Hoosiers prepare for two common winter emer-gencies.

CARBON MONOXIDEPOISONING Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that comes

from burning fuels such as coal, wood, charcoal, natural gas and fuel oil. It can be emitted by furnaces, generators, space heaters, stoves, fireplaces, water heaters and automobile exhaust. Carbon monoxide can be poisonous if allowed to build-up in enclosed spaces. CO poisoning causes flu-like symptoms, including headache, diz-ziness, weakness, nau-sea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. At high levels, it can cause loss of consciousness and death. If you think you are suffering from CO poisoning, you should get fresh air immediately and call 911.

Take action to prevent carbon monoxide poi-soning: • Have your furnaceinspected by a profes-sional to make sure it’s operating safely and effi-ciently; • Install a battery-operated CO detector in your home near the bedrooms, making sure it’s clear of furniture or draperies. Test the bat-tery regularly; • Do not use ovens,gas ranges or grills to heat your home; • Never use a gener-ator inside your home, basement, garage or other enclosed area; •Never leavea car orlawn mower engine run-ning in a shed, garage or

any enclosed space.

GAS LEAKS Natural gas is odor-less, but natural gas pro-viders add a scent similar to rotten eggs so you can detect if there’s a leak in your home. Take these immediate actions if you smell natu-ral gas: •Donotlightmatches,turn electrical switches on or off, or use a tele-phone in the building; •Ifyousmellgasinsideyour home or business, get out immediately; • From a safe place,call 911 to report the leak. Remain outside until the home has been cleared of a gas leak by a professional.

Keep your home safe this winter

By JANNAYA ANDREWSDecatur Daily Democrat

Bi-County Services and AWS Foundation,in collaboration with the Decatur FireDepartment, will offerfree Safety Kits to local families of children with special needs. The kits are designed to safe-guard against wander-ing and other danger-ous situations involving children with intellec-tual or developmental disabilities. Intended to assist family members and caregivers with preven-tion of — or help dur-ing — an emergency, safety kits are available daily between the hours of 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at the Decatur Fire Stationlocated at 207 S. 7th St. “Kids with special needs can be prone to wandering, to place themselves in danger-ous situations and are much more likely to be bullied than others,” said Tom O'Neill, AWS Foundationboardchair.“The goal of this safety kit is to provide families with a variety of tools designed to help prevent a potentially harmful situation from occurring and to give them more resources if an emer-gency occurs.” The safety kits are intended to protect chil-dren with special needs, who are among the most vulnerable mem-bers of the community. The kit is designed to address a number of safety concerns from wandering, bullying and seclusion to safety pre-vention methods, both at home and school. “The Decatur FireDepartment is proud tobe joining forces with Bi-County Services to help protect the chil-dren in our communi-ty with special needs,” said Decatur FireDepartment CaptainJeff Sheets. “Besides responding to emergen-cies, educating the pub-lic is a top priority for our department. These kits have added another tool to our toolbox, to help protect our kids with special needs in our community.” Bi-County Services is always searching for

ways to protect the peo-ple we serve and the Safety Kits developed by theAWSFoundationfit our mission per-fectly. We are grate-ful to the Decatur FireDepartment for theircontinued assistance and support. One of the biggest concerns expressed by caregivers who tend to people with cogni-tive problems is how to keep them safe. In children, wandering is a risk associated with many conditions, such as autism spectrum dis-order, Down syndromeand head injuries. A study by the Interactive Autism Network found that 49 percent of chil-dren with autism are prone to wandering from safety. A family may first become aware of wan-dering behavior when they are faced with the fact that a child has left the home, yard or their side unattended. Many children with a cognitive disability do not grow out of a tendency to wander as they enter adulthood. The Special Needs Safety Kit for Kids provides informa-tion and tools for pre-vention and help fami-lies to develop a safety plan should there be an emergency. Several items con-tained in the kit are produced by companies that employ individu-als with disabilities and the kits were assembled by high school students with special needs as part of the Scherer Resources vocational skills training program. The program pre-pares students with special needs as they transition from the high school environment to work and community

Free safety kits available for familieswith special needs kids

Bids opened for upcoming projectsBy MACKENZIEDEGROOTDecatur Daily Democrat

Thirteen bids were opened Dec. 5at the commission-ers’ weekly meet-ing by Adams County Highway DepartmentSuperintendent Lonnie Caffee relating to mate-rials and equipment to be used by his depart-ment during upcoming construction projects. The bids offer the highway department a chance to see what suppliers will charge for future project materials.

Bids were placed in a sealed envelop and were opened together at the commissioner’s meet-ing, where a motion was passed to allow Caffee to further decipher the deals within them. “None of them come with the same stuff,” Caffee explained to the commissioners. The bids come from suppliers who carry dif-ferent items, he said. Some of them offer fuel, some offer stone and gravel, some offer construction equip-ment rentals and some offer a mix of the three.

Because there is no spe-cific form for a bid and there are so many pric-es in the bid, it is hard to tell which company offers a better price. Once Caffee decides which companies offer the best price for mate-rials, he will meet with the commissioners again to make a motion to proceed with the bids. “It locks our price in for a year,” Caffee said. Accepting multiple bids allows the depart-ment multiple suppliers to get materials from. It’s not just about the

prices, Caffee said, its about the location. “When we’re at the south end of the coun-ty, we’re not going to go all the way up to Nine Mile to get stone,” he said. Suppliers submittng bids were IMI Materials, Brooks Construction, Adams County, U.S. Aggregates, Wayne Asphalt, Indy Paving, Fleming Excavating,Berne Ready Mix quar-ry, Carr Excavating,Petroleum Traders, Harvest Land Co-op, Stone Street quarries andBillExcavating.

Comp time still an issue for countyBy MACKENZIEDEGROOTDecatur Daily Democrat

Compensatory time was an issue discussed at the Dec. 5 com-missioner’s meeting Tuesday in the Service Complex. While an employee’s comp time is required to be paid for or used like vacation time, the big question at the meeting was wheth-er or not an employ-ee could be forced to use those comp days instead of taking the over time pay. Private companies are required by law to pay employees 1.5times their normal rate for overtime hours. A business in the pub-lic sector, however, has two options. It can eitherpay1.5timesthenormal rate for over-time, or it can reward an employee with an hour and a half of time off for every over time hour worked.

According to County Attorney Mark Burry, some departments in Adams County do not have steady hours all year around. Departments like lawenforcement and high-way — which is in charge of plowing snow in the winter — have peak times when more hours are worked, as well as slower times when many hours may not be required. “Your comp time is a tool for public sectors to even out those peaks and demands,” Burry said. Using comp time is also a way to even out budgets for depart-ments in the Adams County government. “Some departments don’t have enough money to pay over time for everyone,” County Auditor Mary Beery said. Comp time allows an employee extra vaca-tion time, sick days and

even time for doctor’s appointments or per-sonal time off, accord-ing to Beery. If employ-ees use these days dur-ing slow business time, it saves the depart-ment from having to pay 1.5 times normalpay, although some employees may opt for the money option, which might leave some departments in trouble with their budget. According to Beery, the employee poli-cy does not say any-thing about being able to force an employee to take comp time as opposed to taking the extra pay. “We have some departments that are telling their employees that they have to take their comp time by the end of the year,” Beery said, “and our policy doesn’t say that.” Burry said an employee can be forced to use their comp time through scheduling,

even though there is no written policy requiring they do so. It is up to each department head to monitor comp time and ensure an employ-ee takes time off for hours that exceed the maximum amount the department can pay for. Burry says if an employee does not take the time off, the depart-ment head may sched-ule time off for that employee. “You should have the authority to tell them they have to use it,” Commissioner DougBauman said. No decision was made as to whether or not all departments have to follow the same guidelines.

Berne Shopping NewsPage 6A • Tuesday, December 12, 2017

AUCTION CALENDAR

TO ADVERTISE IN AUCTION CALENDAR

CALL 260-724-2121

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12th @ 4:00PMSeller: Kyle & Tiffany VanEmon- OwnersLocation: 408 Mary Street, Ossian INDriving Directions: North edge of Ossian Indiana on Highway 1 to Davis Rd., turn right (or east), go 3 blocks, to Zuercher St., turn right (or south) on Zuercher, go 2 blocks to Mary St., turn left (or East), home will be on rightOPEN HOUSE: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST FROM 4-6PMReal Estate: 1 Story, 3 Bedroom home. Home has kitchen with built in cupboards, living room, 1 bath, utility room with washer & dryer hookup, 100 amp electirc service, natural gas heat, crawl space, open front porch, vinyl siding, asphalt roof, city water & sewer, off street parking. Auctioneer:Dave Myers Town & Country Auctioneers/Realtors 260-724-8899www.town-countryauctions.com Auction Zip: 8080

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12th @ 5:00PMSeller: Annie L Fleming Revocable TrustLocation: 946 Waynesboro Rd, Decatur, IN 46733Real Estate: 1 Story Ranch, 5 Bedroom, 2 1/2 Baths, 2 car attached garage slab, 1/2 acresAuctioneer:Ronald W. King, Heartland Auction & Realty 724-3499

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16th @ 9:00AMSeller: All American Homes by ChampionLocation: 1418 S 13th St. Decatur, IN 46733Personal Property: AppliancesOther: Plumbing Supplies, Electrical Supplies, Building Supplies, 5 gal. paint buckets, rafters, fl oor joist, lumbar, tile, cabinets, windows, mirrors, doors, and moreAuctioneer:Ronald W. King, Heartland Auction & Realty 724-3499

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19th @ 4:00PMSeller: Kyle & Tiffany VanEmon- OwnersLocation: 7606 S. 500 W., Geneva, INDriving Directions: Or: West of Berne. Indiana on SR 218 to CR 500 West, then South to Linn Grove, cross bridge and turn left, go approx. 1/2 mileOPEN HOUSE: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 28TH FROM 4-6 PMReal Estate: 1 1/2 Story, 3 Bedroom home, eat in Kitchen, Living room, 1 1/2 baths, Laundry Room. Home has full basement, river rock foundation. Metal roof, vinyl siding, 200 amp electric service, own well & septic. Barn 48 x’ 56’ “Monitor Style” built in March of 2017, 200 amp electric service, Barn has livestock parti tions & farrowing crates. All this sits on 2.13 arces.Other: Skid loader is a case 1816B with 243 hours, material bucket and manure forks. Skid Loader sells after Real Estate. Auctioneer:Dave Myers Town & Country Auctioneers/Realtors 260-724-8899www.town-countryauctions.com Auction Zip:8080

By DYLAN MALONEDecatur Daily Democrat

Thor: Ragnarok took giant steps to separate itself from the first two Thor entries, helping the least popular of the Marvel trilogies gain some ground with an incredible entry. The moves paid off in a big way, mostly adding a lighter tone to what had been the most serious of the Avengers. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been put-ting out multiple movies tied together in one form or another for a decade, starting with the genre-changing film, Iron Man, in 2008. While Thor’s first journey was a good origin story with plenty of good action and a few funny moments. Thor: The Dark World was a step backwards in every way. They simply recycled the same jokes stemming from the human characters that were unbelievable and rigid, and we got to see more of Kat Dennings’ side character than we did of the main villain, an unforgiv-able crime. With the third installment of the God of Thunder’s jour-ney, Thor: Ragnarok takes a play from the Guardians of the Galaxy playbook with some hints at the Avengers’ formula. At this point, it’s hard to have an MCU movie with one char-acter as it simply doesn’t make sense that no one else would come and help. Thor gets help from Doctor Strange to help him find his father, then later “assembles” his own team in Hulk, Loki and Valkyrie (the newest character to be introduced). They team up to best the movie’s villain, Hela the Goddess of Death, played by the amazing Cate Blanchett. The downfall of the charac-ter (to this point) is that she appears to be a one and done villain for Marvel. I say to this point because a popular fan theory will have Hela reappear-ing down the road as the love

interest of Thanos, the big bad-die that the 22 movies to this point in the MCU are all leading towards. Tom Hiddleston has had plenty of movies to flesh out his anti-hero Loki, who once again teeters back and forth in the latest edition of the God of Mischief. Like Loki, Hela is an instant fan-favorite on the screen and Blanchett is solely to thank for that as she has the acting chops to pull off a psychotic villain that the viewer actually roots for at times. The movie is star-studded, with side characters from Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster to a cameo from Matt Damon and Sam Neill as Asgardian play-actors performing for Loki. Fans were shocked to learn that Thor 3 would be the short-est Marvel movie to date behind new director Taika Waititi, but that did not deter at all from the amount of content in the film. In fact, the way the action gets from point A to point B is incredibly efficient. When one character looks towards some-thing on the horizon, suddenly the next thing on the screen are the characters on that horizon, no questions asked. That helps the pacing of the movie tremendously and it feels non-stop and yet we have time to smell the roses (AKA: the technicolor painting that is Asgard). The film has everything a full-blown nerd could want in an MCU addition, while still giving the casual movie-goer a cohesive plot, characters you actually care about and action that suits the genre. The downside of the humor and pace of the movie is we have zero time to mourn the dead … and there are a lot of them. Without spoiling the movie, these are characters who have been around the Thor uni-verse for years and suddenly they are extinguished. While this reminds me of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 in the way that the

stakes seem smaller with all of the humor, Guardians at least had an entire scene at the end to dedicate to the fallen Yondu (the only good guy to bite it in the film). Thor 3, by contrast, just scoots on with the plot with just a sidelong look from a few of the characters left still standing. It was a sort of slap in the face of those characters. Honestly, that could be the only thing that bothered me the entire time. I enjoyed every minute of the film, especially in the intimate setting of the newly installed ABCinema downtown. Props to the crew for a great movie experience. The movie builds on an already impressive and incred-ible MCU world, while still standing alone as a Thor clas-sic. There are ramifications for the over-arching world created and they are felt at the end, but it is hard to tell if there will be another adventure to fully explain “what happens next” in this world. There is also the loophole from Avengers 2 (for all you nerds reading) that did not explain fully what Thor's been doing since Ultron. In the begin-ning of the film he explains he looked for Infinity Stones (as he said he would in Age of Ultron, stating that at least four have dropped in the last few years) and yet he says he did not find any. The answer is simply that the studio was allowed to be more creative in the film with their own story instead of the Marvel creative team (now disbanded) forcing plot points to further their overall universe. What you have as a result is the chopping explanation that Thor is just a bad detec-tive apparently. Oh well, I was entertained. Good job, once again, Marvel. You sucked me into a seat and I stayed the entire time, happy as a kid with a comic book. I give it an A.

Movie Moments

with Malone

By Dylan Malone

Thor: RagnarokA movie review

• This review does contain spoilers to the movie. •

Thor: Ragnarok

By BOB SHRALUKADecatur Daily Democrat

The City of Decatur is rapidly moving toward annexation of land at the edge of the city limits where the Bank of Geneva plans to construct a new building. The new building will be situated on land on the southwest corner of the intersection of 13th Street and C.R. 500N, across from Richards restaurant and in close proximity to the bank's current Decatur location in the northeast corner of the Village Green Shopping Center. The area to be annexed covers a trio of tracts of ground and plans call for the new bank to occupy about half the area. The bank already owns the three lots and also purchased a fourth lot, owned by the city, which is just west of the southernmost lot of the three. While the three lots were owned by Adams County, they are mostly surrounded by city prop-erty. It was said at the Dec. 5 Decatur City Council meeting that bank officials are hoping to get the project started yet this month and be completed by December 2018. It's a "super voluntary annexation," meaning the city was asked to annex the land. As required by law, the city developed a fiscal plan, which coun-cil approved. The fiscal plan says the annexation "meets the criteria and lends itself to economic growth," City Attorney Tim Baker noted. At the council meeting, a public hearing was held on the proposal and no objections were aired, so council unanimously approved on two readings an ordinance approving the annexation, with a third reading and final approval expected at its next meeting, Dec. 19. "We appreciate the Bank of Geneva's confidence in Decatur," Councilman Matt Dyer said. Also at the meeting: •Asitmustdoeverytwoyears,councilapprovedits County Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT) spending plan for 2018-19 and 2019-20. While $1 million in CEDIT funds were used this year and last, the new plan calls for spending $1.2 mil-lion in CEDIT monies over the next two years. • Final approval was given to establishing aresidential handicapped parking zone on Madison Street., near 7th Street. •ItwasannouncedthatRonStorey,RexHinskyand Max Miller have been reappointed to the city redevelopment commission by Mayor Ken Meyer, while Craig Russert and Larry Isch were named to new terms by council.

City council approvesannexation of newBank of Geneva site

Perspectives, a 15-week course designed by the US Center for World Missions, will start Jan. 8, 2018, at First Missionary Church. The course explores mis-sions from biblical, histori-cal, cultural and strategic points of view. Each week different

speakers provide informa-tive and interesting material on a subject in their exper-tise. For more information visit www.perspectives.org or locally contact Matt Wheeler at 417-1667, Connie Potter at 525-8517 or Gina Brewster at 692-2740.

‘PersPectives’ course set to start in January 2018

christmas Performance by ‘the swiss village singers’ The Village Singers, comprised of 41 Swiss Village residents, will per-form at 2 p.m. Dec. 15 at Swiss Village. The program titled, "The Birthday of a King," will be directed by Mary Amstutz, a Swiss Village resident and former Adams Central elementary

music teacher. Guests will enjoy a vari-ety of Christmas music per-formed by the Swiss Village Singers including a men’s octet, a ladies’ quartet, a male solo, an instrumental band and a piano duet. For more information, call 589-3173.

Give the Giftthat keeps on

giving!

Give the Giftthat keeps on

giving!Local News

SportsEntertainment

Gift Subscriptions Available!

Visit The Decatur Daily Democrat today!

141 S. 2nd StreetDecatur, IN 46733

724-2121

Berne Shopping News Tuesday, December 12, 2017 • Page 7A

Tillage

Sprayers

#46470, 7 SHANK, 5 ” POINTS, TRU SET , HAS 50-100 ACRES, FULL WARRANTY TILL 12/31/2017 (W)

$62,500

2015 JD 2730

#44435, TRU SET , 7 ” LASER, C SPRING, CAT IV HITCH, KNIFE

EDGE ROLLING BASKET (B)

$67,500

2015 JD 2730

#47027, 100 ’ , AWD, 380/95R46, 20 ” SPAC., 800 G. SS TANK, PRO 700 AMS, SET 650/65R38 FLOATS, 482 HRS. (W)

$185,300

2012 Case 3230

#44499, 100 ’ , 800 G. SS TANK, FRONT FILL, 15 ” SPAC., NARROW TIRES, FENCE ROW

NOZZLES, NO AMS, 182 HRS. (B)

$278,900

2016 JD R4030

#45677, 710X42, P/S, PREM CAB, HID, 5R, 1400# FRT & REAR, 20 FRAME

WTS, 2,489 HRS. (H)

$215,000

#42826, 480X50 DLS, 5R, AUX HYD, LEATHER, 2630, ITC, CAT 3

DRAWBAR, RECON, 621 HRS. (B)

$204,900

2014 JD 8235R

#45350, 710X42 DUALS, 4R, RADAR, PREM CAB & RADIO, P/S, HID LIGHTS,

ACTIVE SEAT, 1,006 HRS. (B)

$213,600

2012 JD 9410R

#45339, 16.9X30, OPEN STAT., MFWD, P/REV, 2R, NO LDR. LDR PREP KIT, 11.2x24, 161 HRS. (H)

$38,200

2016 JD 5075M

Tractors

Call for details on our John Deere LOW RATE FINANCING Programs Additional Troxel incentives available on select equipment

Best well-maintained owner-operated pre-owned equipment in the U.S.

www.TroxelEquipment.com 5068E - 100N, BLUFFTON

(260) 565-3659 1-800-876-9351

4777W - 500N, HUNTINGTON (260) 356-7958 1-888-876-9352

834 N ST. RD. 13, WABASH (260) 563-1149 1-888-876-9353

Bluffton = (B) Huntington = (H)

Wabash = (W)

December Special Finance Offers

These special offers are valid for these 7 machines only. Stop in and talk to one of our sales specialists today.

FOR 3 YEARS FOR 3 YEARS FOR 3 YEARS followed by 4.15% for 3 additional

years OR 1.9% fixed for 6 years with qualified trade.

#40490, 18.4X50,

1300 FRNT AXL, P/S,

60GPM, 4R, RADAR, 16F

& 1 PR. 450# REAR, 400 HRS. (B)

2014 JD 8270R

#42781, 480X46 DLS,

LEATHER TRIM, 4R, FRIDGE,

RADAR, 16F & 2 PR. 450

REAR WTS, 336 HRS. (W)

2014 JD 8295R #42918,

480X50 DLS, 420X34 FRT,

5R, P/S, PREM LTS &

RADIO, RADAR, 8F WTS, 424 HRS. (W)

2015 JD 8295R #39889, 710X38 DUALS,

POWERSHIFT, HID,

BAREBACK, 4 SCV, DLX CAB, 278 HRS. (W)

2014 JD 9410R

#40431, 800X38

DLS, P/S, PREM

CAB, 4R, HID,

RADAR, 1 PR 1400# REAR, 316 HRS. (B)

2014 JD 9460R #42398, PRWD,

76X50, RWA, MAURER, 26 ’ AUGER, PRO DRIVE, 28L,

ENG. 866 HRS., SEP/

638 (B)

2014 JD S670 #42517,

1250X50, PRO DRIVE,

LRG MAURER,

POWERCAST, ENG. 605

HRS., SEP/383 (H)

2015 JD S670

2013 JD 9460 $ 329 , 500 $ 329 , 500

$ 249 , 000 $ 249 , 000 $ 229 , 900 $ 229 , 900 $ 229 , 900 $ 229 , 900

$ 209 , 900 $ 209 , 900

$ 260 , 500 $ 260 , 500

NEW PRICE NEW

PRICE

$ 280 , 200 $ 280 , 200

The Adams Public Library System in Geneva recently received a grant from the Adams County Community Foundation to enhance the children’s services area by help-ing to provide an engag-ing space for children to learn. At right, puz-zles, a colorful learning rug, flannel board sets, blocks, a LEGO table and LEGOs were made possible by the grant. Above, Laura Schwartz, branch manager, is shown reading a story to the Tiny Treasures of Grace Preschool Class with new storyboard props and puppet. For more information, con-tact the APLS-Geneva library at 368-7270.

Photos provided

By JANNAYAANDREWSDecatur Daily Democrat

A Hoosier program geared toward feeding the hungry recently received a grant from Whitetails Unlimited. "Meat" the Need, a program of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, received the $1,500 grant to assist the pro-gram in paying pro-cessing fees for dona-tions of large game and livestock. Founded in 2011, Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry encourages the donation of large game and livestock to the “Meat” the Need program. The group raises financial sup-port to pay processing fees on these donations and donates the meat to hunger relief-agencies within Indiana. Hunters and farmers may donate — at no cost to them (and farm-ers may write-off fair market value on taxes), by taking large game or livestock to a participat-ing meat processor in their area. The donation will be processed, pack-aged in 1- to 2-pound packages and frozen or canned. Local hunger-relief agencies will be contacted for pick up and distribution to be given back to the com-munity in which it was donated. The individuals and families that Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry serves are reached through food banks and other hunger-relief agencies whose servic-es are strictly for low income and poor popu-lations. “The grant provided by Whitetails Unlimited will pay for approxi-mately 1,150 pounds of donated large game and

livestock in Indiana, which will then be dis-tributed to area hun-ger-relief agencies — providing over 4,600 meals to resident in need within this com-munity,” said Deb Treesh, executive direc-tor of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry. Even as the econo-my is improving, many Hoosiers live paycheck to paycheck. Indiana residents who must reg-ularly choose between paying bills and buying groceries often struggle to make ends meet, many times becoming deeper in debt. In Indiana, approxi-

mately 1 in 4 house-holds with children — report an inability to afford enough food to feed their family. Those affected by food insecu-rity are often at high-risk for obesity and diet-related diseases due to the lack of qual-ity in the foods they can afford. Protein — one of the most important nutri-ents for brain and body development in children and young adults — is the hardest commodity for food banks to obtain. Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry assists in meet-ing basic needs within each county it serves.

By assisting individuals and families struggling, the organization allows families to avoid hunger and not have to choose between bills and gro-ceries. In the past six years, Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry has helped distribute more than 942,000 pounds of meat to Indiana food banks, providing near-ly 3.8 million meals to Hoosiers in need. “To date, we have 85 participating meat pro-cessors working within 85 counties in Indiana to ensure residents in need are served,” said Amber Zecca, Fund

Development Director of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry. In Adams County, Manley Meats, 302S C.R. 400E in Monroe, is a participating pro-cessor. Those in Jay County may take their meat to Wright Brothers Buckstop, 9447W C.R. 700S in Redkey; Fisher Packing Co., 300 W. Walnut St. in Portland; or Adair Processing, 190 N. Union St. in Pennville. Wells County residents wishing to donate may take their meat to Lengerich Meats, 3095 W. Van Horn in Zanesville; or Gerber Locker, 2330 Railroad

St. in Craigville. Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry is accept-ing donations to fund the “Meat” the Need program throughout Indiana and is continu-ously looking for volun-teers to help us in our efforts to feed the hun-gry and reduce hun-ger issues throughout Indiana. For more information on the Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry program, its services and to find participating meat pro-cessors in your area, or to find out how you can help, visit www.Hoosi ersFeedingtheHungry.org.

Grant helps area hunters donate meat to hungry Hoosiers

Berne Shopping NewsPage 8A • Tuesday, December 12, 2017

The Steps Involved In Securing Wedding Venues, Licenses

Getting married is an exciting time in a couple’s life together. Wedding planning is the next logical step

after the engagement announcement, and while couples often get swept up in planning their dream

parties, it’s important to note that ultimately the ceremony is the star of the day.Before booking a wedding reception venue or getting one’s heart set

on a particular date, couples need to secure their cer-emony sites as well as apply for a marriage license. In some instances, ceremonies are held at the same site as the wedding reception, while some couples

choose to tie the knot in their church or synagogue. Each of these types of ceremonies will be governed by the schedule of the house of worship or civil site.

Finding A VenueOnce couples choose a wedding date, it is a good

idea for them to visit their ceremony site of choice to check the calendar. It helps to have some flexibili-

ty in the wedding date in case the first choice is unavailable. Although summer weddings used to be the most popular, today’s couples are tying the knot

more often in September and October than other times of year.

Even though a couple’s wedding is special andunique to them, ceremony locations handle hundreds

of weddings. Couples must recognize that competition for certain venues may be steep, so it helps to keep more than one venue in mind when

planning a wedding.

Getting A Marriage LicenseWhile laws may vary from state to state within the United States, getting a marriage license generally

involves filling out the application and paying a fee at the county clerk’s office. Both applicants are

typically required to bring identification, such as a driver’s license, passport or birth certificate. There may be a waiting period between submitting the

application and the license being issued. Couples can pick up the license or have it mailed to them. Canadian requirements vary by province. For

example, in Ontario, applicants need to be at least 16 years old to marry and must show two forms of government-supplied identification to apply. The

license is valid for 90 days from when it is issued.A marriage license is not the same thing as a mar-riage certificate. The marriage certificate typically becomes available after the ceremony has taken

place and the witnesses and officiant have signed off on the preceedings.

Getting married is a multistep process that begins with determining where the ceremony will take place and acquiring a marriage license. With these items in

check, couples can focus on creating memorable wedding days.

Hayloftthe

Receptions • Catering • Wedding Cakes

“where memories are made”

Jim & Jill Griebel Family (In the Pequignol family since 1975)

15112 Brunson Rd., Hoagland260-639-7205 • hayloft.info@gmail.com

Here’s Your... INVITATIONSTh ank Yous, Napkins, Gift s and MoreStop in and see our large selection.

Choose from over 10 sample books here orview them in the comfort of your home!!

210 S. 2nd Street, Decatur724-3722

Open M-F 8:30 - 5:30Sat 9:00 - 11:00

completeprintingservice.carlsoncraft.com

Give Back

The Wedding Planning GuideMonthly articles on: Wedding Countdown Checklist, Reception Halls, Catering Options, Wedding Attire, Flowers & Invitations, Honeymoon Destinations, Transportation Services, Writing Your Own Vows, Make & Hairstyling Ideas

Hayloftthe

Receptions • Catering • Wedding Cakes

“where memories are made”

Jim & Jill Griebel Family (In the Pequignol family since 1975)

15112 Brunson Rd., Hoagland260-639-7205 • hayloft.info@gmail.com

Here’s Your... INVITATIONSTh ank Yous, Napkins, Gift s and MoreStop in and see our large selection.

Choose from over 10 sample books here orview them in the comfort of your home!!

210 S. 2nd Street, Decatur724-3722

Open M-F 8:30 - 5:30Sat 9:00 - 11:00

completeprintingservice.carlsoncraft.com

Give Back

Drug Free Adams County was recently awarded a grant from the Adams County Community Foundation for its "Facing Addiction in Adams County" project. The Facing Addiction Project has published a book that identifies the effects of drug dependence on addicted individu-als, their family and friends through stories. Therapists and pre-vention specialists are incorporating the use of these books to educate and encourage people to make healthy deci-sions in avoiding drug use. Kelly Sickafoose, executive director of Drug Free Adams County, expressed her appreciation to the ACCF for this support which will encourage conversations to dis-cuss solutions for drug addiction in Adams County. Coni Mayer, executive director of the ACCF, said, "The foundation is

pleased to support this project that provides assistance for Adams County residents and their families members that are experiencing this affliction." For current college students wishing to apply for scholarships through the ACCF, the next due date will be 4 p.m. June 6, 2018. For graduating seniors, scholarship applica-tions are due by 4 p.m. Feb. 7, 2018. For non-profit organizations, applications for the next grant cycle are due by 4 p.m. Jan. 10, 2018. A p p l i c a t i o n s may be download-ed at www.Adams CountyFoundation.org. For more informa-tion on ACCF grants for nonprofit organizations serving Adams County residents, ACCF schol-arships available to local students or on how to create or con-tribute to an existing fund, call 724-3939 or email accf@Adams CountyFoundation.org.

Drug Free Adams County awarded grant for ‘Facing Addiction in Adams County’

Kelly Sickafoose, Drug Free Adams County executive director, is shown with Adams County Detective Lt. Leonard Coral Jr.

Photo provided

By ASHLEY BAILEYDecatur Daily Democrat

The United Way of Adams County, Salvation Army and Shoe Sensation are providing a list of “Angel” names on a Christmas Tree at Shoe Sensation. Those interested in sponsoring an Angel, pick a name off of the tree. Each of the Angels on the tree are names of children from Adams County whose

families are experiencing a financial hardship and may not have a Christmas otherwise. According to Jessica Thieme, Adams County United Way director, there are currently 45 names left on the tree of children in need of gifts. "Names may be picked up at the United Way office or at Shoe Sensation. Presents may be dropped off at the United Way office and do not have to be

wrapped," Thieme said in a phone inter-view Dec. 5. There are several ways to help with the Angel Tree children. Those interest-ed may chose one child or an entire fam-ily, depending on what he or she would like to do; if you would like to provide a monetary donation instead of buy-ing gifts, Thieme said someone would gladly purchase gifts for a child with donations; and presents do not have to

be wrapped for those who are not up to wrapping the presents they purchase. If you would like to financially cover an Angel or Angel tree family, call the United Way office at 728-2056.

SponSorS needed for annual ‘angel Tree’