BOOMER November 2015

BOOMER
www.boomermagonline.com
November 2015
SEASONS GREETINGS
From the staff of Boomer
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C OME JU DGE
for Yourself.
GOLFERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD COME TO CHALLENGE THE JUDGE and the two other golf courses in Prattville at RTJ Capitol Hill. Bring your clubs
and come take on Judge hole number 1, voted the favorite hole on the Trail. Complete your day in luxury at the Marriott and enjoy dining, firepits and
guest rooms overlooking the Senator golf course. With the Marriotts 20,000 square feet of meeting space, 96 guest rooms and luxurious Presidential
Cottage combined with three world-class golf courses, business and pleasure can definitely interact in Prattville.
THE ROBERT TRENT JONES GOLF TRAIL AT CAPITOL HILL is home of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic on the Senator Course
September 18 to 24, 2014. The Marriott Prattville is part of the Resort Collection on Alabamas Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Visit www.rtjgolf.com or call 800.949.4444 to learn more.
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EDITORS DESK
have begrudgingly come to accept the Hallothankmas season this time of

the year has become. We are still looking for the best pumpkin to carve for the
perfect jack-o-lantern and buying last minute treats, just as the ornaments and
tinsel begin filling the aisles. Ive decided to make the most of it this year, and not
dwell on the stress or havoc that the season can create.
You see, I believe that the Thanksgiving and
Christmas seasons are truly about the gifts. And, that
means not to dwell on any gifts under the tree that might
be bearing my own name. This season is about what we
can do for others. I wont pretend to have it all figured
out, but a few years ago it became clear to me how to
make this exceedingly long holiday season more joyful,
and at the same time less stressful. Because its the real
Gift and serving others that really matters. Once you
can find your niche in giving what you can to others
with service and sacrifice, the blessings in return mitigate
the stress from the hustle and bustle from all the leftover
turkey and ripped wrapping paper and bows in the middle of the living room floor.
Here are some of my favorite ways to give and serve others:
Volunteer at the local food pantry or soup kitchen. Go shopping for non-perishables
and take some along to help the kitchen restock its shelves. For years now my church has
been assigned overseeing the November food pantry giveaway in our community, where
we help distribute grocery items to those in need. Different organizations and churches
take turns every month. My first time volunteering was three years ago. When I arrived
at my designated time of 8 a.m. (one hour before distribution), I was overwhelmed. The
closest parking spot was a long way from the building; cars were everywhere. Despite
the cold, blustery morning air, hundreds of local men and women were waiting in line.
Dressed in hats and mittens, some had brought lawn chairs and blankets to keep warm
during the wait. I learned that many begin lining up by 5 a.m. because they want to be
the first served when the doors open. Humbling. Stopping at the grocery and grabbing a
few items for dinner now seems much more like a privilege than a chore.
My daughters love to pack their own boxes for Franklin Grahams Samaritans Purse
Operation Christmas Child. We go shopping to get the items for their shoeboxes, and
make a game of it to see who can pack the tightest to get the most in the boxes. The girls
tuck their own pictures, with a note inside the box as well, so they can make a friend
somewhere far away. Through Samaritans Purse, a non-denominational evangelical
Christian International Relief organization, children all over the world are able to
experience the love of Christmas as they receive the simple gifts tucked inside. Visit
samaritanpurse.org for more information or to volunteer locally.
Pour into a teenager. Maybe its your child or grandchild, or perhaps a niece or
nephew. This year at the family gathering, ask them about school and their friends.
Besides purchasing the mandatory gift, really find out whats going on in their lives. Let
them know how much you care. Sometimes teenagers just need to talk to a caring adult.
Numerous programs across our communities need new toys for giving to families
who cant afford Christmas. Every little boy and girl in our community should be able to
wake up Christmas morning with something special under the tree. The U.S. Marines
Toys for Tots always needs toys, and it, in turn, helps out the local Salvation Armys Angel
Tree program. Last year, more than 200 toys were still needed a week before distribution.
The need is real right here at home. To help, find an Angel Tree at local McDonalds,
Wal-Mart, Sun-Commercial, Knox Countys YMCA and area banks. There you will find
trees with tags listing ages and boys and girls in need. Feel free to call Lts. Curtis and
Laura Lunnam with questions at 812-882-6933. The Salvation Army reaches out to local
needy families all year long. Call the Lunnams to ask how you can help.
Lastly, I encourage you to find that young child in your own family who might need
a hug. Share with them what it means to be truly thankful on Thanksgiving Day, and
thats it not about all the turkey and dressing one can eat. Instill in them the real joy of
the Christmas season, and the true meaning of the gift-giving season. Because in the end,
its His ultimate gift to us that really matters.
BOOMER
PUBLISHER
Ron Smith
(812) 698-8788
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Melody Brunson
(812) 698-1626
DESIGN EDITOR
Natalie Reidford
(812) 568-8991
ADVERTISING SALES
Kim Schoelkopf
(812) 881-9286
Rick Zeller
(812) 254-0480, Ext. 111
Graphic Artist
Alice Schwartz
PHOTOGRAPHY
Matt Griffith, Joy Neighbors,
Kelly Overton, Bill Richardson,
Bernie Schmitt and Rama Sobhani
WRITERS
Brad Dillon, Todd Lancaster,
Angie Mayfield, Angie Moore,
Joy Neighbors, Lindsay Owens,
Dan Ravellette, Bernie Schmitt,
Rama Sobhani and Kaila Stevens
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Boomer is published seven
times a year, serving the Knox
County area. The subscription price
of $25 per year can be mailed to P.O.
Box 471, Washington, IN 47501.
4 November 2015 Boomer

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CONTENTS
November 2015 Vol. 8, Issue 2
4 Editors Desk
38 Day Tripper
By Melody Brunson
8 Wreaths Across America
By Joy Neighbors
40 The Wild Life
The season of gifts that matter
Bruceville community honors veterans
By Bernie Schmitt
12 The Sonic Boomer
My inner 12-year-old just died
By Todd Lancaster
Page 34
Holiday shopping at Gasthof Amish Village
Fox Ridge progress
By Rama Sobhani
42 Christmas Tunes Spread Holiday
Spirit
Billboards Top 10
Courtesy of MCC
44 Boomer Connoisseur
A holiday champagne celebration
By Joy Neighbors
46 Someone You Should Know
Kelly Britt, Vincennes Salvation Army
By Rama Sobhani
50 The Boomer 1040
The Savers Credit
Photo by Kelly Overton
13 Boomer Toys, Trappings and Trivia

Eight was too much for Mark Hamill
By Todd Lancaster
14 What Basketball Has Given to
Hugh Schaefer
Schaefer credits the game for opportunities
By Bill Richardson
18 Financial Wisdom
Tax-free opportunities
By Brad Dillon
20 Searching for Meaning
Troy Sweeneys personal search
By Bernie Schmitt
24 The Converted Cynic
Signs were not as young as we were
By Angie Mayfield
26 Calendar
First Friday Art Walk, Lee Greenwood
28 Delivering Christmas Cheer
How the Vincennes Christmas tree arrives
By Dan Ravellette
33 Yeah, Im a Boomer, But ...
By Angie Moore
52 Holiday Recipes
Favorites from our staff
54 Boomer Fitness
Why you should have a morning routine
By Kaila Stevens
Corrections and Clarifications: In the

September edition of Boomer Magazine,
one of the women featured in the A Trio
of Talent cover story was incorrectly
identified. The women included in the
September cover photograph are Debra
Fisher, Kendra Clauser and Jane Frazier. It is
Kendra Clauser, not Clausman. The author
apologizes for the error.
Also, in the September edition story
about the Knights of Columbus, it must
be clarified that the local Father Gibault
Council 712 in Vincennes has a few more
than 550 members, not 2 million.
BOOMER
September 2015
www.boomermagonline.com
IN THE SWIM
Bill Carrithers swimming
skills served our country
NIGHT
TRIPPER
In search of the Grey Lady
HELPING
HOSPICE
Softball tourney benefits

Good Samaritan Hospice
GLOBAL TASTE
International flavors offered at

Asian Market and World Cuisine
Magical Christmas Eve ride
By Bernie Schmitt
34 Service and Adventure
Paul Trejos 40-year military career
By Lindsay Owens
37 Gingerbread House Contest
Friends of Knox County Library sponsors
By Melody Brunson
A TRIO OF TALENT
Debra Fisher, Kendra Clauser and Jane Frazier create energy backstage

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WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA
Some of the members of the Bruceville Chapter of Wreaths Across America that will have a ceremony to honor deceased
veterans at the Bruceville Cemetery on Dec. 12. The Chapter is part of the larger, national organization that puts a Christmas wreath on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery. From left are Sheila Lanam, Rodney Blann, Trina Blann, David
Clark, Shelley Detty and Ron Detty (in red), Max and Cindy Crouse, Craig Johnston and Rebecca Johnston. Craig is holding daughter Priscilla, while son Titus sits in a stroller.
Photos by Bernie Schmitt
Bruceville community to honor

their fallen veterans
By Bernie Schmitt
ver since Bruceville truck driver

Don Crouse and his wife, Cindy, delivered a semi-trailer load
of wreaths and witnessed a moving
wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington
National Cemetery, theyve wanted to do
something like it in their community.
Thanks to their efforts, and volunteerism from several others, veterans
buried in the Bruceville Cemetery will
be honored on Saturday, Dec. 12. A
procession to the Bruceville Cemetery
will begin at 11:30 at the Washington
Township firehouse along Ind. 67.
The Bruceville Chapter of Wreaths
Across America, will have a wreath-laying
program to honor the fallen veterans of

Americas wars, including Major William Bruce, Brucevilles founder, who
was a veteran of the War of 1812. The
wreath-laying ceremony should begin
around noon at the cemetery.
We put the idea out on Facebook
that we wanted to honor local veterans,
Crouse said. During our first meeting
we had around 12 people, then we had
up to 40 and now its up to around 65.
Don Crouse gives a lot of credit for
enthusiastic support of this project to
Dave Clark, chief or the Washington
Township Fire Department in Bruceville.
Dave kind of planted the seed with
several people, Crouse said. Weve
heard from people all over the country,

former high school graduates and lots of
people from our community.
Perhaps the strongest sign of support
is the amount of money raised to pay for
the wreaths. Organizers say they have
found 152 veterans graves at the Bruceville Cemetery. That many wreaths, as
well as decorative wreaths honoring each
branch of military service, have already
been paid for by corporate and private
donations.
We needed $1,600 for Bruceville,
Crouse said. Right now we have that
plus $700 that will go toward next years
event.
Corporate sponsors include Henry
Bobes Trattoria Italiano of Sullivan and
Karin Schmidt of Hometown Hearing,
Inc. Money has been raised from yard
sales, bake sales, and other local events.
Crouse said he and organizers hope
the idea will spread to other commu-

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nities. An ideal community might be

Bloomfield, he said, as the city prominently displays photos of local military
personnel currently on active military
duty.
Were a local community that wants
to see more patriotism in our country,
Crouse said. This is a way to start.
Ron Detty is a member of the
Bruceville Chapter of Wreaths Across
America. He and his wife, Shelley, are
volunteering to make the December
event a success. He also is a Vietnam War
veteran.
I saw tidbits on the television news
about how they were getting ready for
Christmas at Arlington, Detty said. It
brought tears to my eyes.
Cindy Crouse said it was the Dettys
who took care of their dog Bella when
they picked up a semi-trailer full of
wreaths in northern Maine and hauled
them to Arlington National Cemetery,
just outside of Washington, D.C.
When Max brought up this idea to
do something locally, I wanted to be a
part of it, Detty said.
Ron Detty, a veteran of the Vietnam
War, next to a monument honoring
deceased soldiers at the Bruceville
Cemetery.
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Boomer November 2015 9

10/29/15 5:32 PM
The logo that adorns the back of t-shirts made for the Bruceville Chapter of
Wreaths Across America.
He hopes that the event will help
teach younger generations the value of
service and how important it is to honor
Americas veterans, especially those who
have died.
It will do a lot of good for our
young people, Detty said. Its the best
Were a local community

that wants to see more
patriotism in our country. This
is a way to start.
Don Crouse
history lesson they could get in their
lives.
Detty doesnt believe children are
learning history or the values of how
average Americans have sacrificed in the
name of freedom. Even today, he said,
the television news does not report daily
on military activity in Afghanistan or
Iraq, unlike the 1960s when images of

the Vietnam War filled Americas living
rooms each evening.
Being in war or in combat is kind
of like being in a football game, Detty
said. Unless you are actually there and
involved in it, you really dont know what
its like.
Shelley Detty said that when she and
Ron attended a national truck show with
the Crouses, that many of the participants who saw Rons Vietnam Veteran
hat walked up to him and shook his
hand, thanking him for his service.
It was so touching and warm, she
said. And long overdue.
Detty said that he walked away with
tears in his eyes.
Thats my motivation for this, he
said. I think our fallen soldiers are looking down on us, so it means something
that we do this. I hope it also means
something for our kids.
The volunteers often meet at the

10/29/15 5:32 PM
Washington Township Fire Department

located along Ind. 67 at Bruceville. Several
have varying assignments in planning for
the wreath-laying ceremony, everything
from contacting the Rolling Thunder
Motorcycle group from Evansville, to
involving the Boy Scouts. Sheila Lanam,
for instance, was responsible for ordering
shirts that sport the Wreath Across American logo and that mention the Bruceville
chapter. She reportedly makes wonderful
apple-caramel cupcakes, too.
I think this shows that people are
interested in this and that people do
care, Crouse said.
For more information about the Bruceville
Chapter of Wreaths Across America,
interested persons may call Max Crouse at
812-681-0040.
For information about the national
Wreaths Across America, see www.
wreathsacrossamerica.org.
Cindy and Max Crouse delivered
hundreds of wreaths from northern
Maine to Arlington National Cemetery at Arlington, Va., last December.
They have been instrumental in organizing the effort to honor the veterans who are buried at the Bruceville
Cemetery.

10/29/15 5:32 PM
THE SONIC BOOMER
My inner 12-year-old just died

By Todd Lancaster
o when it was all said

and done, Playboy
really was just about the
articles.
Apocalyptic
shockwaves
were sent
around the
universe
recently,
and it had
nothing to
do with the Cubs recent playoff success. It was because the
powers-that-be have decided
that the Playboy centerfolds are
about to get dressed?
The iconic magazine has
decided that Playboys most iconic
feature has run its course. Yes,
there will still be attractive women
in revealing outfits, but they will
not be (gasp) nude. So
for the first time in 60 years, one
truthfully can say, I just buy it
for articles.
I think what makes me
the most sad is that this battle
over nudity wasnt won by
external moral crusaders who
felt Playboy was (choose one or
more): immoral, demeaning,
in bad taste or propagating
arcane stereotypes. It was won
by Playboys internal marketing people who

simply felt it no longer fit the brand.
The demise of the centerfold was decided by people in expensive suits drinking
lattes around a conference table, not the real
audience, 11-year-old boys who had just
snuck into their fathers closet and hijacked
his stash (for the record, my friends and my
storage facility was a hollowed-out tree next
to the neighbors garage).
Truthfully, Playboy has alway seen itself
as a sophisticated gentlemans guide to the
good life (as long as the good life included
Cutty Sark scotch, well-tailored Arrow shirts,
Sansabelt slacks, the latest Triumph Spitfire
and the scent of English Leather cologne).
However, in some respects, the change came
because rarely did a sophisticated gent want
to engage in the condescending look of a
Clearasil-coated teenage clerk who had to
reach deep behind the counter to deliver his
gentlemans guide/smut to him.
In the last few years, there has probably
been very little difference between GQ, Esquire, Maxim and Playboy. Playboy was always
very conscious about how it was perceived
visually and truthfully, three minutes of
HBO would make the average Playboy photo
editor blush. The new CEO says that Playboy
is a billion-dollar brand worldwide and
essentially the brand was being held hostage
by the 800,000 circulation magazine and a
website that could not be viewed on many
computers.
In other words, its a money thing.
However, for anyone who experienced
teenage yearnings during the 50s, 60s and
70s, Playboy is an old friend looked upon
with a smile and a wink. Just like an old girlfriend, it may be have been a long time since
I have seen you, but it was nice to know you
were still around.
Dare I say there is not man alive who
didnt at some time didnt see himself in a
pair of silk pajamas, with a smoking jacket
and a pipe. Hef was like James Bond, only
he never had to kill anyone before he got the
girl. Hef was the coolest in a time when cool
mattered. He was Miles Davis when the rest
of the world was Pat Boone.
Hugh Hefner is 89 now and for the last
two decades has become a cartoon characterization of the image he created. The thought
of Hef being wheeled around by a centerfold in a naughty nurse outfit is straight up
creepy, but none-the-less, he is one of the
most influential people of the second-half
of the 20th Century. He and Playboy not
only documented the sexual revolution, they
helped usher it in.
I suppose the new Playboy will become
little more than white noise in the already
noisy environment of niche publishing. On
a cerebral level, it is a good business decision;
the world is just one click away from nudity
if that is all one wants. However, what always
set Playboy apart was the writing, cartoons,
interviews and satire and from what the
companys strategic plan sounds like, that will
still be there (and it will be available without the condescending looks from teenage
clerks).
As the centerfold says goodbye, we realize its not that we will no longer have access
to nudity, it is we no longer have access to
our youth.
Todd Lancaster is a columnist and sports writer.
He can be reached at wthlancaster@gmail.com

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Boomer Toys, Trappings and Trivia

By Todd Lancaster
Apparently, Eight was Too Much for a young Mark Hamill. The
young actor was originally in the pilot of Eight is Enough,
playing oldest son David (later played by Grant Goodeve).
However, the galaxy needed Hamill more that the Bradford
family and he left the show to take the role of a young Jedi
named Luke Skywalker in a B-movie by George Lucas called
Star something or other. I wonder why anyone would want to
turn down a steady paycheck to do a B-movie like that.
Speaking of chasing aliens around the galaxy,

did you know that the bottom plates on the
transporter used on Star Trek, the original
series, were later recycled into the top of the
transporter unit for Star Trek: The Next
Generation? Also, Capt. Kirk never uttered
the phrase Beam me up, Scotty. The reason
for transporter technology was producers
thought it would be too expensive to shoot the
Enterprise landing on planets, so they came up
with a set they could use over and over.
Leave a Legacy today...

For your children
For your grandchildren
For your community
For all of those you love.
Contact the Knox County Community
Foundation today to learn more about
how you can leave a legacy.
The Knox County Community Foundation.

For Good. Forever. For Knox County.
20 N. 3rd St., Suite 301 Vincennes www.knoxcountyfoundation.org Ph: 812-886-0093 Fax: 812-886-0133
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Indiana basketball
authority credits the
game for opportunities
By Bill Richardson
What
BASKETBALL
has given to
HUGH SCHAEFER
t the venerable age of 72, Hugh

Schaefer is certain of many things,
but none more than this: The
game he loves has given back more than hes
ever given.
Considered an authority on Indiana
high school basketball history and
specifically the history of the sport in Knox
County Schaefer is the go-to guy for
anyone looking to answer a question about
local hoops that cant be found via a Google
search.
Off the top of his head, Schaefer can
name the starting five and top reserves for
the 1923 Vincennes Alices, Indianas 13th
state champion.
He can talk endlessly about Freelandvilles 1941 sectional champions, even though
that happened two years before he was born.
All of those Knox County teams that long
ago ceased to exist teams like the Wheatland Jeeps, the Monroe City Blue Jeans, the
Fritchton Eagles, the Edwardsport Powers, the
Decker Chapel Panthers and the Sandborn
Blue Jays had proud hoops histories and
Schaefer knows all about it.
Every school had its day, even if it
was just one game, one night, said Schaefer, who 30 years ago was a co-founder the
Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association.
Some were fortunate to get to win a sectional. For some it was a big deal just to get
to the final game of the sectional.
He goes back to that 1923 state championship, won by the Alices.
That was big stuff, he said. The
town went nuts. It was unreal.
Hes an authority on the Wabash Valley
Tournament, which was contested annually from 1916 through 1972 and featured
teams from both Indiana and Illinois with
the finals being played in Terre Haute. At its
peak in 1947, 124 teams participated in the
two-week event.
Schaefer can spin spine-tingling truths
about some of the countys coaching legends
such as Johnny Baratto, who got his start at
Fritchton before moving on to East Chicago
Washington and leading the Senators to the
Hugh Schaefer is proud to be a

native of Freelandville and is always
willing to talk about the Fighting
Dutch.
Photo by Bill Richardson

p14-17HughSchaefer.indd 1
10/29/15 10:30 AM
1960 state championship; Matt Walker, who

spent nearly a quarter-century on the sidelines at Bruceville High School; and of Ralph
Holscher, Schaefers mentor, who spent 34
years as a head coach in Knox County, mostly at Vincennes Central Catholic-Rivet.
Schaefer has been a witness to a lot of
this history with his own eyes. Hes attended
every sectional for the past 62 years.
The former South Knox High School
head coach now spends a good portion
of his time e-mailing back and forth with
the army of basketball friends hes made
throughout the decades. He also enjoys the
company of his wife, Glenda, a retired educator, son Chad, daughter-in-law Lisa and
grandchildren Haleigh and Teighan.
Born May 25, 1943, Hugh Scott Schaefer
spent his youth in the northern Knox County
community of Freelandville, biding his time
until he could play for the fabled Flying Dutchmen of Freelandville High.
At some point, when he was still very
young, he became hooked on high school
basketball.
There were two things that captured
my attention, but Im not sure I can distinguish which happened first, he says.
One was a pre-sectional edition published by the Vincennes Sun-Commercial,
sometime in the late 1940s.
They had write-ups on all 12 or 13
teams (in the tournament), he said. I
The walls in Schaefers garage are filled with photographs and other sports
memorabilia. Hes pictured in front of a set of seats from the South Knox High
School gym.
Photo by Bill Richardson
wasnt old enough to read, but I knew those

were basketball teams. I was fascinated,
studying the pictures of those teams that
were playing in the sectional.
The other was when he was in first
grade and his father, Arthur, took him to his
first Freelandville High School game.

I dont know why we went, because he
wasnt a basketball fan, Schaefer said. But I
was fascinated by the crowd, the players and
the coaches. I was engulfed by it.
So began a journey that took
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10/29/15 10:30 AM
Schaefer was the head coach at South Knox from the 1977-78 season through
the 1980-81 season. To his right in this Spartans huddle is assistant coach Mike
Thompson.
Photo provided
Visitors and Tourism Bureau
Holiday
TIME
Kick off the Holiday season in

Vincennes! Attend the Downtown
Christmas Stroll and Parade of Lights,
take in a Christmas production at one
of the local theaters or visit William
Henry Harrisons mansion, Grouseland,
decorated for the holidays as it would
have been during his Governorship.
For more information, call the Visitors
& Tourism Bureau at 800.886.6443 or
visit www.visitvincennes.org.
Schaefer to Vincennes University and Oakland City College, to obtain an education

degree so that he could pursue his dream of
becoming a coach.
Im almost as nuts about American
history as I am about basketball, he said.
I had to become a teacher if I wanted to
coach, so I thought I might as well tie the
two together.
Its a journey that led to a high school
coaching career, countless life-long friendships, and accumulating a collection of box
scores and other clippings thats almost hard
to believe.
On the floor of Schaefers garage are
three four-door file cabinets that are filled
with basketball material newspaper
clippings, tournament programs, statistics
and the like. Name a team, or even a player
and theres a good chance Schaefer has a file.
Its almost as if Schaefer has created his own
little basketball library.
Ive been a pack rat of basketball, he
said. Those cabinets are all full. You couldnt
stuff anything more into any of them.
It begs the question: What does he plan
to do with all of that information?
One would think that a book may be
forthcoming, but Schaefer says that wont be
happening.
Ive had so many friends write (books),
and they kind of go nuts, he said. It becomes
such a job. You have to work on it endlessly.
Then, theyre lucky to break even.
Thats not the main factor, though.
I dont play golf, he said. I dont
bowl. I dont hunt or fish. I really dont have
any other hobby. If Id set out to write a
book, it would become a job. Right now its
a hobby and I dont want to ruin it by being
consumed.
So, he says, in due time the massive
collection will go to Keith Doades, a former
student and player, and long-time radio
voice of South Knox sports.
One might also think that, since hes a
traditionalist Schaefer would be an advocate
for single-class basketball. That couldnt be
further from the truth.
Starting in 1998 the Indiana High School
Athletic Association adopted a multi-class
post-season tournament. Its something Schaefer had pushed for a long time prior.
It didnt do any good, but I wrote letters and made phone calls for years, he said.
Im all for it. People talk about nobody
going to games any more. Well, they still do.
I had a hard time finding a seat at the North
Knox sectional last year, when South Knox
played Linton.
Schaefer takes exception to the argument that a multi-class tournament is
watered down.
When you watch a 1A team win the
state, does it look like theyre not having a
good time? Are they saying I dont want
this trophy? It doesnt look that way to me.
Theyre ready to grab (the trophy) out of the
guys hand. All that matters is that theyve
won.
Schaefer got his start in coaching in the
mid 1960s, as an assistant to first Joe Todrank
and then Sam Alford at Monroe City. He
followed Alford to South Knox when the school
opened, and remained an assistant until the fall
of 1977, when at the age of 34 he became the
Spartans head coach. He kept that position
through the 1981 season.
He still has the game ball from his first
win a 55-38 triumph over Rivet and his

10/29/15 10:30 AM
mentor, Holscher in November 1977, in

a case in his den.
His only regret that the Spartans were never able to cut down the sectional nets at Adams
Coliseum. Three times his South Knox teams
battled Vincennes Lincoln in title games. Two
of the three games were close, but the Spartans
couldnt get past the Alices.
I would have liked to have won a
sectional for my players, he said. We came
close, but it didnt happen.
Since then, Schaefers helped a lot of
coaches in need with scouting reports and
things of that nature. But, he says, his only
coaching since then has been from the
bleachers.
He retired from education in 2004, and
in 2008 had a big health scare. He was in need
of a liver transplant and found himself on the
prayer lists of Indiana basketball fans from
Angola to Mount Vernon.
I wasnt supposed to live, said Schaefer. One day they gave me until night. Another time they gave me 48 hours, because
they couldnt find a liver.
Eventually a donor was found. Schaefer
survived and carried on, though hes now diabetic. He says the whole ordeal did change
him a little.
I go to church every Sunday now,
he said. And right after it happened I was
asked to come speak to groups about being
a transplant recipient. One thing I always
Schaefer is shown patrolling the sidelines during his years as the South Knox
High School head coach. Perhaps his only regret in basketball is that he was
never able to lead the Spartans to a sectional championship.
Photo provided
told people was that somebody had to die

for me to live, because youve only got one
liver. If somebody hadnt died, I wouldnt
have got their liver and I wouldnt have
lived.
While he doesnt plan on dying any
time soon, Schaefer, like any good basketball coach, is prepared. When he goes,
those who visit his grave will know he was a
basketball fan.
Next to God and my family, I suppose
basketball has been far and away the number
one thing in my life for 72 years, he said.
I bought a tombstone not long ago, and it

has a basketball on it. I guess that shows that
something was pretty important, if you have it
put on your tombstone.
People say Schaefers done a lot for the
game of basketball, and thats true.
But basketballs done a lot more for
me than Ive ever done for it, Schaefer says.
I probably wouldnt have gone to college, if
not for basketball. And because of basketball, I pretty much got to do everything I
wanted to do. Why would I want to change
any of that?

10/29/15 10:30 AM
FINANCIAL WISDOM
In pursuit of tax-free opportunities: Roth IRAs

By Brad Dillon
ots of Americans are

passionate about taxes.
Many would like to pay
fewer taxes, so they fervently
embrace tax-free opportunities.
You know
youre a
tax-free fan
if you:
Always
shop in the
duty-free
store when
you come
through customs.
Contribute to 529 plan
accounts for all your grandchildren.
Hold off on purchases until
your states sales tax holiday.
Have considered moving
(or moved) to a state such
as Alaska, Florida, Nevada,
South Dakota, Texas, Washington or Wyoming that has
no state income tax.
Help subsidize family members by gifting each year.
Invest in municipal bonds
for the tax-free income.
Really want to contribute to
a Roth IRA.
Roth IRAs are tax-advantaged accounts that can
hold many different types of
assets and investments. Unlike
Traditional IRAs, which offer
pre-tax contributions and
tax-deferred growth potential,
Roth IRAs have taxable contributions with tax-free growth
potential. Distributions are taxfree, too, as long as the investor
is age 59 or older and has
owned the IRA for at least five
years. As an added bonus, there
is no minimum distribution
requirement for Roth IRAs, so
the money has the potential to
grow and compound tax-free
for decades.
Earn too much to contribute to a

Roth?
If you expect to be in the same or a
higher income tax bracket during retirement, a Roth IRA may be a particularly
attractive option. However, not everyone can
make contributions to one. Roth IRAs have
income limitations. For the 2015 tax year:
Single individuals, heads of households, or married couples (filing separately) who earn $116,000 up to $131,000
can contribute a reduced amount to
a Roth IRA. If they earn more than
$131,000, they are not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA.
Married couples, filing jointly, or
qualifying widow(er) who earn $183,000
up to $193,000 can contribute a reduced
amount to a Roth IRA. If they earn more
than $193,000, they are not eligible to
contribute to a Roth IRA.
While income determines whether
a person can contribute to a Roth IRA,
it has no bearing on Roth ownership. As
a result, anyone of any income level can
have a Roth IRA. And, because of that,
there are ways for high-income earners to
reap the benefits of Roth IRAs without
making contributions directly.
Rollovers to Roth IRAs

In 2010, the income limits that prevented high earners from rolling assets out
of Traditional IRAs and into Roth IRAs
were removed. As a result, Americans can
make contributions to Traditional IRAs
and then rollover those assets into Roth
IRAs. When this happens, the taxpayer will
owe taxes on the amount of the rollover.
For 2015, taxpayers can contribute up
to a maximum of $5,500 to IRAs. If you
are age 50 or older, you can contribute up
to $6,500 for the year.
Contribute to a Roth 401(k),

403(b), or 457(b) plan
Some companies and organizations
allow participants in 401(k), 403(b), or
457(b) plans to make contributions to
designated Roth accounts. The contributions are taxable, but any earnings grow
tax-free and distributions are tax-free as
long as certain requirements are met. A
key difference between designated Roth
accounts and Roth IRAs is required minimum distributions must be taken from
Roth plan accounts at age 70.
While it is permissible to divide
your annual plan contribution between

designated Roth 401(k) contributions and
traditional pre-tax 401(k) contributions,
the total contribution amount cannot
exceed $18,000 for 2015.If you are age
50 or older, you may be able to contribute
an additional $6,000 to an employers
plan this year.
Make after-tax contributions to a

401(k) plan
If you have the option to make
after-tax contributions to your retirement plan at work, you may want to take
advantage of the opportunity. After-tax
contributions are similar to non-deductible contributions to Traditional IRAs.
The plan participant pays taxes on the
contributions and any earnings grow
tax-deferred until they are taken from the
account. When a distribution is taken, the
amount is taxable as ordinary income.
The IRS recently ruled the after-tax
portion of a distribution can be rolled over
into a Roth IRA when a plan participant
leaves an employer or retires.
Forbes explained it like this:
There are new rules for taking
after-tax money out of your 401(k), and
they are taxpayer-friendly. Basically, if
you have after-tax money in your 401(k)
retirement account, you can roll it into a
Roth IRA where it will then grow tax-free
(as opposed to tax-deferred). You dont
have to pay pro rata taxes on the distribution, accounting for the percentage of the
pre-tax money in your 401(k).
Not all employer-sponsored plans include provisions making after-tax contributions possible. Check with your human
resources department to find out whether
your plan does.
If youre passionate about taxes and
would prefer to have tax-free income
during retirement, ask your financial advisor about Roth strategies and how they
may benefit you.
Brad Dillon is managing director of Carson
Wealth Vincennes. In his spare time, Brad
enjoys spending time with his wife, Shannon
and beautiful daughter, Harper. He is also
an avid golfer and sports enthusiast.
Investment advisory services offered through CWM, LLC, a
Registered Investment Advisor. Securities offered through LPL
Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. LPL Financial is under
separate ownership from any other named entity.
Source: www.finishrich.com
The above material was prepared by Peak Advisor Alliance.

p18FinWisdomNov15.indd 1
10/30/15 3:05 PM
p19RCSNov15.indd 1
10/30/15 3:19 PM
SEARCHING
FOR MEANING
Troy Sweeney: Actor, writer, producer looks
for meaning in the modern, impersonal world
By Bernie Schmitt
hen he was 18 years old,

Troy Sweeney left Vincennes in a 1968 Dodge
Coronet, bound for the movie-making
magic of Hollywood.
The young man had performed in
a number of local plays and musicals,
including the once-prominent Summer
Theatre program at Vincennes University. People told him that he was good,
that he had talent. But he wasnt so sure.
The missing part of that equation
was my commitment, he said. I was
dubious. I really had a deep ambivalence
toward acting. I loved it, but at the time
I thought it was absurd. I had to figure
out if that was what I really wanted to
do.
Thus his drive across the country
and his participation in film industry
workshops in Los Angeles. After a year,
however, he still didnt know if acting
was for him. So he came back home, to
Vincennes.
But this is only the beginning of

Sweeneys search for meaning in life,
and fulfillment for himself.
Sweeney, 55, now knows that acting
was indeed a good career choice, and
he has had plenty of opportunities to
exploit it. Yet such knowledge did not
present itself as a revelation until much
later, after more experiences in his life
provided context and understanding.
Acting really was my calling, he
said. But I didnt know it back then.
Returning home from Los Angeles,
Sweeney enrolled at Vincennes University. He got great stage experience in the
VU Theatre Program, was the emcee for
the Miss VU Pageant, and got involved
in a rock band called Windfall Prophet.
He finished two years without earning a
degree.
I knew then that I had to go to
New York, he said. But I was scared,
nearly terrified. I worked in the oil
fields for my uncle that summer and by
the fall I realized that I had to take the
plunge and go.
He arrived at Newark, N.J., at 2

a.m. amidst a heavy snow. He took a
bus to Penn Station in New York, eventually landing at the Carter Hotel. It
was far too expensive, so he ended up at
the YMCA. The big city was daunting.
I was there for 10 days, he said.
Then I flew home. I was so totally
lost.
Arriving in Indianapolis, he took
a bus to Vincennes, then walked to his
grandmothers house. Serendipitously,
she had a copy of the Christian Science
Monitor there, and within its classified
section Sweeney found someone in
Hoboken, N.J., needing a roommate.
Two weeks later he was back.
I got a job waiting tables on the
upper east side in Manhattan, he said.
At the same time I started making the
rounds, looking for agents and managers.
But few doors were open. But he
found one, and he eventually found an
agent to represent him.
Thats when everything changed,
he said. He got me into an intense
acting class an exclusive class where
people like Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler,
and Andie MacDowell were and the
guy who taught it changed my life. It
changed me emotionally.
His first job was an American Express commercial. A series of other jobs
followed, including work in industrial
films and day player work on soap
operas. But New York City in the 1980s
Troy Sweeney, seen here in an advertisement for Vincennes University, is a local actor, writer, producer, and part-time
logging crewman. This was taken from the VU website and is part of a television commercial advertising VUs advantages
as a quality institution of higher learning.
Photo courtesy of Vincinnes University

p20-23TroySweeney.indd 1
10/29/15 11:17 AM
was fraught with crime and coming to

terms with such a culture was unkind to
an Indiana native.
The city was tough for me, Sweeney said. It was a challenge. I was in a
constant state of agitation and worry.
I probably should have been working
more, but I was in such a state of culture shock. I felt like a foreigner.
Sweeney stuck it out for five years,
continuing to get work, honing his acting skills, but he had to come to terms
with his feeling that maybe acting wasnt
his forte. He just wasnt sure.
So I came home to figure it out,
he said.
Learning about the Amish

Sweeneys fascination with the
Amish people of Daviess County,
Indiana, didnt occur at once. It was a
gradual process that was mixed with his
personal angst about his abilities, his future, and his thoughts about American
culture and life itself. He had worked
for an Amish man during the summer
after graduating from Lincoln High
School, so he knew something about the
Amish lifestyle.
The other thing was that I grew up
knowing people who were born
Sweeney also acted in a commercial for Lucas Oil products a few years ago.
Photo courtesy of Troy Sweeney

10/29/15 11:17 AM
If he had his wish, Sweeney said

he would spend most of his time
outdoors, in the woods, enjoying
natures bounty.
Photo courtesy of Troy Sweeney
in the 1880s, he said. I witnessed this

in my own family. We went from an extended nucleus (in the family) to people
being scattered all over. There was this
industrial homogenization and I felt a
real loss.
The Amish, on the other hand,
have been able to sustain and maintain
an agrarian family nucleus, he said. He

was intrigued by this and learned more
by finding work with Amish men. But
the community was not welcoming. In
time, though, his dedication to working
with the Amish, and his desire to learn
more about them led to trust.
The more I saw, the more enchanted I became, he said. The way our
culture had gone did not seem sustainable. I saw that their lives and culture
were sustainable, not just surviving, but
thriving. I felt compelled to stay with
them.
After working with a logging crew
and gaining their trust, Sweeney essentially became a part of the Daviess
County Amish community, living with
and among them for nine years. Yet he
was still considered an outsider.
There is a lengthy moral and religious process 18 Articles of Faith
one must adhere and subscribe to before
one can be considered for true inclusion. It is a soul-searching process that
helped Sweeney sort out his own life.
He managed to get through about 10 of
the Articles before realizing that it was
not within him to adhere to them all.
I learned that Im not supposed
to be Amish, he said. But I do think
that they have principles we could apply
to our own daily experience, principles
that could help sustain us in the future.
During this time Sweeney taught
himself how to write screenplays. He
made occasional trips to New York and
Los Angeles, getting some acting jobs
and submitting his screenplays for in-
dustry scrutiny. Hes won some writing

contests and hes gotten high scores for
his work, but he has yet to have one
selected for the silver screen.
There are 50,000 screenplays
pitched every year, he said. Only two
get produced. This was another good
career choice for me.
Sweeney is compelled to write, he
said, because he has stories, characters,
and dialogue that tends to pour out of
me.
These are stories that convey what
I think are important in life, he said.
Im pretty good with the characters and
dialogue, but they sometimes lack in
structure. Thats what I have to work on.
Today, Sweeney continues to work
part-time for Amish logging crews,
though he has ideas and projects that
keep him busy. He followed the BarrReeve High School basketball teams last
season for a documentary, and while
hes no fan of reality television, he has
submitted proposals for reality programs
and has ideas for a few more.
Several years ago, after his stay with
the Amish, Sweeney found hearth and
home in Vincennes with his wife and
family. One can find him conducting business or writing some days at
Impressed Coffee in Vincennes. He still
questions modern culture and looks
with wonder at constant technological
change, but he seems to have found
meaning and understanding in his life.
I think theres something to be said
for serving something greater than self,
he said.

10/29/15 11:17 AM
SWEENEY HOPES TO TELL STORY

OF AMISH CULTURE THROUGH
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
The values of family and community
are important to the Amish and Mennonite culture in Daviess County, Indiana,
and those values are reflected in how they
conduct all aspects of their lives.
Troy Sweeney hopes to tell this story
by way of the Barr-Reeve Vikings boys
basketball team. Barr-Reeve, a Class A
school with only about 200 students, won
the Indiana High School Athletic Associations state championship last school year.
There is excellence there, Sweeney
said. Theres something there I feel might
be the theme of this story.
No date has been set for completion
of the documentary.
Troy Sweeney spent many nights
away from home last winter and
spring, filming the Barr-Reeve High
School boys basketball team for a
documentary about the values of a
small, Amish and Mennonite community in southern Indiana, told
through the story of basketball. The
Vikings went on to win the Class A
state basketball championship.
Photos by Kelly Overton

10/29/15 11:17 AM
THE CONVERTED CYNIC
SIGNS WERE NOT AS YOUNG AS WE ONCE WERE

By: Angie Mayfield
emember when our

parents and grandparents tripped over
seemingly invisible objects
and we laughed? They
couldnt find eyeglasses that
were on
their
heads or
sitting on
the coffee
table and
we rolled
our eyes.
They
fell asleep after supper and
complained of aching bodies,
the inability to drive at night,
and failing memories and we
thought that would never
happen to us unless we were
REALLY old. Well, Baby
Boomers, were there. Well, at
least I am though it took
many laps around the river of
denial to finally admit it.
The first subtle signs that
I aint as good as I once was
began when my arms became
too short to read the newspaper. Of course, according to
my kids, the fact that I still
read hard copies of news-
papers and magazines already shows

Im old but Im a creature of habit
and a bit of a hoarder of literature, I
suppose. I dont trust technology or
the government another sign. Plus,
newspapers also make great fire starters
and litter tray liners, and we old folks
are resourceful. I havent decided what
the government is good for yet.
I finally bought some $2 cheater
glasses and invested in more comfy
shoes. However, more gray hair and
wrinkles and less energy and social
outings were also tell-tale signs that
its probably too late to become a
marathon runner or a country music
star. I now make lists for everything,
that great, and I couldnt find it again

if I did are a few reasons, but really
I just dont want to be like them and
spend my days staring at my phone. Its
rude and looks ridiculous.
I really feel old when I show students my new John Lennon glasses
and they ask, Whos that? I guess
they are Harry Potter glasses now. I
forget they never grew up without the
Internet or experienced the people
and world I miss. Trying to discuss
music with my students is comparable
to an Area 51 conversation with aliens.
Id rather be tortured than be forced
to listen to rap, and they feel the same
about folk and classic country.
Why dont you just put everything in your

phone? my kids ask. Well, the screen is too little,
my thumbs are too big, my eyesight isnt that great,
and I couldnt find it again if I did.
so our refrigerator is usually covered
with Post-It notes. I call my students
kids and my children everything but
the right name. Why dont you just
put everything in your phone? they
ask. Well, the screen is too little, my
thumbs are too big, my eyesight isnt
At least my husband and I are

consistent in our growing old together.
Neither of us can hear and constantly
claim were being ignored or yelling,
What?! I can imagine the awkward
arguments to come as we misunderstand
conversations and assume the worst.

p24-25ConvCynicSNov15.indd 1
10/29/15 9:09 AM
een
om
ost
the
These days, we turn the lights

off for economic reasons more than
romance. We do wake each other up in
the middle of the night, but its because
our bladders cant make it until morning. Foreplay has now transformed into
Doug rubbing my feet with lotion and
me rubbing his back with BioFreeze.
Most noises coming from our bed are
groans from aching bodies or whoopsie
gas releases from our aging, sensitive
digestive tracts. We are both losing hair
on top and growing it in unwanted
areas and our once-cute butts now look
more like saggy frog legs. Our blood
pressure has gone up and our metabolism rate down, so our shapes resemble
our favorite meal pork and potatoes.
I am still adventurous but less
likely to take risks these days. I dont
bounce as well as I used to and injuries
take longer to heal. I watch in admiration at those who try Insanity workouts, Zumba, or rock climbing, but
instead of thinking, Cool! That looks
fun! I think, Oh my goodness, can

you imagine the abdominal strength
that would require? Even if I could do
that, I know Id be so sore I couldnt
get out of bed the next day.
The positives of growing older are
that I no longer care what people think
of me and that theres really not much
left to learn the hard way. Comfort is
more important to me than fashion,
and if my socks match and I can find
my car keys its a good day. I may
be old-fashioned and out of style, but I
still wish todays society had more common sense and work ethic and fewer
victims and drama queens. Most of all,
however, I wish todays music was less
hip hop and a lot more cowbell.
Angie J. Mayfield is an associate
professor of English at Vincennes
University Jasper campus and the
author of Love, Loss, & Lunacy in a
Small Town. She can be contacted at
profmayfield@yahoo.com

p24-25ConvCynicSNov15.indd 2
10/29/15 9:09 AM
THRU NOV. 24
Tuesdays 7 p.m., Evening Stars Childrens
Program - Knox County Public Library,
Vincennes. School-age children and their
caregivers are invited to join in the fun! For
more information, contact the Library at 812886-4380.
N
OVEMBER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
THRU NOV. 25
Morning Stars Childrens Program
- Knox County Public Library,
Vincennes. Wednesdays 10 a.m.
Preschoolers and caregivers are
invited to a 30-45 minute program
of interactive play and stories.
NOV. 6
First Friday Art Walk , 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Downtown Vincennes.
The three downtown art galleries will be open. Art Space
Vincennes will display a religiously-themed show, Word as
Image, work by Sandra Bowden. The Northwest Territory Art
Guild will have members Christmas Shop and fall-themed
work. The Open Gallery will reprise their current show, All You
Can Eat, Sculpture by Emily Loehle.
NOV. 7 AND 8
17th Annual Muster on the Wabash, Fort Knox II, 3090 N. Old Ft. Knox
Road, Vincennes. Commemoration of William Henry Harrisons mustering
of troops to the Prophetstown campaign and Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.
Interactive events, demonstrations, skits, merchandise and food. Saturday,
9 a.m. 5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Cost is $5/vehicle. For more
information, contact the Vincennes State Historic Sites at vincennesshs@
indianamuseum.org or 812-882-7422 or 1-800-886-6443.
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
NOV. 7
St. Johns Lutheran Church Craft Show,
Vincennes, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Handcrafted
items from more than 40 booths. Soup
and sandwiches available. Admission is
50 cents. For more information, call Beth
Maxwell at 812-882-4662.
NOV. 8
Red Letter Vocal Group,
Red Skelton Performing
Arts Center, VU Campus.
Call Box Office 812888-4039 for ticket
information.
NOV. 9
MTV Show Live, Red
Skelton Performing
Arts Center, VU
Campus. No ticket
required. Free to
public.
NOV. 14
Miss Vincennes Scholarship Pageant,
8 p.m. Red Skelton Performing Arts
Center, VU Campus.Tickets $10
adults; non-VU students/seniors
$5 and VU faculty/staff, $5. VU
students free with ID.

15 16 17 18 19 20 21
NOV. 17
VU Debates, Red Skelton
Performing Arts Center, VU
Campus. No ticket required.
Free and open to public.
NOV. 17
Zoltan, Red Skelton
Performing Arts Center,
VU Campus, 8 p.m.
No ticket required. Free
and open to public.
NOV. 20
Under the Streetlamp,
Alumni Community
Series. Call the Alumni
Office for ticket
information
812-888-4354.
NOV. 22
IBA Honor Band, 4
p.m., Red Skelton
Performing Arts Center,
VU Campus. No ticket
required. Free and open
to public.
NOV. 18
Ball State University Singers, Red Skelton
Performing Arts Center, V.U. Campus, 7 p.m.
Individual tickets range from $15-$25. For more
information, contact the Red Skelton Museum
at 812-888-4184, email apratt@vinu.edu or visit
http://www.RedSkeltonMuseum.org.
NOV. 19
Guitars in the Night,
Red Skelton Performing
Arts Center, VU
Campus, 7:30 p.m. No
ticket required. Free
and open to public.

22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
NOV. 27-DEC. 26
Knox County Community Light Display and Visits
with Santa - Ouabache Trails Park, Vincennes.
Welcomes the holiday season with thousands of
sparkling lights and displays. Santa will be visiting on
Dec. 18 and 19. Donations are accepted. For more
information, call 812-882-4316.
NOV. 28
Craft Vendor Show
and Bake Sale, Eagles
Lodge, 1325 Willow St.,
Vincennes, 10 a.m. 4
p.m. Free admission.
D
E C E M1 2 3 4 5
BER

DEC. 4
Christmas at Grouseland, William Henry Harrisons Mansion,
Vincennes. Living history event, period re-enactors, refreshments,
decorations, music, carriage rides and more. This year, 1804 will be
depicted. No admission charged, donations gratefully accepted. For
more information, call Grouseland at 812-882-2096.
DEC. 4-DEC. 5
Parade of Lights, Christmas Stroll, Giant Christmas Tree Lighting and Helping His Hands Gift Exchange,
Downtown Vincennes. Parade of Lights Friday at 6 p.m., with Santa. Carriage rides and Christmas Stroll
will follow with merchants offering holiday shopping hours. The Stroll and carriage rides continue Saturday,
along with the Tree Lighting. New this year, Helping His Hands Ministries will have a toy gift exchange. The
community is asked to bring new toys for children in need to the tree lighting and place them beneath the
branches. Anyone interested in contributing toward expenses should call Aaron Bauer at 812-882-6000.
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
DEC. 5
Photos with Santa, Indiana Military
Museum, Vincennes, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Bring your little believer to the Indiana
Military Museum for a photo with Santa.
A 4 x 6 photo will be yours with a
minimal donation to the museum.
DEC. 9
VU Music Department Gala,
7:30 p.m., Red Skelton
Performing Arts Center, VU
Campus. No ticket required.
Free and open to public.
DEC. 13
Lee Greenwood
Christmas Show, Alumni
Community Series, 3 p.m.
Call the Alumni Office
for ticket information at
812-888-4354.
DEC. 17
Downton Abbey showing, 7 p.m.,
Red Skelton Performing Arts Center, VU
Campus. No ticket required. Free and
open to public.

13 14 15 16 17 18 19
DEC. 19
The Nutcracker, by the Evansville Ballet, Red Skelton Performing
Arts Center, V.U. Campus. This holiday classic will be performed
by the Evansville Ballet with a performance at 2p.m. and again at 7
p.m. Tickets range from $15 - $25. For more information, contact
the Red Skelton Museum at 812-888-4184, email apratt@vinu.edu
or visit http://www.RedSkeltonMuseum.org.

20 21 22 23 24 25 26
DEC. 31
Eighth Annual Watermelon Drop, Patrick Henry Square, Vincennes, 6 p.m. 1 a.m. Ring in the New Year. Dance in the streets with Hot Rod Lincoln. Chef Poon will
demonstrate his fantastic watermelon carved creations and children are invited to watch movies in a heated movie tent. A lighted air show will awe spectators and at the
stroke of midnight the 18-foot, 500-pound watermelon will rise in the sky and drop 16 watermelons to mark the year 2016, while fireworks simultaneously mark the event.
Food and novelty vendors will be on site. As the first Indiana Bicentennial sanctioned event, there will be a ceremonial firing of a replica of the Official Rifle of the State of
Indiana created by Sheriff John Small. For more information, contact the Vincennes/Knox County Visitors & Tourism Bureau at info@visitvincennes.org or 1-800-886-6443
27 28 29 30 31

p26CalendarNov15.indd 1
10/25/15 4:27 PM
p27VCBDNov15.indd 1
10/29/15 7:24 AM
Delivering
CHRISTMAS CHEER
Santa Claus and friends escort the giant Christmas tree down Main Street in Vincennes last year. This years Lighted
Christmas Parade is Dec. 4 at 6 p.m.

By Dan Ravellette
t began last year with an idea that

brought back fond memories of a
childhood Christmas tradition for
Doug Halter. Plans and preparations are
under way for it to again bring joy, cheer
and happiness to everyone who has a
chance to witness it this year.
A giant, live Christmas tree is expected to stand stately in the green space of
the Old Gimbel Corner at Second and
Main streets in downtown Vincennes.
Halter credits the family tradition of his
mother sharing the story of the Littlest
Christmas Tree as the driving force
behind his desire to give this special gift
to the residents of this area.
A Red Skelton recording
The concept of a community Christmas tree came from one of the many
Christmas albums Halters mother had
collected. This particular piece of vinyl
Photos provided
contained the voice of Vincennes native

son, Red Skelton speaking the part of the
tree. While Santa Claus is making his deliveries that Christmas Eve, he decides to
rest for a while and sits down next to the
Littlest Christmas tree. Halter recalls that
the sad little tree confides in Santa that I
know Im going to die because Ive been
cut down, but he didnt understand why
he was chosen to make this sacrifice.
The whole purpose of a

Christmas tree the story of it
is to use one within our own
community.
Doug Halter
This recording was written and
produced in the 1960s during the Cold
War era in which the Iron Curtain was
still a major factor affecting world peace.
After explaining to the Little Tree that his
sleigh and reindeer were not able get past
that wall, Halter smiled as he remembered Santa comforting the Little Tree by
saying that the Little Tree represented
the free world.
He added that the tree is a symbol of
the freedom Santa has to deliver gifts to
children in this country. Halter proudly
concluded that his reason for the special
attachment to this story and his desire
to display the giant Christmas tree again
this year is: I just thought it was a great
connection Red Skelton and then
putting up a large, live Christmas tree
showing some of our patriotism for our
freedoms here.
With the greatly appreciated volunteer help of his family, friends, the
Vincennes Central Business District, the
City of Vincennes and many others, Halters brainchild and vision is set to come
to life again this year.
The VCBD, of which Halter Tree
Service is a member, has planned a
Lighted Christmas Parade to usher in

p28-31ChristmasTree.indd 1
10/29/15 11:11 AM
the Yuletide season starting at 6 p.m. on

Friday, Dec. 4. The parade route down
Indianas First Main Street from First
to 10th is anticipated to be flanked by
thousands of spectators on that early December night. Glittering Christmas lights
from Main Street merchants will bathe
the throng of onlookers who fill the
sidewalks on both sides of the street. A
wide variety of Christmas parade entries
are expected to provide excitement and
beauty for everyone.
Jolly Old Elf escort
In years past, the Jolly Old Elf

himself has brought the childrens
excitement and anticipation to a culmination when he waved from a fire
truck, a horse-drawn carriage and other
types of vehicles. At the end of this years
parade, Santa Claus will greet young and
old alike from the wagon carrying the
giant Christmas tree. The joyful sound
of jingle bells will be created by the six
Belgian Draft horses pulling the 65-foottall white pine along the Main Street
parade route.
As Santa Claus escorts the giant
Christmas tree all the way to 10th and
Main streets, the tree will be carefully
delivered eight blocks back to the Old
Last years giant Christmas tree is being hoisted by a crane off two farm wagons
in preparation to be placed in the base at Second and Main streets in downtown Vincennes on the green space of the old Gimbel Corner.
Gimbel Corner lot. It will then be strategically poised and ready to be installed
into the base at 9 a.m. the next morning,
Saturday, Dec. 5. Halter and his large
volunteer crew will then make the necessary final adjustments; the tree will be
lifted into position by a huge crane, and

the placing of more than 3,000 muti-colored lights will begin.
It will take us basically all day,
Halter said.
Just like the Littlest Christ-
Merry Christmas from all of us to you!
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10/29/15 11:11 AM
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At top, supervising the placement of last years giant Christmas tree into the
base is Doug Halter on the far left and the Jolly Old Elf himself on the right.
The giant Christmas tree, above, after it has been completely installed and
decorated in the Old Gimbel Corner green space at Second and Main streets in
downtown Vincennes last year.
DAN SIEWERS
812-882-8935
www.hartbell.com
513 Main Street Vincennes, IN
mas Tree, it takes a special kind of tree

to be chosen for this type of program.
Halter explained his feelings on how the
tree is selected when he said: Were not
going up to Wisconsin and buying a tree.
The whole purpose of a Christmas tree
the story of it is to use one within
our own community.
He rhetorically asked: Will it be the
most perfect Christmas tree, like at the
Rockefeller Center? Halter answered:
Maybe not to them, but to usYes!
He added that its very important to

look at the back side of the tree to see if
its full. Whenever we drop it down, its
not going to have a great big hole in the
back of it.
What it takes to hold a tree
For the gigantic Christmas tree to

be safely placed in its holiday home
at the Old Gimbel Corner, a base was
constructed to make it stand straight,
tall and secure. The structure includes a

10/29/15 11:11 AM
30-inch-diameter anchoring pipe encased

in 12-square feet of concrete. Halter
revealed that its enough base to hold
about a 90-foot tree.
He added, The Vincennes City
Street Department used a backhoe to dig
the hole for the base last year.
Working with Wabash Utilities,
Halter said he and Mark Heinz came
up with the dimensions on how big that
hole needed to be.
Halter pointed out the fact that at
least 10 feet of the trunk will actually be
underground.
He noted that plans are also to
place between six and eight smaller lit
Christmas trees along the west side of the
Towerbridge Technologies building and
the south end of the Old National Bank
parking lot.
A special program is planned to
celebrate the giant Christmas tree lighting at 6 p.m. on Dec. 5. A dedication
ceremony, Christmas carolers, other
types of holiday music and maybe even
Santa Claus himself will take part of this
holiday extravaganza.
Halter noted that a little snow that
evening would be welcomed to help
enhance the mood.
Thanks to the hard work and
commitment of Halter and his army of
volunteers, the City of Vincennes will
again this year have a beautiful, giant
community Christmas tree until just
after the New Year holiday.
Thousands of community residents
throughout Knox County and the
surrounding area enjoyed the special
display of holiday cheer last year and
DOWNTOWN VINCENNES EVENTS SCHEDULE
Dec. 4
Parade of Lights, 6 p.m.
Carriage rides and Christmas Stroll with merchants
offering holiday shopping hours
Dec. 5
Christmas Stroll and carriage rides continue
Giant Christmas Tree Lighting, 6 p.m.
Helping His Hands Ministries toy gift exchange: The community is asked to bring new toys for children in need to
the tree lighting and place them beneath the branches.
Anyone interested in contributing toward the expense
of the Giant Christmas Tree and this free event may call
Aaron Bauer at 812-882-6000.
everyone is encouraged to do the same

this year. Perhaps this could be the beginning a family Christmas custom for
parents and children to enjoy together
for years to come. Perhaps it could

become a tradition much like Halters
mother made possible for him with the
Littlest Christmas Tree.
Are you looking for a change?

See whats happening at
Good Samaritan Hospital.
www.gshvin.org
812-885-3373

10/29/15 11:11 AM
BOOMER
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
DQ Something Different
103 N 6th St. Vincennes
8128824925
p32NightLifeNov15.indd 1
10/28/15 12:22 PM
YEAH, IM A BOOMER, BUT...
D U TC H
CHRISTMAS EVE RIDE WAS MAGICAL

By Bernie Schmitt
n the early 1960s, when I was a little

boy, my dad would take my brothers
and me on a drive around town to see
holiday light displays on Christmas Eve.
He would load his young brood
into the back
seat of our 1962
Chevrolet Belair
station wagon,
where we would
sit on our knees
to see out the
window. Three
of us were in the
roomy back seat, while the youngest
(at the time) sat up front with mom.
None of us were strapped down and
we didnt have to watch the landscape
go by from a reverse angle.
Dad was a careful driver, and I
cannot recall ever being tossed around
in the back seat from a lack of safety
harnesses or kid safety seats. Now and
again my brother Tim, the second
oldest, or myself, would catapult into
a more spacious area in the very back
of the station wagon. But that would
always result in a sharp rebuke from
Dad and wed have to climb back over
to our seats and be good for awhile.
Those Christmas Eve sojourns,
though, were special. No doubt it was
my own sense of excitement. After all,
it was Christmas, and the twinkling
lights and what few colorful displays
we saw seemed to make that holiday
magic come to life at least in a
childs eyes. Mom and Dad were always in a good mood, and that allowed
us to get immersed in the anticipation
of Santa Claus and the genuine love
and good cheer that typified that
special time of year.
It is perhaps my fondest childhood memory.
There were times when we
would have an early supper at my
maternal grandmothers house. Before
she remarried in 1969, she had what
we thought was a curiously-odd, silver-aluminum

Christmas tree, tinted by a revolving plastic disc
which sported the primary colors. This was affixed
to a small spotlight. It was different, at least for us,
but my grandmother was unique in that way.
It was the ride, though, that was always
much-anticipated. The tour to see Christmas lights
always included a stop by the local grocery, and for
Dad, the package liquor store. This was the only
time of year our family enjoyed treats such as chive
dip and potato chips, soda pop (especially 7-Up
and Frostie root beer), store-bought cookies, taffy
and nuts.
Perhaps what made the ride exciting was that
we knew there was the possibility that Santa might
visit our house while we were gone. I have no idea
how my parents managed to instill such a myth, but
they did, and thus our Christmas Eves were always
memorable.
Had I been a bit smarter, I may have figured
out what my folks were up to. Every time wed get
into the car to go, Mom or Dad seemed to forget
something. It was either a carton of glass pop
bottles, Moms Christmas Eve shopping list, or
something else. It seemed like it took them forever
to return to the car.
Outdoor decorations in those days were not as
plentiful as today, but a lot of folks strung brightly-colored lights across their porches and around
their bushes. The lights were big, too, cheery and
warm. Merry Christmas signs, plastic Noel candles,
and peaceful manger scenes of the baby Jesus were
common. Now and then wed see a plastic Santa
and eight tiny reindeer.
I cant remember much of what was said during
these nighttime drives. Im sure my brothers and
me were scolded now and again, with an admonishment that Santa was watching us. I think we
were reminded of that most of December. Im sure
my parents tried to build a sense of speculation and
excitement for what Santa might have in store for us.
Our return home was filled with wonder. When
we were away our living room had been transformed
into a magical wonderland, filled with color, lights,
and presents under the tree. It was the bounty that was
Christmas for us in the early 60s, accompanied with
colorful paper, shiny ribbons, and decorative bows.
For a little kid, this was breathtaking.
I remember my parents smiling, my brothers
squealing, and a cacophony of enthusiastic noise
that matched our exhilaration. We patiently waited
for Mom and Dad to bring out trays filled with
goodies, those treats that we only had for celebrations like these.
My sisters and youngest brother were born
later, so they didnt have this experience. As time
passed and the 1960s morphed into the 1970s, our
family dynamic changed, thanks to Dads change
in jobs, and the magic that existed in those faraway
days seemed to fade.
If I close my eyes and listen, I can still hear
Connie Francis singing holiday tunes from Dads
mahogany-encased Hi-Fi.
A freelance writer and photographer, Bernie Schmitt also
is an assistant professor of English at Vincennes University.
He lives with his wife, Nancy, and family in Vincennes.
PA N T R Y
Handmade deli
sandwiches served
throughout the day
Selection of homemade
Potato Salad, Macaroni
Salad, Ham Salad, &
Chicken Salad
Chili &
Potato Soup
available
during cold
weather
months
Homemade
Baked
Goods!
As always
we carry...
Gluten-free
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Specialty baking ingredients
VINCENNES
1925 Hart St.

812-895-0903
ODON
13014 N. 1100E
812-636-7923
M-F 9-5 - SAT. 9-4

p33BernieColNov15.indd 1
10/28/15 12:26 PM
service and
adventure
Paul Trejos 40-year
military career affords
plenty of opportunity
By Lindsay Owens
sk Paul Trejo, Ret. Capt., USNR,

about his military career and he can
vividly recall everything from the
day he signed the recruitment papers until the
day he retired some four decades later. Now
residing in Vincennes with his wife, Kathleen, Trejo has a storied career that not only
spanned 40 years, but also afforded an array
of opportunities many could only imagine.
Living in Pacific Grove, California,
Trejo and a friend made the decision on a
whim to ride a motorcycle to San Francisco
and enlist in the military with hopes of
becoming aviation cadets.
I had turned 17 on Oct. 31, 1943, but
I wasnt going to graduate high school until
the next year, said Trejo, as he looked over
a stack of black and white photos spread on
Retired Capt., USNR Paul Trejo talks about his military career. Trejo served for
40 years in the U.S. Navy.
Photo by Kelly Overton
the table in front of him. We went to 707

Market Street in San Francisco to the recruiters office. My friend was sworn in right
away, but I had a little more trouble.
That trouble was due to some conflicting paperwork. My stepfather had never
officially adopted me, said Trejo. So I
had some documents that listed me as Paul

Berwick and some that said Paul Trejo.
Once the papers were all sorted, Trejo
was officially sworn in on Feb. 28, 1944,
just as World War II was winding down.
He graduated on D-Day, June 6, 1944, as a
member of the cadet corps, and was sent to

p34-36Trejo.indd 1
10/29/15 9:24 AM
the University of Redlands.

Our unit was all broke up after that and they sent buses out to
other places. I ended up at the University of Southern California, said
Trejo, who was commissioned midshipman there. Ill never understand how they divided us all. I wasnt the sharpest pencil in the box.
According to Trejo, the sharpest pencil may have been H.R.
Bob Haldeman, who became best known for being President Richard Nixons Chief of Staff during the Watergate Scandal.
Haldeman was brilliant, said Trejo, adding he never quite
understood why Haldeman didnt dispose of the infamous tapes. He
was by far, the most intelligent person I had met.
Trejo earned a bachelors degree in Naval Science from the
University of Southern California in 1947 and was sent to sea on the
USS McCook, then the USS Parks which took him to Singapore,
China, Japan and Philippines among other places.
After returning from those cruises, Trejo went to submarine
school where he and 120 others were put through various testing and
training.
Of those 120 who came in, we lost 10 on the physical alone, said
Trejo, adding the physical included psychiatric evaluations and extreme
eye exams. We also lost quite a few during the tank training too.
In the end, Trejo graduated sixth in the class and was sent out on
the USS Blenny to the Far East in 1952 as part of the patrol during
the Korean War. Originally a fleet boat, the Blenny had been converted to a Guppy (Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program) IA, a
program used to improve the skills of those working on submarines.
The USS Blenny arrived at the La Perouse Straights, near the
northern part of Japan near Sakhalin, Soviet Union, on June 2, 1952.
Reconnaissance or spy patrols happened in this area from about
March until the end of October. This was the time supplies were
being brought in to stock up for months when the ships couldnt
pass through due to ice, said Trejo, who said Sakhalin was a Japanese
island that was relinquished to the Soviet Union after WWII. We
would monitor all of the cargo ships coming in and out of the area
and we monitored the Russian war ships too.
Each ship passing through was photographed with a periscope,
but Trejo said the electronic counter measures were also closely
monitored.
So close in fact that the Russian destroyers detected the Blenny,
forcing the crew to prepare for the worst.
They had made runs over us and we were at battle stations tor-
Paul Trejos last official military portrait.
pedo for about four hours with the warshots in the tubes, said Trejo.
We were finally able find a cold layer we were able to hide under
and get away.
During the 44-day patrol, the Blenny stayed submerged the
entire time with the exception of an interruption for a medical emergency near the island of Hokkaido, Japan.
We would snorkel at night to charge the batteries and the air
tanks, but the rest of the time, we stayed submerged, said Trejo, who
said what may have been the most memorable moment of the cruise
was earning his Golden Dolphins.
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p34-36Trejo.indd 2
10/29/15 9:24 AM
Trejo (left) and his son Les pose for

a picture at Atsugi, Japan Naval Air
Force Base during Vietnam.
Photo provided
Dolphins and of the crew on the Blenny, two officers and 26 men qualified for
submarines and got those dolphins, said
Trejo, as he carefully picked up the gold pin.
Those dolphins had to be initiated in gin
in a tradition called wetting the dolphins.
After earning a degree from the U.S.
Naval Post Graduate School in electrical

engineering, Trejo was once again set out
to sea. But this time it was on the USS
Barbero, which was equipped with missiles
that could be controlled by radio. Trejo
was in charge of flying those missiles. After
his return, he decided to resign and attend
graduate school at San Jose State. Because of
his military experience, Trejo was asked to
teach physics, something he was teaching as
he was working on his own graduate studies.
I was teaching in the same department I
was getting my degree from, said Trejo. The
wanted me to get a doctorate, but it was time
for me to spend some time with my family.
Applying for a position at Foothills
College opened more doors for Trejo. They
needed a physics teacher and someone to
run the planetarium, he said. They asked
if I knew anything about running a planetarium. I told them if it was anything like a
ship, it wouldnt be a problem.
Trejo spent six years at Foothills and
turned the planetarium into such a success,
he was asked to assist with another planetarium at De Anza College. It was there he
met Kathleen.
I taught astronomy, physics and engineering for 28 years at De Anza and Foothills
combined, said Trejo, who was still very
active in the Navy Reserve. I made more
money in three months in the Navy than I
did teaching but it came with some perks.

One of those perks was being able to
swear his son Les, into the Navy and being
a planetarium consultant working all over
the country. Trejo was also active in the
installation of the planetarium at the U.S.
Air Force Academy.
He also served in the aviation group,
due to his experience with missiles during
the Vietnam War. It was during his time in
Vietnam, Trejo had an opportunity to meet
up with Les, who was serving as a communication yeoman at the time.
Les was on the Kitty Hawk and I
knew that, said Trejo, who at the time was
a Commander. He was a yeoman and they
had special clearance. I went to the gate
wanting to see him, but I didnt have the
clearance to get in.
A phone call later, Trejo and his son
were able to get 10 days leave to spend
together.
Oh, we really got the royal treatment,
said Trejo, as he held a photo of the two
men together at Naval Air Station Atsugi,
Japan. They wanted the propaganda to
help bring in more recruits. They put our
picture out on everything.
Trejo retired from the military in 1984,
but he still says it was the job he had.
Oh, I had some really good times I
otherwise wouldnt have had, he said.

p34-36Trejo.indd 3
10/29/15 9:24 AM
Second annual Friends

of Knox County Library
gingerbread house
contest Dec. 7
By Melody Brunson
riends of the Knox County Library enjoyed such great success

with last years gingerbread house contest after Mary Theobalds
idea took off, that they are doing it again this year. Gingerbread
houses need to be turned into the library on Dec. 5-6, for judging on
Dec. 7.
Cash prizes will be awarded in four categories: infant to age 6,
7-12, 12-18 and adult.
Entry forms are available at the library. Parents of minor children
must sign a release form.
Fabulous, is how organizer Georgiann Leonard described
the feedback from the 2014 contest. Leonard, who helps Theobald
co-chair the event, said there will be a workshop on Nov. 16 at 6:30
p.m. the Fort Nightly Building to help anyone who wants to learn
gingerbread house techniques.
About 60 houses were turned in for judging last year, but some
were more like castles, Leonard said. It doesnt have to be a house,
but everything must be edible, she said of the rules. She said a lady
who moved to Vincennes from New Mexico created an adobe house,
with a cactus made of green licorice, while there was also a log cabin
made out of pretzels, and a large lake house with a blue icing lake in
front, complete with swimming edible Goldfish.
Entrants must purchase their own ingredients for the contest,
but three sponsors Old National Bank, Rexs Body Shop and the
Convention and Visitors Bureau have helped buy 24 kits for
families who need them. Participants wanting a free kit must go to
the Knox County Library to sign-up.
For more information on the contest, contact the library at 812882-4380 or email publib@kcpl.lib.in.us.
Feeling festive and creative? Enter the Friends of Knox

County Library gingerbread house contest planned for Dec.
7. Structures must be turned in on Dec. 5-6. Entry forms are
available at the library.
Photo provided

p37Gingerbread houses.indd 1
10/28/15 3:32 PM
DAY TRIPPER
Holiday shopping at
Gasthof Amish Village
By Joy Neighbors
he holidays bring about

a frantic feeling that
we never have enough
time to get everything on that
To Do list
done. But
most of the
unending
items on
our lists are
self-imposed,
which, at
times, can make us nostalgic
for a simpler way of life.
One group that believes
and practices the simpler ways
is the Amish. In the conventional Amish community,
the men farm, do their own
woodworking, wagon repairs
and blacksmithing,while the
women keep house doing the
cooking, washing, quilting and
childrearing. Family is everything to the Amish and their
traditional ways of doing things
are passed down from one
generation to the next. In our
region, Montgomery in Daviess County, Indiana, is home
to more than 10,000 members
of conservative faith, mostly
Old Order Amish, but several thousand

Mennonites as well.
In 1988, Dr. Richard Graber, a Mennonite whose ancestors were Old Order
Amish, opened Gasthof Amish Village,
located north of Montgomery. Graber felt
this was one way to preserve the Amish
way of life while sharing their history
and traditions with the community. A
restaurant was built on the site and word
quickly spread about the mouth-watering
meals and handcrafted items available for

sale in the village.
Although Dr. Graber died in 1998,
his dream did not. Southern Indiana
developer Jerry Fuhs purchased Gasthof Amish Village in 2000 and had a
barn-raising for a new restaurant building.
Today the village is comprised of 92
acres including the restaurant, an 82-room
inn, craft and antique stores, flea market,
and 25-acre Indian Rock Lake. Events
are held throughout the year including a
summer festival that takes place each June;
a fall festival and quilt auction held each
September, and the Holiday Craft Bazaar,
which features more than 40 vendors offering handmade gifts, holiday dcor, and
unique Amish crafts.
This event will be held Nov. 6 and 7.
Antique and gift shops abound in the Gasthof Amish Village, offering items like
natural body products, bakery items, handmade baskets and quilts.
Photos by Joy Neighbors

p38-39DayTripperNov15.indd 1
10/28/15 3:32 PM
Gasthof Amish Village

6659 E. Gasthof Village Road
Montgomery, Indiana
Hours
Monday Thursday 11 a.m.8 p.m.
Friday Saturday 11 a.m.9 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m.3 p.m.
www.GasthofAmishVillage.com
(812) 486-4900
An inside flea market with more than 40

booths operates every Tuesday, Wednesday
and Saturday from April through October.
But these arent the only happenings
in the village. Now is the perfect time to
head out for some holiday shopping at
one of the antique, home dcor, or craft
stores located here. The village boasts
the Pig and Fiddle Emporium featuring
Amish quilts, natural body products and
home dcor. The Blue Door is comprised
of 5,500 square foot of antiques and collectibles housed in a two-story barn-like
building with, yes, a blue door. The Gasthof Gift Shop, located in the restaurant
building, showcases handmade Amish
quilts, baskets, rugs, blankets and a variety
of Amish foods.
Amish shops can also be found
throughout Daviess County, offering fresh
Amish baked goods, cheeses and candy,
handmade quilts, handcrafted gifts, woodworking items and rugged Amish furniture.
These quaint shops are scattered down
country roads, which also lead to several
Amish grocery stores located in the area.
Once your shopping list has dwindled, its time to recharge at the Gasthof
Amish Restaurant. Built from regionally
felled poplar trees, the wood was drilled
and pinned by Amish workmen, imbuing
the restaurant with down home country
charm. Enjoy authentic Amish meals prepared by local Amish women using recipes
handed down from generation to generation. The Amish buffet features numerous
dishes, a salad bar and dessert bar, all for
one price. Several rooms in the restaurant
are also available for group rentals.
One final stop before heading home
is The Bakery, located on the south side of
the restaurant. The aroma of fresh baked
bread (more than 300 loaves are made
each weekend!), delightful pies and cakes,
and mile-high meringue pies will tempt
you to have a bite now, and take some
home for later.
A visit to Gasthof Amish Village
will take you back to those simpler
time-honored traditions where home and
family still thrive, providing a thoughtful
reminder of what this time of year is all
about.
Quilt squares decorate a barn on the village grounds.

p38-39DayTripperNov15.indd 2
10/28/15 3:32 PM
THE WILD LIFE
Time flies, along with Fox Ridge progress

By Rama Sobhani
ts the cruelest joke of

all that the older we get,
the faster time seems to
move. And its not just our
perceptions, which are often
shaped by the fact that we
keep getting busier as we get
older, but there have been
scientific studies done that
show that human perception
of time does, in fact, shorten
with age.
Talk about a raw deal.
Thats why as we age, it
seems our time to satisfy an
inherent human impulse to
create some sort of legacy
before we exit this world gets
more and more crunched.
That compressing of time
must be why it seems like it was just a

blink of an eye ago that the idea to acquire the Fox Ridge golf course and turn
it into a park first came up at a parks
board meeting. It was actually more than
a year and a half ago and so much has
happened since then. This year was the
first that the Knox County Parks Department had officially owned the Fox Ridge
Nature Park and weve already made
strides in making it more suitable for
public access and use. Weve cleaned up
the vegetation along the walking paths
and around the ponds, put signs up letting people know what they should and
shouldnt be doing around the property
and taken care of fixing up the paths in
a few places where they were crumbling
badly.
Its already looking pretty good out
there like a park. Were getting great
feedback from people who are using the

new park for walking or bicycling, and
especially fishing, which is something
theres not nearly enough public space
for in Knox County, if you ask this
fisherman.
Community contributions
On top of what weve done, there
have been people and organizations from
the community who have stepped up to
contribute something to Fox Ridge.
Late this summer, a young man
named Charles Ellis made it his Eagle
Scout project to build and place four
benches at the park. Charles and I drove
around the park and chose the locations
for the benches and he built and installed
them in short order. Charles has gotten a
good start on a legacy, leaving a piece of
his work at Fox Ridge to be enjoyed for
In its first year of ownership, the Knox County Parks Department staff has cleaned up vegetation around ponds
and walking paths in Fox Ridge Nature Park. Signs have also been installed as needed.
Photo by Rama Sobhani

p40-43ParksUpdate.indd 1
10/29/15 7:40 PM
at least a few generations. And hes done

it at such a young age, too. If youre out
at the park and take a break on one of the
permanent wooden benches, please give a
nod of thanks to Charles for his work.
And just last month, the local Rotary
chapter undertook a project to celebrate its centennial and to improve Fox
Ridge by planting 100 trees around the
property. I met with Ryan Lough and
Steve LaRoche, both Rotarians, to place
markers around the park where the trees
would be planted. Several volunteers
then gave up a Saturday to come out and
plant the tulip-poplar and zelkova trees.
Now, thats good legacy. In a few short
years and for many years to come after
that, people will be enjoying the shade
provided by those trees while they walk,
bike or fish at Fox Ridge.
As a side note, LaRoche was the first
ever park superintendent here in Knox
County and hes still contributing to the
legacy of the parks.
Whats to come
Of course theres much work still to
be done at Fox Ridge.
There is a whole development plan
that includes building restrooms, shelter
houses and fishing docks and bringing
the walking paths into compliance with

standards established by the Americans
With Disabilities Act. Weve recently
been given the good news that the parks
department has been approved for a federal grant that will help pay for much of
that. Well be ready to complete much of
that next year, just in time for the bicentennial celebration of Indianas statehood.
Fox Ridge was a success that seemed
to take no time at all, but not all park
projects are that way. In fact, some seem
to take forever to get going, like the idea
of building a dog park.
Dog park finally complete

Now, it had been talked about for a
long time, plans were put together, collaborations were started, bids gathered,
but it seemed like every time we were
ready to get started, something happened
and the dog park idea got stalled.
Well, we finally got it done this
year, to the rejoicing of dog owners and
our partners on the project, the Vincennes Parks and Recreation Department and the Vincennes Animal Shelter.
The new dog park is at Hillcrest Park.
We fenced in two separate areas for dog
owners to use; one for small dogs, one
for larger ones.
Were glad we were able to get it

done this year. Its one fewer thing on
what seems to be an ever-expanding
to-do list we have. And on top of the list
always getting longer, our time is increasingly getting shorter and shorter. None
of us park employees can believe its
already time for the Community Christmas Light Display! Where did our year,
nay, our lives go?
If a person doesnt feel like hes got
at least a pinkie toe in the grave after the
age of 30, hes probably not connected to
his own mortality at all. Thats a dangerous condition because that leads to
squandered time and opportunity lost for
making a legacy. I think we and all of our
partners on the Fox Ridge and dog park
projects have taken a big step in the right
direction of leaving a meaningful legacy
for the people of Knox County.
Rama Sobhani has been the superintendent
of the Knox County Parks and Recreation
department since 2012. He is originally
from the West Coast, but became a Hoosier
when he completed his masters degree at
the Indiana University Ernie Pyle School of
Journalism in 2008.

10/29/15 7:40 PM
Christmas
tunes
spread
holiday
spirit
Courtesy of MCC
ome stores start stocking Christmas decorations and wrapping paper as early as the end of October,
and some families begin decking their
halls in holiday finery in late November.
But for many people, the holiday season
has not truly begun until the music
synonymous with this festive time of year
has hit the airwaves.
Few things can make a person feel
as festive as the holiday songs they know
and love. Many families have a favorite
musical artist whose music they consider synonymous with their holiday
celebrations. While families have their
own unique holiday traditions, over
time certain holiday songs have emerged
as favorites. These are the tunes youre
likely to hear played over and over on the

radio. Billboard, which tracks the music
industrys most popular songs, compiled
its own list of the most popular Christmas songs. The list measures the volume
of people who have been exposed to the
song on the radio, and is based on ranking rather than exact figures of listeners,
and the following are the 10 most popular songs based on those parameters.
10. Happy Xmas (War is Over), by
John Lennon: This song debuted in
1971 and was written by Lennon
and his wife, Yoko Ono. Performed
with the Harlem Community Choir,
the song was originally a protest
song about the Vietnam War before
it eventually became a Christmas
standard.

10/29/15 7:40 PM
9. Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24),

by Trans-Siberian Orchestra: According to Nielsen, this instrumental
mash-up of God Rest Ye Merry
Gentlemen and Carol of the Bells
is one of the best-selling Christmas
digital singles in SoundScan history. A combination of full, classical
orchestra and rock, Christmas Eve
is a memorable and powerful piece
of music.
8. White Christmas, by Bing Crosby: Crosby crooned this tune in
1942 in the movie of the same name,
and Irving Berlins song soon became
one of the most popular holiday
tunes of all time. It has been covered
innumerable times and has become a
holiday season standard.
7. Its the Most Wonderful Time of
the Year, by Andy Williams: This
popular Christmas song was written
by Edward Pola and George Wyle in
1963. The song celebrates the traditions and feelings of the Christmas
season.
6. Feliz Navidad, by Jose Feliciano:
This Spanish-English pop song is
recognized by the American Society
of Composers, Authors and Publish-
ers as one of the 25 most-played and

recorded Christmas songs around the
world. Puerto-Rican born Feliciano
has said that the song has always
been a bridge to the cultures that are
so dear to him.
5. A Holly Jolly Christmas, by Burl
Ives: This song was written by Johnny Marks, an American songwriter.
Ironically, Marks was Jewish, but he
specialized in Christmas songs and
wrote many of the holiday standards
people love, including this upbeat
tune and Rockin Around the
Christmas Tree.
4. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts
Roasting on an Open Fire), by Nat
King Cole: Believe it or not, this
song was actually written in the summer when composers Bob Wells and
Mel Torme were trying to cool off
with winter imagery. Snow-covered
images and phrases eventually turned

into lyrics for this popular song that
was most memorably recorded by
Nat King Cole.
3. Jingle Bell Rock, by Bobby Helms:
This song has been performed by
many, but Helms version of the is
perhaps the best known. The song
highlights the crossover style known
as rockabilly and merges the classic
Jingle Bells with rock n roll references of the 1950s.
2. Rockin Around the Christmas
Tree, by Brenda Lee: Brenda Lee
was a chart-topping female vocalist
of the 1960s who owes much of
her success to this beloved holiday
classic. Despite the mature sound of
her voice, Lee recorded this version
when she was only 13 years old.
1. All I Want for Christmas is You,
by Mariah Carey: This up-tempo
love song has become a Christmas
classic and one of Careys most
popular hits. She cowrote and
coproduced the song with Walter Afansieff. It is one of the few, modern,
original Christmas songs to stand the
test of time and become an official
Christmas standard.

10/30/15 3:15 PM
BOOMER CONNOISSEUR
Throw a Holiday Champagne Celebration

By Joy Neighbors
he holidays are here

and with them come
ample opportunities
for group get-togethers and
family celebrations. And if
you want to make the event
even more
special,
pop open
a bottle
of champagne.
Unfortunately, most people avoid
adding a sparkling wine to the
festivities simply because they
dont know the basic dos and
donts for serving these bubbly
beverages.
Those myriad bubbles
make champagne the perfect
celebratory wine for everything
from the launching of a ship,
to the joining of two lives in
marriage; we pop the cork
to celebrate those life events
that are closest to our hearts.
Champagne not only imparts
a feeling of joyfulness and
wonder to an occasion, its also
a symbol of our whole-hearted
approval and admiration for
what were celebrating.
Kick your holidays off
with a bubbly start by locating
that guest list and dusting off your wine

glasses; the basics to a sparkling seasonal
soiree are listed here.
Ros: A blush wine crafted by blending a red wine with a white

sparkling wine for a festive pink color.
Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine:
Bucket Brigade
First, know what youre serving. All

champagne is sparkling wine, but not all
sparkling wine can be called champagne.
Champagne is produced only in the
Champagne region of France and legally
this is the only sparkling wine that can
bear the name Champagne.
Champagne and sparkling wine

should be served between 39 and 48
degrees Fahrenheit. Ice buckets are a
matter of personal preference, but if you
have several bottles of champagne, youll
need insulated containers filled with ice
to keep them chilled. You can use coolers,
galvanized planters, anything filled half
full of ice and half full of cold water. Leave
the bottles unopened until youre ready to
pour.
The Other Terms

Knowing what these descriptive terms
mean will help you select a bottle youll
like. Champagne is described in French
terms; sparkling wines are described in
general wine terms.

Champagne Terms:
Brut: extremely dry (less than 1.5
percent residual sugar [RS])
Extra sec or extra dry: dry (1.2-2.0
percent RS)
Sec: slightly sweet (1.7-3.5 percent RS)
Demi-sec: sweet (3.3-5.0 percent RS)
Doux: very sweet (more than 5.0
percent RS)
Sparkling Wine Terms:

D
ry: Very crisp without sweetness
(less than .05% RS)
Off-Dry: A hint of sweetness (0.5
1.49% RS)
Semi-Sweet: Sweet (1.5 to 4.9% RS)
Sweet: Very sweet (5.0% or higher RS)
Popping the Cork

Sometimes you want that big pop
to announce that the champagne has been
opened, but you can easily open a bottle
without all the pomp and circumstance.
Take a chilled bottle, dry it off and remove
the foil from around the neck by twisting
the wire loop located on the cork cage
and remove it from the bottle. Wrap the
towel around the neck of the bottle and
get a grip on the cork. Now, holding the
bottle at a 45 degree angle, begin slowing
turning it clockwise. (The cork will twist
out in the opposite direction.) You will
feel the cork start sliding out, but dont
pull it! Continue to turn the bottle gently
until you hear a slight pop. Not only
have you avoided spewing champagne on
your guests, youve actually preserved the

p44-45BoomerConnNov15.indd 1
10/29/15 5:16 PM
bubbles, which are much more enticing in

the glass than flying through the air.
To Flute or Not
While champagne flutes create an
excellent presentation all those bubbles
rising to the top of the glass they can
be quite difficult to manage at a party.
(Those thin stems can cause a glass to tip
so easily.) Other glass options include
the champagne coupe (said to have been
modeled on the breast of Marie Antoinette), or a general white wine glass,
which will actually offer you a better
aroma. The main sparkling wine glass
objective is to keep your hands away from
the wine, hence the need for some type of
stem on the glass, because hand heat will
cause the bubbles to dissipate quickly.
The Pour
For maximum effect and minimum
loss, pour a champagne just like you
would a beer. Tilt the wine glass at an
angle and pour directly onto the side until
the glass is about two-thirds full. And
remember, dont swirl a sparkling wine;
that kills the bubbles.
A Toast
Toasting is a custom that is centuries
old; its a ritual where we generally express

goodwill and best wishes, but be aware of
the basic toasting etiquette:
The person giving the toast should be
standing.
Everyone should have a glass as the
toast is given.
Holding your glass but not drinking
at least a sip (or pretending to) is
ill-mannered.
To refuse a glass, or put your glass
down before the toast is finished is
rude.
Inverting your glass is discourteous to
the guest of honor or host.
Tapping a glass with silverware to get
attention is uncouth.
Now youre ready to celebrate the
holidays in style, and if youre in need of a
toast, you can borrow this one:
I know Ive wished you this before
But every year I wish it more.
Happy Holidays!
Joy Neighbors, from eastern Illinois, knows
the wine industry well. She writes a weekly
wine blog, has judged national wine
competitions, and speaks nationally and
internationally. Follow her blog at http://
joysjoyofwine.blogspot.com.
Champagne not only imparts a feeling of joyfulness and wonder to an

occasion, its also a symbol of our whole-hearted approval and admiration
for what were celebrating.
Photo by Joy Neighbors

p44-45BoomerConnNov15.indd 2
10/29/15 5:16 PM
SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Kelly Britt, Vincennes Salvation Army

By Rama Sobhani
elly Britt, 36, is an

administrative assistant and social case
worker with the Salvation
Army in Vincennes. She works
20 hours per week, working
to take care of people and
families that come into the
Armys facilities for some kind
of assistance; food, clothing,
sometimes shelter. Britt is one
of three people that are regular
staff where she works, along
with Lt. Curtis Lunnam and
Laura Lunnam.
She has recently finished
a degree in social work, which
she says helps her in the work
she does. Her own history,
she said, is not so far removed
from the people she helps.
I got pregnant right out
of high school, had my son at
a very young age, so I missed
a lot of growing up. I stayed at
home and raised my son. We
struggled. Is it sympathy or
empathy? I have sympathy for
them, I know its hard. There
were days when I wondered
how we were going to eat.
instance, the professional whod been off

work for a month and a half, had to have
surgery and their bill was behind, they
were going to be disconnected if it wasnt
paid. We have contacts at other agencies
that I can call and we can try to work together to pay the bill. St. Vincents, United Way, Catholic Charities Diocese of
Evansville. We dont have a lot to spend
on bill assistance. We network a lot, were
completely donation-supported.
I do our new program, the Pathway

of Hope. You work with families, the
requirement is (the family must have)
one child under the age of 18. Im like a
coach, a life coach. I would help a family
set goals, they set their own, but we write
it down and then I supply them with
the tools they need to meet those goals.
The program is designed to get families
out of the cycle of poverty. We have a
coat drive; we collect coats throughout
The Salvation Armys Kelly Britt as she looks over applications for Christmas assistance. Britt is in charge of several programs including Pathway of Hope, Food
Pantry and Christmas Assistance, along with Social Services.
Photos by Matt Griffith
Busy time of year

Thanksgiving and Christmas are typically the busiest
times of year at the Salvation
Army.
It doesnt matter whos
asking for help, anybody that
comes in, we help them. We
have geriatric people, people living off disability, Ive
even dealt with professional
people that got hurt at work
and they didnt have money
coming in because of injury,
or somebody had a bad car
wreck and had to be released
from work; they had no pay
who just had a string of bad
luck, working parents who just
dont make enough.
We have a food pantry,
they get a box of food, we
have bill assistance that, for

p46-49KellyBritt.indd 1
10/29/15 9:30 AM
the year, launder them and give them to

people that are in need of coats; one coat
per member of the household.
Christmas is busy. Last year for
Christmas we served 502 kids. We do the
Angel Tree program, its a trademark of the
Salvation Army. (The Angel Tree Program
is a donation-based program that seeks to
bring children toys for Christmas).
I was personally responsible for
getting 502 kids Christmas and in the
middle of that my youngest got pneumonia and had to go to the hospital how
do I pick between my family and 502
kids that need Christmas?
Thats what makes my hair gray, but
I do it because this is what I like to do. I
think thats my mission in life. My mom
said I started when I learned to talk, I
would just talk to everybody. Since high
school I wanted to be either a teacher or
a social worker, but it took me a little bit.
I had kids and then went back to school,
I did it all backwards.
When I work with people, its
documented in a database. When people
come in, I have case notes. I dont like to
call myself a social worker. In the Pathway program, the families I work with,
say theres a single mom that comes in,
we would go to VU and go through the
A sign explaining the Salvation Armys Pathway of Hope.

steps to sign up and attend college. Barrier
Busters is what we call that. The place
they can start to get themselves into a better situation. Theres a lot of people that
get into the cycle and they cant get ahead.

We used to have emergency lodging,
too, but it used to be more common
than it is now. There were a lot of
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812-887-5778
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812-291-0670
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812-887-2612
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812-887-0745
Our agents are invested in you, always

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812-881-9143
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812-881-7509
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10/29/15 9:30 AM
One of several shelves filled with supplies for the food pantry at the Salvation
Army.
people taking advantage of it. Now its
more for emergencies, like house fires,
rather than (someone who says) I got
kicked out of my house because my mom
and I couldnt get along.
When you start this program, you
have to take assessments, these show
me where you are in the cycle. By these,
you have to be ready to want to make a
change. They know the life theyre living
is not where they want to be, so theyre
ready. They come to me willing, they just
dont have the knowledge to get there.
We help them barrier bust.
They have to meet with me once a
week, I prefer face to face. Thats a lot,
some people dont want to do that, make
that commitment. You just have to be
honest with them, I dont think youre at
this level yet that you need to be. A lot of
the assessments will weed that out. You
just have to say I dont think youre ready
for this now. Cut it off now and when you
think youre ready, come back and well
start back up. I only work 20 hours per
week, I dont have time for someone to
not show up.
Anybody could end up there, like
I said, I had professionals come in and
break down. It could happen to anybody
anybody. And there is a stigma on
places like this, but nobody gets treated

any differently here. I treat everybody
the same. If it was my family that walks
through the door or a stranger, everybody gets treated the same.
On whether she enjoys

working with needy families
Some days I dont know if I get a
moment to sit and enjoy anything, but I
love that its such a tight-knit family. Were
all good, we all have different personalities.
Lt. Curtis (Lunnam) is former law enforcement and Laura (Lunnam) is the heart of
it, she would just give everybody anything,
just because. Im a good balance because
I can read when Im being fed a line and
when Im not. We all work as a team.
On whether the people

who receive services are
appreciative of the help
Most of the time, not all the times.
There are people that I help on their
electric bill this lady, she didnt make
enough to pay their bills, she was on the
phone, crying, upset. She came in and
said, You dont know what this has done
because now I can start clean next month
and try to stay on track from now on.
And then I get people that get mad

10/29/15 9:30 AM
and hateful because of whatever reason; I

cant help. Theyll smart off and walk out.
Thats OK because my skin has gotten
thick. I wasnt always like that, when I
first started. I can only help out every 30
days, and if its only been 10, I say I cant
help, the rules wont let me. Then they
tell me how horrible I am and walk out.
Before, that would kill me, but now Ive
done so much that I cant tell everybody,
yes. I cant help on electric bills if we
dont have the money to do it.
There was somebody that came in, I
was only a volunteer, they said, Oh, we
need some food, and five minutes before
that they were talking about taking their
family to Holiday World. But then come
in here and say, Oh, we dont have any
food. Things like that kill me.
On her intuition on people

who lie to receive assistance
People tell on themselves. If you
listen, people tell on themselves. If they
dont tell you an honest story, there will
be overlapping things, things that are
off. For instance, theyll say Ive been off
work for two weeks, then, Ive been off
work for a month, just inconsistencies in
their stories. Its weird, just the way they
act and theyll always tell on themself.
Those wishing to be bell ringers this season may pick up an application at the
Salvation Army at 2300 N. Second St.
On the religious aspect of the

Salvation Army
When I first came here I didnt go to
church, my husband and I didnt. Now
we do, we come here, because you become a family. I was not (religious in my
upbringing). Its a small congregation,
it is like a family, theyll support you no
matter what. You just, I dont know, Ive
never really thought about it. Its inter-
esting to learn about the Bible. I wasnt

raised with any of that it gives you
hope that everything is not for nothing.
Kelly also talked a bit about drug
users who come in for assistance and the
difficulty she has in providing them with
something knowing theyve chosen drugs
over their own well-being.
Its hard, but I know that in Gods
eyes, I did the right thing.
This Holiday Season...
Private Banquet Rooms - or reserve an area in our Dining Room groups are always welcome here! Let us Host your Holiday Gathering,
Leave the Cooking & Clean Up to Us!
Gasthof Village Inn - For out-of-town guests. Great rates and extended
stay discounts
~GIFT SHOPS~
The Blue Door, The Pig & Fiddle

Buffet Restaurant & Bakery
Village Inn Banquets & Catering
6695 E. Gasthof Village Rd., Montgomery, IN
1/2 Mile N. US Hwy. 50

www.gasthofamishvillage.com
812-486-4900
ENJOY OUR HOMEMADE AMISH BUFFET
RestauRant
BakeRy
Mon.-Thurs. 11 am-8 pm;
and
Fri. & Sat. 11 am-9 pm; Sun. 11 am-3 pm
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
The Blue Door, The Pig & Fiddle and Gasthofs Der Heuboden Gift
Shop - Find the Perfect Gift!
The Gasthof Bakery - Pick your Holiday Goodies. To place your order
call 812-486-4900.
Gasthof Gift Certificates, Gift Baskets,

Cookies & Candy Trays Make Great Gifts!
Join us for...
DINNER
BUFFET
S
enior night $899
Every Wednesday Evening 4-8 PM Ages 55+
+ Drink

10/29/15 9:30 AM
THE BOOMER 1040
THE SAVERS CREDIT: HOW TO MAKE

SAVING TWICE AS NICE
By Angie Moore
he Savers Credit allows

a low-to- moderate income worker to save for
retirement and reduce their taxes
at the same time.
The credit helps offset part
of the first $2,000 you voluntarily contribute to an IRA, 401(k)
or other
similar
workplace
plan. The
credit can
increase
your
refund or
reduce the
tax you
owe. One
thousand dollars is the maximum credit for individuals, and
$2,000 is the maximum credit
for married couples filing jointly.
The credit you receive may
be less than that, due to other
deductions or credits you may
claim.
If you are married filing
jointly, you may claim the credit
if your income doesnt exceed
$61,000 in 2015, or if you are
single your income may not
exceed $30,500.
You have until April 15, 2016 to make
an IRA contribution for 2015. Any contributions you make as an employee, to your
employers 401k or similar plan, must be
contributed by the end of 2015.
One can visit IRS.gov for more
information, or talk to your accountant to
learn more about this twice-as-nice savings

opportunity.
Angie Moore is a certified public
accountant, having been with Kemper CPA
for 18 years. She was graduated from the
University of Illinois. She and her husband
have a son and a daughter. They are avid
Illini fans.

p50Boomer1040Nov15.indd 1
10/23/15 9:10 AM
Wishing You a Joyous Holiday

Best wishes for the holidays from your friends and neighbors at Old National Bank.
May the joy and peace of this magical season fill your heart with the true spirit of giving.
Vincennes 20 N Third St 812-895-4200 1905 Hart St 812-885-8051 Bicknell 215 N Washington St 812-735-5890
Washington 311 SE 21st St 812-257-3040 Loogootee 602 W Broadway 812-295-1100 Shoals 201 Main St 812-247-4250
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Great Grandma Phillippes
Oyster Dressing
This was my Great-grandmother Gladys Phillippes special recipe. For many years she
cooked meals for churches and other groups she was affiliated with. I hope you enjoy it
as much as I do. This dressing can also be made without the oysters.
2 loaves of white bread slices dried in the
oven at 250 degrees for about an hour
cup butter
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups onion
cup scalded whole milk
16 ounce can of oysters (optional)

1 teaspoon lemon juice
teaspoon salt
teaspoon poultry seasoning
teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
Directions: In a large skillet, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Tear dried
bread, sprinkle with scalded milk and toss with onion and celery mixture and
mix together. Spread into 9x13 pan and sprinkle with
cup broth, lemon juice, salt and pepper and poultry season. Add in oysters and bake, covered with
foil, at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.
---Lindsay Owens, contributing writer
Crab Meat Salad

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened cup chopped celery
cup Miracle Whip
cup chopped onion
tsp. prepared mustard
1 lb. crab meat, imitation,
tsp. seasoning salt
chopped
Directions: With mixer, blend first four
ingredients. Then add remaining ingredients
and mix again. Chill at least three hours.
Serve with crackers.
---Melody Brunson, executive editor
Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup water
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
Frosting:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10x15x1 inch jellyroll pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 2 cups sugar, baking soda and salt. Set
aside. Combine the water and 3/4 cup of butter in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup peanut butter and vegetable oil until well
blended. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients. Combine the eggs, buttermilk
and vanilla; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended. Spread the batter
evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 26 minutes in the preheated oven, or
until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. While the cake bakes,
place 2/3 cup sugar, evaporated milk, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil,
stirring constantly. Cook stirring for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the
peanut butter, marshmallows and vanilla until marshmallows are melted and the
mixture is smooth. Spoon the frosting over the warm cake and spread in an even
layer. Allow to cool before cutting and serving.
---Kim Schoelkopf, advertising consultant
Hard Rock Candy

Ingredients: 2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
cup water
1 tsp. Gourmet flavoring
2-3 drops food coloring (liquid)
Powdered sugar (optional)
Directions: Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in 2-quart
saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
Bring mixture to boil without stirring. When syrup reaches
260 degrees, add color. Do not stir. Boiling action will incorporate
the color into syrup. Remove from heat at 300 degrees or when
drops of syrup form hard, brittle threads in small bowl of cold
water. After boiling action ceases, stir in flavoring. Avoid rising
steam/fumes when stirring. Pour into lightly oiled candy molds or
on cookie sheets and score with knife to form bite-sized pieces.
When cool, break into pieces and dust with powdered sugar.
---Rick Zeller, advertising consultant
BOOMER FITNESS
WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE

A MORNING ROUTINE
By Kaila Stevens
ets consider a tale of two

mornings.
The alarm blares,
and you hit snooze and take
a few minutes to check your
email and
Facebook
on your
phone.
You put
together
coffee,
feed the
pet, and
work on every little detail to
tackle the day. This rush to
have everything done in a little
amount of time has taken over
your thinking, and in addition
so does that early morning
meeting you need to prepare
for. So much for easing into the
day.
Second scenario, the alarm
goes off but two hours earlier.
No snooze because the house is
too peaceful to break the silence
with the alarm again. Since you
are the first one up, you grab
coffee and quietly make and eat
breakfast alone while peacefully
reading the newspaper or an interesting

blog. No phone or computer to distract
you from the quiet. Next, you ease into a
morning workout like a quick jog around
the block to wake your mind and body.
Finally a hot shower will help make the
day yours.
When my day starts like the first scenario I keep waiting for a quiet moment
to pull my thoughts together, to breathe
and calm my mind. But each day throws
a different loop and the chance of a quiet
moment keeps slipping away until its
gone.
While not many people choose everything that will happen in their days, the
morning routine, or lack thereof, has the
power to determine how the rest of the
days thoughts and actions will play out.
If we give ourselves a commitment in the
morning, we will be more likely to achieve
and organize for the tasks of the day.
Another great reason to wake up early
is that youll be more invested in making
healthier choices throughout the day if
youre already on a roll with a morning
workout, quiet time and/or other positive
behaviors. Youve already got some skin in
the game for living healthily that day. You
also wont be subject to that nagging sense
of restlessness that can dog us all day.
A few weeks ago I started attending
a spinning class at 5:30 a.m. at my local
gym. Let me tell you, the hardest part of

my morning was getting in the mindset
of waking up so early. Once I was up, the
class went great and I had time for myself
before work. No longer was I rushing
around. I even had more mental and
physical energy for work.
This class changed my
attitude toward waking up earlier versus catching a few extra
interrupted ZZZs from hitting
the snooze. I challenge you to
wake up an hour earlier and go
for a quick run or head to the
gym to start your day. You will
feel better and be more confident in your actions.
Moral of the article: Drive
your day, or your day will drive
you. Be direct and in control
or youll be put in a constant
position to react.
Kaila Stevens is a health and
wellness columnist. A four-time
NCCAA All-American, she
was team captain for the Bethel
College womens track team.

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BOOMER November 2015

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BOOMER

have begrudgingly come to accept the Hallothankmas season this time of

4 November 2015 Boomer

November 2015 Vol. 8, Issue 2

The season of gifts that matter

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My inner 12-year-old just died

Holiday shopping at Gasthof Amish Village

Fox Ridge progress

A holiday champagne celebration

Kelly Britt, Vincennes Salvation Army

Photo by Kelly Overton

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Schaefer credits the game for opportunities

Troy Sweeneys personal search

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First Friday Art Walk, Lee Greenwood

28 Delivering Christmas Cheer

How the Vincennes Christmas tree arrives

Why you should have a morning routine

Corrections and Clarifications: In the

In search of the Grey Lady

Softball tourney benefits

International flavors offered at

Magical Christmas Eve ride

Paul Trejos 40-year military career

Friends of Knox County Library sponsors

6 November 2015 Boomer

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA

Photos by Bernie Schmitt

Bruceville community to honor

ver since Bruceville truck driver

program to honor the fallen veterans of

heard from people all over the country,

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nities. An ideal community might be

Boomer November 2015 9

Were a local community

Iraq, unlike the 1960s when images of

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Washington Township Fire Department

Boomer November 2015 11

THE SONIC BOOMER

My inner 12-year-old just died

o when it was all said

by Playboys internal marketing people who

12 November 2015 Boomer

Boomer Toys, Trappings and Trivia

Speaking of chasing aliens around the galaxy,

Leave a Legacy today...

The Knox County Community Foundation.

t the venerable age of 72, Hugh

Hugh Schaefer is proud to be a

Photo by Bill Richardson

14 November 2015 Boomer

1960 state championship; Matt Walker, who

Photo by Bill Richardson

wasnt old enough to read, but I knew those

first Freelandville High School game.

So began a journey that took

Locally owned for more than 25 years, GentleCares

MEDICARE SERVICES LONG-TERM CARE

Ranked in the TOP 10% of All Indiana

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