by Eric Stearley

eric@thepaperofwabash.com

Most people think of the year-end holidays as a time for giving, but autumn is always packed full of a different type of giving – charity fundraising events. One of the highlights in this year’s series is sure to be the second annual Smokin’ For A Cause.

In addition to Gary Henderson, board members Tim Jones, Mark McCoart, Kyle McCoart, Joe Gouvan, and Jeff Smith urge everyone to get involved in this year’s event, which will benefit the LIFE Center, among other local charities. Whether you’re interested in trying your hand at the smoker, setting up a booth for a local nonprofit, or just looking for a tasty meal, Smokin’ For A Cause is the place to be on Sept. 20.

The list of teams is growing, but there is still plenty of room for more amateur smokers to test their culinary masterpieces against other backyard barbequers. With 1,500 pounds of meat expected to be smoked, this year’s event is sure to be a winner for anyone with an appetite for smoked pork. With well over a month to go until the competition starts, there’s plenty of time to perfect this year’s winning recipe. There is not nearly as much time, however, to get registered for the event; the deadline is Aug. 20.

To register, fill out the registration form on this page and send it, along with a check for the entry fee, to P.O. Box 928, Wabash, IN 46992. For more details about the event, and to see the rules and regulations, go to smokin-for-a-cause.org.

Editor’s Note:

The Wabash County Sheriff’s House and Jail, located on Main Street, was built in 1880 and served its original purpose until the current jail was built next door in 1979. Now, county officials are faced with a decision to restore or demolish.

The county commissioners have given Wabash Marketplace one year to find a party interested in restoring and using the building. It was recently placed on Indiana Landmark’s “Top 10 Most Endangered” properties list, with hopes that the right person or group will discover the building.

Dorothy Henderson knows the building well. Her father, Cecil Reynolds, served as the Wabash County Sheriff from 1947-1955, during which time she lived in the building. Now a resident of California, she shares her story. It’s easy to read and hard to forget.

by Emily Armentrout

emily@thepaperofwabash.com

During the 2014 Wabash County Fair week, the LIFE Center had an information booth like many other businesses in Wabash County. They were the booth with the adorable baby photos on display. Every year the LIFE Center holds the Precious Baby Contest as a way to raise funds for the center’s expenses.

This year, the Precious Baby Contest had 34 adorable contestants, but only one could take home the 2014 Precious Baby title. That Precious Baby was Weston Pretorius. Weston is the son of Joe and Andrea Pretorius.

Each contestant’s photo was on display throughout the week, with a number assigned that corresponds to a jar where the public can vote by putting money in the jar of the most “precious” baby. When the week was over and Pretorius was crowned Precious Baby, the center had raised $1,500, which will be used to buy supplies.

These supplies include baby items like wipes, pre-natal vitamins, and other baby items that the center offers to mothers in need.

“We are always running out of baby wipes, so we are constantly purchasing those,” Cheryl Meyer, Executive Director of the LIFE Center, told The Paper.

As the center operates through donations, they appreciate the support of the community. The LIFE Center’s next event will be their annual banquet, which will be held on Sept. 16 at the Honeywell Center, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the meal served at 6:30 p.m. Their speaker this year is Rebecca Kiessling.

Kiessling is a Pro-Life and Adoption speaker who was conceived by rape.

“She’s got an interesting story,” Meyer told The Paper. “She is now a mother of 5 and a family attorney.”

Two weeks ago, I took a Thai cooking class at Gallery 64 in downtown Wabash. What a cool thing to do! Although I'm usually the one standing behind the mixing bowl teaching cooking classes, it was fun being the student for a change. I will admit, I didn't have much experience with Thai dishes. I had no idea what Pad Woon Sen was, or that fish sauce is used in most Asian dishes as a base. Who knew that Panang Curry, a mixture of coconut milk, curry paste, lime leaves, brown sugar, fish sauce, peanut butter, veggies, chicken and Thai basil could be so good! What better way to learn about another culture but through cooking and tasting their food? You can bet I will be signing up for more cooking classes they have to offer.

This recipe for Tangy Ham Steak is super simple and delicious. The perfect week night summer supper.

The 2014 FunFest Table Tennis Tournament will take place at Scout Hall at Warvel Park, located at 7th and Market Streets, North Manchester on Aug. 9. The tournament events will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end by 4 p.m. The Wabash County Singles event will only be open to residents of Wabash County.

The tourney will have competition in seven categories, including one doubles and six singles events. It will be hosted by the Manchester Table Tennis Club and sponsored by Custom Magnetics Inc. of North Manchester.

Singles events will be: 15-and-under, novice (anyone who has not won a table tennis tourney and has never been rated above 1000), Wabash County, Women’s, 40-and-over, and open. The open singles and open doubles events provide a chance to play with some outstanding area players.

The Wabash County Health Department will host two open vaccine clinics for children who need vaccinations to enter school. The clinics will be held at the health department.

The first clinic will be on Friday, Aug. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The second clinic will be on Monday, Aug. 4, from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

All students entering grade 12 will need a meningitis booster vaccine if they received their meningitis vaccine before their 16th birthday.

This year, Hepatitis A has been added to the vaccine schedule for students entering kindergarten. If your kindergarten student had the first Hepatitis A vaccine in March at Kindergarten Round-up, they are not yet due for the second dose.

The health department requires that you bring your insurance information to the clinic. If you have questions about the clinic, or need to know if your child is current on their vaccines, please call the health department at 260-563-6082.

Please bring your child’s vaccine records to the clinic to be updated. All copies of vaccine records cost $1.

Editor's Note in Full Story

by Dorothy Reynolds Henderson

“What am I doing in jail? This can’t be happening.”

Not exactly what I’d want to include on a resume or put up on a college application! I can see it now.

“Where did you spend your teenage years?”

“I put in my time at the Wabash County Jail in Indiana.”

I had plenty of time to contemplate life both inside and outside the heavy metal door that clanged shut with such finality on the good, the bad, and the ugly.

In those years, I learned firsthand about elements of life to which some people are never exposed: evil, deception, violence and weakness. I grew up more rapidly than most teenagers, as I was involved with men and women from all walks of life. I, however, was free to enter and leave through the front door. My dad was County Sheriff Cecil Reynolds, keeper of the jail, and this was home for my parents, my dearly loved grandma, and me.

by Emily Armentrout
emily@thepaperofwabash.com

During the 2014 Wabash County Fair week, the LIFE Center had an information booth like many other businesses in Wabash County. They were the booth with the adorable baby photos on display. Every year the LIFE Center holds the Precious Baby Contest as a way to raise funds for the center’s expenses.

This year, the Precious Baby Contest had 34 adorable contestants, but only one could take home the 2014 Precious Baby title. That Precious Baby was Weston Pretorius. Weston is the son of Joe and Andrea Pretorius.

Each contestant’s photo was on display throughout the week, with a number assigned that corresponds to a jar where the public can vote by putting money in the jar of the most “precious” baby. When the week was over and Pretorius was crowned Precious Baby, the center had raised $1,500, which will be used to buy supplies.