The touring Broadway productions of “Mamma Mia,” “West Side Story” and “Memphis, the Musical,” as well as concerts by iconic entertainers The Osmonds and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, are among the shows being offered during the 2013-2014 season of the Wabash Valley Music Association Series, presented by Wellbrooke of Wabash.

Additional shows for the upcoming season, the WVMA’s 58th year, are the Wabash Area Community Theater’s production of “Peter Pan,” and a performance of “Shakespeare In Love: Romeo & Juliet” by the renowned Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

“Year after year, the WVMA Series brings the finest caliber of entertainment to the Honeywell Center, a tradition of outstanding performances that is now in its 58th year,” says Doug Lehman, WVMA chairman. “Although I proudly serve in a leadership role with the WVMA, I come first as a fan. And this fan is excited for the 2013-2014 season to begin.”

The first show in the seven-show series takes the audience on a trip to Never Neverland with Peter, Wendy, John, Michael, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook and the Lost Boys in the classic production of “Peter Pan,” presented Sept. 27 by the Wabash Area Community Theater at the Honeywell Center’s Ford Theater.

Wabash, Indiana-based AgVenture McKillip Seeds has hired Chad Ealing, Roanoke, to serve farmers across east central Indiana and western Ohio as an AgVenture Yield Specialist.

AgVenture McKillip Seeds Sales and Marketing Manager, Mitch Snyder said, “We’re a very pleased to bring Chad on as an AgVenture Yield Specialist. Actually, our family business, McKillip Seeds was a customer of Chad’s in his previous role. His experience during his 13-year career has been built on service, education and competent delivery of products and services to his customers. He brings integrity and a hard work ethic to the table. We look for him to be a solid asset to every customer – helping them achieve greater profitability on every acre.”

Ealing has worked together with many area farmers over the past four years with another regional family owned and operated business. He worked out of Fort Wayne for a truck and rail scale business. Prior to that, he spent nearly 10 years working in various roles advancing his sales and proficiency skills.

The Wabash Carnegie Public Library has been awarded an $8,399 LSTA Technology grant to develop a mobile laptop lab and offer free computer classes to the public. Grant money will fund the purchase eight laptops, a storage cart and charging station, software and instructor costs for computer classes.

“The library is very excited about the new opportunities resulting from this LSTA Grant awarded to the Wabash Carnegie Public Library,” said WCPL Director Ware Wimberly III. “The library looks forward to providing new learning and teaching opportunities that this grant will provide to patrons and staff. Particular thanks goes to Laura Beutler and Polly Howell from the library staff, who worked tirelessly to secure this grant.”

Computer classes will be open to WCPL patrons from teenagers to senior citizens and will cover a variety of topics including basic computer and Internet skills, Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, e-reader and Overdrive use, online library services and resume creation training. Class topics were determined using a survey completed by WCPL patrons early this year.

by Kalie Ammons

sports@thepaperofwabash.com

The Wabash Little League Bingo hall has been running for over 30 years to help fund the Little League teams. The late Jackie Parrett was the original bingo operator with Bill Hensley and Tom Ehret as the founders. The bingo hall was started to support the players in the county by a unique and fun fundraising experience.

At one point, the Wabash Little League Bingo was successful enough to donate $250,000 to go towards the creation of the Field of Dreams.

However, according to the president of Wabash Little League Bingo Alan J. Zimmerman, things are not looking too good for the hall.

“The thing is, bingo is not as popular as it once was. Bingo operations all over the country are shutting down,” Zimmerman told The Paper. “Unless the public takes action and supports bingo, the loss could lead to the loss of Wabash Little League.”

by Kalie Ammons

sports@thepaperofwabash.com

Homemade pies à la mode, hot dogs and baked beans, fast pitched softball and carnival games will all be featured this Sunday, Aug. 25 in the Wabash City Park from 12-4 p.m. All proceeds from the event will help restore the Woman’s Clubhouse that overlooks the ball diamond.

“I think our Ice Cream in the Park is going to be really neat. It’s going to be of interest to all ages of people. We’re serving light lunches and the main thing being home made pies with ice cream. Our little kids’ games and of course the softball game by the oldies is going to be fun,” Mary DeLauter, Woman’s Clubhouse member and fundraiser organizer, told The Paper.

To get in the spirit for the Sept. 13 and 14 Relay for Life of Wabash County at Paradise Spring, the steering committee is asking the community to join in painting the town purple! 

Many of the vacant building windows in downtown Wabash will be decorated for this event during the month of August.  There will also be purple Relay banners hung on the downtown street poles to help draw attention to this effort.  You can help by displaying a purple yard sign in your front yard or decorating your fences with purple ribbons or balloons, just to name a couple of ideas.  Be creative! 

The sixth annual Trucks in Paradise Show is on Saturday, Aug. 24, and will include something for everyone.  In addition to the wonderful display of vehicles, visitors can learn some local history and travel back in time to the 1826 Treaty of Paradise Spring. 

The registration hours for all types of trucks, custom cars, and motorcycles is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the shelter house in Paradise Springs Park.  Dash plaques will be given to the first 50 entries that register. 

This summer, the Wabash County YMCA was one of only 25 cities in the nation piloting the Summer Learning Loss Prevention Program. Locally, 55 students entering first and second grade this fall participated in SPARK, which stands for Summer Program of Awesome Reading for Kids.

In collaboration with MSD of Wabash County and Wabash City Schools, SPARK provided literacy instruction from certified teachers to ensure that students in the program did not experience summer learning loss, but in fact gained reading skills and can begin this coming school year at grade level. The program was made possible through support from YMCA of the USA and The Lutheran Foundation.