Valley Fund Makes $2500 in Grants

Five community organizations took home presentation checks totalling $2500 from the inaugural grant-making session of the Valley Community Foundation at the Akron Community Center on May 7.

Forty-one Valley graduates who responded to an invitation to attend listened to presentations from the five charitable causes, then decided in small groups around five tables how to distribute the funds.

The recipients were the Boomerang Backpack Program, represented by Valley principal Kirk Doehrmann, $350;

Akron Youth League, represented by Lisa Fear, $440;

the Little Free Libraries project, represented by Kristin Horrell, $450;

the Helping Hands food bank, represented by Jerry Secrist, $550;

and the Pioneer Days/Prill School visits program pairing high school History classes with Akron and Mentone 4th graders, $710. The program was presented by faculty members Jeff Shriver and June Yazel, and students Mitch Randall and Kortney Mayorga (pictured above).

You can read full coverage of the event from the Warsaw Times Union here, or the Rochester Sentinel's page one coverage here.

The Valley Community Foundation is a fund within the Fulton County Community Foundation. Its first grants were made from early contributions made by a number of Valley alumni, many of whom no longer live in the community.

After awarding the grants, many participants in the meeting joined a Valley Community "Giving Circle," by which friends and graduates of the Valley communities make contributions of $120 a year, half of which will be re-granted each spring for similar educational and community-development projects, and the other half of which will begin to build a growing endowment fund, interest from which will add to the funds to be granted each year.

Make sure you are at next year's event! You can join the Giving Circle -- or make a tax-deductible gift of any amount -- by mailing a contribution to the Fulton County Community Foundation, 715 Main Street, Rochester IN 46975, or giving online here. Just identify "Valley Community Foundation" as the fund.

A Valley Community Fund to Make First Grants

Efforts to create an organization of Tippecanoe Valley alumni have recently evolved into a grant-making Community Foundation model. To be specific, the Valley Community Foundation is a fund within the Northern Indiana Community Foundation in Rochester. And at 7 PM on Tuesday, May 7, representatives and guests of the fund will meet at the Akron Community Center to make a first round of community development grants.


Late last fall, TVSC superintendent Brett Boggs and then-NICF director Terri Walgamuth Johnson (’79) convened a group of Valley graduates to visualize what kind of local projects and organizations could benefit if a private foundation existed solely for the purpose of promoting charitable causes in Akron, Mentone, and the communities and countryside served by the Tippecanoe Valley schools. This group became the advisory board for a dedicated fund within the Northern Indiana Community Foundation, and on Tuesday will meet with several dozen other Valley graduates of every generation to hear presentations from five different local causes, and make up to $2500 in grants.

The charitable projects that will share their stories are the Akron Youth League, for upgrades and lights on baseball fields that would extend more play and practice time; the TVSC Literacy Framework Committee for a “Little Free Libraries” project; the Prill School Museum for bringing Pioneer Day activities to Akron and Mentone 4th graders; the school corporation’s “Boomerang Backpack” program, and the Helping Hands food bank. Participants in the May 7 meeting award each of these programs at least $100, and will distribute an additional $2000 among them.

At the May 7 meeting, participants will also discuss the idea of creating a “Giving Circle,” through which all graduates and friends of Tippecanoe Valley schools are invited to make annual charitable contributions to this fund, so that in future years grants of many times this size can be made. Participants will also discuss ways to communicate with far-flung Valley alumni, including revitalizing this blog (perhaps using student interns), and using social media to locate and build a “mailing” list.

Gifts of any amount to the Valley Community Foundation are fully tax-deductible. All donors at the $120 level (a convenient $10/month online option is available!) will be invited to participate in future grant-making events, but smaller donations are welcomed. Contributions can be made online at www.nicf.org/donate (just enter "Valley Fund" in the comment section) or mailed to NICF at 715 Main St., Rochester, IN 46975, attn. Brian Johnson.

To reserve your spot at the May 7 meeting, call 574-353-7031, ext. 2203 or e-mail nolansponseller@gmail.com by Friday, May 2.

Members of the advisory board for the Valley Community Foundation are: Anna Higgins, Nolan Sponseller, Jayme Parker, Shelly Engle, Micah Lukens, Darren Parker, Cami Shriver, Stephanie Bibler, and Aaron Norris; and Terri Johnson, Brett Boggs, Ron Newlin, Kirk Doerhmann, and Brian Johnson, ex officio.

Fulton County Business Incubator Seeks Input

The Fulton Economic Development Corporation is conducting a survey on the feasibility of creating a business incubator in Fulton County. FEDCO Executive Director Terry Lee has invited the readers of the Our Valley Hometowns blog and newsletter to weigh in with their opinions.

Business incubators are buildings or business parks, often established with the help of state, federal, or private grants, that offer start-up businesses subsidized rent and access to shared spaces and resources (such as IT support, accounting services, etc.) They help launch small businesses -- both services and light industry -- not only by helping with start-up costs, but by creating the synergy and environment where entrepreneurs can exchange ideas.

We are particularly interested in the insights and experiences of Valley alumni who don't live in the community any longer. What have you seen work in your area? In particular, are you aware of any friends or family who would be interested in starting or relocating a business closer to "home," if the incentives were available? It only takes one or two to make a difference!

The survey takes only about ten minutes, and can provide valuable information to the community. Just click here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FEDCO

FEDCO and Our Valley Hometowns thank you in advance for your participation.

2011 Distinguished Alumni Named

Twelve graduates of Tippecanoe Valley High School -- from each decade of the school's existence and several walks of life -- have been named the Distinguished Alumni Class of 2011. They are:

Vernon Goodman '77

Greg Hoover '78

Sherri Miller Johnson '78

Kevin Deardorff '79

Todd Stokes '82

Jerry Meadows '82

Dean Trippiedi '88

Jason Bowman '95

Nicole Borem '95

Mikah Lukens '99

Jayme McCalla Parker '01

Rebekah Parker '04

(Click on their names to read their stories, as captured by Rochester Sentinel correspondent Ann Allen -- thanks, Ann!)

This is the second year for the Distinguished Alumni program, in which Valley graduates in a wide range of professional and civic endeavors are recognized for their achievement, and return to spend a day with current students and to be honored at a public dinner and reception prior to a home football game -- this year, on September 23.

The 2010 class of distinguished alumni can be viewed here.

"View of the Valley": The School Corporation's newsletter

Here's a link to the new edition of the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation's quarterly newsletter, "View of the Valley:"

Click here.

The school corporation mails this publication to every household within the district. The alumni blog is pleased to use the magic of the internet to share it with interested Valley graduates around the state and world. If you see articles here that would interest friends or family who live outside the school district, please forward a link to this blog post to them!

Mentone Featured on South Bend TV spot

Here's a link to a fun little piece on Mentone that aired on WSJV, the South Bend FOX affiliate, this weekend:

http://www.fox28.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=6031652&h1=Huppert%27s%20Hometown%3A%20Mentone&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=205900&LaunchPageAdTag=Search%20Results&activePane=info&rnd=30076330

Thanks to Novelene Witham for passing this along!

Mentone Alumni Have Annual Banquet

Photo and details courtesy of Deb Cooper Spencer MHS '71

The Mentone Alumni held their annual banquet at noon on Sunday, June 12 at the Mentone School. This year the honor classes included 50-year-graduates, Class of 1961, 60-year graduates, Class of 1951, and 70-year graduates, Class of 1941. The oldest member in attendance was Mary Shirey (former co-owner of the Mentone Drive-In) of the Class of 1935. Also attending were a former MHS principal from the 1960's and his wife, Mr. & Mrs. Gaylord Toll. A total of 116 alumni attended with many coming from out-of-state, one in particular from southern California. Entertainment this year was provided by the Hearn Family of northeastern Indiana, daughter of Mentone Graduates, Rex & Freda Witham, and her husband. The banquet is held on the 2nd Sunday of June each year and all Mentone High School graduates are welcome. Next year's entertainment will be a well-known local singer with many ties to alumni, Lonny Witham. For more information, Mentone alumni are encouraged to email mentonealumni@hotmail.com.

MHS Alumni Officers:
President - Lee Markley ‘58
Secretary - Alice (Surface) Keirn ‘57
Treasurer - Mary ( Wilson ) Boggs ‘49
Historian - Linda (Besson) Cochran '56
E-mail Coordinator - Deb (Cooper) Spencer '71

Below is a photo of the honored Class of 1961. All attendees -- and those that couldn't attend! -- are invited to share their thoughts in the comments section.