by Carl Kurek

Azaleas, Delphiniums, Rhododendrons…

Not only are some plant names difficult to spell, but some – or perhaps most – can be difficult to keep flourishing in your garden. Or maybe your garden just seems a little plain or possibly even a little too diverse. A growing number of people would suggest that you Google your problem, but if you desire a more hands-on learning experience, there is one other answer.

“Helping Others Grow” is the motto of the Porter County Master Gardeners Association (PCMGA), a not-for-profit corporation that promotes the art, science, education and pleasure of gardening. They do so in cooperation with and under the sponsorship of Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service in Porter County.

Every year, the PCMGA, which won the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission R.O.S.E. Award for Festival of the Year in 2009, sponsors a Gardening Show in January and a Garden Walk during the summer months. Read More | Comments

by Krystal Vivian
For Michael Dyrek, there isn’t much better than getting the community Chesterton High School Alumni together for a night of fun while, at the same time, raising money to give to a current CHS senior in the form of the CHS Alumni Scholarship Award.
Dyrek, a 1986 graduate of CHS, is currently preparing for a summer all-class reunion for CHS alumni who are 21 and over that will be held in July. This will be the second reunion, and all profits go toward a general scholarship award set up by Dyrek and the Alumni.
The scholarship last year was in the name of Michael Carrasco, a sophomore at CHS who passed away last year. Read More | Comments

by Krystal Vivian

In his 30 years, Drew Metzger has never allowed his disabilities keep him from accomplishing his goals and achieving his dreams.  Though he is blind and suffers from slight cerebral palsy, he is known for his motivation to succeed and to help other people.

Metzger has a Masters Degree from Valparaiso University in Sports Management.  While attending school there, he helped tutor Chinese and Saudi Arabian students.  He was recently accepted into Northern Illinois University, where he will study how to teach the blind.  After completing that, he wants to pursue a PhD in Disabilities Studies from University of Illinois in Chicago. Read More | Comments

by Dwayne Borcherding

Golf is hard. No wait, I thought you said it was easy. What I meant to say is that “It can be easy and it certainly is a challenge”. Using my simple 1-2-3 framework of viewing the golf swing will ease the frustration of how to fix your swing and your golf game. Sometimes we over-analyze the golf swing, which can make things much more complicated than they really are. Sometimes “Controlling your swing motion” can be a better way to improve than “changing your swing motion”. There will be adjustments as we learn, and a need for patience and focused practice. I offer this simple framework below for viewing the golf swing, intended to help you gain a better understanding of your swing and help you improve your golf game. Read More | Comments

“You watch your life; your history and memories just crumble before your eyes. Being literally washed away by huge, unrelenting flames. The fire has a life of its own and it is indeed unfeeling and unforgiving. It is truly a force not to be reckoned with. This thing; this powerful monster can look down on you and simply sweep away everything in its path faster than you can imagine. The devastation is deep.”

These were some of the words Carla Glassford used to describe her emotions after watching her home on Lincoln Street in Hobart be destroyed during an April 8 fire that left her 17-year-old son, Justin Alexander, with second and third-degree burns over 30 percent of his body. Justin, who suffers from ADHD, bipolar and a mild mental disability, spent nearly a month in the burn unit at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill. where he had to undergo skin grafts to the upper part of his back, parts of his arms and both hands. He had minimal lung injuries from smoke inhalation but did suffer a seizure during his hospital stay.  Read More | Comments

Valparaiso Parks & Recreations Concert Series

The Valparaiso Department of Parks & Recreation is pleased to offer again this year the free Concerts in the Park series. Thanks to the generous support of our individual and corporate sponsors, the Valparaiso Department of Parks & Recreation is pleased to offer the band concert series free to the community.  All concerts are hosted Wednesday night, 7 p.m. at the Butterfield Family Pavilion unless otherwise stated.  Each performance is one hour in length. Read More | Comments

Eight Easy Ways to Instantly Update Your Look for the Hottest Season
Just because the temperature is rising, it doesn’t mean your wardrobe has to consist of flip flops and tank tops all summer long. Here are eight easy ways to take your look from ho-hum to HOT this summer.

by Marla Tomazin

For most women, summer is the dreaded season of bathing suits and bare legs—a time when hiding behind your wardrobe isn’t an easy option. If you’re tired of your summer staples and want to heat up those balmy nights out with a look that screams summer, you’re in luck. The transition from bulkier cool-weather clothes to slim-downed seasonal sleek is easier than you think.

Many women are perplexed when it comes to summer style. They struggle to find the balance between staying cool while maintaining a look that is both classic and functional—and one that doesn’t consist of only flip flops! Read More | Comments

Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) customers will have more services available online.  Andy Miller, BMV Commissioner, noted that most of these changes are the result of new laws passed by the Indiana General Assembly in the 2009 and 2010 sessions. Read More | Comments

STUDENTS BRING NEW LIFE TO DOWNTOWN VALPO

From the food at the farmers market to the art scene on Lincolnway, a group of Valparaiso University students are working hard to make downtown Valparaiso more dynamic for city residents, and an even better place to visit. The students are members of rTrail, a student-led consulting group which works in partnership with local government, small business owners and current residents on projects involving the arts and humanities, diversity, environmental sustainability, health care, travel and tourism and retail and urban planning, with the goal of growing the city’s economic strength and stability. City residents are experiencing the fruits of their labors in the city’s farmers market, where rTrail students are serving as consultants to the city, helping the market grow and adding new offerings. “Our goal is to help the market evolve and improve the community atmosphere that goes with the market,” said Kelsey Jones, rTrail member and civil engineering major from Muncie. The farmers market project actually began in the winter, said Tina St. Aubin, executive director of Valparaiso Community Festivals and Events. rTrail students helped with a competitive analysis and vendor search for the market, which takes place June through October in downtown Valparaiso.  This year’s market will feature about 15 vendors at the height of the season, including several new ones, and includes box lunches for sale by downtown restaurants. Jones said the experience of working with the market has helped her feel a part of the city. “It’s a huge, awesome experience, right after my freshman year to be able to be involved in something like this – I chose to live here my first college summer rather than go home,” said Jones. “I love the university, but now I am really feeling connected to Valpo – the community – because I am a part of it.” . Read More | Comments

by Dorothy Ripperdan

Many people come to shelters to adopt a cat or kitten for their family or themselves. Too often they don’t even stop to look at the wonderful senior or adult cats.  This results in the many senior/older cats that have been at the Independent Cat Society for several years. It is also why many of them will never find a home in their lifetime.  But what are the reasons people choose to pass up these wonderful cats?

People feel that a cat that is eight years or older will not live very long and it is so hard to lose a family pet.  Any time you adopt an animal, there is no guarantee.  Like people, things happen, even to the young ones.  With today’s veterinary care and the availability of better foods and medicines, many felines live well into their late teens and 20’s and they can live quite robust lives.  But the best reward, think of the happiness you gave that senior cat during its golden years.  Read More | Comments