Notes on All Souls' Day

The St. Augustine Rummage Sale is back with new management. It runs today (Friday) until 5:00 and tomorrow (Saturday) until 11:30 or perhaps noon. There is a lot of stuff and the number of shoppers is down from previous sales.

Claus Bakery is under new ownership and has a new name, Brandie's Bakery. Otherwise not much is changing.

Work on the second of the Elza Street Apartments has resumed. There was not much going on there during the summer.

Work on plumbing and wiring continues at the Autumn Trace site. No walls are rising yet.

Similar work has been finished for the soccer fields at the Monnett-Staddon area. The pipes are part of a sprinkler system and they are now buried and out of sight.

The progress in the parks was mentioned at the last Thirsty Thursdays event that was sponsored by the Jasper Newton Foundation. This one was at the Embers Venue and featured a presentation about whiskey, something I knew nothing about. Whiskeys can be made from corn, wheat, rye, or barley. To taste a whiskey, one must get beyond the burning sensation caused by the initial reaction to alcohol. So the group was asked to take a first sip and experience the burn. Then a second sip with still some burn. And on the third sip people were supposed to taste the whiskey itself. If you have an event and would like an hour-long whiskey-tasting presentation, contact the owner of Embers.

This Thirsty Thursday focused on community initiatives and had a lot from Newton County. We heard about the quest for licensed child care for Newton County and the Champions Together initiative in the Newton County Schools, which is the IHSAA is sponsoring with Special Olympics. We also heard from the head of Newton County's Economic Development, who mostly talked about Goodstock, a music festival in Goodland that raises funds to aid veterans in need. The funds it raises will now managed by the Jasper Newton Foundation. A final Newton County initiative was Santa's Chefs, which delivers hot noontime meals on Christmas Day to residents of Newton County. Last year they served 87 families and 107 individuals, cooking 112 turkeys. It costs $7000 a year to do this.

The Jasper County initiatives that were highlighted were Parks for People and Rensselaer Main Street.  Main Street plans include a promotional video for Rensselaer and a mural on the retaining wall across the river from Potawatomie Park.

In other news that may be of interest to Rensselaer residents, Valparaiso University is closing their law school.

The past few days and perhaps a few upcoming days seem to be the days of peak fall color for Rensselaer. Enjoy the golden glow of the maple trees.