User:Achostetter/sandbox

Government
Larry Thompson, a former EMT, fireman, and School Board member. Owns Thompson, Lengacher, Yoder Funeral Homes. Kim Ingle, Oversees city finances, including accounts payable, budget, and investments. Primary record-keeper for the city government. Christopher Walter- Service to the City: 2010-present — Judge (appointed by Gov. Mitch Daniels) Responsibilities: Preside over city court and issue sentences and fines for infractions or misdemeanors
 * Mayor-
 * Clerk-Treasurer-
 * Council
 * At Large: Janet Brown
 * District 1: Todd Nunemaker
 * District 2: Michael Stull
 * District 3: Sam Beachy
 * District 4: Jeff Kitson
 * City Court Judge-

Tourist Attractions
Amish Acres -Was founded by Richard Pletcher, and is a historic farm and heritage resort. It embodies a preserved barn and Amish house that helps to "Embrace the Pace" as Nappanee's slogan implies. Amish Acres celebrates the Amish and shows what their lifestyle consist of. Amish Acre's original preserved Round Barn was relocated to it current location, and within it was constructed a theater in order to present shows. As well as see plays at Amish Acres, tourist can experience authentic Amish style cooking. Amish Acres offers other activities such as tours of an Amish house and a horse drawn carriage ride. Amish Acres is home to Nappanee's Arts and Crafts Festival.

Metzler's Shoes- First opened its doors in October 1924. Ralph Metzler as well as his brother-in-law Ora Smucker invested together to open a family shoe store. Not long after the opening of Metzler’s Shoes Ralph and his brother Dan Metzler became partners. For generations, Metzler Shoes has been a landmark in downtown Nappanee. They are known for their appeal to people who want specially designed shoes and advertise both Europeans and American high fashion shoes.

Wa-nee Community Schools
Wa-nee is the combination of Wakarusa, a neighboring town, and Nappanee area schools. Over 375 teachers and staff are employed with Wa-nee Community Schools. Throughout the state, Wa-nee is known for its strong academic, extracurricular, and athletic programs.


 * NorthWood High School-Recently given the Indiana Chamber of Commerce “Best Buy Schools” distinction for quality education with conscientious use of taxpayer dollars.


 * NorthWood Middle School and Wakarusa Elementary-are also part of the Wa-nee Community Schools, but are located in Wakarusa, a neighboring town.
 * Nappanee Elementary-Located within Nappanee
 * WoodView Elementary-A mirror image to Wakarusa Elementary structurally. Sits on the outskirts of Nappanee.

Festivals
The Nappanee Apple Festival is held annually on the 3rd week of September lasting 3½ days. It consist of 100 craft booths, 50 commercial booths, 20 food vendors, 2 stages for entertainment, a large parade, and an airplane flyover on Saturday morning. Nappanee annually bakes a 7 foot wide apple pie that weighs 600 pounds. Every year an Apple Blossom Queen is chosen from the local highschool of NorthWood high school. The Nappanee Apple Festival attracted over 76,000 people in 2011 and is one of the largest festivals in the State of Indiana. Over 200 people from Nappanee volunteer to help with the Apple Festival each year. Other events include an apple peeling contest, 5K road run, half marathon, apple pie eating and apple peeling contests, goldfish races, wings & wheels show (cars and airplanes), tractor pull, farm tractor and antique farm equipment show, apple baking contest, kids & adult pedal pull contests, talent show, and a scholarship pageant.
 * The Nappanee Apple Festival

Richard Pletcher, founder of the festival and Amish Acres, remains CEO and Jennifer Pletcher Wysong is the festival director. The festival and marketplace takes place around Amish Acre's pond. Amish Acres has received many awards, making its way onto The American Bus Association's list of TOP 100 Events in North America in 2012. This achievement was awarded 4 times in the past 7 years. Readers of Sunshine Artist magazine rank the Art and Crafts Festival as the 3rd best Classic and Contemporary Craft Show within America. The Art festival was also listed at the number one in the category of "best attractions for group travel in Indiana" in Travel Trade Magazine. Senior Group Traveler selected the Arts and Craft Festival as one of only seventy "Editor's Choice of Outstanding Festivals and Major Events"; the Art and Craft Festival being the only one chosen from Indiana. Amish Acre's Art and Craft Festival attracts people from areas as far as Chicago,Indianapolis,Toledo, and Detroit. Amish Acre's grounds can only support up to 300 booths which consist of 250 different cities from 30 states.
 * Amish Acres Arts and Crafts Festival

History

 * Nappanee’s History-Nappanee was originally sought after because of its fertile farmland because of the headwaters of the Wabash River in northern Indiana. It is the southern gateway to the Northern Indiana Amish Country. Before the 1800s Nappanee was inhabited by the Miami and Pottawatomi Indians. The first white settlers came to the area In 1830. By 1870, seven farms had been established and a population of forty people were settled in Nappanee. Nappanee grew tremendously after the construction of the B&O Railroad in 1874. Farmers sold land to the Railroad so that its tracks would run right next to Nappanee on its route to Chicago. The railroad brought more settlers to Nappanee and the B&O officially gave Nappanee its name. The families who settled in Nappanee were largely religious and conservative. Over time the B&O Railroad became CSX. Nappanee is still surrounded by farm families of the Anabaptist group. This includes the Amish, Mennonite, and the German Baptist.


 * Amish Migration to Nappanee-In the 16th-century a protestant reformation took place in Central and Western Europe. This causes the Anabaptist movement in which the Amish and Mennonite were formed. Due to persecution the Dutch Anabaptist leader, Menno Simons, who was a former Catholic priest, moved himself and his followers to Switzerland. This is where the Mennonite group was formed. During the latter part of the 17th century a group from the Mennonites led by Jakob Anman separated to form the Amish group which was named after its leader. During the 1700s, the Amish were attracted to the promise of religious freedom in America; this being Pennsylvania. Amish then migrated to Middlebury in 1841 from Pennsylvania. Nappanee's Amish originate from the Swiss Amish from Pennsylvania.