Family Dairy Farm Offers Fall Fun

FORT WAYNE, Ind. –Fall is here and with the change in season comes a change in scenery. Haunted houses, and frightful décor and pumpkins emerge in the community this time of year.

The Kehnuert Dairy Farm stands out as a place with family fall fun.

The Kehnuert Dairy Farm is located on Cook Road. It is a family owned and family-friendly dairy farm. The Kehnuert Dairy Farm opened its doors on Oct. 3 for its third annual fall festival.

“It was our family’s idea to start the fall festival,” Sara Kehnuert, marketing director, said. “We all have an interest in educating the general public and we all decided that we were going to do this (fall festival) together as a team effort.”

The fall festival has a variety of activities to offer all members of the family. Such as a corn maze, Straw Mountain, hayrides, educational and nutritional stations for the children, mock cow milking, pumpkin painting, face painting and Halloween themed games.

The ever changing corn maze, is intricate, five acers long and friendly to all ages. The hayride is 45 minutes long and takes visitors on a tour of the functional farm. The employees will demonstrate how they milk and care for 700 cows, and how a bottle of milk gets to the grocery store.

“This started as a way for the general public to get a peek into what we do and for us to educate them on nutritional values while having a fun fall day,” Kuehnert said.

Visitors can enjoy a break near the employee controlled bonfire. Visitors can also make s’mores and roast hotdogs.

“The kids love it here,” Amber Fisher, who was spending her Sunday evening at the farm, said. “It’s great for them and us, we learn a lot and we get to be together.”

The Kuehnert Dairy Farm will have a special event for Halloween with trick-or-treating in the corn maze and one dollar off admission. For both adults and children who come in costumes. The Kuehnert Dairy Farm Fall Festival has been running for five weeks and concludes Nov. 1.

The Kuehnert Dairy Farm Fall Festival’s hours of operation are: Friday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 per person. Price of admission includes all activities on the farm.

“I think this place is awesome,” Sandra Mavil, who was enjoyed her second year at the fall festival with her husband and two children, said. “It’s a great day for everyone, no one ever wants to leave.”

Tasting Wine the Simple Way, the Only Way

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Pictured above: Wine barrel where the wine is aged and wine tanks where the wine is made at Two EE’s winery. Photos by Sarah Goodman.

The “pop” of a cork coming out of a freshly opened bottle of wine is enough to get most wine lovers excited about pouring themselves a glass. But is simply sipping wine enough to get a fulfilled wine drinking experience?

“Actually, tasting wine is so much more than a lot of people think,” Eric Harris, owner and wine maker at Two EE’s Winery in Huntington, Ind., said. “It’s a simple process but most just drink wine, not actually taste the different elements of it.”

Agreeing with Harris, Gary Skeel, owner of Wine Down Tasting and Tapas in Fort Wayne, said the proper wine tasting process is a simple one that many people do not practice.

Skeel said the appropriate wine tasting steps are the “five S’s: sight, swirl, smell, sip and savor.” Harris said the same five steps as the most substantial parts in properly tasting wine.

“Sight is a very important step,” Harris said. “You have to visually inspect the wine to insure that it isn’t flawed.”

Skeel said if a wine has a brown tint to it, chances are that the wine has gone bad. Another indicator of wine being flawed is if the cork falls apart or breaks easily when opening the bottle.

The next step in wine tasting is swirling the wine. “Swirling wine in the glass allows the wine to open up,” Skeel said. “Red wines need to open up more than whites do, so you don’t always need to do this step with white wines.”

“I always make sure to swirl my wine before tasting it,” Brittainy Ellis, a wine enthusiast, said. “Swirling the wine lets me see if the wine is a big bodied wine and how intense it will be on my palate.”

According to Paul Gregutt, author of the online magazine article, “How to Taste Wine” from winemag.com, Swirling the wine can reveal which wines are riper, more mouth filling and dense.

After swirling the wine in its glass, smell the wine’s aroma. “Surprisingly, smelling the wine is something that people often skip,” Harris said.

There are three types of wine aromas that are identifiable according to Madeline Puckette, author of the online blog, “Learn How to Taste Wine & Develop Your Palate” from winefolly.com.

There are primary aromas that carry fruit, herb, and floral notes, secondary aromas that come from the yeast of the wine and finally tertiary bouquets that smell like oak, vanilla, spices or nuts.

Skeel said the smelling step in wine tasting is vital because it can help you determine if the wine is sweet or dry. People who enjoy sweet wines will typically want to smell fruity aromas compared to those who enjoy dry wines, who will want to smell more nutty and oak scents.

After smelling the wine, take a sip, absorbing the flavor and structure. “Tasting is something that we do naturally,” Harris said. “But actually thinking about the different flavors of the wine is key to knowing if you really like it or not.”

Savoring, or thinking about what is tasted, the wine is the final step. This is when it is determined if the wine is one that is enjoyable, as well as if it is balanced.

“Balance is everything when I’m drinking wine,” Ellis said. “If the wine is out of balance to me, then I don’t really enjoy it.”

“Acidity, body, mouth feel, bitterness and sweetness are all things that determine if a wine is balanced or out of balance,” Harris said. “If all of the key elements aren’t in harmony to whoever is tasting the wine, then the wine is out of balance.”

Overall, the key to wine tasting is finding wines that are enjoyable. If all of the proper steps are covered while tasting wine, then finding wines that are enjoyable should be no problem, Skeel said.

Now that the proper steps for wine tasting have been identified, experiment with various types of wine to discover the right one. Cheers!

House Fires: They Can Happen to Anyone

Above: The Fort Wayne Fire Department offers home fire inspections and suggests that families have a plan in case of a house fire. Photo by Erin Martin.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – When Maddie Clay’s mother had woken pre-dawn hours on Nov. 21, 2014 to retrieve the family dog from downstairs, she saw smoke coming from the basement’s utility room and she immediately headed back upstairs to the 11 people sleeping there.

The night before, Clay’s father was finishing up a project that involved staining a door and when he was done, he set the rag down that he had been using for the night and headed upstairs. No one could have expected that mixed with the dry air, that same rag would spontaneously combust near a piece of plywood in the utility room and create a fire in the Clay’s basement.

“A fire can happen any time of year at any time of day, but there does happen to be an increase in house fires in the winter because of people turning on their heat and gas in their homes or even building a fire in their fireplace if it hasn’t been properly cleaned,” said Captain Dave Meadows of the Fort Wayne Fire Department and Safety Education Division. “Preparing for a fire is extremely important to plan for your safety, and your family’s safety too.”

“Once my mom woke up my dad and he became aware of what was happening, he woke up the house with a shout to get everyone up and within 30 seconds everyone had their coats and were by the back hallway,” said Clay.

With no initial plan or meeting place, the Clay family quickly had to decide what to do right then and there which led to the decision to meet in the cul-de-sac of their addition while a family member called 9-1-1.

“Make copies of important documents and pictures or keep the originals and place them in a fire safe box that you can keep in an accessible place,” said Cpt. Meadows on what to do in preparation for a house fire.

Brooks Huffer, a second-generation captain of the Warsaw Fire Department, has had his experience with house fires. “Keep an eye on your appliances – dryer, washer, toaster, and especially any heaters or your furnace,” said Huffer. “They are likely to catch fire if the lint trap is not cleaned out, crumb tray emptied periodically, and so on.”

Clay’s family did not have a fire extinguisher nor had they checked their smoke detectors recently. Both Cpt. Meadows and Cpt. Huffer suggested having a full fire extinguisher on hand, as well as checking your smoke detectors once a year.

“New smoke detectors are wireless and send corresponding signals to the other smoke alarms in your home, meaning if one goes off they will all go off making it difficult to ignore,” said Cpt. Meadows.

Cpt. Huffer said young children sleep deeper, making it more difficult for them to be woken up in the case of an emergency.

“Children 15 years old and younger sleep through 85% of smoke detectors because they do not hear them which is why it is extremely important for families to come up with escape plans,” said Cpt. Huffer.

Both captains expressed families should create multiple plans and practice them for different situations such as an instance where the door is too hot to open or climbing from a window. In cases where they are separated, family members must know where to meet – by a mailbox, a specific tree, or even at a neighbor’s house.

“If it’s predictable, it’s preventable,” said Cpt. Huffer. You can call the Fort Wayne Fire Department at (260) 427-1478 and ask about a home fire inspection or visit http://www.fortwaynefiredepartment.org/ for more information on how to prepare for a fire.

Seasonal Camping: Where to Go and What to Do

Warmer months have come and gone, and you begin to notice the trees are changing colors. Residents of northern Indiana are beginning to take shelter as winter is coming, but for some fall is the time of year to enjoy the change of the outdoors.

Fall camping can be an enjoyable pastime for some, and northern Indiana has the resources for many to go to and enjoy the fall season. Being educated on where to go, what to do and what to bring are essential to any successful camping trip.

As residents of northern Indiana know, weather can change any second. In October, weather is starting to change quickly and to know when to go fall camping. According to a foliage report by Susan Mckee, the peak of fall colors changing is during the second and third week of October. These weeks would be the most ideal time for you to enjoy the fall colors and weather.

With the October setting in mind, you have to decide on where to go. In northern Indiana, there are so many places for you to go camping and enjoy the fall weather with activities. Pike Lake Campground in Warsaw, Ind., can give everyone the ability to do a lot of activities during the fall months.

Shaun Gardner, the maintenance director of the Warsaw Parks and Recreation department, which is involved with the campground, has suggestions on what activities campers can do while there.

“When campers stay at the campground, there is a lot of things for them to do,” Gardner said. “Since we are right next to a lake, campers can go fishing, kayaking, boating and so on.”

What if a fall camper wants to enjoy other activities like hiking, sitting around a campfire or wanting to be completely engulfed by nature? There are other places like the Salamonie Reservoir, Pokagon State Park and Chain O’Lakes State Park, all in which are within driving distance from Fort Wayne.

Quinten Stamper, a local and recreational camper said he has been to Salamonie Reservoir and Pokagon State Park, said that he enjoys three different activities that he does when he goes fall camping.

“Literally, I will hike any trails there might be,” Stamper said. “Being out and enjoying cooked meals over a fire is great. Being around a campfire, fishing and hiking are the simple things I enjoy a lot.”

When Stamper talks about making campfires, fishing and going hiking, you must also think about what essentials they might need to bring on their fall camping trip. Brysten James, an expert hiker guide in Washington, has advice on what you might need on a fall camping trip.

“General camping for one’s needs are a tent, sleeping bag, layers of clothing, hiking boots, jet boiler, water filter pump and food,” James said. “You also need things like a knife, hatchet, matches and fire starter. Having a hiking backpack can help you carry these things.”

Other things that you might consider bringing on a trip include fishing pools, kayaks and bikes James said. Everything depends on how you want to go camping and what you want to enjoy which he says, “can be an endless list.”

Now that you know what the weather will be like in October and how to prepare for your fall camping trip, it is time to gather your supplies and head out. If you want more information, you can go to http://www.northernindianagetaways.com, which can help you find other trails, activities and getaway ideas for your fall camping trip.

The Importance of Accuracy

Written by: Sam Whiting and Megan Mantica

Wednesday afternoon we retracted a previously published story from our webpage.

We made this decision after the author of the article submitted a new story containing several inaccuracies in directly quoted material. This is a serious breach of journalistic integrity because the value of news is determined by its accuracy.

As a precaution, we removed the original article because we no longer held confidence in the reporter’s understanding of journalistic fundamentals, specifically those dealing with direct quotes.

We accept responsibility for publishing a story that does not meet basic journalistic standards.

We apologize to our readers, reporters and sources. We value the accuracy of our publication and will check with our reporters to make sure that they have an adequate understanding about the importance of truth and accuracy in order to be sure all of our published stories meet journalistic standards.

Brett Gauger: The Man Who Does It All, Successfully

By definition, a college student is simply a person enrolled in a college or a university. But, what this definition lacks, is the special experience that coincides with being a college student. Whether it is athletics, clubs, a job or volunteer work, most college students today are involved in an activity other than just simply going to school.

Brett Gauger, a senior at IPFW, said without his involvement on and around IPFW’s campus his college-student experience would have been completely different.

He holds a position as the Social Media Coordinator for IPFW and he is a Student Success Coach with Don2Don’s. He has been involved with volunteering as a Marketing Leader for A Better Fort Organization, he is the Social Media Manager for Electric Promotions and he is a part of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership- Millennial 2020.

He is able to participate in activities such as new student orientation, meetings on city development and press conferences because of his involvement.

For Gauger, it is not just “an activity,” it is “all activities”… his list of involvement goes on for hours, literally. The balance between his academic life and personal life came easy to him. He said it is all time management.

Gauger said he is lucky to be so involved. He said he is excited because of the way his involvement has helped shape him for his future.

Gauger has not only made a name for himself, but he has also created an impact throughout campus and northeast Indiana due to his multiple involvements.

Gauger is studying healthcare administration. He said, like many other college students, he has switched his major a few times, but he considers himself a “unique one” because he has never had to switch his degree.

His involvement dates back to a COAS W111 class during the fall semester of his freshman year in 2011.

Jennifer Oxtoby, project manager, office of the chancellor, explained COAS W111 is a class for new students’ success. Oxtoby said the main premise and goal of the course is to connect the students with each other, with their professors and with the university.

Oxtoby taught the COAS W111 course, alongside Greg Anderson, that Gauger was enrolled in during the fall semester of 2011.

“He was a confident, prepared, organized, friendly student,” Oxtoby said about Gauger. “He is just one of those people that knows how to make you feel special.”

Originally, Gauger had plans of transferring to a bigger university such as IU Bloomington or Purdue. He said without COAS W111 helping him become so involved with the professors, other students and the campus in general he would have stuck to his original plan of leaving in December 2011.

“It was around mid-September back during my first semester when I had my ‘this is where I belong’ moment,” Gauger said.

Gauger said he admits to being a busy guy, but during COAS W111 Oxtoby said something which has become a major backbone to his time management during his crazy years of involvement:

“Jennifer Oxtoby said that for the five or so days you are in class, keep your mind in the books, but on Friday, or whenever that academic week ends, treat yourself,” Gauger said.

Gauger said he has lived his academic and social life accordingly.

“Keeping your social life is going to keep you feeling human, rather than just like a robot,” Gauger said.

Gauger always begins his non-school nights asking if what he wants to do is worth it. He uses time management in three categories: priority, value and future. He said if he knows he has an assignment due but he also has an event, he asks himself if it will be worth holding off until the morning or if it is just best to complete it before heading out.

Gauger said he surrounds himself with the people whom he loves. He said living with his family during his college career has helped him tremendously in growing into the person he has become.

“My family is, and always will be, my biggest supporter, I have a good life,” Gauger said.

It is not just Gauger who is supported. He is often the supporter too. Oxtoby said she first started noticing the impact Gauger created when she came across his Twitter feed.

“It is crazy- you will get on his Twitter page and five minutes later there will be a tweet of someone saying their day was made running into Brett on campus,” Oxtoby said.

Gauger has no official plans for “what’s next” upon his graduation in December, but he said if the opportunity were to present itself he would love to stay involved at IPFW.

From a self-proclaimed timid and quiet college freshman to an obviously successful and outgoing college senior, Oxtoby said it best; “He is, I think, somebody that has had significant impact on other students. He is encouraging, and he empowers others to be successful. I think he makes people feel important- and that is what makes him so special.”

Seasons on Tap

This year’s fall season began with leaves changing from green to red, pumpkins blossoming in the fields and hot apple cider returning to menus at local cafes. Another element that helped kick off the fall season was the release of fall seasonal craft beer flavors and styles.

Fall beer may not be the first thing people think about when the season begins but, the flavors and styles of autumns’ beer selection tend to excite the population of craft brew drinkers.

“Fall seasonals are the most popular of the beer seasonal styles,” Meghan Storey, author of the online blog, “Craft Beer Fall Seasonals 2015” from CraftBeer.com, said.

You do not have to be familiar with craft beer to begin appreciating the robust flavors and styles of this season’s beer variety.

“Pumpkin beer is so popular because everyone associates pumpkin with this time of year,” Jeremy Zuber, a craft beer brewer at Mad Anthony Brewing Co. in Fort Wayne, Indiana, said.

Pumpkin flavored everything is nothing new during fall and this is no different for the craft beer world. However, pumpkin is not the only popular type of beer for fall.

Michael Pound, author of the online blog, “Beer Me” described flavor profiles such as clove, ginger, cinnamon and honey, as being associated with fall beer styles. Dark and heavy styles of beers, like stouts and porters carry many of these flavor profiles.

A stout is a beer brewed from full-flavored roasted malts and top-fermenting yeast, sometimes with caramel sugar and high hop content, and a porter is brewed from well-roasted barley. Both beers are full-bodied and dark in color, as defined in 2basnob.com’s Beer Dictionary.

“People like stouts and porters during fall because they taste better when it’s cold out,” Zuber said. “Dark, deep beers and their flavors are comforting during the cold season.”

Mallory Sykes Carter, a Mad Anthony Brewing Co. regular customer, agrees with Zuber about these styles of craft beer for fall. “It doesn’t have to be fall for me to drink a dark beer but I definitely enjoy them more during this time,” Carter said. “They are heavy and have a well-rounded taste with some spice.”

Fall seasonal beers tend to be heavier and more unique than other seasonals, like summer lagers or spring wheat beers. Lagers are beers made with bottom-fermenting yeasts at almost freezing temperatures for a long period of time, as defined in the Beer Dictionary from 2basnob.com.

These types of beers are easy to access all year round, while many breweries usually release a larger variety of stouts, porters, and pumpkin beers only during the fall and winter seasons.

“I serve a lot of heavy styles and pumpkin flavored beers during the fall,” Stefanie Rice, a bartender at Salud Tapas n’ Tequilas, said. Salud Tapas n’ Tequilas is not a local brewery, but it serves a large selection of craft beers. They particularly serve styles for fall.

“I personally love dark beers like stouts and porters during fall,” said Rice. “I like them mainly for their roasty taste and because they go really well with this seasons pallet.”

The popularity of autumns’ seasonal beer flavors and styles continues to grow, much like the pumpkin spice craze. Different types of dark, spicy, and heavy beers come out getting more elaborate each year, Pound said.

Beers like imperial pumpkin stouts that contain a higher alcohol by volume or ABV, are very popular during fall. Not only because of the alcohol content but also, the heavy and spicy features that go right along with the season, Rice said.

For this fall season, forget the mug of apple cider or hot cocoa. Why not curl up next to the fireplace with a spiced and flavorful fall beer with a high ABV to help keep you warm?

Office of Student Affairs Working to Cut Costs and Keep Tuition Low

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – IPFW’s Office of Student Affairs has allocated $2.6 million for its operating budget for fiscal year 2015, which is 1% of the university’s budget.

The operating budget for Office of Student Affairs marks a 0.1% decrease in total expenditures compared to the previous year. The bulk of this decrease is represented by the cutback in general expenses and supplies by $28,820 in the current year.

“The Office of Student Affairs is working to cut costs where we can in order to keep IPFW’s tuition from increasing any more than it needs to,” Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs George McClellan said. “We are very aware that a lot of our students are working class people, so we take the cost of education very seriously.”

McClellan said the Office of Student Affairs has pursued a variety of initiatives to reduce general expenses and supplies costs by decreasing the amount of paper used, staying aggressive about negotiating service contracts with vendors, requesting prize donations to give away during orientation and finding cooperate sponsors to help fund events such as the Big Event.

The Office of Student Affairs has also been able to generate additional revenue with the help of a $1.2 million Student Support Services TRIO grant from the U.S. Department of Education. McClellan said this grant helps fund Student Support Services, the Upward Bound program and certain academic support services including academic advising, tutoring, financial aid counseling and career assessment.

In addition to keeping IPFW’s tuition low, “the Office of Student Affairs prioritizes budget spending on the departments, people and programs that contribute to student success,” McClellan said.

According the fiscal year 2016 Office of Student Affairs budget summary, 20% of the operating budget is allocated to the Department of Dean of Students and its associated programs including Services for Students with Disabilities, Peer Educators Program and the IPFW Parkview Student Assistance Program.

16% is allocated to the Department of Student Success and Transitions and its correlated programs including the Mastodon Advising Center and the Crossroads program.

15% is allocated to the Department for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and its associated programs including the Center for Women & Returning Adults, Military Student Services and the Resource Center.

The operating budget does not cover all student service programs. David Reynolds, business manager for student affairs and enrollment management, said 37% of student service fee dollars are spent on student programs and activities organized within the various departments of student affairs. Some of the programs and activities that are funded by student service fee dollars include intramural sports, the Communicator, Casa tutors and the Student Handbook.

All students pay the service fee. Student service fees for the 2015-2016 academic year for undergraduates is $12.95 per credit hour. The student service fee amount has increased by 2% since 2014-2015 academic year.

Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Life and Leadership, Kasey Price, said a lot of the student service fee money goes back into student wages. The operating budget for the Office of Student Affairs increased in hourly wages by $25,017 from last year’s hourly wages, which includes payment for student labor and part-time staff.

“A lot of the positions for these student programs are filled by student workers, so the student service fee dollars end up back into the students’ pockets,” Price said.

Fright Night Invades Downtown

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Fort Wayne’s Downtown Improvement District is holding their eighth annual Fright Night on Saturday, Oct. 17. With over 25 activities for people to enjoy throughout the day and evening, Fright Night has something for all ages!

Activities will begin at 9 a.m. at the Allen County Public Library Plaza with the “Fright Night Photo Op.” A spooky backdrop and a green screen will be a part of the photo op where you can morph yourself into the spooky or frightful background of your choice.

“ShadowCon is one of the new features for this year’s Fright Night,” events manager Megan Butler said. “It is a Paranormal Conference being presented by the Fort Wayne Community Schools ParaSisters at the Grand Wayne Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.”

Beginning at 5 p.m. is the Car Show Spooktacular located at the Community Center. This event is free and will give awards to the top six people with the best decorated vehicles. There will also be two costume contests, one for children and one for adults.

The afternoon has several activities for ages as young as three and up. “There are some great kid-friendly activities at the Community Center starting at 1 p.m., including a special performance of “Which Witch” by the Fort Wayne Youtheatre,” Butler said. She said having kids herself, she knows these activities are great for all ages.

Another event at Fright Night is the “Zombie Walk.” This year’s “Zombie Walk” begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Allen County Public Library Plaza.

Stephanie Wilson has been involved in Fright Night for three years, but says her favorite part of Fright Night is the “Zombie Walk”.

“I enjoy doing my hair crazy, putting on ghostly makeup and fake contacts, but I am looking forward to the new Zombie Machine they have that will get me ready before the walk,” Wilson said.

“Last year’s ‘Zombie Walk’ had roughly 6,000 people involved, but this year we will have anywhere from 7,000 to 8,000 including Fort Wayne Ballet dancers, a fire breather, a juggler, and more,” Butler said.

If you plan to be involved in multiple activities, be sure to look for the Spooky Shuttle, a free trolley that goes all over downtown to other activities throughout the day.

Also, be on the lookout for the Headless Horseman at the Old Fort with the Lantern Tour anytime between 6 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

“My friends and I enjoy the Lantern Tour after the ‘Zombie Walk’,” Wilson said. “The original gate of the Old (Fort) is still there so it makes it seem so spooky! You’re given a candle and a guide through the Old Fort and they take you to another time era.”

If you are looking to wind down after the day, enjoy the Rocky Horror Picture Show for people 17 and up which will be playing at 9:15 p.m. at the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory.

These are just some of activities available at Fright Night. “No matter what your age is or what your budget is, there is something for everyone where it’s pet-friendly, college-friendly, or kid-friendly,” Butler said.

A new development Butler was excited to share was the idea for a Fright Night guide that will become available Oct. 15 in the Journal Gazette and the News-Sentinel. This guide will include a parking map, map of activities and the details for each one.

For more information on the 2015 Fright Night, visit http://downtownfortwayne.com/fright-night/.