Above, Bill Muir shows the distinctive leaves of one of his American Chestnut trees. (Photo by Ruth Nickel) Pictured at right are examples of leaves and fruit from the American Chestnut trees. (Photo by Jim Nickel)
Not far from Bristol one can see specimens of trees that have been declared “endangered” and even “extinct.” The [...]

Christopher Cain embraces his three daughters, Adrianna, Mia and Victoria at a surprise reunion. (Photo by Laurie Eads)
On May 18 Regina Cain, mother of three students, had volunteered to read a book to a group of children at Bristol Elementary School. The group included her three daughters, Adriana, Victoria, and Mia. The book, [...]

Students in Nicloe King’s 4th grade class listen intently as Ed Koenig, assisted by his daughter Sharon Stauffer, demonstrates to the students how a satellite orbits the earth. (Photo by Laurie Eads)
Ed Koenig of Fort Wayne is the father of Sharon Stauffer, who is a music teacher at Bristol Elementary School. Ed is also [...]

Bristol Elementary School recently awarded the Student of the Year award to Annie Lee Bouwkamp (standing far left) the January student of the month. Other Student of the Month recipients are, from left front row, Stacy Dibley, September SOM; Raven Duncan, May SOM; and Heather Fergison, October SOM; middle row, l to r, Mercedes Cazares, [...]

Greetings  Bristol!
It has come to my attention that spring has decided to abandon our area once again this year. For that reason, this month I will discuss inhaled medications that can be used to help make breathing easier. I have had several patients for whom this hot, sticky weather has taken its toll on their [...]

Carol Willis is a freelance writer and editor. She specializes in written communications for businesses and nonprofits and other editorial projects. Carol also is the development director at Church Community Services.Sauntering into Summer
I love June. It means summer, Father’s Day, and, on a lesser note, National Sauntering Day.
Father’s Day and [...]

Curve members participate in a Zumba class with instructor Lomelly Fuller (center right). Curves of Bristol now offers Zumba classes at their downtown facility. (Photo by Laurie Eads)
Millions have lost weight and shaped up with Curves, the leader in women’s fitness, and Zumba, the dance-fitness experts. Now, Bristol Curves offers the only 30-minute class that [...]

Special Recognition Announcement:
Jim Stewart our Troop & Pack Commissioner has earned the Council’s Annual President Award. Each year La Salle
Council’s BSA President chooses one Commissioner from each
District to receive this special President’s Award and our Commissioner got it for
Pioneer Trails District! There is a total of 18 Commissioners in Pioneer Trails District.
Jim Stewart lives in [...]

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of former Bristol Troop 31 Eagle Scout – Caleb D. Fry. We are sorry for your loss.
Members of the Bristol Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts prepare to place flags on the graves of veterans in six cemeteries located in Bristol.
BOY SCOUT TROOP 31:
We [...]

Andrew Hack, Bristol IN, recently entered an essay in the 2011 Literary Awards Contest at Purdue University. He was awarded the Undergraduate First Place Eric L. Clitheroe Award for essay in any field of philosophy. His essay title was The Social Intuitionist Model for Moral Judgment: An Improvement upon Hume’s Moral Sense Theory. Andrew just [...]

During the early months of 2011 the Bristol Public Library (BPL) was faced with reductions in its budget on account of declining tax revenues during the recent recession. Daryl Shrock, library director, asked patrons to fill out surveys about their use of the library, asking for suggestions about cutting costs and curtailing services.
A total of [...]

In April of 2011 Mike Long of Bristol began a new business he calls Royal Pane Window Cleaning. As the name indicates, Mike hopes to make a living doing what most people hate to do, namely, wash windows.
Fortunately for Mike, having worked in the window business for 30 years, he likes working with windows, including [...]

May crashes were up 3 crashes for the year compared to last year.  We remind everyone to be watchful for pedestrians as many of them are walking along roadways.  As always, remember to drive defensively and to always wear your safety restraint properly.
Our officers are once again taking part in the statewide Selective Enforcement efforts [...]

Letter to the Editor:
The Humane Society is humbled by the wonderful people who continue to support our mission of service to animals.
Recently when we were faced with an unexpected water problem that damaged our supply of dog food, the community responded rapidly and with full force to help us not only replenish our supply but [...]

At its May 19 meeting the Bristol Town Council (BTC) gave preliminary approval to a request for tax abatement from Tim Dugle, owner of Molded Foam Products (MFP), an existing business located on Ponderosa Drive in Bristol.
The matter was introduced by Dave Ogle from the Economic Development Corporation of Elkhart County, who noted that MFP [...]

Keybank employees (left to right) Linda Powell, Lisa Pitts, Linda Turner, Cati Conners, Steve Wheatley and Jamie Phlegar participated in a the “National Neighbors Make a Difference” day at LoveWay in Bristol. The group spent the afternoon building the boardwalk, trimming the sensory trail and organizing the storage room. (Photo provided)

Bob and Patti Wojtysiak, owners of the River Inn Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Bristol, have announced that they will be closing their business by Thursday, June 30. Depending on availability of staff, they will be open until then for business as usual, and invite all their regular patrons and friends to come in to [...]

We The People, Michiana 9/12 Project, will be presenting an educational evening with Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Tony Bennet.
Dr. Bennet will be speaking on Indiana’s Department of Education’s goals and direction.  He will be taking questions from audience members.
It is the passion of Michiana 9/12 Project to educate and restore the principals of [...]

Have you been outside during sunset lately? If so, do you have any blood left? The mosquitoes are out in full force. The rainy, cool spring has been a perfect situation for the insects. There are many insects along with the mosquitoes that are present now. Ticks and cutworms are just a few. The mosquitoes [...]

Our annual Book Sale, during Bristol Homecoming,  will take place Thursday July 7th 10am – 8pm, Friday July 8th, 10am – 5pm and Saturday July 9th, 10am – 3pm at the Bristol Public Library.
Look in next month’s article to find out about a special raffle we will be having during the  event as well as special offers [...]

Organization Announcements & Events
-Chocolate Sensations announces they are now open for their extended summer hours until 8 PM, Tuesday through Saturday.
-Coming to the First United Methodist Church pavilion 702 S. Main Street Middlebury, IN on June 26, 2011 at 6:00 PM. Come to our Talent Show, bring family, neighbors and friends. Bring lawn chairs and [...]

Reading Program Starts Off Summer

Friday, June 3rd, is the start of our Summer Reading for children of all ages, teens, and adults.  Sign up to earn prizes, have fun, and support reading in our community.  “One World, Many Stories” is the theme for the summer.  Try to join in the excitement of collecting flags from [...]

Cutest Pet event added to 2011 Homecoming
The first annual Cutest Pet Contest is planned for the 2011 Bristol Homecoming. At the request of the area’s pet owners the Bristol Lions have decided to conduct a “Cutest Pet Contest” in conjunction with the “Cutest Baby Contest”.  The only rules are it has to be a live [...]

Queen contestants pictured above, left to right, are: Katie Price, Sarah Anderson, Nellie Sigsbee, Kayla Maygar, and Hollie Weidner. Not pictured are Miranda Saboie, Stephanie Hartl, and Megan Ellis. (Photo by Laurie Eads)

Bristol’s Monthly Beautification Award was presented to Kent and Karrie Kolbow (pictured at right), owners of Double K Farms located on SR 15 South, Bristol.
Kent and Karrie have owned the property for 5 years, making several improvements to the property including new fencing, landscaping and the renovation of the barns and stables.
The Kolbows operate a [...]