Top 10 Feature Stories on ValpoLife in 2015

Top 10 Feature Stories on ValpoLife in 2015

It's been a great year for positive, heart-warming and inspiring stories from the Valparaiso community. From inspiration community members to hard working students, some incredible people and their stories were covered in 2015.

Do you have any positive news related stories to share with us? Don't hesitate to send an email to share@valpolife.com!

It gives us great pride to share with you the Top 10 Features Stories in Valparaiso for 2015!

Paul-Czupryn-2015

A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Office Paul Czupryn
Click here to read more!

Porter County Sheriff’s Department police officer Paul Czupryn is an individual dedicated to his duty. Coming from a long line of law enforcement members, Czupryn was raised with the ideals of serving and protecting the community.

“My grandfather was a police officer, as well as my father, uncle and older brother,” says Czupryn. “Law enforcement has always been a part of my family.”

Bricks-Napoleon-Street_4

Brick by Brick - Laying Foundation for Next 100 Years on Napoleon in Valparaiso
Click here to read more!

Our team has had a front row seat to the complete transformation of Napoleon Street in downtown Valparaiso over the past few months, and have enjoyed getting to know many of the guys working on every aspect of the job and the hard work they put into recreating this great little street with the character of historical Valpo.

From well below ground tearing out the old street, installing new sewers, water main, widening the road, and changing what had become an off road experience, Eric and Jeff Rex from Rex Construction have appreciated the significance of the project.

VHSNov1

#1StudentNWI: Musicals and Students Giving Back at Valpo High School
Click here to read more!

GUYS AND DOLLS!
As most Valparaiso students know, theater has a large aspect of talent at our school. Recently, The Drama Club put on a play called, “Guys and Dolls.” The play was one to remember to say the least. Seeing some of my own friends, as well as students that I see around the hallways, take part in something they’re passionate about was really enjoyable for me.

The play is set in the 50's and is about gambling, sinners, and relationships and the cast did an incredible job of pulling it all together. Cast members, including Michael Radford, Eric Evory, Deveon Williams, Kathryn Jankowski, Matthew Klemm, Anna Perdicologos, Garet Paul, Kris Bluhm, Mikey Nieto, Dylan Nguyen, Kait Sarver, Ryan Miles, Ollie Grcich, Lily Quint, Dennis Murray, and Michael Kelly.

jen_and_mike_IR_june_12

Life is a Revolution: A Salute to Steel, Risks and American Industry
Click here to read more!

Steel is the skeletal structure of many buildings. It is necessary for the building to stay upright and stable, but it isn’t often seen as it’s covered by drywall. Much like American industry, steel is tough, and it gets stronger when the heat is turned up.

The restaurant Industrial Revolution Eatery and Grille, a Valparaiso staple for the last five years, is a celebration of steel, a monument meant to “Salute America’s Greatness” as it boldly states on the signage above the eatery’s entrance.

Homer1

A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Homer Drew
Click here to read more!

Homer Drew is a fixture in Valparaiso. Not only Valparaiso, the school, but Valparaiso, the community. The town he’s called home ever since coming here to coach the men’s basketball team in 1988. And while Homer is most known outside of Valpo for his basketball achievements, it’s nearly impossible to talk to someone from the area that doesn’t mention Homer Drew, the kindhearted, generous family man, first.

Drew is a rarity in the world of college basketball, where head coaches are often replaced like batteries in a smoke alarm every Spring. He’s been involved with Valparaiso University in some fashion for over 25 years, which is both a testament to Drew’s commitment to the Valparaiso area, and the university’s commitment to him as well.

one-gift-final

If You Could Give One Gift...
Click here to read more!

I love this time of year. The decorations, the music, the food, but most of all it’s the generosity that comes out of a person’s heart. I also love PostSecret, a unique community art project created in 2005 by Frank Warren. For those who aren’t familiar with the project. Warren dreamed up an idea to empower people by letting them admit their deepest feelings and secrets anonymously. What made it unique was that he asked that people write their secrets down on post cards and mail them to him. The response was overwhelming with millions of people mailing him their secrets on creatively decorated post cards.

I decided to give a nod to the project and the holiday season by conducting a project of my own. I asked individuals to answer one question: If you could give one gift to one person, what would you give?

JohnMcGuire

A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: John McGuire
Click here to read more!

“The 4th of July, just like Memorial Day, for most people is just a holiday. The GI’s, Navy, Marines and all of them, on these holidays, you think about more of those who are still over there and the ones that didn’t come back with you. It has a deeper entrenchment of thought,” said Valparaiso resident, John McGuire concerning the upcoming holiday.

As we approach the 4th of July this year, we think about the men like John who have served our country at any time in history, and the sacrifices they made so that we can celebrate.

1StudentNWIKoutsHS2

#1StudentNWI: Colorful Messages and Colorful People at Kouts High School
Click here to read more!

Finals are creeping around the corner and has everybody, it seems, in a rather gloomy mood. The 10th and 12th grade English teacher, Elizabeth Chatwell, commented about how she wished someone would lighten up the hallways. The AP literature students ran with this idea. They started with sidewalk chalk decorations and eventually hung QR codes up in both the high school and middle school with poetry on each code. The students planned out days on a secret calendar deciding when and what they were going to do. It was no surprise when the moods of students and even teachers began to change at the AP student’s efforts to spread a little happiness through not only poetry, but also creativity.

B39, N5, I65. “Bingo!” The National Honor Society hosted their annual Senior Bingo Night at Kouts High School on April 17th. Students called games and took care of the guests- providing them with a variety of homemade treats, snacks, and drinks. They even gave out special bingo prizes like candles and little knick-knacks. With an outcome of almost thirty patrons, the students and the bingo connoisseurs would call this Senior Bingo Night a great success!

Allyson_Murphy1

A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Allyson "Izzy" Murphy
Click here to read more!

Izzy Murphy has encountered major triumphs at the young age of 9. The luminosity of her smile has the ability to illuminate any room within seconds. Her positive attitude and remarkable strides may be seen as heroic, as she contributed her time and efforts to ValPLAYso - The Next Generation! last October, in which she raised $6,000 for the new playground.

Before Murphy transferred to Immanuel Lutheran School in which she currently attends, she attended Memorial Elementary. While at Memorial, she was asked by staff to be a part of the ValPLAYso Children’s Committee.

 

Active in NWI: Many Moments Making One "Aha!" Moment
Click here to read more!

Transformations are happening in people's lives all the time. Some happen in one big bang, and others happen stretched out over time. For me, many small moments combined to give me my "Aha!" moment.

Active-in-NWI-JennyC_5I was inactive and unhealthy for most of my life. I ate terribly. The food I took in was awful and in high abundance. I would get home from school, eat a ton of crap and sit on the couch, watching TV. I was much more of an introvert and very uncomfortable with myself. I had been heavy my whole life and my name is Jenny Craig, so that was not easy.