Roses
• To teacher Jennifer Binney and the people who took the time to read to first-graders at Columbia Elementary School as part of Read Across America, an annual event dedicated to reading on the birthday of Theodore Geisel, the creator of Dr. Seuss. Binney contacted members of the community to set up the effort. Among those who visited and read a Seuss book were The Cat in the Hat (portrayed by Logansport High School student Jose Figuera), Mayor Mike Fincher, Logansport Schools Superintendent Julie Lauck, a veterinarian, firefighters, a police officer and an engineer. Binney called the event a success, saying “it brought back the excitement of reading.”
• To the organizers of this Saturday’s Rockin’ Out for Haiti concert, the four bands performing and to Boondockers and its owner, Marilyn Werst, for their efforts in making sure this concert goes on. Lindsey Nash got the idea for the concert after the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti, but scheduling conflicts at McHale Performing Arts Center nearly caused it to fail. Support from community members, however, inspired Nash to go forward. Money raised at the concert, which begins at 6 p.m., will go to Music For Relief, an organization founded by Linkin Park, which is working to support the immediate relief of the country in a partnership with the United Nations Foundation’s Central Emergency Response Fund, Habitat for Humanity and Dave Matthews BAMA Works Haitian relief efforts.
• To the Cass County Roosters, who volunteered to begin taking apart the Roll of Honor outside the city building. After three years of planning and fundraising by the Cass County Veterans Council, the work has begun with the Roosters taking on the demolition project. Volunteers spent several hours Saturday taking off the roof and cleaning. This weekend, they will pull out the block and stones of the memorial, which will be replaced with a new structure by the end of the year.
• To Pioneer’s boys basketball team, which won its fourth sectional championship in boys basketball last weekend. To do so, the Panthers had to beat sectional host Tri-County, which earlier in the week had defeated Pioneer’s arch-rival and defending sectional champion Caston on a last-second shot. Then the Panthers had to turn around the next night and beat Midwest Conference champion West Central, which went 7-0 in the MWC and had won 16 games this season. Pioneer’s 12 wins this season are its most in six years. Next up for the Panthers are the No. 1-ranked Bowman Academy Eagles at the Triton Regional on Saturday.
• To Logansport’s boys basketball team. The Berries were defeated by IHSAA tournament-nemesis Kokomo in their sectional opener, falling to 1-11 in tourney play all-time against the Wildkats. But the Berries’ 15-5 regular season was their best in over three decades, and their 13-1 start to the season was their best start after 14 games since 1927. As Logan coach Mark Victor said after the Kokomo game, the Berries, led by seniors Nathan Champion, Jared Jennings, Garrett Baldini, Tyler Raisor, Jordan McGuire and Nick Weinstein, “brought this program a long way. ... That was a really nice core group, and they really brought Logan basketball back to where it should be.”
