Over the last year, Carpentry students at Vantage Career Center used their skills to build a new home construction in collaboration with the Van Wert County Land Reutilization Corporation. The 1800 sq. ft. home is scheduled to be sold at public auction on July 27, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. 

The 1-story structure is located at 143 E. Raymond Street, Van Wert, OH. Construction on the house began in the fall of 2021 and concluded in the spring of 2023. The floor plan features 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, open concept, large island/bar, large closets and an attached 2 car garage. Custom built cabinets throughout, along with luxury vinyl flooring.

Several Vantage programs collaborated to complete the house; including Carpentry, Electricity, and Construction Equipment Technology, providing students with training and experience in a  real-world job setting and exposure to local businesses who are hiring in construction careers.  

Auction terms can be found at www.vantagecareercenter.com. Auctioneers: Bob Gamble, Broker; Dale Butler, Broker; Rob Gamble, Broker; DD Strickler”

The Maumee Valley Antique Steam & Gas Association 43rd and 44th Show will be held August 19-22, 2021 at Jefferson Township Park, east of New Haven, Indiana between U.S. 30 and U.S. 24 at 1720 Webster Road just north of Dawkins Road.  A fun show for the entire family.  More information and a map can be found at (www.maumeevalley.org). 

We are featuring two great shows in one. Allis-Chalmers & Rumely and Minneapolis-Moline and Moline Universal line of tractors plus garden tractors.  All exhibitors of antique tractors, cars and trucks are also welcome and get free admission when registering at the office.  We will be threshing wheat, sawing lumber and plowing with tractors and steam engines. See the 15 ton, 125 HP Buckeye Oil Engine from the elevator at Grabill, IN and the Chuse Stationary Steam Engine from the Hicksville, Ohio Handle Factory in operation.  

There will be daily demonstrations by The Indiana Chapter of the Maumee Valley Blacksmiths. Women will enjoy the flea market, Trading Post and a large quilt display.  Paulding-Putnam Electric will give special demonstrations on Friday at 1:00 and 3:00 pm on “The Danger of Electricity”. Children can ride the Barrel Train and play in the sand box or take a tractor driving lesson.  On Saturday, a Kiddie Tractor Pull will be held at 2:00 pm and there will be an Exotic Animal Show at 3:00 pm.  Parades will be at 4:00 pm on Friday and Saturday. Free hay rides and demonstrations with horses and mules will be on Friday and Saturday. Antique tractor pulls will begin at 5:00 pm on Friday and at 3:00 pm on Saturday weather permitting. 

Food:  11:00 am to 7:00 pm Friday Fish, Chicken and pork steak dinners and Saturday Chicken and Pork steak dinners in the pavilion. There are many other food vendors are on the grounds. Delicious steamed sweet corn will be served Friday and Saturday and Sunday until gone. 

Live entertainment:  Friday 5:00 to 7:00 pm – the American Legion Band (Playing songs of the 60’s) 7:30 to 9:30 pm – Blue grass music by the Scott Brothers Band.  Saturday 11:00 am and 1:00 pm  – Applejack Kloggers, 6:30 to 9:30 pm – Bill Werling  & the Breakaway Square Dance Band  (bring your lawn chairs and dancing shoes).  Saturday only – Stargazing by the Fort Wayne Astronomical Society (weather permitting). Steam engine fireworks (Spark Show) Friday and Saturday after the entertainment. Sunday – Church Service at 9:00 am.  

Children 12 and under are free. All exhibitors are free.  Free parking.  The 765 Nickle Plate Road Steam Train Museum is having an open house next door Saturday and Sunday.

Contacts:   President:  260-414-9489, Exhibitors:  260-580-5416, Tractor Pull:  260-223-3879, Quilt Show:  260-580-5285, Flea Markets and camping: 260-341-4805, Trading Post: 260-460-0569.

This year the annual Woodburn Christian Children’s Home Benefit Auction took place at the Community Center in Woodburn, as usual, and had a terrific turnout. The event is one of the major ways the children’s home receives its funding.

Along with the silent auction and the regular auction, there was a prepared meal which many people enjoyed for a free will donation.

A new request this year for the Children’s Home is that they are collecting donations to purchase a new vehicle. The posters that have been made and distributed are of an old truck full of kids and the driver was a house parent. That house parent was actually of Dennis King in the early ’90’s when he was a house parent at the Home on Notestine Road.

Joe Heins, Assistant Executive Director, and Lee Bracey, both of the Children’s Home, announced how pleased with the turnout they were and the huge community support for this ministry.

Jerry Ehle and Schrader Auctioneers provided the auctioneering services for this event and made it go very smoothly with so many people all coming into Woodburn. Many people volunteered and made this a huge success.

The 2017 WCCH Benefit Auction was a resounding success. Many believe this was our largest attendance ever. The WCCH staff work diligently, along with over 70 volunteers, to promote an event that brought glory to God. The proceeds from the auction also topped the charts.

Live Auction – $41,695.00

Silent Auction – $5,802.00

Van Fund – $26,150.00

Food/Bev – $3,400.00

Sponsorship – $6,614.00

Total – $83,661.00

143 live auction items

194 silent auction items