GM Employees--Looking to Relocate? All About North Manchester

By: Carrie Vineyard - News-Journal

In 1987, four families from Wisconsin were among those who relocated to the Ft. Wayne area to take jobs at the Roanoke, IN GM plant, and decided North Manchester was where they wanted to live. More than 20 years later, all still call this community home. "We were looking for a good school system. We also wanted a small community that had a lot to offer and we were told North Manchester was a good place to live," said one of those relocators, Dale Sainsbury.

General Motors recently announced the opening of a third shift at their Roanoke location, which will provide upwards of 700 jobs. GM employees from around the country will fill most of the positions, and will once again need a place to relocate. North Manchester, only 28.5 miles from the GM plant, is an excellent option for transplants on the lookout for a place to call 'home'.

"From our house on the east side of North Manchester, it's only a 25 minute drive to work, which has never been an issue. It's a very good community to live in and raise a family and we are glad that we chose it," Sainsbury added.

The town of North Manchester coined 'one of Indiana's best kept secrets', named "Small Town USA" by ABC's Good Morning America, features the Victorian Village - quaint, historic homes and shops, is home to nationally recognized Manchester College and is the birthplace of US Vice President Thomas Marshall. North Manchester provides its residents an excellent library, good schools, friendly churches and a quality of life that just keeps getting better!

"I believe it is a place where you are known by many and you can really be involved with community life. You can walk into a restaurant or grocery store and people know your name. You can take a walk on a warm summer evening or ride your bikes in the evening and feel safe," said Town Council President Chris Garber.

With many jobs being lost in recent months and the economy declining, as residents or potential residents of North Manchester there is much to be thankful for. If you were moving into the area from out of state, which surrounding community would you choose to call your new home?

The following are some great reasons to make North Manchester your choice:

Parks and Recreation
North Manchester offers several parks as well as the Glenn W. Ruppel Recreation Complex. Warvel Park, the town's largest park located on Market Street, sits on 10 acres with a gazebo for concerts, weddings and parties, new state of the art playground equipment, two picnic shelters with tables and grills, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard courts, 1/2 basketball court, Alex's playhouse, natural amphitheater, and a beautiful waterfall. Nature lovers can take a stroll through Harter's Grove natural area.

Warvel Park recently added a skate park where many youth gather daily to hone their skateboarding skills. Scout Hall is also a part of Warvel Park's facilities and is used for scout meetings, weddings, receptions, and much more.

Halderman Park also located on Market Street, features the Halderman Cemetery display, an impressive Veteran's Memorial, and the Historic Thomas Marshall House. Other parks include Frantz Park, Maple Park Education Center, and Thomas Marshall Town Life Center playground.

The Glenn W. Ruppel Recreation Complex boasts over twenty acres with four baseball/softball diamonds, a full court basketball court, and playground equipment. A magnet in the summer months, more than sixty teams and six hundred youth and adults gather to play baseball, t-ball, and softball.

The Parks and Recreation department is planning to open a new community swimming pool facility in 2012. The facility will include a lap pool, warm water pool, fitness center, sauna, steam room, and whirlpool.

Many more recreational activities are available throughout the year such as youth basketball, youth football, youth soccer, tennis lessons, and the FunFest 5K Run.

Manchester Community Schools
Research indicates small schools, especially small high schools, provide higher quality instruction for students. Manchester Junior Senior High School has 673 students in grades 7-12. Students have flexible schedules to benefit from courses and teachers that best match their graduation course of study.

"A small school district offers the opportunity for teachers and administrators to know every student in the building. Students are familiar with all of the students in their grade, not just in their classroom," said Manchester Superintendent Dr. Diana Showalter. Award winning fine arts programs begin in the full-day kindergarten classes. High ability students, identified as early as the primary grades, receive instruction in either regular classroom settings or separate high ability groups through challenging, accelerated, and/or enriched programs to enable them to achieve continuous progress in school.

Showalter added, "The award-winning art and music programs at MCS are amazing for a small school district. Theatrical productions include K-12 students, the number of vocal and instrumental contest winners increase each year, the Honeywell Foundation sponsored holiday banner and card program recognizes outstanding artists as does the Best of the Best program for exceptional high school art students, and the Science Olympiad Team is an annual high-level competitor."

Manchester College and MCS work collaboratively on numerous projects for students: reading programs, AP classes, dual-credit classes, and after-school tutoring and remediation offerings.

Students who desire to take college courses for credit may attend Manchester College during their senior year. Advanced Placement classes are also offered in several subjects at Manchester High School.

Manchester High School was identified as an "Indiana Best Buy School" recognizing Indiana schools that have excelled academically while providing good value for local tax dollars. Manchester High School's 2009 graduation rate was 89.1% Heartland Career Center, another great option for students, offers numerous vocational preparation courses for juniors and seniors.

Manchester College
1,223 students from 21 states and 20 countries enjoy their college experience on Manchester College's 120-acre campus. Manchester College offers more than 55 areas of study. The independent, liberal arts and sciences college is a Church of the Brethren affiliated college.

Large oak trees and winding sidewalks allow students and North Manchester residents alike to take pleasure in the beauty of the campus. President Jo Young Switzer said, "Lots of residents do their daily walking regimens on campus. Residents are welcome to attend campus events like concerts, recitals, plays and athletic events. They are also welcome to enroll at our fitness center in the PERC for a small fee."

Year after year, Manchester receives acclaim from popular guides for college-bound students for its exceptional academic program. The 2010 America's Best Colleges guide of U.S. News & World Report ranks Manchester College 18th in the Midwest among "Best Colleges" and sixth in its "Great Schools, Great Prices" ranking. MC has received the "Best College" ranking for 15 consecutive years. The Princeton Review also consistently ranks Manchester as a "Best in the Midwest."

"Students enjoy the amenities of a small town - the park, the great streets for running, El Mesquite, and opportunities for volunteer service at local nonprofit organizations," Switzer added.

Service is a tradition and a habit at Manchester College; it is a part of most of MC's courses and puts students in close contact with the North Manchester community. Each spring education majors student teach in North Manchester's schools.

Students participate in class projects that support community initiatives, such as new playground equipment for the elementary school, reading programs in the schools, The Firehouse, teaching English to local Hispanic residents, and providing preschool assistance.

MC faculty and staff also provide significant leadership in the community, serving on boards and committees. MC employees have provided leadership for the Chamber, on the Community Foundation of Wabash County Board, on the Manchester School Board, and as president of the North Manchester Rotary, for example. They've also served on the Park Board, Fun Fest, and many more committees.

The College provides physical space for the community, for meetings of local service clubs like the Rotary and Kiwanis, and the Chamber annual meeting. Haist Commons is open to the public for food service, especially for Sunday buffets. Conference Services brings conferences, band and sports camps and even a scrapbook seminar to the community.

MC also provides a wealth of free enrichment, NCAA and entertainment opportunities, from athletic events to speakers to music. Every other year, a major musical often involves members of the community. The Sound of Music, for example, involved many children from the community and packed the auditorium for three nights running. The Manchester Symphony Orchestra is at home at the College, which also provides the conductor and many student musicians, who share the experience with professional and community musicians.

North Manchester can offer so much more to its residents because of the infinite opportunities through Manchester College.

Tree Lined Streets and Endless Gardens
Tree lined streets and flowers abound throughout the town of North Manchester. The Tree Commission, Garden Club, and America in Bloom (AIB) committees are hard at work to keep the town looking top notch.

AIB is a national program consisting of a friendly competition between communities across the United States. North Manchester's AIB committee is a group of dedicated volunteers and businesses working collaboratively to encourage community beautification in North Manchester. In 2008 North Manchester was the National Winner of the 5,000-10,000 population category, and also earned a special recognition in Historic Preservation.

North Manchester's America in Bloom Chairman and professional landscape designer and owner of Metzger Landscaping & Design, LLC a design/build landscape firm, Leesa Metzger, stated, "My husband Steve and I live near North Manchester and wouldn't want to raise our family anywhere else. The community of North Manchester offers many cultural opportunities for our family. We enjoy the spring Tulip Festival; the summer 4-H fair, during August the FunFest by the River and car show is a family favorite. In the fall the Harvest Fest is always a treat with hayrides, pumpkin painting, and apple dumplings to enjoy. The town is home to numerous church denominations. Our family has been enriched by cultural opportunities found here by the Manchester Symphony, an Art Gallery at Manchester College, and numerous ever-changing exhibits at the Center for History."

She added, "The summertime Garden Walk and America in Bloom's Dessert in the Garden offer an opportunity to enjoy local private gardens. The North Manchester Historical Downtown District is filled with unique shops and restaurants offering citizens and visitors alike opportunities for shopping and fine dining year-round. Manchester Schools offer our children an excellent education while beautiful parks, tree lined streets and a community rich in historical value add much to the charm of this friendly small town. Eel River Garden is located in the heart of the downtown historic district and is cared for by the very active Manchester Garden Club. Numerous civic groups make up a caring community working toward community beautification efforts and are always willing to lend a helping hand to a friend or neighbor in need."

Unlike a lot of communities, North Manchester has its very own Tree Advisory Commission which provides education for residents, removes replaces and trim trees in tree lawns, and plans for visually appealing tree canopies.

Tree Commission President, Ruth Ann Schlitt, stated, "The tree commission is responsible for, at no cost to the homeowners, to remove a diseased, damaged or dangerous tree in tree lawns. The town is very supportive in helping maintain the tree canopy."

North Manchester has been named a Tree City USA for thirteen years in a row and provides the Walrod Memorial Tree Endowment administered through the Community Foundation of Wabash County. The endowment subsidizes the cost of a new tree allowing residents to only pay $75, which includes a tree of choice, planting, mulch, and labor.

Retirement Living
North Manchester has not only one, but two continuing care retirement communities: Timbercrest Senior Living Community and Peabody Retirement Community. Many larger communities have none.

"Both faith based retirement communities have a rich history in providing mature adults with a variety of housing and healthcare needs you would tend to find only in large urban environments," said Jeffrey Brasie, Peabody's Executive Director and CEO.

Peabody is the region's largest provider of physical, occupational, and speech therapy services, which helps individuals work their way from a hospital back into their home.

Timbercrest's Executive Administrator David Lawrenz stated, "People should consider moving to North Manchester to take advantage of the small town atmosphere and safety. Its proximity to Fort Wayne is a positive. As health needs change as one ages North Manchester offers long and short term care options allowing folks to stay close to their friends, family, church, and family doctor."

Timbercrest is a faith-based senior living community that provides quality, person-centered care with an outstanding reputation and traditionally excellent inspections by the Indiana Department of Health.

North Manchester also has a very active older adult organization, The Shepherd's Center, which offers social, educational, travel, and volunteer opportunities.

Service Clubs
North Manchester hosts a number of civic organizations including: Lions Club, Rotary, VFW, Kiwanis, Sororities, Historical Society, America in Bloom, Tree Commission, Garden Club, Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), Fellowship of Churches, Friends of the Library, Town Council, Tourism Committee, Manchester Recreation Association (MRA), and many more.

Unique Shopping and Eateries
A variety of restaurants can be found throughout town from multiple fast food chains to well known regional restaurants such as Mr. Dave's, Main View Bar and Grille, and the Sandwich Cellar-Time Out Inn.

Unique shops are plentiful with options from antiques to gift items from around the world. With nearly 200 members, the North Manchester Chamber of Commerce works to promote and strengthen commerce within the community. North Manchester offers many things that other towns its size do not, yet it still maintains a "small town" feel that those who are residents have come to expect.

"North Manchester is very unique in that, for a town of its size, almost everything you need can be purchased locally. From groceries to vehicles, to furniture and carpet, to jewelery and clothing, to household items to unique specialty stores, our community has done a great job at being very diverse," said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tim McLaughlin. "Local businesses and retailers continue to do a great job catering to the needs of the community and help make North Manchester what it is--a friendly, convenient, and inviting place to live," he added.

A family can find everything they need in North Manchester from housing (multiple realtors from which to choose), to groceries, to furniture stores, to recreation, to auto dealerships, to great schools, North Manchester is a perfect place to call home.

For more info about North Manchester and its housing opportunities visit the Chamber of Commerce website at www.northmanchesterchamber.com. Local realtors include; Tri Oaks Realty: www.trioaksrealty.com; Manchester Realty: www.manchester-realty.com; Hoosier One Realty: www.hoosier1realty.com.