Michael Rohler is the new executive director of the Huntington Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Rohler, who officially started on Oct. 6, 2008, previously worked with the Tippecanoe County Chapter.

"I was a volunteer on the local and national level for four years," Rohler says. "I was also on the chapter's board of directors and was chairman of disaster services."

He adds that after several national volunteer assignments, he was encouraged to pursue full time opportunities within the organization.

Huntington County is fortunate to have a large pool of local stitchers who are willing to provide comfort to those in need by way of their homemade gifts.

Extension Homemakers from around the county gather in groups throughout the year to work on various projects or discuss upcoming events, like the sewing day on Jan. 29. That event will be held at the Courthouse Annex meeting room, 354 N. Jefferson St., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Friends, fans and families of the Pulse Opera House celebrated the arrival of 2009 several weeks ago by gathering at the downtown Warren theater to hear about the new "All American" season.

Cynthia Smyth-Wartzok, artistic and managing director of the Pulse, says the season - which starts on Valentine's Day - will feature shows "written by some of the most prominent American writers and are about faith, family, friendship and good old American ‘can do' spirit."

She announced the lineup at the stroke of midnight.

Chris Elston fondly recalls experimenting with a computer-controlled desktop robot while a student in an electronics program at Huntington North High School.

The class was taught by Jack Oberholtzer, a teacher who earned Elston's admiration.

"He was my inspiration for getting into what I do," says Elston, who now works in automation and industrial robotics.

Oberholtzer is now retired and, Elston says, the school's electronics program has fallen by the wayside.

An industrial organization located on the west side of Huntington, IN, helps a wide array of manufacturers form their products by assisting with chemical compounds.

Metalloid Corporation, 500 Jackson St., produces tube end forming compounds, stamping and forming compounds, machining and grinding fluids and specialty fluids, compounds and miscellaneous products to help their heating and cooling industry buyers and ma-chining organization customers, among others, create their products.

The Huntington Chapter of the Optimist Club has focused its efforts on providing for the youth of Huntington County for over 45 years.

The first official Optimist Club was formed in Buffalo, NY, in 1911, when citizens started to form voluntary organizations to address the needs of their communities.

The name "optimist" was used to define the group's expression of its desire for a positive outlook in the face of all problems.

Momentum for a nationwide Optimist movement began when the Optimist Club of Indianapolis was formed in May 1916.

A 15-year-old industry on the outskirts of the Huntington city limits may only employ four people, but even with its limited employee numbers, Heritage Tool and Die Inc. makes its living with the big boys.

Heritage President John Wegmann, one of three partners who started the organization in 1993, says the company's products go to several big-name industries, including companies like General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.

"We build primarily plastic injection molds," Wegmann says. "A lot of our business is from the automotive industry, electronics field and medical field."

For more than 35 years, the Huntington Metro Kiwanis have invested time and financial resources towards the development of programs for Huntington County residents.

The first Kiwanis club was organized in Detroit, MI, and received a charter from the state of Michigan on Jan. 21, 1915.

The group began as a small network of local businessmen who referred clients to each other's businesses. As the network grew, the members started to focus on not only themselves, but the needs of the community as well.

Amick Welding's 78 years of history have taken the three-generations of owners all over Huntington County.

Owned now by brothers Kevin and Alan Amick, the business was started in 1931 by the brothers' grandfather, Dale. Since then Dale Amick's son, Jack, and two of his grandsons have kept the family welding business alive across the county.

To some of his students, Scott Foster, a teacher at Huntington Catholic School, has the "coolest" pastime.

Foster is a bodybuilder and says he was introduced to the sport by a friend.

"I had a friend who competed in an event in Fort Wayne," states Foster. "He encouraged me to look into the sport and give it a try."

Since then, Foster, who is from Decatur, has been training and competing.

"I got involved in the sport in 2002 and to date I have competed in 14 competitions," he says.

Editor's note: Imagine a land covered with primeval forest and underbrush so dense it was nearly impossible for humans to walk through, and in that wilderness were prowling wolves and bears, as well as bobcats, cougars and, of course, an abundance of deer.

This story, like all good fairy tales, starts with a wicked stepmother.

There's adventure, danger, a fairy godmother - and a magical Christmas ending.

So, here goes:

Once upon a time (the late 1830s) a teenage girl lived with her family in a far-away land (Germany). The girl's stepmother was so wicked, the story passed on to her descendants goes, that she gave her only the fat from the meat at dinner time, and the girl would throw the fat out the window to the dogs.

So the girl's father gave her money to pay her passage on a ship to America.