LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The YWCA Greater Lafayette is seeking nominations for the 35th annual Salute to Women awards program. The nomination deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10, 2008.

The awards banquet will be held on the evening of Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at the Purdue Memorial Union Ballrooms in West Lafayette.

The YWCA plans to recognize several Women of Distinction and to present the Mary Keller Ade Woman of Wisdom award if a deserving candidate is identified in the selection process. The Woman of Innovation award also will be offered again to recognize a woman under 40. This award honors someone who may not have as many years of experience as the Women of Distinction and Woman of Wisdom but has served the community admirably and is a role model for others.

The first Salute to Women awards dinner was held on March 15, 1974. Today Salute to Women continues to bring focus and respect to empowered women who are role models. The program also benefits countless women and families in the community by serving as the YWCA’s premier annual fund-raising event.

“More than 30 years later, the YWCA’s Salute to Women continues to be important because we still have not achieved gender equity in so many areas,” says Beth Stull, chair of the 2009 steering committee. “It remains necessary to give public tribute to the women who give their best both personally and professionally and provide leadership in a myriad of ways throughout Greater Lafayette.”

All outstanding women age 20 and over in Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Jasper, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Warren and White counties are eligible for nomination, with the exception of YWCA staff and board members and women currently running for political office.

Nomination forms may be picked up at the YWCA, 605 N. 6th Street, Lafayette, or printed from www.ywca.org/lafayette/salute. For more information, call 765-742-0075.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — STAGES Theatre Company will present six performances of “A Christmas Celebration” at the Congress Street United Methodist Church later this month.

The show features two short Christmas sketches, “The Gift of the Magi” and “Six Who Were There” and will be performed at the Congress Street United Methodist Church, 2010 Congress Street, Lafayette, Indiana, on Saturday, November 29 at 7:30pm; Sunday, November 30 at 3:00pm and 7:30pm; Friday, December 5 at 7:30pm and Saturday, December 6 at 3:00pm and 7:30pm.

“The Gift of the Magi” is a dramatization of the classic O. Henry Story about a newly married couple who each give up something they love in order to buy a Christmas gift for each other. The show stars Jeni Hill and Mike Stewart as newlyweds Della and Jim Young. Also appearing in this short are Sarah Niskanen, Hayley Wolf, Fabien Volle and Paul Allen.

“Six Who Were There” is a mini-musical that takes a look at the birth of Christ as seen through six different people’s eyes: the Innkeeper’s Wife (Jeni Hill); Joseph (Dakota McCollum); Shammuah, one of
the shepherds (Hayley Wolf); Melchior, one of the wise men (Fabien Volle); a Roman Soldier (Michael Stewart); and Mary (Sarah Niskanen). Directed by Paul Allen, the show combines monologues and familiar Christmas songs that bring to life what happened on that starry, eventful night.

Tickets are $10.00 each if purchased or reserved before November 26 or $15.00 if purchased or reserved after that. Tickets must be paid for in cash — credit cards and checks are not accepted. To purchase or reserve tickets, call 765-404-2201.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Influencing Indiana’s future may be just a computer mouse click away, says State Sens. Brandt Hershman (R-Wheatfield) and Ron Alting (R-Lafayette).

Senators this week launch a dynamic, new online “virtual office” bringing Indiana state government — its elected officials and agencies — as close as a work, home or school computer.

In a joint statement released senators said, “Communication is important as we begin the 2009 legislative session. I will be working hard to balance the state budget, protect education funding, permanently cap property taxes and continue job creation across our state. As always, constituent input will be both valuable and appreciated.”

Senators encourage Senate District 7 residents to log onto www.in.gov/senator.hershman and Senate District 22 residents to log onto www.in.gov/senator.alting to access current legislation, view live hearings, provide immediate input and receive updates.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University’s College of Science is having a “CSI: Miami” viewing party for students and the Purdue community at 10 p.m. on Monday (Nov. 24).

The episode features technology created by R. Graham Cooks, Purdue’s Henry Bohn Hass Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry. Cooks will attend the party, which will be held at the Purdue Memorial Union in the La Posada room located near Starbucks.

Cooks developed an analysis device that reads a fingerprint’s chemical signature. The device can unearth fingerprints buried beneath others or reveal what a person recently handled, as well as create an image of the fingerprint for identity searches.

Jonathan Harbor, interim dean of the College of Science, also will be attending the party.

“The College of Science wants to support the researchers involved and share in the excitement as this technology makes its prime-time debut,” Harbor said. “‘CSI: Miami’ engages a broad audience and presents science as a powerful tool to solve mysteries. We hope it inspires future Purdue students to pursue an education and career in science, technology or forensics.”

The event is sponsored by the College of Science and is free and open to the public.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Joe Tiller savored every moment from Saturday’s send-off.

He raised his arms in victory after twice getting doused with ice cubes. He conducted the Purdue band as it played the school fight song one last time. He cherished the opportunity to speak to players and fans from the field, inviting them to visit him in Wyoming and even shedding a few tears.

Yes, it was a fitting tribute for the man who spent a dozen seasons restoring Purdue’s pride, and the Boilermakers made sure nothing would detract from Tiller’s farewell party.

Curtis Painter threw for 448 yards and five touchdowns, and Purdue opened with 10 straight scoring drives as the retiring coach reclaimed the Old Oaken Bucket with a 62-10 rout over Indiana.

“Does it get any better than this, I don’t know? What a way of finishing the season and finishing a career,” Tiller said. “They got me with the bath. My shorts are stuck to me right now, I actually need to go take a shower.”

It looked like a throwback to Tiller’s early days when the innovative spread offense confounded Big Ten defenses – except Saturday’s finale was far sweeter.

Purdue produced the fourth-highest point total in the history of a 111-game series, and the 52-point margin was the largest between the teams since the turn of the century – the 20th century. The last time a Bucket game was this lopsided: Purdue 64, Indiana 0 in 1893.

Tiller wasn’t the only one celebrating.

Running back Kory Sheets ran 15 times for 61 yards, passing Otis Armstrong for second on the school’s career list in yardage. He also broke the school’s single-season record for rushing touchdowns, scoring twice in the first half to surpass the 14 scored by Tony Butkovich, Leroy Keyes and Mike Alstott. Sheets added No. 16 on a 17-yard run late in the third quarter.

Painter was 38-of-54, throwing for a season-high in yards and moving into third on the Big Ten’s career list for total offense.

And Tiller finished with win No. 87 – three more than Jack Mollenkopf won during his 14 seasons in West Lafayette.

“He gave us all a chance and we owe him everything,” linebacker Anthony Heygood said. “This is a great way to send him out.”

The Boilermakers were almost perfect.

Painter opened the game with a 9-yard TD pass to Desmond Tardy, followed that with a 79-yard TD pass to Aaron Valentin and then the Boilermakers recovered a pooch kick that Indiana couldn’t get to. The miscue led to a 24-yard field goal from Carson Wiggs to make it 17-0 just 8:54 into the game, and the rout was on.

But the Boilermakers were only getting started.

Before the quarter ended, Painter hooked up with Brandon Whittington for a 5-yard TD and before the half ended, Sheets had scored two more times.

Indiana’s answer was a 27-yard field goal, not nearly enough with Purdue building a 41-3 halftime lead.

“I think they played a great football game,” Indiana coach Bill Lynch said. “They certainly executed well on offense. They did what they had to do, we just didn’t do enough on offense to keep them off the field.”

After adding two more TDs in the third quarter, the party really kicked into high gear.

Purdue’s players listened attentively as Tiller’s wife, Arnette, addressed the crowd between quarters and when music played, the defensive players danced.

Indiana did get a 16-yard TD pass from Kellen Lewis to Ray Fisher, but that only made it 55-10.

Keith Smith caught 12 passes for 136 yards, while Tardy finished with nine receptions for 114 yards and the band played “Happy Trails to You” as Tiller walked off the field for the final time, with his family.

“It just means I’m going to have one more Miller Lite,” Tiller said. “I was going to limit myself to 12 or 13. This game won’t change my mind (on coming back). I’m done with coaching.”