Temple News Agency
est. 1918

816 Jefferson Avenue, LaPorte, IN 46350

tmplnewz@csinet.net


WINTER HOURS NOW- 6:30 am to 6:30 pm every Day. Tuesdays, always 'til 8 pm for Live Music
Open 7 DAYS A WEEK for your convenience.
close at 2 pm Sunday for Winter months.


Started as a true "news agency", handling magazines of the day and being the central distribution point for newspapers in town, Temple has become a LaPorte institution. Adding an old-fashioned soda fountain, gourmet coffees and chocolates and espresso-based drinks has turned Temple into the oddest conglomeration of taste sensations ever to hit LaPorte


PRAYER REQUESTS..On Monday, April 11,2005 one of our local businessmen, Jeff Ake was kidnapped in Iraq and is being held hostage. We ask our extended Temple family to remember him in their prayers. Mr. Ake is married and the father of 4 children. As of June, 2006 there has been no official news of Mr. Ake's situation.We hope and pray for his safe return.
Stuff

For those of you who've not had a chance to spend time with us, a few words about some of our regulars. (Many have suggested that we submit video tapes for consideration as a new weekly sitcom) We have a rather odd mix each day, regularly visited by some irregulars such as Cream-Lady, Jimmy-the Greek, Frick & Frack (sometimes known as FrickinBob)and the ever popular Sausage-Fingers. We're also home to many who appear to be normal, but as you might guess, that is only a facade. We're kinda like a zoo for people. I, the always-in-charge guy, am the zookeeper. Jimmy, the Greek is practically a LaPorte institution having been seen walking all over town for years. Our roving weather indicator and philosopher, a visit from Jimmy immediately tells us how it is outside: "hoooo" means it's cold outside; A short, breathy "whew" means it's hot outside and either of these accompanied by puddles means it's also raining. Always the spiffy dresser, Jimmy's the consummate ladies man. Cream-Lady is happy to consume almost any dairy product in the largest quantity possible. If it ever at one time moo'd, she wants lots of it in her coffee. We also have many "special" regulars with normal names too, like Bud, Phil, Steve and Fish (Fish?) and sometimes you can't tell by looking just how special they might be - that's part of the fun of hangin' out here...you learn the most interesting things. There are, of course more, and the number seems to constantly grow. Do not, however, be afraid to join us. You may find that you are indeed strange enough to fit right in and perhaps someday to be assigned a descriptive name adding you to the ranks of immortal irregular regulars at Temple.


TEMPLE GOES SMOKE FREE, MAY 1, 2011. At the urging of our non-smokers and with the cooperation & understanding of our smoking customers, for the first time in our 93 year history, Temple will be completely non-smoking. Sunday May 1, 2011 marks the beginning of yet a new era in Temple history. Come in and smell the coffee.


FACEBOOK... Become a fan of Temple News on Facebook for the most current updates. Temple on Facebook


LAPORTE, THE COFFEE SHOP CAPITAL OF NORTH AMERICA... or so it seems. They're here...and then they're not...and then they are again. We appreciate the fluctuations in our business level. We really do and try to make our customers old or new comfortable. It appears that there are more springing up on a regular basis so make sure that you make no mistakes when you come to TEMPLE. We're the "mature" one. As for us, most of our loyal customers are so because we're NOT like those other guys and we don't expect that to change. WE are not going to change either: we will continue to sell a great product at reasonable prices and you'll still be able to order a "large" without applying any foreign corporate language to get it. (although for you adventurous types, you can call it a "big" if you want...we'll know what you mean.)We think it's simple: The coffee house you go to won't make you cool; Temple works for everyone, hip & trendy or Huey, Dewey & Louie. Welcome. Always remember, there are a gazillion drive-up windows in the world, but there's only one Temple.And during the summer months, Temple is open 101 & 1/2 hours per week for YOUR convenience.


THE STATE OF THINGS IN OUR WORLD. What with war, gasoline and utility costs and the whole hurricane/earthquake/tsunami thing, even though I'm not ready to take up a sign saying "the end is near, repent!!", I am thinking about carrying one which reads "stuff sure sucks alot more than it used to". Now we also have an economy that's not pretty to look at and less pretty to live in. But, we're all in this together & it'll be interesting to see if our society still has the guts & gumption to cope with the changes we're going to experience.Thank goodness we still have some coffee to get us through the process.


ON ANOTHER PERSONAL NOTE... Those of you who know me, know that I am not one to go around pushing religious beliefs (understatement #1 of this page), but sometimes there's only one word which describes a situation. The word "blessing" to me, means a "gift", something that one doesn't earn or deserve, but receives through the act of another. Without wanting to sound the the old guy I am, I've received many blessings thus far in my life. Temple has been and is supported by a group of tenacious people who keep coming back, no matter how much crap I give them, not because we're such a bargain but because they simply choose to support us. With this group, that support is not earned or deserved, but freely given by them regardless. Now I don't want to get accused of thinking/saying anything "nice" here because it runs contrary to my nature, but I recognize these "blessings" for what they are. Often we can't explain or even understand our blessings; we can only sheepishly say "thanks". Thanks, guys.


ASHLEY'S IN THE PEACE CORPS...UPDATE...She's back home from Senegal after two glorious years. As hard as I tried to train her for anything when she worked here, she claims I never taught her about outside toilets and/or scorpions-in-the-hut. I advised her upon her return that based on our current job market, she might want to consider re-upping, but so far she's happy to be home. Anyway, she did a really good thing, helped people in need and we're proud of her


"2nd SATURDAYS!" means downtown LaPorte was alive and happening from 5 to 8pm June 13, July 11 and August 8th this summer. Over 20 businesses participated in the events. This was an opportunity to stroll downtown LP, mix, mingle and partake of some great entertainment, shopping and great food. Look for us next spring. I've been here 15 years and think this to be the best thing to happen in downtown in at least that long.


BOOK SIGNING BY 11 YEAR-OLD AUTHOR> August Edwards signed her two books at Temple on Thursday 8/6 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. It was a good chance for aspiring young authors to meet someone who has already met with some success in the writing field. August was in town visiting family with her parents, Daniel and Jackie (both LaPorte natives) and younger brothers. Her books are available through Amazon by clicking any of the links below and searching for her name.


MAPLE CITY ROASTERS BEANS & BREW at Temple. Now stocking a supply of fresh roasted coffee beans from local roasters Maple City Roasters, as well as brewing their coffee as our flavor of the day a couple times a month. Check out their site on our links page.


NEW...USED BOOKS> Since our own local used book store closed a while back, we've wanted to fill that void.We now have a nice selection of gently used books for sale at very gentle prices. Hardbacks, paperbacks, fiction and non-fiction, current and vintage. Stephen King, Stewart Woods, James Patterson, John Sanford & more. A few real old first editions along with some pretty obscure titles (always wanted to learn Gregg Shorthand?? We have the book). Our selection is broad & ever-changing. At a few dollars for many books that have been read once, we're cheaper than E-Bay or Amazon and right here in LaPorte. Grab one on the cheap and enjoy it with your coffee. We also have a decent selection of older comic books, costing less than new ones.


ALL-NIGHT (?) LAPORTE-OPOLY PARTY Saturday April 25, we re-opened at 9pm for the anticipated party. Not quite the turnout we'd hoped for but we did meet a few new faces. (OK, the turnout sucked and the new faces were of these two drunk dudes who played really bad guitar and carried their belongings in a laundry bag.) It was a great idea anyway, perhaps whose time has not yet come.


MUSIC OF THE CHURCH We had pretty good results early- we've done three now and the local church musicians are starting to get onboard. Any church or inspirational music may be performed. (even 4 part harmony in Latin). Last date was Friday, Sept 25th and we had a new performer who seemed to know every old hymn and played piano requests. We had an old fashioned Hymn-a-long. We ARE gonna need more than one person though if this is going to continue. A little input is requested: is it something you want? Is there a better night than Friday? Should we keep trying? If you have interest in performing or suggesting please contact Mike at (219) 362-2676 or tmplnewz@csinet.net


Halloween '08 at Temple...many of our decorations were provided this year by PR's Lawncare. They do all kinds of holiday decorating and can be reached at (219)362-5104

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THE CANDLELIGHT TOUR...AT TEMPLE. Last year, we participated in the Candlelight Tour on Dec 6 and 7. The horse-drawn carriage picked up from in front of Temple for those who wanted to ride in style and our beautiful decorations were provided by PR's Lawn Care. This year on 12/5/09 from 4-8pm we'll again be hosting the carriage rides and providing some seasonal music. Warmth and hot beverages will also be available. While there won't be an actual "tour of homes" this year, for a nominal fee you can tour our historic district in an old fashioned horse & carriage.

                                       Holiday Evening


NICE NEW CHAIRS... and a nice surprise. Joe Stanton from NSC Heating/Air Conditioning dropped in with a batch of cool re-upholstered chairs for us. They look great and sit pretty well too but mostly they'll be a constant reminder of why we try to keep Temple going...people like Joe, doing things like that for us.



For those who've asked, we're trying an on-line calendar.



THADDEUS C. GALLERY... is one block north of Temple and a place you should check out. All kinds of fine art in a very cool setting. Take a look at Thaddeus C Gallery

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THE NORTHERN INDIANA SAXOPHONE QUARTET AT TEMPLE performed 9/16/07 and wow. They meshed together near perfection on jazz standards with a few classical pieces thrown in and we hope they'll come back soon. We finally made some progress on the age-old question: which IS better, Sax or Ice Cream??? But we can't tell ya.

LAPORTE POSTCARDS. We now have postcards of our beautiful County Courthouse, the round barn, depot, Northside fire station and Odd Fellows building available. We've recently added the Library at night, the channel between Pine & Stone Lakes and a new Temple card. More are in the works. Bring your visitors in to take a bit of LP home with them.

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"NEW RINKEL" PANCAKE FLOUR. is all organic and delicious (and here at Temple). If you find yourself on the toll road near the "Howe" exit east of South Bend, it's worth the time to find Greenfield Mills. Take a tour of their 100+ year old mill and check out their country store. There's a link to them on our links page.

TEMPLE GIRLS IN TEMPLE SHIRTS. Just so you can see how cool you could look in one. We are currently out of shirts & hoodies but will let you know when we get more.

                                               


LAPORTE COUNTY HISTORY BOOK written by Arnold Bass is for sale from Amazon. We had a book signing on Saturday August 5th from 10 am to 1 pm. "Up Close & Personal: A History of LaPorte County" is available through Amazon. Just click on the link below:

ONE MORE NEW BOOK....co-edited by LaPorte native Tom Watson, "HOME AGAIN: ESSAYS AND MEMOIRS FROM INDIANA" is a collection of essays written by people with ties to our state. These include Michael Martone, Alyce Miller and Kurt Vonnegut. It's for sale through Temple's site (see below) and Tom was here on November 4 for a book signing.


NEW? BABY KADIN. Shocking as it is at my tender age, I have a grandchild. Kadin is 7 years old now and making great progress, and is incredibly loving and happy. Pretty darned cute too.
Kadin being himself
www.BuddyWalk.org is where you can look to find information about Down Syndrome Awareness "buddy walks" in your area.


ANOTHER TEMPLE BABY. Saturday 2/12/05 at 9:32 pm Grace Lucille Rinkel began sharing her life with us, much to the delight of mom & dad, Sarah and Jon. Another music-night baby...Rob Auler finished up the "just for fun" concert about 7 pm and I headed for the hospital. Everyone is fine and my granddaughter is, of course, quite gorgeous. Now, at 6, she's developed quite a in-charge personality and Kadin loves his cousin.

Awwww, Christmas.


AND THE LATEST. Jonathan David, brother of Grace, born on 2/28/09.


THE GRASSROOTS BLUEGRASS BAND: Ralph Vogel has gathered three of his grandsons into a pretty darned good group of bluegrass musicians. Dusty, Jordon & Jacob join Grandpa and play at Temple whenever they can. They're startin' to draw a pretty good following and we'll try to let you know when they're going to be here next.


2006 COALESCE BIKE TOUR-JUNE 10.

Stopped to see us and play some music on their tour from L.A. to Washington DC. They marked the 20th anniversary of the Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament and Don Conoscenti played some of his acoustic music. This guy is great and we urge you to check out http://donconoscenti.com We'll be playing his music here - he's one of the best we've ever had at Temple. (yes, there are 2 capos on that guitar; sometimes 3)

Click the link to buy some of Don's CD's:

Temple Book & Music Store


MARIO MORENO, GUITARIST played for us on Sunday 11/13 from 9am to about 11. Mario plays a great mix of classical, flamenco, jazz and pop styles with only the aid of a drum machine and two guitars. We'll let you know when he's coming in again.


JEREMY BUCK, LIVE FROM L.A. AT TEMPLE Keep watching for their next visit to be scheduled. Click the link below to buy the Jeremy Buck CD:

Temple Book & Music Store:



STEEL DRUM BEACH PARTY Sunday morning, June 4,2006 at 11:00 am, KENT ARNSBARGER was again be here doing his steel drum music. See the picture a little further down this page.

Buy Kent's music below:

Temple Book & Music Store:


PINETOP PLAYS Good grief! Tuesday, Aug 9, 2005 for the country/bluegrass jam...in walks Mr. Pinetop Perkins, blues legend (92 years young), who graced our keys for the first time. Did some songs, ate some ice cream, smoked a couple and played some more. What a cool surprise.

Buy a Pinetop CD at our store:

Temple Book & Music Store:


THE "JUST FOR FUN" RECITAL & JAM Mr. Robert Auler, Assistant Professor of piano at the State University of New York, Oswego performed for a nicely packed house on Feb 12th, before his more formal concert on Sunday at The Presbyterian Church presented by the LP County Symphony. He dazzled the listeners with some jazz, rock, blues and classical and was backed up by Jack Collings on bass, Bob Sabie and a distracted me (see above) on guitars.

WI-FI INTERNET, NOW FREE FOR CUSTOMERS Now you can bring your laptop (equipped with a wireless card) in and surf at Temple with no cables. We only ask that you make some purchases while you're here. Our computer is still available for rent too.

ROBERT SABIE, JR. LIVE Friday, July 8 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Bob's left to live in Bellingham, Washington(where he plans to become a great and powerful musician) and said goodbye to his LaPorte fans with a final live performance at Temple. All those who heard his show can tell their friends when he becomes famous.


LIVE, OUT FRONT ON THE STEEL DRUM (STEEL PAN) by Kent Arnsbarger. It all happened on Saturday 8/22. Kent played from about 10 am to noon, out under the famous Temple Awning for all to hear. We're hoping we can get him to do us such a nice favor again soon and we'll let you know. In the meantime, you can check him out here.
We now have Kent's new CD, "Trip to the Tropics" in addition to his first, "Sounds of the Caribbean". "they gotta good beat and all the kids can dance to them; I give them a 96, Dick."


LIVE, THE BORN-AGAIN BLUES BAND Paul Thode, Bill Wiles and Rex Schmaltz did the blues again on Thursday, October 14th from 7 to 9pm. They've played here a couple of times and we're happy to have them for another night all to themselves. Temple is one of the few places in the area where people-under-21 can hear live blues. Guitar, bass, harp and vocals make this a fun group to experience.


SUNFLOWER FESTIVAL Fun for all in downtown LaPorte (and right here on our block!)

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COOL CARS... Been getting visits from both The Michiana Antique Auto Club and The "Sunday Night Cruisers". Lots of both vintage and restored cars and street rods exhibiting finesse and muscle right here in front of Temple. Remember to bring your classics to the classic soda fountain: WE were here when your car was NEW. Check out our photo album for pictures as we get 'em.


MICHIGAN CITY PEOPLE?? If you, like me, grew up in Michigan City (Indiana), check out this site for profiles of your old friends and pictures/information on MC in the past. http://www.wearemc.us We Are MC:Pretty cool stuff.

STILL NO DRIVE-THROUGH... And no, we won't be getting one. Get out of your car, watch us jerks (soda) work, and enjoy some time INSIDE at Temple. And...time it once. Bet we're faster than sitting in line behind a bunch of other cars anyway. As our ad says, "If your children think "fine dining" means being able to unbuckle their seatbelts while they eat, you're spending too much time in the drive-thru." At $$$$.$$ per gal., we're practically....priceless.

GIFT BASKETS FOR HOLIDAYS AND EVERY DAY Custom gift baskets by Temple. Anniversaries, Birthdays, Thank-You, Employee Gifts...Coffees, teas, cocoas, chocolates, pastries and more, wrapped beautifully with hand made bows. Simple tell us how many and how much you want to spend and we do the rest. Contact us for more information.


SHOP DOWNTOWN LAPORTE. For you locals, remember that we have a number of unique places to get your needs met right here in LP. Kemp's Office Supplies, House of Stitches, Judee's, Roxy Music and of course, Temple to name a few. We all need each other. For visitors, just find one of us and we'll be glad to direct you to the others.

THE COUNTY MUSEUM. If you're a visitor, stop and see them - you'll be impressed by lot's of things you never knew happened in LaPorte County, Indiana. If you're a local and you haven't been there, you owe it to yourself and to your kids to take a walk through. The museum has now completed its move to the Door Prairie Auto Museum, just south of town.

THE PANINI. Every Friday...Our GRILLED ITALIAN STYLE SANDWICH for lunch. Best you'll find between Pawtucket and Pinola. More (and a photo) on Page 3, Specialties of the House. THE "FORMAGGIO"...One heck of a grilled cheese...Havarti, Provolone and American Cheeses on Focaccia Bread. Whoa. Be sure and check out the pictures in our PHOTO ALBUM.(link is below)

MEETINGS: Yep, we've got 'em. And we have the time and room for more. Got a group with a need for a place to meet? Call us.

JAMAICAN BLUE MOUNTAIN BLEND Very probably our best in-stock bean.Come in and try a bag. Speaking of the islands, there's also PURE JAMAICAN BLUE MOUNTAIN, & while we sometimes have stock, we can always have fresh beans in 1-2 days for your order. Just let us know how much you want. Pure Jamaican Blue Mountain, the king of coffee. (and yeah, if you have to ask, you can't afford it) We also have MEXICAN ALTURA & ETHIOPIAN YERGACHEFFE beans in stock.We DO try to have one or two COFFEE BEAN SPECIALS a good part of the time so come in and check for sale prices or look for coupons around the town. Try our beans at a special price and we think you'll be coming back

IN OR OUT AT TEMPLE: Inside it's cozy dry and comfortable with great coffees, teas, iced drinks and things to eat. Ice cream is always available to warm the soul, whatever the weather. And outside...ahh, there's nothing quite like Jefferson Avenue under the famous Temple Awning watching the world go by. Temple's the place.

"HAVE TO TRY" ITEM: Ro's Amish Cashew Crunch. Definitely NOT peanut brittle. LOOSE LEAF TEAS and brewing accessories. We've got "Gunpowder" Green Tea, Cinnamon-Orange-Spice and Peppermint Herb and one thing's for sure: this is NOTHING like the stuff you've brewed from tea bags for years. Try it. It's easier than you think. CHAI, an interesting drink, hot or cold. Chai is a mixture of milk, black tea, honey and spices. For those with the munchies, try our BAGELS, CINNAMON ROLLS and our other pastries. And try some MALTED MILK BALLS while you're at it made by The SOUTH BEND CHOCOLATE CO. from our chocolate case. LOW CARB,SUGAR FREE: turtles, caramels and mint-melt-a-ways. We Also carry Organic "New Rinkel" Flour - check out their website from our links page.

Our 90th year of business! We're one of the few places left where a grandparent can take the grandchildren to the place they went as kids for papers, magazines and penny candy. And now with so much more. Temple has gifts for all your needs. And a Temple gift certificate let's them choose for themselves.


Music

IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME...whenever the mood strikes. Customers are always welcome to solo or jam.

BLUEGRASS/COUNTRY on TUESDAY NIGHTS: Temple is still hosting a group of bluegrass/country musicians who come in and entertain each week. Every Tuesday from 7 to 9 pm the pickin' and grinnin' is goin' on at Temple. Aspiring bluegrasser's are invited to bring their instrument and join the fun. The listening's pretty good too.

As always, THE MID-LIFE CRISIS ACOUSTIC JAM continues on Sundays from 2 to 6pm each week. Musicians of all types are invited to join us and others in some impromptu improvisation. Not an open mic or "performance", this is truly a "jam" in the purest sense, giving us all a place to work and play with others. We even allow listeners.

We don't limit the music to Sunday, though. If you play or sing or hum or strum...Temple is the place to try it out, any time. Speaking of "trying it out", we're lookin' for a few good (or medium) piano players who'd be interested in working with us to set a PIANO NIGHT. Yep, one night a week devoted to tickling the ivories at Temple.

By the way, we have an Epiphone,a Palmer and Bob Sabie's "Johnson" as HOUSE GUITARS. (Yep, we've got Bob's Johnson right here for you to touch) If you play, stop in any time and try 'em out. As always, players are welcome any time. In addition to Kent's Steel Drum CD, we have a number of "Tom Milo's Big Band" CD and Junior and The Igniters (sic) latest "Roll With It" for sale. Ask.


Temple Pages

Temple Page 2: Our Products
Temple Page 3: Specialties of the House
Temple Page 4: Miscellaneous Stuff & Links
Temple Page 8: Tribute to Mr. Max Brown, Guitarist and Carley Dickard.
Lots More Photos at Flickr : pics at Flickr
The Temple Photo Album : Photographic evidence of it all
Even More on Photobucket : Pictures
PR's Lawn Care Photos on Flickr : Pictures
e-mail us: Mail to Temple

lifetime of country romance
lifetime of country romance