Sheriff Jim Smith and Realtor Jeff Owens fist bump over Karen Gardner.

Text and Photos
By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

Column Note: In the 79th column in the Diners and Dives series, some Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club members explore the eastern edge of Warsaw.

Be Proactive

WARSAW — Optimist and rare regular Sheriff Jim Smith asked waitress Tammy Price about the soups. “I’m a soup guy.” He gave a thumbs up. “Most people don’t know that about me. But I am. I like ‘em all.” On that day, the sheriff could choose from vegetable beef or chicken noodle at Maria’s Family Restaurant. You can find Maria’s on the north side of US 30 at 3865 Lake City Highway across from the Marathon Gas Station.

Sheriff Smith is a curious eater, and he likes to cook, so we love it when he has the time to join us. “I gotta tell you guys this. I entered this chili cook-off contest in Leesburg. I made this taco chili and…” He raised his eyebrows dramatically. “You’re looking at the award winner here!”

Begin With The End In Mind

Writer Shari Benyousky with the menu.

Our wildcard Karen Gardner, a gifted and talented teacher from Lincoln Elementary School, ordered an omelet, then asked the sheriff what exactly defined chili. Was it the type of meat? The inclusion of beans? Was chicken chili really chili?

In the middle of our group digression into whether one could or should smoke the meat or add peanut butter to chili, I ordered a chicken skillet with green peppers, onions, hashbrowns, fried eggs and cheese. “Toast, biscuits, or pancakes?” Waitress Tammy asked. When I looked doubtful, she offered fresh fruit too. Maria’s offers a huge menu and accommodates all ages and food tastes. You can even order breakfast for lunch.

Put First Things First

Tammy brought 1st Source Banker Finley’s spectacular strawberry banana crepes covered with whipped cream and chocolate. After we all oohed and ahhed and took pictures, we returned to Gardner’s job as a teacher. “I have 16 students this year,” she told us. Gardner graduated from Warsaw Community High School in 2005 and was, in her words, “a practice player on the 2004 state girls basketball runner-up team.” She currently helps coach girls basketball at WCHS under Varsity Girls’ Coach Lenny Krebs.

When she was a basketball player herself, Gardner used to sometimes play pick-up basketball with the local guys including Realtor Jeff Owens. “I always remember him to be kind and encouraging,” Gardner offered. She and Owens discussed the importance of team sports in their own personal development.

Think Win-Win

Owens, who was happily eating biscuits and gravy topped with an egg, stopped to emphasize with both hands. “It’s important to learn how to work together on every team.” He offered his treasured jar of Maria’s homemade salsa around to prove his point about sharing.

Delivery of Paul Finley’s crepes and bacon. Photo by Paul Finley.

“Oh no!” Gardener leaned back from the salsa. “I’m allergic to habaneros. I learned this in school once when I ate some and probably went into anaphylactic shock. My lips swelled up and I fell asleep on my desk.” She chuckled. “I had this problem where I sometimes chewed on my pen caps. The next day I went back to school. But my lips swelled all up again after I chewed on my pen. It must have had some of the pepper from my fingers still on it!”

Spicey situations do require resilience and adaptability, two qualities found in great teams.

Seek First To Understand

Speaking of heat, Gardner’s GT students take on extra team challenges such as creating a podcast based upon leadership habits from the Franklin Covey curriculum. In 2023 Lincoln Elementary began its quest to become a “Leader In Me Lighthouse School” which encourages all students to develop leadership skills.

Gardner’s class Gardner’s Oak Grove is unusual because it has half fifth and half sixth graders working together. “I admire elementary teachers.” I waved a slice of cantaloupe for emphasis. “You have special kinds of skills and knowledge that I don’t have.”

“Why did you name your class the Oak Grove?” Banker Finley reached for his perfectly crispy bacon.

“I like to think of my students as acorns with potential. Through the two years I have them, they grow into oaks.” Gardner worked on the second half of her omelet.

“And they’re nuts?!” Finley joked.

“Oh yeah,” Gardner laughed easily. “We all are.”

Synergize

Karen Gardner enjoys her coffee.

“I’m reading books at Claypool Elementary tomorrow.” Sheriff Smith volunteered as he finished his salad. He was the Tiger Ambassador Principal for a Day out at WCHS recently too.

“I’m reading with the Read United program too.” I smiled at the memory of the enthusiastic kids. Shoutout to Jessica Speicher’s Lincoln Elementary First Graders for being awesome. “It’s a lot tougher than it sounds because you have to read upside down while holding the book for the kids to see.”

“And no monotone. Kids hate monotone,” Smith grinned.

Owens scooped up the last bits of biscuits and gravy from his plate. “I want you to know that I very much value the teacher in my house.” Owen’s wife Vicky teaches in the Cardinal Services Head Start classroom at Lincoln Elementary.

Are You Podcast Material?

Gardner’s Oak Grove Student Podcast will be starting up soon and her students will be looking for professionals to come in as guests to talk about the following leadership skills:

Be Proactive: Taking responsibility for actions and good choices.

Begin with the End in Mind: Setting goals and planning.

Put First Things First: Learning to prioritize and manage time.

Think Win-Win: Learning how to work together and find solutions that benefit everyone.

Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood: Practicing listening and communicating clearly.

Bank Paul Finley with his lunch choice. Photo by Jeff Owens.

Synergize: Understanding the power of teamwork.

Sharpen the Saw: Learning to take care of oneself and find balance.

If talking isn’t your jam, consider support by checking out the cool teacher projects listed at Donors Choose to help fund a different one. Gardner says this resource has been a huge help to her.

Sharpen The Saw

Gardner doesn’t just ask for help; she offers it too. She grew up in Warsaw but also lived in South Dakota and near Ashville, N.C. When Hurricane Helene recently flooded their old stomping grounds, Karen and her husband Jordan, a science teacher at Lakeview MS who does carpentry and once built houses in Mexico with his youth group, took their fall break to go help “muck out houses.”

Karen said that one of her Ashville friends put up four-season tents and has housed 100s of people coming down to help rebuild. “Oof,” Karen sighs finishing up her toast points. “Those houses have spent weeks flooded with 8 inches of mud. It’s still such a mess.” She and her daughter are selling craft kits online. The money will go to help the rebuilding effort. You can find out more on their Facebook post here.

TIPS — Maria’s offers Senior Meal discounts to anyone over age 50. They open every day at 6 a.m. with no closed days. On Sundays, they close at 4 p.m. You can eat Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s meals with them.

Do you know of an interesting place, restaurant, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured in Diners and Dives? Send Shari Benyousky, Visiting Professor of Professional Communications at Purdue Fort Wayne and CEO of SB Communications LLC, an email at [email protected].