Wednesday, February 28, 2024
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Serving Kosciusko County and parts of Elkhart, Marshall & Noble Counties
Know Your Neighbor . . . 2➤ Nappanee Area News . . . .5
Vol. 53, No. 36
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
JENNIFER TOMPOS When I went to get my first car registered, their antiquated computer didn’t acknowledge Feb. 29, and they suggested I just go park it while they got it all worked out. I’ pretty sure my eager-to-drive 16-year-old self thought the sky was falling.
AMBER HARDY I often get the question of when do I celebrate, Feb. 28 or March 1, to which I reply Feb. 28, as I like to keep it in the same month. Growing up, I celebrated both days.
By KEITH KNEPP Staff Writer When you ask most people how many days there are in a calendar year, the answer you’re most likely to get is 365. However, for a small subset of people, it’s that 366th day that only comes once every four years that is the most significant. It is estimated that there are 8 billion people on earth. Doing the math, that means somewhere around around 5.4 million of those people were born the day the calendar read Feb. 29. A request was issued on social media to find local people who were leap year babies. Surprisingly, the responses were plentiful, with people tagging friends and relatives in the comment section. “Well, the very first one was special,” said Allen Denney. “I was the first baby born (on that day) in 1960 in Warsaw, and Mom won all kinds of baby things, and it was the on the front page of the local newspaper, which I still have. Over the years, every birth-
ALLEN DENNEY “It’s always a conversation starter when anyone asks for my ID. The novelty of it is very fun, and the odds of being born on that day are pretty low.”
day was always a little more special. The novelty of it is very fun. My family and friends still make a big deal about my birthday, especially every year like this one, when I’ll be 16 and not 64. Thinking more about it and digging up some old pictures reminds me how special it was, and is.” “I enjoy being a leap year baby as an adult, but maybe not so much when I was younger,” mused Arika Chilberg of Wakarusa. “It is fun when I get to see my birthday on a calendar as it doesn’t happen every year like most. If it’s not a leap year, we always celebrate Feb. 28, since it’s still in February. When I was little, I struggled with it at times. My older brother would tease me and say I couldn’t get my license until I was 64, since that is when I would be 16, and I believed him and would cry. But then I would try to use it to my advantage to get the children’s price at mini golf and other places. People looked at me like I was crazy. It’s been fun
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
ARIKA CHILBERG As you get older, it’s always fun to joke about how old I turn. This year, I will be 11. I will always stay young. Wouldn’t that be nice if it were actually true?
though, all in all, and when I do get to celebrate my actual birthday it makes it extra special.” “I do feel special being a leap year baby, especially since I was born before planned deliveries were a thing,” said Amber Hardy. “I don’t celebrate my birthday much anymore really, due to the fact that one, I am getting old, and two, my son’s birthday is two days after mine and my daughter’s is two days after his. That’s a whole lot of celebrating in one week. The best highlight is my youngest nephew with his constant teasing of my age in relation to his.” “Being born on a leap day is special to me because it’s unique,” added Erin Hopkins. “Not many people can say that. I was due on Valentine’s Day in 1980. My mother, the late Lynn Allegret, started going into labor Feb. 27, but I didn’t make my debut until Feb. 29, 1980. Birthdays always seemed sweeter every four years, and I remember
ERIN HOPKINS My daughters and I enjoyed being the ‘same age’ together. My oldest, Olivia, who is now 18, and I were 8 years old together. My youngest, Skylar, is currently 11, and this year she and I will be 11 together.
being extra spoiled with my favorite foods, family, friends and gifts. I got a surprise sweet 16 birthday party when I turned four in leap years. I remember my father, Terry Griffith, always saying, ‘when my daughter is 64 years old, she’ll really only be 16 and driving, and I won’t have to worry about it because I’ll be long gone.’ I always get asked, ‘when do you celebrate your birthday since you don’t have one every year?’ For me it doesn’t matter. Some tell me happy birthday Feb. 28. Some tell me March 1. At the end of each year, we are all another year older, right?” “What’s special? Not much really,” said Jennifer Tompos. “I always have an answer to the ‘one interesting fact about you’ ice breaker. In high school, I was able to milk it a little and insisted I celebrate my birthday both days. The first thing my mom said when I came out was, ‘but when do I celebrate her birthday?’ Alas, I now have resorted to counting my birthdays as opposed to years old. It just sounds better.”