Banner Graphic, Volume 13, Number 101, Greencastle, Putnam County, 5 January 1983 — Page 1

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You don't have to be a Jordache girl to model your new Christmas duds for the photographer. Modeling the latest in winter outer garments-no doubt a few came directly from Santa Claus himself-are Jones Elementary

State budget director admits 'serious' revenue reservations

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Revenue from higher state sales and income taxes will leave Indiana's general fund with nearly a $323 million balance by June 30, 1984. state Budget Director Judith Palmer said today. The surplus will swell to $403.7 million by June 30, 1985, according to the budget agency prediction, but Ms. Palmer said that projection may be overly optimistic “I have very serious reservations about the revenue projections,” she told a group of Indiana newspaper and broadcast executives in a briefing conducted by Gov. Robert D. Orr and top administration officials. However, the budget agency figures show that the general fund surplus would be higher each year if millions of dollars did not have to be transferred to the Property Tax Replacement Fund. This account, financed by sales tax revenues, pays a share of every property owner’s tax bill and also provides state aid to public schools.

Sens. Dunbar, Parent already busy with bills

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The state income tax would drop to 2.5 percent in 1986, if a bill filed Tuesday in the Indiana Senate becomes law. Sen. William Dunbar, R-West Terre Haute, is sponsoring the measure to phase out part of the recent income tax increase. The bill was among 59 introduced Tuesday for consideration in the 1983 Legislature. Under a new state law that took effect Jan.l, the income tax went from 1.9 to 3 percent. The increase will be permanent, unless the Legislature says otherwise.

The streak continues.... Partly cloudy through Thursday, with low overnight in the upper 20s. High in the low to mid 40s Thursday. Little or no chance of precipitation. Indiana Extended Forecast A chance for showers Friday. Otherwise partly cloudy and mild Friday through Sunday. Lows in the 30s. Highs in the 40s to low 50s. Abby A 4 Bridge Al 3 Calendar A 5 Classifieds AI3 Comics A* Crossword Al 3 Farm A6.A7 Heloise AS Horoscope Al 3 Obituaries Al 4 People A8.A12 Sports A9.10.1l Supermarket Shopper Al 2 TV AS

Banner Graphic Putnam County, Wednesday, January 5, 1983, Vol. 13 No. 101 20 Cents

In the first year, nearly $197 million will have to be transferred from the general fund to the Property Tax Replacement Fund to avoid a deficit. In the second year, the subsidy is projected to drop to nearly sl7l million. In a special session in December, the Legislature raised Indiana’s income tax from 1.9 to 3 percent and the sales tax from 4 to 5 percent, effective Jan. 1. The budget agency said the tax increases would raise an extra $741.5 million in 1983-84 and $839.7 million in 1984-85. John Huie, chairman of the State Board of Tax Commissioners, told the state news executives that the $403.7 million projection "may not be as comfortable as it looks now.” Orr said that the revenue projections will be updated before the end of the current legislative session. The budget agency figures released today were based on an assumption Indiana revenue would grow by 6.8 percent

Sen. Lawrence M. Borst, RIndianapolis, introduced a bill to strip four state university boards of trustees of the authority to set tuition and fees. Instead, that authority would fall to the Legislature. Under Borst’s bill, if the Legislature failed to pass a law raising tuition and fees, the old ones would remain in effect. The measure applies to Indiana University, Purdue University, Indiana State University and Ball State University. With his bill, Borst is retaliating against

Putnam Patter

Rails doomed in Nicholsonville

By OAVII) BARR Banner-Graphic Civic Affairs Editor Most of the towns in Putnam County can thank their lucky stars that the railroad with its iron horse came through their confines or were nearby. These transportation arteries brought in much of what the early Putnamites needed and provided a way to get fruits of the land to places which were considered far away by travel standards of the day. BLESSINGS OF THE railroads were not shared by all early Putnam towns that were trying to make a go of it. In fact one at the Marion-Floyd Township border might have been thriving today if the railroad had moved its right-of-way a short distance, say a half mile or so, in another direction. The tale of this ghost town began on Sept. 28, 1837 when 32 lots were platted by Carter F. Nicholson, Abraham Wise, Jackson Wise and James Allen. Thus Nicholsonville came into being. The new town, located in the corner of section 3 of Marion Township, was officially recognized as a post office town

School students (from left) Ginny Bond, Tricia Covert, Amanda Smtih and Buffy Heller of Greencastle. (BannerGraphic photo by Rick Combs).

in 1983-84 and grow another 8.9 percent in 1984-85. By contrast. Indiana revenues in 1982-83 were actually 3 percent lower than they were the previous year Orr. asked about the timing of his announcement of the income and sales tax increases, said, “Any announcement of the kind I had to make was inconvenient ." Orr has been roundly criticized by Democrats for waiting until after the November general election to announce that the increases would be necessary. He said it was not until August that revenues "dropped dramatically.” He said the August decline in revenue amounted to S6O million but in September, revenues were $5 million short of projections. This left fiscal experts in a quandary whether to use the S6O million shortfall to project an annualized revenue loss of $720 million, or whether to use the $5 million figure to project a yearly revenue loss of S6O million.

Indiana University president John Ryan for raising IU tuition well above the 12 percent limit approved by the Legislature last year. At the time, Borst called the tuition increase "unconscionable.” Units of government which lost the chance to earn interest on property tax replacement fund money because of a change in the state’s payment schedule would be able to raise property taxes to cover the sum, under a bill sponsored by Rep. Lillian Parent, R-Danville. The Legislature, in the special session to

and had the first general store in the township. THIS PIONEER STORE probably stocked everything from needles and sewing thread to horse collars and everything in between. Proprietor was Ahijah Robinson who was also the first postmaster of Nicholsonville. No doubt the store and post office were all under one roof. Historians have ignored what might have been downtown Nicholsonville in its heyday. It would be 15 years before Fillmore would be platted, so it stands to reason that there must have been shops and other outlets in addition to the general store in the young town. Nicholsonville began to realize the beginning of the end when Fillmore with its advantage of railroads began to grow. As its population began to increase, the population of Nicholsonville began to decrease. THE END WAS definitely in sight when surveyors sited a line through Nicholsonville. The New York Central’s right-of-way cut a 100-foot swath through the town and there wasn’t enough left to rebuild.

Authoritiesdiscount link with Newport murder

By ERIC BERNSEE Banner-Graphic Managing Editor PUTNAMVILLE-Similarities between the murder of male prostitute John Lee Roach in Putnam County and like crimes in four other areas have not yielded any evidence of a connection between the murders, authorites said Wednesday. INVESTIGATORS MONDAY and Tuesday probed similar crimes against known male prostitutes and homosexuals in Vermillion, Lake and Marion counties of Indiana and the Kankakee area of Illinois. However, according to investigator Jack Hanlon of the Indiana State Police Post at Putnamville, all but the unsolved murders of four Marion County male prostitutes have been ruled out in relation to the recent slaying of Roach, 21, Indianapolis. The stabbing victim s body was found Dec. 28 in a wooded area of Warren Township, northeast of Ind. 243 exit of Interstate 70. That same day, the body of another stabbing victim, Steve Agan, 23, Terre Haute, was discovered behind an abandoned farm house near Newport in Vermillion County. Any connection between the two murders was discounted at first, but revived when Roach’s girlfriend acknowledged that he knew a Steve Agan. She said she had seen that name written in a black address book Roach kept. HOWEVER, HANLON told the BannerGraphic Wednesday that the Steve Agan associated with Roach is not the same Steve Agan found in mutilated fashion Dec. 28. “There is a guy by the same name on the southside of Indianapolis," Hanlon said. "Of course, we don’t have the little black book to track down his exact address, but we know him because more than one associate of Roach knew him." Those same associates have told authorities that the Indianapolis Steve Agan is a drug dealer.

Zoning Board okays home tax business

By BE.CKY IGO Banner-Graphic Area News Editor Only three items of business were considered by the Greencastle Board of Zoning Appeals as it met for reorganization Tuesday at City Hall. The current slate of officers were retained for the year. Robert Loring will continue as president, Mrs. Flossie Harmless was re-elected vice president and Evan Crawley remains as secretary. AUDREY WALTON completes the board as it now stands. Loring did say that

deal with the state’s deficit, delayed $255 million in state payments to schools and local governments so the state could end the current fiscal year in the black. Many governmental units have complained that they will have to borrow' money to make up for the lost interest they normally earn on these funds. Mrs. Parent is also behind a bill to reduce the penalty for littering. The offense currently carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a SI,OOO fine. Mrs. Parent’s bill would make it Col. 3, back page, this section

In her history of Fillmore, Irene Sinclair Ferrand writes that one N. Bohanon owned four acres in Nicholsonville, which the Big Four ruined. “Elijah Cowgill, one of the appraisers, allowed Bohanon S4OO, which was all the town brought,” according to Mrs. Sinclair. “Most of the people left, going to Fillmore where they were not afraid of a railroad running over their homes. Nicholsonville was about a mile and half east of the Fillmore stop on the Big Four. “WHEN IT WAS LAID out, the travel between Greencastle and Danville was on this road long before the Big Four was built. The plat of Nicholsonville is on the old plat book of Putnam County.” While the town lost much of its prestige when the post office was removed to Fillmore, it regained some of its selfrespect when the name Nicholsonville was the official address and postmark for several years. When the 1966 history of Putnam County was published, the old railroad water tower and coal dock were the only remaining monuments of the town the Big Four killed.

JOHN LEE ROACH Putnam murder victim

“AND, FROM WHAT we can tell,” Hanlon added, “the one (Agan) in Terre Haute has no connection to Indianapolis.” The only other similarities in the stabbing deaths of Agan and Roach were the nylon rope used to bind their hands and the date their bodies were found. The latter was discounted by Hanlon as a similarity because no definite time of death has been established in the Roach case. “One could have been dead three days longer than the other,” Hanlon explained. "Their bodies were just found the same day. “WE’VE CHECKED the ropes against one another," he continued. “They’re approximately the same size, but they’re not from the same weave. So we know they’re not off the same spool, which most likely means they didn’t come from the same person.” The supposed connections to murders of male prostitutes and/or homosexuals in Lake County and in Illinois were nowhere near so unusual. “I can’t see any connection with the Lake County murders,” Hanlon sim-

member Frank Null's term had expired. Null served as the City Planning Commission’s representative to the Zoning Board, according to Loring, and the position will again be filled from that board. A second vacancy is also available on the board. Mayor Jane Harlan has yet to find a replacement for former member Mike Tzouanakis. The only business item before board members Tuesday evening was a request by Denzil Coffey to obtain a special ex-

Vocational School offers basic areas for adult education study

The Putnam County Area Vocational School will offer adult basic education/GED classes, which provides instruction materials in the five basic areas of the GED exam, according to an announcement by Director David Archer. The five basic areas mentioned are math, writing, reading, science and social studies. There will also be information given about the GED exam, testing centers and testtaking techniques. CLASSES WILL BE a mixture of group and individual instruction with an emphasis on individual or small group study. Classes are to begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11 with enrollment to take place at the first class meeting. The class will meet at the Putnam County Area Vocational School at 802 Indianapolis Rd.. Greencastle. Later enrollment may be completed by attending any class session thereafter. Classes will meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. throughout the school year. This excludes vacations, holidays and Cloverdale school snow days. THE CLASSROOM is well lighted and is accessible for persons confined to wheelchairs. Smoking is not permitted in the classroom. The class and classroom materials are free to individuals

plified. ‘‘The male prostitutes and homosexuals there came out of Chicago. And the one killed near Kankakee, I can’t see anything there either.” AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT ruled out a link to the Indianapolis murders of at least three other male prostitutes since June 1980. All three of their bodies were found north of the Capital City, however, two in southern Hamilton County and one in northern Marion County. • "I still think our lead is going to come from Indianapolis,” Hanlon said. “We’re still running down his associates, and that’s going to take a lot longer than usual. There’s some that aren’t going to want to admit that they knew him.” Hanlon’s last statement is, no doubt, in reference to the disclosure by Roach’s roommate. Keith Linville, 16. that the victim was a male prostitute. Linville identified Roach’s body Dec. 30 by the “John” and “Sheryl” tattoos on his shoulders and the small silver buffalo earring Roach wore in his left ear. The earring was a gift from Linville’s 18-year-old brother,, another roommate of Roach. HANLON SAID authorities are concentrating on the Monument* Circle area of Indianapolis, as well as the library area on Pennsylvania Street. Roach was known to frequent both areas, which are also reported havens for the Indianapolis gay community. Although authorities believe that Roachwas killed at the Warren Township site, they don’t believe he knew anyone locally. “I don’t think he had any connections herein Putnam County,” Hanlon stressed. Investigators have not yet established adefinite motive. “Your guess is as good as mine,” Hanlon said. “There could be mutiple reasons. It might have something to do with an irate homosexual. You just don’t know. Anything is just a hunch.”

ception to operate a tax-bookkeeping business at 708 S. Jackson St., Greencastle. THE AREA IS ZONED R-l, or for singlefamily residences. The business would be defined as a "home occupation" under the zoning ordinance. After brief questioning, Coffey was given unanimous approval for the business operation. The board’s next meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 at City Hall.

registered and enrolled in the program. A $4 deposit is required on a book to be used for home study. This money will be refunded upon the student returning the book, once the class is completed. The book must be in good condition. Books will be issued only to those persons attending classes. Persons interested in studying for the GED exam without attending classes may purchase study guides at local bookstores, or borrow them from the libraries. REGISTRATION is open to all individuals who wish to prepare for the GED exam, or who wish to increase their skills in reading, math, writing, social studies or science. Persons taking the GED exam must be 18 years of age or older. The achievement depends on how fast the individual wants to complete the work. Persons wishing to participate in the class should bring with them a pen, a pencil with an eraser and a notebook. CLASS DATES are as follows: Jan. 11,13,18,20,25 and 27; Feb. 1,3, 8, 10, 15,17, 22 and 24; March 1,3, 8, 10,15,17, 22 and 24; April 5,7,12,14, 19, 21, 26 and 28; and May 3,5,10,12, 17,19,24 and 26. Persons wanting more information should phone 653-3515 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Monday through Friday.