Banner Graphic, Volume 13, Number 105, Greencastle, Putnam County, 10 January 1983 — Page 1
Payment delay seen as hassle for counties
By BECKY IGO Banner-Graphic Area News Editor The state’s decision to delay payments to local units of government is expected to have a major effect on operating revenues with the possible future loss of services taxpayers have come to expect, according to Edward E. Ferguson, executive director of the Indiana Association of Counties. FERGUSON EXPLAINED that a recent bill passed by the state legislature resulted in a delay of Property Tax Replacement Fund payments to counties. “What was in effect before was that the state was allowed to make those payments in two halves,” he said. Further broken down, that meant that 15 per cent would be paid at the end of February. 15 per cent at the end of March and 70 per cent would be paid at the end of April. “Then,” Ferguson continued, “the second half would be paid with 15 per cent in August, 15 per cent in September and 70 per cent at the end of October.” The bill passed by the legislature nowgives the state officials the opportunity to make the payments at the convenience of keeping the state from going into debt. "The bill lets the state pay the first half between April 1 and Sept. 30 and the second half between Oct. 1 and Dec. 15,” Ferguson said. "They can make those payments in one lump sum, or make several payments." ONE MAJOR IMPACT on counties will be the loss of being able to invest money received periodically from the PropertyReplacement Tax Fund. Interest obtained from those investments allows additonal revenue to meet operating expenses. "Without the availability to invest that money, some counties will realize a loss of money in the high hundreds of thousands of dollars. The loss can be substantial for some counties,” he said. According to Ferguson, all counties are required to estimate their budgeted incomes for the year. Additional money from investments can help to keep local tax rates down, but the loss of that money to invest will be difficult, if not impossible, to makeup.
Committee work first on agenda as legislators begin business
ByJANCARROLL Associated Press Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The hard work of the Indiana Legislature starts this week when dozens of House and Senate committees tackle the job of deciding which bills deserve to make it over the first hurdle. The committee system is one of the most important steps in the legislative production line. Until the committees screen the bills, there is nothing for the House or the Senate to work on. That’s why in the early days of every legislative session the lawmakers spend their time on such inconsequential things.
Colder air on horizon Occasional drizzle or light rain. Breezy and mild, with high in the low 50s. Mostly cloudy, breezy and mild overnight. A 30 per cent chance of overnight showers or snow flurries. Low in the mid 30s. Indiana Extended Outlook Mostly clear and cold Wednesday with highs in the 20s to low 30s. The lows will be in the teens to low 20s. Warmer Thursday and Friday with a chance of rain or snow. The highs will be from the mid 30s north to upper 40s south. The lows will be in the mid to upper 20s. Index Abby A 5 Bridge A 9 Calendar A 5 Classifieds A 9 Comics AS Crossword A 9 Heloise A 5 Horoscope A 9 Obituaries AlO People A 8 Sports A6.A7 TV A 8
Banner Graphic Putnam County, Monday, January 10, 1983, Vol. 13 No. 105 20 Cents
“Actually, it’s revenue which can’t be made up, unless you start talking about taxpayers losing services from the counties, or possible layoffs,” Ferguson determined. NOT ONLY WILL county government be affected, but cities, towns and school corporations w-ill share in the impact, Ferguson said. "The county treasury parcels this money out to other local units of government,” he explained, “and if some of these units don’t get their money on time, they will be hurt. “They depend a lot on these funds,” the executive director stressed, “particularly the schools. A lot of the school corporations will be forced to borrow money and they’ll have to pay interest on that.” Impact on the state's financial troubles will really affect county highway departments, according to Ferguson. He noted there was a move to transfer a major share of the highways’ motor vehicle highway (MVH) tax money, a situation which would have crippled many county highway departments. Commenting on that issue, Ferguson began, "On Dec. 28. the state's general fund balance hit at zero. To keep the state government going, officials decided to transfer money from other funds into the state's general fund. “WHAT THEY DID was to take a certain percentage across-the-board cut from each budget. One which they intended to draw upon was the MVH. “In effect, the MVH runs the highway departments and they were intending to cut 80 per cent," Ferguson said. “When the Indiana Association of Counties heard about this, we took steps to see that it wouldn't happen.” The MVH fund is now excluded from the transfer action undertaken by the state, but Ferguson said there is word another attempt for its inclusion could appear in February. “Our total distribution for the MVH in the state is approximately s2l million,” the executive director said. “If you took out 80 per cent, you’re than talking about a Col. l, back page, this section
“This is always the case,” House Speaker J. Roberts Dailey, R-Muneie, said with a shrug. “I don’t think until the third week of January we’ll have any floor action at all,” said Senate President Pro Tern Robert D. Garton, R-Columbus. Despite the light workload, both the House and Senate will be in session every day this week. Aside from weekends, the Legislature doesn't plan any recesses until around the 40th working day, Garton said. At least 10 Senate committees have scheduled meetings this week to handle bills dealing with such issues as regional government, daylight savings time and
Growing older at a 'record' pace
By ERIC BERNSEE Banner-Graphic Managing Editor The telltale symptoms are all there. I’m beginning to grow old. No doubt about it. I had always thought graying temples and creaking knees would be the indicators. A receding hairline and forgetfulness are always dead giveaways. I KNOW I’VE BEGUN TO fall asleep on the couch a lot lately. I know I’ve started sounding like my father with wonderful retorts like “Enough is enough" and “Do you want to go to your room? ” when the little ones get out of hand. I've even rather enjoyed wearing a hat again after going bareheaded since baseball days. I know, all that doesn’t add up to creeping senility, but it certainly has me wondering, especially in light of more recent developments. It was time to check the pulse when I read about the codgers who were calling it quits in the National Football League. These were my boys of autumn. Roger Wehrli and Mel Gray? They were Missouri mates of mine, yet here they were retiring from their careers. Let’s see, I’m 32, so Wehrli couldn't be a day over 35. Gray has to be about 33. Too old? It’s amazing how your perspective changes. Bubblegum cards one day. Social Security the next. RATIONALIZING THAT pro football life spans are much shorter than journalism careers, I all but had myself convinced that it was nothing but middle-age craziness setting in. Then I had to go and turn on the car radio. The Top 40 or the Big 89 or Great 98 or somebody’s year-ending countdown was playing the hits of 1982.
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The first new business in the Ashley Square mini-mall, located at Vine and Seminary streets in Greencastle, opened for business Monday morning. With Gloria Eiteljorge at the cash register, sales of bakery items were reported brisk at the Kuchen Korner. Kuchen, the cashier reported, is German for cake. The bakery, the first such
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grandparents’ visitation rights. When the Legislature recessed last Friday, only one House panel the Ways and Means Committee’s budget subcommittee had scheduled meetings this week, although the agenda is expected f o fill up once the session resumes Monday. The committee process gives the pub ic its most direct opportunity to be heard on an issue. The panels take public testimony and sometimes accept citizen suggestions on how a bill could be amended to make it better. The committee system also offers the best chance of getting a bill changed. It's generally easier to convince seven people
Daze Work
Most of the tunes sounded familiar. The lyrics escape me now, but you know what we said about forgetfulness. Hey, I’m hip. I know Slim Whitman was bigger than the Beatles in England. I know Boxcar Willie has sold more albums in Europe than anyone this side of Alvin and the Chipmunks. THE VOICE FROM THE backseat startled us. Who’s singing the radio offering is her question. I fumbled for an answer. The Mamas and the Papas are quickly ruled out. Too many voices for the Lettermen. It’s not Olivia NewtonJohn because all her songs get too physical with my car’s speaker, causing an unmistakable sound. The pause is embarrassing. I mean, I still remember the Box Tops sang “The Letter,” as in “my baby wrote me a letter." For some reason, I still remember that it was one minute, 38 seconds long. It was so good, yet so short, the D.J.’s often played it twice.
local business in several years concentrating solely on doughnuts, pastries and like delicacies, will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Several other stores in the mini-mall are scheduled to open in the near future. (BannerGraphic photos by Rick Combs).
to change language than it is to convince the membership of the House and the Senate as a whole. The committee chairmen have broad powers to decide the fate of legislation. It's up to them to decide whether a bill will be heard. Often, the speaker of the House or the president pro tern of the Senate will send a bill to a committee where he knows it will get favorable treatment. Other times, leadership will assign a bill to a “graveyard” committee, knowing the legislation will be buried and never heard from again. Since this session will last 61 working
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days, the legislators have more time to file bills than in the short 30-dav session that falls in even-numbered years. In the Senate, the deadline for bill introduction is the 12th session day. In the House, representatives have three more days to get their legislation in. For Dailey, much of the coming week will be devoted to planning sessions on issues facing the Legislature. “I’m going to be spending a lot of my time with people in the areas of corrections, mental health, welfare and financing to try to get our programs zeroed in early," he said.
Still failing to come up with an answer, the disc jockey bailed me out. “That was the Human League," he said, sounding all-too-much like someone w r ho enjoys cupping his hand over his ear while he talks. "THE HUMAN LEAGUE,” I repeat for the backseat bunch. “The Cubs used to have a farm team there until it was discovered their players weren't human.” There were no laughs, only another question as the radio blared another unknown symphony. I couldn’t have guessed the name of the song, let alone the socalled artist. Another awful piece of music followed as some postadolescent screamed, “Hey, Mickey” about 40 dozen times before fading into oblivion. SOUNDING LIKE I KNEW what I was talking about, I said, “That was Mickey”’ “But, Dad, who sings it?” came the unquenched thirst for Casey Kasem-like knowledge. Minnie? Donald? Goofy? Walt Disney? This ego-shattering was getting to me. My finger was poised at the push button to change the station. Maybe a call-in talk show or a little sports action would be a change of pace. Then it began... “GIMME A TICKET FOR an airplane. Ain't got time to take a fast train...” The Box Tops. One minute, 38 seconds. “The Letter.” A feeling of vindication overwhelmed me. I looked triumphantly into the rearview mirror for the inquisitive four-year-old critic. There she was huddled in the corner of the backseat - sound asleep. “...Lonely days are gone, I’m-a goin’ home...my baby, she wrote me a letter.”
Students injured in Germany A DePauw University coed who had ap parently just arrived in Freiburg, Germany, for a second semester of study was critically injured in a freak accident Friday afternoon, university officials report. TWO OTHER DePAUW University students were injured as they were apparently greeting Janet Strain, 20, a junior from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, as she arrived at the railroad station. Also injured and in intensive care at a Freiburg hospital were Gwen Robbins, 20, a Louisville junior, and sophomore Evelyn Cates, no age available, whose father lives in Germany. The three were among five DPU students w-ho were standing outside the railroad station on a pedestrian walkway, according to university officials. Uninjured in the 2:30 p.m. (Freiburg time) accident were John Lauer, a junior from Hammond, and Susan Mellin, a junior from Plymouth. ACCORDING TO REPORTS, a car carrying two French women apparently was going the wrong way on the one-way thoroughfare that adjoins the walkway. The French women, apparently realizing their mistake, tried to turn around. However, they turned their vehicle up onto the pedestrian walkway, striking the three students. Reports from Freiburg indicate that Miss Strain, a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, is in extremely serious condition. A university spokesman said she was unconscious and has suffered some brain damage as a result of the accident. A native of Michigan City, Miss Strain is an economics major. Mary Fahnestock, a German instructor on the DePauw faculty, informed university officials of tbe accident Saturday. She revealed that doctors believe Robbins and Cates will soon be out of intensive care. MISS STRAIN WAS arriving to take part in DePauw’s second-semester Western European Studies program which is based at the University of Freiburg. The program, designed primarily for juniors, is under the supervision of Dr. Gerald Warren this semester. Meanwhile, Robbins, Cates. Lauer and Mellin are among 17 DePauw students enrolled in a program at the University of Strasbourg in France.
The December special session, in which the Legislature raised sales and income taxes to cover a projected deficit of at least $452 million by June 30. spoiled any chances of getting an early start on committee work. Garton is pessimistic about the prospect of ever getting any work done between the organizational day in November and when the Legislature reconvenes in January. “The interim period doesn’t work. It hasn't worked. It may never work,” he said. “It just comes at the wrong time of year, with the holidays.”
Light work for Council A light agenda awaits the Greencastle City Council as it prepares to meet for the first time in 1983. The public meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall. Prior to the Council meeting, the Board of Public Works and Safety will convene at 7 p.m. in the mayor’s office. THE COUNCIL agenda will include monthly and annual reports from departments heads. Mayor Jane Harlan, who will also give an annual report, said one request will come before the Council. DePauw University is asking that the city refrain from painting the curbs and installing no-parking signs on Hanna Street between Locust and College where the university has been creating an ampi theater-like area. The Council will be asked to approve or deny the request Tuesday night. IN OTHER BUSINESS, a representative from the City Plan Commission is expected to explain in detail the new sidewalk ordinance it has forwarded to the Council for approval.