Banner Graphic, Volume 14, Number 167, Greencastle, Putnam County, 21 March 1984 — Page 1

Awareness program geared to juveniles

By BECKY IGO Banner-Graphic Area News Editor The Putnam County Council Tuesday gave its approval for the implementation of a Youth Awareness and Education Program, sponsored jointly by the Putnam Circuit Court and the Juvenile Probation Department. The program is to be geared to juvenile probationers and non-probationers in an attempt to deter future juvenile acts, according to Juvenile Probation Officer Paula Young, who was present to address the Council. “WE WOULD LIKE TO start an educational program for juveniles, working with the Substance Abuse Treatment Program,” Young began. “We would work independently and with the area schools with input with the Greencastle

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"And this little piggy went to school," Audra Holton (above) might have said Tuesday as she shows a three-week-old runt to kindergarten and first-grade students at Northeast School in Greencastle. Mrs. Holton told the Ag Day audience about raising hogs for a living, while Mrs. Helen Hurst showed off a rooster for students like (at right) Cary Hutchings, 8, to inspect. (Banner-Graphic photos by Barbara Carhart).

Greencastle team wins Ag Day farm game

By DAVID BARR Banner-Graphic Civic Affairs Editor Greencastle High School Vo-Ag students Andy Dickey and Tim Hunt carried away top honors when finals of a county-wide farm management game were held in the Community Building Tuesday night. The farm game activity, which came at the close of Putnam County Ag Day observance, involved 15 teams composed of 38 students from all county high schools and is carried out during the year in the vocational agriculture programs. SPONSORING THE GAMES this year was Kerry Ames, who explained that at the beginning of the year each competing team is given a set of conditional circumstances, all on paper. This includes an amount of “seed” money and a set acreage.

Oh, come on A 70 per cent chance of light snow or flurries with overnight low in the low 30s. Cloudy, breezy and continued cold on Thursday. A 30 per cent chance of morning flurries Thursday. High Thursday around 40. Indiana Extended Forecast Cool Friday through Sunday with highs each day in the 40s north and 50s south. Partly cloudy friday with a chance of rain south. Rain likely Saturday with a chance of drizzle Sunday. Lows for the period in the low to mid 30s north and mid 30s to low 40s south. Abby A 4 Calendar A 4 Classifieds A12.A13 Comics A 6 Crossword Al 2 Editorials A 5 Farm AB.A9 Horoscope Al 3 Obituaries Al 4 People A 7 Sports A10,A11,A12 TV A 6

Banner Graphic Putnam County, Wednesday, March 21,1984, Vol. 14 No. 167 20 Cents

Police Department and the sheriff’s department.” Young said the plan would call for $1,500 to be set aside from the Juvenile Probation User’s Fee Fund to establish the new program. “With this money, we would purchase video cassettes, slides and films, along with blank cassettes,” she added. Films and cassettes purchased would deal with vandalism, runaway problems, shoplifting, parent and teen-agers communication. “The films and cassettes will be shown basically to the probationers,” Young clarified, “and their families. Later, we would like to take these films to the schools, particularly on the elementary level so we can try to catch some of these problems before they get into the system.” FUTURE PLANS ALSO call for a

With this information, the 15 teams set about through management to show either profit or loss and thereby learn from experience. This progress, or lack of it, was calculated through the computer in the Extension Office. An incentive for the winning team is a S3OO scholarship sponsored by Central National Bank, Federal Land Bank Association, First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co., First National Bank of Cloverdale, Greencastle Federal Savings Bank, Greencastle Production Credit Association and Tri-County Bank & Trust Co. A permanent plaque has been sponsoreo by Production Credit. ALSO PARTICIPATING in Tuesday night’s finals were two teams from North Putnam High School composed of Brett Gardner, Ryan Wehrman, Chris Jewell,

South Putnam slates orientation

South Putnam Community School Corporation has announced its kindergarten orientation schedule. Orientation classes will be held April 3-5 at South Putnam Community Schools, according to the following schedule: REELSVILLE ELEMENTARY: Tuesday, April 3. First session, 8:45-11 a m. (last names beginning A-M); second session, 1:30-3:15p.m. (N-Z). Fillmore Elementary: Wednesday, April 4,8:45-11 a. m. Belle Union Elementary: Thursday, April 5,8:45-11 a.m. Students should attend the orientation session of the school they will be attending

Clover kindergarten enrollment begins

CLOVERDALE-Enrollment is under way at Cloverdale Elementary School for pupils who will enter kindergarten during the 1984-85 school year. A child must be five years of age on or before Sept. 1,1984 to be eligible to enroll. A VALID BIRTH certificate, a kindergarten registration form and a medical

proposed “Peer Group Night,” Young continued. The strictly volunteer program would allow juveniles to address persons of their own age group. No major equipment purchases would need to be completed, Young advised. Video recording machines and a television to play back taped material is accessible now through the Putnam County court system. Independent meetings are to be conducted in the bay area of the Greencastle Police Department, according to Young. Her office at the courthouse will be utilized, in addition to the Putnam County Courts Substance Abuse Treatment Program office on the first floor of the courthouse. A major focus of the program will be to emphasize the need for good parent-child

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Micky Ping and Craig Asher. Guests of honor at Tuesday night’s meeting were Franklin and Eva Torr, who had been chosen for the meritorious farmer award by the Putnam County Ag Day Committee. They were presented with a plaque sponsored by the Farm Bureau and Mrs. Torr was presented with a bouquet from the Putnam County Porkettes. Speakers for the evening were Barbara Brookshire and Fred Mann, each had made a visit to Washington, D.C., and had contacted Indiana senators and representatives relative to local needs of farmers and legislation pending which would have an effect on agriculture in general. BOTH REPORTED THAT these officials were very open and receptive to their suggestions and were genuinely in-

in the fall. A CHILD MUST BE FIVE years of age on or before Sept. 1, 1984 to be eligible for kindergarten next year. A child in kindergarten this year does not have to enroll for first grade, but children not presently in kindergarten or any child who has just moved in to the community should preenroll at the proper school on the above dates. To be eligible for first grade this August, a child must be six years of age on or before Sept. 1,1984. During the orientation program, a preschool screening test will be administered to the children. Also hearing and visual acuity tests will be ad-

history form must be presented to the school in order to enroll a child. These forms may be obtained by contacting the principal’s office at 795-4339. Registration forms will be mailed to those who have pre-registered their child and to those who contact the school. Anyone who has a child to be enrolled in

communication, Young said. AFTER A QUESTION of where the Probation User’s Fee Funds comes from, Young answered it is established through costs associated with the probation office. “Juveniles who go through the probation department average about a $lO fee per month,” she advised. “It’s more if they go through court because of court costs and is less if they go through formal adjustments. “The money placed in the Probation User’s Fee Fund is to be used to promote the juvenile system in any way,” she added. So far, money used from this fund, since it was established on Sept. 1, 1982, went to purchase posters for the Big Brother-Big Sister Program, according to Young. That was a S4O expenditure. In addition, following a recommendation

terested in the problems which will affect folks back home. Both Mrs. Brookshire and Mann emphasized the importance of making agriculture’s voices heard in Washington, noting that officials are greatly influenced by what they hear from their constituents. Those attending Ag Day ceremonies were urged to keep letters and other contacts going to Washington on a number of upcoming legislation, the outcome of which will be vital not only to farmers in Putnam County, but to farmers throughout the nation. FEATURED AT THE open house which preceded the former program were numerous displays by various agricultural groups, each pointing out what county agriculture has to offer.

ministered by Mrs. Crews, school nurse. All children must be screened before being admitted to kindergarten for the first time. Those children who are not screened during the orientation program will be screened the first week of school and then admitted to kindergarten. Also, prior to enrolling their child in kindergarten this fall, parents must present the child’s official birth certificate and immunization record as required by law. EACH SCHOOL IS TAKING a survey to determine the number of students that will participate in orientation Persons should notify the school if they have a child or know of a child that will be entering school.

kindergarten and has not contacted the school is urged to do so by April 6. A birth certificate and the completed forms must be presented before a child will be assigned to a class. PREFERENCE OF sessions will be given to those who return the enrollment information promptly.

by Putnam Circuit Court Judge William C. Vaughn 111, the County Council allowed earlier that $1,500 be taken from the Probation User’s Fee Fund and applied to Young’s salary as a probation officer. TO DATE, THERE ARE more than sufficient monies available to establish the Youth Awareness and Education Program. According to a handout provided to the Council, $3,701.81 was in Probation User’s Fee Fund as of March 7. With little further discussion, Councilman Gene Beck made a motion to approve $1,500 be taken from the Probation User’s Fee Fund to establish the new program. His motion was seconded by Dick Asbell and made unanimous by Gene Clodfelter, Bob Evans and Max Nichols. Jack Waldron and Richard Hassler were absent.

Council creates sloo,ooocushion for county fund

By BECKYIGO Banher-Graphic Area News Editor The Putnam County Council gave authorization Tuesday for SIOO,OOO to be taken from the Property Reassessment Replacement Fund to help cushion the county’s general operating fund, after a recommendation was heard by Auditor Jewel Blue. Blue advised councilmen that the county had expected to receive its $130,500 from the sale of the old Putnam County Hospital structures by now The old hospital, administration bunding and heating plant were sold last June to Russell Drake, owner of the Bainbridge Grain Elevator. BUT SINCE THE SALE, and with the $130,500 not yet received, the county is finding itself in a bit of a financial bind, according to Blue. “We have $34,000 now and we’ll need SIOO,OOO to pay the bills for next month,” Blue told the Banner-Graphic Wednesday morning. “This time of the year, we’re (the county) as close to being broke as we can be, until we get our June tax distribution settlement. “We had to do the same thing last year and borrow SIOO,OOO from another fund,” the auditor recalled. “If we would have had the money from the old hospital sale, we would have been all right. ” AT TUESDAYS COUNTY Council meeting, the board questioned if contact had been made with Drake regarding the money from the old hospital sale. County attorney Robert Lowe answered affirmatively. “We have written Mr. Drake and his attorney and asked when they would be ready to close and advised the county would like to do so as soon as possible,” Lowe said. Without further discussion, Councilman Max Nichols made a motion to take SIOO,OOO from the Property Tax Replacement Fund and apply it to the general fund. The motion was made with the stipulation this money would be repaid to the Property Tax Reassessment Fund, when possible. Nichols’ motion was seconded by Bob Evans and made unanimous by Gene Clodfelter, Gene Beck, and Dick Asbell. Council President Jack Waldron was absent due to hospitalization. Councilman Richard Hassler was also not present. In subsequent discussion, Nichols suggested, when the county does receive the some $130,500 from the old hospital sale, that money should be invested in a certificate of deposit. “I THINK WE should invest this in a CD and let it accumulate interest,” Nichols suggested. “We’re running the county on a shoestring now. If we invested this money, in five years we would have $219,000. In 10 years, we would have $364,918 and in 15 years we would have $605,841. I’m very much in favor of this.” But Auditor Blue pointed out the state steps in and does not allow counties to accumulate a great deal of additional revenue. “If you do invest it, the state will cut your tax rate next year,” the auditor advised. “They won’t let you build up money.” Councilman Clodfelter agreed. “If you do that (invest monies), you have to include that as part of your income for next year,” he determined. “The state will cut your tax rate and cut how much tax money you can then collect from people. ” “YOUR IDEA IS good,” Blue told Nichols, “and you can do something like that for about a year. I agree we’re running the county on a shoestring.”

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PAULA YOUNG Juvenile Probation Officer

“I just wanted a little bit of a cushion for the county,” Nichols concluded. Although not indicating anything definite would transpire, the Council did agree to see about Nichols’ suggestion. In later action, Mayor Gerald Warren addressed Councilmen concerning civil preparedness, central dispatch and local option income taxes. He also emphasized a need for county and city togetherness. “COORDINATION AND cooperation - that’s my theme song,” Warren began. The mayor stressed Putnam County and Greencastle should be better prepared in case of natural disasters. “I’m sure you are all aware that the City Council did put back $2,000 in federal revenue sharing funds for civil preparedness,” he told the County Council. “I think the city and county both have a responsibility to bear. “I don’t think this demands a super organization,” Warren continued, “and I don’t think we need a separate (governing) body for this. All we need is coordination among the Red Cross, Operation Life, the police and fire departments.” Warren briefly touched upon the idea of local option taxes as a way for local governments to generate additional revenue. BUT THE MAJOR FOCUS of Warren’s address Tuesday was central dispatch, which once again was raised from the grave. “Where are we with central dispatch?” Councilman Beck questioned. “We (the County Council) appropriated money for this last fall.” Sheriff Gerry Hoffa, who was in attendance, responded, “Last year, myself, OL Director Gary Boswell and Sonny Wood (then Greencastle’s chief of police) came up with a plan, but it got stalled. “With the change in administration, the city has been attempting to get this going again,” Hoffa continued. “A new plan was devised by (Jim) Hendrich (now Greencastle’s new chief of police as appointed by Mayor Warren). It is basically the same plan we had before with some minor changes.” THE SHERIFF SAID there has been very good cooperation shown between the police agencies and OL. “There will be further cooperation, if we can get central dispatch going,” he added. “It’s time now for the county to decide how we will do things, how we will do this and where the money will come from.” Hoffa noted that the city is operating with four dispatchers, the sheriff’s department utilizes four jailer-dispatchers and OL has four dispatchers. “The idea came up that the county could take the $30,000 out of the Operation Life budget, which they use for dispatchers, and apply it to the new central dispatch system. ” During the conversation, it was noted the city would fund four dispatchers with the new system. The county would only be required to fund two dispatchers’ salaries. “HAVE YOU TALKED to Gary (Boswell, the director of OL) about what this will do to his budget if we take $30,000 out?” Councilman Evans questioned Hoffa and Hendrich, who was also at the Council meeting. “OL is like anyone else, I assume,” Hoffa responded. “No one wants $30,000 to be taken out of their budget. I have talked to Gary, but OL will be changing with a new director coming in as Gary is leaving.” Hendrich addressed the Council, saying the county would be obligated to pay $27,266 for its share of funding two dispatchers’ positions, $646 for a year’s radio Col. 1, back page this section