Banner Graphic, Volume 17, Number 100, Greencastle, Putnam County, 29 December 1986 — Page 1

Lottery opponents concede a lost cause

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Despite their continued fight to kill a proposal to lift Indiana’s constitutional ban on lotteries, lottery opponents concede that the issue probably will win approval of state lawmakers in 1987 and ultimately be decided by Indiana voters. Legalizing a lottery, a topic of debate in the Legislature for more than a decade, again is on the agenda for the General Assembly when it convenes Jan. 6. Passage in either of the next two sessions of the Legislature would mean the resolution would be put to Hoosier voters in a referendum in 1988. If the proposal is approved in a referendum, the 1989 General Assembly would have to pass legislation specifying what kind of lottery the state would have. “It would be logical to stop it in the Legislature if we could,” said Paul Oakes, chairman of the Indiana Citizens Against Legalized Gambling, “But realistically there will be a referendum.”

Banner Graphic Greencastle, Putnam County, Monday, December 29,1986 V 01.17 No.loo 25 Cents

Gift returns keep local stores busy after holiday

By JODY AMERS-FORD Banner-Graphic Staff Writer One person returned a dead fish. But Teddy Ruxpin is in the lead as the most returned Christmas present at local department stores, with clothing running a close second. “Teddy Ruxpin and Grubby have been the most returned toy,” said Wal-Mart employee Lisa Stinson. “We’ve also had a lot of clothing brought back because it was the wrong size or the wrong style. Area merchants prepared for the after Christmas rush by setting up temporary tables designed to handle the expected onslaught of returns. Stinson said Wal-Mart had assigned an additional six to ten employees to handle the returns, but she believes the worst is over. “Friday and Saturday were the worst. But most people didn’t have to wait long. We got them through pretty fast,” Stinson said. “We knew there would be a lot, but we thought there would be more than there was,” she added. Although returns were lower than expected, Wal-Mart received about 20 cart loads of returned clothing on December 26. But even with the large quantities of items to be returned, the Holiday Spirit has prevailed. “Everyone has been really nice, there hasn’t been any grouchy customers,” Stinson said. Ann Cox, division manager of Schultz’s Family Store said returns have been lower than expected this year at the local department store. “I think many parents gave their children money for Christmas this

Weather Cloudy tonight with a 30 percent chance of light snow and the low in the middle 20s. Cloudy and cold Tuesday with the high near 30. Extended Forecast Wednesday through Friday: Mostly cloudy Wednesday, with a chance of light snow north and rain and snow south on Thursday and Friday. Highs each day in the 30s to near 40. Lows from 25 to 30. Abby A 4 Calendar A 4 Classified All Comics A 5 Crossword All Heloise A 4 Horoscope All Obituaries Al 2 People A 5 Sports A8,A9,A10 TV A 5 Theater Al 2 No paper Thursday Because of the New Year’s Day holiday, the Banner-Graphic will not be published Thursday, Jan. 1. Consequently, advertising deadlines have been advanced. The deadline for ads to appear Friday Jan. 2 will be 2 p.m. Tuesday Dec. 30. The deadline for ads to appear Saturday Jan. 3 and Monday Jan. 5 will be 10 a.m. Wednesday Dec. 31.

Even so, Oakes said his group will actively lobby legislators to oppose the measure. Activists in the lottery debate say the move to approve the constitutional change which cleared its first hurdle last session when it received the first of two needed legislative passages has gained momentum in recent months for several reasons: —House Speaker J. Roberts Dailey, R-Muncie, a staunch lottery opponent, was defeated in his reelection bid in November. —The Legislature has demonstrated substantial support for the measure. The idea has been approved repeatedly in the Senate and won wide approval in the House last year when Dailey bowed to political pressure and allowed it to come to a vote. —The electorate also has indicated support for the idea. During the primary and general elections, a group of legislative candidates who ran on a “no lottery” platform was defeated.

Garbage pickup schedule revised The New Year’s holiday will necessitate an altered schedule for Baker’s Remove-All trash customers. Wednesday’s and Thursday’s Greencastle trash routes will be collected on Wednesday Dec. 31. Persons on those routes should have their trash at curbside by 5 a.m. to ensure pickup. Baker’s other Thursday customers, other than city routes, will have their trash collected on Friday, Jan. 2. These routes will begin at 6 a.m. Christmas trees will be collected by Baker’s one day only-on Tuesday Jan. 6 for all routes, city and private customer residentials. After that date, removal of Christmas trees will become the responsibility of the homeowner.

year,” she said. Cox said Teddy Ruxpin was the most returned Christmas toy. “I think parents are buying them for kids that are too young. The eyes and mouth open and shut and kids may want to put their fingers in its mouth,” she said. Cox said that many customers believe the toy is defective, “but we want to please the customers so we usually do what will make them happy” Cox added that clothing was also a contender for the most often returned item. Col. 1, back page, this section

Legislature to stiffen drunk driving penalties

Resentment scuttles teacher salary program

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) A state-funded pilot program that gave some young Lafayette teachers salary increases created resentment among older teachers, according to a teachers’ union that withdrew its support from the program and led to its termination. While lacking the support of the union, the program had the backing of the Lafayette School Corp, administration. Two surveys, asking teachers’ views on the program, yielded conflicting results some teachers welcomed the extra pay but others said it created resentment among older teachers who weren’t in the program. The $93,000 program gave teachers with less than five years experience pay increases of up to $2,880 -

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Faced with an alarming trend toward fewer drunken driving arrests and more fatalities involving inebriated motorists, an Indiana task force says it will ask the Legislature to approve increased funding and new arrest procedures designed to strengthen the fight against drunken driving. “This year, the number of arrests for drunk driving has leveled off or declined in some

seven of 530 Lafayette School Corp, teachers received the special raises. The Lafayette Education Association president said the program, which ended this month, created unneeded resentment between teachers. “We felt it pitted younger teachers against experienced teachers,” said Jan Young, the president of the teachers’ union. She said the union supported the program in its first year as an experiment. But she said an extension wasn’t warranted. The school system’s request for program renewal did not contain the teachers’ union’s endorsement. Susan Drews, an associate director for teacher quality in the Indiana Department of Education, said the lack of support from the union con-

—Several legislators who opposed the lottery last session were not re-elected, further depleting the ranks of the opposition and their chances of stopping the proposal this year. In addition to those factors, legislative leaders said there is a public perception that the question should be decided by the voters in a referendum. “There are a growing number of people in this state who will vote against a lottery (in a referendum), but who want to vote on it,” said Sen. Majority Leader Joseph W. Harrison, R-Attica, “I really think people feel they should have an opportunity to vote on this,” said new House Speaker Paul S. Mannweiler, R-Indianapolis, who has sponsored legislation to repeal the lottery ban. “This is an important enough public policy issue that the only way to resolve it is for people to vote on it in a referendum.” Opponents admit that this position has been a strong selling point for proponents, especially State Sens.

places and the number of people killed is up,” said Marion County Prosecutor Stephen Goldsmith, who heads the Governor’s Task Force To Reduce Drunken Driving. The task force will ask the Legislature to approve a new funding plan that will raise an estimated $1.5 million annually to help fight drunken driving, Goldsmith said. He said the funding is necessary because federal grants

tributed to state officials’ decision not to renew the program. Daniel Clark, a regional director of the Indiana State Teachers Association, said the union’s decision not to support the program does not mean teachers are against pay raises. Clark, who helps Lafayette teachers in contract negotiations, said the Lafayette union wants salaries for all teachers increased. The union and the administration are negotiating a 1987 contract that includes proposed salary increases and fringe benefits for all teachers. Under the program, teachers who had zero to four years of experience all were paid as if they had five years of experience. Those teachers with bachelor’s degrees received

Louis J. Mahem, D-Indianapolis, and Lawrence M. Borst, R-Indianapolis. “Mahern and Borst have really sold the idea of letting the people decide,” said Oakes. “We really think it will go to a referendum because of the momentum they’ve built up.” Oakes said opponents already are planning a strategy to defeat the measure in a referendum in 1988. “Polls we have seen from around the state indicate urban people would like to have a lottery but that in rural areas the opinion is split 50-50. With a little education, we think we can defeat it,” he said. Lottery opponents, many from church groups, will sponsor a seminar next month featuring nationally recognized speakers on the lottery issue. All legislators have been invited to attend and to ask questions. Oakes said the seminar will be videotaped and that excerpts will be used in television commercials during the campaign to defeat it in a referendum.

of $1 million per year will end this year. The proposed plan calls for each drunken driver to pay a S6O fee following conviction. Goldsmith also said the task force wants to make sure those convicted have their licenses suspended, as state law requires. “We’d like to make a major change in the way Indiana processes drunk-driving cases,” he said. “In the past, we relied on the courts or the court clerks to send notice to the Bureau of

$18,805; teachers with master’s degrees received $21,205. Administrators said the program increased morale among teachers receiving the special raises. Administrators said state officials should study the program as a way of retaining good teachers and attracting more and brighter students to the teaching profession. Lafayette administrators said the local program was not meant to solve all teachers’ money problems. The administration had proposed to expand the initial program and find ways of paying all teachers for extra work. If the Lafayette program continued beyond one year, teachers with less than five years experience

What was the Christmas aftermath in Greencastle? At the Wal-Mart exchange desk, employees Kelly Richardson and Lisa Stinson spend the day after taking back returned gifts. At left, Candy and Brandy Clahan watch their father, Terry, try out the new skateboard. But Santa brought skateboard for them, Dad! (Banner-Graphic photos by Bob Frazier)

Motor Vehicles for suspensions. ” Under that system, however, almost 20 percent of the notices were never received by the bureau, Goldsmith said. “We’re going to propose to the Legislature that, upon arrest, the police department and-or police officer directly send a copy of the paper work to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles at the same time they submit a copy (of the arrest charge) to the court,” he said.

wouldn’t have received raises based on experience until they reached the six-year level. Glenn A. Womack, who received an extra $2,800 this year for teaching English and U.S. history at Jefferson High School, said the program is not worth continuing. “There’s a lot of mixed emotion about it in the school system,” said Womack, 24. “It was nice for me, and I could use the money, but we’re all underpaid.” Womack received the maximum raise allowed for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree; his $16,004 annual salary rose to $18,805. But he said he sensed resentment toward the program among his older colleagues. “It was a great morale booster for me, but bad for hem, and I have to work with these people.”