Banner Graphic, Volume 18, Number 81, Greencastle, Putnam County, 11 December 1987 — Page 1

Banner Graphic Greencastle, Putnam County, Friday, December 11, 1987 Vol. 18 No. 81 25 Cents

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Stacking plastic “scuff plates” designed for Ford Tempo and Topaz car, Shenandoah Industries General Manager Bill Radle inspects the work of Brenda Richardson (background) at the plant site on Greencastle’s East Side. The first shipment of plastic automobile trim parts left the 200,000-square-foot facility Thursday afternoon after Mike McGuire (driving forklift) and Sylvia Spicer (in truck) loaded the pallets of cartons on a Vir-ginia-bound semi. Some 28 persons are now at work at the Automotive Industries’ Shenandoah plant, with 200 expected to be employed by next August or September. (Banner-Graphic photos by Eric Bernsee).

New plant begins production

By ERIC BERNSEE Banner-Graphic Editor There were no ribbons to cut No politicians’ hands to shake. No speeches to make. Yet history was made at the Greencastle 2001 Industrial Park Thursday afternoon. The first semi-truck load of plastic automobile trim parts ever produced at the new Shenandoah Industries plant on Greencastle’s East Side left the 200,000-square-foot facility about 4 p.m. Thursday. WITHOUT FANFARE, and under only the watchful eye of General Manager Bill Radle, forklift driver Mike McGuire dutifully stacked pallets of boxed plastic parts for shipment to the company’s Automotive Industries home plant Meanwhile, customer services supervisor Sylvia Spicer promenaded beside each forklift load, accompanying them to a waiting Fulton Trucking semi from Stephens City, Va. Spicer’s nudges reassured her the cardboard cartons were snug in plastic-covered layers for their trip to Strasburg, Va. At present, three plastic parts are

Flurries fly back into our forecast Variable cloudiness with low in the mid 30s. Variable cloudi- ‘ ness Saturday with a chance of snow flurries. High Saturday around 40. Indiana Extended Outlook The outlook for Sunday through Tuesday calls for partly cloudy and cool weather Sunday and Monday with a chance of snow flurries in the north. Highs mostly in the 30s and lows 25 to 30. Snow developing in north and central Indiana on Tuesday, with rain or snow likely in the south. Highs from around 30 in the north to near 40 in the south. Lows from 25 to 30.

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'Care Bears' for matinee

Caring kids can watch Care Bears Saturday afternoon. “Care Bears II,” the third in a series of four holiday matinee movies designed for youngsters age 5-12, is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Ashley Square Twin Cinemas in Greencastle. ADMISSION TO the animated feature is a canned food item to be donated to the Putnam County Food Pantry.

being produced at the plant, Radle said while walking to a production area where plastic injection-mold-ing devices were in operation. Red plastic cowl panels were being trimmed, inspected and packaged by Brenda Phillips. The cowl panels, designed for the Mercury Sable, are part of vehicle’s interior, covering the front end of the door frame and wrapping inside to form walls to the left of the driver and right of the passenger. AT AN ADJACENT machine, Brenda Richardson retrieved mol-

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The film series is being sponsored by the Greencastle Merchants Association, in cooperation with 24 local businesses and Ashley Square Cinemas. Doors will open at 1 p.m. Parents are invited to drop off their children and shop locally while the movie is shown. The final scheduled movie is “Muppets Take Manhattan,” slated Dec. 19.

ded plastic scuff plates, already embossed with the name Ford and designed for installation on door frames of the Tempo and Topaz. , Sally Wood, meanwhile, operated the largest of the three machines, catching gray molded plastic back panels that with be used inside rear windows of Ford Mustangs. “We don’t even get into production of the parts this plant is designed for until we start making door panels for the Ford Ranger (trade') Col. 1, back page, this section

Heritage Lake home fire said under investigation

A Thursday night blaze completely destroyed a two-story frame house owned by Rev. Wayne T. Harris at Route 2, Coatesville, in the Victory Hills subdivision of Heritage Lake. Cause of the fire is under investigation by the Indiana Fire Marshal’s Office. A SPOKESMAN for the Fillmore Volunteer Fire Department said the initial call came in as a grass fire at about 7:15 p.m. Thursday. By the time the Fillmore grass fire truck was on the scene, the house was completely engulfed in flames. Rev. Harris was in the house at the time of the fire, but was able to escape, according to the spokesman. Rev. Harris, who live at 3224 W. 52nd St. in Indianapolis,

School board ratifies pact for North Putnam teachers

By BECKY IGO Banner-Graphic News Editor With a unanimous vote Thursday night from the North Putnam School Board, a two-year agreement was ratified with teachers amounting to a total 15 percent raise. In addition, non-certified staff and administrators’ salaries were approved solely for the 1987-88 school year. Salaries which are in effect for this school year are retroactive. ON THE AVERAGE, non-cer-tified personnel will receive the same salary increase (6.75 percent) as the teaching staff for the 198788 school year. Meanwhile, administrators’ raises for the 1987-88 school year range from 10-15 percent, according to North Putnam SupL Thomas Rohr. Referring first to the settlement of the contract with teachers, Rohr told board members the NPTA (North Putnam Teachers Association) did ratify the agreement NPTA President Bill Brothers told the Banner-Graphic, prior to the school board meeting, that the teachers ratified the two-year pact earlier Thursday evening. Brothers was in the audience at the school board meeting, but did not address the board. DETAILING THE “major provision changes” in the new contract, Rohr said the first year requires 181 teaching days. The second year, which covers the 1988-89 school year, totalslß6 teaching days which complies with

Thacker heads off to prison

By JOE THOMAS Banner-Graphic Assistant Editor Sandra Thacker, who was sentenced Dec. 4 to six years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the Feb. 18 stabbing death of Paul H. “Sonny” Boler, was taken to prison Friday morning by Putnam County Sheriff Gerry Hoffa. Thacker, 44, had been granted a one-week reprieve by Special Judge John Stelle so she could find someone to care for her ailing mother, Golda Trail. Mrs. Trail has a history of diabetes and heart problems, and underwent leg surgery Monday. Judge Stelle ordered Thacker to appear at the Putnam County Jail at 8 a.m. Friday. She arrived at least 15 minutes early, with two suitcases. She said goodbye to family members outside the jail before Sheriff Hoffa took her away. THACKER PLEADED guilty to one count of manslaughter on Oct. 14, and was sentenced to prison by Judge Stelle on Dec. 4. In her guilty-plea hearing she confessed to stabbing Boler with a filet knife during a fight. At her sentencing hearing she said she threw the knife in a creek while fleeing to Bloomington. During her change of plea hearing, Thacker read from a prepared statement how she and Boler had Col. 1, back page, this section

reportedly used the Heritage Lake home as a secondary residence. Damage to it was listed at $160,000, with SIOO,OOO damage to the house and $60,000 to its contents. STATE FIRE Marshal Larry Bozell said cause of the fire is offically under investigation. “What we’ve got is a building that is on the ground,” Bozell said, “and until we know what started it (the fire), it is officially under investigation.” Bozell did not rule out arson as a possible cause. According to a Fillmore VFD report, it took firefighters about 25 minutes to extinguish the flames, though firemen were on the scene conducting a preliminary investigation until about 6:15 a.m. Friday.

the increased number of days mandated by state statute. Regarding health insurance, Rohr said the school corporation will pick up the total cost for any increases during the 1987-88 school year. During the second year of the contract, the school corporation will pick up any insurance cost increases “up to a maximum of SSOO per teacher,” Rohr said. Salaries for teachers, during the 1987- school year, amount to a 6.75 percent raise, plus S3OO for staff at the top of the salary schedule. In addition to the 6.75 percent, qualifying teachers also receive an increment raise. For the 1988-89 school year, teachers will receive an 8.25 percent increase (plus increment). In addition, staff at the top of the salary schedule will receive SSOO. The reason for the 8.25 percent increase, Rohr told board members, is due to the extra teaching days mandated by the statute for the 1988- school year. OTHER CHANGES in the teaching contract include: —Making funeral leave requests more flexible to include time off for “any family members’ death,” instead of specific relatives listed previously in the agreement, Rohr said. —lncreasing the retirement benefit to SI,BOO for the first year of the contract and “up to a maximum of $2,000” the second year. —Becoming involved in the group disability insurance package for teachers. —Participating in Section 125 of

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Sandra Thacker (center) 1s escorted to a Putnam County Sheriff’s Department car by jail matron Julie Hoffa Friday morning. Thacker was taken to prison by Sheriff Gerry Hoffa

Greencastle talks due to resume this Tuesday

By JOE THOMAS Banner-Graphic Assistant Editor Jeff Abbott, Don Thompson and Larry Mason will sit down at the bargaining table for the fourth time this year Tuesday night, hoping to hammer out a new contract for members of the Greencastle Classroom Teacher’s Association. Abbott is the school corporation’s attorney and represents the school board in the negotiations. Thompson is a negotiator for the Indiana State Teacher’s Association, while Mason is the president of the GCTA. They have met at the bargaining table three times since this summer, when talks began. In late July, the two parties agreed to suspend negotiations until October because of uncertainties with the GCSC budget. When October came, they

the IRS Code so that teachers can receive certain benefits with beforetax dollars, instead of after-tax dollars. This will not result in extra cost to the corporation. —No increase in the current pay schedule related to extracurricular duties the first year of the contract, but a five percent increase the second year. WITH NO COMMENT voiced publicly by school board members, David Lane made a motion to ratify the two-year agreement with teachers. His motion was seconded by Helen Galford and was made unanimous by Don Lambermont, Byron Gough, Mary Martin, David Ferrand and Ray McGaughey. Following the vote, Rohr lauded the teaching staff for their “professionalism” in carrying on with classes during the negotiations period. “Even though this was a long process, not at any time, did the teachers do anything that reflected poorly in the classroom, or did anything that would have a bad effect on the students,” Rohr commented. “I felt they handled themselves from a very professional standpoint this year,” he said, adding he also appreciated Brothers’ efforts in achieving a settlement between the NPTA and the school corporation. Later, Rohr turned his attention to raises for non-teaching staff to cover the 1987-88 school year. “One of goals of the school corporation has been to try and keep salary increases for non-certified staff at a comparable level to the salary increases of the teaching Col. 1, back page, this section

and his wife to begin serving a six-year prison term in connection with the Feb. 18 stabbing death of Paul H. “Sonny” Boler. (Banner-Graphic photo by Gary Goodman).

agreed to suspend talks until Dr. Gary Druckemiller could begin work fulltime as superintendent of the school system. Druckemiller began his job on Nov. 15. ON NOV. 24,THE two sides sat down to talk for the first time since July to try to reach an agreement. That session ended without a contract, primarily because of differ-, ences concerning the amount of increase in teacher’s pay next year. In the first bargaining session in July school corporation officials said they wanted to offer teachers a pay raise, but put on the table an offer that included no raises because of budgetary confusion existing at that time. Because of IBM’s pull-out from Greencastle, and the effect it had on the school system’s total assessed valuation, the GCSC could not be Col. 5, back page, this section