The Independent-News, Volume 104, Number 18, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 5 October 1978 — Page 4

OCTOBER 5. 1978 - THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS

| editorials!

CHANGE CAN’T HURT! In another part of this edition, a story is published about the efforts of State Representative Richard W. Mangus, Lakeville, to restructure the Public Service Commission in Indiana. It is his contention that the present three-man set-up with the present requirement that two of the three members be attorneys, needs some updating. The matter of fuel adjustment charges, rate increases, etc., concerning utility companies is a matter that is discussed all over the country and on a national basis some action has been taken in a few states to change the rather routine action of these public service commissions concerning rates and adjustment causes. On the national level, some 14 states have already taken measures that make the fuel adjustment charges not an automatic item to be passed on to the consumer by the utility with the feeling that with this easy "out” the utility companies are doing nothing to fight the steady increases that they can pass right on to the consumer. This is a matter that many feel is really a monopoly, the fact that you have no choice of your utility, you take the one that serves you and if they pass such a charge on to you. the consumer, you have no recourse but to pay it. Whether all the fuel adjustment costs are justified is certainly something that Mr. Public can’t answer, but never-the-less, it is something that someone should have some say about whether or not it is justified and someone should protect the consumer about this. This is not exactly what Mangus has in mind, but it would all follow the same path — that one of more protection and a little more time and ability by the public service commission to help protect the consumer and see that more of their operations are not “just routine’’ and are a necessary action. The matter of energy and related costs is one that effects all of us. In the past couple of winters two different curtailments of energy were passed on to us more on a voluntary basis, but still one which was approaching the point of necessity with action against violators not impossible. First was nature-made, the shortage of natural gas, or at least the shortage of natural gas where it was needed. The second was man-made, that due to a strike of coal miners that extended to a point that utility companies were running short of coal to produce electricity. The untility companies have to answer to the public service commission and this is the consumer’s only means of protection. Whether or not the proposal by Rep. Mangus will go through, whether or not it is the answer, is strictly speculation. However, with energy becoming more and more a matter that concerns ail of us, the more help and protection the consumer can get is very beneficial. And the proposal calling for technical knowledge being put on the public service commission cannot hurt its operation. The adding of a commissioner to relieve office-type and lesser type duties certainly makes sense. It appears that if Mangus’ proposal, whether modified or not, be something that does progress, it would add Indiana to a growing list of states that are concerned about energy and energy-related utility companies that have the consumer almost at their mercy. GOOD WORK BY OFFICIALS Apparently trouble was averted last week after some early week extra curricular activities did a little property damage leading up to the annual John Glenn and North Liberty football game. Last year some personal injury did happen and thank goodness, that was avoided this year. The need for good clean competition and rivalriy is something all inter-school competition can use. However, it takes a firm hand by the schools and sometimes outside agencies, to keep it this way. We want to congratulate the schools as they laid down the laws to their students and in doing so kept the competition just what it should be, good high school competition. It was quite a game, well played by both sides and a credit to the two schools. I^^ememberJw fcW. WHEN... ,3mm (TAKEN FROM THE FILES OF THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS)

1973 In football the Falcons edged Triton Friday evening with a 14-13 thriller, breaking Triton’s winning streak. The Shamrocks topped Knox 36-20 in their homecoming game. Urey topped North Liberty 34-16. Letters of commendation honoring them for high performance on the 1972 preliminary scholastic aptitude test. National Merit Scholarship qualifying test have been awarded to two North Liberty High School students, Debra S. Davis and Heinrich Koenig. A the market T-bone steak was $1.49 a pound; smoked hams at 79 cents a pound; sirloin steak at $1.39 a pound; ham slices at $1.39 a pound; dutch loaf at $1.39 a pound; Canadian bacon at $1.89 a pound; stick margarine at 49 cents a pound; Folger’s instant coffee, 10 ounce jar for $1.09; Ivory family size liquid detergent at 89 cents; lettuce, carrots and celery, at three for 98 cents; cauliflower at 48 cents a head and four pounds of Mclntosh apples for 68 cents. m 3 Undefeated North Liberty will

take on once tied, but undefeated Knox in their annual homecoming football game on Saturday, October 5 at 2:00 o’clock at the Shamrock field. The North Liberty Fire Department will hold open house on Friday and Saturday, October 11 and 12 at the fire station during fire prevention week. The Walkerton Band Boosters are having Tag Day Friday and Saturday. The Walkerton High School Honor Society and Student Council are sponsoring the first Career Day on Tuesday, October 8. The purpose of a Career Day is to provide information to the students of the high school that will enable them to make decisions concerning the future more intelligently; to make the students conscious of the fact that they have a problem of adjustment, in time for them to do something about it; to stimulate interest among students in looking to the future not only with valuable vocational information, but to familiarize them with the various colleges and advanced institutions of learning and to familiarize the

parents with the problems that they must assume in providing additional training beyond a high school education. Grand opening for Dave & Ray’s Supermarket will be held this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 3, 4 and 5 with free gifts and a merry-go-round ride for the children. 1958 Fred DeCoudres retired as local freight and passenger train agent for the Wabash Railroad on Tuesday having served the company for 35 years. He had served as agent for 20 years, beginning his duties with the company in the capacity of a clerk. Nelson Saylor has succeeded Mr. DeCoudres as agent. Rev. and Mrs. Ray E. Mills and family moved into the new Methodist parsonage last Monday, September 22. The completing of the new parsonage is a part of the second phase of the long range program being inaugurated by the North Liberty church. The building vacated by the Mills will be used as a youth center until a new building can be erected at a future date. Effective October 1, 1958, all minors, age 18 and under, are prohibited from being in any card, billiard or pool room. Special notice should be taken by parents to assist in enforcing this. On Friday evening, October 10, the Senior Class of North Liberty High School will present a play entitled, “Swing Your Partner”, by Robert St. Clair. High school principal, Keith Davis, North Liberty, beginning this fall, has organized a Junior High football team with practicing under Mr. Davis after school each evening. There are 16 boys out for practice. 1948 The last of the deeds to the 200 units of home in West York was delivered on Monday to Dale H. Stuckey, for the unit at 1406 and 1406-A Ohio. Fire of undetermined origin completely destroyed a Koontz Lake cottage and all its contents belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Bohac at 6:30 this morning. Robert Reed, of North Liberty, who operated the Reed Electric Service, has leased one of the Snyder store rooms in Walkerton and will open an electric appliance store there. The room was formerly occupied by Charlie’s Spot Restaurant. A. L. Dupler had a narrow escape from what might have been a very serious accident Tuesday morning when an explosion at the mint still at the Amos Bierly farm threw him out of the mint vat, tossing him over into a second vat, where he managed to catch hold of edge of the tub to escape falling into a steam bath. Mr. Dupler, Amos Bierly and Floyd Bierly had been working in a mint tub filling it with green mint hay, preparatory to distilling the hay, when the explosion occured. The two Bierlys were thrown up on the platform of the still unharmed, Mr. Dupler suffered severe bruises on his legs and arms. 1943 The new $250,000 high school building, erected in Walkerton, to serve both town and township, which was completed this fall and which has been in use since the opening of school in September, will be formally dedicated on Friday evening, November 12, with appropriate services, according to Supt. J. M. Sellers. Fire of undetermined origin destroyed a second West York home Friday morning at the 1410-A unit occupied by Mr. and Mrs. James Ashley was gutted. The first unit to be destroyed by fire was at 1006 Ohio, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Don Wert and family. The county treasurer's office has made arrangements for the local bank to collect the fall installment of current taxes due anytime now before November 2. This includes the Farmers State Bank of Wyatt,

at Walkerton, and the new Community State Bank at North tyVOICE OF THE PEOPLE TO THE CITIZENS OF P-L-J SCHOOL SYSTEM We are very proud of the Marching Band that represents P-L-J School System. These students and Mr. Bloomfield put in many hours of practice a week, play for the football games and give up their Saturdays for a contest. When they place in First Division, as they did last Saturday at Lebanon, it makes it all worth while. Mr. Bloomfield and the 64 band members would like to see more interested people go to these contests with them. Some bands that participate really have large cheering sections like our team does for football and basketball games.

1 111 " M *1 Polk-Lincoln-Johnson School Corporation QUESTION - ANSWER BOX There have been some questions asked this year regarding the elementary school. So that you might be better informed, sortie of i these questions and answers follow: Do the children have to eat everything on their plates when they buy school lunch? । No. We do encourage them to take one bite of everything. The cook will not give second helpings if they haven’t tasted at least one bite. । On what basis are students retained? , Students are observed by teachers every day and know those i students who are struggling with working at a level too difficult for t them, students who are immature in accepting responsibility of homework and daily assignments, those who are failing to gain j mastery of concepts at their grade level, those who are doing poor work in retaining concepts as indicated by poor test scores, and other variables. These students are recommended by their teachers to be considered for another year’s growth and a i “catch-up” period of skill development. At this time a case conference is held with parents, teachers, and principal discussing all of the objective data such as achievement test scores, daily work, teacher-made test scores, book company tests, work habits, and remedial program results. Subjective evidence of the child's emotional maturity and other adjustment factors are also considered. A decision is then reached jointly by all concerned. Are children emotionally damaged from being retained? 1 The success or failure of a retention depends a great deal on the attitude and acceptance of parents. Parent attitudes toward the school are reflected in children's attitudes. If the parent views the retention as an opportunity to build needed skills, then the student makes good progress without great emotional damage. Another S argument against emotional damage being done is that the | Il emotional damage a student goes through in not having sufficient | skill knowledge to handle classes during the middle and high school • years is very much more damaging emotionally than retaining a n year in the elementary school where the foundation of learning ■ || takes place. | Who do you test students coming into Kindergarten? According to the Gessell Institute of Behavior 50 per cent of first- |] graders are overplaced. These students are being forced to begin • I reading programs before they are physically, mentally, and n emotionally ready, thus producing behavior problems, school | failures and school problems. Through out testing program we U have been attempting to identify students who are immature and 9 starting to school before they are ready. We also use the testing | results to find the child s best mode of learning and to identify | students who may have difficulty In learning so that extra rein- || forcement can begin in Kindergarten. We are trying to prevent stress and strain on students who are not biologically ready. | Chronological age of students does not determine the total I development of the child. Du you deny students the right to come to Kindergarten? R No. We recommend on the basis of experience and results of the II testing that students might profit from another year of growth at x home or in a pre-school setting before starting their formal education. I What is your Kindergarten program? The academic part of the Kindergarten program is a pre-reading program consisting of pre-reading skills: visual discrimination, dire na ity, pre-word recognition, phonics, word recognition, i r ymmg words, vocabulary development, listening comprehension, 1 - following directions, and library skills. In (he area of malh the students learn to write numerals, count sets, learn the ordinal posi ion of numbers, and to use concrete objects to form number concep s. perceptual motor program gives students experiences . awareness Art and writing experiences are g i o eve op fine-motor skills. Playtime gives time for social . students”™* lcarn,ng to s ^ arc get along with other mm— »"—i --

This Saturday they go to Walton. Indiana for the NISBOVA contest. If they place first there, they go to State again this year. Come on parents, students, and citizens of P-L-J School System. Let's show these gread band students were with them 100% by being at Walton, Indiana at 11:30 to watch them perform. The busses with the band students leave the John Glenn High School at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning. Let's get together a caravan and show them we are really in- ( terested. If would mean a lot if the member of the school board, principal and superintendent would go along. If you can’t go along at least come over to the school and । wish them good luck. Sincerely, Wyman and Maryin Hochstetler , When a man gets too old to set a bad example, he starts giving good advice.