The Independent-News, Volume 105, Number 22, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 8 November 1979 — Page 4

NOVEMBER 8, 1979 — THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS

EDITORIALS

1979 ELECTION The 19’9 town elections for both W alkerton and North Liberty are now history. And for the record, the names and numbers are complete, but a closer look at the figures point out a few interesting facts. Our opinion of what happened is this: Walkerton A total of 538 votes cast on the machines and eight more absentee ballots were added to the total. Despite the fact that some were pleased with this figure, to our calculation this is still probably less than 4(1 per cent. Now that the voting age is 18 and that one does not have to be a registered voter to vote in the town election. Walkerton must have a population of somewhere in the 23(X) category and discounting those under 18. there has to be between 1300 and 14(X) eligible voters. Os this only 546 participated, maybe good by the continuing lower vote trend of the last decade, but certainly not enough interest shown in the operation of our town. In Walkerton there were about three types of races among the five wards. First of all. two incumbents, one Republican and one Democrat, were seeking re-election. And to a little surprise, these two were the leading vote getters of the opposed candidates with the identical machine count of 2’B. This has to be somewhat of a vote of confidence to the board as for sometime there has been a lot of controversial subjects confronting the board. Maybe after all the hollering and complaining. the public realizes the board does have a hard job and are making a serious effort to straighten things out to the best of their ability. Certainly those with strong complaints were going to get out and vote, so this has to be an encouraging factor for the incumbents. The second factor was a three-man race in the second ward. Not only did the major parties, the Republicans and Democrats have their candidates, an Independent also threw his hat in the ring. W’hat happened here was 75 total votes going to the Independent, who picked up votes that someone certainly would have had of the regular partv candidates. Just exactly who benefited and who lost by the third candidate can only be speculation, but with just a 20 vote difference between the two leading candidates, it is obvious that the third party mav have picked up the undecided or possibly protest against establishment procedures votes to affect this outcome. Third was the one race with two political newcomers opposing each other. In this, the machine vote varied only one. 247 to 24b. Adding in the absentees it came out 252 to 249, certainly a very tight race. The fact that in this particularly close race only 501 of a total of 546 voters cast a ballot for either candidate. This could be simply that some wanted to vote for just one or a few certain candidates, or the possibility exists that once again voter carelessness didn't get all the votes cast as it is a known fact that people do make mistakes on machines, such as not opening a party lever or maybe just a little insecureness once behind the curtain of how to split a ticket and consequently the entire vote is not cast. The unopposed races of course w ere strictly routine. The new board, to take office on January 1. 1980. will still have a continuing line of very important and some controversial problems to contend with. We wish them the best as one can only ask for them to do the best of their ability and thoughts that are passed on by you the public, in running the business of our tow n. North Liberty. Once again too light of a vote. A total of 300 ballots were cast, surprisingly enough for two full tickets, more than four years ago. but certainly not enough to signify the concern of the public. North Liberty as well has had their ups and downs as all small town councils are going to have in the rapidly changing form of government where the rules and guidelines are tightened and more and more regulations are forced on town councils at all times. The North Liberty vote, though small, did defmately point out that the voters did go into the booths with one thing in mind . . . voting for the person and not the party. Despite the tact that only one Democrat was elected and the rest were Republicans, the varying total of votes in the totals disclosed that people did split tickets and vote for the person. This is always a good sign, regardless of who the candidates are. it would be the eventual end to the two party system and choice of the people if continued straight party voting continued regardless of the individuals and issues at hand. Here also, we hope the newly elected officials can and will do the best job possible as they have been given a four year responsibility of running the town, certainly not an easy or glamorous job. WHEN... ,TAKEN FROM THE FILES OF THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS)

1974 In the November 7 issue of “The Independent-News" the first Turkey Daze Sale was held with the win a turkey promotion held two davs, the Bth and 9th of November. A total of 26 area merchants participated in the event. Ihe annual John Glenn High School fall athletic banquet, honor mg the football. cross countrv and tennis will be held on Monday, November 18 I he adult recreation class will be meeting at the Urey Middle School gym the next two Thursday even ing due to other groups using high school gym on these evenings The drama club of North Liberty High School will present the play, “Don't Drink The Water' ’, on Ihursday, Friday and Saturday.

November 14,15 and 16 in the high school gvm. 1969 The first letter of your last names is going to determine the deadline for buying your 1970 auto license plates according to Commissioner Gerald Habig, of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. A through C are required to purchase their plates before February 28; D thru H on or before March 31; I through N before April 30; () through S before Mav 31 and I through Z bv June 30. PLJ Athletic Boosters will have a coffee hour Saturday morning. November IS. from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 am. at Heil's Restaurant with coach John Hans to discuss the 1969-70 basketball team 1964

ill HBlv I

■ Shiek Yamani. the Saudi Arabian oil minister, observed recently that the moderate leadership of the OPEC cartel was in the process of losing control of the world oil market Recent sales of Iranian crude oil in the world spot market at $45 per barrel (nearly double the official OPEC price) would tend to confirm his view that the oil market is in shambles Reports of possible December price increases of nearly 40 per cent by the Arab cartel further underscore the potentially chaotic situation Meanwhile, from the Iranian fields there are murmurs that oil workers don t like the idea of continued exports of oil to the United States —a nation that is providing informal sanctuary to an ailing and deposed Shah While these tremors are being felt world-wide in the United States, we see little more than Congressional hand-wringing over oil company profits and a torrent of schemes for spending the revenues from a windfall profits tax that hasn t yet been enacted Although the oil price issue naturally is getting most of the nation s attention, the matter of supply is far more fundamental in importance The price

Helping Hands is being organized to help our Senior Citizens or others who are handicapped and need those “extra hands". We will be available on Fridays and will take you to get your groceries, write letters for you or help you to get to necessary appointments. North Liberty’s 1964-65 version of basketball will unfold on Tuesday night as the Shamrocks open their season at Walkerton. At the market T-bones and sirloin were selling for 88 cents a pound; spare ribs at 39 cents a pound; cube steak at 10 for 99 cents; bacon at three pounds for SI.00; Pillsbury cake mixes, three boxes for 89 cents; Kleenex at 19 cents for a box of 400; Hills Brothers coffee, three pound can for 52.09 and grapefuit, six for 39 cents. 1959 The annual food sale sponsored by the clubs will be held the day before Thanksgiving. November 25. at Ted’s Insurance office. This is the big annual money making project of the clubs to carry on their work for the Children's Hospital and Riley Hospital. The football boosters club will hold a pot luck supper on Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the elementary school honoring the fixHball players. All players, parents and interested persons are urged to attend. Bring food and your own table service. The Kin Wa-Ka Camp Fire girls will babysit during the program following the supper. A near capacity crowd saw the Liberty Shamrocks win its second game in as many starts by defeating Lakeville’s Trojans 42-36. At 7:54 a.m., November 4, four miles cast of Walkerton on U. S. 6, two cars and a school bus were involved in an accident. The drivers of the cars were Ethel Hartman, of Fort Wayne and Walter Conley, of Chicago. Elias Burger, Route 2, Plymouth, was the driver of the schixil bus. Damage to the Hartman car was $350 and S3OO to the (Onley car and $l5O to the schixil bus. 1944 The New stand, operated for several years by Homer Balsley, and favorably known throughout the county as a g<x>d eating place.

Capitol Commentary Governor Otis R Bowen

of energy matters little if one cannot acquire it That is precisely the problem we face with the Arab cartel and it is a risk that we will be forced to endure well into the 1980 s Until a domestic program of increased production, stepped-up conservation and the application of new energy sources can be put in place, we will continue to be at the mercy of foreign governments Throughout more than six years of energy shortages, this vulnerability to the OPEC cartel has been the basic problem Yet. it still seems to be the issue that we are unwilling to deal with A combination of increased domestic production, conservation and the use of new fuels such as gasohol and solar power, will be needed to provide the energy for economic growth during the remaining years of this century The development of synthetic fuels from coal and shale and the use of nuclear power are the principal means by which we can reduce foreign imports Unfortunately, the nuclear program is stalled and synthetic fuels projects daily are being whittled down m Congress

will change hands and come under the operation of a new manager in the near future. Carl Fults, of South Bend, has purchased the equipment and expects to take charge of the place on December 4. North Liberty will have a tax supported band next year following the results of Tuesday's election when 174 votes were cast in favor of the project and 18 against it. There will be a short observance of Armistice Day at the uptown bandstand in Walkerton on Saturday morning. The program is being handled by the American Legion. The program will start at 10:30 and close at 11:00 with Rev. Hartman, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, delivering the address. The Walkerton Indians won their first game Friday night when they tramped on the Tyner Redmen 37 to 17. Friday evening after the basketball game, the Girl Reserves sponsored a dance in the gym. However. some of the boys felt that quite a few of the girls failed to carry out the Dogpatch tradition bybeing too shy to ask the boys to dance. 1929 1 he estimated hx»t taken by bandits Iron) a society dance after the lllinois-Army football game in Champaign was approximately SS4.(XX). it was revealed, as police began a state-wide search for two bandits w ho escaped. The Nusbaum Store is being remodeled to make room for a new funeral parlor and casket show room on the first floor. At the Independent Cash Market and Grocery Baldwin apples were selling for $1.65 a bushel; ten pounds of sugar for 59 cents; three pounds of Peaberry coffee for 98 cents and three loaves of bread for 25 cents. VOICE OF THE PEOPLE Lest my letter may be misinterpreted, and things read into it which aren t there, let me put it in its proper perspective. I am for the improvement to our neighbor-

h<xxi. It was greatly needed and more is still needed. However, my gripe is the fact that in the (XX: bhxk of Harrison our parking places have been reduced and the width of the street has been cut dow n the entire length of it Street repaving was needed so why couldn't just that have been done? I just want to make sure that's what it really is! Esther Gerber 609 Harrison Street P-L-J SCHOOL BOARD NEWS I he Polk I incoln-Johnson School Board met in regular session on luesday evening at the adminis tration building. It was announced that letters will be sent to six parents requesting their services to participate on the Comprehensive Assessment and Program Planning System advisory committee to re view goals and objectives ol the mathematics program in grades one through 12 with the adminis tration and faculty. Ihe board approved the Title IVB Grant application totaling $6,736. This money will be spent on providing instructional supplies and hardware for students in their respective buildings. The board also signed an Achievement Test Certificate for William Lee Steinke. Superintendent Harold R. Muncie will attend the annual conference for state superintendents at Indianapolis on November 29 and 30. Representative from P:ACE Associates presented the design and development phase of the renovation project for the Urey Middle School and remodeling of the exterior court at the high school into a study hall. Another meeting will be held with the architects before final plans arc determined Ihe next regular meeting of the board will be on Luesday, Novem her 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the adminis tration building. Only female and young gorillas sleep in trees, mature males sleep on the ground at the base of the tree.