The Independent-News, Volume 106, Number 34, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 29 January 1981 — Page 4

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- THE INDEPENDENT NEWS — JANUARY 29. 1981

EDITORIALS ■ -—— ——

MORE THAN A BARGAIN The Walkerton, Polk, Lincoln, Johnson Ambulance Service is still seeking memberships for the 1981 calendar year. The memberships for a family are only $25.(X) a year and this serves the household that lives in a given residence. This is more than a bargain to any household. The $25.00 fee in actuality is no more than an insurance policy. This gives the members of a said household free ambulance service for the calendar year for this low fee. If it is not used, which all certainly hope it isn’t, it still is a worthy investment by the fact that it helps to support the necessary ambulance service if an when it is needed. According to those who serve with the WPLJ Ambulance service either actively or on their governing board, the average cost of a run is approximately $65.00 - $75.00. This rate varies on conditions, such as services, etc. It is easy to see that anyone having to use the service is easily money ahead if just one run is necessary . . . and certainly they are much more ahead if more than one run be needed in a year’s time by the same household. The main intention of the WPLJ Ambulance Service is of course to be present and used when needed. But they have another goal as well . . . keep this service off the tax rolls. If this is to be possible, the yearly membership subscriptions need to be much higher in number than they are. The first year a very good percentage of the households of the area signed up for this service. Each year it has slipped a little more until it has reached the point that financially it can not be supported without some extra help if the memberships are to remain so low. Last year the service made 248 runs, which figures out to be about five a week for the year. These runs carried patients that were categorized into 14 different groups. Certainly the services were needed whenever they were called even though eight times in this total people refused service after the ambulance had responded. If 1980 was an average year ... if this figure is going to represent an average number of calls, the odds are less than even by quite some margin that a given household won’t need the service. The same odds might be true in other types of situations, car insurance, fire insurance, hospitalizations, etc., but very seldom do you see families leave themselves unprotected in these other situations. We urge everyone in the WPLJ district to take advantage of the $25.00 yearly membership. Even if you don’t have cause to use the ambulance service, you are helping, without paying taxes, of keeping one of the most necessary and needed services in operation with your donation. We hope you do not need the service ... but we hope that if you are one of the 248 or so cases that do this year you will already be a part of the service through your 1981 membership. This can be paid at the Clerk-Treasurer’s office in Walkerton, 510 Roosevelt Road, Walkerton, IN 46574. It is as easy as that to help insure your family’s need should it come to pass. (Taken From The Files Os The Independent-News)

1971 Seven high school junior girls from John Glenn High School will present their reasons for wanting to attend the 30th session of Girls State to be held June 13 to 20. Dale Ann Brown has been named 19T Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow for John Glenn High School. Basketball homecoming will be held at John Glenn High School on Friday evening with South Central Activities will be between games. 1966 Ihi 6th and ""th graders of the Walkerton Elementary School are now rehearsing for the presenta lion of the operatic. "Tom Sawyer". which will be given on Friday. March 25. in the school gvm (»<ne Patrick, president of the Walkerton Jaycees. announced to dav an essav contest for students in the seventh and eighth grades, which is designed to instill in the youngsters a greater love of Amen ca and a deeper appreciation of her heritage. At the market pork chops were selling for ”9 cents a pound, smok les at f>9 cents a pound: franks at 59 cents a pound; five pound bag of flour for 51 cents: sirloin steak at 87 cents a pound; T-bones at 97 cents

a pound and two boxes of pancake mix for 49 cents. 1961 The Walkerton Police Department and the Control (enter have completed their radio hook up that has been anticipated since the organizing of the control center I he public now appears to have become interested in the Walkerton waterworks project with the knowledge that the new rates are now effective and about to be imposed for the first time. At the market a gallon of milk was selling for 69 cents; pork roast at 2" cents a pound; round and sirloin steak at 69 cents a pound; pork steak at 39 cents a pound; fryers at 35 cents a pound; Miracle Whip at 39 cents for a quart jar; a two pound jar of peanut butter for 59 icnts; two pound box of Vclveeta cheese for "’9 cents and a five pound bag of grapefruit for 29 cents 1956 A total of $214.52 was collected on luesday evening during the Mother's March on Polio. This was a gain of SBO 00 over the amount collected a year ago. Eire in the Northern Indiana Public Service Company's substa lion here early this morning. Feb ruarv ? damaged the interior of a

work truck Ihe truck had been us< <! on Wednesday ami contained nuu h valuable equipment, most of w h k h vi as damaged fudge John Gonas of South Bi nd met Monday night at the school building with a group of local citizens to discuss his pro posed plan of forming "Youth (oumds’ in each community of St Joseph County Su<h a council would operate as a preventitive measure in regards to juvenile delinquency 1951 I he church women of Walkerton are making plans for the observance of the annual World Dav of Pravcr which will be held on Friday afternoon. February 9. in the Pres bv tcrian ( hurch Roger Kronk. son of Mr and Mrs ( alvm Kronk. Walkerton, a high school sophomore, will appear on the Morris B Sachs Amateur Hour program. Sunday afternoon, at 12:30 to 1:30 over radio station W| SiR and TV Channel ” Roger will plav his own arrangement of "I over Come Bai k To Me", on his trumpet in competition with other young people of his own age group "Dollar Dav " will be observed at the meeting Friday of the Woman s Community Club to be held at the Town Club Each member is asked to bring or send a dollar bill and tell how it was earned 1946 Ihe G I Bill of Rights and how it pertains to honorably discharged veterans will be discussed bv F. S. Leßoy at the meeting of the PTA study group in the city library on Monday evening Nearly 200 Young People For Christ enthusiasts gathered in the Walkerton Grade Schix>| gym for a rally last Saturday evening which has become a regular monthly event. Groups from Hamlet, Grovertown. Donaldson. Tyner. Tracy. North Liberty and Star, as well as Walkerton and Koontz Lake, were in attendance. A bl<x>d typing clinic open to the public w ill be held at the Walkerton ( its Hall on Saturday. February lb. I he use of blood for transfusion in case of illness and accident, has become quite common and much time and effort may be saved if there is a list of known blood type individuals who might be willing to give bh>od in an emergency to help a fellow citizen 1941 A new church without denominational lines or doctrines, but open to all Christian people every where, is in progress of formation at Koontz I ake according to pastor H ( Sprague. Rev of the Walkerton (hurch of God, who has been i.died to serve the new congrega lion. Ihe Walkerton School Band B'H»sters are on their wav! last Sunday they gathered about S4O of their anticipated budget which will be used to purchase uniforms for the school band. Rumors that U. S. b would be detoured around Walkerton, which have persisted for several years and which bob up as each spring approaches, have come to light again the last few days. In place of the highway being rerouted around to the south edge of Walkerton leaving its present hxation near the Emery Elaugher farm east of town then joining up again with the highway near the Chaney filling station west of town, (the off-rum-ored change). Mr Barnaski stated that certain safety measures are being considered for the route through town. He was not free to state for publication just what those safety measures arc to be 1931 I lovd Thomas has been made manager of the Walkerton I inco Oil Station, replacing Clyde Walz, who is now identified with the Walkerton Oil Company. Mr. Thomas has been employed at the Linco station, formerly Independent Oil ( o . for over five years A new kind of farm relief in which the farmers give rather than receive has been in progress

amund South Bend during the last two weeks In response to a call for food and clothing sent out from the Office of the ( minty Agent in South Bend, four true k loads of food and clothing have been delivered bv officals of the Farmers' Exchange at New Paris. Bert McDaniel, Walkerton iceman. completed filling his large ice house at Koontz I ake Sunday after mx»n. While (he ice is only eight and nine inches thick the quality is far superior to that of last vear Approximately 500 farm folk availed themselves of the unusual opportunity to see the first reaper ever produced and to attend the Centennial Celebration and Power Farming entertainment, sponsored bv the Silo Company , in North I ibertv. Wednesday VOICE OF THE PEOPLE THANK YOU I his is an open "thank you" to Rav ( hapman, owner of Rav s Supermarket in Walkerton. I hough we thanked you in person. Rav. we want to sav pubiiclv "thank you" for the message you have had on vour store sign since the hostages were taken in Iran Ihe sign said: "God Bless Ihe Americans In Iran" and Rav made a vow to himself and the commun its 14' i months ago that (he message would stay on the sign until the hostages were released and he kept that promise. That message kept our fellow Americans in our thoughts and prayers as did those vcllow ribbons put around town by those annonvmous persons. So. thanks again, Rav. for keeping the hostages uppermost in our minds for 444 days and we know we express the thanks of the entire community. May Gi>d bless you' Gene and Esther Gerber 609 Harrison Street ATTENTION: MOTORCYCLE OWNERS Hoosier motorcycle enthusiasts will be required to obtain a special endorsement on their existing driver's licenses to legally operate a motorcycle on Indiana's roads and highways this year Ihe law, passed bv the 1979 Indiana General Assembly and effective January of I9HI, was designed to promote greater motorcycle safety within Indiana. Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Michael M. Packard explained. "The endorsement can be obtained at any of the statewide license branches until September 30. 19X1. bv simplv passing a written test and paving the $3 00 fee." After passing the written test during this nine-month "Grandfather Clause", the motorcyclist will be given a new license identical to his current driver’^ license except that the license will read "Operator M( " to designate that the person is legally qualified to operate a motorcycle on Indiana roads and highway s. After October I, 19XI. a motor cycle operator will be required to pass an operational skills test on a motorcycle at a specific testing site specified by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. This motorcycle drive test will be administered bv a certified motorcycle examiner at a cost of $5.00. Commissioner Packard added. "The exact number of statewide testing sites has not yet been determined. We arc looking at National Guard Armories. Indiana State Police Posts and shopping center parking lots as possible testing sites." I egislators also created two special permits to assist the public in preparing for the required endorsement: 1) temporary motorcycle learner's permit and. 2) motorcycle learner’s permit. The temporary permit is designed for individuals, fifteen (15) years of age or older, w ho are enrolled in an approved motorcycle rider training

course and is valid for only tin period of actual course instruction I he motorcycle learner’s permit is only available to individuals who have a valid driver's license which has not been revoked or suspended I his permit is valid for a twelve (12) month period and enables the motorcyclist to operate a motorevde on the street for practice with the following restrictions: a) operator must wear a helmet, b) no passengers max be earned, and c) must operate motorcycle during dav light hours only. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles urges all motorcyclists to take advantage of the "Grandfather ( lause” and apply for their motor cycle endorsement prior to October I. 19XI "Those individuals ob taming a motorcycle endorsement during this grace period will not be required to take a skills test until the age of seventy-five, when they will be required to pass the skills test every two vears.” commented Packard Enforcement of this new law will begin October 1, 19X1. NIPSCO PETITIONS TO RECOVER INCREASED COSTS Northern Indiana Public Service Company petitioned on January 21. 19X1, the Public Service Commis sion of Indiana to allow the utility to pass on $53,969,313 in higher costs lor gas purchased from three of its five suppliers. Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America. Trunkline Gas Company and Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company, as authorized bv the Natural Gas Policy Act section of the National Energy Act of 1978. The purchased gas adjustment, if approved as filed, would increase costs for an average NIP SCO residential customer using 1 4 ".600 cubic feet of gas a vear for homcheating and other purposes $31.67 a year or about $2.64 a month beginning in March. An average NIPSCO residential customer using 39,800 cubic feet of natual gas for purposes other than homcheating would realize an increase of $X 54 a vear or about ’I cents a month. The purchased gas adjustment is the first filed by NIPSCO this year. The effect of this adjustment on the average NIPSCO customer using 14".600 cubic feet of gas for home healing and other purposes would be an annual increase from $524.21 on January 1, 19X1. to $555 XX as of .March 1. 19X1, upon approval of this petition An average NIPSCO customer using 39,800 cubic feet of natural gas for purposes other than home heating, will experience an annual increase from $169.29 on January 1. 19X1. to $177,83 on March I. 19X1. upon approval of this application Adjustments in gas rates to NIPSCO customers, usually upward but sometimes downward, have occurred and will continue to meure as rates from NIPS( O’s pipeline suppliers change, as they have and will, under the provisions of the Natural Gas Policy Act and after approval of the Federal Fnergv Regulatory Commission NIPS( 0 explained that it does not realize one cent of profit from purchased gas adjustments The money, the company said, goes directly to suppliers to pay for the increased cost of natural gas delivered to the utility The company also said that in spite of these rising costs, natural gas continues to be the least expensive fuel for homeheating in northern Indiana Red ( toss: Ready for a mt* century.