The Independent-News, Volume 107, Number 19, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 15 October 1981 — Page 4

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- THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS - OCTOBER 15, 1981

EDITORIALS

A GOOD INVESTMENT Word has been released about a purchase the Town of Walkerton is about to make of the former Walkerton Truck Equippers Building on State Road 23, just north of Walkerton. A lot of misunderstanding and just simply the lack of knowledge of this move has caused some comment that we feel needs some response. First of all, the purchase of the buildings and 7‘/i acres of land at that spot from the First Source Bank for a figure of $95,000, is not a bad investment. It is true that part of the buildings are not the best, but there is a very good structure as well as the original cement block building which will have to have some repair and upkeep. Add to this there is more acreage than the town will use and there is a couple of plans that are not complete for part of this space by other persons with some limited income from these parties. The need for more space by the town is urgent. Currently they have equipment and supplies stored all over the area. It is not commonly known, but the utility departments have much more equipment and supplies than can begin to be housed in the municipal building in downtown Walkerton. In addition to this, two of the current sites, for storing utility poles and other equipment, will have to be vacated for various reasons, one being the hopeful start of the sewage treatment plant in the near future. The site north of town will let the utility departments centralize all their equipment and supplies at one place and have room to take care of this properly. At present, both equipment and supplies are not housed and are left out which is bad for both security and maintenance reasons. Also, another very big benefit from this move will be that with the vacating of part of the municipal building they now use, the ambulances will be given the two back bays and upstairs (the old fire department) to house their vehicles and this also will provide some revenue through rent for the town. They need the space and this will give them much better housing for their vehicles. The purchase will be a capital improvement for the town and the money will come from the capital improvement fund of the electric department. This will not come from tax dollars and there is no plan or need to adjust rates to cover this purchase. The terms of the purchase will be lO'/z percent over 15 years, financed through the Farmers State Bank of Wyatt. The town has long needed additional facilities and if this offer would not have come up, other measures much more costly would have to be pursued. The opportunity that presented itself and is being taken by the town is a progressive step in the right direction to improve both the capital assets of the town as well as the working and storing facilities for the utility departments. DISCUSS PLANS On Tuesday evening, October 20, at 7:30 p.m., at the John Glenn High School auditorium, the PLJ School Board will hold a public meeting to discuss with the public their plans for the additions and remodeling that must be done at both John Glenn High School and the North Liberty school which will house kindergarten through eight at that location. Contrary to what they may state, this is not a meeting for “public imput’’ but a meeting to tell the public what they and the architects have planned. This was a misleading statement one other time, making interested persons feel they could expess feelings and thoughts about programs when really it is just going to boil down to what they have completely planned and have little or no intention of changing. This is well and good if the board would publicize it as such and add that questions can be asked about the various plans that will first be discussed. When this occured last spring at the Urey Middle School, it took very little time to find out what was planned and that was that, allowing questions and giving a tour of the building. We know this work must be done and the board knows much more about what is needed than the public as a whole. However, they should state the same, that the plans will be discussed and revealed as drawn to date. If public opinion is to be put into such programs, it should be through a committee earlier in the overall planning and labeled as such. We do feel that often the architects push too hard in certain directions and do push to or beyond the limits in some planning. We hope this isn’t the case here as this should be the final step in completing the housing of students for many years to come in the new school corporation. It is the taxpayers who pay for these additions and improvements and they do have a right to know and to voice an opinion, but let’s face it, Tuesday night will be a one-way street, the board and/or architect will explain what they are planning and by this time the only way to alter their plans is through legal channels which we sincerely hope arc not necessary as we expect a suitable plan to be revealed at this time.

Don’t want it. why keep it. 'Sell it through our classifieds’ i he mind is a wonderful thing. Ii stalls working the moment vou an born and never stops until vou stand up to speak in publk

Our Happv Ads — Only $1.00! m p h docs save live*! Do vou know the difference lie tween a lax collector and a taxi dermist ' Ihi taxidermist leaves the skin

.'✓^REMEMBER VZHEM—(Taken From The Files Os The Independent-News)

1971 Homecoming queen candidates for John Glenn have been named. The Homecoming activities will be held this week with a parade on Thursday and the football game on Friday with South Central followed by a dance to highlight the week. Urey football team defeated New Prairie by a 22-6 score on Tuesday. In St. Joseph County there are over 500 pre-school children enrolled in the Head Start program. Volunteers are needed. At the market pork chops were selling for 89 cents a pound; loin and pork roast at 69 cents a pound; spare ribs at 69 cents a pound; shank half or whole hams at 53 cents a pound; center cut ham slices at 99 cents a pound; franks at 59 cents a pound; bologna at 89 cents a pound; a 10 ounce jar of Folger’s instant coffee at 99 cents; a gallon of ice cream for 99 cents; two pound loaf cheese for 79 cents; 38 ounce bottle of Wesson oil for 89 cents; 20 pounds of Michigan potatoes for 89 cents; squash at two for 39 cents and three pounds of Mclntosh apples for 39 cents. 1961 An important meeting has been called by the Starke County Committee for School Reorganization for Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. to be held in the Hamlet Elementary School for Oregon and Davis Township residents. This is in reference to the future of Oregon and Davis Township schools who were originally listed together by the County Committee only to be turned down by the state, due to the fact that they didn't meet the minimum requirements. The Walkerton-Lincoln Township High School Band will be one of many bands participating in Purdue University's “Band Day" this Saturday at the Purdue-Miami of Ohio football game. Between 5.000 and 6.000 high school band students are expected to participate. Cities Service is sponsoring an antique car showing on Sunday. October 15, here in Walkerton. The cars will come from South Bend at around 11:30 a m. to stop and refuel here for about 20 minutes. Lloyd Taylor, formerly of Walkerton, secretary of the tour, will be driving a 1912 Oakland touring car. There will be 20 cars in the parade. 1951 A concerted effort will be made by organized bodies in St. Joseph County asking for a five mile job of resurfacing on State Road 23 near South Bend to be done. Between 50 and 60 Walkerton men will take pan in “Everybody's Here", to be sponsored by the Walkerton Lions Club on Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27, in the high school auditorium. The show, by magic touch of rouge, lipstick and powder, some of the local males will be transformed into Charming Maids for the production. The new chapel at Culver Military Academy will be dedicated in special services on Sunday. October 20. There is a total of 240 Walkerton workers employed at the Kingsburv Ordnance Plant. 1931 The National Coaches Association in cooperation with the Rockne Memorial Association, announced today that Rockne Day will be observed on November 14. Arrangements have been made for a fall meeting of the weekly newspaper publishers of Northern Indiana to be held on Friday even mg. at Tyrrell's Inn, Koontz Lake. Ihe lid was blown off in the "Lit tie World Series" at Westside Park last Sunday when the local Inde-

pendents won an eleven-inning tilt from Donaldson by a score of 4-3. This was the first game of a threegame series to be played between these teams to determine the winner of the Northern Indiana Baseball League. At the market Maxwell House coffee was selling for 33 cents a pound; a tall can of salmon for 10 cents; four pounds of raisins for 33 cents; a dozen of bakery doughnuts for 25 cents; Devil's Food cakes with marshmallow filling for 22 cents; two pounds of frankfurts for 25 cents; a quart of oysters for 69 cents and two pounds of bologna for 25 cents. VOICE OF THE PEOPLE It is my opinion that the Town of Walkerton is a fine community. As I have discovered it takes a lot of people doing a lot of things to make up a fine community. I believe that the nursing home here. Miller's Merry Manor, is part of what makes Walkerton a good town. It is important for everyone to recognize that the people living at Miller s Merry Manor are some of the very people who worked hard for many years to make Walkerton and the surrounding area such a gixxi place to live. Having visited the majority of nursing homes in Indiana and having served as administrator at Miller's Merry Manor for the last two-and-onc-half-years. I can say. without a doubt, that Walkerton is blessed with one of the best nursing homes anvwhere. The staff at the nursing home is a professional hard working group dedicated to seeing that these people, who have made such an important contribution to our way of life, are well taken care of. It’s not every day you find a nursing home like this one and I leave with many regrets. In leaving I would like to thank the Independent-News for recognizing the need to keep Walkerton in touch with what is happening at the nursing home and providing the space for this need. Thanks also to Drs. Hershberger, Carter and VandcrVelde: Mahlon Jacob. Chuck Dobis, the DeSimones, Ray Chapman, Jack Rizek and Betty King for their fine support. A special thank you to the residents of Miller's Merry Manor, their families and the entire staff. Mike Butler In answer to "Concerned Citizen" who wrote "What’s In The Name". First, I think you'd better clarify a few facts for the majority of us taxpayers. Are we misinformed or do you have "inside info" we don't know about? This committee you speak of was formed to select a new name for the school corporation. NOT the high school. I here’s a vast difference or didn’t you know? Also, with your great "new name” aren’t you forgetting the taxpayers in Polk and Johnson low nships? We have a right to be represented in the name as we are at least half of the taxpayers and therefore halt of the corporation, liberty and Lincoln are only two parts of a four-part merger. As for a president’s name, Polk as well as Johnson were heads of state also. You re a gixx! example of why naming the school wasn't left up to you. At least students and teachers know how many townships are in our corporation and do not misinterpret what a committee is organized to do; they also can re member more than one president Also, what s wrong with Jolin Glenn? He's a wonderful example of dedication, studying and hard work What better example for

young people today? I'm sure o, high school students can ben identify with him and his life at achievements than a man w ho |j\, over a hundred years ago. A Taxpayer From Neitlc Liberty Nor Lincoln Tw Weekly Wrap-Up By Senator K Richard Miller A number of ideas are being d cussed by the Interim Study ( <» r mittce on Corrections that n help alleviate overcrowding in In ana prisions. One idea that will । focused on is alternate forms sentencing on the local level Indiana’s prison population growing daily and it is estima' that several hundred more bi will be needed in the next t years. Keeping in mind that t! state is trying to reduce spendin and that additional space won take several years to build, the terim committee has been l<M>k at other options. One of the suggested ideas is expansion of local work release pr grams. This has multiple benef? the prisoner is allowed to supp his or her family, which keeps tlx economically self-sufficient, a this type of incarceration is h costly than a state facility. Another program that has n with some success in several con ties is community service. This for lesser offenders or persons w 1 have been paroled. Again, it punishment for the offender and service to the community such painting a church or working n park. Both work release and com mu t service are for non violent oth i. ers. The interim committee h< a: testimony that there may In many as 1,000 non-violent off t ers incarcerated at Michigan ( prison who could be jailed on ” local level. It has also been d covered that some jails have emp beds that might be used for Io corrections programs. The cor mittec is looking for ways to d with corrections problems, h long term and immediately, wir out compromising our criminal i tice system or overburdening ti taxpayers. Helps Shrink Swelling Os Hemorrhoidal Tissues caused by inflammation Doctors have found a medic.। tion that in mans cases gio firompt. temporarv relief H murs from pain and burning itch in hemorrhoidal tissues ther helps shrink swelling of thes* tissues caused by inflammation The name Preparation H K N prescription is needed Prepa ration H Ointment and sup positones Use only as directed Bob Hope says: “Red Cross can teach you i first aid. And first aid canbea life saver.” Hr