The Independent-News, Volume 107, Number 20, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 22 October 1981 — Page 4

4

- THE INDEPENDENT NEWS - OCTOBER 22, IMI

EDITORIALS

A QUESTION OF TIME This Sunday, October 25, is the designated day for the time to change in most of the nation once again as nearly everyone will leave daylight savings time and revert back to standard time. Our state of Indiana, with the exception of a few counties, is one of the exceptions. What this basically means again is we will remain the same but with most of the rest of the nation changing, we will no longer be with the Chicago area, but once again with New York and the eastern part of the country. By this time this is no big deal. It happens for six months every year and Indiana (particularly the area to the west and to us) is in different time zones. The schools, social functions, work and everything else has adjusted to this with possibly a slight nusiance factor, but as we said before, no big deal by this time. However, we see where now a move is underway to keep the rest of the nation that flip-flops time the last of every October and April, to only revert to standard time for basically four months a year, reverting back to daylight savings time on the first Sunday in March instead of the last Sunday of April. There are some valid arguments for this. First, they state, a great savings in energy if the nation has more daylight in the evening instead of the morning. It has been estimated that this change alone would save some 100,000 barrels of oil a day! This, with the energy situation as it seems to be, is probably reason enough to do it. However, the most serious drawback is that should this take place, the children over the nation would be waiting for school buses and going to school in darkness for two more months. The safety factor is a serious one. What rather boggles our mind is the fact that, if the energy savings will mean so much to the country as a whole, businesses, industry, individuals, etc., why can’t these people adjust their hours without a declaration by Congress or the Department of Transportation? Is it so difficult to open a business an hour later if they don’t change the time? People are still going to shop and do their business when they can and if a switch in hours is made, certainly the public can switch also to take care of their problems. The schools and everything else could adjust enough to allow for more use of the daylight. It isn’t something that can’t be done. It is well known that people basically sleep until slightly before they are going to start their day (unless they work on odd shifts). They don’t get up for hours and then go to work . . . they get up, go to work, return home and then do the many other things they want or must do. If the daylight is so precious to them, let them adjust. Maybe it is just a case of people not wanting to make their own decisions, so much has been done for them and dictated to them, they may simply be waiting for this to happen again. I am rather glad Indiana basically doesn’t change their clocks. It is no great deal one way or the other, but certainly is something that seems so minor overall, and yet some want to make it a major decision. I’m sure the rest of the world could care less whether it is 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. in the United States when it may be 4:00 a.m. or whatever in their countries. The one hour change isn’t going to be world-wide and earth shaking. We would very much like to see our neighbors to the west of us on the same time we are the year round. It seems almost silly that we should be with New York for six months instead of Chicago, some 85 miles away, for the entire 12 months. Maybe someday this simple problem that everyone makes complex, will be reverted back to a simple problem and more common sense will prevail. ^^EMEMBE^^ when... (Taken From The Files Os The Independent-News)

1971 The public schools of North Liberty will be holding Open House on Tuesday, October 2b. from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. to celebrate American Education Week. American Education Week has been held annually since 1921. under the auspices of the National Education Association, the American Legion, the National Congress of Parents and Teachers and the U. S. Office of Education to encourage citizens in all parts of the country to look intensively at their schools in order to provide adequate support and initiate action toward correcting problems or weaknesses in the education program. The 7th and Bth grade classes of the United Methodist Church will help UNICEF to celebrate 25 years in World Aid to feed and cloth the hungry and orphaned children of

the world bv knocking on vour door Sunday evening. October 24. from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. collecting for UNICEF. At the market chuck roasts were selling for 59 cents a pound; chuck steak at 69 cents a pound; chuck roasts at 69 cents a pound for center cut; swiss steak at 89 cents a pound; bacon at 69 cents a pound; minced ham at 99 cents a pound; a pound of butter for 77 cents; a package of four English muffins for 19 cents; already baked peach pies at 99 cents each; eight cans of Purina cat fixxi for $1.00; five 15'6 ounce cans of Friskies dog food for 39 cents; three Betty Crocker cake mixes for 89 cents; five pounds of grapefruit for 79 cents; three pounds of yellow onions for 39 cents and eight 16 ounce bottles of Pepsi-Cola for 79 cents. 1961

■ The spectre of the public s disillusionment with public schools recently surfaced once again with the release of the 13th Annual Gallup Poll of the Publics Attitudes Toward the Public Schools The poll, indicated that only 36 percent of the respondents graded the quality of the public schools work as either an A or B compared to 1974 when 48 percent of the people questioned gave schools these top grades This lack of public confidence in the schools is causing serious concern among those searching for solutions to the problem I disagree with those who claim that more money will necessarily result in better quality I believe that the possible need for additional funding is not the most critical factor in remedying the existing problem and providing for the educational needs of the future But even if I believed that more money would cause a significant improvement in the quality of education. I know that no additional funding will be forthcoming so long as the public at large has the attitude that it does about the performance of public schools We already have tripled state monetary support for schools since the 1972-73 school year And these massive increases in state support have come at the same lime that total stu-

The Walkerton Town Board, following their meeting of Tuesdaynight. informed the Walkerton Police Department that again the 10:00 p.m. curfew would be enforced. This effects any child under 18 years of age. The time is set for 12:00 midnight on Friday and Saturday. Professional listings include Dr. H. C. Miller. Osteopathic Physician and Surgeon; Dr. Walter M. Denaut. Dentist; Dr. Burton L. Furst, Dentist; Dr. Elliott C. Frash, Optometrist; Dr. G. E. Ncidlinger, Veterinarian; and Nusbaum Funeral Home. At the market sirloin steak was selling for 79 cents a pound; round steak at 69 cents a pound; sliced bacon at 59 cents a pound; hen turkeys at 39 cents a pound; pork liver at 19 cents a pound; country style sausage at 49 cents a pound; smoked hams at 49 cents a pound; Alaskan salmon at 89 cents a pound; already baked apple pies at 79 cents each; two 2*/> size cans of kraut for 35 cents; two 2'/i size cans of pumpkin for 35 cents; three dozen of small eggs for 89 cents; head of cauliflower for 29 cents; and 10 pounds of white potatoes for 25 cents. 1951 Seven civic organizations in Walkerton arc cooperating in sponsoring the annual Halloween Frolic for the boys and girls of the community and countryside who will mask and march in the parade. The seniors of Walkerton High School will present the play, “Every Family Has One” at 8:00 p.m. on Friday night at the high school auditorium. Peg Stoke s new book. “Out Os Ihe Darkness”, the first novel by Walkerton's own Margaret Ewing Stokes, will be off the press soon, according to H. C. Chaney, Walkerton druggist, who will stock the book for local sale. 1931 New Law. It is unlawful to pass a school bus in either direction while pupils are being loaded or unloaded. The S. A. Reinhardt home, just across the road from the U. B. Church, in Grovertown, was struck by lightning at about eleven o'clock on Saturday night and burned with

Capitol Commentary by Governor Robert D. Orr

dent enrollment with the Indiana school system has been consistently declining One thing I think we need to begin immediately is re-evaluation by local school boards of local educational goals and priorities I strongly recommend that as local school boards initiate this review, they seek community input by forming local education advisory councils These councils should be composed of a broad cross-section of the local community to provide the school boards with the viewpoints of all segments of the local society I also believe that the creative use of volunteers in our schools could result in better education, greater community support for schools and fiscal savings Although this is a somewhat unconventional idea, local school boards and administrators might seek ways to use talented and interested local citizens m volunteer tutoring programs for students who need special attention As we develop new ideas and implement new programs to cure the problems of our public schools, everything we do must be directed toward achieving educational excellence It is our job to ensure that our children leave the educational system with the real ability to pursue their dreams to the furthest extent of their native abilities

some of the contents. Ghosts, spooks, goblins, witches and elves of all kinds and all descriptions will be walking the streets of Walkerton on Saturdaynight. October 31. in their annual Hallowe’en festival of fun, and the merchants, who are sponsoring the event, planning the program and donating the prizes, will all be busy on Monday morning cleaning their windows of soap, tallow and what not, put there by appreciative boys and girls who must have their fun, let come what will. Halloween Safety Urged Halloween at first was filled with superstitions; however, today it has become a time for fun and merriment. In America. Halloween is the children's festival. Boys and girls dress up in funny attire, to “trick-or-treat”, attend parties and even have parades. Halloween is usually accompanied by happy thoughts, but in some households this year it w ill be a sad occasion because of the death or injury of a child member of the family . But by taking a few simple precautions, many of these accidents can he prevented. For these reasons, the National C ommission on Children and Youth of the American Legion Auxiliary is in total support of Halloween as a “Safe and Fun Day or Night". Locally. Orville Easterday Unit 189 of the American Legion Auxiliary suggests the following thoughts. Children should wear costumes which are light in color, short enough to prevent tripping, and non-flammable. For greater visibility. the costumes can be decorated with reflective tape or bands so that it “glows” in (he beam of a car's headlights. Motorists exercise extreme caution on "trick-or-treat" day between the hours that your community has selected. Warn against wearing of Halloween masks by youngsters. (Masks restrict vision.) Colorful facial make-up can be used instead. Advise children to carry flashlights alter dark. If a pumpkin is

curried, it should be lit with a flas! light, not a candle. Encourage participation b voting children only. Youngstci older than 13 years of age thou be discouraged from taking part C hildren's “trick-or-treat” visit should be confined to their ow neighborhood. Parents or other rcsponsibl adults should accompany youn. children on their rounds. Residents who wish to partici pate should keep their porch lights on and advise children to call onh at lighted homes. Lastlv. the National Safety ( out cil advises the basic pcdestri.i rules: I. Cross only at corners never between parked cars, nevi diagonally across an interscctioi 2. Look in all directions befoi crossing the street; 3. Watch h and obey all traffic lights; I Walk, never run. across the strci t 5. Use sidewalks, not the street for walking; 6. Wait on curb, iv in the street, until the street is cleat to cross. Bv following a feu common sense suggestions, perhaps out communitv will have a "Safe am Fun Dav or Night”. Orville Easterday Unit |8 l< American Legion Auxiliary Bob Hope says: “Red Cross can teach you first aid. And first aid canbea lifesaver? • —J. * . )