The Independent-News, Volume 111, Number 41, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 13 March 1986 — Page 4

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THE INDEPENDENT NEWS - MARCH 13, IM6

EDITORIALS

ANOTHER SESSION ENDED The Indiana General Assembly ended last week and with the usual late flurry of activity, several major accomplishments were achieved that will have a definite affect on the future of the Hoosier State. In answering to the public, a form of License Branch Reform passed at the late hours and will become effective on a trial basis in 10 branches in 1987 and to spread throughout the state in 1988. Whether or not this is what many wanted is yet to be seen, but the one big thing that is coming from the legislation passed, is the taking of the profits and monies from the operation out of the hands of those who are awarded the franchises and put it back into the state . . . where it should have been all these years. For many years this has been a political plum that feeds heavily into the pockets of the political party in power in the state. What really caused the problem in the public’s mind was the fact that several branches around the state, including one here in St. Joseph County, had thousands and thousands of dollars embezzeled from the branch for private gain and also the heavy amount of money that went directly into the political party in power. The fact that public accounting of the monies other than the stated fees turned over to the state Bureau of Motor Vehicles, was never accounted for, made this a very unpopular item. The legislation passed will eliminate the drain of huge amounts of money for the political party in power and the private citizens in charge. There is a lot of talk that the fees will have to be increased once the branches are run by the public, a statement which might be true, but shouldn’t be so to a tremendous extent. The state run agencies will have to meet the standards of state employment, which the private sector operated branches did not do. However, despite claims by most managers that the license branch franchises didn’t pay that well, you never seen a county chairman or chosen political favorite turn one down. The lottery issue is alive as of now. However, this is not yet ready to advance. The same resolution must pass the next session of the Legislature in the same language and then, if accepted again by the lawmakers, must be put on the ballot of a general election as a public referendum. This still would not make it final, the lawmakers would then have to decide just what gambling would be allowed, how it is to be run, etc., not just automatically putting in a state run lottery. This matter is far from dead and will have a stronger fight in the future than in the past according to the opponents of the lottery. A very important measure passed that will benefit governments, towns, cities, schools, etc. That being the formation of a liability insurance “pool” that the governmental agencies can participate in to eliviate the tremendous increases in liability insurance. This has grown to such proportions that it was almost impossible for these agencies to secure liability insurance. This was a key matter of legislation, probably just as important or more so, than most passed, but did not receive the coverage that the more publicized matters received. Not all was accomplished that many wanted, but all in all, for a short session, most all officials are labeling this another good session for the Indiana General Assembly. We hope to have our local representatives’ views of the past session in a week or so for you. WHEN... IZJ

1981 John Glenn High School will be holding an “open house” on Wednesday, March 18, with a general meeting in the auditorium at 7:00 p.m. for the Liberty Township patrons to view the high school facilities. Member* of Epsilon Chi chapter of Tri Kappa will be holding a bake sale for the benefit of the Walk-erton-Lincoin Township Public Library The library is in need of better lighting, a sign and etc., at their new location at 607-09 Roose veit Road. 1971 The John Glenn High School Society will present Neil Simon’s smash comedy hit, “Star Spangled tori”, on Friday and Saturday at the high school auditorium, at 8:00 pm mghlty. Extension of the legal Services Legal Education Program to reach mure low income families in St Joseph County has been announced and beginning on Thursday, a satellite office will open at the Walketon Wesleyan Church and will be staffed by third year law student* from the University of

Notre Dame and will be under the supervision of senior attorney for the program, Charles E. Crutchfield. Final preparation for the annual "Pop Concert” has been completed with a preview of the concert scheduled for the student body being added to the late plans. The evening will begin at 7:30 p.m. Walkerton’s Prelude to Spring Sale is sponsored by the following merchants: Harvey's Dime Store, The Ridge Co., Fabric Care Center, Nu Shine Geaners, State Farm Insurance, Glenn View Estates, Jacob Drugs, Dairy Queen, Her Place, Mini Shop, Lorraine’s, Dad A Lad’s, Wilcox Supermarket, Walkerton Skelgas Service, Ma-honey-Mann Chevy-Olds, Dave A Ray's Supermarket and Karn TV A Appliance. 1966 Winamac broke a tight game up in the second half as they dropped Walkerton 66 50 in the 1966 Sec tionai Tourney at Knox, on Thursday evening North Liberty, rated a good chance at winning the LaVdie Sectional this year, found a cold streak

that will long be remembered. This fact that cost them the ballgame Saturday afternoon and the chance to advance into the finals. Something unusual after all the years of action in the South Bend meet. The Shamrocks lost to Bremen by a score of 55-45. The Walkerton Community Recreation Project needs your help and support. This is the word of the committee who has undertaken this project to give to the community a more complete and well-rounded program. The entire project includes a new Little League ball park, a sports center which will consist of tennis courts, volleyball courts, a roller skating rink which in the winter can be used for ice skating. Also included in the plan is a Teen Club in the Youth Building where access to the youth will be given many hours a week under proper chaperoned conditions. It finally happened! A contract has been let for the resurfacing of State Road 23 from the comer of Indiana 4 to Mayflower Road. This was received from the State Highway Commission this past weekend at our office. 1961 Once again March 1 begins the annual assessment of all personal property in the State of Indiana. By order of the Governor, Matthew Walsh, the 1960 license plates have received an extension of the deadline until March 15, at midnight. This was released on March 1. The license branch in Walkerton is located at Powell-Mann Garage, 301 Roosevelt Road. 1956 The second meeting of the Troop committee which is planning to reorganize the local Boy Scouts, was held Monday evening in the basement of the Methodist Church. An effective scouting program is one of the best avenues for the building of character and brotherhood, which are essential in our present day political and economic world conditions. Back the Scouts. Advertisers in the North Liberty News were Rialto Theatre, Rees Theatre, The Laundry Basket, Lambert Buick Sales, Modem Electric, Swihart Farm Store, Palace Theatre, Grain and Feed of North Liberty, Community Grocery, Avon Products, Miller and Steele International Dealer, Limbaugh Bulk Fertilizer Plant, Ivwin Chev. Co., Mrs. Bennett's Chicken Dinner Restaurant, Community State Bank. McDaniel Funeral Home, Price Garage, Newcomb Drug Store, Drs. Hardy and Lushbough, Ketchen Brothers, Williams Royal Blue Store, Quigley D-X Service, Liberty Locker Plant, Russ Garage, Band Boosters White Elephant Sale, North Liberty Elevator, Fish Lake Royal Blue Store, Wilcox Supermarket, Williams Supply Co., Bremen Quality Geaners, Singer Sewing Center, Walkerton Livestock Sales, Marshall Colunty Community Sale, Walkerton American Legion and North Liberty Lumber and Coal Co. 1951 Walkerton will be the host to the 1951 Muck Crop Caravan on March 12, at 7:30 p.m., at the Town Cub. Growers are insured a fine program on vegetables, diseases, entomology and muck crop talk. Walkerton Boy Scout Troop obtained second honors at the Klondike Derby held at Centennial Park, Plymouth, on Sunday afternoon. The Walkerton patrol was made up of Michael Wirt, Harold Ruby, Claude Watkins, Kenneth Ruby, Tom Cotton and Mike Nusbaum. 1941 The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad piled up 15 freight cars and their contents and burned up one caboose early Sunday night about 10 car lenghts east of the Road 23 crossing, in Walkerton. Dr John Holland, pastor of the Little Brown Church of the radio station WLS, Chicago, will speak at the annual meeting of the REMC at Hanna High School on Monday

THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS Publication Number 261460 ROBERT E. URBIN, EDITOR SUSAN R. URBIN, ASSISTANT EDITOR INDEPENDENT-NEWS CO., INC., PUBLISHER 601-03 Roosevelt Road, Walkerton, Indiana 46574’1294 Telephone (219) 586-3139 PUBLICATION TIME: Thursday of Each Week Second Class Postage Paid At Walkerton, Indiana 46574 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 15‘ Per Copy; $5.00 Per Year (SI.OO Extra If Mailed Out Os State)

evening. Gumz Brothers, of North Judson, known as the world's largest potato raisers who farm 6,000 acres, have purchased the Valley View Farm, 3 miles northwest of North Liberty, from Short Brothers, of Hamlet, who have owned the farm for several years. The members of the seventh grade band were measured on Monday for their new uniforms. 1931 T. F. Gordon, who has operated a restaurant and soda grill on the comer of Avenue F (Roosevelt Road) and Bth Street, in Walkerton, for several years, has leased the Post Office building and the Rialto Theatre and will move to that location in the near future. The last free band concert of the winter season was given in the school gym on Tuesday evening. The band is sponsored by the Walkerton Chamber of Commerce and is under the direction of Ralph LaFeber. The Knox Chamber of Commerce working in conjunction with the Walkerton Chamber and the Koontz Lake Improvement Association, is seeking to locate a federal government bass hatchery at Koontz I^ke. The federal government has appropriated $50,000 for a hatchery to be located in northern Indiana. VOICE OF THE PEOPLE An Explanation At the Walkerton Town Board meeting this past Monday night, there was a question brought up concerning the way over-estima-tions and overreads were handled. This is to address the question brought up by Mr. Robert Mattocks concerning the bill 6-1130-7 for 1317-A Ohio St. First, all procedures for handling overread and overestimates are set down by the Public Service Commission. We must follow their procedures. When an overread/ overestimation occurs, the reading from the meter pit that has been read by our meter readers is used to subtract the last reading from the meter pit to calculate consumption over the period of time since the metpr has last been read. During the months that the meters were not read, they were estimated. Now, the amount of consumption that was overcharged is known and using the rate table, the credit is calculated. On water, there will also be a credit for sewer, since it is calculated off water consumption. At this point, the credit is applied to the account. Now, when a person pays their bill on time, the credit shows up on their next month's bill in the previous balance space as a credit. When a person pays their bill consistently late (as in account 6-1130-7 at 1317-A Ohio St.) the credit applies itself against the previous balance owed. The example used in the board room was one of the latter cases. In the case mentioned, a credit of $5.56 was given on sewer, and a credit of $12.98 was given on water. The previous balance on the account was $133.65. If you subtract $5.56 and $12.98 = $115.11, which was the amount in the previous balance on account 6-1130-7 for 1317-A Ohio St. The last thing to be done in the case of an overread/

overestimation is to change the previous reading to whatever it calculates out to following Public ( Service Commission guidelines. Now, Mr. Robert Mattocks requested that I be fired for this "obvious" mistake — does this mean since he was obviously wrong ( that I can request he quit coming to board meetings and slandering people about things which he knows nothing about? The people . in this town need to realize that if we make mistakes we correct them. ' We are accountable to the State Board of Accounts, and are audited ’ on a yearly basis. Thank you for ' your time in reading this. If you still have questions, call me. 5863711. Sincerely, Beverly Williams Divorces The Chaotic Experience Divorce can have a traumatic impact upon a person’s life. There are so many emotional factors involved, such as feelings of rejection, failure and loneliness. Because of this, there is usually a period of healing after the divorce. In the organization of Parents Without Partners one can receive the understanding and support that will assist them in recovering from their loss of faith and trust in not only themselves but also in others. The Parents Without Partners has functions for both the adults and their children. The chapter hosts fund raising dances and the proceeds from them are used to pay the children’s expenses at their functions. The Plymouth chapter’s next dance will be at the Bremen V.F.W. on the 15th of March at 9.00 p.m. with Leather and Lace supplying the music. The general meeting for March will be at the library at 7:00 p.m. and anyone interested is welcome to attend. Or if anyone wishes for further information they may call Jim at 936-7392 or Ruth at 784-8153. Jim Morgan, Publicity Director 1001 W. LaPorte Street Plymouth. Indiana WALKERTON NURSERY SCHOOL REGISTRATION The Walkerton Nursery School sponsored by the Walkerton United Methodist Church is registering for fall classes. There are still a few openings. Please call the church office at 586-3534 or stop in between 9:00 - 11:30; 12:30 - 3:00. The classes are for 3 and 4 year olds. The biggest salt water fish ever recorded as having been caught with a rod and reel was a 1,560-pound Black Marlin caught in Peru in 1953. j USE YOUR ; COUPONS :; I FROM YOUR WIN BOOK H I i AS THEY WILL EXPIRE J । । SOON