The Independent-News, Volume 120, Number 44, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 16 March 1995 — Page 1

The Independent-News

LUME 120; NUMBER 44

JOHN GLENN I SCHOOL BOARD I MINUTES Regular Session March 7,1995 ■ALL TO ORDER AND ROLL ■ALL ■ The Board of School Trustees ■ John Glenn School Corporation ■et in regular session on March 7, ■>9s at 7:30 p.m. in the John Glenn ■igh School. All members were ■resent with Mr. Schaeffer arriving ■ few minutes late. The School Board along with the superintenBent and approximately eight observers began the meeting with the ■ecitiation of the Pledge of Allegiance. ■PPROVAL OF MINUTES I Approval of minutes for the ■ebruary 21, 1995 regular session ■ere approved by unanimous conBent. ■PPROVAL OF CLAIMS 313 ■trough 395 I A motion was made by Ben Smith, seconded by Janice Ryan, Ho approve claims numbered 313 ■rough 395. The motion was ■pproved by a six to zero vote. SATRON RESPONSE — None Recognitions Mr. Richard Reese, principal at Jrey Middle School, announced hat Rhen Taylor, eighth grade tudent and son of Mr. and Mrs. lussell Taylor of Plymouth, is imong 100 students in grades 4-8 lamed as state finalists in the mnual National Geography Bee ind will compete on April 7,1995 at he campus of IU/PU in Indanapolis. Urey chess teams partiipated in the recent regional chess ournament at Michigan City and >oth the A and B teams earned the lonor to advance to the state finals in Terre Haute. Top players were Casey Butler and Matt Gineris followed by Andy Zellers and Andy Schmeltz. The Urey Lady Falcons swept the Urey Tourney by defeating Jimtown in their first games and in championship games 7th grade team defeated LaPorte Boston and the Bth grade team was victorious over New Prairie. Mr. Brent Kaufman, principal at North Liberty Elementary School, reported Notre Dame Science Fair grand prize winners: Philip Crone, son of Gary and Susan Crone; Michael Beasley, son of James and Donna Beasley; and Steven Futa, son of Paul and Kathy Futa. All three are working toward attending the Notre Dame Science Fair. Mr. Kaufman thanked Mrs. Kendall Hoover, coordinator of the science fair program, teachers for grades 4-6, and Mrs. Amy Peterson whose second grade class participated in group projects. A total of 200 students participated in the Science Fair. PT A Reflections contest winners are: Essay winners/state entries — Alan Holderread, grade 2, son of Mark and Vonna Holderread; Katie Hamess, grade 4, daughter of John and Susie Hamess; Brandi Brodzinski, grade 5, daughter Randy and Lisa Brodzinski. Art winners/state entries — Alyssa Davis, grade 1, daughter of Gene and Jill Davis; Derrick Shaw, grade 5, son of Scott and Shelly Shaw; Tosha Kurtz, grade 6, daughter of Bonnie Kurtz. The North Liberty girls Shamrocks ventured to LaVille Elementary for the annual girls basketball tourney and brought home the first place trophy after defeating the Triton Trojans in the championship game. (continued on Page 2)

Walkerton Library Board To Decide On Future Site The Walkerton-Lincoln Township Library Board will meet Thursday, March 16th, at 7:00 p.m. to decide which of two sites it would like to purchase in a possible future bond issue. The sites being considered are the former Brass Lion building located in the mall next to the laundry mat and the former De Joss Drugstore on the corner of Roosevelt And Illinois. The Board will be taking into consideration many facts such as the owners asking price, the appraisals price given for each building, the location, parking, layout and square footage of each building. They will also be going over the results of a survey that was recently taken of where the residents would like the library location. Any input from attending citizens would be welcome. Once the library has chosen a future site, it will start looking into taking out a bond to purchase the building and set up a new library. It would not use town funds as stated in the March 7th article in the South Bend Tribune. The Library Board is currently working with the Town Board and Dave Behr on receiving a state funded grant. It has not already received this grant as stated in the same article. It has only passed the first part of the process. The final decision on the grant will be made at the end of May. Mr. Behr has asked for approximately $89,000 in funding in this grant. If the Library was to receive the grant it would lower the amount of the bond. At this time, the Library is considering setting aside a room in the new site to offer to the Walkerton Historical Society for a museum. It would also put in a Community Room for various groups to meet in and for the Library to offer their different services like Story Hour. A new site would allow the Library more storage room which is sorely needed at the present site. The staff would also benefit not only from more space, but better utilized space. A new site would allow more room for tables and chairs for those using the Library to study or read. With a better set up these people would also benefit from a quieter library. As stated before, this meeting is only to decide which site the Library Board will be looking into purchasing. It will not be deciding on a bond issue. Nor will they find out if they have received any grant money. However, the Board would welcome all citizens who would like to let them know which site they would prefer for a future library. If you have a strong preference, please feel free to stop by the meeting. If you have any questions call the Library at 5862933 or stop by. The earthworm is slow, but it can almost move mountains. The worms, living in a single acre, work their way through about ten tons of earth every year. Everything is changing. People are taking the comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke. —Will Rogers Nail manufacturers in the U.S. make nearly 300 kinds of nails.

WALKERTON, INDIANA 46574 THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1995

“Aerial” Earns Top Honor In State Os Indiana The 1994 “Aerial”, John Glenn’s literary-art magazine, was honored by the National Council of Teacher's of English (NCTE) in their 11th annual awards program with the ranking of “Highest Award”. The Aerial was the only literary magazine in Indiana given that ranking. Nationwide, only 41 schools in 20 states and Canada were honored with the “Highest Award”, “a special award that recognizes magazines that fulfill extraordinary standards of excellence,” according to the NCTE. The NCTE judges and recognizes exceptional literary magazines in the United States, Canada and American schools abroad. Magazines are rated “Superior”, “excellent”, and “Above Average”. John Glenn has been the only school in the state to receive a “Superior” ranking from the NCTE the previous five consecutive years. All magazines are carefully judged by at least two persons. “Highest Awards” are made on the basis of a second judging from magazines rated “Superior” by a special committee. Eight-hundred sixty-one magazines from all over the United States were submitted for the 1994 judging. Indiana has not had a literary magazine rated “Highest Award” since 1988 when Elkhart Memorial received that honor. The 1994 Aerial was the school’s tenth anniversary edition and was unified under the theme “Attention Spans”. The magazine had Sadie Pairitz as its editor and featured the work of 88 different John Glenn students. “We’re all a little bit surprised by pleasantly so about the ‘Highest Award’ ”, said returning Aerial staff member Patricia Lozano. “I was surprised but very pleased and proud,” said Aerial adviser Paul Hernandez. “It’s nice to see all of the students’ hard work being recognized, and it gives them more motivation to continue to excel,” he added. “I’m very proud of all my staffs; they work very hard and are motivated to do their best, and it shows.” The Creative Writing classes read over 400 submissions and select the material to go into the magazine. The CW classes then attend the John Glenn Art Show in January and try to match up literature chosen with appropriate artwork. In February the classes layout and design all the pages themselves using desktop publishing software on Macintosh computers. Mrs. Amy Wait’s Photography class works very closely with the Creative Writing classes to take and develop photos of the artwork to the individual specifications of each layout. “The Art Department with John Thomas and Amy Wait make the job of the Aerial so much easier,” said Paul Hernandez. “When you have everyone working together, cooperatively, good things happen. We have award winning artists and talented writers, and this project gives both a forum to exhibit their talented efforts. Amy Wait’s photography students take as much pride in doing their job right as my Creative Writing students do in designing attractive layouts.” Schools earning a “Superior” in Indiana were John Adams, South Bend; Center Grove, Greenwood;

J.G. Schools Set Kindergarten Round-Up Dates The John Glenn School Corporation has released the plans for the Kindergarten Roundups. The North Liberty Roundup will be Thursday, April 6 at 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Walkerton Elementary will be Thursday, April 6, at 1:00 and 7:00 p.m. It is very imporant that all parents of children who will be five (5) on or before June Ist attend this meeting. The school asks the children not to attend this meeting. During the roundup parents will: Complete registration forms; Have birth certificates (from county health department checked); Sign up for a kindergarten screening; North Liberty April 12 and 13; Walkerton Elementary School, April 19, 20, 21; Receive dental and health information and forms Meet other pare n ts to discuss car pools; Receive a kindergarten handbook; and Receive an explanation of our kindergarten programs. A legal birth certificate is required. This can be obtained from the county health department in which your child was born. There will be no school for Pre-K and Kindergarten students on the screening dates above. ATTENTION! WALKERTON AREA VETERANS! Since the 50th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe, May 8, 1995) is fast approaching, we would like to hear from any Walkerton area veteran (or veteran’s spouse) who was in military service in Europe during World War 11. (This request is exclusive of D-Day stories that were published last summer.) Next August 14 will be the 50th Anniversary of VJ Day (Victory in Japan). At that time, we would also like to publish stories of veterans who were in service in the Pacific. Please contact The IndependentNews at 586-3139 or call 5863450 to relate your stories. and Penn, Mishawaka. Eight Indiana schools earned an “Excellent” ranking, including Elkhart Memorial and North Central. The student magazines were rated on the basis of quality of content, kinds of writing included, editing and proofreading, design/artistic aspects, front matter and pagination, and type of production. The Aerial is entirely funded by patron donations, which the students solict, and the sale of the magaizne. Thirty-eight community businesses and patrons donated money to the production of the 1995 Aerial. The 1995 Aerial with the theme “A Day Inscribed” features 140 pages, is currently at the printers, and is tentatively scheduled to go on sale to the student body on Thursday, March 23 for $4.00. The 1995 edition is edited by Patricia Lozano, and the staff concurs with her assessment of it: “I think it did get better this year”.

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WALKERTON TOWN COUNCIL MINUTES March 6, 1995 The Walkerton Town Council met at 7:00 p.m. on March 6, 1995 with the following members present: Gene Reese, Gordon Hartsell, Cheryl Rizek, Walter Heil and Leonard Jaske. Attorney David Holmes and clerk-treasurer Judy Hiler were also present. The minutes were approved as read. Jeff Zehner told the Council that he has a little more research to do on the sewer extension bids, and will bring a more complete report to the next meeting. Written Fire and Ambulance reports were reviewed and accepted by the Council. President Rizek asked if we have received minutes from the Park Board meetings. The clerk answered that there has been no response to a letter requesting that the minutes for the past couple of years be turned in. Gene Reese asked attorney Holmes what the alternate is. Holmes advised that the Council can pass an ordinance to bring the administration of the Park back under the auspices of the Town Council. If needed, a Park Board can be re-established at some other time. The Council was in agreement that another letter should be sent to the Park Board asking them to bring their minutes up to date, with copies on file in the clerk’s office. The letter is also to inform the Park Board that unless the minutes are turned in, the Council is prepared to take over the administration of the parks. President Rizek said that the Redevelopment Commission needs to be reappointed each year, and asked David Behr who the current members are. According to Behr, Roger Holston and Jack Wardman are the only two remaining on the Commission. Three new members need to be appointed. In regard to the grant proposal for the Library, Behr said that the Department of Commerce will be here on March 21st to look at the existing library and proposed new location. The State Board of Accounts, in their audit, recommended that we reappoint members to the Economic Development Commission or repeal the ordinance that created the Commission. It was decided to appoint three new members to the Commission, and David Behr is going to contact several people to see if they would like to serve on it. The membership of the Walkerton Industrial Fund had previously voted to change the name of their organization. The Town has one vote for the new name, and the Council decided to cast their ballot for Walkerton Economic Development, Inc. Behr reviewed with the Council some of the benefits the Town has received from the Walkerton Industrial Fund, including property taxes and utility payments. Two previous contracts with the Industrial Fund were approved in the month of May. There was some discussion of the 1995 contract, and it will be acted on at a later date. CITIZEN’S INPUT: A resident said that his mother-in-law was unable to obtain the use of the Youth Building, for Youth League registrations, as it was already rented out on the days she (continued on Page 16)