The Independent-News, Volume 120, Number 44, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 16 March 1995 — Page 4

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- THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS — MARCH 16, 1995

EDITORIAL I

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING The Indiana Legislature has passed the halfway point in the long session and now the bills passed by the two houses will go to the other to be acted upon. From here on out, comes a lot of the real political manuerving as committees will meet after the second house acts on a bill, to smooth out any revisions that might result in the differences of opinions of the two different bodies. However, with both houses controlled by the Republican party, it is not anticipated as much trouble as might be expected if one of the two were controlled by the Democrats, causing the natural party differences in their thinking. Several bills that got a lot of attention but failed to pass the House this year are considered dead for this session. They received a lot of media attention and one, the Time Zone Changes, created as much public comment to the Representatives as any bill in the House. And yet, after a lot of confusion and some embarassment on the legislators part, it was never completed in time to be passed by the House. The bill, which was amended after an apparent approval of the switch to Daylight Savings Time when legislators thought they were simply voting on whether or not to ask for a referendum, giving the voters the right to decide on whether all of Indiana should be included in the Central Time Zone. Originally HB 1150 would have put the entire state on daylight-saving time. This issue has come up before and it will come up again, as the backers of daylight-savings time as well as the opponents will spend money to get what they want. Another bill, HB 1648, is also dead for this season. It would have required a license plate on the front, as well as the back of all vehicles registered in Indiana. HB 1464, a bill aimed at weakening one of Indiana’s key environmental laws, died also. Current law requires applicants for solid or hazardous waste permits to meet certain “good character requirements”. Road repairs, SB 242, was defeated by a 22-27 vote. The Senate bill would have permitted counties to use property tax revenues to help finance road repairs. Much of the argument was the State should not be promoting new uses for property tax revenues. It came at a time when many legislators are looking for ways to limit or reduce property taxes. Still facing the legislators, is the budget for the next two years. Indiana law does not allow the state to operate in the red. Hammering out the budget always has its controversies and this year will not be any different. However, lawmakers have stated they will get a budget in the regular session, not forcing an extra session as was the case in 1993. School funding remains a crucial topic. The final formula adopted can and will affect school districts all over the state, and there has already been concern as some feel they will be slighted on the some of the proposed formulas. There is still a lot of big business for the 1995 Legislature and as always, you can still speak your part by expressing your views to your representatives and senators . . . they represent you!

I Memories ... I | FROM OUR FILES |

1985 TAKING A FIRM STAND — Both the Towns of North Liberty and Walkerton have taken a firm stand on a couple of issues that would affect all residents, not only within their respective corporate limits, but also the surrounding area who work and are connected in other ways with the two towns. The two Town Councils both went on record as opposing the County Local Option Tax sought for by the City of South Bend officials, and also both took a stand against the proposed county-wide communications system. LEGION AUXILIARIES NAME DELEGATES FOR GIRLS STATE — Orville Easterday Unit 189, Walkerton, and Edward Sously Unit 365, North Liberty, recently selected the delegates and alternates to the American Legion Auxiliary Hoosier Girls State for their 44th session to be held at Indiana State University, Terre Haute, June 16-23. Chosen as delegate from the Walkerton Unit are Jennifer Price and Karen Christensen. The alternates will be Loretta Traversa and Janeen Gemons. Edward Sousley Unit has chosen Jill Richmond as delegate and Catherine Capek on alternate.

1970 50 TON CRANE PLUNGES THROUGH WALNUT ROAD BRIDGE FRIDAY — A 50-ton truck-crane rests in Potato Creek amidst the rubble which was once the Walnut Road Bridge. The crane, owned by Power City Construction and Equipment Co., was being driven across the bridge for use on Indiana & Michigan Electric Co. transmission lines Friday afternoon. It didn’t make it. SEMI ROLLS WEST OF WALKERTON — The second semi-trailer in 18 hours left U. S. Highway 6 on the first curve west of Walkerton last Wednesday evening at approximately 5:30. Bad conditions of the berm led to both as they left the right side of the pavement at this point. THESPIAN SOCIETY TO PRESENT THE CRUCIBLE — The John Glenn Thespian Society will present on Friday and Saturday, April 3 and 4, at 8:00 p.m. each evening, “The Crucible”, by Arthur Miller. The Thespian Society of John Glenn is directed by Robert Mulligan. The cast includes: Tim Johnson, Sue Zartman, Don Hendricks, Danny Stasko, Debbie Klingerman, Sandy Morris, Nick Miller, Ginni DeSimone, Jeff Marquardt, Carol

Taylor, Dirk Pletcher, Vicki Taylor, Lynn Stasko, Sue Morris, Bob Mueller, Connie Harness, Rich Pfeiffer, Garry Laßere and Keith Knepper. 1945 WALKERTON SEEKS NEW WATER SUPPLY — The Town of Walkerton began operations Tuesday in Place Park to find a new source of water for the Town. The well now located in the park was abandonded a few years ago when it began to pump sand. An attempt to locate a well in the eastern edge of the park failed at that time. The other attempts to bring in new wells have failed recently. One attempt was made on the John Clark lands at the southern edge of town, where a depth of 140 feet was reached with dire results. Not only did the well prove unsatisfactory, but also the well drillers lost almost 100 feet of 6-inch pipe in attempting to remove it from the ground. A second attempt to find a new supply of water was made on the Frank Garke lands near by which also proved unsatisfactory after a depth of 120 feet was reached. While there is no immediate shortage of water in Walkerton, the trustees felt that they should have another well in reserve, in case one of the three wells now in operation should give out.

ITo Your Good Health I by Paul G. Donohue. M.D. I

DEAR DOCTOR DONOHUE: I would like to know about spondylolisthesis, including cause. My 12-year-old son has it. He was recently diagnosed. DEAR READER: Spondylolisthesis (SPON-dih-low-LIS-THEE-sis) is slippage of one spine section over another one, rather the way a roof tile might slip down over another. That is a pretty close definition of that long, barely pronounceable medical term, henceforth mercifully referred to as “it.” As many as one percent of all youngsters have it. Often it occurs as a spinal-column defect, usually producing symptoms later on. If it is not causing great pain, and if the slippage is not great, then conservative treatment might suffice. That would include rest, heat and perhaps temporary bracing. If the slippage is great, if pain is debilitating and if the slippage is worsening, then you might be referred to a back surgeon. Surgery can restore normal backbone position. For more on back pain, see my booklet on the subject, which I’ve enclosed for you. Other readers who want a copy can order it by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 3-WS, Box 5539, Riverton, NJ. 08077-5539. Enclose $3 and a self-ad-dressed, double-stamped, No. 10 (busi-ness-size) envelope. ©1995 by King Features Synd. Man is not the creature of circumstances. Circumstances are the creature of men. —BengaminDisraeli “You’re 63 years old, son. Get up and get your own sweater.”

I j VIEWPOINT I

Polnt/Counterpoint On The 1995 Indiana General Assembly Subject: The Session Thus Far BACKGROUND: On March 6, Indiana House members completed work on bills that started in that chamber. In all, representatives approved 305 of the 855 House bills filed for consideration this year. There have been a number of highlights in the first half of the 1995 session: the House Republican “Contract with Indiana,” passage of a state budget and a welfare reform package, a controversy over funding for public schools and the seemingly neverending dispute over daylight-sav-ing time. Before attention turns to the legislation sent to the House from the Indiana Senate, it seems a perfect time to review what has happened to this point. Offering a look back are Republica Caucus Chairman Jeffrey M. Linder (RWaldron) and Democratic Whip Mark Kruzan (D-Bloomington). Linder was first elected to the House in 1990, while Kruzan has been a state representative since 1986. STATE REP. JEFF LINDER: Things are proceeding nicely in the 1995 Indiana General Assembly. The accomplishments have been very substantial, ranging from efforts to control property taxes and ensure health care benefits to improvements in our insurance system and adequately funding our schools. It has been a successful first half. House Republicans have been able to pass bills that would eventually repeal the inheritance tax and cut the auto excise tax. So often people talk about things but don’t act on them. It is a good feeling to know that we’ve been able to follow up on what we’ve promised. Overall, the relationship between the Democrats and Republicans has been pretty positive. We obviously run into some philosophical differences at times. I think we’ve been able to work together on most issues and find a consensus. In fact, I’d guess that 85 to 90 percent of the 305 House bills that the House approved received strong bipartisan support. Taxation issues can cause a division between the parties. We obviously want to cut and they want to talk about cutting. Now we’re working with the Indiana Senate to ensure that House bills get hearings and the big issues we’ve been carrying clear the other chamber. We’ve reached the point when it is critical for the two houses to work together. Nothing the Indiana House passes will become law unless we can get the senators to approve it as well. STATE REP. MARK KRUZAN: We’ve reached halftime in the 1995 legislative session, and so far I think we’ve seen things go pretty smoothly. The Republicans and Democrats in the House have worked together, we’ve gotten our work done, and I think the taxpayers have been well-served. A lot of the attention has been focused on the House Republican Contract with Indiana. When Democrats have agreed with Republicans, we have voted with them to advance that agenda. When there has been disagreement, we have asked some serious questions. The thing that I think most taxpayers should be concerned about is the fine print of that contract. We have seen child labor laws repealed, the prevailing wage — which makes sure that working men and women have fair and decent wages — has been gutted, and we have seen that the school

funding formula could not even be passed because education funding was being cut so severely. The Republicans and Democrats are trying to work together, but when we have seen things that we feel are going to hurt taxpayers, we’ve asked serious questions and have opposed those particular parts of the agenda. For more information call Kate Healey (317) 232-9885 or John Schorg (317) 232-9621.

This Week In History

On March 19, 1687, Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was killed during a mutiny ... March 17, 1766, the Stamp Act was repealed ... March 14,1888, (he Great Blizzard of 'BB, which hit the eastern part of the U.S., ended, leaving 400 deaths in its wake... March 13,1907, financial panic and a depression began ... March 19, 1920, the Senate refused to ratify the League of Nations Covenant ... March 16, 1926, Dr. Robert H. Goddard demonstrated the practicality of rockets at Auburn, Mass., with the first liquid fuel rocket which traveled 185 feet in 2.5 seconds ... March 18, 1963, the Supreme Court ruled that all criminal defendants must have counsel and that illegally acquired evidence was not admissible in state as well as federal courts ... March 16, 1968, the Mylai Massacre took place in South Vietnam wherein 22 South Vietnamese peasants were slaughtered by an American serviceman, Lt. William L. Calley, Jr.... March 16, 1978, the U.S. Senate voted to give approval to a treaty guaranteeing the Panama Canal area’s neutrality after the year 2000 ... March 14,1994, Associate Attorney General Webster Hubbell, a close friend of President and Mr* Clinton, resigned in order to focus on a dispute with his former partners at the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, Ark., which had been marginally linked to the Whitewater investigation ... March 14,1994, Senator Bob Packwood (R-Ore.) dropped a court battle to prevent a Senate committee from gaining access to his diaries in a sexual harassment investigation.

Books by Ralph Hollenbeck

A SECOND MENCKEN CURES TOMATHY, edited by Terry Teachout (Knopf: S3O 00) A “chres tomathy,” by definition, is “a selection of literary passages, used in studying literature or a language.” Well, many of today's so-called journalists would do well to study this collection of the late Henry Louis Mencken’s writings. Both in style and content, “The Disturber of the Peace,” the descriptive Mencken allegedly preferred, was a master. One can imagine the opinions our current political scene would evoke from the author of the line, “Intel ligence has been commoner among American Presidents than high character ...” Or consider what H L's musings might have been on the mania now focused on a Los Angeles courtroom Mencken wrote: “My own favorite object of mirth is one of the most austere and venerable figures in our society, the judge There he sits for hour after hour, listening to brawling shysters, murkily dozing his way through oh vious perjury, contemplating a roomful of smelly loafers ...” Mr Teachout, an arts columnist whose biography of “The Sage of Bal timore” will be published next year, proves once again that Mencken was indeed one of the most astute and enduring commentators of the human scene There is something here for everyone — no matter what the theme or sacrilegious the observation. ©1995 by King Features Synd