Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 135, Number 32, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 11 August 2016 — Page 1

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LIBRARY BOARD MEETING WAKARUSA The Wakarusa Public Library Board will be meeting at 7:45 a.m. Friday, Aug. 12 at the library, and the public is welcome to attend. BERENSTAIN BEARS TO VISIT NAPPANEE As part of Nappanee's "Second Saturdays" festivities, Light of Grace Bookstore, located in Coppes Commons, will be welcoming the popular children's storybook characters the Berenstain Bears. Visit the store between the hours of 11-2 on Saturday, Aug. 13 and be a part of the celebration of the release of the latest Berenstain Bears tale, "School Time Blessings." For more details, call 574-773-0007 or check out www. CoppesCommons.com. REGISTER FOR WPL PROGRAMS WAKARUSA Registration will begin on Monday, Aug. 15 for the Wakarusa Public Library's Fall Story Hour programs. Beginning Story Hour is a time for young children, ages 18-36 months old, and their parents/caregivers to learn songs and rhymes that can then be shared at home. Sessions take place on Wednesday mornings, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-K children, ages 3-5 years old may sign up for Story Hour, a program independent of their parents/caregivers. Each class is a mixture of songs, rhymes, group activities, and crafts with an emphasis on the sharing of books. Story Hour classes take place on Monday or Tuesday mornings, and registration is required. DEADUNE DRAWS NEAR NAPPANEE The time is growing spare for young ladies of the Wa-Nee district to enter the Nappanee Miss Apple Blossom Scholarship Pageant. Contestants ages 16 and 21 who reside in Elkhart County and the Wa-Nee School District are eligible for the 41st annual Nappanee Apple Festival event, but the deadline is fast approaching - Tuesday, Aug. 16. The winner will receive a SI,OOO scholarship, and other finalists will be given monetary prizes as well. For more information, contact Pageant See Around, Page A 3

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Emotions run high at council session

By Amy Lant-Wenger Assistant Editor WAKARUSA Believing his concerns to be falling by the wayside, a local businessman arrived at the Tuesday, Aug. 2 session of the Wakarusa Town Council looking for a platform to voice his frustration. Members of the Wakarusa Town Council each took turns reassuring Monte Holdeman, owner of D &

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Photos by Merrie Chapman DIGGING UP DINOSAURS ABOVE: Theresa Fuller shows off her find at the Dino Dig last week, sponsored by the Nappanee Parks and Recreations Department at the Nappanee Nature Center.

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Last week the Nappanee Parks and Recreations Department provided local youth opportunity to be archeologists for a c£y. Children ages 12 and under dug for dinosaur fossils at the Nappanee Nature Center. Pictured from left: Elsa Jessup,Addie Davis and Malyk Duncan in search of dinosaur bones.

City works to fund CSO project

By Merrie Chapman Staff Writer IfAPFANEE Common Council members met last week, to discuss methods of covering the costs of the federally mandated Combined Sewer Overflow project Due to costs involved in the major task designed to separate collective rainfall from sewage waste to avoid overflowing contaminated waters onto residential, commercial or industrial land the work has already been divided into various stages. This was done to avoid the City of Nappanee needing to cover the entire cost of the project—estimated at $43,000,000 ail in one bill. The first matter of business addressed was review of Ordinance 1,520, titled die sewer Works Revenue Bond. Councilman Sam Beachy questioned one clause concerning an agreement that the city may be asked by die United States Department of

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Thursday, August 11,2016

M Automotive, that his concerns were valid, that they are sympathetic to his plight, and that action will be taken. But it will take time to come up with a feasible plan. Holdeman has struggled with flooding problems in the basement of the building his business is housed in, which is located at the corner of Elkhart and Harrison streets. He has appeared at a number of council sessions this year, asking for a remedy to the ongoing prob-

Agriculture (USDA) to refinance the bonds after the first two-years had passed on establishing the bond loan. His concern seemed centered on the possible increase in interest rates at the time of refinancing because that would only add more debt to the loan. Several present seemed confident the USDA was trying to help the city, not set up the Gty of Nappanee for that interest rate increase to happen or hinder the project they (the USDA) had initiated. That support was voiced by Nappanee Mayor Phil Jenkins, ClerkTreasurer Kathy Brown and Nappanee Gty Attorney Brian Hoffer. "What that is," the clerk-treasurer further explained, "is that we have to borrow money in order to pay for all this work the federal government is requiring from us. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) came to us and said 'here we want to help you pay for it' So they gave us lower interest rates and things like that

lem, primarily evident during heavy rainfall, when the storm sewer is filled beyond capacity, resulting in excess water, sometimes up to two feet in depth, spilling into the lower level of the cen-tury-old structure. He questioned the logic of engineering decisions made in recent years to connect additional lines to the existing service, which he believes is simply exacerbating the problem. He specifically dted the Wabash Avenue CSO project

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Elsa Jessup uncovered a dinosaur egg during the recent Dino Dig, sponsored by the local parks department at the Nappanee Nature Center. The afternoon program was part of activities to entertain students the last week before the 2016-2017 Wa-Nee Community Schools calendar kicked off.

which will help us save money." Cost savings will come in the form of a 1.765 percent interest rate on the USDA bond loan, as opposed to the former lowest bidder offering a guaranteed 2.375 percent rate. There are also special allowances under which the USDA offers a portion of the loan without requirement of paying it back. "The end result," summed up by Nappanee City Attorney Brian Hoffer, "is that they (the USDA) are giving us sl2 million that we are not going to have to pay back (through the proposed bond option outlined in the ordinance)." SEWER RATE INCREASE A second measure to help pay for the total cost of the project came in the form of Ordinance 1521—the Sewer Rate ordinance. That document will increase Nappanee sewer rate costs an estimated 1052 percent will be

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as a more recent example. Holdeman asked the council to consider establishing a deadline by which a plan of action could be drafted, further asking for the town to continue working with consulting engineer James Emans to find a solution. "Unless you have that person who has that passion to work on this, I don't think the fire will be there to get it done," Holdeman said. Each of the council mem-

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bers, Alex Cook, Phil Klotz, Annette Brown, Fred Avery, and Matt Moyer, all shared their insights and suggestions with Holdeman as to how they were planning to formulate a resolution. Some have toured the business personally, while others have spoken at length with Holdeman about the problem. Each implored with him to exercise patience and faith that the matter has not been brushed aside, and that See Council, Page A 3

Detours planned during work By Amy Lant-Wenger Assistant Editor NAPPANEE Several phases of road construction will be taking place around the Wa-Nee region in the next several weeks, which commuters will want to be mindful of when traveling to and from work, home, and school. State Road 19 & CR 52 (Woodview Drive) The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced that work at the S.R. 19 and CR 52 intersection, on the north edge of Nappanee, will affect motorists, in that the center lane will be closed. Traffic will be directed to either side of the ongoing work. Later this month, the pattern changes once more. This time, drivers will be shifted to the newly constructed southbound lanes and shoulder while the left turn lanes are being built. During this construction period, the east leg of CR 52 will be closed to through-traffic. A 12-foot lane will be maintained on Woodview Drive to allow residents access to their homes. An advisory remains in 1 place for speeds not to exceed 45 miles per hour all throughout the construction zone. INDOT reminds drivers to exercise caution while traveling through any active construction area. The project is scheduled to be completed in early November, barring weather circumstances. It is being built in conjunction with the ongoing project of adding left turn lanes at CR 38, just north of Wakarusa. Walsh and Kelly, Inc. is taking on the project, which was awarded to them at the cost of $2.9 million. For more information regarding this project, view the full scope of the INDOTS's CARS program at http://bit.ly/ITTui4P. 5.R.19 RESURFACING INDOT has also released information stating that S.R. 19 in Elkhart County is undergoing resurfacing, contingent on weather conditions. The work will be taking place at a point from .17 miles north of SR 110 to .32 miles north of U.S. 20. During the day, drivers are cautioned to be aware of lane shifts, stopped traffic, and flaggers in the construction zone. Work on this project is expected to be finisned by late October. Walsh and Kelly, Inc., is also in charge of this project