The Mail-Journal, Volume 11, Number 49, Milford, Kosciusko County, 1 January 1975 — Page 1

Big rip-off nets gypsies *4,600 in Syracuse

The younger generation calls it a “rijHjff. 1 ’ “Rip-off”, loosely defined: one person or group taking undue financial advantage of another person or group. This rip-off occurred at about 3 p.m. Saturday at Marise’s Town and Lake Shop, in Wawasee Village south of Syracuse As Gene and Manse Smith, owners and operators of the * popular ladies' apparel store, tell it, they were the victims of area!,, first-claps con game, to the tune of M,606 in cash and checks. , The dick, well planned rip-off

Phones: 658-4111 & 457-3666

VOLUME 11

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The two big valves were slowly | opened, activating two 400-gfcllon-per-minule lift pumps and thus the long-awaited Milford sewer system began. operation Time: 11:30 ja m. Thursday. Dec 26 Present for the official opening of the new sewer system were Milford town board members Dr. T A Miller. Norman Lovell and Mrs Joseph < Bessie Sunthimer lx>ng In Coming The new system was long in coming, but promises to be well worth waiting for It represents a joint effort of the federal, state and local governments, ac- . cording to Dr Miller.. Milford’s town board president The federal government is paying for 75 per cent of the plant, the town will pay for its 15 per cent through the sewage fund Work began on the new plant m late August 1973 and is officially terminated this week However, engineer Wilder G. Brudney, of . the firm of W. G Brudney Construction. Fort Wayne, said there would be some final grading and grass planting at the ponds west of town to be done in the spring. Work was delayed for about seven months due to a high water s table at the base of the big 50 million gallon pond, which held up clay lining of the pond. Mr. Brudney stated How It Works ’» With the new system, the town's sewage, described as influence, and amounting from 105,000 to 200.000 gallons per day depending on the amoiait of surface water running into the lines, has been diverted from the line leading into Turkey Creek, to the pumping station 22 feet underground on the south side of Emeline street at Milford's west edge • The two pumps, acting alternately and serving as sump, pumps, lifts the lines' influence through mains that lead threequarters of a mile to the aerated pond west of Milford on cointy road 1250 N. At the present rate of flow, board president Miller said it would take from four to six* months to fill the acre-sized. 50 million gallon pond where 14 large cone-like aerators are situated. During the Thursday inspection of the new facility, in-* fluence continued to bubble up at the base of the big pond as the Emeline street pumps were turned on. On the north of the big pond are two smaller polishing ponds, each of which will hold 20 million gallons of sewage Sewage will move from the larger pond into the smaller ponds, where it is further treated with chlorine, then will spill into Turkey Creek. The entire concept of the noodor aeration pond as a means of treating sewage is approved by (Continued on page 5)

was executed by “a bunch of gypsies who spoke a lingo that was certainly not English,” according to Gene Smith. •It Happened So Fast* “It all happened so fast I didn’t realize what took place,” Smith said after he gathered his wits and realized be had been robbed. Smith told it this way: He said the gypsies, all women in flowing gowns, came in his store at mid-afternoon when just he and Mrs. Smith were in charge. They engaged both * Smiths in asking prices of various garments in the store, most of

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Consolidation of THE MILFORD MAIL (Eat. 1888) and THE SYRACUSE - WAWASEE JOURNAL (Eat. 1907)

i It . j ‘■ .. **• •**•' <9 t *** —-*c. i M” ■ d i tv IW. k 'a. 5S MILLION GALLON POND —The size of this 50 million gallon pond where sewage is deposited is revealed by the size of the two people at the top. The base of the pond covers an acre of ground.

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LN SEW AGE PLANT PUMPING STATION — Milford town board president. Dr. T. A. Miller, left, and board member Norman Lovell are in the 22-foot deep pumping station just west of Milford. Shown is one of two pumps that pump 4M gallons of sewage per minute into the main line leading into the ponds.

Extensive vandalism reported at car wash

During a routine check of the town. Syracuse officer Ron Robinson discovered extensive vandalism at 1:30 a m. Thursday at the Felkner and Gerke car wash. Included in the vandalism were

them at the front of the store. Smith said three of the women wore older, several middle aged and three or four of them in their late teens. “They had me surrounded and kept tugging at my sweater and wouldn’t let me go,” he said. “They jumped on me like a flock of turkeys,” was his comment. He said one even tried to get him to the front of the store to ask the price of a garment in the front window. “How much?” was about the only comprehendable English the Smiths could understand. _ - -—- MMBMM

tw o coin boxes ripped open in the washing bays and two vending machines. Damage was also done to the bill changer machine and an office door pried, however, entrance was not gained.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY I, 1975

Investigate break-in at Wawasee high County officers continue investigation into a breaking and altering sometime Sunday night at Wawasee high school. No other information is available at this <? dm® Leesburg man in poor condition Patrick E. Billian. 18, r I Leesburg, is listed in poor condition at the Parkview hospital in Fort Wayne where he was admitted following a single car accident Monday. The accident occurred at 7 a m. on the Armstrong road. County police patrolman Jeff Bronsing investigated reporting I Billian was west bo in d on the Armstrong road, west of Shoe Lake, when the auto hit a thin film of ice. The car traveled I7tr feet breaking off a utility pole and then striking a large tree in the yard of the Dallas Poppenfoose residence. Damage to the Billian auto was set at 42,000. damage to the pole was S3OO and damage to the Poppenfoose mailbox and yard I was set at S6O. Billian was treated at Murphy Medical Center in Warsaw and then transferred to Parkview where he is being treated for I multiple fractures of the left leg and left forearm, lacerations to both eyes and possible internal injuries.

Smith said his wife called to him, “I need help!” Smith said three of the women were busy examining garments at the rear door that led to the store room. At the time the gypsies came in, Smith said, he and Mrs. Smith were busy with regular customers waiting in line at the cash register. Mrs. Smith told several of the gypsies not go into the back room, but little did she realize that one was at the time surreptitiously rifling their office desk drawers and locked metal file cabinet.

John C. Hagen to open law office Jan. 6 John C. Hagen has announced plans to open a law office in the Huntington building in Syracuse cn January 6, with his wife, one of the top legal secretaries in the state, assisting him. The office will be open 9-5 week days. He will have an office by appointment in Ligonier until such time as both offices can be operated full time. Hagen served for 12 years as judge in Noble circuit court of ?<i.e county, starting practice in Ligonier in 1947. Hoosier He was born on a farm in western Indiana in 1919 and graduated from Morocco high sch/oL He attended Indiana university, enlisted in the navy after Pearl Harbor and served through World War II before returning to IU in. 1945 to finish his law degree. Mr. Hagen met and married Mariane Crockett, the great-great-granddaughter of Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier. and the couple has seven children. Steven is in law school at Indianapolis. Debra is married and lives in San Antonio. Texas, and Scott serves with the army. Mike is a sophomore at IU and the three remaining are students at West Noble high school. Hagen is active in area youth baseball activities, set-up* the first league in the state for boys of Little League age. served as commissioner of youth baseball in Noble-LaGrange leagues for 20-years. and coached legion baseball for 27 years Dean He is presently dean 'of American legion baseball coaches in the state. The former judge remains active in IU alumni association matters, writes weekly newsletters on IU football and basketball, known as Mr and Mrs. J. Q. Fann, and published a pamphlet on all IU football players for the 1974 season. He is working on a book about IU, Purdue and Notre Dame for 1975.

Make 1975 appointments — Town board meets for end of year business

The Syracuse town board of trustees met at town hall in special session last night to take care of end of the’year business. It was decided parrell Grisamer would remain as acting town board president for the year. Appointments Appointments were made as follows: a Police chief - Dale Sparklin Fire chief — Larry Weaver Town attorney — Robert Reed Building commissioner — Rex Yentes Water-sewer commissioner — Harley Conrad Park board president — Dale Sparklin

Smith pdcalls, “Those gals really had me tied up." He said they left as suddenly as they appeared, and all the Smiths could think of was the relief that the group had left their store. Delayed Reaction Smith said, 20 or 30 minutes after the gypsies had gone he went into his office for a cup of coffee, and it was only then that he found the locked door of his metal file cabinet standing open. He said his money pouch was gone, containing the $4,600 in cadi and checks he was about , ready to bank.

\',l if. 7 ■ ~ \ ' jlr \ 4 vie ■tern w- -!■ i VTi* - If i ■ k te-e ! MOMi IE 4.>jE ■> *-a NEW EQUIPMENT TRUCK — The new equipment truck for the Syracuse fire department arrived on Tuesday, Dec. 24. and will be in use in two weeks, according to Syracuse firemen. The unit, shown above, is mounted on a 1975 Chevrolet chassis with a 454 cubic inch engine, and will replace the department’s present 1960 unit. Air conditioned, it will house the department 's coats, boots, hats, helmets, oxygen, air, masks, and first aid supplies. It has a self-contained generator for lights. The unit was built by the Barth Corporation of Milford and cost $17,500. Shown in front of the unit are members of the 23-member fire department, from left. Kenneth Johnson. Ed Leemon, Robert Penick I. Carl Myrick, Ron Robinson and Tom Ryman. The department also has three trainees.

Report released by AAilford emergency vehicle technicians

A year end report has been released by the ’ Milford emergency vehicle technicians cn money that has been donated to the emergency fund thus far and on how it has been spent. That report follows: Total donations to date: $19,893.76 Cost of vehicle p 13,300.00 Insurance 926.84 Supplies 452.74 Jackets and patches 182.28 Telephone service 110.41 Maintenance - gas 18.60 Heat for garage 15.07 Miscellaneous (ad- 307 10 vertising, printed materials.. postage, legal fees) Material for building 251.06 < furnace) Balance ' 4.293.66 It should be noted the EMT’s

BZA — Charles (Bud) Miller and William Pipp, both with expired terms, were reappointed, and Wilbur Smith, Democrat, was appointed to fill the spot held by Bill Cobum. Plan commission — Miller and Pipp were reappointed to terms and Mrs. Matt (Sharyn) O’Hare, Democrat, was seated in the position left by Smith who resigned to take a place on the BZA. Lorin Knispel was named as town board representative to the plan commission, due to the resignation of Christine Clodfelter because of added town board duties, with a term to (Continued on page 4)

receive no compensation for their work. All are volunteers. The EMT’s have almost reached their original goal as shown on the report. However, there are still needs to be met. Moresupplies and equipment are being purchased and they have as yet to be billed for some equipment which has been received. Building Recently Howard (“Hop”) Bitners buy Overhead Door Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Bitner this morning (Tuesday) purchased the Overhead Door Company of Syracuse, located on road 13 south of Syracuse, and will take possession January 2. The purchase was from Emory Stetler of Syracuse and the estate of the late Harry Coy. Mr. Stetler and Mr Coy owned the business for the past 18 years, purchasing it from William Rosenbaum, now of Florida. J Mr. Bitner, manager of a Monarch Co. plant at Cooperstown, N. Y„ for the past six months, states he plans to add other Overhead Door products to the line he will sell. * Icy road condition causes accident Damage was estimated at $625 to a 1973 Chevrolet truck driven by Amy E. Purdum, 18, Syracuse, around 9:30 am. Thursday as she reported to investigating officers of losing control on ice causing her to slide into a utility pole. The mishap occurred at Pickwick and Warner roads.

He said their car, an old goldcolored Chevrolet sedan of about 1966 vintage, was parted in the ? Sportsman Center parking lot''' just south of Marise’s. Sportsman Center owner Clem Lisor and < employee Lee Poyser said they * saw the car leave. They identified the vehicle for Syracuse police. Lisor and Poyser said the group got into the car hurriedly j and sped off east on Pickwick : road. When Smith realized he was a victim, he got into his car with his son Rod and drove a country road (Continued on page 8)

Haab has donated the building located just north of the town hall on Main street to the EMT’s. The building is 48 x 16 and will be used to house the emergency vehicle as well as for a training center and office area. Work has begun on the building. Donations will be needed to allow the building to be renovated to the special needs of the EMT’s. I NEW TRUSTEE — Roy O. Price joined other trustees from Kosciusko county in a swearing fa ceremony Tuesday al the courthouse in Warsaw. Price will serve as trustee of Turkey Creek township for the next four-year period. He replaces Joe Shewmon who did not seek re-election. Van Buren township trustee Walter Wuthrich returned yesterday from a holiday trip to Illinois and was unavailable foT a photo. He replaces Maurice Beer who did not seek re-election.

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