The Mail-Journal, Volume 16, Number 6, Milford, Kosciusko County, 28 February 1979 — Page 1

Phones: 658-4111 & 457-3666

VOLUME 16

At Syracuse — . New ambulance, fire trucks needed

Tlje Syracuse emergency medical service is in need of a new ambulance. The Syracuse fire department is in need of two new file trucks. Why are these pieces of equipment needed? This article will try 'and answer this question plus focus on the approximate cost of purchasing new equipment The Syracuse ambulance has been serving the town and township since the summer of 1974 But, says Corky Wong, emergency medical services captain, the unit is showing some “general deterioration from age.” Wong said, “It started going down last summer It's an experimental demonstrator. We’ve been having minor problems from the start ” When the ambulance was

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NEW AMBULANCE NEEDED — The Syracuse emergency medical services is in need of a new ambulance, says Corky Wong, EMS captain. The present ambulance has been having some mechanical problems. Ready to answer a call are the above EMS crew members. From left, are: Ken Oswald, assistant; Mary Coleman, crew leader: and Kirk Hughes, driver.

New water system needed for the town of Milford

By LESLIE WHITMAN Last week, I looked into some of the problems the town of Milford has been experiencing with its water system. This week I will look at what the town board is trying to do to help alleviate the situation. What the town really needs is a new water system. But, this would cost a great deal of money. Money the town does not have. James Brooks, town board member, commented, “The cost of a new water system would be astronomical. Too great for a town of this size.” Terry Beatty, street and water superintendent, estimated the cost of a new system would be in the range of s2‘2 million dollars. Dr. T. A. Miller, town board member, said, “My biggest worry is how is Milford ever going to raise enough money to bring this system up to date and service it.” Water Rates Last year, the board raised its water

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Consolidation o/THE MILFORD MAIL <Est. 1888) and THE SYRACUSE-WAWASEE JOURNAL (Est. 1907)

purchased it had 14,000 miles on it. Now it has over 55,000 miles. Some of the problems EMS personnel are experiencing deal with the carburetor and heater. The carburetor went out and a smaller one was put in. There is no heat in the front of the coach. There have also been some problems with the brakes and timing/6hain. Wong commented, “Usually when a problem occurs, we send it to the shop. It’s functioning fine now. It gets us there. As to how long it will last, I can’t say.” The captain added, “We will definitely need another one by summer.” Currently, the department averages between one to two calls per day. This is raised to an average three to four calls per day in the summer.

What the EMS would really like, said Wong, are two ambulances. He said, “What we would really like to do is purchase a whole new ambulance the way we want it. Then we could fix up the present ambulance and use it as a back-up. That way it wouldn’t have hard use." Cost to repair the present ambulance would run around $5,000 said Wong. The service has its eyes bn an ambulance made by TEC of Goshen. It features a heavy truck chassis with modular back. If it every broke down, only the chassis would have to be replaced and not the entire coach. Wong said there is a need for a modular type ambulance due to the extra room. He said, “We re trying to get certified as ad(Continued on page 2)

rates hoping this would accumulate some money. The old base rate was $3.75 for 1,500 gallons or less used per quarter. This was raised to $10.50 per quarter. Mrs. Margaret Brooks, clerktreasurer, feels this raise should supply enough money to meet the town’s water needs. She said, “It’s a complicated process to get the rates changed. This rate should cover the basic water needs for five years. Without any major problems, we should be able to handle it if the people stay content with the present water service.” Miller, on the other hand, said the rates should have been changed a long time ago. “As with most small towns, the policy has been conservative. It’s a commendable situation, but we do have to make provisions to add onto communityservices.” He added, “Our old rate was the lowest of any community. I think we still are the lowest. At the present rate, barring any major disaster, we will have

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28,1979

Death claims John f. Augsburger

lllii mLs JOHN F. AUGSBURGER Word has been received from Tempe, Aris., of the death of former Indiana State Senator John F. Augsburger. Death came Tuesday afternoon in an Arizona hospital where he had been admitted last week. Augsburger, a former Milford and Syracuse resident, was a graduate of Milford High School and was active in Kosciusko County politics. He served on the Milford Town Board in the early 1940 s and again in the 19605. resigning from that position when, he was elected to the Indiana State Senate. He served as Van Buren Township Trustee from 1948 through 1956, holding that position when the Milford , elementary School was fjuik. During the time he was

Drug investigation ends

A month-long drug investigation by Syracuse and County Police culminated in the arrest Tuesday afternoon of Melvin Woo Heng, 39. of r 2 Syracuse. Heng is currently being held in the Kosciusko County Jail on a charge of and sale of a controlled substance. Heng was taken into custody following a controlled purchase of 54 grams of marijuana from a music store on West Main Street in Syracuse. Syracuse Sergeant Lou Mediano and County Police Patrolman Tom Kitch stated that following the controlled purchase. a search warrant was obtained and officers confiscated approximately three pounds of marijuana, 218 grams of a powder believed to be cocaine, 433 grams of a substance believed to be LSD and assorted drug related paraphernalia. Heng allegedly has been living and working at the rear of the music store and using it as a base of operations for drug sales. Police were still working

some money accumulated but it’s going to be too slow.” The old rate was in effect for 20 years. All maintenance and repairs of the water system come out of the water rates. To the right, Terry Beatty, Milford street and water superintendent, left and George Shepherd, street and water employee, repair a broken water line in town. The line rusted through near Bruce’s Texaco station and Milford Junior High School. The street and water employees fixed the line early Tuesday morning. Beatty said an estimated 30,000 gallons of water were being lost due to the line breaking down. This amount of water would service about one-third of the town, said Beatty. Federal Grant The board is currently trying to obtain some money through a federal (Continued on page 2)

trustee he also served as vicepresident of the state trustee’s association for three years. Augsburger served as chairman of the Kosciusko County School Reorganization Committee. When John F. Augsburger retired from the senate his son. John B. Augsburger, sought and was elected to the seat the senior Augsburger had held. Augsburger and his late wife, the former Dorothy Bird of Milford, founded the Augsburger Super Valu chain when they opened a small grocery store in Milford in October of 1936. They purchased a lunch room near the high school in Milford from Mrs. Augsburger’s mother. Mrs. Charles (Grace) Bird, and began their grocery a short time later. They opened a new store in Milford in December of 1961. a store in Syracuse in July of 1965 and a store in North Webster in the summer of 1971. Augsburger was a member of the Milford Christian Church, Kosciusko Lodge 418 F and AM and the Kosciusko County Shrine Club. He was a 32nd degree Mason. Survivors include the son, John B. of Milford: a daughter, Carolyn Casto of Tombstone, Ariz.: and five granddaughters. Hie body is being returned to Milford for services. Friends may call at the Mishler Funeral Home from 2 p.m. Friday. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in the Milford Christian Church.

Tuesday evening to determine Heng’s true identity. Items confiscated in the drug (Continued on page 2) MAIL-JOURNAL INCREASE EFFECTIVE MARCH 7 The price of The MailJournal will increase to $lO for in-county subscriptions and to SI 2 for out-of-county subscriptions, effective March 7. These price increases are caused by a continuing rise in the cost of newsprint and other general production costs, according to Arch Baumgartner, president of The Papers Incorporated. Subscribers will have until March 7 to renew their subscriptions at the current rate. Over-the-counter cost for single copies of The MailJournal will remain at 20 cents. Persons over the age of 65 will continue to receive their 10 per cent discount.

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JOHN PERRY 1977

Dr. Beer to speak —

'Citizen of Year' banquet Saturday

Milford's ninth annual “Citizen of the Year" will be named at the Milford Area Development Council’s annual banquet set for Saturday night. March 3. The banquet will be held in the fellowship hall of the Apostolic Christian Church with starting time set for 6:30 p.m. Persons planning to attend the banquet are urged to purchase tickets in advance. , MAD officers under the direction of Becky Doll, president, are coordinating the evening’s activities. The deadline for nominations for this year’s ‘Citizen’ has past and the committee has made its selection. The name of the new “Citizen of the Year," however, will be a closely guarded secret until the announcement is made on Saturday night. Previous winners of the honor are Mrs. Charles (Dorthea)

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DR. FLOYD RHEINHEIMER 1978

Kerlin, Carl Duncan, Harold Young, Mrs. Herbert (Edith) Baumgartner, Mrs. Bertha (Wehrly) Gilbert. Dorothy Williams, John Perry and Dr. Floyd Rheinheimer. Most are expected to be at Saturday’s banquet. Beer To Speak The featured speaker of the evening will be Dr. Alan Beer of the department of cell biology. University* of Texas Health Science Center, Dallas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas. Dr. Beer is a Milford High School graduate and the son of Rev. and Mrs. Theo Beer of Milford Beer’s credentials are impressive. He is a 1959 graduate of Indiana University and a 1962 graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Dr. Beer’s field has been ob-

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NUMBER 6

WHO WILL THE 1979 CITIZEN BE

stetrics and gynecology. He spent two years in Nigeria, West Africa, after his internship at the Methodist Medical Graduate Center of Indiana. Indianapolis. He also served as a surgeon for the United States Public Health i Service Division of Indian Health. P. H. S. Indian Hospital. Tuba City, Ariz. Leaving Arizona he served as a j resident in obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He worked at and for the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for the next several years, moving to Texas in 1971. Dr. Beer has a number of awards and publications to his credit. Plans call for the doctor’s talk to be on his chosen field with those present being able to ask questions following his speech.