The Mail-Journal, Volume 16, Number 10, Milford, Kosciusko County, 28 March 1979 — Page 1

Chet Elder and DNR settle their dispute

A battle that has been raging relentlessly for the past three years between Chester D. Elder, Syracuse realtor and developer, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources concerning the disposal of a tract of land along the shores of Lake Wawasee, has apparently been concluded during the past week. The announcement of the consent agreement came jointly from the office of Theodore L. Sendak, Indiana Attorney General, and from the Syracuse office of Chet Elder at 718-724 So. Huntington Street, Syracuse Elder’s dealings have been with Michael Shaeffer, assistant Attorney General. \ Wetland Dispute The land in dispute is a tract of some 23 acres along the south shores of Lake Wawasee, across the lake on the south from the Oak wood Park property. Elder Realty parchased the land five years ago and began the development of the property as a viable real estate development. About three years ago the battle was joined when lake residents protested to the Department of Natural

Phones: 20 * t TMm& UTzi m M %\ **€> mm * m mm ** 1 457-3666 / / Consolidation of THE MILFORD MAIL (Est. 18881 and THE SYRACUSE-WAWASEE JOURNAL (Est. 19071 j

VOLUME 16

Easter coloring contest featured in this issue

Merchants in' the Greater Lakeland Area, in conjunction with The Mail-Journal, are once again sponsoring an Easter Coloring contest tor the boys and girls. Youngsters may enter by coloring pictures inside this issue of The Mail-Journal and taking them to the respective merchants who are sponsoring the contest. Prizes will be awarded to a winner from each participating store and a grand prize will be given by The Mail-Journal. All entries must be at the merchants’ stores by 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 8, Winners will be notified after pictures are judged. Contest rules are as follows: 1. The contest is open to all children kindergarten through fourth grade. 2. Paint, pencil or crayon may be used for coloring. 3. Entries must be received at each sponsor's firm no later than 6 p.m. April 8, or at the store's regular closing time on Sunday whichever is earlier. Absolutely no entries will be accepted at The Mail-Journal offices. 4. Accuracy and appearance counts. The judge's decision will be final. 5. Mount each entry on S'/' x 11” sheet of paper with name, address, parents’ names, telephone number, school and grade.

j|L i ;®aH^^MH^^ r^^ *i Jfe^, _ *^**** t: ■ * ' . HEAVY FLOW — Since March 1, about one million gallons of water have been running through the Syracuse wastewater treatment plant. As a result, the final filter is being bypassed because the plant can’t the extra flow. Conrad, left, street and water superintendent, and Fred Mock, street and water employee, check the aeration basin at the plant. The Syracuse Town Board is trying to solve the problems at the plant.

Sponsors of the contest are: Counting House Bank, North Webster; C. S. Myers, Syracuse and Milford; Doll's Decorating, Milford; Bruce's Texaco, Milford; Little People Shoppe, Syracuse; Three Flags Drive-in. Syracuse; Ivy Hut, Syracuse; Teghtmeyer Ace Hardware, Syracuse and North Webster; First Federal Savings and Loan of Wabash. Syracuse office; My Store. Syracuse; Syracuse Hardware, Syracuse; Bean’s

Results show $ 11,700 raised in Heart Fund Sled-a-Thon

Results from the Second Annual Heart Fund Sled-a-Thon and Winter Carnival held in North Webster show that over $11,700 was raised for the American Heart Association. The Lakeland Snowmobile Club of North Webster and the Kosciusko area was the sponsoring group for the Winter Carnival activities. Members also rode in the Sled-a-Thon. Seventeen snowmobile clubs accumulated 10,000 miles for pledges in the two-day event January 15-14. Sleds from as far away as North Dakota showed up, and Southern Indiana was also represented. Governor Bowen had proclaimed “Indiana

Resources that the Elder development was destroying a wetlands area, vital to the natural development and health of Lake Wawasee. Since that time, one law suit has followed another over use of the disputed lands, and as Elder said this week, “then my financial troubles began.” The original complaint was filed against the Elders in June of 1976 by the office of Attorney General Sendak, after a filling operation was started in the marshland area of the land, an answer to numerous local complaints against the Elder operation. Consent Agreement Elder said this week, “We’ve negotiated (with the DNR) pretty heavily for the past year, and just closed our negotiations with this consent agreement.” The land in dispute was two tracts totaling more than 23 acres, containing significant wetland resources. Sendak’s office said “the land involved is vital to the natural process of purification of the waters of Lake Wawasee.”

Union 76, Milford; Augsburger’s Super Valu. Syracuse and North Webster; Ben Franklin, Syracuse; Evans Family Store, Milford; Hook’s Drug Store, Syracuse; Klink’s Super Market, Syracuse; Dairy Queen, Syracuse; White Plumbing and Heating, North Webster; Kathy’s Beauty Bazaar, Syracuse; Richard D. Smith, Painter and Carpenter, Milford; Larry Nellans, Inc., Realtors, Syracuse office.

Snowmobile Week,” and Miss Indiana, Terri Jean Kaiser (Etna Green) attended both days in an RV supplied by Barth industries. She crowned Janet Bishop, Forf Wayne, the 1979 Indiana Snow Queen. The Sno-Blazers club stationed in Danville, along with their President, George Wyatt, took top honors for having raised the most money. Losing Saturday to ice and rain did not daunt the determined snowmobilers. They raised as • much on Sunday as the 1978 Sled-a-Thon did in two days. Plans are now being made for the 1980 Heart Fund Sled-a-Thon, and awards will be presented for this year’s event on April 7 in Fort Wayne.

Elder said he had misgivings about the agreement thinking the state wanted to make a public beach of the 1,000-odd feet of lake frontage. He/was assured, however, that this was not true. Elder must remove much of the fill that has been put into the lake, the agreement states. He said the fill cost him $125,000, but that he can have it removed for about $5,000. Elder will retain a 5.5 acre tract along the lake, he said, coming to a point and having about 500 feet of lake frontage, 1,400 feet including channel frontage. This land is not to be subdivided, but kept in a family estate and restricted from condominium development. In all, Elder Realty has 55 acres of undeveloped land in that area, much of it along road 13. This land has not been a point of controversy. Elder said he had $350,000 in the original land purchase and improvements. He said he deeded over to the state about $1 million in lake front property, or $2.4 in potential develop(Continued on page 2)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28,1979

Thornburg re-elected . president of KCH

Ralph W. Thornburg, president of the Syracuse-based Thornburg Drug Co., Inc., has been elected to a third term as president of the board of directors of the Kosciusko Community Hospital. He is a resident of 24 North Shore Drive, Syracuse. His election, and that of other members of the board of directors and of the executive committee, occurred Monday night at a regular board meeting, following the annual dinner meeting of the entire 90-tnember board. At, the dinner meeting the following members were appointed to the KCH board of directors: Joseph Boggs, Franklin Township; Robert Ferverda, Plain Township; Glenn Disher, Scott Township; Robert Hoffman, Seward Township; Robert Maish, Tippecanoe Township; Ralph Thornburg, Turkey Creek Township; Tom Lemon, Wayne Township; and Larry Castaldi, director at large. At the larger meeting, a business meeting was presided over by the hospital’s chairman of the board of directors Robert Maish, who gave an accounting of the directors’ stewardship for the past year. Also, hospital administrator L. Milton Holmgrain explained the operation of the hospital with emphasis on its financial posture and rate of occupancy. (Continued on page 2)

Syracuse battling water treatment plant

By LESLIE WHITMAN The Syracuse water system was installed in the early 1900’s. Even though the system is old, this in itself is not a major problem for the town. What the town of Syracuse is battling is a wastewater treatment plant which is not working to its full capabilities. The plant was constructed in 1962. On March 1, 1976, construction started on a plant expansion. This expansion was put into operation on September 9,1977. The first water plant for the town, a water wheel, was constructed in the late 1800’s. This was when the water company was started for the town. Besides the plant, the town has 82,157.5 feet of water lines. A total of 16,312 feet of water lines were installed in 1977 while 15,160 feet of water lines were added last year. Also a part of the town’s water system are two water towers — one by The Weatherhead Company and another uptown. The Weatherhead tower, installed in 1953, holds 150,000 gallons of water. The other tower, which was constructed in 1978, holds 200,000 gallons

MHk WL V J 0 •> vMjk -.«•* -. RALPH W. THORNBURG Move set for April 7_ A tentative date of April 7 has been set for the move to the new Syracuse Post Office. The new post office is located on state. road 13, north of downtown Syracuse. The building is completed and approved, however the ground is soft and can not handle the amount of traffic that will be using the drive. Unless further complications are found with the ground the move will take place on Saturday, April 7.

of water. Finally, three wells complete the system. The uptown well was installed in 1928. A well by The Weatherhead Company was put in use in 1953 while another well by Vega was constructed in 1969. Can’t Handle The Flow Harley Conrad, street and water superintendent, said the water treatment plant has not been working right since the expansion. He commented, “It just won’t take care of the flow coming through this plant.’’ Before the expansi on, the plant could handle 250,000 gallons of water per day. With the expansion, the plant should have been able to handle a total of 500,000 gallons. Conrad said, “I still feel this is a 250,000-300,000 gallon plant.’’ Town Engineer Jerry Lessig, designer of the plant expansion, disagrees. He has maintained all along that the plant should be able to handle 500,000 gallons per day In a recent controversy over the plant expansion, Lessig has stated that the problem is not in ti e amount of water coming through the system, but in its

<MjSkflWr}r as ELDER AT DISPUTED SITE — Syracuse realtor and developer Chester D. Elder points to the >: disputed lake frontage he deeded over to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in a consent >*• agreement reached with the DNR last week. s

Sock hop June 2 to benefit

Syracuse fire deportment, EMS

An organizational meeting for the sock hop on June 2 was held Thursday, March 22, at a Syracuse restaurant. The sock hop is sponsored by Kappa Omicron Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, vdth the help of various organizations from the town of Syracuse. Those groups represented at the meeting are: The Eagles, David Zartman; Eagles Auxiliary, Violet Cloan, Legion, Harold Kline; fire department, Kenneth Johnson; Senior Mothers club, Janice Baumgartner; Merchant's Association and youth center, Sherry Keim; Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Gamma Sigma Chapter, Jane Wieczork; Business and Professional Women’s Club, Marilyn Stoops; and Bunco and TOPS, Bessie Gr imes. Other groups interested, but not in attendance are the Luckey 7 CB Club and SyracuseWawasee Garde a Club. Chairman of the event, Jackie Plikerd, explained the project and listed the areas where assistance is reeded. She explained all proceeds will be given to the Syracuse Fire Department and Emergency Medical Technicians squad to be used towards the purchase of life saving equipment as needed or possibly towards the purchase of the new ambulance or equipment for it.

The Lakeland Kiwanis Club of North Webster has volunteered to take care of the posters in the North Webster area. Sherry Keim said she would take care of contacting the merchants for the donations. Bessie Grimes said that TOPS would take care of the popcorn and the owner of Das Keller volunteered the use of his popcorn machine. Containers for the popcorn will be purchased by the Eagles Auxiliary. The Legion will help

Scott Arnold unconscious following 2-car crash

Scott Arnold, 17, a Wawasee High School senior and son of Lakeland School Superintendent and Mrs. Don H. Arnold of Milford remains unconsious in the Parkview Hospital at Fort Wayne, it was learned this morning. Arnold was injured in a near head-on collision on Friday, March 23. The accident occurred at the east edge of Bristol, near the Conrail tracks, at 9:30p.m. Arnold is listed in fair condition. He is responding to (treatment and has some degree of consciousness. He sustained a severe head injury, a broken jaw and broken knee cap. He was

operation. Lessig has said, “The Syracuse treatment plant design was worked out using a mass of existing plant operation data, a University Degree in Pollution Control Engineering, nearly 30 years experience in the field and a good grasp of the problems and budget; and I am sure all of the problems thus far encountered are purely operational. ” Lessig feels a “qualified utilities commissioner” should be secured. Said commissioner should be familiar with the principals and procedures of'waste and water treatment and plant and system maintenance. Have To Bypass During heavy flow periods, such as in the fall and early spring, large amounts of water come through the plant. Since the plant can’t handle these large flows, the final filter (sand filter) has to be bypassed. This is in violation of the plant’s state license. At the present time, the final filter is being bypassed during the heavy spring flow. Conrad estimates about a million gallons of water per day have been coming through - the plant since (Continued on page 2)

NUMBER 10

set up tables before the dance. Jane Wieczork volunteered her club for 30 posters and Mrs. Baumgartner said her group would possibly help out the night of the dance with ticket sales at the door Violet Sloan suggested con tacting channel 55 for the community calendar and Mrs. Keim mentioned about contacting all merchants who have flashing outside signs requesting a few days (Continued on page 2)

taken to the Goshen Hosptial and then transferred to Parkview. Passengers in the Arnold auto were Debra Carey. 16, r 2 North Webster; Tod Davis, 15, r 2 Syracuse; and John Stuckman, 15, r 3 Syracuse. They were treated for injuries in the Goshen Hospital and released. Bristol police report Arnold’s auto apparently crossed the centerline and collided with an oncoming car driven by Joyce L. Gross, 40, Bristol. She was treated for cuts and bruises at the Goshen Hospital. Investigating the accident were Bristol Marshal Gary Ryman and Chief Deputy Marshal Russ Hohman. ,