The Mail-Journal, Volume 18, Number 7, Milford, Kosciusko County, 4 March 1981 — Page 4

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THE MAIL JOURNAL — Wed.. March 4.1981

Editorials

They need our support Joseph A. Gray, president of the newly-formed Syracuse-Wawasee Area Development Company, Inc., has expressed disappointment in the response his group has received from members in an effort to outline goals and objectives of the company. ■ X Simply put, the development company is the brainchild of the SyracuseWawasee Chamber of Commerce, and represents an effort to: 1.) Bring new business into the area. 2.) keep, aid and assist business already located here, and 3.) to establish a resource center to help business and industry or prospective business and industry to better do their job. ta this regard, Col. Gray has the able assistance of Carol Miller as secretary, and her ability and enthusiasm for the prospects of her job hold enormous potential for the community’s economic growth and health. We laud the Chamber and this newly-formed wing in its bootstrap attempt to better our business community. We. therefore, urge members of the SyracuseWawasee Area Development Company. Inc. and the entire Syracuse-Wawasee community to “do their part.” take a serious look at the coupon below, take a moment to fill it in —for your own benefit, and for the benefit of the community in which we have all chosen to make our home. \\DM\II.TO — — — — — — — —— — — —— — SYRACUSE-WAWASEE AREA DEVELOPMENT COMPANY. INC ■ Box 398. Syracuse. Indiana 46567 Phone: 457-507 I MY IDEA OF WHAT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE SYRACUSE-WAWASEE AREA DEVELOPMENT COMPANY. INC . SHOULD BE: I I | Goals: — j_ , I— l — I Objectives: —.—- ■ J 1 I _ | ~ ■ Further Remarks: . . I ; - ! My Na me: . - I I- I I 1 ■ Mv Business: , I Location: *; Getting into the act Customers of Northern Indiana Public Service Co. and the United Telephone Co will be getting a double wammy if the proposed NIPSCo rate increase of 13.3 per cent goes through. Only last week the telephone company gave their customers a “surprise” in their rate bill, now it appears to be NIPSCO’s turn. NIPSCo had a 11% rate increase on August 27.1980. when their workers were on strike, and now they are back at the public trough The Public Service Commission asks a utility to go back to the drawing board and cut costs — like President Reagan has been asking of governmental agencies of late The hue and cry is going up throughout NlPSColand about rising utility costs that many cannot meet. More can be expected. W’e hope our readers will take time to read it —for we feel it speaks for a lot of us. Hard work never kills anyone, they say, but occasionally, it wears us down. ■ — —- — ■■ ■ — —- 9 We have found that it is much easier to make promises than to carry them out. * . ' - 1 Even the smartest individual has much to learn and the smarter they get. the more they realize this fact. * The good citizen who helps build his community is leaving something worthwhile to his children.

What others say —

NIPSCo shocks us The Northern Indiana Public Service Company caught us by surprise the other day by requesting a 13 3 per cent increase in its electnc utility rates Many people have expressed their displeasure at the requested rate hike and ", NIPSCo can expect plenty of opposition at public hearings certain to be held in this area Among those who have complained about the rate hike is Mayor Clifford Arnold of Michigan City He has asked the Indiana Public Senice Commission to hold a hearing in Michigan Citif. Arnold said he has more than 8,000 signatures on petitions opposing such an increase, which would be the second for NIPSCo in less than a year. An 11 per cent rate hike was approved Aug. 27.1980 "I would like to request that a public hearing be scheduled on the rate increase request here in Michigan City.*' the mayor said. He said he would make arrangements for a site at no charge , to the state NIPSCo bills are popular conversation topics around the Goshen area and some of our friends in small towns, getting their power from other sources, seem to be enjoying much lower bills Is NIPSCo competitive with other utility com panics? If not. why not? And what is the company doing about it? The rate hike, if approved, would raise the annual electric revenues of the company by about SB9 5 milkon. The utility serves 363.000 customers in 21 northern Indiana counties These customers would provide this SB9 million in monthly bill increases that will be up 13 per cent from the present rate. AU we hear are complaints about the NIPSCo bills already being received in the mail each ' e month. And folks, if President Reagan decontrols prices natural gas. which he has suggested be will do this faU. then we haven't seen anything yet. Our NIPSCo bills will skyrocket again.' NIPSCos need fora rate hike was expressed in detail in a recent page one story and we ll not repeat aU the reasons, except the company is faced with a new increased wage contract, inflated costs of oil and coal and the need to increase generating capacity. All this costs lots of dollars we're expected to pay.

It seems perfectly clear to us that NIPSCo must try harder to operate more efficiently The company can’t be given a blank check and increased efforts must be made to cut operating costs Company officials took a step in that direction during wage contract negotiations over work rules in the generating stations But the company must need some prodding from the Indiana PSC to cut costs and become more competitive with other smaller power companies V Most NIPSCo customers could care less about all the equipment, storage capacity, lines etc. needed to provide power The individual customer is only interested in whether hts light comes on when he flips the switch and how much the bill is when he gets it out of the mailbox There's more to the situation bih availability and cost are the key consideration of the customer We haw received some requests for information about how to protest the NIPSCo rate hike request The director of the PSC’s Consumer Affairs Department in Waneta Wampler The department s telephone number is 317-323-2912 and the PSC information number is 317-232 2714 Letters may be more practical and they may be sent to Waneta Wampler. Consumer Affairs Department. Public Service Commission. 901 State Office Building. Indianapolis. Ind 4«2tM Members of the Indiana Public Service Commission are unchanged from last year. Larry J. Wallace is chairman; William B. Powers is a commissioner from Indianapolis and James M Plaskett is a commissioner from New Washington. Only three members sit on the PSC board The executive secretary is Max W. Tucker of Wolcottville. It might be better if you write to the Indiana Public Counselor Frank Biddinger. 807 State Office Building. Indianapolis. Ind. 46204 Bid dinger and his staff will be representing customers at the public hearings set up later and he might appreciate input from us. The telephone number of the public counselor’s office is 317-232-2494. No public hearings have yet been set up but the pre-hearing confernece will be held at 130 p m March 20 in Room 907 at the state office building in Indianapolis. THE GOSHEN NEWS

Need we say more ? Voice of the people A column on the opinions of the people of the Lakeland area... QUESTION: “Is the food we are eating less nutritious than it was 25 years ago?"

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I MATTIE GRIMM r 2 Milford I (housekeeper)

“Probably They eat more junk food then they use to. plus the preservatives they put in it. They don't do old fashion cooking anymore." TOM PRICKETT Syracuse » (real L estate) “I would say it has to be. There are too many chemicals used in growing it and the lack of interest The biggest interest is how much money they can get out of it instead of what goes in it.”

JOY WARNER North Webster (art teacher)

“I don't believe so. no. 1 think we just have a lot more variety in fruits and vegetables available today through transportation and freezing.”

Indiana weatherization program to be halted

The Indiana home weatherization program — fourth largest in funding in the United States — was suspended February 27. according to Jean Merritt, executive director of the Indiana Office of Community Services Administration, which administers the program. She indicates. “About 18 months ago. the Department of Energy encouraged states to spend weatherization funds according to needs. They have continued this encouragement The states which were doing the best jobs were rewarded with additional funds “ “Under these guidelines.’’ she continues, “Indiana received $26 million to insulate, weatherstrip, caulk and otherwise make the homes of the disadvantaged as weather-tight as possible. With no prior warning. the Department of Energy has advised the State of Indiana that no additional funds will be available About 2.000 people state-wide are directly employed in the Court news county Court Violations The following violations have had fines assessed and paid in Kosciusko Counts Court. James Jarrette, judge: Speeding — Deborah L. Clark. 25. Leesburg. SSO; Dallas R Dengess. 32, Milford. S4O. Marlene D. Chartton. 46. North Webster. S4O; Loony D Irvine. 32. Leesburg. S4O Disregarding automatic signal — Andrew J. Brown. 19. Milford. $57 Expired operator's license — Robert Wells. 30, North Webster. $35 MARRIAGE LICENSES The following couples have filed for marriage licenses in the office of Kosciusko County Clerk Jean Messmare: Sherman-Spry Allen P. Sherman. 18, r 1 Cromwell and Beth A. Spry. 18. r 1 box 624 Leesburg Sbear-Everts Timothy A. Shear. 19, 212 E. Boston. Syracuse and Jama L. Everts. 18. 212 E. Boston. Syracuse Zumbrun-Ha letter ' Kitck D Zumbrun. 26, r 9 Warsaw and Vicki S Hatcher, 20. r 2 Leesburg

f K A fl Itigl *. t

SUSAN SHARP WaubeeLake (homemaker)

“With the nutrients they put in food and preservatives. I don’t know if it is. It just depends on what you buy.”

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JACK MATNEY , Syracuse (car dealer)

“Yes its more nutritious. I eat out a lot at restaurants. There’s a lot of rules governing restaurants and they maintain standards or the board of health closes them down If something is bad in it they would not let the restaurants serve it and I eat too much of it. ” EDWARD R. CHVPP Milford (Penn Electric) “I would think so. because all the things they put in the feed for cattle. I'm an organic food fellow myself.”

program. In addition, many of the agencies in charge of the program in designated counties have used private contractors to perform the work. Agencies affected include 23 Community Action organizations, four Area Councils on Aging and two other notforprofit operations Mrs. Merritt indicates. “We feel home weatherization is a very promising program Following weatherization, fuel consumption is reduced onethird Weatherization also reduces fuel bills, a tremendous boon to those, for example, who are on fixed incomes Weatherization also makes people more comfortable and has staved off weather-related illnesses" On a state-wide basis, there is now a waiting list of more than 6.500 people for home weatherization. These people will not be served Mrs Merritt estimates that hundreds of thousands of dollars will be lost to local businesses in all of Indiana's counties as a result of the weatherization termination She points out that vehicles used in the program were leased locally, materials were purchased locally and those employed were from the localities in which the work was done. “Especially hard hit will be those in the housing industry, whose businesses have been slow Many of them found weatherization jobs a valuable adjunct to their activities. Job training for CETA workers and others who were learning useful skills will also be stopped, Mrs Merritt concludes. THE MAILXXIRMAL (U IPS J2SUO) marttf at Nw Past OHtc* at Siracusa, tadtana aasaz. Sacond cteas >a«ta»» paid at I*3 E. Mam s*r«**, SyracvM. Indiana aasaz Saßscripfwt ffl ywr m KtcivMui CfMMity; Sl3 omHmS* omity. POSTMASTERS Sand ckaa«a at add rau term* ta Tfce Mari Journal. P.O. Box MkHorgl* 48542 •

tRIZiN AROUND

(EDITORS NOTE Lara Rainholt hos fought fourth grade of the Syracuse Elementary School for the past 16 years She has a BA degree from Manchester College and o MS degree from Saint Francis. In 1974 Mrs Reinholt was responsible for the PRIDE pennant that hongs in the Syracuse Elementary hall This come about os a result of on environmental unit on waste paper For several years Mr and Mrs Reinholt were responsible for the collection of newspapers that netted over 12.000 for the purchase of playground equipment The spiral slide was purchased with some of this money Mrs Reinholt is currently serving for the fourth year as president of the lakeland Community Educators Association She and her husband. James, are the owners of the Ivy Hut Restaurant south of Syracuse and the Syracuse Cor Wash They ore the parents of two children Sheree age 21. and James Allen, on eighth grader at the Syracuse Junior High School She shored o certain amount of prominence with other members of the ICEA negotiating team when terms for a 1981 teacher contract were being worked- out with the school corporation’s administrative negotiating team.) NOW THAT the fog has lifted and most of the snow melted, local residents are back in their regular routine. No need to call a tow truck to get you out of a snow drift.. No need for snowmobiles to transport you to work. Despite all the idle hours of the winter months, we often get so busy with the tasks that are before us that we lose track of time. Would you believe that one resident recently dropped her sister off for Sunday church services on Saturday? Syracuse is a nice place to live, but we don’t have everything. We are one of the few communities around that does not have a timetemperature clock It would also be handy if there were a mail box further south in the village that was easy to reach from a car. The resignation of Robert Hamman as principal at the Syracuse Elementary School was not a surprise to those who worked closely with him. It is unfortunate that conditions in schools today are such that very capable persons are changing jobs or leaving the profession. Mr. Hamman has been an excellent administrator and he will be missed. During this year’s bargaining session between the Lakeland Community Educators Association (LCEA) and the Lakeland Community School Board, many people questioned what occurred Perhaps a look at what is happening in education in Indiana and in Syracuse will answer some of these concerns K 5% of the Lakeland teachers are members of the United Teaching Profession. This organization has three levels. The local level (LCEA). the state level (ISTA). and the national level (NEA) work together to improve the quality of education in this country. Having served as a ‘ member of the state representative assembly and three times a member of the NEA Representative Assembly. I am convinced that this organization is not what people think of as union. It is true that we are joined together to achieve common goals. ’ As of May 1M» membership figures were over one and a half million. An organization of this size is able to have impact even at the national level. I have found that UTP members from across the nations are no different than teachers here in Lakeland. We are all interested in kids and what is best for them. ° Just a few interesting facts and figures about schools and teachers Historically. Indiana has done a good job of providing quality education. A few years ago we had one of the highest expenditures per pupil in the country. Teachers came to Indiana because salaries were among the best in the nation. The bright star of Hoosier school economics has faded. In expenditures per pupil we are now outranked by nearly everybody except deep south states. Indiana’s teacher salaries have fallen behind. Public schools are taking more children and taking them farther. Scholastic Aptitude tests used to be taken by a handful of students from better familes. These tests are now taken by a much broader cross section. Os course the average went down. Had it net been for excellent teachers it may have gene down further. The truth b that today's students are better than their counter parte of 3B years ago.

Teachers today are just as dedicated to children as they have been. The change is that they are more realistic. There is an increased sensitivity to the limits that the school places on teacher effectiveness. Teachers are also dedicated to survival in today’s economy. Today's schools are constantly gearing to cope with today's complex society. Just as we would not think of giving up the telephone, we would not think of depriving our children of the improved services our schools provide. Just as society's needs have grown, so have the abilities of teachers to creatively meet those needs. Today, the Hoosier taxpayer is getting more for less. Teachers are leaving the profession in ever-increasing numbers. “Burn out" is the factor cited most frequently for early departure. Too many teachers are made to feel burned out. used, extra baggage to too many administrators and school boards Enthusiastic teachers work to make their classes crackle with excitement. But. today too many students will not do their homework; too many school boards cut needed supplies from the budget: too many supervisors say “live with it" when teachers try to get special help for children in need. The most recent figures show that the average age of the Indiana teacher is only 38 while the average age of non-certified employees is 45. In other words, other occupations within the school are too many more attractive as lifetime careers than is teaching. The average age of teachers at retirement in Indiana has dropped to 61 years, the average length of service is 30 years. There are some things that are right about education. The typical American adult 25-years-old or older has completed high school and some higher education. Children are starting their education at an earlier age. More young people are enrolled in school and attending regularly than ever before. There has been a drastic reduction in the number of Americans who are illiterate. Almost all Americans can read and write. That'S quite an accomplishment! It is true that you may find someone with a high school diploma that is not an accomplished speller or mathematician but he is more knowledgeable than he would have been had he attended school 30 years ago. Schools are providing an appropriate education for all. Local budget and local priorities determine where the * money goes at the local level In order to understand budget and priorities, teachers wish to have their questions answered Mr Arnold and a budget-priorities committee of the LCEA have been meeting to look at the local situation It may be that budget and priorities are in the proper prospective as far as teachers are concerned Teachers tfould like to help give direction when changes are made so that the quality of education is not affected The school board has - already announced cuts in supplies, equipment, films and summer programs. Teachers care about these cuts L’ntil the last few years conditions in our school system were not too bad. Facilities, supplies, demands, benefits and salaries were comparable to other schools our size. Now teachers find that Lakeland has some of the best facilities and top paid administrators but pay for teachers and benefits have fallen behind. At times teachers have had to buy their own supplies (paper clips, masking tape, ditto paper, chalk) when supplies ran oat. The relationship between administration and teachers have changed. The handling of recent problems seems ■ to indicate that perhaps this relationship is improving. Teachers are being involved and made to feel that they are important in the decision making process. Mr Arnold stated that the teacher's "union’ has caused the problem here. There was a time when the word union and the idea of union was bad. Times have changed and in most places unions have been accepted as part of modern society. The little man in business has trouble surviving because of no representation or power. Teachers and schools likewise would receive little cr no consideration without someone speaking on their behalf. A strong organization working tor better schools is what this countryneeds. Where would we be without good schools? in last week's issue of The Majklouraal the issue of teacher unions and badges was brought

up again. I will address those issues from a teacher’s viewpoint. I too am concerned about where the educational system is headed. Teachers have not been equal partners in the educational community. Schools are run by school boards who seldom have members who have teacher training. Being a parent and successful business person are satisfactory requirements for serving. Would a doctor be satisified with having someone outside medicine to lay out his new hospital, select supplies and equipment, and hire the staff? There are needs, in the programs that prepare teachers to teach. There also needs to be concern given as to who enters the profession. Teachers desire to see that something is done to improve teacher training institutions. A national organization of teachers may be able to draw attention to what is wrong in education and hopefully something wilt be done. Is this wrong? Another issue is agency shop. The state has passed a bargaining bill for teachers but it is quite clear that all teachers must be represented and receive the benefits. As it is now only those who join the Association pay the bill. Law also requires that the Association represent all teachers in such matters as grievance. I have personallyspent a number of hours on behalf of non-members over the past four years I receive no pay. In industry everyone shares the cost Why are teachers so different? 1 find it interesting that some people believe that teachers are so powerful that they are pushing legislators into passing laws. In our state we make an effort to contact our legislators so that they will know teacher feelings on issues. Such an organized effort can produce change. No one is being forced to do any thing and 1 hardly see this as a threat to our educational system. As I pointed out earlier, teacher salaries in Lakeland have fallen behind in the last few years. This year teachers were determined to improve this situation. Manyhours were spent at the bargaining table and very little progress was being made. The public seemed to believe that Lakeland was a perfect place to teach Our requests and concerns often fell on deaf ears or we were asked. “What eVer happened to the dedicated teacher’’’’ The Board did not believe that we were serious since in the past the Board has been able to get teachers to back down. Mass teacher meetings were held and it was evident that we had to do something to convince the Board that we were serious and united. Wearing badges was our way of accomplishing this. It did achieve wnat we desired Perhaps some of our critics have a suggestion that would be as effective. So far no one has offered such an idea. What needs to be done? — Stable funding of education — Modernize local policies and practices — More responsibility given to teachers for what happens in their classrooms — Narrowing of the gap between teachers and administrators — Better pay Cordell Affeldt. president of ISTA. stated in her state of education address. “Tonyorrow 's schools cannot be as those a generation ago. they- must be much, much better." — O — BIG THINGS are about to happen at Turtle Bay Mobile Home Park, located just off East Chicago Avenue in Syracuse Letters went out at mid-week last week to the 110 owners of mobile homes in the park about a $1,000,000 re-development plan about to be undertaken. The purpose of the ‘'confidential'' letter was to inform those concerned and to outline their options. First, the mobile home park, started a good many years ago by Hilary Bachman, is one of the oldest such parks in the are*. It was purchased about a year ago by the Shamrock Corporation of Nappanee from James R. and Walter Wogoman. The corporation owns the Shamrock Meadows Mobile Home Park and its 235 units at the west side of Nappanee, on the north side of U.S. 6. A great deal of development and planning has been going on at Turtle Bay, but little public information has gone oat prior to last week's letter to park residents. Work should be completed this summer. (Continued on page 5)