The Mail-Journal, Volume 19, Number 27, Milford, Kosciusko County, 21 July 1982 — Page 4

THE MAIL-JOURNAL—Wed., July 21,1982

4

Editorials

A fundraiser worthy of support The Kappa Omicron Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority of Syracuse has taken on the responsibility of raising $60,000 to help Tonda Hewitt and her young daughter, Alissa, in their fight against epidermolysis bullosa, an unusual skin disease. We think it a campaign worth supporting. The $60,000 will be used for the Hewitts to travel to Germany for treatment. r Saturday, Aug. 7, has been established as “Tonda and Lisa Day” at the Syracuse City Park. On that day special events will be held at Lakeside Park to raise money for the mother and daughter. Churches have joined in supporting the project with the WSCS of the Syracuse Church of God planning a bake sale and the church’s Bible Class planning a flea market. Also in the planning are pedal car rides, wagon rides, chicken barbecue, ice cream social, snow cones, pancake and sausage breakfast, hot dogs, face painting and other events which will help the fund on its way toward $60,000. \ Again we say, it’s a worthwhile project. It’s a chance to help someone. Give what you can to this project. Two jobs well done You have to hand it to the people of the Milford and Syracuse communities when it comes to pulling together to get a local job done. Each community has had a fund drive going in recent months, and both have concluded their drives with glowing success. In Milford, it was to raise funds to raze the old Milford Hotel to build a new Milford Community Building. And in Syracuse, it was to raise $37,500 as matching funds for a United Way grant of a like amount, for a new Daycare Center. For all practical purposes, the Milford Community Building is completed, with nearly SIOO,OOO raised and spent to good use. The new community building is a genuine improvement to that town’s uptown business district. These people are proud of the fruits of their efforts. And in Syracuse, the drive to raise $37,500 ran over to the point where a news article last week stated they had raised $47,193.28, with more monies dribbling in. This is the real American spirit of communities taking care of their own needs, seeing a need and then fulfilling it. In the case of both towns, the funds are there — it’s only a matter of generating the spirit of cooperating in a worthy project, of giving. Both Milford and Syracuse have our commendation for jobs well done. Girls and school A recent Gallup Poll found that the ideal of most American girls, still, is to get married and have children. Three out of every four queried gave that answer. This being the case, it’s disappointing to observe a trend away from educating girls in household pursuits. Home economics, so important to most families, is often neglected. Girls in some cases have been brainwashed by too much super-mod literature and protest into feeling almost ashamed to prepare themselves for what will be, at least, one of their main vocations. What a paradox that schools today fail to educate girls in what most of them will sorely need most in their lifetime — home economics and home management, child care and food preparation! No fair person today would argue that this is the only proper role of women and that they should not be free to enter into any profession — at equal pay and under equal conditions. But the fact of life is that most girls will grow into mothers and love and enjoy caring for their Children (and perhaps their husbands). That being true, why not as a matter of course provide them with an education to enhance and improve home life? This need not mean neglect of any other subject, and need not be confined to girls. But the truth is most girls will benefit by such education, and that more girls than boys will need it. Yet today such practical, even essential, education is not the “in” thing. All girls must be educated exactly like boys, no difference in the sexes must be admitted, in interests, aptitudes, life goals, etc. It’s not a common sense, nor an honest approach. Summer fishing Summer is the time of year blood rises in the veins of fishing Americans. What is it about fishing that attracts so many? One expert claims it’s a natural instinct for hunting food — the basic drive to survive. Other factors are the break from a hectic pace of American life, the fellowship and serenity involved. ‘ . Basic rules of fishing: Best time is at dawn and dusk. The hour after a changing tide (in salt water) is good. If fish are spawning, fishing is almost invariably good, with any bait. The period just before bad weather is often good. If bad weather lasts several days, the period immediately afterward may be good. A steady barometer is not as good as a rising or falling one. Falling pressure is generally better than rising pressure. A slight wind to ripple the water is desirable. Follow these tips and catch fish!

What others say — Useless conversation Our daily lives are blessed by the genius of mankind which has become dependent upon the marvels of modern technology. We flip switches and push buttons to command appliances and machinery to perform our mental tasks with ease. The wizardry wrought by miniaturization of electronic components has introduced a whole new era of mindboggling developments. However, in our quest for new technology, we have gone too far by creating machines that talk to us. There is enough useless conversation available without creating a new source. Automobile dashboards, copier machines and elevators are but a few of the new voices being heard across the land. You forget to turn off your headlights and a feminine voice tells you, “Turn off our lights, please.” And, compounding the situation, the voices may soon come in a variety of accents, intended to localize the talking machine. Have we become so lazy that we are no longer capable of responding to flashing lights and illuminated signs? It is sufficient that we are told what, when and how to do, wherever we go. .We don't know about you, but we don’t want voices harping at us to “Fasten your seatbelt,” or “Turn off your lights.” We’re sure that if aliens from outer space are monitoring our every sound, we would hate to think of what their mental image of our civilization might be. — DANVILLE GAZETTE

HLI 1 I / < 1/ fa -/-Jh I r ■HHH a A special day is planned on August 7 to help raise funds to send Tonda and Lisa Hewitt to Germany for treatment.

Court news

COUNTY COURT The following violations have had fines assessed and paid in Kosciusko County Court, James Jarrette, judge: Speeding — Lynda Krukenberg, 44, Syracuse, SSO; Bevin J. Lurson, 23. Leesburg, $65; Mary

Unsung heroes —

* ' aßifcSrf w- -*- 2; rtf”** I? C ''*v >* I IbJ DAVID PAYNE

David Payne has fought fires for 3 decades

Though he has seen many changes during his three decades as a North Webster Volunteer Fireman. Dave Payne still derives a great deal of satisfaction from serving the community. A dative of North Webster, Payne joined the department in the early 19505, and has noted a great deal of improvement over the years in both the emergency vehicles and firefighting equipment used in North Webster. The fire that stands out in Payne's memory as the worst he has had to battle is a blaze at a grocery store across from the Barbee Hotel in the late 19605. A number of small explosions resulted from the presence of several containers of highly flammable materials around the grocery, Payne recalled. Payne, who now serves as the department’s first assistant chief, lives in North Webster with his wife, Margaret He has five

B. Heckman, 38, Leesburg, SSO No registration plate — Jeffrey W. Abrams, 32. Syracuse, S4O Disregarding automatic signal — Horton C. Dodds, 73, North Webster, SSO Unsafe start — Steven L. Thomas, 18, Leesburg. SSO

stepchildren In addition to his duties with the North Webster Fire Department. Payne has been employed at Syracuse Rubber for the past 32 years.

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"CRUZIN AROUND 'CUSE" V'

A FIRST peek at the proposed new Syracuse civic center or town government complex was provided the public at the last Tuesday meeting of the Syracuse Town Board at its temporary offices in the Village. And it looked something like the above photo. The Indianapolis architectural firm the town has engaged, Schmidt Associates Architects, Inc., revealed four schematic designs for the town board’s consideration, which were quickly reduced to Scheme D. As one can see from the above photo, the buildings will set to the back and along the south side of the land at 500 South Huntington Street where the town hall was situated. $ (Note: Hie old building is now being demolished by Don McCulloch of Don’s Excavating, at a cost of $8,000.) In this design it would appear the architects displayed a flair for the esthetic and allowed for a well landscaped concourse at the corner of Huntington and Henry Streets. The schematic design sets out that, “the building is assumed to be concrete block and brick exterior walls with metal stud and drywall interior partitions. The police department will be all block construction. The roof structure will be wood truss or rafters with asphalt shingles. The mechanical systems will be as efficient as possible and selection of the system will be based on the climate in the Syracuse area. Landscaping and parking are considered an integral part of the planning of this facility.” The proposed floor plan as shown last Tuesday night allows for a central commons area from which the police department, clerk-treasurer’s office, town board meeting room, and Turkey Creek Township assessor’s office have easy access. Cynthia Fry, town clerk-treasurer, said this week that this floor plan is by no means final, that the architects were asked to submit an updated design at the Tuesday, August 17th, meeting. And further, it is not at all clear at this time whether the township assessor’s office will be moved to the new building complex. Assessor Charlene Knispel said this week the decision Whether to move or not rests with the Kosciusko County board of commissioners. She said her rent at the present location is S3OO per month and that rent at the new facility would have to be within guidelines that the commissioners can clear with the county council. But the town board is determined not to alter its building plans whether or not the assessor’s office is a part of it. The cost of the new complex has been something that bugs some taxpayers, and so we thought a complete accounting of costs as revealed last week should be made public. A minimum cost has been set at $507,395.00 and a maximum cost at $725,917.00, with a median cost of $616,656.00. The town’s maximum budget has been set at $650,000.00. Town board president Carl Myrick told this column an “absolute ceiling” has been set at $650,000, and that actual cost is projected by the architects at $525,000. A total projected figure of $616,000 will include parking, landscaping and some additional furniture. A complete breakdown of step-by-step costs

ANTICIPATED ESTIMATE OF CONSTRUCTION COST hm """"" SITE WORK 4,000.00 10,000.00 (Sodding/Landscaping of New Building Site) PARKING 12,500.00 18,500.00 (For 37 cars; 14 on Town Hall site, 23 on site across street) NEW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Spaces with Nonaal Requirements (Off ices,’circulation. Etc.) 237,960.00 317,280.00 5,288 square feet • $45/60 per square feet Spaces with Special Requirements (Town Meeting Hall, Entries, Etc.) 134,600.00 155,325.00 2,071 square feet • $65/75 per square feet Spaces with Extensive Requirements (Holding Room, Window. Etc.) 40,275.00 51,000.00 537 square feet 9 $75/95 per square feet Contingency 30,000.00 40,000.-.00 SUBTOTAL $459,335.00 $592,105.00 ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING FEES (7.3X-7/1X) 32,612.00 43,223.00 OFFICE FURNISHINGS - 00 40,000.00 C ° STS 800.00 1.000.00 SOIL WRINGS 1,500.00 2,500.00 PRINTING OF PLANS & SPECS s’oOOOO 4*ooo‘oo BUILDERS RISK INSURANCE - 2,000.00 a.UUJ.W LEGAL INFLATION ADJUSTMENT . 41,089.00 Construction Start Based on October 20, 1982 TOTAL $507,395.00 $725,917.00 MEDIAN COST $616,656.00 MAXIMUM BUDGET $650,000.00

for the new building is shown in the chart at the bottom of this column. -O'MRS. EMMA Souder, r 3 Syracuse (Wawasee Heights), has in her possession an August 1982 issue of the digest-sized magazine FATE, which explores “the world’s mysteries,” that excites a certain interest. In it her daughter, Karen Berfield. of Princeton, 111., has published a small story concerning her fears — even nightmares —about a safari she and her physician husband were about to take out of Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa. In a nutshell: Friends they had met on the plane en route to Nairobi suggested they have New Year’s Eve dinner together in the famous Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi. The Berfields begged off at the last moment, only to learn later the Norfolk had been bombed and 100 persons were killed, injured or missing. “We might have been among them,” Mrs. Berfield writes. (Note: This writer has dined numerous times in the Nairobi Hilton Hotel where the Berfields had that New Year’s Eve dinner.) * Mrs. Berfield attended school in Cromwell for a while, and is a niece to Cal and Charles Beck of this community. -oCOUNSELOR JOHN C. Hagen is already making plans to see the “Hurryin* Hoosier’’ basketball team play neighboring Illini at I.U.’s i cavernous Assembly Hall on Saturday, Nov. 13. It will be I.U.’s next to last game of the season, and John, as avid an I.U. fan as can be found anywhere, is urging other local fans to see this game. Crux of it all is the evening game (same date) between I.U. and the traveling Russian Olympic team, in a pre-Olympic show of strength. We wouldn’t be surprised but thpt a car load of local fans will be heading south for a day of good basketball. —o— JOHNNIE MILLER assures us his is not the proverbial fish story. He was busy calling friends Sunday telling them of a 22-pound channel catfish he caught on the Elkhart River just east of Ligonier. He is a Ligonier resident and works as a cabinet setter at Commodore Coty, at its plant north of Syracuse. Johnnie said four- to five-pound catfish are about normal, but allows he has caught some from seven to nine pounds. “But 22 pounds!” he says, incredulously. He was alone at the time, but had the catfish as real evidence of his catch. Miller says he used plain old chicken liver for bait —a lesson more j sophisticated fishermen might profit by. —o— IT WAS the case of the mysterious leaning chimney. Or something like that. When Don McCulloch was busy tearing down the old town ball to make room for the new building, he came across a brick chimney on the south side of the building that was straight as a die — so many feet off the ground. Then, for some unknown reason, it veered off in a leaning posture, as if the wind had blown terribly hard against it the day the bricks were laid. Don, talking to Pickwick Place businessman Bob Troutman about the “mystery,” said the wind probably blew the plumb line when the (Continued on page 5)