The Mail-Journal, Volume 20, Number 3, Milford, Kosciusko County, 2 February 1983 — Page 4

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., February 2,1983

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Editorials

Good luck Lady Warriors This newspaper's backing the Lady Warriors in the Warsaw Girls’ Sectional Tournament which gets underway tomorrow (Thursday) at 6:30 p.m. with the girls from Wawasee meeting the girls from Tippecanoe Valley in the opening game. Warsaw and Triton will meet in the second game of the evening and the finals will be played on Saturday. . „ x ~ . Wawasee is favored to win but all Hoosier Hysteria buffs know anything can happen in tournament play. We know Wawasee has the talent and the 16-2 record of Coach Dale Brannock’s seventhranked Lady Warriors proves they can do it — we’re banking they will and are urging area fans to show their support. Wawasee’s girls were unstoppable on their home court this year as they defeated Bethany Christian 81-23, West Noble 59-35, Warsaw 63-29, Concord 49-40, Northridge 70-24, Central Noble 59-25, Penn 70-32, Elkhart Central 69-33 and Whitko 75-31. On the road they won all but two matches, falling to Goshen 57-61 and to Bremen 4650. They defeated Fairfield 59-17, Rochester 58-37, Westview 82-19, Tippecanoe Valley 53-28, Manchester 54-45, North Wood 61-38 and Plymouth 67-43. An impressive record. Tippe Valley enters the tourney with an 8-10 record. Warsaw, host team of the sectional with the home-floor advantage, has an 117 record and Triton has a 12-4 record. These are not figures to be laughed at but we know the Lady Warriors can defeat anyone if Hoosier Hysteria doesn’t get them down and we’ll be among those in their corner lending support with hopes that it doesn’t. Good luck Lady Warriors. — Your heart i The American Heart Association carries on a national education campaign to create public awareness and recognition of the early signs of heart attack. Heart attack is the greatest killer in the United States (more than 660,000 deaths annually). All should therefore be interested in warning signs. The AHA says the most common are (1)- Prolonged oppressive pam or discomfort in the center of the chest; (2)- Pain radiation to the shoulder, arm, neck or jaw; (3)- Sweating accompanying the pain, perhaps nausea, vomiting or shortness of breath. These symptoms, the AHA says, often subside and return later. The AHA specifies February as heart awareness month. Executives between 35 and 64 are most vulnerable. On worry If currently worried about business problems, family problems, etc., remember that worries are relative. Ten years from now you’ll have forgotten about most of your current worries. That alone is not sufficient comfort to allay all worries. But one can also remember there are many with greater, more critical problems. Anyone can look around and find things to be thankful for. . The experts tell us ninety per cent of the things we worry about never materialize. They also say we’re unable to exercise control over most of the other things. Most worry, then, is wasted emotion. Ground Hog Day February 2 reminds us of the tradition when a little animal supposedly comes out of its winter burrow for a look to see if it’s time to resume normal activities. The ground hog is perhaps our most famous weather prophet. Unfortunately, he’s not the most accurate. The theory is that if the ground hog sees his shadow, he retires for another six weeks of sleep. If the sky is cloudy, he remains outside, with the assurance an early spring is around the corner. Don’t count on it! People who do not mind their own business are rarely equipped to take care of other people’s problems. Life would be more simple if more people were willing to be themselves.

What others say —

Whose records? The state Senate has essentially declared that newspapers must buy the right to inspect public records. No one has quite said it that way, but the Senate has approved a revision in open records legislation to eliminate the requirement that government agencies buy newspaper advertising space to publish annual reports. The original legislation would have allowed the public more to inspect government records. The amendment, offered by Sen. Thomas D. Hession, RShelbyville, was adopted by a 36-11 vote, despite the protests of the sponsor of the bill, Sen. Edward A. Pease, R-Brazil. Newspapers, represented by the Hoosier State Press Association, have been in a forefront of the effort to establish a reasonable open records law. But the taxpayer’s right to know how his or her money is being spent is also at stake in this legislation. The implication of the Hession amendment is that newspapers will have to pay for approval of this legislation. “They are telling us that if we want something, we will have to pay for it. Money,” noted HSPA general counsel Richard Cardwell after the Senate amendment. “But this will hurt the newspapers in small towns that depend on this revenue to survive.” If this was just a newspaper tax benefit bill, we could understand the reasoning behind this kind of amendment. But the issue is whether the taxpaying person who pays for all the thousands of government documents in Indiana will be allowed to see them upon reasonable request. The potential loser is the average citizen who goes to a government agency and is told, in effect, to prove that the document he wishes to see must be kept because of state law or regulation. If you can’t prove it, by the way, you might not be allowed to see the record. Current state law says so. "V. The proposed legislation provides some guidelines for exceptions to the general principle that the public should be able to inspect government records. It is designed to put responsibility for denying a request on the government agency, declaring: “This chapter should be liberally construed to implement this policy and place the burden of proof for nondisclosure of a public record on the public agency that would deny access to the record and not on the person seeking to inspect and copy the record. ” The issue has nothing to do with whether government rqwrts should be printed for public consumption in newspapers. Citizens interested in access to government records might let their representatives and senators know their opinionson the matter. —THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS F '

L 4 *Ji 4 z Tone Setters, Cheryl Walker, Maude Packer, Karyl Charlton, Carol Walker and Grace Stichter are senior members of the Wawasee girls' basketball team who will be joining fellow team members in the sectional tournament this week end. Good luck wishes go with the entire team.

Court news

The following area residents of Kosciusko County have had fines assessed and have paid those fines in Kosciusko County Court, Jim Jarrett, judge: Speeding — Roger M. Shuder, 38, Syracuse, SSO; Lorraine S. Morgan, 21, North Webster, SSO; David L. Wells, 35, Syracuse, S4O; Max A. Allen, 24, Leesburg, SSO; Barbara J. Rivich, 31, Leesburg, SSO No registration plate — Thomas L. Jackson, 45, Syracuse, SSO _ Disregarding stop sign — Linda Jones. 30, Syracuse, SSO Operating while intoxicated — Joe Kleinknight, 26, Leesburg, $252 driver’s license restricted one year Brake-Murphy James Everett Brake, 36, r 1 Cromwell and Mary Darlene Murphy, 28, r 2 North Webster

Unsung hero —

'* M 1 DAN CONKLING

Dan Conkling has been fireman for 9 years

“There’s nothing more satisfying than delivering a baby and bringing someone back to life,” commented Dan Conkling, a North Webster Fireman and Emergency Medical Technician. “And there’s nothing more heartbreaking than watching a person die in front of you and not being able to do anything about it.” Conkling has been on the fire department for nine years and an EMT for eight years. During those years he has been president of the board of directors for the fire department and EMS captain. He also has been an alternate dispatcher for the North Webstar Police Department since 1978. When he joined the fire department it was because of his interest in the community he lived in and he has enjoyed those years. Conkling stated that he has appreciated seeing the development within the department over the last nine years to the quality that it is now and the equipment, compared to years ago. Prompting him to become an EMT was an accident, west of North Webster, eight years ago. “Wehad tostandand watch a girl die because we couldn’t do anything.” He volunteered the day Gary Eastlund came to the fire department and asked for those who were interested in taking an EMT course, because the funeral home was going to phase out the ambulance service. “I don’t have anything I don’t like about the EMS service here,” remarked Conkling, who added “I feel the EMTS are

MARRIAGE LICENSES DeSomer-Russell Jerry Bob DeSomer, 34, r 4 box 355 Syracuse and Sandra Noelle Russell, 35, r 4 box 355 Syracuse LAND TRANSFERS The following persons have entered land transfers in Kosciusko County and those transfers have been recorded in the office of Kosciusko County Recorder Betty J. Dust: American Fletcher Financial Services from Richard Nolan. Part of lot 52 in Dolan and Miles Addition, Syracuse Carl Duncan to Lake City Bank. Lot 7.8, 9. original plat in Milford Rollen J. Hamsher from Mary E. Spicher. Part of original plat, Milford

limited by the State of Indiana on what they can do and I’d like to see a better training program for basic EMTs. ” Conkling has lived in the North Webster area for 28 years, leaving only for several years when he attended Anderson College. He graduated from Wawasee High School in 1969. Since returning he has been farming 650 acres west of North Webster. He and his wife, Marcia, have three sons, Chris, 10; Jamie, eight; and Erik, seven. His hobbies include playing softball, basketball, cross country skiing, riding motorcycles and golf. Conkling has coached youth league baseball for the past two years. He is a member of the Kosicusko County Farm Bureau and attends the

North Webster Church of God. THE MAIL JOURNAL (U.S.P S 325-840) Published by The Mail-Journal every Wednesday and entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office at Syracuse, Indiana 4*5*7. Second class postage paid at 103 E. Main Street, Syracuse, Indiana 4*5*7 and at additional entry offices. Subscription: »3 per year in Kosciusko County,- SIS outside county. POSTMASTERS: Send change of address forms to The Mail-Journal, P.O. Box m Milford, Indiana 4*542.

"CRUZIN AROUND CUSE"

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SATURDAY MORNING, July 19, 1947, was a sad time for the owners and employees of the Liberty Coach Company in Syracuse. They were looking over the remains (as shown in the above photo) of one of the worst fires in the community’s history. The complete loss of the coach company by fire. According to a page 1 article in the Tuesday, July 22, issue of the Syracuse-Wawasee Journal, it represented a $600,000 loss, and one volunteer at the fire, 52-year-old Hobart Jarrett lost his life in the Maze. Townsman Joe Hughes was showing this photo around last week; it was among other old newspapers he found when he recently razed an old home in the community. Many local residents remember the disastrous Liberty Coach Co. fire well, among them Hughes himself, Bill Speicher, a Milford resident and longtime Liberty employee, and “Bud” Kline, who was employed to “clean up the mess” resulting from the fire. Robert Lantz, now working in the company ’s new offices on South Huntington Street, claims to be the firm’s oldest employee, having started there in February 1948, and recalls the fire. Lantz stated Liberty — now Liberty Homes, and an important local employer — was founded in 1941 by the late H. L. Spencer of Bremen, and the Syracuse plant was built in 1943. Its wood frame structure was completely destroyed in the fire mentioned above. In spite of a local citizens’ effort, headed by Matty F. Jones, to raise from $125,000 to $160,000 to help the firm rebuild at the same location, the company rebuilt at Bremen, where Spencer had other business ties. Jones said $50,000 was immediately pledged to keep the plant in Syracuse. Production of what was then called “trailers” was continued at the company’s Bremen plant, and it wasn’t until 1957 that construction was started on a new Syracuse plant at the old burnedout site on South Huntington Street. Then, by 1959, the company had moved all operations from the Bremen plant to its new Syracuse plant. Under new management the company has developed into a leading manufacturer of mobile homes, and has its corporate offices in the Goshen Industrial Park. (Note: See more on Hughes’s memorabilia in the following item.) THE SYRACUSE Case may one day be loaded with local memorabilia, that is, if waitress Patti Ritchey has anything to do with it. Just last week townsman Joe Hughes brought Patti two old quart glass milk bottles from the W. A. Jones Dairy. Regular case coffee customer Bob Deahl had to explain to Patti that one day milk was delivered to one’s doorstep in such a container, and on a cold morning the milk would freeze in the bottle, and a core of pure cream would extrude upward through the bottle’s neck. “Imagine that!” Patti interjected. Hughes also had with him a large Manila folder in which he had some old newspapers: Two issues of The Syracuse Register, one dated June 17,1897 (Vol. VII) and the other dated January 6, 1898 (Vol. VIII). On the back of the four-page editions is listed Ed. C. Graham, Editor and Publisher, and Mrs. E. C. Graham, Associate Editor. Another paper was a Souvenir Edition of The Syracuse and Lake Wawasee Journal, dated June 24,1915, George O. Snyder, Editor and Publisher. The papers were remarkable for their excellent reproduction on slick paper, with all the type hand set. Patti is having the front pages of each of the three papers reproduced and hopes to have them framed to hang on the case’s walls. “LET THEM eat cheese” seems a little reminiscent of Marie Antoinette’s remark, Let them eat cake!” shortly before she was beheaded during the height of the French Revolution. But the cheese Mt is being made in reference to township trustees’ efforts to give surplus cheese and butter to qualified needy persons. It seems some of the trustees are having a hard time giving it away. Tippecanoe Township Trustee Richard Mitchell has instances of residents not picking up their surplus cheese, and is keeping his office open Monday through Friday, 8 am. to 4 p.m., to accommodate eligible recipients. The Turkey Creek trustee's office at the town ball wiH be open February 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p-m. to accommodate persons eligible for the surplus di uh •

NORMA (MRS. Paul) Rush claims she enjoyed 98 per cent of the 31 years she taught school (in Larwill, Pierceton, Rochester, Mentone and finally at Wawasee High School), and now hopes to enjoy 98 per cent of her retirement. When she retired last June, at a farewell occasion, school board president Bill G. Little said she (Norma) would now probably get acquainted with her new daughter-in-law. But it didn’t come out that way in a newspaper report; rather, the report said she could now get acquainted with her new grandchild. There was no grandchild then, so it was a gaff which Norma took in all good spirits. But there is , one now, and you can bet she’ll enjoy young Christopher Adrian, born to son Paul and his wife, the former Deborah Lepper of Fort Wayne, Tuesday, Jan. 25, and get acquainted she will. 1 JAY PEFFLEY, NIPSCo’s man on the local scene for most of the 44 years he has been with the utility company, will be retiring March 1. His last day on the job will be Monday, Feb. 28. According to his boss, Harry Johnson, the company’s Division Manager working out of Goshen, company employees will hold a customary retirement party in his honor Monday evening, Feb. 28, at the Maple Crest Country Club in Goshen, at which from 150 to 175 fellow employees are expected to attend. According to Johnsen, Peffiey’s replacement has been selected but the “paper work” is currently in process and not ready to be made public. GOLFERS AND customers who make use of the dining room and bar at the South Shore Country Club will be greeted by a “new look” when they visit the popular establishment when it opens April 1. Most noticeable, perhaps, is the new gift shop, to be fitted with specialty items, many of them artifacts of the area. It will be operated separately from the other portions of the club’s business enterprise by Jane Tuttle, assisted by Marilyn Moore. Our prediction: It will be popular and eyecatching, if we know the taste of Jane Tuttle. Jeff Bridgeford’s pro shop has been moved to an outer building, which has been enlarged the better to suit his needs. Handsome Jeff is pleased with the new arrangement and will also be on hand April 1 to greet his old customers. IT WAS a fantastic day when the Red Cross Bloodmobile visited Wawasee High School last week. Os the 159 potential donors. 70 presented themselves as first timers in the county. Ten pints of the 148 pints were designated by request to local insurance man Chris Koher who is hospitalized Donors were from: Syracuse, 87, Milford 25; North Webster, 15; and the remainder from the surrounding area. Johs Anderson, an exchange student from Denmark, gave blood for the first time. t WHS students and faculty members were complimented by Oscar Werner, Blood Service Chairman for the Kosciusko County Chapter. American Red Cross, who stated. “The cooperation and response was excellent, a very good visit.” There were a number of area people presented with one-, three- and four-gallon pins on Monday: Dr. Howard J. Hull, Jr., a three-gallon donor; Rebecca Doll, Milford, four-gallon; Delbert Moneyheffer, Milford, and Martha Anglin. Syracuse, joined the one-gallon club. Maurice Beer, Milford farmer, is the area’s top donor, giving his Itoth pint. Volunteers from Gamma Sigma Sorority. ESA, Syracuse, included Sandy Cobbum, Linda Jones, Cathy West, Diane Shock, Pat Barton, Jane Wiezork, Cindy Thornburg, Donna Detman and Sue Pitman. Key Club members off Wawasee High School who served through-out the day and helped set up and dismantle the unit were: John Willard. Pam Foyle. Kari Huey, Tonya Hoile, John Morgan. Mindy Young. Michele Leffler. Cathy Cobbum. Tatia Littleton, Brian Stidams, Bill Dixon. Mark Cay. Tom WoHman. Richie Troup, Sheila Hurd. Rex Heekaman. Mindy Young, John Dixon. Eric Bartman and Terri Smith. Dr. Jack Clark, Syracuse, was the physician on call and the nursing staff included: Sandy Beer. Carolyn Zehr, Jane Gingerich, Gwen Steffen and Carolyn Zimmerman, all of Milford; Mary Ann Dowty, Irene Abts and Ann Harris, all of Syracuse; and Willie Hugh Nine of Warsaw. Amy Hither, Renee Shipley, and Lesha Smith helped with registration and records. Others who assisted were Rick Pedersen. Chris Maze. Duane Tiraer. Troy Minton. Steve Sturgill and Tray Watson. Chairman of the day was Alice Shaffer, Warsaw. Other volunteers assisting were Richard Dobbins, Ruth Fellows and Connie Throckmorton of Warsaw; Adelaide Disher, Syracuse; Maurice Beer, Harvey Hollar and Carol Haab of Milford.