The Mail-Journal, Volume 20, Number 6, Milford, Kosciusko County, 23 February 1983 — Page 4

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., February 23,1983

4

Editorials

Newspaper In Education Week Newspaper In Education Week — February 21-25 — is a Hoosier idea that’s sweeping the country. It started in Evansville in 1980 and spread all over Indiana the following year, then it spread throughout the Great Lakes States and now it’s an international even t. . „ t The event is co-sponsored by the Indiana State Council, International Reading Association and the Hoosier State Press Association. This week we are urging students and teachers alike to read The Mail-Journal. Find what’s in it for you. The I-Grin logo, found elsewhere on this page, is a happy idea. It means “Indiana: Great Reading in Newspapers.’’ We like to. think when this newspaper comes into the classroom everybody grins. This week, for example, we have two pages of school news with features on the music programs being presented at both the North Webster Elementary School and at Wawasee High School, spelling winners at Milford and students practicing for the spelling contest at Syracuse and an article honoring the Wawasee Future Farmers of America during National FFA Week. . The paper also includes two sports pages with many events which have taken place at the several schools in the corporation, including the fact five swim team members are headed for the state meet in Indiana this week end. We take this opportunity to wish them the best of luck. And, a sectional section included in this issue, features the Wawasee High School basketball team and other teams participating in the Triton Sectional Tournament with special good luck wishes for the Warriors. Children don’t automatically pick up the ability to read the newspaper and to use the information it contains. It’s something that must be taught — either at home or at school. The news is the backbone of any newspaper! It is the reason the paper is printed. The newspaper offers students an in-depth look at the news that electronic media can not afford to reproduce. The newspaper is also portable and permanent. Reading it is an activity that requires involvement and thought. Truly, there’s great reading in newspapers! gas? Some oil industry experts are now saying gasoline prices might drop another 10 cents. Some believe the decline will continue for a year. One says the price per gallon may reach 75 cents. . n If prices dip another 10 cents, customers will be delighted, inflation will decline and buying power and savings will rise. In April, of course, a five cent tax will be added to the price, so lower prices are now expected to make this tax less noticed (Except to truckers). ... . . Lowering gasoline prices are apparently stirring interest m larger cars, which use more gasoline. Last year’s sales were higher than had been anticipated and 1983 sales are good. But the good news is that larger cars get good mileage compared to luxury models of the mid-seventies. Gasoline prices will probably never again fall to the 39 cents level remembered with such nostalgia. But 75 cents — that would be very good news! February's sky At the end of this month, at 8 pm., one can see several major planets shining brilliantly in the winter sky. Deneb is in the north, Regulus (part of Leo) is in the east. Addebaran is overhead, slightly to the west. _ Capella is also overhead, slightly to the north and Pollux is overhead. Sirius is halfway from overhead to the south and Betelgeuse is almost directly overhead, slightly south. Locate the North Star as a guide — it’s in the Little Dipper (ursa Minor) halfway to the north from overhead. It’s not a first magnitude star like the others, but always visible in this hemisphere. The only other first magnitude stars in the late February sky are Rigel, southwest of Betegeuse (in Orion) and Procyon, just east of Betegeuse.

What others say — If churches profit, they ought to pay Lawrence Welk played there. So did Victor Borge and the Vienna Boys Choir. Tony Bennett, Robert Goulet and the Fifth Dimension had been lined up this season. No, these entertainers weren’t booked into the Radio City Music Hall, but the Garden Grove Community Church — also known as the Crystal Cathedral. The S2O million glass edifice in Orange County, Calif., is presided over by TV evangelist Robert Schuller. That’s commercial activity, said state tax officials. Noting the fat ticket prices and performer fees, they recently revoked the church’s property tax exemption. Schuller, billed for $400,000 in back taxes, has protested. The case touches a delicate constitutional question — the relation between church and state. Americans are guaranteed free exercise of religion. Both state and federal laws exempt religious organizations from taxation. But the law also says that when a church engages in non-religious activity for profit, that activity must be taxable. The Crystal Cathedral concert series, and its profit-making aerobics and weight-reducing classes, surely are not religious enterprises. Yet the law probably goes too far in eliminating the church’s entire property tax exemption, since the church is used primarily for religious activities. The city of Lynchburg, Va., is zeroing in on TV preacher Jerry Falwell’s commercial properties. The home of his Old-Time Gospel Hour is in a shopping center that contains a bar and grocery store; the Gospel Hour hasn’t paid taxes on the commercial property since 1980. Law is rarely black and white, especially when religion is involved. The line between religious and commercial activity is blurry. What about bake sales, Christmas bazaars and spaghetti dinners, which have long been standard fare at many churches? Allowable, say state and federal tax officials. These things aren’t systematic commercial activity, such as a bakery or restaurant that competes directly with local businesses. Weekly bingo games, a thornier case, are exempt from taxation by federal law. It is hard for tax laws to keep pace with the many creative ways people find to get around them. An example is mail-order ministers, who obtain phony religious credentials for a fee. Though tax officials aren’t permitted to judge theology, they can judge fraud, and deny exemptions to “ministers” whose true creed is tax avoidance. The Founding Fathers clearly intended to protect religion from state control. But as uplifting as a concert by Tony Bennett may be, if isn’t what they had in mind. Whenever the Almighty Dollar replaces the Almighty, tax officials ought to be first in fine at the collection plate.—USA Today

INDIANA: "CRIJZ N GREAT READING IN rz<| NEWSPAPERS AROUND LUdt

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The following fines have been levied and paid in the Goshen City Court:: Unsafe movement from lane to lane — Nicolas Hernandez. 38, Milford, S3B Speeding — Emil E. Emmons, 50, Milford, S3B Disobedience to official traffic control device — Trudy L. Null, IS, Syracuse, S3B Criminal conversion (shoplifting) — Thomas L. Oswait, 38, Sryacuse, $69, 30 days in jail, suspended on condition defendant not commit a similar offense for one year, attend shoplifting school, make restitution, four months probation

Unsung hero — CHERYL BRUNJES EMT Cheryl Brunjes is serving community

For Milford’s Cheryl Brunjes, serving as an Emergency Medical Technician, is supporting her community. For the past five years, Mrs. Brunjes has been a member of the Milford EMS and her experience with the group has been good. “A personal reason started me on it,” she explained. “It’s away I can help support the community.” Mrs. Brunjes feels the community needs an EMS service because of the response time problem. In five to ten minutes, a Milford EMS unit could respond to any emergency. If it weren’t for the Milford volunteers, response time would be increased to at least 20 minutes, she said. “We’re giving a service to an area that wouldn’t normally have it,” she said. Milford’s EMS service is special because the outfit is one of the first all-volunteer services of its kind in the county. Mrs. Brunjes believes this is due to the unique atmosphere in Milford. “I think it is really a community spirit. If it wasn’t for the community support, we wouldn't have one,” she said. Mrs. Brunjes includes her husband, Allen, with an important role in her continued votuniccr ciiorts. it aiteccs cob whole family. While I’m out on a run, he has to take care of our

The following area residents of Kosciusko County have had fines assessed and have paid those fines in Kosciusko County Court, Jim Jarrett, judge: Speeding — Mary L. Loidl, 51, Syracuse, $65; Adam List, 19, North Webster, SSO Driving on the left side — Joanna L. Merriman, 24, Syracuse, SSO No operator’s license — William C. Helms, 34, Milford, SSO The following fines were assessed and paid in Elkhart County Court, Goshen, Division: Speeding — Ronald E. LaGrand, 17, Syracuse, $46

four-year-old,” Mrs. Brunjes said. The EMT said her training required a lot of “technology to it” but she feels “anyone that’s willing could do it. ’ ’ The EMS service could always use more volunteers. Mrs. Brunjes said the service could use up 25 EMT’s. Right now, the service operates with 19, she said. She lists her hobbies as golf, sewing and reading. She and her husband enjoy collecting antiques cars and tractors.

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mH LILLY AND IMMEL THE BUSTS AT WHS (EDITOR'S NOTE Lewis S. Immel was the Lakeland School Corporation's first superintendent, from July f. 1962 to July 1. 1967 Prior to that he was superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Turkey Creek Township (MSD). He became principal of the Milford Elementary School on July F, 1969, a past he held until he retired June 30. 1980 He is well known in educational circles. Mr Immel and his wife, Gwen, reside on r 4, Syracuse.) WHEN ARCH asked me to do this column I couldn’t imagine what I would have to write about. Then I decided it was time to tell the story of the four statues that are in the hallway outside the main entrance to the auditorium at Wawasee High School. Chief Wawasee, William Henry Harrison, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are all original. How they got there is a story that spans more than two years of planning and work. Looking at the plans for the new high school building it was evident that there would be four alcoves, or niches, in the hallway in front of the auditorium entrance that would need some kind of special treatment to make the area look finished. The Syracuse High School Class of 1966 had over S6OO which had been left, according to the minutes of the class: “to purchase busts of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to be placed in the niches in the lobby of the auditorium. If the full amount is not spent for these items the balance is .to he applied to an Indian statue”. It was soon discovered that these funds would not buy pieces that were of proper size and quality to go with the decor of the remainder of the area. Then there was the question of the other place or places to be filled. Discussing this with people in the community it was suggested that Eli Lilly, a long time ~ resident and benefactor, might be interested in helping the class with this project. Jack Vanderford, who along with others in the community, had worked with Mr. Lilly on other projects, was contacted. (See Mr. Lilly’s book “Early Wawasee Days” in the Syracuse Public Library.) Jack agreed to help, and made an appointment with Mr. Lilly to talk about the project. Early in the spring of 1967 we met with Mr. Lilly at his “cottage” where he listened to our story of what we hoped to be able to do. Because of his interest in the area, his knowledge of local and state history, and general willingness to be - helpful, he agreed to “see what he could do” The two presidents already suggested and the “Indian” were agreed upon — what about the fourth figure. William Henry Harrison was proposed — he was the first governor of Indiana Territory (186 A-1812 and his military success at the Battie of Tippecanoe made him seem to be an appropriate choise. No thought was given to his later becoming the ninth president of the United States for the shortest term in the history of our j country. At this point these materials and plans were presented to the Lakeland Board of School Trustees for its approval. Once this was secured the project proceeded. Mr. Lilly was encouraged to go ahead with the securing of properly qualified people to do the work since his contacts and knowledge in this field of endeavor were far superior to ours. He suggested he would contact an artist who taught at the John Herron Art Institute of Indianapolis, and who had made the statue of the boyhood Lincoln now on the grounds of the State Office Building in that city. Os course, we approved and David D. Rubins was approached and agreed to do the work. He asked permission to have a former student of his. Miss Jane Nesbit, do some of the work under his supervision. He said she was the best portraitKt he had worked with in many years. She worked in his style and was very conscientious. As it worked out Miss Nesbit did Ltocoto and Chief Wawasee. and Rubins did Harrison and Washington. Each of these original statues is signed and dated by the artist who did the work. The “Indian” — Chief Wawasee. presented a problem. What did a typical Miami Indian chief look hke? According to Mr Lilly ’s book to which I referred before: “Papakeechie ... was the name of the most influential Miami chief in the region around Lake Wawasee ... he was described as being about 60 years old of a dark copper color, inclined to corpulency, and given to wearing a silver ring or a fish bone through the cartilage of has nose.

He was a brother of “Wau-wa-aus-«ee” and like most chiefs in this part of the ta—tiry. claimed to have fought in the Battle of Tippecanoe.” There were prints of local Bodtons in the Indiana State Library that were helpful, but none of Wawasee. To give additional assistance Mr. Lilly contacted the anthropology deportment of Indiana University for research and suggestions, from these materials a typical Miami Indian of the time emerged. Miss Nesbit worked with these materials, suggestions and mcnnmjments to develop her “Wawasee.” For the other statues, at first it was hoped that we might secure a commercial plaster of Lincoln and Washington that would be suitable to be cast in bronze. However, the artist working on the project — Rubins — reported that the plasters available were of poor quality and divergent in size and style and would not do in a series of four busts as a unit. It was at this time that it was agreed all four statues would be originals. It was also at this time that Mr. Lilly assured us that we would not be billed for more than the amount we had on hand, and he “would raise the necessary funds from an unknown source so the credit to the 1966 graduating class from Syracuse High School will npt be diluted.” Rubins told us that he wanted Washington to appear the aristocrat that he was, partly by the pose of his head. He chose to give the features a vigorous modeling, avoiding the softness of the best known Gilbert Stuart portrait. He said that he had read that the Stuart painting was considered by Washington’s contemporaries to be too idealized, and not the best likeness. He also planned not to get too far from the image Americans have of “the father of their country.” An effort was also made to avoid showing the swollen mouth area because of Washington's “awful false teeth.” For the likeness of Harrison he wanted a sterner look. Earlier photographs showed wide differences; so there was no way to < determine right from wrong in detail. His attempt was to show a younger man, frontier in look. We have no record of comments of Miss Nesbitt’s thoughts or goals in creating the Lincoln statue. The architects for the high school furnished drawings of the area so the statues would be of proper size and proportion to be appropriate. Samples of the wood to be used in the area as well as colors scheduled were also made available. After the statues were done in clay and sent to New England to be cast in bronze they were sent back to Indianapolis. I have heard that Mr. Lilly did not like the effect of some of the treatment and sent them back to be redone. This story has not been verified, but it does demonstrate the interest and care with which Mr. Lilly approached this project. An effort was made to have the statues in place for the dedication of the building on March 9, 1969, but when it was learned that all of the pieces could not be in place by that time it was decided to wait — especially since other things in the building were not finished for that occasion. When they were just right Mr. Lilly had them brought here from Indianapolis in a special van, and his men placed them on pedestals that had been made for these statues by a company that was recommended by the artist as people who were expert in the installation of sculpture. When all was agreed to they were anchored to the floor. Through the interest and generosity of this man. Wawasee High School and the Lakeland Community School Corporation have some works of art that are original and unique. (It should be said that this was a personal project of Mr. Lilly and not something done through the Lilly Foundation. > \ As has been said the extra money was “raised from an unknown source,” upon this Mr. Lilly insisted. The class of 1966 gave all it had — as did other classes to help at Wawasee on other projects — others finished the work. In July of 1969 after the statues had been set and everything was approved, and we had our pictures taken I received a hand written note from Mr. Lilly. AU it said was: “Mr. Immel — At Long Last!! —Eli LiMy”. I tell this success story because it has, I believe, community interest. There are other stories to be told that do not have the impact of this narrative, but do have a great benefit on the educational and extra-curricular programs at Wawasee High School. y We started our story of the four statues by saying thev were to be placed at the entrance to the auditorium. Having an auditorium with theater seats, an inclined floor, and stage lighting was not achieved without discussion. Few things were in those days. The community accepted it because here was an opportunity for emphasis on a fine arts program in a desirable setting, and to give balance with other programs provided for in the building. The lift up desk tops makes it a valuable room as a study haU and/or testing room. The thought was — if we don’t do it in the original plans it will never get done. Perhaps there are some things left to be desired, by today’s standards, to acoustics, lighting and staging; but it is used by the community and is aa asset to the total physical plant. The swimming pool also offered another chance to expand program and provide greater community service. I hope those who said — “Why do we need a pool when we have all these lakes?” — now see the point. A swim team, a summer program with more than a thousand participants, a Red Cross Life Saving Program, and chance for family swims in the winter time; to mention a few things outside the regular physical education f These are two areas that were tocteded —a planetarium that was to have been installed in the “blockhouse” to front of the buiHtog — “totoil make it”. The separate gymaastom for ghrto had to await Title IX aad that physical sdneatiwa facility. I guess my point is that some things that are m the building now and accepted or even regarded as necessities were, at that time, considered as unnecessary frills. This caused much toscasstote and controversy. So long as they were membering the Children, and differences were honest ones it all comes ant as providing toe best program facilities possible at that time.