The Mail-Journal, Volume 20, Number 11, Milford, Kosciusko County, 30 March 1983 — Page 1

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VOLUME 20

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OPEN-EY ED WATCHERS — Young and old alike are waiting for Easter Day, a time of the year when all people celebrate rebirth whether it is the rebirth of Jesus or hatching of the Easter eggs. _ Pictured above with a litter of Easter bunnies, one symbol of the Easter season, are six-year-old Kimmy and three-v ear-old bco , children of Sandy and Kent Schmucker, Nappanee. (Photo by Gail Widmoyer)

Easter concept debunked?

Easter actually a time of rebirth

(EDITORS NOTE The following article was compiled by Gail Widmoyer from a speech given by Dr David W Robinson in 1980 ) Easter is not a Christian celebration. Granted, it is celebrated by Christians, but there is no proof that Holy Week traditions, as we celebrate them today, can be traced back to one day or one set of days 1,983 years ago. Surprised? < Even more surprising, or shocking for some, is the premise that Easter, as one specific day, is not important. What is important about Easter and the entire spring celebration is the concept of Easter as a beautiful, magnificent rebirth. According to Dr. David W. Robinson, a psychologist who works primarily out of the North Central Indiana Special Education Cooperative, ‘There is no known record of Christ having arisen on the anniversary” of Easter Sunday. Through his studies at Emory University, Robinson learned from theological scholars that the early Christians never celebrated the death or the crucifixion of Jesus. However, they did celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, everlasting life and rebirth. Origin “Eastree” or "estere’’ are names for the German and Nordic Teutonic Tribes’ goddess of spring. The term “Easter” originated from pagan celebrations. Many Americans have ancestry in the pagan German and Nordic Teutonic Tribes who celebrated the “oster” season. “Oster” refers to the observance of spring or the rebirth of soil as the transition of seed from death to life. Eventually, these pagan rites merged with Christian rites and from “oster” came the English “Easteur Monath,” or Easter month. Easter as we know it today is related to the Jewish reference to rebirth, or Passover, and begins on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish year. In 325 A.D., the earliest known reference to Easter was made by the Nicaea Council which decreed Easter would be the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox, or beginning of spring. Since then, Easter has evolved into a celebration for the Christian and non-Christian alike utilizing symbols in all realms.

Consolidation of THE MILFORD MAIL (Est. 1883) and THE SYRACUSE - WAWASEE JOURNAL (Est. 1907)

The Easter Egg In the early days of the church, the official Church of Rome forbid eating eggs during the 40day period of lent. So after lent expired, eggs were considered pleasant, were given as gifts to children and loved ones, and everyone had eggs on Easter. In Egypt and Persia during the pre-Christian days, eggs were referred to in their celebration of spring, symbolizing rebirth. To make their festival more festive, the Egyptians colored their eggs for the celebration. Early Christians picked up on the idea of the egg as a symbol of rebirth and they also colored their eggs. However, only red, symbolizing the blood of Jesus shed on the cross, was used in their ceremonies. Later, yellow coloring was accepted and used with the red to symbolize sun, fire and the blood of Jesus. Easter Bunny Another symbol, the Easter bunny, has its origin in the early Teutonic tribes. These pagan people involved the hare in their religious ceremony because it is the only animal born with its eyes open and it also feeds at night. Therefore, the hare was seen as the one that watched the heavens of night while others slept. When the Christians adopted the hare symbolizism, they further expanded the concept by making reference to the openeyed watcher of the skies. Interestingly, the word “hare” originates from the Latin “un” which means open period, and which is further interpreted as the beginning of fertility or the renewal of life for the egg (embryo). Therefore, the hare’s role was to represent life by laying eggs (which, obviously, it never did). When the Puritans came to America, which by the way had no hares on the east coast, they

To vote for Milford ’Citizen of the Year'

Do you know someone who has contributed greatly to the improvement and the development of Milford as a better (dace to live, work and play? If you do, you have until Friday, April 1, to nominate that person for the 13th annual “Citizen Os The Year’’ award. Milford Area Develoment ManWoman of the Year Award committee asks that all ballots be

adopted the rabbit as the Easter Bunny to lay eggs for their children. Easter Lily Easter was never celebrated by the Puritans in America until the Civil War, 1863, and then it was used to commemorate the war dead. Prior to that time, only two predominately Catholic states, Louisiana and Virginia, observed Easter. Flowers were only used in the Puritan church for funeral ceremonies, and since the commemoration of the war dead was in a sense a funeral, the lily was used to decorate the church. Since most of the settlements were in the east where very few blooming plants were available, Bermuda lilies were shipped in from the warm climate, becoming the flower of the Easter season. New Clothing In times of antiquity, the period of time from Easter to the Sunday after, known as the octave, was when newly baptized members of the church wore new garmets in refrence to rebirth (baptism) or new life. The new clothing represented their new life. For centuries, it was considered unlucky if someone didn’t wear a new article of clothing on Easter. The thought behind this practice was casting off the old, in this case clothing, and putting on the new. Easter Thoughts No matter what the Easter season means to an individual, and no matter how or for what reason that individual celebrates the season, there are some universal thoughts behind the entire celebration: “I find a happy theme in Easter for everyone. Possibly it is the only season or day when all men can share one feeling — that of happiness.

addressed to the attention of the award and sent to MAD Council, P.O. Box 46, Milford, Ind., 46542. The winner will be announced at the MAD Banquet on Saturday, April 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Milford Community Building. Tickets are available from any MAD member or MAD merchant. No tickets will be available at the door.

WEDNESDAY. MARCH 30,1083

“The non-Christian, agnostic, even the athiest can get from this season thoughts of happiness for the rebirth of the life producing phase of the year. The Christian, regardless of the path of faith he follows, can pause in a time of focused humility and gratitude for the lesson of Jesus’ resurrection and promise of rebirth. “In our culture, we think about making resolutions or promises at New Years. As one senses the real meaning of Easter, he might conclude that this is the time to resolve: now is the time to express appreciation of this joy (of the promises of Easter) and deserve it — not in the form that ‘I must do better,’ but in a convinction that ‘I can do better.’ ” License branch announces hours The Syracuse License Branch will be open all day Thursday, March 31. They will close Good Friday, April 1, from 1-3 p.m., and will be open regular hours on Saturday, April 2, from 8:30 am. to 12:30 p.m. Car fire on R 2, Milford Milford firemen were called to a car fire at the home of Voney Greenhill, r 2 box 143 Milford, on Monday evening, March 28, at 11:50 p.m. Greenhill resides on CR9OONnearCR42SW. According to Max Duncan, fire chief, the Ford Pinto was a total loss. The cause of the fire was listed as an electrical short. The firemen responded with three pieces of equipment and 13 men. Inside... Area Easter services listed — Section 2 Page 4 Fehnel resignation accepted, computer bids researched . Page 2 HELP. Lifeline programs detailed ... Section 2. Page 1

Move Goshen, Athens, Ga., plants in —

Major Chore-Time Equipment expansion at Milford location

CTB, Inc., parent company of Chore-Time Equipment, Inc., has announced plans for a major expansion of its Milford operations Included will be a “phasing into this expansion of all the companny’s manufacturing now done at its Athens, Ga., and Goshen locations,” according to James C. Evans, president. No time table was set for the move, but Evans announced that plans are currently underway for enlarging the Milford plant, and land purchase is being completed. The company’s Athens plant manufacturers automated feeding egg collection equipment for the Chore-Time line of egg production systems. The Goshen plant manufacturers Swish brand poultry watering equipment as well as certain plastic parts for other CTB product lines. $3 Million Expansion Total new investment in land, plant and equipment is estimated at “up to $3 million,” according to Evans. The expansion and relocation program will mean the company’s Milford operation will have an estimated additional 75 employees, Evans remarked. In order to make the expansion possible, the company is seeking the cooperation of Milford, county and state officiate in the form of industrial development bonding, property tax delay and other incentives made possible by a new Indiana statute designed to encourage expansion of existing Indiana industries. Brock Manufacturing and Chore-Time Equipment currently have an estimated 200 employees each at the Milford plants. The Goshen plant employs 25. “The CTB board of directors made the decision last week to proceed with the expansion program. The purpose is to let us gain manufacturing efficiencies by bringing together more of the company’s manufacturing capabilities in one central location,” said Evans. “And because of improved manufacturing capabilities and efficiencies, this will also make us more competitive and enable us to better serve all our poultry, swine and dairy customers,” Evans added. Another major factor was involved with the decision to relocate the manufacturing of egg production equipment to the midwest, Evans pointed out. The most significant expansion trend of US egg production is beginning to take place in the midwest states nearer the larger population centers and closer to the major sources of grain used for poultry feed, remarked Evans. At its Milford location, ChoreTime manufactures in its 152,000-square-foot plant a wide variety of broiler, turkey, swine and dairy production equipment. Also at Milford, another CTB com pany, Brock Manufacturing, produces feed and grain storage bins and industrial storage tanks. The company also operates a distribution and small manufacturing facility at Modesto, Calif., plus a plant at Decatur, Ala., which manufactures the wire cages for Chore-Time’s line of egg production systems. Neither the Modesto nor the Decatur operations will be affected by the move. “Some of our employees at Athens may choose to make the move to Indiana, and every effort will be made to provide jobs for as many people as possible,” Evans stated, “with the upturn in the nation’s economy, the high calibre of our Athens employees and the excellent skills they have attained through our continuing training program, we anticipate the others will be successful in finding good jobs in the Athens area,” Evans stated. The Athens plant currently employs some 60 people. The phasing in of Goshen operations with the Milford expansion program is not likely to affect Goshen employees, since

these plants are only a few miles apart. The Goshen plant is a rented facility, Evans said. Chore-Time Equipment Chore-Time Equipment, Inc., was started in 1952 as a oneperson operation in the basement of Howard Brembeck’s home in Alliance, Ohio. A year later Forrest Ramser joined the company. They moved the business to a converted auto-body

For Papakeechie/Wawasee area To draw specifications for new fire station

Members of the building committee interested in a fire station on the southeast side of Lake Wawasee met Tuesday evening at the Syracuse Fire station to discuss a building to house a tanker the group plans to obtain from the Syracuse Fire Department. In attendance at the meeting were Ron Corson, who chaired the meeting; Louis Kuilema, township trustee; Cy Smith, Joe Glaser, Russ Stein and Casimir Szynal, representatives of several associations around the lakes; and firemen Larry Weaver, Howard Birkel and Tim Weisser. A 20-year-old tanker is available to be used in that area and is presently stored on the south end of Wawasee Lake, but if the fire truck is to be used, a building to store it in must be constructed by fall. The ponds area of the Wawasee

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TWO OF THE BEST IN ’B3 — Wawasee High School guidance director Marilynne Curtis presents Robert Schutt an award for salutatorian honors and Rosalie Rouch is presented the valedictorian award by principal Howard Hull as the two seniors were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements during their high school careers. Miss Rouch and Schutt will lead the class of 1983 during graduation ceremonies in May.

Rosalie Rouch and Robert Schutt named valedictorian, salutatorian

Wawasee High School principal Howard Hull has announced the valedictorian and the salutatorian for the graduating class of 1983. Rosalie Rouch, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Rouch of r 1 box 74 Milford has been named as the valedictorian because of her academic achievements during her high school career. Honor Family Member She is a two-year member of the National Honor Society and was a member of the junior and senior class councils. She is now the class treasurer and a member of the varsity track team. A cross country runner her junior year, she participated in basketball as a player for three years and served as statistican

shop in Milford in 1954. As the market for Chore-Time products increased, new facilities were constructed just north of Milford and occupied in 1957. Over the next five years, three plant expansions were completed for increased manufacturing, warehouse and office space. To serve the highly concentrated poultry area of the southeast, a Chore-Time division

Fish Hatchery, Papakeechie Lake, is the site presently being considered for the station the group is studying specifications for a building and will obtain estimates on a one-bay building and on a three-bay structure. Contributions from local residents are the means by which the group hopes to finance the building of the station and later turn the building over to the township for what they believe to be additional fire protection in that area. Corson and other members of the building committee will be taking specifications to several businesses in the area to get estimates for a building, which they will present to the full group on April 12. “If funds from the local community are large enough,” said Corson, “we are not talking about using tax dollars. ” He said that bids would be

this season. She was a member of the Pride committee her freshman year and was a member of the Varsity Club her junior year. Active in the music program at Wawasee, she is captain of the marching band and was a member of the rifle corp her sophomore year. She was also a band member her junior year, playing the flute, and was a piano contestant for five years. A 4-H junior leader for the past five years, she has been a member for nine years and participates in her church youth group. During her junior year she was selected as secretary. She lists her hobbies as sewing and sketching. She plans to major in pre-med at Manchester

NUMBER 11

was established near Athens, Ga., in 1969 The Pockman Company, makers of wire cages for poultry in Decatur. Ala., was purchased by Chore-Time in 1972. The same year, new facilities were completed in Milford to house the Air Systems Division, which manufactures ventilation equipment for poultry and (Continued on page 2)

taken with the understanding that things could be deleted if the necessary funds were not available and they could be done ata later date. The fact that some residents in the area where the proposed fire station is to be located have expressed a hope that an additional emergency medical vehicle will also be located there someday was discussed. Many facts will have to be taken into consideration before the EMS vehicle could be useful in that area, according to the firemen. Corson said a series of community meetings will have to be held later to get input form the people on the fire station. The building committee plans to present estimates on buildings to property owners assocations representatives at a meeting on April 12, at 7 p.m., at the Enchanted Hills Town Hall.

College. Named as salutatorian was Robert Schutt, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schutt, of r 1 box 165Y Pierceton. To Attend LU. »He plans to attend Indiana University in Bloomington next fall. A member of the newspaper staff his sophomore and junior years, he was selected editor when he was a junior and is a twoyear member of the National Honor Society. He is now vice president of the honor group and is a member of the senior class council. He attended Hoosier Boys’ State during his junior year and was selected treasurer of the student council. He plans to major in law or science at IU.