The Mail-Journal, Volume 21, Number 45, Milford, Kosciusko County, 21 November 1984 — Page 1

Phones: 658-4111 ‘ & 457-3666

VOLUME 21

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GIVING THANKS THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY — Just as the first Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving with a day of prayer and feasting, we celebrate today by gathering with relatives and friends for a plentiful meal and giving thanks for all our blessings. ’ The Johnson family, 218 N. Huntington Syracuse, shown above, recreates the Pilgrim days by dressing in old-fashioned attire and gathering in front of the fireplace to give thanks and read from the

EDC recommends —

Lakes Trails Fun Center to be developed

By DEB PATTERSON Staff Writer North Webster Economic Development Commission members met in a brief session Wednesday evening, Nov." 14, to designate the Lake Trials Fun Center property as an EDC target area ♦ allowing future businesses to receive EDC bonds for use of this area. This discussion also dealt with

No damage in Maxwelton fire

No damage was reported in a fire at the Maxwelton Golf Club Pro Shop on Thursday afternoon The building, which was being torn down by Kline Excavating of Syracuse, caught fire around 2:15 pm. and was totally destroyed. The structure was two-thirds demolished at the time of the fire.-

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NO DAMAGE -r A building that was being torn down caught fire at the Maxwelton Golf Club on Thursday. Although the building was destroyed, there was no loss of merchandise. (Photo by Deb Patterson)

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Consolidation of THE MILFORD MAIL )Est. 1888) and THE SYRACUSE-WAWASEE JOURNAL lEst. 1907)

approving Fox Products, Inc., request for a $175,000 EDC bond for the proposed building of a new facility for Northeast Lindsay Water Service, Inc., on a section of the property. The land was divided into six tracts, leaving four tracts available for development if Fox Products’ request is approved. There is 618 feet of frontage on SR 13 and the property is 150 feet deep. There will be 400 feet available for other com-

According to Bud Kline, workers were using a torch to cut down an I-beam when the building caught fire Strong westerly winds kept the fire from spreading to the newly-remodled restaurant located just west of the pro shop. Firemen were on the scene until 4:05 p.m. in order

Bible. Kneeling are Abbie and Alyssa and standing are Amy and Angie. Sitting are Mike Johnson, pastor at the Syracuse Church of Gad. and Joella. his wife. We at “The Mail Journal" hope you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving. (Photo by Jo Sturgis)

mercial purposes., The area designated has been abandoned for approximately five years and the facilities there have deteriorated. Mike Armey, who represented Kosciusko Development, Inc., stated this area would qualify since the situation prevents normal development Fox Products went through the newly formed Kosciusko Development, Inc., which has been developed to

to keep the flames under control

Kline was back at the scene on Friday to clean up debris from the fire. Plans for the site include the construction of a new pro shop and bar adjacent to the remodeled restaurant The building was owned by Maxwelton Golf Club. Inc.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21,1984

avoid lengthy paperwork and provides a simplified form. Dennis Waggoner and Mike Kern voted in favor of the request while Steve Beavers, a EDC member and a local realtor abstained. Proposed Project Alan H. Fox. president of Fox Products. Inc., South Whitley, stated the proposed $175,000 project for Northeast Lindsay Water Service, Inc., is due to inadequate facilities at the current location on SR 13S in North Webster. The current location is the same location Lindsay started in 40 years ago. Northeast Lindsay acquired the business in November 1982 from Bechtols Water Service Fox stated the office is in a separate building from the plant, there is no salt storage space and the business is outgrowing its present location, as reasons for the proposed new building. The proposed structure will be on 218 feet of the south portion of the former miniature golf course, which includes two structures. Fox stated the green building is

Proposed mobile home park creates stir

Bv DEB PATTERSON . Staff Writer Jack Baker’s request for a special zoning Exception for the development of an 84-unit mobile home park in Syracuse was tabled by the Syracuse Board of Zoning Appeals at its Thursday, Nov. 15. meeting. The board will resume hearings on the issue at its December 20 session. Board members voted to table the matter in order to review plans and discuss the matter with the Syracuse Town Board and Syracuse utilities supervisor Joe Dock. Baker's attorney, Steve Snyder, presented the development to the four BZA members present at Thursday’s session. According to the plans, the park would be constructed on 17 acres of land south of the Elkhart County line and east of Branch Street.

Lay-offs reported at CTB, Inc. and Sea Nymph in Syracuse

By TOM CHARLES Staff Writer „ Two major local employers cited seasonal production adjustments as one of the factors in recent employee layoffs. Officials at both Sea Nymph, Inc., Syracuse, and CTB, Inc., Milford noted that recent layoffs are related to yearly adjustments in production and are not indicative of a long-term trend. However, Sea Nymph President Paul Phillabaum noted that his company is currently experiencing some inventory problems which have also played a role in the layoffs of 60 workers in the past two weeks. Employment at Sea Nymph now stands at 120, down from a peak of 230 earlier in the year. According to Phillabaum, the company currently carries $6 million worth of inventory. That high figure prompted CitiCorp Bank of Chicago to ask the company to trim its sails. “They simply told us that they couldn’t back us any further on this large an inventory,” said Phillabaum. In addition. Sea Nymph began building a pontoon line and had to move the small boats out in order to create more production space. This left them short of boats when &t>i gear’s season rolled around and Phillabaum noted that the company wanted to avoid such a situation this vear. The present inventory is about double what the company normally has in stock. However, Phillabaum said that suppliers

structurally sound and will be remodeled to be used as a salt storage shed. The other building will be razed and the land cleared including all concrete structures. An 84x50 foot proposed building will be erected for offices and a regenerating plant. A loading dock will be built into the regenerating plant. In addition, new equipment will be purchased Fox stated a pressurized system in the regenerating plant will replace the current gravity flow equipment used With the proposed building. Fox expects more than six new jobs will be created. When Fox took over in 1982 he stated there were six employees and the increase in business has caused the number of employees to swell to 14. Northeast Lindsay Water Service, Inc., has been trying to locate property for expansion the last several years and has even looked outside of North Webster before finding the proposed location.

Currently, all but an 80-foot strip of the property along SR 13 is zoned residential. However, residents of the area in which the park would be constructed were present at the meeting to register their opinions on the issue. Nearly 25 remonstrators from the Huntington. Branch and Harrison Street extension areas presented BZA members with two signed petitions against the project. The petitions, which carried between nine and 30 signatures each, listed several objections to the *project. Included on that list were lack of adequate streets to handle traffic, lack of sewer and water systems, the fact that the park would be built in an area of conventional housing and the fact that such a development may lower existing property values. Snyder countered that there is a definite need for this type of

. ’ H pm pit OVERPRODUCTION CAUSES LAY-OFFS AT SEA NYMPH ACRES OF SMALL BOATS ON CHICAGO STREET

have told him that Sea Nymph has remained strong in the boating market and he expects the company to be back to .full strength,bv February.

□uvHfetu uj r cwuat j. Phillabaum added that the inventory situation is not the sole cause of the layoffs. He noted that some layoffs are common at this time of year and that he regrets having to release workers from their jobs.

11 JT* * * Jr M 1 NEW* PHARMACIST — Gene Shoemaker has recently joined the staff at Thornburg’s in North Webster. A pharmacist for 33 years. Shoemaker owned his own business in Ligonier before joining the Thornburg’s staff. He and his wife. Monty, reside on r 2. Syracuse. They ae the parents of a daughter. Jean Plew of Leesburg, and a son, Jason, whois at home. The Shoemakers have lived in the area for 17 years.

housing in the Syracuse area. “The community itself is in dire need of additional housing, especially this type of housing,” he said. “The influx of employees for Sea Nymph, Commodore and Dana has increased the demand for mobile home sites.” “Dana, especially, has moved 150-200 new workers here in the last two years,” be added. “A significant number of these people owned mobile homes and brought them in with them. You can’t find any of them residing in Syracuse. They live in Goshen, Ligonier or Cromwell where mobile home sites are available. Syracuse has nothing available.” Plans Under Baker’s proposal, the park would be served by two streets, two water and two sewer lines which would be installed by the developer. Plans call for the extension of Branch Street to the

x CTB According to officials at CTB, Inc., their layoffs are mainly due to seasonal fluctuations in production demands. They declined to say how many workers have been laid off, but noted that all production areas have been affected. “One of the things that happened was that we were very busy over the summer and had to add

Brod Donahoe, Chore-Time vice president, resigns

Brad Donahoe, vice president and general manager of ChoreTime Equipment Inc., and member of the Board of Directors of CTB Inc., has announced his resignation effective December 31, 1984. Donahoe, a well-known figure in the livestock and poultry manufacturing industry, stated that he is leaving CTB to pursue new interests. Donahoe, 54, joined the company in 1976 as Swine Equipment Division Manager. Since that time, the company has developed a large line of swine systems. After serving as director of marketing for all Chore-Time livestock and poultry products, he was promoted to his present position in 1982. Prior to joining the CTB organization, he was in charge of marketing at Star Agri Products and Universal Livestock Equipment in Goshen from 1970 to 1976. He also served several years with U.S. Steel in the area of agricultural product sales. He and his wife, Gerry, reside in Syracuse. ‘‘We are extremely sorry to

County Line Road, the creation of a new street and further extension of Harrison Street. Streets in the park would be paved, with cement curbs and sidewalks on one or both sides. A five-foot buffer of evergreen trees would be planted on the west and south sides of the park. Access to the park would be limited to two roads. According to Snyder, residents of the parte would have top comply with several regulations. Among those listed by the attorney were no mobile homes « smaller than 12x60 feet, no leases in excess of one year, full skirting for all mobile homes, no permanent structures and no parking of boats recreational vehicles or inoperable vehicles on the lots. The mobile homes would be set lengthwise on the 60x100 foot lots to create the look of conventional homes. Snyder noted that a 15

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more people than we usually do,” said Sam Pfahler, CTB personnel manager. ‘‘Now, we are coming to an annual seasonal slowdown and there just isn’t enough work to keep everybody.” “Layoffs did octur at both the Chore-Time and Brock plants and they basically affected all lines of production,” Pfahler added. “Some were probably hit harder than others.”

BRAD DONAHOE lose Brad,” said James C. Evans, CTB president. “He has done an exceptional job in building good organization and bringing excellent people into the company. All of us in the CTB organization wish him the very best in whatever new adventures he undertakes.” Donahoe was unavailable for comment on the resignation.

mph speed limit would be enforced in the park. He added that sewer and water would be assesed .at a bulk rate and the developer would install lines within the park. Remonstrators Residents noted their objection to additional traffic oh Branch Street and the strain on a water main that is already too small to provide adequate water pressure for area residents. Snyder noted that the developer would cover the cost to »upgrade the two-inch main and install a lift station. Other residents were concerned with the affect the park would have on the neighborhood. “Generally speaking, mobile home parks start out at their peak and go downward from there,”,said Bill Cutter, a resi(Continued on page 2)