The Mail-Journal, Volume 21, Number 45, Milford, Kosciusko County, 21 November 1984 — Page 4

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., November 21,1984

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Editorials

/ Thanksgiving, 1984 Thanksgiving in America dates officially from 1863 when the nation was locked in a sectional struggle. Sai>h J. Hale, who had been proposing a national day of thanksgiving for decades in Boston and Philadelphia as a magazine editor, wrote to President Abraham Lincoln — who in October of 1863 issued the first Thanksgiving Proclamation. There had been earlier Thanksgiving Days. Who could forget the story of the Pilgrims who gave thanks for their food supply and the opportunity America offered in the Plymouth Colony in 1621. V\ There have also been observances in other lands, but few coun-V tries had adopted annual Thanksgiving Days prior to the American custom. *. An international Thanksgiving Day was held in Washington in 1909, having been conceived by Rev. Dr. William Russell of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Thus tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, is uniquely American. We can all give the many blessings all Americans enjoy. Farmer's plight Much has been heard in the last three years about the plight of America's grain farmers. Mortgage foreclosures, crop losses, lower prices, have taken a heavv toll among those who have borrowed heavily — as most farmers have. Things are beginning to look better for most but the latest example of the hard lot of farmers, in general, is found in Florida. There a serious citrus tree disease has led authorities to guarantine shipments of citrus from Florida on several occasions. Groves of trees are being burned to stop the spread of the disease. Nursery acreages have likewise been destroyed in a number of counties. Growers whose trees have been infected, through no fault of their own, must stand by helplessly and watch their groves destroyed. (Recall how cattle were destroyed in Michigan a few years back?) There's no adequate compensation, often none at all, for farmers wiped out or badly hurt by having their groves burned. The government has the legal authority to move in and life work, take away his livelihood. Nature’s record-breaking hard-freeze of last December ruined many citrus groves in Florida and killed millions of trees. Now groves are being burned. Is it any wonder many believe farming the greatest gamble of all professions? Dirty Words The national newspaper Today recently ran a front page story claiming dirty talk taboos were crumbling under the assault of comics. Most Americans probably hope not. The standards of showbiz types have been, traditionally, very low. With television in almost every home today, it's more important than ever that decent language standards be maintained. The FCC. which has done almost nothing else, has attempted to maintain them, and its policy was upheld when challenged by a comic in 1978 by the Supreme Court. The top comedians have been successful for many years without defiling standards of decency. Those who do so lack something. What others say — Food for thought Ten years after the 1974 United Nations world food conference which garnered international attention, the problems of hunger and food shortages remain. While it is difficult to strictly measure the situation, estimates range from 100 million to 1 billion hungry* people, and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says at least 500 million do not have the consumption of calories needed for normal development and growth. That's 25 to 30 percent of the population in developing countries who are undernourished — while 30 percent of Americans are estimated to be overweight, if not obese. Hunger, to the latter group is often regarded in abstract, remote terms and not deemed a personal responsibility. For this reason, World Food Day was observed Tuesday. Oct. 16. in order to eradicate complacence by increasing the studv pnd attention given to problems of hunger. . According to Earl Kellogg, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois who has a background in international work, what was seen in 1974 (at the time of the U N. food conference) as a problem of hunger now has come to be viewed as a much more complex and deeply-rooted problem of underdevelopment. maldistribution of wealth and income, poverty, social injustice, and, ultimately, of politics. What appeared to be:a simple shortage of foodstuffs in the 1970 s has increasingly been revealed as a'lack of access to available food, primarily because of a lack of income. “I would say the real reason people are hungry is that they don’t have the incomes to buy available foods,’? Kellogg said. “Really, hunger is a problem of poverty and development — or lack of it — rather than a need of increased food production in all parts of the world.'’ He feels that the long-term solution to world hunger lies in improving the economies in agricultural sectors of underdeveloped countries themselves. Through U.S. involvement in such countries, “we now realize that the agricultural policies in many of these countries need to be seriously analyzed for the incentive or lack of incentive for food production. Wise agricultural policies in these countries is important. " Also, “we need to be concerned about the level of human capital in these countries. We need to ensure that they have the kinds of training and people to address some very tough problems (and) agricultural technical assistance aid to developing countries will continue to be important." These issues affect Americans more than just out of a humanitarian standpoint, Kellogg pointed out. “It’s very difficult to see a stable world in which you have large numbers of people who are desperately poor and who really are worried about having enough to eat. As secretary of state George Shultz has said, peace and security for Americans depends on peace and stability in developing countries. Furthermore, i‘there certainly are economic ramifications for the U.S. in that we are the world’s largest exporter of agricultural products, so the lack of purchasing power in developing countries is one of the reasons why export markets have been constrained in the past few years. “Those countries are in fact the future for American agricultural exports. Unless they can develop their own agriculture and develop their own economies, the future expansion and demand for exports from the united States appears to be somewhat limited,’’ Kellogg said. In addition to helping improve agricultural economies on a long-term basis, it is also vital to have a well-developed food aid program for countries with problems such as refugees, unusual weather — such as drought or flooding — and wars, Kellogg added. -THE FARMER’S EXCHANGE

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Court news

Circuit Court The following complaints have been filed in Kosciusko Circuit Court. Judge Richard Sand presiding: Complaint Allen W. Jones and Herman T. Rolf versus John C. Mason and Mary L. Mason, r 1 box 263A, Syracuse. The plaintiffs are seeking damages in the amount of SIOO,OOO plus attorney’s fees and costs of action for four complaints of libel. Reciprocal Support Peggy Ann Collins versus Roger Kenneth Peebles, r 5 box 17D. Syracuse, for support. Damages Homer Graber versus Gordon Howell and Katherine Howell, box 264 North Webster. The plaintiff is seeking possession of real estate and damages equal and adequate to compensate for losses sustained as a result of defendants' waste, plus attorney’s fees, costs of action, and all proper relief. Superior Court The following complaint has been filed in Kosciusko Superior Court. Judge Robert Burner presiding: Reciprocal Support Debora L.. Smith versus Michael B. Smith, r 2 box 197, North Webster, for support.

Apparel store robbed, coats taken

|®PERS

Crime Stoppers, a non-profit organization involving the police, the media and the public in the fight against crime, offers anonymity and cash rewards to persons who furnish information leading to the arrest and the filing of criminal charges against felony offenders and to the capture of fugitives. The following Crime of the Week was furnished by the Koscuisko County Crime Stoppers organization: The burglary of a ladies' ap-

Reach agreement

Milford’s Town Board and the Milford Fire Department reached an agreement on a new contract running through 1985. No details concerning the agreement were announced, although it is believed to be the same as last year’s contract. Holiday hours set for the license branch Syracuse License Branch will close at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, for Thanksgiving vacation, according to Roxanna Hadley, license branch manager. The branch will reopen on Friday, Nov. 23, at 8:30 a.m. and remain open until 5 p.m. Hours for Saturday, Nov. 24, will be 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Personalized plates for the coming year may be ordered until December 31. Mrs. Hadley stated seven letters or a combination of letters and numbers may be used.

City Court The following fines have been levied and paid in the Goshen City Court: Speeding — Roberta J. Laughlin, 33, Syracuse, S4O Marriage Licenses The following couple has applied for a marriage license in the office of Kosciusko County Clerk Jean Messmore: Lobsiger-Inks Keeman Wayne Lobsiger, 32. r • 2 box 450, Syracuse and Constance Joan Inks, 38. 206 North Shore Drive, Syracuse Marriage Dissolutions The following couples have filed for marriage dissolutions in Kosciusko Superior and Circuit Courts: Erb — Jamie F. Erb and Larry E. Erb. r 2 box 527, Syracuse. The 1 couple was married Sept. 22,1967 and separated Nov. 8, 1984. There are three minor children. Iden — Carol Iden and Steven L. Iden, r 2 box 109, North Webster. The couple was married * Aug. 19, 1978 and separated Nov. 9, 1984. There are two minor children Rock — Charles Rock, Jr. and Jessie M. Rock, ido N. Huntington, Syracuse. The couple was married May 26. 1983 and separated Oct. 31, 1984. Likens — Diana S. Likens and James R. Likens, North Webster. The couple was married May 28, 1977 and 9, 1984.

parel store is our Crime of the Week During the early morning hours of Nov. 4, 1984, unknown persons shattered a large plate glass window in the front of Maurice’s Ladies Apparel, located in the Lake Village Shopping Center on the east side of Warsaw. Ondl inside, the intruders removed three fur coats. These consisted of a Sierra red fox coat, a Catalina blue fox coat and a Cascade blue fox coat. These items are valued at over SI,BOO. If you have information concerning the burglary. Crime Stoppers wants to hear from you. We will pay up to SI,OOO if your information leads to an arrest or indictment. Crime Stoppers also pay cash rewards on other felony crimes and the capture of fugitives. Call us toll free at 1-800-342-STOP. We only want your information, not your name.

In addition to reaching the contract agreement, the fire department suggested purchasing another fire truck. The purpose of the truck is to carry JAWS equipment and other fire-fighting items.

THE MAIL-JOURNAL (U.S.P S. 3258 4000) Published by the Mail Journal every Wednesday and entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office at Syracuse. Indiana46s67 Second class postage paid at 103 E Main Street. Syracuse. Indiana 46567 and at additional entry offices Subscrption SlSper year in Kosciusko County; SIS outside county POSTMASTERS Send change of ad dress forms to The Mail Journal. P O Box 188. Milford. Indiana 46542 ■

"CRUZIN AROUND 'CUSE"

THIS COLUMN has depended heavily upon Bill Spurgeon for morsels of local trivia and historical memorabilia. And we’ve found Bill’s writings interesting, enlightening and accurate. We grew up around Lake Wawasee and Muncie and still consider both communities home. This journalistic background, where he is executive editor of The Muncie Star and Evening News, and elsewhere, equips ‘him generously as an observer of the local scene. What we receive from Bill is a piece on the Van Orman/Syracuse connection, containing some unrecorded local history. The Van Ormans are of the Van Orman hotel chain, and their interest in this lakes community will be news to a new generation. We’re happy to pass it along: ALTHOUGH NEITHER F. Harold Van Orman nor his son, F. Harold Van Orman Jr., were residents of the Syracuse-Wawasee community, their names were well known here. The eider Van Orman was the founder of the < Indiana hotel chain which had his name, and he served one term in the 1930 s as Indiana lieutenant governor. The younger Van Orman, who died in Florida a couple of weeks ago, took over the management of the hotel grou£» when his father retired perhaps 20 years ago. Van Orman (the elder) was the toastmaster in August of 1955 at the South Shore Inn, a hotel now the site of the South Shore Condominiums, honoring the late W.E. Long of Syracuse and Wawasee. Mr. Long was the Chicago inventor and capitalist who adopted the Syracuse-Wawasee community in the 19305. He remodeled the buildings at Main and Huntington street that were later to become the Pickwick Block under his management. He promoted art and commercial causes, and with his purchase of the Japanese pavilion from the 1933-34 Chicago Century of Progress Exposition, built his Japanese gardens around it adjacent to his summer home, populating the grounds with tropical birds and adding an English hunt lodge for good measure. Mr. Long later married Mamie Wogoman of Syracuse and they were the developers of Bonnie Brae estates south on SR 13, and were living there when he passed away. The testimonial for Mr. Long at which Van Orman spoke was conducted by the Wawasee Property Owners Association because Mr. Long was one of its founding directors and its first president. The South Shore dining room was crowded to capacity, and if I remember correctly at least one Syracuse man attended in black tie and white dinner jacket. The elder Van Orman was toastmaster and kept the crowd happy. In the same year, the announcement was made that the Van Ormans planned a large multistory resort hotel and entertainmemt complex on the site of the former Wawasee Amusement Company (Waco) dance hall. I believe they purchased the site, and eventually the large added-on-to frame structure that was the dance hall (and later a roller rink, and in the winters a boat storage barn) was razed perhaps a year or so later. But the Van Orman hotel complex, news of which was greeted with enthusiasm by some residents and less than open arms by others, never came about. The land finally was sold off for residential sites a decade or more ago, being occupied from time to time from 1956 until then by a restaurant and beach operated by the Queisser family. The Van Orman chain once included hotels in Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Evansville, Muncie, Indianapolis and Bloomington. It might have, but never did, add Lake Wawasee to this list. L ’ THINGS ARE happening. The Winter Carnival committee has its horse to pull its newly acquired sleigh, thus giving the Carnival the old time, wintry’ touch. This column revealed last week that the Carnival committee had a sleigh donated by Jack Alfrey but was minus a horse to pull it. Building contractor Rich Stoller saw the item, recognized the need, and volunteered to provide the horse. ‘‘Advertising pays,” enthused Jeannie Gardiner, who is serving as pointperson or the forthcoming Carnival. ‘‘DAN MIGHT have solhething there,” was the comment of one townsman who first saw the

above mailbox, located near the Professional Building in Wawasee Village. Dan List wanted to come up with something different and unique, and this was the result of his efforts. His wife, the former Stacey Rogers, asked Dan for “something different” in the way of a mail box. If you’ll notice, the mail box and ‘the PAPER’ tube are neatly enclosed in the kegs. Dan should market the idea. It could put him on the street to a lucrative business enterprise.

SYRACUSE SENIOR Citizens have a problem many of ns wish we had. They have a windfall of |SOO and don’t know what to do with it!

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During the last Christmas season members of the Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary Club were out selling fruit cakes, with the express purpose of giving the proceeds to the. Senior Citizens At the time this organization was meeting at the Scout Cabin and funds were not available to keep the cabin open as a meeting place. Rising fuel bills were only one of the mounting costs. This has been corrected, essentially through a community-wide effort to rebuild the old Henry Street structure, and the Senior Citizens have moved back into the Scout Cabin for their regular meals and meetings. Anyway, the fruit cake sale proved successful * and this week the SC group will receive the check sometime this week. It bears the signature of James Caskey, Rotary president, and Al Tehan, club treasurer. AND SPEAKING of . C-C business, Jeanne Gardiner has been elevated to a new position, that

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of Chamber Executive Secretary, as i announced at | the chamber * meeting last I Tuesday night I at Kimmel I Hall, Oakwood I Park. by I president I Robert Trout- I man. I Jeanne, shown I here, has been I a director for I three years I and has served as head of the chamber’s ? retail commit- ’

tee for a time. Her phones for chamber business are: 457-3165 and 457-5637. —o— THOUGHT FOR the day: The problem with any attempt to forecast the future isthat the future just isn’t what it used to be. — KC Sei, KUH Employee Newsletter. —o— SYRACUSE NIPSCO manager Robert Westfall was one of an overflow crowd to attend the Friday funeral of retired chairman of the utility at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Hammond. Mitchell died last Tuesday at 89 years of age, and will be remembered as a prime mover in bringing the small utility to its present jjrominence. His long list of accomplishments in an obituary in this newspaper last week. —O'NO DOUBT we ll be seeing some action with women attempting to gain entree into local service clubs. Communications coming to several club presidents are telling them and their directors to “get ready\for membership applications. The case was tested some time ago in a California Rotary Club, and as we recall a court ruling in that case it was adjudged unconstitutional to form men-only clubs. Likewise with women’s club, we would suppose. Women have been taking a more active role in community leadership, a fact we re all becoming increasingly aware of. and it seems to follow they would want to “meet with the boys’ to share in their decision-making. What next? —o—- — LAKELAND School Board members have committed themselves to selecting a new superintendent by the end of November, and it looks very much like they will keep that commitment. according to Bill Little, board president. » o . The current superintendent, Don Arnold, will leave that office, which he has held for the past 17 years, at the end of December to take another position with a well known area insurance agency. Interviews of the final six prospective superintendent candidates are being held by the school board members on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights of this week. A selection is expected to be made in the near future, and a public announcement made, according to Little. “It’s been a long and thorough process” screening prospective candidates, says Marion ("Bud”) Lantz, former Lakeland School Corporation business manager, who headed a twelveperson Criteria Committee and a three-person Screening Committee. Working with Lantz on the Screening Committee was WHS math teacher Judi (Mrs. Dean) Rossi and WHS assistant principal Donn Kesler. Lantz is now assistant general manager of Brock Manufacturing in Milford. The school board had earlier enlisted the assistance of 12 school patrons whose good judgment they respected, for the purpose of questioning residents of the school corporation to see what criteria were expected in the replacement of the superintendent. “Many, many hours went into the process,” says Lantz this week. The committee was formed August 1, and the work was completed in mid-September at which time they presented their findings to the school board, Lantz recalled. Serving on the Criteria Committee were: Bud Lantz. Donn Kesler. Tom Jones. Judi Rossi, Carol Swartzendruber, Rev. David Hyndman, Karen Parr, Maurice Stewart, Marguerite Hoerr, George Lung, Gloria Baumgartner, and Dan Brown. The word went out to university placement bureaus and the applications began to roll in — 30 in all. Os this large amount, the list was reduced to six solid candidates for the important educational post. It speaks well for the Lakeland School Corporation that so many responded to the call. One difficulty in the selection process, board president Little said, is the fact that the changeover will occur at mid-term. Ordinarily, superintendents work under school-year contracts. This is something the school board will have to work with as it reduces the list of six candidates down to one. It’s very possible an announcement will be forthcoming within the next week or 10 days. (Continued on page 5)