The Mail-Journal, Volume 22, Number 4, Milford, Kosciusko County, 23 January 1985 — Page 4

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., January 23,1985

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Editorials A They are spending your money Reading the “fine print” on the classified pages of this newspaper is important. It is especially important this month when area taxing units are running annual reports. The law requires each taxing unit to publish a a legal notice. This allows the taxpayers a chance to see where the money is coming from and how it is being spent. While current reports are less detailed than previous reports, they still contain important information and give the taxpayer a chance to check on his elected officials and their spending habits. Taxpayers who want more information may inspect the annual report which is on file in the clerk-treasurer or township trustee’s office. k Remember, if you pay taxes in a taxing unit it’s your money they are spending and you have a right to know. Read the legals currently being published to see how your money was spent last year! Our freedom heritage What many forget about America these days is that this nation was founded by individuals with strong religious faith and a determination to enjoy freedom to worship as they pleased. The predominating early American heritage, then, is one of religious faith combined with hard work, people with enough initiative to emigrate to escape discrimination, or persecution. That spirit has lasted to this day in many parts of America. And, of course, the heritage was not without shortcomings. The Puritan influence in New England was good in ways but narrow-minded and itself at times persecutive. In more recent decades more “freedom” stress has been laid on individual license to do almost anything. To many, the point at which the common welfare and common sense is overlooked in behalf of individual license, has been reached in several areas. The late Justice Holmes opted for common sense when he pointed out that the right of free speech didn’t include shouting “Fire! ” in a theater, for example. Individual rights must sometimes thus be limited in the interest of society. Where to draw the line is now the constant business of the courts. It’s a difficult task, as militant rights groups and individuals demand more and more license. Society in general, or the majority, or put another way, the general welfare, must sometimes prevail over extremist individual freedom demands. Safety first Members of the Syracuse-Wawasee Winter Carnival committee should be praised for makirig the decision to push this year’s Winter Carnival back a week. It will now be held the weekend of February 2 and 3. The decision means a change of plans for many. The cancellation of some plans because of conflicts. But, if it prevents a major accident by allowing the ice to freeze for another week it will be well worth it. There is a lot of weight on the ice during a special event and while the recent freeze did much to put more inches of ice on the lake we feel the committee made the right choice by moving the carnival back a week. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry! Longer days If it’s a consolation these winter days, one can keep in mind the nights are already getting shorter. The days began lengthening December 22. The earth, of course, has lost much of its stored heat from long summer days and it will take time for the sun to return northward and warm us again. But the sun is on it§ way. •" * The moon reaches its farthest distance from earth on January 27. (New moon, in Capricornus, is January 20. January’s first-quarter moon is on the 28th, in Aries.) For those in the east, the 1984-85 winter is already established in the record books as a good one. And spring is only about eight weeks away! What others say — The 21 st Century & Buck Rogers not so far distant after all; they're today's Kindergartners Those of us who have lived three decades, give or take five years, remember well a popular comic strip of our youth, the depression-era “Buck Rogers and the 21st Century.” It was spaceship war and romance, replete with jet backpacks for the voyagers who left their blimp-like vehicles lor extra-terrestrial antics ; plus ray-guns and other exotic equipment. Amazingly, much of the space technology envisioned in that popular comic strip (and the word “comic” is used with reservation) has come to pass in the last quarter of the 20th Century. So the creators of “Buck Rogers,” et al, were closer to reality than they as they wrote of the 21st Century. Or did they? , - • v At any event, what brings all this to mind is the remark Tuesday by Dr. Calvin Jackson, the talented superintendent of Fairbury-Cropsey Unit 3 school, as he presented a program to the Fairbury Rotary club. “Today’s Kindergarten class” Jackson points out, “is the college graduating class of the year 2000! ” And that class on Jan. 1, 2000, probably five or six months before their graduation, has entered the 21st Century! ... Think of it; the 21st Century! But it may take unexpected bounces, for much of what was predicted in the Buck Rogers comic strip for the 21st Century has already become fact. On the other hand, we have countless citizens among us who are in the fourscore to four-score and 10 age bracket, 80 to 90 years old. They have seen the development of the automobile, hard roads, the airplane, the telephone, mechanical and then electronic typesetting, high-speed presses for magazines and newspapers and the explosion of knowledge ; radio, television, and antibiotic drugs, pasteurized milk, elimination of such once-dreaded illnesses as tuberculosis, smallpox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, yellow fever ; the advent of computers, microchips, laser beams, robots; you name it they’ve seen it. . ° Those are just a few of the things the futurists put in the 21st Century but - have come to pass in the 20th. — Early in this century, some wizard once proposed closing the U.S. Patent office, observing that “everything which can possibly be invented, has been.” As history shows, this was hardly accurate. And even as we are well ahead of the projections from as recently as 50 years, perhaps the best is yet to come, as the poet wrote. But to do it, education must keep up with where society’s going. -FAIRBURY, ILL., BLADE

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Court news

City Court The following fines have been levied and paid in the Goshen City Court: Speeding — Miriam W. Cable, 67, Syracuse, $45; Mitchell R. Hollar, 32, Syracuse, $45; Glenna B. Norton, 18, Milford, S4O; Joan D. Chupp, 42, Syracuse, S4O Disregarding stop sign — April L. Allen, 22, Milford, S4O . County Court The following persons have been assessed fines and have paid those fines in Kosciusko County Court, Judge James Jarrette presiding: Speeding — Paying $65 fine and costs were: Maria E. Cruz, Milford; Kevin D. Clark, North Webster Paying SSO fines and costs were: Glenn R. Shipley, Milford; James J. Bush, Syracuse; Victor L. Howey, Milford; Brian R. Stouder, Syracuse; Michel G. Grevenstuk, Syracuse Failure to yield — Deborah J. Cervantes, Milford, SSO; Nora J. Shafer, Leesburg, SSO Expired registration plates — Wayne R. Stidhams, North Webster, SSO Disregarding stop sign — Paying SSO fines and costs were: Randy Calhoun, Leesburg; Meredith A. Plikerd, Syracuse Disregarding automatic signal — Paying SSO fine and costs was: Jeffrey A. Rhodes, Syracuse No registration plate — Troy S. Boyer, Leesburg, SSO No motorcycle endorsement — Troy S. Boyer, Leesburg, SSO False registration — Paying SSO fines and costs were: David D. Poe, Leesburg; James J. Bush, Syracuse Improper passing — Joyce Judd, Leesburg, SSO Superior Court The following complaints have been filed in Kosciusko Superior Court, Judge Robert Burner □residing:

Letters to the editor

Opposes local option tax

Dear Editor: Why is the Kosciusko County Council considering a tax that exploits the working men and women of the county? This question has bothered me since I learned that a hearing is to be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, ♦ to consider adoption of the local option tax. I hear that the county needs the money. If it needs money, why is it not taking a course which would require nothing from the working men and women. In October, Representative Thames Mauzy promised me that he would introduce a bill in the Indiana General Assembly that would change the present distribution system for inheritance fees, so that counties would receive a larger share of the pie. In 1984 this county paid into the state treasury about $500,000 in inheritance fees. The county got to retain less than $50,000 of the $500,000. If there is a need for money, why has not the Council passed a resolution urging the state legislature to increase county funds through the return of a larger share pf the inheritance fees. (The county, would receive less than $300,000 from the local option tax.) As far as I am able to ascertain, the architect of the bilking of the working people of the county is Norman DeGood. DeGood is a self-proclaimed expert concerning the local option tax. He has become the local option tax guru due to a fetish he has formed that the wage earners of this county are not paying their share of taxes. While serving on the Council, he has been a prominent supporter of measures that would increase taxes. I consider DeGood an embarrassment to the County Council. His knowledge of county funding could be termed as “voodoo financing.” He has been crying wolf for some time. A few years ago he claimed the county’s general fund was in financial dis-

Verified Complaint For Injunctive Relief Noble Hand, and St. Joseph Valley Building and Construction Trades Council versus Lakeland Community School Corp., Syracuse. The defendant is currently engaged in reroofing and doing mechanical renovation of several buildings within the school corporation; Syracuse Junior High and Elementary, North Webster Junior High and Elementary and Wawasee High School; and the plaintiffs allege that the defendant has disregarded the plaintiff’s set wage scale and labor classifications. The plaintiffs are asking the court to set aside the wage scale established by the defendant; enjoin the defendant from proceeding with construction on public work until full and complete compliance has been made; and all other proper relief in the matter. Complaint On Promissory Note Beer & Associates, Inc. versus Joe Baker, r 3 box 54A, Syracuse and Mary Baker, also known as Mary Paton, r 2 box 70, Syracuse. The plaintiff is seeking judgment against the defendants for the sum of $3,571 plus interest to date of judgment, attorney’s fees and costs of action. Marriage Licenses The following couples have applied for marriage licenses in the office of Kosciusko County Clerk Jeanne Weifick: James-Gordon Charles L. James, 43, 707 E. Pittsburg, Syracuse and Susanne Gordon, 40, 707 E. Pittsburg, Syracuse Boggs-Barrett Kim Michael 80gg5,.28, r 2 box 447A, Syracuse and Kathleen Ann Barrett, 26, r 2 box 447A, Syracuse Karr-Secrest , Thomas Eugene Karr, 29, r 2 box 425, Syracuse and Debra Kay Lannen Secrest, 27, r 2 box 425, Syracuse

ficulty. The fund at that time at $2,000,000. He repeated this charge again last year (1984). At the time the fund had more than $1,500,000. His logic for the local option tax is that it will aid retired people and provide property tax relief. However, any income earned (other than social security) will be taxed. Tax relief for working property owners is minimal at the best. In fact, the advertised local option tax does not require any of these funds to be used for property tax relief. This money can be spent on anyone’s pet projects. As a taxpayer, if you have an opinion concerning the local option tax, I am sure DeGood would be interested in having it. DeGood’s telephone number is 267-7458. Sincerely Ronald Sharp, Former councilman Out of Control Dear Editor: I have been wondering why Congress is so insensitive to the anxiety that eats out the very nervous system of people who need hospital care, doctors, nursing home care and medicine? In a simple sentence of pure English: “Health Care Costs are far out of control!” , Congress can bring these terrible costs down. We ought to tell these lawmakers how we feel on this matter. Letters to our two senators and John.Hiler certainly will do no harm. So let us write our feelings on this timely matter. It’s later than we think! Clayton J. Mock 712 N. Huntington Syracuse

"CRUZIN . AROUND 'CUSE"

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IF THE town of Syracuse was ever in the'national news, it was on March 22, 1960. In the early morning hours of that fateful day the entire — yes, entire — Syracuse Fire Department burned to the ground! When we say entire, we mean that, for going up in flames that morning were the following: two 500-gallon pumpers, one 3,800-gallon tank wagon, one 600-gallon tank wagon, the first aid and equipment truck, truck and portable radios and the radio base station. Also, air packs, a resuscitator and all the firemen’s uniforms, boots and raincoats went up in the red-hot blaze. You talk about making national news! The media and wire services had a field day, and the story made headlines across the country. There was very little if any television then. A fire department burning up! Who ever heard of it? Fire stations are to stop fires, or better, prevent them in the first place. Bill Hess, a resident of 125 West North Street and a member of the current Syracuse Town Board, was the town’s fire chief at the time. When we wrote of the fire in this column briefly last week, in relation to Trustee Lou Kuilema’s unspoken desire to build a new bay on the present two-bay fire station on South Huntington Street, mention of the 1960 fire had added meaning for exfir echief Hess. The very mention of that fateful fire sent Hess scurrying through his old files, and, 10, he came up with a heavily yellowed copy of the front page of The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, dated Tuesday, March 22,1960. It carried a three-column photo of the burned-out fire station on its front page, which we are reproducing here, for the benefit of another generation. The old station was located on the north side of West Main Street in uptown Syracuse, built into the steep bank of a hill. There was no rear entrance. Trucks had to leave the building byway of the front door. The building was small, and it was apparent to anyone with any judgment at all that the station was inadequate for a town like Syracuse. “Inadequate” puts it mildly. In the front of the building, just as one entered the small door, was a pot-bellied stove used to heat the one-story building. Chief Hess was quoted in the News-Sentinel article as believing “the fire was possibly caused by a short in electrical wiring or an oil-burning stove which was in the room. ” It was reported elsewhere that the small heating stove “literally exploded.” . Needless to say, the fire quickly spread across the front of the building, causing a short in the automatic alarm system in the fire station. No one was in the building at the time. It was about 1 a.m. when Syracuse firemen located the threatening fire due to an alarm the fire set off. The police rang the fire siren (it was operable), which brought out the local firemen, plus units from the departments of Milford, North Webster, Winona Lake, Goshen and Warsaw. When they arrived, all was in vain. Local firemen were unable to even open the front station doors. They stood helplessly and aimlessly in front of their fire station to see all their equipment consumed in the rising flames. The late Lawrence Firestone, who was assistant fire chief at the time, credited neighboring fire departments with saving the four-apartment building, adjacent to the fire station on the east, from catching afire. (Note: The rear of that building recently caught afire from an unknown origin.) Winds that gusted up to 40 miles per hour hampered the firemen, but the blaze was actually limited to the fire station. A heavy snowfall while firemen were fighting the blaze was in the firemen’s favor as it kept sparks from igniting roofs of homes and businesses in the area. The fire might have been a blessing in disguise, townspeople were saying after much of the smoke had settled and firemen and town officials got together to consider “what now?” As it turned out, several units of second hand fire-fighting equipment were obtained and kept at the Harkless building now occupied by the Buzz

Keck Motor Car Co. on South Huntington for a period of two years. Fire fighting equipment manufacturers and equipment salesmen were anxious and willing to' help Syracuse firemen set up a temporary station. Several affluent residents from the area and on the lakes came up with funds through the sale of bonds to build the present station, after homes in the area were purchased and razed. They showed real community interest in seeing that the town had a good, new fire-fighting unit again. This was done quietly and without any degree of publicity, as was the wish of these thoughtful townspeople. The station was turned over to the town of Syracuse on a lease-purchase agreement. And now it appears it is time to enlarge the station. The Tuesday, March 22, 1960, fire was tragic for the town of Syracuse — that’s for sure — but, like the ancient bird Phoenix, from its ashes sprang a much better fire department which has been handed down to a new generation of firenien for the protection of their community from fires. BRRRR! WE’RE talkin’ cold now] It was long in coming, but when it did, the cold wave came like a roaring, charging lion. All of this might be news to our friends in Florida, but here it’s not news — everyone knows about the cold, having felt the effects in many, diverse ways. Temperatures Sunday morning were reported as low as 28 degrees below zero, and it didn’t mitigate much during the day. There was the expected rash of frozen water pipes, and cars that failed to start were legion. It was neighbor helping neighbor. The predicted six to eight inches of snow failed to materialize, and winds were mild. Some areas with strong winds reported a wind chill factor of 60 4 degrees below zero. Northern Indiana Public Service Company manager Robert Westfall said the area did have some wind Saturday night but not enough to cause any noticeable damage to his company’s utility lines. “We can knock on wood,” Westfall said. He added that as far as this winter is concerned, we have had less degree days than last winter. Degree days are a measurement factor used by utilities and oil companies to determine ongoing cold weather. This has been an “ideal” winter so far, many thought, until this past week end. We’re not alone: the cold sweep has been all across the country, even dipping into sunny Florida to challenge this year’s citrus crop. •» Stick around, it has to get warmer. It just has to. — °~ ■ , ; A SIDEBAR to the cold weather story concerns a run on kerosene space heaters and other heat-related paraphernalia. Lee Carboneau of the Syracuse Hardware in uptown Syracuse said he had a run on kerosene heaters. He was called out Sunday, opened his store and sold his last one. He also sold a number of other cold weather items. And in the Village, Larry Teghtmeyer of Ace Hardware had the same experience. He said he also sold out of kerosene space heaters (a real hot item! Little pun there!) plus torches, torch refill cylinders, heat bulbs and heat tape. Also, Teghtmeyer said he sold some plumbing supplies for fix-it-yourselfers. BY NOW many people have heardof the local snowmobile enthusiast and part-time good Samaritan who heeded the call of a local drug store to deliver a medicinal package to a stranded household. Dutifully, our hero braved the wind and the snow to complete his appointed round. But when he found he was delivering birth control pills, he jammed the small package back into his pocket, spun on his heel, mounted his snowmobile, pulled his goggles down over his eyes and returned to town, all in that order. (Continued on page 5)