The Mail-Journal, Volume 22, Number 15, Milford, Kosciusko County, 10 April 1985 — Page 2

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., April 10,1985

2

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WINNERS — Pictured above are individual store winners in the 1985 Mail-Journal Easter Coloring Contest. Grand prize winner Jason Halsey is seated in the center of the front row. Jason entered his winning picture at Three Flags Drive-In, Syracuse. In the front row are Beth Penick, Billy Day, Lisa Jo Hewitt, Jason Halsey, Ric Speakman, Troy Hendricks and Carrie Rinker. From left in the second row are Christy Kelly. Michael Walton.

4th of July and beautification topics for retail merchants

By LESLIE MILLER Staff Writer During the Friday, April 5, meeting of* the SyracuseWawasee Chamber of Commerce Retail Merchant’s Division, two major topics were under discussion — Fourth of July promotions and a beautification proposal to the Chamber of Commerce. Concerning the Fourth of July weekend, a- letter has been drafted, for the area merchants, asking that they participate in the “Lucky Bucks” promotion. The “Lucky Bucks”, received by shoppers for purchasing merchandise from participating merchants, may be used to bid on prizes donated by the merchants in an auction on July 6. “One thing we need to decide is a minimum number of paricipants to make it work," said Jim Evans, president of the organization. If participation warrants the continuation of the promotion, then other specifics about the auction will be set, such as finding an auction building, publicizing the prizes to be auctioned off, and determining the value size of the “Lucky Bucks.” “We don’t have all the details nailed down,” said Evans, “this letter is just something to let the merchants know what we have planned.” Other members at the meeting felt that the promotion would be a success with sufficient participation and would tie-in well with the Flotilla scheduled for the following day. To help promote the Flotilla, Evans said, “The theme for the Flotilla is ‘Slogans — U.S.A.’. In keeping with that idea,” Evans continued, “we’re asking the merchants to put up their slogans out on their signs.” Another project on the agenda for the Fourth of July weekend is a flea market. “I don’t think we’ll have any problem putting something together,’’ said ’Jeanne Gardiner, treasurer. Gardiner stressed the importance of having the merchants aware that the flea market people will be in town so that they are made to feel welcome. “We’re trying not to put anything in that would be in conflict with a local Gardiner said. Again, the specifics on the flea market have not been completed as to the types of booths and activities that will be included. The next topic discusses was the beautification proposal to the Chamber of Commerce that was drafted by Jeanne Gardiner and Linda Phillabaum. “We put together some recommendations to the Chamber on sprucing up the town,” Gardiner began. “The kick-off on our cleanup and our beautification is May 18.” They are asking that the town adopt the moto “Clean is Green” which, Gardiner said, means that a clean town brings in more money. Some of the recommendations made include cleaning out or fill-

From Nadi Fiji Welcome To Syracuse Vatea! Hope you enjoyed your holiday. Peter

ing in the ditches on SR 13, removing old posts and unused signage on SR 13, and repairing the sidewalks and curbs in the town. Also planned as part of the cleanup effort will be a trash pick-up day on May 18, which must be accepted by the town. Once the cleanup is completed, it is being recommended that the town take measures to beautify the village as well as along Huntington Street.

Sewer problems . . .

(Continued from page 1) other way and won’t be for some time,” he said. Town Civil Defense Director Don Wooton stated he was called to check on two properties with high water problems. One resident, an elderly lady, had to move out because of gas fumes and fumes from an old septic tank over flowing. The other problem was handled with sandbagging around the furnace and water heater. He suggested subpumps could have handled the situation, and was informed subpumps are against the town’s sewer Wooton suggested the board include in the ordinance that all septic tanks be caved in and filled once hook on to the town system ''Occurs. New Truck A 1985 Ford % ton four-wheel drive pick-up truck with a blade was approved for purchase from Milford Motors. The cost, including trade in on the 1980 Ford > 2 ton maintenance truck, is $10,749. A question was raised why the town police department calls were channeled through the sheriff’s department when the town’s payroll is $99,164 with 47 percent of that being for the police department. Mrs. Pifer pointed out other towns have dispatchers and have results. “The town is growing and in the future we are going to need someone at the town hall five to 54 days a week,” she stated. Jean Treesh, board president, and Marshal David Hobbs responded by saying the town has tried policemen being their own dispatch but it did not work. It was also pointed out other towns with dispatchers receive joint funding from the township because calls are handled for the fire department and emergency medical service. Marshal Hobbs reported because of state and federal laws, not just anyone can answer a call on the police phone. A matter concerning the police department not answering calls concerning street or water problems was aired. Marshall Hobbs stated the county dispatchers were informed, by him, the police department would not answer street department calls, which has been in effect for the past several months. The street department would need to handle street department problems. Knowles asked Hobbs if this was “done to suit your needs?

Brandon Zartman and Gerric Walker. • Shown in the back row are Cassie Bonner, Joanna Lant, Mike Ferverda, Angela Leamon and Sheri Broekers. Not present for the photo were Michelle Smith, Jolene Schmucker, Jeff Roose, Malena Schmucker, Jenny Beer and Stephanie Bender. (Photo by Leslie Miller)

Proposed was the planting of trees and flowers in these areas. “We re going to coordinate the planting of trees with the replacement of the sidewalks,” Gardiner said. Also made was the proposal to landscape the area around the depot. Funding will be sought through the state and federal governments as well as through local financial institutions. The beautification proposal is

Why couldn’t someone answer and say somebody will get in touch. You can’t allow him to make a decision without board approval,” remarked Knowles. Mrs. Treesh suggested Marshal Hobbs resind the order, and

NIPSCO joins program to help find missing children

Northern Indiana Public Service Company today (Wednesday) announced it has joined a nationwide program to help solve the tragedy of missing children. Edmund A. Schroer, NIPSCO chairman and chief executive officer, said “We appreciate the opportunity to lend our assistance to the “National Child Watch Campaign” to help find missing children abducted by strangers and to help reduce the number of these abductions in the future.” The utility chairman said NIPSCO is cooperating with other utilities who are members of the American Gas Association, The National Association of Natural Gas Distribution companies, in the effort. The program will be implemented May 1. The AGA along with the National Child Safety Council and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is developing a national public information and education campaign directed at the more than 50 million households and thousands of communities AGA member utilities serve across the country. “We believe that we are uniquely positioned to help in this effort, as our employees and facilities operate throughout a 12,000-square-mile area with a population of approximately two million. It is an excellent private sector initiative,” Schroer said. He explained initial efforts would include the publication of photos and information on missing children in the company’s monthly bill insert and the position of similar information in its 31 customer service offices

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designed to tie-in with Syracuse’s upcoming sesquicentennial in 1987. The goal is to have the town cleaned, abandoned cars and buildings removed, and have repairs made to the sidewalks. Also by this time, a color scheme or flower choice should be adopted by the town to represent the town’s unification. The next meeting will be held on Friday, May 3, at 8 a.m. in the State Bank of Syracuse.

suggested to the marshal if Knowles could not be contacted, to contact one of the board members. The regular meeting of the board will be Monday May 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the town hall.

located in the northern third of Indiana. The utility mails about 625,000 bills each month. “The Child Safety Council, a non-profit charitable organization, is the clearing house for information about the estimated 1.5 million children reported missing each year. “The national scope of the campaign is important,” Schroer said, “Because statistics show that children abducted by strangers are almost never found in the community or even the state, from which they were abducted. “Initially, the child watch campaign would focus on locating criminally abducted children. Once the program is off the ground, public education and community , service projects could follow,” he said. NIPSCO’s cost for its part of the program will be minimal, the utility chairman said, and those costs would be charged to the company and not to the ratepayers. Photos and information about missing children will be selected and provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in conjunction with the U.S. Justice Department. Neither NIPSCO nor AGA will be involved in the photo selection process.

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$283,992 in bonds approved at Milford

By DEB PATTERSON Staff Writer An ordinance approving the issuance of $283,992.90 in Public Improvement Revenue Bonds was passed by the Milford Town Board Monday. Proceeds by the bond sale will be used to finance the improvement and extension of the town’s water and sewer services. First National Bank of Warsaw will be purchasing the bonds at an interest rate of 8.9 percent. Harry Doty, building commissioner, reported on several buildings he was asked to check. Richard Widup informed Doty he will be tearing down the old home east of his residence as soon as the weather warms up. Doty was asked to give Widup a July 1 deadline. Doty also reported Ronald Davidhizer had told him, Ronald Barley, a renter in one of his homes on the east side of town, will be remodeling the home. “He (Davidhizer) never did let me inspect the house, he always set a .time when I couldn’t be there,” commented Doty. Barley was notified by certified letter on March 11 to clean up the trash and garbage at the home. A deadline of March 29 was set. According to Milford Marshal David Hobbs the property now looks worse than before. Board members voted to take court action against Barley for being in violation of the town’s ordinance. The fine canrtot exceed SSOO. Also another letter will be sent to Davidhizer, who owns the home, concerning hooking onto the town’s sewer system. Robert Kirsch, attorney, was asked to send letters to the 12 residents who have not made the hook up to the sewer system. All but three of these residents have paid the tap-on fee, but due to high water are unable to complete the task. The letter will give these residents a date to reply to the board when the project is expected to be done before any penalty will be enforced. Della Baumgartner asked the board who had the final say in determining if a property has been cleaned to satisfaction or standards? She commented she has been approached by several of the residents asking her to look at the properties to see if it was alright. Jean Treesh, board president, commented it would be Marshal Hobb’s job to see the ordinance is followed and to check on the properties after residents have been contacted. Maxine Pifer questioned the board later in the meeting if further discussion on Milford’s substandard housing had been undertaken. She felt someone was apparently not following through with the board’s order since her daughter’s house, owned by Howard Haab, still is unsatisfactory and unsafe. She commented she has reported the hazards repeatedly, yet despite new wiring being installed, water is still running down the wiring through the ceiling and the fuse box has not been changed. Mrs. Treesh stated Mrs. Pifer needed to talk with Doty about the situation and suggested the matter should have been discussed while he was present. Doty reportedly had inspected the house on several occasions and found it satisfactory. HPS Lights Approved Richard Hooley, representing Northern Indiana Public Service Company, explained the conversion savings with the mercury vapor lighting to the high pressure sodium lighting for the town street lights. The board approved the conversion in a vote, two to one, with Dennis Wuthrich voting against it. No reason for his negative vote was given. Hooley stated for the 88 street lights the town would see a yearly savings of $3,034.44 or $252.87 per month. NIPSCO will provide the town with the contract, resolution and ordinance needed. The 10-year contract may be ter-

minated at any time if the town has a financial hardship and gives a 60-day written notice to the utility company. The HPS lights will not attract bugs, as the MV lights do. They cut through fog, give off more light and are softer to the eyes. Hooley stated there are three colors, blue, red and green, that will not show the true colors under these lights. These are the same lights being used by CTB, Inc. Monica Bice reported work on the Fourth Street railroad crossing has been temporarily halted until the plans are redesigned. A problem with the loading and unloading of railroad cars at Farm Bureau Co-op along the spur track has caused the halt. Officials at Conrail could not give a time schedule for the restart of work. Don Wooten town civil defense director, informed the board he has obtained 100 sandbags and will be trying to obtain more. These bags will be stored at the street department for easy accessability. He also discussed facilities available in town in the case of a tornado. He commented there are very few places uptown that are usable for shelter. He also stated he plans o reinstall the old fire siren for Civil Defense use. Bill Knowles, utility supervisor, reported the new water tower will be painted in mid-April and during that time the old standpipe will be utilized one last time. He also reported the sewer project south of town is progressing. Already 800 to 1000 feet of pipe has been laid for the new water project. A location for a lift station for the new system is being sought. Sewer Tech has postponed the foaming of the sewer line on Emeline Street until possibly May, due to the high water table at this time. Knowles also updated the town on the storm drain project. He was given approval to attend a seminar on April 16, in Indianapolis, concerning laboratory training for the wastewater treatment plant. Board member Wuthrich and Knowles will be attending a three-day seminar, April 24-26, sponsored by the State Board of Health, concerning the new Environmental Management Board’s backflow prevention rule. Board members approved additional appropriations in the amount of $2,250 to cover the town’s membership fee into Kosciusko Development Inc., and its participation at the Hoosier Hospitality, in French Lick September 30 through October 4. Mrs. Bice was given the approval to attend three workshops for clerk-treasurer’s on April 10, May 8 and June 12-13. The next scheduled meeting will be on Monday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m., in the town hall. Window broken, purse missing Syracuse Police investigated the following complaints during the past week. Owners at Dairy Queen, SR 13S Syracuse, contacted police at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, April 6, when they found a rear window broken in the restaurant. The incident occurred between 11 p.m. Friday, and 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Damage was estimated at $25. Sherri Shepherd, 711 N. Huntington St., Syracuse, reported to police Monday, April 8, at 4:47 p.m. she believed someone stole her billfold from Das Keller on Saturday evening. The purse was also missing and contained $lO-20 in cash. The purse and billfold were located Tuesday morning.

NOTICE TO MILFORD & SURROUNDING AREA WE ARE NOW TAKING ORDERS WE HAVE A LARGE SUPPLY OF GROUND PEANUT SHELLS THAT ARE USED TO MAKE GARDEN SOIL SOFT AND EASY TO CULTIVATE. SAME PROPERTIES AS PEAT MOSS AT % THE PRICE. WE ALSO HANDLE 2 KINDS OF TOP DIRT AND FILL SAND. DARRELL CUSTER CALL EVENINGS OdQ a 7AJ W

Warm and wet March Warm and wet were the words used by Lores Steury, Goshen College weather observer, to describe March 1985. Normal average temperature for the third month of the „ year is 36.6 degrees compared to the 40.6 degrees we averaged in March of ’BS. The warmest day was the 28th with 69 degrees, the coolest was 16 degrees on the 16th and 18th. The soil is very saturated, Steury pointed out. Precipitation was above normal with 5.46 inches compared to the normal average of 2.67 inches. Accumulation for the three month period of January through March 31 equaled a whopping 11.55 inches, second only to the same three month period in 1950 which had 12.64 inches. Snow received in the area was recorded at two inches for the month compared to a normal of 4.46 inches. March of ’77 holds the record high with 16.6 inches. Steury recorded 10 clear days, nine partly cloudy, and 12 cloudy days for March of 1985.

Driver loses control, car strikes tree Greg Collins, Leesburg, lost control of his vehicle at about 7:20 a.m. on April 9 struck and felled a small tree, damaging the yard of David Hobbs by SRIS in Milford. Collins was not injured in the mishap. His vehicle, a 1979 Mercury, was damaged an estimated SI,OOO. Damage to the Hobbs property was estimated at SSOO. Aaron Rovenstine, Milford deputy town marshal, investigated. Webster board meets tonight North Webster Town Board will be meeting this evening (Wednesday) at 7 for its regular meeting. The meeting will be in the town hall. ■ Items on the agenda include the resignation of Vera Gillen from the North Webster/Tippecanoe Township Library Board, reports from department heads, and acknowledgement of the joint contributions made to Kosciusko Development, Inc. Folse alarm Syracuse Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at the Poor Doll Bait Shop, on Old Road 13A, at 12:23 p.m. Monday, April 8. When firemen arrived they found no fire. According to the fire department’s report someone apparently noticed steam coming off of the roof from the melting snow and thought it was a fire. Milford physicians to have schedule with Benton doctor Dr. John M. Dick and Dr. S. Douglas Strycker, Milford Family Physicians, will be cooperating in an evening-night-weekend call schedule with Dr. Richard Hirschler, Benton, who has taken over the practice of Dr. William Zimmerman who has retired. If a patient needs a physician after office hours and are unable to reach their own doctor they may call one of the other two.

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$5,900 damage in 2 accidents I Syracuse Police were called to investigate two property damage accidents during the past week. Officers were called at 3:15 p.m. on Monday, April 1, to the parking lot at Dana corporation when a 1973 Ford truck, driven by Patrick M. Medley, Sr., 46, P.O. Box 175 Milford, struck a 1984 Ford four-wheel drive driven by Sharon Rehling, 32, P.O. Box 586 Cromwell. Damage to the Rehling vehicle was estimated at S9OO to the front panel and engine. According to the police report Medley told police he was stopped for traffic leaving the company’s parking lot before he started to back up and leave. As he was backing up he backed into the Rehling vehicle. $5,000 Damage Police were called to the intersection of Syracuse Rubber parking lot and Sycamore Street at 6:40 a m. Monday, April 8, when two vehicles collided causing up to $5,000 damage. Charles E. McKibben, 60, 200 High Street, Syracuse, driver of a 1982 GMC truck,” told police he was leaving the lot at Syracuse Rubber when the mishap occurred. McKibben reported his windshield was a little fogged up and did not see the second vehicle, driven by Daniel D. Dust, 33,1310 E. Clark St., Warsaw, as he pulled out of the lot. Dust reported he was stopped on Sycamore Street waiting for traffic to clear when he saw McKibben’s vehicle coming at him Dust stated he sounded the horn, but the vehicle kept coming and struck his 1985 Honda. Damage was estimated up to SI,OOO to the left front panel of McKibben’s truck and up to $4,000 to Dust’s car. J LOCAL 1405 UAW | 0 Is sponsoring a bus trip to the: a I Indy 500 Time Trials I I Sat., May 11, $21.50 | U Trip includes bus fare and ticket f I to get in. Must pay in advance. L 0 Deadline April 25. Call 457-45190 17 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 457-4346 J | after 4 p.m. I