The Mail-Journal, Volume 22, Number 52, Milford, Kosciusko County, 25 December 1985 — Page 4

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL —Wed.. December 25,1985

Editorials

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for / them in the inn Luke 2:1-7 RSV Christmas, 1985 The major religious observance of the year and principal holiday of the western world, commemorating the birth of Jesus, is celebrated on December 25. It’s not certain, however, that this is the date Jesus was born. Various scholars have fixed the date in April, May, January and in other months. Christmas was first observed in the second and third centuries, and our name for the day dates from the eleventh century in England and “Cristes Maesse.” The giving of presents, a solidly entrenched custom in the United States, was taken from the Roman custom of exchanging gifts on January 1. German Christmas carols are traced back t the eleventh century and British and French songs, tothe thirteenth. The custom of decorating the house in green stems from an earlfjfnglish belief that certain flowers blossomed at Christmas. The use of mistletoe stems from the Druids, who long revered the plant. The Christmas tree was first used in Germany. Some scholars believe the first occasion was in Strasbourg in 1605, though legend has it that Martin Luther decorated a green branch in his home in the preceding century. The tree did not appear in England or the United States until about 1840. The belief in Santa Claus, as a jolly man who brought gifts, also comes to us from the Germans, derived from the legend of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus in a German corruption of the name.) Fireworks are commonly used in the South at Christmas, and this custom comes from Italy, Spain and France. The practice was introduced by French settlers in the Louisiana area. Christmas was, interestingly, observed earlier in the South than in the North. Its greatest meaning across the world is to spread the love of one’s fellow man and peace on earth. Christmas serves its Christian purpose, and is also helpful to all mankind. Puffer death The latest lung cancer figures from the National Cancer Institute show that the toll among white males is beginning to decline. In 1983 lung cancer cases dropped to 79.3 from 82.7 per 100,000 individuals in 1982. Significantly, white males are the only major population segment which has exhibited the ability to stop smoking. A spokesman for the NCI says this shows convincingly that stopping smoking reduces cancer deaths. Manufacturers in recent years have increasingly aimed their sales pitches at females and blacks. You’ve come a long way baby, etc. And, tragically, women and blacks have not yet begun to demonstrate the progress shown by white males. Lung cancer rates are rising especially fast among young women. The latest figures show a six percent rise in the lung cancer rate for females. What are one’s chances of surviving five years after the detection of lung cancer? The answer: Only 13 percent. Puffers take note! Christmas carols The custom of singing Christmas carols on the eve of Christmas came to us from England, though for a time it — and other Christmas observances — were banned in Puritan New England. As Puritan pressure relaxed, a custom of placing lighted candles in homes began in Boston and spread to various parts of the country. The English caroling custom, which had long been accepted in the South, then penetrated into more restrictive New England. For many years it was the custom of night watchmen to gather together and sing carols and, in the South, students took up the custom. What others say — Wise men Whenever something new is proposed, two standard objections are sure to emerge. One is, “We tried that once.” The other is, “We never did that before.” The message in either case is, leave well enough alone. Don’t muddy the water. Avoid the untried because change is not necessarily for the better. Some such thoughts must have been in the minds of people in crowded Bethlehem when a handful of unlearned and unwashed shepherds reported hearing a Heavenly message about a Virgin-born King in a nearby stable. Such an event, if true, would call for changes few were ready to make. Far easier to dismiss the whole thing than to cope with the unknown. As a result, Jesus of Nazareth spent 30-odd years on earth with almost no acceptance by The Establishment. And yet, within a few years His handful of followers would cause a city official to cry, “Those that have turned the world upside down are come here also. ’ ’ The lessons? Majority opinions usually are wrong. Opportunity often comes disguised as trouble. Refusing to take sides amounts to a vote for the status quo. In the case of The Bethlehem Event there are other factors which need consideration. Hundreds of years previously the Old Testament prophet Isaiah had foretold the birth of a coming Child whose “name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” The message of Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men which came to Bethlehem that long-ago night still causes some to say, “We tried that once,” and others object because “We never did that before. ” Those could have been the attitudes of a handful of Eastern astrologers who, instead, followed the Star until they came to the place where the young child lay. By moving, rather than sitting tight they immortalized the statement, “Wise Men Still Seek Him.” And so they do. WRITTEN BY DON WOOD, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER OF AUTOMATIC MACHINING, DECEMBER 1983

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Court news

City Court The following fines have been levied and paid in the Goshen City Court: Speeding — Joseph C. Cain, 30, Milford, $52.50 Operating with expired license plate — Joseph C. Cain, 30, Milford, $38.50 Disregarding stop sign — Juan A. Juarez Jr., 32, Milford, $47.50 Driving wrong way in one way alley — Randy L. Damron, 20, Milford, $52.50 County Court The following persons have been assessed fines and have paid those fines in Kosciusko County Court, Judge James Jarrette presiding: Disregarding stop sign — Paying SSO fines and costs were: David V. Welker, 17, North Webster; Beatrice M. Eppert, 50, Syracuse Speeding — Paying $65 fines and costs were: Jeffrey A. Atwood, 19, North Webster ; Evelyn A. Anglin, 43, Leesburg Paying SSO fines and costs were: C. Scott Drumm, 23, Syracuse; Raeni L. Rinker, 18, Syracuse; Andrew Stevens, Jr., 26, Syracuse Paying $45 fines and costs was: Dorian J. Carpenter, 16, Syracuse Expired license plate — Paying SSO fines and costs was: Ted R. Shoemaker, 37, North Webster Disregarding automatic signal — Paying SSO fines and costs were: Bill D. Jones, 16, Leesburg; Hanford W. Hall, 20, Milford No registration — Charles Cavert, 40, Leesburg, SSO No tail lights — Paying $45 fines and costs was: Ray A. Gerber, 25, Syracuse Disregarding traffic control — John A. Cannon, 21, Syracuse, SSO No operator’s license — Paying SSO fines and costs were: Robert S. Southern, 16, Syracuse; Hanford W. Hall, 20, Milford Public intoxication — Jack D. Morris, 26, North Webster, $100,6 days KCJ with good time credit Elkhart County Court The following fines plus court costs have been levied and paid in the Elkhart County Court, Goshen Division: Speeding — Genevieve L. Routson, 19, Syracuse, $49.50 Driving while intoxicated — Larry L. Schock, 41, North Webster, $1,544.50, SI,OOO suspended, 2 years Indiana Dept, of Correction, suspended except for 10 weekends, portion of fine and jail term suspended for 3 year probation, alcohol evaluation through Bowen Center, driver’s license suspended 18 months Superior Court The following complaints have been filed in Kosciusko Superior Court, Judge Robert Burner presiding: Complaint On Note And Foreclosure Os Security Agreement State Bank of Syracuse versus William L. Gibson and Debara D. Gibson, r 4 Syracuse. The plaintiff is seeking judgment against the defendants for the sum of $5,198.91 plus interest to date of judgment, attorney’s fees, costs of action and possession of 1981 Chevrolet Impala station wagon. Marriage Licenses The following couples have applied for marriage licenses in the > office of Kosciusko County Clerk Jeanne Weirick:

Halsey-W ahlgren Lamar Wayne Halsey, 31 ,'3lB S. Lake St., Syracuse, and Deborah Kay Wahlgren, 33,318 S. Lake St., Syracuse Hernandez-Martinez Simon Hernandez, Jr., 28, r 5 box 3818, Syracuse, and Maria Elena Martinez, 21, r 5 box 3818, Syracuse Leiter-McConnell Charles Leroy Leiter, 23, P.O. Box 692 Warsaw, and Lana Christine McConnell, 23, P.O. Box 282 Leesburg Lapland — also Santa Claus land (EDITOR'S NOTE: Following is a story by Inga Ellen Eriksen as told to Sallie Luther of "Ranger Rick," the National Wildlife Federation's magazine for children.) Far, far to the north is a land where winters are nine months long. It is a land of deep snow and sleighs pulled by reindeer. Sleigh drivers wear colorful coats, but this isn’t the kingdom of Santa Claus. It’s a very real place called Lapland. And it’s my home. My family and I are the Saami (SAH-me), whom you may know as Lapps. Our way of life goes back farther in time than history is written. We are a special part of the Saami called “reindeer Lapps.’’ You may think of reindeer only at Christmastime, but we think of reindeer every day of our lives. Our main food is reindeer meat and our floors are often carpeted with reindeer hides. We make warm boots from reindeer skins. Often we travel on sleighs pulled by reindeer. We live where the reindeer live. When the reindeer have eaten most of the food in their southern pastures, we move north with them. We follow the reindeer herds for hundreds of miles. In the old days, the whole village walked with the reindeer herds. But times have changed. Now many people ride ahead in trucks to the summering ground. There they set up tents and wait. I prefer the old ways. I still like to go with the herds. We have a saying here in Lapland: If a reindeer calf is born along the migration route, and snow is on the ground, the calf is said to be “snow-born.” I feel I am snow-born too. I want always to ride the reindeer sleigh. Missed connection Just about the time a fellow thinks he can make both ends meet, someone comes along and moves one end or the other. — News, Breda, la. THE MAIL-JOURNAL (U.S.P.S. 3258-4000) Published by the Mall-Journal every Wednesday and entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office at Syracuse. Indiana MM7. Second daw postage ’MJMain Street. Syracuse. Indiana 46567 and at additional entry offices. Subscription: Sls per year In Kosciusko County, ttl outside county. POSTMASTERS: Send change of address forms to The Mall-Journal. P.O. BmlN,Milford. Indiana46s42

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ICE FISHING has long been the “in” thing for people who like the great outdoors in the wintertime. It’s no less this year, as ice shacks spring up again on the several area lakes and channels. The little shacks don’t exactly have all the comforts of home, but they do fend off the freezing cold and wind. The top photo was taken near Macy’s Slip on Lake Wawasee on Monday. Four fishermen shown in the lower photo and displaying three large pike are, from left, John Pankenez, Victor Feshchenko, Wally Feshchenko and William Puntus. Their little dog Mushka just stepped out of the camera’s range. —o— TO FEED the ducks, or not to feed the ducks. That seems to be the question. We refer, of course, to the wintertime feeding of the wild ducks at Railroad Park and on the ■ channel in Syracuse. Townsman Everett Ketring has made feeding the ducks a personal project and Mary Jane Deardorff has joined in enthusiastically to ask people to contribute money and/or feed for the ducks. Joe Baumgartner has been feeding the ducks in years past, and even set up a “Feed The Ducks Fund” at the State Bank of Syracuse where contributions could be made toward this project. And he has received small donations from various people with a feeling of benevolence in their heart. Joe has been ill this year, and unable to carry on the project that gave him considerable personal satisfaction. We wrote Roy A. Grimes, District Biologist, Kingsbury Fish & Wildlife Area, 5344 South Hupp Road, LaPorte, Ind., 46350, about this matter and received quite a different reply. We feel his entire reply worthy of printing here since so many local people have made a big thing out of feeding the ducks. It follows: “The feeding of birds during winter is a very popular tradition .for many Hoosier citizens. People who choose to participate in this activity accept the responsibility of continuing the feeding throughout the winter. They know that it is their feeding that makes the birds become dependent on these handouts. The most responsible individuals even make arrangements with a neighbor or relative to feed the birds in the event that they take a winter vacation. “Waterfowl are migratory creatures as illustrated by their fall and winter southerly movements. The wild ducks know by instinct that they cannot survive once the bodies of water have frozen over, eliminating their food supply and refuge from predation. Wild ducks will never stay in an area with open water that will not sustain them. As natural food supplies dwindle the birds naturally move on to more southern zones. “If any individual wanted to interfere with this natural phenomenon, he/she could do the following: “I. Provide artificial feed (hand-outs) to ducks throughout the year, especially during late fall and winter; “2. Release and encourage the existence of tame ducks such as Mascovy and White Pekins in “wild” waters to serve as decoys encouraging wild ducks to linger longer than their instincts dictate. “The problem at Syracuse is not unique. I’ve worked with other groups of people who have similar duck problems. In all of these situations the feeding of the ducks by local residents entices the birds to resist their migrating and dispersion instincts. The birds quickly adapt to this human intervention and begin behaving like tame ducks rather than wild birds. “Indiana Department of Natural Resources

has a specific policy for handling this problem. When the population of these birds rise to the point where they become a nuisance (i.e. too many to feed, too messy or too noisy) the District Biologist is contacted. We then make an inspection of the area. “One of the primary questions that is investigated is whether or not artificial feeding is going on. If this is the case we require that all feeding cease before we will further our involvement. “When we are assured that the improper practice of feeding has stopped we then instruct the residents how to capture the ducks (after the proper Federal permits have been secured). Once captured by the residents at their expense, both in time and materials, the wildlife biologist will arrange for re-location of the nuisance birds. “Although wildlife enthusiasts believe they are benefitting wild animals by providing handouts, whether to bears in Yellowstone Park or ducks in Syracuse, they are in fact causing an unnatural dependence on humans. More often than not this ends up being a negative influence on the lives of these animals. “I would be very willing to help residents reduce this population if they are interested. Os course a cessation of feeding would be a condition of such cooperation, otherwise the problem will never really be solved. ” AT THIS time Herschell and Charlotte Wells have not purchased a popular area eating establishment as rumored, however, they did open a Hardee’s on U.S. Highway 6 in Kendallville a week ago Monday, along with Herschel’s brother-in-law, Leroy Woods, of that city. The Wellses sold their Kentucky Fried Chicken establishment on South Huntington Street some time ago to Dr. Robert Vore, a Plymouth optometrist, which is now operated by the doctor’s son, Bill, who also operates the KFC at Nappanee. Herschel and Charlotte have owned and operated Gropp’s Famous Fish of Stroh, located in the Village, for about three years. ALONG THE same line Charles and Mary Stafford closed their Windjammer, located on the east side of SR 13, and across from Wawasee Bowl, last week. Charlie has been in poor health and has decided to give up the business. Their Windjammer has been one of the popular eating establishments in the community. e “NO, IT’S not so,” states Herschel Wells, when this column asked him last week if he and Charlotte have purchased the Windjammer from the Staffords. Wells admitted he and his wife have had conversations with the Staffords about such a purchase, but nothing substantive has transpired. Wells Is in the process of selling a KFC in Decatur, and this delaying transaction might be the fly in the. ointment governing whether or not they will eventually purchase the Windjammer. NED SPEICHER, new principal at Wawasee High School, admits he’s “working on” a doctorate degree in education. He was reminded in a jocular vein that he was becoming surrounded with educators with doctor’s degrees, to wit, Dr. Kenneth E. Webster, superintendent; Dr. Howard J. Hull, director of instructional services; and now Dr. W. Winston Becker, the new principal at the Milford schools who is taking Speicher’s place. IT’S NEW. The S-W Chamber of Commerce, now situated in its new home at the new Syracuse Town Hall, and is attempting to breathe new life in the organisation, and one of the ways it’s doing this to In issuing a monthly newsletter. While the newsletter doesn’t have a name, as such, it con(Continued on page 6)