The Mail-Journal, Volume 23, Number 12, Milford, Kosciusko County, 19 March 1986 — Page 4

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., March 19,1986

Editorials

Farmers are special people Where does food come from? The supermarket! No. Food comes from farmers and others who work in the agricultural industry. It comes from special people who often work night and day when necessary to make sure we have food for our tables. Thursday, March 20, is Indiana Agriculture Day. It is also National Agriculture Day and has been celebrated since 1973. Agriculture generates about 24 million jobs or 21.5 of every 100 jobs in the US workforce. The farmer’s share of the consumer food dollar has been constantly declining — from 40 percent in 1950 to 27 percent in 1983. v Ag Day is a day for those of us who go to the supermarket and buy our food to say thank you to the special people who grow and process it. In short, it is a day set aside to honor those who feed us. Farming is big business in Kosciusko County. There are 345,728 acres in farmland. Fifty percent is put into crops, 25 percent is not farmland and the other 25 percent is woodland and other farm and cropland not in production. David Gaurst, ag writer, notes, “If you picked a handful of farmers at random and offered them a job in an office in the city, most wouldn’t take it. Why? That’s easy. Farming is the best job in the world.” In this day and age when many are leaving the farm, Kosciusko County extension agent Victor R. Virgil says, “We have a nucleus of farmers that are quick to adapt to new technology when they know it will be profitable for them to change. We have many young farmers in business who haven’t learned yet that some things just can’t be done. “... Kosciusko County agriculture will outlast most other counties because of the resources, both agricultural and nonagricultural, with which we are blessed.” A sign between Milford and Warsaw tells the story best. It says, Agriculture — Indiana’s Strength. Violence in South Africa Recent bombings in South Africa, violence in various parts of the nation, plus well-meaning but unwise predictions of a blood bath there have now had the expected result. Like Israel, which feels surrounded by enemies and at bay, South Africa is now preparing to fight. Whites are unwilling to turn the country over to majority blacks, feeling this would mean ruin and even suicide. They also resent terrorist operations of black nationalists from neighboring countries (as is the case with Israel). Events such as the bombing of a bus in Durban recently, which wounded children among others, is hardening government policy. The “Christian Science Monitor” reports there has been a recent shift in the balance of power in the government there, away from the doves and toward the hawks. What all Americans should keep in mind is that all democracies, including our own, began without a universal franchise. Even women were not allowed to vote in the United States in this century. Admittedly, many members of the hundreds of tribes composing the black population in South Africa are still very primitive people. Certainly they are more primitive than American females were in 1919, when they were given the right to vote. The difficulty in trying to equate problems of other nations with moral concepts prevalent in America today is that circumstances and conditions vary so much the degree of progress possible and logical varies widely. The trend now developing in South Africa is one of escalating conflict between a powerful South Africa and its neighbors, plus a tougher policy by the white government at home. To have expected that government to grant suffrage universally, or to abdicate its rule, or to have expected violence and terrorism to achieve that end, was expecting too much at this stage of South Africa’s evolution. Progress and reform are needed there; the best hope for that is through polices such as those employed by Ghandi in India and briefly in South Africa, the opposite from violence and terrorism. What others say — The touting of teens Is it any wonder that we have pampered preppies who want to become paid professionals in the arena of athletics? It all starts with the “Touting of Teens,” the ever-growing promotion of high •* school boys and girls for recognition on All-Star athletic teams. Hoosier Hysteria, the great Indiana basketball tradition, is being turned into a Teen Tout by ambitious school officials, in addition to athletic directors and coaches. Prior to the crowning of a girls’ basketball champion last week, many mail rails include flyers touting the athletic abilities of young ladies for the All-Star team. With the boys’ basketball action starting this week, the touting will reach a new peak until a new state champion is crowned. Monday morning’s mail brought flyers from two different parts of the state — from schools touting their prize teen on the hardwood court. Somewhere along the line, athletics has gotten out of whack. In the realm of education, athletics has its role, but we do not believe that it should be permitted to overshadow the academic priority. We certainly do not approve of public schools being a party to this touting of teens which has intensified in Hoosierland in the past few years. ... ‘ High School athletics has become the first plateau in the major professional sports of football and basketball. Dreams of dollars have replaced the dreams of a college education. To excell in high school, means a better crack at a major university scholarship, where athletic ability begins to pay off on the road to becoming a professional. Little League programs have become feeder systems for the high school coaches, who want to build winning teams with teens they can tout. The glitter and glamour of the sports here has created a world of tunnel vision for those whose lives are wrapped up in the pursuit of athletic excellence and big bucks. - What was once a game is now serious business —a business that begins by touting teens at the high school level. The IHSAA needs to put its foot down before it isoverrun by those who have eyes <W<» A^J^kN^

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Letters Io the editor

Unfair attacks Dear Editor: The decision of the Board of Zoning Appeals, Kosciusko County, has been made and the opponents to the proposed mobile home park won their battle. Several statements from a few of the opposition were unfounded and need to be clarified. The members of the BZA met with the developers at the site of the proposed mobile home park on February 6 for an “on-site” inspection, as they do in any appeal before the board that involves controversy. February 6 was a cold, windy day, and for the developers to unfold their maps and plans, it was nearly impossible in the cold wind. Therefore, it was decided to go to a nearby house to finish the discussion. A few of the opponents declared they were denied attendance at the inspection; there was no need for them to attend the on-site inspection, their place and time was at the hearing on March 10. A battle cry out went out, stating the board was not dealing fairly with them. The emotions were running rampant among some of the opponents when they rumored that the developers “wined and dined” the board members. Not true! Milford is a thriving town of caring people, well kept houses, well manicured lawns, by far one of the neatest towns in the area, but it won’t prosper as long as untruths, unfair attacks on the town board and county officials are made by a few people with self interests to win their goal. Those people had every right to object and voice their opinion, but to express untruths and unfair attacks hurt not only themselves but the community. Ruth L. Hoppus Let's get on with the shuttle Dear Editor: ‘ The shuttle disaster must not halt space exploration. Too much depends on it; our leaping knowledge of the heavens and indeed the defense of our free land. The success of the shuttle fleet is essential to our national security. Once the problems are corrected, it must be continued. Already the liberals are using the tragedy as an excuse to cut funds for the shuttle program, particularly the military aspect. These cynics must be thwarted. Those liberals have a shallow patriotism and would prefer not to cut the tax that goes to support the homosexuals, gay, lesbian, AIDs program, etc., which are high on the immorality scale. I note the Soviets are not waiting to see if we are going to pursue and correct the shuttle mistake. If you would take a look at the Soviet space shuttle, it resembles the American space shuttle and the Soviet’s claim to have even improved upon our shuttle. The American shuttle program cost $7 billion, paid for with your hard earned tax dollars, while the Soviet program will cost comparatively little as they put theirs together with spy information, much of which is donated. The Kremlin’s aim is obvious; to orbit a permanently manned space station, a bolshevik colony in space, saying it will be armed to the port holes with its weapons aimed at America. Now America’s giant leap for mankind on the moon in 1969. This act eclipsed the entire Soviet space effort to date. The USA landing a man on the moon was dealing a strong blow against the Marxist-Leninist pride, if bolsheviks can express pride in any of their people’s accomplishments. Now the Kremlin is planning to jump beyond and land a cosmonaut on Mars in 1992, thus eclipsing the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage to America in 1492. Gorbachev’s attempts to stop America’s strategic defense initiative SDI has one aim to stall, delay US space defense efforts long enough until the Soviet SDI is in full operation. Gorbachev knows full well his USSR’s strapped socialist economy can not match that of the USA’s free economy which, if America is promptly alerted, we can do the

job in a few years. Our action to take. Write your senators and representatives today and insist they support the full exploration of space by American astronauts in the space shuttle and full speed ahead for Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Write US Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510; House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515. Sincerely, Byron K. Ulrich Oakwood update Dear Editor: I understand from several residents of the Syracuse community that the status and future of Oakwood Center is a topic of concern. Let me share with you what has happened over the past year and what we. anticipate in the future. First of all, I am Director of Camp, Conference and Retreat Ministries for the North Indiana Conference. I am now the direct supervisor of Maggie Crouch, the administrator of Oakwood Center. I will give you as much information as I can, and you may feel free to share it personally with members of thecommunity, or arrange the information into a newspaper article. The first thing that I would like to emphasize is that Oakwood Center has been and will continue to be an important facility and ministry of the United Methodist Church in North Indiana. We experienced a minor set back in 1984 and ’BS when the plans for a spiritual life center were not able to be realized, and we had to change direction. When the Oakwood Spiritual Life Center Board resigned in February of 1985, the center became the responsibility of the Council on Ministries of the Annual Conference, and later of the Commission on Camps and Conferences. The only thing that has changed in the last year is that we are not expecting to continue the specific and exclusive focus of spiritual formation. Instead, we will offer a full range of adult and family conference and retreat programs, as we have in the past. Maggie Crouch was named administrator of Oakwood Center in March, 1985. She has supervised the facility very well, providing quality services and maintaining a balanced budget. The center depends on income from use to support the operating budget,, and major maintenance and development funds are provided by the North Indiana Conference. The United Methodist Church is providing those funds. Oakwood Center continues to have a full calendar of events. During the summer, when the hotel is operating, local church groups, agencies, and families make use of the facilities for educational events, retreats, and family reunions. In the fall, winter, and spring, Kimmel Hall and the program center provide very nice small group retreat facilities for local churches, annual conference program agencies, and other non-profit groups who want a secluded learning environment. In addition to hosting many local and regional groups, Oakwood Center and the North Indiana Conference sponsor several major programs. A Junior High Bike Camp is based at Oakwood Center because the touring route is established in northeast Indiana. We host a Single Parent Retreat in the summer, and sponsor the Adult Fellowship Retreat, a time for older adults to study and worship together. This coming summer, we are (Continued on page 5)

THE MAIL-JOURNAL (U.S.P.S. 3258-4000) Published by the Mail-Journall every Wednesday and entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office at Syracuse. Indiana 46567. Second class postage paid at 103 E. Main Street, Syracuse, Indiana 46567 and at additional entry offices. Subscription: Sl6 per year In Kosciusko County, $22 outside county POSTMASTERS: Send change of ad dress forms to The Mall-Journal, P.O. Box 188, Miltord, Indiana46s42

"CRUZIN AROUND 'CUSE"

TWO SYRACUSE families are excited about the showing their youngsters made in the 1986 Indiana State Hemisphere Pageant in Fort Wayne on March 2. Ray and Tammy Gerber of r 3 Syracuse are justly proud of their bright-eyed three-year-old son Justin for having placed first in the Pee Wee division. Justin is also the grandson of Kay and Don McCulloch of r 2 Syracuse. For his Fort Wayne win Justin received $125 to be used as his entry fee in the state competition to be held in Fort Wayne on May 4. Also pleased as punch are Faith Ann and Shane Ruch of 506 Harrison Street, Syracuse, for having their daughter Amanda Lynn win third in beauty and third in talent in the same March 2d contest. A little known fact is that Master Pee Wee Justin slipped off the stage at Fort Wayne, resulting in a slightly blackened eye, which worked to give him a certain charm. Youngsters were judged in three divisions: beauty, including charm, poise and personality; model, including model potential; and talent, including talent potential. The final run-off will be held in Miami, Fla., and awards will include $350,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds, scholarships and prizes, including six automobiles. CONSTRUCTION WORKERS are busy on the new addition to Augsburger’s Super Val-U Market in the Village, with current plans calling for an opening by early May. According to store manager Jim Evans, the half million dollar expansion will give the store about 6,000 square feet of additional room, 2,000 of it being selling area, the rest in much-needed storage. J.O. Mory of South Milford is the general contractor, with Worker Brothers Construction being an area sub-contractor. THE SNOWBIRDS are returning from, their winter visits to the south and southwest. “Scrappy** and Ellie Graff of 212 South Harrison St. arrived home last Wednesday night from a visit to the Phoenix, Ariz., area where they attended a wedding of Ellie’s niece, Rita Helmuth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Homer Helmuth of Tempe, Ariz., to Michael Lawrence on March 1. The Graffs also visited Louise Miller of Mesa, formerly of Goshen and grandmother of the bride. The Graffs had an opportunity to visit many interesting places in the central Arizona area during their stay there. RETURNING HOME last Monday night were Hube and June Anglemeyer of 15 North Shore Drive, from a two-month visit in Arizona and California. In Arizona they stayed for a time with Mr. and Mrs. James Wilson in Sun City West. The Wilsons and Anglemeyers were former North Shore Drive neighbors, Mr. Wilson having been an executive with Liberty Coach during his residency here. The Anglemeyers visited relatives in California, including a daughter Patty (Mrs. Douglas) Naylor and her family at West Lake Village, Calif.; granddaughter Kristey (Mrs. Kevin) Walsh and her husband and son Mathew at Lancaster, Calif.; grandson Jeffrey Naylor, a junior at San Diego State University at San Diego, Calif.; and granddaughter Lori Naylor at Pasadena, Calif. MEMBERS OF the Syracuse Sesquicentennial Committee are closely tracking the efforts being made in Milford by a similar committee to observe the town’s 150th anniversary. One thing in particular is the race for “Mayor” of Milford, and already there is talk concerning getting several key residents to “file” for “Mayor” of Syracuse. It’s a sure-fire way to build revenue to underwrite the many events that are bound to go into such a celebration. Think about it. The Syracuse Sesquicentennial Committee has held several meetings, but mainly for organizational purposes. The real drive is not on yet. And so it is little wonder that money has been slow in coming in. But some $1,560 has already been donated to the cause, treasurer Mike Tallon reports. A NUMBER of Syracuse Methodists have wondered, “Whatever happened to J. Ross Richey?” Rev. Richey was pastor of the Syracuse United Methodist Church (now the St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church) from June 1,1960 until May 31,19864. He is the author of an article that appears elsewhere in this issue. Richey was also pastor at the Leesburg United Methodist Church from June 1, 1979 to May 31, 1982, as well as in several other area churches. He will be remembered in Syracuse as the Methodist pastor here when the big new church on the County Line Road was built.

The Richeys are now residents in retirement and live at 3115 East Jackson St., Elkhart, and are involved in the life of the Trinity United Methodist Church in that city. Ross writes to Cruzin Around ’Cuse as follows: “Mary takes me regularly (every other Wednesday morning) for our VIM breakfast at Peddler’s Village! VIM is not a breakfast on thin milk; it stands for Visually Impaired Men! “I am vice chairman of our Northern Central Chapter of the American Council of the Blind in Indiana (ACB1). Mary is secretary. “I have had an article in The Pony Express published in our state paper for the blind called Focus. One in Hoosier United Methodist entitled Mocassins — Walk a Mile. Also, three published in a little quarterly publication at Evansville called Joyful Noise. Contributors to this publication must be handicapped.” Ross adds, “1 write lots of letters; in fact, I write to most anyone who will write to me. Since losing my vision in mid-June of 1982, I have written more than 2,500 personal letters. 1 keep a Braille card file on names, addresses, ZIP codes and in many instances phone numbers. 1 don’t really feel isolated from the society of which I still consider myself to be ‘a contributing part.* ” Contributing, indeed! —o— ' SYRACUSE TOWN Board President James Hughes, an East Shore Drive resident, is spending this week skiing in Colorado with Jack Kimpel of West Lafayette. Kimpel, a former resident of this area, is retired district social security director. The two men were at Dillon, Breckenridge and Keystone among other ski resorts for about a week or ten days of fun in the snow. 6 OTHER SKI enthusiasts include Bob and Pam Westfall, who recently returned from Breckenridge, Colo., where they enjoyed a week on the frosty slopes. Bob is NIPSCO manager in Syracuse. IF YOU’RE in the Hunnicutt Addition and see a man slowly walking about, it’s probably Henry L. Schumm, out for his daily recovery jaunt. He’s out three times a day in a regimen designed to aid his recovery from open heart surgery. Schumm, a longtime steel buyer for Universal Co-Operative in Goshen (formerly Star Craft), underwent open heart surgery at the Texas-Heart Institute at Houston, Texas, on January 30. His surgeon was world-famous Denton A. Cooley, former student of the equally famous surgeon Michael Debakey, also of Houston. Schumm’s surgery involved three aneurysms of the aorta. Schumm and his wife Norma, who made the trip to Houston with her husband, had only words of praise for the Texas hospital and Dr. Cooley. THE REQUEST of the Indiana Department of Highways for the removal of signs along the limited access road south of Syracuse, appears to be more than just a local affair. The order to remove free-standing signs that encroach on highway right-of-way has been popping up in other areas in the state. The order served on Village businesses recently caused more than just eyebrow-raising; a it resulted in a hot meeting of interested merchants at Fisher’s Rent-All last Thursday afternoon, to be followed by a similar meeting this Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the same place. If you’re interested — one way or another — you had better show up. Local merchants with the signs claim “they’re good for business,” while others claim they are an eyesore to the community. The Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce board of directors is in the middle of the fray, having written the highway department asking them to take action in the matter, and to see that the signs w are removed. Sunday’s edition of the South Bend Tribune carried a page 1 story in its Indiana section about a similar situation in LaPaz and Lakeville, located south of South Bend. Free-standing signs encroaching on the U.S. 31 right-of-way must come down, but signs attached to buildings and extending over the sidewalk, like that at Jack’s Bar and Grill, in Lakeville may remain. The state plans to use federal funds to resurface U.S. 31 and said federal regulations require the removal of these signs, highway department officials contend. This is not a part of the Syracuse argument. LaPaz/Lakeville residents are mounting a • campaign to contact their state legislators to reverse the highway department decision. Their mail and telephone campaign has as a target State Senator V. Richard Miller, R-Plymouth, State Rep. Richard Mangus, R-Lakeville, and State Rep. G. Edward Cook, D-Plymouth.

WELCOME DR. George Smith, new Syracuse dentist to the community. His office has been at 1006 South Huntington Street since mid-December, and he admits that business hasn’t been too brisk. Our advice: “Gotta get acquainted, doc! ” He’s an Air Force vet and former director of the dental program at lUPUI/Fort Wayne. He’s had a practice in Anderson for 20 years before coming here. He located in Saudi Arabia for a brief time before locating here. Marie Selvey is Dr. Smith’s dental assistant and receptionist.

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