The Mail-Journal, Volume 23, Number 26, Milford, Kosciusko County, 25 June 1986 — Page 1

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VOLUME 23

Underway at North Webster

41st Mermaid Festival

Events taking place in Palace's Camelot Hall

Once again knights and a queen are in the spotlight at North Webster as that community celebrates its 41st annual Mermaid Festival. All are proving that King Arthur’s world is alive and well. The 1986 Cutie King and Queen will be crowned tonight and on Saturday the Tournament of Knights champions will be crowned, as will a new “Queen of Lakes. ”

A total of 18 young women have entered this year’s “Queen of Lakes” contest in hopes of winning the coveted title and the crown that goes with it. Beth Walker is the current queen and is reigning over this week’s festivities. She will be on hand at Camelot Hall Saturday evening to crown her successor. New this year is the fact that all of the beauty pageant competition will take place next Saturday. Activities have been moved from the junior high school gym to Camelot Hall this year because of a major renovation project underway at the school. Interviews and rehearsal will take place at Camelot Hall at 8 a.m. At 12:30 p.m. the girls will eat and then prepare their floats for the parade. At approximately 7 p.m. or one hour after the parade the bathing suit competition will be held. This will be followed by the evening gown competition and the crowning of the new queen. Cuties Tonight Today belongs to the younger set. From 12 noon until 5 p.m. the midway and merchants’ buildings will be open with a special price on rides. At 4 p.m. The United Methodist Church will hold its annual Strawberry Festival. It will continue until sold out. The midway and merchants’ buildings will close at 5 p.m. and reopen at 6 p.m. Also at 6 p.m. the Cutie Parade participants will line-up at the south school parking lot. At 7 p.m. The International Palace of Sports and the North Webster Lions Club will sponsor the 1986 Cutie Parade. The parade route will be from the

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RIDING HIGH — It’s a long way up for a youngster to take the ttve elephant ride at the Mermaid Festival. (Photo by Leslie Miller)

school, south on SR 13. A rain date has been set for Friday, June 27. Also at 7 p.m. the boys’ Youth League Tourney will continue and at 7:30 p.m. NortheastIndiana Water Service will hold a greased pole climb in front of the merchants’ building. At 8 p.m. the annual Cutie King and Queen contest will be held at Camelot Hall. The rain date will be Friday, June 27. Thursday the boys’ Youth League tourney will continue at 5:30 p.m. with a second game set for 7 p.m. and rides on the midway will be half priced beginning at 6 p.m. At 7 p.m. the talent contest for high school or older will be held at Camelot Hall and the Lake City Bank wffl present a coin hunt on the festival grounds. The Church of the Brethren will hold a tenderloin sandwich and homemade ice cream supper from 4to 8 p.m. Also at 4 p.m., the girls’ Youth League finals will be held. The midway will open at 6 p.m. and at 7 p.m. the boys’ Youth League finals will be held. Saturday Is Big Day Saturday is the big day of the festival. In addition to the queen’s contest a full slate of activities are scheduled. At 10 a.m. the American Legion will hold an open house with a chicken barbecue being held in front of the Legion. At 11 a.m. the United Methodist will hold a home cooked chicken and noodle dinner. The Tournament of Knights will be held on the school court and field beginning at 11 a.m. Also at 11 a.m., the midway will open with bracelet day being

Consolidation oj THE MILFORD MAIL (Est. 1888) and THE SYRACUSE-WAWASEE JOURNAL (Est. 1907)

held. The North Webster Ski Bees will hold a ski show at 2 p.m. A second show will be presented at 7 p.m. Both shows may be viewed from the west shore of Lake Webster. The merchant’s building and midway will close at 3:30 p.m. for the parade. They will reopen after the parade.

Shelley Sanders wins ‘Miss Kosciusko' title

Shelley Sanders captured the audience’s hearts once again on Saturday night, June 21, as she competed in the Kosciusko Scholarship Pageant at Tippecanoe Valley High School and was crowned as ‘‘Miss Kosciusko.” Competing against nine other contestants, Shelley’s singing abilities took a strong hold in the talent portion. Other areas in which she was judged included the swimsuit and evening gown competition as well as a private interview with the judges. The talent portion, however, comprised 50 percent of the judges scoring. Four runners-up were chosen to complete the queen’s court. Paula Smith of Milford was chosen as first runner-up, with Keeley Watts of Leesburg as second runner-up, Julia McDaniel of Syracuse was third runner-up and Julie Gilson of North Webster chosen as fourth runner-up. Having won the title of “Miss Kosciusko,’’ Shelley will be representing the county at public appearances throughout the year. During this time she will also be training for the “Miss Indiana” pageant to be held next year.

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SHELLEY SANDERS ‘Miss Kosciusko’

Part of that training will include going to Michigan City this coming week to watch the “Miss Indiana” pageant. “They feel that it is really important that I go down and see what the competition will be like for me next year,” said Shelley. “I would really like to win the title of “Miss Indiana.” It would be something to really work for. ” Shelley, who was chosen as queen in the “Miss Milford Sesquicentennial” pageant on June 2, was to represent Milford in the “Queen of the Lakes” pageant in North Webster this Saturday, June 28. Due to her commitment as “Miss Kosciusko” to go to Michigan City on the same weekend, Shelley felt it best to withdraw from the competition. Therefore, the first runner-up in the “Miss Milford” contest, Tami Hollar, was asked to represent the town in North Webster’s Queen of the Lakes pageant. Sponsoring her is the Milford Lions Club. “I’m so thankful that she will do it for me,” said Shelley, “because if she didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to go to the “Miss Indiana” pageant and watch.” Tami, too, is pleased with the outcome of the situation. “I think

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25,1986

The 41st annual Mermaid Festival Parade will begin at 4 p.m. It will be led by the Mizpah Shrine of Fort Wayne with over 30 units and over 300 Shrine Members. Awards and trophies will be presented in 15 classes about one hour after the parade in front of the Mermaid Festival office at the merchants’ building.

it’s a real privilege for me to get this kind of experience,” said Tami. ‘‘l’m also happy for Shelley and that she was able to get this type of opportunity. ”

TAMI HOLLAR ‘Miss Milford’

Tami, 16, is the daughter of Stan Hollar of Milford and Doris Hollar of Nappanee. For the “Miss Milford contest,” Tami chose to sing the song “Friends.” The “Queen of the Lakes” pageant will not include a talent segment, but she will be modeling outfits in the swimsuit and evening gown competitions. Shelley, 18, is the daughter of Pat Sanders of Milford and Bill Sanders of Syracuse. She is a 1986 graduate of Wawasee High School and plans to attend Texas Women’s University in the fall, where she will major in the performing arts. While is school, Shelley was active in cheerleading, Varsity Singers, and the Drama Club. She also participated on the yearbook staff, FEA, and traveled with Sounds of Hope European Tour in 1985. In addition to the $1,500 scholarship she received as “Miss Kosciusko” and the $275 in the. “Miss Milford* 1 pageants, Shelley has earned an SBOO scholarship in music and drama from Texas Women’s University and a SSOO scholarship from Chore-Time Brock. Presently, Shelley is an instructor with Lee Anne Stewart’s Dance School in Syracuse.

Fireworks at Tippy

The Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners and Tippecanoe Lake Country Club are again sponsoring a Fourth of July fireworks display. 'With additional donations from Patona Bay Boat Service, Tippecanoe Boat Company and Plaza Marina, this year’s program promises to be one of the best. The fireworks will be held on the Fourth at approximately 8:45 p.m. In case of bad weather, they will be held on Saturday, July 5, (this is to include weather conditions that would make it unsafe to have the display.) The display will be in front of the Tippecanoe Lake Country Club. Those arriving by boat are asked to stay a safe distance from shore to avoid the risk of injury from falling debris.

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MONDAY LAKE TRAGEDY — These two photos tell the story of the Monday morning tragedy that claimed the life of a 63-year old Fountaintown man, when his light Piper single-engine plane crashed into Lake Wawasee. The top photo shows the remains of the totally-

Tragedy on Lake Wawasee —

Pilot plunges Piper into lake

A number of investigating representatives were kept busy Monday, Tuesday and yet today combing the torn and twisted remains of a light four-place Piper, Model 28-180 aircraft that crashed into 15 feet of water near Kale Island, Lake Wawasee, at about 8:30 a.m. Monday morning.

The unusual accident claimed the life of Lewis H. Schlechtweg, 63, of Fountaintown, in Shelby County. He had just left the Goshen Airport and was en route to Indianapolis when the accident occurred. He was reportedly buzzing friends on Kale Island, where he had spent the weekend, when his plane stalled out and did a sudden dive into the shallow water. When the body of Schlectweg was recovered at about L0:30 a.m. Monday, it was taken to the Harris Funeral Home south of Syracuse where it was determined the pilot died of blunt trauma about the head and chest. It; was thought he died suddenly when his plane hit the rock-hard water’s surface. The body was taken from the Harris Funeral Home to the Appleget Funeral Home in Lawrence, Indiana, at 9 p.m. Monday in the latter funeral home’s ambulance. No final arrangements could be learned at this writing. Eyewitnesses A number of people claimed to be eyewitnesses to the accident, while seasoned lake residents claimed to have never heard of such an accident on Lake Wawasee before. Oakley (“Oakie”) Vanover said he was cleaning the pool at Harbourside Condominiums when he saw the light plan? just clear the treetops, then spin to the left and crash into the water with a resounding splash. Chad Hewitt, also of Kale Island said he witnessed the crash, while Betty Appenzeller and Susan Lisor said they each heard the roar of the plane and heard the

crash, but when they went outside their homes the plane was already submerged in the lake. Stacy Swinehart, a North Webster interior decorator, was working on the outside of the James Tudor residence when she was attracted to the low-flying plane due to the noise of its engine. She claimed to be an eyewitness to the crash also. Another witness was William F. Strieby, a Chicago electrician spending some time at the lake (“on the channel”) recovering from surgery. He said he saw the low-flying airplane, then saw it disappear behind the trees and heard the crash. Not long after the crash Syracuse police officers and Syracuse EMS personnel arrived at the scene, as did officers of the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, state police and state conservation officers. Tom Kitch, Dick Waterson and Warren Swartz of the Lake Wawasee Lake Patrol, and Mike Saffon of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources quickly converged on the scene. At 1 p.m. Monday a representative of the Federal Aviation Administration, coming from South Bend, began his investigation into the accident. And since then representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board of Chicago, and of the Lycoming Aircraft Engine Co. of Williamsport, Pa., and of the Piper Cub Co. of Veto Beach, Fla., were combing every scrap of evidence they could find to determine the cause of the accident. “It was evident there was no foul play involved,” said Doug Anderson of the Anderson Wawasee Boat Co., where the air-

demolished plane after it was taken to the Anderson Wawasee Boat Co. The bottom photo shows the gathering of boats at the site of the tragedy, about a city block off Kale Island. In the boats were Syracuse, county and state police officers, and members of the Wawasee Boat Patrol.

craft’s twisted remains were taken late Monday afternoon. Submerged Plane The removal of the body of the dead pilot was nothing compared to the resurrection of the mangled plane. Doug Anderson described how Dave Heckaman and his son John Heckaman, of Sudlow Pier Co., worked with Brian Glaser and Russell Anderson of Anderson Wawasee Boat Co. to lift the plane nut of the water. Anderson said the plane weighed about 1,800 pounds, 900 of which was the engine. He said four divers went down into the 15 feet of water and loaded the plane on a Sudlow flat boat, used normally in handling piers, while Glaser and Anderson manned the boat company ’s shop boat in a combination effort. The plane was pulled to shore and lifted on a shore station, making

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NEW PRESIDENT — Incoming Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary Club President Robert Westfall, left, looks on as club secretary-treasurer Alaa Teban pins the past president’s pin on outgoing president Robert Troutman during the recent Rotary Club meeting. The Tuesday meeting included a talk by Bob Bachtel of Augsburger’s Supermarket in Syracuse, who demonstrated how meat is cut and packaged.

NUMBER 26

it possible to tow it to the boat company’s marina facility, where it remains. Anderson said he didn’t realize at the time “how ill-equipped most of us were to handle this sort of recovery operation.” He described the twisted metal of the plane as extremely sharp and dangerous to handle. “None of us had heavy gloves for such an operation, for example,” Anderson said. Meanwhile the totallydemolished light plane rests in the large metal building at Anderson’s Wawasee Boat Co., with investigators continuing their probe into the unusual accident that old timers of the area are unable to match. Asked what he would eventually do with the plane’s remains, Anderson said, “I have no idea.”