The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 8, Milford, Kosciusko County, 8 April 1987 — Page 5

"CBUZIN aroundCUSE" J ,K-

(Continued from page 4) Illinois, he joined a 1938 “sneak” at French Lick, Indiana, then a 1939 “sneak” at Spink Wawasee Hotel on Lake Wawasee near Syracuse, Indiana. Dr. Henry wrote, “On arrival at the ... hotel one senior as a lark invested a quarter (a princely sum in the late 19305) in one of the few lobby slot machines and hit the jackpot.‘Word spread like wildfire — to everyone’s dismay, since gambling fell outside Wheaton’s code —about a Wheatonite’s unexpected high return on his investment.” We get our items for this column from the most unexpected sources. , * FRANK PUTT, a resident of 192 North Shore Drive, Syracuse Lake, has in his possession a

Letters to the editor

Dear Editor: First of all I really must applaud the tremendous accomplishment of your investigative reporters. We thought we had chanced upon the perfect hiding place in which to conduct

Under the .. . / aShk Courthouse Dome ‘ By Ron Sharp II .

BIG TAX INCREASE Kosciusko County local taxpayers (property and local option) will have a substantial increase in local tax in 1987. The 1987 tax burden will be 24 percent more than in 1985. 1 Property taxes will increase from $22,123,686 in 1985 to $26,033,992, in 1987 or $3,910,306. Added to the 1987 figure will be a local option tax load of $1,532,140. The total tax burden will be of $27,566,132 — $5,442,446 more than in 1985' When the Zocal Option Tax was passed by the Kosciusko County Council, the members used the excuse that the local option tax would help reduce local property taxes. The council is the biggest culprit in raising taxes. The county property tax rate has increased from .869 in 1985 to $1.0404 in 1987 — the highest rate in county history. Funds required to replace local option revenue would necessitate a .1516 rate per SIOO of taxable property. The two added together equal a tax rate of $1,192 or an increase of 39 percent from 1985 to 1987. Below is the rate that would be required to give taxing units same amount of funds they will receive from property and local option tax payments. To the right is the percent of increase from 1985 to 1987. EXAMPLE — Warsaw property tax rate is $9.09 per SIOO of, taxable property. Tax rate needed to make up for local option funds — 78 cents — total rate for 1987 $9.87, per SIOO of taxable property. UNIT Property & Loc. Op. Percentage Inc. Warsaw ' • $9.87 20% Warsaw Plain ' 9.73 21% Winona Lake 9.36 16 Mentone 900 - 28 North Webster 8.87 15 Pierceton 8.85 16 Syracuse 8.14 9 Claypool ' 8.00 23 Milford jf 8.02 18 Sidney .7.97 24 Silver Lake 7.80 19 Etna Green 7.74 11 Burket 7.37 30 Harrison 6.77 A, 29 Franklin 6.47 30 Leesburg 6.47 19 Seward 6.35 30 Washington 6.22 14 Jackson 6.18 24 Etna ' 6.13 11 Monroe 5 92 14 Jefferson West 5.91 14 Scott 5.91 14 Wayne 5.90 18 Van Buren 5.79 14 Tippecanoe 5.71 15 Turkey Creek 5.66 11 Jefferson East 5.54 19 Clay 5.41 19 Plain 5.27 20 Prairie 5.24 19 Lake on 5.17 20 During the same period of time assessed valuation of property increased six percent — from $367 million to $390 million. (In our previously published tax list we had an error: Claypool rate in 1985 was $4.55 not $5.55 and also in 1987 Warsaw (Plain) rate is $8.95 not $8.89. The other rates were correct when rounded off to nearest .01 per SIOO of taxable property. Property taxes support state, county, township, schools, libraries, city of Warsaw and county towns. Local option tax supports county, township, libraries, city of Warsaw and county towns. Local options tax is distributed by amount of property taxes you pay, not where money is collected. Units with lower tax rates receive less money than those with higher rates. GIVE YOURSELF A TEST ON HOW YOUR TAXES HAVE INCREASED. Take your 1987 Property Tax Statements (May and November). Add them together. TOTAL Take your 1986 Local Option Tax (from your 1986 state return) and double it. Add both 1987 tax loads. — Take your 1985 property.taxes for May and Nov. and add. - Subtract this from your total for 1987 —_—’ If your payments are average, your tax increase is 24 percent more than in 1985. DEMOS MAKE GOP LOOK BAD - Evan Bayh (Democrat), Indiana secretary of state, who replaced a Republican, appeared before the General Assembly on his budget to operate his office during 1987-88. He told the group he was cutting out 10 persons from the department’s rolls. In contrast Ann DeVore (Republican), who took state auditor’s position in December, is asking for 10 more employees. She replaced a Democrat. WILL GOP County Chairman Rex Reed call the Warsaw precinct committee men and women together to select a Warsaw City chairman, vice chairman, treasurer, and secretary? Former GOP County Chairman Jean Northerner “stuffed it down" the precinct committee men’s and women’s throats in 1983. She just named the officers. This resulted in a number of disgruntled GOP faithfuls.

Editorial content disputed

our “secret meeting” but your ace reporters were just too good. We were positive that a public restaurant in the middle of Main Street, across from the town hall, would be safe from the prying eyes of the press but, alas, we

small, 200-page book on the history of Penn Controls, written by K. W. Cash, Sr. It means so much to Frank because he put in 34 years with the Goshen firm that has become one of the area’s largest employers. In recent years Putt served as plant engineer. He retired in 1974. The small edition traces the boyhood life of Ralph Penn from a small working farm in the Delphi, Ind., area to the beginning of Penn Controls at Des Moines, lowa. The company was known as Penn Electric, then Penn Controls, and was sold in 1974 and became Johnson Controls. Working at Ralph Penn's side was his brother Albert and more recently Ralph, Jr., or R.S., who was president and manager when the company was sold. It has plants in California, Milwaukee, Argentina and the Netherlands.

were discovered. The reporter was told that the meeting was an executive session el the Building Commission and not a public meeting, but since the commission forgot to give advance notice of the meeting, the reporter concluded it must be a public meeting. Since this is a small community where most everyone knows everyone else and people tend to deal more informally with each other we merely asked the reporter to cooperate in not publishing certain information. The information concerned potential litigation which may involve the town and was a proper subject for the executive session. What we received instead of his cooperation was the article written, admittedly not by him. but by the “Sports Writer.” (As a point of information, this sports writer was not in attendance at the meeting.) Consider for a moment just what ft was that these people were so surreptitiously doing. They had the audacity to meet to discuss certain cases of alleged violations of the Town’s Building Ordinance. Now consider the major thrust of your sarcastic article printed under the guise of news. Your complaint is that the town officials are not doing anything about the unsafe houses. As a point of fact, the Building Commission is trying to remedy the problem of unsafe buildings aS best it can under the law. Private property is protected under the law and cannot be taken on whim. The Building Commission is not comprised of full time employees but with volunteers working for a better community. Instead of getting cooperation from the very people who are most vocal about these properties, they 'get sarcastic harassment and the public gets misinformation. I am always interested to read the quotes you attribute to me. I enjoy fiction. In this particular instance I did not, as you say. pick a date for a public hearing to address the Davidhizar properties and then ask the reporter not to publish that date. (Which by the way you erroneously quoted as April 7) The Commission did set a date, ( which by the way was not April 7th.) to hear any objections from a particular property owner to an order he received from them. The article claims I made this request as a result of fear that a property owner would have too much advance notice to prepare his arsenal. A “ludicrous thought” the reporter notes, (and who am I to argue with someone who thinks he can read minds?) but I did not express any such thing. True, the Building Commission may not be handling its cases to the satisfaction of your paper, but that is not the function of the Commission. However, it is also possible, and very probable from your article, that .the reporter does not fully understand the ordinance he so desperately wants enforced. As for his comments that Mr. Davidhizar is chuckling in his Lazyboy and that the town has let him go, it should be noted that the Commission is not organized to attack Mr. Davidhizar or any other individual. The Commission is concerned with the safety and welfare of the community and in particular with unsafe buildings. The building in your photo has been deemed unsafe by the Commission who duly issued an order to the owner to vacate the building and make repairs. I doubt the owner is chuckling in his Lazyboy when he considers the lost rental income from the vacant property. The Milford Board of Trustees, the Building Commission and the Press are not supposed to be adversaries and I truly believe there are many people who would appreciate it if your paper would stop treating them as the enemy. Cordially. William O. Leemon Milford Town Attorney (EDITOR’S NOTE: The title “Sports Writer'' was inadvertently placed under the editorial byline mentioned above. Huffman, who occasionally writes sports copy, is a news reporter for The Mail-Journal.)

•—■» ■■ , Sesquicentennial Memories ■ •* 11 — M - 11 . ■ . v *\ JL / J 1 ? 1 . . ' ■■ . '. ■ ' . • •( ~ ’ ’ ' i ■ -a? ' . * , 1 11 life J Jfi nLfM IM IB 7? b if! " .mBIImiIHBIHMR IWi —■ ™ The Grand Hotel and Restaurant

This is a photo taken of the Grand Hotel a’nd Restaurant. The 1936 vintage auto to the right helps date the photo in the the late 19305. The Grand Hotel was located in the building which is now at the intersection of Main and Huntington Streets and houses Interior’s By Design and Tim Yeager Photo Studio. The Grand Hotel sign boasted that its operation was of the European plan, serving special meals and having modern rooms. Notice the “Mail Pouch" thermometer just above the loafer benches. It could easily be checked for the day's temperature. The corner signpost, in front of the hotel, gives directions to Lake Wawasee, Sargent Hotel. Spink Wawasee and golf course. The state road sign on the light

Hope for scleroderma Dear Editor: I am contacting you r newspaper because since childhood I have suffered from a rare, debilitating and potentially fatal disease called scleroderma. Not only did I feel frustrated and alone growing up, but to complicate matters, my mother .recently came down with this devastating disease. In our search for answers and support we eventually located the United Scleroderma Foundation. Not only did we receive informa-,, tion. w'e received a renewed "hope" that we were no longer alone. We learned that this disease affects some 700,000 people and that President Ronald Reagan declared the second week of June, 1987, as National Scleroderma Awareness Week. I’m so thrilled to no longer feel isolated that I want to shout from the rooftops so others won’t have to suffer alone as I did these last 40 years. Please make your readers aware of USF. Inc., P.O. Box 350. Watsonville, Calif. 95077. Their, toll-free number, 800-722-HOPE says it all. They have information and answers 1 never believed existed. Thank you for your assistance. Barbara Wolniakowski Support appreciated Dear Editor: I would personally like to thank Mark Huffman on his wonderfully written article about the 112 E. Fourth St. property. Support like this is greatly appreciated by neighbors surrounding this property. This is the same support which is needed by this neighborhood, and not being received from our town officials. The board is so concerned about keeping litter picked up off Main Street and junk cars but not about Mr. Davidhizar and his properties. Why, my goodness, the town is bringing Mr. Davidhizar in again and telling.him what a bad boy he has been once more! Pretty soon Mr. Davidhizar will be charging the town for gas for all the worthless trips here. Maybe if the town saves up these charges they can use them to pay his property taxes. Well, residents of Milford, you can see who our town board officials and attorney care about! It is certainly not about the residents of Milford, but one devious landlord — Mr. Ron Davidhizar. Well, just a note to our town board, the residents surrounding the 112 E. Fourth St. property will not give up on this fight. The kind of repairs that needed to be done on this property needs to be done with a bulldozer. Sincerely, Diane May Milford

Dear Editor: Wake up! Do not ignore it! Do not pretend it is not happening! Do not assume someone else will "take care of it!" Form your opinions and express them! It is your right as a taxpayer in this school system to have a say in the destiny of schools and where your children will go. More importantly. if the locations of the schools (junior high or middle schools) change, what will the impact be on the communities? As a taxpayer in this school system. lam grateful ( I think >to have as a' superintendent, a man of Dr. Thornton’s caliber and credentials. This should be a welcome asset since the last superintendent’s stormy demise. I also realize the superintendent’s job, immediately and in the future, will be a tremendous challenge in order to face some of the demographic and academic problems of today! However, something is not in sync with the methods by which some of these problems are being addressed and possibly solved (or at least, it appears this way). A number of people have expressed concern about the future of our ■ school system and more recently, about the “hush, hush" or "closet meetings" that are being held at various levels. If these are. in fact, closed door meetings, then someone needs his/her hands slapped. You are talking about our consolidated school systems, our school children, our tax dollars and our communities! I realize much input is needed, many conflicts must be addressed. and any decisions may have many repercussions! This issue is even worse than the proverbial “Double Edge Sword.”. I would like for the citizens and taxpayers of the Milford and North Webster areas to think about the following items and then come up with what you feel are the proper answers! Express your opinions at the school board meetings! 1. Are you being properly represented by your area school board official? (You elected them!) 2. Is the cheapest solutions necessarily the least expensive? (“Penny wise and dollar foolish”) 3. What will be the long-term effects if we lose our middle schools from our communities? 4. Will the community in general suffer grave losses? 5. Is Syracuse necessarily the best location for a middle school? You realize the three communities form a triangle and Syracuse is not the geographic center! 6. Could it be possible for North Webster or Milford to lose businesses, populations and hence, tax base, if a middle school is built miles away? 7. What would be the attraction to live in the North Webster or Milford community if your children had to travel upwards of 25 miles each day for seven or

pole points out the old route of highway 13. The highway went east on Main Street to the public pier and turned left, passing through a dump, which'is now Lakeside Park. It then went straight north to the county line where the road jogged west, then north and over Cranberry Hill. . . ■ This photo is from the files of the Syracuse Public Library. If anyone has past photos of Syracuse or can give further information on the Grand Hotel and Restaurant, may contact the Syracuse office of The Mail-Journal. 103 East Main St., at 457-3666.

Wake up, North Webster

eight years, not to mention any extra curricular events? Wake up. people! This is real and it is happening, right before your very eyes! We wish Dr. Thornton and all

Dear Editor: Since its introduction into the legislature, the A+ Program for Better Schools has met with many objections to the 31 initiatives the proposal recommends. Most notable are the reactions to the extension of the school year by ten days. Reactions to this part of the A + Program center around those who say that "more of the same won't solve the problem." Admittedly. this is a natural, first reaction. if people don’t understand the reasons why the proposals have been made. In response to those people concerned with quality, who say "more of the same won’t solve the problem" perhaps they should listen to what they are saying. These people have the same dissatisfaction with the current educational system that could make them proponents of the A+ Program This is because the A+ Program also argues that we cannot continue with things as they are. The A+ Program proposes a

How America is being deceived

Dear Editor: This federal catastrophic health plan drafted by Health and Human Service Secretary Otis Bowen is a deception and a major set back for Reagan’s conservative agenda because it is a welcome mat for Congress to enact the socialized medicine. Key { facts about socialized medicine are: 1. It puts a tremendous cost on’ our government. 2. It lowers the quality of health care to all kinds of society. 3. Socialized medicine makes the danger of a state monopoly over health care. We need only to observe this

xiwanwa’rcMX "The Great Buffet" "%) Hna-Pten-Pim With Soup & Salad Bar S-gr-, Jk SIMMTS TOO! [ VA f JUI-UCan-Eat 1 45T-TI6I / <wr 0 |

Wed., April 8,1987 — THE MAIL-JOURNAL

school officials well in their most difficult challenges ahead. Please keep us posted and let us offer our input. Our communities’ welfare could be at

The A4- Program

complete school year in which children in every Indiana school system would be expected to meet certain standards. And because the program requires mandatory testing and public access to test results, we would know if our kids need help, while there is still time to help them. This is only one small example of how the A+ Program for Better Schools seeks to make the educational system accountable to taxpayers. What has become clear, given the various reactions to and attacks on the A+ Program, is the willingness of people to judge the program based only on its individual components, not considering the impact of the total plan. It is for this reason that a small group of concerned citjzens have joined together to form Hoosiers for Better Schools. Many of us are businessmen, who see education as an important infrastructure for economic development, but also realize education is a key to cultural and intellectual development as well.

socialized medicine system in the Soviet Union where the slave works are deprived of even cold remedies but the government officials get the most advanced medical care. That is the Soviet Union’s socialized medicine at its worst. Even handicapped Soviet citizens have be on a waiting list for a year or more for a wheelchair. Chronic shortages of medical supplies force doctors to reuse intravenous needles, scalpels and syringes, causing rampant infection among hospital patients. Their ministry of health consists of hospitals, sanitariums, and clinics, available only to the

stake. Respectfully. Charles A. Lawrance North Webster

And it is because Hoosiers for Better Schools fully endorses the A+ Program for Better Schools that hundreds of other concerned citizens have joined with us to support positive changes in our 4educational system. Hoosiers for Better Schools encourages more people to accept the responsibility we all have to plan for the future and to write their legislators or call 1-800-SCHOOLS to support a plan which will provide benefits for all of Indiana, for generations to come. Respectfully. Tom Binford. Chairman Hoosiers for Better Schools Indianapolis John Hillenbrand. Secretary — Batesville Greg Schenkel, Treasurer — Indianapolis Tom. Miller, Vice-Chairman — Indianapolis lan Rolland, Vice-Chairman — Fort Wayne Ernestine Raclin. Vice-Chairman — South Bend

Communist party elite. It Soviet citizens need these services, they must bribe the nurses and doctors to get even the minimal care. The elderly are afraid to even try these unsanitary, poorly run services. In addition, they are very short of beds and may have to lie on an improvised mattress on the floor. Also, the patient's friends or relatives must provide their own meals. Say “no" to social medicine. (From American Sentenial Issue #404) Sincerely. Byron Ulrich

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