The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 20, Milford, Kosciusko County, 1 July 1987 — Page 62

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., July 1,1987

New town hall for Syracuse

The public was invited to an open house at the new Syracuse Town Hall on Sunday, June 1, 1986. Visitors were greeted by town and township officials and given a tour of the new facility. Board member Bill Hess com-

Fireworks on July 3 and 4

To help celebrate the Syracuse Sesquicentennial, there will be two firework displays this year, one Friday, July 3, and the other on Saturday, July 4. The Syracuse Fireworks will be on Friday, July 3, after 9:30 p.m., at Lakeside Park, Syracuse. John Kroh, chairman of the event, stated this year’s display will be another good show and last approximately 20-25 minutes. The fireworks at Lakeside Park have been a tradition since the end of World War 11. Donations are being accepted towards this year’s display, and

What's Cookin? Syracuse's Sesquicentennial! 69ODLUCK! Dal Mar Catering 1054 W. Market NAPPANEE 773-3012

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mented, “Looking back over past years, this is like a palace to be in.” The open house was the culmination of several years of concerns and decisions by town board members and their

contributions may be made to the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce. To help celebrate the sesquicentennial, the biggest and best firework display in Indiana will be fired off Saturday, July 4, at 9:30 p.m. on Lake Wawasee. This show will last about 30 minutes, and will be even more spectacular than last year’s display. Labeled the “Big Bang Boom” it can be viewed from boats on the lake, from almost anyplace on the shoreline, and can even be seen from more distant places because of the extreme height the

associates. The project dated back to December, 1977, when an agreement was signed with Syracuse Rubber Company to buy the old building which stood where the town hall is now located.

shells will attain. Boaters must maintain a safe distance from the firing platforms, which will be large barges anchored in the middle of the lake. The lake patrol boats will help maintain this safe distance, and there will be a circle of flashing amber marker buoys to mark the safety zone. v Funds for the fireworks display are being raised by the "Big Bang Boom” committee, whose members are Tom Tuttle, Mike Umbaugh, Paul Phillabaum and John Kroh.

Mini-Grand Prix July 11

The Indiana Mini-Grand Prix Championships will be held on Syracuse Lake at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 11, in conjunction with the Syracuse Sesquicentennial Celebration. This race is sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association and top drivers are expected to participate. Racers will have a triangular course, set up within viewing sight of Lakeside Park, and be approximately three-fourths of a mile in length. The total event will last approximately three hours. There will be six heats. The first heat consisting of a minigrand prix on a closed course and lasting 15 minutes. The second heat will be for Sport “C”, also on a closed course and lasting 15 minutes. The third and fourth heats are similar to heats one and two. In the fifth heat it will be the Mini-Grand Prix spring race lasting one-half hour and in the

Over 100 employed by Sandusky Cement Co.

One of the greatest boom events in the history of Syracuse, according to some older residents, was the location in town of the Sandusky Portland Cement plant around 1900. This plant was located at the foot of Medusa Street along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at what was then the southeast edge of Syracuse. The operation was located here to dredge marl from the bottom of Wawasee Lake. Marl was a primary ingredient in the manufacture of Portland cement. It was dredged from the bottom of the lake with scoops and draglines on barges and taken to the “Slip,” known in recent years as ‘Macy’s Wawasee Slip.” The marl was taken from there to the plant on a standard gauge railroad which ran parallel to Old SR 13, now Ken Harkless Drive. This track was owned by the

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From then until April 30, 1985, when Board President Carl Myrick turned the first shovel of dirt at> a groundbreaking • ceremony, there were many special meetings held and many decisions made. In April, 1981, a legal ruling for Syracuse Rubber, Inc. ordered the Town of Syracuse to pay $104,954, including interest, for the building. In June, 1982, the decision was made to tear down the old building and build a new town hall. Contracts were signed and the old building was razed in July, 1982. As plans progressed, opponents of the plan attended many town board meetings, which became lengthy and often stormy. Vocal leaders of this group were Joe Todd and Ernie Rogers. The town board stood firm and finally accepted construction bids on January 29,1985. The building was first occupied in December, 1985. It had a total cost of $843,884.74, including construction, original land and building, lawsuit settlement, old

sixth heat, it will be the Sport “C” spring race also lasting one-half hour. Racing isn’t all spectators will see. There will be a demonstration on radio controlled boat racing and a drive-by exhibition of modified class hydroplane boats. At the conclusion of the race, drivers will be awarded points, trophies and prize money. Participants in the day’s event will launch their craft from the Syracuse Lake Boat Launch at Henry Ward Park, and drive the boats, to Syracuse Lakeside Park. A parking area for trailers and towing vehicles have been secured away from Henry Ward Park. Assistance in this event will be given by the Wawasee Lake Patrol in keeping unauthorized persons out of the race course area and helping if an emergency arises.

Syracuse and Milford Railroad. Everett Ketering, lifetime Syracuse resident, said this spur was known as the “mud line” when he was growing up in Syracuse. Ketering said his father, Walter Ketering, worked in the early 1900 s at the cement plant, which employed well over 100 people. The cement plant operated in Syracuse until about 1920. Some say the plant closed because the marl ran out. However, Wiley “Bill” Spurgeon, who was guest speaker at the recent Syracuse mayor’s banquet, said in a 1980 Mail-Journal article that its demise was for two reasons. Wawasee began to develop as a residential lake and citizens began protesting the dredging. Also, new technology was developed that used limestone instead of marl in making cement.

building and foundation removal and architect fees. The Syracuse Town Hall, in addition to providing offices for the town board, clerk-treasurer, police department and board meeting room, provides quarters for the Turkey Creek Township Assessor’s office and the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce. Winter Carnival started 8 years ago The Winter Carnival was begun again eight years ago by an active group of local merchants who were looking for away to liven up a historically “dead” time of the year. The two-day event is still scheduled each year on the last full weekend in January. While most events take place at Lakeside Park on the north side of Syracuse Lake, some occur at other places such as Wawasee High School, Maxweßon Golf Course and even the streets of Syracuse if there is enough snow to hold the Snowtilla Parade. Activities normally include sledding, ice skating, snowmobile contests for adults and children, kiddy pedal pull, softball tournament, snowmobile drags and enduro races, cross country ski races, snowtilla parade of decorated snowmobiles, bonfire, winter dance, food and fireworks. The carnival is sponsored by the chamber of commerce, with local clubs and organizations committed to coordinating specific events. It is truly a community activity. Occasionally, as in the past two winters, carnival planners have had some anxious weather watch duties. To have all the planned events go as scheduled requires enough snow for snowmobiles, good strong ice on Syracuse Lake and normal cold winter weather. Syracuse EMS started with six people The Syracuse Emergency Medical Service (EMS) was started in 1972 in conjunction with the Syracuse Fire Department, with John Connolly as its first captain. Initially six people attended a class fortemergency medical technicians at Huntington College. Then six more people were trained at a class in North Webster. The first new ambulance was purchased in 1976. Prior to that the EMS crews used the fire department equipment truck for emergency runs. This vehicle is still equipped and used as backup if the ambulance is out on a run and a second call comes to dispatch. Connolly said that in those early years accident and illness victims were transported by Charles Harris Ambulance Service. When that service was no longer available, Syracuse and Turkey Creek Township had no recourse but to buy an ambulance A second ambulance has been ordered and will be put into service before the 1987 Fourth of July holiday weekend. The former EMS captain said that a person has to be very dedicated to the job of helping people to work in EMS. “There is a lot of sacrifice to the job,” he said. “Experiences can be very upsetting if an accident or illness victim proves to be a friend or relative.” He added, that some runs get quite interesting, with the EMTs ending up in the middle of a family dispute or convincing an upset person to secure counselling on a problem.