The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 25, Milford, Kosciusko County, 5 August 1987 — Page 4

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., August 5,1987

Editorial

No one talks cost. Why not?

The main issue that is foremost on the minds of residents of the Wawasee School Corporation at the present time, pertains to the resolution of the junior high school problem. This debate is being widely discussed in coffee houses, across bridge tables, almost anywhere school patrons congregate. The “school issue” has indeed become the pre-eminent issue of the moment. One thing that disturbs this writer is the cost of the superintendent’s two rural junior high schools plan. In the terms of one we heard, “It’ll cost a bundle. You can bet on that.” But this “bundle” could be any amount one conjures up in his own mind. We know for sure it costs money to build school buildings and their many and varied appurtenances, with much of these costs, like athletic fields, architects and attorney’s fees, hidden. But think of this for a moment. The new junior high school at Milford, was built in 1981 at a cost $4.5 million. Isn’t it reasonable to expect a new larger rural junior high to serve Milford and Syracuse, and another to serve North Webster and Syracuse, each to cost well over twice the $4.5 million? Inflation factored into this equation would make it seem reasonable. * We feel the superintendent’s letter to the editor last week, stating it would cost about $1 million more to build two middle schools in the country than building a middle school for Syracuse and one for North Webster in their home communities is unrealistic. It shows a lack of knowledge on real building costs. It’s not to be overlooked that a free-standing school in the countryside would need its own septic system, water supply, and round-the-clock security. In the case of the new Milford junior high, this facility tapped onto Milford city water and sewer systems. That won’t be the case with these countryside schools. It’s reasonable to State that no one can accurately project the cost of even one of these proposed schools until he sees the plans and has something definitive on which to base his estimate. We’ve heard estimates for a single such school ranging from $7 to sl4 million. One figure could be low, the other high. A former school board member, who claims to have tracked school construction costs, thinks the school corporation cannot expect to get out of spending at least $lO million for each of these schools. What do you think? It’s a bit frightening when one thinks of spending some S2O million for new schools, and to learn just last week that the school budget proposal of $10 r 2 million is up $1 million over the current budget. How long is it going to take the corporation to retire such an expenditure? At what rate of interest? And will the present superintendent and school board members be in place when the rest of us are struggling to meet the overburdening budgets handed us? Two weeks ago, in an editorial in this space, we decried what we called “a curtain of silence” as administrators and teachers clammed up and refused to inject their valued personal opinions on the issues. We think this silence, forced or otherwise, is wrong and we said so. Then last week we took on the issue again,, calling the twoschool plan “expensive, unwise.” When one considers that a good share of the Milford school, a facility with a six-year-old junior high addition, will stand largely unused, the plan looks all the more unwise. We’re told the Milford elementary classes will move into the junior high building, and this may be; then the elementary classrooms will become vacant! The considerable group in all four corporate townships are voicing the “home community school” point of view — thinking 11-, 12-, 13-, and 14-year-old children are better served in their home environment. This vocal group wants Syracuse and Turkey Creek Township to have a new junior high school. Milford is OK as it is; and within a few short years a new school should be built or the present school rebuilt at North Webster. This point of view is making more sense all the time as this very large construction cost figure looms ahead. If you are in agreement, plan to attend the school board meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 11. A.E.B.

Picture this . . .

Uncle Joe hasn’t been feeling well. He has been urged to see a doctor and says he’ll do it tomorrow. Suddenly, without warning he passes out. You go to the telephone and dial 658-4172. No Answer! Little Johnny and his sister Susie are playing in the early evening hours. Suddenly you hear them scream and go running. Johnny has fallen out of a tree and is lying quietly on the ground. He does not respond to anything. You dial 658-4172. No Answer! Two cars collide. People are seriously injured. Someone calls the police. Someone else dials 658-4172. No Answer! Why no answer at 658-4172? Because people did not care enough to help and those who did volunteer found there was no way they could handle the job alone. They tried. They even asked for help. Some responded and said they would help. Others didn’t want to get involved. The Milford Emergency Medical Service is seeking help, and if they can t find others to join them they will be forced to close up shop. Not because they want to, but because a volunteer can only give so much time to helping others. These people all have to earn a living, too. They have slated a meeting for 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, in the Milford Community Building with Pat Gaume from the Goshen Hospital as speaker. In a letter to the editor in last week’s Mail-Journal, Rich Rhodes, an EMT, stated, “There is no way that seven or eight people can keep an organization needing 25 people running smoothly and efficiently.” He asked people to picture a severe car wreck in Milford. The victims wait and wait and wait for an ambulance... His letter is good. It’s to the point. It is a plea for help. If you didn’t have a chance to read it please do so now. It was on page 5 of the July 29 issue. It says it better than we can. All we can say is that if people don’t answer the call and volunteer to help... there will be no answer at 658-4172 in the future.

Start EMTs answer accident calls. What if there were no EMTs?

Court news_>

Circuit Court The following petitions have been filed in Kosciusko Circuit Court, Judge Richard Sand presiding: Complaint On Real Estate Mortgage Commercial Term Note And To Foreclose Real Estate Mortgage And For Replevin Lake City Bank versus Gary A. Miniear and Mallory V. Miniear, doing business as Miniear Flower and Gift Shop, r 2 box 223, Leesburg. The plaintiff is seeking judgment in the amount of $91,191.62 plus possession of collateral, attorney’s fees and all costs of action. Complaint On Account Hilti, Inc. versus Dick LeCount, doing business as LeCount Construction, r 1 box 251, Leesburg The plaintiff is seeking judgment in the amount of $1,079.31 plus interest to date of judgment, attorney's fees and all costs of action. County Court The following persons have paid fines and costs in Kosciusko County Court, Judge James Jarrette presiding: Illegal consumption — Paying SB9 were: Jason Matthew Kramer, 16, Leesburg; Jeffrey Paul Taylor, 19, Leesburg. Speeding — Paying S6B were: Charles W. Dippon, 16, Milford; Roy Wiley, 23, North Webster; Barbara Darr, 22, North Webster. Paying $65 was Robin L. Stucko, 20, Leesburg. Paying $53 were: Joe A. Robin son, 33, Leesburg; Kevin L. Koher, 28, Milford; Mark W /"Mast, 19, Syracuse. No motorcycle endorsement — Paying $53 were: David B. Galbraith, 19, Syracuse; Hugh A Yoder, 21, Leesburg. Operating in excess of 10 miles per hour after sunset — Richard K. Ganser, 25, Syracuse, S7O. False registration — Paying $53 were: Eddie Jeffries, 40, Milford; William D. Hull, 19, North Webster (2 citations), Expired trailer registration — Robert W. Williamson, 40, Leesburg, $53 Operating with expired license — Sandra J. Gonzalez, 21, Leesburg, $53. County Court Goshen Division The following fines plus court costs have levied and paid in Elkhart County Court, Goshen Division: Speeding — Martin J. Shearer, 27, Syracuse, $63; Isaac Cantu. 30, Syracuse, $63; Lamar R. Stoops, 58, Warsaw, $63; Donald L. Pletcher, 28, Syracuse, S6B; Thomas A. Kuemmel, 44, Syracuse, SSB; Bradley E Donahoe, 57, Syracuse, $56; David L. Knispel, 26, Syracuse, SSB, John E. Gardner, Jr., 55, Milford, $63 Expired plate — Steve R. Pippenger, 31, Milford, $54 City Court The following fine has been levied and paid in the Goshen City Court: Speeding — Dawn M. Cavender, 17, Syracuse, S6B Small Claims The following judgments, plus costs, have been awarded in Small Claims Division, Kosciusko County Court, Judge James Jarrette presiding: Collection Bureau of Warsaw versus Marilyn L. Elam; defendant ordered to pay $127.34 plus costs. Speed Sport versus Jerry Myers and Judy Myers; defendants ordered to pay $543.25 plus costs. Warsaw Girls Softball League versus Linda L. Taylor; defendant ordered to pay $154.50 plus costs. Desmond Jackson versus Jim mie Bartley; defendant ordered to pay S4OO plus costs. Lite Breeze Mobile Home Park versus Kevin Trump; defendant ordered to pay $822 plus costs. Donald E. Gibson versus Lester Booher; defendant ordered to pay $450 plus costs.

Shamrock Mobile Home Park versus Joseph Condinho; defendant ordered to pay $1,030 plus costs. Roberta Edmundson Rose, M.D., Inc. versus Ryan Hatfield; defendant ordered to pay $70.40 plus costs. Robert K. Rawlings versus Dan Mock; defendant ordered to pay $157 plus costs. S. Schwab Company, Inc. versus Vance Lindy, doing business as Kids Port; defendant ordered to pay $1,666.31 plus costs. Betty J. Smith versus Raymond M. Oliver; defendant ordered to pay $270 plus costs. Phyllis Gerstner, assigned to Jodi Kleeman, versus Jay Heinrich; defendant ordered to pay $474.43 plus costs. Pierceton Elementary School has received judgments, plus costs, against the following persons: Jerry H. and Dalecarlia Warner, $89.90; Tommy and Lulu Burkett, $37.27; Ronald Lindzy, $28.42; Virgil and Paula Ann Rowe, $23.18; Cindy Robertson, $65.88; Larry and Lori Fields, $15.88; Tim and Debbie Richardson, $39 88; Margaret Reed, $37.27; Ronnie and Angie ■ Peconga, $64.81; Tamara L. Reid, $25.37; Donald and Deborah Landis, $38.52; Howard and Michele Johnson. $74.29; Bob and Rhonda Hurt, $45.51; Amos and Pamela Hale, $152.74; Kitty Dye, $44.37; Carol Coleman, $15.11; William and Brenda Baldridge. $56.21. Superior Court The following petitions have been filed in Kosciusko Superior Court, Judgei Robert Burner presiding: I Compluilft Wawasee Service Center versus James D. Fletcher, Mid Lakes Trailer Court, North Webster. The plaintiff is seeking judgment against the defendant for the sum of S6OO plus all costs of action. Marriage Licenses The following couples have applied for marriage licenses in the office of Kosciusko County Clerk Jeanne Weirick: Badskey-McDaniel Scott Lee Badskey, 22, P.O. Box 202 North Webster, and Christine Ann McDaniel, 22, r 5 box 136, Syracuse Hovermale-Pence Matthew Bryan Hovermale, 31, Marion, and Kathy Ann Pence, 30, P.O. Box 403 North Webster J ackson-Meadows Brad Lee Jackson, 24, r 1 Syracuse, and Tracy Annette Meadows, 23, Goshen McGinnis-Heppner Patrick Oland McGinnis, 21, r 3 Syracuse, and Penny Sue Heppner, 16, r 2 box 502, Syracuse Marriage Dissolutions The following couples have fil ed for marriage dissolutions in Kosciusko Superior and Circuit Courts: Wright — Laura L. Wright, r 3 box 472, Syracuse, and Gregory H. Wright, Bradenton, Fla. The couple was married Sept. 22, 1984, and separated June 1, 1986. There is one minor child. THE MAIL-JOURNAL (U.S.P S. 3258 4000) Published by the Mail Journal 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 Mail Journal, P.O. Box 188, Milford, Indiana 46542 \°\ / \ D

"CRUZIN AROUND 'CUSE"

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THIS PHOTO should tell you something. It will show you, for example, how the Northern Indiana Public Service Company brought its electrical service to your home when the company was in its infancy. When this* photo was taken a lot of people were driving cars and trucks of like vintage. NIPSCO is marking August 2 as the 75th anniversary it has been an Indiana corporation, and provided us with this early photo as a “back when” example of how the company struggled in its infancy, when a lot of homes were without electricity — something all of us take for granted today. Since this early beginning, NIPSCO has gone into the gas business, and this service has become a major thing in bringing clear, clean heating service into our homes and places of business. All of us in this northern Indiana area use NIPSCO’s services, and it might be a time we can tip our hat to the folks who bring us these vital services. We had a good example of what NIPSCO means to us, when the storm swept through the area last Wednesday afternoon and evening, causing considerable damage and a loss of electrical power to a lot of homes and industry. NIPSCO linemen were right on the job in restoring service with little or no fanfare. That’s the way they are accustomed to doing it — and that’s the way we like it. PAUL AND Lois Royer, longtime North Webster residents and teachers in that community s schools, left Tuesday of this week for Alberta. Canada, where they will spend about three weeks. Mrs. Royer, the former Lois Monagle, is a native of Consort, Alberta, a town founded 75 years ago when the new Canadian railroad ran through that area. They plan to visit relatives in Alberta, then visit their daughter, Joan Ann Kerksiek, her husband and two children, Kristen, 13, and Kim, 12, at Strasburg, Colorado. They plan to leave November 24 of this year for South America where they will visit Peru, Argentina, and Brazil. Paul Royer taught science in North Webster High School and Lois taught first grade for many years. They both retired in 1978, and have enjoyed themselves since then with many trips similar to those mentioned above. —o— IF YOU were a guest Monday night at Gropp’s Famous Fish of Stroh and wondered who the 20-odd beefy men were, all having a good time, we can help you out. They were members of the Pan Am running team that is covering Indiana to raise some SIIO,OOO for the new Riley Children’s Trauma Center, which is associated with Riley Children’s Hospital at Indianapolis. The group arrived in Milford late Monday afternoon, coming that day from Fort Wayne, west on US 30 to Warsaw, then north on Indiana 15. They spent the night at Camp Alexander Mack, according to Don Arnold, Kiwanis Lt. Governor in charge of this portion of the statewide run. Herschel Wells of Syracuse is owner of Gropp’s Famous Fish of Stroh and is president of the 42-member Wawasee Kiwani?Club. —O’JACK AND Jenny Oswald are expected home on Friday, the 7th, from a quickie trip to Alaska. They left Fort Wayne last Friday by air from Fort Wayne for a non-stop flight to Anchorage, Alaska, and planned to visit a number of sights and cities in the 49th state before returning to the States, via Vancouver, British Columbia, on a cruise ship. The return trip from Washington home will be by air. —o— TERESA VANGUNDY, secretary at the North Webster school, has informed this column of the registration for 3rd, 4th and sth students on Friday, Aug. 14, for the fall term. Time for registration will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. She states all new students or students who could not register at the regular time can do so from 4 to 7 p.m. on states, that parents knojr they can register from 4 to 7 p.m. if they miss the 8 to 4 time frame. DON KIME, former pastor and erstwhile naturalist, received a pleasant surprise on July 25 when he observed his 79th birthday. Parishioners of the Plymouth Trinity United Methodist Church, where he pastored for eight years in the mid-19505, mailed him 49 Happy Birthday cards. Don said he was “delighted” that they remembered him this way. PROFANITY IN public places is becoming a problem in this age of new-found freedoms. And it is a topic being discussed more and more. It is especially so where restaurants have an open bar One local owner/manager of a restaurant

said, “This is the reason I’ll never own a place with an open bar.” A quick survey of owners of these establishments leads one to think this is an accepted way of life today, while others say it is the job of management to tap an offender on the shoulder and suggestively put a finger across his lips. “They get the message quick enough," is the way one tavern owner put it. SHARON BATSELA, of 212 East Pear) Street, Syracuse, called her tour of duty at the Special Olympics at South Bend “Just fantastic . . . overwhelming . . . touching and inspiring . . . you just have to see it to believe it. ” Sharon and her husband Ed, a physics teacher at the Acme Institute of Technology at South Bend, worked the games Saturday, Sunday and Monday night and will be back on the Notre Dame campus Friday night. The games have drawn international attention, inasmuch as participants from some 90-odd foreign countries have flown to South Bend to participate. Sharon and her husband are Syracuse EMT members and are working as medical personnel. Their daughter Wanda and her husband, Scott Brown, 225 West Portland St.. Syracuse, have also been helping at the games, “as go-fers. ’ ’ Sharon said one disappointing thing is that about 50 percent of the volunteers failed to show up for the games. " —o— IT’S ALWAYS good to receive get-well cards when one is a hospital patient. No exception to this is Phyllis Brown of County Road 35 north of Syracuse, recovering from open heart surgery at Memorial Hospital, South Bend. Mrs. Brown, mother of Joe Brown of County Line Road and Kaye (Mrs. Don) McCulloch, underwent open heart surgery last Tuesday. July 28 and would be happy to receive cards from her many area friends. —o—- * . A NICE note from Dale Sprague of 8781 Tlewey Drive, Garden Grove, Calif. 92641, about the recent Syracuse sesquicentennial celebration. Dale continued the family lumber and coal business on the west side of South Huntington Street, next to the railroad tracks, founded in 1914 by his dad. Dale writes that he scanned all the publicity surrounding the week-long events, then wrote, “No one ever mentioned the businesses on South Huntington like the following. Syracuse Lumber & Coal Co.,'Wm. Snavely Coal Co., Jim Traster Saw Mill, Jack Wright Grocery Store and Disher Grain & Feed.” All we can say in defense of the spade work done by the Sesquicentennial Committee is that history does have away of — “THEY CALL ’em ‘dog days’, Jjpt I’m not sure why.” This statement was heard during the past week when temperatures ranged in the high 80s and low 90s. That’s a good question, one we were unable to answer. But all our "young lives” we were sure dog days referred to the hot summer days and nights. Anyone care to take a shot at answering this one? —o— OUR LITTLE piece last week about people coming into their own as octogenarians and nonagenarians, was enough to raise some eyebrows and to suggest several others, as follows: Grandma Moses didn’t become an artist until she was 76; she finished her last canvas shortly before she died at 101. Albert 11, Gordon, Harvard class of 1923, ran his first marathon in 1982 at the age of 80. When he turned 65, Jack LaLanne towed 65 boats filled with three tons of cargo for a mile through Japan’s Lake Hakone. Charles deGauile held office until age 78, and Winston Churchill retained power until he was 80. William J. Moore, educator and son of a slave, celebrated his 100th birthday recuperating from injuries sustained during a recent tennis game. Dr. Paul Spangler won an over-80 Masters indoor competition in 1981, clocking a sevenminute mile, at the age of 84. „ SOURCES: I Life Span Plus. S.S. Miller. J A Miller & DE Miller MacMillan. 1986 2 Complementary Medicine. Nov./Dee 1986 I The La Costa Prescription for Long Life. R P Smith & P Quillm Fawcett. 1985 4 Ibid. 5 Time. April 28. 1986 6 Associated Press Feb 5. 1985. 7 Life Span Plus 8 Longevity. K Pelletier Dell I9S1: 9. Life Span Plus to. Ibid. 11 Longevity. K Pelletier 12 Vital Maturity: Living Longer and Belter. M Puner. Universe Books. 1979 U. Life Span Plus 14 Ibid