The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 27, Milford, Kosciusko County, 19 August 1987 — Page 4

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL —Wed., August 19,1987

Editorial

Three schools still make sense The middle school debate goes on, and the longer it does, the more sense the three middle school plan makes.In our view, this is the one way to settle bur dilemma, and settle it at the least cost. This was also the preferred view of the committee representing the Wawasee Property Owners’ Association. The committee asked for a month’s extension at the public meeting a week ago and was denied. Later, they were granted this public meeting. At the public meeting at the high school auditorium Tuesday night were five property owner members making their case. They were Mike Umbaugh, Lake Wawasee resident and Milford motor home manufacturer; Bill Beemer, Lake Wawasee resident and manufacturers’ representative; Tom Tuttle, owner of the South Shore Golf Club; James Caskey, Lake Wawasee resident and president of the State Bank of Syracuse; and Paul Phillabaum, Lake Wawasee resident and plant manager of Sea Nymph. Umbaugh served as their spokesman. Umbaugh made a studied and sober presentation, and stated his case well for three community schools, allowing that a second choice proposal would be to build a large school between Syracuse and North Webster, and leave the Milford school like it is.. This latter plan was explored from all angles and found to be unacceptable to both Milford and North Webster residents. It would deny these towns of their community autonomy in education. The Committee For Quality Education, which worked long and hard on the school problem and came up with a lengthy report which is reproduced in full on page 15 of this issue, stands pat on its communityschool proposal. Their view is that there’s no assurance of great population growth in the school corporation, as the school’s superintendent predicts. The trend is toward smaller schools all over the country. There were 978 signatures on petitions that favor the three-school plan, coming from all quarters of the school corporation with less than 100 signatures coming from the Wawasee Property Owners; not the 300 reported at this Tuesday night meeting. Umbaugh told the group the Wawasee Property Owners’ Association is most certainly concerned about rising taxes, as is the industry of the area. He said if rising taxes make our plants less competitive on the world market, and if they are forced to move out, we’ll find ourselves with school buildings we can’t fill and that will be difficult to pay for. Umbaugh also noted the importance of the lakes’ property owners who pick up a goodly share of the school tax load. “If it were not for them,” he stated, “your taxes would be a lot higher.” Board president Bill Little said the board was thankful for the meeting, hopeful that a common ground could be reached. The meeting a week ago was loaded for the two-school plan, quite obviously, and had a tinge of the snake oil salesmanship in its arguments. The three communities involved in the Wawasee School Corporation should be treated as equals, and the best way to do this is through the three separate middle schools. We can only repeat our recommendation of a week ago: That a new middle school be built at Syracuse on ground the corporation now owns, leave the Milford school like it is, and return the 100 or so Syracuse students to their home school (those now in the North Webster school). If and when the North Webster school becomes overcrowded, we can rebuild or build that community a new middle school on ground a private citizen has offered the corporation free of charge. If specialized classes for middle school students become a factor, those few students can be transferred for those classes. This is a practice being used all over the country. There’s nothing wrong with this plan that the people of all three communities cannot live with. And it will be by far the most economical plan. If the Wawasee Property Owners’ Association members are interested in saving tax dollars, they should buy this plan going away. And it would take the heat off the school board. Any other plan is bound to open wounds among the patrons of our school corporation that will be a long time healing. And none of us want this. — A E B Schoo/ board closes doors to public The Wawasee School Board members again found themselves on several people’s black list last week when they interrupted a public meeting to conduct a private caucus about a proposed delay for the controversial two middle school proposal. We ran an editorial on the Open Door Law and the gist of its meaning four months ago. Evidently, school board members kept their front doors closed when that day’s edition hit the newsstand — thus, we’ll refresh their memory, and instruct the mail carrier to make a little more noise during this week’s delivery. The Open Door Law went into effect in 1977, with amendments made effective Sept 1, 1979, calling for broad definition of public agencies; provisions for giving advance notice of, and making available information about, meetings; prohibitions on secret ballot votes and" holding executive sessions during meetings, and civil remedies for violation. While administrators from Wawasee notified board members that the brief caucus was illegal soon after it commenced, the public trust was already tested. Public figures have a responsibility to their public position — and that includes knowing the restraints provided by law. It’s hard to fathom a school board that’s making a decision about the future of our children that doesn’t know the law that bounds it. When running for a position on the school board, it would seem that an individual would feel obligated to educate himself about the office’s duties and about the public it serves. The Wawasee board is chaired by an 18-year member, yet this member led the contingent into private session on a public matter. Has he been avoiding the Open Door Law for its past nine years of existence or was this a one-time thing? The public will never know. While the law is viewed by several administering bodies as a tool the media takes advantage of, the law was outlined for the purpose of keeping the public informed. We, the press, just have the fortunate duty of making sure that this is done. Let’s say The Mail-Journal makes plans, behind closed doors, with the Milford Town Board to purchase town-owned land for the purpose of opening a liquor store. We’re sure school board members, and every other member of the community for that matter, would want to be made aware of those plans. We hope that this week’s editorial will help curb further closed meetings that are not held in accordance with the Open Door policy, and, just maybe, the school board will realize the benefit of wedging its doors a little further open. — MH

Court news

City Court The following fines have been levied and paid in the Goshen City Court: Disregarding automatic signal — Maricela Cantu, 17, Milford $63 FTA warrant (DWLS) — Kenneth L. Zollinger, 53, Syracuse, $l2B, 180 days in jail six months probation, pay user’s fees, obtain valid license County Court The following persons have paid fines and costs in Kosciusko County Court, Judge James Jarrette presiding: Speeding — Kip E. Tom, no age given, Leesburg, $53; Daniel L. Richcreek, 25, Milford, $53; Rich Griffith, 18, Syracuse, $53; Failure to yield — Roy Kern, 51, Syracuse, $53; Maricela Cantu, 17, Milford, $53 Driving while suspended — Robert A. Sechrist, 35, North Webster, $lO3 Public Intoxication — Oscar Acosta, 23, Milford, $103; Horacio Hernandez, 24, Milford, $lO3 Small Claims The following judgments have, been awarded in Small Claims Division, Kosciusko County Court, Judge James Jarrette presiding: Professional Hearing Aid Service vs Edward Newcomer. Judgment for plaintiff, $1,399.53 plus costs. Gast Fuel and Service vs Yanette Fisher. Judgment for plaintiff, $380.20 plus costs. Miller’s Merry Manor vs Sue Elrod. Judgment for plaintiff, $1,972.91 plus costs. Interstate/Harmon Glass Co., Inc., vs Sally Harter, doing business as, Cricket on The Hearth. Judgment for plaintiff, $253.51 plus costs. Kim Fraughiger vs Rick Sees and Becky Sees. Judgment for plaintiff, $650.37 plus costs. Hubert Dunithan, agent for Osborn E. Smith vs Lynn Ferguson, also known as, Lynn Miller and Terry Miller. Judgment for plaintiff, $550 plus costs. Morris Folk, doing business as, Snap-On-Tool vs Miche Bouse. Judgment for plaintiff, $63.69 plus costs. Robert W. Reneker versus Daniel L. Smith; defendant ordered to pay $2,073.43 plus costs. Consolidated Petroleum Corp, versus Donna Gibson; defendant ordered to pay $80.86 plus costs. Consolidated Petroleum Corp, versus Jerry Whitaker; defendant ordered to pay $431.77 plus costs© Consolidated Petroleum Corp, versus David Frush; defendant ordered to pay $393.34 plus costs. Circuit Court The following petitions have been filed in Kosciusko Circuit Court, Judge Richard Sand presiding: Reciprocal Mary Ann Method vs Norman Lee Method, r 3 box 556, Syracuse. Petitioner seeks back support. Complaint James Lupke vs David Jackson, c/o Rinkerßuilt Boat Company, 207 Chicago St., Syracuse; and Roger Emmens, c/o Rinkerßuilt Boat Company, 207 Chicago St., Syracuse. Plaintiff seeks damages on the battery, punitive damages, compensation for general damages, mandatory injunction preventing defendants from approaching plaintiff’s residence, plus costs. Complaint On Account The Elkhart Clinic vs Felipe E. Flores, r 1 box 1578, Milford Plaintiff seeks judgment of $111.30 plus costs. Complaint On Account Merchants National Bank and Trust Co., vs Ernest Dale Waggoner, c/o Barties Home Improvement, r 3 box 540, Syracuse. Plaintiff seeks judgment of $3,918.88 plus costs. County Court The following fines plus court costs have levied and paid in Elkhart County Court, Goshen Division: Speeding — Gerald L. Scott, 38, Syracuse, $52.50; Sandra J. Waddell, 20, Warsaw, $53; Donna J. Wagner, 38, Syracuse, SSB, Scott A. Amsden, 20, Syracuse, $56, Linda L. Kinney, 27, Syracuse, $63; Rick W. McGowen, 33, Milford, $63 Driving left of center — Vernon L. McGill, 63, Syracuse, dismissed upon the motion of the state Driving while intoxicated — Lewis Edward Davis, 24, Milford, SIOO plus costs, 180 days in jail with all except six days suspended on the condition the defendant be on probation for six months, follow standard probation terms, pay user’s fees, obtain an alcohol assessment within 30 days and follow recommendations, defendant must make restitution for treatment of the victim, use no alcohol, submit to drug/alcohol surveillance, driver’s license suspended 180 days Operating a motor vehicle without proof of financial responsibility — Lewis Edward Davis, 24, Milford, dismissed upon the motion of the deputy prosecuting attorney pursuant to plea agreement

Marriage Licenses The following couples have applied for marriage licenses in the office of Kosciusko County Clerk Jeanne Weirick: Dixon-Keim William Andrew Dixon, 22, r 3 box 89A, Syracuse, and Lori Ann Keim, 22, r 4 box 74, Syracuse. Walker-Walker Kevin Stuart Walker, 24, r 4 box 38AC, Syracuse, and Cheryl Lyle Walker, 22, P.O. Box 275, Milford. Burkett-Laughlin David John Burkett, 27, r 2 box 15, North Webster, and Rita Kay Laughlin, 38, r 2 box 15, North Webster. Slocum-Buletty Kim M. Slocum, 32, r 5 box 389A, Syracuse, and Joan Mary Buletty, 29, r 1 box 22, Syracuse Wright-Augsburger Robert Leslie Wright, 28, 599 American Way, Syracuse, and Angela Joyce Augsburger, 24, 599 American Way, Syracuse Kammerer-Allen Scott Douglas Kammerer, 21, P.O. Box 343 Leesburg, and Janet Louise Allen, 22, P.O. Box 343 Leesburg Wells-Shock Jack Randall Wells, 25, P.O. Box 646 Syracuse, and Sonya Kaye Shock, 23, P.O. Box 477 Syracuse Beezley-Angel Jeffrey Alan Beezley, 25, r 3 box 217, Syracuse, and Jan Eileen Angel, 30, r 1 box 199, North Webster Moerchen-Steffen Todd Louis Moerchen, 24, r 1 box 486, North Webster, and Ann Elizabeth Steffen, 20, r 4 box 2675A2, Syracuse Freyburgher-Huey Greg Alan Frey burgher, 21, Portland, and Kari Lee Huey, 18, r 2 box 210 C, Syracuse Grim-Spaw Earl Wayne Grim, 61, r 1 box 341, North Webster, and Delores Eloise Spaw, 61, Leesburg Marriage Dissolutions The following couples have filed for marriage dissolutions in Kosciusko Superior and Circuit Courts: Myers — Royce James Myers, Sr., r 1 box 318, Cromwell, and Pamela Kay Myers, r 1 box 318, Cromwell. The couple was married July, 1975, and separated July 27, 1987. There are two minor children. Craig — Laura L. Craig, no address given, and Byron L. Craig, no address given. The couple was married July 4, 1986, and separated July 17, 1987. There is one minor child. Hopkins — Donna Mae Hopkins, no address given, and Cloyce Lavon Hopkins, P.O. Box 1135 Warsaw. The couple was married June 3, 1954, and separated July 31,1987. Brookins — Connie Jean Brookins, P.O. Box 376, Leesburg, and Darrell Brookins, P.O. Box 76, Leesburg. The couple was married July 31, 1971, and separated July 13, 1987. There are two minor children. Grubbs — Vernon E. Grubbs, no address given, and Helen M. Grubbs, no address given. The couple was married November 28, 1955, and separated July 25, 1987. Rymers — Rex T. Rymers, 1606 S. 16th St., Goshen, and Diane E. Rymers, r 1 box 265-D, Syracuse. The couple was married June 10, 1978, and separated December 1986. Superior Court The following petitions have been filed in Kosciusko Superior Court, Judge Robert Burner presiding: Complaint For Injunction And Suit On Account Enchanted Hills Community Association, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, vs Donald V. Batchelor and Irene Batchelor, 2302 Vanßuren, Loveland, Colo. Plaintiff seeks judgment for defendants to be restrained and enjoined from continuing further use of the premises in violation of the restrictive covenants, a mandatory injunction ordering defendants to repair mobile home so it is in accordance with restrictive covenants of Enchanted Hills Subdivision of Lake Wawasee, or order defendants to remove or permit removal from the lots, attorney’s fees, and costs. (Continued on page 5)

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 1

"GRUZIN AROUND 'CUSE"

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IT BECAME increasingly clear during the past week, through the vivid recollection of townsman Ron Sharp and others, that there was no time capsule buried in Syracuse in 1937 when the town held its centennial celebration. Sharp said people got that occasion confused with the cornerstone in the new uptown high school building. Syracuse librarian Rosalyn Jones has discovered the remains of the school’s cornerstone contents and is preserving it. Mrs. Jones is shown above with the contents, which included a 1907-1908 school yearbook with these teachers listed: Lois North. Carrie Shannon, Edna Capron, Irene Sprague. Lillian Tripp, W. C. Gants, Lola Nusbaum, and Charles C. Bachman. Some of those names ring a bell. Listed as “trustees” were E. E. Strieby, H. W. Buchholz, A. W. Strieby, and A. R. Strock as janitor. And here are some names townspeople will recall: Seniors. Jay Gordy, Blanche Strieby and Preston Miles. The town's late barber, Joe Bushong, was in Grade 1-B; Ethel Bowser, for years the town s librarian, Grade 4-A; longtime town clerk-treasurer Ernest Buchholz, Grade 4-B; Charles Beck, who later became a teacher and well known basketball coach, and later township trustee. Grade 9, and Lee R. Cory and Ida Deardorf, Grade 10. Many of the names were illegible and have been lost in time, on the fragile piece Mrs. Jones has. A copy of Pottawattamie, published by the students, dated 1907, is well preserved. Also in the remains of the capsule is a Thursday, Nov. 7, 1907 copy of The Syracuse Register, a four-page weekly newspaper published and edited by John W. Messimore. Each page was seven columns wide, and the paper had four pages of what was known as “ready-print”, giving the community an eight-page paper in 1907. The paper is well preserved. Town historian Jack Elam comes up with a photocopy of Pottawattamie, a four-page B'2xll paper. Volume Two, "Edited and Published by Syracuse High School." Year: 1908. For the record, here’s what it states about the uptown high school: “Ground was broken September 23, 1907. The cornerstone was laid November 13. The nice weather permitted work during all the fall. The walls were completed about the first of the year. The slate roof is on, and the interior walls are now ready for plaster (March 1, 1908).” In another paragraph the issue stated, “The cornerstone was laid November 13th (1907), with very appropriate ceremonies, and the day was a pleasant one with the exception of a high wind. The stone contained a copy of the “Register,” "Pattawttamie,” (sic) a letter to the pupils of the future, and the names of all the scholars of the Syracuse Schools.” \ We hope this clears up the time capsule story. —o— THE DIFFERENCES between bass fishermen on area lakes and permanent lake residents is more contentious than most local residents think. One outspoken fisherman is Fort Wayne resident Dick Wilkinson, who writes to this paper and others under the name of Dick Wills. For years he wrote a fishing column in Fort Wayne under the Dick Wills pseudonym. In the August 12th Fort Wayne NewsSentinel he has a column, “The message is clear: Keep off the lakes," in which he predicts, “Unless something is done, I anticipate violence r in the not-too-distant future. It nearly happened on July 26.” At that date, he states, a resident towed a large trailer to the ramp, launched a pontoon and headed up the lake, leaving his pick-up truck and trailer parked on the ramp. This is against the law, Wills writes. With the keys in the pick-up, someone moved his truck, and what resulted was a series of ribald comments that nearly led to blows. Wills writes, the residents of Syracuse have started a new game. It’s called “Harass the Bass Fisherman.” He claims there’s a “blatant case

of discrimination against bass fishermen, where bass fishermen must idle across Syracuse Lake for their activities that begin at 6 a.m. while we’re not to mind ski-boats — They can still go as fast as they want on Syracuse.” This is what he calls outright discrimination. He doesn’t like parking his rig at the high school grounds, either. Not being a fisherman, we’re not taking sides on this issue. We have our hands full convincing the school board to our persuasion on the hot junior high school issue right now! —o— LINDA AND Steve Hay, of 34' 2 North Shore Drive, are in the process of purchasing the old Wawasee Airport from Joe Palmer, an Eastern Airline pilot and resident of Key Biscayne, Florida. Hay says the deal should be closed by Sept. 1. Hay is a private pilot and most of the flying he does is for his own company. His plans for the airport include operating it as a public air strip in the summer, and using the large hanger (which will accommodate 17 small planes) as a boat storage in the winter. "We’ll have to do some work on the hanger to make it ready as a boat storage," Hay said. He hopes to have that accomplished in time to store boats this fall. The Wawasee Airport is well remembered as being owned and operated by Charolotte (Kell) Hayden, now a resident of 16206 Treeline Drive, Hudson, Florida. —o—- — HOY, the well known Lake Tippecanoe resident who developed the residential area known as Hoy’s Landing, will mark the 50th anniversary of his purchase of that valuable property. He is observing the occasion with a carry - in dinner on the beach of his lakefront home at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30. His invitational note to his many friends ends COME ONE — COME ALL! J.B. hasn’t been idle since his retirement as a realtor. In fact he’s made something of a hobby out of building small wren houses, and has already given 57 to friends. —O'OVERHEARD: SINCE towns have put up NO U TURN signs at the ends of business blocks, more and more drivers are opting to make the Uturn in the center of the block where there are no such signs. —o—- — NICE note from Arden and Evelyn Koontz, of 4957 Steward Dr., Fort Myers, Fla., assures us The M-J is well received and well read in Florida. She writes: “We share our Mail-Journal with our neighbors, Frank and Betty Jones, parents of Judy Popenfoose of Syracuse. We've been neighbors for 10 years. Mrs. Koontz’s mother, Cloe Burns, formerly of Big Barbee Lake, has been sharing the Florida sunshine with the Koontzes. Mrs. Burns turned 86 in April, and “is doing pretty well,” the note states, “but for some reason she misses the snow.” It was through the M-J columns that she learned of the death of Marjorie Thornburg and Dr. Arden Walgamuth’s wife in North Webster. She adds that Indiana has been having hotter weather than Fort Myers! THEY SAY Rotarians have all the money. Lions do all the work, and Kiwanians have all the fun. That’s not exactly true. Rotarians have a fair share of the wealth in their respective communities — we’ll allow this — but they really do some work. The S-W Rotary Club, for instance, is knee deep in a program called Polio-Plus, a Rotary International project to eradicate polio in Third World countries through immunization. Club coordinators Roger Kryder and Logan Love contend 750 children are crippled each day by polio and another 75 die each day. Their program would immunize each child against this dread disease for just 12 cents! The local club’s goal is to raise $6,000, or S3O per year per member for five years, and they already have contributed $3,400. The international goal is to raise $l2O million to complete the project, reported to be the most ambitious financial undertaking in the 18-year history of Rotary. (Continued on page 5)