The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 31, Milford, Kosciusko County, 16 September 1987 — Page 4

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., September 16,1987

Editorial

Something to consider Governor Robert D. Orr has proclaimed September 21-27 as “EMS Week’’ in Indiana. Hoosiers should, and do, appreciate those dedicated citizens who give of their time and energy to provide emergency medical services. We are especially proud of the three dedicated EMS units that serve the Lakeland area — Milford, North Webster and Syracuse. Local units are composed of volunteers, however, personnel on two of the three units are paid for the runs they make and are given a clothing allowance. We feel it’s time the Milford Town Board and the Van Buren Township trustee and advisory board, if they have not done so already, give some serious consideration to include in their future budgets like funding for those serving on the Milford Emergency Services Unit. No, they aren’t asking for this. They are proud people. They are volunteers. But, should it be done? We’re sure it would be appreciated and it might encourage some to stay with the unit for a longer period and would, undoubtedly, be a help in encouraging other to serve, too. Orr has said this is the time for the public to look with pride on the progress and improvement that has been made in the provision of emergency health care and a time to publicly recognize those persons who have given of themselves to provide these services. EMSs serve with selfless dedication and must continually upgrade their knowledge and their skills. We feel they should receive some renumeration for their hours of labor and sacrifice as well as our thanks, and we hope the town board and the advisory board will at least take a serious look at this in the near future. Marion Stackhouse It was just four weeks ago today that Marion Stackhouse and this editor met at the state fairgrounds and discussed, among other things, the years he lived in Milford. We didn’t talk long. We couldn’t. He had made arrangements to meet his wife, Phyllis, and to watch the Farmers’ Day Parade with her. He was a very busy and ai very successful man and he wanted to do something very important to him, spend some time with his wife. In a very humble way, he told us about his work as president of the Indiana Farm Bureau. Had he taken the time, the list of committees he served on would have kept us talking throughout the long parade. He did not mention one of them, not even the fact that he had been re-appointed by the U. S. Secretary of Agriculture to a term on the Federal Grain Inspection Service Advisory Board. He remembered, instead, his days at Milford High School and his special love for Kosciusko County and the people here. A native of Etna Green, he taught vocational agriculture at MHS in the late 1940 s and served as the school’s FFA advisor. In 1950, he left his teaching position and took a job with the Farm Bureau. He continued to live in Milford, however, until he joined the commodities staff at the state level in 1960. He continued his climb to the presidency, but he never forgot the people of the Milford area or the county. His last trip to Milford, he told us, had been due to the death of long-time friend Glen (“Ike”) Treesh earlier in the summer. Stackhouse died suddenly on September 5. He will be missed. He was a man who had a job to do and he did if; to the best of his ability, gaining not only state, but national recognition. He was a man the people of Milford, of Kosciusko County arid the State of Indiana were proud to call one of their own. What others say — Where have all our heroes gone? In a test at a community junior college in Olympia, Washington, the other day, only a few of the students could identify Albert Schweitzer. Several of them thought the great German philosopher and medical missionary was a war criminal! J. Edgar Hoover was unknown to many of the students. One confused the famous FBI director with herbert Hoover, the former president. Only a handful of students knew of Karl Marx. At least one identified the 19th-century co-founder of communism as a member of the Marx Brothers comedy team. More than half of the junior college students could not identify Kurt Waldheim, the president of Austria and former Secretary-General of the United Nations. One young woman said she had often heard mention of Winston Churchill, but could not identify who he was or when he lived. The students predominantly had middle-class backgrounds and ranged from college-age to middle-age. Chances are the results of the test would have been much the same in other typical institutions of higher learning around the United States. As research has shown, the average American’s knowledge and understanding of even recent history is spotty, at best, and often non-existent. If Americans don’t know about the past, they are ill-equipped to meet the challenges of the future. Many leading Americans — educators and others — deplore what they perce jy? to be a crisis in values in today’s society. “Could it be,” suggests New York Times’ education editor Fred Hechinger, “That a major cause of this ... is the neglect of heroes as a result of historical ignorance?” The answer to this rhetorical question is an all too obvious “yes.” As he says, “Too many young Americans, and many no longer young, are left with no heroes against whom to measure their own values. A growing number of Americans, in ignorance of any historic heroes, or for that matter, villians, are vulnerable to ideologues who persuade them to put a single hero, or villian, on their pedestal of values. In a less sinister way,” Hechinger adds, “young Americans simply may make do with shortterm pop heroes and 1 their often questionable values.” 1 What this suggests is that television, the movies and video have replaced the classroom as the dominant influence in the lives of many, if not most, Americans in their formative years and even later. Comparative test scores indicate that Americans in years past had a much better knowledge and appreciation of this nation’s history and of the men and women who molded it than do their descendants of today. In this, the Bicentennial Year of our Constitution, we’d probably be in shock to find how little some young Americans know of our Founding Fathers and of the legacy they passed on. “This raises questions,” says Hechinger, “whether values can be taught without some basic knowledge about past and present events, including the lasting meaning of the Gettysburg Address ... the political genius of the authors of the Constitution, or even of the Land Grant College Act of 1863, which made it possible for many of these history-blind Americans to attend college.” - CARROLL COUNTY COMET f *

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September 21-27 is EMS week in Indiana. Take the time to thank the EMTs for being there when they are needed!

Court news

City Court The following fines have been levied and paid in the Goshen City Court: Speeding — John E. Peterson, 23, Milford, S6B; Jonathan K. Smith, 24, Syracuse, $73 Small Claims The following judgments have been awarded in Small Claims Division, Kosciusko County Court. Judge James Jarrette presiding: Michael D. and Diane L. Wilson vs. Linda Stokes. Judgement for plaintiff $476.62 plus costs. County Court. The following persons have paid fines and costs in Kosciusko County Court. Judge James Jarrette presiding: Speeding — Shelle R. Boyer, 16, Leesburg, $80; Jerry L. Slone, 20, Milford. $65. uosnen Division The following fines plus court costs have levied and paid in Elkhart County Court, Goshen Division: Speeding — James M. Dawson, 29, Warsaw, $63; Randy J. Pearson, 31, Syracuse, $56 Failure to respond — Kenneth L. Zollinger, 53, Syracuse. $25 plus costs, 60 days in jail with all except three weekends suspended, the suspension on the condition the defendant be on probation for 60 days, to run concurrent with the probation imposed in Cause 020-EO2-8708-CMB44, and follow standard probation terms. Driving while license suspended — Kenneth L. Zollinger, 53, Syracuse, $l5O plus costs with $75 suspended, one year in jail with

Letters to the editor

Expected a correction

Dear Editor: Ever since reading the article on Crows Nest on page 10 of the August 19 issue of The MailJournal I have expected to see a correction or clarification on the source of information. There was nothing in the next two issues of the Mail Journal. I believe you will find that it was John Green and not John Dillinger that lived at Crows Nest. John Green is the deceased brother of Mary Jane Deardorff and the uncle of Mary Lou Dixon, both of whom you know well. Now, I was born at Crows Nest Syracuse youth arrested on alcohol charges One accident resulted in the arrest of an Syracuse youth Saturday, Sept. 12, after he collided with a parked car on East Pearl Street at 9:06 p.m. Eric Lamar Knight, 18, Syracuse, was charged with illegal consumption, transportation, and possession of an alcoholic beverage after backing his 1971 Plymouth into a 1979 Mazda, owned by Jack A. Conlly, Syracuse. Up to SI,OOO in damages was caused to the Conlly vehicle. Conlly’s vehicle had also been involved in a related vandalism incident earlier in the night. According to Syracuse Police, a glass bottle had been thrown at the left side of the vehicle at 8:55 p.m. Saturday, causing S3OO in damages. Scott Anderson receives minor injuries in accident Scott Anderson, 19, r 5, Syracuse, received minor injuries when he lost control of his 1978 Dodge truck on Wednesday evening, Sept. 9. Anderson told investigating officer, Kosciusko County Ptl. Steven Knispel, that he hit a bump in the road and lost control. The truck rolled several times. The accident, which occurred on CR 300E, just north of CR 1100 N, approximately l‘/ 2 miles north of Dewart Lake, resulted in damages between $2,500-$5,000 to the Anderson truck and less than S2OO to a fence belonging to Arthur Mabie. Anderson refused medical treatment.

all except two weekends suspended, the suspensions on the condition the defendant be on probation for one year, follow standard probation terms, pay user's fees, and show proof of valid license to the Probation Department. Marriage Licenses The following couples have applied for marriage licenses in the office of Kosciusko County Clerk Jeanne Weirick: McCulloch-Eisaman Jesse James McCulloch, 71, r 3 CR 9250, Ishpeming, Mich., and Ruby Ellen Eisaman, 71, r 1 box 433, Cromwell. Heisler-Walsh Tod Allen Heisler, 21, r 1 box 59, Etna Green, and Lynette Michelle Walsh, 19, r 1 box 48A, North Webster. Chupp-Schmucker Norman Lee Chupp, 22, r 2 box 30, Nappanee, and Pamela Kay Schmucker, 21, r 2 box 38, Miitora. Nyce-Wolferman Jon William Nyce, 24, r 1, box 37a, Milford and Jill Annette Wolferman, 22. r 1, box 37a, Milford , Geimer-Mathiak Roger A. Geimer, 35, 4 2, box 66, Milford, and Sonja Faye Mathiak, 33, 69315 Section St., Edwardsburg, Mich. Gulley-Shoemaker Michael Duane Gulley, 28, r 1 box 151, Warsaw, and Angela Diann Shoemaker, 23, P.O. Box 49, Stanley St., North Webster. Hawkins-Mock Joseph Franklin Hawkins, Jr., 21, r 1 box 459, Claypool, and Kathleen Sue Mock, 21, r 5 box 237, Syracuse.

and grew up there, and still visit there frequently. At one time my mother rented the Crows Nest Inn (now Crows Nest Yacht Club) to a group bf businessmen from Fort Wayne. We heard several rumors that Crows Nest had been searched by authorities looking for Dillinger, and that John Dillinger had visited Crows Nest ... but isn't that much different than living there. Or does somebody know something that I don’t know, and how do they know it? t ■ Sincerely, Nathaniel Crow Fick, Sr. Some good kids Dear Editor: We moved back to Milford some nine months ago and are really glad to be “back to where we belong.” We have great neighbors and are enjoying being back. A few weeks ago, we were working out behind the house when our neighbor boys and their friend came over to tell us they had backed into our car, denting in the back.door. We got a couple estimates and set up a time for the car to be repaired. The young man agreed to pay for fixing the car. He not only paid for the repair job, but paid for it before it was even done. Toby Harney was that young man. His friends were the Zartman boys, and we just want to publicly acknowledge them and let them know we think they are pretty fine young men. John E. Replogle

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 Otflce at Syracuse, Indiana 46567. Second class postage paid at 103 E S !£E?' S r racus «< 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 Mall Journal, PO Box IN, Milford, Indiana 46542

“CRUZIN AROUND 'CUSE”

LONG TIME Syracuse barber George Bushong is gradually getting used to the friendly slings and arrows that go along with his recent publicity in bringing Indiana’s Lt. Governor, John Mutz, to town. The occasion — in case you haven’t been reading the papers recently — was for Mutz to present George with the coveted Hoosier Centennial Business Award. He tied the Syracuse visit in with a number of other northern Indiana appearances, including a parade at Auburn for the classic car auction. This paper carried a page 1 photo of Bushong, with Lt. Gov. Mutz in his barber chair on Syracuse’s Main Street. Someone saw this and said, “This is a case where the taxpayers got to clip the politician, rather than the other way around.” Most people who know friendly George Bushong had no idea he was continuing a business begun by his great-grandfather, Elias Bushong, in 1865, the year the Civil War ended. Then Elias's sons, William and Vern, took the shop over when their dad died in 1915. Bill kept the shop in operation until 1940 when he turned it over to his son Joe. And, of course, Joe is well remembered by townspeople today as the friendly, somewhat talkative, barber, who always had time for a joke or a good story. Many people flocked to Joe’s barber shop to match wits with him. Joe “handed the shears over to son George” in 1959. George has been diligent in keeping the family tradition alive on Main Street, even if he occasionally expressed his dislike for the current vouge of long hair. George stated, “Gee, I wish mv dad were here to be in on this presentation. He would really have enjoyed it.” (Note: The award is relatively new, and was not presented when Joe Bushong was alive.) For some time now George has been operating on a three-day-a-week basis — Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday — giving him and Beth time for long weekend trips to places of interest. He allows that his friends who jibe him for his short work week are "just a little jealous.” When Lt. Gov. Mutz was here Saturday afternoon to make the presentation to Bushong on behalf of his family’s service to the community for.the past 122 years, he seemed to enjoy the presentation as much as Bushong did. He climbed into the barber chair to pose with Bushong — as any good politician who wants to be governor of Indiana would. Bushong plans to spend a little more time in the community’s coffee houses, where he is fully capable of holding his own among compatriots. This week he and Beth are in, northern Michigan Coho fishing with Bill and Theda Cutter, the Paul Leverniers, and others. Such barbershop regulars as Jack Vanderford are asking Bushong where they’re going to loaf now that he’s closed so much of the time. Bushong said he plans to give them a key, so they can let themselves in and sit around and talk like they always have. —O’EBY AUTO Sales of 711 East Waterford Street. Wakarusa, has been in business for nearly 60 years, and is now anticipating moving to Nappanee. According to Beulah Shank, an admitted “fixture” with the firm, the company plans to move its sales and service to a new location across Highway 19 west from North Wood High School, north of Nappanee. No firm date has been set for the move. Nappanee has had a Ford auto agency for years, but when Bob Smeliz closed his Bob’s Ford Sales and Service, on US 6 east of town some years ago, it left a void in that community which Eby Auto Sales hopes to fill. THE BOARD of directors of the Enchanted Hills Playhouse will face a hard decision at its October 13th meeting at the Sleepy Owl, concerning the future of the Playhouse. The group is facing problems all small repertoire theaters are facing, such as high cost of operating, competition from VCRs, things like that. Jill Stover of Nappanee, owner of the property and prime mover for the past nine years, stated things are far too uncertain at this time to make any statement. —o— ALL THE facts are not in, but don’t be surprised if you hear the recent Syracuse Sesquicentennial Committee will end up with about $34,000 to turn over to the town’s proposed museum, to be tied in with the public library. A princely sum, what? LAST TUESDAY’S circus south of town was an overwhelming success, to hear the circus people, the sponsoring Chamber of Commerce people, and yes, the kids, tell it. It gave the chamber over $1,300 for new Christmas lights, and gave the kids and their parents some real, old-fashioned entertainment. Kathie Yoder, Sesquicentennial queen, for example, rode an elephant in both shows, and sixth, seventh and eighth graders volunteered for a tug-of-war with an elephant. This alone was worth the price of admission. And everyone spoke of how well it went off, and how clean and courteous the circus people were. So much so, that the c-of-c may have a repeat engagement in two years.

Many local businesses bought up tickets in the advanced telephone ticket sale to insure the success of the Over S7OO was raised this way. Jesse Hughes cut the grass on the grounds and firemen laid lines for hydrant water use. Credit goes to Jim Evans for handling ticket sales, to Bill Beemer for publicity, and to Sally Cotton for collecting telephone sales money Real credit goes to Chamber President Jeanne Gardiner, who put together the nuts and bolts of the circus and made it all work. Everyone seemed to enjoy the circus. One youngster leaving the big tent looked up at his mother whose hand he held, and said, "Let’s do this again sometime.” —o— STATE SENATOR John B. and Owita Augsburger left last Wednesday for a brief trip to Germany where they nope to visit the Augsburger ancestrial city of Augsburg, and other sites of interest. They also hope to visit Switzerland and Austria, and return to their Syracuse home next Sunday. —o— THE SYRACUSE. Boat Ramp Committee received “its day in court" last Thursday when its members had an opportunity to present its case to James Ridenour, Director of the Department of Natural Resources (a.k.a. DNR) and others, at a meeting at the Potato Creek State Park near South Bend. The local committee, barely two months old, has been addressing itself to the influx of bass fishermen as applied to the Henry Ward Park in Syracuse and the impact on Syracuse Lake and Lake Wawasee. The committee is co-chaired by Linda Neff and Debbie Kirkdorffer, along with James Hughes and Carl Myrick of the Syracuse Town Board, and Kip Schumm, Ed Bogart, Jim Butt ami Bob nnuusen as its seeiviaij. Hughes and Myrick represent the town board. The first four attended the Thursday meeting and effectively presented a video tape of the local problem. They reported they were well received. A week ago this column spoke to the problem of upgrading the old fish hatchery site to make better use of the facilities there, following a conversation with Ed Hansen, Director of the Fish and Wildlife Division of the DNR. It appears the Syracuse Town Board and others interested in this situation are taking positive steps to. correct a long-standing problem for fishermen as well as residents of the two lakes. (Note: See the Wawasee Property Owners Association’s statement and resolution on page 1.) —o—--808 AND Marge Troutman are keeping Bob’s membership in the self-styled “Exhausted Roosters” active by attending an annual retreat at a Tennessee spa of no mean reputation. So you’re asking, what is — or are — the “Exhausted Roosters. It’s a fairly elite group (by their standards) made up of Fort Wayne past presidents and other notables of the Jaycees. The members are all “has-beens,” having been mandatorily retired at the ripe old age of 35 years. Troutman is a past president of the Fort Wayne chapter, and those congregating at Tennessee this week are from that chapter. Bob and Marge slipped out of town, somewhat surreptitiously, on Saturday, and hope to be at the same old stand at Pickwick Insurance on Monday. Their Tennessee stay will be at a posh spa, that includes such things as swimming, tennis, golf, volleyball, fun things like that. Our information for the most part comes from Pickwick Insurance’s able girl at the front desk, Eleanor Moore. —o— THERE WERE three generations of Syracuse Smiths on the University of Illinois football field Saturday afternoon performing at half-time when the Illini bowed to the University of Arizona, 21 to 7. The occasion was Dad’s Day, when fathers of the Illini band members took to the field to go through a foxy, if somewhat unstructured, routine, to the delight of a stadium full of whooping fans. Gary Smith was there, to be sure, inasmuch as he is director of the school's marching band and associate director of the school's several bands. His son, Sean, is a freshman and member of the marching band, so that put him on the field, too. But Merl Smith, father and grandfather, was the centerpiece when he was called upon to twirl his baton. He delights in being called upon, as he has been for the past eight years. It was not exactly a surprise for Merl to be called front and center, for he had his trusty baton at his side. He threw it higher and higher in the glistening Illinois sunlight as soft applause rang in his ears. —o— A CALLER reminded this column it is good to see young children getting at least even billing to the ducks in the community. The ducks on South Huntington Street have been well fed and protected when crossing the street, by concerned citizens of that area. The caller said she saw two youngsters, one about six years and the other about three, bewildered at figuring out the proper method of crossing the street in uptown Syracuse. An adult saw the dilemma and escorted the youngsters to a safe crossing.