James and Marsha Kilgore were at the Warsaw City Council meeting Monday to honor the woman who saved their lives.

Jackie Treft, dispatcher for Warsaw Police Department, received a plaque from Chief Craig Allebach and Mayor Ernie Wiggins for "going beyond what is normally expected." Treft's response to a 911 call and her concern and follow-through were responsible for saving the Kilgores' lives after their near-fatal exposure to carbon monoxide.

The Kilgores, who are both teachers, hugged Treft as they thanked her, and James Kilgore said, "She has touched an awful lot of people by her outstanding action."

Wiggins also thanked Treft for "taking such an interest in the people she deals with."

The city council also recognized Capt. Larry Baker, of Warsaw Fire Department, for being selected the "1996 Outstanding Fireman" by the Indiana Council of Fraternal, Veterans and Social Societies Inc.

Baker, an 18-year veteran of the fire department and a member of the county Haz-Mat and Fire Investigation teams, received his award from Fire Chief Ken Shepherd.

"It speaks well of people in Warsaw that some have been singled out as the best in Indiana," Wiggins said.

The council discussed the issue of deer problems within the city limits, but came to no decision on solutions.

Richard Shock, who farms approximately 110 acres within the city limits, told the council that last year he suffered "devastating damage" to crops because of deer, and the damage was "financially crippling."

The land he farms is located near Springhill Acres.

Council members said they have received other complaints about deer in that area, but have no easy solutions.

Discharge of firearms or bows and arrows within city limits is against the law, and a controlled shoot would incur too much liability for the city, the council decided.

Directing the city's animal control officer to tranquilize the deer and then move them elsewhere is too time consuming and expensive, Wiggins said.

"It just doesn't look real promising," he told Shock. "I'm not in favor of subjecting the whole city to an ordinance that would allow discharge of firearms within the city limits."

"It's not that we're not concerned or we don't care," said councilwoman Tammy Rockey. "It's just that there's so much involved there's no easy solution."

The council agreed, however, that a solution needs to be found because the problem will not go away.

In other business, city attorney Steve Snyder notified the council Monday that a tort claim has been filed against the city on behalf of David Van Dyke, a 15-year-old who suffered traumatic brain injury in October when his bicycle struck a tree at the BMX track in Hire Park.

Van Dyke's claim, for $300,000 in damages, alleges that Van Dyke was jumping his bicycle over a dirt mound when he struck the tree, which was "dangerously close" to the BMX track. It also contends that the BMX track is an "attractive nuisance to children" and that the dirt mound Van Dyke jumped over contained dangerous "ruts."

Snyder said the claim was turned over to the city's insurance carrier, which will investigate and submit a recommendation. [[In-content Ad]]