SOUTH WHITLEY - All the sorority wants is to replace the drinking fountain in Town Park, a memorial to Delta Theta Tau sister Mary Crahen.

The fieldstone structure stood in the park from 1964 until October 1998, when a runaway truck hit and destroyed it.

The park department has a grander vision. A drinking fountain with a $12,000 12-by-24 pavilion for picnic tables has been proposed and a plan of this scheme was forwarded to the Whitley County Foundation in January, which secured a $3,000 grant for construction.

The sorority, responsible for the drinking fountain, was not in favor of this plan and submitted one with a drinking fountain and gazebo.

Margaret Gilbert, of the Delts, spoke at the town council meeting Monday with a dateline of events detailing the sorority's efforts to communicate with park department members.

Glee Eberly, town council president, and Delt stepped down from this portion of the meeting with Tony Starkey and Tom Rudd to mediating.

The previous night Kathy Bower, Gilbert and Eberly presented a drinking fountain- gazebo (costing $1,500) combination plan to park board member Mark Myhnier.

Gilbert said the members and their spouses would build the structure.

The gazebo was rejected by the parks department as too flimsy and not what the park needed. A similar gazebo stands in the northern section of the park.

Gilbert detailed the sorority's efforts to communicate with park department members over the last five months.

"We feel the parks board has met with disdain our plans and they are not open to any suggestions," she said. "It is our wish now the drinking fountain simply be restored to its original form."

Wilson left after her presentation.

Jonathan Damon, a park board member, approached the board asking who should have the authority to finish the project.

"Margaret's facts are accurate," he said. "Some things (lack of communication with the sorority) cannot be explained."

Rudd said the sorority and the park board should work together.

Damon said he did not know Eberly was representing the town and the sorority.

Eberly said she has left several messages at Damon's home indicating the sorority wished to meet.

The sorority has $3,000 from the insurance claim. The water lines are still installed at the site.

The parks department has another $3,000 through the WCF grant.

Damon admitted the parks department members have not met as a group in more than a year.

"Last night it did not matter what we said," Eberly said. "The parks board wants to go ahead with their project. All we ever requested, originally, was the fountain be designed of fieldstone, like the original. Even that wasn't done."

A meeting was set between the parks department and sorority members Monday night at 7 p.m., with Starkey as mediator.

In other business the board:

- Approved a resolution to vacate right-of-ways north of the Gripco building, at the request of James Harding of Harding and Dahms Realtors, who is marketing the structure.

No record of vacation exists for the alleys which are holding up title transfer.

The board plans to vacate the east-west alleys between North Maple and Calhoun streets and a portion of North Maple Street at the April 13 meeting. The Gripco building was built in the 1950s with an addition built in 1964.

- Approved Resolution 99-03-01 to purchase a leaf vacuum machine under the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's 50-50 grant program. The town will pay $12,250 toward the purchase.

No one appeared at the 7 p.m. public hearing regarding the resolution, according to town clerk Mitch Winger.

- Heard Joe Kessie has resigned from his park department position. [[In-content Ad]]