The Problem With Kerry

Lately I find myself feeling the need to give John Kerry advice. He's slipping in the polls and I really can't say I want the guy to be our next president. But it amazes me sometimes how a dumb, unenlightened Hoosier like me can see things so clearly that seem to elude Kerry's campaign advisers. Last Saturday night, former President Clinton - before undergoing quadruple bypass surgery - called Kerry and told him he needed to stop talking about Vietnam and start talking about domestic issues. (That, not so coincidentally, is exactly what I told Kerry in my column of Aug.28.I suppose Kerry didn't read it, though.) Kerry decided that's probably a good idea, so now he's on a domestic issue - the economy.Well, not so much the economy.It's jobs. OK, here's some more advice.To run on a huge job problem, there first must be a huge job problem. And there simply isn't.

Warsaw Girls Use Size Advantage Inside

NORTH MANCHESTER - It was a game both Manchester and Warsaw needed. The Tigers, having not played much in the past couple of weeks because of postponed games, wanted to just get a game under their belts before finishing up the season with a tough stretch that includes three key Northern Lakes Conference teams. The Squires, having enjoyed a resurgence this season with a 10-4 mark, wanted to see how they would stack up facing probably their toughest team so far this year. Both teams got pretty much what they wanted. Warsaw shook off the rust as well as Manchester, 59-43, but the Squires showed that they are better than in past years and stayed right with the Tigers for three quarters.

Eckert Shoots Squires To Win Over TV

MENTONE - Jeff Brown, former Valley hoops hero and 1997 graduate, was known for writing messages on his game shoes.The most notable being, "Free throws win ballgames." Free throws do win ballgames.Thursday night was a perfect example. In the Manchester's 59-52 victory over Valley last night, the Squires' Megan Eckert hit 10 of 12 free throws, including 7 of 7 in the fourth quarter, to put the game out of reach.The Vikings as a team connected on only 8 of 13 free throws in the game. Eckert led all scorers with 25 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as Manchester's basketball team improved to 7-7 overall and 2-2 in the Three Rivers Conference.Valley fell to 6-7 and 1-2 against conference opponents.Rhonda Doud led the Vikings with 22 points.

War'Shaw' Boys Build Win From Clay

NAPPANEE - Ever the mathematician, the right answer Friday for Warsaw boys basketball coach Al Rhodes came from the equation Shaw + Clay2. In a Northern Lakes Conference matchup at NorthWood, Warsaw got 26 points from Greg Clay, 22 from Jared Shaw and 17 more from Chris Clay.The senior trio's efforts added up to an 84-71 Tiger win. Warsaw is now 14-1 overall and 5-0 in the NLC, while the host Panthers fall to 6-6 and 2-3. In what has become a trend the last couple weeks, the 10th-ranked Tigers used a huge fourth quarter to seperate themselves from the opposition. Friday night when Warsaw outscored NorthWood 28-17 in the final frame, that perfomance came at the charity stripe, where the Tigers were an astounding 18 of 19.For the game Warsaw was 27 of 32 at the line. The host Panthers started last night's contest in a dead sprint, hitting 8 of 10 shots in the first quarter, including 3 of 4 from the arc.

Taxing Estates Has Always Been Unfair

My heirs probably aren't going to be affected by the estate tax. When I am dead and gone, there probably won't be enough wealth for the government to glom on to. You know, of all the taxes that we have to pay, this one seems to me the most egregious. Most of us won't fall prey to this overt plunder because we don't make enough money in our lifetimes. But you know, it just rubs me wrong that the government thinks it needs to get so deeply into a few taxpayers' pockets. Following is a hypothetical I gleaned from a Web site devoted to the estate tax debate. The basic exemption from the estate tax is $675,000, this year.Under current law, this amount will gradually increase, until it reaches $1 million in 2005.Anything left to a spouse, even one's entire fortune, is exempt from the tax.Anything left to a charity is also deductible.

Marriage Is An Institution

At the risk of being labeled a homophobe, I guess I'll foist upon you my opinion regarding "gay marriage." (I never understood that term, homophobe.I don't drink a lot of milk, but nobody would call me a dairyphobe.) For the record, let me say that I don't begrudge anyone the right to be gay.I don't think government has any role in what happens in a bedroom between two consenting adults. And while it certainly isn't my cup of tea, I don't think there should be a law against being gay.Also, I don't think people should suffer discrimination because they're gay. But this marriage thing is a bit unsettling to me.

Delay In WCS Building Program Not Unexpected

This past Nov.10, in this space, I wrote the following: "If I was a member of the Warsaw School Board, I think I would be hard-pressed to launch into a major building program right now. It just seems like a bad time to go $41 million in debt.... "...Gov.Frank O'Bannon is talking about the state budget being in crisis and floating the idea that there might have to be cuts in education funding. "Pile on top of that the fact that property taxes are likely headed up anyway - somewhere in the neighborhood of at least 10 to 15 percent - because of reassessment and court-ordered restructuring of the state's property tax system.... "...So again, I wonder if now is the time for a school system to take on a bunch of public debt.

The Bureaucracy Of Boat Trailers

Have you ever been assaulted by bureaucracy? Strangled by red tape? I have. I tried to get a license plate for a used boat trailer.I would have been better off trying to register a stolen BMW. Now, before we embark on this chronicle of futility and frustration, I want to make one thing crystal clear. I am in no way being critical of the employees at the local license branch.They were efficient, polite, poised and professional.We joked about the task at hand.We laughed.Everything was completely cordial. No, the people who work at the license branch are not to blame for the inane laws they are forced to administer.That blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the state legislature. Frankly, I simultaneously respect and have sympathy for the license branch employees.If I was charged with foisting such absurd policies on the general public, I would probaby lose my mind (what little is left of it) after a very short time.

Raider Wrestlers Win NLC Title

SYRACUSE - At Saturday's Northern Lakes Conference Tournament, Northridge's wrestling team placed first, while NorthWood took second place by edging Warsaw by a half point. Wawasee placed fifth. Warsaw's Kris Hueber (215 pounds) and Wawasee's Josh Roa (145) earned individual championships. Northridge's Mike Wickersham was recognized as Coach of the Year as his Raiders sealed sole possession of the overall championship by winning the tournament and going undefeated in conference dual competition. Four Northridge Raider wrestlers walked away champions, while NorthWood and Plymouth each boasted three champions and Elkhart Memorial two. The NLC All-Conference team comprises the individual winners at the tournament with three additional outstanding wrestlers being given at-large recognition.Wrestlers named to the at-large list were Warsaw's Richard Wolfe (171), Plymouth's Mike Palbykin (215) and Northridge's Anton Lemon (103).

On The Court

WARSAW AT CONCORD Tipoff: 8 p.m.Friday at Dunlap Coaches: Al Rhodes (Warsaw), Ron Dietz (Concord) Records: Warsaw 7-4, 2-2; Concord 4-6, 0-3 Last game: NorthWood 60, Warsaw 57 (OT); Plymouth 69, Concord 49 Matchup: Warsaw heads into another tough Northern Lakes Conference matchup on the heels of something that hasn't happened in almost three years - a two-game losing streak.Although both losses have come by a combined five points, the Tigers have some work to do to start winning the close games again.Concord played Plymouth, the No.1 3A team in the state, tough for three quarters before getting blown out in the fourth.Nick Treadway led the Minutemen with 14 points against the Pilgrims.

Vikings Oust Oak Hill

MENTONE -ÊFueled by a 23-point third quarter, the Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball team pulled out a 57-42 victory over the Oak Hill Golden Eagles Monday night. Oak Hill held Valley scoreless for almost three minutes as the Golden Eagles took an early 6-0 lead. The Golden Eagles were up by as much as 11-3, but by the end of the first quarter, the Vikings had cut Oak Hill's lead to four, 14-10. Valley kept up with Oak Hill in the second quarter as both teams scored eight points.For Valley, Rhonda Doud scored six of eight Viking points in the second quarter. At the half, Oak Hill retained its lead 22-18. Valley came out to play in the third quarter as the Vikings took a 25-22 lead after Brooke Fisher sank a two-point basket and the free throw after she was fouled taking the shot. After the taking their first lead of the game, the Vikings refused to relinquish it as they outscored Oak Hill 12-2 in the first 3:30 of the third frame.

On The Court Basketball Previews

On The Court Basketball Previews

GARY WIRT AT WARSAW Tip-off: 6:15 p.m.Saturday in Warsaw Coaches: Omar Vazquez (Wirt), Al Rhodes (Warsaw) Records: Gary Wirt 6-2; Warsaw 7-4 Last game: Terre Haute 76, Gary Wirt 44; Goshen 61, Warsaw 49 Last Year: Warsaw 56, Wirt 43 Matchup: Brandon Lee, Wirt's tallest player at 6-foot-3, leads the Troopers with 14 points per game, and Marcus Ford adds 10 ppg.James Johnson leads in rebounds with 6.0 per game.Wirt went 12-9 last year and advanced to the sectional championship, and even though most of those players are gone, the Troopers have a solid 6-2 record with a young team this year.The two teams have similar numbers.Wirt averages 58 ppg and gives up 51 ppg; Warsaw averages 61 ppg and gives up 54.Warsaw is shooting 49 percent from the field but just 66 percent from the free throw line.Warsaw is forcing its opponents to commit 20 turnovers per game, five more than the Tigers commit per game.

Warriors Boast Three Champions

MIDDLEBURY - Wawasee boasted three champions in the Northern Lakes Conference tournament at Northridge Wednesday evening.Chase Davis (103 pounds), Josh Lozano (119) and Rob McKibben (189) came away with first place awards for Wawasee, as did Warsaw's Chris Elvidge (135). Elkhart Memorial repeated as conference champions, going undefeated in the NLC dual season and winning the tournament by a wide margin.Memorial finished with 240 points, followed by Goshen (167), Plymouth (154.5), Northridge (150), Warsaw (136), Wawasee (133), Concord (108) and NorthWood (80). Wawasee Highlights Wawasee Coach Darrell Carr Jr.was beaming about his three champions.He was also happy with three wrestlers who just became eligible and were wrestling for the first time this season.

Squires Stay Perfect In TRC

NORTH MANCHESTER - The 1983 Chicago White Sox, who won 99 games and finished 20 games ahead of second place in the division, were tagged with the slogan "Winnin' Ugly." Manchester's girls basketball team knows winning ugly.The Squires have been doing it recently.They did it again Thursday night.The 15-2 Squires overcame a 38-38 tie at the end of the third quarter with a 5-11 Tippecanoe Valley team to win 61-51. Is this what you call winning ugly, Coach Jody Shewman? "Real ugly," the Manchester coach said."And it is a 'W.' But it wasn't pretty." Pretty or ugly, Manchester improved to 5-0 in the Three Rivers Conference.The Squires also maintained their dominance at home, upping their record to 7-0 with one home game to play, against Rochester on Feb.5.Six of those seven wins have been by 10 points or more.

Warsaw Runs Past Whitko 85-65

SOUTH WHITLEY -ÊWhen the Whitko and Warsaw girls basketball teams met in South Whitley Tuesday night, the 12-5 Tigers were favorites over the 4-11 Wildcats.Warsaw did defeat Whitko 85-65, but the surprising part of the game was the reaction of the coaches after the game. Although the Tigers won by 20 points, coach Will Wienhorst saw many problems with his team's performance. "We won but 20 points, but we did not play well as a team," said Wienhorst."We did not come out well.We could not get the ball where we wanted to go.But I give Whitko a lot of credit, they came to play." Conversely, the Wildcats lost by 20 points, but coach Mike Sands was pleased with his team's performance.

Warsaw Dominates Whitko, Improves To 15-3

SOUTH WHITLEY -ÊWarsaw jumped out to a 5-0 lead within the first minute of the game against Whitko Tuesday night in South Whitley. It didn't get much better for the Wildcats after that as they suffered a 61-33 loss to the Tigers. After Janna Knisely and Ashley Wyatt put the Tigers up 5-0, Whitko's Angela Trump sank a basket and cut the deficit to 3, 5-2. By the end of the quarter, Warsaw held a 20-10 advantage. Trump stepped up to score the first basket of the second quarter, but the quarter beloged to Warsaw from that point on. At the 5:08 mark, the Tigers started an 11-0 run behind scoring input from Knisely, Michelle DeGeeter, Jaclyn Leininger and Hilary O'Connell. In all, Warsaw outscored Whitko 13-7 in the quarter to take a 33-17 advantage at the half. The Tigers continued their dominance through the third.Leininger scored the first two baskets of the frame, and O'Connell and DeGeeter joined her in scoring the first seven points of the quarter.

Evolution Of Entertainment A Risk

It has been quite interesting for me over the years watching the evolution of how we Americans entertain ourselves. We keep raising the bar.It takes more and more to get us excited. When I was a kid, we had three channels on television and a deck of cards to entertain ourselves. No cable.No satellite TV.No video rentals.No video games.No home computer.No Internet.Very few extracurricular activities after school. Frankly, there was very little to distract us from ourselves. Sometimes I think that was a good thing. Anymore, the distractions are rampant.It's tough to get the family together for dinner one night a week. When I was a kid, we ate together every night.I think that was a good thing. And it wasn't just my family, it was like that all over America. Beyond that, there seemed to be this larger sense of community back then. I am not just waxing nostalgic here.I really believe that a simpler lifestyle made us a more cohesive society.

Goshen Grapplers Crush Warsaw 49-19

Goshen's wrestling team hammered Warsaw 49-19.ÊThe "roller-coaster" season continues as the young Tigers were able to come up with only four wins by decision on the night, along with one forfeit. The Redskins rumbled through the evening with six pins, an overtime decision and one forfeit. Warsaw's Kris Hueber (215 pounds), state-ranked at No.3, was upset by Jeremy Preis 4-2 in overtime. The first win for the Tigers came at 140 pounds when David Sumpter fought out a 10-9 win over Frank Guzman.Sumpter nailed an opening takedown and then scored a second takedown at buzzer ending period one.In the second period, Sumpter scored another takedown and then a reversal with eight seconds remaining.In the third period, the Tiger appeared to be running out of gas, and Goshen's Guzman was awarded points for stalling twice, but Sumpter held out for the narrow victory.

Concord Wins NLC Swim Tournament

DUNLAP - There was a reason Concord's swimmers went 6-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference this season, and they backed it up by placing first in Saturday's NLC Championships. They are the best girls swim team, so that they placed first shocked no one. "The way things were seeded going in," Warsaw girls swim coach Eric Mohler said, "everything came out like it was expected." Concord won with 333 points, easily outdistancing Goshen, which took second with 242.Plymouth took third with 200 and was followed by Northridge (160), Warsaw (135), NorthWood (125) and Wawasee (109). Warsaw, 8-4 overall, went 3-3 in NLC dual meets, placing the Tigers fifth.By taking fifth in the championship meet, the Tigers did not drop off. "I was happy for fifth," Mohler said."Last year we were seventh.I'm happy we beat NorthWood and Wawasee.We moved up two spots." The top six individuals were placed in the finals, while places six through 12 battled in the consolation round.