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Sports Meddlers 'Put Me Over The Edge'

Before we begin, let me point out that the views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.This opinion is all mine. Also, I think it would only be fair to note that I really like sports.My kids are involved in sports at Wawasee.I attend Wawasee sporting events.I play sports in my spare time.I watch sports on TV from time to time.I have favorite teams, but I don't know all the names and stats of the players on those teams. So don't think I'm against sports.I am not. But I am against sports meddlers.And that is what this column is about. The sports meddlers. I am not painting all sports fans with a broad brush.There are plenty of sports fans - a vast majority, in fact - who do not qualify as sports meddlers. But the sports meddlers put me over the edge. You sports meddlers know who you are. You're the ones who think there is no priority greater in life than high school athletics.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

A Conspiracy Of Deceit

It's not so much that maybe President William Jefferson Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinsky that bugs me. I mean, that bugs me, but it bothers me more that he is so willing to look directly into the collective eyes of this great nation and lie to us about it. I know you are innocent until proven guilty, but is there anybody left on the planet who thinks there wasn't something going on between the president and the intern? Honestly, I think he should have just said, "Yeah, I did it.It was wrong.Sorry."Then all the pundits could have had a heyday with columns about the psychology of trysts or sex addiction and we could have gone on to bigger and better things. But no.The president had to tell us emphatically that he never did anything wrong.Which, basically, is what he always says. And that, precisely, is what bugs me. It is his inability - perceived or otherwise - to own up to his mistakes and take responsibility.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Rotary Raises Record $53K For Salvation Army

When The Salvation Army came to Warsaw in 1921, one of its first supporters was the Warsaw Rotary Club.Eighty-three years later, that relationship continues with Rotary raising a record $53,632.24 for the Tree Of Lights campaign. The annual Phillipson-Howe Day, celebrating its 39th year, has raised more than an estimated $500,000 since 1965 for The Salvation Army. "The Rotary Club raised around $1,000 on that first 'Brice's Day' in 1965," said N.Bruce Howe, founding chairman of the event, at the weekly meeting on Dec.17."Brice was always overwhelmed by the response of Rotarians to help others in need.I wonder what he would think of this." Brigadier Brice Phillipson, Salvation Army officer, was a long-time resident of Winona Lake and active Rotary member until his death in 1972.Phillipson conducted the capital campaign to build the present home of The Salvation Army at 501 E.Arthur St.in Warsaw in 1957.
Staff Report- | July 28, 2016

Where Are All The Big Bombs Anyway?

Where are all the weapons of mass destruction? That's the question that Democrats keep asking over and over. And it's a darn good question. (First of all, I must tell you I can't use the phrase "weapons of mass destruction" ever again.I am so tired of it, I can't bear to type it anymore.It sounds so dramatic.It sounds so Vaudevillian.It sounds so, well, stupid.So from now on, in my little corner of the world of journalism, these things will be known simply as "big bombs.") Truly, during the run up to the Iraq war, we were told over and over that Saddam Hussein had a whole pile of big bombs. It was one of the most pressing reasons used to justify going in and taking Saddam out of power. We had to get him out of there before he gave a terrorist a big bomb. We had to get him out of there before he used big bombs on his own people or his neighbors. And we had to get him out of there before he developed even bigger bombs than the big bombs he already had.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Wawasee Wins A Wild One In Triple OT

SYRACUSE - Wow. That's what almost every person was saying as they left the triple-overtime thriller between the Whitko and Wawasee boys basketball teams in Syracuse Thursday evening. The Warriors came out on top of the classic Indiana Hoosier Hysteria barn-burner, outlasting the Wildcats 87-83. However, it did not always look like the Warriors were going to leave the game with a win. "I was disappointed with the way we came out," said Wawasee coach Phil Mishler."I don't think we were ready to play.We learned a very important lesson tonight." Whitko jumped out to an early lead as John Woods, Jeremy Coble and Alex Frantz led the Wildcats to an early 6-2 lead and never looked back. In the first four quarters, Wawasee held the lead only once.That lead came at the 29.8 mark in the first frame when Kyle Lantz grabbed a steal and netted a basket to put the Warriors up 9-8.
JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

It's Not All Bad In Iraq

Perhaps you've heard of Sgt.Ray Reynolds. He's an Iowa National Guard guy serving in Iraq.He sent an e-mail to a couple dozen friends touting accomplishments of the U.S.in Iraq.At the same time, he was bemoaning the fact that the media only seem to report car bombings and roadside attacks. He then listed some accomplishments and closed with: "Don't believe for one second that these people do not want us there.I have met many, many people from Iraq that want us there, and in a bad way.They say they will never see the freedoms we talk about but they hope their children will.We are doing a good job in Iraq and I challenge anyone, anywhere to dispute me ..." His friends did forward the message - again and again.The thing went around the world, raising the ire of anti-war types who alleged it was all propaganda. Reynolds was interviewed by newspapers, TV stations and news services.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

No One Stands On Principle

There are lots of people these days who say character isn't really all that critical. They say that a few character flaws, no matter what they are, don't really affect a person's ability to lead.I think that had a lot to do with the way the election went last Tuesday. Generally, people showed that they were tired of the sanctimonious Republicans picking on Bill Clinton.They showed that they wanted Congress to get on with the business of the nation - whatever that is - and leave Bill Clinton alone. This is troubling to me. I think the Republicans pretty much botched this whole impeachment proceeding from the beginning.And now they're flat out looking like fools. It wasn't all too long ago that we were hearing the phrase "constitutional crisis."The Republicans were talking about how grave this matter was and how it was one of the most important undertakings in history.The judiciary committee's work would be long and arduous.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Wrestlers Pin Plymouth

A sign in the Career Center Gym at Warsaw reads, "The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing." But Warsaw's 40-25 wrestling win over Plymouth Thursday was more like a waltz as both teams took its turns leading. Warsaw staked itself to a 23-0 lead after dominating the lower weight classes and held on as Plymouth had the upper hand in the upper weight classes. Scott Snyder (103), Tim Roe (119), Robbie Boley (125) posted impressive wins and Adam Harter got a forfeit as the Tigers ran out to the early lead. Joe Binfet's win at 130 ended the streak and Andy DeWitt's win at 135 got Plymouth to 23-10. Aaron Banks (140) and Matt Zellers (145) got Warsaw back on the winning side and pushed the margin to 31-10.Plymouth came up with two wins at 152 and 160 to trim the lead to 31-16 before Marvin Farmer (171) and Steve Fribley (189) clinched things for the Tigers with big wins.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Braddock Beats Buzzer, Tiger Boys Beat NLC Foe Northridge

MIDDLEBURY - Wanting a chance to redeem himself, Warsaw senior Todd Braddock got it and made the most of it Friday. After struggling to find his shooting touch at the charity stripe, Braddock cashed in a full-court pass from teammate Adam Griggs with a bank shot in the lane to beat the buzzer as Warsaw came from 11 points down to knock off Northern Lakes Conference foe Northridge 49-47 in front of a nearly-packed gym in Middlebury. Six-foot-9 Northridge junior Ronnie Thomas missed a free throw opportunity with 2:00 remaining in the game, and Braddock collected the rebound for the Tigers.Warsaw junior point guard Michael Moore, who missed a shot to tie the game with Plymouth last Saturday in the NLC Holiday Tournament championship game, knotted the game at 47 with 53 ticks on the clock.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Juvenile Arrest A Matter Of Public Record

I get calls from time to time from parents who are angry because we printed the name of their underage son or daughter in the paper. This is not the honor roll or 4-H results I'm talking about. I'm talking about police reports - crime, arrests and the like. There seems to be a misconception that it is illegal for newspapers to print the names of juveniles. That is patently false.There is simply no such law.And there never has been.Maybe I shouldn't say never, but there hasn't been in the 23 years I've been involved in journalism. But nonetheless, lots of people think that we are bound by law not to print names of juveniles who commit crimes. (They don't seem to care if we print the names of juveniles who score touchdowns.) But whether there is a law or not, people still wonder why in the world a newspaper would want to print the name of a juvenile who was arrested. Well, frankly, there are a couple pretty compelling reasons.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Defense, Denny, Drudge Lead Valley Boys

AKRON - A game in which it leaped out to a 16-point lead in the first quarter, Tippecanoe Valley's varsity boys basketball team also took steps toward a team goal and a coaching milestone Saturday. Behind the scoring of senior Shane Denny and junior Shane Drudge and some sticky team defense, the host Vikings raced to a 19-3 lead after one quarter and blasted Three Rivers Conference foe Northfield 56-38 Saturday. Denny and Drudge combined for 35 points on 16-of-21 shooting, but it was the Vikings' first-half defense that seemed to set the tone. The visiting Norsemen scored just three points in the first quarter, all from the free throw line. In the second quarter, they managed to score eight points, but hit just two shots from the floor.
Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

On The Court...

ARGOS AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY TIPOFF: 8 p.m.Saturday at Mentone COACHES: Chuck Evans (Argos), Gregg Sciarra (Valley) RECORDS: Argos 5-3, Valley 5-3 LAST GAME: SB Adams 70, Argos 58; Plymouth 81, Valley 60 MATCHUP: ...The Dragons have only three seniors on their varsity team.Junior Eric Stults leads Argos with 19.6 points per game.Junior Brent Johnson adds 11.3, and junior Bill Redinger scores 9.0.Junior Phillip Ummel dishes out 4.0 assists per game for Argos.
Staff Report- | July 28, 2016

What's Up With The Way We Cover Gun Stories?

A tragic event occurred in Fort Wayne last Monday night. That city recorded its 34th slaying so far this year. But this one was different. A couple guys came to the door of a home on the southeast side. The homeowner's wife and daughter were in the living room.The wife answered the door. She didn't recognize the men and told them to leave.They didn't. They forced their way into the home.Police said the homeowner told the men to leave. They refused. The homeowner pickup up a gun and fired at least three shots. One of the intruders died.The other, wounded in the hip, survived.No word so far on whether the intruders were armed, but police reports say that alcohol may have been a factor. So far, the homeowner hasn't been charged.That's OK by me. In fact, I would have liked to see that story on the AP wire.But it didn't make the wire. Stories like that just don't seem to get the same attention as the typical murder story.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

County Native A True War Hero

With the Memorial Day weekend release of the movie "Pearl Harbor," there seems to be a bit of resurgence of interest in World War II. I would like to share a brief version of a story of a true war hero from our county. His name is Charles Mendel.His parents were Mr.and Mrs.L.B.Mendel, of Burket.He was born in Burket and lived by Yellow Creek Lake. He had six brothers and sisters, three of whom still live in the area - Arden Mendel and Naomi Hartle, of Warsaw, and Ethel Rosbrugh, of Leesburg. Hartle's son, Hal Hartle, also lives in Warsaw. These days, Charles Mendel lives in Sarasota, Fla., and is in failing health. But his story - and countless stories like it - are worth telling and worth remembering. Worth telling because they should live on long after the war and war heroes are gone.Worth remembering because they illustrate the dire consequences of war.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Boys Get Come-From-Behind Win Over Valparaiso

It's rare that the Warsaw boys basketball team plays in the middle of the week. It's even rarer that the Tigers are held to just four points in a quarter, especially the first. Tuesday night, both happened when the Tigers took on Valparaiso. Although the Vikings held Warsaw to only four points in the first quarter, the Tigers fought back to get a 57-43 win. Valparaiso jumped out to an early lead, taking a 9-2 lead with 2:21 left in the first frame. Warsaw's Greg Clay hit a basket with 59 seconds left in the frame to make the score 9-4 going into the second quarter. "To start the game, they hit almost every shot they took," said Warsaw coach Al Rhodes."And we missed almost every shot we took.We were not patient offensively, and we were not going to the offensive boards very well." However, the Tigers turned things around in the second quarter.
JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Sometimes It's Tough To Be A Cop

It's easy to poke fun at cops. You know.The jokes about the doughnut shops.The old saw about there never being a cop around when you need one. People get mad when they get pulled over for speeding.Of course it's always the cops' fault. These things are especially prevalent in a small town that is largely devoid of serious crime. Maybe it's because cops are so visible.Always in the public eye. On any given morning, there are literally thousands of people in this town eating doughnuts at their desks or on their production line.But let one cop car be spotted at the doughnut shop.... Cops get accused of being gung ho and trigger happy.They get criticized for overreacting to minor incidents.Simultaneously they get accused of not being there when you need them, not being tough enough with criminals or not being able to solve crimes expeditiously. Lots of them have lousy hours and split shifts and they really don't make tons of money doing what they do.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

GM Rolls into its financial troubles

While the news from General Motors this week was troubling, it certainly wasn't surprising. After all, when your company is losing $1.1 billion per quarter, it's probably time to take some action. In hopes of trimming expenses, GM is cutting 25,000 jobs in North American over the next three years. That's a lot of jobs.It's around 16 percent of GM's entire hourly workforce. The job cuts were forced by a number of factors - the rising cost of materials, the cost of health care coverage for employees, the cost of pension obligations, and a loss of market share to Asian-based competitors. GM says the answer is to streamline operations.The streamlining of North American operations will include not only job cuts, but the closing of a number of assembly and component plants. GM hopes the move will save them $2.5 billion a year. I hope GM can turn things around.The last thing we need is the world's largest auto manufacturer going belly up.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Valley Boys Down Argos, Still Unbeaten

AKRON - Leading Tippecanoe Valley's varsity boys basketball team to its best start in 20-plus years, 6-foot-4 senior Trey Eaton put together arguably the best individual performance of his career. In a battle of unbeatens, Eaton poured in a career-high 38 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, blocked five shots and dished out five assists to lead 3A No.4 Valley past 1A No.3 Argos 75-59. "We have a great defender in Kurt Robinson, we wanted to make Trey work for everything he got," Argos coach Doug Snyder said."Give Trey credit, he worked his tail off." Eaton, who needs just 16 points to break 1992 graduate Scott Johnson's school record of 1,352 career points, finished the game 12 of 17 from the field, including 3 of 5 three-pointers, and 11 of 14 from the free throw line.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Zoners OK Sacred Heart Sign Variace

A second freestanding sign to identify school activities at Sacred Heart School has been approved. The Board of Zoning Appeals approved the request at its meeting Monday night. The sign will be located between the circular driveway on East Fort Wayne and Harrison streets in the grassy area. Karin Steffensmeier, representing Sacred Heart, requested a variance from development standards for a second freestanding sign on one lot in the R-1 zoning district. Steffensmeier attended Monday's meeting and said an additional sign is needed to separate school activities from Sacred Heart Church activities. The applicant requested to erect a 7-foot-high freestanding sign, with a double-sided, 4-foot by 8-foot copy area.The sign will be lighted internally. The board also approved a request from applicants Kent and Roxanne Wildman for a variance from development standards to allow for a depth-to-width ratio greater than 3 to 1 at 925 S.Zimmer Road.
JENNIFER PERYAM, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Triton Boys' Improvement Continues

BOURBON - Despite losing a tight 55-53 overtime game to John Glenn on Friday night, the Triton boys basketball team learned something that night.The Trojans learned how to win the close games.Armed with that new knowledge, they put it to the test Saturday and came away with a 54-47 win over Culver Military. Derek Ganshorn stepped up for short-handed Triton on Saturday with 19 points on five three-pointers.Without Andy Westafer, who is suspended for three more games, the Trojans lost a key player, but it didn't affect them in large part because of Ganshorn's play.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016
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