Health Plan Shortfall Recouped Through Employee Pocketbooks

Syracuse - Town employees will have less to smile about when the new year rolls around. Town council, facing a $34,000 shortfall in its employee health care plan, chose to make up for it by making employees bear the brunt. The town's 30 employees will see their deductible rise from $250 to $500 and an increase in contributions reflected in their paychecks. Contributions under the family plan will increase from $35 to $42 per pay period.Single person health care contributions will rise from $15 per pay period to $18. During council's debate Tuesday night, several options were explored, but all depended on employees to make up the shortfall. Council president Barb Carwile said options were limited to the role of employees and not the town itself because the town's budget for 1998 has already been set. Representatives of the clerk-treasurer's office said they learned of the increase after the budget was approved earlier this year.

Webster Gets Radar, Housing Money

NORTH WEBSTER - On the heels of learning that their town would be the site of the state's newest weather radar tower, the North Webster Town Council was informed that it has received a grant for senior citizen housing. The grant, for $500,000, comes from the Indiana Housing Finance Authority's home investing fund for housing creativity.The town is still awaiting word on a $400,000 Department of Commerce grant also needed for the project. The town is planning to build 20 units, consisting of duplexes joined with garages.There will be eight one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units, as well as an administration building and a clubhouse.The development will be located northwest of the United Methodist Church in Epworth Forest on land donated to the town by Bart Culver. If all monies are secured, construction of the complex should begin soon, with units expected to be liveable this time next year.

Webster Signs Contracts For Housing Project

NORTH WEBSTER - Contracts were signed Wednesday allowing the planned senior citizen housing project to move forward. The North Webster Town Council chose Bob Murphy of R.P.Murphy & Associates, Larwill, as its grant coordinator and W.James McCleary, Warsaw, as project architect. Both men included stipulations in their contracts that no money would be due them if the promised grant money was not received. "There is no firm obligation required until you get the money confirmed," McCleary said. The town was earlier notified by the Housing Finance Authority that it would receive $500,000.However, the confirmation letter apparently has been delayed.The town also received a $400,000 grant from Indiana Department of Commerce for the $1.53 million project. The 20-unit complex is planned on a site northwest of the United Methodist Church in Epworth Forest.

Traffic Concerns Delay Church's Plat Approval

A new church and school on the south side of CR 350N and one-fourth mile west of CR 100E in Plain Township will have to wait at least a month longer for plat approval. The petition for a preliminary plat approval for a residential district on 21.94 acres of land was continued by the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission. The issue of heavy local traffic to the area prevented initial approval for recommendation from the commission.Highway engineer and Superintendent Robert Ladson voiced the initial concern to the commission. "The concern really comes when you put a church and school here," Ladson said. The road, Ladson said, is not only heavily traveled, but narrow.He said that traffic from homes, the church and school would need to be better routed. The representative for petitioner Betty Berkey agreed to meet with Area Plan Director Dan Richard and Ladson between now and the next meeting to work on the road and driveway situation.

Engineers Provide Syracuse Water Study

SYRACUSE - Greeley & Hansen engineers presented the Syracuse Town Council with a thick and in-depth preliminary engineering water system study Tuesday. Jay Niec, of Greeley & Hansen, said the goal of the study was to provide the town with a comprehensive 20-year plan.In the plan, a new water treatment facility will be built and the old one demolished.The new water tower will be sized to hold 500,000 gallons.With the north tower also, the two towers combined will hold 650,000 gallons of water.

WCDC Seeks Sponsors For Downtown Days Events

The Warsaw Community Development Corp.is looking for event sponsors for Downtown Days. "I'm just hoping that I get sponsorship," events chairman Paula Bowman said."We couldn't survive without sponsorship." Downtown Days will be July 21 through 23 and will celebrate Warsaw's 125th year as a city. "Things actually are progressing pretty well," Bowman said of the celebration planning. Michelle Bormet, secretary to Warsaw's mayor, has been doing her part of the planning as well. Bormet is currently adding Downtown Days information to the city's Web site. Bormet said there will be an updated list of events for the celebration and those sponsoring the events will get their names and logos on the Web site as well. "It'll be growing and expanding as events are put together," Bormet said of the Web site. For more information and a list of events, visit the community Web site at warsawcity.net With so many events planned, sponsorship is key.

Manchester Revises Main Street Project

NORTH MANCHESTER - Changes to North Manchester's Main Street Project were outlined at Wednesday's town council meeting. Revisions, including narrower sidewalks and less on-street parking, were made to comply with Indiana Department of Transportation guidelines to improve the town's chances of obtaining financing through that department. Sidewalks on Main Street originally were planned to be 15 feet wide on each side of the street.To comply with INDOT, revisions show a 9-foot sidewalk on each side. Board member Chris Garber raised concerns over losing sidewalk width on that street because the town's goal is to attract people to the downtown area. "I think the width of the sidewalks is unacceptable," Garber said. Paul Hummel, a representative of Lawson & Fisher, the firm assisting with the project, said they could try and negotiate with INDOT, but there IS no guarantee they could keep the wide sidewalks.

Warsaw Planner Hudson Leaving His Job

Pat Hudson, the Warsaw city planner, has a plan, and it doesn't include Warsaw. Hudson has given his resignation and plans to move to Urbana, Ill., where he has accepted a similar position. Hudson said he has been looking at the job since February and that several aspects of the offer, including Urbana's environment, were factors in his decision. His title at Urbana will be senior planner. "We're sad to see Pat go, but it's a career enhancement for him," said Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins. "He's done a good job for the city," Wiggins said. Wiggins said he's considering whether to recommend assistant planner Jeff Noffsinger be promoted or to begin a formal search. The 40-year-old Hudson has been the city planner for nearly five years.He was hired by the city as an assistant city planner and assumed his current position less than three months later when planner Tony Lucenko resigned. Hudson's resignation is effective June 5.

Leesburg Studying Plans For Sewer

LEESBURG - Leesburg town officials held a special meeting Tuesday to discuss the projected sewer project. Joseph P.Tierney and Julia Graham, with GRW Engineers Inc., Indianapolis, updated the town board and residents on plans for the project. The overall project is a cooperative effort between Leesburg and Warsaw, which was outlined in the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's agreed order recently sent to Warsaw.One of the supplemental environment projects in the agreed order was that Warsaw make sewer service available by providing wastewater treatment to Leesburg.Leesburg is under a separate order with IDEM to install sewers and provide proper disposal of wastewater from the town. Tierney explained the plan is being negotiated with the Leesburg and Warsaw ad hoc committee.Leesburg town attorney Vern Landis last month sent an official letter to Warsaw requesting sewer service.

Letters to the Editor 09-15-2006

- Call To Action Call To Action Editor, Times-Union: Your help is needed to stop the lake homeowners associations, the Area Plan Commission and your elected county commissioners from approving a plan to keep you off the lakes you pay to maintain. The plan commission voted on Sept.6 to approve the "anti-funneling" issue that you've heard about (front page Sept.7), but you still know so little about.This concerns you if you use the lakes and/or might want to in the future, or maybe buy a lot in a nice subdivision and build a home with lake access, or maybe like to see good industry come here to offer good jobs.

Valley Insight: Transition Planning Is Preparing For The Future

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation is passionate about the success of all students.

Polywood Plans $7.5M Expansion

SYRACUSE – Tax abatement compliance statements were approved by the Syracuse Town Council Tuesday evening.

Winona Plan Commission Approves Rental Ordinance Draft

TOWN OF SYRACUSE RECEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

Warsaw Planners OK Resolutions Regarding Development Areas

Warsaw Plan Commission on Monday approved recommending two resolutions to the city council regarding development projects.

WCS Looks At Strategic Plan

Warsaw Community Schools laid out a rough draft of its strategic plan for the next five years at its board meeting Thursday.

Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice Offers Palliative Care

Veterans Cite Healthcare, Benefits As Reasons For Attending Stand Down

Triton Sectional Win Helps Lay Foundation For Program

BOURBON - Trying to build for the future, as first-year coach Rodney Younis has said so many times this year, Triton's football team certainly laid the beginning foundation last Friday. Not known as a football power, Triton's 20-13 win at West Central last week was the Trojans' first sectional triumph since 1996, but may go a long way in getting future players to buy into and believe in Younis' system. "I think that win will be extremely helpful," Younis said."It will speak volumes about what we're trying to do here.The kids, the school is excited.This is gonna help us because we need to get more numbers out." What would help Triton (3-7) even more would be a win over Whiting (8-2) in tonight's 7:30 p.m.1A Sectional 33 semifinal in Bourbon.

Body For Life Champs Pay Visit To Warsaw

More than 500,000 people in the United States accepted the Body For Life Challenge in 1999. Ten were named grand champions and awarded $100,000. Seven of the ten spent Monday in Warsaw. Gary and Amy Arbuckle, Allen Bieber, Tom Archipley, Erin Lindsey, Pete Holter and Lezlee Jones were guests of Keith Reinholt, founder of the Warsaw Body For Life Club.The Body For Life Challenge is a 12-week physical conditioning program. The champions worked out at the YMCA in the afternoon then spoke to the club that night.They came on the behalf of the late Ben Bibler of Warsaw, like them one of the 10 grand champions. Their stories were similar.Tired of who they were and the way they looked, they decided to get in shape.The seven sitting around a table at the YMCA were slender, physically fit males and females, proof that the Body For Life Challenge worked. Bieber was one of the more extreme cases.Bieber's story published in the November 2000 Muscle Media magazine.