NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR TAX ANTICIPATION WARRANTS OF TIPPECANOE VALLEY SCHOOLS

KDI Set To Release Report On Local Biomedical Trade

Zimmer.DePuy.Biomet.Othy.What does the biomedical industry mean to the county? The answer, and the means to strengthen its positive effects, will be presented next month at the Ramada Plaza, according to Joy McCarthy-Sessing. McCarthy-Sessing, president of Kosciusko Development Inc., told the KDI board of directors Wednesday that the Battelle Institute's final report will be presented Feb.22. KDI sponsored the $36,000 report on the local biomedical industry.Plans are to implement the Institute's recommendations and findings as soon as possible. The nominating committee selected a slate of officers and the following men were approved: Randy Vutech, chairman; Dennis Beville, vice chairman; Jim Tinkey, treasurer; and Brad Bishop, secretary. Executive committee members include the officers and McCarthy-Sessing. Julia Van DeWater, outgoing chairwoman, was thanked for her year of service.

DNR Conducting Survey Of Local Recreational Opportunities

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is coming to the Warsaw Community Public Library in electronic form at the end of the week, according to library director Ann Zydek. She said the DNR is conducting a survey regarding recreational opportunities in the state, and patrons will be requested to participate in a six-minute survey on the equipment, which should remain at the library for a week and a half. The library received a Library Services Technology Act grant worth several thousand dollars to enhance Latino services, according to assistant director Joni Brookins.The funds should be available this spring. Another LSTA grant is in the works, a mini-technology grant, to allow video conferencing.In addition to the library, the equipment would be available for businesses, government, home schooling and public schooling's distance learning or conferences.

Library Taking Part In Veterans History Project

Warsaw Community Public Library staff plans to participate in the Veterans History Project by conducting interview with area military veterans who served in overseas conflicts or with civilians who contributed to war efforts. According to a report given before the library board Monday by assistant librarian Joni Brookins, any veteran in the county is welcome to come in and reminisce. Sen.Richard Lugar's office is coordinating the recordings in Indiana, which will be preserved at the Library of Congress and in WCPL archives. Brookins said it may be possible to go to some veterans' homes if they cannot travel to the library.A committee regarding the project is to meet next week.

Tippy Valley Sees End To Construction

BURKET - Construction is winding down at Tippecanoe Valley High School. The building project at Tippecanoe Valley High School that began in 2004 is scheduled to be completed by Jan.31. The builders are putting the finishing touches on paint throughout the addition, finishing lights and curtains in the stage area, and completing three final rooms in the rebuilding project.Concrete work on the front of the building will be finished in the spring when the weather is more conducive to concrete work. Lights, however, continue to cause concerns for members of the school board.The light fixtures in some classrooms cause scalloped shadows in parts of the rooms, including the perimeter and on some white boards.The contractor says the scalloped shadows are a characteristic of the fixtures chosen.

Baldwin Joins City Park Board

Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins attended Tuesday's park board meeting, introducing Bill Baldwin as a new member.Baldwin replaces Don Clemens. Election of officers retained Toby Sumpter as president and John Sadler as vice president. The members approved a contract with The Plantarium to maintain the 30 satellite garden beds in Central Park.The contract amount, not to exceed $10,000, covers hourly wages and plant material. The 2000 year-end report was reviewed.Completed projects included: exterior painting and installation of new guttering at the Center Lake pavilion; enlargement of the Center Lake lifeguard room; and enlargement of the Central Park south performance stage area, which added portable wings.

Hunter Promoted To Captain At WPD

The new year brings a new captain to Warsaw Police Department.On Jan.16, Detective Sgt.Perry Hunter will replace current captain Paul Schmitt, who will resign. Schmitt, a 29-year WPD veteran, has accepted a position with the U.S.Investigations Services. Hunter, who has been at the police department 21 years, is well-qualified for his new position, the second highest in the department. In his time as a Warsaw officer, he has served as an underwater rescue and recovery diver, firearms instructor and field training officer.He also has studied interviewing techniques and the study of written documents. Recently, he graduated from the FBI National Academy program, an 11-week program consisting of advanced investigative, management and fitness training for selected officers. Hunter also is familiar with the Warsaw area, having lived here with his family nearly all of his life.

WCS Considers Library Board Candidates

Expanding the Warsaw Community Public Library district to allow free library use by all students in Warsaw Community Schools was the topic most often raised Monday as the Warsaw school board interviewed candidates for a library board opening. Five candidates were interviewed Monday for the vacancy created by the resignation of library board member Ron Raber.The new member will complete Raber's term, which will end in August 1999. All of the candidates said they were in favor of expanding the library's district, especially among students. WCPL now allows free use of its facilities only to the residents of Wayne Township, where library costs are added to property taxes.However, the WCS district includes all or part of Prairie, Plain, Clay and Lake townships as well as Wayne.Students in any township but Wayne must pay for a library card since they are not in the library's taxing unit.

WHA Financial Picture Improving, Director Says

Warsaw Housing Authority Executive Director Laura Kaufman told the agency's board of commissioners Monday that they are nearing the end of the fiscal year "in pretty good shape." The figures are at -$706.17 for the year thus far, with the fiscal year ending Sept.30."We should break pretty close to even this year, which is a big improvement from last year," Kaufman said.The agency expenditures can be plus or minus 5 percent without penalty from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, she said. WHA provided its clients with nearly $600,000 in rent assistance this year, with the federal funds being used to pay local landlords considered a boost to the local economy, board members said.

Kosciusko Lends Support To Nappanee Bike Plan

Kosciusko County will apparently support plans to complete the final leg of a proposed bike path around the city of Nappanee. The city and a regional transportation agency, Michiana Area Council of Governments, have proposed a five-mile bike path around the town's outskirts, but want to extend it south along Ind.19 to help, among other things, Amish residents. Most of Nappanee is located in Elkhart County, but the southern edge falls in Kosciusko County, which led mayor Larry Thompson and a MACOG official to seek Kosciusko County's support Tuesday. Kosciusko County's support is needed to avoid the appearance of a barrier on the path's south side, Thompson said. The path is expected to cost about $620,000 and would be developed with federal grant money through the Indiana Department of Transportation.The local share for most of the project is coming from the city of Nappanee, which chose to use revenues from its cigarette tax fund.

Tempers Flare At Silver Lake

SILVER LAKE - Silver Lake town councilwoman Donna McCune retained her council seat Monday by a stalemate. Councilman Gale Owens made a motion saying McCune does reside in Silver Lake.But no one seconded the motion.Council president Brenda Wadkins, the only other council member able to motion, said McCune did not reside.There was no second. Clerk-treasurer Teresa Howell was the only one left to second the motion. After a seven-minute legal counsel session with town attorney Michael W.Reed, of Reed and Earhart, Warsaw, it was decided Howell could not second a motion.The clerk-treasurer could only vote to break a tie.The clerk-treasurer's status as an ex officio council member was not sufficient to allow her to second a motion. Reed said there was "nothing to vote on."The meeting was adjourned. McCune stormed out of the town hall, slamming the door.She was crying.

Warsaw Possible Stop On Passenger Rail Line

Warsaw has been identified as a possible stop on a proposed high-speed passenger rail centered in Chicago. Assistant city planner Kristy Mehlberg presented an outline of the proposal during Tuesday's city council meeting. The Indiana Department of Transportation is studying a rail network that would significantly reduce travel time to the Windy City. Many companies headquartered in Chicago have divisions in Warsaw, Fort Wayne, Cleveland and Toledo. A public hearing is set for Aug.2 in the Allen County Public Library from 5 to 7 p.m. The Indiana network is proposed to run from Chicago and connect through Indianapolis to Cincinnati and Louisville using former Amtrak rails. It also would run along northern Indiana to Toledo and Cleveland. Travel time from Fort Wayne to Chicago would take about two hours.

Warsaw Schools Spells Out Building Plans

A resolution that spells out general plans for Warsaw schools' proposed building project was read to the public for the first time Monday night. The resolution will be read a second time at the March 18 Warsaw Community School Board meeting, and is expected to be approved at that time.

Honors Students Generate Funding For Schools

Warsaw Community High School students who graduate with honors diplomas are doing more than earning recognition for themselves - they're also earning money for the school corporation. For several years, the Indiana Department of Education has given grants to individual school corporations according to the number of honors diplomas each year.The going rate per diploma is $925, up from $800 last year. According to state records, Warsaw Community Schools has added $250,200 to its general fund in the last three years because of the number of honors students graduating from WCHS. Since the school and the state DOE don't know how many students will earn honors diplomas until graduation, the grants are given for the previous year.

For consumer confidence, Duck Products Pulled In Voluntary Action

MILFORD - A market withdrawl has been issued by Maple Leaf Farms for all cooked duckling products produced from Nov.30, 2000, to Jan.30. A market withdrawal is a voluntary, company-driven retraction of product from distribution channels. This withdrawal includes all varieties of Roast Half Duckling, Rotisserie Half Duckling, Rotisserie Duckling Breast, cooked leg and thigh meat and Duckling Leg Confit.No other Maple Leaf products are included. Scott Miles, director of consumer sales, said this particular product line is being withdrawn purely for consumer confidence. "We want to assure people that there is nothing to be concerned about by withdrawing the products," he said."This is not a recall.

Kavanaugh Explains WSO To Potential Board Members

Following a luncheon Friday at Mosaique Restaurant, Warsaw, Brent Wilcoxson, Winona Lake, and Dr.Patrick Kavanaugh, director of the Warsaw Symphony Orchestra, addressed a group of potential WSO board members. The board initially is being formed under the leadership of Rebecca Kubacki and Cathy Teghtmeyer. Wilcoxson said, "We're in an ongoing effort to redevelop the community - take it to its next phase.The symphony is one of those things that improves the quality of life in the area." Kavanaugh said, "We have access to many musicians in this community - through MasterWorks, Grace College and other sources.And our concerts are always packed.This community enjoys music like no other community I've ever seen.We have both musicians and an audience." He explained the tentative budget for WSO as four levels: • Survival - The first year budget of $25,000, which only pays for certain required expenses and salaries.

Pierceton Gets New Factory

PIERCETON - Construction should begin in mid-May on an $8.4 million die-casting plant in Pierceton's budding industrial park. At a Friday morning press conference at Pierceton's town hall, officials from Kosciusko Development and SPX Corporation's Contech division announced plans for the facility to be operating by the end of this year. Rob Hollacher, director of operations for the plant, said it will be a "state-of-the-art die casting facility" that will make aluminum castings for the automotive industry. He called the facility a "tier two" supplier, which does not make parts directly for automobile assembly plants but for their suppliers. Contech initially plans to employ approximately 48 people, Hollacher said, in a facility of about 45,000 square feet. The plant will be located in Pierceton's industrial park, about one-half mile west of Ind.13 on U.S.30.

Downtown Trees Bite The Dust

Despite some opposition, about a dozen trees along Center Street in Warsaw were removed Monday as part of the city's street reconstruction efforts. But there's a glimmer of good news for environmentalists who were angered by the tree's removal.City officials worked to gingerly remove the trees and will try to preserve the plants for a few days in case anyone wants them. The trees were taken to the city's yard waste field, where the rootballs were sacked in plastic bags.Anyone interested in the trees can contact the public superintendent's office at 372-9561. Mayor Ernie Wiggins said he isn't guaranteeing the trees will survive, but said they would be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Removal of the trees is part of a comprehensive reconstruction effort along Center Street east of the courthouse.The project includes replacement of underground utility lines as well as brick crosswalks at intersections.

Woman Needs Lung Transplant, Insurance

The Miller family face a hardship not very many families have to face.Travis, a National Guard trainee on his way to Iraq, left training to be with his wife, Lowellita, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as an infant. Because of her hereditary disease, doctors now give Lowellita one to two years to live unless she has a lung and pancreas transplant. If Lowellita's disease and recent diagnosis were not enough, TRICARE Prime, the most popular military insurance offered, took Travis Miller off of their health insurance because of his absence from the National Guard.Army Reserve members are only part-time and do not qualify for TRICARE health insurance. With no health insurance, Lowellita was taken off the potential waiting list for a lung transplant five days ago.Hospitals refuse to perform medical services if no proof of health insurance can be provided.

Warsaw School Board Approves Wage Increases

Warsaw School Board Friday approved several resolutions regarding corporation salaries, contracts and job descriptions.