Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - Two ideas to promote Syracuse were discussed at the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce meeting Wednesday.
Chamber Director Steven Hite suggested turning Wawasee Village into a farmer's market next year between Memorial and Labor days.
Area merchants pay taxes and hire locally, chamber member Bill Beemer said, but vendors who would sell at a farmer's market do not. He said he had a problem with that.
Syracuse Town Manager Brian Redshaw said the town's ordinances would have to be modified by the town council to allow the market.
Three to four years ago, chamber member Tim Yeager said, the chamber discussed a similar idea. And while it is a good idea, Yeager said, there would be some merchants that would have to be considered.
Hite said people would come from outside Syracuse to shop at the market and they wouldn't buy just fruit and vegetables. People visiting Syracuse also would shop and eat in Syracuse.
Communities who have held farmer's markets should be consulted, Yeager suggested.
Another idea suggested by Hite would be for a "Cornball Festival" to be held after Labor Day, perhaps in October. Chamber President Dr. Richard Brungardt said it was a thought and he would like to get some feedback.
Wawasee High School students have many activities coming up in the next couple of weeks.
Seth Beer and Tyson Niles gave a report to the chamber Wednesday on the school's activities.
Niles said sophomores just finished the ISTEP Graduation Qualifying Exam and grades nine through 11 completed the Work Keys testing to help students decide on future careers. She said Wawasee is approaching the end of the first nine-week grading period.
Next year, Wawasee is going to a trimester schedule, Hite said. He said he serves on a committee to help improve Wawasee schools and the trimester scheduling may be an opportunity for local businesses to get involved in the high school.
Homecoming for Wawasee is Oct. 13, Beer said. Many activities are planned, including a parade Oct. 13. Businesses are encouraged to get involved in the parade with floats, he said.
On Monday, the school plans a bonfire and pep rally to jump-start school spirit. There will be an emcee, fall team captains will speak and the band will perform. Two days later the school will have a talent show. Tie-dyed shirts will be sold for students so they can be worn Friday at homecoming.
"It should be a lot of fun," Beer said.
Parent-teacher conferences will be held soon, he said, and the school corporation is trying to encourage parent involvement.
Finally, the students reported on the success of Wawasee sports.
"A lot of the teams are getting ready for sectionals," said Niles. Beer, who is on the tennis team, said they won their sectional.
Hite said the Senior Academic Awards given by the chamber have been accepted "very well" by parents and the school.
"It think it's a good idea," said Beer. "It was an honor to get (mine)."
To receive the plaques, an athlete must have a grade point average of at least 8.5. One member of each sport receives a plaque, provided they qualify.
At the last two Syracuse Town Council meetings, Redshaw reported, there was an effort to pass an ordinance to ban train whistles. The first time, the ordinance was defeated with a vote of three to two. At the September meeting, the ordinance was tabled until October because only three of the five councilmen were present.
Redshaw said he has talked to the Indiana Department of Transportation, who said seven Indiana communities have passed whistle bans. However, the Federal Railroad Regulation plans to adopt new regulations that will effectively undo whistle bans.
The best guess INDOT could give Redshaw is that the new regulations would allow only whistle bans if there are quad gates on all railroad crossings. However, since many crossings do not even have flashing lights and crossing arms, INDOT won't fund quad gates. Their position, Redshaw said, is that they should not protect law-breakers.
Also, the federal government, Redshaw said, has overturned whistle bans in other places like Florida.
The town council will hold a hearing on the whistle ban at its Oct. 17 meeting. Redshaw said he has information in his office, both pro and con, regarding train whistle bans that is available for the public to view.
In other business:
• Hite said on his trip two weeks ago to Washington, D.C., he met with Evan Bayh, Richard Lugar, Tim Roemer and nine other Indiana politicians about Syracuse's concerns.
During the trip, Hite said, they were able to "put Syracuse's face on our legislature."
• Holiday Magic will be Nov. 16 to 18 in Syracuse.
• Brian Woody told the chamber about his new coffee shop, "Cool Beans Espresso."
• The chamber's annual dinner is Nov. 2.
• The Craft Bazaar is Dec. 2 at Wawasee Middle School from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Hite is working on improving and updating the chamber's Web site. The chamber's e-mail is swchamber@kconline.com
