Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - Annual recognition of a Winona Lake resident for community service and for "making the town a better place to live" was given Tuesday to Dr. Stephen J. Peoples.
The Bill Reneker Memorial Community Service Award was presented to Peoples by Judy Reneker at Tuesday's town council meeting. Named in honor of Bill Reneker, a past president of the town council, the award is given annually to "an individual who selflessly makes a contribution to the betterment of Winona Lake."
Peoples was recognized for his service on the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Plan Commission and the town council. He also was responsible for organizing a neighborhood watch in the Southtown area last summer during the time of the "bicycle bandit" burglaries.
Receiving a standing ovation from the council and the audience, Peoples said he was shocked, surprised and honored by the award, and credited his wife, Sue, with "pushing me into some of the public service things I've done."
In other business, town council president Brent Wilcoxson recommended that the council drop its efforts to establish a rental housing inspection and registration ordinance.
Wilcoxson said he and the town's building inspector, Dick Leaf, met with Warsaw's building inspectors to see how Warsaw's program works. Warsaw has no registration program and no mandatory inspections.
Winona Lake could "accomplish what we set out to do" without passing a housing ordinance, Wilcoxson said. The laws and regulations are already in place, and "it's just a matter of pursuing it."
Councilman Harold Dunn moved that the already existing policies be more aggressively pursued instead of adopting a new ordinance, and the council unanimously approved his motion.
The council also discussed plans for this year's festival activities for the July 4 holiday. Plans for July 3 include a concert in the park, and for July 4 include: the "5K Firecracker 5000," a tennis tournament, flag football, kids' games, waterball, a strawberry shortcake social, a Patrick Henry oration, a brass band on the beach and fireworks.
The town council's next meeting will be at 7:30 a.m. on March 25 in the community building.
