The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 13

BACK TO WORK Allison Gas Turbine OKs pact. B4 MEDICAL MERGER Hospital companies team up. B4 The Indianapolis Star THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1992 CityState 7 KeiidaJlvile tries to pel itself together Dan Carpenter -v- Noble County community is declared a disaster area after tornado's rampage For Democrats, pre-vote high is just a matter of convention Hills subdivision, two other homes were damaged beyond repair, Dawn Hamlin said. In a nearby shopping center, the storm had twisted steel beams and moved 10-foot-tall concrete pillars 4 Inches from their base. "It hit real fast," said Cheryl Scott, vice president of Scott's Foodstore, which suffered water damage after a portion of the roof was ripped off.

Twenty-eight people were Injured when the tornado tore through Kendallville, but only one remained' hospitalized Wednesday, according to a spokeswoman for McCray Memorial Hospital. Gov. Evan Bayh declared Kendallville and other parts of Noble County disaster areas. U.S. Sen.

Dan Coats, and See TORNADO Page 3 By ROBERT S. KING STAR STAFF WRITER When a wrathful tornado finished its sweep of their Kendallville neighborhood, Dawn and Richie Hamlin emerged from the security of their windowless bathroom expecting the worst. "It was a real shock when we came out and the house was still standing," pawn Hamlin said Wednesday as the northeastern Indiana town began to pick up the pieces. Though the Hamlins' 2-year-old house was standing, glass from Its front windows was shattered, patches of siding were torn away and flying debris had punched a hole In the attic wall. They were some of the lucky ones.

A few doors up In the new Avarta STAR STAFF PHOTO MICHAEL LAUGHLlft A fierce tornado sent Harry Rissner packing, first when he and his wife rushed to the basement of their Kendallville home, and then when they had to move out 4 I Jr. Higher IPS taxes proposed Salary news may frustrate teachers 4l V' 4 s.x -m i i I'm not attending this year's Democratic National Convention, but I can still sense a brand new mood among the faithful who've descended on New York from throughout the planet and California. The mood Is upbeat. Confident. The Democrats have caught the scent of victory.

I did attend the 1988 Democratic National Convention, and I sensed a new mood among the delegates there as well. They were upbeat. Confident. They were on the victory trail. After 1984 and their pounding by Ronald Reagan, they were going out after that pusillanimous, boring cipher George Bush and they were going to kick some Well, OK.

So Michael Dukakis and Lloyd "I Could Be Dan guayle's Daddy" Bentsen weren't exactly Dafiny Glover and Mel Gibson. But the Democrats knew that going in, and that's why the Democrats were so excited. Every delegate I Interviewed, with and without a hat shaped like his state's principal agricultural product, said: "It's exciting." The Big Apple It was exciting, see, because the Democrats were following the advice of their critics, who told them the Democrats should become more "mainstream" (i.e., dull) if they wished to take back the White House. So the Democrats nominated two men who were as bland as Republicans, crossed their fingers behind their backs when the Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke, and hoped the voters would accept their nominees at least as warmly as Ronald Reagan had accepted George Bush.

So high were their hopes, the Democrats even talked for four or five minutes about campaigning in Indiana. Alas, the voters decided to have a real Republican instead of a DemocratRepublican, and once again the convention was a failure for all but the 88 percent of delegates who come primarily to be photographed alongside tour buses. But that was then and that was Atlanta, "Bypass-to-Orlando Capital of America." This is now. This is New York, New York, the city they had to name twice because the first time it answered: "Who the you talkin' to? You talk-in' to me?" New York is Democratic property. Republicans go there with visas.

Look in vain for a pair of plaid pants on a Gotham street. Notice an occasional white oxford In an alleyway. Its owner's fate easily imagined. This time for sure Democrats are comfortable here, wading through seething crowds of protesters dressed like condoms and getting mugged in broad daylight. Democrats love the hard-to-love, and there's always someone In the Big Apple eager to extend a closed hand or middle finger.

In this most un-Republican atmosphere, the newly upbeat Democrats will nominate not two older l.Lj.,lS.lJ. 1', Z'l STAR STAFF PHOTO GUY REYNOLDS 10 injured on trip to zoo Rescuers transport one of 10 people injured when a van from although three people were admitted to Wishard Memorial Muscatatuck State Developmental Center flipped twice and hit a Hospital in stable condition. A truck rear-ended the van, which guardrail on I-70 near West Street All of the injuries were minor, was on its way to the Indianapolis Zoo on Wednesday. Hudson Institute ponders demands on school plan IPS wants veto power because of fears over curriculum and privatization By LYNN FORD STAR STAFF WRITER Indianapolis Public Schools'; proposed 1993 budget would: mean higher property taxes for; district residents and no pay; raises for teachers other than; automatic Increases for expert-' ence. Officials of Indiana's largest school district unveiled a preliminary $343 million budget Wednesday that calls for a property tax of $5.56 to $5.60 per $100 of assessed valuation, 30 cents to 34 cents higher than the current rate.

The final tax rate, which would include up to $1.25 per $100 of assessed valuation for capital projects, will be determined next month. Business Manager Rodney M. Black said IPS, which last year operated on a $339 million general-fund budget, remains In fi; nancial trouble. He cited cuts in state funding for public education, the continued loss of desegregation funds to township districts that receive IPS students, and Increased employee Insurance costs. The proposed budget, which the IPS Board of Commissioners will vote on next month, didn't bring happy news for teachers who have worked nearly a year without a contract.

It contains no money for salary Increases. -Officials of the Indianapolis" Education Association said IPS teachers, more than 3,000 of whom are represented by the union, likely would remain the. lowest-paid among Marion County's 11 public-school districts. "Somewhere down the line action has to match the rheto ric," IEA President Brice Tressler said after seeing the; budget for the first time Wednes-f day. "If they (IPS officials) expect teachers accept a two-yeae contract (with pay) below the; rest of the county.

It's not going to happen." Superintendent Shlrl E. Gil- bert II repeated his pledge tq raise teacher salaries over time. He said IPS has taken two steps toward that goal. IPS board members on Tuesday night approved the elimination of 26 central-office jobs In a move expect- TIT VV have to control this process. These are our kids, not Hudson's kids." Shirl Gilbert IPS Superintendent leaders who have reviewed the program.

Under Gilbert's proposal, IPS would: Appoint a "culturally sensitive" staff member to oversee and coordinate a program for IPS. That person would be paid by Hudson from a $1.7 million test grant the institute won last week from the New American Schools Development a privately funded entity created under President Bush's America 2000 education program. Form an oversight committee of community leaders, educators and others that would have veto power over program content, ranging from curriculum to assessment of student performance. Retain authority to "reject, accept or modify any and all elements of the Hudson framework to assure that the design reflects the multiracial and cultural realities of the district." A 30-member community group known as Advocates for Irrtproved Urban Education has "We will not allow Hudson to continue to be insensitive to minorities, anti-public schools, pro-tax credits or vouchers, or anything else we believe is not in'the best interests of our students," Gilbert told the IPS Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night. "We have to control this process.

These are our kids, not Hudson's kids." Meanwhile, officials of the Indianapolis Education Association, the union representing more than 3,000 IPS teachers, expressed concerns about the role of teachers and the potential for privatization. "Hudson calls for schools to be autonomous from the district," IEA President Brice A. Tressler said. "I welcome any group that wants to help public education, but that concern and others must first be addressed." D'Amico said fears of privatization are unfounded; "These would continue to be Indiana-polls Public Schools, owned by By LYNN FORD STAR STAFF WRITER The Hudson Institute won't rule out trying to meet demands set by Indianapolis Public Schools before the district will test Hudson's controversial reform program, an official of the Indianapolis-based think tank said Wednesday. IPS presented Hudson officials with three demands Tuesday, citing fears that the "Modern Red Schoolhouse" program would ignore the needs of black students and essentially privatize participating public schools.

IPS and six other participating school districts would be asked to develop programs within a certain framework of the plan. But the programs would be tailored to the needs of individual districts. Significant features of the Institute's plan Include high achievement standards and greater emphasis on computer technology and character development. These components would be Implemented under a schools and a close working relationship between home and school. "The schools would decide how to do It themselves within the framework," said Carol D'A-mlco, a research fellow for the Institute.

"We will work with them to the extent we can to accommodate their special needs and Interests." Still. Superintendent Shirl E. Gilbert II said IPS should take part only If the institute agrees to three stipulations prompted by the concerns of 30 community to three stipulations prompted by the concerns of 30 community cited Hudson conservative the public, operated by the In framework of autonomy for Indi framework of autonomy for lndl- leanings in taking issue with cer- dianapolis Public Schools dividual schools, parental choice of tain components of the program, trict." See IPS Page 3 4 quit state environmental agency, cite poor morale By SUSAN HANAFEE worked in the Office of External of "professional and personal" mental agency on a two-year ing in the environmental agency star staff writer Affairs, which deals with the differences with deDartment contract from the EPA In May Is tough, but she felt that, over- STAR STAFF WRITER worked in the Office of External Affairs, which deals with the differences with department contract from the EPA In May Is tough, but she felt that, over men disguised as Republicans but two almost-young men who call themselves New Democrats, which says to the voters: "Look, go with us and you lose Bush, Quayle AND Jesse Jackson what more can we give you?" It's riot as if the Democrats are openly courting conservative white voters, but party officials so far have refused to repudiate rumors that President Bush consumes valuable time during Cabinet meetings doing James Brown impressions. "H-u-u-n-hh!" was Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton's only comment.

Clinton and Sen. Albert Gore Jr. of Tennessee represent a bold geographic strategy by the Democrats, who hope to lock up those two key Southern states and let the Penn-sylvanias and Californias and other incidentals sort of fall into line, or get purchased by Ross Perot before the Republicans can get to them. It's got to work. You can feel it.

I's a new ballgamf all, employee morale was good. "In any organization not everybody is going to be happy, but I don't think it is a big problem here," she said. Barton R. Peterson, the governor's executive assistant on environmental Issues, said he had talked with Cadou earlier about her concerns but felt It was up to Prosser to handle the situation. "You cannot run an agency from the governor's office," he said.

"We are extremely pleased with the job that Kathy has done and is doing)'" 1990. She said she had recently agreed to stay on, but decided three weeks ago to return to her job in Chicago as deputy director of the EPA's environmental sciences division. Cadou said Grim and Stern decided to rrsign after she told them she was leaving. The three submitted resignations Monday. None has a new job.

Fitzpatrick, who submitted his resignation last week, has returned to Butler University to finish work on a master's degree. Prosser 'responded that work Commissioner Kathy Prosser. "I have been waiting 20 years for a governor like this who really cares about the environment, so It is with great sadness that 1 leave," Cadou said. Wellish, head of the Office of Water Management, said employees In her area have become demoralized over the past year. "They are afraid to take risks, to make suggestions, to follow up on something creative," she said.

"They feel they don't get responses to their concerns." Welllsli came to the environ news media and handles community relations. Leaving are Bettie Cadou, director of the office; Jim Grim, Cadou's deputy director; Don Fitzpatrick, a public Information officer; and Jean Stern, information specialist in charge of community relations for the Office of Environmental Response. That leaves Just one staff member and a secretary. The employees were reluctant to comment on reasons for leaving, but Cadou said she felt she could not stay In her Job because Four employees of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management have resigned, some citing low employee morale and a lack of communication between senior management and rank-and-file workers. In addition, Corinne Welllsh, a high-ranking department employee on loan from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, has asked to be released from her contract with the Indiana agency.

Thei resigning employees all.