The Columbus Herald from Columbus, Indiana • Page 1

Patrons Seeking To Save School From Wrecking Ball A letter urging the Bartholo-new Consolidated School 3oard to maintain Mckinley School at thes existing site has jeen sent to local education of- icialS. McKinley. by far the oldest of ocal schools still in operation, las been the topic of discussion )'y school officials and parents. The Department of School House Planning has refused to allow local school officials to spend money to remodel the building because the amount of land on which the building is situated is far below the minimum required by the School officials have-been tossing the question about for the past several months and the alternatives are that the board can purchase additional land to qualify the school for remodeling or a new building; abandon the present McKinley building and transfer those students into other elementary schools; or maintain the building as it is. currently, despite the fact that major renovation is needed.

A copy of the letter was given to The Republic Thursday by Harold V. Jones 220 19th, a member of the steering-committee. The letter states; interested patrons and concerned parents of children of McKinley Elementary School, we urge the Bartholomew. Consolidated School Board to maintain McKinley as a community school at the existing site. are unanimous in that recommendation; preserving a school at the existing site is our primary concern.

We will actively support whatever deci sions are most likely to place McKinley at the top of the priority list for capital expenditures. "A few of our reasons for this, view include: The fact that McKinley has an excellent staff and we believe the children attending the school are receiving an excellent education. This quality of education is the single most important consideration and must be preserved. (Many parents have stated one of the reasons for moving into this district was McKinley). The fact that the McKinley School population is a diverse one.

McKinlr: the Jichool home for children of quite different social, economic and racial backgrounds. In our view, this' diversity works -educationally (McKinley students perform very well scholastically) and socially (most McKinley children benefit from living and growing with others who are not exactly like The fact that McKinley is a community school and helps to hold together a diverse neighborhood and preserve the fabric of a downtown area that is building and improving. The fact that McKinley is a community school and if school ceased to operate in the existing district, our children would be sent to other, more distant, schools resulting in increased transportation hazards, costs and inconveniences. The fact that McKinley School is the oldest school in Columbus still in service and represents the last opportunity to preserve a 19th century school building for future generations of the community. The fact that as a result of a major construction project in 1942.

McKinley is a sound building with energy costs far below-those of other local schools. Abandonment or demolition of the present building, in favor of new construction, would seem extremely wasteful of tax monies. "While we are unanimous in our view that McKinley should be maintained, we are not unanimous as to what form the facility should take in the future. "Some of us, seven per cent, believe the school corporation should build a new school. However, the overwhelming majority.

93 per cent, believe that the school corporation should undertake a significant renovation of the existing building with additions to it as is necessary to bring the facility up to standards. "We at McKinley are willing and anxious to work with you in studying the various alternatives to this situation and to determine the option which is the best and most feasible," the letter concluded. McKinley The Columbus Herald PRICE THIRTY CENTS VOLUME 97 NUMBER 40 COLUMBUS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1977 Tax Examiners Cut Most Unit Budgets various budgets making up the Budgets of all but two of the local units of government were ordered cut Wednesday when they were reviewed by the field examiners for the state tax board. Budget hearings were continuing today, with budgets of the small towns under review. Final decisions of the examiners will not be made until late this year, after the tax board itself reviews the budgets, but the decisions announced Wednesday are expected to be close to the figures general fund.

The budget for the city of Columbus is about $96,000 over the frozen levy, and Mayor Max Andress said the city council will determine yet this year where that money will be cut. He said the bond and pension funds cannot be touched since the city has to have those rates to meet the fixed expenses of those funds, leaving the general fund, park department and thoroughfare funds where cuts could be made. He said he had J. Irwin Miller To Receive Rosenberger Medal no for the city council at this time where the cuts should be made, although he feels they probably should be made from the general fund, by far the largest of the three. Budget cuts ordered for individual townships were not immediately available.

Neither the Bartholomew consolidated School corporation's budget nor the Flat Rock-Hawcreek school corporation's budget was determined to be over the frozen ness and civic advisory groups. In 1967. Esquire magazine selected him as the Republican Party's best hope for the presidential election. His most celebrated social contribution has been the transformation of Columbus into what the Chicago Tribune has called "an architectural wonder without counterpart." Beginning in the late 1930s when Eliel Saarinen was retained to design a new structure for the First Christian Church, and systematically from the mid-Ms. Miller used a family foundation as seed money to bring the finest architects in the levy.

Mrs. Jackson explained that the county budget total was over the limit because the information on which the budget was based was that the governmental units would be able to increase their budgets by five per cent, while the formula sent down with the examiners by the state showed an actual increase of only about one per cent would be allowed. Although he said it would be difficult to find places to cut the budgets. Mayor Andress said he United States to restore, plan and build in Columbus. To date that vision has produced 41 extraordinary buildings churches, schools, corporate headquarters; the work of 30 architects which, in one critic's view, constitute a hisotry of the last 20 years of American architecture.

Violinist and art collector as well as patron. Miller has been called the "Medici of the Midwest" by Architectural Forum magazine. He is an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects He was the first layman to be president of the National Coun Phil Kemker, Although Blind, Is a (Player) Piano Player. Blindness Hasn't SlowedDown life For Phil Kemker J. Irwin Miller of 2760 High land Way.

a national leader in business, education, the arts, and human rights for more than 40 years, will receive the University of Chicago's Rose-nberger Medal Friday. John T. Wilson, president of the university, will present the award at a dinner in the university's Hutchinson Commons, 57th Street and University The Rosenberger Medal was established at the university In 1917 bv Mr. and Mrs. Jesse L.

Rosenberger and is given perK odically for "achievement through research, in author vv7-71 Lolumbus Link -7 which will be finally approved. The budget for the county general fund, which includes budgets for the various courthouse offices, the health budget, the welfare budget and others, was estimated to be some $400,,000 over the amount allowed by the new frozen levy. A one- million dollar excess in the reported elsewhere, was incorrect, according to Naomi Jackson, county auditor. The county council will have to determine where that amount of money will be cut from the ship, in invention, for discov ery, for unusual public service, or for anything deemed of great benefit to humanity." The Rosenberger award was last given in 1975 to violinist Ye-hudi Menuhin. Miller is well-known irf business, political, and religion cir- cles.

He has been associated with Cummins Engine Co. since 1934. Under his leadership Cummins became the world's largest independent producer of die-sel truck engineSyJIe became its president in 1945 and chairman of the board in 1951, a position he resigned last February when he became chairman of Express maiL in Postal Serv-. ice tryouts since 1970, officially begins operations Sunday. The service can- expedite parcels weighing up to 70 pounds to Acting subdistrict superin-JoiyiAiU.

until a new appointment is made will be James A. Fritsche. the district maintenance field engineer. Everroad. who has resided in the Hope community, has been associated with the local state highway subdistrict garage at 25th Street and Central Avenue since shortly after the inauguration of former Gov.

Edgar D. Whitcomb of Seymour. He first was unit foreman and then general foreman before being appointed in February of 1973 as the subdistrict superintendent. 7 A ters and one of them's al-' most blind. My uncle Charlie Kemker's daughter is going blind." he said.

Doctors in Cincinnati, Louisville and Columbus were unable to prevent Kemker's encroaching blindness. "It was gradual," 'he recalled. "I had night blindness to start with. I couldn't see anything at night. My sight finally left altogether 25 years ago." "It's the retina that's bad." added his wife.

"They can't do anything for Since there was nothing he could do about it. Kemker went on about his business selling trailers. He was born in Indianapolis. buXtnsdin with his grandmother on her 1.500-acre Ripley County farm. After she went blind, his grandmother tagged him with the nickname that sticks today.

Jim. For several years, Kemker was a farmer in the area near his present home now a well established neighborhood. He was the owner of the Goldie Ann Trailer Park "three miles east of town on the 31 pass." His wife worked at Arvin Industries 18 1 vears. Bv MIKE REDMOND Staff Writer' Phil Kemker. 31 N.

Gladstone, has managed to stay fairly busy since he retired five years ago. He putters around his yard, takes short walks in his neighborhood, enjeys music on his radio and piano and tunes in his favorite television programs. He's an independent fellow who likes to look back on 72 years of life and exclaim it's been "just like a dream." The fact that he is blind doesn't slow him a bit. Kemker and his wife Gold-ip. 75, live in a stone house on the street corner where he operated Kemker Trailer Sales i until 1972.

He sold, he estimates, between 2,000 and 3.000 mobile homes during the 30 years he operated the business. He was sightless for the last 20 years of his career, but he-still sold trailers. "I bought and sold 'em by touch." he explained. Kemker lost his-sight in-1952 to a hereditary disease. "It runs on both the male and female sides of the fam-' ily.

My brother Steve (now deceased), his eyes were Jad. He's got three daugh- was not displeased with the amount the city was over because he expected it to be over some and felt it could have been greater than it was. Final budget figures are not yet available and the local units still are uncertain what their final budgets will look like. The formula for figuring the budgets this year has been changed from the formula used during the past several years, and local officials have not fully understood how the changes will affect their budgets. cil of the Churches of Christ in the United States.

During his term, he organized a civil rights march on Washington. He was also a member uf the central and executive committee of the World Council of Churches. Among other national advisory posts, he has been chairman of the National Advisory Commission on Health Manpower in 1966; and vice chairman of the UN Commission of Multinational Corporations in 19J4 chairman, President's Committee on Trade Relations with the Soviet Union and Eastern European Nations in 1965. Search meier might be with the controversial cult surfaced on a suggestion to state police, said Gastineau. She reportedly fits the church's criteria for new members: She is young, from a middle-to-upper-middle-class background, intelligent, well dressed and deeply religious.

Moonies are said to have enlisted members along Southern Indiana roads. Indoctrination, according to former, Moonies, is in the form on "brainwashing" them into the cult of Sun Myung Moon, a Korean entrepreneur. Miss Harmeier was reportedly en route from her home in Wayne County to IU when her car became disabled on Ind. 37 north of Ind. 252.

The search for the coed has spread as far as Paducah. where a service station operatorclaimed to have seen a woman resembling Miss Harmeier Sept. 12. Members of the university's Sierra Club and university policemen and cadets have organized searches in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest. No clues have been unearthed, according to reports.

A search fund totaling about $2,000 and a reward fund of about $5,000 have been established. Many of the searchers have been Cambridge City residents organized by the minister of Miss Harmeier's church, the Rev. Rose C. Taul of Cambridge City. Juvenile Task Force Works On Surveys A group of 12 Columbus residents who make up the new Bartholomew County Chapter of the Indiana Juvenile Justice Task Force have been meeting since January to discuss problems of local youth.

The group is compiling four surveys to determine if present services are adequate. Surveys cover youth service bureaus in Indiana, youth agencies in the community and persons in the community who are "community movers" and are being conducted with youth in the schools. Adkins said. Cummins' Executive and Finance Committee. He also is chairman of the Irwin Union Corp.

Executive Committee, trustee of the Ford and Mayo Foundations, a member of the Business Council, and a senior member of the Board, formerly the National Industrial Conference Board. His efforts to promote minority rights, higher education, and ecumenism as well as1iissuc-cessful charting of the corporation he headed for more than 30 years have garnered him 14 honorary degrees and appointments to several national busi iV any city in the United States within 24 hours. Local mailers will be able to use "custom service," according to J.D. Muir, Columbus post office manager of customer services. Custom service, explained Muir.

is available to patrons who agree to make mailings on a regular basis, such as once a week or every two weeks. Regular express service is not available here. available in the big cities," said Muir. "Indianapolis is probably the closest." Columbus residents who wish to make express mailings could go. to express windows at either the main post office in Indianapolis or at Indianapolis Weir Cook Airport.

"Custom service should be attractive to many industries in our area." said Muir. "They could send many items, including paperwork or paychecks, to cities all over the United States and have them arrive the next NEARING COMPLETION Work was expected to be city of Columbus, it moving the curb four feet to the west to allow Completed today on widening of the curb on Franklin just east of the businesses' trucks to park dlongisde the street without being a Brad's Home Furnishings. The company, in cooperation with the hazard to traffic moving north on Franklin. For Local Mailers 'Custom Service' Available 11. In Coed By MIKE REDMOND Staff Writer Columbus has become a possible focal point in the search for missing Indiana University coed Ann Louise Harmeier, as Indiana State Police at Bloomington began investigating the possibility the woman was picked up by members of the Unification Church who had been soliciting here the last day she was seen.

State police are looking into the possibility that Miss Harmeier. 20. Cambridge City, disappeared with the group known as "Moonies" when her car became disabled on Ind. 37 two miles north of Martinsville Sept. 12.

"It was mentioned to us as a possibility." said Sgt. Donald E. (Gene) Gastineau. "We are looking into it along with hundreds of other leads. We have no indications that she actually did join the Moonies." Gastineau added "that state police "only have a report" that Unifi- cation Church members were circulating in Columbus Sept.

12. "It hasn't been verified yet. "Really." concluded Gastineau. "we're not too excited about it. Like I said, it'sonly a possibility." Capt.

Larry Hall, Columbus Police Department detective division, said local authorities "had not been contacted" on the case. He advised The Republic to check, with the city clerk-treasurer to determine if a sales permit had been issued to the Unification Church Sept. 12. It had said Clerk-Treasurer Ruth Hubbard. Apparently, she added, the Moonies weren't selling that day, only soliciting.

"They don't have to have a pern if ihey aren't selling anything." Eyewitnesses have indicated, however, that the Moonies were in town Sept. 12. Columbus Police are familiar with the cult. "They come to Columbus about one or two times a year." said Hall. Police contact is usually limited to complaints that Moonies are "harassing residents" as they try to sell books or magazines.

Hall added that the cult has not tried to recruit new members here, to his knowledge. The possibility that Miss Har k. A new type, of mail service which provides guaranteed next-day delivery of parcels" is being made available in Colum-. bus on a limited basis. Move Everroad from Superintendent Post Rates for custom' designed mail service are determined by the weight of the shipment, the distance it must travel, and the pick-up and delivery requirements selected by the customer.

A 10-pound parcel dropped off at the post office for pick-up at another post office 1,000 miles away costs $16.90. A 25-pound shipment picked up from the customer's premises and dropped for delivery to an addressee 2.400 miles away costs $37.85. Merchandise is insured up to $500 at no extra cost. Document reconstruction insurance up to 550.000 is also available at no Postal service tests have proven 95 per cent of express mail -shipments arrived on time. Shipments arrived within 24 hours 99 per cent of the time, the post service has concluded.

Patrons interested in starting custom service may contact Muir at the post office, 450 Jackson. 379-9514. t. Transfer of the Columbus Subdistrict Supt. Don Evensof to a new position in the Seymour district of the Indiana State Highway Department was announced today.

-u Everroad's resignation as superintendent is effective Saturday. i He is to be in charge of preventive maintenance on state-owned equipment at the Seymour district's subdistrict garages in Aurora. Madison, New Albany. Bloomington and Seymour as well as Columbus, according to Terry Byrns, district maintenance engineer. AT WORK-Phil Kemker, 31 N.

Gladstone, hoi been blind for 25 years, but that hasn't stopped him from puttering around ln yard Kemker formerly operated Kemker Trailer Sales until 1972..