The Daily Journal from Franklin, Indiana • Page 1

WIN AND Victory a key for Colts NFL B1 football woes continue B1 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011 75 cents Johnson County, Indiana dailyjournal.net DAILY JOURNAL Police, TV Main switchboard 736-7101 Delivery: 736-2777, (888) 736-7101 Advertising: 736-2700 News tips: 736-2712 CALL US INDEX Franklin Karl W. Head, 97 Olive Hughey, 100 Mary Alice Norris, 83 Greenwood John B. McCulley, 60 Noah Anthony NaSal, infant John Frederick Schaefer, 86 Mary Irene Valadez, 71 Indianapolis Gordon Wayne Johnson, 86 John B. Summers, 56 Elsewhere Marie H. Eigenrauch, 86 Mark E.

Haymaker, 59 WEATHER Today Skies: Mostly sunny Temps: High 66; low 43 MAP, PAGE A8 DEATHS Get the early edition For a sneak preview of what stories reporters are working on, sign up for the Daily Journal e-mail news update. The daily e-mail keeps you up-to-date about what is going on in Franklin, the Center Grove area, Greenwood and central Indiana. We will alert you to breaking news, tell you about stories we are planning and let you in on what is going on in the newsroom. You can subscribe by sending an e-mail to dailyjournal.net. Put in the subject line.

WEB EXTRAS ON THE WEB Join us on Facebook, Twitter Keep up with the news and happenings in Johnson County communities through the Daily Facebook and Twitter pages. facebook.com/ dailyjournalnews twitter.com/ dailyjournalnet Lawyer holds Guinness record Local attorney deemed youngest judge If a Johnson County couple were having a late-night domestic dispute in 1974, a 17-year-old was awakened to help resolve it. Marc Griffin would listen and take testimony from a wife whose husband had hit her. He was looking for probable cause he could give to police to arrest the husband. Griffin also would set a bond that the man could pay to get out of jail.

Griffin, now a 55-year-old real estate lawyer in Greenwood, began mediating domestic disputes, hearing civil and criminal cases and performing marriages after he was appointed as a justice of the peace for White River Township in February 1974. He held the position for almost two years, and this year he was given the Guinness record of youngest judge. He knew as a high school student that he wanted to be a lawyer. As a sophomore, while his Counselors help students navigate messy parts of life High school students used to ask their guidance counselors what colleges they could afford and whether their grades were good enough to get them in. Juniors and seniors still have those questions, but now they also need to know where they or their parents can find food stamps or clean clothing and whether even possible to go to college when their family is dependent on the paychecks.

Students also may have problems outside class preventing them from focusing on school work, and the counselors have to show them how to navigate the messy parts of life. Students dealing with the news that their parents are divorcing might have nowhere else to turn. The 20 guidance counselors at Johnson six public high schools help about 7,700 students find answers to the questions connected with these issues. Their time with students varies. Some students may visit the guidance office only once or twice a year for 15 minutes, while others see counselors weekly for an hour at a time.

(SEE RECORD BACK PAGE) (SEE STUDENTS PAGE A2) OM ANGE DAILY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER Greenwood lawyer Marc Griffin, on the left in 1974, recently was given the Guinness record for youngest judge. Griffin was appointed as a justice of the peace for White River Township in February 1974. OM ANGE DAILY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER STAFF PHOTOS BY SCOTT Top: William Good browses the shelves at the Greenwood Public Library on Tuesday. Above: People use the public computers Tuesday at the Greenwood library. With a bud- get shortfall of $160,000, the library is trying to find ways to save money without layoffs or shortening hours.

More photos, dailyjournal.net. STAFF PHOTO BY SCOTT ROBERSON Guidance counselor Charla Simons talks with a student Thursday at Whiteland Community High School. Counselors help students with personal issues as well as class scheduling and applying for scholarships. Branches cope with reduced funding BALANCING THE BOOKS AT A GLANCE Libraries have been cutting costs because of declines in tax revenue. Greenwood Public Library 2012 budget: About $1.6 million Projected shortfall: About $160,000 What doing: Freezing salaries, reviewing contracts and looking at hiring less-expensive contractors to do plumbing and electrical work, buying fewer books Johnson County Public Library 2012 budget: About $6.4 million Projected shortfall: About $700,000 What doing: Having an employee plow snow and do repairs instead of hiring contractors, putting off replacing furniture and mechanical equipment, buying fewer books Edinburgh Wright- Hageman Public Library 2012 budget: $198,479 This budget: $210,071 What done: Laid off a part-time employee, cut four hours a week, canceled subscriptions, found a less-expensive company to stock magazines Libraries struggling with tax shortfalls ou see as many new books, DVDs and other materials on the shelves of the Greenwood Public Library next year.

expect anything to be done about that stained carpet at a Johnson County Public Library branch any time soon. Copies of the Wall Street Journal no longer are available at the Edinburgh Wright- Hageman Public Library because it afford the subscription. The libraries have been struggling because of property tax caps and a decline in county option income tax revenue. Income tax distribution is based on what was collected last year, and the revenues were down countywide because of high unemployment, financial consultant Mike Reuter said. The Johnson County and Greenwood library systems face shortfalls of about 10 percent next year.

Edinburgh plans to spend 5 percent less next year. looking at raising private money and cutting costs to make up for losses in tax dollars. The countywide library system expects to bring in about $700,000 less than it would need for its $6.4 million budget next year, while the Greenwood library should fall about $160,000 short of its $1.6 million budget. proposed 2012 budget is about the same as this while Johnson County had wanted to increase spending by 3 percent. Edinburgh expect a shortfall next year, but it reduced its 2010 budget by about $12,000, or 5 percent, after not bringing in enough money this year, director Cathy Hamm said.

The library district will have a smaller budget than it did a decade ago. The libraries already have cut expenses during recent Donors could be asked to ease burden ocal libraries are looking to private donors to make up losses in tax dollars. The Greenwood Public Library and Johnson County Public Library are encouraging people to donate if they want to make sure that their children are read to at story time or their favorite author is on the shelf. Greenwood is pursuing donations to provide programming and buy books, and grants to pay for professional development. The Johnson County Public Library is considering setting up its own foundation and bringing in authors for fundraising events.

The Edinburgh Wright- Hageman Public Library also welcomes any donations, director Cathy Hamm said. For instance, people could write checks and ask the library to stock more Westerns, mysteries or their other favorite books. Libraries get most of their money from taxes, such as property tax and county option income tax dollars. But they also depend on donations from Friends of the Library nonprofit groups and businesses to pay for popular programs, such as summer reading for school children. OSEPH S.

ETE DAILY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER OSEPH S. ETE DAILY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER (SEE TAX BACK PAGE) (SEE DONORS BACK PAGE) INSIDE Family magazine Discover the benefits of teaching kids their way around a kitchen, find out how a family of eight sets its priorities, and check out a bunch of nearby family-friendly events you can enjoy in Southside Family. family family A MAGAZINE DESIGNED FOR FAMILIES WINTER 2011 teaching kids to teaching kids to cook Ellington family Fantastic, whimsical toys Family-friendly calendar SOUTHSIDE INSIDE A DAILY JOURNAL PUBLICATION Proper instruction benefits them when they get older Proper instruction benefits Proper instruction benefits them when they get older them when they get older THE GRIFFIN FILE Name: Marc Griffin Age: 55 Occupation: Real estate lawyer in Greenwood Record: Guinness recently named him the youngest judge. Where it started: Was appointed as a justice of the peace for White River Township in February 1974. Spent two years overseeing civil and criminal cases, resolving domestic disputes and performing marriages.

Grizzlies to take on Butler Bulldogs B1 HINKLE BOUND.