The Star Press from Muncie, Indiana • Page 6

THE MMUNCIE STAR Local MONDAY, May 15, 1995 Page 6A KS2 East Central Indiana Nameless, faceless and a flood of memories 9 Local news briefing John HALE In There's nothing like a local event to bring back memories from a distant and far-away past. The memories can be happy or sad, fondly cherished or hoped-to-be-forgotten. And then there are the memories about which you're not sure how to feel. That's what happened to me aboard the USS Valley Forge. As a newly commissioned ship, the Happy Valley was supposed to be on a showcase cruise with luxurious ports of call like the French and Italian rivieras.

We wound up instead in the Persian Gulf. It was about this time that two Exocet missiles from an Iraqi warplane struck the USS Stark, an American frigate. The names of the state police officers meant little to me. None of them were local, many were dead before I was bom, and I have never been a police officer. But I could appreciate their dedication to protect and serve.

Navy and had recently been in contact with the Stark. And since my duty was during the attack on the; Stark, I also listened to the life-saving effort. I heard -the screams of the injured and was deafened by the silence of the dead. But the real impact the same impact that the 5 police officers at that ceremony felt didn't hit until our ships passed each other. 1 It was then that the crew of the Valley Forge "manned the rails" in full-dress uniform and saluted our fallen comrades.

We stared at the gaping holes in the sides of the Stark, knowing full well that could just as easily have been us. The police officers had to feel the same tug at their heart as they saluted the officers to the mournful cry of a lone bugler playing 7bps. John Hale is the police reporter for The Star. 33 of my own last Sunday while attending an Indiana State Police memorial service at the Redkey Post As the speaker announced the names of the 33 state police officers who fell in the line of duty, my mind wandered to the Persian Gulf in December 1987. I was serving on my only overseas tour of duty But I personalized those names with the 33 men aboard the Stark who lost their lives.

I might have recently spoken to several of those who died. I was in a communications field in the Family tradition "TSTT BSU unveils new center for mapping 5 4 -mm I Ahrwvi BALL STATE PUBLIC INFORMATION -Ball State University students and professors can design buildings, visualize molecules and chart ecc-nomic data with a new multimillion-dollar computer center. The Intergraph Center for Excellence in Mapping Sciences was unveiled last month during an electronic ribbon-cutting ceremony. It is one of four information mapping and design centers established in the United States by Intergraph Corp. of Huntsville, Ala.

Through a partnership with the firm, Ball State has received more than $5 million worth of hardware and software for the center the largest single grant the university has ever garnered. "Education is changing as we know it and technology is increasing very rapidly in our teaching said David Schoen, the Intergraph center's acting director and a Ball State urban planning professor. "This center is an opportunity for us to be a major player in that change," Schoen said. "We can be ir the forefront, helping to drive and participate in that development." The Intergraph partnership provides Ball State with 155 Pentium-based personal computers with Windows NT, a high-speed network along with state-of-tlte-aft information mapping and design software. Users include students and faculty members in Ball State's College of Architecture and Planning, plus the geology, biology, graphic design, economics and com puter science programs.

Burris Laboratory School and the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities also will use the equipment. ''Z In return for the equipment, Ball State will use the center to develop new software and conduct research on behalf of educational, professional and governmental entities. Ball State representatives also will attend national and international conferences. Intergraph officials say Ball State was chosen for the computer mapping center because of its emphasis on teaching. The other Intergraph computer mapping centers are at the University of Arkansas, Texas University and California Polytechnic State University at Pomona.

Meijer nears opening day By THE STAR'S STAFF The doors to the Muncie Meyer store will open for shoppers next week. The grocery-and-retail store will begin continuous 24-hour operation at 7 May 23. Groceries, clothing, hardware, appliances and other items will be sold at the 24-hour store, which will also house two restaurants. The store, at the northeast corner of McGalliard Road and Delaware County Road 400-W, will have about 750 hourly employees. A gas station and convenience store in the parking lot will open before the main store.

Plans for the store were announced in 1991, and construction began last summer. Albany man killed in wreck on Muncie Bypass An Albany man was killed Saturday night after he lost control of his truck and was thrown from the vehicle. Ray Morgan, 36, 217 N. Parker died after suffering head injuries when he lost control of his truck while leaving the Muncie Bypass onto Ind. 3 near Royerton about 8:30 p.m.

Delaware County Police Sgt. Arlan Johnson, who heads the county's accident reconstruction team, said Morgan went off the road where the bypass goes from four lanes to two lanes. "He was traveling at a high rate of speed and was intoxicated and was unable to gain control of the vehicle and went off the right side of the road," Johnson said. The truck rolled several times, and Morgan was ejected from the vehicle when the door came open. He said he was thrown more than 350 feet from the truck.

Morgan was not wearing a seat-belt, and his blood-alcohol content was "at least two times over the legal limit," Johnson said. There were no other passengers or vehicles involved. Ball State insurance costs slowing down Ball State University employees this summer will see the smallest increases in health-insurance rates in a decade. Insurance rates for university employees will increase in July by 4 percent. That is far below the 22-percent increase of 1991 and half of last, year's 8-percent increase.

"We've had a fairly favorable claims experience," said William McCune, the university's controller. "Part of it is a national trend, with the increases not being nearly as great as what they had been." The university's trustees recently approved the rate-increases for the insurance plan, which covers about 7,000 people, including spouses and dependents of employees and retirees. Ball State operates a self-insurance program of about $17 million for the coming year. Employees pay 25 percent of the premiums, with the university paying the balance. The new rates that employees pay for a family plan will be $173.57 a month, with a single plan costing $66.86 a month.

Union City woman killed in two-car accident LYNN, Ind. A car wreck in rural Randolph County on Friday claimed the life of a 38-year-old woman. Connie S. Crawford, 236'j Pearl Union City, died at 5:20 p.m. at Reid Memorial Hospital, Richmond.

Randolph County police said the accident happened when Crawford failed to yield to a car at Randolph County Roads 350-E and 600-S. The driver of the second car, Sandy R. Allen, 35, R.R. 2, Lynn, was released from Reid Memorial Hospital. A passenger in Crawford's car, Eric Crawford, 19, 2361- Pearl Union City, and a passenger in Allen's car, Britanie Sexton, 16, R.R.

2, Lynn, were not seriously injured. Portland man injured when car hits tree PORTLAND, Ind. A rural Portland man was seriously injured Saturday after the car in which he was a passenger hit a tree. A car driven by Barbara Imler, 48, R.R. 2, was heading north on Ind.

67 near Jay County Road 700-W about 5:30 p.m. when the right front wheel of the car went off the edge of the roadway. She then lost control of the vehicle and it went off the east side of the road, hitting a tree, a Jay County police official said. Robert Imler, 50, R.R. 2, was taken to Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, suffering chest and internal injuries.

He was in listed in serious condition in the intensive care unit Sunday night. Barbara Imler had minor injuries to the head and was released Saturday from Ball Memorial. Children's Clinic closed to observe founder's death Children's Clinic in Muncie will be closed today in observance of the death of Ramon A Henderson, one of its founding pediatricians. The clinic, 110 N. Tillotson will resume regular hours on Tuesday.

Emergency calls today should be made to 747-3662. Henderson, 80, died Friday after a long illness. Services will be 11 a.m. today in College Avenue United Methodist Church. Star photo GERRI C.

MAHONEY Ann Barber (right), Selma, a mother of eight and grandmother of 13, plants marigolds, petunias and impatiens Sunday with a little help from her daughter Cindi Lesure. The Mother's Day flowers are a Barber family tradition. 1 i flaaffla 1 McDaniel takes state GOP reimis "I've wanted to do this for a long time. I see this as a real opportunity for the party and for me." Michael McDaniel state GOP chairman "Mike's an easy guy to talk to," Eastman said. "He's fair.

He's straight forward; he doesn't beat around the bush." McDaniel's selection as GOP chairman in February was applauded by Democrats as well as Republicans. Despite his obvious leanings, McDaniel had to play to both sides in the Statehouse while employed by Ball State and Mutz. "I went out of my way to work with a lot of Demor crats," he said. "You can't come down here on Ball State business thinking in terms of and politics." But it didn't hurt that the party this year had majorities in both chambers of the Legislature for the first time since 1988. "There were a few folks who teased him" about GOP chairman, said Sen.

William McCarty, D-Anderson. "I don't think it had any negative effect at all. And frankly, in the end, I think it certainly served Ball State well." Ball State won $7.75 million to renovate Ball Gym nasium, although it did not get millions more that it wanted to build a new academic building. McCarty, a government and community liaison for Ball State, said: "Ironically, there was a period where the Senate Republicans took the Ball Gym renovation out of the House Republican version of the budget. It didn't have anything to do with Mike; it had to do with' the two Republican caucuses staking out theif bargaining positions.

The Senate Republicans were just adamantly opposed to new construction1 for universities." McDaniel will be in Muncie on Tuesday for Business Appreciation Week, sponsored by Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce. He and Ann DeLaney, a former state Democratic Party chairman, will engage in a "point-counterpoint" program at Horizon Convention Center. McDaniel clearly relishes his new job. "I've wanted to do this for a long time," he said. "I see this as a real opportunity for the party and for me." 1 By BRIAN FRANCISCO Assistant metro editor In his recent book, Inside the House: My Years in the Indiana Legislature, former State Rep.

Hurley Goodall rates nearly 200 lobbyists. Michael McDaniel of Ball State University scored a 5, which translated to "good" on a scale of 1 to 10. Only six lobbyists scored an 8 or higher. Goodall, a Muncie Democrat, wrote about McDaniel: "Very knowledgeable about the process. Young with a bright future.

Strongly partisan in some instances." McDaniel is living up to that description. The 44-year-old Indianapolis resident in recent weeks left Ball State to begin full-time duty as chairman of the Indiana Republican Party. He takes over in the wake of a GOP rout in the 1994 elections. His challenge is to help keep Republicans on top. "If we work at it, we could be the dominant party for 10 years," the Muncie native said in an interview.

Much of this year will be devoted to assisting candidates in municipal elections, training county Republican organizations and raising money. McDaniel directs six employees, a staff that will grow when the November election draws nearer. "We want to use 1995 as a tune-up for 1996," McDaniel said. "Everyone wants to win back the governor's office and the White House, keep the Indiana House and maybe knock off a few more Democrats in Congress." McDaniel replaced Allan Hubbard, who resigned in March after 2 years to spend more time with his family and on business interests. With Hubbard at the organizational helm, Republicans last year added 18 state and federal officeholders and won 82 of 140 contests.

"I refer to him as Forrest Hubbard, because he is the luckiest guy I ever met," McDaniel said, a reference to title character of the popular film Forrest Gump. "He also worked like a dog." McDaniel knows success can spoil. He said he had "to fight complacency" among Republicans who "think all elections are going to be like 1994." One boost this year and next is having U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana running for president "People feel a real ownership in Dick Lugar's candidacy," McDaniel said.

Should Lugar win the GOP nomination in '96 or play a large role in who does, "It would be a home run for us all the way around," McDaniel said about the coattails effect for state Republicans. McDaniel worked for the Indianapolis City-County Council, the state Senate and former Lt. Gov. John Mutz before joining Ball State, his alma mater, in 1988. Despite his experience in politics and government, he said he would consult with past GOP chairmen "a lot.

Nobody corners the market on political knowledge." 1 County GOP organizations will do the same with McDaniel and 10 district chairmen. "They are your backup, your support group," said George Eastman, chairman of Delaware County Republicans. "So if we do have a problem, we have somebody to talk to..