The Kokomo Tribune from Kokomo, Indiana • Page 2

Local area Jontz proposal receives backing The U.S. House of Representatives adopted a proposal last week made by Rep. Jim Jontz, to cut the U.S. Forest Service's 1990 budget for below-cost timber sales by 10 percent. Jontz's proposal was included in the 1990 Interior appropriation bill that passed in the House 374 to 49.

Almost every region in the country loses money on timber sales, according to Jontz. The Treasury loses money on timber sales when the the revenue the government receives is less than the cost of preparing the timber for sale. Re-evaluation is finished TIPTON, Ind. TheTipton County re-evaluation of real estate is complete, according to county Assessor Linda L. Altherr and Sabre Appraisal manager Chris Greenawalt.

Owners may inspect their new reassessment values to make sure all data is correct, Altherr said. "For example, some houses may be incorrectly listed as having a basement, an unfinished attic instead of a finished one or some buildings might have been destroyed since the data information was collected," she said. Altherr said she has scheduled informal hearings for July 24 through Aug. 4 for people who wish to see their reassessment. The formal assessment notices (Form ll's) will be mailed to property owners in August.

"After the owners receive the notices, they must file any discrepancy within 30 days of mailing of the notices with the Tipton County Board of Altherr said. The statewide reassessment will be reflected on 1990 property tax bills, Altherr said. Northern plans closed session SHARPSVILLE, Ind. Northern School Board members will meet in a closed session at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the administration building.

The purpose of the session is to receive information about prospective employees. Open house for Parks July 27 TIPTON, Ind. The Tipton County Public Library will host an open house honoring library Director Janene Parks from 3 to 5 p.m. July 27. Refreshments will be served.

Parks resigned from her post, effective July 31, because of her husband's job relocation to Iowa. Western scholar attends academy MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) Is the greenhouse effect really a serious environmental problem? Who should pay the costs of reducing acid rain? Is it ethical for a doctor to perform abortions? These are some of the issues confronting 100 Indiana teen-agers participating in the first Governor's Scholars Academy, a three-week residential program at Ball State University for exceptional high school students who will be juniors this fall. "It's a shock to be in a class that's actually teaching at a rate at which I learn," says Karleen Davis of Western High School in Russiaville. "I had gotten used to sitting back and letting the teacher take over." The academy, which had been funded for only this year, failed to receive additional money during the last session of the Indiana General Assembly.

Unless another funding source is found, the first Scholars Academy may be the last, says director James Hersberger. To be considered, Hersberger said, a student had to be in the top 5 percent of his or her class. Other factors such as creativity, leadership ability and standardized test scores were weighed, too. Assistant director Penny Britton Kolloff, associate professor of gifted education at Ball State, said the academy offers something even a gifted program in a high school would not be able to. It has four teams of scholars, culled from around the state, teaching each of the four morning seminars.

"It is truly an opportunity for the students to look at things from a different perspective," says Kolloff. Correction Because of a Tribune error, a son's name was wrong in the Wednesday obituary of Walter Ebert Baker. The son is Edward L. Baker of Kokomo. Because of incomplete information provided the Tribune, a sister was omitted from the Wednesday obituary of Helen Waddell.

She is Josephine Bogan of Orlando, Fla. 2 Kokomo (Ind.) Tribune Thursday, July 20, 1989 Joel Hunt prepares to tie-dye a shirt during craft session Julee Franks works on a new basket (Tribune photos by Susan Goff) Children create crafts The Kokomo Park and Recreation Department sponsored an outdoor craft festival for area children at the Elwood Haynes Museum near Highland Park between 10a.m. and2p.m. Tuesday. Children worked on various crafts, ranging from basket weaving to tie-dyeing shirts.

The children also made candles, prints, clay work and other projects Park department staff members supervised the event. Individuals bought tickets and were allowed to choose which project they wanted to create. Projects were then taken home. Sheriffs frustrated by state prisoner lid Editor's note: Indiana correctional officials, trying to handle a prison crowding crisis, will ask federal judges to raise population caps on three major state institutions. Story on Page 22.

By Anne Schmitt Tribune staff writer Indiana sheriffs, angry at the way the state is handling prison overcrowding, met Tuesday to look for solutions to their rapidly filling jails. The Indiana Sheriffs Association formed a committee of 10 sheriffs from different size communities to investigate the sheriffs' legal options and meet with the governor's office and Correction Department officials. Howard County Sheriff John D. Beatty will serve as cochairman of the committee. State correction officials imposed a moratorium last week on accepting prisoners to its facilities.

The Correction Department lifted the ban this week and announced Signing on roads raises new fears By Anne Schmitt Tribune staff writer The Howard County Traffic Commission on Wednesday considered adopting a more thorough procedure for investigating residents' complaints about hazardous conditions on county roads. Sheriff John D. Beatty suggested the commission evaluate its policy for reducing speed limits on county roads. The department has received several complaints from county residents about the speed limits on county roads following installation of new speed limit signs as part of a county Highway Department sign program, Beatty said. The Highway Department completed the first phase of a federally-funded sign project by installing or replacing signs in the area between county roads 400 West and 400 East, excluding Kokomo.

The federal government reimburses 90 percent of the cost for the signs. Residents see the newly posted signs announcing the 55 mph speed limit for most county roads and fear that their road is becoming a speedway, when often the limit always has been 55. The Traffic Commission should consider several criteria when it considers lowering a road's speed limit, Beatty said. The commission should continue to observe the speed that cars travel on the road in question and investigate the accident history of the location. Commission members also should study the raod condition, physical features of the area and, in particular, any exceptional hazards.

"We should go out, and drive there and see" the locations, making note of hazards that could warrant reduction of the speed limit, said Ted Cain, Howard County engineer. A study of a road also should note which hazards are man-made or not, Cain said. In some cases, bushes that obstruct view can be cut, he said. "Maybe we need a more formal report," said Glen Boise, transportation director of the Kokomo-Howard County Governmental Coordinating Council. The commission also voted to reduce the speed limit to 40 from 55 on county road 50 East at 420 South.

The road is in disrepair in the area and unsafe for vehicles traveling 55, commission members said. that state prisons would accept prisoners as space became available. The sheriffs association is going to demand that the state reimburse counties for housing prisoners who otherwise would be placed in a state prison, Beatty said. A scale established by statute sets fees paid to counties for housing prisoners convicted of misdemeanors and sentenced to state correction facilities. That scale could be used to reimburse county jails for housing prisoners who the state has refused to take because of overcrowding.

The increased prisoner load increases costs of meals, medical care and other services to prisoners, Beatty said. "We think the state has responsibility to pay local communities for that, "he said. Howard County currently is not under the same strain as some counties. However, Beatty on Monday said Howard County could have problems in a few weeks if it continues jailing prisoners at the current rate and the state prisons refuse to accept any more. State correction facilities would accept only two of six prisoners this week who were sentenced in Howard County to serve time with the Department of Correction, Beatty said.

The sheriffs group also wants to hire attorneys to investigate the legal implications of the state's action, Beatty said. State prisons must meet certain requirements for housing prisoners that counties do not. Sheriffs also want to know what options they have. The group wants to know if the prison system can refuse prisoners once they have been sentenced and committed by a judge. Marion County Sheriff Joseph G.

McAtee sought and obtained a restraining order against the state, requiring the Department of Correction to accept prisoners from Marion County who are sentenced to state correction facilities. The order doesn't affect other counties. Sheriffs are angry at the way the Correction Department has handled the situation, Beatty said. He said he was notified of the weeklong moratorium on accepting prisoners by the media before correction officials notified the counties. State officials didn't tell sheriffs they were considering the moratorium to give counties time to prepare for the additional prisoner load, he said.

Sheriffs also are angry the state waited so long to address prison overcrowding, Beatty said. The state has been under a court order since 1981 to limit its prison population, he said. HOME A dream come true from Dorothy Edwards Realtors DOROTHY EDWARDS REALTORS 2205 SOUTH PARK ROAD P.O. BOX 2010 KOKOMO, IN 4M02-2010 Sherry Head says "THANKS" Sherry Head, Realtor at Dorothy Edwards Realtors, wants to Thank her clients and past clients for their continued support. One of the greatest rewards in Real Estate is getting a call from a past client and being able to help them Again.

Sherry has been in Real Estate since 1975 and at Dorothy Edwards Realtors since 1979. She has beeji a consistant member of the Million Dollar Club. When you are thinking of making a move, call Sherry Head at Dorothy Edwards office 453-1356 or at her home phone 963-2763..