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Covering Milford, Syracuse & North Webster, Indiana
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Candidate Filing Begins
One Nation Under God
See Page 5 www.the-papers.com
APC considers four petitions in first meeting of 2022 Two of the petitions considered by the Kosciusko County Area Planning Commission during its regular monthly meeting Wednesday, Jan. 5, in Warsaw, involved subdividing property where the allowed number of selloffs had been exhausted. It was the first meeting of 2022 for the planning commission. Charles and Rita Hyde asked to rezone ground from Agricultural to Agricultural II on the north side of CR 125N, east of CR 950W in Harrison Township. A residence is on the property as well as a mobile home given temporary approval by the county Board of Zoning Appeals for hardship reasons. Charles Hyde said he wants to keep the mobile home permanently on the property for his caretaker, Jay Hyde, to live in and create a separate lot. Approval was recommended for the petition by the APC and it will next be considered by the county commissioners Tuesday, Jan. 18. Also on the agenda, approval was recommended for Allison Powell and Amy Lilly to rezone property from Agricultural to Agricultural II on the north side of CR 900N, east of CR 500E in Turkey Creek Township near the entrance of Quaker Haven. There is a residence on the property and the sell-offs allowed have been exhausted. Powell and Lilly were bequeathed a home that will be built by Shipshewana Homes. A representative from Shipshewana Homes said the 5-acre tract of ground would be split as evenly as possible and there will be a private drive coming off CR 900N accessing the home.
County commissioners will consider the petition at their Jan. 18 meeting. In other business, a petition by George E. Tubbs to rezone ground from Industrial II to Commercial on the north side of US 30, east of CR 325E in Wayne Township was recommended for approval. Lake City Honda and Lake City Kawasaki have been using a building there commercially but the property was never rezoned. The commissioners will also consider this petition at their Jan. 18 meeting. In other business, a preliminary plat petition by Wacky Premier Properties was approved by the planning commission. It is a four-lot residential subdivision on the west side of 2nd Street, north of Armstrong Road in Oswego. Approval had been given for the plat previously, but it expired before a final plat petition was made. The plat is next to Oswego Cemetery at Lake Tippecanoe. Steve Snyder, attorney representing the petitioner, said one of the changes to the plat since it was first presented a couple of years ago was creating sewer easements at the request of the Tippecanoe Chapman Lakes Regional Sewer District. Also, the area designated for septic tanks was eliminated. Snyder described the property as “a unique piece of property” with an extensive set of restrictive covenants in place including, among others, regulating where driveways are to be placed. He said it was discovered septic tank permits won’t be approved by the state because of the type of property in the subdivision. One remonstrator asked why the setbacks are 70 feet for some Continued on page 2
Fire department hires administrative assistant %\ 5$< %$/2*+ 6WDII :ULWHU Turkey Creek Fire Chief Mickey Scott announced at the fire and township advisory board meetings Monday, Jan. 10, he has filled the position of administrative assistant by hiring Staci Armbruster, who will begin her employment Monday, Jan. 17. Armbruster is the inaugural hire of a position the department has never had before, but she comes to the task with a considerable relevant skill set, having worked as deputy clerk for the Town of Syracuse since 2016. “I am really excited, since it is a position they have never had,” she said. “We are just kind of building it together.” Her office will be located in Syracuse Town Hall. Armbruster grew up in Warsaw and worked for Pillbox Pharmacy for nine years. She moved to Syracuse in 2009. She has three boys. Both boards unanimously approved two spending requests:
an amount not to exceed $8,000 for six battery chargers, 24 spare batteries and 20 radio straps for the fire department’s new mobile radios and pagers; and $23,150 plus shipping for five batterypowered ventilation fans from Hoosier Fire Equipment Inc. Fire Board Scott gave his December report: • During the month the department responded to 16 fire calls and 118 EMS calls, saving an estimated $150,000 in property from fire damage. For the year, the department responded to 1,574 emergency calls (252 fire and 1,322 EMS), an average of almost five runs a day. • Department members attended 273 hours of fire and EMS training. Topics included tanker and equipment operation, firefighter distraction drills, SCBA Continued on page 2
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Wawasee senior Allyson Eppert receives Lilly Scholarship %\ '$9,' +$=/(',1( 6WDII :ULWHU Wawasee High School senior Allyson Eppert was named a recipient of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Kosciusko County in an emotional presentation Tuesday, Jan. 11. The scholarship provides full tuition, fees and an allocation for books and equipment for four years of full-time undergraduate study at any eligible Indiana university. Eppert was ushered into a room full of teachers, counselors and administrators, where she learned for the first time of the scholarship. Stephanie Overbey, CEO of Kosciusko County Community Foundation, which administers Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships for the county, was on hand to make the presentation. Eppert was originally selected as an alternate candidate and became an official recipient after Regan Brouwer of Warsaw Community High School declined the scholarship in order to accept an offer at Northwestern University in Illinois. “We are thrilled that Allyson is receiving this award,” said Overbey, “She is a truly deserving and remarkable young woman.” Each county in Indiana may name two Lilly Scholarships an-
nually. Ryan Brown of Whitko High School was the other Kosciusko County student named. Eppert’s application was chosen due to her exceptional academic achievement, community involvement, character and leadership, said Overbey. “Eppert is a straight-A honor student who finds time to take part in extra-curricular activities while working part-time as a waitress and helping to care for her younger siblings,” she said. “At school, she is part of the National Honor Society and color guard. She has volunteered as a Sunday school teacher at North Webster Church of God and at a local breeder, caring for animals.” In one reference, a teacher described Eppert as “the most deserving of all the students I’ve written a recommendation for.” “Allyson is an amazing all around person,” said another reference. “She is extremely friendly and outgoing. She cares deeply for others and knows what it takes to succeed.” Following the presentation, a visibly moved Eppert shared hugs with teachers and counselors who have worked with her through the years. “This opens up a lot of opportunities for me, for my future, Continued on page 2
Schrock Fields is on schedule, Syracuse Park Board heard %\ 3+2(%( %$1.6 6WDII :ULWHU Schrock Fields is on schedule for work being done at the new site on Kern Road in Syracuse. Chad Jonsson, park superintendent, gave the Syracuse Parks and Recreation Board an update on the new ball field at its meeting Monday, Jan. 10. So far, the parking lot has been paved and lights have been put up. A building is currently being put up for concessions, restrooms and storage. Siding has been ordered.
“We met last week with all the contractors,” Jonsson said of last Wednesday. “We are on schedule.” A walking path and a playground are also part of the plans. The paved walking path will connect to Kerns Crossing. There will be a field for tee-ball games and a basketball court. The court can be turned into an ice rink in the winter. REMC will do the electric work; sewer and water work still needs to be done. There will be four fenced-in fields. Jonsson said football games may be able to start in the fall, if the new field is mostly complete.
A mower for Schrock Fields will need to be purchased. Jonsson said he’s been looking at several new mowers, since the mowing will be done in-house. The new ball field will be 23 acres, 15 of which will need to be mowed. “I need to look into cost and get something we can afford,” he said. The tree board, said Jonsson, is working on plantings and removals, including tree stumps, for 2022. In March and April, several trees will be planted and, in the fall, some trees will be removed. “We will do some small plantings,” Jonsson said. “Last year, we
got a grant for new trees.” Eighteen tree stumps will also need to be removed. Two heating units have been installed at the community center. One is for the hallways and one is for offices. The interior of the Syracuse Community Center will be painted this winter. Smith Painting will begin painting “room by room” in February, said Jonsson. Darin Lursen gave the program report. A princess party will be held March 19 and there are only 20 spots available. Registration Continued on page 2
CVS says Syracuse pharmacy not closing %\ '(% 3$77(5621 (GLWRU ,Q &KLHI Rumors CVS in Syracuse, 308 S. Huntington St., might close are apparently unfounded. Tara Burke, CVS spokesperson at the company’s headquarters in Woonsocket, R.I., offered this response when asked about the situation: “As part of the regular course of business, we periodically review operating hours to make sure that we’re open during peak customer demand. From time to time, this may result in a shift in store hours. By increasing or reducing hours,
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we ensure that our teams are available to serve customers when they’re most needed. In the event that a pharmacy’s adjusted hours are inconvenient, a patient can visit any open CVS Pharmacy location for assistance with their immediate prescription needs. Hours are immediately updated via our telephone systems and are also visible online. “Our pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and nurses have been on the front lines of the pandemic response, from administering COVID-19 tests to providing life-saving vaccinations. Through our recent na-
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tionwide hiring effort, we hired 23,000 new retail employees, including pharmacy technicians, and are in the process of onboarding another 20,000 candidates. “Our pharmacy teams remain flexible in meeting patients’ needs in a dynamic environment that is part of a nationwide workforce shortage affecting nearly every industry and company.” When asked specifically about Syracuse, Burke responded “the pharmacy may have experienced reduced hours over the past week, the pharmacy is open.”
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