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Covering Milford, Syracuse & North Webster, Indiana
Enjoying The Job
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Page 3 One Nation Under God www.the-papers.com
Lakeland Sewer District warns against flushing inappropriate items %\ '$9,' +$=/(',1( 6WDII :ULWHU
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Merchant bestowed huge wrestling honor %\ 0,.( '($. 6SRUWV (GLWRU Those associated with Wawasee wrestling know exactly who Cheryl Merchant is, what she does for the program, and how much she loves what she does. Wrestling programs around the area are also familiar with Merchant and the hand she has played in working some of their tournaments, catering to their coaches, and building the sport from the inside out. Now the state will get to experience and celebrate the decades of work Merchant has poured into all
levels of the sport she loves so dear. Merchant has been named the 2021-22 John Hurrle Award recipient, presented by the Indiana State Wrestling Association. As the highest annual honor an individual can receive in service and contributions to the sport of wrestling, Merchant is as deserving as they come. The award is named after the late John Hurrle, who coached at Indianapolis Arsenal Tech and was one of the original founders and lifetime member of ISWA. Hurrle was devoted to wrestling and to the kids in the state, and served on the board of directors from 1978 until
his passing in 1991. The ISWA is dedicated to the example Hurrle set for the organization. His motto was “Do it for the kids!,” one the ISWA has adopted as its own. Merchant fits the mold of the award to perfection. Starting with Wawasee wrestling as a parent in 1991, her role began to expand to a support role for home events and area tournaments, and it just went from there. Soon, she became involved with the Wawasee developmental clubs and later expanded her role to working and coordinating tournaments, both for the high school and the local clubs, as well as
with ISWA. What began with a pencil, poster board and rulers has now morphed into mastering the Track Wrestling computer scoring program. “As my sons got out of high school wrestling I just continued on helping with the sport,” said Merchant. “There are a lot of rewards that can come with helping others, especially these young kids in this sport. Money is not everything. The feeling of satisfaction in assisting others can be very fulfilling.” Merchant is still as busy as ever with the sport, spending most Continued on page 2
Lt. Gov. Crouch attends inaugural LeaderHERship luncheon 7H[W DQG 3KRWRV %\ /$85(1 =(8*1(5 6WDII :ULWHU Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch was the featured speaker at the inaugural
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preneurs attended the event, held at the Owl’s Nest in North Webster. The event was an opportunity for the women to network and celebrate their success. Crouch spoke about how growing up she was not very confident, espe-
Inside
LeadHERship luncheon hosted by the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce and the North Webster Tippecanoe Township Chamber of Commerce Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 16. Approximately 135 women entre-
cially since she was often the tallest in her class. “My father taught me an extremely important lesson,” she told the crowd. “If I could accept those differences and imperfections in me, then I could accept them Continued on page 2
Worth Pointing Out
See Page 6 See Public Notices On Page 8 & 9
Lakeland Regional Sewer District Board of Trustees discussed how best to deal with repeat violators of the district’s rules against disposing of inappropriate items and materials in the sewer system. Materials such as rags, sanitary wipes and fats, oils and grease — known as FOG — can clog pipes and jam pumps, requiring expensive repairs. The board did send a mailing to all LRSD property owners addressing the problem; however, Emily Shipley, the newest board member, pointed out it may have blended in with the “white noise” of other mass mailings. “There has to be a strong point made,” she said. The board approved a process, starting with sending a certified letter after the first offense, which will include a list of prohibited items. The letter will also include a warning to the homeowner they will be responsible for costs associated with repairs, which according to the district’s rate ordinance could be as much as $2,500 per day. One problem, noted Board President Jim Haney, is some products such as sanitary wipes claim they are “safe to flush,” which is misleading because once in the system they can be very damaging. Attorney Andy Boxberger said litigation has been proposed against companies making such claims. “Anytime there is plugging it will damage the grinder pump,” said an Astbury Water Technologies employee. Much also depends on timing, as well as the general condition of the pump and where it is in its operational cycle, which affects its ability to handle the materials. He added some homes employ cleaning services and may be unaware of the problem.
The board also voted to participate in the Low Income Housing Water Assistance Program administered by Real Services of Kosciusko County. Haney pointed out there is “no downside to taking part in this program,” as it does not shut-off service to individual properties. Also, the benefits may be used to pay liens resulting from unpaid bills, which may enable the district to collect funds it would not otherwise. Haney also noted there are approximately 60 homeowners currently 90 days past due on their bills, roughly half of which will turn into liens after the 120-day mark. The board voted to send letters to the four properties remaining unconnected to the sewer system. The letters will warn of the possibility of a forced connection lawsuit brought by the district. During Mike DeWald’s treasurer’s report, he brought attention to a $20,794 bill for flushing of the sewer line performed by Astbury, which is recommended every five years but was done without the board’s prior approval. DeWald noted the amount is nearly half the maintenance budget for the year. To avoid the problem in the future, the board voted to regularly allocate asset replacement funds to accommodate the flushing procedure. The board voted to deny a request to waive a late payment fee. The payment for January was received Feb. 8 after being sent to the wrong address for reasons not explained. The board also voted to amend district bylaws to provide a mechanism for removing a member. Among the causes for removal are the committing of a felony and failure to attend 75% of the board’s meetings. Removal would require a two-thirds majority.
Milford’s public utility survey part of grant requirements The Town of Milford is applying for a Community Development Block Grant available through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs to support the town in developing a strategic infrastructure plan. The purpose of this plan is to define Milford’s major issues with its public utility services and create a strategic infrastructure plan to identify the improvements the town needs to offer high-quality and dependable utility services. A major component of the application is to document residents’ needs and the issues they experience with their water and wastewater services, and they need to hear from you. One of the ways you can provide your input is to fill out a short survey and share the issues you experience. If awarded these funds Milford will be able to establish a system-
atic method of inventorying its public utility assets and facilities, develop a community vision to help guide future growth and economic development opportunities and create a plan to improve utility infrastructure systems. “The Town of Milford would like to have a plan to evaluate the town’s current and future needs for its water, wastewater and stormwater systems and prioritize those needs,” said Town Clerk Tricia Gall. “Once we have this plan, it will allow us to keep our community members’ cost as low as possible and to pursue additional funding opportunities to assist us in making improvements to our system. However, in order to ensure we are evaluating the needs of all our community members, we need to get feedback from as many comContinued on page 2