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Covering Milford, Syracuse & North Webster, Indiana
griffith’s wawasee marina
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
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9171 E. Ross Drive, SYRACUSE
themail-journal.com
The gavel has fallen —
Middle schools will consolidate for 2023-24 school year %\ '(% 3$77(5621 (GLWRU ,Q &KLHI “It’s a difficult, difficult decision. Trust in your hearts, the board is making this decision with the students’ best interests at heart,” commented Don Bokhart, president of the Wawasee Community School Corp. board of trustees. This comment preceded a vote by school board members Tuesday night, May 9, to consolidate Milford Middle School with Wawasee Middle School at the start of the 2023-24 school year. Each board member gave a statement prior to a motion being made by Andy Cripe. A unanimous vote followed.
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Conservancy District breaks ground on critical dike infrastructure rehabilitation project Turkey Creek Dam and Dike Conservancy District Board Members gathered Wednesday afternoon, May 3, to celebrate the kickoff of the construction of new dike infrastructure. This critical structure
will prevent further erosion of some water level critical shoreline between Lake Wawasee and Syracuse Lake. The district, which has been planning the design, financing and construction timing of this project for years, is ex-
cited to see this project come to fruition. The project, has already begun, is anticipated to be completed by July 2023. The project construction site is along the shore west of the Harkless Drive bridge and
is accessed by South Koko Drive. For more information about the district, the importance of a dike structure and for detailed project updates, visit turkeycreekddcd.org/ harkless-drive-dike/
Milford Council names Renda Loetz deputy clerk-treasurer Milford Town Council named a new deputy clerk-treasurer at its regular monthly meeting Monday, May 8. Renda Loetz will succeed Shanna Maust, who held the position for 35 years before retiring on May 4. Street, Water and Park Superintendent Steven Marquart announced Milford will again benefit from the Community Crossing Matching Grant Program, which totals $205,176.16 for street work in 2023. The work will be advertised on May 17 and 31. Bids will be opened June 12. Beth Johnson, business development representative for USI Consultants, which performs the street ratings used to obtain the Community Crossing grant, was also on hand. The council approved an amount not to exceed $8,500 for street ratings for 2023 and 2024. Johnson also said USI will soon complete surveying for the trail
project, connecting Milford with Waubee Lake Park. The council voted to fine four homes $100 per day for noncompliance with Milford’s trash ordinance. The town previously sent certified letters to seven homes warning of pending action. Three of those did make significant improvements to avoid fines, said Marquart, who added he has been tagging some of the noncompliant residences “for years,” even when he was working for past superintendents. Marquart said the 2023 Spring Clean “broke the record” with 174 visitors filling nine dumpsters with rubbish and two with metal. A storm sewer outfall near Milford Schools at Emeline Street and Turkey Creek recently collapsed. The council approved Beer and Slabaugh to perform the necessary clean-out and reinforcement. Marquart also received approval to upgrade security cameras and modems at the wastewater plant,
wellhouse and Waubee Lake Park at a total cost of $11,118.66. The council approved $15,371 for NIPSCO to install new light poles in North Park and on Sixth Street. During Milford Fire Department reports, Brian Haines apprised the council of efforts to update the town’s decades-old tornado warning sirens. He said two quotes have been obtained, each in excess of $30,000; however, Haines and the council agreed not to move forward until a study is completed on where the sirens should be placed. Councilman Ken Long noted they are currently less than half a mile apart. Haines also inquired where the council stood on the purchase of a new pumper truck, pointing out prices have risen as much as $300,000 with a three- to four-year wait time. Long repeated his concerns that while both Van Buren Township and the Town of Milford are on a 20-year replacement sched-
ule, they are only one year apart, with the township acquiring a new truck in 2022. The purchases should be “spaced evenly,” he said, for the sake of equipment longevity. Clerk-Treasurer Tricia Gall added the council recently doubled the tax rate on the cumulative capital development fund, which is primarily used to fund fire and police. No further action was taken on the matter. During police department reports, Town Marshal Derek Kreider said police would be “out in force” during the Milford Family Fun Festival on May 27. The department will also have its new child identification kit on hand at Milford Fest from noon to 4 p.m. in front of Town Hall. The kit provides parents with photos and fingerprints for their children. The department will be able to provide up to 500 cards free of charge. Kreider also received approval to seek a grant to purchase waterContinued on page 2
Park board honors the late Jamie Beer %\ 3+2(%( 087+$57 6WDII :ULWHU Syracuse Parks Department honored the late Jamie Beer at its meeting Monday night, May 8. Beer was a park board member who died suddenly Wednesday, April 26. He served a three-year term as commissioner of the Wawasee Summer League and was a long-standing board member of the league. He was instrumental in opening the new baseball and softball fields, Schrock Fields in Syracuse.
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“I’d like to send my condolences to Jamie’s family. He’s been a big volunteer to the Wawasee community,” said President Paul Newcomer, adding Beer will be greatly missed. Park Superintendent Chad Jonsson gave an update on Schrock Fields. Opening day festivities were Saturday, April 29. “It got done on time,” he said of the new athletic complex. “It was a nice day.” The football field still needs to be completed, he said. That project will start in the next couple
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of weeks. New signs arrived after opening day and need to be installed. He said the large parking lot was nearly full. A patio permit for the Tour des Lakes event was approved. The event is Saturday, July 15. Alcohol will be served but there will be a separate family area. Jonsson gave the financial report from April 10 to May 8 and April’s financial report. A check was written for $6,577.73 for a brush for a lawn mower. A $750 check for medals for an upcoming Continued on page 2
Earth Day Festival See Page 7 See Public Notices On Page 11
Administrators will be working with staff at both schools and transportation to work out details. Dr. Steve Troyer notified staff and parents following the meeting of the board’s decision. Cripe noted making such a decision “is not a topic that’s fun. It’s an issue against declining enrollment. It is not something fun for anyone on this board. … For me this is hard. It’s a hard topic. There’s a lot of fun stuff to talk about. This one isn’t fun.” Mike Wilson, who has served on the board since 2007, recalled several prior discussions on merging the middle schools. “When the decision time came ... data showed it Continued on page 2
Neighbors unhappy pergola to stay as is %\ /$85(1 =(8*1(5 6WDII :ULWHU Scott and Marli Williams were not happy as the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning approved allowing a pergola on their neighbors Gregory and Tamara Moores’ property to remain as is during its regular meeting Tuesday morning, May 9. Both properties are located in Turkey Creek Township. The Williams brought their complaint before the BZA last month claiming the Moores’ pergola was 3 1/2 feet closer to their property line than a previous variance allowed. The board continued the matter so it could hear from W.A. Zimmer, the company that constructed the pergola, during Tuesday’s meeting. The representative explained how a possible
mistake was made in measuring from the seawall to the home and how workers installed the pergola’s support beams further than the 21 feet required from the water’s edge so as not to obstruct the Williams’ view. The contractor also made suggestions to address the issue, which the Moores declined, such as “dog ear” the pergola on the Williams’ side or take it down and rebuild it 18 inches shorter. Local attorney Steve Snyder, representing the Moores, reminded the board under Indiana law there is no right to a view through a neighbor’s property and evidence provided to the board showed the Williams’ view was not obstructed. Snyder did admit an measuring error was made, but the view was not obstructed. In the end the BZA approved Continued on page 2
EV charging spots could be coming near Winona Lake Town Hall %\ /($+ 6$1'(5 6WDII :ULWHU Electric vehicle charging spots could be placed near Winona Lake Town Hall. Michiana Area Council of Governments’ Leah Thill referenced that when she came before the Kosciusko County Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday, May 9. She asked for their endorsement of a letter of support for a grant MACOG is assisting with on behalf of its membership area: Kosciusko, Elkhart, Marshall and
St. Joseph counties. The grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation, if received, would help fund part of the cost for EV charging spots in those counties. Commissioners agreed to the endorsement. Winona Lake Town Manager Craig Allebach confirmed the town had very recently communicated with MACOG about the grant. He said the town would only probably consider putting the spots in if it received grant money. Per the grant rules, Winona Continued on page 2
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