School Consolidation

Why the Size of Our Schools (and Our Community) Matters
by Todd Ream, Guest Op-Ed Columnist
Communities such as Greentown share a special relationship with their schools.  Over the years students all get to know each other even across those arbitrary social lines that form during the teenage years.  Teachers afford us with a substantive version of what it means to be celebrities, providing wisdom and guidance to our children beyond matters of reading and arithmetic.  We cheer on the sports teams and are inspired by the concerts.  In the end, the relationship shared by our schools and our community is special because the size of both demands that everyone has a need and a place to invest.

Not everyone, however, believes that the size of our schools and the kinds of relationships they develop with their communities is enough to justify five school corporations in Howard County.  In fact, John Floyd, retired Chrysler employee and current columnist for The Kokomo Perspective, used his leverage to convince his fellow members of the Citizens Consolidation Committee to conduct the first of their five public forums on the topic of school consolidation. This first session is scheduled for Wednesday, August 3, 2011, in IU Kokomo’s Havens Auditorium, 7 to 9 p.m.  The underlying logic

Eastern School Corp wil be at the Fair

     Eastern School Corporation will have a booth in the Commercial Building during the Howard County 4-H Fair July 11-16.  The booth will feature free bottled water and Comet fans (supplies limited).  In addition, fair-goers will have a chance to meet school officials, sign up preschool students and receive free books through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (available only to residents of the Eastern school district), and win $50 gas cards (donated by sponsors) or two tickets to the Eastern spring musical.  Students can experiment with iPads at one of the three iPad stations located at the Eastern booth.
    Also during the fair, parents and students can sign up to transfer – at no cost – into the Eastern school district, per Corporation guidelines.

Changes to Look for at the Fair

                            Disassembly of the Armfield-Moyers barn at Guy began in mid-May.

                                 The foundation of the round barn as of June 25, before the Fair

Visitors to this year’s Howard County 4-H Fair will find some changes to the grounds.  The walkway running from the east side of the Lions Cafeteria building northward to the edge of the Pioneer Village has been blacktopped.  A small shelter southwest of the little cabin on the knoll has been converted to a blacksmith shop. 
   The most dramatic addition is the foundation for the round barn which will be erected north of the Pioneer Village.  The barn, formerly located at Guy, three miles south of Greentown, has been disassembled by Trillium Dell Timberworks of Knoxville, IL.  A footer was dug by Hugh Wyrick Excavating.  Kendall Masonry did the block work of the foundation and CCI poured the concrete floor.  It now awaits Trillium Dell to return and construct the frame.  The plan is for the work to be going on during the fair, July 11-16, so fairgoers can watch the progress.

4H Dog Show Kicks off judging events

Photo by Rachel Jenkins  
   The 4-H dog judging took place on June 25 at the Howard County 4-H Fairgrounds.  Other pre-fair judging will take place after July 4, including the horse & pony show, which will be July 9.  Other livestock judging takes place during the fair, July 11-16.  (See schedule on page 15.)
   In photo above, Cory Hendricks, Greentown, and member of the Puppy Pushers 4-H Club, readies Benjie, his Husky-Shepherd mix, for competition.  This is Cory’s second year to show Benjie.

Wastewater Plant Expansion

Town Given Estimate on Wastewater Plant Expansion
    Over Five Million Dollars
   Ryan Brauen, of Wessler Engineering, has given the Greentown Town Council a succinct description of the need for a major upgrade and expansion of the wastewater plant. In a nutshell, the plant is old and too small for current and future needs. The original concrete structures date to 1963-64. Because of an unacceptable number of sewer overflows, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has placed the town on a Sewer Ban prohibiting new hookups, therefore halting expansion of the town and inhibiting economic growth. When overflows occur, raw sewage is discharged into Brunk Ditch which leads to Kokomo Reservoir, which is a drinking water source.
   Two previous treatment plant projects during the past 20 years or so have not solved the problem. The first upgrade project in 1990 included a “boat” clarifier method of settling solids which is easily upset at higher flows. In 2001 a new surge tank was built with the purpose of storing large inflows to allow the sewage to be treated gradually. In addition to these previous projects

blast from the past - 1962 fair photos

Here are some photos from the 1962 Howard County 4-H Fair.  Do you recognize anyone?  If so, let us know here or at rjenkins.grapevine@gmail.com  All photos were taken by Fred Jenkins.

 

Worth Rudy has money apron.  Man behind him in tie is Doc Mayfield.

Standing against fence, Kenny Seagrave and Worth Rudy.  Next to Fair Queen (facing to side) - unidentified, Richard Maple and Ross Wyrick