Round Barn Ready for Fair

   Just one year ago visitors to the Howard County 4-H Fair watched as the first timbers were set in place on the round barn, which is on the north end of the Pioneer Village.  It now sits ready for visitors at the fair, July 9-14.  There will be a video telling the story of the dismantling of the barn from its original location near Guy and the reconstruction.

Antique Shop to Close

by Dave Turner

   Someone a long time ago said, "if you have a dream, go for it."  I would guess that would best describe my life and career as an antique dealer. Some thirty odd years ago, I became interested in Greentown Glass. I was home on leave from the Navy, and went to the Greentown Glass Museum, looked around, admired the glassware that was on display, and bought a book on Greentown Glass. 
   After returning to my base, and studying the book, I went to the local flea market and found my first piece of Greentown Glass. As I recall, I think I paid ten dollars for it. So in my excitement I mailed this piece of glass to my parents and had them take it to the museum, have it authenticated, and see what the value was.  To my surprise, they told Mom and Dad that it was worth about sixty dollars. After I heard that, I said to myself, whoa...you know, you just might be able to make a living by buying and selling Greentown Glass.  And of course, the rest is history. After moving back to Indiana in ‘91, I became more involved in the glass, not only as a dealer, but also in preserving and trying to ensure that "Greentown Glass" would forever be for the generations to come. In about late 1998 

Township Trustee Responsibilities

   Township trustees have been a part of Indiana government since the 1852 Indiana Constitution was written.  In the late 1800's and early 1900's trustees were responsible for operating schools, maintaining roads and bridges, cutting noxious weeds, overseeing and assisting the poor, supervising elections, collecting dog tax and paying claims for livestock kills and rabies treatment, burying Civil War veterans and maintaining abandoned cemeteries, serving as fire chief, maintaining libraries, and operating Justice of the Peace courts.
   Over the years many of those duties have moved to other forms of operation, but certain needs are still met by the townships.  The service which probably is best known is assistance to people in need.  This may take the form of shelter, utility, food and clothing, medical, transportation, household necessities, and other benefits.  Townships have the responsibility to provide fire protection in unincorporated areas of the township.  They are also responsible for the care and maintenance of abandoned cemeteries.  Trustees are responsible to order the destruction of detrimental plants and weeds.  Trustees also provide insulin if the individual is unable to purchase the insulin.
   The trustees serving the Eastern school district are Greg Kingseed of Jackson Township, Linda Grove of Liberty Township, and Steve Carpenter of Union Township.

Town Passes Nepotism Ordinance

nep.o.tism nep-uh-tiz-uhm Patronage bestowed or favoritism
shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business & politics

   Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a new law in March that prohibits local officeholders from hiring their relatives or from having public contracts with them without making certain disclosures. The law also prohibits public employees from holding any office that controls money or policies that might benefit them. Under that provision, those employees couldn't run for re-election, though they wouldn't be kicked out of office.
   Local units of government were given until July 1, 2012, to have an ordinance in place which complies with the state statute.  Failure to do so will result in the state Department of Local Government Finance not approving the unit’s budget or additional appropriations.
   In response to the state law, the Town of Greentown adopted an ordinance at their regular June meeting.
   The ordinance forbids an employee of one department

from being in the “direct line of supervision” over a family member.  Relative is defined as spouse, parent or step parent, child or step child, brother, sister, step brother, step sister, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, daughter-in-law or son-in-law.  Relatives currently employed may keep their position unless there is a break in employment.     The Greentown ordinance also stipulates that a single member of the Council cannot act alone in making work assignments, compensation, grievances, advancement or performing evaluations without prior authority of a majority of the Council.
   There are some exceptions in the law.  Volunteer firefighters are not considered employees.  Township trustees who maintain their office in their residence may still keep one of their relatives on the payroll and county sheriffs may continue to keep their spouse on the payroll as jail matron.

Three Generations of Runners

Photo by Carla Simpson
   Three generations of Simpsons participated in the Norris Insurance Run on Saturday June 9th. Pictured, left to right, are John Simpson, Sean Simpson, Jake Simpson and Ron Simpson.  Sean won in his division and Jake took second place.

Green and Gold

But what green?
And what gold?   Green and gold have been the school colors of Eastern Schools since consolidation of the high schools in 1950.  The colors where chosen by a vote of the high school and junior high student body at that time.  The new colors replaced the colors of the consolidating schools, Greentown with green and white, Jackson with blue and white, and Union with red and black.
   Recently some people have noticed that several variations of green and gold are being used on sports uniforms and other items.  The Parent Advisory Group took up the issue to try and find a specific green and specific gold to recommend as the official Eastern color.  A search of old school board minutes and yearbooks found no description other than “green and gold.”  After more research, the committee made the suggestion of hunter green and Vegas gold.  Parent Advisory Group  member, Todd Ream, explained, “Those colors were already being used to some extent (at Eastern) and are obviously a fair interpretation of what has culturally been in place for years.  However, when one looks at color schemes for a variety of K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, those particular colors, hunter green and Vegas gold, are in considerable demand.”
   EHSC Superintendent, Tracy Caddell, said at a recent school board meeting that community input is sought.  After receiving several opinions, including from alumni, Caddell said he will not be making any recommendation on school colors at this time.
   For the foreseeable future, the colors will remain “green and gold”  with interpretation of those colors in the hands of persons ordering items and the availability of dyes, paint, etc.  

Eastern Schools Ready to Address Heatng and AC Needs

  
   Members of the Eastern Howard School Board Corp. and others present at a recent board meeting heard messages from several school staff concerning problems encountered with the heating and air conditioning systems in both the elementary and junior/senior high buildings.  One teacher said that if the air conditioning is turned off in her room, someone must go up on the roof to restart it.  Another told about the need to take the cover off the unit in her room to make adjustments with an “L” wrench.  She must manually turn it off and on all day in order to keep the room at an acceptable temperature.  A teacher at the jr/sr building reported that the spaces in the outside vent are so large that, in winter, cold air blows into the room.  The elementary school had to cancel school once in the winter of 2010-2011 because there was no heat in the cafeteria.
   The administration and board has been aware of these problems for a number of years but was waiting for some debt to drop off before adding debt stemming from these needed projects.  The board has contracted with EMCOR Group, which presented results of a study and plans for the upgrade at the June 12 board meeting.  Representatives of EMCOR explained that different systems were installed with various renovations and additions.  Several are quite inefficient by current standards.  In addition, the corporation has spent $378,000 since January 2008 on maintenance of the current systems.  Funding is recommended to be by a building corporation bond issue and will have no tax impact to taxpayers.  The total amount of the bond will be $4 million.  Supt. Tracy Caddell states, “This is the first part of a long term plan as this first $4 million will not finish the HVAC needs of the corporation.  The board and administration will reevaluate the debt again once this project is done to see if we can do more without increasing the tax levy. Right now we are being told we will be able to do much more but these are still tough economic times and the board wants to be sure that there is no increase in taxes. To do everything so that both buildings have a complete HVAC system is estimated at $12 million. This is only a start to a plan to completely replace both systems as long as we can do so without a tax increase.”
   EMCOR stated that they use local contractors as much as possible.  They also do no “change orders.”  If the project can be done for less than $4 million, there will also be work done on other areas of need, the phone system, the roof, and the swimming pool. 
   A special meeting of the school board has been called for July 19, at 7:30 a.m. at the corporation offices for the final vote on the HVAC project.
   The board will meet at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 10, for the annual re-organization meeting.

Taft in Greentown

            
                    
                     William Howard Taft visited Greentown on Friday, Oct. 23, 1908, when he was campaigning for the office of President of the United States.  This photo is one of several which can be seen at the Greentown History Center, 103 E. Main Street, Greentown, from Aug. 4 through Nov. 25.

               “Greentown on the Ballot”

Involvement of local citizens in the political process

   A new exhibit will open at the Greentown Historical Society, 103 E. Main Street, on August 4.  It will feature information about Greentown area people who have held political office or been involved in government on several levels.  There will be items from the personal collection of Bob McCann, who was on the election and re-election committees for several presidents, and worked from the White House during the terms of Presidents Nixon, Ford and Reagan.  There will also be several interesting photographs and memorabilia involving presidents from Lincoln to Obama.     The exhibit will run through November 25. 
   From Aug. 4 through Sept. 10 the Society will host a traveling exhibit from the Indiana Historical Society.  Named “Faces in the Crowd; Indiana and the Political Process,” it is not the story of the candidates behind the microphone, but the individual citizens in the crowd – each of whom play a crucial role in ensuring the electoral process works. 
    A series of presentations will supplement the exhibit.  On Saturday, August 18, at 2:00 p.m., Bob McCann’s presentation, “From Greentown to the White House,” will include highlights of his 35 years of White House and Capitol Hill experiences.  The program will be at the History Center, 103 E. Main Street.   On October 21, Eastern High School students will give a background of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and recreate portions.  This program will also be at 2:00 at the History Center.
   November 1 will be the annual meeting and dinner of the Greentown Historical Society.  The time and place will be announced later.  At this meeting, attendees will enjoy some political campaign songs through the years and there will be a reprise of the Lincoln-Douglas presentation. Alan Zirkle, who was a member of the Indiana Legislature, will speak about his experiences on Saturday, November 3, at 2:00 p.m. at the History Center.

Flashbacks

Gleaned from the Howard County News
Flash Backs

July 1952

McQuiston-Miller Spot "Saucer-Like" Objects

   Unidentified objects which bore a resemblance to "flying saucers" reported in various parts of the country were observed Wednesday night by Symie McQuiston and Bill Miller.
   Seen while the men were on observation duty for Operation Sky watch on the 8 to 10 p.m. shift, the objects appeared in the west.
   According to the men, two lights which resembled stars were seen at some distance.  They traveled in an easterly direction for some minutes, seemed to merge into a single light, separated into two distinct lights and disappeared to the north.
   The lights were definitely not those on an airplane the men said.  They were definitely not stars, they said, and they were on something that traveled at a great height.

Greentown Girl Appearing in Rodeo Show at Kokomo

   One of the outstanding performers of the rodeo troupe appearing nightly at the Kokomo Speedway is a Greentown girl, Miss Betty Thomas.  A trick rider, she is featured in one of the show's most thrilling acts when she rides her horse "Calgary Red" over the top of an automobile.
     Local residents remember Miss Thomas as an expert rider as a child at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred E. Thomas, operator of the Thomas Gravel Pit, just west of Greentown.  Following her graduation from Greentown High School with the class of 1945, she started riding as a professional.
.   She spends her winters near Indiantown, Fla., with her husband, Wiley Elliott, also a rodeo performer.  They live on a cattle ranch.  While living at home, Miss Thomas was a member of the Windfall Saddle Club.
  
*****
The Howard County 4-H Fair, held
July 30, 31 - Aug. 1, 2, 1952, in Memorial Park in Greentown, included Band Concert 
4-H Tractor Maintenance 
4-H Judging
Women's Hog Calling Contest 
Howard County Pet Show
Howard County 4-H Dress Revue 
Howard County Variety Show 
Women's Nail Driving Contest  Sack Race 
4-H Livestock Auction 
4-H Awards Presentation 
Howard County Guernsey Show 
                 30,000 Square Feet of 4-H Exhibits and Merchandise Exhibits
35 Rides and Concessions

July 1972

Greentown Gems

*****
 Greentown Firemen 
got a close look at the giant power station just east of town Monday night.
   Public Service Indiana and Indiana & Michigan Electric Co., co-owners of the station, had firemen in to show them the plant's setup in case they are ever called to fight a blaze there.
   The place carries some impressive statistics.  The main power line through it carries 750,000 volts of electricity, largest in the world.  The big transformers each hold 14,000 gallons of oil, and the entire system was built at a cost of $5-million per mile.
   It is more than 200 miles long!
*****
 Greentown’s Largest Crowd