Vol. 37, No. 52
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
of Wabash County Inc.
www.thepaperofwabash.com
March 4, 2015
Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Lagro Township board halts ‘illegal meeting’ Public notice wasn’t given as required by state statute By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com LAGRO — The Lagro Township meeting was cut short Thursday Feb. 26 after newly elected board chairman Rob Cole proclaimed it an “illegal meeting” by Indiana State Code. “Since Deb (Schenkel) isn’t here,” Cole said, “we’re
really not supposed to meet because of the Indiana law states that, IC 5-14-1.5 states that there’s an open door law. Meetings have to be given 48-hours notice and it has to be posted at the location where we’re meeting and in you’re office Andy for 48-hours, otherwise we’re meeting illegally and we could be sued because of that. So I move that we adjourn this meeting and meet at a date where we’ve got this 48-hour notice.” Lagro Township Trustee Andrew DeLong originally called the meeting with the board to elect the chair(continued on page 17)
Lagro Township Advisory Board member Rob Cole (left) reads from the Indiana Open Door statute while fellow board member Lee Ann Pefley looks on. Lagro Township Trustee (far right) Andrew DeLong listens to the reading during a meeting Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Lagro Volunteer Fire Station. Photo by Joseph Slacian
Voter registration drive planned in LaFontaine
Wabash, Lagro receive state funds
By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
Two Wabash County communities received notice last week that they would receive funding from Lt.Gov. Sue Ellspermann’s office. The City of Wabash will receive a $716,122 tax credit for the Rock City Lofts. The lofts are part of the city’s Stellar Community program. Meanwhile, the Town of Lagro will receive $72,000 from Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program (BEP). The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) administers and manages the federal credits, which provide incentives for private developers to further the affordable housing choices throughout Indiana. Wabash’s was one of 16 projects to receive $12.5 million in tax credit allocations. “These projects utilize public and private investment to address the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of existing structures, support larger community development initiatives and further efforts toward stabilizing neighborhoods,” Ellspermann said. “Affordable housing options are a vital component to promoting Hoosier self-sufficiency and revitalizing our communities.” The recipients were chosen from 52 applicants requesting more than $43.3 million in tax credits and $16 million in IHCDA supplemental funding. Wabash did not receive additional funding. Mayor Robert Vanlandingham said the
LAFONTAINE — A voter registration drive will take place here on Tuesday, March 10, Wabash County Clerk Elaine Martin announced Feb. 25. A deputy clerk from Martin’s office will be at the LaFontaine Town Hall from noon to 4 p.m. for anyone interested in registering to vote. This is the first time, Martin and Deputy Clerk Teresa Ehret said they believe, that such a drive has taken place in recent years. “This is the first time I’ve done a voter registration drive since I’ve been clerk,” Martin told The Paper of Wabash County. “Teresa doesn’t recall any since she’s been the deputy clerk handling voter registration.” Martin has been clerk since 2011, and Ehret has handled voter registration since 2006. Martin said she decided to have the registration drive because LaFontaine is having its first primary in town history, and there are seven candidates vying for the three seats on the town council. “It is imperative that the residents of the Town of LaFontaine be registered to vote and then get out to vote in the upcoming primary,” she said. Town councils in LaFontaine and Lagro opted to switch from the town conventions to an election overseen by the Wabash County Election Board this year. Lagro only has three people seeking the town council seats, so an election there is not needed. As of now, this is the only voter registration drive Martin’s office has planned. “Anyone can stop in our office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to (continued on page 5)
By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
The Hipsher brothers, Jim (left) and Jerry (right), co-own Hipsher’s Tool & Die, a local Wabash manufacturing business opened in 1946. Since they joined the establishment, Jim in 1955 and Jerry in 1960, neither has sought retirement and both attend work daily. Photo by Emma Rausch
Hipsher brothers still hard at work By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com Hipsher Tool & Die has served the Wabash County community for 69 years as a family owned and operated manufacturing business. Brothers Jim Hipsher, 83, and Jerry Hipsher, 76, who joined their father’s establishment in the 1950s, also continue to serve by still working at the business. Neither have any intention of retiring any time soon either. For the brothers, retirement isn’t as appealing as working. “To some people, the whole retirement (idea) is the greatest thing in the world if you’ve got something to do,” Jerry said. “I have nothing else I really want to do. We have a lake cottage and a little place in Florida, but … just to do that, to be retired full-time, I’m not interested in doing that. “I’d rather come out here because I
enjoy the work I do and the people.” Older brother Jerry said that he’s semi-retired, only working at the shop in the mornings, but “it keeps (him) going.” After his wife, Shirley passed in November 2014, Jim said being able to still come into work helps, but it’s not the only reason he likes working at Hipsher Tool & Die every morning. “I’ve never been a person to not have something to do,” he said. “It seems like I’ve always got something to repair or something to fix or something to grow. So it’s been a good life and it’s been a wonderful occupation.” Jim and Jerry’s father, also named Jim, wasn’t a man for retirement either, according to the brothers. “He started in a chicken house and kicked the chickens out and he worked until he was 92. I don’t think I’m going to make that,” Jerry said with a chuckle. (continued on page 4)
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Set your clocks forward one hour!