The Greentown Grapevine – 2002-07, 09:07

              Volume 9, Issue 7
Water Rates
Expected to
lncrease
The Greentown Town Council met
June 25 in a special public hearing
scheduled to get public input into
decisions about proceeding with a
$ 1,800; 000 water project. The project
is to include a new well, a new water
tower, and replacement of many old
water lines. An income survey of the'
town was done to determine if
Greentown qualified for a Department
of Commerce grant based on
percentage of low income residents.
The results of the survey disallowed the
possibility of receiving such a grant.
The only option available now is to
apply for a State Revolving Fund loan.
As explained by Joseph Doninger of
H. J. Umbaugh & Associates, bond
counsel and the State will require the
town to have in place a plan to repay
the loan. Mr. Doninger had prepared
new water usage rates which would
support the project. The minimum
charge ( for up to 2,500 gallons) would
go from the present $ 7.35 to $ 12.63
and other rates would be raised as well,
7 1.9% across the board.
Discussion was held on the feasibility
of breaking the project and the bond in
two, therefore raising some now and
some later. Council President, Jim
Harris, said, " We are trying to figure
how to ease the cost on the consumer."
Mr. Doninger explained that this plan
would cost more in the long run and the
time between the first raise and the
second would only be about . six
months. There was only one member
of the public present, Don Downs, who
concurred with Mr. Doninger's logic.
There was consensus among the
council members present to move
forward with the project and with the
increase in rates. The next step in the
process is for an ordinance to be
presented to the council, after which it
would be published in the Kokomo
Tribune and posted at the Utility
Office, the Greentown Library, Hulce's
Supermarket, and The Cupboard. A
public hearing would be held before
passage of the ordinance.
I Howard County 4- H Fair I
July 8- 13, 2002 I
Ground Broken for Family Care Center
A ground breaking celebration was
held June 7 for Greentown Family Care
Center, being constructed by Howard
Community Hospital. Dr. Charles
Marler will be the physician on duty,
with a planned opening date of
September 16. The building is on the
lot formally occupied by Brad Howell
Ford and a residence. It will be 4,100
square feet with parking on site.
in the above photo: Artie Scruggs,
Business Manager IBEW Local 873;
Mike Kaiman, Chief of Construction,
Turner Construction; Paul Deluise, VP
Clinical Support Services, HCH; Jack
Lechner, Board of Trustees, HCH;
Brad Howell, Brad Howell Ford; Gene
Murphy, Board of Trustees, HCH; Dr.
Charles G. Marler; James Alender,
President & CEO, HCH; Dave Shearer,
Chairman of the Board, HCH; Dr.
Lynette Hazelbaker, Vice Chairman of
the Board, HCH; Ted Brown, COO,
HCH. Photo by Rachel Jenkins
Arizona Fires Affect Greentown Natives
The summer of 2002 has already seen
major forest fires in Colorado, Arizona,
and other western states. It is being
called the worst fire season on 50 years.
The fires in eastern Arizona reached
Show Low, a town of 7,700, and home
of Greentown natives Pete and Kim
Kemp. The Kemps have been teaching
in the American Indian Christian
Mission, a boy's home, and ministering
in a jail. They also go out into the
reservations and provide recreation for
the children. They are sponsored by
Jerome Christian Church.
Two young women, Stephanie Brock,
a recent Eastern graduate; and Audrey
Bennett, a recent graduate of
Maconaquah, joined the Kemps in
early June to work with young people.
Greg Smith, a Greentown native, son
of Larry and Sue Smith, and brother- in-law
of Kim Kemp, arrived at Show
Low June 20 with his daughter Amber
and reported on the evacuation. " Pete
and Kim had three vehicles to load
their possessions, placing them in the
position of having to prioritize which
possessions they would take and which
they would leave behind. They used a
fifteen- passenger van they use in their
ministry and two personal minivans. A
friend brought a trailer to pull behind
one of the vans. With the trailer, we
Jd
were able to load about half of their
antiques. Another fifteen- passenger
van became available and by removing
the seats more furniture and antiques
were loaded. The morning of June 22
yet another van became available
which was filled with books,
computers, and extra clothing. That
aBernoon a young man from the
American Indian Christian Mission six
miles away came by the Kemps' to
leave his truck, He hiked to the
mission, and by doing so went toward
thefire. He made it to the mission and
drove one of the buses back to the
Kemps'. The bus was loaded with
garage stuff and equipment used in
ministry. By Saturday evening we had
emptied their house of virtually all
possessions and a majority of garage
contents. At 7: OOp. m. we received the
order to evacuate. After a prayer
circle in their yard, we left at 8: 30 p. m.
Like the Jews leaving Egypt, our
providential convoy consisted of a
yellow bus, three fifteen- passenger
vans, two minivans - one with a trailer,
and two trucks ( the gentleman who had
walked to the mission and brought the
bus back is now with us in the
evacuation.) Eight of the nine
individuals in ozir groups were driving
a vehicle of some kind. We had
planned to camp throughout the crisis,
but at St. John were directed to a
community 1 center prepared for
evacuees. This shelter, managed by the
people of St. John, has been a
tremendous blessing. We have been
sleeping on the gymnasium stage. They
have provided us everything we need:
mats to sleep on, three meals each day,
showers, and everything is wrapped
with warm and smiling faces filled with
compassion. We decided, to have our
own church service Sunday morning.
We sang, shared testimonies, cried,
thanked God, sought His Word for
strength, and had a wonderful time in
the Lord.
We received news Sunday afternoon
through the mission director, that the
mission was spared. In the fire chiefs
words, " There must have been many
prayers lijted for the mission." They
said that the j r e approached the
mission, then divided and went around.
Monday morning, June 24, we
decided to go into New Mexico to the
Zuni Reservation, about an hour from
St. John. Pete and Kim had never been
on this particular reservation before.
We were directed to- a youth center. As
we sat in the van praying for God's
direction, the directors of this youth
continued on page 3