Vol. 39, No. 22
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
of Wabash County Inc. August 10, 2016
www.thepaperofwabash.com Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
MSD violated Open Door Law State’s Public Access Counselor finds board in violation; board expected to rescind vote, host public meetings on issue
By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com MSD of Wabash County School Board violated Indiana’s Open Door Law, according to Luke H. Britt, Indiana Public Access Counselor. Britt announced his official decision on Monday, Aug. 8, after a weeklong investigation into a formal complaint lodged by The Paper of Wabash County against the School Board. The violation stemmed from the Board’s July 12 meeting wherein it voted to reconfigure the district’s two high schools into one.
Reconfiguration plans included turning Northfield Jr.-Sr. High School facility into the primary high school for grades nine through 12, Southwood Jr.-Sr. High School’s building into a middle school for fifth through eighth grades and close Sharp Creek Elementary School as an elementary school. The reconfiguration action came during a regular school board meeting and the board received no input from the public before making its decision. However, at least two board members and the MSD superintendent said the matter was discussed several times in executive session.
Following the meeting, The Paper of Wabash County contacted the School Board to investigate if it had violated Indiana’s Open Door Law. After two weeks, The Paper concluded there was a violation and filed a formal complaint on Thursday, July 28, with the Public Access Counselor for an official opinion. In its complaint, The Paper alleged that the School Board discussed its reconfiguration plans during several executive sessions that were advertised as meetings that would discuss personnel matters. The School Board conceded that the (continued on page 17)
Lagro land owners raise concerns on bike trail By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com
FunFest visitors check out the cars at the 2015 Eel River Cruizers Car Show. The Paper file photo
45th FunFest to begin Wednesday By David Purvis-Fenker david@nmpaper.com NORTH MANCHESTER – The town’s annual FunFest by the River turns 45 this year. Events will kick off on Wednesday, Aug. 10 with a bicycle decorating and parade at the North Manchester Public Library, and continue through Sunday, Aug. 14. Returning annual events include the Eel River Cruizers Car Show (Friday), the American Legion Motorcycle Show (Friday), the 7th Annual Bellwood Canoe Race
(Saturday), and the 45th Annual 5K and 1 mile Fun Run /Walk (Saturday). Carnival rides sponsored by Anderson Amusement will operate on Main Street from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12 and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Returning to the Crossroads Bank Stage this year are the Wabatucky Shooters. They will perform from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12. Also performing this year is Small Town, who will take the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13.
“That’s the only place (Small Town) is playing in Indiana this year,” FunFest Committee Co-Chair Karen Fawcett said. According to Fawcett, this year’s FunFest theme is “Happy Birthday,” celebrating the State of Indiana’s bicentennial and also 45 years of FunFest. Many of the activities during FunFest are free, including rides on Trolley No. 85 and the Watermelon Feed on Friday, Aug. 12, and the Self Defense Seminar on Saturday, Aug. 13. (continued on page 18)
The Wabash River Trail from Lagro to Wabash may not be crossing along the river the whole way, according to several Lagro-riverfront landowners. Lena Gray and her siblings Jess and Bernice Gressley are all saying “no” to the WRT’s development across their property. “I think people are under the assumption that this trail going all the way to Wabash to Lagro and it’s already been set and it hasn’t,” Gray told The Paper of Wabash County in an interview on Thursday, Aug. 4. She reached out to The Paper recently, requesting to announce her family’s decision to the public. “I think people needed to know that (the trail) hasn’t been set,” she said. “When you hear it and you read it and people are calling you (asking) ‘Did you agree?’ No we didn’t.” The WRT’s plans have been in development since Spring 2015. In May, Wabash River Trail Inc. Board Chair Amy Ford officially announced the plans for the 33mile, multi-use river walk that would connect Huntington, Wabash and Peru. Phase I Sub-Phase I, which will pave a path through Lagro from the east side of Kerr Lock to the end of Basin Street, is supposed to break ground sometime in August and Phase I will even(continued on page 18)