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Vol. 40, No. 5
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
of Wabash County Inc. April 19, 2017
www.thepaperofwabash.com Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
CF to host school forum By The Paper staff Wabash County’s three public school corporations will meet Thursday, April 20, to discuss feasibility study funding and coordination. The meeting will take place in the Honeywell Center’s Legacy Hall, located at 275 W. Market St., and will begin at 6 p.m. During the meeting, the Community Foundation of Wabash County will present the plan “Studies for Advancement” to the Manchester Community Schools’, MSD of Wabash County’s and Wabash City Schools’
boards of education. In January, the Community Foundation offered to fund and coordinate feasibility studies and research from jointly submitted proposals, which all three districts agreed to participate in in February. The “Studies for Advancement” is intended to build a reliable research base through which each school district can examine current and future elements that shape the fulfillment of their respective missions, according to Dr. Carol Lundquist, consultant and the studies’ coordinator. On March 21, Lundquist, Community
Foundation, school superintendents and a board representative from each organization reviewed preliminary plans and goals for the studies, which include five areas of research. The studies will proceed in two phases. First, the “Studies for Advancement” will provide each district with its own report based on a common set of metrics. In phase two, districts may elect to evaluate further opportunities across district lines. The reports are intended to encourage meaningful conversations within and between districts according to expressed
desires of each district. “As a cooperative effort, all of Wabash County benefits when our school leaders have the best possible information upon which to make the critical decisions affecting our schools,” Patty Grant, Community Foundation executive director, said. “We are very pleased that our school boards can come together, and are inspired by the courageous leadership to do so. “We invite others to support this collaboration and the Foundation’s efforts to advance Wabash County.” The meeting is open to the public.
PaperWorks’ investment returns $1.13M to company By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com
Members of the Regional Development Authority board reviews paperwork at their April 11 meeting at the Honeywell Center in Wabash. Photo by Joseph Slacian
RDA approves funds for local projects By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com The Honeywell Foundation and Wabash River Trail each had their funding requests to the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority approved on Tuesday afternoon, April 11. However, the RDA board made the river trail’s request contingent on it meeting several requirements, including having two public meetings in an attempt to iron out differences between its board and
DNR ruling to be appealed By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com Opponents to the Wabash River Trail plan to appeal the Indiana Department of Natural Resources recent approval of a permit to repair a boat ramp in Lagro. The work was done prior to the WRT receiving a permit from the DNR, and was the cause of the Wabash Plan
Commission’s issuance of a stop work order for the trail project. On April 3, the DNR issued a Certificate of Approval, After-the-Fact Construction in a Floodway. The Plan Commission, with the receipt of the certificate, lifted the stop work order, only if an appeal was not requested within the 18-day time frame. Sheila Butcher, in an email (continued on page 5)
the public. Before the RDA board dealt with the individual requests, it did have to inform all seven agencies seeking the funding that their requests would be reduced by 2 percent in order to come under the $42 million in funds allocated to it from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. That means the Honeywell Foundation will receive $976,636.66 for the Historic Eagles Theatre renovation project. The river trail will receive (continued on page 4)
PaperWorks Industries’ energy-saving investments paid off, literally, Tuesday, April 11, when Duke Energy presented the company with a $1.13 million check. Nearly two years ago, PaperWorks made a strategic investment of approximately $3.5 million to reduce its energy consumption at its Wabashbased paper mill, according to mill general manager Chris Wetherford. “So in the summer of 2015, we sat down and we talked about ways to make the business more profitable without actually having to produce more products, since there’s not a lot of room in the industry for a lot more product,” Wetherford told The Paper of Wabash County. “So naturally the answer is either you reorganize your business from a personnel standpoint or you look at ways that you can reduce your costs.” PaperWorks opted for the latter. “Our largest cost is our energy and we have a very sophisti(continued on page 6)