Vol. 40, No. 18
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
of Wabash County Inc. July 19, 2017
www.thepaperofwabash.com Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
WRT opponents file second DNR permit appeal By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
Jordan Michel, 2016 Fair Queen, crowns Mary Guisewhite as the 2017 Wabash County 4-H Fair Queen as other contestants look on Wednesday evening, July 12. Photo by Sarah Peters
Guisewhite crowned 2017 4-H Fair Queen By Sarah Peters news@thepaperofwabash.com Mary Guisewhite, a recent graduate of Wabash High School, was named this year’s Wabash County 4-H Fair Queen during the Fair Queen Pageant Wednesday evening, July 12, at the Honeywell Center. “I feel so shocked! I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Guisewhite explained after getting the crown. “I feel so honored to have this opportunity.” A 10-year 4-H Fair member, Guisewhite plans to attend Indiana University Kokomo in the fall. Her fair projects include foods, floriculture, fine arts, consumer clothing, gift wrapping and microwave cooking. Joining her in the 2017 Queen’s Court will be First Runner-up Danielle Sparling, Second Runner-up Catherine Tracy, Third Runner-up Megan Baxter and Miss Congeniality Attie Schuler. Last year, Guisewhite served on the Queen’s Court after receiving the third runner up title. When she took the crown Wednesday, she told The Paper of Wabash County this was her third year participating in the pageant. Mary Guisewhite poses for a photo in her crown and sash follow“Third time’s a charm,” she ing the conclusion of the 2017 4-H Fair Queen Pageant. Photo by said. Sarah Peters (continued on page 2)
Several opponents to the Wabash River Trail have filed an appeal to the latest Indiana Department of Natural Resources permit for work on the trail in Lagro. On June 21, the DNR approved an After-the-Fact Construction in a Floodway permit for a new pedestrian bridge to be built over Lagro Creek. The Afterthe-Fact permit means some work has already taken place in the area prior to having received the permit. The opponents – Glenn and Sheila Butcher, William Gray, Lena Gray, Leon Stout, Clyde Rife and Jennifer Rife – filed the appeal on July 3. A prehearing conference with the complainants and representatives of the Wabash River Trail and the DNR has been scheduled for Thursday, July 27, at the DNR’s District 2 Conservation Headquarters in Columbia City. The complainants, in their appeal obtained from the Natural resources Commission’s Division of Hearings, contend that the ownership of the land for which the after-the-work permit was
issued is unclear. They also contend that WRT “has not demonstrated that the project will not constitute an unreasonable hazard to the safety of life or property.” They are asking the DNR to stay the permit until title work and surveys of the site are performed. According to the petition, the proposed bridge is “part of the tow path and aqueduct an the historical Kerr Lock … of the Wabash and Erie Canal.” “When the Wabash and Erie Canal ceased operations, the property was sold, given back to, or reverted back to the original/adjacent land owners,” the petition continues. “At one point in time, the Town of Lagro intended on extending its public right-ofway on Basin Street. This project was abandoned, and it is unclear as to what land, if any, the Town of Lagro or the Lagro Corp. actually acquired for this project. If the Town of Lagro wanted to extend the public right-of-way, they would have likely attempted to acquire an easement, not actual ownership. The intended WRT path that runs through the Town of Lagro runs through this disputed (continued on page 3)
River defenders gear up for annual ‘Clean Out the Banks’ By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com Defenders are returning to the Wabash River on Saturday, July 29, to clear out debris at the annual Clean Out the Banks. The Wabash River Defenders, a nonprofit organization that aims to care for and maintain the county’s namesake river, met Thursday, July 13, to finalize the main event’s plans. So far, approximately 10 teams of volunteers have signed up to assist the clean up, but the organizing committee still encourages more to join, according to Michael Beauchamp, organization founder. “Our goal is to fill our 20-mile stretch of river with teams at access points that are equidis-
tant from each other,” Beauchamp said. Since the organization’s founding in 2011, the Defenders have removed more than 124 tons of debris and that includes 4,800 tires from the river, he continued. “Sometimes we pick up tires from tributaries, not necessarily the day of the (annual Clean Out the Banks) event,” Beauchamp told The Paper of Wabash County. “We have volunteers that go year around. Last year we worked on Matlock Cemetery, which is near a tributary, and we took 8 or 9 tons (of debris) out.” Typically, the organizing committee will survey the river for “hot spots” desperately in need of care, but so far this year, the (continued on page 4)