The Greentown Grapevine – 2006-06, 13:06

              The Greentown
A CeLebrating Our 13th Year!
Volume 13, Issue 6 ‘ hjhfzperfit hepecpk” June 2006
What Strange Object Has
Landed?
During the past weeks, travelers on North Maple Street in
Greentown have observed, first, metal protrusions from the town’s
water tower, making the bowl appear somewhat like a rack of ribs.
Later the vision portrayed in this photo appeared, standing silently
as if waiting for marching orders or, perhaps, lift- off orders. The
frequent traveler or nearby resident observed that at times the
“ skirt” was lowered, leaving a cap at the top, having a resemblance
to a shower cap on the head of the tower.
All these strange developments have a reasonable explanation.
The town has hired Maguire Iron, Inc. Of Sioux Falls, S. Dakota,
to clean, repair, and paint the interior and exterior of the tower.
The “ skirt” is used for the safety of the environment, retaining any
residue from cleaning and any paint spray from drifting onto fields
or populated areas.
During the first days of June, the covered tower emitted a sound
which, with some imagination, can be believed to be giant
sprayers. Unless, of course, it is preparing for take- off.
Photo by Rachel Jenkins
t
Greentown Hardware Closed - Future of
Building Not Certain
by Shannon Driver ’
A request to rezone a
residential area north of
Greentown Hardware from R1
( Residential 1) to B2 ( Business
2) has passed the first step
toward approval. The
Greentown Plan Commission.
voted to recommend to the
town council that the rezoning
be approved. The recom-mendation
now advances to the
town council for consideration.
Property owner Bill Hogan
was not present at the May 1 1 th
meeting, but Truman Elkins,
who is buying Greentown
Hardware at 121 North
Hammer Street on contract
from Hogan, was in attendance.
Elkins says he and Hogan plan
to demolish the home on the
property adjacent to the
hardware store at 129 North
Hammer Street in order to add
on to the building. According
to Elkins, they hope these
improvements will entice
Family Dollar to lease the
building. Elkins told the
commission, though, it doesn’t
necessarily have to be Family
Dollar. If that deal falls
through, another business
would be sought to lease the
property. This raised questions
as to why a B1 zoning was
requested by Hogan initially
and what type of merchants are
wanted and needed in
Greentown. A B1 zoning
allows business to serve or sell
alcohol, among other things. A
B2 designation does not.
Although a B2 rezoning would
limit the type of business that
could lease the property, it
would not prevent Family
Dollar from leasing and using
the location. The hardware
store is already zoned B1 and
that property could legally
house just about any business,
regardless of the zone rating for
- the new addition. For that
reason, the Greentown Plan
Commission made their
rezoning approval contingent
on the entire property
ultimately being rezoned to B2.
Questions of drainage were
also raised during the meeting
and Elkins provided areal
photos and tentative building
plans claiming drainage would
be better after the addition was
completed.
The current tenant of the
home to be rezoned and
demolished was also at the
meeting and said she believed
she had a verbal agreement with
Hogan to buy the home on
contract and had not been told
she and her children needed to
move. Hogan was contacted
during the meeting by cell
phone and stated that he’d told
the resident’s mother late last
year that she would be able to
buy the home on contract only
if the deal with Family Dollar
fell through.
Greentown Hardware has
changed names several times
over it’s lengthy history.
Originally Petro’s Hardware, it
was located in a three story
building that stood on East
Main Street. Ross Schriner
then purchased the store, selling
it to Jim and Mary Miller in
1982. The Millers made it a
True Value in 1986. In 1989
they built at the current location
on North kammer Street and
moved the business. The
building on East Main Street
was eventually demolished.
The Millers say they had at
least 12 local people and family
members in their employ at all
times and worked very hard to
contribute positively to their
community. Mary Miller
managed the store and says
back then, most people were
surprised to see a woman
managing a hardware store. She
also says that those same people
realized she knew her business
and they became loyal patrons
of the store. In 1999 the Millers
sold Greentown Hardware to
Bill Hogan.
The Millers say they are
concerned about no longer
having a locally run hardware
store in the community.
by Susan Dove- Tobin
The recently approved
roofing project at Eastern
Middle/ High School is
scheduled to begin just after
€ ommencement in June. The
project not only addresses
roofing issues, but also will
relieve storm drainage
problems that have been
ongoing at Eastern.
This will provide some
, additional noise in the area, as
well as small inconveniences
from time to time as the
project gets under way.
Superintendent, Dr. Stephen
Healy assures that people will
be kept notified of the
redirection that. may occur
throughout the summer. There
will be times when the road on
the west side of the building,
by the little league and softball
diamonds, will be closed as it
is - torn up to relocate storm
drains. The concrete in front
of the doors to the pool, as
well as, near the library will
also be torn up and may lead
to redirection of traffic to other
doors while these repairs take
place.
Elected to
Board
by Susan Dove- Tobin
I <
Randy Blankenship
Randy Blankenship won the
seat for Eastern School Board
Member At Large during the
recent elections May 2.
Blankenship is a 1981
graduate of Eastern Schools.
He attended South Eastern
University in Lakeland,
Florida, achieving his
Bachelor of Science- Ministry,
in 1984. He has been married
to his wife Sharon for 17
years.
When the position of Pastor
to New Life Church in
Kokomo became available,
Randy was chosen for that job.
Becoming pastor of New Life
gave Randy and his family the
opportunity to return to the
community in which he grew
up. He and his wife felt there
was no other community more
suited to the high standards
they have for their children’s
education. Blankenship has 2
children now attending Eastern
schools, Anna, 15, and Randy,
13, Both children were home
schooled until this year.
Pastor Blankenship likes to
spend time with family, golf,
and loves sports of most kinds.
He is very “ plugged into” his
children’s interests in the .
school’s music programs and
attends most functions his
children participate in.