By Jackie Gorski
Times-Union

MENTONE –  Utilities Superintendent Josh Shepherd told the Mentone Town Council Wednesday, July 6, that he is working on mapping Mentone’s cemetery.

Shepherd said he has been working with Kosciusko County GIS Director Bill Holder to get maps made with all the plots where veterans are buried, marked with their names written out. Shepherd said he believes once the maps are done, there will a map for the old part of the cemetery and one for the new part.

He said it should help the Boy Scouts identify where veterans are in the cemetery when they’re laying out flags.

Councilman Tim Croy said the Boy Scouts sometimes have trouble identifying who is a veteran because there are so many clubs now that have the same bronze symbol but different letters, so it’s easy to misidentify the symbol. Shepherd said the Scouts do their best.

Town Marshal Jim Eads asked how far back veterans go in the cemetery. Shepherd said they go back to the beginning of the cemetery in 1847.

In other business, the Council:

• Tabled a decision to approve the town’s comprehensive plan so the Council can review Mentone’s plan.
• The countywide comprehensive plan was approved by the Kosciusko County Commissioners in May.  Heard from Shepherd the town should have the materials for the water well communicator by the end of next week. Once the materials are received, Shepherd should be able to schedule for the communicator to be fixed.
• During June’s meeting, the Council approved a bid for $55,012 from Peerless Midwest for the communicator.
• Discussed the sign at the park. Shepherd asked if he needed to do anything about changing the sign at the park.
• Council President Jill Gross said he didn’t at the moment. At June’s meeting, the Council discussed an ordinance where people can’t be in the cemetery and park after hours.
• Gross said town attorney Andrew Grossnickle was working on the ordinance and didn’t have it ready for the Council Wednesday.
•  Learned deputy marshal Jacob Bill will be doing interdiction training in Kendallville. Bill will also be part of the Kosciusko County DUI Taskforce, said Eads. He will work between eight and 24 hours a month with the task force.