By Andrew Steele
Star Managing Editor

CROWN POINT - Five individual properties and the Miller's Farm subdivision were disannexed from the city Monday at the request of the property owners.
    The disannexations were approved by the Board of Public Works in accordance with an agreement between the city and property owners on the east side of the 6.5-square-mile annexation surrounding the I-65 and U.S. 231 intersection.
    Among the properties disannexed was the Hein family dairy farm.
    Vern Hein said that "we have no animosity toward ... the city of Crown Point" but that "we think the annexation of our farmland was maybe a little premature."
    Perhaps in five years, he said, "we might be trying to get into the city."
Mayor James Metros said the disannexations are consistent with the city's plans for the area.
One concern, though, was raised by a resident of East 121st Avenue, who noted that a portion of her street would now be in the county's jurisdiction.
    City Engineer Jeff Ban said plowing and road maintenance responsibilities are worked out between the county and city.
    "We don't want you to think you'll be on an island all by yourself," Metros said.
Also Monday, the board approved an additional $80,000 for the $2.2 million project to extend sewer and water service to the I-65 and U.S. 231 interchange.
    The additional money will be used for underground boring, Ban said.
    Originally, the contractor was to bore 50 feet under a railroad right-of-way near Delaware Street, but the city has decided to continue the boring another 150 feet for the sewer main and 235 feet for the water main in order to minimize damage to other properties on the utility route.

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By Andrew Steele
Star Managing Editor

CROWN POINT - Bad weather in December put work on the new Crown Point High School three to four weeks behind schedule, project manager Scott Cherry told the School Board last week, but "we're positive we can make that up," he said.
    Winter weather particularly hurt masonry work, but Cherry, of Skillman Corp., said that he was optimistic the contractor, Gough Construction, would be able to make up the time.
    "We're hoping to start the (outer) brick work in a couple weeks, weather permitting," Cherry said at the March 12 board meeting. That will finally "add some color" to the concrete-gray edifice at Burrell Drive and Main Street.
    Meanwhile, work continues on the masonry bearing walls in the performing arts, athletic and mechanical areas.
    The auditorium, fieldhouse, and mechanical rooms are under roof, and the main gymnasium is partially roofed, Cherry said, and structural steel is going up in the classroom wing.
    Work continues on the athletic fields as well, Cherry said. Those fields fill the southern end of the school property.
Skillman's schedule for the year includes work on all major parts of the project.
    Mechanical rooms and athletic fields are expected to be completed this year, while work on the bulk of the building runs to late 2002 and early 2003.
    The building is expected to open to students for the 2003-2004 school year.
The construction cost is currently $58,290,003, down from the original bid amount of $58,624,878.
    The decline is due to minor revisions in the project and "value engineering" that reduced the amounts in several areas.
    Those savings, less change order expenses already approved, have been added to the project "contingency fund," which is used to pay for change orders.

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