It's about time

• The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends that Knox, Perry, Pike, St. Joseph and Starke counties move from the Eastern to the Central time zone.
• The agency will have four public hearings in November in Jasper, Logansport, South Bend and Terre Haute. Dates and specific locations will be
announced.
• A final decision is expected in January.
• New time zones will take effect when the nation switches to daylight-saving time on April 2.
• The deadline for written public comment is Nov. 24.
• Comments can be submitted:
On the Web: http://dms.dot.gov or http://www.regulations.gov.
By fax: (202) 493-2251
By mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh St. SW, Nassif Building, Room
PL-401, Washington, DC 20590.

Online info

Petitions and comments filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation are available online at http://dms.dot.gov/. Once on the site, click on the simple search tab and type 22114 as the docket number for Indiana's time zone change petitions.

The Michiana Area Council of Governments survey can be accessed online at http://dms.dot.gov/ as document number OST-2005-22114-457, part of Juday Creek Golf Course's comments dated Sept. 29, 2005.

What time zone challenges might schools face?

Wa-Nee -- All five of the district's buildings are in Elkhart County. But some Wa-Nee students live in the northern tip of Kosciusko County. And the district has Head Start and middle school athletic ties with St. Joseph County, according to Joe Sabo, Wa-Nee Schools superintendent.
Operating on two different zones would be tough. "It would be complicated for parents and families," Sabo said.Whichever zone Elkhart County picks would win out. "We'd run on the time zone where the schools are located and the one where the majority of students live," he said.

Fairfield Schools -- Fairfield's student body is made up of all Elkhart County residents. But the district butts up right next to the Wawasee School district in Kosciusko County. Having two different time zones would have the biggest impact on students enrolled in vocational school programs because Fairfield High School uses the Wawasee Vocational School rather than the Career Center in Elkhart.
"It would be extremely difficult to come up with complete schedules for them (students in vocational programs) to take vocational school classes and the classes at Fairfield High School," said Tom Tumey, superintendent for Fairfield. Typically, students in the vocational programs attend high school half of the day and vocational classes at Wawasee the other half.

Penn-Harris-Madison Schools -- All students and all Penn facilities are in St. Joseph County. But some Penn High School students travel across the county line, to the Elkhart Area Career Center.
If it comes to having students in two time zones, understanding would be the key, according to Teresa Carroll, Penn spokesperson.
"I would cause us to have to do some finagling," she said, referring to scheduling for students on the vocational school path.
By Aleks Tapinsh, Truth Staff

GOSHEN -- The federal agency in charge of the nation's time zones recommended Tuesday that five Indiana counties move from Eastern to Central time.

The decision is not final, pending four public hearings in November.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recommended that Knox, Perry, Pike, St. Joseph and Starke counties be moved to the Central time zone.

Area residents, organizations and government officials will have an opportunity to present arguments for or against the switch in public hearings planned in Jasper, Logansport, South Bend and Terre Haute.

The federal agency specifically invites public comments from neighboring counties that may be affected by the change.

"For example, we are aware of the importance of South Bend to its neighboring communities in Indiana and Michigan and specifically request comment on potential effects to those communities to the north, east, and south if St. Joseph County is changed at the final rule stage and placed in a different time zone from the greater Michiana area, as additional information could change our tentative decision," the DOT stated in its decision.

The announcement came just one day after Elkhart County commissioners filed a letter with the agency explaining their position on the time zone.

"We knew they (St. Joseph County) would get a hearing," said Commissioner Terry Rodino.

In the letter filed Monday, the commissioners say their position has remained the same since the beginning: Keep Elkhart, St. Joseph, Marshall and Kosciusko counties in the same time zone, Eastern.

The commissioners say that drawing a time zone line between Elkhart and St. Joseph counties "would be detrimental to the economic vitality of the Michiana area," the letter said.

While acknowledging the difference of opinion between St. Joseph and Elkhart county commissioners, Elkhart County wants to remain in the Eastern time zone, according to the letter.

The federal government has not announced dates for public hearings, but it said hearings will be conducted. A final decision is expected by January. Any changes will take effect when the nation switches to daylight-saving time on April 2, 2006. The county commissioners based their decision to remain on Eastern on a survey conducted by the Michiana Area Council of Governments.

"Clearly there will be changes in this proposed rule before the process is complete," Gov. Mitch Daniels said in a written statement.

"Some counties that failed on the first try will, I believe, ultimately make a credible case to move to the Central time zone. And it's obviously unworkable to divide St. Joseph and Elkhart counties, which form one economic, social and cultural region."

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