By ALEXANDRA NEWMAN

Many soldiers who return home from war suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome, but don’t get the treatment needed. Chesterton resident Sondra Julian is creating a foundation that would make it possible for the military men and women to get help.

“When my son went to Iraq, I became concerned about his mental health when he returns,” said Julian, who recently received her master’s degree in social work at Indiana University Northwest.

“He joined the service in July and I had just written a paper about traumatic stress disorder. The numbers of military personnel needing treatment is so large, the average wait is two years,” she continued.

Julian, also a U.S. Army veteran was stationed in Munich, Germany from 1984-1987, said she did not face the trauma of today’s soldiers serving in Iraq. However, she is aware the Veteran’s Administration is overwhelmed by those needing help.

‘My foundation, MHEROS (Mental Health Extras Restoring Our Soldiers) will provide a national network of doctors who will see the soldiers, which will be paid for by MHEROS Foundation,” she said.

To date, she has applied for a 501C3 designation with the Internal Revenue Service. She has been advised it takes from two- to six-months to process the 501C3 status. Julian has been working with Darlene L. Kittredge, C.P.A and local attorney Terry Hiestand, to properly make the required applications.

“At this point I’m seeking donations to pay for the set-up of the foundation,” she said.

She will be having a fundraiser Feb. 24 at Old Glory Tavern in Hammond, 6755 Indianapolis Blvd., Hammond. There will be an auction, prizes and raffles. Also on March 30, she has scheduled a fundraiser at DC’s Country Junction, 3599 W. 61st Ave., in Lowell. There from noon to 11 p.m. bands will play for entertainment. She also would like to schedule fundraisers here.

“I’ve been working 18 hours a day to educate myself about starting a foundation, and getting it going,” she said, adding that she has a website and needs volunteers.

“I anticipate it will be late summer to get the network started. Once the network is established, if soldiers are too far from a VA service, they could seek a provider in the network. The soldiers themselves could ask a doctor to become a member of the network. If it goes as plans, I’d like to start to offer the service in January 2009.

The Board of Directors, so far includes Frank Caucci, Ph.D., MSW, interim director, department of social work at IUN; Mark Hoyart Ph.D., chairman of the psychology department at IUN and Mark D. Thomas Ph.D. LCSW assistant professor, department social work at IUN.

Julian has set up a bank account, MHEROS Foundation, Inc. at LaPorte Savings on Indian Boundary Rd., Chesterton. She has also prepared packets to give to hundreds of VFWs and other organizations and has been giving presentations to area organizations. And, she has a website, www.mheros.org .

“People can check the website for more information,” she said.CAC rips Senate bill as step toward electric utility deregulation

Statewide citizen groups are protesting a bill that passed the Indiana Senate this week that they say would allow electric utilities to raise rates without the typical regulatory review.

By a 39-9 vote, the Indiana Senate passed S.B. 224, authored by Brandt Hershman, R-Monticello. The bill would undermine consumer protections by allowing utilities to track new costs in customer bills without the benefit of regulatory scrutiny, according to a statement issued by the Citizens Action Coalition, United Senior Action, and the AARP.

“This amounts to back door deregulation for Indiana’s investor owned utilities,” said CAC of Indiana Executive Director Grant Smith. “The only people benefiting from this legislation are utilities and their shareholders, while people already struggling with high property tax bills and high energy costs will see significant new increases that may not be justified.”

The groups’ statement notes that the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission has the authority to approve trackers, which refers to adding on to the rate base. The bill would allow utilities to raise rates for new electric transmission and distribution projects and for research and development costs for projects linked to carbon capture and sequestration. The groups say these trackers would lead to rate increases while avoiding regulatory scrutiny.

“Trackers can only move rates in one direction: up,” said June Lyle, interim state director of AARP Indiana. "They create an end-run around traditional rate cases, which can even lower rates once regulators consider all the costs and savings a utility might have."

Northwest Indiana senators who voted against S.B. 224 were Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, Earline Rogers, D-Gary, and Cliff Arnold, D-Michigan City. Area senators who voted in favor of the bill were Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, and Sue Landske, R-Cedar Lake.

Posted 1/31/2008