SOUTH BEND -- They came, they spoke, and, by a fairly wide margin, they indicated they want Indiana to be on Central time.

"My vote is for Central," said Chuck Elum, of Mishawaka, who called it "a travesty" that Indiana residents didn't get to vote on the daylight-saving time issue.

Elum called a move to Central time "a no-brainer."

He was far from alone. Of the 151 area residents -- most of them from South Bend and Mishawaka but a sprinkling from other counties as well -- who signed an attendance sheet for Wednesday's town hall meeting at Century Center, 115 indicated they favor Central time and 36 said they favor Eastern time.

Not all voiced their opinion, but of those who did, the Central over Eastern time margin was 33-17.

Those numbers contrast with a scientific poll conducted earlier this week by The Tribune and WSBT-TV, which showed residents of St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall and Kosciusko counties to be in a statistical dead heat regarding their time preference.

Dr. Randal Bladel, a physician at Memorial Hospital and a proponent of Eastern time, said hospital personnel can't use the extra daylight Central time would provide at the beginning of the day, but could use it at the end of the day "to live our lives."

South Bend Common Council Member Roland Kelly read a letter from another physician, Dr. Michael Yergler, of South Bend, who also expressed a preference for Eastern time.

Moving to Central time, Yergler said, would defeat the purpose of going to daylight- saving time.

The town hall session was a warm-up for later hearings to be held by the federal Department of Transportation, which will decide whether Indiana should be in the Central time zone, the Eastern time zone or some combination of the two time zones.

The Indiana General Assembly voted earlier this year to put Indiana on daylight- saving time beginning next year, and Gov. Mitch Daniels petitioned the DOT to hold state hearings on the time zone issue. The date for those hearings has not been announced.

"I think what I saw tonight was the intensity factor," said South Bend Mayor Stephen J. Luecke, who was repeating a phrase used by a couple of town hall speakers.

Luecke likened those who turned out for Central time to the intensity of people who come to public hearings because they strongly favor one side of an issue.

The town hall session was hosted by Charlotte Pfeifer, president of the South Bend Common Council; Gregg Hixenbaugh, president of the Mishawaka Common Council; and Rafael Morton, president of the St. Joseph County Council.

Pfeifer said the three presidents will return to their respective councils and try to come up with a consensus position.

"I think it's going to be Central," she said, adding that she still has no personal preference. "I will do what the people want."

Hixenbaugh said he is hopeful that the three legislative bodies can reach a consensus, saying they "need to speak with one voice" if they have any hope that the Department of Transportation will take the area's opinion into account.

Many of those who spoke in favor of Central time, such as Mike Kasalo, of South Bend, said they believe Indiana naturally belongs in the Central time zone.

Although Indiana has been on Eastern Standard Time for decades, the state's boundaries would naturally put it in the Central time zone.

Chuck Hoover, of Granger, spoke for many Eastern time advocates when he said, "We're looking at quality of life, not where it falls on the map."

Frank Macknick, of South Bend, noted that the current time zones didn't exist when St. Joseph County was founded, but were established by the railroads in the 1850s.

"We're operating on train time for commerce in the 1850s," he said.

Perhaps the most unusual suggestion came from John Van Den Abeele, of Mishawaka, who advocated a switch to international or "Earth time," essentially one time for the entire planet.

"We don't use sundials anymore," he said.

Michael Andrysiak, of South Bend, indicated his belief that Central time is the correct time zone for residents. "Your body just knows," he said.

Paul Ralser, who operates a consulting firm in Granger, said he would probably move to a location in the Central time zone if the area is put on Eastern time.

Ralser said his company's clients are primarily in Chicago and Los Angeles and the greater time differential would create difficulties for his business.