The Independent-News, Volume 104, Number 50, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 24 May 1979 — Page 4

MAY 24. 1979 — THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS

EDITORIALS

LEST WE FORGET Memorial Day is more than just another holiday. Memorial Day is a day set aside to pay tribute to the thousands who have given of their lives in the service of their country . This again is one of those cases where it has taken war to insure peace and on this particular holiday, we pay homage to those who have over the years made that supreme sacrifice in the name of peace for their beloved country, families and friends. It reflects more than just those that gave their lives, but also those at home w ho lost their husbands, sons, fathers, brothers, etc., in the cause of freedom. Although nothing more can be given than one’s own life, the loss caused by these deaths has brought extreme pain and hard times to others as well, those that were left behind. With most schools now either closed or in their last few days of the school year, the good weather here again and vacation time just ahead. Memorial Day is considered the "start of summer". It is that relaxing time of year when life styles change, living for many is easier, lighter with the true fun and vacation time here. This is true, but certainly this should not rule out the true meaning of Memorial Day and the seriousness of the meaning of the holiday. For years this was known at "Decoration Day" which probably spelled out the meaning of the holiday a little better than Memorial Day as the decorating of the graves brought more directly to mind the true meaning. These observances are still undertaken by both individuals and organizations, service and veterans groups and tow ns, but along the way a little less emphasis seems to flow over to this side of the holiday in general. These programs, although relatively simple, are none the less impressive. The feeling deep inside has to be moved when one sees the flags on the graves of the veterans, the flowers decorating final resting places of loved ones, the hearing of taps play ed at the cemetery sites, the parades featuring veterans groups as well as others ... it all has to sink in and at least for a little while leave a deep feeling of gratitude and humility as we remember those who have given so much. Wherever vou are and w hatever you are doing this Memorial Day week end, take a few minutes of your time and remember . . . remember those w ho gave much more than a few minutes of their time so we can be around today as free people in a most prosperous country and world. WHEN... JMsf (TAKEN FROM THE FILES OF THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS)

1974 The Urey Middle School Drama Group, under the directorship of Mrs. Lola Ross, will present a one-act comedy on Wednesday evening, May 22, at 7:30 p.m. at John Glenn High School auditorium. The play is entitled, "Tommy In The Dark". Students participating in the play are Douglas Richardson. Thomas Nunley, Linda Chapman, Kathy Rohrer. Mashelle Pavey. Annette Peterson, Steven Beasley. Thomas Stull. Bob Armentrout. Cindy Cole and Tammy Stull. Charles Nunley, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Nunley, route 3. Walkerton, has been selected as delegate to the upcoming United Nations Pilgrimage by the District 8. of Oddfellows Lodge in Indiana. Tyner Lodge is in the district and had the honor of selecting the candidate. A light vote was seen in Walkerton last Tuesday in the primary election with 343 votes cast from the three precincts which included absentee votes. 1969 The Walkerton Lions Club Football Scoreboard Fund Drive" is now underway. A committee was selected at last weeks meeting to be in charge of raising the money and making the selection of equipment to be purchased, officially opening the drive. A goal of $2500 is set. At the market chuck roast was selling at 59 cents a pound; swiss steak at 89 cents a pound; Eckrich franks at 69 cents a pound; honey loaf at 99 cents a pound; Van Camp pork & beans, 7 300 size cans for $1.00; Planters mixed nuts at 7 9 cents for a 13 ounce package; three pound can of Folger’s coffee for $1.88; Awake orange juice at 29 cents for a 9 ounce can; cabbage at 10 cents a pound and ten pounds of Idaho potatoes at 89 cents. 1964 On Friday, May 22, the North Liberty Boy Scouts will be ringing the doorbells selling poppies for

American Legion Auxiliary 365 between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. The circus is in town. Yes, two performances will be held on May 21 of the Birnam Bros. Circus. They are at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. at the giant tent set up near the Walkerton Elementary School being brought to town by the Walkerton Athletic Boosters. Admission is 75 cents. Forty-four seniors will receive diplomas on Tuesday, May 26. at 8:00 p.m. as the Class of 1964 is graduated from the Walkerton High School. Thirty-eight students will be featured in the exercises which will include the Baccalaureate Services on Sunday. May 24 at 7:30 p.m. Both services will be in the high school gym. The Walkerton Chamber is planning a directory and brochure for the Walkerton area including the town of Walkerton and all three rural routes. This directory is planned to be completed by the middle of August. The directory will include a list of every family in the area and give a capsule summary of the churches, schools, tow n facilities, clubs and organizations. industry , and the work of the industrial committee. Word was released late Wednesday afternoon that Plas/Steel Products will have a ground breaking ceremony with the Walkerton Industrial Committee on Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. for the new 26.000 square foot plant to be constructed in the new Industrial Park. 1959 Whether it was the nice warm night, or the fact that alumni just wanted to get together once again to see how everyone else was getting along, at any rate there were 256 in attendance for the 1959 North Liberty High School Alumni Banquet last Saturday evening. In September of 1942, the Walkerton school enrolled 591 students on the first day of school. There are 82 first graders including five sets of twins. The seniors numbered 36.

Veterans Dominate 500 Field

With a starting lineup dominated by veteran drivers —and an imfxirtant change in the "yellow light" rule—the 63rd annual 500mile race Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway gives promise of being the most exciting in the history of the famous track. In all former Indy races, drivers were required to maintain their relative position behind the cars ahead of them whenever the yellowlight was displayed because of a hazardous condition on the course. This year, for the first time, they will be permitted to “bunch up" behind the race leader in single file formation with the official pace car moving on to the track to set the pace in front of the race leader until the green light again is displayed. “If use of the yellow light is necessary on several occasions,” said one veteran driver. “The 500 could become as exciting as a series of sprint races with all of the thrills of a fresh start each time the green light signalizes a clear course again." This procedure has been followed at other USAC championship races for many years although the electric pacer system has been employed at Indy. All 12 drivers in the first four rows of the starting lineup behind the Ford Mustang pace car at 11 o’clock Sunday morning are After three unsuccessful attempts to bring anew well in tor the Town of Walkerton, the fourth trial was successful. The new well will produce 350 gallons of water per minute. It is 124 feet deep, located in the pumping station area. Bad news was received on May 21, that "The Voice of Firestone" program of good music will soon be off the air. 1944 May 21 has been designated as "I Am An American Day", the day of which the United States will honor the 2.470.000 men and women w ho reached voting age and the 400,000 citizens of foreign origin who were naturalized in 1943, it was reported by the office of War Information. Os the 400,000 newly naturalized citizens, 65,000 are in the armed forces and approximately 114.000 came from enemy or former enemy nations — 75.000 Italians, 37.000 Germans and 2.000 Roumanians, Hungarians and Bulgarians. In 1943 and up to April 15 of this year, 4.635 foreign born members of the armed forces on overseas duty were naturalized. The Walkerton Methodist Church will hold special services next Sunday. May 21. when they observe the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Methodist congregation in this area, and also burn the mortgage on the new church. The Methodists established a church in the area in 1844, 13 years before Walkerton was laid out. After several years of worshipping in various buildings in the community a frame church was erected in 1860 which served the congregation until 1907. Then, under the pastorate of Rev. Homer P. Ivey, a new cobblestone church was erected and dedicated at a cost of $20,000. This structure was totally destroyed by fire on the night of February 19. 1936. with an estimated loss of $35,000. The present church building was completed in 1937 at a cost of $26,000 and dedicated on April 11 of that year, with an outstanding obligation of $6,000 against it. This debt was cleared last November. 1943. 1929

The L. A. Wills Drug Store is installing a Taylor ice cream freezer, which will freeze all the ice cream used by the store. The big machine freezes ice cream in just six minutes, right before the customers eyes. Walkerton is the first small town in this territory to have such an ice cream plant located in the store where the product is retailed.

(-•MTS I . ‘ ; ’ZJpiiP lit MS : 11 y l 4 1 i ® Veteran drivers in the front row of the starting lineup for Sunday's annual 500-mile race are (left to right) Al Unser, Tom Sneva and Rick Mears.

veterans and a tremendous battle for the early lead is anticipated. All gates to the grounds will l>e opened at 5 a.m.. EST. and general admission tickets priced at $lO will be available for anyone w ithout a reserved seat ticket. Traditional ceremonies, featuring the Purdue University Band and other marching bands from all areas of the United States, will get under way at 8 o’clock. The presentation of 500

A pica was issued in the May 16th Walkerton Independent for the organizing of the Walkerton Alumni Association. Supt. B. A. i Sweigart of the Walkerton School, I has started a movement which is । destined to result in the formation of a good active Alumni Association for Walkerton High School. A. O. Yerrick, who has been a part owner and manager of the Walkerton Telephone Co., for the past 16 years, has sold his interests in the company and will move his family to South Bend about the middle of June. At a meeting of the Town Board of Trustees May 17, the following persons were named as members of the Walkerton Fire Department. A. J. Kennedy. Fire Chief, Joe Kerchaert, Dave Lawrence, Jack Jones, Jesse Wolfenberger, E. F. Vitou and Charles Cripe Jr. The Sumption Prairie Building Corp., of Greene Township, this county, has advertised that it will receive bids on the construction of a new school building to be located near the Sumption Prairie Church to be built for use of the Greene Tow nship Schools. Description Os Settlement Offer By NIPSCO A description of settlement offer made to towns by Northern Indiana Public Service Company on April 20. 1979, are as follows: 1. NIPSCO’s "first-step" average increase of 25.1% from January 23, 1979 through effective date of NIPSCO Retail Rate 724 would result in $819,148 annual increase to Towns (compared to 48.6% of $1,560,373 annual increase initially requested by NIPSCO). 2. NIPSCO’s "second-step’’ average increase of 31.7% subsequent to the effective date of NIPSCO Retail Rate 724 would result in $1,032,902 annual increase to Towns. 3. Approximation of refunds owed to Towns to date to revenues collected by NIPSCO in excess of settlement rates, as calculated at 9% simple interest per annum. 4. In the future. NIPSCO to synchronize its retail and wholesale rate increases by not asking for an effective date for a new wholesale rate increase prior to 60 days after the effective date of any increase in its comparable retail rate. 5. Towns' "settlement” rate design to be similar to that pro-

Festival Queen Carol Ann Orem and many celebrities from the entertainment world will take place at 10 o’clock. The winner will be presented with the Borg-Warner trophy in Victory Lane approximately three hours later and prize money of more than $1,000,000 will be divided among the participants at the Victory Dinner Monday evening.

posed by NIPSCO and will be designed to properly reflect costs. 6. NIPSCO to agree to jointly investigate with Towns the feasibility of various future power supply arrangements. IN FLANDERS FIELD By Colonel John McCrae A Canadian officer killed in WW I In Flanders Field the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly. Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow. Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders Fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe; To you from failing hands we throw The torch; by yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders Fields. AMERICA’S ANSWER By R. W. billiard "Rest ye in peace, ye Flanders’ dead. The fight that you so bravely led. We've taken up. And we will keep True faith with you who lie asleep. With each a cross to mark his bed. And poppies blowing overhead, Where once his own life blood ran red, In Flanders Fields. "Fear not that ye have died for naught; Ihe torch you threw to us we caught. Ten million hands will hold it high, And Freedom’s light will never die. We’ve learned the lesson that ye taught. In Flanders' Fields. Knowing him many summers dead. Do we remember the way he said, "If Ye break faith, we shall not sleep. Though poppies blow?" God, do we keep the faith. And hold the torches high They flung to us? Or does each lie in Flanders Fields And turn and toss Finding no rest beneath his cross? Orville Easterday Unit 189 American Legion Auxiliary "The most useful virtue is patience." John Dewey