Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 109, Number 28, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 4 December 1985 — Page 4

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iNajjpanee Advance News Wednesday, December 4, IMS

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Poor sportsmanship

TO THE ADVANCE-NEWS: What is the game of basketball to Notre Dame? I attended the game last Saturday, November 30, between Butler and Notre Dame. I felt it was a poorly officiated game, but that is not my upmost concern. The fact that a Notre Dame senior would even consider deliberately hitting an opposing player with a closed fist to the

Historians aren't sure when Jesus was born

When Christians around the world pause to celebrate Christmas Day, they will be marking a time-honored tradition that dates back to the early days of their church. Contrary to general opinion, however, among historians there is still some debate about whether December 25 was the exact day when the man known as Jesus of Nazareth was born. “Indeed, critical Biblical scholarship over the past 100 years has left us much less certain about many presumed ‘facts' of Jesus' life,” said Luke Johnson, associate professor of religious studies at Indiana University. “After painstaking historical analysis, we can now say some things with even greater firmness; for example, that Jesus was executed by the Romans. Unfortunately, the circumstances of Jesus’ birth-including its time-almost entirely escape historical investigation.” Actually, the first certain mention of the particular significance of December 25, in the life of the church, was in a calendar prepared by Philocalus. an early church father In 354 A.D., he wrote, “In year 1 after Christ the Lord Jesus Christ was bom on December 25, a Friday, and the 15th day of the new Crime Stoppers... The armed robbery of a South Bend tavern and its patrons is the Crime of the Week. The Rum Village Inn is located at 2209 Kemble Street, on the city’s southwest side. At approximately 10:30p.m. on November 7, two masked men entered the tavern and, at gunpoint, ordered several patrons onto the floor. One man failed to respond to the order, and was struck with a pistol. The bartender was instructed to open the cash register, and one of the gunmen removed the cash and then took the bartender’s wallet. Buth gunmen then ran out the front door. Suspect number one is a black male, late 20s, 6-1, 180 pounds, and was wearing a long dark cloth coat and white tennis shoes. Suspect number two is a black male, late 20s, 6-1, and was wearing a white jacket and ski mask. Over the past month, many similar tavern robberies have occurred in the Mlchiana area. Police feel the same suspects may be involved in the majority of the robberies. If you have information on this case, and call Crime Stoppers by December 8, you will receive 81,000 upon arrest or indictment. You may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800- 342STOP Crime Stoppers does not require your name.

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Jaw is appalling. Would you consider this an act of good sportsmanship? No call was made by any official. I am ashamed of this Notre Dame player. Is this the kind of example Notre Dame wants to set for the young basketball players of our area? A concerned fan

m00n...” In recent times, Biblical scholars and historians have taken note of the fact that December 25, in the year 1 A.D., occurred on a Sunday instead of a Friday. Some Biblical chronologists indicated that Jesus was born in the 28th year of the reign of Augustus, or on the 25 Panchon (an Egyptian month), actually making the date of birth on May 20. Still another authority placed it on 24 or 25 Pharmuthi (April 19 or 20). Clement of Alexandria, who lived about 200, claimed the was November 17,38. C. One enterprising writer who lived in Africa in 243, claimed to have come by the date "by private revelation," which told him that the correct date was Wednesday, March 28, the supposed anniversary of the creation of the sun. As early as 400 A.D., December 25 was recognized as the working date marking the birth of Christ. An imperial edict of that time includes Christmas along with Epiphany and Easter as three feast days when the theaters had to be closed. The latter two church holidays seem to have been celebrated from the earliest days of the Christian church, while Christmas was an historical after-thought. In 245 A.D., Origen, an early church father, repudiated the idea of keeping the birthday of Christ “as if he were a kingPharoah.” “In the early church,” said Johnson, “reflection on Jesus and the implications of his ministry seemed to have worked backwards; beginning with his ressurection, arduously interpreting his death and only slowly coming to think about his birth. It is noteworthy that several of the so-called apocryphal gospels focus almost exclusively on stories of Jesus’ infancy, whereas the cannonical gospels maintain considerably more reticence,” said Johnson. Epiphany was marked by early Christians as the day when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, but in the Teutonic West, the day was celebrated as the one on which the three wise men arrived in Bethlehem. It then became the 12th day of Christmas, tying it to December 25. Most historians agree that in the process of converting pagans, early missionaries capitalized upon some of their customs and incorporated those into church holidays. In northern hemisphere countries, December 22 was the date of the winter solstice, or the date when the daylight hours begin increasing. It is possible that the missionaries took the opportunity provided by a traditional local celebration to give it Christian significance.

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Wonderland

Years ago...

Odd grounds for divorce

100 YEARS AGO November 26,1885 Snow three inches in depth and half inch of ice were reported on the 19th in the Catskill Mountains, N.Y. XXX Chicago suffragists adopt a resolution in favor of a law that no girl should become of age until 21 years old. XXX Mr. Carrie Richardson and Miss Theresa Walter will be married in Bremen today. XXX A New York lady, the wife of Joseph Long wants to be divorced from her husband, because she is in fear of being hugged to death. XXX The successful author has fortune in his own write. 75 YEARS AGO November 23,1910 Health officer Defrees took precautionary measures last Wednesday to prevent the further spread of diphtheria in Nappanee, by Issuing an order closing everything of a public nature. XXX The Indianapolis News, in sizing up the fresh egg situation over the country, says it is next to impossible to obtain fresh eggs in that city, even at 38 cents a dozen, the price of fresh eggs in the larger city. XXX The Panama canal will be completed by December 1,1913. XXX Good luck likes to visit people who are not expecting it. XXX The boarding house of Lydia Moller at Milford was partially destroyed by fire. XXX Men’s tiger derby bats, 83 values, now 81.98 at D. Rickert and Sons. 80 YEARS AGO November 28,1936 Thieves entered the A.H. Kaufman and Cos. store Friday, 850 and shotgun shells missing. XXX Cloud’s Department store opens Saturday of this week. XXX Ora Stout takes first place on WTRC radio show by whistling “Old Black Joe.” XXX Mr. and Mrs. John Stahly and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stahly were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. John Heckaman Thanksgiving. XXX Burco Coffee, IS cents a pound,

This must have been one of the sights available to the songwriter who penned the words to "Winter Wonderland”. Local citizens make good use of Nappanee's Stauffer Park year-around, but fewer persons use the park in winter than during the warmer months. A walk through the park after a fresh snowfall will do wonders for you, and, if you enjoy taking photos, the possibilities are endless. Try It for yourself I (AN photo by Kim Keiser) *

two pounds for 29 cents, at Mullett’s. xxx Conditions this far are favorable for a chinch bug outbreak in 1936. XXX “Way Down East,” starring Rochelle Hudson and Henry Fonda 'is playing at the Fairy Theatre. 25 YEARS AGO November 24,1900 Nappanee Bulldogs lost to Ligionier. XXX Delia Dyck, wife of Rev. Gordon Dyck of Nappanee First Mennonite Church, received much praise for her appearance as soloist with the Elkhart Symphony Orchestra Sunday. XXX Eddie Jackson of Packerton bought a large wooden tool box for ten cents at a Kosciusko Cos. auction. Upon inspection, the box contained 33 gold coins, two Canadian five cent pieces, and one Indian head penny. He sold the contents for 81,150 to a collector. XXX Mr. and Mrs. Vance George are visiting his parents upon returning from three years in India. XXX David Cleveland, James Lewis and Gary Baker were inducted Into Cub Scouts November 21, at the park pavilion. 10 YEARS AGO November 27,1975 Heckaman Industries announces its fourth Expansion Program since beginning the production of Dutchland Estates Homes in 1969. xxx^ Rae Yoder, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Yoder, Nappanee, will be honored at a reception sponsored by the Bremen Assembly 29, Intematidnal Order of Rainbow for Girls, Nov. 30. N ‘ XXX Roger Cray becomes the sixth new member of the Kiwanls Club this year. XXX Denise Mishler, Sam Troyer, Jill Metzler, Kim Hummel and Mindy Flowers are the new varsity cheerleaders at North Wood High School. SYEARSAGO November 28,1990 Students at South School plant trees on the south side of the school grounds. XXX North Wood High School Drama department members premier

“Inherit The Wind.” XXX Bowlers in the Middaugh Builders Coffee League bring can goods and cash donations for Open Door in their competition last Wednesday. XXX Ladies Auxiliary of VFW present 87,000 to the Cancer Research Center at the University of Notre Dame. XXX Todd Sheets of Nappanee is named 1980 MVP on the Northwestern University football team. XXX “Bowl-For-Breath” fundraiser for cystic fibrosis at Gold Crown Lanes. LAST YEAR November 38,1906 Carissa Herr becomes a United States citizen. She is the daughter of Donna and Larry Herr, Nappanee. XXX North Wood High School music department presents its winter concert, “An Old Fashioned Christmas,” December 9. XXX REAL Services thanksgiving dinner draws 108 persons. XXX Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeat the Trojans of So. California, 19-7. XXX Lisa Hahn is honored as “Student of the Month” by Nappanee Rotary Club. XXX Members of the North Wood High School honor society distribute “Buck Boards” in area stores, with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.

Persons with Nappaneo Advancw-News subscriptions wnico expired in ixoveniDer ere reminded that those must be paid Immediately, or the subscription will be cancelled. December subscriptions are now due. Please check the date at the top of your newspaper to find out when your subscription expires.

News briefs... Combat hunger At least 175 cartoonists devoted thetr Thanksgiving Day comic strips to the problem of world hiepr, offering belly iNga to help fight empty bellies, and cartoon drama to combat a very real tragedy. Among the aOpo wort Doooeebury, Nancy and Peanuts. Celebration begins The year-long 190th birthday celebration of the town of New Parle has begun. A “mayor", Howard Prance, was named for New Paris, and the aesquicentennial celebration got its start at a banquet attended by US people last week,' at the 00 i-amp Restaurant. Classics sold Johnny Carson's IMI De Lorean sports car ($18,250), and Zaa Zsa Gabor’s 1075 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow ($23,900), were two of the collectibles auctioned off In the 17th Newport Beach Collector’s Car Auction held last weekend. Disney honored The home of Disneyland will say thank you to the late Walt Disney by releasing a recordbreaking one million helium balloons on what would have been his 84th birthday, this Thursday. Award for Kenny Entertainer Kenny Rogers, 48, has become the first recipient of the Roy Acuff Award, for his contributions to mankind including soliciting the donation of two million pounds of food. “There’s not another award that means as much,’’ the actor-singer said last week, after receiving the honor at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Secrets sold

A former National Security Agency communications specialist, originally Implicated by a turnabout defector, has told the FBI that be sold U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union. Last week, be became the fourth American arrested on espionage charges In five days. First anniversary Artificial heart patient William Schroeder, 53, showed slight improvement last week, from his third stroke, as be quietly marked his first anniversary with a Jarvlk-7 mechanical pump. The heart has beaten about 40 million times since It was turned on during a six and one-half hour operation. Kiss of death In New Orleans, a man vriio kissed a woman he knew on the cheek and wished her a happy Thanksgiving, was followed and killed by the woman’s companion, police said. Giant tree The “World’s Largest Christmas Tree” (286% feet) was lit in Indianapolis for the 23rd consecutive year, Friday night, but will not be lit again until 1968. The tree lights are suspended from the city’s Soldiers and Sailors Monument downtown, but renovation work on the monument will prohibit that for the next two Christmas seasons. Crowds estimated at more than 50,000 watched the ceremony. TV proposal Phyllcla Ayers-Alien, who plays Bill Cosby’s wife on NBC’s top-rated “Hie Cosby Show”, accepted a televised Thanksgiving Day marriage proposal bom former wide receiver Ahmad Hashed, now a football commentator for NBC. He was working the pre-game show before Detroit and New York Jets played, when be made the propoMl, and she was working as one of the hosts of the telecast of Macy’s parade. Snowstorm Downed power lines, fallen trees and dosed schools were left In the wake of winter’s first major storm in the area Sunday night, but conditions were expected to improve by Tuesday. Approximately three Inches of snow blew into the Michlana area overnight. Trip over Terry Streih is home In Bristol, after a 2,070-mile kayak trip down the Mississippi River. He cut short his planned threemonth, 3,400-mile trip to the Florida Keys by about one month and 1,300 miles because “I got homesick.” Jrlve trees Are live Christmas trees going the way of the Edsd? Only about 38 percent of ah famlies are expected to buy a live tree this Christmas. A slightly higher percentage will buy, or resurrect, an artificial tree. The rest will have no tree at all.