The Mail-Journal, Volume 20, Number 51, Milford, Kosciusko County, 4 January 1984 — Page 7

Community Corner

Artistic talents help surmount adversities

By MARK WEINSTEIN Staff Writer He’s knqwn as a “Jack of all trades,” partly because of his name, but mostly because Jack Powell has mastered several different occupations and hobbies in his lifetime. A lifelong resident of Clunette, Powell has gone from rags to riches, but if he would have his way, he would always enjoy the riches part of life. Instead, he has been dealt

LOUISA’S LETTER H=g g

Dear Louisa, I am a young girl at the age of 12 and will soon be 13. I am a little mature for my age, and 1 think it is time for me to start dating. The boy that I really like is about 19 and I don’t know if my mother wants me to date anyone that much older than me. And 1 was thinking, suppose he asked me for a date, what should 1 do? H.B -Tenn. Answer: At your age, I think your dates should be with someone nearer your own age.

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r THE BULL, A m ftk •■ ' >^> A " y I ' h Jkrf ■KI ...ORTHE BANKER? ■ Stock market investments can be very inviting. impressive range of investments—such as our new Everybody, it seems, knows "this guy" who knows money market accounts—we offer things that stocks "this other guy" who made a real killing in a big and mutual funds can t. Like risk-free protection bull market. Os course, behind every Cinderella of principal. Assured rates of interest. And the story there’s another tale—of uncertainty and soothing security of Federal Deposit Insurance jBBB vulnerability. * » —[~^ vc the ED.I.C. Unfortunately, the stock market' A/vltKILjAb So. while we won't promise to fIHK often takes a downward turn. The DAK. li/C make you rich ovemight-we will rampaging bull can become a lumber- LjAiNK 3 place a risk -Eree guarantee on your ing bear, changing dreams of an easy I ■ fa? tomorrow. "killing” into harsh reality. crri IRITY Thats the bare facts. With no bull. Not so at our bank. In addition to an 3CVL7fXI 1 wi amerhan bankers association WITH NO IFS ■■ ■ t -ruF Main Office • Villa 9 e Branch Hatchery Branch uj pj ststEDanKor 457-3165 856-2191 n l| Syracuse 100 East Main Street • P.O. Box 127 • Syracuse, IN 46567 member FDIC

several bad breaks during his life span. Yet, that doesn’t stop the energetic Powell from carrying on with his interests. Powell, in his earlier years started out with a groat interest in commercial art. It was during his high school days in Atwood and through a correspondence course from the Indianapolis School of Arts that he began developing his interest. ‘‘During high school I was always drawing and sketching,” said Powell, “it was the one thing

You certainly should not stay out as late or go places that nineteen year olds visit so if he should ask you for a date smile and tell him to wait a few years. Girls of thirteen who date older men are liable to get into trouble as they are not mature enough to handle some situations that come up. Take your mothers advice 7v--she has your welfare at Hhcart. Louisa Address: Louisa, Box 532, Orangeburg, S. C. 29115

I enjoyed. And the correspondence class provided me the basis of everything that I have done since. It was the kickoff to my entire career. From that point, Powell entered many different phases in the business world. Holding several letters patented, Powell was the first person to patent the hand opening bottle top, which hadn’t been done since 1875. Unfortunately, his patent never protected his invention, and consequently, other maunufacturing companies took his idea and made money from it. “If you look back through the records from about 1955 on, within five years I made millionaires out of every company in the country; because everything went hand opening, and before that, there was none. I guess I opened the door for a lot of people,” Powell commented. Since his original patent, Powell has since had a patent on a wind deflector for semitractors, and several patent pendings. “I was in the racing business and I developed a sprint wing that really made them go,” informed Powell. “But then it's a bad thing to market.” Yet. with the tough marketability, Powell had success with the project. "I put it on a guy’s car in Butler, Michigan, that had been finishing fifth or sixth in the feature up there, and of course, that's big sprint car territory," Powell relayed “For the next three years he cleaned house, won practically every feature. He went through three wings, but we

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■■ U ' I ..J PROUD OF HIS WORK — Jack Powell, master of many different trades, stands with two of his latest portraits. Powell strictly paints still life objects, focusing on realism, and never displays human figures to save the personality for the owner.(Photo by Mark Weinstein)

couldn’t tell anyone else about the wing because they would just laugh at us.” Once he finished working in the inventory business, Powell moved his interests into the building business. “I wasn't satisfied with just being known as a builder,” said the craftsman. “Building houses in South Bend, Fort Wayne and other cities around, I learned 15 trades in the construction

business. I did my own fire place work, masonry, carpet laying, cabinets, basically every trade there was. “Learning from experience, and watching other trade workers, I learned,” said Powell. “I discovered the tricks all the other people had, and combined them all into my tricks.” The handyman’s building construction jobs included the erection of 21 homes in Mishawaka. In all, the local worker built approximately 100 homes throughout northern Indiana. t With his great success in the building industry, Powell soon switched gears and opened a supply center. The store offered a complete package home, but lady luck soon frowned on Powell. “The supply center was my downfall,” confirmed Powell. “We had a good business going, and then the first crash came along in 1973, and I, along with 55 percent of the general contractors in the United States, basically went broke. I had lost everything which I had accumulated in the previous 20 years of work.” Picking up the pieces from the devastating crash, Powell soon began working at Sellers Manufacturing, which also placed difficult days ahead of him. ‘‘When I started, I was manufacturing engineer over at the Syracuse plant, which was Ag-Best,” said Powell. “I was there for a couple of years, before the rising interest rates knocked that business in the head. I then went over to Wakarusa at the other big steel plant and managed there a year, until they sold out to Holiday Rambler. Now I am back managing the truck and chasis division in Milford.” Powell’s misfortune has bothered the gifted man, but he takes it in stride, hopefully looking for the day when luck will turn his way. “I could go to Las Vegas and play slot machines for two hours,” he said. “And then, the minute I walk away, someone else could be raking in the cash.” Sprinkled within his problems is a unique range of hobbies. Beginning with his drafting and drawing days in high school, Powell later in life started painting still life pictures, fixing up old cars and even learning to play the piano. “Someone higher up must of given me these wide gifts," conceded the artist. Powell has enjoyed the arts since he was young. “When I was in high school I played the clarinet. But the first thing I ever bought when I was out of school was a piano. I could never play a piano, but I had a friend who could. He then gave me some instructions, and it wasn't too long then, that I was teaching myself by ear.” Powell’s fondest moment at the keyboard came during a business trip to Waterloo, lowa. Accompanied by Howard Sellers and 12 other salesmen, the group stopped off at the fancy Broomstick Restaurant.

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“The restaurant had a piano bar and when we arrived, the owner of the place asked me if I played the piano,” recalled Powell. “I told her I played ‘my style’, which was ragtime.” She told me she didn’t care what style it was. “My piano player is only 17, and his parents came in two hours ago and took him,” remembered Powell of his conversation with the owner. “We don’t have anyone to play for the folks here.” Powell’s acceptence led-to his playing the piano from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., with his associates nearly asleep in the restaurant. ‘‘That was quite an experience,” Powell summarized. “And when I left, she told me if I ever was in the area again, it didn’t matter who was playing the piano, I was the piano player.” Despite his great skills and talents, Powell is still bothered with his “unlucky” fates. “I can’t accumulate money, lots of money,” said Powell. “I can make money for other people, but it doesn’t happen to me. In other words, with all these talents, concerning luck, I am probably the unluckiest sucker who was ever born.” Whether he is lucky, or not, one thing for sure is, Jack Powell is one of the most gifted men around the area. Whatever he touches artistically usually brings success. Winter Wanderer program offers low hotel rates “Many of Indiana’s fine hotels and motels can be enjoyed this winter at substantial savings,” said Lt. Gov. John Mutz in reference to the ‘‘Winter Wanderer” program which is cosponsored by the Indiana Department of Tourism Development Division and Hook's Drugs. The program offers 50 percent double occupancy room rate coupons to the public in an effort to increase occupancy rates and tourism in the winter months “With over 50 Indiana hotels and motels participating in the ‘Winter Wanderer’ program, we feel it offers Hoosiers an incentive to errjoy Indiana’s resources while at the same time benefits those involved in the travel industry," said Mutz. “Winter Wanderer” coupons are available at all 287 Hook’s Drug stores in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky. They may also be obtained by writing the Tourism Development Division, Indiana Department of Commerce, Indiana Commerce Center, IN. Capitol, Suite 700, Indianapolis, Ind., 46204.

/ IN ALL DIRECTIONS fl Looking Back — Praise Him Looking Ahead — Trust Him - SB Looking Around — Serve Him S Looking Up — Expect Him I rw» Are Ahrgye Wefcewe T» Werelwp Him With lit I INNPB ; 1 9:30 AM. Sunday School Hour ' j® 10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Hour 1 d| ||||| ||BH| 'Jr Hi 7:00 P.M. Evening Service Jk f jS faß | Seedey, Jaeeary 15,7:00 P.M. I Fred Walls tai Gwskw N*« Cart Shearer Associate Minister Minister H||| I CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF MILFORD I Fourth And Henry Streets 658*9151 Milford *

Wed., January 4,1984 — THE MAIL-JOURNAL

CALENDAR Week Os January 4 To January 11 WEDNESDAY Ladies Aid 7 a.m., Syracuse Church of the Brethren Syracuse Lions Club 6:30 p.m., Beacon Restaurant North Webster Town Board 7 p.m., Town Hall cESgp Order of the E astern Star 7:30 p.m., Milford Masonic Lodge Alcoholics Anonymous 7:30 p.m., at Wawasee Episcopal Center, All Saints Episcopal Church, south shore of Lake Wawasee, one-half mile east of South Shore Golf Club on Vernon Road Al-Anon 7:30 p.m., Sacred Heart Church, Warsaw Al-Anon 7:30 p.m., Saint Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Syracuse THURSDAY Al-Anon 9:30 a.m., Saint Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Syracuse Milford Volunteer Firemen 7 p.m., Milford Fire Station Milford First Brethren Women’s Missionary Society , 7 p.m. North Webster American Legion Auxiliary 8 p.m., Legion Hall FRIDAY Milford Kiwanis 6:45 a.m., Milford Community Building Alcoholics Anonymous 7:30 p.m., Wawasee Episcopal Center, All Saints Episcopal Church, south shore of Lake Wawgsee, one-half mile east of South Shore Golf Club on Vernon Road Alcoholics Anonymous 8 p.m., Saint Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Syracuse SATURDAY Wawasee Kiwanis I I ‘SB ■lBo? J J 7a.m.,Gropp’sSyracuse Blood Pressure Check 9 a.m. to noon, Milford Community Building SUNDAY Alcoholics Anonymous 10a.m., North Webster Fire Station * MONDAY Lakeland Kiwanis 7 a.m., Church of God meeting room, North Webster TOPS , 4:30 p.m., Calvary United Methodist Church Syracuse Retail Merchants Meeting 6 p.m., Das Keller, Syracuse F.O.E. Men’s Meeting 7 p.m., Eagles, 404 Sycamore Street, Syracuse Al-Anon 7:30 p.m., United Methodist Church, Milford Federated Women’s Club, Ladies of the Round Table 7:30p.m. Columbian Reading Circle 7:30p.m. American Legion, Milford 8 p.m. TUESDAY Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary 12 noon, Beacon Restaurant Home Arts Club 1:30 p.m. Syracuse Business and Professional Women’s Club 6:30p.m. Christian Motorcycle Association 7 p.m., dinner meeting at Porterhouse Restaurant, Milford Lakeland School Board 7 p.m., Administration Building Syracuse Coin Club 7 p.m., Lakeland Youth Center Syracuse Park Board 7:15 p.m., Syracuse Town Hall, open to the public Milford Mason’s Masonic Lodge 7:30 p.m., Masonic Lodge Lakeland Art Association 7:30p.m., Cardinal Center, Warsaw Milford Town Board 7:30 p.m., Milford Town Hall Sugar N” Spice 81 Club 7:30p.m. Aloteen 7:30 p.m., Syracuse Church of God ; WEDNESDAY Ladies Aid 7 a.m., Syracuse Church of the Brethren Goodwill Club 1:30 p.m., House of Friendship Syracuse Fire Department Fire Drill 7 p.m., the fire station Eagles Auxiliary Meeting 7 p.m., Eagles, 404 Sycamore Street, Syracuse AnAnvmmis 7:30 p.m., Wawasee Episcopal Center, All Saints Episcopal Church, south shore of Lake Wawasee, one-half mile east of South Shore Golf Club on Vernon Road Al-Anon <=< 7:30 p.m., Sacred Heart Church, Warsaw Al-Anon 7:30 p.m., Saint Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Syracuse

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