The Mail-Journal, Volume 22, Number 50, Milford, Kosciusko County, 11 December 1985 — Page 4

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., December 11,1985

Editorials

Christmas shop at home The Christmas shopping season has arrived. Lists have been made as to what to give or make for Aunt Minnie and Uncle Jack. Now it’s time to give serious thought as to where we are going to do our holiday shopping. Our suggestion: The Lakeland area. Here are the merchants who support our community projects. These merchants are the people who employ others who live in the Lakeland area. They need our loyal support. Christmas season is a special time of the year. Stores in the area feature everything from clothing and accessories for the women on your list to toys and sports equipment for the young men. The perfect gift for dad or sis may also be found in the stores in Syracuse, North Webster or Milford. All in all, the Lakeland area is well blessed with a variety of stores and shoppers should take advantage of them ... shop at home this year. You’ll be glad you did. Celebrating At Christmas, some feel the urge to celebrate with gusto, and this sometimes means inbibing cheer in the form of alcoholic beverages. Thus a word of caution is in order at this time. It could prevent tragic results during the major holiday season of the year. Each Christmas holiday period claims the lives of hundreds of Americans in automobile accidents, and many of them result from the mistakes of intoxicated or partly intoxicated drivers. How tragic it is when these accidents take the lives of dear ones. If one must celebrate in this way, he or she should resolve to stay at home or to refrain from driving. This should be your earliest New Years resolution; it could save your life, or someone else’s. Christmas carols The custom of singing Christmas carols on the eve of Christmas came to us from England though for a time it — and other Christmas observances — were banned in Puritan New England. As Puritan pressure relaxed, a custom began of placing lighted candles in homes in Boston and spread to various parts of the country. The English caroling custom, which had long been accepted in the South, then penetrated into more Puritan New England. For many years it was the custom of night watchmen to gather together and sing carols and, in the South, students took up the custom. 7 985's tree Millions are now buying or about to buy Christmas trees. Most families who do so can buy living trees with roots in balls or pots which can be replanted after the holiday season. It’s a fine way to help conserve, to stop waste and to beautify yards, estates and farms. - The Christmas tree, brought to America from Germany, is a venerable tradition and a beautiful part of our Christmas custom. But it can be even more meaningful if most of the trees used are not killed in the process. It’s true that trees with balls or in pots are more expensive. But then one is investing not only in a Christmas-decorated living room but in the landscape. And each tree, in future years, can be remembered for the year it was used to celebrate Christmas and planted to beautify the outdoors, a nice reminder of treasured memories of Christmases gone by— and living still!

What others say —

I'm busy getting ready “I’m busy getting ready for Christmas.” How many times have you heard that phrase the past few days, or perhaps, even muttered those words to yourself as the pace of the season picks up in preparation for Dec. 25. Although the words may be uttered with a sense of despair of desperation, they are words that are very much a part of the season — necessary words. Without the period of preparation, the anticipation of the arrival of Christmas would be missing. But, what do the words mean? For mothers and grandmothers, it is a time of sewing and baking the traditional goodies expected of them. Mothers try to follow in the apron strings of their mothers, creating cookies and other delights that are prepared with SLC (Special Loving Care). For the strictly personal touch, moms and grandmas who are talented with needle and thread find a special joy in creating gifts of beauty from discarded scraps of cloth. Some may call it recycling. Fathers seem concerned with the more monetary aspects of Christmas — hoping they have enough money to buy the gifts selected during child-in-lap sessions while thumbing through “wish” books and advertising supplements. Dads are often weakened by the ways of adoring children and loving wives, with the end result that the tight family budget is suddenly tossed to the wind and the plastic money is employed to buy, not what they want, but what he wants them to have. Grandfathers can be just as foolish, because every grandfather knows that nothing is too good for his grandchildren, who are the best grandchildren in the world. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, a grandchild-on-the-lap is love at its greatest, and who can deny such love anything? For aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and cousins, they too are busy getting ready for Christmas —for their own family as well as others. And, we must not overlook the fact that children too, are busy getting ready for Christmas. They become caught up in the magic of the season through special programs at school and church. In secret many boys and girls are now busy creating with care gifts of paper and glue made “especially for you.” What the creations lack in expertise, they more than exemplify the love which motivated them into being. A picture, a poem, a painting or drawing — all addressed to Mom or Day — “though crude by conventional standards — are works of pure art to the creator and recipient. “I’m busy getting ready for Christmas,” what a wonderful grouping of words — strung together to brighten up the days that might otherwise be dreary as colder and grayer days descend during the last month of the year. “I’m busy getting ready for Christmas.” Although they may be words muttered in passing, they are words that speak of our awareness of the joys of Christmas Past and the pleasure of preparing to once again celebrate a very special event — the birth of a Child. -AVON-DANVILLE GAZETTE

LSJRL

Shop in the Lakeland area towns this Christmas.

Truly a man for all seasons (Editorial) By ARCH BAUMGARTNER If Kosciusko County ever had a man for all seasons, it would have to be Lawrence J. Castaldi. His many friends called him simply “Larry.” Larry, who died unexpectedly at 3:13 p.m. last Thursday in the Kosciusko Community Hospital in Warsaw, was exceedingly well known locally and throughout Indiana for his many public concerns. It is interesting that he should die at KCH, the local hospital he had a hand in founding from thd very first embryonic meeting where the idea of a new hospital was discussed. He served on its board of directors and chaired its important finance committee for a long time. He also served as board president. His steady hand was felt in all its deliberations. It’s no surprise that he would be named Warsaw’s Man of the Year in 1967. The county’s new United Way never reached its goal until Castaldi became its driving force, and it hasn’t missed since that time. He helped organize the state United Way and to this day a Castaldi Award is given each year to an outstanding UW volunteer. He was an industrialist, former vice president of Spring Manufacturing Co., of Chicago, to later head its Mentone division, Midwest Spring Manufacturing. His industrial interests were wide and varied. A member of the Sacred Heart Parish (Catholic), nevertheless he headed the Grace College (Grace Brethren) President’s Committee and was its driving force in many fundraising efforts. Castaldi was on the board of the St. Francis College in Fort Wayne, past regional chairman of the Northeastern Indiana Mental Health Planning Commission of Fort Wayne, and a former member of the State Board of Health advisory council, a board member and past president of the Five-County Mental Health Clinic (Bowen Center) at Warsaw. He was past president and director of the Cardinal Learning Center, and past president of the Anthony Wayne Boy Scout Council, Fort Wayne. He was past president of the Warsaw Junior Achievement, and of the Pioneer Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America, at Elkhart The list goes on and on. Castaldi was one of several who built the Holiday Inn in Warsaw, and his latest plans include a large apartment and condominium complex behind the Holiday Inn with each unit overlooking a small lake. He and his wife Mary also traveled widely, visiting many foreign countries of the world. When one would ask him, “What makes Larry Castaldi run?” he would receive that big, friendly smile, and an answer like, “Oh, I don’t know; I guess I just like to keep busy. It’lLbe some time before Kosciusko County sees another Lawrence Castaldi. He was 76 years of age.

Letter to the editor

Boycotted ploy Dear Editor: I was thrilled this fall when I found out that the Milford Junior High School was going to have a drama club. What better way to give an adolescent selfconfidence than to perform before an audience? All thru your life you have to perform in some way or another, so why not learn it at an early age? For an insecure teenager this experience is a great opportunity. The cast members, along with Donna Pollen, Charles Packer, Pat Kent, and Lee Anne Stewart, have all worked very hard the last six weeks to present the play, “Give My Regards to Broadway” on Thursday and Friday of last week. Two performances were given on Thursday for the Milford Junior High and Elementary students and a grand finale on Friday night for the community. Following the Thursday performances, I found out that several of the Milford elementary teachers “boycotted” the play by refusing to allow their individual students to attend. I feel the reasons behind this boycott were very superficial. The excuses given were: 1. The teachers felt their students could not sit still for 144 hours. 2. The teachers felt that this play was not an educational experience. Is going to a ballet or to the circus or watching a puppet show more of an educational experience? All are performed by individuals, not unlike our own junior high students. I can see no difference! I feel that a great injustice has been done to the Milford drama students and their directors by these so-called teachers of education. If this would have been a sports activity, I am sure that every teacher and every student in our school system would have attended. \ Is there really more of an educational experience in sports

than there in drama, band or choir? I, for one, don’t think so. I feel that each and every one of these activities is an educational experience for our students. I want to congratulate the Milford Junior High Drama Club for a job well done and I am looking forward to next fall’s musical production. Keep up the great job! A concerned parent He is forgiven Dear Editor: Several weeks ago I met a very nice young man under unusual circumstances. It seems he drove his car across my property and was dutifully detained by the authorities. Later, he came to my home with his father and apologized. Two days later he came back and re-seeded my lawn. This letter is just to tell him that he has long since been forgiven and I know he is sorry for what he did. Some day soon I’m sure he will be a community leader and fine citizen of Syracuse. Joy E. Nolan Syracuse P.S. Happy Holidays to him and his family. THE MAIL-JOURNAL (U.S.P.S. 3258-4000) Published by the Mall-Journal every Wednesday and entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office at Syracuse. Indiana 44567. Second class postage paid at 103 E. Main Street, Syracuse. Indiana 46567 and at additional entry offices. Subscription: sls per year In Kosciusko County; s2l outside county. POSTMASTERS: Send change of ad dress forms to The Mail-Journal. P.O. Box 188, Milford, Indiana 46542

"CRUZIN AROUND 'CUSE"

AS THE 1985-86 basketball season gets under way, the Warriors should be reminded that they have a living legend to live up to. » . The basketball exploits of a former Syracuse Yellow Jacket came to light recently when the Kosciusko County Historical Society made an effort to piece together moments of glory on the basketball court that are so dear to this part of the world. The name that quickly comes to mind is Emory Druckamiller, now 84 years of age and a resident of Angola, wherd he continued his interest in basketball and other sports at the high school and at Tri-State University after leaving Syracuse. The name Druckamiller still shines brightly to his former coach Cai Beck, now a resident of Hubbard Hills Retirement Center in Elkhart, who saw Druckamiller and the long forgotten other members of the illustrious teams of 1921 and 1922, excell on the basketball court. Druckamiller, with time on his hands to reflect on those glory years, gladly gathered up what mementos he could find to give to the Historical Society in Warsaw, and contacted the Syracuse Junior High School to see if he could recover other trophies for the Society. A special case had been built to hold the mounting number of trophies his team garnered. To his disappointment, most of the trophies have disappeared. Druckamiller’s sister, Mary Kelly, a resident of the Leisure Living Apartments in Milford, is trying to recover these old trophies. (Note: Charles Haffner, principal of the Syracuse ' Junior High School for the past 15 years [now a Milford Junior High School teacher] stated last week none of the trophies that were displayed at the Syracuse school when he arrived on the scene had ever been removed.) Druckamiller won the name “Hook” for his unorthodox style of shooting; he played in the old high school gym located on Washington Street, just across from the Syracuse Church of God. He was the only Kosciusko County basketball player to be named to an all-state team while in high school competition. He was named to the allstate team when he was a junior, and again when he was a senior. “Drucky” remembers the game in his senior year when Syracuse beat Warsaw, 20-19. “The score was tied 19-19 and I made a free throw in the last second,” he recalled. In 1912, when his interest in basketball first began, he was told he was too small to become a good basketball player.

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When he made the all-state team as a junior, a coach tried to lure him to South Bend. “I was tempted,” he recalls, but stayed at Syracuse. He said his father “never saw but one or two of my games. He was busy working.” Shooting at least 200 free throws a session as a child in a deserted school building sharpened “Drucky’s” skills for his high school years. His sharp eye won him a much needed athletic scholarship to Indiana University. “Money was scarce then and I wouldn’t have been able to go to school without a scholarship. ” He went on to play with several professional teams during his college summers, once against the Cincinnati Reds. He earned three “I” sweaters at 1.U., participating in baseball and basketball. Remaining faithful to Syracuse, Drucky married Emma Rapp, also of Syracuse. He and his young bride moved to Angola 57 years ago where “Drucky” coached at Angola High School. For six years he coached both the high school and TriState teams. He also taught history, health and driver’s training. As if this were not enough, he played for three professional baseball teams for which he was paid: the Goshen Grays, Warsaw Specials and Wabash American Legion. One of his favorite moments occurred while he was chairman of the Athletic Committee for the Teachers’ Association, when Forest Allen, coach of Kansas and an Olympic basketball team, spoke. “Drucky” recalls: “After the meeting he came home With me and spent the night. He taught me more about basketban that night than I learned in four years at Indiana University.” SYRACUSE LIONS are making plans for their Ladies’ Night, to be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Webster House in North Webster, according to club president Charles Haffner. A film will be shown. —o— THE HEAVY snow on Thanksgiving weekend was a delight — at least for the younger set. Snowmen of all shapes and sizes sprang up throughout the area. Most of them didn’t last long due to changing weather, but at least it brought the holiday season a little nearer. ON THE whole, however, merchants placed the blame op a mild November for lagging Christmas sales. Moving Thanksgiving up a week didn’t help one bit either, one merchant commented. THE SNOW had little or nothing to do with Ann (Mrs, Gervis) Schafer’s daily exercising of her horses. A resident of just west of Syracuse, on the Stringtown Road, she has plenty of help working the horses out in the summer time, but with the six children in school it’s a different matter. Marie is a student at Murray State in Kentucky, Kenny is a sophomore at Purdue, Debra and David are WHS students, with Michael and Loretta attending school at Milford. Gervis is a Milford veterinarian, so this should keep down the cost of keeping the animals healthy. BILL BEEMER has been dubbed the “Lee lacocca of Syracuse,” a reference to his efforts, along with three partners, to return Coppes, Inc., of Nappanee to the national market place in kitchen cabinetry. JANET HAYS of the Kale Island Beacon and Marilyn Nash have been busy this week explaining to customers and friends alike that they have not moved. Both women were listed in a front page item in last week’s M-J as residents of Milford. “I’D RATHER swing a golf club any day than a snow shovel,” is the way Dee Stiver, r 1 Syracuse, explained his forthcoming departure for the sunny southland. Stiver tendered his resignation last Wednesday to the Kosciusko Area Plan Commission, where he had been one of that group’s original members, representing Turkey Creek Township. Stiver has a long history of local service, including that of secretary to the advisory committee to the original Turkey Creek Township Plan Commission, which commission was dissolved when it became a part of the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission. He took that job in 1961. He was also a former member of the Syracuse Board of Zoning Appeals. One could always find Stiver speaking his own mind on local matters where planning and zoning were concerned, and usually with sound reasoning. “I thought my resignation last Wednesday (from the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission) left me with no public responsibilities,” he said, “then I found out I’m still a member of the Syracuse Cemetery Board. But I guess that’s the end of the line,” he chuckled. He serves on the cemetery board with James Stucky, Lucille Searfoss, Charles Harris, Theldon (“Bud”) Kline and secretary Margaret Freeman. Stiver just returned from the Austin/Houston, Texas, area, and will soon return to the “valley area of Texas” where he can swing those golf clubs to his heart’s delight. SANTA CLAUS wasn’t able to fool three-year-old Anthony Minnix, the bright young son of Althea Minnix, waitress at the Syracuse Case. When Santa hoisted young Anthony on his knee at an area shopping mall and gave him a holiday comic book, Anthony told the benevolent Santa, “You gave me one of those the other day.” Taken aback, Santa was delayed in asking talkative Anthony what he wanted for Christmas. “SYRACUSE IS the givingest town you’d ever want to see,” is a quote from a member of the Wawasee Kiwanis Club. (Continued on page 5)