Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1955
Jack H. Carr, a veteran of World War I and the Korean War, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel by Col. L. Robert Mottern, commanding officer of the First Group, Internal Security Corps of Indiana.
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A sock hop for teenagers was held at the Garfield Park Community Center, where admission was 25 cents.
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The U.S. government spent $52.2 billion – or 71 percent of its budget – on defense, foreign aid and atomic energy development in 1953.
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In addition to serving fried chicken dinners for $1, Rayona Restaurant, 1607 S. East St., boasted that its steaks, seafood and homemade soups, pies and cakes were the best in town. 

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1965
Entries were being accepted in a drawing for a 1965 Mustang, which was being given away by the four Safeway food markets.
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The grand opening gala for the 120-room Holiday Inn South was just two weeks away. Those on the VIP invite list included Greenwood Mayor W.B. Myers, Beech Grove Mayor Elton H. Geshwiler, Joseph Buergler, George Bixler and Drs. Robert Kopecky and Francis Price. 
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Featuring brand names in clothing and appliances, Walker’s Department Store in Greenwood was holding its semiannual half-price sale.
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Prescription Life Insurance Co. opened its doors at 7054 Madison Ave., where Vitus F. Kern served as president and Angelo J. Auda as vice president. The other officers were Rudy Roehl, Ken Biddle, Sam Johnson, Chris Jorgenson and Marion D. Stuck.
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J.M. TV Furniture & Appliances, 1447 Shelby St., repaired toasters for $1 plus parts.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1975
Perry Meridian High School band director Roy Geesa was pictured instructing trumpeter Bill Patterson, clarinetist Stephanie Rothermel and flutist Lisa Ward as they rehearsed for their upcoming concert.
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Joe and Bonnie Schott were the proud parents of Dominique Schott, who weighed in at 8 pounds, 11 ounces at St. Francis Hospital.
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Randy Hutsen, president of Woodman Toastmasters Club, was named the group’s Toastmaster of the Month.

Thirty Years Ago This Week – 1985
A visit from Indianapolis Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara would highlight the opening ceremonies for the eighth and ninth floors of the Bonzel Towers at St. Francis Hospital. The eighth floor featured a geriatric ward, and the ninth floor housed general surgical patients.
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About 200 pupils were expected to participate in Homecroft Elementary’s 21st annual science fair, which was being organized by William Greathouse and Verne Chandler. 
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Charles Kindermann, executive director of the Indianapolis Senior Citizens Center, commented, “We don’t have to fear forgetfulness; after all, only about 15 percent of those above the age of 65 are really senile, and those who are don’t really worry about it.”
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Howard Hubler, Alice Hughes and Larry Reynolds took great delight in smearing pies in the face of Jerry Cosby during a fundraiser at Greenwood Park Mall for the Indiana Society to Prevent Blindness. Also taking it on the chin were David James, “Big John” Gillis, Charles Henderson, Doug Dahlgren, Bob Lamey, Bob Kevoian and others.  

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1995
Jay Yates, a 126-pound wrestler from Center Grove, finished second at the state meet. Andrew Taylor, Manual’s stellar 134-pounder, lost to Belmont’s Tim Meyers in the semifinals and finished third.
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Historic Landmarks Foundation was going to move the 735-ton Indiana Oxygen Building from the Lilly Corporate Center to 502 Fletcher Ave. The inch-by-inch move on a 3-foot-high platform with 120 wheels and reinforced steel I-beams would require three days.
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Cathy Howard from St. Jude Grade School, won top honors in the Southside Sertoma Club’s 10th annual Freedom Essay Contest. Second through fifth-place finishers were Darren McWilliams, St. Roch; Anna Warner, St. Barnabas; Jacqueline Ooley, Keystone Middle School; and Jessica Eckles, St. Barnabas.
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Yours truly interviewed Ukrainian gymnast Tatiana Gutsu, the Ukrainian blonde bombshell who won four medals – gold in all-around – at the 1992 Olympics. Gutsu was in Indianapolis because she was being trained by Rick Resener, a 1977 graduate of Perry Meridian and a top coach in the field. 
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Drug educator and Indiana University alumnus James S. Arvin received the Maynard K. Hine Medal. He was honored for his efforts in designing and implementing local, state and national programs to combat drug use, especially at the youth level.

Ten Years Ago This Week – 2005
The archives from 2005 are missing.

Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1955
Darko Cleaners sported a record of 39 1/2 wins and 32 1/2 losses in the St. Catherine Bowling League and had a 1 1/2-game lead over Ochiltree Cleaners, Cecil Hurt Mortuary and Troy Fuel Oil. The top series for the week were rolled by Norm Rusch (594) and Charles Garbe (581); Ben Koebel’s 220 was the best individual game.
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Fisher Bros. Home Furnishings, 1315 Shelby St., was holding a huge open house, complete with free coffee and pancakes and 30 valuable door prizes. The store took out a two-page ad to promote the event.

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1965
Parkway Baptist Chapel at the corner of Alabama and Parkway streets named the Rev. John J. Dorough as its first pastor. His wife would serve as office secretary.
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Men’s sport shirts had been marked down from $3.95 and $4.95 to $1.57 or two for $3 at G.C. Murphy’s in Fountain Square. In promoting the sale, store manager Leo Meyer commented, “These shirts are from a nationally known manufacturer who is discontinuing this line of first quality bowling and golf shirts at 50 percent or more off. These are savings you can’t beat.”
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St. Francis Hospital named Sister M. Alfreda as its new administrator.
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The top scorers in the bridge league sponsored by Epsilon Tau chapter of Tri Kappa were Dr. and Mrs. William Schuck, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sturm and Mesdames Wendell Kegley, George Keenan, Robert Fears, Dwaine Woolsey, Fred E. Lynch, Lee Russell, Lloyd Tucker and Charles Norcross.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1975
Featuring more than 400 animals, including such endangered species as Siberian tigers, Cape Barren geese and leopards, the Indianapolis Zoo was open daily from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission was $1.25 for adults, 50 cents for children 2-16 years of age.
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Mr. and Mrs. John Roth of Beech Grove announced the engagement of their daughter, Nancy Roth, to David Stock, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stock of Greenwood. The future bride and groom were juniors at Indiana University and IUPUI, respectively. No wedding date had been set.
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A man’s shampoo and restyling cost $7.50 at L. Lawrence Hair Stylists.
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Bluff Recreation Center, 555 W. Hanna Ave., hosted a variety of activities for seniors, including wood carving, pool, checkers, chess, bridge, table tennis and circle dancing.
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Indiana National Bank was paying 7.9 percent interest on six-year certificates of deposit.

Thirty Years Ago This Week – 1985
U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar stressed the importance of academic excellence while addressing the student body at Southport High School.
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Perry Meridian students Mike Schloegl and Connie Henderson had roles in the high school’s production of “The Music Man.”
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Dwayne Hutson, an eighth-grader at Southport Middle School and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Hutson, served as a page for Rep. David Jones during a session of the Indiana General Assembly.
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A celebrity pie throw at Greenwood Park Mall – a benefit for the Indiana Society to Prevent Blindness – was just days away. People could bid on who they wanted to hurl pies at. The “targets” included race car drivers Tony Bettenhausen, Tom Bigelow and Derek Daly, media personalities Jerry Cosby, Jerry Harkness, Lee Owens, Bob Lamey and Reb Porter, auto dealers Howard Hubler and Ray Skillman and Ginger Van Valer from the Greater Greenwood Chamber of Commerce. 

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1995
With new gyms, band rooms, weightlifting facilities, audiovisual centers and renovations and expansions everywhere, one would have been hard pressed to imagine that Perry Township Schools was in a financial crunch. But it was, according to school board member Steve Maple, who said numerous programs were on the chopping block. “It took us a while to get into this predicament, and it’s going to take us a while to get out of it.”
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Alex Smith, the 4-year-old son of Kelly Smith, was pictured feeding the ducks that made their home on the retention pond near the old Perry Township firehouse on East Stop 11 Road. Alex had three loaves to toss out, but how much of that he ate is unknown, as he remarked, “This bread is pretty good. I think I’ll have some more.”
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A part of the ongoing centennial celebration at Manual, alumni and community members were invited to enjoy a pictorial essay of the school’s athletic history.
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As members of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, Joseph B. McAtee, Ronald L. Chappell, Karen J. Hamilton, Timothy J. Motsinger and R.C. Shumate were dedicated to making the streets of Indianapolis safer.
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St. Mark’s fifth- and sixth-grade A basketball team won the Catholic Youth Organization tournament. The squad featured Marques Pflum, Adam Spindler, Justin Davis, Doug Johnson, Brett Reed, Tom Riley, Richie Nalley, Kyle Morrison and coaches John Reed, Larry Williams and Mark Legibel.
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Roncalli wrestlers John Andrews, a 142-pounder, and Ryan Schoettle, a 106-pounder, qualified for the state finals.

Ten Years Ago This Week – 2005
The archives from 2005 are missing.

Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1955
Charles Possman, who owned a hobby and craft shop, was elected to his third straight term as president of the Madison Avenue Businessmen’s Association. Also elected were Lloyd Morgan Jr., first vice president; Leo G. Miller, second vice president; and Howard Kehlbeck, secretary-treasurer. As for the dinner part of the program, members and their wives enjoyed shrimp cocktails from the Key West Shrimp House and deliciously prepared venison.
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It was another boy for Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Nordholdt, whose newest son, Dale Allen, weighed in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces. The couple’s first boy, Paul Edward, was 5.
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A lengthy front-page story promoting a bean dinner and all its trimmings at Manual High School was published. The only problem was that the event had taken place the day before the paper was published. 
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As a result of its continued growth, Bick’s Cafeteria relocated from its cramped quarters at 3050 Madison Ave. to a new building at 3325 Madison, where the seating capacity was about 160.

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1965
A one-shot vaccine that gave youngsters long-lasting protection against the measles while resulting in few or no reactions was introduced by the Pitman-Moore Division of Dow Chemical. The Southside drug company’s new vaccine was licensed by the U.S. Public Health Service. Shipments to druggists and physicians would start within two weeks.
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Karen Green, a 10-year-old member of the Lake Shore Swim Club and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Green, took second-place honors in the 50-yard freestyle at an invitational meet and finished fifth twice in the 50-yard butterfly at other meets.
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A $25 reward was being offered for information that led to the recovery of a red dachshund, which had been missing since Christmas.
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Southport Liquor Store, 6957 Madison Ave., advertised that it had cold, carryout beer.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1975
The Southport Jaycees named William “Bill” F. Grube, a semi-retired gardener-farmer and a real estate entrepreneur, as its Man of the Year. Grube was singled out for his community service. He and his brother, Pete, had operated the family greenhouse and gardening business since they were teenagers.
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Suzette Brouse’s frankfurter con carne won her second-place honors and $50 in a cook-off for older Girl Scouts at Butler University.
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Hugh H. McFadden, a senior at Southport and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh McFadden, was installed as master counselor of the Southport Order of DeMolay. Other officers were Robert Gayle, senior counselor; Ray Richards, junior conselor; and Robert White, chapter dad.
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The indefatigable Jerry Cosby, as described by George Cafouros in his “Nutcracker” column, was reminding all members of the Madison Avenue Businessmen’s Association that the club’s annual meeting would be held at the Key West Shrimp House.
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Shoe World in Fountain Square was holding a huge four-day sale. Women’s and children’s house slippers and boots, men’s casual shoes, boys and girls school shoes and ladies dress shoes were all marked down to 97 cents a pair.

Thirty Years Ago This Week – 1985
This issue is missing from the archives.

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1995
The Rev. John N. Sciarra, who founded St. Barnabas Parish in 1965, observed his 50th year in the priesthood with a Mass at the church and a dinner reception at Primo Banquet Hall. Those attending the liturgy included the Revs. Harold Knueven, Joseph McNally, Dave Coons, Bonaventure Knaebel, Joseph Schaedel, Paul Shikany and Daniel M. Beuchlein, archbishop of Indianapolis.
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The Indianapolis Police Department announced the details of its new drug testing program, which would test Chief James D. Toler, his staff and the entire department.
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Bob Massie was elected president of the Perry Township Republican Club. Other officers were Sarah Taylor, vice president; Sue Perry, secretary; and Marvin Hawkins, treasurer.
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Day & Night Heating & Air Conditioning Refrigeration relocated to a larger facility at 4012 Bluff Road. The staff included owners Ron and John Thomas, Jack and Chris Martin and Kenny Head.
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City-County Councilor Tim Mullin decided not to seek a second term, citing personal goals and alternative political pursuits as the reason.
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Maurice Jackson, a first-grader at Indianapolis Public School 65, which was near the University of Indianapolis, received honorable mention in the national poster contest sponsored by Reading Is Fundamental, the country’s oldest literacy organization. The 7-year-old son of Lynda Taylor received a gift certificate, a collection of books and a dictionary.
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Kara Watson, the 1991 valedictorian of Southport High School, recently graduated summa cum laude from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Watson, daughter of Ben and Kay Watson, belonged to several honor societies and planned to study genetic counseling in graduate school. 
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Students winning major awards in Roncalli’s science fair were Stephanie Rizzi, Heather Moebs, Danni Lynn, Kara Quillico, Matt Will, Stephen Ernst, Chris Perkins and Matt Buchmeier.

Ten Years Ago This Week – 2005
The archives from 2005 are missing.

Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1955
The Madison Avenue Businessmen’s Association was going to elect its new officers at the home of Mr. and Mrs. William F. Riley, where members and their wives would be treated to shrimp cocktails and a venison dinner.
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Cecil Price announced his plans to build a mausoleum at Round Hill Cemetery at the corner of Meridian Street and Epler Avenue.
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With 44 honor points, Manual junior Janet Jones earned the highest grades of anyone making the school’s straight-A honor roll. Also making all A’s were Sue Calvert, Nancy Foster, Al Helms, James Miller, Jeanne Steele, Sharon Akers, Robert Arnold, Elaine Holland, Helen Webb, Rosalie Elliot, Paul Joseph, Sharon Holmes, Janalene Powell and Roger Smith.
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J. Edward Sargent was named assistant vice president of Fidelity Trust Co.

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1965
Burger Chef – “Home of the world’s greatest 15 cent hamburger” – featured a burger, fries and a shake for 45 cents.
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The Crossroads of America Grandmothers Club was meeting at Central YMCA, where members would learn about the programs offered by Goodwill Industries.
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Florist Art Buescher was recovering from pneumonia. He reasoned that he had gotten run down after working too long and hard throughout the Christmas season.
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Joseph Wilder was elected assistant vice president of Peoples Bank & Trust. He had previously been a national bank examiner with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1975
Gilbert W. Gardner, Donald E. Harmon, Linda C. Mitchell, Steven W. Pieper, Terry K. Ryker, Hannah D. Williams and Stanley L. Wrana received their degrees from Butler.
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St. Roch Grade School was celebrating Catholic Schools Week.
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More than 800 swimmers from nearly 50 clubs from Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois were converging upon the Indianapolis Athletic Club and Riverside Pool to compete in meets.
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Drs. John D. MacDougall, Dennis J. Nicholas and Frank W. Fortuna were named president, vice president and secretary-treasurer, respectively, of St. Francis Hospital’s medical staff.
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Ace Hardware in Southern Plaza marked down its Kentucky bluegrass seed from $1.98 a pound to 79 cents a pound.

Thirty Years Ago This Week – 1985
Tiffany Anderson, Rachel Elkins, Mary Innis and Valerie John served as pages in the Indiana General Assembly, where they performed a variety of clerical duties.
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Monica Lloyd, Michelle Cunningham, Rhonda Golden and Sheila Clark won 20 medals and seven trophies en route to winning the team championship at the Indiana Gymnastics Conference meet.
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Beatrice Coulter, who had managed the restaurant at the Fountain Square G.C. Murphy since 1971, retired. She started at the diner as a waitress in 1962.
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Dale Robey, manager of the Fuddruckers Restaurant at 7799 S. U.S. 31, donated $1,000 to the Southside Youth Council, whose executive director was Rick Shepard.

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1995
The reserve ladies basketball squad from Perry Meridian won its third consecutive Marion County tournament. Team members were Natalie Sponsel, Nicole Hall, Latasha Austin, Jenny Kriech, Angie Weddle, Mary Logan, Stacey Walters, manager Heather Wilcoxen, coach Howard Ely, Janella O’Neal, Jennifer Bruner and Erin Ross.
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The American Cabaret Theatre was staging “Summer Luvin,” a rousing musical revue set in the 1950s and 60s. Brenda Williams and Shannon Forsell were known for stealing the show with their wonderful voices and never-ending spunk. The cast also included Michael Murray, Melody Finchum, Robert Metz, Jeff Owen, Peggy Chamber, Jerry Panatieri, Kevin West and Nataly North.
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Work was nearing completion on Little & Sons’ newest funeral home. The 10,000-square-foot at 4901 E. Stop 11 Road featured three visitation rooms and a chapel.
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Riley Hospital for Children received 6 cents for each Heinz baby food label that it collected.
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Mark Harrington was among the first graduates of the Marion County Sheriff’s Citizen Academy, which was part of the Sheriff’s Department’s continuing efforts to develop a better relationship with the public. 

Ten Years Ago This Week – 2005
The archives from 2005 are missing.