Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1955
Jim and Russ Wright, who owned the East Winds Bar on East Street, insisted that their 50 cent submarine sandwich was the largest and best of its kind in the city.
 * * *
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the Olympia Club in Beech Grove were just days away as the facility had met its quota of memberships. The swimming and recreational club’s construction cost was budgeted at $175,000.
* * *
Reliable Oil Service, a gas station located at 3845 Shelby St., was hosting a huge open house.   

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1965
The Southside Family YMCA girls gymnastics team took first-place honors at the state meet. The squad consisted of Debbie Seedorf, Sue and Jo Ellen McFall, Debbie Prather, Donna Horton, Carol Ake, Marcia Tapscott, Becky Wagner, Jayne Thompson, Susie Brink, Theresa and Sandy Ruoff and Marcia Gunnion. The boys squad placed fourth, with Mike Hientze and Mike Beck finishing fourth in tumbling and trampoline, respectively.
* * *
Denise Bohman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Bohman, was chosen to represent Ernie Pyle Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1120 in the annual Indiana Buddy Poppy Queen Contest in Terre Haute. Mary E. Whaley and Jennie L. Wood would serve as Bohman’s court in the post’s Loyalty Day Parade.
* * *
T-bone and porterhouse steaks cost $1.09 a pound. 
* * *
The Italian-American Society, 3850 S. Meridian St., served spaghetti dinners from 5-8 p.m. every Thursday. The cost was $1.25 per adult, 50 cents per child. “Mama mia! It is good!” the society’s ad boasted.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1975
Monsignor Downey Knights of Columbus, 511 E. Thompson Road, was planning its fourth annual Beer Barrel Polka Fest. Tickets were $3.
* * * 
Greg P. Cafouros, son of Spotlight owners George and Virginia Caforous, was awarded a $6,500 grant to attend Indiana University School of Law. A graduate of Notre Dame, Greg was employed as an environmental engineer for the Indiana State Water Pollution Control Board. 
* * *
First-place winners in the basketball skills challenge hosted by the Southside Optimist Club were Scott Rogers, Kenny Fruits, Steve Engleman, Lance Clute, Donald Legacy and Bryan Byrd.
* * *
Charles B. Lauck, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. “Bunny” Lauck and a graduate of Notre Dame, was promoted to an assistant vice president of American Fletcher National Bank.
* * *
Silver coins dated before 1965 were being purchased for 180 percent of their face value by collectors. 

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1985
Mondays were the days to cop a cheap beer buzz at the Filling Station Restaurant, where draft beer was 25 cents a glass.
* * * 
The engagements of Melanie C. Sims and Randall C. Payne and Peggy M. Adams and Steven F. Petty were announced.
* * *
Perry Park hosted a kite-making clinic. The $1 registration fee covered all materials to make and decorate a kite.
* * *
Southport High School gymnast Alicia Elliott, a junior, took first-place honors in the floor exercise at the state gymnastics meet, where she placed fourth on vault and finished 13th all-around. 
* * *
Melinda and Mark Griesemer, children of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Griesemer, served as pages for state Rep. Gene Leeuw.

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1995
Methodist and Indiana University hospitals and Riley Hospital for Children announced an agreement to consolidate in a move to form one of the largest, most comprehensive health-care provider systems in the country.
* * *
Jim Madden, Eugene E. Wene and Rosine Trieff wrote letters to the editor about the gambling habits of professional athletes, changing the names of Keystone and Meridian middle schools and funding for alternative education, respectively.
* * * 
Former NFL football-coach-turned-NASCAR-owner Joe Gibbs, who led the Washington Redskins to three Super Bowl titles, was going to be the guest speaker for a NASCAR hog roast at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. 
* * *
The fourth best-selling album in the country was The Eagles’ “Hell Freezes Over”; Boyz II Men topped the chart with “II.” 
* * *
The seventh-grade girls basketball team from Meridian Middle School won the Perry Township Tournament after pasting Creston 56-8 in the semifinals. Squad members were Molly Zigovits, Valerie Moore, Jamie Friedrich, Kim Conrad, Katie Snyder, Krystal Mann, Lindsey Baron, Marilyn Piercefield, Colleen Goddard, Jennifer Warner, Taren Popovich, Jenny DesJean, Lauren Davidson, Kim Bertram, assistant coach Chris Zigovits and coach Heather Ely. 
* * *
Ten Years Ago This Week – 2005
The archives from 2005 are missing.

Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1955
James Stewart and Ruth Roman were starring in “The Far Country” at the Fountain Square Theatre.
 * * *
The Murat Shrine Circus was busy preparing for its big four-day run at the State Fairgrounds Coliseum. The shows would feature 30 acts in three rings.
* * *
Dr. Harold A. Nash was appointed director of Pitman-Moore. Nash, who earned degrees at Purdue and Oregon State College, joined the drug company in 1947.  

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1965
Queen candidates for Manual High School’s 16th annual Military Ball were Nancy Fouts, Rita Carson, Pam Payne, Kathy Marshall, Diane Wortman, Sharon Callahan, Vicki Dorman, Sherry Lopassa, Kathy Seyfried, Jackie Clark, Cathy Sparks, Sue Huppert, Carla Hancock and Diane Eiechoff.
* * *
Gus Kasper Furniture and Appliances, 1062 Virginia Ave., was closing its doors after being in business for 25 years.
* * *
G.C. Murphy’s in Fountain Square announced that it would sponsor the race car of A.J. Watson in the Indianapolis 500. Watson finished ninth in the 1964 race as a rookie. 
* * *
Heritage Cafeteria in the 3700 block of South East Street was scheduled to open within a few weeks. The slate foyer showcased an apple tree and other lush plants growing from the center of an octagonal table.
* * *
A fish sandwich, fries and slaw cost 40 cents at Doc Gainey’s Tavern, 3652 S. Meridian St.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1975
Dr. Thomas Walker, a dentist who graduated from Indiana University, joined the practice of Dr. David Miller at 8007 S. Meridian St. Walker had previously served in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps for two years. 
* * *
The St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary was making and selling Easter baskets for the 40th year. Shown displaying some of the 1,200 baskets were Mesdames Clarence McKhann, Irvin Dietz, Adolph Price and Robert Goldman.
* * *
A half-double with five rooms at 1809 S. Talbot St. rented for $100 a month.
* * *
A 1-pound chocolate rabbit cost $1.27 at G.C. Murphy’s, where 12 ounces of spiced jelly beans were 47 cents. 
* * *
The following quip was published on the front page: “There are only two ways to handle women, and nobody knows either of them.”

Thirty Years Ago This Week – 1985
Bill Bright, the athletic director at Indiana Central University, was the guest speaker at the Lenten breakfast at Rosedale Hills United Methodist Church, 4450 S. Keystone Ave. Bright also chaired the university’s department of health and physical education. 
* * *
Greater Southside Inc. honored Spotlight Publisher Jerry Cosby, Southport High School girls basketball coach Marilyn Ramsey and Beech Grove Mayor Elton Geshwiler during its annual meeting.
* * *
Heidi Stutz, the 11-year-old daughter of Richard and Sheryl Stutz, garnered first-place honors in The Indianapolis News’ letter-writing contest, in which 312 youths were asked to apply for a ride on the space shuttle.
* * *
Amy Gilkison, Jennifer Planker, Jeff Smithey and Laura and Joan Thorburn, all 10-year dancers at Stage 1 Dance Academy, were busy rehearsing their routines for the studio’s annual revue. 
* * *
Perry Meridian senior Frank Epperson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Epperson, received a $1,000 scholarship from the Kiwanis Club of Indianapolis for maintaining at least a C average while staring down and overcoming adversity.

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1995
A bowling benefit for Southport sophomore Janice Waling, who had suffered severe brain damage and the loss of her right leg in a car accident, was being planned at Sport Bowl. Her medical bills had crested $300,000.
* * *
 Kathryn Gorski received the Service to Mankind Award from the Sertoma Club of Greenwood for her volunteer work with Families in Action, Johnson County Citizens Against Drug Abuse and the Safe Sitter program. Sertomans Roger Robey and Phil Ohlrogge, club president, presented the award.
* * * 
Harold “Buddy” Meyer received a Mayor’s Volunteer Partnership Award for his longtime work with Wishing Wells for Needy. The charity originally fed the hungry at Christmastime – 50 families the first year to more than 150 – but Meyer took that one step further by collecting clothing, furniture and firewood for the needy.
* * *
Boy and Girls Scouts in central Indiana were hoping to collect more than 600 tons of food during their food drive. 
* * *
Since St. Patrick’s Day fell on a Friday, a penitential day for Catholics when they could not eat meat, Archbishop Daniel M. Beuchlein said Catholics of the archdiocese could eat meat on the holiday if they abstained from it another day that week.
* * *
Laura Vannuys, Amanda Bjerregaard, Laura Runkle, Lori Rustowski, Courtney Gray, Emily Allen, Charles Digiovanna and Courtney Johnson, all 10-year dancers at Stage 1 Dance Academy, were busy rehearsing their solo routines for the studio’s annual recital at the Murat Shrine Theatre.

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

Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1955
Indiana Central College had raised about one-third of the $975,000 needed to build an academic hall, which would house administrative offices, classrooms, a library, a 1,000-seat auditorium, a dining room and an art gallery.
* * *
In recognition of her outstanding score on a home economics test, Yvonne Dorn was named Southport High School’s Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow.
 * * *
Plans for the Olympia Club, a swimming and recreational facility to be built in Beech Grove, were in limbo as 1,000 members were needed before construction could begin. Only 703 had joined, and the club only had two more weeks to reach its goal.
* * *
Grocery specials of the week: 5 pounds of sugar cost 49 cents; 3 pounds of ground beef, $1; 46 ounces of tomato juice, 29 cents; a pound of onions, 5 cents; and two cans of corn, 29 cents.  

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1965
For the second time in six weeks, thousands of Southsiders found themselves completely helpless and isolated after Mother Nature dumped a heavy snow on them.
* * *
Walker’s Inc., Greenwood’s only department store, was extending its half-price sale because a snowstorm kept most customers away from the store.
* * *
Repeating his triumph of one year ago, Manual High School ROTC Cadet Col. Charles J. Todd, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Boyd Todd, won the Marion County Oratorical Contest. 
* * *
Clarke Krisher was ordained and installed as pastor at Faith United Church of Christ, 4040 E. Thompson Road, where Wayne Fields, Oral Cotton and Rolla McAdams were instated as deacons. Officers were George Schnabel, president; James Wheatley, vice president; McAdams, treasurer; Fred Strelow, treasurer; Fields, benevolent treasurer; Krisher, building maintenance treasurer; and Walter Schoch, stewardship secretary.
* * *
Fisher Bros. Home Furnishings, 1315 Shelby St., was holding a truckload sale of General Electric appliances.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1975
Southport High School students Scott Christie, son of Dr. and Mrs. Marvin Christie, and Kevin Robbins, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Robbins, were accepted into the U.S. Collegiate Wind Band, which was scheduled to perform at seven of the world’s cultural capitals. 
* * *
Although in its infancy, the seniors group at Bluff Recreation and Cultural Center at the corner of Bluff Road and Hanna Avenue, was enjoying a growth in membership. The club hosted arts and craft programs, luncheons, Spanish lessons, pingpong and card tournaments and pitch-in dinners.
* * *
The winners in St. Mark Grade School’s science fair were David Magee, Paul Michaletz, Jim Taylor, Randy Williams, Kurt Ihrig, Dan Mullin, Tom Lauth, Kathy Schonhoff, Charlie Bowling, Dave Able, Lee Ann Daly, Bud Waymire, Dave Mennel, Marlena Derleth, Carol Pitzer, Mary Huebner and Linda Herzog.
* * *
The Indy Bluff Starlettes, a baton twirling team from Bluff Recreation and Cultural Center, took fifth-place honors in the meet in Elliotsville. Coached by Gloria Toney, the squad consisted of Kathleen Gaskin, Kathleen Mappes, Gena Pappes, Paula Paxton, Paula Mascari and Rhonda Mumm. Competing individually were Stacey Hutton, Chris Morris and Dena Robins. 
* * *
Shelby Federal Savings & Loan Association was paying 8.17 percent interest on its six-year certificates of deposit. The rate on a regular  savings account was 5.13 percent.

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

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1995
Bill Greathouse, an IUPUI School of Education supervisor and a retired Perry Township teacher, was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers. Greathouse taught science at Homecroft Elementary for many years and was a semifinalist for Indiana’s Teacher of the Year in 1991-92.
* * *
 Charles Schafer, a longtime helper at the St. Vincent de Paul Society, received a Mayor’s Volunteer Partnership Award. He gave unselfishly of his precious time – precious in the sense that he had incurable lung cancer.
* * * 
The Citizens Gas Customer Service Center at Southern Plaza was added to the list of Project Safe Places, which provided immediate help to at-risk children under 18 years of age. The sites were clearly marked by their large yellow and black, diamond-shaped signs.
* * *
U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar told the press that he would officially announce his candidacy for president of the United States in about seven weeks. 
* * *
St. Jude’s fifth- and sixth-grade B basketball team finished its season with a 19-0 record, winning a holiday tournament, its division and the Catholic Youth Organization city tourney. Team members were Ray Ahaus, Doug Looney, Bert Roy, Ryan Hall, Harry Dearing, Ben Dexter, Mike Richardson, Bryan Kirk, assistant coach Tony Ahaus and coach Charlie Hall.
* * *
Perry Meridian graduate and Mount Union College junior Dan Trieff celebrated his 21st birthday in style by winning the 100-yard breaststroke during the Ohio Athletic Conference swimming and diving championships. A marine biologist major, he was the son of Dan and Rosine Trieff.
* * *
The third-grade basketball team from MacArthur Elementary finished league play in Perry Township Athletics Inc. with a 10-0 record. The squad featured mascot Evan Gehlert, Ryan Gehlert, Ben Pyles, Donnie Vick, Cory Skiles, Scott Carrico, Matthew Engelhardt, Jeff Nolan, Nathan Lauer and coaches Denny Pyles and Mike Gehlert. 

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

Seventy Years Ago This Week – 1945
(Writer’s note: I’m going back a decade later than normal because I ran across this poem while perusing through some old Spotlights.)
My, Am I a Mess
When God gave out brains, I thought he said trains and missed mine.
When he gave out looks, I though he said books and didn’t want any.
When he gave out noses, I thought he said roses and ordered a big red one.
When he gave out legs, I thought he said kegs and ordered two big ones.
When he gave out ears, I thought he said beers and ordered two long ones.
When he gave out chins, I though he said gins and ordered a double one.
My, am I a mess!

Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1955
Southport High School wrestling coach Chauncey McDaniels led the Cardinals to their second straight consecutive state title and their third in five years. Fred Redeker and Bob Hersog were state champs.
* * *
The Indiana Heart Foundation issued a warning for parents to familiarize themselves with the symptoms of strep throat, an ailment that could lead to rheumatic fever, which caused more heart damage and crippling in young people than any other disease.
* * *
Fish and brain sandwiches (usually calves and pigs) were served on Fridays and Saturdays at Joe’s Tavern, 2849 Shelby St. Pigs feet were on the menu every day at Sebree’s Tavern, 2536 S. Meridian St.

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1965
“Nutcracker” columnist and Publisher George Cafouros reported: Carl and Betty Risch laughed heartily about a year ago when learning that an invited guest to their daughter’s wedding at St. Mark Catholic Church had mistakenly sat through the wrong service at St. Roch. The Risches found out it could happen to anybody – including themselves. They recently went to a wedding reception at St. Roch and didn’t recognize anybody except for the bartender, George Weber, who informed them that the reception they were looking for was at Monsignor Downey Knights of Columbus.
* * *
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for St. Barnabas Church and School. The parish, the 44th in Marion County, was expected to have about 300 families as charter members.
* * *
L. Strauss & Co. announced its plans to build a retail outlet in Greenwood. Founded in 1853, the company had strong ties to the Southside as the late Arthur Strauss was a graduate of Manual.
* * *
McDonald’s introduced its Filet-O-Fish sandwich, which cost 24 cents.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1975
Seems hard to believe, but Scottie Annee made the B honor roll at St. Roch Grade School. He was joined by cousin Michelle Annee, Jeff Hillan, John Jansen, Michael Bauer, Jim Landwerlen, Tom Egenolf, Tommy Miller, Scott Toler, Kathy Meith and many other fine pupils.
* * *
J. Ned Loos was appointed to replace retiring Southport Elementary Principal Don Small. Loos, a graduate of Indiana University, had been serving as assistant principal at Keystone Middle.
* * *
Mrs. Duane Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. William Menges and Mr. and Mrs. Jay Nowacki were honored by Meals on Wheels for delivering meals to shut-ins. 

Thirty Years Ago This Week – 1985
The Rev. Frances B. Dooley, co-pastor of St. Jude Parish, celebrated the 40th anniversary of his ordination to priesthood.
* * *
The girls freshmen basketball team at Southport defeated Perry Meridian 49-47 for the Marion County championship. The Cardinals (11-5) featured Natalie Harrington, LaShanna Hill, Lisa Jones, Lisa Buchanan, Laura Hurrley, Tina Rumple, Tracy Bowman, Jennifer Johnson, Nicki Ross, Natalie West, Jennifer Fields, Shannon Banister, Angie Muller, Lisa Rutherford and coach Dennis Dodd.
* * *
Southport’s boys basketball team defeated Manual 56-54 to win the Southport Sectional for the first time since 1977. The Cardinals reached the championship game by defeating Perry Meridian on Todd Hottell’s last-second shot.  
* * *
Brian Moebs, a senior at Roncalli and the son of Dave and Betty Moebs, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor attainable in Boy Scouts. Moebs was a member of Troop 118, whose previous Eagles were Jim Madden, Jim Lyles, Marty Meyer, Mike Humes, Mark and John Montgomery, Steve Tummers, Mike and Steve Holzer, Joe Drury, Jay Matthewson and Bill Joyner  

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1995
Perry Meridian’s color guard took second-place honors with its performance to the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” at the Indiana High School Color Guard Association competition at Franklin Central. The squad featured Monica DesJean, Amy Marshall, Nicole Parks, captain Angie Doty, Christie Wimmenauer, Carrie Amt, Tasha Walker, April Tucker, Tricia Anderson, Brandi Ponsler, Kerri Davis, Amy Plageman, Missy Doty, Sara Cruse, Krista Salyers, Marcus Allen and director Debbie Powell-Sachs. 
* * * 
Indianapolis was waging its annual war against chuckholes ... and losing as usual. But officials said the problem wasn’t as prevalent as in past years because of the amount of streets that had been resurfaced or reconstructed.
* * *
Indianapolis Indians Assistant Manager Cal Burleson was scheduled to speak during the opening program in the Lenten breakfast series hosted by United Methodist churches.
* * *
Mike Herbig’s pet peeve was not having a touch-tone phone. “I have to listen to a recorded voice to tell me to ‘punch one for ...’ all the way through ‘punch nine ...’ for several minutes before getting a live person to answer my call.”
* * *
Although late in arriving, the flu season packed a powerful punch and was spreading like a wildfire, as evidenced at St. Jude Grade School, where the absenteeism rate had tripled from an average of 15 to 45, with a high of 60. “It’s been awful,” said secretary Pauline Koehler. “The kids have been vomiting, and we’ve been sending them home. They’re not just sick for one day; it’s more like three or four.”

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