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June 25th, 2014

6/25/2014

Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1954
Groups such as the Indianapolis Deanery Council of Catholic Men and Women, the Church Federation of Indianapolis and the Council of Church Women wanted local grocery stores to close on Sundays.
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A three-bedroom ranch house with a full basement and attached two-car garage at 7050 Shelby St. was listed by Simpson & Co. Realtors for $18,500.
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The Perry Busy Bees started its fourth year as a 4-H club by electing Peggy Cowden president, Karen Hasz secretary and Ann Hasz scribe.
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Andy’s Market, 1239 S. East St., which boasted the lowest prices on beer and wine, featured ham shanks for 45 cents a pound, bacon for 57 cents a pound and two cans of kidney beans for 27 cents.

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1964
The new 6,500-square-foot Shelby Library would be constructed in Garfield Park, 2450 Shelby St., for an estimated $143,000.
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Miller’s Regal Market at the corner of Madison and Terrace avenues was giving away a car (no mention as to how old it was) filled with groceries.
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A lady advertised that she would iron a bushel of clothes for $3.
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The fifth Grandpa’s Dollar Store was opened in the city, and it was located at 2236 Shelby St. “You all come down and browse around for bargains,” said owner Bill Deel. “We ain’t in a hurry for your business – we just want to get acquainted with you – so come and visit a spell.” Brooms, garden hoses, trash cans, raincoats and fishing poles were $1.
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St. Francis Hospital observed its 50th anniversary with a Mass celebrated by the Rev. Paul C. Shulte.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1974
Barry Eden opened his self-named furniture store at 7624 S. Meridian St.
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St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital and WNDE-AM 1260 hosted a radiothon to benefit childhood cancer research and treatment.
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Members of the The Vette Set, Indianapolis’ newest Corvette club, included Dennis Jackson, Don Dickers, Joe and Mike Kriech, Mike Curtis, Ron Daeger and Paul Carmen.
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Located off the 4600 block of Madison Avenue and one of the world’s largest swimming pools, Longacre Park offered free swimming lessons.

Thirty Years Ago This Week – 1984
Robert W. Hill was named president of the Indiana Bankers Associaton.
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Glenn F. Warren bequeathed $1 million to Indiana Central University.
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Men’s and women’s Levi’s jeans were $9.95 a pair at Gregory’s, 1044 Virginia Ave.
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Perry Meridian High School’s baseball team (23-9) lost the state championship to Marion 4-2. The Falcons, coached by Jim Roach, led 2-1 after five innings but allowed three runs in the sixth.

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1994
The Rev. Timothy Landskroener was installed as pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church.
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After a steady diet of fritters, hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and chips for nearly 50 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture established new guidelines for school lunch nutrition but wouldn’t enforce them for four years.
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Ernie Pyle Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1120, 1850 S. East St., awarded $1,000 in scholarships to Central Catholic School students Chris, Tony and Todd Jordan, Desirae Wire, Anthony Powers and James and Thomas Shepardson so they could attend Camp Rancho Framasa in Brown County.
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Indiana University’s News Bureau reported that a new strain of flesh-eating bacteria was nothing to be panicked about.

Ten Years Ago This Week – 2004
Gertrude Duvalle celebrated her 101st birthday at Windsor Manor Nursing Home. She grew up in the era of Irving Berlin and Scott Joplin, when women wore corsets, and men donned caps and goggles while motoring around in their cars.
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Lutheran High School’s softball team (29-3) won the Class 1A state title behind Nikki Naffziger’s 24 strikeouts in the 15-inning championship game. Her teammates were Tara Long, Heather and Karen Korb, Natalie Bewley, Casey Shafer, Jo Wambsganss, Alyssa Holton, Andrea Johnson, Coleen Pendergast, Melissa Ballard, Bradi Andrews, Sarah Storvik, Michelle Niehaus, Becky Settle, Marie Morgan, District 3 Coach of the Year Joe Tilford, coaches Don Piez, Bob Stevens, Mike Ballard, Kenny Colton, Laura Thomas, Katie Blackburn, trainer Michelle Tilford and batboy Paul Settle.
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Roberta Hannon, principal of Southport Elementary, was named Administrator of the Year for Perry Township Schools. She previously served as assistant principal at the school and taught at Indianapolis Public Schools before that.
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Steak or shrimp dinners were served for $7.95 at the Garfield Pub & Eatery, 2627 Shelby St. Luncheon specials were available for $4.50.
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St. Roch’s seventh- and eighth-grade A kickball squad won the Catholic Youth Organization’s city championship. Team members were Leanna Lucas, Rachel Maudlin, Sarah Ferry, Kieanna Davis, Courtney Petty, Kathryn Zapp, Jennifer Fowler, Amanda Murphy, Grace Randall, Angie Dicks and coaches Karen Kiefer and Dick Gallamore.

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June 18th, 2014

6/18/2014

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Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1954
Coached by Vitus Kern, St. Mark’s seventh- and eighth-grade baseball team won the Catholic Youth Organization’s city title by defeating Sacred Heart 7-1.
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Bill Patterson opened a television and radio repair shop and offered service calls for $3.50 an hour.
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Thanks to Dr. Jonas Salk and his polio vaccination, the disease was nearly eradicated in Marion County. Only one case had been reported in 1954.
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Mr. and Mrs. Leo Scherrer were the parents of a baby girl, who was born immediately after the Indianapolis 500. The Scherrers contemplated naming their newborn in honor of the race winner, but Vukovich was too much, so they decided on Mary Lee.

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1964
Diners were treated to the grand opening of Laughner’s Cafeteria in Southern Plaza and Pete Steffey’s in Greenwood. Both restaurants celebrated the week with specials and prize giveaways.
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Southern Plaza was enjoying continued growth as construction was under way for eight new shops.
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Anne Koch, a senior at Southport, was named strawberry queen at Greater Southside Inc.’s seventh annual Strawberry Festival and Art Show.
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Sandra Sue Thompson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Thompson, graduated from Franklin College with a bachelor’s of arts degree.
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Manual graduates Paul Goss, Larry Hall, Charles Yager Jr., Alfred Ratz and Jim Schulz were among those who received degrees at Rose Polytechnic Institute at Terre Haute. Yager played football, and Ratz earned high honors.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1974
Editor George Cafouros called for the resignation of The Indianapolis Star’s editor in chief. Cafouros cited The Star’s sensationalized reports of a so-called corrupt Indianapolis Police Department lacking substance, as the expose netted a “big fat zero insofar as indictments are concerned.”
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Greater Southside Inc. officials reported on the huge success of their annual Strawberry Festival and Art Show at the Southside Civic Center, 1941 E. Hanna Ave., where cars packed the park well before the gala got under way at noon. The overflow crowd resulted in a shortage of food, so two runs were made to buy more strawberries and ice cream.
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Psi Beta Psi welcomed the public to its annual Patriotic Parade, which featured decorated strollers, bicycles, wagons and ponies.
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Coach Jerry Baker and his kickball team won Baxter YMCA’s junior division with a 6-2 record. Squad members were Tracy Kettler, Lisa Cox, Julie and Beth Baker, Stacy Cedars, Dawn Davidson, Jane Bohley, Beth Georgescu, Laurie Kottkamp, Diana Wilson and Laurie Robinson.

Thirty Years Ago This Week – 1984
Hagan’s Bar & Grill, 1121 E. Troy Ave., celebrated its grand reopening with lobster dinners for $9.75. (Unknown to most patrons, those same lobsters were occasionally featured in late-night races across the pub’s parking lot. The owners, Brian Clark and Simpson Righthouse, and yours truly served as hosts for the “greatest spectacle in cruising crustaceans.”)
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Perry Meridian baseball coach Jim Roach and his 22-8 Falcons advanced to the state championship game against Hammond Noll at Bush Stadium. Team members were William Bryant, Dan Ward, Daniel Carnes, Jeff Daniel, Tom Heitler, Doug Ridner, Jeff Bray, David Haynes, Eric Warwick, Jeff Morris, Chris Fatheree, Ryan Spears, Jon Bolen, Alan Bush, assistant coaches Steve Taylor and Mr. Hickman and managers T. Tummers and Ron Hoffman.
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Marion County Sheriff James Wells was strictly enforcing an ordinance that prohibited swimming in unsupervised areas like ponds, streams and strip pits on county property. Wells said his actions were the result of three youths drowning last summer in unguarded waters. Penalties for violators ranged from attending lifesaving classes to fines up to $2,500.
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Kym Mullins, Lesa Mascari, Beth Canter and Juanita Burton each found themselves $750 richer – or the equivalent in merchandise – as they were the big winners in a drawing held at the Indianapolis Auto Trade Association fair at Southern Plaza.

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1994
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new $2.1 million Indianapolis Police Department South District headquarters, 1024 E. Sanders St., were held. Mayor Stephen Goldsmith said the facility would serve as the cornerstone for the revitalization of Fountain Square.
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Billboards’ top country album was “Not a Moment to Soon,” by Tim McGraw. “Ten Feet Tall & Bulletproof,” by Travis Tritt, and “Kickin’ It Up,” by Michael Montgomery,” were No. 2 and 3, respectively.
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The basketball team of Allison Schott, Lora Spilker, Rhonda Bartlett and Kari Dearinger took top honors in the 11- and 12-year-old division of the three-on-three Gus Macker tournament.
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Hoosier youths were drinking less but smoking more marijuana, reported the Governor’s Commission for a Drug-Free Indiana.

Ten Years Ago This Week – 2004
Cleary Vacuum opened the doors to its new showroom at the corner of Meridian Street and Troy Avenue and moved out of its temporary facility just a block south. The company’s previous building – also located at Meridian and Troy – was destroyed by a fire in November 2002. Bud Cleary said the rebuilding process, which started six months after the inferno, was delayed at least three months by city construction regulators.
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Robert W. Spanogle, national adjutant of the American Legion, received the prestigious Silver Buffalo Award from the Boys Scouts for his extraordinary service to youths.
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Lloyd and Mary Williams and Lucy and Tony Crady celebrated their 50th wedding anniversaries. The Williamses had two children, Mark and the late Lloyd Williams, and four grandchildren.
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Pasquale’s Pizza at 1291 N. Madison Ave., Greenwood, celebrated its 30th anniversary by selling all pizzas and sandwiches at 1974 prices.
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Roncalli’s tennis team was a runner-up in regional competition. The squad featured Lisa Elworth, Loye Kegley, Chris Konstant, Maggie Kegley, Kelli Willsey, Kendyl Thorne, Ashley Novotoney and coaches Dave Bixler and Harry Schwartz.

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June 11th, 2014

6/11/2014

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Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1954
Tech High School’s band launched Indy Parks and Recreation’s summer concert series at Garfield Park with a rousing performance.
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T-shirts at G.C. Murphy in Fountain Square cost 37 cents.
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Construction began on Beech Grove’s new $680,000 sewage disposal plant.

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1964
Anne Koch, Diane Eickhoff, Agnes Mader, Carolyn McCarty, Reva Gholdson and Mary Wilder were finalists in Greater Southside Inc.’s Strawberry Festival and Art Show queen contest.
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Patrons who purchased 8 or more gallons of gas at M and M Shell at the corner of Meridian Street and Thompson Road received 100 Top Value stamps.
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Classic cars and adorable babies were featured in shows at Southern Plazas.
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Michael and Gloria Schott brought their baby twins, Kathleen and Kimberly Kay, home from St. Francis Hospital.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1974
Because the Southport Masons anticipated to fry 3 tons of fish during what was billed as Indiana’s largest fish fry, they had recruited 15 volunteers to do nothing but man 23 fryers. Police would patrol the area in an effort to keep traffic moving as throngs of Hoosiers entered and exited the grounds at 5678 S. U.S. 31.
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Queen candidates at Greater Southside Inc.’s Strawberry Festival and Art Show were Sherri Toon from Franklin Central High School, Jean O’Gara, Beech Grove; Marcia Mueller, Manual; Sharon Hawk, Southport; Janice Whiffing, Perry Meridian; Jane Armstrong, Roncalli; and Sherri Birdwell, Wood.
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Area students who graduated from Butler were Mary-Jane Allison, George M. Burns*, Kathy L. Kaiser, Paul R. Lindstadt, Celeste M. Stickan*, Stephen M. Somermeyer, Michael P. Caito, Ann C. Divine*, Mark S. Barhan, Billy E. Finney, Robert W. Rawlings, Charles D. Wentling and Marcy C. Wolsieffer; * indicates they graduated with a B average or better.
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Ray McKinney was elected commander of American Legion Post 355, and Billy Keller of the Indiana Pacers was a special guest at St. Barnabas’ festival.
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Patti Miller, a 1973 graduate of Southport and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Miller, was preparing to do missionary work with 9- to 18-year-old Kickapoo Indians near Oklahoma City. Her role would be that of music director and supervisor of the community center.
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Daily specials at the House of Sirloin, 902 Hanna Ave., included a ham or fish sandwich and salad bar for $1.53; cheeseburger and salad bar, $1.62; and a steak sandwich and salad bar, $1.99.

Thirty Years Ago This Week – 1984
Heath’s Hair Styling, 6922 Madison Ave., advertised perms for $23.
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Jerry Cosby reported in “Coz’ Corner ...” on the Sigma Firefly Scientist Club paying a penny apiece for lightning bugs. It seemed that fireflies were needed for research in such fields as heart disease, muscular dystrophy, waste water treatment and swine disease.
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German Park celebrated its 50th anniversary with a variety of special events, including one that featured music by Hans Rieser’s Internationals.
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Congressman Phil Sharp’s bicycle accident of May 17 resulted in a week’s stay at the hospital, some excruciating aches and pains and hundreds of cards and letters from well-wishers.

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1994
Eric Pease, son of Samuel and Vicki Pease, graduated from Clinton Young Elementary without having missed a day of school in five years.
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St. Jude Grade School won the local Academic Olympic Bowl at Cathedral. The team featured Jean Buckel, Kevin Huser, Andrea Kirk, Kevin Sahm, Derrick Alba, Eric Sahm, Mark Conner, Andy Richardson and coaches Mary Ann Chamberlin and Sister James Michael.
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The Indiana State Police was accepting applications. Prospective troopers had to be at least 21 and a U.S. citizen, have completed 60 hours of college with at least a 2.0 grade point average and have eyesight correctable to 20/50.
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Indianapolis Public School 114 fifth-graders Tiffany Shaffery, Janieka Thompkins and Lanisha Martin, took first-, second- and third-place honors, respectively, in the school’s Just Say No Club poster contest.

Ten Years Ago This Week – 2004
Dr. Marvin Christie was named Marion County’s Older Hoosier of the Year by the Central Indiana Council on Aging. Christie, who had delivered more than 1,250 babies over his 45-year career, practiced at Beech Grove Family Physicians and was an aviation medical examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration. He and his wife, Dolores, had three sons and seven grandchildren.
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency established a temporary service facility at the Perry Township Government Center to accommodate victims of the May 30 tornadoes.
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Dr. George Keenan and Ralph Stahl, for whom the Keenan-Stahl Boys and Girls Club was named for, were honored during a dinner at the facility, 1949 E. Troy Ave., where they were accompanied by their spouses, Bettie and Muriel, respectively.
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Several big events – each hyped by a separate quarter-page ad – were taking place: the Italian Street Festival at Holy Rosary Church and a fish fry at Center United Methodist Church.
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Brooke Austin, daughter of Bart and Robin Austin, won the 8 and under division of the Midwest qualifier for the National Junior Tennis Tournament and qualified for regionals in Chicago.

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June 04th, 2014

6/4/2014

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Sixty Years Ago This Week – 1954
Huggins Appliances, 2604 Madison Ave., offered a trade-in allowance of $149.95 on refrigerators that were 1-3 years old.
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Verdie Harrel & Son Appliances, 4130 Madison Ave., opened a new showroom to display its new General Electric products.
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A 10-ounce club steak, french fries, a salad and a roll cost $1.50 at Higgins Restaurant, 2206 Shelby St.

Fifty Years Ago This Week – 1964
Possman Paint & Wallpaper, a household name for years on the Southside, was celebrating the grand opening of its Southern Plaza store, where there were roses for the ladies and balloons for the tykes.
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In just its ninth year of operations, McDonald’s announced that it was selling more than a million hamburgers a day. The fast-food king had 580 stores across the United States and was opening new ones at the rate of two or three a week. Hamburgers were 15 cents.
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Patricia Ann Derr, 18, was installed as worthy adviser of Assembly 10 of the Order of the Rainbow for Girls at the Southport Masonic Temple.
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Students from Scecina, Sacred Heart Central, Brebeuf and Chartrand high schools were joining forces for the city’s inaugural parochial band concert at Chartrand.
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Manual juniors Nancy Norcross, Nancy Lagel, Patty Koopman, June Cook, Jan Lynn McDaniel and Diane Eickhoff were named to attend Girls State, which was sponsored by the American Legion and designed to introduce girls to state government.

Forty Years Ago This Week – 1974
It took 48 hours to fill the 1.5-acre, 1.3-million gallon Longacre Park Pool, which was located off the 4600 block of Madison Avenue. Built in 1925, the pool was among the largest in the country. As many as 7,500 swimmers had been known to frequent the pool in one day, manager Nick Christoff said, and it wasn’t uncommon for 4,000 people to be there at any given time.
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The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra performed at the Greenwood Shopping Center, where tickets were $3.
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Jill S. Shull, Patti Ann Adams, Lynda S. Kotzbauer, Marcia Denny, Vicki L. Walker Stickford and Karen S. Weaver graduated from the Marion County General Hospital School of Nursing.
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Organizers of the festivals hosted by Greater Southside Inc. and St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church promised generous servings of strawberry shortcake and ice cream for 50 cents.

Thirty Years Ago This Week – 1984
Attorney Kathy L. Steffey joined the law firm of Lewis, Bowman, St. Clair & Wagner at 5101 Madison Ave. Steffey, a graduate of Southport and Indiana University School of Law, was the daughter of restaurateurs Mary Ann and Pete Steffey.
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Guns that had been confiscated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Department for being illegal or altered were melted down into two 50-pound bells for Sheriff James L. Wells and Lt. Phil Cress.
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Carolyn M. Casey, a graduate of Indiana Central University and Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, was ordained a minister in the Disciples of Christ Church.
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Marilyn Ramsey, the girls basketball coach at Southport, announced that she would retire after the coming season. Her team won the state championship in 1980.
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The Perry Township Swimming Association named Tom Fedowicz, son of Tom and Lois Fedowicz, as its Swimmer of the Week.

Twenty Years Ago This Week – 1994
Former Spotlight Publisher George Cafouros and U.S. Rep. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), a Manual graduate, were presented State of Indiana Distinguished Hoosier Awards for their years of service to the Southside. The awards emanated from Gov. Evan Bayh’s office.
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Grilled chicken and bratwurst sandwiches were the featured fare for the Boy Scouts’ annual cookout on Monument Circle. A sandwich, a bag of chips, cherry cobbler and a soft drink were served for $6. Last year’s event raised $28,000 to help underprivileged Scouts attend summer camp.
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Alvin Bennett, Christena Jones and Matthew Wittlief shared co-valedictorian honors at Lutheran High School, where all three earned 4.0 grade point averages. Erin Kerr and Jennifer Tilford shared salutatorian honors with 3.96 GPAs.
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William H. “Bill” Hendley was elected commander of Eli Lilly American Legion Post 374. He had served with the 3902nd Security Police Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Neb.

Ten Years Ago This Week – 2004
A tornado roared through the Southside and damaged buildings and homes, overturned trucks and downed stately trees. The roof of the Keystone Health Care Center, 2630 S. Keystone Ave., was ripped off, and a home near Sumner Avenue and South East Street was nearly demolished.
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Eric Augenstein was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. A recent graduate of St. Meinrad School of Theology in southern Indiana, he was the son of Linda and Bernie Augenstein.
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Brothers Michael and Matthew Lord were named Eagle Scouts after completing their service project, which entailed building a shelter house and a sidewalk at Wanamaker Elementary. The sons of Jeff and Kim Lord attended Franklin Central High School.
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In recognition of their outstanding community service, Roncalli’s Kevin Truelock, Southport’s Danielle Sylvester and Perry Meridian’s Estoni Link were awarded $500 scholarships from the Perry Township Kiwanis Club.
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Arlington Elementary teachers Bill Frye and Denise Ruehrschneck and Principal David Henriott took pies in the face as part of a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
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Southport High School’s softball team won its second conference title in a row. The squad consisted of Stephanie Westberry, Jenny Kemp, Ashley Seyfried, Lindsay Arnold, Erin Wampler, Tina Gray, Whitney Dulla, Kim Rydner, Sarah Cross, Amber Clouse, Amanda Teagardin, assistant coaches Scott Montgomery and Heidi Turk and coach Steve Montgomery.

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June 25th, 2014

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June 11th, 2014

June 04th, 2014

B. Scott Mohr

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