Friday, December 20, 2024
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS
Garrett’s Legacy Celebrated by Family, Organizers
A formal dedication for the Bill Garrett mural, located on the west exterior of Cagney’s, was held yesterday at City Hall. Participants then walked to the mural for photos. Top: A panel of speakers included Dr. Matt Vance, Lee Marks, Jennifer Jones, Mayor Scott Furgeson, James Garrett III, Judith A. Garrett Shelton, Tom Graham and mural artist Pamela Bliss. Lower Left: Billy Garrett, Judith A. Garrett Shelton and Tom Graham. | photos by ANNA TUNGATE
by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Passersby who like the recently installed 25-foot Bill Garrett mural at Cagney’s, 33 E. Broadway Street, would certainly have liked the subject.
“We talked to at least 100 people who knew him - black, white - and never once was there even a hint of anything negative about Bill Garrett,” Tom Graham, author of “Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball”, said of the book’s seven-year research process.
Billy Garrett, a child when his father died of a heart attack at the age of 45 in 1974, grew up hearing the same.
“Everybody loved him. My mom would say that he didn’t always say anything, but he always just kept moving forward. Like, things upset him, but he didn’t let it stop him from moving forward.”
Yesterday’s gathering commemorated the completion of artist Pamela Bliss’s project, funded through the Blue River Community Foundation’s (BRCF) “Pride in Place” program with support from Lilly Endowment Inc., Duke Energy and Mainstreet. A Bill Garrett Community Fund was also recently established at BRCF to support local quality of life initiatives, Executive Director Jennifer Jones said.
Mayor Scott Furgeson, who owns Cagney’s, thanked the Foundation and said he was working on lighting the mural at night.
“Having a piece of work like this that connects us back to our history is fabulous,” the mayor said. “We need things that we can talk about and be proud of.”
Although Indiana University Athletic Director Scott Dolson was unable to attend due to tonight’s college playoff game against Notre Dame, he sent a statement lauding Garrett, the first Black starter in Big 10 history who broke the ironically-named “gentlemen’s agreement” among conference members to not recruit Black players, for being one of the most important figures in conference history.
“His story of determination and perseverance is an inspiration, and I'm so happy that his life is being celebrated in his hometown,” Dolson said. “I know how important that the Shelbyville community was to him, and I expect that Pamela's beautiful display is a must-see attraction for fans from every corner of the state.”
James Garrett III, Bill Garrett’s great-nephew, spoke about the value of the mural to the community and to his family. Lee Marks, a BRCF board member, highlighted the importance and prevalence of local art. Bliss talked about the installation process, which took just six days. Gary Long, an SHS alum and member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, spoke about Garrett’s local influence. Graham called Garrett “the Jackie Robinson of college basketball.”
Shelbyville Central Schools superintendent Dr. Matt Vance also spoke about Garrett’s legacy.
“Each time someone enters our high school gym, it serves as a permanent reminder for us - students, faculty, alumni, visitors - that we are capable of achieving greatness, not just in sports, but in every aspect of our lives,” Dr. Vance said. “It encourages us to dream big, to break down barriers, and to live with the same courage, grace and integrity that Bill Garrett exemplified. He was a catalyst for positive change and strengthened the fabric of this community. The legacy of Bill Garrett lives in each and every student who walks our halls, in every game play in our gym and in every heartbeat, the hope that we, too, can make a difference in the world.”
Judith A. Garrett Shelton, one of Bill and Betty Garrett’s four children, recalled a normal childhood of a quiet home life and swimming lessons, and being oblivious to some of her dad’s accomplishments until later.
“Now it just feels so good to come home and see all of these accolades and recognition,” she said.
Her brother, Billy Garrett, a college basketball coach, arrived a few minutes late yesterday after flying in from Florida, where his team played the night before. “Our father died when I was so young that everything that has happened here has helped me to know him more. To me, Shelbyville has always been home,” he said.
Graham spoke of Garrett’s specific accomplishments in presentations at Shelbyville Middle School yesterday, which will be covered in an upcoming edition.
SCS Board Closes Out Year
Shelbyville Central Schools board and members of the administration posed for a group photo following Wednesday’s board meeting, the last for departing board members Curt Johnson and Troy Merrick. (L to R) Michelle Babcock, SCS; board members Dr. James Rees, David Finkel, Mike Turner, Curt Johnson, Troy Merrick, Amanda Bunton and Dr. Kate Garringer; and Kathleen Miltz and Dr. Matt Vance, SCS. Both Merrick and Johnson will remain active in community affairs. Merrick, who served as board president this year, will take a seat with the Shelby County Council. Johnson, who previously served as board president and spearheaded the establishment of an SCS board scholarship, is a volunteer coach at Shelbyville Middle School. | photo by ANNA TUNGATE
NOTEBOOK:
The Shelbyville Central Schools board accepted an $81,000 matching Secured School Safety Grant from the state on Wednesday. The grant helps pay for School Resource Officers. School officials expressed appreciation for the funding, although it is lower than the $100,000 previously received, as the state divides the funding between more applicants. The corporation’s match comes from the Education Fund. (The Shelbyville High School Class of 1958 recently made a donation to the Education Fund.)
Thank you to every donor for your continued support as The Addison Times forges ahead to fund 2025 and beyond. We will once again provide a quarterly publication with extra news and photos in 2025 as a gift for your support of $100 or more. This past year, we’ve covered city and county meetings, our students, local business, primary and general elections, commercial and residential development, and, of course, daily local history. Please consider a one-time or monthly donation to The Addison Times, either online or via a check to The Addison Times, 54 W. Broadway, #13, Shelbyville, Ind., 46176. Thank you for your continued support of daily local news and history. I appreciate each of you. - Kristiaan Rawlings, Editor
NATIONAL NEWS: Ad spending will top $1 trillion this year, with digital ads taking up 71.4 percent of it, a significant jump from the 53 percent market share that digital ads had five years ago. But even as digital ad spending spirals up, outdoor or out-of-home advertising is still doing well. Digital ads cannibalize TV, radio and newspaper ads, not actually billboards or benches of bus shelters, it turns out, and spending on out-of-home ads has remained not only steady for the past several years, but might even grow in the future. (Sherwood News/Numlock)
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SHS Courier Archive Highlights:
April 17, 1957, Part I
Phyllis Carrico and Jim McMichael received scholarships from the Elks Club, presented by Herman Royer. Peggy Thomasson was the alternate if one of the others did not enter college.
Senior Sunshine made plans for a Mother-Daughter Tea. Linda Coers, Senior Sunshine president, headed up the committee. She was assisted by Rosamond Clark, Marilyn Brooks, Carol Sandefur, Carol Starkey, Patt Mardis, Linda Pruitt, Carolyn John and Bev Cole.
A blistering editorial criticized students who stared out the window during class. “The person that wastes his time in school is the one that has homework to do, or is always flunking his courses. These people act as though they are straining their eyes trying to see the stars in the daytime. They look as if they are dead to the world. But the second the teacher calls their names, they jump.” Those who stared out the window were destined for a life of digging ditches, the piece said.
In Miss Chenoweth’s fourth hour literature class, Richard Wetnight had been asked why it was important that Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Mass. Richard’s reply: “I guess because that’s there his parents lived.”
Hi-Y had prepared an Easter program. Jim McMichael, Hi-Y president, would introduce Rev. John Faust, First Christian Church minister. Jon Carr would give a prayer, and Jerry Barlow would read the scripture. Planning committee members were Bob Amos, Joe Dalton, Dan Bass, Lynn Collyer and Joe Davis.
This Day in Shelby County History
News around Shelbyville and the surrounding area as reported on or about this date in history. Selections are curated by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials.
2004: Several local students attended the 28th annual Richard Lugar Symposium for Tomorrow’s Leaders, held at the University of Indianapolis. They included Hope Fenton and Vanessa Armstrong (Waldron), Melody Garrette and Curt Gendron (Triton Central), Stephanie Hamilton and Katie Brinson (Southwestern), Aaron Anspaugh and Lindsay Conner (Shelbyville) and Eric Rouse and Lauren Bash (Morristown).
Mayor Scott Furgeson tossed the coin before the Colts game against Baltimore. The Colts won the toss - and the game.
1994: The Morristown branch of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles won an honorable mention citation for convincing 40.5 percent of customers to consent to being organ or tissue donors.
The Blue River Soccer team had captured the Blue River Soccer Association U-12 title. Team members were Jeremy McIntire, Nathan Conners, Clinton Coffee, Bryan Moore, Brad Miller, Jason Crohan, Sara Laycock, Josh Orem, Mark Johnson, Matt Lowman, Brian Jones, Chelsea Helbert, Allen Moheimani and Nick Conner. Coaches were Pat Crohan and Jack Miller.
1984: Pat Kuhn and Sue Theobald offered a $25 perm special at their salon in the Methodist Building, 4th floor, Room 407.
Shastar Inc. opened in the Belaire Shopping Center. Sue Dover was manager for the TV, appliance and furniture rental store.
1974: The Shelby County Exchange Club started a Youth of the Month program. The first recipients were Cathy Wicker and Greg Willard, both of Morristown. Wicker was a straight-A student and editor of the school yearbook. Willard was senior class president, past president of Student Council and a stand-out athlete. However, he was in the hospital recovering from rheumatic fever, so his parents accepted the certificate at a dinner at the Chicken and Steak restaurant. Carter Bramwell, Addison Elementary principal, was chairman of the Youth of the Month committee.
1964: Students from Lora B. Pearson sang carols on Public Square for shoppers.
1954: Each of the 336 employees at Admiral Corporation received a ham for the holidays. The company was back to three shifts after operating only day shift in 1953. The production increase included cabinets for 27-inch television sets and 21-inch combination TV/radio/record table models.
1944: Federal officials said Capt. Armit Lewis, who had been listed as missing in action over China since October, was safe. The telegram to his family gave no other information. Lewis had gone overseas in January 1941. His brother, Kermit Lewis, was in the Navy, serving in the Philippines.
1934: A tuberculosis clinic was held at Major Hospital, organized by public health nurses Grace Ewing and Karolyn Strickler. Ten existing cases were reviewed and seven new diagnosed, which included five children.
1924: Post office officials announced there would be no rural delivery on Christmas. City routes would be carried by 11 a.m.
A window display of 3,000 oranges and 580 tangerines in the Gartner Grocery and Meat Market window on North Harrison Street was attracting much attention. The display weighed 1,200 pounds - the floor had been braced to hold the weight - and it took eight hours to prepare the display.
1914: Local residents once again pitched in for a Christmas tree to be placed at Gordon Orphans’ Home. Anyone willing to contribute gifts to the cause was encouraged to stop by the home and place their gift under the tree.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
Chapman Chase Adams, 20 weeks old, left this world and touched the face of God on Thursday, November 28, 2024, surrounded by friends, family, and his own personal cheering squad in a PICU room at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
On July 11, 2024, God blessed us with a little 3-pound boy and we immediately fell head over heels in love with him. His unique features including long slender fingers, clenched hands, and rocker-bottom heels were perfect, truly knit together while God formed him. He was the perfect fit for our family. He offered us hope when there wasn't any. He inspired us to believe when we doubted. He loved us unconditionally when others established conditions. He was our Champ. Our Mighty Little Man. Our fighting Tiger. He made an impact on lives all over the world by defying the odds in spite of his Trisomy 18, Edward’s Syndrome diagnosis. He was the light of hope in the presence of a dark world.
Chapman left behind to cherish his memory, his parents Chase and Carla (Pineda) Adams, big two-year-old brother Abraham Thurman Adams, maternal grandparents Gilberto and Jeanette (Davis) Pineda, paternal grandparents Thurman and Dawn (Barker) Adams, Uncle “Yaya” Gilberto Pineda Jr. and Titi Amber (Brown) Pineda, Uncle Thomas Martin and Aunt “Cia” Alicia (Pineda) Martin, along with 7 cousins: Thomas “TJ” Martin Jr., Sophia Martin, Isabella Pineda, Alejandro “Javi” Pineda, Wade Martin, Santiago Pineda, and Gabriel “Nico” Pineda. Chapman was also deeply loved by his only living great grandparent, Mamaw Dottie Bryant, as well as a host of extended family members, supporters, and friends. He will be sadly missed until we see him again in Heaven.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Abel Speaks in honor of Chapman's short but full life. He was truly a miracle and we believe every baby’s life is valuable. Psalm 127:3-4: “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.”
George Wayne Hobbs, 96, former Shelbyville resident, passed away Sunday, December 15, 2024, at Sonata Assisted Living, Boca Raton, Florida. Born June 19, 1928, in Pekin, Illinois, he was the son of Guy Hobbs and Susie Taylor. He married Sandra on May 31, 1980, and she passed February 20 of this year.
He is survived by two stepsons, Shawn Mann (wife Kristin) of Florida, and Rob Mann (wife Amy) of Indiana; three siblings, Shirley (Hobbs) Bartley, Clyce Hobbs (wife Alice), and Merrill “Leo” Hobbs (wife Linda) of Nashville, Indiana; and three step-grandchildren, Rob Mann, Anabel Mann, and Clare Mann; and a loved niece, Ashley Frazee. He is also survived by many other nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, Hilda Ruth (Hobbs) Wrightsman, Katherine Hobbs, Myrtle Marguerite (Hobbs) Kent, Evelyn Jean “Dean” (Hobbs) Fleetwood, and Charles Eugene “Flash” Hobbs.
Mr. Hobbs was a decorated Korean War veteran. He served in the 424th field artillery battalion of the US Army and was awarded the Korean service medal with two bronze stars. He graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and was a registered CPA. Mr. Hobbs had a successful career in finance and accounting and for many years worked at KCL Corp. and served as CEO in Shelbyville, which was where Sandy and George met.
Mr. Hobbs loved reading (especially the local news), working at the family farm, gardening, and maintaining the house. As an avid mechanic in his spare time, he restored a MG midget as well as other vehicle repairs. He collected hard-bound classic books and kept meticulous financial records.
A Celebration of George's Life will be 1 p.m. on Friday, December 27, 2024, at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Road. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday from 12 noon until the time of the service, at which time friends and family are invited to share recollections and their memories of George. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.