Saturday, May 20, 2023

May 20, 2023

photos by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS

Shelbyville Middle School Clay Club members teach teachers how to use pottery wheels: (L to R) Mrs. Lori Shaw, Elexis Pabst, Ms. Natalie Gearhart, Reagan Spannuth, Mrs. Misty Harger, Mrs. Shanae Dees and Heather Bevington. Mrs. Dees (also in lower photo), SMS art teacher, started the club this year given her own artistic interests and degree in ceramics from IUPUI Herron School of Art.

Heather Bevington, a seventh grader in the club, said she has enjoyed forming a tight bond with club members. Her favorite creation is a small cup she made early in the year. “It’s got a beautiful color and a swirl on the bottom,” she said. “It also holds memories of laughter from Clay Club, because we were kind of awful on the wheel in the beginning.”

Club members were happy to show off their new skills this month by holding an after-school workshop for volunteer faculty members. The teacher-students learned terms like wedging, trimming and glazing.

Most needed multiple attempts on the wheel to create a product, a reminder that the learning process applies to all.

Thankfully, Bevington said, “Mrs. Dees is very patient with us.”

Students Study Significance of Local Team’s Success

Author Tom Graham, center, points out features of Paul Cross Gymnasium to Shelbyville Middle School students last week. | photos by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS

Over 75 years later, the national implications of Shelbyville’s sole state basketball title remain fresh thanks to a school initiative.

After reading and presenting on “Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball,” Shelbyville Middle School seventh grade Honors Language Arts students last week viewed local and national Black history displays at Second Baptist Church led by Garrett’s nephew, James Garrett; rode in school buses past the former Garrett home on Howard Street and site of the Booker T. Washington School; walked on the Paul Cross Gymnasium floor with visiting author Tom Graham - “Frank Barnes would have killed me for wearing street shoes on the court,” Graham joked about the former coach and athletic director - and saw Bill Garrett’s retired No. 9 jersey and championship memorabilia at Shelbyville High School.

“I loved being able to visualize the book,” said Areli Cadena-Moreno, a student in the class. “The book was extremely accurate, and it was pretty cool getting to see the places I read about in real life.”

Graham, who won the Paul Cross Award for excellence and attitude on the SHS team 15 years after Garrett received it two consecutive seasons (once as co-recipient along with the four other starters on the championship team), also spoke to students about the book in class and met with a small group for lunch. An alumnus of Indiana University and Harvard Law School, he co-authored “Getting Open” with his daughter, Rachel Cody.

Garrett’s success at Shelbyville High School continued at Indiana University, Graham noted, where he never played with or against another Black athlete. SMS student Caleb Wilhere said he admired Garrett’s “resilience,” and Emily Kiefer said she, too, was inspired. “Knowing how (Garrett) struggled makes me worry less about the little things,” she said.

Students asked Graham about the research process and his collaborative efforts to have the IU Fieldhouse re-named in Garrett’s honor. The author also relayed a bit of advice from Barnes, including, “If I have to choose between being liked and being respected, I’d rather be respected.”

“That line made me think a lot,” student Yoselin Martinez Villafuerte said.

Students also thought a lot about information shared in the Second Baptist basement fellowship hall.

“Black History Month is the month of February, but we try to encourage our kids here at Second Baptist Church that Black history is an everyday occurrence,” James Garrett said. That local history includes a “well received” speech by abolitionist Frederick Douglass given at Blessing Opera House on Public Square.

And then there was the championship team. “It was definitely the first time any high school or college in Indiana had ever had three Black starters, and I think, but it's impossible to prove, that it was the first time any integrated institution - high school, college, or pro - in the country ever had three Black starters,” Graham said. “And this happened in Shelbyville, 19 years before the game featured in the movie ‘Glory Road,’ when Texas Western with five black starters beat all-White Kentucky for the national championship.”

Mr. Garrett hailed the local community’s role in such instances. “This is all part of the history and the fabric of Shelbyville, and what we don’t want to happen in future generations is for much of our past and history to be lost,” he said.

Students got the point. “I think all of these things are something Shelbyville should take pride in,” Macy Larrison said.

And there were plenty of take-aways despite the passage of time.

“I would say the application is to follow your dreams and don’t stop until you’ve reached them,” Claire Kamplain said.

Zachary Lakes agreed. “I learned that no matter the circumstances, you can prevail.”

This Week in Shelby County History

2018: Waldron High School sophomore Jacob James won the sectional title with a personal record in a meet featuring schools quadruple the size of Waldron. His run was one second shy of the program record. Waldron freshman Ethan Trueblood finished tenth in the race and Dalen Williams was fourth in the discus.

The Shelbyville baseball team defeated Greenfield-Central with Damon Lux hitting back-to-back home runs. Lucas Stieneker added three hits and Brock Blackwell threw a complete game to earn the win.

2013: The Shelbyville softball team defeated Rushville behind a walk-off three-run home run by Katie Nuthak. Freshman Taylor Perry pitched and junior Allyson Conner was 4-for-4.

Morristown’s No. 1 doubles team of Megan Battles and Amy Gregory won their bracket at an invitational to improve to 12-5 on the season.

2008: The Shelbyville Board of Public Works approved hiring Heath Dillon as the newest member of the fire department. Dillon, 30, was a Decatur County native and farmer who lived in the St. Paul area. His wife, Amy, was executive director of the Shelby County Plan Commission.

Shelbyville senior Sarah Snapp repeated her sectional-winning performance in the 110 hurdles on a chilly night at McKeand Stadium.

Builders Lumber held a 20th anniversary sale.

2003: Shelbyville High School’s Chrissy Kramer won the high jump and 400 meter dash at the HHC conference meet. She was also part of the winning 400 relay team along with Angela Metz, Danielle Blain and Allison Berger. The Shelbyville boys team also saw success. Bryce New won multiple events, and Michael Brown, Clinton Coffey, Troy Megerle and Brandon Nance won the 1,600 relay. Coffey, Adam James, Alan Fox and Sean Hudson broke the school record in the 3,200 relay. Other top performers were Brandon Workman, Dominique Reid and Luke Lockridge (shot put).

Major award recipients at the J. Kenneth Self Shelbyville Boys Club Awards banquet were Bob Clapp, Dennis Baker, Chelsea Weaver, Jackie Southworth, Erik Simons, Kyle Erickson, Justin Anderson, Scott Flynn, Jeremiah Justice and Zach Brown.

1998: The Shelbyville Middle School science team won the state title in the Hoosier Academic Super Bowl. Team members were Nick Conner, Curtis Gahimer, Kevin Ramsey, Deacon Marshall and Josh Orem. Jim Slater was coach.

Waldron High School won the sectional track title behind Teresa Kamleiter’s sectional record 3,200 run, a season best run from Kelly Gibson and shot put championship by Amber Cox. Haley Winkler, Katie Kuhn, Beth Kuhn, Laura Zauss and Lisa Wisker all also had strong performances.

Mike Livingston and Andrea Temple were named king and queen of the 1998 Shelbyville Junior-Senior Prom. Erin Burton and Jon Smith were queen and king of the Southwestern High School prom.

1993: A newspaper photo showed Peg Dovidas planting begonia flowers next to the seventh tee of the Elks Blue River Country Club. She and fellow Ladies Golf Association volunteers had joined to plant about 7,000 flowers.

Attorney and former school board member Douglas W. Brown and former Shelbyville Junior High School Principal Elwood P. Thomas were appointed to the seven-member school board by the Shelbyville Common Council.

1988: James Monroe McKeand, the first coach of modern-day Shelbyville football and also once the school’s track team coach, died at age 83. McKeand had been associated with SHS for 61 years. John Page, a member of McKeand’s unbeaten 1932 unbeaten football team, called McKeand “a gentleman.” McKeand was a Hanover College graduate who came to Shelbyville to revive a program that had been in hibernation for 15 years. The field was then located on Meridian Street, and the first game was preceded by a parade from the courthouse. But the weather turned horrid during the game, with hard halftime rains leaving standing water on the field - “knee deep,” according to The Democrat newspaper - but the Old Gold and Black prevailed, 12-6, against Connersville. The team later became known as the Mackman, named for their coaches, McKeand and H.T. McCullough.

Doug Dayhoff and Russell Gross were recognized as National Merit scholars at the Shelbyville High School academic awards, emceed by J. Lee McNeely.

1983: In a 13-minute meeting, the Shelbyville Central School board reassigned two elementary principals, 18 teachers and some 300 elementary pupils for the 1983-84 school year. The meeting was the culmination of months of discussions. The board eliminated the Marion Elementary district, assigning those students to Coulston, and moved about 60 students from Coulston into the Loper district. Marion Principal James Farnsley would become principal at Pearson and Pearson Principal George Boyd would teach math at the junior high school. Marion teachers who would move to Coulston were Brooke Collins, Sue Shaner, George Hardin, Doris Zimmerman, Tina Klinck, Virginia Craft, Stan Scarlett and Rebecca Bogemann. Norma Boyd and Susan Coers would move from Marion to Loper. Becky Siegman, Linda Chesser and Karen Fenton would move to Pearson from Marion. Other teacher reassignments included Robertine Ruble and Paula Chappelow, from Pearson to Loper; Nanette Cooper, from Pearson to a Pearson/Hendricks split assignment as art teacher; and Sharon Orem, from Coulston to Hendricks. Also, John Heaton was hired as the SHS boys varsity basketball coach.

1978: Gayle Linville, R.N., night shift nursing supervisor at Major Hospital, was awarded the first annual “Barney” Award as the outstanding employee of the hospital. The award was voted by employees of the hospital in memory of Lois “Barney” Bryer, R.N., an operating room supervisor for many years. Service pins were awarded to Sue Aldridge, Wilma Appleby, Mary Lou Haag, Linville and Deanna Roberts for five years; Lois Huffman for 10 years; Anna Hester, Ruth Johns and Jerry McKenney for 15 years; and Vivian Wilson for 20 years.

Winners of the top awards at the Shelbyville Girls Club banquet were John Zimmerman, distinguished service; Tina Hausz, Optimist Golden Girl; Cindy Fix, Outstanding Girl of the Year; and Maxine Hayes, outstanding volunteer.

1973: The eight graduating seniors enrolled in the Special Education program at Blue River Vocational Technical Center gave a surprise party and appreciation dinner for Gene Shadley, work-study coordinator, at the Holiday Inn. Attendees were Glenda Hall, senior; Shadley, Mrs. Wayne Posz, teacher’s assistant; Vincent Vecera, director of special education; Mrs. John Beck, teacher; and Mike Cord, teacher.

Two Shelby County women - Margo Hungerford and Linda Thibo - were awarded nursing degrees from IUPUI.

Dee Ann Degner was named valedictorian of Waldron High School, with Linda Kuhn, salutatorian. Ellen Showalter was valedictorian of Shelbyville High School.

1968: Bill Ferrell, captain of the school safety patrol at Thomas A. Hendricks School, was named winner of the Earl Trees Outstanding School Safety award, presented by Harold Pickett. Other patrol boys recognized were Robert Huesman, Bradley P. Dickmannn, James Coulston, Mark Jones, Eric Linne and Randy Hobbs.

1963: Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Spurlin, 123 W. Broadway, celebrated 50 years of marriage. They had been married by Justice of Peace James Webb. Spurlin retired in 1960 after 41 years as a barber in Shelbyville. Their six children were Delva, Harold, Ralph Jr., Maxine (Tinney), Russell, and M. Sgt. Quentin. Four of their sons served in World War II.

Jerry Alexander, 16, won the Zone 11 Optimist Club oratorical contest. Alexander, a Shelbyville High School student, would compete in Columbus at semi-state.

1958: Charles Major and Lora B. Pearson won games over Coulston and Addison Township, respectively, to advance to the city grade school basketball championship game at Paul Cross Gym. Coaches of the title contenders were Thomas Strawn for Pearson and Bob Rukes for Major. Officials for the tourney were John Thomas, Maurice Gardner and John Bush. The winning school team would receive a trophy and the players would get individual sweaters.

Gary Brown, 17, received the Howard Ross Memorial Award at the Manilla High School awards banquet. The award was given in memory of a Manilla coach who had died while working at the school. Principal Gerald Carmony presented the medal to Brown.

1953: A newspaper ad posted by Camp Atterbury requested a barber. The position offered housing and $425 per month (approximately $4,800 in today’s money). “No drinkers,” the ad said.

1948: Nineteen Shelbyville High School seniors were chosen for membership in the National Honor Society. They were Donna Thoms, Sheila Richeson, Deloris Berauer, Charlotte Kroggel, Lois Perkins, Joan Levinsky, Doris Hale, Marilyn Andis, Alice Gross, Bonnie McCarty, Libby Emmert, Ruthann Inlow, Paul Thrasher Jr., Francis Lane, Bob Johnson, Louie Bower, Charles Cochran, Thayer Toner and Fred Lane.

1943: Vern Riser, Lester Browning, Don Montgomery, Joseph Baker, Russell Wilson, Earl Ridlen, William Smith, William T. Showers, Raymond Harrell and Eris Conover left Shelbyville to become members of the U.S. Marines and Navy.

Mrs. Priscilla Leffler was notified that her husband, Sergeant William Leffler, was missing in action in Africa. Leffler had been a gunner on a bomber. The couple had two children, Judith Ann, 3, and Louis Edward, 2.

1938: New members from Shelbyville High School were inducted into the National Honor Society: Joan Clark, Duane Murphy, Betty Morris, William Wiley, Mary Ann Cossiart, Martha E. Bales, Donald Hilligoss, Otto Anderson, Richard Wagner, Francis Cherry, Rose Marie LaBarbera, Elizabeth Whisman, Katherine Murphy, Eugene Fox, Nancy Ellis, Mary Jean Huber, Virginia White and Ted Rohm.

1933: Dog tax surpluses, after payment of losses suffered by farmers throughout the county, were turned over to the township schools totaling $761.48 (approximately $17,700 in today’s money).

Triplets were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rex Phares, 629 E. Jackson St., but only one, David Duane, survived. The other two were also boys. Short funeral services were conducted at the couple’s home.

1928: Members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church board entered into a contract to erect a business building on Public Square. The new structure would cost $150,000 (approximately $2.6 million in today’s money). The building would include five stories and a basement. Several attorneys, dentists and physicians had promised to lease offices on the upper floors. Some time before, the building which occupied the church property at the Public Square and Washington St. was torn down and the materials taken away.

Ann Kaufman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Kaufman, appeared at the Murat Theatre for a homecoming singing performance. Hundreds of Shelbyville people attended the concert.

1923: Shelbyville High School track athletes Loren Hodges and Paul Green advanced to the state championship.

“Methodist Sam,” an Austrian minister who had been in the U.S. for several years, spoke at Paul Cross Gym. He praised the freedom and liberty afforded in America. The West Street Methodist Church choir and orchestra performed before the speech.