Building Back Better

A residential shoreline is reconstructed off Culbertson Road on the east side of Lake Shelby, as seen from the Peninsula Condominiums. | photo by JACK BOYCE

AROUND TOWN

Linne’s Bakery and Moore, 115 S. Harrison St., Shelbyville, is decorated for the holidays. | photo by JACK BOYCE

The Helbing Has Competition

Dear readers,

I received an interesting voice mail this week. The caller said...oh, why don’t I just play it back for you?

Beep, Beep, Beep, you have one message:

Hey Kris, how’s your promotion of The Helbing coming along? I just ask because it’s only about two weeks until Christmas, and you haven’t got the tinsel or lights on it yet. Just doesn’t seem like Christmas in Shelbyville until The Helbing is decorated.

I was also wondering if artist Mike Helbing was responsible for the giant sculpture out on Morristown Road just past WSVL? I can’t believe you haven’t mentioned it in your column yet. I was very impressed with the monumental scale of the piece. It gives off an earthy and organic vibe. It is very realistic. It looks just like a giant tree. I stopped to get a closer look, but the area is fenced. The only sign I saw read, “No Trespassing.” Maybe that is the name of the sculpture. You should send Jack Yeend out to investigate.

Click followed by the dial tone.

The caller didn’t leave a name. By the voice and the reference to WSVL, I could tell that the caller was an old-timer who probably still writes with a Parker fountain pen purchased at Tippecanoe Press.

Whenever someone mentions WSVL, the radio ad for Tippecanoe Press always plays in my head, “Tippecanoe and Typewriters too.” WSVL was always known as “The Giant of the Blue River Valley.” Sometime between 1960 and now it just became “The Giant.” I don’t remember exactly when it happened. The name change might have come about by accident, like when the “LAND” portion of the “HOLLYWOODLAND” sign fell off, making it just “HOLLYWOOD.”

I decided to investigate the new sculpture myself. I knew better than to bother Jack when he was already busy working on one of my projects. He is trying to create an enormous papier-mâché Santa hat to put on The Helbing for Christmas. Progress has been slow. If it isn’t completed soon, we might just have to use the tinsel and garland we have from last year.

Peddling my Schwinn out to Morristown Road, I noticed that the new Taco Bell looks like it is ready to open. I once won a trivia contest when I was the only one who knew that Taco Bell was started by a guy named Taco Bell.

Wow, it does look like a big tree.

Editor’s note: Columnist Meltzer was only half right in his claim that a man by the name of “Taco Bell” was the founder of the restaurant. Taco Bell was founded by Mr. Glen Bell in 1964. I don’t know what prize Meltzer won in the trivia contest, but he should return half of it.

NOTEBOOK:

HOOSIER NEWS: Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said he plans to seek more money for his regional grant program after applications from 17 regions across the state sought triple the $500 million allotted by the Legislature.
Holcomb said he will request a second round of funding for his Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, or READI, in 2023, when lawmakers craft the state’s next two-year budget. He did not specify how much money he would seek. Grant recipients are expected to be announced Dec. 14. (Indianapolis Business Journal)
NATIONAL NEWS: The US consumer price index, which measures price changes across a basket of goods, surged 6.8% in November, the Labor Department said Friday. That’s the fastest growth in 39 years. Gasoline prices increased the most of any good, jumping 58.1% over last year. Food prices also grew 6.1% annually. Because food and energy prices are volatile, economists often strip them out and look at what’s known as “core CPI” to get better clarity into price increases in other sectors. Core CPI jumped 4.9% from a year ago—its fastest pace since 1991. Shelter costs gained 3.8% for the year, the fastest pace since 2007. Used cars and trucks, which have been major drivers of recent inflation, increased another 31.4%. Companies are setting aside 3.9% of next year’s total payroll for wage increases, the most in more than a decade. (The Brew)

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This Week in Shelby County" works by George L. Stubbs Sr. are owned by the Shelby County Historical Society (Grover Center) and used with permission.

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 from the Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department.

20 YEARS AGO: 2001
Anti-immigration stickers were slapped on the front window of Little Mexico Groceries and More, 101 N. Harrison St. The stickers touted the National Alliance and its Aryan ideology, and proclaimed outrage against immigrants. Store owner Hope Ballard, who hailed from Texas, said of those who put the stickers up, “I’m more American than they are. They came across a big ocean; they’re the ones that are immigrants.”

30 YEARS AGO: 1991
A local flu epidemic resulted in one-fourth of Shelbyville Central Schools kids calling in sick. Only three Golden Bear cheerleaders were on the sidelines for a game against Columbus East, and Coulston Elementary canceled its fifth grade basketball game against Loper because only four players were well.

40 YEARS AGO: 1981
A Shelbyville News article covered “PAC Man fever” that had swept every “bar and pizza joint” in town. Games were 50 cents per play. “The goal is simple: Eat dots. Eat them until there are no more. When the field is cleared, it blinks once, and then you start all over again,” the article said.

50 YEARS AGO: 1971
Two men robbed the Nineveh branch of the Franklin Bank and Trust Co. State police said the men had fled in a rose-colored car with Kentucky license plates but later transferred to a light green car with the grill missing.

Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies raided Neffle’s Recreation Center in Fountaintown and confiscated playing cards, tip boards, punch boards and other paper gambling devices. Four people were arrested.

60 YEARS AGO: 1961
The temperature dropped to near zero, and was expected to remain between 2 and 10 degrees over the next week.

Lynne Bramwell was crowned queen of the Major Hospital Christmas party. Dr. W.R. Tindall handled crowning duties at the event held at the local Knights of Columbus. Bramwell, an x-ray technician, was chosen by her co-workers from a court consisting of Anna Gephart, Vesta Higdon, Bessie Orem, Okla Rowe and Ruth Runnebohm. The event committee was made up of Bob Thomas, Hazel Good, Higdon, Don Fitzgerald, Mavela Runyon, Mary Baldeberger and Rowe.

70 YEARS AGO: 1951
The number of deaths in Shelby County tripled the number of births for November, Dr. David Silbert and Dr. Emerson Barnum reported.

“Men’s Night” was held at local stores between 7 and 9 p.m. for “fathers, sons and brothers” to do Christmas shopping without women in the stores. “So leave the gals at home or at the movies, boys; tonight’s the night to get that big job done - without interference and at your leisure,” The Shelbyville News said.

80 YEARS AGO: 1941
The Indiana Supreme Court reversed judgment of a Fayette County court and ordered new trials for Jehovah’s Witnesses convicted of conspiracy for alleged distribution of Watch Tower and Bible Tract Society literature. Shelbyville attorney Walter C. Reece represented the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The women had been sentenced to serve 2 to 10 years at the Indiana Women’s Prison and fined $500.

Just as the U.S. was declaring war on Germany and Italy, children of Rush County’s Moscow were taken to the Rush County Stone Company to see a large American flag draped atop the crusher. Shelby County Sheriff Len Worland was principal speaker at the event.

90 YEARS AGO: 1931
Shelbyville High School football player Charles “Chuck” Reimann was presented with the Kiwanis Medal by Coach McKeand. Attorney Wilbur Pell spoke at the reception. “Numerals” were presented to John Evans, John Page, Paul Watters, Fred Riser, Walter Styers, Steve Gutting, Leslie Whadcock, Warren Moberly, Jim Elliott, Harold Miley, William Walton, Earl Wharton, Major Walton, Donald Hendrickson, Maurice Parker, Frank Clayton, Tom Coker, Ed McCabe, Robert Nunn, Ronald McDonald, Carl Bennett, Paul Freeland, Marion Anderson, George Talbert, William Bass, Ralph Hewitt, Sam LaBarbera and Paul Schuler. Sweaters were given to Frank Coffin, Page, Homer Mitchell, Robert Briggeman, Gunning, Dwight Long, Donald Snapp and Vernon DeCoursey.

Carl Gartner, who owned and operated a deli and dining room at 18 S. Harrison St., leased the space at the corner of Public Square and S. Harrison St., previously occupied by the Walgreen Drug Store. Gartner had started in 1929 in a small room inside the Strand Theatre building. Restaurant employees were Grace Herring, Edith Thieman, Lillian Bullard, Thelma Thoman and Laura Havens.

100 YEARS AGO: 1921
A cold storage plant was completed on Pike Street, to be used by Charles Singlinger for his meat market business.

A fire at the farm of James Teal, rented by George Havens, was attributed to being caused by “bootleggers and gamblers,” The Republican said. The house that burned was reportedly abandoned, but “had the appearance of being a gang rendezvous, where the members played cards and enjoyed their white mule,” the paper said.

OBITUARIES

Mary F. Michaels, 89, of Shelbyville passed away Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at Ashford Place Health Campus. Born August 14, 1932 in Shelbyville, she was the daughter of Noah Mohr & Florence J. (Sims) Mohr. She married Robert Michaels and he preceded her in 1977. Survivors include siblings Dorothy Fields, Shirley Verbeck, Rosie Monroe (husband Joe) and Nancy Hutchinson all of Shelbyville; several nieces and nephews, including her caregivers Connie L. (Davis) Moore and Theresa (Davis) Tennell (husband Andy) of Edinburgh. She was preceded in death by her parents, spouse, brother Louis Mohr, and sister Joann Bottorff.

Mary had lived in this area her entire life and graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1950. She was a bank officer at First Federal Savings & Loan for many years and also worked at Shelby Co. Savings bank for several years, where she retired. Mary was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, a member of Moose Lodge Auxiliary and St. Joe Social Club. Mary enjoyed bowling, was an avid Indiana Pacers fan, and loved her trips to Branson, Missouri, photo albums, scrapbooking and her cat, Scamp.

Funeral Services will be 2 p.m., Monday, December 13, 2021 at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Rd with Rev. Mike Keucher officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. Friends may call on Monday from noon until the time of the service, at the funeral home. Memorials can be made to OUR Hospice of South Central Indiana in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.

The Addison Times

Sunday, December 12, 2021