Sunday, June 27, 2021
AKTION CLUB CAR WASH
The line of cars was constant Saturday during the 11th Annual Car Wash to benefit the local Aktion Club and Shelby County Special Olympics. Members of both organizations along with volunteers washed an average of 60 to 75 vehicles, according to Don Collins, Aktion Club advisor, raising about $1,132 on site at Ace Hardware. It will be used to supplement the purchase of uniforms for participants in the Special Olympics, their travel expenses, and registration fees. / by LuAnn Mason
Procrastinating, It’s Not Always a Bad Thing
Dear readers,
I am looking forward to seeing all of you next Saturday at Waldron for the 4th of July celebration. Waldron’s favorite son and royal coxswain, Jack Yeend, will be making an appearance. I don’t know if he will be signing any autographs, but you can always ask.
I was planning on having Jack along with special guest Jeff Linder lead the official “Team Schwinn” parade unit. They were going to be riding a vintage Schwinn two-seater. However, when we began practicing a few weeks ago, it quickly became evident that our parade skills were as rusty as some of our bikes. It will be a miracle if we can be ready by this coming Saturday. If not, we will just bring our lawn chairs and squirt guns and be active spectators this year.
The Independence Day celebration at Waldron has been a Shelby County tradition since 1951. The entertainment committee that first year was Paul and Mary Stafford along with Mark and Katherine Rick. I have enjoyed the festivities since the 1960s. Skeeter remembers riding in the parade when he had hair.
The 4th of July celebration at Waldron is a piece of Americana. It is like baseball and apple pie or Ruby England showing her pig at the county fair. Unfortunately, recently it has become popular among some groups to criticize our founding fathers and point out that they had faults. Thomas Jefferson did seem to be a bit of a procrastinator.
The war with the British began on April 19, 1775. It took Jefferson more than a year to get around to writing the Declaration of Independence. I’m not complaining. I probably couldn’t write as fine a document if given five years to work on it. I’m just glad that when it was finally signed it was in the summer. If it had been signed in January of 1776, we would be having the Waldron parade in the winter and the water in the kids’ squirt guns might freeze.
BELOW: Columnist Kris Meltzer schwinning in the Waldron 4th July parade sometime in the 20th Century.
NOTEBOOK:
Asphalt crack-sealing and filling and striping has been completed at Morrison, Sunset, Sunrise and Kennedy parks and at Blue River soccer parking and maintenance shop areas at Blue River Memorial Park, Parks Director Karen Martin said. Work has also been done at the pool, splash pad and softball fields. Similar work at Clearwick Park is slated for the fall.
Shelby County’s 3.9 percent unemployment rate for May ranked near the middle of the state in the Department of Workforce Development’s monthly release. Shelby County’s rate was better than the state’s rate of 4.5 percent, although it was seventh-highest among the 9 Central Indiana counties. Boone and Hamilton counties led the pack, at 2.7 and 2.8 percent, respectively. Marion County’s rate in May was 5.4 percent.
The State Coronavirus dashboard will not be refreshed on Saturdays or Sundays moving forward. The Addison Times will resume reporting counts in Tuesday’s edition.
HOOSIER NEWS: The Indiana Gaming Commission opted Thursday not to renew the Lucy Luck gaming license to operate a casino in Terre Haute. The casino, to be operated by Hard Rock International, was projected to earn $120 million in its first year of operation. Commissioners faulted the company for falling short on two requirements: hiring an executive team to run the casino and securing fully vetted financing. (CNHI Statehouse Reporter)
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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
A Shelbyville man’s $15,000 baseball card collection, assembled over 30 years, was stolen from his basement while he was out of town. The cards included a Willie Mays card and a 1954 set of Topps cards.
30 YEARS AGO: 1991
Local Habitat for Humanity volunteers announced plans to build a home during the Bears of Blue River Festival week. Walt Alexander, retired Knauf Fiber Glass engineer, was project director. The local group had just completed a home at 602 Montgomery Street.
Shoney’s announced plans to open a restaurant on Shelbyville’s Far East side. The $1.2 million project would be built on land owned by David Lee, who also would own part of the local franchise. The 170-seat restaurant would employ about 75 people, officials said. Shelbyville Mayor Dan Theobald said the news was welcome given that Target had closed its doors in the vicinity the previous year, as had Big Lots. But Goody’s had also announced plans to open a store in nearby Belaire Shopping Center within two months.
40 YEARS AGO: 1981
An Ohio woman nearly drowned in the Holiday Inn pool. Other motel guests pulled her from the bottom of the pool and an off-duty Shelbyville policeman, Charlie West, working at the motel, carried her from the pool. She was treated and released from the hospital.
50 YEARS AGO: 1971
A kiddie circus was held on Public Square. Circus rides and elephant rides were 30 cents.
Local golfer Bill Alexander qualified for a state tourney after carding an “ace” on the 158-yard No. 7 hole at the Elks Country Club. Alexander was playing with Dave Haugh, Tom Stieglitz and brother John Alexander when he fired the ace.
60 YEARS AGO: 1961
Shelby County’s Board of Zoning Appeals cleared the path for the beginning of a huge new gravel operation on the north edge of the city limits but placed landscaping and set-back restrictions on the location in a step intended to prevent the new pit from becoming an eyesore at the main entrance to the city from the new I-74. J.E. Evans was the applicant. It was understood that the nearby Burnside gravel firm would no longer be in operation.
70 YEARS AGO: 1951
Laura Garrett and Morris Brown released a summer schedule for Negro Recreation Inc., headquartered at 826 S. Harrison St. Marina Phillips and Gertrude Smith would oversee canning classes, Maud Bennett and Gertrude Jones would teach needlework, Earlene Smith would direct music and Elizabeth Bennett would teach rug making.
Marjorie Main was on the big screen at Skyline Shelby, U.S. 421 at State Road 44, in “Back on the Farm”.
Nearly 200 people extended good wishes to Mr. and Mrs. George C. Stubbs as they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Mary Jane Stubbs, their granddaughter, presided at the guest book and during the afternoon “modeled” the gown worn by Mrs. Stubbs at her wedding in 1901. Presiding at the punch bowl were Mrs. Vernon Stubbs, their daughter-in-law, and Mrs. J.A. Seller. Also present for the occasion were their two other children, Mrs. Don Whiteman of Denver, Colo., and George L. Stubbs and their families.
80 YEARS AGO: 1941
Mayor Ed Shook headed up a campaign to collect scrap aluminum for the war effort. A depot was established at the Big Four on E. Washington St. for residents to donate “pots, pans, golf clubs or other articles of aluminum,” a statement said.
Mayor Ed Shook turned the City Hall clock up an hour to adjust to the new “fast time.” The Republican said Joshua, “who commanded the sun to stand still,” had nothing on the Mayor. In related news, an “informant” told The Republican that Flat Rock residents were unlikely to change their clocks. Businessmen in Waldron, Morristown and Fairland refused to comment on the matter of time change.
90 YEARS AGO: 1931
The Ask Her Inn Restaurant, owned and operated by E.M. Roberts at 64 E. Broadway St., next to Sunlit Garage, opened. The establishment was equipped with green tables, counters and chairs. Service was available 24 hours, with Floyd Roberts, who had previously been employed at the former Brant’s Cafe, in charge of the night service.
“Acting in accordance with a state law which forbids ‘dumping’ of the poverty-stricken persons or families into Indiana by other states, Shelby County officials made plans for returning Moral Township’s ‘problem family’ to its former home in Bertha, Pa.,” The Republican reported. “Arrangements for the return of the large family, consisting of the father, mother and nine children, are to be made with the state board of charities by Alonzo Blair.” The family, which reportedly had no income, had settled in an old log cabin in London and had “become a source of constant worry for the township trustee with its continued appeals for assistance. Escapades of boys in the family also caused some trouble for London residents and for the sheriff.” The father, who didn’t have an arm, told the deputy sheriff he was fine with being returned.
With the Great Depression setting in, more farmers were using horses to take items to towns. Five horses were attached to as many buggies at the J.C Bailey Store in Rays Crossing at a time, locals said.
100 YEARS AGO: 1921
No public display of fireworks would be held in Shelbyville or Shelby County for the Fourth of July, officials said. “The Fourth will be observed quietly by a majority of the people, with the youngsters doing their fair share of the noise making,” The Republican said.
A man filed for divorce from his wife of 26 years, alleging that she spent too much time with one of their farm hands. The man said his wife went fishing with the farm hand, and when the farmer objected, “she abused him.” The plaintiff also said he once returned home to their Brandywine Township farm from Shelbyville to find the door locked, with his wife and the farmhand inside. They refused to let him in, he claimed.
OBITUARIES
None today