Sunday, March 14, 2021
NOTEBOOK
In honor of Nolan Parker, who passed away one year ago today, numerous local residents performed good deeds and donated to charitable causes this week. “You may not have known him, but Nolan was a uniter. He was the great connector. He connected people of every faith, every creed, every race, every ethnicity, and every age,” a letter from family and friends said commemorating the day. “It doesn't matter, young or old, everybody loved Nolan because he was just a genuinely, good person who was constantly doing good deeds without being asked or needing recognition.”
Parke Heritage defeated Triton Central in the first game of 2A regional action yesterday, 47-30.
Indiana Grand Racing & Casino reported $17.3 million in taxable adjusted gross revenue for February 2021, down from the $20 million reported in January, and lower than last February's $23.4 million haul, just before the pandemic forced the casino’s closure in March.
Shelbyville High School bowlers Preston Ferrin and Ryan Pikowski advanced to semi-state with successful regional games yesterday.
As of yesterday, the state reported 4,667 positive coronavirus cases in Shelby County, an increase of 3 from the previous day, out of 18,608 tests, an increase of 23 from the day before. The number of deaths for Shelby County remained the same, at 92. As of yesterday, the state reported 9,468 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Shelby County, an increase of 257 from the previous day, and 5,955 have been fully vaccinated, an increase of 104 from the previous day.
HOOSIER NEWS: A Department of Energy report from 2008 found that the extended daylight saving time signed by George W. Bush in 2005 saved about 0.5 percent in total electricity use per day. But also that year, a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the shift in daylight saving time, “contrary to the policy’s intent,” increased residential electricity demand by about 1 percent, raising electricity bills in Indiana by $9 million per year and increasing pollution emissions. (New York Times)
PSA: Clocks should be moved forward one hour this morning! It’s also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detector.
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District GOP Chair Wins Re-election on Familiar Turf
ABOVE: Misty Hollis was re-elected Indiana Sixth District Republican Party Chair yesterday in a meeting at Occasions Banquet Hall in Shelbyville.
Indiana Republicans have been dominant over the past two decades, and the Sixth District is counting on Misty Hollis, who has local ties, to keep it going. Yesterday, GOP officials from the 19 represented counties unanimously re-elected Hollis to a second four-year term as district chair for the state party. She ran unopposed.
“Right now, we’re probably in the largest red wave we’ve had in our history,” Hollis said in an interview this week. The county party chairs, including Shelby County’s Rob Nolley, in attendance yesterday, tasked Hollis with overseeing the district’s goals of recruiting quality candidates and providing tools to run successful elections.
It’s familiar territory for Hollis, - who serves as executive director & CEO of the Richmond Family YMCA - both politically and geographically.
Although she never lived in Shelbyville, Hollis’s parents, Rev. Corliss and Datha Dees, accepted the pastorate of Trinity United Methodist Church on Fair Ave. on the same weekend as her marriage, in 1997. Her brother, Corliss III, lives in Shelby County with his wife, Shanae, an art teacher at Shelbyville Middle School. Hollis’ sister, Elizabeth, is married to the current senior pastor of Trinity UMC, Rev. Seth Taylor. Her parents, who ministered in Pakistan in recent years, have returned to Shelbyville, as well.
Her regular trips to the area conjure up a familiar sentiment: “I’m amazed by the growth over the past 20 years,” she said. “A lot of good things are happening in Shelbyville.”
Hollis’s political journey began in 1995 when she walked into her local Republican headquarters and asked how she could get involved. She was given envelopes to stamp and a list of people to call. She then volunteered for Mike Pence’s contested congressional primary campaign and remained on his team. She has since served in various roles, including vice-chair of the Republican state committee, during which she visited 62 counties in four years.
“It was the ride of a lifetime,” Hollis said. She’s excited about her current role, as well. “My heart is about the grass-roots concept. Having the right people in the right places.”
Although communities in the Sixth District typically lean Republican, Hollis said the county chairs are committed to working with Democrats.
“Shelbyville is a little different because you all have a Democrat mayor, but my understanding is that he works well across the aisle, and I still think at the end of the day, we need to work across the aisle and get things accomplished while holding true to our values,” she said.
One of Hollis’s immediate tasks will be working on redistricting, a process delayed this year due to the late census results.
She’ll regularly return to Shelbyville, too. The district GOP will hold a retreat at Queen’s Catering on S. Harrison St. in June. “I’ll also be back in a couple of weeks to help with the (church’s) Easter production,” she said.
Spartans Complete Trifecta Before Falling in Regional Championship
Southwestern players celebrate last weekend’s sectional win over Morristown. | photos by Lily Kerber, Southwestern Yearbook
by GRACE SCHLABACH
The Southwestern boys basketball team made school history last weekend with the help of the girls basketball team and the soccer team. The three teams each worked their way towards Sectional championships, setting the school record for most Sectional wins in a school year. The victories from both basketball teams was a first in 22 years.
“We always try to win, but they beat us in November and we knew it was going to be tough because they were ranked...but we always prepare to win,” head coach Brady Days said of the sectional championship win over Morristown.
Heading into last weekend, the Spartans were up against Hauser in the first round and then played Rising Sun. The boys then advanced to play the Yellow Jackets. Despite the November loss, the Spartans remained hopeful since several players had been out due to injuries in the prior match-up.
The Sectional championship was intense. In the second quarter, Southwestern fell a few points behind but was able to come back in the third quarter. Ethan Wendling knew that their only chance of winning was shooting a three-pointer within the last 10 seconds of regulation. Wendling made the shot, tying the score and sending it into the first overtime.
“I knew I had to shoot and we were going to lose if I didn't shoot, so I just did,” Wendling said.
The next four minutes featured the crowd rising to their feet and screaming every time a shot or call was made. The anticipation only grew when Wendling made another shot, sending the game into a second overtime.
It came down to the last 30 seconds, when Riley Snepp made two layups, making the score 68-67. The Southwestern crowd went crazy as the boys hugged each other and celebrated their first Sectional win since 2016.
“When you have a group of really good guys that are good kids off the court and get along so well and have fun, it is always good to enjoy another special week together,” assistant coach Chris Ingels said.
This weekend, the boys played Bethesda in the first round of Regionals at Martinsville, and after winning 57-50, they later played Tinley, losing in a nail-biting game, 50-48.
The boys were thankful to make it this far, winning the last 11 of 13 games, an accomplishment given that the season started with multiple injured athletes and two weeks of break due to a positive COVID test.
“The best part of the season was putting the team together; we were missing a lot of guys in the beginning,” junior Aiden Hartsell said.
Students, Educators Recipients of Annual Aspire Awards
A selection of the Aspire Award recipients included (clockwise from top left): Marijo Hamblen Snow with SCS director of student services Andy Hensley and SMS principal Ryan Mikus; Parker Moore with Loper principal Adam Harpring; Emily Coffey with Golden Bear Preschool principal Lora Nigh; and Linda Oldham with SHS principal Brent Baker. | submitted
Shelbyville Central Schools presented Aspire Awards to students with disabilities and support staff and teachers who support students with disabilities this week. The following were recipients of each award:
The Bear Strong Award: recognizes students with disabilities who show courage in taking on new challenges. Recipients were: Tre’von Denton (Coulston Elementary, 4th grade); Landon Randolph (Loper Elementary, 5th grade); Jenna Pettis (SHS, 10th grade); Cassidy McDonald (Hendricks Elementary, 4th grade); Robert DeBaun (SMS, 6th grade); and Keyshawn Johnson (Especially Kidz, 8th grade).
The Dream Chaser Award: recognizes students with disabilities who set goals for themselves and are true go-getters. Recipients were: Way’ontez Forte (Coulston, 5th grade); Parker Moore (Loper, 4th); Abigail Kauffman (SHS, 11th); Skylar Wainscott (Hendricks, 4th); Molly Ottersbach (SMS, 6th); and Jocelyn Meggenhofen (Especially Kidz, 11th).
The Super Support Staff Award: recognizes SCS support staff who go above and beyond to support students with disabilities. Recipients were: Emily Coffey (Golden Bear Preschool); Madison Burnett (Coulston): Shari McNeely (Hendricks); Brandy Cottrell (Loper): Jennifer Mitchem (SMS); Linda Oldham (SHS); and Kim Smith (Transportation).
The Educator Award: recognizes SCS teachers who create meaningful opportunities for students with disabilities in their classrooms. Recipients were: Kiersten Hammer (Coulston); Morgan Dirr (Hendricks); Heidi Campbell (Loper); Bonnie Bate (Loper): Marijo Hamblen Snow (SMS); Derek Heim (SHS); Susan Bass (Especially Kidz); and Lynne Kaminski (SCS).
Due to the pandemic, the Hal and Sam Gambrel Award, which recognizes a person who advocates for individuals with disabilities in extra-curricular opportunities, and the Don Collins Award, which recognizes a community member who supports programs for individuals with disabilities in Shelby County, were not presented. Those awards will resume next school year.
Mr. Potato Head’s Preferred Pronouns
Dear Readers,
My interview with Prince Harry and Meghan caused the mailbag here at Team Schwinn to overflow this week. I’ll try to get to some of the mail, but we have a lot of ground to cover and Skeeter is still rationing the ink here at The Addison Times.
Speaking of Skeeter, I do think his decision to run my column on Sunday, the day the paper is free, was a wise decision. It keeps folks from asking for a portion of their money to be returned after reading my column.
So, what was the big news story this week? Six Dr. Seuss books joined “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” by D. H. Lawrence and Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita” on the bookshelf reserved for banned books.
I had mixed feelings when I heard that some Dr. Seuss books had been banned. In a way, it seemed sad for poor old Dr. Seuss who is deceased and therefore unable to defend himself. Then again it was kind of cool to see Dr. Seuss get some street cred like Martha Stewart did when she was sent to Federal Prison.
All the people who own copies of the banned Dr. Seuss titles will now instantly be allowed to sit at the lunch table with the cool kids. Sneaking to read a copy concealed in a book cover; in your house or with a mouse; in a box or with a fox; here and there or anywhere; will instantly give the reader a sense of belonging to the counterculture.
Soon after surviving the shock of the Dr. Seuss story, I read Hasbro announced that it would be dropping the “Mr.” from Mr. Potato Head. The reason given for dropping the “Mr.” was to be more “inclusive.” This is just a sad example of a tired old toy company trying to fit in with the “woke” crowd. I have my thumb firmly on the pulse of pop culture and believe me Dropping the Mr. makes no sense.
Mr. Potato Head isn’t limited by his original packaging. Mr. Potato Head can still be Mr. Potato Head and identify as an L, G, B, T, or Q. Mr. Potato Head can even be non-binary and choose the pronouns they/them. The possibilities are endless in this modern world.
Note from the editor: As always, the views, thoughts, and opinions, expressed by Meltzer are a mixture of reality combined with figments of his imagination.
“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
The Shelbyville Central Schools board voted to begin receiving bids for a new technology building to be located south of the new Thomas A. Hendricks Elementary.
30 YEARS AGO: 1991
Max Carroll returned home after two months aboard the USNS Comfort during Operation Desert Storm. A Shelbyville police patrol car led a long, white limousine through the rainy streets of Long Acres to bring Carroll, the city personnel director, home to his wife, Sue. Mr. Carroll had been in charge of a limited care ward aboard the hospital ship.
40 YEARS AGO: 1981
The Marion Elementary Wildcats won the sixth grade Shelbyville Central Schools basketball league. Team members were Scott Huber, Scott Shaner, Tim Boring, Rod Keplinger, Tony Stewart, Jeff Cox, Billy Rasner, Scott Kohler, Marc Davis, Brian Ress, and Billy Alford. Kim Scarlett was the coach.
With the opening of the new Major Hospital, a security guard was hired for the night shift.
50 YEARS AGO: 1971
Employees of Chambers, one of Shelbyville’s oldest manufacturing plants, were notified that operations would close within 90 days. The plant here had employed 250 in 1970 but the staff had been cut to 125 by ‘71.
Waldron High School seniors Bill Fischer and Debbie Gilles were crowned king and queen of the Sweetheart Dance. The dance theme was “A Time for Us” and music was provided by the SHS Dance Band.
60 YEARS AGO: 1961
Walter Gray announced the grand opening of his coin-operated “Slenderqueen” reducing salon, at 403 Miller Ave. at Five Points. Use of the salon would be free from 1 to 5 p.m. each day during the grand opening. The salon would be open 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, with Wednesdays reserved for men and Monday nights for married couples. Gray said the new business would include slenderizing tables and other equipment. He also operated Gray’s TV and Appliances Sales and Service and Five Points Speed Wash at the same location.
70 YEARS AGO: 1951
County Clerk Glenn Bass said that only five Democratic and two Republican candidates had filed declarations to run for office, a break from crowded previous primary elections. John Small and Russell Ballard had filed to run for mayor on the Democratic ticket; Mayor Harold Pickett and Philip Banawitz on the GOP slate. Thelma Firsich had filed for Democrat city clerk-treasurer and Eleanor Vatchett had announced her candidacy on the Republican said. Democrat Elmer McNay was seeking re-election, as was GOP councilman Jeffery Pfaff and Democratic councilman Floyd Lancaster.
80 YEARS AGO: 1941
A “Backwards Party” was held at the First Evangelical Church with Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pherigo hosting and Katherine Hey and Jack Ferhman assisting. Teens wore their clothes backwards and games, including a backwards spelling contest, were played.
90 YEARS AGO: 1931
Sheriff Crosby, Deputy Thurston, and Officer Earl Debaun announced the results of a search conducted the prior day that yielded 51 pint bottles and 17 quart bottles full of beer. Officers Debaun and Herbert McNeely raided a home on S. Harrison St. above the National Five and Ten Cent store, but came up with nothing. “Only one-half pint of whisky was found in a thorough search of H. Frank Gray’s restaurant and the rooms above the restaurant on S. Harrison St.,” The Republican said. One resident, at 236 E. Washington St., was placed in jail after officers spotted members of the family running out the back door when police arrived. The paper concluded: “Friday the Thirteenth was Bad Luck Day for several Shelbyville residents.”
100 YEARS AGO: 1921
A new driver wrecked his new Ford into a telephone pole near Boggstown, cutting off the left thumb of his passenger, Earl Roberts. The Republican said that the driver, Walter Rogers, had just purchased the car but wasn’t sure how to operate it. “Soon after taking the wheel, the machine crashed into the pole, breaking it off,” the paper said.
OBITUARIES
Robert Arthur Lardon, 81, of Fairland, formerly of Plymouth, Wisconsin, passed away Friday, March 12, 2021 at Franciscan Hospice House in Indianapolis. Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Vincent de Paul. Online condolences may be shared with Robert’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.