Thursday, May 30, 2024
TOP TEN
The Top 10 students in the Shelbyville High School class of 2024 were recognized at a school banquet last night: (L to R) Sydney Baker, Ava Wilson, Lilly Johnson, Ella Connolly, Kinsley Kirschbaum, Isabella Matney, Delaney Watson, Renee Aldridge, Jacob Harker and Wyatt Haacker. | photo by JACK BOYCE
IN ‘PLANE’ VIEW
A view of Shelby County evening skies this week. | photo by JACK BOYCE
‘74 Reunion This Weekend
This freshman year photo of Cathy Smith Durbin is a reminder of life at Shelbyville High School in the early 1970s, apparently before backpacks. The Class of 1974 reunion is set for this Saturday, June 1.
Seniors Visit St. Augustine, Jacksonville and Amelia’s Island
A local group visits Flagler College’s Lightner Museum in St Augustine, Fla.
by Carol McDaniel, MA, Travel Coordinator, Shelby Senior Services
The next time you see me, I will probably look a lot younger. That is a result of drinking the water at the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest city in the US.
Shelby Senior Services sponsored a trip to St. Augustine, Jacksonville & Amelia Island recently. High on my list of highlights for this trip were the Fountain of Youth, the historic St. George Street, Fernandina Beach in Amelia Island, Flagler College, and a narrated cruise on St. John’s River.
After seeing the famous fort in St. Augustine, we journeyed up the road to the Fountain of Youth. While the fort is iconic in the history of the USA, people of a certain age, like me, couldn’t wait to taste the supposedly magic water of the fountain to once again be young. However, the water tastes awful! I better get quick results because I wouldn’t want to have to drink that all the time!
Actually, the Europeans who came to the area had no idea that the natives of St. Augustine were so tall and lived so long. Normal Europeans were short and their life expectancy was around 40 years old, whereas the natives were tall and many lived to be in their 80s. They returned to Europe convinced that the natives were giants! Over time, the water of the Fountain of Youth became known as being responsible for native tallness and longevity. Guess I will remain short and older!
While in St. Augustine, St. George Street, located across the street from the fort, is a mecca for shopping and ice cream. The pedestrian-only street is lively with music, places to eat and visitors making new friends. It seemed as if every other person was walking his/her dog and stopping to chat with fellow dog walkers.
Fernandina Beach is where one can gather shells, stick your toes in the water, and enjoy a leisurely stroll. Waves gently wash up on the pristine beach. The beach goes on for miles. It is a beautiful stop on a vacation.
St. John’s River goes through the heart of Jacksonville. It is the home of a large military base, and the military personnel is part of the huge population. Jacksonville is the largest city in Florida. A cruise on the river highlighted the wide variety of businesses that make Jacksonville flourish.
Henry Flagler built several grand hotels in St. Augustine in the late 1880s. His home became the Hotel Ponce de Leon, and upon his death the hotel became Flagler College.
Flagler College’s Lightner Museum is where our group picture took place. Otto Lightner founded the Lightner Museum in 1948. He was a publisher and collector of art, history, architecture and design, according to the brochure, which went on to say that it is located in the former Alcazar Hotel, another “Gilded Age” resort hotel commissioned by railroad magnate Henry Flagler in 1888.
The college has beautiful, historic buildings. The lush, manicured landscapes of the many locations of the college is a testament to the men who made their fortunes in Jacksonville.
I cannot stress enough that this is only a sampling of the places we enjoyed on our journey to Florida’s northeast coast. Please join us on our future trips and make memories that last for a lifetime. Call me at 317-701-5984 for more information.
NOTEBOOK:
The Shelby County Plan Commission on Tuesday took the following action:
Approved a request from Devin Law to rezone 5.94 acres to Residential to allow for a one-lot Simple Subdivision on the east side of Sand Creek Road, one-fourth mile south of CR 100 N in Sugar Creek Township, for the purpose of constructing a home.
Approved a request from Keith Hockett/H Farms LLC to rezone an acre to single-family residential to allow for a one-lot Simple Subdivision at 5542 W 1100 N, New Palestine.
Gave a favorable recommendation to updates to the Flood Damage Prevention ordinance.
The Grover Center and several local organizations are sponsoring a Juneteenth “old-fashioned picnic celebration” at Sunset Park, Saturday, June 22, 12 to 5 p.m., featuring free food, live music and entertainment. Remember to bring your lawn chair.
NATIONAL NEWS: Minnesota recently became the second state, after California, to pass into law an economy-wide ban on so-called “junk fees” — those ubiquitous “service” and “convenience” fees that have cropped up on everything from live event tickets to food delivery to hotel rooms to self-storage units to carpet cleaning to rent, and on and on. Thirteen states this year considered bills to ban all or most junk fees (and a few of those bills are still alive in the legislative process!). This is, unsurprisingly, a very popular policy position: More than 8 in 10 voters say they are more likely to support a state legislator who backed such legislation. (Numlock)
The Addison Times publishes essential news and historical content to build our Shelby County community, and is free thanks to the generosity of supporters. Those who donate a minimum of $5 a month (or $45 one-time) receive the three remaining quarterly Addison Times magazines for 2024 as an appreciation gift.
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: The Kennedy Park pedestrian bridge was closed temporarily for a week for safety repairs.
2004: The Memorial Day service on the Shelby County Courthouse lawn featured Jack Hewitt, “perennial master of these ceremonies,” and recognition of the addition of a cross for Shawn Pahnke, the first Shelby County resident to die in combat in more than 30 years, The Shelbyville News’ Judy Sprengelmeyer reported.
1994: Gov. Evan Bayh spoke to the 102 graduating seniors and their family members at Triton Central High School’s commencement ceremony. Valedictorian Christina Taylor and salutatorian Nick Bastin also spoke.
Local florists complained about increasingly prevalent roadside flower vendors. “They don’t have to have any kind of license, they can just pull off the road and start selling. It’s not fair to us at all,” Marlene Leitenberger, owner of B&R Flower Shop, 155 E. Mechanic St., said. Sherrie Haehl, co-owner of Mon Ami, 7 Public Square, noted that roadside flowers were of lesser quality.
1984: The Shelby County Fair Board slated a two-day large flea market with free entertainment during the fair. The free flea market would have 50 booths and displays of old tractors and gasoline engines. The Dixon Dancers, Village Square Dancers, Kent Lockman, and The German Band, a group from the Shelbyville Community Band, would all perform on the mobile stage used during the Bears of Blue River Festival.
1974: C. Neal Hagan, principal of Union Middle School and Ronald Patton and Myrtle Hutchinson, teachers at the school, were named “Outstanding Secondary Educators of America for 1974” after being nominated by their colleagues.
1964: A new flagpole was dedicated on the courthouse lawn. The Shelbyville High School band played patriotic songs at the ceremony.
1954: Opening day attendance at Porter Pool was 410 despite 62-degree water temperature. A broken water line, however, caused the pool to close at 6 p.m. The line was fixed overnight and the pool opened for its daily 1:30 p.m. to dark hours the next day. The idea pool temperature was 74 degrees, Louis Kuhn, pool manager, said.
1944: W.F. Loper spoke at the annual Memorial Day program, which followed a parade from the courthouse to Forest Hill cemetery. George R. Tolen was master of ceremonies.
1934: Four living Civil War veterans remained in Shelby County out of 329 county men who had served. Civil War veterans who had died in the previous year were W. C. Thompson, John Randall, William Norris, Daniel Stoker and Hiram Muir. Those surviving were James Wilson, James Nicely, Thomas Conger and August Baker. Eight years prior, the local G.A.R. post still had 59 members.
1924: The local Memorial Day program included Walter Myers, local attorney, reading the Gettysburg address and William Weakley reading a list of local Civil War veterans who had passed away in the past year. Attorney James Emmert delivered “a stirring Memorial address,” The Republican said. “Mr. Emmert rebuked those who would desecrate the sacredness of the day.” The paper noted that Civil War veterans had long planned the local program, and that it was time for “younger men” to take charge.
Six new sprays were added to the top of the Joseph Fountain on Public Square. “The installation of these sprays will greatly improve the appearance of the fountain,” The Republican said. “The sprays toss the water upwards in tiny streams instead of falling from the pipes as under the previous arrangement.”
1914: Forty-one members of the Shelbyville High School Class of 1914 graduated in a ceremony at the City Opera House, which had been decorated in the school colors of old gold and black and senior class colors of blue and white. Palms and ferns were put on stage. The high school orchestra played “Shoulder Arms” while the graduates marched from the rear of the hall to the stage one at a time. The girls wore white Peter Thompsons (a type of sailor dress). The boys wore blue serge suits. The speaker, a judge from Marion County, spoke about the importance of frugality.
OBITUARIES
Betty Jean (Ryle) Harrison, 79, of Waldron, passed away Friday May 24, 2024 at Major Health Partners. She was born September 28, 1944 in Greensburg, IN. to Harold Ryle and Maye Rose (Ensminger) Ryle-Coleman.
Betty Jean completed her early education at Moscow school. She then went on to graduate from Milroy High School in 1963. She was an operator at KCL in Shelbyville for over 20 years. Betty was a member of Moscow Christian Church. She was a hard worker and enjoyed her friends at work. Her family has many branches and all of them were very important to her. She loved them all dearly, especially her grandchildren.
She was married to her first husband, Tom Lanter. She later married Everett Harrison, and they preceded her in death. She is survived by her daughter, Shelley (husband, Brian) Lanter-Adams; her son, Troy (wife, Beth) Lanter; her granddaughter, Abigail James; her step-granddaugher, Angie (husband, Bear) Harrison- Weir; her step-grandsons, Kyle Harrison and Jonathon Winkler; her sisters, Judy Ryle-Baskerville and Joann Ryle-Cox; her step-great grandchildren, Kaylee Weir, Ayvah Weir, Ryker Harrison, Paxton Winkler and Carson Winkler; several nieces and nephews as well as great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by, her parents, her grandson, Jacob James; her brothers, Donald Ryle and John Ryle; her step-son, Doug Harrison and her step daughter, Vicky Harrison-Weaver.
A memorial service will be planned for later in the year. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks, Stuart Parks, and Darin Schutt are honored to serve Betty’s family. Memorial contributions may be made to Jacob James Integrity Fund, in care of Blue River Foundation, 54 W. Broadway St. #1, Shelbyville, IN. 46176. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.