The

MEGAPHONE

Elwood, Indiana                                                                           Elwood High School(s)

Volume 5, No. 1                                                                                                                                                                                      Thursday, January 1, 2004

Contents

Page 1 . . . Your Old Home Town ; Elwood Graduate -- Sharon (Benedict) Hurst

Page 2 . . . Thirty-Five Years Ago -- Jerry McClish

Page 3 . . . A New Year -- Shirley (Fite) Dellinger ; Running Out of Memory -- Becky (Hahn) Capps

Page 4 . . . An Odyssey -- Sharon (Benedict) Hurst

Page 5 . . . Christmas Trees -- Frank Jameson, Jr.

Page 6 . . . The "Gun-Girl" of Elwood -- Nancy Sumner

Page 7 . . . Indiana Glass -- Dewey W. Smith ; The Wonderful Life of Ease as a Retiree -- Karen (Stine) Hollies 

Page 8 . . . Things Don't Really Change That Much -- Deborah (Bozell) Donahue

Your Old Home Town

Today I drove up North Anderson Street from Main to North E Street. The roadway needs the final paving done but it is smooth and easy to drive on. The drive through Willkie Park is done and the cedar bridge across the creek is finished. The bridge is really nice. It is arched from one bank to another and is very attractive. I think that the fountain that had been planned for that park is still in the works but I could not tell for sure. The posts for the lighting are in place along that part of Anderson Street and they make the street very attractive also. I could not get close enough to the bridge across North Anderson Street to see much there but by next report I should be able to tell you more about that.

The Festival of Lights at Callaway Park is just that. It is absolutely amazing what a transformation has occurred at our little park. It is truly a fairyland and there is a constant stream of traffic through there each evening. I can assure you that once is not enough to drive through the park and see the beautiful lights that are there. I have noticed that this year there are cars from other towns that are enjoying Dan Nance’s hard work and imagination.

Various civic and business groups are still donating to the park project. I would imagine that next year some of the decorations might have to go into the Willkie Park on North Anderson Street. When people can come together for a project like this, there are no limits on the kind of projects that can be done. I guess there is hope for Your Old Home Town after all.

There are a lot of homes that are beautifully decorated also. One that looks almost the same as it did in the 50’s is Falba Fettig’s home. Back then they had the Three Wise Men at the top of the front gable. Now just the lights are up there. The crèche is above the porch and just as I remember it from the time that Jack and Joe were in high school. Traditions are comforting and never so much as at Christmas time.

By the time you read this, we will be starting in another year. May you all be blessed even more in 2004 than in 2003, and may God continue holding you in the palm of His hand.

Your Roving Reporter

Sharon (Benedict) Hurst '53

Here in Your Old Home Town

Elwood Graduate

Hello Den Family and Friends,

A note of interest to many of you who read this den sight, is an article in the Elwood Call-Leader about Michael Kolby Porter. Michael graduated from Elwood High School in 2002. He is a member of the Special Forces unit of the United States Air Force. He serves as a CCT (Combat Controller), which is a ground combat force assigned to Special Tactics Squadrons within the Air Force Special Operations Command. He was given 24 hours notice to report for deployment to Iraq in the days prior to the capture of Saddam Hussein.

He said in an e-mail from Iraq that, "My unit is a specially designed unit that takes up top secret security missions. Since I have been in the unit, we have conducted missions in Afghanistan in search of bin Laden and in Pakistan where we captured numerous al-Queda members." He noted that his unit, which has a classified name, provided air support and transferred quickly into ground defense during the mission to capture Hussein. "After the capture we conducted sole security for his air flight back to Baghdad."

This is a good opportunity to send a special thank you, not only to a serviceman, but to some one from your Old Home Town who is making a big difference to all mankind.
 
Michael sends Merry Christmas and happy New Year's wishes to all people from Elwood. His e-mail address is: michael.porter@bdab.aorcentaf.af.mil .

Sharon (Benedict) Hurst '53
Elwood, IN, out on Fairground Road