MEGAPHONE
Elwood, Indiana Elwood High School(s)
Volume 5, No. 6 Tuesday, June 1, 2004
Contents
(The page numbers are links!)
Page 1. . . Your Old Home Town -- Sharon (Benedict) Hurst
Page 2 . . . Track -- Jerry McClish
Remember When -- Rich Boyland
Page 3 . . . Elwood Theatres -- Boots (Leeson) Gerard
The Last Martian Brownie -- Perry W. Boyer
Page 4 . . . Elwood's Gun Girl (Part Six) -- The Final Chapter -- Nancy Sumner
Page 5 . . . Things I Have Learned From Gardening -- Jane Ann (Seright) Lemen
Page 6 . . . Cowboys -- Julie (Stout) Crim
Page 7 . . . A Moving Experience -- Deborah (Bozell) Donahue
Strolling Down Memory Lane -- Ellen Hamilton
Page 8 . . . The Theatres of Elwood -- Nancy Sumner
Your
Old
The
construction is still going on and they are close to getting finished at the
bridge on North Anderson and North F Streets.
Willkie
park on the west looks really good with the new drive, wooden bridge across the
creek and the new street lights in the park that match the ones on
North
of the bridge they are still working on the sewer and flooding problem. What a
relief for the people who live that direction to not have to put up with the
street flooding as it has done in my memory. We are able to drive on Anderson
Street from Main to North E Street now. They are still doing some work along the
sidewalk area but it will be all finished before too long.
People
are only allowed to keep flowers at the Elwood Cemetery for a few days at
holiday times. I talked with the caretaker there and he said that they did not
want any kind of flowers left at the grave sites except during the specified
times. I asked him about shepherds crooks and arrangements that would fit over
the top of the stones and he told me that the mowers would just take them down
and deposit them in the spot behind the office where they toss the broken
stones. I asked him about the floral arrangements that were there when we were
talking and he just hemmed and hawed. He also told me that no one really cared
any more about the maintenance at the cemetery. We had a "few words"
about the whole policy and he told me he just "did what he was ordered
to." I don't believe this for one minute. I do think if the citizens spoke
up or wrote letters to the papers this policy just might change. I remember
having seen only one or two letters about this in the paper in the in the past
four or five years. I was saddened to learn that there are several other
cemeteries that have this same policy. I guess it has to do with the people the
cemeteries contract the mowing with.
I
also found out that the cemetery has funds to repair or replace the footing that
the stones sit on. If the footing is broken or the stone is listing they will
re-pour the footing. It may take a bit of "jaw boning" but they will
do it. I just had some work done on family sites and I was fairly pleased with
what was done.
When
the Red Corner Volunteer Fire Department was no longer able to sponsor the 4th
of July Parade, the Elwood Main Street decided to take on the responsibility.
But, instead of a 4th of July they wanted to do a Memorial Parade. It would
spread out the time between parades here and occur while high school bands were
still together. There would also be all of the youngsters who play baseball plus
the temperature should be a little better. This parade is more somber and
dedicated to those who are no longer with us. The Elwood Main Street has hopes
that the present generations will become more responsive to just what Memorial
Day is and why we celebrate it.
The
parade will start on
The
town just had a ceremony honoring all who are or who have served in Iraq. Each
serviceman or woman had a yellow ribbon placed on one of the light posts uptown.
As they returned a ladder was placed at "their yellow ribbon" and they
were photographed as they removed it.
For
such a small town there are some mighty fine things that go on here, but hey,
what does one expect from such a special place as this place; Elwood, Indiana --
Your Old Home Town.
Sharon
(Benedict) Hurst '53
Elwood,
IN, Out onFairground Road
F.Y.I. -- Re: Elwood Main Street
The
Elwood Main Street is the local
organization of the Indiana Main Street.
This program is through the Federal Dept. of Commerce, then to the Indiana Dept.
of Commerce and thus to the various communities that are interested in
revitalizing, improving and developing their towns. It has been around for
probably 30 years, but there evidently was no one here who was interested in
these things to have worked with the agencies who could help benefit this town.
In fact, many times the people who were approached said: We wondered when Elwood
would ask to take advantage of the help that is out there.
The Elwood Main Street began in earnest when the plans were being drawn up for
the Anderson Street repaving by INDOT. Through the ideas and help we obtained
from the state and from the Madison County Council of Governments we were able
to get INDOT to listen and agree to not just widening the highway but to really
improvement. This was an ongoing battle for about 16 months.
Jerry Bridges, Director of the MCCG, worked on the grant that would entitle
Elwood to obtain the niceties for the improvement: i.e., the new lighting,
trees, coordinating stop lights and street signs, the benches, the planters and
even the foot bridge that is now across the creek in Willkie Park on North
Anderson Street. Underground utilities was also part of the grant. Because of
these programs that were available to the city, it cost Elwood approximately
$25,000.00 to get all of the so called unnecessary extras. This term is
definitely not a term that neither Elwood Main Street would use nor myself.
Elwood Main Street has about 5 committees that work under its guidance. Design
and publicity are the 2 I have worked with the most and publicity is in charge
of the Memorial Day Parade. There is also executive, economic development and
revitalization and organization committees. Executive Committee consists of
whomever is chairing the various committees and the economic development is the
economic director for the city, people from the banks and from the chamber. It
is amazing how just a few ordinary citizens working together could accomplish so
much in the face of so many of the citizens saying it can't be done.
This program has brought many benefits to this community and we are grateful to
Jerry Bridges and various employees from the Indiana Main Street for the help
they have given. There is always much need in any community to assist these type
of programs to help raise their town back from whence it has fallen. Take a look
at Elwood today compared to five years ago.
Sharon (Benedict) Hurst '53
Elwood, IN, Out on Fairground Road
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