The
MEGAPHONE
Elwood, Indiana Elwood High School(s)
Volume 8, No. 5 Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Elwood Mercy Hospital
1331 So. A
[1949]
Contents
*Page numbers are active links*
Page 1 . . . In and Around Your Hometown -- Nancy Sumner
Page 2 . . . Panther Den Birthday & Anniversary Calendar -- Nancy Sumner (Our Calendar Girl)
Sights and Sounds of Elwood -- Dick Cleaver
Page 3 . . . Memorial Day Memories -- Sue (Riva) Eliserio
Page 4 . . . Dogs? Humpff! Cats? Meow! -- *Frazier* Owned by: Gloria (Hahn) Carter
Page 5 . . . The Cats That Never Were -- Jane Ann (Seright) Lemen
Page 6 . . . To All Cat Lovers of the Panther Den -- Norma (Barmes) Abbott
A Tale of Two Cats -- Karen (Stine) Hollies
Page 7 . . . Hall Clock -- Why Ruin Your Day?!!
Page 8 . . . Factories That Used To Be and Some Still in Elwood -- Bob *Doggie* Henderson
How to Identify the Passing of Seasons -- Old Fashion Ways -- Cindy (Benedict) Odom
Page 9 . . . Washington Grade School -- Mr. Eherenman -- Jane Ann (Seright) Lemen
Page 10 . . . A Find! / Wrasslin' Comes to Elwood -- Nancy Sumner
Bill Rodgers, WLWHS '57
Denstock 2006
Always a smile . . . Neither Denstock nor our lives... will ever be the same . . .
We will miss you!!!
In and Around Your Hometown
by Nancy Sumner
More destruction and construction! Anytime a building or home is demolished there are many mixed feelings and many questions. Couldn’t they save that building? Why did the house have to go… it was such a beautiful place. It may just be me but I’m sure there are many others who also feel that each time there is any type of demolition a piece of our hometown foundation also gets chipped away. Maybe I’m just too sentimental! About 2 years ago a stately home that sat at the corner of Anderson and 19th streets was torn down. Renting families were displaced and the lot became one of gravel. This year 2 more homes on the north side of South A Street between 18th and 19th also came down. Trees were removed from the south side of the 1800 block of Anderson Street. What was the parking lot of the East Main Street Christian Church now looks like a war zone with large chunks of pavement torn up and lying in piles. But with all this we can see a new vision! On Sunday, April 22, church members held a groundbreaking ceremony and dedication service for a very large addition to serve to the church and the community. Below is the church’s vision of their future. I imagine by the time Denstock rolls around in June, we will be able to see a new foundation and a skeleton outline of the new structure.
We have two new businesses coming in to town! Fat Tommy’s Restaurant will soon be filling the empty space left by Kentucky Fried Chicken and Fresenius Medical Care will be occupying the building left vacant by Dollar General when they moved into their new quarters across South Anderson Street.
Fat Tommy’s has quite a chore ahead of them with the KFC place… the ceiling and roof have collapsed onto the once dining area! The roof air-conditioning units look like a sinking Titanic! The owners, Tom Cowart and Louann Pierce of Westfield, are excited about expanding in Elwood. Their first Fat Tommy’s is located in Frankton and opened in January of this year. According to the news release, their menu includes breakfast, lunch and dinner plus desserts and 18 – 20 varieties of Premium Old Fashioned Ice Cream! With the remodeling needed, it may be 2 – 3 months before a grand opening!
The Fresenius Medical Care had to get a *special exception* variance that will allow the operation of a dialysis center. The building will require specific improvements inside to accommodate the dialysis center. Plans are to start out with 12 chairs. It will be a great benefit to local residents who need this type of local service!
There is some activity going on in the empty buildings in the 1500 block of Anderson Street across from the old location of the Elwood Theatre! Haven’t heard any official buzz, but this past week a very large dumpster was sitting on the east side of the building and gradually getting filled! My Panther eye will keep a look-out!
Here is some swimming pool news… work is progressing! I was taking a walk to the park the other night and there stood Ranger Dan and Fred Mort, the Park Board President (I think) by the re-construction site. Plans are to have the pool available to the Elwood residents for this summer season! A new slide might not be installed, due to some financial tug-of-war, but hopefully that too will get resolved for this year's pool fun! It’s lookin’ good!
Plans are underway for the annual Memorial Day parade and the group organizing the second year for a Farmers’ Market will be expanding to more vendors for a June 30th opening.
I think that is about it for this Hometown edition. I hope many are planning to attend Denstock this year! As a reminder, the event will be June 16th in the shelter house at Callaway Park!
Your Hometown Reporter,
Nancy Sumner
nancysumner@sbcglobal.net
