Thursday, June 4, 2026

5/31/1956

 

EAST FAREWELL NEWS


Thursday, May 31, 1956   Vol. C570


LOCAL NEWS


SHIPPENSPORT CONFESSES - ROMANDO GONE


East Farewell – Monica Shippensport has confessed to taking the Flower Show budget estimated to be $3,000.00. Her partner, Romando, (strangely, only one name) is still missing. Miss Shippensport it seems was the unwitting accomplice of an elaborate scam that involved a whirlwind romance, a naïve young woman, lots of money, a scoundrel and a broken heart that ended with the scammed holding the bag and in jail.

            It all started last year around Thanksgiving when Miss Shippensport first met Romando. She said she met him in the Lost Oasis Bar after she got off work. Romando presented himself as a South American horticultural expert and started talking with Shippensport. She mentioned she was involved with the annual flower show, then he started making small talk. One thing led to another and the next thing Miss Shippensport knew she was being escorted around town by an elusive but very handsome foreign stranger. They became quite an item and were seen celebrating New Year’s Eve together at a local party. Miss Shippensport is said to have confided with a friend that she was hoping that the relationship would go further. Well, it certainly went further, on or around January 2nd Romando presented Miss Shippensport with a proposal. Not the proposal she was hoping for though, he said that with his experience and her budget they could put on the most fabulous Flower Show ever. All she had to do was give him the entire budget and so he could purchase some exotic South American flowers. Then she could go back to the Town Council and ask for more money to put on the show. Miss Shippensport, smitten by Romando, let her heart block her good judgment and handed over the cash to Romando in late January. She was able to postpone meetings of the committee because of the bad weather at the time so no one was able to question her actions until late February. When confronted with the fund dispersal, she explained the Romando was only going to use a small amount and he had promised to return the rest.

            It was in early April when Miss Shippensport went to Romando’s apartment and found it empty. Frantic, she started to look for him in all their usual places but to no avail. Thinking something nefarious had happened to him she went to the police. The police mounted a short search for him but soon realized the true nature of the crime. Bulletins were sent to surrounding towns and major cities in the area but they were not expecting to find Romando. “He is long gone, I bet he has left the country. If he was really from South America, I bet he is back there living high on the hog with our money,” said police chief, Ed O’Malley.

            Unfortunately for Miss Shippensport, she is under arrest for taking the money and will have to stay in jail until her hearing because she cannot raise the bail of $300.00. She is understandably upset and says her heart is broken and her pride has been severely damaged. Her hearing is scheduled for later this week. She has profusely apologized for her actions and has said she will accept what ever consequences that are handed down to her.   


Last known photo of Romando


SPORTS


TRAVELERS WIN GREAT GAME


East Farewell – The Travelers won one of the best played games, if not the best game, of the early season. The red hot Travelers (13-3) faced an equally incendiary Mountain View Explorers (12-4). Both teams had been enjoying winning streaks and both were playing top notch baseball. The leading hitters in the league were going against the two best pitchers in the league. Something had to give. The pitchers were the ones who took control. It wasn’t until the fourth inning that either team mounted any offense and it was not until the fifth that any runs were scored. Both pitchers, Joe Nagy for the Travelers and Joe ‘Freight’ Trane for the Explorers, were sharp from the start and kept up the pressure till the end. Only a few let downs for each let the power of the best hitters in the league show their stuff. Explorer’s biggest bat, Bobby ‘Hammer’ Taxen smashed a Nagy fastball out of the park in the fourth and Traveler’s Johnny Cloos clobbered a Trane curve for a two run homer in the sixth. That was the difference in the game. The Travelers prevailed 2-1 with Trane throwing a four hitter and Nagy throwing a three hit gem. With this win the Travelers are in sole possession of first place in the league.

            Next week the Travelers go on the road to Corning where they play CGW for the first time this season. The game begins at 3:30 in Corning.


 NATIONAL NEWS


IKE READY TO CAMPAIGN – KHRUSHCHEV DENOUNCES STALIN – DEAD SEA SCROLLS DECIPHERED – BUS SEGREGATION IN ALABAMA UNCONSTITUTIONAL


President Eisenhower displayed a touch of campaign fever when he told a national conference of Citizens for Eisenhower that he will campaign for a second term “as cheerfully, as energetically, as enthusiastically as it is possible for me to do.” 

Communist party Boss Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin as a mass murderer who was plotting the complete liquidation of his old Politburo colleagues. Stalin was accused of planning to wipe out former Foreign Minister Molotov and Politburo member A.J. Mikoyan among others. Stalin’s death on March 5, 1953 was attributed to natural causes.

Two more Dead Sea scrolls have been deciphered and revealed clues to a legendary buried treasure worth countless millions instead of dealing with Biblical subjects. The scrolls were found beside the Dead Sea in 1952. If the treasure exists, it includes 200 tons of gold and silver. 

In Alabama a three-judge panel in federal court ruled that racial segregation on city buses in Montgomery violated the Federal Constitution. But the court took no immediate action to issue an injunction against enforcement of city and State segregation laws. That will come later.


Many, many thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for contributing to this section of the East Farewell News.


 


Thursday, May 28, 2026

5/24/1956

 

EAST FAREWELL NEWS


Thursday, May 24, 1956   Vol. C569


LOCAL NEWS


WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FLOWER SHOW?


East Farewell- Lots of questions have been buzzing around town about the absence of the Flower Show this year. It was only in its fourth year but it was not held this year and people are asking questions. In the previous three years it was a successful event and quickly becoming a tradition in town but this year after announcing the dates and theme the event was not opened. The committee that was responsible for scheduling only met once late last year. Committee chairwoman, Monica Shippensport, had stated that the show was going to be scheduled for late March or the first or second week of April and things were moving along smoothly. It is rumored that around last Thanksgiving Miss Shippensport met an attractive but mysterious companion. Friends said the secretive companion went by the unusual name of Romando, only one name, like Liberace, and no known hometown. Everyone likes companionship during the holidays and the couple was seen about town enjoying each other’s company. Unfortunately for the Flower Show Committee Miss Shippensport started to neglect her responsibilities and with the hustle and bustle of the holidays meetings were postponed and rescheduled. The New Year rolled around and the rescheduled meetings were held but there was one glaring absence, Miss Shippensport. Also missing, Romando. The other thing that turned up missing was the budget for the Flower Show. Without the budget the committee was unable to make any plans for the show. Focus was pointed to finding Miss Shippensport and Romando. Late last week Miss Shippensport appeared at the East Farewell Police Department and lodged a complaint against Romando. The case became more complicated when she explained that Romando had absconded with the funds from the Flower Show budget and left her alone in a restaurant in Corning. She said she had advanced him the funds because he had told her he was very involved with the Philadelphia Flower Show, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the country. He promised to arrange connections with members from the Philadelphia show committee and bring bigger and better exhibits to the East Farewell show. Miss Shippensport also stated that she had become romantically involved with Romando.

            Needles to say, the police have a lot of questions. Not the least of which is where is the money? They also want to talk to Romando. Miss Shippensport is cooperating with police and has been remanded to her home and promised not to leave town. For the moment she is claiming to be a jilted lover who was scammed by her suitor. The police are not convinced. While Romando remains at large the total sum of money involved is estimated to be $3,000.00. The investigation is ongoing and the situation is far from being cleared up. The biggest loser is the townspeople of East Farewell and the surrounding communities because they have been deprived of one of the favorite events of the year.

            “We are trying to sort through this and there are a lot of questions that have to be answered,” said police chief, Frank Needles. “We have a lot a unexplained goings on and we still don’t know where the money got to. Mr. Romando is being sought and we have asked for help from neighboring police departments as well as the Philadelphia police department. We are hoping they will be able to give us some insight into this gentleman, we don’t have any information on him but on first look it seems he is your run of the mill conman who sucked in one of our citizens and stole lots of money from the town.”

Scene from the 1953 Flower Show


SPORTS


TRAVELERS CONTINUE HOT STREAK


EAST FAREWELL-The Travelers continued to streak through the league winning another three games in their last four games.  That makes their record 12-3 in the still young season.  More impressive is the fact that they have only let their opponents score an average of 3 runs a game with three shutouts.  The top three batting averages in the league are all Travelers; Bobby Watson, 1st base, .304, Anthony Dimero, right field, .311, and Johnny Cloos, center field, an astounding,.323.

            The latest run started with a win over Erie, 6-0, home runs by Cloos and Brown and three double plays.  That was followed by a thrashing of Albany, 10-3. That was highlighted by Johnny Cloos hitting for the cycle, a single, double, triple and topped off with a homerun.  The next game was a rare loss to Slate Mountain, 0-3.  The Travelers bounced back at home this week with a solid win over Monticello, 4-2.

            This could be a record setting season if this pace keeps up.  The best record the Travelers have ever had was the magical season of 1943 when then went 82 and 28.  The Travelers are on a record to pass that number this year. Their fortunes will be tested next week when they play the also red hot Mountain View Explorers with pitching ace, Joe ‘Freight’ Trane and league leading slugger, Bobby ‘Hammer’ Taxen. The Travelers will counter with their own ace, Joe Nagy, and all time hit leader, Johnny Cloos. The game begins at 1:30 on Saturday at the ball park.


 NATIONAL NEWS


FRENCH TROOPS BATTLE MUSLIMS - MORE YOUNGSTERS LIKE IKE – NBC SIGNS MORE RELIGIOUS PROGRAMMING – ROBESON CALLED TO TESTIFY


Thousands of battled-dressed French troops and special police swoop down on Alger’s Casbah area (Arab area) in an unprecedented raid for rebel suspects and arms. Arms were seized and 4480 Muslims were detained for questioning.

For the first time since New Deal days, America’s younger voters express a preference for a Republican candidate for President. Whereas 20 years ago two out of every three voters in the 21-29 age bracket favored Franklin D. Roosevelt, present indications are that Dwight D. Eisenhower would receive nearly as large a proportion in their vote in an election now. In another Gallup finding - If an election were held this week with President Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson - Eisenhower would lead at 62% and Stevenson - 35%.

NBC radio signs its fourth paid religious program. The policy of permitting religious groups to buy airtime was adopted less than three months ago. The network had presented such programs free of charge. The new program is “The Voice of Prophecy,” a program associated with the Seventh Day Adventists. Also NBC presents “A Portrait of Fred Allen” on the network’s “Biographies in Sound.” The presentation was a devoted tribute by some of his closest friends. Cardinal Spellman, Tallulah Bankhead, Jack Benny, Jimmie Durante and Uncle Jim Harkins and other appeared on the broadcast. Jack Haley served as narrator.

Negro singer Paul Robeson, the baritone with passport troubles, is subpoenaed to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Robeson’s passport was revoked in 1950 on grounds that his traveling abroad would not be in the interest of the United States. He was awarded a Stalin peace prize in 1952.


Many, many thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for contributing to this section of the East Farewell News.




Thursday, May 21, 2026

5/17/1956

 

EAST FAREWELL NEWS


Thursday, May 17, 1956   Vol. C568


LOCAL NEWS


IT IS OFFICIAL- IRON WORKS TO STAY- AT LEAST UNTIL 1959


East Farewell-After weeks of public questions, cancelled news conferences, rampant rumors and fretful hand wringing the Iron Works has announced that they will not be closing, moving or downsizing in any way, at least not until 1958.  Charles Lumeier, company president, made the announcement to the public and press on Tuesday.  The announcement sent a wave of relief through the East Farewell community.  The Iron Works is one of the largest employers in the region as well as a huge source of tax revenue for the town.  The Iron Works will continue to supply rails for the Mighty Keystone Railroad as well as many other special iron orders for other transport systems and building firms.  Lumeier was very enthusiastic about the announcement, trying to put to rest the rumors and innuendos about the solvency of the company. He was slightly less enthusiastic when asked for the plans out past 1958, when the union contract comes up for renewal.  “We are concentrating on the here and now and making the best product for the best price as well as serving the community.  When that time rolls around we will be prepared to face that situation.”

            East Farewell has been in the rumor mill since the news broke three weeks ago about the possible shut down of the Iron Works.  The IW has been a part of East Farewell since East Farewell was founded in 1913.  Originally, East Farewell was a tourist destination that was designed and financed by the Lawson brothers with the blessing and support of the Mighty Keystone Railroad.  The railroad needed a terminal halfway between New York/ Philadelphia and Chicago to supply rails and track supplies.  East Farewell offered a prime location as well as a bucolic getaway for the railroad executives and high ranking employees.  The Iron Works was finished in 1915 and has been a stable and productive member of the community ever since.

The Iron Works in East Farewell


SPORTS


TRAVELERS GET SHUTOUT BY MINERS


East Farewell- In a rare stumble the Travelers were shut down and shutout by arch-rival Slate Mountain Miners, 3-0. There was no pep in the team or in the bats that were so intimidating last week. Not only did the Travelers not score a run, they did not get a hit until the fourth inning. Miner’s pitcher, Gene Ford, was remarkable, pitching the entire game and only allowing four hits and no runner advanced beyond second base. The rookie pitcher was only in his third start for the Miners and looked like he was a seasoned veteran. Throughout the game he rarely went deep in the count and whenever he gave up a hit he seemed to buckle down even harder for the next batter. The Travelers struggled to connect with his fastball and fell for his high outside curve all day long.

            The Travelers pitcher, Danny Lane, pitched a good game but let up a two run slam in the third to Miners big bat, Harry Topper. Things started to get away from him in the eighth when he let three straight hits fall in for the third and final run. The defense was fine but not stellar. The Travelers did not turn any double plays for only the third time this year but they did not commit any errors.

            It was quite a surprise for the fans to see such a lackluster performance from their beloved team. No excuses or explanations were given by the team or the coach after the game. The next game is home against the newest team in the league, the Monticello Vikings. The game begins at 1:30PM at the ball field.


 NATIONAL NEWS


IKE CALLS COMMUNISM A GIGANTIC FAILURE – STEVENSON WINS IN FLA & OREGON –MEADOWS MARRIES


At a commencement at Baylor College in Waco, President Eisenhower said European Union seems “nearer now than in centuries” to a union and called communism “a gigantic failure” but said “even this mighty nation is not wholly immune” from its threat.

Adlai Stevenson gets a close victory over Tennessee’s Senator Estes Kefauver in the Democratic Presidential primary in Florida.  More primary - Stevenson does it again in Oregon with a victory over Kefauver in their Oregon write-in test.

For its first year of operation ending July 1 -Disneyland will write-off $3 million and still show a substantial profit. Revenue from rides, attractions and concessions plus daily attendance are nearly matching early predictions.

TV wife Audrey Meadows of “The Honeymooners” weds Washington real estate agent Randolph Rouse. Jackie Gleason wasn’t invited. A Gleason aid did say the comedian received a telegram saying: “Dear Ralph - so sorry, but I’m becoming a bigamist today, marrying Randy Rouse. Love, Alice.”  The ceremony was performed by the bride’s father, Rev. Francis James Meadows Cotter. Meadows and Gleason will continue to appear together in shows this fall.


Many, many thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for contributing to this section of the East Farewell News.