3/13/1956

 

EAST FAREWELL NEWS

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Thursday, March 15, 1956   Vol. C559

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LOCAL NEWS

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RESCUE ON THE LAKE

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East Farewell – Lake Charles has been frozen for over a month but some parts still have dangerously thin ice. Most of those spots have been marked off but with the snow has obscured some of those markers. Last Monday there was a near tragedy on the lake but quick thinking skaters and a fast response from the fire department averted the near disaster.

            It was dusk on Monday and there were still many skaters on the lake. The shore lights had not come on yet and the groups of skaters were having a wonderful time. A small group of youthful skaters were playing crack the whip, an immensely popular game with the children and young adults alike, and the whip “cracked” and sent young Gabe Richardson spinning off towards a danger marked area. He tried to stop before he crossed into the snow covered area but stumbled when he hit the snow and fell forward. His speed and weight was enough to carry him into the danger area and when he hit the snow he fell through. At first Richardson looked like he could climb right out but as he paddled to the side he would break the edge and fall back. The other members of his group laughed at first but very quickly recognized the dire situation. The group quickly formed a single line and retrieved a long rope from the shore. They also sent someone to alert the fire department. Holding on to one another they were able to approach the edge and toss the rope towards Richardson, who at this point was starting to panic. He grabbed the rope but was not able to hold on at first. The group shouted encouragement and instructions to him in an effort to calm him down enough to take the rope. Luckily, two members of the Fire Department were among the other skaters. The rushed over and took control. Henry Thompson and Bill Wenz ( brother of Lost Oasis owner, Charles Wenz) were able to work the rope next to Richardson and calmly talk him into taking the rope and holding on tight. The entire group then pulled him back onto the solid ice.

            The ambulance had arrived by the time Richardson was back on the ice and medics were able to administer first aid and get him into the ambulance. They took him over the First Aid Station and checked him for injuries. After Dr. Golding looked him over given some dry clothes and hot chocolate. His parents arrived at the Station and were able to take him home. He was able to thank Mr. Thompson and Mr. Wenz before he left and waved to his group of friend who had made their way to the station. Richardson is a junior at Regional High and was back in school on Tuesday with nothing more than a bruised ego to complain about. But he also had a story that will last a lifetime.

Gabe Richardson is pulled from Lake Charles

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SPORTS

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COUGARS COME FROM BEHIND TO WIN

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East Farewell – The next to last game of the Cougars season turned out to be one of the seasons most exciting. The game had been postponed from the week earlier due to the huge snow storm that closed the entire eastern seaboard. The game was moved to Tuesday and was almost postponed again due to the weather but it was held in the gymnasium after many volunteers helped shovel out the pathways to the building. Along with over 50 students a host of townspeople young and old all chipped in to clear the area. The game started on time and was well worth the effort that was exerted to make sure it was played.

            The Hawks came out hot and scored the first 15 points. Hawks center, Gabe Cole, scored his first three baskets with ease. Cougar’s center, Wilson Watson, looked like he was not familiar with the game. It took about three minutes and a time out to get him back in the game. Once Coach Wilson gave the team a wakeup call during the timeout they came to life. Watson turned into the center he has been all season and took control. While Cole was able to finish with total 14 points after the first six every other point was hard earned. Watson ended the game leading all scorers with 26. He also was able to grab 18 rebounds and block 6 shots. As good as Watson was underneath he was supported by a wonderful backcourt display put on by Messrs. Green and Conner. They ran a tight game and put on a dribbling show that hasn’t been seen since Ted Fitzgerald from the 1953 squad to end the game.

            The Cougars were able to control the center but the Hawks did not let the game get away from them. At one point in the second half they took a commanding 7 point lead. It took a super team effort for the Cougars to come back and with two minutes left the Cougars were able to take back the lead and as Cole fouled out Watson went on a run and scored the last 6 points to make the final score a 58-48 win but it was not as lopsided as the score looks. The Hawks and the Cougars played a great game that see-sawed back and forth and until Cole fouled out the game could have gone either way.

            Since the Cougars won there is still a chance that they could win the league. The chances are slim, many things have to fall their way and they do not have any control over things that ultimately will decide the outcome. The Cougar can do one thing that is imperative to their league championship, win next week against Slate Mountain. The game begins at 6:30PM in the Regional High Gym.

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 NATIONAL NEWS

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IKE LIKES NIXON – 2^ND BLIZZARDS HITS EAST COAST – LOTS HAPPENING IN RUSSIA – MARGARET TRUMAN TO MARRY

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President Eisenhower declares that he would be happy to have Vice-President Richard Nixon on any political ticket with him. 

The second of two blizzards in 48 hours sweeps the East with New York City getting paralyzed by the blizzard.

While visiting London Soviet Deputy Premier Georgi Malenkov, political heir of Josef Stalin, cuts short a sightseeing tour to contact the Kremlin on the newest efforts to crush the myth of his old master. Security measures are imposed in some areas of the Soviet Union because of repercussions from the attack on Stalin by the Soviet leadership. The removal of a large picture of Stalin in Communist East Germany brings on a small-scale riot - touching off fighting between Communist party members. The 10 by 13 foot picture was removed from the front of party headquarters in Finsterwalde.

Margaret Truman discloses that she will be married to newspaperman Clifton Daniel in a “very simple ceremony” April 21 in a church in Independence, MO.

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

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3/8/1956

 

EAST FAREWELL NEWS

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Thursday, March 8, 1956   Vol. C558

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LOCAL NEWS

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SNOW CLOSES RAILWAY AND TOWNS

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East Farewell- An early March blizzard completely closed down the Mighty Keystone Railroad between Central City and Springfield for two days last week.  This segment of the line runs through East Farewell, Slate Mountain, Riverview and Mountain View and the communities were effectively cut off for almost two days.  It wasn’t until massive locomotives with plows attached to the front that the rails were opened for travel.  The snow storm was an unexpected blizzard that caught the entire eastern half of the state off guard.  A storm that was traveling east from the Chicago area combined with a northern, artic front that swept in from Canada and dropped a massive 35 inches of snow on the area within an eight hour time frame.  The storm also closed the almost complete Interstate Highway. Since the interchanges that were hit by the snow were not officially opened yet, the number of vehicles that were stranded was minimal.  Approximately thirty people had to be rescued from snowed in vehicles on the highway.

            For two days the East Farewell was unreachable but that did not mean the town was closed down.  A festive atmosphere swept over the town when the radio announced the train shutdown.  People bundled up and flooded the traffic free streets before the snow had stopped.  A massive snowball fight and snow follies commenced and no one was left out.  The storm was in full swing through the first night and Lake Shore Drive was packed with people that looked like snowmen throwing snow at each other, others were running around like children, laughing and shouting at each other.  Many of the restaurants stayed open even as the snow piled up on the sidewalks and the streets became impassible. This had all the signs of a major disaster but it turned into a giant snow party.  For two days the town celebrated its isolation and townspeople came together with a sense of community and shared excitement.  When the trains rolled through on Thursday many people were standing at the station to greet the huge locomotives and pelt them with snowballs, all in fun of course.  The engineers were quite amused at the antics and let out several long steam whistles that brought cheers and more snowballs from the crowd.

            The storm mover through fairly quickly and was gone within 36 hours.  It left the town under over 4 feet of snow and numerous power and heating outages.  Even with these complications, spirits were high and enthusiasm was unflagging.  Schools were closed for most of the week and all events had been postponed or cancelled.  This storm will be remembered for a long time and often be referred to as, “The Great Snow of 1956.”

Train plowing snow near E.F. Station

The Great Snowball fight of ‘56

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SPORTS

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COUGARS LOSE 1 BUT STAY HOT AS SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE

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East Farewell- The Cougars lost a revenge match to the Riverview Wildcats, 48-52, after beating them, 50-48 only two weeks earlier.  The loss turned out to be only a blip on the record of an overachieving, scrappy team that has surprised everyone this season.   Along with the Wildcat games the Cougars faced the Slate Mountain Canaries, the Fort Lee Captains and the Southport Hawks during the final part of the season.  The final game of the season is with the Slate Mountain Miners.  This game was postponed due to the huge snow storm and will be played next week.

            The team has continued to improve with every game.  Coach Wilson has pointed toward the surprisingly even and controlled back court play of senior Timmy Green and sophomore Fergal Conner.  “Greeny and Conner have just been phenomenal.  They run the game like pros or at least really good college guards,” laughed Coach Wilson during a recent interview.   

            The two together have been responsible for more back court points than any in school history with one game still to play.  The front court also has been solid.  The all junior front court has also been solid and powerful.  Center Wilson Watson has become a powerful force under the basket while Tom O’Hare and Billy Reilly have stood strong as forwards grabbing offensive rebounds and feeding Wilson for put back scores that have won more than one game.

            If the Cougars win their last game they stand a chance to end up in a try for first place in the league.  In order to have this happen the Riverview Wildcats would have to lose to the Fort Lee Captains and the Canaries would have to beat the Corning Devils.  While this may be a long shot, it would be a fitting climax to the Cougars season.  The Cougars game has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Mach 13^th at 4:30 in the Regional High School Gym.

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 NATIONAL NEWS

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TROUBLE IN TUNIS – RADIO GROWING – RCA MERGES

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An anti-American mob of Algerian nationalists stormed the U.S. consulate in Tunis, ransacking offices and destroying files and then wrecking the headquarters of the U.S. Information Service.  Algerian nationalists carry their revolt against French rule to the streets of Tunis battling helmeted police who halted their march on the National Assembly.

Radio news - Radio growing - almost 15 million new radio sets were sold in 1955 and there are 140 million radio sets in this country. Several years ago, there was a belief the industry would diminish in interest. 

RCA-Victor here and Decca Record Company of London enter into a reciprocal agreement effective May 1957. Under terms, Decca in England will receive master recordings from the RCA Victor catalogue and Victor will have access to Decca recordings for release in America under the RCA Victor label. The new alliance terminates the oldest international pact in the record world – that between Victor and His Master’s Voice (HMV) in London. 

Decca London is not related to Decca here. The originator of the FFRR (Full frequency range recording) record, Decca not only has plants throughout Europe, but also owns Telefunken in Germany.  H.M.V. is a subsidiary of EMI.

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

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3/1/1956

 

EAST FAREWELL NEWS

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Thursday, March 1, 1956   Vol. C557

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LOCAL NEWS

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CAR CRASHES INTO RESTAURANT

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East Farewell – The tall snow piled up along the edge of Main Street was not enough to stop a car that careened out of control into the Lost Oasis restaurant last Tuesday. Gerry McManus was parking in front of the bar-restaurant when he inexplicably jumped the curb, burst through the snow pile and plowed into the restaurant’s front window. Luckily, no one was seated at the table by the window at the time. The car came to rest right inside the restaurant and no one was hurt. The staff was startled but no one was near the front of the building. The bar is located in the rear of the restaurant and there were several patrons but no one was injured.

            Police are looking into the incident and McManus has stated that it seemed like the car just sped up and blasted through the window. “ I was getting ready to put it in park when it just took off,” said a visibly shaken McManus, “I don’t know what happened but I am sure glad no one was hurt. I feel bad that the restaurant’s front window was smashed, I really like that place. I am sure they can fix it up. It is just a shame.”

            McManus has not been cited, yet. He was able to walk away from the accident and the car was towed out within a hour of the crash. The front of the Lost Oasis has been boarded up and owner, Charles Wenz has spray painted a big WE ARE OPEN across the front. “It was just a fluke event,” said Wenz, “luckily no one was hurt. I know Gerry and he may have had a little confusion with the brake and gas on his car. He’s getting older.”

            McManus said he was 78 years old and has been driving for over 60 years (“70 if you count the tractor”) and has never had an accident.

Car crashed into Lost Oasis 

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SPORTS

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COUGARS HOLD OFF CAPTAINS

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East Farewell – The Cougars bounced back last Friday as they played a hard fought game against a much improved Fort Lee team. The two stayed locked in a tight fight until the final quarter when the Cougars were able to take the lead and out last the flagging Captains, 54-50. The Cougars backcourt of Green and Conner were very stable and ran a tight game and were able to score a combined total 26 points but more importantly, no turnovers.

            The game started off fast with both teams hot out of the gate. The centers battled for inside position but the fight went on for the whole game and neither center, Cougars Watson or Captains Doyle, were able to establish control. The first half ended with the Cougars ahead by 2.

            The second half was much slower as each team seemed to be trying to find the other teams weakness, but to no avail. The lead shifted back and forth throughout the third quarter and into the first half of the fourth. As the clock ticked down to 3 minutes the Cougars took final control. Green and Conner started a fast shooting offense and Watson exerted control under the basket. The Cougars pulled away for keeps with two minutes left at 54-48. The Captains scored the last basket with 30 seconds on the clock and the Cougars ran the clock out. The next game for the Cougars is this Friday at home against the Southport Hawks. The game is a rare evening game and begins at 7:30PM in the gymnasium.

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 NATIONAL NEWS

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IKE TO RUN AGAIN – BALLOONS OVER RUSSIA – UAB SUED AGAIN – BAD WEATHER FOR ADM. BYRD IN ANTARCTICA

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President Eisenhower says he will run again and assures the nation he is fit enough to do the job. “So far as my own personal sense of well-being is concerned, I am as well as before the (heart) attack occurred.” The President said. “As of this moment there is not the slightest doubt that I can perform as well as I ever have all of the important duties of the presidency.” His first formal act as a candidate for re-election was to approve a united California Republican delegation.  A Gallup Poll finds President Eisenhower with a 76% approval rating.

U.S. Camera-carrying balloons over Russia - The Kremlin protested, now the United States tells the Kremlin that Russian balloons have flown over U.S. territory (Alaska) too. A note to the Kremlin asked, “What are you complaining about?” Both sides are guilty of doing the same thing.

Miss Autherine Lucy, the first Negro student in the history of the University of Alabama and who was expelled February 29, is herself being sued along with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People by four men who charge they had been falsely accused of participation in mob action. The suits were based on a petition filed Feb. 9 by Lucy. Lucy was expelled as a disciplinary measure by the university board of trustees. They said the coed had made the outrageous charges that school officials conspired with the mob in order to get her out of school. In her petition, she named these four men and others.

The current United States Antarctic expedition involving Adm. Richard Byrd has discovered a vast trough of ice, thousands of square miles in extent, in which the vilest weather in the world is spawned.

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

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