Thursday, May 25, 2023

5/21/1953

                                       EAST FAREWELL NEWS


Thursday, May 21, 1953   Vol. C232


LOCAL NEWS


TOWN COUNCIL APPROVES GOLF LINKS


East Farewell- The Town Council approved the building of new golf links on the old Reese farm after a short conference on Monday night. The proposal by GC Designers was very detailed, well presented and warmly received by the Council.  GC went so far as to invite the Council out to the farm to show them first hand where the clubhouse will be, the views of the lake and the access from Lake Shore Drive. The old Reese farmhouse will have to be torn down but the architecture the new clubhouse is keeping with the style of the colonial mansion.  GC is planning for wide patio/porch views of Lake Charles as well as expansive views of the ninth and eighteenth greens. 

            Construction is started to begin next week and the Reese family will be moved out by the end of the month.  Their plans have not been made public but it is rumored that they will take their considerable windfall and purchase a new, smaller property around town.  The initial construction will involve clearing of trees for the fairways and layout of the greens.  The clubhouse construction will begin sometime after the greens have been established.

            Following up on the news that golf great Ben Hogan would be involved with the planning GC would only restate that Mr. Hogan has expressed interest in the course and would like to be involved in the design in some way. It would be very exciting to have such a great pro to appear in town.  The News was unable to contact Mr. Hogan for verification.

This will be the view from the front patio 


SPORTS


FANS UPSET ABOUT HOME STADIUM SNAFU


East Farewell- Travelers fans expressed their indignation at that lack of a true home stadium on Saturday.  The game against the Bear Creek Cubs took a back seat to the fan disapproval of the venue. The Regional High School field was certainly not where the current League champions should play their home games.  The fans made that fact perfectly clear on Saturday.  Banners and posters showed their disgust and their sarcastic cheers when a homerun cleared the fence just added to the unrest.

After the game a representative for the owners, who are a group from Capitol City, said the owners will be looking into building a new stadium after this season. That was not enough for the fans who chanted for new owners and would not let the representative finish. Several fans have said they will look into taking legal actions as to return ownership to a local or a local group. This situation has been rumbling under the radar for some time. The championship pushed the issue to a back burner last season and the Travelers name was found to be cute in an ironic way but as long as they won everything else was second. Now a new season is upon them and the thought of playing another season without a home field is unthinkable to some. 

The Travelers ballpark burned down in 1950 and the owners have been slow to replace or rebuild it. Their reasons range from lack of space to lack of money. For each reason the fans have responded with disbelief and loud recriminations.  There is sufficient space right on Lake Charles and if money were really the issue they should sell the team.  The owners have been silent lately and repeated questions from this paper have gone unanswered.

The game was a bit of a sideshow but it did have lots of offensive action, partially due to the small size of the field. The Travelers were able to win 12-9.  There were a total of nine home runs hit which ties a league record for homers hit in one game. The Travelers hit six while the Bears hit three. Many fans realized early one that they could watch the game for free from the football stands beyond the outfield fence. After the third home run fans began standing just beyond the fence to get souvenirs. They weren’t disappointed.

Homers by Brown, Archibald, Sweet, Dunham and two by Johnny Cloos set the tone for the game. The Bears saw Fink, Doral and Cunningham send the ball over the fence. There was defense in the game, the Travelers were able to turn two double plays but pitcher Billy Green was only able to retire the Bears in order once during the game.  Bear’s pitcher Abe Vogel, was not able to do much better but did manage to send the Travelers down in order twice.  Both teams ended with sixteen hits but the Bears had two errors and give up three walks.

The next game is scheduled for Saturday against the Ondita Cougars, again at the Regional High Field. It remains to be seen if the fans will protest again.


 NATIONAL NEWS


COCHRAN BREAKS THE SOUND BARRIER – SINATRA GETS BOOED IN ITALY - MARCIANO KOs WALCOTT IN 1ST


Jackie Cochran - the first feminine jet pilot in the nation, becomes the first woman to fly faster than sound and breaks two world speed records, averaging 652.337mph. She toppled the previous record set by a woman of 540mph and she also beat the all-time close-course mark of 635mph.


A disappointed audience in Naples, Italy boos Frank Sinatra during a performance because his wife, actress Ava Gardner failed to show. The singer walked off-stage in a huff amid the shouting and booing. The show went on again only after the Police Chief personally took charge of the situation.

Unbeaten Rocky Marciano scores a nine punch first round knockout over Jersey Joe Walcott in Chicago Stadium.


Many, many thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for contributing to this section of The News.


 


Thursday, May 18, 2023

5/14/1953

                                         EAST FAREWELL NEWS


Thursday, May 14, 1953   Vol. C231


LOCAL NEWS


NEW GOLF COURSE TO BE BUILT


East Farewell- GC Designers, Inc. unveiled a new proposal to the Town Council this week. They want to build a pro caliber golf course on the 350 acre Reese farm located on the edge of town.  The farm has been owned by the Reese family for almost one hundred years and with the death of Earnest Reese earlier in the year, the remaining family members have decided to sell the majority of the farm.  The remaining children, Joseph, Hanna and Emily will continue to live in the house. Elizabeth Reese, Earnest’s wife passed away in 1950.  The farm was still producing milk and had a very popular garden store that sold flowers, fruits and vegetables as well as milk. The future of the store has not been determined but without the cows or the orchards the future looks dim.  Joseph Reese has stated he would like to keep the store open but that would require completely changing its inventory.

GC Designers met with the Town Council earlier this and showed them plans for the course and clubhouse. The Reese farm has abundant lake front and the ground has been cleared so much of the preliminary work has already been done.  The designers of the course are intent on making it a first class course and have suggested that golf great Ben Hogan may be involved in the design and promotion. The Town Council has taken the proposal under consideration and will give their response next week.  Judging from the reception the plan has a very good chance of approval.

Draft of proposed Golf Course


SPORTS


TRAVELERS STAY IN CORNING FOR TWO MORE


Corning- The Travelers stayed in Corning for a double header on Sunday. The weather was a bit more baseball like with sun and temperatures in the 50s. The games were typical of the early season meaning there were mental mistakes and a couple of downright errors on both sides but in general the games were enjoyable and reasonably well played. CGW was able to record its first win of the season and the Travelers were able to leave Corning with two wins and a loss.  The Travelers will be holding their “home” opener on Saturday at the Regional High School field. This is the temporary home for the Travelers while the decision is ironed out on whether to rebuild the burned down stadium or build a new one.

            In the first game the Travelers got off to an early lead with a big second inning with back to back doubles by Dunham and Watson. Johnny Cloos came up with Dunham on second and got a hold of a Walker fastball and sent it out of the park. Travelers’ pitcher Joe Nagy did an admirable job keeping CGW off the board until the eighth when Farrell and Jones were able to touch him for a double and a triple.  Nagy then made a mental error by not checking Jones back to third on a swinging bunt by Shore and allowing Jones to score.  In the ninth the Travelers were able to put two more runs on the board with a triple by Sweet, a sacrifice by Francis and a long home run by Dimero put the Travelers ahead to stay.  The Travelers won game one 4-2.  Game two started late in the day and went on into after sunset. The game was played under the lights and CGW took an early lead and hung on to notch the victory. They rang up an impressive first inning against Joe Alfred in his first start of the season. CGW scored four in the first and the one more in the second. Alfred settled down and only gave up five more hits and no more runs but the damage was done. The Travelers were able to get three runs in the seventh but that was all they could muster. CGW won game two, 5-3.


 NATIONAL NEWS


REDS ATTACK BUT LOSE 1100 – IKE SPEAKS ON THE RADIO – BIGGER BURGERS FOR ALL


In the Korean conflict - thousands of Chinese troops threw one of the heaviest attacks in months at South Korean and American positions. The 8th Army says at least 1100 Reds are killed and wounded in the battle.

In his first nationwide radio address since his inauguration, President Eisenhower warned that freedom was still in mortal danger from Russia’s aggressive designs and called upon the American people tonight to continue to bear the current tax burden and even to forego two tax reductions next year

Secretary of Agriculture tells the National Restaurant Association the nation would benefit would benefit from bigger and cheaper hamburgers, eliminating surplus beef. Other surpluses could be eaten too. He said that butter is stacked to the ceiling in government warehouses and that would disappear if each family ate one-quarter pound more butter a week


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


 


Thursday, May 11, 2023

5/7/1953

                                    EAST FAREWELL NEWS


Thursday, May 7, 1953   Vol. C230


LOCAL NEWS


TOWN HONORS COUGARS WITH DINNER


East Farewell- The town showed their collective adoration for the 1952-53 Cougars Basketball team on Tuesday night with a hastily put together but absolutely wonderful dinner in the school gymnasium on Tuesday night.  Acknowledging it was a school night the evening was brief.  It started early, 5:00, and ended early, 8:30.  Within that time the team was feted by many members of the school staff as well as many community leaders.  The meal was presented by restaurateur Charles Wenz, from the Lost Oasis, but every food establishment in town contributed to the meal.  The buffet style was opened as a first come first served status and during the first fifteen minutes there was a line out the school and down the block.  The crowd was extremely good natured and everyone had fun in line exchanging their favorite stories about the team and the season.  The meal was a collection of different main dishes and sides. The Lost Oasis contributed their famous ‘Flamin’ Chicken’ and the Dog Pound contributed it’s very popular ‘World’s Wurst Dog’. All of the smaller restaurants offered plenty of sides and desserts.  Local townsfolk also contributed to the fare. Peg O’Malley brought her locally famous Double Chocolate Cake, enough for all and Ida Plant brought her new and very popular Chocolate Cheesecake with strawberry glaze, again enough for all.

            The evening was filled with many fun moments and the Regional High Glee club serenaded the crowd with popular tunes as well as the Alma Mater which brought the entire crowd to its feet.  Another high point was Coach Wilson’s tribute to the team.  He named each player, had him stand and then told a slightly embarrassing anecdote about the young man. Everyone loved it, except perhaps the players.   They took it all in good humor and Coach Wilson ended on a serious note saying that not only was this the best team he has coached but he pointed out that both seniors had been accepted to the college of their choice. Senior center, Bill Donahue, is going to the Notre Dame and senior point guard, Ted Fitzgerald, is going to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Both hope to continue to play basketball.

            This was a great evening for a great team coached by an outstanding coach.

The 1952-53 Cougars

Front row: Jim Welch, Gene Green, Ted Fitzgerald, Charlie Cox, Joe Fox

Back row: Bill O’Donnell, Shamus McKean, Coach Wilson, Michael Watson, Bill Donahue


SPORTS


TRAVELERS OPEN WITH A WIN


Corning- The Travelers 1953 baseball season got underway on Saturday.  While technically it is spring no one at the Corning field would believe you.  It was raw and windswept. The temperature did not get above 43 and the sun refused to shine.  Fans were not to be deterred by a little foul weather; they showed up in force and stayed the entire game.  A casual observer noted that there seemed to be as many Traveler fans as CGW fans. It was not hard to notice the abundance of East Farewell pennants and hats and the cheering was most obviously slanted toward the Travelers.

            The game started after a stirring rendition of the National Anthem by the Boys Choir of Corning.  Travelers led off with Bobby Watson (1B) who struck out on three straight fastballs by Bill “Smoke” Black. That set the tone of the game. Both sides battled each other defensively for seven innings. Black only allowed two hits, singles, and three walks while Danny Lane was equally impressive on the Travelers side. He only allowed three hits, a single and two doubles but no walks. The weather made the infield sloppy and the outfield slippery. Both teams tried but could not overcome the conditions, until the eighth inning.

            In the top of the eighth Johnny Cloos came up and on the second pitch from Black he connected with one of his traditional blasts that sent the ball out of the park.  In the bottom of the eighth CGW answered with another double by Davey Falls and then a single by Bill Chambers. It went to the ninth tied at 1 and in the top of the ninth Travelers second baseman, Art Archibald, hit a blistering shot down the third base line for a double.  Billy Sweet, LF, bunted Archibald to third and Billy Green hit a long sacrifice fly to bring Archibald home.  In the bottom of the ninth Lane rose to the occasion and struck out the first two batters allowed Joey Glass a single and then made Richie Fowler hit a grounder to Dunham who turned a quick flip to Archibald for the out at second.

            While not the prettiest of games, it was a win for the Travelers and an excellent start to the season.


 NATIONAL NEWS


IKE NAMES RADFORD TO JOINT CHIEFS – ROSSEN IS A COMMIE – CAMPANELLA BLASTS PHILLY – FOLKS WANT TO BE UNDER GOD


President Eisenhower names Adm. Arthur W. Radford new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a shake-up of the nation’s top military command. He’ll succeed General of the Army, Omar Bradley. Radford, who is currently commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet, becomes the first Navy man to head the joint chiefs

Robert Rossen – a top Hollywood film director and producer, changes his mind and admits before the House Un-American Activities Committee that he had been a Communist for 10 years. He testified he “belonged to a film cell of the party” from 1937 to 1947. Rossen estimated that he had contributed $40,000 to the party during that period. He is best known for “The Brave Bulls,” “All the King’s Men,” and “Body and Soul.”

Catcher Roy Campanella bats in all the runs in a 5-0 shutout against Philadelphia. Campy clouted a double scoring Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider in the third and homered with Snider and Jackie Robinson aboard in the fifth.

In a poll conducted by George Gallup - the public favors adding the words “under God” to the pledge of allegiance to the Flag of the United States - by a ratio of more than 3-1. A resolution to add the two words was recently introduced in the House by Rep Louis Rabaut (D-Mich).


Many, many thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for contributing to this section of The News.


 

Thursday, May 4, 2023

4/30/1953

     EAST FAREWELL NEWS


Thursday, April 30, 1953   Vol. C229


LOCAL NEWS


EAST FAREWELL PREPARES FOR SPRING


East Farewell- The birds are singing, the flowers are starting to bloom and the young men are starting to walk around with a dreamy look in their eyes. It must be spring in East Farewell. As the weather starts to turn the last of the snow has disappeared and the evenings are still light so young lovers can stroll through town after work. That is exactly what has been happening all over East Farewell. With the Fun Pier almost ready to be previewed and the restaurants all starting to place tables and chairs outside for a Paris-like ambiance. The stores have all joined together to start an “Evening Hours” campaign where they are staying open until 7:00PM or later to accommodate the new evening strollers.

            “This is a wonderful time of year and I am so glad to see the restaurants putting out their tables so people can dine “al-fresco’ and all the people out, it’s just great,” said Mrs. Mallard, local boarding house owner.  As more people come into town for vacations and jobs the town is able to grow and add more attractions. 

            Another new and blooming attraction is the Lake Front Plaza. While still under construction it promises to be a spectacular viewing and leisure site for everyone.  It is only partially accessible but drawing huge crowds. The large turnouts have made completion a top of the list project for the Public Works Department.  The Plaza, as it stands now, looks out over Lake Charles at the foot of Lake Shore Drive and is ringed in a large semi-circle around the plaza by beautiful gardens. The Plaza itself is approximately 50 yards long by about 25 yards wide. It is already being used by town folk as a meeting place and an impromptu dining spot even though there are no benches or tables.  Construction is scheduled to be completed towards the end of the month.  There will be a grand opening but the Town Council has been very aware that they want this open before the Fun Pier opens so, scheduling is being coordinated between the Council and Pier owner/builder Sam Lendel.  This is beginning to look like the start of a great spring and fabulous summer.

Lake Charles Plaza at Dusk


SPORTS


COUGARS TAKE A SWIPE AT CHAMPIONSHIP


Capitol City- The Cougars made a surprisingly powerful debut in the championship last week.  Ranked 10th, last, in the tournament seating, the Cougars took on the top ranked Capitol City Stars on Monday.  The Stars came into the tournament with an exception record of 19-1 and were expected to easily handle the Cinderella Cougars.  That did not happen.  The Cougars came to play and the Stars were caught off guard by the exceptional team play by their upstart, small town opponents.  The Stars started quickly enough with a quick 8-0 lead, but then the Cougars came roaring back after a quick timeout, and scored 18 unanswered points. The Fitzgerald/Welch backcourt was almost a ballet of dribbling and passing. Senior center, Bill Donahue, took control of the center lane and completely commanded the boards. At the end of the first half it looked very much like the Cougars could pull off the upset of the decade. They were leading 38-34.

            The second half started where the first half left off, the Cougars in control of the backcourt and the lane, but the Stars were not giving up. A stern halftime talk from Coach Williams stiffened their resolve and they came out reinvigorated.  The Stars clawed their way back to a tie with three minutes left.  Showing why they were the top ranked in the state, they were able to almost neutralize Fitzgerald and Welch with a swarming double team on the ball and force Donahue in foul trouble.  The Cougars did not give up, both forwards, sophomores Billy O’Donnell and Gene Greene, made substantial contributions in helping the backcourt out of trouble and keeping Donahue in the game.

            The game came down to the final minute with the score tied at 66, an exceptional score for a high school game, and both sides were showing some fatigue. The Stars had obviously gained a great deal of respect for their opponents but were not going to be denied their place in the championship. With less than 30 seconds they imposed a smothering full court press and were able to force a turnover on a blocked pass. Stars forward, Jeremy Hall, was able to grab the pass from guard William Jones and drive in for the layup. He was fouled by Donahue, his fifth and last, and Jones made the free throw the give the Stars a 69-66 victory.

            Since the Cougars were able to score 66 points in their first game and all the other teams scored less, except for the Stars, the Cougars became eligible for the third place-consolation game.  They played that game against the fifth seed Northeastern Blasters.  The Blasters had gotten to the consolation game through an upset of their own beating the third seed, Appalachia. The third place game was played yesterday and it was a complete flip side of the Stars game.  The Blasters were known for their fast-paced, run and gun game so the Cougars in a brilliant coaching move by Coach Wilson took them the other way and slowed the game down. They not only slowed the game down, they almost stopped it. The deep freeze swept through the Capitol City arena yesterday afternoon.  The Cougars came out, got control of the ball and were able to hold it for almost five minutes through a dazzling display of dribbling, passing, cutting and picks.  Fitzgerald, Welch, O’Donnell and Greene completely exasperated the Blasters to the point of causing them to take needless fouls. The first half ended with the Cougars ahead, 8-4.

            The second half was the same as the first. Very methodical, very deliberate and very slow. The Blasters were clearly frustrated by lack of offense but were unable to break the grip of the Cougars superb court and team play.  The Cougars were able to pass their way into the record books again by finishing a very respectable and completely unexpected 3rd in the State Championship.

            “These boys did the more than anyone expected this week and I am very proud of them.  All of East Farewell should be proud of them. They played as a team, a great team and they showed they could play with the best teams in the state.  There is no denying that this team is one of the best, if not the best, to play at Regional High,” said Coach Wilson after the tournament.

            The East Farewell News congratulates and salutes the 1952-53 Regional High Cougars.  Well done, boys.  


East Farewell- While the entire town celebrates the Cougars tournament showing, there is also heightened anticipation for the opening of the baseball season.  The Travelers will be opening their season Saturday in Corning at 1:30.  The game has been sold out for weeks but many folks are going to make the trip in the hope that more tickets will be made available.  Everyone is looking forward to a repeat of last year’s winning season. The entire team is healthy, Johnny Cloos is back in shape and he says he is completely recovered from his season ending injury from last season. 


 NATIONAL NEWS


IKE GOES FISHING – BASEBALL MINOR LEAGUES THREATENED – FOLKS WANT IKE TO TALK TO COMMIES


President Eisenhower takes time out from affairs of state for a round of golf and some trout fishing with his youngest brother, Dr Milton Eisenhower, president of Pennsylvania State College. The President caught several trout with a dry fly

Baseball’s top brass testify at Senate hearings. It seems that television and radio broadcasts of major league games are eroding attendance of minor league games in smaller cities.  “The major leagues cannot exist without the minor leagues. They’re the source of big league player material,” say the Pros.  Testimony stipulated that minor league attendance has dropped between 16,000,000 and 17,000,000 since 1949. Of 273 minor league clubs reporting - only 19 made a profit.

In another poll by George Gallup - public opinion stands behind President Eisenhower’s policy to go halfway with Russia in trying to settle the Korean problem. In a 7-1 ratio - Americans believe we would try to work out a peace agreement with the Communists under the aegis of the United Nations, rather than continue the fighting. The public today is in a conciliatory mood and would approve of our making some concessions if the Communists also give in on some of their demands


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