EAST FAREWELL
NEWS
Thursday, December
31, 1953 Vol. C445
LOCAL
NEWS
1953 – QUITE A YEAR – THE YEAR
IN REVIEW
East Farewell – It was quite a year for East Farewell. The town
almost doubled population due to the booming economy and the huge rise in the
summer home construction. This was in spite of the town being bypassed by the
new super highway being built across the state. Some folks have said that the
enormous growth was not in spite of the bypass but, due to the bypass. The
opinion is divided pretty much down the middle on that. Either way the growth
is real and has led to a number of changes in town. The Regional High School
will begin construction on a new wing for the school and will see the largest
graduating class ever. On the sports front, this year has seen some exciting
contests. The beloved Travelers repeated their championships ways by winning
their second League Championship. Not to be outdone the Regional High School
Cougars were also in the winning column. The ’52-’53 Cougar cagers shocked the
state by coming third in the State Tournament and the gridiron Cougars were
able to secure a very respectable season in spite of their youth and losing
their star quarterback.
The town also
held many successful events including the first Flower Show, the 3rd
Annual Bike Race, the first Bar-B Que Cook-off, the Annual Labor Day Arts
Festival and Fair and the first Farmer’s Market. There were also some not so
great things that happened in East Farewell last year, like the Fourth of July
Fireworks explosion and the Fun Pier disaster. The town and all the townsfolk
were able to pull together and turn those debacles into positive experiences.
The Fun Pier was rebuilt, bigger and better and there were no injuries in the
fireworks explosion. The biggest scandal of the year was probably the Mr. Pitts Toll Booth
buying scandal that rocked the town back in April. Thanks to diligent police
work and a sharp eye by Korean War vet, Bernie Quinn, the money
was recovered. Unfortunately, Mr. Pitts is still on the lamb.
The plans for the golf course are
still on track, slower than planned but still moving forward. The beautifully
restored Playhouse opened to critical acclaim and was able to put on a full
schedule of shows with the season ending finale, A Christmas Carol, starring
Leo G. Carroll. Even the unexpected landing of the Seaplane on Lake Charles was
quite the event. The Circus returning to East Farewell created a whole week of
pleasant memories for all and the first Dog Show was a big hit. To top all the
events, the Thanksgiving Day Parade took the prize and the Valentine’s Day
Dance as well the Christmas Social helped make this a very enjoyable year in
East Farewell.
SPORTS
COUGARS OUTRANK THE CAPTAINS
East Farewell – The Cougars were able to get back in the winning
column with a win over the Fort Lee Captains, 52-40, on Wednesday. The win was
sorely needed by the Cougars after disappointing losses to Riverview and Slate
Mountain. The win brings their early season record back above .500.
The game
started slowly as both teams showed strong defense. The Captains are, like the
Cougars, a young team with mostly sophomores on the court. They have had their
setbacks this year and are only showing one win in for the season so far. They
are expected to improve as the season goes on but last week the Cougars were
able to take advantage of the relative inexperience of the Captains. The Cougars
were able to start to pull away by the end of the first half, leading 26-18 at
the buzzer.
In the second
half the Cougars came out shooting and ran off a 10-2 run with guards Wendell
Jones and Jimmy Welch coming alive 6 and 4 points respectively. Center Dan
Davis was able to control under the basket and grab 13 rebounds for a game
leading total. The Captains were able to regroup somewhat in the last period
but were unable to close the gap any closer than four points. As the game
concluded the Cougars went on a small run to seal the win.
The Cougars
will host the East Farewell Winter tournament next week throughout the week.
The Cougars are not the top seed this year even though they won last year’s
tournament. The tournament expanded this
year. The teams represented along with the Cougars are; the Central Bears, Riverview
Wildcats, Slate Mountain Canaries,
Riverview Wildcats, Fort Lee Captains, Southport Hawks, Slate Mountain Miners
and the Corning Devils. The tournament is a double elimination and will have three
games a day on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with the finals and
semi-finals on Wednesday. The Final game will be Wednesday night at 7:00PM in
the Regional High Gymnasium. The games are expected to be almost all sold out
with many folks coming in from other towns to root for their favorites.
NATIONAL NEWS
IKE LIKES PROSPERITY – NEW POLICIES ON
MILITARY RESERVES – WHEELER SELLS ALL – 1953 SPORTS BEST LIST
In a nationwide radio and television broadcast, President Eisenhower says that every legitimate means is being used to maintain the nation’s prosperity and will continue to be used as necessary. The president hit out at “self-appointed” peddlers of gloom and doom and said his administration will not tolerate “a boom-and-bust American” dependent on war or threats of war for prosperity.”
President Eisenhower ordered “a new
approach” to military reserve policies:
1) An “immediately callable reserve ”consisting
of well-trained men who would be ready for immediate military service.”
2) A “selectively callable reserve” composed of men who would be subject to recall or deferment on the basis of occupation, special skills, age, marital and paternal status, and other factors.”
Buy Buy, not Bye Bye – Elmer Wheeler is
considered the best salesman alive. He’s the one who taught restaurants to
“sell the sizzle, not the steak. He taught gas station men to say “fill ‘er -
up?” instead of “How many?” He also taught soda fountain men to ask
drinkers of malted milks - “one egg - or two?” - The result - millions
of eggs were sold that otherwise would have gone unsold. Wheeler - who’s 47, is
a sales consultant to 240 corporations. Wheeler says no one in this country
under 30 knows how to sell.
“The war did that.” (Because of scarcity of products due to the war) “People have been pointing to a thing and saying ‘I’ll take that,’ hoping to beat the other customer to it. Now that’s over, and salesmen are going to have to learn how to sell.
In sports - Ben Hogan, called the
greatest golfer who ever lived, is voted male athlete of the year for 1953 in
the 23rd annual year-end Associated Press poll. Here’s the list:
Ben Hogan - golf
Rocky Marciano - boxing
Willie Shoemaker - racing
Johnny Lattner - football
Paul Giel - football
Roy Campanella – baseball
Al Rosen – baseball
Mel Whitfield - track
Ted Williams - baseball
Wes Santee - track
Many, many
thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for
contributing to this section of the East Farewell News.
