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The Kokomo Tribune from Kokomo, Indiana • Page 16

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Kokomo, Indiana
Issue Date:
Page:
16
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16 KOKOMO (Intt.) TRIBUNE Thursday, Dee. 31, 1964 Election Again One of the Year's Top Stories Democrats Swept All But Two Offices Here The 1964 election on Nov. 3, a big story nationwide, was one of the biggest news events of the year here in Howard County as well. The Democratic tidal wave i swept through the nation engulfed the Kepublican ticket here--except for county offices --auditor a treasurer. Only Arthur J.

LaDow, auditor, and Don R. Sell crs, treasurer, survived th storm and LaDow won by jus 981 votes while Sellers was re elected by J59. In all other- contests here Democratic candidates the winners. Elected in this county were Joseph E. Me Gowan, state representative; John M.

Peacock, coroner; Earl Robert Martin, surveyor; and La Vaughn Hawkins and Ingcls, commissioners. Howard County also gave a majority of 2,244 to McAdoo W. Clouser, of Tlpton, for joint representative from Tipton and Howard Counties, and McAdoo carried his home county by 585. Democratic and state candidates swept Howard County by big pluralities. President Lyndon Johnson polled 17,809 votes against 12,897 for Sen.

Barry Goldwater, for a plurality of U.S. Sen. Vance Hartke carried the county by 3,224 over State Sen. D. Russell Pontrager; Roger D.

Branigin won the the political field, as far as Howard County was was the of G. Richard Ellis, Kokomo attorney and former state senator, for the Republican nomination for governor. Ellis was a candidate at the GOP state convention in June and received 156 votes on the first ballot, the highest vote given him during the balloting, which resulted in the nomination of Lieutenant Governor Risline. Two Howard County natives won nomination at the Republican convention, but were defeated in the Democratic landslide in November. They 'are Gerald Powell, of Peru, who was nominated for secretary of state, and Allen L.

Lindley, who was, nominated for state audi- or. There were no Howard County Democrats who were andidates for that party's state icket this time. The two party elected officers in May, Robert C. Ford winning the post of Democratic county chairman again and Ralph L. Helms the Democratic Headquarters Happy on Election Night county from Lt.

Gov. Richard 0. Ristine by and Congressman J. Edward Roush was a big winner here by 3,340 over John R. Felghner.

Branigin's plurality over Ris tine and candidates from two other parties was the largest which any candidate on the state or national ballots receiv ed. Former Coroner Peacock, in winning another term in that office, rolled up the largest majority of the day, defeating Edward H. Showalter by 7.SS8. A little more than 75 per tent of the registered voters went to the polls here, the total turnout being 30,941. This compared with 34,939 votes cast In November, 1960, or a percentage of 79.02 of the registered vote.

Thus, the 1960 election continued to hold the all-time record in the number of peole who exercised their voting A story of prime interest in office of Republican chairman. Helms was i named GOP chairman in February Walter H. Mead, city controller, resigned the post. At the reorganization meetings in May, Helms was elected unanimously, and the GOP committee named Mrs. Frank Gregory vice-chairman, succeeding Mrs.

Zuma Marquis; Mrs. Carl Derr secretary, succeeding Mrs. Charles Craig; and James L. Duke, treasurer (reelected). Ford's forces beat down -an insurgent move to oust him as garnering 40 votes to 25 for Mrs.

Kathryn Stephenson. The latter had sought to move up from the vice chairmanship which she had held since Dec. 1, 1962. The county committee elected Mrs. Edria Bender vice chairman in her place, United Fund, Jaycees, JA, of Management Club, Made Headlines Carmen Vetter a elected secretary and Harold E.

'Coleman treasurer. Also in May, Mrs. Fannie Mae Hummer of Kokomo was reelected. Democratic i chairman 1 forthe Fifth District; She defeated Augusts Boi- sone of Wabash, 12 votes to 8. Organizations made a lot of news here in 1964.

Charles Rine, manufacturing manager of Delco Radio Division, was elected president of the United Fund of Howard County, and Robert B. Hotchkiss was chosen first vice president. The United Fund annual drive came close to 90 per cent of its goal and expected to surpass the goal through late canvassing reports. Joe W. Myers, vice president, industrial relations at Continental Steel was general chairman of the 1964 fund campaign.

In May, the Kokomo Junior Chamber of Commerce was named the outstanding Jaycce organization in Indiana. Outstanding clubs were named in formance. Requirements in-rbert Summers," Indianapolis elude activities in such fields as secretary-treasurer; and Rus- four divisions and the four winners then were considered for the Pioneer Award, the top UFOs Caused Another Flurry During the Year Those UFOs caused anothe flurry in Kokomo during 1964 Unidentified flying objects or saucers, were reported seen by a number of citizens in Apri and May. First, people who said they saw something fall from the sky with a "big glow" reported it to the sheriff's office. A 15-year-old boy reported seeing an UFO land in a woods near the Maple Crest shopping center.

He said it was oval shap ed, about like a football and silver in color. "I'm sure," said Robert A. Cast, of Gateway Gardens, "that it wasn't a meteorite." Deputy sheriffs and patrolling policemen got into the act and said they sighted similar objects. One man theorized that what he saw was a reconnaissance plane, and a policeman reported seeing an object, silver in color, moving across the horizon. Deputy Sheriff Joe Johns saw a "large, bright red" objec which changed to creamy or white as he followed 'it aboui five "miles.

Kokomoans seemed to be de eloping "flylns saucer nerves" as more reports came in. The Tribune news room was flooded with calls from people who had spotted them. One woman saw "balTof light" disappear on the west side. The Pentagon in Washington was contacted and identified three of the sightings as Echo satellites. But some citizens said that what they saw were not satellites.

David Wade, Kokomo R.R. 5. and four of his friends re ported seeing a round light rotating on an axis. They said it changed color from blue to green to red. Larry Smith, 1110 Walnut reported a sira- illar sighting.

The flurry passed without any one proving anything. CROP Drive Went Over $4,000 Goal Howard County went over its goal in the 1964 CROP cam paign, in which food and cash for the Christian Rural Overseas Program were donated. The campaign had a goal of $4,000 and exceeded it by three dollars. Edward Obenneyer was chairman for the county campaign. LBJ Made Brief Visit to Base At Bunker Hill President Lyndon B.

Johnson visited the Kokomo area brief- during 1964, but not on a campaign lour. The President stopped at the Bunker Hill Air Force Base on April 24, after visiting a job re raining school at South Bend. Accompanying him Mrs. Johnson, Gov. Matthew Velsh and Indiana Senators Birch Bayh and Vance Hartke.

Mr. Johnson and his party flew into the base in three helicopters, and spent about six minutes there. He was the first U.S. President to visit this area since Harry S. Truman made a stop in Kokomo during the 1948 'presi- prize for a Jaycee organization in the state.

The Kokomo junior chamber won it. In. June, Kokomo junior chamber 'took second place in the nation in the public relations category at the Jaycee national convention in Dallas, Tex. The chamber was cited for "dynamic programs patterned to describe the story of young men of action working in the best interest of the community." Carl Grinstead -of Swartwout Fabricators, was elected president of the junior chamber and took office July 1. Other officers elected were Walter Roessler, executive vice presr dent; Rex Berry, external vice president; Lawrence Altemeyer, internal vice president; Robert Leonard, secretary; and Charles Striddle, treasurer.

The Junior Achievement program got off to another start, with eight companies of management devel membership, attendance and program presentation and content during the club's activities year. New officers of the Management Club are Robert Gaddis, Continental Steel, president; Herbert Delco, first vice-president; Wayne Cannon, Continental, Pope, Chrysler, and Herman Me- Combs, Delco, vice presidents; Richard Dugger, Cuneo Press, secretary; William Meyers, Pittsburgh Plate Glass, treasurer; and Robert Cooley, Union Carbide chairman. The Howard County Tubercu losis Association George Malott president in November, and named Frank Chapel first vice president, Jerry Land second vice president, Mrs. Joseph Cain secretary, and Marie Hadley, treasurer. Mallott succeeded Roger B.

Johnston as head of the organization. Civic clubs elected the following new presidents; Rotary, George W. Clare; Kiwanis, Elwood- Luellen; Lions, Kenneth Brook; Metropolitan Kiwanis, Don Meyers; Exchange, Glen Banner; Optimist, a Pierce. Chalmer Denny, of Kokomo, served during the year as governor of Rotary Clubs in the 656th district. Isiah Kenner was elected president of the Kokomo chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Chosen to serve with him were: Theodore Simmons, first vice president; Franklin Brecken- sell McCoy, Kokomo Operating Engineers Local 103, financial secretary-treasurer. Engineering societies and chapters in Kofconw had another busy year. A Kokomo area chapter of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers was formed, with 25 members, and elected Richard Lewis, of Del- Co Radio, president; Cecil Leslie, Continental Steel, and Donald Collins, Delco, vice presidents; James Beeson (Perfect Circle, Tipton), secretary; and Thomas Triplet! (Chrysler) treasurer. The Kokomo Engineering Society elected Arthur Hossenlopp, Delco Radio, president and board chairman. A Wabash Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers was formed in November, with the following officers: Richard Lewis, president; Howard Cannon, first vice Record Construction Volume Reported, Employment Rose, Many Apartments Erected It was a big building year In Kokomo and Howard County -the biggest on record.

By December the estimated value of construction rose to over first time the building industry had surpassed the $25 million mark in any one year. As reported by the city-county plan commission, the number of permits issued for new tomes was between 00 and Prior to 1964, the biggest building year was 1963, which saw the value of construction at total of $17,544,989. Employment in the 15 indus- rial firms reporting to the Ko- k-omo office of the Indiana State Employment Security Division topped 18,000. Figures announced late in the year put the num ber of persons holding jobs at he 15 firms at 18,352, up 1,377 ver a year ago. Assessments of public utili- ies in Howard County gained nearly half a million dollars, ising to $13,348,260.

A year ago- ton with Jack Aldridge, C. R. Mummert and Betty Renolds as directors. Boardings on Lake Central Airlines flights increased over a year ago. In August, for example, they were up 31.5 per cent, rising from 327 for August, 1963, to 430 for August, 1964.

In October, boardings were 33 per cent above October, 1963. Lake Central added a second non-stop flight between Kokomo and Chicago. The flight leaves Kokomo 1 at 9:08 and departs Chicago for Kokomo at 11:10 a.m. Efforts to avert a possible suspension of Lake a service to Kokomo resulted in formation of a campaign sparked by the Chamber of Commerce. A hearing was held 10 in Washington before the Civil Aeronautics Board to present Kokomo's case for retaining the service, and the $6,000 expense of the case was born 50-50 by the chamber and The Kokomo Tribune.

Ground was broken and construction begun on a commercial building planned by a new. ly organized company known as the Kokomo Development on a 10-acre tract along Lincoln Road. president; Don' Collins, second vice president; Eugene Kiehl, treasurer; and Michael Green, secretary: The chapter is the 22nd in Region Eight and the 143rd in the national AIIE organization. heir total was $12,886,560. The ain was due chiefly to the rowth of the electric light, gas, rater, and telephone utilities nd the railroads.

Apartment construction saw big push during the year. The merican National Trust of Ko- omo made rapid progress on its $1,100,000 Chateau Lafontaine apartments south of the Maple Crest Shopping Center. The large, development will house 160 family units, and includes 12 two-story buildings and four 24-story ones. Sixteen cabana units are to be built around the swimming pool as facilities to be used for guests of apartment tenants. The project is scheduled 1 for completion by next July.

Kingston Green, Indianapolis, built' four additional apartment structures on Alto Baptists' Corporation Announced Plans For Home for the Retired An announcement that reflect ed the magnetic effect of Ko somo's remarkable growth wa; made Nov. 16 when the Indiana baptist Homes and Hospitals inc. Revealed it had selected this cify as a site for a new home for retired people. The Baptist organization pur chased 90 acres of ground on the Alto Road west of the South Kokomo drive-in theater, ac quiring the land from Mr. and Mrs.

Roscoe Dean. It plans to construct the home for retirees in two stages, the first to be built in 1966 and to contain 150 beds. The estimated cost of the first stage is $1,500,. 000, and a second stage, also of 150 beds, is planned for a later date. Indiana Baptist Homes a Hospitals, a not-for-profit! corporation, operates a home for retired people at Zionsville, is constructing a second one at Fort Wayne, and has plans for two more, one at Columbus and i The church organization also it considering a fifth horns at Bloomington.

Although affiliated with Baptist Church, the new mo home will admit any qualified resident regardless of religious faith. Men and women 75 years of age and older art the age group for whom lome is being planned. Two Kokomo men the Rev. John M. Newsom, pastor of the 'irst Baptist Church, and Barry V.

Foreman, insurance underwriter are members of the Baptist Homes and Hospitals board. teen agers organized to produce and market products as a. way of learning the operation of the free enterprise system. Fred J. Lutz of the Chrysler Corp.

transmission plant is president of the program this year and Arthur W. Reynolds of the Public Service Co. of'Indiana is the executive director. The Kokomo Management Club, made up of foremen and supervisory personnel from the city's industries, won the Excellent Club Award of the National Management Assn. It was the ninth time the local club had won this highly-coveted award.

The Excellent Club status can be gained only by clubs achieving the established ridge, second vice president; Mrs. Brunetta Fowler, secretary; Mrs. Juanita Cole, assist- dential election campaign. standards of excellence in. per- ant secretary.

Elected to the chapter's executive board were: Don Cole, Hollii King, Durwood Bundrent, the Rev. J. McFarlane Smith, Mrs, Martha Simmons, Richard Graham, the Rev. L. J.

Hall, Ernest Breckenridge, the Rev. Franklin Kemper, Ken neth Gregory, the Rev. W. K. Robertson, George Jackson.

In labor circles, a North Central Building Trades Council (AFL-CIO) was formed, and Wilmer Groves, Plumber Local No, 330 of this city, was elected president. Other officers elected were Glen Mitchner, Kokomo Plumbers Local 689, vice president; Ernest Redden, Kokomo Business Repairs Lo cal 87, recording secretary; Al New Doctors, Attorneys Who Located Here Professional circles in Kokomo were increased during 1984 by the location of a number of physicians and attorneys here. Physicians who located here are Dr. John Elleman, who opened his office for general practice following a tour of duty in the U.S. Army; Dr.

Norman K. Wilson, who came associated with Dr. Richard V. Bradley in general practice; Dr. Norman T.

Townley. who became associated with Drs. David P. Lehman a John DeBrota in the practice of anesthesiology; Dr. Thomas Edwin Farrell, who became an associate of Dr.

Charles Smith in the practice of radiology at the Howard Community Hospital; and Dr. Milo Sekulich, who entered the practice of radiology with Dr. Marvin Golper at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital. Four new attorneys in the city are James Butcher, who entered the practice of law with L.

Owen Bolinger; Mi Road East at the site of other apartments it had erected there. The building permit for the additional units was in the amount of $360,000. Kingston Green has around 41 acres of ground in the area. Maple Crest Realty Corporation obtained a permit in May to construct two more apartment buildings on its Lincoln Road development, and by the end of the year had completed them. Each.

building contains 12 family units and is 103 by 35 feet in size. The Lusk Corp. was seeking a permit to construct apartments for 117 families at the southeast corner of Center Road and the U.S. 31 Bypass. The estimated cost ws $1,050,000.

A 14-family, three-story structure at 518 W. Mulberry providing another apartment Bonds Were Sold For Addition of 40 Beds At Community Hospital building near the downtown area, was announced. The permit for the project was in the amount of $95,000. More land development and construction enterprises were formed in October, They included the CFM Builders, 513 Reynolds with Richard Chaplin, C. T.

Free and Jack Morgan as directors, and the Washington Five, at 3115 S. Washing The year 1964 saw the How ard Community Hospital.take a major step toward expansion On Nov. 24 the county com missioners sold $450,000 of bonds to finance the addition of fa cilities which will provide 41 more beds at the hospital. The bond issue was purchased by the American Fletcher National Bank and Raffensperger- Hughes both of Indian apolis. Their bid called for an interest rate of three and one- eighths per cent.

The commissioners acted aft er petitions were circulated and signed by the required number of citizens. No remonstrance was filed against the bonds. With the hospital operating at almost 100 cent of capacity and a waiting list of patients wanting to enter, the trustees decided that expansion could not be delayed. The program to enlarge the institution will start in 1965, and will include the addition of two floors on the west wing, with 20 beds to each floor, as well as an extension of the Xray and laboratory facilities. This will bring the number of beds at the hospital to 140.

Trustees of the- hospital reported that it is paying its way. It had a surplus -of 262.52'in 1963, and with the addition of 40 beds will be in an even better position to pay its own operating expense, they said. The two floors to be added will otal around 9,670 square feet. while J.OOO square feet are to idded to the laboratory and Xray quarters. Most of the 20 rooms will wo-bed units, with two patients each room.

Three Acres of Land Added to Park System chael Ord, who joined the firm of Cook, Bayliff, Mahoney and Martin; Vernard Johnson, who associated with John Grimes; and James Oliver, who opened, his own office. Indiana Baptist Homes Planned for Retired Two Oldtime Buildings In Kokomo Razed Two longtime buildings were razed in 1964, with automobile. sales. agencies taking over the lots. The old Moose Lodge home at Taylor and Buckeye Streets was torn down, after its purchase, by Wiese Oldsmobile, for a parking lot.

The Moose building had been erected, in 1918 and was damaged by fire several years ago, the lodge then constructing a new home in south Kokomo. The Smith Apartments at 210 W. Taylor on the lot east of the Pontiac used car lot was razed to make way for an addition to the'used car lot of the Charles Conkle Motor Pontiac dealers. Population Of City, County Showing Gain Although many residents were of the opinion that Kofco mo now has a population of 50,000, the latest figures from the Indiana State Board of Health, released in June, put the city's population at 48,700. The board of health also estimated Howard County's population as 73,700.

The board's figures were based on estimates it made in July, 1963, however. Accurate official totals will not be available until the next federal census in' 1970. The I960 U.S. Census Bureau re port gave Kokomo's population as 47,200 and Howard County's as 69,500. the state health board's estimates.

are Kokomo has grown by l.JOO since the 19(0 ctnm tnd Howard County frown by The census of 1950 reported Kokomo having 38,872 residents and Howard County as having 54,198. in 14 years the city has grown by 10,028 and the county by 19,502. The year of 1964 was another bumper one for the Kokom Park System, with three acre of land added to the system and record use made of faci ities already available. Attendance at the municipa swimming pool reached a new high and an estimate 100,000 participants were re corded in the city's summe recreation. There was no estimate on the number who visited tin parks for picnics and other out ings--but the total would read the hundreds of thousands.

to the park system during the year was a three acre tract of land at the end West Carter, near Westmore land Drive. This property will be developed into a neighborhood park. A building located on the lite will be improved, with thoufht being given to pro visions for Senior Citizen activities. The land was purchased from Raymond Mehlig Sr, for $15,009. Improvement of the west- lids tract will five the city 11 major parks, nine of which were in full use The tenth, Mohr Park in Cedar Crest Subdivision, wap Ijejng developed during the year.

As usual, Highland Park, the city's largest, attracted the most 1 visitors. One of the most popular attractions there was a duck population that captured the fancy of young and old alike. The a department solved the problem of housing the ducks during the winter by constructing a shelter alongside-a building near the ice-skating area. Last fall, a power shovel moved into the creek to dredge one side, and the other side will be cleaned out next falli Still later, other heavy equipment appeared as a sewer contractor laid a new sanitary sewer line through the heart of the park. Throughoul the year, th-e park department added picnic areas a Webster a Ricketts Streets.

The park administartion remained in the hands of Robert lodgers, parks and recreation director, and a four-member that includes R. V. Rank, Lee Walters, John McGaffney nd Arthur L. Miller. Last June, Walters was -Teamed to the board for a foiw- year -term.

Terjns of the. other tree trustees did not expire uring the year. At its last '64 meeting in lecembcr, the board re-elect- id Rank named Miler vice president, McGaffney reasurer, and Walters secretary..

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About The Kokomo Tribune Archive

Pages Available:
574,923
Years Available:
1868-1999