The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 15

en people Tiraos Herald SB Monday May 11, 1981 IBS Optometrist customers at 83 WHAT'S HAPPENING John F. Brown mm, i JW 'v 1 1 ffcA V'. f- WORKING WORLD businesses. He wore a three-piece suit attire that has been part of his life for decades. As Bridges reminisced, he looked up and down the long, narrow store; the clocks on the walls ticked, then chimed in harmony.

Bridges said: "Dad started all of this nearly 90 years ago. He was a gifted man. In the beginning I worked right in dad's store, sweeping the floor and washing the windows you know, all those important jobs. But back then I thought about running a hotel, not a jewelry store. I took over the store in 1954 when dad died, and my daughter came in to help me.

"Years ago you could get a real good diamond for $500. It's five times that today. When we first started, everyone wanted solid gold jewelry. Now costume jewelry is the thing." Bridges said the profession of optometry hao grown with leaps and bounds since he obtained his degree in 1924 from Northern College in Illinois. The profession of examining the eyes, measuring errors in refraction, and prescribing glasses to correct defects was in its infancy when he started.

"More than anything else, the new equipment that is being used today in optometry has helped to turn the profession around. It's a computer age," he said. Bridges was born Nov. 5, 1897, in Marine City to William W. and Elizabeth Bridges.

He has a sister, Emma, Marine City. As he remembers it, there were 10 or 12 students in his Marine tJhi- Ti Today Registration deadline for May 14 parenting seminar at St. Clair County Community College. More information is available from Clarence Brock or Jean McLeod at the St. Clair County Intermediate School District.

"Alleluia," The Joyful Sounds spring concert series, 8 p.m., First Church of the Nazarene, Port Huron. Bloodmobile visit, through 6 p.m., Port Huron Hospital, 1001 Kearney Port Huron. Tuesday Quilt show, 1 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m., Marlette Presbyterian Church. Sponsored by the church Women's Association.

Bloodmobile visit, Red Cross office, 1415 Military Port Huron. Wednesday Greg Scelsca and Steve Millang, children's recording artists, in concert, 7 p.m., St. Clair County Intermediate School District Administration Building. Sponsored by Head Start and the Blue Water Association for the Edication of Young Children. Immunization clinic, 1 to 3:30 p.m., St.

Clair County Health Department Blue Water Bridge Clinic, 2323 Gratiot Ave. Thursday "Amorous Flea," 8 p.m., Port Huron Little Theatre Blood pressure screening clinic, 9 a.m. to noon, United Way of St. Clair County, 1723 Military Port Huron. State of Michigan auto mechanics' certification tests, 10 a.m.

to 2 p.m., College Center Building, St. Clair County Community College. Advance registration not required. PEOPLE IN SERVICE A.B, Gary "Skip" G. McLean II has been promoted to Senior Airman.

He is stationed at Grand Forks, N.D. Airforce Base. McLean is a 1978 graduate of Yale High School. He is the grandson of Marion Minard and great-grandson of Veva Blank, both of Snover. SCOUT NEWS The Catholic Committee on Scouting, Blue Water Council, held a retreat May 1 to 3 at the Silver Trails Scout Reservation.

Boy Scouts from the Blue Water Area, Sarnia and Detroit were invited. The retreat, with the theme of Friendship, was conducted by the Rev. Jude Ellinghausen, St. Joseph's parish, Port Huron. Thirty six scouts and 14 adults attended.

STILL ON THE JOB Dr. John N. Bridges, a Marine City optometrist, continues to work after nearly 60 years and has no immediate plans for retirement. CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES MARINE CITY Dr. John N.

Bridges has walked softly in his community for nearly 60 years as an optometrist and jewelry store owner. This gentle and gifted 83-year-old has examined thousands of people for glasses. And as a jewelry store owner, he's sold practically everyone in the community some type of jewelry, watch or gift. Bridges works in the same block where his father started the business in September 1891. The store, at 344 S.

Water was called W.W. Bridges Son Jewelry until February, when Bridges sold the jewelry business to his daughter, Margaret Dan-neels; it's now called Bridges Jewelry. Bridges' optometry office is separated by a wall from the jewelry business. Long-time customers still ask to speak to "the man who sold me this ring 30 years ago." And Bridges still waits on customers when asked and shares his wisdom with his daughter in diamond buying. But it's the optometry business that keeps him going now.

Walter S. Temple, Fair Haven, a customer and patient, said Bridges is the type of man who often goes unnoticed in the busy working world. Temple said: "I'm nearing the 74 mark myself; and believe me, I know what I'm talking about when I say men like Doc Bridges don't come along every day. He's quiet, and he doesn't say much. You don't have to say much if you know your business.

And that's what Doc Bridges is all about. "I've never been charged a dime's interest in his store. And as for my glasses, well, I can't begin to tell you the number of times he's straigntened and tightened them for me without charging me a nickel. "They don't come any better than Doc Bridges," Temple said. The 5-foot, 10-inch, 155-pound Bridges was standing in the doorway that separates the two Michelle Sehattler Frances Fritz ist in the Daughters of the American Revolution American history contest sponsored by the Ottawa chapter in St.

Clair County. Her essav on "A Military Leader of the Battle Yorktown Lafayette" was entered in state competition. Sehattler, a fifth-grader at Garfield Elementary School, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warren D.

Sehattler, Port Huron. She received $5, a medal and a certificate of appreciation. Other certificates were given to the following runners-up: Stephanie Shrccvr, Garfield School, for an essay on George Washington; Patrice Lang, St. Mary's School, St. Clair, for her essay on Cornwallis; Chris Morgan, St.

Mary's School, for an essay on Rochambeau, and Diane Biewer, St. Mary's for an essay on George Washington. Thirty-seven elementary schools in St. Clair County were invited to participate in the contest, to honor the Oct. 19 bicentennial of Cornwallis's surrender.

ticed that It now comes In metric-sized bottles, with a liter corresponding roughly to a quart. If there are a thousand mililiters In a liter, how many mililiters dors a coffee cup hold? A 2, 20, 200. sj f- City High School graduating class in 1915. Before going to Northern, Bridges attended Ferris State University for a year. Bridges and Verneda C.

Buchler were married in October 1924 in Marine City. They have two daughters, Margaret Danneels, Marine City, and Marielle Bush, Sault Ste. Marie. They have eight grandsons and two greatgrandchildren. There have been no hobbies in Bridges' life: "Just my work," he said.

"My patients and my customers have been everything to me. And I've also taken care of the books." A heart attack in 1980 slowed hirn down a little but only a little. He still works from noon until 4 p.m. six days a week. Bridges said he was urged to retire after his heart attack.

"I couldn't lie around the house; I had to do something. Now I'm only working four hours a day, and that's like doing nothing. I don't want to I love the people I work with." John Bridges says he doesn't like to be called Dr. Bridges. But he's earned and deserves the initials before his name by being more than a businessman to his patients and customers; he's been a friend for nearly 60 years.

Sunday's Working World will feature Dolores Lincoln, a native of Angels Camp, (he home of Mark Twain's jumping frog, who serves as chief dispatcher for the Lakes Pilot Association in Port Huron. iRV. Marv in H. Hintman Pamela Rae Fretcnborough He will be employed by the TRW Defense and Space Systems Group in Los Angeles. He is the son of Mr.

and Mrs. Marvin A. Hintzman, Fair Haven. David A. Rice graduated May 2 from the University of Michigan School of Business with a Bachelor of Business Science degree in accounting, While a senior, Rice was president of the Bates II, Zewit House dormitory.

He is the son of Mr and Mrs. Richard II. Rice, Port Huron. He has accepted a position with the Carrier Syracuse, N.Y. 30 is hot, 20 is nice, 10 is cool, Zero is ice.

Put it a different way if you give the metric system a centimeter, it won't take a kilometer. Congratulations to Mike Roulette, a Goodells native, who recently was named the manager of a new mart store in Novi. Goulette worked at the Port Huron Township mart store for 10 years. He will be honored with a party at the formal opening of the new store Thursday. Si The Times Herald Greg Jenson HEAR Grace Shannon David E.

Smith Frances Vnndctt Fritz will be honored Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. with an open house at the Palms Elementary School, hosted by the school staff and Parent Teacher Club. Fritz will retire this year from the East China School District. Fritz has been teaching since 1943 in the Fort Gratiot, East China and Fair Haven districts. She left the Dust one-room school on Star-ville Road in 1960 to join the Palms school when it opened.

All Fritz's former students and coworkers are invited to the open house. Michelle Sehattler was the final Mary Harris 0 fiFS DID YOU Marion Stewart Marlon Stewart and Grace Shannon received volunteer of the year awards May 5 from the Museum Guild of the Museum of Arts and History, Port Huron. The two perform such duties at the museum as conducting tours and working in the museum store. David Earl Smith, director of bands at the Deckerville Community Schools, recently earned the title of Distinguished Bandmaster of America from the First Chair of America honor organization. Smith is now one of 487 directors across the nation who are approved the qualify their students for honorary and active membership in the United States of America School Band.

other things. Here are a couple of questions the board made up to test your metric awareness: A grant weighs about the same as: A an apple, a dime, a pineapple. If you answered .033 ounces, you answered A meter Is about the height of i A a door, a kitchen counter, the seat of a chnlr. The right answer is 39.4 inches. The height of a basketball player Is: A 20 centimeters, 200 centimeters, David A.

Rice v. i Pamela Rae Fretcnborough graduated April 25 from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Social Work degree. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Fretenbrough, North Street.

Marvin II. Hintman graduated May 2 from the University of Michigan with a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering. A 1975 graduate of Algonac High School, Hintzman received his Associate in Science degree from St. Clair County Community College in 1977 and Bachelor of Science degree from of in The answer there is about 6.5 ounces. A newborn baby weighs about: A 3 kilograms, 30 kilograms, 300 kilograms.

This might be easier if you consider that a liter of water weighs a kilogram. With that in mind, it's pretty obvious that the answer is about 6.6 pounds. About the most difficult part of the metric system for most people is the weather, the board says. It suggests remembering this nursery rhyme to translate centigrade temperatures: If you know answers, you measure up metrically BY THE WAY The switch to metric terms isn't something that's going to hit the American public like a kiloton of bricks. Rather, it's going to creep Into our collective consciousness centimeter by centimeter.

Nevertheless, the change to metric is slowly taking place. And to heighten public awareness of the change, this week has been named National Metric Week. The U.S. Metric Board says most of us already are more aware of metric terms than we think, because of exposure to them through medicines, food Ingredient labels and 2,000 centimeters. The answer Is again 6-fnot-6.

So much for length. Let's try liquid volume. If you've bought wine or liquor lately, you may have no I.