Dec. 14, 1955: V-M Plans Drastic Changes Due To Newsprint Shortage

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 14, 1955.

V-M Plans Drastic Changes Due To Newsprint Shortage

As with other daily newspapers from coast to coast, The Vidette-Messenger faces a severe newsprint shortage in 1956 that manufacturers consider more critical than during World War II.

Although The Vidette-Messenger has conserved on its newsprint the past year, only increasing its usage because of a normal growth in circulation, many measures will have to be taken to assure publication of a paper each day.

In the works right now, according to General Manager Avery B. Weaver, are plans to use paper rolls of narrower width, closer editing of stories, closer checks on free copies, fewer tear sheets, and, when possible, fewer pages in an issue.

Closer editing will mean cutting out non-essentials in articles to the best judgment of the managing editor and banning an increase in more features.

What hits the V-M squarely between the eyes is the continual gain in population in both Valparaiso and Porter county, the area of its circulation which it must serve, with both news coverage and advertising.

Because of a delay by its supplier in shipping a carload of newsprint on the scheduled date of Dec. 1, the management has its fingers crossed until next Monday when it is supposed to arrive.

No Relief Seen

While Candian newsprint mills have expanded capacity during 1955, a number of factors have prevented them from producing to the limit, thus cutting down on output and creating a critical situation in almost every newspaper plant which they supply.

Many large newspapers have been notified that shipments expected for the first four months of 1956 will be slashed by 7½%, indicating the clouded horizon, are doing everything possible to obtain newsprint whenever they can, and to reduce its use wherever it is feasible.

Dec. 3, 1955: Pets Given Space To Roam On Farm In Hebron Region

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 3, 1955.

Pets Given Space To Roam On Farm In Hebron Region

By CHET DYNEWSKI

HEBRON, Dec. 3 ー A desire to give their pets plenty of fresh air and freedom of space, without undue annoyance to neighbors, prompted Mr. and Mrs. Fred Stott to move from Chicago to a 66-acre farm at RFD 1, Hebron.

On the Porter township farm, where he will breed his parakeets, canaries, tropical fish, cats, dogs and even monkeys, Stott hopes to be able to raise the pets in peace.

Inasmuch as the farm will be strictly for pets, a wildlife and game preservation is being planned. In the spring and summer months, the dogs and cats will have outside pens and the birds will have exterior flight cages.

When the cats are turned outside, they will wear collars with small bells to warn and attract any unwary prey, Stott pointed out.

Planned also for the farm is a fish pond aquarium for the tropical fish.

Stott has an inherent love for animals of all kinds. Included in his present menagerie is Millie, a spider monkey, and other “celebrities” who have appeared on many television pet shows in the Chicago area.

In 1949, Stott stated that he had a parakeet who amassed a vocabulary of “750 words” through his tutorship.

His parakeet protege today is “Corky”, who utters such well known lines as, “Twinkle, Twinkle, little star; Canaries can’t talk, they sing” “Jack and Jill went up the hill”; “It’s a beautiful day in Chicago”; and the latest, “I live in Hebron, Ind.”

There are about 600 birds at the Stott farm, with about 60 females currently hatching eggs. Stott pointed out that the female parakeet will lay an average of five eggs, although some have had 13 eggs in a nest. Unlike the canary whose eggs hatch every day, the parakeet’s eggs hatch every other day.

That kindness to animals is inherited, is evidenced by the acts of the Stotts’ two grandchildren, Terry, 4, and Linda, 2, who reside with them. Always on hand to aid in the feeding of the many pets, both children make certain that the bird seed swept from the floor of the large cage, is thrown outside for the wild birds to eat.

Monkey Makes Home On Hebron Farm

“MILLIE,” a spider monkey, who has experienced the pleasures of appearing in television programs in the Chicago area, is one of the many pets on the newly established pet farm of Fred Stott, above, at RDF 1, Hebron.

Parakeet Boasts Remarkable Vocabulary

MRS. FRED STOTT demonstrates the versatility of “Corky,” a parakeet with an amazing vocabulary, by permitting the bird to roost atop her head. (Chet Dynewski Photos)

Nov. 21, 1955: Oily Lake Michigan Water Kills Birds

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 21, 1955.

Oily Lake Michigan Water Kills Birds

At least 200 water fowl have frozen to death along the Porter county shores of Lake Michigan, conservation officials said today.

Heavy oil in the water “gummed up” their feathers and prevented the birds from flying after alighting in the water, Conservation Officer Charles Black said.

Unable to leave the water by flying, the birds swam or were washed ashore where they froze to death.

Black and a party of seven men covered a four-mile stretch of the shoreline east and west of Dunes State park from late Saturday until 3 a.m. Sunday.

During this time, the party found 37 “grounded” birds which were still living. The men washed the fowl in a detergent and brought them to the Liberty township farm of Earl Hanrahan, where the animals are recuperating.

Black said that when the birds are able to preen their feathers with natural oil they will be released on inland lakes. The conservation officer also said today he did not know how long the birds would have to be kept at the Hanrahan’s before they could be released.

Most of the dead and rescued birds were of the inedible “fish duck” type, Black said. There were a few edible blue bills, he added. Among the birds found on the beach were cormorants, grebes and mergansers, which regularly inhabit the lake region.

Conservation officials said the source of the oil, which “is like a heavy No. 6 oil,” was not definitely known, although it may have come from industrial waste in the Gary area. Dead birds were found as far west as Michigan City.

Black said he first was notified of the condition Friday by persons at Dune Acres where youngsters were washing the grounded birds with a detergent.

Many of the surviving birds found by Black and his party Saturday night were unable to move when they were picked up and washed.

Floundering Birds Given Baths By Dunes State Park Officials

SOME OF THE 15 WATER FOWL found alive the shores of Lake Michigan’s Dune State park are shown being given a bath in a soapy detergent today to remove the gummy substance from their feathers, believed to have been caused by heavy oil in the water. The gummy condition prevented the fowl from flying, and washed them ashore. Park Supt. Max Dickey, left, reported that about one-half of the birds found along the shoreline Sunday were frozen to death. A check along the shore today revealed no floundering fowl. Helping in rehabilitation the fowl is parking employee Clarence Sederberg, of Chesterton.

Nov. 18, 1955: Students Help Defoliate Trees and European Refugee To Live Here

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 18, 1955.

Its Class Project

Students Help Defoliate Trees

By KAREN ANGLE

As winter arrives and the snow falls, the trees become barren. But this condition is due not only to the onslaught of the some 275 Valparaiso High school biology students.

Comprising nine different classes, these freshmen were required at the beginning of the year by their teachers, Miss Pat Bushong and Paul W. Miller, to collect, press, mount, and identify at least the 25 most common leaves in the state of Indiana. These collections were due today. Both the common and scientific names were to be given.

Some of the students turned in more than 100 leaves. The time collecting their material was spent entirely out of class. Many of the freshmen parents, in helping to collect, mount, and identify the leaves, claim to have learned almost as much as the students.

Slides of the 25 most common leaves have been made by Miller, and will be used during the coming week to test the students to see how much they have learned from their collections. After they have been graded, if there are enough outstanding collections, they will be displayed in the window of a local merchant, as has been done in the past.

Next semester the biology students can have their choice of writing a term paper or submitting a project having to do with any phase of life or living things.

Sponsored By Kazlauski

European Refugee To Live Here

A 29-year-old European refugee, sponsored by a RFD 2 couple, is expected to arrive in Valparaiso the latter part of next week, where she will find a home and a job awaiting her.

She is Miss Herta Deringas of Lithuania, and is being sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Alex Kazlauski.

Mrs. Kazlauski met Miss Deringas at a refugee camp in Germany while she was on a trip to Europe in September of 1954 to visit with her son, Albert, who is a dentist in the Armed Forces.

Since Mrs. Kazlauski is a native of Lithuania, she was able to converse with the girl in her native tongue and found that the refugee was acquainted with August Pupelis, another Lithuanian, who was sponsored by the Kazlauskis more than five years ago. Pupelis now works for the Kazlauskis. When she returned to the states Mrs. Kazlauski and her husband started proceedings to have Miss Deringas come to the United States.

Mrs. Kazlauski came to the United States when she was 3 years old and her husband. Alex came to the states when he was 19 years old. Both are now American citizens.

Miss Deringas will live in the Kazlauski home and will work in the Vale City Packing company which is owned by the Kazlauskis, it was stated.

The Lithuanian woman is one of the 15 European refugees ― headed for Indiana homes ― that will arrive in New York Monday aboard the Navy Transport General Langfitt, it was announced today by the State department.

Nov. 17, 1955: 66 Schools Disappear From Porter County System In 83 Years, Survey Indicates

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 17, 1955.

66 Schools Disappear From Porter County System In 83 Years, Survey Indicates

Salaries of teachers and township trustees have rocketed, school enrollment in Porter county has almost exactly doubled, but 66 schools have disappeared in the past 83 years.

This information was gleaned from a copy of the 20th report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in Indiana, Milton B. Hopkins, published in 1872, and recently obtained by Porter County Supt. of Schools M.E. Dinsmoore. It is the property of James W. Dold, Chesterton High school principal.

Eighty three years ago in Porter county, according to this report, elementary teachers’ salaries averaged $1.60 a day for men and $1.20 a day for women, and salaries in the county, both men, averaged $4.50 daily. Today, according to the county superintendent’s office, teachers in Porter county earn an average daily salary of about $20.

There are 297 teachers in the county school system now, only 115 more than 1872, when there were 182 teachers. Yet total county school enrollment since that time has increased from 3,700 to 7,468.

The exception is Jackson township, where school enrollment, officially 196 now, shows a decrease of 33 since 1872.

Eight times as many pupils in Westchester and 10 times as many in Portage since 1872 are evident, with increases of about 1,500 and 1,900 respectively since that time. Westchester’s enrollment is now 1,733, and Portage’s 2,105, officially.

Increased Enrollment

Enrollment increases varying from 150 to 300 are evident in Pleasant, Boone, Liberty, Center and Pine township. During the past 83 years, increases of only 20 to 60 pupils took place in Morgan, Union, Washington and Porter townships.

Yet, to house these additional 3,700 students, there are now 24 county schools ー 66 less than in 1872.

“The county was full of one-room school houses then,” Supt. Dinsmoore pointed out.

Obviously, these one-room, or slightly larger, schools were worth little compared to today’s modern educational structures. The 90 in the county in 1872 had a total value of $95,000, according to the report, or about $1,000 each. Valuations of the schools in Porter county now vary from $26,900 to $600,000, officials said.

1872 Salaries

The township trustees who ran the Porter county schools in 1872 earned annual salaries of $423 each, the report states. Today, their yearly salaries, in addition to various allowances, vary from $1,400 to $2,700, depending on the size of the township.

And even as early as 1872, there was agitation to abolish the present system of having one township trustee run the civil and school affairs of each township. The state superintendent, in his report, offered the following statement:

“Why the civil and educational business should be kept separate in incorporated towns and cities, and united in the same person in townships, I am unable to understand… I recommend that the law be so amended that the qualified voters of each school corporation… elect three school trustees for a term of three years.”

Nov. 12, 1955: Pupils Show Varied Forms Of Education

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 12, 1955.

Pupils Show Varied Forms Of Education

By ROLLIE BERNHART

Many of the grades throughout the schools in Valparaiso were actively engaged this week in producing some form of pictorial instruction in conformance with National Education Week which officially closed today.

During the week of observance of the national event, which opened on Nov. 6, classes throughout the schools in the city contributed various types of educational endeavor which aided materially in giving the pupil a better understanding of the subjects.

During the current week, The Vidette-Messenger published photos of several of these activities which graphically depicted pupils in action during actual class instruction.

Photos shown in today’s series are the remainder of contributions of Education Week class instruction as snapped by a V-M photographer.

Bulletin Board Project

In the top photo, second grade  pupils at Banta school are shown combining a science lesson, art and social studies in a bulletin board project.

After a study of leaves, the pupils organized into committees to make the fall bulletin board showing a life-sized boy raking leaves. In the photo, left to right, are: Peni Coon, Kenneth Barber and Terry Giesler.

In the second photo, a typical Valparaiso Junior High school scene is shown, placing primary stress on the use of the library for reference purposes.

The number of the students in the library each period ranges up to approximately 100 students. All students, except those who must leave early on the bus, are assigned six periods of 55 minutes each in the library, thereby providing time for work on class preparation, reference, and perusing of various fictional books and magazines to which the library subscribers.

Depict Luther’s Life

In photo three (from top to bottom), members of the fifth and sixth grades at the Immanuel Lutheran school are shown during an act of the play “Life of Martin Luther,” produced by the combined classes for Education Week and Christian Education Week. The play was shown to parents and teachers of the LaPorte avenue school Thursday.

Characters in the play as shown in the photo are: Jackie Peck, Jeannette Binder, Linda Rechlin, Bruce Martin, seated right; and Norman Dygert, center, as Luther.

At the Central school fourth grade, photo four shows three pupils using their word attack skills (phonics) in their geography lesson. Together with the use of the vowel sounds, they are able to learn the use of the vowel marks. Left to right in photo are: Jimmy Shinabarger, Kay Nielsen and Lois Flesner.

At Northview, the sixth grade instructor Mel Crisman, employed the use of clay to depict the country of Egypt as a history lesson. The girls shown examining the clay exhibit in the bottom photo are Sarah Brown and Judy Jones.

It was found that both teachers and pupils in the schools visited during Education Week exhibited considerable enthusiasm and unusual thought in presenting their instructional projects.

Nov 10, 1955: 285 Teachers, Businessmen Exchange Ideas At Sixth Annual B-E Program Here

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 10, 1955.

285 Teachers, Businessmen Exchange Ideas At Sixth Annual B-E Program Here

Two hundred and 85 businessmen and educators from this community gathered at a banquet Wednesday evening on the Valparaiso university campus to climax the 6th annual Business-Education Day.

It was the biggest affair of its kind held here, Robert F. Smith, president of the Indiana Steel Products company, who served as master of ceremonies, told the audience.
During the afternoon some 25 Valparaiso business firms played host to teachers of the city public and parochial schools, Valparaiso University, student teachers there, Valparaiso Technical institute and the clergy of the city. The businessmen in the respective places took their guests on a tour of their facilities and then sat down and discussed various phases and problems of their business.

Teachers serve as hosts in alternate years, and they will entertain the businessmen in 1956.

The individual businessmen had as their dinner guests Wednesday evening the educators they entertained during the day. This banquet was held in the Great hall of the V.U. Student union.

During the prime roast of beef dinner, music was provided by an instrumental trio from the university. The Rev. Percy Thomas, pastor of the First Christian church, said the invocation.

Introduces Groverman

After Chairman Smith made the introductory remarks following the dinner, he called on Morris Groverman, Jr., president of the program sponsoring Chamber of Commerce to make a special presentation to a local educator.

There was a special certificate which had been prepared for the occasion and which was enclosed in a frame. Groverman announced that the recipient was to be Hanns Matthias Mueller, an exchange teacher at V.U. from Germany.

The presentation was planned as a surprise proved to be on the group, for the intended recipient who had been a guest at the Continental - Diamond Fibre company plant during the afternoon, had partaken of the dinner, but had left a few minutes earlier to attend another meeting.

Nevertheless the text of the certificate was read as follows:

“In recognition of the position of Hanns Matthias Mueller as an exchange teacher at Valparaiso university under the Fulbright Act we, the officers, directors and membership of the Valparaiso (Ind.) Chamber of Commerce do hereby extend to you our best wishes and sincere friendship in the interest of furthering the International relations between our country, the United States of America, and your native country, the Federal Republic of Germany.

“Awarded this 9th day of November, in the year of our Lord, 1955 at the Business-Education Day dinner.”

It bore the C of C seal and the signatures of President Groverman and Chairman Smith.

Hear Industrialist

Principal speaker of the evening was William Caples, vice president in charge of Industrial Relations, of the Inland Steel corporation.

He talked of what is going to happen in the next 25 years and how it will affect both industry and education.

Leisure Is Growing

Community leisure is another increasing problem Caples noted. He said that one of the problems for educators is how to meet these needs.

Among other jobs of the educators, as Caples sees them, is for schools to be familiar with business problems, and to meet the steady changes in American society.

Caples contended that while the White House Education conference is studying the buildings and bricks (material) needs of schools, as it should, it is overlooking the point as to what should be taught to meet these sociological changes.

It is necessary for education and industry to cooperate closely, and Caples added, it is necessary for business to bring out the proper status of the teachers in a community, and with a wage scale commensurate with that status.

Industry must offer its time and people to serve on school boards for a sympathetic understanding of education, the speaker said. It should also open its laboratories to the schools.

“I predict that the next 25 years will be the most glorious experience in education and industry,” Caples concluded.

First Graders Learn Art of Reading

DEMONSTRATING ONE OF the forms of instruction used in the Valparaiso city school system in conformance with Education Week, Nov. 6-12, these first grade Gardner pupils are shown learning to read independently by using phonetics. Lois Williamson, standing extreme right, is shown with her group, reading sentences containing new words that are different from known words only in the beginning letter. The teacher is Mrs. Neil Dinsmoore. (V-M Staff Photo)

Nov. 2, 1955: Church Will Observe Its 75th Anniversary

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 2, 1955.

Church Will Observe Its 75th Anniversary

KOUTS, Nov. 2一St. Paul’s Lutheran church of Kouts will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the building of its first church in 1880, at special ceremonies Nov. 6 and 13.

Present pastor of the congregation of 289 communicants and 411 baptized members is Dr. Luther P. Koapke, who is also Dean of Men at Valparaiso University.

To commemorate this occasion two special church services will be held and a banquet will be conducted at which a review of the past 75 years will be made.

On Sunday, Nov. 6, and Sunday, Nov. 13, special anniversary services will be held. Dr. W.E. Bauer, of Valparaiso University will speak on Nov. 6. The Rev. Walter Schwane, a former pastor, will speak at the services on Nov. 13. Both services will start at 10 a.m.

At 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 13, the anniversary banquet will be held at the Legion hall in Kouts. Prof. Herman C. Grunau, of Valparaiso University, will be the guest speaker.

The first Lutheran worship service was held in Kouts in August of 1873. This service was conducted in an old school building on what is now highway 8, near the east end of Kouts.

No Resident Pastor

During the period from 1873 to 1880 there was no resident pastor. They were, however, served at various times by the following pastors: the Rev. Phillip Schmidt, the Rev. W.J. Lange, and the Rev. Adolph Dunzing.

During this time, divine services were conducted in the homes of various members of the congregation, usually on Sunday afternoon when one of the pastors would come to Kouts from a nearby community to conduct the services.

The period from 1873 to 1880 was one of slow growth for the Lutherans in Kouts, since they did not have the services of a full time pastor, it was recalled.

On the first Sunday in September, 1880, the Lutherans of Kouts dedicated a new small frame church, erected at a cost of $600. This church served the congregation until 1908 as the place of worship.

In 1894 the Rev. Albert Bauman became the first resident pastor of St. Paul’s congregation. Pastor Bauman served until 1899. In 1899 the Rev. Otto Schumm became pastor. He served until 1905.

Serves 40 Years

From 1905 to 1906 the Rev. Arthur Both was the pastor. During his pastorate, the first English services were conducted in the church. Previous services had been in the German language.

In 1907 the Rev. Hicko Hicken became pastor of St. Paul’s and served for 40 years. In 1908 the new church was erected which still serves as the place of worship for the congregation. The brick church was built at a cost of $3,500 and was constructed by the Foster Lumber company of Valparaiso.

Following the resignation of the Rev. Chicken, the Rev. Walter Schwane became pastor of the congregation and served until 1954. Following a vacancy of six months, Dr. Koepke became pastor.

Some of the official acts performed at the church from 1873 to 1954 included 289 baptisms, 343 confirmations, 132 marriages and 155 funerals.

The first Sunday school at the church was held on May 12, 1931. The first teachers of the Sunday school were the following: Alma Rosenbaum, Henrietta Denzine, Doris Miller and Margaret Rosenbaum.

Mrs. Emil Hofferth was the first Sunday school superintendent; she served from 1931 until 1947. Wilbur Lippert served as superintendent from 1947 to 1952; William Roeske, 1953, and Ten Schroder, 1954. Schroder is now serving in the capacity.

In 1946, a Walther League was organized at the church. The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League was started in the congregation in 1948. The first officers of the LWML were the following: Mrs. Wilbur Lippert, president; Mrs. Ella Williams, vice president; Mrs. Herbert Roeske, secretary, and Mrs. Robert Hamann, treasurer.