Jan. 25, 1971: V-M Viewpoint About Local Industry

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on January 25, 1971.

V-M Viewpoint

About Local Industry

What products are made and what services are provided by local manufacturers and firms?

We believe that it is unfortunate that most of us wouldn’t score too well if we were asked to take paper and pencil and list these products and services. And yet many of the things manufactured here not only are spread around the country, but around the globe as well.

We would suppose that most people residing in this area are aware that we have firms in our community that manufacture bearings, magnets and food processing machinery. Probably a lot of local residents know that Valparaiso is the home of the world’s largest producer of hybrid popcorn seed.

But how many people could say what goes on at the Robert L. Miller Laboratory, Impact Extrusions, Inc., or Shepco Products, even though these firms have been with us for many years?

We suspect that many local persons realize that wiper blades for automobiles are made by the Anderson Company, which has diversified operations based in Valparaiso and Gary. It also manufactures blades for airplanes.

In a recent edition of the Anderson Company’s house organ, Anco Family News, there was an interesting discussion on the firm’s wiper blade business.

It was pointed out that it supplies blades for the huge 747 jets, but despite the big bulk of this plane, the wipers are not eight feet longーwhich is quite a bit longer than those used on passenger cars.

Incidentally blades are longer than that on two jumbo jetsーLockheed 1011, 26-inch long blade; and Douglas DC 10, 29 inches.

Maxi-sized wiper made by the company dates back to World War II when Anderson produced a 36-inch blade for the tail gunner windshield on the B-29. Probably most people didn’t realize that the tail gunner rated a wiper blade.

Now what about mini-sized blades? That one’s being made now by Anderson for the Volvo, a Swedish car, which sports a four-inch wiper blade for its headlamp.

You never heard of wiper blades for headlamps and tail lamps, but they are already popular in Europe as safety measures, and they are expected to become so soon in the United States.

It’s like we say, you never know what’s going on inside the walls of our local industries, unless you inquire or the company takes time out to brief you on its operations.

Nov. 2, 1970: V-M Viewpoint Your Vote Does Count

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 2, 1970.

V-M Viewpoint

Your Vote Does Count

Are you going to let someone else make your choices of office holders Tuesday on the state, district, county and township levels? Are you going to be an Election Day Drop-Out?

Or are you going to the polls tomorrow and let your decisions known as to whom you would like to see hold office?

Your vote just could make the difference, you know. Stay away from the polls and you could help those you oppose get into office.

Is it true what they say in the newspapers, on radio and on TV? Are Indiana voters indeed apathetic towards Tuesday's General Election?

Would you be a proud resident of Porter county if less than 25 percent of the 43,000 registered voters would cast ballots here on Nov. 3? That would be a sorry affair一as was our Spring Primary when only 20 per cent of the registered voters exercised their election duty.

As a matter of record our present registration of 42,711 persons who are eligible to cast votes Tuesday has all the earmarks of apathy. They are fewer in number (by 800) from those who were eligible to vote in the Primary this Spring.

Worse yet, even though the county has grown considerably in the past two years, the current registration figure is 2,750 less than that of November 1968.

If the Republicans stay away in great numbers from the polls tomorrow, they could turn over the reins of government to the Democrats. Likewise, if the Democrats stay at home they’ll concede victory to the GOP by default.

All votes are needed in the Porter County General Election Tuesday if the people really wish to make their desires known as to whom they would like to have serve them in the respective offices which are up for grabs. If that could be accomplished it would ably show that the residents of the county really care as to who directs their government.

At this point we would repeat an earlier plea that Porter county voters not overlook the three constitutional amendment questions which appear on the upper left hand corner of their machine一above the lines of Republican and Democratic candidates.

It is important that they say “yes” or “no” to these issues. These results will have a great bearing on how these respective phases of their state government will be carried out in the years to come.

Yes, registered votes, your vote does count. But it can only count if you go to the polls Tuesday and exercise your duty as an American citizen who still has a right to make a personal choice. Don’t help us to lose that freedom. Vote Tuesday.