Feb. 18, 1956: Washington Township Girl Apt Pupil In Air

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on February 18, 1956.

Washington Township Girl Apt Pupil In Air

By ROLLIE BERNHART

Judy Lindberg, 17-year-old, Washington Township High school senior, is an apt pupil.

A week ago, after 45 minutes of instruction in a dual control plane in which she had never before riffen, Judy took off and did a solo over the Porter County Municipal airport “for 15 minutes”, the first time any girl has done this feat at the county field.

To make it even more remarkable, she did it the hard way, taking off over a snow packed runway on skis for the first time, and landing the craft as “lightly as a feather.”

Adding to the ability of the Washington township girl to take instruction aptly, is the surprising fact that her “teacher” has been her father, Claude.

Where it has been a proven fact that parents rarely can teach their offsprings the art of driving a car, let alone piloting a plane, Judy’s father said that he has never lost patience during instruction periods. “She just seemed willing to learn, and has never had fear of being in the air.”

Judy simply says, in explanation of her father never having to “bawl her out” over some infraction while up in the air, that the motors make so much noise, she would not have heard him anyway.”

8,000 Hours In Air

She comes by her flying ability naturally. Her father, a former instructor and manager at Urschel field, and currently teaching with the Porter County Flying club at the county airport, has had more than 8,000 hours flying time.

Judy has been training in a Piper cub plane for about one year. As far as she is concerned flying is just a hobby. Although she would like to become a member of the county flying club, the organization’s by-laws contain no provision for the opposite sex on its roster.

When Judy is not flying, she can be found practicing with the “Washington Township Blue Notes,” a championship singing octet which will be vieing for its second consecutive state title at the Indianapolis finals today.

Mrs. Lindberg has the utmost confidence in the ability of her daughter and husband. “I am going to be Judy’s first passenger when she gets her pilot’s license. If her father thinks she’s good enough to take over, I’m willing to take a chance, too.”

Girl, 17, Solos In Plane

JUDY LINDBERG, 17, of Washington township, is at controls of a plane in which she recently did a solo at the Porter County municipal airport, the first girl to do this feat at the county field. Her father and instructor, Claude, is seated at her right.

Father Is her Instructor

JUDY, senior at Washington school and member of the 1955 state high school championship octet, the Blue Notes, here takes propping instruction from her father.

Dec. 9, 1970: Break School Windows - Vandals Smash 350-400 Panes

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 9, 1970.

Break School Windows

Vandals Smash 350-400 Panes

Between 350 and 400 windows and glass door panels at six schools and a gymnasium in Porter County were broken early this morning by vandals, who also struck two business firms where six windows were smashed. One school cancelled classes today.

A white compact car, possibly a Ford, was being sought by police who said a vehicle of that description with three persons was observed driving away from the scene of one vandalism.

Schools sustaining damage and the number of windows or door panels broken include Washington Township, 115; Jackson, 95; Kouts, 86; Morgan, 46; Liberty, 17; Westchester Junior High School, 7. Two glass door panels and a window were broken at Chesterton High School’s Goldsborough gymnasium.

Business firms sustaining damage by vandals are Don’s Sinclair Station, U.S. 6 and Meridian and Brown Tire Co., Inc., Indiana 49.

The vandalism in most cases occurred between 4:45 and 7 a.m., Sheriff’s Detective George Earley said. Deputies regularly patrol the schools and when Jackson and Liberty were checked at 4:45 a.m. everything was in order.

All classes in schools are in session with the exception of Morgan Township School.

There was no estimate of damage, but costs of replacing windows and other school equipment will probably mount to the thousands of dollars.

Vandals used rocks, pipes, teeter-totters, and portions of cement blocks, to cause the damage.

Band equipment at Morgan and Washington schools was damaged by items which were thrown or pushed through windows.

Majority of damage at the schools occurred on the first level, Earley said, and vandals kept away from the fronts of the buildings to avoid detection.

Rocks found at the scenes indicated that vandals picked them up elsewhere than on school grounds.

Washington School, where the largest number of windows were broken, is not covered by vandalism insurance. Most of the county schools do not have vandalism insurance and the cost of repair will have to come from the schools’ budgets.

Damage At Washington

All windows in overhead door in shop area at Washington Township School were broken today by vandals. Removing glass (top photo) is Glenn Brown, who along with other Washington students assisted in clean-up so classes could be held. Principal James Dold holds 3-pound which was thrown with such force it traveled 30 feet, broke exterior overhead light fixture and smashed through inner office glass panel.

Nov. 3, 1975: Never Too Late To Begin A New Hobby

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 3, 1975.

Never Too Late To Begin A New Hobby

By JO MANNIES

WASHINGTON TWP. 一 “Just on a hunch,” retired Washington Township farmer Herman Barneko decided in 1962 to build a 3-foot high model of a stagecoach.

Three hundred and fifteen hours later he finished the project 一 and a new hobby began.

“That project brought me all this work,” Barneko says, his hand sweeping across a table full of miniature coaches, buggies, chairs and vases. “There has been plenty of joy and grief in my work.”

Early in September, while working on a new shed, Barneko fell, breaking his pelvis in four places. The injury put him out of commission for a while, he admits, as he walks with a slight limp, but his spirit is still in his hobby.

Sauntering into the living room, he points to lamps and a delicate Danish-style rocker. He made those, too. In a weather-beaten shed is an electrically-powered model of an old-time reaper, one of his current projects. Even the house Barneko and his wife have lived in for the past 25 years owes its existence to the elderly man, who explains simply “I needed something to do. After I retired, I had all this time.”

After Barneko’s first model effort, he was deluged with requests from friends asking him to build full-size ones for them. He obliged, constructing four horse-drawn coaches or buggies over the next few years. Each vehicle took about 6 months to build.

Explaining that he gets all of his ideas from pictures or books, Barneko began to build miniature models after the large vehicles were completed. His fascination with the hobby apparently runs deep 一 even the smallest coach has brakes that work, windows which open and close and doors with latches. A few western novels are scattered about the residence, revealing a more than casual interest in the “Wild West.”

Attached to one buggy is a hand-carved horse. The wooden animal took two days to complete, he says, with the mane constructed out of human hair.

One of Barneko’s miniature creations has a purple ribbon taped to the back; it won first prize in 1967 at the Porter County Fair’s senior citizen hobby show. “That’s the only year they had a show for the aged,” observed his wife.

In the early 1960s, Barneko also began experimenting with the lathe. By gluing several boards of varying woods around a wood block core, then turning the large glued-together square on the lathe, Barneko shaped beautiful lamps with as many of four different kinds of wood. “This part is cedars and this section is birch,” he explains, pointing out the colors of one lamp.

Vases were soon to follow. “I just saw pictures and thought I’d make one,” he states simply. “I’ve made at least 15 一 even a few Grecian vases with rings 一 and some have several kinds of wood.”

Noting that he has almost 40 descendents, Barneko adds, “I’ve got vases scattered from Maryland to Montana.”

Two years ago, he got really ambitious and started constructing an electrically powered model of an old reaper. Using a motor from an auto windshield wiper, part of a hand drill, and building wheels out of iron and wood, Barneko has created a lifelike machine 一 even the blades move. “Real ones were made and sold by International Harvester Corp. as late as 1920,” Barneko says, explaining that his model resembles an old reaper he rebuilt for a friend.

“It isn’t finished yet,” he continues. “It has taken so long because I couldn’t get all the parts I needed.

“There is just one thing wrong with it. The gears that work the sickle don’t go fast enough because I can’t get the right parts.”

Although he adds casually. “As a demonstrator, it’s all right,” Barneko’s expression as he examines his latest effort is more like a parent than a detached builder.

“You know,” he says, repeating an earlier comment, “I’ve had a lot of disappointments with this reaper 一 and a lot of enjoyment.” Then he closes the door to his shed.