Letters to the Editor 04-08-2005
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Time To Give - Misleading Poll - Good News Views - Graduation In 1938
Time To Give
Editor, Times-Union:I, "Mel" (Milford) Stephens, am writing to you as a member of South Central EMS and every volunteer service in this county, this state, this country and I guess this world!
You see, I've never written anything like this before. In being involved with Silver Lake as a volunteer for 15 years/Mentone for two years, and other organizations has taken a toll on my life and family. Yet I enjoy the fact that I can help others in their time of need to the best of my ability and training. I don't understand this world at all. Why there are so many churches and charities, yet no one wants to, or has the time to, give of their life just a few hours a month to help others this world over? What's wrong with giving? We as a country are blessed to the Nth degree with plenty. There may be some, but few of the people in the United States go hungry. When times get hard, we pull together as Americans - well, I'm here to tell you the volunteers that go out of their way to help seem to be nonexistent today almost. Every service I know of just in the county I live has a major problem fulfilling their obligation, for one reason or another, even if it's personal, you don't have to work with an individual you don't get along with, just help! Instead of sitting in front of a TV, golfing or some other time-consuming thing, give to help another person in need. You may never get thanked, but there are others out here who do appreciate being helped and will say "Thank you." I believe it's worth much more than its weight in gold to have a little person thank you, give you a big hug garnished with a big smile. Something you never forget! A help in their time of need! So we should be willing, avid helpers, do as much as you can. Give for the guy who can't with cerebral palsy or whatever, but let your world know you care. Don't give a little, give a lot and smile while doing it!
Mel Stephens
Claypool
Misleading Poll
Editor, Times-Union:On Monday, an AP article in your paper stated that most American Catholics are hoping that the newly elected Pope will be more modern in this thinking on issues that Pope John Paul II was steadfast against, i.e., married priest, women clergy and other issues that they feel the church is outdated with in today's culture. I would like to point out that the article was based on a poll of only 1,000 American Catholics. There are 2.7 million of us and I hardly think that an accurate claim can be made by polling such a small (.03) percentage. There was also no mention of where these "Catholics" live or whether or not the ones polled even practice their religion. Because the media brings information to so many, they have a responsibility to print unbiased information that is as factual as possible.
Ida List
Leesburg
Good News Views
Editor, Times-Union:Couldn't believe what we were reading - News Views, April 2 - in the Times-Union. Now you are being realistic, Gary. Best article you have ever written. Keep up the good work!
Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Campbell
Warsaw
Graduation In 1938
Editor, Times-Union:I read the article in the Times-Union, "High schools busy withprom planning." How well this 85-year-old octogenarian remembers his graduation and those days leading up to it. It was the year 1938. We Leesburg seniors had quite a schedule to live up to between the last of March and our graduation date, which fell on April 22. First, we seniors were cast in the annual class play, which was presented on April 7-8. Miss Gaddis, our English and literature teacher who directed the play, must have been satisfied with our acting endeavors, for after the final performance, she led the entire cast to Warsaw, where she treated us to ice cream sundaes at the fabulous Klondaris Candy Kitchen. I remember that the late Ned Maze (of Ace Hardware) would come every night to play practice and wait for Connie Blaine, who was a classmate of mine. It was just a-MAZE-ing, how eager Ned was to sit and wait for Connie so he could escort her home after play practice!
After the play came baccalaureate, and after that we seniors, having a little money left in the class treasury, treated ourselves to a "Theater Party." We ate a good supper at the Liberty Cafe, then we attended the Centennial Theatre, where we enjoyed Judy Garland in "Everybody Sing."
A few days following the theater party came the Junior-Senior Reception. (Back in 1938, Leesburg graduates didn't even know the meaning of the term "prom night.") The Junior-Senior Reception was an affair consisting of a big dinner at the Colonial Club near Tippecanoe Lake, then we graduates and the junior class went to Syracuse, where we attended the new Pickwick Theatre and saw the film, "Dinner at the Ritz." The movie wasn't very good. We enjoyed our dinner more at the Colonial Club.
Next came April 22, graduation night. There were all of 14 students in the Leesburg graduating class of 1938. Our commencement was held in the Leesburg Methodist Church. We graduates, seven boys and seven girls, sat in a semicircle at the front of the sanctuary, and after the exercises were over, we stood in our gowns and mortarboards with our diplomas, proud as peacocks, while our parents and the rest of the congregation offered us felicitations and best wishes.
The next day, in the afternoon we had "Class Day," where we scholars read the class prophecy, the class will and several humorous poems. Class Day ended my time in dear old Leesburg High, and I departed with the class motto on my mind, which goes as follows: "Out of the harbor into deep channels." But little did we naive, unbeknownst youngsters realize just how deep those channels would flow in our lives during the next six decades or more. When I left the schoolhouse for the last time, glancing behind me at the schoolhouse door, I said to myself: "Someday, years and years from now, I will think back to this day and wonder where the time went."
Well, here it is, 67 years later, and the time to look back and remember.
Don Kaiser
Warsaw
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- Time To Give - Misleading Poll - Good News Views - Graduation In 1938
Time To Give
Editor, Times-Union:I, "Mel" (Milford) Stephens, am writing to you as a member of South Central EMS and every volunteer service in this county, this state, this country and I guess this world!
You see, I've never written anything like this before. In being involved with Silver Lake as a volunteer for 15 years/Mentone for two years, and other organizations has taken a toll on my life and family. Yet I enjoy the fact that I can help others in their time of need to the best of my ability and training. I don't understand this world at all. Why there are so many churches and charities, yet no one wants to, or has the time to, give of their life just a few hours a month to help others this world over? What's wrong with giving? We as a country are blessed to the Nth degree with plenty. There may be some, but few of the people in the United States go hungry. When times get hard, we pull together as Americans - well, I'm here to tell you the volunteers that go out of their way to help seem to be nonexistent today almost. Every service I know of just in the county I live has a major problem fulfilling their obligation, for one reason or another, even if it's personal, you don't have to work with an individual you don't get along with, just help! Instead of sitting in front of a TV, golfing or some other time-consuming thing, give to help another person in need. You may never get thanked, but there are others out here who do appreciate being helped and will say "Thank you." I believe it's worth much more than its weight in gold to have a little person thank you, give you a big hug garnished with a big smile. Something you never forget! A help in their time of need! So we should be willing, avid helpers, do as much as you can. Give for the guy who can't with cerebral palsy or whatever, but let your world know you care. Don't give a little, give a lot and smile while doing it!
Mel Stephens
Claypool
Misleading Poll
Editor, Times-Union:On Monday, an AP article in your paper stated that most American Catholics are hoping that the newly elected Pope will be more modern in this thinking on issues that Pope John Paul II was steadfast against, i.e., married priest, women clergy and other issues that they feel the church is outdated with in today's culture. I would like to point out that the article was based on a poll of only 1,000 American Catholics. There are 2.7 million of us and I hardly think that an accurate claim can be made by polling such a small (.03) percentage. There was also no mention of where these "Catholics" live or whether or not the ones polled even practice their religion. Because the media brings information to so many, they have a responsibility to print unbiased information that is as factual as possible.
Ida List
Leesburg
Good News Views
Editor, Times-Union:Couldn't believe what we were reading - News Views, April 2 - in the Times-Union. Now you are being realistic, Gary. Best article you have ever written. Keep up the good work!
Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Campbell
Warsaw
Graduation In 1938
Editor, Times-Union:I read the article in the Times-Union, "High schools busy withprom planning." How well this 85-year-old octogenarian remembers his graduation and those days leading up to it. It was the year 1938. We Leesburg seniors had quite a schedule to live up to between the last of March and our graduation date, which fell on April 22. First, we seniors were cast in the annual class play, which was presented on April 7-8. Miss Gaddis, our English and literature teacher who directed the play, must have been satisfied with our acting endeavors, for after the final performance, she led the entire cast to Warsaw, where she treated us to ice cream sundaes at the fabulous Klondaris Candy Kitchen. I remember that the late Ned Maze (of Ace Hardware) would come every night to play practice and wait for Connie Blaine, who was a classmate of mine. It was just a-MAZE-ing, how eager Ned was to sit and wait for Connie so he could escort her home after play practice!
After the play came baccalaureate, and after that we seniors, having a little money left in the class treasury, treated ourselves to a "Theater Party." We ate a good supper at the Liberty Cafe, then we attended the Centennial Theatre, where we enjoyed Judy Garland in "Everybody Sing."
A few days following the theater party came the Junior-Senior Reception. (Back in 1938, Leesburg graduates didn't even know the meaning of the term "prom night.") The Junior-Senior Reception was an affair consisting of a big dinner at the Colonial Club near Tippecanoe Lake, then we graduates and the junior class went to Syracuse, where we attended the new Pickwick Theatre and saw the film, "Dinner at the Ritz." The movie wasn't very good. We enjoyed our dinner more at the Colonial Club.
Next came April 22, graduation night. There were all of 14 students in the Leesburg graduating class of 1938. Our commencement was held in the Leesburg Methodist Church. We graduates, seven boys and seven girls, sat in a semicircle at the front of the sanctuary, and after the exercises were over, we stood in our gowns and mortarboards with our diplomas, proud as peacocks, while our parents and the rest of the congregation offered us felicitations and best wishes.
The next day, in the afternoon we had "Class Day," where we scholars read the class prophecy, the class will and several humorous poems. Class Day ended my time in dear old Leesburg High, and I departed with the class motto on my mind, which goes as follows: "Out of the harbor into deep channels." But little did we naive, unbeknownst youngsters realize just how deep those channels would flow in our lives during the next six decades or more. When I left the schoolhouse for the last time, glancing behind me at the schoolhouse door, I said to myself: "Someday, years and years from now, I will think back to this day and wonder where the time went."
Well, here it is, 67 years later, and the time to look back and remember.
Don Kaiser
Warsaw
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