1957-12-12; Clare Sentinel

              THE
Established 1878
$2;50 Year in Clare, Isabella Counties
THE CLARE SENTINEL, CLARE, MICHIGAN
Santa Claus Annual Visit
To Clare Children Saturday
Letters to Santa Claus can still be mailed in a special
container set up on McEwan Street by the Clare Chamber
of Commerce.
Through December 14, the Santa mail box will be in
front of Michigan Consolidated Gas company, and on that
day, Santa will come to town to pick up his letters. Then the
container will be moved to a location between Bicknell's and
Northland Hardware- and Santa will come again on December 21 to pick up more letters.     ' - l
- Monday night, members of the Clare Fire Department
met at the new fire hall to pack bags of candy that will be
distributed to youngsters when Santa makes his visit here
December 14, at 1:30 p.m. He'll meet his small friends downtown, and later lead them to the new fire hall for their
treats.
Into many of the boxes, firemen packed-gift certificates
from Clare stores for which they can claim prizes in the
stote designated. . . •   .
Individuals or groups other than schools may make arrangements for personal, visits from Santa Claus up to
December 21, by phoning 412 Clare. '   /    "
Consumers Showing New
Center At Open House
Clare area manager for Consumers Power, C. J, (Fritz) Allen
hasi been with .the company for
twenty-five years and up until
this time has never worked in
a brand-new building, nor greeted the public at the opening of
new, model service facilities such
as the Center now in Clare.
-" .But Mr. Allen and all the peo-
'pie employed here by Consumers are having the pleasant experience today and tomorrow of
entertaining the public at an
opening of their Service Center
jn, a grand new $90,000 building
at. the corner of McEwan and
Third streets.
The building housing Consumers Service Center was occupied
November 14, and is now ready
for the grand opening   and   in-
Larry Wilcox
«* Lodge
Chair Tuesday
Larry Wilcox, former Clare
high school faculty member, will
be installed as Worshipful Master of John Q. Look Lodge 404.
F & AM, at ceremonies scheduled Tuesday evening, December
IT.
It will be the first major event
held, in the newly remodeled
Masonic Temple.
.Installing officer will be Howard Everts, deputy district instructor, and it will be an open
meeting. The public is invited.
Other officers to be installed
are Senior Warden, Thomas
Mickle; Junior Warden, Eugene
Campbell; Treasurer, Burke Collins; Secretary, John Roda-
baugh; Senior Deacon, Courtney
Bauer; and Junior Deacon, Holly
Merritt.
Assisting Mr. Everts in the installation will be Chaplain Earl
Beatty and Marshal Ken Roe.
The new Worshipful Master
has made the following appointments, and these officers will
ajso be installed in the coming
ceremony.
Warren White, Marshal; Earl
Ruby, Chaplain; Larry Everts,
Mariin Alexander, Frans Kuula
and Ernest Stark, Stewards; and
Past W. M. Charles Cooper,
Tyler.
I,
Harper Meets
Recent Grads
At Conference
Michigan high school and
community college officials met
With more than 3,000 of their
former students at Michigan
State University December 3-4.
Clare "High. School Principal
William Harper met with Jean
Bowler, Sharon. Gaspeny, John
Holbrook, Sharon Lang and Lois
Pudvay, .all recent CHS graduates attending Michigan State
University.
Purpose of this 21st annual
High School-Junior College Fol-
iow-Up Conference was to im-
prove the understanding, cooperation and articulation between the three levels of education.
More than 400 principals, conn*
selors, deans and administrators
heard Dr. Max S. Smith,-director
of the MSU Office Of Junior-
Community College Cooperation,
outline a new and close-working
relationship between JylSU an$
Junior-community colleges.
spection by the public at a celebration today and tomorrow. ,
Special attractions in connection with the opening include
tours of the building and explanation for sightseers of -various sales and service functions
for which the new center" is
headquarters, A grand award
and door prizes are to be presented to lucky ' visitors today
and tomorrow and light lunch
refreshments are being served to
all Who tour through the building. The grand prize award will
take place Friday evening, Dec.
13.
The occasion may be the first
opportunity for many visitors
to meet and make themselves
acquainted with Consumers area
staff members here, arid with
company Division personnel
from Alma who plan to be present for .the affair.. The Alma visitors will be Jieaded by H...L.
Ziegenbein, division manager.
Invitations numbering 10,500
Itee .-.been •SenUtd*--residents, in
the area, inviting them and their
families-to the opening,
With Mr. Ziegenbein from Alma will be several members of
the Division staff there, and
representatives of manufacturers of Frigidaire, Ironrite and
Eureka appliances will conduct
demonstrations of their products.
Consumers Home Service advisors are to prepare arid serve
refreshments, and will demonstrate appliances.
The company's new Service
Center building itself is a handsome addition to- Clare's' business district Built adjoining the
company's old service garage,
the Center presents a bright
glass ahd brick front just off
McEwan street at the corner of
Third.
A spacious sales floor displays
the appliances and other retail
wares. Office facilities provide
working space for Mr. Allon and
supervisory personnel for this
area. An appliance service department is provided.
Stockrooms and material storage occupy part of the new
building and the older warehouse part of the structure, for
merly used for offices and storage together, is now converted
for use 'as a modern garage for
company cars and trucks.
Complete and modern lighting
and air conditioning make the interior of the new Center ideal
for Working or shopping.
Yet to be completed at the
Center is landscaping of the
grounds and completion of an
approach on a strip of land
owned by the company extend
ing from the building to Mc
Ewan Street
*4**sss*|>^
jd4&~.
Loomis Machine Company employees and Management Wf|© awarded noteworthy *hon->
ors this week for their high percentage of participation in jS*. _. Bond purchasing plans,
The personnel of the company posed while accepting a dtfjioii.. Lee' Sowfepholo,
Cited For
Plans Complete
For Extension
TeaToni^it
The Clare County Home Demonstration women are holding
their annual Christmas Tea on
Thursday night, December 12, at
8 p.m.,, announced Mrs. Wayne
Trowbridge,. chairman of the
event. This annual event will
take place in the -^Courthouse
basement in Harrison.
Plans include introduction of
the 4 new groups organized recently,, a short program, new
Christmas ideas from each Of
the groups, and refreshments.
The purpose is a social evening
to get acquainted with folks
from other groups in the county.
Over 100 women are.expected
to attend. Every member in the
county is invited. * :,
Employees- of Loomis Machine
Co- of Clare today were awarded
a United States Treasury citation for achieving a* high percentage of participation in the
Payroll Savings Plan for the
purchase of'United States Savings Bonds.
Company x President Martin
Loomis accepted the award for
the employees. The presentation
was made by Circuit Judge Donald E. Holbrook, Chairman of the
Clare County Savings Bonds
Committee.
The colorful citation, picturing the raising of the flag at
Iwp-Jlma, was*, jnsfirihed,, ."In
recognition of outstanding "service to your country and community by stimulating the sale
of United States Savings Bonds
in excess of your goal." It was
signed by Secretary of the
Treasury Robert B. Anderson
and Michigan Savings Bond
Chairman Henry S. Maentz.
The Payroll Savings Plan was
made available to Loomis employees in 1956.. At the conclusion of the introductory campaign and throughout the''intervening months, participation in
the bond buying plan . has exceeded 80 per cent. /
Holbrook commended management and employees of the firm
for maintaining this outstanding
record. He pointed to success of
the program by other Clare
County employing establishments if both management and
labor  lend enthusiastic  support.
According to Holbrook, Clare
County residents invested §105,-
258 in series E and H savings
bonds during the first 10 months
of this year. This was equivalent
to 82.8 per cent of the 1957 goal
of $127,000. Par for the Jany-
ary^October period is 82.5 per
cent. -
Holbrook expressed confidence
the county will achieve its 1957
quota, pointing out that Decern*
ber sales probably will exceed
those for any month this year.
"Not only have savings bonds
become increasingly popular as
Christmas gifts, but more and
more companies are presenting
series E bonds, rather than cash
as Christmas and year-end bonuses," he stated.
To Entertain
County 4-H'ers
At Party
The first annual county-wide
4-H Christmas party will be
held this Saturday night, December 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the
VFW Hall in Harrison. - Every
member of every 4-H Club in
Clare County and the leaders
are invited.
■The 4-H Service Club is puc-
ting on the party. This is a
group of all 4-H members 14
years old and over that started
in Clare County a year ago. The
committees set up are as follows: Brush College, Name Tags
and Reception committee; Greenwood, Decorations and refreshments; and Colonville and East
Grant, Program,
It'll be a lot of fun for everyone so every 4-1-1 member in the
county should tty to attend.
Doctors Rush Infant To
Life-Saving Transfusion
• An 18-hour-old infant, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Orval Reed
of Remus, -was rushed to a
Grand Rapids osteopathic hospital early Tuesday morning by
three doctors from the Clare
General Hospital staff, where
she was given a- complete change,
of blood.
The blood replacement for tiny
Virginia Reed was called successful by Dr. E, J. Gershon, one of
the doctors who accompanied
her. The .other two were Dr.
Melvin Wisby and Dr. Elmer
Shurlow. The medical men had
Michigan State Police escort
part of the way.
The blood replacement operation, which took about four
hours and was done between 2
a.m. and 6 a.m. Tuesday,' was
made necessary by an RH blood
factor complication in Virginia's
blood.
Name Honor
Students At
Clare High
Students achieving honor roll
standing, for the past marking
period at 'tilaSe High, School have
been announced.
12th grade, A averages, Kay
Blystone, Sharon Grimason, Ann
Jackson, Mary Maloney, Gail
Samborn.
B averages, Vivain Armentrout
Carol Bauder, Louis Bolle, Marilyn Brown, Kay Cook, Phillip
Cooper, Pat Davis, Joyce Delamarter, Betty Gordon, Arlene
Hogue, Beatrice Kennedy, Ruth
Miller.
Sandie Russell, Karen Smith,
Freddie Strasser, Katheleen Thayer, Mary Walter, Judy Hubel, Lois
White, Jean Wood.
11th grade, A averages: George
Davis, Bonnie Lloyd, James Sei
ter, Gloria Sickal.
B averages: Silva Ames, Ralph
Baumgarth, Edith Colmus, Becky
Groves, Marlene Haddox, John
Hardman, Sharon Jackson, Donna Kegg, Elaine Letson.
Linda McQuiston, Donald
Moore, Shirley Moore, Raymond
Neff, Neil Nevill, Beth Schultz.
John Seiter, Larry. Stanley, Bill
Wilson II, Jeanette Woodman.
10th grade, A averages: Joyce
Dunkle, Jim Norcutt, Robert Walter,
B averages: Sharon Beemer,
Donelle Birdsall, Linda Blystone
Sharon Brazie, Larry Calkins
Gayla Carrow, Ron Dull, Ann
Elden, Judy Fancon.
Darleen Gruno, Janet Hanchett.
Pamela Koch, Tom Maloney, Ju
dy Marotzke, Erna Northon, Gloria Olson, Carron Randall, Ruth
Schroeder, Carolyn Seibt.
Shirley Tice, Judy Ulrich, Wes
ley   Waddington.   Sandy   Went-,
worth, Julie Wood, Karen Wor-
stell.
9th grade A averages: Karla-
Cooper, Judy Fetter, Joe Graves
Janet Hart, Catherine Haring,
Joyce Horn, Shirley Leposkey,
Virginia Northon, Judy Presley,-
Elaine Wilson.
B averages: Carol Baumgarth,
Donna Bell, Joe Bowler, LaW'
renee Carneross, Gary Cole, Clinton Cooper, Vicky Cook,. Kathleen Cooper, Karen Crittenden.
Joyce Dawson, Kathleen Doherty, Marietta Garchow, Janet Gar*
ver, Joy Groves, Barbara Guiette,
Jean Hart, Veronica Haynak, Mary Hogue, Arvilla Kirkpatrick,.
Teal Leonard.
Continued on page 8
The trip was made
lance, Virginia was a
by  ambu-
patient of
Dr. Fitz, a Barryton osteopath.
NewIOOF-
Rebekah Hall
Is In Use
Members of the Clare IOOF
Lodge and Clara Rebekah Lodge
are pleased this week, as they
were able to meet for the first
time in their new hall Tuesday
evening.
The former* hall was destroyed
Jin- .the -,fir-e that swept nearly a
block of Clare's main business
section last January. It has taken the IOOF and Rebekah Lodge
members, working together, less
than a year, to be back in a
building of their own again.
During' the months* when the
new hall, located on Wilcox
Parkway in Clare, Was in the
planning and building stages, tlie
two lodges had the use of the
Farwell IOOF hall for meetings.
- Plans ate being, made* fqr a
speeial practice next Tuesday
evening, December 17, for the
dedication to be held in January,
and all officers are especially
urged to be present next week.
Grand Lodge officers will be
here for the evening.
Rebekahs were especially busy
at their meeting this week,
with Mrs. Ina Hammond in
charge. Plans were completed for
two special Christmas dinners to
be served this week. The Mt.
Pleasant degree staff will come
to Clare in January to initiate
candidates. As this is a busy
month, it was decided to dispense with the Christmas party.
All members . are asked to
make their contributions next
Week for the Christmas Cheer
baskets for shut-in members-
Bazaar articles were also on display for sale, and will continue
through next week.
Birthday supper guests were
George Snider, a brother Oddfellow, who is 85 years' young,
Harrison Simmons, Patricia
Holt, Mary Giers and Fannie
Yeoman.
DECEMBER 12, 1957      Ten Cents Copy
New Series, Vol. 66, No- 13
New School Proposal
Wins By 139 Majority
.Assert
McJames Died
Leonard McJames, 43, wa?
found dead, lying in a vacant
area near the Johnston Elevator
Company buildings -on South
McEwan Street early Monday
morning at shortly before .8
o!clock, . -
Death was. caused by a severe
blow on the left front temple,
resulting in a skull, fracture and
internal hemorrhaging of the
brain, according to the report of
Clare County Coroner Carl Stephenson, after an autopsy was
performed. .-■'..'.
After intensive investigation
by state and local law enforcement people, Clare County Pro?
ecutor James S. Bicknell III has
discredited rumors that McJames met death at the hands of
another person. ■ ,
Study of evidence and results
from blood tests of the dead
man which indicated a high degree of intoxication has convinced the prosecutor that there
Was nothing to indicate foul
play was involved in McJames
death.
However, the prosecutor added, the case has not been closed, and investigations will continue to try and establish more
fully the facts in the case,
McJames' body, which was
frozen to the ground, Was* discovered at about 7:55 a.m.JM.on-
day by Elmer Gingery, ai£ employee of Johnston Elevatox.,™-
Earlier, Keith Jackson,*' .'a
newspaper carrier, had mentioned to a patron that he had seen
a man lying on the ground as
he covered -his t'ftbuje, -       . 7:
Clare Police Chief William
Cook, Clare County Sheriff
James Darling, Coroner Steph
enson, Prosecutor Bicknell ph$
Michigan State Police, Mt. *"?||?(f
ant Post were all called twime
scene. The dead man's - Iso'dy
bore no marks or evidence ■ of
injury other than abrasions "on
the face and forehead which
could have been caused by * a
fall onto the hard-frozen ground,
Investigators had earlier considered the possibility that Mc
James might have, been struck
by some person unknown.
McJames was believed to have
been dead several hours. Investigations by law enforcement people this week established that
he was last seen when'he left a"
downtown tavern before' midnight Sunday, and walked south
on McEwan Street.
The prosecutor said he believed that McJames had died
prior to midnight. Cause of the
blow on the dead man's head
was unknown, but it was believed by officials that he may
have fallen and struck his head
on the frozen ground.
McJames had been working
for Lorence Acker, southeast of
Clare, for some time prior to
his death, and had ridden to
Clare with Acker Sunday morning.
Funeral services were held
Wednesday afternoon from Stephenson's Funeral Home, and
burial was in Cherry Grove
Cemetery, He is survived by four
children, his father, William
McJames, four sisters, and a
brother.
Voters of" the Clare school district, provided the answer Saturday to the question of whether
i new high school will be built,.
Balloting 503 to 364 in favor
ii a borrowing program to provide $795,000 to expand the facilities, district taxpayers opened
the way for 1.) a new high
school building, 2.) "Remodel the
present high school plant for use
js a grade school, 3.) Obtain the
building site for the high school
and an elementary school to be
proposed separately later. 4.)
Pay fo# various, details including
fees, and miscellaneous eXpen-,
ses'% . '.,'.•'
'* The. school > building program
was successful on election day
only after-twO previous trys for
bonding; had failed. The plan
turned, down at the polls twice
'before was for a $1,300,000. expansion program.*.
The total vote cast Saturday
was 874 ,a. considerably lighter
turn*-out of electors than at the
mpst. recent pr-evious election.
Seven ballots were spoiled.
This week has seen the beginnings of action to start the high
school building project. Since
the .passage of the proposal, first
steps. have been taken to prepare for the advertising and
sale of bonds to obtain the
school funds,
School Superintendent Richard
Wheeler said Wednesday that no
one can estimate accurately how
p^-«-*>*m
CHS Music Groups Offer
Annual Yule Attraction
The people in the Clare area
will again be treated to a program of Christmas music this
year. The concert, put on joint-
ay by the Clare High School
Chorus and the High School
Band,' will be presented at 8:00
p.m. in the school auditorium on
the night of December 18-
As irt the past, there will be
no admission charge for the program, and everyone is invited to
attend.
Music on the program will be
varied, covering primarily the
religious theme of Christmas,
but also the homey aspect of the
season, plus some music for the
children, according to Band Director Lloyd Conley.
The chorus, under the direction of Mrs. Pearl Howe, will
present two groups of numbers-
In addition there are two small
yocal groups, n girls quattet and
a girls quintet, which will have
Something special to offer.
The band, Under the baton of
Conductor Conley, will open the
program with traditional Christmas melodies.
Franklin Piper, a senior from
Central Michigan* College who is
doing, extern, work, here at
Clare with Mr, Conleyt.' will
also direct the band on someT of
the numbers. .-•■■'*'
The program will close as
usual with the audience joinm-?
the combined chorus and band in
singing of three well-known
Christmas carols,
The high s'ehooi music department has been working very
hard in an effort to make the
program completely enjoyable;
It is hoped that the auditorium
will be filled next Wednesday
when this musical tribute to
Christmas is* presented, Mr,
Conley said.
Little Rodney "Edgar .WalO?,
ro^rmnvm'bimt.mnim:
Francis Waldron, of Flint, has
two ' sets of proud great-
grandparents living,- Mr. and
Mrs. Ed Waldron and Mr. and
Mrs. Ralph Goodrich - both of
Temple. Mr. and Mrs. Edgar
•Waldron, also of Temple, are
the .little  boy's  grandparents.
Miss Michigan, Valerie Joy
Strong, who met local shoppers
and signed autographs in Clare
supermarkets last weekend, has
been pianist for Mrs. Joanne
Wilcox' dancing classes in Mt
Pleasant, and Mrs. Wilcox reports her students were thrilled
to "have the beautiful 'musician
playing for them, and pleased
with her good fortune as the
Mis's Michigan title winner.
Traverse City State Hospital has issued its annual appeal for Cliristmas gifts for its
patients. Gifts should be sent
unwrapped, but accompanied
by wrapping materials, and
addressed to C J. Curtiss, Director of Community Isolations
Department, Box C, Traverse
City, Mich. Mr. Curtiss requests that he receive packages before December 20.
Employees of the William H.
Bicknell Company held their annual Christmas dinner party at
the Hotel Doherty, Monday evening. After dinner, they were
guests of Mr. and Mrs,. Willard
Bicknell in their hotel suite, for
a Christmas tree and exchange
of giits.
The highest Christmas tree
In Michigan: also happens to be
the most decorative oil well
derrick. It's; located on tlte
Smock farm south and east of
Clare, and the tree flaunts its
bright lights ahd tinsel a-top
the drilling rig ISO feet in the
air. The.lights can be seen at
night for several miles. The
whole thing came about as the
rcsuitf bf 4f %ager.
And, on the subject of Christmas gifts, young people at Teen
Town are asking for donations of
outgrown or repairable toys to
distribute to children Who might
not otherwise have the happy
holiday experience of receiving
playthings. Persons who have
toys to give may call 78 in Clare
evenings, or leave toys at Teen
Town next door to the Clare
postof f iee.v
The N*ox!tlternaireJsi nten'-s
quartet entertained the Clare
Kiwanis -Club at Its annual
banquet last Wednesday evening, singing -four numbers,
including Silent Night. -Mile*
in the week* on Monday eve*
ning, they gave a 20 minute
musical program for the Molly,
Carbnretor 20 Year Club in
Detroit*
'.'  -   '     •  . '"*;-s**-'v'" .;r„-' '' '
fast the project will move. State
agencies enter the picture when
bonding procedures begin, he
said. But preliminaries are un-
derway both here with the local
School Board, and at Lansing in
the office of the architect--
Clark- Ackley who Will prepare
work preparatory to the seeking
of approval of the bond approval
request.
The proposed high school
plant includes 15 classrooms, a
library, gymnasium and school
maintenance storage space. The
plan will provide a building to
which more rooms can be added,
in future projects.
Two Men Die
Of Injuries
On Highway
Two Harrison men died Tuesday forenoon, after their pickup
truck went into a skid as they
drove south on US-27 north of
Clare, and smashed into a county road truck going north.
Leon Hosier, 44, of Harrison,
died at the scene of the accident
according to Carl Stephenson,
Clare County coroner, who was
called to the scene.
His stepfather, Francis O. Cor- *
ey, 54, of Harrison, the driver of
the pickup, died about 20 minutes later at Clare General Hospital. The accident occurred at
about 10:15 a.m, one and a half
miles north of Clare.
Driver of the county truck
was Emil Foell, 62, of Farwell,
and he was uninjured, according
to reports of Mt. Pleasant Post,
Michigan State Police who investigated the accident.
Double funeral services for the
two men Will be held Friday, at
t- >pjm, M'oxp. *th£ 'OniiiSd'WMWm
Church in Harrison, with Rev. E".
O. Burk -officiating. Mr. Hosier
will be buried in Greenwood
township cemetery and Mr. Corey will be taken to Reed City for
burial.
To Give
Polio Shots
At School
Polio shots will be given Monday, December 16, in the Clare
Public School. Permission slips
for the giving of the vaccine
will be sent home. Any student
not receiving one and who would
like to start the vaccine please
contact Mrs. Davy at school.
Any student over fifteen who
did not start the series in the
clinic will be charged $1.00. Any
of the Seniors who graduated
last year and would like to
come in for their shot may do'
so.
Students in Clare County rural schools will be given their
polio vaccine at their school.
Permission slips will be sent
home ahead of time.
List Adult
Education
s
Adult Education classes Will
be given again this year at Clare
Public School with enrollment
the week of January 6. This may
be done, by calling the school,
phone 138, or stopping in to fill
out a registration blank, or by-
coming to the first meeting-Of
the class. "'.'■''
If sufficient enrollments are
received, the following classes
will be given: ;   *
Typing :— Beginning and Advanced —
Sewing ~- Beginning and M"
vanced *-■■■''■  ■,-»
Art — Basic Art, Silk Screen*
ing, Jewelry making and enameling, Ceramics, and Water Colors
Girl Scout Leadership Training ,
Cake Decorating *;
Child Psychology        ■     .-■-•"
Photography
Driver Training
First Aid .   • .
Further announcements regarding these classes will appear
in the Sentinel.