Published: October 03, 2008 04:48 pm            

Looking Back: 1958: Anti-fluoridation committee aimed to halt addition of chemcial to water supply

Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.



1998

• A large crowd lined the parade route despite a cold rain falling on the bands and floats in Indiana State University’s Homecoming parade.

• Strong winds during a night thunderstorm tore off a 7,500-foot portion of metal roof from the Indiana Center for Aviation Technology at Terre Haute International Airport-Hulman Field. Officials at Ivy Tech State College-Terre Haute reported 20 offices and three classrooms were roofless and the contents badly damaged by rain.

• Area residents lit candles at the Council on Domestic Abuse annual vigil at the Vigo County Courthouse. A recent study showed about 40 percent of homicides in the Wabash Valley’s six Indiana and three Illinois counties since 1993 were domestic-related.

• Ennis Communications Corp.’s purchase of the television and radio holdings of Wabash Valley Broadcasting Co., a subsidiary of Hulman & Co., was approved by the Federal Communications Commission. Stations WTHI-AM, WTHI-FM, WWVR-FM and WTHI-TV were included in the deal.

• More than 80 Wabash Valley students participated in the Edible Engineering Contest sponsored by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Explore Engineering program.

1983

• Vigo County fall sports and homecoming queens included Traci Harlan (Terre Haute North Vigo High School), Bessie Burns (Terre Haute South), Joanna Jeffers (Terre Haute Baptist) and Lori Sekerak (West Vigo).

• Mae “Gran-ma Joy” Shurman was named Citizen of the Year and Porter’s Used Car Exchange, Business of the Year, by the West Terre Haute Merchants Association. Jim Brown was the association president.

• The Chesty Division of The Snacktime Co., 500 S. Ninth St., was producing potato chips, pretzels, cheese puffs, popcorn products and seven different kinds of corn chips locally. President Gaylen Legan said he didn’t see the corporate offices moving from the city because Terre Haute was central to the company’s other locations.

• Dan Gossage, principal of West Vigo Elementary School, was named Principal of the Year for District 6, West Central Indiana, by the Indiana Association of Elementary School Principals. Patricia Fouty and Robert Mardis were past recipients of the award.

• Jack Ragle, president of Graham Grain Co., was elected chairman of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s board of managers.

1958

• A colorful, 24-unit parade along Wabash Avenue marked the opening of Fire Prevention Week.

• Some 11 Methodist ministers and 10 lay members volunteered their services to do major repairs and improvements to the church parsonage of Saulters Methodist Church, 131/2 and Franklin streets. The Rev. J.C. Williams was the pastor.

• The Dental Clinic, operated for 21 years by the League of Terre Haute, reopened four mornings of the week to treat children who could not afford dental care. About 250 children had been treated the previous year.

• Ewing H. Miller, Terre Haute-Vigo County Chapter chairman of the American Red Cross, reappointed Mrs. Robert Strong as chairwoman of nursing service, Mrs. Iverson Bell as vice-chairwoman, Mrs. Joseph Roehm as enrollment chairwoman and Mrs. Ferris Roberson as vice-chairwoman of disaster nursing.

• The local anti-fluoridation committee, with Dr. E.J. Willis as chairman, met at the YMCA to discuss how to stop the addition of this chemical to the city’s water supply. The Common Council had overrode Mayor Ralph Tucker’s veto to authorize the addition of fluoride.

        

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