Looking Back

By Arline Adamsick

The Manteno News: April 19, 1973

Well, I made a comment about election consolidation last week, but apparently, Manteno residents were not deterred in voting twice in just a few days…

In the school board contest…“William McMurtry, of Rockville Township, and Richard Brandt, of Manteno Township, tallied up an almost two-to-one margin in the election Saturday for two directors of Manteno Community School District No. 5, defeating incumbents Richard Hagenow and Calvin Meyer. McMurtry had 470 votes to Hagenow’s 240, while Brandt received 461 votes to Meyer’s 254. There were 29 spoiled ballots.

In the village election on April 17, the headline read… “Everything is ‘Jake’”

“Good government Party sweeps race as all members win nearly two-to-one. Jacobs, top vote-getter with 42 more than anyone, leads ticket to 425 straight votes out of 1,187 total cast.

“Harold Jacobs led his Good Government Party to a clean sweep of village offices in Tuesday’s village election, as he received 738 votes, more than any other candidate, and more than twice the number of votes for runner-up incumbent village president Gerald E. Jarvis. Jarvis, in turn had a substantial margin over John T. Smith, the third candidate for village president.

“The strong showing of the Good Government Party was due in large measure to a commanding 425 straight votes for the party compared to 171 for the United Party and 50 for the People’s Party.

“President Jacobs expressed his appreciation and that of his entire ticket for the strong community support. He indicated the hope of the Good Government Party members was that they would be able to return accomplishment to the same degree as the faith that has been shown.”

OK, this was Holy Week in 1973 and here were the sales, including ham, at Kruger’s: Wilson whole ham – 79¢/lb., shank hams – 77¢/lb. and butt half – 89¢/lb.; celery – 25¢; red potatoes – 79¢/10 lbs.; Swift Butterball turkey – 59¢/lb.; and Swift premium bacon – 99¢/lb. (Not really much of a difference in ham prices for a 50-year timespan.)

At Kasco Foods: Armour canned hams – $5.99/5 lb.; fresh leg-o-lamb – 89¢/lb.; Shenandoah turkey roast – $5.49 for 4-1/2 lbs.; plus, strawberries – 39¢/pt.; green beans – 29¢/lb. and Rainbo Brown and Serve rolls – 3 pkgs./$1.

Plus, here are a few quips to brighten your day… “Good Dead: Make someone happy today. Mind your own business. – Record, Columbia, S.C.

“Think on it: A conceited person has one good point. He doesn’t talk about other people. –Grit

“Conscience doesn’t keep you from doing anything – it just takes all the enjoyment out of it. –Golden Gate

“From the mirror: Flattery is the art of describing others as they see themselves. –Coast Guard News”

The Crete Record: April 19, 1973

The election was over, and all three school board incumbents, Edward Epstein, Sheldon Houston, and David Newhuis, won their seats. Since there was no opposition for candidates running for either the park or library boards, all candidates were elected.

In the Crete mayoral race, incumbent Ronald Christopher won easily over challenger Harold Martin in light voting. The top three in the trustee races were: Bill Bruin, Edward Newton Jr., and Ted Bowman, with Frank Wisher losing his first bid for a trustee seat.

“Daylight Break-in Nets $26,000 from Rural Crete Home”

“Cash and securities valued at $26,000 were taken by thieves in a daylight break-in of the Raymond J. Baker home in rural Crete on Monday.

“Taken were: $1,800 in currency, three coin banks containing $210, three treasury notes worth $5,000 each, one worth $1,000, $7,000 in negotiable bonds, and numerous Series E savings bonds. Baker told the Will County Sheriff’s Police that titles for homes in Chicago Heights and Hallandale, Florida, also were taken, as well as titles to two cars.

“Entry was apparently gained by forcing a door to the attached garage. Although a bedroom was ransacked, the thief/thieves did not take anything else. The FBI is expected to enter the case because of the federal treasury notes.

“In another burglary reported to County Police Monday, burglars took $70 worth of liquor, two rings, two watches, and a set of cuff links from the home of Harold Dawson, Rt. 1, Crete.”

At the Holiday Theatre: “Charley and the Angel” and “Cinderella.”

“New Road Signs to Be on Driver’s License Examination”

“Illinois motorists required to take the written portion of the driver’s license examination in the near future were advised by Michael J. Howlett, Secretary of State, that new road signs will be on the test, effective May 1.

“Howlett said the new written test will include 15 signs and 20 multiple choice questions. Applicants must answer 28 of the 35 questions (signs included) to pass. Only six of the signs are the same as in the past. Seven new symbol signs are included, as well as both old and new versions of two signs.

“The Department of Transportation has been phasing in new signs on the state’s highways to comply with a national uniform sign system similar to that used in Europe. Approximately 35 percent of Illinois’ highway signs have been changed to the new system, which relies on symbols rather than words.”

The Beecher Herald: April 19, 1973

Well, at least the school board election and news made the front page that week, after such a lowly mention in the past week’s paper…

“Herman Fisher Elected School Board President”

“By Roger Schoenwald

“The 1973 election process was completed in District 200-U last Monday, when the school board elected Herman Fisher as president and Leslie Heldt as secretary.

“Results from the election also were canvassed by the board. Elected to three-year terms were Mrs. Betty Johnson, with 234 votes, and William Herlitz, with 277 votes. The remainder of the votes were distributed as follows: Gilbert Lange 223, William Sewell 145, and Eugene Waldvogel 72. There were four write-in candidates and 11 spoiled ballots.”

According to the article, “The election brought a record turnout of 504 voters. Jack Gitersonke ecstatically declared that the turnout ‘shows we had good candidates, and it’s a healthy sign of interest in the school district.’”

“All Candidates Elected to Village Offices Tuesday”

“By Roger Schoenwald

“Dubbed as a vote of confidence in the candidates and as a look at the support of village government by Beecher residents, 305 voters turned out for the village election.

“All unopposed candidates won easily despite a last minute effort by Ernest Sippel to mount a write-in campaign. The tally was as follows: Landis Wehling 278, Violett Meeter 253, Walter Boyens 248, Alvin Fugett 261, and Robert Williamson 233.

“The election also exemplified the sensibility and respect for the democratic system by the citizens of Beecher, as none of the candidates reported they were shot at, beat up, or intimidated in any way.” (I sure hope that last sentence was meant as a joke!!!)

A decision was forthcoming, and the headline read: “Voters to Receive Questionnaire on Junior Colleges”…

“A questionnaire will be sent to all registered voters in School District 200-U asking them to make known their preference as to which Junior College District Beecher should join. This decision was made when the Junior College Advisory Committee met with the school board Monday night, April 16. The questionnaire will list the three junior colleges – Prairie State, Joliet Junior College, and Kankakee Community College. The voters will be asked to mark their choice and return them.

“The results of this questionnaire will be the determining factor in the decision, which must be made by the board of education. Watch for the questionnaire in the mail, and please make use of this opportunity to voice your opinion.”

The Peotone Vedette: April 20, 1973

“One Trustee Post Still in Doubt After Tuesday’s Election”

“One four-year trusteeship on the Peotone Village Board is still in doubt following Tuesday’s village election. The judges’ count at the close of voting gave Lloyd Collins a three-vote margin over Robert Cross. Collins’ total was 220 and Cross’ 217.

“In an effort for complete fairness, discovery proceedings were conducted at village hall Wednesday night. Under the supervision of Mayor Howard Scrivens and Village Clerk Evelyn Berry, and in the presence of Mrs. and Mrs. Lloyd Collins, Robert Cross, and Police Chief Tom Ivanhoff, all ballots were checked, including five ballots declared spoiled by the judges.

“The findings give Collins 216 votes, Cross 213, with seven ballots being questionable. The seven ballots, which include five rejected by the judges, were sealed in an envelope and given to the village attorney, who personally delivered them to the Will County Courthouse in Joliet on Thursday for a court decision.”

“Leonard Cann Elected New School Board President”

“Leonard Cann was elected the new president of the District 207-U School Board at its reorganization meeting Monday night. Elected to serve with Cann were Wayne Krapf, vice president, and William Devlin, secretary. There were a total of 110 votes cast in the school board election, with 65 in Peotone, 26 in Green Garden, and 19 at Wilton Center. There were no spoiled ballots.”

After recently shopping for Easter goodies, I was rather shocked by the prices of the ever-popular Easter candies. Most individual foil wrapped bunnies or bags of assorted chocolates seemed to hover around $5 or even more. Here was an ad from Hilsenhoff Pharmacy back in 1973: A two-pound box of assorted Fannie May chocolates was $4.25 in ‘gay Easter wrap.’ Solid chocolate rabbits ranged from 15¢ to $1.95 – depending on size, plus my Mom’s favorite – marshmallow eggs – were $1.10 for a box of 20, while individual cream eggs were 25¢.

*****

It must be spring, as I had my air conditioner checked for the season, today, and it certainly won’t be long before the sounds of lawnmowers are common, while the yard is beginning to get those ‘long tuffs’ of grass that always appear in early spring. My grandchildren are living on their own at the present time, but it felt like I put a damper on my grandson’s plans. He definitely was looking to purchase outdoor plants – after all, it’s spring.

Despite what the garden centers are showing, personally, I don’t do much more than pansies until Mother’s Day, unless you want to do the ‘in and out’ of the house routine for a while. So far this year, I’ve welcomed my pansies into the kitchen for a rather crisp night or two. As a result of our consultation, he bought pansies, but could have purchased so much more!!

My daughter, also, is giving me a hard time, as I keep moving my window boxes on the front porch from the railing to the porch floor. She figures my neighbors are enjoying some good comic relief. That west wind has been so strong, it just picks them up and lands them there, anyway. So, before the boxes break, I move them. Have a great week, enjoy the beautiful weather – Life is Good!! I even have one dandelion blooming next to the house!!