I Remember Avilla |
I Remember Avilla
I Remember Avilla
I Remember Avilla: My Son-In-Law John, our Daughter Lisanne Michelle and their son JJ came to Florida on vacation. John asked me about hunting and fishing in Indiana when I was growing up so that he could compare it to his younger years in Pennsylvania. I loved going rabbit hunting with my Dad and my Beagle Jenny because we always came home with two or three bunnies. There was a Wildlife Reserve North of Kendallville where you were assigned an area to hunt in that been farmland. It was a great way to spend a Saturday Morning provided everyone paid attention as to where they were shooting. Deer hunting was a different story around Avilla. If you saw one, you had to use a shotgun with slugs (punkin balls) because high power rifles were not allowed. Where John came from both deer and small game were plentiful and you could use shotguns and rifles. Fishing is a different story because to me, nothing beats a fresh water lake, a 12 ft. row boat and a cane pole. I still have a 12 ft. rowboat ( Smoker Craft made in Kendallville ) but I don't have a cane pole anymore. John of course, is familiar with fish worms and night crawlers and had fished the lakes in Pennsylvania but had never heard of Bee moths or Catalpa worms. If you drive West of Avilla on Albion Street extended to the second crossroad and turn left you will cross the railroad tracks and come to a small house on the right side of the road. This was the home of Mr. and Mrs.Carl Schumck where Carl raised honey bees and sold fish bait. The bee moths came in a thin paper coil with each moth being in a separate space and how he got them in there I never figured out. It was rumored that he hid his money in jars buried in the back yard but I'm not sure that was ever confirmed. Catalpa worms crawl along the leaves of the Catalpa tree and are easy to gather from the lower branches but make sure you don't park under the tree unless you like worms on your vehicle. Maybe someday I will have the opportunity to take John to the Dam at Rome City when the blue gills are bedding. Now that's Indiana fishin' and I don't think you can beat a skillet full of fried bluegills. What was it Grandpa Jones said on Hew Haw? Yum Yum. Don't look for us until dark girls, we've gone fishin'. Phil Banta
by Phil Banta
by Phil Banta
by Phil Banta
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com Marshall Matt Dillon: This is my tribute to one of my all time heroes, James Arness aka. Marshall Matt Dillon. James Arness died this week from natural causes at age 88 in California, not on Front Street in Dodge City in a blaze of gun fire. To me Marshall Dillon is a hero that I have followed from 1955 to last evening at 7 pm. on the Western Channel. I can still remember the very first episode which aired in September of 1955. Dad bought our 19" black and white Philco console television from Fitch's TV in Avilla for Christmas of 1954, and it was on a cold Saturday evening that John Wayne introduced the first showing of Gunsmoke. I have just about every episode on tape or DVD. plus the four set series that takes place after he retired as a U.S. Marshall. As the keeper of the peace in Dodge City, this 6'-3" towering hero fought the bad guys, rode a horse named Buck, ( the same mount ridden by Ben Cartwright) stopped for a cold beer, was shot eleven times but never kissed Miss Kitty. In contrast, the actor, James Arness was a quiet, kind man that really enjoyed an ice cream cone when not in front of the camera. I'm not tough enough to have lived in Matt Dillon's time, I don't like horses, I'm to little to be a tough guy, but I am fairly fast on the draw. I have a .22cal. peacemaker with a quick draw holster that would guarantee me being present in one gun fight, probably not two. I would be the one laying face down in the street while someone yelled "go get Doc". To me, a hero is someone I can never be, but I can identify as someone I would like to be. Mr. Dillon, you have outlived Chester, Festus, and Doc Adams but your image as a true American hero and an Honorary U.S. Marshall can never be outlived. ( the commonly used term "Get outta Dodge" came from this series ) Phil Banta.
I REMEMBER AVILLA : COMMUNICATION Other than talking to each other, the first means of calling each other that I remember was a wood cased phone that hung on the East wall of our house in lower New York. A black cord connected the cradled Bakelite ear piece to the left side of the case while a brass crank occupied the right side. In the middle was an adjustable flared end mouthpiece waiting for someone to call us at 1600F23 which translates to two longs and three short rings. I did not remember the number, Carol did. When we moved to farm at Avilla, we entered the modern age of communication which was a black desk type phone set atop a doily covered telephone stand in the dining room. We were on a party line which meant you weren't sure if that call was for you or not so when it rang you picked it up and said hello. The phone was not intended to be used for gossip, but remember the three means of communication in the '50's. Telephone, Telegraph or tell a Woman. ( go ahead and write me a nasty gram) If a neighbor was talking, you were expected to quietly and politely hang up, but you know that that didn't always happen. If you called your home from town, you asked the operator to dial your home number and when the party answered, instead of sliding your coin into the slot you yelled "CALL ME" into the ear piece and the person at home know what number to call you back for free. Later on, a pay phone booth was set up in front of DeLucenay's housed a dial telephone which cost 10 cents for a local call. Denny use to delight in turning the blue and white TELEPHONE sign at the top of the booth backwards so that it read ENOHPELET. That might be French or Latin, I don't remember. Now if you are close to my age, I'm sure you sent penny post cards home or to your friends when you went on vacation or the glorious "Senior Trip". Colored scenes of Niagara Falls or the Empire State Building graced the front of a card on which you wrote, " Having a great time, wish you were here". To thank your Grandparents for the birthday gift or Christmas present that they took time to buy, wrap and to send ,you sat down and penned a letter. When you were done with the letter you asked your Mother for the address and a stamp. Then you marched yourself to the mail box, and made sure the flag was up. Back then, words like cell phones, e-mail, Twitter, or Facebook were non Webster terms that probably came from outer space. Oh my how things have changed. Matt Dillon felt naked without his guns and I feel un-dressed without my cell phone. I check my e-mail every morning and I am on Facebook. Remember, we are living in the future world we only read about and envisioned back in the '50's . Life is so much easier now and I have so much more leisure time. Gotta go, my Boss is calling , Jeannette is on hold and I have 5 unanswered voice mails. Keep in touch. Phil Banta.
I Remember Avilla: Dirt. I was setting in my office contemplating my next article when the project Supt. informed me that he was leaving a little early to get his filthy, dirty truck cleaned up. I remember the years growing up around Avilla how impossible it was to keep our old Chevy truck , Mothers Pontiac or my old Plymouth clean. In the early Spring when the ground thawed out you had to contend with mud. When the mud dried up you had dust. It didn't seem to matter how slowly you drove down our road the only thing you saw in your rear view mirror was dust and only part of it blew off when you hit the asphalt road to town. In the winter even the snow was dirty. Last month I mentioned that my roots ran deeper than the muck in Dan Uhl's corn field but I didn't mention that Dan set his muck on fire to prevent an early frost from ruining everything. He almost ruined himself when his old tractor fell into a burn hole which fortunately landed upright with no loss of fuel, but Dan stayed there until he had help getting out. In the Spring of 1955 Bob Myers brought a new 8-N Ford tractor with a 2 bottom mounted plow for us to try out. The field just South of the barn included a long stretch of heavy clay and that was the little Fords test strip. Now there was a lot of really good things any farmer could do with one of these red and grey machines, but plowing the clay hillside wasn't one of them. I guess It really matter, because we couldn't afford it anyway. Just consider how much our lives revolve or is influenced around dirt (earth or soil ). Our houses get dirty because we drag it in on our shoes. How many of you girls remember what your Daddy told you about us boys and our old cars? "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, there ain't a gas gauge a girl can trust". We came from dust and to dust we shall return. People have "dirty" minds and try to get the dirt on each other. Our clothes get soiled and we all know people that are down to earth. ( where else would they be? ) If God hadn't made the earth out of dirt of some kind we wouldn't be here and at our life's end they will mound the dirt up over our graves. We need to be happy for the soil that feeds us, the Farmers that toil on the land and yes, even the dust.
I Remember Avilla: CLASS OF '58 YEARBOOK. One of the highlights of my Senior year at Avilla High was working on the '58 Annual staff. I was the designated school photographer which allowed me to roam the halls and class rooms in the search of the perfect photo. I used an Argus C-3 with a detachable flash which was a little difficult to use but took great pictures. There is one picture that I have always been especially proud of that's printed on page 14. Look at the expressions on Dick Glass and the Noffze twins faces as they watches Denny Brand holding up his hand. Either Denny had the answer to the World History question asked by the Teacher or he has to go really bad. Looking through the yearbooks generated before 1958, it appears that the same format and arrangement of photos are about the same. The biggest difference from year to year is the color and texture of the cover and the shield around the numbers. The class of '58 chose the colors, rust and white as suggested by Paul Whan at the time when we ordered our class sweaters. We may be the only class ever to use this combination and I'm glad we did because it gave us our own special identity. As I am writing this article I can't help but wonder what Paul would think if he knew he could click on Classmates and not only view but order a copy of our class yearbook. Copies from ours and other years are available for $59.95. plus shipping and handling. I don't know for sure but I would almost bet that I didn't spend more than $10.00 for an original copy. Regardless of cost, a Yearbook, or Annual, does what it was designed to do and that is showing all of us as exactly as we were. Now we can admire or laugh at ourselves depending on what you want to remember. Sadly there are a lot of beautiful people here that I will never see again but in my case it's still true that an ugly duckling can still turn into ah—let's not go there. Phil Banta I Remember Avilla: Last Saturday morning I woke up with a jolt. I'm speaking literally, because my defibulator fired off which required my pacemaker to re-adjust my heartbeat. After collecting myself, I went to the local Hospital in Mims ,Florida for a check-up where I sat and waited for five hours. Now if you ever wanted to see a cross section of American people, just observe those who come and go from an Emergency Room waiting area. There were those who waited quietly and those who loudly demanded immediate service, those who were almost yelling into their cell phones, there was a sad eyed young girl that looked worn out while trying to console her newborn baby, but the one who really got my attention was a very senior lady who wanted to lay on the floor in an attempt to help ease her back pain. I remember as a kid how scared I was when my folks roared off to the Sacred Heart Hospital in Garrett with my Sister crying in pain from appendicitis . I also remember how scared I was when my Dad roared off with me to the McCray Hospital when my appendices ruptured. In my Sister's case I was much too young to visit her in her recovery room. I was only allowed to set in the waiting room but if anyone spoke above a whisper a lady in white or one of the Catholic Sisters simply looked at the offender and that's all it took. When I remember Avilla in the 1950's I can still visualize how some people reacted when they were anxious or scared . It seemed to me that during times of sickness or crisis, the women were the strong ones able to give encouragement while softly crying into a white starched hanky. Men gripped the rim of their hats hoping the bills weren't going to be too high and where can I go to have a smoke. Hospitals are much more bigger and complicated now and they save more lives without the nurses in white. I didn't see anyone last week like the pretty people on television or in the movies, they were just average, ordinary folks like me, needing help. I'm sure that none of us want to spend another Saturday like that. Phil Banta
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: This past January, I decided I was not going to make any New Year’s Resolutions. There is no reason for me to promise myself to do something I’ll forget or won’t keep. Instead, I made a hope list, a wish list and a prayer list that affect other people some of which I’ll never know. For example: 1.) I hope and pray that my Daughter-In-Laws Mother finds The strength, courage and fortitude to fight the Stage 4 lung cancer that has ravished her body. This same wish goes for all who are sick and hurting including my wife who has a myriad of health problems. 2.) I wish that our newly elected officials and the one’s already in office would agree that what’s best for our Country holds president over any other agenda, especially their own. 3.) When I attended Avilla High School all 700 friendly folks (and a few crazies) were protected and respected by one Lawman, Chief John Stoner. I not only write for the Nooz I read the articles too and I hope and pray that more citizens do more thinking, less drinking and quit trying to get away with some of the crazy stuff I read about. 4.) I am a people watcher and when I’m out and about, I see a lot of sadness and discouragement on a lot of faces. When you can’t find a job, your unemployment is running out and the kids need shoes you have a right to be sad. I wish that whoever is trying to give America and American jobs away would just stop and be made to live under the same conditions they impose upon others. Avilla is my hometown where I spent my youth and have roots there that run deeper than the muck in Dan Uhl’s corn field. Our parents rest in peace in Avilla and I can only pray that this year God gives all of us convictions to do what we can for those whose hopes and dreams are being lost. This past decade has been good to me and my readers have been a great source of encouragement. I hope you have been entertained and uplifted by something I have written, so I want to thank you and I wish, hope and pray that we all have a really great 2011. Phil Banta.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I REMEMBER AVILLA: When I first started writing for the Avilla News, I said that I would not write about race, sex. politics or things that would promote my personal opinion or agenda. Now I’m sure that somewhere in my articles someone out there would challenge me on this so if you do, please voice your findings in a letter to the Editor.This month, I’m going to stretch my position with some thoughts that I hope will interest you without offending you. Here goes #1.) Bob “Lefty” Leatherman was the only young person in Avilla that I knew of with a tattoo. He got it in 1957 when he went through Naval Basic Training between his Junior and Senior years of High School. I’m sure that there were many WW-II and Korean War Veterans in Avilla with tattoos which would have been more than socially acceptable. To get a “Tat” I the 50’s, you probably would have to go to a back street in a poor section of Ft. Wayne. (Just a guess ) and if you didn’t suffer infection and loss of limb, one of your parents would just kill you. Boy how things have changed. Today, young and old alike are covered from wrist to shoulder with fancier and more colorful scroll work than any pin striping was ever painted on a ’32 Ford. Four or five years ago, many adventuresome ladies had “Tracks” on their backs just above the belt line which were very visible as they walked or stooped. Now it’s very popular to have your children and grandchildren’s names tattooed on your upper arm. Simulated barbed wire often appears around necks, wrists and ankles accompanied with silver posts, studs and other weird looking things. Television shows promote the beauty, safety and necessity to get a tattoo to fit into today’s society. I’m sorry, but I’m old school and really don’t see a lot of beauty in mass tattooing especially on girls and ladies. Since my position isn’t going to change anything, maybe I should buy Delucenays old drug store and open a tattoo and body piercing shop because if young and old alike are going to do it they’re going to do it. Thought #2.) Back in the 1950’s when there was an election and our Mothers worked at the “Polls”, the adults knew who they wanted to vote for which was mostly along party lines. We had buttons which said “I Like Ike” or” Vote for Nixon” and a bunch of stuff for other candidates which either left you glad or sad depending on who won. It saddens me today to watch the political adds with all of the finger pointing and mudslinging. Are the candidates as inept as we are lead to believe and are they running for office simply to beat unemployment? If you believe that all of the accusations and insinuations are true, they belong in jail, not in office. There is an old saying that states,” Don’t tell me what you’re against, tell me what you’re for.” I’ve heard a lot about the need to change, but little on how to accomplish it. Do you remember the movie where the guy leans out the window and yells” I’m mad as h--and I’m not going to take it any more”? Well there are a lot of us that grew up in and around Avilla and in every State that still loves this Country and are mad and upset because we don’t see honest old fashion leadership and accountability. We just don’t want more spoiled adults criticizing and trying to bankrupt this Country that millions have worked so hard for and scarified so much for. I’ll get off my soap box now and encourage those reading this article to work, think and pray for what is still the greatest Country in the World.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: I have had two former students from Avilla High School on my mind for some time so here is my tribute to Shirley Douglas and Richard “Dick” Coil. 1.) Shirley lived on a farm operated by her folks Bill and Ivy Douglas which was on the same road as our farm and we both had long gravel or snow filled lanes to navigate. Since Shirley was a very close friend of my sister, I took the liberty of calling her “Grandma,” which she never objected to, but seem to enjoy. After graduating in 1953, she married and had a daughter whom she named Karen. If she reads this article, she may find out that there is a rather famous stage and screen entertainer from Canada whose name is also Shirley Douglas. That Shirley plays the part of Mae Bailey in the series “Wind at my Back.” The setting is a small Canadian town struggling to get by during the depression. Unlike the sweet soft spoken Shirley I know, this Shirley plays the part of a very domineering, opinionated woman who’s mining fortune practically allows her to run the town. In real life this Canadian Shirley was marries to Donald Southerland and is the Mother of Kiefer Southerland. It’s seldom that I get to see “Grandma” anymore, but I do wish her well.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: About a month ago, a friend and I noticed two snails crossing an asphalt driveway near our construction field office. Since the asphalt was hot, I guess they were traveling as fast as snails can which is still pretty slow compared to other critters of that size. Now there were lots of snails on the farm west of Avilla where we grew up and like most people we considered them to be some kind of slimy icky bug. Who knew that they were good to eat? Well, since this article ends my fourth year of writing for the Nooz Mall, instead of telling you about any particular person, place or thing, I am going to share my favorite snail stories. 1.) If you place a snail on the back of a turtle, he will immediately start screaming, "SLOW DOWN". 2.) In 1957 a Science Fiction movie came out about huge snails that left Mars and came by space ship to earth where upon they immediately started eating people. As they set their sights on Metro City, where there were thousands of tasty young folks, screaming women hid their children, while men took up arms and the preachers all prayed for deliverance. In all of these movies there is the Mad Professor, his beautiful daughter, a City Mayor and those determined to save the day, Soon all of the streets were blocked off, houses were boarded up, and the Police/Military were ready with fire and huge fire power. With a shaky voice the Mayor asked the Army General " How long do you think we have before they attack the city/" Giving the question great thought, General Ames replied, "Oh we have maybe six weeks". ( respond as you wish) 3.) Four or five years ago, Mr. Snail won the Indiana lottery. As soon as he got a large pile of money, he headed for the local Chevrolet Dealer. It took a while, but finally he picked out a solid black Camaro Z-28. He paid cash for his new ride, and gave this simple order. Everywhere there is a "Z" on this car, paint it out and replace it with an "S". OK sir, but why such a strange request the Body Shop Manager asked. Simple replied Mr. Snail, When I leave a red light, I want people to say "See the S car go". ( again respond as you wish) Well, I've had fun with this and I hope you smiled or even laughed. Summer will soon be here so enjoy your families and have a little fun. Oh yea, don't be to hard on snails, They have families too.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: When I was attending Avilla High School we would practice both inside and outside every week during track season. Bob Zimmerman would practice pole vaulting, while Gordon Dennis practiced high jumping. Herb and Kenny were the guys with the big muscles, so they threw the 8 lb. shot put. There were a lot of good runners and four or five terrible athletes of which I am one. Another member of this last group was Keith Bohnenberer who would never become a track star no matter how hard he practiced. There were however stories told about Keith that are worth sharing, one of which is the incident with his old Chevy. Keith's Dad wanted him to have a better car which was suppose to be his by a certain date which prompted Keith to take his .22 rifle to the poor old sedan. The problem came when the '48 Plymouth wasn't available quite yet which forced Keith to drive his "Bonnie and Clyde" mobile another week. Keith's family had a farm West of Old St. Rd. 3 along the Base line Road which meant that he usually passed the Max Albaugh home on his way to and from Avilla. Little Max Albaugh was known for two things, like his Dad he enjoyed a good cigar and he liked to decorate their yard for Halloween. It was probably the fall of 1956 when little Max decided to take an old 55 gallon drum to hold up some corn stalks and use as a base for pumpkins, gourds and various items of fall colors. Keith couldn't help himself and aimed the Plymouth toward the pumpkins which resulted in a mess and an upset Albaugh family. The resolve for this was simple, put the decorations back up and fill the drum with rocks. This time there were two messes, Maxies fall display and what was left of, Keith's left front fender. I couldn't confirm this last story about Keith, but if it's true it confirms the idea that all things are possible. Keith and a couple of his buddies wanted to borrow and sample Farmer Jones' watermelons so with flashlight in hand they climbed the garden fence with great anticipation. (PS. Keith was not a thief, he was a farm kid with a hunger for a good melon) Well, farmer Jones had a flashlight and a 12 gauge pump. Guess which one of the non-athletes (See above) sailed back over the fence first. There are a lot of untold stories about the kids that grew up with my generation and before these stories are lost tell them to your friends and family. Tell on yourself, you may be funnier than you think and thank you Keith for being part of my memory. Phil Banta.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: Well it's almost January and time to decide what our 2010 "New Years Resolutions" are going to be. Now when we were kids in Avilla this was serious stuff because we were taught that when you made a commitment or promise you were required to keep it. Every year I went through the same mental exercise to see what I wanted to change or improve. My grades weren't all that bad except in math which I never mastered until many years later. I didn't need to lose weight, I needed to gain weight. I should have resolved to never start smoking, but almost all of the boys did that. I happily did my chores, I ate all of my vegetables and was always nice to my sister so what more could be asked of an almost perfect young lad with a great disposition? Well that was then and this is now and it's not all that difficult for me to come up with things to resolve. For example. 1.) I'm not allowed to go through the appliance section at Sears or browse through a cabinet shop because I open all the doors and close none. ( this bad habit includes the front door and car doors too) I could change that if I paid attention. 2.) My attitude can be less than cheerful and I can be very opinionated. I could and should work on that. 3.) Even though I can wear the same size clothes that I wore in 1958, I could exercise more and work on my posture. There is a whole list of things I could do, but for 2010 my "Resolutions" are going to include being more grateful for my family and all of the blessings God had bestowed on me. I going to seriously consider retiring sometime in the next five years. Even though my eyesight is next to perfect, my hearing is fading so I resolve to have it checked along with my glucose level, and the discomfort in my left hip. It's past time to admit I'm not that young lad anymore even though I still eat all of my veggies. Let's face it, "New Years Resolutions" are mostly for fun and tradition and are seldom considered past the Rose Bowl Parade, so good luck on your choices and I sincerely hope that all of my readers have a happy and blessed 2010. Happy New Year. Phil Banta
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: I've had people tell me that I'm to old to believe in Santa Clause. My response is this, " At age sixty nine I'm to young to be called old". What's wrong with believing in Santa anyway? When we were kids in school, all of the teachers helped us cut out Santa from red construction paper and glue on cotton for his hair and beard. We colored his belt and boots black and hung our creations along the edge of the blackboard so he must exist. We had some wonderful teacher in school and they would have never lied to us. As far back as I can remember, Avilla was alive with Christmas and the jolly old elf. It took me years to figure out how he covered the whole world in one night but once I understood time zones and the resulting sugar high from eating thousands of cookies it all made perfect sense. ( Someone told me that Santa does not like fat free milk either). Just think about it, Santa has been overweight for centuries and still going strong . When our two kids were in school they had great Christmas programs and all of us proud Fathers strained to find a clear view of our kids so we could show off our Bell & Howell 8mm. and Super 8mm. cameras. One of the joys of Christmas was pretending that you didn't burn the skin from your fingers changing flash bulbs or cubes. Santa always came out at the end of these programs and passed out goodies even if he did look like Uncle Wilbur. Just think of the number of rolls of film we took to DeLucenay's and how hard it was to wait for the photos. I've been a lot of places and met a lot of people and I've never met anyone whose life was warped but only made better by believing in the magic of Christmas. All of my family understands and celebrates the real meaning of Christmas and the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ but we don't think to deeply into the actual date of his birth. My family and most of my generation are comfortable with setting up a Nativity Scene under the Christmas tree and helping the Grandkids make paper Santas. We buy simple presents and cook a turkey which can only be carved after Grandpa Phil says grace. If the Weather Channel is right, It's snowing in Avilla tonight and if you are still a kid at heart like me, go outside in the morning and make snow angels but don't forget on Christmas Eve to listen to WOWO and find out when Santa crossed the radar at Bear Field. In these times, there is a lot of money and effort spent to try to get this and future generations to disclaim Christmas and not believe in a old fat man that only has one set of clothes and lives with elves and worn out Reindeer. If that should ever happen it would be very sad because as kids, developing our imagination was a part of our education and celebrating the Christmas Season is an event we need as families and a healthy community. So people, string those lights and pour yourself a glass of egg nog. As for me I'm going to try out a new cookie receipt and wait for Santa. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Phil Banta
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: I wonder who it was that coined the phrase "You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy?" I guess that's my problem, or at least one of my problems. This will be the fourth Thanksgiving and Christmas season that I have been writing for the Nooz and it's this time of year that I feel the strongest urge to want to return home to Avilla. ( Ironically as I'm writing this, Bob Denver is singing "Country Roads" on my office radio ) Even with all of the changes and the absence of things that I remember, driving through Avilla seems to calm my gypsy spirit. When you're young and adventure calls, It's easy for some of us to pack up and leave the people and places you called home during your growing up years. So what is it about this time of year that draws people like me back to the source of their small town roots? When we were growing up, holidays were a very special time of year and the memories that are generated stay with you for your entire lifetime. When we were in grade school at Thanksgiving time, we made turkeys, pilgrims and colored leaves out of construction paper that we stuck up in our classrooms. I can remember more than one teacher telling us that we were Americans and should be extra thankful for our freedoms and all that we have. Thanksgiving meant getting families together with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. How many of you that are reading this remember setting at the "kids" table and feeling a twinge of panic because you knew that one of the adults would have you tell the family what you were thankful for? We might have eaten well throughout the year, but on Thanksgiving we ate more than we thought we could. November was the time for class plays, ball games, time off from school, rabbit season and maybe ice fishin'. This was the time to pick corn and drink cold fresh cider and celebrate my birthday. When you've been away from home as long as I have, you admit to yourself that you aren't going to be rich and famous , you can't stay beautiful forever, and the one thing that never needs to change are my memories. Obviously Thanksgiving is made up from two words, thanks and giving, so be a thankful and giving people and accept my thanks for giving me the oppertunity to share my Avilla "country boy" memories. Sing it again Bob Denver, sing it again, I'll be back through Avilla sometime next week.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: In May of 1960, Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane was shot down by a short range missile over Russian territory. As early as 1956 in Poland, and again in 1960, Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev declared to certain Western Nations, " We will Bury You". At the time, I didn't know what he meant, and interesting enough, the statement has never been taken back. When we were students at Avilla High School, there wasn't much for us as young people to be afraid of. One of my personal heroes, Alley Oop was never afraid, he had a big club and a bigger dinosaur to protect him. We knew that both the USA and Russia had Atomic weapons, but such things didn't seem to influence our daily lives. School, sports, cars and those of the opposite gender did. I do remember hearing discussions that centered around the question, " If there is an Atomic attack, do you think they (Russia ) will attack Ft. Wayne"? I've been close to the original Atomic testing grounds in New Mexico with my Son-In-Law John and that place will scare you. Something else that was more personal and closer to home but wasn't talked about much was Polio. I guess that was one of those out of sight, out of mind things. I'm positive that when you saw a picture of someone in an iron lung, it almost terrorized our parents. In the mid 50's there were pleas for people to donate money for research and to help find s cure for Polio, TB, and be one of Jerry's kids to help find a cure for MD. If wars and sickness didn't directly affect our family, we somehow ignored it. Today, it's difficult to ignore anything because very little of the good and a lot of the bad is shoved right in your face. If you really want to know what Avilla was like in the 40's and 50's, read the newspapers from then and now. Two cops and one squad car was sufficient for the day. We didn't make drugs in Mom's kitchen, we made cup cakes. We could ignore bad things, celebrate good things and simply walk around things we didn't understand. Come to think about it, there were things creeping up and down those dark back roads that could scare me and I'm fearless. (Not Fearless Fosdick, just fearless). Phil Banta
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: Well if I heard it right on the evening news, the recession is over. I just wonder what our parents and grandparents would have to say about all of the bailouts and handouts. Maybe they would give our leaders a long timeout. Growing up in the 50's in Avilla meant being taught and raised by families that came through some really rough financial times, which helped fuel their determination to make life better for us kids than they had it. One way to do this was to take examples from the pre-war days because nothing teaches better than History. When Belgium was throttled with mass starvation in 1915, Herbert Hoover took it upon himself to solicit help from the rest of the free world and his plans worked. Again in 1927 when there was massive flooding along the Mississippi River, Hoover organized an almost instant relief and repair program. People and families pooled their resourses and made sure us kids understood the concept of helping thy neighbor. The story is told of a carload of women that visited a farmer East of town who was trying to fix the shakers on his old combine. The lead lady asked the farmer if he would be willing to donate a couple dollars to help feed the starving in Armenia. "Maybe one dollar, but that's all" was his response. "Well then" she commented, "Since you are the generous type, how would like to stay on this Earth forever" ?. "Not if I got to work on this d----- thing", was his response. But if you asked the same farmer to help his neighbor who might be sick and hungery and he would give the farm away. I wonder how many people remember Jim Koons giving away produce that was not quite fresh enough to sell in his Market. When I was a Junior in High School, I could find work for $1.00 an hour and if you had a good tractor/mower combination, you could mow fields for the Land Bank which paid farmers to leave ground unplanted. What we didn't learn in school or church we learned by the example of our families and the community that took the responsiblity for our learning. Thanks Mom and Dad for the examples you set and thanks Avilla for an all around education. Well, good times are here again, better get back to work. Phil Banta
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: This article is all about chickens. When I was a kid in Avilla, a lot of people got our last name (Banta) mixed up with Bantam or Banty which ended up labeling me as a little Banty Rooster. Now I was never as tough or aggressive as one of these fiesty feathered critters and thankfully after fifty years the whole thing has been forgotten. ( until now ). Chickens were a big part of life in the '50. If you had enough space for even a small coop, you stocked it with some Bard Rock, Rhode Island Reds, Leghorns a couple Ducks and a nasty old rooster. The rewards for your efforts were farm fresh eggs with golden yolks, fertile eggs for hatching baby chicks and fried chicken that was beyond finger lickin' good. Many,many Sunday dinners centered around a large skillet of fried chicken because when Church was over Dad didn't ask Mom and the kids where they wanted to go for lunch, you went home When you went to a close relative's home for a Holiday or special occasion, when the threshing crew arrived or it was time to bale hay, the dinner table overflowed with dishes made with chicken. All of this helped influence my Sister to marry a very successful chicken rancher and even the vanity license plate on her Lincoln is "PULLET". I wonder just how many households in Avilla today would know how to catch, kill and clean a full grown chicken. With the absence of grocery stores in town, the art of chicken plucking might become popular again which could be a shared activity, followed by a neighorhood barbacue. I remember having a Chicken Basket at the St. James Restaurant in the mid '50 which is probably still popular today. When you had a cold or the flu, what did Mom serve you? Yep, Chicken soup which made your nose run after the first few bites but always tasted good and is good for the Soul. Well this dumb cluck is going to close this article with a poem that I heard or read years ago and goes something like this: "My new Bride cooked a chicken but the chicken made me cough-I wish before she cooked it she had pulled the feathers off". Oh yea, I'm a dark meat kind of guy. See you at sunrise. Phil Banta pbanta@lpagroup.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: Do you remember the the television show, Eight is Enough? It aired in 1977 with Dick Van Patten as the Dad and Diana Hyland as the Mom until she passed away and was replaced by Becky Buckley. Three more shows that everyone seemed to enjoy was The Brady Bunch the Waltons and my wife's favorite, 7th Heaven. All of these shows featured large families with small, medium and almost grown children with a lot of situations and problems. Today when you turn on your tv, you can watch Jon & Kate + 8, 18 Kids and Counting or Table for 12. The common theme for all of these programs center around the joys and sorrows of raising a large family. I asked my Sister if she could tell me about any large families in Avilla back when we were in school. Realizing that people older than me are probably smarter than me, I gladly took her advise to look through the Alumni book written by Clara Briggs Whan. Proceeding alphabetically from page 91, I came to the Amstutz family with five kids. Reading on I notice five with the name of Bauman and eight listings for Blotkamp. (probably more than one household). Page 94 lists ten Campbell kids (got soup) and six under Carteaux. Page 95 shows the name Crothers, eleven times and there were seven in the DeLong family. Page 97 lists ten students named Duehmig and goes on to show a total of twenty kids with the name Fischer. I could keep on listing names from Householder to Whonsetler, but the point is there have always been large families around Avilla and some like the Helmkamps have continued on through following generations creating a lifetime of memories and of joys. Well, no one in Avilla comes close to the Guinnes world record of 69 children born to one family or one mother in 1700 in Russia. I guess to some folks, eight is not enough. Phil Banta pbanta@lpagroup.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com A short fictional story by Phil Banta. THE DAY AVILLA RAN OUT OF HOT DOGS.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com Next week, I’m going to Drive up to Auburn to see my family and take in the sights during the ACD Labor Day Festival. When my Sister lived in Avilla, her husband always wanted to go to the Labor Day parade and he would take me along. I’m sure this added to my love of old cars, hot rods, old trucks, or just about anything that runs on gas and moves under it’s own power. For my generation, this was a boy to man thing, fueled by the smell of leaded gasoline and the sound of dual glass packs. I made more than one trip down to Holley’s in Fort Wayne with Dick Coil to get extra horns for his ’53 Oldsmobile. During the 1950’s , new cars were at the dealer’s right after Labor Day. The showroom windows were covered and you only had a vague idea what the new models looked like which was great because it gave the Driver’s Ed. Kids somewhere to drive to and something to look at. After that, every boy in Avilla could tell you at a glance what year, make and model every car in town was. Let’s drive down memory lane and recall what guys knew, or thought we knew, about who had the fasted car in Avilla. First of all it wasn’t me or anyone else from the Class of ’58 except maybe Denney’s ’56 Plymouth. Fred Demske had a ’58 Bonneville that was fast. Ronnie Gillian drove a black ’57 fuel injected Bonneville that was really wicked. Roy Yarde would race anyone in his Mom’s ’57 Pontiac,and Leroy DeLong’s blue and white ’56 Chev . was no slouch. I always enjoyed riding with Tom Schlatter in his ’52 Ford ragtop powered by a ’55 Y-8 with tri-carbs. My Dad helped Tom build a bridge across the top of the carbs which kept the hood from being sucked down and cutting off the air. Now as I look back I can recall one really fast car and that was Jack and Marilyn Cogan’s ’58 Impala. This 348 cu. Tri-power rocket could propel you from start to 100 mph. in the length of a city block. So, next week I will walk along slowly remembering this person or that old car which will let me live once more, “back then”. Is that really a bad thing? Not really, it’s a boy thing. If you see me, stop and say “HI.” Phil Banta -- pbanta@lpagroup.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: Well, here it is August the 15th, Summer is about over and some kids are already going back to school. Earlier this month stacks and boxes of everything from pencils to notebooks take up the isles in a lot of stores and flyers in the Sunday papers let us know just who has the lowest prices on everything from laptops to that fuel efficient auto just right for your Son or Daughter. Hold up, something is wrong here. The Noble County Fair was always in late August, school started after Labor Day and Summer doesn’t end until Fall arrives. When we were kids going to school in Avilla, having three months off for a summer vacation, helping the family get ready for Fall and then enjoying the Labor Day weekend kept our lives on a really good schedule. I’m sure most of us never really appreciated how much work it was for Mom just to get our school clothes, lunch boxes, books and everything else ready for us to start a new class. I remember getting a list of have to have items and a list of books and supplies , all of which were available at Delucenay”s or Brocks Dept. Store. I guess the different schedules for starting and ending a school year makes sense to those in charge, but it seems to be confusing the kids and the parents. There is a cartoon in one of the current magazines showing a Mom pushing a cart through a Computer Store which is loaded with a computer, monitor, printer and all the required accessories. As she passes a sign marked Summer Specials, she is telling her small son “I remember when a pencil box with a couple of pencils, an eraser and a ruler was enough for back to school supplies “. A lot of us remember the same thing Mom, enjoy what’s left of August. Phil Banta -- pbanta@lpagroup.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: Part two In my first article about farm tractors, I wrote about three very popular makes that would be seen coming in and out of Avilla. If you were old enough and could handle a tractor with two wagon loads of grain, you could be seen going to one of the two feed mills in town where the prices for grain and grinding was for the most part, the same at both locations. In this article I want to mention many more makes of tractors like the Oliver (Formerly Hart-Parr ), the JI Case, the Massy Harris and Massy Ferguson. Also let’s not forget the Minneapolis Moline (Formerly Twin-Cities) ,which was sold in Kendallville by the Carroll Friskeney dealership ,and those single front wheeled Plymouth and Silver Kings manufactured in Plymouth Ohio. I haven’t yet said anything about the Ford or the Ferguson, the Model “T” conversion, the Cletrac (named for Clee Simon from John Deere )that the Yarde family used for a plowing tractor or those pre war still running Rumley Oil Pulls which were great for sawmills or belt work. ( Oil was used as a coolant) There is hopefully a reader that remembers or has seen a WW II jeep to tractor conversion and on the Crosley web site you can see the $795.00 FarmOroad pulling a one bottom 12” plow. I never saw a BF Avery, (sold by Sears and Roebuck ) or a Graham Bradley or General around Avilla, but I am sure that later on the Cockshutt line came from Canada to Indiana. The General was a fairly large tractor made from a IH type frame supporting a Chrysler flat head 6 cyl. engine hooked to a Dodge truck transmission and rear end. Well, who is credited with manufacturing the first tractor? This distinction goes to Jerome Increase Case from Racine Wisconsin. His first “traction engine” was built in 1876 with gasoline powered units being offered by the 1890’s. The Case logo is an American Eagle setting on top of a world globe and that Eagle is “old Abe” a mascot and survivor of 38 Civil War battles. Two of the most interesting types of tractors was the Minneapolis closed cab “R” and the rear engine Allis Chalmers “G”. The “R” had a fully enclosed cab with seats for passengers, full running lights and a chrome front bumper. On Friday night you could go to town in comfort in all kinds of weather. The Rhoads family had the only “G” I ever saw around Avilla which was great for small jobs. In part three we’ll highlight the family of Ford tractors from the early 1900’s to 1960. If you catch up to a tractor on Co. Rd. 1000E or any other Indiana back road be nice, It’s going about as fast as it can. Phil Banta -- pbanta@lpagroup.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com Over the 4th. Of July I took a little time off and traveled up to Auburn where my wife is staying for the summer. As is my custom when I’m up there, I drive to Avilla to visit the cemetery and just look around town. I’m starting not to recognize Avilla, because over the past fifty years the changes have been dramatic, especially downtown. According to a government census survey Avilla has grown approximately 17% between 2000 and 2008 with 2100 or so people living here now. I can still remember the signs at each end of town that showed Avilla as being unincorporated with a population of 700 friendly folks. ( There was a handful of grumpy people too ) Now, it’s quite obvious that the main growth has been to the East. West and North which has required a 100% increase in t he number of stop lights. There was only one stop light in 1958 and the majority of our shopping was done downtown. The main reasons for going to Kendallville was to shop for Auto parts, Jewelry, pharmacy items, women’s clothing etc. or go to the Strand theater followed by Atz’s ice cream. Avilla was convenient, only five miles away, with comparable prices at Koon’s or Fisher’s markets, Avilla Lumber Co., Brock’s Dept. store , Fitch’s TV. The Avilla Hardware, Four different gas stations, Myers Dairy, Bills Barber Shop, Carteaux Tavern, Riley’s Gun Shop, Delucenays Drugs, McKee Furniture, and Community State Bank. Now many of the buildings that once rang with the sound of voices are empty and have little or no chance for recovery. Buildings where I bought my Lee Riders for school and Riley’s where my .410 and .22 came from are mainly inhabited by the small creatures of nature. I drove up and down most of the streets in town remembering where I am but seeing no one I knew. There were of course, people coming and going from The St. James Restaurant. I’m thoroughly convinced that in the far future, this legendary building may be the last downtown establishment to exist. I headed South and needed a cold drink so I pulled into the Dairy Treat parking lot only to notice a dozen or so Motorcycles. Standing near the door was Mr. Jim Marker, noted preacher to the bikers, and when he was alone I walked up to say hello. “Thursday is bike night and I come here to talk, listen and be here for anyone who might need me or the message that I share” ( paraphrased) I’m really glad I stopped to meet this man in leather with a message of hope and salvation. When I left to go back to Auburn I was still a little sad, but very glad I came. My roots and memories are entwined forever in this town and just maybe, someday the old downtown will shine again. Thanks for the memories.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: I wrote my first book when I was in the fourth grade in Avilla. It was called the “Adventures of the Lone Ranger”. It was about 3”X4”and an inch thick. It wouldn’t surprise me if my Sister Carol has it tucked away with her 1945 doll house and her autographed photos of Eddie Fisher. Back then, small pocket , adventure books were very popular and probably very cheap. Delucenay’s usually had a good selection of comic and adventure books, but I just wanted to write my own. I have no idea what the story line was, but Mom read it and acted impressed and at that point in time that was enough. I imagine many of you wish you still had your stack of comic or teenage magazines. How I got to thinking about this was a small article I found in Woman’s World magazine. (I also get Hot Rod and articles on how to rebuild a Holly 4 bbl. without messing up the guest bathroom) The article highlighted the Nancy Drew mysteries, The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase and The Bungalow Mystery which were published in 1930. Nancy Drew is still popular and was a 2007 feature film starring Emma Roberts in the title role. The Lone Ranger is probably more popular now than when it was introduced in 1933. I think I’ve read about all of the Hardy Boys Adventures and if I had room I might start collecting these books again. I don’t remember what was in the School Library, other than the Zane Grey novels that I still enjoy. When we were growing up in Avilla ,we had no idea what our own adventures would be so when we read these stories we became part of the novel. In my mind I’ve been a cowboy, shipwrecked, detective, pioneer and a foreign spy. Wouldn’t it be great if we all started reading more and allowed ourselves to be engrossed in simple mystery novels. Take time to check out the new Library and see if you can rekindle an adventure that once captured your mind. School’s out for the summer kids, take time to read. Phil Banta pbanta@lpagroup.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: TRACTORS- PART 3 It may have been American History or Civics or some other class at Avilla High, but I can remember discussions about the great leaders of industry . The one name that is very recognizable is that of Henry Ford. Henry was born in 1863 on a family farm near Dearborn Michigan and at an early age showed an interest in mechanical things, including his Father’s farm equipment, but he always had a dislike for farming. His early years was spent as a young Engineer with the Edison Illumination Company where he dedicated his life to industrial pursuits. By 1896 he had completed his first self propelled vehicle which led to the incorporation of the Ford Motor Company in 1903 and within five years at least half of the cars sold in America were the Model “T” Ford. Both Sears & Roebuck and Montgomery Wards sold kits to make the Model “T” into a farm tractor or an early type of snow mobile. So when did Henry Ford start building tractors? By 1918 the Ford and Son Tractor Company was producing the 1918 model Fordson which was Ford’s offering to the small farmers that wanted a cheap, reliable tractor. All of this happened within the first twenty years of the development of the internal combustion engine. By 1923, the Fordson had captured 77% of the country’s tractor market only to stop production in 1928. I don’t remember seeing a Fordson around Avilla, but I do remember being told not to drive one because they had a tendency to flip over backwards and injure or kill the driver. Ford’s answer to resolve this was to design and attach a mounted two bottom plow. The Eastern Implement Dealer claimed that 36 operators were killed in 1918 and Pipp’s Weekly claimed a total of 136 killed by 1922. Now, Mr. Ford was not the only one making tractors at this time, others such as Austin, Hart-Parr and others but it was the Fordson that was ordered by the British during WW-I. Because of the oversees demand, all Fordson production ceased in 1928 and was moved to Cork Ireland, then to Dagenham, Essex England where production continued until 1964. Let’s go forward in time to 1939 when the 2N model was introduced. This was the start of the low profile model that is still popular today with restorers and tractor hot rodders, but the 2N had low power and a three speed transmission. Somewhere around 1953, Bob Myers Ford brought an 8N out to the farm for us to try out. It wouldn’t pull a two bottom plow up a clay hill but that wasn’t designed for that. This was a great little tractor for mowing, raking and jobs where heavy pulling wasn’t required. It would have been nice to have but we just couldn’t afford it. The little Ford tractor is still a work horse on the farms around Avilla and the price for one now is about double the original cost. Maybe someone should open a tractor lot in Avilla and take over where Bob left off. Thanks for the memory. Phil Banta pbanta@lpagroup.com by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: PART ONE If you were a farm kid growing up around Avilla, or anywhere in rural Noble County before the age of modern machinery, odds are the first thing you learned to drive was a tractor. Boys and girls alike drove the family farm tractors, and whichever make Dad was partial to was the one you thought was the best. For example, if you were a die hard two cylinder, green and yellow only type of farmer, you owned a” Waterloo Boy” which later became John Deere. Spinning the fly wheel to start an A, B, or a G was not something a kid should do but at least you didn’t have to fight the dreaded “Clutch”. Why, because before the modern versions, John Deere used a hand clutch. What John Deere did not have was fenders which meant less protection from dirt and dust and no place for kids to ride. There was another green with yellow trimmed tractor that I never saw, and that was an early Allis Chalmers. The first Persian orange Allis was introduced in 1930. (as stated on the History of Farm tractors presented by RFD TV.) We had a 1945 Allis WC on the farm which was not the most popular tractor around Avilla but it was tough and reliable and there were two well established Allis Chalmers dealerships in Noble County which were the Truelove Bros. in Albion and the Brindle Brothers in Laotto. Someone loaned us an Allis B one year which was a great small jobs tractor. I always wished we could have gotten an Allis WD 45 with both foot and hand clutch, self widening rims and 45 hp. at the belt. If you should ask someone like Cecil or Larry Herendeen,the Amstutz’s boys or many others around town they would have told you that “Big Red” IH was the only way to farm. Many farmers started with a steel wheeled Farmall Regular. These hand crank, knuckle bustin’, hard turning, kerosene burners were not pretty but they helped phase out farming with horses. As times got better farmers upgraded to an F-20 or an F-30. Ultimately Farmall and McCormic Deering became International Harvester and by the 1940 and 50’s the H, the M the B an offset C ( as well as the super series ) all became extremely popular. To be continued featuring Bob Myers Ford.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com Dear reader: Last Monday , Mar.30th., my wife Jeannette and I met Julie for lunch at the St. James Restaurant. We had a wonderful visit which included Julie interviewing us for a future article about our last fifty or so years. As we munched our way through onion rings and German pancakes, we talked and planned about new ideas and future stories for the NoozMall that will expand my writing and hopefully our readers enjoyment. One of my major goals in life was to write about growing up in Avilla and recalling the people and times that shaped my life. Now Julie has given me permission to expand my writing to things like farm life in the '50's or maybe some country humor as long as Avilla is the basis for my articles. We really enjoyed our visit to my old home town and setting with Julie for almost two hours made the day really special. I know Julie is excited about the future of the NoozMall and I'm excited about being part of a growing news source. She is even letting me choose my own title so now I will be a Contributing Reporter. Thanks Avilla and a special thanks to you Julie from an old friend with a lot to report. Phil Banta pbanta@lpagroup.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com Well I finally made the commitment as to when I might retire. (Date not for publication) My friend Doug asked me if I had given any thought about a part time job and I jokingly told him I might train to become a typewriter repair man. After looking at me like he thought I was nuts , he just started laughing. In the fall of 1957 at good ole AHS, Paul Whan, myself and either Larry or Gordon signed up to attend Miss Mowery’s typing class. Three boys in the same class with maybe twenty girls, many having aspirations of being part of the typing pool for Lincoln Life Insurance Co. or any other business looking for good secretarial help. There I sat in a rotating chair looking at a dull grey, manual Royal typewriter thinking, “What have I gotten myself into “, she’s talking about typing sixty works a minute without looking at the keyboard. Well , here is a case where girls have a real advantage over boys because girls have slimmer, more flexible appendages and boys are all thumbs. The next step was to type, without mistakes, “The quick brown dog jumped over the lazy red fox”. I guess this sentence uses all of the letters in the alphabet , but mine kept coming out as “My old brown Dodge ran over a slow red fox”. Miss Mowery was not amused. As time went on we all got better and by the first grading period, she explained her method of charting our progress. Everyone had a rocket that rose higher and higher from the blast pad as your typing skills improved and most of the girls and both of the other boys were on their way to the moon. Somewhere around midterm we switched to electric Underwood machines that were programmed to make mistakes and mine worked very well. By the time we graduated , my rocket could have still been shot down with a .22 rifle, but I did my best and the teacher knew it. Somehow I retained a “C” average and was happy with that because I never intended to be a typist anyway. Now it’s March of 2009 and here I am just typing away on a flat keyboard without benefit of a ribbon or return carriage. I still have to look at the keyboard and I use spell check a lot and that’s ok because I know now that joining that class has helped me greatly and guess what, my rocket has finally cleared the clouds.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: How many of you remember the ad that told you to flick your Bic? Well, when we were growing up in and around Avilla, we couldn't flick something you couldn't buy, but we could show you our Zippo lighters. Smoking by both sexes (mostly boys) was a common event that we started about the same time we started driving. Those bright, shiny cases were a necessary accessory for your bad habit. Other than the obvious use they made a great light for finding lost or dropped whatevers, and they were windproof which helped when throwing fire crackers out of a car window. Extra flints were stored under the cotton wadding and if you were out of lighter fluid, gasoline worked just fine. The big problem in using gas was it soaked through the pocket lining and irritated your leg. If you wanted to be irritating, you click-clicked the lid until you were told to stop. Contests were held to see how many times they would light on the first time and all of this could be had for under three dollars, which included a lifetime guarantee. When our Dad ran his through the corn picker it crushed it flat, but Zippo straightened the case and inerted new works all at no cost. I have a cousin that lived on High St. in Bradford, Pa., which overlooks the Zippo factory, which started out in Mr. Blaisdell's Garage, but when he furnished one for every World War 2 service man and woman, the small shop was replaced by a large factory. For the most part, those glassed door lighter cases that were on display at drug and variety stores are gone. If I looked through all of my junk, I might find one I had years ago, but it's probably long lost which is OK because my wife tells me I'm too old to be throwing fire crackers out of my truck window. I'll just set here and flick my Bic.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: Well it's already the middle of January and a lot of the toys and "stuff" that the kids got for Christmas is either broken, forgotten or not as much fun as they anticipated. While I was looking at the pile of paper and boxes under the tree, I started remembering the presents I got as a kid in Avilla. Let's start with 1951, when Mr. Potato Head was introduced. Inside a yellow box were eyes, ears, nose, mouth, mustache, hat and a little black pipe. About the only problem was the more holes you stuck into the spud, the more juice ran down your arm. In 1952, Jack O'Neal made a little car that fit into a matchbox for his daughter to take to "show and tell." The Model A Ford has always been a favorite. The toys I remember best from my childhood are Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, and authentic Hawaiian Ukelele, a hugh Erector Set, and a Lionel Electric Train, that had a whistle and puffed real smoke. The thing that made Christmas special was not just the presents, but the waiting and hoping and the thrill of finding two or three special gifts. I actually knew that Santa didn't deliver toys to good little boys and girls but most of us tried to be really good just in case we were wrong. Maybe nothing is really special any more. The last time I walked the isles at the mall, I realized that kids today have way too many things to choose from and what we end up with is a pile of paper and boxes under a plastic tree. Come to think of it, I don't think I got any pajamas, socks or underwear this year. That's what I get for not leaving Santa a granola bar and a glass of skim milk. Happy New Year Ya-All.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: Bill Pepples Barber Shop was located on either the first or second building south of VanScoyoc St. It was not a very wide building, but it did have a barber pole out front and a painted front window. Bill's place was a shop for men and boys, not a beauty salon, not a style center, and it was not the place for weaves or braids. Your (or your parents) choices for a haircut included a.) a traditional part on the left, with clipper cut in back and above ears; b) a buzz cut where only 3/8 of an inch was left and the rest hit the floor; c) a flat top which was almost scalping the center but longer on the sides making the top flat; or d) a pineapple which was basically a (b) with the front locks left long enough for a comb back or flop down over the forehead. Before and/or after haircut shampoos were not offered. The magazine selection wasn't huge but you could always find something to occupy your time until it was your turn. There were no selections of shampoos, dyes, conditioners but maybe some Lucky Tiger hair tonic or flat top wax. The last thing Bill did before you stepped down was brush your neck with talc which drove the small cuts straight down your back. The cost was maybe 75 cents vs. the $13.50 plus tax I pay today. Once you were back home and your Mom got to see you with your ears lowered, you could wash your hair and decide on Brillcream (a little dab will do ya), Wildroot or something else. Both Larry and Dallas Platter were always in trouble for having collar length hair and trying to look like Elvis. Old traditional barber shops are still popular down here in Florida, and the economy might stop a lot of us from getting our "do done" at a well decorated salon. Maybe Avilla needs another Bill's Barber Shop, open noon to 5 p.m., M-F, and Sat. mornings. No appointment necessary. (editor's note: Stop by Steve's Barber Shop in Avilla, next to St. James)
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: Dinosaur: (defination) A very ugly old creature that disappeared, or should have, a long time ago. Back in the day: (defination) Probably referees to the 1950's or that time in history when everything was in black and white. Old School: (best guess) The way things were done and the way people acted before we were all told to compromise and be very tolerant. OK, I admit that all three of the above can describe me. Now there are a host of things I like about modern technology but growing up in Avilla established a different frame of mind and a foundation for daily living and communication that doesn't always work today. More than half of the people I work with are educated, health conscious,and professionals under the age of 45. I'm fairly well educated, not always conscious and old enough to retire. I wonder what Mrs. Sisson would have to say if I were fashionably late for class every day or just about everything else? I can't seem to pronounce simple words anymore. ie: The work electric used to start with the letter "e". Now it's l'ec'tric with a silent "e". You don't abstain from fatty foods anymore, you ab'stin. The list goes on and on. I flunked "Modern Math" so do you suppose I'm flunking "Modern English" too? How do I explain continually being incorrect and on time? Chalk it up to growing up "Back in the Day "in the "Old School". No, I don't want another bottle of water I'm going to disappear off to McDonalds for a Senior coffee. So I'm late, big deal.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: Just before Thanksgiving last year, my wife and I decided to come up to Auburn to visit her family. One day while my wife was enjoying being with her Mother I elected to come over to Avilla to rekindle old memories and have lunch with Lee Yarde, Bob and Georgie Zimmerman. We enjoyed our time together, and after we said our good-bys and parted, I drove to the cemetery on the west side of town where our parents are resting. After placing some fresh flowers on the gravesite, I set down and let my mind wander to another time when it was commonplace to take flowers to the family plot and show your respect to those friends and relatives that have passed on. It was not uncommon to walk amoung the tombstones to see names and dates of those that you knew. Kids back in the '50s didn't seem to fuss or refuse to participate because this was just something that families did. As I walked about I saw many familiar names on the headstones that kindle a remembrance of this adult, that child or that couple. Little did I know as I walked past the Whan family plot that our classmate Paul would soon be joining his heavenly family. Do you remember that old song that says that it's wedding bells that is breaking up that old gang of mine? At our age it's not wedding bells but the bells of time and heaven that calls us away and that's ok. Go rest high on that mountian Paul and wait for those of us who are yet to come.
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com I Remember Avilla: I just finished reading the October issue of the new monthly Mall/Nooz and I'm more than excited about seeing my articles on line at avilla.com. I really owe Julie and the many readers that have been so supportive of my "I Remember Avilla" articles a really big Thank You. I guess the paper has experienced a number of changes through the years because I recall Mom getting a paper called the Avilla News. Judy Grocock had several issues from the 1950's that I saw during the 2006 all class reunion. I remember Bob Allread zipping around town in his peach and scarlet Plymouth seeking news and information for the next edition and I think back then the paper was located close to where the old Post Office use to be. (Remember, this was the era of newspaper icons Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane). The paper has always been important to Avilla because that was how we knew when the Annual REMC meeting was going to be held in the School Gym or when the next class play was scheduled. The paper told our town of 700 friendly people who had passed away and who the stork visited with a new baby. How else could the farmers know what the price of grain was unless they read the paper. Weddings, reunions, cake walks and skating parties were all listed and the milk and meat specials were always in the advertisement section. The little home town paper that reached hundred will now thousands and that's a good thing. It thought it could, it thought it could, and it has. by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com
by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com by Phil Banta, AHS alumni, Pbdodge1986@aol.com Read Phil Banta's memories of Avilla, updated monthly at avilla.org. |
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