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Newspaper
Pella Chronicle
Location
Pella, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Sep 23, 1954
Page
3
A Sunday column questions weekend highway deaths and mockery of highway safety sermons. It notes Julius Lehmann, German immigrant to New York fifty years ago, who died leaving most of his 70 000 estate to the United States, blessing the country that aided his success.
A Pennsylvania reader urges placing trash cans at highway town lines to curb roadside litter. He argues drivers would use conveniently located cans and cites littering habits of those who discard bags and trash from cars.
Bill Powers of Chevrolet Motors spoke to men from many clubs during Derby Week in Akron Ohio on preventing juvenile delinquency. He offered a rough formula for fathers to guide sons with actions over words and urged healthy home life respectful behavior and productive activities to keep youths busy and away from trouble.
A speaker advised directing boys to groups like the YMCA and Boy Scouts to foster discipline, acceptance, and belonging, warning that without guidance some could join delinquent peers. Dr. Ralph Heeren cited polio trends tied to gamma globulin shots, noting cases clustered where inoculation lagged. The piece urges local support for the March of Dimes and Bert Bandstra's appeal.
An editorial urges praising people while alive and notes a column that discusses a USAF experiment at Vance Air Force Base to replace KP duty with contracted dining for 5000 airmen. It also critiques the abundance of medical charity appeals on radio and TV, urging restraint to avoid public indifference.
A detailed front page recount covers the democratic caucuses in city and county politics. Names appear including George Kimmell angry at a Chronicle report over delegate naming, plus mentions of Dick Brom visiting from Chicago, Alva Forncrook teaching elocution at Central College, and local figures like Henry Langerak, John Lautenbach, Ralph Keene, and Bandit raids near Muscatine. The piece notes social trips to St Louis, concert plans by the Pella Band, Central College schedule changes, and the Lake Prairie District Fair upcoming next week.
Stockholders met and decided to dissolve the Lake Prairie District Fair association as indebtedness had risen. Proceedings note the financial strain prompting the dissolution and the cessation of operations.
The town faced financial strain from declining fair success though grounds and buildings remain worth more than debts. Weather and low turnout prompted Commercial Club talks about alternatives, but no decision was made. Other items note a broken axle from Jim Jolsma’s skidding car and Nick Gesman’s rainy trip to Peoria.
The White Sox manager plans a look over Joe after noting his strong showing for the local team. Dick C Van Zante begins a four year law program at Drake University. Star Auto installs hydraulic press and acetylene welding unit to remove carbon from cylinder heads without removing the head. An accident at Independence Avenue involves Dick Synhorst and Herman Geelhoed. Ford fared poorly and Geelhoed’s Cadillac was damaged.
Thirty years ago the Second Reformed Church redecorated and held services at the high school for a month. William Van Wely bought the Holland Meat Market from Gerrit Hugen, while Arie Schilder had run it previously. Mahaska County roads began graveling the Eveland County road between Beacon and Oskaloosa. Dr. M. J. Hoffman left for New York to seek funds. Dr. J. M. Cook bought Dr. Dewey Steffen’s dental practice and moved from Nevada. Two girls escaped Mitchellville and were returned to the State School after asking authorities be notified. Oil seepage sparked county excitement as geologists planned an investigation. Meats and packing expanded at the Grimes Plant with nine hundred cases daily. Union Pacific travelogue shown at the high school drew a packed crowd.
The Central team dropped their first game to Buena Vista 7 to ?. The field was wet and heavy, with Leavengood missing a low place kick. Players Berkey Wilson Wells Smith and Reimer received favorable mention in a local account. The piece also notes a 1890s film showing at Rivola Theatre and mentions local post leaders George Van Gorkum and John De Prenger.
Two young service men died in World War II era incidents. Seaman 1/C Bert Hagen was killed in a munitions depot blast at Hastings Nebraska, and T/5 Lawrence Van Zee died while landing on Tinian Island when his amphibian tractor hit a boat mine. A Pella High football game tied Montezuma 13 to 13 with Vander Ploeg Lankelma and Rouw shining for Pella, Van Cleave for Montezuma, in Montezuma. A memorial service was held at Sully for Pie Case Van Gilst who died in action on Saipan July 21. A Knoxville-area farmer Hen Toom blade-grassed a gulley.
A discussion contrasts the fatality rates of flying versus driving, urging motorists to apply airline discipline. It stresses human behavior at the controls, calling for respect for traffic laws, timing, and calm judgment to reduce ground danger.
The clipping recalls C C C boys completing work in 1987 and mentions Norman Van Gorp finishing flight training in New Orleans and becoming an Ensign. Lt Gene Strontjes returns to New York after bomber missions over Germany. Pella Airways offered a five hour training course for 40 dollars. Nearby residents petitioned the City Council about starling roosts in trees and others protested smoke from the city dump as a nuisance.
Soils Conservation nurseryman Maurice Heath of Ames inspected a trefoil planting on the Nollen farm west of town and expressed hope the ants would seed it, noting the seed is in great demand for plantings and very expensive.
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