The coldest day ever recorded in Indiana was 35 below on this date in 1951 at the Greensburg Weather Station.
This was a big day for the Kankakee Valley REMC. On February 2nd, 1940, the first meter was installed at the home of Porter Jack at Hamlet.
It is winter —
—- Many years ago in the winter it was ice-making season on the ponds, rivers and lakes of Starke County. Really, I should say “ice harvesting.” Farmers and others from the area would be hired by the Ice Companies to cut blocks of ice to store for the next summer’s use. These blocks of ice were elevated and placed in large “ice barns” and insulated with saw dust or marsh hay. Because of the large mass of ice in one location, the ice would last for several months. Often the ice, in large blocks, was loaded into railroad box cars and shipped to Chicago and other places for the customers’ kitchen ice boxes. Bass Lake had a railroad line on the south side of the lake to carry vacationers in the summer and ice in the winter.
The Modern refrigerator has changed the way people live all around the world. It’s easy to take the “white box” in your kitchen for granted. Just take a look at places in the world which don’t have refrigeration. People go shopping every day. They may lower dairy products and other foods into a well or spring so they will stay cool for a couple of days without spoiling. There is no way that a modern America would be recognizable to you or me if it weren’t for refrigeration.
In the 1930’s, before electricity, I remember the ice box. It was a common fixture in every home. Ice boxes were usually made of wood with insulated walls, lined with tin inside. There was a door for a large (maybe a 100 lb) block of ice. The other doors were for milk, fruit, vegetables and other perishables. There was a drain tray at the bottom for the melting ice water. My Mother would put a sign (see attachment) in the window, letting the ice man know how much ice she wanted to buy that day. He would cut that approximate size with his ice pick, grab it up with his ice tongs, throw it over his shoulder, carry it into the house and put it into our ice box. I was usually close at hand to see if I could find any small chunks of ice which I could suck on during a hot summer’s day.
This last picture (left) shows the Shaws from Knox with their delivery truck ready to haul ice to customers. The Shaw family had ponds and ice houses just north of the Yellow River and north of the present location of the Knox Railroad Depot (Gateway area). Across U.S. 35 from the Depot, they owned a coal yard and ice storage building. They would regularly deliver ice in the summer and coal in the winter.
Refrigerators, as we know them now, have only been mass-produced since the late 1940s. Appreciate yours!
Jim Shilling
Starke County Historical Society
http://www.starkehistory.com
http://www.scpl.lib.in.us/historical/
In light of the winter storm warnings that have been issued for this area, the Pulaski and Starke County Emergency Management Agencies are advising persons to be prepared for hazardous winter weather. All emergency information will be announced on this station.
“All seems to be positive!” That was the word from Indiana University Health-Starke Hospital CEO, Linda Satkoski, about the name change of our local hospital. WKVI talked with Satkoski last week, and again asked about the build up to the name change.
“When the IU, Riley and Methodist Hospitals in downtown Indianapolis joined, they became Clarian in 1997,” explained Satkoski. “In 1998, LaPorte Hospital joined the Clarian system. Then in 2009, when LaPorte Regional Health System purchased Starke Memorial Hospital we became part of the entire system also.”
When asked about why the name change occurred, she replied, “That means it’s an assurance to the public that they will be getting the same care, same education, same research availability across the system. It really is all about the assurance that we can guarantee to our patients. They will receive the same standard of care across the system.”
Community Hospital Board President, Ben Bennett, has been out and about and reported positive feed back on the name change.
“Ben told me he was quite excited,” stated Satkoski. “He said he’s been out and about in the community and has been getting very a positive response. He said that the IU Health name really brings a lot of recognition.”
Indiana University Health-Starke Hospital. The new name of the former Starke Memorial Hospital.
How much in jeopardy is Extension as we know it in Indiana? Governor Mitch Daniels has proposed deep cuts in spending on state universities, and part of the funding for County Extension Offices comes from Purdue University.
Allen Kurtz, of the local extension offices in Starke and Pulaski Counties, was asked that question recently by Ted Hayes.
“I think we’re optimistic,” replied Kurtz. “We had a good meeting with Mrs. Dembowski last week and had some good discussion about the importance of some of the line items that we have from the State and how they impact our Extension Service, 4-H and the Fair.”
Hope you listened to the first “Ted Hayes Remembers” Friday. Ted will be in again this Friday with another interesting story from out of the past.
“You have to go clear back to 1943 for this one,” said Ted. “On this day, Jesse Clabaugh, the Community Defense Director during WWII, called for a black-out test for the county. Everyone had to turn their lights out in case of attack by the Germans. Jesse Clabaugh was the grandfather of our own Nancy Dembowski.”
The Maxinkuckee Players have announced that plans for the 2011 summer production will be changed due to construction at the Culver High School Auditorium, the usual venue.
In an announcement this week, Players president Mike Overmyer said the group will choose a different play, with a smaller cast, that can be more conveniently rehearsed and staged at another, still unannounced, location. Earlier, the musical Crazy For You had been selected and was announced for presentation in late July.
Dee and Harvey Hammerlund are enjoying a new 32 inch flat screen TV. That’s because Dee was the winner of our January TV Trivia contest. Dee told WKVI management that their TV has just gone out over the weekend.
It pays to listen to WKVI! Our next contest is Time Capsule and it begins February 7th.
You know there’s rugged weather on the way when the person coming with her dog that has raced in the Iditarod race is postponing her appearance in Starke County today.
Karen Land, and her dog were to be at the Henry F. Schricker Library. The appearance has been changed to February 14th at Knox and North Judson. She will be at the North Judson Library at 3:30 p.m. CT and the Henry F. Schricker Library at 5:30 p.m.
Due to the predicted storm, the Town of Winamac is invoking its snow emergency parking plan starting at 7:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, February 1st and ending on Friday, February 4th at Noon ET.
During this time, on-street parking is restricted to the odd addressed side of the streets. This is being done to facilitate keeping the streets open during the storm, movement of emergency vehicles during the storm and snow removal after the storm is over. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.
Sunday Morning Mixed League 01/30/11
Team Standings:
1. The Unknown 97.0-36.0
2. WRJN 79.0-61.0
3. The Quest 76.0-64.0
4. Split Heads 64.0-66.0
5. The Smelly Cats 73.0-67.0
6. Lucky #7 64.0-76.0
7. Strange Brew 63.0-77.0
8. Snowdon’s Lawncare 59.0-81.0
9. S*** Happens 59.0-81.0
10. Odd Balls 56.0-84.0
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Judge Charles Hasnerl announced last week his campaign for re-election to the Knox City Court in the 2011 Municipal Election. Hasnerl, a Republican, has served as Knox City Court Judge since 1996. Judge Hasnerl presides over misdemeanor and infraction cases for all of Starke County and Knox ordinance violations. There are 3,000-4,000 cases filed annually through Knox City Court.
Judge Hasnerl is a Valparaiso University graduate and he and his wife, Lisa, reside in Knox with their three daughters.
The City of Knox does not have a Fire Department. That was explained to the Knox City Council this week by City Attorney, David Matsey. The discussion was held after Mayor Rick Chambers read a letter asking the City to sign a contract to provide fire coverage in Jackson Township.
Matsey explained that the Knox-Center Township Volunteer Fire Department is incorporated. It is funded by the city of Knox ($115,000 yearly) and Center Township ($30,000 annually) but is an entity of its own.
Starke County will go from 21 to 19 precincts in the spring Primary Election.
“We’re consolidating Center one, two, three, and four from their current locations to the Community Center,” said Starke County Clerk, Evelyn Skronski. “Hopefully, this is going to make it cost effective and voter comfortable.”
State Representative Nancy Dembowski (D-Knox) yesterday labeled the unemployment bill coming up in the House as totally unacceptable. Dembowski, saying the way to fix unemployment is through creating jobs, released a report that first talked about the proposed bill.
“The Majority has come up with another bill and their plan to fix the unemployment issue is to shift hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes from big businesses to small businesses and then cut benefits to the workers by 25 percent,” said Dembowski. “That’s totally unacceptable and it is the largest benefit cut in the history of the State.”
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers has notified the Knox City Council that the TIF fund has grown to just over $151,000. The fund has grown to this level over the past two years. Before that, those funds were not building, but the City contracted with Umbaugh and Associates to determine the amount due. Money from the TIF fund can be used within the district for redevelopment, public improvement projects, training, or making bond payments.
The Council members are to prepare suggestions for how a portion of the funds can be used for upgrades.
Paul Begley, Pastor at the Community Gospel Baptist Church in Knox is in the “internet spotlight” this week over his YouTube video concerning the discovery of the dead cows, birds and fish worldwide.
“I tied it to the Bible, Bible Prophecies, the Book of Hosea, Chapter Four verses one, two and three,” explained Begley. “God said, ‘The beast of the field, the fowls of heaven and the fish of the sea would die.'”
Here is a look at some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
The Starke County Commissioners had a brief discussion last week on added security at the Starke County Courthouse. Employment of extra officers to man a metal detector and if one were installed, it would mean only one entrance into the Courthouse could be used as all door couldn’t be provided with a detector.
The Knox Community School Board approved base bids for the high school renovation project. The bid went to Brown and Brown Contractors for $1,567,000.
Tuesday Night Men’s League 01/25/11
Team Standings:
1. Quarter’s 111.0-29.0
2. Konrad Cabinets 82.0-58.0
3. 1st Choice Pawn 80.0-60.0
4. Hensleys 80.0-60.0
5. Mark’s Body Shop 78.0-62.0
6. WKVI 72.0-68.0
7. Bowlaway Lanes 68.0-72.0
8. Sandbar 62.0-78.0
9. Time Out 60.0-80.0
10. Half Track 56.0-84.0
11. Simonis 46.0-94.0
12. Fishers 45.0-95.0
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Friday Night Mixed League 01/21/11
Team Standings:
1. Alley Aces 54.0-30.0
2. 4-Alarm Fire 53.0-31.0
3. Dolezal Family 51.5-32.5
4. Good Friends 47.0-37.0
5. Mariah’s Hill 43.5-40.5
6. Rollin’ Thunder 43.0-41.0
7. Hard Times 41.0-43.0
8. Undecided 38.5-45.5
9. Raiders 37.0-47.0
10. Baugh Construction 35.5-48.5
11. Feel the Power 31.0-53.0
12. O’s Tap
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