48 YEARS AGO
MARCH 11, 1970
Halting Woods St. Fuss
By Bill Mardis
Somerset Mayor Jesse E. Wilson has a 100-foot measuring tape in his office and he is going to use it in an attempt to settle the long controversy over Woods Street between the city and owners of Sunrise Manor Nursing Home.
Mayor Wilson said he will take the measuring tape and go with any members of City Council to measure the streets involved and make recommendations next Monday night at a meeting of the Council.
Terill A. Wilson, Russell Springs, President of the Sunrise Manor Inc., operator of the $700,000 nursing home facility has been at odds with City Council and some residents of Woods Street practically since construction of the nursing home began.
Some adjacent property owners claim the street was blacktopped 23 feet wide before construction of the nursing home destroyed the surface. Wilson has offered to replace the blacktopped portion of the street the same width it is now, but some Council members say the street's surface has been chipped away so much that this proposal would not be satisfactory.
Mr. and Mrs. William T. Minton and Mr. and Mrs. John Connelly, residents of Woods Street, have appeared at numerous Council sessions on behalf of Woods Street. They contend they have been mistreated by both the city and the press.
The city has demanded that the nursing home firm rebuild Woods Street 20 feet wide and construct a retaining wall. The proposal is backed up by a threat of court action which could force Sunrise Manor to tear down part of its building in violation of a zoning variance.
Mayor Wilson called for quick action to settle the controversy and has been at the site with City Engineer David Hacker and the aforementioned measuring tape. He wants to show the "tale of the tape," to other members of the Council next week.
Local Boy Gets Helping Hand
Jerry Sellers, nine-year old son of Peggy Sellers, is pictured in the paper with his mom and grandmother, Mrs. Tilford Roberts, at their Langdon Street home in Somerset.
Jerry received a very useful Christmas present this year - the wheelchair he is seated in - from the Kentucky Society for Crippled Children. The Easter Seal Campaign enables the State society to give this helping hand.
U.S. Troops Kill 135 Enemy Soldiers
American forces moving through the jungles along the Cambodian border northwest of Saigon battled North Vietnamese troops Tuesday in some of the sharpest fighting U.S. troops have experienced in months.
The U.S. Command reported that men of the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment, the 1st Air Calvary Division and supporting aircraft killed at least 135 enemy soldiers in two major clashes and several smaller actions.
Housing Industry on the Ropes
House seekers are being hit with a 1-2-3 punch this year.
Housing is at its scarcest since 1950 and monthly payments are taking a bigger chunk out of the average American's paycheck than at any time since the depression.
The median price of a new house today is approaching $27,000. This means that it takes an annual salary of nearly $13,000 to afford the payments. Less than 20 percent of American families meet this test.
'Doc' Dyer Honored
Burnside druggist Oscar L. 'Doc" Dyer proudly accepted a plaque Monday night at the Burnside Chamber of Commerce meeting. The inscription on the plaque reads, "Presented to Oscar L. Dyer by Rexall Drug Company in recognition of distinguished service to the community during 50 years in pharmacy."
Dyer operates the Rexall Drug Store on West French and Main Street in Burnside.
All-Conference
The All Mid-Cumberland Conference team was selected recently with several members of the squad being Pulaski County cagers.
Pine Knot, the league champion, placed three players on the team, including Morris Wright, Darrell Stephens and Dean Chaney. Also named to the squad was Burnside's Marvin Wilson and William Alton, Eubank's Roxie Davis and Jeff Leigh, Dan Dalton and Philip Moran of Nancy and Bryon Smith and Gary Gilmore of Shopville.
Rupp to Aid Cancer Fight, But Defend Tobacco
Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp, a tobacco farmer, is chairman for the American Cancer Society's fundraising drive in the state this year.
But Rupp said Tuesday he is opposed to the society's anti-smoking campaign. "Id' be a damn fool as a warehouseman and a grower of about 10-acres to support such a campaign," he said.
He said he accepted the appointment to head the fund drive, however, because he believes in the society's efforts to find a cure for cancer.
Rupp, whose team is rated number one in the nation, is a board member of the Central District Warehousing Corp., in Lexington which operates seven tobacco auction floors.
"I still say until they come up with conclusive proof (that cigarette smoking causes cancer) they shouldn't say it," he said.
Cooks of Tomorrow
Members of Junior Girl Scout Troop 554 were given a lesson in cooking by Mrs. Max Zibell during their last regular meeting time. The activity helped some of the girls reach requirements for a cooking badge.
The junior scouts include Lavaun Davidson, Sherri Adkins, Jane Claunch, Glenna Major and Melody Hall. The scout leaders include, Mrs. Henry Claunch and Mrs. Buford Allen.
Marriage Licenses
Michael L. Daulton, 32, of Nancy and Nancy L. Norris, 19, of Somerset.
Marvin Dawes, 22, and Elizabeth E. Branscum, 22, both of Rt. 1, Somerset.
Marvin L. Peters, 24, and Barbara A. Patterson, 16, both of Somerset.
Howard J. Nelson, 40, and Hazel D. Price, 37, both of Somerset.
R. C. Antle, 62, of Russell Springs and Esther Tucker, 52, of Windsor.
Charles Johnson, Jr., 19, Rt. 4 of Campbellsville and Priscilla A. Smith, 19, of Somerset.
Historic Spots
The Somerset Chapter National Society Daughter of the American Revolution met at the Holiday Inn on March 4 William E. Moore as the guest speaker whose subject was "Historic Spots in Pulaski County."
He mentioned some of the old houses, the former Jasper home on East Mount Vernon Street, the ruins of the James home on Highway East 80 where Jesse James was born and Mrs. Henry Halls' home overlooking Lake Cumberland.
Also the Town Spring and the old Baptist Graveyard which has been so desecrated by time and vandals that he made the suggestion that a large shaft or marker be placed on the grounds after it is cleaned up.
Several of the Revolutionary soldiers were buried there and they should be honored in some way.
A dessert plate was served by the hostess committee composed of Mrs. G. L. Loveless, chairman, assisted by Mrs. William Wyatt, Mrs. K. M. Gibbs, Mrs. W. B. Jones, Mrs. Chester Kaiser, Mrs. Georgia Moore, Mrs. Gene Lankford and Mrs. Adrian Roth.
Pledges at EKU
Gamma Theta Chapter, Chi Omega social sorority announces that Miss Susan Eldridge is one of their new pledges from spring rush. Miss Eldridge is a freshman at Eastern Kentucky University majoring in accounting. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Barnett Eldridge of Science Hill.
Mrs. Keeney Makes Dean's List
Mrs. Jack Keeney received a two-year scholarship to Bethel College in McKenzie, Tenn., after attending Somerset Community College one and a half years.
While attending Bethel, she is serving as secretary to athletic coach Douglas Hines. Mr. Hines is a native of Science Hill.
Mrs. Keeney has been named to the Dean's List at Bethel and has made straight A's each semester. She is a member of Theta Psi social sorority.
Mrs. Keeney is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elza Phelps of Clifty Road. She was an employee of the Commonwealth Journal three years ago before her marriage to Mr. Jack Keeney who is the coach of the high school at Gleason, Tenn. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Keeney of Oak Lawn.
Eads' Complete Holy Land Tour
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Eads, formerly of Somerset, but now residing in Indianapolis, Ind., returned recently from a two-weeks' tour of Europe, the continent and the Holy Land.
They left New York by air on a tour personally conducted by the Rev. Harold Rawlings who had conducted worship services at the White House two weeks before. They landed at Hamburg, Germany.
They toured Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, England and Italy. From there, they went to Tel Aviv, Israel, Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the Holy Land.
Mrs. Eads is the former Miss Jeanette Cooper of Science Hill.
News from 1922
Prisoners Escape
One of the most complete wholesale deliveries and setting free of prisoners took place here Monday afternoon.
A crew of 15 prisoners from the county jail, who had been working on the River Hill Road near the mouth of Pittman Creek, took advantage of insufficient guards and left their work Monday evening.
Those escaping were all in jail for either moonshining or liquor transportation.
Lightning Death
Joe Fletcher, 25, was killed during a storm at Mt. Vernon Monday. He was standing near a telephone pole when the bolt of lightning struck the pole and it is supposed the shock killed him.
Undertaker John A. Ball, who went from here to Mt. Vernon to embalm him said he had a small blue spot on the right arm near the elbow and that was the only mark he found on the body.
The telephone pole was not far from the Mt. Vernon Signal office and Mrs. Annie Evans Miller, editor of that paper, was severely shocked and considerable burned about her shoulders and arms.
Appointed Chairman
Miss Faustine Cooper was appointed chairman of the Women's Division of Pulaski County by the state Central Committee of the Republican Party to conduct the registration campaign which was to have been held July 10 and 11, but since the Court of Appeals has declared the registration law unconstitutional, Miss Cooper will have no duties to perform under this appointment, which came as quite an honor.
Class of Nine Elks
A class of nine was initiated into the mysteries of Elkdom at the hall of the Somerset Lodge No. 1021, B.P.O.E., June 20. This was the largest class initiated by this lodge for some time. A wireless apparatus was recently installed in the Elks Club rooms and local Elks enjoy concerts each evening by radio.
Faces From the Past
Sharon Roach in 1994
Jim Girdler in 1992
Major Bill Girdler in 1992
Curtis Gilliland in 1994
Kirby Stephens
Mary Ann Johnson
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