May 10, 1986: Cruise-control measure on agenda

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on May 10, 1986.

Cruise-control measure on agenda

by Pat Randle

Staff writer

Brain McMillan, 16, skate boards downtown Friday night

(V-M: Kathy Woodward)

Valparaiso may outlaw skateboarding in commercial areas, loitering, and standing or sitting on cars in an attempt to control teenage cruising on Lincolnway.

An ordinance designed to end problems created by the weekend cruise will be introduced to the City Council when it meets at 7:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

The effect to the law probably would be to close down the cruise, Police Chief Walter Lamberson said.

On Friday and Saturday nights, teenagers and others cruise the Lincolnway strip. Some ride in cars. Others walk, skate or skateboard along sidewalks, stopping to talk with friends in cars or on foot.

The cruise is so popular that it congests traffic.

And it upsets downtown business owners and some adults who want to go downtown or just drive across Lincolnway after dusk on weekends.

Last year the city proposed an ordinance, but tabled the issue and asked cruisers to control themselves.

City officials apparently have decided that has not worked.

The proposal would make it unlawful to loiter in any public place, to stand or sit on vehicles in any public street, and to roller skate or skateboard on any roadway or sidewalk in a commercial zone, according to the agenda for Monday’s council meeting.

To enforce the new laws, city police would be paid overtime to work Friday and Saturday nights, Lamberson said.

“Once the ordinance is passed we’re going to try and get some officers to work overtime for the areas where there are problems.”

Volunteer police will be used as well, Lamberson said.

“Along with the ordinance, heavy enforcement is going to have to take place in order to control the problem or alleviate it.”

City police worked with other officials, including City Attorney Brad Koeppen and members of the city’s cruiser control committee, to gather information for the new ordinance.

Lamberson and others looked at the laws other cities use.

April 26, 1971: 125 Students Take Part In Peace March

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on April 26, 1971.

125 Students Take Part In Peace March

An estimated 125 Valparaiso University students marched on the courthouse Saturday morning in support of Vietnam Solidarity Days.the students carried flags, placards and sang patriotic songs as they walked from the university, via Lincolnway, to the courthouse war memorial where a brief rally was held.

Gene Gross, VU junior from East Lansing, Mich., a march coordinator, explained to the crowd that the United States government policy in Southeast Asia was immoral, unnecessary and a failure. Gross stated that it was part time for the American people to take matters into their own hands and sign a separate peace with the Vietnamese.

Following Gross’s talk, marchers divided into groups and passed out copies of the People’s Peace Treaty, described as “a joint treaty of peace between the people of the United States, South Vietnam and North Vietnam.”

According to this peace treaty, Americans will set a date of total withdrawal of troops, the Vietnamese will agree to an immediate cease fire, all military prisoners will be released, Vietnamese will form a provisional coalition government to organize elections, all parties will guarantee the safety and political freedom of persons involved in the war and all parties will respect the independence, peace and neutrality of Laos and Cambodia.

Police Chief Lee Miller later described the marchers as “well-behaved” and reported the only incident occurred when an unidentified local resident jumped from his automobile, tore down a make-shift Viet Cong flag from a flag pole and drove away.

The turnout of 125 was far below the estimated 500 expected. Various students said the low number was because of chilly weather the general feeling of hopelessness on college campuses, the alleged inability of citizens to influence government policy and the memory of Kent State.

To Courthouse

Nearly 125 Valparaiso University students marched down Lincolnway Saturday protesting American involvement in Vietnam. Group held rally at courthouse. Copies of People’s Peace Treaty were distributed to members of community. Demonstration was noisy but peaceful, police said.

March 6, 1976: ‘Everybody Worked For Me’

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on March 6, 1976.

‘Everybody Worked For Me’

By MARY HENRICHS

“EVERYBODY IN TOWN worked for me at one time or another,” Frances (Fanny) Philley said with a warm smile as she reminisced shortly before her 85th birthday (March 5, 1975) about her 45 years of operating the Premier Candy Shop in the Premier Theatre Building on Lincolnway.

Mrs. Philley and her husband, the late Wallace Philley, who died in June, 1950, opened their soda fountain, homemade candy, and popcorn (carmel and regular salted) store in 1922 when the building was constructed. The quality of its merchandise can be judged by Gene Hart’s comment years later, “The best English toffee in the world died with Wally.”

Mrs. Philley still has records showing that during the years in which they sold popcorn, the Philleys purchased it by the tonーliterallyーwith monthly orders ranging from 200 to 300 pounds.

For many years, the store remained open until 9 p.m., furnishing popcorn and soda fountain products to theater goers. Mrs. Philley said the hours explain the large number of former employees because high school girls were hired to help after school.

“I’M ALWAYS RUNNING into people who say, ‘I used to work for you,’” she grinned.

Our employee who came to stay, however, was Miss Helene Winters who joined the Philleys in 1934 and who was still working at the store when it closed, July 1, 1967.

“We stayed open during the depressionーbarely. Then, the theater began selling its own popcorn and candy so we started offering lunches in the 1930s,” Mrs. Philley remembers.

Miss Winters did the cooking, specializing in homemade pies, with two or three flavorsーsuch as apricot, chocolate, or lemonーbeing offered each day.

The many Valparaisoans who lunched regularly at Fanny’s (through the years everyone forgot the official name and the shop was universally known as “Fanny’s”) knew each day what the featured entree would be before they entered the doorーmeat loaf on Monday; spaghetti, Tuesday; creamed chicken, Wednesday; and macaroni with tuna, Friday.

In 1975, a man stopped Mrs. Philley on the street to say, “I wish I had some of that creamed chicken on biscuit.”

MRS. PHILLEY REMEMBERS that when the shop began serving meals, a meat loaf lunch which included potatoes and cole slaw sold for 25 cents. During the last six months of its operation, the store charged 90 cents for the same meal.

“Coffee was a nickel when we started and it nearly broke my heart when we had to go to 15 cents,” she smiled.

Commenting on other changes through the years, Mrs. Philley noted that when the Premier Candy Shop closed, it was the only restaurant in the block between Washington and Lafayette on Lincolnway. When the Philleys went into the lunch business, four other restaurants operated in that blockーFarmers, American, Rainbow, and Belmont.

“People had a good time in the store. There was always lots of courting and matchmaking going on there. Neal and Dorothy Fry met in  our place. So did Claude and Charlotte Sweeny,” Mrs. Philley grinned.

A locally famous “dice game” which provided many happy memories also went on in that store at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. every week day, including 9 a.m. Thursdays was when the store was closed to the public.

Feb. 14, 1941: Music Shop Hit By Fire, Plans Event

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on February 14, 1941.

Music Shop Hit By Fire, Plans Event

Offering a complete new line of goods in an attractively redecorated shop on West Lincolnway the Bucci Music House, “The Home of Wurlitzer,” will hold its grand opening Saturday, Feb. 15, starting at 8 p.m.

A basement fire on Jan. 3 forced Harry Bucci, proprietor, to close his doors until repairs could be made. Since that time workmen have been busy laying new maple floors, both on the first floor and in the studios on the second floor. Also the walls have been painted in modernistic colors, venetian blinds have been added and new drapes adorn the plate glass window downstairs. Carpets are being laid, and a new heating plant has been installed.

More Stock

The ballroom floor, studio furnishings and the recording facilities on the second floor are modernistic in design. In addition, proprietor Bucci says that all his pianos, instruments, sheet music, supplies and accessories are new and his record department more complete than ever.

A “man-on-the-street” program will be conducted in front of the store and recordings will be made on the new large unit.

Joe Burkhard and Earl Howe of New York will be on hand to operate the recording machine; Walt Vincent, Joe Dauer and Morris Price, Wurlitzer representatives of DeKalb, Ill., will be present, as will Henry Kay and Gerald Peterson of the Gamble-Hinged company, Chicago, and Henry Rubhle of the RCA, South Bend.

Several on Program

Members of the musical faculty who will participate in Saturday’s grand opening include Mary Ernestine Clark-Case, piano; Charles Stickney, popularly piano; Dorothy Jo Bellni, dancing; Harry Bucci, band and orchestra teacher, and Mrs. Bucci, piano-accordian.

An announcement of the special free flavors, piano sale, special recording offer, radios and other items appears in another part of today’s issue of the Vidette-Messenger.