Remember When?
La Grange public school trustees voted to shorten the school day and curtail energy use by 15% to comply with Texas Education Agency recommendations. Class periods were to be cut by 10 minutes and the lunch hour by 5. The school day would begin at 9 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. If Congress passed the Daylight Savings Time bill, school hours would be 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thermostats were to be set at 68 degrees in cold weather and 78 in warm weather. Student activities, including athletic events, were to be held in the afternoons in January, February and March. Unnecessary lights were to be turned off and buildings not necessarily used for instruction were to be minimally heated. Maintenance and custodial work was to be performed during the day rather than at night. Jan. 7 was set as the starting date for the new schedule. On April 1, schools would revert to the old schedule.
Burglars hit four businesses in La Grange sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The front door of Gulf Coast Federated Feeds was forced open and a small amount of money taken. Cigarettes and some money were stolen from Ruether’s Grocery after entry was gained by breaking the glass on the back door. Two dollars in change was reported missing at Farm Service, where a rear sliding door was forced open. When burglars also broke in through the back door at Edna & Millie’s, they rifled a marble machine. Investigators reported that earlier in the week, five cases of beer had been stolen from the Round Up Hall. There had also been an episode of vandalism at the swimming pool at Frisch Auf! Valley Country Club. Benches and flowerpots had been thrown into the pool and an electric clock ripped off its mounting and also tossed in the water.
A total of 21 empty box and grain cars of a westbound Missouri-Kansas-Texas freight train derailed between Plum and Prairie Valley shortly after 7 a.m. on Saturday. Some of the derailed cars wound up almost standing on end, while a couple that went off the rail remained upright on the ground at the Prairie Valley road crossing. Although several hundred feet of track were torn up in the accident, there were no injuries.
Just about everything came up roses for La Grange High School Leopard sharpshooters on Friday night when they scored an astounding 101-54 triumph over the Smithville Tigers. It was the first time in many moons that a purple and gold quintet hit or exceeded the 100-point figure. The Leps, utilizing a half-court press through most of the first half, completely dominated play as they amassed a 30-16 first-quarter lead and stretched this to 58-33 by the time the teams took the intermission break. The rout continued in the third heat as the purple and gold went into the fore by 8440. When the reserves took over, they dropped in 17 more points in the climaxing eight minutes. The subs actually took over about midway in the third period and kept the pace where the regulars had left off. Johnny Johnson set the pace with 29 points; Steve Kovar, 18; Neal Miller and Robert Pool, 16 each; Gary Dippel, 6; and Kenny Hatfield, 5.
Evening Lions Club treasurer Clarence Peters presented a check for $3,432.68 to La Grange School Superintendent C.A. Lemmons for the Leopard Band’s new uniforms fund. The donation represented the club’s share of Lion auctions conducted in 1971 and 1973, plus $400 in individual gifts. Dedication of the new Sacred Heart Catholic Church in La Grange by Most Rev. Bishop Vincent M. Harris of Austin was scheduled for Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. Following the dedication, a Concelebrated Mass with Bishop Harris; Rev. Harry Mazurkiewicz; Rev. Ben Mazurkiewicz of Fayetteville; Rev. Louis Wozniak of Austin; and Rev. Benedict Zientek of San Angelo; was planned.
Funeral services were held for: Frank J. Mikeska, 88, of La Grange; Alton Cordes, 69, of Rutersville; Marie Helweg, 88, of Shelby; and Lillie Foerster, 76, of La Grange.
Adolph J. Matocha Jr. was promoted to supervisor of postal operations at the La Grange Post Office. (The job was formerly called assistant postmaster.) Mr. Matocha, a native of the Hostyn community, began work at the local postal facilities on Sept. 25, 1969, as a temporary substitute clerk-carrier.
Three new members were elected to the Fayette County Community Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Committee. They were: Albin Sodek of Fayetteville, Leonard Jecmenek of La Grange and Ernest Matura of Schulenburg.
Lucia Williams, a La Grange High School sophomore, placed first in prose interpretation at the speech tournament held in La Porte, Texas. She received a gold medal at theAwardsAssembly held at the conclusion of the event. LGHS senior Lisa Hart won the preliminary round and advanced to the semifinals in the extemporaneouspersuasive speaking contest.
Roy Lehmann, a wellknown farmer in the Warda community, was named to the Fayette County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service committee. He succeeded Johnny S. Potter of Fayetteville, who had served nine and a half years. Mr. Lehmann raised peanuts, cattle and hay.
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