Community
OTHER 500 TIES
Five Johnson County college students were chosen to serve as 500 Festival Princesses this year. They are: Jessi Arbuckle of Greenwood, a graduate of Center Grove High School and a junior at Taylor University. Elyse Hoy of Greenwood, a graduate of Center Grove High School and a sophomore at Franklin College. Morgan Lee of Greenwood, a graduate of Center Grove High School and a junior at Indiana Wesleyan University. Nilofer Rajpurkar of Greenwood, a graduate of Center Grove High School and a junior at Purdue University. Katelyn O’Mara of Indianapolis, a graduate of Perry Meridian High School and a senior at Franklin College.
Three years before the first Indianapolis 500, Southport figured prominently in a race promotion by Carl Fisher, one of the four founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1908, Fisher flew over Indianapolis in a Stoddard-Dayton automobile suspended from a gas balloon in order to promote the upcoming race. Fisher, who was the authorized dealer for Stoddard-Dayton in the Indianapolis area, served as co-pilot to George Bumbaugh. The gentlemen landed in Southport, whereupon Fisher was said to have driven the automobile back to downtown Indianapolis to a very enthusiastic reception by members of the local media. But it didn’t exactly happen that way. Fisher actually “flew” a stripped-down version of the car — sans the engine — and then drove a complete model back to his meeting with the press. AND THAT’S ONLY THE BEGINNING.
»A pair of Southport High School graduates would distinguish themselves at the
The Kurtis-Offenhauser driven in the 1948 500 by Les Anderson. Opposite page, the car is now on display at Kennedy Tank and Manufacturing.
Speedway. Joe Langley, a 1937 SHS grad, was a 500 chief mechanic in the 1950s and ’60s. Diane Hunt, a 1958 graduate, was named 500 Festival Queen in 1961 and later served on the board of directors for the festival.
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“A place is only as good as the people in it.
–Pittacus Lore, I Am Number Four
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There are times when you want to be with a crowd; but there are times when you want to be with a small group of friends and family. The reception following a funeral or visitation is one of those times. You want a comfortable, home like space where everyone can be themselves, express their grief, humor, and trepidations about moving forward.
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A comfortable place created for anniversaries, retirements and funeral receptions. Visit the Walker Cottage at Wilson St. Pierre in Greenwood anytime for a personal tour.
Wilson t. Pierre C A R I N G S I N CE 1897
Funeral Service & Crematory
Walker Cottage Family Center | 481 W. Main Street • Greenwood | 881-2514 | www.wilsonstpierre.com Also serving families in Indianapolis and Franklin.
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