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THE PAPER October 16, 2019
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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WABASH, IN PERMIT NO. 233
of Wabash County Vol. 42, No. 30
Thousands expected at Chili Cook-off By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
Larry Curless (top photo, on left) the 2018 Distinguished Citizen, presents the 2019 Distinguished Citizen Award to Bill Barrows. Rick Sereno (bottom photo), president of Oji Intertech’s North Manchester plant, holds up a Japanese Daruma doll during his speech to accept Business of the Year honors. Photos by Joseph Slacian
Barrows named 2019 Distinguished Citizen By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
As Bill Barrows sat at his table at the Honeywell Center’s Legacy Hall on Thursday night, Oct. 10, he listened intently as 2018 Distinguished Citizen Larry Curless began reading the details of the 2019 award winner during the Grow Wabash County annual dinner. “I was scanning the room trying to figure out who it would be,” Barrows told The Paper of Wabash County. “All of a sudden, it all sounded very familiar. When it got to the subject of fastpitch softball, it was more than coincidental.” Moments later, Curless unveiled to those who had not yet figured it out, that Barrows was the 2019 Distinguished Citizen. After making his way to the Legacy Hall stage, he was joined by his family, noting “my wife is supposed to be out of town.” In addition to Barrows being honored as Distinguished Citizen, Oji Intertech was honored as 2019 Business of the Year. “I am extremely humbled,” Barrows told the 300 peop l e attending the annual d i n n e r. “ N e v e r, ever, ever have I e v e r remotely
dreamed or thought about this. “I don’t know what to say, other than thank you to everyone who had anything to do with this. Wow. All of the things that Larry talked about, I have done. And there’s a lot of other things we don’t want to talk about. “But I really appreciate this.” Curless, during his introduction speech, noted that Barrows was born in Peru and moved with his family to Wabash when he was a youngster. After graduating from Wabash High School, he received a degree from Purdue University. “This individual had many hobbies and diverse interests – which always seemed to be directed toward sports – notably baseball,” Curless continued. “this unknown individual became a sports broadcaster of baseball, basketball and football. As time went on just talking about sports was not enough; involvement was needed. The satisfaction of being actively involved as a coach and administrator of youth sports led him to a true sense of who he was meant to be.” Barrows also has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Wabash Chamber of Commerce, Wabash Marketplace Inc., the Streetscape Committee, the Wabash Service Board, the Wabash Plan Commission and the YMCA boards. “He will be revealed by his involvement as a fast-pitch softball player under coach Bob Vanlandingham,” Curless said. “(He) also was Mr. Alumni of Wabash High School in 1999. That same year he was inducted into the Mid-America Baseball hall of Fame and was instrumental in creating the Chris Rood Memorial Baseball Tournament.” In 2018, Barrows was one of 38 people from Indiana chosen to participate in a fellowship entitled “The Journey,” honoring those who work to service youth. He also worked to help creContinued on Page 6
Thousands are expected to converge on Paradise Spring Historical Park on Saturday for the 17th annual Wabash Cannonball Chili for Charity Chili Cook-off. “Our team count and our preevent fundraising is right on part with last year,” Cook-off Committee chair Todd Titus told The Paper of Wabash County. “I think we’ll be somewhere around 90 teams the day of. “They can still register that day. If anyone is interested, we’ll have room.” Teams will be located both north and south of the Norfolk Southern Railroad track. In addition to eating chili, there will be several other things for participants to do.
ABATE will have its interactive display for youngsters, Titus said, and Jeannie Cooper will have arts and crafts projects for youngsters to do. Teams can begin setting up their various booths on Friday. Site locations will be unveiled at 8 a.m. Friday. Cooking will begin immediately at 8:30 a.m. following a meeting of the head cooks. Gates to Paradise Spring will be open at 11 a.m., with tasting to begin at noon and will continue until chili runs out. “We would encourage people to come early and stay as long as they wish,” Titus said. During its first 16 years, Chili for Charity has given away $568,000 to 69 different charities in Wabash County. Funds also were given to an Army unit in the Middle East wanting to host Continued on page 9
Academy Award nominee John Corso remembered By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com John Corso, a Wabash High School graduate who went on to become one of the leading production designers in Hollywood, has passed away. Mr. Corso passed away Oct. 9 at Parkview Huntington Hospital. He was 89. A 1948 WHS graduate, Mr. Corso was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in the Loretta Lynn biopic “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” He also won an Emmy Award for his work on “Tales of the Gold Monkey.” Mr. Corso attended Indiana University and received a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif. He worked as production designer for several Alfred Hitchcock movies, and several John Hughes films including “Uncle Buck,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Pretty in Pink,” “Breakfast Club,” “Weird Science,” “16 Candles,” and “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.” He also worked as art director on television shows “Ironside” and
“Columbo” and worked with Sylvester Stallone in “Paradise Alley” and on “Xanadu,” with Gene Kelly as the director. Following his retirement, he returned to Wabash where he was active in a number of local organizations, including the Wabash Area Community Theater and the Wabash County Historical Museum, where he helped design the facility’s train set layout. “John Corso’s legacy will live on at the museum through each Continued on page 7