King and I Honeywell Center Ford Theater Dates: Sept. 23, 24, 7:30 p.m. / Sept. 25, 2:00 p.m. Tickets: $15 for adults / $10 for Students K-12. Tickets are on sale at the Honeywell Box Office or at www.honeywellcenter.org Vol. 39, No. 28
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
of Wabash County Inc. September 21, 2016
www.thepaperofwabash.com Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
MSD patrons tell Board: We want transparency By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com
Lawrence and Beverly Denney show off their restored 1940 Oldsmobile with their grandchildren Isabelle and Wyatt Davis. The Denneys drove the youths to school last week in the car, much like Mrs. Denney did with her two childen in the 1960s. Photo provided
76-year old car gets new life Wabash man fulfills goal of restoring 1940 Oldsmobile By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
This is a story that some may say was 76 years in the making. Others could rightfully argue that it was a mere seven years in the making. Whichever route one chooses, it can be said it is a story about a man on a mission, a mission he completed earlier this spring. Lawrence Denney, who retired as president of Denney Motor Sales in 2008, set out in 2009 to restore a 1940 Oldsmobile 60 series two-door sedan. “I had two main things driving me to re-do it,” Denney said, sitting at the
kitchen table of his Sivey Street home. “First off, my wife Beverly drove our children Tim and Sharon to junior high school in this car. Secondly, it was the first year for the Hydramatic transmissions. “I guess those two things influenced my decision to do it.” Introduced in 1939 for the 1940 model year vehicles, the Hydramatic was the first fully automatic mass-produced transmission developed for passenger automobile use. While restoration work began seven years ago, the family’s ties to the car go much, much deeper. “When my Dad was still living he
traded for this car,” Denney said. “It was a two-owner car, but the second owner just had it for a very short period of time. He was a local person who bought it for his son. His son ruined the engine on it in just a short time. “It sat over at the garage probably three months with no plan as to what to do with it. Then Dad traded for a 1942, which had a very similar engine, which was wrecked and so I took that engine and put into this car.” Mrs. Denney drove her son and daughter to school between 1961 and 1964. Sharon (Denney) Shaw remembers (continued on page 6)
The MSD of Wabash County Board of Education began consolidation discussions earlier this month and Wabash citizens are calling for more transparency from the school’s administration. Several members of the public voiced that opinion at the Board’s bi-monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13. Rosa Sparling, a former Southwood High School teacher, suggested the Board be more open after asking what all could be disclosed about its executive discussions. The Board met for two executive sessions to discuss consolidation on Sept. 1 and following its Tuesday night meeting “Obviously, the only thing that we really are required to (list on the session minutes) is consolidation,” Superintendent Mike Keaffaber, “and so as far as specifics, as those are confidential meetings, that we don’t discuss at this time, what happens is you cannot do any kind of vote, make any decisions during that time. “So at a later time, if anything comes from that then it would come from these meetings and then
Transparency is key in MSD issue -Page 15
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Wabash County to celebrate Indiana Bicentennial By The Paper staff Wabash County will celebrate Indiana’s Bicentennial on Saturday, Sept. 24, during a daylong event at the Paradise Spring Historic Park. Events will begin at 10 a.m. with a flag presentation by the Wabash Veterans of Foreign War and Boy Scout color guards. Paradise Spring Board secretary Deanna Unger will welcome the guests and Wabash County Historian Ron Woodward will read the poem, “I Am a
Hoosier.” At 10:15, the Paradise Spring Players will present “Treaty of 1826,” followed by the Miami Nation Drum and Dancers at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Dave Phillips will present a Quaker meeting t 11 a.m.
At 11:15 and 11:45 a.m., children from the Southwood Elementary School choir will present canal songs. Meanwhile, at 11:30 a.m., scenes from Susan Jones’ musical, “Light Up the Town,” will be performed. At noon, the Wabash Athletic Association and other sports will be recognized, followed by the Cannonball Kickers performing dance numbers at 12:30 p.m. The Wabash Community Band will perform at 1 p.m., followed by a talk by
Bill Konyha, Executive Director of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, will speak about the City of Wabash’s Stellar Grant. That will take place at 1:45 p.m. At 1:55 p.m., Wabash Marketplace Inc. Executive Director Steve Downs will speak about the Small Business Revolution Award the City of Wabash recently won. Activities will end shortly after 2 p.m. when Sam Frazier, President of the (continued on page 7)