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Covering AU of the Best News of Sparta, Kent City, Casnovia, and All Adjacent Rural Territory

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T h e d a t e o f D e c e m b e r 2 5 a* t h e b i r t h d a y o f J e s u s a n d . h e n c e , C h r i s t m a s , b e c a m e g e n e r a l l y o b -s e r v e d In m o s t C h r i s t i a n n a t i o n s In t h e f o u r t h a n d f i f t h c e n t u r i e s . I n S h a k e s p e a r e ' s t i m e < 1 5 6 4 - 1 « 1 § ) . C h r i s t m a s w a s o b s e r v e d f o r 12 d a y s .

VOLUME 75 — ESTABLISHED 1876 SPARTA, MICHIGAN — WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1954 NUMBER 51

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a t t h e W i e r s m a C o n v a l e s c e n t h o m e i n P i e r s o n T u e s d u y . D e c e m b e r 21 . a f t e r a l o n g I l l n e s s .

F u n e r a l s e r v i c e s w i l l b e a t 2 : 0 0 o ' c l o c k F r i d a y at S p a r t a B a p t i s t c h u r c h , R e v . R . C. K i r k o f f i c i a t i n g w i t h i n t e r m e n t in G r e e n w o o d c e m -e t e r y . A r r a n g e m e n t s by H e s s e l F u n e r a l H o m e .

A pre-dawn fire of undetermined origin swept through the Kent City elementary school early Saturday morning, causing an estimated $200,000 damage and completely de-stroying the 49-year-old brick structure which housed stu-dents from kindergarten through the eighth grade, as well as the high school's economic, industrial a r t s and science departments.

A t h r e e - y e a r o ld o n e - s t o r y h i g h s c h o o l b u i l d i n g , a d j a c e n t t o th,-

d e s t r o y e d b u i l d i n g by a b r a s s * w s v . a n d a n a u d i t o r i u m , w e r e d a m a g e d

by t h e d i s a s t r c u s b l a s e w h i c h w a s d i s c o v e r e d s b o u t «:0Q a . m

T e n p i e c e s of f i r e - f i g h t i n g e q u i p m e n t f r o m s ix a r e a c o m m u n i t i e s

a n d v o l u n t e e r f i r e m e n f r o m t h e s i x d e p a r t m e n t s f o u g h t t h e f i r e f o r

i h r a e h o u r s In s u b - f r e e x l n g t e m p e r a t u r e s a n d a l i g h t b u t c o n s t a n t s n o w

s t o r m t h a t m a d e t h e i r w o r k m o r e d i f f i c u l t . T h e f i r e m e n , w h i l e u n a b l e

t o s a v e t h e g r a d e s c h o o l b u i l d i n g , s u c c e e d e d in p r e v e n t i n g t h e rire

f r o m s p r e a d i n g t o n e a r b y h o m e s a n d s t o r e s a n d f r o m d e s t r o y i n g t h e

t w o r e m a i n i n g a c h o o l b u i l d i n g * .

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J a c M - h k c ; Hcco i id n r n : Mrx. F . I.. B u l l . Mrs . d i a r i e s W a r r e n ( p r e a b l e n t ) , Mrs J a m e s G a r d n e r . M r s

H o w a r d B e t t e s . T h i r d row Mrs. G e o r g e l>avla. M m . M a r t i n K e l l y . Mrs T . D c Y o t i n g . Mra t - e o r g r

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MIDNIGHT MASS HOLY FAMILY CHURCH CHRISTMAS EVE

M i d n i g h t M a s s w i l l b e e a l e b r a « * d by M o n s t a n o r J o s e p h C . W a l e n . p a s t o r , at H o l y F a m i l y C h u r c h h e r e o n C h r l a t m a a E v e .

T h e p a r i s h chop,- w i l l s i n g Carole f r o m 11 40 u n t i l t h e s t a r t o f t h e M a s s

T h e c h i l d r e n ' s c h o i r w i l l a lng b e -f o r e t h e l iftt a . m M a s s o n C h r l a t -m a a D s y . w i t h t h e p a r i s h c h o i r s i n g i n g d u r i n g Maaa.

C o n f e s s i o n s w i l l la h e a r d T h u r a -d a y e v e n i n g f r o n t l o 1 : 4 0 p . m . a n d F r i d a y f r o m 4 : 0 0 t o 1 : 1 6 p . m .

H e n e a r s a l f o r a l t a r b o y s f o r t h * M i d n i g h t M a a s w i l l bo c o n d u c t e d by M s g r W a l e n F r i d a y f r o m ! ; ! • t o 4 : 0 0 p . m ,

M e m b e r s a n d g u e e t s o t S p a r t a L a d l e s ' L i t e r a r y C l u b h e l d t h e i r

a n n u a l C h r i s t m a s m e e t i n g a t F i r s t M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h . W e d n e s d a y

a f t e r n o o n . D e c e m b e r t .

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of d e c o r a t i o n s , t h e p a r l o r of t h e c h u r c h w a s t r a n s f o r m e d I n t o a m o a t

b e a u t i f u l C h r i s t m a s a t m o a p h e r e f o r t h e c a n d l e l i g h t p r o g r a m

F o l l o w i n g a s h o r t b u s i n e s s m e e t i n g , c o n d u c t e d by t h s p r e s i d e n t .

Mra. C h a r l e s W a r r e n . M r s J a m e * G a r d n e r p r e s e n t e d t h e v a r i e t y

p r o g r a m . "Chr i s t m a * In M a n y L a n d s . " w h i c h s h e h a d p r e p s red w i t h

t h e a s s i s t a n c e of M r s W a l t s r M i l l e r .

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of C h n a t m e s In tan d i f f e r e n t c o u n t r i e s , w e a r i n g c o l o r f u l c o s t u m e s

T h e p r e s i d e n t p r e s i d e d at t h e a t t r a c t i v e l y a p p o i n t e d t e a t a b l e

w h i c h h a d b e e n p r e p a r e d by t h e c o m m i t t e e . M r s G e o r g e S p a n g e n -

b e r g , Mrs . N o r m a r . B r a d f o r d . Mr* A r n o l d f k - h a e f e r . J r . a n d M r s

. C l a y t o n A n d s r s o n D e l i c i o u s h o m e - m s d e C h r i s t m a s o o o k l e e a n d

r s f f w w o r e s e r v e d .

Beebe Sounds Alarm U n i t s a n d m e n f r o m K e n t C i t y ,

C a s n o v i a . S p a r t a . O r a n t . C e d a r S p r i n g s a n d R o c k f o r d w e r e d i s -p a t c h e d t o t h e s c e n e . K e n t C i t y a n d C s u n o v i a v i l l a g e - t o w n s h i p d e -p a r t m e n t s e a c h s e n t t w o t r u c k s t o t h e f i r e . T h e S p a r t a t o w n s h i p t r u c k a n d t o w n s h i p u n i t s f r o m C e d a r S p r i n g s a n d G r a n t w e r e a l s o s e n t . K e n t C o u n t y d e p a r t m e n t s a t S p a r -ta. C e d a r S p r i n g * a n d R o c k f o r d d i s p a t c h e d t r u c a s t o t h e f i , -e .

T h e f i r e w a s d i a c o v e r e d n y W i l -l i a m B e e b e . w h o n o t i c e d t h e f l a m e s f r o m h h h o m e « h i c h i s l o c a t e d n o r t h o f t h e s c h o o l . S e v e r a l o t h e r p e r s o n s r e p o r t e d a m e l l l n g s m o k e m u c h e a r l i e r a n d o n e n e a r b y aa ld h e s a w l i g h t s " f l i c k e r i n g In t h e s c h o o l , " b u t t h o u g h t t h e y w e r e C h r i s t m a s d c c o r a t l o n a

T h e e n t i r e b u i l d i n g w a s in f l a m e a by t h e t i m e K e n t C i t y f i r e m e n a r -r ived at t h e s c e n e a n d f i r e w a s s h o o t i n g o u t of t h e m a i n e n t r a n c e of t h e s t r u c t u r e .

T h e t w o - s t o r y b u i l d i n g w a s c o m -p l e t e l y g u t t e d . F l a m e s s h o t m o r e t h a n u h u n d r e d f e e t I n t o t h e a i r b e f o r e t h e roof c a v e d in , a t t r a c t i n g a l a r g e c r o w d o f c u r i o u s s p e c t a -tors . O n e s e c t i o n of w a l l o n t h e s o u t h a ide of t h e s t r u c t u r e c a v e d in d u r i n g t h e p e a k o f t h e f i r e . F i r e m e n b a t t l e d t h e b l a z e f r o m t h e r o o f o f t h e h i g h s c h o o l a n d g y m -n a s i u m -

T h e d e s t r o y e d b u i l d i n g c o n t a i n e d 12 r o o m s . A l s o b u r n e d o u t w a s t h e s c h o o l ' s b o o k s t o r e , l o c a t e d b e -t w e e n I h e g y m a n d t h e o l d s c h o o l . S m o k e d a m a g e t o t h e n e w h i g h s c h o o l b u i l d i n g w a s e x t e n s i v e .

S t a t e F i r e M a r s h a l l J o h n G i r o c c o f r o m t h e R o c k f o r d S t u t e P o l i c e pos t a n d A d o l p h N e l s o n . K e n t c o u n t y f i r e c h i e f , w e r e o n t h e s c e n e e a r l y S a t u r d a y m o r n i n g N o c a u s e f o r t h e b laxe h a s y e t b e a n d e t e r -m i n e d h u t a n I n v e a t l g a t l o n c o n -t i n u e s F i r e m e n b e l i e v e d t h e f i r e s t a r t e d in t h e b a s e m e n t c l o a e t o t h e s o u t h w a l l of t h e o ld b u i l d i n g . T h e s c h o o l ' s bo i l er Is In t h e n e w b u i l d -i n g .

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Costly Damage N e l s o n S a t u r d a y e s t i m a t e d t h e

d a m a g e at " m o s s t h a n 1 X 0 0 . 0 0 0 " A c c o r d i n g t o s c h o o l o f f i c i a l s , t h e r e w a s u d a n c e In t h e b u i l d i n g F r i -d a y n i g h t f o l l o w i n g a b a s k e t ! . a l l g a m e b e t w e e n S a n d L a k e a n d K e n t C i ty w h i c h S a n d L a k e w o n . T h s d a n c e e n d e d a b o u t 1 : 0 0 a . m S a t u r -d a y H a r o l d E m m o n a , a m e m b e r of t h e b o a r d of e d u c a t i o n , w a a t h e last t o l e a v e t h e b u i l d i n g a f t e r t h s d a n c e a n d H a t e d h e c h o c k e d It be -f o r e l e a v i n g .

F i r e m e n s a i d a f i r e w a l l b a t W e e n t h e d e s t r o y e d b u i l d i n g a n d t h e g y m n a s i u m a n d h i g h s c h o o l a d d i -t ion . p r e v e n t e d t h f b l a a e f r o m s p r e a d i n g f a r t h e r .

T h e w a l l s o f t h e g u t t e d s c h o o l , a l l t h a t w a s s t a n d i n g a f t e r t h e b la se . h a d b e e n e x t i n g u i s h e d s h o r t l y a f t e r 0 : 0 0 a . m . . w e r e l e v -e l e d S a t u r d a y a f t e r n o o n by a w r e c k i n g c r e w f r o m O r a n d R a p -Ids, f o r s a f e t y p u r p o s e s

K e n t C o u n t y S h e r i f f A r n o l d O-l i g o r s h . p r a i s e d t h e q u i c k a c t i o n of G e o r g e H o t c h k l s a , s h e r l f F e d e p -uty a t K e n t C i t y , w i t h p r e v e n t i n g t h e f i r e f r o m b e c o m i n g a b i g g e r d i M e t e r H o t c h k l s a . o n e o f t h e f irs t o n t h e e c e n e . r a d i o e d O r a n d

I R a p i d a f o r a d d i t i o n a l f i r e e q u i p -m e n t I m m e d i a t e l y , a s w e l l a s p o l i c e

T w o c a r s f r o m t h e a h e r t f f ' e d e -p a r t m e n t w e r e s e n t u> t h e a o e n e S p a r t a P o l l e e C h i e f G o n e H e u g e l a n d a d e p u t y f r o m C e d a r s p r i n g s , w e r e a l s o o n h a n d e a r l y t o c o n t r o l t h e c r o w d a n d d i r e c t i r a f f l c . T h e e n t i r e a r e a a r o u n d t h e a c h o o l w a s r o p e d o f f a n d s h e r l f T s r e s e r v e o f -f ioera p a t r o l l e d th*- a c h o o l a l to .

F i n e w o r k by a l l t h e B r e m e n w a s a n i m p o r t a n t f a c t o r In p r e v s n t l n g t h e f u r t h e r s p r e a d of t h e f l a m e s W a t e r w a a p u m p e d f r o m a h u g e

A P P R E C I A T I O N I w i s h t o t a k e t h i s o p p o r t u n -

i ty t o t h a n k a l l t h o s e w h o s o • f f l c l a n t l y h e l p e d t o f i g h t t h e f i r e w h e n t h e K e n t C i t y S c h o o l b u r n e d . I a l s o w i s h t o t h a n k t h e S p a r t a . C a s n o v i a , G r a n t a n d C e d a r S p r i n g s f i r e t r u c k s a n d a l s o t h e C o u n t y t r u c k s a n d s p e c i a l o f f l c e e s w h o s o w i l l i n g l y a n d p r o m p t l y r e s p o n d e d :o t h e ca l l .

— A l f r e d N e l s o n . K e n t C i ty F i r e C h i e f .

A c c o r d i n g t o D e p u t y H o t c h k i s s . s e v e r a l p e r s o n s s t a n d i n g in t h e atrept w e r e s t r u c " b y o n e of t h e f i r e t r u c k s l i o t c h k l s * s a i d t h e p e o p l e fa 1 l ed t o mov . - w h e n o r d e r v d a n d w e r e hit w h e n t h e t r u c k alld o n Ice w h i l e t r y i n g t o a v o i d s t r i k -i n g t h e m . N o n e w a s i n j u r e d s e r i -o u s l y .

E . J . C a s e y , p r e s i d e n t of t h e K e n t C i ty b o a r d of e d u c a t i o n , naid i n s u r a n c e o n t h e s c h o o l c a m e f a t f r o m c o v e r i n g t h e l o s s s u f f e r e d by t h e f i r e S e c t i o n s o f n e d e s t r o y e d b u i l d i n g w e r e b u i l t in 1806 a n d 1910 . C h r i s t m a s v a c a t i o n a t K e n t C i ty b e g a n F r i d a y . C a s e y s t a t e d .

C a s e y aald s e v e r a l b a n d u n i -f o r m s u s w e l l a s n s r a o n a l e f f e c t s a n d t e a c h i n g m a t e r i a l w e r e los t in t h e f i r e w h i c h r e d u c e d I h e s t r u c -t u r e to r u b b l e .

P l a n s h a v e b e e n m a d e l o r e l o -c a t e s t u d e n t s in t h e l i u p t l s t c h u r c h . T o w n h a l l an<f*Leg ion h a l l a t K e n t C i t y . T h e M e t h o d i s t c h u r c h m a y a l s o be u s e d to a c c o m m o d u l e s o m e c l a s s e s w h e n s c h o o l r e s u m e s In t w o w e e k s . C a s e y s a u l .

A r e p r e s e n t a t i v e f r o m t h e s l a t e f i r e m a r s h a l ' s d e p a r t m e n t w a s t o h u v e i n s p e c t e d t h e l o c a t i o n s ear ly t h i s w e e k to d e t e r m i n e w h a t c h a n g e s w o u l d h a v e t o be m a d e b e f o r e t h e b u i l d i n g s c o u l d be u s e d u s c l a s s r o o m * C a s e y s a i d t h e g y m n a s i u m w o u l d b e p r e p a r e d f o r t h e u s e o f t h e e i g h t h g r a d e . • • •

Hoard Meets T n e s c h o o i b o a r d iii«ti S a t u r d a y

n i g h t t o d e t e r m i n e a c t i o n t o re -l o c a t e t h e s t u d e n t s . A n o t h e r m e e t Ing w a s h e l d M o n d a y n i g h t t o d e -t e r m i n e f u r t h e r a c t i o n . 1 ' u w y s a i d a m i l l a g e I n c r e a s e m a y h e neCes oary t o r e p l a c e t h e d e s t r o y e d g r a d e a c h o o l .

M o n d a y w o r k m e n l^egun r e p a i r s o n t h e h i g h s c h o o l a d d i t i o n C a s e y s a i d a n e w c a l l i n g w o u l d h a v e t o b e put In a n d w a l l s r e p a i n t e d H e a t i n g a n d l i g h t i n g w e r a r e . p a i r e d M o n d a y m o r n i n g . H e aald w o r k w o u l d a l s o ha v e t o lm d o n e t o f ix t h e b r e e t e w a y b e f o r e s c h o o l r o o p o a s .

It w a s t h e s e c o n d s c o u o l f i r e In t h e W e s t M i c h i g a n . i r»c in a m o n t h A f e w w e e k s a g o , t h e g y m n a s i u m a t H e a p « e | a w a a d e -s t r o y e d b y a d a y . t i m e b l a s e .

FAMILY PARISH HAS CHRISTMAS DINNER

T h e a n n u a l C h r i s t m a s d i n n e r f o r f a m i l i e s o f H o l y F a m i l y P a r i a h w a a he ld S u n d a y e v e n i n g . I > m m -b e r I t , In t h e c h u r c h b a s e m e n t .

T h e c h i l d r e n a t t e n d i n g Cate-c h i s m c l a s s e s s a n g C h r i s t m a a c a r -o l s O l f t s w e r e p r e s e n t e d t o t h e pxjrtor, V v r y R e v . M s g r Walen. t h e A l t a r boya a n d d i a t r l h u t o d t o t h e s m a l l c h i l d r e n b y S a n t a C l a n * T h e f o r m e r p a a t o r . R e v . V i n c e n t T. M c K e n n a o f O t a e g o . w a * a s p e -c i a l a u e e t .

M A . M H I 1 . I M > 1.1 T H I ' I t A \ C H U R C H

'hi t s t m a s E v e M i d n i g h t F r i d a y . D o c . 1 4 t h a t 1 1 : 0 0 p . m

lunday S c h o o l C h i l d r e n ' * ChrUM m a s P r o g r a m o n • ' h r i s t t n a a D a y a t 7 : 0 0 pJt )

iundav . D e c e m b e r 0 0 10:01* A . M . - — d u n d a y S c h o o l 1 1 : 0 0 A M.-—Holy C o m m u n i o n .

WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 22, 1*54 THE SENTINEL-LEADER — SPARTA, MICHIGAN

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This is the season when each of us can express our

own feelings of Good Will and to exchange friendly \

messages one with another. Here is our Greeting, and

with it is a sincere thanks for your fine pat ronage and

friendships in the year just coming to a close!

THIS MESSAGE S P O N S O R E D BY

Sparta Finance Co.

Sparta Ice Cream Co.

Stoner's Dry Goods - Shoes

Helsel Electric

Sparta Radio Service

E. J. Reister

Furniture Exchange

Tindall's Men's Store

Ken's Electric Service

People's State Bank

Tip Top Beauty Shop

Colby's Pure Oil Service

Sparta Theatre

Leon Parker, Inc.

Sparta Oil Co.

Langford's Electric Service