Section of tfie Salem 1\&ws L toni t I sco e firm as John Mellish was self taught i:nventor, discovered 5 comets

By Dale Shaffer inadequate, so he bought a He notified the Washburn OHN EDWARD MELLISH, two-inch r_efractor telescope for Observatory in Madison, and a builder of astronomical $16. It dehghted him by show­ astronomers there confirmed !lescopes, lived in Leetonia ing him many new stars. that he had sighted a new from 1916 to the mid-1920s. His During these early years he cornet. business was in the front and was reading every book and Another observer, however, second story room of his home article on astronomy he could had also seen the comet, so in the east end. It was unlike get his hands on. Then he Mellish had to share the dis­ anything of the kind in Colum­ began reading a book on how covery. The comet was named biana County. In fact, his was to make telescopes and "1907 II Grigg-Mellish." In the one of only six such telescope decided to make o~e for fall of that year Mellish spotted making businesses in the himself. another new cornet, and this United States. He sent to Chicago for two time his name alone was given One of his large telescopes glass disks six inches in diame­ to it. was mounted on a tripod in his ~er and s:pent the winter grind- Mellish was now in touch backyard. Passersby would 1~g a rnrrror. Working with with a number of professional often stop and be invited to hght from a window and ker­ astronomers. He wanted to take a closer look at the moon osene lamp, he moved one disk leave the farm and obtain work and stars. over the other, with emory at an observatory, but money Mellish was born Jan. 12, powder in between. Gradually, was a problem. Edwin Frost 1886 in Wisconsin and grew up he created a convex surface on director of the Yerkes Obser: on his grandfather's farm three the lower glass and a concave vatory, began take a special miles south of the village of surface on the upper. i~terest in Mellish, encouraging Cottage Grove. He attended By spring he had a six-inch him to continued his optical only grade school and spent concave disk that could be work. Mellish built a 9Yi -inch most of his time doing hard silvered to make the mirror he and 16-inch reflector for his work on the farm. needed to construct a reflecting own use and wrote several arti­ John Mellish poses with one of the astronomical telescopes he His interest in astronomy telescope. His homemade tele­ cles on telescope making for produced in his Leetonia laboratory shown in the background. began in 1902 at the age of 16 scope attracted the attention of the Scientific American. when he was given a little spy the neighborhood and many In 1910 when Halley's comet more about astronomical the Crescent Wood-Working glass. He used it first to look at visitors came to look at the approached, he was one of the photography. Machine Co. Mellish's duties uistanl objects in the landscape, Milky Way and other heavenly first to see it when it became But again, money was a included the use of the tele­ and then turned it on the moon sights. In 1905 he wrote an arti­ visible to the naked eye. That problem. At Frost's urging, scope for visitors on certain and stars. The glass, however, cle on telescope_ making for year he became a "cooperative Mellisl\ .:.Jipplied for and public nights. He also had was too weak for him to see Popular Mechanics, and this meteorological observer" for received'~"'$300 grant from the ample time for personal obser­ much of everything. brought him several orders for the Weather Bureau, recording National Academy of Science. vation with his own telescopes, He then bought a four dollar telescopes. rain, snowfall and other atmo­ He spent 15 months at Yerkes and the facilities allowed him telescope that had been adver­ On the evening of April 12, spheric conditions. with the title of volunteer to continue his work in making tised in the newspaper. Look­ 1907, when he was 21 years of But he was frustrated with research assistant. His major reflecting telescopes. ing thr9ugh it to view the ·age, he happened to be scan­ his limited equipment. He project was to search for faint Harrold gave him free use of moon, he was surprised to see ning the northern sky when he could grind the mirrors and comets that did not approach a large, older home. Leetonia streaks and "wavy things that spotted a faint object where no lenses needed for hieh auaJitv close to the sun. While there he seemed like a good location for looked like flames." But this such object should have been. telescopes, but they also discovered another comet, and telescope making because it instrument soon became It looked like a "tail of smoke." required accurate clock drives may have been the first astro- was close to numerous indust­ ana other accessories. He had nomer to observe craters on rial towns where materials little money, since his optical Mars. could be purchased. Mellish business was not very profit­ Mellish never returned to the could get all the brass tubing able. This forced him to farm. On June 15, 1915 he mar- scrounge for broken devices ried Jessie Wood of Glencoe, ., he needed from nearby Salem~ illinois, and their first child, In 1917 he discovered from the Washburn and Yerkes ,, another comet, one that observatories. veronica, was born on April 30 In February of 1915 Mellish a year later. The couple would appears every 145 years. But This 25-ligne hinge cap telescope was the most powerful tele­ discovered his third comet. have 10 children, two of whom Leetonia was not a very suit- scope Sears Roebuck sold for astronomical work in the 1900s, This was turning point in his died in infancy. able place for astronomical a L 11 f viewing. Thick haze from the for $19.70. "This telescope forms an ideal instrument, showing life because it brought an invi­ In th 0 1 clearly and distinctly... the f1!YSterious spots on the surface of e ra 1916 Melish factories and mills dimmed the tation from Frost to spend was given the opportunity to night sky. About the only time the sun, wonderful mountain ranges and apparently extinct some time that summer at take charge of a well-equipped the sky was clear was when the craters of the moon, satellites and surface markings of the Yerkes. This would give him an private laboratory in Leetonia. mills ·were on strike. Mellish elf!nt .!UJ?iter, .t~e. wonderful rings of Saturn, the canals on opportunity to use the obser­ It was ovmed bv Elmer Har­ ,11ars,' tne catawg reads. vatory's equipment, and ieam rold, secretary and manager of See ::\,1ellishJ pag:e· 6 ~~~~ '-~~...:.....-'-~~~~,~~~~~~~~;;: Cable Car Museum may become a relic

By RICHARD LORANT The collection will go into Associated Press Writer storage until the society finds a N A BALCONY OVER­ new home, possibly in another O LOOKING the whirring city, said Arthur Lloyd, chair­ cables and whirling wheels that man of the Pacific Coast drive the world's only cable Chapter. cars, the San Francisco Cable "It would be strange to have Car Museum has in the past a cable car museum in Balti­ offered glimpses of a largely more, I agree. But we just can't bygone era. continue to sustain a loss of But the museum itself may $2,000 a month," Lloyd said. become a relic, as much a part The museum derived nearly of the city's past as the vintage all its income from gift shop 1873 cable car it displays. sales, and paid 5 percent of the The Pacific Coast Chapter of gross to the city. the Railway & Locomotive His­ Municipal officials said they torical Society, which has run wanted the museum to add the museum since it was better exhibits so the cash­ founded in 1974, closed the strapped city could increase its museum the end of March current take of about $17,000 a because it couldn't afford to year. keep running it. But the city turned down A declining number of visi­ society proposals to charge tors and rising security costs admission or establish parking have left the nonprofit society for tour buses, which took the running the free museum at a museum off their itineraries a loss. few years ago because of park­ City officials hope to reopen ing problems. the museum under new man­ "To impose a fee .essentially agement within a year, but for people to see a souvenir they admit no cable car shop would be unfair," said museum can prosper without June Rago, a San Francisco Bay area native from Marin, <;:alifornia visits t~e San Francis.co John Corser, manager of mark­ Cable Car Museum for the last time before the NJ.arch closing because of a disagreement with the SG('iety's three antique cars, eting and promotion for the which form the mainstav of the the city. The collection will go into st~rage until a new ho1!fe is foun~ for the_ museum, run by Municipal Railway. the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway anad Locomotive Historical Society. collection. , In addition to the society's three cars, including one from San Francisco in 1873 and and elsewhere. Today the only ple ride them each ye.ar7 m~k­ Gillis is son the first lot built by cable car enjoyed a brief wave of popu- operating cars are in San Fran­ ing them one of the city's big­ inventor Andrew Hallidie for laritv in New York, Chicago cisco, and about a million peo- gest attractions. Tickets cost $3. of performer the Clay Street line, the museum displays the grips and gadgets that run the cars, mod­ Arbaugh-Pearce The name of Lawrence F. Gil­ els, photographs and Cail-0- ~ceive lis of Challis, Idaho was omit­ Scope viewers that feature 3-D '.Yesteryears the ·~ert ted from the story about the images of turn of the century reertl Call family in the March 9 San Francisco. Secom£ G1 Funeral issue. Lawrence is the son of Cable cars were invented in Home Susanna Call Gillis of the ana RAY J. GREENISEN traveling troupe. His late wife, OWNER 332•4401 Lee, created and framed a !Fourth 'Tuesaay design using the beads and sequins from Susanna's theatri­ every month cal cape. wfienyou PERSONAL RECORDS subscribe to &PLANNING BOOK Because your last wishes Sa[em :J\{f,ws are so important Ca[[ Archer's /::_. 332-4601 ··- . "'G···f..\.\ ' 1 .!\ \ Restaurant FREE I.. ~:\ Start receiving af{ l.,,fi,.,,,.,11\,,.J., \'. ' .,.. ;';I': l'.ft••f'l.i.u\'UUf and Tt.·h "~'° hll 111 .. n .. ··;.. r-,.,\·.~··~1 .,\ \ h"""'"'' tfie :l\[f,ws ~:::·~:::::~·;:~:;::.~;:~ .... ::. ~~:·::::··:::::::~i!~;:t·:·:·:.:.::~.'.; ... Antique Shop of vl\,\)p.lll<,"IS, w1!h. Ii.auk M"COUlll ... 111 .. tlfo111C"t' 11'1\l<'f~. S .. J.. t·I lhP h1 ..pf.ol yuu Whh -Past - Present - UJ.t!. of lu•'ll•l\ ,\ml u•l.1hvl''> J.,.. ., l•• the \111.sU~\I o.kl;aol\ Stark 627-9971 w•1h phon ... uuml><·n. .111.1 n .. u ...... Y°'" r... ,nv ·l

City·------State. ______;.ip, ____

Yes! Name _____.__ _ !1~!:.:-o_::-=_-=--=-""-=-=- -=--=-""-=-=--=-'""-""'-=-=--=-'""-=-=- I would like more informatio11 Addrcs~------­ on funeral 161 N. Lincoln Ave. options and City _____ Code __ your services. Salem, Ohio Telephone _. __ ~ ---· ·~·-- ~------:Yes-teryears 'Iuestfay, fl.pril 27 1993 o~~~ --~~~~~~~~ Carousel horses coveted by collectors, preservationists

By Denise Lavoie hands of collectors. Collectors were willing to This is not a small uhdertak­ pay anywhere from $6,000 to Associated Press Writer ing. Bridgeport is a poor city - $25,000 or more for each of the O SOME, THEY ARE in 1991, it became the largest horses because they were T just collectables, worth city to file for bankruptcy since carved by Charles Carmel and worth as much as $1.5 million. the Great Depression - and Marcus "M.C." Illions, But to George Zariff, the mag­ the horses' sale would bring a renowned carvers whose origi­ nificent wooden horses of the much needed windfall. In addi­ nal carousel horses have Pleasure Beach carousel in tion, the city is paying $1,000 a dwindled drastically in number Bridgeport, Conn. are much month to store the horses. over the last 40 years. more: They are his youth. In November, responding to Built around 1914, the car­ They are that hot summer protests, Mayor Joseph P. ousel was a centerpiece of Plea- day 45 years ago when Zariff Ganim tabled the sale of the sure Beach. Zariff recalls days mounted one of the outside horses indefinitely. But the horses and managed to grab a of his vouth at the amusement horse enthusiasts are keeping park __:'._ crashing bumper cars, brass ring, earning a free ride. the pressure on, fearful that the "Boy, what a thrill it was," having his fortune read, riding citv will yield to temptation. the carousel. he recalls. 1'Everybody who's old The carousel and the amuse­ The carousel was virtually enough feels the horses are part abandoned after Pleasure Beach ment park are long gone. But of their childhood and part of the 71 horses and two chariots dosed in the 1960s. In the Bridgeport's history," said Zar­ mid-1980s, the carousel horses remain, and Zariff aims to keep iff. "How can you preserve that it that way: He is leading an were fully restored, using for future generations if you money raised from Bridgeport effort to keep the horses in sell it off?" Bridgeport, and out of the business leaders, residents and school children. But they've been in storage ever since. Parks officials had opted to Fossils remains from sell the horses after deciding the city could not afford the $20,000 to $30,000 annual costs 2~2 billion years ago of maintaining the wooden horses if they were used on a By Bud Sargent shirttail relative of modem-day working carousel again, said algae, were first found at John Byrne, a city administra­ Thomson News Service Cleveland Cliffs Inc.'s Empire tor. The city planned to use HREAD-LIKE FOSSILS Mine in loose samples in 1974, money from the sale to build a T found at an iron ore said Tsu Ming Han, a recently replica. mine are the remains of the retired geologist with the com­ But to satisfy those who oldest living things that can be pany who studied the want to keep the original seen on earth with the naked discovery. wooden horses, the city agreed eye. "Every time I went into the to display them in a new build­ The fossils, which resemble mine (after that) I kept my eyes ing, along with the new fiberg­ hair cuttings on a barbershop open," Han said. "When I first lass carousel. floor, are about 2.2 billion years saw them, I thought they can't "My feeling is once people old, said Robert Reszka, a be fossils (because) the rock is see the beauty of these horses, Emanuel Dragone poses with one of the Pleasure Beach car­ Department of Natural Resour­ so very old." as the people who used to ride ousel horses at his business in Bridgeport. Collectors have ces geologist from Lansing, But because the. rock samples them on Pleasure Beach, I don't offered as much as $1.5 million for the horses, but the Bridge­ Michigan. think people will ever want to were not intact - physically port city fathers have turned them down. "That's 700 million to 1 bil­ attached to a rock outcropping sell them," Byrne said. lion years older than anything - CCI experts could do little "They're just masterpieces. about $90,000. Last month, the horses ripe for the auction thats been found," Reszka said. about the discovery except con­ They're just works of art." state bond commission voted to block. "It's significant from that tinue to look in and around the The building, to be built at release $375,000 for the car- - Emanuel Dragone, the auc- standpoint." open-pit mine for better exam­ the Beardsley Zoological Gar­ ousel building. tioneer who was originally The procedure for determin­ ples, said Went Slitor, another dens, is expected to cost But Zariff and his 75-member hired to sell the horses, thinks ing the age of the fossils, now CCI geologist. $750,000 or more. City officials citizens' group, "Friends of the the city should go ahead with named "grypania cf. spiralis," Ten years after the first fos­ say they are hoping to get most Bridgeport Carousel," fear the the sale. centers on determining the age sils were discovered, another of the money from a variety of city will never get all the "I think these (horses) should of the rock around the fossils. state programs, while the local money needed to build the new be in the hands of collectors The tiny hair-like creatures, a See Fossils, page 6 parks board has committed carousel house, leaving the and museums," Dragone said. MERLE erron NORMAN Transfer COSMETICS Orthotic & Assorted New Prosthetic Co. ANTIQUES & TREASURES Colognes, Clinic, Inc. Sele~ Tastefully Displayed Antique a 1026 Franklin Ave. Providing Complete Local · ' Collectible Furniture Salem, Ohio Great for Gift Giving Decorative Accessories and More-. Orthotic & Prosthetic Featuring original artworks by local artists. Stop in for a mal@over Patient Services 332-4669 witli a{{ tlie new spring Medicare Approved Furniture Sale up to 20% Off Established 1928 cofors. 617St ClairAve., Select Furniture Sale ends May 7th By E. Liverpool Buy & Sell Arthur J. Herr-on 35 N. Market, E. Palestine 1-800-321-0407 805 E. Lincolnway, Minerva, U.S. Rt. 30 East SUnclay Noon-5 ( 216) 868-4048 .c. =~~~~~426~3504 ~~~~. ~~~~ '-~~"---..!.,_~~~_..,?::t/~1Jlif~;f Stolen Lincoln Civil War letters returned By the Associated Press dealers. The smuggled pieces are rare DOZEN CIVIL WAR but are not among the society's A documents, including most historical pieces, said soci­ letters written by President Lin- ety director Gale Peterson. . coln, have been returned to the "They're nice to have, but Cincinnati Historical Society they're not totally unique," she several months after they were said. stolen. The collection includes an The documents, valued at 1860 letter from Lincoln to $100,000, were returned recen­ Oran Follett, who was part tly after police were tipped by owner of the Ohio State Jour­ a man who said someone nal; an 1861 letter from Lincoln offered to sell him a letter writ­ to Treasury Secretary Salmon ten by Lincoln. P. Chase; autographs of Civil A grand jury is expected to War generals Ulysses S. Grant, consider charges against a Cin­ George McClellan, William T. cinnati collector who police Sherman and George Thomas; said smuggled the items from and an 1814 letter from General Salem's City Hall was spanking new when this photo was taken in August 1952. the society between July and William Henry Harrison to November. Police believe the Maj. Gen. John Stites Gano of collector, who they declined to the Ohio Military. scopes up to 16 incnes in Leetonia in the mid-19205 and missed when the Mariner IV identify, sold the documents to diameter, and refractors up to moved to Wilmette, Illinois, mission in the early 1960s con­ 12 inches. Prices ranged from near Yerkes Observatory. He firmed that the plant was, $50 to $3,000. continued making reflectors up indeed, heavily cratered. The job of grinding lenses to 30 inches, and various opti­ John Mellish may not have was a tedious one. Fineness of cal accessories for Yerkes and been a major figure in Ameri­ polish was a necessary requis­ other observatories. A move to can astronomy, but his achieve­ ite, so that no colors were visi­ St. Charles, Illinois in the late ments certainly merit recogni­ ble in the optical glass. There 1920s was followed by another tion. Under very crude and dif­ batch was found in loose rock publication af professional geo­ was a particular fineness of to Escondido, California in ficult conditions, he discovered on the floor of the mine, Han logical conferences. That work measurement to be considered, 1933. Around 1960, he moved five comets. He was one of said. Again, the sample was not was completed late last year. down to one ten-thousandth of to Cape Junction, Oregon. those traditional American physically attached. When they were alive, the an inch on the concave and Mellish was fond of doing craftsmen and artisans who In 1990, however, an creatures inhabitated a great convex lenses. mathematical computations. He were self-educated, confident, attached sample bearing the salt sea that covered the Upper Before World War I most of was a Seventh Day Adventist, intensely focused and very fossils was found several Peninsula of Michigan and the finest telescopes came from and once told his oldest independent. He died in 1970 hundred feet below the rim of adjacent areas, Reszka said. A Germany, but after the war daughter that the "mathemati­ at the age of 84 in a nursing similar fossil, albeit a later ver­ cal order in the universe had the Empire Mine pit. telescopes made in the United home in Medford, Oregon. It took several years to pre­ sion by some 700 million years, States became superior. By the convinced him of the existence pare papers detailing the dis­ was found in 1890 on a rock early 1920s the optical glass of God." covery for presentation and outcropping in Montana. used by American telescope During his career, he made What a manufacturers was better than and sold over 100 . refractors, any foreign-made glass. from three inches to 1212 Pharmacy Mellish spent a lot of time inches. He made several grinding and polishing his 24-inch mirrors, six 36-inch Was Meant To Be! lenses. Accuracy was very mirrors and a number of others 18 to 32 inches in diameter. Store Hours: important. The least variation 9-6 Mon.-Fri., 9-1 Sat. wold make the lens useless, One mirror was the 18-inch ;;lass at the Ford Observatory Offering Free Delivery and became sick of the thick air in son busy all the time. He conti­ because it threw the objective off. on Mount Peltier in California. Fast Friendly Service Leetonia, and longed to return nually had from $3,000 to His achromatic refracting tele­ to Wisconsin. Unfortunately, $5,000 worth of orders ahead In his front room in Leetonia he had a single foot-power scopes represented perhaps his there were no ppenings for him all the time, and was shipping finest work. They were capable at Yerkes. a telescope about every other lathe which he used to shape of remarkably fine definition. In the spring of 1920 Harrold week. He shipped 22 in 1922. the convex and concave lenses. After Mellish moved to Ore­ decided to sell his observatory, Some went to Hawaii, Mex­ After these two pieces of glass gon, a fire destroyed his work­ ending Mellish's job. Fortunate­ ico, Peru and Africa. He was were polished, they fit together shop containing most of his ly, at that time, Mellish was also grinding lenses for Yale as closely as skin to the inside personal and professional pap­ receiving a lot of orders for his University. Most of the tele­ of an egg shell. It took him ers. Among them were the val­ telescope. The work was more scopes he sold were three-inch, about two weeks to make a uable drawings of the Mars than enough to keep one per- but he offered reflecting tele- telescope. ·craters. These were particularly Mellish and his family left w 1/tdl11rtwe.U .j • "' ' Baird's Furniture ~8'e1Hf!'1J .v1?E/( Byler's LARGE Dr. Restoration INDOOR & OUTDOOR DISPLAYS (/)USA FOOD Flea Market Consultation & Professional 900 Edison St., N.W Designing Barbara STORES Hartville, Ohio 44632 ESTABLISHED 1897 1993 Special Sale Days: T c'i-AtL !::;tcu'i- Bogar r May 29, June 12, July 3, • Furniture Stripping /Oa.t,t&j }1.eed,~ August 14, September 4 • Repair • Refinishing Chiropractor •Full Deli Open All Year • Chair Caning v~~g~~ Custom Furniture & STOP IN OR CALL DAY OR EVENING • Sub-Sandwiches • Home-Cooked Food Kitchens 13384 Diagonal Rd. • Fresh Fruits & Vegetables 526-2961 •Beverages Hours: Tues.-Fri. 10-5 OR N. LIMA NO. Salem, Ohio in Summer Months Sat. 10-12; Closed Sun.-Mon. •Snacks • Plenty of Parking 549-5108 ll21 E. Garfield Rd. PETERSBURG-UNITY RD. 1680 S. Lincoln Ave. • Variety of Merchandise New Springfield, OH EAST PALESTINE, OHIO 337-6866 Salem, Ohio and Antiques, Collectibles 2 1/2 ML N. of State Rt 14 on ~ (216) 817;.6433 549-2906 505St. Rt. 170 337-6863 ~ ' ~~~~ r:~;~;J12~'i;;f Irene Weeks was 'Peachy' to her high school students talent for the plays - the bud- . . to Salem in 1925 with her hus- ding actors and actresses and By Lois Firestone band, Canadian-born. Li~le hopeful directors, of course, but T w AS IN THE 1940s, Matthews - he was lookmg also the set designers, makeup I during one of those ~ng for a job and his friend, Salem artists, and stage properties col­ first years of her teachmg teacher John Olloman heard lectors. Those former stu­ career at Salem - 33 "rowdy" about a vacancy at the Mullins dents recall their director's boys from the football squad plant. In 1936 they bought a voice echoing from out front signed up for a class that held home and land along North during rehearsals: "I ,n't hear 36 students. Georgetown Road formerly you." She remembers asking Irene Weeks solved the rented by Marian and Ella Thea one of the teachers, Herb Jones potential problem which she Cox. . . for a microphone to help pro­ later looked back on as a stroke Sh~ _was m her rmd-40s w~en ject her voice: his ans,;ver was of genius - she told them on she iomed the Salem teachmg "You don't need one! the first day of school that they staff. In 1943, male teachers The first play was Michael would be governing themselves were off fighting World War II, Todd's "January Thaw" pre­ during the ensuing weeks, and and there was a shorta_ge in the sented by the Class of 1948 - it worked. Salem schools, especially the she learned quickly that all Indeed, things turned out so junior high and high school. At action had to be brought to the well that at the end ~f the first, she taught healt~ to front of the stage (the junior semester, t~e ,?o.ys co1!'piled a youngsters in the city's eighth high building was then the "proclamation m their teac~- grade classes at the Fourth high school) because of the er's honor. In an elaborate, _if Street Junior High. Then, at design of the balcony areas. impromptu, ceremony, Me~m biology teacher Ella Thea Cox's Others followed: "Life with "Il:fert" C~dy presented er urging, the school board hired Father" in 1949, ,,"1:he Late with a satin p1l~ow, a _reach her to teach biology and geo- Christopher Bean m 1950, -delicately embrmdered m the graphy, among other subjects "Charley's Aunt'' in 1951, "Girl center: Henceforth, he pro- at the high school - at one Shy" in 1952, . "Our Hearts nounced, because she was The point she was teaching five. Were Young and Gay" in 1953, Greatest," she would be known Later' she headed the German "Melody Jones" in 1954, "The as "Peachy' Weeks. The nam~ and French language depart- Fighting Littles" in 1955 and stuck, and the. respect an ments at the school. "Money Mad" in 1956. . admiration for this teacher car- One of her first "extracurri- Students enrolled in the ried through_ the i:ext 25 years, cular" assignments was as Weeks drama class were fre­ until she retired m 1968. ks adviser to the six high school quently asked to extempera- Today, at 95, Irene We~ cheerleaders, Lela Ortell, Betty neously · perform for 30 looks back on t~ose days with Whaley, Martha Whinnery, minutes, making the lines up as nostalgia. Born m Port Huronf Gertie Zerbs, Donna Lopeman they went along after she gave 0 Michigan and a. grad~at_e and Helen Chitea. Lela Ortell's them a sketchy plot. Several Albion Co~lege. 1 ~ Michigal, mother spent hours cutting and went on to work professionally she taught m M1ch1g°:n scho~ s sewing the costumes for the in the arts. Among them were and worked as a director m girls. Lasting friendships were Dana Rice Snyder, Robert professional th~ater a~ Temple formed in the after-school Domencetti, Lee Engler, Darrell I~ ne Weeks is dwarfed by the tall corn as she stands in fron~ Bethel in Detr01t. She first came hours when they rehearsed - Askey, Paul Barnard, and Rose­ ofthe season's corn crop in this 1939 photo taken on her Nort she remembers many early marie Sulea. Georgetown Road property. evenings driving a car full to When she retired, her stu­ their respective homes, the fog dents gave Irene Weeks a last­ so thick that "there _was a &irl ing memento, a charm bracelet hanging out every wmdow g1v- filled with symbols of the plays ing directions." she'd directed. She gave the Irene also advised the band bracelet to former student Bar­ majorettes, but it . is for her bara Dickey Ad~ms, along w~t,h work in the dramatics program her Thespian pm. For her, it s that she is remembered; she the memories that count, and directed junior and senior class she enjoys reminiscing with plays and hundreds of one-act former students about her productions, sought after by teaching days, the plays she · local clubs and organizations. directed and the young actors She presented annual awa~ds she coached. . from the National Thespian (When Irene Weeks retired, Society which she formed along Lee Engler, who provided the Donna Lopeman Boulette, with a feeder group for the background material for ~is former student and compan­ Thespians, · the Salema~quers. article, dedicated a Memorial ion for years, poses with Irene Both were continuously active Building Winter Special to Weeks in 1973. and from their rosters came the her.)

~~~~~~~ .. , ~.(~,. i?~D Yes-teryears f'A., '~ \.t \ . I r_. C-- y -c..: 1uestfiui, April 27 1993 "') ...;,y ~~ ~ 0.' :' Stooges first make fun of Hitler ORE AMMUNITION M for people who think television is educational: instead of watching the Three Stooges and figuring out how to avoid a pie in the face, viewers should have been