The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/815694
A-3 Front Wednesday, April 26, 2017 The Press-Dispatch J K - JAY-KEM, INC. NOW THRU SATURDAY, APRIL 29 SALE Summer Spring INTO SAVE UP TO $500 ON NEW HOT SPRING SPAS 271 South Clay Street, Jasper 812-482-3292 PLUS SPEND $100 AND RECEIVE 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE * RECEIVE ONE FREE CASE OF LIQUID CHLORINE OR ONE FREE BOTTLE OF BAQUACIL FILTER CLEANER * Some exclusions apply Pike County The Pike County Solid Waste Management District together with Advanced Disposal/Blackfoot Landfill invite Pike County residents to participate in the annual Spring Cleanup. Hours for the week of will be: Thursday 4th–Friday 5th: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday 6th: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. • Pike County Residents Only! (Must show proof of residency at entrance) • No commercial, industrial or farm waste. (Commercial waste will be charged standard landfill rates.) • One pickup truck load per resident. FREE recycling of appliances, computers, and televisions. FREE disposal of up to 4 tires. $1 charge for each tire thereafter. FREE collection of household paints, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, chemicals and other household hazardous wastes. FREE disposal of furniture and other bulky items. Items that are still in good working condition will be set aside and Pike County residents can go through items as they arrive FREE of Charge. For further information, contact the Pike County SWMD at 812-354-2924 By participating in this program the participant waives any and all claims of liability against Pike County Solid Waste Management District and Advanced Disposal/Blackfoot Landfill which may arise in any manner out of the services provided pursuant to this program. Fur- ther, any participant hereby agrees to hold Pike County Solid Waste Management District and Advanced Disposal/Blackfoot Landfill free and harmless from any and all liability which may arise in any manner by participation in this program. SCRAP METAL, COMPUTERS, TELEVISIONS, APPLIANCES AND HAZARDOUS WASTE WILL BE RECYCLED!!! PLEASE HAVE SEPA- RATED IN LOAD FOR EASIER, FASTER DISPOSAL. (Located on State Road 64, 2.3 miles east of Arthur Junction) Thursday, May 4th – Saturday, May 6th NO ADVANCED REGISTRATION REQUIRED At the Blackfoot/Advanced Landfill Rummage, Rummage!!!! AGAIN THIS YEAR!!! By Andy Heuring Carroll Ray Clark reached a milestone few music teachers ever reach. This is his 50th year of teaching music to children in south- west Indiana. Clark has spent the last 38 years at Winslow Elementary School and it will be his last. "It has been my hobby. I'm going to miss it," said Clark of teaching elementary school children. His music career began long before he started teaching. A native of Cannelton in Perry County, he started playing piano at the age of nine. He attended a small Baptist Church. He put his musical talents to work right away. He started playing piano for Sun- day School and Vacation Bible School. He and his wife, Darlene, both grew up in Can- nelton and both attended the same church. Even though they both had an intense in- terest in music, they didn't start dating un- til they both went to college at the Univer- sity of Evansville. "We worked together in a lot of things before we ever thought of dat- ing. We taught a lot of kids' music in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School." Anyone who has gone through Winslow Elementary School since 1975 or attended one of the two school musicals knows Clark as the music teacher. But most people don't know he was an in- ternationally recognized drum major. Clark was named the drum major at Can- nelton. So he was adept at twirling a baton. When Santa Claus Land, which later be- came Holiday World, had a talent contest, Clark entered and won the talent contest. This made him eligible to participate in a na- tional contest at Soldier's Field in Chicago. He placed second in that contest, which qualified him to go the 1964 World's Fair in New York City for an international con- test, where he placed third. Because of his success, he was offered a full-ride scholar- ship to Indiana University, but he turned it down. Clark said he was afraid being from Cannelton, he wouldn't be comfortable at a big school. He was a featured twirler at both the Indi- anapolis 500 and Kentucky Derby. Instead of Indiana University, he chose the University of Evansville, where he was the drum major and majored in piano. He said after high school graduation, he thought, "What am I going to do? " So he eventually decided on his hobby, teaching kids music. While at the University of Evansville, he roomed with David McFadzean, who pro- duced the television shows Home Improve- ment and Rosanne. When he graduated from college, he got a job teaching at Princeton, where he was the band dirctor. Darlene, who was two years behind him in school, was a voice major and got a job teaching at Jasper. "I thought she was a fan- tastic teacher," said Clark of his wife, who taught 38 years at Petersburg Elementary School. Their relationship with another music icon in Pike County began through their church work in Princeton. Clark said he was the choir director and Vance Hays was the organist. He said that relationship remained great throughout the decades of team work be- tween himself, his wife and Hays teaching at the three schools. Clark said he decided after seven years as the marching band director, he didn't want that year-round commitment so he could be with his family more. He moved to Jasper as Assistant Band Director from 1974 to 1979. Then in 1979, former Winslow Principal Jay Lee hired him. The young man who had turned down In- diana University for the smaller U of E re- membered fearing the big college. While working with children in music, Clark said a big success is to get shy chil- dren to be able to speak or sing using a microphone. "I have children who never thought they could use a microphone and now they are on the radio station. I don't want to force it on them. When I see them come out and use the microphone, it does something for me. It tells me they are learn- ing to do something they were afraid to do," said Clark. He has two musical programs every year at Winslow Elementary School, the Spring musical and the Christmas program. He has numerous children singing so- lo parts using the microphone on stage in front of large crowds. He said his proudest moment was when Winslow Elementary School was chosen to perform for the Indiana State Lions Club Convention in the 1980s. He said they had kids dress up in cos- tumes as famous performers. They per- formed an hour-long performance and got a five-minute standing ovation. He said that performance, like many oth- er programs and events at Winslow during his career, could not have happened with- out parental support. "We had 20 to 30 par- ents helping out with the program." "I was so glad we were able to come here. We raised our family here. We had all three children graduate from Pike Central. I feel like it is a great place to raise a family. That is why I really enjoy teaching here. Pike County supports the schools and the arts." "I would go to Darlene's programs that were packed. Vance's were packed and ours were packed. I just feel how lucky we were to do that. I will really miss my hobby of teaching the boys and girls about the arts. I think it is important they have the chance to be exposed to music." Clark said the toughest things about teaching through the years were the trag- edies that affected some of his students. He recently lost a first period student to a drowning. Another child was killed in an accidental shooting. "I told a little boy on Friday evening, 'you have a nice weekend' as he was leaving school. The next time I saw him he was in a casket," said Clark of a boy who was killed in a traffic accident. "I have always put God as a very impor- tant part of my life. I had a Bible on the right corner of my desk and I kept it there all these years," said Clark. He quoted the first two verses of Psalm 121, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." He added, "I knew I couldn't do it on my own." Clark said he decided to retire this year, because he turned 73 and it was his 50th year. "My father worked until he was 73. I wanted to see if that could be a goal for me." Clark said he doesn't have any grand plans for retirement. "We don't have any great travel plans. Just spend more time with our soon-to-be nine grandchildren." Carroll Clark reaches 50-year milestone as music teacher Little League parades Saturday Both the Winslow and Petersburg Little League parades are scheduled for this Saturday. Winslow's was postponed last week and moved to this Satur - day; however, it will start at 9 a.m. instead of 10 and the opening ceremonies will be moved up one hour as well to 10 a.m. The parade will start near the Winslow Fire Department and proceed north on Main St. to the Lit- tle League Park. Petersburg's parade be- gins at 10 a.m., with lineup starting at 9:30 a.m. on Wal- nut St. in front of the Old Pe- tersburg Gym. The parade will proceed south on Main St. to Fifth St. and then to American Legion Park on Il- linois St. Opening ceremonies be- gin at 11 a.m. Dave Pipes will throw out the opening pitch and Shelly Keeker will sing The National Anthem. Games will follow the opening ceremony. A parking lot fender bend- er and a car-deer accident were investigated by the Sheriff's Department on the April 17 and April 19, respec- tively. Deputy Jason McK- inney reported that Kelsey Barrett, of CR 150 S., Win- slow, struck the back bum- per of a 2000 Toyota with her 2015 Toyota at the Pike Cen- tral High School parking lot last Wednesday morning. McKinney reported that the owner of the 2000 Toyo- ta, Hannah Wilkison, of CR 225 E., Petersburg, was not in the vehicle when it was struck. No estimate of dam- age was reported in the 8:10 a.m. accident. Pike County Sheriff's Deputy Paul Collier report- ed a car-deer accident oc- curred on Monday, April 17 at about 9:38 a.m., when Candace M. Riger, of 204 S. Second Street, Petersburg, struck a deer with her 2004 Pontiac on SR 61, near CR 75 E. Riger was traveling north on SR 61 and struck a deer, causing damage to the front driver's side headlight. Two minor accidents last week Winslow Principal Rich Luker presents music teacher Carroll Ray Clark a gift from the school recogniz- ing his 50 years of teaching music. He is retiring after this year, which is his 38th at Winslow. Carroll Ray Clark was an internationally ac- claimed drum major before he taught music at Winslow Elementary School.