Elkhart High School - Pennant Yearbook (Elkhart, IN)

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 Relaxing in themew band shelter erected in Island Park ; is Chris Kirae. The shelttSt was dedicated Memorial Day. M Recreational Vehicles and mobile homes are the backbone of the Elkhart Community Standing in front of the new fire station is senior Warren Hill The new station was finished in October Elkhart Community 29

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By Bruce Bassett Mobile homes. R.V. s, Miles Lab plus St. Joseph and Elkhart rivers all pert of scenic area known as Approaching its completion, the new superblock complex takes (orm on Mam Street E Ikhart is a coat of many colors. It was, before Conn's demise, the undisputed center of musical instrument manufacturing, and was in possession of one of the best school systems in the country, according to the prestigious Conant Re'port. But let it not be said that we rest in memory of our past. The coat of many colors flashes and scintillates in the light of each new day. To many, Elkhart’s name is synonymous with the mobile home and recreational vehicle industries. The foundation of Elkhart's growth and prosperity, RV production has come a long way from Arthur Decio’s garage and grown to become a now essential aspect of our local economy. Pharmaceutical production contributes a sizeable number of jobs, and music, while no longer the biggest factor in the picture, still plays a role major. Vet our deep commitment to RV's and mobes brings mixed blessings. Through our dependence upon them, we allow fluctuations in the national economy to dictate the condition of its local counterpart. Furthermore, the strength of this dependence amplifies these variations, for good or for ill. Thus, we are like the little girl in the nursery rhyme— When the economy is good it is very, very good, but when it is bad it’s rotten.” Geographically, Elkhart lies in the northern most part of Indiana, roughly equidistant from Illinois and Ohio, and only a few miles from the Michigan line, a fact utilized by many until our neighbors to the north raised their drinking age. Our location also provides ready access to the major shopping facilities in South Bend and Chicago. Elkhart’s setting on the confluence of two rivers offers much scenic beauty: The Elkhart park system is excellent and provides many places to find friends, get together and relax. The town area boasts many modern buildings, including a new central fire station. One of the bigger additions of Elkhart’s rivers play a big part in the consumer convenience is the new community, for both recreation and Kroger Sav-On store industrial use 28 Elkhart Community

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Iranian terrorism, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan deplored; Moscow Olympic boycott, Presidential primaries, local economy, new mayor make a Looking back on 1979- 1980, one can only conclude that it was a time of action and change. The most dramatic event of international scope was the hostage crisis in Iran.Jn late October of '79, a group of unrecognized, supposedly unorganized Iranians took over the American embassy in Teheran, Iran. This complete violation of international law came as the result of anti- Western sentiment that placed power in the hands of the previously unheard of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khoumeini. The deposed Shaw owed much of his fallen government’s former stability to direct American military and economic intervention. He did not hesitate to use SAVAK, his secret police, against those who opposed his Westernization. Russia’s response to the overtaking of the embassy was military in nature. With no apparent provocation, Soviet tanks and ground troops poured across the border into Afghanistan. This served a double purpose: to strengthen the Russian position in the Middle East and to restore Moscow’s influence in a nation which had through revolutionary means attempted to ease out of the Soviet orbit. Thus, it should be noted that the U.S.S.R. was not directly extending its way among the nations of the world; it was merely tightening its hold on a country already within its grip Despite this, the blatancy of the invasion raised serious questions concerning American participation in the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. President Carter declared his intention to boycott the games, and since the State Department must approve all passports, he has the power to do so. The reaction of the athletes was mixed, although most seemed to place patriotism ahead of international competition. USA, West Germany, Japan, and many other nations were not represented in the 1980 summer games. Matt Streib, a sophomore at ECHS, continued his training in Kayak racing for some future Olympics— possibly 1984. On the local scene, inflation, politics, and Pintos dominated the headlines. Inflation, while certainly of major importance nationwide, hit the Elkhart area especially hard. Economic specialization into the recreational vehicle industry has made our community susceptible to national trends, including the high cost of gasoline. Politically, Elkhart was treated to a change of pace % as the Democratic party swept not only the mayority but claimed a majority of City Council seats from the Republicans. Current Mayor Eleanor Kesim was successful in ousting incumbent Pete Sarantos, while James Perron, Ed Bowman, Arvis Cawson, Nyla Moore, and perennially-elected Wayne Stoll now form a majority on the nine-seat council. Also, the long-awaited completion of the Benham West project finally seemed close at hand, and construction of City Centre, began during the Sarantos administration, approached its conclusion. Perhaps the local incident which had the greatest total effect was the Pinto trial in Winamac. In