North Side High School - Legend Yearbook (Fort Wayne, IN)

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NEWSMAKERS Welday The 1981- ' 82 school year saw many triumphs and tragedies. One tragedy which stood out in Fort Wayne was the death of Susan Welday. She was the co- anchorperson on the evening news. Miss Welday was hospitalized on Au- gust 8. She was suffering from an intes- tinal bacteria. Three operations were performed but were unsuccessful. She died September 26, 1981. Miss Welday was known for her broadcasts of Trouble Shooter and Wednesday ' s Child. In each of the broadcasts she was trying to help peo- ple. Trouble Shooter helped people with any sort of problem. Wednes- day ' s Child was developed to give homes to unadopted children. When Miss Welday died, it was a great shock to the viewing audience. She has definitely left her mark upon our city, one which will not soon be forgotten. Kansas City The worst disaster in Kansas City his- tory happened when, at the Hyatt Re- gency Hotel, two out of three sky- bridges crashed down on couples at- tending a quiet weekend tea dance, kill- ing at least 110 and sending more than 80 to area hospitals. Rescue teams, using giant construc- tion cranes as well as their bare hands, removed the final bodies from beneath the tons of concrete and steel debris. More than 2,000 dancers, hotel staff and casual observers were on the lobby floor of the year-old Hyatt when two of the three skybridges buckled and col- lapsed. This is the worst disaster in Kansas City history, said the weeping Mayor Richard Berkley. The crash occurred as scores of peo- ple, wanting a better look at the danc- ing, stood on the walkways which stretch along the sides of the hotel ' s atrium on the second, third, and fourth floors. Suddenly the walkway on the third floor began to sag and crack apart, sending an estimated 50 people to the second floor walkway.

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Senior Ruth Berger finds an out-of-the-way hall to finish her homework for the day. Freshman Matt Deputy quickly looks over his work for the next class. Seniors Todd Chiddister, John Bloom, and Joe Bogdon compare notes for an upcoming test. Seniors Kiersten Revett and Natalie Parish discuss a difficult assignment. Studying 21

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Reagan On March 30, 1981 , President of the United States, Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest by a lone gunman when he walked to his limousine after address- ing a labor meeting at the Washington Hilton Hotel. The White House press secretary, James Brady, and two law- enforcement officers were also hit by the wave of shots. A series of five or six shots rang out as Mr. Reagan left the hotel. A look of disbelief swept across the President ' s face when the shots were fired as he raised his arm to wave to the crowd. Nearby, James Brady lay in a puddle of blood. The Washington police arrested a 25-year-old man, John W. Hinkley, Jr. at the scene of the attack. The President was not too badly shaken up and was released from the hospital after recovery; press secretary James Brady was released from the hospital after many months. Boeing 737 On Wednesday, January 13, 1982, a Boeing 737 with at least 75 passengers on board crashed into the Potomac Riv- er bridge, smashing automobiles and sinking into the icy water. More than 70 people, including at least six motorists, were believed killed. Only nine bodies were recovered as of that night. At least 17 survivors were taken to area hospitals, and there was no indication that there would be any more. Some of those who survived were injured in the crash itself; others suffered the effect of exposure to the frigid river water. Federal safety offi- cials had no immediate idea of what caused the crash — the first fatal crash at National Airport in 31 years and the first commercial crash in the Nation since 1979. Baseball Strike Pope John Paul II The major league baseball strike, which deprived the Nation of its favor- ite summer sport for almost two months and became the longest wal- kout in professional sports history end- ed early on August 10, 1981, after mar- athon negotiation sessions. The season proceeded with the Los Angeles Dodg- ers winning the World Series against the New York Yankees. In Vatican City, Rome, a gunman fired several times at Pope John Paul II as he rode through crowds of thou- sands in St. Peter ' s Square on May 13, 1981, and wounded him in the abdo- men. Italian policemen in the square apprehended the young man who alleg- edly shot at the Pope. Pope John Paul II was the first Pole in history to succeed to the throne of St. Peter. Freeze Old Man Winter really let the U.S. have it. The Nation experienced one of the worst winter storms ever. In Flor- ida, the temperatures reached a record low, causing damage to citrus fruits. In Fort Wayne, the freeze caused the rivers to get blocked up and water prob- lems to many buildings.