Tell City High School - Sagittarius Yearbook (Tell City, IN)

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COAL, COLD MEMORIES The philosophers tell us that “time and tide wait for no man and 1978 was certainly no exception to that maxim. Time marched on and stu- dents, faculty, and administra- tion were swept along to its ca- dence. For over a month, the nation lay paralyzed in the agonies of a disasterous fuel shortage, the result of a strike by more than 160,000 members of the coun- try's United Mine Workers. The Great Coal Strike of 1978, the longest in the country’s histo- ry, clearly revealed the influ- ence fuel producers wield in this nation's power structure. For 16 weeks, miners re- fused to enter the mines due to contract disputes between the UMW and the Bituminous Coal Operators Association. The country, meanwhile, began the arduous task of cutting back on fuel consumption; excess light- ing in industries and business was the first to go, followed in quick succession by a reduc- tion of thermostats in schools and homes. As the strike wore on, short- ened hours meant a reduction in the number of employees needed. A 12-state area in the East and Mideast was the har- dest by the strike, forcing sev- eral schools to close. Indiana University, the largest college in the state, was forced to ex- tend its spring break an extra two weeks. Locally, the fuel crisis forced changes at all three area school systems: In an effort to conserve fuel, Tell City School officials curtailed all extracurri- cular and night activities. Light- ing was reduced in buildings by half, and new school hours were instituted from 8:30 until 3:30. Despite the doomsday pre- dictions before, during, and after the strike, when the coal dust had settled, only 23,000 industrial workers and 20,000 transportation workers had been idled by the strike. How- ever, the scars from the bite of the miners will be felt for years. If the coal miners’ refusal to work was not enough to dis- heartened the country, Mother Nature took a swipe at the country’s morale by slashing it with another hard winter. Cabin fever, a disease marked by increased restless- ness and overall fidgetiness, at- tacked many students, who were forced to wait out the howling storms of January in- doors. Deserted streets, closed businesses, and can- celled activities were the re- sults of near-blizzard condi- tions that swept the Ohio Val- ley. Tell City students missed 15 days of classes due to the in- clement weather. Massive conjestions of mini- icebergs formed on the Ohio River at the Markland, Ky., Dam that left even the Army Corps of Engineers helpless to restore the flow of river traffic. The Great Boston Blizzard, which dumped more than two feet of snow on the city in less than a week, was only one storm that ravaged the coun- try. Tennessee was hit with three major storms in 11 days, and wet snow was blamed for the potentially disasterous col- lapse of the roof of the Hart- ford, Conn., Civic Center Colo- seum, where, six hours before, 5,000 fans had watched a col- lege basketball game. Personal tradgedy wrought by the crash of the plane on Dec. 13 carrying the entire Uni- versity of Evansville basketball team, head coach Bobby Wat- son, and several school and aviation officials. Among the athletes killed in that crash was Bryan Taylor, a former Tell City basketball star, described as many as the ideal student-ath- lete. The chartered DC-3, twin- engine craft, en route from Ev- ansville to Nashville, Tenn., fal- tered after take-off from Dress Regional Airport and crashed into three feet of muddy water at the east edge of airport property in fog and rain. There were no survivors. Taylor, euglogized as an athlete, a gentleman, and a scholar,” averaged 22.5 points per game as a Marksman sen- ior in 1975 to lead all Southern Indiana scorers. Taylor was honored with the dedication and re-naming of the TCHS gym as the Bryan Taylor Sports Arena, the first building in the community named after an individual. Plaques at the arena's main en- trances bear the inscription: In memory of Bryan Taylor Outstanding student-athlete TCHS 1971-1975 BRYAN TAYLOR SPORTS ARENA Dedicated — April 25, 1978” Head basketball coach Bob Lochmueller, Taylor's mentor during his illustrious high school career, remembered Taylor amid tears, saying: “There’s no way I can express my feeling toward him,” and, echoing the sentiments of a saddened community: He’s just always going to be a part of me.” 10 The World

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Sharing pictures was usually done at noon. Here, Mike White, Jim Simon, and Valorie Ward look over a few. Extras, such as ketchup, were on a ta- ble in the cafeteria to top off the french fries and hamburgers. Noon Hour 19

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Snow-covered sidewalks were the rule during the winter of 1978. Janitors fought a losing battle to keep the walks cleared. Buried automobiles could be seen on ev- ery street. Snowplows often complicated digging out by piling extra mounds of snow along curbs. Freezing temperatures and snow did ma- jor damage to trees and shrubs. This mag- nolia seems to be holding its own with a blanket of snow. With snow everywhere travel was often paralyzed. Those brave enough to try of- ten found themselves in predicaments like this one. The World 21