Back in the Day

25 Years Ago 1987

Inserting a catheter in a handicapped student is not a building aide’s job, Cathy Filipiak told her boss at Zemmer Junior High. Her refusal made its way to the superintendent’s office and they fired her. Now she's suing the school board and the district for $30,000 or more.

Lapeer needs more single-family housing, not trailer parks, city commissioners told developers. And so they rejected two rezoning requests. Dave Peterson, Mike Carter and Leland Bates wanted to build a 218- site park on 36 acres north of DeMille, west of M-24. Flint developers with partners in a local law firm had asked for 201 lots on a section of 116 acres at Peppermill and Saginaw.

Does this sound familiar? More than 50 old-timers are harassing county commissioners to finance a senior citizens center. They want to congregate in the old post office when the U.S. Postal Service moves into a new building across Nepessing Street later this year. Commissioners refuse to sign a $400,000 grant application to the Kresge Foundation that requires a $150,000 match. Commissioners claim it’s a $1 million project the county can’t afford.

50 Years Ago 1962

Hurd Lock Manufacturing Co. of Almont will move its entire operation to Greenville, Tenn., in less than eight weeks. About 200 people will lose their jobs. Another 30 were recently laid off. No contract is in place for separation pay.

UAW organizers say none of the employees were invited to transfer. And they know why. Greenville built a plant for Hurd and Southerners are willing to work for $1.15 an hour. Here in Almont the hourly wage is $2.35.

The union may haul Hurd into court to protect seniority rights, allow transfers and separation pay, and recoup the loss of union dues.

John Engelman was flying a plane when he looked down and saw flames from a terrible wreck on M-21 a mile east of Lapeer. A Sterling man had fallen asleep at the wheel. His car drifted across the center line without slowing and crashed into a haul truck carrying two Ramblers to Peterson & Son. The haul driver saw it coming, swerved and braked hard. The truck jackknifed, the gas tank ruptured. The violent impact tore the engine and transmission from the car. Gasoline ignited and the car driver was killed. Engelman radioed Dupont Airport and people there contacted the sheriff’s department.

Mrs. John Shelton was terrified when her neighbor’s vicious German shepherd attacked her

July 18, 1958, as she played with a puppy in her back yard. She was knocked down, her ankle twisted and broke. The dog savagely bit her numerous times as she crawled to the house. She was confined to the hospital for three months. The trauma paid off recently when the dog’s owner, Edward Troganoski, former owner of the Lake Nepessing Hotel, was ordered to pay $9,853 to the Elba Township woman.

75 Years Ago 1937

The Lapeer City Hospital on Pine Street has never, in its 12 years of existence, been able to pay all of its bills. Sisters Mary Ellen and Frances Hunter, the hospital managers, refuse to accept any wages except the barest necessary for personal needs.

Now the state fire marshall is demanding a fire escape. A committee has been appointed to raise $1,000. Between donations and profits from the mayor’s ball, they almost have enough.

Arcadia Township farmer Andrew Lamphier, 56, hung himself in his barn. They said he was despondent over his wife’s illness. No suicide note was found. He is survived by his wife, daughter Mary Irons of Detroit, son Ed of Arcadia Township and brother Henry who lives near Lum.