Looking Back - 1992: Woman trains Alaskan huskies on farm on Rockbridge Road

Information was gathered from previous years of The Shelby Sentinel, The Shelby News and The Sentinel-News. You can reach the writer at sharonw@sentinelnews.com.

If anyone has an old photo that they would like to run with this column bring it and the information into The Sentinel-News office or e-mail it to the writer at sharonw@sentinelnews.com. We are also looking for mystery photos. If you have a picture you can't identify, send it in and we'll ask our readers for help.

10 years ago, 1997

Rumors went around Shelbyville that officials from Ford Motor Company wanted to talk with the city commission after the first of the year, that attorneys representing Ford bought property where the Shelby County Flea Market was located, a possibility of a Ford plant locating there... Bruce Slate announced his resignation as the Simpsonville Elementary principal... John Miller retired as the Shelbyville police chief after more than 20 years with the city department... Cub Scout Pack 133 sold 769 containers of popcorn for a total of $6,721 and was the District "Popcorn Champ." The top individual salesman was Matthew Clemens who sold $1,490 worth of popcorn... American Beauty Florist attracted close to 175 people and more tan $2,600 was raised for charity with a beanie baby auction; the majority went to the WHAS Crusade for Children. A total of $2,557 was paid for the six Princess Diana babies with the largest bid about $700... Six cars got a new coat of paint in Martinsville -- by vandals leaving a message in their painting: "Mr. Cuervo" and "Mr. Smirnoff," which are brands of liquor. The damage to the cars was estimated at $32,450... Rick Shepman had been a guidance counselor for 16 years but switched to director of student accounting and support services last October for Shelby County Public Schools. He left for Carroll County Schools after being contacted by his former employer... Births: Laura Alice Callihan, Brandon Taylor Jones, Rodolfo Martinez Reyes, William Carn Rogers, Matthew Adams Trumbo, Gabrial Renea Watts...

Deaths: Anita Jones, 51; Corda Best Palmer, 81; Goldie Chapman Puckett, 86; Benjamin Jerol "Jerry" Dickerson, 58; Edna S. Gray, 87; Mary Elizabeth Wainscott, 95; Wilbert Johnson Williams, 95.

15 years ago, 1992

Everything looked normal on Rockbridge Road on a Sunday afternoon, that is until Paul Gmerek, along with her Alaskan huskies, decided to pull Santa Claus on a cart down the road to visit the neighbors. The dogsled racer was training her team of huskies to enter a couple of Midwestern races in 1994 and eventually the bigger Alaskan races -- ones that are more than 1,000 miles... Dr. James E. Casey Jr., the son of Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Casey of Mount Eden, announced his plans to retire as director of Missions of Russell Creek and East Lynn Baptist Association... Jacqueline Denise Murphy graduated from Watterson College with a diploma in Medical Assisting and was awarded her cap and pin... Ground was broken for the new amphitheatre at the Shelby County Fairgrounds... A third of Shelby County's 12th-graders wrote at the proficient or distinguished level, a figure that far surpassed statewide averages, according to the results of the state's first writing assessment... Shelby County tobacco farmers were concerned with a plan by Gov. Brereton Jones to create a smoking policy throughout state government... Kim Cunningham scored a game-high 20 points as the Lady Rockets beat Louisville Male 51-43 in the Male Holiday Classic championship... John Mackey, John Moffett and Anthony Wilder were awarded $500 college scholarships by Grade Power America Corporation following their participation in the King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic... Shelby County Rockets advanced in the Central Kentucky tournament after a 65-53 victory over North Hardin at Marion County High School in Lebanon... Lisa Barlow was presented the outstanding young alumnus award by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture... Kentucky State Police investigated a burglary that left Masters' Farm Equipment Company with a $36,000 loss of lawn mowers and accessories... Births: Mercades Deanne Jeffries, Paige Lauren Kirk...

Deaths: Florence Dudley Jesse, 80; Mary Rodgers Lea, 87; Edna Foster Van Meter, 70; John William Cook, 84; Russell J. Willhite, 76; Willie Harrison Bryant, 78; Shelby Harper Bailey, 79; Katie B. Stone, 99; Willie Harrison Bryant, 78.

25 years ago, 1982

West Middle School's math bowl team were to compete in the regional math bowl finals. The WMS team outscored EMS 370-210. Members of the team were Doug Vaughan, Tim Ramsey, Kevin Eddins, John Pulliam, Robby Henderson and Joel Thompson. Mollie Craig was the coach... Scott and Bill Reese of Shelbyville were teammates on the Cotton Clubbers, the intramural flag football champions at Murray State University... Ginny Neal was the first-place winner in the letter-writing competition sponsored by The Sentinel-News, second went to Amy Robinson. In the art contest Chris White won first, and second place went to Andy Teague... Shelby County residents were eligible for the state's Project Warmup fund, $10,000 was received from the project... Rev. Larry Simmons was called as pastor of Hempridge Baptist Church... LaMoille Bryant retired as a director for the Peoples Bank of Bagdad after serving in that position 10 years... Mount Eden marked the 80th anniversary of telephone service in the community... Randy Watts was promoted to senior banking teller at the Shelbyville Peoples Bank; Rita Hall and Sue Adams were promoted to banking officer; and Amye Shouse was promoted to head teller...

Births: Elizabeth Ann Kavanaugh, Emily Doyle, Claire Chatham Farabee...

Deaths: Clinton J. McAfee, 86; Harry Drosty Sanders, 87; Byron F. Pennebaker, 81; Ralph Alan Poole, 27; Ronnie Lewis Palmer, 31; E. Pollard Harmon, 74; Mrs. Martha Bland Breeden, 85; Mrs. Lelia Muncy Mobley, 71.

40 years ago, 1967

A fire at C&G restaurant might have destroyed a large part of Shelbyville had it not been for an outstanding job of fire fighting by the Shelbyville Fire Department, the Shelby County Volunteer Fire Department and the Simpsonville Fire Department which stood by for Shelbyville and Shelby County. They were on the job from 7:40 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. and were able to keep the blaze from spreading to adjoining buildings... Joe A. Perkins, who had been office supervisor for Kentucky Utilities Company in Shelbyville for five years, was appointed local KU manager at Irvine...

Serving our country: Quartermaster Seaman Jerry A1 Aldridge, USN, completed 55 days on the "gunline" off the coast of Vietnam aboard the U.S. Seventh Fleet destroyer USS Cony... Pvt. E.2 Woodie H. Dean left for Saigon for one year as a radio operator...

Deaths: Miss Kathleen Goodman Kirk, 81; Earl M. Brown Sr., 63; Mrs. Eleanor Hays Tucker, 82; James Jarvis Cooper, 66.

50 years ago, 1957

The last sales on the Shelbyville Tobacco Market before the Christmas Holidays were held and 1,387,428 pounds more were sold this year than last at this time. This season was the highest for burley tobacco, exceeded only by the 1956-57 season. Total pounds sold for the season were 19,728,722 at $12,469,202.41 for an average of $63.20... Former Shelbyville resident, Sergeant First Class Oval Black received a certificate of achievement for his consistent and exceptional quality of work... Births: David Scott LeCompte...

New Year's grocery list: Winn-Dixie -- Astor instant coffee, 6-ounce jar for 89 cents; sweet, juicy Florida oranges, 8-pound bag for 49 cents; potatoes, 10 pounds for 55 cents; Hawaiian punch, 46-ounce can for 39 cents; plump Butterball Toms, 18- to 25-pounds, oven ready for 39 cents per pound... Kroger -- Kroger Tom turkeys, 18-pounds and up for 33 cents per pound; smoked whole hams, 55 cents per pound; Spotlight instant coffee, 6-ounce jar for 89 cents; Kroger bread, two 1.25-pound loaves for 37 cents; sweet yams, pound for 15 cents; Florida oranges, large size, dozen for 65 cents; large size English walnuts, 1-pound bag for 55 cents...

Deaths: Sam Catlett, 74; Miss Mary Ellen Wills; Winford White.

60 years ago, 1947

Charles H. Wills and Landon Garrett Jr. were formally initiated into Lances, honorary society for junior men at University of Kentucky... The Rotary Club Quarter composed of Bernard Davis, Craig Schmidt, Joe Beach and Cam Ballard, sang at Fort Knox Christmas program for soldiers... Jean L. Kesler and Mary C. Bright were among 32 University of Kentucky Choristers to participate in the annual Christmas concert... Mr. and Mrs. Lamar Hundley announced the birth of a son, Lamar Edward Jr. at Kentucky Baptist Hospital.

80 years ago, 1927

City officers elected at the council were Judge Edwin H. Davis, city attorney; Steiner S. Smith, city collector and treasurer; Henry G. Cleveland, city clerk and bookkeeper; Crawford Donaldson, city engineer; Peter Crapster, city assessor; John Moesser, chief of police; Alfred Jones, Jep Tracy and William Strange, patrolmen; W.L. Foster, chief of fire department... Gold footballs were presented to 16 lettermen at the High School Christmas tree... Mrs. Mary Davidson Ragland, 99, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. F.C. Kenney... A.L. Gorham, 68, died at his home in Cropper... Mrs. Sarah Jane Marion, 83, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mary E. Flood.

90 years ago, 1907

During the holiday season, 175 pounds of turkeys were shipped by the firm of L.G. Smith and Co., from Shelbyville to different eastern cities... Jacob Owens became secretary-treasurer to the well-known Louisville firm of Bayless Company.