THROWBACK THURSDAY: SUBMITTED NEWS BRIEFS IN THE SHELBY CHRONICLE FROM APRIL 2 & 16, 1868

The following content was made available due to the efforts of Shelby’s Marvin Memorial Library.

Fine Prospects – Reports from all quarters say that the wheat crop never presented a more promising appearance. The heavy snow afforded good protection through the winter. The recent rains have caused all vegetation to come forth with a bound.

Troupes – Our citizens will not be at a loss for amusement just at the present. The troupes that are about to visit us, are both first class; have both been drawing crowded houses, and giving universal satisfaction. The old play of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, will doubtless draw a crowded house Friday night. Saturday night a different program will be presented, and on

Monday night, Caroline Hays’ Troupe will make its appearance, with something still different.

Plant Trees – Now is the time to plant shade trees. If the owners and occupiers of lots in Shelby would each take the trouble to set out a few trees in front of their dwellings it would add immeasurable to the beauty and comfort of the town. The labor and expense would not be much. The soft maple, the walnut, the linn, and the elm are all beautiful trees, very rapid growers, and easy to procure. They grow in abundance in the woods. A few hours work or a trifling expense by each of our citizens in setting out trees, would beautify the town more than the expenditure of thousands of dollars in any other way.

Benefit of Newspapers

– The newspapers of a town are its life-blood. Without them, it cannot prosper. The better they are sustained at home, the more powerful will their influence be abroad. In young cities or towns the papers have done more to aid in building up the towns in which they are published and increase their business, than all the merchants together. To the merchants they are indispensable as those who made use of them as a medium through which to reach the public, well know. And they contribute largely to the prosperity of every citizen, for their influence is felt in a thousand different ways and exerted in a thousand directions.

Select School – The undersigned will open a Select School in the United Presbyterian Church, West Shelby, on

Monday, April 13th, 1868, to continue twenty-two weeks, including a vacation of two weeks in July. Tuition from six to ten dollars for the term. A Normal Class will be organized for the benefit of Teachers. For further particulars call on H.L. Hall.

Burglars – The whole country seems to be filled with burglars. We seldom open a paper that does not contain an account of at least one burglary. In many instances the robbers belong to the immediate neighborhood of their robberies. In some they are the work of traveling villains. Never in the history of our country was this crime so common as at present, and it seems to be constantly increasing. Something should be done to stop the depredation of these rascals.

In his first remarks since the state auditor’s office specified a noncompliance finding for Shelby involving the city’s public records policy, Mayor Steve Schag specified the path ahead though some questions remain.

In late November, that noncompliance finding was listed in a management letter from the Ohio auditor.

It states the city of Shelby “has no written acknowledgment that the records custodian received the public records policy.”

“This could result in records requests not being fulfilled in accordance with Ohio sunshine laws,” the management letter from the office of Ohio auditor

Keith Faber states. “The city should maintain written acknowledgment from each records custodian/manager to document receipt of the public record policy,” the letter stated.

The issue surfaced at the Jan. 3 Shelby City Council meeting when 2021 state audit findings were highlighted along with the management letter.

At that meeting, Councilman Garland Gates suggested that an update be provided at the next City Council meeting, which was held Jan. 17.

“Mayor, I believe that perhaps you already have or you are going to notify people at each location and the city, the person who is the records custodian of that policy,” Gates

Randy Eisenhower (who taught AG ED at Plymouth for 11 years) was a past Ag Ed teacher at Plymouth before he came to Shelby to teach. Eisenhower was present and gave a speech about his students and the support they received from the community of Plymouth.

Also, in attendance was Levi Myers, a former student, and graduate of Plymouth High School. He told about his experiences in FFA to the audience. Myers is the current Middle School Ag Ed teacher at Shelby and also works with the Shelby High School FFA with Eisenhower.

Several older alumni gave speeches on how the Ag Ed developed from as early as the 1940s. It was a slow process that continued to grow and improve as the years passed by in Plymouth. In fact, in the 1940s the program tried to get farm equipment for the students. In the 1940s, because of

the war, it was hard to get tractors with rubber wheels. Most were made with steel wheels. Also, money was a problem when it came time to purchase equipment and land for the students to experience agriculture firsthand. Fundraisers, parents helping, area farmers lending some of their equipment, and many other ways for the students to learn agriculture were very difficult for the school.

According to the 1924 Shiloh annual, The Smithhughes Department of Agriculture was given final approval by the

State upon installation of proper equipment and was ready for class work at the opening of the 19231924 school year. The instructor was Mr. Bacon. Classes in Farm Shop, Animal Husbandry, and Farm Crops were organized in the first three years of high school.

According to the State FFA Association and National FFA Organization, Shiloh FFA was chartered on January 23, 1933. The name later changed when Shiloh merged with Plymouth and is now known as the Plymouth FFA Chapter.

The FFA was granted

a federal charter in 1950 when Congress passed Public Law 740. In 1965 the organization consolidated with the New Farmers of America, the organization for black agricultural students. Girls were permitted to join as members in 1969, In 1988, the official name of the organization was changed from the Future Farmers of America to the National FFA Organization.

The FFA is structured on the local, state, and national levels.

Current officers of the Plymouth FFA gave speeches about the possible

future of FFA. They predict a bright future for the organization and stated 1 out of 7 jobs today are related to agriculture. Sara Hoak, second-year President of the Plymouth FFA told how rewarding it is to organize events, supervise many areas with the younger members, make an impact on the community, gather together to help each other, and be a tightly knit group of students. These are the memories she will always treasure.