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STORY INDEX Introduction Service still most important product at Ligonier Telephone Co. A black and white sensation: Tiny Screens a big attraction in early years of television A man works from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done Indiana Extension Homemakers better the lives of families How to be a good wife The show goes on at The Strand: Kendallville theater survives decades of changes in the movie business Some movies forgettable, but not Cleon Point: Memories of colorful, longtime Strand Theatre manager live on Small towns once supported their own movie theaters 'You'd see everyone there': Kendallville residents have lasting memories of teen hangouts old and new Links of land and lakes: County, state officials worked together to establish Chain O' Lakes State Park William Jennings Bryan among among orators at Rome City's Western Chautauqua Dr. David Rogers - Man of mystery, and benevolence DNR restoration programs working: Once abundant wildlife returning to area Rise of girls athletics have changed face of school sports Decades of intramurals: Before the '70s, girls had limited athletic opportunities Ford Frick was reared on Noble county's sandlots: Baseball executive always considered himself a 'lucky fan' Ruth was greatest player ever: Frick Frick's predictions for 2000 not far off Small Wolf Lake big winner in 1942 basketball regional Four in a row: Finally with a gym of their own, KHS cagers went to 'Sweet 16' four straight years Ink to flow into 21st century at county's newspapers Broadcast media: Manahan was pioneer in Noble County broadcasting WAWK's history dates back to 1959 Soundwaves from the past: Ligonier museum has one of the largest collections of antique radios in U.S. Health trends: Changes through the century occurred in medicine, health care Scarlet fever, polio were early health scares From sanitarium to partnership: A century of Noble County's medical care Funeral directors ran ambulance service in county prior to '74 'EMS arrives in time for '74 tornado LaGrange County doctors once made house calls by horseback Country doctor delivered babies in his home and drove a Thunderbird Service to mankind condensed to footnotes of history Lengthy Mier-Straus rivalry ended with bank merger : German-Jewish immigrants had impact on Ligonier's history Who are the people of the Amish faith? A place to live, farm, worship, and raise families: Amish began settling in LaGrange, Elkhart counties in 1840 Two controversial religious sects from the 1970's have impact on Noble County Churches with rich heritages served parishioners in LaOtto, Ege Some movies forgettable, but not Cleon Point Memories of colorful, longtime Strand Theatre manager live on By DENNIS NARTKER The News-Sun KENDALLVILLE - His scowl made many a youngster straighten up in their seats. His crusty voice is still imprinted on the memories of many Strand Theatre-goers. For 27 years beginning in 1946, Cleon Point managed the Kendallville theater with an iron fist, earning the respect of thousands of people who attended shows as youngsters and teen-agers and remember him fondly as adults. For five decades Point's life was the theater business. He first went to work taking tickets at the Sigma Theatre in Lima, Ohio, in 1930 and later handled advertising for the company that owned eight theaters. Admission to movie theaters at the time was 10 cents for matinees and 20 cents for features after 6 p.m. In 1931 he became assistant manager at the State Theatre in Lima, and from 1933-39 helped the Faurat Opera House in Lima with an old vaudeville stage. The Faurat closed in 1939, and he went to work for the Lyric and Majestic theaters in Lima, until he came to Kendallville in 1946. Robert Hudson Sr., owner of Hudson Enterprises, the company that owned the Strand Theatre, hired Point to manage the theater at 223 S. Main St. The Strand, a former opera house, had an old opera house interior and seating for 720. Point was Kendallville's first theater manager to introduce popcorn and candy. Within a few weeks he was selling $1,000 worth of popcorn and candy a week at the Strand, an ironic twist considering that today's movie theater owners rely almost exclusively on candy, popcorn and refreshment sales for their income. Point conducted everything from stage shows, hoola-hoop contests and giveaway drawings to drum up business at the Strand. Many longtime Kendallville citizens remember fondly Strand movie tickets as prizes to the Quickie Quiz contests held on WAWK-AM radio celebrity Paul King's show. Despite Point's efforts, the movie business declined in the 1950s and 1960s because of television. The Hudsons remodeled the Strand in 1952 and installed a 33-foot-wide Cinemascope screen and a stereophonic sound system in the 1960s. In 1980, the 953-seat theater was split into two screens. Point was known as a strict disciplinarian at the theater, kicking out rowdy kids and sternly warning noisy children. He kept a close watch on the theater's emergency exits for kids trying to sneak in without paying. In 1973, at 66, Point retired as manager. He returned in 1978 to help the Hudson family at the Strand as well as their Hi-Vue Drive-in and Auburn-Garrett Drive-in theaters until 1984. After his theater days were over, Point wrote a popular newspaper column for The News-Sun and sold ads for the paper. Point died on Nov. 12, 1995.