This week’s Mystery Photo
Where is this?
Can you tell us where this is located? Drop us a line at mail@sjindy.com.
108 S Lansing St.
The current owner is Jody Post. Previous owners include Regina Frechen, Stephen Frechen. Byron Danley lived there in 1950.
A Look Back – Arnold’s Discount Drugs Store Opens in 1968
by Barry Bauer
Jon Huhn cuts the ribbon as Don Sabo looks on.
The new Arnold’s Discount Drugs store in the Southgate Shopping Plaza opened for business Wednesday, bringing to 44 the number of stores the firm operates all over the State of Michigan. John Huhn, 22, of Lansing, a Portland native, will be manager of the store, which employs 10 persons. The pharmacist on duty will be Donald M. Sabo of Grand Rapids.
The store is located in quarters formerly occupied by the Dee Drugs and the Scotchway Laundromat. The laundromat has moved to more spacious quarters at the north end of the shopping center, and the two former buildings were combined into one. The s t o r e occupies 10,000 square feet, including a large addition at the rear. About 8,500 square feet are involved in the display area of the store.
Arnolds will maintain hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Pharmacy hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The pharmacy will be closed on Sunday.
The new store’s manager, Jon Huhn, was employed by the Yankee Stores prior to joining Arnold’s. He is in the National Guard. He and his wife Jacquelyn have a son, Eric Scot, 1½ years old.
Pharmacist Donald Sabo has been a pharmacist 11 years following graduation from Ferris State College. He is 34 years old; he and his wife Maureen and son Robert, 17 months old, will be moving to St. Johns.
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – Excessive Sneezing and Nasal Discharge
Upper Respiratory Infection in Cats
Cats sneeze for many reasons. If sneezing is the only symptom your cat displays — i.e., no discharge from eyes or nose, good appetite, no change in behavior or activity level — then it is probably of no concern. However, when ocular or nasal discharge is seen, the cat may have a cold or upper respiratory infection.
An upper respiratory infection in a cat is more like influenza in people than like a cold because it can be very difficult to get rid of without medical help, especially in the young, the old, and those with chronic health problems. In some cases, it can prove fatal.
What to Watch For
– Sneezing, especially occurring as “spasms” over the course of a few hours, or frequently over several days.
– Discharge from the eyes or nose; this may be watery, bloody, or thick and colored clear, yellow or green.
– Coughing or excessive swallowing (if there is drainage into the back of the mouth and throat).
– Lethargy (with or without hiding)
– Loss of appetite
– Fever
– Dehydration
– Raised third eyelid
Primary Cause
As with people, most colds start as a viral infection, followed by a bacterial infection.
Immediate Care
– Keep the eyes and nose free of discharge using cotton moistened with warm water.
– Warm canned cat food or meat flavored baby food to encourage your cat to eat.
– Provide plenty of fresh water for drinking.
– Any kitten, no matter how active, should be seen by a veterinarian at the first sign of a cold. However, if your cat refuses to eat or even move, it is urgent you bring the cat to a veterinarian immediately.
Veterinary Care – Diagnosis
Usually a thorough physical exam is sufficient to diagnose an upper respiratory infection. If your cat has become anorectic (refuses to eat), blood tests and possibly X-rays may be taken to see if there are complications developing.
Treatment
Using a vaporizer that produces warm moist air will help the nasal passages and sinuses to drain. To treat the bacterial component of the cold, your cat will require antibiotics. A viral infection, meanwhile, will usually be dealt with by the cat’s own immune system.
If your cat is not eating or is dehydrated, your cat will be hospitalized and put on intravenous fluids until he is eating on his own. B vitamins and appetite stimulants may also be used to help his appetite to return. If neither of these methods help with your cat’s appetite, he may need to be force fed for a while.
Other Causes
Polyps and foreign objects like grass awns—sharp grass seeds that can burrow into a pet’s skin—can cause symptoms similar to a cold, although the symptoms often start on one side and then spread to the other. Fungal infections such as aspergillosis can also cause similar symptoms.
Living and Management
Once your cat is discharged from the hospital, continue the antibiotics and vaporizer therapy as directed by your veterinarian. Also keep his face clean of discharge.
Making certain that your cat eats is just as important as complying with the antibiotic regimen. Cats that go without eating for even a short period are at risk for developing hepatic lipidosis, a condition involving the liver that is very difficult to reverse.
If the symptoms resolve only to return a few weeks later, chances are the cat does not have a cold. The symptoms may be related to one of the other possible causes listed above. Additional diagnostic work will be needed.
If your cat’s cold is due to a herpes virus infection (feline rhinotracheitis), he may have occasional recurrences of the symptoms. As with people, you cannot get rid of a herpes virus; all you can do is treat the symptoms when they appear.
Prevention
There are many viruses that can cause colds in cats. Two of these viruses can be very hard on your cat, even without the bacterial component: feline herpes virus, as already discussed, and feline calicivirus. Fortunately, there are vaccines available for these viruses. Be sure your cat receives the initial series of injections followed by regular boosters, as recommended by your veterinarian.
Back in the Day – Central School
by Maralyn Fink
The first school in St Johns was held in 1855. Two years later the school district was organized and land donated at the corner of Walker and Mead for a schoolhouse. Because of dissatisfaction over the site due to bears and other wild animals frequenting the area, land was purchased from Alonzo Plumstead and a building erected in 1865. After it burned in 1885, Central High School was built on the same site the next year.
At one time this building housed grades 1-12 and County Normal Teacher training school. The Class of 1909 had a total of 20 students, 7 male and 13 female classmates. In 1925 the high school was moved to the Rodney B. Wilson building for grades 9-12.
The students of Central School in 1910
This brings me to the time in 1946 when my mother told me I had to start kindergarten. What? I thought I was doing just fine the way things were. I was not looking forward to leaving my home where all “my things” were to go to that building.
The day finally came, and my mother walked me to the school one-half block away to meet my teacher, Martha Duffer. All of these kids were in the room, staring at each other.
With my lips quivering and a tear running down my face, I met Miss Duffer. She assured the group we would be fine and that we would have snacks, games and would even have a rest period for only half the day. Hmm, snacks, okay I can do this.
I looked around for my mother, and she was gone along with the other mothers. Well, I don’t live far, I thought. Maybe if I didn’t really like it I could just leave like my mother did.
In later years during war time, a tower was constructed on the flat roof part which was made into a Civil Air Patrol lookout and volunteers donated their time with binoculars for any suspicious activity. My Uncle Art Halfmann was one of the volunteers.
Now and Then – Chad Rehmann diversifies
by Jean Martin
Over the years we have grown accustomed to telling you about movies and television shows that Chad Rehmann has scored. Now we learn that he is also composting contemporary music for the concert hall.
Here is an excerpt of a new piece that has premiered at South Dakota State University last month. It will be published by Bachovich this summer.
The son of Gery and Sheila Rehmann of St. Johns, Chad is a graduate of St. Johns High School (1999) and Michigan State University (2003). He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife Kari (Wieber) and three children.