Duck Ponderings: What a night for Hauser basketball

I, among many others, had the privilege of attending Hauser Jets Basketball Black & White Night which included a Banner Ceremony, Alumni Games, and expressions of thanks. Much time and effort went into the event with much talent evident as players went up and down the court.

I was particularly interested in the Banner Ceremony which all started with an article that I wrote some time ago about how it would be great to have the pedal jet back to join the victory bell. Mike Asher then pulled a wonderful committee together that found an older pedal jet in the community and then gave new life to it while introducing the fully restored one last season.

The Hauser Pedal Jet zoomed into the gym while under the control of young pilot Cecilia Raisor, daughter of Kevin and Erica Raisor. There were special sound and light effects throughout the gym, developed by Mike Asher, with a script calling attention to the new banners, read by Bobby Waddle, related to the Clifford Panthers, Hope Red Devils, and the Hauser Jets. Then, the crowd heard the following taped words:

“In the 1800s, there were several one and two-room schoolhouses in Flat Rock and Hawcreek Townships. But 120 years ago, consolidation began.

“A new school was born in 1901 in the small community of Clifford. They called themselves the Clifford Panthers.

“Several years later, in 1905, another school took root in Hope. They became the Hope Red Devils.

“For many years, these schools were rivals and battled on the basketball court until 1957. They joined forces for what we all know now as the Hauser Jets.”

It was another great night in the history of our school corporation!

The committee is continually looking for memorabilia for a showcase near the Hauser Gymnasium for the Clifford Panthers, Hope Red Devils and Hauser Jets. Please contact any of the Back From The Past Committee Members if you have something to display or if wishing to make a donation to such a special cause: Barb Walters, Susan Thayer Fye, Marnie Schwartzkopf, Isaiah McDaniel, Pat Walters, and Mike Asher.

As someone recently stated, “Once you are a part of Hope, you remain a part of Hope no matter where you are now.”

Such passion is one of the reasons why the pages of Hope continue to turn while pages of other small towns are not and one of the reasons why I strongly believe we should always have a local media source while many newspapers are disappearing.