Bristol Alumni committee members are pictured above, from left clockwise: James Teall, Treasurer; Dora B. Lyon, Rosina Carmien, Diane Erickson, Secretary; Janet Moyer, Lois Schmeling, Jim Wert, President; Edwin Sautter, Vice President; Jack Lyon, Dorothy Reber, Darlene VanWormer, Marilyn Miller, Diane Smith and Mary Winesburg. (Photo by Laurie Eads)

Members of the Bristol High School Alumni Association recently gathered to make plans for this year’s annual reunion.  The event will be held at the Elkhart County Historical Museum September 18.  Doors will open at 3:30 PM with a buffet dinner being served at 5 PM.  Entertainment will be provided by Shirk’s Piano and Organ Company.

The class of 1960 will be specially honored.  Addresses are still needed for class members, Robert Hartman, Alan Crume and Irvin Miller.  Please contact James Teall at 574-848-5507, with their contact information, if you are able to help.

Adrianna Riley is pictured above after being crowned as the 2010 Miss Bristol Teen. (Photo by Laurie Eads)

Senior Queen Harriet Edwards (left) stands with the 2010 Bristol Homecoming Queen, Toni Miller. (Photo by Laurie Eads)

Toni Miller was crowned Bristol’s 2010 Homecoming Queen. Miller will be a junior at Bethel College, where she is studying business marketing. She enjoys music, crafts, volunteering and helping at the Loftt music ministry at Bristol Church of the Nazarene. She was the 2009 Citizen of the Year for her community volunteerism.

Miller won Miss Queen Talent for performing a comedic monologue.  She also tied with Gracie Lyons for the Miss Community Service award. Miller received a full one-year scholarship to Ivy Tech Community College, $600 in Tiffany stock and several smaller prizes.

Lyons was chosen first runner-up, Miss Community Service and Miss Congeniality. Brittany Hollowell was chosen second runner-up and Miss Entrepreneur. Megan Ellis and Katy Ellis were tied for third runner-up.

Adrianna Riley was crowned as the Miss Bristol Teen. She is a freshman at Elkhart Central High School.

Katie Price was the first runner-up for Miss Bristol Teen. She also won Miss Teen Congeniality and Miss Teen Talent.
Harriet Edwards, sponsored by Russell Products, was crowned as the 2010 Senior Queen.

Kenny and Sandy Lingofelter were awarded as Bristol’s Citizens of the Year. The Lingofelters are active in helping ADEC, as well as other volunteer work they provide for the community. Kenny served on the Bristol Fire Department from 1965-1995. Sandy organizes events for the Moose Lodge and has been a member of the Tuesday Ladies group for 40 years. The Lingofelters also helped to organize the Bristol Community Garage Sale Aug. 12-14. They were the grand marshals in the Homecoming Parade.

Pictured above, Tom and Chuck Feldman stand in front of the long rows of fireworks they set up to be set off at the 2010 Bristol Homecoming. Samples of this year’s fireworks are pictured at top left and inset above. (Photos by Laurie Eads)

Every year since 1971 Bristol residents Chuck and Helen Feldman and their son, Tom, have been involved in planning and carrying out the fireworks display at the Bristol Homecoming. Tom was only 12 years old when he started helping out with the preparations.

The Feldmans took over the fireworks show after Bud Hermance ended his many years of performing this service, even making his own fireworks. The annual display is now launched from Hermance Park, which is named in honor of Bud.
From 1971 to 1985 the Feldmans worked with Frank Perry of Princess Fireworks in Mishawaka in putting on the annual July presentation. Since 1988 they have teamed up with Mike Cartolano, president of Melrose Pyrotechnics, Inc. in Kingsbury, Indiana. (Website: www.melrosepyro.com.)

Tom says that Melrose is “an unbelievably great company,” which does 2,000 fireworks shows around the country each year. Working basically as contract employees of Melrose allows the Feldmans to be a part of the Homecoming fireworks without the hassles of licenses, permits, insurance, and other requirements that have come into being since they started almost 40 years ago.

Another thing that has changed is the manner of shooting off the fireworks. Instead of hands-on involvement in close proximity, the operators now use switches to ignite the fireworks electronically from 60 feet away. Several hours of loading and preparation are required for the 20-minute show.

In all their years of doing the Bristol fireworks, the Feldmans have only had one serious accident, when an explosion injured Bud’s leg, putting him in the hospital for three days. However, the next year he was right back on the job, not missing a Homecoming since then.

When not involved in their annual fireworks show, Chuck and Helen keep busy as owners and operators of Rainbo Lanes Bowling in Elkhart. Tom works for C & E Excavating. Tom has also helped Melrose Pyrotechnics with fireworks shows on New Year’s Day, and for the past nine years with the July 4 show at nearby Long Lake.

Both Chuck and Tom talk on occasion about retiring from their involvement with fireworks, but the allure and excitement keep drawing them back, just as their colorful shows do for so many spectators of all ages.

Pictured left is Chris looking over the photos. Above is Marshal Mike Swallow, Chris’s granddaughter, Barbie (seated left) Chris, and Chris’s daughter, Donna. Donna traveled here from Florida and another daughter, Barbara came from California. (Photos provided)

The name Chris Brown is synonymous with generosity when it concerns anything in the town of Bristol.  Brown, who celebrated her 90th birthday in January has been a constant supporter of the Bristol community and several local organizations, especially the Bristol Marshal’s Posse and DARE programs to name a few.

The Bristol Police Department recently honored her  at the 4-H Fair grounds with a gift of a digital photo frame loaded with over 100 photos documenting her years of involvement and support of local organizations.