On Jan. 14, 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the Kremlin accords, which stopped the preprogrammed aiming of nuclear missiles toward each country’s targets, and also provided for the dismantling of the nuclear arsenal in Ukraine.

Two weeks later, the magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake struck the greater Los Angeles area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (violent) leaving 57 people dead and more than 8,700 injured. Two days later, record cold temperatures hit the eastern United States. The coldest temperature ever measured -36 degrees (-38 C), is recorded in New Whiteland, Indiana.

In March 1994, a photo taken by Marmaduke Wetherell, previously claimed as “proof” of the Loch Ness Monster, is confirmed to be a hoax. There are people today who still believe this monster exists.

The English Channel tunnel opened on May 6, 1994. It took 15,000 workers more than seven years to complete. It takes a train 35 minutes to travel through the tunnel, allowing passengers to travel from London to Paris in just more than two hours.

Also in May 1994, Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in the Dominican Republic. On June 12, 1994, Nichole Brown Simpson and Ronald Lyle Goldman are murdered outside the Simpson home in Los Angeles. NFL star O. J. Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings flee from police in his white Ford Bronco. Simpson is later acquitted of the killings but is held liable in a civil suit.

For the first time in baseball history, all major league baseball players go on strike, beginning the longest work stoppage in sports history. The 1994 World series was canceled because of the stoppage. It is the first time a World Series wasn’t played since 1904.

In November 1994, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan announces that he has Alzheimer’s disease.

And in sports, George Forman wins the WBA and IBF World Heavyweight Championship by KO’ing Michael Moore, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in history of boxing; plus, Dale Earnhardt wins his seventh and final NASCAR championship.

In January 1994, Bobby Fields was the athletic director at Lapel High School, where he started a new tradition called the “Athletic Wall of Fame.” His first six inductees were Jon Davis (baseball), Don Forrer (golf), Jana Fields (softball), Bruce Forrer (football), Sterling Boles (football) and Gary Coomer (football).

There are many things that would never get done in a community without volunteers. Many times they go unnoticed. In 1994, the Lapel Volunteer EMT and firefighters were recognized for their service to the communities of Lapel and Fishersburg. They were Bill Pape EMT, second assistant fire chief; Elizabeth Gallagher EMT, firefighter; Bonnie Flynn EMT, captain of ambulance; Linda Hormell EMT; Randy Gibbs EMT, firefighter; Gary Wall EMT, firefighter; Kenny Allen Bourke, firefighter; Eddie Weeks, EMT, firefighter, first lieutenant ambulance; Tommy Edgreen, firefighter; Jim Bauer, EMT, fire chief; Jim Wallace, EMT, firefighter, second lieutenant ambulance; Mike Barnes, EMT, firefighter, first lieutenant fire department; David Edenfield, EMT, training officer; Kenny Bourke Sr., fire department treasurer; Chad Everitt, second lieutenant; Chris Woodward, secretary; Gary Flowers, first assistant chief; Mike Lawther, captain; Doug Ward, Mike Pape, Jeff Passwater, Ralph Ellis, Terry Jackson, Bill Sears, Chuck Gallagher, Mark green, and Jim Roberts, HAZ MAT training officer.

In February 1994, Myrtle Montgomery traded some property with Kenny Bodenhorn, in an effort to encourage growth for the Town of Lapel. Because the Boone Ditch affects the eastern 20 acres, the 20 acres on the west half of the property would be developed first, Bodenhorn asked the Town Council to annex this property into Lapel’s town limits. The results are now present with beautiful homes in what is now as “The Montgomery Addition.”

The West Central Community School Board members for school year 1993-94 were Dan Davisson, Jack Alexander, Steve Crandall, Gary Dalzell, Kent Williams, Nancy Likens, Gary Simmons, Michael Lacey, George Dickison and Ron Green.

According to the 1993-94 yearbook, the following faculty served: Larry Galliher, principal; Jim Baker, administrative assistant; Bobby Fields, vice principal and activities director; Robert Adams, Faye Allen, Michelle Bauer, Jean Birge, Mark Boudrot, Judy Brown, Joan Casey, Dorinda Cassiday, Richard Cassiday, Diane Clark, Tim Coppess, Bill French, Denise Gray, Lois Hallett, Cheryl Hensley, Sue Hersberger, Amy Hoover, Dallas Hunter, Debbie Johnson, Marianne Julius, Art Laker, Anne Lowder, Harold Markle, Donald McDermit, Sharon McDermit, Jodi McMahon, Brenda Mills, Janet Passwater, Polly Pruitt, Gregory Scott, Cindy Stephenson, Jeannine Terhune, Zoe Terhune and Doug Van Dyke.

The 1993-94 Class Officers were Valerie James, president, Ryan Rich, vice president, Kerri Smith, secretary, and Rachel Cripe, treasurer. The seniors graduating are listed in alphabetical order: Ronald Arnett, Erin Baker, Kanda Baker, Gary Barcus, Cindy Boyd, William Brooks, Lisa Burger, Laura Burger, Michael Clark, Paul Cole, Tammy Collins, Courtney Craig, Seth Estep, Dennis Everitt, Jason Faust, Brett Fife, James Ford, Evelyn Fulp, James Galliher, Britt Gill, Michael Hawk, Sharon Heppen, Robert Hughbanks, Terry Jackson, Shawn Layton, Theodore Lenze, Alisa Martin, Erin McMahon, Chad Miller, Robert Molina, Robert Norman, Anthony Oyler, Jennifer Pardieck, Andrew Phillips, Brandi Randolph, Amanda Reddick, Brandon Reddick, Rachael Saguid, Michael Sams, Jason Scherer, Kip Stoops, Joshua Toombs, Kathryn Tynes, Laura Upton, Todd West, Melissa Whetsel, Kenneth Wilson, Leslie Winkler, Amy Wolf, Alyssa Woods and Daniel McDole.

The graduating class of 1994 went out in style. It decided to break old traditions of graduations and together made this year’s ceremony unique and special. For many of them, graduation always seems far away from each class, but 1994 was even worse. Their graduation was originally scheduled for June 3; but then, missed days because of severe weather changed that date to June 10. They elected to make the official date of graduation, Saturday, June 11.

The band played “With A Little Help From Friends,” and the swing choir sang “I’ll Carry You In My Heart.” The senior class presented retiring teacher Sue Hersberger with a plaque. Principal Galliher praised the class as one of the best to graduate from Lapel and expected them to continue to go further. The class of 1994 proved that people can make new beginnings for themselves.

The 1994 LHS yearbook did not list any sports scores or give any won/loss results. However, it did provide some interesting “Did Ya Knows.”

1972 – Lapel had its first varsity football team. They won three and lost one. Coaches were Steve Telfer and Woody Fields.

1977 – The boys varsity basketball team had to play its games at 4 p.m. Since it was still daylight, there was no need to turn the gym lights on. This helped save energy during the energy crisis.

1979 – The girls of Lapel got together and formed a powder puff football league.