Forum Flashbacks: July 16-July 22

FORUM FILE PHOTO
Forum Flashbacks – 15 years ago: Tiny Royalty – Trevor Townsend and Makeila Wilson were named Little Mr. and Miss Nodaway County Fair over the weekend. To earn the title, Townsend and Wilson had to recite their favorite nursery rhyme and answer questions from the judges.

25 years ago

• Mother Nature descended on Maryville and the surrounding area for an unannounced visit yesterday evening, making sure not to leave before having made her presence known.
  An anonymous caller notified Maryville Public Safety late Saturday afternoon of a possible tornado striking the Thunderbird Estates.
  Sgt. David Ray, Nodaway County Sheriff’s Department, said the unconfirmed tornado was most likely nothing more than a severe storm with strong straight winds.
  “It was a heavy thunderstorm, which was basically (all) it was except for the high straight winds,” Ray said. “Straight winds will do almost the same damage as a tornado when moving 70 to 80 m.p.h.”
  Heavy traffic and nearly 200 on-lookers flooded the trailer court to catch a glimpse of the action, Ray said, but there was minimal damage.
• The debate surrounding over/under nights in Maryville bars and underage drinking in Maryville reached a climax last night with the Maryville City Council voting 4-1 in favor of an ordinance that would ban anyone under the age of 19 from entering Maryville bars.
  Councilman Bob Huffman cast the sole ‘no’ vote. Huffman has previously voiced his opposition to any ordinance that would establish an age under 21, the age at which Missouri state law says someone can consume alcoholic beverages.

15 years ago

• The Jefferson C-123 School library was filled to capacity with people on Monday, but it will be filled in a different way soon thanks to a grant received by the school district.
  Board of Education members, staff members, community supporters and students were on hand as Mary Cohen, from the U.S. Department of Education, and Dean Brookshier, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, made a presentation that will affect the students at Jefferson a great deal.
  The school district, which has only 167 students, will receive a $158,830 Library Improvement Grant to improve library programs and services in order to increase literacy levels and achievement. The No Child Left Behind Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program will be awarding 85 one-year grants in 28 states for a total of $19 million this year.

5 years ago

• Almost exactly 20 years ago, Aug. 5, 1995, the front nine holes at what is now the Sechrest 18 golf course at city-owned Mozingo Lake Recreation Park opened to the public for the first time.
  The city of Maryville plans to mark that milestone with a three-day celebration Friday through Sunday that will include green fees and camping charges rolled back to 1995 levels, live music, a mud volleyball tournament, a 5K fun run and other activities and promotions.
• Vacation is a funny time to get started on a project at work, but for First United Methodist Church Pastor Scott Moon, that’s exactly what happened.
  While Moon was gone for two weeks, renovations got underway on the inside of the existing building at the corner of Main and First streets in Maryville. Within two weeks, Moon said, dirt work will begin on the $1.9 million building expansion that is expected to be completed by next spring — a project that “represents looking toward the future,” Moon said.
  Moon also said this project will help First United Methodist meet the foreseeable needs of a changing Maryville and Nodaway County population, which includes young families and people who would benefit from a more accessible church, while also deepening its commitment as a downtown Maryville church.