Forum Flashbacks: Sept. 10-Sept. 16

FORUM FILE PHOTO
25-years-ago: It has been nearly four months since a fire at the A&G Pizza and Steakhouse destroyed not only the building where it was located but also a vacant building directly to the north of A&G. Yesterday afternoon, crews began demolishing the buildings. The owners of A&G have said they will rebuild, but have not established where or when.

25 years ago

• If the City of Maryville is to make a walking/bicycle trail through the community a reality, they will first have to come up with the answers to a number of difficult questions.
  First on the list of questions is just how to get the trail across the 102 River, if it is to lead to Mozingo Lake as organizers hope it will.
  During a meeting Wednesday with groups interested in forming a walking/bicycle trail in Maryville, a list was made of organizations, clubs, governmental officials, schools and industries to contact in order to get letters in support of having a pedestrian bridge across the 102 River on Missouri Highway 136.

15 years ago

• Freedom Fest 2005 indeed afforded a variety of activities this past weekend – from musical entertainment, to motivational speeches, from an outpouring of educational information to area students and even to a wedding under the stars.
  Medal of Honor recipient Sammy Davis, who has been in attendance at nearly every Freedom Fest since its inception in 1988, and Dixie Taylor were married on stage in front of many friends at Freedom Fest on Saturday evening, Sept. 10. Friends and family came from across the country to witness the event.
  Davis has been on hand at Freedom Fest for many years, talking to area students, giving motivational speeches, honoring veterans and becoming a friend to many who have also returned to Freedom Fest year after year. Davis received his Medal of Honor alongside four other recipients, the first time five such Medals were given at the same time. He may be best known for a disappearing act: in the movie “Forrest Gump,” when Gump received the Medal of Honor, Tom Hanks’ body was superimposed over that of Sammy Davis.
• If Maryville Public Safety were to arrest someone for spray painting something on a car, that person would simply get a ticket and be required to appear in municipal court and pay the fine.
  But if what is sprayed on the car is a racist word, the action becomes a hate crime, and the punishment is substantially worse.
  That’s what may happen if Maryville Public Safety can find whoever spray painted a racist word on the side of Max Mushi’s car.
  Mushi, a Northwest Missouri State University student and a native of Tanzania, discovered his vandalized car on Sunday afternoon. As of Thursday, police have made no arrests, and no suspects are evident.
  Maryville Public Safety Director Keith Wood said he was disgusted that this type of crime happened in Maryville.
  “I hope that it is an isolated incident,” he said. “I don’t think that it speaks well for the community that it took place. We as a community shouldn’t tolerate that at all.”

5 years ago

• Nodaway County officials reacted with surprise and puzzlement this week following the sudden resignation Wednesday afternoon of veteran County Clerk Beth Walker, who was less than a year into her fourth term.
  Shortly before walking out of the County Administration Building around 3 p.m., Walker circulated copies of a brief letter to Gov. Jay Nixon, whose job it will be to appoint her replacement.
  The letter stated Walker is expecting the birth of her first grandchild later this year and wishes to spend more time with her family.
• Former Northwest Missouri State University president and first lady Dean L. and Aleta Hubbard have pledged $100,000 that will be used to provide financial aid to Northwest students through the Hubbards’ namesake scholarship and the Dr. Joe Willey and Dr. Barbara J. Orr-Willey Fund.
  The Aleta and Dean Hubbard Scholarship was established in 2003 through a cash gift by the Willeys, who are longtime friends of the Hubbards.
  “Scholarships have always been close to my heart,” said Hubbard, whose tenure as the university’s ninth president lasted from 1984 until his retirement in 2009. “I can’t think of anything better for someone to do than to help a young person get an education in this day and age.”