Forum Flashbacks: March 28-April 3
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, MARCH 28, 1974
50 YEARS AGO: The story of how “little half-chicken” became the first weathervane was brought to life Wednesday as children from the third grades at Eugene Field Elementary School participated in the Creative Dramatics Workshop. … At left, Brenda Snyder, who played the cook in the weathervane fable, demonstrated how she thought “little half-chicken” should interpret the one-legged part, while Kirby Smail, who played the part of fire, watched with a critical eye. At right, Kim Smail (standing), who played the chicken’s mother, reprimanded “little half-chicken,” played by Colleen Wynn.
10 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, April 1, 2014
By HOLEN JUAN
Daily Forum correspondent
A huge mountain lion created havoc at the Mozingo Lake Recreation Park Golf Course Sunday afternoon, mauling one hapless duffer who managed to escape only by jamming a six pack of beer into the rampaging animal’s open mouth.
“It scared me to death,” said Macon A. Bogey while sitting torn and bleeding inside the clubhouse as terrorized golfers fled screaming to their cars in an attempt to escape the man-killer.
“It just came out of nowhere,” said Mozingo resident pro Kyle Easter. “I’ve never seen anything like it. One minute I’m trying to take the hitch out of someone’s swing, and the next we’re all running for our lives and there’s a lion taking a chunk out of Macon’s arm.”
Bogey, who is expected to fully recover from his injuries, said he’ll never be able to view his wife’s house cat in quite the same way.
“I’ve never liked the way that cat looks at me,” he said, “and now I know why. Cats and the Bogey Man just don’t mix. I don’t care what size they are.”
The origin of the Mozingo lion, which appears to have taken up residence in a wooded area near the fairway on hole No. 2, is still unknown. But Tyree Hugger, a wildlife biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, said it may be the first indication that more big cats are moving onto fairways across the region.
“Whether wild or domestic, cats of all sorts used to be confined pretty much to Facebook sites and nature documentaries on public television,” Hugger said. “But I think we can safely say the erosion of those natural habitats is forcing these predators onto golf courses, where there is a large population of plump, slow-footed middle-aged males as a readily available food source. It’s just Mother Nature taking her course, and that’s a beautiful thing.”
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, April 3, 1974
Incumbent Mayor John Ellis and the Rev. Howard Judah were elected to the Maryville city council Tuesday, while in the race for the Maryville R-II School Board, voters re-elected incumbents Vilas Young and John Zech by wide margins.
Judah was the top vote-getter in the council race, finishing with 666 votes. He was followed by Ellis with 553, Bill Chambers with 520 and Mrs. Joyce Swink with 219. The top two finishers are elected to the council for three-year terms. …
In the school board election, Young was the top vote-getter, pulling votes on 878 ballots. He was followed by Zech, the current school board president, with 764, Dr. Bettie Vanice with 315, and the Rev. Lloyd Hackbarth with 292. …
Elsewhere throughout the county, voters in three school districts approved increases in the school tax levies, and in Elmo, city residents approved a $100,000 sewer bond issue.
The closest school levy election was the proposed 50-cent increase for the West Nodaway R-I School District, Burlington Jct., which apparently passed by the 12-vote margin of 262 to 250. The increase raises the total levy to $3.50. Voting on the issue was extremely close in all four of the townships in the school district, with the 86-75 margin it received in Lincoln Township at Elmo the apparent deciding factor.
The North Nodaway R-VI School District, Hopkins, got its levy increased 25 cents to $3.60 per $100 assessed valuation. The final vote was 160 to 135 ….
The biggest school levy increase, 75 cents, was sought at Nodaway-Holt R-VII, Graham, which now raises the total levy to $3.65. The final margin was 217-144, unofficially, with voters in Nodaway County voting in favor of the increase by a 164-86 margin and voters in Holt County voting 58-53 against the increase.
100 years ago
Maryville Tribune, March 28, 1924
A startling discovery was made recently when the surveying class of the State Teachers College accurately measured the track and field course and found that the athletes have been running fifteen feet over 440 yards on every round. The turf on the curves of the track has crept out into the track and made the oblong more than 440 yards in distance.
The cinder path of the local school now has some of the fastest time in the state for a dirt-cinder track and with the course shortened to the required length, time on the events this year will probably be sent down another notch.
The discovery of the extra five yards explains why local track stars who had been running the quarter mile in 55 seconds here could take the same event at other meets in 53 and 54 seconds.
The quarter mile record for the local track is held by Davenport of Maryville at 54 2-5 seconds but if the track is made the proper length the record may fall. The five yard extra length will make about 3-5 seconds different in time for each 440 yards. …
The track at the State Teachers College was built for the first annual track and field meet in 1910 and during the last fourteen years the turf and grass has been creeping over the inside edge of the track curves. The track is now being graded and put in readiness for the annual meet to be held in April. Cinders were placed on the track last year and more are to be packed into the dirt this spring, but extensive improvements will be made this year.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 50-year and 100-year flashbacks are courtesy of the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project from the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessible at shsmo.newspapers.com.
