Forum Flashbacks: May 2-8
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, MAY 7, 1974
50 YEARS AGO: Selecting and writing news for the broadcast with the aid of their teacher Esther Knittl (standing) are (from left) Jill Protzman, Karen Cargo, Julie Bram and Ann Henry.
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, May 7, 1974
Tune into Channel 10 at 4:30 p.m. Monday and Friday, and be prepared for a fresh, new approach to the dissemination of daily news.
Not only is the focus of the news different than that in most newspapers and other broadcast media, the newscasters are out-of-the-ordinary too — they are fifth and sixth grade students at Horace Mann Elementary School.
The students gather, write, edit and broadcast national, local and school news in addition to sports and weather. The sixth grade broadcasts the news on Friday (written by the fifth graders) and the fifth graders broadcast on Monday (written by the sixth graders). All are students of Esther Knittl.
“The students get their news from newspapers and magazines and rewrite it to a concise form,” said Mrs. Knittl. “They write about two or three articles a day.” She added that the project aids the students in their studies of language arts, speech and current events.
The students somehow get a fresher view of the news than most adults. While Watergate is at the front of the majority of the adults’ minds, when asked what was the most interesting news item he would relate that day, Jeff Reeves, who was broadcasting national news, said, “This story about using blimps instead of police patrol cars.”
Laura Carson, who presented the local and school news, said newscasting is not necessarily what she has in mind for a career. “I like to see myself on television, but the lights hurt,” she said.
Paul Mallory, who presented the weather, does not think he will want to pursue a career in broadcasting either. “This might sound crazy, but I just want to invent a lot of things.”
He added that he thought his second time at the microphone might be easier than the first. “I shook and stuttered a lot the first time when I was giving the national news. I think the weather will be easier.”
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, May 8, 1974
“So the two-thirds majority wins again,” city manager David Warren said moments after Tuesday’s $195,000 general obligation bond election results were tabulated.
The two-thirds majority was a requirement for the bond issue to pass. It fell one-third of one per cent short and went down to defeat.
The final count was 1,103 in favor and 560 against, or 17 “yes” votes shy of the needed two-thirds majority.
The bond issue was proposed to provide local financing for a 4,000- foot hard-surface runway at the Maryville Memorial Airport. The current hard-surface runway is 2,000 feet long.
If passed, the $195,000 generated by the bonds would have been matched by state and federal money to pay for the estimated total cost of $875,000 for the runway. …
This morning, it was still undecided whether the issue would be placed back on the ballot for a future election, although the indications were that it would.
More to the point, perhaps, was “when” the issue would be voted on again.
The general theory by supporters of the issue is that there are a certain number of “no” votes in the city. To overcome that block of votes, some feel the issue would stand a better chance for passage during the August primary or November general election, because of a larger voter turnout.
However, if the election is held then, the city probably will have to ask for a slightly bigger bond issue, since it would postpone levy collection for a year and money from accrued interest for a full year would be lost.
For that reason, the possibility remains another special election may be called in the immediate future. The airport board is expected to meet in the near future to decide what course to take.
100 years ago
Maryville Tribune, May 3, 1924
CHILDREN STILL GAINING WEIGHT
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Out of the 269 school children receiving the nutrition lessons of the Red Cross in this county, who have been weighed this month, 145 have gained in weight, and only 76 have lost in weight, according to Miss Mildred Smith, nutrition worker for the Red Cross here.
Yesterday while Miss Smith was weighing the children in the first grade of the Conception Junction schools, she had those who were not being weighed write stories on any health subject which they should choose. All the students wrote on “Milk.” Some of these stories are amusingly disconnected, but they all show the children have received the fundamental idea of the nutrition service, to drink a great deal of milk.
Following are three of the stories:
“Once upon a time the cows had got in the corn field because Little Boy Blue did not watch them. And then the people in Mother Goose land did not have milk to drink. This is why the crooked man was so crooked. Little Jack Horner had to eat pie and not milk. Miss Muffat never had her curds and whey. The old woman who lived in the shew(sic) had no milk for her children. They need milk to make them grow.” – The above was written by Lorene Wilson, first grade.
“Milk makes us grow. You should drink milk everyday. It makes you healthy if you drink a glass of milk every day. You should drink a glass of milk for dinner and supper and breakfast.” – By Mildred Tannehill, second grade.
“The milk is good for you to make you strong. I like milk for it is good. I drink a pint of milk, how much do you drink? My mamma likes milk. My daddy likes milk, too.” –Margaret Young, grade two.
“The milk makes us fat and makes grow. It makes us healthy, too. We use milk to make many things.” –By Ralph Jones.
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.
