Forum Flashbacks: Feb. 19-25
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, FEB. 25, 2001
25 YEARS AGO: The Final Frontier – Astronauts Herman Townsend and Erin Mullins listen to Control for directions in “Space Play,” performed by the first level students Wednesday at Horace Mann School, Maryville.
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, Feb. 24, 1976
Honorary Swim Coach Has Best U.S. Record
Northwest Missouri State University can boast having the only undefeated swimming coach among the college ranks.
Dick Wiles, the newest “addition” to the Bearcat coaching staff, holds a 1-0 record after his coaching debut victory over Kearney State here Saturday.
Wiles, who in real life is the vice-president of Nodaway Valley Bank, was made an “honorary coach” at NWMSU swim team’s only home meet of the season Saturday.
“He’s been our most loyal fan over the last 10 to 12 years,” said Bearcat swim coach Lewis Dyche. “He has been to most of our practices hasn’t missed a home meet. His support, which we really appreciate, has helped us out a lot,” the coach said.
Dyche also added that Wiles donated a trophy that will be presented to the team’s most valuable swimmer at the end of the season and tee-shirts for the entire team.
Dyche said that Wiles’ support was backed by a full crowd that witnessed the team’s 72-47 victory in Martindale Pool over Kearney (Neb.) State.
“The support really got us psyched-up and ready to go,” said Dyche.
75 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, Feb. 19, 1951
Two Schools Burglarized Over Week End
Two Nodaway county high schools, those at Hopkins and at Barnard, were burglarized over the weekend.
Burglars apparently were after the gate receipts of the Barnard invitational tournament when they entered the high school some time early Sunday morning and stole a safe estimated to weigh near 600 pounds. The tournament was completed Sunday night.
Little Cash in Safe
School officials had taken charge of the receipts Saturday night, however, and only a small amount of cash was in the safe. The exact loss is not known. It is believed that the safe probably was hauled away in a truck. Floors in the building were deeply scarred where the burglars dragged the safe to the door.
School officials said that most of the school records were stored in the safe, and they extended a special appeal to the burglars, asking that the records not be destroyed. They have no value to persons other than those connected with the school, but are vital in keeping the personal files of students up to date.
Window Left Unlocked
It has not been determined how the burglars entered the building, but it is believed that they may have gained entrance through a window which had been left unlocked.
The burglary at the Hopkins high school was not discovered until the janitor opened the building this morning. Burglars jimmied a rear window to gain entrance, knocked the dial off the school safe, and pushed the lock into the safe interior. Nothing of value was in the safe, and its contents were undisturbed, according to E. J. Lister, superintendent. The thieves did make off with about $35 in cash which they found in the school office, Lister said.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 50- and 75-year flashbacks are courtesy of the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project from the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessible at shsmo.newspapers.com.
