Forum Flashbacks: Dec. 10 – Dec. 16

FORUM FILE PHOTO
25 YEARS AGO: MHS students named to All-District Band – Maryville High School students named to the All-District Band are: (left to right) front row: Karen Kirby, first chair clarinet; Amanda Graham, second chair French horn; Emily Wurm, third chair clarinet; middle row: Mary Dean, first chair mallet percussion; Andrea Ury, clarinet alternate; Kelli McKee, first chair timpani percussion; back row: Leone Trump, second chair alto sax; Aaron Danner, first chair trombone. Those not pictured are Justin Ehlers, third chair snare drum; and Brian Jewell, fourth chair snare drum.

25 years ago

• In a three to two vote, the Maryville City Council last night approved a drug testing policy, which will be in effect by Jan. 1.
  Municipal employees affected by the Drug Free Work Place Act of 1988 and the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991 will be subject to random drug testing next year.
  City Manager David Angerer said he took a liberal interpretation of the law, which means he included a wide scope of employees to be included into the pool of city employees subject to be tested.
  The law states “safety-sensitive positions” are to be included into the pool, but no definition is given for “safety-sensitive positions.” However, anyone with a commercial driver’s license does have to be included into the pool.
  Mayor Jerry Riggs, one of the two dissenting votes, said he thought it was offensive to include more people into the pool than absolutely necessary.

15 years ago

• The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats were underdogs in each of their playoff games this season, and in every one the team defied the odds and won on the road.
  On Saturday, during the NCAA Div. II National Championship Game, Goliath finally had his revenge.
  The 21st-ranked Bearcats lost 21-17 to top-ranked Grand Valley State on Saturday, just missing out on the school’s third national title. …
  A victory was within Northwests’s grasp — both figuratively and literally. …
  (On the game’s final drive, Northwest quarterback Josh) Lamberson was forced out of the pocket on third down and held onto the ball, running to the sideline and going out of bounds with only one second on the clock. Then, on the final play, Lamberson connected with Raphael Robinson on the four-yard line. He was wrestled down before he could claw to the end zone, and Grand Valley State claimed its third national championship in four years.
• Michael Rietz will take over as Maryville’s new city manager sometime next month, and the city council is hopeful that Rietz can lead “a new phase in our city’s growth and development.”
  Rietz, 39, currently the city administrator in Kasson, Minn., was one of nearly 40 applicants for the position and one of five finalists. …
  Rietz is to report for his first day of work no later than Jan. 23. He is still in negotiations with the city on the terms of his contract. Maryville’s last city manager, Matt Chesnut, made a salary of around $72,000, Mayor Mike Thompson said.
  Rietz said he was ready for this next step in his career.
  “I feel great,” Rietz said Tuesday. “This is going to be a really good opportunity for me. There’s some good challenges and some good things going on and plenty to work on in Maryville, and from what I can tell some really good people to work with.”

5 years ago

• Maryville Public Safety firefighters and police officers responded to The Palms tavern at 422 N. Buchanan St. shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday in response to a small natural gas fire.
  MPS Capt. Phil Rickabaugh, fire division supervisor, said the blaze ignited when an electrical short occurred inside a power conduit installed in such a manner that it was in contact with a gas line into the building.
  Rickabaugh said the conduit became “energized,” resulting in an electrical flow that burned a small hole through the gas line. He compared the phenomenon to piercing a metal pipe with an arc welder.
• With the weight of a national championship twirling, spinning, hurling itself toward earth, George Sehl was right there to take advantage.
  A spot in next week’s Division II National Championship was on the line, and three pieces of fate intertwined themselves with less than five minutes to play on Saturday. First, an aggressive play call from Adam Dorrel set the stage; second, an exquisitely placed pass from Brady Bolles found its mark; and third, Sehl’s sure hands cradled the football over his left shoulder and carried the No. 1 Northwest football team to the next stage.
  The Bearcats defeated West Georgia in a Division II semifinal on Saturday, 38-23, taking their first step toward sealing the deal on Sehl’s 64-yard touchdown with 4:29 left on the clock. It will be Northwest’s ninth national championship appearance in program history and second in Dorrel’s tenure at the helm.