Some This and That Historical Views

     One of our viewers didn't play on any BHS sports team but "I did enjoy BHS Competition Day and won a couple of blue ribbons. That was when an actual light blue, one-inch, satin ribbon was inserted in a typewriter and the event typed on it. Yes, they had second and third place winners too."
     She also recalled some girls basketball history. She wrote, "the girl's basketball team consisted of six players on the floor at the same time. No full court stuff, three played on a half and three on the other half. Some small towns were going to full court, five players, but the BHS principal, at that time, thought it was too tough for girls. This was in the early 40's and Mr. Grimes had daughters so he thought he really knew about girls. Many of the girls who wanted to play thought it best to go full court and didn't even turn out for the team. Not much team sportsmanship you say? No, it just wasn't much fun or even interesting for the few spectators. Sad, wasn't it? So much for discrimination. So glad to know Boone schools finally grew up enough to realize a change was needed. Back in the 60's when the term "You've come a long way baby!" became popular, a good many gals realized what a looong way that had been."
     She concluded, "Keep up the interesting and newsy items......even the baseball and softball league stuff! Thanks for all your efforts. We look forward to each one."
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     Larry Kelley said there's been a discussion on Facebook, on the "I grew up in Boone" page, asking what the term Grid stood for. Anyone from the 50's-60's era knows that the weekly dance at the "Y," usually on Friday night after the games, was the Grid dance. Did that name have something to do with the gridiron, a term used in describing a football field? One of the Kornerman's dictionaries reads, "a framework of metal bars or wires for broiling or anything resembling this, as a football field."
     Maybe none of this deserves any attention. We all went to the Grid and enjoyed it.
     Larry wrote, "Several on the page have been enjoying audio tracks of songs recorded by a band I had back in the 70's and 80's by the name Sweettooth. Then, members were myself, Art Stevens, Steve Whiting and Brad Kahler. Three of the four have passed away. I have tape recordings of several bands, including Boone's very first combo at Boone High, the Mystics. Then there was the Tel-Stars, followed by the Wild Prophets with a first, a girl drummer, Jacque Fullerton, then my eight piece group named Arlington Mass and finally, Sweettooth. I recently discovered an eight track recording of Sweettooth and have been sharing some of those songs with the Facebook page. It sure brings back memories of that night in Boone at the Trestle Lounge, December 19, 1981. I guess, in a way, I have some very rare musical history of five of the top bands in this area from 1961 to 1993. Great and precious memories."
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     It was great to hear from Tom Rinker, an old baseball teammate (Boone Junior Legion - 1952),  this week. Tom lives in Ankeny and admits he is slow in accepting all the current electronic advances. As a result, he took the time to write out and mail (what?)  a full page bit of info that is very interesting.
     The Kornerman can't reprint the entire item but I can disclose some highlights. First of all, thanks to Tom for a correction. In the last edition, I mentioned that Mickey Owen was a baseball catcher for the New York Yankees. Tom points out he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1941 World Series, not the Yankees.
     Owen, in an instant, became infamous due to a passed ball in a crucial part of that series. It led to a Yankee rally to win game four and spurred them on to the series victory. It's one of those pieces of baseball history that dogged Owen for the rest of his life and is still mentioned as one of the most famous series gaffes.
     In 1946, Owen was one of several major leaguers who formed a "no-no" Players Union and all of those instigators were then "blackballed" by the big league clubs. As a result, Owen used his "celebrity" to "barnstorm," or travel the countryside to various small towns and cities for paid exhibition appearances with "locals." That's how he happened to come to Boone in the 1947-48 period for a game or two at the old C&NW park in the 10th and Tama area.
    The Kornerman had mentioned in an earlier edition that, at age 12 or so, I was there for that appearance. Tom remembers he was also in attendance there at age nine or ten.
     Tom concluded, "I was especially proud to be there because my dad, John Rinker, actually pitched an inning or two to Mickey Owen that night, the first Major Leaguer I had ever seen in action."
     Great info Tom, thanks a lot.
     P.S. Now, another mystery. The Kornerman had mentioned in an earlier edition that I have a picture of me interviewing Mickey Owen. I recall I'm sitting, very well dressed with pen in hand shooting questions at him. BUT, as was recalled, it was the 1947-48 era when he appeared here. I would have been just 12 or 13 at the time. Doesn't seem to add up. I'm wondering if Owen came back to Boone a few years later for another appearance?????
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     Boone Area Deaths: Dean Ober, 87, Dayton..........Ronald and Marie Hooker, Webster City (both killed in an auto mishap east of Boone). Boone area survivors include Marie's siblings, Robert and Charles Rentschler, Patricia Elliott, Linda Smith and Steven Rentschler all of Boone............................
Linda Steward, 60, Boone. Stratford High-71. Worked at Iowa High School Athletic Association for 17 years and at Target in Ames eight years. Boone area survivors include a son, Erik Murken of Boone and a daughter, Jennifer Arneson of Marshalltown.........Marge Legg, 66, Ames, formerly of Boone. Worked at Boone Community schools as a teacher/coach for 31 years. Her husband, Bud Legg of Ames, who works at the Iowa High School Athletic Association in Boone, is an area survivor.
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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 710 Aldrich, Boone, Iowa 50036-4703. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments......
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.