BEWARE!

     Yes, beware, all of you who have already departed or are soon planning to leave our beautiful community to various places of despair. The old Kornerman is about to pull your chain a bit.
     We noticed just this morn a note in the D.M. Register titled, "Retirement rankings: Hawaii 1st, IOWA SECOND."
     MoneyRates com. tracks certificate of deposit and savings rates and other financial information. The rating is based on five factors: economics, including taxes and cost of living, crime rates, weather, senior life expectancy and the size and growth of a state's senior population and Iowa rated "well above average in four out of five," scoring highest in the crime category, for it's low property and violent crime rates.
     To be fair, I suppose we need to mention that Kiplinger's says Iowa is not tax friendly for retirees because the state "taxes a considerable amount of retirement income and doesn't offer a low sales-tax rate or other tax trade-offs to make up for it." The Register story also says, "high property tax rates have  hurt the state in such rankings but the state has won points for it's low cost of living and for not taxing Social Security benefits."
     AND, is there a prettier place on the planet than Boone, Iowa at this time of year?  I hope you've checked out the Ledges, Linwood Park and etc.
     O.K., call me an unabashed, shameless, unapologetic cheerleader for Iowa and particularly Boone, Iowa. Always have been, always will be.
     P.S. You're not given credit for retiring here if you are galivanting around other parts of the country for several months each year. We tough people are here, "all the time."
K-----K
     In a most recent edition, we were lamenting the fact that some of the material Gretchen has gathered and the Kornerman has gathered in our respective lives may eventually reach it's zenith with nobody willing to retain or continue.
     Larry Kelley wondered about such info being contained in a book. He wrote, "I think it would be a very important part of the history of life in Boone. Being a very nostalgic person that I am, the past means a great deal to me."
     We're just three weeks away from Jamie Kelley's big Boone show at the high school auditorium and Larry informs us that a young Boone boy is getting the opportunity of a lifetime. He wrote, "14-year old Hawk McIntyre will get a chance to do a couple of songs at the show."
     The show will be held November 15 and, in addition to Jamie and Hawk, the show will include the Keith Sisters, Holly and Hilary from Branson, and Jamie's band, the Heart and Soul Band. A few VIP reserved seats are available but most tickets are general admission and general seating. Buy before November 14 and save $5 off the regular door fee of $25. Tickets are available at Eckstein's or the Boone YMCA.
K-----K
     Dorothy Clifton's note last time provided a good memory. She talked about the K.C. dances and athletes not being allowed to attend because those dances were on Thursday night, the night before the Friday night games. That was the coaches rule.
     Of course, smoking and drinking were, obviously, banned and, in those days, drugs were hardly mentioned. To an extreme, I read recently of some high school coaches, back in those days, even putting their stamp on what was proper to eat and what shouldn't be consumed. Candy and pop might be off limits.
     Things are and always have been different for college athletes as compared to high school competitors and I'll never forget being a member of a winless Boone Junior College basketball team in the mid-50's. Our coach was Elmer Hokanson......a great guy who enjoyed a good laugh as much as the next guy. One day, in his locker room spiel, he concluded with something like this...."Fellows, I know you are adults now and I'm not going to judge your seasonal behavior but the maintenance people are complaining. Please quit leaving your cigarette butts on the locker room floor."
K-----K
     Boone Area Deaths: Erma Lester, 97, Ogden...........Roger King, 64, rural Boone...........Ruth Ott, 86, Boxholm..........Robert (Bob) Thompson, 63, Ames. Raised in Grand Junction area. East Greene High grad. Worked for the Governor's Traffic/Safety Bureau over 20 years. Married Susan Aitken of Boone in 1978. Lived in Ames and Story County.
K-----K
     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 710 Aldrich, Boone, Iowa 50036-4703. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments/support......
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.