Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Sacred Heart Grad Sparkles

     Her real job is in education, as an employee of the Cedar Rapids Community School System. However, Marcia Matt Hughes, BSH-80, daughter of Boone's Jan and Tom, spends many "off" hours as a star "on" stage.
     A most recent review of her participation in the production, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" makes you wonder if she chose the right lifetime path. It reads, "every production is dependent on having a good actress in the lead role of Miss Mona. Marcia Hughes is a good actress and more. She has such a commanding stage presence that it's hard to keep your eyes off of her even as other action takes place around her. She has a clear, powerful voice that, nonetheless, can handle the gentleness of songs like, "Girl, You're a Woman" and "No Lies." There are some downright silly sequences in the show, and Hughes strength grounds the production, allowing the actors in those silly scenes to take them a bit broader than they would be able to do otherwise. It is a great performance, and if there was nothing else good going on, it would still be worth seeing the show for Hughes performance alone."
     This is an Iowa City Community Theatre performance.
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     Boone Sacred Heart is certainly grabbing the headlines this edition. Peter Wirth, BSH-66, wrote from the snowy East coast, "I have read your blog religiously since its inception. I have been on the East coast, Maryland, since 1975. Most recently, I have found your posts regarding the sandlot baseball fields quite interesting. As a result, I would like to chime in regarding, arguably, the most famous football field on the north side......that being "Duffy's Field". This field, a vacant lot next to Steve Duffy's house on 15th and Story, was the site of some of the hardest hitting and most memorable tackle football games during many fall seasons. The field was perfect, completely flat and clear of all trees while 60 foot wide and 150 feet in length running from the sidewalk to the alley. Out of bounds were a series of sideline bushes running the length of the field on both sides. The only ground rule (not strictly enforced) was that there would be no tackling on the goal line sidewalk or in the alley. Future Toreador standouts, including the Ferry boys, Jude Rolfes, Mike Keller, Steve Duffy, Mike and Dick Duffy, Marty Rinehart, Larry Olofson, and Mike Inman, to name a few, played many a game there. It was a tragic day when Steve's dad, Regis, built a new home on the lot which ended play on "our" epic field."
     The Kornerman says, "I remember Ron Keller and Tom Inman but don't remember the two Mike's, Keller and Inman. The other names are all very familiar.
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     Several bits and pieces: (1) Ann Coe wrote, "I can't quite understand what Davi (Mondt/Lowman) meant by the Princess being one candy store away from the Rialto. Once upon a time, there was a rather large Five and Dime store, I think it was Woolworth's, next to the small candy store which was next to the Rialto. The Dime store (always called that) was open late on Saturday nights. Of course, the dollar store, Newberry's, was across the street. The dollar store was like a smaller dime store, not at all like the dollar stores available today. Both were flourishing businesses for a good number of years. Both had great inventories of about everything. I think Davi is a generation or so away from me so she's not wrong, its just not clear to me what she wrote. Keep up the fun and informative site."
     The Kornerman's recollection of that area is.......the Rialto, with a candy store (Earl Reed's at one time) next door south, then the Woolworth's, then the Princess??
     (2) Dick Longworth, BHS-53, wrote, "thanks for the mention of Bob Anderson, BHS-44, who was a local idol when I was a kid. He gave swimming lessons at the old McHose Park pool. But Bob was more than a high school star. At Stanford, he was both a star quarterback and a champion swimmer. If I recall correctly, he set some freestyle collegiate records that stood for many years. A couple of other folks of our era distinguished themselves at Big Ten universities.........former Toreador coach Bucky O'Connor, who, later, guided a pair of University of Iowa basketball teams to the NCAA Final Four and Kenny Bloomquist, who was, for many years, the band director at Michigan State University.
     The Kornerman agrees that Bob Anderson was a true phenom. Even as a Toreador swimmer, he set national high school records in sprint events. Then, as Richard recalled, Bob was a two-sport standout at Stanford and yes, did, establish some NCAA swim records.
     (3) BHS grad Jon Wilson wrote, "I have enjoyed the comments about Boone's theatres. At one time, I worked at the Rialto. Sy Fangman was the manager. There was a door in the balcony that led to the "third floor." The mechanical systems for the air conditioners were kept there. You could see where the rooms from an earlier hotel had been. I believe the hotel was called  the "Wells House." It was south of the Ninth street Goeppinger building. That hotel must have been torn down and the Rialto built in part of that "open" space. I have an old post card showing the east side of Story Street. It shows the older Rialto (a very old marque), F.W. Woolworth's, a candy store and the Princess theatre. South of the Princess was the American Dry Goods store. I remember the area as Gambles and then, Montgomery Wards. On the corner was a bank, then later, the building became Bowman's Shoe Store. The Boone theatre was on the west side of Story across from the Rialto. I have a photograph taken during a parade that shows J.C. Peterson's, the Coast to Coast, J.J. Newberry's and then the Boone theatre, running from south to north. Compared to the Rialto, the Princess and Boone theatres were quite small. When the Princess closed, we stored the Princess projectors behind the screen at the Rialto. They were very tiny compared to the Rialto's projectors."
     The Kornerman says Jon has been collecting images from old Boone post cards so many of his comments are derived from viewing those post cards.
     (4) Gary Knox, a United Community grad who was once a teacher at Newton, wrote, "the Newton Cardinals will need to be a giant slayer in football next season. They are back in the 4-A classification after having trouble competing in 3-A the last several seasons. Newton is the smallest 4-A school with an enrollment figure of 631 for football classification. Valley is the largest 4-A school in the state at 2,170 students. Also, Newton will now have to travel to Fort Dodge which is 120 miles away. When I was teaching at Newton in 1966, there were 350-380 students per class. They had 10-12 at senior high and now they have 9-12."
     Via my work at the Iowa High School Athletic Association, the Kornerman is very much aware of the classification system and how it works and yes, there are always those instances when certain schools are "right on the border" enrollmentwise as to which class they will compete in. Boone is another school, like Newton, which is always right on the fringe as the BHS enrollment fluctuates.
     P.S. Great to hear from all you guys and gals..........many for the first time in awhile. We appreciate you and ask, "how about hearing from some of you other Korner viewers out there that we haven't heard from in some time?"
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     Boone Connected Deaths: Margaret Alley, 89, Osceola. Boone area survivor is a nephew, Gary Weaklend of Boone............Stanley Barber, 91, Wellman. Formerly of Boone. BHS-42. Moved to Boone at age 12. Spent 40 years in banking via a family owned bank in Wellman. He served on the board of the Mamie Eisenhower Birthplace Foundation............Nan Reid Lorentzen, 99, Scottsdale, AZ. Formerly of Boone. Born in Boone. Her father was Chief of Police here at one time. The family moved from Boone to Chicago in 1958 and then to Arizona in 1968..............Evelyn "Evie" Mickle, 90, Ames. Formerly of Boone. Her parents were Carl and Julia Olander. Evie was a bookkeeper for Boone County and worked in her brother-in-laws flower shop. Her late husband, Bob Mickle, worked for Iowa Electric Light and Power. Bob eventually became the Executive Director of the Boone Chamber of Commerce and then, after moving to Ames, the Executive Director of the Ames Chamber. A son, Tom, also preceded Evie in death.
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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 710 Aldrich, Boone, Iowa 50036-4703. Phone number is 515-432-1530. We don't answer if we don't recognize the incoming number. To email your stories/memories/comments/support........
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.


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