Changes Galore

     Classmate Dick Longworth, BHS-53, spoke from Chicago, "it's mind-boggling that little old Ankeny, which was only a wide spot on the road to Des Moines in our time, is probably one of Iowa's ten biggest cities now. Some of your readers may remember a wonderful Des Moines Register columnist, Donald Kaul, who once sponsored a contest of some sort, with Ankeny as first prize. Kaul kept this gag going for a while, then admitted the winner couldn't get his prize because Ankeny was lost in the mail. A quick Googling shows that Ankeny had about 1,200 people in those days and close to 60,000 now. The last time I was there it was a maze of office parks, including the HQ of Casey's General Stores, the gas-and-calorie-station chain that was born in Boone."
     Dick added, "all those booming towns you mentioned - Grimes, Johnston, Norwalk, Waukee - are really part of greater Des Moines now, in Polk County, or right next door, in Dallas or Warren counties. You're right that Iowa is growing, but almost all of this growth seems to be in the Des Moines area. Google says the state is up 208,000 since 2000, but just four counties - Polk, Dallas, Story and Warren - account for 160,000 of this. Throw in Linn and Johnson counties (the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City corridor) and you've got a six-county gain of 215,000, which means the rest of the state is losing people. Well, not all the rest of the state but 71 of the 99 counties are down. Boone County hangs in there - down about 1,000 since our day, in the 50's, but up about 400 since 2000. I've been doing a lot of work on Midwestern cities and this is the overall pattern. State centers like Des Moines, Indianapolis, Columbus, Minneapolis are gaining a lot, with suburbs and neighboring counties joining in, but the rest of the states are emptying out. I guess this is the wave of the future but those of us who liked small towns can't help but feel that we're losing something important."
     EDITOR'S NOTE:  I guess the first time the Kornerman ever even thought about Ankeny, Iowa was in 1948 (I was 13 years old) when one of Boone High's greatest basketball teams battled Ankeny and the three Fontana brothers (remember?) in the Iowa State Boys Basketball Tournament at Iowa City. Out teachers let us listen to the game on the radio. We lost.
K-----K
     Regarding aging.....don't you miss the days when everything worked with just an "on" or "off" switch?
K-----K
     Max Moore, BHS-46, tells the Kornerman that " "Red" Houser, BHS-49, told me he is so proud of his granddaughter, Grace, who was voted the top LaCrosse player in California. Many colleges have offered full scholarships and she chose the University of California at Berkley. She was one of the first girls at her school to have her jersey retired. Hope you are doing well, Mo. Keep it up as long as your health is good. I saw your mention of Chuck Lovin's passing. He was well liked in Boone. For many years, we called each other on our birthdays. I'm not a Dor fan, go good old Toreadors for me. Brother Larry, BHS-52, says, "Hi Mo.""
     EDITOR'S NOTE: The Kornerman, at an age when I was really "looking up" to star athletes, was so thrilled when Red Houser, a former Toreador, took a kickoff in the Iowa State Cyclones opening game of the '53 (?) season and carried it all the way back to the opponents end zone for a touchdown.
See, I still remember that sixty years plus later.
K-----K
     About aging.......now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere.
K-----K
     We didn't attend the band concert this week but I'm told, by usually reliable sources, that Dave Richardson, Director of the Boone Municipal Band, told the audience this will be his last year at that post. He's been the director for 39 years.
     What can we say other than.......many, many thanks for all the joy the band, under your outstanding direction, have provided us for such a long, long time. You will certainly be missed but you have definitely earned a rest from those duties after such dedicated service.
K-----K
     All about aging.........have you noticed as the years passed by that everyone seems to be whispering?
K-----K
    The Kornerman headlined in a story late last month that former Boone resident, Jack Lashier, was retiring as Director of the Iowa Hall of Pride as of August 1st.
     SURPRISE! His replacement as Director will be the husband of a Boone High School graduate, Holly Wulkow Anderson. The new Director will be Taylor Anderson, who has completed the latest school year as a teacher/coach at Ankeny Centennial High School.
     Holly's parents, Rick and Barb Wulkow, reside in Boone of course. Rick is the retired Executive Director of the Iowa Boys High School Athletic Association.
K-----K
     About aging.......going out is great but coming home is even better!
K-----K
     The United Community/Luther areas have been hard hit this week. Sadly, we have a pair of deaths from that area to report.
     Good Korner friend, Gary Knox, tells us that his wife, Verdeen Knox, died on June 11, the day after their 56th wedding anniversary. He wrote, "she played post guard for Luther HS and United Community. She played third base on the very competitive Luther girls softball team and also her senior year at United Community."
     Then too, Kerry Ray Nicholson, 58, of Ankeny, a 1977 United Community High School graduate, passed away that same day, June 11. Kerry recently completed his 30th year as a U.S. Postal employee. Kerry's wife, Cheryl, and their son, Steven, survive.
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Irene Kelly, 90, West Des Moines. Boone area survivor is her son, Bob Kelly, of Boone.
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.........
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