TESTING YOUR KNOWLEDGE

     I, the Kornerman, thought this was kind of interesting.
     Only four people have hit an entertainment grand slam.......winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. Can you name any of them, two of them, three.....all four?
     The answer will be provided later.
K-----K
     You regular viewers may recall that, some time back, Mike Sundall, BHS-68, had reported about the Wilton Iowa Candy Kitchen and the visit he and wife Lynn, BHS-69, had made there.
     Its one one of those places that take you "back in time" and the Sundall's noticed some ice cream equipment that reminded them of the Boyds Dairy in Boone.
     In visiting with the new owner of the business, it was discovered that he was having a difficult time acquainting himself with this "older" equipment. He was anxious to get it working.
     The Kornerman immediately thought of LaVerne Anderson, BHS-54, who worked so many years  with Dick Farley, BHS-42, at Boyds making that delicious Boyds ice cream.
     I contacted LaVerne, told him the situation and urged him to contact the Candy Kitchen owner to provide some input about his equipment.
     The new news is that there is none. LaVerne called the Kornerman and said he had made several attempts to contact the Candy Kitchen owner but has never been successful.
     In our conversation I asked LaVerne if he, personally, still indulged in ice cream. He laughed and answered, "when I worked at Boyds, we were told that, on duty, we could eat all the ice cream we wanted but we paid for whatever we took out of the store. I think Jim (Boyd) thought we would quickly get so sick of the ice cream consumed at work that we would eventually give it up."
     When questioned, LaVerne admitted he is a lifelong ice cream addict. "I use to faithfully eat a couple malts a day when working at Boyds and now, all these years later, I have, right now in my refrigerator, four different brands available and I still eat ice cream twice a day."
    He added, "there's lots of good ice cream available these days. Aldi's has a cheaper brand that is very good but Blue Bunny is about as good as you can find."
    P.S. Despite all that ice cream consumption through the years LaVerne isn't a real big guy. He's not very tall and he's by no means wide. Makes the old Kornerman jealous and even mad to think about it.
K-----K
     United Community grad Ken Zanker called to remind us that the UC classes of 1956, 1957 and 1958 are having a reunion at the Tic Toc starting at 11 a.m. this very morning (6-2).
     During our discussion, he also posed this question, "why don't more ladies contribute material for the Korner? It seems to be just men that "help out." Good question.
K-----K
     The following story, written by the Kornerman, appeared in the News Republican in 2002. Remember, we are printing them "as they were," with no updating.
     BOONE PSYCHOLOGIST GLAD TO BE BACK HOME IN BOONE
    Bill Martin graduated from Boone High School in the midst of those turbulent 1960's. It was 1966 to be exact.
     As he describes it,"I was in and out of Iowa State University over a period of time. Our world was undergoing big changes, and, I admit, I was mortified. I wasn't doing drugs or any of those things, but I was simply a lost soul."
     There were many other young people in the same situation and some never made a positive adjustment. Thankfully, Bill Martin did.
     "It was a chaotic time in the country, and people felt vulnerable and were searching for meaning, and it took awhile for me, personally, to find a direction to travel," he said.
     But, he eventually earned a degree in English, followed up with two Master's degrees and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.
     A year ago, terrorists, for the first real significant time, attacked Americans on our own soil to again set off a period of wonderment.
     "Yes, I do see a similarity between those 60's times and what we are seeing again today. People are feeling threatened, there's a renewed sense of urgency and anxiety has become more prevalent," he said.
     He went on, "there definitely are lots of problems in our society, and my appointment book is a good indicator of that."
     But, usually, there are also solutions, and Martin likes to think he can help people find those solutions and that some of his experiences can be helpful.
     "In my case, I eventually decided I wanted to circle the wagons and go back to the fundamentals. That included setting some modest goals to go after initially and grabbing hold of those old fashioned values that were instilled in me as a youngster," he explained.
     A majority of his schooling and his migration into the work force took place in the Laramie, WY area.
     He was working in a Mental Health Center in Riverton, WY but despite the fact he had left Iowa, specifically Boone where he had grown up thirty years ago, there seemed to always be a yearning in the background urging him to return to his native state.
     "My wife, Sarah, and I had discussed such a move at different times but when we did actually make the move, it was more or less by accident. McFarland Clinic recruited me and, surprisingly, it was for a position in Boone," Martin said.
     "We're outdoor lovers, and we loved Wyoming, but we didn't really think it was a good fit culturally, and we were both a long distance away from out families," Bill said.
     Sarah, a Louisiana native, had seen Iowa just briefly through visits to relatives here. "She was always impressed by the fact that all communities seemed to have nice school buildings, which indicated to her that education was very important here and that was a priority for us because of our eight-year old daughter, Laura," Martin said.
     Sarah works in Ames as a dental hygienist and Laura is a second grader at Sacred Heart school.
     Its our pleasure to report that the Martin's, who now have 3 1/2 years of Boone living behind them, couldn't be more pleased with their move.
     "I can't really describe how wonderful its been to return here. We absolutely love it. We feel very connected here and more contented here," Bill added.
     The Martin's are in the midst of having a new home constructed in an area near the Des Moines River north of town.
     Actually, there has been a migration of Martin's back to Boone. Bill's dad had been an architect here and served on the Boone Community School Board of Education. He passed away in Newton four years ago, but Mrs. Martin has also recently returned to Boone.
     There's more too. Bill's sister, Laura, and husband John Leland, a Boone native, were in Texas for several years but have returned here. Three other sisters remain in other locales.
     Bill played basketball for the Toreadors in high school. He was also active in band and orchestra and has maintained a lifelong interest in music.
    A talented pianist, he also plays the trumpet and fluegel horn and is the head man of the Bill Martin quartet which plays gigs around the area now and then.
     Laughingly, he describes the fact that he was the band's drum major in high school, and, as a freshman, was able to talk his way into making the trip to California with the Boone High School band that played in the Rose Bowl parade.
     "I enjoy playing in the Boone Municipal Band, and those concerts and the Band Festival are just special things. I hope people here understand that those kind of activities just don't exist in many places," he said.
     He concluded, "I guess there are people who prefer a place like San Diego where its always the same.....sunshine and 72 degrees, but we really enjoy the four seasons and people who just drive through this state on the interstate don't have a clue about the real Iowa. We're going through  a period now when this area is just stunningly beautiful. It's great to be back."
     The Kornerman adds, "a very nice picture of Bill accompanied the story."
K-----K
     O.K., the following entertainers are the only ones who have earned "Grand Slam" recognition. All have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award.
     Audrey Hepburn, Rita Moreno, Liza Minelli and Marvin Hamlisch.
K-----K
     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: No deaths to report today.
K-----K
     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa  50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments/SUPPORT......
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.