NO END IN SIGHT

     A majority of the Korner's viewers reside away from their hometown and may not be aware of an unfortunate community problem.
     It involves a longtime Boone staple, the Boone County Historical Society.
     Perhaps there were problems before, but a severe eruption seemed to coincide with the arrival of Mara MacKay as the Society's Executive Director. Ms. MacKay forged an extremely aggressive agenda that pleased some but angered many others.
     Eventually, a decision by her and her Board of Directors to close the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Birthplace was too much for some community members, including some lifetime members of the society, to accept. As they studied and questioned those plans, disagreements about other administrative decisions were also scrutinized.
     Along the way, several meetings have been held in an effort to bring the two groups together. One group that supports the recent direction of the Society and those who oppose the way things have developed.
     In two words, the meetings got "pretty nasty" and very little, in either direction, was actually accomplished.
     Both the Boone City Council and the Boone County Board of Supervisors have determined not to provide annual funding to the Society under the prevailing situation and that has always been a main source of the society's revenue.
     In addition, Boone's Mayor, John Slight, called for a state audit of the Society which is, apparently, still underway.
     That lack of city/county funding has curtailed the Society's functions to a point that their board felt it necessary to sell the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Birthplace as a way of securing much needed funding. A realtor was secured and, at least for a time, the birthplace was listed "for sale."
     Here's the latest: Four members of the Boone Community, Sally Courter, Kevin Miles, Joan Logsdon Hamilton and Linda Millis, have filed a lawsuit in District Court against the Society.
     Dating back to 2016, they are asserting that the Society has been mismanaged, violated Iowa codes, its own by-laws and has terminated memberships, including lifetime memberships, for those speaking out against the organization and its recent policies.
     The proposed selling of the birthplace property without open community input is also questioned. Thus, the plaintiffs in the case are asking for a temporary injunction to halt any such sale while the lawsuit is going through the court process.
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     Time is drawing near for a pair of class reunions.
     The 1983 classes will meet this weekend, September 28-29, for their 35th bash.
     Then, in the next week, the classes of 1958 will have their 60th get-together, October 2-4.
     On Tuesday night, the group will have exclusive use of the Boone Valley Brewery. Wednesday night its on to the Tic Toc restaurant and on Thursday night, October 4, a catered dinner will be served in the convention center of the new Boulders Inn and Suites.
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     The Kornerman posted some Scrabble rousers in the last edition and questioned, "who sits around trying to figure these things out?"
     Vern Modeland, BHS-50, replied, "it's easy, Mo. Like;   BOONE  ONE BO?
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: James Nash Jr., 66, Boone. Earned a degree in Business Administration at the State University of Iowa. Had a long working career with Pizza Hut. Married his wife, Jean, and they had two children, a son, Jonathan, and a daughter, Katherine. Boone area survivors are his mother, Marilyn Nash, a brother, Tim Nash, and a sister, Amy Walter, all of Boone..........Norma Bennett, 81, Boone. Was a homemaker and a housekeeper. Two sons and three daughters survive, including a daughter, Deanna Martin, of Boone..........Donna Joyce Wehrle,87, Twin Cities. In 1969, became the director of the Girl Scout Camp Sacajawea near Boone for eight years. She later became the director of Boone County's Homemaker Services. She moved to the Twin Cities in later years to be near family..........John Mills, 91, Ankeny. John was a Hall of Fame teacher/coach for several years at Madrid High School as well as at Panora, Griswold, Pleasant Valley and Saydel. Six children, three boys and three girls survive.
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