QUESTIONS

     We lead off with a question posed by a Korner viewer. He wrote, "why would the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Union allow baseball and softball games to be played, yet, the powers to be in Boone, cancelled the Little League season?"
     The Kornerman has no answer for that. Maybe you have.
     I would assume that there were problems involved, in addition to COVID-19, that I and others are unaware of that would make having a season very difficult?
     Perhaps the same question could be asked about the Boone swimming pool? AND, the state fair board said "no" but the Boone County Fair Board "bit the bullet" and will proceed with their event, July 15-19. So far, Pufferbilly Days is still a "go," September 11-13, with the Super Nationals that preceeding Labor Day week as usual.
     This entire pandemic episode left lots of decision makers wondering "what do you think we should do?"
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     Larry Adams, BHS-65, sent the Kornerman an interesting story taken from an old issue of City View, the Des Moines newspaper that bucks the Register.
     The story was about girls basketball in Iowa and was written by a Jim Duncan. This could be wrong but I assume the author is the son of the famous Drake Relays/girls basketball tournament announcer by the same name.
     There were some facts I found interesting that I thought Korner viewers might enjoy remembering.
     James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1892 and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union was formed in 1925.
     By 1941, Centerville, with a population of 8,400, was the largest high school in Iowa with a girls basketball program.
     By 1951, the girls state tournament was televised for the first time.
    The tournament was played at Drake University until 1955 when it was moved to Veterans Memorial Auditorium and then in 2000? to Wells Fargo arena.
    The first state championship games at vets auditorium drew a crowd of 15,333.
    Talk about small school dominance in 1955, the total population of all 16 teams in that state tournament would have "fit"  in that arena, with 1,700 seats still unoccupied.
    The change from six-on-six to five-on-five occurred in 1985 but with some schools still playing the six-on-six game. That first year, 130 schools introduced five-on-five while 260 remained with six-on-six.
    In 1986, the IGHSAU Board of Directors declared that all schools will play five-on-five.
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    It took some time but Mary Eddy Wirtz, BHS-54, finally discovered who had sent her, anonomously, some Bumble B clippings.
    She sent the Kornerman a thank you note..."I enjoyed the clippings you sent and did smile at it. However, I had no clue who lived at 928 South Jackson. I didn't know you had moved. Finally, the ever faithful internet saved my sanity. Thanks so much."
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Rebecca "Becky" Eckstein, 69, Boone. Born in the Lohrville area. Lohrville HS. Earned a degree in Elementary Education and was a kindergarten teacher at Ogden. Married George Eckstein, BHS-58. Survivors include her husband, son Max and  his family, two sisters and a brother........Stanley Adix, 85, Ellsworth. Born in Ogden. Lived in that area until 1946 when the family moved to a farm in the Ellsworth area..Ellsworth HS. Army vet. Married Janet Mae Coates in 1959. He farmed with his father and son until retirement. He owned a "Boot and Repair Shop" in Boone in partnership with his daughter, Wanda, for several years. Survivors include his  wife, Janet, two sons and his daughter, Wanda of Boone........George Simkins, 96, Madrid. Moved from Mason City to Madrid eight years ago. Was a master carpenter. Survivors include his wife, Pearl, and three daughters.
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     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.....
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.