I guess when I hit my 90th, I took a break, started to let things slide or, perhaps, I simply hit a "what the heck" lazy streak. Anyway, its been some time since I burdened Korner viewers with anything other than death notices.......until today.
The result is......I have some "makeup" material to disperse......like a buffet....some good, some bad...... but things that have hit my desk and deserve responses in no particular order.
I don't know what it is about this 90 that makes "things" so "different." Just another year they say but it seems more......something?
Anyway, here goes with "catchup" news that I wish to deliver.
Jeff Gard's death hit especially hard because the veteran of 32 years of elementary teaching in Boone spent that time living right next door to my parents in one of their apartments. They were his lucky landlords. Hundreds, if not thousands of Boone parents and former students are thinking of and grieving his passing and the enormous positive impact he had on their lives. An outstanding individual and educator, he leaves us with many memories that will never be outdated.
I don't know the author of this entry but it said, "in the late 70's, I had what I was told was the handwritten "family" coney island recipe. But, like most of my hair, it has been lost in the passage of time. While other kids saved their nickels and dimes for candy, I saved mine for Coney Island Coneys." That was in response to our mention in one of the Korner's about that famous landmark restaurant in Boone, southeast corner of Eighth and Keeler, those many years ago.
A pair of items stood out to this reader from the most recent meeting minutes of the Boone County Historical Society. (1) Elevator repair has been completed and (2) it was suggested that an event be held in Moingona when the existing depot there is demolished. Perhaps more information will be issued when plans are formalized.
Late congrats on the success of the Boone Campus DMACC softball team which has AGAIN completed an outstanding season. After a first round win in the National tournament, the Bears were eliminated via a pair of season-ending losses. Even then, they finished with a final record of 56-7 and their appearance at the National tourney was their 11th straight. Wow!!
Along that same line, you may remember that prior to the start of that National tourney I had moaned about how hard it seemed to get information about the big event. Many thanks to Tom Hokel, BHS-65, who used various tools at his disposal to provide more info than I could possibly use. Tom also indicated his granddaughter twins, Kate and Morgan Wood, have received division III softball scholarships and will be attending Concordia University of Chicago in August. Thanks again Tom.
John Kueck, BHS-61, keeps us informed about Pete Kostelnick's running adventures. Pete, BHS-2005, of course, became a real big name in the running world when he took that long journey across the entire country from West coast to the East coast and did it in national record time. Of course, he's had many other outstanding nationwide ultra-distance victories as well.
Pete, himself, reported, "I came into the year with high expectations, but they were lower than any other year as I tried to prove to myself that I could still tackle some tough ultra-distance events after being in a bad car accident in late 2023 that stuck me in a wheelchair for two months. I backed off to continue healing and get my strength back and I'm proud of what is now happening. I ran 11 more laps (47.8 miles vs 44.4 miles) at the Hotfoot Hamster six hour this year than I did pre-accident two years ago. And Lindsay ran a course record, while we both hit the top six hour race distance in the USA so far this year."
Finally, a couple reminders:
(1) Kathy Ferry Good, BHS-64, who serves as Senior Director of the DeWolf Innovation Center and Family Caregivers Center of Mercy in Cedar Rapids, will be interviewed on the Iowa Life television show on Iowa Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on Tuesday, June 24, at 6:30 p.m.. The program will be about the challenges of caregiving in Iowa.
(2) On Saturday, June 21, there will be a service at Linwood Park for former Boone resident, Naomi (Noni) Fern Folsom Givens, BHS-45, at 1 p.m..
K-----K
Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments/death notices....https://kelleyskorner1@blogspot.com.