From The Washington Evening Journal, Friday, Nov. 21, 2008

10 Years Ago

At Washington High School Monday, it was the social studies teachers of the school district who had to sit up straight in their desks and raise their hands to speak, as in-service day brought a special visitor.

About 15 teachers from throughout the district gathered in a classroom to meet Cheryl Mullenbach, the new social studies coordinator for the Grant Wood Area Education Association.

BRIGHTON – The Brighton City Council examined a proposed wind turbine ordinance being created for use in West Burlington and hopes to glean some ideas for use in the creation of Brighton's ordinance.

Other than people involved in the Washington School District, only two people attended the first of four informational meetings about the coming high school bond referendum vote.

Shane Ehresman, Washington High School principal and co-chair of the High School Bond Issue Facts Committee, gave a multimedia presentation that lasted about 30 minutes and took several questions about the Dec. 16 vote in which Washington school district voters will determine if the school district should bond for an $18.8 million high school. According to the designs, the new high school would add 110,000 square feet to the existing junior high.

20 Years Ago

Ambulance officials will host an open house 2-4 p.m. Saturday at the newly constructed facility at 902 West Monroe Street.

Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company has again been named the No. 1 sales force in the insurance category by 'Sales & Marketing Management” magazine, according to Sidney Manfull, who heads the company's district agency in Washington.

A small army of volunteers showed up at New Dawn at Sunset Park in Washington Saturday morning to help plant trees. Some 40 trees were planted in the park to replace many of the trees that were destroyed during the May 15 tornado and the June 29 windstorm. That tree-planting project was made possible by a $5,000 grant recently awarded to the local Izaak Walton League.

The name change has been approved. The hospital's name will become 'Washington County Hospital and Clinics.”

The hospital's Board of Trustees voted 5-2 on Thursday evening to add the words 'and Clinics” to the hospital's official name.

30 Years Ago

Washington cooks will whip up the finest in Washington recipes when the city kicks off its sesquicentennial celebration with a Tasting Spree Nov. 26. Food that was served on Washington County tables as long as 150 years ago or as recently as last week will be the star attraction when 30 to 50 local cooks gather in the Y's community room to offer tastes of the recipes that have been catalogued in the official Sesquicentennial cookbook which will make its debut at the spree.

The National Association of Extension 4-H Agents recognized Nancy Rash, of Washington, for outstanding achievements at a banquet during the 42nd annual meeting of NAE4-HA in Minneapolis, Minn. The distinguished service award is the highest honor the association presents to its members.

In recent months, two new developments have occurred at the Washington County Hospital. Now both cataract surgery and knee arthroscopy can be done in Washington.

40 Years Ago

A large crowd of Washington area residents enjoyed a rare treat for our community when they gathered at the Community Center to enjoy a concert by the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra. It has been a long time since such a musical aggregation graced the stage in Washington and the enthusiastic applause which greeted last night's concert was proof that many are hoping the group soon will make a return appearance.

The Washington City Council has agreed to give Jackson Construction Company more time to finish the city's 1978 street paving program, which was abruptly halted two weeks ago when cement supplies ran dry.

Reports that unauthorized persons are making calls on Washington homes and claiming they have been asked by local officials to test water has brought a warning urging local residents to report any such occurrences.

50 Years Ago

A native of Richland has been chosen by President-elect Richard Nixon to head his task force program during the coming presidential term.

Troop 242 Boy Scouts of St. James spent the weekend in a pioneer-type camp at the Charlie Davison timber near Coppock.

Neighbors and friends of Robert Kleese, Route 2, Washington, participated in a 'good neighbor deed” Monday when they plowed some 120 acres of his land southeast of Washington.