Glance back: From The Washington Evening Journal, Friday, July 24, 2009

10 Years Ago

Dozens of rhinestones and hundreds of sequins gleamed and glimmered in the stage lights at the Washington Community Center Sunday as 14 contestants vied for the Washington County Fair Queen crown.

Shelby Sieren, of Keota, daughter of Scott and Renee Sieren, was crowned queen about 9 p.m. Sunday night. She was also the recipient of the Miss Fair Spirit Congeniality Award. The contestants, themselves, vote for the person who should win the congeniality award.

Train rails uncovered yesterday during sidewalk excavation on Washington Street on the square were thought by some people to be trolley tracks moved from a street in Washington to shore up the old sidewalk when it was poured.

However, Mike Zahs, a retired history teacher and local historian, says they are not trolley tracks, at least not trolley tracks from a street in Washington.

During a discussion about the adoption of the updated Washington County Code of Ordinances, the Washington County supervisors learned that county snowplows cannot clear state roads and state plows cannot clear county roads unless the county and the state have a 28E agreement allowing all parties to do so.

'This is one of those multi-jurisdictional issues,” County Engineer David Patterson said.

'Explain that one more time,” Supervisor Jim Rosien said, 'So if somebody asks me about this I can explain it.”

20 Years Ago

AQUINNAH, Mass. (AP) - Divers returned to the ocean off Martha's Vineyard today in the search for John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane, and the Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged it was asked to locate the aircraft less than a half-hour after it vanished from radar.

Washington's first putting green, Hawkeye Greens, opened July 7. The nine-hole, 3,000-foot course is located at the Hawkeye Motel on Highway 1.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Chuck Grassley recently announced that he will offer three pro-farmer amendments to the taxpayer refund bill under consideration by the Finance Committee.

30 Years Ago

SIOUX CITY - Journal News Editor Brooks Taylor received a first-place award in the Iowa Associated Press Managing Editor's News writing Contest. Taylor's feature on Maude Kallaus' retirement as postmistress in Richmond was selected as the top news feature in the less than 15,000 circulation category of the contest.

DES MOINES - Washington attorney Craig Arbuckle has been appointed to the committee on public contract law of the Iowa Bar Association, the voluntary professional organization of attorneys in Iowa.

Curfews in Central and Sunset parks will be enforced until incidents of vandalism have ceased, according to Jack Dillon, Washington County chief deputy sheriff. Sometime last night, vandals turned over three large tubs of flowers and overturned trash cans, dumping them into the fountain in Central Park.

40 Years Ago

Auditions for the Washington Community Theater production of 'Bus Stop,” by William Inge, will be held Sunday and Monday evenings, Aug. 5-6, at the theater. The show will be presented Oct. 5-8 in the McCleery Theater as a final production of the 1979 season.

Washington golfer Phil Kneen has reached the pinnacle sought by all followers of the sport: he carded his first hole-in-one Tuesday on the local course. Kneen lofted a 5-iron shot to within 10 feet of the cup on the No. 5 hole and the ball went straight into the cup.

50 Years Ago

One hundred and thirty-one boys and girls from the Washington swim team won their first meet of the summer season from Fairfield swimmers Saturday afternoon.

Thirty-five members of the graduating Class of 1949 of Washington High School met for their 20-year reunion at the Captain's Table July 19.

Mrs. Dale Booth, newly elected president of the local American Legion Auxiliary Unit, and Mrs. Arnet Mathers returned Friday evening from Des Moines, where they were delegates to the 49th State Convention of the Legion Auxiliary at the Hotel Fort Des Moines last week.