Our Yesterdays

After two years, voters in Hedrick and Pekin may soon decide if their school districts should merge. Last week, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the Southern Prairie Area Education Agency in Ottumwa had the power to set a proposed merger election in 1986.

The plan would require voter approval in both districts, but Hedrick officials went to court to block the vote, alleging a series of procedural violations.

A lower court rejected the move and the high court agreed that the AEA had substantial compliance with complex state laws governing the issue. The court’s ruling gives AEA officials the go-ahead to schedule merger elections. The deadline for the election is December first.

The issue began when a petition with 275 signatures supporting a Hedrick-Pekin merger was submitted to AEA board members in August, 1986. The petition prompted a list of 551 signatures of people who opposed the idea.

AEA board members scheduled a vote, but Hedrick school board members filed an appeal to the District Court. Judge James Jenkins ruled in August, 1987, that AEA board members acted properly. He reaffirmed that decision two weeks later after Hedrick’s school board asked him to reconsider.

Hedrick board members appealed the decision to the Supreme Court in September, 1987. The Hedrick school board said that AEA acted illegally in recommending a merger because board members relied on an outdated report on area school districts in 1981, the did not have any new studies or surveys, they failed to consult with Hedrick school officials and citizens, they set the merger election one day after receiving the initial petition, and allowed the initial petition even though it was inaccurate because it omitted 200 acres in the Hedrick district.

The merger proposal was made possible in 1986 when Iowa lawmakers required schools districts with 300 or fewer students to have a reorganization plan on file with the AEA.

1973, 50 years ago

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Vittetoe of Hedrick announce the engagement of their daughter Debora to Howard Adrian, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Adrian of Richland. Adrian is a 1972 graduate of Pekin Community High School. Debora is a 1973 graduate from Pekin. Adrian is a hog buyer for the Rath Packing Co., Debora is attending the Ottumwa Beauty Academy. A summer wedding in planned.

1968, 55 years ago

Mrs. Ronnie Greiner is opening a beauty shop, Susie’s Beauty Shop, in her home (the former Raymond Greiner home), three miles north on 77 and 1-1/2 miles west. Mrs. Greiner, the former Sue Emry, is a granddaughter of Mrs. Lucille Kepler of Fairfield. She has worked for Mrs. Eloise Baumgartner in Ollie, and the Sprague Beauty Shop in Keota.

Joe Lopez, owner of the former Richland Dept. Store, has moved to the former Caughlan Implement location on the southwest corner of the Richland square. Mr. Lopez will continue to serve customers with a full line of shoes and a variety of softgoods and will specialize in cabinet work.

Dr. William E. Luithy, 82, died at Mercy Hospital, Iowa City. He was a retired doctor of veterinary medicine. Dr. Luithy retired in 1957. He was a member of the Richland Methodist Church and he received his 50-year Masonic certificate in 1964. He had been a member of the school board and had served on the Town Council and was active in other community affairs.

1943, 80 years ago

John McClure, who has operated the pool hall here for his father, Harry McClure, who has had the business leased for the past two years, has quit and Charles Wells, who owns the building and equipment, has taken it over. John started work recently on the section for the Milwaukee Railroad.

George Talley has purchased from Elza Fitch the residence property occupied by Mrs. L.J. Trigg and family who will move to the Friends parsonage. Duane Talley has bought the house where George Talley now lives.

It has been forty years ago that W.D. Nordyke bought and shipped his first load of hogs. Forty years is a long time and there have been many changes over that period. Mr. Nordyke recalled that when he bought his first load hogs were then five cents a pound. This week they were as high as $15.10 per cwt. Back in the early 30s, Mr. Nordyke said, top pork on the hoof went as low as $2.40. Packers went a great deal lower than that—80 cents per 100—which meant that the full price of a packer wouldn’t, at that time, pay the cost of hiring a truck to pick it up at the farm. It’s different now because last week he handled some choice packers that weighed out around $85. Mr. Nordyke’s son, Aaron, is now a partner in the business which is operated under the firm name of W.D. Nordyke & Son.

B.H. Paxson, who has been Superintendent of the Martinsburg High School for the past four years, has been elected to the same position of the Brighton High School.

Kenneth Steinbeck of Rubio has been awarded the Hawkeye athletic board’s scholarship cup at the University of Iowa. Steinbeck, track captain, is Iowa’s best pole vaulter in many years. He tied for first place in the Big Ten indoor meet with a vault of 13 feet, 3 inches, becoming the first Hawkeye vaulter since 1929 to figure in a conference title.