Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, July 16, 1987

An era dating back to 1912 when student first used the high school building came to an end this week as the basement floor of the building was demolished as part of a renovation project at the Mount Ayr Community elementary school. The top floors of the building were removed following condemnation a few years ago. The basement housed the heating and electrical systems for the 1936 building as well as the 1912 building, so has remained since the construction of the new school building. One of the features of the old building was the gymnasium in the basement. A wrecking ball turned the concrete and brick into rubble, which will be covered over with dirt to make an expanded playground at the school. Head Start, which has been housed in the building for the past few years, will be moving to Cloverleaf hall.

Promising to be back in Ringgold county "again and again," former Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt, a Democrat candidate for president, made his first campaign stop here Saturday. As the third candidate for president to visit the county this year, Babbitt talked with some 30 people in a meeting held at the Shamrock Cafe Saturday afternoon.

Ringgold County Fair opens in a new type of schedule, beginning on a Thursday instead of Sunday, when activity begins July 23 at the fairgrounds north of Mount Ayr.

Saturday, July 18, is Fun in the Sun Day in Mount Ayr, with bargains to shop for, a free barbecue,a one-act play and other activities to provide just what the name of the event implies. Peg Sheldrick, professional actress from Lincoln, NE, will play the role of "Annie" in the performance of the one-act play, "Planting in the Dust."

Bill RUSK of Mount Ayr was elected department vice commander for the Iowa American Legion at a meeting Sunday, July 12.

Gonzalo Mateos MERCHANTE, a 16-year-old from Spain, arrived July 2 in Ringgold county, armed with a Spanish-English dictionary, for a three-and-one-half-week stay in the home of the Dan BARKER family. They live on a farm nine miles west and a little south of Mount Ayr. MERCHANTE is here participating in acultural exchange under the Nacel program, with Iowa headquarters in Waterloo.

A team of Karon GILES and Jodie GEIST carded a 75 to win the Mount Ayr Golf and Country Club tournament held Tuesday, July 7. They were seven strokes a head of second placers - Sandy and Andrea MEKUS -- who had 82 in the best-ball club tourney.

Chris ELLIOTT, 12-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Craig ELLIOTT of Mount Ayr, apparently escaped serious injury when his bicycle collided with a car driven by Jay WATSON of Mount Ayr in a 5 p.m. July 10 accident at the West Monroe, South Webster street area in Mount Ayr. Before landing on the pavement, ELLIOTT was thought to have landed on the hood and then the top of the car. He was kept in the Ringgold County Hospital overnight for observation and treatment for bruises, scrapes and a sprained ankle.

The Ringgold County Hospital board voted to give $2,000 and Mercy Hospital, Des Moines, $500, toward the extension to 3,000 feet of the Mount Ayr airport runway. The board felt this would facilitate bringing the best possible medical care to Ringgold county.

The Rev. Ed KAIL, pastor of the Mount Ayr United Methodist Larger Parish, has been appointed superintendent of the Ottumwa District by Iowa bishop Rueben JOB, effective August 20, 1987.

Transciption by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2012

 

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