Looking Back
What Was Going On 14 Years Ago
The 2005 Kansas Bankers Association Conservation Award Winners for Rooks County were Don and Sandy Benoit, and Tom and Donna Benoit, who farm in western Rooks and eastern Graham counties.
Doug and Lori Knipp of rural Damar had been selected as the 2005 Kansas Bankers Association Windbreak Award winners from Rooks County.
In their regular monthly board meeting, Rooks County Health Center board members reviewed schematics and elevation drawings for the proposed new hospital. The design for the floor plans was discussed since some changes had been made that would better fit the needs of the hospital, garnered from the input of staff members.
Lurane Pratt Paulson of Wichita Falls, Tex., sent the Stockton Sentinel a “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” cartoon that was featured in the Times Record News on Jan. 25th. Along with a tribute to Bruce Lee, and an astonishing sniglet about a little girl born in Nov. 2005 with an external heart she was holding in her hand, the third part of the cartoon noted that “Veteran Vyrl LeSage has participated in the Stockton, Kan. Memorial Day Rifle Salute every year since 1946!” The caricature of LeSage, holding his rifle high, was a very good likeness of him.
The Stockton Area Arts Council held their annual meeting on Jan. 26 at the Nova Theatre before the Children’s Theatre performed the play, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” for a crowd of 180 family members and friends.
The Stockton High School basketball teams were on the road to Palco for their Tuesday night game, and the Lady Tigers picked up their second win of the season, defeating the Lady Roosters 44-39. Leading the Lady Tigers in scoring was Savannah Lowry with 12 points. Renee Berkley and Kayla Damrow each added 8. The Tiger boys fell to Palco by the score of 61-52. Leneal Weiser and Luke Kriley scored 20 and 13 points respectively to lead the Tigers in scoring.
The Friday match-up with the Tigers against the Osborne Bulldogs was more exciting with the boys winning on a last-second shot. Being down 52-51 with 39 seconds remaining, the Tigers came out of a timeout and controlled the ball for a last shot. With just a few ticks left, Tyson LeSage drove the ball to the left side and banked in a jumper. Osborne quickly called timeout with 1.7 seconds left in the game, but they were unable to make the three-quarter-court shot, giving the Tigers the exciting 53-52 victory.
Israel Lucas Jirak was a Fall 2005 graduate of Colorado State University with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in atmospheric science.
Pat Ballard celebrated her 80th birthday at the Main Street Christian Church, hosted by her family on Feb. 4, 2006.
And So They Say — Bob Balderston, after the Broncos’ loss in the playoffs: “I think I will change teams to the Chiefs, but I haven’t bought my jacket yet.”
Showing at the Nova Theatre was “Hoodwinked,” the classic fable of “Little Red Riding Hood,” in the vein of Shrek.
Obituaries were published for Leroy W. Dunn (1912-2006) and Leona Kriley (1914-2006).
Looking Back 14 Years Ago, Spotlighting the Year... 1992 — Lee Greenwood was signed as the featured entertainment for the 1992 Rooks County Fair. The area was blanketed by five inches of snow on top of ice. Dave Denton had filed for sheriff, Jack Turnbull for county commissioner, and Nancy Conyac for district magistrate judge. Israel Jirak had won the grade school spelling bee. (From ASTS) Esther Luckey: “I now work for Doolittle & Sitmore.”
56 Years Ago, Spotlighting the Year... 1950 —Stockton was to have a third liquor store in town due to Marion Larson, proprietor of the Beck Hotel, who was erecting a 20’ x 15’ concrete block building just south of the hotel for just that purpose. Miss Jean Tyson, the Rooks County Record’s protege, who was a sophomore studying journalism at Kansas State College, was one of the students who had a feature story published in the Kansas Day edition of the Topeka Capital. Miss Tyson wrote about Stockton’s own Lorenzo Fuller. From The Feminine Slant by the Office Cat: Money may talk, but I’ve never become well enough acquainted with it to carry on much of a conversation.
What Stocktonites Were Doing 98 Years Ago, Spotlighting the Year... 1908 — He needs the money! C. W. Phelps wants all those indebted to him for feed to call at once at the feed store, in Stockton, and settle without delay. He needs the money! Ed Sutton hauled in on Saturday for Perry McCollum a champion load of wheat. He had 128 bushels, which at 88 cents, came to $112.64. He pulled into town with four horses. We think this is the largest load ever brought to town.
