75 Years Ago—1950
The local area lacked only 1.73 inches having its normal amount of precipitation for the entire year and was 8.04 inches above normal for this time in the year… Leroy Gagnon and Jimmie Savoie, both of Concordia, took out enlistment papers and were headed to Kansas City for physical examination for the air force… Concordia swimmers and divers took five firsts in thirteen events in the fourth annual invitational swimming meet at the municipal pool, where Merrill Stanley and Keith Heisterman entertained fans between events with their clown dive act and their version of the “death defying flying saucer dive”… winners in the cat section of the pet parade at Playground— Tiniest cat belonged to Dee Dee Strait; Billie Pae had the whitest cat; most coal-black cat and cat with the bushiest tail belonged to Jackie Cox; best dressed cats were entered by Janice Knowler and Janet McDaniel; most vicious cat in the parade belonged to Sherrie James… Mr. and Mrs. Art Schmitt announced the birth of a son, Matthew James… Mrs. Dan Empson brought some of her Elberta variety peaches to the Blade office… price on cigarettes was up one or two cents; most retailers were getting 21 cents a pack, but some were getting 22 cents… the Blade-Empire would hold its customary election party and a special Associated Press wire carrying the latest election returns would operate from 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1 to 1 a.m. Wednesday, August 2, and later, returns from county contests would be available. All were invited—“the Blade staff will have all the ‘dope’ for you”…
60 Years Ago—1965
Susan Sutton, Concordia’s 17-year-old girl jockey, did herself proud on the first day of racing at Thundercloud Park and sent Masota Hancock, owned by R. and S. Gallagher of Concordia, across the finish line in first place… Linda Faye Bonham, 2 1/2, won the first prize in her class at the baby show at the Cloud County Fair at Glasco… lightning struck and burned the barn at the Lawrence Johnson farm northwest of Concordia, and the Karl Morgan home north of Hollis was also struck, although the fire was extinguished… in the style revue at the Cloud County Fair, Deanna Carter of Jolly J Hawks 4-H club was grand champion and Jolene Blochlinger of Fairview Hilltoppers was reserve champion. In the best groomed boy contest, Gary Holbert of Fairview Hilltoppers was grand champion and Robert Champlin of Republican Valley club was reserve champion… firing a 10-under-par 92 over the 27-hole route, George Meyer won the championship flight in the invitational golf tournament held at the Concordia Country Club… Miss Kathy Passmore was crowned queen of the rodeo during the Fairgrounds Park arena… Brad Lowell had been named editor of the Gardner News and Spring Hill New Era, Johnson County newspapers… Carl Ossman of Carl Ossman and Associates of Topeka had been selected as the architect for the proposed Jamestown Nursing home…
50 Years Ago—1975
A big push to get the Brown Grand Opera House refurbished for use as an Area Community Auditorium and Theater during 1976 had begun… two employees of the J. C. Penney Company were honored at a store breakfast: Edwin Gillan was presented with a tie bar with three golden sapphires for 15 years of service, and Donna Minard received a brooch with one golden sapphire to represent her five years of service with the Concordia store… Katsue Yamakawa, Hanno-shi, Japan, would be the foreign exchange student at Concordia High school in fall and was staying with the Dr. and Mrs. William Berner family… Randy Lagasse was named grand champion and Tony Sorell was named reserve champion in the best groomed boy category at the Cloud County Fair… lifeguards at the Concordia swimming pool used a net to pull a 34-pound dead catfish out of the pool… Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Lauer announced the birth of a daughter, Jennifer Lynn… four Concordians, Debra Sue Belvill, Mary Ann Davis, Brenda Sue Hubert and Jonnie Stanton, had been awarded scholarships for the coming school year at the Cloud County Community College… Miss Olive Ritter and Miss Grace Behrends returned home after spending the weekend in Wichita, attending the Defenders of the Bible Conference…
25 Years Ago—2000
Concordia hosted the Texas Railroad Date Nail and Pole Nail Association summer show… Brandi Hake and Wanda Backstrom were cookie jar judges at the Cloud County Fair, and Norine Koester and her granddaughter, Kassidy Kaiser, won the contest… Concordia High School graduate Bradyn Breault, pole vaulter on the CHS track team, signed a track and field letter-of-intent with Cloud County Community College… Nicolette Begnoche and Megan Brown, eighth-grade graduates from Clifton-Clyde, participated in the Hall of Fame Choir at Emporia, sponsored by Mrs. Connie Istas, Clifton-Clyde vocal instructor… Cody McClennan, senior at Glasco High School, was awarded with the Regional Coca-Cola Scholars College scholarship… local market prices: wheat, $2.52; milo, $2.56; corn, $1.50; soybeans, $4.26; oats, $1.20…
