The Tonganoxie Swimming Pool is finally open for the summer. Following numerous repairs which caused the pool to have to be drained and the replacement of a faulty casing, the Tonganoxie City Maintenance Department filled the pool for good over the weekend. Missing from the deep end would be the diving board, which had to be removed because of safety reasons. A low dive has been installed in its place.

On May 31, Pat Roberts announced his candidacy for the soon to be vacated U.S. Senate seat of Nancy Kassebaum.

Toni Stevens, President of Leavenworth Area Development (LAD), and Bill New, Chair of the Leavenworth County Port Authority (LCPA), announced the approval of a new alliance between the two organizations both working to encourage and assist new business and industrial development in Leavenworth County.

50 years ago: June 10, 1971

The thirty-eighth annual reunion of the descendants of the Robert E. Courtney family will be held at the 4-H Building on the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds in Tonganoxie on June 13, 1971.

Hesper — The old Hesper Academy bell may ring again. When the old building was torn down the bell was given to the Hesper Friends Church. A combination outdoor bulletin board and monument will house the bell.

75 years ago: May 30, 1946

Our local Tonganoxie swimming pool has opened for business, and my do we have the business. Seems that our little pool has drawn thousands from the Kansas City area to our local “cool spot”. Not to mention the popularity of the State Lake with areas for picnics and fishing. Our state park brings in more people than any other state lake in Kansas. In addition, we have lighted ball fields, Teen Town, a movie theatre and dances.  

As Memorial Day approaches, we take time to honor our war dead and to remember the sacrifices that many made for our freedom. A list of thirty-five souls who formerly lived here, whose families live here now or are connected to our community through marriage is available at the Mirror Office.

Please remember these men and the ultimate price that each one paid. Our local men include:  Woody Hiebert, Munro Zoellner, Creighton Siegert, Edward Seufert, Bert Grems, and Leonard Poulson.

A great movie, “The Bells of Saint Mary’s” will be coming to the Royal Theatre in June. Don’t miss it.

The housing shortage in Tonganoxie continues with some people thinking of buying tents. A nice green canvas structure out at the State Lake might be just the perfect shelter once summer comes.

Tomatoes are in at IGA for only $.15 a pound with an $.11 head of lettuce and two bunches of carrots, priced at $.19, you can have a nice tossed salad for the family dinner.

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Wheeler of Kansas City have opened a photographer’s studio at the former Spoor Variety Store here in town. He was for a time, employed by the government to photograph ordnance plants, but it ready to head back to civilian life.

100 years ago: June 2, 1921

Another severe windstorm visited this community last Thursday evening about seven o’clock. The storm was similar to the one experienced last July 1st, but was thought by some not to have been as severe, although the damage to buildings greatly exceeded that of a year ago. All the carpenters are busy repairing damage done.

To give an idea of the number of losses sustained, the Laming Insurance Agency alone had fifty claims for damage or loss filed by Monday noon, and the other agents will have the same average of claims which will run into the thousands of dollars.

Sheds, barns, trees, were blown over and some houses were moved off their foundations. At A. Conley’s home a tree limb was blown through the roof and ceiling and hung suspended in the room. Several windows were blown in and other like damages.

The most fortunate thing is that no person was injured during the storm so far as we have learned, although many had narrow escapes.

125 years ago: June 4, 1896

Prof. WA Snow, took the pain last Thursday, to make an investigation in this neighborhood of the ravages of the army worm. He went to the Moore farm, one mile northeast, and found the worm to be the true army worm known scientifically as “Leucania unipuncta.”

Although fast disappearing, many of the worms were yet above the surface, but had ceased to do damage. The earth, however, was full of the worms which had turned into pupae, and Prof. Snow collected some caterpillars. In about three weeks the pupa will turn into a butterfly or moth and will lay eggs, and these eggs will hatch into another brood of worm, so that in a few months the army worm in the natural course of events would be more devastating creature than ever.

Prof. Snow made an important observation that will assure farmers they need apprehend no further material damage from the army worm. Nearly every one of the worms will be destroyed by parasites. It was hard to find any worms that were without eggs on their back. These eggs hatch into maggots, the maggots burrow into the worm and again emerge after the worm is in a pupa state. When the maggot has departed the pupa dies.

Prof. Snow says the army worm is continually with us but in such small numbers that they are not noticed. When the season is unusually favorable for their propagation like this one, then they begin to make their presence known by the destruction of crops.