Approximately 2,000 people, state and national legislators and University of Kansas elite welcomed former U.S. Senator from Kansas, 1996 presidential candidate, and KU alumnus back to his home state on Friday. At a special ceremony, William J. Crow, KU vice chancellor for information services and dean of libraries announced the creation of the Robert J. Dole Institute for Public Service and Public Policy.

Dole briefly reflected on his past, stating that his first job at a drug store paid $15 a week, and that he was once fluent in Spanish “It’s a reminder that much of who I am can be found in this place, and its people … who took their values seriously, but not themselves,” he said. “It happens to be the way I see America.”

“I believe that those who complain of the cynicism of Americans are contributing to it. This is what I hope this institute will stand for – the defeat of cynicism – [for] bipartisanship,”

50 years ago: April 27, 1972

Register of Deeds, Dora I. (Susie) Parmer, filed Friday for re-election in the County Clerk’s Office. She is seeking her fifth term. Mrs. Parmer, a Democrat, was first elected in 1964. She resides in Tonganoxie with her two children, David and Dina. She has been a resident for 25 years and is a 1955 graduate of Tonganoxie High School.

Lisa Stevens, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Phil Stevens, was recently initiated into SPURS, a sophomore woman’s honorary service organization at Kansas State Teachers College of Emporia.

The Tonganoxie Garden Club will hold their annual plant sale at Mallonee Chevrolet.

The Junior Class will present the play “Home Sweet Homocide” in the High School Auditorium.

Lourena Seymour was presented the Bootstrap Community Service Award for her active involvement in the Campfire Girl Movement in Tonganoxie. This monthly award is given by the Missouri Kansas Division of the Rock Island and goes to an employee who has excelled in giving of her time and effort to community programs. Mrs. Seymour has been a Rock Island employee for 20 years working as the Personal Records Clerk in the Superintendent’s office in Kansas City.

Brightened by Saturday sunlight after a rainy week, the Garden of Eden nudist camp at the former Red Star Farm open house attracted about 500 persons, according to owner Vernon Coleman. The Garden of Eden is well secluded, has a nice lake with a beach, grassy slopes, volleyball, and miscellaneous other things nudist like. Everything except warm weather and the advertised Playboy Bunnies from Kansas City.

75 years ago: April 24, 1947

A former local boy was present at the Monsanto Chemical Co fire that happened in Texas City, Texas. He wrote his parents describing the horrible disaster and aftermath of watching the burning ship. All individuals who were watching the ship dock were killed. Twisted freight cars and destroyed homes are all that is left of the area. The young man, James Fair is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Fair who now reside in Little Rock. Almost all bystanders were burned beyond recognition.

Virgil Morey continues to re-invent himself as he is now a member of the Tonganoxie Rural High School Board and has signed a contract to teach in Jarbalo. Miss Virginia Seymour, instructor in the Jarbalo school, took the upper grade students to Swope Park in Kansas City Missouri. Quite an adventure for small town students. Many schools are hosting their end of year picnics as school closes April 25.

A whopper of a rattlesnake was found near Nine Mile creek on the Atkinson farm. It was caught April 20th, and measured two and half feet long with five rattles.

You may envy your neighbors larger gas heater and wish you had one too. But now is not the time to install a new one. Gas for heating is in short supply and will continue to be until new pipelines are built. Be patient as this shortage is only temporary. Keep using your present fuel and wait for next winter.

A new steel beam bridge is being built over Big Stranger 3 1/2 miles east of Tonganoxie. After World War I, the Northwestern Railroad quit and left us as an isolated town. This is all being remedied by new building projects around our community.

100 years ago: April 27, 1922

Another shipment of books has arrived at the Library and includes: Jack the Fire Dog, by Wesselkraft; White Company, by Doyle; Roses McLeod, by Brown; Custard Cups, by Livingston; Smiles, by Robinson; Daughters of the Middle Border, by Garland; Washington’s Close Ups, by Larney; Outlines of History, by -Wells; A Thin Volume, by Parkins.

The County Commissioners are advertising for bids on the 11th of May for a twenty-foot span bridge to take the place of the old culvert on Pleasant Street. The bridge will probably be about thirty-five feet wide to make room for a sidewalk.

D.H. Sprong, of Lawrence, has been secured to have charge of the Mathematics and Latin in our High School for the coming school year. Mr. Sprong comes well recommended having seventeen years of experience and was a Professor at Campbell University.

Mr. Sprong will succeed Mrs. Oliver Myers, who has been our competent Mathematics teacher here for some time and will be greatly missed in High School circles.

125 years ago: April 29, 1897

The much-discussed airship has been seen in Tonganoxie, and those who have seen the peculiar gyrations of the mysterious celestial visitor give it as their opinion that it is no airship at all.

H.B. Kline happened to glance to the west Sunday evening, shortly before ten o’clock, and observed a peculiar light moving first one way and then the other. He called his neighbor S.A. Pearson and together they observed the peculiar movements of the light. Not a cloud was visible anywhere, and the view was unobstructed. The light was first white and then red. Sometimes it would appear to almost go out, and then would brighten again. It would move toward the north and then to the south, and finally disappeared beyond the western hill.

Another observation was made Monday night. The light was perfectly stationary until it got near the horizon, and then it went through the same performance as the night before.

Both gentlemen are convinced that the mysterious moving body is a star. Mr. Pearson thinks it is an illusion caused by the heat waves of the earth, that the star does not move erratically or change color but only appears to because of the condition of the air.