Music Man

THIS WEEK IN RIVER CllY a column by Mrs. Eulalie

Mackecknie Shinn, hpnorable mayor's wife

Good day, fair River Citizens. This week has been most inter­esting, and next week shall prove even more so if we all pitch in to help make the upcoming Fourth of July festivities at River City High School as excellent as they have been in previous years.

FIREWORK STORES RAIDED -It has been brought to my atten­tion that already hoodlums, vagabonds and the bad element are afoot in our fair city. Our fire­work stores intended for the "Last Days of Pompeii" festivities have evidently been raided, and two rather sizeable firecrackers are missing! While the local constab­ulary searches the environs for the culpable miscreant, I wish to remind the citizens that truly it is all of us who are, in a way, responsible, neglecting our youth by allowing them to be exposed to such abominable filth as Balzac, Voltaire and Michelangelo, posing as culture in our institutions of learning and our libraries and ignored by our unwatchful citizenry! Good people, we have a responsibility to our children to avert their eyes from sources of corruption. These days, the public library is no place for a young student. Parents, watch carefully the reaading habits of your sons and daughters! By remaining ever vigilant, we can stop these ruffi­ans and hoodlums before they ever get started.

A VISIT FROM A MISS DUNLOP -This past Saturday saw the fond farewell to the sister of Maud Dunlop, Josephine, who kept us quite occupied during her week­long visit marked by her after­noon disappearances. Known widely among the ladies of River City, the good Miss Josephine Dunlop always has been held up as a model of wisdom and pro­priety until it was found that each day around two o'clock or so, she vanished. Her where­abouts were unknown until din­ner time, when she returned with some vague excuse. Mrs. Alma and Miss Elma Hix reportedly witnessed her lunching with an

Oct 17, 18 2003

VOL. 71, NO. 20

out-of-towner, and immediate­ly suspicions began to rise that the formerly upright Miss Josephine had fallen prey to a man of questionable character. If so, she might have been in need of a good rescue! When Maud had finally had enough and followed her sister from the house one afternoon, she discovered what the good woman had been up to the past week - surreptitious visits to the ice cream parlor on Main Street, which were in direct defiance of her physician's orders to avoid milk, cream and other dairy items. Apologies were exchanged all around, the wild episode came to an end, and Miss Josephine Dunlop was sent on her way, having promised to keep her taste for creams firmly in check!

COMING AITRACTIONS -Don't forget, good citizens, to attend Fourth of July festivities at the Madison Gymnasium at River City High School next week. The school board shall be presenting a fine patriotic tableau, and I will, of course, be reprising my performance with the Wa Tan Ye girls of the wigwam of Hiawatha, a specta­cle that no one will want to miss.

CHILDREN'S PIANO LESSONS

For the improvement of the child's ear,

classical acculturation and aesthetic well­

being.

Taught in the home of

Miss Marian Paroo. Lessons available

evenings or weekends.

Affordable lessons at flexible schedules.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

July 4 - City hall employees present a patriotic spectacle at River City High School grounds, Madison Gymnasium weather not permitting. July 7 - Dinner on the ground at River City Church. July 11 - Ice cream sociable, Paine's Firework Spectacle, "Last Days of Pompeii," in Madison Picnic Park.

RIVER CITY, jULY 1, 1912

- Wells Fargo Wagon delivery expected within the week -

OUT-OF-TOWNER RIDDEN OUT OF TOWN

ON A RAIL

Riverboat Unavailable

Record Crowds Gather to Witness Event

Out-of-towner Fred Hainsley was ridden out of town on a rail yesterday around three o' clock in the afternoon. An estimated 57 persons gathered in the sum­mer heat to witness the event, which is a River City record number for such an expulsion.

"I'm not altogether clear on why. it happened," said Phillip Davies, speaking on the cause of the commotion. "But I'm sure somebody here knows all the whys and wherefores."

"He was a goo:l-for~nothin', nose-stuck-up, too-slick, big­city out-of-towner," said . Mrs. Maud Dunlop. "At least that's how the other ladies tell it, and I've never had occasion to doubt them these past 15 years."

Mr. Hainsley arrived from Cedar Rapids.

"It sure was fun, though, huh?" said little Rick Squires, age 7. "I got Mr. Hix to lift me up on his shoulders so I could see good. It's like Fourth of]uly come early! Excepting no fire­works."

''I'll tell you, though, it ain't good for business. No sir," said hotel owner Walter Bailey. "I know we got a reputation as ornery to maintain and all, but think of the business we're los­ing. That's good money we're throwing away. Good money. Sometimes I wonder why I bothered to open a hotel in River City. Must be crazy, they said. Well, they were right!"

The cause of the commo­tion, which began at 2:23 in the afternoon, is still unclear. Olin Britt thought the man was "looking at people funny, ask­ing too many questions, when he ought to just mind his own business."

Mr. Ewart Dunlop seemed to concur. "He was going around poking his nose where it didn't belong, making snap judgments and carrying on. Might have gotten our fine young ladies into a great deal of trouble if we hadn't had the foresight to do something about it!"

Dept of Theatre

5 CENTS

"It's absolutely disgrace­ful," said Miss Marian Paroo, town librarian. "I don't see why we have to keep running people away just because ... well, for no evident reason. And, no, I don't think being stubborn Iowans excuses any­thing. Why, I've been Iowan nearly all my life, and I'm per­fectly fair, reasonable and open-minded. And nothing you can say will ever change me!"

The crowd's first impulse was to send Mr. Hainsley up the river, but a riverboat proved unavailable, so the railroad was conceived as an alternative means. "It's more traditional, anyway," said Dunlop. "If the rails aren't for riding people out on, then what do we got 'em for, I ask you?"

LADIES! Don't be caught at this

year's Fourth of July festivities without THE LATEST

PARISIAN HATS ON SALE NOW AT THE MERCANTILE

AT IMPORTER'S PRICES

This year, the word on the Champs-Elysees is "hats," and the bigger

and grander, the better. Hats adorned with feath­ers from regal peacock to magnificent blue ostrich

are now available for perusal and purchase at

the Mercantile. The "must-have" summer

accessory of 1912!

THE MERCANTILE 16 Main Street, River City, IA

River City Happenings

The Pest family has contracted to raise 50 acres of flax for the International Harvester com­pany to be manufactured into

binding twine in Chicago.

James and Wilma Toffelmeier spent Friday and Saturday at Waterloo. While at Waterloo,

they had the pleasure of attending music entertain­

ment, which they pronounced very good.

Mrs. Adrian Britt is visiting her sister, Mrs. Beatrice Elmm, in

Cedar Rapids.

Miss josephine Dunlop has returned to Des Moines.

M.H. Friar, who went out West last spring, has engaged in the

grocery business in Seattle.

This week's meeting of the girls' Wa Tan Ye Hiawatha wig­wam will be Monday evening

instead of Thesday.

Weekly pugilist matches are to resume this Saturday evening

at Madison Gymnasium. Admission will be 5¢. All are

welcome.

Raw steaks and ice were applied to the light injuries received during the row at the school board meeting. The members

are recuperating nicely.

MINOR VANDALISM ON THE RISE

Constable Locke Blames Ruffians and

Hoodlums

"The past month has wit­nessed a notable increase in petty crimes and misde­meanors," said Constable William Locke of the River City Police Department. Figures for larceny, minor acts of vandal­ism and disturbances of the peace have all climbed steadily since May.

"Ruffians and hoodlums and scoundrels," said Locke. "Our parents aren't disciplining their schoolboys like they once did," he lamented. "They're let­ting them run slipshod, roughshod over the whole town, tipping outhouses, pilfering firecrackers, loitering. When I was a boy, you'd kick a stone in your church shoes and get a whipping, but now the boys are out at all hours doing wh, knows what, and it's making m: job all the more difficult, I teh you."

Locke advised city parents to have a more keen interest in their boys' whereabouts during the evenings and to apply tht firm hand of disciline before he applies the firm hand of the law.

The Departments of Music and Communication ~present-Zj

.. Meredith Willson's

Book, music and lyrics by

Meredith Willson

Based on a story by

Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey

Harold Hill- Tony Garcia

Mayor Shinn -Joel Cox

Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn - Mollee Baker

Zaneeta Shinn -Amy Jo Parker

Gracie Shinn- Tory Mote

Ewart Dunlop - Rees Jones

Oliver Hix -Jonathan Bragg

Jacey Squires- Shawn Frazier

Olin Britt - Ian Thomas

Marian Paroo- Jennifer Gay

Mrs. Paroo - Alice-Anne Murray

Winthrop Paroo - Harrison Eudaly

Amaryllis - Abbey Dickson

Alma Hix - Lindsay Hoggatt

Elma Hix - Lindsey Harriman

Ethel Toffelmeier- Dara Derbigny

Maud Dunlop-Squires - April Winebarger

Constable Locke- Jason Godfrey

Marcellus Washburn -Jeremy Painter Tommy Djilas - Landon McLain

Traveling Salesmen/Conductor/Charlie Cowell-Special Guests

River City Townspeople

Jenna Aldridge, Jenny Bell, Collin Bills, Anya Burt, Jason Campbell, Abby Chandler, Aaron Clark, Mary Catherine Clark,

Kris Davidson, Jennie Degge, Whitney Degge, Rebecca DeRamus, Megan Gilbert, Elaine Jones, Nate Kearns, Derek Lang,

Lauren Lawson, Justin Parkey, Joy Pennington, David Pietzman, Chris Stern, Brian Sulli\:'an, Sean Tappe. and Mitch

Wiggains

River City Children

Erin Adams, Jake Adams, Lindsay Adams, Tate Benton, Tessa Brown, Emily Burks, Hannah Cochran, Emily Eads, Spencer

Eudaly, Josh Harriman, Seth Keese, Dawson Latture, Tory Mote and Syndi Sansom

Vocalists

Carrie Cantrell, Ben Daughety, Melissa Gaddis, Lauren Hamill, David Johnson, Steven Kinyon, Thomasa Merriweather,

Nicole Preston and Pamela Sublett

. , ' , . . ~ ..

=···= ·.

. ,~

Orchestra

First Violin

Miriam Reinhardt, concertmaster

Marc Lipscomb

Second Violin

Carla Chance, principal

Bethany Lam

Third Violin

Amy Shaffer, principal

Larissa Collier

Holly Walker

Cello

Whitney Hammes

Double Bass

Greg Thoman

Flute/Piccolo

Rachel Sayle, principal

Lela Jones

Oboe/English Horn

Jennifer Eilenstein

Special Thanks

Clarinet

Mandy Evatt, principal

Misty Curry

Jessica Weimer

Katie Chester

Baritone Saxophone

Matt Walton

Trumpet

Nathan McCoy, principal

Eric Colgrove

Joel Taylor

Tenor Trombone

Allen Price, principal

Amanda Terry

Bass Trombone

Daniel Witcher

Drum Set

Nicholas White

Piano

Cliff Gagliardo

Production Staff

Director- Robin Miller

Producer - Cindee Stockstill

Orchestra Director- Mike Chance

Vocal Coach - Laura Eads

Set Designer/Technical Director - Britton Lynn

Assistant Ted.nical Director- Adam Sullivan

Lighting Director - Steve Martin

Rehearsal Accompanist- Jan Jones

Children's Director - Cindee Stockstill

House Manager - Morris Ellis

Stage Manager- Natalie Graham

Costumes- Natalie Graham, Robyn Bocks

Choreographers/Stunt Coordinators -Jenny Bell, Nicole

Hollis, Colin Neller, Claudia Stockstill

Technical Crew - Jenny Chisholm, Trey Cook, Kaeli Dunlap,

Lis Dykes, Jordan Dyniewski, Seth Fish, Rachel Gant, Robin

Grey, Nathan Klym, Tom Meadows, Misa Mitsunaga, Bryan

Phillips, Adam Sullivan, Katie Vancil, Jennifer Vanderveer and

Emily Word

Sound Technicians - Jon Jensen and Nathan Roll

Caleb Baker, Jerome Barnes, David Burks, Scott Carrell, Warren Casey, Dottie and Steve Frye, Cliff Ganus, Brian Hickey, Chuck

Hicks, Mike James, Craig Jones, Arthur Shearin, Jeff Montgomery, Sue Moore, Office of Public Relations, Brenda Seawel, and David

Woodroof and Media Services

Act 1

Overture

Train Opening/Rock Island

Iowa Stubborn

Ya Got Trouble

Piano Lesson

Goodnight My Someone

Seventy-Six Trombones

Ice Cream/Sincere

Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little/Goodnight Ladies

Marian the Librarian

My White Knight

The Wells Fargo Wagon

Act2

Entr'acte

Eulalie's Ballet/It's You/Shipoopi

Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You?

Gary, Indiana

Till There Was You

Goodnight/Seventy-Six Trombones

Finale

NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEOTAPING OF ANY KIND, PLEASE!

Meredith Willson's The Music Man is presented through special arrangements with Music Theatre International, 421 W. 54th Street,

New York, NY 10019

2003-2004 Theater Schedule

(at Harding University)

Oct. 17, 18

Nov. 6-9

Nov. 14, 15

Feb. 6-8

Feb. 19-21

March 5-7

April9, 10, 15, 16, 17

April23-25

The Music Man

Shadow lands

Peifect Pie

The Trysting Place and

Electra

~riety and Improvisation

Lot/e Letters

Miracle W0rker

Passing Through

Benson Auditorium

Administration Auditorium

Little Theatre

Little Theatre

Little Theatre

Little Theatre

Administration Auditorium

Little Theatre

•

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I

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SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF THE

30TH OF JUNE

MOTION TO REPAIR FIELD AT RIVER CITY

HIGH TABLED INDEFINITELY

MEETING ENDS IN ROW, BLOODY NOSES

EXCHANGED

CROWD OF SPECTATORS GATHERS,

SOME COUNT 30 ONLOOKERS

EVENING OF JUNE 30TH, 6:00P.M. RIVER CITY SCHOOL BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES, AS TRANSCRIBED BY MS. ETHEL TOFFELMEIER

The board of directors met in regular session on June 30th in the River City High School Madison Gymnasium, Mr. Ewart Dunlop presiding.

Present: Dunlop, Hix, Squires, Britt

Absent: None Dunlop moved approval of

agenda. Seconded by Hix. Aye: Dunlop, Hix, Squires,

Britt Nay: None Motion carried. Hix moved approval of min­

utes from meeting of May 29th. Minutes read by Miss Ethel Toffelmeier.

Squires disputed 21st item and characterization of his eye as "blackened" following row with Dunlop. Squires claimed that clearly he was the victor, and it was Dunlop who received his comeuppance. Dunlop rejected this blatant rewriting of the facts, which were as plain as day to anyone with both eyes set in the correct side of the head.

Britt moved to table the motion of approving the min­utes. Seconded by Hix.

Aye: Britt, Hix, Dunlop Nay: Squires Motion carried. Honorable Mayor's wife Mrs.

Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn moved to have Dunlop sent home to change into more suit­ably matching clothes to comply with his responsibility to the town to appear official. Seconded by Squires.

Aye: Squires Nay: Dunlop Abstentions: Britt, Hix Motion not carried. Mrs. Eulalie Mackecknie

Shinn reminded that, as she is not a member of the school board, she is technically not allowed to raise motions.

Using a great many blue­prints and charts, Britt presented plan [Item 1] to repair the

drainage problem in the field behind Madison Gymnasium. Cost of repairs was estimated at $400. Squires inquired what difference it made whether the field was properly drained, given that the cost of repair was so exorbitantly high and no athletic league in River City High School has, within the past 10 years, won more than 20 percent of its matches anyway.

Britt remarked that they might have won more often if they hadn't been forced to practice in a lake.

Dunlop called for order. Dunlop ignored. Hix moved to table Item 1.

Seconded by Dunlop. Aye: Hix, Dunlop,

Squires Nay: Britt Motion carried. Britt moved to have

Squires evicted from Madison Gymnasium for ungentle­manly behavior.

Dunlop moved to have Britt evicted for his clear lack of respect for parliamentary procedure, order, and the rule of law. Seconded by Squires.

Aye: Dunlop, Squires Nay: Britt Abstentions: Hix Motion carried. Blows exchanged. Mayor

Shinn called for order, but was not heeded in the ensuing chaos. Some 30 spectators who had gathered rose to their feet to gain a better view of the fisticuffs, which spread to all four members of the school board and ended with two bloody noses and several nicks and bruises.

Meeting ajdourned.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT!

New pool table to be installed at Shinn's Billiard Parlor on

Main Street A GENTLEMAN'S GAME

for relaxation, diver­sion, and refinement of

manual dexterity A Fine Way to Spend an

Evening

Splitting Heads

HER head was throbbing dizzily with pain. Black spots danced impishly before her eyes. Her hands were as cold as her despairing heart. Where had her vigor gone? What thief of life had stolen her health and charm? These questions are daily asked by millions of women. The answer is irregu­larity.

But there is one sure, safe, pleasant way to be permanent­ly rid of all irregularity. Use

Bran Buds regularly every day. Eat two tablespoonfuls daily­in chronic cases, with every meal - and you will know freedom that you never thought possible from this dreaded disease.

Bran Buds are what doc­tors call a bulk food. As it jour­neys through the body, its fiber remains unchanged. Therefore, it can sweep the intestines clean. Bran Buds also absorb and carry mois­ture through the intestinal tract, thus stimulating regu­lar, healthy motion.

You'll like Bran Buds. Their delightful nutty flavor makes it a great cereal. Serve with milk or cream and add fresh or preserved fruit. Sprinkle over other cereals or cook with hot cereals. Try it in soups, too. Also use the many recipes given on every pack­age. If eaten regularly, Bran Buds are guaranteed to bring permanent relief, or the grocer returns your money.

Be careful! Only Bran Buds bring sure results. A part-bran product is only partially effec­tive. Doctors recommend it. All grocers sell it. Buy a pack­age today. Note how much bet­ter you'll feel in a week. Served in leading restaurants.

FIRE CLAIMS MEYER HOUSE AND BARN

Donations of food and clothing accepted at

River City Church

Fire broke out Sunday afternoon at the Meyer stock barn and, from the start, was beyond the control of resi­dents. A fire truck was telegraphed for from Waterloo and arrived in time to confine the flames to the house, barn, sheds and tool shop. The Meyer family was not injured, but the River City Church is accepting donations of food and clothing until the property can be rebuilt. Already $200 of canned goods, children's clothing and other supplies have been provided by the generosity of River City.

More rain forecasted for Fourth of July festivities. Mayor Shinn has announced that in the event of a down­pour, all events are to be held at Madison Gymnasium at River City High School.

Shell Rock River levels continue to be dangerously high this month. Residents living in low-lying plains are advised to take precautions if rain continues.

To the Editors - Frankly, I am appalled at the state of River City's culture and learn­ing. We claim to be interested in our children's education, yet push them away from the great works. As the town librarian, I am privy to the ,habits of many of River City's schoolchildren, and most often their reading selections are quite disappointing. While the girls peruse dime romances or fashion newspa­pers from Europe and Madison Avenue, the boys are flittering away their time on mechanics and science vol­umes. Of course, there is value in reading for its own sake, but the shelves of philosophy, history, art and literature are dusty and unused. This is unacceptable. Parents, please encourage your children to seek out the great works and the classics - Chaucer, Dante, Spinoza, Swift, Pope! Remember fondly your own childhoods and the indelible mark these authors made on your young souls. Do we not want the same for our own children? Please do not neg­lect their educations, or their lives may never be as whole. - Marian Paroo, town librari­an and piano instructor

To the Editors - I write to express the concerns of the whole city regarding the tran­sient laborers who pose a threat to the safety and health of all citizens of River City. Why, a day never goes by that I don't personally see two or three of them, out on the street, mostly keeping to themselves before they're off again to some other part of the railroad, bringing diseases and filthy language and what have you. My neighbor swears that his son has been picking up language like you've never heard, and he's only 9 years

old! He's certainly not getting it from his upstanding parents or from anyone else in this com­munity. Clearly these migrant laborers are bringing . in ,~

1 !Pt

more than inexpensiv.e. man­hours and fancy new railroad ties. They're a bad influenc~,.Rf questionable character, and they mar the traditions and his­tory of our fair town. I believe I speak for the whole community - or at least for my wife. - Ewart Dunlop, grocer, River City school board

To the Editors - Shell Rock River's high water level is always a menace at this time of the year. I'm sure I speak for plenty of citizens in the low­lying plains when I say that the malevolent stream should be drained. - Olin Britt, River City school

board

EX OFFICIO

From the Office of Our Mayor

Good River Citizens, as we near July the Fourth and the accom­panying festivities and cere­monies and so on, I think it appropriate we reflect back on the founding of our great nation, what it means to all of us, and what it meant to our forefathers, who brought it to fruition. Four score and seven years ago

OBITUARIES

- We very much regret the death of MRS. BERTHA]. HIX of River City, formerly a resi­dent of Waterloo. Her age was 62 years. She died at 4:00 pm Sunday afternoon at the fam­ily residence. Her death was due to brain fever. She was buried at River City church­yard Wednesday. Several from our River City were presept~t the funeral. The dece~sed woman is survived by her daughters, Elma and Alma, and nephew, Oliver.