Throwback Thursday 9/19/19

1969 -  “Gaytones” To Appear At Lathrop

Left to right: Anna Lee Scott, Bass; Jean Shook, Lead; Sharri Mertens, Baritone; Margaret Layer, Tenor.

The Gaytones will appear in Lathrop, October 11 at the Sweet Adeline Show “Moon Shot of the Century,” which will be presented at the Lathrop High School Auditorium at 8:00 p.m.

The Gaytones were organized in June of 1966 and entered Regional competition in St. Louis in April, 1967, where they placed first. By winning this contest they were eligible to enter International competition in the fall of 1967, which was held in Carnegie Hall in New York City. There were 42 quartets competing, and the Gaytones placed sixth. In October on 1968 the Gaytones traveled to Oklahoma City for the International convention and competition and after three days of eliminations they were named “1968-69 International Queens of Harmony”. Since winning the International honor the Gaytones have traveled and entertained extensively in the mid-west and have up-coming engagements in the southern states.

The quartet consists of:
Margaret Layer, who sings tenor, and is a secretary at the Mental Health Institute. She has two children and one grandson. She has been a Sweet Adeline for fifteen years and has served her Chapter in may capacities including Chapter president and publicity chairman.

Jean Shook is the lead of the quartet, and is a busy homemaker and mother of two daughters. She is the director of Mt. Pleasant Sweet Adelines and is a certified judge in the category of Music. She arranges some of the music the quartet sings. Jean and Margaret are sisters and come from a musical family. Their father played the guitar and also sang in a quartet. They cannot remember when their family did not sing together.

Sharri Mertens is the baritone of the group, and manages to keep busy with her two small sons and two children she cares for during the day. She also serves as bookkeeper for her husband who operates a gas station and garage.

Anna Lee Scott sings bass and is a teller at the Henry County Savings Bank in Mt. Pleasant. She lives with her mother, and in addition to Sweet Adelines she keeps busy sewing for the quartet and making the travel arrangements for them. She is assistant director for the Mt. Pleasant Chapter.

1989 - NEW SIGN FOR ELLIS

Pictured, left to right, are Sandy Massock, elementary Principal, Marcia Brewer, art teacher, and Roy Jennings, fifth grade teacher.

A new vision welcomes all to Ellis Elementary School. After 35 years in the community, Ellis has a sign designating its name. Roy Jennings, 5th grade teacher suggested the project last spring. The P.T.A. sprung into response and offered the sign as a gift to the school. Thanks to the artistic talents of Marcia Brewer and the willing labor of Roy Brewer, the vision has become a reality.

Front: Symbols: Silhouettes of boy and girl holding large book on heads (old school method of testing physical posture); the little red schoolhouse; children hold world in their hands. Back: Representation of Jonathon Livingston Sequll; Inspiration for students and teacher to reach higher.

2009 - Area firefighters train for school bus incident

After the Friday night classroom work, Saturday morning the firefighters began working the bus in the upright position. (Above) Then later in the afternoon, Randy’s Tow Service from Gower turned the bus on its side and the simulation instructions changed. The firefighters began cutting through the roof of the bus and examining the situation from each end.
The Plattsburg Fire Protection District hosted a school bus rescue course last weekend. Don Wise with the University of Missouri Extension and Adair County Fire/EMS taught the class.

“We do about 12 of these a year,” said Wise. “We go where the resources are,” said Wise about the difficulty finding a school bus to use in the exercise. According to Wise, they are developing a new curriculum with the hopes of turning the two-day course in to a 4-6 hour course that will allow more volunteer departments to participate. The two-day commitment is tough for firefighters to find time for.

During the course, overall scene management is taught along with extrication skills. “School busses are the safest mode of transportation, and when something happens the injuries are extremely minimal. But when that one critical event happens we want everyone to be prepared,” said Wise.

Fire departments from Plattsburg, Lathrop, Holt, Edgerton/Trimble, Gladstone and Independence were represented, as well as the Hamilton School District, who sent a bus driver. According to Asst. Fire Chief Brad Lawrence all schools in the northwest Missouri area were invited to send a bus driver.