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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2021
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BRIEFS Siren Explanation Given
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Bright Futures Trenton held its annual recognition meeting Friday afternoon, with Adriane Todd and Jackie Hoffman, left, honored as “Champions of the Year.” Wesley United Methodist Church, represented by Dr. John Holcomb, was named the “Partner of the Year.” Pictured with Dr. Holcomb is Christy Tolson, a member of the Bright Futures advisory board.
Bright Futures Holds Celebration Wesley United, Hoffman And Todd Honored By Organization Bright Futures Trenton celebrated its volunteers and programs during the annual volunteer recognition luncheon held Friday, Oct. 22 in the Sugg Room of the Ketcham Community Center. The Wesley United Methodist Church was recognized as the 2021 Partner of the Year while Jackie Hoffman and Adriane Todd were honored as the 2021 Champions of the Year. Kristi Harris and Christy Tolson, members of the Bright Futures Trenton Advisory Board, made the award presentations and gave a brief summary of each honorees’ contributions to the program. The Wesley UMC provides space to house various Bright Futures items and has hosted programs for youth at Rissler Elementary School. The UMC women’s group also washed
the gym shoes collected by the Boy Scouts that are given out during the fall Back to School program. According to the nomination, the group always responds when they learn of a need. “Wesley United Methodist has been one of our dependable faithbased partners since our beginnings. They re-sponded to our request to provide nutritious snacks to Rissler Elementary third and fourth grade students during MAP testing in our first year,” read the nomination. “The congregation has faithfully provided supplies, backpacks and hygiene items for our Back to School event every year and many of their members volunteer to help during the event.” When a new program to reward the Terrific Kid award winners was insti-
tuted, the church enthusiastically got involved. “In 2019 the Rissler counselors coordinated field trips each month for the Terrific Kids award winners, seeking community organizations to provide a service opportunity for these students. The women at Wesley United Methodist enthusiastically provided a great experience teaching students about their community ministries and allowing those students to participate in their various sewing projects. You will find members of the congregation serving on the Bright Futures Trenton Advisory Board, site councils and volunteering in many other ways.” Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Hoffman coordinate the Hodge Presbyterian Church’s new shoes program, “New [See FUTURES, Page 8]
Library Still Relevant At 130 Years Old Trenton Mainstay Was Dedicated Back In 1891 When Jewett Norris provided the initial funds to establish a free public library in Grundy County it’s doubtful he could have imagined that 130 years later one could research his name on a database on the library’s website. But thanks to his generosity and that of other area residents over the years, the Grundy County-Jewett Norris Library remains as relevant today as it was when it was dedicated in 1891. The library is celebrating its 130th birthday this month and there’s a lot to celebrate. While the exterior of the building looks much the same as it did at its dedication ceremony on Oct. 13, 1891, the interior contains the technology necessary to reach library
WEATHER ALMANAC Day:
High/Low Rain
Thursday Fridday Saturday Sunday Barton Sunday
52/45 — 57/40 — 62/43 — 67/48 3.94 Campus 68/47 3.70
users in 2021. Early efforts to construct a library in Grundy County failed, but in 1890, Jewett Norris offered the Trenton school district $50,000 ($15,000 of which would be reserved for maintenance) for a trust fund to construct and equip a library that was to be “free to the people of Trenton and Grundy County forever.” Norris, described in newspaper accounts as an early pioneer resident of the community, had moved away from Grundy County 20 years before making the offer. The Trenton Weekly Republican said the gift was “the greatest bequest to education ever made in the state of Missouri.” “Norris gave the money for the library because he figured he had earned that amount in Grundy County and, by wise investment of this capital, was able to enlarge the amount,” read a Trenton Republican-Times story written in observance of the library’s 50th anniversary. “He felt he should return the original amount to the county in some substantial, lasting manner.” Construction began in May 1890 and by dedication day, Mr. Norris had been dead for about five months. His grandson made the trip to Trenton to read a speech Mr. Norris had prepared for the occasion. No one in Grundy
County remembers the day the library was dedicated (if someone does, please contact the RepublicanTimes so we can interview YOU!) but many remember the day in Oct. 1992 when the community came together to celebrate the renovation of the building, spurred by a donation from Rose Hoover. She initially donated $25,000 to help with the cost of a new slate roof, but went on to match up to $75,000 in donations and grants received for the project, which included window replacement, a heating system, elevator and the renovation of what is now the Hoover Community Theater. In all, more than $800,000 was raised for the project. Since that time, the library, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in Sept. 1984, has seen a different kind of transformation - a digital one. For instance, patrons can go on the library website to conduct research and books can be downloaded to tablets and computers. A bank of computers are available for public use. These are ways Mr. Norris could not have fathomed his generosity would be used, but the vision of today’s modern GC-JN Library, which is “to become a hub for learning while also enriching lives, building community and foster-
When storms hit north Missouri on Sunday, there was some confusion as to why the warning sirens were not activated in Trenton and Grundy County Emergency Management Director Glen Briggs has provided an answer to that question. “Yesterday’s storm threat as identified by the National Weather Service was in extreme northwest Grundy County, north of Brimson and toward the west of Spickard,” he said. “There was zero tornado risk for Trenton.” Briggs said that some people in the Trenton area may have received a wireless emergency alert telling them to seek shelter. The cell phone carriers delivered the message to anyone within range of the tower, regardless of if they were in the tornado warning area or not. “The bottom line to remember is tornadoes are small and counties are big,” he said. “We remain diligent during severe weather and we would have sounded the sirens had there been a tornado risk for the city of Trenton.”
NCMC Board Agenda
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees will meet in regular session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Frey Administrative Center. Items on the announced agenda include employee introductions, student senate, reports from admissions/marketing, TRiO, vice president for academic affairs, vice president of student affairs, chief information officer and the president, Head Start salary adjustments, consideration of bids and purchases, consideration of surplus property, the first reading of a policy recommendation, special meeting requests/meeting changes, personnel matters including resignations, employments and job descriptions. The agenda also lists an executive session to discuss personnel, legal matters and real estate.
Band Successful At Macon
The Trenton Golden Bulldog Marching Band had a successful outing at the Macon Marching Festival over the weekend. The band, under the direction of Anthony Webb, placed second in parade, with an Outstanding Color Guard Caption Award for parade as well. The group earned second place in indoor color guard, second place in indoor drum line and second place in field show. The festival marked the end of the 2021 marching season, which featured drum majors Trager Leeper and Maurissa Bonta. The band will now turn its attention to concert music, with the Trenton Middle School and Trenton High School winter band concerts scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 21.
Softball Game, Dance Saturday
Two events to benefit special needs residents in Grundy County have been scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30 in Trenton. The Trenton Heroes/The Gifted Group vs. Celebrities softball game will be held at 2 p.m. at the Ebbe Sports Complex, with the Special Needs Halloween Dance scheduled for that evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at Trenton High School.
Alumni Planning Under Way
Jewett Norris
ing success,” fits well with what Mr. Norris hoped the library would be for Grundy County residents, as he wrote in his dedication address. “It should, and I trust it will, be the resort of all lovers of learning,” his grandson read. “And of all literary and scientific societies and philanthropic individuals and charitable associations who hope to make the world better by discouraging idle habits and encouraging the employment of all leisure hours in the acquisition of useful knowledge.” Today’s modern library provides unlimited ways to acquire useful knowledge and would certainly have made Mr. Norris proud of the legacy he left at the corner of Main Street and Crowder Road. In honor of the library’s 130th birthday, library staff and Friends of the Library are celebrating with refreshments each day this week beginning at 11 a.m.
Planning for the 2022 Trenton High School Alumni Week-end is already under way and, in an effort, to provide information to alums much earlier, the annual All Class Planning Meeting has been scheduled. Class representatives are invited to attend the annual meeting on Saturday, November 6th at the BTC Bank Meeting Room in Trenton. The hour-long meeting will begin at 1:00 pm. Classes requesting mailing lists are asked to contact John Holcomb in advance at 660-359-1838 or emailing him at johnlholcomb@gmail.com. Lists will then be available to be picked up at the meeting on November 6th. Persons are asked to park on the north side of the building for entering the meeting room. Classes unable to attend the planning meeting are asked to contact Kevin Bailey, Steve Maxey, or John Holcomb to indicate tentative plans for their respective 2022 reunion. Association officers plan to coordinate the initial mailing in February 2022, allowing for an earlier notification of reunion plans than in the past. Postponement of several reunions over the past year due to COVID will likely make the 2022 reunion a bigger one.
Nursing Home Board Meets
The Grundy County Nursing Home District Board of Directors met Tuesday, Oct. 19. The board heard two presentations for a new phone system at the meeting, one from Marco and another from Green Hills. After hearing both proposals, the board voted to accept the proposal from Green Hills. Administrator Jerry Doerhoff told board members that residents enjoyed a variety of activities during the month, including the monthly birthday party, chocolate shakes, porch time and the resident council meeting. A resident food tasting program was also started with the first month’s featured dish being breakfast sausage. Work on the energy project continues. A closed session was held to approve minutes from the September closed session. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m.