40 years ago

march 18, 1981

Faced with higher fuel and materials costs for road maintenance, Marion County Commissioners discussed, on Monday, a consideration to eliminate nearly half of the 230 miles of blacktop roads.

Commissioners Harold Jost, Charles DeForest, and Earl Mueller mapped out a rough draft in which a limit of approximately 37 miles of county blacktop would be allowed in each commission district.

Twenty students participated in the annual county spelling bee Wednesday at Marion Elementary School. Bonnie Dalke, eighth grader at Hillsboro Middle School, captured the first place trophy. Cory Foth, sixth grader at Peabody, was second, and Laura Fischer, seventh grader at Florence Middle School finished in third place.

Marion High School students and teachers competed in a three hour jump rope marathon for the heart fund Saturday and raised $1,665.

Members of the winning team, Melanie Conyers, Valerie Smith, Tracy Burkholder, Brenda Silhan, Cyndi Woerz, and Tammy Harris, raised $775. Other students competing received a T-shirt and windbreaker.

Mrs. Ivan (Lois) Winter is pictured as she wraps loaves of her homemade bread for distribution to customers. The bread is made from whole grain flour, without artificial preservatives. According to Winter, she gets the grain from her father-in-law, Ben Unruh of Aulne.

Marion High School junior Jami Shirley has been named to the Salina Journal’s all-area basketball team for 1981. Shirley averaged 16.9 points per game this season. She led the team in field goal shooting with a 42 percent average.

The Ark Valley Boys country music concert and show featuring the Ark Valley Boys, the Ark Valley Band, and Jan Pratt, country singer, will be at 9 p.m. Friday night at Marion City Building. Advance tickets, $5; at the door, $6.