Ridgeway News -- December 24, 2025

CITY NEWS: If you are interested in running for mayor or alderman in the April election, please see Toni Storms in the city office during business hours before December 31. She has all the forms you need to complete and have notarized to file for candidacy. There are two alderman positions up for election as well as the position of mayor.

There will be no Bingo in January. The next Bingo night will be Monday, February 2 at 6:30 pm. More information will be posted at that time.

Save the date for the second annual Spring into Homesteading event on March 28, 2026 in the Ridgeway R-V school gym! We are hoping to have more demonstrations and vendors this year, so if you are interested in vending and/or demonstrating, please contact Paula Scott at 660-872-6500 or Susie Rollheiser.

SCHOOL NEWS: School break: The school is now closed for the winter break and will resume classes on January 6. Over the break, the varsity basketball teams will participate in the Holiday Hoops tournament at North Central Missouri College. The girls will start by playing Brashear at 10:30 am on Dec 30 and the boys will play Brashear at noon. Good luck, Bobcats!

The Ridgeway PTO presents Music Bingo Night on January 22 from 6 pm to 8 pm in the school cafeteria. Prizes will be awarded to up to three winners per game with additional prizes for black out. Snacks and refreshments will be available.

SOCIETY: The community sewing group will resume meeting in January. They meet on the second and fourth Mondays each month from 1 pm to 4 pm. Next month they will meet January 12 and 26 at the church. All are invited to attend – you do not need a sewing machine or experience, just willing hands and heart.

CLOSING: Merry Christmas to all! Thank you for reading! Wave to your neighbors!

Upcoming Events

*** No Bingo in January ***

Jan 3 RCBA Scrapbookers, 10 am to noon, Paula’s Sewing Corner

Jan 12 Ridgeway Community Betterment Assn, 6 pm, Ridgeway Community Room

Jan 19 Ridgeway Board of Aldermen, 7 pm, Ridgeway Community Room

Jan 22 Ridgeway PTO Music Bingo, 6pm, Ridgeway School cafeteria

Feb 2 RCBA Bingo Night, 6:30 pm, Ridgeway Community Room

             Mar 12 Farmers’ Appreciation Dinner, TBA

Mar 28 Spring into Homesteading, TBA, Ridgeway School Gym

Ridgeway News Updates

To send in an item for the Ridgeway News or subscribe to the email list, send an email to RidgewayCBA@gmail.com. Emailed copies are sent out Friday mornings at 6 am.

You can find every Bit of History item as well as flyers for upcoming events on the RCBA website: ridgewaycba.blogspot.com

For the most current updates, follow RCBA on Facebook! Find it by searching for @RidgewayCBA.

Bit of History -- December 24, 2025

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated December 19, 1940:

The grade school children of Ridgeway were presenting a Christmas Pageant in the school auditorium. The chorus would include sixty grade school children. Among the “stars” of the cast were Juanita Stockwell, who played Mary. Joseph was played by Marvin Scott, Gerald Bake and Darryl Dale (not sure why it took three boys to play Joseph.: Kenneth Wise, David Jincks and Junior Roberts. Betty Jean Polley was the Herald Angel and Heralds by Billy Williams and Bryce Polley.

In other school doings, the first graders “wrote a letter to Santa Claus inviting him to visit their room tomorrow Friday” and Gerald Dean Nible brought us a big Christmas tree. The girls and boys decorated it.” Meanwhile, the third graders had Santa Claus flying through the air in an airplane in our hall. We hope he lands next Friday. The fourth grade class “studied Christmas trees and how to tell the difference between fir, spruce, hemlock and cedar.”

Ridgeway News -- December 17, 2025

CITY NEWS: Check out the light poles along Main Street to see the new Christmas banners!  They have been purchased by Ridgeway businesses and organizations and really give Main Street a festive air.  

The Ridgeway Community Betterment Association have decided to hold their January meeting after all.  They will meet Monday, January 12 at 6 pm in the Ridgeway Community Room in City Hall and they will be using that time to plan the 2026 calendar including a new game night in February for grown-ups to play cards and socialize.  More details to be announced later.

There will be no Bingo in January. The next Bingo night will be Monday, February 2 at 6:30 pm. More information will be posted at that time.

Save the date for the second annual Spring into Homesteading event on March 28, 2026 in the Ridgeway R-V school gym! We are hoping to have more demonstrations and vendors this year, so if you are interested in vending and/or demonstrating, please contact Paula Scott or Susie Rollheiser.

SCHOOL NEWS: The Ridgeway Student Council invites all Ridgeway alumni to Homecoming 2025 this Friday, December 19.  The day activities will include a Homecoming shopping cart parade in the gym at 10 am followed by a pep rally.  After the pep rally, a lunch of walking tacos will be served in the cafeteria.  The Homecoming game will be played at 6 pm against North Nodaway.

The Ridgeway PTO presents Music Bingo Night on January 22 from 6 pm to 8 pm in the school cafeteria.  Prizes will be award to up to three winners per game with additional prizes for black out.  Snacks and refreshments will be available.

There are several positions open in the Ridgeway R-V school district including physical education teacher, grades 6-12 math teacher, school counsellor and student liaison. For more information, call 660-872-6813 to request an application, or email: Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick at mfitzpatrick@rhsk12.org or superintendent@rhsk12.org. Applications are available on the school website.

SOCIETY: Morris Chapel will hold their annual Christmas program on tonight, Wednesday, December 17 at 7 pm with a Nativity skit (all children are welcome to participate), music, readings, and other reminders that Jesus is the true reason to celebrate.

The Ridgeway United Methodist Church will host their Christmas program on Sunday evening, December 21 at 5:30 pm. Everyone is invited to come to enjoy the program and special music. There will be treats for all to enjoy in Jackson Hall after the program.

The Ridgeway Baptist Church will hold a candlelight Christmas service on Sunday, December 21 at 6 pm. All are invited to attend.

CLOSING: Hope you have a great week and don’t forget to send me any items for the paper by Sunday evening! Thank you for reading! Wave to your neighbors!

Upcoming Events

Dec 17 Morris Chapel Christmas Program, 7 pm

Dec 21 Ridgeway United Methodist Church Christmas program, 5:30 pm

Dec 21 Ridgeway Baptist Church Candlelight service, 6 pm

*** No Bingo in January ***

Jan 3 RCBA Scrapbookers, 10 am to noon, Paula’s Sewing Corner

Jan 12 Ridgeway Community Betterment Assn, 6 pm, Ridgeway Community Room

Jan 19 Ridgeway Board of Aldermen, 7 pm, Ridgeway Community Room

Mar 12 Farmers’ Appreciation Dinner, TBA

Mar 28 Spring into Homesteading, TBA, Ridgeway School Gym

Ridgeway News Updates

To send in an item for the Ridgeway News or subscribe to the email list, send an email to RidgewayCBA@gmail.com.  Emailed copies are sent out Friday mornings at 6 am.  

You can find every Bit of History item as well as flyers for upcoming events on the RCBA website:  ridgewaycba.blogspot.com

For the most current updates, follow RCBA on Facebook!  Find it by searching for @RidgewayCBA.  

Bit of History -- December 17, 2025

From the Ridgeway Journal dated December 14, 1893:   

“Old Aunt Em” and her family had what was probably the shortest residence on record in Ridgeway.  She moved from Bethany with her husband, children and household goods and the next day, she had to move back to Bethany.  “As soon as our people learned the next morning that she was in town, the marshal interviewed her and she promptly departed south for the town of iniquity from which she came.”  She was strongly encouraged to leave Ridgeway once the officials learned she was a prostitute and had run a house of ill repute for fifteen years in Bethany.  

While Ridgeway officials were glad for Bethany in that they were trying to “wipe the evils from their town”, they didn’t appreciate that those evils were moving into their own town.  “We are glad that at last Bethany has a set of officials who are making an honest effort to wipe the evils from their town, and we think all the good citizens, all over the county should encourage them in the work...Let the good work go on down there and if that town will ship them, we are sure none of the other towns of the county will harbor them.”

Bit of History -- December 10, 2025

In the December 7, 1893 edition of the Ridgeway Journal, the editor made what was probably a contentious suggestion: “It has been suggested that the Sunday schools unite and have a union Christmas tree at the Kern hall.” The writer thought this would be an excellent idea as “A large majority of the people would like to attend both trees, and the way it always has been, both churches were crowded and no one could take any comfort.” By combining the Sunday Schools of both the Methodist Episcopal and Christian churches and holding the program in Kern Opera House, there would be plenty of room and “would also be a good thing to bring the schools closer in a social relation and make them work more in harmony.”

Despite the editorial encouragement, the Methodist church continued with having its own program, complete with a Christmas tree and arch filled with gifts, a full program and a meal. The Christian Church held its program on the same night in the Kern Hall. After the night of festivities, the paper published a brief item mentioning that both programs had been well attended and enjoyed by many, but were interrupted by a fire alarm for a home in East Ridgeway. “A splendid program had been prepared but its effect was spoiled by the alarm of fire and a stampede was narrowly averted”, however “The tree was well laden with presents and all had a good time.”

Bit of History -- December 3, 2025

In 1920, the Ridgeway Journal dedicated an entire page of its December 20 holiday edition to stories about the Ridgeway school. The reporter from the Journal who wrote the article didn’t have a by-line so I have no way of know if the reporter was male or female.

The reporter visited every school room and described the room and what the students were doing that day. In room 1, the reporter was delighted by the décor: “the dainty curtains at the windows, the well chosen pictures on the walls, the string of Japanese lanterns and the flowers in the windows.” In every classroom, the students were hard at work with lessons in reading, arithmetic, geography, and more. The reporter also noted that “in all the rooms visited, the ample lighting, heating and good ventilation and single seats contributed to comfort and the pictures, flowers and curtains pleased the eye and the books added a charm of their own.”

“While we are proud of every branch of our school, yet we look with especial pride upon our High School.” In addition to the general education classes such as algebra, history, English and Latin, the high school provided teacher and business education with classes in typing and shorthand and prepared many students for college educations. As of the date of the article, seventeen Ridgeway graduate were enrolled in higher education with nine at Missouri State University, three in the University of Kansas, two in the Kirksville normal school (now known as Truman State University) and three in the Warrensburg normal school (now known as the University of Central Missouri.) The article then went on to describe the education program and the business courses. It ended with “The people who are now enjoying the benefits of the school should be, and are, very grateful not only for the persistent efforts of the various school boards which suggested and the people who voted for our magnificent school building, but to the efficient and unending efforts of the various teachers who have from time to time had charge of the different departments.”