1980-1992

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1980-1992

Mayor

1980-1983

In April, 1980, David Brenner was elected Mayor taking over from Ed Young. After serving his first term, he was elected as Platte County Eastern Commissioner.

1980

By the late 1970's, there were as many as 8 to 11 liquor by-the-drink licenses in a town that had only 2,200 residences at that time based on the 1970 census. There were only 15 full and part-time officers, who were spending much of their official time on calls at the town's taverns, leaving nobody to patrol the neighborhoods at times and there was no money in the budget to hire more officers.

In September of 1980, the city passed an ordinance that lowered the number down to 5. The 1980 census now had Riverside with over 3,000 residences and the city passed the ordinance based on that number. Or about 1 license per 600.

Betty Payton took the issue to court after being denied a license for her Cellar Lounge at the White City Motel where the city lost the case due to a technicality. The city appealed and won sometime in 1981.

Riverside

1982-1992

Fleming-Babcock Inc., AKA, the FBI was a trucking company located at 4106 Mattox Road. Their trucks were seen all over the Midwest. In later years, the Babcock's bought out the Fleming's, but kept the FBI name. They were noted has having clean and well maintained trucks. The company ended in 2014.

1980's

Manager Clifford Smith at Norm's early 80's.

From Facebook...

Beverly Hills-Krueger Ed Hill and Cliff Smith were good to me and fair. My first real job. I worked there from 1980-1983. Ed Hill was the other Manager. Kimberly Holsted was assistant mgr, and Cliff of course. Todd Mills was the cook most the time I worked there. Becky sold the beer :). Nights that we deep cleaned we hung out and played Galaga amd Astroids... good times.

Kevin Blacksher i loved norms best hamburgers and tacos ever

Melody Gerow I still have this Polaroid

Cindy Layton Johnson I worked there when Ed was manager and Dan McClung I believe was assistant mgr. I was afraid of Norma (Hertzog) when I first started.. thankfully I worked nights after she went home. It was a great first job cuz you got to see all your friends that constantly hung out there.

Probably closer to a mid 90's photo of the sign.

RED X, Carol's Fabrics

In the 1980's, Mr. Young leased out some departments and one was Carol's Fabrics. It was also a great place to buy miniature pieces for hobbies like doll houses, including miniature windows and shingles. It was destroyed in the flood of 93.

HOMESTEAD PARK

The park area was the former location of two duplex apartments which had literally washed away in the Line Creek flood of 1974. Emery Brenner donated the land and it wasn't until about 1980 that they had the funds to develop it.

Old Timers Baseball Reunion

about 1980ish

Among those pictured are; Jay Nower, J.R. Humes, Bill Berry, H.R. Crockett, Raymond Robertson and front row, 4th from left is Jim Wedua.

1980's

Vern Davis as Santa Clause.

He was Santa through the 1980's and to the early 2000's for Riverside events. He was a lifetime resident and a former city Marshall.

RENNER-BRENNER SITE PARK- The beginning

More on the site is at: www.RennerBrennerSitePark.com

Carolina Brenner Renner passed away in 1979 and lived in the white house south of the current Renner Park- which at that time was a corn field. Gary Brenner and his then wife, Mary, moved in to rent the home until it could be sold by the estate. Gary ran for city council with the goal in mind to have the city buy the land and make it a park. They were able to only buy a small part of it. In 1982, Gary won and at 2 AM during a long council session he proposed the city buy the remaining land and the vote was obvious in his favor. Between 1982 and 1984, Gary served on the council and the park board. He was teaching archaeology for Maple Woods and running his father's apartment business. He wrote three published papers on his archaeology work and somehow found spare time to direct the city in developing the park.

Gary had been doing some hand excavations looking for artifacts and had dug a hole and had found some. He would dig at night often until midnight or later.

He came home one day in 1980 to find an old man and somebody with a camera looking into his hole. It turned out the old man was Mett Shippee and the camera person was a reporter for the KC Star.

(photo below)

After this, Mett invited Gary to his home where he got three complete weekend instructions from the master which changed from being a robber to an archaeologist and the rest they say is history.

They would form a strong friendship for the remaining years of Mett's life.

Riverside Speedway bleacher's. Mid 80's and beginning to show their age.

January 17, 1980

1980.

Mayor David Brenner and the council had ideas of a river boat where there would be a floating museum. While it didn't happen, thirteen years later Argosy came along. The thought of the dream did come true. The "extra" money in the city budget of about 1.5 million then, was $400K. Today, (2018) you can probably multiply the 1.5 million at least 20 times. In the article, Brenner reports a "fund" had been set up for a park (by the River). Mr. Young wanted it kept quiet he had donated the land and the initial $5K first park budget.

1981, Liquor License Controls

National Beautiful Cities Award

About the same time as Pride and Progress was under way, the city faced one of its most difficult challenges. Riverside contained more than its share of liquor establishments – taverns and liquor stores – on a per capita basis. Then Mayor David Brenner recalled that the city in the late 1970s had between 14 and 15 businesses dispensing alcohol, most in a small section of Gateway Drive. "There were just too many for a city this size," David Brenner recalls. "I appreciate a drink, but we were just overwhelmed with them." The solution didn't occur overnight, but eventually the number of establishments was reduced. A key to the effort was recognition of the city's authority to regulate licenses. "A lot of tavern owners thought the license went with the business, automatically," he said. "It took a while, but we gradually were able to exercise some authority by the city." The license restriction became a legal issue that Riverside won at the Missouri Supreme Court.

In 1981, all of this and other work paid off with Riverside's reception of a National Beautiful Cities Award.

The award was accepted on behalf of Pride and Progress by Gary Brenner at sold out Starlight Theater at a concert by Judy Collins and Mitch Miller, whom both presented the award between their sets.

In 1980, Riverside began a newsletter called, "the Riverside Story", it was mailed free to all residents and a different version still exists today. The City made attempts in each newsletter to feature Riverside history where Gary Brenner was the history contributor through the late 1980's.

38 years later, he is the author of this website and still continues the history dream for sharing to everyone.

1980's

Dispatcher Patty Smith

Beverly Lumber would close in 2014. More is under the 40's tab.

1981, June

DISHONEST DON'S FIREWORKS

Dishonest Don's Fireworks is the oldest Riverside family owned continuously operating fireworks stand in Riverside.

Brenda Brenner Teters began the stand as a fundraiser for her son, Kurt E. Eckard to raise funds to go the the Boy Scout Camp Philmont, which is a one in a lifetime experience. The first year they sold about 10 cases of fireworks out of the back of a Chevy Blazer at the northwest corner of Vivion and Gateway for over 30 years. The next year they had small 10 x 15 tent.

Over the years since, there have been three owners: Brenda Teters, Kurt and Scott Eckard and Gary Brenner, where they were aunt's and cousins'.

Over the years Scott passed away and shortly after, Gary gave up his partnership and now it is owned and operated by Kurt.

Over the nearly 40 years, employees and friends brought in their kids who brought in grand kids. All of the partner's kids grew up at the fireworks stand. Dishonest Don's opened probably before the average age of most customers.

The name came from Don Teters who passed away. One night business was slow and he saw the Honest John's Fireworks sign across the street and said this place should be called, Dishonest Don's. And it was by that night and the sales shot through through the roof and seemed to spark the idea from then on that every fireworks stand in the nation would have a catchy name.

Soon would be: Crazy Harry's, Starvin Marvin and a long list of others.

In 1993, it provided the lot and electrical for the temporary command post for the city during the flood.

1981, September 5th.

Pride and Progress accepts National Beautiful Cities Award for Riverside.

The award is give to a city who demonstrates outstanding contributions from it's citizens to beautify the city.

The award was accepted by Gary Brenner at Starlight Theater during the break between the opening act, 70 year old Mitch Miller who had a popular TV show in the 60's called Sing Along With Mitch and then, 42 year old Judy Collins who five years before that, received a Grammy for her #1 hit, Send in the Clowns and was still filling seats with her success.

Brenner had agreed to accept the award on behalf of the City and his (then) wife, Mary Beth Brenner Smith, had second row seats.

Between acts, Brenner was led to the stage where received the award from both Miller and Collins in front of a packed theater.

Brenner said later that Ms. Collins had the deepest blue eyes that he couldn't keep from looking at and that both were extremely polite and that before the ceremony, he first met them backstage where they taught him to take three deep breaths first.

That same summer, Pride and Progress took on cleaning up Scott's Greenhouse which involved tearing part of it down. The woman with the dark glasses is Jean Grogan.

That same summer, they took on painting the entire exterior of the Park A Nite Motel which is also now gone.

A weekend was also spent by all cleaning up Line Creek by the future Homestead Road Park.

Pride and Progress took on columnist Rich Hood of the Kansas City Star who had written a series of bad articles about Riverside in 1980 and 81. Council woman, Lou Rodeberg, invited Mr. Hood for a personal tour of all the accomplishments and in return she received the following letter and a positive printed article review finally! Some of the articles had been about the attempt by the city to limit the number of liquor licenses which eventually did pass.

October 22, 1981

Enchanted Castle was the former home of John Brenner. It was demolished in 1982 for construction of Gateway Center.

1981

December

Mayor Holmes

Mayor Mike Holmes

1982 - 1988

April, 1982

Gary Brenner defeats John West for alderman, Ward 1. Gary admits his main purpose was to have the city purchase the Renner site for a park and he would see that happen in 1984 and 26 years later would adopt the role as a Riverside historian.

1982, American Cablevision came to Riverside. It was another 10 years before almost everyone was wired up.

1982

Was formerly best known as Connie's and had other owner's over the years including the Rule's.

October 24, 1982 North Twin Drive In closes.

It had opened April 5, 1970 and could occupy 6,500 cars. As of June, 2018, it's sister, the Twin in Independence is still one of the drive in's in KC remaining.

2004, We see one of the old sign bases and the entrance looking south. Since then, it has become a new residential development.

1980's Jim Coen's Barber Shop where his partner was Jimmy Roy.

1983.

Timothy Johnson getting a haircut. Jimmy Roy on the left.

1983

July 26

Jimmy Roy

The first Corner Cafe, 1983.

It began as Jolly Jerry's in the 30's, then Mary's Lunch and Reece's before becoming the first Corner Corner Cafe that would become a chain of stores nearly 50 years later.

There had always been a small restaurant at the ‘Corner’ in Riverside Missouri, but before 1983 it had changed names and hands several times. Many of the locals wanted to see a return to the old style cafe that had existed there years before and was an icon of its time (Reese’s Cafe).

Enter Ed and Kathi Rule. They were local business owners and their family had helped to establish Riverside as a city. They had never been in the restaurant business before, but always felt they knew what good food was all about. They used to always experiment at home on new recipes and go to restaurants they liked with the thought of one day possibly opening their own restaurant. That day came. It began on May 15th 1983, when they opened a little 40 seat cafe that would serve breakfast and lunch, Monday through Friday.

The Corner Cafe was born. There was a lot of learning in those first couple years. New items were introduced as daily specials written on the front windows and inside on the chalkboard. The counter became the center of

the action. ‘The Riverside Liar’s Club’ took up the large round table by the counter and became the place to be to find out all the local happenings in town. It didn’t take long for the locals to notice. Then as word spread, more and more people would start to call asking for directions. It was obvious that expansion was needed. First the weekends, then dinner, then two expansions that doubled the seating. For many it became a home away from home, it was like an extended family. People would come in everyday, some several times a day! People would bring in pictures and items to hang on the walls, they shared their lives with us as we shared our livelihood with them. When a fire in 1985 burned down a warehouse next to the restaurant, customers helped to pull items out in hopes of saving anything they could. Thankfully the fire was stopped before serious damage was done. The warehouse was a total loss, but offered an opportunity for the future.

The original cafe had occupied a location that had lasted for over 50 years as a restaurant. It was painfully obvious that modernization was needed. The wheels began to spin about the possibility of building a new restaurant where the old warehouse once stood. Careful consideration was taken while designing the new Corner Cafe. They had to make certain that they didn’t alienate the long time customer, while trying to attract new customers.

In 1984, the Rule's took over the old Connie's grocery and named it the Flash Market.

1983, June 1

Mr. Turf

Car Brite was next to Harry's or where Ramsey's Auto is in 2018

1983

Jim Coen had been a barber in the shop next to Louis Brenner's Town and Country Hardware and took it over in 1983.. Louis had started it as an appliance store and it transformed into a full service hardware store. In the Corner Cafe photo above, his shop was to the left (out of frame). Louis sold the hardware business to Jim. Many will remember long time employee's Stu and Mrs. Cole.

Inside of the hardware store by the door was this old Coke slider machine. Jim kept just about every kind of soda in it. You had to leave a 5 cent deposit if you took it out of the store. Jim actually owned the machine and Coke gave him a new upright model in December 1984. He sold the old machine to Gary Brenner for $75 who kept it another 30 years before selling it for $1750 and it still worked. It dimes.

1983.

Photo from the intersection. From left to right, the old Crossroads/Silver Fox, Filger Oil, Jim Coen's, Jimmy Roy's barber shop, then a unit that was sometimes a hair salon and then the Corner Cafe. Above were apartments. The back of the building was the Filger Oil warehouse full of oil. About this time, Winston and Brenda Peeler had taken over the oil part of Filger Oil and moved down the street.

Former city clerk Betty Burch is elected mayor in 1984.

1980's Kelly's burns.

Kelly's was started by (need name), then by the McKeon's and then Bernie Vulgamott about 1973.

Bernie's first job was pumping gas for Ferd Filger at Mary's Lunch. The first meetings around organizing the Riverside Area Chamber of Commerce happened at a breakfast at Kelly's.

Kelly's ad from 1973

PRIDE AND PROGRESS

1980's Fall Festival

Ugly Dog Contest and the Baby Crawl.

Yes, there actually was contest for what baby could crawl the fastest. There was also a dunk tank, bottle pin throw, rope climbing, log sawing, horse shoes, watermelon eating contest, bingo and many more.

1982

Students from Maple Woods CC., excavating at the Renner Site.

The Mary Brenner Smith garage is located here now.

1984

City agrees to purchase the Renner Site

and about Chief Jerry Wingo.

Near the end of a particularly long city council meeting, a very nervous councilman, Gary Brenner proposed the city purchase the Renner Site, which he recalls as being about midnight. [more is at: www.RennerBrennerSitePark.com] Mayor Holmes ask for a motion which was made and seconded and all approved. The stipulation with the Renner family was there to be a marker that had Carolina and Leslie's name on it as well as mention of it being on the National Register.

About 2 AM, Chief Jerry Wingo asked councilmen Gary and Winston Peeler to go for a ride in his car and there was something he wanted to show them. The Chief took them to the now closed North Twin just west of the old sign where he parked facing a stretch of woods. He briefly turned on his spotlight to show a doe nesting with her two fawns. It was the only time Brenner reported seeing the Chief get emotional.

The Chief said he checked on them every night. Brenner said they sat there about 30 minutes before the Chief took them to breakfast.

This was during a time the police department was faced with a lot of bad press and the Chief was under incredible pressure. The city had also lost it's insurance and the officers could not carry weapons.

Mett Shippee looking over the Renner Site in 1984.

1984

Coachlight Skating Rink, January 12

1984 Van Halen Riverside Connection

Van Halen had a concert in KC and their bus ran out of gas on I-70 just west of town and this was just about the time they were just about to become world wide famous with their new album called: 1984. It was late and somehow the bus driver contactedWinston PeelerofPeeler Oil(he was also Ward 2 Alderman) where Winston sent Buzz Britt. Buzz went and filled the tank and got them going, but nobody had any money. Buzz recounted later that he had never heard of Van 'Hagen". Through personal cc, Buzz later recounted the bus driver was totally embarassed. Peeler confirmed he was eventually paid and in later years admitted he didn't know who they really were at that time.

July 22, 1984

Riverside Speedway

1984, August 25

1984

October 3,

Riverside Fall Festival

Rope Ladder & the Park Hill Trojan marching band.

Riverside Wash and Service

Photo: circa 1979-1985

Was located between the current Corner Cafe and the Swope Medical building.

1985

John Blogin,in front of his fireworks store off West Platte,and the interior.

He enjoyed life.

1985

This ad appeared only a few weeks before the fire.

January 24, 1985.

Jim Coen Hardware Store Fire

There was a water heater between the hardware store the the oil warehouse that sat high on a platform and serviced most of the building. It had just been replaced and regardless of the reason, it exploded that morning. Gary Brenner reported he believes he was the last customer and said he smelled the fire and that Jim didn't see too concerned at first and that in seconds, the building was fully involved. Jim was able to call the police department before grabbing what he could and waited out front. The Riverside fire department was all voluntary at the time and required at least 4 persons on the firetruck (which was just purchased) before it could leave the station. Most police officers were dual trained with both public safety and fire safety. Long time resident, Rick Turner had just come out of the Corner Cafe and saw what was happening and looked around wondering why he wasn't hearing sirens. He jumped in his truck and said he was going to get firetruck himself. He got to the station just as there 4 others. At a later council meeting the councilmen asked chief Wingo what the response time was and he reported it was eleven minutes. In those days that was pretty good. It really didn't matter even if they had guys in the truck in the parking lot before the fire started. It an accelerated fire from the oil. Both Kansas City and NKC were called in and brought ladder trucks. In those days is was a strict protocol to call in mutual aid for any structure fire.

The front wall fell seconds before Riverside's firetruck was moved.

Jim and his wife talking to channel 5 new where they said they didn't know what they were going to do.

The entire place was demolished, even though a firewall saved the oldest part of the structure. Jim went on to run the hardware department for Mr. Young. The Rules built the new Corner Cafe. Peeler Oil opened a new location down the street. Jimmy Roy opened a sport memorabilia store off N. Oak in Gladstone.

Many residents saved some of the brick from the building.

Dirt Man

This was a company started by Bob and Vicky in the old car wash.

Dirt Man started out on North Oak with a one-room shanty and a pile of dirt.

Development took over at the North Oak location and Dirt Man relocated to

Riverside, Missouri in the old car wash. The shanty made the move as well

but soon turned into a storage shed. The office operated out of the tunnel in

the old car wash. Dirt Man took the washing bays and turned them into

covered storage bins for dirt. We were one of the FIRST in the Kansas City

area to give customers and contractors dry dirt after a rainy day.

Often imitated but never duplicated Dirt Man survived the flood of '93 with

waters reaching the edge of the property. The Army Corp of Engineers set-up

shop in the parking lot and Dirt Man became command central as the people

of Riverside held their breath. The local animals made the parking lot their

home as well during the flood. One visitor noted it looked like a wildlife

preserve!

They have since moved their operation off North Oak.

1985

July 25

Gary Brenner had received approval from the City council to have a proper monument constructed and he asked for the help with the wording from Jim Feagins.

Looking north up Gateway

1985

Riverside Fall Festival behind City Hall.

November 19, 1986

1986

Teri Deister

Found these in my mom’s stuff, my brother’s last year doing Demolition Derby

1986

This bell stood in the St. Matthew's tower for many years and was removed after the structure began to fail. The bell was then lost and was found by Richard Brenner who began a campaign to build the monument in the cemetery.

1987

More on this is at: www.RennerBrennerSitePark.com

Gary Brenner was serving on the city council and the park board. He was also teaching archaeology at the Renner Site for Maple Woods Community College.

He spent his free time with his own tools and equipment to help the city develop the Renner-Brenner Site Park that would five long years. The park board budget at that time was about $500 and Ed Young privately donated $5000 to the fund. Gary got approval from the council to have a monument built which he designed. The wording was done by archaeologist Jim Feagins and Dr. Mary Adair who is a KU archaeology professor. The contract to make the monument was given to the Johnson Monument Company from Independence. Gary was up for re election on the day the monument was set to be delivered and instead of being at the polls, he was helping the Johnson's set the monument. Photo below.

Gary's Maple Woods Archaeology class, 1986.

He taught the class from 1982 to 1992.

1987

JETS FOOTBALL

Jet's football team shown in the background during Gary's Archaeology class. The newest City Hall now occupies that spot.

1987

Gary had won his re election by one vote, so his opponent Sheree Shepard filed a suit claiming a voter had not been registered in the wrong ward and other mistakes and went to the Platte County Court. The issue was the County Clerk, Doris Gerner, had certified the election and normally that makes it final.

The case went to court where the judge ruled there would be a special election where Gary would loose. He would claim that was because media coverage made it look like he did something wrong. He got a hand written apology from Doris Gerner. Gary said he spent over $600 in legal fee's out of his pocket which was more than he as paid on the council . He said he wasn't upset and that the Riverside public didn't know his behind the scenes work not only with the archaeological work at the site, but also the on going work to build the Renner-Brenner Site Park and he remained on the park board and the project until it was completed.

The ironic footnote is six months after taking office, Mrs. Shepard resigned to go back to college.

The Missouri Supreme Court changed the election laws regarding ties and voter registration issues because of this case.

June 21, 1987 David Theater Opens

The David Theatre is one of Riverside's most dramatic sagas both figuratively and literally. In 1987, the David Theatre had been operated by the "Bell Road Barn Players" for more than three decades. Jenkin and Barbara David started the summer theatre in 1954. Owners of a farm in Parkville, they utilized a barn as a community theatre for some 32 years.

As head of the drama department at Park University for 25 years, David began the theater as a way for his students to experience a summer workshop and participate in acting, directing, set and costume design. After Jenkin's death in 1984, Barbara realized that she could not continue with the care of the farm and subsequently decided to sell the home place. This caused the Bell Road Players to seek a new location, but their budget and space needs were a difficult combination. Not surprisingly to anyone familiar with Riverside, E.H. Young read about the plight of the Bell Road Players and came to their rescue. He offered the use of another, perhaps even more historic barn located in Riverside – a barn once used by the Riverside Downs Jockey Club horse race track.

The barn restoration efforts began in early 1987. It took nine months. Young, the David family, the Bell Road Barn Board of Directors and many volunteers spent hours developing the new David Theatre in Riverside and moving all of their material to the new facility. Finally, after months of work, the Bell Road Barn began their 33rd season on June 18, 1987 at its new location, 4200 NW Riverside Street. For just over five years, the players, their facility and Riverside were ready to "break a leg." Unfortunately, the year of 1993 brought down the curtain on this successful endeavor. The Great Flood of that year inundated the theater and much of Riverside with it. Unfortunately for the theater, not only was the building a total loss, but much of the contents, including sets, costumes and other equipment and supplies. When the floodwaters receded, the Bell Road Barn was forced to look for a new facility. New quarters were eventually found once again at Park University and the relationship with Park was again forged.

April 14, 1987

HOW THE E. H. YOUNG PARK CAME TO BE

1987

November

Winston and Ruby Klamm

May 15, 1988

Riverside Chamber of Commerce is formed

and

River City Days

The "Riverside Area Chamber of Commerce" was a significant development of the 1980s. In 1988, Mayor Betty Burch contacted consulting assistance with sportscaster and Northland personality, Bill Grigsby. She knew the city needed a boost and Grigsby operated a consulting group, CityMark, which helps communities identify strengths and marshal resources for improvement.

Approximately 50 people attended a meeting, including business and property owners, concerned citizens and several members of the Board of Aldermen. During the meeting, Grigsby said, "You have two choices. You can either get an army of bulldozers and plow the place under or you can clean up your act! [Gary Brenner remembers mumbling a big flood would work better and that would happen almost exactly 5 years later] Paint your buildings, plant some trees and make your community a viable place to be." Community leader Dan Peak was sitting next to David and Marilyn Brenner during the meeting. Marilyn suggested to Dan the need for a Chamber of Commerce. Agreeing that this was a good idea, Peak stood and made a motion to form a new Chamber. Riverside hosted a Chamber in the past, but at that time there was no current, organized effort. A steering committee was formed and the new Riverside Area Chamber of Commerce followed. Dan Peak was named first president.

At a meeting held on May 15, 1988 at the David Theatre, Articles of Incorporation and organizational bylaws were accepted unanimously, along with newly elected Board of Directors and Officers: Dan Peak, President; Ron Hopkins, Vice President; Bill Smith, Secretary/Treasurer; Sheree Shepard, Toni Case, Bill Bailey, Ron Hopkins, Bill Tott, Phillip Wollard and Jim Davis. Directors meetings were held at the John Brown and Company office with the focus on the cleanup of Riverside. A couple of workdays were held and volunteers pitched in to start improving the community. The Chamber included 50 - 70 members.

Fundraising activities included member dinners and auctions. The organization Reach Out America and other local charities were recipients of the proceeds. Toni Case, who was the 1989 president of the Riverside Area Chamber of Commerce, began a festival called River City Days, held around the 4th of July. Entertainment and activities included a small carnival, fireworks display, and the ever-popular dunk tank. The Chamber also held a dance in conjunction with the fall festival.

Case said the key goal of the Chamber at the time was to help beautify Riverside. "The idea was to clean up the city by promoting businesses to clean up their buildings and help others to do the same." Today, many things have changed. Although there is no longer a River City Days, the 50 members have grown to 150. The Chamber still participates in the fall festival, now MusicFest, and they still donate to local charities. Most importantly, the goal of making our community a better place to be remains as important today as it was in 1988.

1988

Honest John's Fireworks at the entrance the old North Twin

1989

Riverside Stadium Closes.

Car Racing History ends, article 1989

July 19, 1989

August 30, 1989

January 24, 1990

1989

Renner Site

In 1989, the park budget was about $2,000 and Gary sought donations from the newly formed Chamber of Commerce to help fund the construction of the shelter house and gazebo. Craig Sutherland of Sutherland Lumber Company, also provided the funds. Bother were designed by Gary and built by Gary and Bill Bright, WMI Contruction (Mitch Burch) and city employees. These buildings were replaced about 20 years later with metal buildings due to insurance regulations.

The gazebo sketch.

Now that it's gone, I can report I had built in a hidden switch so I could turn off the main light so I could watch storms from inside the gazebo and I can tell you I did that countless time. There were at least 20 weddings conducted there.

1990

July 5

Mud volleyball.

Riverside had added River City Days that took place in the summer.

1990's

Fall Festival

Jamie Harris and Heather Brenner leading the Girl Scouts in the annual Fall Festival parade in front of Riverside Car Wash about 1990.

1990

New Paragraph

After four years of work, Renner Brenner Site Park was ready for dedication.

Since this photo, the paving brick were replaced with cement.

FRONT

BACK

June 16, 1990

Renner-Brenner Site Park is dedicated.

David Brenner is showing his son, Gary where to cut the ribbon. Mayor Betty Burch is in the flag skirt to the right and Gary's son, Christopher is sitting at the monument.

The scene below was dedicating the shelter house.

1992

The parks first gazebo was designed and built by Gary Brenner with help from Bill Bright and the city maintenance staff. Photo is of Ken Klamm and is puppy.

Gary's first design of the gazebo. He decided to create a cupulo on top.

The gazebo was replaced in the late 2010's for a smaller metal structure due to insurance regulations.

Gary had built park markers intended to be temporary and they remained for nearly 20 years. In 2018, he was working with the city on new markers.

The first park shelter house was designed by Gary as well as the light poles. The funds for the shelter came from Craig Sutherland and the Riverside Chamber of Commerce** [see letter below]. The cement platform was provided by Mitch Burch. The building was replaced about 2010 with a metal building to meet the city's insurance needs and the lights were replaced about the same time, mostly because heavy winds kept blowing the globes off.

I had forgotten I was a past secretary for the Chamber......

1990

Brenner's hope for the park's future in a newspaper story.

RENNER SITE ENTRANCE

Under a $20K contract with the City, Harlan Shaver built the rock wall entrance. The inlays were enlarged from molds from actual artifacts found by Gary Brenner and provided by Shaver at his own expense. The wall is about 70 feet long, 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide.