<hr /> <i>By Dodie Maurer, Special to The Star Herald</i></p><p></p><p>Hard to believe but Daylight Saving Time begins a week from this coming Sunday, on March 14 that is! Usually it’s an indicator that spring is on the way. But as we wrote this over last weekend, snow was still on the ground, dating back to Christmas Eve, with maybe the exception of a couple of days. This winter has set records for the number of low temperature days, the amount of snow that’s fallen and the number of days it’s been on the ground. Don’t know about you, but we’re tired of being cold and are ready for spring!! The weather reports were looking better for this week and at least one other indicator of the season’s beginning will be Belton’s St. Patrick’s Day parade which is scheduled for next Saturday, March 13, beginning at 4 p.m. at the corner of Second and Hackberry streets. It will then proceed down Main Street to Cherry Street, turning left to wend its way back to Second Street and finish at the starting point. Parade Marshals will be Jim and Barbara Blair and members of their family. Anyone can participate. Parade forms are at R. S. Diecast or online at <a href="http://www.mainstreetbelton.com">www.MainStreetBelton.com</a>. Sure, and we wish you all a Happy St. Paddy’s Day!</p><p>• • • </p><p>We regretted hearing the news that superintendent Kenny Southwick is retiring from our Belton School District. He has spent 22 years here, first as director of special services and secondary curriculum, before being named superintendent early in 1998. During his time at the helm, the district has seen a wealth of new buildings including the Mill Creek Fifth and Sixth Grade Center, the Freshman Center, new baseball and softball fields, tennis courts and a new football stadium. He was instrumental in forming the Belton Educational Foundation, has been involved and active in a number of activities relating to the district and the Belton community. Our city has undergone tremendous growth during that time period, and the years to come will undoubtedly continue along that path and continue to bring challenges to the district. We hope the school board takes a broad look at possible replacements. Someone perhaps from other areas such as ours who has the ability to look ahead with new ideas so that the reputation of our district can continue to be a bright spot in Belton. Also leaving will be Carol Wilson, who has been with our school system for 30 years and has served as Kenny’s secretary. A great gal with a super personality and we wish both of them many happy years ahead.</p><p>• • • </p><p>Belton and its Main Street has lost another of its long-time businesses with the closing effective this past Monday of Dryden Drug Store at 401 Main which ends 79 years of a family business and more than 100 of a drugstore at that location. Growth and change. You can’t have the first without the other and as Jody at Style Setters Hair Salon said last week, “there’s nothing as consistent as change.” Towns and cities which don’t undergo growth, eventually die. But for cities that do grow, there is a plus and a minus to many of the changes that take place. And Belton has grown dramatically during the past 25 years or so. When we arrived in Belton in 1963, Main Street and to a lesser degree, North Scott Avenue, were Belton’s shopping areas. On Main Street, the businesses included Hy-Klas Grocery Store, Belton Dry Goods, Steinbrueck’s Furniture, the Bank of Belton and Citizens Bank of Belton, the Belton Library, Western Auto, Midge’s, a women’s dress shop, a barber shop, a couple of insurance agents, Fay Hardware, Weeks Jewelry Store, The Belton Star-Herald, a pool hall, city hall, the police and fire departments (in the building which now houses the Belton Museum of History), the U. S. Post Office, Bob Sevy and Clyde Alexander had gas stations catty corner from one another at Chestnut Street, Fleetwood Chevrolet, Missouri Public Service, the Little Shirt Company, Wear Electric, Belton Animal Hospital and more. Dr. H. A. Tracy had an office on Main Street, but he had started in Belton in a second floor office in the Dryden Drug building, and in 1963, attorney Carl Gum and optometrist John Fenton, were located in first floor offices in the building. Two churches were also on Main Street, the Belton Christian Church and the First Baptist Church on opposite corners at Cherry Street. </p><p>The businesses were all family-owned. And not always were there following generations to step in and continue the businesses, or those generations went down separate paths. In the meantime, Belton’s 58 Highway corridor was beginning to grow. What was once primarily farm land, now was growing, not only commercially but residentally. And so little by little Main Street changed. But Dryden’s grew and remained. As owner Jack Dryden wrote in this space last week, he earned his pharmacy degree in 1953 and began in partnership with his dad before buying the store from him in 1973. Jack’s son, Steve, joined the business in 1983. As Jack pointed out the country’s economic problems and the increased competition took its toll. The Dryden family will be missed as will the store which bore its name. Tara’s Café is remaining, and we’d guess that you’ll find regular customers still congregating and conversing about changes in Belton and new businesses now on Main Street. We hope that as Belton’s growth continues, Main Street’s changes will include some new pluses, to help it find its own niche again as an important shopping and visitor’s center of our city. To Jack, Steve, Terry, Dot, Margo, Denise and all those who have been such familiar faces for so many years, Godspeed and His blessings. You will be missed.</p><p>• • •</p><p>Hard to believe but this year marks the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was Feb. 19, 1945 when U.S. Marines stormed Iwo Jima, which was the beginning of the downfall of Japan. In a little more than six months, wars in the European and Pacific theaters both had ended. Most of our readers weren’t even around then, but for those who were, maybe we can bring back some more memories of that year the next time we visit.