Author: Site Administrator

The Final Season Movie Lecture by Kent Stock

Teacher, coach, principal, husband, parent and powerful speaker, Kent Stock is also the man who coached the 1991 Norway High School baseball team during their now-famous final season. As depicted in the 2007 film, The Final Season, the nationally recognized Norway baseball team came together under inauspicious circumstances. They defied the odds under the leadership of then first-year head baseball coach, Kent Stock, and proceeded to win Norway’s 20th state title.

Kent began his career in Belle Plaine, Iowa where he became well known and respected as both a teacher and coach. While scouting a game he met the head coach of nearby Norway, Iowa’s famous baseball team, Jim Van Scoyoc, who agreed to interview Kent for an assistant coach position that had just opened up in Norway. Over the years, Norway, a tiny community of less than 600, defied statistical probability by producing 16 professional baseball players and countless college players. Baseball was pivotal in this small Iowa town.

Friday MARCH 7th doors at KING THEATER open at 6 pm. Brief intro by Kent followed by the FINAL SEASON movie. TICKETS $5 at the door, cash or card accepted. Movie will also be shown Saturday 7 pm.

Sunday, March 9 LECTURE & display opening at the BP Area Museum at 3 pm. Refreshments and Q&A following.

Hope to see you there !

Above the Tracks

Belle Plaine Area Museum and The Henry B. Tippie Annex

We wanted to start writing a weekly blog on the web site about little snippets of Belle Plaine history. Stories or events that we have run across that we think people will find of interest. We also get visitors that have Belle Plaine relationships and we wish to share that as well.

If you read old newspapers, you remember seeing a section that had local news. A two sentence comment on who was visiting from out of town or a trip that someone made. We won’t go into that much detail on a weekly basis, but hopefully tell of friends or families that have come to visit the museum.

I am saying we here, because I am enlisting the help of Wes Beck in this project. Wes Beck is our Achivist and he opens the museum. He is from Belle Plaine and has a history major from William Penn College . He is the son of Richard and Nelsene Beck. (for those of you that were wondering from which Beck family).

If you have a question or were ever wondering about a story of Belle Plaine, send us a note at info@bpiowahistory or send a pm on the Belle Plaine Area Museum facebook page, we will do our best to write an answer. Mitch Malcolm