10 YEARS AGO:
NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF JULY 15, 2004
Because doctors and nurses — sometimes pushing a patient in a wheelchair — often have to dodge heavy traffic while crossing Sibley Avenue, the Meeker County Memorial Hospital Board passed a resolution Monday to request a crosswalk between the hospital and the Allina Medical Clinic. “I run,” said Dr. Deb Peterson, chief of the medical staff at the hospital in describing how she crosses the busy street between the two facilities.
More than 20 Litchfield business owners sat in on a meeting of the Litchfield Planning Commission Monday to discuss proposed changes in the sign ordinance. The changes would include regulation of temporary signs and also restrict sign size. Many business people in attendance were critical of sign regulation. Commission member Chris Beach said the commission is looking for a “happy medium” in searching for an ordinance which provides for good advertising while restricting signs that don’t fit the surroundings.
20 YEARS AGO:
NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF JULY 13, 1994
The Lutheran Vanguard marchers out of Wisconson, Waconia’s high school band and the band from Bertha-Hewitt High School claimed top honors in the annual Watercade parade, which unfolded before crowds of thousands lining Sibley Avenue in perfect mid-summer weather Sunday afternoon. The Lutheran Vanguard band is made up of students from seven Lutheran high schools spread across Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. Some of the 160 band members travel as far as 150 miles to practices.
Jenny Wagner of the Litchfield FFA chapter attended the 1994 Washington Leadership Conference in the nation’s capital. During the weeklong program delegates had a chance to visit many points of interest in the capital and a highlight was a stop at the office of Minnesota senators Paul Wellstone and Dave Durenburger. Jenny’s trip was sponsored by Land O’Lakes Inc.
Special guests in the Meeker area this week are 28 citizens of Sweden who are members of the Ostmark Lutheran Church in Varnland, the mother church of Ostmark Lutheran in Meeker County. The delegation is here to help members of Ostmark celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Ostmark parish here. Many of the original members of the Ostmark Church here were members of Ostmark in Varnland. At the 100th anniversary celebrated Bishop Herb Chilstrom, a Litchfield native, will be the principal speaker. The Ostmark Church in Varnland had its origin 225 years ago.
Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson was in Litchfield Friday afternoon of Watercade weekend and did a bit of politicking in Central Park visiting senior citizens Esther Hegg, Ellen Dixon and others. He also dropped by a Lake Ripley park. The govenor, who faces a primary contest against his party’s endorsed candidate Allan Quist, is optimistic about his chances of retaining the governor’s job in the fall election, despite not getting his party’s endorsement.
50 YEARS AGO:
NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF JULY 15 , 1964
Litchfield’s Watercade Queen Gayle Louisiana escaped with only minor cuts and bruises when her car went down an embankment and rolled over three times, coming to rest upright just east of Dassel on Highway 12 at about 5 p.m. Friday. The sheriff’s office said the roadway was rain slicked at the time of the mishap. Gayle was alone in the vehicle.
O.G. Nordlie, who has served as Litchfield Chamber of Commerce secretary since 1952, has resigned effective Aug. 1. On that date, he will take over as superintendent of the Augustana Lutheran Homes facility here. L.L. Baumgartner has been named as a temporary replacement in the Chamber post.
The Litchfield Jaycees are doing their bit to make pheasant hunting in Meeker County better next fall. The Jaycees in cooperation with Reuben Barka and his 14-year-old son Dan are raising 300 pheasants on the Barka farm southeast of Litchfield. The Jaycees got the birds from the Armstrong Game Farm in Anoka when they were a wobbly one day old. Pampered with plenty of food and a clean pen the fledgling pheasants are thriving and will be released at various points in August when they are 8 to 10 weeks old. Jim Justeson and Russ Bjorhus are co-chairmen of the project for the Jaycees.
Mike Kinsella, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Kinsella and Duane Anders, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alden Anders, have enlisted in the U.S. Marines under the buddy system and will complete their 15-week training together. They left for their boot training at San Diego June 25. Both are 1964 graduates of LHS and enlisted for four years through the recruiting office in St. Cloud.
The Dale Turkey Farm in Acton lost 1,670 turkey toms on last week as a result of the extreme heat. The toms were about 20 pounds each. Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Dale are the farm operators, and it is a heavy loss for them as it was not covered by insurance.
75 YEARS AGO:
NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF JULY 15, 1939
Gustaf Helgeson, a Cedar Mills resident, member of a Minnesota Western section crew, was killed Saturday afternoon in Cosmos village. He fell from a railroad motor car on which he was riding, and it is believed that a wheel ran over his head killing him instantly. The car was moving slowly at the time and the other occupants had turned away and did not see the fall. Mr. Helgeson was 43 years old and lived with his aged mother in Cedar Mills.
Eighteen hundred crappies and sunfish of a very generous size were placed in Lake Ripley and another shipment is expected in two weeks. The fish are being provided by the State Game and Fish Department and are expected to repopulate Lake Ripley which recently has been the home to only minnows. The lake suffered the loss of many tons of game fish when they were smothered over the winters.
The little 2-and-one-half-year-old son of Sabin Peterson who reside some distance south of town was tossed by a bull Tuesday afternoon and suffered a head injury. The hired man on the farm was leading the bull to water when it caught sight of the child and charged. The bull had not previously shown a mean dispostion. Serious consequences are not expected.
A group of Litchfield residents motored to St. Joseph Tuesday where they attended Catholic services. Sister Beth received her veil as a member of the St. Joseph convent. She is the former Ione Pankake and her mother is Mrs. Gertrude Pankake of this city.
The unusual sight of a deer that remained in a wheat field in Greenleaf for a full 10 minutes before it scampered off was the sight that greeted at least three persons Wednesday. The incident took place on the farm occupied by Claude Gillman. The presence of the animal caused quite a bit of excitiement in the area.
110 YEARS AGO:
NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF JULY 23, 1904
A Mr. J. E. Bergen of Chicago has been in the Strout area trying to organize a farmer’s laboring union.
Mayor Henderson Angier has given the warning that fast driving by the few automobiles in the community must be stopped. He is of the opinion that this practice indulged so often by auto owners is extremely dangerous.
F.L. Scherer, the cigar manufacturer, has adopted a new label for his popular brand of cigars: “Litchfield Opera.” The words “Litchfield Opera” are embossed in red and gold on the label while in the center is a fine half-tone of Litchfield’s beautiful opera house.
A note received from C.E. Walker, the barber who disappeared from here so abruptly recently, locates him in the community of Slayton in western Minnesota.
Archie and Will Robertson have purchased the Mosness sail boat and will launch it in Lake Ripley on Thursday.
Mrs. Jack Rollins of North Kingston has sold over $100 worth of strawberries this season.
A drive through the countryside around Manannah shows that farmers are in a prosperous position and fixing up their surroundings. Mr. Rosenow has remodeled his house and built a large addition. Jack Brandley has been repainting his farm house. Mrs. Staunton is reshingling and Dan Hawkins has fixed up his house and built a porch. Mr. Mayer is building a small new barn on his property and reshingled the farm house.
Copyright 2014 Litchfield Independent Review/Crow River Media/Media News Group.