High winds cause major damage

August 9, 1962 – High winds ripped through the area, leaving a big trail of damage from Miltona in the North to South of Sedan. Winds were clocked at up to 96 mph. A barn on the Gene Landwehr farm, completely destroyed and damaged was reported along  South Lakeshore Drive. Sunset Beach on Maple Lake north of town also had much damage to its facilities. 

Six county 4-H’ers won trips to the state fair as a result of their Demonstration Day participation. They were Carol Pederson of Lakeview, Sharon Elvehjem of Lakeview, Renae Jacobson of Lakeview Beverly Gunvalson of the Cyrus Boosters, Linda Wall of Wide Awake and Dale Pederson of Wayside. 

Grocery store prices advertised for the week included angel food cake mix at 37 cents, large-size cooking oil at 49 cents, rib or round steak at 85 cents a pound, two large heads of lettuce at 39 cents, two pounds of graham crackers at 69 cents and a large bag of Oreos at 49 cents. 

August 10, 1972 – Bruce Obenland, Glenwood’s newest attorney, was pictures in the Tribune. He had joined the firm of Callaghan and Nelson, following the completion of his bar exams. He was a graduate of Nevis High School, Concordia College, and the law school at Cornell University. 

Heavy rains throughout the summer had put small grain crops way behind their average development. Any farmers who had managed to harvest reported their yields to be much lower than normal. 

Lewie Haldorson was celebrating his 105th birthday. He had come from Norway and had operated Haldorson Hardware for 39 years.

Members of the District No. 612 school board were pictured at their re-organizational meeting. They were Elaine Bennett, Richard Kaus, JoAnn Salmonson, LeRoy Knudson, Dick Thompson, Jerry Leedahl and Bob Robards. 

August 12, 1982 – Among those who participated in the mud wrestling event at the Pope County Fair were Dave Baukol, Greg Starns, Bill Bailey, Todd Erickson, “Mad Dog” Dullum, Mary Baukol, Pam Brogla and Jean Bailey. A troupe of women mud wrestlers took on local opponents in this first-ever fair event.

The mud wrestling was just part of the “most successful county fairs ever,” according to fair board secretary, Pat Dalager. Dalager said that despite hot weather, attendance was equal to and better than other years. Entries were up as well, especially in the poultry area. 

The Tribune included a feature story in seasonal camping, a relatively new idea in tourism marketing. For as little as $350 a year, tourists were told that they could rent their own lake lot with water, sewer, and electricity. Some of the areas seasonal campers were said to have spent the winter in the south, and some were other visitors to the area. Resorters were reported to like the idea due to its low maintenance. 

August 10, 1992 –  Four days of family entertainment were scheduled during the annual Pope County Fair. New features of the fair were to be senior citizens’ day, kids’ day, a talent contest, chicken feed and more. 

The Glenwood State Bank temperature sign was pictured at 92 degrees, making it possibly the hottest day of the summer so far. The summer of 1992 had been unseasonably cool. 

Japanese members of Labo International Exchange, a program which teaches a foreign language to children through stories, songs, games, plays, and exchanges, were staying in a 4-H family in the United States for one month. Forty teenagers were in Minnesota and two were in Pope County. Mankato Omura, 13, stayed with the Loris and Doris Weispfennig family in Villard, and Jairo Oko stayed with Lauren and Irene Sansness in Cyrus.

The Glenwood City Commission came under fire at its August 4th meeting from city residents who lived in the vicinity of a new proposed housing development on South Lakeshore Drive. Robert Shaffer, spokesperson for the property owners who were against a large development referred to the July public hearing a “sham.”

August 12, 2002 – “Paradise in Small Town America” was the theme for the third annual Sedan Daze festival. A grand parade with over 100 units increased the towns population by over 150 percent. Other events included the firemen’s waterball fight, an all-school reunion, silent auction, bingo and more. 

Glacial Lakes State Park campground closed after labor Day and did not re-open until Memorial Day 2003. “There will be no overnight guests allowed in 24 parks,” said park manager Bret Grundmeier. They were directed to close their campground as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources dealt with $13 million in budget cuts handed to it by the Minnesota Legislature.

Myron Mueller would be the oldest man to cycle the perimeter of the United States on a bicycle. The current record was set by 65 year old in the 1970s. Mueller and three friends pedaled into Glenwood on August 4th, one stop on their trek around the United States. 

August 13, 2012 – Three derelict buildings on Minnesota Avenue in Glenwood − the Culligan Buildings − have been causing consternation to the Glenwood City Commission, the Pope County Board, and the county Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) since before they were officially tax forfeited this summer. Commissioners voted unanimously to go ahead with an assessment of the buildings disposal needs and gathering quotes for demolition costs. 

An error in the recording of times at the Waterama Magic Mile obscured the fact that 9-year-old Riley Johnson, of Glenwood, had the best overall time of the entire field, both adults and youth. Riley’s time of 6:38 earned him the winners medal and a great summer memory. 

Motorists on highway 29 in Starbuck will experience delays when a bridge replacement project begins Monday, August 20, over Outlet Creek. Crews will reconstruct the northbound side of the bridge before reconstructing the southbound side. Work is scheduled to be completed in mid-November, weather permitting.