School levy topic of conversation

Oct. 3, 1963 – Burglars, who evidently knew what they were doing, broke into Hoplin-Nelson Hardware store in Lowry and made away with around $2,000 in merchandise. Among the things taken were guns and ammunition. 

Lu Robards retired as the Tribune’s local news correspondent. She had written in locals for the newspaper since its inception in 1920 and for the old Glenwood Herald. She was to be succeeded by Florance Avery.

Judge E.R. Selnes was to be honored by his alma mater, Luther College, in Decorah, Iowa. He was to receive distinguished service awards as a graduate of Luther. He was a past president of the district bar association and the Minnesota District Judges Association.

Quarterback Mark Brenden led the Starbuck Bucks to 45-6 win over Beardsley. Other Bucks involved in the win were Marcus Baukol, Gene Berg, Billy Kyvig, Rick Anderson, Bob Aaberg and others. 

Oct. 4, 1973 – Candidates for Glenwood’s Our Little Miss Pageant included the following girls: Heidi Tweit, Jill Stradtman, Dottie Stavem, Jill Holtberg, Linda Whittemore, Cheryl Kerfeld, Billie Jo Hanson, Karla Anderson, Karla McCrory, Dawn Nelson, Mary Hegna and Kim Peterson. Tweit was named the winner of the competition while Michelle Maher was named Miss La petite. 

The Rev. Daniel Busch submitted his resignation as pastor of Glenwood community and was leaving town for a position in Missouri. 

One of the oldest houses in Glenwood was razed to make room for a new medical clinic building. The land on which the home, owned by Boyd Bodekers, stood was first bought from the federal government for just over $61 by John Root. Root had purchased just over 40 acres of land including the site now located on south Franklin Avenue. 

Oct. 6, 1983 – Over a thousand people attended the fifth annual Fiddlers’ Contest and Fall Festival at the Terrace Mill. Besides listening to the largest field of contestants ever, participants were able to watch a black powder cannon fire, watch a press make apple cider, see a quilt display and displays of other musical instruments, dulcimers, for example.  Even fairly dreary weather did not keep the crowd away. 

Twenty or more Corvettes were in town over the weekend as the St. Croix Valley Corvette club met at Peters Resort. The Tribune reported that most of the cars were worth more than their original sticker price. 

The Jessie Benn Clark Scholarship was added to the list of scholarships available at Glenwood High School. Mrs. Clark had been a Glenwood musician and music teacher until her death in 1980.

Oct. 4, 1993 – Pope County had become the 54th Minnesota county to be declared a presidential disaster area because of excessive rainfall earlier in the summer. The declaration was made on Sept. 28 and was effective on the date for programs which had limited application times. 

Michal Hustad, the daughter of Grant and Annette Hustad, was pictured on the front page of the Tribune. The 17-year-old high school senior had recently became a private pilot as she passed her flying test on Sept. 18. By passing her test, she could take passengers with her on the private plane – no more solo flights or flights with just an instructor. 

The population of Pope County was expected to decrease 9.3 percent in the next 30 years. Pope County was not alone though. According to a population projection report, “Minnesota’s Changing Counties: The Next 30 Years,” which was a report from the state demographer’s office, the majority of rural counties in Minnesota were expected to have a decrease in population. In comparing Pope to 10 other counties in the area, Pope County was to have the smallest decrease. 

Marin Hustad, daughter of Grant and Annette Hustad, and Andrea Nelsen, daughter of Ron and Marge Nelsen, were named Minnewaska Stars of the Week by Pizza Ranch, Magic 107, Pope County Tribune and Screen Prints Plus. The girls had recently captured the West Central North number one doubles title in tennis. 

Oct. 6, 2003 – “If the levy doesn’t pass, we’ll have to come up with another $600,000 to $700,000 in cuts. That will mean cutting more jobs and maybe even closing school buildings. It would be pretty negative.” That was the reaction of Tom Beuckens, chairman of the Minnewaska Area School Board, talking about what could happen if the district’s proposed operating referendum did not pass.

Shortly after Minnewaska Area School officials learned that there were several children sick from unknown causes at E.N. Nordgaard Elementary School in Glenwood, they launched an investigation to determine what was going on. According to Bob Vaadeland, district 2149 superintendent, the students, 48 in total, had contracted some type of short-lived flu-like illness. 

Sept. 30, 2013 – The public hearing supposed to be held last Wednesday on allowing two new tax increment financing districts in Glenwood were delayed until Oct. 10.

Last Thursday marked an important milestone in the redevelopment of downtown Glenwood. Members of the community, local government representatives, project partners and company executives gathered at the site of the new GrandStay Hotel & Suites to break ground and celebrate Glenwood’s newest downtown addition. 

Pope County Fright Nights, a haunted attraction that doubled in size its second year in existence, expanded again this year for its third season. And while the physical space at its new location at Central Square may be less, the attraction is engineered for maximum effect. In essence, organizers managed to pack more scare into less space, adding more scenes and more character interactions.