Homecoming candidates make headlines

Sept. 24, 1964 – Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman announced that the financial assistance necessary to begin work on the West Central Minnesota Resource Conservation Land Development Project would indeed be available. All or parts of five counties, including Pope, would be involved in the objectives of the plan. These included proper zoning for land use, developing beef/dairy operations, adjusting land use for recreational purposes, controlling erosion, improving fishing and waterfowl areas, etc.

Ten 4-Hers won trips to the Junior Livestock Show. They were Roger Larson of the Cyrus Boosters, Douglas Espelien of Midway, Curtis Bardal of White Bear Lake, Sheldon Wiger of the Cyrus Boosters, Norma Tollefson of Langhei Aces, Ronald Himango of Wayside, Micheal Johnsrud of White Bear Lake, Roger Fiala of Lev-Reno, David Moen of Wide Awake and LaVerne Anderson of Ben Wade. The youths were chosen during the judging at the annual Pope County Fair.

Sept. 26, 1974 – Homecoming activities were beginning at Glenwood High School. Candidates for Homecoming queen were Mary Schliesman, Brenda Anderson, Barb Anderson, Laura Dougherty, and Beth Bullock. Candidates to serve as escorts were Tim Kramer, Ron Robinson, Ken Neumann, Bunker Hill and Dave Serrin.

A second hard frost killed the growing season for many area farmers. Temperatures plunged into the high teens and low 20s around the county. Soybeans and edible beans were being combined, with some farmers starting to cut their earlier frost-damaged corn for silage. The potato harvest was also underway, with some yields as high as 200 hundred-weight per acre.

Roy Vegoe, a Skelly bulk dealer in Glenwood for 41 years, was honored by his company. His first truck had been a 1928 Chevrolet in which he delivered gasoline and kerosene to his customers. “In those days a big customer was a guy who bought 50 gallons of gas and 15 gallons of kerosene a year,” he said.  

Sept. 27, 1984 – Lightning was the culprit responsible for a 16-hour power outage in Glenwood on a Sunday night and Monday morning. A mobile generator had to be brought in before power was restored to the city at about 1 p.m. Monday. Lightning had damaged the No. 1 transformer at the power station on Soo Hill, according to NSP officials. There was no school Monday due to the outage.

The Pope County Board of Commissioners approved exactly the same levy for 1985 as they had for 1984, just over $1.7 million. Commissioners also committed themselves not to raise taxes to fund renovation of the county courthouse so taxes were pretty much guaranteed to stay the same as well.

Bryan Frederick and Shari Massman were crowned to reign over the annual Homecoming celebration at Villard High School. Court attendants included Marty Heidelberger, Sheila Jensen, Bob Dalen, Pat Rode, Jim Dalen, Brenda Randt, Marty Euerle, Kathy Malecha, Todd Rajdl and Jill Schnetzer.

Sept. 26, 1994 – Minnewaska Area Schools Board of Education decreased its proposed levy, which meant that district taxpayers were to see an increase of 3.39 percent on their property taxes the following spring rather than the 6 percent increase as was approved earlier in the month.

A raid Sept. 9 on a small Glenwood Township farm site had resulted in the discovery of 205 cultivated marijuana plants worth over $150,000, an automatic weapon, thousands of rounds of ammunition and the arrest of a 36-year-old man.

Ronald Nelsen, the adult agricultural education instructor of the Minnewaska Area Schools District, had been nominated to receive the Honorary American FFA (Future Farmers of America) degree. He was nominated for the degree by the Minnesota FFA Association and the nomination was approved by the national FFA board. The degree was the highest honorary award presented by the FFA. Nelsen was one of the 69 agricultural teachers in the United States who was to receive this degree at the annual national FFA convention in Kansas City, Mo., in November.

Jennie Lundebrek and Jackson Burns were to reign over the fourth annual homecoming at Minnewaska Area High School.

Sept. 20, 2004 – Brennan Zimney’s name had been on many lips for the last few months, with the community’s support, questions and fears for the 13-year-old local who had suddenly found himself fighting the greatest struggle of his young life – battling childhood cancer.

MAHS Homecoming candidates and emcees preparing for the big week included Danny Braaten, Travis Mix, Taylor Jergenson, Derek McIver, Steven Gremmels, Scott Gullickson, Jason Anderson, Justin Holten, Zach Lagred, Jake Nygaard, Jessica Bennet, Kjersti Johnson, Heidi Hoffmann, Kate Moe, Jenna Schley, Leanne Pfeninger, Lindsay Hurst, Heidi Carls, Mandy Ihnen, Kayla Noyes, Erika Olson, Jamie Schley, Joe Swartz, Colin Cihlar, Todd Knutson, Taylor Hill, Christen Robinson and Alyssa Brown. 

New senior class officers at MAHS had been chosen. They included Mandy Ihnen (secretary/treasurer), Taylor Hill (vice president) and Joe Swartz (president).

Sept. 22, 2014 – Pictured in the Tribune were the 2014 MAHS Homecoming Court: king candidates Matt Paulson, Luke Nielsen, Bret Ingebretson, Jon Nygaard, Jackson Hendrickson and Will Anderson; queen candidates Ariel Ostrander, Jordyn Roggenkamp, Mariah Gerard, Mychaela Heidecker, Jada Hoffman and Kaitlyn Lundebrek; junior escort Peter Frischmon; junior attendant Emily Haus; sophomore escort Carter Westberg; sophomore attendant Raelynn Wildman; freshman escort Jake Hoffman; freshman attendant Madelynn Reichmann; junior royalty Jonathan Hagen and Lauryn Ankeny; and Homecoming King Michael Maus and Homecoming Queen Becca Goettsch. Also pictured was emcee Jacob LaFave and accompanist Cole Mercier.

Fourteen former athletes and one team were inducted into the Minnewaska High School Hall of Fame on Sept. 20 during the inaugural banquet. Inductees were John Benson (Glenwood High School Class of 1946), Norris Stenson (Starbuck High School Class of 1954), Dave Tank (Villard High School Class of 1963), Bill Gilman (GHS Class of 1965), Bob Nelson (SHS Class of 1968), Todd Brenden (SHS Class of 1969), John Gloege (GHS Class of 1974), Melrene Nygaard Millerbernd (SHS Class of 177), Carol Skurat Baumann (VHS Class of 1978), Tom Stackpool (GHS Class of 1978), Samantha Mattson Gulon (GHS Class of 1986), Jennifer Mattson Wegner (GHS Class of 1988), Brian Malyon (MAHS Class of 1993), Carrie Cooley (MAHS Class of 1998), and the 1973 GHS track and field team – State Class A Champions Team members Dale Kramer, Mitch Long, Greg McIver, Tom Mork, Bob Swanson, Rick Wheeler, head coach Dale Gasser and assistant coach Gunnar Fosker.

Minnewaska Area High School students Cole Mercier and Emily Haus, both of Glenwood, were honored with the HOBY Minnesota Outstanding Youth Award for their volunteerism and social responsibility to the community.