Progress reported in the installation of cable television

Dec. 31, 1964 – Fifty school administrators from a three-state area applied for the position of superintendent of schools for the Glenwood district following the resignation of E.N. Nordgaard. Nordgaard has served the Glenwood school district since 1923 and had been superintendent since 1928.

County auditor Bill Boyle announced tax figures for the city of Glenwood which showed that property owners would be spending the same amounts in 1965 as they paid in 1964 for taxes. The total property tax level was $3,636,851.38, an all-time high. The increase, however, represented only about one half of 1 percent over the previous year. The total dollar gain was $2,094.59.

Progress was reported in the installation of cable television for the city. Applications for microwave service were being made, and arrangements for financing and equipment were being finalized. Completion of the system was not expected until late summer or early fall of 1965. 

Dec. 26, 1974 – John “Duffy” Morton was selected as the county’s Conservation Farmer of the Year by the Pope County Soil and Water Conservation District. Morton farmed 500 acres in Glenwood Township and raised feed for his dairy and hog operations. He won the award for wildlife conservation measures such as improving wildlife habitat, planting trees and building ponds.

Five winners were awarded a total of $2,500 in the Glenwood Welcome Christmas promotion. Winners were Brian Cihlar, $1,000; Leona Sprank, Sedan, $500; John Benesh, Alexandria, $500; and Reuben VanLuik and Helen Lesteberg, both of Starbuck, $250 each.

Dec. 27, 1984 –  Two of the finalists in the Century II scholarship program were from Pope County. Patric Morris of Glenwood and Janet Thompson of Cyrus were still in the running for the scholarship funds. Ten Minnesota students were named finalists in the program, which based its criteria not just on academics but on school activity participation. Both Morris and Thompson had also been active in the county’s 4-H program.

Instructor Gary Gilbert had the kids in his carpentry class designing real houses. Ten Villard students and five from Osakis were involved in the program. Pictured in the Tribune were Gilbert and class members Daryl Winsett, Dale Walsh, Rick Rosenfield, Troy Reinke, John Rutten, Bryan Frederick and Dean Chlian.

An adaptive physical education program, designed mostly for handicapped students, was functioning in the Glenwood school district. Teaching the class was Terri Elsey. Sixteen students were enrolled.

Dec. 26, 1994 – Minnewaska Area Schools would seek to hire a second agriculture instructor for the 1995-96 school year and expand the focus of the department from the mechanical aspects to the broader scope of agriculture-related business and education.

The ringing of the new year into 1995 meant a three-cent hike in first-class postage rates. The 32-cent stamps were available at area post offices as well as a special “make-up” stamp worth three cents to use with the 29-cent stamps effective on Jan. 1, 1995. The last increase in postage was in 1991.

Temperatures in the 40s had stayed in the area over Christmas weekend. Temperatures had reached over 40 Saturday, Sunday and Monday which made it the warmest Christmas in about 30 years. This winter had been unusually warm and zero or sub-zero temperatures had still not arrived.

Dec. 20, 2004 – Scott Ogdahl would be spending his Christmas in Baghdad. But that didn’t bother him, he had a pile of plans for things to draw up in his role as a draftsman for the Multi-National Security Training Command. Ogdahl, the son of Dale and the late Judy Ogdahl of Glenwood, was one month into his second tour in Iraq. He was a petty officer second class with the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion No. 7 which was stationed in Gulfport, Miss.

“Is Santa in there?” was the question a preschooler asked on Armful of Love’s distribution day. YAAC (Youth and Adults Achieving Community) and National Honor Society members and volunteers gathered gifts and food packages for more than 150 families throughout Pope County. The program is made possible through donations of service organizations, businesses and community members. Some of the YAAC members that helped with the effort included Elise Silver, Heidi Hoffman, Leanne Pfeninger, Emily Toop, Michael Kuhn, Reid Nelson and Erick Thompson.

Dec. 22, 2014 – Minnewaska Area school board members got a glimpse of a proposed new baseball field from the Minnewaska Baseball Association. Chris Bennes and Brian Gruber showed drawings of the proposed changes to the existing field that they said would make it better for normal play and could make it more attractive for tournaments.

Thin ice gave way on Lake Minnewaska in the early morning hours of Dec. 21. The call came into the Pope County Sheriff’s Office at approximately 1:46 a.m. According to the Sheriff’s office, the truck was located about 300 yards out on the ice in front of Minnewaska Area High School. Three people were in the vehicle at the time and escaped with hypothermic symptoms and minor injuries, it was stated. Those in the vehicle were not identified by the Sheriff’s office.

Minnewaska Area Schools board chair Jim Peters presented a school bell to Wayne Nielsen at last week’s regular school board meeting. Nielsen was attending his last meeting as a board member. He decided not to seek re-election last fall. He served on the school board for four years. The school bell is a traditional gift to outgoing board members.

Minnewaska Area High School would have a trapshooting team next spring following action taken by the Minnewaska Schools board of education. Rob Richards and several others made a presentation advocating the establishment of a trapshooting team. Richards said that 274 schools now have trapshooting teams. He said that it is a good sport for boys and girls.