Column - 1985: Police Chief McKay announced his retirement

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The following is a collection of stories and other items that were included in Alexandria newspapers over the years.

100 YEARS AGO

December 1910

John Lehn moved his confectionery and jewelry store into the Swenson Building, formerly occupied by Holmgren Barber Shop… In cooperation with the creamery, J. Kellogg weighed and kept records of the milk produced by one of his cows for 30 days. Records showed that the cow averaged 40 pounds a milk a day, which resulted in the production of 60 pounds of butter… The Alexandria City Council approved the motion to begin the licensing of dogs on May 1 at the cost of $1 per license… A half million copies of the new revised Webster Dictionary have been released. It consists of 400,000 words on 2,700 pages. For the first time, it is printed in divided pages… G.A. Kortsch presented the city library with a crayon portrait of James Fitzgerald, done by Jennie DeFrate Sanstead of Garfield.

50 YEARS AGO

December 1960

Ari Parsegian and Bud Grant are top contenders to coach the Minnesota Vikings. The season ticket package for seven league games and one exhibition game are priced at $40… Package deals for 81 Minnesota Twins games include a basic plan of $200 for general reserved seats and $250 for reserved box seats… Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 936 dedicated its new building on Sunday… The committee to establish a summer theater program with St. Cloud College took an option for the purchase of Park Lane Country Club on Lake L’Homme Dieu. $40,000 will need to be raised in two months to complete the purchase… Fog, rain and icy streets contributed for the small crowd at the annual Christmas Bells Concert. Murrae Freng directed the 150-voice mass choir of area churches.

25 YEARS AGO

December 1985

The Ward House, constructed in 1903 on the corner of 7th and Cedar, has been placed on the Register of Historic Places… Dennis and Mickey Zaviska recently returned from a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska to visit Roy and Sam Helms, who had heard the band play in Alexandria while visiting friends. Wanting the band to entertain at Roy’s birthday, they provided the couple with the all-expenses-paid trip to Alaska… Police Chief George McKay announced his plans to retire on May 31. The 58-year-old has been with the Alexandria Police Department for 34 years, the last 20 years as chief.

10 YEARS AGO

December 2000

The angels and the three wise men bundled up good to withstand a wind chill of 30 below during the Living Nativity at First Lutheran Church… A study shows that Douglas County incomes rose 9.7 percent in the past two years and has an average income of $34,444. The state median is $41,591… An Osakis Athletes Hall of Fame has been established for students who graduated prior to 1995 and have distinguished themselves in high school or college athletics… Jefferson High School Marching Band is geared up for the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix on December 30… The Jingle Bells event made spirits ring with more than $60,000 raised during the Kiwanis telethon… Bruce Smith, Minnesota’s only Heisman Trophy winner, is featured in a new book, Pigskin Pride, subtitled Celebrating a Century of Minnesota Football.

Marge Van Gorp of Alexandria is a regular contributing columnist to the Echo Press Opinion page.

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