Column - 1962: Dale Serum is named recreational director

Talk about it

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

100 YEARS AGO

AUGUST 1912

Willie Lund’s essay titled “Our Home Farm,” named the best to represent Douglas County at the boy’s encampment, was named the winner at the State Fair… Alexandria Automobile Club extended the Fergus Falls-Alexandria “best route” guide boards to Sauk Centre. Now there is no excuse for travelers getting lost… Three automobiles from Alexandria and 18 from Cyrus on a “hospitality run” met in downtown Forada… Crops are exceptionally good this year. Farmer’s Elevator in Forada has already sold a carload of twine, leaving some farmers still in need of more. Three carloads of twine rolled through town, heading for North Dakota where the need is even greater… Brown’s Theater reopened under new management with one of the best moving pictures ever exhibited here, “The Coming of Columbus.”

50 YEARS AGO

AUGUST 1962

Ensign James Wootten, son of Carl Wootten of Lake L’Homme Dieu, received the first Reserve Officers Association Award ever presented for “having demonstrated, to the highest degree, the elements of effective Naval leadership”… The unemployment rate in Douglas County is down to 3 percent… The second annual Crazy Day Sell-abration was cited to be a success and it looks like it might become an annual affair… Runestone Museum curator Henry Moen was given a framed display for the T.A. “Dad” Erickson exhibit that holds an enlargement of a page from the National 4-H News describing Erickson’s contributions to the 4-H movement. Erickson founded 4-H in Douglas County… Dale Serum, mainstay of the Alexandria Clippers, has been named city recreational director.

25 YEARS AGO

AUGUST 1987

Wayne Elton became the first local golfer to win the Executive Division in the Resorters Golf Tournament. Jodi Krafka played three superb rounds to win her second championship and Bob Jones captured the Senior Men’s crown… Special Olympian Raymond Pipo returned home with a gold medal as part of the Minnesota 400-meter relay team at the International Special Olympics in Indiana… Volunteers hauled away about 20 30-gallon garbage cans filled with dead tullibee (whitefish) that washed up on the shores of Lake Carlos. Experts say the cold-water fish probably died because the summer heat depleted the oxygen from the deep waters of the lake… Don’t forget the Friday night lobster special for $12.95 at Fireside Steakhouse, three miles east of town.

10 YEARS AGO

AUGUST 2002

Kelly Jennissen of Garfield spent three weeks in Australia and New Zealand under the People to People Student Ambassador Program. Highlights of his “dream come true” were chronicled on the Lifestyle pages… Liberty Livewires 4-H Club members helped the Lakes Area Quilters Guild sew place mats and deliver Meals on Wheels… A display assembled by Jodi Hintzen, Lori Anderson and Cindy Bigger featuring the history of 4-H will be exhibited at the State Fair… A 10-foot tall purple martin bird house recently dedicated at Firemen’s Lodge is an exact replica of the 1940 model built by Pete Bowers. This one was built by Mike Moore, husband of Bower’s granddaughter, Margaret… Mark Lindberg, former Alexandrian, beat Derrick Whiting by one stroke to win the Resorters Golf Tournament.

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

Tags: opinion, columns