This Week in 1933 – 90 years ago: With no intentions of casting any reflection on the gasoline service at the Alexandria airport, it was stated last week that it took three hours to get gasoline for the airmail plane stalled out there last week. Two trucks started out for the airport from the city but because of the heavily drifted roads they were unable to get through quicker than three hours time. From 300 to 400 gallons of gasoline are on hand at the airport at all times, but because of the high drifts it was impossible to get the mail plane up to the pump to take on gas.
1963, 60 years ago: KCMT-TV increased its power from the present 26,000 watts. The actual increase took place during the 10 p.m. news, so that viewers in fringe areas could see the picture improve as the power was supplied.
1973, 50 years ago: The Western Shop has opened in the Viking Plaza Shopping Center in south Alexandria. Don Hart, owner and president of Stockman’s and Western Wear, Inc., says his new store has 2,200 square feet of floor space and features western clothing and boots, saddles and gifts. Hart is a long-time horseman and avid team roper, and is well-known in the Osakis area.
The Lake Region Echo and Press picked up three Better Newspaper Contest awards during the annual Minnesota Newspaper Association convention in Minneapolis. The Lake Region Press was awarded first place in the Advertising Excellence-Special Issues category; first place for Excellence in Governmental Reporting was awarded to The Lake Region Echo; and Jon Haaven received second place honors in the Column Excellence division for his “Jon’s Jargon” which appears in the Echo.
1998, 25 years ago: Jim and Suzanne Martin of Evansville were chosen as the 1997 Outstanding Conservationists for Douglas County by the Douglas Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors. The Martins live on a farmstead in southwestern Douglas County. They own a 1,400-acre cash crop operation, raising corn, beans and wheat. Good overall land stewardship was a major reason for choosing the Martins for this award, according to the soil and water board. They have installed terraces, a grassed waterway and sediment control basins to control erosion. The Martins were recognized at the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation District’s state convention at the Rochester Civic Center.
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2013, 10 years ago: Construction activity in the Alexandria area appears to be hammering out a “new normal” of between $50 million and $52 million a year. Last year the Alexandria Building Department issued 1,030 permits for projects valued at $51.64 million according to the department head, Bruce Jasperson. The numbers include work within the city limits as well as the building code administration area of Hudson, LaGrand and Lake Mary Townships.
Just for fun, 1883 – 140 years ago: The question for the next lyceum is RESOLVED...that marriages from love at first sight are more successful than marriages after consideration. Come all that are interested, and especially those that have had experience, and give us your views on this difficult question.
Sports Trivia, 1973 – 50 years ago: Greg Lanners' scoring spree, and a good team effort on defense, carried the Brandon Warriors to a 75-48 victory over Evansville in their final contest of the season to even their record at 10-10 and 9-7 in Little Eight Conference play. Lanners tallied 33 points for the Warriors in his final regular season cage contest of 1973. He put in 13 field goals and seven of nine at the gift line. He was the only Warrior in double figures, although Dan Leupke added nine and Roger Meissner and Ed Loeffler had eight each.
Rachel Barduson of Alexandria is a regular contributing columnist to the Echo Press Opinion page.
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