This Week in 1972 – 50 years ago: A little after midnight on July 10, a storm with winds up to 80 mph swept across Lake Carlos hitting the lower campground at Carlos State Park and laying waste to much of that area. Officially there were 23 tents blown down and 13 trailers overturned. Power was out for a couple of hours after the storm and there was some flooding on the campgrounds. Several trees were uprooted and some boats sunk. It appeared that the vast majority of the 110 campers that weathered the storm were not scared off by it and were remaining at the park. No serious injuries were reported by the park rangers. Rainfalls as high as 6.9 inches were reported near Leaf Valley and some hail was reported in Belle River.
1972, 50 years ago: The Sportsman Barbershop located on Broadway changed ownership. George Larson, formerly of Parkers Prairie, has bought the shop from Jim Strom, who will be selling barber supplies in this area. Larson, who has been a barber for 17 years, will operate a full service shop including styling and razor cuts, with Tom Wisdorf.
A meeting at the Alexandria Area Technical Institute put the final touches on plans for a Farmer’s Market, which will open on July 15. The Market will be at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in a building near the northeast corner of the grounds. The market will be limited to garden crops such as fruits and vegetables and open to small growers with just a few bushels as well as larger growers.
1997, 25 years ago: The Douglas County Law Enforcement Center will soon purchase a digital-imaging camera, thanks to a $750 donation from the Target store in Alexandria. The computerized digital camera, which requires no film, can take digitized “photos” of evidence and people who have been arrested. The images can be stored on computer for easy access and electronic transmission to other law enforcement agencies. The technology will save a lot of time and money.
The Alexandria City Council doubled the fines that the city charges for picking up stray animals. In the past, dog owners had to pay a first-time fee of $25 to pick up their dogs from the city pound, plus $2 for every day that the animal was housed at the pound. The new fee for first-time violations is $50, plus $4 per day. Fees for second-time violations increased to $75 plus $5 per day. The council raised the fees to offset the increased costs of the record number of animals that are being impounded.
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2012, 10 years ago: Alexandria’s Bernie Boesen is retiring after 53 years of owning and operating Bernie’s Gas and Oil in Millerville. Bernie’s Gas and Oil was sold to the Millerville Coop Creamery. After graduating from high school and spending three years in the Army, Bernie bought Farmer’s Produce and Supply from Phillip Miller in 1959 — the same store he had previously worked at throughout high school.
Just for fun, 2012 – 10 years ago: Millerville is proud of its very own butter, created by the Millerville Coop Creamery Association. So proud, in fact, that an entire celebration centers around the creamy, yellow stuff. A variety of events are scheduled, including a street dance. Did you know that Millerville, located about 20 miles northwest of Alexandria, was established as a township in 1867 and was named for a prominent German settler, John Miller, who lived in the area? It has a current population of 106.
Sports Trivia, 1972 – 50 years ago: Bev’s Beauty Salon of Alexandria entered the 1972 Red River Valley Women’s Softball Tournament, which consisted of both Class A (fast pitch) and Class B (slow pitch). The one-day event was a single-elimination, consolation round tourney held at Mickelson Field in Fargo, North Dakota. Bev’s entered as a Class B team.
Rachel Barduson of Alexandria is a regular contributing columnist to the Echo Press Opinion page.
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