Dusting Off the Archives

News from Verndale's Past

40 Years Ago, May 21, 1986

• Two young men, the sons of Darold and Jean Hahn, have returned to Verndale to begin a business on their own. Jeff and David have purchased the equipment of the defunct Ritari Systems Inc., and will be providing services of a well-equipped machine shop and manufacturing plant. For the time being, they are also located in the same building, adjacent to the railroad tracks on South Brown Street in Verndale.

• Because the Minnesota Department of Health has placed all of Wadena County on a Measles alert, the Wadena County Health Department will hold an extra immunization clinic on Wednesday, May 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the courthouse auditorium, for anyone in Wadena County or any student whose school district is in Wadena County. The Minnesota Department of Health has expanded its recently announced measles alert to include all of Minnesota. The original advisory, announced April 28, was limited to portions of northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota.

• Sixth grade poppy poster winners were: first place Jennifer Ludovissie, second place Louis Reis, third place Tracy Derby, and honorable mention Monica Wilhelmi. They were the recipients of cash prizes from the local American Legion Auxiliary. Their posters, reminding people of the purpose of the annual poppy sales, are on display in stores downtown. This year’s Auxiliary poppy sales campaign was held last weekend.

• Pictured, Peg Hokanson is being congratulated by Band Director Ted Masog as she receives the Band Boosters award of $150 to go toward college expenses which she will receive after completing the fall quarter. She was also presented the Adolph Herseth award, selected by fellow students, for being an outstanding band member.

15 Years Ago, May 12, 2011

• The Verndale Independent School District School Board has approved the resignation of Justin Sperling as the K-8 principal, pending approval of the Menahga School Board who is hiring him for an elementary principal position.

• Cemetery Groundskeeper Doug Wallace organized a volunteer clean-up day on Saturday, May 7. Members of the community worked together moving and raking in an effort to get the cemetery spruced up for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Louie Randall and Wallace got the lawnmower ready and members of the Verndale 4-H Club, led by Shelly Glenz, were busy raking leaves. A group of Verndale Boy Scouts also were lending a helping hand along with City Maintenance Jim Bergquist. Wallace’s goal was to develop some “community pride.”

• The Lady Pirates traveled to Browerville on Monday, April 25, to take on the Tigers. The Pirates scored early with two runs in the top of the first inning, but the Tigers came back and scored seven runs to take the lead. The Pirates rallied back with five more runs in the second inning tying the score at 7-7. The scoring continued back and fourth, but the Pirates came up short in the end. The Pirates were led at the plate by Elizabeth Johnson who went 2-3 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, Kirsten Korfe 2-4 and Brooke Howleg 2-3, 2 runs and 1 RBI.

• The BHV Raiders baseball team started last week with one of their best performances of the season, but couldn’t put it all together again Friday night. The Raiders defeated the Frazee Hornets by a score of 14-2 in a six inning affair, before suffering a 5-3 loss in a night game at Mills Field in Brainerd on Friday night. The Raiders put together 12 hits and played error-less ball at Frazee. Then they committed eight errors and managed just two hits against a very similar team against McGregor.

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