Looking Back
News from Bertha's Past
25 Years Ago
May 17, 1995
Bertha-Hewitt’s Teacher of the Year Cathy Riewer, Outstanding Layperson in Education Sharon Howe and retiring educator Pat Fort were honored recently by teachers and administrators at the school.
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First there was head shaking and heavy sighing over the tens of thousands of dollars owed the city of Bertha in past due water and ambulance bills. Then came a two hour closed meeting of the council and attorney Mark Hansen “to discuss allegations of employee misconduct.” And the jury is still out. The printable facts: 1995 budgeting by Bertha based business Northern Milk led company officials to discover they hadn’t paid a water bill for the final quarter of 1993 and all of 1994. A check of the books shows Bertha is owed around $9000 in past due water bills. Many customers, like Northern Milk, say their bills haven’t been paid because they haven’t been received. City Clerk Dan Hagenson said the bills were mailed.
75 Years Ago
May 17, 1945
In a quiet school election, 75 voters of School District No. 51 went to the polls to fill two vacancies on the Board of Education caused by the expiration of terms of Dick Sagehorn and George Domian. Dick Sagehorn received 74 votes, Dr. C.B. Will 71 votes, and R.H. Kolhase one vote. Mr. Sagehorn and Dr. Will were thus elected to the new board for a term of three years.
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Henry Harms, local blacksmith, suffered a severe loss last Saturday when his blacksmith shop collapsed, completely wrecking the building. The mishap occurred as workers were engaged in digging a basement for an addition which Mr. Harms had planned to put on the west side of his old shop. The work on the basement had been almost completed when the soft dirt began to slide and the west side of his building collapsed. Mr. Harms has temporarily transferred his stock and equipment into the county garage and will remain there until a shop has been constructed.