Barnes County: A Moment in Time
1922 100 Years Ago... Business and Professional Women’s Club
The members of the Business and Professional Women’s Club are planning on opening a tea room under the Bank of Valley City about June first. This tea room is to be open to everyone, not merely for club members, and is expected to be a popular addition to the city and will fill a long felt want. The ladies, however, are undecided as to what to call this team room and are asking that suitable suggestions for names be submitted. Through the generosity of one of the members they are able to offer a prize of $5.00 for the best name submitted. The Misses Jennie McDonald, Emma Flinn and Helen Stowell have been appointed as a committee to judge the names submitted and will award the prize. All names should be submitted to Miss McDonald and they should be presented before May 10th. Submit some name that will be suitable for a venture of this kind and you may be the lucky winner of the $5.00 prize.
Golf Links
The Country Club is going to hold a formal opening of the golf links on Saturday, May 6th. The course has been undergoing a thorough overhauling the past few days and will be in good shape by that time. The original seven holes are being put in the best of shape and it is thought that there will be two additional holes in operation on that date, making a nine hole course. Mr. L. Howatt, the club professional for this year, states that he will be free for the giving of golf instruction on Monday, May, 1st, and will teach the game to anyone who applies. Mr. Howatt will also handle golf clubs and other supplies. The opening on May 6th will be featured by tournament play by the club members, the winner of the tournament being awarded a prize fitted to the occasion. This promises to be a big year for the golf bugs in the city and the Country Club will no doubt be the scene of considerable activity during the summer.
1947 75 Years Ago...
Delphine Undem ‘Miss Valley City’ Miss Delphine Undem, winsome lighthaired brunette from Rogers, was crowned “Miss
Valley City at the Jaycee Queen contest dance in the city auditorium Friday Night.
She will represent the local Chamber at the state Junior Chamber of Commerce Convention at Williston May 10-12 where a state winner will be selected for the National Convention in Long Beach, Calif., June 9-15.
Miss Undem, who is a student at the University of Minnesota, was sponsored by the Rogers Community Club who arranged for her appearance.
Five Jaycees from Fargo had the ticklish job of naming the queen. They were President John Livdahl, John Plath, Warner Litten, Dan Olson, and Kenneth Thompson. Livdahl announced the winner and stated that “the task was a difficult one but that the choice was unanimous.”
The girls were dresses informally and wore corsages, a gift from the Junior Chamber. Chairman Gene Bong presented each entry with a special gift from the Chamber, a compact. Phil Mark emceed the ceremonies.
About 200 people attended the dance.
Eckelson Service Men’s Plague Dedicated April 17
By Mrs. R. H. Clifford Eckelson - Dedication exercises for the Eckelson Service Men’s Plaque took place in the Community Hall here April 17.
Sponsored by the Eckelson Homemakers club, banquet tables were set up for one hundred and fifty service men, wives, friends and parents. The tables were beautifully decorated with flowers and red, white, and blue candles. A short program was arranged and given after the banquet. Sam Tofte acted as a most efficient master of ceremonies.
America–Donna Mae Altringer.
Two songs–Group of school children.
Recitation–Lois Ann Altringer.
Song–America For Me–Mrs. Ed Altringer.
Recitation–James Kieley.
All piano accompaniments were played by Mrs. Cecelia Nelson, our principal. Mr. Tofte then presented the plaque to the servicemen. it was unveiled by Mrs. Geo. Klein, president of the Homemakers club. Palmer Holden very graciously accepted the plaque in behalf of the Eckelson boys and girls who served this community in World War II.
This was followed by Mr. Tofte reading the names of the servicemen and women present. Then the five names of our boys who made the supreme sacrifice were read slowly and muffled sound taps played by Mrs. Betty Metcalf of Sanborn. Mr. Tofte next introduced our guest speaker for the evening, the Hon. Roy Ployhar from Valley City. His address brought clearly before us the sacrifices our servicemen have made and the problems that confront them on their return to civilian life. The impression of his message on the audience was best shown by their undivided attention.
Our dedication exercises closed with the singing of Star Spangled Banner. The rest of the evening was spent in dancing with free admission to those attending the banquet. The members of the Homemakers Club wish in any way to make our banquet and dedication a success.
1972 50 Years Ago...
Art, handicraft shop to open A sales outlet for local artists and handicraft talent in the Valley City area will be provided through the operation of the Faddy-Pad Center the Straus building beginning May 2.
Faddy-Pad a unique type of shop, will be operated by Mrs. Keith DeVillers and Mrs. Riley Rogers who will be taking over the arcade portion of Straus for Women and converting it into a shop that will be far from the usual retail outlet. It will be much more like a boutique shop or a gallery shop, varying from time to time, in is presentation of art objects for sale, and handicrafts to be purchased.
The two women who will be operating the Faddy-Pad will begin
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accepting consignments Tuesday, May 2 and will open the shop for sales sometime later in the month. The artist or maker of the item sold will price the item entered and the shop will take a percentage of the sale price.
City installs new traffic signals
Traffic and especially pedestrians will have to adjust their speed and direction to accommodate the replacement of traffic signals in Valley City during the next few months. The intersections of Central and Main, Second, Third, and Fourth Streets and Main plus the traffic signal near Washington School, 8th St. SW, are all to be replaced with modern signals. Each direction will have two or three different lights, giving the identical signals to driver and pedestrian in various positions on the street.
Based on the service and need resulting from a survey taken during the summer of 1971, these streets were obligated to utilize a large flow of traffic throughout the day.
The local, state, and federal government is responsible for the replacements under the TOPICS program. The construction contractor, Fargo Electric, was the bid winner and crews are now laying the conduit pipe in the streets. The bulk of equipment is to be delivered in July with completion dated for early November.
According to Jon Mill, project engineer with the State Highway Department, safety of the pedestrian is one of their extreme concerns as the crews are working and slow traffic is a must. Warnings are to be extended to the public passing on foot. The large machines are operated with caution and safety in mind, but accidents and injury are not always avoidable. The public is reminded to move as quickly as possible.
1997
25 Years Ago...
Aas earns James Madison Fellowship to pursue master’s
Valley City graduate given $24,000 award
Jeff Aas has been selected as a 1997 James Madison Fellow. The $24,000 fellowship award allows the recipient to pursue a master’s degree in history or political science. Aas will complete courses at Georgetown University for one summer month and then attend the university of his choice.
Aas is a 1988 graduate of Valley City High School and a 1992 graduate of Valley City State University. He completed his student teaching at VCHS under Kim Knodle and later taught history while Art Goffe was on legislative leave.
The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation selects one fellow from each state. Aas was the top candidate in the state of North Dakota. The award is made on the basis of an applicant’s academic achievement; the quality of professional and collegial involvements; the strength of proposed program of graduate study; and demonstrated excellence in a commitment to secondary school teaching of American government.
The fellowship seeks to strengthen secondary school teaching of principles, framing, and development of the U.S. Constitution. In doing so, it works to contribute a deeper understanding of American government and to foster in students the spirit of civic participation.
Jeff is the son of Doris and David Aas of Valley
City. He has been teaching social studies at LaMoure High School since 1993. He and his wife, Julie live in Edgeley where she teaches music.
VCSU’s Alexander named ND info coordinator for Eurasian watermilfoil
Bonnie Alexander, assistant professor of science at Valley City State University, has been named North Dakota Information Coordinator for Eurasian Watermilfoil.
Students in Alexander’s fall semester ecology class discovered the plant’s first-ever North Dakota spotting in the Sheyenne River last fall. Eurasian Watermilfoil, once it invades an area, tends to grow to nuisance proportions and crowds out other beneficial plants, Alexander said. The North Dakota Game and Fish personnel consider Alexander the North Dakota expert on Eurasian watermilfoil.
Earlier this year, Alexander met with state chief of fisheries Terry Steinwand and a number of fishery supervisors and technicians. She presented and discussed information concerning the discovery of a new exotic plant in North Dakota (Eurasian Watermilfoil).
Alexander attended and made a presentation at the American Fisheries Society regional meeting Feb. 2527. She presented her paper titled, “Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian Watermilfoil) in North Dakota.”
Last month, Alexander presented this information at a meeting of the North Dakota Noxious Weed Control Association. Ten North Dakota counties were represented at the meeting along with Roger Johnson, state agriculture commissioner.