Barnes County: A Moment in Time
1923 100 Years Ago... Kiwanis Club
Yesterday the local Kiwanis Club, co-operating with the State Teachers College, started the work of clearing the ice above the mill dam preparatory to getting a rink in shape for the adults of the city. The Kiwanis rink near the Jeffrey’s Lumber Co., yard was a busy place on Sunday when a large crowd of children and some adults went there to enjoy the afternoon skating. This rink was provided for the exclusive use of the children and it is the plan of the local club to make the new rink an exclusive adult rink. The activities of the club and college in getting rinks started in the city are to be commended as ice sports are enjoyable, healthful activities and should be encouraged for the benefit of the community.
State Teacher
The State Teachers College has become so crowded for room that is has been decided to make use of the Frank White House for recitation rooms. Dr. and Mrs. C.E. Johnson, who have been living in that house, moved to the Hotel Rudolf on Sunday evening where they will stay for the next two or three weeks until the Wagle house of Normal avenue is ready for occupancy. That is the house which Mr. Wagle purchased from the college and is remodeling, after it’s moved to a lot adjoining his home. The Johnson’s have leased the lot and will move as soon as possible.
1948 75 Years Ago... Fingal Legion Installs New Post Commander
John V. Roen Post, American Legion of Fingal, met on Monday evening, January 12th, for their regular business meeting. Officers for 1948 were installed.
Edward Puhr is commander: Raymond Strangler, Senior Vice Commander: Milton Maasjo, Treasurer: Frank Puhr, Sergeant at Arms; Martin Puhr, Service Officer, and Frank Steidl, Chaplain.
Martin Puhr will represent the Fingal Post at the state officers meeting in Fargo on January 19th and 20th. Plans were made for the Fourth of July celebration with a committee of five appointed: George Weber, Carl Grasswick, Raymond Stangler, Edward Puhr and Ervin Koslofsky. Frank Morth was appointed athletic director for the coming year.
The years’ entertainment committee is made up of James Grasswick, Ferdinand Puhr and Herman Morth. One of their first activities will be a pre-lenten dance of February 7th with Axel and his band furnishing the music at the Star Light Gardens. Plans were completed for the teen-age canteen to operate once a week under the direction of Martin Puhr. The canteen will open Jan. 21st.
A complete job of redecorating will be underway in the Legion club rooms, with the Morth brothers doing the work.
W.O. Kirkhoff was in charge of refreshments at the close of the meeting, a position he will hold throughout the year.
New telephone directory has 92 pages and nearly 3,000 numbers
I.H. Anderson, manager for the Northwestern Bell Telephone Company at Valley City, states that the new telephone directory for Valley City, Including the towns of Courtenay, Leal, Rogers, Sanborn, Tower City, Wimbledon, Marion, and Kensal is being mailed to all telephone customers this week.
This is the first time that listings for Marion and Kensal appear in this directory. The addition to these two towns is in accordance with recommendations made by Marion and Kensal telephone users, who state that there is considerable community interest between these towns and Valley City and that particularly business workers in Valley City, Marion, and Kensal have occlusion to call each other frequently.
The new edition has 92 pages, compared with 48 pages in the previous issue, and listings number almost 3,000, an increase of about 840. The new book also has a completely rearranged YELLOW PAGES “Where to buy it” section, whereas previously the classified and alphabetical listing were shown on the same pages. New type faces have been used throughout the directory, resulting not only in improvement in appearance, but making it easier to read.
Because there have been so many telephone number changed during the past year, all subscribers are urged to give their old telephone books to the paper drive.
When placing calls use your new telephone directory. This will elliminate ”Information Service” and help the operators complete calls faster.
1973 50 Years Ago... Cary Siebert with accordion to appear on T.V. Jan. 22
Cary Allen Siebert, son of Mrs. and Mr. Allen Siebert of Peak, competed in the Finley FHA Talent contest, Tuesday evening in Finley.
Nine year old Cary won a ten dollar prize with his accordion and was selected over all the contestants to appear on the Adelson Alley Show, Monday, Jan. 22 on Channel 4. He will also appear on the Dialing for Dollars Show at 12 noon on Channel 11 the same day.
Cary, a fourth grader in Oriska, has been playing the accordion for three years, He has played for the local Radiorama. His accordion
instructor is Mrs. Jeff Avery, also of Peak.
Marian Anderson was the first African American to sing with the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York. She joined the met in 1955.
Glamour magazine hosts contest in Valley City State College
Valley City State College Glamour Contest took place Thursday, Jan.18, with six contestants. Joanne Reade, Zealand; Joan Raveling, Valley City; Colette Kosse, Marion: Lucille Mattern, Strasburg; Rani Nielsen, Valley City; and Sharon Kuhn, Napoleon, competed in the contest sponsored by Glamour Magazine, New York, N.Y. This is a National contest with colleges participating from all over.
Student senate staged the contest with Student Senator Jo Peterson, Hardwood, heading the group. Swing Choir performed under the direction of John Reed before the three girls, who would represent VCSC, were announced. The three finalists were Joan Raveling, Joanne Reade, and Sharon Kuhn. Each contestant was sponsored by different organizations throughout campus.
1998 25 Years Ago... Fire Department more in demand
Valley City’s volunteer fire department keeps getting busier every year. They answered 8.7 percent more calls than they did in 1996. According to a repost Fire Chief George Schlittenhardt filed with the City Commission Monday, there were 138 fire calls last year - average more than two per week. There were 127 fire calls in 1996. In 1995 there were 106.
These 138 calls in 1997 included 54 socalled “silent” calls (including such things as hornets, carbon monoxide) in which the fire siren doesn’t sound, 42 rural fire calls, 16 rescue squad calls, and 26 general-alarm fires.
The fire department spent much more time on rural calls and rescue squad operations last year than in 1996. The number of rural fires was up 50 percent. Rescue squad calls increased 78 percent from nine to 16.
Of the 80 total general and silent alarm calls, 15 were residential, 15 to business buildings, 19 for removing hornets, nine for carbon monoxide, eight to investigate smoke smells, six for automobile and truck fires, three for institutions, and the rest for chimney fires, malfunctioning alarms and grass fires.
In addition to fire calls, the fire department conducted 160 fire inspections of major buildings in the city, 54 natural gas hookup inspections, 25 day care home inspections, 24 plumbing test inspecions, 20 inspections by complaint, five school day care inspections and four foster home inspections.
The 1997 flood required about one-fourth as many man hours as the 1996 flood. Last year only 475 man hours were required of fire fighters for that effort.
The Valley City firefighters completed 2,527 man-hours of training, and the rescue squad completed 1,202 man hours of training.
The North Dakota Winter Show took 175 man-hours of donated time for first aid and fire watch. Also in 1997, 202 people toured the fire department.
Fire drills were conducted in all schools as well as the university. Fire drills were also conducted at Mercy Hospital and Sheyenne Care Center.
Spc. Mikkelsen earns medals for Bosnia participation
Spc. Anthony J. Mikkelsen, who is with the U.S. Army assigned to the 1st Infantry division, was recently awarded the NATO Medal and Armed Forces Service Medal for participation in Ttask Force Eagle while his unit was deployed to Bosnia during operation Joint Guard, March through Nov. of 1997.
Mikkelsen began his military career in Sept. 1993, joining the North Dakota Army National Guard, assigned to HHC, 141st, Valley City.
Upon entering active duty with the U.S. Army in June of 1995, the received Aviation Maintenance Training at Fort Austis, Va. In February of 1996 he was assigned to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Carson, Col., as a Crew Chief for the UH60 Black Hawk.
Spc. Mikkelsen, his wife Lisa, are now in Katterbach, Germany, where Mikkelsen is with ACO., 601st Aviation Support Battalion. Mikkelsen is the sone of Annette Mikkelsen, Sanborn, and Jim Mikkelsen, So. St. Paul, Minn., and grandson of Eva Straus, Valley City, Ejvin and Jean Mikkelsen, Sanborn.