Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

1998 year in review – Herald



Dr. John Klobe retired from dentistry after 39 years .
. . Martina McBride and The Mavericks were added to Winstock lineup . .
.

Winsted took bids for the construction of a new fire hall
. . . Brian “Woody” Langenfeld purchased Keg’s Bar in Winsted
. . .

Dale Woodbeck, owner and president of Formative Engineering
Corporation, announced his company will remain and expand in Lester Prairie
. . . Rev. Grant T. Bode was installed as new pastor for St. Paul Lutheran
in Lester Prairie . . . Andrew Galles joined the Lester Prairie Police Department.

NordicTrack announced the closing of its Glencoe plant
and estimates 200 employee layoffs . . . Winsted City Council approved the
first phase to study the condition of the old city hall . . .

Mae Stifter was honored by the Winsted Civic and Commerce
Association . . . Non-certified staff at Lester Prairie High School filed
for unionization . . . McLeod County Sheriff Duane Kopesky announced he
would retire after 30 years in law enforcement.

Quast Transfer relocated about 80 jobs to the Twin Cities
. . . LP/HT wrestler Josh Eckstein, Tom Fiecke, Alek Halverson, Noah Werner,
and Kyle Koch qualified to compete in the state tournament . . .

The Luce Line Trail through Winsted got a new Web site
at www.luceline.com . . . Brian Anderson opened Handy Andy Repair
and Construction in Winsted . . .

Doug and Joyce Quast, owners of Stamp Etc., were profiled
. . . Littfin Truss donated roof and floor trusses for the new fire hall
in Winsted . . .

A moderate fish-kill was investigated by the Department
of Natural Resources at Winsted Lake . . . LP/HT youth wrestlers competed
in the state tournament . . . Louis Stifter, instructor of the Winsted Karate
Club, placed first in the kumite competition at the 26th Annual National
Karate Championship in California.

The Winsted Lester Prairie Journal office relocated to
the Bayerl building . . . Two new warning sirens were installed in Winsted
. . .

Katie Fasching was crowned a dairy princess by the McLeod
County Chapter of the American Dairy Association . . . Rev. Paul L. Wolf
was appointed pastor of Holy Trinity Church . . .

Holy Trinity student Peggy Lenz and math teacher Marv Ebensperger
assisted in tornado damage clean up in St. Peter . . .

Lester Prairie agreed to be legal sponsor of a tax increment
district to entice Formative Engineering to stay . . . State Rep. Tony Kielkucki
announced his bid for re-election . . . Mayor Don Guggemos of Winsted proclaimed
April 19-25 Volunteer Recognition Week . . .

Members of HLWW National Honor Society spent spring break
in Hawaii.

Paula Fiecke and Elaine Gueningsman purchased the Pantry
Cafe in Winsted . . . Donations to the McLeod Food Shelf were reported at
4,000 pounds less than 1997 . . .

Winsted hosted its Garage Sales Days . . . Mayor Ed Mlynar
of Lester Prairie declared May 15 as Poppy Day in recognition of Veterans
. . .

Formative Engineering Corp. held a ground breaking ceremony
in Lester Prairie . . . Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted School District approached
Lester Prairie School District about pairing and sharing of programs.

The Winsted City Council decided to begin a re-use study
of the old city hall . . . Barb Parpart retired after 29 years as the business
manager for Lester Prairie School . . .

TDJ Construction of Waconia won the bid for the new fire
hall in Winsted . . . Dr. James Redfield spoke in Lester Prairie and Roger
K. Olson spoke in Winsted at Memorial Day services . . . Kate Kallenbach
directed a spring pops concert at Holy Trinity . . .

Winstock performers The Mavericks, Martina McBride, Pam
Tillis, Mary Sue England, and The Killer Hayseeds were profiled . . .

Republican delegates unanimously endorsed Tony Kielkucki
for his second term . . . Winsted City Council entered into contract negotiations
with Triax Cable . . .

Richard Segler sent an e-mail weather report from McMurdo
Station in Antarctica . . . Sister Annella Fiecke and Sister Johannella
Fiecke celebrated 80 years at the Convent School of Sisters of St. Francis
. . . Winstock 1998 was held . . .

Chuck Thiel and the Jolly Ramblers released a new CD .
. . Longhorn Days were held in Lester Prairie . . . Winsted Planning Commission
began work on a comprehensive plan.

Elin Schoenfelder, Miss Winsted 1996, competed for Queen
of the Lakes at the Minneapolis Aquatennial . . .

Winsted’s Archery Club was profiled . . . The Court of
Appeals dismissed SJ&F Enterprises’ lawsuit against the city of Winsted
. . . Holy Trinity appointed Fr. Paul Wolf as the schools new superintendent
and high school principal . . .

The world famous Bratbusters announced their retirement
. . . Lester Prairie City Council approved a decision to create comprehensive
plan . . .

The Niro-Sterner building was bought by SJ&F Enterprises
. . . The Lester Prairie School Board considered hiring a grant writer for
long range planning for the district . . . Charlotte Bruns of rural Lester
Prairie survived a collision with a Dakota Rail train on County Rd. 15.

Casey Wilder of Lester Prairie earned a gold medal in archery
at the 18th annual veteran wheel chair games . . . First Presbyterian Church
closed its doors in Winsted . . . Ralph Littfin was memorialized and received
the Purple Heart, Asiatic Theater Pacific Ribbon, and two bronze stars .
. .

County Rd. 1 construction was completed, but Winsted City
Council unhappy with the results. . .

Quast Transfer was sold to Vitran Corporation of Toronto,
Canada . . .

Sarah Behrens was selected as Miss Winsted at the Legion
Festival . . . Lester Prairie Comprehensive Arts Planning Program sponsored
its first Prairie Arts Festival . . .

Lester Prairie School Board tightened its policies on student
absences and summer school . . . Jesse Ventura, Reform Party candidate,
visited the Blue Note in Winsted . . .

SJ&F Enterprises asked the state supreme court to overturn
an appeals court ruling on a lawsuit with Winsted.

Joey Kozitza was profiled for his work with the Minnesota
Conservation Corps. . . . TDS Telecom announced that it would raise local
telephone rates . . .

Shane Painschab of Winsted participated in a demolition
derby at the McLeod County Fair . . . Volunteers assembled playground equipment
at Winsted Elementary . . .

Holy Trinity High School hosted the 17th Annual Karate
Invitational tournament . . . The state supreme court dismissed SJ&F
Enterprises’ lawsuit against the city of Winsted.

District 20B Minnesota House candidates and District 2
U.S. House candidates presented their views at a forum sponsored by the
Winsted Civic & Commerce Association . . .

Winsted’s planning commission distributed a land use survey
. . . Lester Prairie approved a plan to extend water and sewer services
to The Depot . . .

Winsted Mayor Don Guggemos announced that he would not
run for another term . . . The state announced a delay in Highway 261 turnback
project . . .

Helen Guggemos was profiled for her 38 years of service
at St. Mary’s Care Center . . . Winsted hired Aaron Reeves as the new city
administrator.

The Winsted City Council announced plans to move its offices
to the former theater building on Second Street and Main Avenue . . . Lester
Prairie elected Eric Angvall as mayor, and Larry Hoof and Roland Bruckschen
as council members by write-in . . .

Winsted elected Floyd Sneer as mayor and Tom Wiemiller
as a new city council member . . . Veterans were honored in Winsted for
Veterans Day . . .

The Lester Prairie Bulldogs football team ended its season
as co-champions of the Tri-Valley Conference and Section 4-A champions .
. . The Winsted Fire Department moved into the new fire hall . . . St. Mary’s
Apartments changed its name to Linden Woods Apartments and hired Sharon
Pingree as the new service coordinator . . . Frank Habisch was profiled
as owner of Frank’s Gun Repair . . .

Greg Harwood was featured as new owner of Harwood’s Winsted
Body Shop . . . Both Winsted’s and Lester Prairie’s mayors declared Dec.
1 as World AIDS Day.

Winsted’s Civic & Commerce Association sponsored the
Winsted Winter Festival with a parade and other festivities . . .

Poet Diego Vazquez Jr. completed a residency with Lester
Prairie High School . . . Lester Prairie finalized a street lighting project,
but not without controversy . . .

Bailey’s Tavern and Grill got the go ahead for its tailgate
party . . . The DNR replaced the dam at Winsted Lake . . . The Lester Prairie
Police Department placed first and the Winsted Police Department placed
second in the 1998 Safe and Sober Challenge . . .

The Lester Prairie City Council asked McLeod County to
assist the city in moving the Highway 261 turnback project towards completion
. . .

Mark Ollig resigned from the city council and was replaced
by Jeff Albers . . . Rob Heldt and Kevin Garlock purchased the Hollywood
Ranch House from Bruce and Helen Johnson.

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