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Peekin’
into the
Past
75 Years Ago - Sept. 15, 1949 RANDOLPH – Peaches grown in California and Colorado were rivaled this year by a splendid peach crop in Nebraska, with plenty of evidence here in Randolph where peaches grown on a tree in Sam Reed’s yard were as juicy and tasty as many shipped in. The tree was laden with fruit this year.
The biggest peach picked thus far by Mr. Reed weighed nine ounces.
Mrs. Jim Jensen has picked 18 bushels of pears from trees in the Jensen yard. This is an unusually bountiful crop.
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RANDOLPH – The Community club of Randolph will sponsor a public auction of baby beef calves for the young people of Randolph and surrounding areas who are interested in projects, it was announced following the regular meeting on Monday night.
The non-profit sale will be held at an early date. The date will be set after a joint meeting of parents and members of the club is held and notice of this meeting will appear in the paper some time soon.
This calf sale is being prompted in an effort to get more young people interested in raising calves as livestock projects, and to promote more interest in raising calves to show at the annual Randolph 4-H Junior Fair.
60 Years Ago - Sept. 10, 1964 RANDOLPH – Class officers at St. Frances High School have been announced for the year 1964-65.
Senior class officers are Dan Widhalm, president; Roger Wattier, Vice President; Paul Eddie, secretary; Elaine Becker, treasurer; Frances Kiser, Student Council.
Junior class officers: Carol Stueckrath, president; Lynn Wattier, Vice President; Jeanette Gerber, secretary; Stanley Gubbels, treasurer; Tom Mannion, Student Council.
Sophomore class officers: Doris Haselhorst, president; Michael Huwaldt, Vice President; Colleen Mannion, secretary; Charles Winkelbauer treasurer; James Closter, Student Council.
Freshman class officers: Barbara Wattier, president; Ilene Saucer, Vice President; Sue Huwaldt, secretary; Larry Becker, treasurer; David Mannion, Student Council.
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RANDOLPH – John Casal, manager of the Randolph swimming pool this summer, reports that approximately 100 swimmers registered for lessons this season. Of them, about 50 percent will receive their cards for passing the Red Cross course and tests.
50 Years Ago - Sept. 12, 1974 RANDOLPH – Preliminary negotiations are underway between the Randolph Rural Fire District and the City of Randolph at the present time to work out details concerning the possibility of constructing a jointly financed fire hall in Randolph.
The city at the present time has purchased an option to buy land on which the fire hall would be constructed. The options refers to land located north of the Kenneth (Sam) Reineke residence.
At a meeting on Monday evening the rural Board, represented by Dick Thies; Randolph fire Department, represented by David Winkelbauer and Don Clark; and the City of Randolph represented by Mayor Walter Andersen and Councilman Gordon Boatman met with Consolidated Engineers of Omaha and viewed preliminary sketches of the proposed fire hall.
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RANDOLPH – Randolph residents will decide in the general election in November if they want their water supply fluoridated.
A petition containing well over 20% of the residents has been filed with County Clerk, Edward S. Stevens, to have the issue on the November ballot.
A law passed in the 1973 Nebraska Legislature makes it mandatory for communities with low fluoride levels in their water supply to add fluoride by January 1 1975, unless voters in each community rejects the idea at the polls. *** RANDOLPH – At the newly installed traffic control light located at the intersection of Main and Broadway in Randolph a right turn may be made on red, unless otherwise posted, Dan McCright, Randolph Police Chief, has informed the Times. However, before making the right turn, the vehicle must come to a complete stop.
40 Years Ago - Sept. 13, 1984 RANDOLPH – Mr. and Mrs. Gurney Moore were honored with the ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday morning, September 4, at the new Randolph Senior Citizen Center.
Gus Marreel, president of the Senior Citizen’s group, Louie Broer and Richard Patent also participated in the ceremony. Following the ribbon cutting, coffee and cookies were served to all those in attendance.
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RANDOLPH – The reviewing of job applications along with the accepting of a bid to lease a tractor plus a wide variety of other business kept the Randolph City Council in session about four hours on Tuesday evening, September 4.
The tractor leasing discussion took more time than any of the other items on the agenda but in view of the total expenditure over five years it appeared that the council members wanted to be sure of exactly what was involved.
Two bids were received for leasing a tractor with Rokahr Implement, the successful bidder over Manzer Equipment. With Councilman Mike Wells removing himself from the discussion by leaving the council room, the council reviewed both bids.
Rokhar’s bid amounted to a total figure of $49,278.75 over a five year period while the Manzer bid with an option to be returned after the payment period was concluded was $49,875.76. It was explained that with a security deposit that was included the Manzer bid with a portion to be returned after the payment period it could possibly be considered to $53,275.00, if interest that he city would lose on invested money was considered. The successful bidder had a five payment amount that was $9,855.75 at 8% interest while the Osmond firm’s bid after making a security deposit would be $8,854.61, also over five years and at an interest rate of 9.7%.
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RANDOLPH – Gabe Hansen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hansen and a third grader in the Randolph Public Schools, found a balloon before school near McLean.
The balloon was launched on Thursday, September 6 at 2:30 p.m., MDT by Kim MGechie, a fourth grader at the Cunningham Elementary School in Denver, Colo. A card attached to the balloon asks for a reply as to when the balloon was found, by whom and where it was found.
30 Years Ago - Sept. 14, 1994 RANDOLPH – After inspecting a bus at their Monday, Sept. 12 meeting, school board members approved purchase of a school bus for $41,173. Options on the bus include a radio and rack.
The new school addition building progress was on schedule for August, Superintendent James Troshynski reported.
The board discussed fan bus policy for weekday evenings. *** RANDOLPH – Rural fire board members and their spouses along with United Methodist Church ministry were the guests at the Firemen’s Appreciation Supper. Don Dendinger replaces Richard Thies as the rural fire board president.
Jack Sauser was honored with a plaque for 27 years of service on the rescue squad.
Checks for the ambulance fund included: Jim Riedel with $500 from the Lions club; Bev Loberg with $1,034 total from the Rod Run benefit; and Ernest Witte of Lutheran Brotherhood Branch 8117 with $500.
***
RANDOLPH – Enhanced 911 was among topics at the city council meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Mayor Roger Johnson said Randolph can put in the same system with local control which Cedar county officials are offering.
At a possible cost of $925 to install and $60 monthly plus equipment to display information.
20 Years Ago - Sept. 15, 2004 RANDOLPH – Ronnie Graf with most of his immediate family present, was honored with a National Youth Hero Award on Wednesday, Sept. 8 for his efforts at the scene of a tragic accident on Highway 81.
This prestigious medal is awarded to a young person, youth to age 17, who has demonstrated heroic deeds. The award, which is sponsored by the America Legion Auxiliary under the program Children and Youth, was presented to Graf by Jan Twiford, president of the Laurel American Legion Unit #54. This is the first time the Laurel Unit has submitted an entry for the National Youth Hero Award.
Graf earned the right to his award when on Sunday, May 30, 2004, while returning from his job at the Norfolk Seven Theaters, and traveling Highway 81 he came upon a terrible head-on collision about one and one-half miles north of the Highway 98 junction to Wayne.
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RANDOLPH – The Randolph Board of Education approved the budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year Sept. 13, at their regular session meeting. The budget hearing was held Sept. 7, but there was no one in attendance from the public.
Following the budget approval, the board passed a tax resolution on a tax request for the 2004-05 fiscal year. A hearing on the tax levy was held prior to the regular session Sept. 13. The tax levy will be for 5.6 percent more in taxes. The district will need this 5.6 percent increase in order to operate the district.
In other business, elementary principal Pat Sweeney presented the board with the Statewide Writing Assessment Results. The district’s averages were slightly lower than the statewide averages. Superintendent Ted Hillman stressed to the board these tests are a requirement, but did not feel it was a great concern that the district’s scores were down for one year. The assessments were dealing with persuasive writing which Hillman and Sweeney pointed out is a more difficulty type of writing. Also, they stressed the scoring is subjective which can have variants. Each year the fourth, eighth and eleventh grades are evaluated with their scores being reported back to the districts the following year.
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RANDOLPH – Sunday, Sept. 12, St. Frances Church held its annual bazaar. The day was kicked off with a polka mass. After eating a delicious meal, fun was enjoyed by all with activities such as kids games, dunking booth, cake walk, silent auction, country store, bingo and raffles.
10 Years Ago - Sept. 17, 2014 RANDOLPH – The Ironman Triathlon provides an opportunity for the best athletes to take on the incredible challenge of finishing a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. Jake Borst, a Randolph native, recently completed an Ironman Triathlon completing both a physical challenge and a personal goal.
Borst is a person who has been setting and then accomplishing goals his entire life. It started back in high school when he set a goal to win the state basketball championship.
He was a part of Randolph’s 2022 state championship basketball team.
Jake, son of Randy and Mag Borst, graduated from Randolph High School in 2003. He then started his next goal: earning a college degree. He earned his degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2007. He then thereafter enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and started basic training in June 2010.
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RANDOLPH – The Randolph Board of Education accepted the budget and tax request for the 2014-15 school year but not without contention. Present at the regular monthly board meeting, Sept. 15, were board members Dan Backer, Tim Kint, Barb Rohde, Paul Schmit and Jim Scott.
Absent was Mike Strathman. One audience member was present, Josh Graham.
The two items passed by a vote of 4-1, Backer dissenting both times, Strathman absent.
Backer expressed his frustration that the bond on the school building will soon be paid off, yet he will be paying more taxes. Superintendent Jeff Hoesing explained that this is not because of the budget but because of valuations, which in some cases have risen 32 percent in one year.
In fact, Hoesing said, the tax asking has decreased overall by $252,200, the overall levy decreased from $.69223 to $.5255, staff has been reduced because of retirements, and the district can continue to look at reducing staff from retirements in the future.
ZNEZ
