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75 Years Ago - Feb. 9, 1950
RANDOLPH – The State Highway Department Thursday called for bids on U.S. Highway No. 20 Randolph-Belden for 8.3 miles of concrete paving as part of an estimated two million dollars in road work for proposed February 24 letting.
The letting will be second this year in the department’s planned 15 million dollar road program for 1950, contracts totaling $1,800,000 were awarded last month. Regular federal aid funds account for 810 thousand dollars of the total cost; federal aid secondary funds 180 thousand dollars and state construction funds a total of $1,110,000.
The project for Belden to Randolph is under the Federal Aid plan, and is for “grading concrete pavement, culverts, one bridge and grading and sand gravel surfacing for detour.” *** RANDOLPH – What might have been a serious fire was narrowly averted Monday in the Hartz Pharmacy, when Mr. Hartz was called to his store early that morning after Mrs. Clara Bowles, who lives above the store called him to tell him she smelled smoke.
Mr. Hartz found that the platform beneath the refrigerator had been burned. It is thought that a compressor on the refrigerator unit stuck, and the motor caught fire. However, gas from the unit kept the blaze down and from becoming a conflagration.
60 Years Ago - Feb. 4, 1965
RANDOLPH – Youths, as well as adults, in the Randolph community are invited to give ice skating a try as the tennis court area at the local park has been flooded for skating.
The flooding was done by Norb Olberding, Glenn Gubbels and Gordon Dennis with fire department equipment. *** RANDOLPH – In action taken at a regular Board of Education meeting Monday evening all members of the Randolph Public School faculty, except those who had previously submitted resignations, were offered contracts for the 1965-66 school term.
The action included offering Ruben Mueller the position of high school principal along with teaching high school biology and junior high science.
Mrs. Eva May Strathman was offered the position of elementary principal along with duties as guidance counselor and librarian for both grade and high school.
50 Years Ago - Feb. 6, 1975
RANDOLPH – Over 35 area high schools participated in the District III One Act Play Contest held at Wayne Sate College the past week.
The acting troupe from the Randolph school competed in the one act play contest on January 28, receiving a superior rating, and entitling them to compete on the state level. “Nobody Sleeps” was the name of the play presented by the local group. Krista Young received a superior acting award.
On February 15 the troupe will compete at Kearney State College on statewide level. The three top plays of the day will be presented again in the evening for the general public. *** RANDOLPH – The City of Randolph this week is asking interested firms or individuals to bid on the construction of a fire station and rescue facility.
Sealed proposals concerning the building will be received until March 6. Drawings and specifications may be examined at a variety of locations including the office of the city clerk in Randolph. *** RANDOLPH – It was business as usual at First State Bank on Saturday morning, but everything was not as usual.
Friday afternoon at closing time, John Moes retired as Vice President and long time employee of the local banking facility.
Mr. Moes began work at the First State Bank on July 6th of 1937 as a bookkeeper. Over the years he advanced from bookkeeper to the vice presidency at retirement.
40 Years Ago - Feb. 7, 1985
HARTINGTON – Members of the Cedar County Commissioners learned Monday that their action granting a five percent across the board wage hike to employees of the roads department did not sit well with many taxpayers. About 150 people packed the county courtroom and many spoke out against the move.
Apparently yielding to public pressure the two commissions who had voted for the wage hike reversed their decision late in the day and there will be no raises for those employees.
The commissioners Thursday had voted 2-1 to grant the pay increase beginning January 1, 1985, to the department’s 26 full-time employees. The pay scale had been $5.70 per hour for those workers prior to the move. *** RANDOLPH – Connie Nordhues was crowned queen ad Joe Thelen crowned king of the Future Farmers of America and the Future Homemakers of America Sweetheart Ball at Randolph High School on Saturday night.
30 Years Ago - Feb. 8, 1995
RANDOLPH – More than 160 outstanding Nebraska junior and high school (grades 9-12) singers and musicians have been selected to participate in Nebraska Wesleyan University’s annual Plainsman Honors Festival, Feb. 9-11. Among those students will be Matt Morten of the Randolph High School. He will perform in the band portion of the festival. Morten is the son of Ken and Gail Morten.
The festival will conclude with a concert. *** RANDOLPH – Hands-on art workshops with Creighton University instructors were attended by Randolph art students.
Art instructor Chris Hansen said Jan. 27 and 28 was the first session for the students. The second session took place Feb. 3 and 4. The opportunity was made possible by the Little Red Hen Theatre in Wakefield with managing director Val Bard.
Attending the first session from RHS were Keisha Patent and Kristin Starzl. For the second session, Brenda Letting and Chad Kruse attended.
20 Years Ago - Feb. 9, 2005
RANDOLPH – Improvement to the school track was the main focus of the Money, Feb. 7, meeting of the Randolph Board of Education. All members were in attendance to discuss options for track repair and renovation.
The listing asphalt track which is approximately 30 years old, requires replacement or rejuvenation according to Superintendent Ted Hillman. Mike Strathman and Paul Schmit were in agreement that either the track should be repaired or the track program eliminated.
As the track exists, it is a hazard to runners and an eyesore, the board agreed. Schmit stated that kids do not want to run on asphalt, and Hillman added that shin splits and dangerous falls are the result of a hard and unsafe track. The cracks are significant and dangerous, the board decided. *** RANDOLPH – The Randolph City Council convened on Wednesday, Feb. 2. The agenda included the one and six year street improvement program. The council established four projects priority number one, planned for fiscal year 2004-05, is the paving from the east end of the concrete on Jackson Street east to the county bridge. This is approximately 300 feet with an estimated cost of $45,000.
Priority number two, for future street improvements, includes removing brick paving and building eight-inch concrete paving on Douglas Street from Hughson Street to Highway 20 (24 feet by 100 feet). Also planned is the ornate paving of Hughson Street from Main Street east 169 feet. The estimated cost is $64,00. Priority number three calls for six-inch concrete surfacing on Wayne Street from Nebraska Street to Bridge Street with a cost of $150,000.
This project is also intended for an indefinite future date. *** LINCOLN – The latest state aid to education figures spell bad news to Randolph and several other area school districts.
Randolph will get $55,637 less in state aid next year.
Coleridge Community Schools will take a big hit. Coleridge received $373,360 in state aid this school year, but will get less than half of that amount - $184,230 for the next school year.
Hartington Public School, which has seen its state aid reduced to virtually nothing in the past six years, will also see another decrease. The state allocated $30,203 to the Hartington Public School district in the 2004-05 school year. That amount will be reduced by $3,008 for the 2005-06 year.
10 Years Ago - Feb. 11, 2015
RANDOLPH – Dogs, cats and a moose dominated discussion at the Feb. 4 Randolph City Council meeting.
During the last few months Randolph City Council members have put a lot of thought into whether a city ordinance on dangerous dogs should be kept in place or changed.
Board members asked City Attorney Lance Carlson to draft an amendment to the current ordinance which lists three breeds as dangerous dogs: American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
The amendment would allow a dog listed under the breeds that are deemed as dangerous to stay in the city limits if the dog is a registered service dog. *** RANDOLPH – The Randolph City Council agreed Feb. 4 to move ahead with an alternative study on the floodplain.
Council members gave their approval to an alternative study for reduction of the floodplain.
The alternative study includes an evaluation of options that do not impact as many homes and businesses as the current plan. *** RANDOLPH – Joedy and Marlene Sellon are still sweethearts after a little over sixty-two years of marriage.
Their house is filled with memories of their life together.
Joedy and Marlene met while they were students at Randolph High School and quickly became high school sweethearts.
Joedy still remembers seeing the new girl who had come into high school from a country school.
