Column: 1983: Worthington administrator resigns

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One year ago

Worthington artist Gary Olson’s design for an Easter egg was selected as the 2007 Minnesota State Easter Egg and was featured at the White House Easter Egg Display.

Radiation oncologist Dr. Thomas Hegarty was hired to lead the Southwest Minnesota Radiation Center at Worthington Regional Hospital.

Ellsworth’s basketball-playing Cody Schilling was named to the Associated Press All-State first team, having helped lead his team to the Class A state championship.

Pipestone coffee shop Kelly’s Koffee relocated to 101 N.E. Eighth Ave., Pipestone, with reports of business tripling since relocating.

District 518 and other area schools closed Wednesday (April 11) after a snowstorm plopped 6.5 inches of snow throughout the region.

Five years ago

Mark and Julie Steinle, owners of Countryside Auto Repair, relocated their business to Worthington’s Oxford Street.

The season’s biggest snowstorm (6 inches in Worthington, 10 inches in Pipestone) resulted in the cancellation of school in the area with heavy snow and strong winds.

Hundreds of people jammed the Sheldon High School gymnasium to send off the 40 mobilized members of the Sheldon-based 2168th Transportation Company of the Iowa Army National Guard.

The Nobles County War Memorial Building marked its 40th anniversary.

A community chorus presented Theodore Dubois’ “The Seven Last Words of Christ” at Worthington’s First United Methodist Church, under the direction of Dennis Schackel.

10 years ago

Sixteen Worthington Junior High School students participated in regional History Day competition at Southwest State University, Marshall, and advanced to state competition. Coaches were Jeanne Green, Marcia Liapis and Sandy Randall.

Forty-eight members were inducted into the Worthington High School National Honor Society.

Mike Woll, Worthington, was named an outstanding investment executive by Brokers Transaction Services (BTS), Dallas, Texas. As one of BTS’s top producers, Woll was awarded a trip to Puerto Rico.

Nobles County was added to the Presidential Disaster Declaration list following tornado destruction of March 29. Thirteen sites in Nobles County were affected, mostly in the northwestern part of the county. Brown, LeSueuer, Nicollet, Rice and Cottonwood Counties were previously named to the disaster list.

25 years ago

Waiting lines formed at many Worthington service stations this week as residents filled their gasoline tanks before the nickel-a-gallon federal tax was added. Lakeshore Shell owner Dwayne Butcher said he would probably boost his pump prices about 7 cents per gallon, 5 cents for the federal tax and 2 cents because of a wholesale price boost. Prior to the increase, pump prices at Lakeshore Conoco were $1.10 per gallon for regular and $1.15 for unleaded gasoline.

Mark Henning, a 13-year-old Worthington Area Junior High student, was named the Worthington Daily Globe’s carrier of the month. He had been a carrier for more than a year and a half.

Worthington city administrator Gary Brown announced this week he would resign his post to take a similar position in Hastings. His resignation was to be effective June 3.

Ryan Schroeder, 18, of Worthington was Minnesota’s 1983 FFA electricity proficiency award winner. His teachers were John Wright and Rolf Mahlberg.

50 years ago

The Worthington Trojan track team, under the direction of head coach Floyd Nelson and assistant Don Strom, were holding daily drills with 39 candidates, and more were expected to join the squad after the Easter vacation.

Farrington’s Super Valu on Worthington’s Diagonal Road advertised the following this week: one-half gallon Glenwood’s ice cream, 69 cents; 1-lb. can Red Rooster coffee, 79 cents; 25-lb. bag of North State red potatoes, $1.59; three dozen grade “A” large eggs, $1; 8.25 oz. box Post Alpha Bits cereal, 29 cents; and fresh whole fryers, 39 cents per pound.

Mrs. Albert Severson, a longtime Brewster resident and a devoted Pat Boone fan, sent a pair of her hand-knit baby booties to the Boone family upon learning of the birth of Boone’s fourth daughter. In return, she received a thank-you card from Boone’s wife, Shirley. Severson commented, “I didn’t expect any thanks for the gift. After all, the booties were simply sent in appreciation for the many hours of fine listening Pat Boone has given me.”

Fluoridation of the city water supply was voted down 3-2 by the Windom city council. Favoring the move were Howard Schwalbach and Art Nelson, with Dr. C. O. Castledine, Loren Kirkman and John Moede voting no.

75 years ago

Austin Johnson, prominent Worthington High School athlete, was named the class valedictorian with an average grade of more than 93 percent. He was the quarterback on the undefeated football team last fall, forward on the basketball team, and a sprinter on the track squad. Salutatorian honors for the class were won by Wilhelmina Dolch, who had been active in dramatic and forensic work. The two were among 93 members of the Worthington High School class of 1933 — the largest ever to be graduated from the local school — scheduled for commencement exercises on June 1.

Three men from Harris, Iowa, were arrested Monday night by E. W. Bailey, game warden, for illegal fishing in Round Lake. Each was fined $25 and costs of $6.50.

Henry Hagge was elected president of the Worthington Civic & Commerce Association at its annual meeting. Directors chosen were Theodore Gandrud, Roy Martin, E. F. Habicht and Lee Anderson. Continuing members included Hardy Rickbeil, J. C. Albinson, H. E. Hagge and past president Robert Wolff.

Tags: hardy rickbeil, reminiscing