Looking Back: 1937 - Worthington Junior College prepares for Jay Day

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One year ago

Nearly 400 Worthington Middle School students were in concert, as the school’s choir and orchestra groups performed under the direction of Melanie Loy and Cindy Anderson.

Kurt Zellers, a Maple Grove Republican and the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, visited Worthington to emphasize the importance of streamlining government.

A 16-year-old Worthington boy pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree assault charges stemming from an August altercation in which a 24-year-old man was stabbed multiple times with a pocket knife.

The Friends of the Auditorium hosted a one-man play, “The Accidental Hero,” at Memorial Auditorium. The play, written and performed by Minnesotan Patrick Dewane, was a tribute of sorts to veterans.

A Fulda man was killed Thursday after his vehicle veered across Nobles County 14, hit a field approach and rolled his SUV into a nearby field.

Five years ago

A man who had fled from the Worthington Regional Hospital mental health unit Thursday was picked up by Fulda Police Chief Paul Kenney Saturday after a brief pursuit.

The historic Adrian State Bank and its adjoining building were demolished this week. The 116-year-old bank building, vacant for much of the past 25 years, had long been in disrepair and was a concern for city officials.

The City of Worthington agreed to contribute $25,000 from its general fund to assist the Nobles County Pheasants Forever chapter in its attempt to purchase land in Bigelow Township.

Hay bales were strewn along U.S. 59/Minnesota 60 after a semi tractor and trailer loaded too high tried to go under a railroad bridge Tuesday afternoon — with disastrous results.

The 2008 Worthington Area United Way campaign was under way, with a goal of $135,000.

10 years ago

A Curves for Women franchise opened in Sheldon, Iowa.

Plans were taking shape for Worthington’s first skate park, due to the efforts of interested teens and some involved city employees.

Dr. Tim Blankers, podiatric medicine specialist, joined the physicians at Iowa Lakes Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.

Worthington High School teachers participated in a sexual harassment in-service seminar.

A resolution passed by the Nobles County Board of Commissioners allowed construction on the long-awaited Minnesota Soybean Processors plant in Brewster to begin. They created a tax-increment financing district to fund up to $2.5 million in infrastructure improvements.

Worthington city and hospital administrators discussed the question of whether or not the city could require the municipal hospital to transfer funds to the city’s general fund.

25 years ago

Specials at the Worthington Hy-Vee store this week included a one-pound loaf of raisin bread for 99 cents, a two-pound jar of Welch’s Grape Jelly for 99 cents, a dozen Grade “A” eggs for 38 cents, a 12-pack of 12-ounce Coke products for $2.88, and a 12-ounce package of Jimmy Dean sausage for $1.79.

The Business and Professional Women’s Club of Worthington named Marguerite Lucks its Woman of the Year at the annual breakfast meeting. Lucks, president of the United Methodist Church and the Turkey Trotters, had worked for the Farmers Home Administration for more than 25 years.

A Milwaukee, Wis., woman had her purse stolen and was thrown to the ground early Monday morning after she stopped at the Des Moines River rest area off I-90 near Jackson. She reported two men took her purse before she was assaulted.

Dorthy Rickers posted recipes in her “Mixing and Musing” column for Baked Macaroni with Apples, Apple Fudge Squares and Overgrown Apple Pie.

50 years ago

Plans and specifications for the Worthington Community YMCA Swimming Pool were given final approval by the YMCA building committee. The final plans were approved after several months of study, including consultations with the National YMCA Building Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Health.

Worthington’s water supply problems for the next 20 years can be solved by the expenditure of an estimated $868,650 to develop a new well field south of the Lake Ocheda dam. This was the report presented to the Water and Light Board by the Pfeifer and Schultz Engineering Company of Minneapolis. The figure included the cost of an iron treatment plant to remove some of the water’s hardness, but no decisions had yet been reached as to whether that facility should be included in the system.

Advertised specials at Worthington’s Red Owl this week included eight grapefruit, 49 cents; 25-pound bag of red potatoes, 69 cents; a king-size box of Tide, 99 cents; a twin-pack of potato chips, 49 cents; a box of saltine crackers, 17 cents; and a two-pound tin of Harvest Queen coffee, 99 cents.

Diane Smith was chosen Homecoming queen at Worthington Junior College. She was the daughter of Floyd Smith, Worthington.

75 years ago

Old Blue Jay prepared to stage a “hay day” at Worthington Junior College on Nov. 11. The college designated that date “Jay Day,” the annual gala fall event featuring a major football game. Coach Stephenson’s 1937 Blue Jays were to encounter the Sioux Falls college aggregation in an Armistice Day tussle. As a preliminary to the major event, a pep fest carrying all the zest and color that a half dozen cheer leaders can muster was to be staged. Balloons, gay tags and bunting were to enliven the field, and the Worthington Drum and Bugle Corps was to have an exhibition.

Playing this week at Worthington’s Grand theater was “Heidi,” starring Shirley Temple. At the State theater was “Big City” with Spencer Tracy.

Area corn yields were ranging from 75 to 90 bushels per acre, which was called outstanding. Another comment was, “Indications are that a great deal more interest is likely to be evidenced in hybrid in 1938.” For the time being, it appeared the hand corn husker was on its way out, in the face of the “invasion of fields by the mechanical picker, which can do the job for the farmer at 2 cents a bushel in fields where the yield is 60 bushels per acre or higher.”

Tags: looking back, lifestyle, reminiscing, columns