Looking Back - 1935: New cold storage room at Boote plant to be built

One year ago

Worthington's racing turkey, Paycheck, won the first leg of the Great Gobbler Gallop by running the 150-yard course in 35.17 seconds. Ruby Begonia finished in 39.60 seconds.

Winners of the King Turkey Day 10K were Moses Waweru, 31, of Sun Prairie, Wis., first male and overall champion with a time of 31:00, and Amy Lyons of Mounds View, top female finisher, clocking a time of 36:40.

Allison Jaycox and Travis Meinders were the queen and king, respectively, of the 2009 Worthington High School homecoming celebration.

Eighty employees, or approximately 10 percent of the workforce at AGCO in Jackson, would be laid off by Oct. 2, the company announced Wednesday. "This is just a bump in the road in a wild economy," said Jackson Mayor Mitch Jasper.

Three cases of H1N1 were confirmed at the Luverne School district. No confirmed cases had been identified to date in District 518 schools, but school officials in Worthington were preparing for an onset of the bug.

Five years ago

For the first time in 45 years, rain, thunder and lightning kept the King Turkey Day guest speakers from speaking at the podium on the 10th Street stage. But Lew Hudson and Jim Wychor spoke to the Turkey Day audience over the airwaves of the local radio station.

After a three-and-a-half hour rain delay, Ruby Begonia bested Paycheck in the first heat of the Great Gobbler Gallop. Ruby Begonia clocked in at 1:46, a good 30 seconds ahead of Paycheck.

With raindrops falling and a cool breeze off Lake Okabena, 602 runners ran the 26th annual Turkey Day 10-K. Moses Waweru of St. Paul ran the course in 30:22, at a pace of 4:54 per mile. Desiree Budd of Mankato was the top female finisher (and 23rd overall) with a time of 36:05.

The Worthington Regional Hospital Board of Trustees agreed to move forward with plans for a radiation oncology facility, tentatively set to be 10,000 square feet and built at a cost of $2.5-3 million.

10 years ago

Although Ruby Begonia crossed the finish line first in the first heat of the 28th Great Gobbler Gallop, Worthington's Paycheck came out on top due to the 17 penalties assessed to Cuero's racing turkey. Ruby Begonia's total increased from 2:30 to 3:55, while Paycheck prevailed with only two penalties.

Marie Sample of Marshall was the top female finisher in the Turkey Day 10-K race, logging a time of 37:25. Matt Hoyt of Vermillion, S.D., was the first overall racer at 31:17, while Josh Metcalf of Worthington was the first local finisher (third place overall) at 32:25. The 2000 race had 699 runners.

The Worthington Water and Light Commission reported the static levels of the city's wells were at a critically low level -- an average of 3 feet below their levels last year at the same time.

The Worthington City Council passed a resolution giving the Nobles County commissioners the go-ahead to accept bids for Phase II of the Prairie Justice Center project.

25 years ago

Playing this week at Worthington's Northland 5 were "Teen Wolf," "Volunteers," and "Cocoon."

Mary Frances Judge, the daughter of Francis and Katherine Judge, 700 Eighth Ave., Worthington, exhibited her artworks in the art center at the Nobles County Courthouse. An Ursuline nun, Judge had supported herself solely through her art for more than a decade, working out of a loft in the Manhattan art district of Soho since 1978. For four years prior to that she was a full-time artist-in-residence at Catholic schools in Dallas, Texas.

Worthington's racing turkey, Paycheck, won the first leg of the Great Gobbler Gallop, beating Cuero's Ruby Begonia by about 40 seconds prior to penalty time.

Jerrold Wynia of Worthington won the annual Turkey Day 10K race for the third consecutive year, clocking a 30:30 -- tops among the field of 423 runners but less than a minute off the course record of 29:37 he set three years ago. His time in 1984 was also 30:30. Winning the ladies' division was Vicki Coyle of Brookings, S.D., with 38:52.

50 years ago

Errol Gerdes, Worthington, broke all existing records at the Oxford Bowl Tuesday night with a 728 series in City Scratch League competition. This was the third year the 20-year-old kegler had bowled in the leagues. His previous high was a 696 that he scored the week earlier. In his series Tuesday, Gerdes had games of 258, 236 and 234.

On sale this week at Schafer's grocery, Worthington, this week: quart jar of dill pickles, 43 cents; large jar of maraschino cherries, 29 cents; four cans of sliced or halved peaches, $1; untrimmed beef tenderloin (filet mignon), 98 cents a pound; a two-pound package of thick-sliced bacon, 98 cents; a one-pound tin of Butter-Nut coffee, 69 cents; a large ring of homemade bologna, 59 cents; and red grapes, 19 cents a pound.

Arthur Anacker was installed as pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Okabena.

Senator Eugene McCarthy was the featured speaker at the Training Center dedication program on Turkey Day, with his speech billed as a "wholly non-partisan address concerned with the purpose of the training centers and the dedication of the building as a memorial to local war dead."

Sherrie McKinley, 17, won the Miss Worthington crown. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James McKinley, 407 Clary St., Worthington.

Worthington's 1960 Turkey Day, planned as the biggest and most memorable ever, began to buckle to its knees shortly before noon Wednesday and soon fell on its face, a sodden heap pelted by one of the heaviest and longest rainfalls of the season. In the end, "it was a monumental flop."

75 years ago

Orville Tennyson of Rock Rapids won the championship flight in the tournament staged by the Worthington Golf Club, with a card of 108 for the 27 holes. Sixty-two players participated in the event, which was one of the most successful, and probably the best-handled, of any in the organization's recent history. A stiff breeze that swept the course during the play probably handicapped the players to a certain extent.

Construction was expected to commence this week on a modern refrigeration room for custom cold storage at the new Boote produce plant on Rock Island trackage at 12th Street, Worthington. With lockers and equipment, the new department would represent an investment of about $15,000. Under the plan shortly to be put into operation, individual lockers would be rented to those reserving them, for the storage of meats, fresh fruits and vegetables the year around. "Spring chickens may be had for Christmas dinner, with fresh strawberries and peas. Or one can butcher in any season and store his meats until needed."