Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Wright News

07/19/2005

Wright News by Jennie K. Hanson July 19, 2005

We are now in the middle of summer.  Boy, where does the time go?  By the time you read this, there will only be a few weeks until the County Fair and then school will resume.  I suppose most of you wish summer lasted longer, but for some of us, summer is just right.  We need to appreciate every day of this great weather and spend as much time outdoors as possible.

This town just finished celebrating their 40th Annual Wrong Days in Wright.

There have been many changes over the years, but it seems that most people still really enjoy this annual event.  The WD Committee has asked me to be sure to thank all the people for their hard work and especially all the businesses that donated prizes for the drawings.  Wrong Days couldn’t be possible without all the help from everyone and you know who you are.

It was great to see so many of the Pettit’s at Wrong Days.  It seems that they always support WD.

Don’t forget to pick up your dishes from the smorgasbord at the Co-op Store.

There will be a Wrap-up Meeting on August 2nd at the Fire Hall at 7 PM. Come on out and bring your ideas for next year and see how we did this year.

Marcella Dahl and Ailie Costello had all 40 of the Wrong Days Buttons on display, so they both received $5.00 each for participating in the button contest.  A quilt, made by Dolly Niemi, was also on display made from many of the past WD tee shirts.

The raffle drawings went to Mike Vanneste, Milton Walli, and Ed Clos, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively.

Roger Harp and Bob Beck won the annual horseshoe tournament.  The next tournament will be held over Labor Day.  The gals and guys throw horseshoe on Wednesday nights in Wright starting around 6 PM.  New people are always welcome.

I had a chance to meet our new Carlton County Sheriff, Kelly Lake, at Wrong Days.  She spent a lot of time getting to know the folks in our area and the way I saw it, everyone enjoyed getting to know her, too.  She was recently appointed sheriff and will be running for election in a couple of years, so it was nice to get to know her a little.

The Farmer’s Co-op Store in Wright will hold their 86th Annual Meeting at the Wright Senior Center on Thursday, August 11th at 7 PM.  Please try to attend.

Dennis Lowry has been selected for induction into the Portville Central School Hall of Fame!  The Induction Ceremony took place on July 9th, 2005 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Olean, New York.  Congratulations, Denny, on this most prestigious award!

The Class of 1956 met at Wrong Days to plan their 50th class reunion for next summer.

Did anyone see the wedding picture of Annie (Lally) and Lee Knutson in the wedding section of the June/July issue of “The Woman Today” Magazine?  This magazine is published in Duluth and is free at many area businesses and stores.

Vacation Bible School will be held at Bethany in Cromwell the week of August 8th - 12th.  9 AM to Noon.  Please pick up registration forms from area businesses and turn them to the church or to Julie Hedin or Lynn Odegaard soon!  Volunteers are also still needed.

Congratulations to Donald Roger Hutar and Kimberly Kay Bergland who were married on July 4th, 2005. They had a wedding reception at their home in Wright on July 15th, 2005.

Sara Lind, daughter of the Wayne Lind’s, has accepted a $1,500 Merit Scholarship from Bemidji State University for the 2005-2006 academic year. Sara is majoring in accounting.  Merit Scholarships are awarded to students based on academic achievements, participation in school activities, and other criteria.

Janel Jordan of Cromwell was among 8 local high school graduates that recently were awarded $500 scholarships for the upcoming year.  This year’s scholarships were awarded in memory of Eugene “Scrub” LeBreche, Fran “Newty” Newton, Maxine Weselik, Al Wright, Jalmer Angell, and Pam Jackie.  A local committee including a special golfing event in August raised the funds.

Over 100 people attended the concert at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Saturday afternoon put on by the Harmony Engineers.  The music was just great, and you’ll have to ask Tom Nistler about his “Chicken Dance”!  Really cute.

There will be a Retirement Party for Bob Schultz at the Floodwood State Shop Building, right behind the Savanna Supper Club, on Monday, August 8th at noon.  Everyone is encouraged to attend this special event in Bob’s life.

Congratulations to Kirk and Angela (Lind) Anderson on the birth of a 3rd child, a daughter, Ellie Sophia on June 30, 2005.  Her sister, Cassidy and brother Colby welcome little Ellie.  Grandparents are Jean and Jim Lind and Chuck and Diane Anderson.  Great Grandparents are Melvin and Eleanor Lind and Millie Anderson, all of Wright and Perk Peterson of Cromwell.

Our sympathy to the family of LeRoy V. Carlson, II, 27, of Cromwell on his untimely death on July 8, 2005.  His Memorial Service was held at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Moose Lake on July 14th.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Herman Hakala and his sister Amanda accompanied 4 Boy Scouts to Boy Scout Camp Wilderness near Hackensack, Mn the week of July 17-22nd.  The boys that went to camp were Curtis and Jamis Hakala, Jordan Smith and Dennis Egge. Let’s hope they had good weather and also had a great time.

Jason Line, son of Lawrence and Maxine Line of Wright, recently won his last two National Hotrod Association Pro Drag Racing competitions.  He finished 1st in Chicago and then 1st again in English Town, N. J. a week later.  Jason is currently in 2nd place in the NHRA Pro Stack standings. Last year he was named “Rookie of the Year.”

The Streeter, North Dakota Centennial and the Century “Olson Family farm” celebration was held over the 4th of July.  Attending from this area were Sulo and Delores Walli, Dave and Patty Walli, Susan and Katie Shelerud, Lisa Grescyke, Kenneth and Alice Lake, Jill, Brianna, and Jacob Koivisto, Keith, Patty, Michelle and Carl Switzer, Marvel Maki, and Pam and Cody Scavezze. Over 130 relatives were at the farm celebration and a wonderful time was had by all.

Over 80 people attended the Beseman Township Centennial Celebration held at the Big Top in Wright on Sunday, July 17th.  A wonderful meal was provided by the township including a pig roasted over an open fire all night.  The township elders were kept especially busy answering questions about the past from their younger and not so younger neighbors.  Jasper Beseman brought his scrapbooks from the 1930’s.  The board members had lots of old record books out on display and several others brought family photographs.

That’s all the news from Lake Nicetomeetthesheriff and Hello to K.L. and family. Have a great week!

Sunday, July 03, 2005

FAREWELL TO HARVEY MATTSON

07/03/2005

FAREWELL TO HARVEY MATTSON
A EULOGY BY ART JAUSS Given on July 3, 2005
Harvey Mattson’s passing was honored in a Memorial Service on July 3rd, 2005 at Bethany Lutheran Church in Cromwell. He came to be in our midst on his retirement in 1979 and he and his wife, Hazel, had a home on Eagle Lake.
Harvey was born on the Iron Range and found the love of his life, Hazel, there.  His father worked in the mines but that was not for him.  He was destined to pursue a different path but this pursuit was interrupted with his entry into the armed services in World War II.  He served in combat and was confronted with enemy fire and in one battle was hit by a thrown hand grenade and suffered a concussion that put him in a coma for weeks during which he lost his sight.  He recovered from this, but suffered the loss of the sight in one eye.  But did he ever make use of that one eye!
After his service, he got into the Driver’s License program for the State of Minnesota and eventually became director of the Division in the St. Paul Headquarters.  Upon his retirement they moved to the Cromwell area and had a home on Eagle Lake.  Hazel passed away about ten years ago.  Harvey continued a heavy round of volunteer activities.  He was vice president of both the Carlton County Council of Aging and the Arrowhead Transit Advisory Committee for the county.  For eleven years, he was president of the Cromwell Young Old Timers (YOT) Club.  But probably he enjoyed as much as any of his activities, his ten years on the board of the Lakes and Pines Community Action Program (CAP), a program that helped children and adults maintain a more productive life through programs such as Head Start, fuel assistance and weatherization assistance.
He will probably be remembered by the roles people saw him in as he lived and moved among us.  Some saw him as the quiet, serious fellow who every Sunday sat in the back pew to the right in church.  Others could have been aquainted with him in the different positions he held in organizations in Cromwell and Carlton County.
But let’s dispel the myth of just a quiet man.  Harvey often spoke with his feet.  He loved to dance.  It was known that he kept track of all the dances being held around the area from Barnum to Big Lake, and from Moose Lake to Rat Lake.  It was also known to some that he would recruit some home grown partners and take them to these dances.  And in those years he “snowbirded” in Arizona, he would search out where the dances were being held.
This man of strong principle and advocacy will be missed by many.  He has left his imprint.