Monday, September 25, 2006

Wright News

09/25/2006

Wright News by Jennie K. Hanson September 25, 2006

Rain!  That’s what we’ve been getting and that’s what we’ve been needing! It’s gloomy; but all in all, we do need and appreciate all the moisture we have been getting, as it has been so dry all summer.  We certainly don’t need another October like the one in 1918 when the historic 1918 Fire ravaged our area.

The Area Clothing Depot will be having their annual October Coat and sweater Give-a-way.  You can get 2 coats and 5 sweaters per visit for FREE during the whole month of October.  Also bag days will be $1.50 a bag on the 1st Saturday and the 1st Tuesday of October.  The rest of the month, it is back to the regular price of $3.00 a bag.

TRAPPER EDUCATION CLASS This Year’s Trapping classes will be put on by Minnesota Instructor’s Wayne and Liz Thom at their home on October 8, 15, and 22, 2006 from noon to 6 PM.  Liz and Wayne will be assisted by area trappers.  If interested in registering for this class, please call 644-3593 by October 6 th.

Minnesota law requires “Effective March 1, 2007, a person born after December 31, 1989 who has not been issued a trapping license in a pervious license year may not obtain a trapping license without a Trapper Education Certificate.  The Minnesota Trapper’s Association will conduct courses State-wide, free of charge to the participants and issue certificates that satisfy this new trapping license requirement.”

For the Class of 1947 Reunion, last week we inadvertently omitted that bud and Joan Olson were also at the luncheon.  We apologize for the error; it was good to have you at the party.

Gracie Rae Foley, infant daughter of Jon and Carrie Foley, was baptized in the Cromwell Methodist Church on Sunday, September 24, 2006.  Her sponsors are Jeff Foley and Melinda King.  In addition, other family members in attendance were Elouise Lucking, Grandmother, of Cromwell, Chuck and Carrie Foley, grandparents, of Inver Grove Heights, Jeff Foley’s family, Theresa, Jesse, and friend Laura, and Brittany of Rosemount, Tonya Vance of Inver Grove Heights, Brett Lucking of Cromwell, Channing Lucking of Cromwell, Cory Foley and his family from Lakeville, Jeanne, Joshua, and Jessica; Mike and Melinda King of Superior, Glen and Barbara Coyle, and Jacob and Sarah of Duluth.  It was a beautiful day for a beautiful baby.

It’s Coming!  The Brian Saaristo Celebration Day, October 7th at the Cromwell Park Pavilion.  (This is a Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Matching Funds Event.) A Pancake Breakfast will be served from 7 AM - 1 PM followed by BINGO at 1 PM.  In addition there will be a silent auction from 11 AM - 3 PM and a very special musical tribute at Noon.  If you would like to donate a prize for the auction, contact Carolyn Krogh at 644-3670.  If you can’t participate in this event, but want to send a contribution to the benefit, please make your check payable to Brian Saaristo and mail it to the Northview Bank, POI Box 68, Cromwell, MN 55726.  You may have also noticed all the yellow ribbons popping up all over Cromwell and Wright to show your support for Brian’s courage.  If you’d like one for your mailbox or front yard, please call Jeanne Weimer at 644-3953 in Cromwell or stop by the Groth Lumber Yard in Wright and ask Dennis for your ribbon/s.

As you may have noticed, there was a big article about Brian and his family in the Sunday Edition of the Duluth News Tribune.  This article answers a lot of the questions people have been asking about Brian and his progress. He wants to get back home to Wright as soon as possible and it looks like he may even make it for the special celebration in his honor.  If not, our thoughts and prayers are with him as he continues to heal and learn to walk with his new feet.

If you go to the Duluth News Website for 9-24-06, you can see a 2 minute video slide show of Brian, Cheryl, and the kids, Leah and Brian, JR.  It’s really neat!

The Pine Journal puts out an All Area High School Sports Fall Showcase and this year the Cromwell-Wright Football team is featured on the front page. It also has photos by our own Suzy Dahlman Goodin.  Suzy is now working for the PJ.  Check it out.  It came in the mail September 20th.

Dora Huhta celebrated her 95th Birthday on August 29, 2006 with family and friends at the Villa Vista in Cromwell.

The whole school celebrated an Environmental Day on September 25th.  All students went outdoors for part of the day.

The MATT HAKALA SPAGHETTI SUPPER AND AUCTION BENEFIT will be held on October 28 at the Lost Isle in Carlton from 3 - 7 PM.  Matt is being treated for two types of cancer.  Matt and his whole family need our support and prayers at this time.  Get well, Matt and we love you!!

Our Sympathy goes out to the family of Elsie Lind, 88, who died on September 18, 2006.  She was the daughter of Emil and Augusta Ahlman and was born on July 4, 1918, in Morristown, Minnesota.  She married Richard Lind on October 29, 1940 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Morristown.  Elsie was preceded in death by her son-in-law, Jerry Keiser, by 3 brothers and 1 sister.  She is survived by her son, James and his wife Connie Lind, her daughter, Becci Keiser, her grand children, Brian and his wife Rachel Lind, and Jesse Lind.  She also has 3 great granddaughters, Amanda and Kimberlee Keiser and Alaina Lind, as well as many nieces and nephews.  Her funeral was held at Grace Lutheran Church in South St. Paul on September 21, 2006 with Rev. Frederick S. Fallen officiating.

Please try to remember Wayne and Liz Thom’s 40th Wedding Anniversary Party at their home on Sunday, October 1, 2006, from 2 - 4 PM.

Household Hint: Washday: Too much soap is every bit as bad as too little. It will make your white clothes gray by depositing a film on them.  Try using 1/4 less soap next washday.  If you have good results, try using 1/2 less next time.

That’s all the news from Gogetthatflushot and Hello to the whole Thom family.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Wright News

09/11/2006

Wright News by Jennie K. Hanson September 11, 2006

As I sit down to type this week’s news, it’s September 11th.  What a day!  I will never forget where I was or what I was doing on this day 5 years ago. We were remodeling our kitchen and my nephew, Nathan Dahlman, was here doing the job.  My son, Philip called from across the road and said to put on the TV.  He said a plane had just hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.  As we watched, eyes glued to the TV, another plane hit the other tower.  At the time, we weren’t sure it was terrorism, but knew something was terribly wrong!  I was supposed to go to a Retired Teacher’s meeting that day, but by 10 AM, we knew our country was being attacked, so I cancelled the meeting and stayed home, never far from the TV. We didn’t get much done on the remodeling job, either.  Just sitting in stunned silence most of the time.

I can remember my mother telling me about the day Franklin D. Roosevelt died in 1945.  I couldn’t figure out how she could remember almost every detail of that day, but after living through a day somewhat like that one, I can understand why some days in our lives stay burned into our memories forever. I guess it was like the day that John F. Kennedy died.  We are so stunned that the other events of the day stay with us, too.

So, as we remember the 5th Anniversary of 9-1-1, let’s keep our country, the victims and their families in our hearts and prayers as we go about our daily lives.  May we never see such another awful day.

Soup Supper: There will be a Homemade Soup Supper at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Wright on Friday, September 15th serving from 4:30 - 7 PM.  Soups include Wild Rice, Vegetable Beef and Chili.  You will also be served homemade bread, desserts and beverages. This is a Thrivent Matching Funds event.

Sunday school Starts at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Wright on Sunday, September 17, at the regular 9 AM time.  Deb and Diane have lots of new ideas for this year; so please bring your kids ages 4 to 6th Grade on the 17th!

Sunday school starts at St. John’s at 9:30 on September 17th, also.

With the world the way it is, we need to get our kids and ourselves to church.

There will be a Pancake Breakfast - BINGO Benefit Day for Brian Saaristo on Saturday, October 7th at the Cromwell Park Pavilion.  Pancakes served from 7 AM - 1 PM with BINGO to follow.  Donations of food items such as butter, orange juice, milk and coffee are being requested.  Also BINGO prizes are welcomed.  If you can help out, contact Barb Dahl at 644-3691 or Peggy Olson at 644-3746.  Brian lost both of his feet in a bomb blast in Iraq and is recuperating from his injuries at Walter Reed in Washington, DC.  Brian’s email address is if you would like to contact him in person.

Wayne and Liz Thom of Cromwell will celebrate their 40th Wedding Anniversary with an Open House from 2 - 4 PM on Sunday, October 1st at their home.  Wayne and Liz were married on October 1st, 1966, at First English Lutheran Church in Faribault, Mn.  Wayne and Liz have three sons, two daughter-in-laws and seven grandchildren.  Wayne is retired from the Carlton County Sheriff’s Department and Liz worked for the Community Health Information Collaborative in Duluth.

The Heart and Soul Concert will be held at 1 PM in Cromwell at Bethany Lutheran on September 24 and NOT at 10:30 AM that was previously reported.

It was great to see that Aurelia and George Hemmila, of Wright, were voted in by the Cromwell Young Old Timers (YOT) to be “Grand Marshals” of the Harvest Fest Parade last weekend in Cromwell.  Aurelia grew up in Cromwell, graduated from Cromwell High School and both George and Aurelia have done so much for the YOT and our whole area in the past that it is great that they were honored in this way!  Thanks George and Aurelia for all your dedicated service to our communities!  After all it’s the Cromwell-Wright School, so it is also the Cromwell-Wright Community that has to work together for our kids and our community.

The Harvest Fest is one of the biggest community events left in the area and being it’s the last one of the season, it is great to see so much participation by the locals, Lake People and the out-of-towners.  Your participation is welcomed and appreciated by all!

The Cromwell Historical Club had a booth at the Harvest Fest, too.  There were many displays of scrapbooks that Judy Koivisto has put together and lots of high school graduation composite pictures that I have been saving since the 1991 All-School Reunion.  People poured over those things and seemed to really enjoy them.  I also had my new book “Shades of the Past: The Teaching Histories of the Carlton County Retired Educators” for sale. If you are interested in any of these items, please call Judy or me for more information.  I will also have the book for sale at the Cromwell Arts and Crafts Sale in Cromwell on the first weekend of hunting season.

In keeping with the subject of the historical club, I ran across a page from an old Cromwellian and there were some very interesting statistics that I would like to share with you.  The story told about Cromwell High School’s Enrollment in grades 9 - 12.  May, 1923: 17 students, 1923-24: 39 students, 1924-1925: 59 students and 1925 - 1926: 81 students.  The heading of the article was: “ WATCH US GROW!” So, I guess those early days were exciting and growing, too.

Margaret Webster recently participated in a program at the MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids.  The exhibit was called “From The Swamp” curated by John Zasada on September 8, 2006.  Margaret was their special guest and storyteller.

WARNING!

I recently went to the Minnesota Lottery website to check on some lottery numbers.  Since then have been receiving emails from unknown persons in foreign countries trying to get me to give them my bank account numbers so they can deposit huge amounts of money in my account and then later split this money with me.

This is a SCAM!  Do not reply to these requests.  Delete immediately! I called the sheriff’s department and they said they can’t do anything about these scams, but be award that they are just a way to get you to give out bank information and then the scammers will clean out your bank account before you know what hit you.  If you actually receive a check, then call the sheriff as then the authorities can deal with the scammers.  Just depositing a check like this could clean you out.  So be aware, there are people out there trying to steal your money!

That’s all the news from Lake Enjoytherestofthefall and Hello to all the Harvest Fest participants!  You did a terrific job!