From the archives of the dodge county independent

10 years ago
November 21, 2012
Randy Carlsen, Publisher
K-M seniors Laurel Ramer and Derek Wiebke designed the winning logo for the 2012 student food drive. As a result of winning the contest Dodge County will receive an additional 500 pounds of food. K-M also won the contest for collecting the most money. Channel 1 was able to collect 58,971 pounds of food from surrounding communities as a result of the student food drive. K-M students donated 5,252 pounds of food and $1,381 to the Dodge County Food Shelf. Each dollar collected counted as a pound of food for the competition. “Students, staff, parents, the K-M Lions Club and Erdman’s County Market helped make this another successful food drive,” said FCCLA advisor Michele Lindquist. The FCCLA and National Honor Society once again coordinated the food drive at K-M.
 
20 years ago
November 20, 2002
Randy Carlsen, Publisher
A majority of the city of Kasson lost power for a little over two hours Sunday morning. The loss could have been much worse when a hot air balloon struck a three-phase power line at about 9:30 a.m. in Lions South Park with four passengers aboard. Saturday Tim O’Conner of Kasson had just passed his pilot’s license, enabling him to take passengers up in the hot air balloon owned by he and his wife Deb. Sunday morning the O’Conner’s invited Bruce and Jennifer Rahlf, Rock Dell, to go up with them. The balloon was set up in south park, directly behind the Ocean Mist Car Wash. Before launching, it is common practice to send up a test balloon to determine wind speed. The wind was measured at five to eight knots, which is acceptable for flying. Immediately after lifting off, O’Conner said a gust of wind shifted the balloon’s direction to the west, into three power lines, each phase carrying 7,200 volts. There were a lot of sparks and some very anxious moments, said O’Conner. That is when the power was knocked out. Lines came down and one of the poles was also damaged. O’Conner managed to get the balloon to lift up and out of the lines. A couple of the balloon’s cables were burned but the balloon continued to fly. He was able to get the balloon up high enough to get above the tree tops and fly north over the city of Kasson. He had to lift over the cell phone tower adjacent to the Kasson United Methodist Church and was able to set the balloon down near a tree farm just west of the landfill road. O’Conner said he realizes they are lucky to be alive. “I don’t know if I will be able to fly again,” he said. The entire group was shaken up. Superintendent of Utilities Burt Fjerstad was at the scene while a crew was working on restoring power. He said each of the three lines they hit were 7,200 volts and that they are fortunate to be safe. “There had to be a lot of sparks flying,” he said. Thankfully, the only loss here was power for a couple of hours. The loss could have been much worse.
 
30 years ago
November 18, 1992
Randy Carlsen, Publisher
A new “Ole and Lena” joke book is on the market, and it’s endorsed by noted Lake Wobegon author Garrison Keillor. Keillor sent a letter of endorsement but it came too late to appear on the books cover. The notation reads, “The Ole and Lena joke is a staple of Midwestern culture and civilization, and Stangland is the Boswell, the Einstein, The Tolstoy of Ole & Lenadom. In a just world, he would be given a tenured chair at the University of South Dakota and be elected to academies and secret societies and be carried around in a sedan chair like a mahatma, but instead he has been forced to earn his living by his wits and also on radio. His six learned tomes of Ole & Lenaology belong on the shelf of every Midwesterner who values the finer things.” — Garrison Keillor, 9/1/92. Stangland chuckles about the Keillor endorsement, saying that the famous Minnesota author is noted for his tongue-in-cheek literary style. Stangland says, “I consider it an honor to be recommended by a person as noteworthy as Garrison Keillor. I must say I appreciate the remark about the ‘sedan chair,’ and being treated like a mahatma even though I’m not sure what that would be like.” Stangland’s newest Ole & Lena, Book 6, comes two years after his last one in the series, and brings the total of books sold to more than one a quarter million books. The author confesses that he is not entirely sure of the reason for the popularity of his books inasmuch as they appear to poke fun at Scandinavians. But he says that public reaction is overwhelmingly in favor of the Ole & Lena brand of humor, particularly from Norwegians. He says, “We have Scandinavian shops all over the country handling the books and they are in several airports and such bookstores as Waldenbooks and B. Daltons.” (Ole & Lena Jokes, Book 6, Norse Press, Box 1554, Sioux Falls, S.D. 57101. Newsstand price $2.50, mail order from Norse Press $3.00 ppd.) Samples jokes from Ole & Lena 6: Lena has a new diet that allows her to drink anything that comes from a blender. Last night, she drank two chickens, a pot roast, and a chocolate cake. *** Ole was in court on a misdemeanor charge. Said the judge, “Guilty or not guilty?” Ole answered: “UNguilty.” The judge shot back, “That’s NOT guilty.” “Thanks, Judge.” said Ole as he walked out of the courtroom. *** Last Sunday, Pastor Goodbunken made this announcement: “Next Sunday’s sermon will be: “What is Hell? Come early and listen to our choir.”
 
50 years ago
November 22, 1972
Folmer Carlsen, Publisher
Several area residents made guest appearances on the Boone-Erickson broadcast of Twin City radio station WCCO last Monday. Appearing from this area were Gaylord Harris, mayor of Mantorville; Garry Purvis, K-M elementary school principal; Rev. Curtis Johnson, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church; Wilfred Meltzner, Dodge County Sheriff; and Dr. D. E. Affeldt, general practitioner in the K-M area. The broadcast originated at the Mantorville villlage hall with Roger Erickson of WCCO serving as moderator and Charlie Boone broadcasting from the Minneapolis studio. The broadcast was carried on the air from 10:30 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. People with similar positions as the local people interviewed appeared at the Minneapolis studio of WCCO and compared the problems of their jobs with that of their rural counterparts. Appearing at the Minneapolis studio were, Larry Cohen, mayor of St. Paul; Darrell Miller, assistant superintendent for elementary education of Burnsville public schools; Rev. Hoover Grimsby, senior pastor of Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis; Don Omodt, Sheriff of Hennepin County; and Dr. William A. O’Brien, Minneapolis M.D.
Photo: K-M seniors Laurel Ramer and Derek Wiebke designed the winning logo for the 2012 student food drive.