2/27/2017 9:25:00 AM 20 years ago -- New baseball team organized
FIVE YEARS AGO Feb. 28, 2012 Dawson Buss and Mitch Osterhus, seventh graders at Stewartville Middle School, made duct tape wallets to sell to family and friends. In doing so, the two raised $234 for the Ronald McDonald House. Brett Stolarzyk and Zach Jaeger each earned a berth to the MSHSL Class AA State Wrestling championships at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul March 2-3. Interstate Power and Light Company, an Alliant Energy company, rewarded Geotek with a large rebate for special energy efficiency upgrades to its facility in Stewartville. Geotek added new energy efficient chillers to its manufacturing plant, saving more than 300,000 kilowatt hours a year. This work qualified for a custom rebate of $55,050 from Alliant Energy. More than 400 students from Bonner Elementary School got a closeup look at piglets, lambs, ducks, and more at the annual FFA Ag Fair at Stewartville High School on Monday, Feb. 20. TEN YEARS AGO March 6, 2007 Pvt. Alex O'Neill graduated Feb. 23 during the Turning Blue Ceremony held at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was part of Bravo Company, 2D Battalion, 19th Infantry of the United States Army Infantry. He is presently working with the Minnesota National Guard in Rochester. Stewartville senior Mike Schmitz wrapped up his high school career with a perfect 47-0 record and the 2007 MSHSL Class AA 171-pound state wrestling championship title. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO March 5, 2002 Twenty-seven teams participated in the fourth annual Stewartville Jaycees pool tournament at the Stewartville Civic Center on Saturday, Feb. 23. At the regular meeting of SADD on Feb. 25, members brought in approximately 250 nonperishable food and paper products from the Ronald McDonald House Wish List. These items were delivered to the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester, along with a check for $751 donated by high school students and staff during "penny wars" and a collection of pop tabs, during a "pop tab war." The Stewartville girls basketball season came to an end when the Tigers lost to state-ranked and the section 1AA number one seed, Rochester Lourdes, 37-21 at the Mayo Civic Arena, Feb. 25. Stewartville fifth and sixth grade academic triathletes who placed first at the seven-team challenger division meet in Kasson recently were Nolan Graf, Nick Groth, Jared Lutteke, Will Fredricksen and Andrew Skuster. Second place winners at the seven-team academic triathlon meet in Kasson were sixth graders Michael Goeldi, Erika Sahl, Erin Ness, Emily Wellen and Andrea Hogen. The second place team at the seven-team cross trainer academic triathlon meet included seventh and eighth graders Shane Kafka, Brandon Nielsen, Dan Osland, Julie Hanson and Katrina Floyd. TWENTY YEARS AGO March 11, 1997 Stewartville High School eighth grade band members who attended the Tri-State Middle School Honor Band in Decorah, Iowa were Molly Ness, Lance Moen, Hilary Bricely and Kirsten Fryer. Baseball fans will have a new team to follow this summer as the Stewartville-Racine Merchants take to the field for the first time. Organized by Tiger coach Mark Schmitz and 1995 SHS graduate Andy Johnson, the Merchants will play in the Twin Rivers League along with teams from Plainview, Pine Island, Mabel and Kasson. Two Stewartville High School seniors will be heading down under to play football this July as part of a Minnesota-Wisconsin All Star Team. T. J. Malone and Bernie Theobald have been chosen to play in Down Under Bowl in Australia and New Zealand. Tiger senior T. J. Malone has signed a national letter of intent and will receive a $1,000 annual scholarship to play football for Southwest State University in Marshall next fall. Malone will join Tiger teammate Bernie Theobald on the Mustangs squad. Sara Lassig was honored as most valuable gymnast at the Stewartville Gymnastics Award Banquet March 4, coach Steve Wesenberg reported. Ambassador Liquor is now operating out of its new location on the south side of the SuperAmerica station, and will plan a grand opening sometime in May owner Gary Johnson said last week. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO March 10, 1992 The Stewartville Chamber of Commerce's eighth edition of its Home Show once again promises lots of top-flight exhibitors, entertainment, demonstrations, raffles and fun this weekend at Stewartville High School. SHS senior Travis Bartels ended his high school wrestling career Saturday when he took the bronze in the 112 lb. class at the Minnesota State High School Wrestling Tournament in St. Paul. THIRTY YEARS AGO March 11, 1987 Jon Pearson, clerk-administrator in Stewartville since 1980, submitted his formal resignation, effective April 1. The local Jaycees, who used funds gathered through fundraisers and other projects, purchased 1,500 pounds of potatoes, 100 pounds of onions and nearly 100 containers of baby food for Channel One's food shelf. Clair and Carol Mrotek have sold their interest in the Flower Barn to partners Gilbert and Anita Fjelstad, effective March 1. THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO March 10, 1982 American Legion Auxiliary, Ivan Stringer Post 164 has chosen Mrs. William (Lena) Janssen as Senior Poppy Queen for the 1982 year. FORTY YEARS AGO March 10, 1977 The environmental services committee of the Stewartville Lions Club is planning a clean-up day in Stewartville on Saturday, April 9 from 8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Members of the committee are Gary Boyum, George Coulter, Harry Sykes and Forest Strand, chairman. Groups will be assigned to Lake Florence Park area, county park across the lake, Main Street, East Hwy. 30 and as many streets as can be covered in the city. FIFTY YEARS AGO March 9, 1967 Congratulations to Ralph Smith, local high school teacher and baseball coach, who rolled a 300 game at the R & E Lanes in Stewartville March 2. Smith, a member of the First National Bank team in the Inter-City League, was awarded a diamond ring by the American Bowling Congress and a $1,000 bond from the Airflow Shirt Co. Ronald Stoyke has added eight new commercial washing machines to his laundromat. These machines are Hotpoint, top loading machines holding 16 lbs. of laundry. Mr. and Mrs. Leo Ringey, Leo Francis and Mrs. John Byrne, attended the 53rd annual Fairway convention at Holiday Central Motor Hotel in Minneapolis on Sunday, March 5. SIXTY YEARS AGO March 7, 1957 Herb Horton purchased the first Stewartville Centennial Stock Certificate. He was the first person to put his name on a line of a $25 certificate of stock in the corporation that will sponsor the gala Stewartville 100th anniversary celebration in July. Contracts were signed this week giving Jim Lebens, owner of the Ford Motor Co. garage in Stewartville, ownership of the old Stewartville Hatchery Building. The building which was erected in 1900 will be used as a display building for Ford automobiles. The place is now occupied by Roy's Feed and Farm Service. The ordinance now in effect banning double parking on Main Street will be enforced to the extent of the law, the village council stated Monday night. In warning the people against double parking, the council stated that the residents can expect a policeman on duty during the day from now on. SEVENTY YEARS AGO March 6, 1947 The Stewies won from Dodge Center 39-35 in the sub-district basketball tournament but lost to Kasson 43-24. Kennedy was high scorer for the Stewies in the Dodge Center game with 10 points, while Kerich was high scorer in the Kasson game with 9 points. Those from here attending the concert by the St. Olaf College Choir at Rochester Sunday afternoon were Mrs. Claude Bentley, Miss Evelyn Evenson, Mrs. Frank Janssen, Miss Norma Janssen, Mrs. C A. Hanken and Miss Arlene Hanken.
