Features (1071)
The Freeborn County Historical Society is presenting Eddie Cochran Weekend June 12 and 13. Come and join them all day for the 29th Annual Car Show in downtown Albert Lea on North Broadway. On Friday, June 12 there will be a Cruise-In Social that starts at 6 p.m. sponsored by The Green Mill, Country Inn and Suites, and Motor Inn, Co. Join them at The Green Mill on East Main in Albert Lea. The Freeborn County Museum will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Museum’s “World Famous” root beer floats will be available at the Cruise-In.
The NRHEG School District’s $14.5 millon bond referedum failed in a district-wide vote Tuesday, June 9.
With a little more than 1,000 votes cast, 34 percent voted yes and 66 percent voted no.
Community invited to pitch in at Washburn Hotel
Written by Jim LutgensThere will be a community volunteer work day at the former Hotel Washburn building — future home of the Area Food Shelf of New Richland and the New Richland Area Historical Society — Saturday, June 13 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Plans are to move lumber, drywall, insulation, some cabinets and do some scraping around windows.
Climb aboard and take the greatest treasure hunt of your life.
Join us for the ultimate adventure story.
Vista Covenant Church will hold Vacation Bible Outreach from June 15-17 from 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. for kids going into 1st grade through 6th grade. Transportation can be provided. Plan on coming.
RSVP at 507-465-8365.
The Panther Wrestling Golf Classic will be held Saturday, June 13. Pre-register by Wednesday, June 10th. The fee is $52 per golfer and includes golf and half a cart. Lunch will be available. Schedule of events includes a registration from 8 until 9 a.m. and a shotgun start at 9 a.m. It will be a three-man, best shot format, with prizes for contests and flight champions. Registration forms are available at Riverview Golf Course or by calling (507) 465-3516.
NRHEG class of 2015 graduates
Members of the NRHEG High School class of 2015 officially ended their high school careers with commencement Sunday, May 31 at the high school in New Richland. Above from left: Jill Peterson, Anna Stork, Sam Pettey, Aurora Strom, Mikayla Pope, Dakota Thiele, Christina Quezada Jiminez. See Pages 9 and 12 of this week's Star Eagle for more photos from graduation Sunday. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
The Ellendale Area Heritage Society will meet Saturday, June 6 at 9 a.m. at Whispering Oak, second floor. We have completed our Ellendale display at the History Center in Owatonna, and are looking forward to a round table discussion about Ellendale on July 23 at 7 p.m. at the History Center. At that time we be presenting the story of the beginnings, businesses and activities of our community. The Ellendale display will be available to the public for the rest of this year and includes history, pictures and artifacts. This display will be open for viewing the evening of the roundtable discussion. The History Center’s hours are: T., W., Fri. 10-4; Thur. 10-8; Sat. 10-3; Sun. & Mon. closed. Cost: Members, free; adults, $5; youth 7-16, $3. Come and celebrate Ellendale’s history and continued existence.
Fire departments, ambulance crews pull off rare grain bin rescue
SUCCESS — Members of area fire departments and ambulance crews freed a trapped Chris Johnson of Owatonna from a grain bin northwest of Geneva Wednesday, May 20. According to at least one source, the chances of a successful grain bin rescue are one in 18. Johnson was reportedly stuck for more than two hours. (Photo by Brant Hemingway)
By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
The Geneva Fire Department received a call of assistance to the Chad Johnson farm northeast of Geneva at 9:47 a.m. Wednesday, May 20. A crusted layer that had developed on the top of the corn in a 50,000-bushel grain bin being emptied plugged the auger. Chad's uncle, Chris Johnson of Owatonna, had been helping load the corn into a semi at the farm, and decided he would have to go into the grain bin to free the auger.
Once Chris was able to get the 10-inch auger free again, the corn in the bin dropped extremely fast and started taking everything in the bin with it, including Chris. Originally they had thought there was about 8-9 feet of corn in the bin, but they soon discovered that there was more.
Safety measures had been considered before Chris entered the grain bin and he was able to grab a rope rescue system that had been installed in the bin. Chris was able to hold on to it until rescue workers were able to get him out of the bin.
“I would like an enclosed slide because they are safer.” — Alden Dobberstein, 2nd grade
“The equipment is really old and it would be fun to have new stuff.” — Mallory Schlinger, 2nd grade
“We would get to play on new stuff instead of the same stuff over and over again.” — Malonna Wilson, 3rd grade)
“I wish we could have two sandboxes.” — Tyler Kress, kindergarten
These are the wishes of NRHEG Elementary School students, and the NRHEG PTO would like to see them come true.
WWII veteran Johnson visits D.C. memorial
HONORED — Lee Johnson salutes during a ceremony during his recent visit to the National WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C. See Pages 8-11 of this week's Star Eagle for additional Memorial Day coverage. (Submitted photo)
By TROY THOMPSON
Contributing Writer
It took nearly 60 years from the end of World War II for the National WWII Memorial to open for public viewing in Washington, D.C. On April 11 of this year, nearly 70 years after the war ended, 90-year-old WWII veteran Lee Johnson of Ellendale was able see it in person.
“It was a trip of a lifetime,” said Johnson while paging through a thick photograph album of his trip. “There were people everywhere, and wherever you went, they were always saying ‘thank you for your service.’”
The one-day jaunt to visit a number of war memorials in Washington, D.C., was made possible by Honor Flight - Twin Cities, a non-profit organization that is part of a national Honor Flight network in all 50 states.
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Holocaust survivor tells area folks exactly how she made it
SURVIVOR — Anita Dittman holds a copy of her book, ‘Trapped in Hitler’s Hell.’ Dittman spoke about her life Sunday, April 26 at Ellendale’s First Lutheran Church. (Star Eagle photo by Nicole Billing)
By NICOLE BILLING
Editorial Assistant
According to Anita Dittman, there is an old saying, “Love your enemies and do good to those that hate you.”
“Well,” said Dittman, “God made me put this into practice.”
Dittman, author of Trapped in Hitler’s Hell, got a little choked up, something that happened many times throughout the afternoon as she spoke at First Lutheran Church in Ellendale Sunday, April 26.
Dittman was born in 1937 in Breslau, Germany, near the Polish border. Her mother was an Orthodox Jew and her father was a pure-blooded German. They lived in a lovely suburban neighborhood in a nice, big house. She lived a very comfortable lifestyle for 5 ½ years until Hitler came into power. When that happened, each person had to write their names on a list, either Jew or Aryan. Anita looked at her mother and asked, “What am I? I’m both.” When her mother directed her to write her name on the Jewish list, she responded, “I would rather be on that list. I would rather be a victim than the oppressor.”
Superintendent speaks out on purpose behind referendum
By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
A question is being asked in communities, and it goes sort of like this: Why, in this time of declining enrollment and tight money, do we need to spend $14 million on a new gym and new classrooms?
NRHEG Schools Superintendent Dr. Dennis Goodwin had a few things to say about that in his office last Wednesday.
“We need to focus on what we’re trying to do for our kids,” he told the Star Eagle.
“Right now we’re graduating 94 percent of our students, as compared to the state average of 80 percent. That’s still not good.”
Goodwin wants to graduate 100 percent, and for those graduates to have stayed because the school found a way to excite them and give them what they needed.
Classrooms
“In the old days, every child began school pretty much the same. But today some have no skills, some have some skills and not others.”
Last chance to reserve your 2014-2015 NRHEG Senior High Yearbook! Order online at www.jostensyearbooks.com or with Mrs. Schumacher at the high school. Cost is $55 and the last day to order is May 15. Don't delay.
The Ellendale Area Heritage Society has put up a display of Ellendale at the Steele County History Building.
It includes histories of past and present businesses and artifacts that represent them. The categories that are covered include farming, early history and railroad, businesses, civic, school, churches, medicine and recreation.
The History Center is on Austin Road in Owatonna, on the south end of the Village of Yesteryear. This display is open for viewing now and the hours are: T, W, F from 10-4; Thurs. 10-8; Sat. 10-3; Sun. & Mon. closed. Admission: S.C.H.S. members free, adults $5 and youth 7-16 $3.
Come and see what you remember from Ellendale’s past or add to what we remember!
The next Ellendale Area Heritage Society meeting will be May 2 at 9 a.m. at Whispering Oak, second floor. Come and join us!