Dusting off the Archives
News from Verndale's Past
75 Years Ago, March 27, 1947
•The Verndale Theatre, which for the past 13 years or more has been operated by the Verndale Booster Club and of late by the Commercial Club, on Tuesday of this week sold lock, stock, and barrel to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. (Sharkey) Payne of Bertha. The decision to sell the theatre came about a few weeks ago when the Village Council and the Commercial Club after considerable discussion, both pro and con, decided it would be better for Verndale and the community if a private party were to own the building and theatre equipment for an exclusive theatre.
•George Pilgrim, N.P. mail messenger in Verndale for the past 20 years, will retire from service, effective April 1. Lloyd Paulston, our congenial N.P. station agent also pays tribute to George in his weekly column elsewhere in this issue of The Sun. Harry Gibbs, Verndale Chief of Police and Night Watchman, we are informed, will take over Mr. Pilgrim’s job as a mail messenger.
•Ed. H. Peterson is having an auction sale of his personal property on his farm located seven miles straight north of Verndale next Monday, March 31.
40 Years Ago, April 1, 1982
•The power was out for 25 minutes in much of Verndale Tuesday afternoon when an empty log boom truck belonging to Camtleberry Sawmills of Motley hit and severed a power pole on the corner of Farwell and 5th Avenue North at about 3:30 p.m. According to Police Chief Cedric Haugen who investigated the accident, Driver Gary Thorn of Motley reported that the steering mechanism failed as he turned the curve traveling north. When he applied the brakes the vehicle veered toward a mobile home located there, so he released the pressure and the truck instead headed toward the power pole. Estimated damages were $1000.
•It’s a first for Judy Schultz of Verndale, she won the State Armature Free-Style Limited Women’s Division title by one arrow in Coon Rapids last Sunday. A perfect score is 300, she shot a 278 with her 60 arrows, using a 37 lb compound bow. A sub for Verndale Floor Covering in league shooting, she holds the trophy she won at State as well as the third-place medal she won at regionals in Wadena.
•First place winners in the elementary wrestling tournament held at Bertha last Saturday were: Steve Carlson, J.R. Plautz, Matt Ganz, Jacob Schmitz, sixth-graders; Wane Krell and Phillip Schmitz, fifth-graders; Ryan Bessler and Jim Carlson, fourth-graders; Troy Derby, third grade; and Nathan Neuerburg, second grade.
15 Years Ago, March 28, 2007
•Thanks to a new tire deflating device provided by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety, law enforcement officers in Verndale are better equipped to stop fleeing motorists. The Verndale Police Department is only one of three law enforcement agencies in Northern Minnesota being awarded a set of “stop sticks” tire deflating devices for participating in three consecutive Safe and Sober Mobilizations.
•Ethan Kern, Jake Braaten, and Coach Steve Techam will be traveling to Virginia Beach, Virginia on Tuesday to compete in the National High School Tournament. Ethan, a junior, will have 62 wrestlers in the 112-pound junior class. Jake, a freshman, 140 pounder has 12 wrestlers in his division.
•Sheriff Carr reports that on March 8, Wadena County Sheriff’s Deputy and his narcotics detection K-9 stopped a vehicle traveling eastbound on Highway 10 near the city of Aldrich for an equipment violation. In conversation with the driver and passenger of the vehicle, Deputy Mike Manderscheid observed numerous indications of criminal activity. The deputy checked the vehicle with his K-9 which indicated there was contraband in the vehicle. After a thorough search of the vehicle, the deputy found two bags containing a white crystal-like substance which he believed was methamphetamine.
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