Outside Looking In
EVENTS ARE COMING
Summer will soon be heating up; not just in terms of the temperature but also with all of the area events coming up.
Crazy Days in Minneota will kick off the local summer events. Local businesses will be selling merchandise at discounted prices at various times throughout the day on Friday, July 14. Some businesses will also be holding prize drawings and giving away treats for the shoppers.
An ad for Crazy Days will appear in next week's Mascot that will list the businesses and some of the items they are selling.
The Yellow Medicine County Fair in Canby will be held July 20-22 this year. Some of the happenings there will be entertainment from the Roxbury band and also Mario Callens and the Midwest Cowboys. There will also be a medallion hunt, demolition derby, Lego building contest, Baja race, a pie-eating contest, to name a few.
The Lincoln County Fair in Tyler is next up and will be held July 27-30. That fair has not yet announced all the activities they are planning to have, but the annual bake-off is one of the more popular items and is expected to return again this year.
Belgian-American Days in Ghent is fast approaching. It's held annually on the first weekend in August, so this year it will be Aug. 4-6. The annual Ghent Cruisers Car Show is a very popular event that is well organized and draws a lot of cars and onlookers. The annual Rolle-Bolle tournament also draws participants from all over the United States and even Canada. There will also be a street dance, contests, food and much more during B-A Days.
The Lyon County Fair in Marshall is slated to be held Aug. 9-13 this year at the fairgrounds. Plenty of events are scheduled for people of all ages. The Whitesidewalls, IV Play, Ashley Barron, The Hype, and Sherwin Linton are all scheduled to showcase their musical talents. There will also be an Aquatic Aerobotics Show, the PCRA Rodeo, demolition derby, and 4-H barns. Poppin' Penelope will be on hand to perform magic, hypnotism, fortune telling and even face painting. There is also much more planned.
Also on that same weekend is the 52nd annual Polish Days in Ivanhoe from Aug. 10-13. This is an event with numerous tournaments such as softball, adult and kids' road races, volleyball, golf, bean bag, tractor pull and a chili cook-off. There is also a popular ethnic food tasting booth, street dance, fireworks, car show, parade and much more.
The Porter Harvest Festival will be held Aug. 18-20. This annual show features the Kenny and Linda Hennen Tractor Show that draws tractors and equipment from all over the area. There is also a softball and kickball tournament, firemen water fights, kiddie and adult tractor pull, craft and vendor show, and more.
Boxelder Bug Days always caps off the summer events in the area. Annually held the weekend after Labor Day, this year's dates will be Sept. 8-10 in Minneota. Many of the events were featured in last week's Mascot.
More details on each event will appear in upcoming issues of the Mascot.
Enjoy your summer.
BUSY TIME 50 YEARS AGO
Minneota had a lot going on in 1973 with the organization of the Jaycees, the Schott Corporation locating in town, the organization of the Southwest Sportsmen's Club, and new businesses coming in.
The Minneota Jaycees, which no longer exists here, formed in March of 1973. A number of local men from 18 to 35 years old met in the Rotary Hall to join the newly-formed organization. Jack Rehkamp was named president, Dr. Robert Schulte became internal vice president, Ralph Hagen was named external vice president, Albert Raeder was chosen secretary, Robert Nelson was named treasurer, and Allan Dovre became state director. The first banquet was held at the Green Door Supper Club east of St. Leo. The wives of the Jaycees organized as the Jaycee Women later in the decade.
The Schott Corporation located in Minneota in the summer of 1973. The electronics firm housed in the two Kerr buildings on North Jefferson. The company engaged in the design and manufacturing of custom-built transformers and related electro-magnetic components.
The Southwest Sportsmen's Club incorporated in October of 1973. Membership quickly grew to over 200 members. The club's main purpose when it was first organized was to work on conservation of natural resources in the area, but soon expanded to include archery ranges, rifle ranges, and trap and skeet shooting.
Rick Merritt was the first president of the Sportsmen’s Club, Mike Moorse the first vice president, and Adrian Anderson the first secretary-treasurer.
Also in 1973, several businesses were established in town such as the Hilltop Western Store, K & J's Upholstery, Knit & Stitch, Jim's Drive-In, and Johnson's Repair Service.
Individually, Mary Finnegan was a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-off national competition, which was a huge event at the time. She also was named a finalist again in 1975.