40 Years Ago THE HASTINGS STAR-GAZETTE February 4, 1982 School budget cut by $950,000 (story by Jane Lightbourn) Short summary: ISD 200 faced difficulties due to reduced state aid, with superintendent Ken LaCroix suggesting reduced staff, increased classroom size, and eliminating programs as possible ways to make up the shortfall. Mayor’s vote delays downtown redevelopment project (Story by Al Shaffer, staff writer) Short summary: Mayor Lou Stoffel casts tie-breaking vote on declaring that “it will be no for one year.” She also noted that downtown businessmen were in favor of a supermarket by a margin of 3 – 1, while it was said that utilities and other infrastructure needed to be in place. Mayor Stoffel also commended the Hastings Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). Parking was an issue, while Jack Leaman was noted as landscape architect and planner for one “RCM.” One Councilman named Bob Kulzer said that unless bids were requested the city would never know if it was feasible or affordable. Also covered: A presence of smoke detectors in theRich Ginter home on Fifth Avenue saves three family members “from almost certain death.” Checking smoke detector batteries to make sure detectors are functioning properly is important to proper warning of fire.News from Across the River 100 Years Ago THE PRESCOTT TRIBUNE February 2, 1922 No One Is Perfect Ever have the idea you were not good enough to join church? Forget it! No one is perfect, but every Christian is striving toward the perfection set by Jesus Christ. Take one step at a time. Attend church services regularly. Study the Bible at home and in Sunday school. Perhaps you attended Sunday school years ago. You still need the same old Bible. It has a message for you and your children. Come to Sunday school and church. (Invitation to Congregational church from pastor) 115 Years Ago CANNON FALLS BEACON February 8, 1907 Journal Junior Contest A LOOK THAT HURT(HonorableMention) One day when I was out playing, my mother called me to come in and practice my music, for the next day I was to take my lesson. She was going away for awhile and said that if I would practice all the time she was gone I might have a piece of fruit cake before diner. I did not answer, but when mother was gone and I felt myself alone, I stopped practicing and went to the cupboard, where I found some nice rich cream and the fruit cake. I am very fond of fruit cake and cream, so I beat the cream and taking the fruit cake sat down at the table. I ate two pieces of cake and all the cream. Then I put the cake back again and went on to play. When my mother came home I expected something dreadful to happen, but all she said was, “I see you have eaten something you like. But the way she looked at me made me feel very uncomfortable and sorry that I had disobeyed her.—Imogene Lindberg. Sixth Grade, Cannon Falls, Minn. Also 115 Years Ago The Daily Gazette By Irving Todd & Son January 23, 1907 The Legislature The election of United State senator* was begun yesterday, Knute Nelson, rep., receiving forty-four in the senate and ninety-eightin the house; Albert Schaller, dem., fourteen in the senate and thirteen in the house. The three prohibitionists in the house voted for W. J. Dean, of Minneapolis, the populists for Gov. J. A. Johnson, and Mr. Schaller for F. A. Day. There were two absentees in the senate and five in the house. The joint session will be held today. *This practice would be changed with the 17th Amendment, as U.S. Senators originally represented their state governments at Washington. Senator Albert Schaller, of Hastings, will receive the vote of the democratic members of the state legislature on Wednesday next for United States senator.—Winona Republican-Herald. 155 Years Ago THE HASTINGS GAZETTE Edited by Todd & Stebbins Saturday, February 16, 1867 Written for the Gazette. Music. What are the objects of music? The principal objects of music are to give pleasure to the ear, and by its expression of various emotions, to affect the feeling; thus affording a most rational and delightful amusement. In one of the attractivetales of Washington Irving he makes a traveler tell a story of his having been benighted in a rude and dangerous part of the country. He had been warned against the houses that lay along his road; for incivility, plundering, and murder had been attributed to their reckless inhabitants. Though weary with fatigue and anxiety, he passed several places, where wrangling noise or suspicious stillness seemed to warrant their avoidance. At last he heard form a house in the distance the sound of a violin, with the merry tune the instrument was making. He dismissed further apprehension and went in, with the remark as his reason for doing so that the “sound of music” is always attractive, and that wherever there is music there is good humor or will. Territorial Dispatch 165 Years Ago DAKOTAWEEKLY JOURNAL Editors H. G. Bailly and James C. Dow Hastings, Minnesota Territory, August 29, 1857 UNIVERSITY CELEBRATION Preparations are being made to have a grand celebration on the occasion of the laying of the cornerstone of the Minnesota Central University, which event will take place in this city on the 2ndproximo (“proximo” meaning “next”). We hope to see a large number in attendance on Wednesday next, from city and county, to participate in the celebration of an event of so much importance to the future of our growing city. A procession will be formed at 10 o’clock a.m., which will march to the ground, and after appropriate exercises will re-form and march to the Burgess Block, where dinner will be served, followed by toasts, music, et cetera. The dinner will be gotten up (by) Mr. J.T. Bingham, “mine host” of the City Hotel, and of course it will be a superb one. Gove. Medary, Ex-governors Ramsey and Gorman, Honorables H. H. Sibley, H. M. Rice, and other distinguished gentleman will be in attendance and participate in celebrating the event. The order of exercises will be found in another place in today’s paper. News item from elsewhere The War Department having abandoned Fort Gibson as a military post, has issued orders for the delivery to the proper authorities of the Cherokee nation of the military reserve, post, and public buildings.