JANUARY 2019

1–New Ulm residents spent the first day of 2019 shoveling snow in sub-zero temperatures.

2–The Pix theater marquee is lighted in downtown Sleepy Eye. Renovatiton plans for the theater include adding a coffee shop and micro-brewery.

2–Jaxson Halverson was born at New Ulm Medical Center at 1:40 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2 to become the first baby born at NUMC in 2019. His parents are Jay and Larissa Halvorson.

3–The Grand Center for Arts and Culture prepares for renovations that include a printing press in the basement.

4–A Hot Topics Lunch, the New Ulm Public Utilities (NUPU) proposes an electric rate increase in 2019. The last rate increase was in 2012.

4–The Grand’s Artscape Juried Art Show announced the winners of the People’s Choice Awards.The top votes went to “Pug” by Brian Berle in the adult category and “Spoiled” by Mizha Overn in the student category.

4–The Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force (MRVDTF) arrested three male suspects and found 520 grams of methamphetamine in a storage shed on the 1200 block of N. Front Street.

4–New Ulm High School’s Purple Knowledge Bowl team set a regular-season regional and school record in a 32-team meet in Mankato. The four person team of Emma Maudal, Peter Spengler, Jacob Hanson and Max Gieseke took first with a score of 138.5.

6–Chammy the Horse died Jan. 6. The horse lived at on South Payne street for 23 years and a symbol of New Ulm and a source of controversy. Chammy received statewide attention in 2012 involving city code. Generally, horses are not allowed inside city limits. An exception was made for Chammy.

7–The New Ulm High School held a Career and Technical Education Expo. The expo allowed students to showcase the curriculum of the school’s varying CTE programs and educate their peers.

7–The Sister Cities Commission gave Carolyn Marti Smith, Sue Marti and Eddie Portner the 2019 Recognition Award for their work as host families.

7–Newly elected Sheriff Jason Seidl took the oath of office from Judge Robert Docherty.

8–Brown County County Auditor/Treasurer Jean Prochniak reported an unpaid tax percentage of 0.4328% for Brown County in 2018. Prochniak said this low percent indicated local taxpayers are committed to paying on time.

8–The New Ulm City Council approved Johnson Park RENU design concepts and order construction documents. Johnson Park will be the first RENU project to undergo construction. Johnson Park upgrades will be ready in time for the 2020 State Amateur Baseball Tournaments.

8–Sleepy Eye City Council offered Kelly Truver the city manager position.

10–RENU Oversight Committee was split over the type of construction manager they wished the city to hire for the Recreation Center projects.

11–Kenneth Eckstein of Hector, 55, was shot in the face and hand while at Weis Oil Co in Fairfax by Micahel J. Klatt. Klatt was arrested at the scene.

12–The 8th annual Sewing for Sight fundraiser was held at St. George’s Church. All proceeds go to the Foundation for Saving Sight and the People of San Lucas-Toliman, Guatemala.

14–New Ulm Park and Recreation received a $10,000 pledge from Dr. Ann Vogel for the German Park amphitheater project. The pledge was conditioned on the city matching her pledge.

14–District 88 School Board held a special meeting to expel a student for allegedly selling and distributing illegal substances.

15–Michael J. Klatt was charged with first-degree attempted murder in the shooting of Kenneth Eckstein. His unconditional bail was set at $500,000 or $200,000 with conditions.

15–The city council awarded the architect and engineering contract for the RENU Rec. Center project to JLG.

16–St. Cloud man, Shawn R. Baker, was sentenced to 26 months in prison for a New Ulm heist at PROformance Auto Start & Security.

17–St. Paul’s Lutheran Elementary School took first place at the 3M MathCounts meet. Eleven school from the area took place in the meet.

17–The New Ulm Dioceses restored two retired priests, Rev. Richard Gross and Rev. Bernard Steiner, to limited ministry after a review of nearly 50-year-old accusations of sexual abuse. Brown County Attorney’s office did not file criminal charges against Gross, citing lack of probable cause and the statute of limitations. Steiner was restored by Diocesan Review board after no substantial credible evidence was found.

18–New Ulm Middle School had a career fair with 48 working professionals from the region.

19–Rehabilitation efforts have begun to convert the former New Ulm middle school building into apartments. The building was renamed Emerson Union Apartments and is expected to be complete early next year.

21–Randy and Carol Schroeder were presented with the New Ulm Farm City Hub Club Service to Agriculture Award during the annual banquet.

21–Greg Patterson, Board of Education chairman at St. Philip’s Lutheran School in Milwaukee, was the keynote speaker Martin Luther College’s observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Patterson provided an African-American perspective of civil rights and culture with his presentation.

22–Murder charges were dismissed against Rodriguez Limones of Sleepy Eye, accused of in causing the death of an 11-week-old infant in 2018. Judge Robert Docherty granted a motion to dismiss the charges.

24–Sewing Seeds and Citizens Bank were named Businesses of the Year during the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. This was a break with tradition.

24–Steve Gag was unanimously elected chair of the District 88 Board of Education.

24–Duane A. Johnson was arrested in Searles after his wife was found dead in their home. Johnson claimed he had a “death party” for his wife that began five days earlier. In Sept, Johnson removed his wife from Meeker Manor Transitional Care, contrary to medical advice. Johnson also said he had taken methamphetamines for several days and gave some to his wife. He also had at least 47 guns at the residence, many of which were stolen.

25–The Diocese of New Ulm Review Board recommended the removal of Fr. William Sprigler from public ministry. As part of preparation for a clergy sexual abuse disclosuree report, the Archdiocese of San Antonia, Texas became aware of allegation of sexual abuse against Sprigler in 1976. In 1983, Sprigler entered the Diocese of New Ulm until his retirement in 2016. In January, the Archdiocese of San Antonio informed the Diocese of New Ulm that the 1976 allegation were credible.

26–Nearly 250 people braved the cold to support the Hanska Fire Department for the fifth annual Hanska Fire Department Fishing Tournament.

26–The New Ulm Area Catholic Schools (NUACS) held its annual Snowfest Fundraiser. The them was “Lake Life.”

28–Local schools closed in advance of January 30 cold weather. Forecasts for -60 degree wind chill is expected.

28–New Ulm resident Alma Marin received an anonymous letter earlier in the month containing a page worth of hate speech attacking Marin for her politics and racial background. In October, Marin received the New Ulm Human Rights Commission’s Human Rights award for her work on behalf of the rights of all.

29–A mistrial was declared in the Brown County District Court in a four-day jury trial for 23-year-old Colten Camacho. The trail was reschedueld for Feb. 13-15. Judge John Docherty said unforseen developments came to light the day before the trial.

FEBRUARY 2019

1–The polar vortex disrupted some water and gas serices. Natural gas utilities received more than 45 service calls.

2–The St. Peter Polar Plunge was held to raise money for the Special Olympics. This was the 13th polar plunge held in St. Peter. Donations totaled $57,358.

3–A semi truck struck the overhead bridge at Marktplatz Mall causing damage to the bridge.

3–The 37th annual Fishing Derby on Sleepy Eye Lake brought in nearly 2,5000 people and 750 ice fishing shacks.

4–Two power outages over the weekend, each impacting 1,000 people, were not linked. The cause of the first outage was undetermined, but the second was the result of equipment failure.

5–The New Ulm City Council chose a Construction Manager at Risk (CMR) model for the Reinvest in New Ulm recreation center projects.

5–The Brown County Commissioners approved an Adopt-A-Highway program to include paying youth groups $10 per mile.

7–The New Ulm Medical Center closed the clinic and canceled further appointments due to frigid temperatures, high winds and further snow. Many patients were canceling appointments, and employees were struggling to make the commute to work.

7–The New Ulm Street Department had five plows working around the clock to clear roads until 10 a.m. The city went through a significant amount of street salt, but with a quarter-inch of ice covering the roads it was not enough to melt it.

8–The Grand Center for the Arts held an opening reception for the “Immigration: Becoming American” exhibit in the Four Pillars Gallery. The exhibit featured portraits of young immigrants along with their 200-word bigraphy and quote.

9–The New Ulm Medical Center Foundation hosted its annual Have a Heart Gala. Proceeds from the event benefitted the Fund fo Excellence.

10–Over 1,000 people visited Clear Lake for the New Ulm Area Sport Fishermen 32nd Annual Ice Fishing Contest. Snow fell throughout the tournament but little wind, it was comfortable fishing conditions.

11–Public Utilities Commission announced plans to hold a special meeting on whether terminate Rob Marshall and Utilities Director. Marshall left the Utilities commission on February 1. He accused the city of “spinning” a claim he had not met Public Utilities standards.

12–New Ulm Economic Development Authority (EDA) approved funds to hire Retail Strategies as consultant. The group conducts research into retail space in community and assists with attracting retail businesses to fill vacancies. The contract is for $40,000 and will be split between The Chamber of Commerce ($5,000), The city ($10,000) and the EDA ($15,000).

13–Colten C. Camacho entered an Alford plea on 12 prostitution charges involving teenage girls, seven criminal sexual conduct charges and two charges linked to harassment restraining order violations. As part of the plea agreement, the State agreed to a cap of no more than 12 years in jail.

14–Roy Kahn and Kathy Baumburger were named Valentine’s Day king and queen at Orchard Hills Assisted Living Community.

15–Utilties Director Rod Marshall was formally terminated by the New Ulm Public Utilities Commission. City Manager Chris Dalton, human resource director and the personnel committee met with Marshall on Feb.11 to go over performance concerns. Dalton said as they were going through issues Marshall declined to comment and before the meeting was over he turned in his phone and ID badge. He was placed on administrative leave until formal termination on Friday.

16–The first New Ulm Arctic Plunge was hosted by Lamplighter Family Bar and Grill. A variety of costumed-plungers were eager to dive into the waters of the large tank placed on Minnesota Street.

17–Volunteers decorated downtown Minnesota Street in the traditional Fasching ribbons despite snowfall.

18–The Recreation Center hosted the Winter Day of Play. Afternoon kids were welcomed into Vogel Arena and played on the inflatable devices.

19–For the second time in under a month a semi struck the concrete overhead bridge while traveling under the Marktplatz Mall.

19–The New Ulm City Council agreed to hire Retail Strategies as a consultant. The city’s portion of the $40,000 contract is $10,000.

20–New Ulm received 11.3 inches of snow and a total of 34.5 inches in February. National Weather Service observers are determining if this is a record for the region. In the Twin Cities, this was confirmed to be the snowiest February on record and among the top ten snowiest months in metro history. The snowfall made travel difficult. Few accidents were reported by police, but several vehicles were stuck in the snow.

20–Independent School District 88 School Board held a study session to discuss options for snow make-up days. As of Feb. 20 the school has experienced seven snow days.

20–Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School (MVL) will compete in the Minnesota State High School Mathematics League state tournament.

23–The Wingnut RC Flyers club members flew battery-powered planes and helicopters around two basketball courts at Vogel Field house.

24–Brown County Sheriff’s Office advised no travel due to deteriorating weather conditions.

25–Lafayette authorities came tot he aid of several dozen motorists stranded by blowing and drifting snow. Several dozen people spent the night in Lafayette Fire Hall and received lots of hospitality.

26–Kris Manderfeld was appointed interim utilities director. Manderfeld is the finance and assistant utility director.

28–District 88 School Board revised the school calendar to make up snow days. This adds three snow make-up days for students.

MARCH 2019

1–The Narren kiddnapped Mayor Robert Beussman to signify the start of the Fasching festivities.

1–New Ulm Medical Center was named the number one top critical access rural hospital in the United States in 2019.

2–Bock Fest is held a Schell’s Brewery with a fresh layer of snow. Around 4,000 people attended Schell’s Bockfest. The temperatures rose from three degrees to ten degrees during the celebration. The Fasching celebration continued at the Best Western after the brewery closed.

3–The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame (MMHF) held a concertina jamboree fundraiser. The fundraiser continued despite extreem cold. The headliners for the concert was an Earl Schmidt & Jerry Schuft tribute band organized by Schmidt’s daughter Nancy Buckentine.

4–New Ulm was listed top five Minnesota places to visit in winter by travel blogger Lindsey Ranzau.

5–The city council narrowed down the list of city manager candidates to five individuals. Initially 30 applicants applied.

6–A fire destroyed two hog barns at a Christensen Farms nursery site 5 miles northwest of Sleepy Eye. Firefighters were dispatch at 6:04 a.m. to the fire and departed at 11:30 a.m.

6–An open house was held at the New Ulm High School to discuss a mini-roundabout recommended by the safety commission.

7–The New Ulm Chamber hosts a Hot Topics Lunch on multiple community visioning topics including housing, workforce development and intership programs.

7–St. Anthony Elementary conducted its annual science fair with fourth through sixth-grade students presenting projects.

7–Brown County ranked 3rd in state for childcare quality according to a University of Minnesota online application tool.

7–Work crews drilled holes around State Street Theater to gain access to the utilities underground.

This is the first step in separating the utilities of the State Street Theater and the Emerson Union Apartments.

8–About 100 people attended a public hearing on the New Ulm to Nicollet Highway 14 four-lane expansion before the Minnesota House of Representative’s Transportation Finance & Policy Committee in Mankato.

9–The 38th Annual New Ulm Trade Fair and Living History event was held at Turner Hall. Over 100 tables displayed hand-crafted products replicating the frontier era.

9–Street crews worked to unclog storm drains as a rain fell, causing wet snow. Parts of Broadway were partially flooded.

11–Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School Math Team won the state title in Class A at the Minnesota State High School Mathematics League State Tournament. Over 3,400 students on 344 teams participated across the state this season.

11–The German Park Amphitheater fundraising received $100,000 from Barbra Harladson and an additional $3,000 from Dr. Ann Vogel.

11–Duane Johnson was charged with 3rd-degree murder in an amended complaint filed in Brown County District Court.

12–The 2019 Business of the Year banquet was held at the Best Western to honor Sewing Seeds Quilt Company and Citizens Bank Minnesota. The New Ulm Chamber broke with tradition by naming two businesses this year.

12–Several leaks have begun to form inside the New Ulm public library due to the melting snow. Over the last three days library staff has been working to keep ahead of the leaks by placing buckets under each water source. This is an annual problem for the library. The roof is scheduled for replacement.

13–The District 84 Board of Education approved a plan to offer all-day every day kindergarten for the 2019-2020 school year.

12–The 21st Annual RV Camping Show opened at the Civic Center.

14–Minnesota Department of Transportation used excavators to dig a trench to alleviate flooding on patches of Highway 14 between Courtland and Nicollet.

16–A semi tanker flipped on it side on State Highway 4 just south of the Minnesota River. Traffic was routed in a single-lane around the crash site.

17–The Cottonwood crested and the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for Cottonwood River. The river was observed at 15.94 feet and was forcast to rise 17.1 feet.

17–The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New Ulm with Grand Marshal Terry Dempsey.

18–The Hermann Heights Park hillside stabilization committee mulled over different wall options, including two and three-wall variations.

18–The Nicollet County Planning and Zoning Advisory Commission approved a permit application to establish large, solar energy system between Courtland and Nicollet.

19–New Ulm City Council declared a state of emergency in preparation for possible spring flooding. The city made 150,000 sandbags available to New Ulm residents. Brown County Commissioners approved buying two pallets of empty sandbags.

20–Members of the New Ulm City Council and city staff toured the former Target building to consider alternative uses for the building.

21–Sippet Coffee & Bagels opened for business.

22–The GFW School Board held a special meeting at the Middle School in Fairfax regarding Facilities Task Forces’s recommendation. The recommendation was to take a bond recommendation to voters to build a new Pre-K through 12 school facility.

22–The Home & Health Show began at the Civic Center.

23–Brown County DFL elected officers and laid plans for 2020 at its annual convention.

24–The Cottonwood RIver nearly reached 18 feet after a light rainfall.

25–Brown County Road 13 including the Beussman Bridge was closed between the KC Road and Nicollet County 21 due to flooding.

25–The 52 annual Rotary Club Scholars Recognition Banquet was held.

27–The RENU panel cut the domed playing field from the project list. The $3.5 million set aside from the dome project will be distributed to the fieldhouse projects.

27–The New Ulm Power Plant’s ash silo was demolished. Built in 1965 as part of coal operations, the silo has not been used since 1997.

28–The New Ulm Planning Commission recommended a parking variance requirement for a new distillery at 201 1st N. Street. The distillery will be placed in the former New Ulm Wholesale Inc. building.

29–It was announced New Ulm Area Chamber President Audra Shaneman would take over as director for the City Center Partnership, a business unit of Greater Mankato Growth. Shaneman served as Chamber president since 2011.

31–Callie Bohnen is crowned as Miss Sleepy Eye. Liv Nelson and Anna Sellner were crowned as Sleepy Eye princesses.

APRIL 2019

1–Nicollet County Highway 21 closed from Highway 14 to Highway 4 to Highway 15 due to rising Minnesota River levels. The Minnesota River at New Ulm was observed at 807.5 feet.

2–Chris Dalton was selected to officially take over as New Ulm’s city manager. Dalton was hired in 2018 as assistant city manager, but took over as interim city manager after Brian Gramentz left the position Nov. 15, 2018. The city received 30 application for the city manager position, but the city selected Dalton as the top candidate.

3–The Heart of New Ulm received the pubic health partnership award for outstanding contribution in promoting the health of the citizens of Brown County during county board meeting.

5–The ISD 88 Foundation’s annual Eagles Extravaganza was held at the New Ulm Event Center. Over 350 ticket-holders showed up for dinner and entertainment from the middle school’s jazz band.

7–Groundbreaking event for St. Paul’s Lutheran Elementary School was held. Several pre-schoolers equipped with yellow helmets and shoveld helped.

7–The Kentucky Friend Chicken on 7th North Street closed after 47 years in the community. The franchise contract expired earlier this year. The restaurant reported a 40% loss in sales after road construction began on 7th North Sr/.

8–The New Ulm Park and Recreation Commission recommended the newly donated splashpad be located in Harman Park. Barbara Haroldson pledged $115,000 for the creation of a splashpad last November. Harman Park was recommended for a location due to its central location and restrooms.

9–The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conducted a controlled burn at Fort Ridgely State Park to mitigate overgrowth and reintroduce a natural prairie on the hillside.

9–The former Jacobs & Meidl music store on 5 N. Minnesota Street underwent reconstruction. The project involves the rehab of electrical systems, plumbing, HVAC, flooring and additional bathrooms.

9–The Sleepy Eye City Council approved a resolution by 3-2 vote to acquire the former Standard Oil service Station. A previous motion to let the building go back to Brown County failed by 3-2 vote.

10–A spring storm hammered the region as predicted. Approximately three to four inches fell within 24 hours.

10–The Hermann Heights Park hillside stabilization committee preferred a three-wall option for the retaining wall replacement, but continue to debate other aspects of the wall.

10–A minor vehicle accident at 1720 Westridge Road ended with a death. Douglas Melvin Walter, 67, of New Ulm died due to a medical complication while driving.

10–Brown County Commissioners offered Winthrop City Administrator Jenny Hazelton the County Administrator job.

11–An ice storm hit New Ulm, encasing the city in a layer of ice and snow. The school and several local businesses closed including the New Ulm public library.

12–Jenny Hazelton turned down the Brown County Administrator job after being offered the position. Hazelton is the city administrator/EDA director of Winthrop and chose to stay at her current position.

12–MRCI-New Ulm celebrated with employees in honor of the organizations 65th anniversary.

13–Allina’s annual free bicycle giveaway and the Early Childhood and Family Education’s Funtastic Family Fair were held at the Civic Center. Donated bikes were collected at the Allina Health hospitals and clinics. In New Ulm, 106 bikes were donated.

14–The Easter Bunny made a stope at the Spring Fling Eggstravaganza Craft & Vendor Show at the New Ulm American Legion.

14–Dain’s Dutchmen played at Turner Hall for the Spring Dance sponsored by KNUJ. These dance began in 1999 and consistently draws a crowd.

15–During a visit to Brown County Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon discussed legislative issues his office is battling. Simon said the Minnesota Legislature has not released $6.6 million in federal election cybersecurity funds appropriated last year.

16–The New Ulm City Council is reluctant to place the donated splashpad at Harmon Park. There is concern that high traffic at Garden and Center could create a greater safety issue at this park.

16–Brown County Commissioners offered the county administrator job to St. James City Manager Sam Hansen.

16–The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plans to release a herd of goats on hillsides in Flandrau State Park to eat the invasive plants in the park.

17–New Ulm Medical Center deactived its MRI as part of a months-long project to replace the old manchine and renovate the clinc’s radiology department.

18–Fifty-nine goats were replaced at Flandrau State Park.

18–Nuvera Chief Executive Office Bill Otis retired after 40 years with the company.

18–Shane Zahrt, representing Highway 14 Partnership, visited New Ulm and Mankato to provide updates on various transportation proposals in the legislation that impact Highway 14.

20–Hundreds of local kids scrambled to grab eggs and candy at the annual Easter Egg hunt at German Park. This is a rare Easter in which it was warm enough to hold the annual hunt outside.

20–The CBD Center has been open for a month at 700 N. Broadway. CBD is an abbreviation of cannabidiol, which is a natural compound found in cannabis.

22–An 85-year-old Springfield man faced two felony counts for allegedly waving a gun around at people near his Springfield apartment.

24–U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn visited Beth Griffis’ fifth-grade class at Comfrey Public School.

25–The District 88 Board of Education entered a four-year lease agreement with Trinity-3, a tech vendor that provides computers and software systems in school. The goal is to become a one students, one device school.

25–The Planning Commission clears up a plat quirk by updating legal descriptions of roads. Technically sections of Linden Street and Second North Street were never formally plated as streets until now.

25–A Farmers for Free Trade motorcade held a roundtable whistle stop at Hoffman Dairy Farm which included First District Congressman Jim Hagedorn.

26–The annual Arbor Day Celebration was held in German Park. Second graders from St. Anthony’s Elementary planted a white oak tree.

27–It was prom night for New Ulm’s three high schools. Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s theme was “Starry Night.” Cathedral High School theme was “Ancient Greece.” New Ulm High School theme was “A Night in Las Vegas.”

29–A separation agreement with city manager Kelli Truver and the City of Sleepy Eye was approved after nearly two and a half hours of open and closed meetings. Truver was originally hired in February. The separation was related to allegations against her as city employee that were not made public.

MAY 2019

1–The Minnesota Department of Transportation strongly encouraged local residents and commuters to use the official Highway 14/15 detour at New Ulm as local township roads were damaged with added traffic.

2–The Johnson Park RENU project was estimated to cost $1.375 million. RENU stands for Reinvest in New Ulm, an effort to fund local infrastructure with a local sales tax. Construction is scheduled to be done in time for the 2020 Minnesota Class B and C Amateur Baseball Tournament.

5–New Ulm musician Bob Wirtz led the reunited Menagerie singers in a special reunion concert at the State Street Theater. More than 100 members from the group’s 30 years of performances participated. The group began in 1970 when Wirtz was the Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Luther League Advisor.

7–Erwin Steinke of New Ulm appeared on “The Price Is Right” television show earlier this spring in Hollywood. A retired Kraft Foods employee who worked as an over-the-road salesman and served in the U.S. Marine Corps said his daughter Debbie Hemschrot of Mesa, Az. got Erwin and herself free tickets for the show. He didn’t win any big prizes but said he really enjoyed the experience.

9–The Lamplighter Family Sports Bar and Grill expanded its tap beer selection to 28. Selections include Starkeller’s sour beer “Binary Storm.”

13–A safety campaign to encourage motorists and pedestrians to move safety through the community began in New Ulm. New Ulm Bicycle Club member George Glotzbach and retired Minnesota State Trooper Scott McConkey participated in the Stop For Me Crosswalk Enforcement operation. The event led to a number of traffic stops in New Ulm including those on Center Street, near the Brown County Law Enforcement Center.

16–The New Ulm Sons of the American Legion posthumously recognized Norm Warta as their Volunteer of the Year for several projects he assisted with in New Ulm.

17–Bird watchers from hundreds of miles away were reported to be looking for a rare bird, a Bullock’s oriole, seen at a Sleepy Eye bird feeder May 10.

18–Tuba and button box musicians performed from a wagon at the Syttende Mai parade in Hanska.

19–Twenty-five Cathedral High School graduates were told to let their lights shine, share the life andowrk of Jesus Christ on the modern world, which needs it badly,” Bishop John M. Levoir said at Cathedral graduation at St. Mary’s Church. “Evangelism is so important. Jesus always makes our lives better.”

20–Aided by donations and volunteer labor, the Way of the Cross got a facelift with restored statuettes that line the 280-yard paver stone route on a shaded hillside behind New Ulm Medical Center were returned to the 14 stations that house them.

21–George Glotzbach showed fellow Wanda Gag House Association board members an original Flavia Gag painting titled “Apartment on 16th Street near Washington Square.” It depicted a view from a Manhattan apartment Flavia lived in during the 1950s. The Wanda Gag House Association bought the painting from a California man after he inquired for information about Flavia.

24–New Ulm High School graduated 158 students in the high school gym. Agricultural and industrial technology teacher Kevin Briggs told students not to forget where they came from.

25–Volunteers helped decorate the New Ulm City Cemetery for Memorial Day and its annual observance.

26–Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School graduated 53 students. Valedictorian Stephanie Dalueg told the class “with God fighting for us, no one could be against us.”

26–The Sertoma Club of New Ulm recognized Matt Dauer with the Service to Mankind Award at a banquet at the New Ulm Country Club. He volunteered more than 200 hours in constructrion, craftsmanship and general contracting work.

27–Despite rain, New Ulm observed Memorial Day. New Ulm High School graduate Peter Spengler delivered the Gettysburg Address. Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School grad gave a Memorial Day Address on the importance of remembering veterans who have their last measure of devotion for all Americans.

28–Demolition work began at Alliance bank to prepare for construction of a new bank building on North Minnesota Street.

29–Former New Ulm mayor Joel Albrecht died at 83. He was remembered as a man with many passions including bowling, government and Highway 14 and for volunteering for leadership positions, said former city manager Brian Gramentz.

30 — New Ulm Police Chief Dave Borchert and officer Sara Pruette volunteered efforts to plant poppies with Bridge on Center gardeners Jackie Nelson and Wendy Goodman at the Community Garden near New Ulm Medical Center.

JUNE 2019

1–Family members of Robert Ubl donated a rare, handmade rocking chair, crafted by the late Robert Ubl, to the Brown County Historical Society. The rocking chair is one of 17 Ubl made for his grandchildren. He was a general contractor in New Ulm who continued to work despite blindness caused by glaucoma. He sent a rocking chair to then-President John F. Kennedy in October 1963. In retirement, he continued to build chairs, rockets and stools. Ubl’s granddaughter, Martha Oritz, said she is trying to locate the rocker sent to JFK that is in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum archival storage.

1–“Wet Stills and Dry Agents: Brown County and the Prohibition Years” opened in the Brown County Historical Society Museum. Exhibit items included a vintage Schell’s Cereal Extract bottle, a deactivated Model 1928 Thompson submachine gun and an accompanying violin case meant to disguise it. The exhibit opening even featured a collection of Prohibition-era vehicles.

2–Harkin Store visitors smelled the scent of Irish, Swiss and Spanish-style cheese when they entered the store. The cheeses celebrated the dairy industry and history of the historic site. Samples included cheese and caramel derived from cow, goat and sheep milk.

6–Minneopa Area Department of Natural Resources naturalist Scott Kudelka gave step-by-step instructions on how to build a simple bee home. He also provided basic information on native bee species at the New Ulm Community Garden. Bee homes are desirable to attract pollinators that help grow flowers and fruits.

8 — A Company B military re-enactment camped out at Fort Ridgely State Park. A total of 36 men in Civil War era uniforms took over the fort parade grounds. Several re-enactors portrayed actual people who served in the area. Joe Beedle played Captain John Marsh, the fort commander. In 1862, the fort was capable of housing more than 400 soldiers, but just 82 soldiers were stationed there that year.

9–A picture of young boys playing baseball in late-1930s New Ulm and a modern recreation of the photo, have taken the New Ulm Now and Then Facebook page by storm. Dan Backer was organizing old family photos when he found the old black and white photo and recognized the batter as his father, Cal Backer, but didn’t know the identity of the catch or um