5 years ago

Frazee-Vergas Forum

September 4, 2018

For the first time in about 10 years Jason and Nancy Bachmann took a day off. During that rare morning, they were named Becker County’s 2018 Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota at Farm Fest, which was recently held near Redwood Falls, Minn. Families receiving honors were selected by their local county extension committees and have demonstrated a commitment to enhancing and supporting agriculture and agriculture production.

Annie Bachmann is alive because of a seatbelt. The 17-year-old left her rural Frazee home to pick up two of her brothers at a bar in Vergas around 2 a.m. August 12. She was southbound on County Highway 4 when her 1997 Chevy Suburban left the west side of the road near 345th avenue. “I fell asleep,” she said, estimated she was about a mile from her destination.

25 years ago

Frazee Forum

September 3, 1998

Several hundred hay bales burned Tuesday morning at the Jim and Jeanne Rethwisch farm northeast of Frazee in a blaze which may have been caused by lightening. The Rethwisches, who live 2.5 miles north of Highway 87 just off Becker County Road 31, were alerted to the fire by a neighbor who was coming home from work at 3:50 a.m. The blazing hay bales were located very close to the Rethwisches’ young stock barn and hay shed. Neighbors assisted Jim in moving the bales out to a field so they could smolder and the fires could die out. Jeanne said the fire was most likely caused by lightening, as a severe thunderstorm moved through the area Monday night/Tuesday morning.

Frazee area people may be a bit divided in some of their opinions, but they’re apparently unanimous in support of their school system. An estimated 500 people showed up Sunday for the dedication of the newly-built and newly-renovated school facilities, some of which are making their season debut this week. The $12 million construction and renovation project was authorized by three separate bond issues and was done in three phases, beginning in 1993.

When a place has a million dollars worth of technology, it’s probably a good idea to have a system in place to protect it from vandalism. That, according to Supt. Joe Merseth, is a the rationale for the new security system in Frazee High School. The system monitors 16 locations in the high school—primarily computer areas and hallways, as well as the entry to one of the bathrooms. What’s going on in those locations can be seen on a television screen and is also videotaped (with dates and times on the tape) in case there is a need for later review. Other area schools, including Perham, New York Mills and Detroit Lakes, have similar security systems, according to Merseth.

50 years ago

Frazee Forum

September 6, 1973

The Lakes Vocational Center has registered 351 students for the 1973-74 school year in eight vocational programs. Participating school are Frazee, Lake Park, Audubon, Detroit Lakes, Perham and Pelican Rapids. Vocational programs offered by the Center are Auto Mechanics, Building Trades, Drafting, Distributive Education (Model Store), Business Occupations (Model Office), Health, Natural Resources and Forestry, and Electricity and Electronics.

Triplet Holstein calves were born Tuesday night at the Wayne and Roger Quittschreiber Bros. farm. The Quittschreibers farm at the east edge of Evergreen township.

Becker County endured a very wet Labor Day weekend. Unofficial rainfall reports for the period from Friday through Monday ranged from six inches to 10 1/2 inches south of Detroit Lakes. Besides dampening holiday picnics and outdoor activity, some roadside washout damage and damage to small grains in swath occurred.