5 years ago

Frazee-Vergas Forum

March 19, 2019

First the snow fell, then the rain followed. With an estimated 13 inches of snow falling on Saturday, March 9, many people spent the following day digging out driveways before Monday’s workday began. As the weekday progressed, word spread of roof collapses on everything from churches to dairy barns. Locally, the Frazee Elementary had a lean-to structure fall victim to the weight of the snow and in Vergas, a building owned by Paul’s Insulation saw heavy damage.

Updating Frazee’s water treatment plant may begin as soon as June. Originally the project was on the city’s radar as something that needed to happen in the next five years or so, but during the monthly Frazee Council meeting on Monday, March 11, the council was informed funding assistance may be available sooner. The council approved a solution to allow the city’s engineering firm, Ulteig, to submit an application o the city’s behalf to the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority for a loan from the drinking water revolving fund for improvements to the water system. The loan estimate has more than $2 million.

The Vergas City Council agreed to hold a public forum prior to deciding if it would accept bids for a project to fix several of its streets. The meeting was set for Thursday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Vergas Event Center. During its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, the council heard that the bids for the street projects were opened earlier in the week. The lowest came in at about $682,347 from the Anderson Brothers of Brainerd, Minn Engineer estimates were $741,000.

25 years ago

Frazee Forum

March 18, 1999

An evening of Finnish, Food, Fun and Facts is scheduled Tuesday at the Wolf Lake Lions Hall. The evening will begin with a Finnish supper (green and purple) and fellowship from 6:30-7:30 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., Dr. Roland Dille, retired Moorhead State University president, will talk about growing up and living in the Finnish community of Dassell, Minn. Dr. Jouko Talonen of the University of Helsinki will answer questions on Finland and give his observations on the Finnish-American community. Paul Ramsey will be at the piano and lead in group singing, including the Finnish and American national anthems. The evening will close with coffee and Finnish goodies. Everyone is invited to the event, sponsored by the Wolf Lake Finnish American Historical Society. A free-will offering will be taken to help sponsor the Finnish Exhibit at the June 24-25 Scandinavian Fest in Moorhead.

The folks in Vergas don’t seem to believe in waiting until the last minute to plan things. The community will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2003, and four years ahead of time—Saturday, to be exact—a group of people met in the Loon’s Nest to make initial plans for a centennial celebration. Twelve people attended, but Ron Goodman and Dean Haarstick stressed that many more people are needed to plan for the ambitious series of events.

50 years ago

Frazee Forum

March 21, 1974

Eli Matson has announced the sale of B&M Wood Products in Frazee to Ed Pfeiffer and Son of Moorhead. The plant which manufactures wood shavings has been renamed Frazee Wood Products. Mr. Matson said his future plans are to spend more time with other business interests in Moorhead.

The Smokey Hills Ranger Station near Osage in Becker County was closed Tuesday. Along with the closing, Norman Zauche, who has been attached to the station since 1946, was retired by choice. Zauche’s assistant, Ted Johnson, is being transferred to the forestry office at Park Rapids. The Smokey Hills station was closed as part of a reorganization involving the state Department of Natural Resource’s Forestry Division.

The Vergas Lions Club has made arrangements to recycle old newspapers and magazines. The Lions feel this is a very practical way for all to help in the paper shortage and also helps towards the waste disposal. It is requested that the newspapers and magazines be tied in bundles which can be handled quite easily or packed in boxes. Paper can be dropped off any work day at the old egg room in the Municipal Building (old creamery building) in Vergas. The Lions members will also pick up if it isn’t possible for the donor to bring the papers in.