5 years ago

Jan. 5, 2017

Frazee-Vergas Forum

The Bridge food pantry rolled out its mobile food bank for the first of many once a month visits to rural towns, including Vergas and Dent. Hunger Solutions provided a grant that made the mobile food bank possible, as it funded the purchase of an Ice Castle, six months of food to stock it with, insurance for a year and other operating expenses. The mobile unit was outfitted with shelves, hydraulics that lower the trailer to the ground with a push of a button, that also makes the pantry handicapped accessible. Donations were also made by the Vergas Lions and Lutheran churches in Vergas.

25 years ago

Jan. 2, 1997

Frazee Forum

Frazee Mayor Russ Vikesland shared his goals for the future of Frazee. The goals included getting a grant application completed and submitted to the state for water and sewer system improvements in the city. He also would like to see more houses and a 12-plex apartment building go up. Moving the city shop to County Highway 29 was the third thing on his to-do list. The move was to centralized what was housed under two roofs and allow business expansion  on property utilized by the city shop.

Vergas Mayor Roger Hanson’s top goal in 1997 was to get the sanitary waste water system issues resolved with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The archive article noted there was a moratorium on new sewer hook ups, which stalled new developments.  Fixing it was reportedly costly about $500,000. The Vergas mayor’s second goal was to continue to foster volunteerism in Vergas.  

Frazee-Vergas school’s Superintendent Joe Merseth was also asked about his goals. The top three goals he had were to work with the city and Lions to build a community center. His second goal was to enhance economic development while simultaneously sustaining student population. The third goal for Merseth in 1997 had to do with unions. He was hoping the state would assist school districts to set limits for pay bargaining.

50 years ago

Jan. 6, 1972

Frazee Forum

On this date 50 years ago, Roger Ratz was 34 when a head-on snowmobile accident took his life about four miles northwest of Vergas at about 11:30 p.m., near Trowbridge Lake. Two men were riding with their respective packs when they came up over two knolls and saw one another. The operators of the snowmobiles had only about 80-feet to react.  Ratz was a 1955  Frazee High School graduate  who went on to become a Minnesota Highway Patrolman who operated out of Madison, Minn. His wife, Darlene, was hospitalized, as were occupants on a second snowmobile: Harvey Flatau of rural Frazee (who was 19 at the time) and Detroit Lakes resident Elizabeth Svenby, who was 20.