News from the week of June 20, 2001 Headlight Herald - Serving Tracy, Minnesota, since 1880
Sunday dedication caps St. Mary's restorations
Public invited to tour renovated 80-year-old church
Eight years of planning, prayers and perseverance come to fruition Sunday morning, when the saints go marching in at St. Mary's Catholic Church.
A Dedication Mass begins at 11 a.m., marking the completion of a $740,000 church restoration that began in 1993.
“It's beautiful,” comments Father Brian Mandel. “The people of the parish are very pleased.” The restoration, he feels, has done more than simply provide parishioners with a beautiful, inspirational place of worship.
“It has brought people together. It has pulled people together for a common cause,” he adds.
And yes, the saints really will go marching in at St. Mary's Church Sunday morning.
Parish members will gather at the St. Mary's School gym and then process to the church for the Dedication Mass. Each man, woman and child will be blessed with Holy Water upon entry into the church. As the Mass continues, all segments of the church will also be blessed with Holy Water.
Circus fun
Culpepper & Merriweather circus coming to Tracy this weekend
Step right up! The big top is coming to Tracy this weekend.
The Tracy Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus Saturday, June 23 at the Tracy Industrial Park, located behind North Star Modular Homes. Show times are scheduled for 2pm and 4:30pm.
The Tracy Chamber is sponsoring the circus as a fundraiser.
Tracy Chamber President Bob Gervais said this is the first time the Culpepper & Meriweather Circus has been to the Tracy area. The show is complete with live animals, elephants and pony rides for the kids.
The public is invited to watch the tent raising at about 9am on the morning of the circus and to stay for a free endangered species show at 10am and learn about the animal performers in the circus.
Now that crops are planted, farmers zero in on weeds
By Dave Brakke
After a long spring season most farmers are finally finishing planting and starting to focus on weed control.
Due to cool and wet weather this spring farmers have had a hard time getting out into the field to plant.
“We have had a 50% increase of rain fall this last spring compared to last year.” said Lyon County Extension Educator Bob Byrnes, “The wet conditions have not only forced farmers to plant later in the season but it also hinders plant growth.”
“I've been basically done with planting for about the last two weeks.” commented Milroy farmer Richard Vroman, “There have been some wet spots that I haven't been able to get to, but since the weather has been fairly nice lately I finished planting those a couple days ago.”
Severe weather that struck hard at scattered locations across the state last week missed the immediate Tri-County area.
However, in Southern Lincoln County some crops suffered from hail and heavy rains. Some areas of Rock County have sustained hail damage.
Although, growing conditions are not perfect, the main focus right now is weed control, Byrnes said. Wet weather has hindered farmers ability to get into the fields.
`Weather he's right or weather he's wrong...'
Tracy grad has attention of Lincoln, Neb. sky watchers
Never mind the occasional low-pressure centers and thunderstorms, blue skies are always on the horizon in Sander Ludeman VI's job.
When the sunshine arrives, is the only question mark.
The 1993 Tracy Area High School grad is an on-air meteorologist for an ABC-television affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. As the morning weatherman for KLKN-TV, Ludeman is responsible for broadcasting weather reports on KLKN's 6 to 7 a.m. “Good Morning Lincoln” show. He also does seven weather updates during ABC's “Good Morning America” program, plus a weather update during “News 8's” 11:30 to noon show. He began the KLKN job in May.
“I still have to pinch myself sometimes that this is how my career and life have turned out,” Ludeman admits. “It seems a little bit surreal at times.”
Ludeman's day begins early. At 3:30 a.m. each weekday he arrives at the station to look over weather data and formulate a forecast. Much of his off-the-air work involves preparing graphics to help explain the day's weather.
The really tricky part of being a TV weatherman begins when the cameras start rolling. Unlike the news anchors, who read from monitors, or news reporters, who can tape reports in advance, the TV weather reporter must deliver his report live without benefit of notes or scripts.
Buying grandfather's trucking business is `dream come true'
When Mike Anderson heard that his grandfather's trucking business was for sale, it was an offer he couldn't refuse.
"It's all I've ever thought about doing," Anderson said. "It's like a childhood dream."
As the new co-owner of Anderson Trucking of Walnut Grove, Mike Anderson's childhood dream is coming true. Mike and his cousin, David, are taking over the family business from Vince Anderson, Mike's grandfather.
Mike and David took over the trucking company, which was established by Vince Anderson in 1945, on June 1.
Taking over the company went very quickly, Mike said. He and David found out the business was for sale on May 19, made an offer on the equipment on May 25, and by May 31 had made a deal.
"It went very fast," Anderson said, adding that their first loads needed to be delivered on June 1.
Mike and David Anderson are no strangers to the trucking business. Both Mike and David and their fathers used to work in the family business. Mike's dad, Gary, worked in the business until 1977, when the family moved to Colorado. David's dad, Ken, ran the Tracy office and drove for the company for many years.
Madson farewell planned at Zion Lutheran Sunday
By Valerie Scherbart Quist
After nearly eight years as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Tracy, Pastor Norman Madson is retiring.
Pastor Norman and Amanda Madson moved to Tracy in 1993 after spending 13 years at a rural parish in the St. Peter/Gaylord area.
"I decided this was a good place to finish out my ministry," said Pastor Madson of his decision to come to Tracy.
In addition to serving the St. Peter/Gaylord area and Tracy, Pastor Madson also served in Cottage Grove, Wis., the Luverne/Jasper area, and a five-point parish in Trail. The Madsons noted that all five parishes they served were in small, rural towns.
The Trail parish was Pastor Madson's first, and he served there from 1957, when he graduated from Bethany Lutheran Seminary, until 1965.
The Madsons depart from Tracy on June 25 for North Mankato, where they bought a townhouse. Pastor Madson has two brothers, a sister, and nieces who live in the Mankato area.
The Madsons agree that they will miss Tracy and their home at the parsonage.
"We've liked our eight years in Tracy," Pastor Madson said. "It's a wonderful community."