20 YEARS AGO: NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF MARCH 27, 2003
Ranked No. 1 before the season even started, Litchfield’s boys basketball team members played all season with a bull’s-eye on their backs. But rather than fret about the intense pressure, the Dragons responded with determination. They never lost focus on their ultimate goal — a state championship — and Saturday the dream became reality as the Dragons claimed a second consecutive title with a 51-33 win over DeLaSalle in the Class AA finals at Target Center in Minneapolis. “In many ways, this team had nothing to gain and everything to lose,” Litchfield coach John Carlson said. “Unless this team won the state, and probably in dominating fashion, this season would have been considered a failure. Wow, what pressure for a great group of young men. The great news is that they rose to the occasion and achieved all their goals.” The Dragons have won three state titles in four years, and the program posted a 139-9 record during the past five seasons.
Mutt’s Bath and Bakery is preparing to open on the corner of Second Street and Sibley Avenue. Mary Moore said the pet grooming and supplies store will be stocked with a wide array of pet supplies, including treats, shampoo, collars, food and bushes. It even will have a bakery full of muffins, doughnuts and other treats made especially for dogs. Moore said she hopes to pull of a country market atmosphere, where people will be able to bring their pets in to shop, be groomed or just to visit. “Litchfield really needs this,” Moore said. “We don’t’ have it. It seems like someone should do it.”
For the third consecutive season, Litchfield’s John Carlson Jr. was named to the Associated Press all-state boys basketball team. A 6-foot-6 forward, Carlson averaged 15.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and four assists a game for Litchfield this season, helping the Dragons to back-to-back state titles. A four-year starter, Carlson played on three state championship teams and amassed 1,676 career points and 974 career rebounds.
Andrew Zilch remembers a college filmmaking professor asking, “Why do people sit around and say they want to be a filmmaker? Why don’t these people just make a film?” Zilch a 1995 LHS graduate, took the rhetorical question to hear. He wrote a script, raised more than $40,000 to cover production costs, had auditions, recruited a crew and ultimately made a film. “The Custodial Code,” a 15-minute action comedy, was filmed in 2002, and aside from some sound effects and other finishing touches, it’s about ready for the public. Immediately after graduating from Concordia College, Zilch landed a job as a production assistant for “Lucky Numbers,” a movie starring John Travolta. As a freelance production assistant living in Hollywood, he has worked on films including “A.I.” and “Minority Report.” In a few weeks, he’ll begin work on the sequels to “Charlie’s Angels” and “Spider-man.”
75 YEARS AGO: NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF APRIL 1, 1948
What are believed to be the largest and smallest babies ever born at the Litchfield Hospital arrived during the same week. The big baby is the 11-pound, seven-ounce daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Miller of Darwin. The smallest is a little fellow just over two pounds born to Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Nelson of Grove City.
The city of Litchfield and Meeker County were given portions of land by the late Selma Johnson. This property is located about a mile and a quarter west of the Woods school south of Litchfield. The city and the county are both to receive plots of 40 acres. According to the will, the property is to be used for an old people’s home, religious center or for public recreation. The exact locations of the two tracts will have to be determined by surveying.
95 YEARS AGO: NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF MARCH 30, 1928
At the coming city election April 2, Litchfield voters will be called upon to pass a levy not to exceed one and one-half mill to be used for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the band in furnishing music at Saturday night concerts and on other occasions. This does not mean that the council will levy this amount, but it shall levy such part of the same as will be necessary to cover band expenses. It will not be necessary for the present to levy more than one mill. The city has paid an average of $1,250 per year for the Saturday evening concerts. There is no question but what a good band such as ours is a great asset to the city, and band members hope citizens take this into consideration at voting time.
John M. Harmon, son-in-law of Mrs. And Mrs. H.I. Peterson, died suddenly Monday morning of this week of a heart attack. Mr. and Mrs. Harmon and two children had motored down from Duluth Saturday to visit with Litchfield relatives. On Sunday, together with members of the Peterson family, they drove to the Peterson summer home on Lake Koronis to spend part of the day. The snow had not disappeared and the car became stalled. It is believed Mr. Harmon over exerted himself while working to free the car and he collapsed. He was taken to the cottage for rest, where he later recovered to some extent. Later, when the party was about to return to town, he collapsed again as he tried to walk to the car. He was taken to town and a physician was called. He seemed to pass the night quite comfortably, but in the morning he fell dead. Mr. Harmon had been working as general manager of a wholesale grocery establishment in Duluth. He was 41 years of age at the time of his death. He and his wife, Bess, had two children, John, 15, and Hope, 7.
134 YEARS AGO: NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF MARCH 31, 1889
The leader of the Salvation Army closed its meetings here Saturday and announced that the Lord had that day revealed to him a vision that unless there is a great turning toward the Lord within six months, the area would be visited by a most destructive scourge.
A person is seldom sick when their bowels are regular. Bear this in mind and keep your bowels regular by an occasional dose of St. Patrick’s pills. Sold by A.J. Revell, Litchfield, and Case and Company, Dassel.
