The annual Memorial Day Picnic at the Litchfield Opera House will be on Monday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The G.A.R. Hall and Meeker County Museum will also be open on Monday from 11-to-2.
Museum Executive Director Danelle Erickson says the meal will include BBQs, hot dogs, beans, potato salad, pie and ice cream, and the cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children. She says the picnic helps to raise some funds for the Museum and it also carries on the tradition of remembering our deceased veterans on Memorial Day.
Erickson says Memorial Day was actually started by members of the Grand Army of the Republic shortly after the Civil War to remember the fallen soldiers. She says there are volunteers who decorate the graves of local Civil War veterans.
Erickson says there are about 70-to-80 graves of Civil War veterans at Lake Ripley Cemetery in Litchfield and there are more Civil War veterans buried in cemeteries throughout Meeker County. She says the parade in Litchfield on Memorial Day is also a long-time tradition and she encourages people to attend that, along with the program at Lake Ripley Cemetery.
The Peanut Butter & Milk Festival Committee met earlier this week. The group is seeking members willing to serve at the Center Bank brat feed during Watercade and in the dairy booth at the Meeker County Fair in August.
The shift in the malt booth at the fair will be on Saturday, August 2nd from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. which will be split into two – with 7 people working during each of those 4-hour shifts. The Center Bank brat feed will be coming up on July 10th. The committee receives donations for working at both of those events to help with expenses related to the November exchange trip.
The Litchfield High School student delegates who are heading to Alabama for the annual trip in November include Cade Cervin, Alexis Engelke, Bianca Forsberg, Wyatt Ratike, Jack Shoutz and Emmett VanDerBill. Meeker County Dairy Princess Elizabeth Thyen will be joining them. The Committee is still seeking chaperones to travel with the students.
The Committee also talked about Cheeseburger Days which will be held on June 5th and 6th outside of the Fieldgate Cheese store in Litchfield. The next Peanut Butter & Milk Festival Committee meeting will be on September 16th in the Litchfield High School ag room at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to get involved.
The Litchfield High School commencement ceremony will be held on May 31st at 11 a.m. in the Litchfield High School gymnasium. 110 seniors are expected to cross the stage and get their diplomas.
Litchfield High School Principal Jason Michels says this class is a little smaller than some of the other classes that are coming up with a few heading to the military, about half planning to attend 4-year colleges and many of them heading to technical schools – especially Ridgewater, and several heading right into the work force. He says the band and choir will both perform during the ceremony and there will be four student speakers – Allie Kargas, Brooke Caron, Carly Twardy and Ben Olson.
Michels says the last day of school for seniors is May 27th and they will have commencement practice on May 28th. He says the last day of school for other students is June 3rd and there is a teacher workshop on June 4th.