An encore performance of “Litchfield is our Home” – directed by Tim Nelson – will be performed at the Litchfield Opera House on Thursday at 7 p.m. Admission is $5.
Nelson says the musical was originally done in 2019 to celebrate Litchfield’s 150th anniversary, and it is being reprised to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Litchfield Opera House. He says he assembled many of the cast members from the production which was done 6 years ago – some from Litchfield and some from the Rose Center Theater in California – and there are about 16 characters from Litchfield’s past in the production.
Nelson says some examples include Keith Johnson who will be playing Music Olson who led the town’s band around the turn of the century – 1900 – when the Litchfield Opera House was built, his wife – Mary – who will be playing Norma Berke who did a 10 a.m. radio news show for many years, and himself who will play the town’s founder, railroad man E.D. Litchfield.
Tickets for “Litchfield is our Home” can be reserved ahead of time by calling 714-793-1150. Just leave your name and the number of tickets you would like, and then pay for them at the door on November 6th. The show is about an hour long.
The Litchfield City Council approved of the first reading of an ordinance Monday evening to raise sanitary sewer rates 3% across the board. The rate increase for residential and commercial customers is for a 10-year period.
Mayor Ron Dingmann says Bolton & Menk did a rate study and determined the rate increase was necessary due to the $40-to-60-million in wastewater treatment projects and MPCA regulations. He says there is an industrial user agreement with First District Association as they are participating in a significant share of the costs. Residents who are 70 and older are able to apply for a discount in their sewer rate at City Hall.
Mayor Dingmann says the Council had a discussion Monday evening about a future equipment needs list that the administration put together. He says there were several items on the list that are under $25,000 which is the limit that purchases can be made without Council approval so a motion passed to allow items on the list for 2025 and 2026 to be purchased.
Mayor Dingmann says the Council also approved of a walking track membership option for the Litchfield Area Recreation Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day this winter – from November through March – for a $50 fee; approved of the Litchfield Rail being the City’s official newspaper; and approved of spending $4,680 to have David Felt light a tree in Central Park as he has done in past years. He says the Light Up Litchfield Committee will also be decorating the park with the large lighted candy canes and other decorations to make it look really fabulous.
The Minnesota State Patrol responded to a 2-vehicle crash on Monday morning at 8:52 on Highway 23 at 263rd Avenue in Paynesville Township. A 4455 John Deere tractor was northbound on 263rd Avenue and a 1991 Dodge Dakota was eastbound on Highway 23 when they collided.
The Dakota was driven by 69-year-old Myron Neil Roos of Paynesville. He received non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the Paynesville Hospital. The tractor was driven by 73-year-old Richard Roman Lahr of Paynesville. He was not injured. Also responding to the scene were Paynesville Police, Paynesville Fire Dept. and Centra Care Ambulance.
The results from Tuesday’s bond referendum election in the ACGC school district were posted twice on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website, making the totals twice as much as they should be. The actual “yes” votes were 381, and the “no” votes were 726, so the initiative has failed.
The ACGC school district was asking residents to approve of a $15.95-million bond referendum to build a new 2-station multipurpose addition to the junior/senior high facility in Grove City – including health and fitness space, improvements to the career and technical education space, relocating the wrestling space, supporting student athletes’ needs and addressing some deferred maintenance needs.
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners received an update on Tuesday from Health & Human Services Director Tina Schenk on the federal government shutdown’s effect on SNAP benefits. She says 752 Meeker County households are not receiving their November benefits.
Schenk says most of the adults who receive SNAP benefits are working, except for the disabled and elderly. She says the September SNAP dollars totaled $203,182 and most of that is spent locally. Schenk says she’s working with the Meeker County Food Shelf and local churches to help local residents get the food they need. The County Board approved of Health & Human Services using $10,000 to help fill the gaps due to the lack of SNAP benefits in the immediate future as the government shutdown continues.
Meeker County Administrator Andrew Letson asked the Board for permission to add supplemental information with the truth-in-taxation statements explaining the reasons for changes in the levy. At the beginning of the meeting, Keith Johnson spoke to the Board and asked them to reconsider a cut that was made in funding for the Meeker County Museum which is at $15,000 for the 2026 budget, compared to $27,500 last year. Commissioner Steve Schmitt explained that they are planning to cut several other items 100% in the next year due to the cost shifts that the state is passing on to county governments.
Upon completion of the remodel in the Justice Center it was learned there were areas at the security station and new court holding area that had no ARMER radio coverage. This leaves the security station deputy and detention deputies with the inability to hear or transmit ARMER radio transmissions. The Board moved to approve of a quote from DSC Communications for a BDA system at $30,305 which will help to address this issue.
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners also heard an annual report from Health & Human Services Supervisor Kristi Koelln regarding disability waivers and adult protection.
On November 3, 1990, The Righteous Brothers scored a No.1 hit in the UK with “Unchained Melody,” 25 years after its original release, thanks to its appearance in the blockbuster film, Ghost. Written in 1955 by Alex North and Hy Zaret for the film Unchained, the ballad was first performed by Todd Duncan. Later that year, multiple artists found success with the tune including Liberace, Jimmy Young, and Les Baxter. It would soon become one of the most recorded songs in history. The Righteous Brothers’ version, released in 1965, however, would become the definitive recording. Produced by Phil Spector and featuring a solo performance by the duo’s Bobby Hatfield, the track was a hit upon its release. In 1990, when it was featured prominently in the Demi Moore/Patrick Swayze film, it gained a new generation of fans around the globe.
In 1991, approximately 300,000 people attended the free “Laughter, Love and Music,” concert at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, which celebrated the life and work of Bill Graham. The 60-year-old concert promoter and impresario, who was instrumental in the rise of the ‘60s counterculture movement, was killed a week earlier in a helicopter crash. Many of the acts that Graham had supported performed at the memorial event, including the Grateful Dead, Santana, and a reunited Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
In 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” was released by Sun Records. Selling one million copies in just ten days, the recording would become one of the era’s best-selling singles.
In 1990, Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” became the first rap single to top the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2013, the first YouTube Music Awards were held in New York City. While the fan-voted event, which celebrated the year’s best music videos, was short-lived, it marked the overwhelming impact of the platform on the music industry.
BORN ON NOVEMBER 3
1930: Mable John
1933: John Barry (Composer)
1948: Lulu
1954: Adam Ant
1973: Mick Thomson (Slipknot)
1987: Courtney Barnett