The G.A.R. Hall and Meeker County Museum in Litchfield will be hosting the monthly Civil War Roundtable meeting on Thursday, June 11th, at 1:30 p.m. Dean Urdahl will be the guest speaker – talking about the Red River Campaign.
Museum Executive Director Danelle Erickson says the museum at 308 North Marshall Avenue will have extended hours on Thursday evenings throughout the summer months – open until 6 p.m. – as there are so many activities taking place in downtown Litchfield on Thursday evenings. She says they tend to get a lot of tourist traffic at the museum in the summer months.
Erickson says the Meeker County Museum will get involved in the 250th celebration of America as there will be a simultaneous reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8th at 5 p.m. She says the document will be read in Central Park that day at 5 p.m., followed by a community potluck dinner.
Erickson says the museum staff will be teaming up with the schoolhouse folks at the Meeker County Fair July 30th to August 2nd to highlight the era of one-room schoolhouses. She says the museum at 308 North Marshall Avenue is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10-to-4 and Saturdays from noon-to-4 and you can find more information at meekercomuseum.org.
State Representative Scott Van Binsbergen has announced that Sacred Heart is receiving more than $7.5 million in state grant funding to upgrade its wastewater system. The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority awarded the package, a Point Source Implementation-Grant of $7,514,728.
The grant indicates the project consists of upgrading the salt softening system and expansion of the bio-solids storage facility to accommodate increased waste load. Van Binsbergen says he congratulates the people of Sacred Heart for gaining this financing and to the local officials who were successful with this grant application. He says he’s pleased to see this funding awarded to support a critical infrastructure project in Sacred Heart.
Van Binsbergen says by helping offset costs, these dollars will allow the project to move forward without placing the full burden on local taxpayers. He says it will ensure the community has the infrastructure it needs for the future.
On this day in music, June 4, 1984, Bruce Springsteen released his seventh studio album, Born in the U.S.A.. One of the best-selling albums of all time, Born in the U.S.A. found “The Boss” taking a more pop-forward approach to his songwriting, particularly with hits like “Dancing in the Dark,” the synth-driven “I’m on Fire,” and the title track. The album produced an astonishing seven Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the aforementioned tracks (all three of which also landed in the UK Top Ten). Often ranked among the greatest albums of all time, Born in the U.S.A. remains Springsteen’s biggest commercial success, with more than 30 million copies sold, worldwide.
In 2019, Jay-Z was named the world’s first “Hip-Hop Billionaire.” In addition to his best-selling music career, the rapper also had a variety of entrepreneurial ventures, including his clothing line, Rocawear, his entertainment agency and label, Roc Nation, and his 40/40 sports bar chain. At the time, Jay-Z had also recently acquired the music streaming service, TIDAL, through a private holding company.
In 1983, The Police scored their fifth and final No.1 hit in the UK with “Every Breath You Take.” The Grammy and Ivor Novello-winning song also became the British group’s sole chart-topper in the US. It remained three for eight weeks.
In 1997, the body of the late singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley was recovered in the Mississippi River. On May 29, Buckley disappeared after going for a swim. The artist had recently relocated to Memphis, where he was recording a follow-up to his acclaimed debut album, Grace.
In 1967, The Beatles began a 23-week run at the top of the UK album chart with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The broadly influential concept album also topped charts around the globe, including in the US, Australia, Canada, and West Germany.
BORN ON JUNE 4
1937: Freddy Fender
1944: Michelle Phillips (Mamas and the Papas)
1945: Gordon Waller (Peter and Gordon)
1954: Mickey Dread
1974: Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band)
1976: Kasey Chambers
1987: Mollie King (The Saturdays)
1990: Zachary Farro (Paramore)