Litchfield Community Education is into spring activities and two of the youth programs are beginning this week. Flag football and track & field both begin tomorrow.
Litchfield Community Education Director Grant Solem says the summer program guides will be ready by April 25th and copies will be sent home with Kindergarten through 6th graders – with sign up approaching on May 1st. He says Dragons Kids Club has a few opening left for this summer and it’s open to children from Kindergarten through 5th grade who are in the Litchfield School District.
Solem says there’s a trip coming up this fall for adults to see “Grease” at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, and another trip is in the works for a downtown Minneapolis Theater. He says he’s coordinating a trip on May 28th with Green Lake Cruises.
Solem says Tim Nelson will be back this summer directing the Litchfield Community Theatre production of “Guys & Dolls” and auditions will be held in late May. He says if anyone has questions about Litchfield Community Education, they may call 693-2354 or go to the Litchfield School District website or social media.
Meeker County Public Works announces that Meeker County CSAH 3 will be having 7 centerline culverts replaced in advance of this summer’s pavement replacement project. The culvert replacements are scheduled to begin in early May and will likely take 2 – 3 weeks to complete with cooperative weather. Each crossing will be closed to all traffic for 1 – 2 days while the individual culverts are out. Please use caution traveling the area and be on the lookout for traffic control signing identifying closures once work begins.
In 2001, 49-year-old Joey Ramone, the frontman of the iconic punk band the Ramones, succumbed to a long-term battle with lymphoma. Born Jeffrey Hyman, Ramone began as a drummer when the band formed in 1974, before taking over as lead singer for their self-titled 1976 debut. Viewed as the antidote to the overindulgences of progressive rock, The Ramones helped ignite the punk-rock revolution and became renowned for their short, fast songs, driving guitars, and infectious choruses. Joey’s first solo album, Don’t Worry About Me, which included a cover of Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World,” was released posthumously in 2002.
In 1972, soul singer Roberta Flack scored her first US No.1 with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” which spent six weeks at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100. It was the North Carolina singer/pianist’s version of a folk ballad that was written in 1957 by British singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl. While Flack recorded the song in 1969, it was overlooked until the actor and film director Clint Eastwood revived the tune in the soundtrack of his 1971 movie, Play Misty For Me.
In 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis released his first charting single, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” for Sam Phillips’ Memphis-based Sun label. The song, previously recorded in 1955 by blues singer Big Maybelle, stalled at No.3 on the Hot 100 but topped the US country and R&B charts.
In 1996, the remainder of Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia’s ashes were scattered near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge after a small portion had been dispersed in India’s Ganges River 11 days earlier. Garcia died on August 9 of the previous year.
BORN ON APRIL 15
1894: Bessie Smith (Blues singer)
1965: Linda Perry (4 Non Blondes)
1967: Frankie Poullian (The Darkness)
1968: Ed O’Brien (Radiohead)
1978: Luis Fonsi
1978: Chris Stapleton
1980: Patrick Carney (The Black Keys)
1987: Iyaz (Singer-songwriter and dancer)
The students at St. Philip’s Catholic School have been busy in April and the month is only half over. The 5th graders are enjoying some time up at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center this week.
Principal Andrea Dietrich says the second graders will have their first communion later this month, spring testing will begin at the end of April, and the singers will have a concert for grandparent’s day early in May. She says registration is open for any child that would like to enroll in their K-through-5 school in the next year.
Dietrich says they recently received good news as they had a goal of raising $70,000 from their annual marathon last October, and they finally reached their goal so the students will be rewarded with a field trip. She says there was a rummage and bake sale at St. Philip’s Church April 4th and 5th which was a huge success – raising more money for student scholarships.