The 15th annual Wintercade Ice Fishing Contest is coming up on February 8th on Lake Ripley in Litchfield. The 1500 twenty-dollar tickets have already been selling quickly.
Daniel Lease says they ran out of tickets last year around January 1st, so you will want to find a Wintercade Committee member or stop in to the American Legion, Muddy Cow or Running’s soon and purchase your ticket. He says the event helped them raise $19,000 last year and over the first 14 years, they’ve raised over $172,000 with half of that going to veterans organizations and half to other organizations, and they get feedback regarding what groups could benefit from the funds they raise.
Lease says they would like to thank all of their sponsors, many of whom donate the more than $8,000 worth of door prizes that are given away during the contest, and the Fire Dept. which sets up a concession stand on Lake Ripley on February 8th. He says they will not be having the remote locations for the contest this year – it will all be held at Lake Ripley, and they will be awarding cash prizes for several categories of fish, including $100 for the 15th perch that is caught.
James Mickelson says the ice is already about a foot thick on Lake Ripley and they get help from the football team and wrestling club with drilling the holes for the contest and from the Boy Scouts who help clean up afterwards. He says your $20 ticket qualifies you for the drawing of several cash prizes, and for the top prize which is a Bobcat UTV from Farm Rite Equipment of Dassel.
Mickelson says commemorative Wintercade t-shirts will be available for sale beginning this Thursday at the American Legion in Litchfield for $20. For more Wintercade details, find their page on Facebook.
The Litchfield City Council had a visit last night from Greg Langmo and Jim Ellingson from the Golden Fleece Masonic Lodge. Members of the lodge would like to work with the City in the construction of a timber frame picnic shelter at South Park.
The Council was also visited by Janaye Prieve and Shane Zeppelin of the Litchfield Visitors Bureau with an annual report. Prieve presented budget information and the Council approved of the 2025 budget. Zeppelin, who will be stepping down after 6 years as President of the Visitors Bureau, reviewed the promotions that the Bureau has implemented this past year.
The Council had a lengthy discussion regarding a request from the Planning Commission for the City to relax the restrictions that it put on the ordinance regarding cannabis sales. The Council wanted sales only in B4 areas with a 700-foot buffer around schools. The Planning Commission asked that B2 and B3 areas also be included with no buffer zones for schools. A resolution, supported by Council Member John Carlson and Mayor Ron Dingmann to go along with the Planning Commission’s proposal failed on a 2-to-3 vote. A resolution to keep the sale area restricted to B4 with a buffer around schools passed on a 3-to-2 vote with Council Members Eric Mathwig, Darlene Kotelnicki and Sara Miller in favor.
The Council also approved of replacing the roof at the old Rescue Hall, which is now used by the City for storage, with a sloped roof. Litchfield Building Center had submitted a quote for the project for $36,908.06. The Litchfield City Council also approved of the 2025 lease for the farm land at the municipal airport.
“The 1940s Christmas Radio Show” will be presented on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Litchfield Opera House. Tim Nelson is directing the musical play.
Nelson says there’s a cast of 14 – with half of the actors coming from his playhouse in California and the other half from Litchfield Community Theatre. He says it’s a feel-good, family Christmas show with 1940s music.
Nelson says he’s currently doing “A Christmas Carol” at the Rose Center Theater in Westminster, California on the weekends which is why the show in Litchfield was scheduled for a Tuesday evening. He says tickets are $10 which includes dessert and you can get them in advance by calling Jane Lind at 593-7830). You can also purchase them at the door.