Lots of activities have taken place already during the first month of school in the Litchfield School District. Enrollment is also up some compared to last year.
Superintendent Susan Burris says they were up about 10 students at the beginning of September. She says the year is off to a great start – the new tennis courts are already being used, bus safety training has been completed with Hicks Bus, and she’d like to thank everyone who attended the welcome conferences, and the open house at Litchfield High School.
Burris says the Character Counts program has begun at Lake Ripley Elementary and the students there are ending their fundraiser this Friday, so if they reach a certain amount, they will get to pour blue slime over Principal Olson. She says Dragon Week, formerly known as homecoming, is coming up next week in the Litchfield School District.
Burris says 75 people attended the showing of “Screen Agers” last week in the Litchfield High School Commons. She says the Litchfield High School fall musical, “Footloose,” can be seen in the Bernie Aaker Auditorium October 31st, November 1st and 2nd at 7 p.m. and on November 3rd at 2 p.m.
The Litchfield School Board met last night and approved of two new positions. The District will be hiring an additional Lake Ripley Elementary School Special Education paraprofessional, and a Dragons Kids Club Enrichment Coordinator.
Litchfield Community Education Director Grant Solem says the Dragons Kids Club position will be 30-hours per week and the person will need to be available in the summer months. The School Board also approved of the Athletic Trainer contract for 2024-25 with Meeker Memorial Hospital.
The Litchfield School Board has certified the preliminary fiscal year 2026 – payable 2025 – levy of nearly 6.7-million-dollars ($6,680,892.20). Business Manager Jesse Johnson says it’s an increase of $358,023.74 or 5.66%, and it can be lowered during the December 9th truth-in-taxation hearing.
The Litchfield School Board approved of a resolution last night accepting donations including $1,000 from Meeker County Farm Bureau for Litchfield High School for the FFA Nationals, and $200 from the Litchfield Kiwanis Club for Litchfield Middle School for Special Education Books.
The Board welcomed Student Council President Allie Kargas and Vice President Addie Zens to their table last night. Kargas presented information about Dragon Week next week and told about the various dress-up days for each day of homecoming. Zens spoke specifically about the October 4th events which will include a pep fest, powder puff game, coronation and football game. The Litchfield School Board will meet next on Tuesday, October 15th. The Board has a transition meeting that evening with a member of the Minnesota School Board Association.
On Sept. 25, 1964, Beatles manager Brian Epstein turned down an offer from a group of U.S. businessmen to buy out his management contract with The Beatles.
In 1965, “The Beatles” cartoon show premiered on ABC. The show featured Beatles songs but not their voices.
In 1973, the Rolling Stones album “Goat’s Head Soup” went gold, even though the band admitted it wasn’t their favorite album.
In 1974, guitarist Robert Frigg of King Crimson announced the band was breaking up temporarily.
In 1975, singer Jackie Wilson suffered a heart attack while performing in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He collapsed just as he sang the line “My heart is crying” from “Lonely Teardrops.” He emerged from a coma with significant brain damage.
In 1976, the four members of U2 met for the first time in drummer Larry Mullen’s kitchen after they answered his ad for musicians on a school notice board.
In 1976, Loggins and Messina broke up.
In 1980, drummer John Bonham of Led Zeppelin died from choking on his vomit after drinking a huge amount of vodka the night before the band’s U.S. tour. He was 32.
In 1990, drummer Dave Grohl joined Nirvana.
Today’s birthdays: Polka band leader Jimmy Sturr is 83. Actor Josh Taylor (“Days of Our Lives,” “Valerie’s Family”) is 81. Actor Robert Walden (“Lou Grant”) is 81. Actor Michael Douglas is 80. Model Cheryl Tiegs is 77. Actor Mimi Kennedy (“Dharma and Greg”) is 76. Actor Anson Williams (“Happy Days”) is 75. Actor Mark Hamill is 73. Actor Colin Friels is 72. Actor Michael Madsen is 66. Actor Heather Locklear is 63. Actor Aida Turturro (“The Sopranos”) is 62. Actor Tate Donovan (“The O.C.”) is 61. TV personality Keely Shaye Smith (“Unsolved Mysteries”) is 61. Actor Maria Doyle Kennedy (“Orphan Black,” ″The Tudors”) is 60. Actor Jason Flemyng (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” ″The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”) is 58. Actor-singer Will Smith is 56. Actor Hal Sparks (“Queer as Folk”) is 55. Actor Catherine Zeta-Jones is 55. Actor Bridgette Wilson-Sampras (“The Wedding Planner,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer”) is 51. Actor Clea DuVall (“Heroes”) is 47. Actor Robbie Jones (“One Tree Hill”) is 47. Actor Joel David Moore (“Avatar”) is 47. Actor Chris Owen (“American Pie” films, “October Sky”) is 44. Rapper T.I. is 43. Actor Lee Norris (“One Tree Hill,” “Boy Meets World”) is 43. Actor-rapper Donald Glover (Childish Gambino) (“Atlanta,” ″Community”) is 41. Actor Zach Woods (“Silicon Valley,” ″The Office”) is 40. Actor Jordan Gavaris (“Orphan Black”) is 35. Actor Emmy Clarke (“Monk”) is 33.