Central Valley-Hillsboro take Region 2 title

Never once doubting Yogi Berra’s famous baseball analogy: “It ain’t over till it’s over,” the Central Valley-Hillsboro high school baseball team won the Region 2 crown this week by beating Hatton-Northwood in a best-of-three series played at Hatton.

The exciting, well-played series by the two evenly matched teams was not for the faint-hearted.

Central Valley-Hillsboro pushed across two runs in the top of the 7th inning in both games to win 5-4 Monday and again Tuesday.

Back-to-back 5-4 wins clinch Region 2 title

Central Valley-Hillsboro pushed across the tieing and winning runs Monday and again Tuesday in the last inning to beat Hatton-Northwood in the best-of-three series and win the Region 2 baseball title.

The region tourney was played in Hatton.

Hatton-Northwood and Central Valley-Hillsboro were the tournament’s No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively.

Winning 5-4 in both games, the CV-H Valiants and manager Nathan Walsh will enter the state Class B tournament Thursday in Jamestown with a 14-6 record.

Skateboard parents adopt street dance as fundraiser

By MICHELLE MCLEAN

Hillsboro’s summer tradition of a street dance during the city’s June celebration will not be abandoned in 2008.

A group anxious to build a skateboard park plans to hold the dance as a fundraiser.

Wendy and Jay Alfson asked permission from city commissioners Monday night to stage the dance on 1st Street NW in front of the courthouse on the evening of Saturday, June 21.

The all-ages dance will help raise money for a skateboard park proposed by the city’s park board, the parents of skateboarding sons said. The Alfsons are organizing volunteers to help arrange and run the dance.

Wendy Alfson said the group decided to take up the street dance as a project after the Hillsboro Vets Club opted not to sponsor the street dance for a 4th year. Prior to the Vets Club sponsorship, the Hillsboro Fire Department staged the dance as a fundraiser each June for many years.

Alfson suggested the dance will “return” to its old format — all ages will be welcomed at the gate with beverage coolers in tow. 

Highway project traffic-stopper, head-turner and snarly

The massive highway project through Hillsboro is turning heads, pedestrian and highway traffic in different directions and once-hard pavement into dust.

The harder and heavier pieces of pavement are being hauled from town, causing traffic snarls of long trucks on normally quiet and accommodating streets.

In fact, traffic on Hillsboro’s streets running into Hwy. 200 can be best described in one word: snarly.

Memorial Day still true to its basic message

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.

There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day.

There is also evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the civil War. 

Lasting impressions.

I fully intended to devote this column to advice for my oldest child as she graduates from high school Sunday.

I planned to remind her to be true to herself, to be kind to others, to be grateful for each opportunity, to work hard, to call home often, to smile, to laugh, to drive carefully, to say her prayers, to get a good night’s sleep, to make new friends. 

Over the Years – May 23, 2008

60 YEARS AGO
May 21, 1948 — Steady pitching from Carl Wildeman and Walter Gilbertson gave the Hillsboro Pirates a 7-2 win over Hatton in the Grand- Traill independent baseball league.
Harold Sorum planned a grand opening for his new restaurant with free coffee and doughnuts. Sorum’s Cafe featured the latest fixtures and equipment and offered five booths, two tables and 16 stools at the counter where fountain service was available. The business was located in the former Red Owl store.
Maurice Mueller, was ordained as a priest at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fargo. The Hillsboro native was to celebrate his first Mass at his home parish, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Hillsboro.  

Edgar Whitwer

Edgar Whitwer, 91, Kansas City, Missouri, formerly of Buxton, N.D., died Saturday, January 26, 2008.
A graveside memorial service is planned for Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 2 p.m. at Ringsaker Cemetery, near Buxton.
Memorial may be sent to Mrs. Edgar Whitwer, 6500 N. Cosby Ave, Apt. 260, Kansas City, MO 64151-3958.

Robert Stigen

Robert Stanley Stigen, 78, Yelm, Wash., died Wednesday, May 14, 2008 of aspiration pneumonia at a care center near Yelm, Wash., after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Cremation burial will be at the Caledonia Cemetery, Caledonia, N.D. Memorial services were Friday, May 23 at Yelm Prairie Christian Center. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Alzheimers Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601-7633.

Earl “Buster” Fankhanel

Earl “Buster” Fankhanel, 82, Hillsboro, N.D., died Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at the Hillsboro Medical Center after a brief illness.
Funeral services were Friday, May 23 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Hillsboro. Burial was in Riverside Cemetery, Hillsboro.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the Hillsboro High School Scholarship Fund in Buster’s name.
Wildeman Funeral Home of Hillsboro was in charge of arrangements.