Pioneer spirit lasting

Hillsboro will be inducting three pioneers into its hall of fame next week.

Beulah Koering, Ralph Diehl and Leif Christianson will be inducted into the Hillsboro Public School Hall of Fame Friday at St. John Lutheran Church.

The June 20 banquet begins at 6 p.m. A social hour will start at 5:30 p.m.

This will be the sixth induction ceremony of the Hillsboro hall of fame.

Don Halverson, Pat Woods and the late Buck Holo were inducted into the hall last year. Other members of the hall of fame include Ed Beyer, Ron Gadberry, Clarence Anderson, Grut Anderson, Dr. Don Breen, Joe Gadberry, Jr., Hazel Howard, Doug Falconer, Robert Tonn, Jug Newgard, Bruce Moen and Lars Grant.

The Hillsboro Public School Hall of Fame recognizes HHS graduates, teachers and administrators who have been associated with the school, in addition to individuals whose life work or achievements have impacted or reflected positively on the Hillsboro School or community.

Koering, Diehl and Christianson were pioneers in their respective fields. 

Stock, Tibert elected to city commission

Hillsboro’s city commission will have one new face.

Charlie Stock, a local attorney, ran unopposed for one of two open seats on the five-member commission and was elected with 170 votes. He will take his seat at a reorganizational meeting June 24.

Incumbent Lorraine Tibert was re-elected to a fourth four-year term with 207 votes. 

City voters reject tax increase for rec district

In Tuesday’s election, Hillsboro voters narrowly defeated a six-mill tax increase for the city’s Community Recreation District.

By a 137-117 margin, the tax increase was rejected. A simple majority was needed for passage.

Tracy Buzick, president of the rec district five-member board, said, “Needless to say, we were very disappointed (by the vote) and very surprised.” 

School to spend $147,000 on improvement projects

Tim Luithle and Paul Fossum were re-elected to the Hillsboro School Board Tuesday.

The two men ran unopposed. Fossum is president of the board of education.

At Tuesday night’s monthly meeting, board members approved improvement projects totaling $273,063.

More than $147,000 in improvements will be made at the high school. Another $71,724 will be spent at the elementary school.

New lights and a scoreboard at the football field will cost $28,000.

At the high school, repair of the roof will cost $89,914. Replacement of computers will carry a price tag of $34,000. New tables, chairs and desks are scheduled for the ag classrooms. 

Skateboarders given green light

Kids are getting their wish.

Hillsboro will have a skate park.

But maybe not this year.

Next year for sure, said Teak Kelley, Hillsboro park board member.

Supporters of a Hillsboro skate park, a concept and campaign spearheaded by Kelly and park board member Ray Weber, cleared a huge hurdle Tuesday night, when Hillsboro’s board of education gave approval for the skateboard park to be located on school property near the elementary school. 

Home rule not welcomed in Traill

By NEIL O. NELSON

Traill County voters this week ruled against home rule when a stinging majority in Tuesday’s Primary election not-so-politely showed the proposed measure the door.

Genuinely thinking and hoping the home rule charter proposed for the county would pass, Traill officials supporting and promoting home rule saw the measure fall off the charts, losing by 265 votes. 

Primary, as expected, produces light turnout

The total vote count in Tuesday’s Primary Election was less than what election officials hoped for, according to Becca Braaten, Traill County auditor.

Braaten’s office budgeted $30,000 for the primary, anticipating 1,500 could possibly vote in the 13 precincts across the county. 

Can we get serious here, folks?

I mean serious.

You can talk about the rain and the wind and politics all you want. New York City is sweltering under an unrelenting heat wave and tornadoes are ripping apart Iowa. Wisconsin is washing away down river and there’s a drought out west. Somewhere in the West, I’m betting. 

Community not inclined to fund rec program, and that’s a sad commentary

It’s safe to say that voters were not in an accommodating frame of mind this week.

They certainly weren’t in a good mood.

Home rule charters all across the region were disposed of in a less-than-hospitable fashion, incumbent candidates were dumped and in Hillsboro, our kids were told to pay their own way.

Tuesday was not a good day to hold an election, some would say.

Status quo was not the theme of the day. Change wasn’t necessarily the popular theme either.

How about: Don’t even try . . . 

Over the Years • June 13, 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.