Wal-Mart opened doors five years ago

5 years ago

Excerpts from the Jan. 18, 2007 Pioneer Journal

• Wadena soldiers' stay in Iraq extended

Fourteen Wadena National Guard families heard the disappointing news last week that their soldiers' deployments in Iraq won't end in March, as anticipated. Several other Wadena families with soldiers deployed in other units are also affected.
In spite of the letdown, soldiers and families are holding up well, according to Wadena Family Readiness Group leaders.

• Wadena Wal-Mart opens Monday

The store, located at 100 Juniper Ave. N.W., is 99,000 square feet. It will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
10 years ago

Excerpts from the Jan. 24, 2002 Pioneer Journal

• Minnesota Twins caravan stops in Wadena

The Minnesota Twins 42nd annual Winter Caravan made a stop at Wadena-Deer Creek High School Jan. 17.
The caravan featured Twins' players Jacque Jones, Jack Cressend and Kyle Lohse, along with broadcaster Dick Bremer, Twins' manager Ron Gardenhire and T.C., the Twins' bear mascot. The purpose of the caravan is to round up support before spring training begins, Bremer said.

"We are very confident we will have a baseball season this year," Bremer said.

Bremer continued by introducing the caravan. The first was T.C., who ran in and slid across the floor to get the crowd excited. As he walked in whispers of, "Wow! He's so hot!" could be heard from many of the teen-age girls in the audience.

• Is it spring?

On Tuesday the temperature gauge at Wadena State Bank climbed to 45 degrees. The official high was 41 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The normal high is 16.
25 years ago

Excerpts from the Jan. 20, 1987 Pioneer Journal

• Twins visit

Twins outfielder Randy Bush answers questions from the crowd last Wednesday at a Minnesota Twins Luncheon. The luncheon, sponsored by KWAD, was attended by 75 people and featured pitcher Mark Portugal and Twins announcer Bob Casey and Twins ticket salesman Jim Clemenson who is formerly of Wadena.

• from Business Bits by Greg Collins

It still brings us back to the idea of having the city, school district, and hockey association if needed form a cooperative effort to put artificial ice in the center.
Artificial ice would mean individual skating time for all groups not just hockey players and would end the problems with weather which we experienced this year.

Currently the district has not the funds or desire to offer a high school hockey program in Wadena; however, that might change with the addition of artificial ice and increased skating time.

An indoor swimming pool is probably the most requested aspect of future Community Center Expansion ... and probably one of the most practical and widely used additions the center could make.

40 years ago

Excerpts from the Jan. 20, 1972 Pioneer Journal

• VFW sponsored smorgasbord opens successful Jim Krause Week

The community of Wadena with cooperation from the public and parochial schools, many civic and fraternal groups, plus hundreds of persons remaining anonymous are pledging their support of Jim Krause Week Jan. 16-23.
Even Old Man Winter bowed his rugged head for Sunday's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3922 kick-off Smorgasbord which attracted more than 700 patrons.

It has been confirmed that Viking Carl Kassulke and his six traveling cagers will perform at the junior high gym on February 25 in a Benefit Basketball game open to the public. All proceeds from this game will go to the Benevolent Fund for Jim Krause.

• Minn. Jaycees celebrate 40th during National J-C week

This week the Minnesota Jaycees celebrate their 40th year, according to Don Bottemiller, local chapter president.
The Minnesota Jaycees is an organization of 11,000 young men in more than 200 Minnesota communities who contribute more than 5 million man hours towards helping people and improving their communities each year.

60 years ago

Excerpts from the Jan. 24, 1952 Pioneer Journal

• Minneapolis Lakers to meet Gopher All-Stars here Monday

A full evening of basketball is promised cage fans of this area Monday evening, Jan. 28, when the Minneapolis Lakers will again invade the area, and are slated to appear at the Memorial auditorium in Wadena. As opponents to this great team will be the Gopher All-Stars.

• Wadena sailor sees Korean action aboard battleship

Archibald E. Coson, Rt. 2, Wadena, seaman apprentice in the Navy, was aboard the battleship USS Wisconsin when the battlewagon unleashed her first group of calling cards on Red forces on the Eastern coast of Korea recently.
According to the Home Town News Center, Great Lakes, Ill., the Wisconsin dropped the one-ton 16-inch "cards" on enemy installations and troop concentrations below Wonsan, in support of Republic of Korea and U.S. Marine troops.

"Excellent" was the term used by army and air force spotters to describe the accuracy of the Wisconsin's gunfire as she inflicted heavy personnel losses and destruction to enemy supply depots, warehouses and gun emplacements.