50 years ago
-The Village of Perham will soon have a new look. Monday night the council signed a contract with the Otter Tail Power Company to completely revamp both the white way (Main Street) and the residential lighting system.
-Pranksters pilfered a plastic canoe made by Paul Koennicke and deposited it in the fountain at Railway Park early Sunday. The night before someone staked out the new post office with a “For Sale by Durrenberger” sign.
-The new Perham Post Office officially opened on August 1st. A staff of eight will man it: two city carriers, three clerks, two rural carriers and one mail messenger. Lawler Olson is postmaster.
Perham Enterprise Bulletin, August 9, 1962
-Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church will observe its 70th Anniversary August 19th. There will be a Finnish language service at 8:30 a.m. and an English workship service at 9:45 a.m.
-Wendell Stenbakken, 18, died in an automobile accident in Tucson, Arizona, on July 24th. He is a grandson of Mr. Jafet Rytkonen of New York Mills and the son of Elsie Rytkonen, formerly of this community.
-Advertisement: New 1963 Ford Only $1.00 – We will sell a new 1963 Ford to a person who purchased a 1962 Ford from Jim Larson Ford at a total cost of only $1.00 trade difference. Good only the day the new 1963’s are on display.
New York Mills Herald, August 9, 1962
25 years ago
-[Photo] Vana White, a llama owned by James and Linda Arvidson of rural Henning, draws a crowd of onlookers, including Betty Bylander and her daughter Teri, during last week’s fair.
-David A. Szarke, son of James and Patricia Szarke, enlisted in the U.S. Navy’s Delayed Entry Program and will complete high school before reporting for active duty.
-Lois Porath, daughter of Deland and Diana Porath, numbered among 19 North Dakota and Minnesota high school students participating in the Summer Speech Camp at NDSU. She placed 1st in extemporaneous speaking and 2nd in serious prose.
Perham Enterprise Bulletin, August 6, 1987
-The weather has literally dominated the lives of people… and animals… in the area. It’s been years since such a persistent heat wave has struck, with day after day, and week after week of temps in the 90’s, coupled by high humidities that pushed the heat index into the hundreds.
-[Photo] Hole In One – “It’s been a good year,” commented Arne Kolehmainen of New York Mills, after getting a hole in one at the Perham golf course. Arne turned 80, celebrated his 50th anniversary and got a hole in one.
-Jeff Pajari crosses the plate during New York Mills’ overwhelming defeat of Karlstad, 13-3 for a 2nd place finish in the tournament. They go on to district finals in East Grand Forks.
New York Mills Herald, August 6, 1987
Compiled by Harriet Mattfeld
