30 years ago WASHINGTON COUNTY BULLETIN January 20, 1993

Returning to the surface some 30 years ago in an article by Chris Baldus, the future of the Park High mascot was in doubt, with misunderstandings among stakeholders thrown in the mix.

Then called the Indians, a major misconception was that the decision had already been made in 1989, whereas the transition was incomplete, with the mascot phased out on most uniforms and stationary, it was still displayed in the gym, south entrance, and some uniforms. A complicating factor was that of perceived scapegoating in the controversy, something the student council didn’t appreciate.

“The student council feels like it’s being made into a scapegoat, council member Amy Westmoreland was quoted as saying. “That the wrong kind of pressure to put on us. I think it should be a school board decision.” Gary Rudeenm of the Park Basketball Booster Club shared his thoughts that no one wanted to look like “the bad guy,” a final decision badly needed on the matter.

Taking a “hard line” on names meanwhile, was the Minnesota state board of education, which discouraged the use of Indian names for school mascots, in part to eliminate stereotypes.

Coming in for note from 1993, a community forum had been planned to discuss the effects of growth in District 833 schools. The forum scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Woodbury Junior High, was being held in spite of passage of referendums to build two new junior high schools, as most elementary schools were reported to be at capacity.

Also in the news 30 years back, the Cottage Grove Police Department encouraged applications from local residents. Those 18 and over could perform a variety of law enforcement duties while assisting full-time officers, with applications available at the police department.

About 40 years ago THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BULLETIN February 24, 1983 Writing for the preservation issue of the Bulletin some 40 years ago, Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission chairman Robert Vogel gave an overview of historical preservation efforts, some well intentioned but destructive and others more successful.

As to Cottage Grove, Vogel wrote that the Cottage Grove City Council had passed Ordinance No. 355

January 4, 1973

Delayed for the moment some 50 years ago, the Belden overpass was on hold, with a possible wait of some five years, it was made known in a piece by staff writer Barb Hunter.

According to Kermit McRae, assistant district engineer for the Minnesota Highway Department, the delay came from weighing the needs of the state as a whole versus available funds, resulting in a downgrade of priority for the overpass just off Thompson Grove.

120 years ago WASHINGTON COUNTY JOURNAL January 23, 1903 Contrasting sentiments A legacy of generosity… What if Andrew Carnegie had lived 1,000 or 2,000 years ago with all his money and munificience? In the days of great things and great deeds and big combinations of capital and long columns of figures people scarcely realize the magnitude of his generosity. He has given away over $77,000,000 (including for the Stillwater library). The Stillwater library, when completed, will stand forth as a handsome reminder of his generosity, and

January 13, 1993