From Our Files

• May 16, 1946

John W. Harold was hired as superintendent of the Hartley Public Schools. He was coming to Hartley highly recommended from Oakland, Iowa, where he had been superintendent for six years. He previously was the principal at Oakland for three years.

Hartley’s newest grocery store was opening on the familiar corner where Swanson’s Grocery had been located. The new owners were Herm Fick, who owned the building, and Ed Guse, formerly of Hartley. The store was operating under the name Ed and Herm’s Grocery.

Orlie Schlarbaum purchased the Hartley dry cleaning plant from Lou Scherer. Mr. and Mrs. Scherer had operated the business for two years. Mr. Schlarbaum was no stranger to Hartley, as he had graduated from high school here. He had been operating a dry cleaning plant at Arnolds Park.

• May 13, 1971

The Cub Scouts and Webelos of Hartley held their annual pinewood derby race with the cars each boy and his dad had made. Each den had one winner and the seven winners then competed against other towns at the Spencer Scout Show. Hartley’s grand prize winner was Jim Lyons.

An engineer from the Kruse Engineering Co., of Spencer, reported on the progress of curb and gutter work in northeast Hartley and one street in the northwest part of town. The town council decided that additional study on drainage in those areas had to be completed before actual costs could be determined.

A new regulation passed by the Hartley town council required that all garbage, paper and other refuse had to be placed in a tied plastic bag, a paper bag or in a box with the lid folded in. It was preferable that the plastic or paper bag be placed inside metal cans at the point of collection.

• May 16, 1996

Responding to comments from patrons, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn school board members rejected purchasing portable classrooms for additional space at the high school. The consensus was that portable units would send the wrong message and were an unwise use of district funds. The administration was authorized to prepare a scheduling solution to address future high school classroom needs.

Parking space at the high school was also at a premium. Random surveys of empty spaces showed there were no more than two to eight available on a given day. With an increase of 16 students expected in the fall, action was required. The cost to add parking spaces was estimated at over $20,000. The school board was asked to consider issuing parking permits, limited to 120 students, at an annual cost of $15 per permit.

“From Our Files” is compiled by Sentinel-News sports editor/staff writer Mike Petersen.