January • South Haven Fire Department left the scene of a home appearing to suffer minor fire damage Jan. 9. After firefighters left, the fire rekindled and the home burnt down early morning Jan. 10. • KAHS junior Melanie Marquardt became the third Kimball girls’ basketball player to reach 1,000 career points in a game against Rockford. • The Kimball Chapter of the FFA was named Region 5 outstanding chapter and moved on to state competition. • KAHS senior Tammy Kuechle became the fourth girls’ basketball player in Kimball history to reach 1,000 career points in a game against Maple Lake. • Tammy Kuechle and Kyle Wurm represented KAHS at the Academics, Arts, Athletic (AAA) Award Program Jan. 22. • Retired U.S. Olympic Ski Team member Tasha Nelson visited Powder Ridge Jan. 25 to share her expertise with the Powder Ridge Alpine Ski Team. • Fire destroyed the old Scheeler Farm near Pearl Lake Jan. 26. The home was more than 100 years old. February • KAHS students Jenna Stenger, Cole Loewen, Tammy Kuechle, Erin Heath, Travis Winkelman and Alanna Bowman participated in the St. Cloud State University Honor Band Feb. 8. • Senior Tammy Kuechle was named CMC female Athlete of the Week Feb. 3 and Feb. 12. • Senior Jenny Kunkel was the fifth player in Kimball girls’ basketball history to reach the 1,000-point career mark. She was the third player to do so in the 2002-03 season. • Senior Sarah Walker and junior Sarah Wysoski were inducted into the National Honor Roll. • Student government representatives Craig Henneman and Jennifer Kunkel were named King and Queen of Sno-Daze 2003 at KAHS. Runners-up were band representatives Cole Loewen and Melanie Marquardt. • Kimball residents Clarence and Viola Jensen were killed in an auto accident on Highway 12 near Litchfield Feb. 25. • More than $100,000 worth of tools and equipment was stolen from Mies Equipment, Inc., of Watkins Feb. 21. Several ATVs, a company truck and tools, and an enclosed snowmobile trailer were taken. • KES second-grade service project collected more than 100 items for the Kimball Food Shelf by the 100th day of school. • Sixth-graders at KES read the book Thank You, Mr. Falker at various locations in Kimball in honor of “I Love to Read Month.” March • Kimball teacher Shawn Meyer was recognized as National FFA Advisor of the Month. • Jeremy Dahnke, Blaine Lemke, Gary Salmela, Kyle Winter and Tom Libbesmeier attended the state wrestling meet. Libbesmeier took first place in his weight class, Winter took second and Lemke took sixth. • City of Kimball proclaimed March 3 “Tom Libbesmeier Day” in honor of his state championship win in the 171 weight class. • Amanda Linn was crowned Stearns County Dairy Princess March 8. • Kimball Community Theater hosts “Star Spangled Girl” presented by the Lighthouse Theater of St. Joseph. It was the first dinner theater production held in the new cafetorium. • New Kingston community center opened after fire damaged the Kingston American Legion Post #483. • Eden Valley-Watkins junior Ryan Rice was chosen to sing national anthem at boys’ state basketball championship game. • KAHS students learned about jobs at first ever career day March 12. • Sixth-grade students learned about careers. Girls attended non-traditional career day at St. Cloud Technical College March 12, and boys learned about careers at school. • Independent School District 739 made budget cuts to reduce a $257,000 deficit. • Kimball native and national snowmobile racing champion Mike Schultz visited Kimball Elementary School March 21. April • KAHS band went to Washington, D.C., and New York April 9-14. • Fourth- through sixth-grade students’ “Jump Rope for Heart” raised $3,324.36 for the American Heart Association. • Arne’s Hardware opened a new location in downtown Eden Valley. • Five KAHS alums and one coach were honored in the KAHS Hall of Fame banquet. • Luke Becker was named Region 5 FFA president. May • Sixth-grade students visited the state capitol and met with state Senator Michelle Fischbach May 5. • FFA held their end-of-year banquet May 19. Ninety awards were distributed. • Joel Berscheid, 20, died in a car accident on Highway 15 on May 29. • Third- and fifth-grade students met trucker-buddy Brian Gageby May 30, after writing to him throughout the year. • Annual “In Memory of Daryl” motorcycle run raised $600. • Foster grandparents advocated program to state legislators in hopes that funding would be restored. • Express “home” opener held in Eden Valley. Games were played in Eden Valley until Kimball field was ready for play. • Earthway Farm: Picture Book of our Farm Animals was published by South Haven resident Candy Mullen. • Governor Tim Pawlenty and Commissioner of Education Cheri Pierson-Yecke visited Eden Valley-Watkins high school to recognize the school’s high scores on state Basic Skills Test. • My Dad, Everyone’s Soldier, a story about 1992 KAHS graduate Matthew Hanan was released. The story was written by Hanan’s sister-in-law Tiera Rozman in Hanan’s son Kaiden’s words. June • Kayo Aslagson, Industrial Arts teacher at KAHS retired after 31 years of teaching. A celebration was held in his honor June 3. • 1999 KAHS graduate Samara Mackereth began a semester at sea; she wrote a weekly column throughout her journey. • Construction began on Hazel Avenue in Kimball June 3. • Seventy students graduated from KAHS June 5. • Six ATVs, two riding mowers and a trailer were stolen from Mies Equipment, Inc., of Watkins June 6. • LuAnn Marschel, 2003-04 American Legion Auxiliary district president, presided over the Sixth District Convention in Bemidji June 6-7. • Eleven Kimball Relay for Life teams composed of 132 people raised $60,413.13 Friday-Saturday, June 6-7. • Twelve KAHS students traveled to Mexico June 8-15. • KAHS senior Tammy Kuechle was one of 40 students named to the All-Star Basketball Game series. • Beth Kampa earned third place in statewide Miss Junior Teen Minneapolis June 15. • Crystal Dorman was crowned Fair Haven Old Settlers’ Queen; Teresa Erickson was named princess and Chelsey Wipper was named Miss Congeniality June 28. • Kimball Express players finished ballpark renovations; first home game played June 29. July • Timothy Carl Weber, 28, of South Haven, was arrested in anhydrous ammonia theft. • Kimball Community Playhouse cast more than 50 in Music Man production July 17-19. • Property stolen from Mies Equipment, Inc., in February was recovered by Meeker County Sheriff and other law enforcement agencies. • Six-year-old national tractor pulling champion Teddy Zipoy featured on KSTP’s “On the Road with Jason Davis.” • A.M. Maus and Son celebrated their 75th Anniversary July 19. • Fair Haven Old Settlers’ Committee removed Crystal Dorman from her position as 2003-04 queen, citing “violation of representation rules.” Dorman was seen smoking several times. Teresa Erickson was appointed queen and Jodine Lemke, third-place contender in the pageant, was named princess. Chelsey Wipper remained Miss Congeniality. • South Haven Days royalty were named July 26: queen Kendra Jackson and princesses Kayla Miller and Erica Norgren. August • Clayton and Mabel Linn named Grand Marshals for Kimball Days. • Heidi Schwictenberg, 1995 KAHS alumna organized “Roll With It” wheelchair basketball event which took place during Kimball Days. The event raised more than $20,000. • Kimball Days featured new events including a business fair, fishing contest, and “Fun Run and Toddler Trot.” • Little Miss Kimball royalty 2003 was crowned. Queen was Melody Rose and Johnna Johnson-Talbot and Elizabeth Kastanek were chosen as princesses. • Express
ended a great season. The team played in the state tournament, but were defeated in the first game by St. Francis Saints, 10-8 Aug. 15. • Marguerite Laabs’ Images by Marguerite celebrated 10 years in business with open house Aug. 16. • The Forest City Stockade hosted its 20th Annual Rendezvous on the same weekend as the Forest City Threshers’ 15th Annual Threshers Show Aug. 16-17. • Emily Janisch of Watkins named state finalist for the National American Miss Minnesota Pageant Aug. 17-18. • Kimball Area Young American Schools of Self-defense sent three students and two instructors to a week-long Wushu Training Camp Aug. 18-22. Students learned from Chinese masters. The event is usually held in China, but was moved to Minnesota because of the SARS outbreak. • FFA raises more than $9,000 for the Don Nystrom family. Nystrom has a brain tumor and underwent a 16-hour surgery. Money raised was intended to purchase lift for Nystrom’s home. • Kimball Public Schools hired Sara Watts as Family Advocate. • Beautify Kimball contest winners were Myron and Betty Franke for most colorful and interesting yard; Hair-Dos Family Hair Care for most improved commercial lot; Cindy Stelten Daycare for most attractive landscaping in the commercial division; John and Sheri Gohmann for Kimball area show place; and Pat and Sharon Meyers for most improved home landscaping. • Kimball Police Department received radar from Minn. Department of Public Safety for performance in safe and sober campaign. • A new camp, Developing Winning Personalities (DWP), opened for its first season. The camp is run by Kathy Lotzer of Litchfield, and plans to include Kimball children next summer. • Kimball Chamber of Commerce held annual business in education breakfast Aug. 27. The event showed support and encouraged teachers and local businesses to work together. • Drew, Tom and Dan Beck won first, third and eighth place, respectively, in the state FFA tractor-driving event. September • Students were welcomed back to Kimball Public Schools Tuesday, Sept. 2. • Three new teachers joined the staff of KAHS. Erika Matzke teaches Social Studies and EBD, Leah Arnold teaches Family and Consumer Sciences, and Nathan Hylla teaches Social Studies. • The 14th Annual Earth Mother Mind Jam was held in Kimball Sept. 13. The event showcased dancers, poets, musicians and painters, and brought ethnic sounds and tastes to the community. • Lakeview Storage was burglarized Labor Day, Sept. 1, in broad daylight. • KES students scored above the state average in the reading and mathematics sections of the MCA tests. • KAHS homecoming candidates for 2003 were: Luke Deutsch, Melanie Marquardt, Gary Salmela, Kelly Lochen, Jeremy Dahnke, Brianna Lib-besmeier, Preston Looman, Holly Froehling, Zach Mackereth and Amy Arnold. Luke Deutsch and Holly Froehling were named king and queen during the “Nothing Else Matters” ceremony Sept. 23. • 1995 KAHS graduate Captain Dan Kersten, D.D.S., served in the U.S. Army. His service took him to Germany where he studied in the Army’s advanced general dentistry program. Kersten wrote monthly columns about his experience. • One student killed, another injured and later died as a result of a school shooting at ROCORI High School in Cold Spring Sept. 29. The tragedy caused Kimball Public Schools to look at their safety and emergency response policies. • Kimball Public Schools reviewed lunch policy after concerns arose because trays were being taken away and dumped when students had insufficient funds. The school board decided the policy needed to be rewritten so all students K-3 will be provided with hot lunch and notified through teachers when accounts are low. • KAHS athletes read to elementary school students during homecoming week. October • The use of administrative tickets became controversial in early October as state auditor Patricia Awada issued statement questioning legality of the tickets, since no part of the fine goes to the state. • The city of Kimball app-roved the use of administrative tickets in March 2003. Following Awada’s statement, Kimball City Council agreed to continue use of the tickets upon the recommendation of Police Chief Todd Rohloff • Kimball took part in celebrating Minnesota Cities Week Oct. 8. More than 40 community members were served a free meal and met with city employees and representatives. • Hazel Avenue Construction project was completed. Assessment rates were set at the Oct. 6 meeting of the Kimball City Council. • Travis Gottschalk was awarded the National Agri-Entrepreneur Award and $1,000 at the 76th National FFA Convention in Louisville, Ky. Oct. 31. • Community members concerned over the lack of busing for preschool students. The school agreed to work with the community on the issue. November • Dorothy Kersten, Jerome Kuechle, Marguerite Laabs, Tim Peglow and Matthew Serbus ran in the schoolboard election. Kersten, Kuechle and Serbus were elected to four-year terms, and Laabs was elected to a two-year term. The new board takes effect Jan. 2004. • KES hosted Grandparents Day/Veterans Day celebration. Students invited grandparents to take part in the Veterans Day ceremony, tour their classrooms, view artwork and eat cookies and ice cream together. • Kimball Area Friends of the Library held the annual Dinner with an Author Nov. 7. This year’s author, Robert Alexander, wrote The Kitchen Boy. More than 100 people attended the event at Playland Ballroom. • Kimball Public Schools honored American Education Week Nov. 17-21. The community put emphasis on education as the schools recognized support staff. Superintendent Scott Thielman cooked a meal for Kimball Public Schools employees. Educati
