WRIGHT-Cromwell news

Our water is back! We were out for six days, but thanks to my husband and son, it was restored and is working better than ever. It seems that there was a crack in the water pump for years, and now with the new pump we have water, and the water pressure is really great too! The pump must have frozen when the power was off for several hours last week and caused the problem.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a public holiday. It is a day off for most of us, and schools and most businesses are closed. But I challenge you to “make it a day on, not a day off.” Legislation signed in 1983 marked the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a federal holiday. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service, with the Corporation for National and Community Service leading this effort. Each year, on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is observed as a “day on, not a day off.” There are many ways you can participate: You can join a project already planned in your community or develop your own project with family, friends, and neighbors; if you work for an organization that mobilizes volunteers, you can make King Day the day you train new volunteers to be deployed throughout the year. MLK Day of Service is intended to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King’s vision of “The Beloved Community.”

More than 75 folks attended the annual luminary service held at the Villa Vista on Sunday, Jan. 13. A big “thank you” goes out to the Villa Vista, their staff, our Cromwell Community Choir, Rob and Deb Switzer, the Memorial Singers, Julie Hansen, Walt Collman, Beth Collman, Arnold Collman, Lindsay Lally and Jennie K. Hanson for participating in this very special annual event. The names of more than 60 area folks who passed away in 2018 were read aloud as a bell tolled in their honor. The audience also participated by singing several songs. Arnold Collman’s reading of his memories of Adolf Langholf was especially meaningful. Sure brings back so many interesting memories of the past.

Congratulations to Ann and Wesley Heikkila on celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary Jan. 9. Just think of all the changes in the world since 1954! Wes is now at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Silver Bay. Cards can be sent to him at 56 Outer Dr., Silver Bay MN 55614.

Sixteen Villa Vista/Cardinal Court residents will be celebrating their 90th or 100th birthdays Jan. 28, at 1:30 p.m. Families need to write or give a short history of your family member turning 90 or older this year to Julie Hedin. If you have any questions, call 644-3331.

And don’t forget that Bill and Judy Haapoja will be at Villa Jan. 28 with their special hour of country music!

The Villa Vista also has a new walking club, which meets in the Cardinal Court Living Room on Thursdays at 9 a.m.

The Dollars for Scholars annual meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the school; there will be an election of officers, and Andy French will also be there to go over the group’s investments. A soup supper fundraiser will take place at the school Feb. 14, and the March dinner will be on the 30th, and maybe during the daytime, as so many folks don’t like to be out late in the evenings. New members are always welcome. Contact Kay Smith at 218-591-2860 with questions.

Community Yoga will be held at the Cromwell Pavilion 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 28, Feb. 5, 12 and 19. Any questions, call Ann Markusen at 218-428-3300 or email [email protected].

Bethlehem Lutheran Church will have New Member Sunday on Jan. 27 during the regular worship service. Please call Pastor Pat at 218-464-2965 for more information.

There will be NO school Jan. 21 due to in-service day , and no school Jan. 28 due to teacher and staff mandatory training.

The Lake Country Power informational meeting for our area and a light supper will be on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at the Cromwell Pavilion, starting at 5 p.m. All power company owners are encouraged to attend.

Driver education classes are being offered June 3-June 14, 8:30-11:30 a.m., at the school. If you are 14 years of age or older and would like to sign up for the classroom portion of driver’s training, please register with Mille Lacs Driving Instruction: [email protected], 320-676-3409, or http://www.millelacsdriving.com. There are information sheets outside the school office. We need at least 15 students registered to have them come teach the class, so don’t wait to register!

Open Gym is 5:30-7 p.m. Sundays. If you have any questions, call or text Brett Cahoon at 218-590-0474 or Lee Shelton at 218-428-5024.

I’ll leave you with a bit of humor to give you a laugh on these long winter nights.

Q: Why do retirees smile all the time?

A: Because they can’t hear a word you’re saying.

Q: How do you know you’re old?

A: People call at 9 p.m. and ask, “Did I wake you?”

Q: When is a retiree’s bedtime?

A: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.

Q: Why don’t retirees mind being called “seniors”?

A: The term comes with a 10% discount.

Hospital rules state that patients checking out must use a wheelchair. One day a newly graduated nurse assistant came into the room to find an elderly man fully dressed, sitting on the bedside chair, with a piece of packed luggage at his side, all ready to go. When he was shown the wheelchair, he was adamant that he was fully capable of walking himself to the parking lot. But the assistant told him rules were rules, so he relented and let her wheel him out.

In the elevator, the assistant asked the elderly man if his wife was coming to meet him. “I don’t think so,” he replied. “It takes her a while to change her clothes, so she’s probably still upstairs in the bathroom taking off her hospital gown and getting dressed.”

That’s all the news from the Edge of Wright. Have a great week!