Experts debate trivia nuance, read all about it

Question No. 12 has stirred all sorts of controversy here at the Roundup. Dave Erickson, who left Alexandria in 1965 and only wishes he were a member of the Class of 65, came home from Oregon and viewed the mess. He weighed in:

Dave says: "I would have put Tubby’s across from the State Theater and Art Anderson’s Maid Rite and Hawthorne. But that was where Len’s (Hukreide) Meat Market was. Len's was indeed across the street from State Theatre. I do remember that John Herdan’s Dad drove truck for one of the bakeries……Blue Ribbon, doughn’t ya know?"
"Ya sure, you betcha! Alrighty then."

Patty Wicken, she's married to Roy Wicken, and is another graduate from another time, responds: "Art's Maid Rite was immediately next door to the State Theatre, to the west between Broadway." She adds, "Did you guys know that when my Dad was a kid, Broadway was called "G" Street? Our streets are west-to-east, A - V (Ash, Bryant, Cedar, Douglas, Elm, Fillmore, "G-Street", Hawthorne, Irving, Jefferson, Kenwood, Lake, Maple, Nokomis, Oak, Park, Quincy (where I grew up. The OTHER side of the tracks, not the WRONG side of the tracks!) Roosevelt, Spruce, Temple, Unumb, Victor. And, my Dad said that at one time Oak street, which is immediately east of the Soo Line tracks was quite the business street. Blacksmiths, etc. My Dad was born in 1904. Even though he repeatedly told me to "pay attention" ...I wish I had recorded or made a journal of his memories.


Alexandria trivia (circa 1965)

1. Who played catcher for the Alexandria Clippers and also taught fifth grade?
Answer: Bob Hawkins, not Gary Johnson. Question: Who was Gary Johnson? While we're talking sports, who was the KXRA broadcaster who ended play-by-play broadcasts with "Always remember, win or lose, be a good sport!"

2. Name the men's store that was also the authorized outlet for Boy Scout paraphernalia. Extra credit if you remember their slogan.
Answer: Bob's Clothes Shop, the slogan was "Bob and the Twins want to see you." Here is another bonus question....a very difficult one. Question: What "club" existed out of this establishment? Answer later. Hint: It's a short one. Also, Tom Obert's uncle (the "original" Tom Obert) from The Cities went into Bob's once and was met by one of the twins -- who mentioned he looked a lot like John Obert. Tom said that John was, indeed, his brother. Tom then continued browsing before coming upon the other twin (Except Tom didn't know there were any twins) who mentioned that he looked a lot like John Obert. Of course, Tom thought the "guy" had a real short term memory problem.

3. You are looking in the front door of Central Junior High (across from the Congregational "Congo" church). Which way is the principal's office? Left? Right? Upstairs?
Answer: Turn right to go to George's office (go past the nurse's office, Mrs. Johnson, past the guidance office -- Jerry and Maxine). Most of you had difficulty remembering this one. Jim Clifford and Patty Collins Owens nailed it. Hmm.

4. What development brought an end to noon-hour movies at Central Junior High?
Answer: Split shifts reduced lunch to a half hour and shut down movietime in the small auditorium. It is amazing how many of you guessed it was because there was too much "making out." Making Out? Junior High? What does making out mean, anyway. And then the famous "brush me off." What was that? Larry Sass said that a lot.

5. In the 1950s, where was the municipal liquor store located (before it moved down by the museum)?

6. Name the two banks on Broadway in the early 1960s.

7. One of the banks had a large indoor mural depicting what?
Answer: The Kensington Runestone

8. What was the name of the ballroom in (a) Alexandria, and (b) Glenwood?
Answer: Algon and Lakeside

9. The furniture store located near the intersection of 29 and 52 was called what?
Answer: Perry's Hiway Furniture "Hello. Perry's Hiway Furniture, may we help you?" "Are you on Highway 29?" "Why yes, we are." "Well, you better get off, there's a big truck coming your way. Click."

10. The Catholic hospital near Lincoln School was called what?
Answer: Okay. Our Lady of Mercy wasn't exactly near Lincoln School in small town distances. It was close to Paula Widstrom's house though. Lorlee Bartos says she was born there. Is that possible? I didn't think Our Lady of Mercy was there in 1947. Looked too new. But Lorlee has a receipt. Her mother spent a week there after having Lorlee. Lorlee didn't say if she gave any trouble or not. I guess that's just what new mothers did then. How much did it cost? Lorlee found a receipt while organizing her father's papers. The handwritten total: $42. Bonus question courtesy of Jim Clifford. There was another private hospital in Alexandria named after a saint. What was its name?

11. Who was the weatherman on KCMT? Multiple choice: Jon Haaven, Jim Syrdal, Bud Gorham, Glenn Flint, Wayne Quernemoen, Natalie Johnson. Another hint: He served as an emcee for a Talent Show at Jefferson and wore a grass skirt.

12. Name the bakery across the street from the old State Theater.
Answer: Tubby's. Well, it wasn't exactly across the street from the old State Theater. Tubby's Bakery was on Sixth Avenue (Lincoln Avenue) on the north side of the street in the block between Hawthorne and Irving. Blue Ribbon Bakery was on the northwest corner of Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Yeutter's Bakery was kind of in the middle of the block on the west side of Broadway between Fifth and Sixth. Now, I can't remember if Tubby Schurman (owner of Tubby's Bakery) ever owned Blue Ribbon in the later years or not. It seems to me he did, and my husband thinks he may have; but we aren't certain. The two were definitely different businesses at one time. (Thanks to Patty Wicken)

13. Jerry Van Kempen MC'd the Jingle Bells program at Christmas. What did he MC at the fairgrounds?
Answer: Stock Car races

14. Where was the only pay telephone in Jefferson High?
Answer: In the hall by the gym. There was a free phone in the office during school hours.