Features & People

Staff Writer

Once a year the streets of sleepy little Cromwell are lined with rows and rows of motorcycles. It’s all part of a fundraising event for diabetes. The 16th Annual Diabetes Memorial Run took place on Saturday, June 20. Starting with a 10:30 a.m. registration at Mr. D’s Bar & Grill in Duluth, where 300 participants were registered, the motorcyclists took off at noon and traveled to Brookston. From there they went through Floodwood and then headed to Cromwell, arriving in town at around 3:00 p.m.

The City of Cromwell has donated to the Diabetes Run every year for many years and gave the riders a warm reception, donating a bottle, sweatshirts, and keychains for silent auction in addition to a $100 cash donation. Participants stayed in Cromwell for awhile to enjoy food and refreshments.

Riders came from all over the state, and Cromwell was represented by Mack and Trina Bridge, who have been involved with the ride for several years. Trina shared that Mack knew about the ride and got her involved. “I thought it would be a good thing to do – both Mack and my son have diabetes, and this is a way to do something to help,” she explained.

Trina says the Diabetes Run is lots of fun. “The ride is really nice; I like that we go through our hometown. There’s also great food and entertainment provided at Mr. D’s,” she added. “When we get to Cromwell,” she continued, “we receive a great reception. All the riders agree that the food and service is great there,” Trina proudly concluded of her hometown.

Proceeds from this year’s event will be donated for research to cure diabetes in the name of Dan Glumac/Tom Gillen Diabetics Memorial Fund. Proceeds from food donations will also be donated in the name of the fund.

Staff Writer

Cromwell residents can now visit Cardinal Court to learn about the area’s heritage. The Cromwell Area Historical Club has found a new home in the lower level of the Cardinal Court Apartments for everyone to enjoy. The Cromwell Area Heritage Center and Library has been dedicated to B.A. Beck the author of The Brief History of the Pioneer of the Cromwell, Minnesota Area, and is now open and ready for use.

The real inspiration to get the club started was from an old picture of Judy Koivisto’s grandmother operating an antique telephone system. Judy brought this picture and some old newspapers to HarvestFest, and this sparked interest in many members of the community.

In September 1999, Judy Koivisto and friends started collecting information, photos and other pertinent details of our pioneers’ past through current events to start the historical club. “We wanted to preserve our local heritage and have resources available for all Cromwell area residents,” described Carolyn Krogh.

That is exactly what they did. At first there was no real place where the information could be found, other than Judy Koivisto’s home. Now the public can access the information by visiting Cardinal Court. “We put in a lot of work over the last eight years and finally the Villa Vista was gracious enough to give us this room,” exclaimed Judy. “It is also amazing the money and items that people have donated without us even asking.”

The Cromwell Area Historical Club hopes that having a new location will motivate more people to view their exhibits and information. It is also their hope that eventually the school will be able to use the information they have collected to teach the children about the Cromwell area heritage.

“The exhibits and information are open during the weekend afternoons this summer,” said Carolyn. “Our volunteers are also there throughout the week.”

The center can be visited at any time; however, all the information can be accessed only during open hours: Tuesday, 9:00 a.m.–11a.m.; Friday–Sunday, 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Volunteers are also needed for these times.

Various historic pieces can be seen with a visit to the heritage center, including photos and archived history of the area, scrapbooks of newspaper articles and stories of pioneer history, as well as school yearbooks, obituaries and much more.

“Lots of history and background information on local residents can be found at no charge,” exclaimed Carolyn. These resources are here and available to enrich the community.

“We have lots of history here, and our resources are growing,” concluded Carolyn.

Staff Writer

Operation Glass Slipper is a new program that was started by Pam Philipp, a Minnesota mom. In 2007 Pam started this program when she saw in her own community that many girls could not afford prom dresses. The mission of giving dresses to girls who otherwise would not be able to attend prom started in Pam’s basement. Just a few short years later, the event is now held one weekend at the Mall of America in Bloomington and consists of approximately 275 volunteers.

This year Operation Glass Slipper gave away 1,020 dresses to girls in need across the state. What was really special about this year was that several girls from McGregor went to the event, received dresses, and were featured in the May 25 edition of People magazine. Eleven girls from McGregor High School can be seen sporting their prom dresses with Pam Philipp on page 83 of the magazine. The girls featured in the picture are Stephanie Bandow, Sammy Glass, Kelsey Johnson, Lacey Fredrickson, Clair Koehler, Jamie Vikla, Anna Carlson, Cassie Zentzis, Raina Litwin, Sarah Mace, and Amanda Fredrickson.

“I got involved with the program through the school and Cheryl Meld,” explained Clair Koehler. The school has actually been participating in Operation Glass Slipper for the past few years, but this year saw the most girls ever attending the open house event.

All the girls were able to bring home beautiful dresses, shoes, purses and accessories for prom, which were very much appreciated and made for a memorable night.

“I was relieved to be able to get one of these dresses. I didn’t have to worry about how much money I needed and where I was going to get the money,” exclaimed Kelsey Johnson. “Operation Glass Slipper has really made thousands of girls extremely happy, including me.”

Getting everything they needed for prom was great for the girls, but the most memorable experience for most of them was their photo shoot for People magazine and being recognized in the national spotlight.

When the girls first found out they were going to be photographed by People magazine, they were shocked. “I thought I was going to pass out,” laughed Cassie Zentzis. “It made me proud to live in a small town and get the opportunity to be a part of the Glass Slipper.”

“We had an idea we would be featured, because we were in the photo shoot for the magazine, but it wasn’t positive we would be in,” explained Kelsey. “Once the issue came out, it was unreal. How often do a bunch of girls from McGregor have their picture in a nationwide magazine?”

In addition to the full page picture of the girls, there was also an article in People on Operation Glass Slipper, and Lacey Fredrickson was quoted in the magazine. “I was surprised,” remembered Lacey. “When Ms. Henry said to me right in the middle of English class, ‘they want to talk to you,’ I was speechless. As soon as it came out, I bought one.”

Copies of the May 25 edition of People magazine quickly disappeared off newsstands in McGregor. Within just a few days of its release, a copy could be found nowhere in McGregor. The community members were interested to see local women recognized in the national spotlight.

Thanks to Operation Glass Slipper, girls in our community along with many others were able to experience a fairy tale prom.

A huge thank you goes out to all of those involved in running the operation.