2008: Hartington celebrates Q125 with huge celebration

May 27, 1998

WAYNE—Seven juveniles are still on the loose after escaping from the Wayne juvenile detention center early Tuesday. The juveniles assaulted two staff members, stole their keys and then locked them into a cell.

May 27, 1998

HARTINGTON—Jan Walz has peered over the top of her spectacles and seen many changes in her 44 years as a teacher. Jan will be retiring at the close of this school year.

May 28, 2003

HARTINGTON—The 11th annual Tour Nebraska driving event sponsored by the Nebraska Rod and Custom Association will travel through Hartington May 31.

May 28, 2008 HARTINGTON — Hartington’s four-day party to celebrate 125 years of history ended on a high note.

The last remnants of the Hartington Q125 celebration filled the Skylon Ballroom for the closing ceremonies and a free BBQ on Memorial Day.

Dr. Roger Filips, President of the Chamber of Commerce, thanked all those who ccme for the big event.

“Thank you for growing a beard, wearing silly outfits, and most of all, for showing up,” Filips said. “Hartington can throw a party when they have to. I declare the celebration a success.”

Q125 Chairman Jim Wintz, who has been involved in the planning stages for 18 months, now, said he did not know how the Q125 celebration could have come together without the use of some modern technology and the hundreds of volunteers who helped throughout the celebration.

“I don’t know what we would have done without computers, e-mail, cell phones, web pages and all of the twenty-first century developments we have,” said Wintz. “I don’t know how we would have done it with out the residents of Hartington - they have a spirit of giving.”

Wintz thanked Dan Kathol for being his right-hand man throughout the planning and the Quasquicentennial celebration. Filips then thanked both of them by handing out Presidential Citations to both, thanking them for an excellent job.

Lisa Dendinger, who chaired the first day of the celebration, said there were 13 wagons plus those who were riding horses on the wagon train that started toward Hartington on Friday.

“The wagon train was about two miles long,” Dendinger said.

There was a wonderful turnout at the style show and the day wound down with the steak fry contest, she said.

The rainy and windy weather caused problems for the steak fry and the Parade of Lights Friday, but people were determined not to let that deter them.