Plans are moving along for the Centennial celebration

The Grygla Centennial Committee hosted an enjoyable fundraiser last weekend at the Community Center in town. A chili and baked potato feed was held, including 10 pots of chili being entered into the chili cook off; the winner of that was the Grain Bin Café, taking home $50 in Merchant Bucks. Following supper, BINGO was played with lucky winners going home with turkeys, pork loins and bacon. Santa also made an appearance early in the evening and the Holiday Cash raffle winners were announced! The lucky winners were:

1st prize of $1000 was Blair Saurdiff; 2nd prize of $750 was Jim Carrier; 3rd-4th prize of $500 were Leroy Irlbeck and Tony Nordby; 5th-9th prize for $250 were Rocky S, Bob Thompson, Glenn Sundberg, Tim Tesarek, Wayne Warne; 10th-13th prize for $200 were Gene Kuppila, Andrew Holte, Jaclyn Moe, Tammy Nordby; 14th-20th prize for $100 were Paul Norberg, Duane Potucek, Vicky Grove, Joe Vesey, Marcie Moe, Sheldon Peterson, Gene Lunsetter

2017 Grygla 

Centennial Update

The Centennial Committee, which is made up of just a few members, has been meeting every month to set the plans for the August 2017 centennial celebration. The small group has made a lot of progress despite the lack of help from volunteers within the community. 

Chairmen, Gavin Nordby, said at the meeting last week that everything is going smoothly for the most part. The committee doesn’t necessarily need any more bodies; it’s the sub-committees that are in need of some members at this point. They’ll also be needing some volunteers to offer their help the weekend of the big event. If you are interested in helping to organize and plan events or offer your assistance, please get into contact with Gavin Nordby, Gretchen Smeby, Shonda Jelle or Bob Thompson.

The last committee meeting was held on December 7th with 8 people present: Gavin Nordby, Julie Sparby, Shonda Jelle, Donna Lian, Bob Thompson, Gretchen Smeby, Amy Holte and Kari Sundberg.

The meeting consisted of a short run down of some of the centennial events that are booked, and also discussion of the Holiday Extravaganza, which was held over the weekend. (The event was actually in discussion to be cancelled as three days prior to the event, no chili entries had been received, along with no volunteers offering their assistance in helping with the event. However, committee members made a last ditch effort to round up help to cook chili, make bars, serve food, clean tables, sell Bingo cards and raffle tickets, but all agreed it would have been nice to see community members step in and offer their assistance without having to be asked.) But, as mentioned above, the Holiday Extravaganza was successfully held with about 90 community members attending the event. Moving forward with upcoming events, community involvement is encouraged and appreciated. Remember, it’s easier for a lot of people to do a little vs. a small amount of people trying to do a lot!

Per Nordby, some of the centennial events happening the weekend of August 25-27 are included below.

Entertainment: “October Road” on the street Friday night, “32 Below” on the street Saturday night, “Back Behind the Barn Boys” Saturday early evening. 

“Games to Go” out of Fargo, ND, will be bringing the following for kids and adults: Animal Kingdom, 18-foot Giant Slide, Wrecking Ball, 70-foot Obstacle Course and Monkey Motion Bungee Jumpers.

 “Steve Porter’s Trophy Whitetails” will also be on display. There will be a caricature present, along with wood carving, a vintage fashion show, quilt show, 5k run/walk, volleyball/horseshoe tournaments, classic car show, demolition derby and a parade, to name a few.

Plans for an all-school reunion are also in the works. They include a tour of the school and social hour on Friday evening of that weekend. Committee members plan to gather biographies from each alumni attending so they can put together a booklet that will be available for purchase after the event. Alumni members are encouraged to get together with their classes (or a group of classes) to enter a float in Saturday’s parade. More information will be available as the event draws nearer!

At the meeting last Wednesday, it was announced that the committee was awarded a $3,000 grant for a Then/Now mural to be painted on the south side of the Grygla Coop building. This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council with funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature from its general fund.

The committee was also awarded Beltrami County Con-Con funds to be used towards the event, but an amount has not been released yet. 

Items available for order

Lifetime Faux Wood Convertible Bench

The Centennial Committee is offering the opportunity to buy a bench for the weekend of August 25-27, 2017. The ordering and assembly of the benches will be conducted by the Grygla Fire & Rescue Department. Benches will be set up around the city of Grygla during the Centennial. Your bench can be taken home after the event or you’re more than welcome to donate it to the city.

The Convertible Bench functions as a bench with a back or a bench with a table. Beautiful simulated wood will not fade, warp or rot from weather exposure like real wood and it required no special maintenance to look as good as new for many years. Bench seat and tabletop are designed with slats that allow for quick drainage of rain and snow. A one-hand latch mechanism easily converts the back of the bench to a handy table with easy access to bench in just seconds. Convertible benches are very sturdy and stable. Buy one convertible bench to create a handy space saving table, or buy two convertible benches and put them together to form a full-size picnic table. Each will include a Commemorative Engraved Centennial Sponsor Nameplate on the backrest of the bench. 

The cost of the bench is $225.00. A Commemorative Engraved Centennial Sponsor Nameplate will be included on the backrest. The engraving can include one of the following options: Individual, Business, In Memory, Anonymous or Other.

Order forms were included in the packets that went out in the mail in July, but if you are interested in a bench, please send your request to: Grygla Fire & Rescue, Attn: Grygla Centennial, PO Box 136, Grygla, MN 56727. Make checks payable to Grygla Centennial for $225/each.

Please include your name, address, city, state, zip, email, quantity, imprint for the name plate on the bench and specify if it’s individual, business, in memory or other. Also, please include if you would be picking up your bench after or leaving it in Grygla after the celebration.

As of current date, 20 benches have been pre-ordered.

Recipes, old & new, needed for Centennial Cookbook

The Grygla area church women’s groups are working together to create a custom cookbook featuring old proven recipes, along with new recipes, for the Grygla Centennial Celebration, which will be held August 25-27, 2017. These cookbooks will be professionally published and are sure to be a treasured keepsake for all. Money raised will be donated to the Grygla Centennial Committee. So far, the group has 775 recipes and would like 125 more! If anyone has any old photos of ladies cooking in church groups, or from community events, those are being sought out for the divider pages.

Please submit 5-7 of your favorite recipes, or those of your ancestors, to be represented in this cookbook. Many recipes from all residents will ensure that this cookbook is a success.  

For your convenience, you have the option of entering your recipes online or completing a ‘Recipe Collection Sheet’.

The group is anticipating a great demand for this cookbook and want to be certain to order enough. To reserve your copy please email Laurie Polansky at laurie.polansky@asbgrygla.com, or send a request to her at PO Box 78, Grygla, MN 56727. You can also call 218-294-6111. 

The expected cost of the cookbooks will be $20-$25 per book depending on the quantity ordered and how many recipes are published.

Recipes need to be collected by January 15th, 2017 so publishing deadlines can be met.

To submit recipes online, go to:

- www.typensave.com and click “login”

- Enter the user name: Grygla

- Enter the password: granola657 and click ‘submit’

- Enter your name and click ‘continue’

- Review ‘Recipe Writing Tips’

- Click ‘Add Recipes’ to begin adding your recipes

To submit recipes by hardcopy, please see contact information above.

Hand-made ceramics by local potter Betsy Saurdiff

Pottery will be available in a mug or cup (with or without handle) and will have Grygla Centennial logo stamped into the clay. Pottery is dishwasher and microwave safe. Preorders are encouraged; prices are $15 or $17 w/name stamped.

Orders can be made directly from the Betts Pottery website: bettspottery.wordpress.com 

There you will see color choices, sample photos and payment methods. 

Grygla Centennial History Book

Pre-Order Information - A hardcover book is being made that your family will cherish for years to come. It contains fun facts about the town, businesses, school and surrounding areas, as well as many family histories and interesting photos.

Grygla Centennial History Books are on a pre-order basis costing $45.00 each. So far, 42 history books have been pre-ordered. Please send your history book pre-order request to: Grygla Centennial, PO Box 222, Grygla, MN 56727. Your history book will be available for pick-up at the 2017 Grygla Centennial. If books are not picked up at the Centennial, please make arrangements to have your book picked up or mailed to you. (Shipping will be at each owns cost.)

Make checks payable to: GRYGLA CENTENNIAL $45.00/each *If ordering a book and a bench, and/or donations, you may combine the cost in the check made payable to Grygla Centennial. 

Please remember to include name, quantity, amount enclosed and if you’ll be picking up the book at the Grygla Centennial or making arrangements with a committee member to mail it to you after the celebration. (If so, please email a committee member at grygla.centennial@gmail.com)

2017 Grygla Centennial Donations

The Grygla Centennial is made possible by your generous support. 8 donations have been received thus far and are still being accepted. If you are willing to make a donation, you can mail it to: Grygla Centennial, PO Box 222, Grygla, MN 56727.

The committee says if you are ordering a book and a bench, and/or donations, you may combine the amount in the check made payable to Grygla Centennial.

Your continued support is appreciated to make it a successful 100-year celebration of Grygla! Watch for more updates in the near future. Another mailing will be going out in a couple of months that will include preorder deadlines and more event updates. The 3rd and final mailing will be out by July 1st and will include a poster of the Centennial weekend schedule!

The next committee meeting will be held on January 11th at 7pm at the Grygla Community Center.