Duplicate Bridge Club

Duplicate Bridge Club played at five tables March 14. Winners were Gail and Ray Schmidt, first place; Vandy Newman and Bud Higgins, second place; Edna Knobbe and Larry Crowe, third place; and Barb Engebretson and Orrin Roisen, fourth place.

Four tables played Duplicate Bridge March 15. Winners were Loren Cleland and Bud Higgins, first place; Joyce Crowe and Millie Seiver, second place; Dave Ring and Orrin Roisen, third place; and Eunice Michaelis and Warren Behrends, fourth place.

Duplicate Bridge is played at 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays and noon Wednesdays at the Senior Center in Austin. Players are from Adams, Albert Lea, Austin and Rose Creek.

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Chapter 469

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Chapter 469 met Feb. 14 at Pizza Ranch in Austin. Nelly Croes spoke to the group about what it was like growing up in France during Nazi Germany occupation. The business meeting took place and committee reports were given. The state convention will be May 23 and May 24 at Best Western Kelly Inn in St. Cloud. Check the Minnesota newsletter for information and registration forms. The next NARFE meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. April 11 at Pizza Ranch in Albert Lea.

Freeborn American Legion Auxiliary

The Freeborn American Legion Auxiliary met at 9 a.m. March 18 at the American Legion in Freeborn. President Sandy Anderson called the meeting to order. The Pledge of Allegiance and the auxiliary pledge were recited. Anderson also read a prayer.

The secretary and treasurer reports were given. Both reports were approved as read. There were no bills to present.

The poppy order has not yet arrived.

There was no reply from the Boys State candidate and the group did not have any Girls State candidates.

The office list will be completed and mailed to the department and district offices by Anderson. Anderson will be the president; Sonja Honstad will be the new secretary; and Evelyn Neubauer will be the treasurer and membership chairwoman again.

The results of the annual soup and pie/dessert, which was on Feb. 18, were discussed. The group had tried a new date and will go back to a Saturday in January rather than in February. A profit was realized due to the fact that members had donated the majority of the ingredients.

Anderson brought out the annual reports and all began the work of getting them completed. She will put the finishing touches on them and mail them off.   

It was announced that the Freeborn Sons of the American Legion will host a spaghetti feed on April 22 and the Freeborn Legion members will have a fish fry on May 27. There will be more details as the time draws closer.

The next auxiliary meeting will be at 9 a.m. April 15 at the American Legion in Freeborn. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

Women Veterans of Freeborn County

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Women Veterans of Freeborn County met March 1 at American Legion Post 56 in Albert Lea.

Women veterans present included Judi Olson, Julie Hamson, Deanna Luedtke, Joan Paszkowski, Bonnie Carlson, Sandy Maiden, Pat Johannsen and Ruth Perry.

The treasury report was given and there were no outstanding bills.

Luedtke handed out the minutes of the February meeting.

Maiden noted a new ambulance garage is going up around the Mayo Clinic Health System parking lot.

The Women Veterans of Minnesota are looking for volunteers for the fall luncheon planning committee. At this time the group is unable to help them out.

The Women Veterans Initiative is sponsoring the 2017 Woman Veteran of the Year award. The award will be presented as part of the Salute to Women Veterans planned for May 25 in Plymouth.

There was a drop-in legal clinic for veterans in Mankato and at the Minneapolis VA.

A bipartisan bill has been introduced to close a loophole that prevents many full time college students from qualifying for affordable rental housing. The Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program provides a reduction in taxes for developers that build or rehab affordable rental housing units. However, current law does not allow tenants to be full-time students.

Luedtke read an article entitled “Aging Knees.”

Maiden volunteered to take food donations to the food pantry.

The Women Veterans of Freeborn County meet at 11:30 a.m. at American Legion Post 56 on the first Wednesday of every month. The group encourages all women military veterans to join them for an informal lunch, discussion and camaraderie. The next meeting will be April 5. For more information, call Luedtke at 414-530-3982.