DEVOTED SERVICE — Carl Anderson is retiring Jan. 2 after 39 years on the Clarks Grove Fire Department, including 20 years as chief. (Star Eagle photo by Kathy Paulsen)

By KATHY PAULSEN

Staff Writer

All men are created equal. A few become firemen.

The funny thing about firemen is, night or day, or holiday, they are always firemen.

He's the guy like you and me with warts and worries and unfulfilled dreams.

Yet he stands taller than most of us.

He's a man who saves lives because he has seen too much death.

He's a gentle man because he has seen the awesome power of violence out of control.

He's responsive to a child's laughter because his arms have held too many small bodies that will/may never laugh again.

He doesn't preach the brotherhood of man.

He lives it.

Carl Anderson, son of Lettie and the late Lyle Anderson, is planning his retirement from the Clarks Grove Fire Department. Both Carl and his dad served on the local department. He has been fire chief of the department since 1982, nearly half his lifetime.

Anderson was just a young lad, 20 years, when he first became a Clarks Grove firefighter on February 5, 1973. He remembers going to his first fire, which was at the Leo Simonson Garage, north of Clarks Grove. He rode with his dad to the fire. Anderson asked his dad what he should do. Lyle said, "Stand back and watch."

Anderson became assistant chief in 1975 while Harry Olson was chief. Anderson became chief on May 3, 1982. Between the two, they served for 64 years as chief.

Anderson has lived a life of being on call for 39 years, and things have changed a great deal over those years.

DECOR WANTED — The University bar owners, Dan and Tara (center and right) and full-time bartender Megian Bell can’t do it alone this time. They kindly await donations of New Richland and Hartland memorabilia to decorate their business walls. (Star Eagle photo by Rachel Rietsema)

Renovations finally complete, Hartland University seeks local items to display

By RACHEL RIETSEMA

Staff Writer

Whether the Hartland University Bar owners can believe it or not, the time-consuming land of blueprints is finally a thing of the past.

“After 13-14 years of on-and-off renovation projects, this place is getting to be exactly how we want it,” said 14-year co-owner Dan Harguth.

Harguth only has one more University renovation wish, and this time, it doesn’t involve knocking walls down or adding a patio.

Right now, he’s waiting on some final touches, a decoration theme if you will, only to be accomplished through donation of local resident’s memorabilia.

“Other area bars have suitable wall decor that tie the whole place together,” Dan said. “So, when people walk in here, they probably think something like, ‘Cool name, nice place, but it isn’t quite right.’”

At the mercy of the soon-to-be donators, the rich-colored walls of this joint will reflect a “University theme.” The New Richland and Hartland-related items he hopes to feature are jerseys, pennants and old newspaper articles.