Voss Park, backed by Butterfield Lake and surrounding acres were the hot spots this past weekend
The state of the sizzlin’ summertime is splendid – as displayed over the course of this past weekend during the 12th annual edition of the Butterfield Summer Sizzler. Voss Park, backed by Butterfield Lake and surrounding acres to the south of the park were the hot spots on Friday, July 4 and Saturday, July 5, with a plethora of activities in which all ages could participate – as well as plenty of food to sit back and enjoy.
The Sizzler originated from a day that was promoted as a “day for the community” by the Butterfield Community Club Auxiliary. Initial events included the Auxiliary’s Flea Market and the ice cream social by the First Lutheran Church. From there it grew into today’s two-day festival.
It was – and remains – as a fun time for families and people of all ages.
Since the bulk of activities take place in-and-around Voss Park and nearby Butterfield Lake, the Voss Park Campground provided the perfect place to stay for the weekend.
Event sponsors include: Butterfield Summer SizzlerAndy’s Auto, Butterfield Foods, Braaten Farms, Butterfield Community Club Auxiliary, Casey’s General Stores, Crystal Valley Cooperative, Darfur Sportsmans, Dick Downs, Donald V. Larson Post #9607, Eagles, Gary and Etta Mather, Haler Construction, Heffele Construction, Lampert Lumber, Midway Farm Equipment, Miller Sellner Equipment, Nam Design, Noi’s Asian Delight Food, Odin State Bank, Olson Custom Cabinets, Peterson Pit Pumping LLC, Pioneer Seed-Kurt Blomgren, R. D. Harder Agency, Rich Haglund Seed, T & K Transport, Tri-County Implement, Triumph State Bank-Butterfield, United Prairie Insurance Agency, Butterfield Municipal Liquor Store, Hustler Mowers, OTSC, Prochazka Transport/Producers Hybrid Seeds, Butterfield Lions Club, D & L Leinenweber, Fleet & Farm Supply Inc., Hall’s Across the Prairie & Southwest MN K-Fence, Hall and Carlson Performance Machining LLC, Hall Hydraulics and Machine, Mike Hall, Welding Shop-Andy Hall, Jeremy Hall, Superfair Foods, RCP Transit LLC and Richert’s Live Bait and Tackle.
Saluting our flag’s colors
THREE-AND-ONE-half-year-old Adleigh Olson of Butterfield was sporting the red-white-and-blue on her summer dress.
INDEPENDENCE DAY in Butterfield.
Turning mowing the lawn into a race
IN THE SUPER-stock lawn mower race division of the Lawn Mower Races, Corey Cowell Jr. of Butterfield, right, edged out Madison Junker, left, for the championship.
ON THE SHORTENED-track Snapper mower feature race, Mike Braaten of Butterfield, left, continued his domination. Above he maintains his lead over Kent Winters of Butterfield, right . . .
. . . AND THEN WINS the race in front of Matthew Junker, left.
THE MODIFIED LAWN mower races kicked up a lot of grass and dust courtesy of the mowers’ power, sharp corners and intense competition. Above, Mike Hall of Butterfield, left and Ryan Westman of St. James, right, are caught in a wheel-to-wheel duel.
ANDY HALL WAS out front early and held onto that lead to win the modified free-for-all. In order behind him were Dillon Melheim on his brother, Bo’s, machine, Ryan Westman of St. James and Andy Hall of Butterfield.
WAVING CALEB LORENZ of St. James in as the stock champion with the checkered flag was the flagman for all of the races, Randy Prochazka of Butterfield, left.
Playing the ‘Bingo’ card with ‘It’s Me’
“IT’S ME” WAS the Black Angus cow brought in as the featured bovine for Cow Pie Bingo. This was the third year she has been used for this activity. According to her owner, Kurt Blomgren of Butterfield, “It’s Me” earned her name by being and acting like a real “ham.” The eight-year-old has also taken her goodness and beauty on-the-road, winning several times at the Minnesota State Fair.
“IT’S ME” MUGS for the camera with a “clean” Bingo card spread out before her.
Golf carts have a use beyond the golf course
YES, A HUSBAND-and-wife can make it out of the Blind Man’s Golf Cart Race (and accompanying obstacle course laid out with hay bales) with a successful run. Above, Brad Ommodt, left and his wife, Valerie Ommodt, right, of Butterfield, were one of the married couples who dared to drive together – and indeed, they did survive. This year, in another wrinkle, the blindfolded driver, as directed by their guide, drove the course – and if making it through that one lap without accumulating two errors (hitting two straw bales) – the pair then switched places and the guide drove the course in reverse for the second lap – without the blindfold.
DOUG WOLLE OF Darfur, left and George Koenig of St. James, right, consistently team up to run the course – as well as entertain the crowd. In the photo, Doug barks out directions to George . . .
. . . AND GEORGE TAKES to the cart roof to give Doug a clear sight line as he does the course in reverse.
BLINDFOLDED DRIVER BETTY Braun, left, and her Blind Man’s Golf Cart race navigator Hugh Simon, right, came east to Butterfield from their Mountain Lake homes to team up in the obstacle course race.
GRANDPA GENE LENNING of Butterfield, right, took directions from granddaughter Julie Saunders of Odin, left, while blindfolded.
WINNING THE 2014 Blind Man’s Golf Cart race was the duo of Brianna Soutthivong of Mountain Lake, left and Jared Saunders of Odin, right. (Photo courtesy of Karen Olson)
Morning run with The Chicken
(* Photos courtesy of Kim Blomgren)
HE REALLY IS everywhere! Chicken Man was on hand early Saturday morning, July 5, to kick off the Chicken Run.
WALKERS BEGAN HOOFING the two-mile walk at a bright-and-early 8:15 a.m.
AT 8:30 A.M., youngsters ran wild in the kids’ 1/2-mile fun run.
PLENTY OF RUNNERS were well-stretched-out and warmed-up and waiting for the signal for the start of the 5K run.
WINNING THE 5K was Butterfield’s own Lukas Pierson.
STUART BLOMGREN, A native of Butterfield, right, was joined by two of his United States Marine Corps ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) buddies in the 5K – the trio taking turns running while carrying the American flag.
LIANA BLOMGREN OF Butterfield, right, is an “elbow” ahead of her dad, Kyle Blomgren, left, the coordinator of the annual Chicken Run, as they enter the chute at the end of the run.
Sizzler fish tales for the kids
WAYLON WINTERS OF Butterfield proudly displays his bullhead caught during the Kids’ Fishing Contest.
AN OLDER YOUNG man – catches a bigger bullhead – this one reeled in (in about five seconds after casting out) by Jeff Wright of Mountain Lake.
JAKE ROMSDAHL OF St. James, partially hidden back right, guides his two sons, Knoxx, left and Jayger, center, in casting their lines into Butterfield Lake. The two boys eagerly displayed the five bullheads they had already caught.
DAD AL SCHLOMANN of Ham Lake (a Butterfield native), right, grabs the fishing line of his daughter, Annika, left, in order to take the bullhead off the hook. Annika had a catch of many bullheads – along with one lone northern.
AIDAN OLSON OF Butterfield displays the shiny gold medal and red-white-and-blue ribbon he earned with the biggest catch in the six-year-old division in the Kids’ Fishing Contest.
Micro-minis perform beyond their 1/16 size
MEMBERS AND COMPETITORS from the National Micro-Mini Tractor Pullers Association (NMMTPA) displayed and raced their micro-minis in front of the Voss Park stage on Saturday, July 5. The NMMTPA was founded in 1976 and is the main sanctioning body of Micro-Mini Tractor Pulling in the United States and Canada. Micro-mini tractors and trucks originate from a 1/16 ERTL-type tractor or Tonka-type trucks which are then fitted with a model airplane or car engine, driveline and special pulling tires. There are currently seven sanctioned NMMTPA classes: 3-lb pro stock tractor, 5-lb. pro stock tractor, 2WD road vehicles, 5-lb. super stock tractors, 4×4 trucks and 6-lb. open modified tractors – and optional 7-lb. semi. They run on nitro and their motors turn at 30,000 rpm. A weight transfer sled is pulled by these small “toy” pullers on a 2’x16′ wooden track which is either covered with a formica surface or sealed with a smooth surface of polyurethane. Above, Ed Connell of St. James leads his tractor during one of his 5-lb. pro stock tractor pulls.
BRAD ROMER OF Richfield, left, is teaching his son, Zach Romer, right, the intricacies of the micro-mini pull on the pulling circuit.
THE “PIT AREA” for micro-mini tractors and trucks.
Channeling the diet of the atypical Butterfield resident
THERESE ROMSDAHL, LEFT and Nathan Olson, right, both of Butterfield, provide the evidence that Noi’s Asian Delights is finger-licking good – especially their egg rolls and chicken wings and drummies.
RAKKI PETERSON OF Butterfield, left and Cathy Vonk of Mountain Lake, right, grill up pork chops for the Watonwan County Pork Producers at the Sizzler. (Rakki made a point to note that his wife, Diane, was right – it takes longer than two hours to thaw out pork chops.)
Kids, too, can power-up for a pull
TROPHIES GALORE SPARKLED in the Saturday afternoon, July 5 sunshine, lined up in preparation to be distributed to the first three placings for kids ages 4-11 participating in the Kids’ Pedal Tractor Pull. The awards were presented by D & S Pedal Pulls of Fairmont, who handles the contest.
TUCKER BRAATEN OF Butterfield was first in the four-year-old age category.
MOUNTAIN LAKE’S LOGAN Brugman earned first-place honors in the six-year-old division. Just a couple weeks ago, Logan was first in the Pow Wow Pedal Pull’s five-year-old category; a birthday kicking him up to the next age bracket, but one he was able to handle with gusto.
OWEN KLASSEN, ALSO of Mountain Lake, was another participant in the six-year-old age level.
BRIE ANACKER OF Butterfield was one of the girls competing in the seven-year-old category.
CHAMP IN THE 10-year-old division was McKenna Steinbrink of Butterfield. The top three in each age group are eligible to compete in the Minnesota State Kids’ Pedal Tractor Pull in Hutchinson on Saturday, September 6.
Kids, adults come together to do the bale toss chores
OWEN DRILL WINDS up to give his small-size hay bale the ol’ heave ho toss during competition on Saturday afternoon, July 5.
ELLIE HOLST GIVES her hay bale the two-handed shove.
JAELIN HALER USED the side-swing toss style to catapult her medium-size hay bale. She is watched by toss judge, Nathan Olson, who monitored and measured the tosses – along with Mark Saunders.BUTTERFIELD’S BRIAN ROMSDAHL got down low in his shot-put style toss of the bale – a full-size type of bale.
KIM OLSON OF Butterfield opted to grab the hay bale by the twine and incorporate a back-and-forth swing, working to gain momentum for distance before lift-off with his bale fling.
Kitchen athletics not ignored with addition of the skillet toss
KNOXX ROMSDAHL OF St. James flips his cast-iron skillet. This year, added to the hay bale toss contest was the skillet toss. Just like the hay bales, the skillets came in three different sizes – small, medium and large.
MATAYA HALL OF Butterfield gave the skillet toss all she had, getting plenty of height at the point of release.
LAURA ROMSDAHL OF Butterfield chucks the large-size skillet with flair – and a leg kick.
CANDICE BARTEL OF Mountain Lake employed a spinning side toss of the skillet.
TERESE HALL OF Butterfield watches the flight of the skillet she tossed, flinging the cast iron as far as she could in order to stretch the tape measure.
NOT TO BE outdone by her daughter-in-law, Terese, Leota (Hall) Quiring of Mountain Lake gave the skillet toss a whirl – really – the skillet whirled and spun out onto the field.
WITH DETERMINATION ETCHED on her face, Butterfield’s Nancy Olson wheeled the skilled down the measuring tape.
BUT THE OVERALL adult winner in the skillet toss – with a toss of 100′ 4″ – was Jeremy Hall of Butterfield.
Final tractor, pick-up pull of Saturday featured the full-size machines
THE BIG MACHINES had the final say – as far as Saturday’s pulls went. Above, an International-Harvest (IH) McCormick Farmall struts its stuff pulling the sled down the course in the 5500 antique class. In fact, IH tractors will be featured at this year’s Butterfield Steam & Gas Engine Show in August. Blane Braaten of Butterfield was the event’s official flagman.
Butterfield Summer Sizzler closes with a bang – and colorful light flashes in the night sky
ON SATURDAY NIGHT, fireworks lit up the sky over Butterfield Lake. (Photo courtesy of Cassondra Harder.)
