9-17-73
It’s Merrill on the Move week and many Merrill area businesses have ads in the paper noting the event. Merrill on the Move Week began in 1964 after the Wausau Chamber came up with the slogan “Wausau’s Got It” and suggested Merrill find a slogan as well. It is also Wonderful Wisconsin Week – both events are meant to showcase what the region has to offer and to plan for the future.
Advertisements in the pages devoted to Merrill on the Move include: Mr. Don’s Steakhouse, Nelson’s Rexall, Stevie’s Shoes, Schulze’s Pharmacy, Lee’s Arco Service, Bloechl Motors, Pink Top, Fran’s Haircuts, Eddie’s Bake Shop, Anderson’s Clinic Pharmacy, Luebke’s Office Supplies, Fred Reger Insurance, Trantow & Russell Insurance, Ward Paper Company, Howland’s Ace Hardware, Schram-Buettner Funeral Home, Furrer Motors, Plautz Oil, Carl’s Foodlane, Al’s Red Owl, Kloss TV & Appliance, Riverside Club – Howard Rajek, Lincoln Cleaners, Sharon Motors, Neuman’s Cheese Factory, Badger Paint Store, Montgomery Ward, Page Milk Company, Duke’s Sport Shop and Gooze’s Superette.
In sports news, the varsity cheerleaders for 1973 are pictured; they include Cindy Latzig, Jamie Engel, Patty Hopper, Jill Peterson, and Captain Mary Ravn. Junior varsity members are Judy Grefe, Jean Luebke, Pam Erdman, Mary Loehn, Cathy Hanson, and Captain Laura Taylor. The girls had plenty to cheer about this past Saturday as the football team rolled over Valley foe Wisconsin Rapids 34-7 at Jay Stadium. Phil English was the offensive player of the week and Bob Akey, who blocked a punt which led to the second touchdown of the game, was named defensive player of the game.
Mike Josiger presented the first place trophy from the recently held first annual Josiger Slo Pitch tourney to Buck Schneider, sponsor of the Blatz Bombers. The Bombers defeated Hanneman’s Bar of Wausau for the trophy. Team members include Louie Fry, Jim Schwartzman, Buck Schwartzman, Ike Bacher, Gary Schmidt, Marv Hanson, Vern Olson, Joel Heckendorf, Dave Benzinger, Lloyd Buck, Dave Schwartzman, Keith Burrows, Mickey Terrance, Dave Krause, Bruce Boettcher, and Phil Weckwerth.
9-21-83
State Senator Lloyd Kincaid has left town and perhaps with him the controversy over one way mirrors in the locker rooms at the junior and senior high schools. At the hearing held Monday, 18 people spoke about the mirrored glass, 17 in support of it, including Rev. John Henning and Dr. Ole Ravn, who both noted the benefits the mirrors provided for supervision. Duane Kleinschmidt also spoke, he sat on the committee that chose the glass in 1964 and explained how the decision was not made lightly. Brendan O’Day of the senior class presented a petition signed by 470 students noting their resentment that the item had become a political issue and did not view the windows as invading their privacy. When Kincaid used a prepared speech, his message was not well received, particularly when he noted police stations, jails and prisons don’t use mirrored glass but yet they were needed in Merrill. In an editorial that accompanies the story, the editor notes Kincaid intimidated an elderly citizen who tried to speak, slapped a table he was sitting at in a childish manner, and literally threatened the community with “costly” legal or legislative action. The editorial went on to compare Kincaid’s actions to that of Nikita Kruschev banging on the UN table with his shoe as it longed for the reasoned approach last afforded us by retired State Senator Clifford “Tiny” Krueger.
Construction is underway at Lincoln Hills School at Irma for a 14 foot high fence which will encompass the 45 acre property. School Superintendent Russell Leik explains that the fence will cut through the old parking lot, so a new 180 parking spot lot will have to be built along with a gatehouse. They hope to have the fence up by mid-October and the gatehouse completed by December. The fence is designed to discourage runaways with a coil of concertina wire at the top and a four foot concrete stub at the base. Lights will be located at 120 foot intervals. So far there have been 22 escapes from the facility this year compared to 17 at this time last year.
A rarely seen photo was recently recovered by Charlie Geiss and is printed on page five of section two. It shows the Merrill Senior High basketball team of 1933. The reason so few have seen this photograph is because there was no KEMO published in 1933 due to the great depression, the one and only year no KEMO was published. Pictured on the team were Alden Reynolds, Franklin Hitzke, Carl Schoenfeldt, Norman Barker, Gilbert Saeger, John Plautz, Milton Wendorf, Alft Kluxdal, Charles Geiss, Assistant Coach Art Birkeland, and Coach Palmer Mikelson.
9-22-93
The Corning Fire Department held an open house on Sunday to welcome their newest piece of equipment; a 1993 Darley fire truck. This is the first new piece of motored equipment the department has ever owned since its inception in 1986. The department started with 18 volunteers and a used pumper truck but now stands at 27 active members, 14 of them from the original group. Pictured with the new truck are LeRoy Mootz, Richard Berndt, Janet Kleinschmidt, Brian Klebenow, Joe Wimmer, Dean Berndt, Russ Wendt, Rick Burns, Stan Wendt, Dick Slizewski, Darwin Berndt, Melvin Klebenow, Dennis Rice, and Tim Berndt. In a side picture, Chief Stan Wendt receives a check from the ladies auxiliary treasurer Eldina Kienbaum for $2500, which will be used to purchase equipment for the new truck.
Homecoming is this weekend and the high school is abuzz with activity. Contenders on the homecoming court are pictured, they include: Sophomore Princess Kristy Klug, Junior Princess Stephanie Cole and Senior Princesses Renee Ashbeck, Mindy Koebe, and Sarah Schnur. The Homecoming Queen will be announced during Friday’s pep assembly. The football team will take their 0-4 record against 3-1 Wausau West on Saturday after losing big to DC Everest Friday 39-0.