In news briefs: The paper is starting to fill up with holiday shopping ideas. One of the bargains found on page two is an offer for a Warner Cable hook up for only $5, down from the normal $25 charge of installation. If you call in time you can see the bowl games along with the Thanksgiving day parade. Warner now offers 11 channels for your viewing pleasure in Merrill. By next year at this time hunters will have more room on the east side to stay as it has been announced a Best Western motel will be constructed near the Hwy. 51 and 64 interchange. The 40-unit motel will be adjacent to the Pine Ridge Restaurant and Standard Oil Service Station. On the subject of food, there are plenty of ads this week with Thanksgiving just over a week away. At Mel’s Big Dollar, turkeys are selling for .55 a pound, yams are four pounds for $1, three loaves of bread is $1, and Old Style 12 packs are $2.79. Drew’s has turkeys starting at .65 per pound, five pound canned hams are $7.99, ground beef and chuck steaks are .69 a pound, an 8-pack of Coke bottles is $1.07, and a gallon of milk is $1. Eating light for the holiday? TV dinners are .49 apiece. Over at Bob’s Food King, turkeys are .44 a pound, a 10-pound bag of flour is $1.09, a 10-pound bag of potatoes is $1.29, onions are two bunches for .39, and celery is .39 a stalk. At Dave’s Red Owl, the turkeys are .65 a pound, a box of cake mix is .53, frozen pumpkin pies are $1.19, bacon is $1.19 a pound and cases of Olympia beer are priced at $5.29. Heading out into the woods? Mel’s will hand you a bag of 10 ham sandwiches for only $1.
Hunting seasons starts this Saturday and County Clerk Ken Oldenburg is reminding you that you have to buy your licenses by midnight Friday. Clerk Oldenburg will keep his office open at the Court House until 9 p.m. on Friday, and after that you can buy your licenses at vendors such as Fred’s Bait Shop or Chuck’s Sport Shop in Tomahawk. Establishments selling licenses up until midnight include the Beacon Bar for the Merrill area, May-B-Inn for Tomahawk, Thielman’s in Harrison, and in Gleason the Gleason Bowling Center, Village Tap, Rod’s Old Time and Lange’s Bar. If active duty military personnel arrive home after midnight they can get their permit during the weekend by calling Clerk Oldenburg at his Gleason home.
The girls volleyball team ended up with a fifth place finish at Oshkosh where they competed in the WIAA State Tournament. Milwaukee Madison took the first place trophy home; the Jays ended the tournament 4-9. Merrill’s head basketball coach David Linehan hopes to carry the recent success of the football and volleyball teams onto the floor of the East Gym this season. Linehan points to the senior leadership returning to the team. Lettermen returning this year include Mike Hoff, Tim Casper, Erik Finanger, Bruce Heldt and Eric Pankow.
11-18-87
The Merrill Chamber of Commerce recently held its annual banquet and award ceremony this past weekend and with it presented its annual “Hall of Fame Award.” The Hall of Fame Award is the Chamber’s most prestigious award and is presented to an individual who by his or her action and involvement has made a life-long commitment to the community. Typically the award goes to someone who prefers to be more low key and work in the background yet whose impact has been profound. The winner this year has been on Merrill’s side for years, our very own Ralph Schewe. He has been a member of the Chamber for 40 years, he is a charter member of the Merrill Jaycee Club and served as its first president where he continues to provide leadership to the group to this day. Schewe is president of Merrill Candy and Distributing. He has a love for the scouts, having been the very first Eagle Scout in Merrill; Ralph presently serves on the Boy Scout executive board. He is a member of the Lincoln County Sportsman’s Club, Ducks Unlimited, and Trout Unlimited. Schewe has further served on the board of directors of the hospital and is currently on the foundation board. He has spent his life promoting Merrill’s name throughout the country through the exposure his business gives to the Merrill name. The former Navy lieutenant is the father of seven children, 32 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Others recognized at the banquet include Roger Wendorf, the Merrill wrestling coach who carries the name of Merrill beyond the community and does so with dignity and honor, received the chamber’s Ambassador Award. Also Marion Prange was recognized for her work at Council Grounds State Park. Prange heads up the naturalists program, and thanks to her work visitors at the park are way up and so is the interaction with nature. Prange averages over 40 hours per week at the park volunteering; she received the Merrill On the Move Individual Award.
A mediator will likely decide the future of the MAPS contract with the local teachers’ union. According to Les Voight, member of the MAPS BOE and negotiating team, the two sides have reached an impasse in talks over the 1988-1989 contract. According to Mike Van Lieshout the two sides have agreed on benefits, summer school pay, and next year’s school calendar with the remaining big issue being salaries. The Merrill Teachers Union has submitted their final offer to the mediator leaving the BOE to finish and submit their response by Nov. 24.
With the nine day gun deer season starting this Saturday and Thanksgiving next Thursday you will find plenty to do and plenty to eat in the four page entertainment section. The Fairway Supper Club will host a buffet on Thanksgiving that will feature prime rib along with walleye, ham and turkey for a price of $6.95 per person. At Club Modern they will have a special menu which will include a buffet next Thursday at a cost of $5.95 per person. Lv&Av’s Country Fare has a buffet on Thanksgiving and music this weekend. Friday night the Jackson Family will play followed by the Zunk on Saturday. Schultz’s Country Inn has their fourth annual hunters ball next Wednesday with Carl and Jeni and Roxanne providing the music. If you are heading out into the woods early the Rits, Kozy Korner, and Champs will all be open for breakfast before you head out to the woods with Champs opening earliest at 4 a.m. (for my father and Uncle Bill). Les & Jim’s Lincoln Lanes has their big buck contest and next Friday the music of Sundog.
11-19-97
The Merrill Historical Society is proud of the new man in town, his strong gaze watching over the Prairie River with a strong build and towering appearance. He is actually a wooden statute, carved by Jeff Prust of Hawk Hallow in Hurley, and he represents a visual reminder of a 19th century river running. The carving of white pine stands just west of the T. B. Scott Library. The creation has no name at this time other than River Rat as he symbolizes the hundreds of men who came north to mill towns like Merrill to work. These log drivers fed logs into Merrill’s eight mills whose owners preferred running logs down the river as the water soaked out the pitch and enabled better drying. The group hopes to add a sign and lighting in the next year.