Researched by Michael J. Caylor Jr
6-7-78
After 12 years of education, tomorrow is the big day for 308 seniors at Merrill Senior High School. Class President Luke Janowiak will officially present the class to Acting Principal Lanny Tibadlo at the 8 p.m. ceremony. Announcement of scholarships will be made by Superintendent Dr. Robert McCardle as Les Voigt, President of the Board of Education hands out diplomas. The school band under the direction of Fred Mumma will provide the music along with the A Capella Choir under the direction of Dennis Reppe.
The City of Merrill will roll out the welcome wagon when Company A 1st Battalion, 632 division of the National Guard return to the city this Saturday. Mayor Patrick Nugent went to Fort McCoy this past week to see the 68 guardsmen in action as they participated in their annual two week training camp. The visit prompted Nugent to return to Merrill and plan a parade and welcome home party for the men. It is expected the group will leave Fort McCoy at around 8:15 in the morning and should arrive in Merrill between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. WJMT radio will keep listeners up to date on the group’s travels and expected arrival time in the city. When the caravan enters the city on State Rd. 64, they will travel through the city on Main Street, turn around the block in the 500 block of West Main Street and then parade back on the same route to the armory. Nugent said visiting the camp and meeting the command staff of the guard made him recall the memories of his 13-year career in the Army.
In briefs: Work on the East Main Street project is running behind due to rain but Merrill City Engineer Charles Pierotti predicts the project will still be finished on time. Pierotti also said some underground finds suck as leaks stalled some of the progress, but he expects the next sections to be easier and the crew should regain the time lost. The city is sending out letters but don’t look forward to getting one. City assessor Ken Hoffman is sending the letters to property owners whose assessment has gone up more than $100 in value for next year’s taxes. In the first of what will likely be many, Ken Oldenburg has announced he is seeking re-election to the post of County Clerk. Oldenburg has held that office for the last nine and a half years. Prior to election to the clerk post, Oldenburg served 13 years as chair of the county board. He and his wife Ilene live in Gleason. Graduates of the former Lincoln County Teachers College met this past weekend for a reunion. In all 198 graduates attended the reunion whose master of ceremonies was Bill Hinke. Clara Johnson was the oldest graduate present having graduated in 1918. Before its removal the teacher college was located in present day Normal Park. The building was the built in 1877 as the original Lincoln County Court House and was converted into the teachers college in 1907. It closed its doors for good in June of 1967.
6-8-88
The Class of 1988 has walked across the stage and into the new world. A total of 250 graduates received diplomas on Sunday along with $417,000 worth of scholarships. Top scholarship winners included Rob Wulf who received the Anson Scholarship to the University of Notre Dame and Michael Skarlupka who received the Lee and Lillian Leidiger O’Reilley Scholarship to the University of Madison; the winners of the Walter and Mabel Fromm scholarships were Heather Marquardt, Tammy Heldt, Coleen Gatterman, Angeline Iwen, Sharon Mains, Lynda Nedden, Mark Sczygelski and Stephanie Schneider. Class President Patrick Belfiori presented the class and told his fellow classmates that they have the tools and now it is the time for them to do their best to succeed.
Longtime county employee and elected County Treasurer Florian Koehler has announced her retirement. Koehler will complete the end of her term and not seek re-election in the fall, ending her service that started in 1948. Koehler originally worked in the county extension office before becoming deputy county treasurer in 1954. In 1969 she was appointed to fill the unexpired term of William Degner and has held the post since then. Marge Johnson, currently an employee of the county, has announced her candidacy along with Bob Schneider who has previously served as treasurer of the Town of Scott. Janet Beyer-Thums, Lincoln County Clerk of Court, has also announced she will seek another term in office; she has served in that position for the past 14 years.
Chief of Police Charles Johnson has announced the appointment of Dale Bacher to the Merrill Police force. Bacher has previously served as a police officer with the University of Wisconsin Whitewater and as a guard at the Columbia County Correctional Institute. Bacher takes the place of Charles Batchelder, a lieutenant with the department who is retiring. Bachelder has served the city since 1968 and has been a lieutenant since 1976.
A fire has destroyed the Dahlke Shoe Shop at 221 E. 2nd St. in Merrill. The fire was phoned into the fire department at 5:40 p.m. but Fire Chief Harvey Emanuel suspects it might have been smoldering for hours. Besides the shoe shop the apartments above housed seven people who are all now homeless. The Town of Maine Fire Department assisted Merrill at the scene. The building is described as a total loss with the suspected cause an over loaded fuse box which led to a short in the wires.
6-10-98
The Merrill Area Public Schools will still open come next fall, but 610 years’ worth of experience is walking out the door with the class of 1998 this spring. Rich Lehman, Ray Cheyka, Jerri Bloechl, Nancy Millbrandt, Mardell Simon, Ernie Mains, Pat Hoffman, Don Simek, Joanne Koshalek, Kathy Steckel, Louise Schotz, Reinie Lenz, Rich Schmidt, Ron Schneider, Joe Nowotny, Bill Storm, Jay Schnurr, Bill Lussenhop, Jim Edwards and Ken Bashara are all calling it a career.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has announced the detour for businesses and residences north of the Prairie River bridge on North Center Avenue. The bridge was removed on Monday and will be replaced over the summer with an expected open of Aug. 15. Motorists are encouraged to use Mill Street and River View Road. The bar now at the end of the road, Harry-O’s, is having a bridge closing party on Friday with the band “Homade Jam.”
The letters to the editor section and the weekly column of Norm Heideman call upon state and local officials to put a stop to the removal of the dam at the now former Ward Paper Mill. Many of the authors note the conditions around the Prairie Dells dam which was removed under orders after experts said it was in poor condition and could give way.