Researched by Michael J. Caylor Jr
11-29-78
Judge Donald Schnablel has announced he will not seek another term in office. The 68-year-old jurist has been serving as the local judge since 1955 when he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Judge Max VanHecke. He then elected and began serving his first full term beginning in 1956. Before being appointed, Judge Schnabel was the city attorney for the city of Merrill and served six terms as Lincoln County’s District Attorney while also serving as a private practice attorney. Schnabel did consider running for another six-year term but nixed the idea when he realized that he will turn 69 next July 30th, and with the mandatory retirement age for judges set at 70 that means the governor will name his replacement, something Schnabel would rather have the voters do. Schnabel spoke of his time on the bench, noting, “It’s never a pleasant task to sentence a man to state’s prison.” Schnabel said that most often the public expects a “sock ‘em” attitude towards criminals, but he preferred a more charitable approach. Schnabel does not intend to slow down; he will continue to offer his services as a reserve judge filling in for other counties as needed. Schnabel also said he would like to act as a defense attorney at least one last time, “I’d love to yell, scream and rave from that side of the bench. I think my experience would be beneficial as a trial lawyer,” he said with a smile.
Now that the smoke has cleared, literally, the voters in the Tomahawk school district need to make a decision as to the future of their school facilities. Currently classes are broken up all over town between actual schools and buildings that have been pressed into service since a fire destroyed Washington School back in August. The board of education would like to construct one school for the entire district at a cost of $4.3 million, which would include an indoor pool for $320,000. The district has yet to settle with the insurance company following the fire at Washington School but hopes to collect a minimum of $1 million for their losses. No federal or state funds are available to help the district and the matter is entirely up to voters who will take to the polls for a special election next week.
Those involved with the history of Merrill are celebrating this week, and Mully Taylor has a little ode to the days gone by in Merrill’s “old” city hall, which has been seemingly saved by the wrecking ball. Taylor envisions the now empty building coming alive with the faces of its past. Harry Allen the City Clerk, Tom Calder the Chief of Police, Andy Milspaugh from the fire department would be joined by mayors T. B. Scott, John O’Day, Joe Emerich, L. N. and George Anson, John Elsen, Jule Theilman, A. H. Stange, Doc Wittman, and Pat Cotter for a midnight toast. That would be followed by Professor Bliss and the city band providing a tune from the council chambers. The castle like building emerged from the early morning fog and a bright new day had begun for the old city hall.
11-30-88
The Merrill Area Development Corporation is excited about 1989 as this year is starting to come to an end. The group known as MADC points to the new businesses coming to town or those that are expanding or moving into bigger facilities: Fitness Force, Wonder Wash, McDonald’s, Pine Ridge Mall complex, River Valley Bank, Church Mutual Insurance, Brickner Motors, Rosemurgy Used Cars, Pamida, Burgener Contract Carriers, KC Casuals, and Drew’s Supermarket. MADC is also working with Northern Wire as it looks to expand in spring. Currently the unemployment rate in Merrill is at 3.3%, the lowest it has been in a decade. Ray Priebe will lead MADC this next year as president, Dick Hayes will be vice-president.
In a column on page three Tom Geiger, Lincoln County Development Agent, points out what the future of Merrill’s business community may shape into with the opening of Wal-Mart coming next spring. The information is based upon studies of other communities who went from a mainly mom and pop business setting to having the large retailer building, a study done by Ken Stone of Iowa State University. In the Stone study he predicts that businesses such as eating and drinking establishments and home furnishings will prosper after Wal-Mart comes to town, while specialty shops who deal with building materials, hardware, grocery stores, drug store, fabric stores etc. will lose out. In Stone’s research he found out that established retail stores will lose out on $4.2 million in sales in a community of 8,000 residents once a Wal-Mart opens. The study cautions although done in Iowa it should raise red flags to retailers everywhere on how to change their business practices to compete in the future of big box stores.
A full page feature story tells about how some trees planted by a man named Fritz in 1951 turned into year round business that employs 150 seasonal workers around the Merrill community. Fred Latzig began his tree planting with balsam, fir, spruce, black hills, Colorado, white, Norway pine, Austrian pine, and Scotch pine. By 1952 Fritz stepped things up by planting 40,000 trees and by 1978 he was harvesting 28,000 trees per year. He had learned from the Trees for Tomorrow program the proper techniques to plant and cultivate the trees. Together with his wife Millie, Fred put his seven children and then 20 grandchildren to work in the business with the young ones learning the industry after school and on weekends. The company now has thousands of acres of trees from Allegan, Michigan through Tomahawk and Merrill and as far south as Green Bay. The family also owns several retail lots in states as far away as Alaska. In several pictures the seasonal workers are shown assembling the magic of Christmas; Judy Hull, Ruby Janssen, Irene Borchardt and Arlene Fellbaum are shown assembling wreaths where they start employment around the second week of October and finish up the first week in December. Marian Allen and Becky Koehler are show making roping, they expect to produce 175,000 to 200,000 feet of roping this year at Badger Evergreen. Carl Jackson is shown with Sarah Wold and Denise Jacobi sorting out roping and grave blankets, which they make 3,500 of each year. Over 50,000 wreaths are made each year; Leila Fredericks is shown making wreaths in one of the many shapes the company offers. The last picture shows the yard crew putting trees on a truck for shipping to tree lots. Badger Evergreen ships approximately 40,000 trees or more each year to places as far away as Florida and Alaska.
12-2-98
Fire crews from Merrill, Corning, Wausau and the Town of Maine fought a stubborn fire this past Friday at the Hurd Millwork Prospect Street plant. The fire was up in the ceiling of the office area of the complex. Firefighters had to cut into the roof to get at the fire, as the department’s aerial truck was not able to reach the fire from the outside. The fire rekindled a few hours after firefighters left; the plant and office were empty thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday so no injuries were reported.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has some new vehicles which sport new looks thanks to a couple of local businesses. The agency acquired an ambulance which will now be used as the agency’s mobile command post for the special response team. Sheriff Paul Proulx is pictured with Clark and Butch Roman from Al’s Body Shop who donated the new paint job on the vehicle which had been in service as part of the county’s ambulance fleet and based out of the Merrill Fire Department. Neil Callahan is also pictured with Lt. Jeff Jaeger; he helped with mechanical work on the agency’s first DARE car. The vehicle is a 1987 Buick Grand National which was taken as part of a court ordered forfeiture from a drug dealer. The vehicle is unique and expensive with only 1,500 of them being made. According to Jaeger the vehicle is supposed to top out at 150 MPH, or so he has heard.