Researched by Michael J. Caylor Jr
10-24-79
The Indian summer we had been enjoying made a quick exit yesterday as the city was covered in 3.5 inches of slushy snow. Sharon Thatcher has a front page photo of the trees in front of the court house covered in snow. Last week residents enjoyed temperatures in the 60’s before the snow came in this week. Several accidents were investigated as motorists got used to driving in the snow again.
The Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the results of balloting for the board of directors. Mary Vandehey, owner of Thelma’s and the Guy’s Shop, Rev. Dale Kuck, past of St. Stephens United Church of Christ, Jim Bares, owner of Lincoln Lanes, Cliff Livingston, owner of Livingston’s Department Store, and Jerry Voigt, president of Merrill Federal Savings and Loan will serve.
Only one thing stands between the Merrill Blue Jay football team and a perfect season, the Rhinelander Hodags. Rhinelander thinks their 5-2 record should give them enough credentials for a victory, but Coach R. Ira Rebella points out that they have not faced a team with the tenacity of his Merrill Blue Jays. Merrill defeated the Marshfield Tigers last Friday with a win that Rebella called the sloppiest of the year. In a huge loss to the local squad, leading scorer and rusher Dave Grisa suffered a hip pointer which, at press time, was not responding to treatment. If Grisa’s season is over he will finish with an even 1000 yards on the season. Sophomore Tony Hartwig stepped up at Marshfield and carried the ball 18 times for 70 yards including the game winning score in the 14-7 contest. Rick Bonnell threw a seven yard toss to Pete Weber in the third quarter to tie the contest. The game remained tied until Bonnell’s passing and Hartwig’s running put together an 81 yard drive which sealed the game. The final regular game of the season gets underway Saturday at 1:30 PM at Jay Stadium.
10-25-89
In briefs: Members of Local 1200 of the United Paper Workers Union have rejected a contract offer from Ward Paper Company in Merrill. Workers have been working without a contract since theirs expired at the end of August. The union did not expect much give from the parent company of Ward, International Paper Company, despite the projected year-end profit of one billion dollars the company is expecting for their operations. The three pioneering sisters of the Holy Cross Convent are shown reviewing plans for the construction project at the current convent on O’Day St. The sisters plan on turning the facility into a care center for the elderly. Leroy Fischer Jr has a new friend in his neighborhood. Fisher, a student at Merrill High, was home for lunch when he heard his neighbor Jennette Norman in distress. Fischer realized she was choking and eventually used the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the object. Hats off to the Marching Jays, fresh home from competition. They brought home three first place trophies from recent marching band competitions. The band also received awards at their events for best winds, best general effect, and best color guard. While in Burlington they took home the Grand Champion trophy award for bands in all classes.
The season is over for the Merrill Blue Jay football team, and now the focus of the winning season turns to the team’s coach Greg Schofield who suffered a stroke during the third quarter of the contest. The game had a slow open with little scoring until the second quarter saw a turn in the momentum as the Hodags built a 21-7 lead. Late and questionable calls fueled the visitors’ spirit as one play, which should have left them with a fourth down at mid field turned into a first down at the home team’s 17. Merrill tacked on a field goal thanks to Chad Meyer at the end of the first half, but while the game was building momentum in the third quarter, the 37 year old coach suffered the stroke. Team doctor Dr. Greg Gill called for an ambulance to take Schofield to Good Samaritan Hospital before he was sent to St. Joseph’s in Marshfield. The Jays ended their first successful season in almost a decade with a 28-10 loss and a 6-3 record on the season. Schofield is reported to be doing well in Marshfield.
10-28-99
Local and state officials joined together in the rotunda of the courthouse to observe the 125th anniversary of Lincoln County. County Coordinator John Mulder played the role of Thomas P. Mathews, the “Father of Lincoln County.” Matthews has the distinction of making sure the state legislature acted on a petition to separate Lincoln County from Marathon County. Sheriff Paul Proulx played the role of A. W. Crown, the first Sheriff of Lincoln County, by riding in on a horse.