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July 18: Years Ago…
Years Ago

‘Years Ago’ is a compilation of newsy tidbits as published in the Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout on this week ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or sixty years ago.

TEN YEARS AGO

JULY 16, 2009 – A standing room only crowd enjoyed a performance at the Soldiers Grove Library last Tuesday morning. Bob Kann, using juggling, magic tricks and storytelling to demonstrate how responsible energy use benefits the environment… Tresa McCarn, Becky Salmon, Peggy Lathrop, Ann Anderson and Mike Lawton attended the 41stAnnual EMS Symposium in Wisconsin Dells put on by the University of Wisconsin Hospital… The Sixth Annual Kickapoo Country Fair in LaFarge will be hosted by Organic Valley Family of Farms on the spacious grounds of their LaFarge headquarters. The weekend includes live music, food and beer, dancing, readings by noted authors, farm tours, heritage exhibits, local artisans, kids’ activities, organic cooking and lifestyle classes, and a Green Village. Brett Dennen, who some are calling the next Bob Dylan, will perform newly released folk-rock from his album ‘Hope for the Hopeless’. Also performing will be the Milwaukee-based Bryan Cherry Band, the Eric Nofsinger Band, the barn dance band Lawful Contraband, and the women’s polka band called the Squeezettes. 

TWENTY YEARS AGO

JULY 15, 1999 – Greg and Rilla Oppriecht were the parade Marshalls for the Seneca Ridge and Valley Rally Parade… The member-approved merger between Crawford Electric Cooperative and Grant-Lafayette Electric Cooperative became official July 1, when they began doing business under their new name of Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative… The Crawford County Highway Committee gave preliminary approval to the purchase of the old Mt. Sterling School during their July 1 meeting. When the sale is complete, the old school is scheduled to be demolished… The Gays Mills staff for the summer of 1999 is pool manager Lara Chestelson, Jen Klekamp, Jennifer Schlegel, Bethany Oppriecht, Jessica Froiseth, Ellen Christie, Kasie Moran, Heather Harden, Amy Oppriecht, Megan Brownie, Jeri Lynn Moran, Kristin Lomas, Anders Unseth, Bjorn Unseth, Garrett Harden and Paul Brockway. 

THIRTY YEARS AGO

JULY 20, 1989 – Next month will mark the 50thanniversary of the abandonment of the Kickapoo Valley & Northern Railroad, a 52-mile long line that linked the communities of Wauzeka, Gays Mills, Soldiers Grove, Readstown, Viola and LaFarge… Paul Jones, Rt. 2 Gays Mills, was knocked down and injured by a Holstein bull at the farm of his son, Tim, also of Rt. 2. Paul and wife Estelle were enroute home that evening when they saw two heifers that had gotten out of their son’s pasture. When they tried to stop the heifers, one got into Tim’s cow yard. Paul went in after the animal with help from Tim and Jeff Walker. When they got the heifer out of the gate a large Holstein bull charged, striking Paul in the back and sent him flying. The bull then proceeded to hook him in the back of the legs and flip him over, and then gave Jones a blow on the chest. Paul slapped the animal on the nose and yelled at him, at which time Tim and Jeff came running and yelling, getting the bull to back off. Jones suffered multiple bruises and, scrapes and a fractured bone in his chest.

FORTY YEARS AGO

JULY 19, 1979 – Five Prairie du Chien residents leaped from their stalled boat Sunday and swam to safety as a Mississippi River barge bore down upon them. They were Charles Zeeh, 34, his wife, Susan, 32, their children William, 12, and Barton 9, and a friend, Eric Kazda, 9… This year the recreation program is planning four field trips, which are open to all youth who participated in the program. The trips will consist of a picnic at Lansing Park, a visit to a Brewers game or the Milwaukee County Zoo, a visit to Circus World Museum, and an afternoon of rollerskating.

FIFTY YEARS AGO

JULY 17, 1969– Neli Sime is pictured giving an apple to his teacher, Rose (Salmon) Lake. A little late perhaps, but Neli wanted to show his teacher that he hasn’t forgotten the days when she taught him at Spring Valley School, more than 70 years ago… After failure to reach agreement in negotiations that have been going on since April, 90 members of Local 1667A of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees walked off the job Monday at the Vernon Memorial Hospital in Viroqua. Striking employees include nurses aides, housekeepers, clerks, therapy and X-ray aides, and kitchen and laundry personnel. Major issues are wages and the amount of time employees must spend in each salary level.

SIXTY YEARS AGO

JULY 16, 1959 – Hired to coach basketball and other sports in the Gays Mills Area Schools was Robert D. Martin, son of Mrs. Agnes Martin, Gays Mills. Martin replaces Ken Van Dam, who accepted a position with the Edgerton public schools. An alumni of the Gays Mills High School where he starred in basketball and baseball, Martin is a 1959 graduate of Platteville State College.