‘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
JANUARY 27, 2011 – Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School in Viroqua recently celebrated their 30-year Anniversary Alumni Reunion. Seventy-five students, parents and teachers attended the event where they participated in a traditional warm-up exercise at the school, Spatial Dynamic Movement led by Lerie Alstad Van Ellis, enjoyed entertainment on the open stage and an art and photographic work display. Present at the celebration was Philothea Bezin. Philothea, (Karen Larkin), was the first teacher at Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School when it opened in 1980… Seneca’s Ethan Grimsled is pictured in the boys basketball game against DeSoto during which Grimsled led Seneca to a win with the top score of 22 points.
TWENTY YEARS AGO
JANUARY 25, 2001 – The Gays Mills First Responders held their annual meeting and dinner Sunday night at the Red Zone in Seneca. The following volunteers were elected as officers Nicole Fortney, vice-president; Sharon Sukis, treasurer; Rosie Welsh, secretary; Todd Brudos, president; Mike Pettit, two-year director; Ron Hayden, one-year director; and Kevin Oppriecht, three-year director.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
JANUARY 31, 1991 – The Three Rivers Country Promotion Group met recently and planning for the annual Apple Blossom/Black Powder weekend set for Mother’s Day weekend was discussed. At Soldiers Grove, these plans include the Black Powder Rendezvous and the Silver Aces Horse Show. Gays Mills will have a flea market. Sunrise Orchard will have the arts and crafts fair and food, the Apple Tree at Kickapoo Orchard will have a quilt show and food… The Crawford County Historical Society is hoping to produce a new quarterly historical journal entitled ‘Crossroads’ beginning the spring of 1991. It is the purpose of Crossroads to serve as a resource in the provision of human context, to reacquaint ourselves with the rich cultural and environmental heritage of Crawford County and the coulee region of southwestern Wisconsin, to reacquaint ourselves with our history and our homeland, and each other.
FORTY YEARS AGO
JANUARY 29, 1981 – Glen Speich, the Prairie du Chien City Engineer, spearheaded an ice-cutting project which may be as unique, as the cracked bridge itself. After the closing of the Marquette-Joliet Bridge on Highway 18, seventy percent of a ‘road’ is in and 1,500 tons of ice have been cut and moved. The operation created a route for Earl Fullmar’s 26-foot ferry to transport citizens after the closing of the bridge.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
JANUARY 28, 1971 – The Norseman Youth Club of Westby is sponsoring its fourth annual ski tourney teen dance and concert at the Westby school gym. Featured will be the popular recording stars, ‘The Ides of March,’ who made the hit record ‘Vehicle’… About 200 people attended the 1971 annual Crawford County Holstein Banquet in Wauzeka at the Joseph Doll gymnasium.
