‘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
MARCH 24, 2011 – Kickapoo Earth Day will take place April 22 and 23 on the banks of the Kickapoo River in Readstown. The organizing committee invites artists and other exhibitors to be a part of the weekend, which this year has the theme Indigenous Ties to the Land. Friday night will feature a local wine, beer and cheese tasting with a concert of original music. Saturday will enjoy a daylong variety of environmentally focused crafts and activities for families, a tent set aside for workshops, and a tent highlighting talents of local artists and artisans… Gary George, son of Monica George and the late Gary George, will be recognized by the American Red Cross for his response when a friend suffered a heart attack last December. George recognized the severity of Robert Lass’s condition and had an ambulance summoned. Lass collapsed before the ambulance arrived and George performed CPR. Because of George’s efforts Lass made it to the hospital for heart surgery and became one of the three percent of heart attack victims due to a blood clot to survive.
TWENTY YEARS AGO
MARCH 22, 2001 – K. O’Brien directed a cast of 70 students from second through sixth grade in a play at North Crawford School based on the Dr. Seuss book ‘The Sneetches.’ The book broaches the subject of prejudice and accepting differences. The students learned how to work together, use the microphone and presented the play after only four rehearsals… Kenny Tainter of Gays Mills caught a 15-pound, 34-inch northern on the Mississippi River near Blackhawk Park in early March. Ken caught the fish through two feet of ice and almost lost it when the line broke but he managed to hang onto it.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
MARCH 21, 1991 –Members of the Big Buck Rod-n-Gun Club, Soldiers Grove, held their first blowgun shoot at the Legion Hall Friday night. The Club plans to make it a monthly shoot…NASA has approved a Viroqua astronaut and his newly wed wife to be the first married couple to fly in space. Mark Lee and wife, Jan Davis, have been assigned to a September 1992 mission aboard the new space shuttle Endeavor. NASA made the decision after much debate and finally made an exception to a rule that married couples should not be on the same flight. Lee is 38 and Davis 37, they do not children.
FORTY YEARS AGO
MARCH 26, 1981 – Richard Steele, Soldiers Grove, and his father, Tom Steele, Sugar Grove have opened the Sugar Grove Body Shop on Highway 14 five miles east of Readstown. Richard, who is experienced in auto body repair, is assisted by Mark Johnson, and his father, Tom Steele, in the service work which includes auto body repair, sandblasting, painting, welding, and tractor painting and repair… Diane O’Donnell and Teresa Venner, members of the North Crawford girls basketball team, were unanimous selections for the Ridge and Valley All-Conference Team.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
MARCH 25, 1971 – A blaze that started in the upstairs portion of the Keith Trumm farmhouse during a heavy snowstorm completely destroyed the home and all of the family’s belongings. Keith was able to assist his wife in getting to the safety of the barn. She had broken a leg in a fall about a month before and the limb was still in a cast. The three Trumm children and a niece, who was staying with the family, also sought refuge in the barn. The family’s vehicle was stalled, and because of the storm there was no electric power or telephone service. Trumm drove his tractor to three different neighbor’s homes to use their phone, but there was no phone service. A neighbor lent him a pickup truck and he drove to Boscobel to summon the fire department. When firemen finally reached the scene the house had burned down. The others in the Trumm family were still safe in the barn.
SIXTY YEARS AGO
MARCH 22, 1961 – The University of Wisconsin’s giant electronic computer can store 1.5 million pieces of information and recall any of them in two-millionths of a second… From Star Valley News, March 13: A lot of water has gone down the hill since last we sent in news. The second temporary bridge has gone out, so they finished up the new bridge for travel.
