Researched by Michael J. Caylor Jr.
6-25-75
Merrill Police made quick work of the investigation into the fires that were plaguing the Sixth Ward. A 17-year-old youth was arrested last Thursday just days after a reward was offered by the City of Merrill for information on the fires which began in April and stretched through May. Although about a dozen fires were investigated altogether, major fires included the Merrill Evergreen building at 108 S. Foster St. and the Donald Radke store and apartment building at 104 S. Foster St. The youth was turned over to his parents and will be referred to the juvenile court with his name being kept confidential due to his age.
In news around town: Glenn Bowen of Merrill has been elected state president of the Fraternal Order of Eagles at their convention held at Superior last week. Mrs. Lorraine Schmidt of Merrill was also elected state auxiliary treasurer. Gary Hartwig has been appointed to the city building inspector post. Hartwig, a graduate of Merrill Senior High School, attended the University of Notre Dame and received a degree in accounting from NTC. He succeeds Roger “Tubby” Neumann who resigned last year due to ill health. Glen Tholen has accepted the job as business manager at Holy Cross Hospital; he is moving here with his wife Cathleen and family from Minnesota. Roger Strand has been elected president of the East Side Business Association; the group also set their yearly membership dues at $15. Phillip Dahlberg has announced his retirement from Wisconsin Public Service where he serves as vice-president of personnel; the MHS and Notre Dame grad has been with the company for 31 years working out of the Merrill and Wausau offices.
Action on the local ball fields remains hot with many close contests. White’s Big Eddy remains the only unbeaten team on the ladies’ side, defeating Park City 20-12 Monday. Henrichs Club suffered their first defeat at the hands of Legion Lounge by a score of 2-1. Tuffy Oestreich was the winning pitcher, and Gera Bauer took the loss. The rain drenched Knotty Pine Tournament has ended. Lloyd Hackbart announced the Blatz Bombers took first, followed by Mid-City Tap, M&I Citizens American Bank, and Club 107. Club 107 and the Bombers remain perfect on Monday nights. The Bombers defeated Legion Lounge by a score of 3-0. Louie Fry was the winning pitcher. Club 107 knocked off the Beacon by the score of 5-1. Bruce English and Jay Proft tripled while Dan Meyer chipped in a double to help their team. Bill Wengeler’s home run was the only mark for the Beacon Team. Jay Proft had the win and Dale Osness took the loss.
6-26-85
Members of the Solid Waste Committee took another step towards shipping garbage, possibly up to four years’ worth. City Engineer Charles Pierotti informed the group that it will cost three times the amount to ship waste to the private landfill in Wisconsin Rapids as it does now to the Town of Merrill site which is filling rapidly. A transfer station will also need to be constructed which will take waste from local trucks and pack it into semi-trucks for hauling; that cost is estimated from $75,000 to $100,000. The county is exploring placing a new landfill in the Town of Birch in the area known as the Underdown. Local attorney Glenn Hartley is exploring how the county can withdraw the land targeted for landfill use from the state’s forest crop land. Ole Hanson, the county forest administrator, noted a similar plan in Marinette County took four years to go through state channels.
Remember that story you read about how Sixth Ward alderman Ken Plawman resigned his job as alderman so he could accept the job as assistant to the street commissioner? Well, ah, never mind. Mayor Richard Holt has informed the council that Plawman has resigned the position as assistant street commissioner before he even started it. It turns out because Plawman was a member of the council when the job was created it was a conflict of interest for him to accept the job. The city is back to square one to get that position filled, but the good news is the Sixth Ward will no longer be without representation. Plawman has requested his job back as alderman, something he can get back automatically as no one was appointed to fill the spot yet.
Two out of three juveniles who fled a work detail from Lincoln Hills School are back in custody. The youths were part of a group of a five student work group who were applying tar to the parking lot at the Best Western Hotel on Merrill’s east side when they fled around noon time. Around 10 p.m., a resident of Whispering Pines Trailer Park reported being awoken by a noise and finding a young man halfway through a window of her trailer. That intruder fled when she yelled. Police Inspector Tom Schotz stated it was a good chance that intruder was one of the students who fled. About 20 minutes later, one of the suspects was captured behind Livingston’s Department Store and the second behind Trantow’s on the opposite side of Main Street. The third suspect was last seen on Pine Bluff Road in Marathon County; he is still at large as of press time.
The Family Medical Clinic announces in an ad on the business page that Dr. Jack Millenbah is retiring effective Aug. 15, 1985 after 35 years of dedicated service.
6-21-95
Another longtime Merrill businessman has passed away. Thomas B. Carl, 77, died on Thursday evening at his home. The son of Ben and Mabel Salscheider Carl, Thomas was born in Merrill on Oct. 31, 1917. He was the former owner/operator of Carl’s Foodlane and Carl’s Liquor Store, as well as past president of Carl Brothers Company, former vice-president of Lincoln Wood Products, and a member of the board of directors for Merrill Federal Savings and Loan. He is survived by a daughter, two grandchildren and his sisters, Peg (Charles-Shorty) Ament and Jane (Carl) Bierman. A funeral service was held on Monday at the Taylor Funeral Home with Father Leo Krynski. Entombment took place at Merrill Memorial Park.
Two area taverns are celebrating new ownership on the Entertainment page. Deja-Vu is under the management of Dennis Fick; it was formerly known as Hour Place and is located at 413 W. Main St. The ad notes happy hour is $1 cans of beer or rail mixers. Piggots Pub on State Rd. 64 east is under new ownership. The bar was formerly known as Knot Nick’s. They are having a karaoke party Saturday. Champ’s Restaurant is celebrating one year under their new ownership. The special this weekend is a ½ burger with frys for $3. The City Band will be performing next Wednesday at the Historical Society, also the site of the ice cream social fundraiser.