Researched by Michael J. Caylor Jr.
12-17-75
A plan to move the Family Medical Clinic to the Menard Center has been scrapped as the doctors in town now search for a new home. The doctors of the clinic were planning on leaving their home at 716 E. 2nd St. and moving to the now empty Menard building, which at one time held Our Lady of Holy Cross High School and the Menard Junior College. But according to Dr. Erling O. Ravn, the cost of renovating that building for a clinic is too high. According to Ravn the doctors are studying the possibility of just building a new clinic with hopes of occupying it by fall of next year.
Pine Crest Administrator Robert Jaecks has had enough. He submitted his resignation to the Board of Trustees chairman Michael Nolan last week. Jaecks cited the difficulties in obtaining permission from the County Board to meet state and federal mandates when it comes to operating the nursing home effectively as the reason for his resignation. He has served as the administrator since January of 1973.
The voices have been heard. Many city retailers met at Les & Jim’s and have decided to go back to having late hours on Friday, instead of Thursday. The group did agree to review the practice next year in December. Last week numerous women took to the streets to protest the change in late night store hours in the downtown.
With Christmas just a week away this week’s paper is filled with bargains. Some local merchants advertising are: The Photo Mill has Kodak Instamatic cameras for only $19.95, flash cubes are extra; Livingstons Department Store has ladies billfolds and pre-washed jeans from Wrangler; Gibson’s Department Store has snowmobile suits for $20, a BB gun for $7.99, and a can opener for $7.97; Gruett’s has just what mom wants, a dishwasher for $249, a clothes washer for $289, a dryer for $199, and a stove for $254; Caylor’s has a complete dinette set for $119.99, men’s dress pants for $9.99, recliners starting at $79, and for mother these bargain electric appliances: a hand mixer $12, fry pan $14, toaster $16, knife $10, iron for $10, coffee pot for $20, and just what she really wants for Christmas, a new vacuum cleaner for $50. Lincoln TV has a Quasar 19” color TV for $499, Sears has a stereo console with a 8-track player for just $169, Strand’s has men’s dress coats starting at $31, and Kaspers has men’s briefcases 25% off. You can find dad’s present at Bill’s House of Guns where a Colt .357 is only $134, a Colt detective’s special is $114, a Mossberg 30/30 is $76 while a Winchester 1200 is only $135.
12-17-85
The spring election will have a full ballot this year. The office of Street Commissioner is drawing the most interest after incumbent Phil Erickson announced his retirement. So far Don Hanneman, Ken Plawman, and Ralph Sturm have announced their candidacy. Several aldermanic and the mayor, clerk, and city attorney posts all remain unchallenged so far with three weeks to go before papers must be filed.
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Gilkey announce in an ad in the business section that they have taken ownership of the Blackheath Supper Club and have retained John Lyon as the manager. The grand opening will be held in January.
One more paper before Christmas but many local businesses have ads wishing you a splendid holiday. Advertisers include: Gene’s Refrigeration, Larry’s Auto, Country Gold and Bill’s House of Guns, Seeger’s Dairy, Bob Nedden and Woodman Insurance, O&I of Tomahawk, Green’s Flower Shop, Lincoln County Bank, In Step Shoes, Champs Family Restaurant, Club Modern, Country Way, South of the Border, Drew’s Supermarket, Snyder Drug, Fowler Drugs, The Fitness Force, Pamida, Luebke’s Office Supply, Dr. Krembs, Wally’s Video, North Central Hairlines, Plawman’s Playhouse, 6th Ward Bait, Main Street Liquor, Park City Liquor, Dave’s Club 107, Dr. Luedke’s Optometrist, Pat’s Pizza, Northside Service, Red Owl, 3rd St Liquor, Eddie’s Bake Shop, The House of Gifts, Gene Block Insurance, Jed’s Distributing, M&I Bank, Hull’s Ben Franklin, Wanless TV & Appliance, D’s Bear Den, Campbell’s Clothing Store, Eastside Floral, People’s IGA, Trantow & Russell Insurance, The Cleaners of Merrill, Quality Furnace, Schroeder’s Ford, Furniture World, Lee’s Mobil, Bloechl Motors, Stillman Service, and Bondshire Credit Union.
12-13-95
Workers have installed a new window frame to house the stained glass window at Merrill’s Christ United Methodist Church. Pastor Carolyn Saunders tells the paper that this is part of the process to clean and refurbish all of the stained glass windows in the church by next year. The 118 inches in circumference window frame was installed by crews from Medford’s Weathershield Windows with the assistance of Tim Finnegan Construction. Great Northern Stained Glass of Green Bay is in charge of re-leading and cleaning the glass windows; they were originally installed over 100 years ago.
The University of Wisconsin at Green Bay has announced that Merrill native Bob Semling will assume the role of assistant coach of the UW GB Phoenix, an NCAA Division One team. Mike Heideman is the current head coach; he took over for Dick Bennet who left for the head coaching job at Wisconsin – Madison after he built an extremely successful program at Green Bay. Semling has been coaching for the past seven years as an assistant at UW Stevens Point and is a 1981 graduate of UW Eau Claire where he was the all-conference quarterback for the Eau Claire Blue Golds. (Somehow I suspect a head coaching job is in his future)
The Merrill girls’ basketball team continues their winning ways by knocking off two Valley opponents in the last week. On Tuesday the girls hosted the Stevens Point Panthers in a game where the defense shined holding the visitors to under 20 points in the 47 to 19 win. Melissa Yuska returned from the injured list and led with 22 points and 23 rebounds. Defense was the key also when the Hodags came to town last Tuesday. The girls won that game 48-25. Jessica Van Der Geest scored 12 points and had 14 rebounds. The boys’ teams did not do so well in their similar contests. They lost to Stevens Point on Friday 77-64 at SPASH. Jon Parkes led the team with 20 points. Jack Bennet’s Rhinelander Hodags had an easier time with his boys defeating the Jays Tuesday 59-36. The Hodags dominated that game shooting 85% inside the three point range. Carl Schenzel led the team with 11 points.
Rev. Dale G. Kuck has officially retired. Readers were informed several weeks ago of the festivities that were being planned by St. Stephen’s United Church of Christ to mark the event. Pastor Kuck came to Merrill from Milwaukee in 1965 wanting to settle in a small city. He noted that most ministers move every 10 years or so, but he and his wife Jackie were quite content here. The office staff determined that besides serving the congregation in his regular ministry duties and his community work, Rev. Kuck has officiated 752 baptisms, 944 individual confirmations, 507 marriages, and 758 funerals. The ladies in the church office created a book with all of the names involved in those events so he can remember all of the lives he has touched during his years of service. Traveling is on Kuck’s short list for now; Pastor Earl Eckhardt will now take over duties as the Senior Pastor.