11-7-73
In the case of a hunting accident that may not be an accident, Judge Donald Schnabel ordered the suspect to the health care center in Wausau for an examination. The 14-year-old victim was pronounced dead on arrival at Holy Cross Hospital after he was found by his father who was out searching for the boy. The District Attorney is seeking a charge of homicide by reckless conduct; the incident took place last Thursday night.
Members of the Chamber of Commerce are urged to quickly complete their ballots for the election of the directors. Ron Lass is chairman of the nomination committee, he advised the following have been nominated and eight will be elected: William Wulf, Sazama & Wulf, S.C.; Max Krembs, Merrill Federal Savings and Loan; Jerry Whitburn, Whitburn Motor Company; Mike Knab, Knab Insurance Agency; Wayne Smith, WJMT Radio; Jeff Peterson, Mel’s Big Dollar; Dick Taylor, Merrill Manufacturing; Pat Buckett, Pat Buckett Realtors; Dave Haile, House of Merrill; Dick Holt, American Family Insurance; Ray Hinch, W.C.A. Industries; Jim Schumanski, Sears & Roebuck & Company; Phil Russell, Trantow & Russell Insurance; Lindy Porath, Lindy’s Clark Super 100 Station; Sister Jeanne Marie Braun, Holy Cross Hospital; Glen Thistle, Prairie Motel; George Wanless, Wanless & Kloss TV & Appliance.
After a humbling loss on Homecoming that gave them a 2-2 record, the Merrill Blue Jay football team played strictly on pride according to Coach Ira Rebella as his team finished 7-2 on the year, defeating the Stevens Point Panthers 18-0 Saturday at Jay Stadium. Quarterback Tom Rush and the Panthers strong offense were held to just 113 yards on the ground and 46 yards in the air as Merrill’s John Leist led the defensive effort.
Doctor Erling Ravn has been elected President of the American Cancer Society – Wisconsin Division after their annual meeting at the Pioneer Inn in Oshkosh. Doctor Ravn has previously served as First Vice-President of the group and as Chairman of the public education committee. Also at the meeting, Doctor Walter Lewinnek of Merrill was honored with the Over-Goal certificate after the Lincoln County Chapter exceeded their fundraising goal last year during the cancer crusade.
11-9-83
It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas as Mike Dietzler is pictured on the front page hanging the city’s Christmas decorations. Dietzler, an employee of the Merrill Street Department, is up in a bucket truck hanging one of the season’s greetings lights. Street Department employees wanted to get the decorations up before bad weather and more importantly before hunting season arrived.
It was a busy city council meeting on Tuesday night as aldermen approved borrowing up to $1.75 million dollars to pay off debt that will help pay the cost of maintaining the operations of streets, water and sewer utilities and storm sewer projects. The annual debt payment will be offset by an estimated $80,000 in utility revenue. In other city council action, aldermen voted unanimously to deny a request from five Pine River businesses to be tied into the city’s sewer and water lines. Mayor Dick Holt expressed concern that this could be taken as slamming the door on the service but aldermen were quite clear they wanted a written plan and annexation prior to approving such a matter. The council also directed a study to be done for traffic flow at 3rd Street and Center Avenue and asked that a study be done for contracting out some work performed by city employees such as season park work, flooding and plowing of ice rinks, grass care at parks, and garbage collection. A 3 1/2 percent pay increase was also approved for all nonunion city employees.
Dr. L. L. Wolff, optometrist and his wife, Donna show Merrill Chamber Ambassador Al Alden and Mayor Richard Holt around the optometric office located across from City Hall. Major remodeling was required to complete the transformation of the building from an auto garage into the new office. Wolf has been practicing in Merrill the past eight years and was previously on the west side.
11-10-93
Jim Rammer, retired General Telephone Company Supervisor, was impressed with the expansions and new construction going up in Merrill over the past two years and photographed as many local projects as he could to chronicle Merrill’s progress. He displayed the photos at the recent Merrill on the Move Awards Banquet to show off the thousands of feet of new and expanded industry which tells of a confidence in this community. The display will now go around to the different financial institutions in town. (There were 2 new commercial building permits in all of 2013 according to the city’s web site)
The entertainment page is filled with things to do and at some bargain prices: Dr. Steve Silverman invites you to an open house as they say farewell to Dr. Mike Harkins, the practice will now be known as Advanced Chiropractic. Green’s Flower Shop will have its Christmas open house now through Nov. 20. Club Modern has prime rib and all the trimmings for $10.50, Cheeser’s Pizza in the former Kid’s Korner Pizza shop has a 16″ three meat pizza for $10, Diamond Dave’s has steak and lobster Saturday night for $12.95, Highway 51 Truck Stop will be opening the breakfast buffet early starting next week for hunting season, Mary’s Homestead Inn will have fish frys all week – buy one get the second half off. Harry-O’s will have the music of Triple Shot on Friday and Cactus Jack on Saturday. Salvo’s is planning an all you can eat spaghetti contest, and Lamer’s Tour and Travel invites you to Club 64 next Friday where they will do presentations on all the potential vacations you can take this winter.