‘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
FEBRUARY 4, 2010 – The North Crawford School Board decided to pursue looking at the feasibility of installing a geothermal heating and cooling system at the school. The board heard a lengthy presentation by Bob Schmidt, a representative of the Trane Company… The Mite B team of Viroqua won two ice hockey games in a row recently at the Viroqua Ice Arena. Local players include Brayden and Ella Dahl, Phillip and Karin Ott from the North Crawford Elementary School and their coach Troy Dahl from Soldiers Grove.
TWENTY YEARS AGO
FEBRUARY 3, 2000 – Inmates and guards alike got the surprise of their lives when the doors on 26 cells in a range of F Unit unexpectedly popped open at Boscobel’s Supermax Correctional Institution. The door opening was blamed on a computer malfunction in the main Control Unit of the new $47 million facility… Teacher Julie Kruizenga is spending one weekend a month in a Learning Community masters degree program through UW-La Crosse. Her North Crawford students enjoy the fact that she has to go to school and has homework.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
FEBRUARY 8, 1990 – ‘Within Our Power,’ a program that will appear as a special on the National Weather Channel, has been filming this week in Gays Mills and Soldiers Grove. “We wanted to do something for Earth Day,” explained Doug DePriest, producer of the program, which originates in Atlanta, Georgia. The topic of the program is weather-driven clean energy and will air on April 22 at 7 p.m… The Kickapoo Cultural Exchange, a local non-profit organization, has received a $10,000 grant from the Presbyterian Church National Association. The grant, entitled ‘Self Development of the People,’ will be used toward the cost of construction of the community room in the new Kickapoo Exchange Co-op building in Gays Mills.
FORTY YEARS AGO
FEBRUARY 7, 1980 – Jeff Bay began his duties Monday, Jan. 28, taking over the body shop for Gary Campbell at Gays Mills Motors. Bay, originally from Steuben but now living in Boscobel, is a 1971 graduate of the auto body course at SWWTI at Fennimore… Congratulations went to Kevin Martin of the Gays Mills Trojans during time-out following his 1,000thcareer point Friday night against Wauzeka. First to congratulate the senior was Coach Roger Kumlien.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
FEBRUARY 5, 1970 – The two-story farm home of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Groom two miles south of Steuben on Highway 131 burned to the ground with all its contents Tuesday morning. The Grooms were not at home, Mrs. Groom, a teacher at Eastman, was at the school and Mr. Groom had just gone to the post office to get his mail. A neighbor, Earl Rider, happened to glance out the window at 10 a.m. and saw smoke coming from the direction of the Groom farm… Dennis McCullick received his Eagle Scout award Sunday at Mt. Sterling. He is pictured with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Max McCullick and Scoutmasters Alec Uglum and Ronald Nederlo.
SIXTY YEARS AGO
FEBRUARY 11, 1960 – John M. Martin of Lynxville spent four weeks in California at a family reunion and brought with him plenty of world champion cheddar cheese made by Ronald E. Johnson, Mt. Sterling. After samples were well received by many, orders for mail shipments from Californians were numerous. A regular route truck operator for Johnson, Martin has been gradually extending his territory during the past two years. He now covers parts of four states – Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.
