THE TIME MACHINE
From past files of The Star News 10 years ago October 24, 2013
The city of Medford is hoping to get the state to pay half the cost of repairing gates on the Millpond dam.
At Tuesday’s city council committee of the whole meeting, aldermen voted to recommend taking part in the Department of Natural Resources municipal dam grant program. If the city is approved, the grant would provide a 50/50 match for the repair of the tainter gates. These are the large metal gates on the western edge of the dam that can be opened to allow a drawdown of water in the Millpond.
According to streets/water superintendent Pat Chariton, the cost of repairing the gates is expected to be about $80,000. The grant would reduce the city’s cost to $40,000.
25 years ago October 21, 1998
“Raise our wages” was the slogan on balloons held by school employees last Thursday as they surrounded the Medford Area School District Office to picket school board members arriving for a meeting. The picket signs went up in support of teacher’s aides and secretaries who have been working without a contract for three years. Teachers as well as custodians from the Teamsters Union, joined with members of the Medford Educational Support Staff Association (MESPA) to urge for a fair settlement.
50 years ago October 18, 1973
Former Green Bay Packer star Doug Hart will add pep to the Medford senior high school rally tonight, Thursday, as part of the homecoming activities this week. He will give a talk to players and other students and will remain for the bonfire which will follow. The public is invited to attend the pep rally which will be held in Raider Hall starting at 7:30 o’clock.
75 years ago October 21, 1948
Bulbar polio claimed its third death in Taylor county within a week when Lloyd Jensen, 14, and Gordon Sauer, 15, both freshmen in Medford high school passed away at the Wisconsin General Hospital in Madison Saturday. Lolyd is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jensen of the town of Medford and Gordon is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Sauer of Little Black. The earlier death was that of Edward Pawlak, 16, which occurred Wednesday at his home in Browning.
100 years ago October 18, 1923
The rain of the past two days came as a blessing to many whose property was being damaged by forest fires.
The fires were very bad Monday, and a large number of Medford men were out at various times Monday afternoon and Monday night helping to fight them. The Anderson and Schoen house on 64 west of the Black River bridge was threatened with destruction and a party of men were kept busy there for some time. Bad fires were raging also west of Westboro and northeast of Medford.
125 years October 15, 1898
A curious incident and one that puzzled our medical men occurred near this city about two weeks ago resulting in one of the parties to the affair becoming temporarily deaf and dumb. A couple named Koch, settlers about four miles west of the city were not enjoying the proper degree of domestic felicity. The husband had been at work at Pullman Ill. returned some time ago and informed his wife he would not live with her any longer. The expression of the words to this effect caused paralysis of the nerve governing the vocal organs in Mrs. Koch and she also lost her hearing for a time. We are informed however that she has fully recovered. Their domestic difficulties were aired in circuit court here last week, but the case was continued over the term.
