THE TIME MACHINE
From past files of The Star News
10 YEARS AGO
May 27, 2010
A proposal for the school district and City of Medford to join forces on a new indoor pool at the high school drew some questions from aldermen during Monday’s night’s committee of the whole meeting.
Speaking in terms of building partnerships between the school, city, county and health care facilities, Medford schools superintendent Pat Sullivan explained the need to replace the pool at Medford Area High School along with a need for more gym space. By itself a new pool will cost at least $2 million and engineering estimates say a pool with an outdoor seating area and three-court gym could be built for $10 million. A referendum asking voters to build a new fieldhouse and pool was soundly defeated in spring 2009.
25 YEARS AGO
May 31, 1995
With Medford’s Main Street scheduled for major reconstruction next year, a series of meetings and workshops have been scheduled over the next several weeks to get input from downtown business owners and the general public.
According to Fred Klingbeil of Ayres Associates a committee to be appointed by Mayor Dee Meyer will meet within the next 30 days to review a proposed survey being put together by Ayres Associates.
The survey will be distributed to area residents, and will solicit opinions about the Main Street project.
Klingbeil said a public informational meeting will be held once the results of that survey are analyzed, probably in mid-July.
50 YEARS AGO
May 28, 1970
Three area men have been named to key positions in the Vocational, Technical and Adult Education district 15 headquartered in Wausau. Taylor county is scheduled to become a part of the district as of July 1 as a result of action taken in March by the state vocational board and the state coordinating committee for higher education.
Eugene Arnett, administrator of Taylor County Memorial hospital, Medford, has been named to the board of VTAE. H. S. Schuerman, guidance director at Medford senior high school, and Ramon Parks, principal at Rib Lake high school, have been named local area agents.
75 YEARS AGO
May 24, 1945
Germania hall, occupied by the Harvey Manufacturing Company, was damaged in a bad fire Saturday afternoon which threatened to level the old building. Prompt work on the part of the Medford fire department saved it. It was thought that a spark from a rubbish fire in the alley nearby started the fire on the shingle roof. It scorched the north side of the building where the inflammable paint spray fumes are blown out of the workrooms.
The fire was confined mainly to the roof and the upper part.
100 YEARS AGO
May 26, 1920
At a recent meeting of the directors of the Taylor County Fair Association a number of important matters were discussed.
The dates were set for September 24th to 28th.
Paul Schmoldt and R. A. Kolb were appointed to revise the premium list and Win Suits was appointed to secure the ads.
It was definitely decided to change the race track, and John Zenner and P. T. Peterson were given charge of that part of work, which is to be begun June 10th.
125 YEARS AGO
May 25, 1895
According to recent accounts of the reckless manner in which forests of rubber trees are destroyed, india-rubber will soon be much more scarce and costly than it now is and when that happens it is probable that somebody will invent a substitute. At present, however, it is interesting to know what a recent traveler says of the india-rubber forests of Nicaragua.
“A forest of them may be detected without an expert’s eyes, for they are scored and dying from the wounds of the machete, the big knife used by the natives.”