PAGING THROUGH H

THE TRIBUNE-P HONOGRAPH PUBLISHED IN ABBOTSFORD WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1990

Horacek barn, hay go up in smoke Aug. 12

The upper sections of the Jerry and Bonita Horacek barn were destroyed in a Sunday morning fire last weekend, but only one animal was lost, the bottom of the barn was saved, and the Horaceks were milking cows that evening.

The cause of the barn fire has not been determined, but it may have been electrical in nature. The farm is located two miles north of Hwy. 29 in the Town of Holton.

Mrs. Horacek said there was no damage estimate as of late Tuesday, but said the walls and roof of the barn were totally destroyed. The structure included an original 80-foot bar, expanded by a pair of 40-foot additions.

About 12,000 bales of hay and quantity of straw were lost in the fire, but Mrs. Horacek said wet hay was not believed to be the cause of the fire, which was noticed just before 10 a.m. Aug. 12. Abbotsford firemen responded, with mutual aid from the Dorchester Fire Dept.

Useful tools in the fight were a pair of backhoes that were on the property for some manure pit work. The Horaceks called Armin Buehler, the backhoes’ owner, in Medford and got some operators to the scene. The machines pulled down walls and roof timbers so firemen could direct water at the flames, which seemed to originate in the middle of the barn near the silos.

The cows were led back into the barn for milking later that evening, and after getting into her stanchion, one died of an apparent heart attack generated by stress.

THE TRIBUNE-P HONOGRAPH PUBLISHED IN ABBOTSFORD WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1970

Test vote for Unity water

Hopes of the village of Unity to upgrade services with the construction of a municipal water distribution system rest with the outcome of an advisory referendum in the fall election Sept. 8.

The village board has undergone a considerable amount of work in studying the feasibility of such a program, and the Davy Engineering Company of La Crosse was retained to do some of the preliminary planning. It is the same firm that designed the village’s sewage disposal system. Expenses were consequently kept at a minimum because much of the grade work and other preliminary field work had been done for the other project.

A public information meeting was held early in the spring , and it was the consensus of the small group of Unity residents in attendance that an advisory referendum should be called.

It is an ambitious project, and has been deemed necessary, not only on the basis of providing clean, safe water at an economical cost to the residents, but for fire protection, reduction of insurance rates and industrial demands.

In spite of the demand for the service, the village probably couldn’t afford the entire cost of the project, estimated at about $225,000, without aids. This where the importance of an advisory referendum comes in. Although a referendum of this type is not binding on the board, it will figure strongly in acquiring federal grants. It is hoped that 50 percent grants can be obtained from the Farmers Home Administration.