THE TIME MACHINE

From past files of The Star News

10 YEARS AGO

May 6, 2010

The city will decide what to do in August for dealing with watering the hanging baskets in the downtown.

Last year, the summer help hired by the city began to leave by mid-August and when the seasonal workers left, the city stopped watering the hanging baskets in the downtown and they soon died. This year, the Friends of the Downtown, who pay for the baskets, asked to be kept in the loop when the summer help leaves and see if something can be worked out to keep the baskets up and looking nice until at least Labor Day.

The council agreed and set the first committee of the whole meeting in August to discuss options for keeping the baskets watered while directing they be hung, watered and fertilized regularly through the summer starting on Memorial Day.

25 YEARS AGO

May 10, 1995

Todd Verdone, the Medford man who has almost made a second career out of suing Taylor County and its offi cials, has been ordered by a federal appeals court to file no more lawsuits against the county or its employees until he has paid in full the judgment for attorney’s fees and costs. In addition, upon penalty of being found in contempt of court, any complaint filed by him must be reviewed by the court before it can be filed for a determination as to whether it is duplicative of matters already litigated or currently pending, or legally frivolous.

Verdone is also prohibited from filing any papers in any federal courts in the Seventh Circuit, excluding criminal and habeas corpus proceedings, until he has paid a sanction imposed by the district court in February 1994.

50 YEARS AGO

May 7, 1970

A new golf course promotion group in Medford has secured 11-acres by land contact and options for the development of a country club. Headed by Pat Shereda, president, the group has announced plans for establishing tennis courts, card rooms and other recreational facilities in conjunction with a new golf course.

The tract of land is located in section 1, town of Little Black, and is known as the former Paul Rudolph farm. The tract is of rolling type landscape with the Little Black river flowing through it.

75 YEARS AGO

May 3, 1945

The Dairy Plant Operators Corporation, whose main office is in Rib Lake, recently purchased the former Blatz warehouse located on South Main street in the city of Medford. The building was purchased from the Blatz Brewing Company in Milwaukee.

The construction of a 24x46 concrete block addition, consisting of two stories, was begun April 15 and it will be insulated for cheese storage facilities. Cheese from the cheese factories in five surrounding counties will be kept in storage here until shipped to its destination.

It is expected to have the building insulated and the equipment ready for operation about the middle of this month.

100 YEARS AGO

May 5, 1920

The strike order of the Timber worker’s union closing things down unless an eight hour day was granted by their employers went into force Monday morning. The Medford Veneer Company was the only company very much affected by the strike order and as their men did not return to their work Monday morning, Manager Ross locked the plant up. It is reported that he will give the old employees two weeks to decide whether or not they wish to return to their work, but after that time only new men will be hired.

Only a very few of the employees of the Medford Lumber Company were members of the union affected by the strike order and the mill work went right on.

125 YEARS AGO

May 4, 1895

The work of taking the census of Wisconsin and collecting vital, agricultural, manufacturing and other statistics, will be begun about June 1. The work in under the supervision of the secretary of state, but is done directly by the town, village and city clerks, who report to the county clerk, he to the secretary of state, in whose office the returns are compiled into one report. Secretary Casson is preparing a supply of schedules, forms, letters of instruction to enumerators and other blanks, which will be sent to the several county clerks for distribution about May 15.