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thens VFW Auxiliary 8527 meeting minutes

President Ruth Weiler called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. at the Athens Fire and Ambulance meeting room with 11 members present. Tracy Knab served a delicious berry dessert. Cheryl Engel read the Opening Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance was said by all. The General Orders were read.

May is Military Caregiver Month. State convention will be held June 7-10 in Rothschild.

Committee reports were read. Election of officers was held: president - Ruth Weiler; senior vice president - Gloria Lavicka; junior vice president - Gayle Mauer; treasurer - Julie Ellenbecker; secretary - Linda Adams; chaplain - Cheryl Engel; conductress - Mel Daniels; trustees - Denise Schorski; Ciel Johnson; Tracy Knab.

Discussions on raising amount of the auxiliary scholarships was held. The next meeting will be May 23.

Bedazzle a book bag

Community members of all ages are invited to decorate a reusable book bag at the Athens library branch, 221 Caroline St., on May 11. Stop in anytime during open hours for this free activity with all supplies provided. For more info, call 715-257-7292.

Memorial Day events

Athens American Legion Post 4 along with Athens VFW Post 8627 will host a Memorial Day observance on May 29.

The schedule is as follows: Meet on the square at 8 a.m. to lower flag to half staff; render honors at Wuertzberg Cemetery at 8:30 a.m.; render honors at Pilgrim Rest Cemetery at 8:50 a.m.; render honors at Milan Cemetery at 9:10 a.m.; render honors at Town Hall Road Cemetery at 9:30 a.m.

There will then be a program at the community hall at 10 a.m. with guest speaker Master Sergeant Melissa Gilles. Following the ceremony, the group will proceed to the Athens Cemetery to render honors. A potluck dinner will follow. Attendees should bring a dish to pass and their own plates and silverware. Refreshments will be provided. All are welcome.

Senior Card Group

The Senior Citizens card group met on May 4 for weekly card playing at the Athens Area Fire and Ambulance Hall.

Two games of Sheepshead were played. Steve Klockziem won the first game and Aaron Totzke took second place. Butch Boris won the second game and Norbert Lake took second. Wil Strack received low score.

Newcomers are encouraged to come play Sheepshead every Thursday starting at 12:30 p.m. at the Athens Fire Hall.

Aluminum can drive

The Athens public schools athletic department has an aluminum can collection available for people to donate their cans year round at the River County Coop, located at 900 Pine St. in Athens.

Services for this collection program will be handled by Dale and Tracy Westfall. Proceeds will support athletes’ achievements in public school athletics.

Lions Club meetings

Athens area residents are welcome to attend the Athens Lions Club’s monthly meetings, which are held at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month, alternating between Balz Inn and Landmark Bar.

Anyone with questions can call Athens Lions Club member Steve Sondelski at 715-2181496. New members and guests are always welcome at the monthly meetings.

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dgar Memorial Day events

Edgar area Memorial Day services will be conducted by the Edgar VFW Post 10187 and American Legion Post 393. The groups will pay tribute at the following cemeteries on May 29. The schedule is as follows: 8:30 a.m. Holy Family Church, Poniatowski.

9 a.m. St. John’s Lutheran, High Steeple.

9:20 a.m. Hope Lutheran, Highway 97.

9:40 a.m. St. John’s Lutheran, Highway N.

9:50 a.m. Joint Township, Highway N.

10:05 a.m. Village of Fenwood, Fenwood. 11 a.m. Edgar Veterans Memorial, Oak Street Park.

A parade in Edgar will start at Oak Street Park and the route will go to the Scotch Creek bridge to recognize those who served on foreign waters. From there, the group will proceed to the Edgar Cemetery.

The guest speaker will be Rev. Alan Wierzba. The Edgar High School Marching Band, Edgar Boy Scouts and Edgar Girl Scouts will join veterans for the Memorial Day service.

Weather wheel making at library

Kids and teens are invited to drop in to create a fun weather wheel complete with an arrow indicator to show what the weather is each day. The weather wheel can be hung on the wall or the fridge with optional string. Available from May 15-20 during regular library hours, no registration required. Call 715-352-3155 for more information.

MCPL Story Time

Bring your entire family to story time. Children of all ages and parents/guardians are welcome to these 30-minute programs that include stories, songs and other literature- based activities.

Tuesday, May 16, from 1111:30 a.m. at the Edgar MCPL branch, 224 S. Third Ave.

Medical equipment

The Edgar American Legion in Edgar has good, used medical equipment that can be loaned out. If you are in need, call Sylvia Fergot at 715-352-2221.

Edgar free breakfast

Edgar School District has announced it will participate in a new Universal Free Breakfast Program. All students qualify and there is no application for the family to complete.

While breakfasts will be free, lunches will not. Low income families are encouraged to apply for the Free or Reduced Meal Program offered through USDA.

For more information, contact Edgar food service director Rebecca Larson at 715352-3321 or at rlarson@gapps. edgar.k12.wi.us.

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arathon Lion’s Club Float

The second annual Marathon Lion’s Club river float will be on June 10 from Rib Falls to Lions Park. Attendees bring their own inner tube, kayak or canoe and transportation is provided from Lions Park to Rib Falls.

The float begins at 10 a.m., with the last drop off at 1 p.m. Food will be provided for those who are registered at Arrow Tap Bar from 124:30 p.m. More information and registration can be found on the Marathon Lions Club #10539 Facebook page.

MCPL Story Time

Bring your entire family to story time. Children of all ages and parents/guardians are welcome to these 45-minute programs that include stories, songs and other literature- based activities.

Thursday, May 11, from 10:30-11:15 a.m., at the Marathon MCPL branch, 515 Washington St.

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tratford MCPL Book Club

Join the library staff and fellow readers for a discussion of “Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family,” by Robert Kolker on May 24, 1 p.m. For more info, call 715-687-4420.

Memorial Day events

Stratford VFW Post 6352 will host a parade and service on May 29. Line-up for the parade will begin by Stratford High School on 3rd Avenue at 9:30 a.m. with the parade starting at 9:45 a.m. with a route to Klemme Park. At 10 a.m., the services will begin at the park. The main speaker will be Eileen Conlan, an Air Force veteran. In the event of inclement weather, services will be held at the Stratford High School gym.

All veterans are invited to march in the parade. Meet at the VFW Clubhouse at 9:15 a.m. or by 9:30 a.m. on the street by the high school. A float will be provided for those unable to walk the parade route.

Knoll Fitness Center

The Knoll Fitness Center, which is attached to Stratford High School, is open from 4:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Monday thru Sunday, but the fitness center is closed from 12:30-1:30 p.m. each weekday for cleaning; it’s not closed an hour on Saturdays and Sundays for cleaning.

Stratford School District residents need to visit the high school office to get their keyfob updated before being able to gain access into the Knoll Fitness Center.

ounty Tween Writing Group

Now through May 31, young writers between the ages of 8-14 can hone their writing skills by participating in an online tween writing group organized by the Marathon County Public Library. Each month a new writing prompt will be posted to the group. Registration is required. To register, visit https://bit.ly/3GzgWaK. For more info, call 715-261-7220.

MCPL at Children’s Fest

Staff from the Marathon County Public Library will be at Children’s Fest on May 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Marathon Park in Wausau. There will be an interactive story time, information about the summer library program and an activity for kids and families to do together. Open to the public, no registration required. Contact the parks department at 715-261-1550 for more info.

History Chats

This month, the Marathon County Historical Society’s History Chats honor National Historical Preservation Month. The programs will examine a variety of topics, exploring the preservation of history, from the process of preserving stories to a celebration of the people and processes that keep local history alive for the future.

History Chats programs are at 12:30 p.m., every Thursday, livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook Live. They are also available to view afterwards as recorded programs on the society’s YouTube channel, Facebook page and on Wausau’s public access channel 980.

May 11 - Jerry Viste In March, Wausau resident Jerry Viste turned 100 years old. In celebration of Viste and his long-time support of local history, we take a look at his life and legacy here in Marathon County.

May 18 - A (Not Walking) Tour Gary Gisselman is well known to be a great walking tour guide. And due to the format of a program on the internet, we can take a virtual walking tour anywhere or any time.

May 25 - “How to Get a Property Listed on the National Register of Historic Places” Poster In 1979, a poster was produced that laid out the process for getting a property listed on the then-new National Register of Historic Places. Brenna Welch joins us to talk about this poster, the National Register and how it has changed in the last 40 years.

Vintage Game Night

The Marathon County Historical Society is bringing back Vintage Game Night. The events will be held the third Thursday of the month, starting on May 18, from 5-9 p.m., at the Woodson History Center, 410 McIndoe St., Wausau.

There will be a variety of games to play such as Candyland, checkers, cribbage, Risk and Battleship. Attendees can also bring their own games.

To volunteer at the events, or for more information, call 715-842-5750.