PEOPLE
Senior Card Group
The Senior Citizens card group met on March 27 for weekly card playing at the Athens Area Fire and Ambulance Hall.
Two games of Sheepshead were played. Rick Schaetzl won first place and Alvira Henrichs came in second in the first game. Steve Klockziem won first andAndy Hoef came in second in the second game.
Low score was Wil Strack. Newcomers are encouraged to come play Sheepshead every Thursday from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at the Athens fire hall.
Medicare basics
Adults are invited to the Athens Branch Library on Thursday, April, 10 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. for a free class on maintaining Medicare coverage. Registration is required. For more info or to register, call 715257-7292.
Foundation grants
Progress Athens Foundation is excited to receive applications for its next grant cycle. Information related to the grant opportunity may be requested from progressathens@gmail. com or by mailing Progress Athens Foundation, Inc., PO Box 147, Athens, WI 54411. The grant application is due April 30.
Lenten fish fry
St. Anthony’s Catholic Church will host its final Lenten fish fry on Friday, April 4, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. The menu includes deep-fried fish or shrimp or baked fish, baked potato, potato salad or fries, plus coffee, milk and dessert.
Family Story Time
Children of all ages and their parents or caregivers are invited to the Athens Branch Library for a 30minute Family Story Time. Library staff will read books, sing songs, and offer other literature-based activities. Family Story Times will be held every Wednesday in April, from 10:30 to 11 a.m.
Book club
The Athens Book Club will meet at the Athens Branch Library on Tuesday, April 8, at 2 p.m. to discuss “Weather” by Jenny Offill. Hired by her famous podcaster mentor to answer letters from increasingly polarized fans, a librarian who has acquired her education from a lifetime spent reading struggles between the limits of her knowledge and growing crises in the outside world. For more information, call 715-257-7292.
EDGAR
LEGO Block Party
Can you create a world with simple blocks? Families are invited to build with LEGO on Saturday, April 12, from 11 a.m.- to 1 p.m. at the Edgar Branch Library. The event is free, all blocks provided, no registration required. Call 715-352-3155 for more information.
Health insurance seminar
The Edgar Branch Library will hold a free presentation on understanding health insurance benefits on Wednesday, April 9, from 4 to 5 p.m. This presentation will be led by a local life and health insurance agent who will walk through samples of health insurance claims, discussing how to understand them, how to tell if they went through insurance and what needs to be paid. Like all of library programs, this one is non-commercial in nature and for informational purposes only. The event is free; no registration required. Call 715-352-3155 for more info.
Games at St. Stephen
St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 424 N. Third Ave., Edgar, will host card games in the church basement on Wednesdays, April 9 and 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. Refreshments and snacks will be served. If you need a ride or have questions, call Mark at 715-3485802 or Colleen at 715-5718277.
Family Game Night
All ages are invited to the Edgar Branch Library for Family Game Night on Wednesday, April 16, from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be a variety of board games and card games available to play or you’re welcome to bring your own. Open to the public, no registration required. Call 715-3523155 for more information.
Family Story Time
Children of all ages and their parents or caregivers are invited to the Edgar Branch Library for a 30-minute Family Story Time. Library staff will read books, sing songs, and offer other literature- based activities. The next Family Story Time will held on Tuesday, April 15, from 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Book club
The Edgar Book Club will meet at the Edgar Branch Library on Tuesday, April 8, at 12 p.m. to discuss “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. Nearing the end of his life, Enzo, a dog with a philosopher’s soul, tries to bring together the family, pulled apart by a three year custody battle between daughter Zoe’s maternal grandparents and her father Denny, a race car driver. Call 715-3523155 for more information.
Weather Week
Learn about weather through a variety of fun crafts and activities at the Edgar Branch Library. Drop in during regular business hours the week of April 7-12. Craft options include cardboard tube wind socks and pet clouds, among others. On Friday, April 11, you can make a coffee filter rainbow. The activities are free, no registration required. Call 715-352-3155 for more information.
Be’Tween the Lines
Tweens and teens ages 11-14 are invited to the Edgar Branch Library for a new monthly book club where everyone gets to pick their own book. Choose a book that follows the monthly theme and at each meeting, the group will discuss and socialize. The theme for April is Laughter is the Best Medicine. It’s okay if the book doesn’t fit the
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theme exactly. No registration required. Call 715-352-3155 for more information.
MARATHON
Pressed flowers
Adults and teens are invited to create pressed flower bookmarks at the Marathon City Branch Library on Wednesday, April 9, from 1-7 p.m. Participants can create unique bookmarks using pressed flowers, perfect for personal use or a gift. All supplies will be provided. Free, no registration required. For more information, call 715-443-2775.
Meet the finalists
Marathon School Districts are invited to meet the three finalists for the next superintendent on Monday, April 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Marathon High School auditorium.
Scouting for Food
The Marathon Scouts BSA Troop 458’s Scouting for Food program will be collecting for the Marathon/Edgar Circle of Joy again this year. On Saturday, April 5, residents should find a card on their front door asking for food donations. The pick-up date will be on Saturday, April 12, starting at 9 a.m. The can corral will be out by April 5 in the Village Hall parking lot. Residents are asked to place only bagged aluminum cans in the corral. Any questions can be directed to Charlie at 715-573-3730.
Easter Egg hunt
St. Anthony’s Spirituality Center will host an Easter Egg hunt on Saturday, April 19, starting at 10 a.m. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the Marathon Fire Department (watch for signs). The hunt is sponsored by the Marathon City Police Department and the Marathon City Fire/EMS Department.
Family Story Time
Children of all ages and their parents or caregivers are invited to the Marathon City Branch Library for Family Story Time. Library staff will read books, sing songs, and offer other literature-based activities during to 30-45 minute program. Family Story Times will held every Thursday in April, from 10:30 to 11 a.m.
Book club
The Marathon City Book Club will meet at the Marathon City Branch Library on Monday, April 14, at 5:45 p.m. to discuss “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi. An award-winning young neurosurgeon describes how – after receiving a terminal diagnosis with lung cancer – he explored his roles as a patient and care provider, the philosophical conundrums about a meaningful life, and how he wanted to spend his final days. Call 715-443-2775 for more information.
STRATFORD
Family Story Time
Children of all ages and their parents or caregivers are invited to the Stratford Branch Library for Family Story Time. Library staff will read books, sing songs, and offer other literature-based activities during this 30minute program. Family Story Times will be held Wednesdays, April 2, 9, 16 and 23, from 10:30 to 11 a.m.
Book club
The Stratford Book Club will meet at the Stratford Branch Library on Wednesday, April 16, at 1 p.m. to discuss “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt. After her husband dies, Tova Sullivan starts working at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, where she forms a special bond with a giant octopus who holds the key to solving the mysterious disappearance of her 18-year-old son, Erik, over 30 years ago on the Puget Sound. Call 715-687-4420 for more information.
MARATHON COUNTY
Grilled Cheese Competition
A Marathon County Grilled Cheese Competition is scheduled for April 18 and 19 at Northcentral Technical College, 212 River Dr., Wausau. The individual youth competition will be Friday, April 18, at 6 p.m., and is limited to 10 competitors. The youth team competition will held Saturday, April 19, at 1 p.m., and is limited to 10 teams of two youth per team. The competitions are open to youths aged 8 to 17. Cooking supplies will be provided; no outside materials allowed. There is a small cost to sign up.
The registration deadline is Friday, April 4. More information about the competition can be found at: https://go.wisc.edu/guide.
MAREA
The Marshfield Area Retired Educators Association (MAREA) held its March 17 meeting at The Country Aire Restaurant near Stratford. President Sally Lucas called the meeting to order. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the group shared some trivia door prizes.
The minutes were approved after corrections. Ruby T. explained the treasurer’s report, which was then placed on file for audit.
Several committee chairpersons were absent. However, a report was made by Kathleen H. of the Health Issues Committee. She had participated in an online session from The Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging where they provided information about “Caring for the Caregiver,” which Kathleen shared with the membership. The information used a tool for self-assessment in order to take care of the patient and the caregiver.
Several other items of business included a convention update, bylaw revisions, and travel reimbursement. This month’s food pantry donations went to the CUP Pantry in Colby. Roni was thanked for bringing treats.
Larry Scheckel, author of “Murder in Wisconsin The Clara Olson Case,” was this month’s guest speaker. Larry is a retired physics and aerospace science teacher from Tomah, where he and his wife still live. He has authored articles for The Science Teacher and The Physics Teacher magazines. He also published several science books.
Scheckel spoke to the group about the Clara Olson murder case. Afterwards, Larry did a book signing. That case was of interest to him because it happened in his hometown area. Larry told the story about how Clara Olson met Erdman Olson from a nearby town at a church picnic.
She is young, he is older and in college. They date for 18 months and Clara is pregnant. She wants a wedding but they plan a secret elopement. Then Clara disappears. The search by the whole community is on to find her. The discovery of the body in a hidden grave has everyone horrified by what is found. The details of the betrayal by Erdman to Clara and her family and his family make up the background for the inquest and funeral and then the subsequent search for her killer who seems to also have disappeared.
All MAREA meetings are held at the Country Aire Restaurant the third Monday of each month at 10 a.m., with a lunch following the meeting and the program.
For more information about MAREA, email Sally Lucas at sally.lucas@yahoo.com.
