THE TIME MAC HINE

From past files of The Star News 10 YEARS AGO

August 23, 2012

In an ideal world, Taylor County would have enough money to repave 15 miles of roads each year. Getting to that ideal world, however, would take increasing the road tax levy by about 75%. In a time when county departments are being asked to submit zero percent increases in their budget, such an increase is not likely to ever happen or at least not in one year. “The county has balanced the budget on the highways for a lot of years,” said highway commission member Chuck Zenner during Tuesday’s meeting. “If there was extra money in the budget we need to put it back into the highways,” he said.

25 YEARS AGO

August 20, 1997

For at least the third time in the last five years, the hunt for an architect for Medford’s new public library is once again underway. At its meeting Monday night, the Library Building/Finance Committee decided to solicit proposals from five or six architectural firms, including River Architects of LaCrosse (formerly Schute-Larson), Rust Environmental of Sheboygan, Central Wisconsin Engineers of Weston, and Miller Wagner Coenen/ Mc-Mahon of Neenah. The four firms mentioned above had previously been interviewed.

50 YEARS AGO

August 24, 1972

Chequamegon forest supervisor Wayne Mann, Park Falls, has announced the completion of law enforcement agreements with Taylor, Price, Ashland, Sawyer and Bayfield counties. Agreements allow increased patrolling of the national forest by county law enforcement officers. Any patrolling over and above their normal activities is being financed by the forest service.

75 YEARS AGO

August 21, 1947

Floyd Roberts, district forest ranger, stated this week that a fire on the Carson Winchell farm, located on county trunk D one mile northeast of the Jump River tower in the town of Westboro, burned over about a quarter of an acre of pasture clearing last Thursday afternoon. Roberts said that on July 25 brush had been burned but until Thursday afternoon there hadn’t been any indication that the fire had not been fully extinguished.

100 YEARS AGO

August 24, 1922

The Westboro to Jump River road, 29.5 miles long, is now cut through, and the much desired shoot across the north of the county will be passable in a couple of weeks. It is not at present open to traffic. This road will become one of the main traveled county roads and will be a part of the country trunk highway system.

125 YEARS AGO

August 28, 1897

A meeting of gentlemen who love to see good horse races was held at Hotel Winchester last Monday evening, and it was decided to hang up purses for a series of races to take place on the Medford track on Sept. 23rd and 24th. A committee was appointed to solicit funds and the subscriptions are now nearly enough to insure the success of the meeting. Purses or prizes will also be hung up for bicycle races, and there seems no doubt but what the largest meeting ever held in Taylor County will be the result.