Winnowings

10 Years Ago

March 25, 2014

Sun Prairie Utilities and the Sun Prairie City Council will be discussing the Fiber to the Community feasibility study at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday evening.

Five decades of cutting hair is coming to an end on May 1 when Prairie Barbers officially closes. Located around the corner from Ski’s Saloon at the corner of Bristol and Main Streets in downtown Sun Prairie. Prairie Barbers’ Bill Gerke and Lyle Fox are closing the doors forever on the 50th anniversary of Lyle opening the shop.

The Sun Prairie School Board approved a cooperative team two-year renewal agreement for girls’ hockey during a regular meeting March 24. The co-op girls’ hockey team is part of the Badger Conference.

In the spirit of the Little Free Libraries that have been popping up across the nation, Westside Elementary School will now have its own Finding Neverland Little Free Library.

25 Years Ago

March 26, 1999

The 1999 Great Sun Prairie Easter Egg Hunt, previously scheduled for April 3, has been cancelled, due to the renovation of the lower Angell Park grounds.

The cost for driver’s education at Sun Prairie High School will more than double under the first draft of the 1999-2000 district budget. The current fee of approximately $75 will be raised to $160 under the proposed $36 million balanced budget, which represents a 3.52 percent increase over the current budget.

Members of the Dane County Board voted 33-4 to amend the county’s existing living wage ordinance last Thursday night. Entities providing services to Dane County must now pay $7.91 an hour, the current poverty standard for the family of four determined by the U.S. Government, to do business or bid on work offered by Dane County.

Pictured in this issue, Janet Suchomel stirred gravy during American Legion Post 333’s Chicken and Biscuit Dinner last Thursday.

The Easter tradition of serving hot cross buns at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church began in 1975 when Margaret Schneider was asked to make two dozen buns for the “coffee and talk program” at the church. Over the past 24 years, that initial request has evolved into a major annual project involving 12 to 15 volunteers turning out 100 dozen Easter pastries.

WEDDINGS: Nicole Jesberger and Cory Rowell, Nov. 7. Patrick Hay and Clarissa Birkholz, June 20.

DEATHS: Arlyle A. Flaurger, 81, March 15. Leona M. Hauf, 87, March 14. Violet C. Skrenes, 92, March 20.

50 Years Ago

March 28, 1974

School district electors approved a proposal to donate three acres of land to the city in exchange for construction of a street to the proposed hockey rink.

The school board approved having working plans and cost estimates drawn for an addition to the senior high school.

Aldermanic candidates for the second district, Robert Schaben and Jerome Hotmar, state their views.

The high school band will leave for Florida on Sunday. They will take in the Festival of the States at St. Petersburg.

Gerald L. Kolb was given an award from the General Telephone Company of Wisconsin for saving a child from drowning.

The school board is offering the teachers a 10 percent salary increase.

Candidates for school board are Earl Wiehl, Ed Swanson, Robert Clancey, Tom Motl and Duane Barrington.

LaNette Zimmerman will receive an Outstanding Young Teacher Award at the Central States Speech Association convention in Milwaukee.

The Toastmasters Club named Bud Fisher “Toastmaster of the Year.”

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Markle will observe their 25th wedding anniversary April 1.

WEDDING: Gale Whitney and Garry Bahe, Dec. 22.

DEATH: Walter E. Hanley, 51, March 20.

75 Years Ago

March 24, 1949

Mrs. R.C. Birkinbine visited her son in Nurenberg, Germany, recently. Her son, Robert, is in the military service there. They are both expected home by the end of the month. Mrs. Birkinbine was part of a women’s tour of Europe visiting countries under the Marshall Plan.

The fluoride equipment for the Sun Prairie water system has not yet arrived, according to Paul Robinson, secretary of the Water and Light Commission.

At Rueth’s Supermarket, Hormel Bacon sells for 49 cents per pound and a pound of neck bones costs 19 cents.

WEDDING: Margaret Louise Reynolds and Ardell Framstad, March 12.

BIRTH: A girl to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Rechlitz, recently.

DEATHS: Arthur Lewis Bakke, 56, March 21. Lawrence Link, 83, March 18. Mrs. Herman G. Miller, 79, March 22. Mrs. Jessie A. Creasey, 76, March 16.

100 Years Ago

March 27, 1924

Dr. Maurice Bird, of Marinette, Wis., who is an alum of Sun Prairie High School (1889), has given to the school an offer of special awards for scholarship to members of each graduating class. Dr. Bird is a descendant of the Charles H. Bird family who were among the first settlers in Sun Prairie.

According to a syndicated article, in 1909, two million horse-drawn vehicles were sold in this country as compared to 80,000 automobiles. Last year (1923), four million automobiles were purchased by Americans while 100,000 horse-drawn vehicles were sold.

Alfred E. Smith is being proposed as a candidate for president of the U.S. at the coming Democratic convention.

BIRTHS: A boy to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Zimbrich, March 19. A girl to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Woerpel, March 16.

DEATH: James W. Thompson, recently.

125 Years Ago

March 23, 1899

A sneak-thief robbed H. Conry’s hen roost of some 30 fowls last Friday night.

A letter signed “Ralph’s Cousin” promotes the idea that Sun Prairie ought to have more tobacco warehouses and increase its business activity.

A cloth-covered fainting couch is on sale at A. Johnson’s Furniture Arcade for $5 this week only.

In rural East Sun Prairie, the late snow made excellent sleighing and the jingle of bells is heard constantly.

DEATHS: Mrs. Margaret Sands, 66, March 20. Anton J. Kuehne, March 19.