A Look Back
10 YEARS AGO
AUGUST 25, 2011
Work continues in the demolition of the old B-Plant in downtown Turtle Lake. On Tuesday, August 23 the front of the building was brought down. Portions of the building will be crushed and recycled for use a the new GreenWhey construction site.
This may have been the final flight of the Red Baron. The Red Baron was one of the highlight’s of this year’s Car Launch, held on the Bob and Mary Moravitz farm, three miles north of Turtle Lake. Proceeds from the launch have gone to charities, and this year the event raised $8,483.00 for the Field of Dreams Hunt Club.
Doug Nordquist, of Nordquist Trucking, traveled to Eau Claire this past week to compete in the 2nd Annual Eau Clair Big Rig Truck Show, held Friday through Sunday, August 19 – 21. Doug placed an impressive fourth in the Working Class category. Over 100 trucks were entered in the show.
Lloyd Hoffman joined the Turtle Lake Lions Club in 1961. He has attended club meetings very regularly for all 50 years and served as club treasurer for nine years. Lloyd has attended several District and Lions Club State Conventions. He has also attended an International Convention in Eirmingham, England. For seven years he took part in the Lions’ Mission to Mexico eye glasses program. Not only has Lloyd served the Lions Club of Turtle Lake, but he has been active in the community by serving on the Turtle Lake School Board, Turtle Lake Village Board, Turtle Lake Fire Department and Turtle Lake Housing Board. The Lions presented Lloyd with the Melvin Jones Fellowship and Birch Sturm Fellowship to Loyd.
Where has the summer gone? It’s only a matter of one weekend before school is back in session beginning Thursday, September 1. School will begin at 8:15 a.m. for Jr. K-12 grades. Dismissal will be at 3:24 p.m. for Jr. K-5 grades and 3:26 p.m. for grades 6-12, with busses departing at 3:32. No students are allowed at the school before 7:45 a.m. and breakfast will be served from 7:55 – 8:10 a.m. daily.
20 YEARS AGO
AUGUST 23, 2001
Last Tuesday morning, August 14, the Turtle Lake Fire Department was called to a fire approximately one mile south of Turtle Lake on Hwy. 63. The 10:40 a.m. blaze turned out to be a combine, owned by Tom Nonemacher, Clayton, that was being taken to Tri-County for some repair work. The Turtle Lake Fire Department used the foam sprayer from their new pumper and immediately doused the flames. The highway was closed down for the time being, but reopened shortly thereafter. The foam spray from the pumper proved to be quite a weapon against this tupe of blaze, snuffing out the fire immediately.
The Turtle Lake Lioness Club recently installed the new officers for the upcoming year by District President Dorie Solum and Turtle Lake President Brenda Davis. Attending were Diane Hoffman – Board of Directors; Bonnie Peterson – Treasurer; Brenda Davis – President; Jane Anton – Vice President; Margie Stary – Secretary; Dorie Solum – Membership; Collet Kasper – Board of Directors.
The Turtle Lake Schools are now open for business. Students returned to the hallowed halls Wednesday morning, some looking forward to it, others acting . . . like it was the first day of school.
Under the blistering sun of the Wisconsin countryside the annual team golf challenge took place. After the dust had cleared, Wick’s Wackers defeated the Bogiemen 36.75 to 37.83. Members of the winning team included Pat Wick, Randy Slack, Mel Melby, Jim Aus, Marv Dietrich, Bill Tornio, Ron Beckerman, Dick Lambert and Joe Hellstern.
30 YEARS AGO
AUGUST 29, 1991
The Turtle Lake Fire Department was called to the Richard Rosenbush farm just west of the Village shortly after noon on Tuesday to extinguish a fire in the barn. Sparks from a small rubbish fire reportedly ignited the dry wood shingles on the barn roof. Firemen extinguished the blaze that charred the roof of the structure.
“We just came out of an annual meeting where the proposed budget was rejected as being too high. Where were all the people and interest then?” asked Turtle Lake School Board member Larry Raffesberger at the board’s regular meeting Monday evening. Over thirty guests were in attendance to voice their concerns over the large enrollment in this year’s first grade.
During the public comment portion of the meeting Rachel Stafne, one of the two first grade teachers, stated, “I have 29 students in my room this year which, to say the least, makes it very crowed, both in physical space and in time available for individual contact with each student.
40 YEARS AGO
AUGUST 27, 1981
The Turtle Lake Lions Club has just completed a very busy year and is beginning a new year of projects of community service. One of the major projects of the local organization is assisting the Village in making improvements in the Village Park. This year the Lions Club spent $5,326.89 for this project that went toward construction of new restrooms and the renovation of the former restroom building for use as a service building.
The age of splitting logs by hand is fast becoming extinct. Companies are figuring out and producing easier and quicker ways of log splitting by machines. Roger Hubbard of Northland Metal Service, Almena, happens to be one of these people. Roger builds the Northland Log Splitter from scratch. They are available with a five or ten horsepower engine which cuts logs 24 to 30-inches in length. Some of the features built on these splitters are auto retract valve control, extra heavy duty work head, direct drive, dual stage power beyond pump and much more. The splitter is equipped with a trailer hitch for easy towing.
50 YEARS AGO
AUGUST 26, 1971
It was back to school last week in Turtle Lake as the teaching and administrative staff were present for teacher’s in-service training on Wednesday and Thursday, August 18 and 19 with all students present for enrollment and assignments on Friday.
On Monday this week all classes were scheduled with a slightly smaller overall enrollment over that of the 1970-71 school year. The grade school is somewhat higher with 508 students compared to 502 a year ago. High school enrollment is down with 223 students against 238 for 1970-71.
The Turtle Lake Lakers will open the 1971 football season the Friday night, August 27, as they tangle with the Boyceville Bulldogs in a non-conference game on the Boyceville gridiron at 8:00 p.m. Coach Marv Hanson’s charges will face a real test against a determined Bulldog squad who will be out to avenge the 22-8 Laker victory on the Turtle Lake field last season.
Sunday, August 22, was a big day in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Anton Hellstern when the celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at their home near the village. The day’s activities began with a mass at 8:30 a.m. at St. Ann Catholic Church, followed by congratulations and best wishes of friends and relatives for continued good health and happiness of the couple.
