Remember When 3-17-2021

(Above) St. Patrick’s Day, 1971 - These “little people” - Jackie O’Bell and Todd O’Grimm wished everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day in 1971, even if you weren’t Irish.  Jackie is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bell and Todd, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Grimm.  Both were first graders at Lincoln School.

by Michelle Watson

25 Years Ago

March 1996

The Clear Lake’s Farmer’s Cooperative is seeking to double its facility size with the proposed purchase of Midwest Soya International, 814 N. 5th St., Clear Lake.  Glenn Brady, manager of the Clear Lake Farmer’s Co-op, said he expects a deal to be finalized by July 1, 1996.  Midwest Soya is managed by Kim Pleggenkuhle.  Brady said the addition of the Midwest Soya facility would double the grain storage capacity of Farmer’s Coop, from 500,000 to over 1 million bushels.  The second site would also provide another scale, place to load rail cars and another office.  

State Senator Merlin Bartz (R-Grafton) has announced his candidacy for re-election to the Iowa Senate.

Spring was on the minds of Clear Lake City Council members as they approved a $3,000 expenditure for downtown flower basket watering and set a city-wide cleanup date.

March 17, 1995, will be a day that will long remain a vivid memory for residents at Walden Condominiums in Ventura.  This was the day the condos were destroyed by fire and left occupants of the 10-unit complete homeless.  The Walden Condo owners held a “house cooling” party to remember the day.  The private gathering was to thank local fire fighters.

A Squirrel was to blame for a power outage Sunday which left about 150 Clear Lake residents and businesses without power for some 50 minutes.  According to Interstate Power Co. officials, a squirrel got into a line at a substation near Serta Mattress Company.

Many Clear Lake residents will see a decrease in their property taxes next year.  The budget includes holding the property tax rate the same next year at $9.48 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation, but state mandated rollbacks on residential property assessments will actually result in a 12 percent decrease in the city’s portion the property tax.

Property owners along North Lakeview Drive have presented the City’s Sea Wall Project Group with a position stating 14 of 17 property owners north of the existing sea wall are not in favor of extending the wall in front of their property.

Dick Hughes, of Clear Lake, was inducted into the Iowa State Bowling Association Hall of Fame.  Hughes and his wife, Arlene, were the former owners of the Rose Bowl Lanes, in Mason City.  Hughes was also an avid bowler himself.  The the 1969 City Association Tournament, he posted a 788 series that included 25 strikes.  In his active years, he carried a 180-plus average.

Calvin Josten and Dean Josten, of Ventura, were among 43 corn and soybean growers honored by Asgrow Seed Company at an awards program in Des Moines.  Calvin Josten averaged 63 bushels per acre, placing first at the local level. Dean Josten averaged 62.45 bushels per acre.

The Clear Lake High School Mock Trial team competed in the Northeast Iowa Regional Tournament and placed fourth out of 16 teams to earn the right to compete again at the state level.  Local attorneys Tom Lovell and Charles Biebesheimer aided the regional and state tournaments by functioning as judges.  The Clear Lake team is coached by attorney and magistrate John Cherry and teacher Beth Ann Schumacher.

50 Years Ago

March 1971

Four loud speakers were installed in the Ventura High School gym.  They were approximately three feet high and eight inches wide, tan and brown in color.  The next night, sometime after 10:30 p.m., two of the speakers were taken.  In fact, the correct term must be STOLEN.  It is hard to believe that anyone would actually rob the students and the community of this service.  Shame on whoever did this!

The  Clear Lake Lions were halted in the first round of AA District competition by the Mason City Mohawks, 64-52.  Bill Larson was Clear Lake’s top scorer with 16-points.  Brad Arends and Tom Dillavou each scored 10 points.

Men’s fashions were the topic of discussion.  If men’s neckties get any wider, they won’t need to wear anything else.  Wise men are also wearing cologne.  High Karate or Aqua Velva attract the ladies like ants to a picnic and if they stray away, men smoke Carter Hall pipe tobacco and the chicks are back.

65 Years Ago

March 1956

Wendell Johnson, owner of Patterson Jewelry store in Clear Lake, will serve as an instructor in colored stones at a conclave of the American gem Society, in Chicago.

Mr. and Mrs. Sid Halford returned from a 10 day trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they visited their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Dick Halford.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Van Loan have purchased the Charles Hegg home at 8008 South Shore Dr. and plan to move there in two weeks.

100 Years Ago

January 1921

The ladies of the WRC will hold their annual bean supper Friday night at the IOOF Hall.  The menu includes: bean soup, baked beans, mashed potatoes, chipped beef gravy, steamed rolls, brown bread, cabbage salad, cucumber pickles, apple pie, ice cream and coffee.  Price is 50¢.

“Will the tractor replace the horse on the farm?” was the subject of J.E. Patterson as he spoke to the Rotarians Thursday night at the Rogers Hotel.

Have your piles cured by Dr. Shallenberger without a knife at the Roger Hotel in the forenoon March 4, this is his 251st visit to our town.

Everett Paulson has charge of the auto repair shop in Ventura.

The electric ice cutting machine fell into the lake Friday and was secured with considerable difficulty.  The ice cutting is about to be over.