Remember When 9-7-2016

(Above) Ventura Class of 2004 - In 1991, the Ventura kindergarten class was presented with T-shirts denoting them as the Class of 2004 during their first week of school.  Class members include front row (L-R): Andrew Smith, Robert Latch, Lindsay Taylor, J.D. Schroeder and Zach Zirbel.  Middle row (L-R): Josh Sonney, Joslyn Wood, Kandyce Daniels, Sarah Froiland, Nathan Sutter, Tina Chambers and Tara Shear.  Back row (L-R): Aaron Bentlele, Megan Schulze, Grant Pueggel, Jason Pike, Sheldon Coleman, John Anderson, and Lucas Pueggel,  Not pictured was Ryan Kaduce.

25 Years Ago

September 1991

Clear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), along with the Chamber of Commerce and development corporation officials, are hoping to convince the city to place the hotel/motel tax issue in front of voters in the November election.  The five-cent tax would be split three ways.  Three-cents would go to the CVB, one-cent to the development corporation and one-cent to the City of Clear Lake.

A public meeting will be held concerning the results of a study naming the southern corridor as the best choice for an Avenue of the Saints bypass in North Iowa.

Century 21 Anchor Realty, located on Main Ave., had an open house of an unusual sort Saturday night, as the building was struck by a vehicle, causing extensive damage at 10:25 p.m.

In keeping with Section 98A.3 of the Iowa Code, the Clear Lake Board of Education has taken action to formally ban the use of all tobacco products on school premises beginning with the 1991-92 school year.

A greased pig contest was part of the fun of the annual Septemberfest celebration in Ventura.  Boys and girls of all ages did their best to catch the slippery squealers.  A new addition to the Septemberfest festivities was an antique tractor pull.  The event, sponsored by the Ventura Future Farmers of America chapter in Ventura, attracted a good number of participants and spectators.

The Clear Lake Christian Women’s Club will hold a brunch at Diamond K’s in Clear Lake.  Cost is $4.50.  “Coffee, Tea, or…?” is the theme of the brunch.  Ron and Judy Klemm, owners of Coffee Break, Inc., in Clear Lake, will present the special feature.

Students at Ventura got some relief from the heat last week when elementary school secretary Wilma Knop and Superintendent Gary Schichtl served up snow cones.

Clear Lake High School seniors celebrated their last “first day of school” with a free breakfast sponsored by the Parent Communication Network (PCN).

Marley Freesemann, a longtime employee of Farmer’s Lumber, in Clear Lake, has been named manager of the local business succeeding Kavin Swenson.

It appeared as if the Clear Lake Lions played two games on the opening night of the high school football season Friday night.  They would rather forget their performance in the first half, which put them at a 12-0 deficit to New Hampton, but they will remember the second half for some time.  The Lions stormed back like a new team after halftime and handed the Chickasaws a 13-12 loss.  Mark Moeller led the Lions’ ground game with 64-yards, including one touchdown.

Clear Lake’s young cross country team got the first meet under their belts.  The boys finished fourth in the field of six teams, with junior Rob Doebel leading the Lion pack with a ninth place finish.  The girls were led by Jennifer Billings.  She placed 18th.

Playing at the Surf Ballroom are The Whitesidewalls.  In the Surf Side 6 Lounge, jitterbug dance lessons will be held.

Grocery specials for the week at Fareway include: Wells Blue Bunny Ice Cream, 5 qt., $3.39; Gold Medal Flour, 5 lb. bag, 89¢; Minute Maid Orange Juice, 12 oz. can, 99¢; Bakeshoppe Wheat Cottage Bread, loaf, 69¢; fresh broccoli, bunch, 99¢; 7-bone roast, lb., $1.29; boneless rib eye steaks, 2/$5; and ground chuck, lb., $1.99.

50 Years Ago

September 1966

Edward Kotz, operator of the Barrell Drive-In, was elected president of the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce.  Kotz succeeds Donald Goranson.

The Clear Lake City Council waded through another crowded agenda at a meeting that didn’t break up until after 11:30.  Gary Claude, of the planning commission, urged the city to take steps for more park facilities in the future.  Dutch Elm disease and the effect it may have on city trees was also discussed.

Captain James Furleigh is spending a three-week leave with his mother, Mrs. Philip Furleigh,  He is convalescing from wounds suffered in Viet Nam to his right hand and arm and both legs.

Cheerleaders for the 1966 CLHS football team include Sue Atkinson, Amy Schultz, Cheryl Cookman, Mary Thomas, Julie Van Duzer and Jeannie Berge.

60 Years Ago

August 1956

Retail sales tax for first quarter of 1956 in Clear Lake is $37,479.  This is a 10 percent increase over the same period of 1955.

Wendell Wilcox was elected president of the Chamber of Commerce Tuesday at Halford’s.

Jerry Davis, R.M.S.M., son of Mr. and Mrs. Clair Davis is on the USS Donner, temporarily stationed in Greenland.

1956 may go down in history as the catfish year in Clear Lake judging by the manner in which these finny felines continue to walk off with the weekly fishing contest.

Selection of a new Clear Lake High School building site in the northeast section of Clear Lake was discussed at length at a special meeting of the board.  The property under consideration consists of about 28 acres in the area north of Main Ave. between North 15th and 20th Streets, and north to approximately the cemetery.

A 28 piece old-timers band from Garner provided some unique entertainment Sunday afternoon on the lake.  The group made rounds aboard a huge raft, visiting docks.

100 Years Ago

September 1916

R.R. Rogers returned last week from Des Moines where he purchased an 8 cylinder Cole auto.  We believe this is the only 8 cylinder 7 passenger car in town.

Walter Grell’s pony dumped a buggy load of boys and girls out on a barbed wire fence the other day.  The pony ran into the cornfield unhurt and the fence was unhurt, but the boys and girls got cuts and bruises as mementoes of the occasion.

Shock threshing is about completed in this vicinity,  The yield of oats and barley is running between 30 and 40 bushels per acre.

About 2,000 people attended the annual Farmer’s Day at Thornton,  At noon roast ox was served free for all.

P.O. Bly measured the evaporation of the lake last week during the hot spell it evaporated one and one-half feet.  Where it was pouring over the outlet a few weeks ago, not a drop is now going over the concrete apron.