Clear Lake Mirror Reporter

(Above) Friend in need, 1966 - Friends of the Lewis Bacons picked and cribbed 64 acres of corn in 1966.  Tom Nelson Jr., of the Standard Tank Wagon Service, furnished fuel for the tractors.  Friends included Pete Cash, Wes Robbins, Norman Ballantyne, Everett Hollatz, Harris Dewall, Harold Currier, Dale Moorehead, Eugene Jass, Duane Bitker, Pat and Gregg Marshall, Tom Treloar, Walter Bill Cash, Bob Cash, Morris Clark, Summner Trumble, Larry Bacon, Hank and Hollis Bokelman, Vern Bacon, Lloyd Miller, Lloyd Humphrey, Dan Luscomb, Lowell Friest, Melvin Luscomb, Earl, Lynn and Dan Hyde, Fred Bram, Roger, Bill and Bob Roenfanz, Shirley Coe, Mark Bacon, Danny and Ben Muff, Larry Lovick, Chad Baker, Ray Robbins, Marshall Friest and Walter Roenfanz.  Food was brought in by neighbors and served by Mrs. Larry Bacon, Mrs. Lloyd Miller, Mrs. Vern Bacon, Mrs. Myrtie Bacon, Mrs. Frank Clark, Mrs. Bob Roenfanz, Mrs. Ben Muff, Rosemary Roenfanz, Mary Bacon, Teresa and Trina Blumer.

25 Years Ago

November 1991

Clear Lake voters overwhelmingly approved a five percent hotel/motel tax and returned incumbent Councilwoman Rhonda Mann to her post in Tuesday’s election.  Mann was the only contested candidate in the race for three Council positions.  The hotel/motel tax, which will begin implementation Jan. 1, 1992, was passed by a 655 to 155 margin.  Supporters of the plan have estimated that approximately $100,000 will be collected annually from the tax.  Incumbent Rhonda Mann outdistanced challenger James Frampton in the at-large City Council position 567 to 234.

Ventura voters will go to the polls Dec. 17 to decide whether a new library and post office should be built in their community.  Until that decision is made, Mayor Bob Wolfram who had given the City Council his resignation, said he will stay on.  If the measure passes, Wolfram said he would be willing to finish his term as mayor.  However, if voters turn back the library-post office proposal, he will step down to devote his time to the library situation.

Mason City Municipal Airport Director Jerome Thiele has announced that the facility has set a record during the month of October in passenger movement.  Great Lake and Northwest Airline Airlines reported some 2,637 air travelers flew on the two services during the month of October.

The Rev. Msgr. Joseph Slepicka, V.F., will be installed as pastor of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Clear Lake.

Bob and Jennifer Kopriva, of Clear Lake, announce the birth of their new son, Jacob Robert.  The baby was born Friday, Nov. 1, 1991.

Jacob Nels is the name of the new son born Sept. 19, 1991 to Norman and Julie Vorland, of Clear Lake,  He is their first child.

The successful 1991 season for the Clear Lake Lions was reflected in the voting for All-North Central Conference honors.  Seven Lions were named to the First Team All-Conference squad, while four more were named to the Honorable Mention Team.  Voted by unanimous decision to the First Team were Mark Moeller, Marty Fredericks, and J.D. Miller.  Others voted to the First Team were Jeff Lester, Gregg Johnson, Scott Johnson and Mike Andrews.  Earning Honorable Mention recognition were Scott Schroeder, Tim Tjaden, Dan Hansen and Joe Sokol.

Three members of the Clear Lake Volleyball Team have received honors in the All-North Central Conference balloting.  Laura Haugen, a senior on the Lion squad, was a First Team selection,  Phanh Lai, a senior, was named to the Second Team and Ronda Paulus was an Honorable Mention selection.

A declining confidence level for the spring sales season has required inventory reductions and another round of layoffs for the manufacturing employees of Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. (IMT).

Ben Furleigh, candidate for the new District 19 of the Iowa House of Representatives, has announced that Bill Sorbo, of Clear Lake, will serve as treasurer and Bill Kennedy, of Clear Lake, will serve as advisory committee chairman for Furleigh for State Representative Committee.

50 Years Ago

November 1966

Total retail sales for the fiscal year, ending June 30, reveals that Clear Lake is up $1,185,155 this year, compared to 1964 the second highest year so far.  Total retail sales in Clear Lake totaled $12,151,563.50 in 1966, which is an all time high for the city.

First Lt. Richard W. (Bill) Whelan, of Clear Lake, has received his 10 and 11th combat awards.  He received his second Silver Star Medal and his sixth Purple Heart to add to a Bronze Star and two commendation medals in the Viet Nam war.  He is a platoon leader with Company C, 2nd Battalion of the “Screaming Eagle” division’s 327th Infantry.

Roger Ashland a former Clear Lake High School athlete, is one of the outstanding freshmen football players at Iowa State University, holding down starting left tackle spot on the yearling squad.

Grocery specials for the week at Shop-N-Save include: Folger’s Coffee, 2-lb. tin, $1.19; C&H Sugar, 2.5 lb. bag, 43¢; celery, stalk, 19¢; young turkeys, lb., 39¢; and pork chops, lb., 69¢.

75 Years Ago

November 1941

The new reflector and globes ordered immediately after the hail storm were installed Saturday and gives Main Street a much better appearance.

On Nov. 1 the ground was covered with about an inch of snow.

Clear Lake soldiers who returned to their posts at Camp Claiborne, La. after a visit here with parents, were Dick Murphy, Clifford Hansen, Harris Ostrander, Francis Breslin, Jack Wrisberg and Leslie Hugh.

Mollie McGowan, accompanied by Mrs. Sam Kennedy, attended Homecoming weekend at Iowa City.

Marjorie Stork and her pupils of the Hurd School will present a program at the schoolhouse on Friday evening.

Bob Krall, son of Mr. and Mrs. Loyis Krall, left for Des Moines.  He was drafted in the U.S. Army.

100 Years Ago

November 1916

Jos. Carr has found a splendid sand pit on the north part of his lots and will open it for sale when there is demand.

Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Grell were in a accident which came near costing them their lives.  The wind was blowing and the horses approached the train tracks and stopped still.  The train struck and made splinters of the buggy.  The occupants jumped clear, but were badly bruised.

Milton Harding and Raymond Olson autoed to Fertile Thursday.  It was quite a jaunt.

C.C. Rice has finished installing electric lights on his farm. In the chicken house, he says he hopes to fool the hens into laying eggs day and night.

The thermometer went down to zero Monday night and the lake froze over with a good coating of ice.

Harvey Hayes sold 33 April pigs which brought cash return of $604.64.  This was done in spite of empty corn cribs last season.