Remember When 12-4-2019

(Above) Holiday Lights, 1994 - A large number of people turned out for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in 1994 in City Park.  Despite snow showers, school children provided carols for the candlelight ceremony which led up the official lighting of the large evergreen in the center of the park by Mayor Lois Kotz.

by Michelle Watson

25 Years Ago

November 1994

The Clear Lake City Council, on a 3-1 vote, gave initial approval Monday to a request by the Clear Lake Independent Telephone Company to vacate an alley behind the business.  The vote came after nearly 45-minutes of haggling between telephone company officials and Jack Kennedy, owner of a home adjacent to the portion of the alley which would be closed under the plan.

A top price of $150 in Clear Lake Bucks is being offered in the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce’s holiday lighting contest.

Six new members were inducted into Ventura’s National Honor Society in November: Tiffani Ward, Dan Fields, Jeff Ruley, Sarah Jackson, Allison Cooper and Abby Rngus.  Current members Angie Bieber, Brenda Pueggel, Sarah Hinrichs and Mindy Coe conducted the ceremony.

The Clear Lake Public Library is expanding its reference services with a 15-month demonstration subscription to the Internet and to OCLC FirstSearch.

Walter and Alfa Nickerson, of Clear Lake, will be honored for 50 years of marriage with an Open House, Dec. 11, at Zion Lutheran Church.

Clubs sharing news in the “Club News” section include: Laureate Omega Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, Brownie Troop #462, V.F.W. Post and Auxiliary, Progress Club, Xi Theta Kappa, North Iowa Mended Hearts, Stepping Forward Club, and Clear Lake Woman’s Club.

Steben’s Children’s Theatre will present the musical, “Oliver,” based on the Charles Dickens’ classic novel.

A group of Clear Lake folks traveled to Emmons, Minn. to enjoy lutefisk and leafse at the annual Emmons Lutefisk supper.

Charlie Norris, of Mason City, received the Cerro Gordo County Farm Bureau recognition award at the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in Des Moines.

The 1992 Census of Agriculture shows that the United States had 1,925,300 farms, making it the first census since 1850 with fewer than 2 million farms.  The census counted the highest number of farms, 6.8 million, in 1935.  The value of U.S. agricultural products sold in 1992 reached $163 billion.  Even though the number of farms declined, overall farm production increased, thus continuing the trend towards more efficient agricultural productivity.

The Clear Lake wrestling team won their second consecutive and fourth Manly Early Bird title in five years.  The Lions racked up 209.5 points to second place Forest City’s 171.  All 13 Lions placed in the top five, nine in the top three.  Clear Lake crowned three individual champions to go along with the team trophy.  David Doebel, Kevin Boeshart and Jon Murray all won titles.

If Ventura girls basketball coach Steve Sandvig looks a little haggard, last week’s games are the culprit.  The Lady Vikings pulled out a pair of last second wins to open the season with a 2-0 mark.  Allison Cooper led the team with 23-points and eight steals in a 52-51 win over Garner-Hayfield.  The Lady Vikes topped Twin River Valley, 46-44.  Sarah Hinrichs and Abby Ringus had big nights in the home debut with 14 and 10-points respectively.  Ringus also had 14 rebounds.

With a 1-19 record last year, the Clear Lake boys basketball team did not provide many fantastic finishes in 1993-94,  The Lions played an exciting, if disappointing opener as they erased a 16-point fourth quarter deficit in a 53-51 loss at Webster City.

Specials for the Week at Ben Franklin include:  Maxell Video Tapes, 4 pack, $5.47; Coats and Clark “Pounder” yarn, skein, $2.99; Christmas fabric, flat fold, $2.22; Christmas rugs, $3.97; and 20% off made-up floral arrangements.

50 Years Ago

November 1969

Fum Stuf, owned by Mr. and Mrs. J. Edward Thornberg, will hold an Open House.  The business, located on Highway 18, features home made ice cream, dairy products, domestic and imported cheese, gourmet foods, broasted chicken, plus a wide variety of sandwiches.  The five rooms contain a novelty gift shop; game room including pool, shuffleboard, skittles and smaller games; cheese house; and ice cream parlor.

The lake is NOT safe for iceboats and snowmobiles.  Nels Larsen, Clear Lake chief of police, warned everyone to stay off.

Clear Lake’s Lions confronted reality Saturday night losing to a very good basketball team from Belmond by the whopping margin of 67-40.  It was the season opener for both teams. Mike Chaney led the team with 11-points.

Playing at the Lake Theatre is Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Katharine Ross in, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

75 Years Ago

September 1944

The war department has notified Mrs. Cecil B. Martin that her son, Flight officer, Roy B. Martin Jr., has been missing in Holland since September.  He has two brothers in service, Charles, an ambulance driver in Italy and France and William (Bill) Martin, in San Antonio in bombardier training.

Dale Snyder has received his notice and will leave for duty Dec. 1.

Verne Hinds is suffering from a sprained back he received when working on a country road.

100 Years Ago

October 1919

Get your coaster wagon at Williams’ Furniture Store.

Sweet potatoes are 5¢ a pound at Sondrol’s.

Clear Lake Cafe has a special on Sunday dinners.  Choice of roast turkey with oyster dressing, flaked mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, creamed sweet corn, fruit salad, mince pie, coffee and rolls, 75¢.

We are all pointing with pride to the new library. We are all grateful to the late Andrew Carnegie.  For nearly 20 years, the ladies in Clear Lake have made a heroic effort to keep up the library and were about at the point of abandoning the project.

Clear Lake outplayed and outscored Garner Friday night, 21-6.  Some great end runs were turned in by Bullock, Foster, Armstrong and Scherg.