by Michelle Watson
25 Years Ago
December 1997
Mayor Lois Kotz received a standing ovation, along with well-wishes and thank yous from more than 100 people who attended a reception in her honor Monday night. After presenting her year-end report to the City Council and witnessing the swearing in of the new mayor, Kirk Kraft, Kotz left the Council Chambers and entered the Community Room where friends and civic leaders were waiting to honor her. Kotz chose not to seek reelection after serving two terms as mayor.
Members of Troy Heller’s eighth grade ICU group at the Clear Lake Middle School wanted to help a fellow student and her family this holiday season, so they came up with the idea of giving their time and effort to raise money. The class set a goal of raising $170 ($10 for each member of the class) for the Rebecca Fredriksen Fund. Rebecca is a seventh grader at the school who has been diagnosed with Schilder’s Disease, a rare disease affecting the brain.
Lorraine Bartleson, of Clear Lake, is the lucky winner of a beautiful grandfather clock given away by the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. The clock was the grand prize in the holiday promotion conducted this season by local merchants.
The Larry Faber residence, located at 7 Venetian Drive, is the $1,000 winner in the holiday decorations contest for residents of Clear Lake and Ventura.
Nick Nickerson was named Lion of the Year by the Lion’s Club. Nickerson is chairman of the annual vegetable burger-sweetcorn feed in Clear Lake City Park. Part of it starts at his farm home with the aerial of a pickup and trailer with freshly picked sweet corn.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Marcus D. Hesley, the 23-year-old son of Bruce and Donna Trebic, of Clear Lake, is part of the Navy’s powerful presence in Operation Southern Watch. Hesley is a signalman on the 17,000-ton Juneau where he communicates with other ships, aircraft and shore activities using lights, flags and other visual equipment.
Katherine Kennedy, of Clear Lake, has been nominated for an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy for the class entering in 1998, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) announced. Kennedy is the daughter of Susan and William Kennedy and is currently a senior at Clear Lake High School.
Former Clear Lake prep Tom Zirbel and Ventura’s Sarah Hinrichs were awarded fall sports letters at Wartburg College. Zirbel was a member of the Wartburg cross country team. Hinrichs played volleyball this fall for the Knights.
The Clear Lake V.F.W. Post 4868 Color Guard is now sporting new uniforms.
Playing at the Lake Theater is “Rainmaker.”
Specials for the week at Fareway Stores include: Tombstone Double Top Pizza, 2/$6; Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, 12-12 oz. cans, $3.98; Blue Bunny Frozen Yogurt, 1/2 gallon, 2/$5; Banquet T.V. Dinners, 99¢; Coke, Sprite or Surge, 12-12 oz. cans, $1.99; Ruffles Potato Chips, 14 oz. bag, $1.88; T-Bone Steaks, lb., $3.99; Deli-Style Wafter Ham, lb., $1.99; and Cocktail Smokies, lb., $1.99.
50 Years Ago
December 1972
Three more contestants have entered the Snow Queen contest. They are Jeannine Kay Aastrup, Sandy Lee Friedrichs and Patricia Lee Lewis. Fifteen contestants have entered the pageant to date. The queen will reign over the North Iowa Winter Olympics to be held in Clear Lake.
In action during Monday night’s council meeting, the Clear Lake City Council accepted an increase of 4.61 percent of the total city payroll. The budget was raised from $86,050 to $211,050.
The United Methodist Church Senior and MYF youth will present a living nativity scene Christmas Eve from 7-9 p.m.
The Lions rode over the Clarion Cowboys 76-61. Chris Larson, Tom Hendricks and Rich Chapman all scored in the double figures.
Clear Lake firemen were called to the county landfill. High winds played a factor. About 7,000 gallons of water was hauled to the fire, according to Fire Chief Pat Stork. Mason City Fire Department also responded.
65 Years Ago
December 1957
Turkeys, ideal for Christmas dinners, were awarded by the DDD Bulk Oil Co. last week to five patrons.
W.C. Rich, vocational agricultural instructor has announced that the next class of the Farmer’s Night School will be Jan. 6.
Lt. Gov. W.H. Nicholas has written the second in a series of letters to Gov. Herschel Loveless urging the governor to call a special session of the Iowa legislature to authorize appropriations for new buildings at state educational and mental institutions.
Al Allen, owner of Allen travel Bureau in Clear Lake and his family sailed from New York on the American Export Lines’ SS Constitution on a six-week trip to Europe.
Members of Explorer Post 99 were at Winter Camp at the new Winnebago Council Scout reservation at Marble Rock. The Clear Lake boys won the trophy for the best 1957 Polar Bear Campers. They were judged on various scout outdoor craft skills, camping and safety.
90 Years Ago
December 1932
Miss Bessie Baker and her pupils entertained the patrons of the district and a number of friends at a Christmas party at the Baker school Friday afternoon.
Lee Boyd, Jr. is a victim of scarlet fever.
The barn, 126 head of cows and five calves, a wood shed, chicken house and wooden silo were all destroyed by fire on the Roy Westcott farm five miles north of Clear Lake. The fire is of unknown origin.
Sondrol Company’s store was broken into early Monday morning and several hundred dollars worth of merchandize was stolen.
Jesse Prescott has closed his barber shop in the Ashland building and has moved in with A.L. Deibler in his shop next to the Coffee Shop.
L.E. Ashland’s five stores handled more than five carloads of eggs in 1932. This means that Basket Grocery employees candled more 2,592,000 eggs.
