January 2023 Timeline

100 Years Ago: January 1923

• Mr. and Mrs. Carl Larson of Cottage Grove and Mr. and Mrs. Hans Lythjohan of Stoughton were entertained at the August Lythjohan home Sunday.
• Good news for radio fans!  After being off  the air for four months WHA, University of Wisconsin radio station will be heard again.  The apparatus has been completely overhauled and additional equipment has been added so as to send longer distances.   Six new tubes have been added to the set making it possible for trans- Atlantic  broadcasting to England, according to Malcolm Hanson wireless operator at the University.
• Sam Ace and family spent New Year’s at the R.C. Jones home.
• The WCTU meets with Mrs. H. D. Hanson Wednesday.  The topic for discussion will be Child Labor Laws and their enforcement.  Mrs. F.M. Ames and Mrs. E.W. White will lead the discussion and the devotional program will be by Mrs. George Waite.
• Tuesday night John A. Owens was struck by an automobile and painfully injured about the head, legs, side and feet.  The accident occurred on West Street in front of Mrs. Short’s residence.  Axel Johnson was driving the automobile that struck Mr. Owens.
• Last Monday Edgar Nichols delivered three acres of tobacco at Oregon to the Earle Tobacco company, weighing 6265 pounds at 11 cents.  Netting $2,320 per acre.
• Mr. and Mrs. R.L. Peterson celebrated their 53^rd wedding anniversary last Saturday.  They entertained a number of friends from Oregon and Stoughton.

50 Years Ago: January 1973

• The Oregon village board, at its first meeting of the new year, reappointed Mrs. Lloyd (Peg) Kellogg to another three year term on the Library Board.  
• It was reported that many citizens were delighted by the “Christmas Present” from the village in the form of lower property taxes this year. 
• “Redhead” the name Donna Briggs uses as an artist, surprised her mother by flying in from California to spend Christmas with her mother,  Mrs. LaVerne Stordock and her two brothers, David and Dan Briggs.
• Mr. and Mrs. John Ames, Dana, Heather and Andrew celebrated Dana’s 9^th birthday with dinner at the Stables.  As her special guest, Dana invited Robin Maloney, who was also an overnight guest.  The following Sunday Mrs. and Mrs. Ames and their children were guests of Mr. Ames’ mother, Mrs. Luella Ames for another celebration dinner marking the family’s two January birthdays.
• Frederick Kivlin has been elected President of the Bank of Oregon.  Mr. Kivlin joined the board in January of 1960 and was elected Vice-President in 1966.  
• Attorney and Mrs. Jack McManus and daughter Linda, Route 1, spent two enjoyable weeks on Little Cayman Island where work is progressing on their vacation home which they are building.
• Marvin Jensen, longtime village board member has filed for candidacy to the office of Village President for the two year expiring term of F.E. Madsen.  John Struck, Maynard Stohr and Mike Molony have filed for village trustee to fill the expiring terms of Struck, James Bossingham and Robert Weckerly.  The latter two have announced that they will not run for re-election. Don Bunnell has filed for re-election to the office of Village Constable. William Best and Ellsworth Below have filed their nomination papers for the office of municipal justice, to replace Arnie Blahnik who has declined to run for re-election.

25 Years Ago: January 1998

• The Oregon High School Portfolio Internet class worked eight weeks on putting Florice Paulson’s A Walk Back in History: Did You Know? book on the Oregon School District’s website. Putting local history on the school’s computer network was part of the Oregon Area Historical Society’s Wisconsin Sesquicentennial project.

• Visibility at night is extremely limited, so don’t make matters worse by driving with snow-covered lights and reflectors advised a captain of the State Patrol’s District One office in Madison. “You should make a habit of removing snow and ice from headlights, taillights, turn signals, reflectors and license plates every time you clear it from your windshield and windows,” said the captain, “because it’s very important that you can see and be seen by other motorists.” 
• The village of Oregon’s plan commission took seriously proposed massive developments on the village’s west and south sides. They recommended the creation of an ad hoc committee to evaluate the impact of three developments, and if needed advise the commission (and in essence the Oregon Village Board) on the action they should take. The committee was to be made up of representatives of the village board and plan commission, the Oregon Board of Education and the town of Oregon.
• The Oregon Community Swim Club made a tremendous showing at the Badger Dolphin Meet held at the UW Natatorium in Madison. Many swimmers made personal best times. Oregon had two High Point trophy winners and one made Zone or Regional meet qualifying times. Their presence was noted even with the large number of swim clubs (18 total) and 672 participants.

• Students in the group 6C held a Renaissance Fair at the Oregon Middle School. Students built their versions of castles and dressed up in period costumes for the day. Each student assumed a role in a Renaissance kingdom. A puppet show, knightings, May pole dancing, music playing and jousting along with a display of Guilds and their products were part of the activities.

10 Years Ago: January 2013

• Phil Mortensen left behind two families when  he died three days before Christmas at his auto repair shop in Brooklyn.  The first was his immediate family which includes his wife of 46 years, Sandy, their two sons, Todd and Kyle, a granddaughter and Phil’s older brother David.  /;’.,lThe second family was his co-workers in the Brooklyn Fire/EMS District.  David Mortensen said there’s “no question” that Phil considered the members of the Brooklyn Fire/EMS district a second family.
• Alec Meier completes park kiosk for Eagle Scout Award – Alec build an Informational Kisok at Bicentennial Park in Oregon.  
• In some ways it represents the passing of an era.  After leading Oregon Community Bank and trust for the past 34 years, former bank president and Board Chairman, Jerry Luebke has retired.  Luebke was working as a loan officer in Milton Junction in 1975 when he heard that a group of investors planned to open a new bank in Oregon.  He contacted them, and before long they decided to hire Luebke to help open and run the bank.
• Three term incumbent, Steve Staton will be running unopposed for Village President.   Three trustees are up for election also —   Randy Way, Eric Poole and Darlene Groenier.  Way will not seek reelection but newcomer Jeanne Carpenter plans to fill his seat.  
• The Village Board unanimously approved the promotion of Peggy Haag to the position of village clerk, deputy treasurer January 7^th.  Haag had been working as assistant clerk since July 2010 when she was promoted from the clerk assistance position.  She began working at the Village Hall in 2005.