ARCHBOLD WEATHER

Golden Notes Of Archbold’s Memorable Past


Ten Years Ago

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Last week, Fulton County Commissioners identified more than $930,000 in budget cuts to balance the 2009 budget.

Joe Short, president of the commissioners, said Thursday, April 23, if they can balance this year’s budget with just $1.2 million in cuts, there will be no layoffs of county employees.

If they need to cut $1.6 million, “then the answer is yes,” some employees will need to be let go.

Fulton County March unemployment, estimated by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, was down five-tenths (.5) of a percent, to 14.4% in March.

Frank D’Ambrosia, superintendent of the Archbold Wastewater Treatment plant, has been notified he will receive the Ohio Water Environment Association F.D. Steward Award at its June conference in Cincinnati.

A semi turned the corner at North Defiance and Stryker streets too sharply and caused about $15,000 damage about 8:28 am, Thursday morning, April 23.

In addition to ripping the bell-shaped bollard out of the ground, it damaged the decorative light pole at the corner, knocked off a Walk-Don’t Walk sign, and shattered the globes on top of the light pole.

New vending machines with drinks, snacks, and ice cream will be installed at the Archbold Swimming Pool. The current beverage machine will be eliminated.

Community garden plots will be discussed at a meeting, Thursday, April 30, at the Archbold FISH Food Pantry. Barbara Budde, rural Archbold, and the Archbold Park Board are working on the possibility of dedicating land in Memorial Park to garden plots.

Deaths–Todd D. Nafziger, 44, formerly of Archbold; Vernon F. Graber, 94, Wauseon

Twenty-Five Years Ago

Wednesday, April 27, 1994

Everyone contacted by the Archbold Buckeye agreed that the Saturday, April 23 meeting to discuss the future site of the proposed northside fire department station was positive.

Concerning the site of the future public library, Tim Yoder, school board member, said, “All of the groups represented presented their needs and expressed flexibility. We don’t have an answer, but we’re well on our way.

Everyone agreed the corner of Franklin and Stryker streets was a great location for the library.

Marcia Cody, councilman, said, “We had such a spirit of unity and cooperation, I’m confident we can make it work out. We’d all like to see the library levy pass and the library go right there on the corner. Nobody sees that as a problem.”

By the time this is read, Marv Rittenhouse will be on his way to his cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Northern Michigan. For more than 33 years, he has worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife and will retire. “It is the biggest decision I ever made, but it’s time to put my family first.”

DeWayne Orewiler, of Arrow Tru-Line, met with the German Township Trustees Monday night to discuss a possible enterprise zone agreement.

Orewiler said Tuesday the company is looking at its options for expansion, including the possibility of expanding the plant south of Archbold on St. Rt. 66.

The Archbold Planning Commission unanimously recommended council accept the plat of the Westfield Estates Subdivision.

It will be zoned R-3, medium density residential. Bill Lovejoy, APC member, said the project includes lots of various sizes to accommodate single-family residences, duplexes, and possibly apartment buildings.

AHS softball and baseball coaches are pitching in to help the Archbold Park Board solve drainage problems at the Memorial Park diamonds.

For years, wet grounds have hampered play on the diamonds. At a special meeting on April 20, board members and coaches exchanged ideas on where to start to improve the diamonds.

Barb Short, AHS softball coach, said she contacted a firm at Hudson that will analyze the Archbold diamonds.

Krista Stacy recently returned from the Dominican Republic, where she served in assisting a surgical team from MCO. American surgical teams are eagerly awaited by the Dominican people.

Deaths–Lowell J. Grime, 81, Archbold; Peggy Jo Garza, 33, Archbold; Clara L. Richer, 84, Wauseon; Esther P. Leininger, 79, Stryker

Fifty Years Ago

Wednesday, April 30, 1969

An open house for the new Four County Vocational School and Technical Institute is June 6, from 2-5 pm.

Orval Sauder, vice president of production at Sauder Manufacturing, appears in a photograph with the grandfather clock he built of cherry wood for the fourth annual Fairlawn Haven Benefit Auction at Yoder & Frey, Inc., May 3. Also in the photo are Mrs. Ceaphus Schrock, chairman of the auxiliary, and Mrs. Erie J. Sauder, president.

Glenn Gallaway, AHS vocational agriculture teacher, was awarded an honorary state FFA degree at the 41st annual convention in Columbus, April 25.

Dale Storrer, formerly of Archbold living north of Fayette, visited his brother Marvin and family in Africa recently, where Marvin is helping with missionary station construction. His brother Aden arranged the program for the Lions Club dinner meeting, May 1, in the State Dining Room.

Charles Lugbill appears in a photograph in the sales ring at Lugbill Bros, Inc., while he, Denver N. Stuckey, auctioneer, and Richard Ringenberg conduct the first experimental auction of livestock based on hot carcass grade, April 23.

Richard Harris, superintendent of Archbold Area Schools, was elected president of the Northwestern Ohio Association of School Administrators at a meeting in Findlay, April 24.

Approximately 300 visitors were at the Goll Woods State Park open house, Sunday, April 27. Most visitors walked the new trails in the East woods and observed dozens of flowering plants.

Miss Lynda F., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Cotter, has accepted the graduate assistantship which has been offered by the department of Audiology and Speech Sciences at Michigan State University.

Military addresses appear for Brian J. Graf and Gary L. Rice.

Jay Ziegler will display in the lobby of the Farmers & Merchants State Bank, his collection of advertising pens and pencils. In 40 years, he has collected over 1,000 pens and pencils.

Deaths–Myrta D. Baer, 88, Archbold; George Grime, 83, Archbold; Sarah Nofziger, 87, Archbold

Seventy-Five Years Ago

Wednesday, May 3, 1944

Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Krieger of Ridgeville Corners received word from their son, S/Sgt. Wilbert Krieger, located in Italy, stating he received the Purple Heart. He also will receive the Oak Leaf Clusters as soon as available. Wilbert served in the campaign in North Africa, then in Sicily, and is now in Italy. He was wounded twice in action, and, according to latest reports, is back at the front.

Sgt. William Allen Davis, 34, Ridgeville Corners, was killed in action at the Admiralty Islands engagement of the Pacific area March 30, according to news from the War Department. A letter from him sent the day before he was killed told of his being in a foxhole and that fighting was bad.

An eastbound train carrying 400 German prisoners of war stopped in Archbold at 11:15, Saturday morning, for 15 minutes, to change from the south to the center track.

Immediately, 25 military police, armed with machine guns, rifles and automatic pistols, stepped out to guard all coaches on both sides.

The prisoners were being taken to a prison camp in New York. Through the windows they appeared to be of all ages, some with gray hair, and wearing civilian clothes.

The conductor waited at the crossing while the train was being switched.

Workmen started to remove the unused Toledo & Western rails in the pavement of Fayette’s main street. This is the last semblance of the electric line that formerly connected Pioneer and Toledo with the network of interurban rail service that served Ohio years ago.

100 Years Ago

Tuesday, April 22, 1919

At 5:15 yesterday afternoon, it was announced that Archbold’s quota had been reached, the entire $38,000 having been subscribed with very little effort on the part of the solicitors.

Archbold’s quota for the Victory Bond Drive has been fixed at $38,000. The bonds draw 3/4 percent and run for eight years.

In other towns along the T&I railroad, merchants are keeping their stores open Wednesday and Saturday nights, the same as are the merchants in Archbold.

Fulton County surveyors have about finished surveying the main market road between Archbold and Wauseon, upon which the county commissioners are to spend $60,000 to improve this summer.

They hope to get work started soon and completed quickly.

It is surprising how many prominent men and women from the surrounding countryside are to be seen in Archbold in one day. Archbold is becoming a popular trading center for townspeople and country people.

One German Township school closed Friday for the summer season. Others will close each Friday until May 9, when the last one will be closed. In the past, most of them closed on the same date, but this year owing to the epidemic of influenza and other causes, most of the schools are late in completing coursework. Elmira Special will close on April 24.

Eight young people will graduate from Archbold High School in May. The girls are Irene Short, Cara Murbach, Hilda Wonser, Bertha Bourquin, Sadie Miller. The boys are Edwin Lantz, Olen Grime, and William Rice.

Friday, April 25, 1919

The children of the first and fourth grades of the Archbold schools will present the operetta “Under the Sugar Plum Tree” at the Town & Township Hall. Children are making great preparations for the event.

The Victory Loan salesmen for German Township planned to meet at the Town Hall, Wednesday, to compare notes.

Only those from the Elmira district were present. They reported Elmira secured application for $11,000, and the prospects were good for an increase.

Saturday noon, the first airship in a non-stop flight from Chicago to New York passed over south of Archbold.

The distance traveled was 727 miles. Most of the distance was made at a height of 12,000 feet. The average speed was 106 miles an hour.

Henry Aeschliman of near Stryker has purchased an electric light plant for his farm buildings.

Carpenters who are building migrant cottages at the beet dump say the materials for the houses come with blueprints.

The lumber is so carefully figured and cut they seldom need to saw more than a half-inch off a board to make it fit. One carpenter said that when the job is done, there is not enough waste wood to start a fire.

The cottages have five rooms. There also are two knockdown shanties that will be set up on the lots. These with wagons will house quite a number of beets.

The prospects for all the help needed to harvest the beet crop in this area are good.

Friends in furnishing us with news items mistake advertising for news.

News we are glad to print for free, but advertising is what we must charge to keep the newspaper coming.

Here is the simplest definition of news–News is what has happened; advertising is what is going to happen.