FROM THE CORNER

Because of the rainy weather conditions, many area farmers got a late start in planting their corn and soybeans this year. Perhaps they were spoiled after last year’s early planting season. As one drives through the countryside many fields are planted, but many also remain to be seeded. A reminder is to watch out for farm equipment that is entering and exiting fields. Remember that equipment is very large, it can hurt you if you get in its way and its operator cannot just stop on a dime! Have patience and also remember, “The Farmer Feeds Them All.” And that’s us.

*** Here’s a story for you! As read in the Bloomer Advance newspaper, May 11 edition. It took Elliott Tanner of St. Louis Park, MN only 13 years to graduate from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree. The teen age prodigy majored in physics and math and says he plans to get his doctorate. Elliott was reading when he was two years old and he graduated from Normandale Community College with an Associate of Science Degree when he was eleven. His goal is to earn his doctorate degree and return to his alma mater as a young – very young – professor of physics. Whoa, that young man has brains to spare!

*** An article by Dr. Jill Underly, Superintendent of Public Instruction, sent to newspapers across the state has been published both as an article and as a Letter to the Editor. Either way the article/letter thanks teachers for the work they do every day and for making a diuerence in the lives of children and their families. Her writing states that she believes that teaching is the most im- portant job in the world and one of the most divcult. She points out that the last two years have been additionally divcult due to the stress brought on by the pandemic. Her article/letter was a means of thanking teachers for going above and beyond duty every day. She concluded by thanking teachers “….. for loving Wisconsin children and ….. for continuing to change the world.”

Her article/letter was meant to appear during Teachers Appreciation Week, celebrated this year, May 2-6.

*** Never Forgotten Honor Flights have been taking place for some years now. A number of people I know have taken them and have sincerely appreciated the overall experience and especially the visit to the war memorial honoring those whom they served with. The War Memorials are scattered around Washington, D. C., so the trip is grueling for many of the older guys. One individual that recently made the trip to D. C. was Darrell Romig, who for years has been associated with Romig’s Hardware Store in Gilman. I met him when the Ace Ethanol Plant was being built in Stanley. His company was hired to do some of the plumbing.

Darrell served in the Korean War and went into service at age 24 and served from 1953-1962 (9 years). He recalled that the hardest time was leaving a one year old son, who was in the hospital in an oxygen tent. He stated, in an article in The Star News (the Medford weekly newspaper), that he felt the brunt of taking care of things at home was on wives left at home by themselves. Thank you Darrell and all veterans for your service.

*** As anyone who shops for groceries, or buys gas knows, prices are up for most things we purchase. A recent interesting read was that the cost of asphalt (blacktop) was up a whopping 24%. So gas/oil prices are also impacting some major road projects.

*** It’s the season for Lyme’s disease and other illnesses spread by ticks. The Wisconsin DNR and Wisconsin Department of Health remind the public to “Fight the Bite,” by protecting yourself.

Lyme’s is spread by deer ticks, which can be as small as a poppy seed and can often go unnoticed. Lyme’s symptoms can develop between three and 30 days. The symptoms are flu-like including fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, and nausea. Or, an infected person can develop a rash often in the shape of a bullseye. Lyme’s can be treated with antibiotics, so it is important to see a health care provider and treated as soon as possible.

*** If your a person who likes to attend Farm Technology Days, your living in the right part of Wisconsin, as the 2024 Farm Technology Days will be hosted on a Chippewa County Farm.

This year, the 2022 Farm Technology Days will be held on July 12-14, at Roehl Acres Farm, just a short distance southwest of Loyal. And, as you will recall the 2021 Farm Technology Days was held at Huntsinger Farms, just outside of Eau Claire. The location of the event, in this part of the state, three of the four years between 2021 to 2024 seems a little unusual, as in previous times, the event moved around the state. However, at one time the state committee was considering a permanent location, perhaps in Central Wisconsin, as it was reportedly getting harder to get volunteer farms to host the huge event. The last time Farm Technology Days was held in Chippewa County, I remember working at a food stand and the location of the host farm was a little northeast of Bloomer. Three Chippewa County farms have applied to host the 2024 event and I am guessing one farm is in the northern, western and eastern parts of the county? The one chosen will be announced before the end of May.

*** Inflation is at the highest level in 40 years. Feed My People needs our help to ensure their mission stays strong. Every day they distribute an equivalent of 15,000 meals to people in need in West Central Wisconsin. Give a bag of groceries for $45. Fill a grocery basket for $150. Feed a family for 1 month for $475.

If your able to help, send your donation to Feed My People Food Bank, 2610 Alpine Road, Eau Claire, WI 54703 *** Smile time. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When little Logan received his plate, he started eating right away. “Logan, wait until we say our prayer,” his mother reminded him. “I don’t have to,” the little boy replied.

“Of course you do,” his mother insisted, “we say a prayer before eating at our house.” “That’s at our house,” Logan explained, “but this is Grandma’s house and she knows how to cook.” +++ Laugh often, smile more and every chance you get hug your loved ones. +++ Tom had never been on a fishing boat before, and he was now thinking it was the stupidest thing he’d ever done in his life. Who would ever have believed that seasickness could be this awful? With every pitch and roll, Tom wondered how he was going to survive the remaining two hours of the trip. One of the deckhands came up to him and said, “Don’t worry, young fella. Nobody ever died of seasickness.” “You’ve just taken away my last hope for relief,” Tom said.

BY DAVID JANKOSKI