Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the readers of this column. I hope your holidays are with family and friends that will be uplifting to you and yours. We are looking forward to having a house full of adults and a dog. *** All Saints Parish, that serves Stanley, Boyd and Cadott, have Christmas Masses scheduled as follows: 4 pm Christmas Eve at Holy Family in Stanley; 8 pm Christmas Eve at St. Rose in Cadott and 10:30 am Christmas Day at St. Joseph’s in Boyd. *** After reading my remarks last week about the Stanley lights, a reader of this column reported to me that the Chippewa Falls, Irvine Park decorations are spectacular as usual. The Irvine Park 2022 Christmas Village, this year, features 100 displays and over 100,000 lights. Sounds like a drive over there before January 1, would be a nice outing. *** I was on my computer at about 3:45 am on Thursday, December 15, and the computer began acting funny. Moments later the electricity went off and the computer went blank. I shut it down and turned the power pack off fearing a power surge when the electricity came back on. O no, I thought. It was the first anniversary of the Stanley tornado that hit December 15, 2021. And now again we lost our power. Before long I was notifying my wife and rummaging through a bedroom dresser for our flashlights. What in the world was happening? I looked outside and it was a beautiful sight. Everything was snow covered. Certainly all those who had wished for a white Christmas had their wish fulfilled! Before long, I was outside shoveling the heavy snow away from the building so our landlord could come in and push the snow off the driveway. It was soon evident why the power was off – the snow was so heavy that snow covered branches likely snapped and took down some lines. About 11:30 am after the city plow had gone by, I was out shoveling some additional snow when some friends came by with IGA chicken and the fixings and we invited them in after the intended recipients were not home. Lucky for us, as we had a warm meal and delightful conversation time with them. So the day went by and by 2:30 pm I was ready to escape the house, so off I went. By then, the streets had all been plowed and I was able to get around with no trouble. With some hot coffee for the wife, I returned home about 3:30 pm just about the time the power was restored. So what a memorable way to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Stanley Tornado! I think next year Stanley has to remove December 15 from our calendar to avoid a similar fate! Could we possibly loose electrical power three year’s in a row on the same date? *** It is hard to realize that it has been a year since the tornado struck Stanley. Although destructive, it could have been a whole lot worse. The biggest loss was the historic Stanley Depot, but a considerable number of houses and businesses were damaged or destroyed. It is heart warming to see the new construction that emerged to fill the voids and the houses that have been repaired or are in the process of being repaired. A considerable number are in various stages of having new siding wrapped around them. All that is good! “Stanley Strong,” was a theme seen on a number of buildings and that certainly has proven true.

*** From November 14 to December 19, the Stanley Area Historical Society had the oak flooring in the 2002 addition sanded, sealed and finished. This was a big job as it entailed moving everything out of the meeting room, library area, kitchen and entry way. One doesn’t realize how much there is in those rooms and then it all has to be put back. The floor work was done professionally by Kurt Huegel, doing business as Wood Floor Masters out of nearby Willard. The beauty has been restored to the oak floors in this building. A shout out to Jordan Donnerbauer’s Ag Class at the local high school, the city crew and Jim Ericksen for all the engineering and muscle power to get all the moving done in a timely manner. Jim and I placed floor protectors on nearly every fixture moved during the project. By Monday, December 19, the project was completed and is ready for volunteers to return to the ongoing preservation of Stanley area history. *** Ronald and Marie Wundrow, of rural Stanley, are proud of their granddaughters Kelsey and Marcel Kodl, who are going to be in the annual Rose Parade, on New Year’s Day, in Pasadena, California. Kelsey is a junior at D. C. Everest High School and Marcel is a 2021 graduate. Frank and Jane Kodl of Thorp are also grandparents of these two participants. This year is special, as the D. C. Everest Marching Band and seven other area high school programs will be a part of a 400 member Northwoods band that will be participating in the parade. A unique fact is that the 400 member band will be the second largest marching band to ever perform in the 5.5 mile Rose Parade route. *** The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection reports that 69,000 hired farm workers were employed in the Lake Region of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the average wage was $18.83 per hour. This compared to farm labor pay nationwide of $17.72 per hour. Nationwide workers classified as field workers earned $18.26 per hour, while field and livestock workers earned $17.52 per hour. Thus, with an average wage of $18.83 per hour, Lake Region farm workers make the most, when compared to other farm workers nationwide. *** Smile time. A pastor announced to his congregation: “My good people, I have here in my hands three sermons: a $100 sermon that lasts five minutes, a $50 sermon that lasts fifteen minutes, and a $10 sermon that lasts a full hour. Now, we’ll take up a collection and see which one I’ll deliver.” +++ I’m so old I remember multiplication was called “Times Tables.” +++ I’m so old that when I was a kid, we actually had to win to get a trophy. +++ I’m so old that I remember when paper bags were being blamed for destruction of trees – and plastic bags were the solution. +++ Today, 8 year old’s are asking for the latest iPhone. When I was 8 years old, I felt that I had won the lottery if I had a pen. +++ Remember, when you forgive, you heal. And when you let go, you grow. +++ A father took his young son on a crowded bus and sat next to an elderly man. He plopped his one year old on his lap and the little boy began to cry and fidget. “That child is spoiled, isn’t he?” the old man said. “No,” said the father. “They all smell the same.”

BY DAVID JANKOSKI