Back in the Day 11-18-20
Ten years ago
November 24, 2010
Jeannine Fortney was named the Tuscola Volunteer of the Year at the November Chamber luncheon. Fortney was nominated for her tireless volunteer efforts to help grade-school children with reading and math skills.
East Prairie Middle School Principal Cathy Chaplin announced her resignation at the end of the school year.
Tony and Misty Douglas were proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Bella Grace Douglas, born November 3. She was welcomed home by siblings Brenten Anthony-Tyler, Benjamin Owen, and Brooklyn Dawn.
The lady Hornets basketball teams ended conference play, with both the seventh and eighth grader teams winning the Junior High Okaw Conference Tournament.
Tuscola Warriors advanced to the state final game in an overtime thriller against Brown County.
Tuscola Football seniors included Johnathan Turner. Kyler Miller, Jud Wienke, Trace Quinn, Cody Shelmadine, Jack Leonard, Chase Little, Jared Hall, Kolby Clough, Pat Yoakum, Dylan Stewart, and Darren Timlin.
Twenty years ago
November 21, 2000
Chamber of Commerce president Brian Moody presented community service awards to five deserving Tuscolians at the Chamber’s annual Thanksgiving luncheon held Nov. 14. Recognized for their civic-mindedness were Carl Quinn, Mary K. Kalmar, Paul Wisovaty, Kathy Kirkland, and Mary Bissey.
A foiled attempted break-in at R-Jays Package Liquors in the early morning hours of Nov. 10 turned into the real deal two days later, when perpetrators came back and finished the job. Owner Rick Whelan noted, with a touch of irony, the Nov. 12 break-in marked not only the first time he’d dealt with such a situation, but his 15th anniversary as owner of the buisness.
Railroad Olympic gymnast and Tuscola resident Linda Metheny Mulvihill was a surprise visitor to Cindy Surma’s second-grade class recently. The students had written to Mulvihill, who served as a judge at the 2000 Olympic competition in Australia, saying how much they’d like to meet her if she ever returned to her hometown.
Sullivan had to fight hard to get a 51-40 win over the Lady Warriors in a contest that saw Jenny Mosely finish with 12 points and six rebounds; while Marissa McCumber, Lindy Pollock and Aja Kohlbecker had six points each. The new Tuscola girls basketball coaching staff featured Brian Bradshaw as head coach and Tim Kohlbecker as assistant, replacing Stan Wienke and Beth Pugh.
Thirty years ago
November 20, 1990
The new Northrup King $3.3 million soybean production plant in Tuscola held its grand opening Nov. 15. The new plant would take 10,000 bags of soybean seed into warehouse storage on a daily basis to deliver to area customers.
Tuscola police officer Jim Clark was initiating a D. A. R. E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program at East Prairie Junior High. He would be teaching a 17-week course to sixth-graders, beginning in January.
Julie Hall of Tuscola was appointed Douglas County supervisor of assessments at the Nov. 15 Douglas County board meeting.
Sophomore Heidi Gaddey racked up 18 points and nine rebounds, leading in both categories, in the Lady Warriors’ 47-45 victory over Champaign Central in the season opener that also served as her varsity debut.
Forty years ago
November 25, 1980
Atwood-Hammond High School co-captains Steve Romine and Rich Whightsil accepted the Class 1A state football trophy following the Rajahs’ 17-16 victory over the Lexington Minutemen.
Plans to purchase a new fire truck for the City of Tuscola were approved by council members, and the city already had $19,000 saved up for a down payment on the total cost of $75,195.
After a two-month search, Tuscola and Villa Grove named Teresa Easterly to fill the vacancy for a cooperative, multi-jurisdictional youth officer. She was to begin her new duties Dec. 15.
DAR and SAR award winners at Tuscola High School for the 1980-81 school year were Anita Hartman, daughter of Mr and Mrs. Frank Hartman; and Brian Burress, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Burress.
Fifty years ago
November 26, 1970
The Tuscola school board voted to add baseball to the school athletic program at its recent board meeting. It was expected the program could be run at a cost of approximately $1,700, not including the cost of a coach and field maintenance.
The promotion of Clarence Nayonis to area superintendent of the polyethylene unit at USI was announced recently. Nayonis, of Tuscola, had worked at USI since 1957 when he joined the company as a research engineer in the polymer pilot plant.
Vampire Barnabas Collins was “taking a bride in an act of unnatural love” in “House of Dark Shadows,” the movie currently being shown at the Tuscola Drive-In Theatre.
Coach Bill Burress’ starting five overpowered the reserves 86-39 in a full-game scrimmage Sunday morning, as senior Jon Surma pumped in 34 points.