Time Machine: Time Machine Trip to January 1976

Kaukauna Times

By Lyle Hansen

January 6, 1976

Connie Jean Killian is the first baby of the new year from Kaukauna. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Killian. Connie received a U. S. saving bond from the Kaukauna Hospital auxiliary and many gifts from Kaukauna merchants.

Driving to work or on shopping experiences takes you past the city's only set of traffic lights, pay particular attention to them from now on. As a result of request acted upon last year. The city has alternated the sequence of the lights as well as adding directional arrows to the signals to speed traffic at the Wisconsin Ave. and Lawe St. intersection according to Chief of Police William Nagel.

A heart attack in April left Harold Doering’s heart in a weakened state, so much so that he was told by his doctor that he must not drive out of the city without someone with him in the car. Doering suggested that in lieu of a regular passenger, he installed a citizen band radio with which he can summon help if necessary and his doctor agreed. Last week someone stole the unit from Doering’s car when it was parked in his garage.

Ross Giordana committed an act of larceny Tuesday evening, and he wasn't even arrested for it. The fleet footed Kaukauna guard swiped the ball from Green Bay East with 9 seconds left to go to preserve a slim win of 58 to 56 for a Kaukauna Ghosts victory.

January 8, 1976

Forty-one states, including Wisconsin now permit a right turn on a red light in some manner according to the American automobile association.

Neil Geiger Kaukauna, award-winning photo, will be on display at the Kodak photo gallery in New York City, January 13th through March 13th as part of a major presentation of the finalist in the 1975 Kodak International Newspaper Snapshot Awards. Geiger was a photojournalist student at Saint Norbert’s college when one of the coeds asked him if he would take a series of pictures of her in campus scenes to keep as a memento of her college days. As they passed a statue, she spontaneously said, “take one of me sitting on his lap”.

January 15, 1976

Cheerleaders from St. Al’s rooted their team to the championship in the Reedsville tournament and captured a third place in the cheering leading computation. They include front row; Joanne Schmidt and Mary Jo VandeHey; second row; Karen Van Linn and Patty Hubert, third row; Lezlie Vander Loop, Debbie Collins and Becky Welhouse; on top Kathy Meyers.

Bethany Lutheran Church will celebrate its 30th anniversary on January 18. Many guest pastors for these services will be here for the event.

Deaths and births dropped in Kaukauna in 1975 according to health and welfare director James Gertz. Overall births in Kaukauna totaled 166, the lowest in the past five years continuing a downward cycle. There were no fatality deaths in 1975, the first time that figure reached 0 in the past five years. Deaths in Kaukauna were less than in the past years; only 59 were recorded last year.

Construction has been completed on a $1.75 million Midland Cooperative feed mill in Little Chute. The mill took more than a year to build.

January 20, 1976

The Bicentennial festivities chairman John Arnoldussen placed the crown on Miss Peggy Pomeroy to his left as members of the court, Miss Kim Kromer and Mrs. Jane Hietpas join her.

Monday’s wintry day was not altogether an unexpected scene here for the month of January, but a red breasted Robin perched atop a pile of drifted snow. According to the calendar spring is 8 weeks away but the undaunted Robin hopping about the front yard of Donald Mangold residence on Glenview Ave. seemed oblivious to the calendar date.

January 22, 1976

Bill Knapp, a grade school basketball coach for more than 26 years, was presented the Kaukauna Athletic Club “Man of the Year” award at the Red Smith sports dinner Tuesday evening. The engraved plague cites his devotion to sports since the days he played on Kaukauna’s only championship basketball team in 1941.

January 27, 1976

Kaukauna will honor its two retired physicians at a recognition event scheduled for Saturday evening, February 7th at Van Abels, Hollandtown. Honored will be Dr. George L. Boyd, a native of this city, and physician and surgeon here for 40 years, and Dr. Alois M. Bachhuber, who had served residents of this city and surrounding communities for 36 years, prior to his retirement in June 1972. Doctor Boyd retired from active practice on May 1st, 1975. Honored posthumously will be Dr. Alphons Bachhuber, who served Kaukauna for 39 years. He died two years ago on April 23rd of 1973.