Daryl Varner grew up near Kenosha, Wisconsin, the youngest son of two boys born to Daniel and Dorothy "Dot" Varner. He describes his dad sort of like Archie Bunker and his mom as June Cleaver. "My mom was wise beyond her years. She taught me there is good in everyone. She instilled wisdom and gave me two ways to look at things. I take after her a lot," Daryl shared, and he felt his mother was the most influential person in his life.
As a young 18-year old man, with that influence in him, he was eager to take on the world and make a good living for himself. He started working in the degreasing department of a brake lathe factory doing piece work. OSHA was not around at that time, and while he outworked all the other employees there, he came into a lot of contact with a chemical, tricor ethylene. After working there for three months, he knew he had to find another job, which he found at American Motors where he built cars. "It was the smartest thing I ever did," he said.
Daryl would go on to build cars and also train many people on the most efficient and easy way to build cars. He worked at that factory across three decades, though he would have never expected he would even live three decades when he started working there. "It was 11 months into my job that I was in complete kidney failure," Daryl shared. The kidney failure happened due to the chemicals he worked with at the brake lathe factory. The doctors were able to keep his kidneys working well enough for 14 years. "I took 22 pills per day."
By 1985, at the age of 32, Daryl's health was very deteriorated, and he was undergoing dialysis three times per week. His father, feeling that no son of his should have to struggle with kidney failure, discovered he was a match and gave Daryl a kidney. "His kidney lasted for 30 years," Daryl explained. His father went on to live a full life, passing on many years later at 78 years old (not due to kidney issues), and living all those years knowing he had given his son a great gift, the gift of a second chance at life.
Though still needing to take medication so that his body would not reject the kidney, Daryl had a new lease on life. He moved onto a new career, which he enjoyed for 16 years. "It was my dream job," Daryl explained about working as the custom carpenter for a hospital. "I built computer work stations, the nurses' stations, everything. I absolutely just loved that job. I had free-range to create anything that I wanted to. It was an awesome job."
Years later, Daryl moved to Phillips, calling the northwoods home. He currently works at the local grocery store where he is a familiar face to many residents. "I enjoy seeing all the customers," he said.
Along with working at the grocery store, Daryl sells firewood through his business, Daryl's Firewood, https://www.DarylsFirewood.com, which he started in Phillips in 2008. However, he first got started in the firewood business in the 1970s when he installed a wood burner in his house. Since then, he has learned a lot about the business. People often tell him he should charge more for his firewood products, as he sells wood for stoves and also for campfires, but he said he is happy to provide a quality product at an inexpensive price. "My clients appreciate the quality and that pleases me," Daryl said of his internal compensation for a job well done. He really enjoys meeting with his clients, and he also enjoys the solitude of being out in the woods.
His solitude was broken, however, around 2017 when he, once again, went into kidney failure. He was in search of a kidney, but had reached only dead ends until a man named Dan came into a local supper club where Daryl often dines and said, "I hear somebody needs a kidney." Daryl was not present in that moment, but the man was given his phone number, and he called Daryl, who was sitting in his car taking a break from a class he had been attending that day. While Daryl was doctoring at Froedtert in Milwaukee, the man wanted to use Mayo Clinic, which Daryl said was fine. In the meantime, Dan went to Froedtert and found that, sadly, he was not a match for Daryl. However, Dan went one more step above and beyond and told the hospital that if they could find Daryl a kidney from a match, Dan would donate his to someone in need. As luck would have it, Rose, then a stranger but now a friend to Daryl, stopped by Froedtert Hospital asking how she could donate a kidney to someone in need, and she was Daryl's match. The transplant was a success. "The most special thing anyone has ever done for me," Daryl reflected on the two kidneys he has received, "was giving me life...twice."
While happy with those new leases in life, Daryl admitted that if he was granted one wish, it would be "to have not had my life-threatening diseases. If I had better health, I wonder how different my life would have been." Regardless of that thought, Daryl said he doesn't look at it as "Why me?" He looks at it as "Why not me?" "Other people have had hard times, too." Daryl reflected on September 11, 2001. "The day the United States of America could be made to look like a war zone....I just looked at something like that which happened on our soil and seeing those folks jumping out of windows was just awful. It just moved me and made a giant impression." That was certainly a terrible time for our country and those people directly impacted by the attack who had to overcome their hard times, too. More locally, a customer at the grocery store shared a hard time with Daryl. While experiencing a trying medical situation, he told Daryl, "If you could do it, I knew I could do it, too." Daryl reflected, "Maybe that's my purpose."
To provide hope to others is something Daryl strives to achieve. "Never give up," he said. "I am passionate about life and people. The day you decide not to get out of bed is the day you die. I always look forward to a new day." He said the thing that has brought him the most happiness is simply realizing what happiness is and knowing how to find it daily. "If I fulfill something positive each day, I'm happy. That brings me contentment to know I did the best I could and to do something positive. You need to fulfill something positive each day."
In that regard, Daryl said his advice to the next generation would be not to participate in idle gossip and to follow the expression 'To thy own self be true.' "You have to be true to yourself. You've got to take life on life's terms. It's not going to be an easy road but with determination and a need and a want, you'll get there. Nobody's going to hand it to you, and if they do hand it to you, it isn't going to last. It takes work and determination and then you will appreciate it a lot more than if somebody tried to pad your way." Daryl admitted he tries to be the best person he can be. That's his motto in life. While it "hasn't all been a picnic," mostly due to his medical situation, Daryl admitted, "I have a lot of things to kind of be thankful for." One of those things is that the doctors have told him no one has survived as long as he has on anti-rejection drugs. He also said people have to keep their chin up and that finding love makes life easier. "I think everybody should have love, whether its for nature, trees, grass, pets, people. It gives us hope."
Daryl has found love in things, people, and dogs. As for things, he collects antiques. He hopes to add on a room so he can better display his beer sign collection. It's one of those many goals that gives him the desire to get up in the morning.
As for the dogs in his life, Daryl and David have adopted eight rescue dogs thus far. He treats his dog, Max, for diabetes, and since his companion, Bella, recently passed on due to cancer, Daryl knew it was time to rescue another dog. While at an appointment for the skin cancer he gets as an effect of the anti-rejection drugs he has to take, he stopped by a pet shelter and met a Boston Terrier, Moria, that stole his heart and now also steals some space on the sofa as she is the latest addition to the family.
In regard to people, Daryl said his favorite vacation was one he took a few years back with David Palmer. They took a 35 foot motor home to Mt. Rushmore. On the way there, however, Daryl was driving and noticed that no moisture was coming off the tires of the other cars in South Dakota. "My dad always taught me, when you don't see the moisture coming off the tires of the other cars coming past you, that means the road's freezing. All of a sudden I realized there was no moisture coming off the other cars' tires, and I felt the motor home slip, and I thought we don't need this thing falling off the road. I didn't want to say anything to Dave, but I knew it was icy so I turned off." He didn't want to be driving such a large vehicle on icy roads, so he found a truck stop and they spent the night there with the locals. They also grilled salmon, watched TV, and took in the moment while the weather went wild outside. "It was just a great time and one of the most memorable times. That was very special," Daryl shared.
While enjoying the people, pets, and things in his life, Daryl will continue to enjoy interacting with customers at the grocery store and clients of his firewood business. To see a short, interesting video of how Daryl makes his firewood, view his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/darylsfirewood. While there, follow his page, as Daryl plans to share additional interesting posts in the future.
If you would like more information on saving a life through organ donation, you can take the simple step of noting your intent on your driver's license or you can do further research and take additional steps at https://www.organdonor.gov/
On December 22, at approximately 12:37 a.m., the Tomahawk Fire Department, Tomahawk EMS, and Lincoln County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a report of a house fire on Stevenson Road, west of Grundy Road, in the Town of Skanawan.
Upon arrival, the rear of the house was fully engulfed in flames. It was discovered that the seven occupants of the hosue were able to safely evacuate the residence. All occupants reported no injuries.
As a result of an on-scene investigation, it was reported that the fire started in the attic. One of the occupants woke up to the noise of cracking and the smell of smoke. That occupant woke the other six occupants, evacuated the house, and called 911.
On Sunday, October 31,2021, Halloween, at 6:08 a.m. the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office first received the report of a person laying in a pool of blood near the intersection of Elm Ave and Hamm Dr in the township of Holway, Taylor County. The victim was an unidentified white male and was dead at the scene with multiple injuries.
As the investigation continued Taylor County Sheriff’s Office Detectives were able to identify the victim as 27-year-old Titus Kottke of Athens Wi. An autopsy was performed on Kottke, and his injuries were found to be consistent with being struck by a motor vehicle.
As the investigation continued, detectives were able to accurately account for Kottke’s whereabouts throughout the evening leading up to his death. He had visited a number of bars and was last seen alive at 3:30 a.m. walking on the road about a mile from where he was found deceased. As part of an exhaustive investigation, a suspect was developed, and several search warrants were executed.
Today the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office took 28-year-old Paul J. Schmeiser of Curtiss, WI into custody for the death of Titus Kottke. Schmeiser is charged with hit and run, duty upon striking a person. Schmeiser is being cooperative with law enforcement and will be in court today for a bond hearing.
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On Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at approximately 11:00 a.m., the Oneida County Jail Corrections Officers observed an inmate attempting to commit suicide in Rhinelander. Rhinelander Fire Department Medics were called and life saving measures were conducted by Oneida County Corrections Officers and Medics. The subject was pronounced deceased. The deceased inmate was identified as 52 year old Wayne A. Maynard of Rockford, Michigan.
The Vilas County Sheriff’s Office and the Oneida County Medical Examiner’s Office are conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. The State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections has been notified and is conducting an administrative review. The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an internal review of the incident.
Norvado Employees Smash 2021 Target, Logging More Than 22,000 Miles of Activity; Service Provider Contributes $2,250 to Five School Districts to Improve Student Exercise Facilities
To turn the page on 2020 and help make health and wellness a priority for 2021, Norvado challenged its employees to commit to recording one mile of exercise per day, setting a company goal of reaching 20,210 miles between January 1 and October 31. Norvado employees shattered the target, reporting 22,023 miles of walking, running, hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing over the 10-month period.
To further incentivize employees, Norvado pledged to contribute 10 cents per mile, ultimately raising $2,250, which they donated to five local school districts to support and improve student fitness facilities. Last month, Norvado presented $450 to the following school districts: School District of Phillips, Prentice School District, Drummond Area School District, South Shore School District, and School District of Maple.
“After everything that our communities had been through in 2020, we wanted to put the year behind us and what better way than to focus on our health and wellness,” said Chad Young, CEO, Norvado. “We wanted to make 2021 ten times better, so we created a goal of logging 20,210 miles of exercise in 10 months. I’m so proud to say that our Norvado family blew away that goal, beating it by nearly 2,000 miles. And not only have we improved our own physical and mental fitness, but we were also able to give back to the communities that support us. We were thrilled to donate $450 to each of the school districts in our service area to help students reach their fitness goals.”
On Friday, December 17, 2021, the Lincoln County 911 Center received a call just before 6 a.m. advising of a house fire in the Town of Pine River east of Merrill. Upon arrival by personnel from the sheriff's office and the Town of Pine River Fire Department, flames were seen coming out of the windows of the residence. One occupant, William Ohlmann, 71 years old, was located inside the residence and pronounced deceased at the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time.
Photo by: Sandy Onchuck Back Row: Ron Neilson, Rudy Suchy, and Mike Johnson Front Row: Judy Hayton, Davette Hrabak, Lynne Bohn, Dennis Onchuck, and Gary Freeman
As of Thursday, November 4, 2021, the well-known, highly-cherished historic "bank clock" is once again hanging high above Phillips.
The 1916 McClintock-Loomis Company clock first made its appearance in Phillips in 1918. After the Phillips fire of 1894, the State Bank of Phillips was the first bank to rebuild. They commissioned to have a brownstone building built to house the bank at 126 North Lake Avenue. A McClintock-Loomis Company clock, typically displayed on financial institutions across the United States, was installed on that building in 1918 and would remain there for twenty-seven years. The scars of the clock brackets can still be seen on that original location. In February 1945, the bank moved to a corner brick building located at 198 North Lake Avenue, and the clock moved with it. Up until 1970, the clock had chimes that sounded every quarter hour and pealed hourly, though some townspeople remember this not being a welcome sound for residents who lived downtown and heard the sound often throughout the day. This antique timepiece became a treasured staple of Phillips' history. In January 1980 and October 1982, vandals damaged the clock but it was restored each time.
If you look about halfway down the block on each of these photos, you will see the clock at 126 North Lake Avenue, where it hung from 1918 to 1945 in Phillips, Wisconsin.
[i]Looking between the windows, you can see the holes where the lower bracket of the clock once was at 126 North Lake Avenue. The upper brackets can mostly be seen at the top of the current sign.[/i]
The "bank clock" at 198 North Lake Avenue, where it hung from 1945 to 2016. This building was bought from the bank and is currently owned by Fred Mueller Ford, http://www.FredMuellerFord.com
This is how the clock looked after the bank took it down in 2016. This is what came back to The Power of 3 Community Development Group, Inc.
In June of 2016, it was almost entirely destroyed. The current bank chose to remove the clock from the building, which they were painting at that time. Driving through town after teaching summer school on June 14, 2016, Lynne Bohn noticed a sign going up in its place, and she was certain the clock would not be back. She called her mom, Judy Hayton, and mentioned she and Lynne's sister, Davette Hrabak, might want to call the bank to inquire. The three ladies currently own the original brownstone bank building through their business, Bumble Bee Rentals, so the clock has been of interest to them for that reason and due to its historic presence in town. Wanting to learn the fate of the clock, Judy and Davette got on their phones to try to find it. Judy called the bank but did not get any answers. Davette also called the bank twice, and the second teller said the city clerk, Barb Revak, should know as the sign company that took it down needed a permit to take down the clock and put up the new bank sign. Davette called and explained to Barb they wanted to find the clock to hopefully restore it. Barb said that Lakeland Sign and Graphics took it down, so Davette told Barb she would call that business, which she did. The owner said he planned to fully scrap the clock the next day and could send photos of what remained, which he did. He warned that, since the clock was to be scrapped, it was already in pieces and the working clock face was demolished. Since the clock face was no longer original due to the vandalism in the 1980s, the frame, decorative pieces, and chimes had been the only original parts for over 30-some years, so this did not deter the ladies. Davette explained about the importance of the clock to the residents of Phillips, and the owner said he realized it must be important as many people were asking what was going to happen with the clock when it was being taken down. He said that since it was so important to the community, he would give it to Davette, Judy, and Lynne to restore if they sent someone to get it, which they said they would do, so he agreed to hold the clock for them. While arranging for someone to pick up the clock, the sign company e-mailed Davette stating the City of Phillips came to pick it up and the ladies would have to get it from them. "We then attended two city meetings, and it was determined that it was our clock," Davette explained. "We let the city know the purpose of us owning it was to get it restored and then have it back in Phillips for all the residents to enjoy once again."
"We formed The Power of 3 Community Development Group, Inc., and we thought we could get this restoration done rather quickly, but we were a little naive about the complexity of it and had no idea what we were in for," Judy admitted. "Hindsight is 20/20, but we are glad we saw the project through." The group started by searching for places to restore the clock. Davette and Lynne called a local person who worked on timepieces and e-mailed and called a number of clock places they found on the Internet, but none of them were interested or able to take on such a large project, and the search area was beginning to extend far away from Phillips. "Seeing the sad-looking photos, one place told me the clock was too damaged to be repaired," Davette remembered, "and a number of people remarked they would have given up, but we were determined and don't like to give up." Clock hands and the clock mechanism were also difficult to find in that size for outdoor purposes, and the hands needed to be weighted appropriately. Out of a number of places, only one had the clock parts that met the requirements.
In the meantime, the ladies started fund-raising while they brainstormed a possible solution to the restoration problem. Judy explained, "We wanted to have most or all of the work done by people in our community, but it's difficult to know everyone's talents. However, I know Rudy Suchy does well with car restorations, and luckily Davette and I saw him at Phillips Lumber and Hardware, so I asked if he would restore the clock. He agreed to donate part of his services, and John Kucaba hauled the frame to Rudy's garage sometime in 2018." Rudy, with a very busy schedule, worked on the clock when he had time, and then COVID-19 hit in 2020, which allowed him more time to finish the clock. He sandblasted the pieces, cleaned the metal, and put all the pieces back together. Some of the decorative corner pieces were missing, so BW Papersystems, who also donated funds, made new pieces identical to the original ones. "Those pieces look like a geometric design but actually contain the logo of the manufacturer of the clock," Lynne explained. "MCL," representing McClintock-Loomis, plus "C" and "O" on each side, standing for "Company," are fashioned in the metal. With a little bit of replacement metal here and there, the clock was finally back to its original luster. "It was so exciting to see the battered frame fixed and painted and the clock face restored to its original numbering style," Lynne remarked about when they first saw the restored clock in June of 2020. She said Rudy made sure to find the exact font that had been used on McClintock-Loomis clocks as the group wanted to restore the look back to the original as best they could. Since the chimes were in disrepair and had not sounded since 1970, those were donated to the Price County Antique Association. The chimes were displayed at their expo and at the 2021 Price County Fair as the item to guess, though no one correctly guessed what they were at either event. The group was unable to find the proper type of chimes to replace them, plus they realized they may not have been a welcome sound. The thermometer, which was added in the recent past and only hung on the bottom of the clock for a short time, was too badly damaged, would have made the clock hang too low on the pole, and was not part of the original look of the timepiece, so it did not get added to the antique clock. "We wanted it to look as original as possible," Judy noted.
The decorative pieces on the clock, like this original one, are the logo for the McClintock-Loomis Company. BW Papersystems re-created some of the decorative pieces and also donated funds to the clock project, https://www.bwpapersystems.com.
Rudy Suchy restored the clock, which needed extensive work.
Price Electric Cooperative made a substantial monetary donation.
Once the clock face was restored, Tony Budaj donated his services and parts to wire the clock and install the lighting. The project went into full speed in 2020 and 2021. The ladies worked on a design for the upper sign, more fund-raising, and finding more skilled people that could get the clock back up in Phillips. "Davette worked diligently on raising funds for the project," Lynne said. "Price Electric Cooperative made a huge impact on the project almost immediately by donating $5,000, which made us feel like we were going to be able to get this accomplished. We also had articles published in our two local news sources, and some of our first donations came from people reading those, such as our former teachers, Sue Weddle and Dave Peterson. Therese and Maureen Trojak were also early contributors and contributed again throughout the process. Since Therese worked at the bank for so many years, the clock also had special meaning to her," Lynne continued. "Davette reached out to some other businesses and local residents that always seem willing to pitch in when the community has a need. Forward Bank, Price County Antique Association, the Precour Family, Chuck & Sherrie Kandutsch, and Frank & Carol Dusek all made contributions. Norvado, Compumold, the Phillips Moose Lodge, Brent Mindock, Slaby, Deda, Marshall, Reinhard & Writz LLP, Carole Zellinger, and Tina Andersen also gave monetary donations. Plus, we cannot forget the coin donations in the jars we had around town at the start of the project. Truly, every penny was appreciated and kept getting us closer to our goal."
The group also needed to select a location for the clock, which proved to be a puzzle. "All the signs that overhang the sidewalks in Phillips have been grandfathered in, but once they are officially removed from a building, as the bank did with the clock, the state no longer allows anything to overhang the sidewalk without a lengthy approval process," Davette explained the legalities. "We also did not want to put it back on a building," Judy added, "because if the current owner of either of those buildings decided to sell the building where it was hung, the clock could be in jeopardy once again." During the restoration process, many people remarked they liked seeing the clock on main street, and the group agreed that is where it should be, but there is not a lot of city-owned property in that small area. Finally, a spot was found, they had it approved at a city meeting, and then learned that there were too many water and sewer pipes underground in that location. The next spot, which they have now decided is the best spot after seeing it there, was the corner of the city parking lot. This spot puts the clock only four buildings away from the brownstone building where it was originally located as opposed to nine buildings away at the brick building where it last resided. Their only fear there was what types of rocks and building materials may be found there given the building that once stood there had been torn down after it was destroyed by fire. Deciding to cover their bases, Davette called the former owner, Tim Werner, and he noted that some of the building materials were bulldozed in, though more to the south side, but he mentioned it did have a basement, so they might hit rock. Given it was the only spot that seemed to be an option and it had been approved by the Common Council, the group decided they would have to give it a try, regardless. "Plus," Davette said, "We liked the idea that the clock would be directly across the street from where the welcome arch once stood in Phillips. Initially it welcomed home the World War I soldiers. Standing for many years, it then welcomed all the people into town from the train drop-off. Now the clock welcomes everyone at that spot."
While the possible digging difficulty was being learned of, finding an electrician to hook up the pre-wired clock to the electrical pad on-site was also proving to be tricky. One electrician quoted $4,100 for the project which seemed too high and was not in the budget, and the other two that volunteered their time backed out of the project because one of them wanted the electrical pad next to the pole and the other wanted the clock on the other side of the street even though there were too many pipes in the way. Not letting those hurdles stop them, Lynne found phone numbers of more electricians and Davette started calling. She reached Tom Miller, a native of Park Falls, who played sports in high school. He joked with Davette that even though his business was in the rival town, he would be glad to donate his services as he enjoys giving back to the local communities when he can.
During the electrician debacle, more obstacles needed to be overcome. "We were stumped on where we could get a large enough pole in the area for an approximately 600 pound, 8 foot tall clock," Davette admitted. The search was leading them to a company in Nebraska, and the cost to bring it to Phillips was almost as daunting as the cost of a 20 foot pole, plus the pole was not ideally designed for this project as a larger area was needed inside the pole to house the clock setting components. The components were necessary so the City of Phillips crew will not need a bucket truck when the time needs to be changed. Luckily, Davette sent an e-mail to her high school classmate and friend, Mick Theis, mentioning the clock project and the difficulty in finding a pole. He wrote her back that IAP, Inc. could design and fabricate the pole and would be glad to help with the project. He later remarked this was a project in which his dad, Bob Theis, would have been proud to help, so he and his sisters, Laurie Woldt and Kris Ernst, along with their mother, Claire Theis, were glad to assist.
Once the group had the pole squared away, they were surprised to learn they needed architectural plans, which were completed at a reduced rate by Ayres and Associates, and a 14 foot hole needed to be dug. The hole needed to have an elaborate rebar cage placed inside, as well. Again, the owners of IAP offered their services for the manufacture of the rebar cage with some materials provided by Phillips Lumber and Hardware. However, there was no one in the area with a rig large enough to create that size hole without tearing up most of the parking lot. The search had extended hours away and the cost would have been in the thousands of dollars. Dennis Onchuck suggested that Davette call their neighbor and friend, Greg Denzine, and Greg gave a lead that panned out immediately. The crew was warned they might hit a basement, so they brought extra heavy augers, including a rock auger, in case it was needed. On September 23, 2021, Dennis brought the rebar cage to the site, and the hole was dug by an awesome crew from Xcel Energy. Of course, the rock basement proved to be a challenge, though the rock auger wasn't utilized, but Jim Heizler of the City of Phillips came over with a backhoe to help get the job done. Jeff Williams from the Department of Public Works also approved providing sand that was needed. Northern Lakes Concrete donated the concrete, and Gary Gabrielsen was happy to offer his services pouring the concrete. He said he remembered the clock from when he was a young boy riding his bike checking the clock to make sure he got home on time. Everyone who had a hand in this project seems to have a special attachment to the clock.
The 2,000 pound pole was made in early October, so the ladies met with Mick Theis and Gary Freeman at IAP to see a sample of the hammered black paint suggested by IAP. All five of them figured the paint could be easily bought at Phillips Lumber and Hardware. However, all five of them were wrong. "Due to supply chain shortages, neither Kris Ernst nor I could find it locally or online," Lynne said. "Finally, an online hardware store that I had never heard of showed they had it in stock, I took a chance ordering it, and we got it. We were never so happy to get a box of paint in the mail!"
November 2nd was going to be the day for the clock to go back up in town, but one last glitch occurred. The clear gloss paint, which was also difficult to find, reacted with the paint on the pole's top dome, so it needed to be repainted and dried, which meant November 4th would be the earliest date for installation. Rudy Suchy brought the clock, Gary Freeman brought the pole, Dennis Onchuck brought a crane, and Mike Johnson and Ron Neilson arrived with Mike's bucket truck. All five men worked together to raise the pole and attach the clock to it. All the hardware was provided by Fastenal and Phillips Lumber and Hardware at no cost to the project. Xcel Energy, who had directional drilled the line weeks prior, arrived as the clock was getting placed and installed the meter, which meant Tom Miller Electric was able to hook up the electricity late that afternoon. The clock, once again, was keeping time over Phillips.
While keeping time, it also gives important information about our town. There is a frame in the pole that will soon house a plaque with information about the clock. Inside the pole is a time capsule that will be opened in 2050. The upper portion of the clock always housed a sign advertising the current bank that owned the building where the clock was affixed. As of 2021, the clock's sign now welcomes everyone to Phillips, Wisconsin, which was platted on September 23, 1876 and incorporated on April 10, 1891. Lynne explained the two dates, stating, "It seems that the platted date was the most significant one mentioned in city documents and is when most people feel the town was formed, but being incorporated is also significant, so, after consulting with Bruce Marshall, the city attorney, we included both dates." Bruce and Davette also donated their time to create a document that will protect the clock from destruction well into the future. To commemorate the event, Judy Hayton wrote a poem. (The poem can be found below this article.)
All three ladies remarked they could not have seen the project through without all the great help they had from everyone involved with donating services, materials, or money. "This clock has a special place in many people's hearts," Judy remarked. "One person told me it moved her to tears to see it back in Phillips. We have enjoyed seeing other people stopping to take photos the last few days when we traveled through town. We are glad so many people are happy." Davette added, "The clock seems to be the one constant in Phillips that people feel attached to. Like an old friend, it has always been there." Lynne agreed and mentioned, "I commend everyone who takes on a community project. There have been so many great projects over the last few years, such as the splash pad and stage in Elk Lake Park and the softball/baseball fields, just to name a few. We all may wonder why something is done a certain way on any of these projects, but the truth is the people organizing those projects probably had a lot of difficulties they had to overcome that most others weren't aware of, and I really think it is great how our community comes together on these projects. We are all fortunate to call Phillips home and live amongst such great people."
The Power of 3 Community Development Group, Inc. wanted to get the clock up as soon as it was ready for everyone to enjoy, but funds are still needed to cover the costs. In spring or summer, an approximate 15 x 16 foot area by the clock will be landscaped as a micro park for public enjoyment. Gary Gabrielsen has volunteered to donate his masonry services, and an anonymous donor will donate funds for two benches, but various other materials will be needed to make the corner look as classy as the clock. If anyone would like to donate to the project, funds can be deposited at Forward Bank in the Power of 3 Community Development Group, Inc. account or by clicking the "Donate" button at http://www.mypricecounty.com/clock.html Davette stated, "We are a non-profit group, so your donation is tax-deductible, depending on your tax situation. All the money goes to the non-profit, as well. We are not taking any monetary compensation as we have also donated to the clock project and want all funds to go to the non-profit to enhance the community. If there are any leftover funds, though likely all will need to be used for the clock, those funds will be used for future maintenance of the clock and/or other community development projects." Additional donors will be recognized via My Price County once the landscaping project is complete next year.
Poem written by Judith Ann Hayton:
This clock was an icon in our town close to a hundred years or so
Until the Wells Fargo Bank execs said, “This thing has got to go!”
Trashing the clock in a garbage truck to a salvage yard somewhere
Thrown away, like a piece of trash, and they didn’t seem to care
Driving through Phillips, Lynne Bohn saw the iconic clock was down
This iconic clock had been loved by all who lived in our small town
Lynne told her sister, Davette Hrabak, and so she got started, too
Davette did quite a bit of sleuthing as this was something new
To us there wasn’t an option; there was not one single doubt
The three of us together, for sure, could figure this thing out
Davette decided to call the City of Phillips to find out what they knew
They did not know much of anything, but they did have one small clue
She also called the bank to ask a teller; finding that clock might be hard
The city told us the clock was in Minocqua, soon to be in a salvage yard
Davette called Lakeland Sign and Graphics; the clock, to us, they gave
And that is when we knew for sure that old clock was ours to save
Then later on we were told, and to us it was a mighty shock,
The city had, without us knowing, went to get that grand old clock
They had done some sleuthing, too, and sent a crew right out
They didn’t know the clock was ours, but it was without a doubt
We went to city meetings and, for the clock, fought tooth and nail
In restoring that grand old historic clock, we did not want to fail
We proved our case, we owned the clock; now to get on track
The city brought the clock home to us, and now we had it back
Now for some fund-raising; we needed some money to come in
None of us had one small clue of where we should begin
Our first task was huge as the clock was badly torn apart
The only way to get this done was pull up our sleeves and start
Who did we know with the talent to tackle this huge task?
We felt that Rudy Suchy might be the person we should ask
He told us he would gladly donate some of his labor time
If parts were needed, we should know, it had to be our dime
Transporting the frame to get repaired, John Kucaba used his truck
We knew he felt for us to get this done would take a lot of luck
BW Papersystems donated money and some custom parts
Which we accepted gladly with full and grateful hearts
When all was done, the clock repaired, it gave us quite a shock
Five thousand five hundred dollars to get back the treasured clock
Funds came in just in time; Price Electric helped to save the day
Five thousand dollars helped things out; we had a lot to pay
Tony Budaj did the clock’s lighting and the wiring, as well
He knew what he was doing; he made that clock look swell
A state plan was needed; we had Ayres & Associates draw up one
It was four hundred dollars, and we were glad when that was done
A twenty foot pole was needed, and it seemed a daunting task
Where do you find that size pole, and who would you even ask?
Mick Theis at IAP was contacted, and it sure seemed like it was fate
He and his sisters were awesome; what their company did was great
They asked us what was needed, and we mentioned about the pole
They said, we can do that for you; we can help you reach your goal
To Laurie Woldt, Kris Ernst, and Mick Theis, we really need to say
Your donation of the great clock pole really made our day
IAP engineers, Scott - Woldt and Swan - gave of their very best
Designers Lyle Slack, Tim Makovsky, on their laurels did not rest
Fabrication and design was great, we could not leave them out
Gary Freeman did his job for sure; of that there is no doubt
A special spot was needed to place the clock back in our town
We searched around the city streets, looked both up and down
Everywhere we looked, huge pipes were buried underground
We then had another thought, and the perfect spot was found
The Phillips city parking lot, it sure would have the greatest view
For all the people living here, and the folks just passing through
Finding electricians also proved to be quite a daunting chore
We had lost a couple of them, so we just had to call one more
Tom Miller of Miller Electric said he for sure would help us out
His time he gave, we furnished parts; that’s what this was all about
He briefly mentioned to us, even though he lived in a rival town,
He would do the neighborly thing and would never let us down
A trench was needed for the electric wiring going to the pole
Jeff Williams and Jim Heizler helped us to get closer to our goal
They went to work; a trench was dug for the clock’s electric line
We appreciated the help they gave, and everything went fine
State-required plans called for drilling a fourteen foot deep hole
Cement was something we sure needed to hold up this mighty pole
Northern Lakes Concrete donated cement; that really made our day
So many people helping out, each in their unique and special way
A rebar cage was needed; where to get one, not the faintest clue
Mick Theis at IAP said, not a problem, that is something we can do
So, John Aldinger got real busy, and when the rebar cage was done
It was such a beauty that, for sure, first prize it would have won
A hurdle yet we needed crossed was who could dig that mighty hole
A great big one was needed to support that awesome pole
Asking around we got a lead, and it turned out to be quite good
The help we needed came to us from our very own neighborhood
Greg Denzine, a neighbor, was the person we were told to ask
Greg said he knew a guy who would likely help us with this task
George Jacobson we then called; we then planned a time and date
Thank you, Xcel Energy, all of your workers sure did great
The clock restored, the hole was drilled, the cement work yet to do
Gary Gabrielsen was for sure the one; his work was tried and true
Dennis Onchuck worked on site; both freely gave their time
So much done it would be hard for all to be mentioned in this rhyme
COVID-19 virus had hit us hard; the supply chain was a great big mess
When things would get back to normal, we did not even have a guess
Lo and behold, supplies were low; hammered black paint was needed
We went Internet searching, high and low, and finally succeeded
Lynne’s work paid off, the paint was found that fervently was sought
The search ended happily, and six quarts of paint were bought
The electric line was going in; things for sure were right on track
The day would soon be here for us to put that grand clock back
A pole designed by IAP was made to match the iconic clock
John Aldinger did the welding, and he built that pole as solid as a rock
Stewart Calkins painted the pole, and he really gave his very best
The pole looks awesome, and we sure know it beats out all the rest
The clear coat paint, we did not use, it clearly was giving us trouble
When applied to the metal sample piece, all it did was bubble
It was now up to us to say if three coats of paint would be enough
The paint should last for many years; we all know Rust-Oleum is tough
Bruce Marshall, the city attorney, donated all of his legal time
Davette and Bruce collaborated, and neither charged a dime
Paperwork was created so the clock would stay in our town forever
So this could never happen again, and we seriously do mean never
A crane was needed to raise the pole, and we did not know who to get
Dennis Onchuck said he would use his crane, and so then we were all set
The original paint had to dry a few days more, so we just had to wait
Rudy Suchy brought the clock; November 4th was for sure the date
Gary Freeman volunteered to haul the pole from IAP to the parking lot
It was great to see the iconic clock placed in that awesome spot
Ron Neilson volunteered to help; he was most certainly needed
We were happy that, so far, this clock project had succeeded
One more thing was needed and it was certainly our good luck
Mike Johnson volunteered the use of him and his trusty bucket truck
To hoist Ron Neilson up to secure the clock so the town would have it back
Everything so far was going well, and everything was right on track
On November 4, 2021, the clock was hung and there it shall ever be
A symbol of Phillips’ past, a reminder of its people and their history
A time capsule is now tucked safely eighteen feet below the pole’s top dome
In 2050 to be opened by those that now call the City of Phillips home
In closing, the short version of this poem:
To put it short and put it sweet
We put the clock back on the street
