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Historic fl fla ags on display
Law offi ficcers remembered Page 17
Memorial Day schedules Page 35
Currents feature
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WED., MAY 25, 2011 VOL. 78 • NO. 40 • 2 SECTIONS •
Readership: 13,800
An award-winning newspaper serving Northwest Wisconsin
Two die in Hwy. 8 accident
An ending and beginning
Longtime teachers retire from Luck, Frederic, Siren
Deaths
PAGES 5, 6, 7
Erik Severson covers myriad of topics PAGE 4
10th DUI
Man faces $25,000 in fines, 12.5 years prison PAGE 3
Early copy, please
Heartfelt hugs are part of every high school graduation ceremony as the emotion accompanying one of life’s milestones takes over. There were five area high school commencement ceremonies this past weekend, with coverage in our Currents section. Above, Mary-Francis “Frankie” Knuf is shown receiving a hug following the graduation of seniors at Frederic High School. - Photo by Sandra King
“The face of the company” celebrated
Don Erickson, longtime McNally Industries rep, courted politicos and defense industry professionals
In observance of Memorial Day, the offices of the Inter-County Leader will be closed Monday, May 30. The deadline for any news articles and advertising will be 4:30 p.m., on Friday, May 27, for the June 1 edition of the Leader. Thank you.
Huge numbers headed to sectional track meets
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Retirements State rep. holds town hall
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Third person seriously injured as car leaves road and strikes trees PAGE 3
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Don Erickson, an employee of McNally Industries in Grantsburg since 1981, affectionately became known as “the face of the company,” as he traveled across the world as spokesperson and salesman. He was honored in retirement last Friday, May 20. - Photo by Greg Marsten
by Greg Marsten Leader staff writer TOWN OF EUREKA – Longtime McNally Industries employee Don Erickson was celebrated in retirement on Friday, May 20, at the Chateau St. Croix, where a bevy of accolades were given on his behalf. McNally Industries is a renowned military and specialized equipment manufacturer based in Grantsburg, with a pedigree that goes back to World War II, and continues today with a full line of military-spec devices, pumps and support services. Erickson has worked for McNally since 1981 in many capacities, under four different owners, and affectionately became known as “the face of the company,” traveling across the world as both spokesperson and salesman. The guest list included owners past and present, as well as retired Rep. David Obey, who was one of Erickson’s governmental liaisons over the decades. “That Congressman Obey would show up (for a retirement party) says a lot about Don,” stated former McNally
See Erickson, page 4
• Ann Caroline Wike • Violet C. Johnson • Viola Anderson • John C. Taylor • Jesse Lee Smith • Emma Sears • Kathleen A. (Willette) Rivard • Brian Redmond • Hilma A. Marks • Myrtle M. Larson • Phillip H. Fisher • Anne Cook Riley • Joseph Juarez • Mavis Kittleson • Mary Poretti (p. 3) Obituaries on page 22-23B
Covering Burnett & Polk counties since 1933
INSIDE
Briefly 3A Letters to the editor 9A Sports 17-27A Outdoors 28A Town Talk 6-7B Coming Events Back of B Currents feature 1B Behind the Signpost 5B Letters from Home 3B Cold Turkey 3B Just for Laughs 3B River Road Ramblings 4B Obituaries 22-23B Students of the Week 27B Focus on the Family 24B Church directory 25B Copyright © 2011 Inter-County Cooperative Publishing Association Frederic, Wisconsin
The Leader is a cooperative-owned newspaper • Since 1933