T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 0 8 • V O L U M E 7 6 • N O . 1 9 • 2 S E C T I O N S • 8 , 0 0 0 C O P I E S • S E C T I O N A
• High school choir reunion @ Frederic • Bluegrass jam session @ Lewis • “The Christmas Dream” @ Centuria See Coming Events and stories
IN SI DE
Leader INTER-COUNTY
W EEKEN D WA TCH :
Serving Northwest Wisconsin
$1
Judge: Open meetings law violated Judge Eugene Harrington rules in civil case brought by James Drabek; Polk supervisors violated open meetings law while discussing GAM PAGE 3
The local year in review CURRENTS FEATURE
Donations to Salvation Army steady in Polk
C o l d c u r r e nt
Down in Burnett PAGE 3
Two found dead in murder/suicide Kindergarteners visit Crex Currents, pg. 19
Motive unknown PAGE 2
Caucuses set
A citizens guide PAGE 5
Feedback wanted at St. Croix Falls The dance recital Page 23
Tourism committee to set up focus groups PAGE 7
Webster cheerleader will be performing at New Year’s bowl game Ashley Clay to be part of halftime show PAGE 6
What’s up with Leo? Currents page 9
S PO RT S
Looking back at 2008 Inside
The Trade River flows peacefully under banks of ice and snow as it continues to flow as winter settles in. - Photo by Priscilla Bauer
Th e pow er of C hr i st ma s by Priscilla Bauer GRANTSBURG - As my family and many others in Burnett County prepared to celebrate Christmas Eve by sitting down to a hot meal in a warm home with the Christmas tree lights aglow, we were given a jolt when the electricity suddenly went out and we found ourselves in darkness. The phrase “timing is everything” certainly applied as some people’s dinners were cooked while many others were not. Relatives and friends later told me while they did do some lamenting over half-baked biscuits, undercooked casseroles and mushy meatballs. Having to adapt to being without electricity made the evening turn out to be quite fun. One woman said as she and her husband sat by candlelight it brought back memories of their childhood days when
there was no electricity. The couple enjoyed a couple of hours reminiscing about doing all the household and barn chores by lantern and candlelight. She told me when the day came they got their first electric light in the house they thought it was just wonderful. At my house the candles on our table were quickly lit and a flashlight dispatched to locate and get food from the kitchen to the dining room. As we sat down to eat, my brother-inlaw said, “Well, this is different.” And my mother said she couldn’t remember ever having a Christmas Eve candlelight dinner or even the last time she’d eaten
See Power of Christmas, page 4 RIGHT: Candles at church came in handy on Christmas Eve when a power outage struck the Grantsburg area. - Photo by Priscilla Bauer
The Inter-County Leader is a cooperative-owned newspaper