Brother Pat and I received a note, along with a renewal to the Chronicle, from a classmate of Pat and a good friend of mine – Judy (Haas) Hohler. She was married to Dr. Eugene Hohler, the one who basically came up with me having a brain tumor when I was 10-11 years old. That’s another story! Anyway, I see Judy at our “DHS” luncheons the first Friday of every month at the Red Room. She said in her note, “Hi Pat & Mike: Keep up the good work. Love your column! Thanks for all the Memories in the good old days – 50s & 60s. Lots of good trips out to your place (farm). Love: Judy.
608 Custom Screen Printing has moved to a new location in Dodgeville from its location on North Iowa Street next to Cathryn’s Market and the “Pocket Park”. It is now located on South Iowa Street in the former John I. Hahn/DECO Supply building!
Saturday morning breakfast saw us head to the distant south and Cuba City. We were at Nick’s Cafe right on the main drag. We have been there before, so it isn’t new to us. It was a short staff with Bob, Terry, Tom, me and Potsie leaving at 7:15 in Tom’s vehicle. Royce took the day off and Dave is still basking in the sun in Arizona! We arrived and there were a few tables/booths full with a large family of six kids and parents celebrating a birthday! While we were there the place completely filled up at least twice with families having to wait for large areas to sit a times – but not long! Holly was our waitress and she, along with one more, hustled the entire time. Three of us had Nick’s omelette and boy was it good. They come with hash browns or American fries too. Tom and I got through ours OK, but Bob had to have a carryout! Potsie had the 2+2+2 and Terry had cinnamon French toast that came with two eggs too! It’s worth the extra drive to go to Nick’s, as it is to almost every place we go!
It wouldn’t be the WIAA State individual Wrestling Championships without any snow! It seems that nearly every year we get some of that white stuff while they are going on. I remember one year (quite awhile ago) that it snowed so much on Friday that they didn’t call off the tournament because everybody was snowed in. Me, like a dummy, decided to head back to Dodgeville that time. I got out of Madison and then thought I should turn around, but there was no place to even turn around. I got as far as the “old” Ridgeway turn-in and was able to pull off enough to scrape my windshield. My defroster couldn’t even keep up with the snow. I made it back to Dodgeville, but I didn’t go back the next day. I think I was still shaking!
Congratulations to the Dodgeville Co-Op Gymnastics Team (Dodgeville, Mineral Point, Iowa-Grant, Highland) as they won their Sectional Saturday and now head to the WIAA State Gymnastics Championships in Wisconsin Rapids next Friday and Saturday. Here’s hoping they bring back some hardware!
We’re down to two teams in our coverage area to try to get to state in girls basketball and they square off against each other tonight (Thursday) – Argyle/Pecatonica and Barneveld. They split their two games this regular season. It should be a barn burner! It’s too bad only one can advance!
Mineral Point girls fell in their regional final to a tough Albany/Monticello team. They had a great season though! Boys basketball playoffs started Tuesday. Good luck to all who made it through that first round!
Today, Thursday, March 5, is National Pasty Day, a day that is celebrated on St.Piran’s Day, a day celebrated in Mineral Point. Pasty was a meal that many a miner ate probably everyday when mining lead in our area. Mineral Point is well know for its pasty, as is Dodgeville. It celebrates a savory pastry with deep ties to labor history, migration, and regional identity. The pasty originated in Cornwall, England, where it became closely associated with tin miners during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Cornish pasty was designed as a practical meal. A sturdy pastry crust enclosed meat, potatoes, and vegetables, forming a portable and self-contained dish. The thick crimped edge allowed miners to hold the pastry with dirty hands and discard the outer crust without contaminating the filling. As Cornish miners emigrated to industrial regions of the United States, including Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, they carried the pasty with them. In these communities, the pasty became a symbol of working-class resilience and continuity.
Over time, regional variations emerged, but the core structure remained intact. The pasty retained its identity as a durable, enclosed meal.
