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We received a nice note (even though sad) from Vera Jean McGranahan, a subscriber for many years. Here's what she said - To The Dodgeville Chronicle - "This is a sad note I'm delivering today. You may cancel my subscription as of the date it runs out. I've enjoyed it for many years. All of my family came from Dodgeville. Old history tells it all. Old families were Matthews, who built up on the hill where my father was born - the Elam family, who was Luke Elam, living all his life there farming where Governor Dodge State Park is now and some of the Berrymans, as Vera Berryman was my Mother's sister. It always meant a lot to me. I kept the Chronicle coming because of that. However, I still order my saffron from the Drug Store when I make it - order saffron loaves from the wonderful bakery as well as pasties - in the winter when they dare send them by mail. so you know my history of Dodgeville means a lot to me. I will be 91 years next month, August 16.
Thank you very much for all you have done for me in the sake of history. (By the way, the man in your hardware store came from Janesville before he arrived in Dodgeville.)
You still deliver a wonderful newspaper and I thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Vera Jean McGranahan
2103 Cargill Ct. Janesville, WI 53545-2162
My husband (Lawrence) came from Linden. Lawrence left there in 1940 just prior to our marriage in 1941. He worked at Parker Pen for 35+ years, served 65 years as a head usher at our church. He sponsored slow pitch ball teams for over 30 years and passed on in '03.
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Earlier this summer Kyle Corey, an "In Wisconsin" reporter and his dog were making a trip around Wisconsin checking out bars, especially those that had restaurants. In a stop in Dodgeville at the Red Room he found they had the BEST bread pudding of any of the bars he had visited and proclaimed them the top! He interviewed owner Laurie U'Ren and sister Kelly along with some of the people who frequent the establishment, talking about how "homey" it is. Just by goggling In Wisconsin or bread pudding Wisconsin bars you can red all about the interview.
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Another local bar food was acclaimed to be pretty tasty during the recent Dodgeville Blues Fest when a couple from New Orleans stopped at Dino's when they took a break from the Blues Fest. They were visiting people in the Chicago area and found the Dodgeville Blues Fest on the internet and decided to make the trip for a day. They tried some of Dean's "Gumbo" and proclaimed it to be better than all except maybe one place they had tried in New Orleans - that too has to be a pretty good feather in Dodgeville's cap!
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A buddy of mine - Dewey Christoph - who owns the downtown video store in Dodgeville "Box Office Video" became part of a record in the Guinness Book of World Records the other day. He took his Hybrid car to Madison and was part of a hybrid car ride that was put on by Smart Toyota. In total, 208 hybrids banded together, shattering the existing record for hybrid vehicle parades, set at 140 vehicles back in 2010 in Belgium. That procession of hybrids completed a 2.1-mile loop in 20 minutes. Organizers had hoped for 500 hybrids, but 208 still beat the existing record so it wasn't all bad. Due to the fact that the vast majority of the parading hybrid vehicles operated in electric-only mode for most of the drive, the event, was appropriately dubbed the "quietest parade ever." Organizers crunched some numbers after the parade and estimated that the 208 hybrids consumed a total of four gallons gas on the route.
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There's always something going on in the area, but here's a couple of events that are pretty special. The Mineral Point Fire Department Dance and Steak Feed that will be held at the fire department this Saturday night. Also, the annual Barneveld Luau will take place at Birch Lake - just northwest of Barneveld - this weekend with events beginning on Friday and going through Sunday. And the Mineral Point Care Center "hog roast" is tonight (Thursday).