Popular Summer School

 

                                                                                     

June 17, 1990, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

These "enrichment" activities are a far cry from the drone of math or English classes to while away the summer.  Oh, if only they could have lasted longer, maybe even bled into the traditional school year?  Well. it was a nice pipedream.

NOTE:  I'm going to take some time off the next few weeks.  I will be back in July, if not sooner.  In the meantime, for those of you in the Fox Cities area, please enjoy Menasha's Sesquicentennial Celebration activities the weekend of June 21-22.  Look closely, you might run into somebody there you know.  

Easy and Breezy

June 9, 1980, Twin City News-Record

In spite of the looks of concentration, you just know these kids were having the time of their lives at the picnic.  Hopefully, we'll see more looks of joy during the Sesquiecentennial weekend, June 21-22 in downtown Menasha.

New Pumper

June 30, 1980, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

The department was proud this day in 1980 after taking possession of the newest item in the fleet.  A big difference from say, 88 years earlier, when the city displayed its "latest and greatest" in fire fighting technology.  

Back in Time

 June 21, 2000, Twin City News-Record

Animal hijinks and a very small basketball contingent highlight this version of "Back in Time."  One would surmise that most of our citizens didn't encounter an organ grinder and a monkey every day in the Fox Cities.  So it had to have been a sensation, at least for awhile, until said monkey caused quite the commotion in Neenah.  Oh, to have seen photographic evidence of the incident, but then, it was another time, a time before cameras were de rigeur for newspapers.

Theft Ring

June 14, 1937, Menasha Record

Despite the criminal nature of what they were doing, I still have to hand it to them for their ingenuity to disguise the merchandise by altering the paint scheme.  Let's hope their imagination and inventiveness came to fruition in more civic ways in their futures.  

The Flambeau

June 23, 1937, Menasha Record

A golden age of train travel is illustrated by the above ad.  Every railroad in the country had trains with fanciful names that everyone knew- names linked to geography or the train's capabilities.  Some of the more famous ones included the New York Limited, the Orange Blossom Special, and the California Zephyr, namesake of St. Mary's athletic teams.  No, the Chattanooga Choo Choo wasn't a real train.  But don't forget the most famous train name in the world- the Orient Express!  It was another world.  As we fled the city centers and moved out to the suburbs that were well-served by superhighways, our embrace of car culture led to the detriment of rail travel in the bulk of the United States.  

Wait! Wait! Wait!

June 18, 1874, The Saturday Evening Press

So many wonderful things to see and do, and all in one day?  Amazing!  I would have been particularly interested in the "performing unicorn" and the "only juvenile animal trainer in the world, eight years of age."  I've alluded to it before in other posts about the circus coming to town, but this poster reminds me so much of The Beatles' Mr. Kite.  And for only 50 cents (kids under 9 pay 25 cents), a splendid time IS graranteed for all!