Around Town
CRITTER HUNT: Join the 16-hour hunt sponsored by Happy Daaze Bar and Grill, Scandinavia. Cost is $40 for 2-person teams, 100% payout for top 3, point system for critters, plus 50/50 raffles benefiting the Vikings Snowmobile Club. Free food after for all participants!
Around the State
GAS TAX STICKER PRICES: Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, introduced legislation that would have the state add gas tax price stickers to pumps across the state. Wisconsin charges 32.9 cents per gallon in gas taxes, and the federal government charges another 18.4 cents per gallon. Read the Just the News article here.
Because
GOODBYE The FARMERS’ ALMANAC: This traditional tome has ceased publication after 200+ years. However, long live The Old Farmers’ Almanac, which has been continually published since 1792. You can enjoy it via its website at www.Almanac.com.
Interesting Facts
In the daily surfing of the internet, some interesting facts arise that are worth sharing. These are a few recently seen.
EAGLE ON COINS: Maybe you never thought about it, but the eagle on the back of the quarter and other US coins has a name. It’s Peter. An eagle took residence at the U.S. Mint in the 1830s — roughly 50 years after the bald eagle was added to the national seal. The noble raptor would reportedly while away his days at the mint before being shooed away after working hours. As he and his human colleagues would eventually find out, however, industrial workplaces are no place for birds. Peter was mortally injured after his wing was caught in a coining press in 1836, and died a few days later despite workers’ best efforts to save him.
LAZY SUSAN: What was this turntable device named after? Nobody specific. This term likely stems from an 18th-century practice of using the name Susan as a generic title for a household servant. Because these trays make serving easier without the need for extra help, “lazy” was tacked on.
PANCAKES: How old are pancakes – not the ones you brought home from The Crystal and placed on the lower shelf of your fridge. Well, they can be traced back 30,000 years to the Stone Age to a form of flatbread. The Brits refined the concept, and the recipe includes rose water, sherry, eggs, ale, or butter – or any combination of these.
HOOD ORNAMENTS ON CARS: We all know classic cars had hood ornaments. But why did they disappear? During the 1960s and 1970s, hood ornaments faded from cars due to safety concerns, aerodynamics, and theft risk. Manufacturers responded by removing them or innovating safer designs, as protruding ornaments became engineering and safety liabilities.
