Days Gone By (March 10)
By: Pat Hunter, archivist, River Falls Journal
- Darian Blattner and Pauly Cudd
Local Y takes over The Booth: As of March 1, Pauly Cudd, longtime owner and operator of The Corner Youth Center, located at the corner of Main and Maple Streets, turned over the reins to the River Falls Area YMCA.
Cudd, who owns the building, ran “The Corner Bar” in the space from 1977-80. Then it became “The College Club” run by Joleen Larson, and in 1989, Cudd was approached by the city about reopening the business as a youth center.
Some of the new features were to include additional hours, disc jockey dances for high school, middle school and elementary age kids; a jukebox with a wide variety of music; movie nights with a big screen projector and snack bar; lockers for the kids to put their coats and values in, according to YMCA Director Darian Blattner.
A wish-list for the public to donate included furniture, movies, music CDs, computers, PlayStation games, Sega and Nintendo game systems, radio and stereo systems, booths, and handyman service.
A 12-person team headed by interim Superintendent David Paulson was assembling a list of things to cut for next school year in order to address a $1-million deficit in the school budget. After cutting the budget to balance and $800,000 deficit for 1998-99 and $500,000 for 1999-00 school years, there was nothing to spare. This year’s budget balanced, even with unexpected heating and fuel costs. Reasons why the future cuts are needed include no enrollment growth for the past five years, property values rising but district’s share of revenue declining, and uneven state-imposed revenue caps.
It’s all the family at the South Fork Café. When the café’s owner Dave Hudack expressed an interest in selling the restaurant last year, his manager and sister Dawn Morrow and her husband Jim jumped at the chance.
UW-River Falls women’s track team finished sixth overall, but former River Falls High School state champion Kady Kleven won the high jump by clearing 5-feet, 5 3/4 inches.
New editor Phil Pfuehler was settling into his duties at the River Falls Journal. He and wife Kimberly, and two daughters: Maria, 5; and Julia, two weeks old, were looking for housing in the River Falls area.
The population of River Falls topped the 10,000 mark and grew by 17% over the last decade, according to U.S. Bureau of Census. About a fourth of that population consisted of college students who live on or off campus.
Editor's Note: Your photos and stories are always welcome here, contact Pat Hunter at the Journal, 715-425-1561 or email phunter@rivertowns.net.
Tags: river falls, days gone by, lifestyle, history
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