LEROY – Neither summer heat and humidity, thundershowers nor a closed Highway 14 can stop LeRoy residents from celebrating this summer.

Thursday, June 14, 2001

LEROY – Neither summer heat and humidity, thundershowers nor a closed Highway 14 can stop LeRoy residents from celebrating this summer.

The community will observe its quasquicentennial celebration July 19-22.

The occasion of the city’s 125th anniversary is reason enough to do everything possible to make the celebration one to remember.

Here are some of the highlights of the four days of fun:

Thursday, July 19: Variety show, beard judging contest and

crafts and flea market.

Friday, July 20: Crafts and flea market, LeRoy-Ostrander

swim pool benefit supper; Cardinal Lanes bowling tournament;

fireworks; Mel’s Polka Band dance and social sponsored by First

National Bank; Kempe’s log sawing contest; all-age dance; Roe

Century Farm celebration.

Saturday, July 21: Crafts and flea market; kids carnival;

Chatfield Brass Band performs; ice cream social; firemen’s water

fights for men, women and kids; all-school reunion; adult street

dance to the Smokin’ Coyotes; kiddie tractor pull; garden and

quilt show; garden tours; bingo; volleyball tournament; Windsor

chop feed; postal cancellation to celebrate the town’s 125th

anniversary.

Sunday, July 22: Ecumenical church service; LeRoy Volunteer

Fire Department chicken feed; grand parade; 4-H bed races; second

and last day of special commemorative postal cancellation by

Postmaster Judy Jaspers; car show; tractor pull; First State

Bank’s free watermelon feed; and last day of crafts and flea

market.

To celebrate the town’s history, commemorative calendars are on sale in limited supply. Also, commemorative cook books are being sold.

The 125th anniversary of the founding of the community would not be complete without an official commemorative button for souvenir collectors, too.

Lake Louise State Park

New Lake Louise State Park manager Gary Lunz arrived on the scene only a month ago.

Now, he is immersing himself in the day-to-day duties of managing the state park that is literally in the back yard of the city of LeRoy.

The season is already beset with worries about attendance. That’s because, Highway 14 from the city limits of LeRoy north to Highway 16 is closed to traffic.

Work began Monday on tearing up the old highway surface. The roadway will be widened and regraded this summer. The contractor hopes to have the work done in eight weeks if weather permits.

While traffic is restricted to residents, who live along Highway 14 for their local use only, it’s bound to present an obstacle for visitors to Lake Louise State Park.

There is hope for park visitors: a special detour to and from the park’s main entrance along Highway 14 has been signed.

Mower County Deputy Neal Williams has issued a warning to all motorists who ignore the "road closed" signs and who do not live along the highway: tickets will be issued.

The LeRoy City Council was apprised of the deputy sheriff’s edict at a recent council meeting.

The only route to and from Lake Louise State Park, which has only one entrance, is Broadway in LeRoy to County 12 and on to County 53 to where a sign points to the state park. Then it’s a trip down a gravel road (125th Street) to the park’s main entrance along Highway 14.

Call Lee Bonorden at 434-2232 or e-mail him at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com.