Sock hops and snake dances, Elvis, rock ‘n’ roll, fender skirts, whitewall tires and spinner knobs on the steering wheel. Coonskin caps and ducktail haircuts, pomade and butch wax. Greasers and hula hoops. Crazy, Daddy-o! An explosion of slang. That was the ’50s, my “growing up” time. Slang can describe a particular social culture and time. The ’50s was a very interesting time period, not just for America but for slang.

Janina (Joan) Gauthier celebrated her 100th birthday at the Oconto Falls Senior Center on May 24. Friends and relatives came from near and far to be with her. Gauthier was born in Milwaukee. She later lived in Spruce and finally in Oconto Falls, where she still lives on her own with a little help from her daughter, Sue Campbell. Gauthier was married for 50 years to her late husband, Leo.

The city of Oconto and the Department of Natural Resources, the Copper Culture Museum will be staffed with guides daily from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Labor Day, thanks to additional funding provided by the state. Operated by the Oconto County Historical Society, the museum is located in the Copper Culture State Park, one block south of the intersection of state Highway 22 and U.S.

Dec. 17, 1942–June 12, 2013 Barbara Jean (Robbins) Schoemann passed away Wednesday morning, June 12, 2013, at Community Memorial Hospital, of Oconto Falls, after a short illness. Barb was born in Duluth, Minn., on Dec. 17, 1942, to Betty M. (DeBoer) and Don C. Robbins, who preceded her in death. She married David E. Schoemann on Sept. 9, 1989, who also preceded her in death. She leaves to mourn her passing sisters and brothers, Marcia L.

Stephen P. Micoley, 89, Spruce, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on Sunday, July 7, 2013. He was born Aug. 26, 1923, at the family homestead in Spruce. On Aug. 14, 1954, Stephen married Shirley Suelflow. Together they owned and operated the Micoley family dairy farm in Spruce.

Proceeding from July 2 David G. Shepard Jr., 26, Lakewood, entered no contest pleas to repeated disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer. He was arrested Dec. 20, 2012, in the town of Lakewood. He had been charged with battery causing injury but after plea negotiations, that charge was amended to repeated disorderly conduct. His sentencing will take place Aug.

A fire of suspicious nature destroyed a vacant building on Oconto’s Main Street early Sunday morning but did not spread to a home and business next door. Fire Chief Jack Mlarnik said the fire at the former Danz Video building is being investigated by the fire and police departments as an arson case, because no ignition source existed in the building.

A few columns ago, I told about drinking unpasteurized milk or other types of unpasteurized dairy products. This time, I’ve got new data on meat product safety that gives me the chance to tell about meat industry safety as we go full bore into grilling season. Remember that proper food handling and safe cooking practices in the home are the absolute most important part of food safety.

A second man from Oconto Falls has been charged with homicide in a 15-year-old murder case. Prosecutors allege Charles J. Mlados, 54, was present at the shooting of a Green Bay man and helped to hide the body. Mlados is charged with one count of intentional homicide — party to the crime in the death of Chad J. McLean, a 19-year-old who went missing Feb. 22, 1998.