Liz (nice hat) Forsell (volunteered to sell 50/50 tickets) accepted the prize just to be in a picture with Beeba (Tom) Norris.
By Theresa Taylor
The 15th Annual Mike Norris Memorial Ice Fishing Derby on Saturday, January 31 started off with the usual double-digit below zero temperatures which didn’t stop the banter, laughter and jokes during registration. 
Beeba (Tom) Norris and Sandy Hicks helped 84 adults and 10 juniors sign up to fish—and it was still below zero. Most stopped by the kitchen window with greetings, and to get coffee, cookies, muffins or breakfast sandwiches to take on the ice. Some planned to cook with their shanty heaters.
Mike’s brother Kevin Norris and sister Cindy Corrow came in shortly after and Nora Burke showed to help with the steady flow of fish to weigh in and photograph, door prizes to organize, as well as keep the coffee fresh, weigh boards up to date and answer the phone.
Lauren Beckingham with perch
People came by for visits and to look at the Memory Board of Mike.
Contestants came in to weigh fish, use restrooms, grab something to eat and thaw out.
Love the frozen beard with lake trout!
Mike’s nephew Joe stopped to see if he could help. That’s when we all started telling stories about when he came to his first few contests…getting helped by Uncle Kevin and using Uncle Mike’s old tip ups.
Now he’s working and has a girlfriend and has more stories to tell. We all laughed until we had tears in our eyes. (The tears were mostly because we are all 15 years older than when the contest first started.)
Love the frozen beard with lake trout!
The sunny day’s temperatures slipped up to double-digit positive numbers and although a breeze came with it, at the derby’s end contestants swore they were not cold during the day.
They lined up to buy 50/50 raffle tickets from Liz Forsell and they lined up for a bowl of venison chili and goulash.
They lied to each other about the ones that got away and laughed over the excitement of the line tugging to find they had landed a bass. Their boots thawed and their faces turned red from the heat.
It was a quiet year for the weigh boards and for the first time in the 15 years, not one salmon was weighed in.
Junior Division
Perch
1st – Lauren Beckingham 11.5”; .81 lbs.
2nd – Noah Lamphear 10.5”; .60 lbs.
3rd – Zach Miller 9 3/8”; .60 lbs.
4th – Dakota Miller 10.75”; .53 lbs.
Lake Trout
1st – Sydney Payne 24”; 4.12 lbs.
Crappie
1st – Parker Pratt 9.5”; .49 lbs.
Adult Division
Perch
1st – Robert Pitman 12.25”; 1.05 lbs.
2nd – Dave Stuart 12 5/8”; 1.03 lbs.
3rd – Robert Pitman 12.5”; 1.00 lbs.
4th – Cari Rickard 12.5;” .86 lbs.
Brook Trout
1st – Scott Daskiewich 12.25”; 1.60 lbs.
2nd – Gary Miller 11”; .42 lbs.
Lake Trout
1st – Robin Reese 23.5”; 4.30 lbs.
2nd – Austin Down 23.5”; 3.98 lbs.
3rd – Nate Gebo 23.25”; 3.70 lbs.
4th – John Boya 23.5”; 3.26 lbs.
Crappie
1st – Taylor Miller 12 1/8”; 1.09 lbs.
2nd – Robin Reese 12.75”; 1.07 lbs.
3rd – Tim Kranbuhl 11 5/8”; .84 lbs.
4th – Tim Kranbuhl 10.5”; .54 lbs.
