‘I pity the fool’ who misses the 80th B-day party of Lora, ‘Mrs. T,’ set for The Willow

This saga goes back even farther than Mr. T, the actor.
— I used to like to go into the old Mr. T’s Bar right before Christmas. I had been on the slo-pitch softball team they sponsored, but this time of year even more of a draw was their holiday lighting. Kept relatively simple. Quite Quaint. A bit country. But satisfying.
The longtime proprietor of the tavern, which was a fixture in the local nightlife scene from its position smack dab in the middle of the downtown, was Lora. She turns 80 later this week, and the birthday celebration is in the middle of what will likely be a very busy Saturday at the Willow River Inn in Burkhardt. Many of the workers and patrons remember her and her establishment well. The Dec. 12 affair, to which all are invited, will go from “3 p.m. to whenever.” Since this is The Willow, which of course has a big restaurant that is namely Carbone’s Pizza in the back half, food will be provided from 3-4 p.m. To RSVP or for more information, call Lori at (715) 760-2238.
Part of the celebration is the Saturday evening band Still Running, which takes the stage around 9 p.m.
Kicking things off on Saturday is a different take on an old favorite activity, that being the breakfast buffet with Santa. There is one free gift per child, running from 9 a.m. to noon. Call The Willow for reservations at (715) 386-2201).
— Following the local December trend to have bands that are old standbys, Dick’s Bar and Grill will feature Jambo on Friday, Dec. 11, who will try to meld his summertime trop-rock into these cold temps. Then its the duo Practical Goods on Dec. 18.
— Also at Dick’s, for something different, is a doubles cribbage tournament, starting a 1 p.m. Saturday. There will be a cash prize for first place, a free drink for all players and gift cards. Entry fee is $10. Signup with a bartender.
— For more of your Winter Wonderland, Hinterlands, which is billed as a Packerland Pilsner, is available at the Village Inn in North Hudson. But wait a minute, it’s alcohol level is only 4.6 percent. That low a ratio in Wisconsin? Maybe better (and a bit less outlandish) might be the Rhinelander beer special at Dick’s, either Octoberfest or lager. And how many to have? How ’bout “one if by ‘land’ and two if by sea?”