Iola Rock Festival revisited: The aftermath
Shortly after the June 26-28, 1970, Iola Rock Festival, its organizers announced plans for another event Aug. 14-16 at the same site.
Area residents rallied to ensure that another orgy of drugs, noise, violence and immoral behavior would not be held near Iola. A petition signed by 1,000 local citizens was presented to Wisconsin's Attorney General Robert W. Warren.
On July 16, 1970, the Assembly State Affairs Committee toured the festival grounds and held a meeting with local officials at the Iola-Scandinavia High School to consider a study of rock festivals in Wisconsin. The committee heard testimony from a number of people and viewed photographs taken on the grounds during the event. Assemblyman Francis "Brownie" Byers had urged the public to attend these meetings to see what was left by the "so-called peace-loving environmentalists."
In early August, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued a cleanup order to the individuals and corporation connected to the rock festival. The DNR ordered the waste "be collected, transported and disposed of in a legally acceptable manner." If the waste was not removed by the indicated date, the DNR specified it would issue fines of $5,000 per day or file criminal charges.
The DNR order was sent to James R. Sitton, Madison, registered agent of Recreational Lands Associates; Fritz and Judy Von Buchholtz, Stevens Point, of Earth Enterprises, Inc.; and Raymond C. and Henrietta Rose Rustad, Rosholt, original owners and vendors under land contract sales of the property.
According to the Aug. 6, 1970, Iola Herald, specific charges stated, "Waste was improperly stored and disposed of on the festival site; the waste was not properly collected and transported to a licensed solid waste disposal site; and the presence of the material constitutes pollution of a land resource."
The Aug. 13, 1970, Iola Herald reported that about 100 volunteers, mostly from the Stevens Point area, participated in a cleanup day at the site of the festival. The article stated: "The workers were not equipped with proper tools or gloves so it became a tough job to do by hand. Most of the garbage was collected and deposited in a trench prepared beforehand. The garbage overflowed the trench and was piled high. The following day another trench was dug to take the overflow."
Information from 1970 Iola Heralds.
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