Dutch exchange student back 'home' after 20 years
Twenty years ago, Fort Atkinson High School hosted a foreign-exchange student from The Netherlands.
Last week, Peter de Bruijn, 39, returned to visit the community he considers to be almost a second home.
“It just feels like home being back in Fort Atkinson,” de Bruijn said. “It brings back a lot of good memories being over here.”
Although it’s been two decades since he “graduated” from Fort Atkinson, de Bruijn has actually visited Wisconsin five times through the years to keep in touch with his former host family, Tom and Sue Burgess, who now reside in Hayward.
The last visit was nearly a decade ago, before the “new” high school was built on the northwest side of the city.
Stopping at that school for an interview with the school newspaper The Signal, de Bruijn found that only one staff member — English teacher Jane Steiner — remained from his time at the school.
“I had graduated already so I didn’t need the diploma, so I was here for fun,” de Bruijn said of his time in the United States.
“It was an opportunity to see the American way of life,” he added.
School officials made one mistake, advising him that he was virtually assured of receiving a diploma at the end of the year, he recalled.
“I had no incentive to study hard because I knew before I came I would receive a diploma, so I ended up having a lot of fun while I was here,” de Bruijn said.
Enrolled in a variety of classes for the 1987-88 school year at the building that is now Fort Atkinson Middle School, de Bruijn even joined The Signal staff, despite having some difficulty with English at the time. (The full story appears in the May 6 Daily Union).
The Fort Atkinson Library Board on Monday selected Uihlein Wilson Architects of Milwaukee from three finalists to design the Dwight Foster Public Library’s proposed expansion.
Current plans call for an approximately 10,000-square-foot addition on the south side of the Merchants Avenue building and a remodel of the existing 20,000 square-feet for an undetermined cost.
The library, built in 1915, last underwent an expansion in 1983. Library director Connie Meyer said architects at the time drew up a long-range plan that said the library would outgrow the “new” space in 20 years.
And it has. The library is need of more room to store its computers, CDs, videotapes and DVDs, items that the library did not own in the early 1980s.
Meyer said she is hopeful that fundraising for the project could begin by year’s end, with construction to begin in 2010.
In early March, the board had narrowed the field of possible architectural firms from six to three, and on April 15, brought in Uihlein Wilson Architects, Burnidge Cassell Associates and Engberg Anderson for interviews. On Monday, the board voted unanimously to select Uihlein Wilson.
“The basis, I would say, is the presentation of the selected firm is the most customized to our library,” Meyer said. “That’s my opinion. Obviously, Uihlein Wilson, working with us in the past, had some experience, but they didn’t rest on their laurels.” (The full story appears in the May 6 Daily Union).
Like many cities along the Rock River, Fort Atkinson has a beautiful park that graces its banks, complete with a gazebo, walkway, benches and playground equipment.
While it might be beautiful, it’s not necessarily safe, according to one mother of three.
Emily Hebbe notes that Lorman-Bicentennial Park also features a memorial to firefighters, EMTs and police officers, and in particular, to Officer David McKee, who drowned trying to save a 16-year-old boy who had fallen into the Rock River on April 9, 1968. It is a chilling reminder that the danger the river presents is real.
Hebbe recently began an effort to convince city leaders to construct a fence either around the playground equipment or along the riverwalk in Lorman-Bicentennial Park to prevent a repeat tragedy should a child fall into the river.
“I think Fort Atkinson is a wonderful community that’s big on family involvement and I don’t want it to be known as the town that put a park on a river and lost somebody,” Hebbe said. “Officer McKee’s memorial is enough. It’s just too ironic if that happens.”
In February, Hebbe set out to find out whether constructing a fence around the Lorman-Bicentennial Park playground was a viable option. She started off by distributing a petition among friends and at a couple of daycare centers, and quickly had 207 signatures. (The full story appears in the May 6 Daily Union).
JEFFERSON — A 24-year-old Jefferson man has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of verbally abusing his former girlfriend.
On April 11, a Jefferson County jury convicted Luke J. McGowan on five different criminal counts and acquitted him on a sixth count.
McGowan, formerly of Fort Atkinson, was found guilty of two counts of disorderly conduct, a count of battery, another count of substantial battery and a count of false imprisonment. The five counts reflected incidents taking place on three different dates between Nov. 30, 2007, through the early morning hours of Dec. 24, 2007.
All of the charges were accompanied by a habitual criminality enhancer because McGowan had been convicted of a felony within the last five years. The offenses also occurred in the cities of Jefferson and Fort Atkinson.
McGowan faced up to a maximum of more than 15 and 1/2 years imprisonment.
On Tuesday, Judge Jacqueline R. Erwin sentenced McGowan to a total of five years’ imprisonment, consisting of two years of initial confinement and three years of extended supervision for the false imprisonment and substantial battery charges.
For the battery charge and two counts of disorderly conduct, the judge sentenced McGowan to three years on probation each for a total of nine years,
Combined, McGowan will serve two years in prison and be on extended supervision or probation for 12 years.
In addition, McGowan was ordered to pay more than $39,107 in fines, courts costs and restitution. (The full story appears in the April 24 Daily Union).
In anticipation of Fort Atkinson’s “Rock the Earth” environmental awareness event this Saturday, April 26, Lue Ehinger surveyed several senior citizens about their opinions on “sustainability” and “green” in relation to their memories of the Depression.
These individuals also were asked to tell about how they might have carried customs or habits developed during that time throughout their lifetime.
Participating in this remembrance project are Fanny Highsmith, Kathryn Kohlman Koenig, Barbara Lorman, Charles Lemke, Dorothy Merriman, Annabelle H. Udey and Lue Ehringer.
The questions they were asked are:
1. Have you recollections of, or remember hearing about, the Great Depression years and the activities that concerned people at that time in our history that make them memorable in general and, in particular to you?
2. Have any of the customs of those times influenced your lifestyle today?
3. How are you feeling about local and national efforts with regard to sustainability?
4. Have you serious concerns about our ecology?
5. Have you personally taken any steps to improve Mother Earth and the atmosphere?
The following are the participants’ responses in alphabetical order, with Ehinger’s recollections as the conclusion.
Fanny Highsmith
1. In the 1930s Depression, we had a steady, seasonal stream of tramps or hobos coming through Fort Atkinson looking for work. They were really our migrant workers of that time, not immigrants, just men who hoped to find work on farms or elsewhere. Fort Atkinson even had a hostel called the Stop and Go, a place to sleep and, I think, have a meal for overnight. They traveled on the trains, hitching rides in boxcars. (The full story appears in the April 24 Daily Union).
JEFFERSON — Spring is here and so is Madison Classics’ 31st annual Jefferson Car Show and Swap Meet Friday through Sunday, April 25-27.
The show will be held at Jefferson County Fair Park, located at 503 N. Jackson Ave., just off U.S. Highway 18 west, in Jefferson. The gates open at 6 a.m. both days.
Camaros will be the featured vehicle. They will be displayed in the fairgrounds Activity Center.
The feature car for the show is a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, powered by a 502-horsepower 502-cubic-inch crate motor owned by Ricky Lanphier of Madison. In addition, a totally restored 1969 Z-28 Chevrolet Camaro, owned by Dave Kalish of Marshall, will be on display. Both cars will be on display all weekend.
Look for a larger display of Camaros lined up in front of the Activity Center on Sunday morning behind the show car registration tent. Over 100 Camaros are expected.
The Swap meet and Car Corral are operating Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday, but the Car show is on Sunday only. The spectator gates for the Swap meet and Car Corral are open from 1 to 7 p.m. on Friday, and from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The Car show gate opens at 6 a.m. on Sunday. The Car show is on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited. All makes and models pre-1976 and specialty vehicles are invited to participate in the Car show.
Spectator admission for adults is $6 and for children under 12 is free. Spectator parking is available for $3, but is limited so please arrive early. No campers will be allowed in the parking field, but camping is available nearby.
Swap spaces will be available at the gate. Car Corral spaces will be available at the Car Corral entrance all weekend.
There is an ATM on the grounds as well as concessions. For more information, visit www.madisonclassics.com, or call (608) 244-8416.
(Editor’s note: This is the last of three articles taking a closer look at the proposed April 1 referendum in the School District of Jefferson. The referendum seeks elector approval to spend up to $45.6 million to constr
uct and equip a new high school. This article examines the proposed financing and tax impact of the project.)
JEFFERSON — On Tuesday, April 1, residents of the School District of Jefferson will head to the polls to decide whether to build a new high school.
The proposed project would involve constructing a new two-story high school on the current Jefferson High School site while preserving and renovating the existing auditorium, music wing, and district administrative office space.
When considering a referendum, one of the most frequently asked question by a property owner is, “How will the cost of this project impact my property taxes?”
If voters approve Tuesday’s referendum, the total project cost cannot exceed $45.6 million, which includes all new construction, renovations, upgrades, demolition, site work, furniture, fixtures, equipment, permits, design and construction contingencies, and professional fees.
According to school district Superintendent Mike Swartz, this project cost translates to an estimated average tax impact of $2.33 per $1,000 equalized valuation, or $233 more per year ($19.42 per month) on a $100,000 property.
For a property assessed at $200,000, the project cost would be $466 more per year or $38.83 per month. And on a $300,000 home, the project cost would be $699 more per year or $58.24 per month.
Taxpayers, he said, can determine the exact cost of the proposed referendum by looking at their most recent property tax bill and doing some basic math. Once they have identified their equalized property value, they should divide that number by 1,000, and then multiply that number by the cost per $1,000, which is $2.33.
To have a full understanding of the referendum’s property tax impact, school officials said one must understand the difference between assessed value and equalized value. These are the two different types of property values that come into play when setting property tax levies.
Assessed valuation is the property valuation determined by the municipal (city, village, town or county) assessor as of Jan. 1 in any given year. (The full story appears in the March 27 Daily Union).
Flooding is imminent in Jefferson and Fort Atkinson as the Rock River continues to rise within mere inches of the official flood stage level, prompting the issuance of flood warnings in those two areas.
Hydrologist Brian Hahn of the National Weather Service in Sullivan said the Rock River is experiencing flooding because of the record snowfall, but he does not expect there to be the record-setting water levels that were predicted within the last few weeks.
“This year, we’re getting over the flood-stage level because of all the snow we received,” Hahn said. “It’s pretty difficult to get major flooding with snow melt alone. You would need a combination of snow melt and heavy precipitation to reach that point.”
The hydrologist said the predictions were that the river would crest in Fort Atkinson at 6.5 feet, a half-foot above the flood stage of 6 feet. That would be a little higher than the flooding the area experienced last April with a level of 6.24 feet.
Hahn added that the only way he could see the river rising much higher than what has been predicted is if the area received a heavy amount of precipitation. However, there are no big storms in the near forecast.
Meanwhile, the high water also has prompted area town officials to keep some area roadways already affected by the rising river levels closed, including Bark River Road. Ralph Road east of Fort Atkinson also has been flooded.
As of presstime, water had not reached Rock River Road, which remained open to traffic. However, Town of Koshkonong Chairperson Tim Griep said officials are monitoring the situation.
“We’re pretty dry right now,” Griep said. “The river is encroaching and we may have to close (Rock River Road) eventually.”
The chairman said officials have been monitoring the situation on their own, noting that the National Weather Service’s predictions so far this spring have been inaccurate.
“We don’t have a lot of confidence in the National Weather Service’s predictions,” Griep said. “According to them, we should have closed Rock River Road a week ago. We’re still playing it by ear, but we’re monitoring it constantly.” (The full story appears in the March 27 Daily Union).
Fort HealthCare and its advertising agency NOISE, Inc. Branding Communications dominated the 2007 Southwest Florida ADDY Awards in a ceremony held March 8.
Fort HealthCare’s image campaign garnered five Gold ADDY Awards, six Silver ADDY Awards and Best of Show. The Best of Show Award was for the four-part newspaper insert and magazine campaign featuring adult medicine, pediatric medicine, obstetrics and surgical services.
NOISE has an office in Sanibel, Fla., as well as Milwaukee. The American Advertising Federation conducts the ADDY Awards through its 200 member advertising clubs and 15 districts. It is the only creative awards program administered by the advertising industry for the industry.
According to the AAF website, the ADDYs is the world’s largest and arguably toughest advertising competition.
Gold Awards were given for:
• Newspaper Insert, “Problem” (Surgical Services)
• Newspaper Insert, “How are you feeling” (Adult Medicine)
• Newspaper Insert, “Congratulations” (Obstetrics)
• Newspaper Campaign, “Caring for Life” (all inserts) (Also, Best of Show)
• Regional/National TV, “Obstetrics”
Silver Awards were given for:
• Online Banner, “Healthy tomorrows” (Adult Medicine)
• Online Banner, “Little princess” (Pediatric Medicine)
• Television Campaign, “Caring for life” (All four TV commercials)
• Regional/National TV, “Surgery” commercial
• Regional/National TV, “Adult Med” commercial
• Mixed Media Campaign, “Caring for Life” (all advertisements including TV, billboard, print, web banners, etc.)
The advertisements feature approximately 50 individuals from the Jefferson County region, all who have been patients and served by the physicians and staff of Fort HealthCare. The goal of the image campaign is to raise awareness and educate audiences as to the depth, scope and quality of high-profile, high-demand healthcare services available at Fort HealthCare.
JEFFERSON — School District of Jefferson Board of Education President Dave Krause has been asked to examine what the district’s supplemental administrative retirement program plan package might be for any new administrative hires, but not for existing administrators.
The school board gave Krause that direction during its regular meeting Monday night in the Jefferson High School library.
“That would be more of a defined contribution plan, which will mean that we (district officials) will know, with actuarial certainty, how much we (district) will be contributing toward our retirement plan,” Krause explained. “That’s different than a defined benefit plan where you provide a benefit, but you don’t know what that cost is going to be.”
A defined benefit plan, he said, is open-ended and the district does not know its liability exposure. If healthcare costs were to increase, he said, the school district would have to absorb that increase.
“So with a defined contribution, we (district) say we will pay this much,” Krause said, not citing a specific dollar amount.
Under such a plan, the Jefferson school district would know for certain its future liability, he said, adding that he is charged with developing the plan for any new administrative hires.
The board president said the supplemental insurance plan would be in addition to the district’s regular administrative benefits plan.
“We (district) will keep the existing (administrative retirement program) plan as is, with maybe some minor adjustments,” Krause indicated.
Board member Norm Stoner said that for any new administrative hires, the district has not had a supplemental retirement plan program at all. He said big businesses have embraced the plan, but that school districts, for the most part, have not, and must soon.
“I’m proposing that we have a defined contribution plan which actuarially we can calculate ourselves and we know exactly how much it (liability) is going to cost for every year of its existence,” Stoner said. “It’s very easy to do.
And that will define exactly in the future how much boards are going to have to come up with every year of the existing plan.”
He also urged the board to consider offering insurance benefits to teachers that are the same as those offered administrators, for consistency sake.
Krause said he would like to have the plan drafted in two weeks or a short time thereafter for the board’s review in early March.
“At least it (plan proposal) will be something that can be measured,” Krause said. “If the board chooses not to go that direction, fine; it can go a different direction.” (The full story appears in the Tuesday, Feb. 12 Daily Union.)
JEFFERSON — With a fresh layer of snow, motorists were being advised to maintain a cautious attitude while traveling area highways and byways.
About 1.5 inches of snow had fallen as of 7 this morning, bringing February’s total thus far to 23.5 inches. In January, 17.8 inches of snow fell on the heels of December’s 25.75 inches.
Jefferson County Highway Department shop superintendent Dave Endl said all trucks were out Monday morning to address some slippery road conditions.
Crews returned to the roads early this morning, working on the aftermath of the season’s storm No. 26, by his count.
“Our main concern was sanding the remaining slippery spots and icy stretches,” he said, referring to Monday’s work by the highway department’s plowing crews.
“We were able to get quite a bit of sand down on the roads and then traffic helped grind that into the ice pack, loosening the ice to the point where the plow blades could clear some of it,” Endl said.
Because the county is nearly out of salt, the Highway Department primarily has been utilizing a sand/salt mixture to break up the icy layer over the roadway.
“Every vendor I’ve ever dealt with has no salt,” Endl said. “With the supply and demand, it’s going to cost more.”
Plowing and sanding operations wrapped up Monday around 10 or 11 a.m., giving the crews an opportunity to check out their vehicles and plow blades.
Endl said most of the crew was able to get home early and finally, after nearly a week of continuous late or early nights or mornings, get some decent rest.
Around 3 this morning, crews were dispatched to the Class 1 highways that include Interstate 94, State Highways 26 and 16 and U.S. Highway 12.
Between 4 and 5 a.m., the remaining trucks were called out to plow and sand the secondary highways and county roads.
“Some of the snow, being so light, just blew off the road,” Endl said. “It wasn’t real slippery this morning, so we did not get them out as early as we have in the past.”
As of 9 a.m., he said, the roads were snow-covered and slippery in some areas.
“Drivers certainly need to continue to use caution and good winter driving skills,” Endl said. “This snow is light and we are not expecting a considerable amount of drifting, so it looks like this one should be manageable.”
Patrol Capt. Patrick Brown of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department said that from 3 p.m. Monday to 7 a.m. today, two runoffs were reported throughout the county.
“Hopefully, people will give themselves some extra time and keep a greater distance between each other on the roads and we won’t have any problems,” Brown said. (The full story appears in the Tuesday, Feb. 12 Daily Union.)
WHITEWATER — Four candidates are seeking the position of municipal judge for the City of Whitewater.
On Tuesday, Feb. 19, a primary will be held to reduce the candidate field to two for the April 1 election.
On the primary ballot are the incumbent Municipal Judge Richard C. Kelly and challengers Ben Penwell, Colin Cheever and Art Coleman.
Each candidate was asked by the Daily Union to provide his reasons for seeking office and outline his top three issues of concern.
“I would like to represent the citizens of Whitewater in a fair manner,” Coleman said in his response. “I would like to be elected by the people to serve the people as municipal judge.”
The other candidates were a bit more explicatory.
“I am running to ensure both legal and humanistic sides of an issue are heard,” Cheever said. “And, to make certain the court is accountable to the city, community and college alike, while consistency and impartiality are still being upheld.”
Cheever, 22, said his top issues of concern are budgeting, efficiency and harmony.
“Budget the court system — making the judgeship equal to all other elected positions,” Cheever said. “Addressing the issue, the Whitewater judge is the only elected official that is guaranteed a three percent raise yearly. It is important for the public to have their say as to how much the position gets paid.
“Efficiency — making sure that persons in the court get in and out in timely and efficient manor,” Cheever continued, adding that the court must be efficient “while still being accurate, consistent, and fair week to week.”
In conclusion, Cheever focused on “harmony between the college campus/students and the city.
“Concentrate on the drinking issues of Thursday night and more importantly, the disorderly conduct that takes place as a result,” he said. “Vomit, broken glass and outright rudeness are not appropriate actions to be taking place in a downtown that is trying to be revitalized or any city. Tickets/fines do not seem to have much effect; maybe Friday/Saturday morning street clean-up will.”
Attorney Ben Penwell, according to his statement given to the Daily Union, has been a resident of Whitewater since 1995 and has had his office here since 1998. His wife, Ellen Penwell, is president of the Whitewater Historical Society.
They have one son, Samuel, who graduated from Whitewater High School in the Class of 2005 and currently is a junior majoring in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin.
Penwell served a three-year term on the Humane Society of Jefferson County Board of Directors and he often volunteers at Old World Wisconsin, Eagle, where he has appeared as Bob LaFollette and other real and fictitious historical characters. He enjoys playing music and cooking for his family and friends.
“I just feel that it is time that I give back something to this community that has given so much to my family and me,” Penwell said of running for municipal judge. “Whitewater has become our hometown and the hometown of our extended family, some of whom have recently moved here.”
Penwell, 49, said that he feels his legal and life experiences, along with his commitment to serve his community, make him highly qualified for this position. (The full story appears in the Tuesday, Feb. 12 Daily Union.)
JEFFERSON — Long- and short-term maintenance plan and projects for East Elementary School were reviewed by the School District of Jefferson Board of Education on Monday.
During their regular meeting in the East Elementary gymnasium, board members heard business manager Laura Peachey highlight the projects slated for repair and/or replacement in the 2008-09 to 2018-19 school year budgets.
She said the proposed projects at East, earmarked in the general fund budgets, are as follows: repair slate roof, 2008-09, at a cost of $20,000; replace three sets plus one outside entrance doors, 2008-09, $25,900; parking lot replacement and additional lighting, 2008-09, $78,000; toilets replacement with automatic flushes, 2008-09, $33,050; locker painting, 2009-10, $8,000; boiler replacement, 2018-19, $65,000; playground maintenance (crack-filling, seal-coating), 2018-19, $5,000.
The grand total of all of these projects is $234,950.
“I think one thing we’re looking at still is the replacement of the parking lot here at East (Elementary School),” Peachey said. “We’re trying to work in conjunction with the city right now on some drainage issues and on the (U.S.) Highway 18 project to see how that would all work together.
“So we met with them (city officials) today, so we’re looking at kind of timing that together with them,” she added.
Other projects at East, she said, include standard items such as keeping up with roof replacement to prevent leaks, as well as playground maintenance.
The 2008-09 preliminary district projects list, Peachey said, covers the following items for East Elementary School: repair slate roof, at a cost of $20,000; replace three sets plus one outside entrance doors, $25,900; parking lot replacement and additional lighting, $78,000; toilets replacement with automatic flushes, $33,050.
At the Sullivan Elementary School, proposed projects include: building access card system for secure entrance (four entrances), $6,000; parking lot maintenance (crack-filling, seal-coating), $19,853; playground maintenance (crack-filling, seal-coating), $6,474.
At West Elementary School, the district is looking at replacing the building automation system (stage 1) at a cost of $33,950.
For Jefferson High School, roof repairs are proposed at $6,000.
Districtwide, proposed projects include: replacing a 1992 lawn mower, $22,000; replacing the 1994 van, $18,000; replacing a personal lift, $8,500; replacing two hand floor scrubbers, $2,400.
The total cost of these preliminary projects in the general fund budget for next year is $280,127.
In addition to district projects, the business manager also reviewed proposed budgets for the areas of technology, and curriculum and instruction.
“I think right now we’re just looking at preliminary budgets as far as the technology curriculum and maintenance projects — those are some of the large items that we have more control over,” Peachy said. “So we look at how that will fit into the larger budget as we head into it now.
“The preliminary look will change as we go along, depending on our total budget and what will fit,” she added. (The full story appears in the Tuesday, Jan. 29 Daily Union.)
WHITEWATER — After months of discussion, Whitewater school board members have unanimously approved establishing a district foundation.
The Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) School Board took the action when it met in regular session Monday night.
It first had discussed the possibility of forming a foundation in November 2007. During a meeting earlier this month, the board decided to have a WUSD Foundation work in conjunction with the already established Whitewater Community Foundation.
“This is a wonderful development and certainly a step in the right direction,” school board President Chuck Nass said.
The legal technicalities of foundation creation was the focus Monday, as the board passed a resolution “to authorize the development of the necessary legal documents to form the Whitewater Unified School District Endowment under the umbrella of the Whitewater Community Foundation, for the purpose of supporting the district’s mission/vision through a community-based effort to fund projects independent of the district’s budget and assisting and enhancing educational experiences/opportunities for WUSD students.”
In December, the school district learned that the Dorothy J. Heldt Revocable Trust donated two gifts to the district, one being an amazing $288,181 for scholarships, which will serve as the initial foundation of the Foundation.
“It is so important for people to have a place to put funds into that we can use, such as the large donation we just got,” Nass said after the meeting. “It makes a big difference to allow people to do that, because of the tax benefits on the other end of it. That really helps us use that for scholarships and other items.”
In a related but separate resolution, the board formally authorized the mission statement and the foundation goals as well. They read:
“The Whitewater Unified School District Endowment supports the district’s mission/vision through a community-based effort in building partnerships and providing funding independent of the district’s budget, to assist and enhance the educational experiences/opportunities for Whitewater students.”
The five goals approved are:
• Identify unmet needs of our students/children.
• Categorize and prioritize programs the school/community deems worthy.
• Plan and promote the public relations aspects of an endowment.
• Identify fundraising sources and approaches.
• Encourage individuals to personally commit to district/community children.
The board also approved various fund-raising avenues to explore for the WUSD Foundation.
District Administrator Leslie Steinhaus outlined the next step in the foundation process:
“There are several things the board will have to do,” she explained. “They will have to take a look at a public relations plan, because that is critical to the foundations’ success; they have to do all the logistics from a logo to small details that allow us to get set up; and who is going serve on the Foundation Committee and how many people will serve.
“We also have to create a strategic plan,” Steinhaus continued. “What areas are we going to focus on? We had quite a long list from our previous meetings, and we have to narrow those down and say ‘this is what we are going to do.’”
The final step is deciding how much needs to be raised.
“We have that nice big gift from Dorothy Heldt for our scholarships; that is a nice start, but we also have other projects we want to do,” the district administrator noted. “It is long process, but we are getting off the ground now.” (The full story appears in the Tuesday, Jan. 29 Daily Union.)
JEFFERSON — A new citizen advocacy group calling itself “Education Done Right” is urging School District of Jefferson electors to vote “yes” on the April 1 referendum.
About 45 area residents gathered at in the Puerner Room of the Fort Community Credit Union Monday night for the group’s first meeting.
Scott Buth, Nicole Pupanek and Dave Volk are co-chairs of “Education Done Right,” which developed immediately after the School District of Jefferson Board of Education decided to send the proposed new high school building to referendum.
Many members of the group also served on the citizen-led Jefferson High School Facilities Task Force that spent several months last year researching facilities needs at the high school and options to renovate or replace the existing structure.
The group plans to help foster community discussion on the issues from now through the date of the referendum April 1.
Monday’s meeting was intended to spur some preliminary discussion on how the group could distribute information on the referendum questions and encourage people to vote “yes” on April 1.
At the top of the list currently is the need for fund-raising.
Also, volunteers are being sought to undertake door-to-door canvassing or phone banks to confirm “yes” votes and garner personal endorsements.
A website at educationdoneright.net is being developed.
During the meeting, Volk distributed cards for volunteers to offer to friends and relatives who pledge to vote “yes.” The intention is for the card recipients to visit the website and register their support.
Supporters of the referendum will be asked to fill out their name, address, telephone number and e-mail address and voting location.
A total of 2,000 card were printed.
“If you can disburse those, that’s what we need,” Volk said. “There are still people that have no idea that this school is coming up for election.”
He appeared passionate about a desire to get the referendum passed on April 1.
“I think it can be done, but we need your help to get this done,” Volk said.
The group’s goal is to get 2,000 supporters signed on to the website by March 1.
Efforts also are being made to contact Jefferson High School alumni from the past five years to determine if they still have residency in the area and, if so, are available to vote absentee.
Also Monday, school district consultant Kit Dailey shared the factual information she has compiled for the school district on the proposed building project. She also provided a list of upcoming dates of information nights, school tours and other related events scheduled by the district in the months leading up to the referendum.
“We really felt it’s important to give people a better sense of what this building is about and what the challenges are,” Dailey said. “We’re hoping to help get the visual information out to them.”
By law, the school district can only provide factual information about the referendum.
“We are not allowed to advocate in any way,” Dailey said. “We can tell you what the project is, why we believe the project is needed from a factual perspective and how it came about.”
She said the district is trying to do different things for different people.
“Some people learn by reading materials, some people will watch a presentation or a video, some people will come to a meeting and ask questions or go on a tour,” Dailey said. “What we are looking at from now until April 1 is to try and give people as many opportunities to get information so they can make an informed decision.” (The full story appears in the Tuesday, Jan. 29 Daily Union.)
JEFFERSON —A citizen advocacy group supporting a new Jefferson High School is organizing to get the word out about the i
WHITEWATER — The arts have a great impact on the economic vitality of Wisconsin and its individual communities, attendees at an Arts Impact Day event on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus were told Friday.
Nearly 70 people attended the gathering keynoted by Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton, mostly from the Whitewater Chamber of Commerce, tourist groups, arts organizations and supporters of the Irvin L. Young Auditorium.
As chair of the Wisconsin Arts Board, Lawton focused her remarks on the wider impact of the arts as an economic influence on Wisconsin businesses. She addressed the impact of a “creative economy,” that is, the ever-growing influence that arts and other creative venues have on the region’s and state’s business sector.
“Innovation is essential, whether we are talking about manufacturing, agricultural or high-tech, and we need very creative people for these industries,” Lawton said. “We live in exponential times; there are 2.7-billion searches on Google annually. More unique information will be generated this year than in the previous 5,000 years. New technical information doubles every two years, so that what incoming freshmen will learn this year will be obsolete by the time they are juniors.”
“The arts are uniquely able to help every one of us be creative in this fast moving world,” Lawton continued. “There are a lot of unknowns out there, but it is through creativity that we manage the unknown. Arts today can no longer be considered an enrichment, but a core curriculum for our children so they can manage on this shifting ground.”
Lawton cited a study which found that industries seek out cities that can attract bright and young workers through a lively cultural industry in those cities.
“The people needed to fill those jobs chose where they live by the activity of a strong cultural heartbeat,” she said. “It was noted in the study that communities need to provide opportunities for women because the men will follow the women.”
While that comment garnered some chuckles, Lawton made one statement that received substantial applause:
“It has been successfully argued that although the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act are notable, the effect has been that our curriculum has seen arts pushed off the table. As we look at our schools, and don’t focus on the creative aspect, we are going to spend too much time on remediation in the workforce. We need to train children to tap into their creative abilities at an early age.
“Creativity is the source of innovation for all industries,” Lawton said.
The lieutenant governor also mentioned the impact of Wisconsin’s new tax incentives for the film and video industry to produce movies in Wisconsin. She said that since the incentives went into effect on Jan. 1, there has been great interest.
Lawton announced that Fletcher Camera, a digital and film camera equipment rental and sales company based in Chicago, will open an office in Milwaukee.
“This means new jobs are coming to our state,” Lawton noted.
“We have also brought together a public-private partnership called ‘Film Wisconsin,’” she said. “We are able to announce for certain that at least two films are coming to Wisconsin, one of which I cannot formally announce, but it will be good because we all love Johnny Depp.”
Lawton was making a reference to the worst-kept secret in Wisconsin: That Johnny Depp likely will star in a Michael Mann movie titled “Public Enemies.” About gangster John Dillinger, the movie might be filmed around Madison and Baraboo.
In addition, a $2.5-million film production of Robert McCammon’s thriller novel, “Blue World” is eyed for Milwaukee and a $1-million production of “The Violinist” will be filmed in Green Bay.
“And it is estimated that at least half of all production costs will stay in the area,” Lawton said.
The lieutenant governor had attended last week’s Sundance Film Festival in Utah to promote the new incentives to the film industry. (The full story appears in the Monday, Jan. 28 Daily Union.)
JEFFERSON —A citizen advocacy group supporting a new Jefferson High School is organizing to get the word out about the importance of voting “yes” on the April 1 referendum.
The group will hold its first public meeting at 7 tonight in the Puerner Room of the Fort Community Credit Union. Any interested or curious member of the community is welcome to attend.
Consultant Kit Dailey will share the factual information she has compiled for the school district on the proposed building project and provide a list of upcoming dates of information nights, school tours and other related events scheduled by the district in the months leading up to the referendum.
The citizen advocacy group, which calls itself “Education Done Right” is made up of leaders from throughout the community. Many members also serve on the citizen-led Jefferson High School Facilities Task Force that spent several months last year researching facilities needs at the high school and options to renovate or replace the existing structure.
Scott Buth, Nicole Pupanek and Dave Volk will co-chair the committee, which developed immediately after the School District of Jefferson Board of Education decided to send the proposed new high school to referendum.
“The committee grew out of the citizen task force,” Pupanek said.
“Our motto is ‘Build it right. Build it now,’” she continued. “We are very committed to educating and informing our community as to the need to build this facility.”
She said that the group’s leaders feel strongly that if everyone in the Jefferson school district had access to the information the task force received during its study of the facility, they would agree that it was important to address the facility needs at the high school, and to address them as soon as possible.
Pupanek noted that the community members she and the other committee leaders have spoken with seem to understand the need to update the Jefferson High School facility to address aging infrastructure and to accommodate new technology, new government mandates and new directions in education. However, she said, some people still have qualms about the proposed cost of the referendum project: $45.6 million.
“With the bond market where it is now, combined with inflation, we’ll get the best school for our money if we build it now,” Pupanek said, adding that with the housing and other construction markets down, construction companies need the work and will be eager to provide reasonable bids.
“If this referendum doesn’t pass the first time, the proposed new school will have to be cut away at and cut away at until we’re looking at less and less school for the same or more money,” she said.
“Construction costs are rising at about 8 percent a year, so we’re looking at cost increases of $4- to $5 million per year if this doesn’t pass,” Pupanek said.
The group already has begun its advocacy efforts, having addressed the Jefferson Kiwanis Club last Thursday night and having begun a fund-raising campaign via local newspaper and radio advertising, mailings, flyers and other means.
“We’ve started to make phone calls to businesses around the community asking for their support and, if possible, monetary contributions to help cover these costs,” Pupanek said.
The group plans to help foster community discussion on the issues from now through the date of the referendum April 1. (The full story appears in the Monday, Jan. 28 Daily Union.)
WHITEWATER — The City of Whitewater’s annual Freeze Fest will be scaled back a bit from last year; however, it still will make a big splash.
Literally.
Freeze Fest will take place on Saturday, Feb. 9. The majority of events will take place at the Cravath Lakefront Park, although some will be held elsewhere in the city.
For the first time ever, the Whitewater Polar Plunge will be held at Freeze Fest. The Polar Plunge is being sponsored in conjunction with Special Olympics Wisconsin.
Teams and individuals will participate in the plunge at Cravath Lakefront Park, with all funds going to Special Olympics.
According to Whitewater Parks and Recreation Department program coordinator Michelle Dujardin, the 2008 Freeze Fest will be only one day long this year.
“It was two days last year, but from the notes left by my predecessor DeAnna Brunner, she recommended going to one day,” Dujardin said.
“People were only able to concentrate one day because of work or other responsibilities, and there was not a large turnout for the snow dance. We figured one day, but a longer day, would provide more opportunities this year.”
Dujardin noted that some of the more popular events will be returning, primarily the ice sculpting contest, the pancake breakfast, the chili-cook-off, a snow dog presentation and the children’s fishing derby.
But the Polar Plunge should be the biggest draw.
“The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Special Olympics came together and then they approached us with the idea of Polar Plunge at Freeze Fest,” Dujardin recalled. “They thought it was something new to bring people in and wanted to coordinate it with the ice carving event, to make sure there would be enough room at the Cravath Lakefront.
“So far, there are 15 teams,” she continued. “The teams vary; there are some with four members and some with 10 members. But there goal is to raise $75 per team member. All the proceeds will stay in southern Wisconsin for the Special Olympics. It all stays in our area.”
There also will be a disc jockey and prize giveaways. Toppers Pizza is providing food for the jumpers, and the Downstairs Bar has offered to host an after-party for the plungers.
Contest categories for prizes include best costume (individual and team); largest team; best/most creative water entrance; most money raised; and most money raised online.
“We are going to close off the parking lot in front of Cravath (Park) and set up tents,” Dujardin explained. “There is going to be a registration tent and two warming tents where participants can change, run down when they are called, plunge in, and run back.”
The plungers will be diving into a pool, not Cravath Lake, she noted. The pool will be set up in front of the stage area.
“Cravath is not a good lake to jump in; it is a bit shallow,” Dujardin said.
According to David Polacek of Special Olympics Wisconsin, the Whitewater Polar Plunge will be the tenth event statewide.
“We are doing 10 this year,” he said. “Last year, we did nine, but with Whitewater, we will be doing 10 now.
“Statewide, we have been doing Polar Plunges for at least 10 years now,” Polacek said. “It started out as an idea that arose at one of our conferences in Alaska one year. We came back with that idea, and we did the very first one in La Crosse.
“That year, we raised $30,000,” he said. “And from that, it just expanded throughout the state.”
The goal is to raise at least $1 million this year statewide. Last year, the nine plunges garnered just under that mark.
Polacek added that he is anticipating that 100 to 150 people will participate in the Polar Plunge. (The full story appears in the Monday, Jan. 28 Daily Union.)
WHITEWATER — The Whitewater Common Council held a special meeting Thursday to revisit janitorial contracts, an issue that was first discussed at its Dec. 18 meeting.
It was the sole item on the agenda for Thursday’s special meeting. Only four council members were able to attend — Marilyn Kienbaum, Craig Stauffer, Jim Stewart and Patrick Singer — but that was enough for a legal quorum.
The result of Thursday’s meeting is that the city will ask the five companies that submitted bids for the 2008 cleaning services contract to submit new quotes for the contract.
During the budget process in late 2006 for the 2007 budget — which was under stringent revenue caps at that time — the council approved, for the first time, splitting the city’s janitorial contract between two companies in order to save money.
Jim’s Janitorial was contracted to clean the Downtown Armory, Starin Community Building, Cravath Lakefront Center and the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library, while another company was contracted to clean the Municipal Center.
Both contracts were for one year.
Near the end of 2007, when the companies were reviewed for performance, the city staff indicated they were unhappy with the performance of the company contracted to clean the Municipal Center.
According to Neighborhood Services director Bruce Parker, new bids from companies were sought in late 2007 for cleaning services in 2008.
The city received bids to clean all five municipal buildings from Jani-King, $97,689.28; Peterson Clean ing, $116,584; Diversified, $130,772; Cinderella Shep’s, $136,136, and Jim’s Janitorial, $147,420.
During its Dec. 18, 2007, council meeting, Parker again recommended splitting the contracts. The council approved, for the second time, two separate janitorial contracts for city buildings on a 6-1 vote.
Jani-King was contracted, for $42,491, to clean the Municipal Center only. Also approved was a $62,816 contract with Jim’s Janitorial to continue cleaning the Downtown Armory, Community Building, and the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.
By splitting the contracts, the city garnered about $8,000 savings with the 2008 janitorial budget. (The full story appears in the Dec. 28 Daily Union.)
St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Charities will be distributing food from Second Harvest from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10.
All Fort Atkinson area families in need of food are invited to come to the St. Joseph parish parking lot at 1660 Endl Blvd.
Participants should provide their own grocery containers to carry their food home. There will be no early sign in or distribution.
A financial aid meeting held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 8, at the Fort Atkinson High School IMC.
Representatives from the financial aid office at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Summit Credit Union will present information and answer questions on funding post-secondary education.
The inclement weather makeup date is Thursday, Jan. 10.
For more information call counselor Curt Brokmeier at (920) 563-7811, extension 1145.
JEFFERSON — The Jefferson County Christmas Neighbors program started by the Rev. Clarence “Pop” Wendt in 1952 has continued to grow and evolve through the decades, this year serving more than 1,500 people.
On Tuesday, volunteers and donors crowded the Jefferson County Fair Park Activity Center, where the annual distribution was slated to take place today.
Started as an effort to make sure no needy child had to go without a Christmas present, the local charity has long since expanded to provide food and warm clothes as well as toys. In its 55th year, Christmas Neighbors still involves new donors and participants, which is good since the program has also seen an upsurge in applicants in recent years.
Helen Stowe, who has been with the program since she worked at Jefferson County Human Services in 1969 and who has coordinated it since 1985, said that this year, 450 families signed up for the toy program, representing about 1,350 children — a number comparable to last year’s, she said.
Meanwhile, 151 families signed up for the Adopt-a-Family program, which Stowe herself helped establish in 1986. Estimating three children per family, this serves approximately an additional 450 children.
“There’s definitely a need,” Stowe said. “Applications closed Dec. 7, and others wanted to get in after that date, but unfortunately, we couldn’t accommodate them.”
She noted that about 100 groups, families, businesses and individuals signed up to sponsor a family through the Adopt-a-Family program, which involves providing gifts and Christmas extras for the whole family. Without enough sponsors to handle every family that registered, 55 to 60 families were then put into the toy program instead, so no one who qualifies goes away empty-handed.
Sometimes a family will decide to be a sponsor and to focus on making someone else’s Christmas happy,” Stowe said. “That’s always heartwarming to see.” (The full story appears in the Dec. 19 Daily Union)
JEFFERSON — The Jefferson Common Council on Tuesday accepted an annexation petition submitted by residents in the Riverview Heights subdivision in the Town of Aztalan.
No vote was taken on the proposed ordinance to approve the annexation and rezoning of the territory due to a challenge submitted to the city Monday.
A final vote was delayed due to a second petition filed Monday seeking a referendum on the annexation question.
By law, the Town of Aztalan has no more than 72 days to schedule a referendum on whether the territory should be annexed. All the residents within the proposed annexation will have an opportunity to vote on the proposal.
Riverview Heights is a subdivision in the town containing approximately 44 single-family residential lots that abut the city’s north municipal boundary east of the Rock River and west of Watertown Road.
The Town of Aztalan Board of Supervisors and a resident of the subdivision, Marv Moldenhauer, previously had asked that the city consider creating a sanitary sewer district for the subdivision.
At its July 25 meeting, the Jefferson Plan Commission forwarded a recommendation to the council to not extend the sanitary sewer services outside the municipal limits. The council unanimously supported that recommendation at its Aug. 21 meeting.
Determined to obtain sanitary services, another resident, Bob Rupprecht, circulated an annexation petition in the area and submitted it to the city for consideration.
Subsequent to a recommendation being advanced by the Jefferson Plan Commission, the city received a petition from those opposed to the annexation requesting a referendum be held on the question of annexation. (The full story appears in the Dec. 19 Daily Union)
Fort Atkinson residents can expect to see in the coming months the implementation of measures to help improve traffic and pedestrian safety in the city.
The Fort Atkinson City Council unanimously approved five recommendations made by the city’s Traffic Review Committee during its regular meeting held Tuesday night at the Fort Atkinson Municipal Building.
“Most of the recommendations were requests from citizens in the areas and also some requests for safety issues,” said City Manager John Wilmet.
One major improvement approved was the installation of a pedestrian yield sign and strobe lights at the intersection of Robert Street, Janesville Avenue and South Third Street.
According to Wilmet, the issue of safety at that intersection has long been a concern for the city.
“We’ve had a number of calls of near-misses at this intersection,” he noted.
City officials also are considering setting back lane markers for cars to stop at in an effort to improve visibility, but there are no plans to eliminate the ability for cars to turn right onto Janesville Avenue from Robert Street on a red light.
On Tuesday night, council President John Mielke identified two significant problems with the intersection. First, he said, that motorists turning right onto Robert Street from South Third Street are often looking at Janesville Avenue and neglecting to check whether pedestrians are crossing.
“I’ve also noticed the street sign (at the intersection) has a lot of signage on it,” said Mielke. “When you’re standing to cross, the signage kind of blocks the pedestrian.” (The full story appears in the Dec. 19 Daily Union)
As earth-movers leveled mounds of dirt in the background, officials gathered Friday to formally break ground for Rock River Dental Clinic’s new 3,777-square-foot home on Fort Atkinson’s south side.
Currently located downtown at the corner of Grant and South Water streets, Rock River Dental Clinic represents the fourth business to be built in the Robert L. Klement Business Park.
It will be located on a four-acre parcel, with roughly 79 percent made up of greenspace such as new trees, relocated existing trees and a stormwater detention pond. Furthermore, the site has been planned for a future building and parking area.
The clinic will have 20 parking spaces.
“This is a new building,” said Dr. Leslie Showalter, owner of the dental clinic. “However, we have been in Fort Atkinson for eight years. We have owned this practice for about seven years.”
She shared what attracted her to the business park.
“Basically, we wanted a freestanding building,” Dr. Showalter said. “This is a great lot with a nice view of the wetlands. It just seemed like a great area to be in.
“The new building will have six operatories, a nicer reception area and a basement office,” she said. “We hope to be open in the spring. A lot of our patients already know we are moving, but once the building is ready, we will move everyone over here.”
Fort Atkinson City Manager John Wilmet said that having a dental office in the business park is consistent with the park’s long-term plans.
“When we built this park and specifically called it a ‘business park’ rather than an ‘industrial park,’ our goal was to get a mixed-use in the park,” Wilmet said. “I think this provides another kind of a use. I think it will bring more employment and more development and it will be a real nice fit in the park.”
He added that a practice such as the Rock River Dental Clinic likely will attract other businesses.
“We are continually looking for different kinds of uses out here,” the city manager noted. “We are currently working on some things out here that will be a little bit different from each other, but they will all complement each other.”
Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Dianne Hrobsky agreed with Wilmet on the positive aspects the new clinic will bring to the business park.
“This groundbreaking just emphasizes what we mean by ‘diversity’ in our business park,” Hrobsky said. “It is so exciting to see all the activity out here. Central Coast (dance club) is almost finished up, and seeing the earth-movers out pushing the dirt around in this beautiful setting. The businesses out her complement each other and this setting. (The full story appears in the Nov. 20 Daily Union)
JEFFERSON — Despite a rainy opening day for the gun deer hunt in Jefferson County, registrations of whitetails harvested this weekend increased from last year.
State Department of Natural Resources wildlife technician Paul Bruett said hunters in Jefferson County registered 324 bucks and 702 antlerless deer, which includes does or fawns of either sex with antlers of less than three inches.
He said that compares to 373 bucks and 517 antlerless in 2006.
“Everybody is looking for the coveted buck sticker,” Bruett said.
Since 2005, Jefferson County has been included in the herd-reduction zone to curb chronic wasting disease.
The herd reduction zone was expanded to encompass all of Jefferson County after a deer killed between Deerfield and London in Dane County during the 2004 hunting season tested positive for CWD.
From 1999 through Sunday, a total of 5,937 deer have been sampled in Jefferson County, with 5,932 being analyzed. Two samples taken from deer shot in the Town of Koshkonong tested positive for CWD in 2005.
To date, during the 2007 hunting season surveillance, nine samples have been collected and six analyzed with no positive results.
All areas with the CWD eradication zones or herd reduction zones are included in the Earn-A-Buck program, where hunters are required to shoot an antlerless deer before shooting a buck as a population-control measure.
The DNR’s goal is to attain a 2-does-to-1-buck ratio. Registration stations in Jefferson County indicated that hunters were coming close to equaling that ratio.
Bruett said the Earn-A-Buck program was reinstituted this year after last year’s antlerless harvest was down 31 percent from 2005.
Hunters that harvested antlerless deer in the chronic wasting disease herd reduction zones are prequalified for a one buck sticker for each antlerless deer they harvested.
Overall, Jefferson County Department of Natural Resources conservation warden David Walz said the impact of CWD on hunting seems to have waned.
“I see about the same number of hunters overall as I used to,” Walz said. “I think they’ve lost any fear or concern over time.” (The full story appears in the Nov. 20 Daily Union)
OAKLAND — A woman and man were injured in a single-vehicle crash following a high-speed chase with a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy in the Town of Oakland Sunday.
A deputy discovered Ouida P. Jackson, 42, and Jeffrey W. Lock, 44, both of Milwaukee, about 6 p.m. at the crash scene along the south side of U.S. Highway 18, two-tenths of a mile east of County Highway A.
According to the sheriff’s de partment, the incident began at a westbound rest area on Interstate 94, when a sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop of a suspected stolen vehicle from Milwaukee. When the deputy returned to his squad car, the 2007 Kia Optima left the rest area at a high rate of speed.
Another deputy located the vehicle heading south on State Highway 89 near County Highway Q by the Lake Mills and Jefferson town line. However, contact was soon lost as the suspect vehicle turned off its lights.
According to the deputy in pursuit, the vehicle was traveling in excess of 110 miles per hour. About a minute later, the deputy located the vehicle crashed along the roadway on Highway 18.
It had not been determined as of presstime whether Jackson or Lock were driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.
Jackson had been ejected from the vehicle, while Lock was pinned inside. Both were removed from the scene and transported to Fort Memorial Hospital before being taken to University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. (The full story appears in the Nov. 20 Daily Union) |
