Low brass players will come together at Hortonville High School to perform TubaChristmas Fox Cities 2016 at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2.

Around 100 Wisconsin tuba and euphonium players ranging from ages 10 to 86 will perform sing-along holiday carols, said Greg Forton, band director for Hortonville High School. Hortonville Area School District students and alumni are also expected to share the stage with Wisconsin’s most experienced brass players.

“It’s a free concert open to all, but get there early to get a seat,” Forton said.

Tuba and euphonium players looking to take part can pre-register at tubachristmasfoxcities.org. The registration fee for musicians is $10.

Forton said he’s been trying to get TubaChristmas to perform in Hortonville for years. TubaChristmas first performed at New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza Ice Rink in 1974 at Rockefeller Center with over 300 tubas and baritones.

Lawrence University started the event in the Fox Valley in 1990 under the direction of Nick Keelan. When the event got too big for the Appleton Avenue Mall, it moved it to Fox Valley Lutheran.

TubaChristmas is hosted at 278 cities around the world, including Madison and Chicago, Forton said.

Q&A with Nick Yaeger

By Erik Buchinger

The Clintonville girls’ basketball team lost several players from last year’s team that went on a run to a WIAA Division 3 regional championship game.

Head coach Nick Yaeger answered 10 questions about the upcoming season.

Year coaching the team: 2nd.

Returning players (grade): Catherine Morse (Sr.), Nicole Seefeldt (Sr.), Skylar Gast (Sr.).

Players to watch (grade): Players to watch would be Catherine Morse (Sr.). She started last year as a junior, and she will be expected to play an important role on the team as a leader.

Team goals/expectations: We just want to take this season one practice and one game at a time and improve throughout the season. We are pretty young and inexperienced.

Team’s strengths: The team is young but eager to learn and get better, which is very important.  We are not very strong in any particular area, so the hard work to get better in practice is very important.

Team’s weaknesses: Like I mentioned earlier, we are pretty young and inexperienced as there are only three girls on the team that were on varsity last year and only one got significant playing time. A lot of change this year. There is quite a bit we need to work on to be honest with you.

Teams to beat in conference: Wrightstown, Freedom and Lux-Casco will be the teams to beat in the conference.

Biggest games on the schedule: The biggest game on the schedule is the next one we have to play.

What you want players to get out of this season: A lot of the players will be returning next year, so for this year, I want them to learn and improve. Whatever we do, I want them to do it right and execute properly. I want them to realize how important being a team is.

Why fans should be excited for this team: This is a good group of kids, and I think people will see that they will keep playing hard no matter the situation.

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Head coach Chris Gennrich speaks to his team during a practice on Thursday, Nov. 17. Erik Buchinger photo

Q&A with Chris Gennrich

By Erik Buchinger

The Hortonville High School wrestling team loses a few key pieces from last year’s state team, but the Polar Bears will return a few individual state qualifiers.

Head coach Chris Gennrich answered 10 questions about the upcoming season.

Year coaching the team: 15th.

Returning players (grade): Jacob Barnett (Sr.), Nathan Lichtfuss (Sr.), Elliott Luker (Sr.), Griffen Cartwright (Sr.), Joe Cleereman Jr.( Jr.) Nate Bohman (Jr.), Eric Barnett (So.), Bryce Gerner (So.), Colin Schuler (So.).

Players to watch (grade): Eric Barnett (So.) finished third at the state tournament last year. He is the No. 1 ranked sophomore in the state regardless of weight class, the 50th-ranked sophomore in the country regardless of weight class, and the No. 18 ranked 106-pound sophomore in the country. Jacob Barnett (Sr.) is already a three-time state qualifier. Elliott Luker (Sr.) also already a three-time state qualifier. Nathan Lichtfuss (Sr.) was a state qualifier last year.

Team goals/expectations: We always have a goal to set a record for individual state qualifiers every year. Last year was a new record with seven individuals. We also qualified for the state team tournament for first time in school history. Our goal every year is to qualify as a team for team state.

Team’s strengths: Good leadership from our experienced wrestlers. Good work ethic and love to work hard.

Team’s weaknesses: We have to try to replace a lot of quality seniors we lost to graduation, many of them who had been starters for years. This year, we will be filling a lineup a bit short on experience as far as varsity competitions are concerned.

Teams to beat in conference: Kaukauna – two-time defending state champs.

Biggest games on the schedule: Kaukauna. Dvorak Invite in Illinois – a nationally-known tournament that has some of the top teams for the Midwest.

What you want players to get out of this season: I want my wrestlers to learn how to be great young men – young men of the highest moral character with honesty and integrity. I want them to learn how to be great citizens, leaders and pillars of the community they choose to live in as adults. I want them to learn how to become someday great employees, great husbands and great fathers.

Why fans should be excited for this team: I feel our wrestling style is a very exciting style to watch. We are an attacking physical team that is always looking to score. Like last year, we will be a very good team in the top position, good at turning and pinning people which creates a lot of excitement for the fans. We have a lot of top-ranked talent not only in the state but nationally as well. We try to make our home duals not only entertain for the wrestling aspect but also try to make it an overall entertainment event with lights shows, jumbotron graphics and video. If you come to our home duals, you will not only get to see great wrestling, but will also be entertained. As a fan, whether you know anything about wrestling or not, I think you will agree our meets are entertaining, come on out and see them. You won’t be disappointed.

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Clintonville's Nate Krueger lines up a three-point shot during practice on Friday, Nov. 18. Erik Buchinger photo

Petermann, Krueger provide scoring

By Erik Buchinger

The Clintonville High School boys’ basketball team will bring back its top two players from last season in hopes of taking home a regional championship.

Senior forward Tyler Petermann was named first team all-conference last year and averaged 19 points per game, while senior forward Nate Krueger was selected as honorable mention with an average of 15.9 points per game.

The two have been teammates for multiple years now, as Petermann will enter his fourth season on varsity, and Krueger will be in his third year.

“With two guys, obviously it makes you a little bit tougher to guard,” head coach Shawn Howe said. “With having that extra person out there, you can’t just focus on one guy. We talked about them as a double-headed monster for our team.”

The two players bring a different skill set to the team, as Petermann can be used as a guard and swingman, whereas Krueger plays most of his game in the post.

“Nate’s really fun to play with,” Petermann said. “We work really well together, we have great chemistry together and were kind of each other’s opposites in terms of playing, so it’s really nice that we get to complement each other when we play.”

Krueger said it is nice to play with Petermann, who can score and create scoring opportunities for Krueger.

“It’s fun having someone to rely on to score the ball continuously and a guy that can get me the ball to score,” Krueger said. “It’s a good thing.”

With two players getting most of the defense’s attention, it leaves opportunities for other players on the floor, according to Howe.

“Nate and Tyler are going to create some really good scoring opportunities for some other guys on the floor because of their presence out there,” Howe said. “I think if we can buy into that and guys make plays, I think we’ll be alright. It’s not going to put so much pressure on Tyler and Nate, and it’s just going to make us a tougher team.”

Among the team goals include a regional championship this season, according to Howe.

“I think a regional championship would be nice,” Howe said. “I think that would be our goal that we want to strive for – to compete for a regional. I think if we can play as a team and defend a little bit, I think we’ll at least have a chance to.”

Petermann said he has been seeking a regional title for four years.

“Personally, I really don’t care what happens for me in terms of accomplishments, but as a team, I’ve been looking to get that regional plaque since my freshman year,” Petermann said. “I just hope that we can accomplish a lot as a team.”

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Firefighters extinguish a fire at China King, 46 S. Main St., in Clintonville early Wednesday, Nov. 23. Jeff Hoffman photo

Family’s home destroyed, business damaged

By Erik Buchinger

A family of five are seeking donations after a fire destroyed their Clintonville apartment and severely damaged China King Restaurant, which they own, in the early morning of Wednesday, Nov. 23.

The family is staying in Clintonville at the Landmark Motel. The motel is accepting donated items with help from the Red Cross, an organization that provides immediate assistance to families for the first three days following tragic events.

With help from the Red Cross, the Landmark Motel co-owner Sarah Lamia welcomed the family in at approximately 6:45 a.m.

“They were obviously shook up, and they are shocked,” Lamia said. “They hadn’t slept. They’re exhausted, overwhelmed both by the fire and the overwhelming support from the community.”

Lamia said the family has received a significant amount of items, including clothing, food items, among others.

B & H Fashionwear donated shoes, and Spectacular Visions sent glasses. Knights of Columbus donated a Thanksgiving dinner to the family.

“So much has been donated that it fills a hotel room,” Lamia said. “They’re learning the extent of damage and just trying to take care of specifics. They’re trying to get back on their feet again.”

Lamia said the motel has taken in families several times when in need.

“Each family is different,” Lamia said. “Some are fortunate enough through insurance to rebuild or find a new home within a week, some it could take months.

“That’s just what we do, and that’s what this community does for others.”

Lamia said there is a donation fund for the family set up at Clintonville’s First State Bank, and a potential housing plan for the family could be reached by Dec. 1.

The family evacuated when smoke detectors went off in their apartment early Wednesday morning.

The Clintonville Fire Department, Clintonville Area Ambulance and Clintonville Police were dispatched to the fire at 46 S. Main St. at 2:09 a.m.

The Clintonville Fire Department was assisted by fire departments from Marion, Manawa, Bear Creek, Pella and Embarrass.

The nature of the building configuration, structural age and adjacent buildings along with extensive fire in the upper level of the building made the fire difficult to combat.

“Once we made an initial attack upstairs, we realized how large the fire was,” Clintonville Fire Department Fire Chief Shane Krueger said. “We attacked the upstairs and the windows until we were able to suppress it enough that we were able to go back up and finish, but it did involve a total roof collapse.”

Crews remained on scene until 4 p.m.

The state fire marshal’s office and building inspector was summoned to assist in the investigation, and the fire was determined to be accidental in nature.

The fire started in the floor structure between the China King Restaurant and the apartments located above the business.

This marked the second fire in Clintonville’s downtown in exactly five weeks, as the upper apartments above Doesn’t Compute computer shop and Main Street Tattoos caught fire on Oct. 19.

“We haven’t had fires in that area in years, so having them back to back like this is certainly a rarity,” Krueger said.

China King has significant water damage, and due to structural safety concerns of the building impacted by the fire, the adjoining business Schultz’s Blue Bird Café will remain closed until further notice.

“We’re thankful there were no injuries to report with all the people that came to help in the community,” Krueger said.

Bredesen leads Comets this season

By Greg Seubert

Matt Bredesen only has one game under his belt as coach of the Waupaca boys’ basketball team, but he likes what he has seen so far.

“The kids have great work ethic and we’re getting better every day,” said Bredesen, who is replacing longtime coach Ron Weber. “It was a good opportunity for me to come in and work with kids who are passionate about getting better. They come in every day wanting to get better.”

The Comets opened their season Nov. 29 at Winneconne and will compete with Clintonville, Denmark, Fox Valley Lutheran, Freedom, Little Chute, Luxemburg-Casco, Marinette, Oconto Falls and Wrightstown in the North Eastern Conference.
The Comets were 7-16 last year and 6-12 in conference play.

Bredesen hasn’t coached in the North Eastern Conference before, but he’s familiar with the teams the Comets will face twice each season. He is in his first year as an at-risk teacher in the New London School District and has six years of basketball coaching experience.

“My assumption would be the best teams in the league this year would be Luxemburg-Casco, Little Chute and Wrightstown,” he said. “I would expect those three teams to be the best. I’ve watched tape on a bunch of those teams. I spent one year at Green Bay West, so I scouted Luxemburg-Casco a lot last year as a potential playoff matchup.”

Waupaca hosted a scrimmage Nov. 17 against several teams, including Iola-Scandinavia and Wild Rose.

“We did a lot of things well and there were a lot of things we can improve on,” Bredesen said. “Like I just told the team, what we need to do is take the things we do well and become great at them. We need to take the things that need improvement and get better at those.

“In the end, basketball is a simple game,” he added. “If you make less mistakes, you’re probably going to win more than you lose. Basketball season’s a marathon. Where you start is not important, it’s all about how you finish.”
Waupaca lost Tony Blackwell, the team’s leading scorer and a unanimous first-team all-conference player, but has a handful of players with varsity experience.

“I think we’re going to get a big year out of Brandon Wanty as a sophomore,” Bredesen said. “He’ll probably be running the point for us. Ryan Dayton is returning and he’ll be our shooting guard. We are not real big inside, so Logan Bunge in the post will be asked to play a big role with rebounds and scoring in the paint. Justin Vaughn came up from JV and I think we’re going to get a lot of good things from him, especially as he gets used to that varsity pace. Stephen Johnson will come back and that’ll probably be the starting five you’ll see in the beginning.

“I think it’s a positive that we have young kids,” he said. “Young kids really want to play. I came in and got younger kids who don’t have a lot of varsity experience. It gives me the opportunity to kind of mold them to go in the direction we want to go. They have the desire and the work ethic to be good. I know they understand that in the beginning, the speed’s going to be way different than JV, than freshman (basketball). We have kids coming straight from freshman to varsity. They know it’s a transition.”

Bredesen and his staff that includes varsity assistant Brad Bogard, junior varsity coach Nate Tomlinson and freshman coach Ethan Dayton have 31 players to work with.

Dayton and Tomlinson played for Weber and Bogard has been an assist for several seasons.

“It’s a plus to have guys that have been around, have been in the program and know the kids,” Bredesen said. “I worked with them all summer, so I knew everybody who was potentially competing for varsity spots. I saw kids that were pretty dedicated and came to all the summer league stuff that we offered on Tuesdays. I threw in three varsity tournaments that I used contact days on and coached them.”

He admitted it’s hard to get kids thinking about basketball in the summer.

“You have to if you’re going to build a program,” he said. “There has to be that offseason commitment. That’s another thing that we’re going to work to build here. We’ll lift (weights) twice a week during the season and then we’ll have them on a program that they also should be on during the summer as well. We want them to be complete athletes, we don’t want them to just be basketball players. I’m a big multi-sport guy. I believe kids shouldn’t specialize. Kids should play multiple sports and weightlifting’s a huge thing for all sports. Kids need to compete and the way to help kids compete is to make them complete athletes. The first day, we started practice at 5 and the balls came out at 6:30. We did agilities, we did core. I stress anything that makes you a better athlete.”

Bredesen puts a lot of emphasis on defense.

“You will see us defend,” he said. “At least half of every practice has to be dedicated to that because it doesn’t take a lot of talent to be a good defensive player. It takes heart, it takes passion, it takes desire. We need to make sure we’re taking time every day at practice to develop that. We have access to three shooting machines and the kids have used them as well. It’s great for development. When I got hired in May, I started running open gyms and skill sessions right away. Anything you can do to get the kids in the gym to work on those individual skills is great.”

Waupaca Boys’ Basketball
2016-17 Schedule

Varsity
Thursday, Nov. 17 – Scrimmage vs. Iola-Scandinavia, Laconia, Montello, Tri-County, Wautoma, Wild Rose, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 29 – at Winneconne, 7:15 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 2 – vs. Luxemburg-Casco, 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 6 – at New London, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 8 – at Clintonville, 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 13 – at Oconto Falls, 7:15 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 16 – at Little Chute, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 5 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 7:15 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7 – vs. Marinette, 2:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 10 – vs. Berlin, 7:15 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 13 – vs. Freedom, 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 17 – at Wrightstown, 7:15 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 20 – vs. Denmark, 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 24 – vs. Clintonville, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 26 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 7:15 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 30 – vs. Oconto Falls, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 2 – vs. Little Chute, 7:15 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 4 – at Marinette, 2:45 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 10 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 14 – vs. Merrill, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 16 – at Freedom, 7:15 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 20 – vs. Wrightstown, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23 – at Denmark, 7:15 p.m.

Junior Varsity
Friday, Dec. 2 – vs. Luxemburg-Casco, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 6 – at New London, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 8 – at Clintonville, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 13 – at Oconto Falls, 5:45 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 16 – at Little Chute, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 5 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7 – vs. Marinette, 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 10 – vs. Berlin, 5:45 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 13 – vs. Freedom, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 17 – at Wrightstown, 5:45 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 20 – vs. Denmark, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 24 – vs. Clintonville, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 26 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 5:45 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 30 – vs. Oconto Falls, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 2 – vs. Little Chute, 5:45 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 4 – at Marinette, 1 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 10 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 14 – vs. Merrill, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 16 – at Freedom, 5:45 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 20 – vs. Wrightstown, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23 – at Denmark, 5:45 p.m.
Freshman
Friday, Nov. 18 – Scrimmage at New London, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 2 – vs. Luxemburg-Casco, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 6 – at New London, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 8 – at Clintonville, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 13 – at Oconto Falls, 5:45 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 16 – at Little Chute, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 5 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7 – vs. Marinette, 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 10 – vs. Berlin, 5:45 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 13 – vs. Freedom, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 17 – at Wrightstown, 5:45 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 20 – vs. Denmark, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 24 – vs. Clintonville, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 26 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 5:45 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 30 – vs. Oconto Falls, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 2 – vs. Little Chute, 5:45 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 4 – at Marinette, 1 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 10 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 14 – vs. Merrill, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 16 – at Freedom, 5:45 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 20 – vs. Wrightstown, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23 – at Denmark, 5:45 p.m.

Waupaca’s tax levy for 2017 unchanged

By Angie Landsverk

For the second consecutive year, city of Waupaca taxpayers will see a lower city tax rate when they open their tax bills.

Waupaca’s mill rate will be $10.10 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

That compares to the city’s present mill rate of $10.19.

The owner of a $100,000 home in the city will pay $145.20 less in total taxes.

That is because in addition to the city having a lower tax rate, the tax rates of the other taxing authorities – the state, Waupaca County, the Waupaca School District and Fox Valley Technical College – have lower tax rates as well.

The Waupaca Common Council approved the city’s 2017 budget by a vote of 10-0 when it met on Nov. 15.

The approved budget will be supported by a levy of $3.47 million levy, Kathy Kasza, the city’s finance director and treasurer, told the council.

The levy remains unchanged from the city’s present levy.

The 2017 expenditures budget of $7.36 million is up 1.89 percent from the current expenditures budget of $7.22 million.

Kasza provided highlights of the city’s 2017 budget during a public hearing on the budget, which preceded the Nov. 15 council meeting.

The approved budget includes a 1.5 percent wage increase for all employees, with funding from the adjustment to be covered by a one-time transfer of reserve funds.

She said it is not a permanent lift for employees unless a year from now, the city is able to maintain it without another transfer of funds.

Before the council voted on the budget, Mayor Brian Smith also noted the city is back in negotiations with the police union.

That fact could affect the wages of all city employees, he said.

Kasza said the city’s contribution to the general employee health insurance plan changed from an 83/17 premium share to a 90/10 premium share to match the police union contribution.

That was funded by reducing the Health Reimbursement Account amount the city pays toward the deductible.

The city previously funded 75 percent of that amount and is reducing that to 50 percent.

It also reducing that benefit from $1,500 to $750 for those on the single plan and from $3,000 to $1,500 for those on the family plan.

She said that is possible because the benefit was underutilized.

Doing this will counter the general employee increase in the premium share from the 3 percent increase in the 2017 premium, Kasza said.

The refinancing of the recreation center bond and timing of the State Trust Fund Loan means a debt payment was not scheduled in 2017.

Staff recommended making the 2018 payment in 2017 to keep the tax levy for debt service within the same amount as it was in the previous year.

Doing so means that debt will then be retired one year earlier – in 2018 instead of in 2019.

Kasza said the Pubilc Service Commission will review the water utility’s rate structure.

That is so it may receive construction authorization for the replacement of more than 1,500 meters and for the implementation of the cellular point transmission devices, she explained.

Kasza said the city’s sewer utility will not require a rate increase in 2017.

A 15-count indictment has been filed against a Fremont man.

Justin R. Bleck, 31, is charged with possession of narcotics, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and five counts each of felony and misdemeanor bail jumping.

On Feb. 27, Bleck was convicted of possession of two counts of drug paraphernalia in Outagamie County and placed on 18 months probation.

On July 12, Bleck was charged with possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in Waupaca County and released on a $2,000 signature bond.

On July 20, Outagamie County revoked Bleck’s probation and sentenced him to 30 days in jail.

Shortly before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, a woman in the town of Caledonia called 911 and reported a silver pickup truck drove past her home at a high rate of speed, then stopped and picked up a woman on the corner of Marten and Marsh roads.

Sgt. Gene Goode and Deputy Andrew Thorpe, with the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the area.

Goode stopped the truck at the Fremont Mobil station. A female passenger appeared injured, and Goode called for an ambulance.

According to the criminal complaint, the woman told paramedics Bleck pushed her out of the vehicle.

Bleck denied any physical altercation occurred and said she jumped out and he picked her back up and placed her back in the truck.

At the county jail, officers reported finding hydrocodone pills on Bleck.

Deputy Jon Loken arrived at the Fremont Mobil with his dog, Kiera, who alerted to the presence of drugs.

Bleck’s truck was taken to the Manawa Annex, and Loken obtained a search warrant. Officers reported finding marijuana and crystal meth in the vehicle.

Linda R. Burns, age 74, of Waupaca, WI passed away suddenly on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield with her family by her side.

Linda was born in Ullin, IL on February 14, 1942, the daughter of the late Charles and Lyda (Baine) Britt. On November 19, 1957, Linda married Edward R. Burns in Cornith, MS and he preceded her in death on March 3, 2012. She worked in various jobs from her early years in the grocery store to manufacturing most recently before retirement. She worked with Ed at Ed Burns Concrete Contractors for many years. Linda enjoyed spending time with family and friends. She had a great love for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved watching them in their sporting events. Her other past time joys were reading, working crosswords and watching “The Young & The Restless”.

Linda is survived by her children: Glenn (Jean) Burns, Snyder, TX; Kimberly (Nathan) Lick, Waupaca, WI and Tracy (Dale) Olson, Indian Trail, NC; her grandchildren: G.J. Burns, Synder, TX; Betsy (Dan) Botting, Manawa, WI; Ryan (Erika Johnson) Lick, Waupaca, WI; Madison Olson, Indian Trail, NC; Mackenzie Olson, Indian Trail, NC; her great-grandchildren: Bryce Bartel, Manawa, WI; Hailey Lick, Waupaca, WI; Cashtyn Botting, Manawa, WI and her special friend: Mike Randles, Whitewater, WI. Linda was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Edward, three brothers, John Britt, Dean Britt and Larry Britt; a sister, Aleta Parker and her nephews.

The Funeral Service will be on Sunday, November 27 at 3 p.m. at the Holly Funeral Home, Waupaca with Pastor Rich Engle, officiating. Burial will be in the Barton Cemetery, Town of Farmington, Wisconsin. Visitation will be on Sunday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the funeral home. Holly Funeral Home in Waupaca is assisting the family with arrangements.

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New London Mayor Gary Henke clips the ribbon to mark the opening of the new public works garage on Nov. 16. Looking on are Building Inspector Paul Hanlon, center, and Rich Penterman, the on-site supervisor for Keller Builds who oversaw the project. Scott Bellile photo

Project 25 years in the making

By Scott Bellile

The new headquarters for the city of New London’s parks, streets and facilities crews is close to opening.

The city celebrated the completion of a 40,000-square foot city garage on Nov. 16 with a ribbon cutting. The earthwork began in October 2015 and construction crews started building this past April.

City-owned vehicles from pickups to leaf blowers to snowplows will be stored inside the garage, located on West Wolf River Avenue between the wastewater treatment facility and the public sledding hill. There are offices within and space for cleaning and repairing vehicles.

“It’s going to take a while for us to move in,” New London Mayor Gary Henke told visitors following a tour of the facility. “Probably three, four months to get everything moved over in position where we can get totally moved out of the other building.”

The other building, which is located about a block east, will be razed and left as vacant land until the city council determines a plan. The council approved its demolition in July. Whether it will become public park space or private enterprise is to be determined.

Advantages of new garage
City departments are moving out of the old 21,000-square foot garage because the accommodations are inefficient by today’s standards.

Photographs posted on walls throughout the new garage during last week’s tour showed parts of the old facility’s interior are deteriorating.

Some rooms in the old garage are crowded with equipment to the point that when workers walk into a room, they must rearrange it all to access what they need to use. This decreases productivity.

“If you’ve been in the old facility, you’ve noticed we’re running out of space desperately,” New London Parks and Recreation Director Chad Hoerth told the crowd.

“If you needed to find anything, you had to pretty much paw your way through a stack of stuff,” Henke added. “Pretty inefficient.”

Now there will be more space for storage, but workers won’t let it clutter up again.

“Our philosophy’s going to kind of be, if you haven’t used it in a few years, let’s get rid of it. You probably aren’t going to use it again,” Henke said.

The overcrowding at the old facility also means not every city vehicle can park inside there. Harsh weather deteriorates vehicles quicker, costing taxpayers money.

Besides protecting vehicles from the elements, the new facility is built for easier climate control. The old building has about 22 garage doors. The new one reduces that number to two garage doors to the main parking area. This will drop energy costs.

“You’re not spreading cold air through the whole place,” Henke said of the new garage on cold days. “In the old garage, when they’d get ready to go to work in the morning, you’ve got eight doors open at one time. It took quite a bit of time to heat the building up.”

Of note, the new garage finally has a women’s restroom and restrooms with handicap accessibility. The city’s year-round parks and streets crews currently don’t have women, but women have been part of the seasonal parks staff in past summers.

History of the project
The old city garage was built in 1947. Some years later, it was expanded.

Discussions about the need for new garage began 25 years ago, Henke said.

New London Public Works Director Jeff Bodoh said Don Allen, former chairman of the Board of Public Works, had a new garage on his to-do list since the early 1990s. The site the city ultimately chose was one of three Allen proposed, Bodoh said.

Four waves of new city garage discussions happened during Bodoh’s 17 years with the city: in 2001, 2004-2005, 2007, and 2012, he said. 2012 was around the time the city began eying the 2016 retirement of the TIF district on the Northeast Industrial Park. The timing appeared to be right, so a committee formed around the issue and Keller Builds was hired to do a study.

The soil upon which the new garage was built used to house a landfill. Rich Penterman, on-site supervisor for Keller Builds, said crews unearthed materials like trees and tires during construction of the new garage.

The soil wasn’t the most fit for excavation. The city used its entire contingency fund of about $400,000 to cover problems along the way.

Penterman said Keller knew going into the project to expect “a few hiccups,” so the company was prepared to remediate the soils.

“Everything went good,” Peterman said. “It was a darn good experience and it’s good to see the final product.”

The cost
Despite some speedbumps during construction, the project came in under budget.

A change order approved by the city council on Nov. 7 had the cost at $3.2 million. This was below the original estimate of $3.8 million, Henke said. He predicted the city has another $100,000 worth of equipment to purchase for the building yet.

“By the time we’re all done, we’ll be well under $3.5 [million], so we came in with very good prices,” Henke said. “The bids came in great. I couldn’t compliment Keller enough for how good they were to work with on this whole project. They’ve been really great.”

Because the project was under budget anyway, the city added an enclosed cold storage area to the south side for $75,000 that wasn’t planned.

“By the time you get to the actual job site with the plans, there’s always stuff that has to be changed,” Henke said of the construction process. “So it’s worked out really well so far. It should service for a lot of years. I’m sure I’ll be beyond the home before we need to add on.”

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Manawa's Laynie Bessette draws a foul from Marion's Kendra Barrow. Bessette led all scorers with 17 points in the Wolves' 39-30 nonconference win over the Mustangs. Holly Neumann Photo

Bessette scores 17 in Wolves’ win

By Greg Seubert

A big second half lifted Manawa to a 39-30 nonconference girls’ basketball win over Marion Nov. 22.

The Wolves trailed 20-19 at halftime, but outscored the Mustangs 20-10 in the second half.

Laynie Bessette led Manawa with 17 points.

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New London head coach Kurt Schommer cheers on players during a conditioning drill on Friday, Nov. 18. Erik Buchinger photo

Bulldogs more comfortable

By Erik Buchinger

New London High School boys’ basketball head coach Kurt Schommer said he and his team have become more comfortable with each other in his second season with the Bulldogs.

New London finished 7-16 last season in Schommer’s first year in charge, but the team is much further ahead going into this year at this time than last year, he said.

“Coming in this year is a huge difference,” Schommer said. “Our second day of practice this year seemed like it was like our third week of practice last year. The steps that we’ve made this year so much faster is awesome.”

New London lost its first three games of last season and eventually dropped to 2-7.

“It was tough at first, it really was,” Schommer said. “We had a couple seniors that were lost that we were leaning on to help us with guidance and leadership, but some guys were a bit certain of their role and where they would fit on this team.”

Schommer said over time, the Bulldogs started to understand his ideas and bought in to the system.

“Coming into start anything new for the first time is always the hardest,” Schommer said. “Guys aren’t used to your expectations, your philosophies, the way you want practices run and everything like that. That’s hard to do, but I feel like we really started to get into it halfway through the year towards the end of the year.”

Last year’s second-leading scorer Kyle Wolf in points per game said the team came together as the season went on.

“It started off like we didn’t know what we were going to do,” Wolf said. “We didn’t know what his philosophy was, but as the year went on, we really caught on with what he was trying to do.”

New London will bring back several key pieces to last year’s team, excluding Hunter Zaddack, who graduated.

“Experience is huge obviously,” Schommer said. “We played three sophomores a lot last year, and having so much experience back, it’s great. The chemistry this year is better, and they know how to set the tone at practice. The younger guys are now leaning towards them, and they’ve watched and followed their lead.”

Wolf, who his going into his junior season, said the team is onboard with Schommer going into the coach’s second year with the team.

“I feel really comfortable this year,” Wolf said. “He knows what he’s doing, and he really knows his stuff, so I trust everything that he’s put into us, and we’ve just got to trust him.”

Though practices can be tough at times, Schommer said he enjoys being with his team.

“Genuinely in my heart, I love these guys,” Schommer said. “I care about them so much, and they might not think it sometimes the way I get on them in practices, but sometimes it’s a little bit of tough love, and sometimes it’s a little kick in the butt that gets them going, and then a pat on the back later.”

Schommer said he hopes to grow his players into great young men in one of his long-term goals for the program.

“My main goal is that these guys are going to be hard working, they’re going to be great young men, they’re going to be listening, they’re going to be respectful and they’re going to respect the program,” Schommer said. “Once that comes, success will come itself.”

Q&A with Exavier Dimick

By Erik Buchinger

The Clintonville High School wrestling team will look for a bounce-back season with its first-year head coach.

Head coach Exavier Dimick answered eight questions about the upcoming season.

Year coaching the team: 1st.

Returning players (grade): Andrew Robinson (So.), Ben Cotherman, Lacey Jung, and Tabitha Breitrick.

Players to watch (grade): The whole team. We have some good wrestlers. It’ll be great to see what they all can do.

Team goals/expectations: As a first-year coach, I just wanted to see what everyone can do this year and we can I improve on for the season and next year.

Team’s strengths: We have great wrestlers on the team this year. Very dedicated wrestlers on the team.

Biggest meet/match on the schedule: We have a lot that are big meets to us. We didn’t win much last year, so every meet is important to us just to see what we can do as a team.

What you want players to get out of this season: Team bonding, bring everyone together.

Why fans should be excited for this team: We have a new coach and trying to turn thing around from previous years.

25,774 ballots to be hand counted

By Robert Cloud

Eighteen people will be working on the presidential recount in Waupaca County, beginning Thursday, Dec. 1.

The county clerk’s office estimates the county will spend a total of $17,564 for the recount.

On Monday, Nov. 28, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) approved a recount of the more than 2.78 million votes cast statewide in the 2016 presidential election.

Republican candidate Donald Trump carried Wisconsin with 1.4 million votes, while Democrat Hillary Clinton received 1.38 million votes.

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein requested the recount, citing concerns that the election results may have been hacked.

Stein has also filed for a recount in Pennsylvania and may seek a recount in Michigan.

Trump was declared the winner of the 2016 presidential election after securing 306 Electoral College votes to Clinton’s 232.

Wisconsin has 10 Electoral College votes, while Michigan is worth 16 and Pennsylvania is worth 20.

Clinton lost by 0.8 percent of the vote in Wisconsin, by 1.1 percent in Pennsylvania and by 0.2 percent in Michigan.

According to a running tally by the Cook Political Report, Clinton received 2 million more popular votes nationwide than Trump.

In Wisconsin, Stein is seeking a hand recount of all ballots statewide.

However, the WEC voted instead to allow each county clerk in Wisconsin’s 72 counties to determine how to conduct its local recount.

Stein has since sued in Dane County Circuit court to require a hand count.

Federal law requires that the recount be completed by Dec. 13.

The WEC has given county clerks until 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, to complete their recounts.

The WEC estimates the cost for the recount statewide at $3.5 million. Stein will be required to pay that amount in advance of the recount.

County Clerk Mary Robbins estimated the recount in Waupaca County would cost $17,564.

In addition to the three members of the county’s Board of Canvassers, there will be 12 tabulators, a security officer, a secretary and an attorney working a combined 720 hours to conduct the recount.

Robbins said Waupaca County will recount its 25,774 ballots by hand.

She expects the county’s recount will be completed by Dec. 7.

A local woman is accused of offering to have sex with an undercover cop for $200.

Jena M. Wisner, 24, Weyauwega, faces a felony charge of keeping a place of prostitution, misdemeanor prostitution and misdemeanor child neglect.

On Oct. 17, Detective Paul Frey, with the Oshkosh police, found an Internet ad on Backpage.com that advertised “sexy fun classy naughty woman looking to fill your needs.” The ad indicated the woman was in the Weyauwega area and included photos of her and a phone number.

Frey contacted Weyauwega Police Chief Gerald Poltrock who identified the woman as Wisner.

On Nov. 2, Frey arranged to meet with Wisner at her home on East Alfred Street.

According to the criminal complaint, Wisner agreed to have sex with Frey in exchange for $200.

Police say a 3-year-old boy was in the house at the time of the incident.

Wisner faces up to six years in prison if convicted of the felony prostitution charge.

Highlights include Santa, Madrigal Singers, wagon rides

The seventh annual Taste of Christmas at Spencer Lake will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3.

Spencer Lake’s campus will be decorated and filled with activities for the entire family.

Highlights include Santa’s Yuletide Workshop with gingerbread house decorating and free visits and pictures with Santa, special music by area artists, a noontime tribute to veterans and service personnel, the Madrigal Singers, an indoor Red Ryder BB Gun Range, Christmas Karaoke Tent, merchants, live nativity and petting zoo.

Area restaurants will offer food and there will be bonfires with roasting marshmallows, horse-drawn wagon rides, classic Christmas movies and crafts, a children’s story corner, and the Holiday Treat Shoppe.

Tate’s Trees will sell Christmas trees at the event this year.

The event help support the work of the Waupaca Food Pantry, Miracle Tree and area schools through the School Supply Depot.

The Community Blood Bank will have a drive. Walk-ons are welcome or schedule an appointment by calling 800-280-4102.

This year’s Taste of Christmas will be raising funds to bring the “Arrive Alive” texting-while-driving simulator program to Waupaca High School. The program utilizes a real vehicle, virtual reality goggles, and a cell phone and drivers are recorded to show levels of impairment from driving while texting.

The Closing Celebration starts at 4:30 p.m. with a candlelight reading of the Christmas Story, live nativity and music by Shepherd’s Quarter.

At 5 p.m. 150 sky lanterns will fill the evening sky welcoming the holiday season.

For detailed information, visit spencer-lake.org under the Events tab or visit Facebook under “Waupaca’s Taste of Christmas.”

Q&A with Troy Krause

By Erik Buchinger

The New London girls’ basketball team finished fourth in the Bay Conference in the 2015-16 season before losing to Hortonville in a regional final, and the Bulldogs will return their leading scorer Leah Porath.

Head coach Troy Krause answered 10 questions about the upcoming season.

Years coaching the team: 16th.

Returning players (grade): Leah Porath (Sr.), Kali Rohan (Jr.), Kate Christian (So.).

Players to watch (grade): Leah Porath (Sr.), Kate Christian (So.), Sammie Pfefferle (Fr.), Meghan Besaw (Fr.).

Team goals/expectations: We are young, so we expect to improve throughout the year. Hopefully in doing so, we are able to compete with the better teams in the area and conference.

Team’s strengths: Quickness, guard play, ability to score.

Team’s weaknesses: Size, experience.

Teams to beat in conference: West De Pere and Seymour.

Biggest games on the schedule: Games with West De Pere and Seymour.

What you want players to get out of this season: Want them to realize how successful they can be and to play to the best of their ability.

Why fans should be excited for this team: We are going to play an exciting style of basketball, and we will play hard each and every game.

City, property owners to split repair costs

By Bert Lehman

The city of Clintonville and the property owners affected by the sidewalk issue on Ninth Street have reached an agreement on financing the required repairs to make the sidewalk safe.

The Clintonville City Council approved the agreement after meeting in closed session at a Nov. 8 council meeting. The city would not release the agreement until all parties signed it.

The Clintonville Tribune-Gazette obtained a copy of the agreement from the city last week. The agreement is officially between the city of Clintonville and The Don Smith Condominium Owner’s Association. Sue Aschliman and Sandy Bruette are the two business owners who signed the agreement on behalf of the Owner’s Association.

The agreement acknowledges that the sidewalk issue on Ninth Street is a public safety issue, but is complex in nature because of the costs and uncertain legal outcome, requiring the city and property owners to find a mutually acceptable solution.

It also states that city ordinance specifies that property owners are responsible for sidewalk repair and maintenance, but it is unclear if that would include eliminating vaulted sidewalks, like the one on Ninth Street.

The agreement also acknowledges that the city contracted with MSA Professional Services (MSA) to inspect the properties and make a recommendation to correct the issue. It states the city wants to act on MSA’s recommendation.

Because of the cost of the recommended solution, the city and property owners agree the cost “exceeds the normal sidewalk repair and replacement contemplated by the ordinance.” Also because of the cost, the city and the property owners agree that if the property owners are required to make the proper repairs without financial help from the city, it “might result in litigation of novel issues which would be time consuming and expensive, and leading to uncertain results.”

With the uncertainty, “the parties agree that the most efficient and equitable way to approach the vaulted sidewalk solution is to allow the city to take the lead on the construction and the parties cooperate in the costs of the project.”

Resolution details
The agreement calls for the city and property owners to proceed with the recommendation from MSA to fix the issue. This includes utility adjustments, a new basement wall, fill-in of the vaulted area between the new wall and the current outside basement wall, and the new sidewalk.

The cost of the estimated $65,000 project will be split between the city and the property owners, with each party responsible for 50 percent of the cost.

The property owners will pay their portion over a 10-year period with one installment per year. The rate of interest charged on the unpaid installments will be 2.4 percent unless the city’s interest rate for financing the project exceeds 2 percent, in which case, the interest rate will be .4 percent over the rate actually charged by the city. There is no prepayment penalty.

The agreement also stipulates that the city will manage the project, including financing, design, bidding and contracting.

The repair project is scheduled to begin this year.

Re-enactor’s peformance follows Saturday’s parade

Charles Dickens, author, playwright, actor and social activist, was indeed a master of characters. Many of his characters were drawn from his surroundings and life experiences.

Meet Catherine Dickens, as re-created by Jessica Michna, his long-suffering wife and mother of 10 children.

In this first-person monologue, Mrs. Dickens will give the audience an unflinching look into the lives of this couple and introduce the audience to Dickens’ women such as Nancy from Oliver Twist, Miss Havisham from Great Expectations, Betsey Trotwood from David Copperfield and others.

Her presentation is set for 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Iola Historical Society’s ‘Machine Shed’ at 222 Depot Street.

The re-enactment takes place after the Iola Lioness’ annual Santa Parade, which starts at 10 a.m. and ends at the Machine Shed with a Santa visit and a children’s Christmas concert by David Dahl. The Mrs. Dickens presentation immediately follows the Santa visit at  the Shed.

Michna appears in a period-appropriate costume and will be walking through the crowd during the Santa visit. She will take questions from the audience. Her presentation is free (as is the Santa visit and concert), although good-will donations to the historical society are welcome.

Michna is well-known statewide as an impersonator of historic figures, including Eleanor Roosevelt (she gave a Roosevelt presentation at the Iola Mills), Mary Todd Lincoln, Helen Keller and Dolly Madison, among others.

For more information on the Iola Historical Society, go to www.iolahistoricalsociety.org.

School board votes to borrow $20 million

By Angie Landsverk

The Weyauwega-Fremont School Board took the next steps toward its building and improvement program when it met Monday, Nov. 28.

The board authorized the issuance and sale of $10 million Bond Anticipation Notes now and the issuance and parameters for the sale of not more than $10 million in General Obligation Refunding Bonds sometime next year.

The board approved both actions with votes of 6-0. Dan Kohl was absent.

Board President Doug Ehrenberg said the second resolution gives permission to issue the second $10 million when it is appropriate, likely around March.

The district plans to issue the final $1 million in funding in early 2018.

The school board also voted to seek a request for proposals to identify potential construction manager at-risk services for the project.

District Administrator Scott Bleck said the request was to go out on Wednesday, Nov. 30 and is open to firms throughout the state and country.

The proposals will be due in the district at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14.

Bleck will then be joined by Business Manager Drew Niehans and Dean Beeninga in identifiying potential firms to interview for the position.

Beeninga is an architect and educational facility planner at ATS&R, the Minneapolis-based firm hired by the district.

In January, the board may decide what firm to hire, Bleck said.

The actions of the board follow voters in the district approving a school referendum on Nov. 8.

Voters approved spending up to $21 million on a building and improvement program by a vote of 1,999 to 1,716.

The approved referendum includes a $339,432 project at Fremont Elementary School and $20.6 million in improvements and additions at W-F High School.

Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with the addition at Fremont Elementary tentatively set to begin in May and be completed in August.

That addition will be a new main entry along James Street and will involve moving the reception area and principal’s office from the interior of the building to there.

There will also be a lobby and conference room in the new main entry.

Two phases of construction are shown thus far at the high school, with the first beginning next May and being completed in September and the second phase starting next September and being completed in late 2018.

The additions being constructed at the high school will include four new classrooms, a new secure entry, a 400-seat auditorium and a multipurpose gym.

The project there will also include remodeling the commons and creating a forum room and flexible learning areas.