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The Waupaca County Board voted to shut down Lakeview Manor in Weyauwega. File Photo

Lakeview Manor topic of history program

By Angie Landsverk

The 115-year history of a Waupaca County facility will be the topic of a Tuesday, March 28 program.

“Remembering the Waupaca County Ayslum to Lakeview Manor Nursing Home” will begin at 6 p.m., in the community center of Weyauwega’s municipal building, 109 E. Main St.

The free program is open to the public and is being presented by the Weyauwega Area Historical Society.

“We have talked to a number of people who worked there. It was always such a family environment there,” said Mary Jane Baehman, president of the local historical society.

The March 28 program will include remarks from several people.

Joan Paulson, who worked at the nursing home for 20-plus years, will talk about the facility’s 115-year history and also about caring for its residents.

Don and Tina Gensler once lived in a house on the site and will also speak.

“He worked there, and she eventually worked there as well,” Baehman said. “She was a seamstress and made drapes throughout the building and did mending.”

The Genslers have been married for 69 years and have photos from years ago, Baehman said.

Those photos will be incorporated into a PowerPoint presentation.

She said those who were part of the facility will be acknowledged during the program, and members of the Country Pride 4-H Club will also be a part of it.

For years, members of that 4-H club visited the nursing home and played bingo with residents.

A short break is planned to take place during the program, and the 4-H members will serve the snacks, Baehman said.

Those who attend the program will also have the opportunity to speak.

“There will be question and answer time after the speakers, followed by a time for people to share memories (including amongst themselves,” she said.

In early January the Waupaca County Board voted to close the 40-bed facility.

At the time of that announcement, the nursing home had 28 residents and 60 employees.

Since 1902, Waupaca County had operated a facility to help its citizens.

That was the year a building was constructed to care for the chronically insane.

The site initially comprised 480 acres and was a farm with cows and gardens, Baehman said.

It was originally in the town of Royalton, before eventually being annexed into the city of Weyauwega, she said.

In 1917, the county asylum provided a home to 80 men and 60 women.

After the asylum became the Waupaca County Hospital in 1947, it housed more than 225 residents.

When Wisconsin abolished county hospitals in 1974 to capture federal dollars, they became skilled nursing facilities.

In 1977, the new facility became Lakeview Manor and had 103 residents.

When the Weyauwega Area Historical Society began planning for this year, it already knew of the county’s decision to close Lakeview Manor.

Members wanted to have presentations and Lakeview Manor came up during that discussion, Baehman said.

The group will also offer a program in the fall.

“We are excited to share the history of the community,” she said.

Weyauwega’s historical society formed in 2006, after the community celebrated its sesquicentennial.

“A lot of people don’t think about the historical society and the old things they have,” Baehman said.

The historical society is working with the city of Weyauwega to have three display cases throughout the municipal building, she said.

“Everybody is welcome,” she said of the March 28 program and others it will hold. “If you’re interested in history, you’re welcome to be a part of the historical society.”

WisDOT says property will be restored

By Scott Bellile

Crews began removing trees as part of the State Highway 22 reconstruction project Monday, March 20, but hit a couple hiccups along the way.

Some private property was damaged during the work.

“A wheelchair ramp to a residential property was damaged from one of the felled trees,” said Kristin McHugh, communication manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation North Central Region. “Crews repaired the wheelchair ramp to a usable condition as soon as the tree was removed. A private vehicle also sustained some damage.”

McHugh said the contractor assumes liability for all damage to public or private property resulting from its operations. The contractor is On Site Logging of Forestville.

“We will continue to work with the contractor and the property owners to ensure that the property is restored,” McHugh said.

Single-lane traffic closures along State 22 are anticipated as crews finish removing trees this week and possibly next week. Seventy-five trees will be stripped from the work zone.

Beginning Monday, March 27, the highway will close to through traffic between 13th Street and State Highway 156. Through traffic will be detoured via Seventh Street, North Lyon Street, East 12th Street, SSGT Warren Hansen Drive and State 156.

While people will be able to access properties adjacent to the work site, their access to driveways and/or intersections may be limited for short periods. The contractor will notify residents and the public prior to these temporary closures.

The purpose of the project is to reconstruct the roadway along with the Highways 22/156/Green Tree Road intersection; replace curb and gutter, sidewalks and streetlights; and replace the water main and sanitary sewer systems. It is anticipated to last through October, according to the WisDOT’s project timeline.

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Irish Rose Jill Hart and Irish Man Jerome O'Neil, pictured riding in a convertible at New Dublin's St. Patrick's Day Grand Parade on Saturday, March 18, were honored at Irish Entertainment Night. Scott Bellile photo

Shamrock Club hosts Irish entertainment

By Scott Bellile

The Shamrock Club of New Dublin put the spotlight on a number of community members at Irish Entertainment Night.

The following are highlights from this year’s annual program, held at New London High School on Thursday, March 16.

Irish Man Jerome O’Neil
Shamrock Club member Judy McDaniel planted kisses upon the Irish Man in introducing Jerome O’Neil, whom she nominated him for this year’s distinction.

For 27 years, O’Neil has dressed as a leprechaun to change New London’s welcome signs to “New Dublin” each Monday during St. Pat’s week. He and his co-leprechauns also entertain at schools and nursing homes that day.

Born and raised in New London, O’Neil now lives in Appleton. He and his family have participated in every New Dublin Grand Parade but one, when his sister Patricia died in 2009.

O’Neil thanked to his friends and family for his honor, and “most of all, to my wife Denise for putting up with me during St. Pat’s week, and to my parents, Lester and Dorothy O’Neil. I hope they’re looking down on me and I hope they are very proud of me.”

Irish Rose Jill Hart
Jill Hart’s daughter Mollie Ritchie provided Hart’s back story: Hart’s great-great-grandmother Mary Lamb was born in Ireland in the mid-1800s and immigrated to the United States with husband William Marshall. They settled in New Jersey. About 120 years later in the 1960s, Hart was born in New London.

“Although Jill wasn’t born in Ireland, Ireland was definitely born in her,” Ritchie said.

“Like a good Irish woman, Jill is loyal. Her strong convictions and unshakable beliefs are the most visible when it comes to her family and friends. If somebody insults her family or friends then they have likely got a fight on their hands that they won’t win. She’s fiercely loyal to all she holds dear.”

Ritchie said Hart’s fierce loyalty extends to the Shamrock Club, in which she’s been involved for 27 years. Hart coordinates the annual parade, arranges for the downtown streets to be painted with shamrocks, and represents New Dublin in Milwaukee’s annual St. Patrick’s parade.

“With good luck and good health, I’ll be continuing running the parade for a lot of years to come,” Hart said.

Grand Marshals Mickey and Wally Schmidt
Wally and Mickey Schmidt live near the start of the parade route and for years have provided a hearty Irish lunch to parade-goers beforehand.

“Wally showed me his grocery slip and they had purchased 125 pounds of corned beef this year,” McDaniel said, adding, “They are the kind of people who are always willing to listen and easy to talk to and help ease your problems. And sometimes with some advice comes a little glass of cheer.”

Wally Schmidt said he and his wife were “very pleasantly surprised” to receive the news from McDaniel that they were grand marshals.

“Obviously with the name ‘Schmidt,’ it’s kind of tough claiming we’re Irish. So in polite company, be careful how you say our name,” Wally Schmidt joked to the crowd, then adding with seriousness, “We’ve really come to respect what the Shamrock Club has done for our community here in New London and for that we’re really thankful.”

Jim Loughrin honored
The Shamrock Club also praised Jim Loughrin of New London for his contributions to New Dublin’s St. Patrick’s festivities.

Emcee Dick Murphy explained an annual St. Pat’s program began at St. Patrick’s Parish in 1924. In the program’s later years, his father Gerald Murphy teamed up with Loughrin to entertain the church’s crowd with skits, jokes and stories.

“The program at St. Patrick’s ran until about 1960, and for whatever reason lives got busy, the program was discontinued,” Dick Murphy said. “But in the mid-1980s, well, Shamrock Club came back and we started doing entertainment down here [in New London]. Dad thought this would be a great time to put the program back together.”

Loughrin and the group started an annual program above John’s Bar. It moved to the former Washington Junior High and is now held at New London High School. Dick Murphy said every year it took convincing to get Loughrin to participate again, but each time he “always said yes and he always gave a great performance.”

“No matter what Jim has done throughout his career … he has dedicated himself 100 percent,” Dick Murphy said. “Jim, you are one of the last remaining members of that golden era, and we are thankful that you are here to share those memories with us.”

Loughrin said the Shamrock Club brings scores of people to the community by producing “one of the finest parades in the state.”

“You have become a part of New London’s legacy,” Loughrin told the club.

Children take part
Children also got involved in the Irish celebrations.

The 2017 Irish Lad and Lass were Kayden Kloehn and Erin O’Donoghue. The pair ride in the parade for winning the Shamrock Club’s youth poetry contest.

Kloehn, son of Kaylene Kloehn, is a sixth-grader at New London Intermediate/Middle School. He wrote his poem in Kelly Keach’s language arts class. His poem centers on the mischief the New Dublin leprechauns create. Among his verses: “Changing up the town signs; Painting on the road lines; Making shenanigans all over town; Nobody knows how to calm them down.”

O’Donoghue, daughter of Tom and Amy O’Donoghue, is in Sam Van Alstine’s fourth-grade class at Lincoln Elementary. She wrote about the “New Dublin” traditions that include changing the sign and painting shamrocks on the streets. Her poem advised listeners: “St. Patrick’s Day is for everyone so make sure to have some fun.”

As far as other youth taking part in the event, students from the Fox Cities-based Kinsella Academy of Irish Dance opened the night and Emberly Hobbs sang numbers with music instructor Melissa Mulroy.

Two running for Farmington town chair

By Robert Cloud

Two seats are contested in the 2017 Farmington Town Board election.

Caroline Murphy and Joel Bartel are running for town chair.

Phillip Durrant and Mark Jensen are seeking the supervisor 2 seat on the town board. An article about them will appear in next week’s Waupaca County Post.

The election is set for Tuesday, April 4.

Murphy
Caroline Murphy is the current town chair. She was appointed to the position at the Dec. 19, 2016, Farmington Town Board meeting, following the resignation of Kevin Will.

She was first elected to the Farmington Town Board in 2009.

She is a retired kindergarten teacher who worked 35 years with the Port Washington-Saukville School District before retiring to the Chain O’ Lakes area.

She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

“I see teaching as helping parents and children. It’s a matter of service,” Murphy said. “I see the same thing in being a town supervisor or chair. I’m serving the residents of the town.”

As a teacher, Murphy said she needed to constantly learn new things and new ideas.

She believes these same skills help her keep informed about changes that affect Farmington.

“As supervisor, I have attended conferences and workshops about town government, road maintenance, how to run meetings, what is allowed by state statutes and what is not,” Murphy said.

Murphy said she attends the workshops to learn new ideas.

“You ask how can I apply it, is it relevant and is it going to work,” Murphy said.

Murphy has learned about the growing importance of bike trails in rural areas.

The Farmington Town Board has approved a bike trail brochure for residents and visitors.

The board has also approved purchasing a bike rack for outside the town hall.

“A biker can stop here, use the restroom and fill their water bottles,” Murphy said.

Murphy also wants to have a picnic table outside the town hall.

“That’s on my to-do list for this spring,” Murphy said.

Murphy said she is also talking with the county highway department about putting a bike trail on King Road between Waupaca High School and County Trunk Q.

She is concerned about the safety of students who are biking to school.

Another road with safety concerns is South Foley between U.S. Highway 10 and Cobbtown Road.

“We applied for TRIP (Town Road Improvement Program) funds, but we didn’t get the grant,” Murphy said.

She said South Foley is a rustic road with a lot of drop offs along the shoulders.

“The road is so canopied with trees that the ice does not melt very quickly,” Murphy said. “It would be devastating if a car slid off.”
She has been meeting with the county highway department to discuss guard rails.

Murphy said she learned much about road maintenance from former town chair Dale Trinrud and former supervisor Eugene Engebretson.

She said Trinrud began the town board’s practice of inspecting town roads every April and October.

Murphy plans to continue that practice. She said Faulks Bros. will also provide a list of roads where there are potholes and shoulder damage when the company sweeps the roads in the spring.

Communications is an issue that Murphy said she has been concerned with since becoming a supervisor.

To help keep residents informed, Murphy launched the Farmington Town Newsletter.

“Our county government is a good resource,” Murphy said, regarding content for the newsletter. “We had articles on the DNR, waste management and recycling, emergency management.”

Murphy also wants to improve the town’s website so that it is easier to post new information on it.

“We just approved updating our website,” Murphy said. “Instead of seeing the names and telephone numbers of the town officials, residents will be able to send a written message.”

Visitors to the website will also be able to read resolutions and ordinances.

Murphy said she can be reached on her cell phone every day.

“Since I’m retired I can devote my time to making a serious commitment to the town of Farmington and its residents,” Murphy said.

Bartel
Joel Bartel was first elected to the Farmington Town Board in 2009, after defeating then-supervisor Eugene Engebretson.

In 2011, Engebretson ran against Bartel again and won.
One of the issues in the 2011 election was that Bartel had not attended committee meetings and budget workshops.

This year, Bartel is running for town chair, in part so that he “can schedule the meetings during the evenings.”

“When I was supervisor, meetings were scheduled during the day when I was working,” Bartel said.

A graduate of Little Wolf High School in Manawa, Bartel earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a master’s in business administration from Cardinal Stritch University.

He has been involved in medical sales for 17 years.

Bartel also owns and operates a 300-acre corn and soybean farm near Symco.

He is an active member of the board of directors for the Waupaca Area Youth Hockey Association and was board president from 2014 to 2016.

“I think it’s time for a new generation to get involved in local level government and have some fresh ideas,” Bartel said.

He believes that Farmington, because it is Waupaca County’s largest township, should be given priority by its contractors, especially for snowplowing.

Bartel also wants to see more focus on safety in King and around the Chain. He proposes extending the shoulders for pedestrians, additional lighting and sidewalks where appropriate.

“King Road is a safety concern for both bicycles and pedestrians,” Bartel said. “The road leads right to the high school.”

He plans to apply for state grants to pay for the safety improvements.

Bartel said he is opposed to raising property taxes in Farmington.

He noted that Farmington has close to $1 million in its contingency fund.

“If I were to use the contingency fund, it would be strictly toward roads and road safety,” Bartel said. “I believe it’s important to maintain at least $750,000.”

Bartel favors opening all town roads north of State Highway 54 to four-wheelers, ATVs and UTVs.

“Hunters, farmers, landowners and people are doing it already,” Bartel said. “Let’s be a leader and make it legal.”

Noting that he was responsible for starting Farmington’s website in 2010, Bartel said he wants to improve communications with residents.

One way Bartel would encourage more communication would be to expand the time for public input during the board meetings.

“Our current appointed town board chairman does not allow comments during the meeting except during the public input time,” Bartel said. “If someone has a comment on an issue, I want to hear it.”

Another way to improve communications between town government and residents would be to extend town hall hours.

Currently, the town hall is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“I want to make sure the town hall hours are extended to 5 p.m. on certain days of the week so it’s easier for people who work to come to the town hall,” Bartel said.

Bartel said he planned to model his chairmanship after Dale Trinrud, who served on the Farmington Town Board for 25 years, first as a supervisor, then as the town chair for seven years until he retired in 2014.

“I will have time to do this job,” Bartel said. “I’m an independent contractor so my schedule is flexible. Thanks to technology, I can be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

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Mitchell Trzebiatowski competes in the pole vault event for the Waupaca boys' track team last year at a North Eastern Conference meet last year at Clintonville High School. Scott Bellile Photo

Simonson expected to lead girls

By Greg Seubert

Waupaca girls’ track coach Joel Kempfert didn’t have to think too hard when asked about the leaders on this year’s team.

Two-time state qualifier Avrey Simonson is back and Kempfert expects the junior, fresh off of a successful Waupaca Area girls’ hockey season, to carry the load.

Simonson, who competed at last year’s WIAA State Track & Field Championships in the Division 2 triple jump and on the Comets’ 1,600-meter relay team, is one of four captains on the girls’ squad, along with senior Erin Montgomery and juniors Kristin Petkovsek and Mya Snyder.

“She’s run everything from the 800 on down,” Kempfert said. “She’s a great athlete and just a fun kid.”

Simonson also joined Snyder, Petkovsek and Michelle Petkovsek on the 3,200-meter relay team that set a new school record last year.

Kempfert has 25 girls on his roster, including seniors Montgomery, Lexi Tripp and Ellen Trombla; juniors Simonson, Petkovsek, Snyder, Marissa Benavidez, Alyssa Schroeder and Kelsey Weir; sophomores Hannah Baumgart, Britney Bertzyk, Chloe Buster, Rebecka Graham, Zoe Harrison, Karina Lisogor, Janissa Nickel, Justine Panzenhagen, Tirzah Piencikowski, Kali Revai, Laura Saunders and Gabrielle Wennesberg; and freshmen Isabella Elandt, Anna Kilcoyne, Halle Richter and Sarah Shambeau.

The girls have to replace four-year state qualifier Tatiana Sotka and Michelle Petkovsek, who set four school records.

Boys’ coach Neil Sternweis also has to replace a 2016 state qualifier in Christian Overman, who placed third and 10th in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, respectively, in La Crosse.

The boys’ roster includes seniors Brandon Anderson, Seth Boldt, Ryan Johnson, Gert Kruger, Dylan Minton, Blake Orr, Ryan Phillipsen, Derrick Rotta, Dylan Shaw, Hunter Smith, Spencer Sondrol, Justin Bertzyk and Michael Heger; juniors Dayton Bell, Jared Doro, Danny Esch, Austin Handrich, Mark Kilcoyne, Quinn Nimmer, Andy Schroeder, Bruce Sternweis, Luis Barraza, Bryce Cramer, Zion Stewart and Sean Matthews; sophomores Gene Bertram, Sam Christie, Alex Dremel, Brad Moloney, Colby Nimmer, Alex Orr, Caleb Studzinski, Forrest Ziebell, Trey Noltner, David Pacheco-Rojas, Cody Rasmussen, Gunner Tripp and Mitchell Trzebiatowski; and freshmen Connor Bailey, Abram Jackson, Riley McKibben, Ben Pacheco-Rojas, Dillan Russell, Terry Schmidt, Sawyer Sopa, Collin Studzinski, Zayne Vasquez and Owen Vassar.

The boys will open the season Thursday, March 16, at the Oshkosh Invitational at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, while the girls headed to UW-Stevens Point Friday, March 17, for the Stevens Point Invitational.

“I treat these (indoor meets) more as practice and to give the girls new to track or high school track some experience,” Kempfert said. “They get to see some good competition.”

After the two teams compete at five indoor meets between them, the Comets are scheduled to open the outdoor season Thursday, March 30, at the Wautoma Relays before hosting a quadrangular meet Monday, April 3.

Both teams held their first practice March 6.

“I thought it was a really good first week of practice,” Kempfert said. “They’re anxious to try new stuff.”

The Comets compete in the North Eastern Conference, which also includes Clintonville, Denmark, Fox Valley Lutheran, Freedom, Little Chute, Luxemburg-Casco, Marinette, Oconto Falls and Wrightstown.

Kempfert called the conference one of the best Division 2 leagues in the state for girls’ track.

“It’s a good, solid conference,” he said. “We’ll probably finish in the middle of the pack, where we finished last year. It’s going to be a tight bunch in the middle and near the top.”

Facing programs like Freedom, Oconto Falls, Fox Valley Lutheran and Little Chute during the season will only help the Comets down the road, according to Kempfert.

“It’s like any other sport,” he said. “The better the competition, the better you’re going to get.”

Waupaca 2017 Track Schedule

Thursday, March 16 – at Oshkosh Invitational, UW-Oshkosh (indoor meet), 4 p.m. (boys only)

Friday, March 17 – at Stevens Point Invitational, UW-Stevens Point (indoor meet), 4 p.m. (girls only)

Saturday, March 18 – at Stevens Point Invitational, UW-Stevens Point (indoor meet), 10 a.m. (boys only)

Thursday, March 23 – at Merrill Invitational (indoor meet), 4 p.m.

Monday, March 27 – at Oshkosh Invitational, UW-Oshkosh (indoor meet), 5 p.m. (girls only)

Thursday, March 30 – at Wautoma Relays, 4 p.m.

Monday, April 3 – Waupaca quadrangular, 4 p.m.

Thursday, April 6 – at Wausau West Invitational, Wausau (indoor meet), 4:15 p.m. (girls only)

Saturday, April 8 – at Little Chute Invitational, 10 a.m.

Tuesday, April 11 – at Clintonville triangular, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 – at Fox Valley Lutheran triangular, Appleton, 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 22 – at Waupaca County Meet, New London, 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday, April 25 – at Freedom triangular, 4 p.m.

Friday, April 28 – at Kimberly Invitational, 4:15 p.m.

Tuesday, May 2 – Waupaca quadrangular, 4 p.m.

Thursday, May 4 – Vic-Tree Invitational, 4 p.m.

Saturday, May 13 – North Eastern Conference meet, 10 a.m.

Tuesday, May 16 – North Eastern Conference JV meet, Luxemburg, 4 p.m.

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A military-themed quilt donated by Barb Hansen brought in $1,800 at Taste of Wisconsin. Proceeds from the event went to Manawa Area Veterans Freedom Park. Holly Neumann Photo

Event raises $10,000 for Manawa park

By Holly Neumann

With more than 100 people in attendance, Taste of Wisconsin raised more than $10,000 for the Manawa Area Veterans Freedom Park.

“It surpasses last year by more than $3,000,” said John Smith, who hosts the event along with his wife Robyne. “All of the proceeds will be going directly to the Manawa Area Veterans Freedom Park. This is just a small step in the journey to raise $440,000 to build the park.”

A quilt, donated by Barb Hansen, was auctioned off for $1,800.

“A group of attendees who felt the quilt represented every war era, and therefore every military personnel, purchased it,” Smith said. “They felt there was only one place for the quilt to be displayed and that was the Grand Army Home in King (Wisconsin Veterans Home at King).”

According to Smith, the group thought it would be able to be appreciated by the veterans who have sacrificed for our freedoms.

“Knowing that the quilt could possibly be going and be put on display at King Veterans Home (Wisconsin Veterans Home at King), I believe gives the whole community great sense of pride,” he said. “Knowing that we are able to give back to those who gave so much for us is a special feeling that cannot be described.”

The Smiths, who have hosted the event for five years, have donated proceeds to a variety of local charities.

“We are proud to say that all of the money raised at our events stays right in Waupaca County,” he said. “These are charities that we believe in.”

He gives credit for the success of Taste of Wisconsin to the local business owners and private individuals who have donated to the cause and to the participants who attended.

“Time and time again they have shown how generous, compassionate and dedicated they are to making sure our charities of choice receive a wonderful gift,” he said.

A Waupaca man is accused of traveling to Weyauwega to sell meth.

Andrew L. Tessen, 28, is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and misdemeanor bail jumping.

On March 15, Weyauwega Police Officer Justin Malueg observed a vehicle with a faulty license plate lamp traveling slowly on North Pine Street. It then turned into the BP gas station, which was closed at the time.

Malueg followed the vehicle into the station and initiated a traffic stop. The officer noticed the aroma of burnt marijuana when he contacted the driver.

Tessen was a front seat passenger in the vehicle.

Malueg questioned Tessen, who eventually admitted to being in Weyauwega to meet with a potential Facebook customer to sell drugs, according to the criminal complaint.

Police reported finding small amounts of meth and pot in Tessen’s possession.

Tessen was charged with misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct on Feb. 27 and released on a $1,000 signature bond.

After his arrest on March 15, Tessen was released on a $5,000 signature bond.

Frances H. Mulroy, nee McDaniel, age 89, died peacefully on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at St. Joseph Residence, New London.

She was born on April 16, 1927, daughter of the late Francis and Helen (Lamers) McDaniel in Wrightstown, WI. She met her husband Donald P. Mulroy and married on October 18, 1947. They settled on the family farm and raised 8 children and worked the farm in the early years. Frances later worked at American Can, Rich’s Bakery and Hillshire Farm, retiring in 1980.

She will be deeply missed by her children: Karen (Will) Fisher, Wautoma; Diana (Richard) Singler, Shiocton; Colleen (Mark) Noack, New London; Patrick (Diane) Mulroy, Wesley Chapel, FL; Tom (Gloria) Mulroy, Lakewood; Jerry (Judy) Mulroy, Escanaba, MI and Donna (Tom) Opgenorth, Brookfield, WI. Frances is further survived by ten grandchildren: Christopher Fletcher, Trisha Graichen, Michael Noack, Kelly Mulroy, Andy Mulroy, Mackenzie Mulroy, Brady Mulroy, Delaney Mulroy, Hayley Opgenorth, John Opgenorth; seven great-grandchildren, several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Donald in 1987, son Gregory Mulroy in 2015, a brother Donald McDaniel and two sisters, Florence Rohan and Marian Ebbinghouse, other relatives and friends.

A Memorial Service for Frances will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at Cline & Hanson Funeral Home, New London with Fr. John Kleinschmidt officiating. Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service. Burial will be in the Most Precious Blood Cemetery, New London.

Frances’ family would like to extend a very special thank you to the awesome staff at St. Joseph Residence, their care and compassion for our mother will never be forgotten, and gave our family great peace of mind.

The Cline & Hanson Funeral Home in New London is serving the family. www.clinehansonfuneralhome.com

Loretta Waala (Maihofer), age 86, of Wild Rose, WI, died on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at Rosemore Village in Wild Rose.

Loretta was born on April 22, 1930, the daughter of the late Richard and Clara (Dunkel) Maihofer. Loretta was born in Evanston, IL. Her family moved up to the Wild Rose area in her teenage years. Loretta graduated from Wild Rose High School in 1948 where she played basketball and belonged to FHA. She met Sterling Waala, they were married on September 24, 1949 at West Holden Lutheran Church. Her many jobs over the years included working at Little Silver Lake, in the restaurant and cleaning cottages. For a few years she worked at the Floral Shop in Wautoma. One of her favorite jobs was working with her husband, Sterling at the ANR Tree Farm outside of Wild Rose. Loretta enjoyed knitting, sewing and spending time with her family.

Loretta is survived by two sons, Warren (Deb) Waala, Cudahy, WI and Dale (Kelly) Waala, Waupaca, WI; two grandchildren, Chelsea Waala, Waupaca and Preston Waala, Green Bay. She is further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Loretta was preceded in death by her husband, Sterling, her parents, her twin sister Lorraine (Crass), sisters, Genevieve (Mullins), Elaine Rychtanek and one brother, Richard Maihofer Jr.

Memorial Services will be held at West Holden Lutheran Church, Wautoma at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 1, 2017 with Pastor Barb Girod officiating, with burial to follow in the West Holden Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be held Saturday, from 9 a.m. until the time of the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to West Holden Lutheran Church. The Holly Funeral Home of Wild Rose is assisting the family with arrangements.

Bids come in higher than expected

By Bert Lehman

The city of Clintonville had hoped to move to the construction phase with the sidewalk issue on part of Ninth Street. Instead, it is almost back to square one.

The city received bids for the project from three companies. The bids were opened at a special street committee meeting prior to the monthly Clintonville City Council meeting Tuesday, March 14. The project was estimated to cost $65,000, but when the bids were presented to the Street Committee, the least expensive bid was $118,650, almost twice as much originally estimated. The low bid was provided by MUDTeCH LLC, out of Dousman.

Other bids were received by Norcon Corporation for $121,230 and Pember Companies Inc. for $230,646.

Prior to the committee discussing the bids, Sue Aschliman, one of the business property owners who signed an agreement with the city to pay part of the cost of the repairs, addressed the committee.

She told the committee that before she bought the building a little over three years ago, a Clintonvile city employee told her that anything that needed to be done with the sidewalk was the responsibility of the city. She added that if it hadn’t been for that conversation, she wouldn’t have bought the building because of the condition of the sidewalk. She said she didn’t know what to think about the least expensive bid coming in almost twice as much as originally estimated.

“I know you guys were gracious enough to help me out and pay for half of it but honestly I don’t know how much more I can do,” Aschliman said.

She said that local contractors had developed the original estimate of $65,000. That estimate did not include the cost of a footing. She also said local contractors weren’t contacted for bids. She also requested that the bids include itemized costs, as the three bids received were not itemized.

After Aschliman spoke, Clintonville City Administrator Chuck Kell told the committee that the bids are good for 60 days. He also said that Kray Brown, director of public works for the city of Clintonville, was already in contact with the engineers at MSA Professional Services, the company overseeing the project. He said MSA was in contact with the low bidder to see what can be changed or altered to lower the cost.

Kell recommended postponing action on the bids until next month.

“I don’t know why the local folks didn’t bid on this project,” Kell said.

Committee member Jim Supanich asked if problems would be created if the city solicited bids from local companies.

“Now that things are out in public I’d say that’d be problematic,” Kell said.

Kell recommended working with MUDTeCH LLC on change orders to bring the cost of the project down. If that didn’t work, he recommended the city reject the bids and figure out a different course of action.

The committee asked for more information and Brown reiterated that the original estimate did not include a footing.

“The structural engineers feel that there should be a footing put underneath that wall,” Brown said. “That was something that was never addressed originally.”

He said he had already asked MSA Professional Services if the project could be done without adding a footing. He said he was waiting to hear back from MSA.

Supanich asked Brown if he knew how much the footing would cost. Brown said he didn’t know.

Brown said he had already requested an itemized breakdown of the estimate.

The committee recommended to city council to postpone bid approval for the project until more information could be obtained.

Council meeting
At the council meeting later that night, the committee made the recommendation to the council to postpone bid approval for the project until the engineering firm can contact the companies bidding on the project to see if the bids can be lowered.

Alderman Brad Rokus said he wants a resolution to the problem, but in the past if the city wasn’t going to accept bids as presented, then they would be rejected and rebid.

Kell said the engineers informed the city change orders to the bids could be brought to the city for consideration.

Rokus questioned whether change orders can be done only after a bid is awarded.

Kell said that’s not what the city was told.

After Mayor Lois Bressette consulted with Clintonville City Attorney Keith Steckbauer, the council was told rejecting the bids as presented was an option.

Rokus made a motion to reject the bids as presented and rebid the project. The motion was seconded by Alderman Steve Kettenhoven. The council approved rejecting the bids and rebidding the project by a 6-4 vote. Alderwoman Julie Stumbris, Alderwoman Amy Steenbock, Council President Mike Hankins and Alderman Jim Supanich voted no.

Follow-up information
The Clintonville Tribune-Gazette contacted Kell via email Wednesday, March 15.

When asked what the next steps would be for the city, Kell said the city was currently conferring with MSA, the engineering firm, regarding all the factors that might be contributing to the extraordinary high bids that were received. MSA in turn will discuss this with the contractors to see what can be changed in the design and proposed project to reduce the cost.

“We are also checking with MSA to find out if they reached out to local contractors that we previously talked with regarding bidding on this project,” Kell said in a reply email. “The project was advertised in the Tribune-Gazette but we are unaware of what contacts were or were not made to interest bidders in this project. On most city projects that we directly handle there are efforts made to make sure that the local contractors are aware of the project and they are encouraged to submit bids.”

Kell said the city had also contacted MSA, asking if a footing is required for the project.

Prior to receiving the bids for the project, the city had hoped to complete the sidewalk project by June 1. Kell said it might be possible to complete the project by June 1 if the issue is brought back before the council at its April meeting, but that will only happen if all parties are in agreement on how to proceed.

“If the decision ends up delayed until the May Common Council meeting, a completion by June 1st will be unlikely,” Kell said. “Our timetable is to resolve this as fast as possible but all the decisions are not in the city’s hands because we have landowners involved that have to agree to pay for half of the total cost based on the legal agreement between the owners and the city.”

When asked if the agreement between the property owners and the city was still valid after the city rejected the initial bids for the project, Kell replied: “I think the legal agreement is still valid because the cost represented in the agreement was clearly identified as only an estimate, however based on the cooperative efforts it took to accomplish that legal agreement and a pretty clear understanding by the city that the owners of the property cannot afford a project that costs over $100,000, I do not see us even considering any future direction unless we have an agreed upon project, an agreed upon cost that is significantly lower than the bids we just received, and landowners that continue to support us moving forward with the project. If we can’t accomplish this it is very unclear to me right now what the future direction and resolution of this problem might be.”

New London expects months of training

By Scott Bellile

The city of New London will consider employing two city clerks for at least half a year so outgoing clerk Susan Tennie can train her successor.

City Administrator Kent Hager told the finance and personnel committee back in February that Susan Tennie “has given her very forward notice of retirement” set for April 2018.

“An organization our size, she wears a lot of different hats, and several of them that could get us in a lot of trouble if we had somebody that didn’t know what they were doing up front,” Hager said. “One of those in particular we all should be concerned about is election law. You have elections, you have a lot of them going on, and you have to be trained and know what you’re doing, or you make a big mistake.”

As clerk, Tennie works the front window of city hall. Her duties include answering visitors’ questions, administering public records, managing license and permit applications and overseeing municipal elections.

City Finance Director Judy Radke said Tennie performs many tasks that the rest of city staff possesses neither the knowledge nor time to complete.

Seeing as the city is currently employing a consultant to perform a staff-wide compensation analysis, Radke suggested having the consultant help in determining a job description and salary. The city could begin the hiring process in June or July and have the new clerk begin in September.

Radke told the finance and personnel committee when she initially proposed to Tennie having her replacement train with her for six to eight months, Tennie’s reaction was, “Are you crazy?”

Radke explained to the committee the length of time would provide the new clerk several elections to work under Tennie’s guidance before she retires.

“She wants to set that person up for success and not failure, and that is probably one of the most stressful parts of that job, is to make sure that that election runs smoothly and correctly,” Radke said. “You know, everybody is looking at elections nowadays and they want to question everything that those people are doing and how it’s working.

“If that person is still quite green when she leaves, she would be willing to come back for elections but does not want to work a lot when she retires,” Radke said.

Radke said there would be enough work to keep both clerks productive. There is a backlog of projects Tennie would mainly work on in her final months, such as organizing the office and writing a manual for city clerks.

“Sue would not be sitting here with nothing to do,” Radke said. “Sue couldn’t handle nothing to do. But she would still be there for the new individual for questions and anything like that.”

Tennie told the Press Star there are no prerequisite educational requirements for New London’s clerks. All training takes place on the job. However, she said having a job applicant with previous small-town municipal experience and election experience would be a plus.

She said being a city clerk is a busy but fun role to serve. She’ll have been in her position for 31 years come April.

“I love my job – I just don’t want to work so hard anymore and put in all the hours that it takes to get the work done,” Tennie told the Press Star. “My husband Dave is retired and he [is] patiently waiting for me to join him to start crossing items off our [bucket] list.”

Incumbent not seeking re-election

There are no registered write-in candidates for the city of Waupaca’s 1st Aldermanic District seat.

Jillian Petersen currently holds the position on the common council and is not seeking re-election on April 4.

Deputy City Clerk Sandy Stiebs said no one has officially filed as a write-in candidate for the position.

Since there are no certified candidates on the ballot, all legitimate write-ins on the ballot will be counted on April 4, whether they are registered write-in candidates or not, she said.

The deadline to file nomination papers to be on the ballot this spring was Jan. 3.

Petersen, who is serving her second term on the council, filed her Notification of Non-candidacy on Dec. 21.

Incumbents not planning to seek re-election file that notification.

Of the five Waupaca Common Council members up for re-election on April 4, Petersen is the only incumbent not seeking another term.

Seeking re-election this spring are incumbents Paul Hagen in the 2nd Aldermanic District, Scott Purchatzke in the 3rd Aldermanic District, Charles Whitman in the 4th Aldermanic District and Steve Hackett in the 5th Aldermanic District.

All are running unopposed for another two-year term on the council.

This April will mark 21 years of service on the council for Hagen.

Purchatzke is seeking his sixth term on the council, and Whitman is running for a fifth term on the council.

Hackett is seeking his eighth term on the common council.

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Senior Jody Wentworth easily clears a hurdle during the opening week of track practice at Little Wolf High School in Manawa. Holly Neumann Photo

Boys, girls to compete in CWC this season

By Holly Neumann

Little Wolf High School’s track team is 36 athletes strong and looking forward to a good season.

“We bring back a lot of talent off of last year’s team,” coach Pat Collins said. “We have some solid sprinters and middle-distance runners.”

Topping the roster for the boys’ team are Ethan Hass and Zach Kreklow.

“Ethan Hass was a member of our state 4×200-meter relay team that took third place last year,” Collins said. “He has had an outstanding career and is looking to step up as a leader and get back to state this year.”

Hass can run anything between the 100-meter dash and 800-meter run, according to Collins.

“He also is a quality long and triple jumper,” he said.

Kreklow is also back for his senior year.

“He has been an excellent sprinter for us in the 100- and 200-meter distances,” Collins said.

Zach Teuscher and Caleb Griesbach will also compete in sprinting and jumping events, while Bo Koehn is expected to be one of the team’s top newcomers.

“Bo was an excellent wide receiver on our football team this year and he really should help our team in the sprints and jumps,” Collins said.

The goal for the boys this season is to place in the top three of the Central Wisconsin Conference.

“We believe we have a team capable of winning the conference if we have athletes step up in needed areas,” Collins said.

Although the girls’ team is short on numbers, they do have some quality athletes that are going to have some breakout performances, he said.

“Some of the top returners for us on the girls’ side include senior Jody Wentworth and sophomore Laynie Bessette,” Collins said. “Jody has been an excellent hurdler and middle-distance runner and Laynie is looking to improve in the jumps with a year of experience under her belt.”

He is hoping to see the girls finish in the top half of the CWC.

“The girls’ side will need depth,” Collins said. “We are just lacking numbers and filling out events will be something we struggle to do. We are hoping to see improvement as the year progresses.”

Other team members include Brady Buch, Charley Gehrke, Jordan Kons, Devin Loughrin, Johnathan Lubahn, Ethan Michalowski, Riley Murphy, Wyatt Nichols, Jacob Scheller, Brooke Schernecker, James Scott, Randy Sellers, Maria Soares, Ayla Stiebs, Sami Struzynski, Tyler Thontlin, Alice Vitali, Sebastian Wagner, Anya Wilson, Brett Zielke, Alexandria Rae, Chase Furman, Kassidee Zander, MaCayla Timm, Sierra Lubahn and Evan Lowney.

Joining Collins on the coaching staff are assistants Jill Seka, Nate Ziemer and Bruce Scheller.

“Jill brings a ton of knowledge to share with our throwers and team overall,” Collins said. “She has a great rapport with our athletes and her enthusiasm and energy will benefit our team greatly. Nate works well with our sprinters and brings a lot of athletic knowledge to our team. Bruce helps out with our distance runners and has done a great job.”

The Wolves kicked off the season March 16 with an indoor meet at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. They will return to the Kolf Sports Center Tuesday, March 28, for another indoor invitational that starts at 4 p.m.

Residents asked to replace their lines

By Angie Landsverk

When the water line is replaced under a portion of Lake Street this year, the city of Waupaca is recommending property owners there replace their private water lines as well.

Lake Street’s water line will be replaced between Fifth and Eighth streets.

That water line dates back to the 1930s.

The four-inch water main does not meet today’s Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) standards.

This water line may also contain some lead components.

A possibility of where there may be lead is in the goosenecks, which start at the water main and are about two to three feet long, said Justin Berrens, the city’s director of public works.

“We don’t know for sure if it’s there,” he said during March 14 informational meetings about the project.

He presented information about the project during two meetings that day.

Berrens said the city suspects there may be lead components within the public system because during the 1930s, it was common for lead to be used in piping.

DNR and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines are that when any part of a public service line is replaced, the private water lines up to the houses should also be replaced, he said.

That is because the partial replacement of a lead service line may lead to elevated levels of lead, Berrens said.

He said the agencies are not sure what causes that to occur but think the disturbance of the line may be a possibility.

“We want private property participation, but it is up to them,” he said.

The Public Service Commission does not allow a public utility to pay for private expenses.

The part of the service line from the right of way to the house is the responsibility of the property owner.

Funds are being made available through the DNR to help cover the costs of these replacements, and the city of Waupaca is among the communities that applied for those funds.

“We won’t know if we are securing the money until after the project is over,” Berrens said.

Bids for the Lake Street project are due on April 10.

The estimated cost for the replacement of a property owner’s line is $3,000.

Property owners wanting to replace their lines will need to sign an agreement.

Those deciding not to do so will need to have their water tested for copper and lead before and after the project, Berrens said.

If they have an elevated level of lead, they will have to replace their water line, he said.

“These mains and lines haven’t been touched in years,” Berrens said. “Some will begin to fail on their own, so it’s a good idea to do it now.”

If the city is not successful in receiving funds to cover the cost of replacing private lines, the cost will be placed on the tax bills of the property owners as a special assessment.

Special assessments of $500 or more may be paid in eight annual installments, with an interest rate of 5 percent.

“If we get awarded the money, and there is no lead there, we will still receive the money, which will cover the entire cost of the private side,” he said.

Lead testing
Berrens said the city follows the DNR’s Lead and Copper Rule for testing.

That rules provides guidance on the sampling procedure, sampling schedule and location, he said.

If any test shows a concentration above the action level of 15 parts per billion, the city must notify the property owner within 24 hours, Berrens said.

“Any time there is an elevated level, the service line gets replaced. That’s a part of the EPA/DNR Lead and Copper Rule,” he said. “Since 2000, we have had four elevated results out of about 120 samples. All four were replaced, and proper notification was provided.”

Information about lead may be found on both the EPA and DNR websites.

Berrens also provided several recommendations for those who have concerns.

“People can run the tap for a couple minutes before drinking. Draw only cold water for cooking and drinking. Have a plumber review the home’s interior plumbing for lead solders, fixtures and piping.

“One can check their own service line at the meter. If the pipe turns shiny silver when scratched with a key or penny and a magnet does not stick – it is lead. Magnets will stick to iron not lead. Home lead tests are also available,” Berrens said.

He said residents may also contact his office.

Overall project
The entire Lake Street project will be from South Main to Eighth streets.

The street’s water line, from Berlin to South Main streets, is a newer line.

As a result, work on that section of the street will consist of milling and paving.

The section from Fifth to Eighth streets will be a total reconstruction.

The Lake Street project is expected to begin in early May and take two to three months to complete, Berrens said.

He said the work must be done in time for the Waupaca Area Triathlon, which is on Saturday, Aug. 19.

Access for local residents will be maintained throughout the project, Berrens said.

The detour route will be Main Street to Badger Street to School Street.

The project will include some sidewalk and curb and gutter replacement.

Several hydrants will be replaced.

There will also be improvements to the crosswalks at Lake and Berlin streets and Lake and Fifth streets.

In addition, on Fifth Street, the work on Lake Street will go just far enough into Fifth Street so if work is done on that street in the future, there is a place to tie into the new water line, Berrens said.

The water line under Fifth Street is also a four-inch main.

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Lance Penney makes a point March 21 at a County Deer Advisory Council meeting in Manawa. Penney is on the council, which makes recommendations regarding Waupaca County's deer hunting seasons. Greg Seubert Photo

Antlerless quota set at 11,380 for 2017

By Greg Seubert

What a difference a year makes.

Last March, Waupaca County’s County Deer Advisory Committee made headlines after voting 6-0 in favor of antlerless-only bow and gun deer hunting seasons in 2016 as a way to control the local deer herd population. The council overturned that recommendation a month later after more than 700 people showed up at its next meeting.

It was a different vote this time around.

The council, meeting March 21 at Little Wolf High School in Manawa, voted against an antlerless-only deer season this year and also voted in favor of an antlerless quota of 11,380 for the county.

Council members also voted in favor of making 7,200 private land and 300 public land antlerless-only bonus tags available this year and supported a holiday hunt set for Dec. 24 to Jan. 1.

The recommendations are not set in stone, according to Arlyn Splitt, a nonvoting member of the council.

“This is all preliminary,” he said.

The council will hold its final meeting of 2017 at 6 p.m. Monday, April 17, at Waupaca High School. The state Natural Resources Board will receive quota proposals from the state’s CDACs in May and is scheduled to act on them at its May 23-24 meeting in Madison.

Waupaca County has ranked at or near the top in state white-tailed deer harvests the last several years.

Ben Knaack of Clintonville listens during a County Deer Advisory Council meeting March 21 in Manawa. Knaack represents the forestry industry on the council, which makes recommendations for Waupaca County’s deer seasons. Greg Seubert Photo

Hunters harvested 13,075 deer – 5,183 bucks and 7,892 antlerless deer – in 2016, according to figures from the state Department of Natural Resources. That total includes 9,272 during the gun season, 2,135 during the bow season and 311 during the youth hunt, as well as 1,668 harvested with a crossbow.

Jake Fries, Waupaca County’s DNR wildlife biologist, reviewed Waupaca County’s numbers from 2016 and said the gun hunt total of 9,272 included 3,364 bucks and 5,908 antlerless deer.

“We did see a significant increase in the antlerless harvest in 2016 and other counties did not,” he said. “Waupaca County is right up there with buck harvest per square mile.”

The county’s deer are having a negative effect in some areas, local DNR forester Mike Schuessler said.

“The one thing deer love to do is eat small trees,” he said. “There are issues with getting seedlings to grow. If it takes 15, 20 years for an area to regenerate successfully, that’s 15 years of growth the forests are losing.”

The vast majority of suitable habitat is on private land, but 90 percent of the county’s 12,000 acres of public land open to hunting is considered suitable deer range, according to the DNR.

“We can make our recommendation for what we think is wrong or right,” council member Lance Penney said. “If you’re seeing a lot of browsing, you probably need to shoot some more. Waupaca County proved a point last year that yes, we can control our hunt. We put it out there to harvest some more antlerless deer and the hunters came through. I feel that we made progress last year.”

“You are the stewards of your own land, so make the right call,” Splitt said. “As a hunter, you don’t want to be told what you can and can’t shoot.”

Fries estimated the county’s prehunt deer population at 64,408 and suggested an antlerless quota of 11,380 for this year as a starting point. The council had recommended a quota of 14,200 for 2016.

Bob Peterson, one of more than 50 people attending the meeting, said public education can go a long way toward maintaining the local deer herd.

“I don’t think we have any public education out there encouraging people to shoot does,” he said. “I think you have to put some effort into that. We harvested 21 deer last year, but I can’t get my neighbors to shoot them.”

Council member Ben Knaack said he favored the holiday hunt. County hunters harvested 652 deer during last year’s special antlerless-only hunt.

“It definitely was a tool that appeared to work,” he said. “In my opinion, I’d like to keep it.”

Waupaca police arrested a man released from prison six months ago.

Kyle T. Wagner, 25, Amherst, is charged with possession of methamphetamine, obstructing an officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.

On March 16, Waupaca County Sheriff’s Deputy Bryan Strobusch stopped a vehicle on the 1400 block of Ware Street for a loud exhaust and plates that were not registered to the vehicle. Deputy Jon Loken arrived to assist.

Wagner was a passenger, and there was a warrant for a probation hold.

As Loken was trying to handcuff Wagner, he kept reaching into his pocket, the complaint says.

Wagner then reportedly broke free and began running. Loken and Strobusch caught Wagner and escorted him to the ground.

Strobusch reported seeing a plastic gem bag fall to the ground. A second gem bag was found on Wagner’s person, while a digital scale and two snort tubes were found in the center console of the vehicle.

White crystals and residue in the two bags tested positive for meth.

Wagner has a history of run-ins with police.

In August 2011, Wagner was convicted in Waupaca County of two counts of criminal escape.

Charges of battery to an officer and resisting an officer were dismissed but read into the court record.

He was sentenced to three years in prison and two years of extended supervision.

On Nov. 19, 2013, Wagner was released from prison.

On March 8, 2014, Wagner was arrested for drunken driving and later convicted in Portage County. His license was revoked for seven months, and he was ordered to install an ignition interlocking device (IID).

On March 20, 2014, Wagner was arrested in Portage County and subsequently charged with possession of materials for manufacturing methamphetamine.

His extended supervision for the Waupaca County conviction was revoked on April 17, 2014, and Wagner was returned to prison.

On Feb. 2, 2015, Wagner was convicted of the Portage County meth charge and sentenced to 30 months in prison with 319 days credit for time served following revocation.

He was released on extended supervision on Sept. 6, 2016.

On Nov. 20, 2016, Wagner was cited for hit and run, failure to keep a vehicle under control, inattentive driving and operating a vehicle without insurance.

On Nov. 26, Wagner was cited for failure to install an IID and operating a vehicle without insurance.

He is currently being held in custody on a $1,000 cash bond.

Schools, families struggle with issue

By Erik Buchinger

Clintonville School District Business Manager Lynette Edwards said there has been a rise in the number of homeless students in the district over the last five years.

“I don’t know if you are aware that we do have a population of homeless students in our district,” Edwards said at a recent school board meeting.

Edwards said there were 18 homeless students in 2011-’12 and 17 the following year. In 2013-’14, there were 29 homeless students and 28 the next year. Last year, there were 29, homeless students, and there have been 23 students identified as homeless this school year.

According to Edwards, there are different categories that are considered homelessness.

“When you picture homeless, you think sleeping on the streets, but there are actually a couple different categories,” Edwards said. “We have families that are living in motels or shelters, so those are considered homeless. We also have families that are doubling up, so they’re living with another family because their either lost their home or can’t afford to live on their own.”

Students moving away from home can also be considered homeless.

“One other interesting population of homeless is unaccompanied youth, so this could be a high school student who decided they don’t want to live at home anymore, so they’re going to go live with another family or with a boyfriend,” Edwards said. “Those are now considered homeless students.”

Edwards said she is aware of the amount of homeless students because it makes an impact on the district’s budget.

“The reason I wanted to be part of this conversation because there is an impact at the budget level with homeless families and homeless students,” Edwards said. “That’s the part that I see because we get requests for reimbursing for things for homeless families. In the couple years that I’ve been in the district office, it seems like that has just continued to grow in numbers, so I wanted to know if that is true or if that was just me thinking that.”

The McKinney-Vento Act, passed in 1987, requires the district to assist with homeless students.

“With that, there is free lunch, so we do free breakfast and lunch for those students,” Edwards said. “We also, which is challenging at times, have to make sure there is no burden in transporting kids to school. The way it works is if we have a family who lives in Clintonville and they lose their home and they’re going to live in a motel in New London, a lot of you would think they’ll just get picked up by the bus and go to the New London school. But that’s not what the McKinney-Vento Act requires.”

Edwards said the reason for the law is to keep the students from additional stress.

“It’s already traumatic that they’ve lost their home and they’re living in a hotel, but to then have to change schools just makes it even more traumatic for them,” Edwards said. “The McKinney-Vento Act allows for students to continue attending school where they were prior to losing their home.”

The act also requires the Clintonville School District to remove the burden of transportation to and from school.

“As you could imagine, that’s kind of a big burden not only on our staff time but our financial resources as well,” Edwards said. “We don’t get any additional funding to provide this. This is just required. Title I budget is required to do a set-aside for homeless. It doesn’t really specify how much, but the remaining of that comes out of our general funds. As we see the families increase being identified as homeless, that’s another thing that our budget is having to help out with.”

The district also provides families with gas cards.

“Gas cards are another way we reimburse and try to help take away the burden of transportation,” Edwards said. “If the family moves to Manawa and is doubling up with grandparents because they’re evicted or whatever, that’s a long drive. We can make an arrangement with the family if you would drive your child here to school, we will reimburse you in fuel, so we do that through gas cards to Kwik Trip only. Unfortunately, we know that money may not be used for its intended purpose, so we try to make sure that it is.”

Homeless students are also provided with school materials if the family does not have money to purchase these items.

With students coming from different areas, school districts are allowed to split the cost with other districts.

“For that example I gave with New London, we’re asked to contact New London and let them know we have a family that’s living in their district,” Edwards said. “We’re going to be doing this, that and the next thing for them, and we will be invoicing you for a shared cost for that, so we are allowed to do that as well.”

Edwards said this was something she wanted to bring up because homelessness has become an issue not only in Clintonville but around the area as well.

“I don’t think that’s something a lot of people realize with the number of kids we have that are identified as homeless and the requirements of school districts,” Edwards said. “Of course it’s not just our district. This is unfortunately an epidemic all around.”

Program to be held at library

Ruth Oppedahl will present “I Heart Wisconsin Trip” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 27, at the Waupaca Area Public Library.

The trip was an 18-day paddle from the source of the Wisconsin River to the confluence with the Mississippi River in October 2015.

As a positive response to the state’s budget cuts to natural resources, Oppedahl decided to use her vacation exploring Wisconsin from north to south.

Along the way, she met with conservation groups and citizens to learn how they help protect Wisconsin’s lands, waters and wildlife. Oppedahl will share her photographs, blogs, insights and experiences as she paddled the river.

Oppedahl is the executive director of the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, a philanthropic organization that makes grants for managing public lands and research on rare species in Wisconsin and coordinates a field trip program throughout the state.

Sponsored by Winchester Academy, the program is free and open to the public. Cookies and coffee are served at 6 p.m. The program begins promptly at 6:30.

Winchester Academy programs are funded through sponsors and tax-deductible donations. This program is sponsored by T-Dubs Public House in Waupaca.

For more information about Winchester Academy, check winchesteracademywaupaca.org or contact Executive Director Ann Buerger Linden at 715-258-2927 or buergerlinden@gmail.com.

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Hortonville senior Morgan Allen was named to the All-FVA First Team, All-FVA Defensive Team and All-State Honorable Mention. Erik Buchinger photo

Coaches discuss school’s top athletes

By Erik Buchinger

Eleven Hortonville High School Athletes were named to All-Conference teams in the Fox Valley Association and Eastern Shores for girls’ hockey.

Hortonville athletes finished with seven First Team honors, three Second Team awards and one Honorable Mention. Four Polar Bear wrestlers, two boys’ basketball players, two girls’ basketball and two hockey players received awards.

Wrestling

Eric Barnett (10, First Team All-Conference, State Champion): “This is Eric’s second First Team All-Conference recognition. Eric is an extremely talented wrestler. His technique is second to none, but he also is a ferocious competitor. He loves to win, but perhaps more importantly, hates to lose. Eric is also a great teammate, always just as excited for his teammate’s successes as he is his own. He is a great ambassador of our sport and our program, the way he interacts with youth wrestlers between matches at tournaments is amazing. He is a quality young man both on and off the mat!! Eric broke Hortonville’s season takedown and pins record this year. He already has 92 varsity wins in just two seasons. Eric is currently ranked No. 8 in the country by Flowrestling.com. Eric won his first state championship this season as a sophomore after placing third as a freshman.”

-Head wrestling coach Chris Gennrich

Jacob Barnett (12, First Team All-Conference, State runner up): “This is Jacob’s first All-Conference First Team award. Jacob has been a mainstay in our lineup for four years now. He has provided excellent leadership for us. I am very excited to see him earn First Team AC honors. Jacob has a style all his own, I guess you could call it “controlled funk.” He is very fun to watch and coach as he is so dangerous at any time in any position. Jacob, like his brother, has a talent to interact with younger wrestlers between matches. Young wrestlers are just drawn to him, and he always takes the time to acknowledge them and make them feel important. A testament to his true character. Jacob is the poster child for what hard work, determination and never giving up can do for your wrestling career. He did not come into the high school room with a ton of youth accolades. But he leaves as one of the best wrestlers in Hortonville history. He is the first of only two four-time state qualifiers. He has 147 career varsity victories, which ties him for third most all time in a career. Jacob ended his senior season as a second place state finisher.”

-Head wrestling coach Chris Gennrich

Colin Schuler (10, First Team All-Conference): “Colin finished as a conference runner up last year as a freshman, so it was very nice to see him take the next step. Win a conference title and garner All-Conference First Team recognition. Colin moved up several weight classes this season. He struggled a bit early. But to his credit he stayed positive, was open to coaching and made some small changes to his style that he needed to make in order to wrestle at the higher weigh class. He saved his best for last and was wrestling extremely well at the end of the year. Colin is a very quiet, polite young man off the mat. But has the ability to be all business on the mat.”

-Head wrestling coach Chris Gennrich

Elliott Luker (12, First Team All-Conference, State runner up): “This is Elliott’s second First Team All-Conference award. Elliott has been a force in our lineup for four years. Elliott has a calm, cool, confident demeanor, nothing seems to faze him, no stage is too big. This helped him tremendously to win some big matches. Physically, Elliott is very strong, stays in good position and is very tough to score on. Elliott has represented Hortonville wrestling for four years with quiet confidence and dignity, a young man who is a great role model for our younger wrestlers. Elliott holds some major records in the history of Hortonville wrestling. He is the other four-time state qualifier and holds the mark for the most varsity wins in a career with 157. Elliott also placed second at this year’s state tournament.”

-Head wrestling coach Chris Gennrich

Nathan Lichtfuss (12, Second Team All-Conference, fourth at state): “Nathan finished as a Second Team All-Conference representative after gaining First Team accolades last season. Nathan is a great example of understanding your strengths and weaknesses on the mat and wrestling a style that really accentuates his positive attributes. Nathan was great at developing a game that he needed to use to defeat opponents and sticking to it in the heat of battle. He frustrated many, many talented opponents by completely taking them out of their style of wrestling. Nathan is a great role model for our younger student-athletes. His charter is second to none, plus he carries a perfect 4.0 GPA. Nathan leaves Hortonville wrestling with a 128 career varsity wins, which places him sixth on the all-time list, and was a fourth-place state place winner.”

-Head wrestling coach Chris Gennrich

Boys Basketball

Ryan Krueger (12, First Team All-Conference, All-State Team): “Ryan had a tremendous year earning First Team All-FVA. In a very strong league, Ryan saw difficult matchups the entire season and did a nice job adjusting and continuing to improve on his game. Although our team didn’t succeed as well as we would have liked, Ryan more than deserved First Team. Great kid who puts in a lot of hours trying to improve at the game of basketball. Also a tremendous student and person in the community who our youth players can look up to.”

-Head boys basketball coach Matt Hintz

Charlie Schabo (12, Second Team All-Conference): “Charlie was Second Team All-Conference this season, and without a few injuries could have possibly been First Team. He more than played like it at the end of the season. Tremendous player with a great work ethic and passion for the game, tough kid that has earned everything. Charlie is another great kid in this program on and off the court, he represents the basketball program and community the way you want your student athletes to.”

-Head boys basketball coach Matt Hintz

Girls Basketball

Morgan Allen (12, First Team All-Conference, All-Conference Defensive Team, All-State Honorable Mention): “Morgan was a consistent leader and player for our team all season long. She was a presence inside and was a focal point to every opponent’s game plan. She was a player that didn’t settle for anything less than her best and had a contagious desire to become a student of the game. Morgan plays the game with incredible poise and intelligence. She was the ultimate teammate who made others around her better. The Hortonville girls’ basketball program thanks Morgan for all her dedication and hard work through the years and wishes her the best as she continues her education and basketball career at IUPUI.”

-Head girls basketball coach Celeste Ratka

Shay Frederick (11, First Team All-Conference, All-State Team): “Shay is one of the most skilled and intelligent high school basketball players that I have had the pleasure to be around. She is committed to her craft and spends the time necessary to be successful. She is fearless when it comes to taking the big shot and loves the responsibility that comes with being a take on player. Shay was a top priority on every scouting report and found a way to be an impact player night in and night out. She is a player who is loved and respected by all her teammates and someone that was looked to for leadership all season long. She had a tremendous junior season, and I look forward to watching her continue to grow as a player and leader.”

-Head girls basketball coach Celeste Ratka

Girls Hockey

Alli Mork (12, Honorable Mention All-Conference): “Alli was a key member of my defense that held opponents’ shots to the lowest total in the state and contributed on and off the ice with her leadership.  She was a four-year player for me while not putting up big offensive numbers but was steady and reliable member of the D core. She logged a lot of minutes and was someone you could trust on ice during those critical times during the game. She finished with three goals and 10 assists.”

-Head girls hockey coach Jeff Fox

Maddy Jablonski (9, Second Team All-Conference, Honorable Mention All-State): “Maddy has a skill to score goals and proved that during the season. She was able to score a point in 23 out of 27 games and finished with 26 goals and 23 assists. We are looking for a lot of good things from Maddy in years to come and build on a outstanding first year. She is a hard worker and has that finishing touch. She was able to score goals while drawing attention from the other teams’ top defensemen. She was able to make her teammates better and made a lot of good plays with the puck during the season.”

-Head girls hockey coach Jeff Fox

Team has to replace goalkeeper

By Greg Seubert

A North Eastern Conference championship probably isn’t in the cards this season for the Waupaca girls’ soccer team.

The Comets posted a 1-15-3 record last year, were outscored 61-10 and have to replace all-conference goaltender Taylor Korth.

Mark Polebitski, the only coach the program has had since it started more than 20 years ago, would like to see this year’s team be competitive, but admitted it won’t be easy.

“It’s going to be tough,” he said. “We have a small freshman class coming in this year, so we had to do some recruiting. Our numbers are little low, but we have it up to about 30 players now. I would say out of the 30 girls here, probably half of them never played soccer before.

“I’m glad to see a lot of girls coming out for the first time, girls who haven’t played soccer and are willing to take this challenge,” he said. “We have athletes, we just need to teach them some ball touches. We’re going to focus on the fundamentals: passing, receiving, kicking. We’re going to work early in the season on physical conditioning. Hopefully, we can stay with the teams a little better than last season.”

The Comets compete in the North Eastern Conference with Clintonville, Denmark, Fox Valley Lutheran, Freedom, Little Chute, Luxemburg-Casco, Marinette and Wrightstown.

“I think the top teams are going to be Wrightstown and FVL, but it’s going to be anybody’s game,” Polebitski said. “We’re trying to get to the middle of that conference. If we can get halfway up that ladder, it’ll be a testament to improvement from last year.

“We’re not going to be competitive with every team we play,” he added. “There are some teams that are just out of our league. There were a lot of games last year where we didn’t get any shots on goal. What we have to do is improve the number of shots in each match. We don’t have the speedster forward like we have had in the past, so it’s going to take a team effort. The team that passes the best is usually the team that’s going to be successful. Possession is going to be the key for us to be competitive.”

Polebitski hasn’t settled on a permanent replacement for Korth, the latest in a long line of standout goalkeepers for the Comets, but the job could go to last year’s junior varsity goalkeeper, Kylie Hiddemen, or Jocybeth Barraza.

“Our goalie situation has been awesome in Waupaca and for the first time, we’re going to have a little turnover,” he said. “Jocybeth was one of our starting defenders last year and one of our top defenders. We’re going to split some time early in the season and once we see them in the net a couple of times, we’re going to decide who that goalie’s going to be.”

Besides Korth, the Comets also have to replace the graduated Nikki Weise and Claire Jungers. Weise joined Korth on last year’s all-conference second team, while Jungers received honorable mention.

“Elle Miller and Ivy Miller have been with this team since their freshman year, so they know what it’s like to play a varsity-speed soccer match,” Polebitski said. “Ivy plays in the midfield and Elle plays back on defense. We also have Lily Sletten, who has been on varsity for three years. Those are the three captains. They’ve been to almost all the open gyms and have been running captains’ practices. They’re very enthusiastic about the season and work as hard any group of kids I’ve ever had in the past.”

Emma Pagel kicks the ball to a Waupaca teammate. Greg Seubert Photo

Madie Gile and Shyla Koshollek are also penciled in as starters and Polebitski expects Ivy Miller’s freshman sister, Robin, to score her share of goals.

“I’ve been working with her in the youth program since she was in fourth grade and she’s finally up here in the high school ranks,” he said. “I’m really excited to see what she can do.”

Last year’s players have put the 2016 season behind them, according to Polebitski.

“For them, it’s really not about winning or losing, it’s about competing and playing teams as hard as we can play them,” he said. “They have that attitude from last year and attitude’s half the battle. It’s nice to have the technical skills and the desire. We have parts of each. It’s just that we have to pull it out of some of these girls.”

The Comets opened the season March 28 with a nonconference game in Hortonville and do not have a conference game scheduled until they head to Denmark Tuesday, April 11. By that time, the team will have five games in the books, including matchups with Stevens Point and Xavier.

“We’ve done a lot of running this week and I can tell you is they haven’t complained about it,” Polebitski said. “They came back for more. Nobody quit and they want to be part of this team. The girls have the desire to be here. What they have to do is take that desire, turn it into work and become the soccer player they need to be.”

Waupaca Girls’ Soccer 2017 Schedule

Varsity
Tuesday, March 28 – at Hortonville, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 30 – vs. Shawano, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 4 – at Stevens Point, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 6 – vs. Assumption, 5 p.m.

Saturday, April 8 – vs. Xavier, 11 a.m.

Tuesday, April 11 – at Denmark, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 – vs. Wrightstown, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25 – at New Holstein, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 27 – vs. Amherst/Iola-Scandinavia/Rosholt, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, May 1 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 4 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, May 5 – at Mosinee, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 9 – at Freedom, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 13 – Waupaca Invitational, 9 a.m.

Tuesday, May 16 – vs. Clintonville, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 18 – at Little Chute, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 25 – vs. Marinette, 6:30 p.m.

Junior Varsity
Thursday, March 30 – vs. Shawano, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 4 – at Stevens Point, 5 p.m.

Saturday, April 8 – vs. Xavier, 11 a.m.

Tuesday, April 11 – at Denmark, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 – vs. Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25 – at New Holstein, 5 p.m.

Saturday, April 29 – Waupaca JV Invitational, 9 a.m.

Monday, May 1 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 4 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 9 – at Freedom, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 20 – Waupaca hosts North Eastern Conference tournament, 9 a.m.

Thursday, May 25 – vs. Marinette, 4:30 p.m.