Waupaca ready to defend state title

By Greg Seubert

New uniforms are not the only big change in store for the Waupaca baseball team this season.

Rocky Mondello replaces John Koronkiewicz, who coached the Comets to the program’s first state title, a 25-4 record and a North Eastern Conference championship last year.

Mondello is no stranger to the program, as he is the longtime junior varsity coach and was in the dugout for the Comets’ 2-0 win over Milwaukee Lutheran last June in the WIAA Division 2 state championship game.

“This is my 16th year and I’ve been chomping at the bit since the middle of June when we were coming home from the state game in Appleton,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, but I’ve also been very patient with it knowing that I was learning a lot from Koronk. I coached at La Crosse Central and here right away out of school and have always learned from somebody ahead of me. That’s what I’ve enjoyed.”

The Comets haven’t even stepped out onto the field yet, as their season opener at Antigo originally scheduled for March 28 has been rescheduled for Friday, April 21.

“The community’s excited about baseball, the kids are excited about baseball, I’m excited,” Mondello said. “We’ve had eight to 10 open gyms in the last two, three months and we’ve been getting between 10 to 25 guys there. They’re doing camps in the offseason and putting in extra time that truly makes a championship team. That’s how you get there.”

The Comets are replacing their top three pitchers from last year, including Johnny Popham, the team’s all-time leader in batting average and hits, a four-year starter and the North Eastern Conference’s player of the year as a senior. He’s now getting playing time as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Waupaca also has to replace Walker Smith and Jason Ellie. Ellie went the distance in a 6-3 win over West Salem in the state semifinals, while Smith held Milwaukee Lutheran to five hits in the championship game against the defending Division 2 championships.

“We go into the (2016) season unranked,” Mondello said. “(Milwaukee Lutheran) had seniors and the team to go with it and they made it back again. That is really tough to do, to go back-to-back.

“I think the cards fell the right way,” he said. “When you only lose four or five games overall, that’s impressive. We dealt with very few injuries and had the pitching staff.”

Although the Comets are replacing Popham, Smith, Ellie, Shane Olsen and Nate Meihak, there are also players back with state tournament experience.

“We have nine guys that are returning from the championship team,” Mondello said. “Of those nine, five or six consistently played. The guys that I had last year as juniors are going to be able to contribute. I already talked to the guys I had that are sophomores this year. They’re going to have to prepare to play at anytime at the varsity level, most likely in a pitching role. I’m not saying we’re weak at pitching by any means, but we are replacing some big guys and the pitching rule is going to change some things. We have to have guys ready to pitch at anytime.”

One of the players that could see some time on the mound is last year’s catcher, Hayden Neidert.

“He’s a hard thrower,” Mondello said. “If we do that, we have to find some guys to catch him.”

Ryan Dayton and Brenden Canterbury are the team’s returning pitchers with innings.

“We have the lowest number of returning innings in the conference, anywhere from 12 to 15,” Mondello said.

Other returning players include Jake Popham, Max Menzies and Nick Grams.

In the past, coaches used the number of innings to determine the eligibility of pitchers.

“Now, if you throw zero to 30 pitches, you can pitch every day of the week,” Mondello said. “If you throw 31 to 49 pitches, you have to take one day off. Fifty to 74 pitches is two days off and 75 pitches up to 100 is a three-day minimum.

“My game plan is to develop two or three closers,” he added. “If you can get a starter to give you five innings and keep their pitch count at 50 to 60 pitches, then you have closers that can come in and give you a 20- to 30-pitch couple of innings. That’s what we’re going to do is develop these closers. What it’s going to force everybody to do is develop closers and take it easy on the arms. It’s an injury prevention thing and I agree with it.”

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First-year Waupaca baseball coach Rocky Mondello keeps an eye on his players during a recent practice. The defending WIAA Division 2 state champions are scheduled to open the season at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, at Wrightstown. Greg Seubert Photo

Mondello’s staff includes Ethan Dayton, Travis Holat and David Yeska.

“It’s kind of cool seeing the guys coaching under me now, they all played for me,” he said. “We all believe in the same things. All of us play on the (Waupaca) Lakemen, so we’ve learned from the older guys that play for the Lakemen.”

Dayton and Holat will coach the JV1 and JV2 teams, respectively. Brad Popham is also back as an assistant.

“This year, we have three teams and we have not had three teams in awhile,” Mondello said. “The numbers warranted it and the talent is there for the third team. For the last five or six years, I’ve carried the freshman load on the JV team. I’ve had teams of up to 18 or 20 guys. This year, we have three relatively even-numbered teams.”

The North Eastern includes teams from Clintonville, Denmark, Fox Valley Lutheran, Freedom, Little Chute, Luxemburg-Casco, Marinette, Oconto Falls and Wrightstown.

As in the past few seasons, most North Eastern matchups will take place in consecutive games or doubleheaders. Waupaca will head to Wrightstown April 4 for the conference opener, but the Comets will also host the Tigers two days later.

“That schedule change happened five years ago,” Mondello said. “It helps us prepare for anything. That’s why I love this game so much. Anybody on any given day can beat anybody.

Mondello expects Freedom and Fox Valley Lutheran to contend for a conference championship. The Irish and Foxes, along with Luxemburg-Casco, are all ranked ahead of Waupaca in the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association’s Division 2 preseason poll.

“We have a very tough conference,” Mondello said. “Clintonville’s going to better than they have in the past. Wrightstown, Denmark, Marinette, all these teams are going to compete. It just depends on which team you play and who shows up.

“We ended the year as state champions and we know people are going to be gunning for us at all times to say they beat the state champions,” he added. “We just need to play hard and give it everything we’ve got each time.”

Waupaca 2017 Baseball Schedule

Varsity
Tuesday, April 4 – at Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 6 – vs. Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 10 – vs. Adams-Friendship, 4:30 p.m.

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

Thursday, April 13 – vs. Clintonville, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 17 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 21 – at Antigo, 4:30 p.m. (rescheduled from March 28)

Monday, April 24 – at Stevens Point, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25 – at Little Chute, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 27 – vs. Little Chute, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 1 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 2 – vs. Luxemburg-Casco, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 4 – at Weyauwega-Fremont, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 6 – at Marinette (DH), 2 p.m.

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

Thursday, May 11 – at Freedom, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 13 – vs. Oconto Falls (DH), 11 a.m.

Tuesday, May 16 – vs. Denmark, 4:30 p.m.

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

Monday, May 22 – at Mosinee, 5 p.m.

JV1
Tuesday, April 4 – at Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 6 – vs. Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 10 – vs. Adams-Friendship, 4:30 p.m.

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

Thursday, April 13 – vs. Clintonville, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 17 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 21 – at Antigo, 4:30 p.m. (rescheduled from March 28)

Monday, April 24 – at Stevens Point, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25 – at Little Chute, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 27 – vs. Little Chute, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 1 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 2 – vs. Luxemburg-Casco, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 4 – vs. Weyauwega-Fremont, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 6 – at Marinette (DH), 2 p.m.

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

Thursday, May 11 – vs. Freedom, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 13 – vs. Oconto Falls (DH), 11 a.m.

Tuesday, May 16 – vs. Denmark, 4:30 p.m.

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

Monday, May 22 – at Mosinee, 4:30 p.m.

JV2
Monday, April 10 – vs. Adams-Friendship, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 17 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 21 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 24 – at Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 29 – vs. Green Bay East (DH), 10 a.m.

Thursday, May 4 – vs. Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 6 – vs. Mosinee (DH), noon.

Former ThedaCare site awaits council approval

By Bert Lehman

The Clintonville Plan Commission approved rezoning the former ThedaCare office property at 32 Hughes St. from B1 – Downtown Business District to R2 – Residential District.

The purpose of the rezoning is to allow Ricky and Shelley Liebman to convert the building into a single-family residence and eventually a duplex.

At a plan commission public hearing March 20, Clintonville City Administrator Chuck Kell said the property is currently zoned B1, which does allow for duplexes if certain criteria is met.

Kell said Liebman would like to have the property rezoned.

Kell added that duplex zoning requires 10,000 square feet. The lot in question is 18,000 square feet, Kell said. A duplex property must also have a minimum width of 80 feet. The lot in question is 120 feet by 149 feet.

“It meets all the area standards for a duplex,” Kell said during the public hearing.

Kell said all the surrounding property is zoned R1 – single family residence. The exception is the property across the street, which is the Aster property.

Ricky Liebman told the plan commission that he and his wife would probably convert the building to a duplex sooner rather than later.

“The whole premise of us doing this is we’re downsizing,” Ricky Liebman said.

They currently own a large house in the Embarrass area, which they plan on selling.

He said they would start remodeling the former ThedaCare office building as soon as the property is rezoned.

The rezoning request will have to be approved by the Clintonville City Council.

NL student earns spot at event

By Scott Bellile

Will Hoover is hopeful his second state geography bee will end more successfully than his first.

In the words of the New London Intermediate/Middle School student, the 2016 Wisconsin National Geographic State Bee was a “tragic turn of events.”

The night before the bee, he came down with a “horrible, horrible” 101-degree fever and lay in his hotel room. At the bee, he didn’t answer enough questions correctly to qualify for the finals.

While the illness was out of his control, he took note of the high level of competition at state. He pushed aside weightlifting and tree-climbing and amped up the studying for this year’s goal: get seven of eight questions right, a number he believes could earn him a shot at the final round.

The 2017 Wisconsin National Geographic State Bee takes place Friday, March 31 in Madison. To qualify, Will won his school geography bee, then placed in the top 100 for a statewide written exam.

At the state bee, the 100 qualifiers will be narrowed down to 10 finalists and then one champion. Each state champ across the country will win a trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Geographic Bee Championship from May 14-17.

Will Hoover, the son of Maxine and Terry Hoover, will be one of nine sixth-graders competing at the state bee.

“It’s kind of indescribable, really,” Will said. “Getting there, all the work pays off really once you study for countless hours and stuff, so it really feels good when you have a shot at doing something like this.”

“We’re excited for him,” Terry said. “It’s fascinating too for him to be able to meet kids from all across the state that have the same kind of passion.”

Will’s interest in geography formed around age 3 when he started reading children’s maps, Terry said. Within a couple years, he memorized the states and their capitals.

Carol Steinert at Readfield Elementary fostered his geographical interests in third grade.

“His third grade teacher really encouraged his world knowledge and global knowledge, and we think she’s been a great help to him,” Terry said. “… She’s always been a big fan of his, encouraging him.”

Will said sixth grade social studies class has helped prepare him. He has yet to get a question wrong on his quizzes or homework, he said. Class also improved his weak spot: physical geography, the study of landforms and weather.

As for his strong suit?

“How do I say this? Cities and stuff, and countries and capitals is my biggest weapon I think,” Will said.

Terry added: “His interest in geography is not just names of places, but it’s also the people and the cultures that go with places around the world. And he’s become very fascinated with different cultures and their traditions, how they live, what their local economies are like.”

The Hoovers plan to take Will to Washington, D.C. this summer to see the history and sights. Terry said they’ll see what happens if Will goes in May for the national bee.

For now, Terry said it’s “pretty cool” that his son is hooked on geography and doing great things with it at his age.

“We’re very proud and excited for him,” Terry said.

Accepts position in Brown County

By Angie Landsverk
Patrick Wetzel is leaving his administrative position in the city of Weyauwega to become the administrator in the town of Lawrence.

He submitted his resignation last week. His final day working in Weyauwega will be May 1.

The Weyauwega Common Council will be reviewing firms to assist with the search for a new administrator, as well as with interim administrative duties.

The Brown County town of Lawrence is near Wetzel’s hometown of Ashwaubenon.

“It’s the chance to go back home,” he said. “I wasn’t certain when I left to come here that I would ever have the opportunity to go home.”

That is his response when local residents ask him why he wants to “leave a place where a lot is happening and there is a good staff,” he said.

Wetzel became Weyauwega’s new city administrator/clerk/treasurer in January 2013.

Prior to that, he worked for the village of Ashwaubenon a total of 11 years.

That included four years as a part-time intern and seven years in full-time positions.

Wetzel graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with a degree in finance and received a master’s of public administration degree from UW-Oshkosh.

He also served on the Brown County Board of Supervisors for five years.

Wetzel’s former colleagues and friends followed his work in Weyauwega.

For quite some time, many asked him when he would return to his hometown area.

Then Wetzel learned of the opening in Lawrence.

“It’s a little bit bigger community. It’s a growing and developing community,” he said. “Their population in the last 10 to 15 years has tripled.”

The population of Lawrence is about 5,000.

A lot of residential development has occurred in the town, and now it wants to attract commercial and residential development, he said.
“What was interesting was a lot of the developments Weyauwega was trying to attract, I would hear Lawrence was among the other communities being considered,” Wetzel said.

In addition to being near Ashwaubenon, Lawrence is also a neighbor of De Pere.

“Interstate 41 runs right through the community,” he said.

Communities in the area are familiar with Wetzel due to his previous work in Ashwaubenon and tenure on the Brown County Board.

“There’s a lot of intergovernmental relationships and cooperation up there,” Wetzel said.

When Wetzel became Weyauwega’s administrator, he and his wife, Libby, had one son.

Now, they have two sons.

Mason is 5 years old, and Owen is 2 years old.

Libby is a registered nurse and is from Green Bay.

Wetzel appreciates the support of his family and said without them, he would not have been able to be a part of “all the good things we did for the city (of Weyauwega).”

During Wetzel’s four-year tenure in Weyauwega, a number of projects took place.

Among them were the expansion of both the city’s municipal building and wastewater treatment plant, park projects, the expansion of Agropur, the addition of the travel plaza and creation of new Tax Incremental Financing districts.

The city is finalizing a new industrial service agreement with Agropur.

“The biggest thing I’m proud of is developing the staff. A lot of people were new in their roles when I started, so growing with them was a fun thing,” Wetzel said. “The city is in a better position than we were four years ago, when I was hired. The next administrator is going to come on board with upgraded facilities, a well-trained and dedicated staff and a community-minded city council.”

Pushing the boundaries of education

By Holly Neumann

Iola-Scandinavia High School Band Director Jacob Martin is proud of the five students who ventured off and started a rock band of their own.

Echo Watters, Kolden Krueger, Garrett Brown, Corey Ziemann and Erin Thompson call their band “Wilhelm.”

The rock/alternative band started last October.

“This group of students has shown that there is more to offer in music than just band and choir,” said Martin. “The rock band has already grown interest from several others to form their own in the future.”

Krueger credited Martin for getting them started.

“Mr. Martin wanted to do a rock band type deal as an extra thing through school. Once he got it all cleared, we were the guinea pigs, and it worked out,” he said.

“I become involved because the students had a goal to create a band,” said Martin. “They were really interested and eager to start something new. So we all sat down and talked about what needed to be done.”

Thompson, however, credited Ziemann for forming the band.

“He is exceptionally talented at learning music on over four different instruments just by hearing the music,” she said. “His and Kolden’s mutual love for music spurred them to talk to Mr. Martin about the possibility of having a band.”

Ziemann admits he tried to start a band before, but it never took off.

“Mr. Martin and I had talked about having a rock band class or something of the like,” he said. “We finally decided just to go for it.”
From there, Wilhelm was born.

Their first decision: deciding on a name.

“We were sitting in the band room, trying to think of a band name,” said Watters. “For some reason or another, after a long period of brainstorming, I thought to ask, ‘Mr. Martin, what’s your middle name?’ And that was it. It clicked.”

“To be honest, I was not the biggest fan of the band being named after my middle name,” said Martin. “I was just relieved that they finally did pick a name before their first performance.”

Wilhelm’s band members share a love of music.

“My favorite part about music is that it is a way to express who you are,” said Brown.

“Music is the word of the soul, or close to that,” said Krueger. “It is a great way to express feeling and is a genuinely good way to up your mood.”

While their influences come from all over, their goals are one in the same.

“I would like to continue this band into college,” said Ziemann. “I am hoping that someday, we have a good amount of success, but that seems more hopeful than reality based.”

“It’s really exciting to get things moving,” said Watters. “We’re planning events for parties, live-music shows, and we’re entering a music competition for an opportunity to play at Summerfest.”

“We want to really further our playlist and make our own music,” said Krueger.

They also agree there were some surprises along the way.

“I guess, at first we thought it would be easy, just come and go,” said Krueger. “But being able to play a song we love in a well-coordinated effort is harder than it looks.”

“Honestly, my biggest surprise was that we managed to actually play a performance,” said Thompson. “And we were able to do 15 minutes’ worth of music. That really impressed me.”

Ziemann’s biggest surprise was how easily he could learn to play the bass guitar.

“I had never played before this band,” he said. “Now I can easily play along to multiple songs.”

Martin is already looking to the future for his other students.

“I hope to continue to create a culture that it is fun and OK to start a band, start to learn how to use a sound or light board, learn how to advertise or even manage something,” he said. “Not only does being part of a band hone your musical skills, but it also creates a bond between people and is a great outlet for students. After-school projects like these are what continue to make school fun and exciting.”

Martin believes Wilhelm can make it as far as it wants to go.

“They have the talent. They just need to continue to push the boundaries of their comfortability and be willing to put themselves in the spotlight,” he said. “Trying to get into Summerfest will only be a stepping stone, if they continue.”

Martin believes all students at Iola-Scandinavia schools can achieve any goal that they have.

“They just have to be willing to put forward the effort and be willing to ask for guidance. These students have shown that they are willing to do both,” Martin said.

New director of Manawa’s public works

By Jane Myhra

Cody Simonis is looking forward to his new role as Manawa’s director of public works. His first day on the job is Monday, April 3.

Simonis is excited to be returning to his hometown to continue in a career he loves.

“My favorite part of my job is serving the public. I really enjoy helping people,” he said. “I like the variety, as well as being outside, and many aspects of this job are outside.”

Simonis is the son of Jerry and Lana Simonis, of Royalton. He is a 2005 graduate of Little Wolf High School.

He received an associate’s degree in natural resources from Fox Valley Technical College. He has also taken courses on surveying, water/wastewater, parks and recreation, and forestry.

He is currently employed as a water and wastewater operator in Minocqua.

Simonis applied for the Manawa job because “I wanted to further my career and move closer to family,” he said. “I like the small town community, where everyone knows everyone.”

Simonis will have some big shoes to fill as the replacement for recently-retired Frank Jaeger. He feels he has the background and motivation to do the job.

“I have a great work ethic, and I am motivated to do what is best for my hometown community,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with the city crew. I’ve known some of the guys on this crew for some time.”

He considers Jaeger to be a good friend.

“When I was deciding what I wanted to do for a career, I talked to Frank about public works,” Simonis said. “Frank explained what he did and that sounded interesting to me, and I went from there.”

Simonis and his wife, Madalyn, plan to move to the area. She is from Clintonville and is a teacher. The couple has two children: Easton is 4 and Evelyn is 1.

“I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life and career,” Simonis said.

Student spends week as Senate Scholar

By Robert Cloud

A Waupaca High School junior was in Madison March 5-10, learning how to be a state senator.

Nate Wachsmuth was among 33 students selected from hundreds of applicants statewide to be a Senate Scholar.

The program introduces Wisconsin high school students to the legislative process. They learn from first-hand experience about the legal and budgetary research, the lobbying and negotiating that precedes drafting a bill.

Among his experiences, Wachsmuth helped draft and pass a “law” during mock committee meetings and hearings.

He also served as an assistant on the Senate floor, toured the State Capitol, climbed to the top of the dome and met with journalists who cover state government.

“On Monday (March 6), we met with the the head of the support agencies that prepare reports for the senators,” Wachsmuth said.

Those agencies include the Legislative Audit Bureau and the Legislative Reference Bureau.

“The Legislative Reference Bureau was probably the most interesting,” Wachsmuth said. “They’re the ones who are in charge of looking into the laws that already exist and the Supreme Court decisions. They provide information to help a senator write a bill or support a bill.”

On March 7, Wachsmuth went to the Legislative Reference Bureau and spoke with Michael Gallagher, the senior attorney for the agency.

“He introduced the bill that we were drafting,” Wachsmuth said. “We debated it in our 11-person group as if we were in the Senate.”

During most of their time in Madison, the Senate Scholars were discouraged from espousing their political views because the program is nonpartisan.

However, at dinner on that Tuesday night, they discussed their opinions about the state of the country and the state of Wisconsin.

The students also spent that day working on the Senate floor.

Among Wachsmuth’s assignments was to purchase two sandwiches and a bag of chips for Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine.

“When we weren’t running errands, we were in the back watching the process,” Wachsmuth said. “It wasn’t completely interesting, but it did make for some good learning.”

The Senate Scholars also spent part of the day watching debate in the Assembly.

He noticed differences in the decorum of the two legislative bodies.

“In the Assembly, they are more willing to take shots at each other personally. They would question the judgment of the person. They are less focused on the bill itself,” Wasmuch said. “In the Senate, they debated the merits of the bill.”

Bill on blood
On March 8, the students began drafting their bill.

First, they met with Gallagher again and learned the correct legal terminology and how to write amendments.

The students were divided into three groups, and each group proposed their own version of the bill.

The bill they were drafting was to lower the age of blood donations.

Under current state law, a donor must be at least age 17 to give blood without parental permission. A 16-year-old donor may give blood with parental permission.

“Our bill was to lower that age to 14 with permission, and no permission was required for 15 and above,” Wachsmuth said.

Among the issues the bill also had to address was defining the difference between blood and plasma.

Whole blood is comprised of red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma.

Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood that carries nutrients, proteins and other cells throughout the body.

Plasma is often used for burn victims and people with liver disease.

“The difference between blood and plasma is not defined in our statutes now,” Wachsmuth said.

The Senate Scholars proposed bills that included two separate sections for blood and plasma.

Since a goal of the exercise was to learn how to make amendments, Wachsmuth said the 11 students voted to select the bill that was the shallowest and easiest to amend.

The rest of that day was spent writing amendments.

On March 9, Wachsmuth met with state Sen. Luther Olsen. He represents the 14th Senate District, which includes most of Waupaca County.

“We talked for about half an hour,” Wachsmuth said. “The piece of advice he gave me was that you can vote however you want, but you are a representative of your people and an interpreter of their will, Sometimes, you’ll know how the general number of them want you to vote, but other times you won’t.”

Wachsmuth said the key to making political decisions is to be able to explain the reasons those decision.

“They may not not agree with your decision, but they will understand why you did and respect that,” Wachsmuth said.

On March 10, after visiting the Robert LaFollette School of Public Affairs and the Governor’s Mansion, the students held a public hearing on their bill.

People, acting as constituents, testified about their concerns at the hearing.

“My dad came down and testified in front of the committee,” Wachsmuth said. “He did a pretty good job of laying out why he believed the age should be lowered.”

Wachsmuth is the son of Dan and Dixie Wachsmuth.

Later, Wachsmuth presented his amendment that defined plasma and lowered the age for donating plasma to 16.

His amendment passed 9-2.

Four other amendments were presented. Three of them passed.

The bill with all four amendments passed by a vote of 7-4.

“Some people were unhappy with some of the amendments,” Wachsmuth said. “They thought it was too demanding or too impersonal.”

Although Wachsmuth enjoyed his week in Madison, he is more interested in science than politics.

“It was fun being a senator for a week, but I don’t know if I would want that to be my job,” Wachsmuth said.

He said he hopes to major in biochemistry or molecular biology, then perhaps go to medical school.

Three seats contested in New London

Five candidates are running for three seats on the New London School Board on April 4.

Incumbents John Michels, Kim Schroeder and Mary Swifka are up for re-election. Challenging them are John P. Heideman and Terry Wegner.

Residents living within the School District of New London can vote for as many as three of the five candidates.

Candidates answered the following questions for the Press Star.  Responses have been edited for grammar, length and clarity.

Number of terms served on the school board?

Heideman

John P. Heideman: N/A

John Michels: Two

Kim Schroeder: Four (three-plus years as president)

Mary Swifka: Less than one. I was appointed in June 2016 to fill the seat of a board member who moved out of the district. Prior to that, I served 16 months as president of the Catalyst Academy Governing Board.

Terry Wegner: Previously served 15 years on the board from 1996 through 2010.

What makes you qualified to serve on the New London School Board?

Heideman: I strongly support our New London public schools. They have served my family and me well. With a solid educational base, my two sisters went on to be highly successful in their chosen fields of music and writing. I like to think that I have achieved a significant degree of success as a farmer and agribusiness man as well. Education has been the backbone of our life’s work: parents, family and children. As a business owner, homeowner and property owner, I take very seriously the need for wise, prudent and responsible use of taxpayer’s money because, as they say; I have skin in the game.

Michels

Michels: I have been privileged to serve the community and district for the past six years as a member of the governance board for our two charter schools and now the traditional ”legacy” board. I am currently the board treasurer and serve on the district technology committee and the capital projects committee. I am an engineer and have been able to utilize my experience in construction, facilities management and capital planning to help review projects and assist in developing a long-range plan for facilities maintenance and major equipment replacement. I also work with the high school tech crew that sets up and runs sound and lighting at many of our school events.

Schroeder: The complexity of understanding of school finance, school policy/governance, curriculum, data, and knowledgeable history of the district provided by a seasoned board member is crucial to continuance improvement. My husband Tom always says, “I get things done.” Just because I am seasoned, doesn’t mean I lack the aspiration to keep things moving forward, ever aware that we haven’t reached our vision or mission, “Success for All Students.”

Swifka: I’m the parent of a New London High School graduate and have lived New London since 1988. In 2013, I participated in Wisconsin Partners in Policymaking, a six-month advocacy and leadership development program for parents and as a result, was appointed to a three-year term on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Special Education Advisory Council. In 2015-16, I served as governing board president of Catalyst Academy, a New London public charter school. That experience gave me insight into the workings of the district. My leadership skills, working cooperatively, listening to stakeholders as well as the qualifications listed above have built on and complemented the current board.

Wegner: My 15 years of board experience including serving as vice president and president provide me with a strong background in education and the New London School District. I bring 40-plus years’ business experience, which included establishing and managing budgets, evaluating the impact and value of programs and establishing winning strategies. I’m anxious to bring these skills to help the district grow and succeed.

After District Administrator Kathy Gwidt retires this summer, what do you hope to see happen early on in the tenure of her successor, Dennis Krueger?

Heideman: Improved and strengthened communication between teachers, district administrators and the school board in all matters of mutual interest. The New London community is served by excellent teachers, with extremely diverse and creative ideas. I believe they should have the freedom to teach according to their own professional standards and values, and not be shackled by any one-size-fits-all formula or policy.

I believe that we need to reach out to every sector, private business and enterprise, to find a way to work cooperatively with them, so that our graduates are ready, and are as prepared as possible, to enter today’s workforce. To strengthen our community, we need to encourage, promote and advance apprenticeships, work study programs, skill building, partnering and mentoring.

Michels: Dennis will be spending a lot of time early on getting to know the district and staff. The board will be going through a similar familiarization with Dennis. I hope that this initial contact will establish a renewed sense of accessibility, participation, trust and teamwork in the district. Dennis will have many new ideas and ways of doing things. Our staff has ideas as well and I expect that he will listen and encourage collaboration and communication for us to build and improve the district.

Schroeder

Schroeder: It became clear throughout the comprehensive interview process that the New London community and district are proud to be a Bulldog Nation. The district recognizes the important relationship with the community, and strives to participate in the conversations and share in the work before all of us. You can expect to see Dennis Krueger unify and streamline the great work that the whole community and district have shared together. Streamlining may mean taking out ineffective and irrelevant work, as well as incorporating new and innovative opportunities.

Swifka: We need to give our school staff and Mr. Krueger time to get to know one another, for staff to get to know Mr. Krueger’s leadership and management styles and for Krueger to understand and appreciate district staff and administrative team. Apart from that, the transition should be rather seamless, and time spent during the summer planning months will lead to a successful start to the school year.

Wegner: Based on my experiences with transitions, I am less concerned with early changes. Rather, I look for changes based on well-founded understanding and experience. I would first want Mr. Krueger to gain a personal understanding of our district. What’s working and what may need to be improved. Use these early months to develop a working relationship with the staff, the administrative team and the board. Additionally, take time to meet the community. Only after these experiences do I expect Mr. Krueger to bring forth a plan of improvements to the board. It is these understandings that will assure any change will benefit students, gain buy-in with the staff and align with taxpayer’s desires.

What can the School District of New London do to combat declining student numbers due to the open enrollment program?

Heideman: The open enrollment systems seems to promote a “race to the bottom” where smaller, lower-funded school districts are set up to find themselves ultimately embroiled in a “race to the bottom.” Our New London School District needs to be as competitive as possible, applying creativity, resourcefulness and ingenuity to attract and keep students, while recognizing the fiscal restraints imposed by the state, in dealing with the open enrollment dictates. It’s really a marketing issue or proposition as currently constituted.

Michels: The majority of the open enrollments out of our district are due to geography. We are a tall, thin district. In many cases, parents or students working in the Valley find it more convenient for their school, such as Hortonville, to be on the way to work. We can recruit and retain highly qualified staff and offer programming not available in other districts. Our two fine charter schools, School of Enterprise Marketing, the career academies in the high school, Project Lead the Way, excellence in special needs and other great initiatives are active in the district now. We need to continue to improve and promote them and seek opportunities to partner with other districts rather than compete with them.

Schroeder: Open enrollment remains a challenge for districts across the state. Family convenience in proximity to parent’s place of work or a neighboring school district are issues that draw families away. Short of that, the work of the district has been innovative through the implementation of two charter schools. It has improved literacy through Math Expressions and Readers and Writers Workshop, putting New London on the map with some very strong Wisconsin School Report Cards. Career Academies as well as the Chromebook Initiative have pushed us forward. Our new district administrator will help to further set that stage as he works collaboratively with staff and community, to unify these and other strong measures, streamline them, and further build.

Swifka

Swifka: Families often use the open enrollment option as a matter of convenience: Parents who work in the Fox River Valley and drive their children to school find it easier to drive their children to a neighboring district on their way to work. Regardless, we need to keep showing this community by our actions and accomplishments what a great program we have and that all families and students are valued. We also need to ensure that we’re meeting the needs of all students.

Wegner: 1. We must first be sure we understand why students and parents choose to leave the district. 2. Evaluate which of these reasons we can address so more students don’t leave. 3. Identify the strengths of the district, which can keep our students in New London or better yet attract students to come here. 4. Be sure we have a positive culture in our schools that is welcoming to students, parents and community. 5. Proactively promote our strengths and culture. We need to understand the competitive environment schools are in these days and be prepared to compete for our current and future students based on the value we provide. That will take all of the actions noted above.

What is a key change you would like to see enacted in the district or on the board?

Heideman: I believe we need to end any cloak of secrecy involving our school board’s decision-making, fully respecting and applying Wisconsin’s open meetings and disclosure laws. Our students, our schools and our community deserve indeed demand accountability and transparency by the board of education. To act otherwise is not only a disservice, it is a disgrace! In short, I believe that our school board needs to be as good as our kids.

Michels: The district’s mission is Success for All Students. It seems pretty straightforward but sometimes I struggle with defining success. Most of the time it is measured by grades and test scores. But as we know, great scores don’t guarantee success any more than bad scores result in failure. Whether a student is headed to college, tech school, military, trades or the farm, it is important that we provide appropriate curriculum and training so that our kids have the best chance to achieve their fullest potential in whatever path they take. Success is measured one student at a time and this may require some adjustment of thinking when looking at State Report Cards and other measurements of our districts performance.

Schroeder: The district’s most recent strategic plans have set the course to ensure we are not only stable but strong moving forward in the areas of student achievement, financial sustainability, communication, and retaining exceptional staff. Moving forward we are now able to continue, by unifying and streamlining the outcomes of those strategic plans. I would hope our next strategic plan will emphasize continuous improvement in the areas of workforce development and community partnerships. For example, improved communication on our current strategic plan has opened up doors to those important conversations. Those conversations have cultivated an opportunity to partner with local business to develop programs for career ready employees.

Swifka: What’s key is that the governor wants to increase the state’s education budget by $200 per student, but the state legislature is lukewarm to the idea. I would like more New London residents to contact their legislators and ask that this proposal be left in the budget.

Wegner

Wegner: I would like to see the board be more transparent and proactive in engaging the staff as well as the community. Assure the board follows its policies, which provide them with guidance as they deal with varying situations. Develop strong, meaningful evaluations of current and future programs to assure they are delivering real value to students and the community.

How will you make sure all taxpayers feel represented?

Heideman: Require that the board of education meet periodically at the several schools throughout the New London School District, not always at the district office. Bringing the school board meetings to the citizens-taxpayers should encourage greater public attention and input as well as provide an opportunity for the public to monitor the school board’s deliberations and decision-making more closely.

Michels: I don’t believe any individual member can truly represent the interests of all taxpayers. We talk to different people and we all have different personal and financial circumstances. By listening carefully to our constituents and to each other, we should be able, as a board, to form a cross section of most of our stakeholders. A good way to feel represented is to participate in the process. That can be attending a meeting, calling a board member or voting on April 4. Just about every board and committee meeting is open to the public. Many of these meetings are posted in advance with agendas. I encourage all of you to take advantage of these opportunities.

Schroeder: I believe the mission of our district, Success for All Students, runs parallel to representing the taxpayers. Students, like taxpayers are unique with gifts and ideas to share. Each taxpayer has a voice at the table. Taxpayers can be at the disadvantage if they are unable to attend meetings, have no students in the district, or unable to attend district activities. The seven-member board is well rounded in their interests, connections, experience, and community involvement. I would encourage community members to attend meetings or contact board members to discuss areas of concern. Over the course of 12 years I can say that board members have been good stewards with the utmost integrity and dedication to New London.

Swifka: School board members are accountable to taxpayers; that’s who we work for. New London taxpayers are fortunate to be represented by a board with diverse backgrounds and experiences that reflect the greater community. Anyone is encouraged and welcome to contact me or any board member with questions or concerns. Please consider attending monthly board meetings and see us at work.

Wegner: I will propose and push for the board to be more proactive in engaging the community. During my time as board president, we held at least one meeting a year at each of our schools. We need to do this again. Additionally, I would promote holding community meetings, once or twice a year, to both listen to their concerns and inform them on issues facing the school district. While we may not always find 100 percent agreement, it is important that we take the time to listen.

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A worker from Hard Rock Sawing and Drilling makes saw cuts at the driveway apron at Aster Assisted Living. Jeff Hoffman photo

State 22 reconstruction underway

Road closures have begun during the State Highway 22 reconstruction project, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation provided an update on the project.

What is being done this week?
• Crews will complete the removal of selected trees.

• Crews will be on site to install erosion control measures.

• Crews will be on site installing construction signing.

• Crews will be on site to begin pavement removal.

Traffic impacts and business access
• Crews planned to close State 22 (between 13th Street and State Highway 156) by noon on Monday, March 27. Through traffic is detoured via Seventh Street, N. Lyon Street, E. 12th Street, SSGT Warren Hansen Drive and State 156.

• Local access to adjacent properties will be maintained.

• Pedestrians will encounter some sidewalk closures.

Contact information
• The project field office is located at 22 11th St., Clintonville.

• A construction information meeting is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m., on Wednesday, April 5, at the Community Center, 30 S. Main Street in Clintonville.

• Business and property owners can contact the onsite Project Leader Korey Boehm at 715-459-2943.

Duane E. Wolding, age 80, of Scandinavia, WI passed away Sunday, March 26, 2017 at Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital, Stevens Point.

Duane was born in the Town of New Hope, Wisconsin on September 26, 1936, the son of Herbert O. and Evelyn (Henke) Wolding. Duane was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Margaret Loftis of Amherst on August 2, 1958 at St. James Catholic Church in Amherst. Duane attended Jerome Nelson Elementary School in Nelsonville, Amherst High School, the University of WI-Stevens Point and was a graduate of the University of WI-Madison School of Banking. He was a member of the Waupaca Unit of the Wisconsin National Guard and served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959, where he attained the rank of Sergeant. Duane was a Director and President of the Bank of Athens, in Athens, WI and the Community Bank of Wausau.

Duane is survived by his wife, Margaret Wolding; his father, Herbert O. Wolding, Amherst; his sons: Marc (Deb) Wolding, Amherst; Christopher (Lisa) Wolding, Amherst and Jeffrey (Betsy) Wolding, Appleton; his grandchildren: Jessica (fiancé-Olivier Charousset) Wolding; Nicholas, Mitchell, Chad and Bailey Wolding; Jordan and Spencer Selbo and Paige (fiancé-Mason Reirsdorf) Selbo and one great-grandchild, Gavin Wolding-Charousset. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews. Duane was preceded in death by his mother, Evelyn; his father and mother-in-law, Anthony and Stella Loftis, and cherished grandchildren, Erin Amanda Wolding and Tanner Duane Wolding.

A public memorial visitation will be held on Friday, March 31 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Jungers-Holly Funeral Home in Amherst. As Duane wished, a private family service will be held at a later date at the Nelsonville Evangelical Lutheran Church. Reverend Dwight Anderson will officiate followed by full military rites at Nelsonville Lutheran Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations are greatly appreciated to the Erin Wolding Scholarship Fund, the Tanner Wolding Memorial Fund or to the Nelsonville Lutheran Church.

Nielsen, Hendrickson speak at forum

By Scott Bellile

After a heated 2016 presidential election, locals may notice a lack of mudslinging in the Waupaca County Circuit Court judicial race.

Last week, candidates Troy Nielsen and Eric Hendrickson made it clear at a judges’ forum that they know each other on a first-name basis. Both are on the April 4 ballot.

“One of the things we pledged when we started this is that we would a gentlemanly campaign,” Hendrickson said. “And I think we have. We’ve intended to run a campaign that Waupaca County can be proud of. This county means a lot to me and I know it means a lot to Troy.

“Troy and I have each kind of come before people and said the same thing: ‘Either one of us would be good; I would be better,’ and we say it for different reasons.”

The men offered those reasons at the March 21 forum held at New London’s Washington Center. The winner in April’s election will replace Judge Philip Kirk, who is retiring.

The following are excerpts from questions they answered at the event, moderated by New London-Weyauwega Joint Municipal Court Judge Laurie Shaw.

Opening statements

Eric Hendrickson grew up in Wisconsin Rapids. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1984 and a law degree from Madison in 1987.

During the first 11 years of his career, he was a business lawyer and civil trial attorney in Wausau.

He moved to Waupaca in 1998 and has worked for Werner, Johnson & Hendrickson in New London and Waupaca since 1999. He focuses on family law and often represents children. He has worked little in criminal law but is 1-0 as an OWI prosecutor.

He was invited back to UW-Madison this year to teach a lawyer skills course.

Troy Nielsen was born and raised in Racine and now lives in Scandinavia. Nielsen has worked for the Wisconsin Public Defender’s Office out of Stevens Point for almost a decade. Criminal law is his primary background, as he’s handled approximately 3,000 criminal cases in Waupaca County.

“The reason that it’s important to have that kind of background as a judge is that our judges handle, give or take, 50 to 70 percent of their cases are in the form of criminal cases,” he said.

Nielsen has also worked cases related to juvenile delinquency, child abuse and mental health.
What makes now the right time for you to run as a judge?

Nielsen said Waupaca County has seen lots of change in its leadership recently. At the same time, it battles a significant drug crisis.

“It’s a problem that I think caught a lot of people off guard,” he said.

Nielsen attends heroin task force meetings during his off hours in hopes of devising a way to curb demand. He serves on the seven-member team developing a drug court and wants to steer further positive change for the county.

“I’ve got the experience and the ways of dealing with the issues that our county is really struggling with now in trying to make changes,” Nielsen said.

Hendrickson said after three decades in law, he is seasoned to become a judge. He has handled a variety of types of cases.

“We get better as we get older because we’ve seen more and we’ve done more. What you’re looking for in a judge is knowledge. I think I’ve got that. You’re looking for even-keeled temperament. I think I’ve got that. You’re looking at decision-making ability. I think I’ve been showing in my work the last decade particularly that I have that,” Hendrickson said.

What is an area that needs attention you would like to focus on if elected as our next judge?

Hendrickson said the judges need to work together to educate the public on how they determine sentences for convicted criminals, as there is an “often misguided” community perception that sentences are too light.

“There was an outrage, a public outrage that precipitated the change of our district attorney. There is outrage that manifests itself almost every case that comes up. And I’m not blaming anyone in particular,” Hendrickson said. You can’t look at the results of a particular case if you haven’t sat through the entire case.”

He wants the public to learn the factors that go into determining sentences and that “it’s not catch and release.”

Nielsen said judges are often rushed to determine, with little information, whether someone should be released from custody the day after he or she receives a criminal charge. There are solutions Waupaca County is not using.

“It’s a very archaic system that we use because there are many assessment and evaluation tools that other counties are using to help guide our judges and our prosecutors and our defense attorneys on what we should do with somebody, based on static factors like residence, stability, number of times arrested, things like that,” Nielsen said.

What are your feelings about rehabilitation?

Nielsen said rehabilitation is the goal of everybody who works in criminal justice, but sometimes it is necessary to let the criminal serve a sentence first in order to protect the public.

Rehabilitation “should be used smartly and wisely. Because at the end of the day, our county has some rehabilitative-related services, soon to be drug court and probation and intensive outpatient program for alcohol abuse offered by the Department of Health and Human Services, but those services are limited. So we gotta be smart with who we choose to put in those rehabilitative services,” Nielsen said.

Hendrickson said society believes in second chances, and rehabilitation can benefit criminals. But for repeat offenders who drain tax dollars and county resources, compassion runs low by the fourth or fifth attempt to turn around.

“We have to figure out who are good candidates for this rehabilitation. Do we have first-time offenders? Do we have people that are showing genuine remorse? Do we have people that have been in programs and failed before?” Hendrickson said.

“Because if these are people that fail again and again and again, and we see them all the time, and the first thing is they tell their lawyer, ‘Well, I’ll go into treatment,’ you know, the proof’s in the pudding,” Hendrickson said.

We know that the laws ultimately dictate a judge’s rulings. What are some ways that a judge can make a positive impact while on the bench or has the ability to use their own discretion?

Hendrickson said judges make all the decisions in family law, such as divorce, child custody and adoption cases.

In criminal law, typically juries decide innocence or guilt and the judge decides the sentence. In determining the sentencing, a judge will look at factors like if the defendant is remorseful, violent or a repeat offender.

Nielsen agreed with Hendrickson’s statements and added: “It’s important to get the temperature of the community. I mean, just because I have discretion as a judge to do theoretically anything I want within reason of the law, it doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s what the community wants.”

Nielsen said he would like to host lunches with the community where he could learn the people’s values and desires. “I think sometimes judges get too caught up in their chambers … and aren’t really in tune with what people care about.”

Wega-Fremont returns all nine starters

By Greg Seubert

A year of experience should help the Weyauwega-Fremont baseball team.

At least that’s what coach Joe Sambs is counting on as his squad gets set for another season in the Central Wisconsin 8 Conference.

“We have all nine starters back from last year,” he said. “Everybody’s a contributor. It’s really nice that we have all nine starters back. I don’t think too many other teams can say that. We’re not losing any defensive pieces, other than a couple pitchers. I think we have guys that can replace them and I think we’ll be better than we were last year.”

Although the Indians will have plenty of players with varsity experience, Sambs knows what will help his team move up in the CWC-8 standings.

“If there was one thing we have to get better on from last year, it’s hitting,” he said. “We lost quite a few games by one or two runs and didn’t score many runs, especially down the stretch. We need to hit better and come up with hits in those chances. We had chances where we had guys on base, we just couldn’t come up with hits to bring them in.

“We’ve been focusing a lot on hitting and that has to get better from last year,” he added. “We had so many sophomores last year that were facing varsity pitching for the first time. It was slower progression than I had hoped for last year, but I like what I’ve seen in the first week of practice. We seem to be getting better with it and it’s looking much better than last year. Time will tell once we start facing some different pitchers in games. We’re trying some new things with hitting and hopefully, it pays off.”

Weyauwega-Fremont’s Logan Bosquez beats Iola-Scandinavia’s Scotty Aasen to the bag during a Central Wisconsin 8 Conference game last year. Bosquez, a three-year starter for the Indians, is back for his senior season. Holly Neumann Photo

Returning players include Logan Bosquez, a four-year starter and a first-team all-conference player last year as a junior.

“He’s an outstanding player and we’re very happy to have had these last four years with him,” Sambs said. “He’s definitely our spark. We’re going to rely on him mostly on the mound and from there, he’s a utility guy that fills in when other guys are pitching. I think he’s played everywhere except maybe catcher. He’s a smart kid and we just kind of plug him in where we need him.”

While the Indians have a solid starting pitcher in Bosquez, several others will see time on the mound.

“I don’t know how much depth we have,” Sambs said. “I know I have three solid guys that I’m confident throwing out there anytime, but after that, we have guys that can throw, but we have to see how they do.”

A pitching rule that goes into effect this season will limit how much time pitchers can pitch. Instead of measuring their work by inning, coaches will have to go by pitch count. The more pitches a pitcher throws, the longer he will have to rest between games.

“I think the biggest thing that’s going to change is how many complete games guys throw,” Sambs said. “I don’t see it affecting us that much. I always get five or six guys ready to pitch all the time. Logan was our only guy to reach 100 (pitches in a game) last year and he only did that once. You can sit and strategize, but it’s going to be game by game.”

The Indians will compete against Amherst, Bonduel, Iola-Scandinavia, Manawa, Pacelli, Shiocton, Wittenberg-Birnamwood in the CWC-8.

“It’s always a tough conference and you have to be ready every game,” Sambs said. “Anybody can beat anybody. They’re all cliches, but they’re all true for our conference. Pacelli and Bonduel, they’re always going to be in the mix for a championship.”

The weather has kept the Indians mostly indoors since practice began March 20, but their nonconference game at New London scheduled for March 28 in New London was still on as of early that morning.

“They called and said their field was ready, so I think we’re going to be heading over there,” Sambs said.

Weyauwega-Fremont 2017 Baseball Schedule

Varsity
Tuesday, March 28 – at New London, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 30 – at Wild Rose, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 4 – vs. Pacelli, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 6 – vs. Reedsville, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 7 – at Winneconne, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 10 – vs. Shiocton, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 11 – vs Algoma, 4:30 p.m.

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

Monday, April 24 – vs. Bonduel, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25 – at Shiocton, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 27 – at Pacelli, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 28 – vs. Wautoma, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 1 – vs. Amherst, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 4 – vs. Waupaca, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, May 5 – vs. Iola-Scandinavia, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 8 – at Manawa, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 11 – vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 13 – vs. Berlin, North Fond du Lac at Berlin, 10:30 a.m.

Monday, May 15 – at Bonduel, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 18 – at Iola-Scandinavia, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, May 19 – vs. Omro, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 22 – at Amherst, 4:30 p.m.

Junior Varsity
Tuesday, March 28 – at New London, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, March 31 – at New London, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 7 – at Winneconne, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 20 – vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 24 – at Bonduel, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 27 – vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 1 – at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 4 – at Waupaca, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, May 5 – vs. Iola-Scandinavia, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 11 – at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, May 12 – at Pacelli, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 15 – vs. Bonduel, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, May 19 – at Omro, 4:30 p.m.

A speeding ticket became a felony drunken driving charge.

John P. Hanson, 43, Clintonville, is charged with a seventh OWI.

On March 18, Wisconsin State Trooper Kyle Scott was on County Trunk D in New London when he pulled over a speeding vehicle.

When Scott spoke with the driver, identified as Hanson, he noticed the smell of intoxicants.

The trooper also reported Hanson had glassy eyes and slurred speech.

According to the criminal complaint, a preliminary breath test indicated Hanson had a .16 blood-alcohol content.

A seventh OWI constitutes a Class F felony.

If convicted, Hanson faces a minimum of three years of confinement and up to $25,000 in fines.

Defendant on trial for fatal overdose

By Scott Bellile

VanArk

A jury is expected to decide Thursday whether or not Jeffrey L. VanArk Jr. sold Brandon L. Shadduck the methadone that caused his fatal overdose in 2014.

The 32-year-old New London man was charged last October with first-degree reckless homicide caused by the delivery of methadone.

Twelve witnesses testified Wednesday, March 29, at VanArk’s trial in Outagamie County Circuit Court.

Christopher Wichman, an Outagamie County deputy coroner, told the court 28-year-old Shadduck was found slumped on the couch with no pulse at his apartment, 633 Wallace St., on Oct. 8, 2014.

New London Police Department received a request for a welfare check after Shadduck did not show up to work for three days. Steve Krueger, special projects manager for Steel King, called Shadduck a good employee who moved up the ladder while there.

Shadduck was pronounced dead at 2:05 p.m. Wichman said he could not determine a time of death, but he estimated the date to be Oct. 4, 2014. Shadduck’s body was in the early stages of decomposition and showed green coloration.

An autopsy determined the cause of death was methadone toxicity. The manner of death was declared to be accidental, but this could be changed to homicide if VanArk is found to be responsible for the death and convicted.

Shadduck was never a patient at the nearest methadone clinic, Valley Health Services (now Appleton Comprehensive Treatment Center), according to clinic records.

The methadone in this case is a liquid drug. Law enforcement didn’t indicate to Wichman that a bottle containing a label for methadone was found on the premises.

Nicholas Kamba, investigator for New London police department, said during a preliminary hearing last November that VanArk had texted Shadduck on Oct. 3, 2014 offering Shadduck his “take-home” methadone. Shadduck did not respond to the text.

Records from Appleton Comprehensive Treatment Center indicate VanArk picked up his weekend take-home quantity of 80 milligrams of methadone around 6:50 a.m. on Oct. 4, 2014.

Shadduck’s final hours
Investigators seized two cell phones from Shadduck’s house, one that was used as an internet hotspot and the other for communicating with friends and family. Text and call logs along with witness testimonies painted a picture of what Shadduck did after work on his presumed last day, Oct. 4, 2014.

After his shift at Steel King ended at 1 p.m., Shadduck went to watch a football game at the Quiver ‘N Minnow bar with his co-worker, Michael Koslowski. Koslowski would drive Shadduck to work because he did not have a car.

When Shadduck was at the bar, he called his best friend Timothy Houk four times between 3:09 and 3:12 p.m. but Houk missed the calls. Houk did not communicate with Shadduck during the weeks leading up to his death, to avoid becoming influenced by Shadduck’s drug use. Houk testified he had done drugs with Shadduck in the past and had lent him money for drugs before he began beginning at the methadone clinic, Valley Health Services, in August 2014.

Shadduck texted a friend, Matthew Stevens, at 3:15 p.m. asking if Stevens could spot him $80. Stevens said he would think about it. Shadduck responded at 3:23 that he wouldn’t blame Stevens if he didn’t want to, and then at 4:18 that this would be the last time. Stevens testified he never saw Shadduck that day or gave him any methadone.

After the game, around 4:30 p.m., Koslowski drove Shadduck to Kwik Trip South, where Shadduck bought food. Koslowski then dropped Shadduck off at his apartment.

At 5:28 p.m., Shadduck tried calling his friend, Michael Thompson. Thompson missed the call and texted Shadduck back at 6:20 p.m. asking what was up. Shadduck texted back inviting Thompson to come drink alcohol. Thompson responded he could in about an hour. Shadduck offered his final response to Thompson at 6:34 p.m., “Aight.” When Thompson texted back minutes later asking if Shadduck had Xanax, he did not hear back.

VanArk texted at 6:54 p.m. to say he was going to roll a cigarette and then be on his way to Shadduck’s house in five minutes. VanArk then gave him a ride to Kwik Trip to get food and withdraw money, according to investigators. Bank records for Shadduck’s debit card show he withdrew $80 from the Kwik Trip ATM at 7:07 p.m.

Shadduck called Houk at 7:25 p.m. Houk missed the call. Houk testified he was not asked by Shadduck for methadone that day and he has never sold it to him.

Thompson called Shadduck at 9:19 p.m. and texted him at 9:27 p.m. while walking over to his apartment and failed to reach him both times. Because he didn’t make contact, Thompson turned around halfway there and went home. He said failing to reach Shadduck was not unusual, so he thought nothing of it.

Background on methadone
Methadone is a highly monitored opioid because of the danger it poses to recovering drug addicts, as Appleton Comprehensive Treatment Center Director Jane Williquette explained.

VanArk and his wife Erica Russell were patients together at the clinic. The couple together took controlled amounts of methadone on a daily basis. They began in late July in hopes of overcoming their illegal drug use before their daughter’s birth in September 2014.

Williquette said patients in “phase one,” their first 90 days, must show up six days a week to take their methadone in front of a nurse. Then each Saturday when they arrive to take their dose, the nurse also distributes a “take-home” dose that phase one patients are entrusted to take on their own at home on Sunday, when the clinic is closed. The patient takes the bottle home in a lockbox and returns with the lockbox on Monday.

The clinic regularly drug tests patients without warning to make sure methadone is present in their bodies. If they test negative for methadone, that raises suspicions patients could have sold their take-home dose. Consequently, they could be kicked out of the program.

Williquette presented VanArk’s clinic records and confirmed he tested positive for methadone consistently between August and October 2014.

Therefore, Russell testified VanArk would have therefore sold part of his take-home dose to Shadduck while keeping the rest for himself.

VanArk and Russel
Russell said she and VanArk took their take-home doses together each Sunday, including on Oct. 5, 2014.

In 2015, Russell spoke to New London Police Department investigators Chase Schroeder and Kamba. She told them she and VanArk struggled financially and she believed that to afford the rent, her husband sold part of his take-home dose assigned for Oct. 5, 2014 to Shadduck.

Russell said whenever VanArk sold drugs, she was not present for the sales and did not approve of them. She didn’t witness a deal take place between VanArk and Shadduck before the latter’s death and therefore couldn’t confirm there was one. Therefore she did not know how much methadone VanArk would have sold or how much money he would gave gained from the sale.

Russell testified that VanArk told her he would sell the methadone to generate extra cash during a tough month for rent. Both individuals were unemployed after their daughter was born.

VanArk and Russell lived together in an apartment in downtown New London above Jolly Roger’s Pizzeria in fall 2014. One of their landlords, Michelle Leahy, testified the couple sometimes had trouble financially. When they would pay the rent, it was in cash.

They were late with a $550 October rent payment. Leahy billed them an additional $60 for being six days overdue. Russell testified that VanArk’s mother ultimately paid the October rent for the couple.

Videotaped police interview
When the attorneys examined Russell, she could not remember whether she had brought her infant daughter to the police station with her for a Nov. 24, 2015 interview with investigators.

VanArk’s defense attorney Kevin Musolf played the footage. It confirmed the baby was with her in the room. In the video, VanArk walks in the room midway through the interview and becomes angry that his wife brought their child to the police station.

Before VanArk enters the frame, Russell is heard telling the investigators she believes VanArk had sold methadone to Shadduck about five times prior to the death.

Asked during the video whether he sold methadone to Shadduck right before he died, VanArk is heard responding, “I intended on selling him methadone and she bitched at me and said no.”

One of the investigators is then heard saying VanArk is implying that the one time he allegedly did not sell Shadduck methadone is the time that Shadduck happened to overdose on the drug.

The investigators are heard asking VanArk to tell them the truth because they have Shadduck’s ATM records from his final cash withdrawal from Kwik Trip on Oct. 4, 2014 before he died. They wanted to know the rates VanArk charged for past drug deals so they could clear VanArk’s name if the amounts did not match up with the withdrawal amount. VanArk did not provide an answer the investigators are looking for.

Musolf argued to the court that the state did not find enough evidence to prove VanArk committed a felony.

Last December, Musolf filed a motion to dismiss the criminal complaint.

Judge Mark McGinnis decided there was enough probable cause to continue the case for at least two reasons: One, the October 2014 text messages between VanArk and Shadduck referenced VanArk’s “take-home,” and two, text messages show VanArk is the only person Shadduck discussed such drugs with in his final days.

VanArk posted a $20,000 cash bond on Jan. 26 this year.

Joel Bartel said in his Waupaca County Post interview last week that he plans to change the meeting times so he can make them as he works full time.

However, when Dale Trinrud rescheduled the 2011 budget workshop to meet then-supervisor Bartel’s work schedule, as Bartel requested, Bartel still missed that meeting. How can we believe he will do anything different?

Caroline Murphy has an eight-year history of faithful, timely and dedicated service to the residents of Farmington.

Murphy was asked to fill the town chairman’s position in December 2016. She knew that both the acting chairman, Kevin Will, was resigning and the town clerk-treasurer was retiring, yet she stepped up to the plate.

She knew the township was in need of continuity to lead the Town Board through this major change in leadership.

Her leadership ensured the February 2017 primary election still went off without a hitch. She has continued to put in 50 to 60 hours a week digging into all the Town Hall files to fully educate herself on every aspect of the clerk-treasurer’s and chairman’s responsibilities. She has ensured that local, county, state and federal reports were completed on time and without error.

Caroline is a very detailed, dedicated and strong leader who fully understands that service means personal sacrifice on the chairman’s part to fully service the residents in the Town of Farmington. We need a person that has the time, talent, experience and selflessness to lead Farmington.

Do we want a part-time chairman or a full-time dedicated Leader.

By Art Hill Jr.
Waupaca

Burning permits available

Spring is welcome after Wisconsin’s winters, but seasonal and dry conditions may lead to more wildfires.

That is why Ben Baumgart, forester with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in the Waupaca Forestry Office, is gearing up for spring wildfire season and reminding people to get their burning permits now.

“Weather is the single most important factor influencing how fires start and spread. Temperature, wind, humidity and precipitation are the key weather components that determine the daily fire danger,” he said.

Debris burning is the No. 1 cause of Wisconsin’s wildfires, and fires caused by careless burning become more frequent this time of year.

This year’s fire season is following historic patterns with peak activity expected during April.

Wildfires may happen just about any time of the year, but history has shown 60 percent of all wildfires in Wisconsin each year occur in March, April and May alone.

“Many people are eager to get outside to clean up their properties by raking leaf litter, brush and pine needles, so it looks good and is ready for new growth. Then, they choose to burn their debris pile,” Baumgart said.

Rainy weather does not mean conditions are safe for debris burning.

Light fuels, such as leaves, grasses and pine needles in sandy soils, may dry out quickly and turn into hazardous conditions in a matter of a day.

Fire control officials stress the importance of knowing the local fire danger.

Throughout the spring, the DNR monitors the weather and fuel conditions daily.

This influences the fire danger, most often communicated on Smokey Bear fire danger level signs.

Fire danger sign levels range from “low” to “extreme.”

“The signs describe the potential for a fire to start and spread and the intensity at which a fire will burn in the wildland,” Baumgart said. “Our hope is that the public will take note of these signs, check our website or hotline and adapt their behavior and act responsibly.”

Penalties exist for anyone found responsible for causing a wildland fire.

“You could be liable for the costs it takes to suppress that fire and potentially any damages. Getting your permit and checking those daily fire restrictions is a much cheaper and safer option,” Baumgart said. “To avoid these concerns altogether, consider composting your yard waste or hauling it to a transfer site. Burning debris should always be the last alternative.”

As soon as the snow cover is gone, burning permits are required in DNR Protection Areas.

Permit holders are authorized to burn vegetative materials, such as leaves, brush and pine needles, and are designed so burning is done safely with minimal wildfire risk.

People may obtain an annual DNR burning permit by visiting dnr.wi.gov and typing “burn permit” in the keyword search.

They may also call 888-947-2876 to have it mailed or instantly emailed or visit a local DNR office or designated Emergency Fire Warden.

Once someone has a burning permit, that person must go online after 11 a.m. on the day of the planned burn to check daily fire restrictions, legal burning hours and size limitations or if burning has been suspended for the day.

A man out on bail for narcotics charges was arrested after he overdosed.

Orland O. Marotz Jr., 45, Waupaca, is charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and felony bail jumping.

On the afternoon of March 14, Waupaca police officers and paramedics responded to a 911 call reporting a possible drug overdose in an apartment at the Waupaca Hotel.

When Detective Sgt. John Helgeson and Officer Nicole Hahn arrived, they found Marotz lying on the floor.

Marotz was conscious but had difficulty talking or understanding directions. He was initially unable to stand.

As the ambulance workers were treating Marotz, Helgeson found a used syringe on the floor. He moved the uncapped needle to the top of a small, waist-high refrigerator for safety reasons.

On top of the refrigerator, Helgeson found a spoon with a partially hardened gel. He also found another syringe and two plastic gem bags with white crystals.

According to the criminal complaint, the crystals and the gel tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine.

Moratz appeared in Waupaca County Circuit Court on March 9 for an arraignment on narcotics charges. He was released on a $2,000 signature bond with the condition that he not possess any illegal drugs.

Randolph Scott in Budd Boetticher film

The Waupaca Area Public Library will present the classic western “Comanche Station” at 1:30 P.M. Thursday, April 6.

Dr. Jack Rhodes will introduce the film and provide some insights into its making and its role in the classic era of Hollywood movies.

The basic story, according to Rhodes, revolves around the efforts of a loner (Randolph Scott) who roams the Southwest in search of his wife, taken prisoner by the Comanches some years ago. During his quest he encounters a different captive, Mrs. Lowe, played by Nancy Gates, and decides to escort her back to her husband in Lordsburg before completing his original mission.

The taut script by Burt Kennedy and the trim direction by Budd Boetticher, said Rhodes, turn this simple story into a classic film which has held the attention of audiences during several decades since original release.

The movie was filmed on location in the Lonesome Pine area of California, near the base of Mount Whitney, and photographed in CinemaScope and color, both of which add to the overall effect, said Rhodes. Others in the cast include Claude Akins, Richard Rust, Skip Homeier and Rand Brooks.

No reservations are needed for this free entry in the library’s continuing First Thursday Film Series. Complimentary popcorn, sodas, and theater treats will be provided.

For more information, call the library at 715-258-4414.

Facility to be razed with two downtown buildings

By Scott Bellile

A public auction of numerous items that were once stored inside the former garage is set for Saturday, April 8.

The event will feature an array of items that belonged to the public works and streets departments, whose home bases were the garage. Miscellaneous items owned by other city departments will also be sold.

A preview begins the event at 9 a.m. with an official start time of 10 a.m. at 915 W. Wolf River Ave.

Among the larger items up for sale will be a 1997 Ford F150 pickup, a Toro 325-D Groundsmaster riding lawn mower, and a 1998 Ford Econoline Municipal Bus, which is a 14-passenger vehicle with a wheelchair lift. Other items up for auction will include tools, vending machines, traffic signs, push mowers, lockers and safety gear.

The event’s facilitator, Travis Radtke Auctions, posted the full list of inventory along with photos at travisradtkeauctions.com.

Although hiring an auctioneer costs the city money, doing so can increase the money the city earns from the sales.

“The benefit to doing an auction versus going with the internet is with an actual auction, [the auctioneer] can kind of pull things in that we might not have thought about and at least try and auction them off,” New London Public Works Director Jeff Bodoh explained at a February board of public works meeting. “Where if we go online, we [the city] just put on there what we think might be of value. We might be missing some items. It also gives the locals more chance to bid on these things and it gives it kind of a special event for the city.”

“It’ll save [taxpayers] man hours moving it, too,” Second District Alderman Tom O’Connell added.

Auctioneer Travis Radtke further explained to the Press Star how an in-person auction benefits his clients.

“The biggest benefit is time,” Radtke said. “If you’re a business, even if you’re just an individual, the amount of hours of labor that come in for preparation also the amount of time spent trying to conduct a sale [add up]. With an auction, we come through, we do the prep labor, we do the advertising for it and for the most part, about 99 percent of the merchandise on site is sold the same day.”

With crews now working out of a new city garage down the street, the former garage is expected to be demolished this spring. Contractors begin bidding on the project Tuesday, March 28.

Lumped in with the project will be the demolition of two vacant city-owned buildings across the street from New London Public Library. The buildings are 401 S. Pearl St. (a former trophy shop) and 405 S. Pearl St. (once a grocery store). Bidding all three buildings together will save the city money.

Once project bids are reviewed, the New London City Council will approve the winning bid in April so demolitions can begin in May. The three buildings are expected to be leveled by early summer.
Questions arose earlier this year over whether the two buildings
across from the library are technically property of the city or of the library. Both were donated by community members so the library could raze them and construct a new library there. That hasn’t happened, and visions have since shifted toward erecting a mixed-use library elsewhere in town.

The finance and personnel committee said in February the former trophy shop belongs to the city, while the old grocery store belongs to the library. Therefore, the city will fund the trophy shop’s demolition and the library will use trust funds to raze the grocery store.

The city council authorized the proposal 9-1 on Feb. 14, with O’Connell voting against.

New London Public Library Director Ann Hunt shared at recent city meetings that the old grocery store in particular is deteriorating from years of neglect. She said the ceiling is in rough shape and the building is full of dead pigeons.

“We realize that something has to get done,” Hunt told the finance and personnel committee in February. “It is getting worse, the grocery store especially.”

Members of the New London Library and Museum Board have suggested using the land as parking because library patrons who park on the street have to obey a two-hour time limit. They also favor the option of selling the land to a developer if one comes along.

Annual breakfast with Manawa firefighters

The Manawa Rural Fire Department’s annual Pancake Breakfast will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at the Manawa Fire Station.

Funds raised from this year’s event will go toward upgrading the MRFD’s fire equipment.

“Come show support for the firefighters who will be there when you need them,” said Fire Chief Rob Rosenau.

The breakfast will include potato and buttermilk pancakes, maple syrup, sausage, ham, scrambled eggs, toast, salads, desserts and beverages.

The cost is $8 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-11, and free for children under age 6.

Fire truck tours will be available.

“The continued support of everyone that comes to this fundraiser is greatly appreciated and helps us in the continued improvement of our equipment to better keep the community safe,” said Assistant Chief Josh Smith.