Shawano Leader News

Shawano Police Department

Oct. 15

Police logged 26 items, including the following:

Juvenile — Police logged eight truancy complaints from Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B.

Vandalism — A bike was reported vandalized in the 1000 block of South Bartlett Street.

Disorderly — Police responded to an intoxicated person complaint at Sawyer and Division streets.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 900 block of South Franklin Street.

Disturbance — A 43-year-old Shawano man who fled from a disturbance at the Longhorn Saloon, 1181 S. Main St., was subsequently arrested on a bail jumping charge.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 1000 block of South Lafayette Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Oct. 15

Deputies logged 31 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Two inmates at the Shawano County Jail, 405 N. Main St., Shawano, were cited for disorderly conduct after a fight.

Theft — An ATV was reported stolen on County Road BB in Green Valley.

Fraud — Authorities responded to a fraud complaint on County Road C in Green Valley.

Hit and Run — Authorities investigated a property damage hit-and-run on Prouty Street in Wittenberg.

Disturbance — The Shawano County K-9 unit assisted Shawano police with locating a man who fled from a disturbance at the Longhorn Saloon, 1181 S. Main St.

Clintonville Police Department

Oct. 15

Police logged 12 incidents, including the following:

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint on Waupaca Street.

Assault — A sexual assault was under investigation.

Suspicious — A suspicious incident was reported on Riverside Drive.

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Contributed Photo Thrivent Financial Wolf River Associates recently received a $2,500 Shawano Country Vision 2017 facade improvement grant. Shown are, from left, Dennis Heling, Shawano County Economic Progress Inc. chief economic development officer; Dave Passehl and Scott Parson, Thrivent Financial Wolf River Associates; and Nancy Smith, Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce executive director.

Thrivent Financial Wolf River Associates has received a Shawano Country Vision 2017 facade improvement grant totaling $2,500. The grant was awarded to help cover costs to purchase and install signage at the Thrivent office at 310 E. Green Bay St. in Shawano.

The new free standing sign and building signage features a redesigned logo introduced by Thrivent earlier this year.

“Branding is very important in our line of work,” said Scott Parson, financial consultant with Thrivent Financial Wolf River Associates. “In order for us to grow, people need to recognize us and know who we are and what we do. This grant enabled us to make the sign changes we needed to increase our brand awareness.”

According to Nancy Smith, executive director of the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce, signage is one of the most important elements of business branding and marketing.

“Quite often, signage is the first exposure someone has to a particular business,” she said. “It’s vital the signage be visible, attractive and reinforces the business brand.”

One of the purposes of Shawano Country Vision 2017, according to Dennis Heling, chief economic development officer for Shawano County Economic Progress Inc., is to provide a little push to those business owners who have been considering sprucing up their business facades but may need a financial incentive.

“We encourage Shawano County businesses to step back and evaluate what their business facade and signage is portraying,” he said. “Is it attractive, welcoming and easy to read? Now is a great time to upgrade if it’s needed.”

Parson agreed the program provides an opportunity for business owners to evaluate their overall look and plan for growth.

“Most of us are reactive when it comes to expansion,” he said. “Vision 2017 is proactive toward business growth in our community. It allows us to think ahead and gives the needed resources to accomplish our task.”

Any employer or entrepreneur operating in Shawano or Menominee Counties can apply for Shawano Country Vision 2017 grants. To determine if your project or business development idea is eligible, contact Dennis Heling at 715-526-5839 or [email protected], or Nancy Smith at 715-524-2139 or [email protected].

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By: 

Grace Kirchner, Leader Correspondent

Charles Kell, of Little Chute, has been hired as interim city administrator in Clintonville.

The Clintonville Common Council met in closed session Tuesday night and then voted 8-1 to hire Kell at $75 per hour as needed. He will not receive benefits.

Kell had served as the village administrator in Little Chute but retired about a year and a half ago. He will begin working in Clintonville on Monday.

Clintonville has been without a city administrator since May when Lisa Kotter was put on paid administrative leave pending an investigation of undisclosed allegations. Early in September, Kotter submitted her resignation. After weeks of negotiations, the city agreed to pay Kotter through May 15, 2015, and Kotter agreed not to file any complaints against the city. The agreement stated Kotter’s release was not based on any misconduct but rather on “philosophical and stylistic differences.”

Acting Mayor Jeannie Schley said she was excited to have Kell on board to help staff with the budget.

Mayor Judith Magee has taken a leave of absence for health reasons but will resume her duties no later than Nov. 26.

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Koehn calls Penokee Hills plan 'environmental racism'By: 

Jason Arndt, [email protected]

Frank Koehn

An environmental activist opposed to a huge iron mine in northern Wisconsin shared his message with area residents Wednesday in Shawano.

Frank Koehn, president of the Penokee Hills Education Project, spoke before about 20 people at the Shawano Civic Center. His visit was sponsored by the Democratic Party of Shawano County.

The Penokee Hills Education Project is an outreach project of the Mining Impact Coalition and is focused on educating people about the risk of proposed iron mining in northern Wisconsin.

“It is important for us to realize how it is affecting our water,” Koehn said. “It needs to be protected for the future.”

Gogebic Taconite wants to dig a 4-mile long, 900-1,000-feet deep open-pit iron mine in the remote Penokee Hills south of Lake Superior, near Ashland.

“That would be the largest taconite mine in the world. It is halfway from here to Antigo,” Koehn said.

The company says the mine would provide more than 600 to 700 jobs for a depressed local economy and generate $1.5 billion in taxable revenue.

Critics argue there is no guarantee of jobs and the mine would have a devastating environmental impact on the huge Bad River watershed that runs through the region and drains into Lake Superior.

Opponents include the Bad River Band of the Ojibwe nation. Wild rice, a crop harvested by the band, is grown at the bottom of the complex watershed.

Digging into the land will affect 815 acres directly connected to waterways, Koehn said.

Mining waste would flow directly into the Bad River, polluting the water where the Ojibwe live with high concentrations of ammonia, nitrate and sulphuric acid, he said.

“That is environmental racism,” Koehn said.

Rick Adamski, vice chairman of the county Democratic Party, expressed skepticism about the mine’s projected economic impact in Iron and Ashland counties, and blamed the state Legislature for creating legislation catering to Gogebic Taconite.

“The Legislature and governor gave away the mine. We are not going to get paid for this, unless there is a profit,” he said. “The mining company will not be able to realize profit for a long time, so we had legislators give away our resources.”

The legislation, which passed the Legislature without any Democratic support, gives state environmental officials up to 480 days to make a permitting decision; previously the process was open-ended. It also bars public challenges during the process, allowing them only after the decision has been made.

The law creates a presumption that damage to wetlands is necessary and limits permit application fees to $2 million. It splits tax revenue on iron mining companies’ revenue between local governments and the state — right now all mining taxes go to the locals — and exempts companies from paying the state’s $7 per ton recycling fee on waste rock.

“If it doesn’t affect their environment now … it could in the future,” Koehn said. “The danger is that it is really easy to translate to local industries, including paper mills.”

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Administrative Committee has reservationsBy: 

Lee Pulaski, [email protected]

The Shawano County Board will vote whether to approve its latest county wage study Wednesday, but there already seem to be mixed feelings on the matter.

The Finance Committee voted unanimously Monday, with one supervisor absent, to move a resolution regarding the study to the full board, but the Administrative Committee deadlocked 2-2 Tuesday before opting to send the resolution forward with no recommendation—an unusual step.

Supervisors Deb Noffke and Bonnie Olson voted against recommending the study Tuesday, while Jerry Erdmann and William Switalla voted in favor. Gene Hoppe, the committee chairman, was absent.

“I’m going to say right now that I am not in favor of implementing this all at once,” Olson said, noting it was unfair for some employees to get minimal increases and others to get an additional $3 per hour.

Noffke was concerned that the wage study would result in all employees in a classification being paid the same, regardless of how hard they work or how long they have been employed.

“If some people were here a considerably longer period of time and have more experience, they’re treated the same (as a new hire),” Noffke said. “You might have had someone who increased because they had a great idea or lit the world on fire in some way, and they’re going to be treated the same.”

The board hired Carlson Dettmann Consulting LLC in December 2013 to do the wage and classification study. Consultant Barb Petkovsek presented the study recommendations to the board in September.

Shawano County is paying at 95.7 percent of the market average in wages, Petkovsek told the board.

However, the county is offering a generous benefits package in comparison with other county and municipal governments, she noted.

For example, Shawano County is paying 90 percent of the health insurance premiums on its individual and family plans, while other employer contributions range from 71-80 percent, according to information Petkovsek found from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

According to Petkovsek, the health insurance benefits make up 17.7 percent of the county’s total employee compensation, compared with a 12.1 percent average for state and local governments and 9 percent for the private sector. She recommended in September that the county revisit its health insurance practices and see if costs could be reduced to help provide more money for wages.

The estimated impact on the county levy to implement the study’s recommendation will be $161,447 for 2015, according to Petkovsek.

Supervisor Arlyn Tober, who heads the Finance Committee, said in September that there is enough money in the proposed 2015 budget to implement the full Carlson Dettmann recommendation.

Erdmann noted the wage plan should be reviewed regularly, and said it needed to move forward and not be delayed any longer. He said employees are leaving for better paying jobs.

“In the long run, it’ll be better to implement it all at once,” Erdmann said. “Is it sustainable? I believe it would be, but we need to look at our health insurance benefits.”

If approved by the board, the updated wage and classification structure would take effect Jan. 1.

THE NEXT STEP

WHAT: Shawano County Board vote on 2014 wage and classification study

WHEN: 9 a.m. Wednesday

WHERE: County Board Room, Shawano County Courthouse, 311 N. Main St., Shawano

<strong>ONLINE Video of the Administrative Committee’s full discussion of the wage study and other agenda items is available online at www.co.shawano.wi.us/videos.Rate this article:  Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yet

Shawano Police Department

Oct. 14

Police logged 39 incidents, including the following:

Welfare — Police responded to a suicidal female in the 300 block of Madison Way.

Criminal Damage — Police investigated a broken window on a vehicle in the 600 block of West Picnic Street.

Truancy — Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B, reported 11 truant students.

Weather — Weather-related incidents reported included downed trees and wires.

Warrant — Police took a male into custody on a probation and parole warrant in the 500 block of Oak Drive.

Theft — Items were reported stolen in the 200 block of South Andrews Street.

Suspicious — Police investigated a suspicious person in the parking lot of Charlie’s County Market, 521 S. Main St.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Oct. 14

Deputies logged 66 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Authorities investigated two females walking along Willow Road and state Highway 160 in the town of Angelica.

Warrant — Authorities took a 29-year-old into custody on a warrant at 22 Shell, N4543 State Highway 22, Belle Plaine.

Harassment — Authorities investigated a female for harassing behavior on Hilly Lane in the town of Lessor.

Welfare — Authorities conducted a welfare check on a female in the 900 block of Fifth Street in Mattoon.

Fraud — Authorities investigated a report of unauthorized charges on a bank account on River Road in Bowler.

Suspicious — Authorities investigated a suspicious vehicle at the Shawano County Courthouse, 311 N. Main St., Shawano.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance in the 100 block of North Washington Street in the town of Waukechon.

Fraud — A report of unauthorized charges by DirectTV was made on Castle Road in the town of Waukechon.

Warrant — A 31-year-old male turned himself in on a warrant at the Shawano Police Department, 405 N. Main St.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a female attacking her mother in the 500 block of Steno Trail in Pulaski.

Animal — Authorities responded to a complaint of three horses loose on Henning Creek and County Road A in the town of Bartelme.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle on Frailing Road and Oak Drive in the town of Wescott.

Reckless — Authorities responded to a reckless driving complaint on state Highway 29 and County Road MMM in the town of Maple Grove.

Weather — There were 15 reports of down trees and three reports of downed poles and street signs.

Accidents — There were six deer-related accidents, two in the town of Washington, and one each in the towns of Wescott, Lessor, Green Valley and Herman.

Clintonville Police Department

Oct. 14

Police logged 14 incidents, including the following:

Accident — Police responded to a vehicle in a ditch on Warren Hansen Drive.

Disorderly — A report of disorderly conduct was made at Clintonville Middle School, 255 N. Main St.

Welfare — Police completed a welfare check on Anne Street.

Property — There were two reports of property damage on McKinley Avenue.

Assault — A male reported he was assaulted in Olen Park.

Warrant — Police took a 36-year-old female into custody on a Shiocton Police Department warrant on Anne Street.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious incident on North Main Street.

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Nearly 5,000 without power at one pointBy: 

Leader Staff

Winds gusting as high as 52 mph caused power outages and other problems in Shawano and Menominee counties Tuesday afternoon.

There were reports of trees down around the county and in Shawano, according to police.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department reported it had received an estimated 40 to 50 weather-related calls by late afternoon.

Dispatchers were fielding a number of calls about downed trees, including several that fell on and damaged some vehicles, according to county Emergency Management Director Natalie Easterday. No injuries were reported.

The highway department and townships were out cleaning up the debris, she said.

There were also reports of downed power lines.

Highway Commissioner Grant Bystol said there were numerous trees down countywide, from Cecil to Aniwa, with some of them blocking roadways.

“We’ve got numerous crews out cleaning up,” he said.

In some cases, trees were down on power lines and crews were waiting for utility companies to arrive and de-energize the lines so the trees could be cleared.

As of 3:30 p.m., WE Energies was reporting a power outage in Wescott affecting 1,811 people and power outages in two areas south of Shawano affecting close to 200 people, according to the power company’s website.

Alliant Energy was reporting 2,549 customers without power in Menominee County and 398 without power in Shawano County.

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Shawano Police Department

Oct. 13

Police logged 26 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A purse was reported stolen from Memorial Park, 909 S. Lincoln St.

Accident — A pedestrian walking a dog was hit by a truck in the 100 block of East Division Street. No serious injury was reported. The pedestrian declined an ambulance. The incident was under investigation.

Accident — Police responded to an injury accident at Fifth and Bartlett streets after a vehicle hit a concrete pole. The driver sustained nonlife-threatening injuries.

Juvenile — Police logged five truancy complaints from the Shawano School District.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 200 block of East Center Street.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 300 block of West Swan Street.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at the Wisconsin House, 216 E. Green Bay St.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Oct. 13

Deputies logged 37 incidents, including the following:

Vandalism — Authorities investigated vandalism to a cemetery on Morgan Road in Red Springs.

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Westgor Avenue in Wittenberg.

Theft — Medication was reported stolen out of a vehicle on Oak Street in Bowler.

Vandalism — A sign was reported vandalized on Trager Court in Gresham.

Accidents — Authorities responded to two injury accidents in Seneca.

Clintonville Police Department

Oct. 13

Police logged nine incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 30-year-old male driver was arrested for operating while intoxicated and operating after suspension after a traffic stop at Lyons and Seventh streets.

Theft — An 18-year-old male was arrested for retail theft on South Main Street.

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Shawano Police Department

Oct. 12

Police logged eight incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint at Walgreens, 401 E. Green Bay St.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 600 block of South River Street.

Oct. 11

Police logged 19 incidents, including the following:

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident at Richmond and Lincoln streets.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint at the Wisconsin House, 216 E. Green Bay St.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint at Hillcrest Primary School, 1410 S. Waukechon St.

Noise — Police responded to a noise complaint at the VFW Clubhouse, 202 W. Lieg Ave.

Reckless Driving — Police responded to a reckless driving complaint in the 200 block of South Main Street.

Oct. 10

Police logged 35 incidents, including the following:

OAR — A 28-year-old woman was cited for operating after revocation at Lincoln and Schurz streets.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 900 block of Olson Street.

Theft — Money orders were reported stolen in the 300 block of Lakeland Road.

Theft — Prescription pills were reported stolen in the 300 block of Lakeland Road.

Warrant — A 50-year-old male was taken into custody on a Probation and Parole hold in the 500 block of Oak Drive.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at the Wisconsin House, 216 E. Green Bay St.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint at Main and Elizabeth streets.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Oct. 12

Deputies logged 47 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on state Highway 29 in Angelica.

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Morgan Road in Red Springs.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on Vinal Street in Wittenberg.

Assault — Authorities investigated an assault on County Road M in Belle Plaine.

OWI — A 26-year-old Bowler man was arrested for operating while intoxicated and bail jumping after a property damage accident on Herman Street in the town of Herman.

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Lincoln Street in Bowler.

OWI — A 51-year-old Birnamwood man was arrested for operating while intoxicated on Grand Avenue in Wittenberg.

Accidents — Authorities logged six deer-related crashes.

Oct. 11

Deputies logged 46 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 21-year-old Green Bay man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after a property damage accident on Highway 29 in Waukechon.

OWI — A 37-year-old Red Granite woman was arrested for operating while intoxicated, bail jumping and an outstanding warrant after authorities responded to a reckless driving complaint on state Highway 22 in Belle Plaine.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Johnson Road in Tigerton.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Frailing Road in Wescott.

Disturbance — A disorderly conduct charge was referred against a 26-year-old Neopit man after a disturbance on Main Street in Gresham.

Accidents — Authorities logged an injury accident in Angelica and three deer-related crashes.

Oct. 10

Deputies logged 43 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Authorities investigated a telephone scam complaint on Main Street in Gresham.

Theft — Authorities investigated a property theft complaint on U.S. Highway 45 in Tigerton.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance at Bonduel/Middle High School, 400 W. Green Bay St.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Hemlock Road in Wittenberg.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a report of a fight in progress on Lake Drive in the town of Herman.

Accidents — Authorities logged four deer-related crashes.

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Regional operation leads to 24 arrestsBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

A multi-county operation targeting Internet crimes against children nabbed 24 people over the weekend, including three arrested in Shawano County.

It was the fifth such regional sting operation conducted over the past two years, which have resulted in 83 arrests since fall 2012.

The operations originated with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force and involved undercover investigators making online contact with suspected offenders.

Detectives posing as juveniles on the Internet were contacted by the suspects who arranged to meet them for a sexual rendezvous. The suspects were arrested when they arrived.

Shawano County detectives worked with Brown and Oneida counties, along with police in Two Rivers, Wausau and Superior, during the operation that ran from Thursday through Saturday.

Charges were filed in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court on Monday against three suspects arrested in Shawano County.

Troy I. Webster, 35, of Neopit, Jeremy J. Davies, 23, listed as homeless, and Orlando A. Brown, 24, of Green Bay, were each charged with a felony count of using a computer to facilitate a sex crime, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

In two of the cases, the suspects came to an arranged location in Wescott to meet with what they believed was a 15-year-old girl, according to the criminal complaints. Webster had arranged to meet what he believed was a 15-year-old boy, according to his complaint.

All three were taken into custody without incident and made their initial appearances Monday before Judge William Kussel Jr.

Webster was ordered held on a $3,000 cash bond and is scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance Monday.

Davies is being held on a $3,500 cash bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday.

Brown was ordered held on a $5,000 cash bond and is due in court for an adjourned initial appearance Monday.

This latest sting effort was dubbed Operation Aegis. In addition to the Shawano County arrests, it resulted in the arrests of 11 people in Brown County, six in Wausau, two in Oneida County, and one each in Two Rivers and Superior.

The first of these operations took place in October 2012 and netted six arrests. The second, dubbed Operation Black Veil, occurred in March 2013 and resulted in 18 arrests statewide, including Jeffery D. Vadnais-Speck, 28, of Shawano.

Black Veil II in September 2013 led to 15 arrests, including Richard E. Denty, 34, of Shawano.

In March, authorities arrested 20 people in a three-day, multi-agency Internet sting operation dubbed Operation Vanguard.

Shawano County authorities were involved in five of the 19 arrests, three of which took place in the town of Wescott.

Shawano County arrests included Michael J. Stalvey, 29, of Shawano; James J. Kettleson, 50, of Menasha; and James W. Ritchie, 46, of Shiocton.

In October of last year, Shawano County authorities also ran its own sting effort, dubbed Operation Guardian Angel. The operation led to the arrests of Ryan L. Zempel, 20, of Coleman and Brandon J. Voelz, 22, of Green Bay.

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By: 

Leader Staff

A man suspected in a domestic violence incident in Neopit led authorities on a high-speed chase through Shawano County and into Brown County early Monday.

Menominee Tribal Police said the 26-year-old Neopit man left the scene of the domestic incident.

He was spotted by Shawano County sheriff’s deputies on state Highway 29 around 2:30 a.m. and fled from an attempted traffic stop, according to authorities. The ensuing 14-mile chase reached speeds upward of 100 mph.

The driver was believed to be intoxicated and driving while revoked, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

The pursuit entered Brown County, continuing onto southbound U.S. Highway 41 and then onto West Mason Street in Green Bay. The car was found abandoned in an apartment parking lot on Badger Street on Green Bay’s west side.

Brown County deputies and Green Bay police officers assisted the Shawano County deputy at the apartment complex but couldn’t find the suspect, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

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By: 

Leader Staff

A Shawano man was listed in critical condition following a rollover accident early Saturday on County Road CC in Waukechon.

Cory Huffman, 25, of Shawano, was hospitalized at Theda Clark Hospital in Neenah.

Huffman lost control on a curve about 3 a.m.. His vehicle rolled multiple times and landed in a corn field, according to the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.

Huffman and a passenger were ejected from the vehicle.

The passenger, Jonathon Bohr, 24, of Shawano, was listed in good condition Sunday at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay.

Another passenger, Jarred Richter, 22, of Shawano, was treated and released at St. Vincent.

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Redevelopment hinges on agreementBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

Clearing the way for future development of the Shawano Medical Center property after the hospital moves to a new location next year isn’t proving as easy as local officials might have hoped.

That’s because of a deed restriction attached to the property more than 100 years ago when the property was donated to the city.

Waiving the restriction will require approval from the heirs of Susan Smalley, the woman who donated the land, and that still hasn’t happened.

City officials hired the law firm of Davis and Kuelthau in December 2012 to track down the heirs.

Eleven heirs were identified early this year and have been contacted, but there is still no answer to the deed restriction question.

City Administrator Brian Knapp said there are negotiations occurring with an attorney representing the heirs.

An agreement between the city and ThedaCare to market the property for redevelopment is contingent on resolving the deed restriction.

Susan Smalley donated the roughly three-acre park property to the city in 1901, according to a news article in the April 30, 1931, edition of the Shawano County Journal about plans for a hospital on the site.

According to the deed restriction, the property reverts back to the heirs if it is used for anything other than a park.

The site became home to Shawano Medical Center in 1931.

Officials have no explanation for why a hospital was allowed to locate on the property, and there is nothing in the record that shows the deed restriction was ever waived.

SMC purchased additional land for expansion over the years, and the hospital campus now occupies about 10 acres. The deed restriction applies only to the original three.

The finalized list of heirs includes no direct blood relatives of Susan Smalley, who died in New Jersey in 1909, according to a genealogy chart provided to the city by Davis and Kuelthau.

Instead, the heirs are the descendants of the second marriage of Georgianna Hoadley, of New York, who was previously married to Susan’s son, William. The park property was part of a marital settlement when the first marriage ended.

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Overhaul won’t force changesBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

The committee working on the city of Shawano’s first zoning code overhaul in 31 years got an earful Thursday from one property owner objecting to the operation of the VFW Post 2723 clubhouse at 202 W. Lieg Ave.

The clubhouse operates as a tavern on property zoned single-family residential and surrounded by residential zoning.

Taverns are not allowed in single-family residential districts, but the clubhouse was grandfathered in more than three decades ago.

The new code will not change the tavern’s designated zoning nor force it to close.

Ron Dahm was one of two property owners who complained about the clubhouse during an open house that preceded the Zoning Code Rewrite Steering Committee meeting.

Dahm said the tavern was affecting the quality of life and property values in the area.

“You have the same problems on that property as you’d have with a tavern sitting down on Main Street or Green Bay Street,” he said. “Why should we be sitting here on a Saturday afternoon with 20 to 30 cars on our streets?”

Dahm accused the city of not properly monitoring what was happening at the tavern over the years and allowing expansions such as a storage facility and fencing.

Mike Slavney, of consulting firm Vandewalle and Associates, told the committee there was little that could be done in the zoning code rewrite to address those concerns.

The new zoning code could make it easier to regulate property uses that don’t belong in the zoning districts where they’re located, he said, but it would do nothing to shut down existing operations if they don’t shut down on their own.

“Over time, the operation of the VFW changed to more of an intensive business operation,” Slavney said. “I don’t think there’s anything this rezoning process can do to help that situation.”

However, he said, any further expansion or improvements will be more difficult, as the clubhouse would have to come before the Plan Commission for a conditional use permit.

The non-conforming uses have generally not been a problem for the city unless they grow to the point of becoming a public nuisance, but the new code is still aimed at discouraging them.

“The policy in the new code is that we would like those non-conforming uses to go away,” Slavney said.

However, the code does not have any mechanism for accomplishing that, unless the non-conforming use takes a hiatus of at least a year.

“If discontinued for a year, (the use) cannot be re-established,” Slavney said. “That’s actually state law.”

Lyle Hagen, commander of VFW Post 2723, said the clubhouse has been operating for more than 30 years.

There was a petition against the operation in the late 1970s, he said, but since then there were no complaints, “until last year when we had a new neighbor.”

Hagen said the clubhouse has complied with city ordinances and has taken steps to improve the appearance of the property. He said there have been no complaints from the Police Department.

“We understand our dilemma here,” he said, adding that the veterans organization would be happy to move the clubhouse to a more appropriate zoning if it could afford it.

“The economy is working against us,” he said. “All we’re doing is surviving.”

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20 of 24 units filled at Lincoln School propertyBy: 

Jason Arndt, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Commonwealth Development Corp. constructed an eight-unit cottage-style building on the former Lincoln School property. All units are occupied.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt The gymnasium in the former Lincoln School building is being used as community space for parties and gatherings following a restoration project that converted the building into 16 apartment units. Some of the school’s banners adorn the gymnasium’s walls.

Tenants are settling in at the former Lincoln School building in Shawano after months of restoration and construction work.

Jason Leffel, vice president of operations for Commonwealth Management Corp., said this week 12 of 16 units at Historic Lincoln School Apartments, 237 S. Sawyer St., and all eight townhome units constructed on the property are occupied.

“We have a seen a real high demand for them, primarily because of the historical value,” Leffel said.

The restoration project of the former school, named to state and federal historic registers, began in the spring and was completed in September.

Dylan and Bethany Ponchaud and their two children, Elias and Dylan, moved into one of the cottage homes. They chose the location to be closer to family.

“We moved in about three weeks ago. It was the earliest we could move in,” Ponchaud said. “We were the second group of people.”

The 31,826-square-foot Lincoln School was built in 1924. It was retired in 2010 after Hillcrest Primary School was completed and students were moved there and to the remodeled Olga Brener Intermediate School.

Shawano school officials accepted an offer in June 2012 to sell the building. After a special annual meeting to get voter approval, the School Board voted unanimously to sell the property to Commonwealth Development Corp., of Fond du Lac, for $110,000.

Commonwealth Development, which specializes in housing projects, has done similar renovation projects — including an elementary school in Rhinelander now called the Historic West Elementary Apartments and a maternity ward in Milwaukee that was turned into a 51-unit apartment complex.

The sale was completed in December 2013, giving Commonwealth full ownership of the building.

Commonwealth announced plans to construct 16 apartments in the building, plus an additional eight cottage units — two- to three-bedroom, low-income homes — on the property.

Leffel said the two-bedroom units are approximately 1,000 to 1,300 square feet, and the three-bedroom units are between 1,200 and 1,600 square feet.

The total cost of the project for both the cottage homes and restoration of Lincoln School was $5.2 million.

“On the inside of the school we were able to restore the floors,” Leffel said. “With the conversion, we had to rebuild walls. All windows have been restored to their original condition.”

The project will receive $2.86 million over the next 10 years through a Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority program designed to increase affordable housing statewide.

Rents are based on income.

Leffel said he expects to see Lincoln School fully occupied by the end of the month.

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By: 

Leader Staff

A Beaver Dam attorney who was one vote shy of becoming the Shawano-Menominee County district attorney in 2006 was arrested Monday on a felony charge of operating while intoxicated with a child in her vehicle.

Mary A. Harper, 50, made her initial appearance in Dodge County Circuit Court on Monday after being charged with driving her son to Beaver Dam Middle School while intoxicated.

She is charged with a felony count of third-offense operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, with a minor child in the vehicle. If found guilty she could face up to two years in prison and a $4,000 fine.

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call around 5 p.m. Monday that a woman had driven into a field near the middle school. The woman was able to drive out of the field before dropping the child off at the school.

According to the sheriff’s department, a preliminary breath test showed Harper had a blood-alcohol level of 0.133.

She was released on a $1,000 signature bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 20.

Harper ran twice for district attorney in Shawano-Menominee counties — in 2006 and in 2008, before the term of the office was extended to four years.

In 2006, she lost to Greg Parker after a recount by just one vote, 1,890-1,889.

In 2008, Parker won 2,468-1,676 to clinch the Republican primary race.

Harper is also a former Menominee-Shawano County assistant district attorney.

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Shawano Police Department

Oct. 9

Police logged 23 incidents, including the following:

Arrest — A 34-year-old man was taken into custody for a violation at the Probation and Parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 300 block of South Washington Street.

Warrant — A 25-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant at the Probation and Parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile tobacco complaint at Memorial Park, 909 S. Lincoln St.

Vandalism — A refrigerated trailer was reported vandalized at Twig’s Beverage, 711 S. Washington St.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Oct. 9

Deputies logged 37 incidents, including the following:

Vandalism — Sign posts were reported vandalized on Beech Road in Richmond.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on County Road D in Bowler.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on Frailing Road in Wescott.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on Park Street in Bonduel.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Waukechon Road in Waukechon.

OWI — A 42-year-old Sturgeon Bay man was arrested for operating while intoxicated and a probation violation on state Highway 29 in Wittenberg.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a report of a fight in progress on East Green Bay Street in Bonduel.

Accidents — Authorities logged five deer-related crashes.

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By: 

Leader Staff

Twenty-five vendors are expected Saturday as the Shawano Farmers Market wraps up its first season at Franklin Park.

Market director Nathan Falk said the market has attracted more customers and vendors than in previous years.

“We have attracted new vendors that have found our market pleasing,” he said. “We hope to have a strong end to our farmers market season.”

The market was held in the City Hall parking lot for its first six years before moving to the park at the corner of Division and Washington streets in June.

The market is operated by Shawano Farmers Market Inc., a nonprofit group organized last year after the Business Improvement District relinquished responsibility and management of the seasonal weekly market.

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Chairman says he wants accountabilityBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

Shawano County Board Chairman Jerry Erdmann said Thursday there will be no halt called to investigations of the Sheriff’s Department until they have run their course.

“When we feel we have investigated thoroughly, it will stop,” he said.

Erdmann responded in an interview with the Leader to comments made by Sheriff Randy Wright at a Public Safety Committee meeting Wednesday calling for an end to investigations of his department by a private attorney hired by the county’s Administrative Committee.

The investigations involve money that went missing from the jail in 2013 and an incident that took place at a Republican Party picnic between three detectives and Shawano police officer Adam Bieber, who is running against Wright in the Nov. 4 election.

Wright said his hope is that a County Board member would bring a resolution to the floor to dismiss the investigations, which he called a witch hunt timed to influence the election.

Corporation Counsel Tony Kordus said the board does have the authority to do that.

“The County Board is the ultimate arbiter and has the ultimate oversight regarding these matters,” he said.

Wright also maintains the Administrative Committee doesn’t have authority to investigate or take disciplinary action against his department’s employees.

However, according to Kordus, the county’s administrative manual gives the Administrative Committee or its designee authority to independently investigate alleged misconduct and take appropriate disciplinary action, if necessary, “in matters involving potential severe misconduct.”

Kordus also said that the attorney general has held that disciplinary action against a sheriff’s office employee is not solely within the sheriff’s power, and may be undertaken separately by a committee or board.

The Administrative Committee voted to hire labor Attorney Dan Borowski after a May 19 closed session discussion.

“Borowski was hired to look into the missing money and there were things he found that led him in other directions,” Erdmann said.

Borowski’s investigation apparently grew to include the events at the July 22 Republican Party picnic, though minutes from subsequent meetings do not show any vote taken to expand Borowski’s investigation.

There have been conflicting accounts of what happened at the picnic, with some witnesses saying the detectives attempted to ask follow-up questions of Bieber after his campaign speech and others who say their questions crossed the line into harassment.

“When it gets loud enough that Adam’s son gets scared and starts crying … the detectives had no business doing that,” Erdmann said.

Ultimately, Erdmann said, the point of the investigations is to bring accountability to the Sheriff’s Department.

He said no one has been held accountable for the missing jail money.

Wright said there was a thorough investigation of the missing money, which included polygraph tests administered to several staff, all of whom passed.

Wright also said the investigation was assisted by Brown County authorities and a retired Marinette County detective, and new money handling policies and procedures were put in place.

“If there was someone to hold responsible, I would have done it,” Wright said.

Wright said Erdmann’s claim that Wright doesn’t hold his staff accountable was a lie. He said there were at least 10 times since he took office in 2007 that employees lost their jobs over disciplinary actions.

“Some resigned, and some were walked out the door,” he said.

Wright also took issue with the investigation of the picnic incident, saying the Administrative Committee was bypassing a long-standing Sheriff’s Department policy for handling complaints against employees. That policy calls for a complainant to sign a complaint under oath, he said.

Bieber said in an interview Thursday that he had no interest in filing a formal complaint, but he said he was glad the Administrative Committee had chosen to investigate the incident.

“I am concerned about what happened there,” he said. “I’m glad they’re looking into it to see if there was anything inappropriate.”

Bieber said he has been questioned about the incident but wasn’t involved in the Administrative Committee’s decision to investigate.

Bieber said he doesn’t expect the investigations to hamper his relationship with staff if elected.

“Everybody should be able to be adults and put this aside,” he said. “I expect it will be put aside and I expect everyone to work and act professionally on and off duty.”

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Permit would be needed for extensive clear-cuttingBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

A steering committee gave its blessing Thursday to a proposed zoning code rewrite, sending it off to the Shawano Plan Commission and Common Council for consideration after a lightly attended open house.

Though only about a half dozen people attended the open house, suggestions they made were discussed at length by the Zoning Code Rewrite Steering Committee, which incorporated several of the recommendations into the proposed code.

The most significant of those was the adoption of an overlay district that would protect woodlands within the city limits.

The new district would require a permit for clear-cutting more than a third of designated woodland areas.

City Administrator Brian Knapp said there probably wouldn’t be a problem with the Plan Commission granting the permit to allow for new development, but the requirement would give the city some control over clear-cutting.

“I’ve had a lot of people ask about the clear-cutting that took place on Airport Drive,” he said. “Maybe there would at least be a way to monitor that and require that it be cleaned up and not be an eyesore. Right now, it’s a mess, and it’s a 40-acre eyesore.”

The new code would replace the one that has been in effect for 31 years.

It would put a premium on landscaping for any new development, setting a score that proposed developments would have to meet. They would get points toward the score for various types of landscaping included in the site plan.

The requirement would only apply to new development and to those portions of existing properties that are significantly remodeled or expanded.

The new code would toss the “legal nonconforming” designation for properties that don’t fit in with the zoning in their neighborhoods.

The code would reserve its most rigid requirements for downtown Shawano, which under the proposed new zoning map would run from the 100 block of North Main Street to Presbyterian Street on the south and would promote two-story storefront buildings with no setback from the sidewalk.

Any proposed renovations, designs or projects in that area would be closely scrutinized by the city, down to which storefront colors would be appropriate.

The code was last adopted in October 1983. Though it has been frequently amended, this is the first complete overhaul in 31 years.

The city hired Vandewalle and Associates for the project, which was budgeted at $50,000.

There will be a public hearing before the Common Council and possible adoption of the code Nov. 12, with another public hearing Dec. 10 on the new zoning map that will accompany the code.
story created on Thursday 10/9/2014 at 8:46:32 pm by Tim Ryan

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