Shawano Leader News

Shawano Police Department

Feb. 13

Police logged 22 incidents, including the following:

Harassment — Police investigated a harassment and cyberbullying complaint at Shawano Community Middle School, 1050 S. Union St.

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

Burglary — A 29-year-old Shawano man was taken into custody on burglary charges after police responded to a break-in in the 200 block of East Maurer Street.

OWI — A 44-year-old Keshena man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after a traffic stop at Main Street and Northridge Drive.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 13

Deputies logged 45 incidents, including the following:

OWI— Authorities responding to a suspicious snowmobile complaint on Green Valley Road in Angelica cited a 68-year-old Pulaski man for operating while intoxicated.

Fire — Authorities responded to a fire caused by a space heater on County Road BB in Green Valley. There were reports of smoke but no flames. There were no injuries reported.

Theft — A snow shovel was reported stolen on Oak Street in Bowler.

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

Hit and Run — Authorities investigated a hit-and-run accident on state Highway 47-55 in Wescott.

Accidents — Authorities logged 14 accidents, including an injury accident on state Highway 29 in Maple Grove.

Clintonville Police Department

Feb. 13

Police logged nine incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 26-year-old Clintonville man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after a traffic stop at Main and Eighth streets.

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By: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

Shawano’s downtown Business Improvement District has divested itself of the farmers market, transferring the market assets and operations to the same people who first proposed the event six years ago.

The market is now in the hands of Shawano Farmer’s Market Inc., which plans to move the event from the City Hall parking lot to Franklin Park.

“We have no complaints about the old location,” said Len Pubanz, a member of the new farmers market board. “It did just wonderful there, except you were constricted.”

Pubanz said Franklin Park will allow for expansion and additional activities.

“We’re thinking of bigger things,” he said.

Pubanz and other original champions of the event initially wanted it at Franklin Park, he said, but the former school property was in the hands of a Realtor then. It’s now overseen by the Shawano Park and Recreation Department.

Park and Recreation Director Judy Judd said a draft agreement between the farmers market and the department for use of the park is under review.

The farmers market, which operates Saturday mornings from June through October, was run through the Business Improvement District since it began in 2008.

Pubanz said there was a sentiment on the BID board after a while that it shouldn’t be a BID event.

“They wanted to ease out of it,” he said, “and we didn’t want to see it fail.”

Pubanz said there was a mutual feeling that the original proponents should take it over. Last fall, the group registered as a nonprofit organization.

Richard Sarnwick serves as president of the farmers market board. Other board members are Bob Dumke, Carol Ryczek and Jennifer Langlois.

On Wednesday, the BID board passed a formal resolution transferring the market’s assets — such as tents, tables, chairs, and signs — and a roughly $7,000 cash balance to Shawano Farmer’s Market Inc.

“I’m real happy,” Pubanz said. “I’m excited about what we’re going to do.”

There are still some logistical matters to be worked out, Pubanz said, such as how and where on the park property the market will be set up.

“We have to go in and map that out,” he said. “We’re not at that point yet.”

The group also hopes to get approval from the city to close a portion of Washington Street when the market is operating.

THE NEXT STEP

WHAT: Shawano Farmer’s Market Inc. board meeting

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. March 18

WHERE: Angie’s Main Cafe, 130 S. Main St.

FYI: The board will present its plans for this year’s farmers market and take comments and suggestions from the community.

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By: 

The Associated Press

The Associated Press A crowd reacts from the balcony as Laurie Boivin, chairperson of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, delivers the State of the Tribes address Thursday in the Assembly Chambers of the Capitol in Madison.
The Associated Press Menominee Tribal Chairwoman Laurie Boivin waves to people in the balcony after she gave the State of the Tribes address Thursday at the Capitol in Madison.

The Menominee Nation’s new chairwoman gently criticized Wisconsin’s new school mascot law in an address before legislators Thursday, saying the changes will damage native children.

The new law makes it harder to strip public schools of American Indian nicknames, mascots and logos. The law’s negative effects on American Indians’ collective culture will be “considerable,” Laurie Boivin told lawmakers in the annual State of the Tribes address.

“Our children should not be subjected to inaccurate representations of their cultural identity,” Boivin said to a standing ovation.

The speech comes as the Menominee are trying to persuade Republican Gov. Scott Walker to approve the tribe’s plans for an off-reservation casino in Kenosha. Former Menominee Chairman Craig Corn was slated to give the address, but the tribe announced on Monday that Boivin had won an election to replace him.

Boivin struck a far more cordial tone than last year’s speaker, Lac Courte Oreilles then-Chairman Gordon Thayer. Thayer criticized Republican lawmakers and state officials over new mining regulations and spreading what he called misinformation about the Chippewa’s spearfishing quotas. Rep. Bill Kramer, R-Waukesha, walked out.

Tensions remain high between the tribes and the state. The Chippewa are still angry over the mining changes, saying they open the door to a large iron mine that could pollute the Bad River tribe’s reservation. The Chippewa also are battling the state in federal court to establish a tribal night deer hunt in northern Wisconsin despite the Department of Natural Resources’ stance that it’s too dangerous.

Walker has said all the tribes must OK the Kenosha casino before he’ll approve it. The Forest County Potawatomi and the Ho-Chunk Nation oppose the project. With the casino in the balance, Boivin had to tread lightly.

Things got off to an awkward start. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, mistakenly introduced Boivin as Linda before quickly correcting himself, and a number of Republican senators chose not to attend, leaving empty seats lining the aisle on the Republican side of the chamber.

Boivin got a standing ovation from lawmakers and the gallery as she stepped to the microphone. She stressed that the state and the tribes need to keep working together to help tribal members out of poverty and combat drug abuse and gangs.

She acknowledged “public clashes with the state on a number of high-profile natural resource issues” but didn’t mention anything specific. She also didn’t mention the Kenosha casino, saying only that tribal gambling compacts supply the state with beneficial revenue.

She politely told legislators, however, that she would be remiss if she didn’t speak about the mascot law and its impact on the tribes, especially native children. Spectators in the gallery cheered and gave her another standing ovation.

Walker signed a GOP bill in December that undid a 2010 state law on school mascots. That law required Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction to hold a hearing on a school’s race-based nickname if it received even one complaint and decide whether the nickname had to go.

Republicans drew up the new law after the Mukwonago Area School District refused to abide by a DPI order to drop its “Indians” nickname. The new provisions trigger a review only if people submit a petition with signatures equal to 10 percent of the school district’s student population. They must prove the nickname is discriminatory at a hearing. The Department of Administration, which is under the governor’s control, decides whether to drop the name.

Boivin said discrimination victims don’t need to submit a petition to prove it occurred. She said allowing mascots to remain damages tribal members’ perception of their own culture.

She called on the state and tribes to find a mutual solution.

“Let’s educate the children of all Wisconsin school districts on all aspects that distinguish our nations … as partners, our nations and the state can use this opportunity to create a strong alliance and commitment to education and celebration of our distinct backgrounds.”

Kramer sat through the full speech and Vos issued a statement saying he was pleased Boivin remained positive.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, one of the Republican senators who did attend, said afterward the entire nation is struggling with American Indian sports logos and called it a “complex issue.” He said Wisconsin’s old law was unworkable but he doesn’t know if the new one “will be the silver bullet forever.”

He said legislative and tribal leaders met Wednesday ahead of the speech. Since the Senate wasn’t in session on Thursday, he said, many senators weren’t in the state Capitol to attend the address.

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Contributed Photo This new pumper manufactured by Seagrave in Clintonville has joined Squad Company 61 of the New York City Fire Department. Seagrave donated the mural, which is identical to one that adorned a pumper that Seagrave donated to New York City following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

In the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attack at the World Trade Center, Seagrave Fire Apparatus, LLC, its employees and suppliers, along with support from the Clintonville community, donated a 1,000 gallon-per-minute pumper to the residents of New York.

The fire apparatus was decorated with a mural, donated by the men and women of Seagrave, to serve as a tribute to the fallen firefighters of 9/11. The mural featured an eagle and the words “Never Forget” against a backdrop of an American flag.

The rig was assigned in 2003 to Squad Company 61 in the Bronx. It was not uncommon for residents and tourists to knock on the firehouse door and ask if the rig could be pulled out so they could see in person what they had only seen in photos or on the Internet.

Over the last 10 years, it responded to more than 40,000 alarms, special events, and countless daily routines and duties. Each time, it safely returned its firefighters to their firehouse.

The time has come to replace the pumper. Fire apparatus in New York City are typically retired after 10 years of front-line service and placed in reserve for backup.

“It is with some apprehension that we consider retiring the rig. It’s a special apparatus,” said Capt. Stephen T. Spall, of Squad Company 61. “We have become a well-recognized symbol as we travel the city streets. They tell us how our mural has encouraged them, and all that see it, to never forget.”

Seagrave, which has been supplying fire apparatus to the New York Fire Department since 1901, prepared the replacement rig, as well.

Squad Company 61 took delivery of the new 2013 squad pumper in December. The pumper has an Eagle Mural, which is identical to the original design, donated by Seagrave.

“We are pleased the rig supported well the important mission in the Bronx,” Seagrave Chairman and CEO A. Joseph Neiner said. “Seagrave has a long tradition of building the safest, longest lasting and best quality fire trucks in the industry.”

Considering the rig’s important mission and the honor of having supplied the inspirational mural for the original, Neiner said, “It was an important message in 2003 and it is no less today.”

Seagrave, founded in 1881, is the oldest, continuous manufacturer of fire apparatus in North America.

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A ribbon cutting was held Feb. 6 welcoming Salon 2140 II to downtown Shawano.

Owner Julie Nowak, of Pulaski, was 21 when she opened Salon 2140 at 1231 E. Green Bay St. in Shawano in 2005. In 2010, she purchased sole ownership of the operation.

Over the last several months, Nowak said, she decided the opportunity and timing were perfect for the second location.

“It also is helping our economy, adding jobs and keeping the downtown alive,” Nowak said.

Salon 2140 II, at 140 S. Main St., will offer more spa services than the original salon, including massage, facials, throne pedicures, manicures, body wraps — including detox wraps to help with weight management, and more. Nowak said the salon plans to add customized airbrush tanning in the future.

In addition, a new organic line of products will be featured and available for purchase.

“We are proud to offer our organic line,” Nowak said. “It’s a win-win situation for our environment and our clients.”

The salon employs seven people, four of whom were with Insight Salon, which previously occupied the Main Street location. The staff members are Ashley Flink, Alyssa Schroeder, Heather Mailahn, Carla Seifert, Sam WallrichThunder, Justine Krause and Nikki Bougie.

Nowak employs 11 people at the Green Bay Street salon.

Nowak said she is looking for licensed massage therapists. For information, contact her at 715-526-3433 or [email protected]. The salons are online at salon2140.com and salon2140ii.com.

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Shawano Police Department

Feb. 12

Police logged 33 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance on Humphrey Circle.

Accident — Police responded to a property damage accident in the 1600 block of East Green Bay Street.

Vandalism — Police responded to a vandalism complaint at Sturgeon Park, 811 S. Water St.

Juvenile — Police logged 12 truancy complaints from Shawano Community Middle School, 1050 S. Union St.

Burglary — Police investigated an apparent burglary attempt in the 700 block of South Lincoln Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 12

Deputies logged 30 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — A 23-year-old Wittenberg man was arrested on charges of battery and disorderly conduct after a domestic disturbance on County Road Q in Birnamwood.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem at Bonduel Middle/High School, 400 W. Green Bay St.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on County Road MM in Richmond.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Silver Lane in Hartland.

Accidents — Authorities logged six minor accidents.

Clintonville Police Department

Feb. 12

Police logged six incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at Clintonville Middle School, 255 N. Main St.

Accident — Police logged a one-vehicle accident at Beacon Avenue and Seventh Street.

Feb. 11

Police logged nine incidents, including the following:

Accident — A citation was issued for following too closely after a driver struck a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian in the crosswalk on Main at Sixth Street.

Juvenile — Warnings were issued to several juveniles for malicious mischief on East 12th Street.

Disturbance — Officers responded for a report of an unwanted, disorderly subject on Flora Way and upon arrival the subject had already left the area.

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By: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

The Shawano Common Council on Wednesday agreed to partner with ThedaCare to hire a consultant to market the Shawano Medical Center property to prospective developers.

The hospital at 309 N. Bartlett St. will move to a new building adjacent to the ThedaCare Physicians-Shawano clinic on County Road B in early 2015.

The agreement calls for the city and ThedaCare to split the $60,000 cost of hiring Madison-based Vandewalle and Associates to market the property. The council approved up to $30,000 for the city’s share over the course of the next year.

Vandewalle had been contracted by ThedaCare for $30,000 to work with a city-appointed ad hoc task force to come up with proposals for future use of the SMC campus. That contract did not include marketing the property.

The resolution approved Wednesday calls for Vandewalle to market the property consistent with the task force recommendations.

The agreement is also contingent on the heirs of Smalley Park, where the hospital is located, signing off on changing a deed restriction on the property.

The site became home to Shawano Medical Center in 1931, despite a deed restriction saying the property had to be used as a park and would revert back to the heirs if used for anything else.

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.

The property now home to SMC was originally part of a larger property owned by Andrew Smalley and later became the possession of his widow, Susan, who donated a three-acre parcel 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.

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 acres.

Though there was little discussion by the council Wednesday, aside from a few points of clarification, the Finance Committee discussed the marketing agreement in depth Monday.

Mayor Lorna Marquardt said at the Finance Committee meeting that not everyone on the task force was pleased with Vandewalle’s work.

“Not all of the task force was in support of Vandewalle,” she said.

Marquardt said there also were reservations about the proposed marketing agreement, with some commenting that “$60,000 was a lot of money with no guarantees of resolution.”

SMC Chief Executive Officer Dorothy Erdmann told the committee that no one could guarantee a developer for the property.

“We have to let the process work,” she said. “There wouldn’t be anyone who could promise we would have people in there developing it.”

The task force has forwarded two options for potential reuse of the property to the city’s Plan Commission and Common Council.

Both proposals would be anchored by a waterfront supper club and lodge, which would require obtaining five properties south of SMC.

Under one proposal, the existing SMC building would become a mix of senior housing, wellness center and community center, with a row of residential town houses to the north.

The alternate plan would raze the hospital building to make way for condominiums and town homes, along with additional green space and a park shelter. Two single-family residential lots would also be created in the far northwest corner, along Second Street.

The alternative plan also envisions a public path along the river, but Wolf River Beach would be discontinued.

Officials stress, however, that both plans are only concepts for the type of development the city would like to see.

“It’s not the way it’s going to be developed, but it’s a good starting point for what we could have there,” City Administrator Brian Knapp said.

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By: 

Lee Pulaski, [email protected]

Area fire chiefs took a message to the Shawano County Public Safety Committee on Wednesday to be sure they were heard loud and clear.

They apparently were a lot clearer than some of the messages dispatched on the county’s new simulcast system, which had been guaranteed to provide 95 percent coverage across the county. Several fire chiefs, most from eastern Shawano County, reported transmissions are not getting through.

The county received a federal grant for $861,266 in 2012 to help update the radio system from analog, which covered 70 percent of the county, to simulcast. The county chipped in more than $86,000 as a match.

The simulcast system went live in September, and that’s when the problems started for area fire departments.

Jerry Weatherwax, Pella fire chief, said the system is inconsistent. A test page from the county dispatch Tuesday night was broken and unclear, he said, while another test page Wednesday afternoon was received without difficulty.

Weatherwax reported his radio worked fine during a fire call last week to Belle Plaine, but there was poor reception during another call in January.

“I’m really concerned that there might be a problem down the road. I’m concerned for my firefighters,” Weatherwax said. “We have such inconsistency that it might put the life of one of my firefighters in jeopardy.”

Rob Woldt, Bonduel fire chief, reported problems with radio reception even within a mile of the tower in Bonduel. He echoed Weatherwax’s concerns that firefighters’ lives are in peril if they cannot properly communicate.

“I’m not going to take the liability. I’m going to come back at you people,” Woldt said.

The chiefs also presented several letters to the committee expressing similar concerns.

Jeff Schuh, communications coordinator with the Sheriff’s Department, said most of the issues have been attributed to the radio tower in Bonduel. The other towers have not experienced problems, he said.

The county shares the tower with the state, and the communications breakdown appears to involve the repeaters (automatic radio-relays) between the Bonduel and Gresham towers. It is unclear whether the problem is with the state’s transmission equipment or with the county.

The continued problems with emergency transmissions, which has been on the County Board’s plate for years, frustrated Supervisor Bert Huntington, who noted that Schuh and Sheriff Randy Wright assured the County Board that the new digital system would work.

Huntington questioned why the problem had not been solved in the five months since the system change.

“You’d better get extra people here to work on it and get it working, because this is bull,” Huntington said. “We’re trying to protect all these guys (in emergency services), and that system isn’t working. It’s wrong.”

Schuh said the problems are fixable, but the county is waiting on testing equipment, which should arrive by the end of next week. He said he hoped to have a progress report for the committee at its meeting March 12.

Doug Knope, Shawano fire chief, reported that the radio system was working fine for his department.

THE NEXT STEP

WHAT: The Shawano County Public Safety Committee will receive an update on the simulcast radio system.

WHEN: 3:30 p.m. March 12

WHERE: James Stoltenow Training Room, Sheriff’s Department, 405 N. Main St., Shawano

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By: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

Two downtown business properties were sold at a sheriff’s sale Wednesday, but the owner of one of those businesses says his shop will remain open in spite of the foreclosure.

Dallas Pingel, owner of Pingel’s Old Time Sausage Shop, at 528 S. Main St., said he is working with the new owners of the property on a lease or possible rent-to-own agreement that will keep the store operating.

Details were still being worked out, but in the meantime, “I’ll be here for business,” Pingel said.

The shop was open Wednesday, and Pingel said he was taking orders and stocking up on such things as burgers and brats.

“It’s business as usual,” he said.

Associated Bank filed a foreclosure suit against Pingel’s Fenceline Meats, LLC, in May, alleging default on a mortgage. According to court records, $151,826 was due on the debt.

The debt was subsequently purchased from Associated by PrinsBank of Prinsburg, Minn., through a trust fund called Greenwich Investors XLVI Trust, which pools mortgage loans and issues mortgage-backed securities.

Greenwich Investors purchased the property at Wednesday’s sheriff’s sale for $100,000. There were no other bidders.

Also sold off at Wednesday’s sheriff’s sale was the Crescent Pitcher Show, which closed in December.

The property at 220 S. Main St. was purchased by BMO Harris Bank, the sole bidder, for $109,940.

BMO Harris Bank filed a civil suit in August against Routhieaux and his parents, James and Jean, who had taken out the original mortgage on the property in 2005, according to the suit. Routhieaux bought the business from his parents in 2008.

The suit maintained Routhieaux also signed a promissory note backing up the debt.

The original amount of the mortgage was $146,250, according to court documents.

Late in November, Routhieaux announced the theater would have one more weekend run before closing on Dec. 1.

During an interview after he made the announcement, Routhieaux said he was unable to secure financing for the roughly $50,000 he estimated it would cost for the movie house to convert to digital projection.

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By: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

City of Shawano officials Wednesday limited parking on Washington Street alongside Charlie’s County Market in hopes of eliminating sight-line issues that have been responsible for several accidents there.

It was the city’s second effort to address safety concerns for vehicles coming in and out of the parking lot. The store is located at 521 S. Main St. The parking lot stretches into the 600 block of South Main Street, crossing what used to be Richmond Street.

The street was discontinued between Main and Washington streets to allow for the parking lot.

In October, the Common Council approved new parking regulations in the 500 and 600 blocks of South Main Street.

After a couple of accidents involving vehicles exiting the other side of the parking lot, attention turned to Washington Street. Police believe the primary cause of those accidents was motorists unable to get a clear view of traffic because of vehicles parked too close to the driveway.

The regulations adopted Wednesday prohibit vehicles from parking, standing or stopping on the east side of the 500 block of South Washington Street, starting at the north side of the driveway entrance and continuing north for 80 feet. South of the driveway, vehicles are also prohibited from parking, standing or stopping for 75 feet.

Mayor Lorna Marquardt said the similar restrictions adopted for Main Street have significantly improved safety on that side of the parking lot.

Those restrictions prohibit anyone from parking or leaving their vehicle on the west side of Main Street starting at the extended south curb line of East Maurer Street and continuing 110 feet south of the extended south curb line of East Richmond Street.

Parking was also restricted on the east side of South Main Street on the 600 block, starting at the extended south curb line of East Richmond Street and continuing south 185 feet.

On the east side of the 500 block of South Main Street, vehicles are not allowed to park starting at the extended north curb line of East Richmond Street and continuing north 120 feet.

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By: 

Leader Staff

The Shawano Common Council on Wednesday approved several equipment purchases for the Park and Recreation and Public Works departments, along with a new squad for the Police Department.

Items included a regular cab pickup with plow from Shawano Auto Sales for $14,460; a riding sweeper with dump hopper, for use at the cemetery, from Horst Distributing, of Chilton, for $28,895; a paint striper with auto layout and bead dispenser, for $6,950 from Brauer Supply and Equipment, of Black Creek; and a 2014 Chevrolet Impala Limited Police 4-door sedan from Buss Chevrolet for $18,847. The price includes the trade-in of a 2009 model.

All of the items came in under budget, according to the city.

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By: 

Leader Staff

It took five months of delays for the Shawano Plan Commission to recommend a special zoning exception for a private zoo at Anello’s Torch Lite, but the Common Council made it official Wednesday in a matter of minutes.

The restaurant at 1276 E. Green Bay St. was informed in August that its zoo violated the city’s zoning ordinance and was ordered to reduce its number of animals to the eight approved by the Plan Commission in 2003.

Owner Rita Mondus subsequently applied for a USDA license and submitted a new application with the city for a special exception to the zoning code, this time specifying up to 65 animals.

The Plan Commission signaled it was willing to grant the exception as far back as September, but approval was held up while Anello’s awaited its USDA license, which finally arrived last month.

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Shawano Police Department

Feb. 11

Police logged 15 incidents, including the following:

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

Reckless Driving — Police responded to a reckless driving complaint at Main Street and County Road B.

Auto Theft — A vehicle was reported stolen in the 900 block of Olson Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 11

Deputies logged 39 incidents, including the following:

Warrant — A 28-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant at the Shawano County Courthouse, 311 N. Main St., Shawano.

Theft — Money was reported stolen on Front Street in Wittenberg.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem at Gresham Community School, 501 Schabow St., Gresham.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Lafayette Street in Wescott.

Accidents — Authorities logged five accidents, including one deer-related crash.

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By: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

The Shawano Common Council on Wednesday will consider entering into an agreement with ThedaCare to hire a consultant to market the Shawano Medical Center property to prospective developers.

The hospital at 309 N. Bartlett St. will move to a new building adjacent to the ThedaCare Physicians-Shawano clinic on County Road B in early 2015.

The agreement calls for the city and ThedaCare to split the $60,000 cost of hiring Vandewalle and Associates to market the property. The resolution going before city officials would approve up to $30,000 for the city’s share over the course of the next year.

Vandewalle had been contracted by ThedaCare at a cost of $30,000 to work with an ad hoc task force to come up with proposals for future use of the SMC campus. That contract did not include marketing the property.

Mayor Lorna Marquardt said at a city Finance Committee meeting Monday that not everyone on the task force was pleased with Vandewalle’s work.

“Not all of the task force was in support of Vandewalle,” she said.

Marquardt said there also were reservations about the proposed marketing agreement, with some commenting that “$60,000 was a lot of money with no guarantees of resolution.”

SMC Chief Executive Officer Dorothy Erdmann told the committee that no one could guarantee a developer for the property.

“We have to let the process work,” she said. “There wouldn’t be anyone who could promise we would have people in there developing it.”

The task force has forwarded two options for potential reuse of the property to the city’s Plan Commission and Common Council.

Both proposals would be anchored by a waterfront supper club and lodge, which would require obtaining five properties south of SMC.

Under one proposal, the existing SMC building would become a mix of senior housing, wellness center and community center, with a row of residential town houses to the north.

The alternate plan would raze the hospital building to make way for condominiums and town homes, along with additional green space and a park shelter. Two single-family residential lots would also be created in the far northwest corner, along Second Street.

The alternative plan also envisions a public path along the river, but Wolf River Beach would be discontinued.

Officials stress, however, that both plans are only concepts for the type of development the city would like to see.

“It’s not the way it’s going to be developed, but it’s a good starting point for what we could have there,” City Administrator Brian Knapp said.

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By: 

Leader Staff

Laurie Boivin was elected chairwoman of the Menominee Tribal Legislature at an annual reorganizational meeting Sunday, replacing Craig Corn, who served as chairman for the last two years.

The vote returns Boivin to the role she last held in 2010. Boivin served from 2003 to 2012 as a legislator in various roles before completing the allowable term limit under the Menominee Tribal Constitution.

“This is a pivotal time in our tribal history,” Boivin said. “We have a very strong Tribal Legislature right now that is completely focused on addressing the needs of the Menominee people.”

Boivin was re-elected to the Legislature in January.

“When I served out my last term as a legislator I thought that would be it for me,” Boivin said. “But last summer when the federal government approved our application for the Kenosha casino, it was as if a spark was reignited in me. I have always believed in the Kenosha project as a means to raise our tribe to a greater level of self-sufficiency.”

The project still needs the approval of Gov. Scott Walker, who recently announced he would he would have an independent consultant review the proposal.

Gary Besaw, a member of the Tribal Legislature, will continue as chairman of the Menominee Kenosha Gaming Authority, according to Boivin, who said Besaw has her full support.

“He will be the point person for the tribe in our relationship with our partners, Hard Rock International, and will lead our tribal efforts in working with Governor Walker’s team as we seek final approval,” she said.

Boivin confirmed she will give the State of the Tribes address in Madison on Thursday before a joint session of the Wisconsin Legislature on behalf of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council.

The Legislature on Sunday also elected Crystal Chapman-Chevalier as vice chair and Joan Delabreau as secretary.

“The Menominee Tribal Constitution provides for an annual reorganization of the Menominee Tribal Legislature,” Corn said. “I am grateful for the faith shown in me by the Legislature during my two terms as chairman. I look forward to the next three years as a member of the Legislature and I am fully committed in my support of Chairwoman Boivin.”

Boivin has been a member of both the Keshena and Kenosha Gaming Authorities and served as general manager of the Menominee Casino in Keshena from 1989-1996. Currently, she is the business manager of the Menominee Tribal Clinic, a position from which she will take a leave of absence to serve her term as tribal chairwoman.

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By: 

Lee Pulaski, [email protected]

The Bonduel School Board hopes to have a new district administrator to replace Peter Behnke by early May.

Behnke, 62, announced last week he would retire June 30 after 25 years in Bonduel. The board held a special meeting Monday to discuss the process, when to review applications and when to conduct interviews.

Behnke said he anticipated 15 to 25 applicants for the position and suggested that the board pick six to eight for interviews. If the board formally approves the search at its regular meeting Monday, candidates would have until March 19 to submit their applications.

“I’d like to think that we would attract attention from the surrounding areas,” Behnke said. “We’ll see how many applications we’ll get from comparably sized schools or possibly aspiring principals who want to move up one notch.”

The board would then meet March 24 to discuss the applicants. The first round of interviews would take place April 7-8, and the second round on April 14, with a final decision expected April 21.

The board spent a considerable amount of time discussing whether the new administrator would be required to live within the school district.

Bonduel resident Jerry Mauck said Behnke’s replacement should live in the district.

“We’ve got five- and six-figure salaries going outside of the district, and nobody has no skin in the process,” Mauck said. “We think this is a function the board should handle and get a policy set up.”

Gov. Scott Walker eliminated local residency requirements when the Wisconsin Legislature approved the 2013-15 biennial budget bill, so the board cannot demand the administrator live locally, Behnke said, but board members can ask candidates whether they plan to live in the district.

Board member Kara Skarlupka said encouraging a new administrator to live in the area should not be a problem.

“If the superintendent is living in this district and paying taxes in this district, he’s helping to bring the base up,” Skarlupka said. “He is involved with our district and community.”

Board president Jay Krull suggested offering a higher salary to someone willing to live within the district; Mauck suggested a lower salary for someone who doesn’t want to move to the district.

Board member Dennis Bergsbaken expressed concern that making residency a factor could potentially cheat the district out of the best possible candidate.

“The right person could save us more money than what we’d lose adding to their wage (for residency),” Bergsbaken said.

A salary range was not determined, as board members wanted to keep their options open. Behnke’s salary is $124,388.

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Shawano Police Department

Feb. 10

Police logged 12 incidents, including the following:

OAR — A 24-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation at Richmond Street and Lakeland Road.

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

Fleeing — A vehicle fled from the scene of an attempted traffic stop at Green Bay and Bartlett streets. The vehicle reached speeds of nearly 100 mph as it headed westbound out of the city on County Road MMM. Police terminated the pursuit, but got the vehicle’s license plate number and have identified a suspect. The matter is still under investigation.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 10

Deputies logged 39 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Authorities investigated a telephone scam complaint on Hillside Court in Wescott.

Fraud — North Star Casino in Gresham reported a counterfeit bill.

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

Accidents — Authorities logged five accidents, including two deer-related crashes and an injury accident in Pella.

Clintonville Police Department

Feb. 10

Police logged five incidents, including the following:

Theft — A theft was reported on South Main Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a domestic situation on Sixth Street.

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Clintonville water customers are being told to keep a tap running to keep water lines from freezing up.

The city issued a notice Monday to all residential and commercial water customers to start running a stream of water immediately.

“Utility bills will be adjusted to take into consideration the extra water/sewer usage, and customers will not be charged for the extra usage,” City Administrator Lisa Kuss said in a news release.

Residents who do not run water or shut off their water stream without authorization will be charged for the costs of thawing or repairing their service.

The city issued the following guidelines:

— The stream of water running from one faucet should be approximately the thickness of a pencil/pen - quarter inch in diameter. Those customers that have already experienced a freeze-up that were asked to run a larger stream should continue with that size.

— The water needs to be left running constantly. Do not shut off the faucet when the temperatures warm up during the day. The city will inform customers when the flow of water can be safely shut off. Warmer temperatures typically mean that frost levels will go deeper into the earth’s surface.

“The city will inform customers when they can stop running the water, however this may be well into the month of March,” Kuss said. “Even if the weather/temperature does improve, please do not stop running water unless notified by the city.”

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Shawano Police Department

Feb. 9

Police logged 13 incidents, including the following:

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 400 block of South Smalley Street.

Reckless Driving — Police responded to a reckless driving complaint at Sawyer and Center streets.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint at Water Street and Lieg Avenue.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident at Airport Drive and Green Bay Street.

Feb. 8

Police logged 16 incidents, including the following:

Traffic Hazard — Police responded to a complaint of a man in a wheelchair on East Green Bay Street. The man was off the road when police arrived.

Warrant — A 56-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant in the 800 block of South Park Street.

Reckless Driving — Police responded to a reckless driving complaint on state Highway 22.

Feb. 7

Police logged 22 incidents, including the following:

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint at Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B.

Warrant — A male subject was taken into custody on a warrant in the 1400 block of Waukechon Street.

Trespass — Police responded to a trespassing complaint in the 700 block of South Maiden Lane.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Humphrey Circle.

Warrant — A 21-year-old woman was taken into custody on a warrant in the 100 block of North Hamlin Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 9

Deputies logged 25 incidents, including the following:

Burglary — Authorities investigated a burglary on Hunting Road in Belle Plaine.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on River Bend Road in Belle Plaine.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on County Road M in the town of Grant.

Feb. 8

Deputies logged 39 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on County Road E in Green Valley.

OAR — A 32-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation on Lake Drive in Wescott.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Fifth Street in Mattoon.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on Angle Road in Pella.

OAR — A 21-year-old woman was cited for operating after revocation on County Road G in Red Springs.

Accidents — Authorities logged three minor accidents.

Feb. 7

Deputies logged 41 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Country Lane in the town of Washington.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on Strauss Road in Wescott.

Fraud — Authorities investigated a tax fraud complaint on Schabow Street in Gresham.

Fraud — Authorities investigated water meter fraud complaint on Ebert Street in Gresham.

Theft — Items were reported stolen from a residence on Elm Grove Road in Pella.

Assault — Authorities investigated an assault complaint on Sunset Drive in the town of Herman.

Hit and Run — Authorities investigated a property damage hit-and-run on state Highway 47-55 in Wescott.

Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint on County Road C in Green Valley.

Burglary — Authorities investigated a burglary on state Highway 47-55 in Wescott.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Cedar Street in Tigerton.

Accidents — Authorities logged nine accidents, including a deer-related crash.

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By: 

Leader Staff

A Birnamwood woman originally charged with 30 counts of possessing child pornography pleaded no contest Thursday to seven of the counts as part of a plea agreement. The other counts were dismissed.

Falisha Nicole Foxx, 48, also known as Edwin J. Muhs, is scheduled for sentencing on May 1, following both a pre-sentence investigation and a psycho-sexual evaluation, which is intended to determine the likelihood of a repeat offense and recommend any possible treatment plans.

According to court documents, the state and defense counsel will make a joint recommendation of a withheld sentence, suggesting instead that the court give Foxx six months in jail and eight years on probation. They will also recommend she be required to register as a sex offender.

Foxx could have faced a maximum 25 years in prison and $100,000 fine on each count.

Foxx was previously convicted in Marathon County of one count of possessing child porn. Four other counts were dismissed under a plea agreement. She was sentenced in February 2008 to four years on probation.

The Shawano County charges against Foxx date back to her arrest in Marathon County in November 2007.

According to the criminal complaint, Foxx was arrested by Everest Metro Police after a traffic stop. Police found photocopies of child pornography in her vehicle, according to the complaint.

Shawano County sheriff’s deputies were informed of her arrest because of her Birnamwood address.

Shortly after that, authorities also got a tip that a woman living in the Aniwa Trailer Park was trying to get rid of a computer that had child porn on it. According to the tip, the computer belonged to Foxx, who was renting a room in one of the trailers.

Authorities executed a search warrant at the trailer in December 2007, seizing the computer and numerous CDs, which were then sent to the Department of Criminal Investigations in Madison.

The DCI reported there were hundreds of video files and still images found of children engaged in explicit acts, according to the criminal complaint.

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