Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School in Jackson hits record enrollment | By Megan Himm

Kettle Moraine Lutheran (KML) High School in Jackson started the 2019 – 2020 school year with record enrollment of 508 students. This is the first time the school has seen its student population surpass 500.

“We are thankful families and students who want the Christian education we provide are choosing KML as their high school,” Principal Jamie Luehring said.

Enrollment at KML has seen continuous growth over the past five years, with an increase of over 100 students since the 2014-2015 school year.

Luehring said students are coming from seven different counties as well as 14 different school districts. The majority of freshman come from KML federation grade schools, but there are some who transfer in from public schools.

To accommodate the increase in enrollment, more teachers have been added to the faculty to keep class sizes small. The student to teacher ratio is 13:1; most classes do not exceed the low 20s.

District administration was forward thinking as it looked to the next five years; in 2018 fundraising began for $4.7 million for a new science and innovation wing. That construction was completed in 2019.

The expansion includes classrooms, labs, and office space. Students appreciate the modern designs and new opportunities to learn. KML senior Grace Biermann said, “The science and innovation wing allows us to have a larger environment to study and learn about God’s creation and how it works.”

Looking to the future, KML Superintendent David Bartelt said more growth is expected.

“We are excited about our growing KML family,” he said.

Addison Elementary Principal Joel Dziedzic conquers the Grand Canyon

“It was a long day. Happy to be done.” That was the brief message from Addison Elementary School principal Joel Dziedzic who, along with his brother, spent their Friday running across the Grand Canyon.

“Just finished!  One of the toughest things we have ever done!!,” wrote Dziedzic.

The pair completed the 48-mile course in just under 15 hours.

Dziedzic story is below.

It was a chilly 38 degrees when we started our run at the top of the canyon.  By mid-day as we climbed the north rim and the whole way back, the heat took a toll on us. It was 96 degrees for several hours while we were out there.

The picture of us having lemonade is the famous lemonade at Phantom Ranch canteen.

Thank goodness we got there when we did, they closed right after we were left.

I would have been extreme sad to have missed that. The canteen is at the bottom of the canyon. It was delicious. We had three large glasses each

Dziedzic and his brother completed a run called the Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim in the Grand Canyon.

The unique aspect of crossing the Grand Canyon is that you first descend 9 miles, then run across the floor for 7 miles, before hitting the steepest part of the North Kaibab Trail where you’ll climb 7 miles up a 15% – 20% grade. Pacing yourself is the key to finishing R2R2R.

On a side note: Dziedzic had more photos but his phone was dead at the end of the day.

INITIAL STORY: Friday, Oct. 4. Addison Elementary Principal Joel Dziedzic has already been up for a couple hours this morning as he preps to take off on a run across the Grand Canyon.

“The run is called the Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim in the Grand Canyon and I’m doing it with my brother,” said Dziedzic.

The R2R2R is 47.5 miles. A couple notes about the course are posted below.

The unique aspect of crossing the Grand Canyon is that you first descend 9 miles, then run across the floor for 7 miles, before hitting the steepest part of the North Kaibab Trail where you’ll climb 7 miles up a 15% – 20% grade. Pacing yourself is the key to finishing R2R2R.

The views in the canyon as the sun kisses the walls change with every hour. Take your time to enjoy all that the Grand Canyon has to offer.

Make time to visit Ribbon Falls just off the North Kaibab Trail. Take a dip but don’t stay too long as you have a long day ahead of you. The falls are about a mile off the trail. Take the bridge exit off of the trail to get there.

The trail is about the width of 1/2 a fire road and is very technical with big exposed drop-offs. There are big steps (depending on your height), and the puddles of mule pee are widespread so watch you step and don’t face plant.

Watch the weather. During this trek, we were caught in a flash flood and experienced lightning, rockslides, and crossed 7 muddy, fast, rushing (new) streams.

Dziedzic runs daily and has been practicing for the huge climbs in Arizona by training at Little Switzerland ski hill in Slinger and running the Ice Age Trails at Pike Lake State Park and climbing the tower at Powder Hill.

“Weather looks to be gorgeous. Full sun and 90 at the Grand Canyon,” said Dziedzic. “I’m a little nervous that it will be REALLY warm at the bottom, but we’ll see.”

Dziedzic was meticulously packing this past week. Casting a glare in the photo is the reflective gear he’ll use on the trek along with water bottles, a headlamp, iPod and the always-hand Duct tape.

This past spring Dziedzic and his brother finished the Ice Age Trail 50K in the southern Kettle Moraine (La Grange).

“Not too many kids from school know I’m doing this yet,” said Dziedzic.  “I’m hoping to do a video for the teachers to play for the kids before the walk a thon on Friday, telling them what I’m doing and wish them well. They’re walking for an hour; at their age that might seem like eternity, now imagine running the entire school day… and beyond.”

Questioned whether he’s wary of some of the wildlife or snakes in the Grand Canyon, Dziedzic brushed that off for more serious issues.

“I’m sure there is plenty of wildlife out there, but I haven’t read any crazy stories about any encounters that have me nervous,” he said. “My biggest concerns are staying hydrated, having enough food and not being too affected by the elevation.”

“Many folks say once you do Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim you are never the same. Not totally sure what they mean by that, but I guess I’ll know more after the weekend,” Dziedzic said. “I can’t wait to enjoy the beauty of the Grand Canyon. I’ve never been there but have read and heard so much about its natural beauty and enormity.”

Kyle Knoeck receives Police Officer of the Year for City of Stoughton | By Tom Brugger

Kyle Knoeck, the son of Tom and Sheryl Brugger of West Bend, was awarded Police Officer of the Year for the City of Stoughton. Knoeck is a 2007 West Bend West graduate; he received his Bachelors Degree from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with a major in criminal justice.

Knoeck credits his mom, Sheryl, for much of his success. Knoeck’s father died when he was very young, and his widowed mother did an amazing job raising him and his two brothers. She had strong faith, love, and commitment in giving them the best childhood possible and preparing them for adulthood.

Kettle Moraine Lutheran Girls Golf advance to Sectionals | By Megan Himm

The sky was overcast and the course was wet, but the girls golf team from Kettle Moraine Lutheran (KML) High School pushed through.

Mere hours after storms passed through, Racine St. Catherine’s hosted the Division Two regional match at Ives Grove Golf Links. The girls played the white and red nines. Due to course conditions, special rules were enacted. The girls were allowed to mark, lift, clean and place their balls, as well as remove them from standing water.

The cloudy sky only let the sunshine through on a few occasions during the match. Temperatures stayed in the upper 50s with a slight breeze to keep it cool.

The KML girls struggled on the front nine but turned it around on the back.

Megan Himm shot a 55 and a 44 for a 99. Himm had a par on holes 11, 12, and 13. Abby Shambeau shot a 61 and a 57 for a 118. Maddie Lechmaier shot a 66 and a 62 for a 128. Kayla Samman shot a 69 and a 61 for a 130. Samman had a par on hole 12. Emmi Lechmaier shot a 73 and a 62 for a 135. Lechmaier had a par on hole 15. The team scored a total of 475.

The top four teams advanced to sectionals, as well as the top four individuals not on the advancing teams. Lakeside Lutheran finished first with a 410. They were closely followed by The Prairie School which shot a 413. Winneconne came next with a 417. KML finished up the list of advancing schools with 475.

The top four individuals advancing included Taylor Peterson from Clinton, Olivia Morality from Racine St. Catherines, and Kendall Peterson and Rebecca Schildgen from Turner.

Sectionals will take place October 7 at Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah.

About the author: Megan Himm is a senior at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School. She is the captain of the golf team and a member of the forensics team. After high school, Megan plans on majoring in mathematics and science. To help prepare, she is currently taking AP Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus 3. Megan has been writing for WashingtonCountyInsider.com since November of 2018. Most of her stories are about activities Kettle students participate in, such as math meets, forensics meets, and golf matches.

Designs unveiled for new Towne Place Suites Marriott in downtown West Bend

Plans will be reviewed this week for a new 68-suite hotel and an office building to be located at the corner of E. Water Street and S. Forest Avenue in downtown West Bend.

The development is one of five items to be addressed by the West Bend Plan Commission on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Initial hotel and office designs by Adam Hertel of American Architectural Group, are below.

The parcel for the development is the former Gehl Co. property across the street from the new West Bend Medical and kitty corner to Culaccino Bar + Italian Kitchen. The site is south of the Museum of Wisconsin Art and to the east of the Eisenbahn State trail. West Bend Transit is across the street on S. Forest Avenue to the east.

The 3-story hotel, Towne Place Suites Marriott, will be 15,244-square feet; it will feature a pool and include a pair of driveways off S. Forest Avenue and the other on E. Water Street. There will be 153 standard parking and 8 barrier-free parking stalls.

One of the entrances off S. Water Street will lead to a parking lot which will be in the middle of the entrance to the hotel and, to the west, will be the entrance to the Water Street Office Building.

The Water Street Office Building will be a single-story structure and it will share the parking lot with the hotel.

Both developments are being proposed by Paul Stangl, RAFRAD, LLC, of Germantown.

Tuesday’s Plan Commission meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at West Bend City Hall, 1115 S. Main Street.

On a side note: The proposed hotel and office building are on the front end (Water Street) of the former Gehl Company lot. On the back end is a proposed active senior living complex. That facility will be 5-to-6 stories and is being proposed by RNT Development of Minnesota.

Horicon Bank in West Bend makes strong donation to Stars & Stripes Honor Flight

In September, Horicon Bank on Paradise Drive in West Bend hosted its annual SHRED Day. While the event was free any donations collected would go to the Stars & Stripes Honor Flight.

This week Horicon Bank presented a check for $4,000 to the Honor Flight. The ceremony was attended by several local veterans including John Fink, Tom Landvatter and Nick Habersetzer. Amy Luft from the Honor Flight accepted the donation.

“This is such a great partnership we have with Horicon Bank,” said Luft.

Brenda Hetebrueg, branch manager at Horicon Bank, said this year the community really stepped forward to help support the veterans. “We were able to present a check in 2018 to the Honor Flight for $2,000 and this year we’re donating $4,000,” said Hetebrueg. “Horicon Bank also contributed to make it the $4,000 and the bank picked up the cost to have the shredding machine on site September 14.”

“It was just remarkable that day and just amazing to see everyone come together that day and make such phenomenal donations,” she said. Also special, according to Hetebrueg, was how the public interacted with the veterans on site and showed them such warmth and appreciation.

Ribbon cutting to celebrate expansion at Hartford Municipal Airport

A celebration this week for the City of Hartford as a ribbon cutting was held to officially recognize the completion of the runway expansion at Hartford Municipal Airport.

“Our city planner Justin Drew, city engineer Jason Shaw and last but least Daryl Kranz, head of Department of Public Works and Airport Manager. For people who do not know, Daryl, he has been like an expectant father the last three years,” said City Administrator Steve Volkert.

“Daryl would often encourage us to take tours of every step forward made with this airport project.

“This is definitely one of the things Daryl can highlight as a big accomplishment as part of his career in the City of Hartford.”

The $7.5 million renovation features a renovated runway which now runs directly west and east vs. the previous northwest to southeast direction while adding 400 linear feet to the previous 3,000-foot runway.

This will allow for easier takeoffs and landings for the many planes housed at the airport along with those coming into Hartford for business and leisure.

City officials in Hartford started planning a runway renovation in 2005; the proposal finally got through state and federal political hoops and the project got underway in early 2018. It was substantially completed last month.

Of the estimated final $7.5 million cost, 90 percent was picked up by the Federal Aviation Administration, 5 percent by the state and the final 5 percent by Hartford Municipal Airport. Room tax dollars were used to offset the $375,000 portion of the cost to the City of Hartford.

Weasler in West Bend makes generous donation to Trot for Troops

Over $14,500 was donated by Weasler in West Bend to Trot for Troops.

The donation was made up of monies raised from the annual Weasler Golf Outing held in July and coordinated by Dennis Zolp, a company match and additional donations. There were 76 golfers that took part in the 18-hole event.

In the last year Trot for Troops has donated over $20,000 to support local organizations that help veterans and currently serving military members in the state of Wisconsin.

Morrie’s West Bend Honda on track for Nov. 1 opening

Construction is on track for the November 1, 2019 opening of new Morrie’s West Bend Honda, 3215 W. Washington Street.

Contractors have been making significant progress and motorists on Highway 33 at Scenic Drive have recently seen signage on the facade, landscaping along with the Honda emblem put in place.

Coming up will be the completion of the interior (we’ll see if we can get a sneak peek inside) and lighting and blacktop will be put in place before the end of October.

Opening date announced for new Billy Sims BBQ in West Bend

The new Billy Sims BBQ restaurant has announced an official opening date for its store in the Washington Plaza, 1442 W. Washington Street, in West Bend.

Below you can see the build out is nearly complete. According to franchise owners, Billy Sims will be coming to West Bend to participate in a couple grand opening events.

According to Billy Sims marketing director Tena Wooldridge, the store in West Bend will open in mid-November. Wooldridge said there have been some contractor delays and an initial mid-October opening has now been pushed off a couple weeks.

Thursday, November 14- Billy Sims to arrive in West Bend, WI

Friday, November 15- Possible school event Friday afternoon, Friday evening 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. dinner rush with Billy (autographs and giveaways)

Saturday, November 16 – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Lunch, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. dinner with Billy (autographs and giveaways)

Clay Covert of Slinger is the one behind the opening of the Billy Sims Barbecue in the Washington Plaza, 1442 W. Washington Street. It’s the strip mall on the north side of the road that includes Little Caesar’s Pizza, Subway, and China Town.

Skeletons on tap this Halloween on Hwy 167 in Richfield

Jimmy Zamzow’s annual Halloween display on Highway 167 in Richfield looks like it was a rip roarin’ good time for many of those in attendance.

Each year Zamzow creates a theme display, using an array of skeletons. This year’s creation is extremely familiar to anyone in the Midwest. The party scene is complete with a friendly game of pool, a night with friends in the hot tub, a couple pitchers with friends, and there’s even a well-documented instance of someone who have had one too many.

1940s Homecoming meant a search for the toothpick

As high schools across Washington County are in the midst of homecoming celebrations, some old timers in West Bend recall the mischief that happened back in their day.

There was the usual float building, selecting the Homecoming Court and in West Bend there was the epic search for the toothpick. The winner would be awarded the chance to light the bonfire.

The article below was published in 2008 in Around the Bend by Judy Steffes

According to Carl Kircher, who graduated in 1945, homecoming was highlighted by “a student search for the toothpick.”

“It was a little stick, like a Tinkertoy, about six inches long, decorated red and white. One of the school janitors would run out and hide it on the football field,” said Kircher referencing Harvey Bruhy Field, behind Badger Middle School, the former location of West Bend High School.

“The janitor would hide the toothpick and then around 10 o’clock in the morning all the students would run out and look for it.”

Kircher said the search would take about 15 minutes. Newspaper archives show Willis Jacklin found the toothpick in 1942 and John Neuy in 1945.

The prize for finding the toothpick would be to light the bonfire.

“We’d have a big bonfire in the middle of the field about a week before homecoming and the big thrill was to see how many outhouses, we could get stacked up on it,” said Kircher recalling one year when students collected 13 outhouses.

People living on Big Cedar Lake were often the primary targets of outhouse theft. “Oh yah, they had them all over the place out there and the kids would go at night, bring them in and throw them on the pile,” laughed Kircher.

James Kuehn, who graduated in 1950, said farmers would keep watch at night over their outhouses. “They had to, or they wouldn’t have a place to go in the morning,” said Kuehn.

“Sure, they stole them, there was always an outhouse on the top of the pile, and nobody got in trouble,” he said.

The big football rivals in West Bend were Hartford, Berlin, and Waupun; that’s when the West Bend Badgers played in the Little Ten Conference. Football coaches at the time included Bob Caldwell, Carl Kuss, and Jack Runkle.

Fire Prevention Week Activities in Washington County | By Ron Naab

Fire Prevention Week begins tonight, Friday, October 4 as the Richfield Fire Company 26th Annual Fire Prevention Week Kick-Off starts at 6:30 until 9 pm.

There will be a huge display of fire trucks and emergency equipment along with a landing of the Flight for Life Ambulance Helicopter at 7:45 p.m.

This will be followed by the other departments in the county hosting activities throughout the week.

Listed below are Fire Prevention Week activities at Fire Departments across Washington County:

Allenton Vol. Fire Department and St. Lawrence Fire Company​ Pancake Breakfast & Open House on Sunday, October 13, 8:00-12 noon at the Allenton Fire Station; ​ Accident response with Flight for Life landing at 10 am

Boltonville Fire Department​Open House at Boltonville Fire Station on Monday, October 7, 6:00-8:00 pm

Fillmore Fire Department​Open House on Saturday, October 12, 1:00-3:00 pm

Hartford Fire-Rescue​Open House along with Hartford Autumn Fest, Fire Station on Saturday, October 5, 2018, 10 am – 1 pm, in conjunction with Hartford Fall Fest

Jackson Fire Department​Open House at the Jackson Fire Station on Wednesday, October 9 from 6 pm-8 pm

Kewaskum Fire Department​Open House at the Kewaskum Fire Station on Thursday, October 10, 6:30-8:30 pm

Kohlsville Fire Department​Open House at their station on Thursday, October 10  6:00-8:00 pm

Slinger Fire Department​Open House at the Slinger Fire Station on Tuesday, October 8, 6:00-8:00 pm

West Bend Fire Department​Open House at Station #1 on Saturday, October 12, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

History of Fire Prevention Week

Since 1922, the National Fire Prevention Association has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country.

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage.

This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.

However, the same day in the same year a more devastating fire occurred here in Wisconsin in the Peshtigo area.

The fire destroyed 1.2 million acres and estimated 2,500 people perished.  The total area burned was twice the size of Rhode Island.

At the same time these two fires occurred, there was the Great Michigan Fire.  It is thought that these three fires occurred because of extremely dry weather conditions combined with strong winds over the entire Midwest. Both fires started on October 8 and intensified on October 9.

The “firestorm” that could generate 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit with winds of 110 plus miles per hour, at times the firestorm would create its own tornadoes ranging 1,000 to 10,000 feet in diameter.

The Peshtigo fire came to a halt when it reached the shores of Lake Michigan.

It is the intent that during Fire Prevention Week to educate children and adults of all ages on being safe in case of a fire.  Across the nation firefighters will attempt to decrease casualties caused by fire through a weeklong education opportunities.

The teaching theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week is: Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!™   Be aware of your surroundings because fire can happen anywhere.

Look for places fire could start around your home, your workplace and the places you have fun at.  Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm.

Test your smoke detectors, if they are 10 years old replace them.  Plan two escapes from each room and from the house. Do a drill so all know what to do and where to go.

SOURCES:  Wikipedia and Stacy Conradt contributing writer to mental floss since 2008.