Kettle Trailblazers snowmobile club volunteers to reroute trail at Sandy Knoll

Volunteers stepped up over the weekend to work with the West Bend Kettle Trailblazers snowmobile club clearing a new path for the trail to go around, rather than through the dog park at Sandy Knoll.

Last week a story was posted at WashingtonCountyInsider.com about some confusion at Sandy Knoll County Park on Wallace Lake Road in West Bend as fans of the dog park were mixing with snowmobile enthusiasts on the same turf.

Some miscommunication was to blame, but rather than dwell on it the Kettle Trailblazers snowmobile club stepped up to make it right.

“We had 20 guys show up with less than 24 hours’ notice,” said Pat Groth of West Bend Kettle Trailblazers snowmobile club.  “We worked hard to make the trail go where it needs to and that should help make dog owners happy and safe.”

Groth put out a call-to-action early Saturday morning and was more than pleased with the response. “I couldn’t be more proud of our snowmobile club because I put out a mass text on Saturday morning at 8 a.m.   It read, ‘We’ve got a whole bunch of stuff to take care of at Sandy Knoll to make this problem go away for Washington County and we’re just helping out another landowner.'”

Groth said on Sunday morning a crew showed up with wheelbarrows and trucks and saws and within four hours they cleared a path outside of the dog park fence. “The trail now goes to the west outside of the fence for the dog park. Problem solved,” said Groth.

The team of volunteers moved the path, cleared a large amount of brush to get the groomer through, and cleaned up. The snowmobile season in Washington County runs about 20 days at most during the winter season.

On a history note: The snowmobile trail has been running through Sandy Knoll Park for 45 years and the trail itself has been in place even before Sandy Knoll became a park. Sandy Paws Dog Park opened in 2020.

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Festival Foods is coming to Hartford. The story broke Monday night on WashingtonCountyInsider.com

“We’re hoping to start construction in 2021 with an opening in 2022,” said Brian Stenzel with Festival Foods.

The company is family and employee-owned and operates 31 full-service, state-of-the art supermarkets in Wisconsin. On December 18, 2020 it closed on the purchase of Hartford Plaza.

The location, 1201 Bell Avenue, and 1275 Bell Avenue, had been vacant more than four years following the departure of Sentry Foods to the west and Kmart to the east.

“We looked through numerous opportunities that come across our desk and we just saw the community as one that we could serve well with our store,” Stenzel said.

The grocery is expected to bring about 200 new jobs to the community both full and part time.

While Festival Foods plans to open in the old Kmart section of the strip mall, Stenzel said they are keeping their options open on the west side of the property. “We have no plans at this time,” he said. “We will look at opportunities for that space on down the road.”

This will be the first new grocery for the City of Hartford since Aldi opened in mid-December 2014 and Walmart opened in May 2007. Questioned whether the company is nervous about the current uncertainty in the economy Stenzel said building new store is always a gamble.

“We believe it is a good, calculated risk just because of what we have to offer,” he said. “We have great customer service and our model of serving the community with a clean, inviting grocery store is something we take great pride in.”

Although the strip-mall property has been on the market a while and is a bit set back from Highway 60 it does sit near, what some say, is a diamond corner with McDonald’s, Walgreens, and Kwik Trip.

“We always look for areas that have a lot of rooftops to be convenient for people to shop or a busy hub where people can get a lot of things done outside of grocery shopping as well,” Stenzel said.

While the news about a Hartford opening is settling in there was some rumbling about a Festival Foods opening to the south in Menomonee Falls.  Stenzel said “there is nothing confirmed there.”

The City of Hartford is unique in that its liquor ordinance prevents any grocery or convenience store from selling alcohol. The ordinance was passed to protect the mom-and-pop liquor stores in the community.

Currently Hartford has four liquor stores including Hartford Wine and Spirits on Sumner Street, B&S Liquor on S. Grand Avenue, Hilldale Liquor on E. Sumner Street, and Stop-N-Go Convenience Center.

Stenzel said the alcohol ordinance did not impact their decision. “It is something we will certainly work with the City and certainly obey any ordinance that is in place,” he said. “It is nothing that swayed our decision one way or the other.”

Hartford Plaza sold

The Hartford Plaza located south of Highway 60 and just west of County Highway K in the City of Hartford has sold. The Washington County Register of Deeds reports the two parcels, 1201 Bell Avenue, and 1275 Bell Avenue, sold December 18, 2020.

Equitable Bank sold both parcels to MKB Hartford II LLC for $925,000 each.

MKB Hartford II LLC is listed as “a Wisconsin Domestic Limited-Liability Company filed on December 4, 2020. The company’s filing status is listed as Organized and its File Number is M113433. The Registered Agent on file for this company is Kirk Stoa and is located at 3800 Emerald Dr E, Onalaska, WI 54650.”

Kirk Stoa and 3800 Emerald Drive in Onalaska is also the address tied to Festival Foods and Stoa is listed as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at Festival Foods.

Festival Foods defines itself as, “A family and employee-owned company that operates 31 full-service, state-of-the art supermarkets in WI.”

The closest Festival Foods are in Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Portage and Oshkosh.

City Administrator Steve Volkert was informed of the sale by WashingtonCountyInsider.com

“Residents have been interested in seeing a new owner for the building so there can be a new use for the facility,” said Volkert. “We’re looking forward to what will come.”

There are currently three businesses operating out of the strip mall including NAPA, Cost Cutters and Edward Jones Financial.

Volkert said the old Kmart, located on the east side of the strip mall, closed in early 2016. The Sentry Foods store, on the west endcap of the strip mall, closed around 2010.

This is a 17.79-acre site with 150,000 square foot multi-tenant shopping center.

The property was initially listed for lease in September 25, 2016.

ABOUT PROPERTY – Located in a high traffic area, surrounded by many prominent retailers, this property has tremendous potential for all incoming tenants. Built in 1990, with a 7,200 SF addition built in 1998. Lot size is 17.79 acres, with 800+ parking spaces, Zoned B-2 (Community Business District) 9 separate suites ranging from 1,200 SF to 86,480 SF.  Located 5.5 miles west of I41

Volkert said the rumor mill has been running fast and furious the past year about potential incoming tenants.

“We’ve heard everything from an Amazon distribution center to Festival Foods,” he said. “Nothing has come before us or the Plan Commission.”

If a rumor about another grocery is true, can Hartford support four grocery stores? Hartford currently has Aldi, Walmart, and Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly (previously County Market).

“It is more than the City of Hartford to consider,” said Volkert. “So, you take a 5-mile radius outside of the city limits and that’s your market; if that is the case, they are obviously doing their due diligence for an additional grocery store.

“People may feel the City controls it but it is a lot of work done by the developer to research the community, the facility and the area and make a business decision that suits their needs. Blaming or giving credit to the City is not warranted because we haven’t been working with anybody.”

To add more fodder to the rumor mill is a job posting found on Google. While the post may say “Hartford” the location for the job is listed as Oak Creek, WI and then at the end of the post it also says “Hartford.”

Starbucks in Hartford

There appears to be a retail development boom in Hartford as a new Starbucks is expected to break ground in March or April 2021.

“Hartford is hot right now,” said Tom Hostad, executive director of the Hartford Area Development Corporation. “People are looking at what can come here and I do see 2021 as a good year for commercial development in Hartford.”

Real estate firm Mid-America posted designs for the new store at 1502 E. Sumner Street; the property is formerly home to the Clark gas station and car wash. That property was posted for sale in February 2019. It featured 8 pumping stalls, 38-feet for frontage on Highway 60, the car wash and convenience store. The building dated to 1980 and the assessment was $563,800.

According to Mid-America the new construction would feature a side-by-side development with Starbucks opening to the west with a drive-thru. There would be additional 1,800 – 2,300 square feet available for lease on the east portion of the building.

City Administrator Steve Vokert said the construction was approved in 2020 by the Hartford Plan Commission but “at that time they had not verified what beverage business it was going to be.”

On Monday, WashingtonCountyInsider.com broke the story about Festival Foods purchasing the Hartford Plaza. The grocery will be developed in the former Kmart location on the east side of the mall. The west endcap, formerly home to Sentry Foods, has yet to be determined.

John Dyke, commercial real estate broker with Encore Real Estate said, that intersection in Hartford is the “holy grail of commercial real estate.”

“You have McDonald’s, Kwik Trip, and Walgreens and if you ever want to find the best corner in town this is it,” he said.

Dyke said the properties in that area sat empty for a while for one reason. “Amazon,” he said. “Who is building a big box store anymore. There are a lot of empty storefronts including Boston Store and Macys but we were always confident a grocery would go in there.”

When the Hartford Plaza first went on the market Dyke said Festival Foods and Menards were at the top of the list. “Now that Festival has committed development will be attractive to a lot of people because it brings so much foot traffic or car traffic,” he said. “It wouldn’t be beyond the realm of doubt to see a Buffalo Wild Wings (not confirmed) because Hartford is underserved for any high-level dining.”

The Ponderosa is currently under contract with an accepted offer; however, the property has not sold.

Festival Foods has confirmed it has not purchased that property. Ponderosa, 1285 E. Sumner Street, was listed in late November and had an accepted offer, according to real estate agents, within 10 days.

“Highway 60 in Hartford is going to develop; they have very good population growth and the affordable apartments coupled with the industrial park makes Hartford really attractive,” Dyke said.

Pete Rettler’s record-setting fundraiser celebrating 27 years of running  

Pete Rettler of West Bend wrapped up 2020 in record fashion as he completed his 27^th year of running daily and raised double the amount intended for the Wisconsin 9-11 Memorial in Kewaskum.

“I’ve been blown away by all the support,” said Rettler.

On New Year’s Day the newly minted grandfather pushed his 2-month-old granddaughter, Reagan, in a stroller 3.1 miles. To put a bow on the run Rettler also raised $4,700, far more than the $2,700 goal he set.

“We held a virtual event this year but I had 12 sponsors and we picked up $1,500 from 29 door prizes,” he said. “People were extremely generous and I received a lot of support from my colleagues at Moraine Park Technical College.”

Rettler’s running streak dates to January 1, 1994 and a bet made with a former wrestling teammate. The pair vowed to run daily for an entire year to return to their wrestling weight of 126 pounds. They both stayed true to their word and then Rettler took it to the next level and kept going – daily for 27 years.

Over that time, he has endured challenges such as kidney stones, a lightning storm and below freezing temperatures during Wisconsin winters.

“If there was a year my streak might come to an end, I thought 2020 would be it,” he said.

While Rettler avoided contracting COVID he was tormented by a couple injuries. “It was a hard year because this summer I tore a hamstring while water skiing,” he said. “It was sore but I kept running and when I started feeling better it popped again.”

A regime of ice and heat, wrapping and moderate running and Rettler, at 56, bounced back.

“I’m really very blessed,” he said.

On Friday morning about 30 people gathered at the Annex in Kewaskum to take part in Rettler’s annual run. Rev. Pat Heppe blessed the event

“I look at the world and God looked at all of us and said ‘there’s great potential here’ so He sent His son Jesus and told us how to activate that potential. This is part of that too, actuating the potential we have as human beings to make the world a better place and to go above any type of tragedy.

Paul to the Philippians said, “I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength” and Hebrews talks about “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. The beauty of this is God has a race marked out for all of us.”

Gordon Haberman, one of the founders of the Wisconsin 9-11 Memorial, said a couple words.

“I did a rough calculation and today would be the 9,855^th day that Pete has put on his running shoes and braved the elements to keep his streak going,” said Haberman. “That’s amazing. This marks the second anniversary Pete has designated the Wisconsin 9-11 Memorial as the recipient of donations from his run.”

Haberman said it is expected construction of the Wisconsin 9-11 Memorial will be completed in mid-2021.

Record-breaking year for Enchantment in the Park                                  By Lori Yahr

Thank you West Bend for another great Enchantment in the Park season.

There were over 45,000 people who visited beautiful Regner Park, 18,750 pounds of delicious food was collected and given to Washington County pantries, and $45,355 was given back to local nonprofits who help setup, takedown and operate Enchantment in the Park, 2020.

A big shout out to our generous sponsors; West Bend Mutual, Seek Careers and Staffing, Schmitz Ready Mix, Westbury Charitable Foundation, Lynch Buick GMC, Husar’s House of Fine Diamonds, Strachota Family, Delta Defense, Midstate Insurance, Weasler Engineering, Jeff and Chris Potts, Kohler Credit Union, West Bend Friends of Parks and Recreation, Washington County Insider, Kilian Management Services, Pet Supply Plus, Paul and Karen Rice, Baird, the Chlupp and Hall Group, The Chris Chlupp Family, Moraine Park Technical College, Morries Honda, Johnson Family Foundation, Dave Baldus Family, and A & W Iron and Metal.

Thank you to all of our energetic group volunteers who helped setup, takedown and volunteer at Enchantment, Immanuel Church, WB Boys Basketball, Casa Guadalupe, WB Snowboard Team, WB Winter Guard, Slinger Kiwanis, Jackson JHawks Baseball, West Bend Rotary, WB East Dance, WB Sunrise Rotary, Slinger Allenton Rotary, Slinger SkillsUSA, WB Early Risers Kiwanis, Kohler Credit Union, St. Peter’s Youth, Menomonee Falls Rotary, Kewaskum Girls Basketball, West Bend Lightning Softball, WB Dance, WB Swim Club, Joel Schneider and team, Peter German Family, Jon Corbett Family, Dylan Moore, Paul Hayden Family, Moraine Park Electrical Department, Jon Schlindwein, Gary Wachs, and Jessica Schmitz and Kat Trago team.

Big shout out to our marketing teams, Epic Creative and Washington County Insider and a special thank you to the West Bend Police Department for keeping the traffic flowing and the West Bend Parks for keeping the paths clean.

Happy New Year to all. See you again in 2021!   The Enchantment in the Park Team

Man rescued after breaking through ice on Pike Lake

A 65-year-old man was rescued after falling through the ice on Pike Lake in Hartford on Wednesday afternoon, December 30.

According to Hartford Fire Chief Paul Stephans the call came in at 1 p.m. about a man through the ice about 400 feet from the beach area at the State Park. People hiking on the trail called 9-1-1 after hearing calls for help.

The Washington County Dive Team was activated along with Flight for Life via protocol.

“The man fell through the ice but he did not go below the surface so we were able to rescue him with our ice rescue suits and bring him ashore,” said Stephans. Hartford Fire and Rescue transported the man to Advocate Aurora / Hartford Hospital.

“He was alert and conscious and suffering from hypothermia after being in the water for 40 minutes,” Stephans said. One member of the Hartford Fire Department did suffer a shoulder injury and he is being treated at Advocate Aurora. There is no prognosis update on the firefighter.

“The ice is not safe yet,” said Stephans. “I know it is a great feeling for the ice fishermen to get out on the first ice but it is way, way too dangerous with the weather we’ve had through December and today was proof of the instability of the ice.”

Sharon Ruplinger retires after 47 ½ years with McDonald’s

After 47 1/2 years with one employer Sharon Ruplinger is ready to retire from McDonald’s and Kilian Management Services.

Ruplinger, a McDonald’s veteran, started in 1973 when she was a 15-year-old sophomore at West Bend East High School.

“I was there when the special sauce for the Big Mac was mixed at the store and when the Hamburgler crawl thing, bouncy fry girls and metal slides were in the outdoor play land,” Ruplinger said. “We had to shut down the play area when it was really hot because kids would burn their legs on that metal slide.”

As a teen Ruplinger had to know all the prices and the tax table, add by hand on a piece of paper, and cook by sight – not by computer.

Ruplinger started working behind the counter at McDonald’s when the store was located at 915 S. Main Street; currently home to AutoZone. That store had a one-window drive thru and the popular sandwich was the McLean Deluxe. She was there in 1988 when the uniforms were baby blue with polyester pants and a blue striped button-up top.

Ruplinger advanced within the ranks and worked as Steve Kilian’s assistant and local marketing manager. She was there when the McDonald’s offices were in the basement of the Kilian home to when it was in the Frisby House on the hill at S. Main and Poplar Street and now on

Ruplinger has worked for Steve Kilian and Steve Jr. ever since Jr. was 7 years old.

“She said my brother and I were running around as kids and my dad and mom were there so we kind of grew up with Sharon in our house every day,” said Kilian Jr. “It was very unique but amazing how it worked out.”

“She is the hardest working, most loyal person you could ever meet,” said Steve Kilian Jr. “She cares about everybody here and wants to see everybody succeed and that’s just a great quality and she cares so much and wants to do the best and she’s come to work every day doing that which has been outstanding and we’re just thankful she’s stayed with us for so many years.”

Kilian said the secret to Sharon’s success came from hard work.

“She earned the respect of her peers, both the people who work for her and the people she worked for,” he said. “She never would ask someone to do something she wouldn’t do herself and she was honest. That’s how people earn respect.”

Kilian Jr. said it was 2019 when Ruplinger gave her 1-year notice. “It was a very emotional moment,” he said. “She said she is always a phone call away and it was really important for her to have a replacement in place so nothing would fall through the cracks. She wanted to leave knowing everyone would be set up for success once she was gone and that’s a real special thing.”

Jane Sterr is one of the Day Ladies at McDonald’s who has also had a long career at the Golden Arches. She worked alongside Ruplinger. “That was when we had an outdoor play area where someone stole the full-size Ronald McDonald.”

“Sharon took care of a lot of parties and she kept the dining area clean,” said Sterr. “Sharon is awesome; she would do anything for you,” said McDonald’s Day Lady Karen Wentz. “Whenever we had any celebration she was always there.  Everybody loved her.”

Deb Swenson started with Kilian Management in 1999 and has worked with Sharon “forever.”

“Everybody loves her and she’s been crying for a couple days already because the feedback on the emails has been just tremendous,” she said. “Sharon will be sorely missed. She is very accommodating; she is the face of McDonald’s. She was instrumental in planning the Threshold Shamrock Shake Day and the teacher appreciation nights.  We did a fund raiser for Ronald McDonald House and Cars for a Cause. The Kilian’s are so generous and always giving back to the community.”

“I’m really sad. This is very sad,” said Steve Kilian Sr. “She was going to retire in August and then her husband was going to retire at the same time and she said she could then stay until the end of the year when he is retiring.”

Kilian said he had a million Sharon stories. “When I came to West Bend in 1990 and she was working for the previous owner she was pretty emotional about the changes we made and she cried then and now that she’s leaving, she’s crying again,” he said.

“I spotted her and thought she was capable of a lot of things. She did some bookwork for me and she became close to my family because she came to work at my house every day,” said Kilian. “She would sometimes babysit or throw birthday parties; she did what we needed her to do.”

Kilian said Ruplinger evolved from being a helper to being a consultant. “I would ask her opinion on so many things,” he said. “Her confidence grew and she was a big voice in our company. She got to the point where she did my thinking for me, she got to know me so well.”

Kilian credited Ruplinger with having great instincts. “She became the marketing person. She had no formal training but we learned the business together,” he said.

While Ruplinger’s career spanned nearly 48 years, the last 31 years were with Kilian Management.

“I am going to miss her tremendously,” said Kilian. “She’s become, not only a member of my company but of my family and she had a tremendous effect on my business and my family and I sincerely thank her for that.”

“I could not be more proud of the dedication and work ethic of 47 years at the same employer.  This is the last of a generation of worker devoted to their employer for life.   Also, having grown up on McDonalds cheeseburgers since they were a quarter, I hope my kids will realize that fast food can provide a lifetime of support to a family.  Sharon has her home family and her McDonald’s family, and only the time of day determined which she worked harder for.” – Scott Ruplinger (Son)

“My mom has been proud to be part of McDonald’s for her entire career.  I am grateful that I witnessed her strong work ethic and loyalty.  Her example made us better.”  – Kim Raschick (Daughter)

“We grew up with McDonald’s. From Mom bringing home the newest happy meal toy to breaking in the new play-places. Every birthday party we had was with our McDonald’s family at the restaurants. Looking back, I can’t think of a time when I heard my Mom complain about work. She loves her job and her co-workers. Her work ethic lessons have been taught to us and we will pass down to our kids.” – Kelly Bubolz (Daughter)

Ruplinger sent a note December 10, 2020

This email is to inform the business associates (which I will call my Friends) that I have worked with over the many years. I will be retiring at the end of the year from McDonald’s/Kilian Management Services.

My one and only job started on April 30, 1974. I have worked for McDonald’s for 47 ½ years with over 30 years with the Kilian’s. I’ve attached our Christmas card from this year with my 9 reasons to retire.

COVID has been rough with not seeing our Grandkids. Hoping after COVID I’ll be the Grandma I want to be. You hear when people retire how they will miss the people they’ve worked with. I can tell you from the bottom of my heart working for the Kilian’s is and was like working with my Family. Steve Jr was 7 yrs old when I started working for them in their office in their house. I’m so proud to say I was here to watch Steve Jr grow up and become a successful 2nd generation Operator.

My Assistant for many years Deb Swenson will be taking over my job and is your contact for Kilian’s schedules and anything else you will need.

Thank you for all the years of help and patience.

Sharon Ruplinger

Plan Commission questioned about property sale to DQ

The owner of Jumbo’s Frozen Custard, Jeff Kern, spoke before the West Bend Plan Commission on Wednesday evening asking how they could justify selling the Mutual Mall to Dairy Queen.

Kern said he appeared before the Plan Commission in 2003 when he proposed investing over $1 million to redevelop the A&W property after it sat vacant following a fire and make it into an independent custard shop.

“While I’m not at all against Kevin or the Dairy Queen to reestablish itself in West Bend it is amazing to me that the City would sell a piece of property to a business that competes directly against me,” said Kern.

“I’m a free-market guy but I don’t understand the purpose of planning commission when the City is actively involved in putting the same frozen dessert-treat service with similar hot dogs, similar hamburgers, similar French fries, as a matter of fact the person who delivers my custard mix will go right across the street and deliver to Kevin.”

“It seems to me that’s a lack of foresight among the City of West Bend in allowing something like that to happen.”

Kern said DQ offered a layout of a beautiful building and expressed a lot of opportunity in West Bend for the business to move forward but questioned why they would locate it across the street from a similar business.

“I just don’t understand why it goes directly across the street from me,” Kern said. “And hits me right in the wallet the minute this vote goes through.”

Kern said “Any opportunity for future sales will be directly related to the vote happening right now.  Evidently the $1.3 million I invested in Jumbo’s when I built, the 17 years of community service and support, the $6 million or $7 million in payroll means nothing to the people sitting in this room.”

“For you to sell a parcel to these people so I can look out the window of my business at my competition. I just want to go on record saying that’s disappointing and I will be here to fight for every customer I have but this chamber is making it very difficult to succeed in this endeavor,” Kern said. Kern said DQ offered a beautiful building and expressed a lot of opportunity in West Bend for the business to move forward but questioned why they would locate it across the street from a similar business.

“I just don’t understand why it goes directly across the street from me,” Kern said. “And hits me right in the wallet the minute this vote goes through.”

Kern said, “Any opportunity for future sales will be directly related to the vote happening right now.  Evidently the $1.3 million I invested in Jumbo’s when I built, the 17 years of community service and support, the $6 million or $7 million in payroll means nothing to the people sitting in this room.”

“For you to sell a parcel to these people so I can look out the window of my business at my competition. I just want to go on record saying that’s disappointing and I will be here to fight for every customer I have but this chamber is making it very difficult to succeed in this endeavor,” Kern said.

City of West Bend development director Mark Piotrowicz said the property was zoned B-1 commercial and the decision to sell the property was up to the Common Council and not the Plan Commission.

The Plan Commission then voted unanimously in favor of the site plan for Dairy Queen. Those voting included Jed Dolnick, Bernie Newman, Sara Fleischman, Steve Hoogester, Chris Jenkins and Max Marechal.

Absent from the Plan Commission were Mike Staral, Bryce Gannon and Chris Schmidt.  The site plan must still go before the Common Council for approval.

Opening of Dunkin’ / Baskin Robbins delayed until December 2020 / January 2021

The facade signs are in place at the new Dunkin’ / Baskin Robbins location in West Bend however neighbors are going to have to wait a bit longer than expected for the opening.

The store, 1610 W. Washington Street, was slated to open in October and then pushed to mid-November. Now media spokesman Louis Lessor said their goal is still a late 2020 opening but that could possibly be delayed to early 2021.

The store is still waiting on a couple pieces of key equipment including several hand-washing stations. Construction got underway June 10, 2020 in the lot formerly home to Pizza Hut.

The 2,160-square-foot property is nearly complete. Signage was installed October 29. The building must still pass building inspection before it can open.

Spaulding Clinical increases stipends

Spaulding Clinical in West Bend has an easy way for people who may have lost their job to make money. Cassie Erato is CEO for the Phase 1 pharmaceutical testing firm. “We really have a good message for our community,” said Erato.

Spaulding Clinical currently has 12 studies available that are paying extremely high stipends.

“Because of COVID-19 it is more difficult to recruit right now,” said Erato.  “We have an abundance of trials to choose from and everyone is increasing their stipends.  So, the amount our clients are paying per day is very high, even though the risk is no greater.”

A sampling of what the stipends are like:

– One study is 20 days and it pays $7,500.

– There is a sunscreen trial that is 5 nights, sunscreen is applied and there are blood draws and it pays $3,200.

– Another study is 7 nights and 9 outpatient visits.  It pays $6,800 and that is for an FDA approved drug for high cholesterol.

“People in the community can really benefit from clinical trials, especially if maybe their restaurant jobs shut down, people are turning to clinical trials for income,” said Erato.  “We are providing so much in stipends right now; we’re sending hundreds of thousands of dollars out each week.”

“We have this abundance of trials to choose from, all for healthy volunteers.  You can take your pick from a quick, short stay or five days and being able to work around your work schedule,” she said.

There are 12 studies currently available and they can talk to our recruitment department to see what they are comfortable with.  There are a lot of different

“I’ve been in this industry for 13 years and I’ve never seen stipend payments like this before,” said Erato. “There was a small surge in 2006 right before the recession but it was not like this.”

Al and Sally Tennies Celebrating 67^th wedding anniversary

Please wish Al and Sally Tennies a happy 67th anniversary. The couple were married Saturday Nov. 7, 1953.

“We just believe it’s important to cherish every milestone going forward and 67 years is amazing,” said daughter Melissa Tennies

Al & Sally Tennies met in high school, became high school sweethearts and got married on November 7, 1953 at Holy Angels Church at 10 in the morning.

After church, their driver Webster Tennies whisked them off to Lunch, Dinner and Drinks at the Moose – KC Hall on Sixth Avenue above what was called Carol’s House.

After dinner, the reception took place at Laufer’s Roller Rink where lots of dancing and memories took place.

The secret to a long marriage has always been to talk to each other during dinner, have fun and laugh, be friends and grow old together.

Every Love Story is Beautiful, but our Parents is our Favorite

9 Loved Children 804 Months and Countless Memories

18 Amazing Grandchildren 24,455 Days Laughter, Vacations, Good Times, and Endless Smiles

13 Wonderful Great Grandchildren 586,920 Hours Love Family Forever

35,215,200 Minutes & Counting

ONE BLESSED LIFE!

Candidate interviews Nov. 11, 2020 for open seat on Kewaskum Board of Education 

Ten people have applied to fill one open slot on the Kewaskum School Board. The position opened after Mark Sette quit the board after moving out of the district. The candidates who filed paperwork before the October 30, 2020 deadline are listed below.

Candidate interviews are slated for Wednesday, November 11 at 6 p.m. The board will vote to fill the seat at its next regular meeting. Mark Brunner, Lori Bruno, Clayton Frounfelker, Samantha Goehring, Richard Leitheiser, Andrew Mazurek, Rachel Moore, Trevor Owen, Chris Sabish, and Lawrence Wheaton. The board will select a new member at its meeting November 12. That person will serve for six months as the seat is officially up for election in April 2021.

The Antidote opens in West Bend

After 14 years in the restaurant/bar business Wes Feest, 32, has decided to step out on his own and this Thursday, November 5 he opens The Antidote, 302 N. Main Street.

“We’re going to be a little cocktail lounge and after our kitchen is installed, we’ll have food after New Year’s Day,” said Feest.

After some contemplation Feest said he decided to branch out on his own. “This is a great opportunity for my wife and myself,” he said. “I love this location and the brick. There’s a charm and character to the building with all the natural wood inside.”

The name The Antidote came as a response to the dismal 2020 business climate. “With the shutdown we’re hoping this is the cure for the worst year restaurants have had,” Feest said.

In September 2020, the old Foz’s aka Fasciano Properties, LLC was sold to 301 Properties, LLC for $325,000.

The 2020 assessed value was $277,500.  Foz Enterprises LLC purchased the property April 1, 2001 for $210,000. On October 17, 1996 Barbercheck and Gundrum purchased the property for $186,000.

That corner building has been home to many locally owned tavernkeepers. Over the years other tenants in the tavern included Herbie Lundquist who named it The Blue Room. Bob Corbett dubbed it Corby’s. Bob Weston changed it to The Pub. The tavern was The Mixing Place and then Al May moved in with Kings Guard Pub and Don Zimmel later ran it as Three Old Guys with Russ Vermillion and Randy Miller.

Bloomin’ Lights / Bloomin’ Holidays at Museum of Wisconsin Art

The Museum of Wisconsin Art is being transformed into an outdoor movie theatre this weekend and in the spotlight is Milwaukee artist Gabrielle Tesfaye with an animated show for Bloomin’ Lights.

The entire north-facing façade of MOWA features a multicultural painting and then blends the theme of Bloomin’ Holidays with an array of colorful flowers growing under a slow procession of blue clouds.

The animation cycles through every four minutes and is free to view from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. this Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8.

Stop out at 5 p.m. and as the night sky grows dark watch as the brilliant colors come to life.

Letter to the Editor | Save the trees in Town of Erin      | By Susan Graham

Dear Town of Erin Board,

My name is Susan Graham. I am not a resident of your lovely town, but I enjoy visiting my sister and her family here often. My sister is Jenny Graham, who as you probably remember has attended some of your meetings regarding her strong concern about the plan to clear-cut trees along some of the rustic roads in Erin Township. She asked for my assistance in looking at the trees along some of the rustic roads that are marked orange for removal. As background, my undergraduate degree is in botany, and I learned tree identification and took many ecology courses. As a naturalist, I know about restoration and habitat health. I currently work as a water resources scientist. I hope this information will help you make good decisions about how the tree removal project moves forward.

Jenny and I walked the length of Emerald Drive from Donegal Rd to St Augustine. We tied blue flags on orange flagged trees that we urge you to spare in the course of your upcoming road repair project.

We found a very small number of ash trees, already marked orange. We support the removal of these trees if they would fall on the road. There are literally millions of ashes dying in forests across the Midwest, and the only ones being actively removed are in urban areas, or managed yards. If they lean away, and they are well off the road, it’s not clear why the Town would spend the money to remove them but in the big picture, we don’t have a problem with it.

We mostly blue-flagged basswood trees as they were the most common species along the road. These trees are excellent native trees — yes, they are “softwood” but this is no reason to cut them in particular. The cut trees are not being used as firewood, so there is no difference between softwood or hardwood in this context. They produce profuse flowers in spring, providing a veritable feast for honeybees and many other pollinators. As most of you probably know, pollinator insects on the North American continent are declining, and efforts across all levels of government, nonprofits, and private people are working to support them for the benefit of our agricultural industry. Pollinators need all the help we can give them.

A possible misperception about basswood trees is that because most have multiple trunks arising from the ground together that they are in unhealthy condition. This is not the case — it is a normal growth pattern for basswoods. Some people also call these linden trees, and they are plentiful in urban areas.

After basswoods, the other tree species we put blue flags on large-toothed aspen, American aspen, slippery elm, sugar maple, shagbark hickory, and hop hornbeam. These are all wonderful, native trees growing in a healthy forest community. None of the trees I observed along Emerald Dr. are invasive species or problematic in and of themselves — with one exception. There was one buckthorn shrub marked for removal closer to St. Augustine Rd. If this shrub is killed, it would be doing this lovely forest a favor to reduce the spread of this species as it is extremely harmful ecologically, but the stump MUST be treated with an appropriate herbicide or it will resprout readily, with even more sprouts. The forests in this area are really remarkable in that they aren’t already infested with buckthorn, honeysuckle, burning bush or any other harmful invasives that are so common in most other places.

After carefully considering each tree slated for removal, we did mark a lot of them with blue ribbon to ask that they not be removed. Our concern with the proposal to remove the orange flagged trees is that there appears to be no clear rationale to justify the expense. Jenny and I spent a lot of time trying to discern the reason(s) with no conclusion. It seems that all trees within 12′ of this road are slated for removal. But the 12′ distance appears to be completely arbitrary and without justification.

If it’s for driver safety, people simply need to do what people do on roads everywhere — drive the speed limit, unimpaired, and not too fast for conditions. If it’s for school buses to pass each other safely, well, they should not be driving off the roadway to begin with, and again, safe speeds would obviously be called for. All bus drivers are hired with this good sense and trained to reinforce that. A good number of the trees flagged orange are on top of a soil bank, well out of the way of any swerving traffic or other conceivable road navigation. Driver safety is clearly not the reason for removing those.

If the reason is to make snowplowing easier, (and we did note two trees on Emerald that showed damage consistent with being dinged by the lower corner of a plow blade), the plow drivers should slow down just a little, and accommodate the trees that make these roads so scenic and special. They accommodate mailboxes, fire number posts, and utility poles, in addition to the banks of soil in places. I’m sure it’s quicker to plow a wide-open highway but doing a careful job in a variety of conditions is something civil servants take pride in doing. It is just necessary in spots along these rustic roads. As we inspected the orange blazed trees, it was clear that this rationale didn’t apply in the vast majority of cases as they were up on top of a soil bank, down low off the slope of the roadway, or just back off the road where they aren’t in the way of snowbanks.

If the tree removal is because of some sense of stewardship of the woods, the removal of most trees marked orange would be contrary to sound ecological forest management. The forest through which these roads travel is not being actively managed. Dead trees are generally left to provide food and habitat for woodpeckers and many other species of birds that rely on standing deadwood and fall when they are ready as they have in unmanaged forests long before Europeans settled here. Many species of birds and some mammals need standing dead wood.

Some of the trees along Emerald marked for removal are growing up into the canopy of old oak trees. These shorter trees we did not mark to save, because these younger trees penetrating an oak’s canopy will cause the untimely death of large branches, harming the oaks. If the Town wants to be in the business of managing roadside trees for ecologically sound purposes, this would be one small example, but it doesn’t look like that is your purpose, either.

Some trees are growing near the power line. Removing these trees to reduce conflict with the line is the power company’s responsibility, not the Town’s.

Are the trees considered a serious falling hazard to drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists using the road? Even removing the trees near the road will not reduce that hazard due to the sheer number of large trees — this is a mature forest. Very few of the trees marked for removal are leaning over the road, and many are leaning away, but still marked for removal. One was nothing but a 10′ tall stump, about 10 to 12′ from the roadway, leaning away from the road. Cutting this makes no sense. Clearly this falling hazard is not the purpose to remove them.

One last possible rationale we could imagine is if someone felt tree roots near the road would interfere with digging down to refresh the bed of the road during reconstruction. Well, those roots would be present for many, many years whether or not the trees near the road are removed this winter. I know the road reconstruction is scheduled to happen soon, so that can’t be the reason either. Tree roots do not continue to grow after a tree is felled (with the exception of buckthorn, which isn’t killed by chain sawing).

The trees we added a blue ribbon to are stately and beautiful, providing shade and cool during the summer, and habitat for pollinators, birds, and mammals throughout the year. They are a crucial element of a healthy forest and were a prime incentive to the Town of Erin’s original designation of these rustic roads. The trees we marked to save are well off the road, not creating a maintenance problem or any special hazard. They are not hurting other trees, leaning excessively, and not interfering with normal snowplow operations. Many are large and must be very expensive to remove. During the few hours we were walking and talking and looking at the trees, we saw so many people bicycling, driving slowly on that cool Sunday morning, and we spoke with no fewer than 4 curious drivers who stopped to ask what was going on. All 4 individuals or families were unhappy to learn of the proposal to remove the trees, and one already knew, and vehemently stated their opposition, although they want the road resurfaced.

Finally, we could not imagine any other logical justification for this very expensive, disruptive and unpopular proposal. After all the objections, why do residents still have to wonder what is the reason for it? What possible benefit is there to the Town residents?

In summary, by being more judicious about tree removal along these roads, you, the Town board, have the opportunity to save a significant amount of taxpayer money. You can also protect the unique aesthetic pleasure for those who treasure this rustic road. The newly renovated road will be a beautiful place to walk, cycle or drive without the excessive number of trees removed. The area will continue to attract visitors who marvel at the beauty of this township, with outstanding fall color, intimate feel of the forest enclosing the roads, and contributing to the business interests in the area. We feel that in the absence of clear, logical justification, the Town should significantly scale back this arbitrary, harmful, and unpopular waste of taxpayer money, and listen to the residents you were elected by.

Thank you for listening,

Susan Graham

Bull elk spotted on trail cam wandering near Holy Hill

Bow hunter Nathan Heinritz of Hartford said he and his wife had to watch the trail camera footage about 10 times because they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“That is a 4×4 wild bull elk,” said Heinritz. “We’ve seen turkey and whitetail deer and all of a sudden a giant elk… we couldn’t believe it.”

After binge watching the 20-seconds of video Heinritz called the DNR and it confirmed the bull elk is tagged and comes out of Jackson County, WI.

“The tag number is 323 and this bull elk along with a cow elk have been moving down south in search of other elk,” Heinritz said. “The rut for the elk is September through October.”

The elk came ambling through an area near Holy Hill and Highway 164 on Tuesday, October 20 at 11:44 p.m. The video shows some precipitation and the grey and white elk moving directly toward the camera.

“I pulled the camera the next day and that evening my wife and I were looking through the video and we couldn’t believe our eyes,” he said. “We didn’t even know there were elk in this area.”

Heinritz grew up in Pewaukee and his wife in St. Lawrence.

“We have a lot of family who are hunters and nobody ever mentioned elk.  We didn’t even know it was possible… it was just crazy.”

Heinritz, 31, returned to the trail and found monster hoof prints left by the elk.

“Matter of fact you can see the elk’s breath at the end of the video and its antler or nose flipped open the cover of the trail cam and you can hear that in the video,” he said. “When I checked the camera, I wondered why the cover was flipped open but it was the bull elk tampering with the trail cam.”

As far as the size and weight of the bull elk, Heinritz said he could not even estimate but the DNR said the herd is doing well.

“There is a herd in Jackson County called the Black River herd of elk and they were released a couple years ago and they’re all doing very well,” said Heinritz. “The cows are having calves and the population is expanding and that’s encouraging to hear.”

The gun-deer season is ahead and Heinritz confirms an elk tag is needed and those tags are very hard to come by.

According to the DNR the elk hunting season is open Oct. 17 – Nov. 15, 2020 and Dec. 10-18, 2020. Only Wisconsin residents are eligible to receive an elk tag.

“When thousands of people apply for an elk tag only 10 hunters get it and they normally hunt north in the Hayward, WI or Clam Lake area,” Heinritz said. “There is a herd up there and that population is about 160 so there’s a better chance of seeing one.”

Because the gun deer season is Nov. 21 – 29 Heinritz thought it best to report the elk sighting to the DNR. “I wanted it on their radar so they could share the information and warn hunters,” he said. “You really need to know your target and beyond. Hunters need an elk tag to shoot and elk but those tags are very rare.”

The DNR told Heinritz “this is the first time a wild bull elk has come this far south into Washington County.”

Right before Heinritz called in his sighting the DNR said it fielded a report from Waukesha County. “It was a day or two prior and after I posted my video on October 23 there was a reporting of the same elk in Fond du Lac County,” he said. “So that elk is on the move. He came through here at midnight so he must be moving at night”

An education in elk at Shalom Wildlife

On Monday, October 26 a story was posted at WashingtonCountyInsider.com about a bull elk seen in the Holy Hill area near Highway 164.  Nathan Heinritz shared an awesome trail cam video of a large young bull elk walking at 11:44 p.m. on October 20.

The animal is a bit out of place and according to the DNR they’ve been tracking it since it came out of the Jackson County area.

David Fechter from Shalom Wildlife has several elk, bull and cows. He said this is mating season for the elk and the young buck has one thing on his mind.

“One boy gets all the girls,” said Fechter about the elk population. “What they do is the dominant elk chase the young bulls away and then they go off and try to find new territory.”

Fechter said normally in January, after the mating season is over, the young bulls can go back and rejoin the herd.

Shalom has a pasture full of elk including one Fechter thinks is the size of the young bull that has been traipsing through Washington County. “The young guy in the photo will make a lot of miles in a day, sometimes 30 to 40 miles a day, but he won’t find anything down here… unless he comes to Shalom… which is possible,” he said.

The dominant elk at Shalom, named Buttercup, is 10 years old. Fechter refers to him as a Royal elk because he has six tines on his antlers. If he had seven tines he would be an Imperial and eight would be a Monarch.

We got pretty lucky during a stop at Shalom Wildlife as the bull elk let go its bugle mating call. “That’s pretty rare to see,” said Fechter.

Then things went very National Geographic got together for a little afternoon delight. “Well now that’s very rare to see,” said Fechter.

Within minutes the bull elk was sniffing the air again. “It’s called scenting the air and he’s checking to see if there are any other cows in heat,” he said.

The bull made a brief advance in the direction of the young bull elk but the youngster kept his distance.

“The bull elk can mate 20 or more times in a matter of weeks,” said Fechter. “Sometimes a couple times a day. The bull elk can lose up to 25-to-30 percent of its body weight during the mating season because they’re trying to keep other bulls away while keeping all the girls together.”

“There is a sense of urgency for a bull elk to pass along its genes as fast and as often as he can because he only has a couple years to really do that,” Fechter said.

Old-fashioned pumpkin patch field trip at St. Frances Cabrini School

The temps were a little chilly Tuesday morning but the kids at St. Frances Cabrini School were dressed for the weather and a traditional field trip.

Mittens, check. Knit hat, check. Pillowcase, check. And off went Mrs. Pat Kraemer’s kindergarten class with little red wagon in tow to the pseudo pumpkin patch in the grassy area next to the old Cabrini convent….. and ooooooh were the kids excited!

“Oh, my goodness… look at all these pumpkins,” said Mrs. Kraemer.

The kids sloshed through leaves to find the perfect pumpkin. They were all of a pretty manageable size.

Halloween on Indian Lore donated the pumpkins for the event which included K3 and K4 classes. “The kids are pretty excited, which is good,” said Principal William Waech.

Kewaskum man on the mend following horrific accident

Neighbors across Kewaskum and Washington County are praying for Joey Donald after he was involved in a horrific accident Thursday afternoon, October 22 on eastbound I-94 in Waukesha County.

The accident happened at 2:48 p.m. at HWY G just west of Grandview Road. The call came in as “one person pinned under pickup truck.”

Joey’s wife Carrie relayed how the accident happened.

Joe was on I-94 east when he saw a lady spin out and hit the median 3 times. In Joe fashion, he quickly pulled over to make sure the lady was ok. He went up to her window, confirmed she was ok and then took her phone and called 911. That is all he can remember… Thank God.

Suddenly, another lady came down the road and hit the exact spot that the lady Joe was helping hit and also hit the median. She then flew into the truck that Joe was helping which then rear ended his work truck and threw it 100 feet.

When she rear-ended the car Joe was helping, it threw him into the median, the car ran over him and pinned him against the median. Fire truck had to use a winch to get the truck off Joe because they could not get to him.

Carrie and Joey have been married five weeks and have two children.

First, we want to thank you for all your prayers. I just wanted to share with all of you Joe’s condition. In case you did not hear yet, I got a horrific call yesterday from Froedert informing me that Joe was hit by a car. I am writing this cause as much as I to respond to all of you, my time needs to be with Joe. He is down at Froedert in the SICU right now.

He had a broken pelvis, broken humerus, 2 broken ribs, 2 cuts by his right eye, fractured L1, L2 and a puncture in his bladder. He had surgery today on his pelvis where they had to put in plates and screws to put it back together.

During surgery he lost 2 liters of blood, so they had to do a blood transfusion. When they got all that under control, they then went into his bladder and repaired the tear that the pelvis ripped. Everything finished great.

His humerus bone did not get fixed today because with the transfusion and the extra time under sedation. They want to wait till next week so he has time to heal before the next big surgery. They are keeping him sedated overnight along with a breathing tube to keep him relaxed and rest easy. I also got the chance to talk to the police officer that was at the accident yesterday.

We need your continued prayers as this will be a long recovery for Joe. But in the words of Joe before surgery, “There ain’t no way a Ford is gonna kill me!”

We love you all and thanks for all your kind words and prayers.

https://www.paypal.me/carebearfechter

Slinger School District partners with Allenton American Legion

As a tribute to Veterans Day members of the Allenton American Legion Fohl-Martin Post 483 gathered for photos and to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Fohl-Martin Post is working with the Slinger School District to gather memories and answer questions for students in lieu of visiting the classes this year.

Coming up watch for more videos as members of the Allenton American Legion answer student questions about being in the military, what they did for a job, where they slept, what they ate and if they missed their mom.

Jackson man recognized for his efforts to save a life

Doug Sewell, 42, of Jackson received a commendation from Washington County in October for his efforts to save a life while working for the Shared Ride Taxi Service.

On September 21, 2020, Sewell picked up a client from the nursing home and quickly noticed at a stoplight the woman was unresponsive. “I pulled over, checked her pulse and called 911 and started CPR until paramedics came,” said Sewell.

The woman eventually died at the hospital however Sewell received a commendation for “going above and beyond” in his efforts and for being a man of strong “character, quick action, and demonstration of love for his neighbor.”

“The recognition makes me feel appreciated,” said Sewell. “I tried to stay calm and just do the best I could.”

Scott Stortz to announce candidacy for Village of Slinger president

While most election eyes are focused on Tuesday, November 3 there are some people looking ahead to the April 2021 election including Scott Stortz.

Later today Stortz is expected to announce his candidacy for president of the Village of Slinger.

“Current Village President Russell Brandt has indicated he will not be running again and I bring some unique insight and skills to the table and want to give it a shot,” Stortz said.

A familiar name in the area, Stortz has been in local real estate for close to 30 years and is owner of Star Properties, Inc. for the past 24 years.

“I bring business skills to the table with a successful, well-known company. I’m used to negotiating with real estate sales and troubleshooting and I have many years of serving the community from county level to the Village of Jackson and Slinger,” he said.

Stortz is not a stranger to local politics. In early 2000 he was a supervisor on the Washington County Board and while living in the Village of Jackson he was on the Plan Commission and Village Trustee.

Stortz touts his work with the Boys & Girls Club and public-private partnerships.

A father of two children in the Slinger School District, Stortz said he has a good grasp on young families and growing the community.

“I have fresh ideas and fresh perspective on ways of thinking through things,” he said.

Questioned how he would fill the corner on Highway 60 and Highway 175 after Casey’s General Store razed its building and then announced it would not be moving forward with new construction, Stortz said he sees opportunity.

“Not only that corner but downtown Slinger as well,” he said. “In this time of businesses closing or struggling, I find my clients are coming up from Milwaukee to the small towns and I think that is going to be true for smaller companies as well that want the small-town atmosphere and smaller storefronts rather than the chaos of the bigger cities.”

Stortz, 51, was born in Richfield. He lives in the Village and touts the strengths of the community starting with the Slinger School District, robust rail line, local ski hill, and racetrack as well as the positive, strong family values and work ethic.

The election for the non-partisan seat in the Village of Slinger is April 6, 2021.

Candidates can start pulling papers Dec. 1, 2020. Signatures are due January 4, 2021 in order to qualify to be on the April 6, 2021 ballot.

“I’m not running against anybody, I’m running for the position,” said Stortz.

Russell Brandt has been Village President in Slinger since 2003. He has previously served as a supervisor on the Washington County Board and in November 2019 filled non-candidacy papers.  In the late 1980s and early 1990s Brandt served for six years as a Village Trustee in Slinger.

Day 17 and Town of Barton man has not received requested absentee ballot

Terry Lyons of the Town of Barton is not a happy camper. Lyons contacted WashingtonCountyInsider.com about the status of his absentee ballot. His story is below.

“My absentee story: I am going to be away for the election, so I ordered an absentee ballot on 10/9/20. Sherry Eckert, Town of Barton Clerk, who is a longtime friend, mailed the ballot to me on 10/12. Well here it is 11 days for the USPS to deliver, but no ballot. So I went and did in-person absentee voting and cancelled the absentee ballot. This tells me that the post office worries are valid.

Sherry was extremely surprised. Asked me to let her know if it ever shows up. I feel I do not trust the USPS for voting issues. They sure can get a pile of junk mail to me everyday yet can’t get a ballot across town! Do not vote by mail. Go to in-person absentee voting if need be. There are no crowds.

If they have ordered a ballot, it can be cancelled when going in for absentee voting.

And yes, it makes me angry!  Signed Terry Lyons”

Sherry Eckert is the clerk in the Town of Barton. She said she is familiar with Lyons.

“I don’t have a lot of people who have called me saying they have not received a ballot,” she said.

“Eleven days is excessive. I usually try to find out and I look at myvote.wi.gov to see if there was a mistake in the address. A lot of time they are entering the address so it could be a small error in anything.”

Eckert’s advice on dropping a ballot in the mail is to monitor it closely.

“They should closely monitor the myvote.wi.gov website and it would show when the ballot is mailed. I would give it 10 days and then call the clerk,” she said.

“They can also come in to vote. I had one person where I issued the ballot, he didn’t receive it and I welcomed him to come in and vote. We spoiled his ballot; he didn’t have one to turn over but people should vote in person if they’re concerned.”

Lyons contacted WashingtonCountyInsider.com on Tuesday night and said his ballot still had not arrived and that would make it 16 days since the request was submitted.

Dean Krueger is postmaster at the US Post Office in West Bend.

He said the ballot requests are sent down to Milwaukee for processing. “We do not hold anything in the local Post Offices because they want to be sure they’re processed to the right address, there’s tracking information built into the barcode on that ballot and that will show when that piece is processed with the date and time and then it comes back usually within the next day or two to be delivered,” said Krueger.

“Depending on this man’s address it could be delivered by West Bend Post Office or it could be delivered by Kewaskum Post Office. But once it goes down to Milwaukee it gets processed and delivered by the carrier to the customer.”

Questioned whether he could explain the 11, now 16 days without receiving a requested ballot. “That seems extremely excessive and I don’t know,” he said.

“We want the requests sooner than later so everything can be processed. Without having seen that piece or knowing the address I can’t give you an exact reason for the delay.”

Lyons asked who is being held accountable?

“The actual tracking of the individual ballots is not something the USPS is capable of monitoring. I can tell you the steps we take locally is we sweep our buildings in the morning, mid-day and night to make sure nothing is left in the building. We do surveys and that goes to the district to show the sweeps are being done.

“If we have ballots that come to our office that are not for our office, we send them via express mail to the intended office to ensure they get there. We had an Allenton ballot and I personally drove it to the Allenton polling station so it got there.

“We deliver in a timely manner right up until the election,” said Krueger.

Lyons advised people “go in person if you want your vote counted.”

“I’m teed off,” he said. “My faith in the USPS has evaporated.”

Election Day is November 3, 2020.

Remodel nearly complete at Washington House

The remodel of the tavern in a landmark location in West Bend started just a couple months ago and over the past few weeks a noticeable transformation has taken place.  How long did it take you to pinpoint the location?

The building at 228 N. Sixth Avenue in West Bend is listed in the National Register of Historic Properties.

From the book The Story of Washington County by Carl Quickert there was a brief mention of Baltazar Goetter.

“B. Goetter who in the spring of 1849 opened up the first brewery and later erected the “Washington House,” one of the largest and finest hotels in the State at the time, and for many years the preferred rendezvous of the German pioneers.”

From the sign out front of the cream city brick building.

“This building was one of the first brick building erected in West Bend. It was built in 1849 by Baltazar Goetter. It replaced a wooden hotel built in 1852.  That building was destroyed by fire on January 1, 1864.

The Italianate structure reopened October 15, 1864 as a headquarters for travelers along the “Old Stage Coach Road” serving coach and ox-cart alike.

The book The Spirit of West Bend by Dorothy E. Williams has a section on the hotel fire involving the Washington House.

“Perhaps the most dramatic moment in the life of the Washington House occurred on January 1, 1864. It was a severely cold day, as New Year’s days usually are. Every room o fthe hotel was filled. The many stoves were crammed full of wood to ward off the frigid air, and inside in the cheery atmosphere the men played billiards, cards, or told stories to while away the holiday.

Suddenly the dread cry of “FIRE!” brought everyone to his feet. The roof was a fire! Instantly, townspeople and guests set to work to save what they could. There was no local fire department as yet, and the only equipment the village had was a “donkey engine” with 20 feet of hose, entirely inadequate to reach the river, which at any rate was frozen solid. Willing hands pitched blankets, beds, pitchers, washbasins, luggage, and looking glasses from the upper floors to the frozen ground below. After the entire first floor was cleared, men went into the cellar to rescue the sauerkraut jar and carried the heavy burden all the way up the steps and outside to safety.

Other helpers managed to carry out the cumbrous hotel range, with the holiday turkey still in the oven. The turkey promptly froze. Most of the food in the basement was well enough insulated so it did not freeze – the apples, potatoes, etc. When it was all over, the only item remaining on the spot where the hotel had been was the cast iron stove which had overheated and probably caused the terrible conflagration. There is no record of where the guests spent the rest of the day, but probably the townspeople took them in.

Almost at once Mr. Goetter began to rebuild, this time a three-story cream-colored brick building of local clay that rivaled the famed Crem City brick from Milwaukee, according to local observers. It could accommodate 100 guests and was ready for occupancy by October 15 of that same year. By this time West Bend had its own cabinet maker, Mr. Roecker, who made some of the furniture for the new rooms.

Many famous Americans have stayed at the Washington House including William Jennings Bryan, William Barkley (Vice President), and John F. Kennedy and it is the oldest business left in the city, having celebrated both the centennial and bicentennial.

West Bend School District responds to social media post about students and face masks

A note of clarification regarding face masks in the West Bend School District. There was recently a post on social media about face masks that claimed middle school students in the West Bend School District were being asked to remove some political masks and not others.

Superintendent Jen Wimmer was asked about the allegations regarding the masks and responded.

“We have been made aware of a person posting information on a local Facebook group page that alleges a staff member at Badger Middle School told a student to remove a face mask because it featured a political candidate. The Badger administrative team, supported by our Director of Human Resources, is conducting a thorough investigation.

As that investigation takes place, families and the community can be assured that the West Bend School District believes students have the right to exercise non offensive and non-disruptive free speech. Supporting a political candidate or advocating for a group (i.e. BLM, Blue Lives, flag, military, etc. as Ms. Kellom notes) is allowed in our schools. There is no policy or practice that would discourage this (unless as part of that message it included offensive language or imagery).”

Wimmer said, “Thank you for reaching out and helping to correct public perception regarding our practice. Again, we support our students’ rights to express themselves in a non-offensive and non-disruptive manner.”

An email from the district’s communications manager Nancy Kunkler initially denied the incident took place. “The person also alleges the students in the West Bend School District cannot wear anything that supports police. The incident the person described did not take place; no one at Badger Middle School was told to remove a mask with a political or election-related matter.”

Parents of the students involved in the incident have contacted WashingtonCountyInsider.com and confirmed it was a male teacher that confronted the student and requested that a mask supporting President Donald Trump be removed. The parent of the girl who reported the incident said it occurred in the hallway on the third floor.

Below is the original post from Facebook and Sue Kellom.

“I learned today that students at the Badger School are not allowed to wear any Trump mask and were asked to remove them as they were “Offensive” however BLM mask are allowed. I’m so sick of this double standard BS! You can have a School named after Barack Obama but Trump is offensive!?

I encourage everyone to write an email or call the West Bend School District to stop this discrimination. I understand political things however if you allow BLM then you also need to allow Blue Lives Matter, Military Lives matter, Trump mask and the American Flag mask.”

National Life Chain is Sunday, October 4 in Hartford          By Terese Hummel

The annual, national Life Chain event returns to Hartford and West Bend on Sunday, October 4, 2020. Beginning at 2 p.m., pro-life individuals and families from Washington County will gather at the east parking lot of Willowbrook Park and spread out along Highway 60 (E. Sumner Street) in Hartford. There will also be a gathering at 2 p.m. at the corner of Paradise Drive and S. Main Street.

Held each year on the first Sunday of October, Life Chain is a legal, peaceful, quiet display of people in our area communities gathering to publicly and silently state that there are alternatives to abortion and healing is possible.

There are no disturbing images for passing motorists, only thought-provoking statements including “Adoption, the Loving Option,” “Jesus Forgives and Heals,” and “Pregnant? Need Help? 800-712-HELP.”

The display will line Highway 60 in Hartford until 3:30 p.m., in unison with other Life Chains across the country. From its small beginnings as a local witness in Southern California, the Life Chain has spread to more than 2,000 cities all over North America. The first Sunday of each October is National Life Chain Sunday.

We believe it is time for the Church to fight for the unborn with spiritual weapons. The battle for life will not be won in the courtroom or the voting booth until it is first won in prayer. We call for pastors to lead the Church in repentance for our nation. When God’s people humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their own ways, we believe that God will hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14-15).

Uniform signs will be available free of charge on October 4 at Willowbrook Park’s east parking lot. On the back of each sign, participants will find Scripture and praise-and-hymn lyrics.

For more information, please contact Terese Hummel at 262-689-3742

Log home in Town of Wayne lost to fire

A dire house fire over the weekend in the Town of Wayne went from bad to worse. On Saturday, September 19, 2020 at approximately 10:38 p.m. a dozen fire departments responded to a house on fire at 9115 Woodlawn Drive.

After the fire was extinguished the Washington County Sheriff shared photos of the damage. See video below. But then on Sunday the logs in the home that dates to 1902 held in so much heat the fire started again. Firefighters bought in an excavator and leveled the historic home.

Homeowner Michael Ziegelbauer was devastated by the fire.

On Monday, he stood in the middle of the charred remains. “I had just finished remodeling a couple rooms,” he said.

Ziegelbauer, 29, was at a loss.

The two-story had once been home to Orville and Ruth Kern. They owned it from 1948 until 2006.

“We bought the property when we got married,” said Ruth. “We bought it for $700. We used every bit of money we had.”

Ruth, who now lives in Kewaskum, farmed the land with her husband and raised six children.

“The kids had this painted for me,” said Ruth about the picture of the old homestead. “The log home has been cleaned up a bit. This is when it had windows added and we had a man name Muckerheide level off the front yard.”

Ruth met Orville at a bar. “I was with somebody else,” she said. “They introduced us and he asked me out. We dated for a year and a half and then got married. I was 19 years old.”

“Orville was so kindhearted, a wonderful guy. He was town clerk for 25 years,” she said.

Ruth and Orville worked hard and spruced the place up when they could afford it.

“Our windowsills were really deep,” said Ruth holding her hands more than a foot apart. “Everybody envied it. We remodeled the whole thing… little by little.”

Orville built a new outhouse and installed plumbing. “My husband dug a well by hand; we didn’t have running water. The first thing we did was build a toilet and then when we had money we put in hot water.”

“We had a wood heater and that pipe from the wood heater would heat the living room too,” she said. “We wallpapered the upstairs because the plaster was bad. Even when I sold the place the real estate agent said that was pretty wallpaper.”

“I worked for George Hess, personnel manager at West Bend Aluminum Company. I worked there until we got married and then my husband didn’t want me to work because he said it didn’t work when we live on the farm but we sure could have used the money.”

The Kerns lost their first child, a girl, when she was 20 weeks old. “She had a heart condition,” said Ruth. “After that we had three girls and three boys.”

Ruth recalled the good times and bad on Woodlawn Drive. The ice storm from 1976 and when the fire department brought a generator so the milk would not freeze. “We bought seven cows,” said Ruth.

The cash crops are where the Kerns made a lot of money. “We had sweet corn and field corn and peas,” she said.

The fire departments that assisted in the fire call were Kewaskum, West Bend, Theresa, Lomira, Allenton, Boltonville, St. Lawrence, Slinger, Knowles, and Eden Fire Departments.

Baskin Robbins / Dunkin’ staff training to begin as opening nears

The address, 1610 W. Washington Street, has now been posted in the window at the new Baskin Robbins / Dunkin’ store in West Bend.

Construction got underway June 10, 2020 in the lot formerly home to Pizza Hut. “We’re hoping for a late October opening for our new Dunkin’ and Baskin restaurant in West Bend,” said owner Emily Kettinger.

“Equipment will be coming in early October and then it’s just getting everything installed and the final touches coordinated. Hopefully, we’ll be training new staff in the coming weeks.”

The 2,160-square-foot property is nearly complete as signage is expected in the coming weeks and the parking lot will be paved.

Neighbors have been eagerly anticipating the opening of the ice cream store and coffee shop. This is the second time West Bend will be home to a Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors. In 1974 Ken and Shirley Leisman opened the first Baskin Robbins in the West Bend Plaza.

“It was by the old Kohl’s Food Store in the mall on Main Street,” said Kathy Leisman Suchon, the daughter of the owners. “On the other end of the mall was Alston’s clothing store and we were right in that middle by the garden area on the right-hand side. I remember the whole front and side of the store were all windows.”

Suchon also remembered a Ben Franklin in the strip mall and RadioShack, 842. S Main Street.

Suchon said her parents got into the ice cream business because they really wanted to do something together. “They thought what is better than an ice cream parlor that brings families together and everyone is happy when they get ice cream and they just thought it would be really fun,” she said.

Outdoor Fun at Fall Harvest Fest

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 6869 Wildwood Road in West Bend, invites the community to attend Fall Harvest Fest, Saturday, October 17, outside on the church property from 1 – 4 p.m. Guests are encouraged to come in costume. This event is free and open to the public.

A variety of family activities are planned. Trunk or Treat will be set up on the top tier of the parking lot where treats will be handed out. Nearby a craft tent will be available for a make and take craft kit (parental supervision required). Following a map of hidden clues, children can venture out on a scavenger hunt. Then kids can kick a few balls at the soccer station while learning about an upcoming soccer camp.

Other activities for the day include a free hot dog lunch while supplies last. Praise band Unworthy will play Christian cover songs from 2 p.m.– 3 p.m. Bingo for adults and kids, with prizes will round out the fun from 3 – 4 p.m.

A contingency plan is in place in case of rain. Any questions can be directed to the church office at 262-334-9892 or visit www.shepherdofthehillswi.com for more information.

Andrew Wundrock named new President of Wisconsin Pharmacal

Wisconsin Pharmacal Company, LLC has announced Andrew Wundrock has been appointed to the position of President of the company effective September 2020. Wundrock has been with Wisconsin Pharmacal for over 25+ years in various roles – most recently Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing.

Wundrock’s thorough understanding of the consumer product space, Wisconsin Pharmacal’s core strengths, and his unique relationship with the retail trade position him well to advance the company forward in this competitive landscape.

“Andrew has demonstrated a keen understanding of our business throughout the years. His dedication to the company and attention to detail, along with his long-tenured relationships with our major retail partners, make him an excellent choice to lead our company”, said John Wundrock – CEO.

Wisconsin Pharmacal and its subsidiary, Lake Consumer Products, manufacture and market a wide variety of outdoor health and safety, first aid, and feminine health & wellness products across a widevariety of retail outlets – including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Target, Amazon, and others.

“It is with a great deal of enthusiasm that I accept the position of President of Wisconsin Pharmacal. I am highly confident we have the best team in place to help us advance the company forward in a very competitive landscape. I am proud of our accomplishments to date and look forward to new challenges and opportunities.” said Wundrock. Wisconsin Pharmacal is a diversified consumer products company that is FDA & EPA approved and manufactures and distributes long-established brands in the OTC Health/First Aid and Outdoor/Safety markets.

Election Day

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.  Over the weekend quite a few neighbors across Washington County received their mail-in ballot via U.S. Postal.

Wisconsin will mail all registered voters an application to vote absentee prior to the election. You can also vote in person as Wisconsin offers early voting.

Details and deadlines for Election Day, November 3, 2020

The following details are per the Wisconsin Election Commission.

The deadline to register online to vote is Wednesday, October 14, 2020.

According to the Wisconsin Election Commission: All voters in Wisconsin can request an absentee ballot be mailed to them for any reason.  Voters must be registered before they can request an absentee ballot.   Voters may request their absentee ballot in writing.

The deadline for registering by mail to vote is postmarked by Wednesday, October 14, 2020.

The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Thursday, October 29, 2020.

The deadline to register in person to vote is Friday, October 30, 2020.

According to the Wisconsin Election Commission –  Voters may register in-person in their municipal clerk’s office during the clerk’s business hours until 5 p.m. on October 30, 2020.  Find your Municipal Clerk’s Contact Information here.

The early voting period runs from Tuesday, October 20, 2020 to Sunday, November 1, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live.

You can also register and vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. Polls will open at 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Remember to bring a valid I.D.

According to the Wisconsin Election Commission – Voters can register to vote at their polling place on Election Day, November 3, 2020.  Find your Polling Place here.

Election questions from the community:

A woman at Cedar Ridge received her absentee ballot and the envelope the ballot arrived in was open. Was this tampered with?

West Bend City Clerk Stephanie Justmann – “It is the mail machine. Sometimes the envelope goes through the machine and doesn’t hit the sealer properly and it doesn’t seal the envelope correctly.”

Can people vote three days after November 3, 2020 with no postmark needed on their mail-in ballot?

West Bend City Clerk Stephanie Justmann – “That is not correct. Right now, all election rules are in place. I have to receive this ballot by 8 p.m. on election night, November 3, 2020. If it comes on Nov. 4 it is past the deadline.  If it arrives on Nov. 4 and it is postmarked Nov. 2 it is after the deadline.  I have to receive all ballots by 8 p.m. on November 3.

How many mail-in ballots has the City of West Bend sent.

West Bend City Clerk Stephanie Justman – “The City of West Bend sent 5,400 absentee ballots out for the Nov. 3, 2020 election as of September 21, 2020. At the last presidential election in 2016 there were a total of 5200. We’ve now mailed out more in total than the last presidential election.”

If I send in my mail-in ballot now… when will it be counted?

West Bend City Clerk Stephanie Justmann – “The mail-in ballots that are returned now will be counted on Election Day. We start at 7 a.m. and at central count we will have three voting machines that will be counting ballots on Election Day. There will be three different groups of central count poll workers.

If the mail-in being stored until Election Day where is it being stored?

 West Bend City Clerk Stephanie Justmann – “The mail-in ballots are held in the vault at City Hall. Everything is alphabetized by district and held there until election day.”

Even though there is postage included on the mail-in ballots, can those ballots be walked into and dropped off at City Hall?

West Bend City Clerk Stephanie Justmann – “Absolutely. The media has been telling people to drop them off at City Hall. You can mail it in or drop it off at the clerk’s office or you can bring it to the polls on Election Day and turn it in.”

Below is a list of polling places for November 3, 2020 in the City of West Bend.  If you need help determining your polling place click HERE.

District            polling location in City of West Bend

Aldermanic District #1           Washington County Courthouse, 432 E. Washington Street

Aldermanic District #2           Washington Co. PAC,  333 E. Washington Street (Indiana Ave.)

Aldermanic District #3           First Baptist Church 2300 S. Main Street

Aldermanic District #4           City Hall, 1115 S. Main Street (West Entrance)

Aldermanic District #5           Washington Co. PAC,  333 E. Washington Street (Indiana Ave.)

Aldermanic District #6           Washington County Govt Center, 432 E. Washington Street

Aldermanic District #7           Moraine Park Technical College, 2151 N. Main Street AMTC Addition, Entrance T2,

Aldermanic District #8           City Hall, 1115 S. Main Street (West Entrance)

Anyone who is not sure in which Aldermanic District he/she resides, may call the City Clerk’s Office at 262-335-5103.  All polling places are accessible to disabled voters.

Preserve Parkway road closure in Village of Germantown starts September 28

There will be a road closure effective Monday, September 28 at 6 a.m., Preserve Parkway in the Village of Germantown will be closed to facilitate the installation of sanitary sewer for Kinderberg Estates.

The road closure starts at Buckthorn Drive (north end of Kinderberg Park) south to Donges Bay Road. This closure will ensure the safety of the traveling public and utility workers. Preserve Parkway will reopen at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, September 30.

Village of Germantown to hold in-person absentee voting on two Saturdays in October

In Person Absentee Voting begins Tuesday, October 20, 2020 for the November 3, 2020 General / Presidential Election.

Below is a list of in-person voting hours in the Village of Germantown.

October 20 – October 22:  8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

October 23:  8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 24:  8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

October 26 – October 29:  8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

October 30:  8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Saturday, October 31:  8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

October 30 is the last day to register to vote in the Village of Germantown Clerk’s Office prior to the election. There is no absentee voting or voter registration on November 2, the day prior to the election.

You may also make a request in writing to receive an absentee ballot through the mail.

All requests for an Absentee Ballot must be in writing by the elector. Use the Application for Absentee Ballot or write an email or letter requesting an absentee ballot be mailed to you.

The application must be received by the Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday, October 29 before the election in order for an absentee ballot to be mailed to you.

Any written requests must include the following information:

Name of the registered voter requesting the absentee ballot.

The address to which you are registered to vote in the Village of Germantown.

The address where the ballot should be sent, if different than your residence.

The signature of the registered voter requesting the absentee ballot. Signature is not required for email requests.

If you have not previously provided a copy of photo ID, photo ID must accompany the request. For the full list of acceptable photo ID visit http://bringit.wi.gov.

Registered Voters may request an absentee ballot via MyVote.WI.gov and follow the instructions. Questions may be directed to the Village of Germantown Clerk’s Office at 262-250-4740 or via email at elections@village.germantown.wi.us