Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Plow Truck Total Loss

The Town of Emerald plow truck was out doing what plow trucks are supposed to be doing early evening Monday, February 3. But something unusual happened. About 6:30 p.m. United Fire and Rescue District was called to 240th Street in the Town of Emerald where the plow truck had caught fire. According to Baldwin Station Chief the newer plow truck was a total loss from the fire. He did not know the cause of the blaze.

Assemblyman John Murtha was Keynote Speaker at FBLA Conference

Wisconsin 29th Assembly District Representative John Murtha of Baldwin was the keynote speaker at the Wisconsin Region 1 FBLA Leadership Conference held at Baldwin-Woodville High School Saturday. The Conference was opened by Kalena Doffing, pictured, who serves as B-W FBLA Chapter President and Regional I Vice President.

According to B-W FBLA advisor Beth Patzke, the B-W Chapter did well in the day's competition with a third place finish overall of the 22 schools participating, which is the best finish for B-W ever. Nineteen of the 20 B-W participants finished in the top 10 in their categories and 13 of them will advance to the state competition with a finish in the top five.

Ms. Patzke was pleased not only with the B-W participants' finishes but also for all the help supplied by local people during the day. "Thanks to all the local judges and to the others who helped without whom we would not have been able to host the competition," she said.

Cheerleaders Entertained at Halftime Friday Night


The Baldwin-Woodville wrestling, hockey and basketball cheerleaders teamed up Friday night at the B-W/Durand boys basketball game to perform a dance-gymnastic routine as entertainment at halftime.

"Table of Knowledge" Straw Poll


Pastor Paul Lovestrand, standing in the picture above, took a straw poll last week of the presidential preferences of members of the "table of knowledge" men's coffee group. Of nine voting in that poll, there were three votes for Barak Obama, two each for John Edwards and Mike Huckabee, one each for Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton. Candidates who received no votes in that poll were Rudy Guliani and John McCain.

Again on Monday of this week, with the field narrowed, Pastor Lovestrand took a straw poll with these results: one abstention; four for Clinton; two each for Obama nad Romney; and one each for McCain and Huckabee.

United Fire Received $157,000 Grant


The racks of present United Fire and Rescue District turnout gear will be replaced with up-to-date gear with a grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security.

United Fire and Rescue District has received a grant of $157,985 for purchase of pagers and turnout gear from the United States Department of Homeland Security.

The grant will be for purchase of pagers and turnout gear, according to a news release from Chief Reid Berger and Ken Peterson, President of the District's Board of Directors.

The grant from the 2007 "Assistance to Firefighters' Grant Program," totaled $166,300. However, United Fire and Rescue District is responsible for 5% of the total cost, so will receive $157,985.

The funds from Homeland Security will be used to purchase 80 new sets of turnout gear, or one set for every firefighter in the District. There will also be funds for 65 new pagers.

Turnout gear includes: helmet, coat, bunker pants, boots, gloves and hoods. The current sets used by United Fire are 10 years old and do not meet the latest National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. The new coats will have DRD, for drag-rescue-device, which is a heavy webbed rope on the back which facilitates the rescue of an incapacitate firefighter. Turnout gear is insulated and waterproof.

United Fire and Rescue District is a combined fire department with stations in Baldwin, Woodville and Hammond. It serves the villages of: Baldwin, Hammond, Wilson and Woodville; and the towns of Baldwin, Cady, Eau Galle, Emerald, Erin Prairie, Hammond, Pleasant Valley, Rush River and Springfield.