Honor students at Baldwin-Woodville High School in the class of 2009 have been announced and are pictured above. In the front row, from left to right, are: Derek Boldt, Valedictorian Alexander Buechter, Hunter Campbell, Jessica Curtis, William Doornink, Briana Fleming, Elisa Folden, Kya Grafenstein, Trevor Hadley, Ellen Hawley, Jordan Hampton and Jennifer Holle. In the third row are, from left: Marin Holle, Logan Jacobson, Seth Kersten, Tyler Klund, Stephanie Larson, Amy Lund, Bryce Lunzer, Christopher Lynum, Kylee Momchilovich, Daniel Peterson and Daniel Ramberg. In the third row, from left, are: Jesse Rose, Wade Schlichting, Ian Schoenke, Jordan Simons, Karlyn Sturtevant, Leanne Terpstra, Brett Tiffany, Lucas Trickle, Kayla Wagner and Kelsey. Missing from the picture are: Alexandra Dumond, Jessica Johnson, Jamie Knotz, Shaunna Veenendall and Salutatorian RachelleVeenstra.
The Baldwin-Woodville High School recently announced the Class of 2009 honor students. Alexander Buechter, son of Gerard and Sheryl Buechter, was named Valedictorian. He plans to attend UW-Madison this fall. Salutatorian was Rachelle Veenstra, daughter of Anson and Sylvia Veenstra.
Other honor students include (in alphabetical order) Derek Boldt, son of Gary and Sherry Boldt, who plans to attend UW-Eau Claire; Hunter Campbell, son of Jeff and Wendy Campbell, St. Cloud; Jessica Curtis, daughter of Michael and Tammie Curtis, Northwestern Technical Institute; William Doornink, son of Phil and Joan Doornink, North Dakota State; Alexandra Dumond, daughter of Heidi and Greg Dumond, University of Minnesota; Briana Fleming, daughter of Bruce and Julie Fleming, St. Cloud State; Elisa Folden, daughter of Bob and Kim Hei and Mike Folden, UW-Madison.
Kya Grafenstein, daughter of Jay and Marna Grafenstein, plans to attend the University of St. Thomas; Trevor Hadley, son of Craig and Lori Hadley, Dakota County Technical College; Ellen Hawley, daughter of Tom and Rita Hawley, St. Olaf College; Jordan Hampton, son of Jim Hampton, is undecided; Jennifer Holle, daughter of Steven and Janet Holle, UW-Madison; Marin Holle, daughter of Dan and Julie Holle, UW-Eau Claire; Logan Jacobson, son of Greg and Mary Jacobson, UW-Stout; Jessica Johnson, daughter of Bob and Nancy Johnson, is undecided.
Seth Kersten, son of Brian Kersten and Karen Hollabaugh, plans to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities; Tyler Klund, son of Darcy and Jamie Klund, UW-Eau Claire; Jamie Knotz, daughter of Daniel and Katie Knotz, UW-Stevens Point; Stephanie Larson, daughter of Kevin and Barbara Larson, Carthage College; Amy Lund, daughter of Art and Lynette Lund, UW-Stout; Bryce Lunzer, son of Barry and Mary Lunzer, UW-Stout.
Christopher Lynum, son of Toby and Marla Lynum, plans to attend UW-LaCrosse; Kylee Momchilovich, daughter of Paul and Annette Momchilovich, WITC; Daniel Peterson, son of Karen Peterson and Larry Peterson, UW-Madison; Daniel Ramberg, son of Tim and Jody Ramberg, Wisconsin Lutheran; Jesse Rose, son of Pam and Jerry Rose, UW-Eau Claire; Wade Schlichting, son of Pete and Sue Schlichting, UW-River Falls; Ian Schoenke, son of Richard and Lori Schoenke, UW-Milwaukee.
Jordan Simons, son of Lisa Bowman and Jeff Simons, UM - Duluth; Karlyn Sturtevant, daughter of Mark and Linda Sturtevant, St. Benedict; Leanne Terpstra, daughter of Darryl and Julie Terpstra, UW-River Falls; Brett Tiffany, son of Scott and Jelaine Tiffany, UW-Stout; Lucas Trickle, son of Barb Lindstrom and Jim Trickle, Minnesota State Moorhead; Shaunna Veenendall, daughter of Jerry and Deanna Veendall, WITC; Kayla Wagner, daughter of Mike and Linda Wagner, University of Minnesota; and Kelsey Wahlquist, daughter of Bill and Bonnie Wahlquist, UW-Eau Claire.
Candidates sound off
Candidates for various offices in the surrounding communities responded to the following questions:
1. Name, age (if willing to provide it), address.
2. Position sought.
3. Education or experience that you believe will help you in the position.
3. What do you believe are your strengths that would help you fulfill your duties in the position?
4. What are the primary issues facing the municipality or entity for which you are seeking a position? Do you have some potential solutions?
Village of Baldwin
Trustee (3)
1. Duane Russett, age 56, Baldwin2. Trustee Village of Baldwin
Education, Associates Degree from CVTC plus classes in Real Estate (Licensed Sales Person) Supervision Management and other miscellaneous college credits which gives me a broad knowledge on many different issues.
3. Experience - currently serving on the Public Safety/Personnel and Water Sewer Committees as a village Trustee. My wife and I both work in the Village of Baldwin which gives me a closer connection to our local issues.
What are my strengths - I believe I am a good listener. I may not agree but will try and understand the concerns others may have. I will admit if I was wrong and work toward resolving problems.
4. What are the primary issues facing the Village of Baldwin - Fiscal responsibility is a major concern I believe we need to take advantage of grants when applicable and make use of other resources when or if available. I support the expansion and promotion of our Industrial Parks which the Village is currently involved with. I am concerned about safety along US 63 through the Village and supported the installation of the two lighted crosswalks installed last summer during the road construction. I would also like to see radar speed signs on both ends of town and additional sidewalks. The Village of Baldwin will have many challenging issues facing us in the next couple of years and it will take a Village Board with members who can work together and listen to each other to be successful. I believe I can fulfill those needs.
1. Doug Newton, 52, 1170 9th Ave., Baldwin.
2. Village of Baldwin Trustee
3. 12 years experience on the Baldwin Village Board as a Village Trustee. Some strengths that I possess are leadership and communication skills and the ability to be creative.
4. One primary issue that the Village of Baldwin is facing are the continuous budget cuts. I think we should continue being conservative on how we spend our money.
1. Kevin Brathol, 43, 990 11th Ave., Baldwin.
2. Re-election as Village Trustee
3. I am just completing my 12th year as a trustee and seeking re-election for two more years. I believe there can be no better experience for the position of Village Trustee than having had served on the Board for that length of time. Experience is the strength and bond that makes us the board we are. The current Village board has many years of experience and works together very well. We have a lot of projects and tasks started that I’d like to help see completed, such as the new Industrial Park, Sewer plant expansion, re-construction of Main Street, to name a few. I have lived in the Baldwin area my entire life. I am very familiar with the surroundings and the people.
4. We have a lot of issues as does every Village. Budget has been an expected problem with the state taking big cuts in state aid. It is looking at least for now that the aid from the state will not be cut as bad as predicted. The numbers the state is saying is less than a two percent decrease or just over $4,000. This could have been a huge problem at the local level had the numbers been where they first thought they would be.
The economy is a concern for everyone now, and the area growth has slowed a lot. Jobs are being cut everywhere, and we all are feeling it. We have tried to maintain as little budget increases as possible. We also did not want to let things like street maintenance slide either. Taxes at the village level have had very little increase in the last decade due to budget increases. We did have a revaluation increases and a school bond issue that we all noticed on our taxes in recent years, but remember the village portion of your taxes is about 38 percent of the total amount you pay.
Business and industrial growth should benefit Baldwin greatly. The benefit of forming of a T.I.F. district for the new Industrial park is huge. We can work with and offer benefits to buyers that a private owners could never do. This is a win, win situation for the village and the buyer. The location of Baldwin with I-94, US 63, and our close proximity to the Twin Cities should make this area very attactable.
1. Todd Daniel Welch, 27, 1050 Curtis St., Baldwin, WI 54002. 2. Baldwin Village Board Trustee.
3. I currently have two associate degrees and one bachelors degree in the Information Technologies field, using my education and experience I am co-owner of TC-TEKS Computes LLC (www.TCTEKS.com) in Eau Claire, which has been in business since July, 2006. Running my own business has given me the experience of balancing a budget and not spending more than we bring in. It has also given me the leadership experience that I will need when helping to run the Village of Baldwin in the most efficient and effective way possible. I believe that government needs to be run more like a private business, taking every dollar into account and making sure that they are stretched as far as possible. By doing this we can make sure that the citizens of Baldwin will be able to keep as much of their money in their pockets as possible.
4. I am very ambitious and motivated, when I set my mind to something I make sure that I see it through to the end. Because of this when I have a goal, or a task, or whatever it may be, I do everything that is necessary to accomplish it. My ambition and motivation in addition to being a leader in business will allow me to help run the Village of Baldwin as efficiently as possible. Government has forgotten over the years that the money they are spending is not their money. The money comes from hard working citizens and it should be spent in the most effective way possible.
Currently the Baldwin Village board enforces a $3 mandatory permit fee on all fireworks sales in the Village of Baldwin which took nearly $40,000 out of the local economy last year. They also mandated that such businesses come before the board each year to beg that they be allowed to stay in business. Businesses should not have to fear that they may not be allowed to continue to operate each year; employees should not have to worry during the holidays that they may not have a job each year; and citizens should not have unnecessary dollars taken out of their pockets every year. I will work to eliminate unnecessary fees as tax programs in the village so more money can stay in the citizens pockets and the local economy.
Also, currently the Village of Baldwin owns property called the Oak Ridge Tech Park- part of the Industrial Park. This property is to be sold for $50,000/acre for businesses to develop and create jobs. Instead of trying to profit on this land, the Village of Baldwin should sell this land at cost or even a loss. The goal is to get businesses to develop the land and create employment here in the village. Any barrier preventing that should be lifted, especially in this economic downturn. The Village of Baldwin would make its return when businesses purchase the land and start paying property taxes. In the long run it would be a major win-win for the Village.
For more information on the issues I feel are important for the Village of Baldwin please visit www.ToddWelch2009.com.
VILLAGE OF WOODVILLE
President
1. Tom Vandeberg, 66 years old, 116 Division St. S., Woodville.2. Village of Woodville President.
3. Have been on the Village Board about ten years. Have been Village President four years, attended the Ehlers Public Finance Seminar; was Church Council president.
4. The primary issue before the Village is not just the village’s but is everyones and that is the economy. The hard part is for the village board to stay within the budget and still be able to provide the best service possible.
1. Barry Ketchum, 29, 400 Birch St., Woodville.
2. Village President - Woodville
3. My education and experience for this position are that I have been a Village Trustee for the last three years and I have chaired committees such as Parks, Public Safety and Buildings and Equipment. I had also spent the last year on Budget and Finance learning where the money comes in and where it goes out for the village.
I also feel my youth, being 29 years old, provides a different look at things, than perhaps traditionally in the past. I have a great sense of responsibility which I have achieved from being active on the Baldwin EMS as and EMT in Woodville as well as a firefighter.
4. Some issues that face Woodville are future budget concerns. I think we should lean back spending as much as very possible until times are better to do the extras! And also times are not that much better for the residents so I also would like to see all fees and charges that the village uses to be reviewed to see if they serve a purpose as well as if the charges are necessary or not. I also want to review our building permit system to see if we require them for right situation and also to see if we require them for the not so necessary situations - let’s do things that make sense.
Town of Eau Galle
Chairman
2. Chairman, Town of Eau Galle
3. I have just served two terms as a supervisor. I am a lifelong township resident, and have owned my business for 30 years. I am a graduate of WITC-New Richmond and Baldwin-Woodville High School.
4. I will listen to residents and property owners, and seek answers to their questions and concerns, within the limits of the ordinances and laws of our township, county, and state.
5. Some issues we’re facing include: 1) exploring any and all alternatives to the high costs of maintaining town roads, and 2) increasing the knowledge basis of all board members regarding existing ordinances and laws, so that when questions arise, correct answers can be given promptly.
1. Name: Joel Kraemer, age 48, 131 Hwy 63, Baldwin.
2. Chairperson of Eau Galle Township.
3. Education: UW – River Falls, Agricultural Economics Degree. Employment History: Current - Office manager/Controller at Albrightson Excavating, Inc.; Previous - Multi-line Lender and Office Manager with Citizens State Bank – Woodville
Governmental Experience: Chairperson of the White Ash Lake Rehabilitation District in Polk County. Community Involvement: St. Croix County Representative Board Member of 9 County Regional Loan Fund; Past Board Member and President of St. Croix Economic Development Corp.; Board Member of Woodville Economic Development Corp.; Member of Woodville Visions Committee, Past Trustee and Chairperson at Peace Lutheran Church; Member of Local Snowmobile, ATV and Trail Grooming Associations; Woodville Lions Club – Membership Chairperson, Past President and Treasurer; Youth Mentor for Viking Middle School Mentor Program. Strengths: My community involvement and employment paths have allowed me to create a diverse background and demonstrate leadership skills. I have a strong financial background and understanding of local, county and regional needs. I have had the opportunity to be on committees that plan toward the future.
4. A current and ongoing issue with all governmental entities is the budget. It is the responsibility of the town board to make fiscally responsible decisions based upon the needs of the township constituents and melding them with the needs of the township as it relates to, County and State regulations. As the Township Chairperson, I believe, I have the ability to develop short-term and long-term solutions by gathering information at all levels, while keeping an unbiased opinion; to meet the overall needs of the township.
Supervisor (2)
1. David North, age 61 years, address: 504-233rd St., Baldwin WI.2. I am seeking reelection to the position of Supervisor in the Town of Eau Galle. I have held this position for the past six years and have resided in the Town of Eau Galle for over 35 years.
3. I received a Bachelors and Masters degree in Technology Education from the University of Wisconsin Stout. I moved to the Baldwin area in 1970 to teach Metals, Small Engines, Auto Mechanics, Drafting and Design (shop classes) at the Baldwin-Woodville High School. After 32 years, I retired from teaching. This has given me the time necessary to effectively serve on the Town Board.
4. My roots began while growing up on a 200-acre dairy farm in northern Chippewa County. As well as farming, my dad owned an excavating business both of which I helped operate for many years. We had the normal equipment: dump trucks, bulldozers, road grader, backhoe, and rock crusher. We did a lot of road repair work for the Town of Sampson.
5. I feel the variety of experiences I received in the Baldwin-Woodville educational system working with students, parents, staff, administration, and community people has provided me with a realization that people have a wide variety of opinions. An elected official must listen to different viewpoints to be able to make an informed decision.
The major expenditures in a Town are for roads. With rising costs, it has been a challenge to maintain and rebuild our roads while keeping the Towns share of the resident’s taxes the same. I believe keeping taxes “in check” is extremely important and worth the challenge.
The choices made by the Town Board now will have an impact on what our Town looks like long after I am gone. My desire is to keep the Town of Eau Galle a great place to live.
I would appreciate your vote on April 7.
1. Dennis Duckworth, age 59, 2428 32nd Ave., Woodville.
2. Supervisor, Town of Eau Galle.
3. Majoring in Foreign Service required studying economics, government and history. That education is helpful if used along with commons sense and experience. My experience includes 31 years of road and bridge work, 22 years on a small farm in Eau Galle, and work on the Eau Galle Land Use Plan.
4. The ability to research issues, listen and respond to concerns of others and offer logical persuasion or compromises are my strengths. Also I’m familiar with the duties of the Town Board.
5. The major issues immediately facing the Town Board are the coexistence of in place and expanding farming and residential development and the need to provide road maintenance and other services without increased taxes. The best potential solutions require citizen input, following county and state laws and applying fair and equal treatment to all residents.
My name is Barry Serier, and I am seeking a position as Supervisor for the Town of Eau Galle.
I have been a lifelong resident of the Town of Eau Galle, and I currently reside at 2150 33rd Avenue.
As a land owner, employer and partner in a dairy/crop operation, and member of Professional Nutrient Applicators of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Custom Operators, I have been involved in groups that address responsible land use and management, D.O.T issues, road, and township concerns across the state. The issues that are addressed within these organizations have given me experience that would be beneficial in my role as a township supervisor.
In our township, our primary issues will involve keeping the items that are brought before the board focused on what is best for the entire township and its citizens, and keeping taxes to a minimum during this very tough economy.
1. Jackie Mathison, 388 County Road B, Woodville,WI 54028.
2. I am seeking an Eau Galle town board supervisor position in the April 7, 2009 election. I am a thoughtful, fair minded individual, and my ability to see both sides of issues are my strengths and will be useful tools if elected to that position
3. I have worked in the medical profession as a Radiologic Technologist for 35 years and for the past 20 years I have worked at the Hudson Hospital and Clinics in the Imaging Center as Lead Mammographer. This work experience gives me daily opportunities to deal with patients and department issues that take careful consideration and require thoughtful resolve. If I am elected; this work experience will be useful, in my approach to issues that may arise in our township.
My husband Doug and I have lived in Eau Galle township for 35 years on the family farm that was homesteaded by Doug’s grandfather in the late 1800’s and we continue to farm it still. Eau Galle township has seen a large increase in residents in those 35 years and with that growth comes issues and concerns. I will, if elected be fair, sensitive, thoughtful, and open minded in my response to issues that will come before the Eau Galle town board; so equitable solutions can be reached .
Again April 7th is election day and I would appreciate your consideration of me for; Eau Galle town board supervisor.
From the Exchanges
Interesting News Items from
Surrounding Communities
AMERY FREE PRESS: Jeremiah Paquin, 22, formerly of Amery and Baldwin, was sentenced to five years in prison for second degree sexual assault in Barron county. Five other counts of sexual assault involving two Turtle Lake girls were dropped. Also involved in the case was Jeremy D. Falz, 20, New Richmond. On May 31, 2008, the two threw pine cones and sticks at the window of a home in Turtle Lake. A 12-year-old girl recognized the men and went outside. She and Paquin had sex in a playhouse. Later the two men entered the home and engaged in sex with the girl and a 14-year-old girl.
NEW RICHMOND NEWS: A resident on the 600 block of Ron Drive was hit with a surprise when he answered his door early in the morning on March 6. According to the police report, James Stauffacher was struck in the face with a pipe at approximately 4:50 a.m. on March 6 after opening his door when the bell rang. The attempted robber, who was wearing a ski mask, tried to push past Stauffacher to gain entry into the home after striking him, but Stauffacher was able to shove him away, according to the police report. New Richmond police officers were able to get footprints from the snow. The suspect ran to a waiting older, dark colored, beat up car. According to the report, Stauffacher suffered injuries to his face and jaw. Nothing like this has happened to him or in the neighborhood, he said. Additionally, he’s not positive what the robbers were after, Stauffacher said.
BURNETT COUNTY SENTINEL: Two days before a 32 year-old Minneapolis firefighter was to go on trial for second degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of John Peach in Janunary 2008, defense attorney Craig Mastantuono filed a motion to dismiss the entire case against his client. Kyle L. Huggett allegedly shot and killed John Peach after Peach attempted to confront Huggett over the content of some text messages the two had exchanged over the previous week, including the day of the shooting. The motion was made on the grounds law enforcement personnel investigating the incident failed to preserve evidence possessing exculpatory value thereby violating Huggett's Constitutional rights. The exact basis for the motion is a cell phone call Huggett received from the decedent the night of the incident. Huggett has described that message as "threatening and screaming." "The primary issue in this case is whether Huggett acted as a reasonably prudent person would have under the circumstances he faced at the time," Mastantuono wrote in his motion. For the purpose of establishing self-defense, the defense may present evidence concerning specific conduct of the decedent within the defendant's knowledge in order to demonstrate the defendant's state of mind.
HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER: It’s fortunate that stray voltage from a downtown Hudson electrical junction box didn't cause any more injury than it did. A 13-year-old Hudson girl also got a shock at the corner of Second and Locust streets while watching the Hudson Hot Air Affair parade on the night of Feb. 6. Roger Parenteau said his daughter Anna was standing on the sidewalk next to Wells Fargo Bank when her legs went numb and felt as if they were frozen in place. Later the same evening, a dog sustained serious injuries as it was crossing Second Street with its owner following the parade. The city hired B & B Electric to do an inspection of all of the in-ground electrical junction boxes on Second Street in the downtown after the Feb. 6 stray voltage incidents. An electrician from B & B was seen pulling wires from a junction box near the corner of Walnut and Second streets on Tuesday, March 3. He told a reporter that some of the junction boxes weren’t properly grounded and that he was putting in new ones that were.
