Riley Anderson and Brook McNamara were crowned as King and Queen at the B-W Junior Prom “Parisian Escape” held Saturday evening.
Photo courtesy of Suzanne Wynveen
Former BAMC physician’s license surrendered
A physician who formerly practiced medicine at Baldwin Area Medical Center has surrendered his license to practice medicine and surgery in Wisconsin after he was discovered “impaired by alcohol” while “providing professional services to patients.”
According to a Final Decision and Order of the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board dated January 20, Gregory J. Estlund, M.D., of River Falls, has surrendered his license to practice medicine.
According to the Order, on November 4, 2009 Estlund “was at [BAMC] providing professional services to patients, while he was impaired by alcohol. Nursing staff reported that he smelled of alcohol and was stumbling.” An alcohol test “revealed [Dr. Estlund] had a blood alcohol level of 0.11. When he was confronted, Respondent did not deny the use of alcohol and said, ‘This is a terrible disease.’”
The order said Dr. Estlund’s privileges at BAMC “were summarily suspended.”
Alison Page, Chief Executive Officer at Baldwin Area Medical Center commented that “the safety of our patients is our highest priority. Policies and procedures are in place to address rare events such as this. We appreciate the prompt action taken by our staff to deal with the situation appropriately.”
The decision and order of the Medical Examining Board accepting the surrender of Dr. Estlund’s license provides that if Dr. Estlund “ever seeks to regain this or any other credential from the Board: Respondent shall provide sufficient evidence to the Board that he does not have any psychiatric or chemical abuse or dependency condition that could interfere with his safely providing professional services to patients or the public.”
Foundation makes annual grant awards
The Baldwin-Woodville Area Community Foundation held its annual grant award presentation on Monday, April 19th at First Bank Of Baldwin. A total of seven non-profit organizations were awarded money for programs and projects that benefit the communities of Baldwin and Woodville.
Grant recipients for 2010 are: Baldwin Public Library, $400, Teen Book Club; Baldwin Senior Center, $800, Social Opportunities; B-W High School, $2,500, T-Shirts for Service Learning Day; Family Resource Center, $1,500, Play and Learn Programs; Food Resource Collaborative, $500, Protein; St. Croix Area Volunteer League, $600, Public Holiday Events; and Woodville Senior Center, $800, Social Opportunities
Total grant awards for this year was $7,100.
The Baldwin-Woodville Area Community Foundation (BWACF) was established to stimulate and facilitate the current and future needs of the Baldwin-Woodville area by attracting, managing and distributing charitable contributions. As a community foundation, the BWACF is a publicly supported institution organized and operated primarily as a permanent collection of endowed funds. Individual contributions to the fund are returned to the community for specific projects and programs managed by non-profit organizations.
For more information on the BWACF, contact the Baldwin-Woodville Area Community Foundation at P.O. Box 352, Baldwin, WI 54002 or http://www.baldwinareafoundation.com.
News from the exchanges
Interesting items from
surrounding communities
HUDSON STAR~OBSERVER: With enrollment continuing to climb at the Hudson Middle School the district’s administration is recommending a plan that would call for a $2 million addition and using three classrooms at the adjacent Hudson Prairie Elementary School. Superintendent Mary Bowen-Eggebraaten made the recommendation at last week’s school board meeting. She pointed out that HMS is the largest single middle school in the state. Currently it has an enrollment of 1,211, 86 students over the building’s capacity of 1,125. Enrollment projections show that number growing to more than 280 students over capacity by the 2013-2014 school year.
RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: For the first time in its 81-year history, the River Falls Golf Club will have a new owner beginning next month. The club’s board of directors has agreed to sell the course for $1.5 million to Hanson Bros. Golf Holdings LLC of Hammond, the same group that bought the Hudson Golf Course earlier this month. Bredahl said the key factor in deciding to accept the officer was the Hansons’ commitment to maintaining the property as a public golf course. Under the agreement, the Hansons will continue to run the course for at least ten years, but Bredahl believes it will be around a lot longer than that. Club vice president Tim Bredahl said increasing competition coupled with growing interest on loans and service charges and a downturn in membership finally caught up with the club. He said this year’s membership of 141 is about half of what it was in 2004. The Hanson family previously owned and operated Douglas-Hanson Co. of Hammond, a family business that was sold to Loparex USA in June 2006. Hanson Bros. LLC paid a reported $3.5 million for the 141-acre Hudson Golf Club earlier this month. As part of the agreement to buy the River Falls Golf Club, the Hansons have committed to investing up to $500,000 in the 125 acre course, which will go toward a new irrigation system and other improvements to the facility and equipment.
AMERY FREE PRESS: On Saturday, April 17 at about 6 p.m. the Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call in reference to numerous shots fired and a large explosion and subsequent fire on 80th St. in the Town of Apple River at the residence of Dale and Lori Smith. The fire resulting from the explosion had spread to a building and a large field was on fire. Fire departments from Apple River, Balsam Lake and Milltown all responded. When deputies arrived they found a shed on the property fully engulfed in flames. When speaking with persons on the scene it appeared that the Smith family, along with two friends, were shooting firearms at a tannerite container and purposely detonated the substance along with paint cans placed nearby for added effect. Tannerite is a legally obtained substance which may be purchased locally. It consisted of tannerite and a catalyst, which is stored in a separate container. The two substances are mixed together and then detonated from the distance with a large caliber weapon. The resulting explosion gives the resemblance of an illegal explosive. Billowing smoke could be seen as far as 12 miles from the scene and flames as far away as four miles. The fire also damaged a utility pole in the area. It is unknown the total extent of damages or cost to local residents for the fire department response.
PIERCE COUNTY HERALD (ELLSWORTH): The El Paso Community Club has gotten established because of the town’s annual celebration. Or maybe it was the other way around. As Nate Place succeeds Merlin Blaisdell as president of the organization, the pair reviewed its past and future last week. “El Paso’s in the center of the county and, if it wasn’t for that, there may not be one at all,” Blaisdell said Tuesday. Which came first - the club or the celebration - depends on one’s perspective. The modern-day version of the club followed four annual celebrations occurring from 1986 to 1989, the outgoing president said. It was a desire in 1991 to see those festivities continue that prompted a group including himself, Ivan Shafer, Larry Traynor and Rich Anderson to each put up $20 toward keeping it going. “Why can’t we do it again?” Blaisdell remembered asking, mindful he’d never been to the temporarily interrupted event, having just moved back to his native area. They had the will, but the way wasn’t exactly certain. He said a deal was struck with Walters Beer to supply beverages, linked to 40 cases of root beer through the Baldwin grocery store where he then worked. The store’s owner generously donated the latter from which celebration volunteers made floats that first year of revival and Traynor took the leftovers to sell at another gathering in the county - Spring Valley Dam Days. The club’s origins were informal. Blaisdell credited Traynor for encouraging the members to incorporate in the mid-90s, reasoning they shouldn’t jeopardize their personal liability. With incorporation came an officer structure and the organization was official.
