Fire destroys former Baldwin Feed and Seed Building

Before firefighters even arrived on the scene of a tremendous blaze at the former Baldwin Feed and Seed in downtown Baldwin, it was apparent that little could be done to save the structure, which was completely engulfed in flames shortly after the start of the fire.

A spectacular blaze in the former Baldwin Feed and Seed grain elevator in downtown Baldwin totally destroyed the structure Thursday, April 3.

The fire started around 4:00 p.m. and firefighters from United Fire and Rescue and six other area departments called for mutual aid, remained on the site until about 11:30 Thursday evening.

The structure was owned by Lee Seim of the Town of Springfield. He said the structure contained about 2,500 bushels of corn, 1,500 bushels of oats, some soybeans and some minerals that were used as feed ingredients. He said the structure was not insured. Seim said he he's not sure about what he is going to do for storage in the future, but he will have to buy grain to make up for what was lost.

Gary Newton, Baldwin Station Chief of United Fire and Rescue, said that determining a cause of the fire is impossible because the structure was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived on the scene and the intense heat generated by the fire. He said reports of explosions or pops coming from the fire could perhaps be explained by the presence of a large amount of feed dust in the structure that explodes in a fire.

Firefighters were hampered fighting the fire by the size of water mains in the area of Baldwin Feed and Seed. Newton said that in the older portion of town the mains are only four inches in diameter and United Fire and the mutual aid departments had the capacity to pump much more water than could be derived from the three hydrants that were tapped. For that reason several tanker truck loads of water were hauled in from other locations.

Approximately 160,000 gallons of water was poured on the fire from hydrants and additional water hauled in from Hammond and Woodville amounted to another 20,000 gallons, said Newton.

Mutual aid was supplied by the fire departments of Glenwood City, Spring Valley, Roberts, River Falls, New Richmond and Hudson.

Newton said that when initially on the scene firefighters sprayed water on gas lines to cool them and then ensured that the natural gas supply to the structure was halted. The St. Croix County Emergency Communications Center also notified the railroad to halt all rail traffic through Baldwin. When the fire was controlled, a train master was sent out to inspect the tracks before trains were allowed to travel on them.

The pleasant spring weather, combined with the spectacular nature of the blaze, brought out hundreds of walkers who watched the progress of the fire.

Many observers said the intensity of the fire hadn't been seen locally since the fire on December 26, 1980 that destroyed Heebink's Millwork when it was located in downtown Baldwin.

A firm has been hired to remove the metal from the debris remaining from the fire, said Seim. He said a determination of what to do with the wood and grain remnants has not been made.

Seim said he bought the elevator in 2004 from the family of Dennis Eggen.

According to Don Makuch, a former owner of Baldwin Feed and Seed, the original elevator was built in 1895 by Ben Nibblink. He sold the business to Chris Johnson and George Nyeggen. Later Nyeggen became sole owner of the business and then in the late 1950s he sold it to his son-in-law Milt Lane.

Makuch said he bought the business from Milt Lane in 1978 and ran it until September of 1984 when he sold it to Dennis Eggen. Another fire a day earlier forced a Baldwin family from their home. The fire was at the David and Sarah Weiske residence southeast of Baldwin on 55th Avenue.

The residence is owned by Gerald and Mary Ann Peterson.

The fire was reported Wednesday morning by David Weiske. It started in a closet under a stairway, according to Newton.

Sarah Weiske said the fire was contained but the home suffered from extensive heat and smoke damage. The family has moved in with relatives while the home is being completely cleaned down to the studs, which she said may take up to three months.

B-W VAC team advances to state

Baldwin-Woodville VAC students include, back row from left to right, Tanis Klingler, Michelle Hinz, Kylee Momchilovich, Ashley Casperson, Morgan Trunkel, Briana Fleming. Middle row, Heather Molenaar, Rachelle Veenstra, Miranda Nelson, Sam Basques. Front row, Reid Anderson, Mrs. Kamm and Ethan Palmer. Missing from the picture is Emalie Tison.

Reid Anderson's colored pencil portrait composed of junk food is pictured.

The Visual Arts Classic (VAC) regional was held recently at UW-Stout. The regional consisted of six teams: Menomonie, Clayton, Amery, Washburn, Granton, and Baldwin-Woodville. B-W High School had a twelve member team compete.

This year's theme was "Food and Art." The competition includes individual competition as well as team competition. Individuals from each team compete in one of twelve categories with a long range assignment (project created before hand and judged the day of competition) and an on-site project. The on-site problem was read to the group and the students have three hours to complete the problem.

Baldwin-Woodville students competed in the following categories: Reid Anderson and Heather Molenaar in drawing; Rachelle Veenstra and Tanis Klinger in painting; Kylee Momchilovich and Briana Fleming in sculpture; Machelle Hinz and Emalie Tison in art history; Miranda Nelson and Ethan Palmer in printmaking; Sam Basques in digital photography; and Ashley Casperson in personal adornment.



Individuals advancing to state are Reid Anderson for his long term and on-site projects, Kylee Momchilovich for her long term and on-site projects, and Ethan Palmer for his on-site project.

As a team the students competed in a critical thinking category, and quiz bowl category. Critical thinking involves the entire team working together to find a solution to a question. This year's problem involved pitching a restaurant to a group of investors. The restaurant was to be based on one of the twelve artists they had to research.

In quiz bowl the teams are asked thirty-five questions based on the artists as well. B-W took a third place finish in the critical thinking category and a first place finish in quiz bowl. The first place finish in quiz bowl qualified the entire team for the state quiz bowl competition. B-W placed third overall combining the totals for all of the long term and on-site projects, critical thinking, and quiz bowl. State is held at the UW-Madison on April 11.

This is only the second year Baldwin-Woodville has competed in the VAC. Last year's team finished third in critical thinking, tied for third in quiz bowl, and placed second overall.

"Qualifying for state as a team is a really big deal. It's comparative to state forensics, state band, and state choir," stated Mrs. Kamm. "First place individuals and first place teams from across the state will go head to head in Madison. The energy and creativity at state is electric. Knowing that they are competing against the best artists and best teams in the state gets the students charged up for the competition. The art work is amazing!

It is so exciting because we're starting to set a precedent. It will hopefully get students encouraged and excited about next year. This is a great group of students whom all have special qualities," Kamm continued.

"Getting to work with the students on a daily basis keeps me challenged and energized. It's one of the many reasons why I love my job! I am really proud of the students for their individual accomplishments and team accomplishments."

USH 63 upgrade starts May 5

The schedule for the upgrade of USH 63 through Baldwin has been moved up. The contract for the project is slated to begin May 5 with traffic control work and grinding of the road surface. The contract is scheduled to be completed in 75 days.

According to Baldwin Village Engineer Mike Stoffel of Ayres Associates, the contracts for the work have been let. He said that some traffic signal work may even begin before May 5.

The project will start at the south side of Baldwin where the four lane USH 63 ends. Included in the work will be installation of new pavement and center turn lanes in some locations. In addition, a new traffic light will be installed at 60th Avenue and Fern Drive and new traffic lights will be installed at Cedar Street and Main Street.

The village's outside lanes of USH 63 through Baldwin will be taken up as part of the project, and will eliminate all parking along the highway. North of Main Street there will be a two way left turn lane to Hillcrest. The bridge over the Baldwin Creek will be replaced with a box
culvert.

The prime contractor is Mathy Construction and its subsidiary Monarch. Other contractors include: excavating: Hoffman Construction; grinding and placement of crushed aggregate base: Kraemer Co.; concrete work: Curb Masters; and traffic signals: NEI.

Web site provides Baldwin-Woodville Referendum Information

Pages have been added to the Baldwin-Woodville School District web site that provide information about the building referendum scheduled for Tuesday, June 3.

The pages were created by B-W Athletic Director and Transportation Supervisor Wade Labecki.

To access the web pages, start at the Baldwin-Woodville home page (www.bwsd.k12.wi.us). Near the top is information about the referendum and to the right is "Click here for more information."

The referendum election will have two questions. The first is whether a new 90,000 square foot intermediate school for grades three, four and five should be built on district owned property, and should Greenfield Elementary School be renovated. The total cost of the two is pegged at
$16,775,000.

The second question is whether an indoor swimming pool should be constructed and equipped for a cost not to exceed $3,500,000.

The web side provides the complete texts of the two resolutions. The members of the committee who studied the district's space needs are provided so individuals who have questions may ask any of them. Their meeting minutes are also provided as a further source of information.

The web site lists and dates and times of the four informational meetings that have been scheduled in May to provide information on the referendum projects.

The web site provides B-W enrollment history and future enrollment projections.

Designs for You by Erika makes a move

Designs for You by Erika, a beauty and hair care salon, has made a move one block west on Main Street in Baldwin. The business, owned by Erika Jordahl, moved from its former address when the building was put up for sale to its new location at 810 Main Street. Pictured above are Erika Jordahl, front, and employees Kahla Ash, left and Megan McCracken.

Dan's Auto Center moving to Buster's location

Dan and Cindy VanSomeren have purchased the former Buster's All-Star Rental building and plan to have Dan's Auto Center up and running there by March 31.

According to Cindy, the new location will be more convenient for customers. She said that before opening in the new location the building will undergo remodeling, adding lifts and a portion of the building will be resided.

When the weather improves a portion of the exterior of the building will be painted, Cindy said.

"If people want to see what we've done, they should feel free to stop in and we'll give them a tour," Cindy said. She noted that the building provides a nice location and space for Dan's Auto Center and it was originally built as a service station. She added that some type of open house will be held in the near future.

Dan's Auto Service has vehicle service, tires, exhaust systems and major and minor vehicle repair. The U-Haul business will be continued at the new location.

Buster's rental business has moved to the rural Baldwin location where he has his car crushing business.

Spring election features few races

The spring election on Tuesday, April 1 will feature few local contests.

In the Village of Baldwin there is only one contest where incumbent Municipal Judge Howard Ott is being challenged by Tammi Hovde. The three incumbent Village Trustees are running for re-election unchallenged. They are: Claire Stein, Greg Larson and Willard Zevenbergen.

In the Village of Hammond three individuals are running for three trustee positions: Christopher Buckel, Wally Graf and Steven Peterson. Sandra Nelson is running unopposed for Municipal Judge. In the Village of Woodville only two candidates are running for three Village Trustee positions. They are Barry Ketchum and Steve Gossel. Linda Duval is running unopposed for Municipal Judge.

For the Baldwin Woodville School District incumbents Dustin Klanderman and Todd Graf are running unchallenged.

Likewise for St. Croix Central School District where incumbents John Hueg and David Olsen are running unchallenged.

At the county level, Mark Gherty and Howard Cameron are facing off for the new Branch 4 judgeship in St. Croix County. Statewide, Mike Gableman and Louis Butler are vying for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

For additional details on voting procedures, voting locations and candidates, see the insert in this week's issue.

Scam alert issued by Sheriff Hillstead

Over the past several weeks the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office has received a number of complaints concerning an ongoing scam, according to a press release from Sheriff Dennis Hillstead. There are several different variations by which the scam artists are attempting to deceive victims. The basic situation involves the victim receiving a letter from a company or organization that states it represents a lottery and that the person receiving the letter is a winner in that contest. Included in the notification is a check made out to the victim, usually the amount of this check is between $4000.00 and $5000.00. The check on first view appears legitimate.

The letter instructs the victim to deposit the check, then send the company back $3000.000 dollars to cover taxes and costs, and that once the company receives the $3000.00 the remaining winnings will be sent.

Phone calls to the number given are answered and what seems like appropriate information given. If the victim checks the company on the internet, it will also appear to be a legitimate company.

Unfortunately for the victim, approximately one to two weeks after depositing the check and returning the $3000.00, plus whatever of the amount over the $3000.0 that they spent, plus whatever bank costs may be charged to them, are lost when the check is stopped.

Many of these types of scams originate from out of the country and are almost impossible to track. The old adage, "If it seems too good to be true," it probably is. In most legitimate lotteries, the taxes are deducted before the winnings are paid out.

If you have been victimized by this scam, please contact your local police department or the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office, 715-386-4320.

Boyceville man arrested for threats

A Boyceville man who wanted to get away and do a little ice fishing didn't get the relaxation he wanted.

According to St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead, the man received a traffic citation and failed to appear at his court date. The court then entered a guilty plea for the traffic violation and his license was revoked. Sheriff Hillstead said the revoked license may have had further repercussions and he may have lost his job because of his loss of license.

That caused the man to call the St. Croix County courthouse and threaten to blow it up and also threaten the judge who heard his case.

When the threats were reported to the Sheriff's Department, deputies went to the man's residence in Boyceville where it was learned that he was ice fishing on Pine Lake. Then two investigators and three deputy sheriffs from the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department converged on Pine Lake where the man was located, arrested and taken into custody, said
Sheriff Hillstead.

Review board clears deputies in shooting

St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead announced that a shooting review board, which included law officers from New Richmond and Polk County, determined that deputies Ryan Kelly and Kristopher Stewart followed all policies and procedures in the fatal shooting incident of a man in rural Hammond Feb. 23.

Stewart is an 11-year veteran of the sheriff's department, including eight years as a patrol officer. Kelly joined the jail staff in May 2006 and has been in training as a patrol officer since January.

"Each of the officers has been provided with counseling services," said Hillstead. "It's a tragic incident, tragic for the victim and his family and tragic for the deputies and their families," he said. "It's very stressful and will continue to be."

Jacob Lee Sperl, 22, died as a result of gunshot wounds following a confrontation with the deputies. Sperl, who had reportedly made suicidal threats, pointed a loaded shotgun at the two officers outside his rural Hammond home when the deputies confronted him.

Water main replacement scheduled for spring

After last Monday morning's water pipe blow-out along USH 63 near Snap Fitness that dumped more than 200,000 gallons of water out of the village's north water tower, it was apropos that the Baldwin Village Board dealt with several water issues at their regular monthly meeting last
Wednesday.

In addition to approving rebuilding part of Main Street, along with utility work in the street, the Board dealt with a block-long stretch of the main that dispersed its contents last week.

Public Works Director John Traxler noted at the meeting that the hole in the pipe that produced the large volume of water was about fist sized. He said that seven or eight feet of water main was replaced, but the entire main was pitted and is a continuation of the main done last year about a block south.

Traxler questioned whether replacing the block-long stretch of water main should be done in conjunction with the Department of Transportation project rebuilding USH 63 through Baldwin that will begin this spring and continue into the summer.

Village Engineer Mike Stoffel said the stretch of water main along USH 63 from Lokhorst to Summit is 370 to 380 feet and estimated the cost to replace it from $27,000 to $28,000 with new hydrants and valves. He said it is possible that it could be done in conjunction with the DOT project.

The board, after discussion, agreed that it makes sense to do the work when the road is torn up anyway, and approved the work if a price can be negotiated.

The other work along USH 63 that will be performed in conjunction with the DOT project is replacement of water main from the First Bank of Baldwin to the railroad tracks and replacement of sanitary sewer from Newton Street to Curtis Street. The board reviewed bids for the projects and accepted the low bid from Albrightson Excavating, Inc. in the amount of $78,376.

Finally, the board approved a project for the two block stretch of Main Street between 11th and 13th Avenues. That project includes replacing the water main and sanitary sewer, new water and sewer laterals and a new storm sewer drain at 13th and Main, said Engineer Stoffel.

Stoffel said the entire street will be lowered somewhat to improve drainage to and off the street.

Most of the existing sidewalk along the two block stretch will be replaced, with the exception of a short stretch of new sidewalk. New driveway aprons will be installed and the first lift of asphalt will be laid with the final lift going on in 2008, Stoffel said.

The board approved levying special assessments for laterals, sidewalks and driveways aprons to the property owners. Property owners can pay in installments over three years for new sidewalks, but aprons and laterals must be paid for in the year in which they are installed.

The Board approved advertising for bids on the project. Prices for paving the fire hall parking lot and installing curb and gutter and paving the Ambulance Service lot will also be included when bids are asked for the Main Street project.

In other action at the meeting:

-Candidates for the fourth judge position in St. Croix County who advanced to the general election after the primary gave presentations to the board. They are: Howard Cameron and Mark Gherty.
-Spring clean up days for village residents (not businesses) was set for Friday, April 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 26 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
-A number of June Bug Days requests were approved at the meeting. The annual celebration will be held June 12, 13, 14 and 15 this year. The village will made an $8,000 contribution to the celebration, from the tourism fund.

The parade will be Saturday at noon, starting at the High School and proceeding east to 6th Avenue, then south and past Maple Street.

Dance licenses were granted for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; picnic licenses were approved (allowing sale of beer); fireworks were approved for Saturday night; and a temporary operator's license was granted to Rick Coltrain.

-The annual lease for the Fire Hall was approved. The building of about 13,000 square feet rents for 50¢ per square foot.
-The board finalized a fireworks possession permit system with a charge of $3 per permit.
-The Board agreed that the village will participate in two loan programs using the proceeds from federal revolving loans. They are the Downtown Facade Program and the MicroLoan Program. The committee members for each program were approved as: Dale Jensen, Larry Knegendorf, Dale Fern, Dave Mattison and Willie Zevenbergen.
-Discussion was held regarding parking on 60th Avenue and whether it should be prohibited. Included in the discussion was whether a parking area could be created on the south side of 60th on village owned property commonly called "Wintergreen."
-The village approved purchase of playground equipment, mulch and trees for "Wood Duck Park" in Berkseth Heights. Cost of the playground equipment is approximately $15,000.
-Police Chief Jim Widiker noted that the kennel to which strays in the village have been taken has been closed and asked members of the board for help in finding an alternative.

Referendum information sessions set

When the referendum asking Baldwin-Woodville School District electors is held on Tuesday, June 3, members of the B-W Board of Education, a newly formed School Public Relations Committee and Superintendent Rusty Helland want voters to have as much information about the two questions as possible-the why, where, how and how much it will cost.

Toward that end, the newly formed committee-made up largely of members of the committee who studied school facilities needs and recommended that a new "intermediate" school be built on existing school property in Baldwin-are making themselves available to answer questions from the public and have planned a public information campaign.

As part of the public information campaign four public information meetings have been scheduled for different days of the week in order to accommodate as large an audience as possible. The dates and places of the meetings are:
-Monday, May 5 at the Viking Middle School gym in Woodville;
-Tuesday, May 13 at the Greenfield Elementary School gym in Baldwin;
-Wednesday, May 21 at the Viking Middle School gym in Woodville; and
-Thursday, May 29 at the Baldwin-Woodville High School Performing Arts Center.

All of the public information meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m.

In addition to holding informational meetings, members of the committee have divided into sub-committees. The "hard copy" committee will be producing flyers or brochures that will be available to district residents; the "electronic" committee plans to produce a web site and use
the B-W TV station, channel 18 on Baldwin Telecom cable, to present information about the referendum.

Also, said Superintendent Helland, all members of the "New School Public Relations Committee," including himself, have agreed to make themselves available to voters who have questions regarding the referendum questions.

Helland emphasized that the process that led to the referendum questions has been in the works for more than two years. Starting in 2006 a population study of the district was done by a company hired for that purpose and the B-W Board's long-range committee had discussed facility needs. A committee of district residents was formed to study facility needs, they met several times over a period of months, and their recommendations were presented last November.

Those recommendations, which were forwarded to the B-W Board which is expected to submit them to referendum on Monday night, March 17, calls for a new 90,000 square foot "intermediate" school to be built somewhere near present Greenfield (perhaps north or west of Greenfield) and some remodeling of Greenfield Elementary. It would house grades three through five. The cost of the new school is estimated at $16,494,500. The cost of Greenfield remodeling is estimated at $324,600. A separate question on the referendum is whether a new indoor swimming pool at a cost of approximately $3,500,000 should be built. If the pool and an intermediate school are approved, the pool would likely be attached to the intermediate school
since building a pool as part of a building project would be cheaper than adding it to an existing building, said Helland.

In upcoming informational pieces, district enrollment trends and projections will be presented and the effect of the referendum and bond issuance wo uld have on property taxes will be detailed.

Members of the committee who have agreed to be available to the public to answer questions regarding the referendum questions are: Jackie Benson, Jane Erickson, Beth Meyers, Denise Monicken, Dennis Paquette, Ken Peterson, Ken Rundhaug, Amy Wicker, Todd Graf, Dustin Klanderman, Tom Schumacher, Mike Timm, John Huenink - Construction manager with Kraus-Anderson, Brad Simonson - Architect with HSR Associates, Steve Apfelbacher - of Ehlers and Associates, the district's financial advisor, and Helland.

Referendum motions approved by school board

The Baldwin-Woodville Board of Education took the first formal steps in the building referendum process at the regular meeting Monday night. At last month's meeting, the board agreed upon June 3, 2008 for the date of the referendum; now two initial resolutions authorizing general obligation bonds and a resolution approving the form of notices and the official referendum ballot have been approved as required by law.

The two bond resolutions, one for a new intermediate school not to exceed $16,775,000, and another for an indoor swimming pool not to exceed $3,500,000 carried on a six to one vote. Voting yes were board members Mike Bondarenko, Todd Graf, Dustin Klanderman, Deb Rasmussen, Tom Schumacher and Jeff Campbell. Voting no was John Hinz.

The resolution approving the form of referendum notices and official referendum ballot was approved unanimously.

In discussion prior to the vote, Hinz asked if the increased borrowing affects the percentage of the school district's state aid, which is currently 68 percent. District financial advisor Steve Apfelbacher of Ehlers and Associates explained that there are no guarantees of state aid percentages from year to year regardless of debt. Each year the state figures state aid based upon all districts in the state. For the purposes of this project, Apfelbacher said he figured 63 percent state aid.

"What if the district's valuation goes down?" asked district resident Ken Rundhaug. "How does that affect our state aid?"

Apfelbacher said that's one of numerous variables that can affect a district's state aid percentage, either up or down. He said Ehlers and Associates bases their estimates on past and present information and past experience.

Rundhaug also suggested that school districts could re-align to spread students out to prevent over-crowding.

Superintendent Rusty Helland informed the board the new School Public Relations Committee met last week and the turnout was good. He said the group divided into two subcommittees: the hard copy committee and the electronic committee. Both will work to get referendum information out to the public. Helland said that four public informational meetings have also been scheduled. (Please see related story on this page.)

Sixth grade teaching team members Jarod Dachel, DeAnn Ashlin and Scott Benoy delivered a presentation to the board regarding gender specific classes. According to the team, having gender specific classes allows teachers to structure classes differently for boys and girls. Research has shown improved achievement at this age level in gender specific classes, Dachel said.

Benoy visited gender specific classes in Somerset, and met with teachers and students there. Although it's too early to measure the results with hard data, the staff and students were pleased with the situation there, he said.

The district's WCKE test results have shown statistically significant gender differences in academic achievement at the middle school and the team hopes to improve this through gender specific classes.

"We all know that boys and girls are different," said Benoy. "With these classes, the curriculum content stays the same, the way it is presented is different," he said.

The team said that research shows that grades four, five and six are the optimal time for gender specific classes.

Enrollment in gender specific classes will be voluntary, and the number of sections will depend upon how many students sign up this spring, according to the team.

A motion to approve open enrollment applications for the 2008-09 school year with one exception passed with a six to one vote. Voting yes were Bondarenko, Graf, Klanderman, Rasmussen, Schumacher and Campbell. Voting no was Hinz.

"Why are we accepting open enrollment students when we are crowded already?" asked Hinz.

"I look at it as a positive thing if students want to go to school here," responded Helland. "We would rather have increasing enrollment than declining and have to be cutting programs, like many districts around the state," he added.

The net number of open enrollment students is 20, according to Helland.

Following a closed session, the board approved re-admitting a student who had been expelled. The student has fulfilled the board's requirements for re-admittance. The student will be re-admitted April 1, the first day of the fourth quarter, said Helland.

Fitting tribute at final farwell

Bantam and varisty players of the Blackhawk Hockey Association paid a fitting tribute to Rose Schultz last Saturday at the conclusion of her funeral at Immaculate Conception Church in Hammond. The team members formed a canopy with their sticks during the recessional from the church and saluted with three raps on the ground. Rose, along with her husband Russ, has been a supporter of amateur hockey in the area since the inception of Blackhawk Hockey.

Primary election moves Gherty and Cameron on

Mark J. Gherty with 4,593 votes and Howard Cameron with 3,077 votes were the top vote-getters in last Tuesday's primary election. Those two will move on to the general election in April.

Other candidates for the new judicial position for St. Croix County, and their vote totals, were: Carol L. Law 2,395; Charles B. Harris 2,107; and Ken Sortedahl 1,502. There were 45 write-in votes.

In the presidential preference primary, St. Croix County mirrored Wisconsin as a whole. On the Democratic side, Barak Obama received 5,467 votes in the county to top Hillary Clinton's 4,930 votes. Other candidates who have withdrawn from the race received a scattering of votes. On the Republican side, John McCain was the winner with 2,459 votes while Mike Huckabee was second with 1,597. Ron Paul received 381 votes and other candidates no longer in the running received a scattering of votes.

Man shot by sheriff's deputy after threat

A standoff in the Town of Hammond late Saturday night with an allegedly suicidal man has left the man dead.

According to a news release from St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead, at approximately 11:02 p.m. on Saturday, the Sheriff's Office was notified of a 9-1-1 call stating that Jacob Lee Sperl, 22, of 1848 60th Avenue in the Town of Hammond had made suicidal threats and was armed with a shotgun.

The caller said that in phone contact with Jacob, Jacob had indicated he had shells for the shotgun and was going to take his own life and "if the cops come up the driveway it will be too late."

The caller also said that Jacob's parents were in the residence and Jacob was outside the home.

At 11:16 p.m. St. Croix County Sheriff's Deputies arrived at the scene and parked on the road. The Deputies approached the residence on foot and as they were crossing the yard from the west, an unknown vehicle pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of the home. Two individuals got out of the vehicle and made contact with Jacob who was on the east side of the
residence's attached garage.

The two deputies continued to approach Jacob and the other two individuals. Jacob moved quickly away from the other two people and then reached down and picked up a shotgun laying on the ground.

A deputy yelled that "he has a gun," then ordered Jacob several times to put the gun down.

Jacob ignored the verbal commands, raised the shotgun and pointed it at one of the deputies. At that time both deputies discharged their weapons at Jacob, striking him.

Emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene and determined that Jacob was dead.

A examination of the shotgun determined that there was one round in the chamber. Nineteen additional shotgun rounds were found on Jacob's person.

Both the Sheriff's Deputies have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with Department policy, said the release from Sheriff Hillstead. The release said the incident remains under investigation by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department and the St. Croix County Sheriff's
Department.

BTI and B-W partner to launch school channel

Baldwin Telecom presented a donation last Friday to Baldwin-Woodville Schools to help with programming costs for the new school channel. Pictured from left to right are Wade Labecki, athletic director, Eric Russell, B-W High School Principal, Pat Beierman, B-W High School teacher, Larry Knegendorf, BTI general manager, and Matt Sparks, BTI operations manager.

Local telephone and cable company, Baldwin Telecom, has partnered with the Baldwin-Woodville School District to produce a school television channel on the local cable system. The programming can be found on Channel 18 on the BTI cable system. It will include schedules, announcements, menus, drama and music production and high school sports.

"Our company is very proud to be a part of working with Pat Beierman of the B-W schools to bring access to a school channel," said BTI manager Larry Knegendorf. "I would like to thank our team of employees at BTI for making this happen and the B-W school staff."

Baldwin Telecom presented a donation for $2000 on Friday to the school to help with costs associated with programming for the school channel.

"The school channel has been on the air for about three months and continues to get better and better," Knegendorf noted. "The school is responsible for the programming on the channel and many students are involved with making that happen."

Chamber Annual meeting held Monday

Outgoing Baldwin Area Chamber of Commerce President Allene Eggen, left, and incoming President Sonya Jansma participated in the traditional "passing of the wooden shoes" ritual at the Chamber's annual meeting held Monday evening, February 25 at Kilkarney Hills Golf Club.

Fire destroys barn, 40 head of stock in sub-zero cold

Billowing clouds of smoke combined with steam emanated from a barn fire east of Baldwin last Wednesday morning at the Mike Haller farm. Firefighters fought the fire and then remained on the scene for cleanup well into the evening hours.

Mike Haller, engaged in the terrible work of removing animal carcasses Monday morning, took a brief time out to talk about his plans for the future. He mentioned beef or raising heifers as possibilities.

Whatever the future holds for Haller, it won't be dairying, he said. "The dairy industry is too tough for the small farmer," he said.

United Fire and Rescue and other emergency agencies were called to the Haller farm with the barn on fire about 5:50 Wednesday morning when the temperature hovered between -15° and -20° F. The farm is about two miles east of Baldwin on 230th Street.

Mike has spent his whole life on that farm and in 2001 he bought it from his grandfather, Galen Anderson. His grandparents still live with him on the farm.

The fire appears to have started in a light switch, Mike said he was told by an insurance adjuster. The adjuster said the barn is a total loss because even though the lower part of it is intact, water that has gotten into the cement blocks will freeze and crack and make it unusable.

Lost with the barn were close to 40 head of cows and calves, Mike said. He said he still has two dry cows and heifers that weren't inside the barn. Also lost in the fire were 800 bales of hay, 1,000 bales of straw and chopped straw.

The barn was metal sheathed, said Mike, and that metal probably is the reason that a close-by shed and a feed bin weren't also destroyed by the heat of the fire, although a beam did fall on an auger and damage that.

Baldwin Station Chief of United Fire and Rescue Gary Newton said there were apparently three injuries suffered by firefighters, although hopefully none will prove to be serious or permanent. One injury was to a knee, another to a back and a third firefighter suffered frostbite to his
face.

A total of about 185,000 gallons of water was poured on the fire and one of the firetrucks suffered a frozen line during the fight against the fire. Also responding to a mutual aid call were Roberts-Warren and Spring Valley.

Board hears of ball field usage

The Baldwin Village Board held an extensive discussion regarding use of the village's ball field at Mill Pond Park. There are, sometimes, conflicting claims for use of the four fields with the various groups that use them, including summer recreation, traveling leagues, adult leagues and B-W High School baseball and softball teams. This is the first year of spring baseball for B-W HS.

The uses are still being sorted out but eventually scheduling of the fields will be the responsibility of Summer Recreation Director Jarod Dachel after priorities have been established, said Village Administrator Cindy Deringer.

In other action at the meeting:

-The board approved a modification to the village's subdivision ordinance raising the fee to developers to $150 from $50 in lieu of each tree a developer is required to plant in a subdivision. A brief hearing was held prior to the amendment to the ordinance and no one was present to comment. Village engineer Mike Stoffel explained that the increase is merely a reflection of the cost of trees.

-Don Somsen presented the annual report of Baldwin Hospital (Baldwin Area Medical Center) and following that the village board approved a resolution calling for the prepayment and redemption of the outstanding $1,770,000 taxable hospital mortgage revenue bond that was issued in 1998. The funds are available to the Hospital, Somsen said, and prepayment will
save the hospital over $19,000 a month in payments.

Hospital Administrator Greg Burns said "by paying it off earlier we'll save significant interest and improve our overall financial position."

On a roll call vote, all trustees and President McGee voted yes.

-The board approved installation of two flashing pedestrian cross walk beacons in the village. They will both be on USH 63 (Tenth Avenue), one at Oak Street and the other at Curtis Street. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will do the work as part of the upcoming 63 upgrade work and the village will reimburse the approximate $15,000 cost to the DOT.

-The board was informed that Stephanie Zacharias has withdrawn her
request for a Class A Beer and Class A Liquor License.

SnoDays royalty crowned

Mary Hovde was crowned Queen and Dan Barnes was crowned King at the conclusion of SnoDays Friday evening at B-W High School.

President's Day supper held

None other than the founder of our country himself, George Washington, and "Honest Abe" Abraham Lincoln were present at the Presidents' Day Patriotic Supper and Party held Saturday at the Baldwin American Legion hall.

Zac Weyer qualifies for State

Zac Weyer used an arm bar to gain back points on Jeremy Stenulson of Neillsville in the opening round of the Somerset Sectional. Weyer won an 8-4 decision and finished in third place at 130 pounds.

Freshman Zac Weyer was the only wrestler from Baldwin-Woodville to qualify for the WIAA state individual tournament this year. Weyer finished in third place at 130 pounds last Saturday in the Somerset Sectional.

"Zac wrestled very well at times," Coach Jason Cimino commented. "I think he could have had a better showing in his two losses. He did beat two seniors."

Weyer opened the day with an 8-4 decision over Jeremy Stenulson of Neillsville, but was pinned by Derek Marten of Mondovi in the semifinal. In the consolation bracket Weyer pinned Bob Tahtinen of Northwestern and decisioned Mathew Hartmann of Durand 6-5 in the third place match.

Weyer had a chance to improve his finish to second when Marten won the 130 pound championship, but lost by pin to Zach Zehner of Tomahawk.

Spencer Corey, a junior, also won his first match with a pin over Jared Vroman of Barron at 189 pounds. But he lost an 8-2 decision to John Schoen (Neillsville) and a 4-1 decision to Frank Dobbs (Melrose-Mindoro/G.E.T.) to finish fourth. The top three finishers at sectional advance to the state tournament.

Junior Tyler Klund lost to Kaleb Stephens of Barron 3-0 and Chace Kinneman of Ellsworth 9-0 to be eliminated at 119 pounds.

Junior Hunter Campbell (160) and sophomore T.J. Lund (215) both lost in the opening round and did not get a chance for a wrestle back.

"If Hunter was healthy, I think he would have had a good shot at making it through," Cimino commented. "He beat one of the kids (that advanced) during the regular season before his injury.

"I look for all our sectional qualifiers to only get better. Spencer wrestled two of his best matches in his two losses."

Among the most improved wrestlers this season, Cimino named Lund, Dan Peterson and Matt Bonte.

Jason LaFavor, who had qualified for the sectional at 130 pounds, was unable to compete because of a virus.

"It was unfortunate, especially with Jason being a senior, but the rules are strict," Cimino said.

Weyer will face Ryan Baugnet, a senior from Denmark with a record of 37-8 in the preliminaries on Thursday night at the Kohl Center in Madison. Weyer brings a record of 33-7 to the state tournament.

"I don't know about the kid, but looking at his record, I would think Zac can compete with him," Cimino concluded. "The important thing is to get by that first match."

School board sets referendum date Swimming pool question to be posed

The Baldwin-Woodville Board of Education voted to schedule a building referendum for June 3, 2008 at the regular monthly meeting Monday evening. The referendum will have two questions, one for building a new intermediate school costing approximately $16.5 million, and the other for building an indoor swimming pool costing approximately $3.5 million.

The timing of the referendum was the subject of much discussion during the meeting. Board member John Hinz favored waiting until the general election in November for high voter turnout, but others expressed concern that waiting until that time would delay the project another construction season, causing inflation to increase the cost of the projects.

John Huenink of Kraus-Anderson Construction Company said construction costs increase an average of five percent a year, depending upon fuel costs, wage increases and materials. "Once a referendum is passed, the design team needs at least ten months to do the drawings," Huenink said. The bidding follows the design stage and Huenink said winter bidding is typically the most favorable time. "If the referendum is in June the bidding could be next February which is a good time," he said. Then construction could start during warmer weather, which saves on fuel
for heating, he added.

"Given the current space needs of the district, I think we need to have the referendum in June before school lets out," commented board member Deb Rasmussen.

Board member Tom Schumacher expressed concern that if the vote is scheduled for November and passes, construction wouldn't get started until 2010.

"If we do our job and get the information out to the public, people will get out and vote," added board member Todd Graf.

Superintendent Rusty Helland said the district needs facilities right now for present students. "It will be important to get the information out so the public would understand how inflation would affect the project," he said.

Hinz asked the district's financial advisor Steve Apfelbacher how the state's financial condition would affect B-W. Apfelbacher said the district is independent from the state as a far as acquiring debt.

Baldwin-Woodville has an excellent bond rating, Apfelbacher said, which is beneficial when negotiating interest rates.

"In terms of interest rates, rates are very competitive right now," Apfelbacher added.

Supt. Helland informed the board that the last special election held in December, 2000 cost $11,000. A regular election costs between $2,000 and $3,000 he said.

The board voted five to one to set the referendum date for June 3, 2008. Voting yes: Graf, Klanderman, Rasmussen, Schumacher, and Campbell. Voting no: Hinz. Board member Mike Bondarenko was absent.

A committee was established to get the information out to voters. Board members Graf, Rasmussen and Dustin Klanderman volunteered to serve on the committee. Supt. Helland said he has the names of several other volunteers from the public. The first meeting of the committee is scheduled for March 10 at 7:00 p.m.

During the open forum, district resident Larry Spoo asked the board if the purpose of the committee is to promote the referendum or to look at the pros and cons of the project.

"I think the purpose is to promote the project by getting the information out," answered board president Jeff Campbell.

"What is the plan if the enrollment goes down?" asked Spoo. "The committee needs to look at both sides," he said.

"Our job is to gather the information as it exists," said Schumacher, "and present it to the public for them to decide."

"The people's questions will be answered," added Campbell.

A motion to rescind a letter of intent to retire from Sandee Blakeley failed on a tie vote. Prior to the motion, Graf asked if her position had been advertised yet. Supt. Helland said no, the deadline for retirement notices is the end of February and the positions are then posted
in March.

After the motion there was no discussion. Voting yes: Graf, Rasmussen, and Campbell. Voting no: Hinz, Klanderman, and Schumacher. Absent: Bondarenko.

During the administrative reports, Supt. Helland thanked Baldwin Telecom for their assistance in setting up the B-W television station, channel 18. Baldwin Telecom Manager Larry Knegendorf will be presenting the district with another donation for the station this Friday at the High School, said Helland.

Director of Pupil Services Patti Phillipps commended Elementary School Counselor Carol Lebo for her work with the Department of Public Instruction on the Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model. The publication is a new resource and planning guide for school counselors.

Supt. Helland thanked Phillipps and district special education staff for their work completing exit surveys of all graduating students with IEPs (Individual Educational Plans). The surveys found that 100 percent of the students were involved in post-secondary education and/or employment one year out of school.

Viking Middle School Principal Hank Dupuis informed the board the First Bank of Baldwin recently donated $1,000 for the middle school after school study hall program.

Helland reported the second Friday enrollment figures from January 11, 2008 total 1515 students, up 26 over last year's figure of 1489.

Tasha Schuh Will Speak at CRC Youth Meeting

Tasha Schuh is a Christian motivational speaker who helps other Christians overcome challenges and struggles by giving a relevant message filled with humor and real life stories. Tasha grew up in Ellsworth and was a happy normal teenager. She was involved in sports, music, work and theater.

Tasha's life changed dramatically when she was in an accident during a theater practice which left her paralyzed from the chest down. She now is traveling and speaking in the midwest to share her story of overcoming tragedy and living a life of purpose. Her goal is to help people know God more by inspiring, challenging, and encouraging others. She has two bachelors degrees and works part time at her church as the director of services.

Tasha will speak at a meeting of area youth groups on Wednesday, February 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Christian Reformed Church a mile north of Baldwin on USH 63. A free will offering will be
taken to help pay for her expenses.

Fusion Finish Undefeated Season

The St. Croix Valley Fusion completed regular season play last week with three wins for finish with an undefeated 19-0-1 record.

The Fusion beat New Richmond 4-2 on Monday, Chippewa Falls 3-2 on Tuesday night and the Point-Rapids Red Panthers 5-3 on Saturday. The Fusion also wrapped up the Big Rivers Conference championship with win over Chiipewa Falls on Tuesday.

"It was quite a thrill for all of us to make it the entire year without a loss. We have a great coachable bunch of kids," said Coach Matt Cranston. "(Goalie coach) Ann Rock has done a fantastic job with Devin (Roen). We couldn't have pulled this off without assistant coach Karl Erickson, his hockey knowledge and great coaching. Karl is a student of the game."

It was all on the line to complete the undefeated season on Saturday afternoon against the fifth ranked team from Stevens Point/Wisconsin Rapids.

"We had to do it against a very good team," Cranston commented.

The Fusion got on board at the 6:59 mark when Amanda Robinson tooka pass from Tara Frey and fired a hard on-ice wrist shot from the point into the back of the Red Panther's net. The Red Panthers answered with a goal at the 12:10 mark ending the first period 1-1. Cranston scored four minutes in to the second period from Tanis Klingler. Five minutes later the Red Panthers tied it up again.

The Fusion popped in two goals in the last five minutes of the second period. Myrrhia Kleinbrook from Tara Frey and Frey from Lindquist from a 4-2 lead. Each team scored once in the third period. Nikki Plunkett scored for the Fusion.

The Fusion are the top seed in the region, so they get a bye in the first round. The Fusion will play the winner of Hudson and New Richmond on Tuesday the 19 in River Falls at 5:00 or 7:30 p.m. The winner of that game will play for the sectional championship in New Richmond Saturday, February 23.

Bus Crash Sends Passengers to Hospitals

It was as medical condition that caused a bus crash on I-94 at about milepost 21 and not a crash that caused medical problems to the driver of the bus on Thursday, February 7, according to emergency personnel at the scene.

According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, a bus that had been traveling eastward crashed into the median of I-94 at 2:18 p.m. on February 7. The bus was operated by Tourcos Northern Tours of Eau Claire.

The driver of the bus was identified as Curtis D. Prindiville, 39 of Eau Claire. He was transported by ambulance to Luther Hospital in Eau Claire for treatment of an undisclosed medial condition.

The State Patrol said there were a total of 49 passengers.

Twenty passengers on the bus complained of sore backs or necks and were transported by ambulance to Baldwin Area Medical Center and other area hospitals for evaluation.

A total of 12 patients were taken to BAMC and all were seen by Dr. Joel Stoeckeler who was the emergency room physician on duty, according to Director of Patient Care Jean Peavey. All the injured came in by ambulance.

"I'm real proud of how well the staff handled the situation," noted Peavey. She said none of the injuries to the bus passengers were serious and all were discharged.

Other patients were taken to New Richmond, River Falls and Eau Claire.

According to Baldwin Station Chief Gary Newton of United Fire and Rescue, the other passengers on the bus who didn't complain of inures were all taken by a Baldwin-Woodville school bus to the Baldwin Municipal Center. They waited there until all the passengers who were taken to hospitals were reunited with them and then a bus took them all back to Eau Claire about 9:00 p.m. where they were able to pick up their luggage from the first bus that was in the accident. Newton said a van from the bus company was dispatched initially to transport those who sought medical treatment from the hospitals to the Municipal Center. It was only when everyone was present at the Municipal Center that the second bus left to make the trip to Eau Claire.

SnoDays at B-W this Week

Senior candidates for Queen and King of B-W's SnoDays celebration from left are Michelle Johnson, Dan Barnes, Carrie Vanasse, Nathan Zacharias, Dannel Kielmeyer, Tyler Howard, Mary Hovde and Eric Dorwin.

Underclass attendants from left are juniors Dylan DeMotts and Morgan Trunkel; sophomores Tanner Bee and Laci Moe; and freshmen Jake Keefer and Megan Smith.

Throughout the week a "Where's Cupid?" hunt will be held for class points. Class valentines will be judged.

During the week B-W High School will hold dress up days. Monday was Pajama Day; Tuesday is Ugly Sweater Day; Wednesday will be Cops, Robbers, and Cowboy Day; Thursday is Valentine Day; and Friday is Spirit Day.

A pep fest will be held Friday at 2:15. Activities included will be a Lip sync contest; male cheerleading; coaches/club advisors speeches, mattress races, saran wrap relay and balloon popping activity.

Following the boys basketball game Friday night against Somerset, a dance will be held beginning at 9:00 p.m. Coronation will begin at 9:30.

The entry fee for students is $3 and for adults it is $2.

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.

B-W High School to Host FBLA Conference

Baldwin-Woodville High School can be a busy place on more than weekdays and week nights.

On Saturday the school, and the B-W Chapter of the Future Business Leaders of American, will host over 400 participants from 22 northwest Wisconsin school districts in the Region 1 FBLA Leadership Conference. The theme of this year's conference is "Leadership in Action!"

Also on Saturday, B-W High School will be the site of the Middle Border Conference wrestling tournament.

The FBLA leadership conference will open at 9:00 a.m. with a call to order by Kalena Doffing of B-W who also serves as Region 1 FBLA vice president. Also participating in the opening ceremony will be B-W students Tiffany Loftus and Mallory Precht and B-W High School Principal Eric Russell.

Event competitions will begin at 9:45 with two sessions in more than 40 categories. The competitions will be held in rooms throughout the High School. Local area business people, B-W teachers and parents of B-W FBLA students will all be helping at the competition sessions.

State Representative John Murtha will present the keynote speech to the Conference at 1:00. Following will be election of Region I vice president and presentation of awards.

This is the third FBLA Regional Conference that B-W has hosted. The last one was in 2004.

The participating schools in addition to B-W include: Augusta, Barron, Birchwood, Boyceville, Cadott, Cameron, Chetek, Colfax, Eau Claire Memorial, Fall Creek, Glenwood City, Hayward, Menomonie, New Richmond, Northwestern, Osceola, Rice Lake, River Falls, Somerset, Stanley-Boyd and Superior Senior.

DayAway Benefits Both Caregivers and Those Suffering from Memory Loss

Gina Evenson, center, is pictured with two DayAway participants at the Woodville Senior Center where they meet Fridays. Evenson is the DayAway manager of both the Woodville and New Richmond sites. She is pictured with Virgil Larson and Zella Schlegel, two individuals who make use of the DayAway program.

According to Gina Evenson, DayAway manager of both the Woodville and New Richmond sites, DayAway is primarily intended as a respite program for caregivers of people who suffer from diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's or other memory problems, but in some cases other debilitating problems will also be accepted for the program. In addition to giving caregivers a respite from the care required for patients with memory problems, the participants enjoy games, treats, exercise, lunch and sometimes field trips.

Evenson said the program is sponsored by the St. Croix County Office on Aging. The program is held four times a week: in Hudson on Monday and Thursday; in New Richmond on Tuesday and in Woodville on Friday. The program lasts usually for about six hours.

People from other counties in addition to St. Croix are welcome in the program, said Evenson. She added that volunteers are available to provide transportation to participants.

Gloria Fern Honored for 16 years Leading CROP Walk

Gloria Fern of Baldwin was honored last week by members of the current Mid-St. Croix CROP Walk for Hunger Committee for leading the effort for 16 years. Fern, second from right, received a certificate for her work. She is pictured with current CROP Walk Committee members Gerard Buechter, left, Don Johnson, second from left, and Susie Beedle, right.

Burglary Investigation Recovers Hundreds of Suspected Stolen Items

A joint burglary investigation by the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department, City of Bayport Police Department and Washington County Sheriff's Department have recovered hundreds of suspected stolen items. Items range from power hand tools to home interior items believed to come from model homes.

The suspects have been involved in burglarious activities for well over a year and may have committed burglaries as far back as 2001. Targeted areas are mainly in the east metro and western Wisconsin. Confirmed burglaries committed by the suspects are from model homes, storage units, construction sites and general residential and business burglaries.

Photographs of the seized property can be located on the St. Croix County website at: www.co.saint-croix.wi.us/ follow the link for burglary investigation.

A showing of the seized property is planned for Thursday, February 7 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Bayport Police Department and St. Croix County Sheriff's Department. Victims are requested to contact the agency the burglary was reported, the investigating officer and obtain a case report
or a detailed list of stolen items.

Anyone who has been a victim of a burglary and wishes to view the property please contact Investigator Jim Mikla, St. Croix County Sheriff's Department, 715-381-4319, jimm@co.saint-croix.wi.us. Victims from Minnesota should contact Chief Laura Eastman, Bayport Police Department,
651-275-4412, leastman@ci.bayport.mn.us.

Amery Man Killed Friday in Car-Truck Crash

The scene looking north of a fatal accident north of Baldwin on USH 63 is pictured above. The semi-truck with a propane tank was north bound when it struck a southbound 1999 Olds Alero that drifted over the center line, according to the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department. The two
vehicles crashed head-on. The semi-tanker ended up partly in the west ditch, at the intersection with Spruce Road. A large tow truck was necessary to pull the semi truck out of the ditch. A United Fire and Rescue truck stood by while the operation took place.

A man from Amery headed to work in Baldwin was killed north of Baldwin on USH 63 early Friday morning, January 25, when his car collided with a semi-truck with a full load of propane.

According to the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department, Paul Thiel, 46, of rural Amery was driving a 1999 Olds Alero southbound on USH 63 when his car drifted left over the center line into the northbound lane of traffic. It collided with the semi-truck driven by Gary Hutter, 48, of Maiden Rock. The accident took place just north of 110th Avenue in the Town of Baldwin. The semi-truck came to rest in the west ditch of 63 at its intersection with Spruce Road.

Thiel was transported to Baldwin Area Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Hutter was treated and released at Baldwin Area Medical Center.

Removing the semi-truck with the load of propane proved to be a difficult and time-consuming chore. While that was being accomplished, traffic was detoured on Spruce Drive and 210th Avenue. The truck was finally removed from the scene about 11:00 a.m. Staying on the scene during the removal of the truck were personnel from the Wisconsin State Patrol, St. Croix County Sheriff's Department, United Fire and Rescue as well as the St. Croix County Highway Department who helped set up and man the detour.

According to emergency workers on the scene, the semi-truck's tank contained about 9,100 gallons of propane.

Thiel was the first traffic fatality of 2008 in St. Croix County. The Sheriff's Department release said the accident remains under investigation by the State Patrol and Sheriff's Department.

Badger Visits Greenfield

Cody Rose, the son of Barry and Tammy Rose, and a red-shirt freshman member of the Wisconsin Badgers, visited Jeremy Nygaard's third grade class at Greenfield last week to tell the children about his experience as a member of the team and the experience of traveling to the Outback Bowl in Florida. Cody also amazed the students with several card tricks while visiting with the class.

Five Fatalities on Pierce County Roads Over the Weekend

It was a dangerous weekend on roads in Pierce County as four area people-including a Roberts resident-lost their lives in three separate traffic crashes.

In a one-vehicle accident Friday night, 31-year-old Brian D. O'Keefe, a resident of Roberts, was killed, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, which was notified of the crash about 9:44 p.m.

Mark R. Anderson, 51, of Ellsworth, died as a result of losing control of his vehicle and entering the ditch at about 2:48 a.m. Sunday.

In another accident, Alice Tiedke, 63, and her passenger, Arnold Tiedke, died of injuries received when their vehicle crossed the center line of US 10 about two miles west of Plum City and collided with another vehicle about 1:00 p.m.

The Sheriff's Department said that the first accident happened when a pickup truck went out of control and flipped about two miles southwest of Spring Valley near the intersection of 290th Street and 730th Avenue. Another man in the vehicle, Ryan N. Peterson and O'Keefe were both ejected from the truck. O'Keefe was taken to Baldwin Area Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Peterson was taken by air ambulance to Regions Medical Center in St. Paul with undetermined injuries. The report did not say who was driving the pickup and the crash remains under investigation.

Anderson was northbound on 810th Street about two miles west of Ellsworth when he lost control of his vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

In the crash that killed Alice and Arnold Tiedke, their vehicle collided with a vehicle driven by Trisha Nelson, 28, of Plum City. She was transported to Region's Medical Center in St. Paul. Her passengers, Ashley Blue, 8, of Plum City, and Aaron Nelson, 2, of Plum City, were also hospitalized at area hospitals with injuries that were not specified.

Cub Scouts Hold Pinewood Derby

Pack 110 winners first place, Ben Stiller, Tiger; second place, Michael Cadalbert, Wolf; third place, Jonathan Stiller, Bear, fourth place, Jake Scobey, Bear; fifth place, Luke Schmit, Webelos 5; sixth place, Joe Jelen, Webelos 4; and seventh place, Jack Kaiser, Tiger.

The Baldwin-Woodville Cub Scouts held their annual Pinewood Derby at the Baldwin American Legion Saturday. Race time began at 1:00 p.m. with 57 scouts entering in the big race! They handcarved and decorated a piece of wood into their very own personalized race car. There were some very clever cars created this year.

The winners are as follows: Pack 110 Winners: first place, Ben Stiller, Tiger; second place, Michael Cadalbert, Wolf, third place, Jonathan Stiller, Bear; fourth place, Jake Scobey, Bear; fifth place, Luke Schmit, Webelos 5; sixth place, Joe Jelen, Webelos 4; seventh place, Jack Kaiser, Tiger.

Tiger Den 1 winners Zach Liston, first place; Blake Warren, second place; Derek Peterson, third place; Tiger Den 2 Winners Max Krueger, first place; Kaleb Berning, second place; Cooper Benson, third place. Wolf Den 1 winners Sam Benoy, first place; Nick Wlodyga, second place; Tyler Kennett, third place. Bear Den 1 winners Ben Stock, first place; Brock Berres, second place; Matthew Berg, third place. Bear Den 2 winners Matthew Barnett, first place; Cole Skeleton, second place; Ethan Skoviera, third place. Webelos Den 4 Winners Zach Almquist, first place; Nicholas Frey, second place; Kullan Wittmann, third place. Webelos Den 5 winners Matthew Cadalbert, first place; Zach Wurtzel, second place; Brady Pedersen, third place.

SMART Boards Allow Interactive Computer Screen Display

Greenfield Elementary second grade teacher Dana Ducklow is one of the teachers who has had an interactive SMART Board installed in her classroom.

As technology marches on, schools strive to keep up. At Baldwin-Woodville Schools some new technology has just been installed at all three schools.

SMART Boards, computer interactive whiteboards, have been installed in all three educational buildings in the B-W district.

According to Lisa Magnuson, B-W's Technology-Curriculum Director/Technician, 13 of the SMART Boards have been installed in classrooms at the High School, Viking Middle School and Greenfield Elementary.

"It's very exciting because the world now becomes our classroom," said Magnuson. She said a class studying the art in the Louve Museum can go to the Louve web site and take a guided tour. Geometry can be taught in 3-D and manipulated on screen. "I think it's going to become an indispensable teaching tool.

The SMART Boards not only communicate with the teacher's computer and displays the computer screen, but also allows touch operation of the computer from the board. All that takes place on the board can be saved on the computer for review. For instance, said Magnuson, a lesson could be posted to a teacher's web site and someone who was absent could see what was covered in class. The computer screen is projected to the whiteboard by a projector installed in the ceiling.

There have been five SMART Boards installed at Greenfield, one for each grade level; four at Viking; and four at the High School, one of which is a mobile unit.

At Greenfield Elementary second grade teacher Dana Ducklow has a SMART Board installed in her classrooms and students have already been learning from them. She said her students have been actively learning from the SMART Board and enjoy it and she and the students are learning from each other.

Each of the SMART Boards cost between $4,000 and $5,000, including installation. They were purchased from and installed by a company called Computer Integrated Technology of Woodbury, Minn.

Bakers Plan BP Convenience Store Next to Woodville Motel

Although immersed in one large project, Steve and Cheryl Baker, owners of the Woodville Motel since January 31 of last year are set to jump into another large project.

Since purchasing the Woodville Motel, located on CTH B at the I-94 interchange, from Nylesh Purohit, the Bakers have remodeled the lobby area and are remodeling the motel's rooms one-by-one.

On November 30 last year the Bakers bought the former Mobile Station at the driveway entrance to the Woodville Motel and are set to build and operate a BP Convenience store on the site.

The present building of 1,600 square feet will be replaced with a much larger 3,200 square foot store. The Bakers will own and operate the store in affiliation with Bob and Steve's BP, which operates several other stores in this area. "It will be our store with their help," said Steve of
the affiliation.

The Bakers plan to break ground for the new store February 12 and be open for business on June 1. They said the excavator and contractor for the building project are lined up and ready to go.

The Bakers explained that they are transplants from Minnesota. Prior to purchasing the Woodville Motel Steve had worked in the cable industry, ending as the director of engineering for ComCast when the company was downsized.

Cheryl has an MBA in marketing management and has worked in the health care industry, which she continues to do through tele-commuting. She works for United Health Care Group out of Wausau, in pharmaceutical benefit management, or management of prescription drugs.

Since buying the motel Steve has completed the lobby remodeling and four bathrooms of the 16 unit motel. He will also be installing new carpeting and walls, but noted that all the units are usable at present.

"They are in very good condition now," said Cheryl. "We're just trying to upgrade."

Most units also have a microwave and small refrigerator and the motel offers free wireless internet and local and long distance telephone calls. Cheryl said the motel is "pet friendly."

Also planned is paving the parking lot this summer. Other future plans being discussed are a camp site on the seven acre parcel the Bakers own.

First Baby of 2008 Born at BAMC

Braelynn Rose Dawson was the first baby of 2008 born at Baldwin Area Medical Center. She was born Friday, January 4 at 1:13 p.m. with Dr. Russell Roloff attending. She weighed in at six pounds, 11.7 ounces and was 19-1/2 inches long. Braelynn is pictured above held by her mother, Amanda Dawson of Hammond, and Bonnie Berger representing the BAMC Auxiliary who presented her with a savings bond.

Virtual School Opportunities Through Baldwin-Woodville Schools

The Baldwin-Woodville School District is currently offering virtual schooling opportunities for students in grades five through 12, according to Superintendent Rusty Helland.

"This year we have three middle school students and one high school student participating in virtual school," said Helland. "We use the resources of CESA (Cooperative Educational Service Agencies) 9 to provide classes for our students," he added.

This is one of several different options for students to receive their education, said Helland. According to High School Principal Eric Russell B-W also offers online components to classes directly from local high school teachers in English, history and others.

Enrolling students in virtual school at Baldwin-Woodville is a win-win situation for families and the district, said Helland. The students are included in the district's enrollment, which determines state aid, and the district pays for the students classes.

For information about educational opportunities at Baldwin-Woodville, contact Supt. Helland at the district office, 684-3411.

Candidates selected SCC and B-W Boards of Education

Only the two incumbents have filed nomination papers for re-election for the Baldwin-Woodville Area Board of Education, according to Administrative Assistant Suzanne Zimmer at the B-W Superintendent's office.

The two incumbents who have filed for re-election are: Dustin Klanderman and Todd Graf. Theirs are the only seats up for election this spring on April 1. Deadline for filing was Wednesday, January 2.

For the St. Croix Central Board of Education there are two seats up for election and both incumbents have filed for re-election. They are John Hueg and David Olsen.

Municipal - For the Village of Baldwin, two candidates were nominated for the Municipal Judge position at caucus held Wednesday, January 9. They are incumbent Howard Ott and challenger Tammy Hovde. The three incumbents were nominated for the trustee positions that are up for election on April 1.

They are: Greg Larson, Claire Stein and Willie Zevenbergen.

For the Village of Woodville, only two persons filed nomination papers for three trustee positions that will be filled in the spring election. They are incumbents Barry Ketchum and Steve Gossel. The third incumbent, Ivan Clausen, did not filed nomination papers. Linda Duval, the incumbent Municipal Judge, filed nomination papers for re-election.

For the Village of Hammond, nomination papers were due January 2 and two incumbents filed and one former trustee. Both Steve Peterson and Chris Buckel filed papers for re-election. Incumbent trustee Brenda Monroe did not file. However, for the third trustee position up for
election in the April election former board member Wally Graf did file.

Village Board Approves Liquor License

On a preliminary basis, the Baldwin Village Board gave approval for a second liquor store license for the village.

The liquor store license, officially known as Class A beer and Class A liquor, was on the agenda for review and was requested by Stephanie Zacharias. She told the board that if she could secure a license, she would like to open a store in the eight unit strip mall at the southwest corner of the I-94/USH 63 interchange, known as Baldwin Retail.

There is no population requirement imposed as part of liquor licenses, but other requests in the past have been turned down by the board.

Trustee Claire Stein said he supported issuing the license because it would be good for competition and would be good for the village's tax base.

On a voice vote the board approved issuing the license, contingent on a site for the store being secured. There were no no votes, but Village President Don McGee announced he abstained from the vote because of a conflict with his son's employment.

In other action at the meeting, the board heard a presentation by Dave Carlson about financing for the proposed upgrade of Baldwin's wastewater treatment plant. (It should be noted somewhere, and here is as good as anywhere, that an upgrade would not be paid for by taxes, but rather by user fees-sanitary sewer charges are billed by the village on a quarterly basis.)

Carlson said the village has a choice in how to pay for the plant expansion, that will cost in the neighborhood of $5,000,000. He said the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources offers money from their "Clean Water Fund," at an interest rate of probably 2.75%.

The federally funded Rural Development Corporation offers an interest rate of 4.375%, but would also offer a $500,000 grant. The Rural Development money also comes with more paperwork attached, which may prove to be expensive.

Carlson said that the best interest rate from the DNR fund would result in about $317,000 in interest payments, and even with the best rate from Rural Development it would require a grant of about $900,000 to lessen its payments to those from the DNR fund. In addition, the Rural Development loan may have a "blended" interest rate because different aged areas of the village would be served, thus further increasing the interest differential.

"My personal feeling is let's go with the Clean Water Fund," said President McGee. "It's a lot simpler" and it's the route the village has chosen in the past.

Village Engineer Mike Stoffel added that the village isn't "skipping free money" by turning down the grant from Rural Development because its costs money to receive it and the interest rate would be higher.

The village board passed a motion to utilize the DNR's Clean Water Fund.

School Board Proposes June 3 Referendum - Volunteers Needed for Public Information Campaign

The Baldwin-Woodville Board of Education continued its discussion regarding the recommendation of the Community Facility Needs Exploratory Committee to build a new intermediate school, which was presented at last month's meeting.

Board President Jeff Campbell gave a brief overview of the situation, explaining the committee was formed after space concerns were identified at district buildings. The committee was comprised of citizens, teachers, Campbell and Supt. Rusty Helland. Professional advice was obtained from HSR Architecture Engineering and Kraus-Anderson Construction Company. The committee started its work last April and recommends a new intermediate school for grades three through five be constructed on property owned by the district.

Steve Apfelbacher of Ehlers & Associated Financial Services advised the board that refundable bonds originally issued in 1991 and mature in 2010, can be changed to be due in 2011. This would reduce the tax spike of an other bond issue caused by delayed state aid payments to the district.

"Have bond rates changed?" asked board member John Hinz.

Apfelbacher said they have come down a bit since last month. "They are headed in the right direction," he said.

"If the board wants to build a new school, we need to set a timetable," prompted Supt. Helland.

A lengthy discussion followed concerning the timing of a referendum.

Board members Campbell and Todd Graf agreed that an April 1 referendum to coincide with the spring election doesn't give the board enough time to inform the public.

Apfelbacher said that state law requires the school board to pass the initial resolution more than 45 days before the election and publish formal notices before the election.

Once the resolution is passed, Brad Simonson of HSR said that in his experience it takes four weeks to present the information to the public.

"I think we should wait until the November general election so we can see what our new enrollment figures are and have spent a summer with $3.00 gas," commented Hinz. "We would get good voter turn out for the general election."

"It will probably take two years to build the school," said board member Mike Bondarenko. "Waiting until November seems too long."

Besides, Bondarenko said, "We have already had a really good committee do the research and we need to act, but April seems too soon."

Helland noted the committee used the past ten years of enrollment data in making its recommendation.

John Huenink of Kraus-Anderson agreed that voter turnout could be good at the November election, but said that if the district waits that long inflation starts to increase the cost of construction.

Board member Deb Rasmussen asked fellow board members if a separate question about financing the swimming pool should be included in the referendum. It appeared the rest of the board agreed that the question needs to be asked.

In the end, the board agreed to set June 3, 2008 for the referendum. No formal motion was listed on the agenda, so none was made.

Supt. Helland recommended setting up two committees: Public Relations and Public Presentation, which would include the professional team. Volunteers are needed for the committees and Helland indicated that people have already shown interest. Helland can be contacted at the district office, 684-3411 for information about volunteering for the committees.

During the open forum, district resident Ken Rundhaug questioned the district's choice of architect and engineering firms. "It seems like there were a lot of problems with the past project," he said.

"We looked at a few firms," said Campbell. "We haven't hired anyone yet." HSR and Kraus-Anderson wouldn't be hired until after a referendum is passed.

Helland agreed that there were problems with the past building project and assured Rundhaug that the district is consulting with two different companies than were used at that time.

The board approved continuing to work with HSR, Kraus-Anderson, and Ehlers.

Tom Kortas of LarsonAllen LLP presented the annual district audit report. The total cost of services for 2007 was $16,462,000 according to his report. Of that, 52.7% was for instruction, 7.7% for pupil and instructional services, 10.5% for operations and maintenance, and 6.0% for administration and business.

General state aid accounts for 51.1% of district revenues and 34.7% comes from property taxes. The balance is from fees and grants.

Kortas noted that the fund balance is $1,782.214, up $218,281 from last year. At 16 percent of the total budget, the figure falls in the recommended range of 15 to 20 percent, he said.

Supt. Helland commented that the district needed to short-term borrow just one time last year for a few days until state aid monies were received. The fund balance helps reduce the need to short-term borrow, he said.

Transportation/Athletic Director Wade Labecki informed the board that the district's new television station is on the air as of last Thursday. "It's message oriented right now," he said.
Included on the station right now are menus, schedules, etc. "Film takes a lot more space," Labecki said. "Baldwin Telecom is already expanding our broadband," to accommodate film he said.

Following a closed session a high school student was expelled through the end of the year for a bomb threat, which occurred before the Christmas break, according to Supt. Helland.

New Barn Will Replace One Destroyed in August Windstorm

The new barn taking shape at the Tony and DeAnn Lind place north of Baldwin will replace one destroyed in August's severe windstorm. The new barn has the shape of a traditional barn but incorporates modern building techniques, said builder Arnie Vander Vorst of Vander Vorst and Sons Construction. The superstructure of the new barn is a study of shapes and symmetry.

A work of art and symmetry is going up north of Baldwin, and they don't build them like that anymore, at least very often.

According to contractor Arnie Vander Vorst of Vander Vorst and Sons Construction of River Falls/Hudson, Tony and DeAnn Lind bought their place north of Baldwin because they love the old barn on the property.

That barn was claimed, like many others, in the August storm that roared through a narrow swath of St. Croix County from New Richmond to the southeast.

So Arnie designed a new barn for the Linds, that uses modern building techniques but will result in an old-fashioned look. "I designed it," said Vander Vorst, who has been a contractor since 1961. "We couldn't use timbers" as was done in old barns, so a floor truss system was used.

"We have all the new building technology in it, but we've got it looking like an old barn," he said. "They never had truss rafters in the old days.

Construction of the new barn started in late November.

Vander Vorst said some of the damaged foundation was replaced with concrete before the stick-frame barn was built over it. He said shingling of the structure would be completed Monday.

The siding of the barn will be with rough-sawn pine in board and batten style by Tony Lind, who is employed as a carpenter, said Vander Vorst.

Viking Students Visit Park View

Viking 5th graders went to Park View Nursing Home in Woodville on Thursday, December 20. They prepared a program of holiday songs to share with the residents. Some of the students made cards and delivered them, as well. It was a lot of fun.

Maria Keefer is pictured presenting a resident at Park View Nursing Homewith a homemade card. Jenna Hovde and Olivia Hurd look on.

Wisconsin's 2007 Milk Production Sets 17-year Record Growth; Also Reported in Dairy Exports, Increase in Number of Dairy Cows

At its current pace through mid-December, Wisconsin farmers would produce an estimated 24.1 billion pounds of milk in 2007, the greatest amount since 1990. This reflects a significant private investment by the state's dairy farmers and record milk prices. The record-setting milk production is in addition to dramatic growth in the state's dairy exports, a small but steady increase in the number of dairy cows, and dramatically fewer dairy farms leaving the business.

"Wisconsin's dairy industry and farm families demonstrate why agriculture continues to drive our state economy," Governor Jim Doyle said. "Innovation and continued investment have resulted in unprecedented growth. Growing milk production is allowing our world famous producers to export more cheese and whey, meeting rising demand and keeping our economy
strong."

"No other state in the union can boast the quality, quantity or staying power of Wisconsin's family dairy farms," said Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen. "This is explosive growth in dairy exports unlike anything we've seen. We have room to increase dairy production substantially."

Governor Doyle recently announced his Next Generation Agriculture Plan that includes several initiatives to help dairy plants modernize and expand into growing markets. The plan includes a whey initiative to help plants invest in the growing national and international market for whey, a
dairy plant investment tax credit to help processors modernize and a cheese cooperative tax credit to help cheese cooperatives streamline and modernize. It also includes a nutrient management program to help farmers better manage nutrients and protect water, a grazing lands conservation initiative to help farmers practice more effective land management and a
meat modernization tax credit to help the state's meat processing plants streamline and modernize.

Wisconsin's 14,000 family dairy farms have invested about $1 billion to modernize in the past five years to expand and become more efficient. The Next Generation Agriculture Plan builds on that momentum.

Milk production climbed 3 percent in 2007, driven by strong demand for dairy products, according to figures released by the Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service on December 18. Milk production per cow has set a record every month in 2007 compared to the same month the year before.

Dairy exports reached record levels for the first nine months in 2007, driven by soaring demand in developing countries in Asia and Latin America. The dollar value of Wisconsin dairy exports increased from $59 million in the first nine months of 2006 to $127 million in the first nine months of 2007 a 114 percent increase. Exports of whey, a by-product of cheese making, increased by 179 percent.

The number of milk cows continued to trend upward for the second year in a row. The average number of dairy cows in the state increased to 1,248,000 in 2007 up by 5,000 head. The number of dairy cows in the state was higher every month in 2007, compared to the same month the year before.

The decrease in dairy farms has slowed. Ten years ago, herds were declining at more than 1,000 a year. The annual decline in the number of herds in 2007 was only 416.