On July 5 at approximately 1:30 p.m., the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department was called to an apparent drowning at Pembles Beach on the St. Croix River in Troy Township, approximately five miles south of the Hudson I-94 bridge. 42 year old Lona Yvonne Donahue, South St. Paul, Minn., was swimming there with her 13 year old daughter and a friend of the daughter. The daughter reported to Sheriff's deputies that they were standing on a long submerged sandbar when they were swept further into the river by large waves. The three tried to swim for shore instead of back to the sandbar, and were unable to stay afloat.
Two other beachgoers, Matthew Finley, 19 of River Falls, and Matthew Leick, 23 of Hudson, were able to rescue the juvenile females, but were not able to reach the adult female in time. The heroic efforts of Mr. Finley and Mr. Leick are credited with saving the lives of the two 13 year old girls.
An exhaustive rescue search was mounted for Ms. Donahue Saturday afternoon, followed by a recovery effort for the victim. Rescue workers worked until midnight Saturday night, and reconvened at 9:00 on Sunday morning. Ms. Donahue was recovered at 11:29 a.m. on Sunday morning.
The St. Croix County Sheriff's Department was aided by members of the Pierce County, Wis., Washington and Dakota County, Minn. Sheriff's Departments, as well as the Wisconsin DNR, River Falls, EMS, and the Hudson EMS Dive Team.
This incident remains under investigation by the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Fire destroys 42 round bales
A fire of undetermined origin destroyed 42 large round bales south of Baldwin in the Town of Eau Galle at the hobby farm of Jeff and Laura Kennett Saturday just before noon.
According to Jeff, the 42 bales of dry hay were stacked and ready to be tarped. He said Laura was out in the yard, but a small fire burning in the grass was first noticed by a neighbor who told his wife to call the fire department and then within a minute the entire pile of hay was in blazes. Kennett said he is sure the fire wasn't caused by fireworks because there were none in the area at the time of the fire.
Kennett said that despite the loss he is thankful that the only other damage was to two tires on a hayrake. He said the wind was favorable to blow the flames away from buildings and with the help of two Sheriff's Deputies and neighbors, all other equipment was taken from harm's way. "It went quick-the hay was dry," he said.
The bales are valued at between $50 and $80 each, Kennett said, so the loss will total between $2,100 and $3,000. He said he has insurance but isn't sure whether it covers the hay.
Kennett has 11 head of beef animals and two horses.
"We're very fortunate all it was was hay," said Kennett. "No buildings were damaged and nobody got hurt."
According to Jeff, the 42 bales of dry hay were stacked and ready to be tarped. He said Laura was out in the yard, but a small fire burning in the grass was first noticed by a neighbor who told his wife to call the fire department and then within a minute the entire pile of hay was in blazes. Kennett said he is sure the fire wasn't caused by fireworks because there were none in the area at the time of the fire.
Kennett said that despite the loss he is thankful that the only other damage was to two tires on a hayrake. He said the wind was favorable to blow the flames away from buildings and with the help of two Sheriff's Deputies and neighbors, all other equipment was taken from harm's way. "It went quick-the hay was dry," he said.
The bales are valued at between $50 and $80 each, Kennett said, so the loss will total between $2,100 and $3,000. He said he has insurance but isn't sure whether it covers the hay.
Kennett has 11 head of beef animals and two horses.
"We're very fortunate all it was was hay," said Kennett. "No buildings were damaged and nobody got hurt."
Peace Lutheran members broke ground Wednesday
Members young and old and everywhere in between were encouraged to turn a shovel full of dirt at the groundbreaking Wednesday for Peace Lutheran's new sanctuary addition.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place at the conclusion of Wednesday's outdoor church service, which followed a meal served to all who were present.
The members of the building committee and church council posed for a picture, above, following the groundbreaking ceremony. In the front, from left to right, are Steve Meyer, Louise St. Germain and Pastor John Hanson. In the middle row are Paul Ramberg, Barb Ramberg, Sharon Hauschild, Barb Fields, Tracy Carlson and Paul Gavic of Gavic and Associates, the general contractor for the project. In the back are Amy Hutchins, Kathy Miller, Stephen Clausen and Ken Rimer.
The $1.6 million addition and remodeling project was okayed by the Peace congregation at a meeting held in May. In addition to a new sanctuary, which will be built to the north of the present church structure, remodeling will result in new administrative and fellowship hall
areas.
Fund-raisers for cancer victim Jentai Otremba upcoming
A pair of fund-raisers have been planned for two and one-half year old Jentai Otremba of Baldwin. Jentai is pictured above with her parents Jake and Jo. Jentai was diagnosed in late March with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. On top of that family crisis, Jo is expecting a baby in August.
Jentai is being treated with chemotherapy at Children's Hospital in St. Paul.
Because of the demands of Jentai's treatments, Jo was unable to keep her job and also lost her medical insurance, so the family faces many expenses.
Two fund-raisers for the family have been planned. The first is a spaghetti dinner with a silent auction and door prices on Saturday, July 12 from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. at St. Patrick's Church at 1500 Vine Street, Hudson. Tickets are available in advance for $15 for adults and $10 for youth by calling 715-220-0727. Or tickets at the door are $20 for adults and $10 for youth.
The second benefit is the following Saturday, July 19 at Clifton Hollows Golf Course. The cost is $65 per person with registration due by July 12. A scramble will kick off the afternoon's golfing at 1:00 p.m. followed by food, prizes and a social time. Sign up with Dan Hedstrom at 612-306-0671 or by e-mail at danhedstrom@hotmail.com
Updates on Jentai's condition and treatments can be found at www.caringbridge.com/visit/jentai
Site plan approved for new restaurant
A new restaurant in the former New Leaf Nursery building along USH 63 on Baldwin's south side received approval by the Baldwin Plan Commission Monday night. The site plan will now go to the Baldwin Village Board for final approval.
Dick Pearson, who owns the land and buildings, said he has someone lined up who will operate a restaurant, banquet and bar in the building. He also said there is considerable work remaining on the building and the site. "You're always concerned about doing it the right way. Rest assured, when it's all said and done it will be something that's very appealing. It will be done very professionally."
At Monday's meeting, the Plan Commission also heard Village Engineer Mike Stoffel tell members that there is no conditional use permit necessary for a restaurant or bar in highway commercial zoned areas. "A restaurant/banquet facility fits" highway commercial. However, a bar is a conditional use and requires a permit. A hearing will be held on the conditional use permit at the Plan Commission's August meeting.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Fiber optics being extended to rural area
Workers employed by Tjader-Highstrom used a machine to plow fiber optic cable through a wet area along 110th Avenue last week. Twenty-five miles of fiber optic will be added north of Baldwin which will allow cable TV, telephone and internet access.
Baldwin Telecom, Inc. began a plan to extend fiber optic cable to an area north of Baldwin two weeks ago where the existing copper cable had reached capacity. The project will result in installation of 25 miles of fiber optics cable.
Fiber optics cable allows transmission of phone, internet and cable TV signals over one cable on a much higher bandwidth than is possible with copper cable. The 25 miles of new cable will be mainly in the Towns of Hammond and Baldwin, but some will also serve small areas of the Towns of Emerald and Erin Prairie.
Baldwin Telecom, Inc. (BTI) General Manager Larry Knegendorf said the area that will be served by the new fiber is centered on Pine Lake and extends mostly to the west and east.
The facilities in the area where fiber will be installed needed upgrading "and we didn't want to put copper back in the ground," said Knegendorf. He said the present copper service had reached capacity and "it's not capable of handling what's coming down the pipe as far as bandwidth. We're building for future needs. The old equipment isn't capable of providing cable TV."
Other rural areas in BTI's territory that are served by copper have not reached capacity and there are currently no plans to install fiber in other rural areas.
The successful bid for the project was by Tjader-Highstrom, Inc. of New Richmond for $971,000. The project involves about 25 miles of fiber optics that will pass 180 to 190 homes. Two weeks ago that company started with the most difficult aspects of the project-boring under roads and laying cable through swampy areas. In wet areas the fiber optics cable will be contained in plastic pipe and in other areas the fiber will be within an armored cable.
Knegendorf said the project is a bit delayed from original expectations because of high demand for fiber and other telecommunications equipment from areas that have suffered natural disasters and have infrastructure that needs to be replaced.
Fiber optic cable is being encouraged by the federal government, said Knegendorf, through the agency that lends to rural communications companies.
Fiber optics is more expensive than copper because of complicated installation to the homes, Knegendorf continued, although because of escalating metal prices copper wire now costs more than fiber optic cable. The much higher bandwidth of fiber allows more services to be provided.
BTI engineer Ken Carlsrud said expectations are that the 25 miles of fiber will be installed by this fall and "hopefully be up and running on October." He added, however, that completion is dependent on supplies and the weather.
Brad Mortel of BTI said that one nice feature of fiber optics for internet is that no modem is needed in the home and that "eliminates a potential point of failure."
The bandwidth of fiber optics is much larger than with copper and that allows for cable TV transmission. Matt Knegendorf said one advantage of fiber and cable TV is that the coming digital transition will be taken care of on the Baldwin Telecom end. He added that BTI's basic digital package includes 140 plus channels including the Big 10 network and the B-W and local access channels exclusively. Cable TV also doesn't suffer from rain fade and local channels are free in high definition. Another cable TV service is digital video recording.
Shaymein Ewer of Baldwin Telecom said fiber optics allows faster internet connections, more internet sites and more interactive sites. He added that one study found that fiber optics to the home increased the average home value by about $5,000.
New barber pole donated to "Kenny the Barber"
For the past several months vandals had been taking a toll on Ken Van Someren's barber pole. And about two weeks ago it had been completely smashed and broken. But now, thanks to an anonymous donor, a new barber pole graces the front of Ken's Barber Shop.According to Ken's daughter Linda Booth, a man told her he wanted to replace the barber pole because he had been a customer of Ken's for many years and in honor of Ken being a veteran. But, he wanted to remain anonymous. So Linda ordered the new barber pole at a cost of $230. The man, upon hearing the cost, gave Linda $250, told her to keep the extra, shook her hand and offered thanks for Ken's service.
And, to make a good story better, the pole was replaced near Ken's 80th birthday, which was June 20, making a special birthday present.
Local campers aided search for autistic man
The successful and dramatic conclusion to the story of a 25-year-old autistic man who wandered from a camp and was found a week later after being lost in the woods has a local connection.
A group of seventh and eighth grade campers from Peace Lutheran was at Luther Point Bible Camp with Pastor John Hanson when the Shoreview, Minn., man wandered away on Sunday, June 15, from Trade Lake Camp, a camp for the developmentally disabled.
At Luther Point, the campers were allowed to volunteer for the search on Monday, June 16, but only if their Pastor was present and allowed the search and every two campers were required to be accompanied by a counselor or adult.
According to Shelby Weiske, daughter of Mike and Lisa Weiske who was among the campers from Peace Lutheran, about 200 campers from Luther Point helped with the search. About 15 of the searchers were from Peace Lutheran.
Keith Kennedy was found Sunday evening, June 22. He was suffering from a failing transplanted kidney, dehydration, hypothermia and was covered with ticks and bug bites. According to doctors, he was lucky to survive. His temperature was about 84 degrees when he was found.
At the height of the search hundreds of volunteers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and medics participated. He was finally found in thick brush on swampy ground next to a creek bed by a St. Paul firefighter. He was about a mile away from the camp he had wandered away from a week before.
The story of his sojourn will never be known since Kennedy can speak only four words.
A group of seventh and eighth grade campers from Peace Lutheran was at Luther Point Bible Camp with Pastor John Hanson when the Shoreview, Minn., man wandered away on Sunday, June 15, from Trade Lake Camp, a camp for the developmentally disabled.
At Luther Point, the campers were allowed to volunteer for the search on Monday, June 16, but only if their Pastor was present and allowed the search and every two campers were required to be accompanied by a counselor or adult.
According to Shelby Weiske, daughter of Mike and Lisa Weiske who was among the campers from Peace Lutheran, about 200 campers from Luther Point helped with the search. About 15 of the searchers were from Peace Lutheran.
Keith Kennedy was found Sunday evening, June 22. He was suffering from a failing transplanted kidney, dehydration, hypothermia and was covered with ticks and bug bites. According to doctors, he was lucky to survive. His temperature was about 84 degrees when he was found.
At the height of the search hundreds of volunteers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and medics participated. He was finally found in thick brush on swampy ground next to a creek bed by a St. Paul firefighter. He was about a mile away from the camp he had wandered away from a week before.
The story of his sojourn will never be known since Kennedy can speak only four words.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
USH 63 reconstruction project will take longer than expected
Mohamed Mounir, Department of Transportation Project Manager for the USH 63 project through Baldwin.There's good news and bad news about the USH 63 reconstruction project through Baldwin.
The good news is the same as always: when it's finished there will be a new, smooth roadway; left turn lanes; and new traffic signals, including a new signal at 60th Avenue.
The bad news, due largely to unforseen conditions in the roadway itself, is that the project is going to take longer than initially forecast.
Officials of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the contractors for the upgrade project thought before it started that it would be completed about July 18. Now, after a meeting Monday morning among contractors, DOT and village representatives the completion date has been pushed to August 28 according to Mohamed Mounir, Department of Transportation Project Manager.
The problem, according to Mounir, is that the original plan envisioned not having to remove any existing curb and gutter along USH 63 between Florence and Hillcrest Streets. However, when contractors got into the work, they discovered that the existing pavement was about 14 inches thick, rather than the eight inches that had been estimated. Leaving the original curb and gutter, then, would have left a grade of five percent from the center of the road to the curb line, which is too much for safety reasons, said Mounir. So the solution is to remove all the existing curb and gutter and replace it with new, which will result in a longer project.
Mounir noted that the bridge replacement project over the Baldwin Creek is progressing according to schedule.
In the end, said Mounir, correcting the plan to provide for the right slope for the road is the right thing to do, although it will draw out the project. "I believe is will be a benefit to the town-to do it right," he said.
Impact Ministries open house is July 5
Pastor Steve Olson stands at the entry to Impact Ministries, Inc. in Baldwin located at the Baldwin Residence at 640 Main Street. An open house will be held on Saturday, July 5 at the faith-based recovery program.By July 5, Pastor Steve Olson will have new flooring, fresh paint on the walls and furniture moved in to the west wing of the Baldwin Residence at 640 Main Street that will serve as Impact Ministries, Inc. faith-based recovery center.
An open house will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 5 and area residents can see the facility and ask any questions they have.
Steve Olson is the director of Impact Ministries, Inc. In a brochure explaining the recovery program he says he experienced 23 years of alcohol and chemical abuse but in 1998 he found himself at a defining moment and changed his life. "The true definition of repentance is: to turn around, or change direction. My exact words were, 'This stops now!' From that point on, through realizing the transforming Power of God in all His Goodness all things have become new."
Impact Ministries will be located in the lower, west wing of the Baldwin Residence. In addition to client rooms, there will be an entry/office; a common room for dining and group sessions. A new porch and stairs will be used to gain entry to the Impact Ministries portion of the building.
Impact Ministries will be a six to 12 month program, depending on the circumstances of the client, said Olson. When clients complete the program they will have sustained sobriety, a savings account, a work record and a faith-based background.
The program is for men 18 years and older. Although Olson does not have any clients signed up at present, he has a couple of possible clients.
Olson has training as a chemical dependency counselor, pastoral training and completed an 880 hour internship as part of his chemical dependency counselor training. Also on staff will be a certified AODA counselor.
More information about Impact Ministries can be found at its web site at www.impactrecovery.org
Fire damages rural home
United Fire and Rescue Department was called to a residence in the Town of Eau Galle on Tuesday, June 17 when a neighbor reported smoke coming from the home.
According to Baldwin Station Chief Gary Newton, a home owned by Xia Lee at 2366 50th Avenue suffered extensive damage from the fire and smoke. Newton said no one was home at the time of the fire and no cause has been determined. Firefighters remained on the scene about two hours, Newton added.
According to Baldwin Station Chief Gary Newton, a home owned by Xia Lee at 2366 50th Avenue suffered extensive damage from the fire and smoke. Newton said no one was home at the time of the fire and no cause has been determined. Firefighters remained on the scene about two hours, Newton added.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Tanis Klingler crowned "Miss Baldwin"
New Miss Baldwin Tanis Klingler, seated above, was crowned at the Queen's Pageant Saturday evening. Standing behind her, from left to right, are Third Princess Jennah Ackley, Second Princess and Miss Congeniality Mallory Precht, First Princess Morgan Benoy, and Fourth Princess Jessica
Murtha.
At right is Klingler being crowned by former Miss Baldwin Rachelle Veenstra at the conclusion of the Queen's Pageant.
Panthers eliminated in semi
Members of the St. Croix Central baseball team included, front row, left to right, bat boy Jared Tilton, Mark Shaver, Luke Brown, Caleb Peterson, Noah Bollom, Nick Nygaard, Tony Juen, Jared Fern and Michael Tilton. In the back row are manager Joe Thompson, Ben Brooks, Brian Poulin, Stefan Wood, Andrew Erickson, Mike Winkler, Brady Hartung, David Butler, Cody Olson, Jeff Fern and Brian Aldworth.Coach Mike Fern (5) had a conference with his infield in last Wednesday's state semi-final game with Marathon. From left are Michael Tilton, Luke Brown (hidden), Mike Winkler, Fern, Brady Hartung, Mark Shaver and Nick Nygaard.
The St. Croix Central baseball team was stopped on their run for the state championship in WIAA Division 3 by Marathon in the semi-final game last Wednesday.
The Red Raiders scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to oust the Panthers 7-2. Marathon went on to beat Aquinas 3-2 to win the 2008 Division 3 state baseball championship.
"It was a great experience to the kids to play in the state tournament in a beautiful stadium," said Coach Mike Fern. "It was a great accomplishment and will be a life-long memory for them."
The Panthers had eight seniors in the starting line-up, Fern noted.
"It's disappointing to end with a loss, but unless you win it all that's the way it goes," Fern said. "When they look back, they'll remember they had a lot of fun."
The Panthers were held to four hits in the game, but still had opportunities.
"We left 13 on base. We just didn't have the key hits," Fern said.
"We didn't put the ball in play enough. We were not aggressive at the plate."
Fern said the 13 strike outs were one reason for leaving so many runners stranded. "I do give Marathon credit. They made some defensive plays that really hurt us," he said.
"We had our chances with runners at third or second with no outs or one out and didn't score," Fern continued. "If we could have gotten some runs early and put the pressure on them, it would have been a whole different game."
The Panthers had a chance in the first inning when Michael Tilton reached on an error and stole second. Tilton moved to third on an throwing error in a pick off attempt, but was stranded there.
In the second inning Nick Nygaard led off with a walk and Jared Fern followed with single. But the next three batters went down via the strike out.
Marathon scored the first run of the game in the top of the third inning. In the bottom of the inning Jeff Fern singled with one out and took second on a wild pitch. Noah Bollom walked with two outs and Fern went to third on a wild pitch. But again Marathon got out of the inning with a
strike out.
The fourth inning provided the Panthers with another opportunity when Jared Fern and Brady Hartung walked and Luke Brown was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. But two strike outs and a fielder's choice ended the inning with the Panthers getting a runner across the plate.
The Red Raiders scored three runs in the fifth inning on three hits and two errors by the Panthers. The Panthers again left two runners on base in the bottom of the inning.
Marathon collected four hits in the sixth inning enroute to scoring three runs before the Panthers came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Brown and Andrew Erickson both walked to start the inning. Cody Olson came in to pinch run for Erickson. Both runners advanced on a passed ball. Tilton drove in the first run with a sacrifice. Bollom drove in the second run with a single to center.
"Mark (Shaver) pitched a good game-well enough to win," Fern said.
"We made a few mistakes, which cost us, but we were two evenly matched teams. On a different day, I think it could have been a totally different outcome."
Shaver pitched all seven innings, giving up six earned runs on eight hits and four walks. He struck out seven batters. Bollom accounted to two of the Panthers four hits in three at-bats.
"It's something the kids have been working toward for a long time," said Fern. "Making it to the state tournament is a good way to go out."
Anthony LaFavor in serious condition after accident
A 2008 Baldwin-Woodville High School graduate who was involved in a car crash on Friday, June 6 remains in Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul with serious injuries.
According to the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department, vehicles driven by Anthony (Tony) J. LaFavor of Baldwin and Roger A. Bengtson of Woodville, collided at the intersection of CTH BB and 60th Avenue.
The Sheriff's Report said LaFavor's vehicle suffered severe damage and the Bengtson vehicle suffered moderate damage.
LaFavor was transported to Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul with serious injuries.
A CaringBridge site has been set up for friends to monitor Tony's condition. According to the site Tony suffered from swelling of the brain and pressure. The pressure, however, is fluctuating. He was in a drug-induced coma but has been able to wiggle a toe and lift his leg and squeeze his hands.
Tony had a staph infection in his lungs, which apparently is common for people on ventilators. He is taking an antibiotic for that.
According to the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department, vehicles driven by Anthony (Tony) J. LaFavor of Baldwin and Roger A. Bengtson of Woodville, collided at the intersection of CTH BB and 60th Avenue.
The Sheriff's Report said LaFavor's vehicle suffered severe damage and the Bengtson vehicle suffered moderate damage.
LaFavor was transported to Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul with serious injuries.
A CaringBridge site has been set up for friends to monitor Tony's condition. According to the site Tony suffered from swelling of the brain and pressure. The pressure, however, is fluctuating. He was in a drug-induced coma but has been able to wiggle a toe and lift his leg and squeeze his hands.
Tony had a staph infection in his lungs, which apparently is common for people on ventilators. He is taking an antibiotic for that.
Village Board approves "Street Festival"
The Baldwin Village Board at their regular monthly meeting Wednesday, June 11 approved closing a block of Main Street between Eight and Ninth Streets for a "Street Festival."
According to Rob Dull of Pearlygate Network, who made a presentation about the request, the festival, pegged for Saturday, August 23, would be primarily a music festival and would be a promotion for BBQ University. The festival will be called "Jim Daddies Harvest Festival 2008," and would feature a stage for bands with live music performances. Street closure was requested from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. with music from noon until 6:00 p.m.
Dull said a multi-year run is anticipated. He added that the event would raise funds for charities and children's causes.
The board agreed that the event would be beneficial to the village and gave approval. Village President Don McGee asked that Dull talk to the businesses and other neighbors which would be impacted by the street closure.
According to Rob Dull of Pearlygate Network, who made a presentation about the request, the festival, pegged for Saturday, August 23, would be primarily a music festival and would be a promotion for BBQ University. The festival will be called "Jim Daddies Harvest Festival 2008," and would feature a stage for bands with live music performances. Street closure was requested from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. with music from noon until 6:00 p.m.
Dull said a multi-year run is anticipated. He added that the event would raise funds for charities and children's causes.
The board agreed that the event would be beneficial to the village and gave approval. Village President Don McGee asked that Dull talk to the businesses and other neighbors which would be impacted by the street closure.
What now? School board discusses failed referendum; Repairs completed on leaks at Viking
The Baldwin-Woodville Board of Education pondered their next move following the failed building referendum of June 3. The referendum, which was for a new intermediate school and swimming pool, was defeated by a three to one margin.
Superintendent Rusty Helland said the need for more space is still here and he doesn't see it going away. "We need to step back and think about where we go from here," he said.
Board member Deb Rasmussen started the discussion, complimenting the advisory committee on its work, suggesting that next time, progress reports from the committee every now and then might make the public more aware of the situation before a vote is taken.
"The committee did a great job," commented board member Tom Schumacher. "When we formed the committee we asked for volunteers, and maybe that inhibited a mix of all constituencies," he said. Schumacher said we need to have representation from the whole community. "Get the nay sayers on board and deal with those opinions.
"I wish people would take a longer view of things," Schumacher continued. "I'm willing to bet two steak dinners that when this thing does pass, we will get a lot less for more money."
"Just like the auditorium," commented board member Mike Bondarenko, referring to the substantial cost increase after a referendum including the auditorium passed on a second try.
"What I heard from people was, 'What's wrong with 30 kids in a classroom? We survived.'and 'What if lots of people move back to the cities?'" said board member Todd Graf.
Schumacher asked other board members if there was any interest in temporary classrooms.
"We should find out all the costs involved," said board president Jeff Campbell, "including electrical, plumbing, etc. to show people what it would cost."
"I think they (temporary classrooms) are a money pit," said Graf.
Supt. Helland said he would not recommend temporary classrooms to the board, since they are paid for up front and are worthless in the end. "But we can get the figures."
Helland said that until something is done, class sizes will continue to rise.
Bondarenko suggested the board schedule a special meeting, possibly with the advisory committee, devoted to the district's long range facility needs. The board agreed to wait until after the school year begins in September to have such a meeting.
Title I teacher Randi Hoffman gave the board a presentation on Balanced Literacy. She explained that this past year a committee was formed to study Balanced Literacy, before new textbooks were adopted. Seventeen staff members visited other schools' reading programs including guided reading programs.
Balanced Literacy has eight components, including modeled reading and writing in which the teacher reads and writes in front of the class; shared reading and writing in which teacher and students read aloud together and the teacher records students' ideas; independent reading and
writing; and guided reading and writing in which the teacher works with small groups of similar abilities.
"Research has shown that higher level readers read three times the minutes during the school day compared to lower level readers," Hoffman said. The guided reading approach allows for teachers to differentiate students' abilities and provide appropriate materials so all level readers
will read more she said.
Currently, each grade level has a basal reader, or textbook, in which all students in the classroom read the same story, have the same spelling words, and do the same worksheets. Many lower level readers spend so much time decoding words that their comprehension suffers, said Hoffman. With guided reading, students read books they can comprehend and will spend more time reading.
"Less worksheets, more reading, better comprehension," said Hoffman.
Hoffman said after reviewing the committee's information and experience and some soul searching, she decided not to order a new basal reading series and instead pursue Balanced Literacy throughout the district. She has developed a budget to purchase more guided reading books for the library and for classroom libraries. She figures it will take five years to implement the program for K-12. The first year will be devoted to staff development, benchmark assessments and purchase of books.
"Our goal is to have a large mixture of different leveled books to get kids to read," Hoffman said.
"Already, 18 teachers have voluntarily taken a two-credit course on comprehension improvement through guided reading," said Hoffman. "There is a lot of support from staff, even though change can be hard."
District bookkeeper Pam Rose presented the tentative budget for the 2008-09 school year. She stressed the point that the numbers are preliminary and show a 9.53% increase in the levy.
"That's a worst case scenario," she said.
"We are conservative on our preliminary budget figures because of what we don't know," Rose said. "We don't know our per pupil aid, our equalized aid, or our equalized valuation figures yet."
Final numbers will be available in October she said.
Greenfield Elementary Principal Gary Hoffman reported over 400 students are enrolled in summer school. He also said the new playground equipment is being installed this week. Viking Middle School Principal Hank Dupuis reported the good news that with all the rain we've been experiencing, there have been no leaks since the flashing and blocks were repaired.
Transportation Director Wade Labecki reported he recently attended a accident planning workshop. He informed participants that B-W already has an accident plan and shared it with them.
At the end of the meeting, district IT (Information Technician) Bryan Jones delivered laptop computers to each board member and gave a brief lesson in operating the machines.
"You will now receive all district correspondence electronically," said Supt. Helland. "We will use them at meetings as well," he said.
Superintendent Rusty Helland said the need for more space is still here and he doesn't see it going away. "We need to step back and think about where we go from here," he said.
Board member Deb Rasmussen started the discussion, complimenting the advisory committee on its work, suggesting that next time, progress reports from the committee every now and then might make the public more aware of the situation before a vote is taken.
"The committee did a great job," commented board member Tom Schumacher. "When we formed the committee we asked for volunteers, and maybe that inhibited a mix of all constituencies," he said. Schumacher said we need to have representation from the whole community. "Get the nay sayers on board and deal with those opinions.
"I wish people would take a longer view of things," Schumacher continued. "I'm willing to bet two steak dinners that when this thing does pass, we will get a lot less for more money."
"Just like the auditorium," commented board member Mike Bondarenko, referring to the substantial cost increase after a referendum including the auditorium passed on a second try.
"What I heard from people was, 'What's wrong with 30 kids in a classroom? We survived.'and 'What if lots of people move back to the cities?'" said board member Todd Graf.
Schumacher asked other board members if there was any interest in temporary classrooms.
"We should find out all the costs involved," said board president Jeff Campbell, "including electrical, plumbing, etc. to show people what it would cost."
"I think they (temporary classrooms) are a money pit," said Graf.
Supt. Helland said he would not recommend temporary classrooms to the board, since they are paid for up front and are worthless in the end. "But we can get the figures."
Helland said that until something is done, class sizes will continue to rise.
Bondarenko suggested the board schedule a special meeting, possibly with the advisory committee, devoted to the district's long range facility needs. The board agreed to wait until after the school year begins in September to have such a meeting.
Title I teacher Randi Hoffman gave the board a presentation on Balanced Literacy. She explained that this past year a committee was formed to study Balanced Literacy, before new textbooks were adopted. Seventeen staff members visited other schools' reading programs including guided reading programs.
Balanced Literacy has eight components, including modeled reading and writing in which the teacher reads and writes in front of the class; shared reading and writing in which teacher and students read aloud together and the teacher records students' ideas; independent reading and
writing; and guided reading and writing in which the teacher works with small groups of similar abilities.
"Research has shown that higher level readers read three times the minutes during the school day compared to lower level readers," Hoffman said. The guided reading approach allows for teachers to differentiate students' abilities and provide appropriate materials so all level readers
will read more she said.
Currently, each grade level has a basal reader, or textbook, in which all students in the classroom read the same story, have the same spelling words, and do the same worksheets. Many lower level readers spend so much time decoding words that their comprehension suffers, said Hoffman. With guided reading, students read books they can comprehend and will spend more time reading.
"Less worksheets, more reading, better comprehension," said Hoffman.
Hoffman said after reviewing the committee's information and experience and some soul searching, she decided not to order a new basal reading series and instead pursue Balanced Literacy throughout the district. She has developed a budget to purchase more guided reading books for the library and for classroom libraries. She figures it will take five years to implement the program for K-12. The first year will be devoted to staff development, benchmark assessments and purchase of books.
"Our goal is to have a large mixture of different leveled books to get kids to read," Hoffman said.
"Already, 18 teachers have voluntarily taken a two-credit course on comprehension improvement through guided reading," said Hoffman. "There is a lot of support from staff, even though change can be hard."
District bookkeeper Pam Rose presented the tentative budget for the 2008-09 school year. She stressed the point that the numbers are preliminary and show a 9.53% increase in the levy.
"That's a worst case scenario," she said.
"We are conservative on our preliminary budget figures because of what we don't know," Rose said. "We don't know our per pupil aid, our equalized aid, or our equalized valuation figures yet."
Final numbers will be available in October she said.
Greenfield Elementary Principal Gary Hoffman reported over 400 students are enrolled in summer school. He also said the new playground equipment is being installed this week. Viking Middle School Principal Hank Dupuis reported the good news that with all the rain we've been experiencing, there have been no leaks since the flashing and blocks were repaired.
Transportation Director Wade Labecki reported he recently attended a accident planning workshop. He informed participants that B-W already has an accident plan and shared it with them.
At the end of the meeting, district IT (Information Technician) Bryan Jones delivered laptop computers to each board member and gave a brief lesson in operating the machines.
"You will now receive all district correspondence electronically," said Supt. Helland. "We will use them at meetings as well," he said.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
June Bug Days in Baldwin Thursday - Sunday
June Bug Days is here! The festivities start off on Thursday when the Blackhawk Hockey Brat Stand opens 11 a.m. A free Community BBQ at the American Legion starts at 5 p.m. The Fire Dept. Kickball Tournament at Mill Pond Park starts at 6 p.m. The Baldwin Queens will be face painting, under the tent from 5 to 7 p.m. A Dodge Ball Tourney starts 6 p.m. on tennis courts and "Rocket 88" will play (under the tent) from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Friday is full of events with food and fun being the mainstay. The BAMC Hospital Auxiliary Luncheon runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Gethsemane Lutheran Church. The Chamber of Commerce Food Stand is open from 4 to 8 p.m. and the Blackhawk Hockey Association will start selling brats at 11 a.m. Many more food vendors open at 5 p.m.
Kids Night will feature a Dunk Tank (sponsored by Gethsemane church youth group) and a jumping castle, 3 point shoot out, mini-golf, giant slide, obstacle course and pony rides at 5 p.m. The Bike Rodeo is at 5 p.m. in the American Legion Parking Lot, Sponsored by Baldwin Ambulance and Baldwin Area Medical Center.
Fast and Slow Pitch Softball at will be held at Mill Pond Park and the United Civic Center will have free open skating starting at 5 p.m.
The Hypnotist "Alkaytraz" will be under the tent at 6 p.m. and Live Music by "SECTION 8" starts at 9 p.m.
Saturday's events start early with the Booster Shot Run 10K at 7 a.m. and Booster Shot Run 5K at 8:15 a.m.
3-on-3 Hockey Tourney at the United Civic Center starts early. Softball continues at Mill Pond. A Horseshoe Tournament at Bols Lanes starts at noon. And Mud Volleyball starts at 2 p.m. at Mill Pond Park.
The Blackhawk Hockey Brat Stand opens at 10 a.m. and Chamber of Commerce Food Stand is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. other food vendors are open all day.
The Little June Bug Costume Contest starts at 10 am. under tent and the Grand Parade starts at noon.
The Fantasy Coral Petting Zoo at Mill Pond Park and Pony Rides run from noon to 5 p.m. and the ATV/Mini Rod Pull at Mill Pond Park is at 2 p.m.
Miss Baldwin Queen's Pageant is at 7 p.m. at the High School Auditorium.
Fireworks sponsored by Fireworks Outlet, Fireworks City and the Village of Baldwin begin at dusk.
"Round 2" plays under the tent from 5 to 7:30 and "Brat Pack Radio" plays from 9 p.m. to l a.m.
Join us Sunday for Pancake Breakfast at the American Legion from 7 to 11 a.m. (Freewill Donation).
Softball will continue throughout Sunday with championship rounds.
A Car Show at Mill Pond Park runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sponsored by Wynveen Autobody.
Rockman DJ Music will perform from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Tractor pull will begin at 12 noon.
Friday is full of events with food and fun being the mainstay. The BAMC Hospital Auxiliary Luncheon runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Gethsemane Lutheran Church. The Chamber of Commerce Food Stand is open from 4 to 8 p.m. and the Blackhawk Hockey Association will start selling brats at 11 a.m. Many more food vendors open at 5 p.m.
Kids Night will feature a Dunk Tank (sponsored by Gethsemane church youth group) and a jumping castle, 3 point shoot out, mini-golf, giant slide, obstacle course and pony rides at 5 p.m. The Bike Rodeo is at 5 p.m. in the American Legion Parking Lot, Sponsored by Baldwin Ambulance and Baldwin Area Medical Center.
Fast and Slow Pitch Softball at will be held at Mill Pond Park and the United Civic Center will have free open skating starting at 5 p.m.
The Hypnotist "Alkaytraz" will be under the tent at 6 p.m. and Live Music by "SECTION 8" starts at 9 p.m.
Saturday's events start early with the Booster Shot Run 10K at 7 a.m. and Booster Shot Run 5K at 8:15 a.m.
3-on-3 Hockey Tourney at the United Civic Center starts early. Softball continues at Mill Pond. A Horseshoe Tournament at Bols Lanes starts at noon. And Mud Volleyball starts at 2 p.m. at Mill Pond Park.
The Blackhawk Hockey Brat Stand opens at 10 a.m. and Chamber of Commerce Food Stand is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. other food vendors are open all day.
The Little June Bug Costume Contest starts at 10 am. under tent and the Grand Parade starts at noon.
The Fantasy Coral Petting Zoo at Mill Pond Park and Pony Rides run from noon to 5 p.m. and the ATV/Mini Rod Pull at Mill Pond Park is at 2 p.m.
Miss Baldwin Queen's Pageant is at 7 p.m. at the High School Auditorium.
Fireworks sponsored by Fireworks Outlet, Fireworks City and the Village of Baldwin begin at dusk.
"Round 2" plays under the tent from 5 to 7:30 and "Brat Pack Radio" plays from 9 p.m. to l a.m.
Join us Sunday for Pancake Breakfast at the American Legion from 7 to 11 a.m. (Freewill Donation).
Softball will continue throughout Sunday with championship rounds.
A Car Show at Mill Pond Park runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sponsored by Wynveen Autobody.
Rockman DJ Music will perform from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Tractor pull will begin at 12 noon.
Referendum Questions Soundly Defeated
Two referendum questions put to voters by the Baldwin-Woodville Board of Education were both soundly defeated in balloting last Tuesday, June 3.
The questions, whether B-W should borrow to build a new intermediate school on school property in Baldwin at a cost not to exceed $16,775,000; and whether B-W should borrow to build a new indoor swimming pool at a cost not to exceed $3,500,000 were defeated by margins of 1,348 to 445 and 1,163 to 631, respectively.
The reporting on the economy combined with housing news and the price of gas, everyone seems to agree, were reasons for the large defeats of both measures.
The turnout for the vote, 1,793 for the new intermediate school, and 1,794 for the indoor pool, was not low, based on previous school referendum history. B-W Superintendent of Schools Rusty Helland pointed out that for a referendum in December of 2000, although there were fewer voters in the district at that time, voter turnout was 1,451.
Neither of the measures passed in any of the municipalities that make up the B-W District. The best vote for the measures was in the Town of Erin Prairie, which includes but a very small portion of the District, where the swimming pool measure tied 5-5.
Supt. Helland said that the next step for the district will be a discussion at the B-W Board of Education meeting on Monday, June 16. "We'll discuss it at the Board meeting Monday night and see what's next. We need to take a step back and see where we go from here."
Helland noted that when the process of studying the future needs of the district was started in 2006, gas wasn't $4 a gallon and groceries hadn't increased in price. "It takes a while to move through the process," he said. "Unfortunately the timing wasn't good and even in November of 2007" the present economic news wasn't known.
"So we have to revisit it," said Helland. "I don't think the need's going to go away."
The questions, whether B-W should borrow to build a new intermediate school on school property in Baldwin at a cost not to exceed $16,775,000; and whether B-W should borrow to build a new indoor swimming pool at a cost not to exceed $3,500,000 were defeated by margins of 1,348 to 445 and 1,163 to 631, respectively.
The reporting on the economy combined with housing news and the price of gas, everyone seems to agree, were reasons for the large defeats of both measures.
The turnout for the vote, 1,793 for the new intermediate school, and 1,794 for the indoor pool, was not low, based on previous school referendum history. B-W Superintendent of Schools Rusty Helland pointed out that for a referendum in December of 2000, although there were fewer voters in the district at that time, voter turnout was 1,451.
Neither of the measures passed in any of the municipalities that make up the B-W District. The best vote for the measures was in the Town of Erin Prairie, which includes but a very small portion of the District, where the swimming pool measure tied 5-5.
Supt. Helland said that the next step for the district will be a discussion at the B-W Board of Education meeting on Monday, June 16. "We'll discuss it at the Board meeting Monday night and see what's next. We need to take a step back and see where we go from here."
Helland noted that when the process of studying the future needs of the district was started in 2006, gas wasn't $4 a gallon and groceries hadn't increased in price. "It takes a while to move through the process," he said. "Unfortunately the timing wasn't good and even in November of 2007" the present economic news wasn't known.
"So we have to revisit it," said Helland. "I don't think the need's going to go away."
Central St. Croix Rod & Gun Club Allowed to Proceed with Improvements
A St. Croix County Judge has ordered that Central St. Croix Rod and Gun Club, Inc. be allowed to proceed with plans to improve the gun club's property south of Baldwin.
According to an opinion issued on Wednesday, June 4, Judge Eric Lundell wrote "[a]fter listening carefully to the testimony of all witnesses, including the expert witnesses, and observing all of the exhibits that were presented, this Court became convinced that the best course of action was to permit the defendant to utilize the suggestions of the plaintiffs' experts in an effort to re-draft the plan for the reconstruction and reconfiguration of the Rod and Gun Club. The defendant, Rod and Gun Club, has since significantly modified its original plans and has compared them to the suggestions of the plaintiffs' experts. The new plan appears to meet the objections cited by plaintiffs at the hearing."
Judge Lundell noted that the plaintiffs have objected to the new plan because they "believe that the new plan cannot prevent the trespass of projectiles from the Rod and Gun Club."
According to an opinion issued on Wednesday, June 4, Judge Eric Lundell wrote "[a]fter listening carefully to the testimony of all witnesses, including the expert witnesses, and observing all of the exhibits that were presented, this Court became convinced that the best course of action was to permit the defendant to utilize the suggestions of the plaintiffs' experts in an effort to re-draft the plan for the reconstruction and reconfiguration of the Rod and Gun Club. The defendant, Rod and Gun Club, has since significantly modified its original plans and has compared them to the suggestions of the plaintiffs' experts. The new plan appears to meet the objections cited by plaintiffs at the hearing."
Judge Lundell noted that the plaintiffs have objected to the new plan because they "believe that the new plan cannot prevent the trespass of projectiles from the Rod and Gun Club."
Skydiver Exceeds His Goal for Parkinson's Research
Kevin Burkart reached his goal and then some in skydiving 100 times last Wednesday to raise funds for two organizations that research Parkinson's disease.
In the picture above, Burkart is making his 74th landing late afternoon Wednesday. He finished his 100th jump just after 8:30 Wednesday.
Burkart raised over $45,000, exceeding his goal of $40,000 for research into Parkinson's disease. More than $22,000 will go to both the Parkinson Association of Minnesota and the National Parkinson Foundation.
Burkart's father, Gary Burkart of Shell Lake, was diagnosed with Parkinson's nine years ago.
Prior to last Wednesday's marathon skydiving exhibition, Burkart had made about 700 jumps. He has been skydiving for about seven years.
In the fund raising event, two airplanes were used, six skydiving rigs and six to eight packers were busy, along with a host of other volunteers to assist with duties on the ground.
One of Burkart's jumps was a tribute to and in memory of Sam Nelson, a lifelong resident of Baldwin who passed away in 2000. Sam was 65 when he suffered from tremors and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
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