Spring beauty

Despite the cool weather of late, the flowering crab trees around the village have been in full bloom, as well as the many early flowers and lilac bushes. The two trees pictured above can be found at Windmill Park.

Syttende Mai in Woodville is May 13 - 15

The first celebration of the spring will be this Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Woodville for the annual Syttende Mai celebration.
This year’s event features a multitude of activities starting Wednesday with the 4th annual Citizens State Bank Community Appreciation Dinner.
Highlights of the festival will be the Grande Parade on Saturday starting at 12:30 p.m. and the Queen Coronation starting at 7 p.m. at Viking Middle School.
The Stipes Shows Carnival will be operating all three days, as well as a number of food stands located throughout Woodville. Live music will be held each evening at the Lion’s Tent. Thursday night features Round Two from 7 to 11 p.m., the Eagle River Band will play from 8 to Midnight on Friday and Saturday Trigger Happy will perform from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Carol Roland retires at the end of the school year

Carol Roland has been teaching pre-school at the Baldwin Community Nursery School for the past 23 years. At the end of this school year she will be retiring.
It was time to retire, Carol said. “My husband’s been retired for awhile,” she noted. They will be doing some traveling. Carol enjoys reading, playing golf and skiing. Carol said her son has recently moved to California and that may provide the opportunity to do some skiing there.
“You just never know what the kids are going to come up with,” Carol said reflecting on her 23 years at Baldwin Community Nursery School. “I’ve enjoyed my years with the kids. That’s what I’m going to miss the most—the kids.”
An Open House in Carol’s honor will be held Friday, May 22 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the Coachman Supper Club. Members of the public are invited to attend.


Village negotiating sale of 3.5 acre parcel in I-94 Industrial Park

The Village of Baldwin is close to closing a deal to sell a 3.5 acre parcel in the I-94 Industrial Park. The proposed sale is on the Village Board’s agenda for Wednesday evening.
According to Village President Don McGee, the prospective buyer of the 3.5 acre parcel is a trucking firm that would use the property both for a terminal and a repair facility. He declined to identify the company by name because the owners requested that their identity not be revealed until the deal was finalized.
McGee said the prospective company currently has two other locations.
The village owns 120 acres as the I-94 Industrial Park. The Village Board has already made the decision to install infrastructure to a portion of the park, which would be necessary for the new firm to locate there.

From the Exchanges
Interesting items from
surrounding communities

AMERY FREE PRESS: Amery police were advised of a male subject leaving Dick’s Fresh Market in Amery, with a cart of groceries without paying on Sunday, May 2. The male suspect, Matthew O. Hoff, 32, Amery, apparently pulled a knife on a store clerk who attempted to stop him. Upon the officer’s arrival, Hoff was at the rear entrance of a residence on Apple Ave. trying to get in the back door. Officers attempted to get Hoff to comply with commands, but a scuffle ensued with the cart of groceries being dumped on the grass. Hoff went into the building, ran through the hallway and out the front entrance, heading north and then back west. An officer was behind him the entire way, warning him that he would be tazed if he did not stop. Hoff did not comply and the taser was fired. Hoff went to the ground. Another officer arrived and found Hoff lying on the ground. He smelled strongly of intoxicants. Hoff was transported to Amery Regional Medical Center and a blood draw found an alcohol level of .16. He was transported to the Polk County Jail, charged with armed robbery, resisting arrest and theft. All groceries in the stolen cart were picked up and returned to Dick’s Fresh Market with a value placed at $500.

TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER: A pre-trial hearing originally scheduled in Dunn County Circuit Court on April 30 for a Boyceville school board member accused of battery and disorderly conduct has been rescheduled for June 25. Harry A. Joles, 57, has been charged with one misdemeanor count of battery and one count of disorderly conduct in connection with an incident at a Boyceville Youth Football event at the Boyceville High School football field on September 19 during which he allegedly punched Drew Anderson, one of the youth football coaches in the ribs. A trial originally scheduled for May 11 has now been set for July 6. According to the criminal complaint, Robert Bodsberg, president of the Boyceville Youth Football League and his wife, Shelly, met with Boyceville Police Chief Dan Wellumson on October 5 to report the incident. The criminal complaint notes that Chief Wellumson asked why the incident had not been reported earlier. Bodsberg, who was at the football field that day but had not personally witnessed the altercation, said he and the other coaches had been concerned that if the incident had been reported before the season ended on October 4 it would affect the youngsters, including the defendant’s two boys and did not want to jeopardize the rest of the season.

PIERCE COUNTY HERALD (ELLSWORTH): Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies and investigators assisted the Ellsworth Police Department in breaking up a fight Wednesday afternoon at Summit Park. Fifteen juveniles from Ellsworth and the area were reportedly involved. The fight started outside the old junior/senior high school building on Chestnut Street and carried over to the park. The first report of an incident was received at 12:51 p.m. and the fight at the park was reported at 1:05 p.m. A sizeable crowd was said to have been at the scene. Four county squad cars plus investigators’ cars responded, along with Ellsworth police vehicles. There are reports such staged fights have taken place before among juveniles in Pierce County. Ellsworth School Superintendent Barry Crain said he has never heard of such fights, but Police Chief Greg Place said interviews with witnesses at the scene indicated this. Place said such incidents may have taken place throughout the county. “I’m unaware of staged fights or ultimate fights taking place in Ellsworth or at least one that drew a crowd like there was at Summit Park,” Place said.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: When Pierce County bought two houses and land in April it paid over ten times the amount the seller paid for the same parcel a month earlier. The board voted 16 to 1 April 20 to buy the parcel - which included houses at both 388 and 420 W. Grove St., Ellsworth - for $360,000. According to a property transfer recorded with the register of deeds, Doug and Lori Dodge bought the same parcel from T. Gregory Amann for $35,000. The assessed value of the property is $169,100. Still said County Board Chairman Paul Barkla, the purchase was an opportunity that was too good to pass up. With this purchase the county now owns contiguous property from the Courthouse north to the County Office Building to the new property to the fairgrounds. In the last seven years, the county bought three other parcels along Grove Street and now owns that whole area next to the fairgrounds, said Barkla. That, he said, gives a future county board space to enlarge the fairgrounds or for a new government building.

Liz Doornink named World Dairy Expo’s Dairy Woman of the Year

Local dairy farmer Liz Doornink has been named the World Dairy Expo’s Dairy Woman of the Year Award for 2010. The actual award ceremony will be held September 29 at the 2010 World Dairy Expo Dinner with the Stars at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
Doornink was nominated for the award by a fellow producer. A nominating/voting group makes the final decision on the award based on what a nominee has accomplished in the dairy industry.
“Most of the application focused on how I educate consumers about who farmers are, how we farm and why we chose to farm,” noted Doornink. “It mentioned the numerous tours I have given, the activity books I helped design, my affiliation with AFACT (www.itisafact.org) and other ways I have helped the youth in and around our community.
“I have spoken about our need to tell our story nationwide and in Europe,” she continued. “I have given many interviews for the media as well as worked with Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board to create videos that are used on television and given to schools throughout the state to help educate about our industry.”
The application also noted Doornink is a leader in the industry, taking the initiative to help producers continue to utilize safe and proven technology.
“I have most recently started a consulting firm called “Legacy of Excellence Consulting, LLC,” which provides people involved in production agriculture the tools needed to assure their business can continue,” Doornink said. “This includes, but is not limited to, employee relations, documents, personality styles training, communication, public relations, use of social media, environmental management systems and animal care protocols and training.”
The World Dairy Expo is a five day event showcasing the finest in dairy genetics and the newest technologies available to the dairy industy. The 2010 Expo will be held September 28 through October 2. More information is available on the website www.world-dairy-expo.com.

Town of Baldwin to build new town hall

Breaking ground Monday morning for a new town hall for the Town of Baldwin were present and former officials of the town as well as contractors. On hand for the ground breaking Cheryl Puppe, Town Treasurer; Reuben Doornink, former Treasurer; Dave Paulson of Auth Consulting and Associates; Joe Hurtgen, Town Chairman; Jim Dobrzynski, of West Central Buildings, Inc.; Ellen Hurtgen, a member of the Town’s Planning Commission; Dave Niccum, of the Planning Commission; Barb Zimmerman, Supervisor and member of the Planning Commission; Gerry Strobush, member of the Planning Commission, Dennis Gunderson, Planning Commission member, Don Johnson, Supervisor; and Ken Klanderman, former Town Clerk.

Reach for the Stars fundraiser tops $28,000

The Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley’s fifth annual fundraiser, Reach for the Stars “Under the Bella Luna,” brought in over $28,000 to help provide free parent education and support for local families in Pierce, St. Croix, and Polk Counties.
Held the evening of Sunday, April 25 at Kilkarney Hills Golf Club in River Falls, Reach for the Stars “Under the Bella Luna” was organized with an Italian theme and featured an Italian sit-down dinner; raffles, live, silent, and dessert auctions; music; and stories from parents who participate in our programs. Over 230 people attended.
“I believe children are the products of their environment,” said parent Tatiana Volin of Hudson, who receives monthly FRCSCV home visits. She spoke at Reach for the Stars about why she values the FRCSCV’s parent education programs. She added that the FRCSCV had helped her with her parenting challenges when no other resource could.
Teen parent Brenna Delaney of New Richmond also shared her story as a speaker at the event.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with Reach for the Stars this year,” said Patty Draxler, FRCSCV’s Executive Director. “We are grateful to all the people who made this possible—our business sponsors, our attendees, our board, and our staff were all instrumental to this year’s success.”
All funds raised at Reach for the Stars support the FRCSCV’s mission to strengthen children, families, and communities by offering education, resources, and support.
The FRCSCV offers free hospital visits, Baby and Me classes, Play and Learn groups, screenings, a teen parent program, and a resource referral network available to any family with children from birth to age six in Pierce, St. Croix, and Polk Counties.
For more information about the Center’s programs and services, or to learn more about donating or volunteering, contact the Family Resource Center at 715-684-4440, www.frcscv.org, or info@frcscv.org.

News from the Exchanges
Interesting items from
surrounding communities

SUN-ARGUS (SPRING VALLEY): Thanks to the curious nature of Josh Schlosser who just happens to climb rocks and adventure into caves, the long lost brass plaque of Elmwood’s American Legion Post 207 has been returned to its rightful home. The plaque once hung proudly on the outside of Elmwood’s Auditorium, which is also the headquarters of the American Legion. Many years ago (no one is sure exactly when) the plaque was stolen from the building. Fearing it had been sold to some scrap yard, the Legion members give up all hope of ever finding it. Enter Josh Schlosser, teenage son of Rusty and Laurie Schlosser of rural Spring Valley. The story goes that Josh was exploring in their woods one day when he climbed into an old cave and he saw the plaque lying on the ground. At first he feared it might be a grave marker of some kind so Josh asked his dad to come over and take a look. Rusty needed a ladder to reach the cave’s entrance and upon further investigation he was just shocked when he brought it out into the daylight and discovered what it really was. Rusty knew of the missing plaque from Legion member Merlin Place. Josh and his brother Corey carried the not so shiny plaque into the April 13 Legion meeting. After they unveiled their surprise total silence fell in the room, then a gasp or two, and a huge round of applause for the young spelunkers.

HUDSON STAR~OBSERVER: Two men were charged in St. Croix County Court Thursday afternoon for a machete attack in the home of a Hudson couple Tuesday night. Charged were Shane M. Johnson, 24, of Roberts, and Andrew A. Watson, 24, of Hudson. According to Hudson Police Department Chief Marty Jensen, officers were called to the home at 1920 Brookstone Circle just after midnight Tuesday night. The residents, a 25-year-old woman and her 24-year-old boyfriend, had been attacked with a machete by two males who broke into their home. One of the attackers was allegedly an ex-boyfriend of the female victim.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: St. Croix County Sheriff deputies arrested a Town of Kinnickinnic man at his home last Thursday afternoon for a holdup at a Great Clips hair salon in Hastings, Minn. Guy Weeks, 49, was taken to county jail in Hudson. He later waived extradition rights and was moved to Dakota County Jail in Minnesota. Weeks, who has worked at UW-River Falls since 2006 as a facilities maintenance specialist, was charged with a felony for attempted aggravated robbery. He allegedly called in sick for his job last Thursday. According to authorities, Weeks walked into Great Clips about 12:30 p.m. asked for money and appeared to be holding a gun inside his pocket. The on-duty manager said her shop had no cash to give out. She told a hair stylist to call police. Soon after, nearby Kennedy Elementary School took precautions by going into emergency lockdown - doors locked shades pulled and lights turned off. Apparently panicking, Weeks fled Great Clips without taking money. Hastings police were setting up a secure perimeter. A UPS driver saw Weeks run to a black Ford pickup and got his license plate number that was traced to a town of Kinnickinnic address.

McNamara and Anderson crowned

Riley Anderson and Brook McNamara were crowned as King and Queen at the B-W Junior Prom “Parisian Escape” held Saturday evening.

Photo courtesy of Suzanne Wynveen

Former BAMC physician’s license surrendered

A physician who formerly practiced medicine at Baldwin Area Medical Center has surrendered his license to practice medicine and surgery in Wisconsin after he was discovered “impaired by alcohol” while “providing professional services to patients.”
According to a Final Decision and Order of the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board dated January 20, Gregory J. Estlund, M.D., of River Falls, has surrendered his license to practice medicine.
According to the Order, on November 4, 2009 Estlund “was at [BAMC] providing professional services to patients, while he was impaired by alcohol. Nursing staff reported that he smelled of alcohol and was stumbling.” An alcohol test “revealed [Dr. Estlund] had a blood alcohol level of 0.11. When he was confronted, Respondent did not deny the use of alcohol and said, ‘This is a terrible disease.’”
The order said Dr. Estlund’s privileges at BAMC “were summarily suspended.”
Alison Page, Chief Executive Officer at Baldwin Area Medical Center commented that “the safety of our patients is our highest priority. Policies and procedures are in place to address rare events such as this. We appreciate the prompt action taken by our staff to deal with the situation appropriately.”
The decision and order of the Medical Examining Board accepting the surrender of Dr. Estlund’s license provides that if Dr. Estlund “ever seeks to regain this or any other credential from the Board: Respondent shall provide sufficient evidence to the Board that he does not have any psychiatric or chemical abuse or dependency condition that could interfere with his safely providing professional services to patients or the public.”

Foundation makes annual grant awards

The Baldwin-Woodville Area Community Foundation held its annual grant award presentation on Monday, April 19th at First Bank Of Baldwin. A total of seven non-profit organizations were awarded money for programs and projects that benefit the communities of Baldwin and Woodville.
Grant recipients for 2010 are: Baldwin Public Library, $400, Teen Book Club; Baldwin Senior Center, $800, Social Opportunities; B-W High School, $2,500, T-Shirts for Service Learning Day; Family Resource Center, $1,500, Play and Learn Programs; Food Resource Collaborative, $500, Protein; St. Croix Area Volunteer League, $600, Public Holiday Events; and Woodville Senior Center, $800, Social Opportunities
Total grant awards for this year was $7,100.
The Baldwin-Woodville Area Community Foundation (BWACF) was established to stimulate and facilitate the current and future needs of the Baldwin-Woodville area by attracting, managing and distributing charitable contributions. As a community foundation, the BWACF is a publicly supported institution organized and operated primarily as a permanent collection of endowed funds. Individual contributions to the fund are returned to the community for specific projects and programs managed by non-profit organizations.
For more information on the BWACF, contact the Baldwin-Woodville Area Community Foundation at P.O. Box 352, Baldwin, WI 54002 or http://www.baldwinareafoundation.com.

News from the exchanges
Interesting items from
surrounding communities

HUDSON STAR~OBSERVER: With enrollment continuing to climb at the Hudson Middle School the district’s administration is recommending a plan that would call for a $2 million addition and using three classrooms at the adjacent Hudson Prairie Elementary School. Superintendent Mary Bowen-Eggebraaten made the recommendation at last week’s school board meeting. She pointed out that HMS is the largest single middle school in the state. Currently it has an enrollment of 1,211, 86 students over the building’s capacity of 1,125. Enrollment projections show that number growing to more than 280 students over capacity by the 2013-2014 school year.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: For the first time in its 81-year history, the River Falls Golf Club will have a new owner beginning next month. The club’s board of directors has agreed to sell the course for $1.5 million to Hanson Bros. Golf Holdings LLC of Hammond, the same group that bought the Hudson Golf Course earlier this month. Bredahl said the key factor in deciding to accept the officer was the Hansons’ commitment to maintaining the property as a public golf course. Under the agreement, the Hansons will continue to run the course for at least ten years, but Bredahl believes it will be around a lot longer than that. Club vice president Tim Bredahl said increasing competition coupled with growing interest on loans and service charges and a downturn in membership finally caught up with the club. He said this year’s membership of 141 is about half of what it was in 2004. The Hanson family previously owned and operated Douglas-Hanson Co. of Hammond, a family business that was sold to Loparex USA in June 2006. Hanson Bros. LLC paid a reported $3.5 million for the 141-acre Hudson Golf Club earlier this month. As part of the agreement to buy the River Falls Golf Club, the Hansons have committed to investing up to $500,000 in the 125 acre course, which will go toward a new irrigation system and other improvements to the facility and equipment.

AMERY FREE PRESS: On Saturday, April 17 at about 6 p.m. the Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call in reference to numerous shots fired and a large explosion and subsequent fire on 80th St. in the Town of Apple River at the residence of Dale and Lori Smith. The fire resulting from the explosion had spread to a building and a large field was on fire. Fire departments from Apple River, Balsam Lake and Milltown all responded. When deputies arrived they found a shed on the property fully engulfed in flames. When speaking with persons on the scene it appeared that the Smith family, along with two friends, were shooting firearms at a tannerite container and purposely detonated the substance along with paint cans placed nearby for added effect. Tannerite is a legally obtained substance which may be purchased locally. It consisted of tannerite and a catalyst, which is stored in a separate container. The two substances are mixed together and then detonated from the distance with a large caliber weapon. The resulting explosion gives the resemblance of an illegal explosive. Billowing smoke could be seen as far as 12 miles from the scene and flames as far away as four miles. The fire also damaged a utility pole in the area. It is unknown the total extent of damages or cost to local residents for the fire department response.

PIERCE COUNTY HERALD (ELLSWORTH): The El Paso Community Club has gotten established because of the town’s annual celebration. Or maybe it was the other way around. As Nate Place succeeds Merlin Blaisdell as president of the organization, the pair reviewed its past and future last week. “El Paso’s in the center of the county and, if it wasn’t for that, there may not be one at all,” Blaisdell said Tuesday. Which came first - the club or the celebration - depends on one’s perspective. The modern-day version of the club followed four annual celebrations occurring from 1986 to 1989, the outgoing president said. It was a desire in 1991 to see those festivities continue that prompted a group including himself, Ivan Shafer, Larry Traynor and Rich Anderson to each put up $20 toward keeping it going. “Why can’t we do it again?” Blaisdell remembered asking, mindful he’d never been to the temporarily interrupted event, having just moved back to his native area. They had the will, but the way wasn’t exactly certain. He said a deal was struck with Walters Beer to supply beverages, linked to 40 cases of root beer through the Baldwin grocery store where he then worked. The store’s owner generously donated the latter from which celebration volunteers made floats that first year of revival and Traynor took the leftovers to sell at another gathering in the county - Spring Valley Dam Days. The club’s origins were informal. Blaisdell credited Traynor for encouraging the members to incorporate in the mid-90s, reasoning they shouldn’t jeopardize their personal liability. With incorporation came an officer structure and the organization was official.

Fire destroys barn in Town of Hammond

United Fire and Rescue was called to a barn fire at the Joni and Charles VanDusartz property in the Town of Hammond about 10:15 a.m. April 13. The barn was largely destroyed by the fire, which apparently was started by lightning.
Some personal property was destroyed by the fire but there were no animals injured. The family has horses which were out to pasture and a calf was freed from a pen before it was injured.
United Fire and Rescue personnel were aided by the Roberts-Warren Fire Department and a water tanker from the New Richmond Fire Department.

“3 Day Walk” team formed

Brooke Campbell, left, and Linda Sturtevant, are members of the “Uff Da Crew” 3 Day Walk team.

When Mark Sturtevant and his daughter Karlyn did the American Cancer Society Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure two and a half years ago, they did it to raise money for the fight against breast cancer and for the challenge of a 60-mile walk.
When Mark’s wife Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer 2008, the event became much more personal.
This year Mark and Linda joined Brooke Campbell - who’s family has also been affected by breast cancer - to form the “Uff Da Crew,” which will be walking the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure this August.
Net profits from the event will be invested in breast cancer research and community. Each participant in the walk is responsible for raising a minimum of $2,300 in donations and pledges.
Toward that end, the “Uff Da Crew” will be hosting a homemade spaghetti and meatballs dinner at the newly remodeled Lion’s Den in Woodville on Saturday, April 24 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. In addition to the full menu, the group will be selling handmade breast cancer awareness jewelry and hand-painted glassware. In May the group will be holding a garage sale on Friday during Syttende Mai. All proceeds from both events will go toward the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure.
Another way to contribute to the cause is to visit the website of any of the three individuals to make a pledge. The websites are: http://www.the3day.org/goto/Booke.Campbell; http://www.the3day.org/goto/Linda.Sturtevant; or http://www.the3day.org/goto/Mark.Sturtevant.
Since her diagnosis, Linda has gone through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
“I had no family history of breast cancer, so the diagnosis was a complete surprise,” Linda said. “Everything is good for me now, but it brings home how breast cancer touches nearly every family in some way.”

Board approves BAMC branch clinic

The Baldwin Village Board at their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 14 discussed two important health care initiatives and approved one.
The Board gave its approval to Baldwin Area Medical Center to establish a branch clinic in Roberts. The Village Board must approve any expenditures over $100,000 in return for the village issuing bonds for past hospital expansion projects.
The second project is an addition/remodel at Baldwin Care Center. The facility plan hasn’t been finalized but the village board passed a motion giving the BCC board the authority to continue investigating options for upgrading the facility.
Alison Page, CEO of Baldwin Area Medical Center told the village board that the intent of BAMC is to open a basic clinic in Roberts in 2,500 square feet in a strip mall. “We think a medical clinic would fit very well,” she noted. She said BAMC has a physician interested in the position.
“This is something we feel we must do to maintain market share,” Page told the board. “We are excited about the fact that we have a physician interested in being there.” It is anticipated that there would be three support staff working with the physician.
In supplemental material handed out at the meeting, Page noted that “Western Wisconsin is the fastest growing area in the state. Roberts is growing rapidly (22% growth in population from 2004-09). Roberts is on the western edge of BAMC’s primary service area. … A feasibility study has been completed that support the opening of a clinic in the Roberts community. Financial analysis projects a positive cash flow in year two of operation and production of positive cumulative net income in year five.
The village board passed a motion that approved the expenditure of the funds that will allow the capital expenditure to open the branch clinic.

Baldwin Care Center

Eileen LaFavor, administrator of Baldwin Care Center, which is owned by the Village of Baldwin, told the board the original facility was built in 1971. Birch Street Apartments were added to the building in 1984 and additional apartments were built in 1993. Currently, BCC has 55 nursing home beds and 21 apartments.
Recently, the Baldwin Care Center board decided to complete a master facility plan including feasibility study and engineering study.
During a “visioning” session board members talked as a group about what they wanted for the facility in an effort to begin the process. They also toured other area facilities.
A company called Community Living Solutions, that specializes in long-term care solutions, was hired and did a market analysis. With the information gathered the board determined that one and two bedroom independent housing was needed and that there is an excess of skilled nursing home beds.
Two options were developed as a result. The first option is for replacement of Baldwin Care Center with an addition on the south side of the building of 55 new nursing beds and remodeling the existing nursing home space for assisted living.
Option B is to build new independent living congregate housing and build new nursing home rooms and remodel existing nursing home space.
Option A is the most financially feasible, LaFavor said. Various financing options have been investigated. There is also a state program for funding but the time frame for that is limited.
LaFavor asked whether the village board is supportive of continuing the process. “I think it makes a lot of sense,” replied Village President Don McGee. A motion directing the Baldwin Care Center to continue the process was made and passed.

New school board members take oath of office

Newly elected Baldwin-Woodville board of education members Deb Rasmussen and Brian Bedford were sworn in at the board’s regular meeting Monday night. They replace Mike Bonadarenko and John Hinz, who both declined to seek re-election. Rasmussen has served prior terms, including time as president of the board. Rasmussen and Bedford begin their terms on April 26.
Superintendent Rusty Helland presented certificates of appreciation to the out-going board members and thanked them for their years of service. Hinz has served six years and Bondarenko has a combined total of 17 years of service to the district.
During the open forum, district resident Robert Jones explained his request that his son be awarded a diploma from Baldwin-Woodville. His son withdrew from BW and finished his high school equivalency at WITC, fulfilling the requirements with excellent grades, according to Jones. Now, his son wants to join the military service. His lack of a high school diploma puts him on the waiting list for the military and eliminates any signing bonus. “If we’d known this would happen, we wouldn’t have taken him out of school,” said Jones. He added that BW guidance counselor Robin Pagel has written a letter of support for his son’s request.
“We have checked with the Wisconsin Association of School Boards on this,” responded Supt. Helland, “state statute says high school diplomas are not awarded for equivalency programs.” The district used to have a policy allowing the board to decide on a case by case basis, but that is no longer valid.
“Unfortunately state law does not allow us to do anything here,” commented Board President Jeff Campbell.
After further discussion, Supt. Helland said he would contact the WASB again to inquire about any alternatives for the student.
Third grade teacher Megan Redmond and her team of fourth graders presented a skit to the board. Redmond is the director of Destination Imagination for the district, which is a national problem solving competition. The skit was entered in the competition this year. She explained that the district has five teams each year and this year the fifth grade team placed fourth at state.
High School Media Specialist Jim Perkins reported to the board that he recently led a committee which worked to update the BW Information and Technology Plan. “The state requires that the plan be renewed every three years,” said Perkins. “Many grants are contingent upon an approved plan,” he added. The committee surveyed the community and school staff for suggestions on improving the plan, and they had good response, he said.
“Are we using the technology we currently have to the fullest?” asked Hinz.
Perkins responded that the technology is widely used, and there is always room for improved access and usage.
A motion to approve the nursing services contract between the district and Baldwin Area Medical Center passed. The new contract for $67,805.28 is a 5.2 percent increase over last year. “This has been and continues to be an excellent example of a school/community partnership,” commented Bondarenko.

From the Exchanges
Interesting items from
surrounding communities

HUDSON STAR OBSERVER: A recount began Wednesday morning to determine the winner of the race for the Hudson Board of Education. The recount was requested by incumbent board candidate Cindy Crimmins who lost to Patricia German by three votes. In the election held Tuesday, April 6, two of four candidates were elected. The final vote totals were Mark Kaisersatt - 960; Pat German - 929; Cindy Crimmins - 926; Jim Bartlein - 920. In a petition filed with the school district before the 5 p.m. Monday deadline, Crimmins alleges that she “believes that a mistake has been committed in one of the wards or municipalities in the counting…” or “…that errors could have been made in the counting…” The district includes votes form the city of Hudson, village of North Hudson and towns of Hudson, Troy and St. Joseph. Because of the small margin of victory, by state statute, challenger Crimmins will not be required to pay for the recount. In an even closer race in the Town of St. Joseph, challenger Kevin Adkins was declared the winner over incumbent Dan Gavin by the flip of a coin Wednesday, the morning after the election. The race ended in a 226-226 tie. After the official canvass, the tie still stood. At the coin flip, Lloyd Dahlke represented Adkins and Donna Rosentreter represented Gavin. The two were called heads or tails. Dahlke called “heads; Rosentreter called “tails.” The coin was tossed by town clerk/treasurer Marie Schmit. The coin came up heads which was verified by Dahlke, Rosentreter, Schmit and Jim Traeger. Adkins was then determined to be the successful candidate for the First Supervisor position. Gavin chose not to request a recount.

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): There is a campaign under way to honor the late Harvey Stower and his wife, Marilyn, by renaming the Amery to Dresser Trail the Stower Seven Lakes Trail. Stower, who died of a heart attack in late September of last year, served both as a state representative and a mayor of Amery. He and Marilyn, a nurse who preceded him in death, were beloved by many people for their community work and promotion.

PIERCE COUNTY HEARLD (ELLSWORTH): Lucas Danielson is spending the next six-plus years in prison for possession of child pornography and auto theft. After his release the 20-year-old Spring Valley native will spend the next 14 years on combined extended supervision/probation as a result of pleading guilty to second-degree sexual assault of a child Friday in Pierce County Circuit Court. According the criminal complaint in the sexual assault case, the victim was a patient in an area hospital last August when, during her stay she confided in hospital staff that she was having sexual relations with an unidentified male age 17-24. Spring Valley police targeted Danielson, as he was a registered sex offender and lived near the victim. Their suspicion was confirmed when the victim confided in a relative a week later.

B-W honor students announced

There are 31 honor students in the class of 2010 at Baldwin-Woodville High School. They gathered for a picture Monday morning. In the front row, left to right, are: Jessica Johnson, Tanis Klingler, Morgan Benoy, Rebecca Warner and Samantha Wynveen. In the second row, from left, are: Heather Aune, Bethany Bonnstetter, Haili McCulloch, Sarah Wilhelm and Britta Kadrlik.
In the third row, left to right, are: Luke Vanasse, Kory Hines, Edward Rumpel, Jennah Ackley, Jennifer Rang and Hannah Smith. In the fourth row, from left, are: Benjamin Simons, Jaclyn Peterson, Christopher Lebo, Mark Serier, Justin Morrissey, Nicholas Scritchfield and Adam Christianson. In the fifth row, from left, are: Gerrit Molenaar, Ahley Robole, Blaine Hardy, Jonathon Willert and Lindsey Hurtgen.
Missing when the picture was taken were: Nicholas Houston, Mallory Precht and Neil Ranals.

The Baldwin Woodville High School announced the honor students for the Class of 2010. Tanis Klingler, daughter of Marvin and Lise Klingler was Valedictorian; she plans to attend the University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign. Jessica Johnson, daughter of Donovan and Mariana Johnson was named Salutatorian; she plans to attend the University of Minn. - Twin Cities.
Others on the list include Jennah Ackley, daughter of Brent and Rachel Ackley, who plans to attend WITC - New Richmond; Heather Aune, daughter of John and Marly Aune, Bethel University; Morgan Benoy, daughter of Scott and Kari Benoy, UM - Twin Cities; Bethany Bonnstetter, daughter of Karen and Joseph Bonnstetter, Trinity International University; Adam Christianson, son of Lee and Nancy Christianson, University of North Dakota.
Blaine Hardy, son of Bill and Pam Hardy, plans to attend UW-Stout; Kory Hines, son of Beckie and Keith Hines, UW-Madison; Lindsey Hurtgen, daughter of Mindy Otto and Paul Hurtgen, Minnesota State University - Mankato; Nicholas Huston, son of Rick and LeAnn Huston and Robyn Anderson, UM - Duluth; Britta Kadrlik, daughter of John and Lynn Kadrlik, UW - River Falls; Christopher Lebo, son of Mark and Carol Lebo, UM - Duluth; Haili McCulloch, daughter of Tom McCulloch and Sandy McCulloch, Winona State University.
Gerrit Molenaar, son of Lori and Larry Molenaar, plans to attend UW - Stout; Justin Morrissey, son of Albert and Rebecca Morrissey, UW - River Falls; Jaclyn Peterson, daughter of Randy and Kelly Peterson, St. Cloud State University; Mallory Precht, daughter of Robert and Jody Precht, Illinois State University; Neil Ranals, son of Nick and Loreen Ranals, Minnesota State University - Mankato.
Jennifer Rang, daughter of Curt and Deanna Rang, plans to attend UW - River Falls; Ashley Robole, daughter of Barry and Michelle Robole, Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minn.; Edward Rumpel, son of Jim and Mary Rumpel, University of St. Thomas; Nicholas Schritchfield, son of Nick and Jackie Paron, Iowa State University; Mark Serier, son of Barry and Heather Serier, UW - River Falls; Benjamin Simons, son of Lisa Bowman and Jeff Simons; St. Cloud State University.
Hannah Smith, daughter of Rollie and Peggy Smith, plans to attend WITC - New Richmond; Luke Vanasse, son of Tom and Cindy Vanasse, St. Cloud State University; Rebecca Warner, daughter of Joanne and Duane Warner, Drake University; Sarah Wilhelm, daughter of Don and Patty Wilhelm, UW - LaCrosse; Jonathon Willert, son of Craig and Diane Willert, St. Cloud State University; and Samantha Wynveen, daughter of Steve and Suzanne Wynveen, UW - River Falls.

Dr. Veronica Schommer, DVM, practices with Baldwin Vet Center

Dr. Veronica Schommer is a familiar face in Baldwin with a long family history locally.
Dr. Schommer is the daughter of Stan and Sue Gausman and grew up north of Baldwin on a dairy farm. She has started work with Baldwin Veterinary Center and will be mainly working with dairy but will also do some beef practice.
Dr. Schommer is a 1997 Baldwin-Woodville High School graduate where she was involved in many activities. She attended University of Wisconsin-River Falls where she received her undergraduate degree in animal science. She then went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison veterinary school and graduated in 2005. She has practiced in Turtle Lake since that time
Dr. Schommer said she took the position with Baldwin Veterinary Center to be closer to home. Currently, she and her husband Jonathan, who has a landscaping business in Deer Park, and their two children live in Clayton, but are looking to move into the B-W school district.
Her upbringing in this community has been an asset, she said. “I know where most of the farms are. Brian [Kersten, DVM and owner of Baldwin Vet Center] just let me loose. I’m glad to be back down here. What I want to do when we move down here is be in the B-W School District and be part of the community and part of the school district.”

Fusion receive Sportsmanship Award
WIAA winter team tournament Sportsmanship Awards Announced

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, in cooperation with Rural Mutual Insurance, has selected the team Sportsmanship Awards for the 2010 winter State Tournaments.
The winners of the prestigious award are Royall in boys basketball, Black Hawk in girls basketball, Wausau West in boys ice hockey, River Falls Co-op in girls ice hockey, Ellsworth in wrestling and Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster in gymnastics.
The River Falls co-op, which includes Baldwin-Woodville, Glenwood City, St. Croix Central and Spring Valley won the State title for the second straight season, minus Elmwood as part of the co-op program, and its second consecutive Sportsmanship Award in girls hockey. The Fusion defeated the University School co-op 2-0 in the semifinals and the Green Bay East co-op 5-2 in the championship final. The Mosinee co-op and the University School co-op received honorable mention recognition.
Ellsworth received its third Sportsmanship Award in wrestling following its display of sportsmanship at the State Team Wrestling Tournament. The Panthers also received the honor in 1999 and 2008. They were ousted from title contention with a 33-26 loss to Oconto Falls in the Division 2 semifinals. Mineral Point and Oconto Falls received honorable mention for the award.
The WIAA/Rural Mutual Insurance Sportsmanship Award is presented to one school and community in each of the State team tournaments. The award winners are determined by the conduct and sportsmanship displayed by athletes, coaches, cheer and support groups, mascots, bands and spectators. Additional consideration is given for the effort of school administrators and chaperones to insure support for their teams are positive and that the highest ideals of sportsmanship are upheld. Award winners receive a plaque and banner in recognition of the honor. Schools receiving honorable mention are acknowledged with a certificate of recognition.
The selection process includes contributions and evaluations from contest officials, tournament management, police and security personnel, crowd control and ushers, WIAA staff members, area hotels and restaurants.

News from the Exchanges
Interesting items from
surrounding communities

HUDSON STAR OBSERVER: A father accused of repeatedly firing a gun at his son and his friends as well as police officer heard that son take the fifth amendment rather than answer questions about what happened in his St. Croix Heights home on October 17. The friends, however, told their story and described a night of terror they thought they might not survive. The testimony took place at Dan Christenson’s preliminary hearing in St. Croix County Court on April 2. Christenson, who now lives in Lakeville, Minn., is charged with three counts of first degree attempted intentional homicide and four counts of first degree reckless endangerment. He is accused of firing a gun multiple times in his home at 1221 St. Croix Heights while chasing his son Zach. Three of Zach’s friends ages 13, 14 and 15, were also in the home at the time and hid in the basement closet fearing for their lives. The three juveniles testified at the hearing that they had only known each other for a few weeks prior to the incident. They had gathered at the Christensen home to “hang out and listen to music” before heading off to get something to eat and had been at the residence for only a short time before Dan Christenson came home late that afternoon. All three of the teens, one girl, age 13, and two boys, ages 14 and 15 at the time, gave very consistent testimony about what went on at the house.

TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER: One Glenwood City resident nearly found out the hard way that an offer that looks too good to be true most likely is, as she wired $2,100 in a recent mailing scam. The fraudulent crime was reported to Glenwood City Police Chief Bob Darwin who just a month earlier had warned the public in an article in the Tribune Press Reporter of a similar scam that had been brought to his attention. The details were different with this letter claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House and stated that this resident had won $1 million. The letter came with a check for more than $2,000 and asked that this check be deposited into her bank account. The letter stated she should then wire transfer $2,100 to the enclosed account in order to process her winnings. Darwin added that the victim had some red flags going off and decided to call the phone number listed in the letter. She then spoke to a “representative” who was convincing of the letter’s authenticity. The victim ended up cashing the check and wiring the money. The next morning she woke up and just knew she had been scammed, said Darwin. And she was right. She went to her bank and the police and told them what had happened. The bank did some research and found the check to be fraudulent. While the victim was still out the $2,100 she did save herself from further banking fees. Following up on the investigation, the location she wired the money from was contacted and they had put a hold on the wire transfer. The would-be victim was very fortunate and was able to reclaim her money.

NEW RICHMOND NEWS: Last year the Martini Sippers to End MS raised $8,300 - $3,300 more than their goal. This year, captain Jennifer Dietzler, owner of JAD Photography, and her team have set an even higher goal of $10,000. Dietzler has been recognized for the team’s achievements by the MS Society. She’s the ambassador for this year’s walk. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs or severe such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. The Hudson Walk MS pledges to help fund MS research projects and support programs and services for the estimated 10,000 people living with the disease in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Dietzler deserves the recognition from the MS Society, said Mari Marson, volunteer coordinator for the Hudson walk. “I am not surprised the National MS Society chose her (Dietzler) to be the Ambassador of Walk MS Hudson,” Marson said. “She is a pint-sized powerhouse of a person who gets things done despite the limitations that MS has placed upon her. Jennifer single-handedly put together a 50 person contingent of walkers from New Richmond that made a really big splash at last year’s Walk MS Hudson. She is again putting a New Richmond team together for this year’s walk.

CENTRAL ST. CROIX NEWS: We have all enjoyed the warm weather of the past couple of weeks. Putting winter behind us for another year and once again enjoying outdoor activities is a wonderful hallmark of the summer to come. Unfortunately, the warm springtime weather does not always bring good things with it. In the past two weeks the Roberts Police Department has received a large number of thefts from vehicles. Car stereos, iPods and GPS units are all among the items stolen. According to the Robert Police Chief Dan Burgess, the following tips are intended to help to prevent you from becoming a victim of the growing problem referred to as “car shopping.” “Car shopping is a term known to thieves as going into a neighborhood and pulling on car doors, going through any unlocked car for valuables that can be sold or pawned,” Burgess said. “No community has been immune to this, and even close knit communities like our are falling victim to this growing problem.” Some things you can do to help prevent becoming a victim of car shopping: park your vehicle inside your garage and make sure that the garage is closed and locked. If you do not have a garage available, always make sure to lock your vehicle. Avoid leaving easily stolen items in your vehicle. If you have a removable face plate on your stereo remember to remove it and keep it with you or lock it away. Park in a well lit area. If your home or driveway is dark, consider more lighting around your home or driveway. Even inexpensive solar lights can assist in lighting the area without large up front costs or on-going bills. Park in a visible area, avoid parking behind structures or areas not visible from the road.

Baldwin Greenhouse is awarded Petal of Honor Award of Excellence!

Baldwin Greenhouse owners Rochell and James Karlson, flank James’ mother Chris. Baldwin Greenhouse was a recent winner of the Petal of Honor-Award of Excellence!

Teleflora, the world’s leading flower wire service announced recently that Baldwin Greenhouse is one of the first shops to be awarded the Petal of Honor -Award of Excellence! Recently created by Teleflora, this program was designed to recognize member florists who have an exemplary track record of customer service and satisfaction.
Quality is the core of the Teleflora difference. Every Teleflora floral gift is personally hand-arranged and hand-delivered by industry professionals. Baldwin Greenhouse along with a select number of member shops exceeded expectations with a low complaint rate, high customer satisfaction and prompt delivery.
Being the best of the best deserves public recognition and consumers will be able to identify Petal of Honor recipients by a special emblem created exclusively by Teleflora. The emblem will be visible on honorees’ websites next to their listings on Findaflorist.com and in the Select a Florist option on Teleflora.com check-out. In addition, shops will be given a window decal to hang in their store.
For more information please contact Baldwin Greenhouse at 520 Hwy. 12 in Baldwin or call 715-684-2104.

Peterson recognized for service

Kenneth Peterson, who chose not to stand for re-election to the St. Croix Electric board of directors this year, was presented with a plaque of recognition for his 15 years of service to the organization. The award was presented by Chairman of the Board Bill Peavey at the 73rd annual meeting of St. Croix Electric. The meeting was held at R & D Catering south of New Richmond on Thursday, April 1 and was preceeded by a meal provided by St. Croix Electric.
At the meeting, Dennis Carlson, CPA, of the accounting firm of Carlson and Highland & Co., LLP, presented the audit report.
Mark Pendergast, President and CEO, reported to the membership and expressed concern about proposed CO2 limits. He discussed the effects of the recession on the co-op and members. He said he was concerned about Governor Doyle’s proposal to require use of more electricity from renewable sources, especially in light of the fact that Wisconsin already has a power generation surplus.
For good news, Pendergast said projections are for less expense for local operations in the coming year and the past year had fewer outages than ever before.
In balloting at the meeting for directors, for District 1 incumbent Harold Rivard defeated challenger Neil Plourde; in District 4 (from which Peterson was retiring) Paul Nyhus defeated Jerry Pederstuen; and in district 7 Fran Klatt, the incumbent, defeated challenger Brian Hurtgen.

Local middle schooler has hopes of being His Arms in Kenya

A local girl, Abby Hanson, daughter of Pastor John and Julie Hanson, Peace Lutheran Church of Baldwin, aims big. This 12 year old is trying to baby-sit, take on yard jobs, organize 6th graders in a garage sale, and pretty much do anything she can to earn money to join the Peace Lutheran Mission Team leaving for Kenya in June. This is Peace's fifth team to go to Kenya, in East Africa, and the first time the group has included a youth.
When asked why she wants to go so badly that she would try to earn nearly $2000 it will take for her ticket, she replied "Ever since my Dad went to Africa and came home and told me about his experiences and how good it felt to help these people out, I wanted to be able to go and do the same thing and see the smiles on the faces as God works through me to reach out to them. So I am just going to do this!"
Abby takes part in drama, basketball, volleyball, band, and choir while she attends Viking Middle School. She is also active in Peace's Sunday School, Logos program, and the children's choir group, J Crew.
When her parents were asked about Abby's lofty goals and their response to her request, her Dad responded "Okay, then. Let's make this happen." Julie Hanson, her Mother added "I told Abby, you will have to raise the money, then, to make it happen." She added, "I do believe she has a heart for missions."
While in Kenya, Abby plans to address the children of a school near Maseno about the life of the child in America compared to Kenya. With her visit, she hopes to bring educational books to share, as this school lacks books of any kind. She also plans to help with craft projects for the Orphan programs, with which she'll be working. This year the mission team will continue the work they have started since 2005 in Maseno, Western Kenya. It is located about 35 miles from the Ugandan border. While there, they hope to continue working with the His Arms Orphan Program they helped developed. Coordinator Nancy Rowe, from Peace, works with the Kenya Coordinator, Florence Oyosi, to oversee orphans in that area. They currently have 26 children being sponsored by US families. Each sponsor promises $20 a month support and, in turn, the child is able to stay in the home of a guardian, attend school, get regular nutrition, get education as to basic hygiene, and is monitored as to medical needs. Some of the children are HIV+ and are followed by the area HIV clinic with the His Arms Program overseeing these efforts.
Peace has also helped with various other projects while in Kenya. They have also helped get the Ebenezer Project off the ground. This is a program they developed in which the donors from the U.S. can purchase a goat ($40), chicken ($9), Malaria net ($7), mattress ($25), for an orphan and their family unit. Those who receive the animals, are then asked to give away the first off-spring to someone else in need, in hopes of encouraging more self-sustaining projects. The nets are used by the children to decrease their chances of contracting Malaria, the leading killer of children in Kenya. The mattresses are also used by children who have otherwise been sleeping nightly on the ground, with the danger of contracting the deadly parasites that infest the muddy floors.
If you are interested in any of the above projects check out the website: www.hisarmskenya.org for further information. If you want to help Abby reach her goal, you may send your tax deductible check to Peace Lutheran, 2084 County Rd N, Baldwin, 54002 with a notation on the check that it is for Abby's trip.

From the Exchanges
Interesting items from
surrounding communities

MONDOVI HERALD~NEWS: A Mondovi High School senior was recently charged with a felony count of issuing a bomb scare that locked down Mondovi classrooms last month. Elizabeth “Libby” E. Johnson is scheduled to make her initial appearance in Buffalo County Court on April 7. The charge has a maximum penalty of 1-1/2 years in prison. According to court records, police were called to the Mondovi school on Friday, March 12, after a seventh grade girl said she found a bomb threat note in the girls’ bathroom. School officials said a similar note was found in the girls’ bathroom the previous day. The note said that a bomb was located in a specific locker. Nearby classrooms were evacuated and the rest of the school was locked down while the locker was checked. On March 15, police were contacted by school officials who said they found a paper and a marker in Johnson’s desk that indicated she had written the notes. Johnson told police she wrote both notes because she was having problems at home and at school.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: It stated as a noise and possible drug use complaint. Before it was over a patrol officer was hit in the face and bruised and a 19-year-old man chased and caught outside a rental house on S. Fourth St. just before 2 a.m. Sunday. David S. Hodder, a UW-River Falls student living at that address, was jailed for battery to an officer, resisting arrest and underage drinking. He was later charged with a felony battery to a law enforcement officer by the district attorney. Two River Falls police officers responded to the Fourth Street party complaint. When they arrived people were spilling out the back door. There they found Hodder, who they claimed wouldn’t identify himself except for his first name. The Officer Elizabeth Posel, holding a notepad and pen, asked more questions, Hodder allegedly became combative, went to the back door and slammed it against her arm and head as she went in after him. Her partner, Officer Kevin Moore, followed both inside. Hodder was described as swinging his arms while trying to escape the officers. He allegedly swung and hit Posel in the side of the face with a closed fist.

BURNETT COUNTY SENTINEL (GRANTSBURG): With an eye on the looming DNR deadline and citizen requests for a place to haul their spring yard waste, the Grantsburg Village Board voted March 23 to accept a transfer station management bid from Robert Moritz of Siren. Moritz owns and operates North Country Dumpsters. Moritz will pay the village $100 a month to operate the Grantsburg Solid Waste Transfer Station on Gary Street for the first year and $200 per month for the second year. The agreement with Moritz is in effect until March, 2012. Effective the very next day, Moritz took over operations at the transfer station and began to remove piles of debris that had been left by the previous operator and by unknown persons illegally leaving garbage outside the gates when the transfer station was closed. The previous operator, Luke Hansen of Northwest Disposal, received the board’s permission to enter the site while Moritz is present so that Hansen can remove his tools. Hansen offered to clean the site but the board accepted Moritz’s offer instead.

CENTRAL ST. CROIX NEWS: Hammond is home to a, in the words of her father, “$1.6 million miracle baby.” When she was born Kendra Rogan was approximately the size of a bottle of water you would buy at the store - she weighed 20 ounces and was 12 inches long when she was born prematurely at 23.5 weeks (a full-term baby is born at 40 weeks). A photo the family of her shows her mother’s wedding ring slid up above her elbow and it stopped there, Stacy Rogan said, “only because there were tubes.” Now a healthy 16-month-old who is a bit smaller than others her age but is reaching most milestones about the same time, Kendra is a success story that is being shared with others in the area after she was named the 2010 Stillwater March for Babies Ambassador. “March of Dimes was a huge resource after and even before she was born - getting us information on what to expect,” Stacy said. “I contacted them to become involved in the organization and after they heard our story they asked if Kendra would be the ambassador this year. March of Dimes WalkAmerica is the nation’s largest fundraising event, with the money being used to help save America’s babies. The Stillwater March for Babies will be held April 25 and the Rogans have been busy raising both awareness and money for the event. Stacy, who said she never considered herself a public speaker, now has many appearances before regional groups where she tells the story of “Jellybean,” the nickname dad Scott gave to Kendra shortly after she was born.

Fire struck Stan and Sue Gausman’s home

Although the home of Stan and Sue Gausman in the Town of Hammond, north of Baldwin along USH 63, is still standing, it remains to be seen whether it can be salvaged.
Sue Gausman said on Monday of this week that the insurance adjuster hasn’t given a verdict whether the home is totalled, or not.
The fire is still under investigation, Sue added, but it’s obvious that the fire started at the fuel oil burning furnace in the basement of the home.
In the meantime, soot covers everything in the house. Sue said the house was filled with smoke and although most of the burning was in walls and ceilings, there is also some outward evidence of burning.
Sue said the house can be stripped down to the wooden studs and everything can be cleaned of soot. But all the woodwork will have to be cleaned, sanded, restained and varnished if the house is deemed not destroyed by the fire and smoke.
Sue said the house is 70 years old and was well-built. Before Sue and Stan raised their family there it was occupied by Stan’s parents and before that by the Bernard Donkersgoeds.
While awaiting a decision on what will happen to their house, the Gausmans have been able to rent a nearby house.
Sue said she isn’t sure what the future holds and for now it is one day at a time.
“I am so overwhelmed,” said Sue, but not by the fire that may lead to the razing of their house, but “by people’s kindness. When I sit down and cry at night it’s because I’m overwhelmed by all the kindness. We live in such a kind community.”

NSP substation planned for August completion

The new NSP-Wisconsin electric substation taking shape on Woodville’s western edge is planned for an August completion, according to Brad Nelson, Project Manager.
Nelson said the new distribution substation is being build to replace the existing “east Baldwin” substation. The new substation is necessary because this area of western Wisconsin has experienced substantial population increases and the current substation is inadequate for the load, Nelson said.
According to Brian Elwood, Manager of Corporate Communication for NSP-Wisconsin, the substation is designed to take high voltage electricity and transform it to a lower voltage, although not necessarily to a low enough voltage for consumer use.
The work at the site west of Woodville first required substantial fill to make a level site for the substation, said Nelson. A temporary road was also built across some wetlands to the west of the substation to build some new distribution facilities and re-build some others. The temporary road was used in an effort to preserve and prevent damage to the wetlands.
The company worked with the Public Service Commission, the Department of Natural Resources and St. Croix County in planning the new substation, Nelson said. As a result of county input, there will be a 12 foot berm constructed on the north side of the new substation on which trees will be planted as a buffer from the road.
The electricity coming into the new substation is 161,000 volts and is part of a transmission grid served by several sources of electricity which are interconnected with each other, Nelson said.
During the transfer to the new substation there should be no significant electrical outages, Nelson said. There could be minor outages but NSP will work with customers to minimize the effects.
The effect of the new substation will probably not be noticeable, Nelson said, other than enhancing the electrical distribution system to make it more reliable.

Sheriff Hillstead announces he will not seek re-election

Sheriff Dennis Hillstead announced last Friday that this will be his last term as St. Croix County Sheriff. Hillstead said he made this notice early enough so those interested in seeking the Office of Sheriff will have sufficient time to make an informed decision and to gear up for a run for the office this year.
Hillstead expressed his deep appreciation to the people of St. Croix County who have allowed him to serve these past 12 years as Sheriff. Many changes have taken place since he began his law enforcement career in 1970. When he started in the Sheriff’s Office in 1972 the department consisted of Sheriff Charlie Grant, five patrol deputies and six jailer/dispatchers and a budget of around $400,000. There are now 86 full time employees, 14 part time and a 172 bed jail according to Hillstead. The county population has doubled in size to over 80,000 and the number of calls for service has gone from 3,000 a year to 13,000 with a budget in excess of nine million dollars. St. Croix County is unique in that three quarters of the population live in unincorporated portions of the county that the Sheriff has total responsibility for, along with assisting the Village and City Police Departments.
There have been many accomplishments, said Hillstead, along with a few pit falls since he assumed the Office of Sheriff. St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department consists of highly trained and dedicated men and women. Hillstead believes the greatest success would be in the response to the meth problem during the first seven years of this decade. It is one of the few times that law enforcement, courts, prosecutors, treatment and the state legislature came together in a joint effort and were successful in those efforts. During the early part of this decade meth was at epidemic proportions in St. Croix County. At one point the jail reached a population of 168 inmates with roughly 60 percent in jail for meth related crimes. St. Croix County jail population is currently half of that number with an estimate of 20 percent meth related. This is an example of how when organizations work together it can result in a positive outcome, said Hillstead.
The position of Sheriff as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in the County is one of extreme importance. It is one that requires experience, education, training, patience and a heart for the people that he/she serves. It is not a job for the faint hearted, nor for those who seek power or authority according to Hillstead. It is Hillstead’s hope that the person selected to fill this office will possess those attributes.
“Although this is a difficult decision for me, I believe that it is time, along with my wife Kristine, who has stood by me for 40 years, to seek a new path to walk. It has been a time of blessing for me to have served you,” Sheriff Hillstead said.

From the Exchanges
Interesting items from
surrounding communities

TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER (GLENWOOD CITY): One of the Glenwood City School Districts wish list items was checked off at Monday night’s school board meeting with the donation of an electronic roadside events sign from Hiawatha National Bank. Bank representatives Jim and Jeanene Meisser and Cindy Tuttle attended a meeting with Jim Meisser, president and CEO, giving an oral presentation. Meisser said they had decided to donate the sign for several reasons. These included that many of their clients have children attending the school, many of their local directors are involved with the school, many of their employees attended and graduated from the school, and the bank acknowledges the importance of the school’s job in educating the children in this community. The external electronic events sign will display the time and temperature and messages that can be viewed from the road. Meisser said they would be purchasing the sign in the second quarter.

PIERCE COUNTY HERALD (ELLSWORTH): A Pierce County employee was charged in circuit court Wednesday with falsifying records and theft. Roger L. Billeter, 51, of Beldenville, who works for the highway department is looking at two Class I felonies, which each carry a maximum penalty of $10,000 and/or 42 months in prison , if found guilty. His first court appearance is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, April 19. According to the criminal complaint, sheriff’s department investigators were first notified of the alleged incident in November when Chad Johnson, highway commissioner and Jim Harris, highway superintendent came to them with information Billeter was involved in the theft of diesel fuel. Harris old investigators there was documentation Billeter, a highway employee for 12 years, has had a pattern of inconsistent fuel shortages and record keeping since April 2008. The continued that, in his job as foreman, Billeter is to transport diesel fuel in his assigned truck to the job site and fuel equipment unable tot be driven back to Ellsworth to be fueled at the central pumps located at the highway. Harris said that from his review of the documents involving Billeter’s hand receipts he has identified approximately 145 incidents of fuel receipts/records as being either filled out incorrectly or falsely altered to hide the theft of fuel from the highway department.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: School board members expressed frustration and regret Monday night but unanimously passed a $366,600 reduction package to balance next year’s budget. The savings will come from all grade levels and the central administrative office. Other savings will come from buying one less school bus and raising music instrument rental and high school activity fees. And there will be fewer paraprofessionals, middle school band lessons, math and reading specialists and high school electives, including an end to Japanese foreign language after next year. School board member Manny Kenney, running unopposed in the April 6 spring election called the 2010-11 budget reduction package part of a “long and painful process for all of us.” The reduction package was crafted over several months by administrators and principals with input from teachers and staff. A large crowd at a March 8 public hearing spoke for preserving the level of paraprofessionals, middle school band lessons and Japanese program.

HUDSON STAR OBSERVER: An accident Wednesday morning, March 17, at the intersection of Crest View Drive and Industrial Street took the life of 19-year-old Kevin W. Johnson of Hudson. Johnson was struck by a heavy-duty truck and trailer as he was attempting to cross Industrial St. at the traffic signals. The truck was operated by Steven W. Sherman, 51, of Brooklyn Center, Minn., a driver for Northern Metal Recycling of Minneapolis. Sherman was northbound on Industrial Street and had stopped for a red light at Crest View Drive before beginning a right turn onto Crest Vie, according to a press release from the Hudson Police Department. The press release said Johnson was attempting to cross Industrial Street from east to west and entered the crosswalk area at about the same time that Sherman began to turn onto Crest View. Johnson died at the scene. He had a bicycle with him, but the police weren’t certain immediately following the accident if Johnson was riding it or walking with it when he was struck. Hudson Police Lt. Paul Larson said that the Wisconsin State Patrol was called in to reconstruct the accident because it involved a commercial vehicle. He said four state troopers had inspected the scene and would be issuing a detailed report. He said a witness who was in a vehicle on Crest View Drive approaching the intersection from the west saw the truck stopped at the red light. The witness also saw Johnson on the east side of Industrial just before the accident, but didn’t notice if he was on or off his bicycle. The triple-axle truck used to haul metal for recycling was pulling a double-axle trailer.

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): Polk County will sell or dispose of nearly $40,000 worth of new tables, chairs and other items ordered without authorization “by whatever means necessary.” A Wonderland-like twist to the county’s furniture fiasco is that the county board last week rejected a proposed resolution that would have given the county ownership of the merchandise, corporate counsel Jeff Fuge said, and then passed a motion by a 12-10 vote to proceed with the disposal of the property by whatever means necessary. Human Services Director Sherry Gjonnes ordered the furniture in late December without authorization from the Human Services Board and in violation of the county’s purchasing policy. While Human Services Board chair Diane Stoneking favors trying to return the merchandise to Staples, Fuge has said at several meetings that Staples representatives have indicated to him the furniture is non-returnable because the finish on the tables and chairs made them custom-order items. The order included 40 tables, 80 chairs, five lecterns, a table cart and three projection screens. It was intended for use in four conference rooms in the Polk County Government Center to allow those rooms to be used for more in-house training of county employees. The resolution at issue at the county board meeting called for some accounting adjustments to void the 2009 purchase and transfer the necessary money into the Parks, Buildings & Solid Waste Department to allow for the purchase as part of that department 2010 budget. “To me this should be soundly voted down,” Finance Committee chairman Gary Bergstrom said. “It’s unfortunate that it was purchased but nevertheless: it’s not budgeted. We should not approve this.” The Human Services board will deal with the disciplinary element related to the purchase Gjonnes made.

SUN-ARGUS (PIERCE COUNTY): There’s a lot going on in the media concerning the Village Board of Elmwood and a former employee. It appears the split was not as easy as it was hoped to be. Jodi Pulk resigned her position as the clerk and treasurer of the Village in January after being suspended in November from her duties. When she resigned there were some unanswered questions, but in the end it seemed that the parting of ways was in the best interest of both parties. According to Village Trustee Bob Rupakus, Pulk resigned but likely would have been fired had she not resigned. “She certainly followed improper procedures, Rupakus said. At one point we had even considered filing criminal charges but decided not to. According to Rupakus, the Personnel Committee met with Pulk in January of 2009 and discussed some of the accusations that had arisen. The committee then met again in November of 2009 and discussed more accusations that had come to light. There were quite a few issues brought up in that time, something Pulk had a problem with. “The night that I was suspended they brought up any problem, large or small, going back years,” Pulk said. “This board chooses not to deal with an issue when it occurs but to save up many small items to make a mountain out of a mole hill.”

New piano donated to Christian Reformed Church

In honor of the memory of her parents, who both had a love of music and were musicians at the Christian Reformed Church many years ago, Doris Bakker donated a Boston baby grand piano to the church. The piano was officially “dedicated to the Glory of God,” at the Sunday morning service March 21.
According to Pastor Anson Veenstra, pictured above with Doris, both Doris’ parents, Elva and Arnold, were at one time organists at the church, back in the days when pump organs were in use. Alva Bakker died last November at the age of 101.
Photo courtesy of James Lokker.


Catch the Comedy March 25


Laughter is often the best medicine. So get your health back without a prescription this Thursday, March 25 at the Orchard. Our own Trevor Anderson is bringing his award winning team of comedians to entertain us in a family friendly venue. Be prepared to laugh often and hard.
Your ticket includes a chicken and beef meal, beverage and a show all for twenty-five dollars. Remember this is a Baldwin-Woodville Area Foundation fundraiser. We need your help to provide grants and scholarships for our communities. We need your support.

New equipment at United Fire and Rescue

A new piece of rescue equipment has been puchased by United Fire and Rescue Department. The rescue tube is manufactured by an Iowa company and can be used to rescue someone stuck in corn in a corn bin. The tube is lowered into the corn bin in four pieces and then assembled and pushed down around a victim stuck in corn. Then a vaccum is used to suck the corn out from inside the tube to free the victim.
According to United Fire Secretary-treasurer Bill Peavey, the rescue tube can be used in other situations involving a cave-in, such as mud or sand. The approximate price of the potentially life-saving piece of equipment is $2,400.

News from the Exchanges
Interesting items from
Surrounding communities

CENTRAL ST. CROIX NEWS: Known by many at St. Croix Central simply as “Senor” high school Spanish teacher Tom Martin has long been a favorite teacher and now he has received statewide recognition being selected as one of 100 recipients of the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Fellowship Program. Fellowship recipients are chosen for their superior ability to inspire a love of learning in their students, their ability to motivate others and for their leadership and service within and outside the classroom. Each Fellow’s school also receives a $1000 grant. “It is an honor to earn a Kohl’s Fellowship,” Martin said. “It is very much a recognition of the entire school district, as many of the teaching ideas and strategies I have implemented in my classes which led to the Fellowship have been the result of many conversations with staff members.

SUN-ARGUS (SPRING VALLEY): Talk about coming full circle. Dennis Sorenson began his career in law enforcement in Spring Valley as a part-time police officer in 1983. He worked three years for the department before being hired as a full time deputy for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department in 1986. Flash forward 24 years. Sorenson is now back as a part-timer with the Spring Valley Police Department, this time in the capacity as the Chief. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant was approved as the new Spring Valley Chief of Police last week and began his duties this past Monday on a part-time basis.

NEW RICHMOND NEWS: This was not the news supporters of the new river crossing at Stillwater wanted to hear. U.S. District Judge Michael Davis on Thursday issued an opinion to stop the proposed new bridge over the St. Croix River, after considering the matter since September 14, 2009. On Monday, John Soderberg, a New Richmond banker who has worked on the bridge proposal for years said he hasn’t been able to sleep since hearing the news. “But we’re not going to stop,” he vowed. “We’re going to move ahead until we get this thing done. You haven’t heard the end of it.” Soderberg said he’d been talking with national and area leaders about what the next step will be. Whether or not there will be a legal appeal is uncertain at this time point, he added. “Everybody knows the bridge has to be replaced at some point,” he said. “And the longer we wait, the more it’s going to cost.” Elected officials representing the region also voiced their displeasure over the new developments. “I think it’s a very disappointing decision,” said U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-Third District) on Thursday afternoon. “This is a setback in the progress of the bridge, but hopefully only one that is minor.”

HUDSON STAR~OBSERVER: Glen Hartman, a paramedic with St. Croix EMS, has been named 2010 recipient of the Dan O’Connell Outstanding Performer Award. The honor is bestowed annually by the Hudson Noon Rotary Club to a member of the local ambulance and rescue service selected by his or her peers. “His dedication is second to none in the organization.” St. Croix EMS Chief Eric Christensen said of Hartman in presenting the award at last Thursday’s meeting of the Noon Rotary. Christensen said Hartman played a leading role in St. Croix EMS’s move to full -time paramedic level service six years ago.

PIERCE COUNTY HERALD (ELLSWORTH): A Maiden Rock man faces three felony charges for allegedly assaulting a man outside a Pierce County bar then threatening witnesses who tried to help the victim. Kevin D. Fisher, 48, was charged earlier this month in Pierce County Circuit Court with substantial battery, two counts of intimidating a victim and disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. The charges stem from a March 2 incident in Elmwood, when Fisher allegedly attacked a man, kicking and punching him in the head at The Sandbar, according to the criminal complaint. Authorities at the scene said the man likely needed stitches to fix his cut lip. The victim told police his sister is married to Fisher’s brother and there was some arguing about children, though it is unclear why Fisher became upset and the argument became physical.

Behind the scenes at the Olympics

Baldwin-Woodville graduate Matt Leaf, front row, far right, was among the IIHF Referee Superivors for women’s tournament at the Olympics in Vancouver.

Matt Leaf, a1983 graduate of Baldwin-Woodville High School, has long had an interest in hockey. Progressing from a player in the Blackhawk Hockey Association, to a local USA Hockey referee to the Director of Officiating on USA Hockey, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Leaf became Director of Officiating of USA Hockey in 1994. As part of that role he works with the International Ice Hockey Federation on global issues pertaining to officiating. He began as an Instructor and Supervisor back in 1997 and was recently (2008) appointed as a member of the IIHF Officiating Committee.
The IIHF Officiating Committee is made up of five others from various countries (Finland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Slovakia) and is charged with overseeing officiating at IIHF World Championships, development camps and other events. Leaf’s role in Vancouver was working on behalf of the IIHF as a Referee Supervisor for the Women’s Tournament. There were four members of IIHF working on the women’s side of the Olympic hockey tournament.
“I essentially work with the officials as one of their ‘coaches’ in assigning and preparing them to work games and evaluate,” Leaf said. “In addition, we take turns serving as the Video Goal Judge for the women’s games.”
Leaf fulfilled the same role at the Olympics in Torino in 2006.

Fusion players receive numerous honors

After winning the second straight WIAA girls hockey championship, members of the St. Croix Valley Fusion were accorded numerous honors.
Selected to the WIAA Girls Hockey State Tournament Team were:
First Team: Forwards: Alice Cranston (junior), and Lily Cranston (senior); Defense: Tanis Klingler (senior); Honorable Mention: Hailey Rock (sophomore), Tara Frey (junior), and Nikki Plunkett (junior).
Selected to the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association All-State Teams from the Fusion were:
First Team: Forwards: Alice Cranston; Defense: Tanis Klingler; Honorable Mention: Tara Frey. Matt Cranston was named Coach of the Year.
Receiving Big Rivers All-Conference Honors were:
First Team: Tanis Klingler (defense) and Alice Cranston (forward); Second Team: Nikki Plunkett (defense) and Lily Cranston (forward); and Honorable Mention: Tara Frey and Hailey Rock.
In addition, Alice Cranston was named Player of the Year in the Big Rivers Conference. Cranston led the team with 64 points on 44 goals and and 20 assists.
Finally Tanis Klingler was named Ms. Hockey of Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches. Criteria for the title includes: outstanding performance on the ice, academic performance, community role model and must be a senior hockey player.

Dr. Jonas to retire second time

Dr. Eugene Jonas, an urgent care physician at Baldwin Area Medical Center for two days a week, will retire for the second time at the end of this month.
Dr. Jonas, who started his medical career in 1961 in Ellsworth, remained there until 1994 when he retired from his practice. But after that he worked as an emergency room doctor in hospitals around Wisconsin, until he cut his time to two days a week at BAMC.
Born and raised in Red Wing, Minn., Dr. Jonas said he gained an early interest in medicine from two of his teachers: Edward Powderly, who taught social science and Albert Voltmann, a physics teacher. After graduation from high school he first was an x-ray technician for a few years, working in South Dakota. Then he joined the National Guard and war broke out in Korea, which led to him having a choice of serving in either Alaska or Korea. He chose Alaska but to do so he had to walk a 875 mile route to his post.
It was after his National Guard stint that Dr. Jonas attended the University of Minnesota for both pre-med and medical school. He interned at Hennepin County General Hospital and on July 3, 1961 he went to Ellsworth, where he practiced for 34 years. “I couldn’t get out of the Twin Cities fast enough,” Dr. Jonas said. “At 3:15 in the afternoon I saw my first patient,” he added.
The next 34 years, both in solo practice and with a partner for a time, Dr. F.B. Klass, Dr. Jonas stayed in Ellsworth. “I was in solo practice for 27 years and then got together with my competitor for seven or eight years,” Dr. Jonas said.
During his time in Ellsworth, Dr. Jonas figures he delivered about 1,100 babies, including “several sets of twins but no triplets.” As you might expect, Dr. Jonas did deliver some second generation babies.
Dr. Jonas who recently celebrated his 80th birthday at a party which was attended by 382 people, will finish his medical career on March 30. Dr. Jonas said he remembered the name of every person who came to his birthday party, except one, who he knew but whose name he couldn’t remember.
During his years practicing medicine, Dr. Jonas has enjoyed other interests. He is a Mason and Past Master of Ellsworth Lodge. He is also a Shriner and for many years was liaison between the St. Croix Valley Shrine Club and the Shriners Hospital. “I have helped a few kids with medical care at Shrine Hospitals,” he said.
Other interests of Dr. Jonas over the years include being a member of the American Cancer Society, of which he was named an honorary life member in the late 1970s, a member of the Pierce County Riders Saddle Club since it was formed in the 1960s, Pierce County coroner for 24 years and member of the Pierce County Highway Safety Committee for 24 years.
In retirement Dr. Jonas said he will have plenty to do. He and his wife Theresa have four house dogs. Dr. Jonas is the father of five children and grandfather of 10. He continues to enjoy photography. He formerly printed both black and white and color photos, but now owns a digital camera.
In addition “I’ve got a garbage can full of agates that need to be polished,” Dr. Jonas said. “I’ve always wanted to play the banjo and now I can take lessons.”

June Bug Days approvals given

Even though it’s a couple months off, the planning for 2010 June Bug Days is well underway and the Baldwin village board granted approvals necessary for holding the celebration at their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 10.
At the request of June Bug Days chairman Rick Coltrain, the Board granted the use of Mill Pond Park for the celebration and approved a $5,000 contribution from the village toward the cost. In the past the village’s contribution has been designated for fireworks.
Coltrain noted that with all the activities taking place during June Bug Days “we’re about as big as we can be because of space limits.” However, one new feature that will be added this year is a “battle of the bands.”

From the Exchanges
Interesting items from
surrounding communities

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: A public hearing on a proposed $366,000 budget reduction package for the 2010-11 school year drew lots of feedback at the high school library. Among the nearly 30 people who took the microphone was former high school teacher Bob Gustafson. He argued against cuts to elementary school paraprofessionals, saying kids will lose out on “individualized instruction” and be the “real losers.” Gustafson also said River Falls is pro-education and that a special referendum should be considered to raise money to protect valuable programs. Among the many cuts: Phasing out the Japanese language course after next year; fewer grade school paraprofessionals, math and reading specialists and reduced middle school band lessons and the elimination of FACE (family education). Superintendent Tom Westerhaus has also volunteered to cut $5,000 from his pay/benefits package.

SUN-ARGUS (THE GATEWAY TO PIERCE COUNTY): The Monday morning Spring Valley coffee drinkers were in a bit of a quandary. They needed a place to sit down, chat and have a cup of coffee, and two local restaurants which they usually frequent were closed. “We have to have our morning coffee and our talk,” said a disappointed Marlene Aamodt who meets regularly with friends on Monday and Friday mornings. Deb’s Country Inn a popular restaurant in Spring Valley is temporarily closed while owners, John and Deb Zimmerman take a well-earned vacation. No problem. The Red Barn Country Café provides plenty of coffee and a spacious but cozy dining room - a perfect place for good friends to get together . Correction: It did provide coffee and coziness. As of Monday, March 8 the Café is indefinitely closed. The blinds were closed, the doors were locked and a sign was posted. It read, “The diner will be closed until further notice.” Jenny Langer, manager of the Red Barn Convenience Store had lots of company on Monday morning as 15 coffee drinkers crowded around the only available table in the store or simply leaned up against the counter or the walls. “It’s a shame the Café was closed this way,” said Langer. “Neither my boss Pat Crownhart nor I knew anything about this.” Dianna Fiergola, part time waitress at the Café, was also surprised. “We just learned about this last night,” she said. “All the employees got a text message on our cell phones.” The message read, “Effective immediately, the diner will be closed until further notice. Sorry for such short notice.”

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): A 69-year-old woman suffered a broken leg and a concussion last Tuesday morning when she was struck by a vehicle in downtown Osceola. Judith A. Jensen, of Osceola, was crossing State Highway 35 at the stoplight intersection with Second Avenue when a pick-up driven by Steve G. Danielowski, 55, of Farmington township, struck her. According to an accident report, Danielowski was turning right onto southbound 35 and told police that he was looking directly into the morning sun and that Jensen “just appeared out of the shade from the building.” Danielowski said he couldn’t remember whether the intersection light was red or green but believes it may have been red. Witnesses likewise couldn’t recall the color of the light. Jensen told police that she remembered pushing the crosswalk button, but didn’t remember if the light turned red while she was crossing. Jensen was transported to the Osceola Medical Center via ambulance and was treated for a broken femur. She also had an injury to her arm.

HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER: The city has found a buyer for the Hudson Municipal Building at 911 Fourth St., current home of the Hudson Area Joint Library. In a special meeting Monday night, the City Council accepted a $475,000 purchase offer for the building from Steven Rorem, an Eden Prairie, Minn., real estate investor. The deal is contingent on the property being rezoned from single family residential use to office use. Mayor Dean Knudson in a phone call Tuesday morning indicated that he didn’t think zoning issue was a threat to the deal. The building has been used for offices since St. Croix County built it in the mid-1960s. “We’re very happy to have found a buyer. I think it’s a very fair offer. And it’s a good building,” Knudson said. The city put the building up for sale after buying the former Nuclear Management Co. headquarters at 700 First St. at the beginning of the year. The library and the city’s police department will be moving into the First Street building in a few months.

MONDOVI HERALD NEWS: A chicken coop and 53,000 chickens were lost in a fire occurring five miles east of Mondovi on Hwy. 10 Sunday morning. The Mondovi Fire Department received the call at 5 a.m. Firefighters were on the scene for three hours and received tanker support from Eleva, Strum, and Eau Claire Townships. Mondovi Fire Chief Dennis Brion says the 60x640 foot building is a complete loss. He estimates the damage may total almost $500,000 including the cost of the birds and machinery. The fire is believed to have started in the office/equipment room. The cause remains under investigation. No one was hurt in the blaze. The building is owned by Tom Forthun.