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A future of zero increase budgets is a bleakone for county highway commissioner JessSackmann.

Last week, Sackmann told members of thecountys budget committee that unless thefunding formula changes, in the future countyhighways will end up back in gravel.

We can make it work with zero, is it whatwe should be doing? No, Sackmann told com-mittee members during a special evening bud-get review session on Sept. 18. He said at thecurrent spending level on roads and the cost ofmaterials, roads will be expected to go 50 years

without major projects. The pro-posed budget includes funding

for paving five miles of roadsnext year and 10 miles ofchipseal. There are 250 milesof county highways in Tay-lor County.

Sackmannpresentedthree budgetoptions, the first

option calledfor

the zero percent increase in operations as re-quested by the committee, the second included

a 5 percent increase and the third presentedwhat Sackmann referred to as the ideal bud-get which would allow 10 miles of paving and

10 miles of chipseal each year.Sackmann said the ideal budget

would require an additional $920,000in spending about a 38.8 percent

increase over this year. Sack-mann said that is unrealistic toexpect given the current budget

situation, and presentedit as a way to illustratethe need for additionalroad funding.

Sackmann said oneof the major factors

driving the increase incosts for the highway

It took just one meeting for Taylor Countys newDeer Advisory Council to develop a vision for improv-ing white-tailed deer management within the countysborders.

Citing a vast difference in habitat north and southof Hwy 64, the council left Thursdays initial meetingat Medford Area Senior High headed in the direction ofrecommending that land south of Hwy 64 be included inthe DNRs Central Farmland Zone and land north of thehighway remain in the Northern Forest Zone.

As the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

transitions to a new season structure in 2014, Tay-lor County is currently considered a Northern ForestZone. To help deer populations recover from a brutal2013-14 winter, no antlerless permits were sold thisyear in counties in the Northern Forest Zone, withthe exception of youth and military tags and tags pur-chased by level two or three participants in the DeerManagement Assistance Program (DMAP).

THE

NEWS

$1

WMedford, isconsin

www.centralwinews.com

SERVING TAYLOR COUNTY SINCE1875STAR

September 25, 2014Volume 141 Number 39

014ber 39

Medfordhomecoming

pages 10-11Second Section

NOTE DATE CHANGEOct. 15th6:00p.m.- NOT Oct. 1

880 E. Perkins Street, Medford, WI 54451*Rick Flora is an Investment Adviser Representative of, and offers Securities and Investment Advisory Services through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC and Registered Investment Advisor.

**Patricia Flora is a Registered Representative of, and who offers Securities through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Lakeside Financial Consultants, Inc. and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. are not affiliated entities.

LEARNING CENTER

Reserve your seat by calling1-800-717-2008

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Life Insurance EventWhat would happen if your Spousepassed away unexpectedly? Wouldyour familys standard of living

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Road workTraffic was returning to normal Tuesday morning after an overlay project addressed

major concerns with the driving lanes through the village of Stetsonville. The stateproject has a total cost of $306,958 and is scheduled to be completed by October 6.A second $4.6 million state project on Hwy 64, from Central Avenue west about 12miles to Coyote Drive, is still underway. The project called for the existing blacktop tobe ground, then used to resurface the road. Major potholes and dips have already ap-peared on Hwy 64 in the city of Medford. An additional inch-thick overlay of blacktopis expected to be added before the project is completed.

Deer group

wants splitat Hwy 64

Gravel highways ahead?

Area teams seehomecoming wins

Sports

Area deaths

School gets newlearning tool

page 9

photo by Mark Berglund

Highway commissioner

warns county highways maygo gravel if funding is low

Obituaries start onpage 19 for:

Carl DittrichDonna GrittnerSophie Lelko

by Sports Editor Matt Frey

See SACKMANN on page 4

Rib Lake celebrateshomecoming

pages 10-11

by News Editor Brian WIlson

Support United Way

fundraising efforts

Opinion

Commentary

See DEER on page 20

Jess Sackmann says more highway money is needed.

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Thursday

Partly

cloudy

Hi 70F

Lo 47F

Friday

Clear

Hi 73F

Lo 52F

Saturday

Clear

Hi 74F

Lo 51F

Sunday

Partly

cloudy

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Monday

Mostly

cloudy

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Lo 48F

Tuesday

Cloudy

Hi 66F

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Wednesday

Cloudy

Hi 66F

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9/16/2014

Hi 61F

Lo 34F

Precip. 0

Clear

9/17/2014

Hi 64F

Lo 38F

Precip. 0

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cloudy

9/18/2014

Hi 69F

Lo 44F

Precip. 0

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9/19/2014

Hi 56F

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9/20/2014

Hi 69F

Lo 50F

Precip. .08

Overcast

9/21/2014

Hi 72F

Lo 50F

Precip. .52

Rain

9/22/2014

Hi 58F

Lo 37F

Precip. 0

Clear

7-Day Forecast for Medford, Wisconsin

Weather forecast information from the National Weather Service in La Crosse

Last weeks weather recorded at the Medford Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The weather is taken from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. the following day. For example 8 a.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday.

THESTARNEWSThe only newspaper published inTaylor County, Wisconsin.

Published byCentral Wisconsin Publications, Inc.P.O. Box 180, 116 S. Wisconsin Ave.Medford, WI 54451

Phone: 715-748-2626Fax: 715-748-2699www.centralwinews.com/starnewsE-mail: [email protected]

Member National Newspaper Association andWisconsin Newspaper Association. Periodicalpostage paid at Medford, WI 54451 and

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The StarNews, P.O. Box 180, Medford, WI 54451.

Newsstand rate: single copies $1.00 County; $41 per year elsewhere inWisconsin; $50 per year out of state.

Subscribers are requested to provideimmediate notice of change of address. Adeduction of one month from the subscriptionwill be made when a change of address is

The label on this newspaper shows theexpiration date of your subscription. Please delivery of your newspaper.Carol OLeary........................Publisher/EditorKris OLeary ....................... General ManagerBrian Wilson .............................. News EditorMatt Frey ....................................Sports EditorDonald Watson .......... Reporter/PhotographerMark Berglund ........... Reporter/PhotographerBryan Wegter ............. Reporter/PhotographerSue Hady .........................................ReporterKelly Schmidt .......Sales Manager/PromotionsTresa Blackburn ....................Sales ConsultantTodd Lundy ..........................Sales Consultant

Jerri Wojner ................................. News Clerk ProofreaderSarah Biermann .............. Ad Design ManagerPatricia Durham ............................Ad DesignMandi Ploeckelman ...................... Ad DesignShawna Wiese .....................Ad Design InternAnn Kuehling ..............................Bookkeeper

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*POSTMASTER This information is provided to our mailsubscriber as a convenience for reporting newspapers which arebeing delivered late. The Star News is published weekly by CentralWisconsin Publications at Medford, WI 54451. Subscription rates Wisconsin; $50 per year out of Wisconsin. Send address changes to:The Star News, P.O. Box 180, Medford, WI 54451.

2013

Page 2 Thursday, September 25, 2014

NEIGHBORHOODTHESTARNEWS

Sunday, Sept. 28Alcoholics Anonymous Open 12

Step Study Meeting 7 p.m. Com-munity United Church of Christ, 510 E.Broadway, Medford.

Monday, Sept. 29Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS)

1013 of Rib Lake Meeting Weigh-in 6 p.m. Meeting 6:30 p.m. Rib Lake Se-nior Citizens Center, Hwy 102 and FrontStreet. Information: Mary (715) 427-3593or Sandra (715) 427-3408.

Taylor County Right to Life Meet-ing 6:30 p.m. Frances L. Simek Memo-rial Library, 400 N. Main St., Medford.Everyone welcome.

Friends of the Library Meeting 7 p.m. Frances L. Simek MemorialLibrary, 400 N. Main St., Medford. Inter-ested persons welcome.

Tuesday, Sept. 30Medford Rotary Club Meeting

Breakfast 6:45 a.m. Filling Station Cafe& Bar, 884 W. Broadway Ave., Medford.

Information: (715) 748-0370.

American Legion Post 359 Meeting 7 p.m. Senior Citizens Center, 385 E.Main St., Gilman.

Thursday, Oct. 2Medford Kiwanis Club Meeting

Noon lunch. Frances L. Simek MemorialLibrary, 400 N. Main St., Medford. Infor-mation: (715) 748-3237.

Medford Association of Rocket Sci-ence (MARS) Club Meeting 6-9 p.m.First Floor Conference Room, TaylorCounty Courthouse, 224 S. Second St.,Medford. Everyone welcome. Informa-tion: (715) 748-9669.

Alcoholics Anonymous ClosedMeeting 7 p.m. Community UnitedChurch of Christ, 510 E. Broadway, Med-ford.

American Legion Post 274 Meeting 7 p.m. Legion Clubhouse, 727 McCombAve., Rib Lake.

Friday, Oct. 3Narcotics Anonymous Open Meet-

ing 7 p.m. Community United Churchof Christ, 510 E. Broadway, Medford. In-formation: (715) 965-1568.

Al-Anon Meeting 7 p.m. Com-munity United Church of Christ, 510 E.Broadway, Medford. Information: (715)427-3613.

Alcoholics Anonymous Open TopicMeeting 7 p.m. Community UnitedChurch of Christ, 510 E. Broadway, Med-ford.

Overeaters Anonymous Meeting 7 p.m. Hwy 64 and Main Street, Medford.

Information: (715) 512-0048.

Wednesday, Oct. 1Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting

7 p.m. Senior Citizens Center, Hwy 102and Front Street, Rib Lake. Information:Arlene (715) 427-3613.

Taylor County Aging Council Chatand Snack 1-2 p.m. Multi-purposeBuilding, corner Hwy 13 and 64, Med-ford. Topic this month: Understandingthe Federally Facilitated Marketplace.Information: Taylor County Commissionon Aging (715) 748-1487.

Parents of Children With Spe-cial Needs Support Group LuncheonMeeting Noon to 1 p.m. Happy JoesPizza and Ice Cream Parlor, 909 Case-ment Court, Medford. Program open to

anyone who has child with special needs.

Community Calendar

Cross country tourDoris Courter (right) and her daughter, Moirah, from Salem, Ore. stopped in Med-

ford on Monday during their cross-country bicycle trip. The ladies are on an odyssey

to circle the perimeter of the United States. So far, theyve covered 13,000 miles in 17states. Theyre making the journey three months at a time and are in the third week ofthis trip. Doris said they were planning to ride north through the upper peninsula ofMichigan and across the Mackinac Bridge, but decided it was getting too cold to besleeping outdoors, so they were going to head south from Medford. Doris said theyplan to come back to the area another time to complete that leg of the journey. Dorissaid after they finish touring the United States, they would like to bike through Canadaand down through Mexico into South America.

Photo by Donald Watson

Blood drive Oct. 4First responders, including police of-

ficers, firefighters and paramedics, are

partnering with BloodCenter of Wiscon-sin to help raise awareness of the con-stant need for blood.

Medford area residents can come tothe rescue of area patients in need bymaking a life-saving blood donation onSaturday, Oct. 4. The blood drive startsat 8 a.m.and donors will be accepted untilnoon. The blood drive will be held at Im-manuel Lutheran Church, 420 E. LincolnSt. in Medford. For an appointment ormore information on donating blood, calltoll free 888-310-7555.

Anyone 16 or older who is in generalgood health and meets eligibility require-ments is encouraged to donate blood.Parental consent is required for 16-year-olds to donate.

Appointments are preferred to ensurea quick and convenient donation, butwalk-in donors are also welcome. The en-tire process takes about an hour. Donorsshould bring a photo ID that includes abirth date.

Worship service atPerkinstown church

A worship service will be held thisSunday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at PerkinstownCommunity Church. The pastor will beRev. Paul Woods of Medford.

Fibromyalgia supportgroup meeting Oct. 13

The Central Wisconsin FibromyalgiaSupport Group will meet on Monday, Oct.13 at 6 p.m. at 2510 Restaurant, 2510 Stew-art Ave. in Wausau. The speaker will beJacquelyn Kerns from the Rheumatol-ogy Department at Marshfield Clinic-Wausau Center. For more information,contact Melanie Clark at [email protected] or call (715) 693-0398.

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Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 3

NEWSTHESTARNEWSThursday, January 2, 2014 Page 3

NEWSTHESTARNEWSThursday, September 25, 2014 Page 3

NEWSTHESTARNEWS

In the past 25 years, the Medford Cooperative hasgrown from doing $10 million in sales, to this year hop-ing to surpass $90 million.

With that strong growth behind them and an eye tothe future, the cooperative has announced a major ex-pansion of their flagship supermarket, and a new nameand product lines for their hardware store in Medford.

According to Medford Cooperative General ManagerChip Courtney, the cooperative will switch from beingDo It Best to Ace as the supplier for the hardware store.

Do It Best has been a good supplier, it has providedgood value but we feel that Ace is more closely alignedwith our strategic initiatives moving forward, Court-ney said. Ace, which was previously affiliated withKlingbeil Lumber Company in Medford, is the largesthardware distributor in the world. Klingbeils endedtheir longtime relationship with the hardware compa-

ny earlier this year to focus more on their lumber busi-ness.

Courtney said the cooperative wanted to build on thereputation Ace has in the community and grow with itin the future. They have set a pretty high bar for Aceand we are hoping to piggyback on that and grow thatbrand and customer base in the area, Courtney said,praising Klingbeils efforts.

[Ace] has a very aggressive national advertisingcampaign and they are the only hardware supplier witha real brand identity, Courtney said.

We feel to continue our aggressive growth that willbe a real advantage to us, he said.

Another attraction of the hardware giant is the rangeof services they can bring to customers. They have atremendous amount of programs and they have a bet-ter selection of products, Courtney said, noting the AceRewards program and different product lines.

The hardware transition will begin in Novemberwith new signs being installed on the outside of thebuilding. Internally, they will be replacing the Do ItBest merchandise with Ace, then looking at a grandopening sometime in early spring.

It will be fun, Courtney said.

County MarketThe second major change, which customers will see

beginning in early January, will be a 6,000 square-footexpansion of the County Market grocery store. Thegrocery store will expand into currently vacant retailspaces previously housing OReilly Auto Parts andMaurices. Both stores moved into their own buildingsin recent years.

The total project is expected to cost about $2 millionto complete and will include a new entryway, floral andliquor departments, as well as consolidation and expan-sion of the natural foods department.

Courtney said the first change people will see willbe with the entry doors. Currently there are two doorson the outside and two doors roughly parallel on the in-

side. They will be keeping the outside doors, but goingto one larger inside door.

Right now, because of the way it is configured, theouter and inner doors are often open at the same time,

allowing cold air to enter the front of the store. Court-ney said the change will help be a windbreak and al-low one set of doors to be closed before the other opens.They will be offset and minimize cold air flow throughthe front of the store, he said.

Another change people will notice on the entrywaywill be the addition of overhangs over the entrances onthe outside of the building. Sometime you will have tostep out of the store, but it is better if you dont have tostep right out into whatever monsoon or blizzard we arehaving that day, he said. We seem to be having moreof those rather than less.

In addition to protecting patrons from the elements,the overhangs will also serve to keep the sensors on thedoors from being fooled into opening in heavy precipi-tation. When we get heavy precipitation, often it would

activate the door openers and they would be opening atrandom. If you turn down sensitivity, they dont workwhen they are supposed to, Courtney said.

Coming into the store after renovations are com-pleted, the bank will be moved to the left and the storesservice desk will be on the right of the main entrance.

As you continue to travel around the store to theright, past where floral is now you will see a greatly ex-panded floral area, Courtney said. Our floral businesshas just exploded, he said, noting they have begun do-ing funerals and weddings and their delivery businesshas tripled. It is a growth area for us that we want tofoster, he said.

Continuing into what is currently the produce de-partment, the plan is to install a 20-foot-wide opening inwhat is now the east wall of the store. This will accessthe former OReilly space, which will become a free-standing liquor store. It will have a separate entrance,exit and checkout or it will act the same as the hard-ware where you can go in there, get your liquor, and

check out at the grocery store, Courtney explained.It will be separate, but accessible. The best of both

worlds, he said. The new liquor space will be aboutdouble the size of the current space. Courtney said the

store wants to expand specialty liquors, craft beers andpremium wines. All of those things are being soughtmore frequently by our customers, he said. The addedspace will allow the store to incorporate that type of se-lection into the mix.

Other changes in that portion of the store will in-clude taking the produce prep and cooler areas, whichare built out into the floor now, back into the formerMaurices space. Courtney said this will open up a lot ofspace in the store.

There will be additional produce space from thischange, along with a greatly expanded natural foods de-partment.

We want to make our natural foods department adestination department. We already have the largestnatural foods selection in northern Wisconsin, includ-ing Wausau, Courtney said. We are known far andwide for our natural foods selection, but it is kind ofspread out through the store, depending on what youare looking for.

The renovation will bring all the dry, bulk, dairy andfrozen natural foods into one place as a destination loca-tion.

We have people from Wausau and Eau Claire com-ing here all the time. When we are done we will haveabout 50 percent more natural food space, Courtneysaid.

Continuing through the store, there will be workdone in the bakery area, including more square footageof space and the addition of a full service island for bak-ery, and an expanded selection of artisanal breads andbakery items.

There will also be a reconfiguration of the coffee andsoda bar. Courtney noted it currently blocks the viewof the deli bar. He also said there are planned enhance-ments to the coffee island.

He said they want to make the deli bar more visibleand accessible and add things like pizza and other grab-and-go items.

In that corner of the store, the bathrooms will also begetting an overhaul. The rest of the store will get newpaint and a face lift.

Courtney said they are finishing up plans for whatwill be going into the former liquor area and anticipatesan announcement will be made about it in the future.There will be some other exciting things to incorpo-rate into the new store that remain to be finalized, hesaid.

TimelineWhile work in the former OReillys and Maurices

spaces will begin this fall, work in the store wont beginuntil after the holidays.

Courtney said he anticipates substantial work begin-ning in the store on about the second week of January.

It is going to be awesome, it really is, Courtneysaid of the project.

Medford Cooperative announces expansionby News Editor Brian Wilson

Changes comingMedford Cooperative General Manager Chip Courtney

explained some of the changes coming to the store, in-cluding new expanded liquor and natural foods sections,and a name change for the hardware store.

photo by Brian Wilson

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5/20/2018 092514The Star News

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Page A Thursday, January 2, 2014

NEWSTHESTARNEWSPage 4 Thursday, January 2, 2014

NEWSTHESTARNEWS Thursday, January 2, 2014Thursday, September 25, 2014

department has been with jumps in ma-terial expense, noting asphalt has morethan doubled in price in recent years, go-ing from $23.11 per ton in 2005 to $48.28 perton now.

Sackmann also noted the county is in aCatch 22 situation in regard to state fund-ing. Unlike municipal road aids, whichare a set amount based on total mileage,state road aids to counties are based inpart on the amount of money a countyspends on maintaining the roads. Themore a county spends on a multiple-yearaverage, the more state aid it receives. AsTaylor County has tightened its budgetbelt in recent years, the amount of stateaid received has also gone done.

The less money we put in, the lessmoney we get from the state, Sackmannsaid.

The idea of a wheel tax, such as one im-plemented in St. Croix County in 2008 andearlier this month in Chippewa County,

was proposed. Sackmann noted that tax,which levies an additional $10 registra-

tion fee on cars and light trucks, but ex-empts farm equipment, heavy trucks, mo-torcycles and trailers, is very unpopularamong residents in Chippewa County.

Instead Sackmann is an advocate forthe proposal to allow counties to imple-ment an additional half percent sales taxto be designated toward transportationprojects. Such a tax would raise about amillion dollars a year in Taylor County.The concern, Sackmann said, is the statecould approve the funding tool, but decideto pull back road aids, leaving the countywith a different hole to fill. You have tobe careful what you wish for, he said.

Other options for the county are to bor-row the money needed for the road proj-ects and be able to increase the tax levy topay for the debt service, or to go to voterswith a referendum to increase the spend-

ing limits. Of these two options, there wasno support for increased borrowing. Com-mittee member Dave Krug questioned if it

was time to go to a referendum to keep theroad system from decaying.

In the end, the committee voted to gowith the zero percent increase budget.

The discussion prompted supervisorScot Mildbrand to suggest in the futurethe county should start from scratch onthe budget and focus on what the coun-tys priorities should be. The traditionalbudget process uses the budgets from thepast few years as a base for developing thecoming years spending plan. Critics ofthis common budgeting method note thatonce things are in the budget, it is hardto get them out again. For example, thebudget committee voted to add $5,000 ofthe $7,500 it previously cut from the parksand recreation budget for repairs to thePine Line Rail Trail. Mildbrand notedthat money will likely stay in as a budgetrequest for years to come.

There was some good budget news at

last weeks meeting, as the county budgetgot a boost with cuts in the sheriffs de-partment spending.

Sheriff Bruce Daniels has 18 differentbudgets within the department. He hadmet with county accountant Larry Brandlprior to the meeting and identified areasthat should be cut. One major area wasthe removal of $70,000 in budgeted over-time pay. According to Daniels, this cutwas more a reflection of a change in the

way the county accounted for overtimeunder the law enforcement contracts.

Deputies are compensated overtimein the form of compensatory time at therate of 1.5 hours for every overtime hourworked. These comp time hours arebanked until used, and at the end of theyear unused hours are paid out as straighttime. This has resulted in the eliminationof the overtime budget, but an increase inthe regular staffing budget.

During last weeks session committeemembers also reviewed the budgets ofcommission on aging, health department,UW-Extension office and land conserva-tion departments.

For commission on aging, directorNathanael Brown relayed his oversightcommittees request for additional 21hours a week of staffing for the office. Thecommittee rejected this proposal and keptstaffing levels the same.

Brown said the office is unable to keepup with client needs. He noted the staffmember in the office already works 40hours and he puts in more than that. Iam salaried, so I just work until its done,Brown said.

The budget committee put the requestfor an additional staff member on the listof things to be considered at their Oct. 2follow up meeting.

Continued from page 1

Sackmann says nearly $1 million more is needed for highways

Sweet 16

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In Taylor County.....................$39/year ..............$26/6 months

Elsewhere in Wisconsin..........$41/year ..............$28/6 months

Out of Wisconsin.....................$50/year ..............$32/6 months

P.O. Box 180, Medford, WI 54451

Name___________________________________________________________________Address _________________________________________________________________

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Phone # ______________ Email Address ____________________________________

Circle One NEW RENEWAL We accept Discover, MasterCard or VISA

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In Taylor County..... $49/year Elsewhere in Wisconsin..........$51/year Out of Wisconsin..............$60/yearOnline Only......................$39/year

(must be purchased online at www.centralwinews.com)

TF-500231

$5,000,000

$10,000,000

$15,000,000

$20,000,000

$25,000,000

$30,000,000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

20,686

,057

21,398

,621

22,426

,055

23,147

,033

24,064

,229

23,989

,662

24,411

,588

24,787

,044

25,252

,189

25,339

,795

8,075,

473

8,22

8,97

6

8,39

3,55

3

8,72

9,36

1

9,027,

927

9,47

3,71

6

9,88

8,55

3

10,035

,266

10,281

,679

10,551

,849

Taylor CountyBudget

Statistics

County Tax Levy

County Budget

0

2

4

6

8

10

7.77

7.57

7.44

7.01

8.11

8.17

7.75

7.85

7.04 7.

30

Equalized County Tax Rate

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Holding steady

The county tax levy is a portion of the county budget collected through local prop-erty taxes. The remaining money is generated from state and federal aids, grants anduser fees. The tax rate is the levy amount divided by the total equalized value of thecounty. Jumps in the tax rate in recent years have been due to a devaluation of prop-erty. Last year property values increased in the county, which may impact the finaltax rate.

Star News graphic by Mandi PloeckelmanUnder the dome

Workers pour new concrete curb at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue andSpruce Street in downtown Medford Tuesday morning in the shadow of the Taylor

County Courthouse. This weeks mild weather is allowing crews to work on a numberof projects around the city.


5/20/2018 092514The Star News

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NEWSTHESTARNEWS

Keepers of the SpringMedford Morning Rotary Club recognized Darla Schulz and Kathy Shatwell of

Travel Leaders, Medford, on winning the Keeper of the Spring award for 2014. This

award is given to the Medford business that provides exemplary care of the flowersdistributed to their business in the spring by Medford Morning Rotary Club. The busi-ness cares for and nurtures the flowers throughout the summer to add beauty to thecommunity. Around 25 area businesses participate in this program. If your businesswould like to participate in 2015 in the Keepers of the Spring program or if you as anindividual would like to learn more about Medford Morning Rotary Club, call Toddat 715-748-0370.

The Medford city council is asking forstate help in preventing the city from be-coming a dumping ground for state sexoffenders.

During Mondays committee of thewhole meeting, police chief Ken Coyerasked aldermen to support a resolutioncalling for the state to implement uniformrules for placement of sex offenders whohave been released from prison.

According to Coyer, some municipali-ties have banned sex offenders from liv-

ing in their communities. As a countyseat, and with a transitional living pro-gram (TLP) residence, the state depart-ment of corrections is turning to placeslike Medford to relocate offenders.

According to Coyer, released offendersare supposed to be returned to the com-munities they came from. However, hesaid with restrictive ordinances beingpassed by other communities, the depart-ment of corrections is widening its net toinclude communities where relatives, insome cases distant relatives, live in orderto place someone after incarceration.

Coyer said, he has regular talks withcorrections personnel about them want-ing to release someone to Medford, andthe concerns about where that individualwill live in relation to churches, schoolsand daycare centers. They are not nicepeople, Coyer said, referring to the sexoffenders the state has approached himabout releasing here.

Mayor Mike Wellner said he is con-cerned with the city becoming a dump-ing ground for released offenders that noother communities want. Coyer said helooked into the city adopting a restric-tive ordinance banning sex offenders, butnoted while they have not yet been chal-lenged in court, it is unlikely they wouldsurvive legal challenge.

Instead, Coyer called on the city to joina request to the state legislature to de-velop a uniform set of rules about wherereleased sex offenders can live in rela-tion to the distance from such things aschurches and schools.

Aldermen agreed and recommended

asking the state to set a uniform rule forall communities.

Overnight parkingChanges are coming to the citys down-

town parking permits.City parking rules prohibit parking on

city streets, or in most municipal park-ing lots, from October through April inorder for city workers to clear snow asneeded. The exception to this rule is inthe downtown area where residents canpurchase parking permits to allow themto park overnight in two city lots adjacentto Main Street.

The lots are the entire parking lot lo-cated east of the railroad tracks betweenState Street and Division Street, and thenine spaces in the parking lot betweenthe Main Street alley and South Second

Street.According to Coyer, last winters

harsh weather made it a challenge for lawenforcement to determine if the residentswith permits for those parking areas werethe ones parked there when it came timefor snow removal. Coyer proposed theprevious $60 per year annual parking feebe scrapped and in its place charge a $10fee to cover the cost of a hanging placardthat would attach to the rearview mirrorof the residents parked cars. He said the

placards would be visible to law enforce-ment and would make it easier to tell whoshould or should not be in those lots.

Aldermen recommended approvingthe change and going with the $10 annualparking fee.

Mutual aidCoyer wants the city to join the North

Central Emergency Response Team(NCERT). NCERT is a mutual aid orga-nization for law enforcement, made up ofcommunities in the region similar in sizeto Medford.

Coyer said the idea is to formalize amutual aid agreement with other depart-ments to clarify such things as who paysfor officers time on mutual aid assists,and which departments insurance theyfall under if a responding officer is in-

jured.According to Coyer, if a department

had an emergency and needed assistance,they would make the call and other par-ticipating agencies would respond bysending an officer and patrol car. If the in-cident intensified or lasted more than 24hours, it would be sent to the state levelemergency response plan.

Coyer said whoever is on duty at thetime the mutual aid request came inwould be the one sent. He said at thattime, either himself or Sgt. Bryan Careywould step in to fill the city patrol spot be-fore calling in other officers.

Can you say No kind of busy? askedaldermen Mike Bub, noting there weretimes when the city was stretched withcontrolling traffic at parades or other ac-tivities. Coyer said while the understand-ing is people would make every effort tohelp out, a municipality can opt out of acall if they are unable to send someone.He said it may require a second call to thenext tier of surrounding communities tohave enough personnel to respond to thesituation.

The major advantage for the city isthey could access additional officers inemergency situations in a budget friend-ly manner. Under the agreements, the re-sponding officers would be paid by theirhome agency and not be as big a financialhit on the community where the incidentoccurred.

Aldermen recommended movingahead with joining NCERT. Final actionwill take place at next months councilmeeting.

In other business, aldermen: Recommended approval of the

citys five-year capital improvementplan as presented. City coordinator JohnFales noted if the roof at city hall needsmajor repairs, the city hall parking lotproject will be either eliminated com-pletely or will need to be delayed. An-other factor impacting the citys upcom-ing projects will be what happens to theState Street bridge over the Black River.The bridge needs to be replaced, but withthe amount of utilities and communica-tion lines on it, will be a very expensiveproject. The city can tap into federalmoney for bridge replacement, but thelocal match may be more than the city iswilling to pay. Received an update that the

citywide leaf pick-up date will occur theweek of Oct. 27. Met in closed session for the

annual performance review of Fales.In keeping with past practice, each citydepartment head was called in individu-ally to give feedback on Fales job perfor-mance.


NEWSTHESTARNEWSThursday, January 2, 2014 Page 5Thursday, September 25, 2014 Page 5Page 5

NEWSTHESTARNEWS

City wants state toset sex offender rulesby News Editor Brian Wilson

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submitted photo

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Page A Thursday, September 22, 2011

OPINIONTHESTARNEWS

Sometimes too much local control canbe a bad thing.

In most situations, local control is theideal, because the people who live in anarea have the most comprehensive knowl-edge of the impact of any decision.

The challenge is when you need tobalance someones constitutional rightsagainst the publics reaction at the mostprimal level. And what happens when arule in one community opens the door toother communities becoming dumpinggrounds for undesirable elements?

The state of Wisconsin should enactuniform rules based on the severity ofthe original offense about where sex of-fenders may live after being releasedfrom prison. A hodgepodge of conflicting,locally-generated rules prevents the uni-

form application of justice guaranteed byboth the Wisconsin state constitution andfederal law.

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel,last summer the Milwaukee citycouncil voted to make it a lot harder forcertain sex offenders to move in by pre-venting them from living within 2,000feet of schools, daycares, parks and play-grounds. Other communities have fol-lowed in those footsteps, enacting evermore stringent guideliness about wherea sex offender may live. Since people re-

leased from prison must go somewhere,the Wisconsin Department of Correctionsmust be creative in finding communitieswilling to accept offenders.

It is easy to say people dont want sexoffenders in their community. After all,these are men and women who have vio-lated friends and neighbors at the mostbasic level.

In the system of law, which governscivilized society, those who commitcrimes are tried, convicted and serve outtheir sentence. The debate between incar-ceration as a punishment or a means forremediation is for another time. Regard-less of whether they are punished or re-formed, at the time they are released fromprison after serving their sentence, theyhave in theory at least paid their

debt to society. They are likely also underthe regulation of an extended supervisionorder, which can have them back behindbars if they violate any of the rules. Ide-ally, these offenders have seen the errorof their ways and will stay on the straightand narrow.

The legitimate concern for those wholive and raise their families in a commu-nity, is what if they re-offend. Few peopleare willing to risk themselves or theirchildren when it comes to opening doorsfor released offenders to be returned to

society.One of the problems of the blanket ap-

proach is not all sex offenses are equal.There is a world of difference betweensomeone caught streaking through a parkand a pedophile that preys on the mostvulnerable of individuals.

Any discussion in the legislature onresidency rules for released sex offendersneeds to include the major distinctionsbetween the types and degrees of crime

committed.There needs to be a balance between

the desire for public safety even if it isjust a perception of safety and the needto allow offenders to be reintegrated intosociety. The state legislatures role is tomake sure the rules governing where sexoffenders may live are uniform from onecommunity to another.

A committed individual can achieve many greatthings.

The choices and actions of an individual can have adirect and lasting impact on those around them. How-ever, that person needs to sleep and eat and must take abreak every now and then.

If that individual stands alone, the good works theydo stop when he or she does.

If that person stands united with an army of others,the work becomes easier to bear and the distant goalachievable. An army of people working together, unitedby a single goal, can move mountains and bridge val-

leys. United by a goal, the ar my rolls on even when indi-viduals need to stop.

That idea of many people working together is at theheart of the annual United Way drive. The success ofUnited Way rests on many small donations. Deductionsof a few dollars a week from peoples paychecks can addup quickly giving 20 area agencies the ability to spendtheir time serving the community rather than constant-ly fundraising to keep their doors open.

While there are those in the community who are ableto make large donations to a cause and who time andagain show their generosity there are many who havemore humble means.

United Way is a method for everyone to turn a com-paratively small donation into a major impact. Peoplewho give to United Way can rest assured their donationwill be used wisely. A local board of volunteers reviewseach agencys requests and decides how the moneyraised from the campaign will be spent. These men andwomen represent a diverse cross section of the county.The organization also actively works to have the needsof different age groups represented with the inclusion

of two student representatives on the board.The agencies that benefit from United Way include

local scouting organizations, libraries and food pan-tries. Also receiving support are groups advocatingagainst domestic violence, serving the aged and helpingfamilies coping with terminal illness.

Unlike other national charitable efforts where thebulk of the money goes to fund salaries and overhead,United Way of Taylor County operates with volunteersand keeps their overhead low. This means the vast ma-

jority of dollars donated go to directly serve the mem-ber agencies.

This year, United Way of Taylor County has set a 2014campaign goal of nearly $94,000. The 2014 United WayFund Drive kicks off on Friday night at the Veranda.Doors open at 6 p.m. with wine and beer tasting, alongwith music, food and silent and live auctions.

Those interested in making a donation through pay-roll deduction should contact their employers humanresources department. Other options are to make a di-rect cash contribution or pledge. Those interested inhelping with the campaign or finding out more infor-mation about United Way of Taylor County should callpresident Cindy Dassow at 715-748-3000.

Page 6 Thursday, September 25, 2014

OPINIONTHESTARNEWS

Star News

Editorials

Members of The Star News editorial board include Publisher Carol OLeary, General Manager KrisOLeary and News Editor Brian Wilson.

Write a Vox Pop: Vox Pops, from the Latin Vox Populi or Voice of the People, arethe opinions of our readers and reflect subjects of current interest. All letters must be signedand contain the address and telephone number of the writer for verification of authorshipand should be the work of the writer. Letters will be edited. No election-related letters will berun the week before the election. E-mail: [email protected].

Iagree with The Star Newseditorial from this week (Sept. 18). Maybe we need todo away with conferences.

Chris Skabroud, Gilman school board member and high school girls basketball coach.

Star News Quote of the Week:

Support the United Way fund drive

Uniform rules needed for released sex offenders

It is going to be awesome, it really is. Medford Cooperative General Manager Chip Courtney about a recently announced 6,000-

square-foot addition to Medford County Market and a change from Do It Best to Ace as thecooperatives hardware supplier.

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Thursday, September 22, 2011 Page 3

OPINIONTHESTARNEWS

I am somewhat passionate about the concept of buy-ing things locally and the creation of self-sufficient com-munities.

Long supply chains are always subject to disruptionby outside forces, from storms in the Pacific, to a coup inCentral America. The more we can produce for ourselvesthe better we all are. Of course, we want people from oth-er places to buy what we produce. There always needs tobe a balance there.

This week I got an interesting opinion piece in anemail from the Center for Rural Affairs that raises thebar beyond just buying local to making investment strat-egies that build rural communities. It is based on theroll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-it-done work ethic that rings

true throughout rural America.

Beyond buy local, invest localBy Brian Depew, [email protected],Buy local. Its a well known strategy for small towns.

Keeping your grocery money close to home keeps thegrocery store close to home.

Economists tell us that every dollar spent at a locally-owned business generates two to four times the economicbenefit. But what if we take it to the next level? What ifwe invest local too?

The concept is an extension of buy local campaignsthat urge us to capture the multiplier effect of commerceby keeping our spending money close to home. You al-ready see it all around you in small towns. Often it takeslocal citizens to see opportunity where an outsider wouldoverlook it.

In our hometown of Lyons, Neb., a new hardwareand feed store went up on Main Street this summer. Theowner and his family have run independent businessesin Lyons for two generations. Its not a Menards, or aBomgaars. Those companies would never build here.

My hometown of Laurens, Iowa, took it upon them-selves to build a broadband network that delivers high-speed internet to every house and business in town. Theydidnt wait for Comcast or Verizon to build a network. Ifthey had, they might still be waiting.

Local residents, rooted in place, are often willing totake a financial risk to make their small town a betterplace. Imagine if more of us joined them, investing lo-cally. Creating a vibrant future for your small town reallyis in your hands.

I thought about the idea of investing in the commu-nity this week when I talked with Chip Courtney of theMedford Cooperative about their plans for expansion andbig changes to the hardware store. The co-op is a primeexample of the ongoing reinvestment in the community

and what that brings to an area.Hopefully others take up that challenge and make thechoice to not only shop locally, but to invest locally aswell.


OPINIONTHESTARNEWS

Brian Wilson

Think local

Brian Wilson is News Editor at The Star News.

All politicians are liars and crooks, it is all about the moneyVox Pop

After reading The Star Newseditorial in last weeks paper (Sept.18, 2014) about the article of thesomewhat sarcastic obituary ofGovernor Scott Walker, I was goingto come to his defense.

But after a bit of thinking I saidnah, he is quite able to fend forhimself, but I would still like to add(in my own opinion) some of mythoughts. Back when his recall wason the line, I had some interestingtalks with people. They all agreedthat some things had to be cut.

But also, none of them want-ed their entitlements, programsor free stuff cut. After all whowould want this? Anyway people,it doesnt matter if you vote red,

blue, pink or green, they all are abunch of liars, crooks and thieves,not only in Washington but nation-wide, and from the highest posi-tion to the least of them. Its not

just government, its in almost all

phases of life. Look at Wall Street,the NFL, legalizing of marijuana,new and fast changes of churchdoctrine and not to mention samesex marriage, which I wont touchwith your 10-foot stick and etc.

Whats in it for me and whatcan I gain from it. Everything to-day is about money. I tell my chil-dren as often as I can to enjoy to-day what you have because youllnever see it again, especially whatI had growing up 60-plus years ago.

Your life was on the line to go outback someplace to sneak a smoke,about the worse thing we did backthen, maybe coon a tomato at nightfrom someones garden. See, I wasnaughty then too. Our nation is

still a great place to live but we arelosing more and more at a rapidrate. We are so screwed and in ka-ka up to our necks well never seedaylight any time soon, if ever.Theres a lot of nails in the keg andnot being one the sharpest (prettyclose though) I sure hope Im wrongon my opinion, but dont think so. Ispoke my piece.

Like the guy on the radio says,Wake up America.

Dave Fischer, Gilman

At the Time of a Claim,

We Represent

YOU!

39-142282

County needs to reconsider decreasing library fundingVox Pop

In the same issue of the Sept. 18Star News, there are two headlinesthat stand out: County Faces Bud-get Squeeze and Rib Lake EarnsTop Rating on State Report Card.

We live in a highly competitiveworld these days and cutting fund-ing to libraries will not help vil-lages like Rib Lake continue to suc-ceed educationally in that world.Libraries go hand in hand withgood education ratings; if you givean individual enough resources,they will grow in all kinds of posi-tive ways.

Two mornings every week I goto the Rib Lake Library, teachinghow to write a memoir (Memoir1-3, Adv. Memoir 1-6). Over manyweeks I see the same thing happen

each week: when the library opensin come kids, adults, seniors, stu-dents rushing to the computers, orleafing through books, or lookingsomething up.

Access to resources for all resi-dents, despite income or educationlevel, in the community is para-mount. It levels the playing field soadults and children of all ages havethe same access to information andentertainment that everyone elsedoes.

The Rib Lake Library has growninto a community hotspot for bor-rowing and downloading books,wifi and computer use, classes,talks, a neutral place for meetings,a place to get help finding informa-tion and doing research and muchmore.

I cringe thinking that TaylorCounty wants to cut library leviesin order to balance a budget. It wassuggested that it was due to lowercirculation - but, as I understand it

ebook rentals were not includedin the circulation figures. Ebookrentals are big in all libraries thesedays.

If there is a place that needs asteady amount of money from Tay-lor County it is the libraries (and

the schools). A library providesnot only information - but movies,words on a page, access to the inter-net for those who dont have com-puters at home and a steady - andsafe place to read, write and chat.

Please reconsider decreasingfunding to the Rib Lake Library

taking such a big hit will be dev-astating to the staff and to the resi-dents of Rib Lake and the area whodepend on the library.

I wonder if consolidating West-

boros library with Rib Lakes li-brary would save Taylor Countysome capital? It would seem to bea more efficient use of library re-sources.

Sue Roupp, Rib Lake

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NEWSTHESTARNEWS

The Gilman School District will stick with its Clo-verbelt Conference affiliation for sports and music pro-grams for at least one more year after a potential moveto the Lakeland Conference generated little supportamong board members at Mondays regular meeting.

The district has looked at the option of changing con-ferences, but administrator Georgia Kraus said she wascaught off guard last week when Cornell district admin-istrator Paul Schley called and asked if Gilman was inor out for the Lakeland Conference. She brought theissue to the board Monday since new high school princi-pal Dan Peggs planned to attend the WIAA area meetingthe next day. Gilmans declining enrollment has put it

at a disadvantage in Cloverbelt and Cloverwood play inrecent years.

Gilman is a long-standing member of the CloverbeltConference, which includes many of the small schoolsbetween Eau Claire and Marshfield. The Lakeland Con-ference includes schools in northwestern Wisconsin.The Cloverbelt has traditionally been the stronger ofthe two conferences in the statewide tournament series.

It may come down to whether we want to win more inthe regular season or the playoffs. Either way, we needto get more competitive or get in a less-competitive con-ference, Peggs said.

Co-athletic director and softball coach Brian Phelpspresented a map showing the location of schools in theeastern and western halves of each conference. He saidhe surveyed the districts coaches and band directorand found lukewarm support for a move. He said thepros of the move include the possibility of more regularseason success, less travel for the basketball teams, anda closer enrollment match. The cons of the plan includethe possibility of Gilman teams being less competitivein the tournament series, more travel for baseball andsoftball, and a loss of traditional rivals. If Gilman moved

to the Lakeland Conference, it might have to switch toeight-player football as well. Phelps said football coachRobin Rosemeyer preferred to stay in the current foot-ball-only Cloverwood Conference.

Board member Chris Skabroud is also the schoolsgirls basketball coach. He does not favor the constantconference shopping some schools seem to do. I agreewith The Star Newseditorial from this week. Maybe we

need to do away with conferences, he said.In order to give Peggs direction for the meeting, theboard took a straw vote. Alexis Goebel was a strong voteto stay, with all but Lila Birkenholz favoring the statusquo. Birkenholz said she was concerned about numbersissues in football creating a safety issue, so she wouldlike the district to look at the eight-player option.

School forestThe board tabled the issue of writing a policy for

hunting access to the school forests. Kraus said shebrought the issue to the board because of questionsasked at the annual meeting. Since there is no policy,the default position was considered to be closed to hunt-ing, but several board members noted people are knownto be hunting there.

The district has about 250 acres of forest propertysprinkled around the large land area district. The mostdeveloped school forest and the one students use forclassroom purposes is connected to the Hwy 64 waysideproperty. Kraus said the rules on school property ad-

joining the building are clear and there is no hunting al-lowed on the districts village property or the ball fields.

Board member Sheri Johnson said before a policy iscreated, the board and administration should first de-termine what problem it is trying to fix.

In other board business: Members of the Gilman FFA chapter gave the

board an update on their trip to the Washington D.C.leadership conference in the summer and plans for theupcoming trip to the national FFA convention in Lou-isville, Ky.

District administrator Kraus said four morereferendum informational meetings for communitymembers are planned for this week.

Gilman schools to stay in Cloverbelt Conferenceby Reporter Mark Berglund

The Medford Area School Board heard at its meetingThursday from one performance contractor and plansto consult others as it decides the plan it will take com-pleting energy efficiency maintenance projects with thedistrict properties. Representatives from CooperativeEducation Services Agency (CESA) 10 told the board theprojects can be completed under the states Act 32 withno penalty against the district revenue cap controls.

The process for completing Act 32 projects includesa building evaluation by the performance contractors,who then compile a report of possible energy savingprojects. The evaluation process typically takes placein the fall or winter so boards can decide if they want topursue the work with spring bids.

The Medford Area School District currently has ap-proximately $200,000 in debt ceiling it could absorb forthe projects without a board resolution to spend more.

The plan has the advantages of future energy savingsand an opportunity to increase district spending onmaintenance or other needs through the revenue capexemption. The disadvantages include the project man-agement cost. Board member Jeff Peterson wonderedwhy the district would not just pursue the most obviousenergy savings projects and avoid a project managerand spending increase. Board member Brandon Brun-ner also wondered if the district could complete theprojects and still stay within the states spending cap.Board president Dave Fleegel wondered what the costof delaying or spreading out maintenance project wouldbe. How many projects have we kicked down the roadalready, Fleegel said. Peterson said the district alwayshas the option to hold a referendum to exceed the reve-nue cap if it wants any maintenance project. Why cantwe take this to referendum instead of using the back

door, he said.The board took no action on a contract with CESA

and decided to seek other quotations from state-recog-nized performance contractors at its next meeting.

In other board business: The board approved a budget adjustment which

will reduce the districts fund balance spending from

$292,876 to $104,000. The board approved a stipend of $2,000 to pay

for the FFA advisor duties of new agriculture educationteacher Lisa Kopp for this school year. In the past, FFAadvisors were paid by adding extra days to their con-tracts. At one time, the district gave advisors an extra45 days, but the amount shrunk to five days in recentyears. Since there was no past practice for paying theadvisor in a different way, she began the year with nocompensation for the duties.

A recent breakdown in the high school boiler,which centered on an electrical busbar, will cost the dis-trict more than it expected. The original estimate was$8,000, but it found out at the meeting the actual costwas almost $21,000.

The board heard enrollment and staffing up-

dates from its building principals. A special education

assistant was added to the Stetsonville Area Elemen-tary School this fall and a kindergarten assistant wasadded to Medford Area Elementary School.

The board approved a plan to allow substituteteachers who worked at least 20 days in the previousschool year the opportunity to carry over the days ofservice to the following year. The district pays subs whowork 20 days or more $100 a day. Board members received school district email

accounts to improve communications and prevent theirpersonal email accounts from being used for officialdistrict contacts. Like school district staff, the email ad-dresses are the first five letters of the last name, the firsttwo letters of the first name, followed by @Medford.k12.wi.us. The school district website contains links to theofficial board and staff email addresses.


NEWSTHESTARNEWSPage 8 Thursday, September 25, 2014

NEWSTHESTARNEWS

Medford school board considers energy projects

On displayMedford Area School District custodian Mike Roiger, adjusts a trophy in the new trophy cases installed at Med-

ford Area Senior High School this past summer. Crews had to replace the cases in order to install additional roofsupports around the gym. The new cases are larger than the original cases, allowing more room for trophies andgame balls to be displayed.


by Reporter Mark Berglund

State law allows levy increase toimprove building efficiency

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5/20/2018 092514The Star News

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Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 7Thursday, September 25, 2014 Page 9

Before you can run with technology, its important tolearn not to run with technology.

Medford students and teachers can make big stridesin learning with a new commitment to classroom tech-nology, but one of the first steps to making the planwork is teaching students the basics of handling note-book computers, known universally as Chromebooks.With the devices coming to classrooms in the middleschool last week, students got the basic rules of how toproperly handle and use them. Rather than a mad dashto grab the machines, students lined up single file andthen used two hands to take the device out of its storage

sleeve.This is the first year of a three-year rollout of stu-

dent technology by the district. The plan begins withChromebooks for the almost 600 Medford Area MiddleSchool students. The district will add Chromebooks toMedford Area Senior High next year, and the final stepwill be bringing tablet-style devices to the Medford andStetsonville area elementary schools.

Medford Area Middle School Principal Al Leonardtold the school board at its meeting Thursday the firststep to making the technology plan work is appreciat-ing the logistics of it. The school district made a $165,000investment in the purchase of the Chromebooks, anddealing with the scale of it began when student volun-teers and staff unpacked the 550 portable computers andbegan getting them ready for classrooms.

MAMS librarian Christie Wirz said she thinks thetechnology will be a success because the district hasvetted both the pros and cons of the switch. Al andDennis Hinderliter (the districts technology engineer)

spent a lot of time thinking about whats the downside,she said. Wirz said the rollout has been a learning expe-rience in big and small ways. Staff members discovereda green light on the wireless relay which solved onenon-connectivity problem. Learning about classroomhot spots and optimum charging time has been a learn-

ing curve. Wirz said students have reviewed user agree-ments and school technology contracts again this yearto avoid any misunderstanding of the issues.

One of the first hurdles to overcome was finding astorage system for the Chromebooks that would keepthem safe and make it easy for power cords to reach thecharging system. Leonard took the lead this summer bybuilding 50 wooden storage units in his home shop.

Leonard said classroom accessibility and district-wide commitment to using technology tools will changeusage. This is the first time everybody has been onboard and had access to technology, he said. Its a cul-

tural shift.With logistics and basic instruction behind them,

middle school teachers and students are getting downto using the technology tool for learning. Leonard saidengaging students in learning is one of two main goalsof adding web-based technology.

For social studies students, the engaged learning onMonday morning was a geography assignment. Eachstudent received the basic assignment of finding the def-inition of various landforms. Last year those definitionswere written on index cards, but his year each studenthad a Chromebook to use. The assignment went froma search of the glossary to making a Powerpoint-styleassignment in Google Slide, with the definition and animage of the landform the student found on approvedphoto websites. The memory banks in their minds tookwords like archipelago and added the visual image is-land groups in the South Pacific, North Atlantic, or Bal-tic Sea.

Seventh grader Cassidy Balciar called it visual learn-ing as she described how the pictures she chose helpedmake the traditional assignment more engaging.

Language arts students were checking out the Smith-sonian Tween Tribune. The news-style site gave eachstudent the same story on urban development in Chinafollowed by an on-line quiz. When the students finishedthe first half of the assignment, they could self-select astory on a subject of their choosing and take anotherquiz. The assignment matches new standards for in-creased non-fiction reading comprehension.

It feels like people are more focused than they arewith a textbook and paper, seventh grader Emily Scha-fer said.

Schafer and Balciar said getting assignments to ateacher is quicker with Chromebooks. They can send ascreen shot of an area they need help with, or drop com-pleted assignments in the Gaggle Assignment drop box.Staff members are building on training lessons whichbegan last summer. Sixth grade teacher Garett Ship-man is learning the finer points of Gaggle Assignment.He said one key feature is the digital locker, where heputs information on upcoming assignment information.His traditional journaling assignments are available assoon as students are ready and he can review drafts andcompleted writings as students send them his way. He

has not had a late assignment yet this fall. A copy of thefinal writing project is now printed and included in thestudent binders. Gaggle and other programs also offerstudents and staff an opportunity to ask questions andshare tips for using Chromebooks and web-based appli-cations.

As use of the technology tool evolves, it is likely tobe more of a part of each class session, rather than beonly part of the lesson. Are kids on these all day? No,Leonard said.

If engagement is the first goal, assessment is the sec-ond. An application like Google Forms gives the staff in-stant feedback on survey-style quizzes so they can starta lesson from a base, knowing where each student startson the subject, and design better instruction.

The district is seeing more mandated testing. As Wis-consin transitions to new tests, having Chromebooks inclassrooms will mean existing labs can be reserved fortesting and teachers can plan classroom lessons.

At this time, Chromebooks are used in school set-tings, but the introduction of technology will evolve stu-dent learning beyond the 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. day. The mostrecent fifth and eighth grade technology survey foundabout 85 percent of students can rely on technology todo homework. Because some gap will likely always ex-ist, Leonard said teachers wont have an expectation ofbeing able to do electronic homework overnight. Drilland practice assignments may become less common ascollaborative, multi-day assignments grow. The wholelearning task looks different, Leonard said.

NEWSTHESTARNEWS

Medford students gain new learning tool

by News Editor Brian Wilson

New toolA student adds a visual element to learning geographical terms during a social studies lesson.

photos by Mark Berglund

Middle school studentsbegin to use Chromebooks

Proper storageStudents line up to remove Chromebooks from the

case at the start of their lesson. During the summer, mid-dle school principal Al Leonard constructed 50 cases forthe new Chromebooks. School officials hope the em-phasis on correct handling will extend the life of thedevices.

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Page 10 Thursday, September 25, 2014 Thursday, September 25, 2014 Page 11

NEWSTHESTARNEWS

NEWSTHESTARNEWS

Rib Lake Homecoming 2 14Rib Lake Homecoming 2014

Homecoming royaltyCarter Hopkins and Rachel Wilhelm were named the 2014 Rib Lake Homecoming

king and queen.

Sophomore classMichaela Blomberg and Hunter Swan

were the sophomore class representativeson homecoming court.

Senior classJoe Frombach and Rachel Hoyt were

the senior class representatives on home-coming court.

Junior classCasey Scheithauer and Austin Ewan

were the junior class representatives onhomecoming court.

Marching bandKris Hempe (l. to r.), Katie Strobach

and Ricky Boomer marched in the pa-rade.

Band marches onThe Rib Lake High School band marched and danced their way down McComb Avenue during Fridays homecoming parade.

Apple bobBryan Solis Arenivas pulls an apple out of the water during the homecoming carnival held Friday at Rib Lake High School.

Sign makingJoe Slattery (l. to r.), Jesse Hutchinson, Lisa Schubert and Jayda Meyer work on

signs prior to the homecoming parade.

Orange passSierra Mannel and TrayVon Sutherland attempt to pass an orange without usingtheir hands.

Taking aimDavid Hoffland (l. to r.), Damon Lueck, Austin Ewan, Cody Matyka and Jacob Hol-

lingsworth try their luck with the squirt guns during the homecoming carnival Friday.





photo by Mark Berglundphoto by Janine Probst

photo by Janine Probst

photo by Janine Probstphoto by Janine Probst


Buy these photos online at www.centralwinews.com

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Your Money

The Star News September 25, 2014 Page 12

Good savings and investment planning pays off

39-142780

by Reporter Mark Berglund

Investment results are built on timeIts an enjoyable time to read quarterly investment

statements or even watch the daily stock market ticker.Markets are booming after the gloom and despair of the2008-09 crash and subsequent recession. According toDavid Hraby, an agent with Thrivent Financial in Med-ford, your personal calendar may be a more importanttool to judging investment results.

If you are at an age where retirement is 20 plusyears away, you dont have to watch market fluctua-tions as closely. For someone near retirement, you maywant to check and rebalance your portfolio on a quar-terly or semi-annual basis, he said. Its not so muchthe gain or loss, but what you are invested in. Its Greekto many people, but you need to know and a financialadvisor can help you understand.

Hraby said target allocation funds are helping inves-tors reduce the confusion of which investment funds toconsider. While many of us struggle to understand theneed for large caps, small caps and a blend of EuroPacif-ic holdings, the target allocation funds are built arounda target date for retirement and decrease risk as thedate gets closer. Most of these funds are built on five-year increments, so a 40-year-old worker might chooseinvestments in the 2040 or 2045 groups.

It makes it easier by simplifying the process of pick-ing funds, Hraby said.

Many investors take advantage of company-offeredretirement programs which offer employer matches

to the level of the employee contribution. You need tounderstand how to maximize your match, Hraby said.

One of the biggest decisions any investor makes iswhen to pay the taxes on your investment. This usu-ally boils down to choices between Roth and traditional401k plans. Hraby said most people fall into the Rothcategory, but higher income households may wantsomething different. You should consult with yourtax accountant every year because your income or taxbracket may change. I would do it right away in Janu-

ary, he said. Hraby said an annual visit with your fi-nancial planner is also a good idea.

Hraby said he would like to see younger investorsputting away 10 to 15 percent of their income toward re-tirement. He also encourages a healthy savings accountfor rainy days and unexpected large expenses. I wouldtry to have between $5,000 and $7,500 in emergency, liq-uid savings. I call it the sleep at night account.

Hraby said investment account rollovers are im-portant considerations. In most situations, its advan-tageous to roll over an old 401k account to an IRA inyour name. This allows you to control the investment

and have the ability to do Roth conversions if and whenthey are appropriate, he said.

Take it to the PIGGY BANKTake it to the PIGGY BANK

401k advice

See your accountant early in the

year for tax adviceMaximize your company match

Look at target allocation funds

Roll over funds when needed

Rainy days wont always get you down

Build your emergency fund

Maintaining an emergency fund is akey component to reaching financial sta-bility. Most consumers understand howimportant having this rainy day fundis, but it can be difficult to figure out howto start one. Another common questionis how much you need to save. Here arethree steps to help you get your emergen-cy fund started, or rejuvenate it if youvealready started one.

Identify your savings goalsThe first step in any savings plan is to

determine how much you want to saveand how quickly you want to set thatmoney aside. Generally, experts advisekeeping between three and six monthsworth of your living expenses set aside inyour emergency fund. Once youve cal-culated that amount, (be sure to includescheduled payments like rent/mortgage,student loans, etc.) determine a reason-able timeframe for achieving your goal.For example, if you want to save $9,000,a target of three months would mean put-ting $3,000 into the fund every month.For most households, that is not realis-tic. A better timeframe goal would beeight or nine months.

Start smallWhether your goal is to set aside $1,000

or $10,000, it all starts with that first extradollar saved. If youre just starting youremergency fund, even finding $25 extraeach month to put away can increaseyour confidence. Gradually increasingthe amount you save will keep you fromgetting discouraged. Setting up an auto-

matic transfer with your bank can helpwith this. You can start by transferring$25 each month from your checking ac-count to your savings account. Then,start adding any windfalls or budget sur-pluses. That way, each month youre sav-ing at least your minimum; anything inaddition to that is a bonus.

Finding the extra cash

This is the most difficult part for mostpeople. Sometimes, finding the moneyto deposit into your emergency fund ac-count each month will be a struggle. Ifyou cant tighten up the monthly budgetany more, consider adding profits fromgarage sales.

Another strategy is to start takinga bagged lunch to work and/or school.Put the money you would have spenton lunch directly into your emergencyfund so youre not tempted to spend itelsewhere. Another quick way to save ison your morning coffee. Even if its only$4 each day on your way to work, thats$85 that could be sitting in your emer-gency fund at the end of the month if youbrewed at home instead.

Taking these three steps will help youstart and grow your familys emergency

fund, giving you peace of mind you canweather unexpected financial storms.For more advice about setting up anemergency fund, talk to your local bank-er about specific accounts that fit yourneeds.

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YOURMONEYTHESTARNEWS

39-142461

www.taylorcu.org

Medford715-748-2447

39-142578Abbotsford

715-223-4777

To help you with your

retirement savings and options.

by Jason Alderman, VISA services

Know the risks before cosigning a loan

Shakespeare probably said it best:Neither a borrower, nor a lender be,for loan oft loses both itself and friend.Four hundred years later, people stillwrestle with whether or not to help outa loved one by loaning them money orcosigning a loan.

Perhaps you want to help your kidqualify for a better student loan rate orassist your widowed mom with refinanc-ing her mortgage. Before you cosignanything, however, make sure you un-derstand the risks involved.

Here are just a few of the things thatcan go wrong and questions to ask be-fore committing yourself and your goodcredit to what could be a decades-longcommitment:

First, understand the main reasonyoure being asked to cosign a loan is be-cause lenders dont think the borroweris a good risk. By cosigning, youre guar-anteeing youll repay the full loan plusany late fees or collection costs shouldthe borrower default.

If that doesnt scare you sufficiently,read on:

Even one late or missed payment candamage your credit.

In most states, the creditor can andprobably will go after you for repay-ment without first trying to collect fromthe borrower, because they know youremore likely to have the money.

If the loan goes into default or ischarged off, that fact will go into yourcredit report and can take seven years toerase.

If you pledged personal propertyto secure the loan, you could lose theseitems if the borrower defaults.

Should the lender agree to settle for alesser amount, youll have to report thedifference as debt forgiveness incomeand pay tax on it.

If you cosign a credit card account,primary borrowers over age 21 are al-lowed to raise the credit limit without

notifying you. Government-backed student loansgenerally arent eligible for bankruptcyprotection unless you can prove unduehardship.

Some private student loans containa clause allowing the borrower to origi-nate additional years loans withoutyour signed approval.

Even if youre not asked to repay theloan, your potential liability could stopyou from getting additional credit if yourdebt-to-income ratio is too high.

If you do decide to cosign someonesloan, taking these steps can help lessenyour risk:

Calculate whether you can affordthe loans monthly payments, should theborrower stop paying. To be prudent,

start setting aside enough money to cov-er it for one year, which will allow youto keep payments current while workingout a solution.

Insist the lender agree, in writing, tonotify you if the borrower missed a pay-ment or the loans terms change. Thatllgive you more time to make contingencyplans.

If youre unsure about the borrow-ers reliability to pay each month ontime, ask the lender to send payment re-quests directly to you so you can managethe transaction. (Its a pain, but one wayto guarantee timely payments.)

Ask the lender to stipulate in thecontract youre only responsible for theloans principal amount, should it de-fault. It doesnt hurt to ask.

Make sure you get copies of all paper-work in case of future disputes.Dont consolidate old loans accumu-

lated by your spouse before you married.If something should happen (divorce,death), you would be responsible for pay-ing them off.

There may be times you want tocosign a loan to help out a relative orfriend, despite the risks involved. TheFederal Trade Commissions Cosigninga Loan guide shares precautions to takebefore entering such agreements, www.consumer.ftc.gov.

Jason Alderman directs Visas finan-cial education programs. To Follow Ja-son Alderman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

Versatile Marketing Solutions, aRhode Island-based marketer of homealarm systems, has agreed to pay $50,000to resolve allegations it violated Wis-consins Do Not Call law by repeatedlycalling numbers on the states Do NotCall registry over a three-year period.The Wisconsin Department of Agricul-ture, Trade and Consumer Protection(DATCP) announced the agreement to-day.

When companies violate the Wiscon-sin Do Not Call law, we will take action,said Sandy Chalmers, division adminis-trator for Trade and Consumer Protec-

tion.DATCP investigators found Versatile

Marketing Solutions, or its contractors,made more than 97,000 phone calls toWisconsin telephone numbers from Feb-ruary 2010 to June 2013. Of those calls,41,495 were to numbers on the states DoNot Call registry.

The company does not admit to violat-ing Wisconsin laws.

For more information or to file a con-sumer complaint, visit http://datcp.wis-consin.gov, send an e-mail to [email protected] or call the hotlinetoll-free at 800-422-7128.

Telemarketer pays $50,000

State seminars focus ongrowing markets for local food

If your business plan includes produc-ing, processing or handling Wisconsin-grown food, then the Local Food BusinessSeminar Series is designed for you. Thisseries, scheduled between October andMarch, will feature seven different top-ics including business planning, foodsafety and marketing. Each topic will bepresented at four locations around thestate. The Madison workshops will alsobe available free via webinar.

These low-cost seminars are greatways to gain technical knowledge from

industry experts, said Sarah Elliott, Lo-cal and Regional Agriculture Programsupervisor for the Wisconsin Depart-ment of Agriculture, Trade and Consum-er Protection (DATCP). We are excitedto continue to provide a wide array ofresources that promote the economic vi-ability of Wisconsins local food indus-try.

Registration is open now. Class feesinclude lunch. Dates and topics are asfollows:

Business planning 9 a.m. to 3:15p.m. Oct. 20-23.

Legal/business structures 9 a.m. to3:15 p.m. Nov. 3-6.

Food safety 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1-4.

Marketing 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Jan.5-8.

Know your buyer 9 a.m. to 12:15p.m. Feb. 9-12.

Selling through a distributor 9 a.m.to 12:15 p.m. March 2-5.

Finding the dollars 8:30 a.m. to12:45 p.m. March 16-19.

During each week listed above, the lo-cations are as follows:

Mondays at Retzer Nature Center,S14, W28167 Madison St., Waukesha.

Tuesdays at Portage County UW

-Extension, 1462 Strongs Ave., StevensPoint.

Wednesdays at Kickapoo CulinaryCenter, 16381 Wisconsin 131, Gays Mills.

Thursdays at DATCP, 2811 Agricul-ture Drive, Madison.

For a full schedule or to register, go to

http://datcp.wi.gov/Business/Buy_Lo-cal_Buy_Wisconsin/BLBW_Workshops.On the same page, you can find informa-tion about the partners that worked withDATCPs Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin pro-gram to develop the seminar series.

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NEWSTHESTARNEWSPage 14 Thursday, September 25, 2014

NEWSTHESTARNEWS

Groundwater ruling will have big impact

A recent legal decision is likely to significantlychange how Wisconsin manages its groundwater andwill especially affect the states sandy counties wherepowerful wells are irrigating potato fields, servicing gi-ant dairies, and providing water critical for the statesfrac sand mining boom.

Two weeks ago, Administrative Law Judge JeffreyBoldt approved the state Department of Natural Re-sources issuance of permits for a large and controver-sial dairy farm in Central Wisconsin. But he also re-duced the amount of water the farm could pump fromproposed high-capacity wells and required the DNR toconsider the impact of the withdrawals in conjunctionwith other, nearby wells a concept known as cumula-tive impacts.

In the days since the decision, Boldts opinion on the

DNRs responsibility has far overshadowed his approv-al of the proposed 4,300-cow Richfield Dairy in AdamsCounty. According to many expert observers, his rulingcould force the DNR to conduct much more rigorous re-views of applications for the high-volume wells.

Rich Budinger, director of sand operations for Fair-mount Santrol (formerly Fairmount Minerals) andpresident of the Wisconsin Industrial Sand Association,said Boldt did not make clear how the DNR should con-duct such analyses.

That creates uncertainty, not only for businessesthat want to install high-capacity wells, but also forthose who currently use them, Budinger said.

It remains unclear whether the DNR will appeal thedecision. Agency spokesman Bill Cosh said DNR law-yers are still studying the opinion.

But in a news release, the agency said it had sched-uled a hearing for Oct. 14 in Adams County on RichfieldDairys draft environmental impact statement. The re-lease said the rewritten impact statement addresses

the concerns raised in Boldts opinion. There was noindication, however, whether the agency will considercumulative impacts for other proposed high-capacitywells in the future.

The decision does impact the department, Coshsaid in a written statement from the agency, and weneed to take the appropriate amount of time to evaluateits impact. He declined to elaborate, saying, The state-ment is the statement.

Boldts 25-page opinion also laid bare a chasm be-tween politically appointed administrators and profes-sional scientific staff at the DNR, whose testimony dur-ing the hearing ran counter to the agencys legal policy.

The DNRs chief of the water use section, Boldt noted,testified thatDNR regionalbiologistswould havepreferredfrom a sci-

entific per-spective toconsider andregulate thecumulativeimpacts ofthe proposedwells.

Boldtsruling is im-portant be-cause of thegrowing environmental impact caused by a dramaticincrease in the number of high-capacity wells, whichare used by cities, large farms and industries. Most canpump more than 70 gallons of water a minute. Smallerresidential wells pump a minimum of six gallons perminute. The number of high-capacity wells in the Cen-tral Sands has increased from around 100 in the 1950s to3,231 today.

The DNRs approval of the Richfield Dairy permitswas challenged by residents near the proposed farm, aswell as the groups Friends of the Central Sands, FamilyFarm Defenders, and the Pleasant Lake ManagementDistrict. Environmentalists are hailing the decision asa victory in efforts to strengthen protection for ground-water and heighten oversight of the giant dairies.

Though Boldts ruling dealt with one of the manylarge farms in the area, dairies actually account foronly about two percent of the water use. Agriculturalirrigation for operations such as potato farms and mu-nicipalities use much larger amounts.

But the combined impact of high-capacity wells in

the region is causing documented problems.Weve seen too many muddy lakefronts, dry wells

and shallow streams, said Elizabeth Wheeler, a lawyerwith the environmental group Clean Wisconsin. Goingforward, the DNR will be required to acknowledge thedamage over pumping already has done to our water re-

sources, and regulate accordingly.Milk Source Holdings LLC, the corporation that

wants to build the farm, also described Boldts approvalof the Richfield permits as a victory. Even so, MichaelBest & Friedrich, the farms law firm, issued a clientalert that put the decision in a different light. The alerton the firms website is titled Administrative decisionsignals potential shift in Wisconsin water law.

Attorney David Crass wrote that decisions by admin-istrative law judges are generally not considered bind-ing or precedential legal authority and should only beapplied to this case.

But he wrote the ruling is very likely to force DNRto consider cumulative impacts of wells in myriad set-

tings, includ-ing for in-dustrial uses,municipalwater supplyservices andgolf course/water parkdevelopment,among oth-ers.

CarlSinderbrand,a Madisonattorney whorepresentedplaintiffs

Pleasant Lake Management District and Jean MacCub-bin, said an appeal would be unusual because Boldtgranted the farms permits.

Sinderbrand said the decision may also force the Leg-islature to revisit a 2013 amendment to the state budgetthat restricts challenges to high-capacity well permits.

They ought to look at this decision, Sinderbrandsaid, and fix the mistake they made in the budget bill.

Sinderbrand argued during the hearing that theagencys failure to consider cumulative impacts violat-ed its public trust responsibilities under the states con-stitution. The Public Trust Doctrine holds that Wiscon-sins waters are held in trust by the state for the public.In his opinion, Boldt agreed with Sinderbrand and saidthe agency has a clear legal duty to protect, maintainand improve the quality and management of the watersof the State, ground and surface, public and private.

Lawyers for the DNR and the dairy said during testi-mony the agencys policy of not considering cumulativeimpacts is based on interpretations of previous courtdecisions.

Boldt, however, said the agency took an unreason-

ably limited view of its authority to regulate high-capac-ity well permit applications to r

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