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0859, 17 Dec 16

Around the Bend by Judy Steffes

Time capsule to be placed at St. Peter Church in Slinger              courtesy Ruth Marks

As the expansion of St. Peter Catholic Church in Slinger nears completion, members of the congregation are preparing a special time capsule to be buried in the walls; a special collection of mementos to relay the significance of this time in years to come. A possible time capsule already exists in the 1897 portion of the church.

“It’s most likely in the cornerstone,” said Rev. Rick Stoffel. “The parish chose not to open it during the current renovation.”

A new time capsule in a copper box donated by the Knights of Columbus, will be placed inside the main covered entryway or grand stairway at St. Peter. Construction crews will cut into the drywall, place the capsule within the wall, reseal it and place a plaque over the seal. No specific date, according to Rev. Stoffel, will be set for it to be reopened.

The time capsule will contain the following items: A scroll containing the signatures of parish members, a collection of four of the church’s recent pictorial directories, including one not dated but believed to be from the 1980s, one from 1993, one from St. Peter’s Sesquicentennial in 2006, and the current edition from 2013, an edition of the Archdiocese Catholic Herald  from October of 2016, containing an article about St. Peter’s renovation project, a 2017 Slinger Advancement Association calendar, a medallion commemoration of the 2014 Archdiocese Synod, a coin from World Youth Day in Krakow Poland 2016, several Knights of Columbus medallion coins, a coin from the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy from Dec. 8, 2015 through Nov. 20, 2016 and a copy of the prayer from the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, a magnet commemorating the canonization of St. Theresa, who was canonized as a saint during the renovation project, a pencil and leaflet from the St. Peter’s school children, a rosary made by the religious education children, a jumpdrive containing sounds and sights of parish life during the year, a brass bell from the school children, pictures and the yearbook from 2013, a pair of Precious Feet pin commemorating the Parish’s support of the Right to Life of the unborn, and a letter from the artist involved in the restoration of the altar, detailing what he did and how he did it.

Slinger H.S. senior wins welding competition

Moraine Park Technical College held a welding competition at its Jackson campus. Students from West Bend and Slinger High Schools competed. The students could pick either gas metal arc welding GMAW or shielded metal arc welding, SMAW, or both. Slinger Senior Rachel Hau took first place in both competitions.

Beer garden being proposed for Ackerman’s Grove County Park

There’s discussion underway in Washington County regarding possible development of a beer garden at Ackerman’s Grove County Park on Little Cedar Lake.

 

The development is being floated by Eric Hyde, Parks Property Manager for Washington County. “We are in the very preliminary stages of discussing this and would like to keep the public informed and give them a chance for input,” said Hyde.

The thought is, since the county implemented priority-based budgeting it has to come up with new revenue streams. Hyde cites the success of beer gardens in Milwaukee County parks.

Washington County’s Public Works Committee is going to hash this over next week’s and the topic will be part of future parks discussions. A couple of public input forums have been scheduled for January 23 and 24. More details will be released in the coming weeks.

Property tax bill in the mail

Most every neighbor in Washington County received their property tax bill this past week. The lottery-tax credit for this year is $109 which is a bit more than last year, $92.02. The first-dollar credit is $57.96, which is a smidge more than last year, $56.96. How did your taxes end up compared to last year?

Car crashes into Habitat Restore in West Bend

Some excitement at the Habitat Restore on N. Main Street in West Bend as a car crashed into the front of the store. Clerks said they heard a loud crash last Friday morning. They came outside and found a car in the wall. Nobody was hurt. Apparently the driver’s foot slipped and hit the gas. Employees at Habitat said the wall got pushed in a bit and the glass cracked. The window was removed and boarded up. Habitat is checking with its insurance to get a damage estimate.

Pizza Ranch to go before Plan Commission in January

There have been quite a few requests for updates on what’s going on with the Pizza Ranch development in West Bend.  Well, the item regarding a proposed development will be on the January 10, 2017 Plan Commission agenda. Word is a traffic study has been completed and the Pizza Ranch people are talking with the Sendik’s people about an easement.

Pizza Ranch is looking to build on Highway 33 just west of 18th Avenue. During an initial appearance before the Plan Commission two months ago there were concerns expressed about parking and the entrance and egress. Those details have reportedly been worked out.

Coming up in the WB School District

Coming up Dec. 22 at 12:55 p.m. at Decorah Elementary School community dignitaries will participate in Running Reindeer.  Here’s the skinny….it’s a madhouse.  Dignitaries are given a book and a set time to finish reading the book to a classroom of kids, then the music plays over the PA and they have to rush to the next room and read the book…and then it starts over again, and again. It is really fun and crazy!

 

Bailey Dove of Jackson featured in Aaron Rodgers 12 Days of Christmas

 

Some high-profile exposure for 11-year-old Bailey Dove of Jackson who appeared in Aaron Rodgers 12 Days of Christmas campaign.

 

Aside from being featured on Aaron Rodgers 12 Day of Christmas Facebook page, there was also a full-page ad taken out in the Monday edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

 

The ad said Bailey was a 6th grader at Silverbrook Intermediate School in West Bend. She was diagnosed with high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Mach, 2015. Her identical twin sister, Lily, was diagnosed with leukemia 21 months before that.

 

This tragic scenario prompted her mom to say “With Lily, we feared the unknown. With Bailey, we feared the known.” Bailey is being treated under the care of Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Physicians with a 108-week chemotherapy regimen in the MACC Fund Center at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Physicians where her sister Lily is also seen having completed her treatment in August, 2015.

Highway 60 reliever route

A joint meeting will be held at the end of January 2017 regarding a pair of studies connected to a proposed Highway 60 reliever rout. Washington County Administration Office will present the findings of the preliminary Engineering Study and the Economic Impact Study to a joint meeting between the County Executive Committee and Public Works Committee sometime between Jan. 23 and 31. It is expected at the meeting a recommendation will be made to move forward to  the full County Board in February

Updates & tidbits

Breakfast with Santa is Saturday, Dec. 17 at the Kettle Moraine Ice Center from 8 a.m. – noon. Breakfast includes sausage, applesauce, and all-you-can-eat pancakes.

– During Monday’s West Bend Common Council meeting there will be a resolution to approve a private street name and unique address for Delta Defense LLC Corporate Office building. Tim Schmidt, owner of USCCA, is building a new headquarters on Corporate Center Drive in West Bend. The building can be seen from Highway 45 just south of Paradise Drive.

– The River Shores YMCA group donated 110 pounds of food and $135 to the Full Shelf Food Pantry. Donations were raised as the Y staff cooperated in hiding an Elf on the Shelf every morning at 5 a.m. Staff then validated those who located the hidden Elf, filled out a ticket, and hoped their name would be drawn for a Y contributed prize. Everyone had fun, and the little Elf certainly had a grand tour of the River Shores Y! The culmination of the Elf’s hiding was the Holiday Party on Dec. 13 at the Kingpin Bowling Alley.  Hat tip Kathy Fish

The ice skating rink at Regner Park is expected to open Dec. 22 at the earliest.

-Part of the success of this year’s Taste of Washington County included a live auction where four sessions to spend a day with the Washington County Swat Team were auctioned off and each session sold for $7,000.

– The final phase of improvements is underway at the West Bend Cinema as the new reclining chairs are being installed.

– The final edition of the St. John’s cookbook ‘Our Favorite Recipes’ is available at several businesses in West Bend. Todd Tennies at Tennies Ace Hardware has a strong supply of the popular church cookbook, which began in 1949.

-Sunday, Dec. 18 there will be a Candlelight Vigil at Richfield Fire Station No. 1 on Highway 175, starting at 5 p.m. The vigil is to support those that have suffered the loss of a loved one and to remember those that have died from an addiction.

-West Bend Mayor Kraig Sadownikow will name a new member to the Downtown West Bend BID board on Monday. Board member Lauri Gundrum is stepping off and it’s expected Peggy Fischer will be named as her replacement.

– Monday, Dec. 19 the West Bend High School choirs will perform their annual holiday concert. This will be a free event at the Silver Lining Arts Center, 1305 E. Decorah Road.

– There will be a primary Feb. 21 as four candidates are running for state school superintendent including: Tony Evers – Incumbent, Jeff Holmes – Administrator, Germantown School District, Lowell Holtz – Former superintendent, Beloit School District and Remy Gomez – 2016 candidate for mayor of Tomah.

The pet peeves of winter…

There’s a super pet peeve that comes with winter and I still don’t know why it bothers me so much. Wait a minute, yes I do…. it’s because these snowy, dirty ice clumps collect behind my car tires and then normally choose to selectively fall off on my garage floor.

I can’t TELL you how much that just irks me.

So, the other day I went to check on my parents at Cedar Ridge. As I exited my car I saw the aggravating snow clump clutching tight to the area by the wheel well. A couple swift kicks and I conquered it.

Visit the parents, yahdah yahdah, get in the car, run an errand, dart into the grocery quick and then dash back to my car and sure enough – there’s another large clump of dirty snow ice right behind the tire. Are you serious? I didn’t even go that far.

So I make a beeline for it, kick it with my toe. This one chips off. It’s annoying. I blame the frigid temps and maybe some beet juice the city put on the road. I’m working on it, working on it…. telling myself I have better things to do and dang it’s cold, why does this bother me so much….yahdah, yahdah…

Then…. over my shoulder I notice this guy. He’s creepy. Kinda walking in my direction and looking at me. I figure I’ve probably interviewed him before – even though I totally don’t recognize him.

He’s got the look that I get in Walmart. People look at me and smile. I figure they follow the Insider. I honestly wish all that recognition happened a little less often… especially when I just want to get out of the store with my tampons and hair color.

I give the ice chunk a back kick with my heel. One last stab.

I look up and the guy is right there. Like right there. It’s a little startling.

“Hi there!” I said.  He says “hi” back. Gruff. Direct.

“Can I help you with something,” I asked, really super friendly… even though he’s totally creeping me out.

“That’s my car,” he said dryly.

Fond memories of McLane Elementary School sledding hill aka The Hollow

There must have been 100 kids playing in the snow this week during recess at McLane Elementary School. The lucky students had a sledding hill all their own. Quiet a few neighbors recalled their days on the hill in The Hollow.

Timothy Thomas – Back in probably 1977 we found a sledding path down that hill that took us past that tree in the foreground and onto the sidewalk on Chestnut. A great 20-30 second ride for sure.

Judy Knoebel Lewis – I am now 68, but I still remember sliding down that hill. The thing I remember most about the hill was we used cardboard from old boxes to slide down the hill. My mom made me wear snow pants so I wouldn’t have to sit in wet clothes the rest of the day.  My boots were made of rubber and the snow would get packed into them. So, even though my clothes were dry, my feet were soaked. I went to school at McLane from 4th – 8th grade.  We had such great times sliding in the winter, and playing softball or kickball in the spring and fall.

Mary Bauer Hotchkiss – I remember having a long jacket that worked better than a sled! I would go down the hollow on my back and then switch jackets with a friend so they could use my coat!

Mitch Ryan – The good ol days. Bringing roll up sleds to school with us was the best!

Kathy Peterson – Was just reminiscing about the hallow and bringing the roll up sleds to school. All our boots lined up in the hall next to lockers, snowmobile suits crunched in the lockers. Vivid memory is 1st grade Miss Muehl’s room. 1971. Also had Miss Honey, Mr. Dione. We would play fox chase the rabbit with a big snow maze in 4th grade. Best of times!!

Jillinda Baldwin Hatch – Remember we got 3 recesses? I loved bringing my toboggan to sled in the hollow. When I was in 4th grade I had a nightmare that Gene Simmons and all of KISS tried to jump on my sled with me, and it really scared me. Lol

History photo of ice skating on the river

Date: Dec 26, 1926 Title: Ice Skating on Milwaukee River Description: Ice skating on the Milwaukee River. The building in the center with the smokestack is West Brewing Company. In the distance is the Washington County Courthouse and the White House Milk Company.021-543-ice-skating-on-the-milwaukee-river

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0859, 17 December 2016

1 Comment

  1. Kevin Scheunemann

    Judy,

    There are other “public service opportunities” available. However, that one was hilarious.

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