Sale price listed for Morrie’s Honda purchase

The sale price has come in for the 39.575-acre parcel on the southwest corner of Highway 33 and Scenic Drive in West Bend. The property belonged to the Devenport family. It was annexed into the city in February and recently sold to Morries West Bend H RE, LLC.

According to records in the City Assessor’s office the parcel sold for $3,396,300.

The property is currently owned by Devenport Family Limited Partnership #1.

According to Washington County the parcel was purchased in 1988 by Douglas Devenport.

In 1996 it was transferred to Craig Devenport and the Devenport Family Limited Partnership #1.

The 2017 assessment is for two parcels. One is 37.2 acres and its assessed value is $217,700. The second, much smaller parcel closer to the Highway is about a 3-acre strip valued at $7,700.

Coming up this summer construction will get underway for a new Morrie’s West Bend Honda dealership.

The project will consist of a new two-story structure approximately 35,000 square foot footprint that will contain office, retail showroom, architectural display elements, and service facilities.

Morrie’s new Honda facility will create approximately 60 new jobs in the community.

Former Washington Co. Board Supervisor has died

Thomas J. Sackett “Tom,” 79, of Hartford, Wisconsin was called home to heaven on May 17, 2018. Sackett was very involved in his community where he served as an alderman in his younger years and in his retirement as the Chairman of the Board of Washington County. Mass of Resurrection for Tom will be celebrated Thursday, May 24, 2018 at 3:30 p.m. at St. Kilian Catholic Church (264 W. State Street Hartford, WI 53027) with Fr. David LaPlante officiating. Family will greet relatives and friends at church on Thursday from 1:00-3:30p.m. Tom’s wish was to be cremated.

Opening day announcements for area restaurants

There are six new restaurants opening in the West Bend area and one establishment that reopened after it was closed for a licensing issue. We’re following up on how development is going and give you an opening date for the new eateries in the community.

Pizza Ranch will officially open Monday, May 21. There is a ribbon cutting Wednesday, May 16 at 10:30 a.m.  The public is invited to attend and Rev. Nate Reesman will offer a blessing.

Across town Eaton’s Pizza, 830 E. Paradise Drive, in West Bend will officially open June 25. It was this past February when WashingtonCountyInsider.com announced Eaton’s Fresh Pizza was returning to West Bend.

Don Ramon is moving into the former Dairy Queen/ Mother’s Day location, 501 Wildwood Road, in West Bend. It was April 24 when the story broke on WashingtonCountyInsider.com that the Mexican restaurant was opening its second location in West Bend.  Owner Felix Sanchez said the restaurant will open in July.

In October 2017 the story was first announced on WashingtonCountyInsider.com that a new Firehouse Subs was coming to West Bend. The build out at 1733 S. Main Street is nearly complete and the new restaurant owned by Sharon and Bob Erickson will open May 30.

In downtown West Bend progress is being made inside the former Sears building, 102 S. Main Street, as Bababebay Luu is working on the new Pearl of Canton Restaurant.  It was January 2017 when WashingtonCountyInsider.com first broke the story about the new Asian/American restaurant. Last week Luu said there was a lot more work to be done to bring the building, electrical and plumbing up to code. She is hoping to open in July … but that’s not definite at this point.

Moonlighting, 326 Commerce Street, in Barton has reopened. The bar/restaurant went through a licensing issue and the state temporarily shut them down April 17. That issue was resolved when the West Bend Common Council approved a new license at its May 7 meeting. Owner Chad Goeman used the downtime to remodel a bit. Step inside and you’ll see a new floor, lighting and most impressive is the 20 tappers for a large beer selection.

In Allenton, Aiden O’Reilly’s is changing hands. Mark Merten and his wife have purchased the establishment at 402 Main Street. Merten is planning on changing the name and making some improvements.

In other restaurant news, the McDonald’s on W. Washington Street in West Bend opened over the weekend. The inside was totally remodeled and updated.  The video above takes you for a walk through.  The McD’s on S. Main Street is also going to be remodeled and the galaxy theme is being replaced.

Huge award for Museum Of Wisconsin Art in West Bend

Some well-deserved recognition for the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend as it has been named ‘Best Gallery Or Museum In Wisconsin’ by American Art Awards.

“This 32,000-square-foot museum houses five permanent collection galleries, three temporary exhibition spaces, classrooms, a large atrium and more. Over 5,000 works of contemporary and historic art by more than 350 artists,” is how American Art Awards describes MOWA.

An article in medium.com by reporter Thom Bierdz read, “The Museum of Wisconsin Art won the distinction of Best Gallery Or Museum In Wisconsin, 2018, and one of American Art Awards 25 Best American Galleries / Museums, 2018.”

Jessica Wildes is director of communications and marketing at MOWA. “We are truly honored to be named one of the top 25 museums in America and the top museum in Wisconsin by the American Art Awards,” said Wildes.  “Our selection was based on our innovative philosophy where everyone’s a member.”

One of the other keys to success, according to Wildes, is MOWA’s ability to wrap its arms around all its guests.

“Instead of repeat admission fees, every visitor becomes a member to the museum for a full year upon their first visit to MOWA,” she said. “Membership includes unlimited gallery viewing, 175+ free-for-member programs, and access to special events and classes for a full year.”

Three Catholic Schools receive Exemplary Recognition from the Archdiocese      By Kristin Bayer

Three area schools in Washington County were recently honored by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee with Exemplary Recognition. Holy Trinity in Kewaskum, Holy Angels in West Bend, and Saint Frances Cabrini in West Bend were among 11 schools from throughout the Archdiocese given this recognition. The Archdiocese covers 10 counties in southeastern Wisconsin.

The three schools were recognized in the area of Catholic Identity and Mission.

Exemplary Recognition is how the Archdiocese recognizes and commends schools that go well beyond normal standards and requirements. Every seven years, Catholic schools go through a re-accreditation process. Schools must meet a wide set of standards, educational and religious, to be accredited. For Exemplary Recognition, schools have an additional application process. They gather evidence, and submit preliminary and final reports. Then a team, including the School Superintendent for the Archdiocesan schools, visits the school, touring the facility, spending time in the classrooms, and meeting and interviewing a broad cross section of stakeholders in the school, including parents, teachers, the principal and staff, the school advisory board, parish priests, and the students themselves.

The reasons for this special recognition are as unique as the schools themselves. Holy Trinity’s mission is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, to provide a high quality education, and to guide children in living the Catholic faith. Principal Jodi Casetta says that the school truly lives out this mission. “It’s strong, clear, and concise, and it guides us in all our decision making.” She points out the school’s approach to marketing as an example. “We try not to market at people, but instead to invite them and welcome them. It’s not like business marketing. We’re here. We’re welcoming, and when God calls people here, they come.”

At Holy Angels School, each week begins with a Monday morning assembly that centers a discussion of scripture readings from Sunday and how the students can live out the good news in their lives during the coming week. Principal Mike Sternig said during re-accreditation, the evaluating team noticed the strong faith community and family feeling that permeated the school. “It’s part of everything we do here.” The team recommended the school apply for Exemplary Recognition. This is the third time the school has received Exemplary Recognition from the Archdiocese.

At Saint Frances Cabrini School, Catholic identity begins in the classroom, according to principal Aaron Hilts. “Our priests regularly come to our classrooms to teach about the faith, and to answer questions when students want to dive a little deeper,” he said. Hilts is also proud of the community service projects that are built into classroom curriculum, and of the school-wide service. For example, the school recently honored patron saint Mother Cabrini with a Month of Charity, during which students gathered 200 bags of donations for the Albrecht Free Clinic.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has a commitment to excellence and continued school improvement that ensures the best learning possible for its students. The Exemplary Recognition Program, based on the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools, honors schools that have demonstrated innovation and outstanding results. It is unusual that all the Catholic schools in a local area would apply for or be recognized in the same year. “We are delighted to receive this recognition, and delighted share the honor with our neighbor schools,” said Hilts.

Kettle Moraine YMCA receives bike racks

The Kettle Moraine YMCA in West Bend is the proud owner of a new bicycle rack made by students at Moraine Park Technical College.  There will be five MPTC designed-and-fabricated bike racks installed at the YMCA and about a dozen similar bicycle racks going up around the community. Bike Friendly West Bend help initiate the project with MPTC.

Energizers Dance Team from Hartford earn 3 more championship titles | By Jennifer Jackson Soto

Just one week after earning a champion title at Dance Worlds, the Energizers Dance Team from Hartford earned three more championship titles at the Dance Summit in Orlando.

The Summit, produced by Varsity All Star, is a very prestigious and competitive event for younger dance and cheer teams and non-Worlds dance genres. This was the first time the Energizers competed here and the team was thrilled and honored to earn paid bids for SEVEN routines – Mini Pom, Mini Jazz, Youth Variety, Youth Pom, Youth Jazz, Senior Kick and Senior Variety.

At this year’s Dance Summit, held May 5-6 at the Coronado Springs Resort, over 1,500 athletes, 234 teams, from 10 countries vied for the coveted first place and championship ring that each athlete and coach receives.

This is a two-day event where only the top 50% (or top five) teams advance to Day 2.

After advancing all seven routines on Day 1, the Energizers poured their heart and soul onto the floor again with their high energy, crowd-pleasing performances.

The EDT is extremely proud of their final placements, which were earned against intense competition from teams as far away as Japan:

Senior Kick – ages 12-19 – “Sweet Caroline” – First place

Senior Variety – ages 12-19 – “EDT Family” – First place

Youth Variety – ages 9-12- “Love & Peace” – First place

Youth Pom – ages 9-12 – “Moment” – First place

Youth Jazz – ages 9-12 – “Waka Waka” – Third place

Mini Pom – ages 6-9 – “Janet Jackson” Second place

Mini Jazz – ages 6-9 – “Ridiculous” – Second place

A total of 42 dancers ages 6 – 18 from the Energizers performed at Summit:

Cierra Trost, Mackenzy Lehmann, Tannor Allar, Skylar Allar, Tylie Allar, Emma Konjura, Maddie Pinter, Isabelle Anderson, Peyton Kriehn, Ava Olson, Sydney Martin, Avery Krenz, Carmen Roemke, Alex Soto, Marisa Strankowski, Brooke Becker, Mya Pinter, Brynn Morley, Alexis Landon, Summer Schroeder, Summer Stamm, Chloe Dulski, Hope Dulski, Erica Kohls, Ava Rogers, Lindsey Curtis, Peyton Lemke, Ella Johnson, Kelsey Monfre, Annika Engebretsen, Tatum Boylen, Bailey Hubing, Mallory Hawkins, Allison Hoeft, Delaney Hron, Paige Kaiser, Ella Kuhn, Haylee Landon, Kate Morley, Savannah Resch, Brooklynn Scioli, and Amaiyah Shepard. Congratulations once again to the Energizers Dance Team and coaches Sheila Trost, Jim Trost, Alexis Trost and Kayla Henderson.

Three finalists named for West Bend School superintendent

The School Board in West Bend Joint School District #1 selected three finalists for the position of superintendent for the district. The finalists include Donald Kirkegaard, secretary of education, State of South Dakota, Pierre, South Dakota; Christopher Peterson, superintendent, Howards Grove School District, Howards Grove, Wisconsin; and Thomas Hoh, executive director of secondary education, Green Bay Area Public School District, Green Bay, Wisconsin.

“I am impressed with the overwhelming quality of the 43 candidates who were recruited and applied for our superintendent position,” said School Board President Joel Ongert. “The search firm we hired did a great job, which led to an outstanding group of finalists.”

Donald A. Kirkegaard — Prior to being appointed by the governor of South Dakota as secretary of education for the state in 2017, Kirkegaard was superintendent of the Meade School District and Britton-Hecla School District for nearly 23 years. He was also a principal in the Britton-Hecla School District for six years. Kirkegaard earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from South Dakota State University, a master’s degree in school administration from Northern State University, and an educational specialist degree in school district administration from the University of South Dakota.

Christopher D. Peterson — Christopher Peterson has 23 years of experience in public education, including nine as superintendent of Howards Grove School District. His experience includes serving as principal in the Manitowoc Public School District, Kimberly Area School District, and the School District of Wausaukee, and teaching in the Little Chute Area School District. Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, a master’s degree in educational administration from Marian University, superintendent certification from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and is working on a doctorate at Marian University.

Thomas J. Hoh, Ph.D. — Thomas Hoh has 20 years of experience in public education and currently serves as the executive director of secondary education for the Green Bay Area Public School District. Prior to joining the Green Bay Area Public School District, Hoh was a principal in the Ripon Area School District and also worked in the Kaukauna Area School District and Neenah Joint School District. Hoh earned his bachelor’s degree in education and master’s degree in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned a doctorate in education leadership from Marian University.

The board and district employees will interview each of the finalists a second time next week when they spend a day visiting the West Bend School District. Parents and residents have the opportunity to meet each candidate for informal conversations at the Silverbrook Intermediate School library, 120 N. Silverbrook Drive, West Bend, at 4 p.m. on May 22, 23, and 24.

The board intends to vote on its selection of the next superintendent on May 24, 2018, although contract details and agreements are anticipated to take several days. It is expected the successful candidate will officially join the district on July 1, 2018.

Updates & tidbits

-The Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County announces the appointment of Jaymee Harvey Willms as Executive Director effective Monday, May 21, 2018.

– A doctor is on trial in Mobile, Alabama accused in the 2016 death of singer Matthew Roberts. The 38-year-old former band member with Three Doors Down was found dead at the Hampton Inn in West Bend. Following a federal investigation Dr. Richard Snellgrove was indicted in November 2016 for Illegal Drug Distribution in relation to the death of Roberts. Snellgrove is accused of unlawful distribution of drugs and health care fraud in a case tied to the death of Matthew Roberts. Snellgrove is currently on trial. If convicted he faces up to 240 years in prison.

-Katie Kuhn, Birth Center RN and Hannah Streese, Outpatient Care Center wound care technician (right), both of West Bend, have been named recipients of the 2018 Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin St. Joseph’s Hospital Excellence in Nursing Award and Excellence in Nursing Support Personnel Award

-The Bürgermeister of Germantown invites you to Mai Fest at Friedenfeld Park on May 19, and 20. There will be fantastic beers, fabulous music and dancing and good old-fashioned fun.

-Pizza Ranch, 2020 W. Washington Street, opens Monday, May 21 in West Bend.

-The Survivor Celebration Lunch for Relay for Life in West Bend is Saturday, May 19 from noon – 2 p.m. at Holy Angels. On behalf of the American Cancer Society and the Relay for Life of West Bend, you and your caregiver are invited to join us to spend time with fellow survivors, see your Relay For Life friends, and enjoy a wonderful {free} meal just for you.

-The FREE Adult Swim Lesson week is coming up at the Kettle Moraine YMCA. Whether you are a seasoned swimmer or just starting out, there is a class for everyone. If you haven’t had a chance to register for any classes yet, there is still time.