Vilas County News-Review, Dec. 28, 2011 - SECTION A

8/3/2019 Vilas County News-Review, Dec. 28, 2011 - SECTION A

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

n For an update on fish-ing for walleyes, north-erns and panfish, checkthe guides report.

Pg. 8A

Outdoors featuresice fishing report

VOL. 126, NO. 41

$1.25

SectionA

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28, 2011

VILAS COUNTY

NEWS-REVIEWEAGLE RIVER, WI 54521 (715) 479-4421 www.vcnewsreview.com

Greg Cook, a salesman at Track Side, stands next to the fleetof rental sleds ready to hit the trail. --STAFF PHOTO

While the snowmobile

season has been a bust tothis point due to a lack ofsnow, track officials sayweather has been accept-able for creating an ice ovaland Sno-Cross course forthe 49th running of the AMSOIL World Champi-onship Snowmobile Derbyin Eagle River Jan. 19-22.

Often called the Indy500 of snowmobile racing,the Derby is the oldest andgrandest event in snowmo-bile racing history, drawingthe best racers from theUnited States and Canada.

Track makeup hasevolved from snow and anice-sawdust mix to a slate ofpure ice at least 1 footthick to withstand a longweekend of high-speed lapsand grueling corners on thebanked oval.

Its not going too bad,said track manager ToddAchterberg on the buildingof the track. We have agreat crew down there. Wemake snow for the Sno-Cross course when the tem-perature is about 10 degreesup to about 18 or 20

Derby Track taking shapeTheyre making ice, snow for Jan. 19-22 spectacular

___________

BY GARY RIDDERBUSCHNEWS-REVIEW EDITOR

___________

Three people haveannounced their candidacy forOneida County Circuit CourtJudge in Branch II, includinga former Vilas County districtattorney and circuit judge.

Tim Vocke, who served as Vilas County circuit judgefrom 1979 to 1983, is seekingto replace current CircuitJudge Mark Mangerson, whois retiring from the bench.

The other candidates forthe Oneida County judgeship

are Rhinelander attorneyJohn F. OMelia and OneidaCounty District AttorneyMichael Bloom. Candidateshave until 5 p.m. Jan. 3 to filetheir nomination papers.

A Feb. 21 primary will cutthe number of candidatesfrom three to two and the twotop voter-getters will advanceto the April 3 spring election.

Mangerson has beenappointed to the Third Dis-trict Court of Appeals inWausau by Gov. Scott Walker.

Vocke

Vocke served as a districtattorney in Racine and Vilascounties before being elected

to the bench in Vilas Countyin 1978. He was appointedVilas County district attorneyin 1976 by Gov. Patrick Lucey.

When elected to the benchin Vilas, Vocke was theyoungest judge in the state.But he decided to leave thebench after just four years.

I really enjoyed it (being a judge), but Im a capitalist,and I wanted to go into private practice, said Vocke.Plus, I was in a one-judge

Victoria Perkins selected

Derby, Sno-Eagles queen

Now that the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service has announcedthe removal of the gray wolffrom Endangered Species Actprotection, a Wisconsin Depart-ment of Natural Resources(DNR) official says the state isready to begin implementing amanagement plan by Feb. 1,2012.

We are eager and ready totake on the challenges of wolfmanagement, said DNR secre-tary Cathy Stepp.

Last weeks announcementis only the first step in the pro-cess, according to Stepp. TheU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ispublishing a final rule in theFederal Register removingwolves in Michigan, Minnesotaand Wisconsin, and in portionsof adjoining states, from the listof endangered and threatenedwildlife and plants.

Once wolves are delisted,the DNR will be able to dodepredation controls via trap-ping and permits to landown-

ers in depredation areas. TheDNR estimates there are morethan 780 gray wolves in Wis-consin.

While the department iscommitted to long-term conser-vation of wolves in Wisconsin,it is critical that we be allowedto manage wildlife populations

within our borders, said Stepp.Secretary of the Interior

Ken Salazary announced lastWednesday that gray wolf pop-ulations in the Great Lakesregion have recovered and nolonger require the protection ofthe Endangered Species Act.

Once again, the Endan-

gered Species Act has proved tobe an effective tool for bringingspecies back from the brink ofextinction, Salazar said.Thanks to the work of our sci-entists, wildlife managers, andour state, tribal, and stakehold-er partners, gray wolves in thewestern Great Lakes regionare now fully recovered andhealthy.

The rule removing endan-gered species protection forgray wolves in the westernGreat Lakes becomes effective

30 days after publication in theFederal Register. There still isconcern that environmentalgroups will challenge the U.S.Fish & Wildlife Service deci-sion.

Gray wolves are thriving inthe Great Lakes region, andtheir successful recovery is atestament to the hard work ofthe Fish & Wildlife Service andour state and local partners,said director Dan Ashe. We areconfident state and tribalwildlife managers in Michigan,Minnesota and Wisconsin will

Three candidatesvying for judgeshipin Oneida County

Wolf removed from protection list;DNR ready for management plan

The gray wolf has been removed from Endangered Species Actprotection and will be managed by the Wisconsin DNR.

--Contributed Photo

___________


___________

For the seventh time in thepast 11 years, a Decemberthaw or lack of snow duringthe holidays put a halt onsnowmobiling in the NorthWoods resulting in a tem-porary blow to the wintertourism industry.

This time, the lack of snowacross most of the NorthWoods has resulted in poor

trail conditions. Vilas Countysnowmobile trails are open,but considered to be in poorearly-season riding condition.Oneida County officials haveyet to open their trail system

due to the minimal snow cov-er.

John Bilogan, OneidaCounty Forest director, saidTuesday morning the trailsystem could be open later inthe week. He said snowmobil-ers should contact individualclubs or chambers of com-merce for an updated report.

Were hoping for moresnow, he said. Its a wait-and-see game.

Last year, the North Woodshad about 12 inches of snow

on the ground prior to the hol-idays, but warm temperaturesand rain ruined the anticipat-ed business boost from snow-mobilers between Christmasand New Years.

There are currently 2 to 3inches of snow on the ground,but 1 to 2 inches of snow arein the forecast for Thursday,according to meteorologistMatt Serwe at WJFW TV-12in Rhinelander.

Light snow showers arepossible Wednesday, Thursdayand Friday, said Serwe.Lake-effect snow showers areback in the forecast for Sun-day.

While Vilas County trailshave been open since Dec. 12,

lake crossings have not beenmarked due to marginal ice.With only 6 to 8 inches of iceon most lakes, trail officialsare warning snowmobilers tostay off the lakes until clubs

and businesses have markedthe trails.

Its the business ownerswho cater to snowmobilerswho are likely to take a big hitthis week. Motels, restau-rants, gas stations and snow-mobile rental businesses allwere expected to be busy theweek between Christmas andNew Years.

Butch Grenier, owner ofTrack Side in Eagle River,said he hoped his rental fleetof 55 snowmobiles would beon the trails most of thisweek.

We still have quite a fewreserved to go out later in theweek, but weve already had

Trails marginal for big weekLack of snow hurting holiday snomo business

High-flying Sno-Cross racers will join thespeed of Oval class racing during the

AMSOIL World Championship SnowmobileDerby Jan. 19-22. --STAFF PHOTO

Former Vilas Judge Vocke

to face OMelia, Bloom___________


___________

VOCKE OMELIA

To JUDGES, Pg. 6A

Victoria Perkins, a junior atNorthland Pines High School,has been named the 2012 Der-by Queen and Miss Sno-EagleQueen.

Perkins has been a volun-teer at events such as Cranber-ry Fest, Klondike Days, RedCross blood drives, Scholasticbook fairs and at the AMSOILWorld Championship Snowmo-bile Derby.

She has participated inyouth hockey, high school hock-ey, high school volleyball andcurrently serves on the studentcouncil.

Perkins also has been a

National History Day contest

state qualifier.The Derby

is one of myfavorite eventsof the year. Iget excitedwhen I go bythe track inthe morningduring Decem-ber and I see

the workers making snow andice, exclaimed Perkins.

The 2012 Derby princessesare Northland Pines sopho-more Caitlin Riley and juniorsPaige Wiersema, Mary Loeserand Alexandria Dean. They

also will be at the Derby.

PERKINS

To WOLF, Pg. 2A

To DERBY, Pg. 3A

___________


___________

To TRAILS, Pg. 2A


2/14

2A WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28, 2011 VILAS COUNTY NEWS-REVIEW/THE THREE LAKES NEWS

NEWS

Call Ted Gregg at our St. Germain Office (715) 617-7590

for your personal showing or additional information.

LITTLE ST. GERMAIN LAKELITTLE ST. GERMAIN LAKE

2-BR, 2-BA condo with southern exposure on Little St. Germain Lake. Comes complete with allappliances and new furnishings. Great rental history. Seller to credit buyer an additional $5,000at closing for an accepted offer that closes by 3/1/2012. (118253) $254,900. $229,900.

REDUCED $25,000 PLUS ADDITIONAL BUYERS BONUS OF $5,000

DEC. 10 - JAN. 13 horse-drawn sleighs w/20 people each

Enjoy scenic, beautiful wooded trails with a halfway pointbonfire, hot chocolate and Christmas Cheer!

Christmas Parades, Christmas Sleigh Rides or Wagon Rides,Special Occasions, Business Gatherings, Special Events, Appearances

Rocking W StablePleasure Island Road Eagle River, WI 54521

(715) 617-6779northwoodsattractions.com

Call for more information or reservations.

SleighRidesSleighRides10 am - 11 pm

Anysize

group!

Greatfamilyfun!

UTILITY DONATES The 2011 Wisconsin Public Power Inc.Energy and Eagle River Light & Water Utility grants were present-ed to the Vilas Food Pantry and Olson Memorial Library. Pat

Weber, center, utility manager, presented a $600 check to BetsyReach Spencer, left, of the food pantry, and a $400 check to TinaKoller, right, of the library board.

--Staff Photo By GARY RIDDERBUSCH

Wolf: state management goal at 350FROM PAGE 1A

effectively manage healthywolf populations, now that fed-eral protection is no longer

needed.Wolves total more than

4,000 animals in the three corerecovery states in the westernGreat Lakes area and haveexceeded recovery goals. Min-nesotas population is estimat-ed at 2,921 wolves, while anestimated 687 wolves live inMichigans Upper Peninsulaand another 782 in Wisconsin.

Each state has developed aplan to manage wolves afterfederal protection is removed.Wisconsin had a goal of 100wolves in its federal TimberWolf Recovery Plan and a goalof 350 wolves in its manage-ment plan.

Wolf populations in Wiscon-sin, Minnesota and Michiganwill be monitored for at leastfive years to ensure the speciescontinues to thrive. If itappears at any time that thegray wolf cannot sustain itselfwithout the protections of theEndangered Species Act, the

service can initiate the listingprocess, including emergencylisting.

In the Fish & Wildlife Ser-vices May 5, 2011, proposal to

delist western Great Lakeswolves, the agency also pro-posed accepting recent taxo-nomic information that thegray wolf subspecies Canislupus lycaon should be elevatedto the full species Canis lycaon,and that the population ofwolves in the western GreatLakes is a mix of the two fullspecies, Canis lupus and Canislycaon.

Based on substantial infor-mation received from scientistsand others during the publiccomment period, the Servicehas re-evaluated that proposal,and the final rule considers allwolves in the western GreatLakes Distinct Population Seg-ment to be Canis lupus.

The service also previouslyproposed delisting gray wolvesin all or parts of 29 states in theeastern half of the UnitedStates. The service continues toevaluate that portion of theMay 5, 2011, proposal and will

make a final, separate determi-nation at a later date.

Gray wolves were originallylisted as subspecies, or asregional populations of sub-

species, in the lower 48 statesand Mexico under the Endan-gered Species Act in 1973 andits predecessor statutes beforethat. In 1978, the servicereclassified the gray wolf as anendangered species across all ofthe lower 48 states and Mexico,except in Minnesota where thegray wolf was classified asthreatened.

Stepp recognized the U.S.Fish & Wildlife Service for itsresponsiveness to the concernsthat she raised, especially with

regard to their finding that thepopulation of wolves in thewestern Great Lakes is a singlespecies.

In addition, she praised the

work of Wisconsins congres-sional delegation, and that ofMichigan and Minnesota, inraising the importance ofaddressing the issue now at thenational level.

I want to acknowledge thecitizens of Wisconsin for theirpatience as we worked on thedelisting, said Stepp. Theywere persistent in bringingtheir concerns to my attention.It is because of that persistencethat we were able to achievethe delisting.

We may never be strong enough to beentirely nonviolent in thought, word anddeed. However, we must keep nonvio-lence as our goal and make strongprogress towards it.

M.K. Gandhi

January 2012

Peacemaking ProgramsMany Ways of Peace

217 S. Main St., downtown Eagle River

Tuesday, Jan. 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m., CompassionateCommunication with Kathryn Gonzales. Learnsimple tools and practices that invite more harmonyinto our conversations with others. (Weekly prac-tice sessions begin Tuesday, Jan. 24, 6:30 p.m.)

Monday, Jan. 23, 7-9 p.m. Studying Nonviolence:the Occupy Movements, Wisconsin Uprising,Arab Spring and More, seven-session weekly studycircle based on the book, Peace is the Way. Intro-ductory Session: Visions of Peace facilitated byMary Jo Berner, president of MJ Berner Foundationfor Peace and Justice. Series concludes March 5.

Monday, Jan. 30, 7-9 p.m., Studying Nonviolence,Visions of Peace, Gandhi, facilitated by DebraKetchum Jircik, director, Many Ways of Peace.

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m., Mining in theNorthwoods, Eagle River Atty. Susan Sommermoderates a panel discussion with citizens repre-senting various organizations concerned with theproposed iron mine in the Penokee Range in Ironand Ashland counties. This will be an update onactivity on the Gogebic Taconite project.

Saturday, Jan. 7, 7 p.m., Monthly Peace JavaJam and Open Mic. Bring your instruments, your

voices, your poetry in support of a culture of peaceand sustainability. Performers of all ages welcome.

Mondays, 9-10 a.m., WalkingMeditation. Peace is everystep. Upper level at Many

Ways of Peace.

Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. - 12:55p.m., Yoga with Betsy Schussler,registered yoga teacher. Upperlevel at Many Ways of Peace.

Visit www.manywaysofpeace.org for updates and more information.Call 715.480.4697 or e-mail [email protected]

Many Ways of Peace is a resource center for peace and nonviolence and a project of the

M.J. Berner Foundation for Peace and Justice, Inc., P.O. Box 189, Eagle River, WI 54521

The contract approved fornew Eagle River Golf Coursemanager Ken Smith was thesame amount as his previouscontract as greens superin-tendent, $56,075, plus a$2,000 performance bonus fol-lowing an evaluation at theend of the year. Therefore,Councilwoman Carol Hen-dricks did not vote for a payincrease for Smith as indicat-ed in a story in last weeksnewspaper.

Clarification

Trails: FROM PAGE 1Asome cancellations, said Gre-nier. Im hoping for a littlesnow later this week to give usa good Thursday, Friday andSaturday.

Grenier said Track Sidehad 10 snowmobiles out onthe trails Monday, though rid-ing conditions are marginal.

We are giving the peoplewho have sleds reserved theoption of canceling with a fullrefund because the trails arein early-season riding condi-tions, said Grenier. We dontwant them to have a bad rid-ing experience and then notcome back.

Jackie Walker, who ownsOneida Village Inn in Three

Lakes, said that there are notmany reservations coming infor this week.

I think people were wait-ing to make a decision on com-ing up because they knew wedidnt have much snow, saidWalker. We didnt have manyreservations to start with.

Walker said if the NorthWoods can get some snow lat-er this week, she may be ableto salvage a good New Yearsweekend.

We are very hopeful, shesaid. Thank goodness we aregetting some ice fishermenand hockey teams in thisweek.

Walker said there are sev-eral key events in January

and February that will helpfill the Oneida Village Inn,including the AMSOIL WorldChampionship SnowmobileDerby Jan. 19-22 and theLabatt Blue USA HockeyNational Pond Hockey Cham-pionship Feb. 10-12.

We generally get somespillover from Eagle River forthose two large events, saidWalker. In the meantime, wecan only hope we get somesnow so we get snowmobilersand skiers thinking aboutcoming up.

Not unusual

According to News-Review

records, the North Woods hasexperienced either rain orwarm temperatures prior to orduring the holidays seventimes in the past 11 years,resulting in poor or unrideabletrail conditions for snowmobil-ers.

The winters of 2001through 2003 were plaguedwith unrideable trails for theholidays, and although trailriding was good in 2004, morethan 1,000 blocks of ice for theice castle in Eagle River wereruined due to an early Jan-uary thaw.

Pat Weber, fire chief for theEagle River Area Fire Depart-ment, said department per-sonnel and volunteers tradi-

tionally build the castlebetween Christmas and New

Years, but this years con-struction has been delayed.

We only have about 8 inch-es of ice on Silver Lake wherewe cut the ice blocks, and welike about 12 inches, saidWeber. We hope to have thecastle built in time for theDerby.

Records show that in 2007,a major thaw threatened todevastate holiday snowmobil-ing, but tourism was saved bya last-minute snowfall. Theperiod between Christmasand New Years is a peak timefor families to travel to theNorth Woods because children

are out of school.Grenier could only shakehis head concerning anotheryear of marginal holidaysnowmobiling.

This is the 11th year Ivebeen in business at Track Sideand there havent been manyyears where we had goodsnowmobiling between theholidays, he said.

WEATHERCORNER

Note:Precipitation amounts are recorded at 8 a.m. for the previous 24 hours.

ONE YEAR AGO

LAST YEAR

COMPARISON

SNOWCONDITIONS

LAST SEVEN DAYS

STREAMSAND LAKES

OUTLOOK

(PORTIONS OF THE WEATHER CORNER ARE THROUGH THE COURTESY OFKEVIN BREWSTER, EAGLE RIVER and NEWSWATCH 12 METEOROLOGIST. )

Wednesday will be cooler with light snow showers, with a highof 21 and a low of 2. Thursday light snow is expeced with 1 to2 inches possible, with a high of 28 and a low of 19. Fridayshould be partly sunny with light snow, with a high of 27 and alow of 17. The forecast for Saturday is windy and mild with afew clouds, with a high of 32 and a low of 18. Sunday expectlake-effect snow showers, with a high of 28 and a low of 20.

Snowmobilers are being urged to stay off the lakes until

clubs and businesses have marked trail crossings. Anglersreport 6 to 8 inches of ice on most lakes.

Days precipitation recorded since Oct. 1, 2011, 42 days;2010, 45 days.

Average high of past 30 days, 2011, 30; 2010, 24. Averagelow of past 30 days, 2011, 14; 2010, 9.

The average daily high at this time last year for the next sev-en days was 30, while the average overnight low was 12.There was rain on two days totaling .32 of an inch.

Hi Lo Prec.Wed., Dec. 21. .. .. .. ..32 12 NoneThurs., Dec. 22. .. .. ..27 17 Tr.SFr i. , Dec. 23. . .. .. .. .. ..22 13 Tr.SSat ., Dec . 24. .. .. .. ... .34 13 1"SSun., Dec. 25.. .. .. .. ..35 19 Tr.SMon., Dec. 26. .. .. .. ..40 18 NoneTues., Dec. 27. .. .. .. ..30 26 Tr.S

Hi Lo Prec.Tues., Dec. 21..... .. ..28 8 3.5"SWed., Dec. 22..... .. ..24 19 5.1"SThurs., Dec. 23. .. .. ..24 21 NoneFri., Dec. 24...... .. .. ..27 20 NoneSat., Dec. 25..... .. .. ..23 23 NoneSun., Dec. 26.. .. .. .. ..28 22 Tr.SMon., Dec. 27. . .. .. .. .23 12 None

With only 2 inches ofsnow on the ground,snowmobile trails arein early-season ridingcondition. Caution isurged when snowmobiling on rough trails.

2010-11 11-12Snowy days 25 17Inches to date 28.08 17.24Ground cover 14" 2"

Shop the classifieds and grab a great deal on a great deal of items!

NORTH WOODS TRADER 715-479-4421


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VILAS COUNTY NEWS-REVIEW/THE THREE LAKES NEWS WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28, 2011 3A

NEWS

The Northland PinesSchool Board last weekapproved making long-termcare insurance coverage acondition of employment forcertified district staff.

District AdministratorMike Richie decided, on a 4-3

vote, to make the coveragemandatory through Oct. 1 ofnext year.

We are in our ninth year ofhaving long-term care insur-ance part of the teachers asso-ciation contracts, although itwas not mandated by theboard as a condition ofemployment, said Richie.With it no longer in contracts

due to Act 10 that eliminatedmost collective bargainingissues, a teacher who didntwant to pay the monthly pre-mium could now opt out of thecoverage.

That presented a problemsince the Wisconsin Educa-tion Association that under-writes the insurance insiststhat it was all in or all out,meaning if only one teacheropted out, all teachers couldnot have the insurance.

Our problem, being in theprogram for nine years, wasthat after 10 years, if a teach-er was age 55 and retired,they could buy up the last 20years of coverage, he contin-ued. With only nine years,

they couldnt do that.The board voted on the slim

4-3 margin to make long-termcare coverage a condition ofemployment to allow teachersto reach that 10-year mark.

The downside is all teach-ers who have less than nineyears will have to pay themonthly premium and not seeany benefit unless they needit, said Richie.

Board members voting tomake long-term care a condi-tion of employment until Oct.1, 2012, were Mike Sealander,Eric Neff, Jim Mulleady andMark Vander Bloomen. Votingagainst were board membersHolly McCormack, John Sara-

ma and Mike Jovanovic.Prior to the vote, during thepublic comment period theboard provides, some employ-ees spoke for coverage, whilesome opposed it.

Ann Hewitt, Dave Nied-feldt and Mike Reimer sup-ported continuing long-termcare coverage, while DonnaHejtmanek was against due tonot having a choice in theautomatic deduction from herpaycheck for the long-termcare coverage.

Richie said the WisconsinEducation Association is stilllooking at modifying its posi-tion on the all-in or all-outpolicy.

In another Act 10 follow-up

matter, the board was toldNorthland Pines School Dis-trict teachers recertified their

union with a required vote.Richie said the teachers need-ed a yes vote from at least 63teachers to reach the mandat-ed 51% to recertify. He saidthey received 89 votes to con-tinue with the union.

Richie said there were 14 votes submitted as no votesand all others who didnt sub-mit a vote were recorded as

voting no. Teachers will haveto vote each year on whetherto maintain or not maintain aunion.

School start timeThe board voted unani-

mously to change the school

start and end times for bothteachers and students, to takeeffect at the start of the 2012-13 school year. The timeswere previously bargained aspart of the teachers contract,but the board can now set thetimes due to Act 10, accordingto Richie.

Teacher working hourswill be from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30p.m., Richie said. Were theonly school in the GreatNorthern Conference thatdoes not have an eight-hourday.

All students in the districtat all district schools also willhave a uniform start time andend time set at 8:25 a.m. to3:25 p.m.

The board also approved 7-0 a modified bell schedule tostart in the 2013-14 schoolyear. Richie said the schedulewill allow greater flexibilityfor shared staff between thehigh school and middle school.

It will also be easier tohave eighth-grade studentstake classes at the highschool, said Richie.

Board electionsThere will be three school

board members up for electionnext spring. They are McCor-mack for the Land O Lakesarea, Sarama for the at-largeseat, and Neff for St. Ger-main.

Changes in the law cover-ing school district referen-dums also was explained tothe board by Richie.

A change in the law nowrequires us to have the schoolboard pass a referendum reso-lution at least 70 days prior tothe actual public vote. Theprior requirement was atleast 42 days, said Richie.We could do an operating ref-erendum in either Februaryor April of 2013 for the 2013-14 school year.

If the public vote is inFebruary 2013, the board res-olution for an operating refer-endum to exceed the revenuelimit has to be passed by Dec.8, 2012. If the public vote is in

April 2013, the board resolu-tion needs to be approved byJan. 19, 2013.

Board gives OKto long-term carefor Pines teachers

___________

BY KENANDERSONNEWS CORRESPONDENT

___________

Workers at the AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile DerbyTrack have been busy spraying thousands of gallons of water on

the track during cold days and nights, building the ice oval for Vin-tage weekend and Derby weekend. --STAFF PHOTOS

Derby: two new Oval classes plannedFROM PAGE 1A

degrees.Meanwhile, a 4,000-gallon

tanker truck is used to spraywater on the oval spillingmore than 2 million gallons ofwater on frigid nights.

What started with a cross-country race in 1964 is now astadium-style spectacle, asthousands of race fans packinto the only racing facility inthe world that is dedicatedexclusively to snowmobile rac-ing complete with corporate

suites and indoor hot seats forthose who favor comfortableviewing.

As if world-class Oval racingand high-flying Sno-Cross bat-tles werent enough of a draw,Derby officials came up withthe first and best under-the-lights show Friday NightThunder.

The big question this year iswhether P.J. Wanderscheid ofSauk Centre, Minn., can win afifth championship after hisrecord-setting fourth title in2011 on an Arctic Cat.

For the second straight year,the 2012 championship raceSunday afternoon will be a 30-lap event with a mandatory pitstop after 15 laps. Last year,

the midrace champ was GaryMoyle of Houghton, Mich., on aSki-Doo, who led the wholeway. In second was the persis-tent Wandersheid, who was try-ing to be the first racer ever towin four world championshipsat Eagle River.

To make the stop morerewarding, there was a $2,500payout to the Jimmy Johnsmidrace winner. That cash pay-out will be repeated this year.

In the second 15 laps, Moyleand Wanderscheid exchangedleads on almost every lap, withWanderscheid keeping it lowand tight and Moyle taking thehigh line. But the snow and icebuildup on the track became

too much for Moyle to drivethrough and Wanderscheidtook the checkered in whatmany say was the most excit-ing race in recent history.

The 2012 Derby promises tobe another battle of the greats,as the field will include Wan-derscheid, two-time championMoyle, who won in 2005 and2007, and Jacques Villeneuveof St. Cuthbert, Quebec, whofinished third last year at age57 after coming from a second-row start.

The Top 10 field is soincredibly competitive and,even then, it is impossible topredict who might emerge asthe new world champion, said

Achterberg. It could be any of

the racers who made it to thefinal last year, and we saw sev-eral new, young faces.

New featuresThere will be several new

attractions for race fans duringDerby Weekend, including theunique Outlaw 600 Class andthe speedy Factory 600 ChampClass.

The Factory 600 Champsleds will have 600cc motors, sothey will have less horsepower,but more torque than the WorldChampionship Champ sleds,said Achterberg. I think they

will be a little faster than theChamp sleds. We are expectingeight to 10 of these sleds fromout East, where the class wasdeveloped.

Because of the uniquedesign of the sleds, the Outlaw600 Class is expected to be abig attraction for fans, accord-ing to Achterberg.

This revolutionary new racesled places the driver in a left-side cockpit driving position,surrounded by a full roll cageand driven much like a Sprintcar, with a steering wheel, foot-pedal controls and a five-pointharness, he said.

The Eagle River Outlaw 600Class will be part of a nine-event series at tracks in Wis-consin, Minnesota, Iowa and inManitoba, Canada. Achterbergsaid the Outlaw 600 sleds willbe on the AMSOIL Derby Trackthroughout the weekend,including Friday night andSunday.

Besides oval racing, the Der-by has been offering high-flyingSno-Cross events since the ear-ly 1980s on a specially con-structed track inside the oval.Returning for a third year isthe Great Northern Sno-CrossSeries, which will feature sevenrace events.

Achterberg said he expectsmore pro Sno-Cross teams to be

on the track at this years Der-by because the ESPN X-Gameshas dropped Sno-Cross racingfrom its schedule.

Were expecting the bestSno-Cross racing ever at theDerby, said Achterberg. Plus,we will have the highly compet-itive Great Northern Sno-CossSeries racers.

Vintage first Achterberg said the 2012

event will actually be a 10-dayshow that opens Jan. 13-15with the Vintage World Cham-pionships, presented by

Woodys.For the last nine years, the

venerable machines ofyesteryear have started theseason with their own weekendof classic racing, said Achter-berg.

He said race officials alreadyhave registered 420 entries forthe Vintage weekend.

Vintage racing is strongerthan ever and we expect thatnumber to double by the timethe first vintage races startJan. 13, said Achterberg.

He said vintage race fans getto relive a bygone era by watch-ing races that pit sleds from

six, seven and even eight differ-ent manufacturers.The iron youll see on the ice

oval is superbly restored and,in many cases, hand-built, said

Achterberg. Vintage racingjust continues to grow in popu-larity.

The big weekendBut the event that put Eagle

River and even Wisconsin onthe international map willstart Thursday, Jan. 19, withall-day practice sessions forboth Oval and Sno-Cross rac-ers. Time trials for the Ovalworld championship class willbe run under the lights Thurs-day night.

After a full day of qualifica-

tion racing Friday in both Ovaland Sno-Cross, fans will packthe Derby grounds Fridaynight for the most progressiveand most popular event theParts Unlimited Friday NightThunder show.

In what Achterberg callsundisputedly the best show insnowmobile racing, the under-the-lights show features racesin Sno-Cross and Oval classes.Past events have rocked thecity with blasting rock n rollmusic and an enormous fire-works display.

Returning, by popular

demand, is the Sweet Sixteenevent where the top worldchampionship qualifiers gohead-to-head under the lightsto determine who will sit thepole in Sundays championshiprace.

Were going to take the top16 qualifiers, run two heatraces with eight machines ineach, and pull five racers fromeach heat for the final, said

Achterberg. The winner isautomatically qualified in theTop 10 and will sit the poleposition. The winner wonthave to gruel it out in qualifica-tions Saturday afternoon.

Saturday will bring bothclass finals and qualifying inthe morning, with the entireafternoon dedicated to qualify-ing the Top 10 finalists for Sun-days 3 p.m. World Champi-onship event.

Sunday, championship day,means finals in the most com-petitive classes. The biggestraces will be a Pro Open Sno-Cross championship at 2:30p.m. and the Oval champi-onship at 3 p.m.

For information on ticketsales, go to derbytrack.com orcall (715) 479-4424.

AMSOIL Derby Track owner Chuck Deckeradjusted the settings on his Areco snow-making

machine last Friday. The snow is used for theSno-Cross course.

VILAS COUNTY

NEWS-REVIEWPublished weekly by

Eagle River Publications, Inc.Eagle River, WI 54521

www.vilascountynewsreview.comConsolidation of the Vilas County News,

the Eagle River Review andThe Three Lakes News

Publication #659480

Member of the Wisconsin Newspaper Associationand the National Newspaper Association

Entered as periodical mail matter atthe post office, Eagle River, WI 54521,under act of March 3, 1879. Subscriptionprice in Wisconsin, Vilas and Oneida coun-ties only, is $50.00 per year, all of Wiscon-sin except for Vilas and Oneida counties,$57.00 per year. Out of Wisconsin, $68.00per year. Subscription payable in advance.Published every Wednesday.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes,form 3579, to Vilas County News-Review,Inc., P.O. Box 1929, Eagle River, WI 54521,phone 715-479-4421, fax 715-479-6242.

Wisconsins

North Woods

North of the Tension Zone


4/14


OBITUARIES

Phillip Christensen ofPhelps died Monday, Dec. 26,2011. He was 89.

Mr. Christensen was bornApril 17, 1922, in Chicago, Ill.

A funeral service will beheld Saturday, Dec. 31, at 11a.m. at St. Johns LutheranChurch in Phelps. Visitation

will take place prior to the service, and visitation Fridayevening is pending.

In lieu of flowers, memorialsshould be directed to the fami-ly.

For more information, con-tact Carlson Funeral Home inRhinelander at (715) 369-1414.

Phillip Christensen

Carl John Obe Oberlan-der, a resident of Eagle Riversince 1964 and a former resi-dent of Milwaukee, died Sun-day, Dec.25, 2011 in EagleRiver. He was 87.

Mr. Oberlander was bornJune 27, 1924, in Milwaukee,the son of Henry and BarbaraOberlander.

He served in the U.S. Navyduring World War II on thebattleship USS Cleveland (forwhich he was a plank owner)in the South Pacific.

Mr. Oberlander worked asa plumber in Milwaukee andowned Carls Plumbing andPump Service in Eagle River.He owned and operated Idle-Awhile Resort on Duck Lakewith his wife. He retired after20 years of service as an engi-neer with Eagle River Memo-rial Hospital.

His interests included pho-tography, wine making, jewel-

ry making, H.O. railroading,R.C. flying, and coin collect-ing. He also was interested inrocks. In his younger years heenjoyed hunting and fishing.

Mr. Oberlander was in amodel-railroading club inRhinelander and in the SkyBarons Flying Club in EagleRiver.

He was preceded in deathby his wife, Janice; his daugh-ter, Holly; his parents; his sis-ter, Betty; and his brotherHenry, Jr.

His survivors include twosons, Bruce (Ginny) of EagleRiver and Wayne (Judy) ofIron River, Mich.; 10 grand-children; and 15 great-grand-children.

A memorial service will beheld Saturday, Jan. 7, at 3p.m. at Gaffney-Busha Funer-al Home in Eagle River. Visi-tation will be held from noonto 3 p.m.

Carl John Obe Oberlander

James Blake Schofield, aPhelps resident since 1962and formerly of Three Lakes,died Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011,at his home. He was 79.

He was born Dec. 30, 1931,in Staten Island, N.Y., the sonof James and CatherineSchofield.

In 1955, Mr. Schofieldbecame one of the Norther-

naire Serenaders. In lateryears he was the proprietor ofNorthwoods Wildlife StudioGallery in Phelps.

Mr. Schofield was precededin death by his parents; onebrother, James; and one sister,Janice Mueller.

Survivors include his wife,Kathleen (nee McElroy); onesister, Barbara Parker of

North Mass-apequa, N.Y.;two brothers,George (Mari-anne) ofPhelps andMichael Per-fetto of Boy-ton Beach,Fla.; andmany nieces

and nephews.A celebration of life service

will be held Friday, Dec. 30, at11 a.m. at Twin Lakes BibleChurch in Phelps. Visitationwill be at the church from 10a.m. until the time of service.

Interment will be at PhelpsCemetery in spring 2012.

A memorial will be set upin Mr. Schofields name.

James Blake Schofield

NoticeThe town of Washington Board of Supervisors willhold their January meeting on WEDNESDAY, Jan. 4,2012, at 6:30 p.m. at the Washington Town Hall.

Michele SanbornTown of Washington Clerk1915

Gaffney-Busha Funeral HomeAlpha Crematory & Chapel

Tom & Joe Busha, Barry Wallis, Funeral Directors 715-479-4777www.gaffney-busha.com

Locally owned and operated since 1908

VILAS COUNTYS ONLY CREMATORY

Traditional Services Prearrangements Cremation Monuments

Mary D. Aman passedaway at theage of 80, onDec. 6, 2011,after anextended ill-ness at St.James Healthand Rehabili-tation Center,

Carrabelle, Fla.She was born Mary DellaBaggett on June 21, 1931, inDixon, Tenn., to parents Edgarand Ethel Baggett.

After graduating from highschool in Missouri in 1949, shemoved to Chicago, Ill., whereshe met the love of her life,Fred Aman. After a briefcourtship, they married onApril 1, 1952.

After her husband servedin Korea, Mary and Fredmade their home in northernWisconsin, where they raisedthree children in Land OLakes, Wis.

Mary worked devotedlyalongside Fred for 25 years athis taxidermy studio, and also

was an essential partner intheir art gallery and gift shop, Amans Gallery North, inEagle River, Wis.

Without a doubt, one of thegreatest joys in her life washer two granddaughters. Theyfilled a special place in her

heart, like no other. After moving to Lanark,

Fla., nearly 30 years ago, shebecame involved in the localgarden club, boat club, ladiesclub, as well as the River ofLife Church.

Mary always kept an upbeatattitude, no matter what chal-lenges life presented, and wasa friend to everyone she met.

In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to Big Bend Hos-pice, 1723 Mahan CenterBlvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308.

A memorial service washeld Dec. 11, 2011, at LanarkVillage Community Church.

Mary is survived by herhusband, Fred Aman; son,Robert (Bob) Aman; anddaughter, Nancy Aman. Shealso is survived by grand-daughters, Alison Fischer andMiranda Fischer.

She is further survived bybrothers, Guy Baggett andBob Baggett; and sisters, Mar-garet Edwards, Ruth Bess andJune Baskin.

She was preceded in deathby her parents; son, Carl

Aman; brother, Ed Baggett;and sister, Hazel Hafner.

Bevis Funeral Home, Har- vey-Young Chapel, Craw-fordville, Fla., is in charge ofarrangements, (850) 926-3333or bevisfh.com.

PAID OBITUARY

Mary D. Aman

6391

AMAN

M a rga re tG. Oxley, age97, of Phelps,Wis., and for-merly of theW o o d r u f f ,Wis., area,died on Satur-day, Dec. 17,2011, at Lil-lian E. KerrNursing Home in Phelps.

She was born on Dec. 11,1914, in Fairview, Mont., toGeorge and Irene Ledyard.

She was married to RossOxley on July 19, 1938, inMinocqua, Wis.

Margaret enjoyed embroi-dery and her plants.

She was a member ofPhelps Congregational Churchand a lifetime member of theDaughters of Rebekah inWoodruff.

She was preceded in deathby her husband, Ross; her par-

ents; and her sister, MildredOlson.

She is survived by her sons,Roland (Anna) Oxley of Mack-ay, Idaho, Philip (Linda) Oxleyof Forest Grove, Ore., John

(Martha) Oxley of Sanborn,Wis., Justin (Polly) Oxley of Amherst, Wis., and Lynn(Tami) Oxley of Polaski, Wis.;daughters, Jacqueline (Stan-ley) Robbins of Champion,Mich., and Maribeth (Michael)Conner of Newport, Ore.;grandchildren, Gordon, Kath-leen, Anne Marie, Kari, Nicole,John, Julie, Laura, Steven,Kristin, Heidi, Mandy, Jason,Michael and Jennifer; great-grandchildren, Grant, Mason, Amy, Alex, Tanner, Cara,Stephanie, Lauren, Madelyn,Kevin, Aili, Noah, Nathan,Sarah, Kathryn, Grace, Cray,Carson, Riley and Megan;great-great-grandchildren,Aubrie and Bentley; sisters-in-law, Phyllis Falk of Woodruffand Rita Oxley of Merrill, Wis.;brother-in-law, Norris Oxley ofWoodruff; nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will beheld at noon on Friday, Dec.

30, 2011, at Gaffney-BushaFuneral Home in Eagle River,Wis. Visitation will be heldone hour prior to services atthe funeral home.

PAID OBITUARY

Margaret G. Oxley

6393

OXLEY

Lynne Panciof Eagle River,beloved wife,mother, sister,daughter andfriend, died athome Thurs-day, Dec. 22,2011, of ovari-an cancer. Shewas 55.

Lynne Coyer was born July2, 1956, to Martin and JoanCoyer in Grand Rapids, Minn.She grew up in Cloquet andBemidji, Minn., and graduatedfrom Bemidji State Universitywith a degree in Environmen-tal Studies.

Lynne married Joe PanciJune 30, 1984, in Eagle River.They have one daughter, Han-nah, who is currently complet-ing a masters degree at theUniversity of Minnesota-Duluth.

Lynne worked for the U.S.Forest Service and for MoonBeach Camp as the office man-ager.

She was active in Girl Scoutsfor many years, both as a youthand an adult. Lynne loved out-door activities, including bik-ing, cross-country skiing,canoeing and hiking. She mademany beautiful quilts andloved to travel, read and workon jigsaw and crossword puz-zles.

Survivors include her hus-band, Joe; and daughter, Han-nah; her parents, Martin andJoan Coyer, Grand Rapids,Minn.; sisters, Gayle Coyer,Two Harbors, Minn., Cheryl(Mark) Couch, Palmer, Alaska,Jill (Bill) DeVita, StevensPoint, Wis., and Christy (Dar-ren) Scovel, Seattle, Wash.; andmany in-laws, cousins, niecesand nephews.

A memorial service will beheld Jan. 7, 2012, at 1 p.m. atMoon Beach Camp, St. Ger-main. Memorial donations canbe made to the Three EagleTrail Foundation, P.O. Box 297,Three Lakes, WI 54562.

PAID OBITUARY

Lynne Panci

6394

PANCI

A n d r e aKnight Peildied Friday,Dec. 16, 2011,in Medford,Ore.

She wasborn Nov. 11,1924, in St.Louis, Mo., toWalter J.Knight, engineer, and AnitaGaebler Knight, poet/play-wright.

A Mayflower descendant,her ancestors settled in St.Louis circa 1820.

Andrea, the youngestdaughter, was a graduate of

Mary Institute and thenWashington University, whereshe studied art and paintingtechniques under the direc-tion of Max Beckmann. Andrea also was a fashionmodel pictured in many maga-zines and newspapers, andeven had a Hollywood screentest with William Holden.

Andrea married John W.Peil in May of 1951, and theywere happily married for 50years. John passed away inAugust 2001.

She is survived by her threesons, Jack (and wife, Linda),Michael and Tom (and wife,Kiernan); and three grand-children, Victoria, Jamisonand Hilary Peil.

Andrea was a wonderfulwife and mother. Sheexpressed a talent for so manythings. She would write downand study her dreams, analyzehandwriting and read palms!

Andrea loved to travelinternationally and herfavorite destination was Paris,France. A great lover of the-ater, she continued to go, withassistance, to the Fox andMuni Opera until 2010. As lit-tle as six weeks before herdeath, Andrea visited the St.Louis Art Museum to seeMonets Water Lilies.

Our mother had a full andwonderful life. Her place ofpeace and tranquility was thefamilys much-loved northernWisconsin summer home,Blueberry Camp, on LostLake, where she hosted manyartist retreats and seminars.

While there, Mother lovedto canoe, water-ski or justwalk in the woods. Andreawas an observer. She loved tosimply be present in nature oramongst people . . . also senti-mental, as her tears flowedeasily for any reason, be theyfrom joys or sorrows.

Her love of nature includedsaving endangered wolves,

afternoons stalking unusualshapes in driftwood and hikesseeking wild mushrooms.

After her sons left the nest,she created an artists studioin the home and excelled inabstract watercolor paintingwith a multimedium stylethat won acclaim as well asmany national awards.

She spent several yearswriting a self-published auto-biography of her mother, titledMirror Shadows.

Her fascination with South-western Indian culture founditself expressed in many of herhundreds of paintings. Andreawas very proud of her familyand its history. Her paintingscaptured an infusion of the

mystical and sensual and hid-den.

Mother turned heads whenshe entered a room with herbeauty, elegance and charm.

Her spirit still lives on inher sons and grandchildren, inher paintings and the spell-binding beauty of the North-woods.

The family will have a pri-vate ceremony at a later date.

Arrangements by Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home, Ash-land, Ore., www.litwillersi-monsen.com.

PAID OBITUARY

Andrea Knight Peil

6390

PEIL

Nancy Rozga, age 72, ofEagle River, Wis., died on Sat-urday, Dec. 24, 2011, at St.Josephs Hospital in Marsh-field, Wis.

She was born on Jan. 12,1939, in Milwaukee, Wis., thedaughter of Frank andCatharine Kopushar. Nancyhas been a resident of EagleRiver since 1973.

She was retired from EagleRiver Memorial Hospital withmore than 30 years of service.

Nancy was on the board ofthe Eagle River Chapter ofFishing Has No Boundaries,a member of the Eagle RiverMemorial Hospital Auxiliaryand the Northwoods Patriots.

Nancy is survived by her

husband of 53 years, Bob, ofEagle River; daughter,Charisse (Scott) Anderson ofEagle River; sons, Michael(Jan) of Indianola, Iowa, Gre-gory (Laura) of Blue Island,

Ill., and James (Laura) ofEagle River; grandchildren,Kimberly, Kristen, Daniel,William and Natalie.

She was preceded in deathby her parents; brother, Don-ald; sister, Rosemary; andgrandson, David.

Funeral services will beheld at 11 a.m. on Thursday,Dec. 29, 2011, at St. TheresaCatholic Church in ThreeLakes, Wis. Father WilliamHorath will preside.

Visitation will be held from 3to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec.28, 2011, at Gaffney-BushaFuneral Home in Eagle Riverand for one hour prior to theservice at the church on Thurs-day.

Burial will be in St. PeterCatholic Cemetery in thespring.

Memorials to the KidneyFoundation would be appreci-ated. PAID OBITUARY

Nancy Rozga

6395

SCHOFIELD

DONATION TO SERVE Richard Donohoe, left, on behalf ofEdward Jones Financial, presented a $500 donation to DonAnderson, president of the Senior Eagle River Volunteer Enter-prise group at the Kalmar Center. --STAFF PHOTO

In recent weeks, a numberof Wisconsinites have visitedlocal Division of Motor Vehi-cles (DMV) customer servicecenters to request voter iden-tification (ID) cards only todiscover they already haveone a Wisconsin driverslicense.

Theres a lot of confusion

out there as to what is need-ed, and we want people toknow that the vast majority ofpeople already have anacceptable photo ID for vot-ing, and its their Wisconsindrivers license, said DMVdeputy administrator PatrickFernan. Were seeing peoplewho think there is a separatevoter ID card that is needed,and that simply does notexist.

What does exist is what theDMV has always issued drivers licenses and ID cards.What is different is that they,or some other acceptable pho-to ID, are now required forvoting.

Currently, more than 4.1

million Wisconsinites have adrivers license. Another481,810 Wisconsinites have aWisconsin ID card, issued bythe DMV. Wisconsin ID cardsare also acceptable as photoID at the polls.

For people who dont havean acceptable photo ID for

voting and want one, theDMV can issue a photo IDfree of charge if they meet therequirements.

Drivers license receiptsand ID card receipts issued bythe DMV and valid for 45days are also acceptable formsof photo ID for voting. Formore information, visit wis-

consindmv.gov.The Government Account-ability Board noted that anunexpired Wisconsin driverslicense is the most commonacceptable photo ID for vot-ing.

An expired Wisconsin driv-ers license or ID is alsoacceptable, as long as itexpired within two years afterthe most recent general elec-tion (Nov. 2, 2010). In otherwords, if a Wisconsin ID ordrivers license expired inDecember 2010, it can still beused for voting purposes inthe November 2012 generalelection.

For more information aboutvoting in Wisconsin, visit the

Wisconsin Government Accountability Board onlineat gab.wi.gov.

Drivers license acceptedfor voter identification

ANTIQUES WANTED

PAYING CASH

FOR THE FOLLOWING:

Crocks, jugs, earthenware bowls & pitchers;art pottery, Roseville, Hull, etc.; cookie jars;hand-decorated china; glassware beforeWWII; patchwork quilts & fancywork; Orien-tal rugs; picture frames; clocks, watches &fobs; jewelry; oil lamps; elec. lamps w/glassshades; old advertising items, signs,posters, containers, boxes, mixing bowls,etc., especially from Eagle River; coin-oper-ated machines, slots, peanut, etc.; shot-guns, rifles & handguns; hunting knives;wooden duck & fish decoys; old tackle box-es & lures; rods, reels & creels; glass min-now traps; old tools; toys of all kinds, trains,trucks, tractors, tin wind-ups, games, dolls,etc.; enamelware, especially bright colors;old photos of interiors & outdoor activities;all magazines before WWII; postcards (pre-1920); coin & stamp collections; old wood

carvings of animals, etc. Check with mebefore you sell.

Call Jim at (715) 479-1459 4946

Available 24 hours a day,seven days a week.

Wisconsins North Woodsyours to enjoy.


5/14


A 19-year-old Lac du Flam-beau man entered a plea of nocontest to an amended chargeof fourth-degree sexualassault and a deferred entry of

judgment was approved in Vilas County Circuit Courtlast week.

Justin M. Theobald will beconvicted of misdemeanor sex-ual assault if conditions of the12-month deferred entry of

judgement are met.According to court records,

Theobald had a sexualencounter with a 14-year-oldgirl Sept. 5, 2011, in the base-ment bedroom of a Lac duFlambeau residence. The girlis now 15.

Circuit Judge Neal A.Nielsen III said conditions ofTheobalds deferred entry of

judgement include he mustundergo an assessment onsexual behaviors, completeany counseling as deemed nec-essary by the agent and com-mit no crimes.

Theobald was orignallycharged with sexual assault ofa child under age 16, a felony.

In other felony cases, Arlene M. Poupart, 41, of Lacdu Flambeau, charged withmanufacturing or delivery ofmarijuana, possession withintent to deliver marijuanaand possession of drug para-phernalia, had a preliminaryhearing set for Jan. 30 at 8:45a.m.

According to the complaint,Poupart was arrested Sept. 9at her home in Lac du Flam-beau following the executionof a search warrant by lawenforcement officers.

Officers reported theyfound a large indoor marijua-na grow in a pull-behind trail-er parked near the residence,a large outdoor marijuanagrow just inside the wood linenear the residence, an indoorgrow in the basement andfound marijuana drying in anupper-level room. They alsofound pipes, heat lamps, mir-rors and lighting ballasts.

Thomas J. Wilde, 53, of Lacdu Flambeau, also was arrest-ed at the scene. He was trans-ported to Howard Young Med-ical Center in Woodruff for asuspected heart problem. Offi-cers said he escaped from thehospital with an IV still in hisarm.

Shasta Star Klingman, 35,of Watersmeet, Mich., chargedwith substantial battery, wasdenied a motion to dismiss thecase. Klingmans attorney,Mark E. McDonald, made amotion to dismiss the case, butJudge Nielsen denied the

motion.McDonald made the motionto dismiss the case on groundsthat evidence presented at thepreliminary hearing did notsupport a finding that Kling-man committed the chargedcrime. The attorney also madea motion to compel discovery,which the court granted.

A status on discovery hear-ing was set for Jan. 5 at 8:15a.m. The case is scheduled fora jury trial Jan. 18 at 8:30 a.m.

According to the complaint,Klingman was involved in aphysical altercation with mul-tiple people at 1938 North barin Land O Lakes Dec. 5, 2010.Klingman is alleged to havekicked one of the victims while

the woman was on the ground.Phil W. Poitra, 29, of Lac du

Flambeau, charged with oper-ating while intoxicated with aminor child in the vehicle, fifthoffense, had a preliminaryhearing set for Jan. 19 at 10a.m.

Poitra picked up the 3-year-old girl from a babysitter Dec.3, and the complainant calledauthorities, because shethought Poitra may be intoxi-cated and left her house withthe child. He was arrested onCounty Highway D in Lac duFlambeau. He also was citedfor violating the child safetyrestraint law and failing tostop at a stop sign. Poitra toldofficers he had six to eightbeers at a bar prior to pickingup the girl at the babysitter.

A request to modify Poitras$500 cash bail and $5,000 sig-nature bond was denied. Con-ditions of his bond include nodriving and not to possess orconsume intoxicants.

Tanner Wayman, 35, of Lacdu Flambeau, who was placedon probation for two yearsDec. 20, 2010, after he wasconvicted of substantial bat-tery, was back in Vilas CountyCircuit Court last week for asentencing hearing on revoca-tion due to a new charge ofmisdemeanor theft Jan. 25,2010. He was sentenced to 291days in jail on the revocationand nine months in jail on themisdemeanor charge, to runconcurrent. He was givencredit for 291 days served in

jail.James B. Armstrong, 24, of

Lac du Flambeau, had adeferred entry of judgementapproved on an amended

charge of misdemeanor theft.He was originally chargedwith operating a motor vehiclewithout the owners consent, afelony. He also pleaded no con-test to a charge of operating a

vehicle without a license, thirdoffense.

Armstrong allegedly tookanother persons automobilefollowing a house party Sept.4, 2010, and crashed the vehi-cle along Highway D in Lac duFlambeau. He was cited foroperating while intoxicatedwith a blood alcohol level of.20. The car was valued at$1,500.

Other conditions of Arm-strongs deferred entry of

judgement for the next 12months include commit nocrimes and not to consumeintoxicants. The theft convic-tion will be dismissed if hecompletes the deferred entryof judgement conditions. Arm-strong was fined $226 on theoperating without a license

conviction. The fine must bepaid by Feb. 19.Joseph G. Wildcat Sr., 49, of

Lac du Flambeau, chargedwith two counts of threats toinjure or accuse of a crime,had a jury trial postponedfrom last Wednesday, as Wild-cats attorney, Jeffrey Jack-omino, and District Attorney

Albert Moustakis requested astipulated disposition of thecase.

Wildcat was arrested foroperating while intoxicated in2008 and is alleged to haveattempted to make Lac duFlambeau police officer DanRice and Police Chief BobBrandenberg withdraw theOWI complaint.

Vilas County Court report

Deferred entry of judgment approvedin Lac du Flambeau sexual assault case

5353 HIGHWAY 70 WEST 715-479-4461 800-341-4421

Parsons Collision CenterParsons Collision Center

Striving to do whats best for you!DAVE

FREE estimates

Computerized estimates,

some linked directly with

insurance companies.We do work with ALL

insurance companies.

Loaner vehicles on site

(based on availability) FREE shuttle service

We service ALL makes

and models of cars

and trucks Lifetime paint warranty

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FREE LOANER CARwith any collision repair with qualified estimate

We work directly with your insurance company so you dont have to.

For more information,please contact Dave Menden at715-479-4461 or 800-341-4421

or [email protected]

A Body Shop You Can Trust

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Spray-on Bed Liners$375 + TaxTruxedos

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(715) 356-7311Toll Free:

1-800-356-1835

7560 Poplar DriveMinocqua, WI 54548

VILAS COUNTY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT VACANCY

Vilas County is looking for a person to serve on the Board of Adjust-ment as a second alternate member to replace regular members intimes of absence. The applicant must reside in one of the following Vilas County towns: Boulder Junction, Lincoln, Manitowish Waters,Plum Lake, Presque Isle, St. Germain, Washington or Winchester. TheBoard of Adjustment hears and decides appeals from decisions madeby the Vilas County Zoning Committee and considers variances fromthe Ordinance using legally accepted criteria. Board members receive$47 per diem and mileage pay at the IRS rate for hearings attended.

Questions and rsums can be directed to:

Dawn Schmidt, Zoning Administrator330 Court St.

Eagle River, WI 54521(715) 479-3765

The deadline for rsums is January 13, 2012.1912

NEWS

TWO-CAR ACCIDENT Two cars collided last Thursday at theintersection of highways 70 and 45 in Eagle River. Airbags were

deployed in the accident, although no transport was announced byEagle River 911. --Staff Photo By ANTHONY DREW

Grow North to meetJan. 18 in Crandon

Grow North Regional Eco-nomic Development Corpora-tions next meeting of the gen-eral membership will beWednesday, Jan. 18, at theForest County Courthouse

located at 200 East MadisonAvenue in Crandon.Members and interested

guests are invited to attend.The meeting will begin at 9a.m. and conclude no later than10:30 a.m., and will include apresentation on Broadbandfrom Dr. Andy Lewis, Office ofBroadband Sustainability, Uni-

versity of Wisconsin Extension,and will showcase NorthernLake Service.

The event also includes theopportunity to tour NorthernLake Service. Grow NorthRegional Economic Develop-

ment Corporation was createdin 2004 to foster cooperationamong economic developmentpartners, and foster economicgrowth efforts in Forest,Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida

and Vilas counties.Members determine theactions of Grow North, andthe primary source of fundingis the annual dues paid byeach of its members. Annualdues range from $100 to$2,000 per entity, and entitleeach paying member entity toone vote at the annual Meet-ing and one vote on all issuesthat come before the corpora-tion at regular membershipmeetings.

For more information, visitthe Grow North website atwww.grownorth.org.

The Vilas County PublicHealth Department, a state ofWisconsin Department of

Agriculture, Trade and Con-sumer Protection-certifiedwater testing laboratory, hasoffered the coliform bacteriatests since 2006.

The department charges$12 per water sample. Bottlescan be picked up at the VilasCounty Public Health Depart-ment at the courthouse inEagle River during normalbusiness hours.

Coliform bacteria are natu-rally occurring in soil and are

found on vegetation and insurface waters, according to April Springer of the healthdepartment.

Water from a well properlylocated and constructedshould be free of coliform bac-teria, said Springer. Whilecoliform do not generallycause illness in healthy indi-

viduals, their presence in wellwater indicates the water sys-tem is at risk to more seriousforms of contamination.

Most bacteria entering theground surface along withrainwater or snowmelt are fil-tered out as the water seepsthrough the soil, according toSpringer.

However, several strainsof bacteria can survive a longtime and find their way intothe groundwater by movingthrough coarse soils, shallowfractured bedrock, quarries,sinkholes, inadequately grout-ed wells or cracks in the wellcasing, said Springer.

Insects or small rodents alsocan carry bacteria into wells

with inadequate caps or seals.To ensure your well is notcontaminated, it is recom-mended to regularly test yourwater, said Springer. Youshould have your water testedat least annually and whenev-er you notice a change in thetaste, odor or color of thewater.

For more information, con-tact the Vilas County PublicHealth Department at (715)479-3656.

Coliform bacteria water testingavailable at health department

REMEMBER: 55 AT NIGHT

Safety First

Vilas County PersonnelCommittee Wednesday,Dec. 28, 2:30 p.m., courthouse.

Agenda: Discuss expiration ofthe collective bargainingagreement/work rules.

Vilas County BoardTransition Committee Wednesday, Dec. 28, 4 p.m.,courthouse. Agenda: Estab-lish interim work rules.

Vilas County BoardCommunications Commit-tee Thursday, Dec. 29, 1p.m., Vilas County JusticeCenter Agenda: tower main-tenance and Emergency Med-ical Services radio systems.

Vilas County ADRC/Human Services Commit-tee Wednesday, Jan. 4,9:45 a.m., courthouse. Agen-da: Discussion of Intergovern-mental Cooperative Agree-ment and Long Term CareDistrict.

Eagle River Plan Com-mission Wednesday, Jan.4, 6 p.m., City Hall. Agenda: amajority of the City Councilmay be present for decision-making purposes.

GOVERNMENT

MEETINGS School MealsWe serve education every day


6/14


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Heather and Mike Will, owners of the Heart II Bar &Grill, announced plans for a full-service tiki bar in thespring of 2012. --Staff Photo By JULIE SCHIDDEL

Heart II Bar & Grillplans tiki bar addition

After officially openingfor business this pastJuly, Heart II Bar & Grillin Arbor Vitae hasannounced plans to add afull-service tiki bar for thespring of 2012.

Owners Mike and

Heather Will said the newaddition will overlook theestablishments volleyballcourts and horseshoe pits.

Heart II, located at11023 Highway 70 E., fea-tures a full menu includ-ing homemade pizza,soups and sandwichesand a Friday fish fry.

Customers can keepwarm near the fieldstonefireplace while they takeadvantage of daily foodand drink specials. Spe-cials also are available forPackers games, whichpatrons can view on fourhigh-definition televisions.

Although there is live

music every Saturday atHeart II, a performanceby Chicago-style bluesartist Michael Murphy is

planned for New YearsEve beginning at 9 p.m.

Were going to havefree food and champagneat midnight, along withparty favors and hats,said Mike Will.

Heather Will said she

and Mike both grew up inSt. Germain. Heather hasbeen in the bar and grillindustry for the past nineyears, while Mikereceived a bachelorsdegree in hospitality man-agement from UW-Stout.

Were also raising twoyoung children, she said.We have two sons, Cole,who is 4 years old, andBrody who is 1.

Like many who grewup in the North Woods,the Wills said they live itup by snowmobiling, boat-ing and icefishing.

Hours for Heart II areWednesdays through

Mondays from 11 a.m. tobar close. For more infor-mation, contact the busi-ness at (715) 358-7000.

PRIZE GIVEAWAY Parsons of Eagle River announced the win-ners of its holiday giveaway prizes. Taking part in the presentationwere, from left, Parsons of Eagle River general manager Bill

Weber; Don Goldschmidt, winner of a $50 Visa card; MikeTomaszewski, winner of an iPad 2; and new car manager BrandeeNieckula. Not shown is John Geniesse, winner of a Kindle Fire.

--Contributed Photo

Three Lakes board report

Supervisors discuss DNR assessmentsdetailing Thunder, Maple Lake dams

Dam repairs in ThreeLakes was the prevailing top-ic at last weeks town boardmeeting, as supervisorsreviewed Department of Nat-ural Resources (DNR) assess-ments of Thunder and Maplelakes.

The water level in ThunderLake is currently above itslegal operating elevation andits dam has deteriorated,according to the DNR. Mean-while, the concrete in theMaple Lake dams spillway isin poor condition.

For Thunder Lake, theDNRs inspection also foundthat the dam couldnt achievecompliance with the lakescurrent operating elevation,the lake overflows itsembankments during times ofhigh water and the concretestructure has deteriorated tothe extent that the only flowgoing through was leakage.

In addition, unauthorizedalterations to the dam in 2002

effectively reduced its spill-way to one-third of what itwas prior.

The town is now required totake four actions as a result ofthe DNRs findings, accordingTown Chairman Don Sidlows-ki. The compliance dates forthose actions are as follows:

March 31, 2012, the

town must submit a permitapplication for new water lev-els or take action to return thedam to where it can meet itslegal operating level;

Sept. 30, 2012, completeconstruction of lowering thedams sill if a new water levelisnt being pursued;

June 30, 2013, submitpermit application for long-term rehabilitation of thedam; and

Sept 30, 2014, completeconstruction of long-termimprovements to the dam.

According to the report, ifthe town pursues a new oper-ating level for the lake, it willneed to obtain flowage ease-ments from lakeshore proper-ty owners.

Without even getting anengineer out there to look atit, this is a significantexpense, said Sidlowski, whoadded that one of the nextsteps should be to get a ball-park estimation of the costsinvolved with each dam.

Supervisor Steve Garbow-icz recommended the boardhold at least one special meet-

ing with Thunder Lakes pro-tection district and the cran-berry marsh owners.

Sidlowski said hed spokenwith both and agreed that theboard should hold specialmeetings.

The cranberry marsh own-ers told me they understandthey have a responsibility and

a vested interest in repairingthe dam, he said. After pre-liminary conversations,theyre both aware and oneson board financially.

For Maple Lake, Sidlowskisaid the bottom line is thatlooks can be deceiving. Whilethe standpipe appeared to bein good condition, once theengineer lifted its steel grate,the dams problems becameapparent.

The inspection found thatthe concrete in the dams spill-way is in faulty condition. Thevertical drop inlet was foundto be composed of cracked con-crete and exposed rebar, whilethe horizontal channel hadsignificant cracking and someleakage present.

The DNRs report recom-mended the construction of anauxiliary spillway to ease theburden during the restorationof the existing spillway.

If were going to do an aux-iliary spillway, to me it justbecomes a new spillway andthe old one becomes an auxil-iary, said Sidlowski. Eitherway, the bottom line is that, if

the concrete in that dam fails,the lake will drain.

The actions required for theMaple Lake dam and theircompliance dates are as fol-lows:

June 30, 2012, submitplans for concrete repairs ondams spillway;

Sept. 30, 2012, remove

brush from the damsembankments;

Sept. 30, 2013, completerepairs to spillway concrete;

Dec. 31, 2013, completeand submit for review aninspection and operation andmaintenance plan; completeand submit an interim emer-gency action plan and prepareand submit for review a damfailure analysis; and

Sept 30, 2014, completeand submit a final emergency-action plan.

Sidlowski said there wasntany good news about the dams.

However, this could begreat with all the repairs, hesaid. Were going to have twodams that will be good foranother 50 years.

In other action, the board: heard a report on the

final funding for the EastSchool Street reconstructionproject and approved a grantadministration payment toMSA Professional ServicesInc.;

approved operatorslicenses;

appointed election poll

workers to two-year terms; adopted a MUTCD sign

regulation implementationplan for 2012-15;

decided not to require aform to request changes intown snowmobile routes; and

adopted a planningphase project plan for SafeRoutes to School.

___________

BYANTHONY DREWNEWS-REVIEWASST. EDITOR

___________

Judges: OMelia and Bloom also in primaryFROM PAGE 1A

county and had two smallchildren at home, so I wentinto private practice to havemore flexibility.

Vocke has been a reserve judge across the state andbecame an alternative disputeresolution provider, and hasmediated and arbitrated morethan 1,000 civil disputes dur-ing his career as a privateneutral.

I believe my strong point isexperience, said Vocke. Ihave been a district attorney,a circuit judge, in privatepractice and a reserve judge.A big advantage I have to thepublic is I can hit the groundrunning.

Vocke graduated from theUniversity of Wisconsin LawSchool in 1973 before gaininghis first professional experi-ence as an assistant districtattorney in Racine Countyfrom 1973 to 1976 and as dis-trict attorney in Vilas Countyfrom 1976 to 1979. He hastried more than 100 jury trialsto verdict.

OMelia

A Rhinelander attorney for32 years, OMelia also is seek-ing to fill the vacancy createdby Judge Mangerson leavingthe bench.

OMelia announced his can-didacy a day after the 100th

anniversary celebration of hisfamilys law firm, OMelia,Schiek & McEldowney, whichwas founded in 1911 by hisgrandfather, A.J. OMelia.

I am confident that theextensive experience I havegained during the last 32years has prepared me to pre-side over all areas of the lawshould I be elected, said thelifelong Rhinelander resident.

My father, grandfatherand uncles practiced law and

served this community andregion. Its what they taught

me, said OMelia. It would bean honor to serve the citizensof Oneida County as circuitcourt judge.

Since graduating fromMarquette Law School in1979, OMelia has worked on awide array of cases in privatepractice. His experience in tri-al practice includes plaintiffand defense personal injurycases, family law, real estate,criminal, workers compensa-tion, unemployment insur-

ance and Social Security dis-ability.

Bloom

Bloom was a candidate forthe Oneida County Branch Ijudgeship four years ago whenCircuit Judge Robert E. Kin-ney retired in the middle ofhis term. Former OneidaCounty District AttorneyPatrick F. OMelia was ulti-mately appointed to fill Kin-neys chair and Bloom wasappointed to the district attor-neys office.

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IRON MOUNTAIN, MICH. The Department of Veter-ans Affairs (VA) continues tostrive toward its goal to end

veteran homelessness by 2015.The Secretary of VA, Eric

K. Shinseki, and Secretary ofHousing and Urban Develop-ment (HUD), Shaun Donovan,conducted a joint conferencecall last week to announce a12% decline in the number of

veterans classified as home-less, from January 2010 to2011.

In the Upper Peninsula ofMichigan and northern Wis-consin, homelessness may notbe as visible as in metropoli-tan areas but, without adoubt, it still exists in theserural areas.

Some homeless individu-als stay with friends (e.g.,couch surfing) or at one of thefew homeless shelters in ourrural areas, which are only

designed to provide a tempo-rary living accommodation,said Nicole Foster-Holdwick,homeless program coordina-tor for the Oscar G. Johnson

VA Medical Center in IronMountain, Mich.

According to statistics fromthe Michigan Coalition

Against Homelessness, therewere 84 homeless veterans inthe Upper Peninsula thatsought services from commu-nity agencies in 2010. Thetotal estimated total homelesspopulation in the same regionis 4,303, a nearly 80%increase since 2007.

Data provided by communi-ty service providers and shel-ters in northern Wisconsinshow 69 homeless adults andchildren in Langlade, Forest,Oneida and Vilas countiesand 31 homeless people inMarinette and Oconto coun-ties as of January 2011. Nospecific data was available onthe number of homeless veter-ans in northern Wisconsin.

To address the issue of vet-eran homelessness, the VA

has partnered with HUD toprovide vouchers to subsidizerental housing for homeless

veterans and their immediatefamilies.

The VA screens eligible vet-

erans and provides case man-agement, while HUD providesthe rental subsidies from itsHousing Choice program.There are currently 14 vouch-ers being used by veterans inthe Upper Peninsula of Michi-gan, administered by theOscar G. Johnson VA MedicalCenter. Additionally, the VA ismeeting with local and stateagencies and organizations todevelop partnerships toaddress homelessness in thecommunities at the communi-ty level.

A homeless summit washosted by the VA in Mar-quette, Mich., last month,with more than 50 people inattendance from communityagencies and organizations.

Veterans are a part of theircommunities, and that is wherewe can come together to end

veteran homelessness, saidFoster-Holdwick. The VAneeds to work closely with localcommunity organizations.

The VAs homeless programstaff makes contact and workswith local community organi-zations to identify veteranswho are homeless or at risk ofbecoming homeless. The VAstaff then reaches out to these

veterans and provides casemanagement and referrals formedical and mental healthtreatment. They also collabo-rate with community organi-

zations and agencies to meetthe veterans housing andsubsistence needs.

Veterans or someone whoknows a veteran who may behomeless or at risk of becom-ing homeless, can call theNational Call Center forHomeless Veterans at 1-(877)4AID-VET (424-3838) or visit

va.gov.

VA strives to endveteran homelessness

Kim Schaffer of Northwoods Title & Closing LLC, received acertificate from Vilas County Register of Deeds personnel forpresenting the 500,000th document for recording. Taking part

in the presentation were, from left, Schaffer, Kathy Clure,Rebecca McDonald, Register of Deeds Joan Hansen andJane Van Wormer. Contributed Photo

Vilas Register of Deeds office reaches milestoneThe Vilas County Regis-

ter of Deeds office officiallyrecorded its 500,000th docu-ment Dec. 22, according toJoan Hansen, Vilas CountyRegister of Deeds.

Vilas became a countyon April 12, 1893. Since thattime to the beginning of my

first term in office on Jan. 4,1999, there were 346,520documents recorded, saidHansen.

It only took a little under13 years to record the bal-ance of 153,480 documents,said Hansen. This is anindication of how attractive

Vilas County has become forpeople to live in and vaca-tion.

Recorded documents arenot limited to real estatedocuments, such as deedsand mortgages, and mayalso include lien documents,

judgments, business regis-

trations, leases and more.Kim Schaffer of North-

woods Title & Closing LLCsubmitted the 500,000thdocument.

The Register of Deedsoffice staff presented thecompany with a certificateto honor the occasion.

November home sales up from 10North region shows 27% increase over last year

November home sales inWisconsin were well abovelast year, and the trend ofdeclining prices moderatedsomewhat, according to datareleased by the WisconsinREALTORS Association(WRA).

Existing home sales wereup 14.8% in November, rela-tive to that same month lastyear; and the statewide medi-an price fell just 2.2%, to$134,000 over that period.

The strongest region in thestate was the north wheresales rose 27.7% over Novem-

ber 2010.We are definitely closing

out the year on a strong note,said Rob Keefe, chairman ofthe WRA board of directors,noting that the seasonal pat-tern of home sales typicallyslows as winter approaches.The strong market of the lastfew months has pulled salesin 2011 nearly even with the2010 level, he said.

Keefe noted that year-to-date home sales through theend of November are now lessthan 1% below last year, andthat is without any bumpfrom the federal governmentto stimulate existing homesales.

Home sales were up in fourof the six regions of the state,with three of the six regionsseeing their November homesales grow more than 20%.

The north regions nearly28% increase was followed bythe south central region, whichwas up 25.2%; and the south-east region up 21.4%. Thenortheast region was up a solid7.9%, whereas November exist-ing home sales fell 5% in thecentral region and were down6.6% in the west, compared toNovember sales last year.

The statewide median price

of existing homes fell 2.2% inNovember, compared toNovember 2010; and year todate, median prices fell 6.1%.

This is clearly a buyersmarket, and while inventoriesare down from October, theystill remain high at more than14 months, said WRA Presi-dent and Chief Executive Offi-cer Michael Theo. This meansbuyers will be in the driversseat for the foreseeable future.

Regionally, there was some volatility, with half theregions showing medianprices down: the southeastdown 9.7%, south centraldown 2.6% and the northeastdown 4.8%. The western

region was essentially flat,and median prices in thenorth and central regionswere up 7.3% and 15.8%,respectively.

The economy did get a littlegood news in November withan improvement in the nation-al unemployment rate andeven an uptick in consumerconfidence and consumerexpectations, said Theo.

The national unemploy-ment rate improved to 8.6% inNovember, and the Wisconsinunemployment rate has alsobeen trending downward

recently.In addition, The Conference

Boards Consumer ConfidenceIndex improved, as did theirLeading Economic IndicatorIndex due in part to betterconsumer expectations.

These are both positivesignals on the economy, butthey are very preliminary;and it will take sustainedimprovements, including sig-nificant job growth, beforemany homebuyers are com-fortable diving back into thismarket, said Theo. However,if these trends continue, newbuyers will be greeted with

very affordable housing in thestate, with Wisconsin housing

among the nations best val-ues.

The WRAs report showedthat the November WRAHousing Affordability Indexwas at 242, meaning that thefamily with median incomecan afford to buy 242% of themedian-priced home in thestate, given current 30-year,fixed-rate mortgage rates anda 20% down payment.

Comparing Wisconsinsindex with a recent National

Association of REALTORS

affordability analysis, Wiscon-sin housing was found to be

more affordable than theUnited States, where theindex was just under 200, aswell as all of the four broadcensus regions, especially thenortheast where the indexwas 163, and the west wherethe index was 165.

Weve always known thatyou get a lot of home for yourmoney in Wisconsin, and thatis especially true in this mar-ket, said Theo.

All county figures on salesvolume and median prices arecompiled by the WRA and arenot seasonally adjusted. Medi-an prices are only computed ifthe county recorded at least10 home sales in the month.

SLEDDING HILL A childrens sledding hill hasbeen built by the town of Washington and isopen for use. The location is at 1850 RangelineRoad with the entrance by the town transfer sta-tion. There is parking at the top of the hill, bench-es for watching children sled, and it is open sev-en days a week. Town Chairman Jim Spring indi-

cated there is no supervision. The Sno-EaglesSnowmobile Club has volunteered to groom thehill after a snowfall with its drag to pack it down.Pictured at the entrance are, from left, Springand town crew members Mike Martens andRuss Oberg.

Photo By Ken Anderson

Forest Ridersplan two events

The Minocqua Forest RidersSnowmobile Club has plannedtwo upcoming events.

The Forest Riders BratFest will be held Saturday,Dec. 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.at the new Minocqua Park,located on Highway 70 West.

The Forest Riders will thenhost a breakfast buffet Sun-day, Jan. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. at Moose Jaw Resort inPark Falls.

For more informationabout the two events, contact

Becki at (847) 395-8528 orm i n o c q u a f o r e s t r i d e r s @gmail.com.

A cutline under a photo inthe Nov. 16 issue of this news-paper indicated a bull elk hadbeen shot by Ed Richter ofEagle River. The elk was shotby Guy Richter, a formerEagle River resident, but EdRichter was along on theRockie Mountain hunt. Weapologize for the error.

Correction

Check out hundreds more taken by News-Reviewphotographers in our online Photo Gallery.

www.vcnewsreview.comFOR VIEWING OR PURCHASE


8/14

Fishing withthe Guides

ByGeorge Langley

SERVICE

OF:

EAGLE

SPORTS

EAGLE RIVER

GUIDES ASSOCIATION/

OUTDOORS8A VILAS COUNTY NEWS-REVIEW/THE THREE LAKES NEWS WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28, 2011

Jury still out on Stepps claim of new DNRWHILE THE open-minded atti-

tude of Department of Natural

Resources (DNR) Secretary CathyStepp is a breath of fresh air, anyclaim that the agency is doing abetter job one year into her tenureis premature at best.

In a brief end-of-year column forthe media, Stepp claims the newDNR is getting noticed in a posi-tive way. And that got me to think-ing about what actually transpiredthe past 12 months.

Stepps first press release afterher appointment hinted of politicsbeyond usual. She talked more ofcreating jobs than protectingresources. In fact, the way it read, Iwondered if the release came fromthe Department of Commerce.

Despite the potential conflict inresponsibilities, the DNR estab-lished an Office of Business Sup-port and Sustainability whichagain seems like a commerce issueand not a resources issue.

We never heard a thing fromStepp or her agency when Republi-can legislators changed the entirerule-making system related tohunting and fishing regulations though it will take twice as long tomake changes in what was alreadya slow, meticulous system.

The change was payback forsome rules Republicans didntfavor, most notably revisions to NR115, the states shoreland zoningrules.

What we got under Steppstenure was a two-year delay in theimplementation of those revisedzoning rules, which are intended to

protect water quality on inlandlakes and rivers while making the

rules simpler and more uniform.We never heard a thing from

Stepp when Republicans tried tograndfather a bunch of illegal piersinto law or when they proposed toallow unlimited lakefront gradingand removal of material fromlakebeds.

Beyond the politics, this is stillthe same agency that issued 15,000antlerless deer tags in three man-agement units here, despite thesentiments of hunters who wantedanother year of buck-only hunting.

It is still the same agencythat got us into a wolf manage-ment program from whichthere is no return.

Management of these big preda-tors is still in the hands of federalauthorities, and the most recentattempt at delisting wolves couldfail as dismally as the first threetries.

Sure, Stepp and her colleagueshave pushed the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service to remove the wolffrom protection under the Endan-gered Species Act. But shes notbeing realistic with the comment,Wisconsins long-fought battle tomanage growing wolf populationswithin its border is nearly over.

For those who dont remember,there has never been more confu-

sion about what species of wolveswere recovered or how many of

each subspecies exists in Wisconsintoday. We lost three other federallawsuits on lesser issues, and youcan bet litigation will be filed overthis latest delisting.

In her first year, Stepps depart-ment maintained the same low-lev-el priority for dealing with aquaticinvasive species (AIS). The scrib-bler is tired of the Public TrustDoctrine hypocrisy that thestate has authority over navigablewaters but leaves much of the AISbattle up to towns and lakefrontproperty owners.

In all fairness, I cant pretendthat Stepps job is as easy as herpredecessor, with the loss of somany veteran employees in fishand game management, endan-gered species and water regulation.

Republicans gave the most-expe-rienced DNR staff members a pushwhen they not only changed therules on retirement benefit pay-ments, but stripped from them allcollective bargaining rights.

Stepp is faced with totallyrebuilding a lot of departments,and its hard to say what the finaloutcome of that transition willmean. Only time will tell if we real-ly have achieved a new DNR thatis actually achieving what wasintended of this resource protectionagency.

Its a lofty goal, and I wishStepp the best of luck as thenew year unfolds. Hopefullyshe realizes how much workand change it will take to truly

achieve that goal.What we cant afford to lose is

Wisconsins conservation ethic the principles of protectingresources, habitat and the crittersthat need them. And nowhere in

that statement is there room forprotecting jobs.

Dont get me wrong. Jobs are very important. Its just not theDNRs job to make that happen,unless we are renaming the agency

the Department of NumericalResources.

In the

Outdoors

ByKurt Krueger

With the recent warm temperatures and lack ofsnow, it is easy for anglers to get around on the icenow. Temperatures hit the low 40s on Monday, but

Documents

Vilas County News-Review, Dec. 28, 2011 - SECTION A