W E D N E S D AY, M A R C H 1 8 , 2 0 0 9 • V O L U M E 7 6 • N O . 3 0 • 2 S E C T I O N S • S E C T I O N A
• “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” @ Frederic • “Beauty and the Beast” @ Grantsburg • Readings and music @ Amery • Arts and Crafts Extravaganze @ Centuria • Author/gangster expert @ Luck • Sweet Colleens in concert @ SCFalls See Coming Events and stories
I NSI DE
Leader INTER-COUNTY
W EEKEN D WA TCH :
www.the-leader.net
Serving Northwest Wisconsin
Reaching more than 7,500 readers
1
$
Police chief resigns at BL
Gehrman gives verbal notice after criticism from Commercial Club PAGE 3
Who is this man? Hint: It’s not David Letterman Page 2
Shedding light on the health care crisis
Fa s hi o n ab l y gr ee n
Obey lends thoughts to forum at SCFalls PAGE 14
Man charged with attempted homicide
Arrested in Minnesota PAGE 3
Maple syrup season offificcially begins in Luck Page 24
Gableman felt uneasy about campaign ad
Faces disciplinary action by commission PAGE 3
Classic rides Currents Page 19
SPORTS
Supervisor questions salary process
County administrator is employee of NWRPC PAGE 12
County to negotiate for property near fairgrounds PAGE 4
Siren’s stellar season comes to an end See SPORTS Inside this section
Tribe’s Beloit Casino Project wins round in court PAGE 12
Little Miss Siren Ellyn Lindquist (center) and princesses Asia Belisle (L) and Maddy Nichols (R), made a fashion statement at the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Siren last Saturday. More photos inside this section. - Photo by Gary King
R os al i e K i t tl e s o n t o b e h o n o re d Event is Tuesday at Balsam Lake
BALSAM LAKE - March is Women’s History Month, and Rosalie Kittleson of rural Amery has been chosen to receive the seventh-annual award given out by the Polk County Historical Society for her contribution in preserving Polk County’s history. Kittleson has made a forever difference in Polk County’s environment, education, and history. It’s hard to think of anyone else who has impacted so many lives in so short a time. She was born in Lancaster, Ohio, but has lived in and traveled in many places, including three years to Japan and three trips to Mexico, delivering eyeglasses for the Lions Club. Kittleson came to this area in 1980 when she and husband Darrell joined their families that spring. Making friends comes easy to Kittleson, and working a variety of jobs through the years has brought her into contact with many interesting people. Kittleson was working as a teacher’s aide in the special-education department at St. Croix Falls when she made a call to the county and asked if there was a project that her students, four handicapped first-grade children, could be involved in. Polk County did have a needy project – the D.D. Kennedy Park. Violet Kennedy’s dream of preserving the Kennedy farm and mill for a park and recreational area became a reality largely due to Rosalie and Darrell Kittleson’s leadership. Kittlesonenlisted students, Scouts, 4-H members, sportsmen, financial institutions, the extension agency and the com-
Rosalie Kittleson will be honored Tuesday, March 24, for her contributions in a program sponsored by the Polk County Historical Society. – Special photo munity to make the D.D. Environmental Nature Center a prime natural, historical, recreational and educational park for everyone to enjoy. Working with Violet Kennedy and others connected with the park, Kittleson continued to learn about the history of the area, and when there was an opportunity to explore it further with the job of museum director for the Polk County Historical Society, she and Darrell applied and were hired. They are a team and together they have cared for the museum and also headed the Polk
See Kittleson, page 2
The Inter-County Leader is a cooperative-owned newspaper