Leader|march 5|2008

W E D N E S D AY, M A R C H 5 , 2 0 0 8 • V O L U M E 7 5 • N O . 2 8 • 8 , 0 0 0 C O P I E S • S E C T I O N A

WEEKEND WATCH: • “Snow White” @ Frederic • “Back to the ‘80s (musical) @ Unity • Fire dept. fundraiser @ Balsam Lake • Benefit for Lamar @ Luck (Cafe Wren) • UW Band @ Amery • “Passion of Christ” @ Trade Lake • SCVO Concert @ Chisago CIty • See Coming events and stories

Leader INTER-COUNTY

Serving Northwest Wisconsin

$1

$588,832 county shortfall tied to GAM Nursing home cost county more than $2 million in losses; $380,000 settlement cost for employees; more than $1.2 million in long-term debt PAGE 4

Tribal chairwoman testifies before Congress

A fan behind every player

Blocking of Beloit Project and other off-reservation proposals constitutes bias, tribes tell government

PAGE 3

Pettis says he has no plans to seek office

Former state rep. cites reasons for not trying to regain Legislative seat

PAGE 3

Two lives lost Jack Johanson holds up Taylor Horsager's picture as he cheers on the Luck Cardinal boys, who are on their way to the state tournament this weekend after back-to-back tournament victories over the weekend. See Sports.– Photo by Sue Tolan

First trip to state for Luck boys since ‘73 Cardinals coach was a player on team under Coach Dolny See

Vehicle slides into path of semi on Hwy. 8 PAGE 2

Spring ahead STATEWIDE — Remember to turn your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday, March 9, as daylight saving time will begin at 2 a.m.

I N S I D E

Farewell, Brett

Then and now

Sen. Feingold reacts to Brett Favre’s retirement: PAGE 3

BMC to showcase local artists CURRENTS FRONT

Luck’s trip to state in 1973 holds some interesting comparisons to this year’s statebound Luck Cardinals.

Above: Luck coach Rick Giller as a player in 1973.

S P O R T S

The Inter-County Leader is a cooperative-owned newspaper

PAGE 2 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

Leader

Serving Northwest Wisconsin

A cooperative-owned newspaper, the Inter-County Leader is published every Wednesday by the Inter-County Cooperative Publishing Association, Box 490, Frederic, WI 54837. Second Class postage paid at Frederic, WI 54837.

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Frosty month

ST. CROIX FALLS–An arrest was made following a case of identity theft in St. Croix Falls by the Polk County Sheriff’s Department.

Arrested was Michael High, 35, St. Croix Falls, after receipts totaling $11,010.87 on a “bill me later” account were recovered following a subpoena to the company for online purchases issuing the credit line.

According to the report, the victim was suspicious when she received a “bill me later” statement forwarded to her new address with a bill amount of $2,258.29 in her name.

The victim had previously rented living space from High and moved out in Oct. 2007. She left her forwarding address with the post office and says she never gave High permission to use her personal information. The report indicated when March is likely to produce countless scenes of frost like this as area residents the victim questioned High about the bill look for signs of spring and warmer weather. - Photo by Gary King she received, he told her not to worry about it and it was a mistake.

On Feb. 4, the deputy spoke with High at his residence and taped the Miranda interview in which High admitted to opening the “bill me later” account and making several purchases including a computer and related equipment.

SIREN – Of the four Minneapolis men date scheduled for Monday, April 7.

The deputy received the total involving charged with processing some 60 The men were arrested after Steve information on Feb. 26 from the company pounds of marijuana in a Jackson Roehrs from Performance Alarm discovTownship cabin on Oct. 9, 2007, three ered the men processing the marijuana indicating the $11,010.87 total and again were in the Burnett County courthouse in the garage of a Jackson cabin. The questioned High about the statements. At on Wednesday, Feb. 27. owner of the cabin was not involved. – that time, High requested an attorney and was arrested without incident and Both Wolfgang Tattenbach and Sherill Summer charged with eight counts of identity Alexander Bryan waived their prelimitheft. High has no prior criminal history. nary hearing for one count of burglary –From the Polk County Sheriff’s Department and one count of possession of THC with intent to sell. The next court date for both is Thursday, April 24.

AMERY–Amery Police arrested 17There was a different outcome for Richard Karis as a settlement was year-old Cameron Ebert, Clear Lake, Feb. reached for similar charges against him. 25, after investigating a report of a stolen AMERY–An Amery man was arrested His burglary charge was dismissed, and car. The stolen vehicle was a 1995 Pontiac Feb. 22, after a report of a domestic abuse his possession with intent to sell was Grand Am, white in color. An Amery situation was made to the Polk County reduced to a misdemeanor possession police officer located the vehicle through Sheriff’s Department. charge. Karis plead no contest, and was the license plate number. An individual According to the report, Brian A. sentenced to one-year probation and who was a passenger in the stolen vehicle Wilson, 29, Amery, got into an argument with Ebert reported to officers that he with his girlfriend at his residence on alcohol and drug assessment.

District attorney Ken Kutz explained had knowledge of a car theft and indicat- Feb. 21. Witnesses saw Wilson strike and that Karis did not appear to be a part of ed Ebert was the driver. When at Ebert’s kick at the woman, indicating several the large-scale growing operation that residence, officers questioned him and he persons had to pull Wilson off of her. The produced the approximately 60 pounds admitted he was in Amery. Officers woman went to Amery Medical Center of marijuana. “He was at the wrong arrested him and brought him to the Polk for X-rays and treatment. Wilson was County Jail on charges of auto theft. – arrested and charged with substantial place at the wrong time.”

The fourth man facing charges from from the Polk County Sheriff’s Department battery and domestic abuse. – From the the incident, Orion Torok, has a court Polk County Sheriff’s Department

Reduced charges for one in Jackson Township drug bust

Car theft arrest made

Two lives lost in head-on crash

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Identity theft arrest

Two Amery residents lost their lives in a head-on collision Friday morning on Hwy. 8 near Turtle Lake, west of 15th Street in the town of Beaver. Pronounced dead at the scene were Scott R. Schilke, 24, and Heather M. Osborne, 23.

Schilke was driving a 2002 Ford Focus west on 8 when he lost control and slid into the eastbound traffic lane where his vehicle was struck by a semi tractor trailer owned by Viessman Leasing of Gary, S.D., leased to Gibson Tranfer Inc. of Rice Lake, being operated by Richard A. Benson, 49, of Bruce. Osborne was a passenger in the Schilke vehicle. The driver of the semi truck did not sustain any injuries in the crash. Hwy. 8 was closed as the crash was investigated by the Polk County Sheriff's Department. They were assisted by the Polk County Highway Departement, Wisconsin State Patrol, Turtle Lake Police and Fire departments and the Cumberland Ambulance Service. The accident remains under investigation. - Photos from Polk Co. Sheriff’s Dept.

Battery, domestic abuse arrest

Briefly

The first subscription to our new e-edition comes from Charles Stanislaw of Tokyo, Japan. Many remember Stanislaw as a counselor at Siren Schools. The e-edition allows readers to see the print version via a Web browser. You can test drive the new feature at www.the-leader.net. Click on e-edition special offer and then click “demo.” The Leader’s Web site is now experiencing more than 120,000 page views each month.

••• MILLTOWN/GRANTSBURG – Sen. Sheila Harsdorf and Veterans Affairs Secretary John Scocos will discuss recent additions to the Wisconsin state veterans benefits package and answer questions that veterans and their families may have at five different meetings Monday, March 24. They will be at the American Legion Post 85 at 102 N. Oak Street in Grantsburg from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and at the VFW at 1503 200th Ave. near Milltown from 1 to 2 p.m. They will also be making appearances in Ellsworth, New Richmond and Menomonie. Further information is available by calling 1-800-862-1092. - submitted ••• SIREN – The second-annual Siren Schools library fundraiser will be held Saturday March 15, and once again be catered by Adventures. A silent auction and raffles will be held throughout the evening. The public is invited to drop off items or cash donations (checks can be made out to Siren Schools) with proceeds from the event going to purchasing books and items for the libraries in the school.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Kathie Koball at 349-2935 (H) or at the school at 349-2277, ext. 175.

Those wishing to drop items off at the school may do so at any of the offices during the school day. - submitted

Feingold salutes Favre STATEWIDE - Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold released the following statement Tuesday in response to the retirement of Packer quarterback Brett Favre: “I join the millions of Packer fans in Wisconsin and across the country saddened by the news today of Brett Favre’s decision to retire. Brett gave us a Super Bowl victory, three MVP awards, and 16 years of unforgettable moments that Packer fans will never get tired of talking about. We’re all incredibly thankful for Brett’s hall-of-fame career and his contributions both on and off the field. He is without a doubt the greatest quarterback ever to play the game.” - from the office of Sen. Feingold

Burglary arrests made DRESSER–A report of a residence burglary just outside the village of Dresser was reported to the Polk County Sheriff’s Department on Feb. 25.

The items reported stolen included a Marlin 30-30 rifle, a Dell laptop computer, and tackle box.

The victim of the burglary contacted Pawn Shops and it was noted that a Marlin 30-30 was received at Valley Pawn on Hwy. 8 in St. Croix Falls the same day and the serial numbers matched.

A Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy then contacted the Pawn Shop and retrieved the slip and watched the surveillance video, which showed two males in the store selling the firearm.

The victim was asked to review the surveillance tape and recognized one of the individuals immediately as Matthew Utgard, 22, Osceola. The pawn slip identified the other male as Christopher Schwantes, 18, Grantsburg, who signed the form indicating the firearm was his.

These were the two individuals on the surveillance tape. Reports also indicate the victim received a call Feb. 26 from Utgard indicating he discarded the rest of the stolen property in a ditch by Big Lake.

The two men were arrested for party to the crime of burglary. – From the Polk Count Sheriff’s Department

Pettis says he doesn’t plan to seek office

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 3

BURNETT/POLK COUNTIES Former state Rep. Mark Pettis has announced he does not plan to be a candidate for the 28th Assembly seat in the state Legislature, a position he held for eight years.

“Being a pragmatist, and looking at the voting trends of the 28th Assembly District, it is apparent that higher taxes, more government regulation and losing personal freedoms are not concerns of the majority of the voting public,” Pettis stated in a letter to the editor this week.

Pettis said he based his decision on

current polls that suggests the majority of district voters would re-elect Gov. Jim Doyle and others who “support high taxes and more government control of our lives.”

“Being a conservative first and a Republican second, and, being on record pledging to never vote for a general tax increase, it would be difficult for me to win an election.”

The 28th Assembly District is currently represented by Democrat Ann Hraychuck, who defeated Pettis in the fall 2006 election. - Gary King

Man sentenced to two years for Nye store robbery Four years’ extended supervision POLK COUNTY – A 20-year-old Clear Lake man has been sentenced to two years in prison with four years’ extended supervision for robbing the J & L Market in Nye on CTH M the evening of May 3, 2007.

Andres Cruz used an air gun in the robbery but was still charged with a felony count of robbery with threat of force. The black air gun, which shoots rubber bullets, looks just like the real thing, according to Sheriff Tim Moore.

Cruz pled guilty to the charge.

Cruz will be given credit for 299 days already served in jail and will be eligible for challenge incarceration program and earned release program. He must pay back $28 for the gas stolen from the store and installation of a security system at the store.

According to the criminal complaint, the clerk working at the J & L Market noticed a suspicious-looking man in a black, newer Pontiac pull into the gas station and convenience store around 10:30 p.m.

Pretending to take care of business, the clerk went outside and noted the license plate of the car. She recorded the plate number after returning inside the store.

She was right about the suspiciouslooking man: he later pointed what

looked like a black handgun at her and left with $600.

“She was scared, but she was a good witness,” Moore said. “Without her information we wouldn’t have been able arrest him in such a short time.”

Deputies arrested Cruz around 2:30 a.m. May 4 after finding the address of the registered license plate. Cruz was living with his girlfriend and her family at a residence on CTH Y. Deputies obtained a search warrant via telephone and were able to search the house and the vehicle.

The plates were found hidden under the spare tire compartment of Cruz’s 2006 Pontiac. A black air gun pistol and the money were found in the bedroom he used. The money was in his wallet.

Cruz had no criminal background, and according to the police report confessed to the crime after first denying involvement. He was taken into custody without incident.

Moore said the state of Minnesota at one time attempted to legislate that all air guns should be manufactured in neon colors, but the legislation was not enacted.

Moore said that these days, even real guns come in various colors. Training .22-caliber guns, for instance, can be purchased in pink or purple. – Gary King with information from Polk County Sheriff’s Department and Leader file story

Four-vehicle pileup in Webster

This four-vehicle pileup was created when the vehicle driven by Gregory G. Johnson, 22, Webster, left the roadway, traveled 527 feet across a parking lot and slammed into employee vehicles parked outside of Hopkins Sand and Gravel, north of Webster. The vehicle then hit Hopkins’ office building before coming to rest. The accident occurred at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 3.

Johnson reported that he lost control when he was looking down at his CD player. He also admitted to be going about 100 mph before the accident.

The driver’s-side door was removed to extract Johnson, and he was taken to Burnett Medical Center in Grantsburg by ambulance.

Johnson was cited for failure to maintain control.

– Photo submitted by Burnett County Sheriff’s Department

Tribal chairwoman testifies before Congress Blocking of Beloit Project and other off-reservation proposals constitutes bias, tribes claim

HERTEL/WASHINGTON, D.C. – St. Croix Tribal Chairwoman Hazel Hindsley testified before Congress last week, responding to the government’s decision to reject 22 off-reservation casino applications, including the St. Croix Tribe’s proposed Beloit Project.

Tribal leaders told the House Resources Committee that the government is trying to force Native Americans to stay on reservations with high unemployment and few opportunities.

“This is paternalistic and oppressive,” said Hindsley.

The St. Croix Tribe has worked with the city of Beloit and surrounding area governments for several years to develop the project, which also involves the Bad River Tribe of northern Wisconsin as a partner.

Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Carl Artman testified at the Feb. 27 hearing that the Bureau “is used to dealing with requests for land 20, 30 or 50 miles away from a tribe’s reservation. The BIA is not accustomed to assessing applications for land 100, 200 or 1,500 miles away from a tribe’s reservation.”

The Beloit Project is more than 300 miles from the St. Croix’s reservations and further from the Bad River reservation.

The St. Croix Tribe filed a lawsuit against the BIA in January claiming it arbitrarily changes the application rules after the tribe had done everything by the rules to obtain the permission from them for the project.

The application was in one of the final stages of approval – forwarded to the BIA’s Washington offices from Minneapolis, when the BIA sent out the letters to the St. Croix and 11 other tribes across the county with similar projects pending.

Government officials rejected applications on the grounds that a far-flung casino could diminish the population actually living on the reservation.

In his testimony, Artman did not define how far is too far for an offreservation casino.

Opponents contended there should be no distance barrier at all, since one doesn’t exist in current law.

Committee chairman, Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.V., called the implications of the decision “disturbing,” and suggested the administration may be advocating a policy “to keep Indians on the reservation.” – Gary King with information from Associated Press reports

PAGE 4 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

$558,832 county shortfall tied to GAM

Home cost county more than $2 million in losses; $380,000 settlement cost for employees

by Gregg Westigard BALSAM LAKE – Costs related to the operation of Golden Age Manor, Polk County’s nursing home in Amery, were involved in two stories last week.

First, the payment of close to $589,000 in 2007 to cover GAM losses for 2005 and 2006 has led to a county shortfall for 2007.

Second, the county board will consider paying a settlement cost of $380,000 to cover the claims of employees impacted by the sale of the home. The county board approved the sale of GAM for $2.5 million in January. There are a number of claims against that money.

The new owners are set to take possession April 1.

Operating losses covered by the county Golden Age Manor operations were never included in the Polk County budget. When the home started losing money in the late ‘90s, the county paid the losses and built up a debt on its books labeled an “overdraft” by the

county auditor.

The county board made three transfers over the years to cover those overdrafts after the fact. The most recent payment of $588,832 to GAM was made in 2007 to cover losses of $243,593 in 2005 and $345,239 in 2006. That payment has caused the county to have a net loss for 2007.

The finance committee has cited this as a reason for denying requests by some departments to use their internal 2007 fund balances for 2008 expenses.

Polk County regularly paid the expenses of Golden Age Manor. Starting about 2000, those expenses exceeded GAM’s income and the home started building up a deficit, the overdrafts identified by the auditors. Polk County made three payments to GAM to cover those losses after the fact. The payments of $625,000 in 2001, $856,570 in 2005, and $588,832 in 2007 total $2,070,402.

That is an average of $295,771 a year for seven years in unbudgeted expenses for the home.

The final figures for 2007 are not yet available. There may also be an expense for the first quarter of 2008.

Settlement expenses with the employees A resolution will come to the county

board March 11 authorizing payments of $380,000 for wage and benefit adjustments for employees impacted by the sale of GAM. This covers claims for sick leave, holidays, and vacations for employees who are members of two unions and for nonunion employees. It also includes a one-time severance payment of $500 for each full-time employee with at least a year of service. The $380,000 will come out of the $2.5 million proceeds from the sale.

The resolution says that the county bargained with the unions regarding the impact of the sale on the employees and reached an impasse. The settlement and details are described as the county’s final offer.

GAM long-term debts and county advances Golden Age Manor has debts of $1,208,598 on its books at the start of 2008, according to the Dec. 31, 2006, financial statement. That includes three notes for $951,722 and three advances from the county for $256,876. It is assumed that part of the $2.5 million received from the sale will go against these debts.

The largest part of this debt is a note for $869,984 that is due on April 1. The

county board had approved a $1 million bonding in November to refinance this debt, the remainder of the $1.3 million borrowed to finance the Alzheimers Unit in 1998. There is also an $80,301 note from 2005 to pay for a new heating, ventilating and air conditioning system and a small debt from 2003 for a pickup truck.

The county also made three advances to GAM over the years. The oldest of these is from 1979 and has a balance due of $89,500. GAM had paid the interest on this advance and was paying the county $11,500 a year through 2015 to settle the debt. GAM has been paying the county interest on the other two advances made in 1995 and 1998. The oldest advance has a balance due of $95,376. GAM has been paying 5-percent interest on that debt. The other advance with a balance due of $72,000 is earning the county 6.75-percent interest.

These debts and the employee settlement costs total $1,588,598 in expenses that would come from the sales price of $2.5 million. While details of other claims against that money have not been revealed, part of the money will probably go for the broker’s fee.

GAM suit set for first hearing March 26

County files motions to dismiss case

BALSAM LAKE – The suit to stop the sale of Golden Age Manor will have its first day in court on March 26, five days before the transfer of the nursing home to the new owners is set to take place.

Circuit Court Judge Eugene Harrington of Washburn County has scheduled a motion hearing for 9 a.m. that day to hear the complaint filed by GAM board member Eugene Sollman, GAM employee Marion Posey and GAM resident Anne Nykreim.

The file for the case continues to grow with some 45 documents filed as of Feb. 25. Among the additions are a brief filed by the county which states that the deed giving the county title to the property lists only one condition, that the county must build a nursing home within one year. The county says that new conditions to the deed that were said to be the wishes of the seller can not be added now.

The county also claims that the three parties to the suit have no standing in the case and do not have the right to bring the suit to the court. It says that, under the bylaws of the GAM governing board, that committee is limited to management issues, and Sollman has no interests in stopping the sale as a GAM board member. The county also says that Posey gave her

rights over to her union by being a part of the bargaining agreement with the county. It claims that the union, which is not part of the suit, is the exclusive bargaining agent representing Posey.

The county also is asking that the case be dismissed because the plaintiffs brought the suit directly to the court (the suit was filed on the morning following the county board’s vote to sell GAM the previous night)

without attempting to reach an agreement with the county first. The county cites a statute which states they must first try to negotiate disputes directly with government units before bringing cases to the courts.

It states that the purpose of this statute is to provide governments with “the opportunity to compromise and settle a claim without costly and time consuming litigation.” – Gregg Westigard

Finance committee unanimous in recommending GAM sale

Closed-session minutes reveal new details

BALSAM LAKE – While the county board vote was closely divided on the sale of Golden Age Manor at its special session Jan. 22, the closed-session minutes of the finance committee that same day show that the committee was unanimous in recommending the sale to the board.

An open-records request for the minutes of that closed session show that all five members of the committee, Mick Larsen, Neil Johnson, Larry Jepsen, Gary Bergstrom and Duana Bremer, voted to recommend the purchase agreement for the sale of Golden Age Manor to the county board. Larsen changed his vote

when the full board voted on the sale and was one of 11 supervisors who voted against the agreement.

The closed-session minutes from that county board meeting reveal that one motion was made to amend the purchase agreement. That motion, made by Jeff Peterson and seconded by Diane Stoneking, would have directed the buyers to hire back at least 50 percent of the GAM staff. Only six supervisors, Marv Caspersen, Jay Luke, Bryan Beseler, Gerald Newville, Peterson and Stoneking, voted for the motion, which failed. The Leader made an open-records request on Feb. 4 for the closed-session minutes of a number of finance committee meetings. To date, only the minutes of the one meeting have been provided. – Gregg Westigard

Local food shelves taking part in Feinstein giveaway

FREDERIC/LUCK – The Frederic Area Food Shelf and Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry of Luck will be taking part in the Feinstein Foundation Giveaway to Fight Hunger program again this year.

Donations received from March 1 to April 30 will be counted in the program. Donations may include cash, checks and food items. All food items will be valued at $1 per item or pound. The more received locally, the more money the food shelves will receive from the foundation to feed the hungry.

This is the 11th year the Feinstein Foundation will divide $1 million among hunger fighting agencies nationwide. Their past efforts have raised $760 million for agencies nationwide, according to their Web site, feinsteinfoundation.org.

“We hope all local businesses, churches, Scouts, schools, organizations and individuals will help us out,” noted LaVonne Boyer, director of the Frederic Area Food Shelf.

Drop-offs for Frederic are at Bremer Bank, U.S. Bank, Frederic Grocery, Frederic Library, Affordable Quality and Frederic Food Shelf.

Luck drop-off will be the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.

Further information may be obtained by contacting LaVonne Boyer at 327-4915 or Anita Pederson at 3274712. For Luck contact Pat Williams at 715-045-3727. submitted

P O L K

C O U N T Y

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 5

H E A D L I N E S

Dresser helps YMCA

Amends zoning ordinance

by Tammi Milberg DRESSER–The village of Dresser held their regular board meeting March 3. The board heard from Kristen Latzig, Wild River YMCA, who requested the board allow the YMCA to use the community hall and waive the fees.

The YMCA has several classes and teen events from now until August and needed a place to hold them that was of no cost. The board consensus was to allow the YMCA to use the hall without paying fees, but the condition was that they clean the hall when they are done. The board does make special exemptions on renting the community hall at times, and because the board felt they should support the youth of the com-

munity, they granted the request.

In other related business, the board is searching for someone to clean the community hall. It was noted at the meeting that the Dresser Lions will no longer be cleaning the hall and the board will now look for options to replace that void.

The board also reviewed a letter the village received in October from the Polk County Health Department.

The letter indicated that in 2008, enforcement of adequate licensing for all temporary food stands and special event campgrounds in Polk County begins.

Municipalities are to verify proper licensing, and contact the Polk County Health Department if an unlicensed vendor is discovered. The matter was an informational reminder.

Other business •The board also amended the zoning ordinance for the industrial zone to include as a conditional use: outdoor recreation areas and facilities.

•The board was updated that all the final paperwork has been completed for Farmington to join the Municipal Court made up of the town of Osceola, village of Osceola, village of Dresser and town of Farmington.

•Approved the placing the same advertisement in the Dalles Visitor for 2008.

•Noted elections are April 1 and polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

•At the next regular meeting, April 7, board trustee Richard Durand will be honored for over 20 years of service to the village as a board trustee. Durand’s term is up April 1, and he elected not to seek another term.

Polk County Board meets early in March

Full agenda includes GAM, finance/county clerk issues

by Gregg Westigard BALSAM LAKE – The Polk County Board will meet a week early this month, Tuesday, March 11, in order to deal with union agreements involved with the sale of Golden Age Manor.

The board has a full agenda, with items ranging from stopping the movement of invasive species to opposing a plan that would give St. Croix Falls special taxing power.

Several of the agenda items involve county government operations including a resolution to bring the county finance operations back into the county clerk’s office. The meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. in the government center building in Balsam Lake, will be the last one for the present board. The meeting starts with a period for public comment.

Several resolutions will deal with how the county board is organized and how much the county board members are paid for attending meetings. The compensation resolutions are not on the initial agenda.

Consideration of supervisors’ pay was sent to the finance committee in January but that committee failed to act the issue and will take its first action at a special committee meeting this Wednesday, March 6.

The county board would need to amend its agenda to consider the finance committee recommendations or the pay will stay the same for the coming two-year term. The board will also look at several suggestions on realigning board committees and changing operating rules. (The proposal on combining finance with the county clerk’s office and the GAM severance payment proposal are dealt with in attached stories).

The resolutions on other issues cover a broad range of topics. A new ordinance would regulate small wing generators used to create electricity. The purpose is to allow residents to produce renewable energy without causing problems for neighbors. Another ordinance would impose fines on persons who transport invasive plants and animals, such as milfoil and zebra mussels on their boats. Fines would range from $200 to $500 per offense. The board will act on a resolution asking the Legislature to make all restaurants and bars smoke free.

The clerk of court wants funds to renovate her office, using unspent money from 2007 to buy new office fur-

niture and create a better workflow. The public protection committee has supported the request. The finance committee has said the 2007 funds are not available and rejected the use of 2008 funds. With no resolution of the dispute between committees, public protection is coming to the full board and requesting $12,000 for the project.

The city of St. Croix Falls has a bill in the Legislature that would designate it a “premier resort area” and allow it to impose a special sales tax of 0.5 percent on the sales of goods and services within the city limits.

The Polk County Towns Association and county board chair Larry Jepsen think this is a bad idea that would take money from Polk County residents to benefit only the city. Jepsen has introduced a resolution stating that the county board opposes the legislation.

Lastly, the Human Resources Department (once called the Personnel Department) would be renamed the Department of Employee Relations, in part to avoid confusion with the Human Services Department that deals with at-risk residents.

The board has 19 resolutions on its agenda now with the possibility that finance could submit an additional two resolutions.

Proposal would combine finance with county clerk’s office

Issue generates long discussion at personnel meeting - resolution a response to property tax bill issue

by Gregg Westigard BALSAM LAKE – Last December, a miscommunication between the county’s finance director, Tonya Weinert, and the county clerk, Cathy Albrecht, resulted in an error in all the Polk County property tax statements.

The error was corrected by treasurer Amanda Nissen who refigured the tax figures and directed the mailing of revised tax bills.

The problem cost the county $24,339 in printing and postage costs.

The salaried treasurer, who put in over 30 hours of time over the Christmas holiday weekend, and the 36 municipal treasurers, did not get paid for their extra time dealing with the issue.

Now four supervisors have submitted a resolution to the county board, for its March 11 meeting, that would attempt to reconcile county practices with state statutes by combining the finance department within the county clerk’s office.

The resolution, presented by Bryan Beseler, Robert Blake, Kenneth Olson, and Carl Holmgren, was first presented to the finance committee on Feb. 27 and was discussed for an hour at the Feb. 28 personnel meeting.

The resolution for the Restoration of Duties and Responsibilities to the Office of the County Clerk brings the county method of handling its finances full circle back to where it was in 2000. That was the year that the county set up the Department of Administration under administrative coordinator Frank Pascarella.

County clerk Sharon Schiebel, who had directed the county’s financial affairs, moved to the new department. The county board reassigned all duties relating to budget, financial and administrative functions from the county clerk to the new Department of Administration. The financial duties stayed in the DOA after Pascarella was replaced by Schiebel and continued there when Weinert was hired as finance director, without the added title of administrative

coordinator. [The Department of Administration may have ceased to exist when the Human Resources Department was split off as a separate department last year.]

While the actual financial functions of the county were carried out by the finance director, the Wisconsin statutes said that responsibility for many functions remained with the county clerk. One of those responsibilities is to sign and forward an annual Certification of the Apportionment of State and County Property Taxes & Charges, a form that is used in computing the property tax statements.

The practice in Polk County since 2000 had been for the finance department to prepare the form, which takes the levy adopted by the county board and adjust that amount by adding nonlevy charges and deducting the county sales tax credit. The county clerk would sign the completed form. That was the practice under Pascarella and Schiebel which was continued by Weinert in 2006, her first year as finance director. In the fall of 2007, this function was returned to the county clerk by the Department of Administration. During this transition the error was made in the preparation of the certification.

The resolution placing the finance director and staff within the county clerk’s office states that the action would result in a clear understanding of duties, improve communications and recognize the statutory responsibilities for the functions.

Reactions at the finance and personnel committees The finance committee was the first group to look at the proposal during its meeting last Wednesday.

Albrecht said that the proposal changed no duties but would streamline operations and let people know what others were doing. She said there were no changes in actual responsibilities, but that the statutory responsibilities would be better defined.

“The county clerk does not need to know the details but must have the assurance that the duties are done,” Albrecht said.

County board chair Larry Jepsen, a member of the finance committee and administrative coordinator, said that the county board should refer the proposal back to the finance committee. The other two committee members present, Neil Johnson and Duana Bremer, agreed.

The resolution went to the personnel committee the following day, generating a discussion that lasted an hour.

“We should look at what other counties are doing,” finance chair Neil Johnson told the personnel committee. “I checked 25 counties. Their finance directors report to the administrator. I don’t think there would have been any applicants for the job three years ago under the proposed scene. This is overbroad. Some mistakes were made in December. We are fixing it up.

There is no reason to keep looking at the dirty laundry.”

“This is counteractive to all we have done over three years,” supervisor Jerry Newville said. “The screw up was not the finance director’s fault. We have a professional accounting system now. This would undo three years of hard work.”

“We have a lack of communication,” Albrecht said.

“This proposal would solve that. This is not to undo the work that has been done. There were problems when the job was split. This forces us to work together. There is no power struggle, no personality issues.”

Johnson said that Albrecht has had years of experience on the job but will be retiring at the end of the year, and the person elected as county clerk would not have her knowledge.

Corporation counsel Jeff Fuge said the county needs to take a tough look at its organizational structure. He added that a salaried administrator is needed for the county.

Fuge said there seems to be problems of communication among many departments “Obviously there is a problem,” supervisor Patricia Schmidt said. “I still don’t know who is responsible for the problem in December.”

There followed a go-around over which body should look at a solution to the process and the issue.

Newville said the issue should go to finance while Johnson favored sending it to the executive committee, and Fuge wanted the Strategic Planning Committee to look at the issue.

“This is a bigger issue than just the tax problem,” supervisor Kay Friberg said. “It is bigger than just finance. I’m glad they brought it up. We need to have someone who knows what is happening in the county, we need to solve the bigger picture. We want someone to coordinate all of it.”

PAGE 6 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

B U R N E T T

C O U N T Y

H E A D L I N E S

Attorney weighs in on Daniels Town zoning

Grindell says county zoning already in effect

by Sherill Summer SIREN – All of the discussion at the Burnett County board meeting on Feb. 21, surrounding the town of Daniels adopting county zoning that eventually passed a motion sending the issue back to zoning committee for re-evaluation, was for naught.

Attorney David Grindell was asked to interpret the Wisconsin statute, and in a

letter to zoning administrator Jim Flanigan, Grindell said that as soon as the township passed an ordinance adopting county zoning and filed a copy of the ordinance with the county clerk, county zoning is effective in the township. Flanigan explained the decision to county supervisors at a zoning and land use committee meeting on Tuesday, March 4.

Since the county board did not accept the zoning map that Daniels land use committee created, the county zoning map already in place for Daniels will be the official map, for now.

Interestingly enough, the county map

has the Siren National Golf Course zoned A-2.

In a Feb. 5 zoning and land use public hearing, the committee recommended that the Daniels map created by Daniels land use committee be accepted, but that the Siren National Golf Course area be changed from A-2 to RR-3. It was this recommendation, mentioned above, that was defeated by the full board.

Although Flanigan reported that an amended Daniels zoning map was being prepared by Daniels land use committee, no action was taken on this amended map at this last zoning com-

mittee meeting on Tuesday.

Robert Schmidt, owner of Siren National Golf Course wants to build a cluster development surrounding the golf course and has already spent approximately $1 million on it before the area had any zoning restrictions.

Now that this area is zoned A-2, he will have to seek a zoning change or change his plans.

At one point, the estimated development size was 300 units. However, with the downturn in the real-estate market, work at the development has slowed to a crawl.

BURNETT COUNTY – Colorectal cancer affects an equal amount of men and women. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Risk for CRC increases as we grow older. It is recommended that all men and women age 50 begin regular screening tests. CRC is cancer of the colon or the rectum. It is nearly 90-percent preventable, because it develops from polyps, grapelike growths on the lining of the colon and rectum, which may be cancerous. Screening tests can detect polyps so they can be removed before they ever become cancer.

Who is at risk? A personal or family history of colorectal polyps, colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease and/or a family history of hereditary or

familial colon cancer syndromes.

Take action! Get screened! Check with your health care professional to find out which test is right for you.

Exercise. Work up to 30 - 60 minutes a day, five days a week. Maintain a healthy weight. Eat a lower-fat diet by trying to eat less animal fat, or saturated fats, and more fruits and vegetables. Eat a plant-based diet! Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and be sure to add whole grains to your diet.

Reduce alcohol use! If you use alcohol, drink only in moderation—two or fewer drinks a day for men and one drink for women.

With regular screening tests and simple lifestyle changes you can reduce your risk of CRC. If you would like

more information, you can contact Burnett County Health and Human Services at 715-349-7600, your health

care professional or online at www.preventcancer.org. – submitted

Colorectal cancer: Preventable. Treatable. Beatable.

Webster 4- and 5-year-old kindergarten roundup The Webster School District’s 4- and 5-year-old kindergarten roundup will be held at the Webster Elementary School on Thursday and Friday, March 27 and 28.

All parents in the district having a child who will be 4 or 5 years of age on or before Sept. 1, and have not yet attended the Webster schools, are urged to contact the school for an appointment. The children will be given an opportunity to meet the teachers and

staff.

The sessions will be on an appointment basis only. An informational letter with time schedules will be sent to each participant. Sessions will last approximately one hour and will be staggered to accommodate seven to eight children at a time.

Please call the Webster Elementary School office to register your child by March 19, at 715-866-8210 or 715-8668211. – submitted

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 7

National Junior Ranger essay contest announced ST. CROIX FALLS — The National Park Service is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2008 Junior Ranger essay contest will receive an allexpense-paid family vacation to one of the country’s most remarkable national

parks and a starring role in an electronic field trip seen by millions of schoolchildren across the country.

The essay contest is open to children between 9 and 12 years old. Each person must express his or her thoughts on

Girl Scouts create comfort wraps for OMC

The troop created these wraps as a project to earn their Sew Simple badge from the Girl Scouts program. Pictured is Girl Scout Troop 52382 back row, (L to R): Selena Yanez, Kayla Gullickson, Colleen Uran, Katlyn Brinker, Whitney Koehler and Tia Anderson. Front row, (L to R): Eileen Collins, Kennedy Anderson, Samantha Peterson, Brittaney Johnson, Desiree Marik and Salysh Yanez. Not pictured are troop leader Sandy Clark and co-leader Hollie Stuart-Collins. – Photo submitted OSCEOLA – Osceola Medical Center’s OB department received scented comfort wraps recently from Girl Scout Troop 52382 of Osceola. The comfort wraps, filled with rice and scented with lavender, are used as a comfort measure for women in labor.

“These wraps are a great nonmedical intervention for comforting women in

labor,” according to obstetrics nurse Brenna Joachim, RN. “The patients can use these heated on their back, thighs, knees and lower abdomen, and now that they are scented, the lavender helps create a very relaxing environment. Patients can take them home and use them as cold packs, too.” – submitted

More smokers become callers to help and become quitters

STATEWIDE - A service that helps smokers kick the habit is garnering more interest than ever before. The Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line received a record number of calls the first two months of this year.

January and February are always busy months for the Tobacco Quit Line, because some people are seeking to keep New Year’s resolutions. What’s different this year is a dollar-per pack increase in the cigarette tax. Shortly after the tax kicked in, the number of calls to the Quit Line increased. In just two months, the requests for help were more than three times what they usually are for an entire year.

Quit Line coordinator Kate Kobinsky

says another factor boosting business is the free starter pack of nicotine medicine participants get. She says patches and gum, along with counseling, increase the rate of smokers who succeed in quitting. She says people who call the Quit Line have a four times better chance of quitting than if they were to try on their own, without assistance.

More than a third of smokers calling the Quit Line were on Medicaid. The government insurance program hopes to reduce costly illness caused by tobacco use.

The Quit Line number is 1-800-QUITNOW. – Wisconsin Public Radio (Shamane Mills)

Private pesticide applicator training to be held SPOONER — The Spooner Area UWExtension Office will conduct a private pesticide applicator training session on Friday, March 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Spooner Ag Research Station.

People who participate in a training session and successfully complete an evaluation will be certified as private pesticide applicators by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Certification allows applicators to purchase and use restricted-use chemicals such as atrazine, alachlor and others. Certified applicators are also allowed to spray up to 500 acres each year for hire without having to be a licensed commercial applicator.

The training fee is $30 per private applicator. This amount covers training materials and certification for five years, with no additional fees incurred

during the certification period.

Registration for the March 14 session will begin at 9 a.m. with the training/testing session beginning promptly at 9:30 a.m. Materials for the general farming category can be picked up at area county UW-Extension Offices and at the Spooner Ag Research Station.

For private applicators specializing in fruit crops, greenhouses or nurseries, training materials and registration must be purchased through the Private Pesticide Applicators office in Madison.

For those who can’t come to the session, but are interested in becoming certified, individual testing opportunities are also available. The fee for either certification method is the same. For more information about the private pesticide applicator training call Kevin Schoessow or Otto Wiegand at 635-3506 or 800-528-1914. — from UW-Extension

“What can you do now to turn over a new leaf for the environment and help preserve our national parks?”

National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar, First Lady Laura Bush, and National Park Foundation President and CEO Vin Cipolla announced the details of this year’s contest during a recent visit to Everglades National Park in Florida. A group of local fifth-graders joined them to help plant native trees in a park restoration project prior to the announcement. “Children throughout the country, like those here today, are more interested and involved in environmental issues than ever before,” said Bomar. “They can make a difference, both now and in the future, on the impact of humans on the land. I can’t wait to hear all of the wonderful ideas that will come from this essay contest.”

The grand prizewinner of the essay contest will receive a trip for four to Everglades National Park where he or she will appear in an electronic field trip about invasive species in national parks.

The prize includes round-trip air transportation, car rental, hotel accommodations, meal expenses, a $1,000 Macy’s shopping spree, and an America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass.

Essays must be 500 words or less and received online or by mail by March 14.

Each entry will be judged on originality, clarity, and understanding of the issue.

Additional contest information is available at www.nps.gov.

National Park Service Junior Ranger programs are designed to provide youth with the opportunity to explore, learn about and protect national parks.

Participants complete a series of activities during their park visit, share their answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger badge or patch and Junior Ranger certificate.

Locally, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, a unit of the National Park System, will premier its Junior Ranger program in April 2008. National Junior Ranger Day will be celebrated on Saturday, April 26, at the St. Croix River Visitor Center in St. Croix Falls and the Namekagon River Visitor Center in Trego. Additional information will be forthcoming.

For additional information on the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, please visit www.nps.gov/sacn. — from the National Park Service

PAGE 8 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

L e a d e r

We b Po l l

Last week’s poll results

Total votes: 93

Have you done any of the following in the past year?

9%

8 votes

20%

16 votes

Talked to someone eating alone

52%

48 votes

Told someone you care about them

19%

18 votes

Forgiven someone

6%

6 votes

Prevented violence

Help someone cross the street

Brett should now:

1. Lay low until his Hall of Fame induction 2. Become a commentator 3. Become a coach 4. I really don’t care - not a football fan

J o e H e l l e r

F O R U M

Reform for the tribe

was national news this week concerning the local St. Croix Tribe and T here their fight against what appears to be unfair treatment by the present

administration against tribes with pending off-reservation projects.

But perhaps the most impressive headline appeared on the tribe's own newspaper, The Vision, which announced that their constitutional reform is moving forward.

In fact, the reform being proposed by a Constitutional Reform Board, made up of St. Croix Tribal members, may become the model document for the entire Indian nation, as tribes across the country attempt to reform their constitutions.

“It puts power in the hands of the people,” George Reynolds, a member of the CRB, told The Vision.

One of the biggest issues in the proposed constitution is the formation of a five-member elder’s board that would supervise the tribal council and serve as a liason between tribal members and the council.

Best wishes to the St. Croix Tribe as they seek a historic change - tangible change for the better.

Confusing, maybe undemocratic here's a man who feels he's paid fairly close attention to American politics T for at least three of his five decades here on earth.

But the information provided by the news media this presidential sea-

son of how the Democratic party chooses its candidates for president - is news to him.

Surprising at times, he said.

And certainly confusing.

"Where have I been?" he asked “Have they always done it this way?”

It's obvious the United States isn't very united when it comes to choosing party presidential nominees, particularly in the Democratic Party, where the national media has focused the most since that party’s race has been the most intense. From excluding votes in two states due to some broken timeline - to the restrictive - and in all honesty - goofy - caucuses - to the convoluted system of awarding delegates. It’s all a bit disenchanting.

Another casual observation came from a man who said he didn't vote in the Wisconsin primary because he heard on the news it wasn't an open primary.

Voter apathy in disguise?

Maybe, but in an area where Wisconsin news is shadowed by Minnesota news - and with a national media talking about several primaries at once - it's easy to see how someone could get confused.

This year’s Democratic primaries could have well “ended” a few weeks ago, leaving voters in the remaining states disinterested as their votes would have counted for nothing. Isn’t that what we’re trying to get away from?

Why not build up to one or two national primary votes. We could even apply the good old standard of whoever gets the most votes - wins.

What a concept.

Frozen man

you reach for your phone after hearing about Brett Favre's retirement?

D idDid you call a loved one? A buddy? Your therapist?

W h e re t o Wr i t e

President George Bush 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. 20500 president@whitehouse.gov

Governor Jim Doyle 115 East, State Capitol Bldg.

Mailing address: P.O. Box 7863 Madison, WI 53707 wisgov@mail.state.wi.us Congressman David Obey 7th Congressional District 2462 Rayburn Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20515 or Wisconsin office: Federal Building Wausau, WI 54401 (715) 842-5606 Rep. Ann Hraychuck 28th Assembly District State Capitol, P.O. Box 8942 Madison, WI 53708 Phone: 608-267-2365 Toll free: 888-529-0028 In-District 715-485-3362 rep.hraychuck@legis.state.wi.us

Rep. Frank Boyle 73rd Assembly District Room 221 North State Capitol P.O. Box 8952 Madison 53708 E-mail: Rep.Boyle@legis.state.wi.us

Senator Sheila Harsdorf 10th Senate District State Capitol, P.O. Box 7882 Madison, WI 53707 (608) 266-7745 • (715) 2321390 Toll-free - 1-800-862-1092 sen.harsdorf@legis.state.wi.us

Rep. Mary Hubler 75th Assembly District Room 7 North, State Capitol P.O. Box 8952 Madison, WI 53708 or 1966 21-7/8 St. (Hawthorne Lane), Rice Lake 54868 (715) 234-7421• (608) 266-2519 rep.hubler@legis.state.wi.us

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold SDB 40, Rm. 1 Washington, D.C. 20510 or 1600 Aspen Commons Middleton, WI 53562-4716 (608) 828-1200 senator@feingold.senate.gov

Senator Robert Jauch 25th Senate District Room 19 South State Capitol P.O. Box 7882 Madison, WI 53707 E-mail: Sen.Jauch@legis.state.wi.us

U.S. Senator Herb Kohl 330 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20510 senator_kohl@kohl.senate.gov Congressman Ron Kind 3rd Congressional District 1713 Longwirth Office Bdg. Washington, D.C. 20515 202-225-5506 888-442-8040 (toll-free) ron.kind@mail.house.gov

Views expressed on these pages do not necessarily represent those of the Inter-County Cooperative Publishing Association management or board

T h e

Maybe anyone who might provide some consolation?

Some of us wanted to call Brett himself - just to thank him personally for the good memories. The moments of escape from our routine-driven lives that he provided for us through his 17 years as a Packer.

Yeah, he could make us mad and glad within the time frame of two plays a rollercoaster of emotions with him - but the highs were worth it.

There are young Packer fans who have never known another quarterback at the helm of their favorite team.

And there are grown men in our brawny state who choke up when they tell about the game Brett played right after his father died.

"It's not 'Brett Favre and the Packers anymore...it's just the 'Packers,'" lamented one fan. You can feel the sadness.

Within an hour of the retirement being announced, one man logged on to an abcnews.com blog to write, “OK, but is this really breaking news?”

To which Packer fans can only respond, “Step aside, sir, this isn’t your ride.”

True fans logging on to the site drowned out that lonely message with impressive tributes for No. 4. One thanked him for providing Wisconsinites with "common ground."

More often than not, that ground was the turf at Lambeau Field and much of the time if was frozen.

In an NFL interview a few years ago, Favre reflected on the 1996 NFC championship game - the one leading up to his first Super Bowl. ”The game wasn’t even about football,” he said. “For me it was about the cold weather, Lambeau Field and the Packer fans."

His final game was at Lambeau Field on a cold night that ended in an overtime defeat - and one has to wonder what was in the back of the sports legend’s mind as he trotted off the field for the last time, frozen...and frozen in history. Did he know then he was taking his last steps in a Packer uniform?

Favre offered us a lesson in loyalty by staying a Packer. Now he may want to postpone being a sports announcer or coach for a few years - and allow his fans to remember him only through the freeze frames of him jumping in the air, hands extended, looking like a 12-year-old on Christmas morning.

Those are memories we’d like to keep on ice.

All editorials on this page by editor Gary King

Inter-County Leader Informing the local community since 1933

I n t e r - C o u n t y

L e a d e r

i s

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MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 9

L e a d e r F O R U M Letters t o t h e e d i t o r County zoning I was dismayed by several aspects of Burnett County Supervisors’ process in reviewing Daniels Township’s application to adopt County zoning.

1. The first vote by the Burnett Zoning Committee on Daniels’ proposed zoning map was defeated by a 4-to-3 vote, with Daniels’ own supervisor, Jim Englehart, casting the deciding vote against the wishes of his own constituents. This is why they voted him off the town board at the last election. Now we must work hard to vote him out as our supervisor on the county board.

There is no place for a politician who fails to represent the interests of those who elect him.

2. The second vote of the Burnett Zoning committee sent Daniels map forward, recommending approval. That was after an amendment to placate the developer by changing zoning around the Siren Golf Course from agricultural use (20-acre minimum) to residential/recreational (5-acre minimum). Englehart voted for that proposal.

3. But that wasn’t enough to satisfy the developer or a majority of Burnett County Supervisors. By 12 to 6, the Burnett supervisors voted against the citizens of Daniels and sent the map back to committee - presumably to be rewritten in terms the developer wants.

Again, Daniels’ own supervisor, Englehart, voted against the citizens who elect him, reversing his previous vote for the amended zoning map.

Two things disturb me. First, the supervisor elected by the citizens of Daniels Township to represent their interests voted against those interests and for the interests of one developer. It convinces me that Daniels needs a new representative on the county board.

Every citizen in Daniels should turn out at the polls on April 1. Vote for Chuck Awe - running as a write-in candidate - and give Englehart the boot.

Let’s get a supervisor who will represent us, not the developer.

Second, the Burnett County Board of Supervisors is supposed to represent the interests of the county’s citizens, not those of a single developer intent on raping Daniels Township, or quaking in its boots at the thought of a possible lawsuit.

The Burnett County Board has handed the developer all the leverage and given Daniels none. That is just, plain wrong.

I sat in on many of the meetings in Daniels regarding the golf course and housing development over the past two years. Few Daniels residents are against the golf course improvements. Most see that as a positive development. And few are against reasonable housing construction in the immediate vicinity of the golf course.

But we see 300 new single-family dwellings as unreasonable. That would nearly double the number of singlefamily dwellings in the township. Now, I understand that the developer - belying his public claims to be acting in good faith with either Daniels or Burnett County - has rushed a filing of an incomplete plat (no roads, no wells, no sewer) not for 300, but for 380 homes.

Apparently, a majority of supervisors feel that 300 or more new homes - and all the wear and tear on roads, water, septic fields, not to mention schools, fire protection, and law enforcement - is a reasonable and good-faith proposal.

Even worse, these supervisors seem are willing to blackmail the residents of

Daniels into accepting unreasonable development as the price of getting approval for zoning.

That’s a little like saying, “First, you allow me to assault your family, then I’ll consider whether you qualify for police protection.”

Get real, guys. Either you represent the people of Burnett County - and Daniels Township - or you represent one developer. I deeply regret the choice some of you seem to have made.

Boyd Sutton Town of Daniels

Is this all it takes?

I read the statement in last week’s paper by former Gov. Scott McCallum regarding his appointment of Michael Gableman to the Burnett County bench following the retirement of Judge James Taylor and was, well quite frankly, insulted.

McCallum stated that he “wanted the best candidate available” and that it was his “desire to ensure a traditionalist judge who respected the law sat on the Burnett County Circuit Court.”

Is this former governor trying to tell all the citizens and voters in both Polk and Burnett counties that the district attorneys which they elected over and over do not respect the law? Is he trying to tell them that two seasoned district attorneys who worked and lived in Burnett (Kutz - 16 years as district attorney) or Polk County (Biller – 14 years as district attorney), who knew law enforcement, who knew the citizens and this area better than an outsider, were not the best candidates available to sit on the bench in as circuit judge in Burnett County?

Who is he kidding? The citizens and voters of Burnett and Polk counties are smarter than that.

McCallum had two very qualified candidates, one a Republican and one a Democrat to choose from. Both of these men are honorable, intelligent, and extremely talented attorneys who I know respect the law. Both submitted a very lengthy formal application to the office of the governor and both appeared before the governor’s selection committee for an interview. A process that McCallum created by his own executive order and a process which he then ignored.

I looked up ‘traditionalist’ in the dictionary just to make sure I understood the former governor. This is what I found: 1. adherence to tradition as authority, esp. in matters of religion 2. a system of philosophy according to which all knowledge of religious truth is derived from divine revelation and received by traditional instruction 3. stubbornly conservative and narrow-minded So that is what it takes to be a judge in Burnett County? Well, throw out the law books!

Jan Kelton- Wolden Frederic

Enjoy their cheese, but...

I have always admired the Swiss! I love their cheese. I consider William Tell to be a hero, I love pictures of their alpine meadows and of their clear blue skies. I love almost everything about them, everything but that confounded yodeling! And now I finally know why they yodel! They must be abusing their children!

Now I have a logical, to Rube

Goldberg, style mind. If you check into one of the local hospitals, they now ask you if you have firearms in your home, how many, and where they are kept!

Now this is part of the form to protect our children from abuse! But they promise keep this information confidential!

Now as I buy a hunting license, I am fairly certain, well, not completely, knowing the competency of some of our elected officials, that our government people already know that I am using a firearm and not rocks in pursuit of deer.

This being the case, they already know I have a gun! When told that the hospital is concerned about the safety of my children, as all of them are parents now themselves, I was equally concerned for the well being of the children. This form however doesn’t ask me where I keep the Marlboros, the matches, the Millers, the margaritas, the meth and the marijuana!

Soon this will be as bad as our public schools and also those Islamic nations where we can’t read even the Bible, and as fast as one can say “Heil Hitler,” some well-meaning public servant could use this invasion of our privacy to infringe even more upon our constitutional rights.

So remember the Swiss, those residents of Switzerland, that great nation, who at one point in time required, mandated, ordered all males to have a weapon and to know how to use it.

They were so formidable that they even had Heer Hitler worried about invading them.

And then think of their clear blue pristine skies and wonder what color the sky is in the minds of those who ask at our local hospital if we have guns in our homes, as we might be abusing our children, and then worry about the color of the skies in those well-meaning people’s world!

And so I sit here and admire the Swiss, and William Tell, who would not bend to tyranny, and I enjoy their cheese. Now if I could only get them to stop that irritating yodeling!

George G. Motz Balsam Lake

Which is it?

This past week’s Leader included an opinion piece by Wayne Anderson informing the reader as to his choice for our next president. Barack Obama’s oratory has so captured Anderson’s imagination that he now proudly wears a Republicans for Obama campaign pin.

This is indeed a remarkable transformation regarding his articles of faith of just 10 months ago.

This is the same Wayne Anderson who’s April 25, 2007, Write from West Sweden column gleefully reported on the Supreme Court’s ban on partialbirth abortions. He holds “baby Mariah Olson in his arms and solemnly informs us that she would be a candidate for an abortion if those freedom of choice people had their way. He tells us, “that the civil war on abortion has turned to victory.” If Mr. Anderson had bothered to Google Barack Obama’s senate voting record he would have learned that Obama voted no to the ban on partialbirth abortions. He would have also learned that Obama has given 100-percent support to the pro-choice position when voting on this volatile issue.

Obama so aggressively supported the pro-choice position that he was publicly recognized by Planned Parenthood (Washington post.com/fact-checker

c o o p e r a t i v e - o w n e d

and ontheissues.org).

If Mr. Anderson does not want to be seen as a cynic and is truly a pro-life soldier, he could never support Obama.

Perhaps he has just become more objective during the past year and recognizes that there is more than one legitimate side to the abortion issue.

Leigh Marquardt Balsam Lake

The Frankenstein Amendment On Dec. 11, 2007, the Wisconsin Senate passed the bill to end the Frankenstein or Partial Veto unanimously. The last step is now up to the voters. This new Wisconsin State Constitutional amendment will be on the April 1 ballot for voter approval.

To put this into perspective. Let’s say that the Wisconsin Legislature passes a budget bill that says “Thou Shalt Not Tax.” With the Frankenstein or Partial Veto the governor could veto out the “Not” and we would have “Thou Shalt Tax.” Please get out and vote for apprival of this new Wisconsin State Constitutional Amendment to ban the Partial Veto nonsense!!

Leon Moe Luck

Backing up promises The words “You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time,” seems to have lost its substance with the adoring of Sen. Obama. He really is fooling a lot of people a lot of the time! His eloquent speeches, and delivery of them truly makes one amazed! But, shouldn’t his record back all his promises?

Like, what has he promised in the past and accomplished for the people?

He promises change, well, what kind of change? A change for the good? For the good of whom? Would somebody please tell me what he had done to gain such momentum? Does anyone know?

Or are we a nation that is enamored by words without substance? People fall for anything, and always have – go back to the ‘30s and ‘40s in Europe – people fell for a great orator because he would bring about the change they so desperately wanted – they got change alright!

Just be careful who you vote for, you may get what he promised!

Rita Luedtke Webb Lake

More letters, next page

Letters to the editor

The Leader welcomes letters to the editor. Diverse and varied opinions are welcomed. Letters are subject to being edited for length, taste and/or clarity, and we urge writers to be brief and limit their letters to 500 words or less. Writers must provide their name and give their complete address and phone number.

Content that will cause letters to be rejected include: Crude language, poor taste, disrespectful comments regarding a group’s or individual’s ethnicity, gender, religion, culture, sexual orientation or race; other incendiary language, poetry or personal attacks.

n e w s p a p e r

PAGE 10 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

Letters t o t h e e d i t o r Common write-in Cheers to the Polk County voters! On Feb. 19 they resoundingly voted against the proposal to spend $10 million on a shop building. As others have pointed out before me, county spending is completely out of control and our tax burden is stifling; four out of every five voters have said stop spending.

Bryce Thomas, Balsam Lake, and others who wrote several letters on the spending issue prior to the vote are to be congratulated. I’m certain that their efforts helped win the big rejection.

Now we need to quickly take action to change some faces on the county board of supervisors. The election is April 1 and despite the date, this is no joke.

The problem, you see, is that of the 23 county seats only five currently are contested. There is little time to find challengers; in fact there isn’t even time to evaluate the incumbents to determine who should be challenged. My suggestion is that since the county is in bad financial shape and we don’t have time to evaluate the supervisors, let’s just vote all the incumbents out. In non-contested district races let’s get together in our neighborhoods and agree to vote for a common write-in candidate. At minimum this may give them a scare and thus alter their voting on future board actions. They may even solicit our input in the future.

Since there are so many supervisors and so few constituents, on average each supervisor serves about 1,325 voters (2000 census), it shouldn’t take a very large write-in vote to clean house.

Come on, let’s get with it; call your likeminded friends and ask them to help make our democracy work.

Cletus J. Tauer Luck

No plans to be a candidate I want to thank everyone for the support and encouragement they have shown me regarding being a candidate for the Assembly this year.

The decision I have made is based on many hours of thought, prayer and input from my family. Being a pragmatist, and looking at the voting trends of the 28th Assembly District, it is apparent that higher taxes, more government regulation and losing personal freedoms are not concerns of the majority of the voting public. Current polls suggest that the majority of voters in our district are in favor of re-electing Gov. Doyle and electing others who support high taxes and more government control of our lives. Being a conservative first and a Republican second, and, being on record pledging to never vote for a general tax increase, it would be difficult [for me] to win an election.

My record of voting for tax cuts for retirees, freezing property taxes and cutting gasoline taxes is clear, and I am proud of my accomplishments in the eight years I represented the 28th Assembly District.

This is to inform you and your readers I am not planning to be a candidate for the position of Representative to the Assembly for the 28th District this year.

Mark Pettis Hertel

Setting the record straight My old adversary Darrin Schmitz’s press release on behalf of Judge Michael Gableman’s campaign relies on some old boiler plate charges about the Greater Wisconsin Committee and me.

To wit:

“About the Greater Wisconsin Committee: The Greater Wisconsin Committee is a shadowy group which launches smear campaigns that mislead voters and do not pass the truth test.”

“- Doyle’s longtime political consultant, Bill Christofferson, is the Greater Wisconsin Committee’s consultant.”

“- The Greater Wisconsin Committee launched last-minute false advertising in the 2006 attorney general’s race in which they mislead voters on the case of Stanley Newago, who murdered a 16year old girl.”

FACT: I have not been a consultant to Jim Doyle or his campaign for more than five years.

FACT: I am retired and have not been a consultant to Greater Wisconsin Committee for more than a year. (I do serve now as a member of its board of directors).

FACT: J.B. Van Hollen’s defamation lawsuit over the Newago case was dismissed by the court and Van Hollen was ordered to pay court costs to Greater Wisconsin Committee.

Bill Christofferson Milwaukee

Recommended reading There is an undeclared war being waged against the American middle class by the wealthy men and the corporations they own. These Neo Con forces want to take back the power and privileges lost during the Depression and Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. There were almost immediate attempts to undo his programs. That is continuing: example, Bush’s attempt to privatize Social Security.

Does it work to their advantage for the government to be deeply in debt?

Bush’s threat to veto the State Children’s Health Insurance Program used the argument that we could not afford the program. His real reason was that it would be government program that would work and be cheaper and therefore wrong according to his philosophical ideals. Everything should be privatized. For that same reason Medicare and Medicaid was moved into the private sector. It is an immoral philosophy.

These corporations scour the world for the cheapest wages. They have no loyalty to any country, only to their bottom line. Every day brings examples like this one: Recently a Chicago company closed it’s plant, laid off its 700 workers, and is building equal facilities in Shanghai, China. The value of the company stock goes up, the CEO collects a bonus, and the workers are out of a job and lose their homes and livelihood.

The bottom line rules, the workers be damned, the stock market goes up and the CEOs collect higher wages and obscene bonuses.

Reagan’s first act was to destroy the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Union. Reagan said he hated big government. What he hated was government programs that helped people.

Give the money to the wealthy and it would trickle down to the poor people.

He was a true believer; for others it was pure greed. Greed is good.

Before Reagan and the new conservatives took over, the U.S. was for 200 years the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world. It has only taken three decades of the con’s insane economics and trade policies, and we are now the most in-debt nation in the history of the world. We were the largest importer of raw material and the largest exporters of finished goods. In just the time since Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush the exact opposite has become true. We are borrowing $2 billion every day, mostly from China, Korea and Japan. Most of our valuable companies now have been

sold in part or wholly to foreign countries in order to feed the greed of our most wealthy.

Are American citizens more inclined toward crime than citizens of other countries? If not, why are there more Americans in prisons than any other country, including China? The reason is simple. A good investment for a private corporation is to build prisons to house prisoners at more than $20,000 a year per inmate. The more people that can be convicted of even minor crimes, the better the bottom line. Legislators are encouraged to write stricter laws and longer sentences. There is no incentive for prisons to train prisoners for life after they get out, so most return to prison in short order. Another life is wasted, but the investor’s bottom line is served. It is an immoral system, but everything should be privatized.

Even our most precious right, the right to free and honest elections, has been privatized to three companies making voting machines that can, and have been, manipulated in favor of certain candidates. The present conservative leaders must not be given four to eight more years to totally destroy America. Insist on ballots that leave a paper trail.

For a complete explanation of what has been, and is happening to this country, I recommend the book “Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class” by Thom Hartman.

Edwin Pedersen Luck

Doesn’t anyone know anything about roundabouts?

I have been out of circulation for over a year, and when I opened up my Feb. 27 Leader there was an article on page 18, titled “Formal approval given to roundabout.” Not only that, it is right in my backyard. I have lived and worked in many countries around the world and know a lot about roundabouts which restrict the flow of traffic even more than the four-way stop in Frederic. Perhaps that is so everyone can observe the many empty storefronts. The purpose of the proposed roundabout on Hwys. 35/70 north of Siren is to expedite traffic flow, which in the summer is sometimes backed up for almost two miles waiting to go south on Hwy. 35/70. Roundabouts are designed to obstruct traffic rather than expedite it. Even though we don’t provide anyplace for them to throw their garbage, we have to have some consideration for the tourists that support this part of Wisconsin.

Roundabouts were an early 18th-century European concoction put in the middle of street intersections so they would have a place to put a statue of one of their national heroes with flowers planted around it. It was a place where, on Sundays, the Queen’s party and the many coaches that followed her, as well as the gentlemen and their mistress or the girl he was courting, rode leisurely down the street with another roundabout at each intersection. This was a novel idea, and they installed roundabouts in all their colonies. As time went by they cobblestoned and later graveled the streets between roundabouts because, after all, they were a thing of beauty.

All went well until Henry Ford started saturating the streets with cars, and as more and more cars were produced, the roundabouts became more and more an obstruction to traffic. Even though we still have a few roundabouts in the low-traffic residential or embassy area of our nation’s capital, they are very large circles that are really parks where people sit on benches in the

shade of trees. They really have nothing to do with traffic. The development of the interstate highway system spelled the end to the roundabout in the U.S. and other countries in the world as they developed.

Traffic control engineers have learned novel uses of traffic lights called robots in South Africa that can best handle diverse intersections like the one north of Siren. They have sensors in each lane that provides the computer the best possible traffic control short of an interchange whose cost is prohibitive. It appears a lot of people have wasted their time designing and approving this antique system they know nothing about, and it will have to be redone again later. After the mess they created on their last concoction at this intersection, the public who have never used a roundabout better be more vigilant.

Americans are pretty knowledgeable drivers and understand sophisticated traffic control light systems, so why impose this antique monster on them, which will not only further delay traffic, but certainly result in more accidents.

You have to consider all the logging trucks with trailers and the tipsy people from at least three nearby bars who have to navigate this monstrosity.

Sam Jones Siren

Parallels Most of my generation remembers the 1960s as a transcendent period in America and our personal lives.

Now in my 70s, I’m able to more fully understand how the extraordinary events of that decade significantly altered the course of history and evaluate the influences that changed our individual destinies.

Given the unfolding drama and debate of the ongoing presidential campaign, it’s impossible to ignore the chilling parallels between the social and political dynamics of 1968 and what’s now taking place in this nation. We sense the festering clash here in our local communities.

A recently released popular DVD titled “RFK Must Die,” produced by London-based Shane O’Sullivan, presents a well-crafted retrospective of the cultural satire, political discord and ardent social message of hope, change and new world view brought to the scene by Robert Kennedy.

One cannot be blind and deaf to the similarities in philosophy, core values and inspiring speech now touching the hearts and minds of so many in the present generation. Barack Obama, like RFK, is a man on a mission.

The DVD offers newly revealed evidence and explores a plausible theory supporting the long-held suspicion that there were more involved in RFK’s assassination than a crazed lone gunman by the name of Sirhan Sirhan.

I have no marketing or pecuniary interest in O’Sullivan’s DVD. I merely point out to all who may read this to be reminded of the nature of our times, of the socio-cultural discord and divide; the bitter racial, religious and ethic prejudices which separate us; increasing economic and class disparities; a military establishment at the breaking point – all this, recognizing although 40 years have passed since RFK was terminated, we’re about in the same place we were then.

I met Bobby Kennedy twice while serving with the CIA as a young, special operations officer.

I was greatly impressed with his energy, intellectual vigor and sense of purpose. Following the assassination of President Kennedy, I had reason to believe he might be the one person who would unravel the conspiracy that culminated in Dallas on

Letters, cont. next page

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 11

Letters t o t h e e d i t o r from previous page As with Obama now, I watched RFK evolve as a visionary, with both practical and cerebral insight, striking a longsilenced emotional chord in the American psyche and conveying a sense of promise we could all do better.

His death in June 1968 plunged us back into the dark ages from which we as a nation still struggle to emerge.

As the current political process intensified, I become increasingly fearful that Obama may never survive to sit in the Oval Office. People disparage and ridicule my concerns. No one wants to deal with it, but the unspeakable prospect is there, just under the surface in the public dialogue. They say Obama has Secret Service protection. RFK did not. (JFK also had Secret Service protection and we know how effective that was.)

And, what good is Secret Service protection if the hit is an inside job?

All one has to do is listen to the irrational, ranting extremists on the Internet, talk radio, right wing TV and print media. The dark forces that scuttled the dream in 1968 are alive and well. Mr. Obama, I hope you cover your backside; and I encourage Sen. Feingold, as I did Paul Wellstone, to do the same. Our country could be shattered by another political assassination.

Bradley Ayers Clam Falls-Somers Lake Frederic Editor’s note: The writer is the author of several nonfiction books, his most recent being “The Zenith Secret,” and appears in the recent documentary “RFK Must Die.”

Open letter to supervisors To the Burnett County Board members who voted against Daniels Township: As representatives of the Daniels Town Board, its zoning committee and citizens, we are very disappointed with your willingness to allow one entity, RTS Development, to decide whether you would allow Daniels Township and its citizens their right to land use regulations and not approve us into county zoning, but to send us back to the zoning committee. Our township and land use/zoning committee has worked very methodically over the past nine months to reach a decision on zoning and initial map that is fair for all in Daniels Township. Jim Flannigan said in 25 years he has never seen a township put as much time and effort into this process, going way beyond what was required of them. We are disappointed that our own town supervisor, Jim Englehart, as well as the zoning committee Chairman Maury Miller and another zoning committee member were willing to vote for approval at the zoning committee but when it got to the county board they voted against Daniels Township. In a surreptitious way, before comment and discussion period, and not allowing a vote on the adoption of county zoning, you made a motion to send us back to me county zoning committee. In doing so you voted for RTS Development and against Daniels Township.

The three reasons discussed at both meetings were not based on fact, but assumption.

1. You assumed the town would not work with RTS Development, even though we compromised from A2 to RR3. We also made it clear this initial map is not carved in stone and will change in the future.

2. You assumed the golf course will not be able to build 300 homes, and yet on their plat submitted to the Burnett

County land use office the day before the county board meeting they had well over 300 homes.

3. But the most ridiculous assumption was that Daniels Township rushed to get zoning, and that this wasn’t fair to RTS Development, however we worked for nine months. First having a public hearing about land use options, second we put a committee together having many meetings and third we had two public hearings giving the public the chance to voice their concerns, one of which Bob Schmidt, RTS owner, attended and did not speak out against it.

However, we could have adopted village powers and created a subdivision ordinance in a relatively short period of time. Furthermore, RTS Development has had ample time to come up with a formal plan that could be adopted at the county level through a plat, but perhaps we are supposed to wait for him before we can have county zoning for our form of land use regulations.

However, the question now is how can Daniels Township and RTS Development work together? In order for two people to come to a compromise they both must have something the other wants. Well, Daniels Township wants county zoning so they can have a say in the vision of their community in the future and RTS Development doesn’t want Daniels Township to have zoning unless it suits their plans. So there is no point to come together and unless the zoning committee and Burnett County Board are willing to give Daniels Township approval again and not undermine a vote at the county level, we will continue to be without any land use regulations and RTS will be free to do as they wish without the vision of the community of Daniels involved. Being part of Burnett County Zoning allows us thee process in which a mediator could help that get done. It would give Daniels Township legal backing to have their vision involved.

But it is apparent that this is not what the Burnett County Board and RTS Development wants. They want to keep Daniels Township and its residents from having any say in that decision and force them into giving RTS Development whatever they want in order to attain zoning.

Daniels Town Board and its citizens are very disappointed in the decision that was made by a majority of the Burnett County Board. Especially when it has been the policy of Burnett County to encourage townships to adopt county zoning. Your decisions were based on false assumption and benefited only RTS Development. We are hoping that facts and a better understanding of county policy will guide your decision making in the future.

Chairman of Daniels, Daniel Peterson Supervisor, Edward Fisher Supervisor, Tim Tjader Town of Daniels

Sentencing article For a decent article reflecting the human toll of OWI crash told, it was a very pain-filled, sad and difficult day for everyone involved, including myself, and the article is very accurate.

I appreciate the honest representation of the events that took place in the courtroom Tuesday, Feb. 26.

Jennifer Abernathy Saint Paul

OWI death story As I sat here today and read your news article on what went on at Mr. Lord’s sentencing date, I found myself emotionally moved on the whole aspect of what went on in the courtroom Tuesday, Feb. 26, from Mrs. Frascone’s

impact statement of the loss of her soul mate that she had known since her teens. What also touched me in my heart was Ricky’s sister, Faith Frascone’s, story of going by the accident that took her brother’s life.

I have sat here after I read the story and thought about how the DA said Lord had several chances prior to that horrible accident, and what was said on Lord’s behalf and the judge’s decision, my thoughts are this: The thing I take away from this story is, if I ever should have a few drinks or more, I will make the mental effort beforehand not to get behind the wheel of a car. I believe the judge was just in his sentencing, and I can only hope Lord will take the time in his seven years to strengthen the new faith he found. I also hope he takes to heart that he should do good for the rest of his life, that will be a kind of payment for this tragedy. I know that won’t lessen the hurt on the Frascone family, but it’s the best atonement that can be made.

R.J. Merrill Polk County Jail Balsam Lake

Response While my old “adversary” writes to attempt to clarify his role with the Greater Wisconsin Committee, one thing is certain; they’re determined to personally destroy Judge Gableman and his campaign.

All one has to do is watch the television ads or read about their latest attacks ads to have a clear understanding of what the GWC is all about.

While Mr. Christofferson wants to take issue with his position on the GWC board or his consulting with GWC the one fact he doesn’t argue with is the GWC exists to smear candidates.

Just like their attack ads failed and worked against Kathleen Falk in the attorney general’s race, once again these negative ads will backfire. Judge Gableman is an ethical man and will

make an outstanding Supreme Court Justice.

Darrin Schmitz Madison

Food problem This is an open letter to all those involved with the senior meal program in Polk County – the Polk County Aging Department, site managers, board members, cooking staff and others.

Many of us are disappointed with the quality of the meals being served – which are for the most part – horrible.

At least 90 percent of them are of poor quality – full of chemicals with a lot of instant foods such as packaged potatoes.

I understand that board members have been invited to eat at the meal sites, but the invitation has been ignored.

Some of the food has been tasted and then thrown away. What a waste.

Negative comments are growing in number.

The home-delivered meal numbers have been cut drastically, and that is sad because sometimes that’s the only human contact some homebound seniors have.

Many miss the wonderful meals of the past, when meals were prepared at the site. Fewer people come in now, and that defeats one of the purposes of the program which is to create an opportunity for seniors to gather in a positive social setting.

I don’t feel that Aramark is a good choice for the food provider, even if it is appropriate for the people in jail. I see it as part of their punishment and quite severe at that.

Seniors, who pay $80 a month, or $4 per meal for this service, certainly deserve much better. Contracts and leases can be broken due to certain circumstances – and this is one of them.

Doralyn Pedersen Frederic

Political tagging prompts debate MADISON - Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler says it’s unfair for his challenger, Burnett County Judge Michael Gableman, to label Butler as a liberal.

Judge Gableman has not been shy about calling himself a “judicial conservative,” a term he says is different from “political conservative.” Gableman says it means he’s a judge who applies the law and doesn’t make it.

His campaign has consistently called Butler the liberal in the race, in public statements and in a recent fundraising letter from former Lieutenant Governor Margaret Farrow. But Butler told an audience at a Monday luncheon put on by the news site Wispolitics.com that he thinks it’s inappropriate for a candidate to adopt those kinds of labels. He says they’re then doing a “kind of nod, nod, wink, wink,” hinting that a vote for that candidate will man “you’re going to get what you want.” He says what justices are supposed to be doing is interpreting the cases.

Butler says when one examines the record of the cases he’s voted on, they show that there are no voting “blocks” on the State Supreme Court. An analysis by the Wisconsin Law Journal found that in the most recent Supreme Court term, Butler sided with the majority 85 percent of the time, more than all but one other justice. He says when one looks at it from that perspective, it’s “good centrist mainstream voting” based on the circumstances in a case and the law that should be applied to it.

The race for Supreme Court is officially non-partisan, although when it comes to who supports the candidates, the ideological and partisan lines are more clear. Butler is an appointee of Governor Jim Doyle and has overwhelming support from Democrats.

Gableman is an appointee of former Governor Scott McCallum and has the backing of Republicans. - Wisconsin Public Radio (Shawn Johnson)

Scholarship Funds Available Applications for the Moms For Kids Siren High School Scholarship are now available at the school’s guidance office.

Scholarships are based on community service and are available only to graduating high school seniors from the Siren School. The scholarship winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in May. Funds are paid out after the recipient completes one semester and enrolls in a second semester of a program after

high school. The amount awarded varies, but past scholarships have ranged from $100-500 with past total amounts awarded per year between $1000-1500. Moms For Kids would like to emphasize that this is not a scholarship awarded only to the children of the members of Moms For Kids and that everyone should apply. Application deadline is March 31 – apply today! submitted

PAGE 12 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

T h e

V i e w

March Madness Never make a big decision in March.

That’s the rule around here. March, that most fickle of months, when the weather can’t seem to make up its mind.

So why should we? March, when the heart rules the mind, surely not the time to make big life changes. March, where one day we walk out into the splendor of blue sky and a warm sun with water running furiously off the eaves, only to have our hopes dashed the next day by a cold, raw wind blowing down across the snowpack from the north turning everything to ice again. Best to wait on the really big decisions until the March muddle has passed.

But decide I must in the race for State Supreme Court Justice between local judge Michael Gableman and incumbent Louis Butler. And sooner than you, perhaps, since I’ll be voting by absentee ballot sometime in mid-March though the election isn’t until April 1.

This is considered a “nonpartisan” election since candidates don’t identify themselves by political party though Gableman, appointed by a Republican governor and Butler, appointed by a Democrat, clearly differ philosophically.

The winner will serve a 10-year term on the court.

Gableman staked out typical conservative territory early on, saying that judges shouldn’t be in the business of

“legislating from the bench” while strongly implying that his opponent was a judicial activist. For his part, Butler kept a relatively low profile, emphasizing broad-based supSteve port from his felPearson low judges, the Milwaukee Police Association and Wisconsin’s two senators while acknowledging that some conservatives might differ with some of his opinions from the bench.

But then the fur began to fly. An interest group with ties to the Democratic Party, the Greater Wisconsin Committee, aired TV ads in Milwaukee and Green Bay charging that Gableman, who contributed $2,500 (in two $1,250 installments) to Gov. Scott McCallum’s 2002 re-election campaign, was picked by the governor to fill the judicial vacancy in Burnett County over two candidates who were recommended through a process that McCallum initiated.

By McCallum’s own executive order, a selection committee had been tasked with narrowing the field of applicants

f r o m

H e r e

and making recommendations to the governor. But McCallum bypassed the recommendations of the committee and selected Gableman for the vacancy.

The clear implication of the ad was that Gableman had “bought” the judgeship.

The following year, in 2003, Gableman soundly defeated one of the candidates who had been recommended by the process, taking 78 percent of the vote and vindicating McCallum’s judgment in the eyes of the former governor.

Meanwhile, the Gableman campaign sent out a fundraising letter alleging that Justice Butler “provided the deciding vote to overturn a sexual predator decision by a circuit court, resulting in the release of the predator into Milwaukee County.” However, Brown was never released and remains at the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center in Mauston, according to Department of Corrections records cited in a Wisconsin State Journal article from February 17.

Confronted with this fact, Gableman’s campaign refused to retract the letter, saying that while Brown may not have been released, “Butler made his release possible.” Butler responded that state law requires that a plan be devised for the supervised release of sexual offenders who have served their sentences and are no longer considered dangerous and that the court’s decision merely affirmed this.

For Gableman, the exchange could only help. It gave him name recogni-

tion statewide, something a challenger from a rural corner of the state might be lacking. And while the wordplay in the charges leveled against Butler in the letter may have been intentional, it probably served to raise doubts in some people’s minds about the incumbent’s judgment.

All of which is unfortunate as it seems that any hope of a clean campaign is probably lost. And Judge Gableman certainly could have run on his merits.

I served on the Habitat for Humanity board briefly with the judge and found him to be a decent, affable man with a good sense of humor. His work in our county has been laudable; the drug court he created makes it possible for addicts to get help and make amends without doing jail time. The community service and restorative justice programs he initiated offer inmates the chance to give back and right some wrongs.

So I’ll watch in these next couple weeks to see how the candidates work through this slew of surrogate mudslinging. I’ll look for corrective action, for acts of contrition and signs of redemption. And like you, I’ll eventually come to a decision one way or another though it may not be an entirely rational process.

Sometimes that’s just the way it goes with decisions made in March.

Area Ne ws at a Glance $597,000 airport project

SAWYER COUNTY – Gov. Jim Doyle has approved a $596,846 project for planning, design and construction at the Sawyer County Airport. The governor’s action releases $21,948 in state funds purchase land, seal coat airfield pavements, purchase snow removal equipment, pave a hangar access road, provide reimbursement for planning and environmental assessment services, and deer fencing. Sawyer County is contributing another $21,948, and the Federal Aviation Administration is providing $552,950. – from the office of Gov. Doyle

Looks at consolidation

WEYERHAEUSER - Weyerhaeuser School District laid its cards on the table at the Wednesday, Feb. 20, meeting with the Cameron School Board. More than two dozen Weyerhaeuser residents turned out to question both school boards about the idea of consolidation in the future. District administrator Chris Nelson said, “The Weyerhaeuser District is decreasing in enrollment.

Right now we have 182 students. The projected enrollment for 2011-2012 is 125 students. “As our classes began to graduate, there’s a significant downward trend that will be catastrophic to our budget,” he said. “And there’s nothing we see in the next few years that will bring in a significant number of kids.

“Then the question becomes how can we continue to provide quality education when it comes to the point that we are so small,” said Nelson. “Everything is driven by revenue caps which decide funding. “Back in 2002-2003, the Weyerhaeuser School District had about $1 million fund balance. As the district’s enrollment has gone down, that’s been affected,” he said. Nelson said that this school year, the fund balance slipped from $475,00 to under $200,000. The current budget lists $2,217,514 in revenue with $3,038,630 in expenditures. The tax levy for the 2007-2008 year in Weyerhaeuser was $1,671,346 with a tax rate of $9 per $1,000 of valuation. The

district is expected to come out in the red next school year unless taxpayers back a referendum that will allow the school district to exceed revenue limits.

Voters will decide on April 1 about the referendum that is asking for $625,000 per year for three years. – Rice Lake Chronotype

Wins suit

NEW RICHMOND - A New Richmond man has been awarded a $19,462 judgment in a federal copyright infringement case. Chris Gregerson took Vilana Financial, Inc. and Vilana Realty, Inc. to court more than two years ago after he discovered the Minnesota company had allegedly used two of his photographs in advertising without permission. Gregerson has operated a stock photo service via the Internet since 1998. He specializes in pictures of Minneapolis and the Philippines. (His wife is originally from the Philippines.)

Typically, Gregerson contracts with businesses who want to use his photographs, charging them a fee for their use. But because many of his photos are posted online, like other stock photography businesses, the possibility of unauthorized use escalates. Several years ago, Gregerson received a new Twin Cities phone book at his home, and on the inside cover was a picture of the downtown Minneapolis skyline that looked familiar. “I knew the photo was mine,” he said. “It’s a very distinctive photo.” Gregerson later found that the company had used several of his photos for advertising, brochures and Web sites. He sent the company a letter requesting payment, but Gregerson said they refused to pay. He then took them to small claims court and asked for $5,000. Parker said his client was not about to pay the fee before establishing the correct copyright holder. Vilenchik and his attorneys claimed that the businessman had contracted with a “Michael Zubitskiy” to use the pictures and already paid for their use. The attorneys also contended that the copyright case belonged in federal court, and

the judge agreed. “They knew what they were doing,” Gregerson claimed.

“They were just trying to wear me down. If anything it provoked me a little bit.” The move to federal court allowed Gregerson to increase the damages he was seeking. He originally sought $150,000 in the case. The judgment was for considerably less, but more than the original $5,000 he sought.

Attorneys for Vilana filed a counter suit for defamation against Gregerson after he posted a letter on a Web site criticizing the company’s business practices.

Parker said Vilana was always willing to pay Gregerson for his picture, but first wanted him to remove defamatory comments on the Web site he created. – New Richmond News

Condition improves

PINE CITY, Minn. - Wendy Koffler has been moved out of the intensive care unit into a new hospital room at North Memorial Hospital. Koffler suffered brain trauma and her feet were amputated after being run over by her boyfriend, Jeffrey Dale, on a snowmobile in Brook Park on Feb. 19. Dale has not been charged. Tammy Fredrickson, Koffler’s sister, reports she is off the ventilator and has been whispering.

Koffler has been told about the accident, but she doesn’t understand what happened. “She’ll have to be told several times,” Fredrickson said. “She’s either in denial or doesn’t understand.”

Fredrickson said Koffler recognizes people and it seems she has most of her vision. “Wendy has doctors stumped as to why she’s doing so well,” Fredrickson said. However, Fredrickson said that Dale won’t leave the family alone, and he showed up drunk Thursday night, demanding to see Koffler. Now that Koffler has switched rooms, the hospital will not release the room number. “His picture is all over the hospital,” Fredrickson said. “The sheriff’s department gave him a trespass, and if he comes back, he’ll be arrested.” For now, the family is requesting that no visitors come to see

Koffler at the hospital. Concerned friends can send cards and flowers to the hospital, no room number is necessary. A CaringBridge Web site at www.caringbridge.org has been devoted to updates on Koffler’s progress.

Enter “wendykoffler” on the home page. – Pine City Pioneer

Victim of county politics

BARRON COUNTY – Former Barron County Highway Department Patrol Superintendent Gene Anderson asked county board supervisors on Monday, Feb. 25 to investigate his termination from the department after some 40 years of service. Anderson suggested that his retirement was forced and charged, in written comments to the board, county administrator Duane Hebert with getting rid of him so Anderson would not stand in the way of Hebert getting rid of former highway commissioner Brian Mattison. Last year, Anderson and Mattison underwent job performance reviews. Those reviews were followed by an investigation into possible misconduct in the department.

In his written comments that were distributed to the board, Anderson wrote, “I think I was stepping in his [Hebert’s] way of getting rid of the commissioner.”

Anderson said that early one morning Hebert came to the department and told him that he was being charged with serious allegations of forging time sheets and telling workers to take out machines and charge them out without using them. Anderson said he denied the allegations, and Hebert said he was putting him on administrative leave while Hebert investigated the matter.

He said Hebert told him that if he was proven innocent, Anderson would get an apology and compensation. “He said I’d have a chance to defend myself with the time sheets, and I never got that chance,” Anderson said. Next, Anderson said he and his wife met with Hebert. He said Hebert told him that he had enough information to prove him guilty. – Rice Lake Chronotype

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 13

DNR secretary visits Spooner hatchery

by Regan Kohler SPOONER – Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank visited the Gov. Tommy T. Thompson State Fish Hatchery, Spooner, on Friday, Feb. 29.

Frank became the DNR’s secretary six months ago; he was formerly the chief of the state Department of Corrections.

Frank was making his first trip in his tenure to the Spooner offices, for a meetand-greet session with the DNR and media.

Frank spoke of some important accomplishments the state has seen since the budget’s passage. He said the DNR was able, with the help of the governor, to reauthorize stewardship.

Stewardship promotes more than 500,000 acres of state land, since 1989, for the use and enjoyment by citizens and tourists. Frank said there had been concern over whether or not the state would be able to keep up with stewardship before.

“We’re very pleased,” he said.

Frank said a substantial amount of additional funds was put toward aquatic invasive species prevention and control, with a primary emphasis on prevention from the species spreading from lake to lake, and education.

“Our best defense here is prevention,” he said.

Individuals can even help prevent spread of AIS, he said, by inspecting their own boats for foreign species.

Frank said he knows of Shell Lake’s AIS inspection program, which sees coordinators inspecting all boats launched at the landing every season. Frank said Shell Lake is a great example of local efforts to control AIS, and if everyone works together, the risks can be reduced.

“By working together, I think we can really accomplish a lot,” Frank said.

Regarding the resolution sent to the

Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank stopped in Spooner Friday morning while visiting northwestern Wisconsin. L to R: DNR Northern Regional Director John Gozdzialski, DNR representatives Larry Nelson and Jim Bishop, executive assistant Mary Ellen Vollbrecht and Frank. — Photo by Regan Kohler DNR asking for stricter penalties for boats found to be transporting AIS, Frank said the Legislature has been looking at this and he supports it, though he wasn’t sure if there was enough time left in this year’s session to take action. He said that the state takes every opportunity it can to raise awareness of AIS prevention.

Frank said that nonpoint source pollution control is another thing the state is working on. NPS is pollution caused by runoff from rainfalls or snow melting, carrying natural or manmade waste into reservoirs. The NPS can be manure, fertilizer or even toxic chemicals from urban runoff, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site. Frank said the state is working on reducing the runoff, and it now has real dollars to do this after the budget passed.

Frank said he has been spending a lot of time pushing the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact, which is an agreement created to keep the lakes’ waters from shipping outside the region and conserving the water for future use.

With two of the five Great Lakes –

Superior and Michigan – bordering Wisconsin, along with the Mississippi River going through the state, Frank said the compact is a good step forward in protecting them. Frank cited Lake Mead, which provides much of Las Vegas’ water resources, as a place in danger of running out. The compact’s goal is to protect the Great Lakes from diversions that may cause them to run out.

“It is a good reminder that you can’t take [the resource] for granted,” he said.

The Great Lakes are 20 percent of the world’s freshwater resources, Frank added, so everyone needs to work together on keeping them prosperous for usage, growth and economical opportunities. He said having two of the lakes bordering Wisconsin provides a “strong competitive advantage” for the state’s economy.

Frank was asked about the possibility of an established wolf hunting season, to reduce the population. Frank said he would have to check on this, but that Wisconsin is one of 13 states in favor of maintaining the removal of wolves from the federal endangered species list. The

western states were the most recent ones to delist wolves.

Wolves have been off the state list since 2004, and the federal list since 2007, according to the DNR’s Web site.

Frank said the wolf population has grown again.

“We hope the delisting decision will not be overturned by the court,” he said.

When asked about elk herding in northwestern Wisconsin, Frank said he will continue to support it.

DNR Northern Regional Director John Gozdzialski said herds are up to 125 animals now, and there have been problems with the elk on Hwy. 77 getting hit while crossing the road. Special lights and signs have been put up alerting motorists that elk are nearby in that area, Gozdzialski told Frank.

Frank was given a tour of the hatchery, and explanations by the local DNR representatives about what is being done locally to prevent viral hemorrhagic septicemia, a disease recently known to be killing fish in the northern waters.

Training for statewide voter registration deputies begins

MADISON – An eligible voter in Wisconsin can now be deputized to register voters from any municipality in the state during periods of open voter registration. The state Elections Division announced the training program Feb. 22.

Before appointment as a state special registration deputy, an applicant must complete a state-sponsored training session and take an oath. A eligible voter in Wisconsin must be a U.S citizen, age 18 or older, have lived in Wisconsin for at least 10 days, and have not been disqualified to vote for any other reason.

Municipal clerks have previously been able to train and appoint deputies to register voters only within their municipalities. But the new state training program – outlined in administrative rule ElBd 3 – allows an SRD to register voters in any part of the state.

After training, each deputy will receive a unique identifying number,

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which will be tagged to each registration form the deputy submits for entry into the Statewide Voter Registration System. Deputies appointed now will be able to work through the 2008 election cycle. They then must be trained and sworn in for a new two-year cycle.

A Special Registration Deputy appointment may be revoked if the deputy registers voters after the close of registration, fails to submit registration forms to the Elections Division or submit them in a timely fashion, wrongfully suppresses a voter registration form or otherwise commits official misconduct.

Open voter registration is prior to 5 p.m. on the 20th day before an election.

Applicants are encouraged to register for a SRD training class at least one week in advance, and can register online at http://elections.state.wi.us.

Go to Clerk Information, then Training, then Special Registration Deputy.

The training session will review voter eligibility, completion of the registration form, deadlines and procedures for delivery of completed forms, and how to assist individuals with limited English proficiency and those with disabilities, among other things.

Applicants with questions should

contact Steve Pickett, election specialist, Elections Division, Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, at 608-266-3061 or gab@wi.gov. — from Government Accountability Board state of Wisconsin

Silent-auction fundraiser to be held An Irish meal and silent-auction fundraiser to buy books and shelving for the Siren School library will be held Saturday, March 15, starting at 6 p.m. in the library. In the photo, librarian Bev Carlsen is holding an American Girl Julie doll and sitting amongst numerous items donated for the evening by DEMCO Library Supplies. The dinner will be catered by Adventures Restaurant.

Silent-auction items include dinner and a plane ride, a handmade quilt, a $100 cash card, Country Jamboree tickets, gift certificates to local restaurants and cabinet components.

Dinner tickets are $25, and are available at Siren School. – Photo by Nancy Jappe

PAGE 14 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

Part of farm bill protects state-grown ginseng from piracy STATEWIDE - U.S. Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl are working to keep a provision in the Farm Bill that would enforce country-of-origin labeling for ginseng roots, particularly those grown in Wisconsin.

Butch Weege is executive director of the state Ginseng Board. He says for years, the state’s growers have dealt with deliberately mislabeled ginseng from other countries, undercutting their profits. He says some from China and a lot from Canada makes its way to the retail market shelves, and displayed many times to the unsuspecting consumers as Wisconsin ginseng.

Weege says his group has worked with Feingold, Kohl and Representative Dave Obey to protect their product from piracy. Wisconsingrown ginseng is widely seen as the best variety, and is used in alternative health products and herbal supplements.

Twenty years ago, Wisconsin ginseng sold for $40 a pound, but it’s roughly half that amount today. U.S. and Chinese officials have vowed to crack down on retailers selling inferior ginseng under the Wisconsin label. Wisconsin Public Radio (Yara Korkor)

Check out our new e-edition @ www.the-leader.net

Hraychuck - Beis - Hansen bill moves forward Legislation would require psychological testing for all new full-time law enforcement officers MADISON – Rep. Ann Hraychuck, DBalsam Lake, Rep. Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay, and Sen. David Hansen, D-Green Bay, testified Thurs., Feb. 27, before the senate committee on labor, elections and urban affairs in support of Senate Bill 462 which would require psychological testing of new full-time police officers.

Committee action on the senate bill is expected as early as next week. The companion bill, Assembly Bill 787, was voted out of the Assembly committee on corrections and the courts last Thurs., Feb. 21, with a strong bipartisan vote.

Under the bills, the Law Enforcement Standards Board, a 15-member board charged with the responsibility to set the minimum qualification standards for law enforcement officers in Wisconsin, would be responsible for establishing the guidelines for the tests.

“Those we trust with the power and decision over life and death to enforce our laws should be the best candidates possible. They should have the necessary physical attributes needed to safely address the varied and sometimes complex situations to which they are asked

to respond – and they should have the necessary mental attributes as well,” said Sen. Hansen.

Current law requires that to be hired as a law enforcement officer in Wisconsin, the applicant shall be free from any physical, emotional or mental conditions which might adversely affect the performance of their duties.

“How does an administrator quantify that a candidate is free from emotional or mental conditions without the evaluation of a licensed professional? We require applicants to be examined by a physician to determine physical fitness, but we do not require a psychological evaluation. This legislation would fill this void,” said Rep. Hraychuck.

While many local law enforcement agencies have voluntarily instituted psychological evaluations as a part of their hiring process, it is not done uniformly across the state. This inconsistency was highlighted in October after a 20-year-old off-duty police officer in Crandon shot and killed his former girlfriend and five of her friends.

“This legislation is another tool that law enforcement departments will be able to utilize to ensure that officers will be able to handle the stress of the job and capable of protecting public safety,” said Rep. Bies.

The authors are hopeful the legislation will receive a vote in both houses before the end of the legislative session.

– submitted

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 15

“Taxi to the Dark Side”

n the Sunday following Sept. 11, O 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney

told the truth. On NBC's "Meet the Press," he said regarding plans to pursue the perpetrators of that attack: "We have to work the dark side, if you will. We're going to spend time in the shadows." The grim, deadly consequences of his promise have, in the intervening six years, become the shame of our nation and have outraged millions around the world. President George Bush and Cheney, many argue, have overseen a massive global campaign of kidnapping, illegal detentions, harsh interrogations, torture and kangaroo courts where the accused face the death penalty, confronted by secret evidence obtained by torture, without legal representation.

Cheney's shadows saw a moment of sunlight recently, as Alex Gibney won the Academy Award for the Best Documentary Feature for his film "Taxi to the Dark Side." The film traces the final days of a young Afghan man, Dilawar (many Afghans use just one name), who was arrested in 2001 by the U.S. military and brought to the hellish prison at Bagram Air Base. Five days later, Dilawar was dead, beaten and tortured to death by the United States military. Gibney obtained remarkable eyewitness accounts of Dilawar's demise from the very low-level soldiers who beat him to death. We see the simple village that was his lifelong home

and hear from people there how Dilawar had volunteered to drive the taxi, which was an important source of income for the village.

Amy Dilawar had never spent the Goodman night away from home. His first was sleepover spent with arms shackled overhead, subjected to sleep and water deprivation, receiving regular beatings, including harsh knee kicks to the legs that would render his legs pulpified. He had been fingered as a participant in a rocket attack on the Americans by some Afghans who were later proven to be the attackers themselves. Gibney uses the tragic story of Dilawar to open up a searing and compelling indictment of U.S. torture policy from Bush and Cheney, through Donald Rumsfeld and the author of the infamous torture memo, now-University of California Berkeley law professor, John Yoo. The Oscars ceremony was bereft of serious mention of the war, until Gibney rose to accept his award. He said: "Thank you very much, Academy.

Here's to all doc filmmakers. And, truth is, I think my dear wife Anne was kind of hoping I'd make a romantic comedy, but honestly, after Guantanamo, Abu

Ghraib, extraordinary rendition, that simply wasn't possible. This is dedicated to two people who are no longer with us: Dilawar, the young Afghan taxi driver, and my father, a Navy interrogator who urged me to make this film because of his fury about what was being done to the rule of law. Let's hope we can turn this country around, move away from the dark side and back to the light. Thank you very much."

"Taxi to the Dark Side" can be seen in movie theaters, and the Oscar will surely help open it up to more audiences. Gibney got a surprise, though, from the Discovery Channel, the television network that had bought the TV rights to the film. He told me: "Well, it turns out that the Discovery Channel isn't so interested in discovery. I was told a little bit before my Academy Award nomination that they had no intention of airing the film, that new management had come in and they were about to go through a public offering, so it was probably too controversial for that. They didn't want to cause any waves. It turns out, Discovery turns out to be the see-noevil/hear-no-evil channel."

The Discovery Channel is owned by John Malone, the conservative media mogul who owns Liberty Media, one of the largest media corporations on the planet. Malone is famous for his complex business deals that involve spinning off media properties with stock offerings that net him millions. He also has just gotten approval to swap his extensive stock holdings in News

Corp., Rupert Murdoch's empire, for control of Murdoch's DirecTV satellite television system. When Discovery told Gibney they would not be airing "Taxi to the Dark Side," Malone and Murdoch were awaiting approval for the DirecTV deal from the Bush administration's Federal Communications Commission (it was approved on Monday, the day after the Oscars).

HBO managed to buy the television rights to "Taxi to the Dark Side," so the film will find its way to those households that subscribe to premium TV channels. As Discovery wrote to a critical member of the public, "In its first pay-TV window, HBO will debut the film in September 2008. We are proud that 'Taxi to the Dark Side' will make its basic cable debut in 2009 on Investigation Discovery." So Discovery will show "Taxi" on one of its smaller side channels, after the election, after its business with the Bush administration is wrapped up.

In the meantime, films like "Taxi to the Dark Side" and Phil Donahue's excellent Iraq War documentary, "Body of War," have to fight for distribution.

Let's hope that Gibney's Oscar will help open the theaters and the TV airwaves to these truly consciousness-raising films to turn this country away from the dark side and back to the light.

••• Amy Goodman is the host of "Democracy Now!," a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on 650 stations in North America.

Town and Country Days gone by

Do you recognize any of the participants in Shell Lake’s Town and Country Days shoe-kicking contest? Warren Winton was the master of ceremonies.

Millie Erickson of Frederic is shown to the left of the woman in the dark dress and white bow. She won the contest. — Photo submitted by Charles Lutz

VA health care for combat veterans

Holy cmokes!

In the never-ending campaign to revise history, an Israeli druggy with a PhD in psychology has stated that Moses was on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments. He further contends Moses was probably on drugs when he saw the “burning bush.”

This nut’s initials are Benny Shanon.

Since I can’t quote him verbatim because the AFP article is copyrighted, you can Google him at the library.

The basis for his assumptions is his experiences “researching” ayahuasca, a powerful psychotropic plant in the Brazilian Amazon. He apparently had several psychotropic religious revelations which brought him to the conclusion that Moses was just like him.

It’s a good thing he’s not contending Muhammad was under the influence of drugs. I doubt that the Vatican or Mossad will put out a contract on him.

Brooke Biedinger

IRREGULAR columnist I’m not a Bible scholar so I’m wondering if this is the genesis of the expression “holy smokes!”?

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Military veterans who served in combat since Nov. 11, 1998, including veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, are now eligible for five years of free medical care for most conditions from the Department of Veterans Affairs. This measure increases a twoyear limit that has been in effect nearly a decade.

The five-year deadline has no effect upon veterans with medical conditions related to their military service. Veterans may apply at any time after their discharge from the military — even decades later — for medical care for service-connected health problems.

The new provision, part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 signed by President Bush on Jan. 28, applies to care in a VA hospital, outpatient clinic or nursing home. It also extends VA dental benefits — previously limited to 90 days after discharge for

most veterans — to 180 days.

Combat veterans who were discharged between Nov. 11, 1998, and Jan. 16, 2003, and who never took advantage of VA’s health care system, have until Jan. 27, 2011, to qualify for free VA health care.

The five-year window is also open to activated Reservists and members of the National Guard, if they served in a theater of combat operations after Nov. 11, 1998, and were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.

Veterans who take advantage of this five-year window to receive VA health care can continue to receive care after five years, although they may have to pay co-payments for medical problems unrelated to their military service. Copayments range from $8 for a 30-day supply of prescription medicine to $1,024 for the first 90 days of inpatient care each year. — from Veterans Administration

PAGE 16 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

L O C A L

H E A D L I N E S

Write-in candidates for Burnett and Polk county boards

No candidates for some village boards

by Gregg Westigard BURNETT/POLK COUNTIES – There is less than a month until the April 1 election, and write-in candidates have started to emerge contesting incumbent county board supervisors.

In Polk County, Rob Lubben has registered to run against Marv Caspersen in District 7 (Eureka and parts of the towns of Milltown and St. Croix Falls).

Lubben says he is opposed to Caspersen’s stands in favor of the highway facility and against selling Golden Age Manor.

Caspersen had been unopposed for reelection.

In Burnett County, Charles Awe has registered to run against James Engelhart in District 8 (Daniels and the northwest corner of the town of Siren).

Awe say he feels Engelhart has not represented the wishes of local residents on

Understanding election laws Write-in candidates must register, forms available from election clerks POLK/BURNETT COUNTY - Each year some people decide to run for office after the nomination period has closed. They may be willing to run for a position where there is no candidate on the ballot, a situation this year in four Polk County villages and one Burnett County supervisor district. Or they may decide that an uncontested candidate should be challenged.

issues including county zoning.

Engelhart had been unopposed for another term. Burnett County also has an open seat in District 4 (Anderson and parts of Trade Lake and the town of Grantsburg) there incumbent Charles Peterson died after filing for re-election.

Priscilla Bauer and Jeremy Gronski have registered as write-in candidates for the seat.

Four Polk County villages, Centuria, Clear Lake, Dresser and Osceola, ended up with blank spots on the ballot for trustee positions on their village boards.

Each of the villages has three trustee positions to be filled in April.

Osceola is the only one of the four where a candidate has register as a write-in as of March 3. That candidate is Mark Campbell, a current trustee who had decided to not seek re-election but will now run as a write-in to succeed himself. Interested people in Centuria, Clear Lake, and Dresser who decide to run for their village boards can register with the village clerk.

While all write-in votes are counted, Wisconsin election laws state that a person who intends to run as a writein must register their candidacy. The law says that a Campaign Registration Statement (form EB-1) must be filled as soon as intent to run is decided.

Candidates register with the election clerk for the office they are running for. That could be the village clerk, county clerk or school board clerk.

Voters can write in the name of any person they wish. In some cases, a person has won a write-in election who has no desire to serve and declines the election. The governing board must then make an appointment to fill the vacant seat.

Registering shows that the write-in candidate is willing to be elected. – Gregg Westigard

Dresser is a Tree City

DRESSER – Once again the village of Dresser has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. The foundation named Dresser a Tree City to honor the village’s commitment to community forestry. This is the fifth year for Dresser to have this national recognition.

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

In order to be a Tree City, Dresser had to meet four standards: a tree board or department; a tree care ordinance; a comprehensive community forestry program; and an Arbor Day observance. Dresser’s Arbor Day observance is held at the Dresser Elementary building each May.

“Trees in our cities and towns help clean the air, conserve soil and water, moderate temperature and bring nature into our daily lives,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Tree City USA designation recognizes the work of elected officials, staff and citizens who plant and care for the community forest. Trees are a vital component of the infrastructure in our cities and towns, and provide environmental and economical benefits. A community, and its citizens, that recognize these benefits and provide needed care for its trees deserves recognition and thanks.”

The village board was updated at the regular meeting, March 3, about the designation from the Arbor Day Foundation. –Tammi Milberg

Ag Association announces scholarships

SIREN – The Siren Community Ag Association has awarded $6,000 in scholarships to student applicants working toward their post-secondary technical and professional degrees. The ag association has dispersed thousands of dollars in scholarship funds since its beginning. Anyone interested in making application for 2008 scholarships should contact Siren School for more information.

The 2007 Ag Association Dairy Breakfast was held at the Grant and Mary Burdick farm in rural Clam Falls.

The breakfast drew, as usual, a large and diversified crowd who enjoyed a breakfast of Uncle Jack’s Wild Rice Pancakes, ham, cheese, maple syrup, ice cream, milk, coffee and other goodies to tantalize the palate.

The dairy breakfast was the pet project of friend and mentor Howard Kopecky, who passed away to go on to bigger and better things. The community and the ag association team will miss Kopecky, but will never forget the legacy and memories he left behind. – submitted

Doyle compromise on virtual school legislation sought

by Priscilla Bauer GRANTSBURG – Grantsburg Schools Superintendent Joni Burgin said the passage of a virtual school bill early Friday morning held good news and bad news for Wisconsin’s virtual schools.

Three Democrats joined all the Republicans in supporting Assembly Bill 870, the original virtual school compromise bill with a modified cap on enrollment.

Assembly and Senate versions on the virtual school legislation differed only in how to implement and operate enrollment caps included in both bills.

Virtual school proponents do not support the Senate version, which included an enrollment freeze for next year and a very low cap in effect until 2015. They believe this would unfairly lock out many children, including special needs students who need this learning option.

Proponents also see the Senate version as jeopardizing the future of online schools.

Teachers, families, administrators of online schools and the Wisconsin Association of School Boards do support the bipartisan Assembly bill which allows for reasonable, limited growth and protects students needing an online school learning option.

Virtual school supporters have voiced their opposition to public school enrollment caps. They do not believe the caps are good educational policy, but are willing to accept some type of cap, such

as the Assembly bill offers, to gain the governor’s support, thereby ensuring online schools remain open.

While Burgin stated the bad news was Gov. Doyle’s refusal to move from his position on the Senate lock-out bill and his threatened veto of the modified enrollment cap, good news could be coming. Doyle made comments to the Wisconsin Radio Network stating he is still open to compromise on the virtual school legislation.

“We still believe there is a chance to do better than the Senate bill, particularly on the two-year freeze, and hopefully on the allocation issue,” said Burgin.

Burgin and the four other school district superintendents of Wisconsin’s virtual schools have sent letters to Doyle, Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster, Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker and Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch stressing their willingness to work together on a much-needed compromise.

The letter to Doyle urges him to take the lead in making the compromise happen by getting legislative leaders and all other impacted parties together as soon as possible. Burgin and the other superintendents stated their hope that a middle ground between the Senate and Assembly positions can be found if all parties sit down, in good faith, for a discussion focusing on the best interests of the students and Wisconsin’s public school system.

Glaim announces retirement BURNETT/POLK COUNTIES - PolkBurnett Electric Cooperative General Manager Steve Glaim has announced his retirement, effective Aug. 15, according to PBEC’s newsletter Powerlines.

On Aug. 15, Glaim will reach his 20th anniversary with PBEC. Overall he has served rural electric cooperatives for 37 years.

During Glaim’s time as general manager, the cooperative implemented automatic meter reading and strived to improve the reliability of electric service, resulting in fewer and shorter outages for members.

In 1991, the co-op diversified and established Polk-Burnett Security Services to help protect member families and properties and in 1996, PolkBurnett Propane Services was added.

Glaim says he strived to keep energy rates at the lowest possible cost, in keeping with the cooperative philosophy.

“Electricity and propane are necessities of life,” he said. “I firmly believe that cooperatives should not be driven by profits. Our rates cover the cost of

Steve Glaim doing business for local members; they are not marked up to profit distant stakeholders.”

Glaim has also served as a member of the Unity School Board for 17 years and awarded diplomas to three children Robyn, Steve and Jennifer - upon their graduation from Unity High School. – with information from Powerlines

Severe weather seminar to be held March 13 SPOONER — Do you know the meaning of that towering dark cloud developing on the horizon? Is it just another refreshing summer thunderstorm, or is it a wall cloud associated with tornados? Washburn County Emergency Management is sponsoring a severe weather seminar at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 13, at the Spooner Fire Hall. The presenters are

meteorologists from the National Weather Service.

The seminar is free, and all interested persons are encouraged to attend. If you have any questions, please contact Tim Wallace, Washburn County Emergency Management director at 715-468-4730. — from WCEM

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 17

Northern counties air concerns at Superior Days

by Regan Kohler MADISON — Superior Days 2008 saw two Washburn County issues brought before state officials in Madison Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 26 and 27.

For 23 years, this event has been held to give northern Wisconsin communities a chance to lobby before politicians about issues concerning this area. The grassroots initiative began in 1985, when Superior and Douglas County residents felt isolated, being so far away from the capital and closer to Minnesota. Also, according to the 2008 event information, the city recently had seen an economic downturn.

The University of Wisconsin-Extension then put together a group of leaders and residents, according to the 2008 event information, to plan for the future and communicate the area’s needs to Madison, thus beginning Superior Days. Over the years, the event expanded to include six other northern counties: Washburn, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Sawyer and Iron.

Government officials, community leaders, concerned citizens and student delegates from these counties travel to Madison every winter for this event, to meet with representatives and relay things what is happening or needs to happen up north.

To bring an issue before the state, there are three criteria it must meet: The issue must be unique to northwestern Wisconsin; it must have a communitywide consensus on its importance; and a solution of the issue must be beyond the resources at the local level.

There are legislative issues, and there are agency issues. Legislative issues require support by the Legislature, whereas agency issues are supported by an individual department which the issue pertains to, and require no action taken.

Washburn County’s Forestry Department brought two agency issues down to present last week.

County forestry administrator Mike Peterson met with the Office of Energy Independence that Tuesday afternoon, along with county forest association executive director Jane Seever. Peterson spoke about promotional initiatives for wood-based biofuels. Peterson said that, with the forest being one of the largest natural resources in northern Wisconsin, looking into using wood more for alternative fuels could bring the market back.

Peterson said at a county meeting previously that the market for timber is narrowing, so promoting wood-based biofuel as an alternative energy source could help.

At the capitol, Peterson applauded the state for its efforts so far in diversifying environmentally safe fuels such as this. He asked for continued support for the area.

“We’ve got just a tremendous wealth [of resources],” he said.

Peterson said often, the way the matter has been represented in the media, people assume this initiative would be similar to destruction of rain forests for trees, but Peterson said this is absolutely not the case, that it wouldn’t even be close to a similar situation.

Peterson said that though wood-based biofuels may not be the ultimate answer for environmental sustainability, they are part of the solution. He said he wanted to open dialogue between the state and the county.

OEI Director Judy Ziewacz said her office is very interested in this issue. She handed out a renewable energy consumption chart from 2006, which showed wood was the most used at 60 percent. She said she had predicted wood would be at least more than half of the renewable consumption at that time.

Wood is one of Wisconsin’s competitive advantages, Ziewacz said, but the big question is, what is the best use for it? She said there are many areas it can be used in, including heat and transportation. Getting it through a market, as well, is another barrier, she added.

Corn burning has been a popular recent alternative energy use, though Ziewacz said more people are moving off it; not least because the prices are going up.

She said Xcel Energy has been getting wood chips now.

Ziewacz said suppliers need to be found, and the state needs to make sure the forests are healthy before moving ahead. She said utilities companies also need to make a decision on what kind of technology they want to use.

Peterson said he has been researching studies about each kind of woody biomass to get a direct definition, as it needs to be fine-tuned. Ziewacz agreed that the definition of this is prickly.

Someone asked about switchgrass as an alternative energy source, and Ziewacz replied that she was working with a farm supply cooperative. She said one acre of switchgrass would be enough energy for one home, for one year.

When asked about her projection as to total energy consumption, Ziewacz replied that state growth is 2 percent on average over the years. Energy efficiency conservation will be critical, she added.

Rep. Ann Hraychuck, the former Polk County Sheriff, spoke at the group briefing session Tuesday afternoon in the capitol.

Photos by Regan Kohler Ziewacz said coal is probably the least expensive energy source at the moment, though hydrogen is on the rise in the fuel industry and also not as expensive.

Ziewacz said her office is being conservative in its projections, though, and making sure technology will be reliable.

Ziewacz spoke about a recent initiative up north, in Ashland, to make the community economically sustainable. She said many communities are now working to become energy-independent. These are called ecomunicipalities, and Washburn and Burnett counties have begun a sustainability course recently. The Natural Step, which is the book program that helps these municipalities, encourages them to “think global, act local,” Ziewacz said. The goal is to get as many Wisconsin communities as possible, by 2025. Ziewacz said she would like to partner with those working toward sustainability, and would like to see some carryover funds available to bring with her. The first step is energy efficiency, she said, and reminded those present that communities need to work together to help Congress understand the concept.

The other issue presented by Peterson was before the Department of Natural Resources that Wednesday afternoon. Peterson spoke before new DNR Secretary Matt Frank about increased acreage share payments. He said that the Wisconsin CFA holds 2.3 million acres in public land, and makes payouts to local government for municipal land. Peterson said it is a reasonable compensation for the benefits provided to the public, though towns get 30 cents per acre, from a mill tax, for municipal lands.

Peterson said Washburn County returns 15 percent of its gross revenue to the townships, and the towns don’t get the shares of timber sales revenue.

“We’re asking for an increase,” Peterson told Frank.

He said it may not be economically feasible now, but he wanted to see the payments raised to $1 per acre.

Frank said he will take a look at the issue and keep it in mind. The state is already looking at the 2009-11 budget, he said, and this would be a great partnership.

Other issues Many other issues from different counties were discussed before the government officials, some related to goings-on in Washburn County.

The DNR listening session saw the matter of aquatic invasive species control and prevention touched upon.

The state has taken the initiative in the recent years to educate, inspect for and eradicate thes aquatic foreign, nonnative species, so they don’t spread from lake to lake.

At local level, municipalities like Shell Lake have created inspection programs for boats launched, making sure they aren’t carrying foreign species from a different environment. A resolution is before the DNR to illegalize the transport and launch of these prohibited AIS. Frank said the state has been granted additional funds to continue the AIS programs, which is great.

“Our water defines who we are,” Frank said of the state.

Frank said he would like to see Wisconsin adapt a comprehensive law to prevent AIS. He said a diver in Spooner worked with the DNR and discovered Eurasian milfoil, an AIS, on a boat launch in the St. Croix River recently. The Minong flowage is being studied next, he added.

Frank said the state is learning as it goes along what is effective and how to eradicate AIS if it is detected early.

Frank said steps are being taken to protect the Great Lakes water for the future, keeping it from being diverted to other outlets and depleting the resources. Along the same line, pollution is being controlled more by new mercury emissions rules. Mercury from coal plants has been suspected to contaminate fish in the surrounding waters, Frank said, and one company is eradicating use of this chemical in its plant.

At the Department of Health and Family Services lis-

Assembly Rep. Mary Hubler, who represents Washburn County and the surrounding areas, spoke with Superior Days lobbyists Tuesday afternoon in the capitol during the group briefing session with Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton. tening session Tuesday afternoon, aging development resource centers were on the agenda. The county has been working on creating an ADRC, which will be key in long-term care reform, another initiative northwestern Wisconsin has been taking on.

Department Secretary Kevin Hayden, who is originally from Superior, led this session. He said his department continues to work on family care expansion, so 11 of the northwestern counties — including Washburn — and their tribal nations can have elderly and disabled citizens make choices about their services.

“We’ve never done anything like this in Wisconsin,” Hayden said.

Hayden said he felt that 11 counties working as one for family care “is a fabulous oportunity for us.”

Though Hayden was asked about problems with ADRC funding issues, he said his department will continue to rethink the evolution of development and modification.

“They are the nerve center for making family care work,” he said.

Hayden said recipients of this care need to know the services designed specifically for them, and expected an ADRC would be active within five years in northwestern Wisconsin. He said there would naturally be delays with family care, but, he added, “Family care is working.”

This year, there were five legislative issues. A major one asked for the passing of a bill to create a violent offender registry, Leah’s Law. This was in regard to a young Superior girl, Leah Gustafson, who was murdered by a former felon. A law already requires neighborhoods to be notified when a felony sex offender plans to move into the area and offenders must be registered. The bill for Leah’s Law, which has bipartisan support, asks the state to register all repetitive violent felony offenders, giving information about their offense, where they live, where they are employed and updating the information as it changes. The offender would have to register for 15 years or for life, depending the circumstances.

One issue was a thank-you to the governor for financial support for the University of Wisconsin-Superior academic building. An expansion of the Superior Murphy Oil refinery was also discussed by lobbyists to representatives, as it was said the expansion will bring more jobs, increased tax revenue and clean fuels to protect the environment.

The illegalization of AIS was one of the legislative issues, as was an expansion study of Hwy. 2, to go to four lanes, from Michigan to Minnesota.

PAGE 18 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

Economic forecast mostly shows silver lining for Wisconsin STATEWIDE - While there is concern over the economy and employment at the national level, a new report says Wisconsin seems to be coping well despite the economic downturn.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue has just released the Wisconsin Quarterly Economic Outlook.

It projects that more than $2 billion in federal economic stimulus payments sent to residents will boost consumer spending in the second half of 2008, and employment will hold steady despite the struggling national economy.

Roger Ervin, the Wisconsin Secretary of Revenue, says there are modest gains in employment this year,

and more to come in 2009. He says 15,000 new jobs have been created already this year. He says one of the factors that’s making Wisconsin weather this economic storm better than other places is because of the manufacturing base. He says state manufacturers went through the difficult reengineering changes in the late 1990s and early 2000, and were able to maximize on the growth in exports before many other states.

Ervin says exports will increase by nearly 8 percent this year, mainly in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, thanks to steady demand from China, Canada, Mexico and Germany.

Ervin adds Wisconsin is outperforming other

Midwestern states in personal income growth, despite some slowdown. He says they believe that the reason the numbers have slowed for this year and for next year is because of the rise in food and energy costs in particular. He says those are taking much more consumer surplus out of the market, and is certainly a matter of concern.

Ervin says another area of concern is the weakening of the U.S. dollar which could affect growth of trade and export for the state. – Wisconsin Public Radio (Brian Bull)

Burnett County circuit court Lindsay J. Anderson, Balsam Lake, operating while under the influence; operating with PAC .08 or more, not guilty pleas.

Jeremy L. Appel, Centuria, speeding, $160.80.

Gail M. Asper, Frederic, cracked/damaged vehicle windshield; vehicle rim-loose/missing nut, log. or B, not guilty pleas.

Cassie M. Bacigalupo, Anoka, Minn., speeding,, $160.80.

Paul A. Baker, Grantsburg, operate without valid license, no guilty plea.

Kelsie M. Bakken, Frederic, speeding, $160.80.

Antoniette J. Bearhart, Webster, operating while under influence, $793.00 – license revoked 8 months and alcohol assessment; drink open intoxicants in MV-driver, $249.00; improper registration-license, $249.00.

Ruth M. Behrendt, Pine City, Minn., speeding, $211.20.

Louis F. Belisle, Webster, operating while under influence; operating with PAC .02 or more; OAR; possess open intoxicants in MV, not guilty pleas.

Percy W. Benjamin, Hinckley, Minn., speeding, $211.20.

Sherry Benjamin, Webster, operating while revoked, not guilty plea.

Christine J. Bergland, Siren, fail./yield right/way from stop sign, $160.80; license restriction violation – class D or M vehicle, $186.00; fail/stop at stop sign, $160.80.

Michael A. Blatt, Webster, cracked/damaged vehicle windshield; fail/properly maintain exhaust system, not guilty pleas; fail./display snowmobile registration, $148.20.

Arthur W. Bothman, Danbury, operate after rev./susp. of registration, $160.80.

Sarah M. Bowers, Woodbury, Minn., speeding, $186.00.

William B. Buggert, Grantsburg, cracked/damaged vehicle windshield, $160.80; operate w/o valid license, $186.00.

Craig A. Burmeister, Webster, operating while suspended, $186.00.

Rose M. Burnham, Grantsburg, operating while under influence; fail/stop at stop sign, not guilty pleas.

Richard D. Burnton, Edina, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Scott J. Burton, Eagan,

Minn., speeding, not guilty plea.

Carmen L. Butler, Siren, operating while suspended, $186.00.

Dawna M. Butler, Dairyland, nonregistration of auto, etc., $160.80.

Eugene R. Butler, Amery, OAR, not guilty plea.

Georgiana J. Carson, Shell Lake, operating while suspended, not guilty plea.

Jason R. Casey, Danbury, seat belt violation, $10.00.

Scott J. Casey, New Richmond, deposit or discharge solid waste on public or private property, $186.00.

William R. Chivers, Luck, fail/check traps and remove animals, $511.10.

Diane M. Chute, Grantsburg, animal running at large, $185.00.

Claudia J. Clark, Mellen, speeding, $160.80.

Timothy M. Clouse, Edina, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Spencer S. Cobb, Siren, nonregistration of auto, etc., $160.80.

Craig L. Coston, Danbury, operating while suspended, $186.00.

Derek R. Diver, Cloquet, Minn., operating while suspended, $186.00.

Matthew P. Dugas, St. Paul, Minn., speeding, $211.20.

Kelly J. Dupre, Danbury, driving too fast for conditions, $198.60.

Theresa M. Ek, Danbury, operating while under influence; operating with PAC>= .08 < .10; deviation from designated lane, not guilty pleas.

Rex E. Erickson, Frederic, nonreigstration of auto, etc., $160.80.

Biaba L. Fowler, Siren, operating while under influence, not guilty plea.

Thomas B. Franklin, Hudson, operating while under influence; operating with PAC .08 or more; OAR, not guilty pleas.

Matthew G. French, Stillwater, Minn., speeding, $186.00.

Mary Jo Geske, Siren, dog running at large, not guilty plea.

Timothy P. Gill, Richfield, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Shane M. Gilpin, Frederic, speeding, $211.20.

Thomas W. Gleason, Minneapolis, Minn., speeding, $186.00.

Mark F. Goheen, Roseville, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

David G. Hammer, Waconia, Minn., speeding, $186.00.

Kathy J. Hansen, Danbury,

speeding, $160.80.

Thomas D. Hanson, Grantsburg, speeding in school zone, $186.00.

Charles R. Haseltine, Cameron, speeding, not guilty.

Hubert G. Haskins, Spooner, speeding, $186.00; seat belt violation, $10.00.

Susan L. Hauschild, Robbinsdale, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Peter J. Helling, Danbury, failure to notify police of accident, not guilty plea.

Brian A. Henry, San Diego, Calif., speeding, $236.40 and license suspended for 15 days.

Ryan C. Hexum, Hayward, speeding, $160.80.

Mark W. Higgins, Luck, minor transporting intoxicants in MV, $249.00.

Troy A. Hill, Clutier, Iowa, violation of child restraint requirements, $160.80.

Brendan O. Holleman, Hudson, operating while suspended, $186.00.

Ken Hopkins, Siren, failing sewage system, $248.00.

Brandon C. Hugger, Chisago City, Minn., operate w/o valid license, $186,00; no tail lamp/defective tail lamp, night, $148.20; nonregistration of auto, etc. $160.80.

Rodger Hunting, St. Croix Falls, speeding, $160.80.

Marquerite R. Jacques, Prescott, speeding, $160.80.

Mollie K. Juntunen, Barnes, speeding; nonregistration of auto, etc., not guilty pleas.

Noah D. Kettula, Webster, fish 3 hooks/lines/baits (1-2 over), $168.20.

Kevin J. Kisley, Tenstrike, Minn., speeding, $168.80.

Richard D. Kissner, White Bear Lake, Minn., speeding, $160.00.

Jeffrey W. Kline, Grantsburg, cracked/damaged vehicle windshield, $160.80.

Caleb A. Knepel, Waukesha, speeding, $194.00.

Gary M. Konietzko, Coon Rapids, Minn., operate ATV away from winter ATV trails, not guilty plea.

David C. Kuettel, Edina, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Annette M. Lagoon, Oakdale, Minn., OWI, $856.00 and license revoked for 6 months, alcholol assessment.

Suzette M. La Mere, Grantsburg, nonregistration of auto, etc., not guilty plea.

Steven R. Lang, Webster, operate w/o valid license, $186.00.

Steven D. Larson, Savage, Minn., speeding, $186.00.

Bridget A. Lee, Spooner, speeding, $160.80.

Danielle L. Lemieux, Webster, operating while under influence; speeding; keep open intoxicants in MV-driver; operating left of centerline, not guilty pleas.

Lloyd Edelman Dba Edelman Trucking, Park Rapids, Minn., contract motor carrier fail/licensed, $194.00.

Melonie L. Mack, Grantsburg, underage drinkingpossess 17-20, $249.00 and alcholol-assessment classes.

Lonnie D. Mackyol, Danbury, seat belt violation, $10.00.

Gregory A. Mahle, Webster, operate snowobile while intoxicated, $627.00.

John A. Marczak, Coon Rapids, Minn., operate snowmobile on any highway, $186.00.

David D. Markert, Centuria, speeding, $160.80.

Tammy J. Mattson, Hastings, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Thomas R. Matzke, Green Bay, speeding, not guilty plea.

Patrick A. Maxwell, Siren, speeding, $186.00.

Nicholas A. May, Webster, speeding, $160.80.

Carrie R. McClarron, Bloomington, Minn., speeding, $186.00.

Joanna R. Merrill, Spooner, failure to keep vehicle under control, $198.60.

Corinne C. Miller, Shell Lake, speeding, $160.80.

Thomas R. Miller, St. Paul, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Wayne A. Mosay, Balsam Lake, operate w/o valid license, not guilty plea.

Deanna M. Muller, Webster, underage drinking-possess 1720, $249.00 and attend alcohol assessment classes.

Joseph A. Mulroy, Webster, operate after rev./susp. of registration, $160.80.

Randy A. Myers, Eden Prairie, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Eric R. Nelson, Grantsburg, seat belt violation, $10.00.

Kathleen M. O’Donnell, Minneapolis, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Andrew R. Olson, St. Paul, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Heather A. Olson, Webster, speeding, $186.00.

Melvin J. Olson, Webster, violation of child safety restraint requirements, $160.80; operate w/o valid license b/c expiration, $148.20.

Sandra L. Olson, Waskish,

Minn., passing in no-passing zone, $198.60.

Anne B. Parenteau, Edina, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Jeremy J. Paulson, Grantsburg, operating while under influence; operating while revoked, not guilty pleas.

Jerrod J. Paumen, Stacy, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Eric A. Pavilcek, Siren, operating while under influence, not guilty plea.

Shawn R. Pavlik, Grantsburg, display false vehicle registration plate; speeding, not guilty pleas.

Jeanne M. Payer, Danbury, speeding, $160.80.

Michael S. Pellizzer, Golden Valley, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Richard W. Perkins, Medina, Minn., speeding, $280.50 and license suspended for 15 days.

Benjamin B. Peterson, Danbury, operator violate red traffic light; underage drinking, not guilty pleas.

Joseph A. Peterson, Mounds View, Minn., speeding, $236.40.

Joseph Alan Peterson, Siren, unsafe passing on right, $217.50.

Robert A. Plunkett, Superior, speeding, not guilty plea.

Sharon A. Podgorski, Spooner, speeding, $160.80.

Robert E. Powers, Rosemount, Minn., speeding, $186.00.

Mary E. Preston, Danbury, bicyclist/EPAMD unreasonable/ imp. speed, $135.60.

Rose A. Ramsey, Spooner, speeding, $160.80.

Cary L. Rand, Webster, nonreigistration of auto, etc., $160.80; seat belt violation, $10.00.

Ross G. Rogers, Park Falls, speeding, $186.00.

Dane A. Rolloff, Inver Grove, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Steven H. Rossow, Webster, nonregistration of auto, etc., $160.80.

Scott A. Sagle, Grantsburg, speeding, $160.80.

Joel H. Saxum, Hayward, seat belt violation, $10.00.

Rudolph A. Schleusner, Barron, speeding, $160.80.

Jared M. Schowalter, Webster, seat belt violation, $10.00.

Daniel J. Scribner, Turtle Lake, failure to keep vehicle under control, not guilty.

William B. Sheehan, St. Croix Falls, speeding, $160.80.

Aaron D. Simmons, Grantsburg, underage drinkingpossess 17-20, $249.00 and alcohol assessment classes.

Thomas A. Skinaway, Danbury, operating with PAC .08 or more, not guilty plea.

Rory A. Smith, Webster, reckless driving-endanger safety, not guilty plea.

Nicholas J. Spatford,

Webster, operating while suspended, $186.00.

Charles F. Sprick, Grantsburg, fish without license – R, $192.20.

Glenn A. Staples, Danbury, operating while under influence; operating with PAC .08 or more; possess open intoxicants in MVdriver, not guilty pleas.

Allison A. Steffen, Silver Lake, speeding, $186.00.

Brian D. Stevens, Hammond, speeding, $160.80.

Nicole M. Stevens, Danbury, underage drinking-procures 1720, not guilty plea.

Stacy R. Strasser, Superior, nonregistration of auto, etc., $160.80.

Darrick D. Suckow, Webster, operating while suspended, $186.00; seat belt violation, $10.00.

James D. Swanson, Frederic, operating while under influence; operating with PAC .08 or more; operating while suspended, not guilty pleas.

Amanda L. Taylor, Webster, seat belt violation, $10.00.

Carmen L. Taylor, Webster, violation of child safety restraint requirements, not guilty plea.

Krista L. Thompson, Spooner, underage drinkingpossess 17-20, not guilty plea.

Shawn P. Thompson, Zimmerman, Minn., fraud in obtaining a license, $489, twice.

Brian S. Tinkle, Queen Creek, Ariz., speeding, $186.00.

TL Hegge Trucking Llc., Pine City, Minn., violate class A Hwy. weight limits, not guilty plea.

Scott J. Vandervelden, Siren, operating while under influence; operating with PAC .02 or more;; possess open intoxicants in MV-driver; fail/yield when entering alley, not guilty pleas.

Andrew L. Voeltz-Schakel, Minneapolis, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Joseph A. Vossberg, Siren, fail/properly maintain exhaust system, $160.80.

Vincent J. Wallander, Edina, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Mathew L. Wiesbrock, Tonica, Ill., underage drinkingpossess 17-20, $249.00.

Irene A. Wilcox, St. Cloud, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Betty D. Williamson, Siren, speeding, $160.80.

Melanie R. Wilson, Hayward, speeding, not guilty plea.

Michelle J. Wylie, Frederic, speeding, $186.00.

Justin D. York, Siren, fail./stop at stop sign, not guilty plea.

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 19

S

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I N T E R- C O U N T Y L E A D E R

P O R T

F R E D E R I C • G R A N T S B U R G • L U C K • S T. C R O I X F A L L S • S I R E N • U N I T Y • W E B S T E R

Luck on its way to Madison

Cardinal boys making first trip to state in 35 years Luck 45, Mellen 31

by Marty Seeger SPOONER – Fans rooting for the Luck Cardinals and Mellen Granite Diggers started trickling into the Spooner High School gym an hour early, and one couldn’t help but to overhear the conversations from fans on both teams.

“Well, what do you think?” said one Mellen fan to another. “We’re going to have to shoot the ball tonight,” said the other, who watched Luck battle Thorp the previous night.

“One of them has a wingspan like this,” the Mellen fan said as he stretched out his arms as far as he could get them.

“They both do.”

They were speaking of Luck senior Tyler Petersen and junior Brennan Olson prior to the game Saturday, March 1, before meandering their way to their seats in anticipation for the sectional finals. But Olson and Petersen are just two pieces of a very special Luck team this season that is making its first trip to the state tournament in 35 years.

Their game against Mellen was no easy task, yet in the end the Cards were able to get some breathing room – something they hadn’t had in their past two playoff games.

“I’m really proud of the kids,” said coach Randy Giller, who made his own trip to state with the Luck Cardinals in 1973. “You know, there were times when it wasn’t looking too good for us because Mellen kept coming back, and they showed why they’re here too.”

Luck controlled much of the first

Cardinal fans cheered loud and proud throughout the team's memorable tournament run.

2007-08 Division 4 State Boys Basketball S emifi fin nal s F ri . , M a r c h 7

C h a m pio n s h i p Sa t. , M arc h 8

Luck ,23-2.

9: 05 a.m .

Suring ,25-0.

1 2 :0 5 p . m .

Eleva Strum ,25-0. aft er L uc k gam e Randolph ,24-1.

Senior Mitchell Klatt was the first one announced onto the court against Mellen in the sectional championship game. Luck defeated Mellen 45-31. – Photos by Marty Seeger quarter, and jumped out to an early 124 lead. Mitchell Klatt and Petersen combined for four points, yet Petersen drew a pair of fouls in the first and was forced to sit out much of the second quarter.

But Luck’s depth on the bench picked up some slack in the second quarter.

Junior Nick Morgan hit a pair of key shots as well as freshman Alec Mortel.

Olson picked up a key block on defense and yet Mellen came out firing with two huge 3-pointers that brought them back in the game. Luck held an 18-17 point edge with over two minutes to go in the half, and then with about 45 seconds to go Harry Severson-Dickinson knocked down a key 3-pointer to help propel the Cards to a 21-19 halftime lead.

Petersen was back on the court in the second half, and this time used a little more caution.

“I tried to keep it clean that second half so I didn’t have to sit on the bench,” Petersen remarked. He added that Mellen was able to get a pair of easy buckets on him, but thought he did his part on offense to make up for it.

For the first time in a pair of games the Cardinals were able to knock down a 3-pointer from Carson Giller, and although Mellen answered it with a three of their own, senior guard Cody Richert was able to feed Petersen for two, and Klatt hit a big three at the

buzzer to keep Luck in the lead 33-29 after three quarters.

“We just wanted to basically get it in to Brennan and Tyler,” Richert said.

“They’ve been working for us all year.”

Richert mentioned that the team hadn’t been shooting the ball well lately, so getting the ball to Petersen and Klatt made it that much more important.

Mellen struck first in the fourth, but an Olson two and key Richert steal for an easy two points helped the momentum and carry the Cardinals through the fourth quarter with relative ease, and onto the state tournament. Richert said he and senior teammates have been talking about the state tournament since the fourth grade.

“I don’t even know what to say right now,” Richert said after the game.

Team Luck Mellen

1 2 3 4 F 12 9 12 12 45 4 15 10 2 31 Individual Statistics Luck 2s 3s FTM/A F TP Mitchell Klatt 3 1 0/0 3 9 Cody Richert 1 0 2/2 2 4 Harry Severson-Dickinson 1 1 0/0 1 5 Nick Morgan 2 0 0/0 0 4 Tyler Petersen 5 0 2/2 2 12 Brennan Olson 3 0 0/2 1 6 Alec Mortel 1 0 0/0 0 2 Carson Giller 0 1 0/0 1 3 Totals 16 3 4/6 10 45 Mellen Brian Dauphanaic Tyler Young Blake Pierce Tim Marincel Sam Pearson Jared Neibauer Totals

2s 0 0 0 6 3 0 9

3s FTM/A F TP 1 0/0 1 3 1 1/2 2 4 0 0/0 4 0 1 1/1 2 16 0 0/1 1 6 0 2/2 0 2 3 4/6 10 31

Luck junior Nick Morgan had a key four points in the second quarter against Mellen Saturday night.

“Obviously Luck’s in our hand, I mean, we’ve gotten pretty lucky a couple of times to get here, and its just an amazing feeling…crazy.” Senior teammate Klatt, had similar thoughts.

“I don’t know if it’s quite hit me yet,” Klatt said. “It’s always been our dream to go down to the Kohl Center since us seniors have started playing together.

I’m sure it’ll hit me pretty soon, it just feels great.”

Up next will be the undefeated Suring Eagles (25-0), which is similar in size to the Luck High School with an enrollment of 204 students. Luck has an enrollment of 210 students.

“Once your at state, every team is unbelievable so I don’t know,” Petersen said about the upcoming competition at state Friday morning. “I haven’t really looked into it that far, we’ll just take it one game at a time.”

Petersen led in scoring against Mellen with 12 points, and contributed three rebounds. Olson led in rebounds with five, and didn’t commit his first foul until late in the fourth quarter. The team totaled eight steals, 16 rebounds, 11 assists and five blocks.

Extra Points ••• LEADER LAND – On March 7 the Luck boys basketball game against Suring will be broadcast from Madison on WLMX 104.9 FM beginning at 9 a.m. If the Luck boys win they will play the winner of the Randolf/Eleva-Strum game on March 8 beginning at noon That game can also be heard on 104.9 FM. The Siren girls basketball game versus Flambeau is being broadcast on March 7 at 6:30 p.m. on WXCX 105.7 FM. If the Siren girls win they will play the winner of the Clayton/Thorp game, and that can also be heard on 105.7 FM on March 8 beginning at 7 p.m. The Clayton versus Thorp game can be heard on WXCE 1260 AM on March 8 beginning at 7 p.m. On March 6 the Amery versus Altoona girls basketball game can be heard on WXCE 1260 AM at 7 p.m. - Marty Seeger ••• LEADER LAND – On March 8 the men's college basketball game with Wisconsin at Northwestern can be heard on WXCE 1260 AM at 2 p.m.

The baseball game between the Brewers and Seattle will be broadcast on WXCE 1260 AM beginning at 3 p.m. – Marty Seeger ••• LEADER LAND – Local sports tidbits to share? Please contact theLeader by 4 p.m. on Tuesdays to go in Extra Points! – Marty Seeger and Brenda Sommerfeld ••• LEADER LAND – Leader Sports strives to follow the college careers of area athletes. If you know of an athlete who will be playing collegiate sports in 2008 and hasn’t been mentioned, send us an e-mail and we’ll take it from there. – Marty Seeger and Brenda Sommerfeld

S PORTS RE S U LTS DEADLI N E S: WE DN E S DAY - MON DAY: 1 p.m. the following business day. TU E S DAY: 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Missed deadlines mean no coverage that week!

S P O R T S N E W S O R S C O R E S T O R E P O R T ? • P H O N E : 7 1 5 - 3 2 7 - 4 2 3 6 • FA X : 7 1 5 - 3 2 7 - 4 1 1 7 • E - M A I L : m s e e g e r @ c e n t u r y t e l . n e t o r b r e n d a l s @ c e n t u r y t e l . n e t

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Thorp falls to Luck in dramatic ending

Bird battle keeps fans riveted in sectional semifinal Luck 48, Thorp 46

by Marty Seeger SPOONER – The Luck Cardinals journey to the state tournament has featured some storied games, but probably none was more dramatic than their win over Thorp in the sectional semifinal game Friday night.

While their overtime win over Clayton in the regional championship was enough to push anyone off the edge of their seat, it was clear from the start in Spooner that the Cardinal clash Friday night would turn out to be the game of the evening.

Luck set the tempo in the opening minutes of the first quarter, which was complete with steals from Carson Giller, a baseline jumper from Brennan Olson and a slew of Tyler Petersen rebounds.

Couple that with a buzzer-beating two points from Olson, and the team made their way to a 11-6 lead after the first quarter.

Senior guard Bryan Corcoran of Thorp tries to play catch-up after Luck's Cody Richert drives for the basket. - Photos by Marty Seeger

Tyler Petersen battles Thorp's Eric Strozk last Friday night. Petersen posted 11 points and five rebounds in the game.

Carson Giller looks for an open teammate against Thorp. Giller had eight points and three assists in the game.

Petersen continued to clean up on rebounds in the second quarter and a pair of Harry Severson-Dickinson jump shots helped Luck pull ahead to at least six points at one point, but Thorp would not go away easily. A pair of free throws from Giller at the end of the half kept Luck in the lead by five, and while Luck’s inside game seemed to be working well, the team had yet to hit a solid bucket from the outside.

“They were putting pressure on us on the perimeter, and that’s all we were doing is playing tense and not looking inside or nothing,” said Cards coach Rick Giller. “Once we finally got a little bit of penetration things started to click for us,” Giller added.

The Cardinals jumped off to a quick start in the third quarter with the help of Olson, who piled on 10 points, and came up with key rebounds. In the end Olson contributed 10 rebounds and 18 points. It was a timely effort from Olson, who stepped up as Petersen drew his third foul with just under four minutes to go in the third.

“They support each other, you know, and Tyler did a fantastic job until he got into foul trouble, because he was cleaning up on the boards,” Giller said. Olson remained humble about his performance, and thought of the game as a total team effort.

“We all played really well,” Olson said. “We played as a team I thought, even in a little slump, but I think we got out of that.”

At one point the scoring propelled the Cardinals to a 13-point lead in the third, but Thorp came out with a couple of key turnovers on steals to help get to within nine at the end of the quarter. That momentum carried Thorp into the fourth quarter as Jared Lewan and C. Olejnczak each hit a pair of threes which threatened Luck’s lead. With just under four minutes to go, Thorp cut the lead to three. Then a minute later, Cody Richert hit two points, while Olson committed his fourth foul of the game. Richert had one important take-away, as well as a key fourth quarter steal, but another Luck turnover cut their lead to just two points.

Things got interesting when Olson appeared to commit his fifth foul of the game on a Thorp player going for the tie, but lucky for Olson, Thorp was called on a traveling violation. Petersen quickly scored for the Cardinals on a layup, but Scott Horn hit a long three to bring Thorp as close as they’d been the entire game 47-46.

With 42 seconds remaining, Luck lost control of the ball and a mad scramble on the floor amongst several Luck and Thorp players was eventually called as a jump ball, giving possession to Thorp with 30 seconds to go, and Luck just a point ahead.

Despair and tension fell on the Luck crowd as they helplessly watched Thorp dribble the length of the court, awaiting the final, and possible game-winning shot. Then with under 20 seconds to go, Olson tipped the ball on a steal attempt and managed to get the ball back as a timeout was called from the Luck bench.

Brennan Olson goes for two in the fourth quarter in one of his best games of the season. He led the Cardinals with 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.

“I just wanted to win so I thought, just go for this,” Olson said. He then commented on the efforts Klatt and Richert.

After the timeout, Luck would need to inbound the ball from half court, and Klatt seized an unusual opportunity. A Thorp player, with his back turned close to Klatt, fell victim to an inbound pass off his own back. Klatt quickly stepped from out of bounds, clutched the ball and shot for the basket, only to be fouled hard on the layup attempt. It was a trick Klatt perfected against Grantsburg earlier in the season. It wasn’t something anyone expected, and even coach Giller was surprised.

“I’m glad he’s got a good memory from that,” Giller said.

Klatt sunk just one of his free throws after the foul, but the drama didn’t end as Thorp again had another shot to win, or at least tie the game with a two-point basket. But Luck’s defense held, Richert came through with the ball and helped shave the final seconds off the clock for the victory.

“They’re (Thorp) a fine ball club, you know they came back and put a lot of pressure on us, and we made some mistakes in the end, but when it came right down to it, we made some big plays too, getting some steals, and getting some baskets,” Giller commented.

Team Luck Thorp

1 2 3 4 F 11 9 15 13 48 6 9 11 20 46 Individual Statistics Luck 2s 3s FTM/A F TP Mitchell Klatt 0 0 2/4 2 2 Cody Richert 2 0 0/1 3 4 Harry Severson-Dickinson 2 0 0/0 0 4 Tyler Petersen 4 0 3/5 4 11 Brennan Olson 8 0 2/4 4 18 Alec Mortel 0 0 1/2 1 1 Carson Giller 2 0 4/5 1 8 Totals 18 0 12/21 15 48

Freshman Alec Mortel drove for the basket in the second half, and was fouled in the process. Mortel made one of his free-throw attempts.

Thorp Ari Pszeniczny Bryan Corcoran Scott Lawcewicz Jared Lewan Scott Horn Connor Olejniczak Eric Strzok Totals

2s 1 0 0 0 2 1 5 9

3s FTM/A F 1 2/2 2 0 0/0 3 0 0/0 2 1 0/0 2 3 1/2 1 2 3/4 4 0 1/3 4 7 7/11 18

TP 7 0 0 3 14 11 11 46

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Siren girls curve out two championships Dragons beat Evergreens in Webster Siren 35, Northwood 25

by Brenda Sommerfeld WEBSTER – Siren and Northwood met for the second consecutive year in Webster to vie for the regional championship title. The Dragons lost last year by one point, but weren’t about to let Northwood take their title from them again this year. Siren won 35-25 on

Conference champions and regionals champions are two of the many ways to describe this complete Siren Dragon girls basketball team this season. – Photos by Brenda Sommerfeld

The seniors get the opportunity to hold two titles for their last year as Siren Dragons.

Saturday, March 1, in the Webster gym.

The game started out with both teams coming out strong and playing hard.

Northwood was right on top of every shot the Dragon girls could put up to the net. Siren was only able to get four points scored. All four came from their freshman runner Carley Emery with the first two free throws.

Starting out the second quarter the Evergreens led 7-4, but with a quick steal and toss to Emery who completed

the layup, the Dragons made it 7-6.

Lynette Renberg put her team in the lead with two more, but the Dragons got into a little foul trouble putting Emery on the bench.

The five points that Northwood scored were from free throws that Siren allotted them. The Evergreens’ five and Siren’s seven put the game within one point, 12-11 Northwood, going into the halftime break.

“What a way to start the game,” coach

Jon Ruud thought out loud.

Northwood had their tough senior guard Taylor Fellbaum get three fouls in the beginning. Then, with Siren’s Emery sitting the bench from fouls, it was anyone’s game.

“That first whole half was a struggle for both teams,” Ruud commented.

The Dragons brought back their scoring ability in the third when they

See Dragons/page 26

Déjà vu in Eau Claire for Tigers Heard it twice, Webster versus Regis E.C. Regis 52, Webster 45

by Brenda Sommerfeld EAU CLAIRE – If you’ve heard it once, you heard it again this year. The Webster Tigers went up against Eau Claire Regis Ramblers for the sectional title for the second consecutive year.

Once again, the entire town of Webster and surrounding fans drove down to Eau Claire North.

After the Tigers sectional tournament win over Hurley on Friday, Feb. 29, Webster traveled to Eau Claire for the final.

“It won’t be quite the shell shock we had last year when we played there,” coach Randy Hedrick explained, “so I think we’ll be alright. We’ve got some

The Tigers clap to thank their fans for all of the support during their great season. Webster had an overall record of 21-3 to end the year. – Photos by Brenda Sommerfeld

Webster coach Randy Hedrick concentrates on the intense game at hand during the Tigers game in the Eau Claire North High School Saturday night.

tapes on them and we’ve seen some different things that they do. We’ll adjust from there.”

Two hours after they left home, the Webster boys went head-to-head with last year’s sectional final rival Eau Claire Regis once again.

Regis started out the game on a scoring rampage, making shot after shot.

Webster, on the other hand, was putting them up there, but they just could’t seem to make it through the net. The Ramblers were always there, to get the rebound and take it back for their own

point.

Brian Thill broke the no-scoring stretch to get two four minutes into the first quarter. Thirty seconds later Brian Gibbs nailed an outsider for three more, which couldn’t compare to Regis’ 20 points by the buzzer.

The Webster boys kept up with the Ramblers scoring in the second, each completing 15 points. A.J. Holmquist was the first person to score with two to

See Tiger boys/page 25

Team 1 2 3 4 F Webster 5 15 15 10 45 Eau Claire Regis 20 15 6 11 52 Individual Statistics Webster 2s 3s FTM/A F TP Peter Walsh 0 0 0/0 1 0 Brian Gibbs 3 4 4/4 1 22 AJ Holmquist 2 0 0/0 2 4 Dylan Geske 1 1 0/0 3 5 Brian Thill 2 0 1/2 3 5 Alex Clemons 0 1 0/0 0 3 Adam Baum 3 0 0/0 4 6 Totals 11 6 5/6 14 45 Regis Mike Nezworski Connor Miller Jack Eaton Zac Berry Kurt Roabal Adam Ganstec Nick Bowe Totals

2s 4 0 4 2 3 2 0 15

3s FTM/A F 0 0/0 3 1 0/0 0 2 0/0 1 0 1/2 0 0 3/3 0 1 3/4 2 1 0/0 4 5 7/9 10

TP 8 3 14 5 9 10 3 52

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MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 23

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Coach Giller recalls storied trip to state in ‘73 Coach Rick Giller remembers Luck0s first state tournament journey

by Marty Seeger LUCK – High socks, short shorts and long hair is one of the things coach Rick Giller noticed on an old program from the WIAA high school basketball tournament back in 1973. At least, those are some of the things that have changed over the years since Giller played. The current Luck basketball coach was an important part of the last Luck boys basketball team that made a trip to the state tournament, which was certainly a storied run to a close championship game against McFarland. Prior to that memorable game, the Cardinals defeated Blaire in the state semifinals by a score of 61-51.

“I can’t remember everything, it’s been a long time,” Giller said. But even he admits that it was definitely a big part of his life, and a great experience to have made the trip to state. Of course, things are more modern now, according to Giller. When the Luck team made the trip to Madison in 1973, Giller says they all packed in station wagons, lived in dorm rooms on the Madison campus and ate food in the cafeteria. The boys now will be taking roomy vans for the ride down, stay in motels and eat in restaurants.

“Things are definitely more modern now,” Giller said. He discussed playing in the Fieldhouse, but agreed that the

Coach Rick Giller directs his team against the sectional championship game versus Mellen last Saturday. - Photo by Marty Seeger Kohl Center is much nicer.

Giller can’t remember how many people were at the Fieldhouse for their championship game against McFarland in 1973, but he recalled that the gym was packed with people. “And most of them were cheering for us,” Giller recalled.

The starting core of the Cardinals at the time were twins Rick and Rande Giller, Mike Dolny at point guard, Al Nielson and Bobby Larson and Brian Olson who traded in and out throughout the year as starters. Other athletes making important contributions to the team included Paul Petersen, Barry Morten, John Larson Alan Nielsen, Randy Larsen, John Jensen, Dean

Larsen and Tom Vilstrup.

“We had nobody six feet or over, and I think that was kind of special because we were a fast-breaking team, lots of pressing…that was our style of play,” Giller said of the starting core. Although the 6' 2" Bobby Larson started sometimes for the team, Giller added.

McFarland held at least a 14-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter, but the team switched to what Giller called North Carolina’s four-corner offense, or stall. Giller said that it was unpopular with the fans, and the majority of the crowd began cheering for Luck.

“I still question why they went into a stall,” Giller noted.

But the Cardinals took it to their advantage and made a great comeback.

Giller noted, “We just kept hustling, created some turnovers and inched our way back into the game. With five seconds to go, Giller’s brother Rande shot a long jumper that just missed. It wasn’t the ending the team had hoped, but it provided for some great memories.

“We lost by two, but it was just a great experience to have been able to make it down there,” Giller said.

It’s a family affair

• There are many side stories that correlate into the 2008 boys basketball state tournament run, and the Luck team that went to the state tournament in 1973.

Paul Petersen was a 6’ 4”sophomore on the Luck team in 1973 and is uncle to senior Tyler Petersen.

• Rick and Rande Giller are identical twins that played on the 1973 team as seniors, and the Luck team currently features a set of identical twins Alec and Cole Mortel, who are freshman on this year.

• Former Luck coach Andy Dolny coached son Mike Dolny in 1973 to the state tournament, and now, coach Rick Giller will be coaching his son Carson Giller to the state tournament this week.

Junior Nick Morgan is also the nephew of Rick Giller, and will be making a trip with his teammates to the state tournament in Madison.

• Brian Olson, father of Brennan Olson was also part of the 1973 team that went to the state tournament.

Brennan’s mother, Karen (Chaffee) was a member of the Luck girls team that went to the state tournament in 1977.

Brennan is also cousins with the Mortel twins Cole and Alec, who are freshmen on the Luck team this season.

This boxscore shows some of the statistics from the 73' Luck boys championship game.

The 1973 Luck boys team assembled in the gymnasium for a celebration following their state tournament appearance. Part of the caption reads, “Holding the second-place trophy is Barry Morten, with other team members and coach Andy Dolny waiting patiently (or maybe just a bit wearily?) for further developments.” Shown are: John Larson, Alan Nielsen, Randy Larsen, John Jensen, Dean Larsen, Robert Larson, Brian Olson, Paul Petersen, Rick and Rande Giller, Mike Dolny and managers Alan Moslet and Billy Rebrovich.

– Leader file photo

The 1973 state boys championship game against McFarland was as close as it gets, but Luck fell just short. In this photo Rande Giller (at far right) makes the final shot of the game, but the shot bounced out, spoiling a brilliant comeback for the Cards. At one point, the team was down by as much as 17, and 14 in the fourth quarter according to the Leader archives. The shot would have tied the game, but it ended with a 51-49 loss to McFarland. – Leader file photo

Former Luck basketball star, and current head basketball coach, Rick Giller goes up for a layup against the Webster Tigers back in 1973. The Leader file caption says that Mark Freeborn and Bruce Hansen are behind Giller. Bobby Larsen, No. 41 of Luck waits for the action and the Tigers Terry Awes, No. 30, trails Giller. Luck beat the Tigers 63-34. – Leader file photo

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Vikings sail through to the regional finals Coach Troy Wink gets first shot a regional title Frederic 49, Clear Lake 46

by Marty Seeger FREDERIC – “We knew it’d be a battle from start to finish and it was,” said Vikings coach Troy Wink after their regional semifinal win over Clear Lake last Thursday night.

The close win was enough to bring the eighth-year coach into his first-ever regional final appearance as Vikings head coach as well as the team’s. But as Wink noted, the game was a battle, and the girls certainly earned their trip to the regional finals against Clayton.

It took roughly four minutes for the Vikings to get on the board in the first quarter. Erin Schmidt scored the first two while Clear Lake seemed to click on offense, taking an 11-2 lead before Wink was forced to take the team’s first timeout.

“We had a slow start,” Wink said.

Team Clear Lake Frederic

1 2 3 4 F 15 5 13 13 46 6 17 12 14 49 Individual Statistics Clear Lake 2s 3s FTM/A F TP Kelly Sullwold 1 2 3/4 4 11 Hailie Steinberger 2 0 2/4 3 6 Rachel Nordby 0 0 0/0 1 0 Gina Somsen 0 0 0/0 1 0 Laura Briesemeister 0 0 0/0 2 0 Cassie Reed 5 0 2/2 4 12 Megan Reed 5 0 1/2 5 11 Hillary Friendshuh 3 0 0/0 2 6 Totals 16 2 8/12 22 46 Frederic Ana Miller Kelly Wondra Erin Schmidt Melanie Chenal Becca Anderson Michelle Owens Chrissy Chenal Totals

2s 2 1 5 6 1 0 0 15

3s FTM/A F 0 0/0 2 0 3/5 2 0 1/4 3 0 3/4 2 2 6/9 3 0 0/0 1 0 0/0 1 2 13/22 14

TP 4 5 11 15 14 0 0 49

Melanie Chenal takes aim at the basket. – Photos by Marty Seeger “We went to our half-court trap-defense that we thought would work, and it didn’t, they (Clear Lake) were ready for it.”

Wink thought the Warriors guards did a nice job sniffing out their early scheme, and the team might have been playing with a few jitters at the start.

But the Vikes went back to a 3-2 zone, which seemed to turn the tables nicely.

“That probably made the difference in the game,” Wink said.

Melanie Chenal hit a pair of free throws and an inside bucket to get the Vikings clicking again, but the Warriors held a 15-6 edge after the first quarter.

Things quickly turned around in the second quarter for the Vikings offensively and defensively as Chenal continued to get good looks under the basket. Chenal ended the half with 11 points, and Schmidt came down with some key rebounds and a block. With less than three minutes to go in the half, Becca Anderson hit a three to give the Vikings their first lead of the game at 19-17. Anderson hit two more free

Erin Schmidt drives the baseline against Clear Lake. throws, yet Kelly Sullwold of Clear Lake hit a 3-pointer not long before the buzzer sounded. Frederic held a threepoint lead at the half.

“Against a team like that your not going to put them away totally, but that’s what you want is to get that lead, and they have to work that much harder to catch up,” Wink said.

That lead was later tarnished, somewhat, in the second half despite the Vikings getting good shots from Chenal, and a pair of long two-point buckets near the elbow from Ana Miller.

Clear Lake continued to answer back and even took a 32-31 lead with about one minute to go in the third quarter.

Then with seconds to go, Anderson banked in two points to keep Frederic in the lead by two after the third quarter.

Throughout the fourth quarter, Kelly Wondra continued to feed the assists to Chenal and Schmidt, and the Vikings stretched a 10-point lead. The Warriors battled back again and cut it to five off a Sullwold three, but Frederic free throws helped, and while the game kept fans on the edge of their seats to the finish,

Kelly Wondra fights for the ball in last Thursday’s game. the Vikings strolled their way to a big playoff victory. Heading into their regional final game against Clayton, Wink kept a confident attitude with what they were up against.

“We don’t have to play better than we’re capable of, we just gotta play what we’re capable of.”

Coach Troy Wink looked relieved after the Vikings win over Clear Lake in the regional semifinals.

Frederic girls season ends in regional finals

ter, but it wasn’t enough to pull the team back into the game for a comeback. The Vikings finished with an overall record of 19-4, and finished second in the conference with a 10-2 record.

“We gave it a run and it was a good run to the season,” Wink said.

The Vikings will be losing five seniors to graduation including Kelly Wondra, Schmidt and Chenal, who were the team starters the past two seasons and beyond. Michelle Owens and Lisa Chelmo also provided extra spark from the bench, and Wink noted Owens for her offensive contributions and Chelmo’s defensive spark.

“As a group that will be hard to replace those five,” Wink said.

Vikings end season with 19-4 overall record Clayton 71, Frederic 39

by Marty Seeger FREDERIC – The Vikings first regional championship game in nearly a decade ended their playoff run in Cumberland last Saturday against the Clayton Bears. Both teams played a physical first half, yet Clayton was able to jump out to an early lead and stick with it for the rest of the game.

“Its not that we didn’t try hard, its just that we didn’t execute as well as we could have and have done at times this year,” said coach Troy Wink.

Wink thought the team did OK with breaking the Clayton press early in the game as well as running the offense.

The Vikings had some nice looks under the basket a couple of different times, but had trouble converting those looks at the basket into points.

“We had a couple of nice drives to the basket that just didn’t go in,” Wink said.

The Bears capitalized on a number of fast breaks throughout the game, but the Vikings attacked aggressively on defense and held a powerful Clayton offense to 16 points in the first quarter.

Erin Schmidt played aggressive on both ends of the court, with the majority of the team’s rebounds and a total of 11 points for the Vikings in the first half.

“Clayton got their fast break going right away and we knew they

Senior Michelle Owens looks for an open player against Clayton.– Photos by Marty Seeger would…We just couldn’t get back.”

In the second quarter, the Vikings cut the Bears lead to nine points and it went back and forth from nine and then 11 for some time, but Clayton kept coming at Frederic.

“I thought if we could just hold them there for that last minute or two minutes of the half, we’d be sitting OK going into halftime in a fairly close game,” said Wink.

One of the goals mentioned by Wink after the team’s win over Clear Lake Thursday night was to get the Bears into foul trouble early. The Vikings were able to draw Clayton into a few foul attempts, but the Bears continued to

Lisa Chelmo looks to drive to the basket against Clayton last Saturday. turn it up on offense and capitalize on key fast breaks that eventually led to a commanding 37-18 at the half. Many of the Bears came on a short-but-quick scoring run with just a couple of minutes to go in the half.

“It was just enough to put them in that comfort zone that they’re used to,” said Wink.

Ana Miller broke out in the second half with a 3-pointer early, and Schmidt picked up a couple of nice blocks on the defensive side, but Clayton continued to answer just about everything the Vikings could throw at them. Another Miller three in the fourth quarter, as well as a 3-pointer from Michelle Owens were notched in the fourth quar-

Team Frederic Clayton

1 2 3 4 F 15 5 13 13 46 6 17 12 14 49 Individual Statistics Frederic 2s 3s FTM/A F TP Ana Miller 0 2 1/2 0 7 Megan Anderson 1 0 0/0 0 2 Kelly Wondra 1 0 0/0 4 2 Erin Schmidt 6 0 1/4 0 13 Adrianna Otte 0 0 0/0 1 0 Melanie Chenal 2 0 0/0 4 4 Becca Anderson 3 0 3/5 2 8 Michelle Owens 0 1 0/0 0 3 Lisa Chelmo 0 0 0/0 4 0 Anna Tesch 0 0 0/0 2 0 Totals 13 3 5/11 17 39 Clayton Shelby Reindahl Missy Trepanier Dani Reindahl Annie Grossenbacher Brittni Hover Becca Paulson Kayla Anderson Clairann Thompson Totals

2s 1 9 5 1 3 6 1 2 28

3s FTM/A F 0 0/3 4 1 0/1 2 1 1/2 1 0 1/2 0 0 2/2 2 0 1/3 2 0 0/0 0 0 4/5 1 2 9/18 12

TP 2 21 14 3 8 13 2 8 71

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Hurley Midgets gulped up by Tigers

Webster holds strong lead throughout Webster 64, Hurley 45

by Brenda Sommerfeld RICE LAKE – The first round of boys sectionals was Friday, Feb. 29.

The scoring order for the Webster versus Hurley in Rice Lake match was Webster, Webster, Webster, Webster and Webster, until finally Hurley managed two points from free throws. It was very loud in the Rice Lake gym from the Tiger fans showing their excitement.

The Hurley Midgets were able to pick up the pace and score more, but so were the Tigers, nailing shot after shot to put them up 22-14. That was just the first quarter.

Webster had a big backing of support at both the Hurley game in Rice Lake and the Eau Claire Regis game at the Eau Claire North High School. Here everyone looks to the flag while the national anthem is played in the Rice Lake gym. – Photos by Brenda Sommerfeld

A.J. Holmquist curls up to get to the basket against the Hurley Midgets on Friday. – Photos by Brenda Sommerfeld

“I thought we did exactly what we wanted to do,” coach Randy Hedrick said. “We controlled the tempo and we have to do that to be successful.”

Success is what they accomplished, keeping the lead throughout the entire four quarters.

Hurley was able to keep up in the second quarter, each team scoring 10 points. This was the only quarter this happened, so the Midgets never could pull ahead.

Brian Gibbs hit shot after shot. A few from outside to get three, a couple free throws but mostly enough to add two points each time. He ended the night with 24 total points for his Tiger team.

“Brian Gibbs shot pretty well, which makes a difference for us,” Hedrick stat-

ed.

Gibbs had seven of the 17 points that Webster managed to get added to the scoreboard during the third quarter.

Hurley got 11 total points in the third.

In the final eight minutes, the Tigers scored 15 more, while Hurley got 10.

Webster’s defense was right on top of things without getting physical enough to be called on fouls. The Midgets, however, put the Tigers on the line 20 times during the night, and Webster made 12 of the shots count.

Brian Thill was again another big scorer for the Webster Tigers with 15 points total, five being free throws.

Dylan Geske put up eight points and Adam Baum added six.

Team Webster Hurley

1 2 3 4 F 22 10 17 15 64 14 10 11 10 45 Individual Statistics Webster 2s 3s FTM/A F TP Peter Walsh 1 0 0/3 2 2 Brian Gibbs 8 2 2/2 2 24 AJ Holmquist 2 0 0/0 1 4 Mitchell Elliott 0 0 2/2 0 2 Dylan Geske 2 1 1/2 3 8 Brian Thill 5 0 5/7 3 15 Alex Main 0 0 0/0 1 0 Adam Baum 3 0 0/1 3 6 Dan Erickson 0 1 0/0 0 3 Totals 22 4 10/17 15 64 Hurley J. Rowe Michael Leinon Alec Gulan Matt Mlynarski Michael Sejbl Daulton Levra Gordy Kohegyi D. Laurn Jordan Hoist Dylan Levra Totals

2s 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 2 4 0 12

3s FTM/A F 0 0/0 1 0 0/0 1 0 0/0 2 0 1/3 1 5 1/3 1 0 0/0 1 0 0/0 4 0 0/0 3 0 2/2 3 0 2/2 1 5 6/10 18

TP 0 0 0 1 18 0 10 4 10 2 45

Shots and more shots against Regis. Pictures (L to R) Brian Gibbs, Dylan Geske, Brian Thill and Adam Baum. – Photos by Brenda Sommerfeld

Tiger boys/continued start it off. Thill put in one of his two free throws, while Regis added eight to their side of the board.

Gibbs was the only other to score for the rest of the first half, putting up two 3-pointers and two field goals to keep the 15-point difference, 35-15.

“They (Regis) shot the ball well,” Hedrick commented. “It wasn’t a good start for us.”

The hoop that Webster started shooting at must have deflected shots

because after the half, the Ramblers couldn’t put anything up that went through either.

Regis started it out with two more points, but while they struggled to get another in, Webster took over. Gibbs nailed a three to start things out. Adam Baum had four points in the first three minutes and with Dylan Geske’s two they were brought to 37-29.

The Ramblers answered back with another making it a 10-point game until Gibbs made both the free throws he was given. Regis was able to stick another one in, but so were Gibbs and

Holmquist, to tighten up the game, 4135, to start the fourth and final quarter.

Baum started out the last eight minutes in Webster’s favor when he nailed a bucket for two in the first 30 seconds.

Regis once again answered right back with a big 3-pointer to keep their lead.

It took three minutes, but the Ramblers had another one go in. Geske nailed one behind the arc a little later for his team, to be only six points behind. Regis just kept coming back, and hit another to widen it out again.

The Tigers put Regis players on the line three times in the end for fouls, and

they got four more points. Thill had two more points before the starters were taken out.

Ryan Clemons hit a 3-pointer in the last three seconds for the ending score of 52-45. It ended in a closer battle then last year’s 56-43 loss.

“We battled back,” Hedrick said. “We made it respectable.”

Gibbs had another good night with 22 points and Baum had six. Geske and Thill each contributed five, Holmquist ended up with four and Clemons got three.

PAGE 26 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

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Dragons stay flying high above

Solon Springs honor friend Siren 56, Solon Springs 40

by Brenda Sommerfeld SIREN – The Siren Dragon girls move onto the regional championship round after their 56-40 victory over the Solon Springs Eagles on Thursday, Feb. 28.

“I said to those seven or eight that play for me all the time that this was a 35- to 40-point game that ended up being 16,” Siren coach Jon Ruud said.

“We really did play well.”

The Dragons jumped off to a big lead in the first, 16-8, with freshman Carley Emery making most with nine of them.

Emery was where her team needed her to be throughout.

During the second quarter, Siren was put on the free-throw line time after time. Fifteen free ones were thrown at that waiting net and only three didn’t make their way through. These and the few field goals, put Siren up 40-17 by the end of the first half.

“I thought defensively, we did an outstanding job,” Ruud commented.

“Offensively, we did a nice job of hanTeam Solon Springs Siren

1 2 3 4 F 8 9 4 19 40 16 24 11 5 56 Individual Statistics 2s 3s FTM/A F TP Solon Springs Rachel Hanley 3 1 0/0 3 9 3 0 0/0 2 6 Lorin Larson Salann Gilbert 4 0 0/0 3 8 0 0 0/0 3 0 Chanda Deming Kate Klinzing 7 0 1/3 2 15 0 0 0/0 2 0 Lydia Utyro 1 0 0/0 2 2 Grace Larson Totals 18 1 1/3 17 40 Siren Haily Mulroy Jennifer Mitchell Courtney Daniels Kelley Wampfler Carley Emery Janey Emery Lynette Renberg Ashley Guevara Jenna Wamboldt Totals

2s 1 1 2 1 7 2 1 2 0 17

3s FTM/A F TP 1 0/2 2 5 0 0/0 4 2 0 2/4 0 6 0 0/0 0 2 1 7/8 1 24 1 0/0 3 7 0 0/0 2 2 0 4/5 0 8 0 0/0 1 0 3 13/19 13 56

Ashley Guevara shoots one of her five free-throw attempts against the Eagles.

Lynette Renberg goes up against a Solon Springs player on Thursday.

– Photos by Brenda Sommerfeld dling what they tried to do to us. They (Solon Springs) came out in a 1-3-1 and the girls made good adjustments.”

The second half was a little slower on scoring with Siren getting 16 and the Eagles 23, bringing the score closer in the end.

Carley Emery scored over 20 points once again with 24 total on the night.

Ashley Guevara added eight, Janey Emery had seven and Courtney Daniels put up six total.

“Siren was everything we expected them to be,” Solon Springs coach Dan Rajala said. “A very well-balanced and aggressive team with a good mix of veterans and young players. Coach Ruud has done a great job with that program.”

If you were at the game, you might

have seen the Solon Springs blue warmup shirts that read Kylie #20 on the front and wondered what they were about. These shirts are one of the ways that this team is honoring a friend whom was killed in a car accident in September.

“We dedicated our season to her and had her jersey on our bench with us,” Rajala said. “We had our warm-up shirts dedicated to her memory with her favorite colors on them.”

Kylie Grayden had moved from Solon Springs to Shorewood, Minn., two years ago to live with her grandparents.

While in Solon Springs, Grayden lived with Kate Klinzing and her family. Both girls love the sport of basketball.

Even though Grayden no longer lived in Solon Springs, she came back often to visit everyone.

“Her laugh and unbelievable sense of humor was something that will never leave our hearts,” Rajala commented.

“Every time I saw her I would beg her to come back home and have one more season to help us get from a good team

Carley Emery goes up for a layup.

She has been a top scorer for the Dragons this season. to a dangerous team.”

Rajala mentioned that she wanted to come back but was also very happy in the Cities. Rajala described Grayden as six foot and pure power. She was their team’s enforcer in the paint.

“Her death destroyed us, but also brought our community and school together,” Rajala explained.

Kylie Grayden was killed in a car accident back in September, but her memory is carried on by the Solon Springs girls basketball team during every game. – Special photos

ABOVE: Fans hold up a sign for where the Dragons are headed next after winning on Saturday. BELOW: Lynette Renberg makes a pass to Jennifer Mitchell around a Northwood player.

Lynette Renberg, Courtney Daniels, Janey Emery and Jennifer Mitchell received the regional champs plaque. – Photos by Brenda Sommerfeld

Dragons/continued knocked baskets in one after another, not giving the Evergreens time to put any up themselves. Emery put up two shots, one behind the arc, Jennifer Mitchell put up two big ones and Renberg had one under the basket to put them ahead, 22-15.

“I think our girls did a great job to

start that third quarter,” Ruud said. “We found a little something that worked and we got more baskets.”

In the middle of the third Daniels had a great pass to Mitchell for one of her two buckets, which put Siren up by 10 points. That was the biggest gap they had yet seen.

“We were able to let out a little sigh,” Ruud explained.

The fourth quarter was free-throw

city with Northwood being called time after time. Siren stepped up to the line and nailed most of the shots to secure their win.

The Dragons made 12 of their 14 free throws and two other shots that pulled them, 35-25, over the Evergreens.

Carley Emery scored 14 points, Janey Emery, Renberg and Mitchell each had six total points and Haily Mulroy made three from free throws.

The Siren girls now hold the titles of conference champions and regional champions and will start their journey toward sectional champions in Spooner against Flambeau on Friday, March 7.

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 27

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Olson family finds tradition at state tourney Brian, Karen and now son Brennan is heading to state

by Marty Seeger LUCK – The Luck community is brimming with excitement, and busy filling conversation with memories gone by about the former Luck teams that have been to the state tournament.

Luck residents Brian and Karen Olson are excited to be sending the next generation to the state tournament this Friday. Their son, Brennan Olson, will be the third person in the family to have participated in the tournament, and Brian and Karen can both claim to have been a part of. Brian was a member of the 1973 Luck boys basketball team and Karen went to state with the 1977 Luck girls basketball team.

“We’ve been there, so we know how exciting it can be, and always hoped that they can experience the same thing,” Karen said.

Karen, Brennan and Brian Olson will all have been to the state tournament in Madison as part of a Luck basketball team. - Photo by Sue Tolan The 1977 Luck girls lost to Iola Scandinavia 45-37. Karen shot 3 of 11 from the field, and the Leader reported it as an “off day,” but Karen’s two

points in the third quarter brought the Cardinals to within four. She had six points in the game. One of the things Karen remembers was how quickly

everything went. The team piled into painted up cars and made their trip. All teams from the only three divisions at the time stayed in the same motel, and enjoyed a banquet while they were there.

The 1973 boys team, however, was able to make it to the second game at the state tournament. “Cool Hand Luke,” as Brian was called in the March 21, 1973, issue of the Leader, hit a pair of key free throws with only 26 seconds to go in the game. But the great comeback wasn’t enough, and the boys lost by two against McFarland. Brian had seven points and shot five of seven free throws in the game.

And now with their son Brennan off to the state tournament, the Olsons, as well as the entire Luck community, will have another lasting experience that will no doubt stretch well beyond 35 years.

“We’re just happy for all the boys that they made it,” Karen said.

Suring Eagles in sight What are the Luck Cardinals up against in Madison?

by Marty Seeger LUCK – The Luck Cardinals have faced some solid teams over the course of the season, and the Suring Eagles basketball team could be their toughest test yet.

Suring made a trip to the state tournament last season and fell in the state semifinals to Eleva-Strum 63-53. The Eagles posted a 20-2 overall record last season, and this year the team has posted a flawless 25-0 record, leaving nearly everyone in its wake. The team’s closest game of the season came against IolaScandinavia, a battle in which the Eagles won in overtime 83-80. The majority of the other wins came by margins of 30 points or more. In the WIAA playoffs, the Eagles defeated opponents by an average of 37.6 points per game, but none of that seems to bother coach Rick Giller, who is just fine with being the underdog at state.

“Nothing is going to change for us, we just have to prepare for them and do

Tyler Petersen goes in for a layup against Mellen. - Photo by Marty Seeger

The 2008 Luck Cardinals with their WIAA sectional championship trophy after their win over Mellen last Saturday night. - Photo by Sue Tolan what we can do, and not worry about what they’re doing,” Giller said.

The Luck coaching staff has already taken a look at the game tapes, and according to Giller, the Eagles are a very quick team.

Giller says senior point guard Josh Regal might be one of the quickest kids the Cardinals have seen all year. The 5’9” senior averages 20.4 points per game and leads the team with 270 assists.

Regal is solid at taking an opponent one-on-one, but if he’s guarded the ball gets dished out to one of the team’s power forwards. Giller said many of Suring’s points come on fast breaks, and shutting that down will be one of the main focuses for Luck.

“If we’re not getting back on defense that’s going to hurt us,” said Giller.

The Eagles other four senior starters include 6’5” center Kris Wilber, 6’2” guard Cody Lechleitner, 6’0 forward Ethan Firgins and 5’10” guard Rylan Bartz. Lechleitner and Bartz average 15.8 and 12.0 points per game respectively. - with information from wiaawi.org

2007-08 Division 3 Boys Basketball Playoffs R e g i on a l s S at ., F eb . 23

S e ct i o n a l s F ri . , F e b . 2 9

S a t . , M a r.

2007-08 Division 4 Boys Basketball Playoffs R e g i on a l s S at ., F eb . 23

S a t . , M a r.

WIAA State Tournament March 7 - Semi-finals Sectional #1 vs. Sectional #3 9:05 a.m.

WIAA State Tournament March 6 - Semi-finals Sectional #1 vs. Sectional #3 9:05 a.m.

Drummond ,53-51.

Webster ,46-28.

@We bst er Drummond ,48-40.

@A mer y Webster ,58-45.

1: 3 0 p . m .

Siren ,63-57.

Grantsburg ,58-51.

@S po o ner Mellen ,55-44.

6 p. m .

@Ri ce L ak e Webster ,58-45.

Prentice ,59-40.

Hurley ,66-42. @A shland Hurley ,47-41.

@L ak eland Mellen ,47-45.

1 :3 0 p . m .

Mellen ,55-50.

Ladysmith ,47-37.

Regis ,52-46.

Luck ,45-31.

@ E a u C l a i r e N or t h

@ S p oo n e r Luck ,59-33.

Regis ,66-38. @E ll swo r th Regis ,59-44.

@C um ber land Luck ,40-39 OT. 1: 3 0 p . m .

Clayton ,58-46.

Spring Valley ,60-58.

@C hip pewa F all s Regis ,50-30.

Colby ,85-75. @Alt o ona Fall Creek ,65-54.

Fall Creek ,60-55 OT.

S e ct i o n a l s F ri . , F e b . 2 9

@ S p oo n e r 8 p. m .

Thorp ,65-30. @N ew A ubur n Thorp ,78-40.

Lk Holcombe ,53-52.

Luck ,48-46.

PAGE 28 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

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Tigers tranquilized by Colfax Vikings

two field goals and one 3-pointer.

Leah Janssen contributed four points.

Kathryn Krause, Chris Stoll, Rose Kopecky and Mary Johnson each had one point from a freeLeah Janssen throw.

The Webster team made eight of 19 free throw attempts they were given during the night.

Night starts with two-hour bus ride Colfax 65, Webster 25

by Brenda Sommerfeld COLFAX – “A meal and a two-hour bus ride in the snow is not exactly the way you want to prepare for a game,” Webster coach Greg Widiker said, “but that’s the cost of being a lower seed.”

This was the start to Webster’s second round of regional playoffs and it did not get any better for them. After making the snowy trip, the Tigers returned home losing to Colfax 65-25.

“They used a jump press to force turnovers and convert into easy points,” Widiker commented.

Colfax dominated the first quarter scoring 24 points, while Webster’s Leah Janssen was the only one to score, putting them at two.

The Tigers picked up the pace a little in the second half, scoring eight points but still couldn’t come close to the Vikings 12 more points.

“Colfax is a very good shooting team with exceptional balance,” Widiker explained. “They were just too much for us to defend. We also struggled offensively due to their quickness and intensity.”

Vikings put up 29 points to Webster’s 15 in the second half taking the Tigers

Team Webster Colfax

1 2 3 4 F 2 8 7 8 25 24 12 14 15 65 Individual Statistics 2s 3s FTM/A F TP Webster Sam Hogle 0 0 0/0 1 0 2 1 0/2 4 7 Amanda Alberg 0 0 1/2 2 1 Kathryn Krause 0 0 1/2 2 1 Chris Stoll 2 0 0/0 0 4 Leah Janssen Chelsey Bereiter 0 0 0/0 3 0 0 0 0/0 1 0 Reba Smallwood Beth Baer 3 0 4/9 2 10 0 0 1/2 0 1 Rose Kopecky 0 0 1/2 0 1 Mary Johnson 7 1 8/19 15 25 Totals

Rose Kopecky drives around a Luck player earlier this season. – File photos by Carl Heidel out of the playoffs to end their season.

“We played better as we got into it and gained confidence, but never were able to make it a game at any point,” Widiker finished.

Seniors Beth Baer and Amanda

Sam Hogle goes into an opponent during the Luck game.

Alberg were the lead scorers for their final game in high school. Baer put up 10 points with three field goals and four free throws. Alberg put up seven with

Colfax Kelsi Knutson Courtney Doucette Sam Doucette Adrien Sarauer Abby Johnson Laura Mau Lindsey Schindler Jenni Gust Jenny Schuler Heather Smith Kasey Laramy Adrienne Ferry Totals

2s 2 3 1 0 1 1 3 1 0 0 5 0 17

3s FTM/A F 0 4/4 4 3 0/0 2 1 0/0 0 0 2/2 1 0 0/0 0 0 1/2 0 0 0/0 5 0 2/3 0 0 2/2 1 1 0/0 0 0 2/2 4 1 0/0 0 6 13/15 17

TP 8 15 5 2 2 3 6 4 2 3 12 3 65

2007-08 Division 3 Girls Basketball Playoffs

2007-08 Division 4 Girls Basketball Playoffs

S E C T I O N A L # 1 • G a m e t i m e s a r e a t 7 p . m . u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e n o t e d . • C h e c k f or u p d a t e d t i m e s .

R e gio n al s S e ct i o n a l s Tu e s . , Fe b . 2 6 T h u rs . , F e b . 2 8 S a t . , M a rc h 1 Th u r s . , M a r c h 6 S a t. , M a r c h 8

S E C T I O N A L # 1 • G a m e t i m e s a r e a t 7 p . m . u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e n o te d . • C h e c k f o r u p d a t e d t i m e s .

R e gio n als S e c t io n als T u e s. , F e b. 2 6 Th u r s . , F e b . 2 8 S at . , Mar c h 1 F r i . , M a r ch 7 S a t . , M a r ch 8 Northwood ,#1.

Colfax ,#1. @ C o lf ax

Grantsburg ,#5. @ W e b s te r Webster ,#4.

Webster ,39-38.

Colfax ,65-25.

WIAA State Tournament March 13 - Semi-finals Sectional #1 vs. Sectional #3 approx. 10:30 a.m.

Glenwood City ,47-27.

@ B oy c e vi l l e

@ S o lo n S pr in gs Shell Lake ,#6.

Boyceville ,46-35.

@ S i re n Siren ,#2.

Ladysmith ,#1.

@ W as h bu r n Washburn ,#4.

Blommer ,#7. @ Pa rk F a l l s Park Falls ,#2.

Ladysmith ,66-38. @L a dy smit h

@ F lam be au Mercer ,#8.

Ladysmith ,43-24.

Mellen ,#5.

Washburn ,63-36.

@ Ri b L a ke Rib Lake ,#4.

@Ri ce L ake Park Falls ,52-36.

@ P a r k Fa l l s

@ B i r c h w o od Butternut/Glidden ,#6.

Park Falls ,41-32.

Winter ,#7.

Park Falls ,48-32.

@ Pr e n t i c e Prentice ,#2. @ A l t o on a

@ Re g i s

St. Croix Falls ,#5.

Spring Valley ,54-49.

Elk Mound ,#3. @ E lk M o u n d St. Croix Central ,#6.

Luck ,#5.

Elk Mound ,37-30. @ P r e s c ot t

@ F a l l C re e k Fall Creek ,#4.

@ C h ipp e wa F a lls

McDonell Central ,#7. @ M o n d o vi Mondovi ,#2.

@ S ir e n

Siren ,56-40.

Siren ,87-30. @Sp o oner 6 : 30 p . m .

Flambeau ,77-17. @ F lamb e au

Flambeau ,83-37.

Mellen ,48-43. @La kel and Flambeau ,69-32.

1 : 30 p . m .

Birchwood ,52-49. @ P re n t i c e

Prentice ,53-31.

Prentice ,80-31.

@ S po o n e r

@ C lay t o n Prairie Farm ,57-53.

@ F re d e r i c Frederic ,#2.

Clayton ,87-27.

@C um ber land Clayton ,71-39.

1: 3 0 p . m .

Clear Lake ,62-37. @ F r e de r ic

Frederic ,49-46.

Frederic ,52-37.

@ S po o n e r 8 p . m.

Thorp ,#1.

Osseo-Fairchild ,86-17.

@ O s s e o- F a i r c h i l d Stanley-Boyd ,44-37.

Osseo-Fairchild ,71-33.

@ T h or p New Auburn ,#8.

Lake Holcombe ,#5.

@Al to o na Osseo-Fairchild ,59-53.

Owen-Withee ,#3. @Ow en-Wi the e Colby ,#6.

Solon Springs ,57-31.

Clear Lake ,#3.

Turtle Lake ,#7.

Osseo-Fairchild ,#1.

Stanley-Boyd ,#5.

@ P r a i r i e Fa r m Prairie Farm ,#4. @ C l e a r L a ke Bruce ,#6.

Prescott ,62-50.

Prescott ,#2.

@ O s s e o - Fa i r c h i l d Cadott ,#8.

@Webs ter Siren ,35-25.

Clayton ,#1.

Regis ,66-39.

@Hud so n Regis ,60-53.

1 :3 0 p . m .

WIAA State Tournament March 14 - Semi-finals Sectional #1 vs. Sectional #3 approx. 10:30 a.m.

1 : 30 p . m .

Birchwood ,#3.

Hurley ,63-49.

Regis ,#1.

@ S pr in g Va ll e y Spring Valley ,#4.

Drummond ,56-19.

Northwood ,42-24.

Flambeau ,#1.

Hurley ,#3. @ Hu r l e y Phillips ,#6.

@ N or t h w o o d

South Shore ,#7. @ H ay war d

Cameron ,#5.

Bayfield ,#5.

Northwood ,70-19.

Solon Springs ,#3.

Boyceville ,#2.

@ L ad y smit h Chetek ,#8.

Lac Courte Oreilles ,#8.

@ Dr u mmo n d Drummond ,#4.

@A mer y Colfax ,40-21.

Glenwood City ,#3. @ G l e n w oo d C i t y Unity ,#6.

@ N o rt h w o o d

@ G ilma n Gilman ,#4.

Thorp ,33-22. @ T h o rp Gilman ,55-41.

Cornell ,#3.

Owen-Withee ,54-49.

@ Mo n do v i Mondovi ,42-36.

Mondovi ,70-36.

@ C o rn e l l EC Immanuel ,#6.

Abbotsford ,#7. @ M on d ov i Greenwood ,#2.

Thorp ,45-31.

@B lo o mer Thorp ,28-27.

1 : 30 p . m .

EC Immanuel ,40-36. @ G r e e n wo o d Greenwood ,47-25.

Greenwood ,49-30.

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Skiers do well on the slopes and in the classroom

by Marty Seeger CHISAGO LAKES, Minn. – There were 19 all-conference awards handed out to the eight teams in the Chisago Lakes-SCF ski team conference this season. The seven boys awarded all conference honors were Tim Johnson, Philip Bottjen, Mark Sandgren, Steve Wagner, Allen Nickelson, Corbin Peterson and Erinn Bloomer. Two of those boys were also recognized for outstanding achievement in academics including Wagner and Sandgren.

Girls also did well, and eight received all-conference honors including Simone Raedeke, Katy Garbe, Katy Boyer, Kate Wright, Melinda Beyer, Teresa Sandberg, Jennifer Sandberg and Amanda Angel. Three of those girls received the outstanding achievement in academics award including Raedeke, Beyer and Wright.

Outstanding achievement in academics award recipients are pictured (L to R): Kate Wright, Mark Sandgren, Steve Wagner, Simone Raedeke and Melinda Beyer. – Photos by Dan Raedeke Raedeke was also chosen to be on the tions. Nick Engelbrekt and Angel were all-state team and Garbe and Angel awarded most improved. Johnson and were chosen as all state honorable men- Raedeke received the most valuable

Tim Johnson and Simone Raedeke won the most valuable award this season. award this year.

Local racers head to national championships

DRESSER – Katelyn Kinzer (Dresser, age 18) and Mackenzie Casey (Hudson, age 17) are a speedy and dynamic duo: they have raced together at their local ski resort – Trollhaugen – for more than six years, and they became individual racers for the La Crosse High School Race Conference two years ago.

Through the La Crosse High School Race Conference, both racers went to the state championships held at Mt. La Crosse on Feb. 17-18. Kinzer’s spectacular performance earned her a spot at nationals in slalom and giant slalom; while Casey’s speedy style was rewarded with a spot at nationals in Slalom.

Together, the girls are headed to the Eastern High School Alpine Championships.

The national championships will take place March 14-16, at north Conway, N.H., where Kinzer will race to defend her title from last year. She earned second place in last year’s national overall standings and enthusiastically says about this year’s championships, “I am

Pictured (L to R) are: Mackenzie Casey and Katelyn Kinzer. – Photo submitted hoping to win the slalom title, and I ward to skiing with them!” hope to take top four in giant slalom!”

This is Casey’s first time to nationals, When asked how she feels about head- and she is very eager to be a part of the ing to nationals, she stated “I’m just experience. When asked if she was really excited to race out East again; nervous about it, she thoughtfully their skiing conditions are different and replied, “I’m not as nervous as excited, I challenging, and some of the same girls am just not sure what to expect! I’m are racing this year, so I am looking for- super excited to be going and I’m look-

The Burnett County Wrestling Club had several wrestlers competing in the tournament at Luck on March 1st. The team came away with a second place finish, missing first place by one point. Many of the team represented here include from left to right: Coach Trevor Brewer, Coach Tory Jeske, Alex Ringler, Collin Jeske, Cohl Ringler, Austin Swenson, Avery Northquest, Elijah Northquest, Joseph Gaffney, Cory Peterson, Elliot Swenson, Troy Wicklund, Carson Knutson, Josh Glover, Brett Anderson, Tristan Brewer, Coach Joel Glover, Dakota Schultz, Luke Anderson, Taten Nichols, Coach Jake Nichols, Lane Johnson and Jacob McNulty. – Photo submitted

RIGHT: The Unity Eagle Youth Wrestlers earned the first-place team trophy this past Saturday, March 1, at the Luck youth wrestling tournament. The Eagles had 13 wrestlers receive first-place trophies and 15 wrestlers receive second-place trophies. The wrestlers have been practicing hard in preparation for the regional competition which will take place next Saturday, March 8, in River Falls. Placing second in Luck was the Burnett County Bulldogs, and third place went to Turtle Lake. – Photo submitted

Youth hockey results Burnett Youth Hockey PeeWee B

March 2 & 3

Blizzard 5, Tomahak 4

Goals: Vinny Larson (3), Jenna Curtis, Brett Richison Assists: Jenna Curtis, Brady Mangen Saves: Bailey Mangen (17)

Washington County 5, Blizzard 1 Goals: Jenna Curtis Assists: Brady Mangen Saves: Bailey Mangen (19)

Blizzard 7, Beaver Dam 4

Goals: Vinny Larson (3), Jenna Curtis, Max Norman, Nick Robinson Brett Richison Assists: Jenna Curtis (3), Brett Richison Saves: Bailey Mangen (12)

Blizzard PeeWee B were State consolation winners after this weekend’s tournament.

ing forward to seeing the amazing skiers and tough competition.”

These two spirited and talented girls are not only teammates, but also friends. They simultaneously agreed that there was not another teammate they would rather compete with, and there is such camaraderie between the two of them, there is no room for competition. So, as friends and teammates, they will race with skill and determination for national titles.

In order to raise funds for the upcoming event, Kinzer and Casey are involved with a sponsored raffle. The winner of the raffle will be awarded a pair of Volkl skis of the winner’s choice.

All proceeds will go toward the girls’ traveling and race fees. If you would like to support this cause, or if you would like more information, please contact: Steve Kinzer 715-755-2955 ext.

226 Trollhaugen sends a huge good luck to both girls! – submitted

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A R E A B O W L I N G R E S U LT S Hacker’s Lanes

Sunday Afternoon Mixed Standings: D & B’s 53, The Hee Haws 48.5, Sandbaggers 47, Gems 43.5, Spare-Us 42, Hot Shots 39.

Women’s games: Gail Linke (The Hee Haws) 200, Dorothy Barfknecht (Hot Shots) 179, Edla Meyer (Sandbaggers) 170. series: Dorothy Women’s Barfknecht (Hot Shots) 529, Gail Linke (The Hee Haws) 509, Edla Meyer (The Hee Haws) & Barb Morgan (D&B’s) 472.

Men’s games: Don Hughes (The Hee Haws) 215, Bert Meyer (D&B’s) 208, Jim Loomis (SpareUs) 204.

Men’s series: Jim Loomis (SpareUs) 578, Bert Meyer (D&B’s) 554, Don Hughes (The Hee Haws) 551.

Team games: Sandbaggers 872, Gems 827, The Hee Haws 826.

Team series: Sandbaggers 2500, Hot Shots 2309, Spare-Us 2309.

Games 50 or more above average: Daryl Marek (+76).

Splits converted: 6-7-9-10: Gail Linke. 5-7: Dorothy Barfknecht. 45: Lori Dake.

Sunday Night 1 No-Tap Mixed Standings: Long Shots 34, Jeff’s Team 30.5, Knaubers 30, Late Comers 28, Packer Backers 27, Happy Campers 22, No Names 20, Chuck’s Team 16.5.

Women’s games: Yvonne Snyder (HC) 240, Debbie Swanson (PB) 238, Gwen Larsen (HC) 233.

Women’s series: Jan Kruse (CT) 635, Debbie Swanson (PB) 634, Gwen Larsen (HC) 580.

Men’s games: Jim Murphy (LS) 279, Don Swanson (PB) 253, Jim Murphy (LS) 251.

Men’s series: Jim Murphy (LS) 752, Gene Hansen (JT) 697, Leonard Knauber (K) 673.

Team games: Long Shots 977, Chuck’s Team 891, Happy Campers 887.

Team series: Chuck’s Team 2530, Long Shots 2324, Jeff’s Team 2295.

Monday Afternoon Seniors Standings: Nite Hawks 22.5, Swans 22, Bears 14, Badgers 11.5, Eagles 11, Bye 0.

Women’s games: Joan Anderson 168, Bernice Moyer 166, Betty Anderson 159.

Women’s series: Bernice Moyer 462, Joan Anderson 457, Lila Larson 420.

Men’s games: Roger Messer 200, Jack Buecksler 198, Dick Coen 198.

Men’s series: Dick Coen 552, Roger Messer 531, Jack Buecksler 510.

Team games: Eagles 650, Nite Hawks 629, Bears 614.

Team series: Nite Hawks 1806, Eagles 1785, Swans 1759.

Monday Night Ladies Standings: Radio Shack 47, Hacker’s Lanes 41, The Bottle Shop 38, Miller Chicks 33, House of Wood 32, Mane Attractions 31, AnchorBank 26, Bye 4.

Individual games: JoAnn Pomerleau (MA) 222, Sheri Hacker (BS) 211, Sandy Hacker (HL) 205.

Individual series: Sheri Hacker (BS) 521, Rhonda Bazey (HW) 515, Susie Houston (MA) 515.

Team games: Mane Attractions 706, The Bottle Shop 631, Radio Shack 617.

Team series: Mane Attractions 1861, The Bottle Shop 1810, AnchorBank 1807.

Tuesday Youth (2 games) Standings: Double Headers 11, Pin Destroyers 10, Pin Heads 10,

Pin Patrol 5.

Girl’s games: None.

Girl’s series: None.

Boy’s games: Ben Kurkowski 133, Jaryd Braden 125, Austin Kurkowski & Ben Richter 117.

Boy’s series: Ben Kurkowski 249, Jaryd Braden 225, Austin Kurkowski 219.

Team games: Double Headers 338, Pin Heads 325, Double Headers 296.

Team series: Double Headers 634, Pin Heads 618, Pin Patrol 558.

Tuesday Classic Great Northern Standings: Outdoors 76, Bottle Shop 73, Hacker’s Lanes 66.5, Yellow Lake Lodge 65, Pioneer Bar 43, Hog Wild 37.5, St. Croix Valley Hardwoods 29, Reliables 26.

Individual games: Ed Bitler 267, Dale Gregory 259, Brian McBroom 249.

Individual series: Dale Gregory 739, Ed Bitler 738, Brian McBroom 664.

Team games: Hacker’s Lanes 684, Great Northern Outdoors 662, Yellow Lake Lodge 624.

Team series: Great Northern Outdoors 1905, Hacker’s Lanes 1895, Yellow Lake Lodge 1768.

Wednesday Afternoon Ladies Standings: Eggs 5-44, Pioneer Bar 2-39.5, Frandsen Dairy 4-33, Hacker’s Lanes 3-23.5.

Individual games: Betty Schandorff (HL) 201 & 179, Char Sandberg (PB) & Kathy Sandberg (PB) 178.

Individual series: Betty Schandorff (HL) 526, Kathy Sandberg (PB) 478, Char Sandberg (PB) 465.

Team games: Hacker’s Lanes 611, Pioneer Bar 610, Hacker’s Lanes 589.

Team series: Pioneer Bar 1738, Hacker’s Lanes 1716, Frandsen Dairy 1529.

Wednesday Night Early Men’s Standings: Lewis Silo 23, Cummings Lumber 22, Skol Bar 19, Parker 18, Pioneer Bar 17, A1 Machine 16, Larsen Auto Center 16, Four Seasons Wood Products 13.

Individual games: Norm Hansen (A-1) 263, John Ellefson (A-1) 258, Dale Gregory (4S) 258.

Individual series: Norm Hansen (A-1) 714, Mark Bohn (SB) 710, Dale Gregory (4S) 692.

Team games: Four Seasons Wood Products 1121, A-1 Machine 1063, Four Seasons Wood Products 1027.

Team series: A-1 Machine 3066, Four Seasons Wood Products 3037, Parker 2857.

Thursday Early 3-Man Standings: K-Wood 9.5, Full Timers 9, Frontier Trails 9, Grindell Law Offices 8, Wikstrom Construction 5, Fab Four 4, CenturyTel 4, Hell Raisers 3.5.

Individual games: Ed Bitler (KW) 269, John Bytnar (FuT) 247, Blake Douglas (GLO) 245.

Individual series: Ed Bitler (K-W) 694, Mike Sullivan (WC) 670, Dave Grindell (GLO) 641.

Team games: Grindell Law Offices 659, K-Wood 609, Wikstrom Construction 594.

Team series: Grindell Law Offices 1833, K-Wood 1664, Wikstrom Construction 1646.

Games 50 or more above average: Ed Bitler 269 (+57); John Bytnar 247 (+57).

Most points: Dave Hall 51.

Splits converted: 3-10: Joel Struck. 3-9-10: Mike Sullivan. 3-67-10: Dan Carlson. 2-7: Dave Hall,

Team series: (Handicap scores) Fisk Trucking 2427, Roller Coasters 2394, Tiger Express 2382.

Black and Orange Lanes

Marlin Larson, Jim Wikstrom. 5-7: Don McKinney.

Thursday Late Men’s Standings: Hog Wild BBQ & Grill 26-10, Fisk Trucking 20-16, Hansen Farms Inc. 18-18, Johnson Upholstery 16-20, Stotz & Company 15-21.

Individual games: Aaron Arjes 231, Dave Gabrielson 231, Gene Wynn Jr. 212. series: Dave Individual Gabrielson 653, Gene Wynn Jr. 578, Aaron Arjes 571.

Team games: Hansen Farms Inc. 892, Stotz & Company 863, Hog Wild BBQ & Grill 857.

Team series: Hansen Farms Inc. 2537, Stotz & Company 2485, Johnson Upholstery 2474.

Friday Night Ladies Standings: Skol Bar 48, Meyer’s Plus 47, The Leader 36.5, Tin Cup Promotions 28, Hole in the Wall 25.5, Junque Art 25.

Individual games: Cara Holicky 223, Dorothy Barfknecht 209, Karen Carlson 208.

Individual series: Karen Carlson 566, Cara Holicky 562, Missy Hernandez 511.

Team games: Skol Bar 676, The Leader 660, Meyer’s Plus 659.

Team series: Skol Bar 1924, Junque Art 1900, Meyer’s Plus 1838.

Games 50 or more above average: Cara Holicky.

Splits converted: 5-10: Lisa Pardun.

Early Birds Standings: Gandy Dancer Saloon 29-15, 10th Hole 24-20, Black & Orange 20-24, Log Cabin Store 15-29.

Individual games: Rita Tesch (10th) 185, Alice Henrich (B&O) 178, Sandy Price (LC) 164.

Individual series: Rita Tesch (10th) 471, Alice Henrich (B&O) 445, Jackie Grimes (B&O) 429.

Team games: 10th Hole 837, Black & Orange 830, Gandy Dancer 812.

Team series: 10th Hole 2477, Black & Orange 2383, Gandy Dancer 2367.

Games 50 or more above average: Rita Tesch 185 (+56).

Splits converted: 4-6-10: Donna Crain.

Monday Night Men’s Standings: Bruce’s Auto 26-10, Larry’s LP 23-13, Glass & Mirror Works 20-16, Parker 18-18, Pope’s Construction 18-18, Vacant 3-33.

Individual games: Chris Olson (L) 226, Richard Morse (G&M) 207, Curt Phelps (BA) & Ron Staples (P) 200.

Individual series: Chris Olson (L) 607, Curt Phelps (BA) 550, Richard Morse (G&M) 546.

Team games: Glass & Mirror Works 971, Parker 962, Pope’s Construction 961.

Team series: Bruce’s Auto 2802, Parker 2793, Glass & Mirror Works 2748.

Splits converted: 6-7-10: Breck Eytcheson.

Early Risers Standings: 10th Hole 29-15, A+ Sanitation 23-21, Hole in the Wall 19-25, Gandy Dancer 17-27.

Individual games: Donna Crain (GD) & Angel Paulzine (HITW) 163, Lucy Hansen (HITW) 160, Lylah Nelson (A+) 159.

Individual series: Lylah Nelson (A+) 454, Donna Crain (GD) 451, Angel Paulzine (HITW) 440.

Team games: A+ Sanitation 700, 10th Hole 687, Gandy Dancer 641.

Thursday Night Ladies Standings: Check Services 25.514.5, Black & Orange 24-16, Lipsy’s 20-20, Ben Ott Const. 1921, Pour House 16-24, Hole in the Wall 15.5-24.5.

Individual games: Jennifer Kern (B&O) 211, Angie Olson (CS) 208, Audrey Pardun (HITW) 204.

Individual series: Jennifer Kern (B&O) 572, Angie Olson (CS) 532, Audrey Pardun (HITW) 500.

Team games: Check Services 797, Black & Orange 724, Lipsy’s 696.

Team series: Check Services 2118, Black & Orange 2048, Lipsy’s 2007.

McKenzie Lanes

Thursday Night Ladies Standings: K.C. Electrical 61, Hack’s Pub 59, RiverBank 56, Century 21 53, Balsam Lake Hardware 48, Hauge Dental 44.5, Eagle Valley Bank 43.5, Deer Lake Block 35.

Individual games: MJO Hacker 201, Kathy Braund 200, Dawn Larson 189.

Individual series: Kathy Braund 554, MJO Hacker 530, Denise Donaghue 517.

Team games: (Handicap scores) RiverBank 1030, Hauge Dental 1004, Hack’s Pub 987.

Team series: (Handicap scores) Century 21 2893, Hack’s Pub 2877, RiverBank 2854.

Saturday Night Mixed Doubles Standings: Truhlsen Chiropractic 42, Happy Campers 38.5, Eureka Bombers 38.5, Tiger Express 38, The In-Laws 33, Roller Coasters 29.5, Fisk Trucking 28, Ten Pin Titans 24.5.

Women’s games: Dixie Welling 218, Kim Delaney 184, Diane Fisk & Rachel Carney 175.

Women’s series: Dixie Welling 549, Diane Fisk 496, Rachel Carney 481.

Men’s games: Jeff Lehmann 253, Rick Katzmark 249, Gene Braund 210.

Men’s series: Rick Katzmark 671, Jeff Lehmann 609, Gene Braund 593.

Team games: (Handicap scores) Truhlsen Chiropractic 879, Fisk Trucking 847, Roller Coasters 842.

Brett Daeffler of Frederic bowled his first 300 game last Friday night. Daeffler was open bowling, so the game was not a sanctioned achievement for the USBC. The 20 year old started bowling in the youth program when he was in seventh grade and bowled until graduating from Frederic High School. Daeffler has already bowled one sanctioned 700 series, and bowls on the men’s Wednesday night league.

Some of his teammates include his father Bryce, grandpa Milt and Uncle Brian. Daeffler is hoping to pull another 300 game next time in league. - Photo courtesy of Hacker’s Lanes

READ LEADER SPORTS! READ LEADER SPORTS!

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 31

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The Nostradamus of the North An alert reader dredged up an old item, which appeared in this column on Feb. 9, 2000. The piece was written at a time when I was closely connected with the local Saturday youth basketball program. The item reads as follows: “It might be premature for Luck basketball fans to make their Madison hotel for reservations 2007 or 2008, but from the looks of their 4th-and 5th-grade boys teams, it appears they have plenty of talent on the way. The li’l Cardinal boys rolled over Frederic and Shell Lake in action at Frederic last Saturday.”

Included in that group of 4th-grade urchins from 2000 who grew to become certifiable local heroes by 2008 were Mitchell Klatt, Tyler Petersen and Cody Richert. I can’t say with certainty if Brennan Olson and Nick Morgan were playing with the 4th-graders while only in 3rd grade at the time, but if they were, they too would’ve figured into the prophetic assessment.

It certainly was a long and winding road which has taken the Cardinals from Saturday morning basketball games in local grade school gymnasiums, to last weekend’s Spooner sectional, to this Wednesday’s shootaround in the Kohl Center, Thursday’s practice at Sun Prairie High School, and finally to Friday’s battle versus Suring on the floor of the 15,000-seat Kohl Center.

Check out the rest of the Leader sports pages for some great stories about Luck’s sectional victories as well as some prime Cardinal human interest features.

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It would hold a lot of hay Polk and Burnett county citizens with a farm background generally walk into the spacious Kohl Center for the first time and find themselves speculating on how many hay bales the building would hold.

With those wide-eyed fans in mind, this week’s Sports Page column will offer a reprised and modified version of a column that first appeared when the Grantsburg Pirates made the trip

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to state three years ago. It’s a list of things to do or see while attending the state tournament.

• Decorate your vehicle with signs, red and white streamers and greasepainted names and numbers of the Luck Cardinal players and coaches. You’re bound to get the thumbs up, a peace sign, or an appreciative horn honk from fellow tourney-goers who are motoring down freeway I-94 and on the streets of Madison.

• Paint your face half red and half white and don a bright red clown wig.

Your lovely face may wind up on statewide TV or on the pages of the Wisconsin State Journal or Capital Times newspaper (or, if you’re lucky, the Inter-County Leader).

• Meet and greet all players, fans and coaches from neighboring towns and schools in Leader Land. Once you’ve met at the state tournament you become part of a new fraternity.

• Eat the nachos that are sold at the Kohl Center concession stands. They’re pricey, but the serving is generous and the cheese is zesty. And oh, those jalapenos are great.

• Have a bratwurst or burger basket at one of the lively, fan-filled bistros such as the Nitty Gritty or State Street Brats. See if you can strike up a basketball trivia-filled conversation with a complete stranger. (It’s easy if you try.)

• Stroll up State Street and pay a visit to the nation’s most impressive state capital building. While there, see if you can track down one of our local representatives from the state Legislature.

Generally speaking, our public officials in Madison enjoy the opportunity to glad-hand with constituents who come to town for the state tourney.

• If architecture is your bag, visit the Frank Lloyd Wright designed First Unitarian Society meeting house, which is truly a beautfiful building.

• Walk up Bascom Hill in the heart of the campus and share the view of Abraham Lincoln, whose bronze countenance gazes solemnly southward toward the capital building.

• If you’re still hungry after eating nachos, brats, and burgers, stop in at the Parthenon Greek restaurant on

LEADER S P O R T S S C O R E B O A R D BOYS BASKETBALL

West Lakeland Conference Standings

Team Luck Webster Grantsburg St. Croix Falls Unity Frederic Siren

Conf.

11-1 11-1 7-5 7-5 3-9 2-10 1-12

Scores

Overall 23-2 21-3 15-7 9-12 7-14 4-17 5-18

Friday, February 29 Webster 64, Hurley 45 Luck 48, Thorp 46 Saturday, February 29 Luck 45 Mellen 31 Regis 52, Webster 46

Coming up

Friday, March 7 9 a.m.

Luck vs Suring @ Kohl Center in Madison

Siren girls regional championship shirts will be on sale Friday, March 7 at school for $10.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

West Lakeland Conference Standings

Team Siren Frederic St. Croix Falls Webster Grantsburg Luck Unity

Conf.

11-1 10-2 7-5 5-7 5-7 2-11 2-11

Scores

Overall 20-2 18-4 9-12 9-12 6-14 5-16 2-19

Saturday, March 1 Siren 35, Northwood 25 Clayton 71, Frederic 39

Coming up

Friday, March 7 6:30 p.m. Siren vs Flambeau @ Spooner

WOMEN’S POOL LEAGUE

Team Greg’s Gals Suzy Q’s Blacksmith Shop JJ’s Wise Guys Glass Bar Hacks Kassel Tap Crystal Shafer’s Harvest Moon

Score 98 96 93 90 84 75 74 69 61 59 54

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upper State Street. The gyros are so generous in size that we recommend paying 90 cents for an extra pita, then turning your gyros into two for the price of one. (But keep that secret. We don’t want the Parthenon to downsize their gyros.)

• If it’s warm enough and the street musicians are out and about, drop a quarter into a guitar case.

• Pick up a copy of The Onion newspaper. Its no longer published in Madison but has its roots there. It’s the only paper that gives us headlines such as: Ronnie Milsap Unwittingly Autographs 100 AC/DC Albums or Area Man Confounded by Buffet Procedure.

• Check out the eclectic music stores.

At the Discount Den you might be able to find that long-lost LP by The Clash, Webb Pierce, The Carter Family, or Bob Marley.

• Visit Monroe Street, which exemplifies what happens when hippies get money. There are many interesting stores staffed by friendly shopkeepers selling items few of us can afford.

• Conversely, pick up some junk food, breath mints, a comb or a nail-clipper at the Triangle Market on State Street and encounter cashiers that are almost charmingly aloof and unfriendly.

• Go to 816 State Street and visit the state historical society. Hunt for microfilm or a file from the Capital Times that chronicles the Luck Cardinals state tourney appearance in 1973.

• If you’re feeling claustrophobic and need to step away from concrete, go to the UW Arboretum and experience a bit of the woods within the state’s sec-

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ond-largest city. But bring your skis or snowshoes as Madison has had nearly 100 inches of snowfall. (And remember: It is against the law to remove watercress from the arboretum’s many springs.)

• Spend a moment to reflect outside the hallowed old Fieldhouse, which was the place where Luck’s cagers last played at the state tournament.

Summon the spirit of the late, feisty Cardinal mentor Andy Dolny to assist this new generation of Luck players as they prepare to square off against Suring.

• And finally, ask yourself if you’ve ever read a sports column that mentions Mitchell Klatt, Tyler Petersen, Cody Richert, Brennan Olson, Nick Morgan, Abraham Lincoln, Frank Lloyd Wright, the Parthenon, Ronnie Milsap, AC/DC and Bob Marley all under the same heading.

All-State Hockey 2008 The Wisconsin Hockey C o a c h e s Association’s AllState Team was on released Saturday, March 1.

Among the list for honorable mention was the Blizzard’s forward Cameron Cameron Hughes Hughes of Webster.

“Cam is very deserving of this award,” Blizzard coach Greg Sears said. “He had a great senior season and was a big reason for our success this year.” – Brenda Sommerfeld

OF THE

WEEK

NAME: Brian Gibbs SCHOOL: Webster YEAR: Senior COMMENTS: Webster played their final game of the season on Saturday against Regis, but not because of the lack of trying by Brian Gibbs. Gibbs scored 22 points against Regis. He shot from outside and inside the arc to make it a close game for Brian Gibbs the Tigers. In the game against Hurley that took them to Eau Claire, Gibbs put up 24 points. He was on target throughout the night. – Brenda Sommerfeld

NAME: Jennifer Mitchell SCHOOL: Siren YEAR: Senior COMMENTS: Dragon’s coach Jon Ruud has described Jennifer Mitchell as the best rebounder in the West Lakeland Conference.

Mitchell is a power for the Siren defense.

“Without her in the middle, we easily would Jennifer Mitchell have two or three more losses this year,” Ruud commented during an earlier game. Siren moves to the sectional tournament this Friday with Mitchell’s defensive and her recent scoring help. – Brenda Sommerfeld

Well, I went 8-1 during the intense tournament schedule last week, which brings Northwest Wisconsin’s best predictor to 15631, or an 83-percent success The rate. I’m really Amazing proud of getting a Bynor team (Luck boys) to state in just my THE AMAZING first year of BYNOR Leader predicting. And I just missed with Webster. Back when I played, my teams never made it to state, but I’m sure we would’ve if the coach had let me play.

These will be my last predictions until football season, but I will have

a wrap-up column for all my loyal fans next week.

This snowfall should be good for the trails, and it should be cold enough so we get one more good weekend on the sleds. Think snow!

To heck with spring. If I’m not snowmobiling, you can reach me at amazingbynor@yahoo.com

PREDICTS

Bynor predicts Girls tournaments Clayton 60, Thorp 38 – The Bearettes make it look easy again.

Flambeau 61, Siren 39 – The Dragons run into a Falcon buzz saw.

Flambeau 58, Clayton 50 – The champs return to defend their crown.

Boys tournaments Good luck to Luck against Suring at Madison.

PAGE 32 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

O UTDOORS INTER- COUNTY LEADER

ATVs • BIRDING • BOATING • CAMPING • FISHING • HIKING • HUNTING • RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

Stretching out that creaky bowstring At times it can feel as though the winter’s grasp will never let go. Sure, we’ve had a few days here and there in the 30s, and even close to the 40s. But Marty when you’re sick, Seeger those short-lived days of warmth almost feel as The though they’ve never even existed, Bottom Line and then it’s back to the same old winter once again.

Don’t get me wrong, winter can be all sorts of fun, but watching outdoor programming from the comforts of the couch can become just as annoying as the winter can get in March. Watching a guy on television cast a line into an unfrozen lake when everything outside is frozen is just about too much to take, and thoughts of summer warmth soon take hold. Suddenly summer warmth is just about all you can think about, or at least a spring thaw.

And those aren’t just my thoughts either. The consensus among most everyone inside the workplace and the surrounding communities seem to be similar. But the month of March is like a small hurdle and once we get through it, we’ll see a thaw take place.

Soon the turkeys will vamp up a flurry of gobbles in the Wisconsin woods, and it’ll seem back to normal once again.

It’s been sometime since I’ve been able to hit the woods or even get outside long enough to wet a line, but things recently changed when I convinced myself to get back out and enjoy the woods once again. Many indoor archery leagues are in the midst of another season, but the local outdoor bow shoots are again starting to take place across the state.

I was reluctant to make the drive all the way to Prairie Farm for my first shoot of the season. The course moved

a couple of years ago to its new location east of Connorsville off of Hwy. 64.

It’s not too far from its original home, but a long drive for someone who lives in this area. Plus, I’m a little embarrassed to say it, but my broadheads were still attached to the arrows I used in last fall’s hunting season. Plus, it was already 9 a.m. and I had to be in Prairie Farm in less than two hours.

But as I said earlier, it had been awhile since I’d been anywhere other than the sick bed or a local basketball game, so I forced myself to go anyway.

My only excuse for not going to the bow shoot was that I wanted to go fishing for pike before the season officially closed last Sunday. Either way, I was bent on going somewhere outside, and I was glad I did.

Like most bow ranges, the Prairie Farm bow club offers some great scenery, and has been a popular spot for archery enthusiasts from all over the area. Talk to just about anyone that has been there, and they’ll have good things to say about it. The new location features steep hills and 3D targets at challenging distances. At least for my group it was challenging.

It was the group’s first shoot of the season, and we were all a little rusty, but generally it seems as though the goal is not the highest score, but who can crack the best joke about the other archers’ shooting abilities. I win that game a lot, but mostly because I’m at the low end of our group’s best scores.

In the end, I shot a 211 out of a possible 300, and am proud to say that I only shattered one arrow on a low shot that hit a tree. Had that tree not been there, I may have saved the arrow for another day. Sometimes just hitting the target feels like a victory.

One of the tricky things about shooting archery is that although you might have hit the vitals in the area you aimed for, the scoring rings sometimes tell a different story. I was actually pleased with the low score considering some of the shots were scored as five points, even though I hit exactly where I wanted the arrow to go. Not bad for someone who had to re-sight their bow on the first target of the course.

Annual hunting and fishing licenses go on sale March 10 MADISON – The 2008-09 Wisconsin hunting, fishing, trapping and other licenses and harvest permits for fish and wildlife activities in Wisconsin go on sale Monday, March 10. Annual licenses are valid from April 1, through March 31, 2009. Hunting and fishing licenses for the 2007-08 license year expire on March 31.

“We’re here to answer questions regarding licenses as folks plan their hunting and fishing trips, purchase a recreational vehicle, or pursue other activities. Just contact our call center,” said Diane Brookbank, director of customer service and licensing for the Department of Natural Resources.

DNR customer service staff is available to assist the public by phone and online from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Spanish and Hmong bilin-

gual customer service representatives are also available.

Customers may reach Customer Service at 888-936-7463 or by e-mail at WDNRInfo@wisconsin.gov. An online chat link is also available at dnr.wi.gov/contact.

Hunting and fishing licenses can be purchased: over the Internet through the Online Licensing Center; at DNR service centers during their regular business hours (check service center link for hours of operation, which vary by service center; service centers are closed Saturdays); at automated license issuance system sales locations; or by calling toll-free 877-WI LICENSE, 877945-4236.

For more information contact the bureau of customer service and licensing at 608-266-2621. – from the DNR

Read Leader Outdoors!

It's unlikely that anyone in our group will ever encounter a shot at a leopard running through the snow, but the practice you get from bow shoots is worth the time and effort. - Photo by Marty Seeger Either way, I was happy last Sunday for making the drive, and was able to rekindle my desire to start shooting my bow again. Archery shoots have a funny way of doing that. By spring my scores should slowly get better, my confidence levels will rise, and by next fall, I won’t have to worry so much about my shooting abilities. There are plenty more shoots to go this season,

and you can check out the Indianhead Archery League Schedule online at www.indianhead-archery.com and www.eauclairearchers.org also has a list of upcoming shoots if you’re up for a drive to the Eau Claire area some weekend this spring or summer.

Great Northern Outdoors Archery League Week 6

A League Deadnuts: Ben A. 292, Dustin G. 289, (36 points) Full Draw: Tony P. 291, Sheri B. 278 (28 points) points) Shockers: Chad L. 278, Jason C. 278 (26 points) Free Flight: Jeff B. 289, Sherri P. 257 (20 points) Stabilizers: Mark J. 271, Drew B. 243 (10 points) Spartanz: Brian S. 296, Nick R. 206 (8 points) The Kaws: Kyle J. 271, Andy W. 237 (4 points) B League Team MJ: Jeremy J. 267, Cory M. 254 (32

points) GNO: Ross W. 295, Erika W. 242 (30 points) Redneck Ind: Brent L. 287, Roy Z. 278 (30 points Gameslayers: Bill S. 273, Gino L. 219 (18 points) Razors Edge: Brad S. 269, Zach S. 180 (14 points) Anuke: Luke K. 287, Dan G. 119 (12 points) S & T: Tam H. 228, Steve K. 133 (8 points) Highlanders: Bruce R. 289, Cory S. 185 (4 points) Animal Lovers: Maddie B. 149, Laurel G. 109 (0 points) Spot Shooters, 300 game Pat J. 280

Butch’s Northwest Archery Bow Hunting League Week 8

Bowhunter’s League Traditional Peterson Construction: 446 Shell Lake Pharmacy: 379 Earth Energy Systems: 328 Wishful Thinking: 322 Butch’s Traditional Archery: 310 Timberland Archery: – Men’s Shell Lake State Bank: 602 Knoop Construction: 590 A&H Taxidermy: 567 White Birch Printing: 563

Webster Auto Sales: 563 Northview Drive Inn: 545 Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church: 494 Little Lambs Preschool: 425 Big Mike’s Sports Shop: 379 Right in the Middle: – Men/Women A&H Taxidermy (2): 461 Women's Chicog Pub: 462 Youth Cloverleaf: 335

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 33

Obey: Administration is clueless WASHINGTON, D.C. – Seventh District Congressman Dave Obey, D-Wis., released the following statement this week in response to comments President Bush made recently showing that he was unaware of the anticipated steep increase in the price of gasoline.

"It was quite startling yesterday to see the president of the United States tell a reporter that he didn't have any idea that the country was nearing the $4 mark for a gallon of gasoline.

"I'm not surprised at how out of touch the White House is with what Americans are going through given the fact that they seem to be oblivious to the

need for extending unemployment insurance and taking other actions to help middle- and low-income families deal with the whole range of economic problems they face. But it was amazing to me that an oil man wouldn't know what's been happening with oil prices.

"This just shows that the administration is clueless even on the one issue that the president and Mr. Cheney are supposed to be experts on.

"It's a good thing that the House passed legislation this week that would cut back on the tax subsidies being given to big energy companies and instead invest that money into putting alternative energy sources to use." - from the office of Congressman Obey

Dead trees to improve wildlife habitat NORTHERN WISCONSIN - Some large dead trees will be lifted by helicopter and placed along a lake shoreline to improve wildlife habitat. The lift is scheduled to happen this week in the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest in Fond du Lac County.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources plans to work on the “treelift” with the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Two Guard helicopters will spend Wednesday, March 5, lifting 25 recently felled trees that were due for cutting anyway, and lowering them onto an undeveloped area of the shoreline of Long Lake. Most of the trees, including the crown, will be placed in a shallow part of the lake, with a por-

tion of the trunk to sit on the land. The trees will be placed in clusters of five or six.

Jerry Leiterman is superintendent of the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. He says the treelift will improve wildlife habitat along the shoreline. Also, he says the National Guard sees the effort as a good training exercise. He says using helicopters minimizes harm to the shoreline. He says they’ve been used for resource management efforts in the past, but he says he doesn’t know of it happening in Wisconsin to lift trees that are least 40 feet long and that weigh thousands of pounds apiece. – Wisconsin Public Radio (Chuck Quirmbach)

Burnett County sheriff’s report Accidents Town of Trade Lake, Feb. 29: Kevin J. Babe, 20, Grantsburg was northbound on Hwy. 48 when he hit a patch of snow as he crested a hill. He lost control, left the roadway and overturned.

There were no injuries reported.

The vehicle was towed.

Town of Rusk, Feb. 29: Dale A. Stafford, 41, Spooner, was southbound on CTH H when he

lost control on the snow-covered roads. He left the roadway and hit a stop sign at the corner of Rolling Green Road. There were no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed.

Town of Oakland, March 1: Galina A. Liljenberg, 19, Webster, was westbound on CTH A when she lost control on the slippery road. She left the roadway, went down an

embankment, hit some small trees and rolled onto the roof.

There were no injuries reported.

The vehicle was towed.

Arrests Town of Meenon, Feb. 25: Joshua D. Louis, 27, Stone Lake, was arrested in Sawyer County on two Burnett County warrants.

Once in Burnett County, THC was found among his personal possessions.

Other incidents Town of Wood River, Feb. 25: Christine H. Peterson, Grantsburg, reported two mailboxes damaged. The incident is under investigation.

Town of Blaine, Feb. 29: Robert Meisner, Dayton, Ohio, reported damage to his property.

The incident is under investigation.

Siren police report Reminder from Siren Police Chief Chris Sybers to motorists to please slow down or move over a lane to the left, if it is safe to do so, when approaching a police car that has stopped or is assisting someone in a vehicle along the side of the road.

Feb. 21: Between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., a garbage bin from a passing garbage truck hit and damaged a vehicle driven

by Stephen A. Bobowski, Siren.

The officer investigated reports of battery at the Black and Orange in Webster and the Pheasant Inn, Siren, starting at 11:30 p.m. Also reported was damage to the driver’s side mirror of a vehicle. No charges resulted.

Feb. 26: The Siren officer assisted the Burnett County Sheriff’s Department in dealing with a possibly suicidal individual in the Danbury area.

Feb. 27: Michael Lee

Opperud, 25, Blaine, Minn., was cited for speeding on Hwy. 70 at Hanson Avenue at 2:35 p.m.

Feb. 28: At 5:35 p.m., the Siren officer assisted another agency in apprehending Erik D. Anderson, Siren, outside an eating establishment along Hwy. 35, Webster. The officer took Anderson to jail, arriving there at 6:08 p.m. No other information was available.

At 2:20 p.m. on Hwy. 70 at Hanson Avenue, Lisa M. Mackyol, 38, Siren, was cited for speeding.

At 3:25 p.m., Ashley M. Frommander, 22, Grantsburg, was cited for speeding on Hwy. 70 west of the Siren Fire Hall.

At 11:30 p.m., a report was taken at the police department regarding threats made to the reporting person.

March 1: At 10:02 a.m., Bruce K. Soik, 43, Stevens

Burnett County criminal court John W. Webber, 41, Eau Claire, speeding, $186.00.

Jeremy J. Bottem, 36, Forest Lake, Minn., speeding, $186.00.

Brian K. Rasmussen, 42, Shoreview, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Curtis J. Sutherland, 19, Grantsburg, speeding, $236.40.

Raymond A. Reynolds, 21, Chicago, Ill., disorderly conduct, $249.00.

Daniel T. Sampson, 29, Milltown, operate CMV while possessing alcohol, $143.60.

Brent A. Spafford, 22, Webster, operating with PAC between .08 and .10, license revoked six months, $250.00.

Gerald S. Lamson, 51, Siren, OWI, $730.00, alcohol assessment, license revoked seven months.

Michael W. Benoy, 35, Pine City, Minn., issue worthless

check, $275.00.

Nicole M. Chute, 23, Grantsburg, issue worthless check, $248.00.

Angela M. Dubois, 26, Grantsburg, issue worthless check, $249.00.

Cheryl A. Herzog, 47, Champlin, Minn., issue worthless check, $249.00.

John T. Bruzek III, 29, Grantsburg, issue worthless check, $249.00.

Steven M. Bildeau, 48, Shell Lake, operate without valid license, $186.00.

Carmen L. Taylor, 22, Webster, operate without valid license, $186.00.

Richard Karis, ndb, Minneapolis, Minn., possession of THC, one-year probation, license suspended six months, alcohol assessment, $88.00.

Burnett Co. marriage licenses Scott M. Ruez, Luck, and Nicole M. Wilson, Luck, Feb. 27.

Point, was cited for failing to stop at the stop sign on Hanson Avenue and Hwy. 70.

Cullen K. Hanson, 24, Cushing, was cited for operating an unregistered truck at 5:25 p.m. on Hwy. 35/70 and Main Street.

At 6:28 p.m., Ernest S. Swanson, 36, Webster, was cited in the Siren Auto Stop parking lot for nonregistration of a motor vehicle and operating after suspension. The officer found that the plates on the red vehicle Swanson was driving were registered to a black vehi-

cle. Swanson told the officer he had switched plates. The vehicle was towed until Swanson can provide the proper registration documentation.

Also on this day, Michael A. Spafford, 56, Spooner, was cited for speeding on Hwy. 70 and Ellis Avenue.

March 2: Cole Ryburn Johnson, 21, Star Prairie, was cited for operating while intoxicated (first offense), unsafe lane deviation and driving with a prohibited alcohol concentration of .10 percent or higher. Johnson was stopped on Hwy. 35 by

Burnett County civil court Livingston Financial LLC vs. Benjamin J. Babcock, Webster, $1,603.92.

Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC vs. Ardith Kurowski, Grantsburg, $3,341.49.

Gary Kaefer DDS vs.

Barbara Emberson, Danbury, $845.49.

Gary Kaefer DDS vs.

Russell Sikkink, Danbury, $294.64.

Gary Kaefer DDS vs.

Stephanie Staples, Danbury, $292.54.

LVNV Funding LLC vs.

Wendin Pitts, Grantsburg, $1,661.59.

Capital One Bank vs.

Christina B. Banks, Grantsburg, $1,706.60.

Bayfield Financial, LLC vs.

Jake E. Lamb, Webster, $1,342.18.

Bayfield Financial LLC vs.

Jake E. Lamb, Webster, $3,125.76.

CACH, LLC vs. Richard J. Swanson, Grantsburg, $1,573.33.

Burnett County warrants Daniel M. Ahlman, Grantsburg, 36, warrant – failure to appear, Feb. 27.

Joshua W. Koksma, 30, Sturgeon Lake, Minn., warrant – failure to appear, Feb. 27.

Luke V. Levasseur, 23, Rothsay, Minn., commitment, Feb. 27.

Tina M. Reische, 25, Siren, arrest warrant – complaint, Feb. 28.

Raymond A. Reynolds, 21, Chicago, Ill., warrant – failure to appear, Feb. 27.

Wesley J. Rogers, 48, Luck, arrest warrant – complaint, Feb. 28.

Troy E. Roy, 35, Webster, warrant – failure to appear, Feb. 28.

Mandy J. Sandberg, 28, Webster, commitment, Feb. 26.

Burnett County deaths Rachelle E. Stellrecht, 89, Rusk, Feb. 18.

James D. Funk, 74, Webster Village, Feb. 6.

Elvina Grantsburg Eldora Grantsburg

L. Hansen, 84, Village, Feb. 19.

C. Larson, 80, Village, Feb. 18.

Notices

PAGE 34 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

Burnett Co. deaths X

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 35

Notices

PAGE 36 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

Notices / Employment Opportunities

Notices / Employment

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 37

PAGE 38 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - MARCH 5, 2008

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 39

Local artist’s robot sculpture comes alive at Gallery 135 ST. CROIX FALLS – David N. DeMattia will be debuting his newest work, Robobird II, Saturday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gallery 135 in St. Croix Falls.

Robobird III is a robot animatronic character whch combines elements of DeMattia’s expertise in sculpture, theatre and engineering. Roborbird II got his initial start as quick pencil sketches drawn on the back of a napkin, and over the course of one year morphed into a two-foot tall, free-form sculpture that creatively combines aluminum, copper mesh, motors, wires, ping pong ball eyes, a vise grip tail and, of course, a sassy, yet engaging, personality.

DeMattia will have Robobird II perform a 3.5-minute song and dance routine accompanied by his equally talented robot backup singers, Peep 1 and Peep 2. This animatronics show synchronizes a prerecorded soundtrack to the lifelike movements of the robot trio. The show choreography took about six hours per one minute of actual runtime to program.

DeMattia’s unique style has been heavily influenced by his childhood in southern California where was immersed in a culture of movies, TV and Disneyland.

His journey has taken him through hands-on experience in art, theater and engineering. So far, he sees virtually no distinction between the arts and science, and instead sees them as a compliment to each other. This new work, which took over a year to build, combines his skills as an artist, engineer and performer.

This activity is made possible by a grant from the East Central Arts Council and the East Central Regional Development Commission with funds appropriated by the McKnight Foundation. – submitted

UW Regents to Review Tuition, Financial Aid STATEWIDE – The affordability of a state university education is on the agenda of University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents this week. The balancing act will involve boosting revenue while keeping higher education affordable, and at the same time, also produce a diverse student body.

Currently, Wisconsin is the tenth most-affordable state for a four-year college education, and compared to peer universities, the state system’s overall tuition is $1,000 to $2,000 less. David Giroux, spokesman for the UW System, says the good news is that the university system is reasonably affordable, but the bad news is that it also doesn’t offer much financial aid. He says as a result, lower-income families with students who have an abundance of intellectual potential but maybe not so much financial resources, may still be deterred from pursuing a college education in Wisconsin. He says it’s because they’re not sensing that there’s a great deal of financial support to help them get over those financial obstacles.

Giroux says this Thursday, the Regents will take a broad look at the UW System’s tuition and financial aid programs. Various strategies will be considered, including differential tuition, where certain campuses or programs are given incrementally higher tuitions to offset costs for new services or initiatives. Giroux adds boosting financial assistance for diverse and underserved communities will also be discussed.

The meeting will involve a special report on the negative and positive aspects of different tuition and financial aid models. The Regents aren’t expected to take action on any of the options any time soon. – submitted

Staff of the Luck school district sung an interesting tune about each of the Luck basketball players.

The Luck High School hosted a pep rally for the Cardinal boys Tuesday night Photos by Brenda Sommerfeld The Cardinals basketball team got a kick out of the perfrmances for them on Tuesday night.

The Luck seniors sang a unique song to the Luck boys at the pep fest Tuesday night.

Assistant coach Al Tomlinson spoke about each one of the Luck Cardinals during Tuesday’s pep fest.

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Medical center purchases local art

by Sherill Summer SIREN – Last April the Burnett Medical Center broke ground for an estimated $17 million expansion project that will create a new main entrance, a combined family practice, specialty clinic and more. Nearly a year later, the new construction is almost complete. The flooring and wallpaper are in, and, as of Friday, Feb. 15, 60 works of art have been purchased for the expanded medical center from local artists.

Art has a role to play in hospitals and clinics other than merely being a soothing distraction from the many reasons people visit medical centers. Visits to a medical facility are often stressful, and any difficulty finding locations through often confusing hallways only adds to the stress and anxiety. Interior designer for the project, Ann Kalgren of BWBR Architects explains that studies have shown that people are more likely to remember pieces of art more than signs that give directions. In other words, art helps people find their way in times of stress and anxiety.

This is just one of the many reasons most medical centers have artwork. Not always is the art from local artists, however. BMC, who prides itself as being hometown health care, took the extra step to support local artists and craft peoples by purchasing the art locally.

BMC has been setting money aside and planning for the art purchase since last fall.

To help define locally, BMC decided to purchase art only from artists living in the primary counties it serves, Burnett, Polk and Pine County, Minn. A call for artwork was submitted to local papers, and the word was passed along to art organizations. All art had to be matted, framed and ready to hang. North Wind Arts in Siren was chosen to handle the submitted artwork, exactly 201 pieces of

One of the 60 pieces of local art purchased for the Medical Burnett Center. This one is titled “Bringing in the Hay” by David Hackseth.

artwork from 51 artists submitted work during the submission period. Jenny Goalen, owner of North Wind Arts, and Thom Scott, who organizes the gallery in North Wind Arts, organized and hung all of the submitted artwork.

Three employees from BMC and the interior designer for the project selected from the submitted artworks. The interior designer, Kalgren, gave some overall hints as to what type of art is most suited for medical centers. For example, abstract work was discouraged because it tends to add to people’s unease in a hospital or clinic setting. She also had the carpet and wall covering samples at hand to help match colors. Beyond this, she stepped back and let the BMC personnel do much of the selection because she feels that it is important to have artwork that would appeal to the local community.

Choosing artwork by viewing the actual pieces is an ideal way to purchase

Blueprints of the expanded Burnett Medical Center were used to determine how much art to purchase and where to place it in the medical facility. Shown are Burnett Medical Center personnel and interior designer for the project. Together they chose much of the art. (L to R) Shelley Staeven, BMC Clinic administrator; Charlie Faught, BMC CFO; Ann Kalgren, BWBR Architects and Tamra White, BMC health information manager.

One of the 60 pieces of local art purchased for the Burnett Medical Center. This one is titled “Crooked Creek Pine” by Laurel Scott.

One of the 60 pieces of local art purchased for the Burnett Medical Center. This one is titled “From Connor’s Bridge” by Sherill Summer.

art, because it is possible to determine the quality of art, and scale of the art is easy to gauge. Both are harder to do if choosing art from a catalog says Kalgren.

BMC staff choosing the work were impressed with the variety and the talent shown by local artists. Shelly Staeven BMC Clinic administrator, summed it up by saying it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Sixty works of art were chosen for BMC from 27 different artists, which will be about 80 percent of the art needed.

Not bad considering they were purchasing for about 43,000 square feet of space.

All who were involved with the BMC

purchase of local art invite others to consider purchasing local art when ever possible. Kalgren gives hints how to go about it. Work with a local gallery if possible. Get the word out of specific needs in local newspapers and among art organizations if the gallery selection is not enough.

By purchasing local art, BMC recognized that the arts are a major contribution to the quality of the local community. It spends dollars locally and it is sure to be appreciated by the local artist.

Photos by Sherill Summer

Kindergartners tour St. Croix Regional Medical Center ST. CROIX FALLS – During February and March, kindergarten students from area schools are visiting departments at St. Croix Regional Medical Center. The purpose of these field trips is to have the children meet staff and see various areas of the medical center, including getting into an ambulance. This interactive program is designed to ease the children’s fears in case they need emergency care, or if someone they know is hospitalized.

Students will wear masks as they tour the following areas: Diagnostic imaging, emergency room, laboratory, obstetrics, physical therapy, and the Life Link III ambulance. They will also receive a bag of items including patient identification bracelets, a hospital coloring book, child seat belt safety and nutrition posters, suckers, surgery hats, gloves and stickers.

Creating positive attitudes toward health care environments and promoting healthy living are part of St. Croix Regional Medical Center’s commitment to our communities and schools. Area schools have been invited to participate in these tours, and groups already scheduled include kindergartners from Birch Street Elementary (Frederic), Luck, Unity, St. Croix Elementary (Dresser), Taylors Falls and Valley Christian Schools.

Tours are provided by SCRMC staff, Auxiliary members, and volunteers, and are directed by Sarah Shaw, education specialist, and Jessica Minor, education assistant. – submitted

Kindergartners from Dresser Elementary and Unity Elementary Schools. – Photos submitted

Webelos learn basic rst aid

The St. Croix Falls Cub Scout Webelos den wishes to recognize the St. Croix Falls Ambulance/Life Link for their volunteer services. Four paramedics taught the basics of first aid and CPR to nine boys who successfully earned their Readyman Pin. After completing a list of requirements, these Scouts are better prepared to handle emergency situations. – Photos submitted

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 3

Angel

by Bernice Abrahamzon Once upon a time there was a little girl who passed over from Earth to heaven. Everyone called her Angel, because she was one.

A long, white gown flowed from her small shoulders right down to the tips of her little pink toes. She ran barefooted up and down the golden streets, climbed the golden staircase, picked daisies in the Elysian Fields and made friends with the other little angels her own age.

The little angels had a heavenly time. Grown-up angels never told them, “Time to go to bed now,” because everyone knows, there is no night there.

Anyway, Angel never got tired. She just played all the while and sang happy little songs to herself. She tagged after the dog star, Sirius, or sipped of the nectar of the Big Dipper, or played winkem with the Manin-the-Moon.

Why, she was so small when she came to heaven that she didn’t remember living any other place.

But her friend, Sera, remembered. Sera was short for Seraphim. She was older than Angel, and she remembered many things. One day when they bounced up

PoCo Penners The PoCo Penners meet the second Friday of the month at 2 p.m. at the county boardroom in the government center in Balsam Lake. Contact Gladys Frokjer at 483-3208 or Iris Holm 284-3174 for more information. - submitted

Writer’s Corner and down on the soft, white, cumulus clouds, Sera murmured, “This is better than bouncing on the beds at home.”

Angel asked, “What’s beds? What’s home?”

Sera sighed and said, “Oh, that’s right. You’re only a cherub, and you can’t be expected to know. You don’t remember Earth, do you?”

Angel paused in her bouncing and lay back on the creamy white cloud and looked up into the infinite blue.

“What’s Earth?” she asked.

She was peering down at Earth far below. Sera really grew a little impatient with her friend. “I told you before, Earth is down there, below.” And the two of them crawled to the edge of the cloud, hung on tight and looked down. All they could see was a round ball with green ridges on it, blue holes and strange bumps and bubbles.

Angel sniffed, “It doesn’t look like much, does it?”

“Oh, but it is. Earth is wonderful too,” said Sera. “If only people realized it, Earth is a little bit of heaven.

There are flowers all over, almost as many as the star flowers here in heaven. And there’s ice cream in colors just like the rainbows we slide down when Angel-in-

Charge will let us. There are warm bubble baths in tubs, television programs, music, parades, Ferris wheels, bluebirds, houses with fireplaces, toys, spring, summer, fall” and she dwindled off, lost in thought.

Angel looked at her friend, “How come you know so much about Earth?” she demanded.

Sera replied, “You forget. I lived there once.”

Angel heaped the clouds in a pile and pulled them over her. She wished she could remember. “Come on, Sera, let’s go and see the angelfish.”

Sera didn’t answer. “Well, let’s get a drink from the Milky Way. I’m thirsty.” Still, Sera didn’t answer. She was peering down at Earth far below.

Angel pouted, “I don’t see why you don’t answer. I lived there once too, you know.”

Sera rolled back, away from the edge of the cloud.

“Yes, but you don’t remember.”

Suddenly a bright shaft of light fell upon them.

“Come on,” said Sera. “Angel-in-Charge is looking for us.” With that, the two little angels joined hands and flung themselves headlong into an updraft and disappeared.

Northwest Regional Writers The Northwest Regional Writers meet at 1 p.m. the second Friday of the month either in Frederic or Grantsburg. Each month we have a topic to write about and read to the group. The following writing was read at the last meeting. Call Mary Jacobson at 715-349-2761 for more information about the organization.

Submissions should be typed, double-spaced on one side only of 8 -1/2 x 11 white paper, leaving a minimum of 1-inch margins all around. Handwritten submissions will not be accepted. Submissions should be no more than 800 words.

Submissions may be delivered to The Leader’s offices in Frederic or Siren, mailed to Box 490, Frederic, WI 54837 or e-mailed to the-leader@centurytel.net. We prefer e-mailed copy.

If hand-delivered or mailed, please write "Writers’ Corner" somewhere on the front of the envelope. If e-mailed, please use "Writers’ Corner" as the subject and include the submission as body text of the e-mail. No attachments, please. Your submission to Writers’ Corner grants The Leader one-time rights to publish the item in the weekly newspaper. The author retains the copyright and all future publication rights. The Leader may edit submissions for grammar and punctuation, clarity and length. If you have any questions about this new feature, please contact us at the-leader@centurytel.net or call 715-327-4236. - Editor

NorthStar Wireless pledges high-speed Internet service

by Nancy Jappe SIREN – “NorthStar Wireless pledges to provide reliable high-speed Internet service in Burnett County with competitive pricing, speed and stellar customer service,” the brochure promises. Business owners Sara McLain and Joe Cremin, both raised in Burnett County, are eager to answer questions about the service they offer and assure potential customers that this is a hands-on company run by and using knowledge and service they have themselves developed.

NorthStar Wireless opened for business May 1, 2007.

At this time, after one year of service, they have 35 customers and are at the break-even point. Their goal is to be able to cover all of Burnett County by the year 2010.

The break-even point came this past New Year’s Eve, when a new customer that day made sure that revenues equaled expenses. “Whew!” Cremin said An open house will be held at the office in Siren in May. McLain and Cremin will answer questions and introduce potential customers to people who have already experienced their service and reliability. In the meantime, questions are always welcome and can be voiced by calling 877-679-4242 or e-mailing info@starwire.net.

According to McLain and Cremin, wireless Internet service involves no phone, phone lines or cable service.

They come out to the home to survey the property to determine whether they can provide accurate and reliable service. If so, they attached the equipment to the house. By equipment, that means a square antenna shaped like a pizza box. A cable is run into the house, which is then plugged into a computer.

One question that is on people’s minds is security, i.e.

ID theft on wireless systems. “People worry and hear horror stories,” Cremin commented. “It’s usually from people setting up the network wrong.” Cremin, who knows the system inside and out, has tried to hack into the network a number of times, without success.

Area historical society to meet LUCK - The March general meeting of the Luck Area Historical Society will be at the Luck Village Hall at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18. This will be a work meeting to discuss topics such as the museum calendar and hours, division of expenses with the library and a formal arrangement for cooperating with the library on shared issues.

Don Clarke will give an update on building progress and answer questions members might have. Everyone is welcome. - submitted

Joe Cremin is the technical representative for NorthStar Wireless, a Siren-based wireless Internet service. Sara McLain is his translator, taking the responsibility for the company’s marketing and public relations. The two have been in business since May 2007, and reached the break-even point last New Year’s Day. - Photo by Nancy Jappe “We want to protect our customers, and provide the best service in our best interest as well as theirs,” McLain added.

Cremin is the service’s technical representative. The son of longtime computer guru Pat Cremin, Joe has been working with computer data since the age of 3. He has an associate degree in computer networking from WITC-Rice Lake. “I’ve spent many very, very late nights learning and am self-taught,” he said. “I’ve had some bad experiences. Needing a better alternative (to what he was working with) was the reason for starting our company.”

“Joe worked many hours putting our network together. He built everything from the ground up, and has done all the towers and the installation of equipment for customers,” McLain added.

McLain is responsible for marketing and public relations. She has taken schooling and extensive courses in computer service and has been in the field for the past six or seven years. She grew up in Grantsburg, the

daughter of Gene and Jane McLain.

The customer base to date is mostly around the Siren headquarters, but the scope of their service goes from Hertel to Grantsburg. One of their current disadvantages is not being able to provide service all over the county, to Webb Lake and Danbury for example. They need to find a high spot to use as a broadcast point.

Their equipment to attach to that point can be held in one hand. A silo is in use as one of those high tower points, a tall building in another.

The cost for the service depends on the speed the customer desires. Four different speed packages are offered, going from 512k down/128k up to 1500k down/512k up. There’s a one-time installation fee depending on what type of equipment is used and where the user is located. “We try to keep the equipment charge as low as we can,” McLain emphasized.

Advantages of using wireless service include more accurate speeds because there is less equipment to go through and avoiding rush-hour situations caused when companies oversell service.A disadvantage, besides the current lack of service over all of the county, is the cost of the equipment, which they try to keep as low as service will allow.

Another point customers will find attractive is that their wireless service does away with just about all junk-mail transmissions. “Our service filters out about 99 percent of junk mail,” Cremin said.

A goal other than providing more service area is to have the business be their full-time jobs. “We want to continue doing stuff,” Cremin said. “This will be the number one priority; other things will be on the side.

With any luck, we should be at that point by the end of next year.”

Cremin and McLain will soon be starting a column in the Leader, to be titled Unplugged. “We will be looking for ideas,” McLain said, adding, “We are eager (to provide) education. We want you to ask us questions.”

The two will be a part of the Home Show at Webster High School March 15 and 16, and will be in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Siren the afternoon of March 15.

“Our name is confusing,” McLain commented, explaining, “We provide Internet to your home wirelessly.” “The technology doesn’t ask how the user uses it,” Cremin added.

Cremin and McLain provide a Web Hosting service to help customers design and manage their own Web sites. Basic, Advanced and E-Commerce plans are available.

“We know our network. We have worked out the first year of kinks, and we are ready to become the company we have set forth to be. Come see us,” McLain commented.

PAGE 4 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

River Road Ramblings

collected by Russ Hanson

Cushing History Gleaning from the 1903 Polk County Ledger

by Russ Hanson I am trying to get the “History of Cushing” book put together to send to the printer this spring. It is going slowly. There is enough information for two books, so I am still collecting information that will go into the second volume while I do the layout for the first volume. It is fun collecting information and visiting with people and getting their stories and pictures. It is a rather painstaking and tedious job laying out each page of the book, fixing up each picture and trying to make it so it will look good and print nicely.

One source for local history is the old newspapers that covered the Cushing area. I have looked through the Luck Enterprise, Polk County Ledger, Standard Press, Milltown Herald, Centuria Tribune(?), Grantsburg Sentinel and Journal, Frederic Star, and Inter-County Leader for some of the early years.

Sometimes there is a Cushing column.

Some events make a front page headline. Sometimes there is a letter from Doc Squirt, or a column (he wrote for all of these papers sporadically from 1903 to 1943 and often included historical items from Cushing.) This week I will pass along a few items from the 1903 Polk County Ledger when Doc Squirt had a regular Cushing column. My comments are enclosed in parentheses.

1903 Polk Co Ledger April 1903: The ballgame between the Cushing Tigers and the Grantsburg Bullfrogs (Doc made up names for the other teams) resulted in the defeat of the former by a score of 14 to 20, one of Grantsburg’s pitchers made such strenuous efforts to twist the ball around the Tigers’ necks that he played out in the 2nd inning.

July 1903: There was an exciting game of baseball here last Sunday between the Cushing Tigers and North Valley Luck and Milltown, they played a combination game and the Tigers got beat in the first half but when the blood thirsty Tigers went at it for blood they run in one score ahead in the last inning and quit out of courtesy with two men out and M. Gullickson on third base. It was an up-to-date 20th century whirlwind finish.

Cushing can boast of two crack ball teams, the Hoodlums and the Tigers.

The Tigers defeated the Hoodlums two weeks ago and refused to play last Sunday, wise Tigers, they are wise enough to quit while their credit is good. (The original ball field was just west of Cushing on Hwy. 87 on the Frederickson farm – south side of the road, across the road from the current ballfield but a lit-

Burnett County concerned residents needed Burnett County residents, governmental and municipal leaders, educators and students we need you! The Burnett County Sustainability study group needs your input and ideas. It is not too late to join; the group meets again on Thursday, March 13, from 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Siren Village Hall.

The group needs more participants to strengthen their conversations about ways to help sustain our natural environment in Burnett County. We need some Fire Souls to help spark ideas.

There is still time to cut your ice and and store it for the summer. In 1903, Cushing had several ice houses including one for the creamery and one for each of the food and meat stores. The cold room below stayed at 35 degrees all summer. They disappeared in the 1950s with electric refrigeration. On a hot day in July, people bought a block of ice, broke it up into their ice-cream freezer, added rock salt and fresh eggs, cream and strawberries and made their own ice cream—better than anything you can buy now! – Picture from 1903 Polk County Ledger tle further west on old 87 – last house.)

Aug. 1903: John Nelson is nicely settled in his new home west of Bass Lake (This house is gone now. It was on Evergreen Avenue between the Alberta Hanson and Bruce Muehlhauser homes.

Later John Nelson built the house where Alberta lives now. The Nelson’s had 21 children.)

The North Valley Creamery has been purchased by Mr. Hjort who will run it as a skimming station (Hjort ran the Luck Creamery too.)

P. L. Peterson (Handy Pete) has remodeled his old separator (threshing machine) and bought a brand new Stillwater traction engine and he is now ready to do first class work. (This was later sold to Charles Burnstad, his brother-in-law.)

Bill Armstrong and John Gullickson have left this place for Idaho last Saturday. Eddie Smith went to Dakota Saturday, Aug 15. (Men left for the fall wheat harvest work in the West.)

Any of the neighboring towns need not be afraid to challenge the Cushing Ball team as there is but four of the players left.

The Bass Lake kids and the Eureka Scrubs played a game of ball Sunday, the former being victorious by a score of 29 to 14.

Little Pete has quit working for Handy Pete.

Rev. Bellmont preached his farewell sermon in the Methodist Episcopal Church Sunday evening, Aug. 30.

School commenced in the Bass Lake district Monday, Aug 31. The teachers are Miss Kippen and Miss Hansen. (Old Cushing School.)

There were three ballgames here last Sunday. The first was between the Bass Lake Kids and the Northern Cushing Scrubs, which was won by the former team by a score of 8 to 9. The winners then played a game with the North Valley Bull Toads, this being won by the Toads. Then the North Valleyites and

A sustainable community respects its own diversity and accepts responsibility for social, economic and ecological well being of the present and future generations through individual and collective actions. Without more interested participants, this is going to be a challenge.

The idea of the

sustainability study-circle is to help you learn about and live, a more sustainable lifestyle. The group’s hope is to help communities, schools, congregations, governmental and municipal leaders, citizens and conscious consumers to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle.

The efforts the average consumer makes can create a real difference in terms of reducing our environmental impact, and inspire people to take practical action to create an unstoppable force for sustainability. Together, through collaborative grassroots efforts, we can shift toward more conscious communities, local government, schools, congregations and consumers, but we need your participation to make that happen.

Jen Barton

EARTH NOTES Reycling Control Commission

the Northern Cushing team played a game in which the latter were victorious by a wide margin.

There was lots of talk about the farmers building a creamery at Anton Nelson’s place four miles north of here but their last meeting it was found that they could not get enough shareholders.

Sept 1903: Smith and Olson have dissolved partnership, the former buying out the latter (This is the hardware that Mrs. Mathilda Smith and George Olson started in 1903 in their new building that later became the Nick blacksmith shop. In 1906 the business was sold to William Jensen and Ecklund, then moved to east Cushing in 1912 and later taken over by Clarence Nicky Jensen.)

P. L. Peterson ground feed Monday on account of it being too wet to thresh.

The dance in the pavilion Saturday night was fairly well attended. (Handy Pete had a dance pavilion and sawmill, feed mill, and planing mill about where Louie’s Station is now.)

Mr. Peter L. Peterson (Handy Pete) is doing a rushing business this winter grinding feed and planing lumber, he does first class work and is well patronized by all.

Mr. Norman Henning was chased and badly frightened by an angry bull last week, and now he wants a pension for the battle of bull run.

There was a wood sawing bee a short distance out of town last Saturday for the benefit of our genial blacksmith and one of the boys had the misfortune of getting hung up on a tall tree by the suspenders.

The Cushing Athletic Club is about to be reorganized. Mr. Axel Henning formerly of the 16th Infantry of the 65 army who has been visiting at the home of Peter Jenson returned to his home in St. Paul last Monday.

George Smith is afflicted with a misplaced eyebrow on upper lip. Cushing has been booming the last three months.

It now can boast of a graded school and a Melodramatic Club, the actors which would be shining lights in the mimic world if they could get a stage strong enough to hold them.

Cushing Graded School Report for month ending Nov 20, 1903. Upper dept: Days taught 20; Pupils enrolled 32; Average Daily attendance 22; Those not absent: Mabel Swanson, Mary Mason, Christian Jenson, Charlie Petersen, Willie Petersen. Absent one day: Emil Swanson, Edward Westlund and Frank Armstrong.

••• All opinions expressed in the River Road Ramblings are those of the person listed as the writer. This is an entertainment column and does not represent the Leader or any other organized group. If you have stories, comments, opinions to share contact us at riverroadrambler@gmail.com or 507356-8877 (after mid-March 715-4882776).

We’ll keep you abreast of our progress through the Web site www.nwrpc.com.

Check out updates on our projects and actions you can take to make a difference. Or call us to share ideas or get involved with our activities and programs.

Ideas the group has already been discussing include: energy conservation, tree planting, rain gardens, community gardens, walking and biking, water quality, local food, clean air and zero waste. Do you have a topic area you’d like to discuss? Join us at our next meeting and share those ideas with others. If you need more information regarding this group, or the Washburn County group, please call or e-mail Jen at 6352197, or jbarton@nwrpc.com.

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 5

Perks of being over 60 Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

In a hostage situation, you are likely to be released first.

No one expects you to run – anywhere.

People call at 9 p.m., and ask, “Did I wake you?”

People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

Things you buy now won’t wear out.

You can eat dinner at 4 p.m.

You can almost live without sex, but not your glasses.

You enjoy hearing about other people’s operations.

You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.

You sing along with elevator music.

Your eyes won’t get much worse.

Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

Your joints are more accurate than the meteorologist’s national weather service.

Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either.

Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.

You can’t remember who sent you this list.

It is so long ago that I’ve almost forgotten. However I can think of several more.

You develop a longing for a fancy car.

Retirement is fast approaching, although I retired from full time work at 71 years. That was 17 years ago. You figure it out.

You develop a craving for comfort foods: oatmeal, rice pudding, baked potatoes and tea in thin cups.

You reread some of your favorite books, including the classics.

You may join the cataract club.

You begin to have health checkups.

Being 60 is risky.

Here on the farm This year we will miss the arrival of spring lambs.

We sold our sheep in 2007, after years of raising sheep.

We figured our dairy herd needed the hay we baled more than the sheep.

We have many sheep stories beginning with the ones we brought from a Burnett County farmer. They came with names: Easter, Blackface, Cleo, etc.

One year a ewe had twins and rejected the one born last. I rescued her from a dark corner of the barn, but no amount of coaxing would make the ewe accept her, so I brought the poor cold lamb in the house. I filled the kitchen sink with warm water and lowered the shivering animal into a warm bath and massaged the cold body. I toweled him dry and sat in front of the oven door of our wood range.

I dug in the junk drawer and found a lamb nipple, hunted for a pop bottle, mixed up a formula with carnation milk and coaxed some milk into the lamb’s mouth. I found a cardboard box and put the lamb in

it, in a corner of the kitchen where the sun shone in.

When my husband came home from teaching, and our sons came home from school, there was plenty of excitement about the orphan lamb.

He stayed in the kitchen for two or three weeks, learning to Bernice jump out of the box every time Abrahamzon I put him back in it.

Early one morning, no one was up yet, but we heard the barrier across the door fall, and the sound of tiny hoofs tripping down the hallway. The lamb we called Rocky, because he had a long, rocky way to go to live, jumped on the bed.

“That’s it,” my husband said. “He goes out to join the other sheep today.” And he did!

BEHIND THE

SIGNPOST

Good thoughts What the vast majority of American children need is to stop being pampered, stop being indulged, stop being chauffeured, stop being catered to. In the final analysis it is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings. – Ann Landers There are fathers who do not love their children; there is no grandfather who does no adore his grandson. – Victor Hugo Grandparents are frequently more congenial with their grandchildren than with their children. An old man, having retired from active life, regains the gaiety and irresponsibility of childhood. He is ready to play.

He cannot run with his son, but he can totter with his grandson. Our first and last steps have the same rhythm; our first and last walks are similarly limited.

– Andre Maurois Not the power to remember, but its very opposite, the power to forget, is a necessary condition for our existence. – Sholem Asch Also, from “Over The Next Hill and Still Rolling:” In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy. – Karl Reiland When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. – Helen Keller We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own. – Ben Sweetland Until next week, Bernice

ing skills and technical expertise to use the Internet and other electronic resources effectively. Teens need to know that the library is a trusted resource for accessing information and that librarians are the experts who can help them develop the skills they need to use electronic resources effectively and efficiently.

Teens can celebrate Teen Tech Week at any Polk County Public Library by joining other area teens to: 1. Surf the Internet and check your e-mail.

2. Visit your library’s Web page.

3. Blog about a book, program or technology.

4. Try out a book-focused site like LibraryThing or Shelfari.

5. Add something to an article on Wikipedia.

6. Set up a podcast for a group or club you belong to.

7. Check out some video games, DVDs or music CDs from your library.

8. Create an avatar on Yahoo! Avatars.

9. Practice your HTML skills on your MySpace.

10. Create a YouTube video about your library or a favorite book.

11. Download a newspaper article from the day you were born.

12. Volunteer to help clean the computers and media at your library or to tutor library customers who are new to using computers. - submitted

ICAA committee to meet LADYSMITH - There will be a meeting of the Indianhead Community Action Agency Executive Committee on Monday, March 10, at 1 p.m. in the ICAA

Compiled by Bernice Abrahamzon

50 Years Ago Ruth Barry nylons were on sale for 67¢ pr. at Ben Franklin Store, Frederic.-Many auctions were being scheduled.-The film “Rodan” was playing at the Frederic Theatre.-The film “Don’t Go Near the Water” was playing at the Auditorium Theatre, SCF.Farmers State Bank, Frederic, announced a new kind of health insurance for the family.-The WIAA Regional Basketaball Tournament for Frederic, Grantsburg, Unity and St. Croix Falls was held March 6-7, at Frederic gym.-Five area schools competed in fornesics at Frederic on a Monday.-Rock Ridge Dairy Co-op took over the Land O’ Lakes Feed Mill.-PolkBurnett Electric Co-op received $233,000.-The Polk Co. Agent praised the Frederic High School vocational ag department.-Land O’ Lakes annual meeting was set for March 12-14.-The movie “For Whom the Bell Tolls” was coming to the Frederic Theatre.Specials at Route’s Super Market, Frederic, included veal roast at 53¢ lb., pork chops at 49¢ lb. and Nash’s coffee at 89¢ lb.-The March Special at Carlson Hardware, Frederic, was a stainess-steel bowl for 93¢.-A Farmway demonstration would be held March 14, at the Irving Olsen Farm, west of Cushing, of a barn cleaner and silo unloader.-The film “Slaughter on 10th Avenue” was playing at the D’Lux Theatre, Luck.-Little Butternut 4-H won the window display award.-Hints were given for better mail service.

40 Years Ago Gustafson’s Old Country Coffee ice cream was on sale at 85¢ a half gallon.-Specials at Clover Farm Store, Frederic, were peanut butter at 59¢ for an 18oz. jar, peas at 3 cans for 69¢ and bananas at 70¢ lb.A steak dinner was served in the beautiful new chalet at Trollhaugen Saturday and Sunday evenings, plus dancing to live music. Night skiing was available Friday and Saturday nights in the Trollhaugen Ski Area, Dresser.-Five-foot dowel-back stepladders were on sale for $5.95 at all seven building centers of Consolidated Lumber Company.-The annual problems of dogs running loose, plus rodents, plagued the Frederic council members.-The American Legion County Council met at Frederic.Polk Republicans planned to hold a caucus.-A policy meeting was held in Frederic for the United Fund.-A sure sign of spring - lambs were arriving at the Ed Fox farm, West Sweden, with quadruplets for one ewe.-Specials at the Frederic Co-op Farm included bananas at 11¢ lb., pork loin at 49¢ lb. and margarine at 4 lbs. for 89¢.-The film “A Man for All Seasons” was playing at the Frederic Theatre.-New regulations govern Burnett County Building and Sewer.-Specials at the Clover Farm Store, Frederic, included Butternut Coffee at 2 lbs. for $1.39, egg noodles at 19¢ for 10-oz. pkg. and Jeno’s Pizza at 69¢.

20 Years Ago

Tune in at your library for Teen Tech Week POLK COUNTY – Polk County libraries will celebrate the second-annual Teen Tech Week, March 2-8, joining thousands of libraries across the country who are celebrating this year’s theme, “Tune In at Your Library.”

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries’ nonprint resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology.

According to a recent study by Harris Interactive, in 2005, 86 percent of youth aged 8-18 have a computer in their home, and 74 percent have Internet access in their home. On average, 8- to 18-year-olds spend six hours and 21 minutes per day using media (including TV, video/DVDs/movies, video games, audio media, computers and print media). Furthermore, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 71 percent of teens report that the Internet is their primary source for completing school projects. Yet multiple studies have shown that the majority of teens lack the critical think-

Do you remember ?

Conference Room at 209 E. 3rd Street S., Ladysmith. submitted

The 14th-annual Frigid Five mile race at Grantsburg raised $2,200.-The Booster Club was looking for a name for the new Grantsburg football field.-A tentative agreement was put on hold between the Frederic teachers and the board of education. Questions were asked on home-delivered meal program.-Jerena Baston, Frederic, was highlighted in a feature article.The Frederic Ambulance crew chief rode along with Flight for Life.-Obituaries included Edwin Hain, Carl Skow, Oscar Fisk Jr., Willard “Bill” Neamy, Henry Carlson, Dorothy Otteson, Vivian Swenson, Vlasta Rudberg, Ford Wester and Marie O’Brien.-Boy Scouts will allow female leaders.-State mandates added cost to operating expenses of Frederic Hospital.-Readers were advised that the IRA was still a good deal!Unity and Webster were still in the running for the Whiz Quiz title.-The 14th-annual Waterskip at Clam Lake was well attended.-Sen. James Harsdorf, who was senator for the past 11 years, decided to retire at the end of his term in order to spend more time with his family.-Harsdorf called for an audit at the animal clinic at UW-river Falls.-The Burnett County Board delayed action on the trading post issue.

PAGE 6 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

TOWN TALK/COUNTRY CHATTER Greetings, all. Blacky here from Humane Society of Burnett County.

Once again, a lot of my friends here at the shelter took a road trip down to the Cities because it was getting to be a tight squeeze in here. Not to worry, though, as we brought in four Blacky new arrivals as well as the Cheshire Cat. I’ll tell you about her later, but first, I’ll tell you a little bit about the dogs.

YAPpenings Spunky is a 3-month-old black Lab-mix boy. He’s aptly named.

He jumps and flops around like a puppet tangled up in his strings. He’s a good kid, though, and he makes me laugh. He likes attention and will jump on your lap so it’s easier for you to pet him. I hope he grows out of that stage, or somebody’s gonna get hurt! Next there’s Kahne. He is about 1-1/2 to 2 years old, and he is a yellow Lab. He is a very nice dog, but he doesn’t really like to be left alone. He gets a little nutty when the shelter folks leave for the day, and his anxiety compels him to become Destructo Dog, a littleknown superhero. He needs someone who can help him overcome his fears. We also have two small dogs with us once again. Powder is a Pom, about 7 years old. He might be a mature little ball of fluff, but he’s not short on energy. He’s a pretty cute little guy. Finally, and not to be outdone on cuteness, is Corky.

Corky is a min-pin and she is about 2 years old or so.

I think if you wanted, you could bounce satellite sig-

SHELTER

349-2964

Siren

I don’t know about you folks, but after reading one of the last local papers about another bear sighting, making the third one in about three weeks in our area, is three too many for me. So down come all my good bird feeders and back into the bones they go until next year when the snow flies. Oh, I’ll still feed the birds, but I have a couple of old feeders that are older than the hills and if by chance they get torn down, it’s no great loss. I swear those black buggers stay up later in the fall and have been coming out of their dens earlier each year.

Don’t forget the Home Sweet Home Show is coming up at the Webster High School on Sat., March 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sun., March 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This great event is sponsored by the Burnett County Sentinel, so why not plan on stopping by either day or even on both days. While there, don’t forget to register for their door prizes, giveaways and raffles.

653-4281

Mardel Barnette

Pat Richards had a doctor’s appointment in Barron on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.

Mardel Barnette and Shawn attended Esther Frangens funeral on Saturday forenoon and had lunch afterwards.

Mardel Barnette and Shawn and Patti Richards visited Vern Catlin at Barron Riverside on Wednesday afternoon.

So sorry to hear that Larry Mortenson is in hospice care now. Hang in there, Larry, we love you and our prayers are with you and your family.

Bev Beckmark

Sympathy to the family of Gerald W. Anderson who passed away Feb. 23.

The Crex Meadows chapter of Duck’s Unlimited will be hosting their annual banquet at The Experience in Siren on Sat., March 8. The doors will open at 5 p.m. For more info, or for tickets, call Teigen at 715-689-2923.

Congratulations to elementary student Trevor Larson, middle schooler Matt Larson and high schooler Vince Nasman for being chosen Siren schools students of the week.

Congratulations to Adam Daniels for being chosen Siren schools prep of the week and Charlie Brown for being Siren’s top performer in the regional finals against Drummond.

Jennifer Lee hosted a baby shower last Sunday afternoon for little Libby Swanson, daughter of Michelle and Ernie Swanson.

Lewis

It was another big weekend at the Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church. Open house was held on Saturday for the 90th birthday of Vernon Ulick and the 87th birthday of his wife, Margaret. Elvira Schmidt and family members were in charge of food preparation, flowers on every table and a continuous film of the lives of Vernon and Margaret.

Members of the Lewis UM Women helped in the kitchen, etc. So nice of the Ulicks to spend a special occasion with church members, family and friends and meet new ones.

March 2 was Communion Sunday. Flowers on the altar were from the birthday celebration and at lunch afterward, birthday cake was shared. Vernon and Margaret each had a cake to share. They attended church on Sunday and thanked everyone for coming on Saturday, helping in any way, etc.

So far in 2008, we have celebrated the wedding of Mickey Lenz and John Glockzin at the Lewis Church, the 90th birthday of June Moline at the Care Center in Grantsburg and the birthdays of Vernon and Margaret.

Lenten meals and services are held every Wednesday alternating at Lewis and Siren UM churches. This week, Wednesday, the Lenten meal is at 6 p.m. at Lewis followed by the service at 7 p.m. This Wednesday, the men’s

Happy Corners

nals off her ears - they’re that big and upright! She likes to people-watch, and I also noticed that she likes to eat. She isn’t heavy by any means, but she will not turn her nose up at a doggie treat. She’s a sweetheart, and her big, brown eyes could probably thaw snow.

As I mentioned above, we have the Cheshire Cat. She must be, because I haven’t seen her, or her grin, yet. I sniffed all around, but she either has the ability to make herself disappear, or else she found a really good place to hide. I imagine between the antics of Spunky and Kahne, she is holed up out of reach. I don’t know. Cats are a mystery to me.

It’s that time where I have to put my paw out and ask for stuff again. We really need some garbage bags and also the usual laundry soap, bleach and other boring cleaning stuff that I cannot eat. The other day I was out sniffing around the various tires on vehicles out in the parking lot because, well, you know why, and got to looking at the tires on the Waggin’ Wagon - our cool ride. They are not quite as smooth as a puppy’s belly, but I don’t think it will be too long before they will need to be replaced. I know the staff has had a time of it trying to park this winter because it slides around an awful lot. If any of you can help us out with that, maybe the staff will ask you if you want to go for a ride! I don’t know about you, but I love rides. In fact, I hear keys jingling right now, so I’m going to say so long for this week. Thanks, everybody, and I’ll see you next week.

HSBC is saving lives, one at a time. www.hsburnettcty.org 715-866-4096.

Bernice Abrahamzon

group is in charge of the supper.

JoAnn Gibbs is in charge of daffodil Sunday in midMarch. If you ordered Girl Scout cookies, they will soon be here too, if ordered through Nicole Nelson.

Sheila Staples and Rick Abrahamzon went to Lino Lake, Minn., to attend a pigeon meeting on Sunday.

Members of the NW Regional Writers will meet Friday, March 14 at 1 p.m. in the community room at Sunrise Apts., Frederic. The assignment is to write on the subject, behind the curtain. Sunrise Apts. is a secure building and will be opened by someone inside. Remember that if you arrive early.

Sympathy is extended to the family of Dorothy Fahland.

Her funeral was held Friday at St. Domonic’s Catholic Church at Frederic. She was a good local historian with much knowledge of the early days of Lewis/Frederic/Indian Creek. When our family moved to Lewis in the 1950s, Dorothy’s mom came to the meeting of the Lewis Homemakers with a handpainted salad spoon as a housewarming gift.

A Waiting Child Sandra

May 5, 1993 Sandra is a great student who truly values her education. Sandra would like a potential forever family to know that she loves animals and small children. In fact, she aspires to becoming a pediatrician in the future.

She enjoys many activities including camping, painting and making crafts. Sandra also enjoys writing in her spare time, as she feels she can express herself best by writing. Sandra has a sister who she will need to remain in contact with.

Birth announcements Dwayne and Shirlon Arvold of Osceola are happy to announce the adoption of their daughter, Lindsay May, on Feb. 25, 2008. Lindsay was born on March 4, 2007. She weighed 5 lbs., 2 ozs. She is welcomed by big brothers, Logan, Collin and Blaine, along with sister, Mikaylyn.

Grandparents are David and Patsy Anderson of St. Croix Falls, and Jordon and Sandra Arvold of Osceola. Greatgrandparents are Carman Swanson and Opal Anderson, both of St. Croix Falls.

•••

Born at St. Croix Regional Medical Center: A girl, Madi Elizabeth Johnson, born Feb 20, 2008, to Mark A. and Kristin M. Johnson, St. Croix Falls. Madi weighed 7 lbs., 10 oz.

••• A boy, Tecumseh Mosay Fahrlander, born Feb. 20, 2008, to Brooke Mosay Ammann and Sean Fahrlander, Milltown.

Tecumseh weighed 7 lbs., 13 oz.

••• A boy, Joseph Jay Brunclik, born Feb. 20, 2008, to Jeanine and Corey Brunclik, Osceola. Joseph weighed 6 lbs., 14 oz.

••• A boy, Liam Elijah Hammond, born Feb. 23, 2008, to Jordan and Amanda Hammond, Milltown. Liam weighed 6 lbs., 4 oz.

••• A girl, Aria Catherine Stoner, born Feb. 25, 2008, to Anne and Matthew Stoner, St. Croix Falls. Aria weighed 8 lbs.

•••

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 7

TOWN TALK/COUNTRY CHATTER 320-242-3933

Cloverton - Markville

The East Pine County Wanderers met on the last Wednesday of February. President Fran Levings reported on the state Senate hearing that she sat in on recently.

Sen. John Marty’s health and family security committee held the hearing on the Minnesota Health Care Plan which, if enacted, would provide universal single-payer health care coverage for Minnesota. The bill did pass this committee, but has many other committees and hearings to come as it slowly progresses through the state Legislature.

Fran and her husband, Dave Baker, provided the cake and door prize for this month’s meeting. Mert Peschong won the prize, two cloth bags to be used when shopping.

Gary Ament, Don Mishler and Rosie Yaekel were the birthday members for February.

Last week provided a whirlwind of social activities for Marlene and Don Mishler. On Saturday, they attended the 50th wedding anniversary celebration for Ann and Gary Kline. Ann is a longtime friend of Don’s, as she is a former Cloverton resident. She is the cousin of Ed Proffit, so he and Jan, along with Sharon and Doug Panek also attended the party. The event was held at the Hinckley Community Center.

On Wednesday, the Mishers joined Marlene’s recently widowed aunt Bev and her cousin, Wayne Prior and his wife Marge, for dollar burgers at the Hillside Inn in Wisconsin. Doug, Melanie and Tony Knowling were also part of the group.

In between those two events, Don’s brother, Wayne, stopped down from Two Harbors, Mich., for a visit.

Frank Schaaf’s recent checkup at his Duluth doctor It is a pleasure to be part of the Inter-County Leader! showed everything to still be going well after his recent This is our first week here, so we hope you will enjoy hearing from us and maybe even decide to visit us and prostate procedure. Just one more checkup needed before we know that his is completely out of the woods. see what our senior center has to offer!

On Wednesday, Frank’s nephew, Marty and his wife, Jill,

Amery Senior Center

Our game night has been a huge success, and we would love for more people to come! We have our Nintendo Wii game system, where we bowl, play golf, play tennis – all kinds of things! In addition, if you cannot stand up and play, you can do it sitting down. What fun!

We also play pool, Yahtzee, and whatever else anyone wants to play. And what is game night without snacks?!

There is usually plenty of things to eat for everyone. We meet the second and fourth Fridays of the month at 6:30 p.m.

It’s been such a success that we decided to have it during the day too. We will be having this on the third Thursday of each month at 1 pm. Stop on by!

Mark your calendars for our annual Sunday brunch on March 9 in conjunction with the Amery Booster Band from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – stop by for sausage, scrambled eggs, applesauce, juice, milk, coffee and all-you-caneat pancakes for only $5 – what a bargain! And for children under 10 it’s only $2.50. This will be held at the Amery Senior Center.

We are planning a Stamp Til you Cramp and Crop Til you Drop - A Scrap Day Getaway! This will be held Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. The cost is $15 and includes a 6-foot reserved table, make-and-take projects and demonstrations, entry into fabulous door prizes and snacks. If you sign up before April 5 you get it at the early-bird special – only $10 and you get a goodie bag when you arrive!! Space is limited, and we already have many spaces filled up, so if you want to come, sign up right away!

We are also excited to have the Lake Country Cloggers here on Friday, April 4,, at 7 p.m. for our Community Dance Jam! This is open to the public and everyone is welcome to join the fun. You can come and watch the dance or join in – all ages welcome and concessions are available. The cost is only $5 per person and should be a lot of fun. We hope to see you there!

Come with us to the Old Log Theatre on Friday, March 14 – please contact us if you want to go. The cost is $48 for members, $60 for nonmembers with the extra going towards a 2008 membership. Cost includes the bus ride, dinner and the show. What a fun day!

If you aren’t a member of our center, we’d love to welcome you! The cost is only $12 a year, and, oh, you should see all the things we have to offer! Stop by for a calendar of events or check out our Web site at www.ameryasc.org.

Fran Levings came over from Webb Lake for a visit.

Deloris Schirmer went to Sandstone to see the eye doctor and order new glasses one day, then the next day, she went to Webster for lots of groceries to stock up for what she expects to be a full-blown frost boil season this spring.

Patty Koehler and Bob Brewster spent last weekend at a continuing education class on computer wiring. The class was held at Tobie’s Restaurant in Hinckley.

Although he’s only had it for about three weeks, Boots Raboin is very pleased with the Eden Pure portable heater he recently purchased. It has been touted as cutting a heating bill by 50 percent for the winter season.

As you know, Sandi Drake had knee-replacement surgery in Duluth last week. The operation went very well, and Sandy is still recuperating in Superior.

As a wrap-up, I would like to remind readers that New Dosey Township now has a Web page. Please check it out to learn about our township: newdoseytownship.com. I meet with webmaster Glen Williamson the last Monday of each month to keep the Web page current.

Move that mouse around the screen, wherever you are.

Frederic Senior Center Spades were played on Monday, Feb. 25, with the following winners: Jim Bly in first place, Roger Greenley in second place, Shirley Sandquist in third place and Vi Luke in fourth place.

Wednesday pokeno was enjoyed by the group. We have had a round of sick seniors and hope some spring weather will make them feel better.

Saturday we had planned to attend Vernon and Margaret Ulick’s birthday open house, but we all had health problems. We send our best wishes.

Thursday, March 6, tax aides will be at our center. All citizens who expect to get the rebate check must file a tax

Ardyce Knauber

form. The hours are 9 a.m. to noon.

We had share-a-lunch meal on Saturday. Bernice Kurkowski made pepper steak and we had a variety of buffet items.

We are decorated for Easter. Hazel Hoffman is a very skillful decorator. Stop in and see the center.

Friday, at 1:30 p.m., will be our monthly meeting. All members are urged to attend.

Remember daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m., on Sunday morning, March 9. Spring ahead with your clock.

Interstate State Park News

Purple martin workshop at Interstate Park

ST. CROIX FALLS – Attracting purple martins to nest near your home or cabin can be a challenging yet very rewarding experience. The largest member of the swallow family, the purple martin eats flying insects, nests in a cavity or bird house in a colony with other purple martins, and can be a real tough customer to attract. Learn tips from the experts at a purple martin workshop on Saturday, March 29, from 2-4 p.m. at the Ice Age Center at Wisconsin Interstate Park.

Leading the workshop is Johnny Anderson, a local purple martin enthusiast who has fledged over a thousand baby martins from nine colonies of birds in just the past two years in rural Polk County. Why do the martins need our help? “The population of purple martins has declined in the state of Wisconsin due to the loss of habitat and nesting sites,” states Anderson.

“We need to give them help by being a good landlord—not just putting up a martin house. They need TLC (tender loving care) to prevent starving, and invasion by house sparrows and other cavity nesters.”

Anderson will show a DVD about attracting martins to your backyard, show examples of all types and de-

signs of houses made from gourds, tell you where and how to place them, and answer your questions based on his years of personal success attracting purple martins.

Joining Anderson is special guest Ron Seekamp, a 1999 recipient of the Purple Martin Landlord of the Year Award presented by the Purple Martin Conservation Association. Seekamp will also share his knowledge and expertise, and show workshop participants his modified pivoting martin house.

The Purple Martin Workshop is for all ages. Preregistration is requested; please call the park or leave a message at 715-483-3747.

Nature story time at Interstate Park Join naturalist Julie Fox at 10 a.m. on Thursdays through March at the Ice Age Center at Wisconsin Interstate Park for a story and activity chosen especially for preschoolers and their parents. Please bring clothing for outdoor play (weather permitting).

Interstate Park is located in St. Croix Falls, on Hwy. 35 just one-half mile south of Hwy. 8. Nature story time is free of charge, but a Wisconsin State Park sticker is required to enter the park. Annual passes for 2008 are $25 for Wisconsin residents or $35 for nonresidents. For more information call Julie at 715-483-3747.

PAGE 8 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

TOWN TALK/COUNTRY CHATTER 866-4334 Our nutrition site manager/cook Deb Korhonen attended a staff meeting at the government center on Tuesday with Burnett County Aging Director Lois Taylor, nutritionist Sarah Miller, Judy Nater, Grantsburg site, Pat Larson, A & H site, and sub cooks Judy and Debbie. As part of their business they discussed the upcoming volunteer recognition dinners for each site. The one at our Webster Senior Center will be held in May, so watch the newspaper for the date.

Twenty Ravishing Ruby Red Hat Society members enjoyed a delicious lunch on Tuesday at the Yellow River Saloon & Eatery. We welcomed Donna Lehman, who was back with us after a lengthy illness, and Marion Obzarny, who was joining us for the first time. “Happy Birthday” was sang to yours truly and to Donna and Lucille Chelmo who are both leap year babies. Lucille claims to be only 22 and Donna 18 years old, but it sure sounds good to me. Marion also brought along her Ms. Cindy bear that sang “Girls Just Want to Have Fun!” Both ladies were presented with birthday gifts. Numerous funny jokes and stories were told by Elva Hughes, Delores Farr, Janet Snelson, Mert Kisselburg and Queen Mother Mary Klar. Due to Marlene Kufalk being hospitalized for hip replacement surgery, Mert Kisselburg read the report on the adventures of Ms. Hattie while she spent time with Marlene during November through January. Marion offered to be Ms. Hattie’s new foster mom for the month of March. Door prizes were won by

Webster Senior Center Jane Wardean, Delores Farr, Mary Lou Peterfeso and Elva Hughes. The next luncheon is scheduled for noon on Tuesday, March 25, at Kris’ Pheasant Inn, Siren.

Deb was off celebrating her birthday on Wednesday, and Cecelia Andrewson was sub-cook and fixing the liver Deb is not “overly fond of” (and that’s an understatement). Dime bingo was played at the center in the afternoon, but I wasn’t there and do not know how many players they had.

Thanks to Effie Wester for furnishing the refreshments.

Only 20 diners were at the Dining at Five evening meal on Thursday evening, and that is the lowest count we have ever had.

Deb was grateful for the volunteer work of Judy and Bruce Behrens, Theresa Gloege, Margel Ruck, Gladys Beers and Mert Kisselburg. Evening pool players were Bruce Behrens, Ken Hayes, Harold Peterson, Pat O’Brien, Dave Wardean and Sam Williamson, and card players were Mert Kisselburg, Gladys Beers, Carol Berglind, Judy Behrens, Theresa Gloege, Nancy O’Brien and Margel Ruck. I would have loved to have been part of the fun, but I was spending time being a patient at Burnett Medical Center. I can assure that it wasn’t fun.

Gladys Beers, Theresa Gloege and Margel Ruck were at the center on Sunday afternoon after church and decorated in a St. Patrick’s Day theme for our party on March 8. After the party, the decorations will be changed to an Easter theme since it

Dewey - LaFollette Karen Mangelsen

468-2940 Hank and Karen Mangelsen and Gerry and Donna Hines have returned from a two-week trip to Arizona. They visited relatives and friends in El Mirage, Sun City, Casa Grande and Florence.

Jerry and Robin Denver, and Don Schleiss and Judy Albee were supper guests of Beth Crosby Wednesday.

Donna and Gerry Hines visited John and Diana Mangelsen Friday evening.

Ken and Tyann Otis and Jake Russell were Saturday evening visitors of Maynard and Ronda Mangelsen.

Karen and Hank Mangelsen were dinner guests of Jake and Holly Mangelsen Sun-

day. Other family members and friends were there also. They all helped Hannah Mangelsen celebrate her seventh birthday and Grace Mangelsen celebrate her second birthday.

Robin and Jerry Denver were supper guests at the home of Beth and Garry Crosby Sunday.

Judy Albee visited Beverly Brunclik Sunday.

Don and Lida Nordquist returned Sunday evening from spending a month in Phoenix, Ariz. Marlene Swearingen traveled with them also.

Butter Bean is a 2-year-old, neutered male orange tabby of gigantic proportions. Everything about Butter Bean is large, his head, his feet and his substantial midsection. Even with all of his size, he is not fat; not really. He truly has big bones on a compact frame. Morris the Cat comes to mind when meeting Butter Bean. He is a people-person cat, loving all attention. Other cats are OK, but a human is his true calling. Volunteer Cat Cuddlers at the shelter all want to cuddle Butter Bean because of his gentle, sweet nature. Wouldn’t you like to have a friend like Butter Bean in your house?

A few weeks ago, The Pioneer Press ran a story about the increased frequency of pet surrenders to animal shelters and rescues, due to the downward turn of the economy and housing foreclosures. This is a story we reported last autumn in our own Polk County shelter.

There has definitely been an increase in the number of stray and surrendered animals coming to Arnell; an increase from 771 animals in 2006 to 896 in 2007.

Intake numbers had remained close over the previous six years, until last year when animal intake increased by 16 percent.

More and more often, pet owners are calling to surrender their pets because they are losing their homes or are moving to an apartment where they are not allowed to keep their pets. This is a heart-wrenching decision for these pet owners and, in fact, many of them are in tears as they explain the reason they

must surrender their pet. Most of them have tried to find a home for their pet before turning to the humane society, but finding a home in a time frame can be difficult. When they do Arnell call Arnell, they are Humane doing the right thing Society by making arrangements for their pets care rather than hoping the best for them on the side of the road.

At Arnell, we take in surrendered pets on a space-available basis. If you find yourself in need of placement for your pet, please call two weeks to one month in advance to reserve a place on our Waiting Surrender List. As our kennels open up from adoptions, pets are called in from the list in the order that they were placed on the list. A one-month wait is not always required, but it is better to be prepared for this possibility.

Our shelter is only so big and, at times like these, needed more often than ever before.

For those of you looking to adopt a pet, remember that many beautiful, loving pets can be found in shelters. When their owners lost their homes, they came to Arnell to meet someone new. View our available adoptable pets online at: arnellhumane.org or stop by the shelter, 185 Griffin St. E, Amery 715 268-7387.

HAPPY TAILS

AWAIT

Mary Klar

comes early this year.

Deb served homemade chocolate cake with fudge frosting on Friday to honor the birthdays of diners Harold Peterson, Peggy Lawless, Bruce Behrens and, of course, Deb herself. Other February birthdays are Rod Hopkins, Ludwig Peterson, Dwaine Bentley, Eldora Brown, Mary Klar, Norma Dake, Ella Livingston, Lois Taylor, Judy Nater and Laura Cornelison. Happy birthday to all!

Don’t forget to come to our buffet luncheon and free bingo/card party at our senior center on this coming Saturday, March 8.

Lunch will be served promptly at noon with bingo and cards to follow immediately after.

We have lots of good prizes, and families are invited to bring their children.

The Dining at Five evening meal date has been changed to the second Thursday of each month so the next one is scheduled for 5 p.m. on March 13, so mark your calendar now and call in your reservation to 866-5300.

The next AARP tax assistance dates are on Fridays, March 14, 28 and April 11, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Gratitude is extended to Berenice Quernemoen for donating three bags of peanut butter cups and to the anonymous donor of aluminum cans.

Fran Krause

Our get-well wishes and prayers go to Marlene Kufalk, Vernon Haaf, Fran Arnold, Sue Becker, Albert Doriott, Kathy Beyer, Mary Klar and Antone and Jeremy Gronski. Also sympathy and prayers go out to the family of Bernice (Bunny) Springer in her recent passing.

More often than we are aware of, people are hurting from depression, family circumstances or ill health, and it causes them to think that they are just plain sick and tired of being sick and tired. I know that I have occasionally. What we must remember is that every problem is a character-building opportunity, and the more difficult it is, the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fiber. Isaiah 46:3-4 NCV states “I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you,” says the Lord.

“Struggle, yes, it’s part of living, nothing’s gained on beds of ease; but when our heart is set on Jesus, struggle drives us to our knees.” – Un. ”Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28. See you at the center!

Orange

The Webster boys basketball team lost to Regis in Eau Claire, and the girls lost to Colfax. Congratulations to both teams on a great season.

Iola Rachner returned to her home after her stay at the Frederic Nursing Home.

LaVonne O’Brien

Jack and Jeri Witzany returned from a trip to visit his brother, Rick, in Texas and her relatives in Phoenix. Jack and LaVonne O’Brien were in St. Croix Falls on Wednesday.

Luck Senior Center I’m back! In case you haven’t noticed, there hasn’t been any news from the center for the last two weeks – that’s because I was sick, flu, pneumonia and an infected tooth. I’m all better now and back to work – so here’s the latest news.

Ellen Jepsen celebrated her 90th birthday at the center on Sunday, Feb. 24. It was good to see Silpa Ogren up and about.

Darlene Jensen had shoulder surgery and a heart attack and Bob Krutzein had knee surgery and Edna Lawson celebrated her 92nd birthday on Feb. 24.

The foot lady will be at the center on March 13 from noon till 3 p.m. Call for an

appointment. There was a good turnout on Thursday, Feb. 28.

AARP Tax Aide helped 19 people with their taxes. I had a nice time visiting with the people while they were waiting. I’m hoping they will come into the center for coffee (or water for some – ha) and goodies now that that see how friendly we are.

I think I’ve brought you up to date on the goings on at the Luck Senior Center for now. Remember we are open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Bye for now – keeping smiling.

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 9

Another person searching for information about his St. Croix Falls family is Mike Hansen of Wallace, Idaho. He said he was put in touch through an Internet inquiry that led him to the Polk County Information Center.

His father, William Hansen, was born in 1919 at Askov, Minn., but grew up in St. Croix Falls, the son of Alma Gardner Hansen and Oli Hansen. Other family members Mike mentions are Bill, Elna, Fritz and Pete. “I am looking for pictures of the town area from the time he would possibly remember, which could be from the mid-‘20s to the mid-‘30s. I am just trying to get together some pictures and information to give to him as a present. Both my mother and father

Not the same thing Have you ever heard this dreaded question, “Honey, does this make me look fat?” and then, as a bead of sweat runs down your forehead you hear your panicked voice say, “Why no sweet pea, you look great!” knowing that those tight leopard stretch pants surrounding your partners butt were better left in the back of the closet at home where they belong. Who can’t relate to that situation or one like it?

Being nice is not necessarily the same thing as being honest. Sometimes being nice at the expense of being honest is actually being mean. Being honest, even if it may hurt someone’s feelings, is actually being nice. That’s a whole lot of being this and being that, so what does that all mean?

Those of us raised in the classic Midwestern, Scandinavian/Northern European, Christian home, seemed to have experienced a heavy influence on being nice as a way of demonstrating proper behavior and etiquette. It is also a con-

Rosemarie Vezina Braatz

A ST. CROIX TALE

are in their mid-80s now, and it is always fun to remember,” Mike writes.

Anyone who recalls the William Hansens, please contact me at 715483-3046.

Congratulations to inventor Bill Kurtz of rural St. Croix Falls who has been chosen to represent the upper Midwest in the First International Inventor’s Day

venient way to avoid interpersonal c o n fl i c t which can be uncomfortable and challenging.

Another boon Jane F. Meinz is that it also supposedly keeps people liking us. all We’ve heard so much about that Minnesota nice but have you ever tried to merge on a Twin Cities highway at rush hour?

Being honest with someone doesn’t have to look like a hard smack-down or a shredding of their self-esteem. Honesty can be very direct and also very respectful. One of Webster’s definitions for nice is, “showing or requiring sensitive critical discernment,” i.e. “Yes honey, I do think those leopard tights

Sky’s the Limit

BURNETT COUNTY LIBRARY NEWS Grantsburg Public Library Have you started to read a book, and after about 20 pages you’ve begun to think the story is sounding familiar and that perhaps you’ve already read it? Well, you’re not alone. But now you will be able to go to Merlin on www.nwls.wislib.org to see everything you have previously checked out from the library. Most importantly, this information is only available to you by using your library card number. Other information available on this Web site are the books you currently have checked out, due dates, overdue books and be sure to check here for books waiting for you on the hold shelf. You can also renew your books online. The librarians will be happy to show you how to do this if you need help.

Our new employee Jennifer Nick joined the staff this month, and she’s a welcome addition to the library. We’re happy to have her with us, so stop in and meet Jennifer when you have a chance.

Books coming in March A few of the books ordered for the month of March are “Compulsion,” by Jonathan Kellerman, “Change of Heart,”

by Jodi Picoult, “Where Are You Now,”

by Mary Higgins Clark, and “Killer Heat,” by Linda Fairstein. Some of the books on CD ordered for March are “New Year’s Quilt,” by Jennifer Chiaverini, “Duma Key,” by Stephen King, “Taken by Storm,” by Tami Hoag, and “The Final Detail,” by Harlan Coben.

There are too many to list here but the complete list of titles is available on the checkout desk.

Thanks The men of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church made a chili dinner to benefit the library and it was a huge success. Many thanks from all of us at the library.

Hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday noon - 6 p.m., Wednesday 10:30 - 6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. - 2: p.m.

Hospice team plans remembrance AMERY – The Lakeview Hospice Team serving Polk, St. Croix, Burnett and Barron counties invites you to join them on Sunday, April 20, at 1 p.m., for the 11thAnnual Spring Remembrance Ceremony.

This will be held at the Amery Senior Center, 608 Harriman Avenue, Amery.

During this ceremony folks will be gath-

ering together to celebrate the special memories of their hospice patients, families and friends. This celebration is open to the public. If you have any questions about the ceremony, please call Nancy Kuckler at Lakeview Hospice, 800-7321422 or 651-275-5731. – submitted

Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, this week, with his Mass Transit Proposal.

As written by Editor Gary King in last week’s Leader, Bill’s proposal (in part) “consists of a magnetic levitation system, where motorists could drive onto a flatbed platform, shut off their engines, program their destination and sit back.”

Bill’s is a complicated program, but one that, as a commuter to the Twin Cities for some 20 years, can appreciate… looking at the stream of autos on the highway before me…I did think that it would be great if we could all just drive onto conveyance, turn off our engines, and rest until we reached our destinations.

Larry Phillipson, who resides in the make your butt look big. It’s not a good style for you, but I think you look really pretty in your black, flare-legged pants.”

Courageously telling someone the truth can be a very loving, compassionate thing to do. A few years ago, I went through a period of time when I lost energetic momentum in my career direction and was scrambling around from morning till night doing a whole lot of busy this and busy that, but not getting any results for all the effort. One of the many times I called my boyfriend to vent my frustration about how hard I was working and that nothing was happening, I asked him what I was doing wrong. His response was, “You’re not really doing anything. You’re busy doing a whole lot of nothing that just happens to fill up your day.”

My jaw hung open like a suspension bridge! His words were direct and yet compassionate, like getting hit over the head with a stuffed animal! Part of me wanted him to back my busy story, reassure me and stroke my ego. But another part of me knew that he was absolutely right, and I was strangely re-

countryside between St. Croix Falls and Amery, has written and published another book, “Path and Poetry of Scenic Polk County” following on his book “From Rocks to Rockability,” about his Wisconsin upbringing – an honest, riveting memorabilia. I’m looking forward to buying and reading it, now available at the Polk County Information Center. And the St. Croix Falls Historical Society is planning a program with Phillipson, this summer. – Sponsored by the St. Croix Falls Historical Society

lieved to hear the truth put in the words I somehow wasn’t able to say out loud to myself. His courage to be honest ended up being a major turning point for me in my life, in my personal growth and in my happiness. I stopped doing the busy thing and instead, I started networking, writing articles, doing workshops, enjoying my life more and reaping the benefits.

Take one day in your life and go through it just noticing how often you are or are not honest with yourself or others and how you feel about it. Then take another day and experiment with being honest and how you feel about that. You may have pearls of wisdom to give and receive.

Jane F. Meinz, M.A. is a therapist with 20 years’ experience working with issues such as depression/anxiety, grief, life transitions, spiritual direction, recovery from childhood traumas and couples counseling.

She maintains a private practice at Equinox Natural Health Center in Taylors Falls, Minn. For appointments call 651-465-7504.

PAGE 10 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

POLK COUNTY LIBRARY NEWS Amery Public Library “Life Class,” by Pat Barker Winner of England’s Booker Prize for the best novel last year, “Life Class” is the story of a group of art students who have gathered for a life-drawing class in 1914. With World War I looming, the students try to find their own particular style of drawing. Paul Tarrent and Elinor Brooke are two parts of some intriguing love triangles. Paul has his eye on Elinor but is also seeing a beautiful married model named Teresa. Elinor seems to be playing Paul off Kit Neville, an art student who is achieving success with his work. Kit is in love with Elinor but feeling his duty to defend his country.

As the war fires up both Paul and Kit end up as ambulance drivers near the front lines. Elinor writes to Paul and their letters form part of the novel as they both wonder if they will be the same when it is all over.

Pat Barker has written several excellent novels many dealing with World War I, the “Great War.” “Life Class” is well worth reading.

Library notes Thanks again to everyone who helped with the Friends of the Library Amery’s Got Talent Show. Special thanks to Kathleen Kolar who helped with coordinating events and Allen Carlson who did the brochure.

The Friends of the Library book group meets on March 17 to discuss “Bet Your Bottom Dollar,” by Karen Gillespie.

They meet at 7 p.m. for book talking fun.

Pick up a book and join us.

The Teens Read book group meets on March 24 to discuss “Fahrenheit 451,” by Ray Bradbury. Pick up a copy at the circulation desk and join us to read this science fiction classic about a bookless society. Teens Read meets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m with a snack.

As the tax season is winding down, remember that the Amery Public Library has tax forms: state, federal and Minnesota. If we don’t have the form you need, we will get it off the Internet for you for 10 cents a page.

Story time will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday mornings. Everyone is welcome for songs and stories.

Otaku Club meets every Tuesday for teens who like manga and anime at 5 p.m. in the story time room at the Amery Public Library.

Anyone who wants to make a donation toward the library move can make out their check to Amery Public Library Foundation, Inc. This is a tax-exempt donation. The Friends of the Library have started a fundraiser to give Friends of the Amery Public Library Grand Giver shirts for donations of $1,000.

Library hours Monday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Centuria Public Library Hours The Centuria Public Library is open Monday from noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday from noon to 7 p.m., Wednesday from

noon to 5 p.m., Thursday from noon to 7 p.m., closed Friday, and open 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Osceola Public Library Cold nights, hot reads is in full swing!

The third-annual adult winter reading program began Monday, Jan. 7, and runs through Monday, March 31. Stop in to the Osceola Public Library to register for the program. The 10 steps to winter bliss are as follows: 1. Register 2. Read 3. Report back to the library 4. Receive a gift 5. Read 6. Report back to the library 7. Receive a gift 8. Read 9. Report back to the library 10.Receive a gift Pretty easy! Participants must be 17 years of age or older. Only one entry per person. And, audiobooks count.

Natural Step for Communities – Study Circle (A) Session 3 The Osceola Public Library hosts three different study circles of the book “Natural Step for Communities,” by Sarah James and Torbjorn Lahti. Circle A will meet every other Thursday, beginning March 6, at 7 p.m. for 10 sessions.

Family story time: It’s Raining, It’s Pouring!

Story time: It’s Raining, It’s Pouring will be held Saturday, March 8, 11 a.m.

Children, preschool through the second

grade, and an accompanying adult are encouraged to come out for a themed half hour of stories, songs and fun.

Friends of the Library The Friends of the Osceola Public Library will hold their meeting on Saturday, March 15, 11 a.m. Especially now, was we move toward a new facility, we need all the Friends we can get! The Friends of the Osceola Public Library support the programming and collections of the library that it may not be able to afford otherwise. If you would like to learn more, please stop by the meeting on Saturday, March 15, at 11 a.m. If you cannot make it, please contact the Friends at friendsofosceolapubliclibrary@gmail.com or simply ask the library staff for a membership registration.

Preschool story time Preschoolers and an accompanying adult are invited to join in a half hour of stories, songs, and fun every Thursday morning at 10:30 am.

Hours, contact Our hours are Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Our phone number is 715-294-2310, and our Web address is www.osceolapubliclibrary.org.

Clear Lake Public Library

Clear Lake Public Library Knitting and crocheting group On knitting and crocheting group will meet Wednesdays, March 12 and 26, at 4:30 p.m. There is space for more members. All skill levels are welcome to join this creative group!

“Daddy Day Camp” On March 24, 6: 30 p.m., the library will be showing the movie “Daddy Day Camp.” Refreshments will be served.

Candlelight vigil On April 2, 6:30 p.m., a candlelight vigil in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month will be held. The walk will start at the library, continue down Main Street and return back to the library. Resource sharing and refreshments afterwards in the library conference room. This event is being organized by CARING (Child Advocacy Referral Interagency Networking Group) of Polk County.

Smithsonian Exhibition soon The Smithsonian Exhibition “Between Fences” will be open in Clear Lake on April 12 for its six-week run. Please visit clearlakelibrary.org or fencesatclearlake.com for a complete schedule of events. Volunteers are still needed to act as hosts/hostesses/tour guides. Please

contact Cricket at the library at 263-2802 if you are interested in spending some time welcoming people to Clear Lake and Polk County.

New fiction arrivals “Aunt Dimity Vampire Hunter,” by Nancy Atherton “Freefall,” by Joann Ross “Girl Who Stopped Swimming,” by Joshilyn Jackson “Honor Thyself,” by Danielle Steel “Murder Melts in Your Mouth,” by Nancy Martin “Naughty Neighbor,” by Janet Evanovich “Remember Me,” by Sophie Kinsella “Always Grace,” by Tim LaHaye “Firefly Lane,” by Kristin Hannah “Irish Tiger,” by Andrew Greeley “Someday,” by Karen Kingsbury “Unknown Means,” by Elizabeth Becka Regular library hours Monday: Noon - 7 p.m.; Tuesday noon - 6 p.m.; Wednesday 3 - 9 p.m.; Thursday: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Friday: noon - 5 p.m.; and Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

We can be reached by phone at 715-2632802 or by e-mail at clearlakepl@ifls.lib.wi.us.

St. Croix Falls Public Library New Best-sellers at your library John Grisham’s “The Appeal;” Sue Grafton’s “T is for Trespass;” Stephen King’s “Duma Key;” Geraldine Brooks’ “People of the Book;” James Patterson’s “7th Heaven;” Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food an Eater’s Manifesto;” Eric Weiner’s “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World;” and the Booker Prize Winner, “Life Class” by Pat Barker. Visit your library or go online at www.more.lib.wi.us to reserve a copy!

New books for young readers “Boot Camp,” by Todd Strasser - After ignoring several warnings to stop dating his teacher, Garrett is sent to Lake Harmony, a boot camp that uses unorthodox and brutal methods to train students to obey their parents.

“The Sweet Far Thing,” by Libba Bray – The third book featuring Gemma Doyle at the Spence Academy.

Graphic Novels – “Pichi Pichi Pitch 1: Mermaid Melody,” by Pink Hanamori; “Her Majestys Dog 1 and 3,” by Mick Takeuchi.

New picture books “Pictures from our vacation,” by Lynne Rae Perkins; “Hans Brinker,” adaptation by Bruce Coville; “What Happens on Wednesdays,” by Emily Jenkins; “Thank You Bear,” by Greg Foley.

Saturday talk about the book club The book club will meet on the Ides of March (March 15) at 9:30 a.m., at the Buzz, (formerly Goochi Noochies). The current selection is “Water for Elephants,” by Sarah Gruen.

Knitting for Peace “Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time” author Betty Christiansen will be at the library on March 22, at 10:30 a.m. She offers 15 projects that can be knitted to support their spe-

Dresser Public Library

cific causes, including the Adopt-Me Blanket, Peace Fleece Classic Wool Socks, the Knitting for Peace Messenger Bag, the Project Linus Security Blanket, and many more projects for knitters of any skill level. Come and meet Betty, check out her projects, work on your own project while Betty talks!

Ongoing fundraising events Announcing the Friends of the Library/St. Croix Falls 20-Month Giving Campaign! Now through 2009, the Friends of the St. Croix Falls Library invite everyone to make a 20-month pledge to help build the new library!

Each person decides how much that he/she can give each month for 20 months and completes the pledge form.

Then, once a month, the person gives the amount. Any monthly amount is welcome! No amount is too small nor too big. Just imagine the new library! In 2007, the library averaged 3,500 patrons/month. If 2,000 patrons give $10/month for 20 months, we would raise $400,000 by September 2009! Let’s do it! How to participate?

1. Stop in the St. Croix Falls Library 2. Fill out a pledge form 3. Take home and use the 20-month giving campaign monthly coupons. This is a giving opportunity for everyone!

Technology Free wireless is available at the library.

Also, visit the library Web site stcroixfallslibrary.org to get information on the building project, programs at the library and much, much more!

Story hour Listen to stories, create great art and have fun with other kids and parents every Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.

Hours, contact The library is open from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. every day except Saturday 10 a.m.

– 1 p.m. Closed on Sundays.

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 11

POLK COUNTY LIBRARY NEWS Balsam Lake Public Library Book club The book club meets Wednesday, March 19, 3 p.m. and all ages are welcome. “Iron Lake,” by William Kent Krueger. Krueger brilliantly evokes northern Minnesota’s lake country, and reveals the dark side of its snow-covered landscape. Part Irish, part Anishinaabe Indian, Corcoran “Cork” O’Connor is the former sheriff of Aurora, Minn. Embittered by his “former” status, and the marital meltdown that has separated him from his children, Cork gets by on heavy doses of caffeine, nicotine and guilt. Once a cop on Chicago’s South Side, there’s not much that can shock him. But when the town’s judge is brutally murdered and a young Eagle Scout is reported missing, Cork takes on a mind-jolting case of conspiracy, corruption, and scandal. As a lakeside blizzard buries Aurora, Cork must dig out the truth among town officials who seem dead-set on stopping his investigation in its tracks. But even Cork freezes up when faced with the harshest enemy of

all: a small-town secret that hits painfully close to home.

William Kent Krueger author of the Cork O’Connor mysteries set in the Minnesota northwoods will be at the Balsam Lake Library Saturday, April 12, at 11 a.m.

Watch for more information regarding this discussion and book signing.

Hobby and craft group Join us Saturday, March 8, at 10 a.m., here at the library. Bring a hobby or craft of your choice. Share ideas, learn new hobbies, hone skills and enjoy camaraderie. All ages welcome. We have rug hookers, knitters, artists and more. We meet every other Saturday morning.

Balsam Lake Public Library, (under the water tower) at 404 Main St., Balsam Lake. Hours are Monday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. E-mail: balsamlakepl@ifls.lib.wi.us Web site www.balsamlakepubliclibrary.org.

Polk County Library Federation Friends: Mending for libraries The Friends of the Polk County Libraries gathered together to mend materials for the libraries of Polk County.

Many libraries send items to be repaired to the county library; these include books, audio tapes, CDs, videos and DVDs. Repairing library materials saves on budgets and also extends the checkout life of those materials.

Look forward to new happenings in both communities; Luck’s new library and “Between Fences” the traveling Smithsonian Exhibit featured at the Clear Lake Community Center from April 11- May 23.

Reserve your space now by phoning 485-8680 or e-mailing at gifford@ifls.lib.wi.us.

For further information contact the library at 485-8680. The director is Colleen Gifford, assistant

director/youth services is Molly Kessler, and the library clerk is Stephanie Fansler.

The Polk County Library Federation is open Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Library pages celebrate second-year anniversary POLK COUNTY – The Polk County Library Federation staff, Friends of the Polk County Libraries and the 10 libraries of Polk County: Amery Public Library, Balsam Lake Public Library, Centuria Public Library, Clear Lake Public Library, Dresser Public Library, Frederic Public Library , Luck Public Library, Milltown Public Library, Osceola Public Library and St. Croix Falls Public Library would like to thank the staff at the InterCounty Leader for their support of the public libraries of Polk County through the library pages. Directors and staff at libraries have been amazed at the positive comments from the public about the library pages and how people look forward to reading about the news in our library world. The idea came from library supporter, Virginia Zoncki-Bunker to have the libraries in the news on a weekly basis. Thanks, Virg.

Look forward to the following special library events during 2008: • Polk County Library Road Trip sponsored by the Friends of the Polk County Libraries. The event will be in

April during the same time as the National Library Week. The purpose of the event is to celebrate the libraries and the outstanding library service in Polk County.

• Teen poetry contest held in April and sponsored by the Polk County Library Federation to celebrate April is Poetry Month poetry. This year the event will be held in conjunction with “Between Fences” at the Clear Lake Community Center.

• Walking books at local parades; check these books out as they walk through the downtowns of Polk County towns.

Look for the details to the above events in the library pages and at your local library.

Thanks Polk County citizens for supporting your local libraries.

P.S. Look for the new library ad in the Polk information guide coming out soon.

Thanks to Jerry Boucher for his wonderful photos of the 10 public libraries. – submitted

Milltown Public Library We are wireless Bring your laptops to the Milltown Public Library and enjoy our free, fast, wireless Internet access. No more waiting for an open computer. Surf the Net from a comfortable chair. No time limits.

Story hour Milltown Public Library offers story time every Tuesday at 10 a.m. yearround. Story times are free and are de-

signed for children under 6 and their caregivers. Each story time lasts 30 to 45 minutes and includes time to browse and check out books.

Hours Library hours are Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Frederic Public Library What are the book groups reading?

The evening book group meets Tuesday, March 18 (note date change), at 7 p.m. to talk about “The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million,” by Daniel Mendelsohn. Part memoir and part history, the author set out to find what had happened to relatives who disappeared from their Polish town during World War II. The Thursday morning reading group meets March 27, at 10 a.m. to discuss “Pope Joan,” by Donna Cross, historical fiction based on one of the most controversial women in history. Copies of the books are available at the library and new members are always welcome.

Winter isn’t over yet!

Preschool children and their caregivers are welcome at Wednesday morning story time at the library. Join us for stories and activities all about snow on Wednesday, March 12 at 10:30 a.m.

Support your food shelf in March and April During March and April, the more food donated to the local food shelf, the more money they will receive from the Feinstein Foundation, a group dedicated to alleviating hunger. When you come to the library, be sure to bring some nonperishable food items - you will help keep the food shelf stocked, and the weight of your items will count toward receiving a larger monetary donation from the Feinstein Foundation. The library will also accept your checks made out to the Frederic Food Shelf.

March is National Craft Month If you like to work with beads, there are more than 120 titles in the MORE catalog all about beadwork, including at least a dozen books on making jewelry with beads. Interested in knitting? The

MORE catalog has nearly 200 entries on the subject. Are you a beginning quilter?

Choose from nearly 400 quilting titles to learn all about it. Looking for birdhouse patterns? There are more than 100 titles about birdhouses and birdfeeders for our feathered friends. Choose your materials by visiting www.more.lib.wi.us, or visit the library and we’ll help you order materials for your next craft project.

Federal and state tax forms are available We have the basic tax forms, including the Wisconsin Homestead Credit and rent certificate schedules. We can also download other tax forms from the Internet for you.

What’s on your credit report?

Did you know that you are entitled to an annual free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus? Protect yourself by learning what is on your credit report. To obtain the reports, go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/ and follow directions. If you do not have Internet access at home, reserve time on a public access computer at the library to download the information.

Free wireless access at the library If you have a laptop with a wireless card, bring it to the library to use the free wireless Internet access. Cozy chairs and hot coffee are waiting for you.

Hours and information Frederic Public Library, 127 Oak Street West.

715-327-4979, e-mail fredericpl@ifls.lib.wi.us. Regular open hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; and Saturday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Dresser Public Library Dresser Public Library is located at 117 S. Central Ave. Library hours Monday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Tuesday noon5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.–noon and 1–7 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Three Internet computers: You must physically present a MORE library card to library staff and library fines must be under $10 to use a computer.

Coming up Lapsitter and preschool story times meet each Thursday from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Contact the library at 715-755-2944 which is our telephone and fax number or e-mail us at www.dresserpl@ifls.lib.wi.us. Our Web site, www.dresserpubliclibrary.org has information about story times, days closed, reference links, library policy and community information.

Luck Public Library Computers for Seniors is held Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon.

The library knitting club meets Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Bring your needles and yarn and relax with us.

Preschool story hour is held Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m. We focus on developing emergent reading skills and language.

Every fourth Thursday from 3 – 4 p.m. the library will host Beading with

Wilma.

Bricks are still available to purchase for our new library. Contact the village or the library for a copy of the Buy a Brick form. The building is really taking shape.

Hours: Monday 1 – 5 p.m., Tuesday 1 – 8 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday 1 – 8 p.m., Friday 1- 5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to noon.

PAGE 12 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

New pastor lls pulpits at Siren and Lewis churches

by Pat Solomonson SIREN/LEWIS – Since the first of the year, Pastor Tom Cook, Frederic, has been filling the pulpits at Siren and Lewis United Methodist churches. Cook was asked by the United Methodist Conference to fill in on an interim basis when Pastor Mike Ascher had to leave due to health issues.

Retired nine years ago after 40 years in the ministry in Ohio, Cook loves being a pastor and is expected to continue with the two congregations for some time to come.

The pastor and his wife, Jane, a registered nurse, moved to the area eight years ago to be nearer to family and grandchildren. They have been actively involved at St. Luke’s Methodist Church, Frederic, where Jane is in charge of education. They live in the Frederic area with their two daughters and three teenage grandchildren.

Raised in Ohio and West Virginia, Cook decided to join the Navy shortly after high school. During a fouryear span, he served in Newfoundland and Norfolk and really enjoyed sea duty.

By the time he got out of the Navy, Cook knew he wanted to go to college and prepare for the Christian ministry. One week after leaving the military, he started college, majoring in psychology. He soon became involved in youth ministry, working in inner-city projects and with junior high kids. He and Jane were married in 1959, and he served as local pastor to three small churches while still in college.

After they both graduated from college, the couple moved to Columbus, Ohio, to seminary and to the pastoral service that took them to many different locations throughout Ohio over the next 40 years.

Cook says he enjoys getting back into ministry for a while, citing particularly the relationships with people and the preaching and teaching aspects of ministry. He can usually be found at the church office in Siren Mon-

Pastor Tom Cook, a retired Ohio United Methodist pastor, is now filling the pulpit at Siren and Lewis United Methodist churches. Pastor Tom is an ordained elder who “loves the work of being a pastor.” – Photo by Nancy Jappe days, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., in addition to times when activity is going on in either of the churches. He is eager to get acquainted with his new communities, and welcomes the chance to get to know area people.

Luck Area ACS run/walk kickoff breakfast set FREDERIC – A kickoff breakfast for the Luck area American Cancer Society’s 13th-annual run/walk will be Friday, March 14, 7 a.m. at Café Wren. Businesses, schools, churches, clubs and other organizations are encouraged to start organizing teams for this May 10 event. Individual participants are also welcomed.

Posters, registration forms, foot a buck footprints and additional information will be available at this meeting.

Door prizes will be given.

Luck’s Amery Regional Medical Center, Larsen Auto Centers and St. Croix Valley Hardwoods are corporate sponsors. Donations by sponsors help with costs of the run/walk, in effort to cut expenses to bring more money in for the fight against cancer.

Contact Patti Mattson at 715-472-2654 if you would like to attend the breakfast or have any questions. – submitted

NARFE to hold dinner meeting LUCK – The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Chapter 1581 will hold their initial dinner meeting of 2008 at noon on Thursday, March 13, at the Hog Wild Restaurant on Luck’s Main St. All federal and

retired federal employees are welcome. Reservations may be made by calling 715-327-8658 by noon on Monday, March 10. – submitted

Film series on worsening economy continues

LUCK - The film series on the worsening economy continues Monday, March 10, at Cafe Wren with “A Crude Awakening,” which examines the world’s dependency on oil and the impending chaos that’s sure to follow when supplies are outstripped by demand, causing prices to skyrocket.

On Monday, March 24, the film “Why We Fight” will be shown. It was filmed during the Iraq War, this documentary seeks to answer the question: Why does America engage in war? Through personal stories of soldiers, government officials, scholars, journalists and innocent

victims, the film examines the political and economic interests and ideological factors behind American militarism. The film was the winner of the 2005 Sundance Grand Jury Award.

The films will begin at 6:30 p.m. and admission is free. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

The series is being sponsored by the Anathoth Community Farm, Frederic Community Education, Milltown Library, Legacy Solar, Natural Alternative and West Denmark Social Forum. - submitted

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 13

Frederic to present “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” FREDERIC – Sixty-three local young people will take the stage with two professional actors in Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre’s original musical production of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” at 7:30 p.m., on Friday and Saturday March 7 and 8 at Frederic Elementary Gym. The roles of Snow White, the Prince, the Seven Dwarfs, the Mirror, the Ravens, the Spellbinders, the Forest Creatures, and the Townspeople will be played by: Alli Anderson, Erik Stoner, Alex Puetz, Holly Stoner, Calla Karl, Isabel Lexen, Ian Lexen, Frankie Knuf, Brad Knauber, Karl Pederson, Tylyn O’Brien, Zach Schmidt, Jasmine Marcyan, Hunter Sorensen, Bailey Hufstedler, Honah Tinman, Paul French, Peter Lund, Trent Kuechenmeister, Harli Allen, Alexis McLeod, Aubree Boissy, Anna Potvin, Jenna Laqua, Jenna Burton, Natasha Chastek, Adina Stackhouse, Jamie Taft, Rose French, Katlyn Scanlon, Allison Martin, Breanna Prouty, Marissa Jensen, Kinzie Matz, Hannah Erickson, Paige Burton, Allie Lundblade, Olivia Schauls, Zane Matz, Timothy Lund, Zach Kuechenmeister, Nels Potvin, Austin Kurkowski, Ashlee Wendelboe, Jared Lund, Zach Williamson, Cathryn McConnell, Nathan Chastek, Chris Kuechenmeister, Caleb Schott, Kayla Nelson, Haley Kurkowski, Alexis Boissy, Isabelle Burton, Abbey Pickare, Hayden Swanson, Brady Gravelle, Ashley Kurkowski, Shayla French and Mary

Jane Pederson.

The show, Prairie Fire’s first premiering in 1987, features an original script by its resident playwright and composer Daniel Nordquist. It is based on “Little Snow White,” the classic fairy tale gathered from a peasant storyteller by the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, published in 1812. The script thus returns some of the elements of the original story that were lost in the genius of Walt Disney’s imagination in 1937. For example, Snow White was not saved at the end by a kiss from the Prince, but because the Dwarfs stumbled on a tree root while carrying her coffin across the mountains, as the coffin hit the ground, it jarred Snow White as well, and the culprit piece of poisoned apple lodged in her throat popped out, saving her life.

Playwright Nordquist has changed and combined the Grimm and Disney endings to provide an interesting twist.

Snow White is saved by the Prince, but

Director in rehearsal with seven dwarfs. Front row (L to R): director Kurt Anderson, Jasmine Marcya. Back row: Zach Schmidt, Tylyn O’Brien, Brad Knauber, Ian Lexen, Prince Erik Stoner, Frankie Knuf and Karl Pederson. – Photo submitted not with a kiss!

The weekend musical performances are the culmination of a weeklong residency by Prairie Fire, which is being Sponsored by Frederic Community Education.

Snow White- Alli Anderson with director, playing the evil Queen Megan Pence.

Dr. Seuss Day celebrated

Mrs. Gloodt’s kindergarten class posed with the Cat in the Hat and showed off the Dr. Seuss Day book they made. Each student drew a picture of the cat for the book. AmeriCorp volunteer Priscilla Bauer played The Cat last Thursday at the Nelson Primary School for the school’s Dr. Seuss birthday celebration.

First-grader Emma Olson had fun dancing with Thing 1 (Patty Anderson) at a dance party to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday last Friday at Grantsburg Elementary School.

Students and staff also played games and read stories by the author who would have been 104 this year. – Photos submitted

Tickets are $5 adults, $3 children (ages 0-18) and are available at the door. For more information, contact Ann Fawver, Frederic Community Education at 715327-4868. - submitted

PAGE 14 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

Dinosaur Days in full swing GRANTSBURG – Dinosaur Days are in full swing in the Nelson Primary kindergarten rooms! Dinosaur Days kicked off on Monday, March 3, with the application of papier-mache to balloons to create dinosaur eggs. The children enjoyed this project immensely! submitted

Ryan Ibarra (L) and Jorge Lagunes (R) making papier-mache dinosaur eggs on the first day of the kind ergarten’s yearly Dinosaur Days adventure.

Festival Concert 2008 held at Grantsburg

Linnea Brask has begun working at Nelson Primary School under the district’s new STEP Senior Tax Exchange Program. This is a program where seniors work a number of hours at the school and get tax credit for their time.

Mrs. Brask spends Monday and Wednesday mornings in Miriam Newby’s kindergarten room. Pictured is Mrs. Brask and a Katie Johnson.

The Grantsburg High School Concert Choir sang a medley of songs at last Sunday’s fundraiser Festival Concert 2008. The choir is planning to perform in Chicago in the spring and is working to earn traveling funds.

Choir members are requesting any kind of work to earn money for the trip.

For more information call 715-463-2531. - Photo by Wayne Anderson

Steven “Mighty Mouse” McKinley flies to a big finish and into the arms of the Grantsburg High School Travelers singers who performed the cartoon’s theme song last Sunday for the Festival Concert 2008. The cartoon was created in 1942 by Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox. – Photo by Wayne Anderson

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 15

Luck Midwinter concert LUCK – Luck’s third- and fourthgrade students put on their annual Midwinter concert last Thursday, Feb. 28.

RIGHT: During the third-grade “It’s Saturday” portion of Luck’s Elementary Concert, the kids enjoy a pillow fight at a slumber party after a day filled with piano lessons, chores and football practice.

During the third-grade “It’s Saturday” portion of Luck’s Elementary Concert, Chris Flodin munches on snacks while speaking about spare time. - Photos by Lori Nelson

Winterfest held at Grantsburg

Grantsburg High School’s Winterfest 2008 court awaited the crowning moment at last Friday’s Winterfest dance. Who would be Winterfest’s king and queen? The court from left to right are freshmen Will Lauer and Kayla Fairbrother, sophomores; Austin Eskola and Leah Ticknor, juniors; Mitchell Evenson and Nicole Davis and seniors; Carson Holmquist and Stephanie Jensen.

Luck Scouts prepare for Pinewood Derby LUCK – Luck Cub Scouts Pack 147 are preparing for the annual Pinewood Derby contest. The event will be Saturday, March 15, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Luck School gym. With this project, the Scouts learn how to design their car, use woodworking

Grantsburg High juniors Mitch Evenson and Nicole Davis were crowned Winterfest King and Queen at last Friday night’s Winterfest dance held in the high school commons.

Puppet theater built by Boy Scout given to school

and painting equipment, and practice techniques to create a fast car. Winners from this event will qualify for the Wild River District races held April 19 at Trollhaugen in Dresser. - submitted

Parent Ron Steen supervises some boys sanding their Pinewood Derby cars in the school woodworking shop. The Scouts, from left, are Parker Steen, Jacob Aguado, Beau Brenizer, Derek Hendrickson and Jared Hunter. – Photo submitted

Andrew Schrooten, Webster, made this puppet theater for the classroom as a Boy Scout project this past winter. Andrew is on the left, and Sydney, Jake and Andy Pavlicek join him in the theater. The Webster kindergarten class has enjoyed the puppet theater for the past month, along with the puppets, chalk, and play books that Andrew also brought in as gifts for the class. The puppets are used every day in Mrs. Swenson’s kindergarten! – Photo submitted

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by Nancy Jappe SIREN – Only seven years have gone by since Christopher and Rambi Boda from Hyderabad, India, were first in Siren as part of a visit to the United States to raise money for the orphanage they had started.

Only seven years later, that orphanage building has been finished, landscaped and expanded. Two other orphanage compounds have been set up, and 2,000 young people from the untouchable Banjara Gypsy Tribe are receiving housing, care, medical treatment and, so important to their futures, education.

“God has been blessing us in his own unique way possible. He has been amazing in his faithfulness, opening paths in the midst of nowhere,” Christopher Boda said in his Dec. 2007 newsletter.

Readers of the Leader may recall the stories that have been printed since the year 2000, when the Bodas’ Banjara Tribal Ministries orphanage and Christian pathway to a better life for their tribal members hit media attention. One of the first photos we printed showed orphan children in Hyderabad praying while hugging the pillars of what was to be their new home. Nothing in the photo except dirt, pillars and hopeful children.

This reporter, along with Diane Brask and Ken Mettler from Burnett County, visited the orphanage in 2003. The main orphanage building, BTM-1, had just been completed, and 270, soon to go up to 335, children had been admitted to live inside its gate. The building was impressive at that time. Dreams for future expansion were just that – dreams for future expansion.

Brask was back for another visit this past year. She shook her head in amazement over the changes that occurred. “I didn’t know it was so well disciplined.

I’m not sure where in Burnett County kids would behave like that. They run a tight ship in the orphanage because there are so many kids and not many adults.

They require respect, and the kids give it,” Brask said in an interview recently.

Not only was she impressed with the discipline and conduct shown by the BTM kids, Brask was awed to see the expansion and building that has been going on. BTM-1 now houses 700 girls and 150 kindergarten-age boys who consume almost 700 pounds of rice a day.

More than 720 boys ranging from first to 10th grade live in BTM-2, the second campus. That’s not all. Three-hundred boys in grades one through five live on the BTM-3 campus.

During this past year, Diane Brask, Grantsburg, visited the Banjara Tribal Ministries campus in Hyderabad, India, to check on the progress made by her friends, Christopher and Rambai Boda. She came back shaking her head in amazement over all that has been accomplished there since her last visit in 2003.

In only seven years

BTM-1, the main Banjara Tribal Ministries compound, has now been landscaped, and a road put in all around the compound. The building is made of marble, which is easily available in that area of India, and teak, another native product. – Photos submitted

“Christopher Boda + God = a miracle.”

The Christina School of Nursing, named for the Bodas’ daughter, Christina, who wants to become a doctor, started in 2003. Today it stands in the top five out of 265 nursing schools in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The first class of nurses has graduated now, with four years of nursing training.

BTM is leasing a building in the city that provides education for 11th- and 12th-grade girls and has been named the Crystal Junior College. Thirty-four students enrolled in the first class there in 2007. These students are educated tuition free, with food and housing provided. The goal is to find a small piece of land on which to construct their own building.

The Bodas’ three children, Vinay, Christina and Crystal, love being part of their parents’ Christian ministry. “My mom is awesome. My dad rocks,” commented Vinay, who has completed two years of college in Charlottesville, Va. His parents are Banjara tribal members, both are Christians and both studied at Bharat Bible College in nearby Secunderabad, Christopher for five years, Rambai for four years.

“I trust my mom and dad,” Vinay told Brask as they talked about the age-old custom of parents choosing their childrens’ spouses. Brask also spoke with one of the nursing students, who said the same thing. “Both say they trust God and their parents to make the right decision and that they will fall in love with the person (the parents choose) after marriage,” Brask said.

Color is just one joy to be seen as these Banjara women bow to worship.

This photo shows BTM students, in their uniforms, during the school day on the BTM-1 campus.

The students who live in the BTM compounds have a rigorous schedule.

They get up at 6 a.m., do exercises and take bucket showers, rinsing themselves with ice-cold water. There is something planned for them from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m., but that does include some planned free time.

No washing machines in this place.

The kids do their own laundry, and are responsible for keeping their school uniforms clean. There are no beds to sleep on. Each child has a mat on the floor, with as many as 20 children sleeping on the floor in each room.

Brask was overjoyed to see that the main BTM-1 building has been landscaped, and a road goes all around it.

The buildings have been finished and the dining room, only just completed on

the first level at the time of the visit in 2003, has an additional two floors added above. A metal roof was put up between BTM-1 and the dining room, providing shelter in times of inclement weather and a place, out of the heat, for more comfortable dining and activities. The education provided is now trilingual.

BTM-2 is about a half hour away from BTM-1. Schooling continues while construction is going for the new main building. “Mortar is dripping and bricks are being carried up as school is going on,” Brask commented.

BTM-2 encompasses 22 acres; BTM-3 just under 10 acres. Over 1,000 children are housed in those two compounds alone. The total BTM campus, with its

See Orphanage, next page

Before BTM got started, Banjara Gypsy children had no school, no hope, no church. “To see the smiling faces and eyes full of hope (now), you get to see how God loves them through education,” visitor Diane Brask commented.

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 17

Orphanage/from previous page

This side view of BTM-1 shows the metal-roofed open area between the main building and the dining hall, to which two additional floors have been added. – Photos submitted 2,000 children, takes care of nearly the same number of people who live in the three Burnett County villages. It boggles Brask’s mind to think of Christopher and Rambai Boda feeding, housing, providing care and education for the people in three Wisconsin villages. All in seven years, and still counting.

“Since 2001, the first time I was in India, BTM has gone from a couple making $20 a month and housing 57 kids in chicken coops to three campuses, 2,000 people to be responsible for, a nurses school and Bible school, a junior college and 150 local pastors trained and working full time,” Brask said, wonder evident in her voice.

She shudders to think of the weight that is on the Bodas’ shoulders.

“Christopher doesn’t worry. He says, ‘This is God’s ministry. We do what we can do. The rest is up to God,’” she said.

One of the Bodas’ dreams is to start a hospital alongside the nursing school, where nurses can get hands-on training and which can generate income. After

nine days of seeing all that the Bodas have already accomplished in their short ministry, Brask doesn’t doubt this will come about, too.

“What has been done is never enough for Christopher,” Brask said. “He doesn’t live on yesterday’s faith. He is always going on today’s faith, thinking, if 1,000 were rescued, why not 2,000? He continually puts himself in places that are always beyond himself. He always lives beyond what is humanly possible.

His attitude is, first you get in over your head, then you go on from there.

Christopher Boda plus God equals a miracle.”

Support in the United States for the Banjara Tribal Ministries is coordinated through Christian Aid Mission, P.O. Box 9037, Charlottesville, VA, 22906. Donors are asked to include the notation 620BTM with their donation to make sure the donation is credited to Banjara Tribal Ministries. There’s also a Web site to check for more information under www.btmgypsies.com.

This building houses the Christina School of Nursing. The first class of students graduated in 2007 with four years of nursing training. The school ranks in the top five out of 265 nursing schools in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The hope is to one day build a hospital nearby.

This new construction is the Bible school that is going up in BTM-1.

The buildings in BTM-2 are shaped like points which are connected at the narrowest part to make a completely enclosed and protected campus. As of Dec ember 2007, 70 percent of the construction was completed for dormitories and classrooms.

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All-call for artists OSCEOLA – Artisans from around the area are being invited to submit their work for display consideration at the new Osceola Medical Center. The new medical center will open in September.

Photographers, painters, weavers, quilters, woodworkers, potters, printers and sculptors that live within 30 miles of Osceola are invited to submit their work.

“The goal is to create an uplifting, engaging and family-oriented environment for patients and visitors,” according to Sue Gerlach, member of OMC’s art screening committee. “Of particular interest is art which is repre-

sentative of the community,” she said, adding that possible subject matter includes people, river, woodlands, farm land, small town street scene, local landmarks and history, native flora and fauna, backyard garden and neighborhoods.

Art in all styles, from realistic to abstract, and all mediums which provide hope, delight or discovery will be selected for waiting areas, exam rooms and other common areas, she said. The committee is also looking for pieces to be loaned or donated, placed in a permanent art collection, or rotating art collection, or used in

Spring orchestra concerts scheduled ST. CROIX FALLS – Get in the mood for the appearance of a lovely spring by enjoying some gorgeous and lively music with us. The St. Croix Valley Orchestra will be performing spring concerts soon in this area featuring a piano soloist whose wonderful playing will bring thoughts of natural and artistic beauty to mind.

Stephanie Schmidt of St. Croix Falls will be playing the Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 2, her second appearance as soloist with the orchestra. Also on the program are the English Folk Songs Suite by Vaughan Williams, “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” by Gluck, and Haydn’s Symphony No. 104. The chamber orchestra, in its 17th season under the direction of Randolph Elliott, consists of about 30 players coming from the extended St. Croix Valley area – from Balsam Lake to Cambridge, Minn., and from Marine on St. Croix, Minn., to Grantsburg.

Public performances will be at four locations, beginning with a special dress rehearsal at the chapel of the Parmly Nursing Home in Chisago City at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 10. The following weekend there will be concerts in Grantsburg at Faith Lutheran Church at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 14; in St. Croix Falls on the

X

new performance stage at the elementary school at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 15; and in Scandia, Minn., at Elim Lutheran Church at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 16. These concerts are made possible in part by a grant from the East Central Regional Development Commission and the East Central Arts Council with funds provided by the Minnesota State Legislature.

With the generous help of donations from local busiStephanie Schmidt nesses and individuals, admission is open to all with a freewill donation at the concerts. For more information, visit their Web site http://www.scvorchestra.org. You are invited to come enjoy some live music! - submitted

a featured artist program.

To be considered, please submit contact information, visuals (photographs, color copies, jpegs on disc), medium and size. You can also include an artist statement and bio. Items can be sent to Gerlach at Osceola Medical Center, P.O. Box 218, Osceola, WI 54020. Material will be returned if it comes with a self-addressed and stamped return envelope.

Deadline for submission is May 30. Artists will be notified by May 15. For more information, Contact Gerlach at 715-294-5789. - submitted

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 19

Twenty- ve scholarships raised from lasagna dinner LUCK – Luck High School seniors are counting down the number of days remaining before graduation. A calendar displayed in the school commons is a continual reminder. Students and their parents are considering their interests and options, whether it’s college, technical school, military service or a job.

Often, options are influenced by scholarships. One such scholarship available to Luck graduates for the past 12 years is the Luck Community Education Fund Scholarship. Luck graduates continuing their education will receive $125 scholarships. The money is raised through

The calendar displayed in the school commons area to count down the number days remaining before graduation.

events, such as the annual Lasagna Dinner and Raffle. This year just over $3,200 was raised, which translates into 25 scholarships.

The Luck Community Ed advisory board and director work to make this a noteworthy fundraiser, and it’s community involvement that makes it successful. Larsen Auto Centers generously sponsored the lasagna dinner and Bernick’s Cos.; provided the beverages. Ione DeNucci and the food service staff made many pans of lasagna, and Dave Rosendahl printed raffle tickets. Locallymade and donated items were raffled off during halftime of the Luck-Unity boys basketball game by “outgoing and incoming” Community Ed directors, Barb Kass and Amy Aguado. The winner of the grand prize drawing was Charlie Carlson, who was able to take home a beautiful handmade quilt by Donna Pedersen.

Sandy Hibbs’ name was drawn for two Raleigh mountain bikes given by Herschel and Mary Brown. The many other prizes were won by the following: Bella Salon one-hour facial - Amy Holdt; Hog Wild BBQ & Grill $25 gift certificate Janet Kuhlmann; Natural Alternatives $25 gift certificate - Jim Christiansen; (3) Fibre Functions $15 gift certificates – Chelsey Foeller, Mike Morris and Nancy

Nutrition program celebrates 30 years POLK COUNTY – In 2007, the five meal sites provided 35,208 meals through the Elderly Nutrition Program, and each month served around 90 individuals in the congregate program and around 110 individuals in the home-delivered meal program.

Aging Programs is celebrating 30 years of providing congregate and home-delivered meals. Please join them at one of the meal sites. Menus are published in

the Senior Voices or online at www.co.polk.wi.us/aging. Locations are in Amery (Congregational church), Clear Lake (Ridgeview Apartments), Milltown (Community Center), Frederic (Comforts of Home building) and Dresser (Peace Lutheran Church). Please contact Kari Flom, Ms RD CD, for more information at 715-485-85990. – from Polk Co. Aging Programs

Donna Pedersen’s handmade quilt attracted people as they entered Luck School on Friday, Feb. 15, to cheer on the Luck and Unity basketball teams, enjoy a lasagna dinner and purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win numerous prizes. From left, Ann Fawver, Barb Kass and Mike Miles handle a flurry of ticket sales at the raffle table. – Photo submitted Mansergh; (2) online gift redemption cards – Gary Schebo and Betty Bertram; (3) Holiday Station gift certificates –

Robin Mattson, Larry Wright and Beth Lemeiux. - submitted

Academic news Dayna Daniels, Siren, has been named to the dean’s list at Drake University. Daniels achieved this academic honor by earning a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher during the fall 2007 semester at Drake - submitted ••• DULUTH, Minn. – The College of St. Scholastica has named 571 students to its fall semester 2007 dean’s list. Students named to the dean’s list are fulltime undergraduates who have attained a grade-point average of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Amery Addie Seaman, junior, physical ther-

apy Frederic Kayla Laqua, sophomore, nursing Grantsburg Joshua LaMere, sophomore, exercise physiology Amanda Lisiecki, sophomore, undeclared Osceola David Schwab, sophomore, management Siren Ashley Cummings, first year, occupational therapy Webster Melissa Janssen, junior, nursing

PAGE 20 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

“Back to the ‘80s … the Totally Awesome Musical!” coming to Unity BALSAM LAKE – On March 7, Unity High School will travel back in time to the decade that brought us the Rubix cube, stone-washed jeans, ultra-high Aquanet bangs and mullet haircuts.

Though the styles may have changed, the music will remain with us forever!

Through the music of the ‘80s, the audience will relive a year in the life of an average teenage guy who falls in love with the girl next door, but has to fight the school’s coolest jock for her attention.

Unity’s drama department presents “Back to the ‘80s…the Totally Awesome Musical!” Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the door, or by calling the Unity High School office at 715-825-2101. – submitted

Unity High School theater arts students rehearse to the song “Footloose” from the musical, “Back to the ‘80s.” The musical will be performed at the Unity High School auditorium on Friday and Saturday, March 7 and 8, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 9, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the door, or by calling the Unity High School office at 715-825-2101. – Photo submitted

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 21

OBITUARIES Eldora Larson

Curtis L. Hanson

Eldora Larson, 80, died Feb. 18, 2008, at the Continuing Care Center of the BMC, after battling a rare autoimmune disorder for over a decade, and recently complicated by cancer.

Eldora Larson was born March 14, 1927, to William and Elvira (Hegge) Thompson in Wood River Township. She was baptized July 31, 1927, at Bethany Lutheran Church, Grantsburg, by the Rev. O.A. Olson and confirmed by the Rev. H.P. Walker on Sept. 21, 1941. Eldora attended her elementary grades at Wood River and Grantsburg schools. She graduated from Grantsburg High School, the class of 1945.

Upon graduating she was employed at a local pharmacy a short time. Eldora was a telephone operator for the Farmers Independent Telephone Company, employed by the North American Life Insurance Company in Minneapolis until September 1951, when her employment began at the First Bank of Grantsburg.

She remained there until her retirement in the early ‘90s.

On Feb. 14, 1976, Eldora married Orren Larson at Bethany Lutheran Church, Grantsburg. They enjoyed 11-1/2 years of marriage until Orren’s death in 1987.

All her life Eldora was an active member at Bethany as a Sunday school teacher, choir member and in the Women of the ELCA, in her circle and holding various offices.

Eldora was preceded in death by her parents and husband.

She is survived by sisters, Helen Baker and Marlys (Lowell) Olson; nephew, Brad (Linda) Olson; niece, Julie (Curt) Lee; grand-nephew, Carter Lee and grandnieces, Marie and Amy Olson and Cassidy and Caitlyn Lee. Funeral services were held at Bethany Lutheran Church in Grantsburg, on Friday, Feb. 22, with Pastor Jay Ticknor officiating. Interment was at Riverside Cemetery.

The Edling-Taylor Funeral Home of Grantsburg was entrusted with the arrangements.

Curtis L. Hanson, 80, of Robbinsdale, Minn., died Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008.

Curtis was born and raised near Luck. Curtis worked for Honeywell as a tool and die maker for 43-plus years.

He was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Hanson; mother and stepfather, Carrie and Walter Baasch; sisters, Helen and Donna; brothers, Walter Jr. and William.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Janet; daughters, Cheryl and Kristen; sisters, Ardyce (Don) McCavic, LuAnne (Ken) Welsh, and Mary Mattson; brother, Ron (Kathy) Hanson; many more family and friends.

Funeral services were Monday, March 3, at Brooklyn Park Evangelical Free Church, Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Interment was at the Wolf Creek Cemetery.

Norma Jean Thompson Norma Jean Thompson, 65, died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008, at her home in Trade Lake Township.

She was born Feb. 25, 1943, in Luck, the daughter of Ruth and Wallace Thompson. She was baptized and confirmed in the Cushing Lutheran Church. She attended eight years of grade school at the Cushing Elementary School. She graduated from St. Croix High School in 1961. She worked at the Luck Yo-Yo plant earning money to attend the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, where she received a bachelor degree in physical education. She taught six months in an intermediate school in Port Huron, Mich. In the fall of 1968, she came back to Wisconsin and signed a contract to teach physical education, driver’s education and coach girls sports at Unity High School were she taught for 34 years before retiring in June of 2000. Norma coached girls in gymnastics, softball and basketball helping them achieve championships at conference, sectional and state levels. She evoked respect, tolerance and diligence from her students and athletes many of whom have kept in touch over the years following their graduation. Her love of both indoor and outdoor sports, especially golf, were sources of her enjoyment after she retired. She was an avid Green Bay Packer fan.

Norma devoted time as a caregiver to her mom and anyone who was in need of special assistance.

Norma is survived by her mom, Ruth Thompson; her brother, Gerald (Jan) Thompson; sisters, Constance (Roger) Johnson, Carolyn (Randy) Olson, Kathy (Willie) Loberg and Debby Thompson and many relatives and friends.

Her father, Wallace Thompson; and her grandnephew, Luke Olson, preceded her in death.

A funeral service was held March 1, 2008, at the Cushing Lutheran Church located in Cushing, with Pastor Amy Hessel officiating. Interment was at the Cushing Cemetery in Cushing.

Memorials will be given in memory of Norma to the Cushing Lutheran Church, the Unity High School Scholarship Fund and the Humane Society of Burnett County.

The Edling Funeral Home, St. Croix Falls, was entrusted with arrangements.

Frances J. Nielsen Frances Jeannette (Hansen) Nielsen, age 83, of Edina, Minn., died Feb. 22, 2008.

Frances was born at the farm of her parents Jennie and Newell Hagen in Milltown, on May 14, 1924, weighing only 3.5 lbs. She was incubated on a woodfired oven door and was baptized the next day. She grew up at the family farm and attended school at Sunny View and Milltown High School. There she met her husband Harley, son of Martinus and Dorothy Nielsen, and they were married Dec. 21, 1941.

Together, they farmed the Maple Hill Poultry Farm and Hatchery then moved to the Twin Cities in 1946 where Harley began his career as a meat manager with the National Tea Company. Harley and Frances made their home near Lake Harriet in southwest Minneapolis where they lived over 40 years, which was followed by 12 years of happy condo-life in Edina.

Following Harley’s death in May 2007, Frances enjoyed a few months in assisted living at the Colony in Eden Prairie. Throughout their lives their hearts remained in Wisconsin, and in 1963 they purchased a cottage on the southwest shore of Bone Lake near their family homes. Frances was a charter member of Edina Community Lutheran Church. In these circles and so many others during their 65 years together, Frances and Harley made many cherished friendships which blessed them and continue to bless their family.

She was preceded in death by beloved husband of 65 years, Harley Carl Nielsen, infant son, James Edward and son-in-law, Robert Dembeck.

Frances is survived by sons, Lynn (Judy) and Bruce (Judy); daughter, Janet Dembeck; grandchildren, Susan (Rodney) Keller, Matthew Nielsen, Melissa Nielsen, Jason (Sara) Dembeck, Carey (Andrew) Erickson, Krista Dembeck and Jeffery Dembeck; great-grandchildren, Andrea and Colyn Erickson, Olivia and Chad Keller, Robbie and Abby Dembeck; and dear family friends Joe Leago, Mandy Buysman, John Heckert and Paulette Nielsen.

Memorials to Edina Community Lutheran Church in Edina, Minn.

Jeannette Marie Lunsmann Jeannette Marie Lunsmann, 75, a resident of the village of Centuria died at the St. Croix Regional Medical Center on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008.

Jeannette was born on Feb. 25, 1932, in Luck Township, to Adolph and Gertrude (Coen) Olesen.

She married Morris Lunsmann on Nov. 12, 1949, in Center City, Minn. To this union three children were born, Scott, Jeffery and Penny.

Jeannette worked at the Centuria Laundry for several years. She tended bar for awhile and also provided day care for a number of years, which she enjoyed.

She and Morris enjoyed snowmobiling, their motor home and fishing. She and Morris spent many weekends and summers at Dairyland where they had a trailer next to the Tamarack River.

After the death of her husband, she moved to the apartments in Centuria, where she enjoyed her friends and the continuing help and friendship of Cindy Dau and all of the people at the apartment building.

Jeanette is survived by her children, Scott (Lavonne) Lunsmann of Milltown, Penny (Jerry) Neely of Baldwin; six grandchildren, Mark (fiancée Jennifer Hill) Neely of Baldwin, Chad (Kim) Lunsmann of Chicago; Jesse Neely of Woodville, Jeremiah (significant other Kari) Lunsmann, Brian Neely of Hudson, Autumn (Ryan) Hyden of Milltown; seven great-grandchildren; brothers, Charles (Elizabeth) Olesen, Eugene Olesen, Royce (Betty) Olesen; sisters, Virginia Lunsmann, Bonnie Ellefson, Charlotte (Jerry) Johnson and Dixie Keenen.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband; son, Jeffrey; and sister; Connie and other in-laws.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 5, at the Kolstad Family Funeral Home in Centuria. Pastor Paul Foulke of the Holy Trinity United Methodist Church officiated. Interment was at St. John’s Cemetery in rural Centuria following the funeral service.

The Kolstad Family Funeral Home, Centuria, was entrusted with arrangements.

PAGE 22 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

OBITUARIES Mariette (Olson) Tyberg

Bernice B. Yelle

Violet Thorsbakken

Mariette (Olson) Tyberg, age 91, died Monday, Feb. 25, 2008 in Grantsburg.

She was born to Charlie and Lena Olson in Karlsborg.

Mariette taught in one-room schools; at Black Brook, Mud Hen Lake and Trade River. She was united in marriage to Lawrence Herbert Tyberg on June 27, 1942, in Karlsborg. She then moved to the home place in Freya, where she resided until just a few weeks prior to her death. To this union, three children were born, Dean, Dale and Kay. She was a faithful member of Calvary Covenant Church, having served on many boards and committees.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers Morris (twin), Rody, Irvin and Elwood; sisters, Clarice and Ethel.

She is survived by children, Dean (Judy) Tyberg of Grantsburg, Dale (Liz) Tyberg of Grantsburg and Kay Tyberg of Minneapolis; grandchildren Jeff (Tanya) Tyberg, Dena (Jeff) McConnell, Chris (Casey) Tyberg, Laurie (Mike) Patterson, Kurt Tyberg and Mark Tyberg; and great-grandchildren, Gunnar, Rachel, Elly, Chase, Carley and Blake; sisters-in-law Corrine Tyberg, Elsie Gutknecht and LaVone Olson, as well as many nieces, nephews, friends and her faithful companion Brutus.

Funeral services were held Friday, Feb. 29, at Calvary Covenant Church in Alpha, with Pastor Scott Sagle officiating. Music was provided by Jeff Tyberg and David Johnson, soloists, Cheryl Johnson and Dena McConnell, organists. Casket bearers were Christopher Tyberg, Jeff Tyberg, Mark Tyberg, Kurt Tyberg, Jeff McConnell and Michael Patterson, with honorary casket bearers Harold Buhil, Lee Roberts, Tom Jewell, Scott Peterson, Dale Peterson and Bill Jewell. Interment was at Freya Cemetery in Wood River Township.

The Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home, Webster, was entrusted with arrangements.

Bernice B. Yelle, age 92 of Clear Lake, died on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008, at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minn.

Bernice Yelle was born on April 27, 1915, in Trade Lake, the daughter of Clause and Selma (Borup) Berglund. She grew up in the Trade Lake area and graduated from Grantsburg High School in 1933.

When she was a young woman, Bernice moved to the Twin Cities, was married, and raised one daughter, Susan. She worked for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company in St. Paul for 22 years before she retired.

Bernice was married to Edward T. Yelle on Oct. 15, 1982, and she moved to Clear Lake. Bernice enjoyed cooking, gardening, sewing, fishing and golfing. She and Ed also enjoyed traveling in their motor home around the U.S. and abroad.

Bernice was also an active member of the Clear Lake VFW Ladies Auxiliary and served with the Clear Lake United Covenant Ladies Aid where she attended church.

She is preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Earl, Lester and Edward Berglund; sisters, Florence Melin, Ethel Selin and Lillian Nord.

She is survived by her husband; daughter, Susan (Roger) Pennington of Cottage Grove, Minn.; granddaughters, Nicole (Kyle) Lovgren of Burnsville, Minn. and Ashley Pennington of Cottage Grove, Minn.; greatgrandchild, Nevaeh Pennington; sisters, Arlene Drotz of Puyallup, Wash., Helen Carlson of Grantsburg and Vernice Carlson of Andover, Minn.

Funeral services were held at the United Covenant Church, Clear Lake, on Friday, Feb. 29, with Pastor Gary Tonn officiating. Organist was Margaret Peterson.

Interment was at Clear Lake Cemetery in Clear Lake.

Casket bearers were Roger Pennington, Kyle Lovgren, Ashley Pennington, David Carlson, Rick Yelle and Mark DeVallier.

The Scheuermann-Hammer Funeral Home, Clear Lake, was entrusted with arrangements.

Violet Thorsbakken, age 103, of Barron died Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008, at Luther Midelfort Northland Extended Care in Barron.

She was born May 16, 1904, in Chetek Township, the daughter of William and Mina (Cottington) Owen. She grew up in the town of Prairie Lake and graduated from Chetek High School.

She attended Barron County Normal School and graduated with a degree in teaching. Violet taught at the Africa and Pershing country schools. On Aug. 18, 1926, she married Martin Thorsbakken at the family cottage on Prairie Lake. They farmed in the town of Maple Grove and later farmed in the town of Barron. Violet and Martin retired in 1976 and moved into the city of Barron. Violet and Martin owned and operated milk routes and three root beer stands. They also raised turkeys for Jeromeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. For many years, they spent their winters in Clermont, Fla. Violet was active in the homemakers club. She loved fishing, camping, attending senior communion, playing games and her outdoor flowers. She enjoyed her grandchildren very much. She was a member at First Lutheran Church in Barron.

She is survived by her sons, Dale (Ardis) Thorsbakken of Cameron, Dr. Arden (Patricia) Thorsbakken of Eau Claire, Robert (Kay) Thorsbakken of Frederic; daughter, Rose Marie (Roland) Gilbertson, of Amery; 15 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; seven greatgreat-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; three brothers; and two sisters.

Funeral services were held Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008, at 11 a.m. at First Lutheran Church in Barron, with the Rev. Bruce Beyer officiating. Burial was at Wayside Cemetery in Barron.

Mary Ann Welu Mary Ann Welu, age 80, died Feb. 23, 2008.

Mary Ann was born in Gary, S.D., on June 23, 1927; and raised in Tracy, Minn. She was the fifth of 10 children born to Theodore and Hattie Bergeron.

She married William Pfarr in 1946, and they had daughters Darlene (Gary) Thompson and Gloria (Steven) Brogaard. In 1956 she married Vincent Welu and to this union were born Vincent Theodore (who died in infancy), Cynthia (Jeffrey) Olson and Darla (Earl) Nick.

Mary Ann lived her life in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. In 1970 she made her home in New Richmond, until the death of Vincent in 1975. In 1995 she moved to Luck, to live out her remaining years.

Mary Ann is preceded in death by her husband; infant son; daughter, Gloria; her parents; brothers, Theodore (Teddy) Bergeron, Jerome Bergeron, Francis Bergeron and John Bergeron; and sisters, Agnes (Sis) Varro, Martha Reinhardt, Rosalea Carlson and Rose Marie (Rosie) Wilhelm.

She is survived by three daughters; grandchildren, Dawn, Shannon, Aprilla, James, Timothy, Joseph, Twila, Lea, Annetta, Donovan, Starlla, TJ, Angela, David, Nicole, Donald (Bob) and Adam; many greatgrandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and sister, Katherine Paulsen.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, Feb. 27, at Rowe Funeral Home in Luck, with the Rev. Mary Ann Bowman officiating. Music was provided by Margie Nelson, Alexandra Friberg, Angela Williamson and Brent Koehn. Interment was at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minn.

The Rowe Funeral Home of Luck was entrusted with arrangements.

Edward C. Ross Edward C. Ross, age 86, of Grantsburg, died on March, 3, 2008, at Burnett Medical Center.

Ed was born in Minneapolis, on Jan. 10, 1922, to Charles and Esther Ross. He married Maxine Harriet Williamson in 1946. Ed was an auto mechanic for most of his life. He retired 24 years ago.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Ernest, Harold, Vernon and Cliff; two sisters, Marvella Jones and Marcella. He is survived by his wife; son, Lanie (Judy) Ross; granddaughter, Tammy (Craig) Syring; great-grandchildren Rebecca (Bruce) Erichsen, Dean Syring; great-great-grandson, Leland Erichsen; brother, Victor (Bernice) Ross; sister, Esther Lindsy; many nieces and nephew, other relatives and friends.

Memorial services will be held at Trade River Evangelical Free Church, Trade River, Anderson Township, at 2 p.m., on Saturday, March 8. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will take place at Trade River Cemetery.

The Edling Funeral Home, Grantsburg, was entrusted with the arrangements.

Edmond F. Hacken Jr. Edmond F. Hacken Jr. died Tuesday, Feb. 26, at Regions Hospital at the age of 64.

Ed was born Sept. 14, 1943, at St. Croix Falls to Edmond and Evangeline Hacken.

He was preceded in death by his parents and infant brother.

He is survived by his children, Tracy, Paula (Greg) Thaemert, Rory, Julie (Allen) Ebert and Janelle (Tom) Anderson; brother, Jeffrey; 10 grandchildren; one expected great-grandchild, uncle, aunts, nieces, nephews and other family and friends.

A memorial gathering will be held Friday, March 7, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Milltown Community Center.

The Grandstrand Funeral Home, Osceola, was entrusted with arrangements.

Opal Madson Opal Madson, 85, of Spring Valley, died Friday, Feb. 29, at her home.

Opal lived in Spring Valley most of her life. She entertained for many years at local nursing homes, care centers and senior centers with her special friend Herb Luer.

She is survived by two daughters and one son: Carol (Bill) Rice of Ham Lake, Minn., Janet (Sam) Leehe of Blountville, Tenn., and Larry (Dianne) Madson of Spring Valley; seven grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; three sisters; many other relatives and friends.

Visitation is Sunday from 3-7 p.m. at Keehr Funeral Home, Spring Valley, and at church one hour prior to the service on Monday. Service is on Monday at 11 a.m. at Gilman Lutheran Church, Spring Valley, with burial in the church cemetery.

The Keehr Funeral Home, Spring Valley, was entrusted with arrangements.

James R. Stone James R. Stone of Dresser died Friday, Feb. 29, 2008, at the age of 44 as the result of an auto accident in Somerset Township.

James was born Sept. 9, 1963, in New York City to Sharon and George Stone. On Aug. 8, 1999, he married his wife Wendy in St. Paul, Minn. He served in the U.S. Navy and was currently employed as a mail carrier.

James was preceded in death by his father, George.

He is survived by his wife, Wendy; stepchildren, Jesse Lucht, Jenna Lucht and Jake Lucht; mother, Sharon; sisters, Voni (David) Wald, Jacqueline (Brian) Atnip and Michelle Smith; brothers, Mark (Dorothy) Kurta, Roy (Macy) Kurtz and Don Midtang; numerous nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

The family will greet friends from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, March 7, at the Grandstrand Funeral Home in Osceola. There will be a memorial service at 6 p.m. lead by Messianic Rabbi Simon DeLaPena.

The Grandstrand Funeral Home, Osceola, was entrusted with arrangements.

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 23

CHURCH NEWS There’s strength in weakness

to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was Bunker Hill Monument commemorates buried, and that He was raised on the third a defeat, which for a long time was looked day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthiupon with chagrin and disappointment; ans 15:1-4 NASB). and yet that defeat was really the birthIn this life we can at times seem to have throe of our country, and had more gloricome upon defeat. There are times when all ous results and more widespreading seems lost. We need to ever remember that influence than most victories. So the faour defeats will become victories being mous Termopylae was a defeat, but has Garret faithful children of God. Remember, thrilled the ages because it was a moral “Thanks be to God, who giveth us the vicDerouin tory victory. through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ThereSpiritually speaking, the crucifixion of fore, “my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, Jesus was much like that colonial defeat. unmovable, always abounding in the work THE When our Lord was hung on that cruel of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that cross it seemed as thought the devil had PREACHER’S your labor is not vain in the Lord” (1 won - there seemed to be defeat, but in rePEN Corinthians 15:57-58). Think About It! ality this was our Lord’s greatest victory.

(Written By Tom Moore).

There was victory in the face of seeming If readers have questions or simply wish defeat! It is because of this victory that we to know more about the Church of Christ, have hope of eternal life. we would like to invite them to call 715-866-7157 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel or stop by the church building at 7425 W. Birch St. which I preached to you, which also you received, in Webster. Sunday Bible class begins at 9:30 a.m. in which also you stand, by which also you are and worship begins at 10:30 a.m. We also meet saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. Office hours are to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered Tuesdays through Fridays, 9 a.m. - noon.

Defeat?

Sometimes it’s a circus at the corn piles outside my office window.

The largest deer chase smaller ones, the grouse goes after red squirrels, and the squirrels run the blue jays Sally Bair off.

However, it’s not always the biggest and strongest that do the chasing. One day a tiny red squir- PERSPECTIVES rel ran after a much larger gray squirrel. I also saw two young deer stalk off, turn around, and charge into the feeding frenzy of several more mature doe, scattering them.

Once, a red squirrel chased a blue jay up a tree until it had to fly elsewhere. If not by physical strength, they won by their boldness and wits.

In the world of humans, the strongest usually win the prize. Society teaches that we need to be strong to survive. We’re taught, especially in the work world, to build ourselves up and seek strength so we can dominate others. How-to books and seminars tout methods, formulas, and techniques for becoming richer and gaining more power. Even the weaker and less qualified are encouraged to “become the strongest.”

Jesus gave us a different approach for becoming stronger. We must become weak in order to become strong, he tells us. Such a paradox goes against all that we’re taught and all that we see in this world. Jesus’ method, however, guarantees that we will produce more spiritual fruit for the Kingdom of God. The fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) makes us spiritually strong.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) Meek doesn’t mean weak. Meekness implies gentleness and patience.

And that is where true strength lies.

The apostle Paul learned the secret of true strength.

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) Paul also said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Thank you, Lord, for the strength you provide through your Word and your Spirit, that enables us to love the unlovely and unloving, to rejoice in all circumstances, and to be humble before the lowliest of the low. In Jesus’ name, amen.

(Mrs. Bair may be reached at sallybair@gmail.com)

ETERNAL

OBITUARIES Glen Richard Wicklund Glen (Bear) Wicklund, 61, of Falun, died suddenly at home on Feb. 5, 2008.

Glen was born Nov. 13, 1946, in Electric City, Wash., to Lloyd and Vera Miller. On Oct. 25, 1948, brother Donny was born to join the family. Lloyd died suddenly in 1951. Vera, Glen and Donny returned to Vera’s home in Wisconsin later that year.

Vera and Delbert Wicklund were united in marriage in 1952. Delbert adopted Glen and Donny into the Wicklund family. Sue and Julie were later born, and the family made their home in Trade Lake. Glen graduated from the Frederic High School in 1964. Two weeks later, he joined the U.S. Army Blue Devils. He worked on cutting edge communication and radar defense. He was honorably discharged in 1965. He received the National Defense and Sharp Shooting Medals.

In 1969, Glen was united in marriage to Kathy Tschmperlin. To this union, a son, Collin, was born on Dec. 24, 1969. They were together for several years.

In 1974, an accident left him disabled, but did not slow him down enough not to enjoy his favorite things in life. Anytime he could go fishing, hunting or just be with family and friends, Glen was his happiest.

Glen is survived by son, Collin (Angel) Wicklund; grandsons, Jacob and Troy; granddaughter, Linzy; brother, Donny (Mary) Wicklund; sisters, Sue Wicklund, Julie (Jeff) Chell; father, Delbert Wicklund; nephews and nieces, Dawn (Tony) Durand, Noah Wicklund, Sjona Mitchell, Erick (Missy) Simonsen, Neal Simonsen and Anna (Brian) McKinney.

He was preceded in death by his father, Lloyd Miller; mother, Vera Wicklund; brother-in-law, Alan Simonsen and niece Sandra Wicklund.

A celebration of life was held Saturday, Feb. 9, in Trade Lake, with a gathering of friends and a time of remembrance.

The Edling Funeral Home, Grantsburg, was entrusted with arrangements.

Baptism held at Bone Lake Lutheran

Johnny Ray Bossingham was baptized by Pastor Mary Ann Bowman on Jan. 20. Johnny’s parents are Jessica and Sethen Bossingham of Oral, S.D. His sponsors are Ben and Julie Buck (Julie is shown holding Johnny), Erica Nickerson and Jason Dumire. – Photo submitted

PAGE 24 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

CHURCH NEWS Raising teens requires delicate balance of freedom, order QUESTION: If power is so important to teenagers, then it must play a key role in family dynamics. How does it work itself out at home?

DR. DOBSON: You’ve asked a very perceptive question. It is a wise parent who knows intuitively how to transfer power, or independence, to the next generation. That task requires a balancing act between two equally dangerous extremes. They dare not set their teenagers free before they are mature enough to handle the autonomy – even though they are screaming for it. Adolescents still need parental leadership and parents are obligated to provide it – that’s the law of the land. One of the characteristics of those who acquire power too early is a prevailing attitude of disrespect for authority. It extends to teachers, ministers, policemen, judges and even to God himself. Such an individual has never yielded to parental leadership at home. Why should he or she submit himself to anyone else? For a rebellious teenager it is only a short step from there to drug abuse, sexual experimentation, running away and so on. The early acquisition of power has claimed countless young victims by this very process.

On the other hand, there is an equally dangerous mistake to be avoided at the latter end of adolescence.

We must not wait too long to set our young adults free.

Self-determination is a basic human right to which every adult is entitled. To withhold that liberty too long is to incite wars of revolution.

My good friend, Jay Kesler, observed that Mother England made that specific mistake with her children

in the American colonies. They grew to become rebellious “teenagers” who demanded their freedom. Still she refused to release them and unnecessary bloodshed ensued.

Fortunately, England learned a valuable lesson from that painful experience. Some 171 years later, she granted a peaceful and orderly Dr. James transfer of power to another tempesDobson tuous offspring named India. Revolution was averted. At the risk of being redundant, let me summarize our goal as parents: first, we must not transfer power too early, even if our children take us daily to the battlefield. Mothers who make that mistake are some of the most frustrated people on the face of the Earth. On the other hand, we must not retain parental power too long. Control will be torn from our grasp if we refuse to surrender it voluntarily. The granting of self-determination should be matched stride for stride with the arrival of maturity, culminating with complete release during early adulthood.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? We all know better. I consider this orderly transfer of power to be one of the most delicate and difficult responsibilities in the entire realm of parenthood.

••• QUESTION: Can boys and girls be taught to treat each other with respect? That seems like a tough assignment.

DR. DOBSON: They certainly can! Young people are naturally more sensitive and empathetic than adults.

FOCUS ON THE

FAMILY

Their viciousness is a learned response, resulting from the highly competitive and hostile world in which they live – a world we have allowed to develop. They are destructive to the weak and lowly because we adults haven’t bothered to teach them to feel for one another.

One of the values children cherish most is justice.

They are uneasy in a world of injustice and abuse.

Therefore, when we teach children respect for others by insisting on civility in our classrooms, we’re laying a foundation for human kindness in the world of adulthood to come. It is a fundamental attitude that should be taught in every classroom and every home.

••• QUESTION: What do you think of the phrase “Children should be seen and not heard”?

DR. DOBSON: That statement reveals a profound ignorance of children and their needs. I can’t imagine how any loving adult could raise a vulnerable little boy or girl by that philosophy. Children are like clocks, they must be allowed to run!

••• Dr. Dobson is founder and chairman of the board of the nonprofit organization Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO 80995(www.family.org). Questions and answers are excerpted from “Solid Answers” and “Bringing Up Boys,” both published by Tyndale House.

Brought to you by:

Pilgrim Lutheran Church Frederic

Celebrate You - A Day with Janie Jasin LUCK – The Enthusiastic Woman and Her Life’s Journey will be held Saturday, March 15, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. This is a time and place for women of all ages to learn about the qualities the enthusiastic woman possess, and how they apply to her own life journey. It is a time to be together, to identify your own enthusiastic woman qualities, and how they serve you. An interlude of time to be inspired, motivated, recharged and validated.

Renowned motival speaker, author and humorist, Janie Jasin will be the speaker. Jasin’s speaking style explodes like fireworks. Her deep and abiding love of people and her belief in their ability to grow and prosper impacts audiences in a powerful way, gaining her

rave reviews wherever she goes. Jasin has a joyous wisdom that moves hearts and minds. Janie’s success is a culmination of hard work, great talent and years of education and experience. Jasin is a seasoned keynote speaker with 32 years of presenting to audiences, totaling more than 3 million people. She is the winner of the Certified Speaking Professional Designation from The National Speaker’s Association, a rank held by only 5 percent of its members.

Celebrate You ! - A Day With Janie Jasin, will be held at the Bone Lake Lutheran Church, 1101 CTH I in Luck.

The cost per person will be $28, and includes Mingle n’ Meet Janie and others; luncheon (soup, salad, sandwich, dessert and beverage, catered by The Wren Café

of Luck); keynote presentation by Janie Jasin and more.

Please note: Attendance will be limited to the first 130 paid registrations received, so don’t wait to register and miss out on this opportunity. ** Scholarships and financial consideration available for persons that find themselves financially challenged at this time.

Contact Linda Glenn at : lsglenn@lakeland.ws or by calling 715-472-2662 for information or to register. If interested, you must preregister for this event, so meals can be planned in accordance to those registered. - submitted

MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 25

PAGE 26 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

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MARCH 5, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 27

Students of the Week GRANTSBURG

FREDERIC

Ethan Alexander has been chosen Frederic Elementary School’s student of the week. He is in first grade and the son of Jamie Worthington and Steve Alexander.

Ethan is responsible, respectful and conscientious about his work.

He is a good friend to his classmates. Ethan enjoys reading, phy ed. and recess. He loves to go tubing, snowmobiling and fishing.

Danielle Swanson has been chosen Frederic Middle School’s student of the week. She is in eighth grade and the daughter of Dar and Craig Swanson. Danielle has been involved in dance since she was 2 years old. Her hobbies include music, shopping, technology and being with family and friends. Danielle plans on going to the University of Minnesota for music or acting.

Zach Tietz has been chosen Frederic High School’s student of the week. He is a freshman and the son of Joe and Donna Tietz. Zach is willing to help others and is easygoing and laid back. He is involved in FFA, farming, football and 4-H. Zach enjoys farming, hunting and fishing. He plans on farming in the future.

Matthias Hintz has been chosen Grantsburg High School’s student of the week. He is a sophomore and the son of Todd and Priscilla Hintz. Matt is always on time, prepared and polite. He is a positive role model in the classroom. Matt is an incredibly polite young man who strives to make a good impression.

He is plans on going out for golf, football and basketball. He has an interest in the Army and police work, and plans to go to college.

ST. CROIX FALLS

LUCK

Aviana Hulett has been chosen Luck Elementary School’s student of the week. She is in third grade and the daughter of Jeff and Andrea Hulett. Aviana is thoughtful, willing to work hard and helps others. She likes horses and playing games.

Jillian Peterson has been chosen Luck Middle School’s student of the week. She is in seventh grade and the daughter of Kris and Neil Peterson. Jillian is a hard worker, always does her best, is respectful to teachers and peers and follows school rules. She is a positive contributor in class, helpful to other students and friendly to everyone.

Jillian is involved in Girl Scouts, dance, basketball, volleyball, softball and church youth band. She enjoys going to the movies.

Nick Morgan has been chosen Luck High School’s student of the week. He is a junior and the son of Joel and Barb Morgan. Nick is in Russian and Spanish classes.

He is always focused and detailed on his work and it really pays off for him. Nick is involved in basketball, football and track. He enjoys exercising, playing video games and going places. His future plans include college.

Alaina Driscoll has been chosen St. Croix Falls Elementary School’s student of the week.

She is second grade and the daughter of John and Kris Driscoll. Math is her favorite subject, along with art and phy ed.

Alaina is a good reader. She enjoys playing Yahtzee and in the summer she plays soccer and enjoys swimming and biking.

Alaina has one sister, Jenna, in kindergarten.

Christina Luna has been chosen Siren Middle School’s student of the week. She is in eighth grade.

Christina is a conscientious student who deliberately strives for intellectual achievement. She challenges herself with literature classics, currently “Wuthering Heights.” Christina verbalizes her desire to be at the top of her class. She reflects on her current performance and meets the challenges when trying to perform at a high level.

Dan Larson has been chosen St. Croix Falls High School’s student of the week. He is a senior. Dan had a great wrestling season and always works hard. He is in the Army Reserve, where he continues to strive to be his best. He enjoys racing, fishing, hunting, building engines and racecars.

Dan’s favorite subject is shop class.

WEBSTER

SIREN

Kohl Kettula has been chosen Siren Elementary School’s student of the week. He is in second grade. Kohl is always on time for class and eager to learn. He participates in discussions and is willing to help other students.

Outside of school Kohl enjoys playing with his friends and going to his sister’s athletic events.

Overall Kohl enjoys school and being with friends and family.

Crystal Anderson has been chosen St. Croix Falls Middle School’s student of the week.

She is in eighth grade and the daughter of Tom and Janelle Anderson. Crystal has one brother and one sister, three cats and one dog. Her favorite pastimes are writing short stories, snowboarding and being with friends.

Crystal is involved in student council and her favorite subject is math.

Collin Tewalt has been chosen Siren High School’s student of the week. He is the son of Tim Tewalt of Colorado, and currently lives with his grandparents. Collin is a role model for younger students and an active participant in all school activities.

Collin is involved with the school musical, band, pep band and is a member of gang-green during the sporting events. Collin is an upstanding young adult who is polite and pleasant to be around. He takes his schoolwork seriously and helps out his peers when the need arises.

Congratulations students on a job well done!

Savannah Varner has been chosen Webster Elementary School’s student of the week.

She is in third grade and the daughter of Mitchell and Cindy Varner. Savannah is always pleasant and willing to help anyone. She loves to read and take spelling tests.

UNITY

Olivia Ozmun has been chosen Unity Elementary School’s student of the week. She is in second grade and the daughter of Robert and Kelly Ozmun. Olivia is an exceptional student and role model to her peers. Her classmates look to her for direction, and she is always there to help. Olivia is well loved by her family, teachers and classmates.

Ben Bengston has been chosen Unity Middle School’s student of the week. He is in eighth grade and the son of Jeremy and Lisa Bengston. Ben works really hard and has a great attitude. He also participates in class, and is a class leader.

Chad Strilzuk has been chosen Unity High School’s student of the week. He is a senior and the son of Greg and Brenda Strilzuk of Balsam Lake. Chad has shown professionalism and determination in his coursework and leads by example in the classroom and in competition. He has received a football scholarship to the University of Minn.-Duluth and plans to major in the business field.

PAGE 28 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- MARCH 5, 2008

MARCH

THURSDAY/6 Amery

• Birthday dinner, 11:45 a.m.; poker, 1 p.m., at the senior center.

Frederic • 500 Cards night, 6:30 p.m., at the senior center.

• Diabetes Night Out: Living and Learning Diabetes program at the clinic, 5-7 p.m., 715483-0248, 800-828-3627.

• Support group for people with bipolar disorder and depression at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 7:30 p.m. Call 715-327-4436 for more info.

Coming events

Frederic

• American Cancer Society Run/Walk committee meeting, 5 p.m., in the Upper Fireside Room at Pilgrim Lutheran Church.

St. Croix Falls • Exercise by YMCA, 10-11 a.m.; Skipbo 11noon; 500 cards and dominos 12:30-4 p.m., at the senior center.

Siren • Marine Corps League meeting at Little Mexico, 7 p.m. Call Thomas Cox, 715-327-4882.

WEDNESDAY/12

FRI. & SAT./7 & 8

Frederic

• Pokeno played, 1 p.m., at the senior center.

Frederic

THURSDAY/13

• Prairie Fire Children’s Theater’s “Snow White” at the elementary school, 7:30 p.m., 715-327-4868.

Balsam Lake

• First class of session for Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class at the government center, 13:30 p.m., 715-485-8599.

FRI. - SUN./7-9 Balsam Lake

• “Back to the ‘80s!...the Totally Awesome Musical!” at Unity High School. Friday & Saturday 7 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m., 715-825-2101.

Frederic • Polk-Burnett Retired Educators’ Assoc. meeting at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church.

Reservations by March 10, Dorothy Mattson, 715-648-5395.

• 500 Cards night, 6:30 p.m., at the senior center.

FRIDAY/7 Balsam Lake

• Sen. Harsdorf listening session at the village hall/library, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 800-8621092.

Grantsburg

• Mike Lynch Star Party at the high school, 79 p.m., 715-463-5165, ext. 160.

Centuria

• World Day of Prayer service at Fristad Lutheran Church, 1:30 p.m. Call 715-646-2357 or 715-485-3105 for more info.

St. Croix Falls

Frederic

• Sen. Harsdorf listening session at the village hall, 8:30-9:30 a.m., 800-862-1092.

St. Croix Falls • Bingo, 1-3 p.m., at the senior center.

SATURDAY/8 Amery

• VFW presents “The Elvis Experience” at Tac Entertainment Center, 8 p.m., 715-2688393.

Balsam Lake

This barred owl looks as though he’s ready to nap in the early-morning sun after a long, cold night of hunting mice. - Photo by Carl Heidel

Rice Lake

Balsam Lake

• NW Graziers Conference at UW-Barron, registration 9 a.m., conference 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 715-635-3506, 715-485-8600.

• Skywarn spotter class at the Justice Center, 2-6:30 p.m., 715-485-9280.

St. Croix Falls

• SCVO spring orchestra concert at Parmly Nursing Home, 7 p.m.

• Wedding & event show at Holiday Inn Express, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 715-483-3878.

Webster • Senior Citizen’s Buffet Luncheon/Free Bingo begining at noon at senior center.

Centuria

SUNDAY/9

Frederic • Food fellowship & games at the senior center.

Luck • Sue Orfield Band Benefit for Lamar at Cafe Wren, 8-11 p.m., www.lamarcommunity.org.

Milltown • 500 card party at United VFW Post 6856, 2 p.m., proceeds go to Cancer Aid & Research.

• Exercise by YMCA, 10-11 a.m.; Skipbo 11noon; 500 cards and dominos 12:30-4 p.m.; 500 cards, 6:30-9:30 p.m., at the senior center.

• Community Garden info/planning meeting at the city hall, 7 p.m.

Siren

• 9th-annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser at the fire department, 4-7 p.m.

• Earth Arts monthly meeting, 6 p.m. Details at www.earthartswi.org or 715-488-2957.

Balsam Lake • American Red Cross CPR for the Professional Rescuer Course, 3-9 p.m., at the Polk County Red Cross Office. Preregistration is requested, call Terry Anderson at 715-485-3025.

Dresser

St. Croix Falls

Osceola

Amery

• Pool Tourney, 9 a.m.; women’s pool, 1 p.m., at the senior center.

• Chronic Illness/Disability Support Group at Peace Lutheran Church, 6:30 p.m., 715-7552515.

• Exercise by YMCA, 10-11 a.m.; Skipbo 11noon; 500 cards and dominos 12:30-4 p.m.; 500 cards, 6:30-9:30 p.m., at the senior center.

• Pokeno played, 1 p.m., at the senior center.

TUESDAY/11

Amery

• Brunch at the senior center, 12:30 p.m., public welcome.

• UW Badger Band performs at the high school, 2 p.m., 715-268-9771, ext. 220.

Chisago City, Minn.

Ladysmith

• Indianhead Community Action Agency executive committee meeting in the ICAA Conference Room at 209 E. 3rd Street S., 1 p.m.

Luck • NARFE dinner meeting at Hog Wild, noon, 715-327-8658.

Trade Lake

St. Croix Falls • Art Group, 9:30 a.m.-noon, at the senior center.

• Grief and loss support group meeting at SCRMC, 2-3:30 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m., 715-4830272 for more info.

Amery

FRIDAY/14 Amery

• Bingo at the senior center, 1 p.m.

Frederic • Spades played, 1:30 p.m., at the senior center.

• “Passion of Christ” movie shown at Trade Lake Baptist Church at 6 p.m. For more info call 715-327-8402 or 715-327-8858.

MONDAY/10

• Ruby’s Pantry behind The Place to Be, 4 p.m.

• Burnett County Sustainability study group meets at the village hall, 7-8:30 p.m., 715-6352197.

Frederic • Northwest Regional Writers meet at Sunrise Apts., 1 p.m. Assignment: write on “Behind the Curtain.”

• Pokeno played, 1 p.m., at the senior center.

Grantsburg • SCVO spring orchestra concert at Faith Lutheran Church, 7:30 p.m.

Luck • American Cancer Society Annual Kickoff for Luck Area Walk/Run Finish Line at Café Wren, 7 a.m. RSVP to Patti, 715-472-2654.

Osceola • Heidi Haskin CD release party at Cornerstone Square, 7 p.m., www.heidihaskin.com.

• Cribbage at the senior center, 1:30 p.m.

Ring of Kerry returns to Festival Theatre ST. CROIX FALLS – Ring of Kerry will open the St. Croix Festival Theatre 2008 Music Series on St. Patrick’s Day weekend with two concerts – Saturday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 16, at 2 p.m.

A bursting-with-energy Irish music group, Ring of Kerry captures the hearts of its listeners. The band plays a hearty stew of romping and rollicking jigs, reels and hornpipes punctuated by beautiful and evocative ballads. It also incorporates exotic rhythms brought home by seafaring world travelers. For the first time on the Festival stage, Ring of Kerry will be joined by Irish dancers.

“Our Ring of Kerry concerts sell out every year – so we’ve added a Sunday matinee to make room for everyone,” said Festival Director, Danette Olsen.

“We all have such a great time with this group, we just have to invite them back to do St. Paddy’s day right! The Mezzanine Café will be stocked with Guinness and I’m certain we’ll all celebrate in style.”

Ring of Kerry will open the St. Croix Festival Theatre 2008 Music Series on St. Patrick’s Day weekend and will hold two concerts.

All five members of the group sing and play several instruments. With sounds that range from the thunder of the Irish bodhran drum to the sparkle of the hammered dulcimer; from the lilt and rhythm of fiddle and guitar to the haunt-

ing wails of the flute, the band has developed a blend that is energetic, beautiful and fun. Reserved seats for the Ring of Kerry concert are $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

During the season, nine additional

concerts round out the music series including Big Top Chautauqua with their “Wild Waters and Woods” celebration of the St. Croix River on April 19, and a Nat King Cole tribute concert on Mother’s Day weekend, May 10. Phil Heywood, Dakota Dave Hull, Ann Reed, Robert Robinson and Monroe Crossing are some of the other musicians who will take the stage at Festival Theatre in 2008.

To receive a 2008 season brochure, stop in at Festival Theatre or request one by phone or e-mail. 2008 Flex Pass tickets are on sale now for savings up to 35 percent on plays and concerts. Single tickets for the music series range in price from $20 to $30 with a discount for calling in advance of the concert date. Festival Theatre is located in downtown St. Croix Falls at 210 North Washington Street.

For more information, to order tickets or join the Festival Theatre mailing list, call 715-483-3387 or 888-887-6002. You may also send an e-mail via the Web site at www.festivaltheatre.org. - from Festival Theatre