Leader|september 5|2007

Leader

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

WEEKEND WATCH: • Wheels & Wings @ Osceola • Luck H.S. fundraiser @ golf course • Dairyland F.D. and First Responders Chicken Feed @ Cozy Corner • Mason/Shriners Family & Friends Picnic @ Siren

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Anger, accusations at GAM meeting Status of consulting firm unresolved PAGE 3

Charges dropped

Judge rules “no proper consent” to search home in Burnett County case PAGE 5

Resident airs concern over development

New homeowner in Dresser questions fairness in property appearance and practices enforcement PAGE 5

Siren board approves hiring interim administrator/dean of students Hiring will fill void left by resignation of principal PAGE 2

State treasurer to visit local counties In Polk this Thursday PAGE 2

The Labor Day Weekend doesn’t always bring fun and relaxation - and in some cases is taken literally. This construction worker at the new O’Reilly Auto Parts store in Siren, waits for another load of steel to be lifted up to him with help of a crane, Sunday. The new store, located next to Four Winds Market in Siren, is progressing rapidly. The company currently has a store along the west side of Hwy. 35/70 north of Siren. - Photos by Gary King

Man arrested after found living at SCF church PAGE 7 SPORTS Spotlight hits Frederic’s Candace Buck one of 17 girls playing high school football in Wisconsin

PAGE 2 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

State treasurer to visit area

Hoofin’ it

POLK/WASHBURN COUNTIES — Wisconsin State Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass will continue her County Courthouse Tour by visiting the Polk County Governmnet Center on Thursday, Sept. 6, from 3 to 4 p.m. and the Washburn County Courthouse in Shell Lake on Friday, Sept. 7, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

Sass will be meeting with Janet Ullom, county treasurer, as well as providing information to citizens about the various programs provided by the treasurer’s office.

Sass will have the unclaimed property database so that local citizens can search the database to determine if they have unclaimed property owed to them.

Currently, there are over 11,000 people from the counties of Dunn, Polk, Washburn and Barron counties with over $1.9 million owed to them. Citizens will have the opportunity to learn how to request a claim form on-site.

Treasurer Sass will be available to meet with any citizen who walks in the door. “I want to use this tour as a method of building awareness of the state treasurer’s office,” Sass said. “Between our Unclaimed Property Department, our College Savings Program, and our Local Government Pool, we have many services to provide to Wisconsinites. I encourage the citizens to stop by and learn more about how the treasurer’s office can assist you.”

Under Wisconsin statute, after one to five years of inactivity Wisconsin businesses are mandated to turn all

Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass unclaimed money, stock and safe deposit boxes over to the state treasurer’s office for safekeeping. There is no time limit for collecting your unclaimed property.

Currently, the state treasurer’s office has approximately $281 million and $58 million in stock assets that belong to the citizens and businesses of Wisconsin. There are roughly 900,000 people in the state who are owed unclaimed property.

Wisconsin State Treasurer Sass will be at the Barron County Courthouse from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Friday, Sept. 7. — from the office of Wisconsin State Treasurer Sass

Board approves hiring interim administrator/dean of students

by Nancy Jappe SIREN – Following discussion at a special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 4, the Siren School Board voted to post the position of interim building administrator or dean of students to fill the vacancy left when elementary principal Jennifer Vogler resigned. This position will be for the 2007-2008 school year, and the notice will be posted until the position is filled. One person has already applied.

No requirement was made for a person with K-6 credentials, with the under-

standing that whoever applies would likely hold K-12 certification. This would provide the district with the flexibility to use the person throughout the building.

However, the emphasis is to be on hiring someone to fill the vacant elementary position.

The district will start the hiring process for the permanent position in January 2008. Anyone who is interested in serving on the hiring committee for this position is asked to contact the district office.

Cooperatives merge

Not intimidated by oncoming traffic, this bold pair weren’t about to give up their right of way on a Frederic area back road. - Photo by Gary King

INTER-COUNTY

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.

How to subscribe:

The Inter-County Leader [ISS No. 8750-9091] is published weekly. Subscription prices are $30/yr. in Polk and Burnett counties $34/yr. in Barron, Chisago, Washburn, St. Croix counties; $37/yr. anywhere in the United States $22/yr. for servicemen or women $22/yr. for students or schools (9 months).

Payment is needed before we can start the subscription. No refunds on subscriptions.

Persons may subscribe online at www.the-leader.net, write us at Inter-County Leader, Box 490, Frederic, WI 54837, or stop by one of our three offices.

Manager Doug Panek dougpanek@centurytel.net Editor Gary B. King, Editor gbking@centurytel.net Staff writers/contributors Marty Seeger mseeger@centurytel.net Tammi Milberg tammi@centurytel.net Nancy Jappe njappe@centurytel.net Sherill Summer the-leader@centurytel.net Mary Stirrat mstirrat@centurytel.net Gregg Westigard greggw@lakeland.ws Julie Holmquist the-leader@centurytel.net Editorial assistant Raelynn Hunter rael@centurytel.net Composition Raelynn Hunter Jackie Thorwick

NORTHWEST WISCONSIN - Goldstar Cooperative is merging with Countryside Cooperative. On Aug. 31, voting members of Goldstar Cooperative approved the merger with a 64-percent approval rate. Countryside Cooperative members approved the merger with a 54-percent approval rate. The merger will become effective on Dec. 1. The newly merged

The Inter-County Leader is a qualified newspaper for the publication of legal notices, meeting the requirements as set forth in Chapter 985.03 of the Wisconsin Statutes. Every government official or board that handles public money should publish at regular intervals an accounting of it, showing where and how each dollar is spent.

We hold this to be a fundamental principle of democratic government.

Publisher reserves right to reject any advertisement or news release or letter of opinion at any time.

Member • National Newspaper Association • Wisconsin Newspaper Association

HOW TO REACH US: Web page: www.the–leader.net E-mail: the-leader@centurytel.net (send all news releases here)

Subscription concerns: subscriptions@centurytel.net Advertisements: addept@centurytel.net Deadline for ads and copy: 10 a.m. Tuesdays

OFFICES Frederic

P.O. Box 490, Frederic, WI 54837 (M-F, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

715-327-4236 Fax - 715-327-4117 (news copy) Fax - 715-327-4870 (ad copy)

Siren

24154 State Road 35, Siren, WI 54872 (M-W, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) Thurs. & Fri. 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

715-349-2560 Fax - 715-349-7442

St. Croix Falls

Box 338, St. Croix Falls, WI 54024 History of the Leader can be (M-W, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thurs. & Fri. 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.) viewed at: www.the-leader.net 715-483-9008 • Fax - 715-483-1420

cooperative will do business as Countryside Cooperative with an administrative office in Durand.

According to Goldstar general manager Larry Wojchik, “This merger is a historic event for the members of both cooperatives. Projected savings from the merger are significant and should result in improved returns to the members.”

Countryside is a farm supply cooperative with annual sales exceeding $70 million serving customers in Durand, Blair, Elmwood, Fall Creek, Foster, King’s Valley, Mondovi, Pepin, Pigeon Falls, Rock Falls, Spring Valley, Strum and Whitehall.

Goldstar is a farm supply cooperative with annual sales approaching $50 million serving customers in Luck, Milltown, Amery, Glenwood City, New Richmond, Ellsworth and Baldwin. Goldstar is also involved in various partnerships including United Ag Services in Almena, Country Comfort in Almena and Four Corners Grain Exchange (a partnership with ACE Ethanol in Stanley.) - with submitted information

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Briefly

Fall colors are showing up along with school buses, but the weather is telling us it’s still July. Temperatures soared into the 80s and 90s this week, capping a hot, sunny and dry summer. Wildlife officials are saying this area’s precipitation is experiencing more than a 6-inch deficit, compared to the 30-year average, and combined with deficits from 2003 through 2006, the deficit is 2.6 feet below average.

It affects area lakes and the ag community.

••• SIREN - The Chattering Squirrel Cafe is for sale. Owners Jim and Peggy Tolbert began the business seven years ago and developed and maintained a thriving business - even after the 2001 tornado destroyed their cafe, located at The Shops at the Lodge. They continued the operation outdoors, calling themselves “The Homeless Rodents.” The Tolberts are now ready to go into other avenues, and feel that it is time for new owners to take over.

••• MADISON - Gov. Jim Doyle has designated the months of September and October as United Way Months in Wisconsin, in recognition of the start of fall campaigns by United Ways throughout the state. Last year the United Way of Polk County raised more than $97,000 and provided funds to more than 20 agencies that provide services to the people of Polk County. This year UWPC hopes to raise even more money and give to even more agencies. Check out their Web site at www.unitedwaypolkcounty.org. - with information from the office of Governor Doyle ••• LUCK - The Polk County United Aging Group will meet Tuesday, Sept. 18, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Luck Senior Citizens Center. Polk County Sheriff Tim Moore will give a presentation on the awareness of scams and identity theft. All senior citizens are welcome to attend. For more information call the Polk County Aging Dept. at 715-485-8599. - with information from Polk County Aging Programs ••• FREDERIC - The Frederic Elementary School will be having a Patriot Program and Parade on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 1:30 p.m. Students are asked to wear red, white and blue on Tuesday. We would like to honor and recognize all servicemen and women in the area, so please join us! Parents and community are invited to the program, to watch the parade and also show their support by wearing red, white and blue or carrying a flag. The parade will start immediately following the program. The parade route will start at the elementary school, go down Lake Street, up Oak Street, turn right on Traffic Avenue, and back to school on Birch Street. The parade will make two stops to sing a couple of songs. The first stop will be at the Sunrise Apartments and the second in front of the Frederic Library. In case of rain, the program will be held, but not the parade. - with submitted information ••• BALSAM LAKE - The POCO Penners, a local writing group, will meet Friday Sept. 14, at 2 p.m. in the Polk County Government Center in Balsam Lake.

Anyone interested in joining the group is more than welcome to come. They write short stories, poetry and prose. If you would like more information about the group please call Lois Olson at 268-8238. submitted ••• SPOONER - The Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism invites the public to attend a listening session with Secretary Kelli Trumble, Tuesday, Sept. 11, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the Northwest Sports Center in downtown Spooner. Come and learn about the marketing plans for the department and bring ideas and suggestions. from the Dept. of Tourism ••• CORRECTION: The caption under a photo published last week showing crops flattened by hail was not corn but Sudan grass, according to a local farmer. We apologize for the error.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 3

Anger, accusations, explanations at GAM meeting Ecumen status not resolved

by Gregg Westigard AMERY – The monthly meeting of the Golden Age Manor board Thursday, Aug. 29, was another long affair.

The meeting started at 2 p.m. and wound to a close at 6:30. By that time, most of the large crowd present for the start of the meeting had left.

Also gone by that time were two of the five board members. Much of the meeting was spent discussing a consulting report from Ecumen. That discussion started in open session and adjourned to a closed session. In the end, no action was taken on the future status of Ecumen with GAM. The board did act on one agenda item. The 2008 budget was briefly reviewed and forwarded to the finance committee without comment.

Most GAM board meetings are held in a conference room at the countyowned nursing home. The meeting last Thursday was held in the activities room. Chairs were set up for the room full of people attending the meeting; residents, family members and many staff members. Five county board members, in addition to the three on the GAM board, were present: Patricia Schmidt, Gerald Newville, Diane Stoneking, Larry Jepsen and Neil Johnson. The members of the GAM governing board, who were all present at the start of the meeting, included county board members Gary Bergstrom, Art Gamache, and Rodney Littlefield and public members Eugene Sollman and Wayne Tomfohrde.

The meeting started with a period for public comments.

First up was Newville, a member of the county board personnel committee that negotiated the union contracts for

2007 and 2008.

“The administrator (GAM administrator Gary Taxdahl) made a statement at the last county board meeting that was not a fact,” Newville said. “He said that employees had offered to settle for less money. That was not true. There was no suggestion by anyone to settle for less than the other county employees. They told personnel that they wanted the same rate as the others or they would go to mediation. They got the same 3-percent increase. I want the facts to be facts.”

Newville was followed by at least 10 persons who testified about the quality of care at Golden Age Manor. One pointed out that the governor has diverted funds to other purposes that were intended to cover the losses

incurred by county-owned homes.

Another suggested starting a GAM booster club to raise funds. Others said that the level of care would decline if the nursing home is sold.

“This is a top-notch facility,” a family member of a resident said. “The home is not for Amery residents only. We spend county money for jails and ditches. I am willing to spend more tax dollars to keep Golden Age Manor open.

We only need to increase the taxes $5 per resident.”

At its August meeting, the county board voted to exclude any 2008 GAM operating losses from the budget and to look at offers to sell the home. This latest possible sale of GAM led Joan

See GAM, page 4

Museum addition

Censored Ecumen memo released, GAM board, staff discuss report

by Gregg Westigard AMERY - The July memo from Ecumen, the nursing home consulting firm hired by the Golden Age Manor board, was has now been released after sections were deleted. The 2-1/2- page memo, dated July 26, was the subject of a discussion at the Aug. 29 GAM board meeting. The removed paragraphs were said by corporation counsel Jeff Fuge to contain negative comments about specific individuals. Fuge had advised that the memo not be distributed in its complete form.

The Golden Age Manor board heard a report from Sue Schwartz-Nelson, Ecumen’s director of consulting, and a number of comments from GAM staff before going into a long closed session.

By the end of that closed session, one committee member, Wayne Tomfohrde, had left due to a previous appointment and another, Eugene Sollman, had walked out of the meeting and left the building. The three remaining board members, Gary Bergstrom, Art Gamache, and Rodney Littlefield, took no action on whether to have Ecumen implement operational changes at the county-owned nursing home.

“Golden Age Manor has a good census,” Schwartz-Nelson told the meeting. “A census of 97 to 99 percent

See Memo, page 4

Last week the Polk County Historical Society had their groundbreaking ceremony for the new addition/elevator building project. “This seemed like forever to happen,” commented by Rosalie Kittleson. “We now will be hearing the roar of the machines beginning to cut into the hillside for the 1,879-square-foot addition that will house the three-stop elevator.” Project manager Chris Nelson states they will work right up to the frigid cold weather to have everything ready for the next season. David Knutson, master of ceremony, Elaine Erickson, lifetime member, and Kittleson, director, all agreed this truly was an exciting moment. Knutson stated many folks have been involved in fundraising, and the community has been generous with donations. Kittleson stated that this couldn’t have happened without the support of the county board. Erickson notes that was the dream of Willis, her late husband, who served the Polk County Historical Society Board for 43 years. The cost of the building project is $298,000. The project began in 2004 with seed money of $37,025 and matched the $100,000 Park Deaver Foundation in 2006. “We continue to jump hurdles, overcome obstacles and now stand firm to complete our goal to leave no person behind to view the entire three-story courthouse museum,” said Kittelson. Funds are still needed to fully complete this project. The county taxpayers have not contributed to this project, the funds have been reached by donations, grants and fundraisers by the society.

The museum is a 501c3 organization. Persons can mail their donations to PCHS, Box 41, Balsam Lake, WI 54810. – Photo submitted

PAGE 4 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

GAM projects $61,000 loss Auditor warns of declining revenue, overdraft total

by Gregg Westigard AMERY – Golden Age Manor is submitting a 2008 budget that projects a net operating loss of $61,238 for the year after depreciation expense is excluded.

That figure includes a drop in revenue of $46,000 and an increase in expenses of $14,000 over the revised 2007 budget.

The revised 2007 budget projects a break-even balance sheet for the current year. The proposed budget was presented to the GAM board on Aug. 29. The board sent the budget on to the finance committee after a brief review.

Meanwhile, the management letter attached to the 2006 audit contains warnings about declining revenue from the state and a growing cash balance deficit or overdraft with the county. A similar management letter was sent to the county board as part of the full county audit.

Golden Age Manor is projecting total revenues of $6,750,692 for 2008 compared to income of $6,796,704 in the revised 2007 budget. That is a decrease of $46,012. Cash expenses are shown at $6,811,930 for 2008 after depreciation expense is deducted. For 2007, expenses are expected to be $6,797,850.

GAM administrator Gary Taxdahl said the numbers are based on a 97-percent occupancy rate and estimates of Medicare reimbursement rates. Those rates are readjusted every three months.

No capital repairs such as window replacement are in the budget.

The audit letter, meanwhile, states that the home has experienced a significant decrease in its financial condition over the last several years. It notes a decrease in operating loss of $111,890 for 2006 over 2005. That was the result of a revenue increase of $32,600 for 2006 and a decrease in expenses of $79,300.

The audit points out that a major source of funding, the Inter-governmental Transfer Program, which channels federal dollars to government owned

nursing homes through the state, has declined to an estimated $559,331 for the current fiscal year. That fund brought in $854,788 two years ago.

The operating cash balance, or overdraft total, also drew a comment from the auditors. The letter says GAM had an overdraft with the county of $588,832 on Dec. 31, 2006, compared to $243,593 a year previously. This total is the amount of money the county spends to pay GAM expenses that exceeds the GAM cash on hand.

Fall budgets are a recent innovation for Golden Age Manor. As recently as 2005, the GAM budget was not prepared until well into the new year. The GAM board first saw that 2005 budget in July of 2005, seven months into the year. The 2006 GAM budget was the first presented to the finance committee before the start of the new year.

The full 17-page budget now goes to the finance committee.

That memo said “There were indications that decisions were not often made and/or supported due to opposition of the various stakeholders. The communications between the administration and the county HR is severely broken.

Unfortunately when the stakeholders of a facility aren’t invested into the process and show the cooperation to make changes as needed, the outcome is generally negative. The financial and performance issues (2006 state survey) that Golden Age is realizing are symptoms of greater problems.”

The March 26 memo also says “We believe there are individuals who care about the facility but are not willing or able to make the changes required.

Those individuals should be removed”.

Several GAM department heads responded to Schwartz-Nelson’s comments. The director of nursing said “I feel you guys have been resistant. We don’t get answers to questions. It has not been a helpful process. You did not contribute to the positive changes that have been made.”

“We had requested that the board meet with us and without Ecumen,” another manager said to the board.

“You went back on your word. We asked for you to listen to us. Everything does not need to go back to Sue. You can answer our questions.”

“At the last board meeting, we agreed to go into closed session so the staff could talk to you in private,” GAM administrator Gary Taxdahl said. “Our staff has been frustrated. We have not gotten the help we needed from Ecumen. Now we are being told we are failing. You put the staff in a spot.”

At that point in the meeting, the board voted to go into closed session and moved to another room. That closed session included, at various times, Taxdahl, GAM department managers, and Schwartz-Nelson. The closed session started about 4:40 p.m. and lasted until 6 p.m. Schwartz-Nelson left sometime during that period and Tomfohrde left at 5:30 p.m. due to another commitment. Sollman also left the meeting, and after talking to some staff in the GAM lobby, left the building.

The remaining three committee members reconvened in open session at 6 and went on to other business without taking any action on Ecumen’s status.

Memo/from page 3 need for the home. There are many woderful, hardworking staff here.

Ecumen feels Golden Age Manor can succeed operationally. The goal is positive change.”

Schwarzt-Nelson pointed out many areas where changes have been made since Ecumen started consulting with GAM in October. She noted that there is better staff utilization and said the challenge is to keep the staffing numbers in line with the occupancy. She said strategic planning was needed to position the home to move forward as needs change.

“Resistance to change still exists,” Schwartz-Nelson said. “We have felt a lack of openness and defensiveness from the beginning of our work here. In 13 years of consulting, this is the first place we have seen that resistance. This perception has slowed our report.”

The July 26 memo has this closing comment: “Throughout the process there have been numerous challenges.

These challenges have slowed the implementation significantly.” The remainder of the closing comments were deleted.

However, an earlier Ecumen memo dated March 26 went into more detail.

Frederic man faces felony drug charges FREDERIC - A Frederic man was charged in Polk County court last week with three felony counts of delivering marijuana.

Kenneth Chenal, 22, faces charges that he delivered marijuana in Polk County on June 27, July 23 and Aug. 6.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Department, the deliveries weighed 3.7,

5.7 and 9.5 grams, for a total of 18.9 grams with packaging materials.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Department, one of the alleged deliveries took place within 1,000 feet of a school.

Chenal was released Tuesday (Sept. 4) from Polk County Jail after posting a $5,000 cash bond. The bond carries the

condition that Chenal may not be within 1,000 feet of any Frederic school, may not possess or use drugs or paraphernalia and will be subject to random drug testing.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Tuesday. – Julie Holmquist

w w w . t h e - l e a d e r . n e t

GAM/ from page 3 Cockroft of the Amery Housing Authority to ask which of the committee members had voted to “close the home.”

“Madison makes the levy freeze,” committee chair Bergstrom told the crowd. “The finance committee submitted the resolution about selling the home on the county board agenda. If we put a $200,000 nursing home loss on the budget, we would need to take that money from other county departments.

We can’t raise more money. We would need to cut county programs that help the elderly and children. It would impact many, many people. We need to look for options. Madison limits our revenue. We have no power to raise and spend more. Madison makes that decision. So the county board made the decision to sell the home.”

“At a number of meetings, I have asked for information ahead of time,” Sollman then said. “Bergstrom brought a resolution to the county board with no advance information. This committee was left out of lots of issues. This committee sets the GAM issues. We should all have a voice...respect does not happen. Our committee chair did not involve our committee in the resolution.

He did not involve Amery. Bergstrom should be held responsible.”

“It is with great difficulty that I want to sell the home,” Littlefield said. “I ask questions, I don’t get answers. If GAM continues, it will hurt other county departments. The age of county nursing homes is coming to an end. The county paid GAM losses in the past. We managed to defeat past efforts to sell but times have changed. We must put our core county business in order.”

“I asked our state representatives to stop the diversion of federal funds,” Gamache said. “That is where the problems come. Divested funds are tearing our communities apart. We need the funds we deserve.”

“I explained the process earlier,” Bergstrom said in wrapping up committee member comments. “This board does not deal with GAM ownership.

That is the job of the county board. If GAM were on the levy, other programs would be forced to make cuts. The finance committee rushed the resolution. It was running out of time for setting budgets. It could not wait another month. The choice is get a buyer or cut programs that would affect many other people. The county board faced a bad choice and a worse choice.”

The committee then went into the business of reviewing the Ecumen report, much of which was in closed session, and looking at the 2008 proposed budget. (See separate stories).

The meeting concluded with the three members still present (Bergstrom, Littlefield, Gamache) stating that they wanted to move all GAM board meetings to Balsam Lake. It was pointed out that GAM bylaws call for meetings to be held in Amery. A permanent change in the meeting location would need to be on the committee agenda. That action may come up at the September GAM board meeting.

Pressure increases to resolve budget standoff

MADISON – The governor, newspaper editorial boards and groups that depend on tax dollars have all upped the pressure on lawmakers to bring a swift resolution to their budget standoff. But some who want lower taxes say there’s still plenty of time to reach a deal.

There’s been a noticeable lack of urgency among the four Republicans and four Democrats on the conference committee negotiating the budget.

They’ve sometimes talked about meeting daily, but in practice have only gathered once or twice a week.

And yet the state has mostly kept going because in Wisconsin, last year’s budget carries over until there’s a new one. Michael Birkley runs a group called Wisconsin Property Taxpayers, Incorporated. He says this extra time can be valuable for lawmakers. He says they’ve been listening to the tax spenders for the past six months and heard about how much they need and from the special interest groups. He says his group would like them to take their time to talk to their constituents to make sure that what they do is what the taxpayers want them to do.

While Democrats have proposed billions of dollars in tax increases in this budget, Birkley’s group focuses on lowering the property tax burden, and from that perspective, he says both parties are using the right terminology. GOP lawmakers would freeze local levies and Democrats would let them grow by four percent. He says if they split the difference, it would be far better than the double-digit property tax increases Wisconsin used to see. He says lawmakers on both sides of the aisle understand and want to respond to the taxpayers’ tax freeze idea, and he thinks

they’ll come up with something in the middle.

Birkley says there’s plenty of time to get that done: about 30 to 40 days according to the department of public instruction.

That’s when DPI needs to start telling schools how much aid they’re going to get from the state. If there’s no budget deal, schools have to lean harder on local property taxpayers. – Wisconsin Public Radio, Shawn Johnson

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 5

Resident airs concerns over development

by Tammi Milberg DRESSER – The village board for Dresser met Tuesday, Sept. 4, due to the Labor Day holiday. The meeting was called to order by newly appointed village president Rick Flandrena who replaces Sherm Leske who announced his resignation last month for personal reasons.

Flandrena moving from trustee to board president required the replacement of the seat on the board. The board swore in Debbie Jacobson Tuesday for a term to expire in April 2008.

After getting the meeting under way, the board heard from resident Kelly Nault. Nault wrote a letter to the board regarding her concerns and personally addressed them at the meeting.

Nault said she lives in Silver Ridge and is disappointed in the way the subdivision has developed since moving in.

“When we moved in it was sort of a classy area, and now it seems some people haven’t made a move to put a yard in, there are cars in one person’s yard and it starts to look like a junkyard,” she said.

Nault said she was told to put her yard in within one year of moving in, which she did, adding it was financially straining to do so. She said there are people who have lived there for three years and only mow weeds and have not attempted to put in a yard.

“As a new homeowner, I don’t think it’s fair, and I wonder where does this lie? Does it lie with the village or with Verhasselt?”

Gary Verhasselt is the developer of Silver Ridge. Board trustee Rich Erickson agreed with Nault and said the village’s response time should have been quicker and knows what properties she is referring to.

Another concern brought up by Nault was one particular owner who she felt

Kelly Nault, resident of Silver Ridge, addressed the village board with concerns about property appearance and practices at the regular meeting Sept. 4.

–Photos by Tammi Milberg was operating a business of vehicle repair and sales. She stated she was not comfortable with a business operating in a residential area.

Flandrena said he felt public welfare needed to look at the covenant restrictions and ordinances and make a recommendation to the board.

Village police officer Ryan Haass stated that the owner of the property that Nault described as being a potential business endeavor is not in the village, but rather is in the town of Osceola.

Haass said that the individual has been cited, pays the fines and continues doing what he is doing. Haass said he has been in contact with the town of Osceola and is working on the issue.

The board thanked Nault for addressing her concerns and will allow the pub-

The Dresser Village Board is led by a new village president, Rick Flandrena, after the resignation of longtime village president Sherman Leske last month. Pictured at the September meeting (clockwise) are board trustees Debbie Jacobson, who was sworn in that evening to fill the vacancy left by Flandrena to become president, Brian Beseler, Jim Rochford Jr., Greg Andrie, Rich Erickson and Rick Flandrena. Not pictured, but present, is trustee Richard Durand. lic welfare committee to review the issue.

In other business, the board approved using the funds from the water utility of $83,996 to cover the shortfall in the sewer utility for 2006. The fund transfer was suggested by the village auditor and several communities offset water or sewer deficits in this way.

The board also approved a rate increase for water effective Jan.1, 2008. It was noted this was the first increase in water in a long time as the motion unanimously passed.

•Fall cleanup dates were approved for Sept. 24 to Oct. 6. Brush pickup and leaf removal dates of Sept. 17-Oct. 31 were also approved.

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Judge rules no proper consent to search Charges against Danbury man and woman dropped

by Sherill Summer SIREN – The 23 charges against Pamela K. Smith, 42, Danbury, and the 23 charges against Eugene D. Songetay, 34, Danbury, were dismissed without prejudice by Burnett County District Attorney Ken Kutz on Aug. 15.

Both were charged with six counts of identity theft, 15 counts of misappropriating ID information to obtain money, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. All but two of the 46 charges are felonies.

The charges were dropped after Judge Eugene Harrington ruled that detective Julie Mead didn’t have proper consent to search the living quarters of Smith and Songetay where stolen ID cards, driver’s licenses, blank checks, logos belonging to various banks, information on how to commit fraud and methamphetamine were found.

According to police reports, Smith and Songetay were under suspicion of identity theft after they were caught on a surveillance camera on Jan. 21, 2006, cashing a fraudulent check that was written out to an Angela Shepard.

Smith presented identification showing that she was Shepard when cashing this check and at least two other checks written out to Angela Shepard. An Angela Shepard was contacted by authorities investigating the fraudulent checks, and she reported that she

Charges against Pamela K. Smith and Eugene Songetay, both of Danbury, were dropped after a judge’s ruling that an officer had no proper consent to search a residence where they lived. - Photos from Burnett County Sheriff’s Department recently had her driver’s license stolen.

Defense attorneys for Smith and Songetay moved to have the evidence found in the living quarters suppressed because Detective Mead had only a search warrant for a van owned by Songetay’s mother, Sharon Songetay, when she search the basement living quarters and found the evidence used to charge Smith and Songetay. Sharon Songetay is the owner of the home where Smith and Eugene Songetay were living. Detective Mead asked her if she could searched the basement living quarters where her son and Smith were living. Sharon Songetay didn’t think she could give permission since it was private living quarters, but because she was under the impression that Detective Mead had a search warrant for the living quarters, she allowed Mead to enter the area.

On the same day but before the Songetay residence was searched, Mead

stopped Smith for driving without a valid license. Smith was driving the very van she had a search warrant for.

The van was searched and Songetay was arrested on a separate matter.

Smith was placed in the visiting room of the jail, free to leave, but Smith was unaware that she could leave. At this time, Mead asked both Smith and Songetay for consent to search their residence. Both refused consent. It was then that Mead went to the residence and spoke with Sharon Songetay.

During the suppression hearing ruling, Judge Harrington commented that, “There is a proper procedure for law enforcement to secure the house while the search warrant process is ongoing, while they’re obtaining the search warrant. They had probable cause to get the search warrant. They had his picture and her picture and Mrs. Songetay’s van, and they had a search warrant for the van. But, she didn’t have patience.”

Although the judge ruled that Mead did not have proper consent, he did seem to understand why Mead was anxious to search the living quarters quickly.

“Mead knows that sooner or later they are going to get a lawyer and the lawyer is going to go out and – or someone may come to the assistance of the two defendants and destroy the property.”

As it turned out, destroying the evidence was not necessary.

•The board approved the use of the community hall and a donation of $250 to the Dresser Osceola Garfield Fire Department for the annual kids Halloween party, Wed., Oct. 31.

•The board approved a part-time assistant to village clerk Jodi Gilbert.

The village board has budgeted for the item knowing that Grace Bjorklund, former village clerk and current part-time help will someday retire.

• The board approved to hire another part-time officer.

•The next regular board meeting is Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m.

Howland makes initial appearance SIREN – Paul G. Howland, 52, Danbury, had an initial appearance on Wednesday, Aug. 22, for two charges of delivering THC, one charge of possession of THC with intent to sell and one charge of maintaining a drug trafficking place.

According to the police report, Howland Howland sold marijuana to an undercover officer in December of 2006 and January of 2007. A search of his residence revealed marijuana, a scale, baggies and a computer with five years of customer records detailing dates and amounts sold.

Howland was released on bond. He is ordered to have no consumption or possession of drugs.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 3. – Sherill Summer

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PAGE 6 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

State activates West Nile virus hotline to report dead birds MADISON — State health officials recently announced that they have reactivated the statewide, toll-free Dead Bird Reporting Hotline to respond to reports of sick or dead birds and requests for West Nile virus testing.

Persons who observe a dead bird in their yard or who have a question about a dead bird should call Dead Bird Reporting Hotline at 800-433-1610.

“Dead wild birds act as an early warning system for West Nile virus,” said Diep Hoang Johnson, the state’s West Nile virus surveillance coordinator.

“While very few mosquitoes actually carry the virus, we want to do all we can to protect someone from being bit by an infected mosquito. Finding the virus in birds indicates that the virus may be present in the mosquito population in a particular area.”

West Nile virus is an infection that can occur in warm weather months when mosquitoes are active. The virus is spread to people by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus.

Mosquitoes get infected with WNV by feeding on infected birds and can transmit the virus to other animals, birds and humans.

Most people infected with West Nile virus will not have any symptoms, but those who do become ill may develop a fever, headache and rash that lasts a few days. Symptoms may begin between three to 15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito and people who become ill should contact their health care provider. In rare cases, WNV can cause severe disease with symptoms such as headache, fever, muscle weakness, stiff neck, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, paralysis, coma and potentially death. Older people are at greater risk of developing severe illness.

Preventing mosquito bites will prevent West Nile virus infection. Since all mosquitoes need water to lay their eggs and complete their lifecycle, reducing or eliminating standing water reduces potential breeding sites, mosquito numbers and the risk for mosquito bites.

Below are some measures to help decrease your exposure to mosquitoes: • Limit time spent outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.

• Apply insect repellent to exposed skin and spray clothing with insect repellant since mosquitoes may bite through clothing.

• Make sure window and door screens are in good repair to prevent mosquito entry.

• Properly dispose of items that hold water such as tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or discarded tires.

• Clean roof gutters and downspouts for proper drainage.

• Turn over wheelbarrows, wading pools, boats and canoes when not in use.

• Change the water in birdbaths and pet dishes at least every three days.

• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs; drain water from pool covers.

• Trim tall grass, weeds and vines

since mosquitoes use these areas to rest during hot daylight hours.

• Landscape to prevent water from pooling in low-lying areas.

There is no specific treatment for West Nile virus other than to treat symptoms.

If you think you have a West Nile virus infection, contact your health care provider.

The department has monitored the spread of WNV since 2001. The surveillance program monitors wild birds, horses, mosquitoes and humans for West Nile virus. In 2002, the state documented its first human infections with 52 human cases. This was followed by 17 human cases in 2003, 17 in 2005, and 21 in 2006.

For more information on West Nile virus, go to http://dhfswisconsin.gov/communicable/westNilevirus/. — from Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services

State schools budget debate continues MADISON - Lawmakers negotiating the state budget have made no progress deciding how much money schools should get, at least not publicly. Leaders are now discussing a budget for education behind closed doors.

Wisconsin government doesn’t shut down when there’s no new budget, but at some point there are real consequences for schools and property taxpayers. The Department of Public Instruction says there needs to be a budget deal by Sept. 28, so it can tell schools how much money they’ll get from the state.

Otherwise, DPI says schools have to assume they’re getting aid at last year’s levels, meaning property taxpayers will have to shoulder any extra school spending.

The situation has prompted an ongoing blame game at the Capitol. But when Republican Assembly Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald accused Democrats of dragging their feet at the conference table, Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson shot back, saying she was “kind of shocked and surprised” that he didn’t know there was a parallel process going on.

Robson suggested Fitzgerald talk to the speaker to “find out where we are on K-12.” Robson says she’s been talking privately with Republican Speaker Mike Huebsch about school funding.

She wouldn’t discuss the details.

A few lawmakers not at the bargaining table want leaders to set the rest of the budget aside and pass an education bill first. Neenah Republican Sen. Mike Ellis says that proposal should pick up a full two-thirds of the cost of education. That’s more money than was set aside in either of the budgets that passed the Senate or the Assembly, and

it would also keep local property taxes the lowest. He says it’s nothing new. He says that’s been the relationship for the last 10 years.

The potential drawback to passing a stand-alone education budget is that it would turn down the heat on lawmakers to resolve other differences. That means the debate over the rest of the state budget could linger on, and at this point, it’s already two months late. – Wisconsin Public Radio (Shawn Johnson)

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 7

P O L K C O U N T Y H E A D L I N E S

Woman charged in scrap metal burglary POLK COUNTY - A Minnesota woman faces a felony burglary charge for allegedly taking scrap aluminum and steel drill bits from various Polk County businesses.

Stacie Albertson, 37, Oak Park Heights, Minn., was arrested Aug. 27 at 6:16 a.m. after a Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to Tenere in Dresser to check on a suspicious vehicle.

According to the deputy, the suspect’s car trunk was full of scrap aluminum and four large drill bits.

The sheriff’s department has made frequent arrests in that area during the early-morning hours of people targeting Tenere’s scrap metal for resale.

Albertson told authorities that the scrap metal came from an auction and that she was taking a nap behind the storage building at Tenere.

Officers reported that they also found a weed whip and the drill bits in Albertson’s car that ended up matching the items missing from a Trap Rock, Inc., storage shed.

Aluminum in Albertson’s trunk was identified as belonging to Osceola Precision Wood & Fixture of Osceola.

Albertson has been bound over for trial. Arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 15.

Albertson is also charged with misdemeanor charges of theft and obstructing. – Julie Holmquist

Man arrested after found living at SCF church POLK COUNTY - St. Croix Falls Police arrested a man on Aug. 29 after he was accused of living in the Shepard of the Valley Lutheran Church in St. Croix Falls without permission and taking food.

Joel Wilkins, 24, of Cambridge, Minn., was arrested on suspicion of burglary and resisting arrest.

According to the police report, Wilkens told a pastor there that he had been living at the church for a couple of

days. When the pastor continued to ask questions, the man fled the building and ran into a wooded area. St. Croix Falls Police and Polk County deputies searched for about 30 minutes and then found Wilkins on a bike trail at Maple Drive and Lincoln Drive.

Wilkins started running from authorities, and officers chased him by foot toward Blanding Woods Road, where they apprehended the suspect. – Julie Holmquist

Wisconsin weight watch STATEWIDE - Wisconsin is one of 31 states where obesity rates went up compared to last year. One prediction is that it could take 50 years before the nation can control what some consider an epidemic.

One health researcher says getting people to lose weight is a long-term problem somewhat similar to persuading smokers to stop. Medical evidence shows that like tobacco, too many pounds are bad. However, it was many decades after a warning about smoking from the Surgeon General before there was a concerted effort to reduce it.

When it comes to obesity, Dr. Pat Remington with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute says eating habits need to change, and people need to find ways to move in a world which discourages it. He says

with all of the labor-saving devices around the home – from infrared technology for remote control to cell phones to laptop computers – people now can basically live their life from home to work, barely moving a muscle.

Remington says there needs to be more research on how to get adults to trim down. As for kids, there’s evidence that better school lunch programs can help control obesity. Wisconsin was criticized in a recent national report put out

by Trust for America’s Health. It said Wisconsin is one of 17 states that does not require school lunches to have higher nutritional standards than the requirement of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. – Wisconsin Public Radio (Shamane Mills)

Tribes endorse legislation ODANAH - Tribal governments are hoping the Legislature will give their deputies the same authority out-of-state law enforcement people get when they’re visiting Wisconsin.

The bill wouldn’t give tribal deputies any new powers when they’re off the reservation: it would just put them on par with other law enforcement. Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission director Jim Zorn says that will allow his officers to help during emergencies. The cooperation is not new, but the legislation would clear up liabilities and remove some roadblocks to mutual aid. He says there has been a

nearly 25-year history of mutual cooperation between commission officers and local emergency services providers.

Zorn says what this bill does is clean up a few technical issues in the statutes regarding the commission’s emergency vehicles and some potential issues of liability.

Zorn says tribal deputies have the same training and credentials as other law enforcement people. So far, both houses of the Legislature have given the bill a hearing and passed it through their natural resources committees. – Wisconsin Public Radio, Mike Simonson

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PAGE 8 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

L e a d e r

F O R U M

We b Po l l

Last week’s question: Do you agree with the rules that allow the governor to appoint a judge to fill a midterm vacancy?

1. Yes, it’s the most reasonable way to handle such vacancies 33 votes (59 percent) 2. No, it leads to partisan appointments 23 votes (41 percent)

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

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

Governor Jim Doyle 115 East, State Capitol Bldg.

Mailing address: P.O. Box 7863 Madison, WI 53707 wisgov@mail.state.wi.us

This week’s question: I currently have an elderly member of my family: 1. In a nursing home 2. At an assisted care facility 3. Benefitting from home care 4. Living at home and being cared for by us

You can take part in our weekly Web poll by logging on to www.the-leader.net and scrolling to the lower left-hand portion of the home page

J o e H e l l e r

W h e re t o Wr i t e

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) 2662519 rep.hubler@legis.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

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

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 U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold SDB 40, Rm. 1 Washington, D.C. 20510 or 8383 Greenway Blvd.

Middleton, WI 53562 (608) 828-1200 senator@feingold.senate.gov U.S. Senator Herb Kohl 330 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20510 senator_kohl@kohl.senate.g ov 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

P o s i t i v e Quote o f t h e w e e k In order to discover new lands, one must be willing to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.

-- Andre Gide (1869-1951) writer

Girls killed in ATV accident HOLCOMBE - Two Holcombe girls, age 6 and 16, have died as the result of a Saturday, Aug. 25, ATV accident in northeast Chippewa County, according to authorities there. Elizabeth M. Winchel, 6, of Holcombe, was dead at the scene of the accident reported at 11:14 a.m. along 260th Avenue near the intersection with 310th Street in the town of Lake Holcombe. Wendy S. Hattamer, 16, Holcombe, died the same day after being transported by Mayo One helicopter to Luther Hospital. A third victim, also a 16-year-old girl from Holcombe, was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital in Chippewa Falls.

Her name and condition were not released. Authorities said the accident may have been caused by a winch in front of the four-wheel ATV which jammed into the pavement. The ATV flipped. The girls were not wearing helmets. The ATV was westbound on 260th Avenue, according to a preliminary report. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in investigating the accident. – Barron News-Shield Deputies acted “reasonably” LADYSMITH - The two Rusk County deputies who killed Val Joe Strong on May 28 each “acted reasonably in his individual decision to use deadly force” and no criminal charges will be filed, according to the Chippewa County District Attorney’s Office. The report reveals a scenario in which Strong, after a high-speed chase, crashed his vehicle.

Officers pleaded with him to show both hands from behind his back, but he raised both hands and pointed them in the direction of one officer and each fired eight rounds, the report states.

During a Monday, Aug. 27, news conference at the Chippewa County Courthouse, a report was issued stating conclusions reached by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General along with the Chippewa County Office of the District

A re a n e w s a t a g l a n c e

Attorney following a joint prosecutorial analysis of the Chippewa County shooting.

The report concludes: “Police officers are lawfully allowed to use force, including deadly force, when they have an objectively reasonable belief that such force is reasonably necessary to protect themselves or others from the risk of great bodily harm or death. In this instance, Deputy Jones and Deputy Ohmstead acted reasonably, appropriately and consistent with legal principles governing the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers.” – Ladysmith News

Couple finalists in jingle contest PINE CITY, Minn. – John and Kolette Lind are finalists in Nabisco’s “Oreo and Milk” jingle contest. The couple, who were once in a band together and who have been interested in music all their lives, have a recording studio in their home. They’ve entered several contests involving music over the years including one for duct tape. Recently, while eating Oreos, they noticed the jingle contest rules on the package. They made a DVD of themselves performing their jingle, named “Cream Filling” and sent it off.

“Both of our children are very musical,” Kolette shared. Shortly after the contest ended they received a call saying they had made it to the final 10. All 10 finalists have been posted on the Oreo Web site and voting will be the primary means of determining the five finalists who will each win $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to New York City. There, the winner, who will receive $10,000 and several other prizes, will be selected based on live performances in Times Square Sept. 27. To view the 10 finalists and cast a vote go to oreo.com and click through the “jingle” links. – Pine City Pioneer

Ten years for stabbing BARRON COUNTY - The Rice Lake man who brutally stabbed his pregnant girlfriend more than 50 times last fall was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday, Aug. 28. Eric M. Schnacky, 26, appeared in Barron County Circuit Court for sentencing on a conviction of felony first-degree reckless injury.

Felony charges of attempted firstdegree intentional homicide, resisting arrest and burglary were dismissed but read in at sentencing. Although Judge James Babler acknowledged that Schnacky had sought help for his drug and alcohol problem, had a supportive family and seemed remorseful, he said sentencing Schnacky to less time would have depreciated the seriousness of the offense. Schnacky’s victim, Amy M. White, 18, of Cameron, wailed as Babler handed down his sentence. Last Oct. 9, Schnacky and White were arguing in her Rice Lake residence at when he attacked her with a knife. White ran from the residence and the building, and Schnacky ran after her until she fell.

He continued stabbing her until an offduty officer in the area saw the commotion and came to the aid of a blood-covered White. Schnacky fled the scene.

White later told police that Schnacky was yelling that she was going to “f—ing die!” and that if he went to jail, he would bail out, find her and kill her.

White suffered stab wounds to her head, ear, neck, shoulder, arms and hand. She received more than 100 stitches. Schnacky was apprehended by the Rice Lake Emergency Response team early the next morning in an unoccupied house he’d broken into after he made threats to kill officers and himself.

Babler rejected the four-year prison sentence recommended by Schnacky’s attorney Carol Conklin of Ladysmith and went with District Attorney Angela Holmstrom’s recommendation.

Maximum sentence for the crime was 25 years. – Rice Lake Chronotype

Course to close HAYWARD - After 18 years in business, Roynona Creek Golf Course will permanently close its doors on Nov. 1 due to steadily declining numbers of golfers playing the executive course.

According to owner Dennis Smith, it is a decision that has not come easily but one that nonetheless had to be made.

Until 1999, the course had enjoyed much success being mostly played by those who were new to the game, those who were older, or those who were simply looking to play a round on a course with less pressure than was typical of larger courses. The land which the course sits on has been in Smith’s family for three generations, and with the help of his father, it took two years of planning and building to make the course a reality. But times have changed for the small course, and after a successful 10-year run ending in 1999, according to Smith, business began to drop off to the point, “where we are doing (now) about half of what we were in 1999,” he said. “People don’t realize the intense complexity of running a small golf course. First of all you have to be the superintendent and greenskeeper, the business manager and it’s a seasonal business, so you have to stay open seven days a week in order to make it, and in the summer that means 13 hours a day,” he said. “So it makes it a very stressful way of life.” As well, hiring staff to get get work done was difficult with the amount of revenue coming in.

Thirteen-hour days began to take a toll, however; especially, Smith said, when it came to his family. “That lifestyle is not conducive to the way I want to raise my family,” he added, mentioning that the other business located on the property, Apple Awards, which has been enjoying nationwide success, allows him the flexibility of eight-hour days. – Sawyer County Record

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 9

Morale wearing thin It seems that long deployment, dangerous missions, changing tactics, and Iraqi’s political infighting are wearing on our troops and making more of them more vocal about this so-called war.

Troops say that two wars are being fought. One the enlisted men know of, and one the top military officers and politicians want the world to know.

Morale problems among the troops are growing as some military leaders are openly challenging the Bush administration’s plan of action in Iraq.

Many troops expected a 12-month deployment but these were extended three more months. Many troops are on their second or even third deployment ,and many of the troops are just plain worn out.

For many soldiers trained to fight a known enemy, but who are now facing unknown enemies in Iraq. American troops often play cat and mouse as they can take over an area, but as soon as they leave the insurgents come back. A plan to surround and cut off Baduhah, and al-Qaida stronghold, fizzled out when the insurgents fled before the American troops got there. Seven out of 10 Americans think the president and Congress are doing a poor job. The president is becoming a lame duck as the Iraq war drags on.

Isn’t it time we pulled our troops out of Iraq now, before more American blood is spilled over there for a lost cause? Let’s support the troops by bringing them home now.

Jack Rued Balsam Lake

Bad logic

Raise the cost, slow the activity.

The governor and his colleagues would like to raise the taxes on cigarettes to get people to quit. Where does the money come from after people quit smoking?

Using that logic, wouldn’t raising taxes slow economic growth? The more something costs, the less it is purchased – that includes almost everything you can think of. If you lower the cost of doing business, the more business you would have. I have never seen a country or government tax its way into prosperity. The last numbers I saw relating to tax revenues in Wisconsin was every 1-percent increase in economic growth per year equates to $120 million in state revenue. It is my belief Wisconsin can grow itself into prosperity versus taxing its way into prosperity. Just keep track of those in elected positions and think of it this way: Are these folks wishing to grow government or grow its citizens paychecks?

Mark Pettis Hertel

War in Iraq Being a disabled Vietnam veteran, I may look at the war in Iraq a little differently than a lot of people. Things tend to look a little differently when one is shot at. First of all, when the leaders of America make a decision to commit American troops to a war zone, it then becomes a complete and total military operation until a satisfactory result is achieved, if need be a repeat of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but let’s get the job done. This may also help in deterring the Muslim theory to destroy all infidels. The political lip service should not even be a factor until the military operation is ended.

I find it interesting to learn that something like 74 percent of the members of

L e a d e r F O R U M Letters t o t h e e d i t o r

Congress, the people who vote to send American troops to a war zone, have never even seen a military uniform themselves. Just do as I say, not as I do.

It is also much easier to send someone else’s kids to get shot at.

There is not a soul alive that could convince me that the War in Iraq is not about the greed and control of oil. Since the American involvement in Iraq in 2003, the oil company profits have exceeded $305 billion. Hey, just the fraud and misappropriation of taxpayers’ money in Iraq would go a long ways in rebuilding bridges that are falling down in America without any political lip service about needing to raise the gasoline tax for more taxpayers’ money to misappropriate.

Leon Moe Life Member Disabled American Veterans Luck

Yes, for the children Yes, Mr. Pettis, sometimes it can be for the children. When on average, eight children die every day in the USA as a consequence of guns (unfortunately be it criminal, accidental, or self-inflicted) maybe some communities feel obliged to think outside the box to address their own community’s guns.

When a 9-11 death toll occurs every five to six weeks in our country because of guns…I think it’s fair to have ongoing moderate discussions on change.

Should there be an outcry for change if over 500 people die every week from a preventable catastrophe? I marvel at the logic people employ for various issues, ignoring or refusing to explore change. I cringe at the labels you toss out so easily, and the inflammatory tone you seek to set.

Were anyone’s rights harmed with the requirement to “register” to purchase pseudoephedrine at the local pharmacy? Does it restrict access to reasonable quantities? Did it change the landscape of the methamphetamine problem?

Seat belts absolutely save lives and the resources used to address those who refuse to wear one. Yet I can be ticketed for forgetting to buckle a seat belt on a trip around the corner while engulfed in a car with airbags and countless safety features - but you would have every right to climb on a ninja motorcycle in only your red white and blue Speedo and no helmet with nary a problem with the law but for the gasps of neighboring housewives? I lose track of that flow of logic.

Can we acknowledge that adults and children are dying in a culture of guns?

Can we acknowledge that nearly 30,000 people (over 500 per week) die each year in the USA from guns? Can some communities entertain a right to meet at the table, to acknowledge that some laws and rights that are in place right now may need to change a degree or two? Should the governor and state government meet to discuss ways to address this problem? I can wholeheartedly acknowledge and encourage all of these, when indeed it’s “for the children,” as you chose to put it.

Steve McCormack, DDS St. Croix Falls

Follow the Leader.

Thanks Pilgrims

The fundraiser dinner put on by the Pilgrim Lutheran Church folks, Saturday, Aug. 25, was superb and the nicest church meal we’ve ever enjoyed.

The food, home grown and freshly prepared was delicious, not to mention all those who served in various capacities.

My wife Nancy’s birthday evening was a memorable one - a better meal we could not have purchased in any restaurant. Five stars to you. Well done faithful servants.

Rich and Nancy Hess Trade Lake

Change status quo The Wisconsin Department of Natural Recourses was fined years ago by the federal government for breach of grants with respect to its safety instruction programs. The problem was that instructors were allowed to use half of the class fee to purchase items for the classes.

The WDNR states some instructors kept poor records or purchased items that were not authorized by the grant.

Clearly an oversight problem the WDNR had. In answer to the WDNR chose to get rid of the class fees all together and it was that way for years.

Last year the WDNR chose to start charging a fee again. The program is set up the same way only they expect instructors to keep and maintain receipts for items purchased for the classes for five years.

Instructors are volunteers who are not paid anything. Further, they are taking time from their lives to organize, keep paperwork, and handle fees in addition to teaching the classes such as hunter, bow hunter, snowmobile, ATV and trapper education.

The WDNR was contacted by an instructor about the keeping of receipts and asked to maintain them along with other class information at the state level.

The WDNR stated that they preferred to keep the records at a local level, i.e. with the instructors. The whole reason for the keeping of the records is so audit of the money use is accessible by the Federal government. It is clear that having instructors keep the receipts locally makes it harder for auditors and costs us, the taxpayers, more. Further, it gives the WDNR a nice buffer in an entity rather than themselves to blame for future problems with the money and possible fines for infractions in the records. Why not blame the instructors again?

In discussions with the WDNR they have stated that because the complaint is only coming from one instructor, they will not consider changing the policy.

The instructor asked for names and addresses of the other instructors in the state and the WDNR said he would have to pay for copies of 111 pages at 20 cents per copy. The instructor is being treated as an employee by being required to keep records for the WDNR, but they will not provide him with WDNR documents without charging him. This appears to be a fencing action by the WDNR. In closing, consider that history repeats itself. Isn’t the WDNR doing the same thing as in the past and preparing to blame the same volunteers when the problem reoccurs?

Please contact your local representatives and WDNR folks and express a need for change in this improper and dangerous policy they are standing by because it is the status quo.

George Felix Volunteer instructor Danbury

Restore program

A little-known provision in the 2007/2009 state budget will, if passed, increase property taxes by about $106 million for over 81,000 low-income households in Wisconsin. That provision cuts the Homestead Tax Credit program. This increase in property taxes was included in the Assembly budget after the Joint Committee on Finance, on a bipartisan basis, and the Senate approved making the program more meaningful by adjusting the credit for inflation — a position that our organizations have support for many years.

The Homestead Tax Credit program is a refundable tax credit for property taxpayers and renters with total income below $24,500 a year. Almost 40 percent of claimants eligible for the program are over the age of 65 and over 12 percent are between the ages of 56-65. The Assembly provision allows only people who are age 65 and over, married, or with one or more dependents to get the tax relief. This change cuts the funding for the program by almost half and would negatively impact over 81,000 lower-income households.

The Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups and AARP Wisconsin strongly oppose this cut which we believe will have a devastating impact on lowincome households, especially persons between the ages of 55-64. In addition, we believe it is incongruous for the Assembly to, in effect, raise property taxes on lower-income people while saying that they are for a no-tax-increase budget. One gentleman, age 61, receives a Homestead Credit every year of between $900-$1,025. He uses the money to pay rent and utilities. He is shocked to hear about the Assemblys proposal.

On behalf of these 81,000-plus people, we urge the conference committee to restore the Homestead Tax Credit program as it was passed by the Joint Committee on Finance and the Senate.

Tom Frazier, Executive Director, CWAG Gail Sumi, State Issues Advocacy Director, AARP Wisconsin Madison

Alcohol tests released after fatal accident POLK COUNTY - The Polk County Sheriff’s Department released blood test results from drivers involved in a triple motor vehicle crash on Aug. 11.

The crash on CTH A, east of Clear Lake, resulted in fatal injuries to John Merth, 31, of Clayton.

The Wisconsin State Laboratory tests indicated alcohol contents were above the legal limit for Tabitha Lawrimore, 26, of Clear Lake and Susan Frisbie, 44, also of Clear Lake. Lawrimore had an alcohol content of .198. Frisbie had an alcohol content of .099. The legal limit is .08.

Results indicated that Raymie Headley, 25, of Clear Lake, had an alcohol level of .056.

Polk County Sheriff Tim Moore has submitted the test results to the Polk County District Attorney’s office for a charging decision. – Julie Holmquist

E-mail your letters to: the-leader@centurytel.net

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L e a d e r F O R U M 10th Senate District Proposed changes to telephone area codes This month, everyone in the current 715 area code exchange will have an opportunity to attend public hearings related to proposed changes to our area code. The rapid expansion of phone numbers in the 715 area code is expected to exhaust available phone numbers by late 2009. While such a change to area codes is not welcomed, it is inevitable.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin oversees area code designation. Options will be presented by the PSC and available for public comment. In our part of the state, the public hearings are as follows: Monday, Sept. 17, 1 p.m., River Falls Public Library, Main Level Meeting Room 7 p.m., Eau Claire Senior Center, Upper Great Room.

Thursday, Sept. 20, 1 p.m., Hayward City Hall, Council Chambers; 6:30 p.m., Superior Public Library, Meeting Room.

Written comments can also be sent by mail that must be received prior to noon, Friday, Oct. 5, to: Sandra J. Paske, Secretary to the Commission, PSC PO Box 7854, Madison, WI 53707. PSC Fax: 608-2663957 Cover sheets should state official filing with docket number 5-TN-100.

Limit submissions to 25 pages, and only one filing per number. You can also submit such filings electronically, by visiting: http://psc.wi.gov.

The options being proposed are an overlay or geographical split. An overlay would introduce a new area

code to all new c u s t o m e r s .

Existing customers would keep the 715 area code, but the same geographical areas would have different area codes. So your new neighbor would have a difSheila ferent area code.

Harsdorf A geographic split running from north to south between Eau Claire and Stevens Point would subject one side to a new area code for both new and existing customers. The other side would maintain the 715 area code for new and existing customers.

I would offer that western Wisconsin should keep our 715 area code in a geographic split for two reasons. First, our proximity to the Twin Cities means that a change would not only affect western Wisconsin, but also the millions of people and businesses in the Twin Cities. There is a substantial economic link between the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin unique to our part of the state. Secondly, the comparative growth in our region would likely lead to another split in 19 years, as opposed to 24 years in the eastern part. Therefore, we would be inconvenienced more often if we were forced to have a new area code.

If you need more information, or would like to offer your feedback to me, let me know. I can be reached by calling toll free in Wisconsin, 800-8621092 or via e-mail at Sen.Harsdorf@legis.wisconsin.gov.

UW-River Falls gets big gift RIVER FALLS - The University of Wisconsin-River Falls has just received the largest financial gift in its history.

UW-River Falls was already setting up a seven-year plan to make sure students were doing things in the community to learn leadership skills under a plan called Living the Promise. Then, Chancellor Don Betz says a million dollar donation came in. He says it couldn’t have come at a better time, because it will now be possible to fuel interest in building those leadership skills with scholarships allowing those students to come to UWRF. Selected new and transfer students from a diverse pool will receive around $5,000 a year under this comprehensive leadership development program.

Chancellor Betz says UW-River Falls alumna Lucille Spriggs had often made smaller donations to the university before her death in 2005. He says Spriggs graduated in 1938.

Betz says Spriggs had degrees in English and social studies, and worked most of her life in social services at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis, doing the kind of work good people do to make lives better for other people.

Betz says she left this perpetual legacy that literally will make it possible for students to study here forever, particularly in the areas of leadership development.

This gift came just as the new UWRiver Falls foundation is being set up. – Wisconsin Public Radio (Mary Jo Wagner)

Bush apologizes to Wiccan war widow MADISON - A Wiccan church based in Wisconsin says President Bush personally apologized to one of its members last week. The gesture follows a recent meeting the president had with families of slain soldiers, which excluded a Wiccan war widow.

Roberta Stewart’s husband, Patrick, was an Army sergeant who died in Afghanistan two years ago. While in Reno, Nev., this week, Bush visited fallen soldiers’ next of kin, but Stewart was not invited to the event. White House officials said it was a paperwork glitch, though Stewart and other Wiccans wondered openly if it was deliberate. The president has criticized Wicca in the past, calling it “witchcraft.”

Selena Fox is priestess for the Circle

Sanctuary located near Barneveld. She says whatever the reason, she’s delighted the president made time to call Stewart last week and apologize. Fox says Stewart was overwhelmed at the gesture and said that the president was very sincere, and she was very pleased that he was willing to correct this omission.

The Circle Sanctuary also says Bush offered his condolences on the late Sgt. Stewart. His grave marker is among the first with the Wiccan Pentacle symbol approved earlier this year.

The White House Press Office has confirmed the call between the president and Stewart. – Wisconsin Public Radio (Brian Bull)

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PAGE 12 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

New probation and parole office open

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections Probation and Parole staff working in Burnett County have moved into their new building along the east side of Hwy. 35, just north of the Burnett County Government Center. There are five agents assigned to this office, plus a program assistant. The new facility also includes an office for the area supervisor, Anne Cartman from Balsam Lake. – Photo by Nancy Jappe

Burnett County sheriff’s report Accidents Town of Jackson, Aug. 31: Gregory Q. Widiker, 35, Danbury, was southbound on CTH C when he hit a deer.

There were no reported injuries, but the vehicle was towed due to damages.

Town of Meenon, Sept. 1: Kimberly J. Smith, 32, St. Paul, Minn., was driving an ATV up an embankment and lost control.

She and a passenger, Chloe J. Smith, 6, St. Paul, Minn., were transported to Burnett Medical Center for their injuries.

Town of Swiss, Sept. 2: Anna T. Michaud, 22, Osceola, was operating an ATV along Hwy. 77, when she hit ruts and

lost control. She was transported to Burnett Medical Center for her injuries.

Arrests Town of Meenon, Aug. 31: Rachel M. Olson, St. Paul, Minn., reported the mirrors on the passenger and driver sides of her vehicle were tore off while parked at a bar.

Jade C. Helene, 24, Webster, was arrested the next day and charged with criminal damage to property for the incident. He was also charged with obstruction of a police officer and possession of THC. Town of Siren, Aug. 30: Jamie S. Olson, 31, Frederic, was arrested in Polk County on

a Burnett County warrant.

Village of Webster, Sept. 1: Douglas J. Fontaine, 49, Webster, was arrested on a Burnett County warrant.

Village of Grantsburg, Sept.

1: Daniel M. Ahlman, 35, Grantsburg, was cited for criminal damage to property for breaking the automatic door return and bottom hinge of a door at O’Reilly Auto Parts. He was angry reportedly because he was waiting in line behind a couple of other customers.

Town of Meenon, Sept. 1: Jason E. Davis, 19, Frederic, was arrested for criminal damage to property after putting bleach into a gas tank of a vehicle owned by Deanna M. Muller, Webster.

Town of La Follette, Sept. 2: Charles S. Goepfert, 37, Grantsburg, was arrested for disorderly conduct, as was

Robert E. Goodman, 34, Grantsburg, for similar disorderly conduct.

Town of La Follette, Sept. 2: Thomas M. Raska, 38, Siren, was arrested for violating his probation. He was also found to have two warrants from St. Croix County.

Other incidents Town of Union, Aug. 27: Patrick J. Stuart, Webster, reported an outboard motor and a gas can stolen from his campground. The incident is under investigation.

Town of Union, Aug. 31: Armond L. Jorgenson, Fridley, Minn., reported a boat motor stolen. The incident is under investigation.

Town of Union, Aug. 27: Thomas L. Sanford, 41, Frederic, reported that parts off of a skidder were stolen. A torch was used to cut off the stolen

Burnett Co. civil court Diagnostic Radiology Association vs. Susan Miller, Grantsburg, $977.50.

Diagnostic Radiology Association vs.

Blake

Scribner, Grantsburg, $949.75.

Cumberland Memorial Hospital vs. Richard Nyhus, Barronett, $687.00.

parts. He also reported that several weeks ago, the same skidder was set on fire. The incident is under investigation.

Town of Webb Lake, Aug. 27: A dozer owned by Burnett County Highway Department, that was parked on Namekagon Trail, was hot-wired and driven about 100 yards through the woods. The dozer was driven over several mature trees, but there was no apparent damage to the dozer. The incident is under investigation.

Town of Sand Lake, Aug. 29: Theodore R. Mitchell, Webster, reported that a new bike that was won by his son at the bike rodeo was stolen out of his yard.

The incident is under investigation.

Town of Sand Lake, Aug. 31: Bennett L. Derosier, Blaine, Minn., reported two gas cans taken from the garage of his cabin. Attempts were made to enter the cabin, but to no avail.

The incident is under investigation.

Town of Sand Lake, Aug. 31: The cabin of James W. Drause, Forest Lake, Minn., was entered. It is unknown at this time if anything was taken. The incident is under investigation.

Town of Union, Aug. 31: John W. Shand, Webster, reported a

boat motor taken from his boat.

The incident is under investigation.

Town of Anderson, Aug. 31: Steven J. Riemer, Stacy, Minn., reported a shotgun, pizza maker and other miscellaneous items take from a cabin. The incident is under investigation.

Town of Lincoln, Sept. 1: Rodger D. Peterson, Burnsville, Minn., reported an outboard motor taken from his boat on the Yellow River. The incident is under investigation.

Town of La Follette, Sept. 2: Danielle B. Campbell, Minneapolis, Minn., reported a purse missing from a Jeep. The vehicle was stuck when mudding, and was left until morning.

When she returned, the Jeep was found to have been burned.

The fire started in the undercarriage near the engine.

Witnesses claim to have seen smoke coming from the vehicle after it was abandoned. Robet A. Lurter, Ogilvie, Minn., reported about $1,000 worth of tools in a toolbox missing from the same Jeep. The box was found on the mud trail with the tools missing.

The incidents are under investigation.

Burnett Co. warrants Michael J. McCollough, 22, Siren, warrant – failure to appear, Aug. 30.

Amber R. Merrill, 19, Stillwater, Minn., commitment, Aug. 31.

Ruben Morales, 52, Hayward, warrant – failure to appear, Aug. 31.

Chad J. Nedland, 31, Minong, commitment, Aug. 31.

Pearl A. St. John, 53, Sandstone, Minn., commitment, Aug. 31.

Kari L. Swanson, 35, Superior, commitment, Aug. 31.

Kip D. Tolzmann, 24, Superior, commitment, Aug. 31.

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Vikings edge Dragons in five

Siren. The Vikings tried to get the ball, but they just couldn’t work together enough to take the win against the Birchwood team. —Brenda Sommerfeld

Frederic takes Siren in rst conference game of the season

Saints defeat Tigers WEBSTER — The Saints tamed the Tigers in three games (25-13, 25-20, 2518) last Thursday, Aug. 30 for their first conference win of the season. Webster is still looking for their first win of the season, and will get their next chance at Clayton this Thursday. St. Croix Falls will be hosting Unity on the same night.

For the Saints it was Megan Yunker leading the way with 11 kills against Webster, while Brittany Petznick had four. Alex Confer had eight assists and Gabby Nuckles had seven assists on the night. Jessica Rohm had eight serving aces for the Saints.

Samantha Hogle and Michelle Gibbs had four kills for Webster, while Chelsey Bereiter had three kills. Becca Schrooten had seven assists and Abby Ingalls had four. – Marty Seeger

by Brenda Sommerfeld SIREN — Girls volleyball had a great matchup on Thursday, Aug. 30, when Frederic went to Siren. Playing all five games, Frederic eventually pulled off the win in the last game with a score of 15 to 13. Siren’s coach Jennie Carlstrom said “There’s always competition when it comes to local towns.” It definitely rang true during their final game. It was either tied or one of the teams was up by one or two points throughout the entire game.

Siren looked to be dominating things after winning the first two games, but then Frederic came back to take the second two.

“We started out slow and came back strong. We just need to start off strong and stay strong,” Frederic coach Staci Lemieux said.

Both teams definitely showed that they have great potential, work well together and will be strong competitors this season. Siren’s Lynette Renberg also proved that she will be an asset this year with all the kills she was attacking Frederic with, but according to Carlstrom, the team just couldn’t get

Sarah Howe sets the ball in their match against Frederic on Thursday night.

Extra Points ••• DULUTH, Minn. – Former Unity athlete Cole Strilzuk was promoted to the starting left cornerback position for the University of MinnesotaDuluth football team as a sophomore about two weeks ago. Unfortunately, Strilzuk shattered his finger just after he was told of the promotion. Stilzuk is expected to be out for a couple more weeks before he can return to the football field. – Marty Seeger ••• SEWANEE, Tenn. – Grantsburg cross-country standout Pad Judd finished 10th at Mississippi State’s first meet of the season at the Sewanee invitational last Saturday. Judd finished with an overall time of 27:25.07.

It was the third-straight season that the Bulldogs have opened with a title in the opener. – Marty Seeger

Siren’s Alysha Alden #9 goes up against Megan Anderson and Chrissy Chenal in a close match last Thursday in Siren. The teams played five games and each came down to a close decision. - Photos by Brenda Sommerfeld their digs going. Alysha Alden and did, however, assist many of the team’s Janey Emery both seemed to be all over points. the court getting digs, but Carlstrom This was Siren’s first loss, but it didstill said, “Serving digs; I think that’s n’t seem to discourage Carlstrom. what got us.”

“I am so proud of them; we took the Frederic really was firing in serves team to five and lost by two points. That including almost 20 unanswered ones. can be our first loss, that’s OK. There’s Becca Anderson and Melanie Chenal nothing wrong with that,” she said. were the biggest contributors but not the only ones that seemed to have their Vikings lose to Birchwood serving skills intact.

FREDERIC — The Viking girls didn’t “Melanie served really well, and Alex win on Tuesday, Sept. 4, but they didn’t Lonetti stepped up huge off the bench,” give it up easily. Once again they startLemieux said. Frederic did however ed off strong by winning the first game, seem to have some trouble keeping the 25-20, but didn’t keep it up, causing the ball in bounds which Lemieux says is loss of the next three by just a few points because they need to get their sets a lit- each game. (23-25, 19-25, 23-25). tle closer to the net. Frederic’s main setThe girls didn’t make it look as easy ters, Becca Anderson and Lisa Chelmo, as they had last Thursday night against

– Milwaukee MILWAUKEE Brewers outfielder Gabe Gross has been on fire at the plate lately. Since Aug. 15, Gross has been hitting a .356 average and helping the Brewers bounce back from their latest skid. – Marty Seeger LEADER LAND – Local sports tidbits to share? Please contact us by noon on Tuesdays to go in Extra Points! – Marty Seeger ••• 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 2007-08 and hasn’t been mentioned, send us an e-mail and we’ll take it from there. – Marty Seeger

SPORTS RESULTS DEADLINES: WEDNESDAY - MONDAY: 1 p.m. the following business day. TUESDAY: 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

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Bulldogs batter Eagles 40-6 Eagles play tough in the rst half, cant hold on in second Chetek 40, Unity 6

by Marty Seeger BALSAM LAKE— It looked as though Unity would find a way against Chetek their first home game of the season on Friday, Aug. 31.

“We played ‘em tough there in the first half,” said Eagles coach Dave Anderson.

The Eagles held Chetek from gaining any ground on the first series, and a couple of big stops from Aaron Schmidt helped keep the Bulldogs down for a short time. But on second down, Kyle Hetke of Chetek piled on the yards to set up Elliot Waterhouse for a 7-yard touchdown run for the first score of the game with 7:12 left in the first quarter.

Unity’s next possession quickly ended, but Eagle junior Jason Coen had a big tackle and turned the ball over on downs. Unity took over in a big way with 49 seconds left in the first quarter.

Chad Strilzuk ran 25 yards downfield, and Dustin McKinney ran hard for 14 more to end the first quarter. With momentum in their favor, Strilzuk launched a 21-yard touchdown pass to Alec Carlson for the Eagles first and only touchdown of the game. A low extra point kick failed, but the Eagles were able to creep to within one.

Chetek responded quickly with a couple of 20-yard gains, but the Eagles defense held strong, with a fourth and 10 tackle by Eric Goulet with 6:29 left in

Alec Carlson caught the only Unity touchdown last Friday night against Chetek. The pass was a 21 yarder from quarterback Chad Strilzuk. - Photo by Marty Seeger the second quarter.

Unity had trouble moving the ball on their next possession, and a punt on the

to make it 13-6. But the Eagles didn’t back down and marched quickly to midfield with just over two minutes in the half on a nice 8-yard run by Strilzuk.

Unfortunately on the next play, Strilzuk overthrew his intended receiver and Chetek intercepted the ball.

The Eagles caught a quick break when Chetek was called for clipping on the next play, but on first and 32, Waterhouse gained enough for the first down, and the Bulldogs marched across midfield. Justin Bader and a handful of other Eagle defenders came up big on defense with a stop on third and 12.

Chetek had a near touchdown with a man open near the goal line with seconds to go in the half, but a bad throw turned the ball over to Unity, which ended the half with Chetek on top 13-6.

“It was a good half, we just had trouble staying with it in the second half,” said Anderson. “They’re (Chetek) a physical team.”

The momentum shifted in the second half and it was all Bulldogs from then on. Anderson said afterwards that Chetek was deep enough to be able to sub different players in where the Eagles could not. Unity also suffered two key injuries in the first half that had a hand in the momentum of the game.

“I believe these are the two hardest games of the season,” Anderson said about Spooner and Chetek. Their next test will come against Mondovi this Friday, which will be another tough test for the Eagles, before they play their first conference game against St. Croix Falls on Friday, Sept. 14.

next play led to a big gain by Waterhouse of Chetek. The Bulldogs then scored on a 2-yard touchdown run

Strong lead dwindles in Pirates’ loss Cumberland’s favor. The Beavers scored the next two touchdowns and tied the game with a two-point conversion to send the game into the first overtime.

“We had some missed assignments, injuries, cramps—it just kind of fell apart,” said Lehne.

Cumberland scored first in overtime and missed the extra point. The Pirates scored next on an 8-yard pass from Johnson to Olson, but the Pirates failed to hit the extra point to win the game. It was the first time Granstburg missed all evening.

Olson scored on a 3-yard run on the Pirates next possession, and this time the extra point split the uprights. Coach Lehne said that they wanted to force Cumberland to try for the two-point conversion for the win, which unfortunately for the Pirates, worked out perfectly for Cumberland.

“We had every kid in the right spot, they just made a play,” said Lehne, who mentioned that they nearly had the quarterback sacked.

The Pirates will go up against Cameron this Friday in their first conference game of the season. It is also the first of three home games for the Pirates.

Grantsburg falls in double overtime Cumberland 49, Grantsburg 48

by Marty Seeger CUMBERLAND — The Pirates dropped their second game of the season against Cumberland in an offensive battle on Friday, Aug. 31.

“It was a pretty disappointing loss,” said coach Keith Lehne. “It was a game we should have won.”

Grantsburg took a 21-7 lead at the half with the help of a 33-yard pass from Kevin Johnson to Robert Hansen.

Grantsburg scored a second time in the first on a 1-yard run from Lukas Olson, who had 139 yards rushing and two catches for 43 yards receiving. Josh Phillips caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Johnson late in the second quarter, but Cumberland answered that with a 64-yard touchdown pass. Kevin Johnson followed that with a 12-yard touchdown run.

The Pirates took a 21-7 lead at the half, and then at the start of the second half they scored on a 12-yard touchdown run from Johnson to make it a 287 lead. Then on the following kickoff, Cumberland scored on an 83-yard return to bring the game back to within After Devin two touchdowns.

Trantanella’s 57-yard touchdown run, things started to move into

The Pirates have had a tough couple of road games, and will find their home opener against Cameron to be just as tough. - File photo by John Reed

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Luck snuffs Siren’s fire Siren improves but Cards prevail over Dragons Luck 28, Siren 22

by Marty Seeger SIREN — The Dragons were the first to score in their nonconference home opener against Luck on Friday, Aug 31., but it didn’t stop the Cardinals from banking their second win of the season.

Vince Nasman punched in a 4-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for the Dragons. Nasman had a big running game with 20 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

Both teams were held from scoring again until the second quarter when Luck answered with a 13-yard run from quarterback Carson Giller. With the extra point, Luck took a one-point lead over the Dragons. But Siren answered back with the help of Nasman who scored on a 22-yard run bring the team back on top 13-6.

Unfortunately for Siren, Luck was able to score again before the first half ended on a 37-yard Giller pass to senior Mitchell Klatt for the one point halftime lead.

“We had a letdown at the end of the second quarter and beginning of the third quarter,” said Siren coach Brian Webster. “I was happy that we moved the ball, didn’t quit and gave ourselves a chance to win.” Webster also added that the team gave up too many yards and points defensively, but made some good stops. He said the team played better offensively and had fewer mental mistakes.

Luck was able to score twice in the third quarter with the help of Jordan

Siren’s Vince Nasman had over 100 yards for the Dragons against Luck last Friday night. Siren has shown some improvement over the past couple of games, and coach Brian Webster says the team ran hard against the Cardinals.

Luck junior Jeff Gackle #52 is pictured at right going in for assistance. - Photo by Carl Heidel Gross who had a 3-yard touchdown run and a 72 yard score. Gross had a total of 19 carries for 168 yards, and on defense he piled on 10 tackles and two assists.

Thad Baasch had a good game defensively for the Dragons with 13 tackles and eight assists. Baasch was the second

leading rusher on the team with 16 carries for 57 yards.

Coach Webster was pleased with the team’s effort, but said the team needs to work on “believing they can win.”

Siren was able to change some of Luck’s momentum late in the fourth

quarter when senior quarterback Adam Daniels connected with Jordan Potvin for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Siren will host Bruce this Friday, and Luck will be traveling to Clear Lake.

Saints stunned by Spooner Spooner 41, St. Croix Falls 6

by Marty Seeger ST. CROIX FALLS — The Saints first home game of the season started much the same as their game against Birchwood/Weyerhaeuser at the Grid Iron Classic—but this time the victory sided with Spooner instead.

The Rails have been crushing opponents so far this season with their hardnosed defense and speedy backfield.

The Saints fumbled the ball near their own 20-yard line in the opening kickoff, and Spooner was on top 7-0 before either team was able to work up a sweat.

Spooner continued to capitalize defensively when defensive back Curtis Richardson intercepted the ball in Saints territory for their next touchdown of the game. Just like that Spooner took a 14-0 lead with 8:17 still left in the first quarter.

The Saints finally caught a break on the next kickoff when Allastant Nuckles ran one back 63 yards and directly into the heart of Spooner territory. But the Saints couldn’t penetrate the Spooner defense and they were forced to turn the ball over on downs.

The second quarter turned out to be just as tough for the Saints despite a Chase Walters interception and a fumble recovery with 5:35 left in the second quarter. Richardson scored for the second time in the half on a 47-yard run.

But the Saints didn’t give in to the Rails 20-point lead, with Nuckles nabbing a 23-yard pass reception, which set up

Saints defensmen Chase Walters #30, Greg Kadrmas #77, and Chase Bushweiler make the effort to tackle Spooner runningback Curtis Richardson who was all over the field last Thursday. - Photo by Marty Seeger Jake Larcom for a 40-yard touchdown catch from Josh Yunker to give St. Croix Falls a little breathing room.

It didn’t last long, however, as Spooner running back Jake Olson

punched in a 77-yard touchdown run with just over a minute left in the half, giving Spooner a commanding 27-6 lead. The Rails held the Saints in the second half and continued to control the

game from that point on. St. Croix Falls will play at Webster in their first conference game of the season this Friday.

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Vikings shut out Tigers Frederic rolls over Webster, hosts Turtle Lake next Frederic 36, Webster 0

by Brenda Sommerfeld and Marty Seeger FREDERIC — The Frederic football team showed their parents that they knew how to play on Friday, Aug. 31, by winning the game in a shutout of 36-0.

The Vikings shut down the Webster offense and piled on the points with the help of David Harlander and Ben Anderson, who each had a pair of touchdowns. Anderson piled on 99 yards and Harlander had 53 yards on the ground, plus another 100 yards through the air on 23 attempts.

Peter Carlson contributed the other Viking touchdown with a 70-yard punt return.

“I think Frederic is a quality football team that is well coached, and in order to come out with a victory you have to stay focused and play the whole football game,” said coach Jeromie Voeltz.

“Unfortunatelyfor us, we were unable to do that Friday night.”

Webster just couldn’t get the amount of plays or yards through the Frederic defense that Frederic was pushing through Webster’s. Frederic had 200 rushing and 100 passing yards compared to Webster’s 40 rushing and 70 passing yards.

Even though Webster’s Chad French completed almost half of his passes, the Tigers still struggled with their offensive plays.

“I think teams have off nights with their schemes and this happened to be our night,” Voeltz said. “I didn’t think that, overall, we played well, but we have to pick up the pieces and have a better week of practice this week as we prepare for St. Croix Falls.”

Some of the things that Voeltz says his Tigers have been and will need to continue to focus on effort, pride, heart and execution. He believes that they really need to work on heart.

RIGHT - Ben Anderson had 99 yards and two touchdowns against Webster last Friday night. At far right Anderson is being brought down by Webster’s Josh Johnson #59 and Jules Zappa #24. - Photosby Gary King

Eagles down Cardinals in hard-fought match

by Matt Talmadge BALSAM LAKE – The Unity Eagles hosted the Luck Cardinals last Thursday, Aug. 30. In a match that went to the fifth game, both teams had their ups and downs.

In the first game, the Eagles came onto the court playing confidently. With solid defense and strong hitting, Unity won the first game 25-10, while Luck was still trying to find a rhythm on the court.

The second game ended up very similar to the first, with Unity coming out poised and confident again. The Cardinals had a small hot streak in the middle of the game, but weren’t able to establish a rhythm, and were in peril of going home early, falling to the Eagles this time 9-25.

The Luck girls weren’t going to give up this match without a fight. In the third game, the Cardinals jumped out way ahead early. They found a rhythm and pace that seemed to almost knock the wind out of the Eagles. Unity fought back, but couldn’t take the game, falling

24-26.

The Cardinals came out hot again in the fourth game, playing more consistently and confidently. The Eagles hadn’t regained their confidence yet, and Luck took the game 25-14.

It came down to the last game to decide the match. Luck had established a rhythm, but Unity regained the confidence they had lost, and won the last game and the match 15-7.

When asked what was talked about in the huddle before the last game, Eagles coach Kassee Hickock said, “The girls just said ‘we got it out of our system, we don’t want to feel like that anymore’ and they pulled together.”

Luck coach Shelia Brom commented, “I’m happy with the way our girls played. We just need to work on our consistency a bit more.”

RIGHT - Luck digs for a ball against Unity. - Photo by Matt Talmadge

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Frederic Invitational - Aug. 28 Boys Teams

Place

Webster Frederic Unity St. Croix Falls Grantsburg Cumberland

1 2 3 4 5 6

Incomplete Teams: Shell Lake

Overall Individuals Boys Place Finisher 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Peter Walsh River Karl Jack Taylor Kyle Swenson Trygve Chinander Bryan Krause Brian Gibbs Nick Krinkie Ben Nelson Brandon Degner Dan Livingston Shawn Pavlik Tim Reed A J. Holmquist Chaz Heinz Sam Halverson Perry Anderson Devin Greene

Time

17:10.3 18:08.8 18:37.6 18:51.5 18:53.4 19:01.9 19:02.1 19:13.3 19:33.1 19:43.5 19:54.9 20:18.8 20:32.5 20:36.0 20:36.1 20:50.5 20:54.4 21:23.3

Team

Webster Frederic Webster Frederic St. Croix Falls Webster Webster Webster Frederic Shell Lake Unity Grantsburg Unity Webster Webster Frederic Frederic Webster

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Steven Alderton David Granzin J T. Elmgren Tyler Tiegs Adam Rinnman Steven McKinley Alex Main Dennis McKinney Mitch Rockow Tim Sundstrom Kyle Christensen Tyler Christensen Mickey Muller Cory Gebhard Joe Thayer Trevor Fontaine Louie Van Erp Nick Wolfe David Lund Travis Pothen Ben Cole Tyler Bublitz Shawn Muench Max Baernreuther Austin Elliott Connor Pierce Alex Anderson Daniel Gaffney Willie Christ Connor Schmidt Brady Peterson Brandon Bielmeier

21:31.0 21:33.1 21:44.5 21:45.9 21:47.7 22:01.8 22:06.1 22:16.0 22:37.4 22:49.8 22:50.5 22:51.6 23:17.2 23:27.8 23:34.7 23:41.8 23:57.8 24:11.6 24:12.1 24:37.0 24:39.6 24:39.6 25:00.7 25:34.9 25:38.8 25:56.8 26:17.5 27:01.5 28:49.3 28:49.7 33:04.1 39:25.5

Grantsburg Shell Lake Webster Cumberland Webster Grantsburg Webster Unity Cumberland Webster St. Croix Falls Unity Unity St. Croix Falls St. Croix Falls Webster Cumberland Webster St. Croix Falls Cumberland Grantsburg Unity Cumberland Webster Webster Webster St. Croix Falls Grantsburg Shell Lake Shell Lake Unity Unity

Girls Teams

Place

Grantsburg Webster Frederic St. Croix Falls Cumberland Unity

1 2 3 4 5 6

Incomplete Teams: Shell Lake

Overall Individuals Girls Place Finisher 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Samantha Nelson Sarah Knauber Michelle Lund Aimee Rinnman Cassandra Andrewson Bailey Bergmann Angela Gaffney Kathryn Krause Calla Karl Jamie Kopecky Alison McKinley Jessica Banks Justine Diffee Dani Staples Paula Burton Sage Karl Sharanda Whittaker Debbie Faught

Time

16:42.9 17:42.5 18:03.5 18:06.9 18:08.9 18:20.5 18:32.4 18:44.1 18:54.5 18:55.4 19:30.3 19:39.2 20:10.0 20:44.7 20:51.9 20:56.4 21:08.9 21:14.5

Team

Frederic Frederic Grantsburg Webster St. Croix Falls St. Croix Falls Grantsburg Webster Frederic Webster Grantsburg Grantsburg Grantsburg Webster Shell Lake Frederic St. Croix Falls Webster

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Kim Culver Cherissa Volendorf Melinda Beyer Meghan Smith Meghan Koser Tashina Martinson Stephanie Germer Jennifer McMeekin Laura Just Annie Kelby Aimee Vantatenhove Alysese Lehmann Jessica Raboin Courtney Rasmussen Rose Kopecky Brittany Stoeklen Tara Anderson, Lindsay Fossum Lisa Muller Angela Denver Jessica Fillion Carley Martin Simone Workman Stephanie Stevens Kathryn Zahler

21:17.1 21:31.0 21:55.6 22:12.5 22:16.0 22:23.3 22:23.9 22:30.5 22:33.7 22:34.9 22:36.1 22:39.9 22:59.5 23:06.0 23:13.2 23:28.2 23:31.6 23:41.9 24:32.1 25:03.8 25:08.1 26:23.4 26:48.1 26:53.1 28:50.3

St. Croix Falls Grantsburg St. Croix Falls St. Croix Falls Cumberland St. Croix Falls Cumberland Unity Cumberland Webster Grantsburg Cumberland Unity St. Croix Falls Webster Cumberland Frederic Grantsburg Unity Cumberland Cumberland St. Croix Falls Grantsburg Unity Unity

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 17

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Luck/Unity Tennis off to a good start Team defeats Amery for rst team victory of the season

by Marty Seeger AMERY — The Luck/Unity tennis team is off to a great start this season after they defeated Amery 4-3 for their first team victory of the season.

Although they lost their first match to a very tough Osceola team in the first conference game, their victory over Amery was huge. That’s because it has been a long time since the team has beaten Amery. Plus, assistant coach Jack Sondreal is originally from Amery, which head coach Tami Peterson said made the win that much more special.

Leading off the singles match was Stephanie Kothlow who defeated Molly Tulkki 6-2, 6-0. Three other matches ended in defeat for Luck/Unity. Lexi Kothlow, Janielle Deiss and Jessi Kutina all lost by close margins, but the girls playing doubles dominated their respective matches, including Alesa Paulsen and Elizabeth Ebensperger who won the first match 6-3 lost the second 6-3 but pulled off the victory 6-2.

Kayli Paulsen and Angela Berthold dominated with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Tracy Lamusga and Sarah Scheiffer.

In the third doubles match, Maddie Anderson and Katherine Ebensperger beat Hilari Hence and Amy Ausen.

They lost 3-7 in the first match but won the final two by scores of 6-4.

“All girls played very well and it was fun to have a team victory,” said Peterson.

Angela Berthold, (L) and Kayli Paulsen of the Luck/Unity tennis team serve against Durand on Tuesday afternoon.

Berthold and Paulsen are the #2 doubles team. - Photo by Marty Seeger

Buck featured in Inside Wisconsin Sports MADISON — Candace Buck of Frederic High School will be featured in the October issue of Inside Wisconsin Sports, the highly praised statewide magazine that features the best of Wisconsin sports from high school to college to the pros.

Buck was featured in the magazine as one of 17 girls in the state who play high school football. The junior is competing in her fifth year of football.

“Not only is Candace a great role model for female athletes, she’s also a talented player,” states Chad Griepentrog, publisher of Inside Wisconsin Sports. “Our magazine gives every athlete, coach and team in the state of Wisconsin a chance to make statewide headlines. And it is an honor for us to include Candace among the best in Wisconsin sports.”

Osceola Girls Golf Invitational at Krooked Kreek Aug. 30 Amery St. Croix Falls New Richmomd Baldwin/Woodville Ellsworth Luck St. Croix Central Prescott Osceola Somerset

170 190 191 193 214 230 232 239 241 25

Jenny Benoy placed third overall with a 39. Marissa Campeau was fifth with 42. Alyson Sullivan shot 52, Tess Hedrick shot 57, and Brittany Buss shot 63.

Read Leader Sports at www.the-leader.net

Candace Buck

Inside Wisconsin Sports was born out of a pure love of Wisconsin sports and a true appreciation for the greatest sports fans in the world. It takes you behind the scenes to find out what makes Wisconsin athletes, coaches, teams and their fans so unique. From Wisconsin sports trivia, to Where Are They Now, to Talk Back and the Ultimate Fan, the magazine is packed with unparalleled information. The magazine has special sections for college and high school news as well as athlete standouts from around Wisconsin. The monthly magazine can be found on newsstands statewide. You may also subscribe by visitingwww.InsideWisconsinSports.co m or calling 800-536-1992.

To order additional copies of Inside Wisconsin Sports for yourself or to share with friends and family please call 800-536-1992. - submitted

Sports broadcast schedule Sept. 7 - high school football New Richmond at Osceola 7 p.m. WLMX 104.9 FM High school football: BaldwinWoodville at Amery 7 p.m.

WXCE 1260 AM High school football Cameron at Grantsburg 7 p.m. WXCE 105.7 FM Sept 8 - MLB Milwaukee at Cincinatti 6 p.m. WXCE 1260 AM College football Wisconsin at UNLB 9 p.m. WXCE 1260 AM

Sept. 9 - NFL football Philadelphia at Green Bay 12 p.m. WXCE 105.7 FM NFL football Atlanta at Minnesota 12 p.m. WLMX 104.9 FM MLB Milwuakee at Cincinatti 12 p.m. WXCE 1260 AM Sept. 10 - MLB Milwaukee at Pittsburg 6 p.m. WXCE 1260 AM Sept. 11 - MLB Milwaukee at Pittsburg 6 p.m. WXCE 1260 AM Sept. 12 - MLB Milwaukee at Pittsburg 11;30 a.m. WXCE 1260 AM

PAGE 18 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

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Dahl’s delightful debut

by Terry Lehnertz ST. CROIX FALLS - The penultimate event on Kopellah Speedway’s 2007 racing season almost went off without a hitch. The yellow caution flag made just one appearance during the smartly run heat races. The feature races started in the same manner, as two of the first three features ran caution free. Along with rare cautions flags, some rare and first-time visitors were on hand.

Sixteen drivers made their first appearance of the season, including a contingent of four racers from the Great White North - Chuck Lambert, Ken Anderson, Jason Anderson and Joey Galloway all made the long trek down from Ontario, Canada. Three drivers making their debuts, Marcus Simonson, Jeremy Dahl and Todd Siddons, would find their way to Victory Lane.

The Kopellah Pure Stocks put on the most exciting feature race of the evening, racing three abreast for the checkers. First-timers Nick Field and Jeremy Dahl made up the front row, with Dahl and Field scored first and second through lap four. Track champion Nathan Fisk started fifth and worked his way past Field for second on lap five. At the midway point, Fisk broke into the lead. The other big mover was TJ LaMere. LaMere started the race in the fourth row, directly behind Fisk, and took a few more laps to work his way into the mix. The final six laps saw Dahl, Fisk and LaMere battle it out for the checkers. The trio went three wide on several occasions, and the final corner was no exception. Dead even coming out of turn four, in the 400-foot drag race to the checkers, it was Dahl who bested the champ by half a car length, with LaMere on Fisk’s bumper for third.

Field followed for fourth ahead of a strong running Rodney Jacobson.

The Kopellah Hornets started the nightly theme of first-time visitors parking in Victory Lane. Heat race winner and track champion Ben Johnson sat on the pole with guest driver Marcus Simonson, behind the wheel of Ryan McKenzie’s #D-9 Honda Civic hatchback, on the outside of the front row. In recent weeks, McKenzie’s Honda has taken a shining to the very top groove at Kopellah Speedway.

Apparently, Simonson was taking notes. Johnson and Simonson would duel throughout, Johnson down the middle and Simonson always within arm’s reach of the concrete, with Simonson scored the leader with each pass of the flagstand.

In addition to the retaining wall, the D9 has also taken a shining to the Victory Lane, where Simonson parked it for a speedway best ninth time in 2007. The brown and black Civic posed with a trophy seven times with McKenzie at the wheel, once with Kyle Filip steering, and Friday with Simonson at the controls. Johnson had to settle for second ahead of Kevin Bradwell, Krysta Swearingen, Tyler English and Bruce Lutgen.

The Midwest Modifieds started off the WISSOTA AMSOIL Dirt Tracks Series feature races with a real nail biter.

Track champion John Remington and Tim Siercks won their heat races and started on the front row, where they stayed to wage a race long battle for the checkers. The duo seemingly never left their starting formation as they raced side by side, Remington low and Siercks down the middle, right to the checkers. Through the first nine laps, Siercks was scored the leader – but never by more than a car length. On lap 10, Remington nudged his nose to the line first, before trailing Siercks front bumper to the line again on lap 11.

Remington once again held a slight advantage on lap 12, and without a caution, the battle for the win began catching the tail of the field. Lapped traffic came into play as the leaders took the white flag. Remington and Siercks made it three wide as they both ran under a back marker. The close quarters resulted in some contact between Siercks and the lapped car. The contact sent Siercks’ #71s bouncing into the right side of Remington where he promptly bounced off again, this time out to the concrete retaining wall at the base of the flagstand. Siercks stayed heavy on the throttle, but all the pinballing allowed Remington to finally clear Siercks. Siercks remained right on the rear bumper of Remington the rest of the way, but it was Remington who picked up the clean sweep and his fourth sticker of the season. Sixth starting Frank Soucek came home third ahead of Jimmy Latvala and first-time visitor Greg Thell.

The WISSOTA Modifieds started off their feature with a bang. Or more precisely, Kevin Adams’ feature ended with one. Adams and Todd Siddons, who came into the evening eighth in national points, started on the front row.

At the drop of the green, Adams appeared as though he would repeat the previous week’s result and blow

away the field, already leading by several car lengths after the first set of turns.

Unfortunately, thoughts of another win went up in a brief and catastrophic puff of smoke. A broken Ujoint left the would-be winner’s car crippled before the end of lap one bringing out the only caution of the race. Second heat race runner-up Scott Splittstoesser moved up to the front row for the restart and led for the first five laps. Further back, the final starting row of Dave Siercks and rookie Andy Miskowic did their best impression of the Kopellah Moving Crew. The duo sliced and diced their way through the field, running fifth and sixth by lap five.

Back up front, the clean and smoothly driven #8 car of Siddons slipped into the lead on lap six. Once in front, Siddons was unable to shake Splittstoesser, but to no one’s surprise, the Eau Claire chauffeur ran flawlessly the rest of the way en route to victory.

The 56-point clean sweep made a nice addition to the national point total for the first-time visitor. Behind Siddons, Splittstoesser stayed within a car length throughout for second. Mike Mueller finished with a very solid run in third.

The “moving crew” kept up their work as well, with Miskowic coming home fourth and Siercks rounding out the top five.

The WISSOTA Super Stock feature turned out to be a “finish where you started” affair. Tony Gates jumped in front of first-row starting mate Doug Fisk at the drop of the green and the field quickly settled into line in the track’s middle groove. A lap-five caution for the #05 of Harvey Fjorden briefly bunched things up again, but after a few laps, most drivers quickly got back to the middle. Dan Gullikson braved a low line later in the race, but that line only proved to be as fast, but not faster, than the preferred groove.

Gates continued on for the flag-to-flag victory, his second of the summer. Fisk maintained his hold on second, with Brent Kobs, Mike Bruggeman and Gullikson comprising the rest of the top five.

The WISSOTA Street Stocks were snake bit from the outset. A fan frustrating five caution flags were displayed before one lap was scored. Once the green flag stayed out, the Streeters finally displayed their customary raciness.

Track champion Jeff Heintz led the first half of the race, but on lap eight, the #57 inexplicably pushed up the track in turn

W a t e r c r o s s This past weekend ended up another learning weekend for the pro drivers who went to Windsor, Colo., for the exhibition race during the Champion Formula One boat races. The word was that the highly modified 125 HP Mercury outboards had a 20-percent loss of horsepower because of the high altitude. This slowed them down to around 120 mph on the water. The four brands of watercross sleds also found problems adjusting to this altitude.

Andy Busse with his Ski-doo was able to find the happy jetting early and win on Sunday and Monday. On Sunday Jeff Fischer, on a Yamaha, came in second with Matt Ledin from Luck driving his modified Polaris to a third-place finish. On Monday, Brian McCurdy Jr. drove his Yamaha to a second place finish with Dennis Rhyner on his Polaris taking a third place. Danny Carlson

two. Before Heintz could wrestle his hot rod back under control, Chanda Fjorden Nord and Jack Peterson slipped past. After starting 10th on the grid, Andy Spofford had worked his way up to fifth by the midway point, and he would continue his charge as the laps clicked off.

Rarely at Kopellah Speedway does a Street Stock pilot pass Fjorden Nord, and that was the case on Friday, as she went on to claim her fourth feature victory of the season ahead of Peterson. Spofford raced up to third by the end ahead of Heintz, and Robert Young completed the top five.

Race Summary WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds – Feature – John Remington, Tim Siercks, Frank Soucek, Jimmy Latvala, Greg Thell, Sam Nelson, Tim Swanson, Chuck Lambert, Travis Sauer, Steve Strandlund, David Merrill, Ken Anderson, Myles McEvers, Jim Schulz, Bob Englund and Jon Harer WISSOTA Street Stock Feature – Chanda FjordenNord, Jack Petersen, Andy Spofford, Jeff Heintz, Robert Young, Rob Weber, Trisha Nyren, Paul Cornelison, Jerry Englund, Jacob Miller, AJ Foat, Melvin Raska, Robert Lowe, Charlie Peterson and Russ Chester WISSOTA Super Stocks Feature – Tony Gates, Doug Fisk, Brent Kobs, Mike Bruggeman, Dan Gullikson, Jimmy Gullikson, Greg Alling, Tim Baxter, John Remington, Denny Stordahl and Harvey Fjorden WISSOTA Modifieds Feature – Todd Siddons, Scott Splittstoesser, Mike Mueller, Andrew Miskowic, Dave Siercks, Jason Anderson, Joey Galloway, Mike Kelly Jr., Tim VanMeter, Tim Baxter, Mike Raboin and Kevin Adams Pure Stocks Feature – Jeremy Dahl, Nathan Fisk, TJ LaMere, Nick Field, Rodney Jacobson, Steve Baker, Travis Jehlicka, Michael Dyrdahl and Jesse Lutgen Hornets Feature – Marcus Simonson, Ben Johnson, Kevin Bradwell, Krysta Swearingen, Tyler English and Bruce Lutgen

T h o u g h t s spent both days fishing sleds off the bottom, with Bruce Koop from McHenry, Ill., and driving an Arctic Cat being his best customer. I guess Cats in high altitude don’t like water.

For more information about this wild and crazy sport you can go to any of the following four Web sites to see photos, information and a short video about watercross racing. www.snowsclub.com, www.kmaracor www.iwausa.org ing.org, www.grantsburgwatercross.com.

See you all at the races,

Danny Carlson has his truck and trailer loaded to the top for Windsor, Colo. The IWA was asked to bring out nine pro riders to have an exhibition race between the high-powered outboard boat races. Local drivers who went were Jeremy Carlson from Frederic and Matt Ledin from Luck. - Photo submitted

Arlen Peterson #449 Retired 2006 Pro Vet World Champion

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 19

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A-Train changes schools Former WIAA state meet crosscountry runner Brett Ammend has transferred away from Winona State University. The exWebster Tiger is now matriculating at the University of Minnesota. say Sources Ammend has opted not to run for the Golden G o p h e r s .

Ammend is the offspring of 35-E softball icon Steve Ammend. Ammend’s high school alma mater is ready to run away with the Lakeland Conference CC crown thanks to the fleet feet of Peter Walsh, Brian Gibbs and the rest.

Local crackshots says ix-nay Two local shotgunners who have made their mark hunting birds out west in recent years have opted to forego the 2007 pheasant season. John Aldrich of Luck—who has become known hands-down as the number one Luck-area walleye angler – and Dewey “Scott” Hill, of 1970s Frederic football fame, have opted to stay close to the family hearth this fall rather than make their annual trip to the Dakotas. Each insist that their newlywed status has nothing to do with their decision. Rest assured their attitudes, cash and shooting prowess will be sorely missed this October.

Swami extends humble thanks Via an e-mail sent from the midsection of North Dakota, the Swami requested column space in which to thank the Leader readers who sent going-away cards and cash gifts. “I received over $1,500 dollars,” he said, noting that over $500 was stuck in the weeds near the stop signs at Bill Bosak‘s crossroads east of Frederic. He also noted that he is 14-0 during his first two weeks of predicting North Dakota high school games.

The Swami has considered donating $1,000 to a regional scholarship fund dedicated to 2008 Leader Land graduates who are considering careers in organic gardening and sports prognostications. Stay tuned to see if he follows through. “And I would like to throw my support to the Amazing Bynor,” he added.

Former Unity Little Leaguer gets paid to play baseball Ex-Eagle youth baseball player Mark Hallberg has completed his first professional baseball campaign, performing with flying colors for the Class A Yakima Bears in the Arizona Diamondback chain.

Shortstop Hallberg was honored last week by being named to the Northwest League all-stars team, compiling a .321 batting average with five home runs and 30 RBIs at the time this column was submitted. He also was successful in 12 of 13 base-stealing attempts.

Further review shows that Hallberg played his first game of the 2007 sea-

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son on Feb. 2 for Florida State, which means his season spanned over seven calendar months. Scouts covet a player who has not only the talent, but also the makeup and the love to handle the grind of playing baseball every day.

Empty skies This columnist’s unofficial outdoor informant, Mr. Walleye, was downcast when reporting that his entourage had poor luck in last weekend’s early goose opener. The feisty man-for-all-seasons says his group of eight bagged only five honkers in total on Saturday and were skunked on Sunday and Monday. Does this mean the once cagey quintagenarian is losing his zest, hunger and shooting ability? Or does it simply mean there weren’t many geese around?

Which Anderson is that?

In a region blessed disproportionately by names ending in sen, son, quist, or berg, some fans along the sidelines at last Friday’s Frederic-Webster grid matchup were understandably wondering about the parentage of the star Viking running back Ben Anderson.

Further research has revealed that the burly speedster–who will soon become coach Ken Belanger’s next 1,000-yard rusher—is the offspring of 1960s Viking gridder Dean “Bigfoot” Anderson. Incidentally, the young Anderson is also the nephew of legendary 1970s Viking power-hitting first baseman and student manager extraordinaire Barry Anderson. With heady junior quarterback David Harlander at the helm, it appears the Vikes may be able to reprise the landmark milestone established in 2005 when quarterback Tony Norling passed for 1,000-plus yards while tailback Ethan Hayes also exceeded 1,000-yards rushing. If Belanger’s minions can topple Turtle Lake this Friday, blue and gold diehards will again be formulating visions of the first FHS conference football title since the days of Gary Beecroft, Bob Johnson, Dale Johnson, Erick “Rick” Anderson, Gary Lenz and compaay.

1. “She wrecked the car and she was sad and so afraid that I’d be mad _____________.

2. “He saw a sign for a stock car race. _______________, it read” 3. “He ain’t gonna let those dudes escape justice, he ________________” 4. “The cryin’ tires, the bustin’ glass _______________” 5. “Bird, bird, bird, bird is __________” Correct answers: 1) But what the heck 2) A thousand dollar prize 3) makes his living off the people’s taxes 4) the painful scream that I heard last 5) the word.

Next week: Match the father-son combinations that may or may not be from Luck. e-mail John Ryan at jmr202@yahoo.com

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LEADER S P O R T S S C O R E B O A R D Scores

Football

Large Lakeland Conference

Team Clear Lake Luck St. Croix Falls Webster Cameron Grantsburg Unity

Conf.

0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

Small Lakeland Conference

Team Frederic Bruce Northwood/Solon Springs Shell Lake Siren Turtle Lake Flambeau Birchwood/Weyerhaeuser

Conf.

0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1

Overall 1-1 2-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 0-2 0-2 Overall 2-0 2-0 1-1 1-1 0-2 0-2 0-1 0-2

Scores

Thursday, Aug. 30 Spooner 41, St. Croix Falls 6

Friday, Aug. 31 Chetek 40, Unity 6 Frederic 36, Webster 0 Cumberland 49, Grantsburg 48

Coming up

Thursday, Sept 6 Shell Lake at Frederic, 7:30 p.m.

Unity at St. Croix Falls, 7:30 p.m.

Webster at Clayton, 7:30 p.m.

Turtle Lake at Luck, 7:30 p.m.

Siren at Grantsburg, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday Sept. 8 Grantsburg at Ashland Tournament, TBA Luck at Pine City, TBA Tuesday, Sept. 11 Grantsburg at Shell Lake, 5 p.m.

Frederic at Solon Springs, 7 p.m.

St. Croix Falls at Turtle Lake, 7 p.m.

Clear Lake at Webster, 7 p.m.

Luck at Siren, 7 p.m.

GIRLS TENNIS Coming up

Thursday, Sept. 8 Luck/Unity, at Bloomer 4:15 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 10 Luck/Unity at Barron 4:15 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 11 Mondovi at Luck/Unity 4:15 p.m.

Coming up

Friday, Sept.. 7 Unity at Mondovi, 7 p.m.

Turtle Lake at Frederic, 7 p.m.

St. Croix Fall at Webster 7 p.m.

Cameron at Grantsburg 7 p.m.

Bruce at Siren 7 p.m.

Luck at Clear Lake 7 p.m.

BOYS/GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Coming Up

Volleyball

West Lakeland Conference

Team Frederic Grantsburg Luck St. Croix Falls Siren Unity Webster Shell Lake Clear Lake Turtle Lake

Thursday, Aug. 30 Frederic 3, Siren 2 (21-25, 21-25, 25-11, 25-12, 15-13) Unity 3, Luck 2 (25-10, 25-9, 24-26, 14-25, 15-7) St. Croix Falls 3,Webster 0 (25-13, 25-20, 25-18) Tuesday, Sept. 4 Birchwood 3, Frederic 1 (25-20, 23-25, 19-25, 23-25)

Conf.

1-0 0-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0

Overall 1-3 0-0 0-0 1-0 2-1 1-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 0-0

Well, my first week has came and went and I did pretty good.

My record was 53, but I missed on all the nonLeader Land games. (Amery, Osceola and Shell Lake.)

I Secondly, would like to say how overwhelming it was to get THE AMAZING the outpouring BYNOR of good wishes and welcome emails. With that kind of support I’m confident I can keep the Leader as number one in high school sports predictions like it has been for years. One of my favorite country-western singers, Mac Davis, once sang “Oh lord, it’s hard to be humble” and I feel the same way. I was happy to meet some of you last weekend when I was riding ATV up in Burnett County. It is great to see how strong the Leader is in both Polk and Burnett counties. Keep those emails coming to amazingbynor@yahoo.com. If I have time, I might answer them.

The Amazing Bynor

PREDICTS

This week: Bynor predicts Football Cameron 26, Grantsburg 20 Cameron hammered Shell Lake last

Thursday, Sept. 6 Luck/Unity at New Richmond, 4:15 p.m.

Cameron Invitational 4:30 p.m.

(Frederic, St. Croix Falls, Grantsburg) Saturday, Sept. 8 Glenwood City Invitational, 10 a.m.

(Frederic, Grantsburg) Tuesday, Sept. 11 Rice Lake Invitational, 4:15 p.m.

(Frederic, St. Croix Falls, Grantsburg, Webster, Luck/Unity)

GIRLS GOLF Coming up

Monday, Sept. 10 Luck Invitational 4 p.m.

(Luck/Unity, St. Croix Falls) Tuesday, Sept. 11 Ellsworth Invitational 4 p.m.

(Luck/Unity, St. Croix Falls)

week so it looks like a toughie for the Pirates.

Bruce 28, Siren 16 - I did some checking and I think this will be 20-straight losses for Siren, but I think they might win next week.

Mondovi 21, Unity 14 - The Eagles are eager for some Lakeland home cooking.

St. Croix Falls 30, Webster 14 - The Aints move to 2-1 but after this have only one more sure win (Boyceville).

Frederic 34, Turtle Lake 8 - They say Frederic had a flat performance at Turtle Lake last year so I think they really want to stick it to the Lakers Friday.

Clear Lake 26, Luck 14 - The Cards suffer their first defeat.

Amery 20, Baldwin/Woodville 19 - I really thought the Warriors would beat Ash Can last week. But I’m not quite ready to give up on them.

Osceola 22, New Richmond 12 Neither of these 0-2 teams are very good. Something’s gotta give this week.

Golf St.Croix Falls over Unity/Luck— The Falls will win by many strokes.

Chevy Rock & Roll 400, Richmond, Va. Winner: Kyle Busch - He was narrowly edged by Jeff Burton in last week’s Camping World 300, but I like Kyle’s chances this Saturday.

PAGE 20 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

O UTDOORS INTER- COUNTY LEADER

ATVs • BIRDING • BOATING • CAMPING • FISHING • HIKING • HUNTING • RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

a couple of hours before moving on to the next spot, which research has told me is a dove magnet wherever you go.

It’s a working gravel pit filled with nooks and crannies, ponds and cover for all species of birds. Upon arrival, it didn’t take long to notice that the area was filled with an assortment of birds, including doves.

I had been told that patterning doves is similar to that of patterning geese and even deer, but never really took much of that information to heart. The doves had a particular roost situated conveniently next to the open gravel pit. When spooked, the birds flew to that spot and waited until the coast was clear to move back to the gravel pit.

I situated my position in the hope to intercept their flight pattern, and to my surprise it was successful. I took two birds within an hour, which is something I had never done before. At one point I couldn’t keep up with incoming birds and ended up missing a few, but after getting two birds unexpectedly the trip was deemed a success.

Dove connection Heavy dew had accumulated throughout the night on the many farm Marty fields that covered Seeger the countryside.

Although damp and muggy, the weather The was in the mid-40s and relatively com- Bottom Line fortable.

Driving east toward my hunting destination early Labor Day morning, I watched a handful of deer and turkey that fed near the roadsides and in the hayfields off of Hwy. 8. I can’t remember a time when Hwy. 8 was that quiet.

Sipping on a hot mug of coffee, I wondered if there were others out there in Wisconsin driving to their favorite hunting spots. Judging from the traffic—it must have been very few. I’m sure there were a handful of hunters already nestled in their early-season goose blinds, but very few heading out to their favorite dove blinds.

The mourning dove season has been around in Wisconsin since 2003, and about 40 states currently have a dove hunting season.

In 2003 there was a lot of discussion about whether or not Wisconsin should or could have a season on doves. After a lot of debate on both sides of the spectrum, Wisconsin hunters were awarded the opportunity to share in a tradition that so many other states get to enjoy every year. Given the fact that mourning dove hunting is one of the most popular game birds in North America, I

decided to give it a try back in 2003.

Dove hunting was fun starting out, but the only dove to be seen on my first outing flew speedily past two shots from my 12-gauge, and out of sight. It was a humbling experience, to say the least. Doves are not only a small target, but swift on the wing. Just seeing a dove had proven to be difficult, and I started to wonder if hunting them was worth the time.

I tried hunting doves at least once a year since 2003 without success.

Occasionally a bird would fly to within shooting range, but it was nothing like I thought it would be. Hunting shows on television always depicted scenes of hundreds of birds flying overhead and happy hunters with limits in no time, but doves are more populated in the southern states, and into southern Wisconsin. That doesn’t mean, however, that a hunter can’t be successful in the northern region.

Up until Monday, the only doves I was seeing were the ones perched on power lines and on my grandmother’s bird feeder. Although my grandma and a few others are still skeptical of my dove hunting adventures, I still find it a privilege to be able to go.

Monday morning wasn’t much different than years past. I tried my luck at one spot and was literally surrounded by everything wild except for mourning doves. I sat on my chair and scanned the sky for incoming birds for

The next adventure A big reason for hunting doves for many is the great table fare they provide. It takes roughly three doves per person to make a meal, and although I only had two birds, it provided a perfect opportunity for a taste test.

After seasoning the breast fillets with salt and pepper, I sautéed them in butter, and freshly chopped garlic. A couple of my family members were put to the test, and although some elected not to try it, the ones that did all agreed that it was worthy of another bite. I’ll definitely be back in the field for another shot at dove hunting.

USDA Conservation Program sign-up for 2008 starts MADISON – The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service has announced that the Wisconsin sign-up for conservation programs will be early this year, starting on Sept. 4 for 2008 funding.

There are a number of changes to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program this year in addition to the earlier availability. EQIP is the primary

program available to provide financial assistance for agricultural conservation practices.

This year, a number of new conservation practices will be offered, including Waste Facility Cover, Mulching, Obstruction Removal, and Subsurface Drains, in addition to the more than 50 other practices that have been eligible in the past. Also, to help streamline pay-

Forest landowner field day set for Sept. 8 LUCK – Woodland owners are invited to a free, woodland owners workshop that will focus on oak, pine and aspen management. Wildlife professionals will also be present to give advice on wildlife habitat management options in forested types.

The event will be held Saturday, Sept.

8 from 9 a.m. to approximately 11:30 a.m. (rain or shine), three-quarters of a mile east of Luck Golf Course on the Chippewa Trail.

Persons will be touring a private woodland where active sustainable forest management has been committed to and practiced for several years. There will be a discussion on oak management while looking at the results of a

selection thinning that was completed a couple of years ago in a high-quality 80year-old oak stand. There will also be discussion on pine plantation management and a look at a managed red pine stand. The group will look at aspen management and options for this common forest type. Wildlife management recommendations specific to certain species and forest types will also be discussed.

Other topics to discuss depending on interest could include; timber sales, invasive control, managed forest law, tree planting, road and log landing design and rehab.

Come ask professional forestry and wildlife staff your questions. - submitted

ments, EQIP no longer does cost-sharing – instead it offers flat-rate payments based on a schedule for each particular practice. Farmers will know upfront what the payment will be, not a percentage of the costs as in the past.

All eligible applications received by the end of the ranking period on Nov. 16, will be evaluated and ranked for 2008 funds. Sign-up is at the NRCS offices in USDA Service Centers statewide. NRCS anticipates $17 million in funds for Wisconsin, however that figure could change depending on

Congressional action on the Farm Bill.

Of the $17 million, an estimated $4 million will go toward animal waste concerns.

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program will also begin sign-up on Sept. 4 for landowners interested in restoring wildlife habitat. information, see For more www.wi.nrcs.usda.gov under Programs, or contact the Spooner NRCS office at 635-8228 Ext. 3. - submitted

Yellow Lake to host musky tournament WEBSTER — The Webster Lions Club will host the 27th-annual Musky Madness Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007. Fish from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

There is still time to sign up and enter. Sixty teams are expected to compete for $6,500 in cash. First prize is $2,900. Ten cash prizes will be awarded, and the entry fee is $175 per twoperson team. The Lions use all the profits for scholarships.

The tournament headquarters are at the Ike Walton Lodge on Yellow Lake.

This is a catch-and-release tournament, and all muskies are released at the capture site after being witnessed by tournament judges. Muskies 34 inches or longer are eligible for prizes, and prizes are awarded based on the total length of musky.

Trolling and live bait are prohibited.

Everyone is welcome to come to Ike Walton Lodge and be there for the awards ceremony at 4 p.m., and talk to the fishermen. For more information or to enter the tournament call Pete at 715-866-4788. – submitted

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 21

Polk County sheriff’s report Accidents Aug. 18, Luck Twp., 170th Street, 200’ south of 280th Avenue, BRIAN A. MAJOROWICZ, 20, Frederic. While vehicle was traveling northbound on Hwy. 35, vehicle allegedly struck another vehicle. Vehicle was located by police and this subject fled. The subject was actively trying to elude police when vehicle rolled. Subject then drove southbound on 170th Street and narrowly missed a northbound squad. Subject went off the roadway and struck a tree. Driver was issued citation for OMVWI, sustained a minor injury and transported by EMS. Aug. 21, 10:40 a.m., Lincoln Twp., 110th Street at 95th Avenue; #1—NANCY A. LUEHMAN, 56, Clear Lake; #2—HANNAH J. KUNKEL, 18, Amery. Unit 2 was following unit 1. Unit 1 moved to the right side shoulder to make a wide left turn. Unit 2 thought unit 1 was pulling over. Unit 1 did not use a signal for either move. Unit 1 then made a wide left turn as unit 2 was trying to go around unit 1. Unit 1 driver admitted to not signaling.

Aug. 24, 1:23 p.m., Osceola Twp., 60th Avenue at 218th Street; #1—VELMA F. NORLANDER, 69, Star Prairie; #2— THOMAS E. BUTTERFIELD,

44, Osceola. Unit 1 was traveling northbound on 218th Street.

Unit 2 was traveling westbound on 60th Avenue, Unit 2 skidded into the right side of unit 1. Unit 2 left approximately 160’ of skid marks. The driver of unit 2 admitted that the rear brakes were disconnected. Driver Norlander sustained minor injuries (wearing seat belt) and was transported by EMS. Driver Butterfield was cited for driving too fast for conditions and improper turn/signal.

Aug. 24, 10 p.m., Eureka Twp., 220th Avenue, .2 mile east of 195th Street; MICHAEL C. VIDEEN, 16, Center City, Minn.; #2-HIT and RUN VEHICLE; Units 1 and 2 were traveling eastbound on 220th Avenue.

Unit 2 passed unit 1, clipping side mirror, forcing unit 1 into ditch. Unit 1 hits embankment in ditch, spins and comes to rest with its back end in embankment. Unit 2 does not stop. Unit 1 reports unit 2 as being a dark, full-size truck, which passed and hit the driver’s side of unit 1, pushing unit 1 into the ditch.

Aug. 25, 7:38 a.m., Laketown Twp., 220th Street, 1 mile south of CTH I, PAUL W. SCHIEBEL, 36, East Bethel, Minn., operating a motorcycle, was southbound on 220th Street when a deer ran out from the west ditch

Burnett Co. deaths Robert E. Johnson, 73, Shell Lake, Aug. 14.

Edward W. Dalsveen, 83, Daniels, Aug. 19.

Dorothy L. Pijanowski, 75, Swiss, Aug. 3.

Erik V. Werdier, 94, Webster, Aug. 14.

Austor T. Soderberg, 101, Siren Village, Aug. 21.

and was struck by the motorcycle. Driver was wearing a helmet and sustained a minor injury (transported by EMS).

Aug. 25, 3:28 p.m., Lincoln Twp. CTH F at CTH C, #1— LEROY H. LYSNE, 81, Amery; #2—CHRISTINE K. OLSON, 16, Amery; #3—DEMISE A. LAWSON, 47, Circle Pines, Minn. Unit 1 was traveling westbound on CTH F. Unit 2 was traveling eastbound on CTH F. Unit 3 was stopped at the stop sign on CTH C at CTH F. Unit 1 turned southbound onto CTH C, failing to yield right of way. Unit 2 collided with unit 1. Unit 1 spun into unit 3. Driver of unit 1 issued citation for failure to yield right of way.

Aug. 27, 3:50 p.m., St. Croix Falls Township, Lions Park park-

ing lot/1250 N. Washington Street; #1—MARIE M. PUFFER, 66, St. Croix Falls; #2—TERRY M. NELSON, 43, St. Croix Falls; Unit 1 was backing out of a parking stall. Unit 2 was legally parked. Unit 1 backed into unit 2.

Aug. 27, 5:50 a.m., Black Brook Twp., 90th Street, .9 mile south of CTH E/350th Avenue, JEFFREY L. FERN, was traveling northbound on 90th Street, and struck a tree that had fallen onto the roadway, as a result of a storm. Unit 1 struck the tree head-on. The tree spun and struck unit 1 on the passenger side door.

Aug. 29, 3:47 p.m., Black Brook Twp., CTH F at 30th Avenue; #1—KAYLA S. EVENSON, 18, Amery; #2—KEVIN M.

ANDERSON, 16, Clear Lake; Unit 2 and passenger (BRIAN E. DODGE, JR., 16, Clear Lake) were eastbound on CTH F, having shifting problems, and the operator attempted to pull off the highway by turning left and pulled into the eastbound vehicle (unit 1). Driver of the ATV sustained injuries (no safety equipment) and was transported

by EMS. Other incidents Aug. 24, CYRIL KRENZ, RR Osceola, reported a burglary to his garage; nothing noted missing at this time.

Aug. 27, RAYMOND POTVIN, RR Turtle Lake, reported possible vandalism (dents) to a garage door at his residence.

Aug. 28, CORRINE THOMPSON, RR Clear Lake, reported her mailbox had been vandalized.

Aug. 30, JOY STARK, RR Osceola, reported her mailbox had been damaged, located on 230th Street. A Polk County deputy located four other mailboxes that had been damaged on 60th Avenue and a mailbox damaged on Oak Drive, Osceola area.

Sept. 1, BENJAMIN STUIVENGA, RR Clear Lake, reported his vehicle was entered while it was parked in the village of Clayton and items were stolen from his vehicle, to include Coleman cooler, leather roofing belt, sweatshirt, Spy brand sunglasses and Dunlop golf clubs.

Siren Police Report Aug. 27: Mailbox theft was reported by Rita Gjonnes.

Gjonnes told the officer that the her white mailbox with house numbers on its side was taken between 5 p.m. Aug. 26 and the morning of Aug. 27. The box had four days worth of mail in it.

Aug. 28: Shelly Ann Tanning, 38, Minneapolis, Minn., was cited for speeding on Hwy. 35/70 and South Shore Drive at 6:50 p.m.

At 7:45 p.m., Ferrer M. Modesto, 76, Hayward, was cited for speeding on Hwy. 70 at Hanson Avenue.

Aug. 29: A gas drive off for $33.54 was reported by the Siren Auto Stop at 4:10 p.m.

There was no identification on the vehicle or its driver, except for the possibility that it might have been a car with Florida plates and four females inside.

Another gas drive off for $82 was reported by Siren Auto Stop at 6:40 p.m. Vehicle and driver are unknown. The vehicle was reported to be a dry-box type.

Sept. 1: Dylan A. Geske, 17, Siren, was cited for nonregistration of a vehicle on Fourth Avenue and D’Jock Street at 6:36 p.m.

At 11 p.m., Allison E. Didier, 16, Webster, was cited for making an improper right turn on Fourth Avenue and CTH B. Sept. 2: At 2:20 p.m.,

Jeremy J. Sathre, 31, Braham, Minn., was cited for speeding on Hwy. 70 at Ellis Avenue.

John Allen Parsons, 60, Siren, was cited for speeding on Hwy. 70 at Hanson Street at 4:30 p.m.

At 5:28 p.m., Roger Harland Nelson, 78, Woodbury, Minn., was cited for speeding on Hwy. 35/70 at South Shore Drive.

At 5:45 p.m., Cara Elizabeth Leonardelli, 23, Minneapolis, Minn., was cited for speeding on Hwy. 35/70 and South Shore Drive.

At 7:15 p.m., Steven Dall Vranicar, 40, St. Paul, Minn., was cited for speeding on Hwy. 70 at Ellis Avenue.

At about midnight, Amber L. Haasl, 19, Barronett, was cited for operating without a valid driver’s license on Hwy. 35 and Cemetery Road.

Sept. 3: Michael James McCollough, 22, Siren, turned himself in to an officer at the Siren Holiday Station at 11:25 p.m. McCollough was wanted on Burnett County warrants.

PAGE 22 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

Follow the Leader.

Burnett County criminal court Laura M. Coulter, 46, Siren, littering on public property, $186.00.

Daniel P. Bauer, 51, Hudson, possession of illegal sized fish, $274.85.

Patricia M. Wojak, 52, Spooner, speeding, $186.00.

Percy W. Benjamin, 29,

Webster, speeding, $211.20.

Daniel P. Garrity, 43, New Richmond, speeding, $160.80.

Thomas J. Dahl, 18, Minnetonka, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Ricky H. Krause, 52, Hudson, speeding, $160.80.

Jeffery A. Romsos, 43,

Notices

Hayward, speeding, $160.80.

Andrea P. Candlin, 57, Minneapolis, Minn., speeding, $160.80.

Dwight M. Kraemer, 43, Webster, speeding, $346.80.

Joan L. Wilhelm, 46, Webster, operate without a valid license, $186.00.

Andrew H. Eaton, 23, Grantsburg, disorderly conduct, 90 days’ jail time, Huber privileges granted.

Jon D. Songetay, 19, Danbury, theft of moveable property, one-year probation, alcohol assessment, $200.00.

Lori J. Harvey, 43, Grantsburg, OWI, $938.00, alcohol assessment, 15 days’ jail time, serve five days and then the remainder is deferred. No work release the first 48 hours, license revoked 12 months.

Lee C. Rivard, 39, Spooner, OWI, $894.00, alcohol assessment, 10 days’ jail time, Huber for employment, license revoked 12 months.

Gerald E. Hubbell, 37, Hayward, OWI, $1,209.00, three-year probation, license revoked three years, six months’ jail time, Huber privileges are granted, alcohol assessment.

Garage Sales/ Real Estate

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 23

Burnett Co. marriage licenses Garrett J. Peloquin, Lindstrom, Minn., and Karli J. Askay, Lindstrom, Minn., Aug. 28.

Patrick L. Taylor, Meenon, and Stacey F. Sybers, Meenon, Aug. 28.

Michael J. Lazerine, Crosslake, Minn., and Nancy L.

Peterson, Daniels, Aug. 30.

Anthony S. Payson, Oakland, and Jodi L. Johnson, Oakland, Aug. 31.

Todd F. Rassett, Maplewood, and Dawn M. Scott, Maplewood, Aug. 31.

Justin L. Hakenson, Webster, and Nichole L. Jones,

Notices/ Employment

Webster, Sept. 4.

PAGE 24 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

Notices/ Employment

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 25

PAGE 26 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

Notices

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - PAGE 27

A small “peace garden” (top photo) complements the classic architecture of the Milltown Lutheran Church, located on the village of Milltown’s Main Street. - Photos by Gary King

Some labored, some lingered

The shoreline of Crooked Lake in Siren offered the two views of Labor Day Weekend - one of leisure...and one of labor. With the beginning of a new school year looming, youngsters found time to do some fishing off the public pier at Crooked Lake Park, above. At left, a homeowner used at least part of the holiday weekend to mow his lawn. - Photos by Gary King

Feds urge meningitis shots STATEWIDE - Federal health experts are now urging younger kids to get shots for meningitis, but a government survey finds that only 12 percent of teens get the relatively new vaccine. One exception is on Wisconsin campuses, where compliance is high, in part because of a state law passed after a student died.

This summer, the Centers for Disease Control changed its mind on who should get the meningitis vaccine. Officials are now recommending those as young as 11 get the shot. It protects against 60 percent of the strains known to cause the bacterial

infection, which is spread through saliva.

In Wisconsin, it’s not required of college students, but they are told about the $90 shot for the rare disease because it occurs more often on campuses. Five years ago, a student attending UW-Madison died of meningitis, which prompted legislators to pass a law in 2003 requiring post-secondary schools to provide information about the disease.

Data from incoming freshman shows three-quarters of them have been vaccinated. – Wisconsin Public Radio, Shamane Mills

PAGE 28 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

Vintage auto tour will travel down Gandy Dancer

Vintage cars will be traveling down the Gandy Dancer Trail, Sept. 14-16, traveling from Siren to Balsam Lake with stops in Milltown and Centuria and possibly Frederic and Luck. A stop in Spooner is also planned. A special resolution, passed by the state Assembly, allows the Gandy Dancer to be used for this event. Shown in photo at left are Steve and Rochelle Bottineau of Siren in their 1910 Buick driving along Airport Road. More information on the event will appear in next week’s Leader. - Photos submitted

Incoming DNR secretary names deputy

Perfect patio

MADISON - Incoming Department of Natural Resources secretary Matt Frank announced he has named Patrick Henderson, 33, as deputy secretary at the DNR. Henderson comes to DNR from the department of administration, where he has served as executive assistant since January.

“Pat has an extensive knowledge of the DNR and the environmental, hunting and fishing communities. His experience in state government will be a great benefit to our agency,” said Frank. “Pat is a devoted conservationist and, like me, is honored to be part of this agency.”

Henderson is a Wisconsin native who grew up in Sheboygan with a tremendous appreciation for the value of the Great Lakes. He completed his B.A. degree from UW- Madison in 1996. Prior to his tenure at DOA, he served for four years in Gov. Jim Doyle’s office as a legislative director and liaison to the DNR on natural resources issues. - from the DNR A scene that sums up the end of summer. - Photo by Gary King

Back to the schoolbooks

It appeared as if most students were happy to be back at school following summer vacation, one even running from the bus to the school (photo at right) as doors opened Tusday morning at Frederic Elementary School.

For some, the first day of school experience included a happy reunion (photo at left).

- Photos by Gary King

‘Follow the Leader’

Currents N O R T H E R N

Sept em ber 5, 2007 2nd Sect i o n B I nt er- C o unt y Leader

News and views from the Northwest Wisconsin community

Restorative Justice

The program Restorative Justice Response is hard at work in Burnett County with new community service program BURNETT COUNTY - Burnett County Restorative Justice Response has been working with the Burnett County Jail, drug and alcohol court, health and human services - juvenile justice, and the department of corrections to coordinate and supervise community service assigned to offenders of various nonviolent offenses.

Lisa Johnson, who is the director of programming, coordinates the participant’s interests, talents and experiences with the needs of those agencies requesting work. Johnson says the community service program is “a perfect fit for the Burnett County Restorative Justice Response programming because community service gives the offender the opportunity to repair the harm they have caused their community by the offense they committed. The opportunity also fosters a sense of responsibility in offenders and allows offenders to restore themselves once again in their communities after their offense.”

The community service program is also facilitated by another vital member, Brandy Horstman. She is the director of administration, and coordinates the participant’s weekly worksite assignments

gram workers have provided valuable services to local agencies such as the villages of Webster and Grantsburg, townships of Oakland, Meenon, and Sand Lake, the Burnett County Humane Society, Siren School District, the Siren Ag Association Dairy Breakfast, the Burnett County Fair Association, Cookie Brigade, Interfaith Caregivers, Siren Senior Center and many seniors of needed yard work support, the 1st Baptist Church of Falun, and the Siren Ball Field.

Additionally, Grantsburg Senior Center has received help for their nutritional services program, along with many more services that have requested community service workers for their programs.

Oakland Township Oakland Township has been a recipient of the community service of Burnett County Jail inmates. These inmates have given a total of 123 hours to the township to restore the exterior walls of the town hall. The township had initially considered installing new siding on their town hall which would have cost the township over $5,000 until Restorative Justice stepped in to help! Lawrence Bildeau said that this experience offered him “good vocational experience and a chance to learn new skills.” “It’s nice helping the community and being able to give something back,” said Chris Holmquist. Both men, who were recently incarcerated, had been chosen to participate in the community service program. This project alone has reduced the inmate’s jail sentences by a total of five days which saves taxpayers $245 due to the inmate’s earned reduction of jail time.

Lawrence Bildeau and Chris Holmquist of the Burnett County Jail put in 123 hours scraping, sanding, priming and painting the Oakland Town Hall. - Special photos and tracks the hours that the participant Burnett County Sheriff’s Department, works. Horstman comments, “It’s the “represents the establishment of an oncommunity that sells this Restorative going, systematic and sustainable apJustice Program the best to other people proach to the problem of idle prisoners and organizations of need. The commu- and the challenge of performing work nity service program receives very nice for the public good.” He says that the letters from recipients of the services - program benefits participants of the many with donations to help keep this community service program because valuable program to the community con- there is a disproportionate amount of our tinuing.” inmates who have never held a regular Judge Michael Gableman states that job. He describes the program as an ex- Village of Webster the community service program admin- cellent method by which to assist those The village of Webster was thrilled to istered by Burnett County Restorative inmates in developing the ability to work get two part-time volunteer workers Justice Program, in cooperation with the by providing them with both the incen- when they connected with the Restorative and the opportunity to do so. “It is tive Justice Response’s community serva program that has already helped a lot ice program. Inmates work Tuesday of our citizens and is mindful of the pub- through Thursday for the village doing Community Service hours given to nonprofit lic safety as it relates to this opportunity. projects such as brush cutting and seedand governmental agencies since April 1, 2007 The program will remain one of those ing grass, and they look forward to acrare combinations of efficiency, cost-ef- complishing many more projects while Worksite Hours Money saved in labor fectiveness and common sense.” having the opportunity to work with logged by utilizing community Since the program’s implementation service workers based on See Restorative Justice, next page this April, the community service prominimum wage of $6.50/hour $312 48 Cookie Brigade Siren Ball Field 134 $871 1st Baptist Church of Falun 275 $1,787.50 $ 22.75 3.5 Burnett County Kinship Sand Lake Township 246 $1,599 Meenon Township 650.75 $4,229.88 Humane Society 1570.25 $10,206.63 $3,713.13 571.25 Interfaith Caregivers Village of Webster 521 $3,386.50 Central Burnett County Fair Association 82 $533 $802.75 123.5 Oakland Township Siren Ag Association Dairy Breakfast 186 $1,209 Siren School -Trails 41.25 $268.13 Senior yard program 60 $ 390 Clothing donation program 1.5 $9.75 Grantsburg Historical Society Old Schoolhouse 17.5 $113.75 Grantsburg - Munincipal Golf 18.75 $121.88 $136.5 21 Grantsburg Watercross Grantsburg Senior Center Nutritional Program 40 $260 St. John the Baptist Church 3.25 $21.12 Michael Livingston and Jason Mishler of the Burnett County Jail have put in Burnett County Restorative hours working at the village of Webster doing many projects, such as brush Justice Response, Inc. 4.75 $30.88 cutting this area of woods.

Total C.S. hrs.

4,666.75 $30,333.88

PAGE 2 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

Restorative Justice from page 1 community service. Both workers agree community service allows them to gain self-appreciation and feel pride for what they accomplish for their community.

Webster village employee Dean Phernetton shared that the community service participants do a great job and the village is appreciative to have them working on projects in the village.

Burnett County Humane Society Lucas Avery, kennel manger of the Burnett County Humane Society, says that he truly values the “helpful angels” who give community service for the animals of the humane society. Workers are on duty Monday – Saturdays every week. They have worked over 1,500 hours of community service to date by five different workers. Some of the activities the workers do for the animals are repairing fencing around the play yard and the outlying fence line, general clean up, painting, deck work and dog socialization and care. Avery smiles as he says that “community service participants have done so much that it’s hard to sum it all up.” Bobbie Gilpin and Bonnie Anderson, previous workers, both agree that providing care for the animals who stay there has helped them to feel valuable. One worker plans on helping out there a of couple days a week even after her release from jail.

Interfaith Caregivers Interfaith Caregivers really needed help when they got the call from Restorative Justice Response. They had more wood than they could process, and not enough wood processed to provide for the calls they had already gotten from families in need, who would need wood

Mike Livingston and Lawrence Bildeau, previously of the Burnett County Jail, helped Interfaith Caregivers by chopping wood that will be used to heat homes for people in need throughout the cold winters.

Bobbi Gilpin (with Toby) and Bonnie Anderson (with Ziggy) of the Burnett County Jail with their furry friends at the Burnett County Humane Society where they have spent their days caring for the animals awaiting adoption. to heat their homes this upcoming winter. Among many missions of Interfaith Caregivers, they provided 15 homes with wood in 2006 and have received many more calls so far for 2007. Barb Blodgett reflects back to that time of her program’s desperation, and she didn’t know what they would’ve done without the community service program’s support. Denny Blodgett boasts that “by the time we’re done, we’ll have enough wood to cover all of the requests that come in for the winter of 2007, and 2008 also!” Workers Lawrence Bildeau and Mike Livingston both agree that “it feels good to be involved in this project knowing it’s going to help so many families keep warm this winter.” If you are in need of wood, or would like to provide donations of wood or supportive funding for their programming, please contact Interfaith Caregivers at 715-866-4970.

Meenon Township Meenon Township has previously used community service workers and Larry Johnson, maintenance supervisor of the township, was excited to get a worker this year again. To date, workers have logged over 650 hours of community service working on various day-today tasks.

Jail Administrator Terry Nesvold sees the biggest benefit of the community service program is the pride that this opportunity gives participants for the great job they do. “These folks have never really had much of an opportunity to receive praises, and this gives them positive self-esteem that hopefully they can carry with them once they leave the

jail. We have given them a chance to make something more of themselves - a feeling that they, too, can be a more valuable member of society.”

Another benefit Nesvold hears and sees is the reaction from the public sector, and the agencies they work for. “I went to check on the workers yesterday, and was given praise from the Central Burnett County Fair Board in reference to this program, stating they would never have completed this fair project had it not been for the community service workers. I believe this program is

starting to make a difference on the attitudes and work ethics of some of our inmates.”

Since the community service program’s start in April, workers have put in over 4,650 free work hours (or over $30,000) giving back to the Burnett County community. Nesvold comments, “The jail can actually have a positive reflection on the community, and can give back to its citizens - rather than the jail being perceived as a burden on tax dollars. Additionally, the new community service program started work this year for the elderly. I am very amazed of the comments coming back from those that are helped. There again, these elderly citizens are maybe starting to look at how the jail can actually benefit the community...it’s also important for us to take care of these folks.” Community service is available for seniors within Burnett County on a fixed income who need onetime projects done on their personal property.

Nonprofit and governmental organizations, along with eligible seniors, can call the Restorative Justice Response office to register and request services at 715-3492117.

The team at Restorative Justice Response express gratitude to everyone who has worked with this program and also those who have donated the needed funding to help support the existence of the community service program. Burnett County Restorative Justice Response is currently in need of donations. If you would like to contribute to the community service program, you can stop by the office in the Southwinds Plaza, or mail to 24670 State Road 35/70, Suite 300 Siren, WI 54872. - submitted

Larry Johnson, Meenon supervisor, and Burnett County Jail work on roadside cutting.

Jeffery

Young

of

the

New staff at Unity Tuesday brought new faces to new positions at the Unity School. Welcomed to the Unity staff were: front (L to R): Terese Schlais - school psychologist and Shaun Fisher - high school social studies. Standing (L to R): Twila Sikkink - accounting manager, Jeff Allen custodian, Dave Conley - custodian, and Michele Hooey - high school special education program. Not pictured: Steve “Dewey” Strilzuk - maintenance/operations/transportation director. - submitted

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 3

The House Was Quiet

by Walt Fluegel All day there had been a chill in the air. Fall was on its way. A severe frost warning was predicted for the night.

We took one last look at the outside thermometer before going to bed.

In the dim period before REM sleep, we were both awakened by scratching and rustling coming from down the hall towards the living room. It stopped. A few moments later it started again. “Do you think we have mice?” Maxine asked.

I mumbled something and managed to sit up and listen. There was a long silence; the house was quiet. I was in that twilight time of sleep when the rustling and scratching interrupted my sleep again. I became completely awake. Maxine was dead to the world.

I got out of bed, put on my robe, and went into the living room/kitchen area.

I did not need to switch on lights. We had not pulled the shades and moonlight came through the windows. I

reached for the flashlight from the kitchen utility drawer. The scratching began again. What a relief, it was not coming from where we store our food.

The noise came from behind me by the desk next to the table near the big window. I turned the flashlight towards the desk. The scratching stopped. The noises sounded familiar, like some little rodent was trying to escape. I thought I might have frightened it. I kept shining the light here and there and moving things around on the desk.

I looked under papers and into various cubby holes and found nothing.

I was eventually satisfied I chased the little bugger away. There were no more noises and I thought tomorrow we had better find a few traps. I turned the flashlight off and went back to bed.

The noises started again just before I got to the bedroom door. I turned and walked slowly back into the living room/kitchen area. The noise stopped.

When it started again I headed in the direction of the noise. Then the refrigerator started its routine mechanical chore. The scratching noise stopped, but by then I had a new fix on its origin.

I went closer to the desk and waited

until the refrigerator stopped.

About a minute later the scratching and rustling resumed. I bent down next to the desk near the wall where we had our small, battery-powered vacuum attached to the wall. I shined the light into the corner, but I saw nothing.

I clicked off the flashlight. I waited and crouched as close as possible to the vacuum. There — the noise again. No doubt about it, the noise was coming from inside the vacuum. Could it be that some little guy managed to get into the vacuum and couldn’t find his way out?

I was convinced we had an unwelcome visitor. I thought to myself, “Sorry pal, we need our sleep.” I straightened up from my crouch, unhooked the vacuum from the wall and took it to the back door. I unlocked the door, opened it and the screen door, and placed the vacuum against the outside wall, figuring I would release the critter tomorrow. A chill swept into the house.

I forgot that our back entry screen door makes a loud screech as it closes, and this must have awakened Maxine.

As I came into the bedroom, she asked,

Writer’s Corner “What’s that all about?”

My reply, “It was a mouse. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.” With that, a kiss goodnight. The house was quiet once more.

Hunting story contest It’s contest time – send in your favorite hunting story. We will be printing the three top stories in November. Contest deadline is Sept.

28. In December, we will also be printing favorite Christmas stories.

Send in your entries by Oct. 30.

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

Olsgard receives 2007 Environmental Stewardship Award ASHLAND - Bob Olsgard of Spooner was recently named a 2007 Environmental Stewardship Award in the Individual Adult category from the Lake Superior Binational Forum, an organization located in the U.S. at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at Northland College in Ashland. Olsgard first became concerned with Lake Superior’s water quality when he was taking photographs of the area during the late 1980s. As an artist, Olsgard was greatly aware of the lake’s captivating qualities, and wanted to learn more about what was underneath its surface. “It’s a beautiful place, and we have the opportunity to keep it that way,” Olsgard said.

Much of Olsgard’s work has focused on promoting public involvement and on providing venues for citizens to voice their concerns about Lake Superior. In the summer of 2000, Olsgard partici-

pated in A Walk to Remember, a twomonth walk around the lake which involved hundreds of lake community members. “We wanted to raise public awareness about the spiritual connection to Lake Superior that is felt by so many,” said Olsgard. “With the Walk, we were able to share this spiritual connection and commitment.” The year before, he took a bicycle tour around the lake, dubbed the Clean Air Tour, to raise awareness of the negative impact tourism has on the water.

A coalition of local environmental groups formed the Lake Superior Alliance in 1992 in response to the zero discharge demonstration program initiated by the governments of Ontario, Canada, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and the United States. The alliance held quarterly public meetings, published a newsletter, Superior Vision, and created

a Web site to keep the public informed about the progress towards zero discharge. In 1999 and 2002, the alliance organized a series of meetings to get public input on the Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan and to develop a Lake Superior Waterkeeper program.

Olsgard became the Lake Superior Alliance coordinator in 1995. Early in 2003, the alliance secured the 100th International Waterkeeper License for the Lake Superior Waterkeeper. The program is sponsored by an international group called The Waterkeeper Alliance, and its mission is to better the ecological health of designated bodies of water. Olsgard performed as Lake Superior’s Waterkeeper for over a year acting as an investigator, scientist, lawyer and advocate.

According to Olsgard, interest in protecting the lake has grown over the past decade, and he hopes that community

involvement continues to increase.

“There are still plenty of threats to Lake Superior, and still only a limited number of people who will respond to them,” Olsgard said. “We need to involve citizens to protect the legacy of the water.”

The Binational Forum’s annual Environmental Stewardship Awards program recognizes outstanding achievements of individuals, youth, businesses, and community groups in the U.S. and Canada that protect and restore the natural environment of the Lake Superior Basin. This is the fourth year for the awards program. A list of previous recipients can be found on the forum’s Web site at www.superiorforum.info. For more information about the forum call 888-301LAKE. - submitted

S u b s c r i b e o n l i n e @ w w w. t h e - l e a d e r. n e t Dr. Claudio Nunes, general surgeon, joind SCRMC medical ST. CROIX FALLS – Dr. Claudio Nunes is now providing surgical consultations, presurgical examinations, and postsurgery care full time at St. Croix Regional Medical Center. He joins SCRMC surgeons, Dr. Lan Raikar and Dr. Hans Rechsteiner. Nunes’ surgical care includes thyroid and parathyroid surgery, breast surgery, abdominal surgery, colorectal surgery, laparoscopy, trauma and emergency surgery, surgical critical care, colonoscopy, upper endoscopy and complex wound management.

“I have always enjoyed taking care of injured people,” says Nunes. “Though this may sound like a cliché, this is true: when I was a child, I was the one who would look at all my friends when they

would get hurt. I knew at an early age that I would become a doctor.” His childhood dream now realized, Nunes says, his practice is everything he hoped it would be. “Having the ability to take care of certain conditions through surgery and see instant results, or to face the challenge of helping critical patients heal is tremendously rewarding,” he says. “And just one smile makes all the challenges worthwhile.”

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nunes began medical school at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Medical School at the age of 17. He completed his surgical residency and a trauma/surgical critical care fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Claudio Nunes

Nunes and his wife, Wendy, a urologist also on staff at SCRMC, recently moved to St. Croix Falls. “Wendy and I fell in love with the community immediately,” said Nunes. “We came to find a house in March of this year and after we left, we couldn’t wait to return. We really like the opportunity of small-town living and the chance to be part of a community and to help make a difference in it. From a professional perspective, we also were very impressed by this medical center, which has everything we need to provide the highest quality medical care.”

To make an appointment to see Nunes and other St. Croix Regional Medical Center health care providers, call 715483-3221 or 800-642-1336. - submitted

PAGE 4 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

River Road Ramblings The Cushing Tigers

During the 1950s and 1960s, the Cushing Tigers baseball team was one of the premier amateur teams in Wisconsin and Minnesota, winning many league, regional and state championships. The team was very successful for most of its 76-year history. The Sterling Eureka and Laketown Historical Society has been collecting Tigers information and memorabilia for the Cushing Memory Room and for a chapter in our upcoming “History of Cushing” book due in 2008.

The second-annual Cushing Tigers reunion was held Sept. 1 sponsored by SELHS and the Cushing Commercial Club. This will be an annual event on the Saturday afternoon of Labor Day weekend. This week we look at the early history of the Tigers.

Although there was a post office in James Smith’s home already in 1870, and a log church by the 1880s, Cushing didn’t get really going until the 1890s when the country crossroads got two stores, a creamery, a mill, blacksmith and other small businesses. A cluster of homes was built adding to the dozen or more farm families within couple of miles of town. Large families meant lots of children to go to the nearby Lanesdale and rural Cushing schools where the boys learned to play baseball at recess. They traveled to nearby schools to play each other.

Baseball was already a popular sport for Fourth of July picnics and the county fair with teams being formed just for the events. The first generation of farmers had gotten most of their land in production and had become prosperous, buying teams of horse buggies with springs so they could travel faster and more comfortably on the improving roads. Their children were growing up and helping on the farms and working in town and had some free time to play ball.

In 1901, Roy Patterson, a 24-year-old man from St. Croix Falls broke into the major leagues by becoming a rookie pitcher for the Chicago White Stockings of the American League. Known as the Boy Wonder, he pitched 312 innings in 36 games, winning 20 and losing 15 his first year, followed by 19 wins his second.

The boys had a baseball hero to emulate!

The Cushing Tigers baseball team first appears in the 1903 Polk County Ledger in Roy Henning’s Cushing newspaper column. Henning’s father started the first store in Cushing and when he was 19, he started writing about Cushing in the local newspapers, continuing until his death in 1943. He got the nickname of Dr. Squirt from a 1904 Valentine’s Day masquerade party in Cushing where he dressed up as a comical doctor and went around trying to give everyone inoculations with his bicycle air pump syringe. After that to everyone in Cushing he was Dr. Squirt. He adopted that, as his newspaper name too.

Doc Squirt and his friends started a baseball team in Cushing that by 1903 he had given the name of Cushing Tigers. Although he was a tall, strong young man, he seems to have not played and instead managed the team. It was made up of the local young men. The

team played regularly in 1903 and appears to have continued to play every year until 1941 or 1942 when most of the men were drafted to go to World War II. Henning soon had other interests, his writing, traveling and his Cushing Harley-Davidson dealership and, according to Christian Jensen, one of the players took over as the coach.

Ed Wilson was an excellent player. He loved baseball and managed the team through early years for nearly three decades. He is credited with much of their early success and for local baseball enthusiasm.

His three sons, Ike, Lloyd and Elmo, played for many years with their father.

Other early players came from local families including: Smith, Gullickson, Peterson, Stark, Armstrong, Westlund, Hennings (Doc’s brother Norman), Jensen, Casperson, Sornson, Christianson and dozens of others. The Cushing Band was formed and, according to Raleigh Rogers of Wolf Creek, when Cushing came to play ball, they came with a wagon load of players, another of fans and another with the band playing as the horses pulled into town! Doc called it the Tigers’ Portable Applause on the back of an old photograph.

Norman G. Hennings was one of the premier pitchers of 1900-1920. He was tall and rangy and was noted for striking out up to two dozen opposing batters per game. His son, Norman R. Hennings (who is 86 years old and lives in Red Wing, Minn.), says that his father was offered a tryout with the Chicago major league team in the days of Roy Patterson. Having just gotten married and having an ailing mother, he decided to stick to his post office job rather than take a chance on baseball where he would be away from home for half of the year. It must have been a hard decision to make for a young man who both excelled at and loved the game. Norman says his dad claims not to have regretted the decision, but the many times he told the story indicates he never quite got past wondering if he could have made it in the big leagues.

The coming of the railroad 10 miles to the east at Luck in the early 1900s connected the towns that sprang up along the way. Siren, Lewis, Frederic, Luck, Milltown, Centuria all started town ball teams to join those in the other little towns in the area. Trade River, Trade Lake, Atlas, Branstad, Grantsburg, St. Croix Falls, Wolf Creek, Eureka, North Valley and dozens of other communities all had teams and ball fields at one time or other. With roads improving and automobiles that traveled 20 miles an hour, it was possible to drive to the neighboring town, play a game, and drive home all on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Through the 1920s and 1930s the Tigers continued to play with many very successful seasons. World War II came along in the 1940s and the Tigers didn’t have enough players left to field a team. They restarted in 1948 and very quickly re-established their dominance of the local leagues. In 1948, they had a rough season as they tried to get organized and get players. In 1949, Vern Schill became the manager. He recruited players from a wide area and soon got the

collected by Russ Hanson team winning games, local league championships and into Wisconsin Class B schedules and tournaments.

The teams of the early 1950s were very good, winning state championships as well as those in the early 1960s. The Cushing team became one of the premier teams in Wisconsin.

Baseball continued with the Tigers until 1974. The final teams were still successful, regularly going to state tournaments. However, Cushing was shrinking.

It was hard to field a team. It was hard to get the players together for practices. There were few neighboring teams to play. There was no team fielded in 1975.

Softball had become very popular by this time and many ballplayers played in weekend tournaments rather than seasonal leagues. After 76 years, the Tigers closed shop. They are remembered by those of us over 50 as one of the most successful town ball teams in Wisconsin and the Midwest.

Share your Cushing Tigers memories with SELHS 715-488-2776.

River Road Hwy. 87 Ramble update SELHS is getting the second-annual River Road, Hwy. 87 Ramble event list and map together. We invite tourists to take a fall color drive up the oldest road in Northwest Wisconsin (the River Road) from St. Croix Falls, 20 miles north and then to loop back on Hwy. 87 enjoying the beautiful fall colors and stopping at events, businesses and attractions along the way.

We have two antique shops, two orchards, many business open houses, several garage craft sales, many historic stops lined up. The drive through the River Road from Wolf Creek to St. Croix Falls will be especially pretty with glimpses of the St. Croix through the colorful trees and nary a sign of civilization along the south six miles. Did you know there are four places you can stop and have refreshments? Sign up by calling SELHS (715-488-2776) and get listed on the map too—deadline Sept. 12. If you live near the roads, you can join the do-it-yourself celebration of our area by putting a sign out on the road directing the hundreds of rich tourists to your own activity! Put an RRR-87 on your sign. Visit Trade River, Atlas, Cushing, Wolf Creek and Eureka and see what our River Road Rambling columns have been talking about.

The Big Read Stop at your local library and take out a copy of Willa Cather’s “My Antonia” and join the Big Read.

For the month of September, Polk, Burnett and Chisago counties are flooding the libraries and community with this book and encouraging people to read and discuss it in local groups. It is the story of immigrants to the Nebraska prairie and is full of action, adventure and sex. We will have a Cushing area discussion group. I have invited Oprah to lead our discussion, but so far she has not replied. If you are interested, pick up the book and we will get together at the Cushing Memory Room at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 26, to talk about it. You can get the book free at The Big Read kickoff Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Overlook in St Croix Falls.

The 2007 Cushing Tigers Reunion was attended by players from the 1940s to the 1970s. Back row (L to R): Carl Johnson, Steven Jensen, Dave Olson, Roger Hoiby, George Williamnson, Ted Boettcher, Jim Chinander, Mike Jensen Front: Jim Englehart, Ole Englehart, George Lair, Richard Hacker, Gary Burnstad, John Lindahl. – Photo by Russ Hanson

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 5

Bloopers in church bulletins These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or church newsletters. You’ve heard some of them, but there are also new ones in this listing.

The Fasting and Prayer conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: “Jesus walks on the water.” The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus.”

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday, at 8 p.m., in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring you husbands.

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community.

Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say “Hell” to someone who doesn’t care much about you.

Don’t let worry kill you off, let the church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang, “I will not pass this way again,” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir.

They need all the help they can get.

The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: “Break Forth into Joy.” Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on Oct. 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days!

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening, in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be what is hell? Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the decreased person you want remembered.

The church will host an evening of the dining supper entertainment and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5 p.m. – prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 p.m., there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 a.m. All ladies are invited to lunch in the fellowship hall after the B.S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday, at 7 p.m. Please use the back door.

these words removed from the Pledge. They also demand that the motto on our coins be deleted. While I cannot vouch for a poll, which I read about that was taken by NBC, the findings in that poll declared that 86 percent of the respondents wanted those words to Bernice in the pledge and the Abrahamzon remain phrase “In God We Trust” upon our coins.

This same vocal minority promotes freedom from religion. The fathers of our nation’s Constitution and Bill of Rights made clear that we were to have freedom of religion. The Constitution guards against the establishment of a state religion. Each of us is free to worship God according to the dictates of conscience. This freedom means those who have declared themselves to be atheists or agnostic have that right also, which is to be respected by those who do believe in God. The flag that we salute is a symbol of these freedoms. Veterans fought to defend and protect these rights. Many still bear the scars on their bodies, minds and spirits. These freedoms to worship, according to our conscience, to question and criticize our government, to write and speak our opinions freely, are all represented by our flag. To pledge our allegiance to the flag is a public acknowledgment that we honor and support these freedoms for each citizen and for all citizens.

The patriotic song “America, the Beautiful” is a song of praise and thanksgiving to God for this vast and diverse country. It is also a prayer asking God’s help and mercy that the liberty and brotherhood sung about be realized for all citizens. We thank him for the beauty of the mountains and plains, for the fertility of the soil, and for commerce and industry, which provides the resources and opportunities for all. What we sing and pray about must also then be our duty to bring about. When John F. Kennedy gave his inaugural address, he offered this challenge: “Ask not what your country can do for you! Ask what you can do for your country!”

What we say with our lips, must be lived out in our day-to-day living. – The Courier, published in King, Wis.

BEHIND THE

SIGNPOST

Good thought “To the world you are someone, but to someone you are the world.”

And another “Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.”

And finally “High hopes are the best kind to have.”

Until next week, Bernice

This Nation – Under God

by Chaplain John Schmidt These words are found in the Pledge of Allegiance.

There is a small, but very vocal minority that wants

This is National Preparedness Month BALSAM LAKE – The American Red Cross is not only committed to helping meet the needs of disaster victims, but also teaching people the skills they need to prepare for and help keep their families safe in a disaster or emergency. As an organization that is in communities every day teaching life-saving skills and helping individuals and families get prepared, the American Red Cross joins the Department of Homeland Security and more that 1,000 organizations in planning activities for National Preparedness Month.

How prepared are we?

• 90 percent of Americans who have a disaster supplies kit feel prepared, but only 28 percent have one.

• 60 percent of American households have a pet, yet only 37 percent have a plan to care for their pets in the event of a disaster or other emergency.

• 64 percent of Americans have no evacuation plan, even though 27 percent have had to leave home for at least one night because of a disaster or other emergency.

Why prepare?

• Experience tells us by preparing ahead of time, people can better respond to, recover from, and lessen physical, emotional and financial impact of a disaster or other emergency.

• Taking a few minutes to prepare now will save you time in disaster and emergency situations when every second counts.

• Every region of our country is vulnerable to disasters of some type. Last year, the American Red Cross responded to more than 75,000 disasters across the country. The steps in Be Red Cross Ready can help prepare you for disasters – large and small – as well as a variety of emergency situations.

What can we do to Be Red Cross Ready?

• It’s easy for anyone to prepare for a disaster and other emergencies by taking three simple actions: 1) Get a kit. 2) Make a plan. 3) Be informed.

• People can take a 10-question survey located at www.scvarc.org to find out how prepared they really are.

• To help you prepare, we have launched an online education module at our Web site www.scvarc.org called Be Red Cross Ready This site includes downloadable tools and resources in English and Spanish.

• The three steps are also available in brochure and community presentation format. Questions? Contact your local Red Cross office at 715-485-3025. – submitted

Do you remember ?

Compiled by Bernice Abrahamzon

50 Years Ago Everett Parkins had an Aug. 17 auction north of Milltown and the listing included farm machinery, Hedlund barn cleaner and household. The farm included 233 acres and was also for sale.-Cumberland was playing the Eau Claire Braves of the Northern League on Aug. 19 at 8:30 p.m. at Moser Field, Cumberland.“Gunfight at the OK Corral” was playing at the Frederic Theatre.-The 4th-Annual Threshing Party was held Aug. 18 at Almelund at the Vernold Johnson farm.-Milltown Baptist Church celebrated its 40th anniversary on Aug. 25.-Paul Swanson, Frederic, escaped injury in a Navy plane crash.-The 1957 bean pack at Frederic ended Aug. 19.-The Holy Rosary Church, Georgetown, sponsored a ham dinner Aug. 25.-Route’s Super Market, Frederic, had specials of Miracle Whip at 57¢ qt. jar, kidney beans at 3 cans for 35¢, and Hill’s Coffee at 95¢ lb.-Proxmire stopped the sales tax in Wisconsin.-Siren schools opened Aug. 26.-Webster schools also opened on Aug. 26.-A boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Staples on Aug. 13, at the Frederic hospital.-Two new employees at the Frederic hospital wee Isabelle Jorgensen of Frederic and Jane Olson of Luck.-Wisconsin elected the first Democrat senator in 25 years in the person of William Proxmire.-The only all-new automobile The Edsel, was on display at Minar and Minar, St. Croix Falls.

40 Years Ago Specials at the Frederic Co-op store included sliced bacon at 64¢ lbs., cantaloupe at 4 for $1, and oranges at 3 dozen for 69¢.-Clifford Olson was manager of the Farmers Union Co-op, Frederic.-The film “Return to Peyton Place” was playing at the Frederic Theatre.-The Civil Defense survey in Burnett County brought good response.-Local writer, Ruth Bunker Christiansen of Frederic, won first place in a state writing contest. The title was “A Turtle Dove and a Tree.”-Danbury Head Start was in its second year.-A new flag pole was placed in the Swiss Cemetery in Memory of veterans.-Obituaries included Brier Brown and Clara Olson.-Al Kritzer had an Aug. 12 auction at his place in Milltown and the listing included a 100-year-old walnut finish organ, square carved table, old-fashioned 3-burner kerosene stove.-Mrs. Hazel Brown had an Aug. 12 auction north of Falun with many antiques including Swedish sleigh bells, 3 legged kettle, 6 ft. coffee grinder, ox yoke, charcoal iron, etc.-The new pastor at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Frederic, was Gary Park.-The steeple was removed from the Luck Lutheran Church, built in 1908, as a new church replaced the original one and the original church was now an educational unit. Anderson’s Clover Farm store in Siren had specials of 3 lbs. Folger’s Coffee at $1.89 and Grade A fryers at 29¢ lb.

20 Years Ago Drought was beginning to threaten area farmers.-A man lost his life in a parachute jump at Osceola.-A Cushing couple, James and Jenelle Lundgren won the Dairyland Young Cooperative Award.-Caroll Fischer was featured as an 11-year veteran of local ambulance service.-The Ervin Johansens celebrated 50 years of marriage.-Obituaries included Andrew Brenneman, Hartwig Hansen, Victor Broberg, Ruth Kleckner, Joseph LaSarge, Beverly Lundquist, Ruby Schwartz and Edna Hansen.-Roy and Ferne Holdt celebrated a golden anniversary at the West Denmark Hall.-A former Miss Webster, Debbie Erickson, was a runner-up in Miss Minnesota contest.-An adult retreat center was going up at Whispering Pines Camp.-The Business of the Week was L.E. Proffit and Sons Home Building Supplies, in business for 40 years at Cozy Corners in Dairyland.-A fire rekindled after 10 days and destroyed five acres.-The Avlin Coens observed their 65th anniversary.-A gas main break caused high danger potential in Frederic.-Obituaries included Edgar Peterson, Freda Wekkin, Pearl Busby, Ethel Jewell and Thirza Gentry.Bed races draw a large crowd in Siren to view parade.Nancy Jappe wrote on “A newcomer’s welcome.”

PAGE 6 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

TOWN TALK/COUNTRY CHATTER Hello, Fritz here! Woof, we have a full house this week. I have lots of friends to run around and play with. For new buddies, there’s Dexter a beautiful yellow Lab. Gaelin is a bluetick with lots of bounce and energy. And my favorite is Frosty, she’s a well behaved, energetic collie mix.

The others don’t want to be left out either. We still have Chico, the basset hound, Skylor, Zoe and Rosie too. You’ll just have to stop in and visit us. All the tail wagging and enthusiastic slobber kisses are great therapy and will brighten any day! We did say goodbye to Princess and Barnaby last week, they both went to new homes. It is so good to see my friends adopted out to good families that will take care of them and love them.

Sometimes I beg for food or other supplies, but

Fritz

NEWS FROM

YOUR SHELTER

this week I’d like to beg for something special. The angels have a used ambulance that they use to transport us canines around in. It’s quite the deluxe ride. Anyways, we’d like to get a decal for each side that said Humane Society or something like that so folks know it’s us.

Think about it and if this is something you could give some money for, please contact the shelter. As always, thanks for all your help and for keeping the food dish full!

With your help, HSBC is saving lives, one at a time. www.hsburnettcty.org, 715-866-4096.

Happy Corners Vern Catlin and Amanda Catlin visited his granddaughter in Spooner on Monday forenoon.

Mardel Barnette had a doctor’s appointment in Cumberland on Monday afternoon.

Gene Doster, Vern Catlin, Mardel Barnette and Shawn attended Emmett Catlin’s reviewal at the Turtle Lake Funeral Home on Tuesday evening.

Mardel Barnette and Shawn were in St. Croix Falls on Friday afternoon.

472-8285

Well, once again I had a brain freeze – forgot to write the news for last week.

Get well wishes go out to Darlene Jensen. Darlene had hip surgery on Aug. 20, and is now residing at the Pioneer Home recuperating and getting therapy. I stopped in Wednesday to see her. She figures two more weeks of therapy then she should be back in her own home. Get well soon, Darlene.

Our Friday night potluck/birthday was well attended.

About 21 of us attended. Rose Reiter entertained us with her piano playing of oldies but goodies. Kathy Mueller and I showed them we could still do a waltz and a mean polka.

“Happy Birthday” was sung to Dave Mueller, the only attendee of August birthdays. The other August birthdays were Jerry Larsen, Ruth Lucas and Vern Rieder.

Speaking of Jerry Larsen, get well wishes to him too.

Jerry is now home. He came into the center Wednesday.

Good to see you out and about, Jerry.

The pool table had a workout yesterday Wednesday.

Kelsey, Inez Hultner’s granddaughter, Ellen and Dennis were our pool sharks for the day. Kelsey and Ellen were at it again Thursday. After Kelsey left, I took Ellen on and won. I haven’t played in years so I think I did pretty good.

Births Born at Burnett Medical Center: A girl, Hannah Jean Songetay, born Aug. 29, 2007, to Amber Skinaway and Shawn Songetay, Siren. Hannah weighed 7 lbs., 2 oz. Hannah has a big sister, Lily May Songetay. Grandparents are Roxanne Songetay of Danbury and Darlene Matrious and Merle Skinaway of Danbury. Great-grandmother is Jean Songetay of Danbury.

St. Croix Valley Senior Center Those having September birthdays are: Birdie Johnson, Elaine Edlund, Phil Mevissen, Judy Qualle, Lisa Brown, Elnora Plaster, Mike Qualle and Howard Vezina.

Have a very nice and happy birthday to all of you.

Our Tuesday afternoon domino winners were: George Meixner in first place, Iona White in second place and Donna Schlosser in third place. 500 winners were: Chuck Pahr in first place, Donna Lindh in second place, Delores Schmidt in third place, Carol Van Buskirk in fourth place and Leone Montgomery in fifth place.

How old are you?

Age is a quality of mind, if you have left your dreams behind, if hope is cold, if you no longer look ahead, if your ambition fires are dead, then you are old.

But if from life you take the best, and if in life you keep the zest, no matter how the years go by, no matter how the birthdays fly, you are not old.

Thursday evening 500 winners were: Elroy Petzel in first place, Cliff Qualle in second place, Dave Anderson in third place and JoAnn Gehrman in fourth place.

Mardel Barnette

Vern Catlin visited at the Amanda Catlin home on Saturday forenoon.

Gene Doster, Vern Catlin, Mardel Barnette and Shawn attended Emmett Catlin’s funeral at Pipe Lake Church on Wednesday forenoon and the ladies had lunch.

The Gabrielsons had their family reunion in Turtle Lake on Sunday afternoon.

The Kolstads had their family reunion at the Ralph Kolstad home on Saturday afternoon.

Luck Senior Center

Engagement

Shirley Lund

Maybe we should form a women’s pool team and take on the men’s team. Oh wait a minute, there is no men’s team.

If any of you gals want to join Ellen and I, come on in.

We had an interesting couple come into the center this afternoon. Nathan Anderson and his wife, Lisa, from Congress, Ariz. The interesting thing about Nathan is that he is 7 feet, 2 inches tall. Nathan and Lisa were very interesting to talk to also. I look forward to seeing them again.

I experimented with my Amish starter and made peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies, guess they turned out OK because I got good reviews. Yes, I’m still doing Amish baking, can’t seem to get rid of all the starter, so it just keeps multiplying.

That’s all for now. Remember, keep smiling.

Hischer/Pouliot Dan and Paula Hischer are proud to announce the engagement of their daughter, Heather, to Joshua, son of David and Louise Pouliot.

The couple will be married on Sept. 22, at the Luck Lutheran Church. – Photo by Michael Duane Kolbeck

Engagement

Dewey - LaFollette 468-2940

Karen Mangelsen

Sympathy is extended to Amy and Lisa Mangelsen due to the death of their aunt, Lori Pardun.

Bernadette Wabrowetz visited Judy Albee Monday evening.

Wednesday morning visitors of Judy Albee were Marlene Swearingen and Betty Hanson. They brought some food for Judy and had lunch with her there.

April Close brought Daryl Marek out to visit at the Hank and Karen Mangelsen farm Wednesday afternoon. He was especially interested in seeing Patty Close’s horse, Shimmer.

Sue Mroszak, Bethy Crosby and Karen Mangelsen brought supper to Judy Albee Wednesday. After enjoying the meal together, they all went to the performance of “I Love You! You’re Perfect! Now Change!” at the Red Barn Theater.

Beth Crosby hosted a card party Thursday evening.

Guests were Judy Albee, Beverly Brunclik, Donald Albee, Sue and Roger Mroszak and Karen and Hank Mangelsen.

Nina and Lawrence Hines had lunch with Pastor Mark Johnson, his wife, Kathy and son Micah in Siren. Friday Pastor Johnson and family had come to visit Dorothy Hines at Capeside Cove. Nina, Lawrence and Dorothy were all members of Pastor Johnson’s church in Richfield, Minn., at one time.

Saturday visitors at the home of Hank and Karen Mangelsen were Larry, Heidi, Celie and Baxter Mangelsen and Dave, Patty and Mandy Close. Those visiting Sunday were Wayne and Marie Romsos, Steve, Margy, Emma, Carter and Graham Close and April, Dave, Patty and Mandy Close.

Mike Paulich rescued three fisherman out of Pokegama Lake Saturday afternoon when they capsized their canoe. As there are not very many people on that part of the lake, these men were very fortunate that Mike even saw them having trouble.

There was a wedding shower Sunday afternoon for Ashley Coyour and Chad Crosby at the home of Beth and Garry Crosby.

Sunday and Monday visitors of Nina and Lawrence Hines were Christopher Harrison and Jim Buzicki.

Swaenepoel/Benson Sarah Swaenepoel and Ryan Benson of Siren are pleased to announce their engagement.

Sarah is the daughter of William and Eileen Swaenepoel of Holcombe. Ryan is the son of George and Joyce Benson of Siren.

An October wedding is planned in Hayward.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 7

TOWN TALK/COUNTRY CHATTER Engagement

Sogge/Nelson Mary Jo Sogge and Michael Nelson, both of White Bear Lake, Minn., are pleased to announce their engagement.

Mary Jo is the daughter of Milton and Marie Sogge of Centuria.

Mary Jo is employed at Marolt Dentistry in White Bear Lake. Michael is owner/stylist of Lockworks Hair Company in Oakdale, Minn.

The couple are planning an Oct. 20 wedding at Faith Lutheran Church in Balsam Lake.

They plan to reside in White Bear Lake, Minn. - submitted

Engagement

Lamphere/Runke Bill and Marcia Lamphere of Siren and David and Carol Runke of Willmar, Minn., are proud to announce the engagement of their children, Alicia Louise Lamphere and Matthew David Runke.

Alicia is a 2003 graduate of Siren High School and is presently employed at Payless Shoe Source as an assistant manager.

Matt is a 1998 graduate of Willmar High School and is employed at Bonnema Surveys as a LSIT. An Oct. 13 wedding is planned at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Willmar, Minn.

The couple will reside in Willmar, Minn.

653-4281

Lewis

Esther Schallenberger will be released from the St. Croix Falls Hospital on Wednesday, and enter the Frederic Care Center to recuperate. Sending her our best wishes.

June Moline has found a new home in the Grantsburg Continuing Care Center, and is no longer at the hospital in Grantsburg. Sending her our best wishes, too.

It was Communion Sunday on Sept. 1, and also the baptismal day of the granddaughter of Roberta and Butch Sahrj, with parents, Allison and Michael Scherff. The baby’s name is Hannah Rae, and she is 6 months old.

Godparents are Marie and Travis Sellent of Luck.

Two birthdays were also celebrated Sunday at the Lewis Church, that of Scott Nelson and that of Charles Ford. Alice Ford served birthday cakes, etc. after services. Pastor Mike is feeling better.

The all-church picnic will be held this Sunday, following services at Lewis, at the Spirit Lake home of Sylvia and Phil Schaetzel. Please bring a dish to pass. Everything else will be provided.

Sheila Staples and Bernice Abrahamzon visited at the Vernon and Gwen Peterson place Sunday afternoon.

They enjoyed looking at the rocks/minerals, etc., and visiting with rock club members. The story about being a Watkin’s dealer written by Vernon is now out in pamphlet form, with color pictures. Very interesting!

Scrabble players took a vacation this week on account of Labor Day. Back on schedule at 1 p.m., next week Monday, at Sunrise Apts. Have you seen the new sign

Bernice Abrahamzon

outside there? Best wishes to Darlene Jensen who is home recovering from surgery. Anxious to have her back playing scrabble.

Have you checked your Charles E. Lewis Day button numbers? Lists are posted around town. Prizes are available at Sundown on Hwy. 35, and buttons are needed for verification of winning a prize.

The Frederic Food Shelf will be operated by volunteers from the Lewis Church every Thursday in September, from 2-6 p.m. A sign-up sheet is available in the church’s dining room. Please voluteer. Donations are also needed for many, many food items.

It’s back to school this week! I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the individual who didn’t want to go to school. His wife told him, “Honey, you have to go, you’re a teacher!”

Remember the Indianhead Rock and Mineral Society will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 10, at the Luck Senior Citizens Center, with the meeting itself starting at 7:30 p.m. Bring a “bragging rock” or phantasy rock or “real find.” Potluck lunch as usual.

The NW Regional Writers will meet at 1 p.m., at Sunrise Apts., on Friday, Sept. 14. The assignment is “The joy of writing.” Welcome.

What a surprise for TV viewers to see a group of precision drummers performing at the Minnesota State Fair.

They were young people from Iowa, and local as well, and turned out to be the drummers at the 2006 Tent Revival at Lewis. Somehow, they sounded louder in Lewis!

A & H Seniors via Illinois I’m back! I mentioned temperatures in the 90s in Wisconsin in July. Turns out you had 19 days of it. Luckily there were no mosquitos, so if a breeze came off the lake I sat outside and enjoyed it. So did Annie, my dog.

I saw Pat and Herb Dalhlish. What a great couple. He was due for back surgery, which turned out great. No more pain. Last Christmas they sent me a card. It was a picture of them with a deer and a black Lab who were buddies. The dog has moved away, and Pat says the deer is back and answers to the name Thumper. It would seem someone doesn’t know the difference between a deer and a rabbit.

Mary Poretti is having rotator collar problems and they are replacing the whole thing. That’s got to be a pile of laughs. Let’s hope she is OK. The second Tuesday A & H held its monthly meeting.

No fights, a little disappointing, but everyone is getting too old. I can remember when some dumb thing almost came to fisticuffs. Those were the good old days.

I went to Bob and Marilyn Olson’s to get a mat for a painting I quickly did. The art class held its 15th anniversary on July 11, so I had to show up with a masterpiece.

Those attending were Bob Olson, Bonnie Jedlund, Fred and Joan Kramer, Hazel Chelmo, Pat Hernandez, Mary Askov, Fred Schluter, Edna Marker, Greta Munson, Laverne Dietz, Marilyn Seitzberg, Barbara St. Peter and me.

Marian Woodard is our charter member. Her husband, Bill, is our first fearless leader. We all had paintings to exhibit, so much talent. Fred Schluter showed us one he is working on. It’s a dove representing an angel. No feet of course.

Now I mention all these names because if I don’t , the next time I bring in a painting to critique they will really tell me what they think. Words that have never crossed their lips before like lousy, awful, hard to look at, what were you thinking, etc. We reminisced and rememberd those who are gone. We admitted hanging lots of paintings all over our homes. Our kids won’t take any more.

You know the center has always been after your cans, and now it needs books too. Please, no romance novels.

The library is full of them and nobody seems interested in that stuff anymore.

Overheard at the center: Someone asked a man how his wife was. He said “She sleeps in a big comfy recliner

all night. I can’t get her into bed.”

Marian and I went to the Hole. Coming home, a beautiful rainbow hung in there so we parked at Birch Island Lake and watched it reflect on the water for a long time.

Of course, no camera.

Dick Hanson passed away. Longtime resident of Voyager and a friend.

I went to Scared Heart Church on Saturday. Our regular priest is somewhere else, so a retired priest is filling in.

I got a kick out of him. The altar girl was having trouble getting the candle lighter to work, so he rushed in and took over. He kept flicking the thing as we all watched.

Smiles turned into titterings as he struggled, but he finally persevered. Then as he approached the altar, he remembered he had to turn on the mic he was wearing. I was close enough to hear him mutter “more nonsense.”

Mostly I go to church on Saturday to hear the hot piano man, Pat Barnett. I play the piano, so I know what he is doing, which is great. Marilyn Kane, our song leader, and Pat sing beautifully together too.

I visited Joan and Jon Miller, almost kin to me, at Warner Lake. Jon took us for a ride around the lake.

There is still evidence of the tornado that went through a few years ago. Then I saw Barb Ketter. We had lots of gossip to go over, without her husband, Bob, who was off gallivanting somewhere. As I left, he pulled into his driveway, so I got to say hi.

Sprinkled through the days were bridge parties. Bonnie Jedlund has us, as did Kramers and Marian W. and the Heins. Wednesdays the ladies group played at McKenzie Landing, so I got to see so many people.

Good, good friends. I miss them all.

Marian Woodard has a new great-granddaughter, Maya Ann. I am still waiting and waiting. Either my grandchildren are too busy or perhaps they need to learn about the birds and the bees.

I played 500 and got to see friends from that group. The Pagenkoffs, Tom and Barb Doughterty, Jo Ann LaRock, Phyllis and Dewey Markes, Cathy and John Van den Tillaar, even Will Unruh. One day someone complimented me on my hair, “It looks so pretty,” so I confessed I combed it.

Till next time, take care.

Frederic Senior Center Monday spades was played with the following winners: Betty Leisch in first place, Arvid Pearson in second place, Clara Palomaki in third place and Arnie Borchert in fourth place.

Wednesday pokeno was played at 1 p.m. Thursday night 500 card winners were: Rick Hustad in first place,

Joyce Kirchhoff

Ardyce Knauber

Arnie Borchert in second place, Lorraine Hanson in third place and Lonnie Jones in fourth place.

The executive meeting was held Friday at 9:30 a.m. Remember our monthly meeting on Friday, Sept. 8. Our Labor Day potluck was at noon on Monday, Sept. 3.

Hope you all had a nice Labor Day weekend.

F o l l o w t h e L e a d e r.

PAGE 8 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

TOWN TALK/COUNTRY CHATTER 349-2964

Siren

Fall is definitely in the air. Cool, crisp mornings that can turn into hot and humid days is a sure sign that the hands of Mother Nature and Mother Earth are once again coming together to put a change to things. Soon old Jack Frost will come sneaking through our area putting his tinge of color to the now green of summer growth. It won’t be long and the earth will once again slip into its winter attire and take a rest for a few months.

Tuesday evening at the Siren Bethany Lutheran Church in front of many family, friends and even a few from the church of Ishpeming, Mich., Kenneth Lahners took his vows to serve God and church. I have known Kenneth since he was just a wee lad and knew he would end up doing something very special with his life. Best of luck to you, Kenneth.

The annual Scandinavian Smorgasbord will once again be held at the Siren Methodist Church on Friday, Sept. 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance or $8.50 at the door. For advance tickets, call Shirley at 349-2514.

Coming up on Sept. 6 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the

Bev Beckmark

Engagement

Bethany Lutheran Church is the preschool open house.

This is for children ages 3 to 5. For more info, call Mary at 349-5660 or Julie at 689-2322.

Sympathy to the family of Delores Pardon who passed away Aug. 25.

The weather is turning cooler and the time for warmer clothes is getting nearer. Those of you who knot or crochet, the Siren Lionesses have an ample supply of yarn available at the U.S. Bank for making into warm hats, mittens and scarves for their mitten tree, so stop in and pick some up.

The Siren Covenant Church will hold a Discovery Club kickoff BBQ on Wed., Sept. 12, at the church starting at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome. For more info call Maddie at 349-5601.

Punt, Pass and Kick will be held on Sat., Sept. 8, at the Siren football field. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with practice at 9:50 a.m. and the contest starting at 10 a.m. This event is open to both boys and girls, ages 8 to 12.

Ruhn/Erickson Ken A. and Lois Ruhn of Frederic and Daryl and Linda Erickson of Ogilvie, Minn., are happy to announce the engagement of their children, Tracy Ruhn and Ross Erickson.

The couple is planning a fall wedding in Ogilvie, Minn. - submitted

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 9

BURNETT COUNTY LIBRARY NEWS Grantsburg Public Library Preschool story hour Wednesday, Sept. 12, at 10:30 a.m.

This is a chance for your toddler to learn the enjoyment of being read to and interacting with children their own age.

Katie Coppenbarger, the new elementary school principal, will be the guest reader once a month staring in October.

After-school reading The program in conjunction with the elementary school is an afternoon school session at the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This program helps children advance their reading ability. If you feel your child needs assistance with reading contact their teacher for more information. Home-schooling parents are encouraged to contact Sara Hunt at 463-2244 for enrollment.

New material Check out the new listings each month for new books and films coming to the library and place a reserve on the ones you’re interested in reading or viewing.

Thanks to one of our patrons, you can relax in front of the fireplace and enjoy the current Sunday’s New York Times.

Book club Interested in joining a book club?

Suzanne Vitale leads discussions the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. throughout the year. Call Suzanne for more information at 689- 2682.

Volunteers If you enjoy interacting with little people, why not volunteer as a preschool reader. Mentors are also needed for after-school reading.

Hours Monday noon – 6 p.m.; Tuesday noon – 6 p.m.; Wednesday 10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Thursday noon – 6 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m.

– 2 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – noon, starting Sept. 9.

All materials checked out of the library are just a phone call away for renewal 463-2244.

Burnett Community Library The smartest card is at your library: Get it, use it at Burnett Community Library September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and the public library in Webster wants to make sure that your child is among the two-thirds of Americans that carry the smartest card of all – a library card.

Studies show that children who are read to in the home, and who use the library, perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

“A library card has always been the most important school supply of all,” says Maxine Peterson. “Kids can come to the library to get homework help and check out books, but they can also check

out free music, DVDs and use the Internet to make after-school life a little more fun. There’s a lot happening at the Burnett Community Library.”

A recent study by the American Library Association also showed that families use libraries to spend time together.

Forty-four percent of survey respondents report taking their children to the library for this reason.

Activities at the Burnett Community Library during Library Card Sign-up Month will include preschool story time each Tuesday from 10 to 11 a.m., free book bags and bookmarks and a tour of the library.

For more information call 715-8667697 and ask for Maxine, Sue or Charlotte.

Spashes of joy is theme for musical celebration of worship AMERY – The congregation of Amery First Lutheran Church warmly invites the public to a special service of worship led by Cheryl Kirking on Sunday, Sept. 9, at 9 a.m. By weaving scripture and stories with her inspirational music, Kirking engages the audience to create a meaningful experience for all ages. Her theme will be Splashes of Joy! and the service will include a special time for children.

The musical service will be followed by a special concert for kids and the young-at-heart at 10:15 a.m., to help kick off the new Sunday school year.

Kirking is a songwriter and the author of five books, including “Ripples of Joy.” She is a regular contributor to the best-selling “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series and has recorded six CDs of original songs for children and adults on the Mill Pond Music Label. Books and CDs will be available. She and her husband, David Kilker, who runs the sound system, have led worship at hundreds of churches nationwide. The church is located at 240 Elm W., Amery. For more information, call 715-268-7135. – submitted

PAGE 10 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

POLK COUNTY LIBRARY NEWS

Amery Public Library The Summer Reading Program at the Amery Public Library has ended and the following children were high achievers in the Read-To-Me program. The top four listeners were Liliana Marquand, Ethan Mork, Daniel Marquand and Brennen Hansen.

The following children listened to 100 books: Lauren and Zachary Sobczak, Hannah Zinn, Aaron Gilbertson, Dominic Byrnes, Sarah Gilbertson, Aiden Ziegler, Breanna Burstad, Annie Zinn, Rachel Ganje, Raymond Buenzli, Alexis Repka, Ashley Repka, Lexi Greener, Luke Julson, Anna Ganje, Dylan Thomsen, Maya Curtis, Grace Carlson, Chloe Olson, Helen Buenzli, Matthew Krahulec, Lucy Curtis, Maile Todd, Jacob Fansler, Cecilia Larrabee, Ashlyn Todd, Laura Kastanek, Jack Alton, Forrest Alton, Andrew Carlson, Pake Brown, Sydney Bosley, Elijah Stellmach, Emelie Krahulec, Zachary Silvis, Megan Marquand, Belle Ann Meyer, Carmen Klugow, Addie Amundsen, Hannah Elmer, and Corey Brune.

High achievers in the Regular Reader program, kids who read over 100 books on their own were top readers: Lily Elmer, Ruth Elmer, Allison Klitgard, Hannah Zinn and Kylee Olson. Other readers who read over 100 books were: Alex Thomsen, Keeley Brown, Mason Bosley, Nick Erickson, Ryan Van Blaricom, Joe Marquand, Emma Curtis, Katie Bensen, Micah Sykes and Casey Brune.

High achievers in the 50 Page Club were Alicia Cran, Colter White, Heidi Van Blaricom and Andrea Anderson.

Kids who read over 1500 pages in this group were Maxwell Johnson, Jonathon Byrnes, Bethany Marquand, Mitchell Kastanek, Andrew Stine, Connor McBrayer, Ryan McBrayer, Jakob Kastanek, Isabella Byrnes, Seth Amundsen,

Cody Thomsen, Hannah Julson, Cole Jakupciak, Dalton Rademaker, Noah Zinn, Peter Place and Michaela Erickson.

In the 100 Page Club the top readers were: Elisabeth Ferguson, Jessica Roberts, Alex Collins, and Victoria Ferguson. Other readers who read over 2,500 pages were Kelly O’Brien, Elizabeth Alexson, Ian Merton, Jaime Haines, Amanda Hatella, Brianna Cran, Emily Klitgard, Emily Johnson, Isabella Byrnes, Rosalie Wolff and Katlyn Hover.

Congratulations to all of you! See you next summer and throughout the year as well. Summer Reading pictures for these kids will be taken at 7:15 p.m. on Sept.

10.

Recommended by our Mayor Harvey Stower is a new DVD at the Amery Public Library featuring three of the greatest all-time rock and roll piano stylists. New Orleans and Storyville host a live performance by Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles.

The lively crowd really gets into the show. Fats performs: “The Fat Man,” “Walking to New Orleans,” “Blueberry Hill,” “So Long C.C. Rider,” “Sentimental Journey” and “Shake, Rattle and Roll.” Jerry Lee Lewis performs “Great Balls of Fire,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On” and Ray Charles does “I’ve Got a Woman” and “Drown in my Own Tears.”

Together they do “Jambalya,” “Low Down Dog” and “Swanee River Rock.”

The DVD features interviews and rehearsals. Check it out and enjoy!

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.

St. Croix Falls Public Library Saturday talk about the book club The book club meets the second Saturday of the month, 1:30 p.m. at Goochie Noochie’s in downtown St Croix Falls.

Call if you have any questions 483-1777.

Technology Free wireless access is available at the library. Also, visit the library’s revamped Web site to find out what’s happening at the library. www.stcroixfallslibrary.org.

Story hour Listen to stories, create great art and

have fun with other kids and parents every Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. at St. Croix Falls Public Library story hour!

Hours, contact Our hours are Monday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Story hour friends at the St. Croix Falls Library. Some Good Samaritan Residents joined the story hour gang for books about colors, face painting by Dotty and fun art activities.

Centuria Public Library Real life adventures Are you a reader that likes to read about true tales of survival? The Centuria Public Library has just received a set of new books written for the young adult reader but exciting for everyone to read that features true stories of survival. Come to the Centuria Public Library and check out all six books. You will find them to be incredible stories of courage and determination that show the human will to survive. The titles are: 1. “Disaster in the Mountains,” Colby Coombs' story of survival.

2. “Lost at Sea,” Tami Oldham Ashcraft's story of survival.

3. “Shark Attack,” Bethany Hamilton's story of survival.

4. “Stranded in the Snow,” Eric LeMarque's story of survival.

5. “Trapped in a Canyon,” Aron Ralston's story of survival.

6. “Volcanic Eruption,” Susan Ruff and Bruce Nelson's story of survival.

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.

Luck Public Library

Balsam Lake Public Library Story time Story time is at 11 a.m. every Wednesday here at the library. All ages are welcome to join us for stories, crafts, music and snacks. We also have many new puppets that can be checked out for home use.

New books “The Choice” by Nicholas Sparks, “The View from Mount Joy” by Lorna Landvik, ”Dead Heat” by Dick Francis, “Sweet Revenge” by Diane Mott Davidson, “The Bone Garden” by Tess Gerritsen, “Dark of the Moon“ by John Sandford, “You’ve Been Warned” by James Patterson, “Band of Sisters-American Women at War in Iraq” by Kirsten Holmstedt.

Book club The book club meets Wednesday, Sept.

19, at 3 p.m. Everyone welcome. Book for September is “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls.“ The Glass Castle” is the saga of the restless, indomitable Walls family, led by a grand eccentric and his tempestuous artist wife. Jeannette Walls has survived poverty, fires, and near starvation to triumph. She has written this amazing tale with honesty and love.

Books lovers group Meets first Wednesday of the month at 3 p.m. – this group shares good authors and books.

Events Saturday Sept. 22, at 1 p.m. local author Betty Christiansen will be at Balsam Lake Library. Betty Christiansen, a 1987 graduate of Luck High School hopes to help knitters make their hobby a little more gratifying with her book “Knitting for Peace-Making the World a Better Place, One Stitch at a Time.” Betty will be doing a reading from her book, and anyone interested may come and bring a project to work on while listening to stories about the book.

Friends group Friend’s group will meet Wednesday, Aug. 29, at 3 p.m. here at the library.

Friends are hosting several programs in the near future with local authors. Watch paper for more details.

Balsam Lake 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: balWeb site samlakepl@ifls.lib.wi.us www.balsamlakepubliclibrary.org

Frederic Public Library Let’s celebrate September!

Did you know that September is National Honey Month? Children’s Good Manners Month? Tiger Month? It’s also Library Card Sign-Up Month, a time when libraries across the country remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all. For adults, the goal is to make the library card the most valued and used card in every wallet. If you haven’t used your library card in awhile, drop by the library to see what it can do for you – and if you don’t have one, visit the Frederic Library soon to get your library card.

Here are just some of the 52 Ways to Use Your Library Card: Get to know your librarian, the ultimate search engine at your library; browse your favorite Web sites; plan your next vacation; find a list of child care centers in your area; reserve the latest mystery; read the daily newspaper; prepare your resume; look up all kinds of health information; borrow an audiobook for your next road trip; ask for a recommended reading list for your kids.

Please join us for story time Sept. 12 Wednesday morning story time will begin again Sept. 12, at 10:30 a.m. with 45 minutes of stories and activities all about First Day of School. Preschool children accompanied by their caregivers are warmly welcomed. If you’d like to be a story time volunteer, please contact the library to choose your dates (we will supply the books and crafts).

Book groups will meet Sept. 20 The Thursday morning reading group will meet Sept. 20, at 10 a.m. to discuss “The Red Tent” by Anita Diamant, the biblical story of Dinah, daughter of Jacob. The evening book group will meet Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. to talk about “A

Thousand Acres” by Jane Smiley, the Pulitzer-prize-winning novel of a farm family in Iowa. Copies of the books are available at the library, and new members are always welcome.

Will you Share the Bounty?

If you picked up seed packets from the library as part of the Share the Bounty hunger prevention project and you now have produce to share with the local food shelf, please bring your donations to the library as they are harvested, and be sure to let staff know the produce is from Share the Bounty seeds. We’d also like to take pictures as part of this new project, so polish up your tomatoes and zucchini and bring ‘em in!

September is Food for Fines Month For each usable item you bring in for the Frederic food shelf during September, we’ll deduct $1 (for a total up to $10) off your local fines (this does not apply to replacement charges). You can pay down your existing fines, but it also means that it’s time to dig under the bed, look behind the couch, and check the hall closet for long-overdue materials.

Bring in your overdue materials, along with up to 10 grocery items, and we’ll bargain.

Library hours at a glance Regular library hours are Monday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; and Saturday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The library is closed on Tuesdays.

How to contact the library Frederic Public Library, 127 Oak Street West. (phone) 715-327-4979 (e-mail) fredericpl@ifls.lib.wi.us.

Osceola Public Library

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 11

POLK COUNTY LIBRARY NEWS Luck Public Library From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Readers with an eye on European politics will recognize Ali as the Somali-born member of the Dutch parliament who faced death threats after collaborating on a film about domestic violence against Muslim women with controversial director Theo van Gogh (who was himself assassinated). Even before then, her attacks on Islamic culture as “brutal, bigoted, [and] fixated on controlling women” had generated much controversy. In this suspenseful account of her life and her internal struggle with her Muslim faith, she discusses how these views were shaped by her experiences amid the political chaos of Somalia and other African nations, where she was subjected to genital mutilation and later forced into an unwanted marriage. While in transit to her husband in Canada, she decided to seek asylum in the Netherlands, where she marveled at the polite policemen and government bureaucrats. Ali is up-front about having

lied about her background in order to obtain her citizenship, which led to further controversy in early 2006, when an immigration official sought to deport her and triggered the collapse of the Dutch coalition government. Apart from feelings of guilt over van Gogh’s death, her voice is forceful and unbowed—like Irshad Manji, she delivers a powerful feminist critique of Islam informed by a genuine understanding of the religion.

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Get a Clue At the Library – Luck Library Summer Reading Program meets Thursdays at 5 p.m. Lets get a clue how recycling works. This week during crafts with Alyssa, we will be making paper.

Be sure to wear old clothes as you will probably get wet and maybe a little sticky. Join us for good fun and great stories.

Polk County Library Federation September is Library Card Sign-Up Month Fact sheet taken from the American Library Association September is Library Card Sign-up Month - a time when the American Library Association and libraries across the country remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all. Does your child have one in his/her back to school supplies?

The observance was launched in 1987 to meet the challenge of the then Secretary of Education William J. Bennet who said, “Let’s have a national campaign…every child should obtain a library card and use it.

Since then, thousands of public and school libraries join each fall in a national effort to ensure every child does just that.

Library cards are free to those living in the library’s service area. In most cases, borrowing privileges are granted

on the spot. Some libraries may require some form of identification, proof of residency or signature of a guardian.

Libraries play an important role in the education and development of children.

Studies show that children who are read to in the home and shown how to use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

If you don’t have a library card, stop in and get the smartest card available: the library card. Your MORE library card is good at 37 different libraries in the 10-county area. Check the library pages on a weekly basis to see what’s new at your library!

Jeremy Williamson, a lake expert of Polk County, will present a brown bag library lecture to be held Sept. 13, noon to 2 p.m. Join us as Jeremy answers your questions about lakes in Polk County, updates us on the lake restoration and general information on our recreational water. Please call 485-8680 to register.

Dresser Public Library Library hours Monday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Tuesday noon–5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.–noon and 1–7 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Story time Summer reading is held Tuesday mornings at 10-11 a.m., for children 3 to first grade. Children entering third grade this fall and older, may partici-

pate in the independent reading portion of summer reading.

Contact the library at 715-755-2944 which is our telephone and FAX number or e-mail us at www.dresser pl@ifls.lib.wi.us. Our Web site, www.dresserpubliclibrary.org. also has information about story times, days closed, reference links, library policy and much more.

Milltown Public Library Story hour: Milltown Public Library offers story time every Tuesday at 10 a.m. yearround. Story times are free and are designed 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.

Clear Lake Public Library Wanted Your e-mail address! Due to the increasing amount of item circulation at the library, it is becoming increasingly difficult to call everyone about items arriving for pick-up. You can find out instantly when you have an item ready for pick-up. If you have an e-mail account you check regularly, the library would like your e-mail address in order to send your library notices by e-mail. This will save us time and money.

Story time We host three story times during the week here at the library. Every Wednesday at 7 p.m. (Note: this is a different start time than for our summer program); Thursday at 10 a.m. and again at 11 a.m. Come and hear a wonderful

book and enjoy coloring and word puzzles afterwards.

Knitting and crocheting group New members are always welcome.

We will meet Wednesdays, Sept. 12 and 26, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Teen movie night Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. We will be showing “Lady in the Water.”

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 715263-2802 or by e-mail at clearlakepl@ifls.lib.wi.us.

Osceola Public Library Annual Scholastic Book Fair Saturday, Sept. 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Be sure to stick around for either of the two family fun events scheduled for the day. The first 100 kids to come to the book fair will receive a special prize!

Family story time Frogs, snakes, turtles, gators and crocs at 11 a.m. A half hour of fun, songs and stories for children through the second grade will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturdays.

Remarkable reptiles Come join Jim Gerholdt and his remarkable reptiles for scaly interactive learning fun at 1 p.m. Using live turtles, lizards and snakes, Jim will share the wonders of the reptile world.

Friends of the Library’s semiannual used book sale (Accepting donations) Keep your calendars open for the semiannual used book sale on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is bound to be something for everyone in the family! Two noteable family fun events are lined up as well.

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.

PAGE 12 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

Sen. Craig’s “Brokeback Bathroom” What happened They call it: “Brokeback Bathroom.”

Oh, this is too gay.

First I’ll recap the tawdry story, then what should take place and did.

The setting for this saga is not out in the open plains of Montana with gay cowboys. This story stars an Idaho U.S. senator, who gives his performance in a public men’s room in Minnesota.

Our area is getting a lot of press these days. We have bridges collapsing in Minneapolis, a tragic national event.

And now we have gay sex in the rest rooms at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

After watching the fair-and-balanced national news, you’d think the Twin Cities is becoming “That To d d l i n g Town,” where a “Gay Old Time” can be had in the men’s room.

“I’m not gay,” said Sen. Larry Craig, with his wife by his side, in Boise. Factually that’s cor- Sen. Larry Craig rect. He is not gay. More correctly, he’s bisexual. But why quibble over what is, is.

Since 1982, allegations have persisted about the “gay” senator and unseemly behavior with minors and adults alike.

But time after time Red State voters in Idaho keep electing him.

All of this is well documented in the Idaho Statesman newspaper. Most recently they ran a story about a gay man who said Craig was flirting with him.

It seems both men liked it. But when confronted, Craig said that allegation was sassy and something he would never do in Idaho, a state where so many potatoes are grown.

“I’ve been in this business 27 years in the public eye here,” said Craig. “I don’t go around anywhere hitting on men, and by God if I did, I wouldn’t do it in Boise, Idaho! Jiminy!”

However, doing it in Minneapolis, Minn., appears to be another matter.

Jiminy!

Wayne Anderson

WRITE FROM

West SWEDEN

Police record Police records show that on the afternoon of June 11, Craig entered a men’s room of the North Star Crossing at the Lindberg Terminal. But unbeknownst to the cruising senator, airport police Sgt. Dave Karsnia was sitting in a stall. He was there performing

undercover work.

Lots of passengers have complained about queer happenings in the men’s room at the airport. I’m told even gay Web sites post these stalls as hot spots.

Since last May, the airport police have arrested 41 individuals for disorderly and offensive behavior, said press officer Melissa Scovronski.

Craig makes it 42.

According to a police report, after Craig “looked into my stall” with his baby-blue eyes and spotted young Karsnia, he took a seat in the next stall and started sending coded love messages with his feet and hands, indicating he wanted sex.

Karsnia indicated to Craig he was under arrest.

“No!” said the senator. “Yes!” said the officer. The senator flashed his congressional card, an abuse of power in hopes of getting off the hook. This failed, and he was taken into custody.

Court proceeding In court, Larry Edwin Craig pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. He stated he, “Engaged in conduct which I knew…tended to arouse alarm or resentment of others.”

This means he was cruising for sex in a public rest room, a misdemeanor in Minnesota. Thus he was sentenced $574 and a year’s probation.

Now fast-forward to the politics and irony.

Craig is up for re-election in 2008. He said he “intends” to resign. We’ll see.

He is expected to announce his final plans this fall, despite his fall this summer.

Wayne Anderson at the Lindberg Terminal, where Sen. Larry Craig, R, of Idaho was arrested and confessed to disorderly conduct, in connection with gay sex in the men’s room. – Photo by Bonnie Anderson.

When the news first broke, Democrats were quick to jump on Craig’s Idaho opening.

Craig’s actions “have given Americans another reason not to vote Republican next year,” said Hannah August, of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. She told me they are appalled by this scandal.

At least they could advise Craig to use the revised Clinton legal strategy: “I never had sex with that man...Sgt. Lewinsky.”

And I thought for sure Craig would get some crosover support, especially from those who cross-dress.

Serious comedy The comic material in this story is rich. But there is a serious side too. And the Republican leadership acted fast on it.

Leading GOP senators and others demanded Craig resign immediately. Not for toilet sex or because he is gay or more correctly, bisexual.

No. He has to go because it’s the right thing to do. He committed a lewd crime in public; he abused his power as a senator; he is not the kind of leader we want in the Boy Scouts. The Republican Party (and most Democrats) do

not endorse this “naughty” behavior, a term Craig used to condemn President Clinton’s lewd behavior with Monica.

Do the right thing I am a Republican. And my fellow Republicans did the right thing here.

Forget the upcoming elections in 2008.

Remember, we lost in 2006 because we lost our way. Thank you, America!

Let’s keep on doing the right thing and thank America in 2008 for re-elections.

This is not about kinky sex, which in the proper, adult setting might be entertaining. This perverted situation is about unacceptable toilet behavior in a public place. And it must be flushed. It is also about abuse of power, an abuse of the public trust. And for this you’re convicted and expelled from office.

That’s it.

Craig has a long-documented history of this disgusting behavior. Now he has confessed to it. Now he needs to go.

And so do all who fail the people they serve. Enough is enough. Remember that at the polls in 2008.

••• (You can talk about the right thing with Wayne Anderson at wayneanderson@centurtel.net.)

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 13

North Wind Arts has a new home

North Wind Arts is located next to Lakeview Event Center along Crooked Lake, north of Siren.

by Sherill Summer SIREN – North Wind Arts has moved across Hwys. 35/70 to the space next to Lakeview Event Center in Siren.

Owners Tim and Jenny Goalen are both bubbly with excitement because the new space has so much room. There will be plenty of space for classes, art gallery, art supplies and framing.

Plus, there will be a reading area that is stocked with resources for artist and craft persons.

Large tables and a coffeepot will be available for the Burnett Area Arts Group, and other community groups to have regular meetings in. The Goalens are also encouraging artists to demonstrate their work by having a space reserved in the front of the store for visiting artists to work in.

The Goalens have always hoped that North Wind Arts would be a resource for the local arts, and now Jenny will be able to work at this dream full time. She has resigned from her teaching position at Siren School where she has taught for the last nine years. Now that the former art teacher will be at North Wind Arts more, the classes and workshops will be expanded. Make-and-take activities will now be available for groups such as 4-H, Scouts or home-schoolers.

Classes in pottery and watercolors are

offered on a continuing basis, and workshops in silk painting, beading and mosaic are planned. Weekend activities geared towards group retreats are also a possibility, and the Goalens also hope to have a live drawing and painting group meet at North Wind Arts regularly.

Thom Scott will operate the gallery within North Wind Arts as he did before the move. The gallery features art and fine crafts from several local artists. “To be connected to the event center is exciting because of the exposure the gallery will get,” says Jenny Goalen. She already plans to have the store and gallery open during scheduled events.

The many B.A.A.G. activities and exhibits that were held at the old space in the Outpost Mall will now be located in the parking lot between North Wind Arts and Ben Franklin. The first such event will be with Siren’s Harvestfest on Saturday, Sept. 22.

North Wind Arts will be open seven days a week until Christmastime. For more information on upcoming classes and workshops contact the store at 3498448.

An art gallery full of local art is open to the public.

A reading area with resources for artists and craftpeople is located in the gallery area.

Colorful art supplies are available at the store.

Photos by Sherill Summer

PAGE 14 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

Shell Lake airmen memorialized

This new sign, is a memorial to Ray Erickson, James Cassidy, Max Crowell and Hugh Miller, airmen from Shell Lake who died serving in WWII. Shown (L to R) are: Hugh Miller, Bill Erickson and Miles Miller.

Photos by Larry Samson LEFT: Isaac Hopke got an autographed photo from pilot Chuck Datko. Hopke was on hand with his mother to watch the Warbirds when they came in.

The Warbirds were on hand to help dedicate the new memorial sign at the Shell Lake Airport with this dazzling air display. They were flying the North American T-6 Texan trainer plane.

LEFT: Scott Rumuld, Chuck Datko and Dave Schmitz, pilots from the Warbirds, were on hand to answer questions, pose with children and give everyone an upclose look at the T-6 trainer plane.

Community news.

Community views.

chocolate milk.

About 8 a.m. a lone cackler (these are the smallest of the Both boys have their Canadia goose subspecies, own goose calls and, acabout the size of a mallard) cording to Bart, they can approached from the south at call better than their papa. about 50-yards high. He was About 20 minutes after coming straight over the pit sunrise a group of four and I decided I could probahonkers broke up over the bly take him with 3-inch 4s, Brooke trees about a half-mile as long as I had the correct Biedinger away. Bart and the boys let lead. I pulled hard from beloose with a cacophony of hind him and when my barcalls and the group started rel passed his bill, I fired. It to “maple leaf” toward our was a perfect lead and he fell decoys. The geese set their about 40 yards from the pit. wings at about 100 yards We sent out our youngest reand started the approach triever, Tristan. He stood over with feet and flaps down. I the dead goose for a few minwas the designated shooter and all I utes before being encouraged to hurry could think was “don’t screw this up in back in case more geese were coming. front of your grandsons.” Bart gave a He picked up the goose, cradling the soft set-down call, and at 20 yards I bird in his arms as he came back. I told stood up and made a perfect triple. I’ve him to put the goose with the other ones got to tell you it’s hard to triple when and he said “I think I’ll just hold him, you’re trying to show off for your Papa.” I lifted him back into the pit grandkids. The geese were almost as big blind as he clutched the small goose. as our two-legged retrievers. After drag- After a few minutes he said “Papa, I ging the birds back to the blind, it was think he is a baby goose.” time for peanut butter sandwiches and “No honey, he’s a small goose, like a

Tough goose hunt Three years ago I went on one of my toughest goose hunts.

That summer I spent a day building a 4x4x8-foot box with four doors on the top. My friend Guy dozed a hole for it and we buried it in one of my fields. I wanted a blind that my grandsons could hide in to observe goose hunting.

The opening morning we packed peanut butter sandwiches, cookies, hot chocolate, coffee and energy bars for our adventure to the “goose pit.” The blind is only 300 yards from the house, but you have to be prepared when you take 5- and 8-year-olds hunting.

It was 5:30 a.m. when we put out four dozen silhouettes and two dozen full body decoys. As soon as we were done setting up, the boys started eating our provisions. I was pretty sure the cookies wouldn’t see sunrise.

There is a 4x1-foot bench on each end to of the pit blind. Two hunters can sit opposing each other so they can see birds coming from any direction. In this case Tristan sat with me and Brandon sat with his dad.

IRREGULAR columnist

dwarf.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s a baby.”

Now what do I say? I looked at his dad for help with my dilemma.

Bart said “Tristan, what would you like to do?”

“Maybe we could bury him.”

There was a ceremony behind the pole barn that I missed.

I wish I would have missed that goose.

Editor’s note: Brooke Biedinger of rural Frederic will be a contributor to the Leader from time to time – hence his choice of title for his column. “The irony is that English was the toughest foreign language I took in school,” he notes. A natural storyteller, Biedinger grew up in South Dakota where his primary avocation was hunting and fishing. “Some things don’t change,” he says.

He’s happy being a Wisconsinite these days.

“South Dakota’s state tree is the telephone pole, so you can imagine how excited I was when I first came to Wisconsin – the poles had leaves.” We hope his views on life brings some smiles and reflections to Leader readers.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 15

Area’s largest garage sale caps summer

The Siren Lions Labor Day Garage Sale remains one of the group’s largest fundraisers and this year brought hundreds of people to Crooked Lake Park to go through the treasures that were once “one man’s trash.” It’s an event that literally stops traffic on Hwy. 35, and Siren Police Chief Chris Sybers (photo at left) was present on Friday morning the beginning of the three-day sale to help make sure there were no traffic jams. By Sunday, the merchandise and the crowd thins, and the Lions Club members begin the cleanup and begin planning for next year’s sale. At right, Lions member Jerry Fritz makes a sale and offers some conversation to a customer.

Last year, the Lions, through its fundraisers, returned more than $30,000 to the community through various projects. - Photos by Gary King

White Elephant sale

The Frederic Area Historical Society hosted its White Elephant sale over Labor Day Weekend, with the depot/museum as a backdrop. Hundreds of people found something they liked enough to purchase, and some just tried out the merchandise, like Bill Turk of the historical society (photo at left). The society also hosted a hotdish competition over the weekend. Photos by Jaime Cortes

The Frederic Depot/Museum hosted the White Elephant sale. Photo by Gary King

PAGE 16 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

Son of the congregation ordained at Bethany Lutheran The Rev. Kenneth W. Lahners becomes Lutheran minister

by Carl Heidel SIREN - One of the most ancient and solemn rites of the Christian Church is ordination. It is a ceremony by which the church recognizes the ordinand’s spiritual gifts and commitment, and admits that person to the church’s ministry of word and sacrament.

Last Tuesday evening Lutherans from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan joined the parishioners of Bethany Lutheran Church in Siren to participate

Pastor Lahners knelt to take the vows of the ministry. – Photos by Carl Heidel

The Rev. John Clasen, pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church, led the opening worship.

in the ordination of one of Bethany’s members, the Rev. Kenneth W. Lahners.

Joined by pastors from all three states, the Rev. Thomas Skrenes, Bishop of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, presided at the worship celebration.

At the climax of the rite, all of the pastors present gathered around the ordinand and placed their hands upon him as prayers were spoken for him and for his ministry. This act of “laying on of hands” is a way of consecrating an individual and giving a blessing that predates Christianity, and finds its origins in the earliest history of Jewish patriarchs such as Abraham.

Following the ordination, Lahners will leave for Ishpeming, Mich., where he will serve as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church.

Following his consecration, Pastor Lahners received the acclamation applause of the congregation.

Pastors from several states came to lay their hands upon Lahners as he entered the Lutheran ministry of word and sacrament.

The view from above shows the newly consecrated pastor receiving final blessings from his bishop, the Rev. Thomas Skrenes (c).

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 17

PAGE 18 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

Marriage workshop offered at Chisago City church CHISAGO CITY, Minn. - A six-session Christian-oriented workshop for married and engaged couples and young couples preparing for marriage will be offered at Zion Lutheran Church in Chisago City on Wednesday evenings from 79 p.m., from Sept. 19-Oct. 24. The workshop, A Lasting Promise: a Christian Approach to Fighting for Your Marriage, will be led by the Rev. Robert McMeekin, the pastor of Holy Cross Orthodox Christian Church which currently meets at Zion. Fr. McMeekin is a former U.S. Army chaplain, where he received his training to lead this life-changing workshop for soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq and their spouses.

A Lasting Promise is a biblically based multimedia course developed as part of the Prevention and Relationship En-

hancement Program created by Dr. Scott Stanley and Dr. Howard Markman from the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver. The PREP® Fighting for Your Marriage workshops have been featured in TIME magazine and on ABC’s 20-20, and are used by the chaplains to the U.S. Armed Forces as an effective means of fighting erosion in marriage and helping to build positive communication skills for married couples.

The Fighting for Your Marriage workshops allow couples to laugh and learn as they share: The Tremendous Joy of Connecting— Marriage can be an oasis of acceptance and appreciation. For everyone who wants to be understood, there’s a simple but effective tool to bring insight and

closeness to your relationships.

The Four Danger Signs—Research has revealed the top reasons that marriages are weakened or even destroyed. Learn about the four key risk factors and the steps you can take to eliminate all these kinds of danger signs from your relationship.

The Differences Make the Difference— Gain fresh insights into why men and women see life so differently. You’ll leave with a whole new appreciation for who you are—and whom you love.

Enjoying the Good Times—More than “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Learn the secrets of keeping busyness from crowding out the fun in your marriage.

No matter what, everyone needs to improve their skills when it comes to loving the most important people in their

lives. It doesn’t matter whether they have a newfound love, they’re gritting your teeth as their teen gets his or her license, or their youngest has left them with an empty nest. The Fighting for Your Marriage workshop is a chance to learn the insights and skills to help enjoy marriage no matter where they are today or what tomorrow may bring.

For more information on PREP® go to www.prepinc.com. For more information on the upcoming seminar, including the cost for the workshop, books and materials, and to register call 715-2205111 or go to www.hcomn.com and click on the link to Orthodox Christian Marriage Builders. - submitted

Veterans benefits information fair to be held MADISON – Veterans can apply for an array of state and federal benefits at one convenient location during a Veterans Benefits Information Fair hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and the Fort McCoy Retiree Office on Friday, Sept. 7 – from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Fort McCoy, in the Rumpel Fitness Center, Building 1122, South “S” Street.

The Veterans Benefits Information Fair is being held in conjunction with the annual Ft. McCoy Retiree Appreciation

Day. Activities for the day include briefings in the morning at Building 905 followed by the benefit fair in the afternoon at Building 1122 at Fort McCoy. “The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs encourages all veterans, from our newest veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to our oldest veterans, to come and learn about federal and state benefits at one convenient location,” said WDVA Acting Secretary Bill Kloster.

“The WDVA hosts these outreach events as ‘one-stop shops’ at various locations

Webster Class of 1957

around the state.”

The Veterans Benefits Information Fair being held at Ft. McCoy will have over 40 providers on hand. The information fair is part of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs I Owe You outreach campaign and the Mission: Welcome Home, program to assist veterans of all ages. In addition to reaching out to older veterans, the fair will also provide an opportunity for recently returned service members from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and their family members to learn about and apply for benefits and services earned.

At this “one-stop shop” for benefits, veterans, retirees and military service members can: • Establish eligibility for state veterans benefits (veterans are advised to bring their DD Form 214).

• Apply for benefits, such as VA health care and prescription drug benefits, disability compensation and pension, personal loans, home mortgage loans, home improvement loans and education or job training grants.

• Receive information on retiree benefits and services.

• Receive assistance in obtaining military medals and records.

• Learn what the Wisconsin Veterans Homes in Union Grove and King offer: affordable assisted living, activities and a friendly environment.

• Find out about employment opportunities.

• Preregister for burial in state veterans cemeteries.

• Obtain information about nursing care and aging services.

Attendees should allow ample time for entry through the main gate at Ft. McCoy located on Hwy. 21 between Tomah and Sparta. Parking, admission and refreshments are free.

For more information about the Veterans Benefits Information Fairs, go to the WDVA Web site at www.dva.state.wi.us/Supermarkets or call 1-800-WIS-VETS, 1-800-947-8387.

Or contact a local County Veterans Service Office or Tribal Veterans Service Office. - from WDVA

NARFE to meet The Webster High School Class of 1957 celebrated their 50th class reunion in July, with 24 of the graduating class of 41 on hand to enjoy dinner and socializing at The Lodge in Siren. Members of the class who have passed away were honored with bouquets on each table. Those classmates were: Jerry Tucker, Mike Bremer, Raymond Springer, Andrew Israels, Marilyn Hinrichs, Jack Buskirk, Leilani (Lilson) Harmon, James Johnson, Dennis Aubert and Michael East. Shown front row (L to R): Velores (Orton) Taylor, Myrtle (Gatten) Goodley, Pat Miller, Ida (Haaf) Gates, Frank Holter, Myron Rogers and Russell Peterson. Middle row (L to R): Emily (Campes) Durand, Anna Faye (Bushey) Gatten, Beverly (Newcomb) Johnson, Sandra (Connors) Quarles, Bill Johnston and Dennis Shutt. Back row (L to R): June (Larson) Wicklund, Suzanne (Gayner) Tollander, Nancy (Enger) Pieper, Jeanette (Sweitzer) Olson, Janet (Rachner) Ingalls, LaVern Johnson, Merrill Rasmussen, Ed Peterson, Dwayne Proffit, Bill O’Brien and Howard Haaf.

DRESSER – The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Chapter 1581 will hold a dinner meeting at noon on Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Village Pizze-

ria in Dresser. All federal and retired federal employees are welcome. Reservations may be made by calling 268-8618

by Monday noon, Sept. 10. - submitted

Subscribe online @ www.the-leader.net

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 19

OBITUARIES Mary A. Jasperson

Margaret L. Boettcher

Isla Schnur

Mary A. Jasperson of Osceola died Aug. 27, 2007, at the Osceola Medical Center from esophageal cancer. She was 77 years old.

Mary Jasperson was born on July 10, 1930, to Glen and Edna Creighton of Spirit Lake, Iowa.

She and her two older sisters, Rita and Margery, enjoyed many hours singing hymns at the piano with their mother.

This was the beginning of Mary’s love of music. The family moved to Osceola in 1940, where her parents owned and ran a resort on Round Lake. Mary went to Osceola High School, where her favorite activity was singing with the quartet. She had a beautiful voice, and was the soloist for many special occasions. As a teenager, she became quite talented at baking and cooking.

Soon after high school, she met the love of her life, Roger Jasperson, with whom she shared 52 years of marriage. They were blessed with three sons, Paul Glen, Patrick Dean and Roger Michael, and made their family home in Minnetonka, Minn., then Wayzata, Minn., and when the boys were a bit older, on a farm in Delano, Minn. While Mary kept busy taking care of her boys, she also ran the farm; raising horses, chickens, and tending to her garden. Her adoration of flowers and love of nature would always be a very significant part of her life.

Roger’s career in the mattress industry led them to call many different places “home.” They were also blessed with the opportunity to travel to many places all over the world. Once the boys were grown, Mary and Roger moved to St. Croix Falls, where they ran a furniture store in Taylors Falls, Minn. Later, they joined son Pat in opening a furniture store in Deronda. In 1977, they moved to a home on the St. Croix River near Stillwater to shorten Roger’s commute to the Twin Cities. In Stillwater, Mary worked as a model, as well as a beauty and fashion consultant. When the couple moved to Portland, Ore., in 1981, Mary began her hospital volunteer work, which she continued to be devoted to for the rest of her life. From Portland, she and Roger moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 1985 and in 1988, they purchased a winter home in Naples, Fla. They split their time between the two homes until they moved back to Osceola in 2001.

Mary was preceeded in death by her parents; her eldest son, Paul and her husband, She is survived by her sons Patrick (Janet) and R. Michael (Cindy Jo); sisters Rita Doll and Margery Wallace; grandchildren Jacqueline, Andrea (Tim) Otto, Jennifer, Tami (Greg) Vazzana, and Dusten; great grandchildren Austin Vazzana, Hannah Otto, Broden Vazzana, Lexi Otto and Anna Vazzana; and many very special nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends.

The memorial celebration took place at Peace Lutheran Church in Dresser on Aug. 31. Interment was at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Osceola.

The Grandstrand Funeral Home, Osceola, was entrusted with the arrangements.

Margaret L. Boettcher, 66, died Aug. 23, 2007, at the Rejoice Assisted Living Home in Glendale, Ariz.

She was born July 15, 1941, to Geneva A. and Willard H. Boettcher in Amery. She grew up on the family farm near Ubet and attended grade school in Dresser, then graduated from St. Croix Falls High School in 1959.

Margaret received her registered nurse’s degree from St. Mary’s School of Nursing and worked at Fairview Southdale Hospital for many years in several capacities.

She resided in the Minneapolis area until 1995 when she retired and moved to Glendale, Ariz.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and a brother -in-law, Merwin Bast.

She is survived by a sister, Patricia Bast; nephews, Jeffrey, Scott, and Daniel Bast and their families. Also surviving is a longtime friend and caregiver, John Wynant; special friend, Sandy Schmidt; as well as several cousins and their families and many friends.

Margaret enjoyed singing for her friends and family for many years.

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held Friday, Sept. 21, at 3 p.m. at Bethesda Lutheran Church, Sand Lake. Burial of her cremated remains will follow in the church cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Trinity Hospice, 6545 N. 24th Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85016 or a charity of your choice.

Isla Schnur, Balsam Lake, died Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007, at Golden Age Manor in Amery. She was 94 years old.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Sept. 8, 11 a.m., at the Holy Trinity United Methodist Church in rural Balsam Lake. Burial will be at the Balsam Lake Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 – 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7, at the Williamson Funeral Home in Amery and one hour prior to services at the church.

The Williamson Funeral Home, Amery, was entrusted with arrangements.

Lloyd K. Warn Lloyd K. Warn, 77, of Siren, died Labor Day, Sept. 3, 2007.

He is survived by his wife, Sue Ann; brother, Lars (Janice Jo); sons, Wesley (Janna) and Bradley (Tammi); daughters, Stacey and Lyndsey and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Lloyd was a very proud Marine Corps pilot for 26 years among many other accomplishments. An upcoming memorial service will be determined soon along with an interment at the Spooner Veterans Cemetery in Spooner.

Delores “Lori” E. Pardun Delores “Lori” E. Pardun, age 58, a resident of Siren, died Aug. 25, 2007, at Indianhead Medical Center.

She was born Oct. 16, 1948, to George and Frances Facklam in Grantsburg. Lori attended Siren School, graduating in 1967. She continued her education at WITC in the welding field. Lori married James Pardun on Dec. 20, 1969. She enjoyed playing with her grandchildren, going fishing and living life to the fullest.

Lori was preceded in death by her parents; grandparents; brothers, William, Carl and Herbert George Facklam; aunt, Barb Facklam; and nephew, Herbert G. Facklam Jr. Lori is survived by her daughter, Crystal (Robert) Jarrell; grandchildren, Jenna and Robert “Robbie” Jarrell; brothers, Robert Facklam, Roy (Venus) Facklam; sister, Rose Mangelsen; and sister-in-law Linda Facklam; foster-sister Valerie Brown; nieces, nephews, longtime friends Bob Nelson, Ruth Ann Johnson; other relatives and friends.

Services were held Tuesday, Sept. 4, at the SwedbergTaylor Funeral Home with Pastor Cindy Glocke officiating.

The Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home, Webster, was entrusted with arrangements.

Darlene A. Petersen Darlene A. Petersen, 76, of Luck, died on Sunday, Sept. 2, 2007, at the St. Croix Regional Medical Center.

Darlene is survived by her children, Kendall Petersen of Luck and Rena Budreau of International Falls, Minn.; granddaughter, Danielle Budreau of International Falls, Minn.; brother, Kenneth (Kathy) Alden of Frederic and many in-laws, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral service will be held at the Luck Lutheran Church on Thursday, Sept. 6, at 11 a.m. Interment will be at the Luck Village Cemetery. Visitation will be at the Rowe Funeral Home in Luck on Wednesday from 4 – 7 p.m. and again at the church one hour prior to the service.

A full obituary will appear in an upcoming edition of this paper.

The Rowe Funeral Home, Luck, was entrusted with arrangements.

Laura O. Esmond Laura Esmond died Sunday, Sept. 2, 2007, at the United Pioneer Home in Luck. She was 96 years old.

She was born to Oscar and Lizzie Lee on Feb. 8, 1911, in Eureka Township, Polk County. She graduated from Milltown High School in 1929, and worked in Minneapolis, where she met and married Chester A. Esmond on Aug. 30, 1934. They continued to live and work in Minneapolis for three years before moving to Bruno, Minn., where they started farming. In 1937 they moved back to the Lee homestead in Eureka Township.

Laura was a baptized and confirmed member of the North Valley Lutheran Church where she was a member until her death. She was an active member of the North Valley Women’s Group for many years.

Chester and Laura farmed the Lee Homestead for 33 years. In 1970 they retired and moved to a home in Luck, where they lived for 19 years then purchased a home in Milltown in 1989. Chester died at home on Aug. 22, 1994, at 92 years of age. Laura moved into the Milltown Polk County Housing Apartments in October of 1999, where she enjoyed neighboring with friends until moving into the United Pioneer Home in Luck.

Laura was preceded in death by two daughters, Shirley L. Hansen of Frederic, and Julie A. Warndahl of Blaine, Minn.; brothers, Eldor “Stub” Lee and Alvin Lee; granddaughter, Patricia L. Dwyer; and son-in-law Al Hansen.

Laura enjoyed reading, sewing, and baking.

She is survived by two granddaughters, Jamie S. (Craig) Carlson of Milltown and Kristy R. Warndahl of River Falls; two great-grandchildren, Whitney A. Owen and Hunter S. Carlson; son-in-law, Steven R. Warndahl; sister-in-law, Olga Lee; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8, at the North Valley Lutheran Church with Pastor Maggie Isaacson at 11 a.m. Visitation will be the two hours prior to service.

The Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home, Webster, was entrusted with arrangements.

PAGE 20 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

CHURCH NEWS The Living Word

A softball hit my daughter’s pastor on his head recently. Pastor Curt suffered significant vision loss, blood clots in his lungs, and loss of consciousness when he looked up or leaned back. The worst symptom was amnesia. He Sally Bair did recognize his wife, but not his daughter. He didn’t understand the meaning of pastor, or God, or PERSPECTIVES bathroom shower, or most other people and things.

During the week he slowly regained a little mental recall. All this time his family and church members prayed mightily day and night. But even though they trusted that God heard their prayers, they experienced moments of discouragement. The elders had to find substitute preachers and teachers and keep the church running well. Pastor Curt’s wife had to deal with multiple decisions of everyday living.

Days after the accident, the pastor’s wife and a friend went to sit with him for the day. They were faced with the doctors’ prognosis of at least a month of intensive, inpatient therapy for Pastor Curt, followed by a gradual re-entry into family life and pastoral leadership. The doctors expressed uncertainty about Curt ever regaining the memory gaps he’d lost.

As the friend opened her Bible and began to read aloud from First Peter 2:21-24, she noticed that Curt’s expression “came alive” and his eyes brightened.

Now totally engaged in the reading, he asked her to continue. “For to this you were called,” she read, “because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth’; who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him (God) who judges righteously; who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

Over and over, Pastor Curt repeated, “By whose stripes you were healed,” then quoted other Scripture he’d memorized years before.

God miraculously restored his physical health and memory. The doctors were stunned. Pastor Curt’s family and church rejoice that God answered their prayers but are not surprised, for they know the power of the Living Word.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) Lord, thank you for your Living Word, that brings healing to our body, soul, and spirit. May it dwell in us richly.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

(Mrs. Bair may be reached at sallybair@gmail.com)

ETERNAL

Swedes coming to Trinity Lutheran MCKINLEY - A total of 90 guests from northern Sweden are coming to Trinity Lutheran Church in McKinley to help celebrate a Swedish Heritage Weekend, Sept. 1516.

A choir, as well as friends and relatives, will be staying in the Cumberland area. On Friday evening the Swedish choir will sing at the Augustant Church in Cumberland.

On Saturday, the Waukegan Swedish Glee Club will sing at the McKinley Church. On Sunday morning, they will be part of the morning worship at Trinity Lutheran in McKinley at 9 a.m.

The public is welcome to attend all activities.

Trinity Lutheran is celebrating its 100th year. - with submitted information

AWANA kickoff 2007 ST. CROIX FALLS – Make new friends, build good character, discover Bible truths and learn good sportsmanship all in this interdenominational club! Don’t let your kids miss out on the most fun and exciting ways to grow in their faith. For all kids, ages 3 (by Sept. 1) through sixth grade. AWANA begins Wednesday, Sept.

12, 6:45 – 8:15 p.m. at Alliance Church of the Valley Faith Center in St. Croix Falls. Visit our Web site at www.stcroixalliance.com or call 715-483-1100 for any questions. – submitted

have knowledge of the will of God, and, therefore, did not govern their zeal according to God’s word. Often it is heard, “I would rather Antonaio Stradivari (The Italian Violin be wrong and doing something, than right Maker) labored under a principle his entire and not doing anything.” The problem with life: “Other men will make violins, but no that reasoning is that neither of the alternaman shall make a better one.” He did his tives is acceptable to God. We must strive to best and was not satisfied with just “good be both active and correct in our actions. Anyenough.” Such men are often called perfecthing less is zeal without knowledge and God tionists.” They are never satisfied with just Garret warns us that zeal alone is not sufficient for “getting by” or “its good enough.” God reDerouin salvation (Matt 7:22-23). quires a similar attitude. We are to be “ferTHIRD, zeal will cause us to do more than vent in spirit” (Romans 12:11), and “zealous minimum. It is sad that so many are satisthe of good works” (Titus 2:14). To be zealous is THE fied with just “good enough.” This attitude is to be burning in spirit, to be on fire for anything. Webster’s defines zeal as “passion in PREACHER’S demonstrated in the lives of those who just attend “most” Sunday mornings and no more. the pursuit of anything.” Zeal is the very Such “minimal” service is demonstrated by essence of enthusiasm. Without zeal, our others who may attend every service, but lives would be drab and void of any real never promote the church in their lives. They may be substance.

FIRST, zeal must be directed toward the proper ob- zealous in a thousand other pursuits, but when it ject in the Christian life, not just “anything.” As one comes to the Lord and His work, they are void of zeal reads the New Testament he quickly learns that zeal and enthusiasm.

All of us have zeal toward something. It is just a can be directed toward the wrong object and thereby rob the Christian of his very purpose in life (Luke matter of determining what that something is. If it is 10:37-42). Often we get caught up in pursuing the in- in harmony with God’s will, all is well; but if not, then significant things in life and fail to direct our zeal to- repentance and correction is in order. (Adapted from ward the accomplishment of those things God has an article by Tom Wacaster) If readers have questions or simply wish to know given us to do; things which are of far greater impormore about the Church of Christ, we would like to intance than the “mundane” things of life.

SECOND, zeal must be governed properly. Paul vite them to call 715-866-7157 or stop by the church noted that his kinsmen had a zeal that was “not ac- building at 7425 W. Birch St. in Webster. Sunday Bible cording to knowledge” (Romans 10:2-3). They sought class begins at 9:30 a.m. and worship begins at 10:30 to establish a righteousness that was out of harmony a.m. We also meet Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. Ofwith God’s designated plan. They were zealous in fice hours are Tuesdays through Fridays, 9 a.m. pursuit of righteousness, to be sure, but they did not noon.

Good Enough

PEN

Concert at Redeemer Lutheran AMERY - Everyone is invited to an inspiring evening of music and the spoken word at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Amery on Sunday, Sept. 9. Dave and Barb Anderson are presenting a free concert at 7 p.m.

Dave Anderson is the founder of Lutheran Youth Encounter, based in Minneapolis, and of Fellowship Ministries, based in Tempe, Ariz. But, more important, Dave and Barb Anderson are ministers of the Gospel.

They say, “God calls each of us to serve him in different ways. He has called us to join with those who have offered praise to God through music.”

The Andersons’ concert ministry has included well over 5,000 worship concerts and services in churches throughout America and scores of countries around the world. Dave and Barb have a number of recordings to their credit and have led worship and music for church conventions, conferences and a Billy Graham Crusade.

A mixture of contemporary and traditional Christmas music, their concert repertoire has something for everyone. And audiences are invited to sing along (as long, Dave says, as it’s the same song).

What’s special about Dave and Barb? They share from the heart their personal witness of their walk with God. That walk took them to the Russian Far East in August 1993. They spent a week in a 3000-person community that had never before heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On their way back to Alaska, their plane crashed into the Bering Sea. The seven members of the team, including Cary Dietsche, an Amery resident, spent nearly an hour in 36-degree water. The story of their dramatic rescue has been reported in Guideposts, The Lutheran, The Lutheran Witness and has been seen on TBN, CBN’s “700 Club,” “Daystar” and three times on “Focus on the Family.”

God has used this miracle story to minister to believ-

Dave and Barb Anderson ers and unbelievers alike. The story speaks to people in all stages of life, particularly those who are facing impossible circumstances.

For more information call the church at 715-268-7283.

- submitted

Blood drive a success SIREN - The Burnett County Chapter of the St. Paul Red Cross Service had a successful drawing at the Siren Covenant Church, using their facility. Moderate temperatures brought 87 clients from whom 84 units were donated, including five double-cell unit donors. Included were three first-time donors including Paula Clement and Sheri Nelson, plus eight-gallon donor, John Donlin.

Included in the support of a successful day were the Webster Lioness and the Siren American Legion Auxiliary, which provided callers, volunteers and canteen snacks. Bremer Bank provided postage money for mailing reminder cards.

Local volunteers included: Katie Hedlund, coordi-

nator; Shirley Anderson, advertising; Laura Jensen, Joan Anderson, Connie Hunt, Ethel Daniels, Jean Flanigan, Marjorie Lee, Rose Nelson, Joan Daniels, Dee Wilcox, Bonnie Tjader, Pat Olson, Jack Hedlund and Wally Nelson.

The Red Cross recognizes and appreciates donors and volunteers who make this effort a worthwhile cause. When you give blood, you give someone another birthday, another anniversary, another laugh, another hug, another chance. Thanks!

The next scheduled Burnett County Bloodmobile visit is in Webster on Jan. 15, 2008. - submitted by Katie Hedlund, Siren

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 21

CHURCH NEWS Too often age sole factor in determining start of school Q: If age is such a poor factor to use in determining the start of the first grade, why is it applied so universally in our country?

DR. DOBSON: Because it is so convenient. Parents can plan for the definite beginning of school when their child turns 6. School officials can survey their districts and know how many first graders they will have the following year. If an 8 year old moves into the district in October, the administrator knows the child belongs in second grade, and so on. The use of chronological age as a criterion for school entrance is great for everybody except the late bloomer who is developmentally unprepared for formal education.

••• Q: I'm convinced that I should stay home with my preschoolers if finances and temperaments permit.

But what about after they are off to school? Do you Still feel it is important to have Mom at home in the teen years?

DR. DOBSON: Many will not agree with my opinion on this subject, but it is born of experience with thousands of families. All things being equal, I believe Mom is still needed at home as the kids grow. why?

Because the heavy demands of child rearing do not slacken with the passage of time.

In reality, the teen years generate as much pressure on the parents as any other era. An adolescent turns a house upside down literally and figuratively. Not only is the typical rebellion of those years a stressful experience, but the chauffeuring, supervising, cooking and cleaning required to support a teenager can be exhausting. Someone within the family must reserve the

time and energy to cope with those new challenges. Mom is the candidate of choice.

Remember, too, that menopause and a man's midlife crisis are scheduled to coincide with adolescence, which can make a wicked soup! It is a wise mother who doesn't exhaust herself at a time when so much is Dr. James going on at home.

Dobson Let me illustrate why moms are needed at home during the teen years. A good military general will never commit all his troops to combat at the same time. He maintains a reserve army that can relieve the exhausted soldiers when they falter on the front line. I wish parents of adolescents would implement the same strategy. Instead, they commit every moment of their time to the business of living, holding nothing back for the challenge of the century. It is a classic mistake that can be even more difficult for parents of strong willed adolescents.

This is my point: A woman in this situation has thrown all her troops into front line combat. There is no reserve on which to call. In that fatigued condition, the routine stresses of raising an adolescent can be overwhelming.

Let me say it again: Raising boisterous teenagers is an exciting and rewarding experience but also a frustrating one at times. Their radical highs and lows affect our moods. The noise, the messes, the complaints, the arguments, the sibling rivalry, the missed curfews, the paced floors, the wrecked car, the failed test, the jilted lover, the wrong friends, the busy telephone, the pizza on the carpet, the ripped new blouse, the rebellion, the

FOCUS ON THE

FAMILY

slammed doors, the mean words, the tears it's enough to drive a rested mother crazy.

But what about our career woman who already "gave at the office," then comes home to this chaos?

Any unexpected crisis or even a minor irritant can set off a torrent of emotion. There is no reserve on which to draw. In short, the parents of adolescents should save some energy with which to cope with aggravation!

Whether or not you agree with my advice at this point is your business. It is my responsibility simply to offer it. Generally speaking, the working mother has a challenging task before her. Admittedly, many women are able to maintain a busy career and keep the home fires burning, some with the assistance of involved husbands or domestic help. Other low-energy mothers with unhelpful husbands don't cope so well.

Each family must decide for itself how best to deal with life's pressure points and opportunities.

••• Dr. Dobson is founder and chairman of the board of the nonprofit organization Focus on the Family, P.O. Box 444, Colorado Springs, CO. 80903; or www.family.org. Questions and answers are excerpted from "The Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide" and "Bringing Up Boys," both published by Tyndale House.

COPYRIGHT 2007 JAMES DOBSON INC., DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE 4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; 816-932 6600.

Brought to you by:

Faith Fellowship Luck

Peace Lutheran to host free clothing event DRESSER – Peace Lutheran in Dresser will again host its free clothing event on Monday, Sept. 10, from 2 - 6 p.m. Free clothing, suitable for fall and winter wear, will be available to the general public at this event. All items are clean and in good condition, having been donated by members and friends of the Peace Lutheran congre-

gation. The public is asked to please comply with the hours of the clothing share and not arrive before 2 p.m. out of respect to the church staff and their working schedule.

The free clothing event is sponsored by the church’s social ministries program, which is designed to reach

out to area residents through various public assistance services and activities. To learn more about the program and how it can help you or people you know, please call the church at 715-755-2515. – from Peace Lutheran Church

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 25

Spooner to host final hazardous waste and electronics collection of the year SPOONER – Washburn County will be hosting the last special mobile hazardous waste and electronics collection of the summer in Spooner, and all area residents are encouraged to participate.

The products being accepted free of charge to households are: oil-based paint, antifreeze, pesticides and herbicides, batteries (rechargeable, Ni-Cad, lithium and button only), household cleaners, old gasoline, antifreeze and aerosols. There will be a nominal

2197 to register. Note: The event is open to residents of the following counties – Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor and Washburn.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the hazardous waste storage facility located west of Hwy. 63 on Beaverbrook Road.

The facility is across the street from the Washburn County Food Pantry, and down the street from the Washburn County Humane Society, look for the Northwest Cleansweep signs.

Latex paint (because it is nonhazardous), and used motor oil will not be accepted at these events; however, there are a number of local service stations that do accept used motor oil that is free

of water, antifreeze or any other substances. Questions on disposal options of latex paint and motor oil can be answered by calling Jen at 635-2197.

At this Saturday collection event, electronic items will also be accepted; however, the recycling of electronics will not be free of charge. Items include televisions, VCRs/DVDs, miscellaneous electronics and computer equipment. No appliances, large or small will be accepted, electronics only! Please call Jen for pricing. This is an absolutely wonderful opportunity for area residents to properly dispose of old equipment and allow it to be recycled, while keeping it out of our landfill. For further information on the Saturday collection, call Jen at 635-2197.

might be intended to cover the cost of a book, a small toy or a snack at a local store. An allowance for a teen might need to cover school supplies, money because it really clothes, gifts and entertainis a share of a family’s fiment. The timing of an alnancial resources. Like a lowance will change as the paycheck for an adult, children grow. Younger chilan allowance works best Gail dren have a difficult time with when a set amount of long-range planning, so a Peavey money is given regularly weekly allowance works best. for a specific period of Parents can consider a monthly time so that children can allowance for teens who need learn to depend on the to practice budgeting skills for income and plan for exthe near future. penses. And just like FAMILY It is very important for paradults, children will LIVING ents and children to talk about learn to make financial the allowance and agree on choices based on their what it will be used for. Acneeds and wants.

Common questions from parents who ceptable spending as well as expected are considering allowances are: how savings and charitable giving need to be old should the children be, how much considered. Talks will need to continue should they get, and how often should as the child gets older, to adjust the althey get it? The age of the child depends lowance amount and the expectations, on his or her understanding that money so he or she continues to learn to plan provides buying power, and some chil- for expenses.

For parents considering allowances, dren reach this stage by age 4 or 5. Other children may be 6 or 8 before they un- another decision is if the allowance derstand the meaning of money and are needs to be earned through chores, ready for an allowance. Allowance grades, or behavior, or if the allowance amounts depend on the child’s age, the is given regularly without expectations. resources available, and the expecta- The key is to remember that the purpose tions that are connected to the al- of an allowance is to teach children to lowance. An allowance for a first-grader manage their own money, while the

purpose of chores is to contribute to the successful running of the household without the expectation of being paid. A child who receives an allowance that is tied to chores, grades, or behavior may relate to money as a bribe or a punishment. Regular allowances that are given regardless of household tasks or good grades or good behavior will help the child develop a more positive attitude about money. If the child wants extra money above the allowance amount, he or she can negotiate extra money-making opportunities at home.

When it comes to spending an allowance, parents need to remember that an allowance is a teaching tool for financial management. Parents can guide children through a decision-making process, help identify pros and cons to a potential purchase, or explain the consequences of a purchase, for example “money spent now is money you can’t spend later.” However, the decision on a purchase is the responsibility of the child. Decision-making skills learned through an allowance can help children build their money-management ability as well as their decision-making skills in other life situations.

For more information about saving strategies and family financial management, contact Gail Peavey at the Polk County Extension Office at 715-4858600.

charge for items such as fluorescent and high-density light bulbs, oil filters and computer systems.

Businesses and farmers are also encourJen Barton aged to participate in this event. The service is free to farmers, with a nominal fee imposed for businesses.

Reycling Registration is Control required for both Commission businesses and farmers. Please call Bill Welter at 635-

EARTH NOTES

Money Matters - kids and money: using allowances to teach Families have many decisions to make about managing their money, and whether or not children should get an allowance is one financial management choice parents need to make as their children grow up. Some parents are comfortable providing spending money for their children as requested. Other parents may be interested in helping their children learn to manage money, and an allowance is one teaching method to consider.

Children who get to manage an allowance tend to be better equipped to make financial decisions as they grow up. Since an allowance provides a steady income, children get hands-on experience in learning how to handle money. They learn the benefits of spending, saving, and sharing and they are less likely to routinely ask Mom or Dad for spending money. Children who receive an allowance make more decisions on their own and learn about comparison shopping, shopping for sales, media influence and other consumer skills. An allowance can build a sense of responsibility as children learn from mistakes and celebrate their money management successes.

An allowance differs from spending

POLK COUNTY

Correction In an article from Discover Wisconsin, published in a recent issue of the Leader, it was not noted that most of the wines at The Dam Bistro in St. Croix Falls come from The Wandering Epicurean, a small, family-owned wine distribution business in Grantsburg.

Respect for life workshop set AMERY - Registrations are being accepted for a four-hour Respect Life Workshop at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Amery on Saturday, Sept. 29. The workshop is open to the public.

Anthony Jilek, retired genetics professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, will make the keynote presentation.

Other speakers are Mary Holmes, Bruce, who will discuss Project Rachel, an abortion counseling service, and

Mary Ball, Merrill, who will talk about creating a culture of life in churches.

The workshop will open at 9 a.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m., following lunch.

Registration fee is $6 per person and includes the cost of lunch and may be mailed to Dorothy Lehmann, 661 Pondhurst Drive, Amery, WI 54001.

Her e-mail address is dlehmann.Amerytel.net and her phone number is 715-268-5699. - submitted

Lawmakers debate tipping fee MADISON - State Senate Democrats insist they’re close to Republicans when it comes to agreeing on a budget that would fund renewable energy in the state. But they’re still divided on part of the plan that would increase the tax on dumping garbage in Wisconsin.

The state currently hits waste haulers with a tipping fee of $3 for every ton of trash. Gov. Jim Doyle proposed doubling the fee, and Senate Democrats want to more than triple it.

The plans would mean an extra $40 or $90 million in tax money for the state’s recycling fund. Democrats and conservation groups say it would also keep out-of-state waste haulers from bringing so much trash here.

Assembly Democratic Minority Leader Jim Kreuser of Kenosha says companies from Illinois and Iowa don’t pay their fair share when they drive through Wisconsin and dump their garbage. He says anytime the state could have them pay more, it’s not a bad idea.

He says people in Kenosha don’t want more garbage from Illinois, and says “they’re absolutely against it.”

Democrats want to use some of the extra tax money to pay for renewable energy grants and to some degree, Republicans are onboard. But GOP lawmakers have a tougher time getting behind the tipping fee increase.

Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch says the recycling fund already has a surplus as it is. He says the only reason there is a surplus in a fund is that the state is taxing more than is needed, which is concern they have over the tipping fee increase.

Democrats floated a plan last week that would spend mostly at the levels they want for renewable energy. They did offer to go along with a Republican proposal to exempt renewables from the sales tax, although by comparison, it’s a small concession. – Wisconsin Public Radio (Shawn Johnson)

PAGE 26 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 27

Red Brick Grill opens

Grantsburg Rotary presents roses to Teacher of the Year

The Red Brick Grill opened Saturday, Aug. 25. The restaurant is located on Main Street in St. Croix Falls, south of the post office. Co-owner Laurie Abrams L to R: Shelley Staeven, assistant to the Rotary governor; club president, is pictured inside the Red Brick Grill. The restaurant is closed Mondays and is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. For more information call Brent Blomberg; Pam Anderson, Teacher of the Year; president elect, Greg Peer; and Julie Andersson, co-chair of rose sales. – Photo submitted 715-483-1445. – Photo by Tammi Milberg

Owl in daylight

This photo was taken last Thursday at about 8 a.m. out of a window at the Charlene Rogers home near Frederic. “Although we have heard them many times, we had never seen them,” noted Rogers. “This was a rare sight for us to see.” Photo by Charlene Rogers

school year in June. As school now begins, Pam will be entering her 18th year as a teacher at Grantsburg.

Rotarians will be selling roses during the month of September for $15 a dozen for delivery on Thursday, Oct. 4. Roses can be ordered by contacting any Rotarian. - submitted

Subscribe online @ www.the-leader.net

Farmers wait to see new farm bill

MADISON - Farmers in Wisconsin are waiting to see what Congress puts into the new farm bill.

At issue is the role of government in the business of farming.

Every five years, lawmakers wrangle over how much money should be in the farm bill for those who produce things like corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, sugar, fruits, vegetables, milk and even wine.

Dairy farmer Sue Beitlich is president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union. She says the program is there as a safety net when prices drop really low or when farmers have problems like they do currently with weather; she says farmers can continue farming “with a helping hand – not a handout.”

That’s the rub: how much money should be available for this and who should get it. Beef and grain farmer Jim Holte is a board member of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau. He says when there’s a government program available, some will take risks they wouldn’t otherwise.

He thinks it’s much better for farmers, the industry and the country as a whole to have the market signals impact decisions on what commodities to produce and grow.

Because some wealthy celebrities took advantage of government programs in the past, lawmakers are anxious to lower caps on subsidies. The House of Representatives passed its version of the farm bill in July, including a provision that only those whose income is under $1 million qualify for subsidies. That’s

GRANTSBURG – As a kickoff to their annual rose sale, the Grantsburg Rotary Club presented a dozen roses to the Teacher of the Year. Pam Anderson, a special education teacher at the Grantsburg Elementary School, was the recipient of the honor. She was chosen as the Teacher of the Year at the end of the

down from $2.5 million in the past.

Some want the million-dollar figure much lower: the Bush administration is pushing for a limit of $200,000. Beitlich says somewhere in between is probably right amount.

Holte says the farm bureau hasn’t backed a certain limit yet, but says he doesn’t know how to justify a farm billderived payment to “people of great means.”

Since prices for many crops and dairy products are very high right now, and not needing government help, some analysts and lawmakers say this is a good time to switch directions and begin weaning farmers off of government programs. However, a proposal by Rep. Ron Kind to do that was flatly turned down in the House and isn’t expected to surface in the Senate version.

The farm bill also provides help with conservation programs, ethanol projects and building an export market. Beitlich says consumers get help, too, and points out that over 50 percent of the money goes to nutrition programs.

Besides food aid to needy families, there are efforts under way this year to add money to help schools buy directly from farmers.

The Senate is expected to start on its version of the farm bill in a few weeks. – Wisconsin Public Radio, (Mary Jo Wagner)

PAGE 28 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B- SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

SEPTEMBER WEDNESDAY/5 Balsam Lake

• Free square dance lessons, at the Unity School. Everyone welcome.

THURSDAY/6

Coming events

Amery

• Birthday party, 11:45 a.m., at the senior center. RSVP 715-268-6605 one day early. Also poker at 1 p.m.

FRI. & SAT./14 & 15 Luck

• “Beauty and the Beast,” at the elementary gym, 7:30 p.m. Call 715-472-2152 ext. 103 for more info.

FRI. - SUN./14 - 16 Dresser

• Gun Show at Trollhaugen. Fri. 5-9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. & Sun. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 715483-9190 for more info.

FRIDAY/14 Amery

Balsam Lake

• Bingo played, 1 p.m. at the senior center.

• American Legion Post #278 & Auxiliary meet, 7 p.m., at the hall in Pine Park.

Balsam Lake

• POCO Penners meet, 2 p.m., in the Polk County Government Center. Call 715-268-8238 for more info.

Cushing

• American Legion meat & much more raffle, 6-7:30 p.m., at Suzy Q’s.

Frederic

Frederic

• Pokeno played, 12:30 p.m., at the senior center.

• NW Regional Writers Club meets, 1 p.m., at the Community Room of Sunrise Apts. Assignment: “The joy of writing.”

• 500 cards, 6:30 p.m., at the senior center.

St. Croix Falls

• Exercise by YMCA, 10-11 a.m.; Skipbo, 11 a.m.-noon; crafts, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 500 cards, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

• Festival Theatre Riverboat Fundraising Cruise, 6:30 p.m. Call 888-887-6002 or 715483-3387 for more info.

Siren

• Spades played, 1 p.m., at the senior center.

• Benefit for Clara Lundquist at Siren Ballpark.

Softball Tourney Fri.-Sun.; pig roast Sat. 4-8 p.m. Call 715-349-8226 for more info.

SAT. & SUN./15 & 16

Siren

• Dining at Five, 5 p.m., at the senior center.

• Burnett Democrats 6th-annual Brat & Beer Feed, 5 p.m., at Crooked Lake Park.

Amery

• Apple River Quilt Guild 17th-annual Fall Festival Quilt Show, at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

FRIDAY/7 Frederic

McKinley

• Pokeno played, 12:30 p.m., at the senior center.

• Swedish Heritage Days.

Luck

St. Croix Falls

• Day-night golf fundraiser for the high school, 4 p.m., at the golf course, 715-4722939 for more info.

• Harvest Festival, at Chateu St. Croix Winery.

Music, contests, food, games and more. For details call 715-483-2556.

St. Croix Falls

SATURDAY/15

Siren

• Birthday coffee, at the senior center, 3 p.m.

No potluck, cards or bingo.

• Bingo, 1-3 p.m., at the senior center.

Frederic

• Spades played, 1 p.m., at the senior center.

SAT. & SUN./8 & 9

St. Croix Falls

Danbury

• New Doors event Jim & Jane CD Release Concert, 7:30 p.m. at the Festival Theatre. Call 715-483-3387 for info.

• Softball Tournament, 9 a.m., at the ballpark.

SATURDAY/8

Siren

Cushing

• Eureka Center, Hillside, Hillcrest & Manitou schools alumni community reunion, potluck dinner, noon-4 p.m. at the community center.

• Fire & Rescue Annual Golf Tournament at Siren National Golf Course, 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. Call 715-349-7612 or 715-349-8000.

• Volunteer Fire Department & First Responders Annual Chicken Feed, at Cozy Corner Inn, noon until it’s gone. Call 715-244-3041 for more info.

• Northwest Wisconsin Graziers Network, sponsored pasture walk, 1-4 p.m. Call 715-6353506 or 715-485-8600 for more info.

Dairyland

Springbrook

Frederic

• Annual Senior Dinner, noon, at Hacker’s.

Bingo & cards at senior center following meal, coffee hour at 3 p.m.

• Pilgrim Lutheran Church bake sale, 7-11 a.m., in the Leader parking lot. Call 715-3278012 for more info.

Grantsburg

• Brask-Fossum Janke American Legion Post 185 hosts annual fall executive committee conference, at the Legion Hall. Registration at 8 a.m.

Luck

Webster

• 27th-annual Musky Madness Tournament, on Yellow Lake, 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Call 715-8664788 for more info.

Light plays off leaves of a young tree near the Frederic High School, reminding us that the change of season is already upon us, despite the summer-like temperatures. This photo was taken last week when the calendar still said August. - Photo by Gary King

MONDAY/10 Amery

• Woodland owners workshop, 9-11:30 a.m., 3/4-mile east of golf course. Call 715-485-3518 for more info.

• Seminar on Prearranging Your Funeral, 1:30 p.m. at the senior center.

Osceola

• Spades played, at 1:30 p.m., at the senior center.

• 58th FFA Tractor Pull, at the fairgrounds, 10 a.m.

St. Croix Falls

• East Meets West Fundraiser to benefit LEAP, 7 p.m., at the St. Croix Chateau Winery.

Call 715-483-1505 for more info.

Siren

• Frederic Knights of Columbus Punt, Pass & Kick contest, at Siren football field, 9 a.m. For kids 8-12.

• Mason/Shriners Family & Friends Picnic, noon-?, at the Moose Lodge.

SUNDAY/9 Grantsburg

• Harvest Festival, at the Immaculate Conception Church, Polka Mass at 8:30 a.m., dinner 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Call 715-463-5792.

Voyager Village

• Ducks Unlimited Golf Tournament & Banquet, 1 p.m. shotgun start. Call 800-782-0329 ext. 22 or 715-259-3910 for more info.

Webster

• Faithfull Men Quartet, at Our Redeemer Church, 3 p.m.

Frederic Hertel

• Strengthening Families program for parents & youth, 5:30 p.m. free supper followed by 2-hour program. Preregistration required by Sept. 4, call Marilyn Kooiker, 715-349-2151.

Luck

• Indianhead Rock & Mineral Society meets, 7 p.m., at the senior center.

• Senior Citizen Center program and show & tell, 7:30 p.m., at center. Display favorite finds or purchases or rock phantasy. Potluck lunch.

St. Croix Falls

• Art group, 9:30 a.m.-noon, at the senior center.

TUESDAY/11 Amery

• Pinochle played, 1 p.m. at the senior center.

Dresser

• Chronic Illness/Disability Support Group meets, 6:30 p.m., at Peace Lutheran Church.

Call 715-755-2515 for more info.

St. Croix Falls

• Exercise by YMCA, 10-11 a.m.; Skipbo, 11 a.m.-noon; 500 cards & dominos 12:30-4 p.m., at the senior center.

SUNDAY/16 Indian Creek

• Old Time Dance with Mr. Morgan, 1-4 p.m., at the American Legion Hall.

Meenon

• Annual Orange School Picnic, noon potluck.

Siren

• Dime bingo, 1 p.m., at the senior center.

WEDNESDAY/12 Amery

St. Croix Falls

• 3rd-Annual Summer Concert by the Minnesota State Band, 4 p.m., at the Overlook deck.

• Seminar on Prearranging Your Funeral, 6:30 p.m. at the senior center.

MON. & TUES./17 & 18

Danbury

• Red Cross blood drive at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Call 715-485-3025 for info.

• Burnett County Historical Society annual meeting, 5:30 p.m., at Forts Folle Avoine Historical Park.

Amery

MONDAY/17 Amery

Frederic

• Tap dancing, at 1 p.m., at the senior center.

Siren

Cushing

• Spades played, at 1:30 p.m., at the senior center.

• American Legion & Auxiliary #249 meeting, 7 p.m. at the Legion hall. Call 715-485-3025 for info.

Dresser

• Danish Brotherhood Society meeting, 5:30 p.m., at the hall. Potluck supper, meeting and fellowship.

• Pokeno played, 12:30 p.m., at the senior center.

• 500 cards, 1 p.m., at the senior center.

THURSDAY/13 • American Legion meat & much more raffle, 6-7:30 p.m., at Suzy Q’s.

• NARFE dinner meeting, noon at Village Pizzeria. For reservations call 715-268-8618 before noon, Monday, Sept. 10.

Frederic

• 500 cards, 6:30 p.m., at the senior center.

St. Croix Falls

• Exercise by YMCA, 10-11 a.m.; Skipbo, 11 a.m.-noon; crafts, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 500 cards, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Frederic

Luck

St. Croix Falls

• Christian Women’s Dinner, 11 a.m., at the senior center.

TUESDAY/18 Amery

• Stamping & scrapping, 6 p.m., at the senior center.

Frederic

• Ruby’s Pantry, at the school bus garage, 5 p.m.