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W A S H B U R N   C O U N T Y

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INSIDE

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013 Vol. 125, No. 10 • Shell Lake, Wis.

We e ke nd w atch •Haunted Schoolhouse @ Shell Lake Arts Center • Royal Fall Fest Miss Shell Lake Fundraiser @ Shell Lake • FFA corn maze and hayride @ Shell Lake

See Events page 6

On the lookout

Oct. 23, 2013

75¢

Over 100 years of Shell Lake history goes on sale Page 11

SPORTS Pages 13-15

BREAKERS

Shell Lake student Savannah Steines uses her binoculars to look for birds as part of a school trip to Wolf Ridge on Lake Superior, home to many species of birds as they stop off on their migration south. Unable or unwilling to cross Lake Superior, they travel along the North Shore to go around the big lake. More photos on page 23. Photo by Larry Samson

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SHELL LAKE — Thursday, Oct. 31, is the time of year when costumed children will be walking around the neighborhood trick-ortreating. Shell Lake trick-or-treaters should be done visiting houses between 8:30 and 9 p.m., according to Shell Lake Chief of Police Dave Wilson. Chief Wilson would also like to remind children to wear bright and reflective clothing. An adult, guardian or older sibling should accompany children. Residents of Lakeland Manor will welcome trickor-treaters from 4-7 p.m. According to Shell Lake Fire Chief Keith Dahlstrom, starting at 5 p.m., the Shell Lake Area Fire Department personnel will be handing out fire-prevention and safety materials to adults as well as children along with treats. There may also be an opportunity to tour a fire truck. The Shell Lake Student Council will be trick-or-treating for the food pantry between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m. Members will cover the entire community of Shell Lake, but will only approach those homes that have their porch light on. If you are interested in making a tax-deductible cash donation, please make checks payable to the Washburn County Food Pantry. If you don’t plan to be home on Halloween, and want to ensure the student council picks up your donation of food, coats or cash, you may call 715-468-7814, ext. 1215. Drivers need to be extra alert as there will be more children on the streets and sidewalks, and those kids may be focused on gathering candy and the excitement of the holiday rather than being careful while crossing streets. — with submitted information

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After nearly three decades of service, Jeff Parker retires

by Danielle Moe Register staff writer SHELL LAKE — “It has been a fun ride working for the city, it really has been; I have met a lot of great people,” said Jeff Parker, director of public works for the city of Shell Lake. Parker recently announced his decision to retire after 28 years of service to the city of Shell Lake. His career with the city began in 1985 when he left a foreman job on the Chicago Northwestern Railroad and began working for the city as a laborer making $5 an hour. To Parker the choice to change jobs was a clear when he knew he wanted to be closer to his wife and three children. In 1998, the former public works director retired and, “I was fortunate enough to receive that position,” said Parker, “and I have been the director of public works since the end of ‘98.” Known for his humor, Parker acknowledged that he has learned to use that to his advantage in his position, to displace tension and lift spirits. “You got to have a sense of humor and a thick hide,” he said, chuckling. See Parker, page 3

Jeff Parker, the director of public works for the city of Shell Lake, has announced his retirement. — Photo by Danielle Moe

Forming a cooperative

October is Cooperative Month Part four of five-part series by The Alliance of Polk Burnett Cooperatives “Where Cooperation is at Work, Communities Prosper” is the slogan for Cooperative Development Services Inc., cdsus.coop, headquartered in St. Paul, Minn. They are one of 24 cooperative development centers nationwide under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, rural development. They are just one resource of many for market assessment, feasibility studies and business plans as well as with aid for grant writing and bringing in speakers. How does a co-op form? The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, uwcc.wisc.edu, outlines the steps one can take in the 21st century to start a cooperative. First, “identify the problem or opportunity and gauge broader interest. Are there things we could achieve more readily, afford more easily, if we joined others with the same need or difficulty? Are there things we could do together that it is not possible to do alone?” Then, form a steering committee and further explore the co-op business option. Members of the initial committee will often represent the identity of an emerging co-op. Choose people with enthusiasm and varied skills, including people skills. Conduct a feasibility study and evaluate the results. This might include, depending on your project, a market analysis; management, equipment and facility needs; revenue projections; and sources of financing. Establish the cooperative by adopting articles and bylaws. Articles of incorporation are filed with the secretary of state of the state of

Wisconsin to form a legal entity of the organization. They will include the name, address, type of business, purposes and powers and duration of the organization. Bylaws are the guidelines for conducting business and will include who can be members and how, meetings, the election of directors and officers and their duties, distribution of profits and losses and equity redemption, procedure for dissolution and process for amending bylaws. Having a lawyer look at the articles and bylaws is always a good idea. Finally, prepare a business plan, begin a membership equity drive, elect a board of directors and secure start-up capital, and finally, secure site, vendors and staff so that operations can begin. Cooperatives in Wisconsin come under Chapter 185 of the state statutes, and one of the big growth areas is in the health arena. A couple of organizations are designed to work with existing cooperatives and help with the design of new ones. Great Lakes Cooperative Center, glcc.coop, is a good place to start when thinking about forming a co-op, with templates for articles of incorporation and bylaws available, among many other resources. It is a joint project of the Center for Cooperatives at UW-Madison and the Cooperative Network, and puts its emphasis on rural economic development.

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