VILAS COUNTY
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Section
NEWS-REVIEW EAGLE RIVER, WI 54521 • (715) 479-4421 • www.vcnewsreview.com
VOL. 126, NO. 33
$1.25
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2, 2011
Environmental protections would be relaxed under bill Dredging, filling along lakeshores would be allowed ___________
BY GARY RIDDERBUSCH NEWS-REVIEW EDITOR
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Austin Wierschke, a junior at Three Lakes High School, won the national texting championship. --Staff Photo By MARIANNE ASHTON
Texting champ!
While some say a bill that would vastly change the regulatory process and rules protecting water and other resources in Wisconsin is being fast-tracked through the Legislature, a North Woods senator said the timetable is uncertain. The new regulations would affect navigable waters and environmental protections primarily through the permitting process, with many organizations calling the legislation a mining bill. Opponents say the bill creates a culture of permitting by default, eases restrictions on dredging or filling on public lakebeds, makes it easier to
gain permits for high-capacity wells, changes standards regarding size and placement of piers, and changes standards regarding repair and maintenance of boathouses. The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment and Assembly Natural Resources Committee held a joint public hearing on Special Session Assembly Bill 24/Senate Bill 24 last Wednesday in Madison. Sen. Jim Holperin (DConover), a member of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment, said he expected the two committees will meet in executive session to discuss the bill and any amendments because the legislation was so wide ranging. “There were probably 125 people at the hearing and about 75 expressed an interest in testifying. Of those, about 40 to 45 testified and I would say 90% of those were against the bill,” said
“Some people are calling this a mining bill, but I really don’t think this legislation really creates enough jobs to call it a mining bill.” JIM HOLPERIN State senator
Holperin. Holperin said the problem with the bill, written at the request of Gov. Walker, included at least six different topics, including dredging in lakebeds. “Some of the things in there, like grandfathering piers or adjusting the permitting process, I think people can agree to, but when you lump five or six things into one bill, it’s hard to approve the entire bill,” said Holperin. “I think people could agree to about 60% of what is in it.” Holperin suggested that
the committees find out what people can agree to and then create a whole new bill. “Some people are calling this a mining bill, but I really don’t think this legislation really creates enough jobs to call it a mining bill,” said Holperin. “Our regular session ends this Thursday and we will come back in January. I believe at that time we will have a separate mining bill.” More public input Toni Herkert, policy director for Wisconsin Lakes, a statewide nonprofit organization with more than 1,000 members, said two of the bill’s changes are particularly alarming. “First, public input was seriously curtailed, with only the one public hearing,” said Herkert. “Secondly, if the Department of Natural Resources fails to meet the tighter timelines for processTo AB24, Pg. 2A
Wierschke wins $50,000 ___________
BY MARIANNE ASHTON LIFESTYLE EDITOR
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Three Lakes High School Junior Austin Wierschke was taken by surprise when he recently won first place at the 2011 LG U.S. National Texting Championship held in New York, N.Y. Austin said he got his first cell phone when he was in seventh grade. While he never set out to be a fast texter, he just texted a lot. He first learned about the contest from a commercial on the MTV television network and found more information on Facebook. After entering the contest, he had to qualify through several rounds using his cell phone to text and was one of the top 12 contestants to make it to the championship contest. “I never thought I’d win, it was really a surprise!” exclaimed Austin.
“The trip to New York was enough of a prize already.” Austin said he even texted a little more slowly during the contest, since he had to be 100% accurate. At one point, he saw that his speed was up to 6.3 characters per second. He felt that he had some pretty stiff competition, with some of the contestants returning for their second year. As the winner, Austin received $50,000 in prize money. He said it has all been put into a savings account, and his plan is to use it for his college education. While he’s made no definite plans on where he will attend, he would like to study architecture. He said he really liked the experience of going to New York and seeing all of the people. He will return there in February when he will represent the To TEXTING, Pg. 3A
ST. GERMAIN FIRE — A fire at 1779 Moon Road in St. Germain last Thursday left a house and one vehicle completely destroyed,
according to the Vilas County Sheriff’s Department. There was no report of any injuries. --Staff Photo By ANTHONY DREW
Chain group sets meeting on milfoil project Nov. 10 Over 850 acres treated in past ___________
BY GARY RIDDERBUSCH NEWS-REVIEW EDITOR
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HALLOGRAS FUN — Hundreds of youths turned out for the Hallogras Halloween party sponsored by the Eagle River Lions Club Monday night at
Northland Pines Middle School. The students played a variety of games, including bowling. --Staff Photo By GARY RIDDERBUSCH
Since the Eagle River Chain of Lakes began being managed for Eurasian water milfoil (EWM) four years ago, a total of 857 acres have been treated at a total project cost of more than $1 million. Those statistics and other aquatic invasive species (AIS) treatment results from the Eagle River Chain will be discussed at a public informational meeting Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Town Hall, located at 1205 Sundstein Road in Eagle River. Tim Hoyman, aquatic ecologist from Onterra LLC, will conduct the meeting. Onterra LLC is the lake management consulting firm hired by the Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission
(ULERCLC) responsible for implementing the AIS treatment program on the Eagle River Chain. Onterra applied herbicide to about 270 acres annually the first three springs of the project to reduce milfoil densities on the 11 lakes that make up the lower Chain. In 2010, about 66 acres of colonized milfoil were treated. Hoyman said the 2011 strategy included funds to treat about 145 acres, attacking both colonized EWM and areas containing clusters of single
plants. Hoyman’s presentation Nov. 10 will provide a summary of the Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan 2011 Phase 4 project that occurred and an overview of the proposed 2012 treatment program on the Eagle River Chain. “His discussion will address the Eurasian water milfoil treatment areas in 2011, rationale for selection of treatment areas and results of To AIS, Pg. 2A