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Elkhorn continues to be a place to live, work and enjoy in harmony fter a year of canceled and postponed events, the Elkhorn Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Center welcomes the new year and is excited to share all that our fine BY Chris community has to offer. Visitors to the Clapper area quickly discover ELKHORN AREA why our residents CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & would not choose to TOURISM CENTER live anywhere else. Elkhorn has outstanding livability coupled with a vibrant business community, excellent public and faith-based learning
environments and a post-secondary educational system for students of all ages. Natives have access to quality health care, a variety of housing options and numerous places to worship together. For our outdoor enthusiasts, Elkhorn has hiking and biking trails, area lakes for fishing and boating, two golf courses and a nearby ski hill. Stop by Sunset Park and visit the local pool, band shell and numerous playgrounds ready for exploring. The community’s event calendar continues to grow and kicks off the season with the return of the 2nd Annual Spring Food Truck Festival on May 22. It is co-hosted by the Elkhorn Area Chamber and the Elkhorn Economic Development Alliance. The festival features 20-plus food trucks, live music, kid’s activities, a vendor
Welcome to our city!
n behalf of the citizens, the City Council and myself, I would like to extend a personal warm welcome to the City of Elkhorn. Elkhorn has so much to offer. It’s located in the center of Walworth County. The population BY Bruce in Elkhorn is a bit over Lechner 10,000 people and is CITY OF ELKHORN growing. It’s accessible MAYOR within reasonable drives to Milwaukee, Madison, Janesville, Racine, Kenosha and Chicago. When you drive into Elkhorn, one cannot help but feel a very warm welcome. The city is a reflection of traditional hometown values and has a great deal of charm. Our motto is “Living in Harmony.” The streets are lined with old-fashioned street lamps and Elkhorn is known as “Christmas Card Town.” Elkhorn has a small town feel with much to offer. It’s a growing community where families as well as businesses can grow and features many restaurants and other businesses owned by local residents. There is a great job market here and it’s expected to grow in the next 10 years. The city also offers wonderful recreational programs for people of all ages. Elkhorn has seven excellent public schools and one private school. Elkhorn Area High School has outstanding, stateof-the-art athletic facilities.
There are plenty of activities to keep you busy throughout all four seasons. From the Chamber of Commerce to the Walworth County Fairgrounds, one can always find an event going on most weekends. In the summer, Elkhorn hosts farmers markets on Saturday mornings that begin Memorial Weekend and run throughout the summer. The farmers market is held at the beautiful downtown square at Veterans Park. Don’t forget to attend our annual Elkhorn Corn and Brat Days and Oktoberfest festival. And for those looking for a treasure, enjoy the antique flea market held at the Walworth County Fairgrounds the last Sunday each month from June through September. Elkhorn is the home of Rib Fest, which takes place in July, has concerts and festivals at the Walworth County Fairgrounds and draws rib cookers and guests from near and far. The city is also the home of the Walworth County Fair that runs for six days just before and over Labor Day weekend. The old movie theater downtown is where the Lakeland Players group performs plays and musicals. And in the winter months, Elkhorn hosts the annual Christmas parade, plus there’s an ice skating rink for all ages to partake in at the Veterans Park grounds sponsored by local businesses. We are very proud of our city and what it has to offer. Elkhorn is a great place to live, work and play. Come and visit… we will leave the light on.
and craft fair and specials at businesses located downtown. Saturdays on the Square makes its way back to downtown Elkhorn for the third year. This weekend market features a farm market with seasonal items, crafters, wellness workouts and local food stands gathering on the square, Saturdays starting May 29 and running until Sept 4. One longstanding tradition that brings visitors from far and wide will be the 172nd Walworth County Fair, which is held six days up to and including Labor Day weekend. Another fairground favorite is Elkhorn’s largest Antique Flea Market with more than 500 vendors filling the fairgrounds four times throughout the summer. Elkhorn Ribfest will celebrate its fourth year of good food, good music and good times July 15-18. Admission and parking are free and this year more than 80,000 visitors are expected to taste the best BBQ in the nation. For more information visit wisconsinribfest.com. Corn and Brat Days will be held on July 30 and 31, with the Elkhorn Chamber providing grilled brats and roasted corn, craft and commercial vendors, music and entertainment for the entire community to enjoy. New to Elkhorn this year is DAS Fest
HARMONY • CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
What’s inside
City government....................... Page 7 Seeds of Hope.......................... Page 9 Recreation Department.......... Page 11 County government................ Page 13 Final journey............................ Page 15 Elkhorn Food Pantry............... Page 18 Churches................................. Page 19 Elkhorn Area schools.............. Page 25 Canning is her jam.................. Page 31 Historical Society.................... Page 33 Clubs and organizations.......... Page 34
On the cover
The Elkhorn Area High School boys soccer team celebrates during the 2020 season; the EAHS Color Guard leads the marching band during the annual homecoming parade last fall. PHOTOS BY BECKY KAISER/DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
2021 ELKHORN OUR TOWN
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HARMONY • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 USA! Landing on the calendar the second weekend in August, DAS Fest will welcome a three-day festival featuring German cuisine, culture and music at the Walworth County Fairgrounds Aug. 13-15. This will be everyone’s opportunity to #DiscoverYourDeutsch right in our own backyard. DAS Fest is hosted by the Elkhorn Chamber and United Way of Walworth County, focusing on one mission: supporting local. Elkhorn Oktoberfest continues to be a local favorite and will be celebrating its 16th year on Oct. 16. Last year the All-Around Town Beer and Wine Tasting was a huge success for local businesses and will be sure to return in 2021. Oktoberfest welcomes over 100 crafters and vendors, a variety of food, live music, a classic car show, kids’ activities, and entertainment by community groups and local music talent. The Christmas Card Town and it’s Christmas parade will mark its 40th year with families and friends lining the streets to see the floats, music, novelty acts and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus, on the first Saturday in December. You can also visit the Clauses the night before the parade at the Town Tree Lighting in the Square, Dec. 3 and at Let It Glow at the Walworth County Fairgrounds following the tree lighting. Let It Glow will expand to a three-day event with local businesses and community groups celebrating with lit displays and festive attire to usher in the holiday spirit. In the best effort to support one another, the Elkhorn Chamber will host the annual Community Christmas Meal on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Elkhorn is fun and lively. We are also very serious about a strong business sector offering unique shops and quality restaurants for those who live here and for those who visit. Elkhorn not only supports services you’d expect in the county seat but also a thriving business and industrial park with company names many will be sure to recognize. Our growing “small-town” community truly is a place to live, work and enjoy in harmony. For more information about the community and its events, please call the Elkhorn Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Center at 262723-5788, visit us online at www. elkhorn chamber.com, on Facebook or drop by our office at 203 E. Walworth St. We’ll be happy to help.
Never forget Though Memorial Day was a bit different last year, without a parade or large ceremony, Elkhorn’s American Legion Post 45 and VFW Post 6375 made the rounds to several locations for remembrances and also held a couple short services including one at Veterans Park on the downtown square. Cemeteries visited included Hazel Ridge and Mt. Olivet. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
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Treats, treasures and more Saturdays on the Square will make its way to downtown Elkhorn for the third year, May 29 through Sept. 4. It features local crafters and artisans lined up in Veterans Park offering a variety of treasures, tasty treats and sometimes, the bonus of live entertainment. The event is held Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Follow the Elkhorn Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook for updates about the market. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
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OUR CITY GOVERNMENT CITY HALL 9 S. Broad St., Elkhorn (262) 723-2219 www.cityofelkhorn.org Hours: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday ELECTED OFFICIALS MAYOR Bruce Lechner (262) 741-5117 blechner@cityofelkhorn.org ALDERMEN District 1* Tim Shiroda • (262) 723-7557 tshiroda@cityofelkhorn.org District 2* Frank Boggs • (262) 949-1479 fboggs@cityofelkhorn.org District 3 Ronald Dunwiddie • (262) 723-3107 rdunwiddie@cityofelkhorn.org District 4 Scott McClory • (262) 903-9811 smcclory@cityofelkhorn.org District 5* Tom Myrin • (414) 510-0074 tmyrin@cityofelkhorn.org
The City of Elkhorn Common Council meets the first and third Mondays of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 9 S. Broad St. The Plan Commission meets the first and third Thursday of the month as needed. The Financial & Judicial Committee generally meets the second and fourth Mondays at
District 6 Karel Young • (262) 723-3054 kyoung@cityofelkhorn.org * The terms for aldermanic districts 1, 2 and 5 expire in April. CITY STAFF CITY ADMINISTRATOR James Heilman (262) 723-2219 jheilman@cityofelkhorn.org CITY CLERK Lacey Reynolds (262) 723-2219 cityclerk@cityofelkhorn.org POLICE CHIEF Joel Christensen 100 W. Walworth St. (262) 723-2210 info@elkhornpd.org
CITY TREASURER Jessie Bartmann • (262) 723-2219 gbartmann@cityofelkhorn.org
LIBRARY DIRECTOR Lisa Selje • (262) 723-2678 lselje@elkhorn.lib.wi.us
CITY ASSESSOR Accurate Appraisal LLC Addie Ebert • (800) 770-3927 info@accurateassessor.com
PUBLIC WORKS Matthew Lindstrom Operations Manager (262) 723-2223 mlindstrom@cityofelkhorn.org
MUNICIPAL COURT James Duquette, judge Claudia Last, clerk (262) 723-2340 elkmunicourt@cityofelkhorn.org FIRE CHIEF Rod Smith • (262) 723-2277 rsmith@cityofelkhorn.org
CITY ATTORNEY Ward Phillips 6 West St., Elkhorn (262) 723-7040 CITY ENGINEER Mike Timmers (262) 767-2747 mtimmers@kapurinc.com
4:30 p.m. The Municipal Services & Utilities Committee generally meets the second and fourth Mondays at 5:30 p.m. Other committees meet on an as needed basis. The meetings are open to the public. For more information, visit cityofelkhorn.org.
AMBULANCE CLERK Andrea Ransom • (262) 723-5080 elkhornems@cityofelkhorn.org RECREATION DIRECTOR Karl Sorvick (262) 741-5114 (Rec. center) elkhornparkdir@cityofelkhorn.org
UTILITIES John Murphy Operations Director (262) 723-3138 jmurphy@cityofelkhorn.org COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Building inspector, Joe Mesler (262) 741-5115 binspector@cityofelkhorn.org Zoning administrator Bonnie Schaeffer zoning@cityofelkhorn.org (262) 741-5124
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POSSIBILITY Local nonprofit helps those with disabilities focus instead on abilities
BY Mike Ramczyk CORRESPONDENT
E
verybody has a happy place. It’s one of positive themes championed by Seeds of Hope in Elkhorn. No matter the problem, sometimes people just need to get away, find a happy place, and relax. For one adult, that means getting away to draw on the wall of the movie room. For another, it’s growing tomatoes outside in the garden. A third of the nonprofit organization’s 26 clients may instead opt to play some pool in the recreation room. They may sell hanging baskets of flowers or tomatoes at six area farmer’s markets. Whatever the case, Seeds of Hope focuses
on the abilities of people, not their disabilities. Just ask founder Jamie Stilling-Stepp, a mother of six who owned Prairie Tree Landscaping with her first husband years ago. After Jamie’s first husband died unexpectedly, she saw the need to help those with special needs. “We’re dealing with adults mostly after the age of 22,” she said at her home, which doubles as the home for the nonprofit organization. “It’s a community-based day program. Some will fill pots with dirt, some will plant the perennials ... they pick raspberries and strawberries, we have a fishing pond so they go fishing ... We work with seven or eight school districts within the area; we teach them different skills. We also go to the library, Burger King and get out in the community.” “We do learning, social and recreation
activities. We try to give everyone a purpose.”
A calling to help
Stilling-Stepp felt the need to help the community, and she thought it was supposed to be with troubled boys. “Earl Paddock and Toni Serpe came to talk one day, and they said they think I needed to help VIP raise money for their new building,” she said. “I prayed on it, and read something and saw something that said those with special needs are really troubled kids throughout their whole life. “I helped to raise money for the new building, and I had those with special needs help at Prairie Tree. I saw they needed an entire program and needed more one-on-one time.” SEEDS • CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
left: Seeds of Hope has a regular booth at the Burlington Farmer’s Market. The adults who participate in the Seeds of Hope program spend hours getting their hands dirty with planting and gardening tasks to grow plants for sale. right: Jamie Stilling-Stepp stands in front of her plants and pond last fall at her home, which doubles as the site of the nonprofit Seeds for Hope. MIKE RAMCZYK Our Town
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Elkhorn Recreation Department he Elkhorn Recreation Department would like to thank the Elkhorn community for signing up for our programs and events during the craziness of 2020. The ways we BY Karl typically program has changed drastically and Sorvick also forced us to be as ELKHORN creative as possible last RECREATION DIRECTOR year. Overall, we have learned a lot about our department and how to better serve the community. Some of the programs we created in 2020 will be here to stay for 2021 and beyond. We would like to take a moment to highlight the following programs: • Grinch on the Go Kits: The Grinch, who lives in Mount Crumpit, made over
60 visits to front doors all throughout Elkhorn. Along with a visit from this green grouch, families also received an activity kit, which included many at-home activities. Some of the activities that were included are Bingo with the Grinch, a local library read aloud, hot cocoa bombs and much more! Plans are already being made for him to make a visit in December. The recreation department even got approval from The Grinch to visit over 100 families, if needed. • 6 Feet Trick-or-Treat: This program would not have been possible without the help of local businesses and organizations. It was held at Sunset Park on Oct. 30 of last year and was designed as an alternative to typical door-to-door trickor-treating. There were over 30 stations ran or sponsored by local businesses and service groups. Each station had a creative delivery method of serving candy from 6 (or more) feet away. This year our main goal for the event is to better
accommodate the high attendance while also improving our stations. • New online registration: In the spring, we will be launching our new registration software. This new software will allow families to sign up for more programs from the comfort of their own home. Although we love having you stop by the rec center in-person, we understand that the option of signing up virtually works best for most families. Now that 2020 is officially in the past, we are very excited to see what 2021 brings. We are hoping to expand our typical year-to-year programming by adding E-Gaming, more Grab and Go Kits and additional special events. For more information about our program offerings and events please like “Elkhorn Parks and Recreation Department” on Facebook, check out our department on the website at cityofelkhorn.org, or give us a call at 262-741-5114.
A lot of feet of fun Numerous people showed up for the Elkhorn Recreation Department’s inaugural 6 Feet Trick or Treat event last October at Sunset Park. The event offered safe ways to hand out candy at various stations. above: Some of the event’s volunteers also donned masks, such as this friendly werewolf. DAVE DRESDOW PHOTOS Our Town
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SEEDS • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 She wanted to have more time outdoors where clients were working in the soil. “At the beginning, it was only horticulture, but we learned every day we needed to do educational things. They may just put a puzzle together, but there are others that can read at a fourth- or fifth-grade level. Their day is very full of activity, learning and recreation,” StillingStepp said. “We are community-based, not facilitybased,” Stilling-Stepp said. “We have a board of directors. We put in 15 tons of pea gravel and concrete and replaced the pool, which broke. How amazing is that? We wouldn’t have been able to social distance if we still had the pool,” she added.
Volunteering her time
People with special needs come Monday through Friday, from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and different people attend each day. “We give them that one-on-one experience, and at school some have more pressure. They do what they need to do, but we don’t force them to do it at any particular time. If they’re having a hard time, we may go out and go for a walk. Then we finish the task a half hour later when we get back.” Stilling-Stepp said the key is to base goals and tasks on the behavior that day.
“One of the things that’s really heartbreaking is we really don’t get the fundraising we need. My husband and I have donated a lot. I donate 100% of my time, and I put a lot of my own money into it. I wish people saw how this builds up young adults, and how it can change their lives to be so much more. “This environment we’ve created is perfect for them to excel and create positive behaviors. I wish people in the world would see there’s a huge need for this.”
Creating a safe environment
She said they have some of the higherfunctioning adults come in and work with some of the lower-functioning adults. Prairie Tree started in 1994, and StillingStepp dissolved it in 2014. Her brother owns a business there now, and someone bought Prairie Tree from her. So starting another business was a natural transition, where Jamie says helping those with special needs is her calling. “Planting possibilities. Seventeen people that worked for Prairie Tree have their own businesses. Each of the employees that came into our pathway, they’ve become so much more,” she said. One girl came from Florida, and she was looking for something to do in life.
Now, she’s the program director for Seeds of Hope. Another boy was looking for a purpose and he became the grant writer. Seeds of Hope has been around since 2017. Stilling-Stepp is a visionary; She sees a larger community for Seeds of Hope, one where families can live and people can thrive. Her story is unique. Shortly before her first husband died, her son suffered a traumatic brain injury but is now fully recovered. He went to therapy through sixth grade. She’s dealt with loss and tragedy, and she yearns to help those who have had setbacks. “Their brains are like sponges when they’re really young,” Jamie said of people with special needs. “When they get to high school, there are peer pressures, choices, bullying and so much more. Those with special needs struggle with that. “What do the kids do after the ages of 18 to 22? Learning is so competitive... we all learn in different ways.” Stilling-Stepp said Seeds of Hope is a safe community. “We’re a positive community where people can really thrive,” she said. “We focus on people’s abilities, not their disabilities. There are some disabilities that are judged more than others. When you focus on the abilities, it’s amazing to see what people can accomplish.”
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OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS The Walworth County Board of Supervisors meets the second Tuesday of the month at 3:30 p.m. in the County Board Room of the Walworth County Government Center, 100 W. Walworth St., Elkhorn. Meeting dates and times may vary therefore, it’s advised to contact the County Clerk’s Office at (262) 741-4241 to confirm meetings. For more information about county government, visit co.walworth.wi.us WALWORTH COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER 100 W. Walworth St. Elkhorn County Administrator Mark Luberda (262) 741-4357 mluberda@ co.walworth.wi.us County Clerk Kimberly Bushey (262) 741-4241 Deputy County Clerk Susi Pike County Treasurer Valerie Etzel (262) 741-4251 treasurer@co.walworth.wi.us Child Support Services Supervisor Marylee Richmond (262) 741-7100 Property Listing Susan Finster (262) 741-4255 Register of Deeds Michele Jacobs (262) 741-4233 Finance Department Jessica Conley, director (262) 741-4242 walcofn@co.walworth.wi.us Human Resources Kate Bishop Director (262) 741-7950 walcohr@co.walworth.wi.us County Surveyor Rob Merry (262) 574-6721, ext. 289 rmerry@sewrpc.org UW-Extension (262) 741-4951 walworth.extension.wisc.edu
JUDICIAL BUILDING 1800 County Trunk NN, Elkhorn Clerk of Circuit Court (262) 741-7012
DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH (262) 741-3200 walcoph@co.walworth.wi.us
Facilities & Parks Foreman Brent Brooks (262) 741-3103 bbrooks@co.walworth.wi.us
District Attorney Zeke Wiedenfeld (262) 741-7198 walworthda@da.wi.gov
CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES DIVISION (262) 741-3200 walcohhs@co.walworth.wi.us
Walworth County Circuit Court Judges Branch I Hon. Phillip A. Koss Branch II Hon. Daniel S. Johnson Branch III Hon. Kristine E. Drettwan Branch IV Hon. David M. Reddy Family Court Commissioner Hon. Kelly Iselin Judicial Court Commissioner Hon. Gerad Dougvillo
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Director John Orr (262) 741-7800
Deputy County Highway Commissioner Barry Pierce (262) 741-3799 bpierce@co.walworth.wi.us
Clerk of Circuit Court Kristy Secord (262) 741-7012 Treatment Court Coordinator Sheri Skomski 262-741-3247 LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER 1770 County NN P.O. Box 1004 Elkhorn Sheriff Kurt Picknell Undersheriff Dave Gerber (262) 741-4400 MEDICAL EXAMINER 1770 County Rd. NN (262) 741-4729 Medical Examiner Gina Carver Chief Deputy M.E. Alan Boyes HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES 1910 County Rd. NN Elkhorn (262) 741-3200 walcohhs@co.walworth.wi.us Acting Director Carlo Nevicosi Deputy Director Trista Piccola Public Health Officer Erica Bergstrom AGING & DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER 1910 County Rd. NN Elkhorn (262) 741-3400 walcoadrc@co.walworth.wi.us
LAKELAND HEALTH CARE CENTER 1922 County Rd. NN Elkhorn (262) 741-3600 Nursing Home Administrator Denise Johnson Medical Director Dr. Gregory Gerber LAKELAND SCHOOL W3905 County Rd. NN Elkhorn (262) 741-4118 Director, Special Education Tracy Moate tmoate@co.walworth.wi.us LAND USE & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 100 W. Walworth St. #222 Elkhorn (262) 741-4972 Director Michael Cotter, Deputy Director/ County Conservationist Shannon Haydin Senior Sanitation Officer Rick Dorgay Senior Zoning Officer Nick Sigmund Senior Conservation Technician Brian Smetana DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS W4097 County Rd. NN Elkhorn (262) 741-3114 Director Richard Hough rhough@co.walworth.wi.us County Engineer Joe Kroll (262) 741-3441 pbishop@co.walworth.wi.us
Superintendents Highway (county) Dale Poggensee (262) 741-3152 dpoggensee@col.walworth.wi.us Highway (state) David Woodhouse (262) 741-3112 dwoodhouse@co.walworth.wi.us Highway (support) Mike Lois (262) 741-3131 mlois@co.walworth.wi.us Senior project managers Joe Latocha (262) 741-3442 jlatocha@co.walworth.wi.us John Miller (262) 741-3106 jmiller@co.walworth.wi.us Deputy Director – Asset Management Matt Mortwedt (262) 741-3114 DPWGeneral@co.walworth.wi.us Purchasing Div. of Finance Manager Jen White (262) 741-7265 COUNTY SURVEYOR Rob Merry (262) 547-6721, ext. 289 rmerry@sewrpc.org VETERAN’S SERVICES Nathan Bond Service Officer (262) 741-4222 veterans@co.walworth.wi.us nbond@co.walworth.wi.us VOLUNTEER SERVICES Colleen Lesniak Coordinator (262) 741-4223 clesniak@co.walworth.wi.us
Finance Manager Penny Bishop (262) 741-3105 jwhite@co.walworth.wi.us
2021 ELKHORN OUR TOWN
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Fun for a cause At last year’s Nick Van Dyke Shamrock Shuffle, members of the Van Dyke family – Cailin Peterson, Kyle Peterson, Megan McCormick, Jen Van Dyke and Brook Lile – show off the special shirts created for last year’s event in honor of Nick’s mom, Mary Van Dyke. This year’s event, the 10th annual, has been pushed out due to COVID and will be May 1. Follow Nick Van Dyke Shamrock Shuffle on Facebook for updates. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
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How a 52-ton military tank made its way to Veterans Park By Kellen Olshefski CORRESPONDENT
or the M60A3 military tank that now appropriately stands in Walworth County’s Veterans Park in downtown Elkhorn as a monument to all those who have served, June 14, 2020 marked the culmination of a more than year-long community effort to ensure the tank remained in the county. According to Jim Boardman of Elkhorn American Legion Post 45, the idea of relocating the tank from Whitewater first came about in April 2019, when legion members from Whitewater informed the nine other county legion posts of the impending sale of their building and the need to relocate the military tank that had been stationed outside since 1994. “One of our members, Tryon Andreas, here from town, he jumped up and said, ‘Elkhorn will take it,’” Boardman said. But when the topic came up at the next Elkhorn Legion meeting, a new challenge came to light: it would cost $12,000 to $15,000 to move the 52-ton tank. “I said, do me a favor – I’ve got connections, I’ve worked in construction since 1983 – make me chairman and I’ll
Jim Boardman, of American Legion Post 45, speaks during the tank dedication ceremony held on Flag Day, June 14, 2020. top: A view of the tank from in front of its gun. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
take care of it (and) see what I can do,” Boardman said. What Boardman did was drive those costs way down as every business he contacted – each of which was needed for a particular part of the tank’s journey – offered their services for free or at cost to the Legion. “The first one I called was Jared Mehring. He said, ‘For the Legion? I’ll do it for nothing.’ I called Bobby Swatek out here at RC Welding, because the turret cover was welded shut. Same thing: he came up and took care of it at no charge. In fact, he made the posts and a few other things for us, too,” Boardman explained. And the community contributions just kept coming. Markham Concrete installed the pad for free, Point Ready Mix provided the concrete at half price, and others continued to offer their services, including AM Towing, which helped move the tank. “I talked to Rob Stiglitz and he said, ‘It’d be an honor. When is anybody else going to ask me to move a tank?’” Boardman said. “They were all happy. Every one of them said, ‘We’re going to do it for you.’” TANK • CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
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TANK • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 With the cost no longer a major roadblock and other pieces falling in place with each phone call and visit, the next step was obtaining permission from the Walworth County Board to place the tank in Veterans Park. According to Boardman, when it was first presented to the Walworth County Board, members wanted to be sure the City of Elkhorn was agreeable as the park is in the city. “That same day, I went over and talked to Jim Heilman, the city administrator, and he said, ‘Well, we’ve got a council meeting Monday night.’ On Tuesday I had a letter in front of me signed by the mayor and all the alderman voting to go ahead,” he said. With the blessing from the city, the Legion was able to garner support from the County Board (with a couple of minor restrictions), and the project picked up speed. As preparations to move the tank continued, Boardman said it was into February and quickly approaching March, and with the rapidly receding (and lack of) frost, moving a 52-ton tank across the front lawn of the Walworth County Government Center was suddenly a more troublesome project. “Boy, that’s going to sink a foot and a half. Well, there’s an outfit up in Whitewater, Sunbelt Rentals, and I knew them because I worked up there, they’ve got these 11-foot wide pads that you see them put down out in the country somewhere when the power companies are working on a high line out in the field so they can get out there,” Boardman said. “It’s $38 a day, and I said, ‘Well, the problem is that I’ve got to put them in, it’s going to take me a week to get the pad poured and then I’ve gotta let it sit for 28 days before I can put the tank on it,’ He said, ‘Well, we’ll just charge you for a week.’” The big move When the tank was moved – not just once, but twice because it had to be moved out of Whitewater before the concrete pad
A worker from LCE Rentals blasts the old paint off the tank. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
Scott Weber of Weber Painting goes to work painting the tank. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
in Elkhorn was finished – Boardman said the Legion had the full support of area law enforcement agencies, who provided a police escort as it came into town. And on that day when the tank made its final journey into Elkhorn, Boardman said it took all of about an hour to place it in Veterans Park. Once it was moved, BK Management re-seeded the grass and cleaned up the grounds and Weber Painting sandblasted and repainted the tank. It was painted army green with stars, and teams are currently working on completing replica 30- and 50-caliber guns for the tank, and a replica radio antenna from which to display an American flag off the back. Though the M60A3 military tank hasn’t been in its permanent home long, Boardman said it’s already proven to be an attention-grabber. When first placed on the pad, Boardman said they had the tank open for about a day prior, which was required to be able to move it, before the hatch was welded shut. “We were going to be there 3 hours, and we were there 5 hours,” he said, adding that in his estimation about 50 vehicles pulled up and people got out to watch the action. Flag Day ceremony As for the dedication ceremony, Boardman said the Legion opted for June 14 specifically, as it’s officially recognized as Flag Day in the United States, which he said was first founded right here in Wisconsin. He said a sizable crowd attended the ceremony, including several dignitaries such as State Sen. Stephen Nass, City of Elkhorn Alderwoman Karel Young, Elkhorn City Administrator Jim Heilman
and Walworth County Sheriff Kurt Picknell, among others. In addition to the actual ceremony, the Legion has a dedication plaque in the works, and a time capsule. “I happened to have a 30-caliber ammo box I’ve had for 50, 60 years,” he said. “So we put a copy of that week’s Elkhorn paper in there, a roster of all of our people, a list of all of the people that helped us, a few other things and a letter from the commander,” Boardman said. “We wrote a date on it and put it inside, and maybe it’ll never get opened. But, at least there’s a time capsule that tells what it was and where it all came from.” The tank’s significance Boardman said keeping the tank in the county is a way to honor many. “We’re proud to get it in there. It’s an honor to all the county residents that served in any branch, not just tank command,” he said. The American Legion opted to put the name of the late Edward Freitag on the side of the tank because he’s the only known Elkhorn legion member who was in the tank command, according to Boardman. Freitag was a member of the legion who quit school to join the Army in 1948 and served with the 11th Armored Cavalry. Stationed in Japan when the Korean War broke out, he was among the first American soldiers into Korea. Boardman said the tank commemorates all servicemen and women. “We’re glad we’ve done it and we think it’s an asset to the community,” he said. Boardman said monuments like the tank are important physical reminders of the sacrifices made by our military. “People can walk up to it and say, ‘It’s fantastic that four guys in that thing, they’d go through swamps and everything else, and that’s what helped keep us free.’ It’s also a reminder to people that hey, this is what it takes in war if you want peace,” Boardman said. “And hopefully they have an understanding of why veterans have a completely different outlook on things.” Community support Boardman said the Legion is incredibly grateful of the support received from businesses and residents as well as the positivity surrounding the entire project. “We’re proud of our tank. We’ve had no negative comments that I know of (and) all kinds of positive comments. We’ve had people come up and give us some funds in support and to help us out,” Boardman said. Those wanting to donate can mail checks to: American Legion Post 45, P.O. Box 501, Elkhorn, WI 53121. “If they want to send us a donation, we surely appreciate it,” Boardman said. 2021 ELKHORN OUR TOWN
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‘People have been very kind’ Greater community steps up for Elkhorn Food Pantry By Heather Ruenz EDITOR
From the left: Thelma Washburn, Sally Delany, Terry Gefvert and Jeanie Raidl take a break from filling orders at the Elkhorn Food Pantry earlier this year. The pantry has a great group of volunteers and has received a lot of support by the greater community during the pandemic, according to Raidl. HEATHER RUENZ Our Town
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Jeanie Raidl has been a staple at the Elkhorn Food Pantry for years and said in spite of the challenges the pandemic has brought, people have stepped up to help the organization. “It was tough for a while at the beginning of COVID-19 as we weren’t allowed to accept food donations out of peoples’ homes unless it sat
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FOOD PANTRY • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 for three weeks,” Raidl said. She said the worry about not being able to take food donations didn’t last long. “People have been very kind. They made monetary donations or donated at Frank’s Piggly Wiggly and then Frank’s would get the food to us,” Raidl explained. Also coming through in a big way for the pantry is the Elkhorn Fund, which has for several years provided money – and more recently, vouchers – so families can get a turkey. “The Elkhorn Fund has been a great supporter. They give us money every year for all of the turkeys and with the vouchers, families can get any kind of meat so even if they don’t want turkey, they can buy something to make a nice meal,” Raidl said. The vouchers given out are based on family size and the Elkhorn Fund also provided vouchers for a gallon of milk and eggs.
“We’ve seen an increase like we normally do this time of the year, around the holidays. But I don’t think it’s been much more than that,” she said. According to Raidl, when the pandemic hit earlier last year, the pantry was required to follow numerous mandates from the state. “At first, we had to prepackage everything so clients didn’t even get out of their cars,” she said. In an effort to offer people a variety of food, helpers at the pantry followed lists that were changed monthly. How much food was packaged depended on the number of family members, Raidl said. Things have since calmed down so now the pantry allows only two people inside at a time and there is a helper at the front desk. “People come in and fill out a menu. Then a volunteer goes around and fills the order and other volunteers carry the orders out to their cars. It’s working quite well,”
Raidl said. Other safety guidelines being followed include wiping everything down at the end of the day and a lot of hand sanitizer throughout the pantry. Raidl said the partnership with the Walworth County Food Pantry is another thing she’s thankful for. “They accept our Feeding America orders monthly as they do for other pantries throughout the area. They’ve been a great resource for us,” she said. Raidl, while still involved, stepped down as president earlier last year. Shirley Bultman is the new president of the food pantry and Raidl said she’s doing a great job. Raidl said the pantry is open to anyone who needs it. “Just come in and we’ll get you all set up,” she said. The Elkhorn Food Pantry is at 14 W. Geneva St. and is currently open 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 2021 ELKHORN OUR TOWN
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STEP by STEP Area woman completes state’s Ice Age Trail, more than 1,000 miles by foot By Mike Ramczyk CORRESPONDENT
isney World in Orlando, Florida might be the top destination in the United States for families to vacation with their small kids. Who wouldn’t want to see Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and the rest of the gang, right? Sure, you hop in the car and pull off your own version of the movie “Vacation” with a road trip or secure airplane tickets and pray the baby doesn’t cry so bad that he or she stops the flight. It’s roughly 1,200 miles from Elkhorn to Orlando. Now imagine not only walking to Disney World, but hiking there, through challenging terrains of hills, rocks, snow, ice, water and more. Enter Elkhorn native Robyn Swanson. The lifelong Southeastern Wisconsin resident and mother of two was never really into hiking and preferred to go out of state for trips. That’s until she discovered the Ice Age Trail – right in her backyard. With a segment in northwest Walworth County, the historic route is one of only 11 National Scenic Trails. It spans about 1,200 miles through Wisconsin. Swanson, who only started hiking a few years ago, finished ICE AGE TRAIL • CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
Using the Ice Age Trail Thousand-Miler Map, Robyn Swanson, of Elkhorn, keeps track of the sections she’s completed over the last two years. SUBMITTED PHOTO Our Town
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ICE AGE TRAIL • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 the entire trail – all 1,200 miles – last fall. She’s used just about every weekend over the past couple years to “hop in the car and go,” at times driving four hours to reach her route. What was never really on her mind has become a passion, and it has changed her life. “I first started hiking as “something to do” on vacations,” Swanson said. “I planned my trips with a hiking destination in mind. Smoky Mountains National Park, Zion National Park and local state parks were where I caught the hiking bug.” Swanson completed her first official segment in Hartland on Dec. 15, 2018. “I was hooked,” she recalled. “My first goal was to complete the 1,200 miles ‘before I die.’ At the end of 2019, I had completed over 300 miles and made a new goal of finishing within five years. I wasn’t devoting all of my time to the Ice Age Trail. I was also trying to visit every state park in Wisconsin and do some out-of-state trails. “And then ... COVID. As my other trips got canceled, I had more time to focus on the IAT. I suddenly found myself hiking solo more and more due to social distancing. When I was on the trail, I wasn’t listening to the news and wasn’t stressed about the things going on in the world. It was my therapy. It became apparent that I was going to get closer to finishing the trail sooner than I thought.”
Hiking in sections In what’s called segment hiking, walkers choose what part of the trail they would like to hike, then they can move on a different part instead of continuing where they left off each time. The trail is managed by a partnership among the National Park Service, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Ice Age Trail Alliance. “Segment hiking or section hiking means that you hike a certain section and then move on to another,” Swanson said. “This can be done in order but doesn’t need to be. If one decides to do a thru-hike, they start from one end and follow the trail in succession all the way to the other end.” The trail starts at the Western Terminus in St. Croix Falls and ends at the Eastern Terminus in Sturgeon Bay. Swanson said she is at a very happy place in her life. She works for a local school district. “I was never really an outdoors person,” she added. “Now I can’t stand to be inside.” Swanson started the journey by doing segments of the trail closest to home, now every weekend trip is at least a four-hour drive. So there’s no more jumping in the car and just going, it takes planning. “While working, you can only get so much done on the weekends,” Swanson said.
Taking in nature She said she never realized the beauty in her home state and is fortunate to live here. Just as hiking has become her therapy, it’s helped her grow confidence in herself. “I think I will remember how beautiful Wisconsin is,” Swanson said. “I have seen areas of the state I never knew existed. We are lucky to live in a state with so much natural beauty. I have learned a lot about nature in the past two years, but I’ve also learned a lot about myself. “Most importantly, I will remember the support I received. I have had 22 different people join me on the trail at one time or another. You can learn a lot about friendships when you make a goal known. I’m also appreciative to my employer and co-workers who have been supportive when I take an extra long weekend here and there just so I can reach my personal goal. I am surrounded by great people.” The Ice Age Trail isn’t the end for Swanson. Hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon is still a dream. “I still want to get to the bottom of the Grand Canyon,” Swanson said. “I also want to bring more awareness to the trail and do more volunteering with the Ice Age Trail Alliance. Now, more than ever, it’s important to get outside and enjoy nature. You won’t be disappointed.”
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Oktoberfest sights Despite a cool, windy fall day last year, and changes made in an effort to promote safety, Elkhorn Oktoberfest was a success, organizers report. From the top: Wagner’s Band takes the stage on the street at Oktoberfest; The annual 5K run and 2-mile walk kicks off the event first thing in the morning; Below, right: At the unveiling of this year’s Christmas card are: (from the left) Sarah Lechner, chamber director Chris Clapper, Mayor Bruce Lechner, Javan Wehmeier and Tim Shaw. Below, left: At the classic car show, Elkhorn Mayor Bruce Lechner (on right) presents his Choice Award to Briane Keen for his ’69 Chevelle. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
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We believe… OUR SCHOOLS The Elkhorn Area Public School District strives on a daily basis to fulfill our district’s Statement of Beliefs. Our beliefs are guiding standards that help shape our decisions and dayto-day operations and we’ve developed them in cooperation with the BY Jason community. Tadlock I would like to take a ELKHORN AREA moment and share these SCHOOL DISTRICT fundamental beliefs with ADMINISTRATOR you. We believe all children can learn, every student learns differently and all children are valued and respected. We believe effort, motivation, and challenge are essential to learning and taking an active role in the learning process is every student’s responsibility. Helping children realize their potential is our foremost priority. We believe learning is a life-long process that takes place in the home, school and community. We believe schools foster students’ abilities to make decisions, cooperate and accept responsibility, and that a diverse community contributes to educational growth. We believe open communication is essential to the school, parent and community partnership. We believe schools and communities help students prepare for career success in a competitive global society and schools model and teach good citizenship skills. We believe a quality education depends upon dedicated, well-trained staff and that safe, healthful, up-to-date facilities enhance the learning process. We believe continuous improvement leads to excellence. In addition to our beliefs we are striving to be in the “Top Ten Percent in all we do.” It is our belief that if each and everyone of us can perform at the top ten percent, then as a district we will have no problem fulfilling our goals and living up to our Statements of Belief. We recognize that on a day-to-day basis we will not always perform at that level, but it is our hope that as we strive to be in the “Top Ten Percent In All We Do,” we will elevate our performance and thus the service to our parents, students and the community. This target applies to all of us, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. “A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.” By striving to meet this target, we know that we will succeed in maximizing student growth and academic achievement for all of our students.
ELKHORN AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT Administrative Service Center (1887 Building) 3 N. Jackson St. (262) 723-3160 District Superintendent Jason Tadlock (262) 723- 3160 ext. 1401 Directors of Instruction Amy Gee, grades K-5 (262) 723-3160, ext. 1408 Sarah Bosch, grades 6-12 (262) 723-3160, ext. 1421 Director of Pupil Services Rita Geilfuss (262) 723-3160 ext. 1424 Business Manager William Trewyn (262) 723-3160 ext. 1406 BOARD OF EDUCATION Matt O’Donell*, president matt.odonell@elkhorn.k12.wi.us Barbara Fischer*, vice president barb.fischer@elkhorn.k12.wi.us Julia Ingersoll*, treasurer julia.ingersoll@elkhorn.k12.wi.us Jenny Ray, clerk jenny.ray@elkhorn.k12.wi.us Ed Scaro, deputy clerk ed.scaro@elkhorn.k12.wi.us
The Elkhorn Area School District Board of Education meets the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 6 p.m. in the Susan Tully Leibsle Board Room at the 1887 Building. For more information about the district, visit elkhorn.k12.wi.us.
Paul Martell paul.martell@elkhorn.k12.wi.us Kevin Gahart kevin.gahart@elkhorn.k12.wi.us *School board members up for re-election in April SCHOOLS Elkhorn Area High School 482 E. Geneva St. (262) 723-4920 Principal Dan Kiel, ext. 1601 Associate principals Ellen Blair-Stobber, ext. 1602 Jamie Saunders, ext. 1702 Elkhorn Area Middle School 627 E. Court St. (262) 723-6800 Principal Ryan McBurney, ext. 1501 Associate principals Adam Bretl, ext. 1502 Jessica Rima, ext. 1507 Jackson Elementary 3 N. Jackson St. Principal Tammy Fisher (262) 723-1200 Tibbets Elementary W5218 County A Principal Bryan Frost (262) 742-2585 West Side Elementary 222 Sunset Drive Principal Ben Kitslaar (262) 723-3297 ext. 1301
Options Charter School (262) 723-1696 Director, Trisha Spende spentr@elkhorn.k12.wi.us CAREER & COLLEGE ACADEMY 400 County Road H 262-564-2970 cca.elkhornschools.org Principal Kelly Demerath demerath@gtc.edu Director of School-to-Work opportunities Chris Trottier trotch@elkhorn.k12.wi.us PAROCHIAL First Evangelical Lutheran School 415 S. Devendorf St. (262) 723-1091 Principal Michael Falk mrfalk@firstatthecross.com firstatthecross.com SPECIAL EDUCATION Lakeland School of Walworth County W3905 County NN (262) 741-4118 Director Tracy Moate tmoate@lakelandschool-walco.org Principal Matt Conrardy mconrardy@lakelandschool-walco.org SECONDARY EDUCATION Gateway Technical College 400 County Road H (262) 741-8538 Terry Simmons, dean
Students earn scholarships Members of the Elkhorn Area Women’s Club recently presented scholarships to 2020 Elkhorn Area High School graduates Sydney Lawrence and Chantel Schneider. The presentation took place earlier this year at Perkup in downtown Elkhorn. From the left are: Karen Gonzales, Lawrence, Laurie Kyle, Schneider and Nancy Haak. “It is an honor to be in the company of these young ladies! Our future is in good hands. Go Elks,” Kyle said of the scholarship winners. SUBMITTED PHOTO Our Town
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Smile, you’re on EAHS School’s Broadcasting Club steps up its livestreams of events By Heather Ruenz EDITOR
At a time when staying connected can be quite a challenge, the Elkhorn Area High School Broadcasting Club is not only succeeding but growing by leaps and bounds. Gina Rand, a computer specialist for the Elkhorn Area School District, serves as the adviser for the broadcasting club, which she said recently began live streaming all of the events at EAHS in response to crowd restrictions because of the coronavirus. And when she says all of the events, she’s not kidding. The club had 75 events scheduled to stream for the winter sports season along with other school requests such as holiday concerts. “We have a group of students that have come together to create ‘productions’… YouTube streams for all students, parents and community members to be able to follow district events,” Rand said. She said how the club began is a funny story. “My daughter played Elkhorn basketball beginning in 2016 and my dad did not live in the Elkhorn community. Originally, I began streaming the games so he could watch her play,” Rand explained. She said it was a pretty big hit with the basketball families that had similar situations, and family and friends
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above: The Elkhorn Area High School Broadcasting Club has grown in membership and the amount of events it livestreams as a result of COVID-19 and crowd restrictions. Members include, from the left: (front row) Ethan Taylor, Abby Madl, Reid Ruth, Alexander Ruiz, Gina Rand, (back) Evan Christman, David Redford and Matthew Harvey. opposite: EAHS Broadcasting Club members Lexi Rode, Gracy Ivey and Taryn Shawback have helped livestream a variety of local high school events. SUBMITTED PHOTOS Our Town
who live out of town loved watching the games. “I had a few students ask if they could help with commentating, cameras and running the computer,” she said. The following year, Dan Kiel, who was the athletic director at the school at that time, asked if they wanted to make it an official club. The rest, as they say, is history, and Rand has been the advisor since. It takes a team “It does tie into my job in the school district as a computer technician although I have had a lot of help from more experienced people along the way,” she said. Rand said she has a great support network for what she describes as her panic moments including Jake Rasmussan – the EAHS computer technician who was involved in broadcasting as a student at Burlington High School; Randy Dricken – the director of the IT department; Travis Osborne – elementary schools computer technician who helps with hardware issues; and Ed Kist – a friend and member of the community who is very knowledgeable with the audio/visual equipment used by the club.
“These guys are on speed dial for my panic moments just before we kick off a broadcast. Also, Rebecca Blom, media specialist at the high school, has been very supportive of purchasing equipment for the media center and sharing it with the Broadcasting Club,” Rand said. The club tries to accommodate requests from any team, club or presentation in the school district that would like to have an event streamed, according to Rand. This includes concerts, meetings, forensics and sporting events. Some of the club’s bigger events this year included EAHS Honors Night, prom events, the 2020 Graduation and all of the homecoming festivities. A humble beginning Rand said the club has evolved over time. “Originally, we had one computer stream setup and only streamed the girls varsity basketball games. Once we became an official club we slowly started to stream more events including sports and concerts,” she said. This year, in response to COVID-19, the club has expanded its program. “We now have enough equipment to live stream four events at one time. There
are nights when we have high school basketball, wrestling, swimming and gymnastics all in one evening,” Rand said. She said the students involved are enthusiastic and the club has grown to 10 members after being reduced to one student along with Rand last fall after some former members had graduated in the spring of 2020. “We quickly we figured out that we were going to need more help and I have to give a shout out to my husband, Rick, who has put in endless hours of lugging around AV equipment, streaming games, helping students and completely supporting me streaming events for many years… and never complains,” Rand said. She said one student in particular – David Reford, a freshman – was outstanding in helping with all the fall streaming before the club membership built back up. Incentive for students After what she describes as a “crazy, busy week” of streaming during homecoming, Rand said she went to John Handel, the current EAHS athletic director, BROADCASTING • CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
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BROADCASTING • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 who helped find solutions on how the club could step up its streaming for the winter season. “The district purchased additional equipment and allowed us to pay students for their streaming time in the evenings. This was a huge incentive for a great group of students to apply for the 10 positions we decided to make available,” she said. Rand said she’s very pleased with the enthusiastic, fun, and hardworking group of students who were hired. Rand said the current setup requires one student to stream an event. In instances where they decide to have additional broadcasting features – commentating, advertising, special effects or the use of multiple cameras – they add additional students to that event. “We actually stepped it up a bit for the varsity football games in the fall with a couple of cameras, fly-in graphics with the player’s profile information and some commentating,” Rand said. The club does its best to stream as many events as possible to the Elkhorn Area High School YouTube channel, which has more than 900 subscribers who are notified of our live stream events and can easily access the broadcasts. Rand said the broadcasting team watches analytics and takes pride in high numbers of viewers (they drew 300 to 700
Taryn Shawback broadcasts an Elks’ football game in the fall. SUBMITTED PHOTO Our Town
viewers on some of fall sports) from all over the country. An exciting time Rand said it’s an exciting time to be part of the broadcasting club. “It’s very exciting especially now that there is such a need for streaming the Elkhorn Area School District events due to COVID-19. I have always enjoyed working with the broadcasting students and this year it is even more exciting thanks to the higher
number of students and a very enthusiastic team,” she said. In addition to others mentioned, Rand said the school district also deserves recognition for purchasing additional equipment so multiple events could be streamed at once. One of the wish-list items for the club is a setup for streaming from a mobile device to YouTube for ‘off location’ events such as cross country. “Streaming from a mobile device to YouTube is very restrictive and requires special equipment. It is rather costly but we would not need it until spring sports,” she said. To subscribe to the school’s YouTube channel run by the broadcasting club, go to youtube.com, search EAHS YouTube, click on the purple Elkhorn Area High School logo and then click “subscribe.” Rand said many schools have an outside company do their streaming but that’s not the case in Elkhorn. “Our district has invested in the students rather than outsource our streaming services,” Rand said. “This is a win-win situation for our community and for our students who are getting experience in a new and exciting skill set that may eventually turn into a great hobby or possible career someday.”
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Local HOSA an international success EAHS qualifies the largest group from the state for competition
By Heather Ruenz EDITOR
The Elkhorn Area High School health professionals group is coming off yet another successful year, most recently at the international competition, which was held virtually last summer. HOSA – Future Health Professionals, was formerly referred to as Health Occupations Students of America. In record-breaking fashion, the Elkhorn HOSA had 30 students qualify for the June 22-27, 2020 Virtual International Anastasia Kylee Leadership Conference, the largest Grochowski Leahy contingency from the State of Wisconsin. According to Steph Steinke, a science fun to work with the kids,” Steinke said in teacher at Elkhorn Area High School who a previous interview. also serves as the HOSA advisor, last year’s conference featured more than 8,200 There are many categories that students can compete in, to test their skills in the competitors from across the United States health occupational field. and throughout the world. The judges, Steinke said, are Steinke said HOSA is a great professionals in the field and her EAHS opportunity for students to hone-in their students take the competition seriously leadership and public speaking skills. She including spending a lot of time practicing. said a lot of HOSA members are interested “The kids are willing to compete and in a health occupation field but others just ECU_StandardPress_HalfPage_FEB21.pdf 1 2/11/2021 spend 5:08:26 PM a lot of time with it,” Steinke said. want the leadership experience. “We don’t turn anyone away. It’s a lot of “Their dedication is amazing.”
Corrina Lueptow
Dylan Klopfer
Notable finishes While Steinke is proud of all her students who qualified for the international conference, she offered a recap on a few of the most notable finishes by EAHS students, beginning with Anastasia Grochowski. She earned first place in Medical Reading, the Barbara James Service Award and Outstanding State Leader for HOSA • CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
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Elkhorn HOSA received the highest recognition in the Service Project category, the Certificate of Merit at the HOSA Virtual International Leadership Conference in June 2020. The award was presented to the team for its work with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. SUBMITTED PHOTO Our Town
HOSA • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 Wisconsin. “This is Annie’s second year winning this competition at internationals, and her third time placing in the top 10 at ILC,” Steinke said at the time, adding that as a freshman, Grochowski’s team placed eighth in the Public Health event. “To qualify for internationals is difficult… to qualify three times is something very few have done,” Steinke said. “And to place in the top 10 all three years is unmatched,” she added. Grochowski had also just completed her service as Wisconsin HOSA Vice President, and was serving as the Wisconsin HOSA President. Other Elkhorn HOSA accolades went to the Public Health Team of Yamila Hernandez, Skylar Harlan, and Olivia Moore, which earned an eighth place finish.
“This is Yamila’s second time placing eighth in the Public Health event,” Steinke said last summer. Local students earning recognition events included the following Barbara Jane Service Award. “This award seeks to recognize individual HOSA members who have a commitment to community service in health,” Steinke said. The Silver Level of Recognition requires at least 130 hours of service in the community this year. Grochowski reached the silver level. The Bronze Level of Recognition requires at least 75 hours of service, which two Elkhorn HOSA students qualified for – Kylee Leahy and Corrina Lueptow. Elkhorn’s Dylan Klopfer earned a place among HOSA Happenings award recipients. “This is a multimedia chapter
communication event. The goal is to communicate information about the HOSA chapter in a manner that celebrates the chapter members and their achievements, as well as shares health related information with readers,” the description states. And last but certainly not least, the Elkhorn HOSA was honored in the Service Project category. The service project award “encourages HOSA members to provide community service through the adoption of goals and implementation of strategies related to the support of a health organization.” Elkhorn HOSA received the highest recognition in this category, the Certificate of Merit, for its work with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. For more information on HOSA visit hosa.org or contact Steph Steinke at steist@elkhorn.k12.wi.us.
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Area woman spreads joy with homemade preserves What started as a hobby about five years ago has turned into a passion and outlet of creativity for one area woman. Stephanie Slater, of Elkhorn, has taken her canning to the next level and now offers a workshop/class through Gateway Technical College’s Center for Sustainable Living a couple of times a year. “I actually got my start in canning through the Walworth County UW-Extension office,” Slater said. “They used to offer classes on canning and other things, but with budget costs, those have gone away.” Slater, 43, is an administrative assistant in Gateway’s Institutional Effectiveness and Student Success department. She has brought her canning skills to the school in the form of free classes. She taught a class for about 50 faculty and staff at the college along with a Zoom workshop last September and plans to do another this spring. Resurgence of popularity Canning, for the most part, has fallen by the wayside over the past few decades and turned from a necessity into a hobby. “While you don’t see a ton of it done
Stephanie Slater, of Elkhorn, shows off the grandprize ribbon she was awarded for her home-canned preserves at 2019 Walworth County Fair.
anymore, I think it’s growing in popularity ... since people have more time,” Slater said. Slater said with the pandemic, that’s changed for her and a lot of people. “For me, it’s been really nice, I’ve been working from home and I’ve been able to can during the week and the weekends and really produce a lot,” she said last fall. Slater prefers canning jams, preserves and conserves along with salsas, relishes and pasta sauces. She won a grand-prize ribbon for her preserves at last year’s Walworth County Fair. She said she doesn’t can a lot of pickles because she doesn’t eat at lot of them and they aren’t something she’s all that interested in. “But that’s what’s so great about this, you can do whatever you want and whatever your family will eat,” she said. Slater said prospective canners should be aware that while they will save money and have better tasting food than store-bought, the trade off is the time it takes to preserve food. “It’s not a savings on your calendar. You’re going to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen.” Getting started Getting started with a new hobby always takes some investment and canning is no different. Jars, lids, kettles, maybe a Nesco to heat jars, and more are required to can. “It’s important to use new recipes, too. Don’t be downloading recipes off the internet unless you know they’re from a respected and safe place. The Extension office has recipes
SUBMITTED PHOTO Our Town
and you can trust anything from Ball, they have recipes on their website and lots of great canning books.” Ball also offers a canning starter kit for preserves for about $40. Another thing Slater recommends is planting an herb garden in the spring. “Herbs are so expensive,” she said. “Sometimes they are the most expensive part of a recipe. It doesn’t take much to grow them, if I can do it anyone can.” Slater recommends growing dill, thyme, oregano, rosemary, mint and sage. Slater also suggested a plan for what is going to be canned and an approximate time line during the growing season. She has a rotating schedule for her canning, with some items every year, some every other year, and room to try new ones. “I’m always experimenting,” she laughed. She added one piece of vital advice. “Always, and I mean always, label your jars with the date you canned it and what it is, because, no, you won’t remember,” she stressed. She also said to check the seals on any jar you plan to use at a later date and if the seal is broken, throw out the food. Slater said there is another benefit to canning – gifts. “I have not purchased a gift in years,” she said. “I pick a jar of something I know they love, tie a ribbon on it, put it in a basket with some fresh bread. Not only do you have a gift you put yourself into that people love, you don’t have to shop.” 2021 ELKHORN OUR TOWN
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Sticking up for kids The Elkhorn Kwik STX La Crosse Club donated 30 sticks to the Elkhorn Area School District last year. Present for the donation, which took place at Jackson Elementary School, in addition to the kids, are: Mike Shore, Kwik STX club president; Jason Tadlock, Elkhorn Area School District superintendent; Jon Anzalone, EASD community engagement coordinator; and Mrs. Stillings, physical education teacher. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
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Members of the Elkhorn Police Department – and some dedicated helpers – grill and serve up a variety of food to hungry fans that stopped by for lunch at the Brat Hut outside Frank’s Piggly Wiggly. Clockwise from above: Picking up lunch to go is Bob Lauderdale; helping out in the trailer are (from the left) Kim Bass, Theresa Boeger and Mary Breese; manning the grill are Brad Boeger and Roger Person. All proceeds from the fundraisers support the department’s scholarship fund. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
Historical Society announces capital campaign Funds raised will help build an addition to the resource center
By Heather Ruenz EDITOR
The Walworth County Historical Society recently announced a major capital campaign to raise funds to build a 2,500-squarefoot addition to the 20-year-old facility at the Doris M. Reinke Resource Center on Washington Street in Elkhorn. “Our goal is to avoid disappointing anyone who might wish to make a significant contribution to the project that is historically important to each and every citizen of our county,” said past WCHS president Dan Richardson. The historical society was founded in 1904 as an outgrowth of the Old Settlers’ Club. Currently, the society manages a total of six buildings. Those buildings include the Webster House Museum, the Boyd Carriage Barn, the Doris Reinke Resource Center and Heritage Hall, which contains the Military Museum, all located on the WCHS’ campus at the intersection of East Rockwell and
South Washington streets. In addition, the WCHS, which is an affiliate of the Wisconsin Historical Society, also oversees the Sharon Town Hall and the Blooming Prairie School located on the Walworth County Fairgrounds. “We are going to position ourselves to take on greater challenges of collecting, preserving and sharing the rich history of Walworth County by making the center a state-of-the-art facility. The number of artifact contributions and much needed improvements in technological access by the public is driving this project,” said longtime resource center volunteer Pat Blackmer. “We have seen a marked increase in the number of valuable history-telling artifacts, e-mail requests from the area, state, country and even around the world, making it essential that we move now to update the facility,” she added. According to WCHS president Jim Boardman, the old farmhouse-style building
now occupied by the society as the resource center for the county has long been outgrown by the volume of artifacts in storage and the advancements of technology. “Doris was my kindergarten teacher her second year of teaching in the district and my children’s teacher after that. Had she not retired after 42 years of teaching in Elkhorn in 1987, she no doubt would have taught my grandchildren. I am certain that there are multi-generational families in the area that have had the benefit of Doris’ mentorship and love for history of our county,” Boardman said. It was the dream of the long-time teacher of hundreds of students in Walworth County, that a resource center to house manuscripts, records, photographs, maps and other significant historical memorabilia be established in the county. In 2003, the current Reinke Resource HISTORICAL• CONTINUED ON PAGE 37
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OUR SERVICE CLUBS & OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AMERICAN LEGION POST 45 Meetings are held the second Monday of every month at the Walworth County Veterans Museum. Commander Mark Gajewski, (719) 238-6653 BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS 1545 Hobbs Dr., Delavan. Info: (262) 7288865 or visit bbb4kids.org CYCLING WITHOUT AGE Cycling Without Age aims to bring joy and vitality to non-driving, older adults and those with differing abilities via a trishaw, a three-wheel, pedal-assist cargo bike. The Dementia Friendly Community Initiative of Walworth County (see below) is bringing the program to the area. Two bikes have already been purchased but there are ongoing fundraising efforts for additional bikes and maintenance as well as training sessions for volunteers to pilot the bikes. For more information about or to help with the Cycling Without Age program, visit dfcwalworth.org, send an email to dfcwalworth@gmail.com or call 262-320-7325.
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ELKHORN AREA WOMEN’S CLUB A fellowship oriented club since 1926 with a main goal of raising money for local charities and college scholarships. Info: Elkhorn Area Women’s Club on Facebook or call (262) 7233368 ELKHORN ARTS FOUNDATION Mission to support, develop and promote all arts as an essential and integral part of the revitalization and growth for Elkhorn and surrounding communities. Info: elkhornartsfoundation.com
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DEMENTIA FRIENDLY COMMUNITY INITIATIVE The Dementia Friendly Community Initiative of Walworth County is a non-profit group of volunteers that aims to insure all county businesses, faith communities, organizations and service providers are equipped to serve individuals affected by Alzheimer’s/dementia. The group meets at 8:30 a.m., the second Thursday of the even months (Feb., April, June, etc.) at Health & Human Services, 1910 County Rd NN, Elkhorn in the Kettle Moraine Trail Room on the first floor. For more information call 262-3207325, follow the group on Facebook, email dfcwalworth@gmail.com or visit dfcwalworth. org.
ELKHORN FOOD PANTRY 14 W. Geneva St., Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 to 11 a.m. Info: (262) 723-6359 ELKHORN FUND The Elkhorn Fund is a group of volunteers working together for Elkhorn’s present and future by raising money and investing it in an endowment fund. Each year, they award grants to nonprofits in the community. Info: (608) 7580883 or cfsw.org ELKHORN KIWANIS The Elkhorn Kiwanis Club meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at noon at Associated Bank, 10 N. Lincoln St., Elkhorn. Information: P.O. Box 553, Elkhorn, WI. Call (262) 728-3711 or visit elkhornkiwanis.org ELKHORN LIONS The Elkhorn Lions Club meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at different locations in Elkhorn (see the calendar online for meeting locations.) Info: e-clubhouse. org, click on “Other clubhouses” on the left and then select Elkhorn Lions Club, Wisconsin, email toelkhornlions@gmail.com or like and follow Elkhorn Lions Club, Elkhorn, WI on Facebook ELKHORN PENGUINS SWIM TEAM A youth recreational swim team. Info: visit elkhornpenguins.com, email elkhornpenguins@
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At the hub of any great city are the service clubs and organizations that host fun events and worthy fundraisers, or offer support to those in need, positively impacting the people of the greater community. Here are some of those located in the area:
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gmail.com or like and follow Elkhorn Penguins on Facebook ELKHORN ROTARY P.O. Box 915, Elkhorn. The Rotary Club of Elkhorn meets Wednesdays at noon in the Community Room in the Matheson Memorial Library, 101 N. Wisconsin St. Info: (414) 3331261, Elkhorn Rotary Club on Facebook or elkhornrotary.org ELHKORN SNO DRIFTERS INC. A non-profit club that promotes the sport of snowmobiling for the general public and installs and maintains a section of the Walworth County snowmobile trail. Info: (262) 215-0926 or email elkhornsnodrifters@gmail.com. ELKHORN VFW MEMORIAL POST 6375 16 S. Broad St. Meetings are the second and fourth Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. Info: (262) 723-4979 HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IN WALWORTH COUNTY P.O. Box 174, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. Info: (262) 949-0542 (please leave a message), visit habitatwalworth.org or like and follow Habitat for Humanity in Walworth County on Facebook. HOPE NOW, INC. 107 W. Walworth St., Elkhorn. A nonprofit organization that raises charitable funds to help local families in need. Info: call (262) 723-4711 or like and follow HOPE NOW, Inc. on Facebook. KETTLE MORAINE LAND TRUST Contact Greg Rajsky, executive director or Sue Heffron, program manager, at (262) 9497211, at the office, N7511 Sterlingworth Dr., Elkhorn or by visiting kmlandtrust.org KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS St. Patrick’s, 107 W. Walworth St., Elkhorn. Info: (262) 723-4998, stpatrickselkhorn.org. LAKELAND ANIMAL SHELTER 3615 Highway 67, Delavan, P.O. Box 1000, Elkhorn. Open Monday-Friday from noon-6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Info: (262) 723-1000, lakelandanimalshelter.org LAKELAND AUDUBON SOCIETY Meets September through March (excluding December) at 7 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Lions Fieldhouse, Highway 67 and Stark St., Williams Bay. Info: (262) 2484535 or lakelandaudubon.com.
Members of the Elkhorn Lions Club spent a good portion of last year cleaning up along the sides of the road on Highway 12/67 from the park and ride heading north. The crew included Elkhorn Lions Club members (not in order) Dan Stowell, Ken Stowell, Dick Gilkey, Mark Enger, Joey Douglas, Anglel Kierstian and Joyce Hammel. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
supported by grants and donations, Open Arms is the only free medical and supportive care clinic in Walworth County serving lowincome and uninsured residents with primary medical, dental, vision, behavioral health, lab and pharmaceutical assistance. Hours vary with volunteer providers availability but are generally 9 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Info: (262) 379-1401, openarmsfreeclinic.org PREGNANCY HELPLINE WALWORTH COUNTY 28 S. Wisconsin St., Elkhorn. Open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 5:30 p.m. 24-hour helpline at (800) 712-4357. Info: (262) 723-2020, phlwalworthco.org S.M.I.L.E.S. N2666 Highway K, Darien. Helping to improve the lives of those living with disabilities through a partnership with horses. Info: (262) 882-3470, smilestherapeuticriding.org TREE HOUSE CHILD AND FAMILY CENTER W4063 Highway NN, Elkhorn. The nonprofit organization advocates for children and their families who are the victims of abuse and neglect through community outreach. The alliance’s Tree House provides a safe place for abused children and their families to turn to for help. Info: (262) 755-8733 or visit treehouseforkids.net.
LAKELAND PLAYERS 15 W. Walworth St., P.O. Box 234. Providing enjoyable entertainment, a creative home and volunteer opportunities. Info: follow Lakeland Players on Facebook, call (262) 728-5578 or visit lakeland-players.org
UW-EXTENSION The University of Wisconsin-Extension teaches, learns, leads and serves while connecting people with the university and engaging them in transforming lives. A variety of programs and resources are available from horticulture to health, families and finance to nutrition education. Info: (262) 741-4961, walworth.extension.wisc.edu.
NEW BEGINNINGS APFV 20 N. Church St., Elkhorn. Support and advocacy for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and sexual abuse. Key goals include awareness, education, support groups and prevention. Info: 24-hour helpline at (262) 723-4653, or email newbeginningswalworth@ gmail.com or visit newbeginningswalworth.com
SOUTHERN WAKES UNITED WATER SKI SHOW TEAM P.O. Box 434, Whitewater. The team is a merger of the Lauderdale Aqua Skiers and Whitewater Lake Sports Club (Minneiska.) A non-profit water skiing organization that performs on lakes in the area in addition to tournaments. Info: southernwakesunited.com
OPEN ARMS FREE CLINIC 205 E. Commerce Ct. (Dental Clinic, 209 E. Commerce Ct.), Elkhorn. One hundred percent
UNITED WAY OF WALWORTH COUNTY 203 E. Walworth St., Elkhorn. Info: (262) 3744474, uw-wc.org
VIP SERVICES, INC. 811 E. Geneva St., Elkhorn. Info: (262) 7234043, vipservices-inc.org WALWORTH COUNTY CIVIL AIR PATROL 401 E. Fair Ave., Elkhorn. Info: (414) 5882053, gocivilairpatrol.com WALWORTH COUNTY BOYS & GIRLS CLUB Providing a safe supervised, educational and fun environment for children and teens. Info: (262) 745-2153 or bgcwalco.org WALWORTH COUNTY FARM BUREAU President: Terry Papcke. 119 S. Broad St. Info: (262) 723-2613, www.wfbf.com WALWORTH COUNTY FOOD PANTRY & DIAPER BANK 205 E. Commerce Ct., Elkhorn. Hours are Fridays, 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 to 11 a.m. Info: (262) 723-4488 or walworthcountyfoodpantry.org WALWORTH COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY President, Karen Weston. P.O. Box 159, Delavan 53115. Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Center, 820 E. Geneva St., Delavan. The society’s library in the Mary Bray Room at Matheson Memorial Library, 101 N. Wisconsin St., Elkhorn, is open and staffed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays (until 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday) of each month. Info: walworthcgs.com or (262) 7239150 WALWORTH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 9 E. Rockwell St. P.O. Box 273, Elkhorn. Facilities include the Civil War era Webster House Museum, Doris M. Reinke Resource Center and Heritage Hall, which features the Walworth County Veterans museum. Open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. For information call (262) 723-7848, visit walcohistory.org, email walcohistory@tds.net or follow the Society on Facebook. FRIENDS OF THE WHITE RIVER STATE TRAIL White River State Trail bicycle club; note that there is a trailhead in Elkhorn. Info: follow Friends of The White River State Trail on Facebook.
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HISTORICAL • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33
Warm meals and hearts The 2020 annual Christmas Day meal was held at Elkhorn Area High School and featured a delivery and drive-thru event in an effort to keep volunteers and guests safe. From the top: many people helped out with the event including this crew; Jim Boardman makes his way through the food line filling containers; as the meals were packaged they were bagged and then sorted by delivery route. To donate or help out this year, call the Elkhorn Area Chamber of Commerce at 262-723-5788 or send an email to kate@ elkhornchamber.com.
DAVE DRESDOW PHOTOS Out Town
Center opened for this purpose, which was largely funded by her. She worked tirelessly cataloging and organizing WCHS historical archives and objects, according to Blackmer, and did this work to benefit others. Reinke wrote the popular weekly column, “Webster Notes” for the Elkhorn Independent to share her love of Walworth County history with others. In 2012, an At the Lake article featured Doris Reinke and her dedication to WCHS. At the end of the story, Reinke spoke of an upcoming visit to the Field of Dreams. “I’m going to the Field of Dreams in August. I’ve always wanted to go there, and I just watched the movie. If you build it they will come,” she said. The article’s author, Lisa Schmelz responded with the following: “Yes they will. And Doris Reinke will preserve it for generations we haven’t met yet.” Reinke bequeathed the Walworth County Historical Society a gift to accomplish this means. In this spirit, Richardson said they ask members of the greater community “to join together with us to ensure that WCHS continues this important work of collecting, interpreting and sharing our past as we honor Reinke’s vision and honor her legacy by building a much needed addition to the current resource center.” The addition – which was designed pro bono by architect Brian Staples – will provide ample workspace for an allvolunteer staff to process, photograph and digitize collections and provide much needed storage space for an ever-growing collection and will accommodate several decades of collection growth. “We will be working with local Elkhorn contractor Stebnitz Builders and hope to break ground on the new addition in the spring of 2021. Our goal is to complete the project and open by late fall of 2021,” Boardman said. Folks from around the county and area are welcome to not only show their appreciation for Reinke’s dream and legacy but that of the future of collecting, preserving and sharing the county’s history, he explained. Donors will be recognized in our quarterly newsletter, on the WCHS website and on a donation board in the new addition. They will also be invited to a “sneak peak” prior to the grand opening of the facility. “We look forward to your continued dedication and support to the Walworth County Historical Society and its mission in serving our county,” Blackmer said. The WCHS is accepting donations, which are tax deductible, to go toward completion of this project at its website Walcohistory.org, through its Facebook page or by check mailed to: Walworth County Historical Society, P.O. Box 273, Elkhorn, WI 53121. 2021 ELKHORN OUR TOWN
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Spreading holiday cheer
Girl Scout Troop 7256 gets a ride in the Christmas parade. HEATHER RUENZ Our Town
We are proud to be your hometown newspaper!
TS OR SP
HEADING TO STATE
: Elkhorn Area High School wrestler Joey will represent Showalter the Elks at the WIAA Division 1 State Individual Wrestl ing Tournament on Saturday at Kaukauna High School.
ELKHORN INDEPENDENT
Elkhorn, Wisco nsin 53121
THURSDAY, FEB. 11,
JOIN THE
Vol. 165 • No.
Cool competitio n
– Back Page
BE A HOMEOWNE
R: Habitat for Human in Walworth Countyity is seeking qualified applicants to become a Habitat homeowner. To apply, HabitatWalworth.org/avisit pply or leave a message at 0542. Applications 262-949March 1 and applicaare due attend an orientat nts must ion meeting to be considered. Meetings will be held at Trinity Church, W775 Geranium Road, Genoa City on Saturday, at 9 a.m. or Friday,Feb. 13, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. Space is RSVP is required limited so the phone number by calling above. Face masks are required .
TALK: The next In Conversation will be held Wednesday, Feb. to 7:30 p.m. in the17, from 6 at Elkhorn Area auditorium High School. All who plan to attend (in-person or virtuall y) should register online at elkhorn. k12.wi.us (Comm More; Communityunity tab; Outreach.) The topicResilience month’s event will for this be human trafficking. For more mation, call Senta infor262-723-3160, ext.Holmes at send her an email 1440 or elkhorn.k12.wi.us.at holmse@
2021
Despite the subzer o temperatures drew a crowd, throughout many for the Inspired Coffee 2021 U.S. Nation much of the weekend, Winter , fest in Lake Genev up a bit. The crawla group makes a stop on the al Snow Sculpting Champ a ionship. Below Cronies Two, work featured 24 stops throughoutCocoa Crawl for some hot left: At chocol the city. Below on the sculptu are Greg Moern right: The Wiscon ate and to warm er, Krista Gustaf re named Covid Criminal during sin son and Jim Malkow the competition. 3 team, Snow Team members ski. Photos by PENNY GRUETZM
ACHER Elkhorn
BE A LIFE
SAVE American Red CrossR: The will sponsor a commu drive on Wednes nity blood day, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to at Sperino’s Monte 3 p.m. Carlo Room, 720 N. Wiscon sin St. in Elkhorn. As an added incentive, all present donors will receive ing Amazon gift card a $5 by email. Appointments are recommended by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767) or visiting redcrossblood.org.
Elkhorn IndEpEndEnt DEATH
S: The following local death notices appear inside:
• MARY ALICE GREEN, 69 • VIRGINIA HOVES TOL, 91 • CHARLES LAWRE NCE, 73 • VALRI RUENZ, 73 • GORDON RYDSTR OM, 78 • LEEANNA WOOD, 51
Elkhorn’s only locally published newspaper Local Yearly Subscription Rate Only $36.00 CHECK US OUT AT MYWALWORTHCOUNTY.COM
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2021 ELKHORN OUR TOWN
– Page 5
ESS SIN BU
LOVE AND MONE Y: From cupcak
es to flowers to romantic dinners, Valentine’s Day been a boon for has long businesses – and remain s as the pandem so even ic forces adjustments. – Section
2
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Parking talks to begin inhouse City staff will
reach out to businesses in downtown area
By Kellen Olshefs
ki
CORRESPONDEN
T
The City of Elkhorn ty Committee voted Public Safeday night of directin in favor Mong staff to begin reaching out to busines fort to further investig ses in an efate downtown parking concern s. take place before This move will the city engages with an urban planning consult ant to further investig ate the topic, if needed. Last month, the in favor of directin committee voted g staff to seek out urban planning consult mine what it would ants to deterinvestigate possibl cost to further e options for improving parking in Elkhorn’s downtown area. City Administrator Jim Heilman said Monday he had talked to the city’s planner about a study on downto possibly doing wn parking Elkhorn. Accord ing to Heilman, in the planner told him where from $3,000it would be anyto $5,000 for short synopsis, while a full studya could cost in the range of $12,000 $16,000. to Heilman said had previously as the committee discussed reachin out to downtown g their thoughts on businesses to get ing arrangement the current parkdownto wn – such as consideration of ing limit – he coulda two-hour parkcertainly put together a letter at this those businesses. time directed to “I think with ment and public the police depart(…) we could put works and myself together from that a synopsis of what’s going on downtown, where it’s maps,” Heilman at, give you some said. He said the same goal can be accomplished at this route, and if no cost by going more information is needed or wanted after the initial discussions with sentation can be businesses, a preofficials can reach put together and out to the planner . “I think we can stuff in-house and do a lot of the and then see if give it to you first you’re happy with that, or if you want more information, then we go out and study it,” Heilman said. He said gaining hour parking and opinions on twofrom downtown how far it extends busines valuable. This method ses could be would allow the city to provide that information
Independent
Pete Hansen - Advertising:
262-723-2250
Heather Ruenz - Editorial and Subscriptions:
The sculpture Sculptora Boreal “Innoculation” was created is. It earned first by members Choice. Team of the Wiscon place in members are sin 2 team, Joshua Jackub the national championship owki, Robert Lechte and second in named People’s nberg and Michae l Lechtenberg.
262-728-3411 See PARKING, Page
State superinte COVID-19 key indica race is on primaryndent tors ballot have improved in coun
– THIS AR
In addition to several local races scattere Tuesday’s primary d throughout the area, Wisconsin voters election will include a statewide contest to trim the candida schools. tes for state superint for all endent of public There are seven will advance to the candidates running. The top two from the primary Spring Election on The candidates are: April 6. • Sheila Briggs, an assistant state superint Department of Public endent at the state Instruction; • Joe Fenrick, a Fond • Troy Gunderson, du Lac high school science teacher; Viterbo Univers superintendent of the School District ity professor and former of West • Shandowlyon (Shawn ) Hendricks-Willi Salem; Tony Evers’ Milwau ams, former of teacher educatio kee office and DPI education adminisdirector of Gov. n, trative director • Deborah Kerr, theprofessional development and licensin former superintendent g; District; of Brown Deer School • Steve Krull, principa • Jill Underly, superint l of Milwaukee’s Garland Elemen tary School; endent of Pecaton The current state ica School seeking re-election. superintendent, Carolyn Stanford District. after he was elected She was appointed to the post to Taylor, is not succeed Tony governor in
Public Health Department adop Phase 2 guideline ts s By Tracy Ouellet
STAFF WRITER
te
The Walworth
Health Departm County Public ported sustaine ent recently red COVID-19 key improvement in indicators and said it’s shifting from Phase in its Phased Guidan 1 to Phase 2 “We definitely ce. improvement over have seen some our metrics and the last month in our standing,” Public Health Officer Erica Bergstrom said Monday afternoon. “We’ve seen a steady decline in cases since our peak
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rate has been dropping in recent weeks and as of were two hospita Monday, there lized patients with COVID-19. In Walworth County 136 people have died from the coro-, navirus. “We’ve also started data instead of momen using trend t-in-time data because it gives us tation of what’s a better represengoing provide better guidanc on. We can ty instead of relying e to the counon a moment in time when that could be an anomaly. This way we have a better picture of what’s happen ing in the county, Bergstrom said. ” The Public Health continues to analyze Department the state of the commdata to assess
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On stage The Elkhorn Area High School drama department finally was able to perform when it presented Legally Blonde the Musical last fall. It had to be delayed for some time due to COVID but once performed, it was such a hit an encore performance was scheduled. At right: Kylie Battistella (from left), Alana Gerhardt, Olivia Loundes, Kirsten Siendenburg-Sis, Jacob Mertes, Katie Duwe and Dwyane Arnold take center stage during a scene. Below, left: Marshall Griffin acts out a scene in his role as Warner Huntington III. Below, right: Presley Hodges plays Elle Woods in the musical. DAVE DRESDOW Our Town
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Free Wine Delivery in Walworth County - 2 bottle minimum order (Only wine deliveries at this time)
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