The Weather Shield Mfg., Inc., board of directors announced today the immediate ap-pointments of Mark Schield as president and Kevin Schield as executive vice president of the company, succeeding their father, Edward Lee Schield, who founded the company 60 years ago. Lee had been serving as president and chairman of the company until Mondays announcement. He will continue to serve on the board of directors and be active with mar-keting and purchasing matters.

Our priority will be the continued fo-cus of exceeding our customers expecta-tions for quality, innovation and service,

Mark Schield said. Weather Shield looks forward to a bright future, ensuring ways to maintain our truly unique, long-standing position in the marketplace.

As president, Mark will be responsible for leading the com-panys strategic direction and fi -nancial objectives, and meeting the needs of customers, employ-ees and the communities where the company does business.

Kevin Schield, as executive vice president, will direct the companys daily operations to maximize performance, ensure healthy working environments and surpass customers expecta-tions.

By leveraging Weath-er Shields strengths

quality products, a dedi-cated customer network, and a dependable and reso-lute workforce we have emerged from the worst economic downturn in the housing industry since the Great Depression, Lee said in announcing the leader-ship change to employees. Many companies did not come through the eight-year decline intact or fi nancially sound. I take this opportuni-ty to sincerely thank all who have worked hard to make this remarkable accomplish-ment possible.

Fireworks erupted at the Rib Lake Village Board meeting on Feb. 11 in the form of a heated exchange be-tween residents Ken and Renee Norgaard and the board of trustees. During this exchange, which lasted for about ten minutes, board president Wayne Tlusty pounded his gavel on the desk approximately 20 times to maintain or-der.

Norgaards have had an on-going battle with the vil-lage board over what they believe to be an overpayment of their personal property taxes amounting to several thousand dollars, and recently fi led a summons and com-plaint order against the village in an attempt to recoup this money.

Both Renee and Ken Norgaard spoke under the citi-zen comments agenda item. Renee Norgaard referenced a conversation between her husband and Tlusty that had taken place at the village hall on Jan. 22. She asked for clarifi cation concerning a statement allegedly made by Tlusty during this encounter. I know that on Jan. 22 at approximately 3:30 p.m. you made thisand its pretty much a quote Im ready to write you a check. What

THE NEWS $1

WMedford, isconsin

www.centralwinews.com

SERVING TAYLOR COUNTY SINCE 1875

STAR February 19, 2015

Volume 142 + Number 8

Love on Ice skate show Pages 10-11 Second Section

One month could change your life.During American Heart Month visit

aspirus.org/healthyheart for easy recipes,quick health checks and other wellness tips.

5-146182

Cold fi re callFirefi ghters from the Medford Area Fire

Department and Stetsonville Volunteer Fire Company responded to the report of a structure fi re at Blackwater Equipment at N2096 Hwy 13 at 9:32 a.m. on Feb. 13. Both departments are routinely called out for structure fi res that occur between Med-ford and Stetsonville. Damages were con-tained to an attic area of a building on the property.

Disorder at the board

Weather Shield passes leadership torch

Win gives Raiders needed lift

Sports

Area deaths

Hinder Binder brings out skiers despite cold

Page 10 photos by Brian Wilson

Obituaries start on page 18 for:

Deanne BauerJerry BrandnerSandra CarmichaelErvin ClarksonFola FietzRoberta NagelPearl OlsonDavid Segerstrom

Donkey basketball held in Gilman

Page 20

Support Taylor Electrics solar project

Opinion

Commentary

See RIB LAKE on page 4

Sparks fl y as Norgaards question Rib Lake Village Board ethics, practices

by Reporter Sue Hady

Second generation of Schield family offi cially takes over at 60-year-old family company

ThursdayMostly cloudy and coldHi 1FLo -11F

FridaySnowfl urries likelyHi 13FLo 13F

SaturdayCloudy and coldHi 22FLo -6F

SundayMostly cloudy and coldHi 9FLo -15F

MondayPartly cloudy and coldHi 7FLo 0F

TuesdaySnowfl urries likelyHi 12FLo -8F

WednesdayMostly cloudy and coldHi 9FLo -6F

2/10/2015Hi 27FLo 5FPrecip. 0Partly cloudy

2/11/2015Hi 22FLo 14FPrecip. .22Partly cloudy

2/12/2015Hi 23FLo -4FPrecip. Tr.Clear

2/13/2015Hi 12FLo -8FPrecip. Tr.Overcast

2/14/2015Hi 18FLo -5FPrecip. .02Clear

2/15/2015Hi 1FLo -15FPrecip. 0Partly cloudy

2/16/2015Hi 5FLo-8FPrecip. 0Overcast

7-Day Forecast for Medford, WisconsinWeather forecast information from the National Weather Service in La Crosse

Last weeks weather recorded at the Medford Wastewater Treatment Plant.The weather is taken from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. the following day. For example 8 a.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday.

THE STAR NEWSThe only newspaper published in Taylor County, Wisconsin.Published byCentral Wisconsin Publications, Inc.P.O. Box 180, 116 S. Wisconsin Ave.Medford, WI 54451Phone: 715-748-2626Fax: 715-748-2699www.centralwinews.com/starnewsE-mail: starnews@centralwinews.comMember National Newspaper Association and Wisconsin Newspaper Association. Periodical postage paid at Medford, WI 54451 and HKKP[PVUHSLU[Y`VMJL

Low income families in Medford will benefi t from a $1.4 million grant received by the Ladysmith-based Indi-anhead Community Action Agency and Sand Box Child Care in Medford.

The money is from an Early Head Start (EHS) grant and will help income-eligible families with access to high-quality childcare and preschool education services in a six-county region.

As part of the grant, Indianhead was called on to part-ner with existing day-care providers in order to expand care for the region.

What is interesting and precedent setting for Wiscon-sin is that the grant awarded to Indianhead Consortium is based on specifi c components about its ruralness, said Kelly Jensen, director of Sand Box,

She explained that typically, federal money for pov-erty relief efforts and programs are concentrated in Milwaukee and other high population areas of the state. This grant opened the door to recognition that low-in-come families struggle even in rural areas. Distance, communication, trainings, travel, etc were big factors that were highlighted in a rural setting that you dont see a lot of time in urban areas, Jensen said. We feel it was quite signifi cant to be recognized by the grant for our ability to offer high quality services in a rural setting when matched against Milwaukees needs.

As part of the grant, EHS will serve 100 children throughout the six county region. Jensen said in Taylor County the plan is to open up positions for 15-25 infants/toddlers within the next three months.

Jensen said this is presenting challenges for the staff and center, but they are good ones for the center to have to deal with. Historically, the center, like most others, has had to operate frugally in order to keep their doors

open. This often means relying on donations of equip-ment or other items. This grant provides funding for the purchase of new equipment, but has short deadlines on when it can be spent. This puts Jensen and her staff at the 5-star Youngstar rated center in the position of need-ing to spend money on a deadline.

We will have to do a little reconfi guring to meet the standards of Head Start, but we are confi dent that the transitions will be smooth, Jensen said.

Sand Box is planning to offer Early Head Start Mon-day-Friday from 8:30 a.m - 3 p.m.. There is an applica-tion/registration form parents will need to complete be-fore eligibility is determined.

According to Jensen, when she was fi rst approached about participating in the grant program she was hesi-tant because she was concerned it would seek to compete with or duplicate existing services. Once they assured her the grant would enhance resources rather than du-plicate them, she jumped on board.

The 2014 Omnibus Appropriations Act included $500M for EHS-Child Care partnerships to grow the supply of ef-fective and high-quality early learning opportunities for children from birth through three years old. These com-petitive grants will allow Early Head Start grantees to partner with center-based and family childcare provid-ers who agree to meet EHS Program Performance Stan-dards (HSPPS) and provide comprehensive, full-day, full-year high-quality services to infants and toddlers from low-income families.

EHS programs have always had relationships with childcare programs. Many EHS parents work, so their children need care beyond the hours of an EHS program. In 20112012, of two-parent EHS households, 78 percent had one or both parents employed; of single parent house-holds, 44 percent had an employed parent. If a family is in a home-based EHS program, the child may also be in a childcare arrangement. Given the need for continuous support for the childrens development, EHS grantees of-ten reach out to childcare programs caring for EHS chil-dren to work on quality improvement strategies. Some EHS grantees provide full-day services to meet the needs of working parents so the entire day occurs in an EHS

environment.Jensen said the idea is to help existing centers to im-

prove. While Sand Box is already a top-rated center, she said there are always areas where improvement can take place, specifi cally in staff development or equipment.

Sand Box will be holding enrollment for those inter-ested in the Early Head Start program from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 4.

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 3NEWSTHE STAR NEWS Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 3NEWSTHE STAR NEWS Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 3NEWSTHE STAR NEWS Thursday, February 19, 2015 Page 3NEWSTHE STAR NEWSFederal grant opens childcare options in area

by News Editor Brian Wilson

Indianhead will partner with Sand Box to offer Early Head Start

Grant winnersSand Box, in partnership with Indianhead Commu-

nity Action Agency, has received an Early Head Start grant. Grant partners are: Michelle Stout (l. to r.), Nicole Sidenbender and Keith Brownlow of Indianhead Action Agency, Kelly Jensen of Sand Box; Chris Phernetton of Kid City Child Care & Kid Country Child Care in Bur-nett County; and Bobbi Jo Vojtasek and Katie Channell of Tender Learning Center in Rusk County. The grant will cover Burnett, Clark, Rusk, Taylor, Sawyer, and Wash-burn counties. The four group childcare centers named above assisted with information gathering, input and for-mation of the grant. Other childcare providers may apply to become part of the consortium by completing an ap-plication and going through a review process.

submitted photo

7-146618

BOARDERS INN & SUITESMEDFORD

Friday, February 27th 10:00AM - 3:00PM

County raises highway fees

Taylor Countys budget got a $27,000 boost Tuesday by bringing a county fee into line with the state average.

County highway departments are al-lowed to add an administrative fee to work they do for other groups. For exam-ple, the county runs a line painting crew which does road painting for counties throughout northern Wisconsin. The rev-enue from the painting covers the truck purchase budget, keeping it off Taylor Countys tax levy.

Historically, the county has charged a 1 percent administrative fee. Highway commissioner Jess Sackmann noted this does not come close to covering the cost of the administrative work that goes along with any highway department project.

The state administrative fee for high-way projects is 4.32 percent. We can do whatever we want with it, Sackmann said about how the number is picked.

According to Ginny Wilkins, the de-partments accountant, the state-level administrative fee would be under the actual administrative cost of the county.

Supervisor Dennis Fuchs favored in-creasing the fee, but was concerned about its impact on other municipalities. The county does routine road work for a hand-ful of towns and communities in Taylor County on a contract basis. Increasing the administrative fee would raise the cost for these towns, requiring them to pass it along to their local taxpayers.

Supervisor Chuck Zenner phrased it differently, saying currently the towns that are not contracting with the county are subsidizing the ones that do. Howev-er, Fuchs noted they are giving the county crew work which does provide revenue for the county highway department.

Fuchs said he could see raising the

fee, but suggested going to a split rate of 2 percent for in-county and the state rate for out of county work. I think 1 percent is too low, he said. While it is possible to have two fees, there was concern about how much additional work and confusion having two fee schedules would create.

Sackmann said he did not think in-creasing the fee would drive away work from other counties because those coun-ties are already charging fees at the state level, or in some cases higher.

It was noted the amount of unbilled work the county does for towns in admin-istering grant programs and bridge aid re-quests. Even in the towns where the coun-ty contracts for road maintenance work, the increase will be about a few hundred dollars more each year.

In the end, the committee voted to set the countys fee at the state level. This amount fl uctuates yearly based on an av-erage fee charged. That was not an easy vote, said supervisor Ray Soper of the de-cision to raise the fee.

In other business, committee members adopted the Wisconsin County Highway Association standard policy for utilities working in road right-of-ways. Sackmann said the county has always used the states permit form, but never had an established policy for when outside utilities do work on highway land and what they are re-sponsible for in regard to restoration. He said the policy would give the county more teeth in enforcing their rules. Sack-mann said the state association is trying to make the policy uniform so any utili-ties or their subcontractors can operate under the same rules regardless of where they are in the state. Committee members chose not to implement a fee for the per-mits, noting that with only 20-25 of them issued a year, the cost and headache of collecting the fee could be more than what is gained from it.

by News Editor Brian Wilson

Page A Thursday, January 2, 2014NEWSTHE STAR NEWSPage A Thursday, January 2, 2014NEWSTHE STAR NEWSPage A Thursday, January 2, 2014NEWSTHE STAR NEWSPage 4 Thursday, February 19, 2015NEWSTHE STAR NEWS

would it take to get you out of my hair? Was that a per-sonal offer or as a representative of the village? Tlusty acknowledged a conversation had taken place between himself and Ken Norgaard, and briefl y explained the con-text in which that discussion had occurred.

At this point, trustee Bob Carpenter interjected, di-recting his comment to the Norgaards. The attorney said youre supposed to go to them.

Renee Norgaard said she was not talking about the personal property tax issue and then switched to another line of inquiry. She questioned how the Schmiege Law Offi ce was selected to represent the village board. Tlusty explained the attorney they had worked with through the Ruder Ware law fi rm had passed away.

How did it happen that you dropped Ruder Ware, even though they have many other attorneys, and went

with a relative of yours? Norgaard asked. A relative of mine? asked Tlusty. Well, Schmiege, Tlusty, responded Renee Norgaard.

Taylor County District Attorney Kristi Tlusty is mar-ried to a cousin of Wayne Tlustys, and prior to becom-ing district attorney, worked as an associate with Ken Schmiege in his law offi ce. She has been Taylor Countys district attorney for more than two years.

I have relatives that are a judge, attorney, district at-torney. None of them have ever represented this board, replied Tlusty.

At this point trustee Doug Polacek said, This goes on every time you guys come in here. To me its just sick-ening. Write it the way you want, but Im tired of hear-ing this. Its just over and over, same old stuff with you folks.

Shame on you for feeling that way about a taxpayer, a good taxpayer, shot back Ken Norgaard. Shame on you.

Trustee Bill Schreiner commented, while referring to a printed document he was holding, I have a comment. Right here. Does the public have a right to speak at the meeting of a governmental body? No!

You advertise itcitizen comments, replied Renee Norgaard, referring to the agenda item.

You cannot come in here and demand that you speak to this board, said Tlusty. Thats not how it works, Ken. To come before this board is a privilege, not a right.

Were under citizen comments, repeated Renee Nor-gaard.

Ken Norgaard claimed the board was not willing to hear comments from all the citizens of Rib Lake. He named several prominent Rib Lake families, and said the board would have been sympathetic to those families if they had made a mistake on their personal property tax-es. Youre picking and choosing, said Norgaard. Look at the faces of these board members. Why are you guys so angry and hateful towards Renee and I. Why? Norgaard then directed his comments towards Tlusty. Shame on you, said Norgaard. Youre supposed to be a hall-of-famer. Shame on you, Wayne. Norgaard added, Ive got information here that I think the citizens of the village of Rib Lake are interested in.

Ken, Mr. Schmiege has warned you about the type of behavior that is acceptable, cautioned Tlusty.

Norgaard responded, Kristi Tlusty, when she was an attorney, warned me they were going to imprison me for 10 years and fi ne me $20,000 for speaking up. Why? Because you guys all have this hateful vendetta against Renee and I. That is not right. We didnt come here for this nonsense.

Renee Norgaard interjected, The comment is that Bill Schreiner said in the board meeting to the public that he is not involved in the Rib Lake Roller Mill that is not paying its personal property taxes, and in fact he is the vice president. At the January board meeting, the Norgaards made allegations of unethical conduct against Schreiner in reference to payment of personal property taxes by Rib Lake Roller Mill. Schreiner said he had sold the business to his son several years ago.

Its not on the agenda. We are not going into that, said Tlusty, pounding the gavel and attempting to move on to the next agenda item.

In response to a comment made by trustee Corky Tesch, Ken Norgaard stated, You dont even know me and why do you always look at me with scorn and dis-dain when I was the one counting on you to make a dif-ference.

My scorn and disdain? asked Tesch.Yes, youve given us the dirty looks, roll the eyes, and

all that goofy stuff. Renee and I have said when weve gone home, grow up!

Turn it around, fi red back Tesch.You guys are shutting me down. You wont let me

speak about the real reason why I came here. It could have been over and done with by now, said Norgaard.

We dont want to hear it, replied trustee Carpenter.I suggest right now we call the authorities and get a

policeman here to remove him, said trustee Polacek. At this point, the Norgaards decided to pack up and leave the meeting room. Tlusty said the board would arrange to have an offi cer present at future meetings.

Ken Norgaards parting comment as they were leav-ing was, Government at its fi nest, Wayne.

Under other business, president Tlusty reported the village is now eligible to apply for a community devel-opment block grant in order to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant. Eligibility is based on having enough low and moderate income residents, so the community qualifi es for grant application purposes, based on fi nan-cial guidelines.

The board reviewed the need to update the sewer ordi-nance and emergency management plan. It was decided to refer the existing ordinance and plan to the utilities committee and public works department for review and update, in order to bring these documents into compli-ance with all applicable mandates.

A discussion took place regarding a proposal from MSA Professional Services, Inc. to do G.I.S. mapping of all buried utilities such as water turnoffs and storm sew-er manholes. The board tabled action on this item and will reconsider the proposal at a future meeting. There was also a discussion about absenteeism at quarterly fi re commission meetings. It has been diffi cult to have a quo-rum of members show up for these meetings on a consis-tent basis, in order for business to be conducted.

Continued from page 1

Rib Lake board member threatens to call police during meeting

ENERGY ASSISTANCE

Taylor County Human Services DepartmentApplications are currently being accepted at the Taylor County Human Services Department for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program. This program assists low income households with paying their heating bills.Applicants will need the following when they apply:

1. Written verication of all household income for the three months prior to the month of application. This includes: paycheck stubs or retirement checks, unemployment or workmans compensation benets, child support or other income. Your most recent income tax papers are required to verify self-employment income. Social security/SSI recipients will need to provide benet letter for both 2014 and 2015. Bank statements are no longer allowed.

2. Social security numbers for all members of the household.3. Written verication of heating and electrical vendors and

account numbers.4. Photo ID or drivers license for case head.

Applications will be accepted at the outreach sites:

Rib Lake Public Library t.POEBZ'FCSVBSZ BNQN (JMNBO4FOJPS$PNNVOJUZ$FOUFS t5VFTEBZ'FCSVBSZ BNQN

If you have applied for Energy Assistance and received a benet since October 1, 2014, you need not apply again until October 2015.Subsidized housing residents can apply for energy assistance and may receive a benet if they pay either their electric or fuel costs to a vendor. If you have a heating emergency and require assistance contact

)PVTFIPME4J[F.POUI$PNCJOFE)PVTFIPME*ODPNF

1 $6,288

2 $8,223

3 $10,157

4 $12,092

5 $14,027

6 $15,961

7 $16,324

8 $16,6877-146453

INCOME GUIDELINES

8FTUCPSP1VCMJD-JCSBSZ t8FEOFTEBZ'FCSVBSZ BNQN +VNQ3JWFS$PNNVOJUZ$FOUFS t5IVSTEBZ'FCSVBSZ BNQN

the Taylor County Human Services Department at 715-748-6123, Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. After hours please call the Taylor County Sheriff s Department at 715-748-2200.

REGISTRATION NOW OPENEligible ages: Birth 2.5 years

Call Sand Box / Early Head Startto register 715.748.4525 7-146542

City sets bill for summer workSometimes what is under the pavement can make a

big difference to the fi nal cost of a road project.Members of the Medford city council approved

levying fi nal special assessments for last summers road projects on S. Second St. and Werner Ct. The city charges back to adjoining property owners for curb and gutter, water and sewer laterals, driveway aprons, en-gineering and one-third the cost of the blacktop. Last year, the city gave each property owner a cost estimate. In keeping with past history, the preliminary estimates were higher than the actual project costs. However, while both projects came in below estimates, the S. Sec-ond St. project cost was about 16 percent below the esti-mate, while the Werner Ct. project was about 65 percent below the estimated cost.

The city had estimated the S. Second St. project at $69,651.75 and its fi nal cost was $59,547.19. The Werner Ct. project was estimated at $54,277.38 but came in at $19,162.96. The major difference in the projects, ex-plained city coordinator John Fales, was in the quality of subsurface materials. Werner Ct. had better subsur-face materials, meaning less had to be dug out and new material brought in. In addition, there were three less

driveway aprons put in on Werner Ct. due to vacant lots.

Alderman Peggy Kraschnewski abstained from the vote on S. Second St. assessments because she lives on that road. It passed 5-0 with aldermen Dave Brander and Mike Bub absent. The Werner Ct. assessments passed 6-0.

In other business, aldermen:Approved paying Barb Gelhaus $2,000 to serve as the

pool supervisor. She will help supervise the lifeguard staff.

Approved a $1,000 hotel/motel room grant to the Twisted Threads Quilting Group for their upcoming show in March.

Approved paying city clerk Virginia Brost for four hours of holiday pay for working the afternoon of Fri-day, April 3. State law requires the clerk to be available until 5 p.m. on the Friday before an election for voter registration and absentee voting. The spring election is April 7. It is an issue because April 3 is Good Friday and the city hall traditionally closes at noon on that day,

Approved a parade permit for the May 15 American Cancer Society walk/run. The annual event will follow the same route as in the past, starting and fi nishing at the city park and looping around the millpond.

Paying the billMembers of the Medford City Council set the spe-

cial assessments for the road reconstruction project on S. Second St. Last summer crews worked to rebuild the street and utilities.

photo by Brian Wilson

by News Editor Brian Wilson

The Gilman School Board voted Mon-day night to add a second English teacher to the middle and high school, but possi-ble cuts in state aid could derail the plan to fi ll the position.

Grades 5-12 principal Dan Peggs brought the English position to the board for approval. Budget cuts and declining enrollment have left the district with just one position in recent years. We still have a high need for another English po-sition, Peggs said.

Peggs said having a second English teacher in the upper grades would help develop initiatives like common prep time in the academic area, Response to Intervention programs, and multiple tracks of study as the students advance. He said the fourth grade class has more than 30 students and it will be moving up to the middle school next year.

While the position is a high priority in Gilman, there are worries about the pro-posed state budget. If the budget passes as proposed, Gilman could see close to a $130,000 loss in state aids due to freezes and declining enrollment. Board mem-bers wanted to move forward with post-ing the job. I dont want to wait too long to post this and then get nothing, board member Sheri Johnson said. Id rather give something else up. Board member Alexis Goebel agreed with Johnson and told the administrators to make the posi-tion a priority in the next school budget. Johnson made the motion and it passed.

The district will have another key

position to fi ll next year as the board ac-cepted the resignation of longtime high school science teacher Steven Parker.

District administrator Georgia Kraus provided board members with a legisla-tive update from Wisconsin Association of School Boards. The memo covered many of the biggest concerns the associa-tion has with the proposed state budget.

The fi rst is fi nancial, as it proposes no increase in revenue cap limits and on in-creases in general aid for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. The revenue caps would be locked in at $9,815 per student, or $40 more per student than school dis-tricts received in 2009-10.

There will be no increase in general aid from the state this year and the rev-enue cap freeze would provide no addi-tional overall resources the second year.

There is no increase in special edu-cation categorical aid in either year of the budget. Funding levels for this aid are frozen at the 2014-15 level. Similarly, funding for high-cost special education aid is frozen as well.

The Gilman district would receive a $25 a year increase for transporting pu-pils who live more than 12 miles from school. This year there are 93 students in this category. A pool of money for sparsi-ty aid might also be available to districts like Gilman.

A major expansion of the private school voucher program would hurt pub-lic schools on the whole and could hit in-dividual schools particularly hard. The budget proposes removing the cap on the number of vouchers paid and expands which schools could accept them.

The new rules would take the voucher money directly from the districts state aid total. The district where the student resides would pay the price, no matter if the pupil was ever enrolled in the public school. Kraus said Eau Claire Regis is the closest voucher school in the program. She said only 19 percent of the private school vouchers go to students who are

new enrollees in the program. The budget bill prohibits the Smarter

Balanced Assessment test from being im-plemented next year and puts major lim-its on the development of Common Core standards in Wisconsin.

District and school accountability re-ports would change from the current nu-merical categories to A-F letter grades

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 5NEWSTHE STAR NEWS Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 5 Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 5 Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 5 Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 5 Thursday, February 19, 2015 Page 5Page 5NEWSTHE STAR NEWS

Cooperative is hoping solar project grows roots

Taylor Electric Cooperative is giving its members an option to go green with the Bright Horizons solar gar-den project.

According to Mike Schaefer, cooperative president, the Bright Horizons project includes the installation of a 100.8 kilowatt solar array that would be located in a fi eld south of the cooperatives offi ce in the town of Little Black.

The proposed solar array will produce enough en-ergy to power approximately 15 homes, he said. In ad-dition to generating electricity locally, the system will help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere as a result of burning of fossil fuels. Each 350-watt participation unit will displace about 345 pounds of carbon dioxide from coal emissions an-nually, or about 45 tons of CO2 displacement annually from the entire 100 kW array, he said.

In order for the Bright Horizons project to happen, the cooperative is offering members the option of buy-ing into the project with the purchase of 25-year con-tracts. The upfront cost of the project covers the main-tenance and upkeep for the length of the contract, the owner receives a benefi t by having the amount of ener-gy produced by their units subtracted from their home or business electric bills.

The idea is to have the members who want to own part of the green solar energy would share in its cost, he said. The whole cost of the project is borne by those who participate in it.

According to Schaefer, a segment of the cooperatives membership has expressed interest for a cooperative-owned source for renewable energy. He noted there is already a growing number of people who are looking at small-scale units for their own properties, but felt they could provide a cost effective option to serve their mem-bers needs while keeping the entire system strong.

We think it is comparable or at a lower cost than what an individual can get for a smaller system in their yard, he said.

Taylor Electric is working with Ten K Solar of Min-neapolis to install the system. They bid the project with Clark Electric in Greenwood to get a better overall cost.

A photovoltaic system, such as the one proposed by Taylor Electric Cooperative, uses specially coated pan-els to convert sunlight into electricity. Earlier forms of the technology were wired in series, meaning a break or interruption anywhere in the panel would shut down energy production. Schaefer noted the system used by Ten K Solar is wired both in series and parallel, which means energy is being produced if any portion of the ar-ray is exposed to sunlight.

The system will consist of a large rack of stationary solar panels placed in angled brackets to maximize ex-posure to the sun. A feature of the array planned for Taylor Electric is the space opposite the panels will have mirrors mounted to refl ect sunlight back onto the panels. regardless of the location of the sun in the sky.

Schaefer explained that in researching the equip-ment, they found it was more cost effective to go with a stationary system rather than one that moved to track the suns position as it moved across the sky. He said it is better to just install more panels than pay for mov-able parts which could break down or need regular

maintenance.One of the things that is exciting for Schaefer is the

solar garden will provide a source of training in work-ing with solar energy for the cooperatives crew. Taylor Electric is working with an outside company for the in-stallation, but their crew will be working with them to learn how these systems work. The hope is that as solar technology matures and becomes more readily avail-able, the cooperative crew will be able to install them on member properties in the future.

According to Schaefer, the program is open to all single-phase cooperative members. They have limits saying people cannot buy more than 125 percent of their average monthly electric usage for the past two years or a maximum of 57 units. Schaefer explained the upper limit on individual units is based on licensing restric-tions for individuals and at this time he did not antici-pate any single person buying that many units.

Taylor Electric is making a push to sell all the avail-able units before the March 1 deadline. Schaefer said they would continue to work until all the units are sold with the hope the solar array can be installed and pro-ducing electricity this spring.

Taylor Electric Cooperative is looking for investors in the Bright Horizons solar projectby News Editor Brian Wilson

Solar projectTaylor Electric Cooperative is looking for community investors to support the installation of a 100 kW solar array

at their offi ces in the town of Little Black. Investors in the project will get a deduction on their monthly electric bills based on the energy output of the array.

Proposed state budget undermines Gilman resources

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Page A Thursday, September 22, 2011OPINIONTHE STAR NEWS

The Medford school complex was a busy place last weekend.

Hundreds of people came out to see Medford Area Community Theatres shows of The 25th Annual Putnam Coun-ty Spelling Bee at the high schools Red/White Theatre. Hun-dreds more attended the Love on Ice fi gure skating show on Sat-urday and Sunday across the parking lot at the Simek Rec-reation Center.

The athletes, performers and or-ganizers of each of the events deserve a hearty round of ap-plause for a job well done. The work done by these individuals and groups was out-standing. Their ef-forts did the Medford area proud as a showcase sharing their talents and dedication.

It is easy to look at the fi nished product and not truly appreciate the many hours of rehearsals and practices that went on over the past few months to make it all happen. From ice skaters hitting the rink before dawn for early morning practices, to actors working late into the night to memorize their lines and work on their vocals, taking part in a community per-formance represents a signifi cant invest-ment of time and energy.

This investment goes beyond just those in the spotlight, it is also an investment from their families.

For the skaters, the practices involved many extra trips by their parents to the skating rink. The commitment to par-

ticipate in the show committed the whole family to hours of extra practices and time at the rink. For those on stage, it would be impos-sible to measure the amount of support they receive from their families in or-der to make any pro-duction possible.

It is a bonus for the entire communi-ty to have these sorts of entertainment op-tions available here. Area businesses ben-

efi tted from those who made an event of going to the shows, bringing a positive economic impact as well.

The challenge for all those attending the plays performance or watching the skaters is for those watching to stand up and take their turn in the spotlight.

Community theater is only as strong as the pool of community members will-ing to take the chance and try out for roles in productions. Singing or acting in front of an audience of your neighbors and friends is a terrifying proposition for

many people, but those who have taken the leap are quick to share how rewarding an experience it is.

The same thing goes for the skaters. No matter how graceful the skaters were as they glided and spun across the ice, they all started as newcomers unsteady on their feet. The young women and men in the crowd who watched their peers take part in the pageantry of the show should remember that as they consider taking on

a new sport or activity. Last weekend was one of those times

when the community stepped back and said, Wow. The work and performances were exceptional. As a community we need to continue to be supportive of these and other programs which provide oppor-tunities for creative expression.

To all those who performed or helped in the productions, congratulations on a job well done.

Taylor Electric Cooperatives Bright Horizons solar garden project is a good fi rst step toward energy inde-pendence for the region.

Under the Bright Horizons project, the cooperatives customers have the option to purchase a solar subscrip-tion for $945 for a 350 watt unit. Over the next 25 years the subscribers would see a payback on their monthly electric bills based on the energy generated by the unit.

As a pilot program, the solar garden is a largely sym-bolic gesture with the potential for a long-term cash benefi t for investors. It gives the option to act locally to those who want to go green and directly reduce their carbon footprint. At the same time, the investment in the technology opens the door for electric cooperative staff to learn more about how the systems function and how modern solar power can be part of the local utility grid.

When solar power fi rst came on the scene decades ago, it was in its infancy. The technology was glitchy. A leaf falling in the wrong place could shut down a panel. Times and technology have changed and the modern so-lar systems are much more effi cient and reliable. These technological improvements have turned solar into a practical energy generation technology for temperate regions. For example, Germanys climate is very simi-lar to Wisconsins one of the reasons so many Ger-man immigrants settled here over the years. Germany is a worldwide leader in electricity production through solar with 38,236 megawatts of installed capacity. Solar

could have the same impact on Wisconsin.What this means is less dependance on foreign oil re-

serves and less reliance on the burning of fossil fuels for energy. Local projects such as Taylor Electrics solar garden also aid in creating a more resilient electric grid.

High voltage transmission lines can be compared to giant extension cords stretching from generation plants to local networks. These transmission lines are expen-

sive to maintain and are points of vulnerability in the system. Taking a section of transmission lines down as a result of weather conditions or hostile action could be devastating for large areas. The goal of distributed gen-eration is to reduce the reliance on these massive trans-mission lines and eventually cut the extension cords.

Transmission is also the hidden cost of energy. Whether it is the cost of moving train loads of coal to power plants or building and maintaining high voltage lines, transmission costs add up quickly. City of Med-ford electric bills jumped this month due in large part to increasing transmission rates. With profi t to be made in controlling the fl ow of energy, companies that own transmission capacity will continue to tighten their stranglehold on consumers.

Rural cooperatives are built on the idea of working together on a local level to make something happen, rather than waiting for outside businesses to decide it was profi table to do it. Taylor Electrics promotion of this solar garden project is a continuation of that coop-erative tradition. Taylor Electrics goal is to have com-mitments for the 274 units in the project by March 1 to allow it to move forward with construction this spring. They are working to meet that goal with community meetings and information given to their members.

Once completed, the project will serve as an example for the city and other independent utilities as a way to give more power to the people to make energy choices.

Page 6 Thursday, February 19, 2015OPINIONTHE STAR NEWS

Star News Editorials

Members of The Star News editorial board include Publisher Carol OLeary, General Manager Kris OLeary and News Editor Brian Wilson.

Write a Vox Pop: Vox Pops, from the Latin Vox Populi or Voice of the People, are the opinions of our readers and refl ect subjects of current interest. All letters must be signed and contain the address and telephone number of the writer for verifi cation of authorship and should be the work of the writer. Letters will be edited. No election-related letters will be run the week before the election. E-mail: starnews@centralwinews.com.

Weve made our voice heard down there, whether it will do any good or not. City coordinator John Fales reporting to the Medford city council

about contacting area legislators about concerns in the state budget.

Star News Quote of the Week:

Support Taylor Electrics solar garden project

Performances showcased community talents

Thursday, September 22, 2011 Page 3OPINIONTHE STAR NEWS

Savings are key to any good household fi nancial plan, but can they go too far?

Regardless of which fi nancial advisor you talk with or what articles you read, they pound home the need for in-dividuals to save even if it is a little bit at a time.

After all, isnt a penny saved a penny earned. Of course, given the purchasing power of a penny, earning one on your savings account balance is sort of like get-ting a toothbrush for Christmas.

The idea of savings is a sound one though. It goes with the fable of the industrious ants scrimping and working hard through the summer and then having resources to draw from in the lean times. Darn those freeloading grasshoppers.

Periodically there are attempts to apply this funda-mentally sound philosophy of savings to government. This is more often than not done through the creation of reserve funds they may be called nonlapsing funds, rainy day funds, sinking funds, undesignated designat-ed reserve funds or less fl atteringly slush funds.

Government reserve accounts are good budgeting tools, but, depending on your political viewpoint, may not always be good for taxpayers. Reserve funds can help even out the peaks and valleys of the budgeting cycle. For example, if a town board knows it will need a new roof on the town hall in 10 years, board members can set aside money each year from the budget so when the roof work is done it can be paid for with no tax impact.

As budgeting theories go, it is a popular one that has a lot of good conservative appeal. But at the same time, is taxing and hoarding any better than taxing and spend-ing? Lets take that roof. It should last 20-30 years and the town could easily borrow money from a local bank at a good interest rate to pay for it and have it paid off by the people who would directly benefi t from not having a leaky roof.

At least with taxing and spending the taxpayer knows their money is going to provide a service or government function they could take advantage of in their lifetime. Taxing to add to the government savings account for a future rainy day means more money is being taken from current taxpayers so future taxpayers get a break.

The debate becomes thornier when you consider non-tax revenues such as profi t the county gets from har-vesting timber in the county forest. The county forest is essentially a timber management business owned by the countys taxpayers. A portion of the revenue gener-ated from this quasi-business pays for its operations each year, while another portion goes into a fund to buy more parcels of forest land when they become available. At the Feb. 6 meeting it was noted that land acquisition fund has gotten rather large with no plans in the next few years to make any purchases. The question was raised if the county should put a cap on the fund and have taxpayers see more immediate benefi t from it.

Committee member Mike Roiger was absolutely cor-rect in calling for the cap. If government saves it should be for a specifi c purpose and be capped at a reasonable amount with the remainder going into the budget to de-fray county expenses. A cap on nonlapsing funds can be an effective balance between saving ahead and keeping more money in the pockets of all taxpayers.

Thursday, February 19, 2015 Page 7OPINIONTHE STAR NEWS

Brian Wilson

Put a cap on it

Brian Wilson is News Editor at The Star News.

Stop By or Give Us a Call 715-748-2626 116 S. Wisconsin Ave. Medford

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Subscriber shares other conspiracies to shortchange consumersVox Pop

Attention Brian WilsonWe also have noted the conspiracy to shortchange

the consumers. It would be nice if the chamber of com-merce would regulate the marketing and manufactur-ing, also importing of these products. They have all been reduced in size and weight. Consumers are being short-wiped and suffer the consequences every day.

Toilet paper The roll is one inch narrower, a much larger diameter hole, much lighter paper. (Lift the vari-ous packages at the store.) You will soon have a ribbon of toilet paper.

Facial paper tissues Lighter weight and under-sized (shake the box). It is one inch narrower. You need two or more to wipe your nose.

Cake mixes Smaller box, less product, you need to adjust any recipe that calls for a cake mix.

Candy bars Same size wrapper, but less candy. You wonder were the rest of it is.

I guess well have to go back to using corn cobs and binder twine in the outhouse.

Larry Hartman, Mukwonago

Hein urges Rib Lake voters to support school referendumVox Pop

Voters in the Rib Lake School District will have the opportunity this coming April 7 to vote on a referen-dum regarding our districts buildings. The referen-dum asks, yes or no, if we the people shall borrow mon-ey to fi x, repair, improve in energy effi ciency, or replace as necessary structural and component issues related to our school district buildings.

As Aimee gives me the latitude to occasionally wan-der from the friendly confi nes of 901 Kennedy, I am afforded the opportunity to, in passing, gain an over-view of the opinions of my fellow citizens on a vari-ety of subjects. One concept which will generate an immediate reaction is money and often two seemingly contradictory perceptions will be offered in the same sentence. Upon hearing the cost of a good or service a reaction will possibly go that sure costs a lot of money but money isnt worth anything anymore.

Those who know me and are aware of the fi nancial philosophy of country singer Willie Nelson can agree that Nelson and I would never make it on Wall Street. Any value to be placed in dollars can only be determined in what we get for them. The referendum question af-fords us, we the people of the district, the opportunity to reinvest into the commitment of providing what it takes to maintain and improve our buildings and sites in our highly successful and award-winning school sys-tem. I can think of no better investment. I think Willie

and I would be in lock step on this investment plan. I have a fair grasp of the needs and areas where at-

tention and necessary action are warranted. For all to obtain a clear and fact-based overview of these needs and areas, public meetings are scheduled for Feb. 25 and March 24 at the high school, each to start at 7:00 p.m. I am sure information given at these meetings will be accurate and positive in infl uencing the educated de-cision to be made by each of us

In my life I have witnessed the raising of school buildings as well as the razing of school buildings in our district. These were not contradictory events, rather they were necessary as the passage of time has shown. During these times different generations decid-ed as they felt was best for our school district.

Different school boards were elected to administer our school district. Different issues called for fi nancial commitment from those generations before ours. So though the names change, the needs are always similar. And so must be the similar commitment. And that com-mitment is providing a safe, healthy, and effi cient envi-ronment for the generation now using the facilities and for those generations to come. Let us honor the genera-tions of yesterday, today, and tomorrow as we go about the business before us.

John Hein, Rib Lake

Writer says Medford school district is top heavy Vox Pop

The Medford Area School District is top heavy with administration.

We have 10 administrators, plus at least two supervi-sors with administrative duties, and a human services supervisor. In my almost 20 years on the Medford Area School Board, I worked to reduce the number of ad-ministrators. It seems that it did not take the district administrator long to reverse my goal of eight admin-istrators, which should be more than enough for this district. Even a couple of years ago, when an adminis-trator retired and we could have just reassigned duties, our district administrator could not bring himself to fi nd a way to do without one administrative position.

At that point, no one would have had to lose their

job; the duties would have been reassigned with the ex-isting administrators. I know at least one person who would argue that for our school districts size, we do not have too many administrators, but just ask any work-ing person in this area if they have not had to do more work with less people in the last 10 years.

When the budget is set for next year, lets see if there are no cuts to education or if we need to take money from the fund balance again. In order to prevent this, it would be easy to save $100,000--just cut administration. Hopefully, there will be no repercussions or personal at-tacks for voicing my opinion in this Vox Pop.

Jeffrey R. Lange, Medford, former member of the Medford Area School Board.

Other voices

Page A Thursday, September 22, 2011Page 8 Thursday, February 19, 2015OPINIONTHE STAR NEWS

State budget headlines have focused on massive cuts to the University of Wiscon-sin System and an attack-then-retreat on the Wisconsin Idea, which, we must infer, is that rare concept still popular across both blue and red Wisconsin.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker, the in-stigator, believes hes brimming with bold and fresh ideas, but his preeminent idea seems to be turning from his prime fi rst-term villain public K-12 education to a second-term one our public univer-sity system.

As much as Walker jauntily yearns to go big, his proposed budget is fi lled with provisions that are small and conniving.

Walkers central organizing principle is to permanently cripple Wisconsin gov-ernment at every level and to undermine public education by manufacturing a bud-get crisis despite an improving economy. Simultaneously, he is burdening future leaders with unknowable fi nancial crises once Walker is done exploiting the state to bolster his tea party credibility.

In marketing terms, that is what you might call his brand promise, one that resonates with his far-right confi dants, funders and, presumably, GOP presiden-tial caucus-goers in Iowa.

So lets examine several parts of Walk-ers budget, ones that have not received much attention, and suggest his ratio-nales.

Lets start with agriculture, the envi-ronment and natural resources. Walkers budget makes key boards in those areas advisory diluting the role citizens play in rule-making and policy-making os-tensibly to streamline decisions. Its more likely he wants to consolidate his control and reduce public input, probably on be-half of special interests.

He also wants to eliminate scientist po-sitions from the Department of Natural Resources, arguing they are not part of its core mission. Without scientifi c input, we could get a more random, anti-science style of decision-making by politicians. That certainly sounds good.

Walker wants to raise state park vehi-cle fees by $2 per night for campsites and $3 for annual passes, but none of the ex-tra money would go to parks because he is also cutting the general budget allocation. But remember, you outdoor enthusiasts, thats not technically a tax increase.

Under the arcane heading of budget management, Walker is continuing to per-mit a thin budget balance through the re-mainder of his term (should he complete

it). In four years, that required minimum budget balance would quadruple, just in time for the next governor to grapple with fi nding new money or extending the too-narrow buffer. In the past, the technique was reserved for especially diffi cult bud-get periods, but Walker has apparently institutionalized it.

Another cynical accounting trick he employs is balancing the budget by re-quiring that money appropriated but un-spent be returned or lapsed into the general fund. For example, a program meant to be self-supporting and paid by li-cense fees would be forced to return mon-ey to balance the overall budget rather than stay with the program. These are de facto budget cuts, easing short-term pres-sure on Walker, even if it takes an accoun-tant to understand the process. Again, this is not unprecedented, but in the past was done only after the budget had been passed and in crisis situations.

Elsewhere, the governor wants to eliminate state prison guards who occupy towers on the late shift. Wont that make prison neighbors feel warm and fuzzy?

On education, there would be new and more money for private schools, but pub-lic schools would have less in real terms than six years ago. There also are devious manipulations, such as a plan to give ur-ban school boards less infl uence over stu-dents wanting to move to charter schools than boards have in less-populated areas.

Meanwhile, Walker would help rural districts by increasing spending for pro-grams related to sparsity of students and the distance they are transported. Perhaps that money is justifi ed, but for Walker, it apparently never gets old help-ing his rural base and not urban critics.

The governor also wants to ease regu-lation of 244 for-profi t, post-secondary schools such as Globe University, the Uni-versity of Phoenix, ITT Technical Insti-tute and other schools that train everyone from welders to truck drivers, by eliminat-ing the Educational Approval Board. The board handles complaints about gradua-tion rates, job placement rates and costs from students who are often part time and low income. The board is self-funded through fees from licensed schools, so there is not even tax savings.

Walker also wants to permit a pathway to teaching for those with no teaching credentials, only real-life experience. It does not include money for the three po-sitions requested by the Department of Public Instruction to reduce an existing

backlog in teacher certifi cation licensing, one that would certainly be exacerbated if teaching credentials became more of a free-for-all.

On taxes, even though there is no track record that Walkers previous tax cuts led to job creation, the budget continues the phase-in of $185 million in business-tax reductions that were approved previously.

Predictably, Walker wants no increase in shared revenue for local governments just state-imposed levy limits. Now Walker also wants to further intrude on local government by requiring more detail on property-tax bills, with the ap-parent intent of making it more diffi cult to pass referendums. When it comes to strangling local governments and schools, Walker is a master.

Meanwhile, Walker wants to merge the Department of Financial Institu-tions, which regulates banks and credit unions, with the Department of Safety and Professional Services, which licenses people such as funeral home directors and plumbers. A merger will not save tax dol-lars and appears illogical unless your fi rst interest is creating a facade that you have constrained and consolidated big gov-ernment.

Walker also wants to dilute the power of the state Building Commission by in-creasing the threshold for projects requir-ing commission review and permitting approval of some plans without meetings. Contractors are no doubt delighted.

For Walker, it apparently felt so good to stick it to public workers last time, he aspires to do so again by including a to-be-determined cut of $25 million for their

health-insurance costs. Last term such a cut forced employees to pay a higher share of premiums. Walker also proposes a $2,000 stipend for employees forgoing state insurance coverage. So, you right-leaning Madison business leaders, how do you like having Walker driving health insurance costs toward spouses in your employ?

Down in the weeds, Walker wants to eliminate a local government property insurance program, which has helped cit-ies, villages, towns and school districts get low-cost insurance as part of a pool. That effi cient, consolidated approach is unpopular with insurers who prefer to write more separate policies, and Walker is there to help.

On transportation, instead of a small gas tax increase for roads, Walker propos-es borrowing $1.3 billion. Its the quint-essential two-faced Walker, paying back the road-building lobby that helped elect him while appearing to hold the line on taxes. His budget even has arcane provi-sions that appear to help freight-rail inter-ests, perhaps Walker backers who want to cheaply transport frac sand.

As he started preparing his budget, one can imagine Walker with two lists: one with ideas to bolster his national tea party cred, the other to reward campaign donors expecting a return on investment.

Walker, it appears, has neglected nei-ther.

Paul Fanlund is editor of The Capital Times in Madison. This opin-ion piece was originally printed in The Cap Times on Feb. 16.

Neither big nor bold, Scott Walkers budget is sneaky, self serving

Policies are the board of educations direction for district operation. They are the means by which the board sets educational goals and provides guidance for administrators and staff. Written policies provide for effi cient school operation and consistency in decision making. They clarify board positions on issues and make for public accountability of board and adminis-trative action.

Policies are begat by legislative directives, emerging issues, local concerns and needs. They must be consis-tent with local, state and federal law, as well as other district policies. Policies have to be specifi c enough to provide clear guidance, yet broad enough to allow for discretionary action. Very broad or vague policies lack clear guidance, whereas overly specifi c policies are dif-

fi cult to enforce. The Medford Area Public School District has 308 poli-

cies organized into 13 categories. With every decision the board makes, some policy is being created, rein-forced, revised or negated.

It is the job of the policy committee to see to it that district policies have a legitimate educational value, meet community needs, serve an intended purpose, and are valid, clear and understandable. With continuous review, effective implementation, and accomplishment of purpose, complicity with changing laws and refl ec-tivity of the current boards position on the issues are assured. All policies are on a six year review cycle. Any policy can be brought up at any time for immediate re-view. Safety related policies are reviewed annually and

technology related policies are reviewed every three years. The policy committee review is a fi rst reading, then second reading process which involves the public and the board. In addition to spelling, punctuation and grammar corrections, the policy committee scrutinizes for readability and understandability. When deemed necessary, policy intent is changed to refl ect current thinking or action. New policies are created as new is-sues emerge and policies are deleted as other issues be-come extinct.

The policy committee meetings generally occur on the fi rst Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. and are open to the public.

Paul Dixon, school board member

Medford Area Public School District - Policy Committee

School corner

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 7NEWSTHE STAR NEWS

Medford Area Senior High has an-other strong group of National Science Olympiad competitors this year as it prepares for the upcoming state competi-tion in Milwaukee next month. Medford has developed into one of the states top programs in the past decade and this year looks like another strong chance. The state champion advances to national competition.

The program sent fi ve teams of com-petitors to Wausau on Saturday and its varsity team came away with the most medals for the unoffi cial win. Medford won the small school division at the 61-team University of Wisconsin-River Falls Invitational on Jan. 24.

The big trophies and medals the Medford program is bringing home this school year come with hard work prepar-ing and strong meet-day performances. The individuals and groups which make up each of the teams, tests on subject mat-ter across the science and engineering disciplines and in some events prepares experiments or models for judging. Like athletes and musicians, it takes good stu-dents putting in plenty of practice time to be ready for early Saturday morning bus rides to tough competition.

High school science teachers Brad Paff and Kristine Gingras coach the team this year. The growth and development pres-ents challenges as their time resources for helping so many students gets thin. Paff said the teams which usually give Medford the biggest challenge come from places like River Falls, Madison and the Menomonie area, where university con-nections and parents working in science-related fi elds provide extra mentors for the competitors. He invites people with science or engineering backgrounds in this community to check into the pro-gram to lend their expertise to prepara-tion.

The increasing participation and strong showing for the high school team

is aided by strong development in the middle school, which has also grown in numbers and accomplishment during the past decade.

Strong so farJay Czerniak won four medals as

Mackenzie Gingras, Douglas Schumach-er, Richard Colwell and Madelyn Brost each won three medals to lead the strong effort in Wausau. Jared Wiese and Jacob Mahner added to a strong showing by the program.

More than 900 students representing 33 high schools from Wisconsin, Minne-sota, and North Dakota competed in the fourth annual Science Olympiad com-petition at the UW-River Falls on Jan. 24. The event featured 61 teams compet-ing in all 23 National Science Olympiad events as well as fi ve trial events specifi c to Wisconsin.

Medals were awarded to the top four fi nishers in both divisions (based on school size) in all 28 events in the tour-nament. In addition, team trophies were awarded to the top four teams in each di-vision. Top team results are listed below, as well as individual winners.

Members on the Medford High School Red Team were Roman Alvarado, Rubin Alvarado, Dillon Brost, Madelyn Brost, Macy Bunkelman, Richard Colwell, Jay Czerniak, Giovanni Faber, Jacob Geiger, Makenzie Gingras, Rebecca Held, Alli-son Potocnik, Alicia Rowland, and Doug-las Schumacher.

First place medal winners from Med-ford were Richard Colwell and Giovanni Faber in astronomy; Macy Bunkelman, Richard Colwell and Makenzie Gingras in codebusters; Macy Bunkelman and Douglas Schumacher in geocaching; Richard Colwell and Douglas Schumach-er in geologic mapping; Jay Czerniak and Makenzie Gingras in invasives.

Second place medal winners from Medford were Jakob Laub and Zachary Stange in entomology; Ruben Alvarado and Allison Potocnik in anatomy and physiology; Dillon Brost and Jay Czer-niak in bridge building; Roman Alvarado

and Jacob Geiger in bungee drop; Roman Alvarado and Dillon Brost in compound machines; Ruben Alvarado and Maken-zie Gingras in disease detectives.

Third place medal winners from Med-ford were Colin Porten and Zachary Stange in air trajectory; Zachary Stange and Ty Wrage in invasives; Shawna Konieczny and Tage Wrage in mystery design; Ruben Alvarado and Makenzie Gingras in cell biology; Jay Czerniak and Douglas Schumacher in dynamic planet; Jay Czerniak and Douglas Schumacher in its about time.

Fourth place medal winners from Medford were Shawna Konieczny and Ty Wrage in geocaching; Shawna Koniec-zny and Amanda OToole in write it, do

it; Jay Czerniak and Alicia Rowland in entomology; Madelyn Brost and Richard Colwell in food science; Madelyn Brost and Rebecca Held in mission possible; Nikola Babic and Wyatt Dohrwardt in forensics.

UW-River Falls hosts the tournament to provide an opportunity for students to hone their skills before they compete in Science Olympiad regional tournaments. We want to encourage and support en-thusiasm for studying science, as well as showcase UWRF as a destination loca-tion for studying STEM (science, tech-nology, engineering and mathematics), said Earl Blodgett, tournament director and physics professor at UW-River Falls.

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 7 Thursday, January 2, 2014 Page 7 Thursday, February 19, 2015 Page 9NEWSTHE STAR NEWS

Science teamMedfords Red, the varsity team at the UW-River Falls Invitational, took fi rst place

in the small school division and seventh overall. They were (front, l. to r.) Douglas Schumacher, Ruben Alvarado, Makenzie Gingras, Roman Alvarado, Allison Potocnik, (middle) coach Kris Gingras, Jacob Geiger, Dillon Brost, Macy Bunkelman, Jay Czerni-ak, Rebecca Held, Madelyn Brost, Richard Colwell, (back) Alicia Rowland, Giovanni Faber and coach Brad Paff.

The Rib Lake Board of Education continued to re-view project information in preparation for the ref-erendum to be held in April. At the board meeting on Feb. 12, revised fi gures were reviewed concerning the Act 32 proposal to upgrade and enhance the energy ef-fi ciency of all three facilities, including the elementary, middle school, and high school buildings. Project costs are estimated to be somewhat lower due to the fact that since a referendum will be held, it is no longer a state requirement to track, report, and demonstrate reduced energy costs, as would be required under a typical Act 32 project.

A petition was fi led last month, signed by enough vot-ers in the district to require a referendum in order for the project to move forward. Had the petition not been fi led, the school board would have advanced the project which was originally projected to cost $4 million. At the Jan. 8 meeting of the board, project costs were reduced to $3,440,000. A special meeting of the board was held on Jan. 26 in response to the petition by voters, and the board decided to adopt a resolution calling for a refer-endum in April. Thus, the voters in the school district will have the fi nal say as to whether or not the project is approved.

District administrator Lori Manion reviewed the progress being made by the district referendum com-mittee to provide information to the public. Manion said, The focus of this committee is to run an informa-tional campaign. It is trying to gather the information. Theres been a lot of confusion out in the community, and that was defi nitely brought forward during this committee meeting, and the intent right now is to get questions answered.

Manion said she has been getting a lot of emails with questions from the community. Our hope is to get those questions answered and then get them up onto our website, get it out, published in the community, so that we can answer the questions with the correct infor-mation. She also reported there are two informational events scheduled for the public to provide information concerning the referendum. The fi rst meeting will be held on Feb. 25 at 7 pm. in the Rib Lake High School commons. A second meeting will be held on March 24.

Manion also reviewed a response from the proj-ect manager at H&H Energy Services, Inc. regarding whether or not the prices that were quoted by HVAC contractors and the boiler company would still be ef-fective in April. The answer was affi rmative. She also asked for clarifi cation from the board regarding the plan to purchase a new biomass boiler, if grant fund-ing can be obtained to help pay for a signifi cant portion of this purchase. The board affi rmed that a signifi cant amount of grant funding would need to be obtained in order to replace the current boiler with a more energy effi cient upgrade. It was reported that H&H is in the pro-cess of completing a grant application to the Focus on Energy Incentive Program.

Board president Jerry Blomberg stated, Just be careful. Dont be on board time or on employee timedont be pushing yes or no. But just push the facts out and our people will decide.

Various reports were presented to the board, includ-ing reports by board members Joan Magnuson, Jerry Blomberg, and district administrator Manion, concern-ing their attendance at the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) conference. Manion also report-ed current enrollment in the district has reached 490 students. She said they are anticipating a larger kinder-garten class next school year, based on census fi gures. She also reported staff is monitoring the air quality in the fi ne arts room and other than low humidity, there are no problems at this time.

Manion requested the board approve a change in legal counsel for the district. Currently, legal services have been provided by an attorney from WASB, and she requested a switch to attorney Lori Lubinsky at the fi rm of Axley Brynelson, LLP. Manion said she is familiar with this individual through M3 Insurance, the health insurance broker for the district. She said Lubinsky charges the same hourly fee as WASB, but also provides 90 minutes of free consultation services every quarter. The board approved this change.

The board also approved a contract for the provision of bond services related to the April referendum with Quarles & Brady. In a letter to the district, the fi rm de-fi ned its role as a recognized independent expert whose primary responsibility is to render an objective legal opinion with respect to the authorization and issuance of municipal obligations.

Medford fi elds another strong science team

Rib Lake working to get out the facts before vote

by Reporter Mark Berglund

submitted photo

School district to hold question and answer sessions about the project on Feb. 25 and March 24 by Reporter Sue Hady

Page 10 Thursday, February 19, 2015NEWSTHE STAR NEWS

Overall results from 33rd annual Hinder Binder ski race23 K Classic

1 Dave Edic 1:29:41.02 Bob Baker 1:34.29.73 Andrew Jennings 1:35:30.04 Jay Sween 1:36:23.05 David Lombardo 1:36:50.96 Jim Alullen 1:37:23.37 Audun Mikkelson 1:42:24.08 Stanley Borzecki 1:42:34.89 Eric Bolwerk 1:44:39.810 Greg Kresse 1:44:44.211 Gary Zuelke 1:49:59.312 Will Gage 1:50:19.313 William Schnoor 1:52:49.214 Jim Smith 1:53:46.415 Paul Gage 1:58:52.416 Jeff Bollwer 2:00:50.617 Doug Henley 2:03:51.718 Doug Riske 2:04:12.719 Scott Stalheim 2:04:50.820 John Geissinger 2:05:05.021 Greg Urban 2:08:51.322 Vic LaPort 2:14:16.123 Steve Mott 2:18:46.924 Bob Schwart 2:20:27.525 Pete Wurl 2:21:36.826 Andrew Mott 2:24:54.927 Jim Luadtke 2:35:01.1

23 K Freestyle1 Matt Zak 1:16:58.22 Thomas Krenz 1:20:32.63 Mark Wenzel 1:21:42.44 Nathan Koch 1:22:34.65 Owen Gage 1:23:58.26 Andrew Jahns 1:23:59.07 Justin Schwarting 1:25:45.28 Kevin Rogers 1:31:05.69 Kyle Schmidt 1:31:34.210 Stephen Koch 1:37:49.611 Rob Stieber 1:39:29.712 Eric Koch 1:39:33.613 Tom Carroll 1:39:36.814 Jim Washatka 1:40:11.315 Mark Ellenberger 1:46:55.216 Paula Liske 1:49:42.417 Joe Danowski 1:54:27.818 Anders Carlson 2:04:44.319 Dan Novitch 2:07:39.420 Sherry Koch 2:08:52.021 Dawn Collins 2:14:22.422 Grant Stousland 2:16:07.623 Emily VanTeyens 2:29:39.8

8.2 K Freestyle1 Jacob Novitch 32:17.72 Ryan Rogers 33:30.33 Anna Buchburger 35:00.34 Dan Dominski 38:38.2

4.4 K Freestyle1 Makayla Niggeman 18:14.32 Caleb Novitch 18:38.63 Josalin Kymm 23:43.7

6.6 K1 Jean Marchio 59:25.4

Out of the gatesAndrew Jahns (center) leads the charge from the start line during the 23 K Freestyle race. The cold and blustery day turned away

many skiers, but 58 racers braved negative 10 degree weather to participate in the 33rd annual Hinder Binder ski race at Forest Springs Camp and Conference Center in Westboro.

Buy these photos online at www.centralwinews.com Photos by Bryan Wegter

First placeDave Edic comes across the fi nish line with a smile. Its pos-

sible he was celebrating his win in the 23 K Classic race, but more likely he was glad to get out of the cold.

Frosty fi nishJay Sween had the beginnings of an icicle beard when he

came to the fi nish line.

Almost thereMakayla Niggeman nears the fi nish line. She fi nished fi rst in

the 4.4 K Freestyle race.

Thursday, February 19, 2015 Page 11LIVING THE STAR NEWS

THE TIME MACHINE

From past les of The Star News

10 YEARS AGO

25 YEARS AGO

50 YEARS AGO

75 YEARS AGO

100 YEARS AGO

Remember When Feb. 2005

Josh Koolman of Delavan was the winner in the Adult Sled 6 Dog Speed Class at the Perkinstown Mush Sled Dog Race held at the Perkinstown Winter Sports Area. The race was sponsored by the Medford Lions Club and attracted more than 80 rac-ing teams from around the country.

was driving toward the area for the car-nival program being held there Sunday afternoon. He met Gereaus car on the brow of a steep knoll. Neither driver was able to turn his car out quick enough to avoid hitting the other.

February 18, 1965Area street and road crews did dou-

ble-duty last week in sanding roads and clearing snow after a severe glazing from rain and sleet, followed by a blizzard. While the snowfall measured only 6 inch-es, according to the U. S. weather record here, blustery winds up to 35 miles per hour whipped snow across icy expans-esparticularly aggravating drifting conditions in the city.

Schools were closed two days last week, icy highways prompting a recess Wednesday and a snow vacation was called Friday.

February 15, 1940A car driven by Carl Braatz, Wasuau,

collided with a vehicle driven by David Gereau, town of Maplehurst, last Sunday morning two miles south of the Perkin-stown sports area. The accident occurred about 11 oclock.

With Vernon Prahl, Wausau, Braatz

February 21, 1990The Medford Area School Board

took time out last Thursday evening in the preliminary stages of the 1990-91 budget process to consider new pro-gram and staff proposals from the pub-lic, teachers and administrators. The

February 17, 2005Local leaders are reacting cautious-

ly to a state Department of Transporta-tion (DOT) study that shows potential routes for a new Hwy 13 bypass of Med-ford and Stetsonville.

The 170-page document called an environmental scan contains numer-ous descriptions and maps detailing where a new four-lane roadway could be located. It details options for leaving the road in its current form, converting it to a 4-lane road following the present corridor or building a new Hwy 13 cor-ridor running either to the east or west of Medford and Stetsonville.

The environmental scan focuses on the corridor extending about 26 miles between Abbostford and Hwy 102. It was prepared to assist the state DOT and local units of government in future corridor preservation and planning and capacity improvements. Possible bypass routes around Abbotsford and Colby also were described in detail.

February 17, 1915The County Representative has fre-

quently been asked and urged to take up the possibilities of truck crops in our vir-

proposals made up a kind of wish list for improvements in the schools cur-riculum.

However, the reality of the situation was apparent to school board members as they must now decide how to cut over half of those requests out in order to achieve the budget limitations they have set for themselves.

The board had previously set a goal of holding next years budget to a nine percent increase, which translates into a $785,000 increase (not including the mid-dle school addition. If the $550,000 need-ed in the budget for the middle school addition is included, the goal is an 11.7 percent increase or about $1 million). The district is locked into most of that in-crease through contracts or fi xed costs.

gin soils. It is urged that potatoes, our customary crop are not suited for our conditions and when we do have a good crop prices are so low that good returns for labor are impossible. In answer to this we can quote Prof. Milward, Wis-consins authority or potatoes, any good agricultural soil is good for pota-toes, and the average price paid for potatoes at the average yield per acre in the past decade demonstrates that one year with another, potatoes are a profi table crop.

Good ideas dont develop easily. I point this out because it took a second round of sam-

pling sausage links at St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rib Lake to make my breakthrough on Satur-day evening.

My photo assignment was to get a couple pictures of the shrove pancake supper. While most images of pre-Lenten celebrations focus on beads and parades, many mark the shift from winter to spring by eating pancakes.

Taylor County is still blessed with plenty of worship sites and congregations which meet the defi nitions for faithful rural church. On Saturday, the fellowship took place in the old basement as folks packed into the kitchen and dining room area to serve and be served a traditional pancake meal.

There were plenty of fl uffy, buckwheat pancakes and potato pancakes. The sausage link is a good one and this region produces great maple syrup. For some, applesauce is the topping of choice on those potato pancakes. The baked goods selection was varied and offered a choice to top off the meal. My general strategy with the plate of bars is to get the pumpkin bar on the fi rst pass. As the coffee cup nears empty and the conversations linger, a second pick from the chocolate group is acceptable.

I was watching the potato pancakes fry to a golden brown and thinking how the best ones are thin and crispy. I was picturing the spatula fl attening them to this perfect consistency. I thought thin, crispy - like a potato chip. Shazam! It hit me. The world needs another potato chip fl avor, and what better taste than Lutheran pancake supper.

I would start with that crispy potato and onion fl avor in a chip. Infuse it with some maple fl avoring for the total pancake fl avor. I would take the sausage link to the next level and add some bacon crisp to the snack mix. The top-per is replacing the applesauce. Dehydrated apple slices should do the trick. As a snack at your favorite coffee bar it cant be beat. Take along packages and a Thermos of cof-fee for the sugar shack, late season ice fi shing or other ac-tivities as winter makes its slow progression into spring.

by Reporter Mark Berglund

Pancake dinner sparks writers brain and stomach

Potato potentialThe thin, crispy edges of potato pancakes frying on the

griddle at St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rib Lake sparked the taste buds and brain waves during the annual din-ner on Saturday.

GraceTaylor County is blessed with many rural con-

gregations and churches where the annual dinner is a centerpoint of faithful fellowship. St. Johns has the fellowship and the xtures, including a print of the Eric Enstrom photograph Grace, to make the list.

Ask for all the details? Those will work out. Pass the sausage platter down and the answer

photos by Mark Berglund

Page A Thursday, January 2, 2014Page 12 Thursday, January 2, 2014Thursday, January 2, 2014Thursday, February 19, 2015NEWSTHE STAR NEWS

Board wants to keep Gilman looking its bestA few village upkeep items were on the

agenda during the Feb. 10 regular Gilman Village Board meeting, including street signs, a railroad building and a ball fi eld condition.

Bernie Van Den Heuvel, village trust-ee, said the old Standard Station by the railroad is an eye sore for the village.

I was asked by a village resident why we cant get that sorry mess out of there because it is a hazard, said Van Den Heu-vel.

That is a good point, Bill Brenemen, village president, said of the building be-ing a hazard. Something needs to be done with it.

This was a concern a few years ago, and Brenemen said there is still question about who owns the building. He said he sent a letter to the railroad, but never re-ceived a response.

Brenemen advised Candice Grunseth, village clerk, to look into the new contact for the railroad to see who owns the build-ing, and fi nd out what can be done with it.

The industrial park sign in Gilman and the County Highway M sign near the Chippewa County Campgrounds were other improvements the board recom-mended in the village. Grunseth said the industrial sign needs to be updated, and the County M sign needs to be redone.

Van Den Heuvel and Rick Johnson, public works director, were appointed to look at the signs and see what could be done.

It might just be easier to make new signs, said Van Den Heuvel. Even have the kids at school make it.

In the parks report, Debbie Sager, vil-lage trustee, said the village received enough donations from the Gilman Com-munity Betterment Association, and the Gilman Lions and Lioness, to add three new tables to the cement slab in the park.

We have enough money from the do-nations, said Sager. We are just looking for the OK to go ahead and order them.

The board approved using the dona-tions to put picnic tables in the park.

Also during the report, the board dis-cussed redoing the ball fi eld in the park.

Derek Romig, from Romigs Hardware, and Brian Phelps, athletic director and Gilman softball coach, recommended add-ing limestone to the fi eld, and said they would voluntarily spread the material on the fi eld.

Van Den Heuvel said the lime may wash away after a rainfall, so it might be best to put on gravel like the schools ball diamonds.

At the meeting, Brenemen recommend-ed Sager ask Romig and Phelps which ma-terial would be most cost effective for the baseball fi eld.

After the meeting, Grunseth notifi ed Romig, who determined the gravel mate-rial was not an option because of price.

In other businesss, to save money on energy bills, Sue Brenemen, Taylor Coun-ty board representative, discussed how the village could obtain natural gas rather than propane.

About two years ago, Xcel Energy told the village if they wanted natural gas, they would need to put a gas line through Gilman.

Sue Brenemen says if the village wants to move forward with the natural gas line, she will continue to search for funding. She says the option of natural gas would save residents money.

I fi gured out what my savings would have been with natural gas vs. my pro-pane, Sue Brenemen said, I cried. It wouldve been half of what I paid so far this year.

Because of equalized value at $17 mil-lion, the village is unable to take out a $4 million loan for the natural gas line.

Sue Brenemen said with the boards consent, she will continue to look for funding from other sources, but says own-ing a line in the village, without receiving the profi t, is absurd.

We are being told too bad, so sad, from the electric companies, Brenemen said. If you want it, you have to pay for it.

The board approved Brenemen to move forward with her research on the natural gas issue, and to speak with Xcel Energy to see if their stance has changed. She will also speak to the public service commission of Wisconsin for their input.

Gilman chief Tallier trained to save lives

If an active shooter were to enter the Gilman School District, Tom Tallier, Gil-man police chief, has the proper training to handle the situation.

It was unbelievable training, said Tallier during his police report at the Feb. 10 regular Gilman Village Board meeting. It saves lives.

Tallier attended training in late De-cember for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate (ALICE) training.

Its a new procedure thats going into school lockdown procedures, Tallier said. We are ahead of the game more than a lot of schools are.

According to the ALICE training in-stitute, ALICE provides steps to survive an attack, and the training program pro-vides examples for real, effective ways to stop an intruder. The breakdown covers how to respond to the intruder in the best way and gives options for individuals to utilize in attempts to survive an emer-gency situation.

Most surrounding schools are staying put during a lockdown situation, which Tallier said gives power to the intruder.

If some intruder, or something were to happen in your school, Tallier said, it gives so many other measures for peo-ple, not just to sit in a room and let your fate be decided by someone who comes in.

The program was started by a police offi cer, Greg Crane, from Texas, who took to heart the Columbine High School shootings in 1999.

Tallier said the offi cer wanted to start a program with lockdown, inform, coun-ter and evacuate, and said Crane went to his fi rst school in Texas and said, I want to bring LICE to your school. The Texas superintendent was not in favor of lice in the school, therefore, Crane added alert to the program to make it ALICE.

He knew he had to put something, Tallier said with a smile. He knew he couldnt bring LICE into schools.

Tallier says the training is catching fi re around schools, and he is pleased

to bring it to the Gilman area. He said he is also certifi ed to train others in the program, and is willing