To help the Clintonville School District with its facilities analysis and future planning, the district is looking for help from the community.

At its meeting Monday, the Clintonville School Board voiced a need for a committee of 20 to 30 people to review data and help with the planning.

“It would be ideal that the committee be comprised of representation from many stakeholders — including staff, board, administration, parents, community, business and civic leaders,” said Dr. David Dyb, superintendent.

The board unanimously selected Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction, Inc., of Appleton, to work with the district on its facility analysis and strategic facilities plan.

Committee meetings are scheduled to take place at Clintonville High School, most likely on June 3, June 13, June 17, July 8, July 15, Aug. 5 and Aug. 19, all from 6-8 p.m. Committee members would be expected to attend all the meetings.

The district is seeking input on its facilities plan as it contemplates a referendum. On April 4, 2017, voters turned down the district’s proposed $24.9 million referendum 1,140-733. The plan at the time was to raze the Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School complex and the historical 1918 building. The referendum would have constructed a new elementary school facility at the same location.

Community members who would like information or are interested in joining the committee can call Dyb at 715-823-7215, ext. 2604.

According to a recent audit, the Village of Wittenberg is doing well financially with a healthy general fund balance.

Jackie Nielson, audit manager at Kerber Rose accounting firm, presented the 2018 audit report to the village board at its meeting May 7.

Industry standards indicate that having 25 to 30% of budgeted expenditures on hand for the coming year is a sign of a good general fund balance, Nielson said, and Wittenberg falls within that parameter. Nielson also explained to the board why having that healthy balance is important.

“A municipality is not like a regular business where there are monthly expenditures and revenues,” she said. “Most of your money comes in the beginning of the year from taxes, then some comes in the summer from the state and then the rest comes in toward the end of the year.”

She noted that with its general fund, the village doesn’t have to do any short-term borrowing to cover expenses.

Wittenberg also got good marks regarding comparisons from budget to actual figures, which gets reported to the Governmental Accounting Standards board. The village was over budget $4,405 for Public Works. According to Nielson, most municipalities run over budget in several categories.

“What this means is, you’re doing a good job of putting together and maintaining a realistic and reasonable budget,” Nielson said.

Where Wittenberg falls short is not charging enough for water utility rates. The rates are being reviewed by the Public Service Commission.

Nielson noted that the village would have been better off raising the rate by a little each year.

Trustee Dave Timm asked whether the PSC would be building in a cushion of 10 to 20% along with the rate increase.

Nielson said the PSC generally sets that cushion at 5 to 6%. A recommendation is expected after the PSC completes its review this summer.

Shawano Police Department

May 15

Police logged 37 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a report of a fight in progress at Sunset Avenue and Main Street.

Assault — Police investigated assault complaints in the 200 block of South Washington Street and 100 block of East Elizabeth Street.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported in the 200 block of North Main Street.

Theft — A theft from a vehicle was reported in the 700 block of South Union Street.

Burglary — An attempted burglary was reported in the 800 block of East Richmond Street.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle accident in the 1200 block of East Green Bay Street.

Drug Offense — Police investigated a drug complaint at Green Bay and Bartlett streets.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

May 15

Deputies logged 45 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A dock was reported stolen on Bailey Lane in the town of Waukechon.

Harassment — Harassment was reported on Nauman Road in the town of Green Valley.

Fraud — Authorities investigated a telephone scam complaint on Shady Road in the town of Lessor and a blacktopping scam on state Highway 47-55 in the town of Wescott.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Oriole Road in the town of Wittenberg.

Clintonville Police Department

May 15

Police logged eight incidents, including the following:

Theft — Thefts were reported on South Main Street and Hemlock Street.

Despite being the smallest community involved in the Wisconsin Main Street program, the village of Tigerton received several honors at the organization’s 28th annual awards program April 26 in Chippewa Falls.

James and Brenda Gauthier, of Tigerton, were acknowledged as Volunteers of the Year. Of the 34 Main Street communities in Wisconsin, only 16 had Volunteers of the Year awarded this year.

Kathryn Robbins, president of First National Bank in Tigerton, received a corporate supporter award — one of only three awarded this year.

“Without outstanding ambassadors like James, Brenda and Kathryn, our organization could not survive,” said Andrea Graham, Tigerton Main Street program manager. “Our community is forever grateful for everything they do.”

Tigerton Main Street was also recognized for its 25th anniversary.

Tigerton Main Street’s next events are the Fourth of July block party and Applefest on Sept. 28.

The Main Street program was developed by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. to support downtown community development in Wisconsin municipalities.

Behind the trees in the city of Shawano is a grove of people who help them thrive.

Mike Kroenke, city forester, said volunteers and city personnel have combined to aid in planning, selection, planting and maintenance of trees.

Kroenke recently completed an arboretum plan for Franklin Park at the request of Matt Hendricks, city recreation director. The forester explained an arboretum “shows a diversity of trees. We plan to have an exhibit with labels on the trees so people can walk around and appreciate what we have.”

He added he hoped homeowners will “come here and see what the trees may look like at home.” In the plan is a site plaque that provides a guide to the park and its inhabitants.

Kroenke highlighted, “Beauty. Diversity. Functionality. These are our key concepts. We have the trees in the ‘right’ place. We’re adding color. We have evergreens and serviceberry for the birds.”

Placement is key for a particular species, Kroenke said, pointing out that many of the evergreens and cedars are near the fountain where they can benefit from the additional water. The white pines in the park have been placed so they have plenty of space to grow. Seventy trees from 30 different native species have been planted in the past two years in the city’s recent focus on Franklin Park.

Placement is also key for the goals of the park, the forester said. In front or north of the new bandshell, taller shade trees, including the elms but also maples, have been planted in a ring to eventually provide shade for concert goers. Providing “some definition” on the south side of the bandshell are some arborvitae and crab apple trees, a donation from Toni Knope in honor of her husband, Doug Knope. Several mountain ash have been planted on the east side of the park, providing some color and a pleasant background for the Shawano Farmers Market.

“It’s sort of a work of art, a landscape architecture,” Kroenke said. “You don’t just buy trees and plop them in the ground. You have to walk the plot of land and make decisions.” Buying high-quality stock, planting them carefully, and providing plenty of water is necessary to keep the “art” growing, he added.

Longer-lived, slower-growing trees like bur oak, black walnut and shagbark hickory are part of the overall design and also provide nuts for birds and wildlife. One hickory, a notoriously difficult tree to transplant because of its long taproot, is a donation from Tom Anderson.

The choice of bur oak may surprise some as it is historically more suited to prairies such as are found in southern Wisconsin. Kroenke said the trees reflect the forward thinking of the tree program because the oaks now fare better in northern situations due to climate change.

New horizon elms are another surprising choice for Franklin Park. Kroenke explained that the tree is a hybrid and resistant to the disease that has devastated the species across the country. Disease resistance is a key selection criteria, Kroenke noted.

For that reason, he and the other groups and individuals have avoided red oaks — susceptible to oak wilt — and chose a disease-resistant variety of shagbark hickory. Perhaps an exception is the planting of white pines despite their weakness for the tip weevil. Kroenke said former Mayor Jeanne Cronce asked for white pines to be included. The forester also noted the city is losing many of its signature mature white pines and the new plantings are a compensation.

Franklin Park now has a mix of deciduous shade trees and “even some fruit trees so the kids can see what they look like,” Kroenke said. The plum tree is now in bloom.

Co-op Park, on Richmond Street, is another recent focus as the city and United Cooperative recently completed a land swap, providing the city with a larger parcel. Kroenke said he was in the park on a recent Sunday to do some work “and the park was just full of kids, grandmothers and mothers. It was really good to see.”

The park boasts a number of crabapple trees, also donations from the Knope family.

Also looking to the future of trees in the city, Kroenke said a $3,000 grant from American Transmission Co., sought after a suggestion from Bob Dumke, another tree committee member, provided seedlings for a giveaway to school children and interested homeowners.

Most of the evergreens went to children, and Kroenke hope the seedlings would be an inspiration for them. He credited Ed Whealon as the first mayor to volunteer to help package and distribute the trees. He noted the present mayor and past administrations have been very supportive of trees and parks. One sign of that support is the annual hiring of a Public Works employee to water the trees, planters, and hanging flower baskets in the city.

Shawano is a designated Bird City, and planting fruit and nut trees is one response. The city has also been a part of the Tree City USA initiative for 25 years and has won the “Growth Award” from the initiative for the past nine years for going above and beyond the basic requirements.

If there is a downside to promoting and protecting trees in the city, Kroenke said confronting invasive species like glossy buckthorn is a challenge. The tree is a foreign import and very difficult to eradicate, requiring repeated chemical treatments, especially in Kuckuck Park.

Invasives are also being controlled under highlands that run through the city. They are now planting switchgrass as habitat for ground-nesting birds. Birds also will benefit from the planting of high bush cranberry and serviceberry.

The city offers a brochure on the selection, planting, and care of trees assembled by the Tree Advisory Committee and the Department of Public Works (DPW). Kroenke noted his supervisor, DPW Director Scott Kroening, has been very supportive of the effort to praised the work of the committee, a volunteer group, who have been very active in providing insights on the aesthetics and number of trees planted over the years.

Committee members Ross Langhurst, Pete Daniel and Tom Sturm recently devoted a day to planting trees in Co-op Park. Kroenke also credited the leadership and insights of long-time tree committee chair Bill Erdmann.

Pointing to a mature red oak tree on the west edge of the park, Kroenke said, “That’s my favorite tree here. That’s what I want the parks to look like.”

Shawano School District Superintendent Gary Cumberland plans to retire at the end of this school year, about a year ahead of schedule, and take a post-retirement job with Sacred Heart Catholic Church, pending the Shawano School Board’s acceptance of his retirement.

Cumberland sent an email to school staff and school board members Thursday morning informing them of that possibility.

That email found its way to another local media outlet, which, according to Cumberland, incorrectly reported he was resigning.

“I never told anybody I was resigning,” he said. “I might be retiring, but I’m not resigning.”

Cumberland said he sent the email to staff so they would know of the possibility before they started hearing rumors.

“I wanted to get ahead of a rumor, and it sounds like I started one here,” he said.

Cumberland’s email to staff, which he subsequently forwarded to the Leader, states he was a approached a few weeks ago by Sacred Heart Catholic Church about whether he would be interested in becoming the principal.

“I indicated that if I were retired that would be something I would entertain,” Cumberland wrote in the email.

“My plan was to retire at the end of next school year, but I felt I needed to investigate this possible opportunity,” he wrote.

Cumberland said he accepted the position of Sacred Heart principal on Wednesday.

“That would mean that I will be retiring from the Shawano School District this year instead next year,” Cumberland wrote in his email. “I have talked with the School Board and plan to stay for awhile to help with the transition in the District. I will be retiring at the end of August.”

Cumberland told the Leader the decision shouldn’t be seen as reflecting any discontent with the district or his present job.

“I’m extremely happy where I’m at,” he said. “I just know that retirement is around the corner, but I can’t see myself retiring and doing nothing. This might be an opportunity to do something while I’m retired. It was an opportunity that arose and I was approached. If this opportunity hadn’t come up, I’d be here for at least one more year.”

Cumberland said in his email to staff that it was a difficult decision.

“This was a hard decision to make for me because I have invested so much time in the District at different levels as well as it was happening so fast,” Cumberland wrote. “I will miss being here but I realized I am not far away. I want to thank all of you for the great years I have had with the District. I consider many of you my friend and colleague. I wish each of you and the District the best as you continue to do great things for kids.”

Cumberland has been with the district for 19 years, starting as a principal, then becoming assistant superintendent and finally superintendent.

His retirement is pending on school board approval.

“The board hasn’t acted on it,” Cumberland said. “It’s up to the board. They don’t have to accept anything.”

Board President Tyler Schmidt said the board will act on the retirement request Monday.

“If he feels it’s his time to retire, God bless him and that is what it is,” Schmidt said. “Obviously, we would love to keep him. Gary has done a great job for us. We would love for him to stay, but if greener pastures have appeared for him, then that’s what it is.”

Spring has finally come to Clintonville in the form of tulips. An acre or two of these beautiful flowers are blooming in Don Steinbach’s back yard at 310 South Main Street, Clintonville.

About 20 years ago, Steinbach says he returned to his home town to retire. He came with some tulip bulbs, which he planted in a long row in his back yard garden. Each year they have multiplied and he now has a field of tulips. While the majority of them are red and yellow, he also has white, purple, pink, and green. The red and yellow tulips are usually the first to bloom and the others follow over the next few weeks. The cup-shaped tulips grow from a couple of inches to over two feet tall.

Steinbach uses mulch to keep weeds down and blooms visible. “I mulch them with the leaves from my trees and the leaves from the trees in the cemetery, otherwise I would have weeds up to my waist,” said Steinbach. The tulips come up through the leaves in the springtime.

Some of the tulip bulbs come from a friend who is a professional grower in New Jersey.

The deer like to eat the tender leaves of the tulips. In the northwest corner of the field, tops have been chewed off and there will be no blossoms there.

When Steinbach started his flower field he also planted daffodils and narcissus bulbs, but most of them have not survived. “They don’t seem to adapt to the winter cold as well,” he said.

Steinbach says he planted the tulips just for enjoyment and they are in memory of his parents, who enjoyed gardening too. He often sits in his swing for quiet time and to gazes over the field of colorful flowers.

If the days stay cool, the tulips will be in bloom for a week or two but if the days get warm the petals fall sooner, he said.

Shawano Police Department

May 19

Police logged 26 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — A resident in the 300 block of West Danks Street found a 36-year-old Shawano man sleeping inside his/her front porch. The man was intoxicated and police sent him on his way with a relative.

Trespass — Trespassing was reported in the 200 block of South Main Street.

Assault — Police investigated an assault complaint at Huckleberry Harbor, 222 N. Sawyer St.

May 18

Police logged 15 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 200 block of East Center Street.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem at Elizabeth and Kadletz streets.

Drug Offense — Police investigated a drug complaint in the 1000 block of East Fifth Street.

May 17

Police logged 43 incidents, including the following:

Drug Offense — A 23-year-old Oconto woman was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia at Lincoln and Maurer streets.

Disturbance — A 35-year-old Green Bay man was arrested for obstructing an officer and bail jumping after a disturbance at Division and Main streets. Police also responded to a disturbance in the 400 block of South Union Street.

Truancy — Police logged two truancy complaints from Olga Brener Intermediate School, 1300 S. Union St.

Harassment — Harassment was reported in the 400 block of Humphrey Circle, in the 900 block of East Maurer Street and in the 100 block of South Union Street.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported in the 1000 block of East Green Bay Street.

May 16

Police logged 42 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 300 block of East Maurer Street.

Disorderly — A student was warned for disorderly conduct at Shawano Community Middle School, 1050 S. Union St.

Accident — Police responded to a property damage accident in the 1100 block of South Main Street.

Theft — A property theft was reported in the 600 block of East Schurz Street.

Harassment — Harassment was reported in the 100 block of South Andrews Street.

Fraud — Police investigated a telephone scam complaint at Birch Hill Care Center, 1475 Birch Hill Lane.

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., and Charlie’s County Market, 521 S. Main St., reported shoplifting incidents.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

May 19

Deputies logged 26 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — A disturbance was reported on Primrose Lane in Tigerton.

Reckless Driving — Reckless driving was reported on state Highway 29 in the town of Richmond and Highway 29 in the town of Waukechon.

Suspicious — A suspicious incident was reported on County Road S in the town of Lessor.

May 18

Deputies logged 30 incidents, including the following:

OWI —A 23-year-old Neopit woman was arrested for operating while intoxicated after rolling a vehicle into a ditch on Thurner Lane in the town of Red Springs. Another driver, a 50-year-old Gresham man who was attempting to pull the vehicle out of the ditch, was also arrested for OWI. The vehicle that rolled over was later reported stolen on Circle Drive in the town of Red Springs.

Trespass — Trespassing was reported on Hickory Drive in the town of Angelica, North Bay Circle in the town of Wescott and Genesee Street in Wittenberg.

Fraud — Authorities investigated a fraud complaint on Maple Street in Birnamwood.

Theft — Authorities investigated property theft complaints on County Road CC in the town of Waukechon and Yakel Court in the town of Wescott.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported on Main Street in Birnamwood.

May 17

Deputies logged 46 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported on Main Street in Bowler.

Threatening — Authorities responded to a threatening complaint on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Harassment — Harassment was reported on Cherry Road in the town of Herman and on U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Birnamwood.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Main Street in Gresham.

Drug Offense — A 54-year-old Oshkosh man was arrested for possession of marijuana on state Highway 47 in the town of Hartland.

May 16

Deputies logged 46 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Moh He Con Nuck Road in Bowler and a domestic disturbance on Knoke Street in Gresham.

OWL — A 35-year-old Gillett man was cited for operating without a license on Warrington Avenue in Cecil.

Fraud — Authorities investigated a fraud complaint on Witt-Morr Town Line Road in the town of Morris.

OAR — A 26-year-old Oconto Falls man was arrested for bail jumping and cited for operating after revocation on Green Bay Street in Shawano.

Trespass — Trespassing was reported on Edgewood Road in Tigerton.

Assault — Authorities investigated an assault complaint on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Clintonville Police Department

May 19

Police logged 11 incidents, including the following:

Warrant — A 30-year-old Clintonville man was arrested on a warrant on Waupaca Street.

Harassment — Harassment was reported on South Main Street.

OAR — A driver was cited for operating after revocation after a property damage accident on North Main Street.

Drug Offense — A charge of possession of marijuana was referred against a 30-year-old Clintonville man on South Clinton Avenue.

May 18

Police logged 14 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance on South Main Street.

Theft — A theft was reported on Pearl Street.

Child Abuse — Child abuse was reported on East 12th Street.

May 17

Police logged 14 incidents, including the following:

Hit and Run — Property damage hit-and-run accidents were reported on Garfield Avenue and on South Main Street.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported at Clintonville Middle School., 255 N. Main St.

Disturbance — Warnings were issued after a disturbance on West 12th Street.

The Shawano School Board formally approved the retirement of Superintendent Gary Cumberland on Monday and is not wasting any time in searching for his replacement.

The board met with representatives from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to discuss a potential search for a superintendent for almost an hour and agreed to meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the district conference room at Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B, Shawano, to finalize a timeline on when they’d like somebody in the position.

The potential cost for working with WASB could be anywhere from $7,700 to $10,000, depending on how much the district wants WASB to oversee and control — trimming down the list of candidates, working face to face with focus groups within the district and planning the interview process.

Cumberland’s last day with the district is Aug. 31.

It’s prime season for blacktopping scams and local authorities are warning that some scammers are active in Shawano County.

“These scam artists are already in our area and it is pivotal for our community to be aware and be on the look out,” Sheriff Adam Bieber said in a Facebook post.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, the Better Business Bureau provides a few red flags to look for in a driveway repair scam:

• There are leftover materials from another job. Professional asphalt contractors know, with great accuracy, how much paving material is needed to complete each project. Rarely will they have large quantities of leftover material.

• You are pushed to make a quick decision. Trustworthy contractors will provide a written estimate that will be valid for days or even weeks. It should specify in detail the work to be performed and the total price. They also don’t mind you checking them out before signing a contract.

• Cash-only sales. Most reputable contractors will take checks or credit cards and don’t require payment up front. BBB recommends never paying more than 1/3 up front, and only with a written contract.

• The company is from out of state. Look at the truck the representative travels in. If it is unmarked or has an out-of-state license plate, be cautious. Even if the representative claims to have a local phone number, scammers can easily purchase disposable cell phones to provide a local number in the area they are soliciting. Also, don’t be afraid to ask to see their driver’s license. If the worker is from out of state, how likely are they to come back if a problem arises in the future?

If you suspect that you are dealing with a paving scammer, call the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office at 715-526-3111 or the Better Business Bureau at 414-847-6000.

Two people are in custody in connection with a stabbing incident in the town of Bartelme Sunday that sent a 29-year-old woman to the hospital, according to the Stockbridge-Munsee Police Department.

The woman was taken to ThedaCare Medical Center in Shawano and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Police were called to a residence on National Guard Road in Bartelme around 12:51 p.m. Sunday for a report of a stabbing.

Details of the incident have not been released, but police said they have taken a 46-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman into custody in Bowler on charges related to the incident.

Those charges were being referred to the district attorney’s office.

Charges had not yet been filed as of press time.

The incident is still under investigation.

A proposal for the city of Shawano and the Shawano School District to work together and explore having a new joint recreation center at Shawano Community High School received the second approval it needed to move forward.

The Shawano School Board gave its unanimous approval of a memorandum of understanding to formally work together on the project, but board members threw some hard questions at district and city officials before giving the MOU their blessing.

Board member Mart Grams questioned whether the recreation center would be a moneymaker for the district. He suggested getting 1,000 memberships to offset the expense of operations.

“I don’t know how many community services the taxpayers can provide,” Grams said.

However, with the rec center potentially being operated by the district’s Fund 80, which covers adult education and recreation within the district, it is not allowed by law to make profit off such opportunities, according to board vice president Michael Sleeper. They can get money to offset operational costs, but that is it.

The current rec center operated by the city on Division Street does not make a profit, said Matt Hendricks, city park and rec director. He noted that $350,000 is spent by the city on the center alone, not counting the parks, and it only receives $70,000 to $75,000 annually through memberships, donations and class fees to offset the budget.

“If we were to charge the true cost of running a pool and facility, which are very expensive to run, the cost would be so exorbitant that you wouldn’t have users,” Hendricks said. “Although a high-priced membership sounds good, at some point you’ve saturated the market and the cost of your service is far too high.”

Board member Diane Hoffman said she had concerns about the district potentially having to pay the salaries of city employees to run a new recreation center, as stipulated in the MOU, and questioned why the city wouldn’t pay its own employees.

City Administrator Eddie Sheppard pointed out that a new recreation center would be open to everyone within the boundaries of the school district, not just the city, so the flip side of the coin would be why would the city pay for employees serving patrons coming in from out of the city.

“The only way to make it reasonable for a district-wide facility has to be levied by an entity that has that entire jurisdiction, as opposed to the city continuing to levy for operations that would support a district far outside our boundaries,” Sheppard said. “City taxpayers are still going to pay for the running of a facility in the same share that they are to the district instead of the city.”

Grams expressed concern about whether the district could get its voters to approve a referendum, considering when Shawano Community High School was built in 1997, the recreational facilities were touted as community facilities but then went to serve the district’s students and staff alone.

“The emails I’ve gotten have said, ‘We’ve already gone through this once, and you promised this to be a community (facility), and it was a school,” Grams said. “They are still very upset about it.”

Board member Chris Gull questioned whether a center could be shared between district and city users.

“I’ve heard it from both sides,” Gull said. “I’ve heard from parents of student athletes who are worried that the kids aren’t going to be able to get in there and shoot baskets and that they won’t be able to host tournaments. Then I’ve heard at the other end where the community is going to have to share with high school athletes and are not going to be able to get their fair share of the use of the facility.

Sleeper noted that the memo was about the partnership, not the nuts and bolts for the concept of a recreation center.

“The action that we’re looking at is tonight is two points,” Sleeper said. “Does the concept of working together in a partnership between the school district and the city make sense? The other item … is to move forward with further study. It’s to take it to the next step, to solicit community input.”

Sleeper noted that there are at least two other opportunities for the school district to walk away from the project. One is when the finalized plans for a recreation center are presented, while the other is when the district votes whether to go to a referendum, which would be spring 2020 at the earliest.

The range for the potential recreation center cost would be $24 million to $28 million.

So far, the district has committed up to $25,000 to exploring the possibility of a joint recreational center, with a planned fall survey to take up $10,000 of that.

Jeremy Hodkiewicz, a SCHS teacher representing the school’s athletic booster club, said he would rather see the center at the high school than its current location and noted not much has been done to improve the high school’s small facilities in the last 20 years.

“Students have had to work through (the deficiencies) that entire time,” Hodkiewicz said. “In that time, the district has spent little to no money to make improvements to our athletic facilities. The proposed idea would offer the community an amazing rec center that would be available to everyone — young kids, adults and elderly.”

With another busy travel season getting underway, law enforcement agencies across Wisconsin are teaming up to send motorists an important safety message: buckle up – every seat, every trip.

During the annual Click It or Ticket mobilization that began Monday and runs through June 2, law enforcement officers will work for longer hours and in greater numbers to ensure compliance with the state’s 10-year-old mandatory seat belt law.

“Our top priority throughout the year is public safety, and wearing a seat belt is the single, most important way motorists can protect themselves every time they travel,” Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary-designee Craig Thompson said.

The current seat belt use rate of 89 percent is among the highest ever for Wisconsin, according to the DOT. Still, about half the car and light truck occupants killed in Wisconsin traffic crashes are unbuckled.

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of Wisconsin’s primary enforcement law that allows law enforcement to stop and cite motorists solely for failing to buckle up. Drivers can also be cited for every unbuckled passenger in their vehicle.

Failure to fasten a seat belt is among the most common traffic violations in Wisconsin and resulted in 50,875 traffic convictions last year, the DOT said.

Shawano Police Department

May 20

Police logged 37 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 900 block of South Weed Street.

Arrest — A 31-year-old man was taken into custody at the probation and parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Theft — License plates were reported stolen in the 1100 block of Waukechon Street.

Harassment — Harassment was reported at Memorial Park, 901 S. Lincoln St.

Trespass — Police responded to a trespassing complaint in the 400 block of East Division Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

May 20

Deputies logged 50 incidents, including the following:

Harassment — Harassment was reported on Alberts Lane in the town of Waukechon.

Vandalism — A headstone was reported spray-painted at the Friendship Cemetery, W9109 Friendship Road in the town of Belle Plaine.

Warrant — A 55-year-old Wittenberg man was arrested on a warrant on Webb Street in Wittenberg.

OAR — A 57-year-old Birnamwood man was cited for operating after revocation on U.S. Highway 45 in Birnamwood.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported at Bonduel Middle/High School, 400 W. Green Bay St. in Bonduel.

Fraud — Authorities investigated an internet scam complaint on Meyer Street in Cecil.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Hillview Road in the town of Herman.

Shawano School District taxpayers could be looking at another drop in taxes if some of the assumptions staff members make become reality.

Business Manager Louise Fischer gave the Shawano School Board its first look at the 2019-20 budget Monday, a look filled with blind spots and unknowns. Fischer estimated property taxes could drop from $9.69 per $1,000 of equalized valuation to $9.54, which means the owner of a property worth $100,000 would pay $954 in taxes to the school district.

To do that, however, there would need to be an increase in property values, which won’t be finalized until October. Also, the state has not yet finalized its budget, and Fischer said it was doubtful it would be finalized by July 1, which is when the fiscal year begins.

“A lot of these numbers are very preliminary,” Fischer said. “We do not have anything concrete from the state as far as a budget for the next two years. Usually around this time, we’re hearing rumors or inclinations where they’re going with the budget. Right now, they’re not even talking to each other.”

Fischer said one indication is that schools will continue to get the $200 per student equalization aid that had been put in the state’s biennial budget in 2017.

A factor that could hurt the district is continuing decreased enrollment. Fischer estimates district enrollment could drop from 2,335 currently to 2,305 when the official tally is conducted the third Friday in September.

She noted that this would be the third consecutive year the district’s student population has dropped, losing 42 students in the 2017 count and 26 students in 2018. Since the state uses a district’s previous three years in determining state aid for schools, it could hurt the local school district.

The total planned operating budget is estimated to be $29.53 million for the 2019-20 school year, but that is also not a firm number. Additional expenses the district faces include salary increases for staff, including a big boost for support staff; increase in health care costs by about 13%; increase in dental costs by 2%; higher costs for busing, which would include rising fuel prices; and an increase in early retirement benefits.

Some cuts the district could implement include merging the business manager and human resources director positions in the wake of Fischer’s retirement this year, which would save about $100,000; cutting about $125,000 from a fund for future maintenance; and eliminating several aide positions due to planned retirements.

The next budget draft is expected to be presented to the board in July.

The Shawano School Board voted Monday to increase the salaries for athletic coaches at Shawano Community High School, but one board member was incensed that non-athletic coaches were not included.

The Shawano School District Finance Committee met several times about the coaching salaries and recommended allocating an additional $11,000 to next year’s budget to give coaches increases ranging from $50 to $700, depending on the sport.

Joel Wondra, SCHS athletics and activities director, said the school looked at how its pay rates compared with schools of similar size in northeast Wisconsin. He said he tried to recommend salaries that were just above the average.

“Not every head coach would see a pay increase. If they were already above the average, then those were not included,” Wondra said. “This also provides a small increase for many of our assistant coaches.”

“I find that very disturbing,” said board member Mart Grams, when he asked if the increase only applied to athletic coaches. “We have many coaches who are not athletes. We have chess club and the guy who runs the visual arts thing here.”

Wondra noted that he researched the pay for non-athletic coaches, but he claimed the variables are different for those coaches because of differences in competitions, time commitments and mentoring.

“In the world of (athletic) coaching, season lengths are the same and practice times are usually pretty similar,” Wondra said. “The role of the coach doesn’t vary a lot from school to school. In the world of the non-athletic co-curriculars, there is a tremendous amount of variance.”

Grams said he believed non-athletic coaches should, at a minimum, receive a cost-of-living increase. He said some of those coaches have not seen increases in more than a decade, and many of them have students who compete at state and even national levels.

“In SkillsUSA, the kids have to pay their own way (to compete),” Grams said. “Name me one athlete that has to pay to go to state. I have never heard of that, and I’ve been here 40 years.”

He added that he constantly saw salary increases for being a referee, but he never saw a hike when it came to being an adviser for National Honor Society or the student council.

“That sends a negative perception,” Grams said. “You make it seem like we are a football school, a basketball school, and we are not. We’re an academic facility.”

Wondra argued that he gave athletic and non-athletic information to the finance committee, but it was up to the panel to make a recommendation for the board.

Grams added that Wondra’s job title includes overseeing all activities and not just athletics. Grams made a motion to postpone the vote on the coaching salaries until the finance committee could make recommendations on non-athletic coaching salaries, but it died for a lack of second. However, a new motion that approved the athletic coaching salaries included a mandate for the finance committee to look at increasing other coaching salaries.

Shawano Police Department

May 21

Police logged 38 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 36-year-old Shawano man was arrested for operating while intoxicated at Division and Lincoln streets and a 46-year-old Keshena woman was arrested for OWI at Division and Main streets.

Disturbance — A disturbance was reported in the 200 block of South Lafayette Street. A 28-year-old Clintonville man was referred for disorderly conduct after a domestic disturbance in the 100 block of South Lafayette Street and a 32-year-old Shawano woman was arrested for disorderly conduct/domestic violence after a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of West Picnic Street.

Harassment — Harassment was reported in the 200 block of North Airport Drive and 800 block of East Richmond Street.

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported a shoplifting incident.

OWL — A 19-year-old Keshena female was cited for operating without a license at Lafayette and Oshkosh streets.

Arrest — A 39-year-old Shawano woman was arrested for a probation violation at the probation and parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

May 21

Deputies logged 52 incidents, including the following:

Burglary — Burglaries were reported on Front Street in Wittenberg, Lake Drive in Cecil and County Road B in the town of Waukechon.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on County Road HH in the town of Washington.

Theft — Authorities responded to property theft complaints at the Ho-Chunk Casino, N7198 U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Wittenberg; County Road CC in the town of Waukechon; and Lake Drive in Cecil.

Harassment — Harassment was reported on Ho-Chunk Road in the town of Wittenberg.

Vandalism — Vandalism was reported on Much Road in the town of Germania.

Clintonville Police Department

May 21

Police logged 10 incidents, including the following:

Drug Offense — A citation was issued for possession of drug paraphernalia on South Main Street.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a family disturbance on Flora Way.

Shakes were a featured item on the menu at Culver’s of Shawano recently.

Although shakes and malts are always available at the fast food restaurant at 1220 E. Green Bay St., last week the most popular variety of shake was the handshake, as Culver’s company chair and co-founder Craig Culver visited the store to meet with employees and visitors.

Culver has created something of a fan base, as restaurant patrons took pictures with him, shook his hand and even had him autograph a hat.

Culver said he was at the Shawano site to support the employees. “I get a great feeling of pride when I visit our restaurants. Not from the buildings, from our team members,” he said. “They do more for me than I do for them.”

Culver said he makes it a point to visit every one of the Culver’s restaurants in operation, which — due to a recent opening in Austin, Texas — number 707 across the country.

Culver’s has its roots in Sauk City, Wisconsin. Culver said that when the first restaurant opened, he never dreamed that eventually it would represent a chain of hundreds of locations.

“I wasn’t really even thinking about two,” he said.

The company’s success, Culver said, comes from the idea that they are not in the restaurant business but in the “people” business. In fact, any business is really a people business, he said.

“Those who are good at it are the successful ones,” Culver said.

He said that the concept is shared with customers through interactions with employees.

“People first. Valuing them and respecting them,” Culver said about his employees. He said he wants to see those values shared with customers.

“Are you greeted? Thanked when you leave? Do they say say ‘please’ and ‘thank you?’” he said, adding that it isn’t enough to say the words. He wants his team to mean them.

Culver’s will celebrate 35 years in operation July 18. The Shawano facility, under the leadership of owner Brian Lovelien, has been open since July 2018.

A new snack shop opening in downtown Shawano will not only provide a place for residents and visitors to get some ice cream and other cool treats, but it will also be a place for entertainment and celebration.

The Sugar Bowl opened its doors in the last month at 136 S. Main St., formerly the site of The Well. When an announcement on Facebook said the building had become available, Shawano resident Maddie Stuewer knew she had to go for it and start her own business.

“I replied, and a few days later, I was in,” Stuewer said. “It was very fast, very exciting. It was not what I was planning to do, but I’m glad I got to do it.”

Stuewer, who has directed several plays at Shawano Community High School, is still in college and was planning to pursue her own business upon graduation, but the building was too good to pass up. The Sugar Bowl has only been open on weekends so far, when Stuewer is not in school. But once June hits, the business will be open daily as local events increase.

It took a little work over two months to convert the place from a spot for youth religious activities to a snack shop and venue for community events. The business includes a back room for parties and meetings, arcade games, pool and ping-pong tables to keep the children entertained, as well as a stage and sound booth for performances.

“I love the bar with all of the multi-colored lights,” Stuewer said. “Somehow, it feels very old school.”

The Sugar Bowl has already hosted a couple of private parties so far, and the high school’s jazz combo will be performing at 5 p.m. Friday.

“We’re kind of just trying things out before school lets out,” Stuewer said. “We’re seeing what works and what doesn’t work.”

In the future, Stuewer hopes to host open mic nights and talent shows. She noted that some groups have inquired about Bingo and trivia nights, as well.

“Basically, anything and everything we want to try, within reason,” Stuewer said. “I’d eventually like to do theatrical productions or some kind of improv troupe. I’d like to expand on the whole events aspect.”

Stuewer doesn’t believe her entertainment plans will clash with what is being planned by the Stubborn Brothers Brewery, which is expected to open later this year one block south of the Sugar Bowl.

“I think it’s slightly different atmospheres,” Stuewer said.

Looking around the front parlor, some of the decor looks similar to the malt shops popular in communities in the 1950s. However, most of the decor — regardless of era — is connected with ice cream in some way.

For those hungry for something other than ice cream, The Sugar Bowl also serves pizzas, popcorn and chips. They serve up beer and wine for the adults, and they have some of the specialty sodas crafted by Twig’s Beverage.

Stuewer has kept the old floor in the back room from the building’s bowling alley days.

“I just found out that my grandpa used to bowl here and drink a beer, so this is a bit of Shawano history,” Stuewer said, adding she recently obtained some pictures of the place that she plans to frame and display in the business. “I have people come in and say, ‘Oh, I used to bowl here,’ and ‘I used to play music here.’”

The Sugar Bowl will stay open later on nights when there are other downtown activities taking place. Stuewer noted the Thursday night activities planned at Franklin Park will prompt her to keep dishing out ice cream long after the sun goes down.

“Our hours will be flexible, but we’ll be posting that on our website and our Facebook page,” Stuewer said. “It’s important to us, especially with tourists and families walking around. We want something for them to do.”

Stuewer said she’s wanted to own her own business ever since she was little.

“I just didn’t know what,” she said with a laugh.

The Shawano School Board voted Wednesday to hire consultants with the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to conduct a search for a new superintendent.

Current Superintendent Gary Cumberland will be retiring from the public school system Aug. 31 and taking a position with Sacred Heart Catholic School in Shawano.

The board agreed to spend up to $10,000 with WASB for the superintendent search, which would include screening initial candidates, facilitating focus groups and organizing interviews between the finalists and the school board. Included was a performance clause that addressed that WASB would keep searching if the board is dissatisfied with all of the candidates brought forward this summer.

The board is hoping to have a new superintendent in place sometime in July.

Board members were unanimous in their desire to have a consultant do much of the work in finding suitable candidates. WASB had been used for two previous superintendent searches with great success, several board members said, but was not used when the board promoted Cumberland from assistant superintendent to superintendent in August 2013 after the abrupt departure of Todd Carlson just a few days before the school year started. Carlson was hired as superintendent in the Gillett School District.

The board received information about other consulting firms that could potentially be hired but decided to go with WASB because of the price tag. WASB, which made a pitch to the board at another meeting on Monday, is a nonprofit entity, and Shawano School District is a member of the organization.

“All these others need to make money at the end of the day,” board member Michael Sleeper said. “Between the service component and the competitive pricing, those stood out for me” in WASB’s bid.

Cumberland noted that WASB already has a pool of administrative candidates because the organization sends an email every time a school district seeks a superintendent.

“Everyone that I know of goes through WASB in the state of Wisconsin,” Cumberland said.

The district’s human resources director, Todd Kleinhans, recommended the board not be in a rush to fill Cumberland’s post. Kleinhans, who will leave the district himself June 30, believes the district will only be getting “second and third tier” candidates because the normal hiring season for a superintendent is in late December through March.

“My concern right now would be the timing,” Kleinhans said, noting he was not part of the meeting Monday when the board met the consultants. “I just hope we’re not being sold a bill of goods that we’re going to get a ton of quality candidates right now.”

Board member Chuck Dallas recommended a performance clause for the WASB deal so that, if the board doesn’t like any of the final candidates, that the organization would keep searching.

Board member Alysia Pillsbury said she wants WASB to be sure to find a diverse pool of candidates, not only between men and women but also different ethnicities.

Sleeper noted that Shawano’s small-town Wisconsin status would likely attract more in-state candidates than out of state.

“We’re not a Green Bay, a Madison, a Racine, an Eau Claire where somebody from Florida, California or New York would move here,” Sleeper said. “We could be highly attractive to candidates who are in the upper Midwest.”

Board member Diane Hoffman wanted to make sure that any internal candidates were given a fair chance to apply for the position.