By Thomas J.McKillen, managing editor, published Feb. 2, 2018

A few weeks after one special election upset and a close local election, Gov. Scott Walker rallied local supporters to get out the vote in elections the rest of the year.
“The wake up call is that we cannot assume that our neighbors know about the positive things we’re doing here in Wisconsin — we can’t assume it,” Gov. Scott Walker said during the Washington County GOP Brunch and Caucus held in West Bend Jan. 28.
Walkers comments came less than two weeks after Republicans lost a Jan. 16 special election in northwest Wisconsin, as St. Croix County Medical Examiner Patty Schachtner upset Rep. Adam Jarchow to win a State Senate seat that had been held by Republican Sheila Harsdorf for 16 years before she resigned in November to become Walker’s agriculture secretary. That same evening, Rick Gundrum won a special election in Washington County, being elected to fill the remainder of the 58th Assembly District term. However, the race was competitive, as Gundrum defeated Democratic Party candidate Dennis Degenhardt by a 56.56 to 43.37, while Degenhardt won wards in the city of West Bend.
During his comments to local Republicans, Walker referenced his State of the State speech and noted it was twice as long as speeches he presented in past years.
“For years I’ve said the state of our state is strong. I didn’t say that this year: I said the state of our state is historically strong,” Walker said. “We have a larger workforce than ever before, we have a historically low unemployment rate, we made historic investments in the K-12 education, we had the largest economic development project in history of the state (the Foxconn development), one of the largest in the history of the nation. There are amazingly good things happening in this state.”
Walker cited data showing the state has the lowest unemployment in this history of the state (3.2 percent as of November 2017) while local school districts can now make employment and promotions decision based on merit. He further explained how targeted investments have been made in technical colleges and training programs. He also stated that the 25,000 people have been transitioned from receiving Food Stamps to being in the work force and also noted that under GOP leadership a tuition freeze has been in place at state universities for the past six years.
“These are the positive things we’re getting done for the people of Wisconsin,” Walker said.
When interviewed after his speech, Walker said the GOP can’t assume for this election that people know about the positive work that has been done over the past several years. Walker referenced the low voter turnout in the two Jan. 16 elections as to what the GOP should learn in response for the rest of the year.
“We can’t assume that people know about it. When you have 12 percent turnout, that means a lot of people assumed it was going to happen,” Walker said.
Walker added that “I tell people all the time I’m going to have a tough election, arguably the toughest election I’ve had, including the recall election. People go ‘oh no, it’s overhyped.’ I go, ‘no, the left — for reasons unrelated to Wisconsin, more related to Washington D.C. Whether it’s the frustation with the Senate or the president, whatever it might be — the left is angry and motivated. We’ve got to make sure if we’re going to win in November we’ve got to counter that with optimism and organization, getting our message out, telling people about the good and optimistic things happening in the state. If we do that, we can win. I think in the special elections of voters assumed it was in the bag and they didn’t need to worry about it.”
Walker added that the message included saying that “Wisconsin is not Washington” and laying out plans for the future.
“For me, my focal point has been and will be in this campaign in particular is to talk about things that matter. Talk about things that matter to everyday people. If you keep that in mind, then you don’t get drawn off into other things,” Walker said.

Angie Wildish was part of the UW-Whitewater women’s volleyball team that won an NCAA Division III title in 2002, and last fall she was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Wildish — now known by her married name, Angie Vogt — was one of several inductees into the UW-Whitewater Hall of Fame ceremony. She was raised in Menomonee Falls and graduated from Menomonee Falls High School before playing volleyball at UW-Whitewater for four years. She is currently a physical education teacher in the School District of Menomonee Falls. 

“Yes, this event brought up many fun and exciting memories of my college days.  It also brought up sad and heartbreaking memories.  It was great to be back to the place where so many life long memories were made,” she said of the ceremony.

Vogt was an outside hitter for the UW-Whitewater women’s volleyball

team from 1999-2002.  She was part of UW-Whitewater teams that won three regular season conference titles and qualified for the NCAA tournament for four years. She was of the team that won the Division III title in 2002 and and were national runners-up in 2000 and 2001.

Also at Whitewater, Vogt was AVCA All-American, being selected as a first team selection in 2002. The same year she was selected as a WIAC Player of the Year and as a member of the NCAA Division III Championship All-Tournament Team. Vogt also earned first team All-WIAC and AVCA All-Region accolades two times, and was a three-time all-conference honoree overall, according to a biography from the school. 

She is on the school’s record list for career kills (second at 1,639), career digs (third at 2,365), career matches with double-figure digs (third with 102) and matches with 20-plus kills (third with nine). She was a team captain during the 2002 season.

During her speech at the Hall of Fame presentation in November, Vogt thanked her oldest son Nolan and her husband John and his family as well as neighbors for being there. She also thanked her parents, brothers and sisters for attending her UW-Whitewater matches and showing their support. 

“It was very exciting to have my entire family there with me.  My aunts and uncles, my son Nolan, my friends and many of teammates came out to celebrate,” she said later. Vogt also noted that she received thanks and congratulations from her co-workers at Ben Franklin Elementary School. At the beginning of her speech, she cited the support of her parents during her playing career.

“First, my parents are the biggest reason why I am up here today.  Their tireless efforts to make sure I got to and from practice and games, getting up at 4 a.m. to get to me to club volleyball tournaments out of state, paying for all the various expenses that go along with being a club sport athlete and most importantly – their ongoing support to make sure I was successful and could play and do something that I had a true love and passion for,” the text of her speech stated.  “I started playing volleyball when I was in fifth grade, while my mom was my coach. I owe her so much as she taught me the basics.  I quickly fell in love with all aspects of the game.  When I wasn’t playing organized volleyball, I have many memories of my older sister Kim and I playing pepper in the yard or passing and serving against the garage.”

In her speech at the Hall of Fame ceremony, she recalled playing in three national championships, two of which were on UW-Whitewater’s home court.

“In my college volleyball career, I played for three national championships, two of them at Whitewater. I am not quite sure how many people can say they played on their home court, where they sweat, laughed, cried and worked so hard to have their dream of winning a national championship come true. The night we won, we swept the number one team in the nation 3-0 and for the first time in school history won a national championship,” Vogt said her speech.  “My memories from college are endless, but being named a national champion was number one.   Because of this sport, I have met lifelong friends and exceptional people and role models.  I do think my experiences have truly been unique and I have you all of you sitting here to thank.”

 -By Thomas J. McKillen, Managing Editor

By Thomas J. McKillen

Germantown’s Isaac Riddle placed fourth in the Division I 132 weight class at the WIAA individual wrestling tournament at the UW-Madison Kohl Center Feb. 22-24.
Riddle lost his opening match to Daniel Stilling of Mukwonago, 8-0 on Feb. 22 but then began to advance in the consolation bracket after Lucas Benn of Mukwonago was unable to wrestle due to an injury in a previous match. Riddle then scored a 5-3 victory of Zach Weller of Burlington and followed that with a 5-3 sudden victory over Nate Ellis of Janesville Craig. He lost the third place match to Stilling, 11-0.
Germantown teammate Chase Celicowski lost both of his matches in the 126 weight class, falling to eventual champion Mason McMillen of Reedsburg 13-3 and then losting Grant Truesdale of Elkhorn, 12-4.
Menomonee Falls wrestlers Casey Reigstad, Alec Lind, Tyler Gill, Jon Thomas and Logan Fallon also were at the meet Reigstad lost to eventual 10-6 champion Hayden Halter of Burlington while Lind lost to eventual 120 champion Hunter Lewis of Stoughton. Both Falls wrestler then lost their next matches.
Gill upset Brandon Mickisch of Kaukauna in his opening match at 132, getting a pin on a wrestler was ranked third in last WI Wrestling poll before the posteason. Gill then was pinned in the quarterfinal by Thomas Severson of DC Everest. Gill scored an 8-3 decision over Jake Skattebo of South Milwaukee in the consolation bracket before finishing the tournament by being pinned by Reese Thompson of Oshkosh West.
Thomas lost his opening match to Ben Statz of Waunakee, 12-3. Fallon won his opening match against Austin Ertl 4-1 on a tiebreaker. He then was pinned in the quarterfinal by Tre Williams of Racine Park. Fallon finished the tournament by being pinned by Aodan Marshall of Stoughton.

By Thomas J. McKillen
Managing Editor

The eventual expansion of Menomonee Falls Village Park to Appleton Avenue is among the changes proposed to the village of Menomonee Falls Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation (COR) Plan.

Tyler Zwagerman, village of Menomonee Falls Planning Technician, summarized the changes that are recommended to Village Park and Old Falls Village during a presentation at the March 5 Village Board meeting.

The COR Plan serves as a guide to recreation management and development of village parks, trails and other outdoor public spaces, and consider the appropriate level of service standards for park lands and recreation facilities. The plan also identifies and recommends park improvement. The most recent COR Plan was approved by the Village Board in November 2016.

Zwagerman said the proposed changes were reviewed and recommended for approval by the Park Board on Feb. 20. A public hearing will be held before the Village Board in April to consider the proposed changes to the COR Plan, after which the board will take final action on the revised plan.

Zwagerman cited “robust development” in the village that included hundreds of new residential units, with has generated funding through park impact fees charged on apartments and single family homes. With in the increased residential units, Zwagerman said there is an increased demand for community events.

“People are craving these community gathering type events where people can get together to know one another, enjoy food and drink together and really form a community,” Zwagerman said.

In response, Zwagerman said village staff examined  park uses, with an emphasis on Village Park and Old Falls Village.

“These parks are very important as they are, but we also know there was opportunity for them to serve the community more broadly as a destination,” Zwagerman said.

Proposed Village Park changes
Village Park is located on the south side of Garfield Drive in Menomonee Falls, across from North Middle School. Zwagerman noted that the Village Park Master Plan that was incorporated into the current COR Plan includes a performance space where a softball diamond currently exists, a splashpad near that area, and a stormwater retention feature at the west end of the park. He said those items are retained in the proposed update to the park.

The update for Village Park includes extending the park to Appleton Avenue to open it up to the downtown area.

“It’s been tucked behind from the vision of Appleton Avenue — not everybody sees it when they drive past or visit downtown and that’s something we want to address in that revision,” Zwagerman said.

The new proposal will include acquiring five parcels along Appleton Avenue to create a “special purpose park area” to serve the entire community, Zwagerman said. The space along Appleton Avenue would include covered pavilion space for a farmers market while one home at the site would be proposed to be used as the VIllage Centre Business Improvement district offices.

The splash plan and play area that is in the current COR plan is proposed to be near the existing restrooms.

Separate from the COR Plan, Garfield Drive is being reconstructed this summer. As part of that reconstruction, parallel parking will be replaced with angled parking, which will add approximately 70 parking spaces to the area.

Toward the end of his comments on the Village Park proposed changes, Zwagerman said “we do believe there are a lot of opportunities within this kind of vision to create partnerships for funding for a lot of pieces within here.”

Proposed changes to Old Falls Village
Old Falls Village is located at the southwest corner of Pilgrim and County Line roads, and has several historical buildings at the site. Zwagerman said there is currently not enough parking space for events at Old Falls Village.  Parking is proposed to be added in the short-term at the west side of the site where parking currently exists, with additional parking proposed in the long-term along Pilgrim Road.

An east-west trail through Old Falls Village from the west parking space to the parking area east of the barn is proposed to improve pedestrian circulation through the space.

“Right now people enter the park and they wander in where the barn is from the parking lot and the Publick House and you see a scattering of buildings as you come in — there doesn’t seem to be a lot of order to it,” Zwagerman said.

He said the plans call for creating a path system that creates and east-west and north-south flow. Signs and historic lighting changes are also proposed to the site to improve the visibility of the site.

“It’s conveniently located on two major arterlals on the north end of the community with tens of thousands of vehicles driving by it daily, but not everybody know what it is and what it’s about, so one thing that was talked about is making sure when people drive past the park there is something special,” Zwagerman said.

Zwagerman said the “near-term vision” for Old Falls Village includes a performance stage behind the railroad depot  and potentially a picnic food and beverage area. He added that a beer garden is being considered for the space for this summer.  He said the “big picture standpoint” long term vision includes a village component that could include a visitor’s center that would be modeled after a sugar beet factory that operated in the village along with a “village area” that could include a blacksmith shop .

Zwagerman then described the purpose of the visitor’s center proposed in the long-term vision.

“Old Falls Village and the historical society are really looking at ways to program this toward more sustainable revenue streams and for attracting new people who have never been there before,” Zwagerman said. “With the visitor’s center concept and a lot of the things you’ve seen here, it’s about creating spaces for new activities, new programming and new opportunities to bring people in.”

He added that a cafe or space for events such as wedding or other special events is being considered for the visitor’s center or existing sites. He said the barn at the site is being considered for use for special events. He said the performance stage and beer garden proposal are moving ahead this year while the new paths and lighting are in the revised COR Plan. Long term plans include the visitor’s center and a “main street” proposal further inside the park area.

Changes are Mill Park Pond and Plaza
The village has acquired land the northwest end of Mill Pond Park. Zwagerman said the village is proposing to add parking at the site along with picnic tables and kiosk.

Menomonee Falls Planning Technician Tyler Zwagerman summarizes changes to the village outdoor Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan during a presentation at the March 5 Village Board meeting.

By Thomas J. McKillen

Menomonee Falls High School student Basia Klos has been named a Kohl Educational Foundation Scholar for 2018.

“Basia is an exceptional student that is involved in so many aspects of our high school and community,”Falls High School Principal Bob Vitale said in a statement. “This accolade is proof positive that she’s a hard worker and a leader in our school.”

Klos will receive a $10,000 scholarship from the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation as she has been recognized as high-performing student that has had a wealth of experience in leadership outside of the classroom. Klos is one of 191 students receiving the award.

Excellence Scholarship recipients have demonstrated excellence in the academic arena and high motivation to achieve, have displayed a broad range of activity and leadership outside the academic setting, and have shown strong promise for succeeding in college and beyond.

“I think it is significant that Wisconsin’s students, teachers, principals, and schools are recognized for their devotion to education and learning,” said Dr. Chris Cody, WCRIS board president.

Klos was a student-director in this year’s Band Revue, is the principal french horn player for the wind symphony, plays trumpet in jazz band, plays piano, is a member of the Milwaukee Youth Orchestra, was named a National Merit Finalist and an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction. She’s a member of the global education academy and is fluent in Polish.

“Herb Kohl, through his philanthropy on behalf of our educators and students, has provided opportunity and access to a better future for countless Wisconsinites,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers.

To date the foundation has awarded $14.5 million to Wisconsin educators, principals, students, and schools.

“Education is the key to the future of Wisconsin and our nation. I am very proud of the accomplishments of these students, teachers, and principals and look forward to the great contributions they will make in the future,” Kohl said.

By Thomas J. McKillen

Members of local fishing clubs will teach children the basics of fishing at the 34th Annual Spring Fishing Clinics for Kids, April 14, from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., at 11 Milwaukee County Parks.

Clinics are presented by the Milwaukee County Parks, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations, and the Hunger Task Force Fish Hatchery.

Children age 15 and under are invited to the hands-on clinics featuring knot tying, safe use of fishing equipment (including casting), and instruction on proper fishing techniques. Clinics also include fish identification, regulations, and ethics. Six locations will offer cleaning and cooking demonstrations.

Parks hosting expanded clinics, with cleaning and cooking demonstrations, are Brown Deer Park, 7835 N. Green Bay Road; Dineen Park, 6901 W. Vienna St.; Greenfield Park, 2028 S. 124th St.; Kosciuszko Park, 2201 S. 7th St.; Mitchell Park, 2200 W. Pierce St.; and Scout Lake Park, 5902 W. Loomis Road (wheelchair accessible)

Parks offering basic clinics are Grant–Oak Creek, Mill Pond on Oak Creek Parkway; McCarty Park, 2567 S. 79th St.; McGovern Park, 5400 N. 51st St; Sheridan Park, 4800 S. Lake Drive; and Washington Park, 1859 N. 40 St.

Because a limited number of rods and reels will be available for children to use during the clinics, families are encouraged to bring their own fishing equipment. Young children must be accompanied by an adult.

The indoor instructional component of the program will go on no matter what the weather; the outdoor component is weather-dependent. Clinics will run continuously throughout the day, with the last sessions starting at 2 p.m.

Pre-registration is not required for families, but groups of 20 or more are asked to call the Wisconsin DNR at (414) 382-7923.

By Thomas J. McKillen
Managing Editor

The Menomonee Falls girls basketball game on Feb. 16 was the last game James Kirchberger worked as a school resource officer with the Menomonee FallsPolice Department.
Kirchberger – a 1972 graduate of Menomonee Falls North High School – retired from the Police Department on Feb. 28, ending a career with the department that began when he was hired on Feb. 14, 1977.

Kirchberger was called to center court at halftime and was introduced to the audience by the public address announcer.
“Officer Kirchberger has been a staple in our community and our schools and has touched so many lives in his time serving this community,” the public address announcer stated.
While with the Menomonee Falls Police Department, Kirchberger served as a police sketch artist, on late and early shifts and in traffic control prior to being appointed as community services and juvenile officer in 1998. Kirchberger has received the Distinguished Service Award, Crime Prevention Award, Instructor Award, the Safe Driving Award, multiple Supervisory Commendations, and Letters of Commendation, according to information from the Menomonee Falls Police Department. He was selected as DARE Officer of the Year in 2007 by the DARE Officers Association.
Members of the Menomonee Falls student section and cheerleaders surrounded Kirchberger and Athletic Director Ryan Anderson during the presentation and posed for a few photos.
Few people knew about the presentation in advance, and Kirchberger wasn’t one of them.
“I heard about it four minutes ago,” he said, adding he didn’t know about it until Anderson called him to the gym. “It’s very meaningful and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to work in the schools for so many years as a police officer,” Kirchberger said. “I’m going to miss it – the staff, the students, the everyday interaction with kids.”
He added that when he started with the Police Department, moments like the one he experienced was not in the imagination.
“Never at all. This make it all worthwhile,” he said.

By Thomas J.McKillen
managing editor

Slinger’s Caleb Ziebell recorded the best finish among area wrestlers at the WIAA Individual Wrestling Tournament held at the UW-Kohl Center March 22-4, reaching the title match in the Division I 138-pound weight class before losing to Mason Phillips of Eau Claire North, 7-3.
“Caleb did a nice job. It was a close match,” Slinger Coach Chris Graziano said afterward.

Ziebell got on the board first in the championship match with a takedown with 51 seconds left in the first period. Phillips tied the score with a turnaround early in the second period. Ziebell took a 3-2 lead on an escape with 1:29 remaining in the third period but Phillips answered with a takedown and near fall with just under a minute left in the round.
Phillips was the top ranked wrestler in the Division I 138 weight class in the last WI Wrestling poll released before the postseason while Ziebell was ranked fourth.
“I knew it was going to be a tough match but I knew it was going to be close. Just based on their matches before it was really close. I was just hoping Caleb would pull it off this time, I knew he was capable of it, but I also knew the other guy was capable of it, too,” Graziano said.
Graziano then added: “Caleb is a great kid. He works really hard, he’s done a lot to get himself this far. Second in the state is nothing to be feel bad about.”
Ziebell said he and Phillips both have offense-oriented styles, which has resulted in low-scoring matches.
“It came down to one move deciding the match and it wasn’t in my favor,” Ziebell said.
This was Ziebell’s fourth year at the state meet. He said the past experiences at state said he knew what to expect with the experience.
“Being here the past three years, I didn’t have any nerves or butterflies going into the final match,” Ziebell said.
Ziebell finished the year with a 51-6 record. Ziebell started the tournament with a technical fall over David Holzem of Brookfield East and followed that with a 9-6 decision over Marshall Rushton of West Allis. In the semifinal, Ziebell scored a 3-2 decision over Wyler Lubeck of Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln.

Other results
Slinger’s Charlie Covert finished sixth at state, winning his opening match with pin over Isaac Klarkowski of Green Bay. He lost in the quarterfinal but scored two consolation round wins before finishing with two losses.
Hartford’s Jalen Spuhler finished fourth in the Division I 120 weight class. Spuhler advanced to the semifinal before losing Hunter Lewis of Stoughton, 14-2. He then split his next two matches.
Cayden Henschel of West Bend East finished with in the Division I 120 weight class. He started the tournament with a technical fall before being pinned in the quarterfinal. He then won three of his next four matches to secure fifth place.