When Wautoma Rotary Past-President Peder Culver received an inquiry from the club’s district seeking volunteers to host a couple from India as part of the Rotary International’s Friendship Exchange in early 2016, Peder, was interested immediately.

With Peder’s wife, Jennifer, on board as well as their 11-year-old daughter, Cami, Peder took the idea to the local Rotary Club meeting to see if anyone else would be interested in hosting a family. Sharon Marek was interested as well, but since there weren’t enough couples to host, Marek assisted the Culvers with taking their couple on trips to Chicago to visit the Rotary International Headquarters and a temple as well as a stop at the Dopp Dairy Farm and Wild Rose Fish Hatchery.

After working with the Rotary International coordinators, the Culvers opened their home to Ramesh and Asha Chand for 10 days, from May 26 to June 2, concluding their visit to Wisconsin with a trip to Milwaukee to take part in the Rotary Club District Conference.

The international friendship exchange program through Rotary Club International allows participants to take turns hosting one another in their homes and clubs, which Peder and Jennifer plan to take part in with a visit to India in January of 2018.

The program allows club members the opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture and build a global understanding, boost professional and leadership skills and provide cultural experiences, activities and build friendships.

While preparing for their visitors, Peder and Jennifer did not know what to expect and didn’t receive the names or contact information of their visitors until about a month prior to their visit.

“I had (Ramesh’s) email address so I reached out to him and said we were their hosts,” Peder said. “Jen was good about having me ask him what comforts they would like, if they had to pick a couple things that would make them comfortable what would they be. They said they were interested in green tea with curd.”

The Chands flew into Chicago where the Culvers picked them up and brought the couple back to their home in Wautoma. The first few days they were here Peder and Jennifer wanted to play it a bit more low-key since the couple had just traveled 20 hours on a plane and were still adjusting to the time difference.

“We did the Chain O’ Lakes on the boat the first day,” said Jennifer. “Then the next day we went down near Devil’s Lake, Cave of the Mounds and House on the Rock. So we kept it light but kind of showed them rural Wisconsin.”

When hosting someone from another country, often times the language barrier comes into play but the Culvers found the Chands spoke English, and the struggle only came as they realized it was in a different type of dialect.

“They learn British English, which has a slightly different terminology for words than we have, so they are used to hearing British English and also talking British English, so just sometimes the terms they would use aren’t our everyday slang or usage so some of it was a language barrier and some of it was honestly British English to American English – there was a slight difference.”

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To many when they hear of the Holt Family Scholarship, they really only know that they award considerable scholarships to Wild Rose and Wautoma graduates. Little do they know that the Holt Family of Wild Rose, including Olney, Arlene and Lillian, set up the scholarship fund. Their love of education and youth prompted them to leave a lasting legacy that has continued for 25 years and will continue for many generations.

Arlene and Lillian were born in the early 1900’s and both became school teachers. Arlene taught at the Wild Rose School for most of her career. She taught English the first several years, then finished her career as the school librarian. Lillian taught in Wausau, Wauwatosa, and Mt. Morris before retiring.

Years before their death, Arlene (1991) and Lillian (1992) had planned the scholarship fund. When the students receive the Holt Family Scholarship do they really know the love and consideration that went into this fund? Here was a family, a brother and two sisters, never married, well educated, with their heart in education and their faith deep in their church, Mt. Morris Holden Lutheran, where they were lifelong members. They believed in Wild Rose where they lived and all it offered - the library, the hospital, the museum, the community improvement association; these places also received a portion of their estate.

Basically the majority of their estate was designated as a scholarship fund for local students to make a difference, not just for today but for generations and generations, a legacy that has not only helped financially but has given hope to many. The actual $1 million scholarship fund was set up by Arlene and Lillian in their wills.

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Village of Neshkoro Fire Chief Thomas Krueger told the Neshkoro Village board plans for the July 2 festivities will include the department’s annual car show from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the fire station during their June 5 regular board meeting.

This year’s activities will be held at Rivers Edge Park gazebo, including the band “Copper Box”, and food served by the Neshkoro Enhancement Committee. Fireworks will light up over the millpond at dusk.

The board approved the appointments of Desiree Reetz, Millie Seaver and William Warmbier to fill vacancies on the Neshkoro Library Board.
DPW employee Robert VanderGrinten told the board the DNR inspected the village sewer plant on May 31. The sewer compliance maintenance annual report has been submitted.

The board will meet again on July 5.
 

The famous Coloma Lions Chicken Chew will celebrate its 45th anniversary June 23-25 in downtown Coloma, with the Coloma Fire Department will once again sponsoring the Friday evening events held from 4:30 to 11:30 p.m.

The events on Friday kick off with a fish dinner sponsored by the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. as well as hamburgers, brats and hotdogs sold by the fire department. Fish fry tickets will be available at the ticket booth located near the park entrance or can be purchase in advance at the Coloma Hotel. The Friday night entertainment will feature the band “Raised Reckless” from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.

The Coloma Lions Club will sponsor the Saturday and Sunday event with the money raised going to support the Coloma Park, local activities, local groups, Lions Club national projects and local scholarships.

The activities set for Saturday, June 24, include a village-wide rummage sale, pancake breakfast, Rods & Ratz Revival Car Show, softball tournament, Coloma Public Library Book Sale, co-ed volleyball, ATV Scavenger hunt, flea and craft market, swap meet, a pickle ball tournament, quilt show, horseshoe tournament, Kitty-Kat races, Bingo games, kid’s tractor pull, fireman water fights, valve cover racing, face painting, BBQ Ribs (only 300 tickets sold), and inflatables.

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The 15th annual Wautoma Masonic Union Father’s Day Antique Classic Car Show will be held at Bird Creek Park, Wautoma, on June 18 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Food and beverages will be served throughout the day. Pictured with Dave Lindsay’s four door Packard 1935 convertible are: Bruce Girdauskas, Vintage Vehicle owner; Ed Anderson; James Szydel, John Jenks, Tom Williamson, Wautoma Masonic Union master; and Paul Girdauskas, Vintage Vehicle owner.

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After a significant rainfall spanning two days, residents throughout Waushara County are dealing with the aftermath. According to reports, 5-10 inches of rain fell across from Monday evening, June 12, through Tuesday afternoon, June 13, in some areas of the county.

Following the National Weather Service’s Flash Flood Warning at 11:50 a.m. on Tuesday for Waushara, Portage and Wood Counties, reports of flooding came into Wautoma’s City Hall.

Residents traveling on Center Road and Townline Road in downtown Wautoma saw significant water build-up as those traveling on Elm Street can view first-hand the amount of rain that fell as the White River overflowed into many resident’s yards.
 

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As of 7:50 a.m. on Thursday, June 15, the Waushara County Sheriff’s Office has not received any reports of injuries following Wednesday’s storm. Damage assessment from last night shows there are many trees down as well as power lines, which may be down for some time, according to a release from Sheriff Jeff Nett.

The following areas received the most damage and will be the center of attention for Thursday: Town of Richford, Town of Dakota, Town of Wautoma, City of Wautoma, Town of Mount Morris, Village of Wild Rose, Town of Springwater, Town of Saxeville.

Alliant Energy has advised the Sheriff’s Office there will be bring in crews from across the state to assist with restoring power. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to look for damage to structures, and the state highways are cleared and open.

The county roads have been cleared and are passible. The county will be going back to clear up the ditches and right of ways when they can. There are still some town roads that still closed at this time because of trees down. The Sheriff’s Office asks everybody to be careful when traveling on the area roads and it may some time for the power to be restored.

The county and the local governments are clearing the roads, while property owners are responsible for removing trees on their land. Currently the Sheriff’s Office does not know of any locations for landowners to take trees and brush to.

Trees that are against houses or other buildings should be removed by trees services or other contractor as the county and the townships cannot help with removing trees from private land.

Check back for more information

The Wednesday, June 15, afternoon storms resulted in power outages affecting approximately 6,700 cooperative members at Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative.

High winds, lightning and heavy rains resulted in widespread damage across a multi-county area. Reports of downed trees and extensive property damage are common, especially in the counties of Marquette and Waushara.

With many local roads impassable, ACEC tree trimming contractors worked through the night to clear paths and make it possible to rebuild electric lines destroyed by the storm. ACEC line crews worked into the night and continued their power restoration work early Thursday morning.

At 8 a.m. on Thursday morning there were 1,900 ACEC members reported without electric service. Line crews are expected to make considerable progress in restoring power today. However, it is not possible to estimate when power will be fully restored, especially in areas that suffered the most severe storm damage.

The extent of downed trees and other damage will slow power restoration work. Due to extensive property damage, it is likely that some individual properties will not be able to safely be restored to power until home repairs are made.

During storm recovery periods stay away from downed lines or any situation that looks potentially dangerous. Power lines can easily be hidden in twisted tree branches and other storm debris. Remember those lines may still be energized and should be considered extremely dangerous. Power lines can be reenergized without warning by the utility company or by improperly installed standby emergency generators in the neighborhood.

Keep your distance and warn others to stay away, too. Even well meaning work to clear downed trees to speed outage recovery time is a dangerous practice that could result in severe injury or even death. Members are advised to call the ACEC 24-hour Emergency Service Power Outage Line at 1-888-928-2232 and report any potentially dangerous conditions.

As Waushara County works to recover from the severe storms from June 12 through 15, many residents are likely in the process of assessing damage, cleaning up their property, working with insurance companies on claims and making plans to repair or rebuild their homes and outbuildings.

The Waushara County Zoning and Land Conservation Office would like to remind residents to be extremely cautious of any contractor who knocks at your door.

• Residents should make sure the contractor is registered with the State of Wisconsin, and ask to see their state registration card. Obtain a written contract which includes a start and completion date, warranty information, and who will be responsible for obtaining permits. Then, make sure all permits are in place before construction begins. For a list of contractors that commonly work in the area and are familiar with the permitting and inspection process, please look on the Waushara County website at www.co.waushara.wi.us or contact the Zoning and Land Conservation Office at (920) 787-0453 so a list of contractors can be mailed to you.
   
• Structures damaged or destroyed in the storm that will be repaired or replaced may fall under special statutory exemptions contained in Stats. 59.69. This rule allows for non-conforming structures to be repaired or restored to the same size, location, and use that it had immediately before the damage or destruction occurred, provided the damage or destruction is the result of natural causes such as violent wind. A non-conforming structure is one that does not meet the setback requirements of the Waushara County Code such as side lot, road or wetland setbacks. Other sections of the statutes cover repair and/or replacement of non-conforming structures due to water setback. A non-conforming use is one, which is not normally permitted in the zone that the structure is located in.
   
• Statutory provisions do not exempt landowners from obtaining required permits. A land use permit is required from the Zoning Office if construction will exceed $1,000 in value or the construction area is 100 square feet or more. If you have any questions on the permit process, or whether a permit is needed for your project, feel free to contact the Waushara County Zoning Office at (920) 787-0453. You may also come into the office on the second floor of the courthouse to apply in person. It is a good idea to bring pictures with you so the employees can better understand your project and properly assist you in the rebuilding process. If necessary, the office staff would be happy to meet you on your property to answer questions and go over all your options, just call (920) 787-0453 to arrange a meeting time.
   
• Any repairs or replacements of dwellings or public buildings that include structural components such as decks, porches, foundations, and roofs; or repairs and/or upgrades to electrical, heating or plumbing systems are also required to obtain permits from the building inspector. These permits include inspections at various stages of construction to insure all work done is in accordance with state building codes. If you have any questions regarding uniform dwelling code or commercial permits, please contact the local building inspector at (920) 787-6510, or stop by on the second floor of the courthouse during office hours, which are weekdays from 8 to 10:30 a.m.

Ripon Collage President Dr. Zach Messitte spoke to the Wautoma Rotary Club and quests about the mission of Ripon Collage. Messitte stated that as a liberal arts college they try to create a learning community that provides an interesting and personalized education.

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Trinity Louis, 10, Neshkoro, and Leah Chastain, 10, Pine River, enjoyed petting Rambler and talking to volunteer Laura Twomey, Lombard, IL, at Family Farm Day at Living Anew Farm on, June 17. Those who visited the farm got to see and interact with farm animals, participate or observe in horse training demonstrations, go on a horse-drawn hayride, and learn more about Living Anew Farm.

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Undersheriff/School Resource Officer Lafe Hendrickson of the Waushara County Sheriff’s Office graduated from Wisconsin Command College Class #4 on June 9. This nationally accredited leadership and management development training program is a joint venture of the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Completion of this intense six-week in-residence program recognizes Hendrickson as a Certified Public Manger through the University of Wisconsin.

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Emerald City Green Guard (Duane Riendeau) explains to the Cowardly Lion (Pierce Reese-Grimm), Tinman (Jacob Charpentier), Scarecrow (Holly Dickerson), Toto (Liesie Mager) and Dorothy (Faith Talbott) why it is necessary to wear sunglasses while visiting the Wizard of Oz.

To view a photo gallery from this event, visit https://www.wausharaargus.com/recent-photos.

Hope Lutheran Church, 301 E. Mt. Morris Ave., Wautoma, will hold their annual Country Fair with a Norwegian Flair on Saturday, June 24 from 1 to 5 p.m.

This year’s fair will feature Norwegian Bakery and demonstrations including Krumkake, Rosettes, and Lefse. There will be a bake sale with an abundant variety of home baked goodies, crafts, quilts, paper shop, candy shop, second time bargains, lunch, strawberry shortcake and ice cream and more.

The 30th annual Waushara County June Dairy Breakfast will be held at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station from 7:30 a.m. to noon this Sunday, June 25.

Come out and join in the fun with live music, door prizes and guided tours as well as the ever-popular Little Farmer Dress-up Contest for children 6 years old and under starting at 11 a.m. The participants donning their best farmer duds will walk away with special prizes.

One of the highlights of the event is the breakfast, which will include pancakes, real maple syrup, honey, hash browns, ham, cheese, milk, cranberry juice, coffee, ice cream and strawberries. There is a requested donation for those wishing to attend the event, with children 3 years old and under free.

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Alliant Energy, Adams-Columbia Electric Coopera-tive and WE Energies crew-members worked tirelessly for three days to restore power to residents following the line of severe weather that hit the area on June 14.

At the peak, Alliant Energy reported 3,350 Waushara County customers without power following the storm; ACEC saw 6,700 of their cooperative members in the 12 Central Wisconsin Counties they service were affected by the storm – the majority of outages located in Waushara County; and WE Energies, which services the northwest corner of the county, serviced 1,000 customers in need of assistance in the Bloomfield area following the storm.

Understanding Waushara County had the most need, the Alliant Energy and ACEC sent in contractors and line technicians from other locations from across the state to help with restoring power to the area.

Alliant Energy linemen came in from other parts of Central Wisconsin as well as the southern part of the state to assist, while ACEC received help from the statewide Electric Cooperative of Wisconsin with sending crewmembers from Vernon Electric Cooperative and Oakdale Electric Cooperative and ordering supplies.

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After a line of severe weather came barreling through Waushara County on June 14 the aftermath could be seen for miles.

Fallen trees, power lines and structural damage to homes and sheds were reported as the entire county was affected. According to Waushara County Sheriff Jeff Nett in an email sent on June 15, the Town of Richford, Town of Dakota, Town of Wautoma, City of Wautoma, Town of Mt. Morris, Village of Wild Rose, Town of Springwater and Town of Saxeville received the most damage.

The only injury reported to the sheriff’s department was from a man who received minor cuts and scrapes after a tree fell through his window and he was struck by glass, Nett stated. “This was the only Emergency Medical call dispatched -- with all the damage it was quite remarkable,” he added.

By Friday, June 16, members from the National Weather Service out of Green Bay traveled to Waushara County to survey the destruction. Nett said the surveyors were looking at two paths of storms -- the first location was from Wild Rose northeast to Gilbert Lake area and the other from Mt. Morris to Saxeville.

“That was where all of the damage and reports of problems were, so it worked hand and hand with what was showing on their radar,” he said.

When the surveyors arrived, Nett took them to the hardest hit areas so they could make a determination if the storm damage occurred from straight-line winds or from two tornadoes. According to one meteorologist, some of the damage indicated a downward burst or microburst of air, like a bomb of air went off, explained to Nett.

To determine if Saxeville and Wild Rose were hit by tornadoes or high winds, the National Weather Service will look at the video drone footage Emergency Management Director and Waushara County Sheriff Lt. Mark Piechowski obtained of the storm damage on June 19, trained weather observations, radar and storm destruction at the scene, stated Nett.

Having spent the past week traveling to different locations throughout the county, Piechowski reported there were a lot of fallen trees, trees leaning against houses, cars damaged, trees hitting roofs and corners of houses as well as a barn that was completely flattened in the Dakota/Richford area.

Piechowski said he is still mapping out the destruction, but believes the hardest hit was around Round Lake and Gilbert Lake near Wild Rose. Piechowski also confirmed the evacuation of the area surrounding Round Lake at about 5 p.m. on June 14 following a report of a gas leak that occurred due to a tree tipping over and snapping a gas line.

Looking back, Piechowski recalls there was little notice from the weather service, having received a severe thunderstorm warning at 2:14 p.m. with the storm hitting at about 2:30 p.m.

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Board of the Waushara County Department of Human Services will hold a Public Forum inviting local citizen input into the Department’s 2018 annual budget, service priorities and future planning. The forum will be held on Tuesday, June 27, at 9 a.m. in Room 109 of the Waushara County Courthouse, 213 West Park Street, Wautoma.

Waushara County Department of Human Services administers a broad range of state mandated services including Adult Protective Services, Birth to Three Program, Child Protective Services, Youth Justice Services, and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention Services. The Department also oversees and distributes State programs and funds from private agencies/donors to Waushara County citizens who meet specific qualifications. se programs include Badger Care, Medical Assistance, Food Share, Childcare Assistance and other emergency services. The Department monitors the quality of services provided to local residents and ensures that Federal, State and local funds are used appropriately.

Waushara County’s Department of Human Services provides crucial programming for community members. Many citizens are suffering from traumatic and painful life events such as the loss of a loved one, family abandonment, medical problems, etc. One of our consumers recently commented that if it had not been for Human Services staff, she “probably wouldn’t have survived” a recent crisis. She had wonderful things to say about Human Services staff’s patience and caring attitude. This type of feedback happens frequently and is a reflection of the hard work and dedication provided by the Department’s staff.

Services collaborates with regional partners in order to better meet the needs of our consumers while pooling resources. Such a partner recently commented that the staff of the Waushara County Human Services is a pleasure to work with. Another partner reported witnessing our staff defusing and de-escalating challenging circumstances. The partner said our staff’s “words were velvet”. Services also collaborates with other county departments, local schools, community groups and agencies to enhance a cooperative spirit and partner for the benefit of all Waushara County citizens.

In addition to helping people manage and thrive despite mental health concerns and addictions, disabilities and financial hardships, the Department works to help keep children and the community safe. The Department’s Child and Family Services team recently received accommodations from Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Family Services: “As one of the highest performing counties statewide, Waushara County demonstrated the exceptional performance (rating) of 99.13 percent”.

If you or a loved one is in need of assistance, please contact the Waushara County Department of Human Services at (920) 787-6600 or (920) 787-6550. If you have questions or concerns regarding the Public Forum, please contact Dawn Buchholz at (920) 787-6600. Remember that Human Services is working hard for you.

The Waushara County Board of Supervisors voted to declare a state of emergency for the county during a special meeting on Friday, June 23.

“The reason for the meeting is to apply for funds through the Wisconsin Disaster Fund we have to declare a state of emergency,” explained Emergency Management Director and Waushara County Sheriff Lt. Mark Piechowski. “(The state) said we have to have a resolution in place to be eligible for any money from the Wisconsin Disaster Fund.”

The WDF is a state reimbursement program put in place to help local governments recoup costs incurred while responding to, and recovering from, natural disasters, according to the Wisconsin of Military Affairs Division of Emergency Management website. The state program reimburses up to 70 percent of the eligible costs, with the local governments responsible for the other 30 percent.

“By doing this resolution we have a chance of getting the money – if we don’t do it we have no chance,” explained Board Chair Donna Kalata.

Piechowski advised the supervisors there is substantial damage throughout the county that is “causing the county to expand, commit and exhaust its pertinent and available resources,” according to the declaration presented to the board.

During the meeting, Piechowski gave a detailed presentation about the storm damage sustained, stating state assessors found 70 places which had minor to severe damage – 21 with minor damage, which consisted of holes in a roof or garage destroyed; major damage was sustained on five homes; and four residences were completely destroyed. Four businesses were also affected, three of which were campgrounds suffering severe destruction.

As of Friday, $744,590 is the total public sector damage within the county, but the number will need to be updated and is probably over $750,000, according to Piechowski.

The Wisconsin Emergency Management Department of Military Affairs Uniform Disaster Situation Report being filled out by Piechowski requests funding from WDF and lays out the specific locations most affected by the storm, including the Towns of Saxeville, Springwater, Dakota, Wautoma, Deerfield, Mt. Morris, Richford, Marion, Village of Wild Rose and City of Wautoma. The Town of Saxeville and Village of Wild Rose already have been declared a disaster, while a declaration is pending from the Town of Springwater.

To conclude his presentation, Piechowski explained to the supervisors the funds the county will be applying for are limited. Since several areas in the state did get hit by the storm and sustained as much or more damage the county may not get the maximum 70 percent requested from the state.

District 3 Supervisor Larry Timm asked Piechowski about building damages to which Piechowski explained those types of damages will be left up to the individual residents as the funds the county will be applying is for public assistance.

“We don't have enough damage to qualify for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency funds) – that would have to be a presidential declaration and is not going happen based on the numbers right now,” Piechowski said. “The theory from the state is if they had insurance that is who they have to go to. We did not meet that threshold for other funding.”

Waushara County Relay for Life, a community event to raise cancer awareness, will take place at the Wautoma High School Track from 5 p.m. on Aug. 4 to midnight on Aug. 5.

The event allows for teams and community members gather free of charge to walk the track to help raise awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society. This year’s theme is “Relay Reunion” and will include activities such as a DJ, silent auction, concessions, scavenger hunt, free children’s games, dairy dig, basket drawing, bean bag toss, reunion games, dress up relays, football toss, fishing game, photo booth and face painting. Prizes will also be awarded for teams that bring past Relay photos and t-shirts.

Visitors and participants are invited to join in on the fun, food, games and music at 524 S. Cambridge St., Wautoma.

For more information, contact Wendy Staven at (715) 459-1878, email Wendy.staven@cancer.org, or visit www.relayforlife.org/wausharawi.