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FREE PRESS AMERY

1892 - 2017

125 YEARS STRONG

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2017

VOL. 123 NO. 21 www.theameryfreepress.com $1.00

SPORTS: State-bound tennis team makes history PAGE 19

City offers MooreSykes Administrator position BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM

JESSICA DE LA CRUZ | AMERY FREE PRESS

Pam and Ray Johnson (right) announced the sale of Waterside Bar and Grill to Brian Stugelmayer and Theresa Curry (left), who recently relocated to the area from the Twin Cities.

Waterside changes hands BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM

Pam and Ray Johnson announced this week that Waterside Bar and Grill on Lake Wapogasset has been sold to Brian Stugelmayer and Theresa Curry, who recently relocated to the Amery area from the Twin Cities. The Johnsons have owned the lakeside hotspot since 2004, prior to which it was Leberty’s

Landing. Under their ownership, a fi re caused by a malfunctioning furnace closed the restaurant in 2005. But the couple rebuilt bigger and better, and reopened Waterside just over a year later. After a total of 33 years in the restaurant business, Pam and Ray have been looking forward to retirement. But they won’t be going anywhere. Pam hopes to spend more time with grandchildren and attend SEE WATERSIDE PAGE TWO

Following a closed-session meeting with Gary Weiers of the hiring firm David Drown Associates on October 4, the Amery City Council voted unanimously to offer the position of Amery City Administrator to Kimberlai Moore-Sykes. The council took the matter under consideration after initially offering the position to Robert Kazmierski, the City Administrator for Barron. Kazmierski declined the city’s offer after receiving a pay increase to remain in Barron. The city will now enter into contract negotiations with Moore-Sykes, the deMoore-Sykes tails of which have yet to be voted on and approved. Moore-Sykes, a Shell Lake graduate, has extensive city administration experience as the Assistant City Manager in St. Anthony, Minn., from 2004 to 2012 but left when the city eliminated the position and laid her off. She has taken several interim City Administrator positions since that time, and also worked as the Human Resources Director for Sibley County Minn. from 2013 to 2016. She is currently working as the City Administrator in Gaylord, Minn. A meeting to approve contract details has been scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 11.

Amery’s offer to manage Stower trail meets mixed reviews BY SUZANNE LINDGREN AND JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM

The question of whether ATVs and snowmobiles should be allowed on the Stower Seven Lakes State Trail (SSLST) proved contentious again last week as recreational vehicle riders and silent sports advocates each pled their case to the county’s Environmental Services Committee. On the committee’s agenda: consideration of an unofficial

proposal from the City of Amery to partner with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as the trail’s sponsor and managing coordinator. Because of a scheduling mix-up, the committee listened to public comment on the issue but did not discuss the matter or take further action. Reviews of Amery’s offer were mixed. Ten residents encouraged the county not to hand management of the trail over to Amery and nine seemed to support the

proposal. “When we started this process this board changed its resolution … to show that it was an open process,” said Sheri Hoiby of Dresser. “Now, by coming forward and talking about entering into an agreement with Amery (the process would be closed). … It should be an open and fair process.” “If I want to have representation I have no means to do so if Amery is in charge of the trail,” SEE TRAIL PAGE TWO

SUZANNE LINDGREN | THE SUN

A segment of the Stower Seven Lakes State Trail in the Town of Osceola.

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