BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 VOL. 55 NO. 2 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
JASE ROBERTSON: Family, faith and duck calls. P8
State candidates square off in Milltown Incumbents and challengers offer different paths to addressing Northwest Wisconsin’s biggest issues BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
MILLTOWN— State Senate and Assembly candidates provided local voters with evening of their time on Tuesday, September 20. Attendees likely found few surprises. But, for those yet undecided, the event did offer a head-to-head snapshot of each candidate’s platform and presentation style.
The evening was moderated by Burnett County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Kutz. It covered a wide swath of topics in just two and a half hours, including: education, voter turnout, redistricting, shoreland zoning, campaign finance reform, local control, business development, minimum wage and drug and alcohol abuse. Candidates opened by introducing themselves and were asked to outline their three most important issues. Assembly candidate Vincent Zilka felt that his military background prepared him for the task of public office, and outSEE CANDIDATES, PAGE 12
Mill rate to drop in Webster again TODD BECKMANN SENTINEL
WEBSTER—For the second year in a row, school taxes on property within the Webster School District is expected to drop following action at Monday’s annual meeting of the district’s school board. Electors approved a $6,517,898 projected tax levy for the 2016-17 school year — a decrease in revenue of $137,000, roughly two percent. The final budget numbers are not required to be in until the end of October so the number could change by then, but for now the school district is projecting a three percent increase in property valuation, driving the mill rate to $5.73 — compared to last year’s rate of $5.99. That equates to $573 for a taxpayer
owning $100,000 of property within the district. “Our revenue decreased about $70,000 last year and $137,000 this year,” superintendent Jim Erickson explained. “That’s a loss of $200,000 in the last two years — at some point, we’ll have to make cuts but I’m not ready to propose anything for this year.” Said another way, Erickson doesn’t envision any changes to proJim Erickson grams or personnel. “We’ll even look at a small bump in SEE MILL RATE, PAGE 6
TODD BECKMANN | SENTINEL
Crush Clayton, crush cancer Lukas Hunter (right) looks on gleefully as Siren football coach Ryan Karsten gets “egged” by members of the Dragons football squad during Friday’s pepfest. Between selling chances to “egg” or “pie” a staff member, the school raised over $1,000 to offset librarian Christine Sundberg’s medical expenses as she battles breast cancer. More homecoming photos on Pages 10-11. Details on Siren’s win over Clayton in Sports.
She’s ready to vote in her 20th presidential election BY STEVE BRIGGS SENTINEL
WEBSTER—It took time to convince people she was serious about voting and to get the paperwork in order, but now Vivian Johnson is ready to cast her ballot in the November 8 presidential election. It will be her 20th time voting for a president.
“Look, I am 100 years old and I am going to vote. It’s important. Some people think their vote doesn’t count, but if everyone felt that way, where would we be? Every vote matters. I never miss a chance to vote,” Johnson firmly declared. She added, “The law allows every citizen a vote. If you don’t vote, you have only yourself to blame. It might not go your way, but don’t say your vote doesn’t
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count.” When you’re 100 years old, planning to vote is easier said than done, especially if you have just moved. Johnson’s first hurdle was to get people to believe her. “I was uhappy when no one took me seriously when I said I wanted to vote,” she said. “The more I thought I couldn’t vote, the more I wanted to vote,” she insisted. “So, I kept asking and asking what I
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need to do, and finally I got some help,” she laughed. Johnson lived her first 99 years in Swiss Township and Village of Danbury before moving one year ago into Countryside Acres Assisted Living on County Road C northeast of Webster. That move made her a resident of Jackson Township, and under Wisconsin’s new
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SEE VOTER, PAGE 7
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