BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2015 VOL. 54 NO. 13 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
VALUE-ADDED GRANT: Burnett Dairy to produce meat-infused string cheese. P2
Sirentel to bring fiber to Webster BY TODD BECKMANN SENTINEL
SIREN—Sid Sherstad, the president of Sirentel, was told he needed to be at the Governor’s Northern Wisconsin Economic Summit last week in Trego. “I was planning to go anyway but I was told I had to be there,” he shared with a laugh. Why? Sirentel was the recipient of a $150,000 grant, part of the $1.5 million Governor Scott Walker and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin set aside for broadband projects. “We applied and were awarded the grant to bring fiber optics to Webster,” Sherstad explained. “It’s a $150,000 grant, which helps but doesn’t pay nearly the whole thing — but it does help subsidize what we’ll be doing.” The ‘doing’ involves burying cables, directional boring under the roads and locating other utilities so as not to cut lines. “It’ll be very good for the village — both businesses and residential customers,” he continued. “Webster was deemed a village which was being underserved by their current provider.” A number of entities were behind Sirentel and its efforts to bring fiber to Webster. “The village board, the superintendent of Webster Schools, Nate Ehalt, the county administrator and the Burnett County Development Association each wrote thoughtful, well-worded letters in support of our proposal,” Sherstad pointed out. “Each letter was in our application and helped us secure the grant.” As a ‘leap of faith,’ Sirentel is just bringing the option of fiber optics to Webster. “We’ll be building the main routes — under the streets and alleys, and making it available to every business and resident,” Sherstad remarked. “Then individual customers can decide if they want to ‘tie-in.’” And therein lies the unknown for Sherstad. “We don’’t know how many will take it,” he admitted. “Some may be happy with their current service, others may want to upgrade.” Sirentel won’t be doing the actual construction —they’ll focus on the expertise of splicing the lines and bringing the service to individual buildings.
TODD BECKMANN | SENTINEL
Clippity-clop Making their annual appearance during the “Christmas at the Forts” event last weekend, Coen’s Belgians were on hand to give visitors a horse-drawn wagon ride around the historical park property. More photos on Page 28.
Build it and they will come ... BY TODD BECKMANN SENTINEL
DANBURY—Taking a proactive stance in regard to the aging population which uses its facility, the Luther Park board of directors has embarked on an expansion plan to bring a ‘hotel-style’ adult and family retreat center to its property on Twenty Six Lake. “It’s just another way to expand our ministries — to serve the people who come here,” Joel Legred, Luther Park director, pointed out. Currently, the park has eight cabins, a welcome center, a campground, a bath house, a small retreat center and a dining hall/main lodge which
SEE SIRENTEL, PAGE 6
SEE PARK, PAGE 7
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