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By Lydia Statz Union staff writer
JEFFERSON — The Wisconsin College of Osteopathic Medicine is nearing completion of its all-important feasibility study, a school representative said Tuesday as he reassured the City of Jefferson that the project remains on track. Luke Chiarelli appeared before the Jefferson Common Council Tuesday to present an update on the overall project and feasibility study that will determine the future of the development. Chiarelli is an attorney with Mawicke & Goisman in Milwaukee, which represents Sanctuary Ridge site developer Todd
$%%$/0-, %*--# $%%-/1 1 ! $,#0 2. -,*5 JEFFERSON — The City of Jefferson will pay only about $600 for flood control and recovery efforts this past spring, the common council learned Tuesday. Jefferson Police Department Capt. Mike Drew updated the council on the Wisconsin Disaster Fund application his department has completed for the 2013 flooding season. This spring, the city’s rivers reached their third-highest crests in the city’s history, leveling out at 12.31 feet on April 20. The city incurred costs mainly related to the placing and removal of sandbags as it attempted to help homeowners within the floodplain escape water damage. (Continued on page 7)
Schultz and currently is retained by the Wisconsin College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCOM). The feasibility study, being prepared by Dan Connell of MidKeys Consulting, looks at the fi-
nancial and logistical support available to the college, as well as the needs of the project to move forward successfully, to help determine whether developing a college in a specific location is a
viable option. “The feasibility study basically outlines the business plan,” said Chiarelli. “It encompasses both the financial stack, everything from grant monies, private
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investments, the operating capital, the capital to purchase, rebuild or build a facility; all of that financial stack has to be put together.” At this point, the college like-
ly will require a total startup investment in excess of $70 million, coming from a variety of sources, Chiarelli said, adding that such a significant amount of capital has raised questions, but the consultant preparing the study has remained optimistic. “As soon as that feasibility study is completed, that will go down to the accreditation bureau, which basically looks at all colleges,” he said. “They will review that study, ensure that the college can get off the ground in terms of construction, hiring of staff, facilities, teachers, the academics, and then, obviously, get through the first students.” Chiarelli said the study likely (Continued on page 7)
!/!- *. )!)+-% ( ! % /%+* /0- 2 A dedication ceremony for the new Fort Atkinson Veterans Memorial at McCoy Park will be held at 11 a.m. this Saturday. Designed by the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2012-13 Project LEAD class, the memorial is intended to serve and enhance the community while offering a place to honor those persons who have served in all branches of the military. The memorial features an eight-flag display representing the five military branches, as well as the American, Wisconsin and POW flags. In addition, benches for reflection and engraved paver stones recognizing men and women who have served in the nation’s military have been installed. With the support of the community, the class raised more than $70,000 to make the Fort Atkinson Veterans Memorial a reality. Kramer Enterprises of Fort Atkinson was hired for the concrete work and Watertown Memorial Co. completed the engraving on the memorial. All project sponsors, donors, and community members are invited to attend the dedication ceremony. Some seating will be provided, but it is limited. Individuals are
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By Ryan Whisner Union regional editor
JEFFERSON — The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office has been asked to again review the 1988 drowning of an 8-yearold Racine boy at a Rome campground, this time as a possible second-degree murder case. In a letter to Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ, Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Weston inquires whether Happ con-
sidered second-degree murder when reviewing the investigation in the drowning of Artis Echoles. The boy’s death was ruled an accidental drowning in 1988 by then-Jefferson County Coroner Ewald Reichert. His body was recovered on Sunday, June 19, 1988 — exactly 25 years ago today — in a man-made pond at the Bark River Campground, located 2.5 miles south of Rome on Hanson Road in the Town of Sullivan. An autopsy by Dr. Jack Bau-
man found that Echoles’ death was a result of asphyxia from accidental drowning, with no other indicators on the body. Weston previously had reopened the probe and ordered a “John Doe” hearing at the request of Echole’s mother, Carmin White of Racine. White is convinced that a then23-year-old Racine man killed her son, based on the sheriff’s office reports she found last year among her late father’s belong-
ings. By statute, when a “John Doe” complaint is filed by someone other than a district attorney, the judge must determine from the petition whether there is reason to believe a crime has been committed. However, based upon her review of the investigation of the boy’s death per Judge Weston’s order in April, Happ stated that she would not reopen the file and deemed that her file on the case
be closed. She stated that there were no facts made in the original investigation from which she could conclude, beyond a reasonable doubt or lesser standard, that criminal conduct had occurred. Further, she stated that there were no reasonable or credible eyewitness statements that would suggest that the boy was the victim of a criminal act. Although disappointed, White (Continued on page 9)
encouraged to bring a chair to the dedication. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place at Fort Atkinson High School. It will include music performed by the Fort Atkinson Community band, a local soloist singing the “Star-Spangled Banner” and multiple guest speakers. Service flags will be posted by local veterans and representa(Continued on page 8)
%*%*# .%/! !.. +0/ +" 0 #!/ MADISON (AP) — A provision designed to limit public access to the proposed site of an iron ore mine near Lake Superior will not be included in the state budget, Assembly Republican leaders said Wednesday. Speaker Robin Vos and Majority Leader Scott Suder said the provision, which Democrats were told Tuesday night would be added to the budget, has been removed. The last-minute change in plans came as the Assembly was scheduled to vote on the $70 billion state budget Wednesday. Access to the mine site was one of more than two dozen issues Republicans spent Tuesday discussing in private negotiations. Other changes up for a vote Wednesday would repeal a cap on property taxes for disabled veterans, delay loosening of requirements for high-capacity wells and expand Racine’s private school voucher program. The Assembly originally was scheduled to spend 12½ hours debating the budget over Tuesday and Wednesday. But they spent (Continued on page 16)
+-/ +0* %( . "0* - %.%*# "+0)!-.+*5. +* .$!(/!- ,-+&! / By Ryan Whisner Union regional editor
Fundraising for construction of a facility that kicks off a plan to revitalize the Haumerson’s Pond area and Bark River Nature Park was approved Tuesday by the Fort Atkinson City Council. The council heard a presentation from the Friends of Haumerson’s Pond, a newly formed organization seeking to rehabilitate the area that formerly was a center of winter recreation. Organization founder Steve Mode presented his vision of the
multi-phase concept of redeveloping the park. “My theory on this whole park is to have the community build it by the community for the community,” Mode said. “For me, it’s a passion. It is a special place and something that needs to come back.” He pointed out that young people today don’t even know about skating at Haumerson’s Pond. “That was the center of the life,” Mode said. “That was where everybody went. The travesty of the thing is that we have lost the generation of kids that had an
opportunity to skate there. I think they would have skated if they had the opportunity to do it.” Prior to garnering approval from the city council Tuesday, Mode twice had made presentation to the Fort Atkinson Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Both it and the council members were supportive of the community effort. Councilperson John Mielke was nostalgic about the site, echoing Mode’s description of it being the center and hub of ac(Continued on page 7)
JEFFERSON
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A Bunch of Giveaways! 10 - $25 Gas Cards, GRAND including Mallards Tickets, Mt. Olympus (with Pepsi Purchase) OPENING! Passes Pepsi Challenge Fri 11:30-1
Kids 507 S. Main St., Jefferson Coloring Contest 920-674-5727
June 21-28
Pizza Sampling Sat 10-2 (Lots of FREE Stuff
Beer Sampling: Fri. 21st 2-5, Sat. 22nd 1-3
with use of Smart Rewards Card)
.99¢
Any Size Fountain Drink Jefferson Citgo Location Only.
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(Continued from page 1) will be completed within the next 30 to 60 days, and first will be presented to the college’s board members and city officials before being sent to osteopathic college accrediting body. The City of Jefferson has largely funded the study through a $250,000 incentive payment, funded through the city’s tax increment financing district. A second payment of equal value is scheduled to be made in the future, upon the beginning of construction on the site. Also addressed were the recent changes in the college’s leadership. The Daily Union reported last week that the college appeared to have parted ways with its president and CEO, Dr. Gregg Silberg, who had previously been the public face of the organization. Chiarelli officially confirmed that Silberg has been terminated from his position at WCOM, but said he does not believe the shakeup will have any ill effects upon the project’s outcome.
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(Continued from page 1) tivity. “You guys have done a lot of groundwork already and covered a lot of bases and I just think its flat-out cool,� he said. Council President Davin Lescohier noted that the project is a good example of what is done in Fort Atkinson. “As a community, we embrace good ideas and find ways to get things done,� he said. In this case, Lescohier said, the Friends of Haumerson’s Pond have taken a big idea, mobilized a grassroots effort and established a multi-phase plan to revitalize a part of the community within a few short months. Citing a statement Mode made at his presentation to the Parks board, the council president agreed that the area was indeed “a gem waiting to be polished.� The first phase of the project includes reconstruction of a warming shed, enabling ice skating to resume on the pond that saw more than 70 years of residents gliding across its frozen surface.
! “We have no bad feelings toward him, but the board simply chose to go in a different direction,� he said. “As far as Dr. Silberg goes, we wish him well. We don’t know where his ventures will take him next, but as far as the board is concerned, they’re simply moving forward.� The college’s board of directors currently is vetting candidates to fill the now-vacant dean position, with plans to fill the opening by the time the study is submitted to the accrediting body. “The college doesn’t really need a dean to do anything at (this) point,� he said. “By the end of summer, early fall, we will need a dean, because that’s the person who ultimately hands the feasibility study to the accreditation bureau. But this shift in leadership really has no impact on the feasibility study or the timeframes.� One of the largest challenges facing WCOM or any developing medical college is creating enough residency programs to service the new medical students
! they will create. While the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) requires every osteopathic school to prove it can provide residency spots for 98 percent of its graduating students in order to be eligible for accreditation, medical residencies largely are funded through Medicare, and the federal government has capped the number of funded residency slots since 1997. Chiarelli said he believes the study would answer any lingering questions about the viability of creating those programs, although he didn’t dwell on specifics. “The feasibility study is not just the numbers, but it’s also the logistics of the college,� he said. “And that part has not seemed to be any issue at all.� Although the results of the study will not be available for several more weeks, Chiarelli remained confident that Jefferson is the answer to all of the school’s problems. “The college has been looking
for basically a home for quite a few years now, throughout the State of Wisconsin and, actually, probably most of the Midwest,â€? he said. “And if you drew a circle around various locations and said, ‘Where would a good location be for a medical college?’ ‌ If you looked for cities, employment, transportation, Jefferson sits right in the heart of every-
mountain bike and cross-country ski trails throughout the Bark River Nature area, as well as a disc golf course. The improvements of phase two are contingent on acquiring the use of Probst Field from the School District of Fort Atkinson, an open area that abuts the Bark River Nature Park and once was used as a practice facility for the high school. However, today, the school district rarely uses that area and the land is all but abandoned. Mode has met with school district officials, who appear open to working with the city on an agreement that would include the district maintaining a playable soccer-sized field for use. The proposed third phase of the project would include rehabilitation of the pond itself, including dredging. Mode said this would come later in the development timeline because application procedures permitting required by the state Department of Natural Resources could delay this work somewhat. Finally, a fourth phase would
see the addition of a parking lot for approximately 30 vehicles, along with landscaping around the pond and trailhead area to finish off the project. Mode said that although the organization eventually would like to see all its plans realized, the keystone to the development is construction of the building. “It is something that park deserves,� he said. “It is kind of a blight right now. The nature trails are beautiful, but there is a lot of it that could be upgraded and could be very nice.� For the design process, Mode said organizers have met with those who will be in charge of maintaining such a structure. Current plans call for the building to be designed with three large garage doors to open during flooding and allow water to run right through the building instead of expending city efforts sandbagging. Additionally, building materials below the 100year-flood mark will be cream city brick and concrete to aid in cleanup, with no metal or wood appearing on the structure until
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" “What we’re proposing is not only to bring Haumerson’s Pond to life as a skating rink,� Mode said. “What we want to do is put a building done there that is kind of a legacy building.� The proposed timber-frame building will sit near the edge of the pond and occupy a footprint of about 25-by-40 feet. Mode said he and another volunteer, Craig Roost, have designed the building to appear as if it could have stood on the site during the location’s days as a brickyard almost a century ago. In terms of viewing the facility as something for skating, Mode acknowledged it would be a rather impressive structure. Organizers considered it as something similar to what might be seen at a state park. “Skating season can be very limiting,� he said. “The only way we saw fit to do a building like that is to make that park more of a year-round place.� Following construction of the warming shed, the suggested second phase of the project would include the addition of several
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#$$#/0-, /#0.-,0' *# $-/ -,*5 (Continued from page 1) In order to be eligible for reimbursement of those costs from the Wisconsin Disaster Fund, the city must have incurred costs higher than $3.39 per capita, or $26,896 for the City of Jefferson. Drew estimates the city spent approximately $30,100 in reimbursable wages, equipment, contract work, materials and damages, putting the city over the threshold. Of that total, the state will reimburse the city for approximately $20,000, leaving the city
with $10,000 in local responsibility. An extra $9,400 credit for utilizing volunteer labor will then be applied, leaving the city with only $600 in bills for flood recovery. City Administrator Tim Freitag commended Drew for his work on the application and noted how well the process worked in the city’s favor. “It’s the first time we’ve used it, and it is a lot of work,� he said. “But it is an excellent way to recapture or recoup a lot of the costs that we spent last April.�
thing. A fantastic community.� He said that even if plans for the college do not come to fruition at this point, he remains confident that the study will show a school at the former St. Coletta of Wisconsin campus site is viable and profitable, and other investors will step in to make it a reality. The college announced on Feb.
However, Drew noted that the area might be facing more of these disaster applications in the future. “It’s interesting that the top seven have been since 2000,� said Drew. “That’s something we need to keep in mind and maybe work into the budget process.� Also on Tuesday, the council heard a presentation from a representative of the Wisconsin College of Osteopathic Medicine regarding the project’s progress and the school’s ongoing feasibility study that will determine the
1 it had chosen Jefferson to develop the state’s first osteopathic college after previous plans to develop a school in Wausau fell through. Slated for the Sanctuary Ridge site on Jefferson’s east side, it could bring up to $65 million annually to the region and would be slated to open its doors in 2015 were construction to begin on schedule this summer.
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well above the high-water mark. Mode said the DNR has given its approval of the proposed building site. He acknowledged that he and Roost have an aggressive schedule. “Our goal is to have a building in place by next winter so children can start skating again at Haumerson’s Pond,� Mode said. “We do know a lot of that is dependent on fundraising, how fast stuff comes in and how fast we can get working on it. We’re trying to get a lot of pieces in place in a short time.� To make a contribution, persons may send checks payable to “Fort Atkinson Community Foundation� to 244 N. Main St., Fort Atkinson, WI, 53538, or drop it off at the chamber office between Monday and Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Indicate on the memo line that the tax-exempt donation is for Friends of Haumerson’s Pond fund. Direct donations can also be made by credit card at http://fortfoundation.org/donor-information/make-a-donation-now.
Further information on how to made specific contributions will be released as available through the Friends of Haumerson’s Pond. Those interested also may follow the group on Facebook. Also Tuesday, the city council members: • Approved a $23,125 bid from J.W. Schultz Construction for the 2013 curb-and-gutter contract for installation of 2,500 linear feet of curb-and-gutter on Hilltop Trail. • Authorized waiver of the city’s sewer ordinance for Chemair Helicopter Inc. to construct a hangar at the airport. • Amended the zoning of 1040 Whitewater Ave. from R-1, single family residential to R-3, multifamily residential/office district. • Reviewed and approved minor amendments to the listing contract with MLG Commercial Inc. for the Klement Business Park. • Approved a Class A intoxicating liquor and fermented malt beverage license for Fort Community Credit Union d/b/a SaiMart 2 at 1285 Madison Ave.
1- !-3#/ $*--" /#!-3#/5 #$$-/10 development’s viability (see story on page 1). In other business, the council: • Authorized the hiring of Neil Taylor as an additional full-time police officer. • Heard the results of an audit of the City’s 2012 finances completed by the financial firm Baker Tilly. In nearly every measure, the city performed above average, and the firm’s representative congratulated the city on a very positive year. The council voted unanimously to accept the re-
FACES IN THE CROWD This week’s faces seen at Fort Atkinson Community Band Concert Monday, June 17, 2013 One of last week’s winning faces: Chad Nimm, Fort Atkinson
sults of the audit. • Heard the first reading of a proposed ordinance change that would prohibit parking on the south side of West Green Street from South Main Street to the west terminus. • Authorized the closure of Chrysler Boulevard for the annual Jefferson Cruise Nights Classic Car Show events. The street will be closed between 3 and 10 p.m. on July 3, Aug. 7 and Sept. 4. • Acknowledged the review of the Compliance Maintenance An-
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nual Report for the city’s wastewater treatments system. The city’s governing body is required to inform the Department of Natural Resources that it has received and reviewed this report annually. • Approved a beer and wine license for Tomorrow’s Hope Hope Fest at the Jefferson County Fair Park on July 19 and 20. • Approved several operator’s licenses. The complete list of approved licenses is on file at the city clerk’s office.
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RHINELANDER (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ carnivore specialist says attacks by black bear in Wisconsin are unusual, despite two such incidents so far this spring. David MacFarland, in Rhinelander, says black bear are not aggressive animals and usually don’t attack, so the recent attacks in Wisconsin are rare incidents. In the most recent attack in
" " " $ Burnett County Monday night, a man’s dog initiated contact with a bear outside a cabin near Shell Lake before the bear mauled the man and ran off. The man was taken to a hospital in the Twin Cities. Last month, Gerre Ninnemann’s dog tangled with a bear outside in Marinette County before it attacked the man. His wife hit the bear over the head with a gun. That bear was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy.
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