Daily News General Excellence Sept issue A section

Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at age 87 Page 5A

SATURDAY September 19, 2020 $1.50

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COVID cancels Kewaskum kickoff Positive case at Kewaskum High leads to quarantining and ‘insufficient number of players’ for first game

By Ashley Haynes ahaynes@conleynet.com 262-305-8934

KEWASKUM — There won’t be any Friday Night Lights for Kewaskum football players next week. Both

a scrimmage that was scheduled on Friday for the Indians and their Week 1 game in Sheboygan Falls, which was scheduled for Sept. 25, have been canceled.

According to a press release from the district, the cancella-

tions happened as there are “an insufficient number of players able to compete.”

Kewaskum School District Administrator Jim Smasal said Friday those dwindling numbers are related to COVID-19.

“We had a student or students test positive for COVID,” he said. “It doesn’t allow us, with quarantining and contact tracing, we don’t have sufficient numbers to be able to play the game.”

Smasal said this does not

SOUND OFF What do you think?

Phone: 262-513-2641 Email: soundoff@conleynet.com mean the district has canceled the entire football season and they are taking things one step at a time.

At this time, the district has not decided to cancel any other games following the

Sept. 25 game.

“We’re trying to do the best we can and keep kids safe but still have in-person education as well as our after-school activities. We always are aware that things like this might happen and when they do we follow the guidelines that we have to do and move on and hope for the best,” Smasal said.

See KEWASKUM, PAGE 5A

WASHINGTON OZAUKEE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT

AUTUMN FUN APLENTY

Officer: Parents have sent COVID-positive kids to school Says they’re ‘jeopardizing the ability to have school in person and other people’s health’

By Ashley Haynes ahaynes@conleynet.com 262-305-8934

Photos by Art Dahlke

Tricia Botsch of West Bend visits the petting zoo at Meadowbrook Farm with her daughters, Lilliana, Emmalynn and Natallie.

WASHINGTON COUNTY — The job of the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department (WOPHD) continues to be a difficult one.

During a Friday morning meeting of the Joint Washington Ozaukee Board of Health, Health Officer Kirsten Johnson outlined several ongoing struggles aligned with the start of the school year — including parents lying about their students’ COVID-19 test results.

“Something that continues to happened and happened on the very first day of

SOUND OFF What do you think?

Phone: 262-513-2641 Email: soundoff@conleynet.com school, which I never in my wildest dreams imagined would happen, is people sent their known positive kids to school,” Johnson said. “The only reason we caught it was because one child in particular was so ill, by second period they went to the nurse’s office and the nurse had a list of the positive kids and said ’you’re not supposed to be here.’”

See SCHOOL, PAGE 6A

A mother duck and her brood parade across the parking lot.

By Kay Dahlke Special to the Daily News

WEST BEND — Fall fun galore can be found at Meadowbrook Pumpkin Farm & Market, 2970 Mile View Road.

In addition to pumpkins and other fall products, activities include a safari trail, a corn maze and a petting zoo, which is home to many heritage animals, including emus, rheas, heritage guinea hogs, fourhorned rams, turkeys, chickens, ducks, goats and more.

“Ours are probably the friendliest animals you’ll find in a petting zoo,” said owner Rick Takacs, who has been involved in the family farm since the 1950s.

COVID-19 regulations are enforced, with a requested 10foot distance between customers and a mandate to have a face mask for indoor activities.

Volume 165 • No. 40

Ramsey, a 2-year-old Jacob sheep, poses for a picture.

Say regulations imposed on foster parents infringe upon right to keep, bear arms

Meadowbrook Pumpkin Farm & Market owner Rick Takacs has lived on the family farm since the 1950s.

Outdoor activities will be ready for the public by the end of the month, while the petting zoo is open now.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the rest of September, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in October.

For more information, visit meadowbrookfun.com, email info@info m e a d o w b r o o k fun.com or call 262-338-3649.

Foster parents file Second Amendment lawsuit

By Ashley Haynes ahaynes@conleynet.com 262-305-8934

Pygmy goats hope for a handful of treats.

INDEX Business ................4B

Lottery ...................6A

Classified ...............5B

Obituaries ..............5A

Commentary..........4A

Sports ....................1B

Crossword........2B,6B

Weather .................6A

WEATHER Tomorrow: Sunny High 66 / Low 41 See complete forecast on Page 6A

WASHINGTON COUNTY — Two local foster parents believe they are being forced to choose between their Second Amendment rights and their desire to foster children.

A lawsuit filed in Washington County Circuit Court on July 27 seeks a declaratory judgment invalidating regulations that plaintiffs Brian and Katie Lafferty, as well as Wisconsin Carry, Inc., believe are unconstitutional.

The Laffertys are both licensed foster parents, have been foster parents in the past and would like to continue to foster children as needed.

Foster parents are licensed at the county level by the Washington County Human Services Department according to regulations provided by the state Department of Children and Families.

Both organizations are listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

The particular regulations that are being called into question, according to the lawsuit, state that “no loaded firearm may be kept in a foster home” and “no unloaded firearm or other dangerous weapon may be kept in a foster home unless stored and locked in an area not readily accessible by foster children.

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See LAWSUIT, PAGE 6A

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• DAILY NEWS • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020

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Fresh air, new knowledge

Submitted photo Submitted photo Submitted photo

Sixth-grade student Xander Collier wades into Silver Creek as he hunts for creatures.

WEST BEND — Teachers in the West Bend School District have been taking advantage of the remaining days of fair weather to get their students outside while learning. Here’s what some classes got into this week. Mrs. Jennifer Orth’s fourth-grade class at McLane Elementary did their math lesson on the playground this week.

Sixth-grade students at Silverbrook are learning about habitats. This week they visited Silver Creek behind the school to look for creatures that call Silver Creek home.

Here, sixth-grader Million Lin inspects what he caught in his net.

HUHS Board set to approve 2020-2021 budget Mill rate could see slight increase if plan approved as proposed

By Joe VanDeLaarschot jvan@conleynet.com 262-306-5054

HARTFORD — The Hartford Union High School Board of Education is expected to approve the district’s

2020-2021 preliminary budget when it meets Monday night.

The meeting is to begin at 5:45 p.m. in the HUHS Library Media Center. The proposed budget includes a very slight increase in the district’s mill rate and a

Speedbump

small increase in the district’s overall tax levy. The budget will receive final approval, and the tax levy certified during the district’s Annual Meeting to be held on Oct. 26.

According to information provided by the district’s Director of Business Services Mark Powell, the levy is projected to increase by 1.01 percent based on the July 1 aid estimate from the Department of Public Instruction to about $11,419,310 in 2020-2021 from about $11,304,762 in the

previous year.

Powell said in documents accompanying the proposed budget, in 2019-2020 a taxpayer with a $250,000 home would have paid $735.40 as the HUHS portion of their tax bill compared to a possible amount of $742.85 proposed for the same home in the 2020-2021 school year. The mill rate increase comes in much less than one-cent per thousand.

“The 2020-2021 budget was developed based on the approved Wisconsin bienni-

um budget for 2019-2021, however some adjustments have been made due to uncertainty in state funding and other restrictions related to COVID-19,” Powell said. “Any information from the state as to how 2020-2021 funding will affect school districts will not be known until after the first of the year.”

Final numbers still needed from the state and not expected to be received until early to mid-October will also have an impact on final numbers in the HUHS budget. Powell

said several revenue factors were also taken into account when preparing the preliminary budget that include: ■ The revenue limit projection assumes no increase in student enrollment and includes a $179 per pupil increase.

■ Open enrollment funding is expected to increase 4.5 percent.

■ Per pupil aid is $742 per student.

■ Due to COVID-19 no revenues for athletic events and tournaments have been budgeted at this time.

■ Special Education funding was expected to have a 30 percent reimbursement rate; however the budget reflects 26 percent.

General assumptions regarding expenditures that were taken into account in preparing the proposed preliminary budget include: ■ Salaries include the approved increase of 1.8 percent for all staff, ■ Health insurance rates are increasing 8 percent and dental insurance 3 percent.

■ Additional teachers to address social distancing concerns.

■ Administrative restructuring.

■ Reassignment of clerical and student supervision positions due to reassignment of duties.

■ Increased special education paraprofessionals to meet student needs and regulatory requirements.

■ Utility costs are increased by 3 percent.

■ Transportation costs are increased by 6.15 percent.

Powell said the district debt service levy follows the repayment schedule for the outstanding debt the district has incurred from various projects and refinancing. The preliminary budget does not include any of the levy going into the capital projects fund.

By the numbers: Washington/ Ozaukee County COVID-19 cases Confirmed cases

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IN MEMORIAM (1943-2020) James E. Conley Jr.

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Deaths ■ Washington County: 32 ■ Ozaukee County: 19

Cases per 100,000 population ■ Washington County: 1,603.1 ■ Ozaukee County: 1,327.5 ■ State average: 1,682.7

Case fatality percentage ■ Washington County: 1.5% ■ Ozaukee County: 1.6% ■ State average fatality percentage: 1.3%

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020 • DAILY NEWS • 3A

Richfield board OKs solution for issues with Zion Methodist Church land Trustees approve new CSM to put on record property issues

By Joe VanDeLaarschot jvan@conleynet.com 262-306-5054

RICHFIELD — Village trustees have approved a new certified survey map for the former Zion United Methodist Church property, which they feel will make clearer property lines for the land and put on record property peculiarities that if left unknown by the public could cause problems with future use of the land.

The new CSM joins specific parts of the property and puts on record that a well is shared by two of the three lots and a septic line for the properties runs underneath Willow Creek Road.

Several years ago, the landmark church, 3402 Willow Creek Road, had the congregation combined with the neighboring Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church of

Menomonee Falls. The building has been sitting vacant ever since. The trustees for the Richfield church have entered an agreement with area developer John Loosen for him to purchase the church building and the pastoral building to the east. The current owners requested approval by the village of the new CSM so the cemetery currently on the property is carved out and the burial plots that have been previously purchased will be preserved for future use.

“We learned the proceeds from the sale of the property to Mr. Loosen will go into a trust to help fully fund the maintenance and upkeep of the church cemetery,” said Village Administrator Jim Healy.

The Village Board Thursday night approved a recommendation from the Plan Commission to create a three-lot and one-outlot certi-

fied survey map for the church property. The proposal splits off the parsonage, then splits off the church with the parking area and then splits off the cemetery to make three separate parcels.

“We were talking about the church parsonage and the church itself sharing a well system and encouraging the property owner to create a utility agreement between the two properties so that in the future it is clear and unambiguous as to whose responsibility is what in relation to maintenance and upkeep and ultimate replacement in the future,” Healy said.

“With regard to the septic line that goes under Willow Creek Road, a portion which was just recently reconstructed, it stands to reason that it will be several decades before any substantive work occurs on the road again.

That’s why we want this in

Submitted photo

The Richfield Village Board on Thursday night approved a new certified survey map for the former Zion United Methodist Church property, shown in this recent photo at 3402 Willow Creek Road.

the face of the CSM so that in the future everybody knows it’s there and what’s going on. It will be recorded at the Washington County Register of Deeds office for everyone to see.”

Healy said it’s especially

Park Commission OKs transfer of funds for Special Olympics Red Rocket playground climber finds a new home

By Kendra Lamer klamer@conleynet.com 262-306-5095

WEST BEND — The Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department is continuing its ongoing support of the Special Olympics and therapeutic recreation with a recent funds transfer.

The commission passed a resolution Thursday which transferred $390.01 from the Youth And Retarded Citizens (Therapeutic Recreation Program) fund to an expense account for supplies for the Special Olympics program. The original resolution listed the amount as $397.82, but the amount was changed prior to the meeting.

Mary Seigle, a department employee, volunteers through the Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department for the Special Olympics.

“She has been a volunteer through our department for the Special Olympics for several decades. She volunteers hun-

dreds and hundreds of hours every year,” said Parks, Recreation & Forestry Director Mike Jentsch.

Jentsch said that when people think of the department, they often think of recreation like baseball and soccer, but the department also provides therapeutic recreation for those with different abilities.

Funding from the YARC fund may be used for operational costs, uniforms, athletic equipment or other supplies.

The majority of those funds are all donated through the city specifically for those programs.

The Common Council will have the final vote on the transfer during their next meeting on Sept. 28.

As of June 30, the YARC fund account had $6,722.

The commission also acknowledged a donation and volunteers for saving two iconic pieces from Barton Elementary School.

The Red Rocket playground climber previously located at the old Barton Ele-

mentary School was removed earlier this year and stored away.

Volunteers also removed a flag pole from the school which is now located at Firefighters’ Memorial Bluff.

In June, West Bend Parks, Recreation & Forestry staff and the Historic Barton Business Association teamed up to preserve the retro piece of playground equipment from the 1960s.

Park staff refurbished the rocket during the spring and installed it at Barton Park, 2100 North Salisbury Road.

The commission thanked Common Wealth Companies and Principal and Founder Louie Lang for their donation, HBBA and volunteers who were involved and Vrana Auto and Body Shop for storing the rocket.

“We’ve received many positive comments about saving this small piece of history from Barton,” said Jentsch. “I think it’s kind of a cool project to be able to pull something like that out, save it, restore it and put it in Barton Park for more generations to use.”

Ozaukee Public Works approves Shared Ride Taxi pilot proposal

By Christina Luick cluick@conleynet.com 262-224-4166

OZAUKEE COUNTY — The Ozaukee County Public Works Committee approved a crosscounty Shared Ride Taxi pilot proposal with Washington County Transit services.

Washington County still needs to review the proposal and vote on it.

This one-year pilot program would provide Shared Ride Taxi services across the Washington-Ozaukee County line.

Both counties will continue to operate as separate entities.

Services for the pilot program would begin April 1, 2021.

“The purpose of this pilot

program is to assess the need, cost and feasibility of a Shared Ride Taxi service that crosses county lines,” said Transit Superintendent Joy Neilson-Loomis.

Neilson-Loomis reported that the pilot program would be funded as an extension of the county’s Shared Ride Taxi services with the county levy and state funding. A Memorandum of Understanding between Ozaukee and Washington counties would be needed to set up the pilot program.

Duplicating services is not allowed with the program, meaning services will be limited to drop-offs in the other county. For example, an Ozaukee County resident would have to call Ozaukee County Shared Ride Taxi to schedule a drop-off in Washington County. Then they will need to call Washington County Shared Ride Taxi to schedule a return trip back to Ozaukee County.

Both counties will have to decide a fare amount for the cross-county pilot since Ozau-

important to village officials that money is being set aside for the future upkeep of the cemetery.

“That impacts the village because under state law if a cemetery becomes abandoned it becomes the responsibility

of the municipality it is in to perform the maintenance and upkeep,” Healy said.

Village officials, Healy said, also feel Loosen’s purchase of the property will breath new life into the church and related land.

Ice Age Trail Alliance releases Fall Color Map WASHINGTON COUNTY — The Ice Age Trail Alliance has released the Fall Color Map to help hikers plan their adventures during the fall hiking season.

The Ice Age Trail Fall Color Experience Map features Travel Wisconsin’s Fall Color Report and a comprehensive list of local attractions, dining, lodging and shopping along the Ice Age Trail.

The Fall Color Map can be found at bit.ly/2Edstk0.

Travel Wisconsin’s Fall Color Report can be found at www.travelwisconsin.com/f all-color-report.

The Fall Color Map is best used on a desktop computer and may not function properly on mobile devices.

Hikers can use the map to

plan hikes for the Mammoth Hike Challenge beginning Oct. 1.

The hike celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Ice Age Trail becoming a national scenic trail.

Participants will hike 40 miles on the Ice Age Trail during October and visit three trail communities to earn a hiking certificate and limited-edition patch celebrating the 40th anniversary.

Participants can hike, walk, run or backpack and log miles over days, weekends, weeks or one big adventure.

People of all abilities and ages are welcome.

To register for the Mammoth Hike Challenge, visit www.iceagetrail.org/mammoth-hike-challenge/.

kee and Washington counties use a different fare system for rides. The three fare options are setting fares that are zone based, flat fare or by direct mileage.

Neilson-Loomis said additional drivers and dispatchers may need to be hired to meet demand. She added that project management is estimated to take 10% to 15% of her time, so additional staff will be necessary to ensure compliance with ongoing Transit programs in Ozaukee and Washington counties.

Additional maintenance staff time also may need to be allocated due to the increase in vehicle miles, according to pilot program information.

IN BRIEF Concert on the Grass to benefit Disaster Relief Fund WEST BEND — St. John’s Lutheran and the West Bend Community Band are planning a fundraiser benefit that will help the Iowa LCMS Disaster Relief Fund for families affected by the 2020 derecho storm.

Concert on the Grass will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the east lawn of St. John’s Lutheran School, 809 S. 6th Ave. The West Bend Community Band/River City Irregulars will be performing from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees should bring a lawn chair, a blanket and a picnic lunch.

The derecho tempest blew through central and eastern Iowa on Aug. 10 with winds reaching 140 mph, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.

All donations collected at this event will help the LCMS Disaster Relief Fund and the Lutheran Early Response Team of Iowa.

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HOLIDAY EVENT! The Daily News & Washington County Post will publish a HOLIDAY EVENTS GUIDE on November 6 & 8.

Email us your holiday season events to share with our readers.

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Email us your event no later than October 21!

Here’s How: Email Amanda at abartelt@conleynet.com. In subject line of email please type “WA CO HOLIDAY EVENTS GUIDE LISTING”. In body of your message include: event name, date, times, address, a small description of the event and contact information in case we have any questions.

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• SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020

DAILY NEWS A Trusted News Source Since 1855

COMMENTARY

Bill Yorth, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Ashley Haynes, Managing Editor

WARING FINCKE

Trump’s Woodward tapes tell the tale Donald Trump’s hubris and arrogance is, once again, on full display as he tries in vain to avoid the fallout from the release of the tapes of his 18 interviews with journalist Bob Woodward. Woodward gained fame with his reporting about the Watergate burglary by people linked directly to then-President Richard Nixon. Woodward’s reporting led directly to Nixon’s resignation.

For some strange reason, given Woodward’s history and credibility, Trump agreed to recorded interviews with the journalist back in March just as the coronavirus pandemic was exploding across America. In those recorded interviews, Trump clearly states that he knew then how deadly the virus was and that it was easily transmitted through the air. He further told Woodward that he was downplaying the threat posed by the virus so as not to create a panic.

At the same time and for some time after, Trump was consistently telling the American people that the virus was no more serious than the common seasonal flu and that it would soon vanish. He continued to downplay the threat even as the infection rates and number of death continued to climb nationwide.

When confronted with the tapes, he admitted knowing how deadly the virus is and maintained his claim that he did not want to create a panic.

This is not a question of whether you should believe Woodward’s claims or not. You just have to listen to the tapes and compare them to Trump’s many televised briefings and statements at his mask-free and not-socially-distanced political rallies.

Trump’s misleading claims about the virus in the late spring were coupled with his administration’s lack of significant action to reduce the spread of the virus by promoting masks and social distancing or to invoke the Defense Production Act to produce much-needed personal protection equipment and ventilators for first responders and hospital workers. He continued to reject proposals to shut down parts of the economy to reduce large gatherings, instead holding large gatherings of his own.

We now approach 200,000 American dead from this killer virus. Most credible scientists in the area of infection control believe that Trump’s lack of action and misleading claims have cost many more deaths than were necessary.

Trump’s lack of credibility and the pressure of the upcoming election make it all but impossible to believe his current claims that a safe and effective vaccine for the virus will be widely available before Election Day. His own expert scientist and director of the Centers for Disease Control is only willing to say that the earliest a safe and effective vaccine might be widely available is by the spring, 2021. Trump further strains credibility when he claims the scientist was mistaken or misinformed.

The recent statements by Trump’s hand-picked CDC spokesperson, about the agency’s anti-Trump bias and misinformation, followed by his recent leave of absence casts further suspicion on Trump’s assertions. The discredited spokesperson’s job was to bring CDC statements more in line with Trump’s pronouncements and he failed to accomplish that or even come close.

All of this is convincing proof that Trump and his enablers reject science and those who have studied and worked on these problems all of their working lives in favor of a political agenda aimed at securing re-election in November. This anti-science agenda and the propaganda that followed led America’s premier scientific publication, Scientific American, to endorse Joe Biden in the upcoming election. Scientific American has never endorsed a presidential candidate before in its 175-year history.

Trump has continued to claim that the economy must be protected by keeping it open and running. The economy will not return to any degree of normalcy unless and until the virus is brought under control with a safe and effective vaccine. It is somewhat reassuring that the pharmaceutical companies tasked with developing, testing and manufacturing the vaccine have all signed a pledge not to bow to political pressure for a quick fix or early release. They all agreed not to release a product that is not proven to be safe and effective.

Notwithstanding the overwhelming scientific evidence on the need for masks and social distancing to reduce the spread, Trump’s attorney general is now suggesting that masks requirements are a major civil rights violation.

Trump now suggests that forced quarantine restrictions are akin to slavery. Trump’s comment at the recent ABC television Q-and-A with undecided Pennsylvania voters that the virus will be defeated by “herd mentality” shows his ignorance of the science.

Americans deserve a president who levels with them about what is happening, one who tells the truth and accepts responsibility for his actions. Donald Trump is not up to the task.

Wiped special counsel phones warrant investigation Once upon a time in America, 18 1/2 minutes of missing tape was a big deal to the Democratic establishment — including famed left-wing journalists like Bob Woodward — during Watergate.

Yet, today, the D.C. media echo chamber and FBI Director Christopher Wray are conspicuously silent about the latest bombshell report from Judicial Watch that over two dozen cellphones used by Bob Mueller’s special counsel during its “Russia collusion” investigation were wiped clean — or destroyed.

Curiously, this went down before the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General requested the devices when beginning its own investigation into the origins of the Russia investigation and special counsel’s activities that illegitimately targeted President Trump and his associates based on a discredited

ADRIANA COHEN What are they hiding?

dossier paid for by the DNC and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. All of which found no evidence of collusion.

This political witch hunt cost taxpayers a whopping $32 million and ended with a whimper.

Now, despite these Justice Department documents revealing the missing communications and wiped cellphones amongst top officials at the FBI and special counsel, the establishment media is silent. Why is that?

Is it because the media were complicit in the “Russia collusion” hoax from the start by disseminating and amplifying the nowdebunked conspiracy theory?

Yes and yes.

That said, you don’t need a fancy law degree to know it’s a crime to destroy evidence. So is obstruction of justice and the failure to preserve government records and communications. Will the FBI and Department of Justice address these shocking developments? There is no way that the data on government-issued phones was mistakingly or “accidentally” destroyed.

According to the DOJ documents, Mueller deputy Andrew Weissmann “‘accidentally wiped’ his phone twice after entering the wrong passcode too many times in March 2018,” reports Fox News. “Lawyer James Quarles’ phone

‘wiped itself’ without his intervention, the records say.”

Many others directly involved in the special counsel investigation and related Crossfire Hurricane communications have also gone missing. Lisa Page’s and Peter Strzok’s phones were wiped clean, back to factory settings.

What are they hiding?

That’s the question Wray, Attorney General Bill Barr and Congress ought to be asking right now while the American people contact their local representatives and demand answers.

In a just society, we cannot have a two-tiered justice system where the law is applied unequally. As such, an investigation must ensue without delay.

(Adriana Cohen is a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate.

Follow her on Twitter @AdrianaCohen16.)

(Waring Fincke is a retired attorney and serves as a guardian for the elderly and disabled for a Sheboygan County nonprofit agency.)

TODAY’S INSPIRATION “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.”

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

— Proverbs 15:30

Judge President Trump by his own standards

FIRST AMENDMENT

T

he First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives the press the right to publish news, information and opinions without government interference. This also means people have the right to publish their own newspapers, newsletters, magazines, etc.

Open Meetings & Open Records Law Section 19.31, Wisconsin Statutes “In recognition of the fact that a representative government of the American type is dependent upon an informed electorate, it is declared to be the public policy of this state that all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those officers and employees who represent them.

“Further, providing persons with such information is declared to be an essential function of representative government and an integral part of the routine duties of officers and employees whose responsibility it is to provide such information.”

To the editor: As we look forward to the 2020 election, I thought I’d look back to 2016 and then-candidate Donald Trump’s nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. In his own words: “Our Convention occurs at a moment of crisis for our nation. The attacks on our police, and the terrorism in our cities, threaten our very way of life. Any politician who does not grasp this danger is not fit to lead our country.

“Americans watching this address tonight have seen the recent images of violence in our streets and the chaos in our communities. Many have witnessed this violence personally, some have even been its victims.

“I have a message for all of you: the crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end.

Beginning on January 20th of 2017, safety will be restored.

“The most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its own citizens. Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead. ...

“I will work with, and appoint, the best prosecutors and law enforcement officials in the country to get the job done. In this race for the White House, I am the Law And Order candidate.

The irresponsible rhetoric of our President, who has used the pulpit of the presidency to divide us by race and color, has made America a more dangerous environment for everyone.

“This Administration has failed America’s inner cities. It’s failed them on education. It’s failed them on jobs.

It’s failed them on crime. It’s failed them at every level.

“When I am President, I will work to ensure that all of our kids are treated equally, and protected equally.”

So it has been close to four years since January 20, 2017, and one must

really evaluate how well all of that has worked out for our country. Is the current president, by his own standards, “fit to lead our country”? If the “most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its own citizens,” then is the current administration “unworthy to lead”?

Mike Sternig West Bend

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020 • DAILY NEWS • 5A

DEATHS KEWASKUM

WEST BEND

Joan Esther Bodden

Keith ‘Keko’ K. Konzal

July 5, 1950 — Sept. 17, 2020

Feb. 17, 1957 — Sept. 16, 2020

Joan Esther Bodden, 70, of Kewaskum, passed away at Serenity Villa on September 17, 2020 from complications of cancer.

Joan was born July 5, 1950, in Theresa.

Joan grew up on the family farm in Theresa with five brothers and two sisters. She attended St. Theresa Parish School, Kewaskum High School, and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. Joan began her teaching career at St. Theresa Catholic School in Theresa. Within a few years she became an elementary teacher at St. Mary’s Immaculate Conception School in West Bend. Throughout her 40 years of dedicated service to the education and nurturing of children, Joan enjoyed teaching and helping others.

After retiring in 2007, she continued to volunteer at St. Mary’s Parish, attend Bible study groups, and assist at Holy Trinity School in Kewaskum. She enjoyed providing help and food for church events and Harvest House Mission. Her concern for family and friends imbued her life.

An annual family Christmas party and Fourth of July celebration were special times to remember at Joan’s cozy home in Kewaskum. Joan enjoyed lifelong learning, crafts, cooking, gardening, reading, music, theater, travel, time for prayer, and the company of friends and family. Her nieces and nephews fondly remember special days with Aunt Joanie, especially trips to Green Bay Packers training camp. She was a true Brewers baseball fan, too. Even during her several years of living with cancer and becoming disabled, her positive spirit, faith in God, and concern for others remained a light in her life.

Those Joan leaves behind to cherish her memory include her seven brothers and sisters: Robert (Janice) Bodden of West Bend, Mary (Gerald) Falkowski of West Bend, Michael (Sandy) Bodden of West Bend, Eugene (Linda) Bodden of Theresa, Rose (David) Vogt of West Bend, Mark Bodden (fiancée, Debra Stortz) of Brownsville, and David Bodden of Lomira.

Also surviving Joan are three aunts, Esther Kirsch (nee Bodden), Veronica Gindt (nee Moser), and Mary Rose Thull (nee Moser), and many close first cousins who supported her throughout her illness.

Having no children of her own, Joan held a special bond of love for her 15 nieces and nephews and their families; Terri Bodden, Linda (Nick) Griffie, Stephanie (Jason) Splinter, Andrew (Sara) Falkowski, Matthew (Brittany) Falkowski, Patrick (Sarah) Falkowski, Greg Bodden, Jill (Jeff) Palka, Timothy (Linda) Bodden, Donald (Sarah) Bodden, Shelley (Kevin) Arndt, Nathan (Amanda) Bodden, Katie (Ben) Schneider, Kristin Vogt, and Chad (Ashley) Bodden. Joan is further survived by 20 great-nephews and nieces, and many loving friends.

Joan was preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Dolores (nee Moser) Bodden, and many dearly loved aunts and uncles.

Joan’s family will greet relatives and friends at Myrhum-Patten Funeral Home (1315 W Washington St., West Bend, WI 53095) on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Mass of Christian burial for Joan will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 24, 2020 at St. Mary’s Immaculate Conception Church (406 Jefferson St., West Bend, WI 53090) with Father Carlos Londoño officiating. Interment at St. Theresa Memorial Gardens after Mass.

Memorials to St. Mary’s Immaculate Conception Church.

The family wishes to extend a special thank-you to all the amazing cousins, neighbors, and friends, who were a constant source of help and love during Joan’s illness.

Appreciation also to caregivers, Dr. Mooney, Kraemer Cancer Center, Serenity Villa and Horizon Home Care & Hospice for their years of medical care and compassion.

Please consider signing our online guest book (www.myrhum-patten.com) to share your condolences with the family. Cards addressed to the family may be sent in care of: Myrhum-Patten Funeral and Cremation Service, 1315 W. Washington St., West Bend, WI 53095.

Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Joan’s arrangements.

Keith “Keko” K. Konzal, 63, of West Bend. Heaven gained an incredible soul on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, at his home with his wife by his side.

He was born on Feb. 17, 1957, to the late Clarence and Mildred (nee Knapp) Konzal in Milwaukee. On Sept. 17, 1988, he was united in marriage to Sherri Rochwite Clark at Ridge Run Park in West Bend. Keith owned and operated The Profession Auto Valet, an auto detail shop, for many years. He later worked in maintenance at The Samaritan Health Center for 17 years until he retired. Keith was a member of the West Bend Barton Sportsman Club and enjoyed shooting clays with family and friends. He also enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and gardening. Keith loved cooking, showing his love through food, and loved animals, especially his dogs, Zeus and Lady. He was a daily shopper at the Piggly Wiggly, where everyone knew him by name. Keith especially enjoyed spending time with family, and will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

Those Keith leaves behind to cherish his memory include his loving wife, Sherri Konzal; two children, Kayla (Mark) Simmons and Kody Konzal; step-grandson, Jack Simmons; two sisters, Barbara Melk and Corrine “Corky” Snopek; a brother, James (Linda) Konzal; father-in-law, Thomas (Diane) Clark Sr.; mother-in-law, Judith Clark; two sisters-in-law, Christie (Dean) Dieringer and Jolene (Adam) Krezminski; two brothers-in-law, Thomas (Wendy) Clark Jr. and Jeremy (Robyn) Clark; many other extended family and friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Lawrence “Mike” Konzal, and two brothers-in-law, Lawrence “Bud” Melk and Richard “Dick” Snopek.

An open house celebration of life by the family will be held Saturday, September 26, 2020, at West Bend Lakes Golf Course from 1 p.m.- 4 p.m. There will be appetizers from 1-3 p.m.

Please consider signing our online guest book (www.myrhum-patten.com) to share your condolences with the family. Cards addressed to the family may be sent in care of: Myrhum-Patten Funeral and Cremation Service, 1315 W. Washington St., West Bend, WI 53095.

The family would like to thank The Advanced Heart Failure Team at Aurora St. Luke’s, the Cardiac Rhythm Specialists, and the Aurora Home Care & Hospice for all their help and care.

Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Keith’s arrangements. Additional information and guest book may be found at www.myrhum-patten.com.

(Daily News — Sept. 19, 2020)

WEST BEND

Florence M. Gross Mat 31, 1943 — Sept. 14, 2020

Florence M. Gross, 77, of West Bend Joined her beloved son John H. Gross into eternal life on Monday, September 14, 2020, at the Samaritan in West Bend.

She was born on May 31, 1943, to the late John and Mary Rose (nee Weasler) Gross in the Town of Farmington. Florence was baptized at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. In her younger years, she helped work on the family farm milking cows. Florence worked for many years at Mallard Coach. She also worked at Kramer Coil Factory. Florence enjoyed crafting, horses, and traveling up north. She loved westerns, taking pictures and going to the movies watching Roy Rodgers and Gene Autry. She will be missed by all who knew her.

Those Florence leaves behind to cherish her memory include her granddaughter, Stephanie Jacklin; greatgrandson, Remington John Jacklin; two sisters, Sylvia Bruskiewicz and Elaine Hobelsberger; her aunt, Lillian Kritz; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, John Gross; a sister, Rosella “Sally” (Ronald) Panzer; two brothers-in-law, Leo Bruskiewicz and William Hobelsberger; and a nephew, William Hobelsberger.

A memorial service in remembrance of Florence will be held on Friday, September 25, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. at the Myrhum-Patten Funeral Home, 1315 W. Washington St., West Bend.

The family will greet relatives and friends at the funeral home on Friday from 12:00 p.m. until the time of service.

Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Florence’s arrangements. Additional information and guest book may be found at www.myrhum-patten.com.

(Daily News — Sept. 19, 2020)

Barbara Lynn Wenzlaff Jan. 6, 1945 — Sept. 12, 2020

Barbara Lynn Wenzlaff peacefully passed away on Saturday, September 12, 2020, following a battle with memory loss. She was born on January 6, 1945, to Lee and Alice Fickler. On January 5, 1991, she married the love of her life, Robert (Bob) Wenzlaff.

Barb was a loving and supportive wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and friend. She is survived by her husband, Bob; sisters Karen (John) Staehler and Beverly (Nyles) Heise; brothers Bob Fickler and David (Marlene) Domasky; children Stephanie (Thomas) Kirkland, Kevin (Joëlle Bitton) Hinz, and Karin Röbäck; stepchildren Michelle (Rob) Lemke, Steve (Tanya) Wenzlaff, Patrick (Wendy) Wenzlaff, and Christopher Wenzlaff; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, as well as many relatives and friends.

Barb attended Kewaskum High School and Concordia University, Mequon, and worked at Bob’s side at WenCo of West Bend, Inc. She directed her creative spirit into a lifetime of quilting, designing, and gardening. She shared her talents through teaching quilting classes, attending quilting retreats, and being involved with the quilting guild at Peace Church, Kewaskum. Barb and Bob enjoyed their travels to Hawaii, Europe, and Door County and were at every tractor show they could reach. She was always social and looked forward to seeing longtime friends. Barbara was the clerk for the Town of Kewaskum for 28 years and served on the Washington County Landmarks Commission. She enjoyed volunteering for many organizations, including Peace Church, the Washington County Fair, and The Loyal Order of Moose.

Barb’s family is grateful for the compassionate care she received from Bob, the caregivers at Ivy Manor, West Bend, and Preceptor Home Health & Hospice.

A private service was held at the home of Barb and Bob Wenzlaff, with the Rev. Eric Kirkegaard officiating. A burial followed at Fillmore Union Cemetery, Fillmore. Miller Funeral Home, Kewaskum, assisted with arrangements. Online guest book can be found at www.myrhum-patten.com.

Those who wish to honor Barb with a memorial are welcome to share with the organization of their choice. Donations to Moose Charities, 155 International Dr., Mooseheart, IL 60539 are greatly appreciated. Please specify “Mooseheart” for the Mooseheart Child City and School.

(Daily News — Sept. 19, 2020)

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Kewaskum From Page 1A

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In this April 6, 2018, file photo, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg applauds after a performance in her honor after she spoke about her life and work during a discussion at Georgetown Law School in Washington. The Supreme Court says Ginsburg died Friday of metastatic pancreatic cancer at age 87.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87

AP photo

In this Nov. 30, 2018, file photo, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court gather for a formal group portrait to include the new Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, top row, far right, at the Supreme Court building in Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87.

Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said.

Her death just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to set off a heated battle over whether President Donald Trump should nominate, and the Republican-led Senate should confirm, her replacement, or if the seat should remain vacant until the outcome of his race against Democrat Joe Biden is known.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said late Friday that the Senate will vote on Trump’s pick to replace Ginsburg, even though it’s an election year.

Trump called Ginsburg an ‘‘amazing woman’’ and did not mention filling her vacant Supreme Court seat when he spoke to reporters following a rally in Bemidji, Minnesota.

But Trump’s opponent, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, that ‘‘the voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice’’ to replace Ginsburg.

Chief Justice John Roberts mourned Ginsburg’s passing. ‘‘Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature. We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her — a tireless and resolute champion of justice,’’ Roberts said in a statement.

Ginsburg announced in July that she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for lesions on her liver, the latest of her several battles with cancer.

Rock star to admirers

(Daily News — Sept. 19, 2020)

DAILY NEWS OBITUARY GUIDELINES:

AP Photo

Current guidance from the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department says that anyone who has come into close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 should quarantine for at least 14 days from the date of exposure.

Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period of time.

For students who have tested positive, it is recommended that they quarantine for at least 10 days from the date of their test and remain symptom-free for at least 24 hours.

The Indians are now scheduled to begin their season Oct. 2, when they host Berlin.

Ginsburg spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court’s liberal wing and became something of a rock star to her admirers. Young women especially seemed to embrace the court’s Jewish grandmother, affectionately calling her the Notorious RBG, for her defense of the rights of women and minorities, and the strength and resilience she displayed in the face of personal loss and health crises.

Those health issues included five bouts with cancer beginning in 1999, falls that resulted in broken ribs, insertion of a stent to clear a blocked artery and assorted other hospitalizations after she turned 75.

She resisted calls by liberals

to retire during Barack Obama’s presidency at a time when Democrats held the Senate and a replacement with similar views could have been confirmed. Instead, Trump will almost certainly try to move Ginsburg’s successor through the Republican-controlled Senate — and move the conservative court even more to the right.

Ginsburg antagonized Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign in a series of media interviews, including calling him a faker. She soon apologized.

Her appointment by President Bill Clinton in 1993 was the first by a Democrat in 26 years. She initially found a comfortable ideological home left of center on a conservative court dominated by Republican appointees.

Ginsburg was a mother of two, an opera lover and an intellectual who watched arguments behind oversized glasses for many years, though she ditched them for more fashionable frames in her later years. At argument sessions in the ornate courtroom, she was known for digging deep into case records and for being a stickler for following the rules.

She argued six key cases before the court in the 1970s when she was an architect of the women’s rights movement. She won five. ‘‘Ruth Bader Ginsburg does not need a seat on the Supreme Court to earn her place in the American history books,’’ Clinton said at the time of her appointment. ‘‘She has already done that.’’

Prominent cases On the court, where she was known as a facile writer, her most significant majority opinions were the 1996 ruling that ordered the Virginia Military Institute to accept women or give up its state funding, and the 2015 decision that upheld independent commissions some states use to draw congressional districts.

Besides civil rights, Ginsburg took an interest in capital punishment, voting repeatedly to limit its use. During her tenure, the court declared it unconstitutional for states to execute the intellectually disabled and killers younger than 18.

In addition, she questioned the quality of lawyers for poor accused murderers. In the most divisive of cases, including the Bush v. Gore decision in 2000, she was often at odds with the court’s more conservative members — initially Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas.

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• DAILY NEWS • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020

Lawsuit From Page 1A “Ammunition materials and firearms shall be stored in separate locked areas that are not readily accessible to foster children.”

The lawsuit explains that the Laffertys are in the process of renewing their foster parent licenses and as they were doing so, the Washington County Human Services Department sent them a form to sign that said “If a foster parent holds a Conceal and Carry Permit, the foster

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parent is not permitted to carry a weapon while in the presence of foster children...”.

The form also requires the foster parent to list every type of firearm in their possession.

The lawsuit argues that the storage and carry restrictions being imposed on foster parents infringes upon their Second Amendment rights.

“The Storage Restrictions and the Carry Restriction require Plaintiffs to choose between the exercise of their constitutional rights and acting as foster parents,” reads the lawsuit.

In a statement, Washington County officials emphasized that the lawsuit is directed at Department of Children and Families rules, which are not within the county’s control to change. The statement explains that counties are mandated to enforce the state’s foster care regulations.

“Should this lawsuit be successful, it would strike

WEATHER

down state regulations.

Washington County is not imposing any additional local rule,” according to the statement. “The county executive supports the right to carry for all law-abiding citizens, and to that end has asked our human services department to allow responsible, legal firearm ownership for foster parents to the extent legally allowed by the state, which could be expanded by this suit.”

In a separate statement, the Department of Children and Families said Friday the rules for foster parents must take into consideration both the safety of children and the rights of parents.

“The department’s longstanding administrative rules for foster families were established to create a reasonable balance between a person’s right to possess firearms and the agency’s responsibility to keep children safe while they are placed out of their homes,” said the department.

School From Page 1A Johnson explained WOPHD ended up sending notification to all school districts that they need to flag students in their attendance software who should not be in a classroom but instead quarantining. She added a student being sent to school with a positive COVID-19 result has happened two other times since that initial incident.

“We’ve been trying really hard to work with our school districts and to help them with their contact tracing and education and it’s been challenging. I think for us, the biggest challenge we’re experiencing right now is people are just being dishonest. They don’t want their children to be quarantined from school.

They don’t want to miss work. In doing that, they’re really jeopardizing the ability to have school in person and

GMTODAY.COM

other people’s health,” Johnson said.

Going forward, Johnson said any messaging sent out to the community will be much more blunt and direct — basically warning that if citizens are not honest, there is a good chance schools will have to shut down again.

“Obviously people aren’t complying voluntarily. We’ve got to take further action.

When you have parents lying to contact traces, refusing to have their kids tested, that becomes very problematic for the health department. The hammer may have to be dropped,” said board Chairman Don Kriefall.

Board member Cathy CeroJaeger asked how the health department is handling contact tracing from a funding and staffing standpoint.

Johnson said WOPHD has enough funding through Dec. 31 but she fears what it will look like after that date.

The department is looking

to hire five more people to help with contact tracing by the end of next week.

As of Friday morning, there were 20 active school investigations between both Washington and Ozaukee counties.

There also continue to be several outbreaks in longterm care facilities (LTCFs).

As of Friday morning, there were 13.

Johnson said one LTCF outbreak case was “rather concerning” as the facility, which she did not name, had asked on Monday for testing from the state for all their staff and residents but by Tuesday afternoon, the facility had still not heard back from the state’s Department of Health Services.

The WOPHD ended up stepping in to provide testing with the help of a lab in Milwaukee.

For the most up-to-date data on COVID-19, visit www.washozwi.gov/.