Top Stories December 8th

DNR Tells Kennedy Floodway Buildings Will Be Removed “Expeditiously”

“If the proposed project does not result in the removal of all of the buildings, the department would take action as necessary to ensure that the remaining buildings are removed as expeditiously as possible…at the expense of the property owners.”
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

12/08/08 - The Wisconsin DNR has indicated that they will take action against any downtown Beaver Dam buildings located in the floodway. There are eleven buildings identified as such and they are the target of a redevelopment plan initiated by the city in the wake of the June floods. The 4-page document – which still requires council approval - recommends the city borrow $1.5 million next year to acquire and demolish the floodway structures. The city would pay property owners 100% of their assessed value. There are signed “offers to sell” for nine of the eleven properties. The city plans to undertake legal procedures to acquire the property at 151 Front Street, which is believed to be abandoned.

That leaves only 203 Front Street, where owner Jay Hoeft has indicated he is going to try his best to stay in business because he says his building is a piece of Beaver Dam history. Hoeft, who owns the tavern once known as “Emotional Rescue,” maintains that once the culverts are fixed and the adjacent and attached Celestial Coffee building is removed, his building should have no problem withstanding a 100-year flood. He says the state historic registry is considering his application, which he suggests would prevent demolition efforts by the city and state.

On Community Comment last Friday, Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy quoted a letter he received that morning from the DNR. It states, “If the proposed project does not result in the removal of all of the buildings, the department would take action as necessary to ensure that the remaining buildings are removed as expeditiously as possible…at the expense of the property owners.” The council will consider the plan next Monday.

Big Storm on its Way

12/8/08 - If you like snow, you’ll love the forecast for the next couple days. The National Weather Service says our area could get 7-to-12 inches in some spots from tonight through early Wednesday. A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect starting at 6pm through 6am Wednesday. You can thank a strong low-pressure system that’s expected to move from the Texas panhandle into Lower Michigan by tomorrow night. Meanwhile, a warm front is moving into the Badger State today, bringing more light snow to some areas – and freezing drizzle in the south. Most of Wisconsin had 1-to-3 inches of fluffy snow yesterday, and forecasters say another two-inches could fall in some spots before the big storm gets here.

A Sunday Full of Accidents

12/8/08 - There were a number of accidents in our area yesterday due to the weather. The Sheriff’s Department tells us that a 27-year-old man rolled his vehicle in the Town of Burnett on Highway E around 2pm. About 3 hours later a 61-year-old woman rolled her vehicle on South Center Street in the Town of Beaver Dam. Also, while the Sheriff’s Department was attending to a runoff in the Town of Lomira around 7pm another vehicle was involved in a rollover accident in the area. A 29-year-old woman was the driver and she was ticketed for OWI 1st and taken jail.

Accident Sends 7 to Hospital

12/8/08 - Snow and ice-covered roads contributed to an accident in Washington County that sent seven people from Waukegan, Illinois to the hospital Saturday morning. Sheriff’s officials say the driver lost control on Highway 41 northbound on the bridge over County Highway K. The SUV went into the median and overturned. All seven people in the Jeep Cherokee were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. The victims ranged in age from 3 to 52-years of age. (KFIZ)

Gas Prices Down

12/8/08 - If you watched “The Amazing Race” last night, you might have noticed how high the price of gas was this summer – 3.89 in Portland Oregon. In Wisconsin this morning, 1.71 is the Triple-“A’s” statewide average for unleaded regular. That’s down almost two-cents from yesterday. And it’s way down from a high-water mark of 4.11 on July 17th. It’s even lower in Beaver Dam at 1.61. Mike DiGiovanni of General Motors says it’s like a 200-dollar-a-month pay raise for households, compared to what gas cost us last July. But U-W Madison consumer expert Cynthia Jasper says families are saving most of that extra money -- because they fear what might happen if the recession keeps getting worse. Experts say the recession, and the lack of demand for gasoline, are the only reasons the prices at the pump are so low. The price of crude oil dropped 25-percent last week to about 41-dollars a barrel. The Boston firm of Global Insight expects it to hit 39-dollars early next year, before going up again.

It’s Christmas Time In The City

12/08/08 - The holiday season was ushered in this weekend with a bounty of activities held in and around Beaver Dam. An annual holiday tradition continued as Santa Claus made yet another appearance at the Heffron White House. Tom Heffron says his family has been hosting Santa for the past 24 years, just as his parents did for 40 years prior. Not only did Jolly Ole’ St. Nick make a personal appearance, but he brought along Mrs. Claus, in addition to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and a sleigh full of elves. The Dodge County Historical Society continued their own holiday tradition with an open house, live holiday music and a seasonal exhibit.

The Beaver Dam Chamber held their annual Holiday Open House and Downtown Tree Lighting. The evergreen tree in front of the Chamber was lit by Mayor Tom Kennedy. The holiday parade got underway thereafter with nearly 40 entries. The Girl Scouts of Beaver Dam were among the floats entered. The girls assembled on the back of the cold, steel flatbed truck over one hour before the parade began.

Vets Recount Honor Flight Experience

12/08/08 - The Beaver Dam Senior Center hosted a presentation featuring several of the Dodge County veterans who were aboard Honor Flight. The program allows vets to fly – for free – to Washington DC to visit their World War II Memorial. On November 19, ten veterans from Dodge County were part of a Milwaukee-area contingent. Oscar Beale of the Fox Lake American Legion says it was an experience that will last his whole life and something that all veterans of World War II should participate in. Dodge County Veterans Service Officer Mark Grams told the group that there is no shortage of applications, so what’s really needed are guardian volunteers and donations. Del Schultz, Vice President of the Beaver Dam Senior Center Steering Committee presented Grams with a check for $500 for the Honor Flight program. Grams says funds are being raised for a possible spring 2009 flight out of Madison.

Veterans Service Office, PO Box 994, Port Washington WI 53074-0994. Checks should be made out to “Stars and Stripes Honor Flight c/o the Flag Day Foundation. Ozaukee County CVSO Ken Brown is acting as the conduit for funds and applications. Or you can call Mark Grams at 386-3798.

Veterans Honor Pearl Harbor Victims

12/8/08 - Fifty Wisconsinites who died at Pearl Harbor were remembered yesterday, on the 67th anniversary of the attack that started World War Two. A ceremony was held at the State Veterans Home at King in Waupaca County. 81-year-old Ken Schweiger of West Salem said he never heard of Pearl Harbor when the attack occurred – but over the next three years, he and his father Lester both enlisted in the Navy. Ken Schweiger signed up as soon as he graduated from high school, and he was among just three Wisconsin father-and-son tandems to serve during World War Two. Lawrence Boxrucker of Dorchester was among the fallen veterans honored yesterday. He died when the U-S-S Oklahoma sank in Pearl Harbor. But his remains were only recently identified, and they were returned to Dorchester last summer.