Funny you should ask: Why is Xcel pulling the plug on our holiday cheer?

I'm sure by now you've heard the news: Xcel Energy has informed us that this will be the last year for the Christmas wreath lights and the flags to be hung on the poles on Second and Dallas Streets. Citing safety issues and referencing the National Electric Safety Code, the “Bible” of the electrical utility industry that every state except California refers to, everything must come down – holiday lights, banners, hanging flower pots and even Old Glory on Second Street. (Carl Cooley did a very informative article about this matter that was published in the Wednesday, November 1 issue of the Chetek Alert see Xcel Energy to Prohibit Flags.)

She is a grand old flag

Understandably, there's been a reasonably loud hue and cry about this. After all, the lights are pretty much brand new having been bought and donated to the city by the Friends of Holiday Lights for Chetek citizen committee in 2015. And the flags? Well, they've been hanging on those poles on Second and Dallas Streets pretty much as long as anyone can remember. What will Liberty Fest look like if the parade route is decidedly absent of the Stars and Stripes?

"Strings of street lights..."

First of all, we have to remember this: we don't own the poles. Xcel Energy does. I don't know how many street lights and utility poles there are within the city limits but Xcel owns every last one of 'em. Except, of course, the four light poles out on the long bridge. We learned this the hard way when a summer ago one of them just keeled over, the bottom totally rusted out. Fortunately no one was hurt but when Public Works Director Dan Knapp called Xcel to let them know that one of their poles went down he was informed that in actuality while the State owned the bridge and the county maintained it, the poles belonged to us. At $10,000 a piece those are some light poles. But beyond that, the rest of the poles in town are theirs and so therefore we have to abide by their rules.

Does this affect, say, other municipalities like Barron and Rice Lake? Actually it doesn't because both these neighboring cities have their own utility company. Not us.

Here's a wreath that will have to be moved

But here's the good news. Right before Christmas, Dan and I met with Xcel Energy representative Larry Loverude to discuss this matter and were pleased to learn that (just like Carl reported in his November 1^st article) that we can keep our holiday lights after all. Xcel, in fact, allows decorations on street lights “but only if they don't have power distribution lines on them” (quoting Carl's article). In our case of the 25 lighted wreaths only four of them are currently posted on poles that are “hot”. Dan and the guys will have to relocate those four wreaths but next year things should pretty much look the same as they always do at Christmastime. That's a relief.

Some new arrangement will have to be worked out

And what about the flags? Well, that's another matter. Technically, the Chamber of Commerce is the one that finances and puts up the flags so they'll have to work things out with Xcel. Larry brought in a catalog of sorts featuring ground-mounted flags but that, of course, won't work downtown. There was some thought about various businesses purchasing mounts for the side of their building as well but again those are Chamber-issues that for the time being we'll leave to them.

It's just my opinion but looking forward, we ought to decorate those four poles we own out on the bridge and, say, deck out Main Street Park to the nines as well. Several people called Carmen when the news broke that Xcel was pulling the plug on our holiday lights and if you were one of those folks you may be hearing from me soon to get your input on keeping our city looking festive and bright.

We get by with a little help from our friends

"I guess sometimes, there aren't just enough rocks."  Forrest Gump

If you're a fan, you know what I mean

What A Difference A Year Makes

A year ago about this time there was a bit of a cloud over 220 Stout Street. It wasn't as ominous as, say, the shadow monster above the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana of Stranger Things-fame but it definitely cast a dark shadow over the city. Mainly, we were looking at a $150,000 shortfall in the 2017 budget. Primarily driven by the dramatic increase in the cost of health insurance, the budget committee had recommended to the council that Chetek's PD be reduced by one full-time officer to right the ship, as it were. At the November 2016 meeting the council endorsed that recommendation but in order to prevent one of our younger guys from being laid off, then Chief Mark Petersen offered to retire. As Ernest Lawrence Thayer would put it, there was no joy in Mudville as we approached the new year.

What a difference a year makes, however. At the city council meeting this coming Tuesday, the council is expected to endorse without any significant changes the proposed 2018 budget which includes, among other things, a 3% pay increase for our employees (last year we were only able to offer a 1% increase). We received high marks at our annual audit last month and insurance costs have leveled off a bit. It's true our garbage utility rates will be going up but that is driven largely by the county who this past summer essentially “fired” the management firm who had run the Waste-to-Energy facility since its inception in the 1980s and made it

Maybe I'm overstating it but things are looking up

officially a county operation. Barron County Administrator Jeff French has made it no secret that if we're going to continue to operate the only county-run incinerator in the entire state we'll have to pay for it. (It's still a good deal, though, than the alternative – burying our trash in a hole that is certain to leak one day.) The new garbage truck the city recently purchased will allow us to continue to provide residential garbage service but allow the second man who otherwise would be working on the truck to tend to other projects around town. And while the Central States issue is still a bitter pill to swallow we are closer to the end of that matter than to the beginning. So, all in all things are looking up as we approach 2018. 

The 2018 budget hearing will be held this coming Tuesday, November 14, at 5:30 pm, a half hour before the monthly council meeting, and is open to the public.

There are no words

Gone before their time

It's been a difficult year for Chetek. The tornado this past May and Owen Knutson's untimely death a week later and then the tragic, violent deaths of Brenda Turner and her 17 year-old daughter, Natalie, a member of the same graduating class of Owen, just last week. How much can a little town take, right? Of course, we are not the only city to suffer tragedy in recent months – Las Vegas, Manhattan, and sadly, Sutherland Springs, Texas just this past Sunday – to name three. But as all of us know when you live in a small community you feel these losses more acutely because if you didn't know, say, Owen or Natalie, you probably know someone who did. And given the circumstances of these losses it feels, especially for those directly affected, as if life has kicked them directly in the solar plexus and left them gasping for breath.

#Unite4Chetek Campaign

I know I shouldn't say this in polite company but "flippin' awesome"

I don't know whose idea it was but just last Thursday, students, educators and members of communities all over northwestern Wisconsin wore purple in our honor. If you use social media you already know about this as throughout that day and the weekend that followed countless pictures from Chippewa to Shell Lake, from Bloomer to Spooner, were posted of people young and old donning purple as a sign of unanimity with us as we grieve. I know I speak for all of us when I say we are overwhelmed by such a demonstration of love and concern. It is, perhaps, one of the first best things to come out of such a grievous loss and as mayor I simply want to convey my heartfelt appreciation.

I think of that scene in Forrest Gump when Jenny returns to the dilapidated farm house of her youth, the place where she had experienced so much pain and suffering at the hands of her father, in anger she starts to grab for rocks to throw at the house. When she can't find any more in despair she falls to the ground and begins to weep. Quietly, Forrest sits down beside her in her grief and you hear his poignant voice-over, “I guess sometimes, there just aren't enough rocks.” All of you who wore purple this past Thursday did what Forrest did for Jenny – you wept with us. One of the Bible's admonitions is to “mourn with those who mourn”. And somehow this little kindness of wearing one of our school colors in our honor becomes a very big thing after all.

We will get through this. As the old ones are wont to say, “This too will pass.” But how comforting to be reminded that we are not alone as we go through this. Like the words Billy Shears wrote but the Beatles sang out, "We get by with a little help from our friends."

The list of the schools and communities that I am aware of who participated in the #Unite4Chetek campaign (forgive me if your town is not listed here):

Barron

Cumberland

Prairie Farm

Durand, Arkansaw

Ladysmith

Cameron

Flambeau

Bloomer

Maple

Bruce

Eureka Illinois

New Auburn

Spooner

Cornell

The final word on Dixon Street

E. Repair. Lessee shall fully repair all damage to the street, other than ordinary wear and tear, and will provide routine maintenance, such as snowplowing, during the term hereof.

Temporary Use Agreement from the City of Chetek to The Mill, Properties Chetek LLC

Back in early September the Street Committee met at The Mill to discuss the use of Dixon Street, the street outside their front door, and address right-of-way issues. The Temporary Use Agreement with Buddy and Nancy Helms, the owners of The Mill, was nearing its renewal and some questions had been raised by both council members and the public about the use of the street by non-Mill customers.

Technically speaking, Dixon is not a street at all. It's a lien that sometime along the way was paved. But according to City Attorney Randi Osberg if it's paved like a road and maintained like a road whatever else it may be it's a road. When The Mill officially hung up their shingle this past spring I understood our agreement to be essentially that when they had an event going on they had the right to close off the street. Otherwise, Dixon was free to travel for any who needed to get from here to there. But that's not what is in the lease. In Section 5 (RESPONSIBILITIES – LESSEE), Letter E (Repair) it clearly states what is printed above – that for however long the lease continues The Mill is responsible for the maintenance of the road (including snow plowing) and therefore for all intents and purposes it is a private road. That made any further discussion about who gets to use it and when mute.

Unless you are attending an event at The Mill best not go down this road

I have lived in the neighborhood where The Mill stands all but ten months of our twenty-six years of residence in Chetek. For most of that time I always thought that what is now referred to as “Dixon” was actually Eighth Street but I drove it multiple times a day EVERY DAY to and from Refuge or to and from school. The guys at ABC used it as a quick egress to and from work. School buses as well as parents who have kids at Roselawn and at the HS/MS traveled it daily being the artery that it is. But when the concrete barriers at Center and at Stout went in this past May all of that changed. Now traffic is rerouted onto Sixth Street which everyone knows can be a pretty tight squeeze for trucks and buses. But, as we are wont to say these days, now “it is what it is.”

Speaking only about the road, the immediate neighbors who live just east of The Mill on Banks Street are satisfied with the change. It was not uncommon for traffic to zip along Dixon at a high rate of speed and as parents of small children, like many of them are, they were very concerned for the safety of their kids. Now that the road is essentially closed to thru traffic their concerns have been alleviated. (The Mill, of course, generates other neighborhood issues but they are an entirely different matter.)

For my part, I apologize for unintentionally adding to the confusion by suggesting that Dixon could be traversed when The Mill was not in operation. My signature is at the bottom of that document which presumes that I am fully aware of what's contained within. Obviously, I didn't read the lease thoroughly enough. It wasn't even in the "fine" print.

Change is difficult for everyone regardless of our age or disposition. I used to be able to get home from Refuge in about a minute. Now that same trip via Center and Sixth probably takes me a minute and a half. I know, how inconvenient, right? Things could be worse. I could live in a city that actually has a stop-and-go light. Now that would be something, wouldn't it?

Main Street Park, sidewalks and all the latest news about town

“Well, it's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, my home town...”

- Garrison Keillor's regular lead line of his weekly monologue on Prairie Home Companion

The news from 220 Stout Street (our City Hall) usually comes in spurts: a retirement or a decision regarding, say, of initiating a boat launch fee followed by weeks on end of just business as usual. On the whole, it's been a pretty quiet summer with not much to write home about. But in the last month several things have come up that you might want to know about, such as:

The former Moulette property on Moore Street

The addition to Main Street Park

Back in May, I approached Barry and Cindy Moulette (owner of Lucky Days) and asked them just what they had in mind with the lot they owned behind Ohde's. As it happened they had shelved their original plans for the property and were more than happy to deal. There wasn't really a lot of dickering involved but with the council's full support, the city purchased the lot for just under $30,000 in late August. I reached out to all three lending institutions in town (Sterling, Heritage and First National) as well as to members of the Sletten family who had originally donated Main Street Park to the city. While I have not heard back from any

Cindy & Barry Moulette

of the banks, two members of the Sletten family have since sent in generous contributions toward this purchase bringing the cost to the city at somewhere around $29,000. The hope is eventually to put in a public restroom facility to accommodate the many guests that frequent our city during the summer months. In the meantime, we hope to pull up the concrete that is presently there this fall and throw down some grass seed until a proper plan can be developed.

New sidewalks

That was then

Back in January, visually impaired local resident Janell Lenbom Groskreutz, wrote a Letter to the Editor raising awareness of the woeful disrepair our sidewalks were in. “I am a blind individual who has been a proud citizen of Chetek for almost 20 years. My concern is the condition of the downtown sidewalks. They are sadly deteriorating at a rapid pace. As you can imagine, this poses a safety concern for me traveling with a cane or with my guide dog. My cane continuously gets caught in the large cracks and broken concrete. This poses the threat of tripping or even falling. This is also affecting the thousands of tourists who choose to visit and patronize our resorts, businesses, events and festivals.”

Janet wasn't the first to speak to this issue but it were concerns like hers that helped persuade the council this past spring to allocate funds from the budget to begin “Phase I” of our sidewalk replacement plan. City Inspector Joe Atwood was deputized to locate some of the worst stretches of sidewalk in the business district and designate them for replacement. Due to the ways that bidding is regulated in the State of Wisconsin, the most the council could earmark for one project is $24,999. Apple Valley Construction out of Sand Creek won the bid and a few weeks before Liberty Fest commenced to tearing up some old sidewalks and laying down some new. They finished the lion's share of the project and then backed off until the Fourth was in our rear view mirror. By that time, however, they were caught up in other projects. In the mean time, the council unanimously approved the allocation of an additional $24,999 for “Phase II”.

This is some of the new look

Last week, after a long hiatus, Apple Valley Construction finally returned to finish Phase I and complete Phase II. It's important to mention that no business will be assessed the cost of these improvements as it is the council's opinion that it is in everyone's benefit to have a presentable – and pedestrian safe – business district. My hat's off to them for their proactive decision on addressing this matter. And do the new sidewalks look great!

Purchase of a new garbage truck

I've learned a few things as mayor. Things like, we are the only remaining municipality in Barron County that still picks up our own trash (every other community contracts that service out). What's more, our town loves our “garbage guys”, “Tank” Davis and Aaron Robert. I'm told on good authority that at Christmastime trash isn't the only thing they pick up on their routes. And finally, every guy who presently works for the Public Works Department started their career with the city as one of the guys on the garbage truck. As glorious as it appears to a lot of little boys in town to have a job where you get to ride hanging off the back end of a truck, it's not so glorious in the dead of winter or in the pouring rain. It's hard on the back and knees too.

                            (we've got a few bugs to work out)

In late August, wardmen Cliff Bronstad, Mark Edwards and myself as well as the rest of the crew at the Public Works Department got a look-see of the new garbage truck that the council authorized purchasing at September's council meeting. It's a “one-arm” bandit that only requires one guy to operate. He'll pull up to your driveway and from the comfort of his cab extend the arm to pick up your barrel. Every household in Chetek will be assigned a 95-gallon can at no expense to them (details are still being worked out regarding the purchase of additional cans for families that request them). Yes, gone will be the day of putting your plastic garbage bag at the side of the road (actually, those days are already over; by ordinance every household is supposed to dispose of their trash in a trash receptacle). But on the flip side, you won't have to buy a garbage can as the city will supply you one.

"Let me put it to you in Spanish: No."

Since the news of the purchase got out the number one question I have been asked is, “Does this mean one of the guys is going to be let go?” As Jase Robertson of Duck Dynasty would put it, “Let me put it to you in Spanish: No.” It's actually gonna free up one of the guys to help with other projects around town so nobody is going off the city's payroll. Oh, in case you're wondering, we'll now be the owners of two garbage trucks as we'll need the current one to continue to service all the businesses in town. So “Tank” and Aaron will have two rigs to manage. The price tag for the truck and all the barrels will be about $100K and will be purchased out of outlay and utility monies.

Farewell Mike!

Wastewater Treatment Operator Mike McGinnis has finally called it quits. After over thirty-five years of service to the City of Chetek he has hung up his municipal plunger for the very last time. In August he had informed us that September 12 (his birthday) would be his last day on the job. But when the city rejected Central States' buy-out “deal” and he was informed by his union rep that he may stand to lose between 35-40% of his pension because of that decision, on September 11 he asked if he might put his retirement on hold until we could verify that information. After Mike left City Hall I called Lynn at Chetek Bakery and canceled the retirement cake we had ordered for the city council meeting the following night. Instead, I picked up a plate of apple bars as well as a cupcake in honor of Mike's birthday. But at the City Council meeting the following night he called an audible and announced that, in fact, he was retiring after all.

Mike in the center with his complimentary cupcake

I'm sorry, Mike, that you didn't get a sheet cake but only a cupcake. Nevertheless, thank you for all your years of service to the City of Chetek and especially for ensuring that the dirty water we sent you kept on being monitored and treated accordingly. I will miss your annual “State-of-the-Wastewater-Treatment-Plant” report. While it was never high drama like the State of the Union speech can be, you always broke down the science of it all into plain English so that laypeople like myself could understand how the plumbing works. You're a good man and I wish you the very best on your retirement.

The very next evening, the Personnel Committee interviewed six candidates for the Wastewater Treatment Operator position and at the end of the night it was clear that the very best applicant for the job was Rod Rhodes who has served as Mike's back-up at the plant for many years. He'll need to get some additional certifications but he is already up to speed and knows how the plant functions.

So, that's (some) of the news from this lake town where like Keillor's fictional Minnesota one, all the women are strong, all the men are good looking and all the children are above average.

Funny you should ask: What's the latest on the Central States matter?

I'm asked a lot of questions as mayor. Some I can answer because I know. Some I turn to ask Carmen about because she knows. And some I just don't know and I'll have to follow up on later. These "funny you should ask" posts are all about responding to some of the more common questions I'm asked.

A few weeks ago, my smiling face appeared on the front page of The Chetek Alert as Carl was running a follow-up article on the Central States Pension plan. He sent me an email and I responded with an email forgetting that I had not yet informed the guys about the latest development with our negotiations with Central States. It was unfair to them to read all about a matter that they have such a vested interest in at the same time everyone else was. For that, I'm sorry and going forward will try to do better at keeping them in the loop.

“So what's the latest on the Central States' matter?”

When I ran for mayor, I ran on no issue whatsoever. I was just willing to serve if the citizens were willing to have me. Never did I anticipate that during my first year in office I would be involved in a financial scramble for a lifeboat. Central States, the pension plan of our public works employees, is going under. By all accounts they are presently $28 billion insolvent (that's billion with a “b”). Some of it has to do with factors that are out of their control. In 1980, for every five guys coming to work, one guy was retiring. Nearly forty years later, that figure is exactly reversed: for every five guys retiring, only one is signing on. Add in the fact that in the 1970s the federal government deregulated the trucking industry (the primary members of the Teamsters Union) and that because of the passage by the Wisconsin legislature of Act 10 in 2011 that removes the necessity of joining a union in various industries, now it's a matter of simple math: there are just not enough members to pay all the promised benefits. By Central States' own estimate they will be out of money less than 10 years from now. The word on the street, however, is that they will be broke long before that.

The Titanic sinking we can blame on human error. Central States' sinking
more on human greed, as if they aimed right at the iceberg.

He even speaks English
and not lawyer-ese

At the end of June, we authorized Charlie Stevens of Michael Best out of Milwaukee, our lawyer who we have been consulting with, to draft a letter informing Central States that we were done sending money down the drain. By congressional rule that decision means that the city will have to pay our fair share of the liability before we row away from a proverbial sinking Titanic. At the present time, our estimate is that we would have to pay Central States somewhere in the vicinity of $2 million dollars. However, using an accepted industry formula, Charlie is confident that ultimately we will only have to pay somewhere between $700-950 thousand. I know, that's still a lot of money. However, since July 1 we have been taking the same amount of money that we had been sending to Central States for each of our guys and have contributed it instead to their private 457 plan (which is something akin to an IRA). At least, the guys can collect on that and we are no longer flushing good money down the toilet.

If one part of the boat is sinking how can
another not sink at all? 

We heard nothing from them in July but about a month ago in late August we received a lengthy response from them that amounted to a counter-offer. Essentially it said this: “Stay in. Pay us $650,000 as if you were brand new to the plan and if we go under we won't come after you for any more. We promise.” Of course, Carmen and I had a conference call with Charlie shortly afterwards to assure us we were reading the document correctly. He generally concurred with our understanding. It was his opinion that while the city could do that if a ship is sinking and no one is coming to the rescue, do you really want to hold firm and “not give up the ship.” Well, that would be dumb. So we instructed Charlie to respond to Central States accordingly by stating in plain English, “Ah, thanks but no thanks. We want out.”

Of course, the guys' union rep got a hold of them shortly after that decision went public in the Alert and informed them that if we went forward with that decision – to sever ties with Central States - they each could stand to lose between 35-40% of their pension benefits. I emailed Charlie to get his opinion on what their union guy was telling them and the next day he responded that while Central States can do whatever they want they would be punishing their own members for something they had no say in whatsoever. After all, they did not vote to decertify from the Teamsters. The city didn't ask their opinion whether or not it was a good idea to leave the plan. In other words, it's not their fault. They are not culpable whatsoever. A bomb has gone off and they are collateral damage. So why would the Teamsters want to punish their own people for a decision they had nothing to do with? Their union rep didn't show at last week's council meeting to offer any answers to that question. In any case, according to Charlie, the fund is in such bad shape now that they will ultimately cut benefits anyway, sooner or later.

Most of us get this; those who don't might work for Central States

We're not out of the woods yet with this matter but we're slowing finding our way. Charlie has been practicing pension law for 28 years. It's all he does and by his estimate the city will be free and clear (after ponying up and paying the lump sum exit fee) by Christmas. It's a pricey "gift", as Christmas gifts go, but at least we'll be safe from the undertow that is sure to follow the sinking of one of the largest pension plans in the country.

We have some great people who work for the city.
With the exception of Dan (far right), these are some of the local faces
who will be ultimately affected by Central States' failure

Funny you should ask: "Why do the trains have to lay on the horn in the middle of the night?"

"A critic is a gong at a railroad crossing clanging loudly and vainly as the train goes by." Christopher Marley

It's a common town peeve: it's the middle of the night and the train is creeping its way through town when all of a sudden you're awoken from your much needed deep REM sleep by the blast of a train horn. We accept that the driver has to blow his horn upon coming to an intersection but why does it seem that more often than not he's literally laying on the horn? And as long as we're talking about it, why is it that from time to time they leave an engine idling all night long? Can't they just turn the thing off and start it back up in the morning?

Well, funny you should ask. I was just asked these two questions (again) not too long ago so I thought I would try and get a hold of someone at Progressive Rail and see if I could get some answers. On my first phone call, I got a real person (whose name is Joe) and asked him if he could respond to these two common complaints.

Delivery to ABC Truss

Why do the drivers have to blow the horn in the middle of the night?

Federal regulations is the short answer to that question. According to 49 CFR Part 22 (otherwise known as the Train Horn Rule), “locomotive engineers must begin to sound train horns at least 15 seconds, and no more than 20 seconds, in advance of all public grade crossings” regardless of the time of day. As Joe explained to me, every engineer is required not only to sound his horn before arriving at the crossing but until his engine has passed entirely through the intersection. What's the reasoning behind this rule? Simple: to prevent accidents. “Just the other day a driver in plain day drove into the side of a train in Faribault, Minnesota. So, if that happens in the daytime just imagine the risk at night?” Apparently “distracted driving” is a probable cause of this accident but the number one safety issue that Progressive deals with, as you may have already guessed, is intoxicated drivers. Joe acknowledged most of the drivers who drive at night are the newer guys so perhaps they err on the side of caution by laying on the horn a little longer than perhaps federally mandated (not, as you might think, to antagonize the locals).

Why can't they just turn the engine off rather than allow it to idle all night long?

“We get asked this question all the time,” says Joe, “and frankly, it's a NIMBY question (i.e. “Not In My Back Yard”). In other words, for every person who believes that they are being inconvenienced by the sound (and feel) of an idling engine all night would they rather they move the thing in back of someone else's house to do the same? I know for a fact that the person who asked me this question wasn't asking that. They were just wondering why can't they just turn the thing off and, like a car or a truck, start it up in the morning? Well, a train engine is not like your family car and from what I gathered from Joe's explanation is that it's just cheaper to keep it running rather than uncouple it from the cars it's pulling and park it in a quiet place somewhere. “The majority of the time, the train will pass on through after picking up or dropping off its load,” Joe informed me. “But once again we're bound by federal regulations that state that for every 12 hours of work, railroad employees are entitled to 10 hours of rest.” He's referring to the Hours of Service Act that was amended in 1971 because of longstanding complaints that crews were not getting adequate rest which was a factor in many accidents. Since that time railroad crews are limited to 12 hour shifts that must be followed by “10 hours of undisturbed rest” in a 24 hour time period. So, on the occasion that an engine is left to idle all night it's more than likely because of that rule. They have to rest their guys and if it happens that they're in town when their shift expires, well I guess that's the luck of the draw.

So, the long and short of it is this is the cost of doing business. Regularly the trains pass through Chetek delivering lumber to ABC Truss or hauling telephone poles from McFarland Cascade outside of Cameron or carrying sand to one of the many wash plants south of town. All this means jobs for local people, who live in houses and pay property taxes, who buy their gas and their groceries and eat out from time to time at our local restaurants. I guess when you frame the question that way the sound of silence might not be a good sound after all.

Do you have a question about stuff going on in town or about an ordinance you think is unnecessary? Message me at my Facebook page (Jeff Martin, Mayor) or at chetekmayor@cityofchetek-wi.gov. I may not know the answer but I probably can find out.

Wouldn't it be great...

...if Chetek had its own splash pad?

“It's good to have fun but you have to know how.” - Dr. Seuss

Have you heard the news? Cameron's got a splash pad. A what? A splash pad – you know, a slab of concrete in a park with jets that shoot out water so that kids can run and play in? Okay, this isn't a scoop. It's actually old news. The village put that in back in 2015 but if you're a kid (or a parent of one), what a treat to have in your own backyard or a backyard near you.

Someone could make the argument that Cameron needs a water park venue as they don't have a pool or a lake like we do for their kids to cool down in during the summer months. True enough. But as much as we are blessed by living on Lake Chetek it's something of a mixed bag, isn't it? Come late July and early August the water turns a particular shade of green that won't stop the fishing or the water skiing but sure seems to put a damper on the swimming. (In the early '90s I did the one and only baptism I've ever done in Lake Chetek. There's something wrong about dunking someone in the 'cleansing waters of baptism' and then urging them to quick shower off before they come down with a case of duck lice.)

The beauty of a splash pad is that there is no standing water which eliminates the need for a lifeguard let alone the necessity of knowing how to swim. (Remember the days when swimming lessons were offered at City Beach? I sure do.) In my opinion, Guy Spiers Park used to be a dumpy little park on Cameron's west end. Now, it's a little gem of a venue complete with splash pad, pavilion and bathrooms. For the sum of $2/day so long if its over 60 degrees your child can splash to his heart's desire (apparently they don't open if it's cooler). The village pays for a staff person (a teenager) to man it and collect the entrance fees and even offers some concessions (for a fee as well).

Everyone wants one of these things.

What does a splash pad cost and how did they fund theirs? City Inspector Joe Atwood did a little sleuthing for me and found out that Cameron paid $160,000 for theirs. According to Joe, the village contributed $60K but the rest was raised by donations. Could we put something comparable in ourselves by a similar equation (i.e., part city contribution, part private donation)? And if we could figure out the math just where would we put the thing? Why not Philips (Beach) Park? Our pavilion is in need of an upgrade anyway. Could we build a new one to the west of the present one and put our new splash pad right next to it on the hill above the beach (in the place where the old playground stood?)

Back in May at the irregular meeting of the Parks Committee just for fun we kicked this idea around but one of the sticking points was a legitimate safety concern about kids running back and forth between a splash pad on the hill and the playground equipment at the beach while having to cross Lakeview Drive. What if we closed Lakeview Drive permanently and rerouted traffic down City Park Drive (the street behind the pavilion where you always register for the Fishy Four)? I know this idea has come up before. Maybe we need to revisit this again?

I realize all of this is pretty much daydreaming on my part. One of the real needs we have right now, however, is for individuals, especially parents of young children, who would be willing to be a part of our Parks Committee for a temporary season of time to help us think about the future of Philips Park as well as Southworth Park across the road. Together I bet we could come up with an even better plan than the one I'm pitching here. Who'd like to join me? Message me here or at Jeff Martin, Mayor on Facebook if you'd be interested in serving. I'd love to hear from you!

It's just a thought. Maybe you got a better one?