Local News Briefs Monday 8/10/15

Former longtime Fond du Lac Police Chief and former County Board Supervisor Mel Heller will have the honor of cutting the ribbon for the new north entrance to the Fond du Lac City-County Government Center. The new vestibule area includes an elevator to create a more handicapped accessible entrance. County Executive Al Buechel says Heller seemed to be the appropriate person to choose to cut the ribbon. Heller is 90-years-old and is now confined to a wheel chair. The ribbon-cutting will be on Tuesday August 18th at 6:15 p.m. prior to this month’s County Board meeting. Buechel says that date was picked because the last inspection of the elevator will be the day before that. The new entrance will open for public use on Wednesday, August 19th.

FDL School Board Considers Hiring Of Assistant High School Principal

The Fond du Lac School Board this afternoon will consider hiring a new assistant principal at the high school. Kevin Krutzik was the top candidates in a field of more than 60 people who applied for the position. Last year he served as an assistant principal at Oshkosh Lourdes. He also has nine years of high school teaching experience in Manitowoc. The school board meets at 5 p.m. at the District Administration Center Board Room.

Meeting On Highway 45 Improvements

The state’s Department of Transportation will hold a meeting in Eden next week to discuss improvements to U.S. Highway 45. The meeting will be held Wednesday, August 19th from 5 to 7 p.m. at Eden Village Hall. There will be a brief presentation at 5:15 p.m., followed by an open-house meeting format. Construction is currently scheduled for 2018.

Getting Ready For Voter ID

Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg says she will be doing some outreach to make people aware of the use of photo ID at the polls. She talked about it on KFIZ noting the first real use of it in the County will be during next February’s primary election. She says she’s working with the Aging and Disabilities Resource Center to also get the word out. She says a driver’s license will work, but if you don’t have photo ID you can get a State ID through the Department of Motor Vehicles Office in Fond du Lac. She says remember if you are getting photo ID or a driver’s license from the DMV you will need a certified copy of your birth certificate.

State First When It Comes To Sprinkler Ordinance

Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue Chief Peter O’Leary says the state would have to pass a law to allow communities like Fond du Lac to implement an ordinance that required a sprinkler system in each new home. He was asked about while giving a press conference at the new Habitat for Humanity on South Main Street that was dedicated over the weekend. He says there is some push back from the building industry, which says it would be too expensive and sprinkler pipes would burst during cold Wisconsin winters. O’Leary says that hasn’t happened in the four Habitat homes in Fond du Lac they were put into. He says a home sprinkler system is the safest way to go when it comes to fire protection.

NFDL Optimists Donate To Police Department

The North Fond du Lac Police Department recently benefitted from two donations from the Optimist Club. Police Chief Darren Pautsch says the Club donate $500 for their DARE program. He says they try to run the program without taxpayers’ money with the exception of what officers involved in the program are being paid. The group also donated “go bags” to the department. Chief Pautsch says the department is too small to have tactical units so if they have an active shooter situation officers need “go bags” containing supplies they might need in that situation. He says it would contain things like extra ammunition, flashlights, and first aid kits for self-rescue. He says they greatly appreciate the North Fond du Lac Optimist Club generosity.

No Glass Ceiling In Waupun School District

Apparently there is no glass ceiling for women working in the Waupun Area School District. District Superintendent Tonya Gubin says it’s been a light-hearted subject, but most of the administrators in the district are women. She says Inspire magazine is doing a story about how the leadership roles of women in school districts and encouraging high school students and young women in the district to understand there are no barriers. She says they’ve been highly encouraging high school girls to go into engineering. She says they don’t need to be pigeon-holed in certain careers and that the world is really open to them if they study hard and put their mind to it.

Tickets Available For FDL High School Athletic Hall Of Fame Banquet

The public is invited to share in the festivities as the 2015 Athletic Hall of Fame class is presented during half-time of the FDL Cardinals football game versus Kaukauna on Friday, August 28 at 7:00 p.m. The 2015 Hall of Fame inductees and the years they coached or attended high school are: Dave Bartolutti (1967-1979), Joel Blitzke (1965–1968), Jake Denell (1967–1970), Tom Gregory (1946–1949), Lee Groeschl (1999–2002), Chuck Schuette (1981–2014), Greg Sewall (1989–1991), and Shelley (Wendels) Gilk, (1987–1991). The teams that will be inducted during this presentation are the 1974 State Championship Football Team and the 1975 State Champion Mile Relay Team. Following the game there will be a social at Schmitty’s Oar House. On Saturday, August 29, at the new Holiday Inn Banquet Hall there will be a social beginning at 5:00 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:00 p.m. and the Hall of Fame induction ceremony at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for this portion of the event are $25.00 and available at KFIZ, Hopper’s, Festival Foods, the National Exchange Bank – South Main branch, and Fond du Lac High School.  Tickets can also be purchased at the door. If you are interested in overnight accommodations, a block of 20 rooms has been reserved for the event. Please call 920-923-1440 to make your reservation.