Local News Briefs Monday 3/28/16

FDL Bicycle Loop Will Be Completed This Summer

Fond du Lac Public Works Director Jordan Skiff says some improvements will be made at Lakeside Park this summer. He says the biggest will be the extension of the Fond du Lac bicycle loop through the park. It’s a multi-use biking and walking trail and work on it won’t begin until after Walleye Weekend in June. Skiff says that’s something they wanted to do for some time. He says both the Lakeside Park and Camelot Drive areas were gaps in the bike loop and both of them will be completed this summer. Meanwhile Excel Engineering is developing a master plan for the park and Skiff says it will incorporate recommendations the Lakeside Park Exploratory Committee made. He says that could include a new or expanded pavilion, a beach option, a bridge from Lakeside Park to Lakeside Park West, a splash pad, and an ice rink in the winter. He says many are goals and something to shoot for. 

NFDL Gets Good Participation In ACT Testing

North Fond du Lac Schools Superintendent Aaron Sadoff says he’s proud of the participation they had in ACT testing. He says every high school junior, 104 of them, show up both days to take the test. He says that also says something about the kids taking the test. Sadoff says under a new state law all high school juniors have to take the test. He says that will change the overall composites on the testing scores, but in might help build the self confidence of students who wouldn’t otherwise have taken the test. The state is paying for the testing.

Veterans Council Being Resurrected

Fond du Lac County Veterans Service Officer Rick Patton says there is an effort underway to resurrect the Fond du Lac County Veterans Council. He says the council met up until about 2004 and then the council faded away. He says it’s a good way to know what all the veterans groups are doing and it will eliminate a duplication of efforts. He says sometimes different veterans groups are doing fundraisers for the same effort, but are unaware of it.  He also says the VA has started an initiative to serve the veterans in hospice care a little better and the hospice agencies in the area and veterans groups would like to get on board with that. He says they can find out which veterans are in hospice care and provide veterans to go visit with them.

Oshkosh Referendum Information Session Wednesday

The Oshkosh Area School District will hold a referendum information session this week. It will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Oshkosh Senior Center in the Willow South Room. The district is putting a $28 million referendum before votes on Tuesday, April 5th. If the referendum does not pass the school board has already approved a plan to make $7.4 million in cuts over the next two school years.

Wunsch Retires From FDL Fire And Rescue Knowles Being Promoted

Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue will soon have a new lieutenant and captain. Fire Chief Peter O’Leary says Captain Larry Wunsch put in his last day over the weekend and is retiring after more than 30 years with the department. He says Wunsch has had a good career in Fond du Lac and will likely spend more time with his family and flying, which is one of his passions. Lieutenant Jim Knowles will be promoted to captain and someone else will fill the lieutenant’s position that Knowles held. O’Leary says Knowles has done a lot of great work as a lieutenant and has been heavily involved in training. Knowles promotion becomes official in a couple of days and a swearing in ceremony will be held next month.

Library Grants

The Fond du Lac Public Library is receiving a little over $12,000 in state grant money for teacher technology grants. The state’s Department of Public Instruction recently announced the awarding of Library Services and Technology Act Subgrant Awards.  Forty-five different library or library systems across the state are receiving the awards for 2016.