Kettle Moraine School District's Dousman Elementary School is taking the lead for student health by participating in a nationwide wellness initiative, Fuel Up to Play 60. Dousman Elementary will host Fuel Up to Play 60 as part of its "Sportacular" Rock n Roll Sensation event on Feb. 3  from 6 to 8 p.m.  Students are recruiting friends, parents, teachers, business and community leaders to join them in pledging to adopt healthier behaviors.

Read more about Dousman's Fuel Up to Play 60 in Thursday's Kettle Moraine Index.

Members of the Park View Middle School Fuel Up to Play 60 Team have recently won the "Fuel Up to Play 60" (FUTP60) healthy recipe video contest for the state of Wisconsin.  The special prize is a visit from Green Bay Packer Chef, Nick Klug, who will prepare his favorite recipe for students and staff on Thursday, March 8. 

Additionally, the PVMS video recipe has placed in the top five healthy video recipes at the national level and now has a chance to be the National FUTP60 recipe video champion.  People can click on the link below and vote for Park View during the week of Jan. 30 through Feb. 3.  The video with the most votes will receive the grand prize of a visit from one of the Green Bay Packers to the school! 

www.schooltube.com/contests/fuel-up-to-play/

The Klement's Famous Racing Sausages and Bernie Brewer visited Horizon Elementary School in Pewaukee to make a special announcement yesterday.

Fifth grade student Mathew Trotier wrote a letter to the Brewers as part of an assignment from a Horizon teacher, asking them to offer a peanut-free alternative for fans with peanut allergies.

The Brewers fulfilled his request and more. They came to Horizon to announce that three games during the 2012 season would include specially designated seating for people with peanut allergies.

Read the full story in Thursday's Lake Country Reporter, and be sure to watch video from the frenzied assembly online at www.livinglakecountry.com under the Recent Lake Country Videos heading.

Here's a link directly to the video

 Valentine's Day is around the corner, and Mukwonago Publications is looking for heartwarming, romantic,or unique love stories. 

Do you know a couple who has been married for a very, very long time?

Do you know a couple who met under strange circumstances, or who has stayed together despite the odds?

We'd love to hear your stories and share them with other readers. Email mukpubs@jcpgroup.com. 

 Parent Night for the Meadow View Lego Robotics Club, which has been meeting weekly since November, is planned for Feb 9, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

 Parent Night marks the culminating activity for the 50 third and fourth grade students involved in the club.

The theme this year for Lego Robotics is the Food Factor Challenge.   

Students participate in the challenge by programming an autonomous robot, they have built themselves, from the LEGO MINDSTORM kit, to score points on a themed playing field (Robot Game).

 Students  research and develop a solution to a problem they have identified in the Food Factor Challenge.  

Are your kids coming home from school sick? Are their friends sick too?

If a bug is going around your school, we want to know about it. Drop us a line at lakenews@jcpgroup.com

A dense fog advisory  may cause longer commute times for Lake Country residents this morning. Visibility of 1/4-mile is expected to improve by mid-morning and temperatures are predicted to be in the mid-40's today.

The dense fog hovering over our area all but guarantees that the groundhog, Waldo, will not see its shadow this morning, promising an early spring for Wisconsinites who haven't seen much winter yet.

But what about the groundhog? Did you know that they are also known as whistle-pigs, land beavers, and woodchucks?

Whistle-pigs range from Alaska to Alabama, although they are most common in the northeastern and central United States, according to Wikipedia.

Groundhogs live up to six years in the wild, but have been known to live anywhere from 9 to 14 years in captivity.

Of course, the legendary and almost mythical Wiarton Willie is said to have lived an astounding 22 years. The Canadian groundhog made his home in a hole in Wiarton, Ontario, where every Feb. 2, he predicted the length of the remaining winter season.

After Wiarton Willie's tragic passing two days before the 1999 Groundhog's Day celebration, subsequent Willies - also known as Wiarton Willie, began making predictions in his place.

Today, a replica Wiarton Willie statue stands proudly over Wiarton, Ontario, according to a photo on the Wiarton Willie Wikipedia entry.

New Wiarton Willies are also known as Wee Willie.

 The Village of Eagle Police Department will be hosting a Firearms Safety Class from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Feb. 25 at the Eagle Fire Department, 127 E. Main St. 

 The Town of Vernon will be holidng a candidate forum from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at Vernon Town Hall,  W249 S8910 Center Dr., Big Bend.

Joshua Zautne,  Intern for the Town of Vernon, will moderate. 

 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is hosting a public information meeting to discuss reconstructing WIS 83 from just south of the bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad/Vettleson Road to Campus Drive, including the WIS 83 and WIS 16 interchange in Waukesha County.

When: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 from 4 to 8 p.m. 
Where: Hartland Village Board Room, 210 Cottonwood Ave. 

The project will convert the existing two-lane rural roadway to a four–lane divided urban section and an adjacent multi-use path.  Two new bridges will be constructed over WIS 16 and the Union Pacific Railroad/Vettleson Road.  Construction is tentatively scheduled for 2015.

The open house meeting will allow interested persons an opportunity to meet individually with the project team and view exhibits information on the project.

For questions about the informational meeting or the WIS 83 project, in general, please contact Michael Treazise, WisDOT project manager at (262) 521-4421or by e-mail at Michael.Treazise@dot.wi.gov.

Auxiliary aids such as language translation and signing will be made available if requested from WisDOT at least one week prior to the meeting.  Please contact Michael Treazise at (262) 521-4421 to make arrangements.  TDD calls may be placed through the Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay System (Dial 711).

February is the month of the Valentine and romance, so there’s no better time to take someone you love to see A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters” starting Friday at Theatre on Main in Oconomowoc.

The story will touch a chord with anyone who still loves the special feelings that come through in hand-written notes.

“Love Letters” follows the lives of childhood friends, Andrew and Melissa, through their correspondence starting with birthday party thank you notes and summer camp postcards. For 50 years the two keep in touch.

Melissa is creative and spoiled, the result of a privileged life with private schools and private nurses, but her life falls apart as the years pass.

Andrew on the other hand is rock solid, eventually becoming a lawyer and a U.S. senator.

While their lives are separate their letters keep them connected as they share hopes and dreams, disappointments and defeats.

Theatre on Main’s “Love Letters” features Carl Liden as Andrew and Lisa Rowe, the author of “Psych,” as Melissa. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3 and 4, and Friday through Sunday, Feb. 10 to 12 plus Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, Feb. 14. A 2 p.m. matinee will be on Sunday, Feb. 12.

Theatre on Main is located at 25 South Main St. in Oconomowoc. Tickets are $14 for adults and $12 for seniors and students. Tickets are available for purchase by leaving a message with the Box Office at (262) 560-0564, at Books & Company and the Fox Bros. Oconomowoc Piggly Wiggly.

 As time ticked away for the Town of Mukwonago to decide whether or not to use grant money for a possible solution to the Country Bliss drainage issue, more than 200 people filled Mukwonago Fire Station #2 on Tuesday night to decide if the town could purchase land for a proposed drainage solution.

After several motions were voted down, which included adding a town-wide utilitiy district to cover costs that exceded grant funds, Country Bliss subdivision resident Lynda Dykas amended a motion to purchase the land, including allowing creation of a utility district comprised of Country Bliss residents.

Residents approved Dykas's motion, giving the Town the authority to purchase the land and move forward in finding a possible solution to years of flooding in the subdivision. 

Read the complete story in the Feb. 8 Mukwonago Chief.

 With voting coming to an end tomorrow, Park View Middle School is in a tight battle with Swan Valley Middle School for the top video in the Fuel Up to Play 60 national video recipe challenge. Park View's video is among four school video's chosen for the national contest.

To vote, visit www.schooltube.com/contests/fuel-up-to-play/

Village of Pewaukee – Larry Farrell, who served as village president for a decade and helped lead the way for the redevelopment and development of the community, died Thursday at the age of 80.

Farrell served as village president from 1983 to 1993. His time in office included major changes to the landscape of the village including a border agreement with the then Town of Pewaukee, which included a large land swap, and putting in place the instruments that would ultimately lead to major changes to the downtown area.

The land swap with the town led to the development of Riverwood and Lake Park subdivisions as well as the retail development that includes Menards, the strip mall, Walmart and now Costco, all north of Capitol Drive. He also oversaw the implementation of a tax incremental financing district in the downtown in 1987 that would ultimately lead to a rejuvenated shopping area and improvements to the lakefront.

"As a trustee and president Larry worked to make the village a better place," said former Village Administrator Frank Paulus.

Farrell is the third former village official to pass away in recent weeks.

Betty Willert, who died at the age of 79, Dec. 27, served as village trustee from 1978 to 1980 and from 1981 to 1993, as well on the village’s Public Safety committee and Police Commission. Most recently she served on village’s Board of Review and was appointed to the Plan Commission last year. .

Mark Wisniewski, who served as village trustee from 1997 to 2003, died Jan. 30 at the age of 63. Wisniewski’s wife, Nancy, also served on the board from 1999 to 2000.

Oconomowoc Youth Girls Basketball is hosting the Cooney Classic tournament on Saturday, Feb. 4 at Oconomowoc High School. Teams in grades 5-6 will play from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., followed by grades 7-8 (1:30 to 7 p.m.).

Spectators are encouraged to attend and partake in food offerings from Roots coffee, Cousins, Mrs. Wonn-derful's Cake Balls and more.

 Arrowhead's varsity boys basketball team rolled over visiting Wauksha North Friday night in a Classic 8 Conference game, 62-41. The win moved the AHS record to 8-9 overall and 6-4 in league play.

AHS never trailed in the game.

Kenny Finco fired in 17 points to lead the Warhawks. Ryan Saeger chipped in with 11 tallies and Eric Cottrell had 8. 

Dominic Todarello had 7 rebounds.

The Mukwonago boys basketball team never led until 7:06 remained in the game, but a big fourth quarter from Nate Tanguay and a capable press break helped the Indians top Catholic Memorial on home Friday, 62-54.

The win did a number of things. It avenged a 62-44 loss to the Crusaders earlier this year, it ensured the Indians remained tied for first place in the Classic 8 Conference with Milwaukee Pius and it clinched Mukwonago's first-ever winning season in the Classic 8, dating back to the league's inception in 1997.

Tanguay scored 14 of his 18 points in the final stanza, part of a huge 31-point showing in the fourth quarter for the Indians, who trailed heading into the final 8 minutes, 33-31. Dominic Cizauskas narrowly missed a triple double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists, and point guard Aaron Nixon was a key figure in beating the CMH press, plus he scored 11 of his15 points in the fourth. Nixon hit 7 of 8 free throws in the fourth.

Tanguay's back-to-back buckets opening the fourth gave the Indians their first lead of the game, and he scored 12 of 14 MHS points during the first half of the quarter.

MHS moved to 12-5 overall and 8-2 in league play. Pius edged Waukesha West on Friday to keep pace with its own 8-2 ledger.

 The Mukwonago boys varsity basketball team overpowered Catholic Memorial in the final quarter of tonight's game to claim an exciting 62 to 54 win.

 New Berlin Eisenhower's varsity girls basketball team, ranked No. 2 in the state in Division 2, defeated host Pewaukee in double overtime Saturday night in the game of the year in the Woodland Conference, 75-68.

The win kept Eisenhower undefeated (15-0, 13-0) on the season. The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak for Pewaukee, who fell to 13-3 on the season and 11-2 in league play. PHS went into the game ranked 13th in Division 2.

Eisenhower trailed by five points in the final 70 seconds of regulation before tying  the game on a 3-pointer by Jenny Weiland with 7.1 seconds to play.

Eisenhower also trailed by five points in the first overtime with 2:12 to play before getting another 3-pointer by Nicole Bauman with 37 seconds left that forced the second overtime. 

Pewaukee never led in the second overtime.

Jordyn Swan fired in 25 points to lead Pewaukee and Natalie Wood had 14 points, Emily Wirth 13 and Brittany Groer 11 for the Pirates.

Bauman fired in 25 points for the Lions.

The public school open enrollment period begins today.

Parents hoping to enroll their children in districts other than their own have until Feb. 24 to submit  their applications.

The best way to go about applying is online at dpi.wi.gov/sms/psctoc.html, but parents can also apply by picking up paper applications directly from school districts.

All applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Feb. 24.

For more information, visit www.livinglakecountry.com and reference the article posted on Feb. 1.

The Town of Mukwonago Parks and Recreation Department will be holding free senior Bingo tomorrow morning from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Mukwonago Town Hall, W320 S8315 Beulah Rd. 

Small prizes will be awarded to the winning platers who fill their card first. 

Coffee will be provided. 

Bingo will also be held on March 6, march 20, and April 17. 

 The Town of Vernon will be holidng a candidate forum from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at Vernon Town Hall,  W249 S8910 Center Dr., Big Bend.

Joshua Zautne,  Intern for the Town of Vernon, will moderate. 

Students in 4K-4th grade are invited to attend the Oconomowoc Public Library's  special event to take part in all kinds of Valentine crafts and fun.

The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 10 to 11 a.m., and, in keeping with holiday tradition, chocolate will be provided.

For more information, please call Betsy Bromley at (262) 569-2193, ext. 210. To register, please visit http://oplvalentine.eventbrite.com

 Park View Middle School is buzzing today after learning its Fuel Up to Play 60 recipe video won the national Cooking Show Challenge with its nutritious breakfast recipe, Fruit French Toast with Yogurt, after being selected as one of the top four videos and receiving 1,992 internet votes. 

While word filtered through the school early today that the video was in the lead and some assumed Park View had won, the official word came to District Food Service Director Pam Harris at 10 a.m. from the Dairy Council confirming the win, which will bring the school a visit from an active/alumni Fuel Up to Play 60 athlete.

"I knew there was the possibility with all the votes. I guess I'm a little dazed," said Harris. "Their video was really good. To think about being up against so many videos in the country, that ours came out on top."

Read the complete story in the Feb. 8 Mukwonago Chief.

To watch the winning video recipe, visit www.schooltube.com/contests/fuel-up-to-play/

CITY OF DELAFIELD - The Common Council unanimously approved at its Monday night meeting the purchase of about six acres of property from the Delafield-Hartland Water Pollution Control Commission for $328,000.

City officials intend to use the land located on the west side of the sewage treatment facility for indoor and outdoor heavy equipment and material storage space for the Department of Public Works.

 The Department of Public Works lost much of its storage space adjacent to West Main Street when a new police and fire station were built, and the public works garage and headquarters were remodeled, as part of the city's $12 million government complex construction project in 2010 and 2011.

City officials plan to borrow money from city sewer and water utility funds to pay for the land acquisition and then repay the utiity funds with interest. Borrowing the money from utilities is more cost effective for the city that purchasing and paying interest on bonds for the project, according to city officials.

 Support the Mukwonago Food Pantry and have some fun during Casion Night being held from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 11 at the American Legion Post 375, 627 Highway NN in Mukwonago. 

The event will include gaming, raffles, hors d'oeuvres, door prizes, music and more. 

A $25 donation includes $500 "fun money" and snacks. 

Music will be provided by DJ Bush. 

Proceeds will benefit the Mukwonago Food Pantry. 

 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced today that construction seven miles of southbound I-43 between Highway 164 and Highway 83 will begin next week. This project will resurface the roadway, providing a better riding surface and also rehabilitate bridge structures.

Construction will be staged to keep most lanes open during peak drive times. Lanes will be restricted during mornings from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.,  and overnight  from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.  

To perform bridge structure work, ramps will close short-term at Highway 83 and at Highway 164, although not consecutively. Signs will indicate detour routes during these weekend closures. 

Motorists are advised to plan ahead and expect delays during off-peak hours.

Waukesha – A 42-year-old City of Oconomowoc man was charged Monday in Waukesha County Circuit Court with seventh-offense drunken driving after he made an improper turn early Sunday.

According to the criminal complaint, at about 1:40 a.m. a City of Oconomowoc officer saw a vehicle, driven by Darrick B. Junck of 1150 W. Wisconsin Ave., turn left at Collins and Main streets even though there is a sign stating no left turn. The officer stopped the vehicle and noticed the odor of intoxicants.

Junck admitted to the officer he had several beers at a bar and said he should not have been driving, the complaint said. A preliminary breath test showed an alcohol concentration of 0.15. A level of 0.08 is considered evidence of intoxication in adult drivers in Wisconsin. People with three or more drunken driving convictions are prohibited from driving with a level of 0.02 or higher.

Junck was convicted of drunken driving in September 1995, April 1997, March 1998, August 2000, November 20005 and in May 2008, when he was sentenced in Jefferson County to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision.

Waukesha – A City of Delafield man, who is accused of "swerving" all over I-94 Feb. 3 was charged Feb. 6 in Waukesha County Circuit Court with sixth-offense drunken driving.

According to the criminal complaint, two motorists on westbound I-94 contacted dispatchers at about 8:15 p.m. about a vehicle that was "swerving all over the road between all three lanes." A Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department deputy stopped the vehicle, driven by Thomas J. Metsa, 43, of 402 Genesee St., on the freeway near Highway 83 in the City of Delafield.

A preliminary breath test showed Metsa had an alcohol concentration of 0.19. A level of 0.08 is considered evidence of intoxication in adult drivers in Wisconsin. People with three or more drunken driving convictions are prohibited from driving with a level of 0.02 or higher.

Metsa is free on $3,000 cash bail and is scheduled to appear in court March 15 for a hearing.

Town of Delafield – The Plan Commission Tuesday recommended on a 4-3 vote to the Town Board to approve of an ordinance that would allow residents to raise chickens.

The Plan Commission has been discussing such an ordinance for several months after one town resident was found to be raising chickens on a residential property. The ordinance allows residents to raise up to eight chickens.

Numerous other area communities have such an ordinance as do major cities in the United States

Pewaukee's varsity boys basketball team got off to a good  start on Tuesday and finished strong against Brown Deer.

The Pirates, which got 15 points from Kray Bradley, defeated the Falcons 70-55. Brown Deer, which trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half, cut the lead to three points 45-42 before Pewaukee pulled away in the fourth quarter.

"We handled the ball and all their defenses they threw at us in the first half, and in the fourth quarter," PHS head boys basketball coach Tim Reuter said.

Jordan Edgerson sccred 12 points for the winners. Jordan Daul added 11 points.

 Arrowhead's varsity boys basketball team led from start to finish Tuesday night and scored a 65-48 Classic 8 Conference victory over host Kettle Moraine.

AHS improved to 9-9 overall and 7-4 in league play. KM fell to 5-12 on the season and 3-8 in conference games.

Ryan Saeger led the Warhawks with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Kenny Finco had 8 points and Dominic Todarello had 7 points. 

KM was led by sophomore Paul Miller with 15 points. Miller made 11 of 12 foul shots. Beck Chase and Ben Varick chipped in with 7 points each. 

Sussex Hamilton coach Dan Carey returned to his alma mater Tuesday, Milwaukee Pius XI, hoping to guide his team to an eye-opening nonconfernece win. But the Popes hit 10 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter and thwarted any ideas of a rally as Pius handled the Chargers, 47-27.

Hamilton took a 10-4 lead early but Pius went on a 16-3 run and built an edge as large as 30-17 in the third quarter. Hamilton committed 11 turnovers in the middle two quarters but did bounce back to within 33-26 before Pius' free-throw spree settled the score once and for all.

Hamilton fell to 12-3 overall heading into a monster Greater Metro Conference class Friday against Menomonee Falls -- two teams tied with Divine Savior Holy Angels for first place in the league. Pius, one of the co-leaders in the Classic 8 and ranked seventh in the state, moved to 14-3.

Arrowhead senior post Jenny Smith carved up Germantown in school-record fashion Tuesday, scoring 43 points and guiding her team to a 59-35 nonconference win over the other Warhawks.

Smith made 16 of 18 shots from the field, 11 of 11 from the free-throw line and grabbed 12 rebounds.

"It doesn't get more perfect than that," AHS coach Heidi Hamilton said. "She got great looks from her teammates, and she had the best game I've seen her play. She had 34 against Franklin earlier this year, and this just puts an exclamation point on it."

Smith broke the record set by Lorraine Lorenzen, who scored 42, 39, 36 and 35 points in a game to hold the previous top four marks in school history. Lorenzen graduated in 1977 and later played at the University of Wisconsin.

"The main reason (this happened) is because of my team)," Smith said. "I probably made about three moves by myself. It all came from passing: the lobs, them driving and dishing. I took what I could get, and it was all because of them.

"Going into the game, it felt no different than any other game."

Smith scored 31 points in the first half alone, so it wasn't just another game for long. Hamilton said she took Smith out with 4:30 to play, with the game well in hand.

Smith, who will play for Bradley University next year, was already averaging 18 points per game this year and saw her average jump to 19.7. She's in her fourth year with the varsity.

Arrowhead moved to 13-2 with the win heading into a Friday battle with league foe Waukesha South. Germantown fell to 5-10.

Village of Sussex - Village officials have acknowledged they are having a difficult time filling the position of Director of Public Works/Village Engineer.

Village Administrator Jeremy Smith said eight candidates, thought to be semi finalists for the position, were interviewed by the village staff. Smith said the village will continue seeking applicants who have necessary professional qualifications for the position as well as a personality that enables the candidate to fit in with the village staff and village trustees.

Village President Greg Greg Goetz said the Director of Public Works position requires an individual who has engineering education and skills, a kinowlege of municipal government, and an ability to work with residents of the communtiy.

The position has been vacant since late last year when former Public Works Director Eric Nitschke resigned to accept the position of Director of the Southeastern Region of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Assistant Administrator Melissa Weiss has been serving as interim director. The village officials would not comment on whether they would consider appointing her Department of Public Works Director and later hiring an engineer who would report to her.

Beer, wine and a chocolate dipping fountain dessert bar.

Does it get any better than that?

Yes, it does.

The sixth annual Wine and Brewfest sponsored by the Oconomowoc Rotary Club also includes appetizers as well as American and Italian fare. And if that doesn’t make it even more appetizing, proceeds will go toward Rotary’s charitable endeavors including the polio eradication project around the world. 

The event takes place 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc.

The $40 admission includes the chance to taste test the products of more than 20 beer and five wine distributors as well as gin and vodka vendors who will share their expertise. Non-alcoholic options, including crafted sodas, will also be available.

Italian dishes and American favorites will be served from 6 to 8 p.m. including pastas, marinara and Alfredo sauce, grilled chicken, Italian sausage, breadsticks, Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper as well as hamburgers, brats, potato salad and potato chips.

Other highlights of Brewfest include raffles of gift baskets, hotel overnight stays, 99 bottles of beer and a 50/50 raffle.

For more information visit www.rotarybrewfest.org or see them on Facebook under Oconomowoc Brewfest.

Looking for more information on the upcoming Hartland-Lakeside referendum?

The school district is holding an informational session tonight at 6:30 p.m. at North Shore Middle School.

District residents face a $930,000 tax referendum on Feb. 21, that district officials say is needed to maintain the current level of district services.

If you can't make tonight's meeting, consider going to next week's discussions at 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 13.

Get Connected, a parent network that helps families navigate the school years by providing information and networking, will present "No Child Should be Afraid to Go to School," with Jim Jelinske on Thursday, Feb. 16.

Two morning sessions, 9 a.m. for grades 4 through 6 and 10 a.m. for students in kindergarten through third grade will be held at Prairie View School. An evening session for adults will be presented at 7 p.m. at Park View Middle School, 930 N. Rochester Street, Mukwonago, in the school library. 

The program addresses bullying at school, which can be reduced through comprehensive, school-wide programs designed to change behavior.

For more information, contact Dr. Maxine Towle, MAS pupil services director at (262) 363-6300 ext. 24200 or towlema@mukwonago.k12.wi.us .

 Tomorrow, City of Oconomowoc Mayor Daley will sign a proclamation written by a group of students from Nature Hill Intermediate School and Silver Lake Intermediate School at 2 pm at City Hall.  The students wrote the proclamation as part of the Reading Streak: 100 days of Reading.

The Hartland-Lakeside School District laid out its reasoning for asking district taxpayers for $930,000 in referendum dollars at a meeting at North Shore Middle School tonight.

Tonight's meeting was one in a series of meetings designed to educate the public on what the school district is asking of taxpayers. The next meeting is set for 9 a.m. on Feb. 13, followed by another that evening at 6:30 p.m.

At the meeting, Superintendent Glenn Schilling outlined the numerous cost-cutting measures the district has implemented in recent years and the effect of recent legislation on the district.

The district is seeking the referendum money to continue offering the same level of services to its students. According to Schilling, an unsuccessful referendum would force the district to make reductions in certain areas, including electives, the arts, support staff, special education, technology. Cuts could also lead to higher class sizes, he said.

Taxpayers will vote on the referendum in the Feb. 21 primary ballot.

For the full story, be sure to check out the next edition of the Lake Country Reporter.

 Driving conditions throughout the Lake Country area deteriorated quickly Friday morning and just about all roads in the area are snow covered and very slippery. 

As of 10 a.m. the roads were just wet, but not slippery. By 11 a.m. the temperature had dropped, the wind started blowing and the snow became heavier.

Traffic both east and westbound on Highway 16 from Pewaukee to Hartland was going about 25 to 35 miles per hour. Several cars were in the ditch in a two-mile stretch near Yench Road.

Traffc on Highway 83 between 16 and I-94 was also going very slow.

Road conditions in Hartland also were very slippery as of noon.

 Host Pewaukee's varsity boys basketball team rolled over struggling St. Francis Friday night in a Woodland Conference game, 65-29.

PHS improved to14-5 on the season and 12-3 in league play. The win was the eighth in a row for the Pirates.

Senior Jordan Daul fired in 16 points to lead the winners. John Czerwinski had 10 points.

 Host Arrowhead's varsity boys basketball team whipped Waukesha South Friday night in a Classic 8 Conference game, 71-48.

AHS improved to 10-9 overall  and 8-4 in league play.

South has one win on the season.

Ryan Saeger led the Warhawks with 16 points. DJ Escamilla had 13 points and Kenny Finco had 10 points.

Starting Monday, Feb. 13, parking in the Village of Wales municipal lot will be restricted to a maximum of two hours, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. through 4 p.m.  Parking fines start at $25 and increase after seven days.  

Waukesha – A Dousman teen was bound over for trial last week for allegedly stealing an owl from a wildlife center.

Matthew R. Kuhlemeyer, 18, of N2809 Road Z, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Friday and will appear in court Thursday for a hearing along with his alleged co-conspirator, Dilan S. White, 18, of 592 N. Buth Road, also of Dousman.

The teens are each charged burglary and criminal damage to property for stealing an owl named Dakota Nov. 12 from the Wildlife in Need Center in the Town of Ottawa. The teens took the bird to an acquaintance’s house where it escaped. The owl was captured Dec. 7.

The Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the state's largest teacher's union, is urging its members to "respectfully show (their) opposition" at a meeting of the Richmond School Board at 7 p.m. tonight.

The School Board is expected to approve a measure that would eliminate post-employment benefits for teachers and staff in the district at the meeting.

"This Board and administration are destroying what previous school boards, administrators, teachers, and the community have built over the years," a recent message to WEAC members said.

At a Jan. 27 special School Board meeting, Board President Ken Skarie said, "I see this as precedent," when referring to the proposed changes to post-employment benefits.

The proposal would eliminate benefits such as health, dental, and life insurance coverage for early retirees. Only two teachers, the district administrator and a clerical worker would be exempted from the changes based on a formula calculated by the School Board.

Read earlier coverage of this story from the Jan. 31 Lake Country Reporter .

Mukwonago High School and Park View Middle School orchestras will hold their annual Pops Concert and spaghetti dinner tonight, Feb. 13 at Park View Middle School.

The dinner starts at 5 p.m. and includes a raffle to raise money for second semester activities, including guest clinicians and buses for field trips. 

The concert starts at 7 p.m. and will feature music from Elvis, "Jersey Boys," John Williams and a combined number with all groups featuring the Hawaiian version of "Over the Rainbow."

At least 50 people showed up for the Richmond School Board meeting this evening.

No one has spoken yet, but it appears the big crowd is here to talk about the proposed elimination of post-employment benefits for teachers.

The meeting began at 7 p.m., and more people are slowly trickling in.

Stay tuned to Lake Country Watch this evening, as I'll try to keep readers updated on developments from the meeting.

The Pewaukee girls basketball team went on a 13-0 run early in the third quarter, tying the score at 34-34 and giving the Pirates a glimmer of hope against one of the favorites to win the WIAA Division 3 crown.

But the Knights, led by an intense, pressure-heavy defense that forced 23 turnovers, responded with an 11-2 run and ultimately won in a nonconference battle Monday at PHS, 61-49.

Led by returning All State choices Deysha Smith-Jenkins (23 points) and Dilonna Johnson (12 points) and bolstered by freshman sensation Allazia Blockton (20 points), Dominican (15-1) showed the talent that made them a state qualifier last year. The Pirates (14-4) were led by Jordyn Swan's 18 points.

The Pirates will play another crucial home game Wednesday against Cudahy, a game that would essentially give the Pirates a Woodland Blue DIvision title with a victory.

 Zion Episcopal Church, 135 Rockwell Pl. in Oconomowoc, will hold its annual Pancake Supper onTuesday, Feb. 21, from 5 to 7 pm. in the lower parish hall.

This year the popular all-you-can-eat event will benefit the Penny's and Nichols Center in Oconomowoc.

They will be serving homemade pancakes, homemade toppings, sausage links and applesauce.  For desert - homemade cookies. Tickets are $7.00 a piece or $25.00 for a family.

For additional information please call Julie Dlouhy at 262-567-6799.