Construction tops list of 2011's biggest stories

Posted: Dec. 27, 2011

The old joke says Wisconsin has just two seasons: winter and construction. That seemed particularly true this year, as construction projects dominated the headlines.

1 Highway 83 construction. The state Department of Transportation closed the highway in March, from Highway 59 in Genesee to Highway NN in Mukwonago. The project widened and rebuilt the roadway, including the installation of roundabouts at Highways 59, X and I.

The road, which is a major thoroughfare for people traveling north from Highway 43 to Lake Country, didn't reopen until Nov. 23.

More than just an inconvenience for motorists who had to find new routes to their regular destinations, shutting down the road cut off a major artery for customers patronizing Mukwonago businesses. Businesses along the route reported a significant drop in the number of customers making their way to their shops. Business owners were also quick to praise the loyalty of their regular customers, who stuck by them through the difficulties.

The project also posed a challenge for police, who were given the unenviable responsibility of keeping determined drivers out. Town of Mukwonago Police Chief Thomas Czarnecki said in April that officers were giving out warnings and maps of detours.

"Mukwonago has felt the stress of this economic time period … but our community has stayed together and has stayed strong … Mukwonago is strong and it's getting stronger. Our best days are yet to occur," said Mukwonago Town Supervisor Bob Lawn at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

2 Mukwonago Community Library project. The library also experienced growing pains this year, with a multimillion dollar expansion project. The project broke ground April 2, and necessitated the library to move into a temporary space at 1012 S. Main St. while construction went on. It moved back in early December, giving a sneak peek to excited patrons during Midnight Magic. The library opened its doors again on Dec. 14.

The project expanded the library, including a larger children's section, additional computers and a community room three times the size of the old one. The project was realized at least partially due to a generous donation by the McAdams family.

Construction came in on time and under budget. Costs were projected at $5.4 million, but came in closer to $5.1 million. Savings came from advance preparation that minimized problems during construction, and lower labor costs due to economic conditions, according to Library Director Nick Weber.

3 Mukwonago Indians nickname controversy. The saga continued this year, after the state Department of Public Instruction in late 2010 ruled that the mascot and logo were discriminatory and ordered the Mukwonago Area School District to change it by October 2011, and district residents Craig Vertz and James Schoolcraft filed a lawsuit to stop the state from enforcing the ruling, claiming it was unconstitutional.

While the courts were hashing it all out, the DPI approved an extension for the School District. Other developments included a failed attempt to get legislation approved that would overturn the DPI's decision, and the district's preparations in May to begin looking for a new nickname for the high school.

This fall, a Waukesha County judge ruled that the School District did not get a fair hearing in Madison last year, overturning the state's order. But just this month, the state filed an appeal to that ruling, seeking to uphold the DPI's original order.

4 YMCA groundbreaking. In keeping with the construction theme, the newly organized Mukwonago YMCA got off the ground this year. While millions of dollars were raised, the last few hundred thousand came in a "crunchtime" for the fundraising effort, and YMCA Board President Cheryl Berg announced in April that construction would proceed.

In July, the Greenwald family donated eight acres near Walmart on the village's south side, providing a home for the future Y.

Groundbreaking took place in July. The almost $10 million project will make possible a 58,000-square-foot facility that will include a lap pool, recreational pool, gymnasium, fitness area, senior center/teen center, community rooms and more. It will serve Big Bend, Eagle, East Troy, Genesee, Mukwonago, Muskego, North Prairie, Vernon, Wales, Waterford and parts of Waukesha.

If all goes as planned, the facility will open next fall.

5 Country Bliss. Flooding issues in Country Bliss have been dragging on for years. Potential solutions have been debated for just as long. This year, the Mukwonago Town Board threw in the towel, returning a $506,000 Community Block Grant it had received to put toward a solution after failing to come up with a suitable plan.

Proposed plans included a drain tile pipeline to transport groundwater from Country Bliss to Stone Brook Hollow and empty into a surface-level basin on the western edge of Stone Brook Hollow; a pipeline to divert water from Memory Lane-Paradise Lane west to South Oak Tree Drive; and a pump station to send water into Jericho Creek.

6 Budget dilemma. Rumblings started early in the year, when demonstrators descended on the state Capitol to protest Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill and proposed biennial budget.

School districts statewide prepared to tighten their belts, anticipating massive cuts in state aid, though those cuts would be somewhat offset by provisions of the budget-repair bill, which called for the end of collective bargaining, and greater contributions by public employees for their health insurance and retirement benefits.

At year's end, the Mukwonago Area School District was considering asking residents to approve a referendum that would provide it with additional operating costs. MASD took similar action five years ago, but the additional funds approved by voters then are coming to an end.

7 Cottonwood chaos. The Village of Mukwonago filed suit against one of its own residents over a cottonwood tree. The village says it has received numerous complaints in the last three years about the "fluff" the cottonwood sheds each spring. In response, the village asked Paul Teply to cut down the tree, citing village ordinance that prohibits nuisance trees. But Teply is fighting the order, saying his century-old tree has been there since long before the ordinance.

8 Rainbow Springs. In April, the Town of Mukwonago came out with a recommendation to keep the Rainbow Springs golf course closed, and sent a letter to Lazich, who was drafting a bill that would allow the course to reopen. Lazich had sought the town's recommendation on what should be done with the 200-acre course. Others joined the town in its opinion, including the Golf Course Owners of Wisconsin, Kettle Moraine Golf Club, The Broadlands Golf Club and Friends of the Mukwonago River.

9 The cream puff craze. Students at Clarendon Avenue Elementary School worked with state Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) to get the cream puff named the official state dessert. Students studied state symbols, and concluded that the cream puff would be an appropriate symbol, as Wisconsin is the Dairy State. Students collected signatures on petitions and presented them to Lazich, who sponsored a bill on the measure.

The issue drew statewide response, according to teacher Janine Coley, as well as out-of-state support from people who attend the Wisconsin State Fair and look forward to the cream puffs.

There's no word yet on a final decision by lawmakers.

10 Recall fever. Controversial decisions in Madison fired up the public and led to numerous attempts to force recall elections statewide, against Republican and Democratic legislators alike. Close to home, organizers gathered signatures in an effort to oust Lazich, who represents the Mukwonago area. While thousands signed the petitions, the group came up about 2,000 signatures short. At year's end, opponents of Gov. Scott Walker continued to circulate recall petitions against him.

Other stories

Other stories in our headlines this year included:

Milwaukee Magazine named the Town of Mukwonago the No. 1 place to live.

Marine Cpl. Jeremy Stengel was presented with the keys to a home built by Homes for Troops, an organization that builds handicapped-accessible homes for injured service people.

The Mukwonago Lions Club celebrated 50 years of service.

Vandals struck the Lulu Lake nature preserve, dumping barrels of chemicals down a slope near the lake.

Village of Mukwonago Police cited six establishments for selling to underage volunteers working with the department in September.

Alert friends thwarted a burglary at a Town of Eagle home in September. The couple happened to be passing by their friends' home when they noticed a suspicious van in the driveway. They stopped and surprised the burglar, who fled. Police found him minutes later.

Barney's Blessings pet food pantry shut down in October. Owner Tracy Harris cited a lack of volunteers and financial contributions.