West of the I

Two Wheatland Center School eighth grade students have received awards and recognition in the Southeast Wisconsin Scholastic Writing Region of the Scholastic Writing Awards, in partnership with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

Elaina Hetland earned a Gold Key in Novel Writing for “You I”. Mackenzie Idell earned a Gold Key in Novel Writing for “Remember”.

Both novels have been recognized at the highest regional level by a panel of creative professionals and have advanced to national judging in New York City. Elaina Hetland also earned a Silver Key in Poetry and two additional Honorable Mentions in Novel Writing.

These students will be honored during a regional ceremony in early summer for outstanding merit in originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice and vision in their writing. There are three levels of recognition in the regional awards: the Gold Key, which is the highest award, followed by Silver Key and Honorable Mention awards. Entries receiving Gold Keys advance to New York for national judging by professional writers, editors, publishers, and educators.

All awards were:

• Elaina Hetland – Novel Writing- “You I”: Gold Key
• Mackenzie Idell – Novel Writing – “Remember”: Gold Key
• Elaina Hetland – Poetry- “Wisdom of Wind and Wings”: Silver Key
• Elaina Hetland – Novel Writing – “Eclipse”: Honorable Mention
• Elaina Hetland – Novel Writing – “Frayed Ties”: Honorable Mention

From UW-Madison Extension Service Kenosha County:

A countywide celebration of Arbor Day will be held this Friday at the Kenosha County Center in Bristol.
In addition to the customary tree-planting ceremony, this year’s festivities will include a celebration of the opening of an automated weather station that the University of Wisconsin-Madison is now operating on the County Center grounds.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. with a tree arts exhibit featuring the works of Kenosha County 4-H members, followed by the weather station inaugural ceremony at 6 p.m.

A tree-planting ceremony led by Extension Kenosha County Horticulture Educator Vijai Pandian and including Kenosha County officials will follow at 6:15 p.m. County officials will also hand out tree saplings for attendees to take home and plant.

“Arbor Day is a time to celebrate the beautiful trees that surround us, and to pass that blessing onto future generations by planting new seeds in the ground,” said Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman. “Kenosha County is proud to be a part of that succession with our annual Arbor Day celebration.”

Supervisor Guida Brown — the newly appointed chair of the County Board’s Planning, Development and Extension Education Committee — encouraged the community to join in the celebration, and to learn more about Kenosha County’s diverse native tree landscape.

“We’re fortunate to have an outstanding, educational arboretum on the County Center grounds,” Brown said. “This event is a showcase for that and for the county’s new relationship with UW-Madison that has brought an informative weather station to the community.”

The station is part of the university’s statewide Wisconet network, which reports real-time data from 21 locations across Wisconsin. Information collected includes air temperature, relative humidity, dewpoint, soil temperature and moisture, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure and solar radiation.

This data, updated every 15 minutes, is available to the public on an online dashboard accessible
at www.go.wisc.edu/bristolweather.

The Kenosha County Center location is the first Wisconet station in southeastern Wisconsin.

“This weather station will be an integral part of monitoring the resilience of the trees in the arboretum,” said Panadian, the local Extension agriculture educator. “And it’s also going to be a very helpful tool for the residents of Kenosha County, in terms of monitoring plant pest and growing conditions.”

The Kenosha County Center is located at the northeast corner of Highways 45 and 50 in Bristol. More information about the County Center Prairie & Arboretum — including a self-guided tour of its trees — is available at https://www.kenoshacounty.org/2182/Kenosha-County-Center-Prairie-Arboretum.

West of the I’s garage sales page has been updated.

Be sure to check it out each week before you begin your bargain hunting.

If you’d like your sale added to the list, please drop us a line at darren@westofthei.com. Include your address, days, hours etc. We’ll even add a map to your info.

A freeze watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for an area including Kenosha County.

The watch is set to be in effect from 12 to 8 a.m., Thursday. The low temperature may dip as low as 29 degrees.

Wednesday will be chilly during the day as well, with a high of just 48, says the latest, local NWS forecast.

But it won’t last. Temperatures should start recovering during the day Thursday with a high of 55 and a high of 58 on Friday.

The weekend will get a lot warmer with highs in the 70s Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately, it also will get a lot wetter, with a 50 percent or better chance of rain starting Friday and persisting through Monday.

Note: The following is a paid advertisement from WalkMS-Racine-Kenosha.

Wheatland Center School performing arts students will perform Disney Aladdin Jr. on Thursday, at 1:30 p.m. and Friday at 9:30 a.m and 7 p.m. at the school.

Performances are open to the public. Tickets are $3 for adults, $2 for senior and $1 for students.

All proceeds go to future productions.

The Bristol School District #1 board is scheduled to meet Wednesday, starting at 4:30 p.m. in the large group instruction room.

Agenda items include:

• Reorganization of board postions.
• Special board meeting-budget workshop date
• Board committees

The full agenda is available here.

Note: This is a paid announcement from Purely Paws Spa — DH

This post sponsored by Westosha Floral.

The following deaths of local residents and those with local connections are being reported by funeral homes today. Click on name to see obituary/service information:

The Wheatland J1 School District board is scheduled to meet Tuesday, starting at 7 p.m. in Room #164-Community room at the school.

Agenda items include:

• Reorganization and Election of Officers and Committees for 2024-2025
• 2024-25 Certified Staff Contracts
• Shared Service Contracts for 2024-2025 School Year: Occupational Therapist/Trevor Wilmot School District
• Closed session for: Employee Compensation and Benefits

The full agenda is available here.

At about 7:15 p.m., Town of Randall Fire Department and Twin Lakes Rescue units are responding to a report of a possible gas leak in the 40000 block of 102nd Street in Randall.

Per dispatch: Caller reports water heater problems that include a smell of natural gas.

At about 6:29 p.m., Twin lakes Fire Department units are responding to a report of a possible gas leak in the 600 block of Maple Street in Twin Lakes.

Per dispatch: Possible link reported in basement of a house.

UPDATE 6:47 p.m. — Scene turned over to homeowner and utility company crew. Fire units returning to quarters.

At anout 5:11 p.m., Salem Lakes Fire/Rescue units are responding to a report of burning in the 10100 278th Avenue in Camp Lake.

The Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated Grade School District board is scheduled to hold regular and special meetings Tuesday.

First is the special board meeting, starting at 6 p.m. in the office conference room.

On the agenda is a closed session regarding: DAPES – District Administrator Performance Evaluation System
Goal Setting Discussion Board and District Administrator/Asst Superintendent.

The regular board meeting is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start in the library. Agenda items include:

• Strategic Plan Update
• English Language Arts Materials Adoption – approval
• Summer School Course Booklet – approval
• Compensation Plan – approval
• Shared Services Agreements – approvals: Nursing, Library Media, Occupational Therapy.
• Administrative Contract: a) Director of Curriculum & Instruction
• Fire department memo of understanding regarding shelter site locations and terms of use in the event of an evacuation of the students and staff of the Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated Grade School District

The full agenda is available here.

The Union Cemetery Association will be having their annual meeting on Sunday, April 28.

The meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. and will be held at the Paddock Lake Village Hall, 6969 236^th Avenue.

Minutes from the last meeting will be read and a financial report given.

Anyone with lots-plots or anyone that is interested in purchasing them at Union Cemetery is welcome to attend.

The Paris Town Board is scheduled to meet Tuesday, starting at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.

Agenda items include:

• Determine if criteria have been met to allow the next payment to MWFN.
• Consideration of appointing Erin Pugh as an alternate for Board of Review
• Proposed WEC R.I.C.E. power plant
• Review of proposed Paris Fire Department approach replacement project
• Review of draft of proposed updates to the Town’s Sex Offender Residency Restrictions
• Internet updates – Spectrum, Mid-West Fiber projects
• Paris Solar project updates – including planned array deliveries.

The full agenda is available here.

Weather conditions Monday are contributing to an elevated risk of fire, the National Weather Service says.

A NWS special weather statement says:

Gusty southwest winds of 15 to 25 MPH, with gusts to 35 MPH, are expected today. Deep mixing will result in relative humidity values dropping into the 20 to 25 percent range over most of the area this afternoon. This will result in elevated fire weather conditions this afternoon. Under these conditions, fires will start and spread easily and could potentially lead to a wildland fire. Please exercise caution with any activities that involve outdoor fires or create sparks, including campfires, grilling, and operating large equipment. Please heed any local burn bans.

The Wilmot Union High School District board is scheduled to meet Monday, starting at 6 p.m. in the school library.

Agenda items include:

• Consolidation Study Follow-Up
• Athletics and Activities Participation Report
• Community Finance Presentation
• 2024-2025 School Meal Prices
• 2024-2025 School Fees
• New Course Proposals
• Shared Library Media Specialist Position
• Administrator Contract Amendments
• Closed session for: Individual Performance Concern, Individual Contract Matter, Individual Sick Time Request.

The full agenda is available here.

The Wheatland Town Board is scheduled to meet Monday and hold its annual town meeting at Town Hall in New Munster.

The regular board meeting will be first. Among the agenda items are:

• A favorable recommendation has been given by the Wheatland Planning Commission on Monday 04/08/24
  for the following: TLS Management LLC, WI 53105 (Owner) DeAnna Delimat, 34231 Hight Dr. East Troy, WI 53120 (agent) requesting approval of a temporary use (Section 1111.D12.18 7-4: which states that it shall be unlawful to proceed with the operation, construction, installation, enlargement or alternation of a temporary use, as defined in this ordinance, without first obtaining approval from the Kenosha County Board of Adjustments) to temporarily use an existing parking lot for an outdoor event in the B-3 Highway Business District on Tax Parcel #95-4-119-012-0700. 32400 Geneva Rd. Town of Wheatland
• A favorable recommendation has been given by the Wheatland Planning Commission on Monday 04/08/24 35406 Geneva Rd Burlington, WI 53105-7806. Don Schenning 33825 116th St Twin Lakes (Owner) requesting rezoning from A-1 Agricultural Preservation Dist &C-2 Upland Resource Consrvancy Dist to R-2 Suburban Single Family Residential Dist &C-2 land Resource Conservancy Dist. On Tax Parcel #95-4-119-032-0480, Town of Wheatland.
• A favorable recommendation has been given by the Wheatland Planning Commission on Monday 04/08/24 35406 Geneva Rd Burlington, WI 53105-7806. Don Schenning 33825 116th St Twin Lakes (Agent) request a Certified Survey Map on tax Parcel #95-4-119-032-0480 located in the NW 1⁄4 of section 3, T1N, R19E, Town of Wheatland.
• Appointment to the Planning Commission for 3 year Terms.
• Appointment to the Parks and Recreation Board for 3 year Terms.

The full regular board meeting agenda is available here.

The annual town meeting will follow at 7 p.m. Agenda items include:

• Presentation of 2023 Financial Report
• Fire Dept. report
• Building Inspector report
• Municipal Court report
• Recreation Board report
• Town Chairman report & comments

The full annual meeting agenda is available here.

The Twin Lakes Village Board is scheduled to hold a special board meeting Monday, starting at 6 p.m. at Village Hall.

On the agenda is a closed session for a possible settlement for Richard Thayer claim. The board may act in open session on closed session matters.

The Silver Lake-Salem Jt1 School District (Riverview School) board is scheduled to meet Monday, starting at 6 p.m. in the school library.

Agenda items include:

• Land Parcel Update
• Strategic Plan Update
• Budget Update
• Student, Staff, Family, Board Survey Update
• A closed session for: Consider renewal/extension (or nonrenewal/non extension) of individual employment contracts; consider employment contract; performance evaluation data; deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business

The full agenda is available here.

This post sponsored by Westosha Floral.

The following deaths of local residents and those with local connections are being reported by funeral homes today. Click on name to see obituary/service information:

At about 6:55 p.m., Bristol Fire and Rescue is responding to a crash at Highway MB and 104th Street in Bristol.

Per dispatch: Deputy already on the scene. Single vehicle off the road. Occupant injured.

This post sponsored by Westosha Floral.

The following deaths of local residents and those with local connections are being reported by funeral homes today. Click on name to see obituary/service information: