Village of Kronenwetter residents decided they wanted to see change on the village board Tuesday.
Kelly Coyle and Alex Vedvik were elected to the board this week, joining incumbent Chris Eiden. All three campaigned on a platform of restoring order to the board and ending the drama they say wracked the board and the village in general. They were chosen over current board member Kim Tapper and challenger Guy Fredel.
The Wausonian first started reporting on the problems in Kronenwetter last year in its Big Trouble in Little Kronenwetter series — staff had been leaving in droves, with many telling The Wausonian they were mistreated by some board members.
Voters in Kronenwetter also chose current president Chris Voll over challenger and current board member Ken Charneski. Charneski and Joel Straub, who lost in the primary for village president in February, were two board members cited as having driven staff away.
Readers this week read about the forum in Kronenwetter prior to the village elections. And they read a roundup of stories in our monthly open thread, where anyone can have their say.
What else in Wausau?
Bore-ing problem: City leaders met Monday at the site of an ash tree infected with Emerald Ash Borer. City Forester John Kahon explained the signs of the beetle infestation, which targets and kills ash trees, creating a danger. Of the 6,600 ash trees the city had amongst its street trees, only around 4,000 remain, Kahon said.
New school: Wausau electors voted in one new school board member Tuesday. Jennifer Paoli, top vote-getter, will join incumbents Lance Trollop and Cory Sillars on the board. The election comes as the district weighs a controversial school restructuring plan.
Passing the tobacco test: Police along with the health department conducted tobacco compliance checks, in which young volunteers are sent in to try to buy tobacco products underage, for the first time since before the pandemic. The good news? Non of the 18 businesses undercover underagers tested sold them tobacco products.
Dog park bark: City officials are going to look into getting DNR money in order to test a site next to the city’s dog park for environmental contamination. The city is interested in the land to potentially expand the dog park south of Forest Street, but even if they don’t they’d like to know what is on the site and how much it might cost to clean it up. The DNR knows it is dirty, the owner won’t clean it up, but it’s not bad enough that the DNR could get law enforcement involved, parks officials say.
Around the metro
Double shooting: Deputies are investigating what appears to be a murder-suicide in the town of Hull last weekend. Investigators say two residents, Daniel Gumz, 65, and Ronnie Gumz, 62, were both found dead of apparent gunshot wounds Saturday in a residence on Highway N in the town of Hull. The shooting is still under investigation.
Business
Bead replacement: Bead shop Stoned and Wired moved into a space underneath The Landmark next to where the adult book store spot was torn down. The bead store moved there during the Landmark’s renovations by Gorman and Co. No word on the whereabouts of the adult book store after the building was torn down.
CORRECTION: The above post has been corrected as this reporter had forgotten the adult book store space had been torn down. Thus the past post had the bead store in the wrong location.
Entertainment
Friday, April 7: I once heard a producer say that if they didn’t hear something intriguing in the first eight bars of a song, they passed. It’s not a bad way to ensure you’re picking good music, frankly. So Long Mama, playing at Lamplight Sessions Friday, would pass that test in my opinion. Though it they might appear at first blush to be a bluegrass act, they really combine a folksy Americana vibe with just the right touch of electrification and production and pop. Lamplight Sessions has specialized in those delightfully different and talented bands it brings to town, and Long Mama fits into that ethos perfectly. 7 pm. More info and ticket info at the event page.
Saturday, April 8: 20 Watt Tombstone is one of those Wausau success stories you don’t hear a lot about. Guitarist/frontman Tom Jordan and drummer Mitch Ostrowski form a power duo playing what they call “death blues” - sort of a bluesy heavy metal version of ZZ Top. They don’t play around Wausau too much any more since they tour so much, so getting to see them is a treat. Jordan is bringing one of their shows to the Polack Inn in honor of his birthday this Saturday, and it would be worth checking out. 9 pm. See more at the event page.
Saturday, April 8: If you’ve got kids, this ought to keep them occupied for a few hours. Willow Springs will host its annual Eggstravaganza Saturday morning on their wonderful grounds. Hopefully most of the snow has cleared by then! Kids can get their picture taken with the Easter bunny, get their face painted, make crafts, enjoy a child-friendly buffet and get into other kid-friendly shenanigans. 10 am, see the event page for more details. (There’s also one at Marathon Park Saturday around 10:15 am that the city puts on.)
Looking for kids/family events? Check out the family-oriented listing from The Wausonian’s partner Wausau Mama, who puts together a weekly listing of children/family activities.
Sports
Softball: D.C. Everest started out on a strong note, beating SPASH 1-0 Monday to get its first win of the season. More games are scheduled for Thursday and next week Tuesday. Baseball, boys tennis and girls soccer start next week as well.
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