The revenge of the Elephant Ear stand | Weekly Wausonian

Wausau news for the week of Sept. 19, 2024

Community leaders are coming together in the wake of an arson that left a historic elephant ear stand burned to the ground along with a number of other small buildings and a car wash in Rothschild.

Noon Optimist Member Romey Wagner (who used to be on City Council and also ran the city’s entrepreneur center) told The Wausonian that thousands of dollars have already been offered to help buy a new elephant ear stand.

The stand, which sold elephant ears at the fair as a fundraiser and served as a fundraising mechanism for some youth groups as well, was burned in early August, along with some storage buildings and a car wash.

Wagner told The Wausonian that he’s already had nearly $5,000 pledged through cash donations and in-kind donations helping rebuild the stand. Various groups had owned the stand for the past 45 years, he says. Wagner says a more formal fundraiser is being worked on with the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin. The stand will cost around $65,000 to $70,000 to replace (it’s on a trailer which costs $45,000 new).

Meanwhile, the suspected arsonist, 53-year-old Kenneth Taylor of Rothschild, is in custody on a $25,000 cash bond.

You’ve probably heard about the lawsuit between Minocqua Brewing Co. and Ope! Brewing Co. But The Wausonian obtained the actual lawsuit. Read more here:

What else is Wausau?

Lead line deadline: Representatives of Equiflow say they’re about halfway to their goal of replacing more than 500 private-side lead service lines in Wausau. So far they’ve gotten 257 lines replaced, and hope to replace 553 before the year is through. The project is using bi-partisan infrastructure bill funding to replace the lines, eventually replacing all 8,000 lead lines in the city.

Bike bridge costs: City leaders last week heard a presentation about the new proposed bike bridge over the Eau Claire River. City consultants say Wausau’s portion would come to about $10 million, but that’s before any grants and donations. The project, shared between Schofield, Weston and Wausau, would provide bike and pedestrian access between the three metros via a bridge over the Eau Claire River. It theoretically would be built in 2029 and open in 2031.

Election safety: The city’s Public Health and Safety Committee gave the first nod to an ordinance that would provide protections for election workers in the city. The ordinance mirrors recently passed state statutes in providing special penalties for those who attack folks working the polls. The state statutes don’t go into effect until July, so this would provide a stop-gap measure. The city council will still need to approve the ordinance.

Around the metro

Motorcycle crash and death: Police say a 47-year-old man was killed in a motorcycle crash last week. The man, who police didn’t identify, crashed on Wilshire Boulevard near North Point Drive. Police say he was not wearing a helmet.

Teen facing murder charge in Lincoln Hills attack: A second teen is facing felony murder charges after an attack at the youth detention facility earlier this year left one woman injured and one man dead. Rian Nyblom is facing one count for his role in facilitating the attack. According to police reports, Nyblom assisted Jaivarius Hurd who attacked a female correction officer, and allegedly killed Correction Officer Corey Proulx when he tried to restrain him.

Business

Nordic sauna in your backyard: A new sauna business called Northern Lights Sauna opened its doors last weekend. The new sauna business is located in the back of Whitewater Music Hall. Sauna culture is big in the Nordic countries and it’s interesting to have one right in our backyard.

Sponsored by

Entertainment

Saturday, Sept. 21: In the post-90s era, when Drew Carey was all the rage (side note: did you know the actor who played Mimi was from Stevens Point?), a side project by some of the actors emerged called “Whose Line is it Anyway?” (and it’s still running!) The show grew into a stage show that’s been making the rounds. Whose Live Anyway is the outgrowth from that, and it’s a hilarious show full of improvised comedy from current cast members that’ll be sure to leave you rolling on the floor. Warning, there is a little PG-13 language in the show, but the Grand says all are welcome. 7:30 pm. $40-$65. Check out the event page for more.

Friday, Sept. 20: Ok, not going to lie, I’m a big fan of the office. And, I’m fascinated by the new Glass and Grain House - with good beer, bakery AND a 70s decor? Sign me up. Glass and Grain House will host trivia on Friday night and it ought to be a good time, and a good excuse to check out the new place. (Bonus points if you’ve read Venkatesh Rao’s The Gervais Principle. I can’t unsee the corporate organization theory it uses The Office to illustrate. I think that’s why it resonated with people so much.) 7 pm. Check out the event page for more.

Saturday, Sept. 20: I’d never been to a seafood boil until I took a short trip to Door County this summer. It’s a pretty cool experience, and the fish boiler usually tells a story. The dramatic part is when they stoke the flames to boil over the huge pot, which is kind of the grand finale - except then you get to eat the results! The pictures Four Fathers Pub shared look pretty tasty, so this should be a good bet. 4 pm. Check out the event page for more.

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

Football: D.C. Everest is now 2-0 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference - Big Rivers East. The Evergreens beat crosstown rival Wausau West Friday 24-14 Friday, giving the Warriors (1-1) their first conference loss. The Evergreens head to Marshfield on Friday, and the Warriors head over to Wisconsin Rapids this Friday.

Volleyball: Both Wausau West and Wausau East lost their matches in straight sets Thursday, leaving D.C. Everest as the top Wausau area team at 1-0 (Everest didn’t play last week).

Boys soccer: D.C. Everest lost to SPASH 3-2 Thursday, dropping the Evergreens to 1-1 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference. The Evergreens are the only Wausau area team with a conference win so far this season.

Girls tennis: Wausau West blanked D.C. Everest Thursday, with the Warriors winning all seven matches against the Evergreens. That leaves the Warriors undefeated this season so far, leading the Wisconsin Valley Conference with a 3-0 record.

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