Ticket discussion | The Weekly Wausonian
Wausau news for Thanksgiving, 2024
First off, happy Thanksgiving! In the past I’ve posted this update a day early but there is a lot of news happening on Tuesday evening so I thought I would experiment with giving you some early turkey-day reading. And maybe some of you will save it for Friday or for some downtime on the big day.
The city’s Public Safety Committee Monday had its first discussion on charging for ticketed events.
The city’s Finance Committee during the budget process introduced the idea after Mayor Doug Diny put forth a mandate for the city to cut enough that the city’s tax levy — the portion of the budget taxpayers pay for — come in under a 2.5% increase.
Adding that potential revenue source was enough to meet that target.
City staff has already begun discussions on the matter, City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde told the committee. One interesting case: The Wisconsin Valley Fair. That’s because both city and county resources are used at the fair, making things a little complicated. It’ll likely mean a separate agreement with the Fair Board in how that’s handled.
Under the hypothetical ordinance, which hasn’t been crafted yet, ticketed events such as Wings over Wausau or Blues Fest would see a charge for public safety and DWP services, which cost the city money.
How that would ultimately impact events in the area is yet to be seen. Wausau Events didn’t renew Beer and Bacon Fest this year, but Executive Director Alissandra Aderholdt told The Wausonian for an earlier story that was because bacon vendors were becoming very hard to find. She said back when the fees were proposed that they would otherwise be keeping the same events but that the ticketed events might increase in price (but also because of increased expenses). Wausau Events is partnering with Weston to put on Oktoberfest instead.
Subscribers this week read our quarterly housing report, Getting Real with Real Estate:
Correction
A story last week about former County Clerk candidate Toshia Ranallo last week incorrectly detailed the nature of her departure from the county. She resigned as part of a severance agreement with the county. That was incorrect in a previous version of the story. The Wausonian regrets the error.
What else in Wausau?
Man sentenced in overdose death: A Marathon County Judge sentenced a Wausau man to 15 years in prison Tuesday in the overdose death of a woman he was in a relationship with. Andrew Washburn, 35, pleaded no contest to first-degree intentional homicide by delivering drugs in September. A judge awarded Washburn one year of credit for the time he already spent in jail.
New use for Cleveland Avenue property: The City Council Tuesday approved the city using 1300 Cleveland Avenue as a training site for public works. Public Works Director Eric Lindman told the council that there otherwise isn’t a good place for new DPW workers to train on excavators and other equipment. Otherwise they have to learn on the job, and mistakes can be costly. Staff says the site is set far enough back and with training happening during the day, it shouldn’t disrupt the neighborhood.
Around the metro
Snowmaking underway: Granite Peak started snowmaking operations this week. The company announced that it hopes to be open for skiing by Dec. 6.
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Business
What the “buzz” is about: BUZZED opened its doors this month in the former La Prima Deli location. The business appears to be combining plants with coffee, making a unique stop downtown.
Venado to open in Dudley Tower: Venado will soon open in the Dudley Tower, according to the owner. The wine bar will serve coffee and also operate a cafe on the first floor of the building. An opening date has not yet been announced.
Entertainment
Friday, Nov. 29: Josh White is a very diverse musician. As he puts it “It’s like the best assorted bag of jelly beans, like all your favorite jelly beans.” White has been a regular at Malarkey’s Pub in downtown Wausau, and there is a reason for that. The Duluth-based musician has fronted a heavy metal band, has a side project built around an alt-country aesthetic, and has both solo versions of his show along with the Josh White Band. 8 pm. malarkeyspub.com
Saturday, Nov. 30: These events are always interesting - children have one of two reactions to Santa when they see him, typically. Either they freak out and scream-cry, or they scream in delight. The Shriners Breakfast with Santa event is one of those opportunities to find out which one your child is, and it makes for a nice family morning with a nice hearty all-you-can-eat breakfast, a visit to see ole Saint Nick and you can even have the kids get their faces painted. With the mall gone, there are fewer places to meet and greet with Santa but the Shriners are keeping this tradition alive. 8 am-noon. $9 adults, $4 children. Check out the event page for more.
Saturday, Nov. 30: Ever watch the Family Feud? It’s unlikely Louis Anderson will make an appearance, but Rib River by Accentu will be hosting a Family Feud event where you can join in and play with your friends! The entry fee is $50 for teams of 4-5, and first and second place win cash prizes. 1-4 pm. Check out the event page for more.
Watch our video from Wild Trillium’s Whitewater Music Hall performance:
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: The Stratford Tigers won their third-straight title last week, taking down Wrightstown 21-6. The No. 1 seeded Tigers had one close game and otherwise rolled through their playoff competition. And limiting Wrightstown to 6 points was significant, considering that team scored as many as 64 points in one of its playoff games.
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