Lake Country This Month

Page 6A • FREEMAN & ENTERPRISE LAKE COUNTRY SEPTEMBER 2014 K i t c h e n s | B a t h s | D e n s | C a b i n s | O f f i c e s | R e c R o o m s Work With Experienced Design Professionals "We Specialize in Cabinetry" 1005 Richards Road, Hartland | 262.367.9439 www.kitchencreators.com We Beat All Big Box Stores and all Competitors | Visit Our Showroom By Appointment Cabinetry For every Room, Every Budget! STOP IN NOW AND SEE OUR NEW GREEN BAY GREEN AND GOLD DISPLAY. WE CAN DO ANY TEAM COLORS! MANY OTHER NEW DISPLAYS 239927002 HUGE SHOWROOM CLOSEOUT SALE Displays must go to make room for new displays *Call Kitchen Creators today for details while supplies last! 2 4 0 0 4 8 0 0 1 By Matt Masterson Freeman Staff WAUKESHA — For the first time since 2008, proper- ty values across Waukesha County and the state of Wis- consin are on the rise. In a report to the county's Finance Committee, Admin- istration Director Norm Cummings shared data from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue that shows equalized property value in Waukesha County has increased by 3.76 percent in 2014. That equals an approx- imately $1.7 billion addition to the county's total tax base. "For the first time in maybe five years, there is really good news this year," Cummings said. "We have finally turned the corner." In 2005 and 2006, property values in the county were increasing between 8 and 11 percent per year — a rate Cummings felt was unsus- tainable. That estimation proved accurate when the housing bubble burst nationwide in 2007 and 2008. In Waukesha County — just as in countless other areas across the U.S. — record gains quickly turned into rapid declines in real estate values. In 2008, the county's total equalized property value stood at $52 billion, but an 11 percent fall between that year and 2013 dropped the total down to $46.3 billion. With the bounceback this year, it now stands at approximately $49 billion. Locally, some municipali- ties saw gains of more than $100 million just since 2013. Brookfield saw an increase of 5.4 percent — totaling more than $323 million — in the last year, while Menomonee Falls' property values increased by 5.86 per- cent, up to a total of $4.5 bil- lion. Waukesha County is some- what unique in that over the past 20 years, residential property has made up some- where between 74 and 76 percent of the county's total equalized value. Waukesha also has one of the larger percentages statewide of manufacturing property at 2.8 percent. Cummings said Waukesha County was fortunate that values didn't fall more over the last five years, adding that he initially believed 2014 would be a flat year for the county. And Waukesha isn't the only area to see gains this year. Last week, the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance announced that after the longest decline in property values in modern history, the state saw a 2.6 percent bump in total equalized val- ues. With the increase, the cur- rent market value of all tax- able property statewide equals $479.5 billion, which is $12 billion more than in 2013, but still far below Wis- consin's 2008 peak of $514.4 billion. From 2008 to 2013, 23 of the state's 72 counties saw decreases of more than 10 percent — including Wauke- sha (11 percent) — which was above the statewide average of 9.1 percent. Southeastern counties like Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha all saw property values tumble by 16 percent or more over that span, but each one took a step in the right direction in 2014. "We have actually had as bad as 4.1 percent deflation in housing during the last five years, so this is a real turn of the corner," Cum- mings said, referring to Waukesha. "We are not back to where we were, but it is coming back." Email: mmasterson@conleynet.com By Katherine Michalets Special to The Freeman DELAFIELD — Members of Team Outdoor Women of Wisconsin have dispelled the idea that as you get older you slow down. Recently, several senior members of the social exercise group competed in the 2014 USA Triathlon Sprint National Champi- onships in Milwaukee, including 69- year-old Paula Larsen of Delafield. The group originally started as Trib- abes and focused on training its female members for triathlons. As the activities the members wanted to par- ticipate in diversified, so did its mem- bership. In May, the group relaunched as the Team Outdoor Women of Wis- consin on Meetup.com, a website that connects people to groups. According to the group's Meetup page, "We are dedicated to the health and well-being of women of all shapes, sizes, abilities and backgrounds. From young to old, from first-time triath- letes to a Kona Age Group World Champion, from bikers to paddle boarders to hikers, skiers, and run- ners, we enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded women dedicated to fun and fitness." Weekly activities include outdoor swimming, bike rides, paddle board- ing and running, plus some strictly social activities such as dining at a restaurant. Larsen joined the group when she moved to the area about five years ago. She has a history of competing in triathlons and won two world champi- onships on the U.S. team, according to her partner Jim Reiher. She also fin- ished third in her age group at the 2014 USA Triathlon Sprint National Cham- pionships this year. By joining Tribabes at the time, Larsen said she was able to meet other women who shared a similar interest in exercising outdoors, and with many of the members of retirement age, they are more readily available to get together. "We really enjoy being outdoors and spending time together, being active," she said. OWOW organizer Cindy Pelegrin of Hartland said most of the group's activities take place in the Lake Coun- try area. "The goal of the group is to encour- age more women to enjoy being out- doors and to come out and meet other women," she said. Sixty women have registered for the group on Meetup, but Pelegrin said not all are active participants and she would like to see more regular atten- dees at events. The median age of the members is around 50, Pelegrin said, adding she would like to attract younger women. By creating a Meetup group in May, Pelegrin said, the hope was to locate more interested women. "To see if there are women out there who are maybe empty-nesters, are lonely or looking for other women to connect with," she said. In addition to the weekly workouts, OWOW gathers for destination bike rides and special events like Prowl the Peak at Lapham Peak State Park. The group will extend its activities year round, Pelegrin said, focusing on hiking in the fall, then snow shoeing and cross country skiing in the winter. To learn more about the group, go to w w w. m e e t u p. c o m / Te a m - O u t d o o r- Women-of-Wisconsin-OWOW. Charles Auer/Freeman Staff Waukesha County Business Alliance networking event Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas talks with Susan Edwards, CEO of ProHealth Care, dur- ing a Networking After 5 Business and Politics event at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. More than 30 federal, state, county and local officials were on hand to talk with business leaders at the Waukesha County Business Alliance event. Submitted photo From left, Ann Devonald, Diane Hartson, Paula Larsen and Mer- rie Baltromonas take a break during the 2014 USA Triathlon Sprint National Championships held in Milwaukee. Dedicated to women's well-being Lake Country group provides camaraderie, outdoor fitness events Property values rise in Waukesha County, state By Brian Huber Freeman Staff WAUKESHA — By this time next year, the Waukesha County Circuit Court judi- ciary will have a very differ- ent look, with the departure of three of its most senior judges creating a degree of turnover not seen in recent memory. Judge Donald Hassin Jr., on the bench since 1994, announced recently he is retiring at the end of September. Judge J. Mac Davis, first elected in 1990, announced he is not running for re-election when his term expires at the end of July. Judge James Kieffer, who has worn the judicial robe since 1985, also is not seeking re-election. Mike Neimon, the district court administrator, said he can recall up to two judges leaving at once, but three — a full quarter of the county's 12 judges — "that's a pretty good turnaround." "We've kind of had this group leaving, of very good judges leaving before their time is up. They are leaving the system better than when they found it," Neimon said. "So that's great from their standpoint and from our standpoint, too bad to lose them." Neimon said by the time the election rolls around, there will be people running to fill two vacant slots, and a third would have maybe eight months' experience. Gov. Scott Walker is expected to appoint a successor to Has- sin by Dec. 1, and that person will have to seek a full term in his or her own right, with a few months on the job by the April election. Who will it be? Laurel Patrick, press secre- tary for Walker, said last week that 11 people have sub- mitted their names for con- sideration to succeed Hassin. Two requested anonymity. The rest of the list includes: Waukesha County District Attorney Lesli Boese, Paul Bugenhagen, Paul Dedinsky, Waukesha County Court Commissioner Robert Dehring, David Klauser, Michael Maxwell, Jack Melvin, Ronald Sonder- house and Steve Wimmer. Neimon said he hoped the appointment would be made sooner rather than later. "The sooner we know who it is and get them on board, that'll be better for us. They'll go through a two- week mentoring process with other judges in learning the system and there they go. Trial by fire," Neimon said. "... Hassin's replacement won't have that advantage, so we'll have to get them the kind of training and focus the training on what they need to have," he continued. "What is good about Wauke- sha's system is they will be going into one specific type of case type so you don't have to learn all the case types right away. If ... they go into criminal they just need to focus their attention on the criminal division. "We have a very rigid men- toring program, so they will get access to good judges and case information." Kieffer:Time for a new opportunity Kieffer, 63, said he announced at a bar event in January that he would not seek re-election when his term expires. He recently filed a declaration of non- candidacy with the state Government Accountability Board making it official. Kieffer has been on the bench since defeating incum- bent Judge John Buckley, who was seeking a second term in 1985. "It comes at the end of my term here and I always said I wanted to fulfill my term and to have whoever was going to succeed me come to the bench the way I did, that is, letting the citizens of Wauke- sha County elect a judge," Kieffer said. "And that's always been in the back of my mind I wanted to do that. "I've been healthy and con- tinue to be healthy but this comes at a point in time I def- initely want to go into media- tion work in retirement, I've explored those options, and I want to do some reserve judging. ... I still love my job. I've been blessed with an unbelievable opportunity in my legal career, and I thank the citizens of Waukesha County for giving me the opportunity, but it's time for me to move on to a new point in my life." Kieffer said he would enjoy quality time with his wife, Jayne, and his three chil- dren, Amy, John and Dan. Kieffer said a case that stuck out in his mind was that in which defendants Jack Johnson, Darren Wold and Justin Welch came before him in 2011 for the murder of Oconomowoc mom Kim Smith. Wold, Smith's ex-boyfriend and the father of her child; Welch, whom Johnson and Wold hired to kill her; and Johnson were each sen- tenced to life in prison. John- son died there last year. Kieffer is the senior-most judge on the county circuit, with 29 years of service. When he leaves, the longest- serving judge will be Kathryn Foster, who has been judge since 1988. Both Davis and Judge Lee S. Drey- fus Jr. started on the bench in 1990, with Hassin coming on board in 1994. The rest of the county judi- ciary seniority is as follows: Judges Patrick Haughney (1996), Ralph Ramirez (1999), Michael Bohren (2000), Linda Van De Water (2003), William Domina (2010), Lloyd Carter (2011) and Jennifer Dorow (2012). Kieffer added that it will be interesting to see who among the appointee applicants will take the bigger step of orga- nizing a judicial campaign next year, as there still will be two judicial vacancies. But, he added, he had no doubt that whoever ascends to the Waukesha County bench will bring a new per- spective and do a terrific job. "We've got over 75 years of judicial experience walking out the door in the next year, but hey, that's what life is about and they'll find excel- lent replacements too," Kief- fer said. Email: bhuber@conleynet.com County bench to see significant turnover in coming months With Kieffer, Davis and Hassin gone, one-quarter of judges will be new next year

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