Conley Media Kit

Waukesha County lies on the busy Interstate 94 cor- ridor between the largest city in the state - Milwaukee- and the state capital - Madison. As a result, the county's housing, population and business growth has experi- enced progressive growth in the last 30 years. Population has increased by 36% and almost 145,000 housing units have been added during that time. Waukesha's business climate is a desirable mix of manufacturing, retail, com- merce and service businesses. With 1,385 retail estab- lishments, the county is the 2nd largest in that eco- nomic sector in southeast Wisconsin. The Freeman has chronicled the county's growth since it first began publishing in 1859. It is the only locally produced daily newspaper in the county and received the 2015 General Excellence award from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. The Freeman pub- lishes five days per week from Waukesha, the largest city in the county and home to the county seat. Education, local government, police and courts plus local sports coverage and weekly special editorial fea- tures make The Freeman a lively and relevant read for all residents throughout the county. The Oconomowoc Enterprise, a weekly newspaper covering news from Waukesha County's residential Lake Country region, provides weekly local news cov- erage in one of the state's most affluent demographic market areas. Subscribers to The Freeman and The Enterprise can download an app of the e-editions on the Conley Media website at gmtoday.com. Waukesha County Waukesha Freeman Publish Dates: Tuesday - Saturday Delivery: USPS Paid Circulation: 9,501 (Tues.-Fri.) Paid Circulation: 14,384 (Sat.) Broadsheet Page Size: 10.6" w x 21" d Retail column width: 1.7" Classified Column width: 1.11" Advertising Deadlines: Tuesday-Friday: 2 work days prior Saturday: Wednesday 5 PM Oconomowoc Enterprise Publish Date: Thursday Delivery: USPS Paid Circulation: 3,977 Broadsheet Page Size: 10.6" w x 21" d Retail column width: 1.7" Classified Column width: 1.11" Advertising Deadline: Tuesday 1:30 PM WAUKESHA FREEMAN • OCONOMOWOC ENTERPRISE Live music at Roots, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Roots Coffeebar & Cafe, 124 E. Wisconsin Ave., Oconomowoc. Free and open mic night 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday. Public skate, noon to 2 p.m. week- days, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Naga-Waukee Park Ice Arena, 2699 Golf Road, Delafield. $6 adults, $4.50 juniors and seniors, $2.50 skate rental. 646- 7071; www.waukeshacountyparks.com. Wine Club Party with Thanksgiv- ing Wines, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, $10 for nonmembers and compli- mentary for members, Vino Etcetera!, 120 E. Wisconsin Ave. Call to RSVP 244-7019. Winter Farmers Market, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oconomowoc Landscape Supply, N68-W37850 Highway K, Town of Oconomowoc. Free and open to the public. More than 27 local vendors. www.oconomowoc.org. Sarah Jo Peterson book signing, 7 p.m. Saturday, Books & Compa- ny, 1039 Summit Ave., Oconomowoc. Free and open to the public. "Honor Flight: The Movie," doors open at 6 p.m. with event at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, YMCA at Pabst Farms, 1750 E. Valley Road, Oconomowoc. Free and open to the public. Limited seating – guests should bring chairs or blankets. Any donations received will go to Veter- ans Memorial Park. Holiday Arts & Crafts fair, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Brookfield East High School, 3305 N. Lilly Road, Brookfield. $4. Juried craft fair with more than 180 artisans. www.behsffa.com. Jamit Duo, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Club Indigo at Olympia Resort, 1350 Royale Mile Road, Oconomowoc. Comedy show 9 p.m. Saturday, Club Indigo. $10 at the door. 369-4999. (Email items to enterprise@conleynet.com.) Fun Things To Do Volume 126 No. 15 To subscribe to the Enterprise, call 567-5511 Friday forecast: Mostly sunny High 48 / Low 38 WEATHER INDEX Classified.................6B Community............5B House & Home 8B Movies......................7A Obituaries..............5A Opinion................4A Shorelines............4B Sports.......................1B Register at www.wctc.edu/open-house call 262.691.5129. All Campus OPEN HOUSE Thursday, November 14, 2013 5 – 7 p.m. Register Now! 234916005 THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2013 OCONOMOWOC ENTERPRISE A LAKE COUNTRY TRADITION SINCE 1888 $1 See weather statistics on Page 5A. By Amber Gramza Enterprise Staff OCONOMOWOC – The Common Council approved the city's tax levy Tuesday with a 2 percent tax levy increase. There was no discussion about the city budget, other than Mayor Jim Daley say- ing it was a proactive bud- get that helps to take care of the responsibility the coun- cil had for the street main- tenance program. The motion was approved 5-1 with Alder man Jay Larsen against. It is a total tax levy increase of $183,442 or 2 percent. The set tax levy for 2013 is $9,159,719. It would equate to a tax bill increase of $40 on the average owner of a home valued at $265,000, or about $3 a month for that homeowner. With $138,480 of these funds directed to the street maintenance program, and even with that money, Oconomowoc Finance Director Sarah Kitsembel said it is the lowest levy increase in the past 15 years. The funding for the street program had previ- ously been stalled by alder- men due to past budget con- straints. Larsen has said in past meetings he wants a 0% tax levy increase. The total estimated expenditures for Oconomowoc in 2014, including funds that are not supported by the city, total approximately $65 million. Kitsembel said the general changes include: an ambu- lance fund levy of $120,000 for paying minimum wages, so first responders would stay at the station through- out their shifts; the levy for the general fund operations decreasing by $68,000; the levy for capital expendi- tures also decreasing by $132,000. The final phase of debt for the street mainte- nance program will be issued in 2014 for $1.25 mil- lion. There will be no increase in the garbage fee paid by property owners. In other action, the coun- cil approved the first read- ing of an ordinance to increase the city's annual parking permit fees from $216 to $250, and to increase the vehicle impound stor- age fee from $25 to $30 per day. The council also approved, with Larsen against, to change 219 W. Wisconsin Ave. to institu- tional public zoning. The area will be used for park- ing for the community cen- ter. During public comments, Daley said last week he traveled throughout the Midwest and the East Coast visiting various major retail corporate offices regarding the Pabst Farms Development. According to a press release, initial talks have begun with retailers which may bring additional devel- opment to Pabst Far ms. While nothing is finalized, Daley stated in the release that at least one of his meetings was "very produc- tive." "My goal is to present our community with as many options as possible for the development of the site," Daley said in the release. He did not give details on the retailers, saying he did- n't want to jeopardize any prospective agreements. He did say he plans to meet with Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, "to coordinate the possible entry of a major retailer's first location in Wiscon- sin." Email: agramza@conleynet.com Common Council OKs 2% tax levy hike Daley pursuing 'major retailer' for Pabst Farms City ranked 2nd best in state for young families By Daniel Gaitan Enterprise Staff OCONOMOWOC – The Oconomowoc Area School Board unanimously approved a budget of $54,900,404 for the 2013-2014 school year, including a 4.07 percent tax levy decrease due, in part, to an increase in state aid. The district's equaliza- tion aid increased substan- tially to an estimated $8.6 million, about $4.2 million more than the original esti- mate for the 2013-14 year. The board originally expected a loss in such aid, according to school board documents. "This resulted in a tax levy decrease despite OASD's growing enroll- ment, declining property tax base, and additional revenue limit authority of $75 per student," the docu- ments read. It results in a decrease of $0.42 to $10.55 in the estimated equalized tax rate per $1,000 for prop- erty values, down from $10.97 for the 2012-2013 year. The tax levy stands at $48,260,652. The 2013-14 budget means that the owner of a $300,000 home will pay $3,165 in taxes to the school district, rather than the $3,291 that same owner paid this year. "I think anytime that we are able to bring a budget and a levy that allows us to maintain programs at a reduced cost to taxpayers is a good budget," said Super- intendent Roger J. Rindo. "We are thankful for the increase in state aid. It will translate into lower taxes when tax bills come out in December. We had budgeted in May for a 15 percent reduction which had been our trend, so this is certain- ly a nice surprise to us and our planning." "It's exciting. This budget supports student initia- tives," said board member Beth Sheridan. "It takes care of our long-ter m spending initiatives, like paying for our modular classrooms and allocating a portion of our budget to potential land purchases." The board also approved the construction manager contract for Illinois-head- quartered Nicholas & Asso- ciates for the completion of the Athletic Fields Forever initiative to help bolster Oconomowoc High School's outdoor sports facilities. Jeff Zulinden, project manager for Nicholas & Associates, said the compa- ny will work with the dis- trict to create various bid packages and contracts that would be awarded to vari- ous contractors in the near future. Email: dgaitan@conleynet.com OCONOMOWOC – After the special election Tuesday, Ken Herro emerged as the winner of the city's District 2 aldermanic seat. The votes are unofficial until canvassed, but poll results showed Herro gain- ing 260 votes and James Callaghan 247, a difference of 13 votes. There was a voter turnout of 510, or 19.5 percent of voters within the district. "I would like to thank everyone that voted," Herro said. "It's important that Oconomowoc remain a special place we all call home. I hope I can have some impact to ensure that." The votes will be can- vassed on Friday because City Clerk Diane Coenen said there are nine outstand- ing absentee ballots that can still come in by 4 p.m. Friday as long as the ballots are postmarked with Tuesday's date. Herro, who co-owned prop- erty across from Oconomowoc's community center that the city used emi- nent domain to get to create a parking lot has in previous interviews said the biggest issue facing the district is the future resi- dential growth of the area. He expressed wanting to be an "extremely indepen- dent" member of the Common Council and also said he wants to discuss a lot of the coun- cil's current policies. Callaghan said Wednesday it will be doubtful he will ask for a recount on the votes. "I would just like to thank everyone for all of their sup- port," he said. "It was a tough battle and Ken did a good job." He said in past interviews he was putting local road conditions, including Red- delien Road, at the forefront of his campaign. He had also said previously he wanted to see healthy and productive discussion and debate during council meet- ings. Callaghan and Herro had both said that it will be important to keep the Pabst Farms Development on track and moving in a posi- tive direction. Herro has previous elected experience, having served 12 years on the Waukesha County Board. – Amber Gramza, Enterprise Staff Photos by Amber Gramza/Enterprise Staff Amy Kavelaris of The Bloom-Print Project sketches during Gallery Night "Sounds of Oconomowoc" on Friday. Frank Reda plays some lively music near Amalia's during Gallery Night "Sounds of Oconomowoc" on Friday. Although it was a rainy evening, the Easy Days Quartet walked around to participating businesses and sang during Gallery Night "Sounds of Oconomowoc" on Friday. Pictured singing inside Oakbrook Esser Studios from left to right are Bill Kilbourne, Frank Marzocco, Dick Riege and Bo Gibson. GALLERY NIGHT Herro wins aldermanic seat School Board approves 4% decrease in tax levy By Amber Gramza and Brian Huber Enterprise Staff OCONOMOWOC – Oconomowoc is ranked second in a recent list of "The Best Towns in Wisconsin for Young Families." The list was done by www.nerd- wallet.com, a personal finance web- site based in California, that ranked places by using school ratings, medi- an home value, monthly homeowner costs, median household income and the income change from 1999 and 2011 for cities with populations greater than 15,000. Using a formula based on those criteria, Oconomowoc came in with an overall rating of 68.3, just behind Muskego, which was listed as No. 1 at 69.1. See FAMILIES, PAGE 4A District 2 Oconomowoc Aldermanic seat Ken Herro 260 51% Jim Callaghan 247 49% Herro OCONOMOWOC RPRISE A LAKE COUNTRY TRADITION SINCE 1888 By Amber Gramza Enterprise Staff OCONOMOWOC – The Common Council approved the city's tax levy Tuesday with a 2 percent tax levy increase. There was no discussion about the city budget, other than Mayor Jim Daley say- ing it was a proactive bud- get that helps to take care of the responsibility the coun- cil had for the street main- tenance program. The motion was approved 5-1 with Alder man Jay Larsen against. It is a total tax levy increase of $183,442 or 2 percent. The set tax levy for 2013 is $9,159,719. It would equate to a tax bill increase of $40 on the average owner of a home valued at $265,000, or about $3 a month for that homeowner. With $138,480 of these funds directed to the street maintenance program, and even with that money, Oconomowoc Finance Director Sarah Kitsembel said it is the lowest levy increase in the past 15 years. The funding for the street program had previ- ously been stalled by alder- straints. Larsen has said in past meetings he wants a 0% tax levy increase. The total estimated expenditures for Oconomowoc in 2014, including funds that are not supported by the city, total approximately $65 million. Kitsembel said the general changes include: an ambu- lance fund levy of $120,000 for paying minimum wages, so first responders would stay at the station through- out their shifts; the levy for the general fund operations decreasing by $68,000; the levy for capital expendi- tures also decreasing by $132,000. The final phase of debt for the street mainte- nance program will be issued in 2014 for $1.25 mil- lion. There will be no increase in the garbage fee paid by property owners. In other action, the coun- cil approved the first read- ing of an ordinance to increase the city's annual parking permit fees from $216 to $250, and to increase the vehicle impound stor- age fee from $25 to $30 per day. The council also approved, with Larsen against, to change 219 W. Wisconsin Ave. to institu- area will be used for park- ing for the community cen- ter. During public comments, Daley said last week he traveled throughout the Midwest and the East Coast visiting various major retail corporate offices regarding the Pabst Farms Development. According to a press release, initial talks have begun with retailers which may bring additional devel- opment to Pabst Far ms. While nothing is finalized, Daley stated in the release that at least one of his meetings was "very produc- tive." "My goal is to present our community with as many options as possible for the development of the site," Daley said in the release. He did not give details on the retailers, saying he did- n't want to jeopardize any prospective agreements. He did say he plans to meet with Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, "to coordinate the possible entry of a major retailer's first location in Wiscon- sin." Common Council OKs 2% tax levy hike Daley pursuing 'major retailer' for Pabst Farms Photos by Amber Gramza/Enterprise Staff Amy Kavelaris of The Bloom-Print Project sketches during Gallery Night "Sounds of an home value, monthly homeowner costs, median household income and the income change from 1999 and 2011 for cities with populations Using a formula based on those criteria, Oconomowoc came in with an overall rating of 68.3, just behind Muskego, which was listed as No. 1 at 69.1. See FAMILIES, PAGE 4A Genealogy workshop at 10 a.m. Satur- day, Delafield Public Library, 500 Genesee St. Mary Herrick, a local genealogist and research historian, will teach what resources are needed to trace family his- tory. Free and open to the public. Regis- ter at www.delafieldlibrary.org. Waukesha Rotary Club 60th annual Pancake Breakfast, 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday,Waukesha County Expo Arena, 1000 Northview Road,Waukesha. $5 advance, $7 at the door, children 5 years old and younger eat for free.All-you-can- eat pancakes. Gluten-free pancakes avail- able.Tickets available at Waukesha State Bank, 100 Bank St. "The Dixie Swim Club," 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Menomonee Falls North Middle School auditorium, N88-W16750 Garfield Drive. Presented by Menomonee Falls Patio Players.Tickets available at www.fallspatio- players.com or 255-8372. $15 adults, $13 seniors and students. Waukesha Bike Swap, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday,Waukesha County Expo South Hall, 1000 Northview Road,Waukesha. "Winter Series," 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday,The Pabst Theater, 144 E.Wells St., Milwaukee. Held by the Milwaukee Ballet. For tickets, call Milwaukee Ballet box office at 414-902- 2103 or visit www.milwaukeeballet.org. Retzer demonstrations, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Retzer Nature Center, S14- W28167 Madison St.,Town of Genesee. Artist Brooke Weiland will be on-site doing her artwork. Free. Questions and discussion are welcome. Fantastic Flicks, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Satur- day,Waukesha Public Library, 321 Wiscon- sin Ave.,Waukesha. Families with children of all ages welcome. Join us in the chil- dren's programming room for popular and newly released DVDs. 4H Horse Associations County Expo Forum, 1000 Northview Road,Waukesha.Admission is $2 dona- tion. www.wc4hhorse.org/4h-tack-sale "The Skies Over Mr. Rogers' Neigh- borhood (children's show)," 11 a.m. Saturday and "The Dawn of Astronomy (general public)," 1 p.m. Saturday, Charles Z. Horwitz Planetarium, Retzer Nature Center, S14-W28167 Madison St.,Town of Genesee. Pancake breakfast, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, St. Mary Catholic Church Community Room, 225 S. Hartwell Ave., Waukesha. All-you-can-eat pan- cakes and WEATHER Tomorrow: Slight chance of snow High 19 / Low 9 INDEX Fun Things To Do This Weekend Volume 155, Number 227 Business...............................8B Classified.............................5B Comics.................................7B Crosswords...............4B, 7B Dr. Komaroff.....................7B Lottery.................................2A Movies............................5A Obituaries........................5A Opinion.......................6A,7A Sports...................................1B Weather...............................8A See the complete forecast on back page Waukesha County's Daily Newspaper The FREEMAN 75¢ FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2014 Fees going up at drop-off center. 3A By Sarah Pryor Freeman Staff WAUKESHA – The three candidates for Waukesha's city attorney position haven't got- ten to partici- pate in any forums or debates to make their positions known, but they took time to sit down with The Freeman on Thurs- day to tell us what they think the voters should know about them. What, in your opinion, is the role of a city attorney? RICK CONGDON: What it is not is a policymaker. The people are going to be elect- ing a city attorney to be an attorney, not to be a policy- maker. That's left up to the Common Council, mayor, Water Utility, etc. The role of the city attorney is then to give the best advice to the policymakers as to what the law is without any kind of agenda whatsoever. BRIAN RUNNING: As city attorney, the city is your client. It's analogous to an attorney having a business client where you have to be ready to advise the business on any topic, day-to-day. Even though the city attor- ney isn't a policy-making position, the city attorney is heavily involved in policy matters because it will draft ordinances to put the poli- cies of the Common Council in place. There are day-to- day consultations between department heads, mayor, common council, etc., and one of the roles of city attor- ney is as a counselor to advise what's the smartest way to proceed on matters. CHRISTOPHER WIES- MUELLER: It's twofold – obviously the legal drafting, research, behind the scenes role, but also there can and should be a more out-front role. Litigation over Lake Michigan water is an out- front role. A unified and coordinated code enforce- ment policy in addition to a youth offender program and even just changing the way we're handling speeding tick- ets can be an out-front and visible role for the city attor- ney as well. What are the top litiga- tion-related issues facing the city right now and how would you approach them? CONGDON: Obviously the water. Although it's not at the litigation stage now, it's bound to be at some point. Assuming that the applica- tion is admitted, there are also all sorts of issues that are going to come up with the water – environmental issues, etc. I know (current City Attor- ney) Curt Meitz has been in the federal and state court of appeals, as well as the state Supreme Court, fighting for the city. I'm assuming that City attorney candidates weigh in on the issues Rick Congdon Age: 64 Occupation: Retired judge Education: Bachelor's degree from the Univer- sity of Wiscon- sin-Madison; juris doctorate from Marquette University Law School Family: Wife, Linda; four adult children Website: www.facebook.com/ congdonforcityattorney Brian Running Age: 54 Occupation: Self-employed attorney Education: Bachelor's degree from UW-Madi- son; juris doctor- ate from Mar- quette University Law School Family: Wife, Debbie; three kids Website: www.runningforcityat- torney.com Christopher Wiesmueller Age: 32 Occupation: Attorney Education: Bachelor's degree in political sci- ence from the University of Wisconsin-Mil- waukee; juris doctorate from the Oklahoma City School of Law Family: Wife, Corrine; two kids: 4-year-old Andrew and 2-year-old Adam Website: www.chrisforcityattor- ney.com Charles Auer/Freeman Staff Third-grade teacher Melanie Lichtie reads from a biography of Les Paul as part of a lesson combining music, math and history. Students listened to Paul's music, used the sheet music to learn addition of fractions and then used fractions to create rhythm in music. Wizard of Waukesha helping to develop tomorrow's math wizards By Arthur Thomas Freeman Staff WAUKESHA – For students in the third-grade class taught by Melanie Lichtie and Veronica Haag at Summit View Elementary, this school year has offered a whirlwind tour of music through the ages. They started with Phillip Phillips, then switched to Beethoven. Now they are learning about Les Paul, the innovative guitarist and self-styled "Wizard of Waukesha." But the lessons are going fur- ther to teach students about fractions, local history and music composition. "We really tried to show the kids a wide genre of music," Lichtie said. Integrating arts and movement into the curriculum has been at the heart of Sum- mit View's transition to a magnet school this year. The designation means the school can focus in on a particular ele- ment of the curriculum while drawing from throughout the district or even out- side it. On Thursday, Lichtie began a lesson on fractions by reading to students from a book on Paul, quizzing them about facts they already had learned along the way. By Brian Huber Freeman Staff WAUKESHA – Two for- mer presidents of the New Berlin Soccer Club have been charged with stealing funds from the organiza- tion over a period of four years from 2009 into 2013. Barbara Olson, 42, of Burlington, was charged with one count of theft in a business setting and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Melanie Gretzon, 43, of New Berlin, was charged with four felony counts of theft in a business setting and one count of misde- meanor theft. Both women are to appear in court Feb. 24. Neither woman could be reached for comment Thurs- day evening. Criminal complaints against the women said a board member of the club, a satellite of the Milwaukee Kickers, informed the par- ent organization last April that he'd been contacted by one of the club's banks when an account was over- drawn. Statements showed a number of unauthorized check and debit card trans- actions from accounts used for paying coaches and other costs, including a large tournament in the fall. Olson told police that in 2009 she was president of the group and Gretzon was treasurer, and when she received bank statements showing purchases made with a debit card that was supposed to be for emer- gency use only, she spoke to Gretzon and said Gret- zon should take care of them. 2 ex-officials charged in thefts from soccer club Women allegedly stole more than $83,000 combined Scrima would take full salary if re-elected Other candidates also would accept entire amount By Sarah Pryor Freeman Staff WAUKESHA – If re-elect- ed, incumbent Mayor Jeff Scrima will take his entire salary except for a small pay increase recently approved by the Common Council, rather than donating half to the New Day in Wauke- sha Fund as he's been doing for the past four years. "Because I disagreed with and vetoed the recent salary increase, I won't take an increase in pay, and I'll donate it back to the commu- nity through the New Day Fund," Scrima said. The Common Council over- rode Scrima's veto, and the pay increase will take place starting with the next elect- ed mayor. Starting with the upcoming election cycle, the mayor's position will make $83,500, a slight increase from its current Reilly Scrima Thieme See ATTORNEY, PAGE 8A See SALARY, PAGE 8A See WIZARD, PAGE 8A Volpano See CLUB, PAGE 8A Third-grade student Hunter Davey works with the computer program Finale Notepad to turn a fractions project into a musical composition during a lesson that combined the concepts of fractions with musical notation. Students used 4/4 time and whole, half, quarter and eighth notes to work on addition of fractions. Summit View teachers use Paul's life and work to teach fractions, local history Letters to the editor >> OPINION 7A Bringing the outdoors in Area interior design students face off at Home Improvement Show >> BUSINESS 8B

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