Coaching contracts OK'd

Feb. 24, 2009 1:54 p.m. | Brad Kuehl has been promoted from assistant Nicolet High School softball coach to head coach.

The School Board approved the promotion last night.

Kuehl also is boys head volleyball coach and works at Nicolet as a special education paraprofessional. He will be paid $3,888 as head softball coach. Nicolet is looking to hire two assistant softball coaches.

The board also renewed the contract of Richard Sykes as head baseball coach and of Jeff Wolf as assistant baseball coach. Sykes will be paid $4,368 and Wolf will be paid $3,062. Two assistant coaching positions will be posted.

Dukes boys claim top regional seed; Nicolet, BD, SH, HHS also placed

Feb. 22, 2009 6:32 p.m. | The Whitefish Bay boys basketball team, which just clinched a share of the North Shore Conference title Friday night, will be the top seed in its WIAA Division 2 regional bracket.

The Blue Dukes (17-1) earned a first-round bye and now will host the winner of fourth-seeded Shorewood and fifth-seeded Messmer in a regional semifinal Thursday, March 5. The winner will advance to a regional final at Marquette High School at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 7.

Brown Deer is the three seed in that same bracket and will host sixth-seeded Grafton in a 7 p.m. March 7 regional quarterfinal. The winner will challenge the victor of second seed Milwaukee Marshall and seventh seed Milwaukee Lifelong Learning in a March 5 regional semifinal.

The regional champion will advance to sectional play at the Al McGuire Center on the Marquette University campus March 12 and 14.

In the Division I Germantown/Arrowhead bracket, Homestead claimed the 14th seed and will visit three-seed Waukesha North in a 7 p.m. March 3 regional semifinal. The winner will challenge the victor of sixth-seeded Milwaukee Vincent and 11th seeded Cedarburg in a March 7 regional final with the regional champion advancing to sectional play also at the McGuire Center March 13 and 14.

Indian Hill first-grade teacher resigns

Feb. 19, 2009 5:10 p.m. | The Maple Dale-Indian Hill School Board on Wednesday accepted the resignation of first-grade teacher Carrie Losee.

Losee, who is in her second year of teaching at Indian Hill Elementary School, will continue through the end of the 2008-09 school year.

Policy would address teacher absences for academic conferences

Feb. 19, 2009 5:06 p.m. | The Maple Dale-Indian Hill School Board is considering a new policy regarding teachers' absences tied to their attendance in state and national academic conferences.

Board members discussed the proposal Wednesday, but decided to hold off on making a decision until a future meeting.

"While the board acknowledges the many benefits that participation in these organizations can provide, the policy will allow these benefits to be weighed against the costs incurred by staff members' absences," District Administrator Mary Dean said.

The district would encourage professional development, as stated in the policy, but would require teachers to submit a document stating the intended purpose of attending a state or national conference.

As proposed, the policy would empower the district administrator to grant or deny faculty requests. If approved, a staffer could be allowed up to five days paid leave once every two years, with a substitute teacher filling in, for conference attendance.

Maple Dale-Indian Hill board to chip in $10K for shared nurse

Feb. 19, 2009 3:32 p.m. | The Maple Dale-Indian Hill School Board agreed to continue sharing nursing services with three neighboring school districts in an effort to defray costs.

Maple Dale-Indian Hill entered into a joint agreement three years ago for a school nurse with the Brown Deer, Fox Point-Bayside and Glendale-River Hills school districts. Brown Deer holds the nurse's contract.

"This arrangement has worked well and has saved (Maple Dale-Indian Hill) money," District Administrator Mary Dean said.

Maple Dale-Indian Hill this year is chipping in about $10,000 for the service.

Officials say Liska may not be replaced

Feb. 18, 2009 3:36 p.m. | Because of what was described as an extremely tight budget year next year, Nicolet School District officials are strongly leaning toward not replacing Athletic Director/Administrative Dean James Liska after he retires at the end of the school year, District Administrator Rick Monroe told the School Board facility committee this morning.

Officials are looking at parceling out Liska's responsibilities among administrators, Business Administrator Jeff Dellutri said after the meeting. He did not have an estimate of the savings that would be realized.

In a related matter, the Knightskeller 2 will not be closed to become the new location of the Nicolet Recreation Department, after all. To save money officials are now contemplating moving it into Liska's office, making it a combined recreation/athletic office. The move would achieve almost the same benefits as moving the recreation department to the Knightskeller 2 space, officials said.

They had wanted to move it because the rec department is so far from the main door and difficult for some older people to reach by walking. Liska's office is down a short hallway almost in front of the school's front doors. The Knightskeller 2 is located right at the north door and visitors to a recreation department there would not have to pass a school security checkpoint.

White leads the pack

Feb. 17, 2009 11:51 p.m. | Political newcomer Michael White edged out incumbent Randall Perry for the most votes in the primary election Feb. 17 for two three-year seats on the River Hills Village Board.
They, along with Cordelia Gelly and Victor Harding will advance to the April election. William Lemorande was eliminated from the race.
The vote total, according to unofficial results:

Michael White 224
Randall Perry (i) 214
Cordelia Gelly 198
Victor Harding 198
William Lemorande 29

Election results remain unofficial until they are certified by the board of canvassers.

Franklin leads pack

Feb. 17, 2009 11:25 p.m. |

Incumbent Marilyn Franklin, Jennifer Peltz, David Kramer and JoAnn Shaw will advance to the April election to battle for two three-year terms on the Nicolet School Board after the primary election today.

The fifth candidate, Mary Whittet, was eliminated from the race.

The primary vote totals, according to unofficial results:

Marilyn Franklin (i) 1,439

District continues contracts for nurse, strings teacher

Feb. 17, 2009 3:00 p.m. | The Fox Point-Bayside School Board on Monday voted to continue a shared service agreement for a school nurse and strings music teacher.

Fox Point-Bayside has a cooperative agreement with the Brown Deer, Glendale-River Hills and Maple Dale-Indian Hill school districts for nursing services. Fox Point-Bayside this year is chipping in about $10,000 and has a nurse on site for about six hours each week.

The district also shares a strings music teacher with Glendale-River Hills. Fox Point-Bayside contracts for 30 percent of the teacher’s time and pays about $22,000 toward the teacher’s 2008-09 salary.

School buildings to get routine maintenance, touchups

Feb. 17, 2009 3:00 p.m. | The Fox Point-Bayside School Board on Monday approved a list of capital improvement projects totaling $64,728 for the 2009-10 school year.

The list of improvements at all three district-owned buildings – Stormonth Elementary and Bayside Middle schools and the Dunwood Center community building – includes locker replacement, roof work and painting.

The most expensive item on the list is locker replacement at Bayside Middle School at a cost of $26,925.

Most of the other capital improvements are routine maintenance. Roof work, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning enhancements, and parking lot resealing are planned at all three facilities.

At the Dunwood Center, several cosmetic changes are planned to portions of the building, including painting and new carpeting and tiles.

Listening sessions continue

Feb. 13, 2009 4:40 p.m. | Menomonee Falls School District Superintendent Keith Marty will continue his monthly listening sessions in February.

The next session will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, at Sentry Food Store, W15182 Appleton Ave.

Residents are encouraged to talk about educational issues and concerns, and the school district's plans to improve learning, teaching, facilities, technology and communications.

For information, call (262) 255-8440.

Capital projects roll forward

Feb. 13, 2009 4:37 p.m. | The Fox Point Village Board on Tuesday moved forward $776,660 in capital improvement projects that were earmarked in the 2008 budget to this year.

"As a local government undertakes its operations, there may be projects that do not get completed or, in some cases, even initiated in the year in which the funds are budgeted," Village Manager Susan Robertson wrote in a memo.

By moving the incomplete projects forward, village staff will be able to address them this year.

The biggest ticket items on the list - refurbishing the Santa Monica Bridge - is to be undertaken this spring. More than $218,000 has been budgeted for that project.

Other expenses that have been carried over include $195,000 for improvements to culverts along Manor Lane and $125,000 for the purchase of a new dump truck.

Board recognizes Fuldner

Feb. 13, 2009 4:36 p.m. | The Fox Point Village Board on Tuesday adopted a resolution to posthumously recognize Henry Fuldner, chairman of the Board of Appeals.
 
Fuldner, who died Jan. 14 at 62, had a full-time law practice with the firm Godfrey & Kahn.
 
He also was director of the Jeffris Family Foundation, pesident of the Layton Art Collection and a founding member of the American Heritage Society of the Milwaukee Art Museum.
 
Village President Mike West said he thought it was prudent to adopt the resolution to commemorate Fuldner's contributions in Fox Point and elsewhere in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Board dips into reserves to balance budget

Feb. 13, 2009 4:35 p.m. | Fox Point officials could use as much as $79,750 in reservess to balance the village's 2008 budget.
 
The Village Board on Tuesday authorized staff to make the transfer in preparation for year-end closing of the budget and a forthcoming audit.
 
Village Manager Susan Robertson said final figures are still being tabulated, but so far, the village's 2008 expenses are $49,975 over budget.
 
The largest source of the overage, Robertson said, stemmed from snow and ice removal. In 2008, the service was $68,805 over budget.
 
Unexpected income help soften some of the blow. For example, the village took in $28,560 more than expected in municipal court fines and forfeitures.

Fox Point approves storm water utility

Feb. 11, 2009 5:10 p.m. | Fox Point - The Village Board has decided against pursuing a rare referendum to exceed the state's revenue limit and voted to create a utility that is expected to shift costs of handling storm water from residences to businesses and institutions.

The board asked its attorney to provide an overview Tuesday on the process for a referendum, but decided not to pursue the option as a way to meet a budget deficit.

In voting 4-3 for the storm water utility, the board is creating an entity that is expected to have an annual budget of $650,000. Homeowners would pay an estimated $126 to $650 per year in storm water fees.

Currently, money for managing storm water comes from the property tax levy, which means that institutions such as churches and synagogues do not contribute toward the cost.