County capsules EMERSON WOULD USE UP ROOM TAXES: If the city of Stevens Point wanted to use room taxes to remodel Emerson School, the project would probably use up all the room taxes for the next 10 years, Comptroller/Treasurer John Schlice said Monday, Dec. 10. Restoring the building has been estimated at $3 million, he said, and room taxes generate about $350,000 annually. That would lock up the room tax fund for the 10 years and wouldn't include operating costs, he said at the city's Finance Committee meeting. Aldermen took no action on the information. * * * RENEWAL OF MULTIPLE DWELLING LICENSE DENIED: The Stevens Point Common Council denied renewal of a multiple dwelling license to Paul Mayek at 2001 Main St., on Monday, Dec. 10. In denying renewal, the council pointed to unpaid property taxes amounting to $14,366.18 and the property had become a nuisance, with police filing reports about responding 11 times to complaints about loud noise or parties since February. Police and neighbors spoke about incidents at the residence during a hearing on the renewal. Without a license, the property must revert to operation as a duplex after Dec. 31. * * * CHARTER WILL RAISE BASIC CABLE TV RATES: Charter Communications will be raising rate for cable television subscribers in the Stevens Point-Plover area in February. Charter notified local officials, in compliance with federal requirements, about the increased rates. Broadcast basic rates will go from $8.42 to $9.11 for channels 2-14. Whether the increase will also impact the rates for expanded basic wasn't included in the notification. In addition, Charter will add five premium services to its "Starz! Super Pak" for Starz and Encore channels at no additional costs. In addition, the Pipeline Internet service will increase $5 per month, to $29.95 for Silver service and $39.95 for Gold service. * * * COUNCIL PRESIDENT SEEKS RE-ELECTION: Stevens Point alderman Jack Barr, 6th Ward, is seeking re-election to the Common Council. Barr, who serves as council president, was first appointed as alderman in 1992 and was re-elected in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000. Prior to becoming an alderman, he was appointed to the Police and Fire Commission in 1990 and served 14 years of the Board of Review from 1976 to 1990. On the council, he is also president of the Finance Committee and serves on the Board of Public Works and as liaison to the Police and Fire Commission. He is retired from Sentry Insurance and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific Theater during World War II. "What I bring is 26 consecutive years of service to the city," Barr said. Important issues facing the city, he said, include keeping the tax rate stable, especially now in view of state budget constraints and mandates created since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. * * * SCHOOL BOARD WILL LEAVE HAAS' SEAT VACANT: The Stevens Point Area school district board approved, 5-3, a motion suspending the board's policy stating it must fill vacant board seats when it met Monday, Dec. 10. Currently, there is an open seat on the board because of the recent retirement of Board President Ray Haas. However, some board members, including Elmer Fournier, were concerned that appointing a replacement for Haas would interfere with the electoral process as that seat, along with three others, is up for election in April 2002. Fournier said that appointing someone could be interpreted as favoritism for a specific candidate. Therefore, the board will leave that seat vacant and operate as an eight-member board until April. * * * SUPERVISORS SEEK RE-ELECTION: Portage County Board of Supervisors incumbents Eugene Szymkowiak, District 9, William Peterson, District 12, Douglas Warner, District 15, John Rendall, District 17, Melvin Steinke, District 18, James Krems, District 27, Leif Erickson, District 28, Clarence Hintz, District 29, have announced their re-election bids. Several other supervisors have announced their candidacy earlier. All supervisor seats will be up for election in April. Newcomer Jason Nagreen, 1775 Strongs Ave., has also announced his candidacy for the District 9 seat. * * * NORTH NEW HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH FUND ADDS $3,600: North New Hope Lutheran Church of Amherst recently collected $3,600 in new money, to help grow the North New Hope Lutheran Church Endowment Fund, held at the Community Foundation of Portage County. Established in June 2001, the fund was created to manage and disburse scholarship monies to members of the congregation who are pursuing higher education. So far, nearly $18,000 has been raised for this fund. Scholarships from the fund will be disbursed each spring, during the Community Foundation's regular granting process. For specific information on the scholarship requirements of this fund, or to request an application, call Ed Seefelt (a church member) at 677-3805. In addition to managing the North New Hope Lutheran Church Fund, the Community Foundation administers 60 other charitable funds totaling just over $1.7 million, and in June 2001 was able to award $117,738 in grants and another $7,650 in scholarships back to the community. For more information on the Community Foundation of Portage County, or to establish a new fund, call the foundation at 342-4454. * * * COUNTY PROGRAM HONORED: Healthy People Portage County (HPPC) received a national award for its work in health promotion in Portage County. The National Association for Public Worksite Health Promotion presented HPPC with its Leadership Board Outstanding Program Award. Portage County is one of 10 public organizations nationwide to receive the award this year. HPPC is a local community health improvement process. The goal is to identify and address health needs in Portage County in order to improve the health status of its residents. The five key initiatives of HPPC for the next five years are to promote healthy pregnancies, prevent chronic diseases through healthy nutrition and exercise, protect health by controlling environmental hazards, decrease alcohol and drug use and prevent suicide and depression. Recent initiatives have included promoting the use of folic acid for women of childbearing age through area work sites, schools and the university; promoting physical activity using media messages; educating children about the importance of air quality to human health and encouraging recycling and discouraging open burning; and assisting area employers and festival sponsors in limiting the role of alcohol in their events. * * * SANTA VISITS PARK RIDGE: Marathoners don't run 26 miles every day. They train for the big event by running shorter lengths. Santa Claus is doing the same thing as he prepares for his around-the-world trip Christmas Eve. On Thursday, Dec. 20, Santa will visit the village of Park Ridge, bringing treats to village children. Village residents wanting Santa to visit their homes should have their yard lights on by 5 p.m. that day. * * * SANTA VISITS ALMOND SCHOOL: Santa Claus will be in the old gymnasium of the Almond School in Almond at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15. Children are invited to come and give their Christmas list to Santa and get a bag of goodies. Parents are reminded to bring cameras to take pictures. The event is sponsored by the Almond Lions Club. * * * DATE EXTENDED FOR ELECTRONIC PAYMENT OF TAXES: Stevens Point Comptroller/Treasurer John Schlice said the date for filing an authorization for direct payment of real estate taxes has been extended until Dec. 17 for withdrawal on Dec. 31. The date indicated in the city newsletter that is being mailed has an earlier date. The city treasurer's office needs a signed authorization slip and a copy of a voided check to complete the process. For payments on Jan. 31 or any of the other installment dates, the authorization will be accepted until Jan. 7. The city's newsletter has more details on tax collection options and office hours. * * * CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK: A volunteer from the Portage County Chapter of the American Red Cross will assist in New York City relief efforts by spending Christmas with relief workers, victims and their families. Darian Houle, Antigo, will help with logistics in New York. Houle has been a volunteer with the American Red Cross since 1993. He was a resident of Ventura, Calif., where he volunteered on several large-scale disasters, such as flooding, land slides and earthquakes. American Red Cross disaster assistance is provided to people in need without charge. This is made possible by voluntary donations of time, money and blood from the American people. Persons interested in becoming a volunteer can contact the American Red Cross, Portage County chapter, at 344-4052. * * * ROBERTS ON ATTORNEY OVERSIGHT BOARD: The Wisconsin Supreme Court has appointed Stevens Point attorney Scott Roberts to the Board of Administrative Oversight (BAO), which is part of the lawyer regulation system that the Court created in October 2000. Roberts is a former Portage County assistant district attorney now in private practice as a sole practitioner in Stevens Point. Roberts has also been a prosecutor IN Rock and Rusk counties, and a public defender in Rock and Milwaukee counties. He has participated in more than 250 jury trials in his career, including 10 first-degree murder cases. Roberts is an expert on Shaken Baby Syndrome. The BAO monitors the fairness, effectiveness and efficiency of the attorney regulation system and will propose substantive and procedural rules related to the system for consideration by the Court. The BAO also will assess the perceptions of the public and attorneys of the integrity of the lawyer regulation system, and will inform and educate the public and the bar about the operation of the system. The BAO and the Preliminary Review Committee (PRC) have split the responsibilities of the former Board of Attorneys Professional Responsibility (BAPR). The PRC reviews the results of investigations of attorney misconduct or medical incapacity to determine whether there is cause to proceed in the matters. Both the BAO and the PRC are composed of 12 people, including eight lawyers and four nonlawyers. Members serve staggered three-year terms with a limit of two consecutive terms. * * * LANDFILL TONNAGE DOWN: Year-to-date tonnage received at the Portage County sanitary landfill has dropped 38 percent, from 41,820 tons in 2000 to 25,926 tons this year, as of Nov. 30. Figures include demolition/construction, waste and concrete materials. The drop reflects more materials being hauled out of county following the sale of LB Trucking to Superior Services. * * * WATER ASSOCIATION SETS PRIORITIES: The Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA), headquartered in Plover, will make ground water quantity issues a legislative priority. "Our organization was appalled to learn that a group called the Groundwater Quantity Working Group has been meeting quietly since last February crafting legislation that will have potentially profound consequences on the public water supply industry," said Ken Blomberg, WRWA executive director. An environmental group, an agricultural organization and UW officials, for some unexplained reason, have left the drinking water community away from the table and out of the discussion … It's unfortunate that an environmental group, while pushing for increased ground water laws, has lumped municipalities and those who 'pump for profit' together in their rhetoric." Several upcoming WRWA meetings on the issue will precede WRWA's 14th Annual Spring Technical Conference in Stevens Point in April, where more than 1,000 representatives of the public water supply industry will attend. "Groundwater and Environmental Protection - At What Cost?" will be this year's conference theme. Water quantity, quality and conservation issues will be highlighted, as well as the public water supply's role in shaping future ground water legislation in Wisconsin. WRWA supports identifying new water supply sources, promoting water conservation programs and implementing pumping management strategies. * * * CRAY RECEIVES ADVISORY APPOINTMENT: Randy Cray, professor of economics at UW-SP, has been appointed to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue's (DOR) Forecast Advisory Council. The 12-member council will meet prior to the announcements of the fall and spring Wisconsin Economic Outlook when the DOR is most likely to issue revised revenue estimates. The group will review regional, state and national forecasts and may advise that forecasts should be modified. Cray is the only representative chosen from the four-year UW System campuses. He has been director of the Central Wisconsin Economic Research Bureau at UW-SP for the past 15 years. He writes, publishes and presents the Quarterly Economic Indicator Reports for Central Wisconsin. * * * PLOVER BUILDING PERMITS: The village of Plover issued building permits for two duplexes and two single family residences in November. The duplexes were valued at $170,000 at 1141-43 Rogers Drive and $160,000 at 411-13 Poplar Ave. The houses were valued at $170,000 at 1960 Ashford Drive and $132,000 at 4931 Fairfield Drive. * * * STEVENS POINT BUILDING PERMITS: The city of Stevens Point issued building permits for one duplex and seven single family residences in November. The duplex at 1916-18 Bluebell Ave. is valued at $175,000. The value of the residences and their location are $235,000 at 2109 Ironwood, $165,000 at 5564 Elmwood, $150,000 at 5524 Glenwood, $130,000 at 5717 Sandpiper Ave., $125,000 at 1033 Gardenia Lane, $125,000 at 2000 Lilac Lane and $110,000 at 3356 Oak Ave.