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Big changes highlight 2001 events

By BRIAN LEAHY
of The Gazette
Portage County, the nation and the world became different places in 2001.

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks brought people's attention back to the fact that we live in a dangerous world.

So far the direct impacts have been few in Portage County. A couple of Portage County natives avoided injury in the World Trade Center attack, while a University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point graduate, Lt. Col. Dennis M. Johnson, died in the attack on the Pentagon. A handful of reservists have been called to active duty to either support military efforts overseas or to guard airports in this country. Immediately following the attacks there were runs on local gas stations and then, after anthrax tainted mail surfaced on the East Coast, a handful of anthrax scares here. Perhaps the biggest impact locally has been people's nerves.

Some of the biggest changes to Portage County were in the business sector.

Two of the county's largest employers, Wisconsin Central Railroad and Copps Corp., were sold in 2001. In a deal announced in late January, Canadian National Railway Co. agreed to buy Wisconsin Central Transportation Corp. for $1.2 billion. The deal includes Canadian National's assumption of $400 million worth of WCTC debt.

Pewaukee-based grocery giant Roundy's announced in February that it would acquire Copps, which was the largest privately owned corporation based in Portage County. Terms of the agreement were not announced. Roundy's is continuing to operate former Copps stores under the Copps name. Copps was started in 1892 by E.M. Copps who sold food, grain and other items to loggers, river men and farmers. By 2000 it had grown to about 6,000 employees and had sales of about $625 million at its 22 corporate stores in the state. The Copps warehouse also served as a wholesale supplier to 37 independent stores in Wisconsin and eight in Michigan.

A couple of other longtime businesses faded from the scene.

Point Sporting Goods closed its doors in 2001, impacting more than 80 full- and part-time employees. Point Sport Goods was started in 1923, purchased by Elmer C. DeBot in 1929 and sold to Harvest Sporting Group in 1999.

The Peachtree Companies Inc. of Medford announced earlier this month the former Vetter Manufacturing facility, 2116 Wood St., will close on Feb. 8, leaving 160 workers potentially jobless. Peachtree had purchased SNE earlier this year. Herman A. Vetter started Vetter Mfg. Co. in 1893. The company was a family-owned business until it was sold to Sentry Insurance in the 1980s. SNE later purchased it. The plant, which began towards the tail end of Stevens Point lumber era, now makes specialty wood and vinyl windows.

On the plus side economically, Dodgeville-based catalog merchant dedicated its $11 million corporate sales facility in the Portage County Business Park in November. Company officials have said the plant could employ as many as 1,000 in five years.

Delta Dental began a $4 million expansion project this summer of its offices in the Stevens Point Industrial Park. In December, Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, announced plans to build a 90,000-square-foot facility in the village of Plover. Plans were approved in August for a 14,000-square-foot Walgreens in the village of Park Ridge. Work is now under way.

Outlying Portage County communities have also sought to build their economic base. The village of Amherst began marketing its 40-acre industrial park this summer. The park is on the southeast side of the village and will benefit from the future relocation of nearby county trunk highways A and B.

Thoughts of highway and street construction occupied many people this year. Motorists traveling through Stevens Point had to contend with Clark Street, also known as Highway 10 East, being rerouted for much of the year as it was upgraded. An interchange was constructed at the intersection of highways 10 and J.

Plans call for the state Department of Transportation to widen Highway 10 to four lanes through the county. Chances are that means building a bypass of Stevens Point, which won't be without controversy. Bypass options included going to the north or south of the existing route before connecting to Interstate 39. Opponents of the northern bypass options had many criticisms, including warnings of the impacts to the city's well field and the still relatively pristine Plover River corridor. The DOT announced in November the Highway 10 bypass east of Interstate 39 would not go to the north, therefore eliminating the need to build a new crossing over the Plover River.

Questions remain on where a four-lane bypass will go west of Interstate 39. Previously identified routes include new crossings of the Wisconsin River in the vicinity of Highway X and Mayflower/Maple road areas.

Tied into the debate on the need for and the best routes for new highways is Portage County's comprehensive long-range planning effort. Because Portage County's grant application included all 28 units of local government, the state received $504,000, the most of any applicant, in state grant money. The state Comprehensive Planning and Smart Growth Law passed in 1999 requires all local governments' land use actions to be consistent with its adopted comprehensive plan by 2010. The comprehensive plan must address nine elements: issues and opportunities; housing; transportation; utilities and community facilities; agricultural, natural and cultural resources; economic development; intergovernmental cooperation; land-use; and implementation. Officials continue to stress the importance of public involvement, such as the survey every county household received this year, in the ongoing planning process.

Along with planning what the county will look like in the future, county officials are also looking at how to best deliver services to residents. The Vision 2011 Strategic Planning Team, a collection of local government officials and residents, held its first meeting in May to develop a strategic plan, including the vision and mission of the county, long-term objectives and strategies. One result of the Vision 2011 planning effort is the restructuring of county government. The County Board voted in October to create a team style of management for county government. When the new County Board takes office after the April election, the County Board chairman will have expanded powers and the Executive Committee will have five members, instead of three. The chairman and Executive Committee will use routine meetings with department heads to coordinate the operations of county departments. County officials have indicated the team management approach is an interim step, with the possibility of the county converting to either a county executive or county administrator form of government.

The Vision 2011 Strategic Planning Team also identified reductions in state aids to local municipalities as a major concern. With the state now facing a looming budget deficit, state aids could fall faster than previously expected, leaving local government to find alternative sources of revenue or to cut services.

Also on the political front, State Sen. Kevin Shibilski, D-Stevens Point, announced in June he is seeking his party's nomination for the lieutenant governor post in the 2002 elections.

The current lieutenant governor, Margaret Farrow, her boss, Gov. Scott McCallum and the majority of cabinet officers spent Oct. 30 in Stevens Point as the city hosted state government. Officials toured area schools and businesses, before wrapping up the day with a cabinet meeting at the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center.

Portage County lost its share of leaders in 2001. Two men who had served the community as Stevens Point mayor, Scott Schultz and Rev. Gil Halverson, died, as did several community leaders, like Walter Jakusz, Ed Okray and Sam Kingston. The Farmers Market on Stevens Point's Public Square lost a fixture with the death of John Laskowski, who had been selling produce on the square since 1931.

Schultz had also served on the Stevens Point Area Public School District Board. The Stevens Point School Board, like many others, continues to wrestle with tough issues. In 2001, the board debated consolidated schools and cutting programs. In November, district voters approved a referendum to exceed the state property tax levy by $2.4 million. A week before the referendum, the district closed the doors to Emerson School, home of its Alternative School program, after finding the building had deteriorated to the point where it was imminent hazard to anyone inside. Emerson School remains closed and, unless someone can raise enough money to buy and repair it, will be razed in March. School Board President Ray Haas resigned from the board in November and then two other members, Deb Wilz and Leroy Heiser, announced they won't seek re-election. Added to the mix of issues facing Stevens Point schools is the talk of the village of Plover forming its own school district.

Amherst-area voters rejected a school referendum in April, but in June approved a referendum allowing the Tomorrow River School District to exceed state revenue limits by $350,000 for each of the next five years.

Local residents once again proved that charity starts at home and exceeded the United Way of Portage County's annual campaign goal. Pledges and donations totaled $1.74 million, surpassing the goal of $1.68 million.

Two other donations also made the news in 2001.

In May, John and Patty Noel of Stevens Point, co-founders and owners of Travel Guard International and the Noel Group, pledged $1 million to help fund the addition to the Fine Arts Center (FAC) at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The State Building Commission had pledged $25 million towards the $26 million project to add and renovate classroom space in the building.

Four months later, the family of Oscar W. Neale, an early educator at the Stevens Point Normal School, donated $2 million to the UW-SP foundation. The gift, the largest ever to the foundation, will fund two scholarship programs in the Division of Student Affairs and expand a previously endowed scholarship in the School of Education.

Decades from now, historians will know the collective meaning of what happened this year. Until they do, it's up to us to make sense of our own little corners of the world.



	Big changes highlight 2001 events By BRIAN LEAHY of The Gazette Portage County, the nation and the world became different places in 2001. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks brought people's attention back to the fact that we live in a dangerous world. So far the direct impacts have been few in Portage County. A couple of Portage County natives avoided injury in the World Trade Center attack, while a University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point graduate, Lt. Col. Dennis M. Johnson, died in the attack on the Pentagon. A handful of reservists have been called to active duty to either support military efforts overseas or to guard airports in this country. Immediately following the attacks there were runs on local gas stations and then, after anthrax tainted mail surfaced on the East Coast, a handful of anthrax scares here. Perhaps the biggest impact locally has been people's nerves. Some of the biggest changes to Portage County were in the business sector. Two of the county's largest employers, Wisconsin Central Railroad and Copps Corp., were sold in 2001. In a deal announced in late January, Canadian National Railway Co. agreed to buy Wisconsin Central Transportation Corp. for $1.2 billion. The deal includes Canadian National's assumption of $400 million worth of WCTC debt. Pewaukee-based grocery giant Roundy's announced in February that it would acquire Copps, which was the largest privately owned corporation based in Portage County. Terms of the agreement were not announced. Roundy's is continuing to operate former Copps stores under the Copps name. Copps was started in 1892 by E.M. Copps who sold food, grain and other items to loggers, river men and farmers. By 2000 it had grown to about 6,000 employees and had sales of about $625 million at its 22 corporate stores in the state. The Copps warehouse also served as a wholesale supplier to 37 independent stores in Wisconsin and eight in Michigan. A couple of other longtime businesses faded from the scene. Point Sporting Goods closed its doors in 2001, impacting more than 80 full- and part-time employees. Point Sport Goods was started in 1923, purchased by Elmer C. DeBot in 1929 and sold to Harvest Sporting Group in 1999. The Peachtree Companies Inc. of Medford announced earlier this month the former Vetter Manufacturing facility, 2116 Wood St., will close on Feb. 8, leaving 160 workers potentially jobless. Peachtree had purchased SNE earlier this year. Herman A. Vetter started Vetter Mfg. Co. in 1893. The company was a family-owned business until it was sold to Sentry Insurance in the 1980s. SNE later purchased it. The plant, which began towards the tail end of Stevens Point lumber era, now makes specialty wood and vinyl windows. On the plus side economically, Dodgeville-based catalog merchant dedicated its $11 million corporate sales facility in the Portage County Business Park in November. Company officials have said the plant could employ as many as 1,000 in five years. Delta Dental began a $4 million expansion project this summer of its offices in the Stevens Point Industrial Park. In December, Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, announced plans to build a 90,000-square-foot facility in the village of Plover. Plans were approved in August for a 14,000-square-foot Walgreens in the village of Park Ridge. Work is now under way. Outlying Portage County communities have also sought to build their economic base. The village of Amherst began marketing its 40-acre industrial park this summer. The park is on the southeast side of the village and will benefit from the future relocation of nearby county trunk highways A and B. Thoughts of highway and street construction occupied many people this year. Motorists traveling through Stevens Point had to contend with Clark Street, also known as Highway 10 East, being rerouted for much of the year as it was upgraded. An interchange was constructed at the intersection of highways 10 and J. Plans call for the state Department of Transportation to widen Highway 10 to four lanes through the county. Chances are that means building a bypass of Stevens Point, which won't be without controversy. Bypass options included going to the north or south of the existing route before connecting to Interstate 39. Opponents of the northern bypass options had many criticisms, including warnings of the impacts to the city's well field and the still relatively pristine Plover River corridor. The DOT announced in November the Highway 10 bypass east of Interstate 39 would not go to the north, therefore eliminating the need to build a new crossing over the Plover River. Questions remain on where a four-lane bypass will go west of Interstate 39. Previously identified routes include new crossings of the Wisconsin River in the vicinity of Highway X and Mayflower/Maple road areas. Tied into the debate on the need for and the best routes for new highways is Portage County's comprehensive long-range planning effort. Because Portage County's grant application included all 28 units of local government, the state received $504,000, the most of any applicant, in state grant money. The state Comprehensive Planning and Smart Growth Law passed in 1999 requires all local governments' land use actions to be consistent with its adopted comprehensive plan by 2010. The comprehensive plan must address nine elements: issues and opportunities; housing; transportation; utilities and community facilities; agricultural, natural and cultural resources; economic development; intergovernmental cooperation; land-use; and implementation. Officials continue to stress the importance of public involvement, such as the survey every county household received this year, in the ongoing planning process. Along with planning what the county will look like in the future, county officials are also looking at how to best deliver services to residents. The Vision 2011 Strategic Planning Team, a collection of local government officials and residents, held its first meeting in May to develop a strategic plan, including the vision and mission of the county, long-term objectives and strategies. One result of the Vision 2011 planning effort is the restructuring of county government. The County Board voted in October to create a team style of management for county government. When the new County Board takes office after the April election, the County Board chairman will have expanded powers and the Executive Committee will have five members, instead of three. The chairman and Executive Committee will use routine meetings with department heads to coordinate the operations of county departments. County officials have indicated the team management approach is an interim step, with the possibility of the county converting to either a county executive or county administrator form of government. The Vision 2011 Strategic Planning Team also identified reductions in state aids to local municipalities as a major concern. With the state now facing a looming budget deficit, state aids could fall faster than previously expected, leaving local government to find alternative sources of revenue or to cut services. Also on the political front, State Sen. Kevin Shibilski, D-Stevens Point, announced in June he is seeking his party's nomination for the lieutenant governor post in the 2002 elections. The current lieutenant governor, Margaret Farrow, her boss, Gov. Scott McCallum and the majority of cabinet officers spent Oct. 30 in Stevens Point as the city hosted state government. Officials toured area schools and businesses, before wrapping up the day with a cabinet meeting at the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center. Portage County lost its share of leaders in 2001. Two men who had served the community as Stevens Point mayor, Scott Schultz and Rev. Gil Halverson, died, as did several community leaders, like Walter Jakusz, Ed Okray and Sam Kingston. The Farmers Market on Stevens Point's Public Square lost a fixture with the death of John Laskowski, who had been selling produce on the square since 1931. Schultz had also served on the Stevens Point Area Public School District Board. The Stevens Point School Board, like many others, continues to wrestle with tough issues. In 2001, the board debated consolidated schools and cutting programs. In November, district voters approved a referendum to exceed the state property tax levy by $2.4 million. A week before the referendum, the district closed the doors to Emerson School, home of its Alternative School program, after finding the building had deteriorated to the point where it was imminent hazard to anyone inside. Emerson School remains closed and, unless someone can raise enough money to buy and repair it, will be razed in March. School Board President Ray Haas resigned from the board in November and then two other members, Deb Wilz and Leroy Heiser, announced they won't seek re-election. Added to the mix of issues facing Stevens Point schools is the talk of the village of Plover forming its own school district. Amherst-area voters rejected a school referendum in April, but in June approved a referendum allowing the Tomorrow River School District to exceed state revenue limits by $350,000 for each of the next five years. Local residents once again proved that charity starts at home and exceeded the United Way of Portage County's annual campaign goal. Pledges and donations totaled $1.74 million, surpassing the goal of $1.68 million. Two other donations also made the news in 2001. In May, John and Patty Noel of Stevens Point, co-founders and owners of Travel Guard International and the Noel Group, pledged $1 million to help fund the addition to the Fine Arts Center (FAC) at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The State Building Commission had pledged $25 million towards the $26 million project to add and renovate classroom space in the building. Four months later, the family of Oscar W. Neale, an early educator at the Stevens Point Normal School, donated $2 million to the UW-SP foundation. The gift, the largest ever to the foundation, will fund two scholarship programs in the Division of Student Affairs and expand a previously endowed scholarship in the School of Education. Decades from now, historians will know the collective meaning of what happened this year. Until they do, it's up to us to make sense of our own little corners of the world.