Letters to the Editor published in the April 27, 2022 issue of the Tomahawk Leader.

The following is a paid Letter to the Editor.

Thank you District 18

To the Editor,

I want to thank the people of District 18, Town of Harrison and Town of King, for their support during my term as County Board Supervisor and for their encouragement and help in my recent election campaign.

In the past six years of service, I found the work very rewarding, particularly the non-partisan aspects, cooperative discussions and deliberations in problem solving with many fine fellow supervisors and County Staff. I have a deep respect for the commitment and dedication to service that these people demonstrate.

County services provide law enforcement, public health, social services, roads, solid waste, land services, forest and trail management, to name a few. All are critical to keep our communities safe, strong, healthy, and growing. The challenges to provide these services are many, especially with increasing demands and limited funding. Yet, we managed to do it. I am proud to have been part of the many accomplishments we have provided during my tenure.

Times have changed for me. I congratulate my successor, Ken Wickham, and wish him well in his service.

In closing, I am deeply honored for the privilege to have served you in this position for the past six years.

Pat Voermans

Gleason

Lincoln County’s wolf population resolution, board code revision

To the Leader:

I have to express dismay, but not surprise, at some of the responses/outcomes from the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors at their April 19, 2022 meeting.

I was one of four speakers, along with three spoken letters, addressing the Board in opposition to a resolution that would limit wolf numbers to 350 statewide. There was one additional speaker present, the perpetual promoter of this proposal, who spoke briefly in support.

The code governing public participation specifies that participants shall be granted five minutes to comment. Not a problem for most addressing the Board, but if one attempts to counter years of misinformation with reason and data, it is a challenge to complete within the five-minute limit. The Chair/Board has the option, by code, to extend that time for an additional three minutes.

Less than three minutes more would have been sufficient for just two of us trying to provide responses countering all the misinformation. Instead, the Chair told us to quickly wrap up.

That limitation was particularly troubling when it was apparent that the promoter of this resolution clearly had previous and unlimited access to the process.

My specific point was the premature nature of this resolution, consisting of outdated information, when the state is near completion in the process of developing a management plan with numbers based on current science, and incorporating the results of the disastrous Feb. 2021 wolf hunt, the impacts of which will linger for years.

The other commentator provided the insight that no other wildlife in the state is placed under a population cap in spite of the fact that they cost the state far more financially and do more damage than wolves do.

The real concern for everyone should be the rewrite of the code governing County Board rules of procedure, which was authored and submitted by Supervisor and Republican State Assemblyman, Calvin Callahan. That code revision was switched from the Board’s afternoon session to the morning’s business, and passed without Board discussion.

As a result, the Chair now has the power to, and immediately did, appoint all oversight committee chairs, where members of some committees previously elected them. The Board Chair now replaces the County’s Corporation Counsel as Parliamentarian. The rewrite also establishes a revised process for submitting resolutions – in effect eliminating the review and recommendations of oversight committees instead to a new, Chair-appointed committee.

New County Board members obtained their seats under the promise of more transparency, accountability and greater public access. I think that many new Board members, and definitely the voting public, will find that is not going to be the case.

Diana C. Smith

Tomahawk

Northwoods Veterans Homestead

Northwoods Veterans Homestead (NVH), formerly called Northwoods Home for Heroes, was a concept thought up by Sandra and Gordy Edington of Rhinelander. When they talked to their friends about it, all their friends were excited and interested in being a part of it.

After five months of meetings and a lot of planning and outside help, there’s now an official Board of Directors, we’re close to obtaining property, we have an EIN, and we’re officially a non-profit organization.

Northwoods Veterans Homestead, when complete, will house homeless veterans. Each veteran will have a tiny home of their own on a temporary basis while they are provided food, clothing, physical and mental health care, job skills, resume writing assistance, and job hunting assistance.

Once property is obtained, we will be looking for businesses or individuals who are willing to build a tiny home at their expense (we will provide the blueprints) or contribute the amount it would take to build one. That home will then contain the business or individual’s name on it. The homes will only contain a bed, closet, small refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker.

Along with the tiny homes, there will be a community building. The community building will contain the kitchen where meals will be prepared by the residents. There will also be a lounge area, bathroom/shower facilities, a laundry, a conference room, and offices for staff and volunteers. We will also have a community garden so our residents can grow and eat their own fresh fruits and vegetables. Residents will have responsibilities such as cooking meals, tending the garden, mowing lawn, snow removal, etc.

Most homeless veterans have mental health issues and much of their issues are due to their service to our country. We feel not only do they deserve our help but we owe it to them. Our goal is to make the life better for every veteran who stays at the Northwoods Veterans Homestead and to give them an opportunity at a life they may not have otherwise had. We feel this is the best community in which to do that because we’ve seen how patriotic people in the Northwoods are and how much they value their veterans.

For more information, you can call or text the Board of Directors President, Gordy Edington, at 715-493-5328, or Vice-President Carla Ruuskanen at 715-367-5853. Please call in the evening hours, however. You can also email them anytime at [email protected].

Tammy Javenkoski

Oneida County Veterans Service Officer