By Press Times Staff
New Leaf addition
HOWARD – A site plan to build an approximately 20,000-square-foot addition to New Life Prep Academy was given the go-ahead by the village’s Plan Commission.
New Leaf Prep Academy received approval of a conditional use permit in April to operate a 3K-8 school in an existing building in the office park across from the Village Green Golf Course.
“That project understandably is looking to expand,” Community Development Director Dave Wiese said.
Paige and Matthew Christoff, who operate the school, said New Leaf currently has 125 students and looks to expand to 150 to 180.
“We’re looking to add our preschool on to the building and a lot of communal spaces,” Paige Christoff said. “The addition would mostly be an art room, a music room, a gymnasium, a special (education) classroom, two libraries and some office space, as well as some preschool classrooms.”
Project awarded
DE PERE – The City of De Pere unanimously awarded a contract to Jossart Brothers, Inc., for utility work and street extension of American Boulevard, on the south border of the city.
The project includes sanitary sewer construction, storm sewer construction and watermain, street and drainage construction.
The $1.88-million project will be funded through tax increment district No. 12 and the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District.
Christmas tree exchange
ALLOUEZ – The Village of Allouez will hold its annual Christmas tree exchange program from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m on Jan. 1-8.
Allouez residents can discard their Christmas tree at the LeBrun Yard Waste Site, located on LeBrun Street next to Wiese Park, in exchange for a coupon for a tree seedling.
The seedlings can be picked up at Village Hall in the spring.
New RC Mowers building
SUAMICO – The Village Board approved a development agreement with MBA Holdings, LLC, for about 7 acres located in Tax Incremental District No. 1.
Village Administrator Alex Kaker said the plan is to have an existing Suamico business, RC Mowers, move into a larger building and create an additional $1.2 million in value.
Kaker said the developer will be provided an incentive with cash grants totaling approximately $143,000, presuming the $1.2 million mark is met.
“We are thrilled to be able to retain an expanding business in Suamico,” he said, “and believe this development will continue the momentum of positive development along East Deerfield Avenue.”
Street foreman retires
ALLOUEZ – After a 26-year career with the village, Street Foreman Jim Cegelski retired.
“Jim started with the village back in 1995 in the public works department, and as of April, 2011, he’s been serving as our street foreman,” Village Board President Jim Rafter said.
John Schumacher, a longtime village employee, will act as the interim street foreman.
Public Works Director Sean Gehin said Cegelski would be missed.
Half-price admission
SUAMICO – Admission rates at the NEW Zoo are half-priced starting this Saturday, Jan. 1.
These special winter admission rates will remain in effect for the months of January and February.
The NEW Zoo will also be open for regular hours – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Superintendent search
SEYMOUR – The superintendent search in Seymour is officially underway.
Following a closed session discussion, the Seymour School Board selected Don Stevens and Associates, Inc. as the firm in its search for a new superintendent.
New executive director
GREEN BAY – Freedom House Ministries has hired Jen Schmohe as its new executive director, taking the reins from former director Jessica Diederich who announced last month she was leaving to head up Habitat for Humanity.
Schmohe previously served as the community development director at Green Bay Community Church.
She is also a member of Brown County Homeless and Housing Coalition, where she’s served in the leadership capacities of secretary, treasurer and as a representative to the statewide housing coalition, The Wisconsin Balance of State.
Freedom House Ministries, Inc. is a non-profit organization providing shelter, meals, clothing, education and case management support to families struggling with homelessness.
Blanket Blitz set for Jan. 8
BROWN COUNTY – Brown County United Way’s annual blanket drive, now in its 11th year, is back this year with a new format.
This year’s drive, The Blanket Blitz, will be a one-day event, with blanket drop-off from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 8, at the Johnsonville Tailgate Village at Lambeau Field.
Donors will drive up and give their blankets to volunteers, never leaving their cars.
The drive accepts both new and gently-used, clean blankets.
Last year’s drive collected more than 3,100 blankets which were distributed to 40 Brown County programs serving homeless and low-income individuals. Since the drive started in 2012, the community has donated more than 22,000 blankets to it.
Previously, the Blanketing Brown County Drive was held throughout the month of January with numerous collection sites.
Coffee Wizardz opens
Coffee Wizardz, Allouez’s newest coffee shop/coffee roaster, is now open just east of Zesty’s.
The roastery and cafe at 536 Greene Ave. is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
Coffee Wizardz is the brainchild of co-owners Sam Brown and Chris Christen.
Bellin Run online registration open
GREEN BAY – Registration is now open for the 46th annual Bellin Run June 11, but run organizers say they need the public’s help to ensure an in-person event is possible amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Assistant Race Director Linda Maxwell said The Bellin Run has a tradition of opening registration during the holiday season so runners and walkers can commit to training as part of their fitness goals in the New Year.
The 10K (6.2-mile) Bellin Run course traverses the streets of Green Bay and Allouez, and is one of the largest 10K events in the country.
Early registration for the Bellin Run 10K event is $25, while the half-mile June 10 Children’s Run costs $12.
Signing up or gifting a registration is quick and easy at bellinrun.com.
Citation fee reduction
SUAMICO – The Suamico Village Board approved restating its agreement with the Town of Chase and Town of Suamico to continue a joint municipal court.
Municipal Judge Kevin Rathburn recommended reducing the charge to the towns for each citation issued from $20 to $10, to better reflect actual costs.
Board members, however, said they were concerned about losing money in the event Suamico wouldn’t be able to cover its costs.
Ultimately, they agreed to reduce the charge per citation to $15 for next year.
COVID-19 leave extended
ASHWAUBENON – Village employees have another six months to use their allotted 80 hours of COVID-19 emergency sick leave.
Village Manager Joel Gregozeski said the emergency leave, which was originally established as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Emergency Security (CARES) Act and later extended under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), was set to expire Dec. 31, before the Ashwaubenon Village Board agreed to extend the leave to June 30.
Gregozeski said there would be no additional hours authorized for that purpose after the new calendar year begins.
“If we had an employee that has used their full 80-hour allotment, that allotment is now gone,” he said. “Now they would have to, more or less, dip into one of their other accruals – their traditional sick time, vacation time or other extraordinary time they may have earned. If an employee has not used their full allotment of 80 hours of COVID leave, that benefit would be extended as part of that policy.”
Community survey
HOWARD – Results of the community survey conducted by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Survey Research Center are available for public view.
A total of 2,697 responses were received.
Village staff said, consistent with the survey conducted in 2013, the primary reasons for choosing to reside in the Village of Howard include the school district, family ties and cost of housing.
Areas responders said needed attention include mid-level, single-family homes, investments in the Duck Creek Quarry and beach, as well as an outdoor gathering space for events.
Full survey results can be found on the village website.
The executive summary can be found on page five and six.
Social justice grant
GREEN BAY – The Coalition for Youth/Adult Diversion Program, a local nonprofit that brings awareness to systemic racial injustice in the Green Bay and Brown County area, is one of two state organizations to receive a player-directed $125,000 grant from the Green Bay Packers.
Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said the grants are part of the team’s ongoing pledge to support social justice and racial equality in Wisconsin communities.
This year, players Jaire Alexander, Patrick Taylor and Oren Burks led the selection process.
This is the fourth year the Packers and its players have awarded these grants.
The Sherman Phoenix in Milwaukee was this year’s other grant recipient.
Tree collection
HOWARD – Christmas tree collection in the Village of Howard will begin Monday, Jan. 3, and continue through Friday, Jan. 14.
Residents are asked to remove all decorations and place bare trees at the curb for collection.
Bagged trees will not be collected.
Pickleball/tennis courts
The Idlewild Park pickleball/tennis court project is moving forward.
The project is being rebid for 2022 after bids received to do the work this year came in over the budgeted amount.
The project is being bid out with two possible designs – one tennis court with four pickleball courts or two tennis courts with two pickleball courts.
Height ordinance public hearing
ALLOUEZ – A public hearing is set for Jan. 18 prior to the regular board meeting regarding an exception to the village’s height ordinance regulations for a parcel at 2222 Riverside Dr.
Following months of consideration, the Village Board decided to keep the current requirements as they are, limiting height to 102 feet or five stories, but to make an exemption for this project because it has been determined no views will be obstructed.
70-unit apartment development
HOWARD – A preliminary planned development district (PDD) to construct five 14-unit apartment buildings near the intersection of Sherwood Street (County FF) and Shawano Avenue (County C) is moving forward.
Jared Schmidt, a civil/municipal engineering manager with Robert E. Lee and Associates, said the units are designed as townhomes with individual entries and individual one- or two-stall garages for each unit.
Community Development Director Dave Wiese said the preliminary PDD will be considered by the Village Board at its Jan. 10 meeting.
He said the final plan could be brought to the Plan Commission in January or February.
MMC purchases two publications
WISCONSIN – Multi Media Channels (MMC) has purchased The Sentinel & Rural
News in Clark County from Nicole and Travis Rogers, who started the publication in 2014.
MMC CEO Patrick Wood said the paper has a history of putting the local community first and is
committed to continuing this tradition.
Nicole and Travis Rogers will both continue to contribute articles to the publication.