Thursday, October 3, 2024

Allouez schedules watershed cleanup day

Posted

By Rich Palzewic

Staff Writer


ALLOUEZ – At its virtual meeting last month, the Village of Allouez scheduled its annual Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup day.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon and is scheduled for Saturday, May 1.

Each year, hundreds of volunteers help clean one of the 60-plus watershed sites in the area to remove garbage and debris.

The cleanups aim to build a sense of community and increase understanding of the environmental stewardship necessary to improve water quality in the region.

Advanced registration is requested to ensure proper supplies are onsite, and volunteers should report directly to the cleanup site they registered for.

Site leaders will hand out T-shirts and supplies and volunteers will begin working.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the village decided to forgo hosting the cleanup picnic this year.

The two Allouez locations are Green Isle/Riverview parks and Wiese/Kiwanis parks, where volunteers will be cleaning up along the East River.

Volunteers can register at fwwa.org.

“It’s a good thing we do,” said Allouez Village President Jim Rafter. “We rely on our volunteers yearly to help keep these areas clean of debris and garbage. We couldn’t do it without them.”

In other news, after more than 33 years with the parks department, Jerry Watzka is retiring.

His last day on the job will be April 15.

“We wish him well,” said Rafter. “He’s done a great job with the village. We have many employees in the village who have been here for a long time. We’re blessed we have such a dedicated staff who like working here.”

A public hearing was also held on a proposed local historic landmark designation at Heritage Hill State Park.

Heritage Hill asked the village for historic landmark status for the first courthouse in Wisconsin monument located in the park.

Historic landmark status can be granted if the structure, site or district meet the criteria found in the village’s ordinance.

The monument, which is 48 feet long and 10 feet high, was built in 1825 and contains a copper box time capsule.

The monument is located at the extreme north end of what was then the State Reformatory Grounds.

Built by inmates, the monument was dedicated in a 1934 ceremony.

The board unanimously approved Heritage Hill’s request.

Allouez village board, Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup, Heritage Hill State Park, Jerry Watzka, Jim Rafter, village of Allouez