Wallace Lake residents pay tribute to fallen neighbor

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: June 21, 2018

Wallace Lake residents pay tribute to fallen neighbor

Merlin Waechter died last week in weed-cutting pontoon crash

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

TOWN OF TRENTON — At Wallace Lake, there is mix of permanent residents and temporary ones.

But in the days that followed an unthinkable tragedy that took the life of an 81-year-old man, this community bonded and paid tribute to a fallen neighbor whether they knew him or not.

On June 14, Merlin Waechter died after the weed-cutting pontoon he was riding on the lake capsized, trapping him underneath and underwater.

“It was just so sad, very sad,” resident Robin Grindrod said. “He was just helping the lake out.”

Thomas Legate, another resident, remembered Waechter as a good man, one he knew for about 10 years, who also loved brandy. Legate said Waechter lived in Florida in the winter and was always well stocked with brandy.

“He’d always take a case with him,” Legate said, adding he knows Waechter wasn’t drinking on the day of the tragedy.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday the investigation regarding how the boat capsized is ongoing and no timetable was provided. At the scene, Sheriff Dale Schmidt said investigators hadn’t found anyone who saw the boat capsize and that appears to still be the case.

Grindrod and Legate weren’t home when the crash happened and another resident, Janet Kasten, saw Waechter on the lake, but briefly left the house, which was on the same side of the lake the crash took place.

“On Thursday morning, we were having a cup of coffee and we were watching him cutting and cutting in front of our property,” Kasten said. “We saw him for a good amount of time. Then we ran an errand and then we heard the sirens. It was eerie because we had been watching him.”

No matter how well the residents, especially the ones on the south side of the lake, knew Waechter, it didn’t matter when it came time to say they’re thinking of him and his family. On Sunday night, at about 8:30 p.m., several residents released candles onto the lake. Within moments, residents stood on their piers in back of their homes and saw at least 25 candles floating on the calm Wallace Lake surface on a humid evening.

“It was nice,” Legate said, adding a toast with brandy was also made.

Kasten said, “I thought it was very touching that everybody did that.”

During the school year, Grindrod lived in Saint Francis because she was a teacher in Milwaukee. She retired after the last school year. She wasn’t at the Wallace Lake house when the incident took place. She arrived the next day.

“We saw it on the news,” Grindrod said. “And everybody called. They’re like, ‘Robin. Where are you?’ I’m like, ‘I’m at the house.’ And they’re like, ‘Which house?’” Initially, she wasn’t sure where the boat flipped. Once she got to her Wallace Lake home on Wallace Lake Drive, she took out her jet ski and toured the lake to see if she could figure it out.

She ultimately did and suddenly the tragedy became a bit more personal. It was three houses down from hers.

“You could tell something had happened,” Grindrod said when asked if she could tell if there was

a different aura amongst the residents. “It was quiet around here.”

On Friday night, after returning home from dinner, Grindrod said a gold bag and a candle was sitting on her porch. There was a note, too.

She said the note read, “Please put this out at 8:30 and light it and send it off in his memory. That’s what we did.

“It was very cool to see people were all on their docks putting all the bags out. ... It was very peaceful and calm. It was such a nice tribute.”

Grindrod didn’t know Waechter outside of him being “the weed wacker guy.”

But she was glad to show some kind of support.

“Everybody felt bad for him, they wanted to show their appreciation for what he did,” Grindrod said.

The fire trucks are long gone, as are the squad cars from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and ambulances and other first responder vehicles from several municipalities that responded to the call.

There is some sense of normalcy coming back to the community members. However, the shock of what happened still lingers.

“Merlin loved the lake; he loved fishing; he liked doing his weed eating,” Legate said. “He loved everything about it.”

He added, “It hasn’t gotten easier for me.”

Kewaskum’s Willie Goeden honored by longtime fan

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: June 20, 2018

Standing the test of time

Kewaskum’s Willie Goeden honored by longtime fan

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

It was known as Project 72.

That’s all Kewaskum’s Willie Goeden was told and was going to be told for a week.

The surprise awaiting him, though, brought tears to the eyes of all who were there to witness it.

Around Christmas time, Michael Moore, a native of Columbus, Georgia, but originally grew up in Cedarburg, sent an email to Goeden’s Auto Body in Kewaskum. He included a picture of a young boy, about 9 or 10 years old, riding in a race car driven by Goeden in 1977. The boy was Moore.

“I was curious to see how Willie was doing,” Moore said.

He also shared how he chose “72” for his car number in honor of Goeden, a 12-time track champion in southeastern Wisconsin, including the 1981 late model championship at Slinger. Then he shared what he wanted to do: to have the exact paint scheme on his car that matched what Goeden drove in 1977, then come up to Wisconsin with it and race at Road America’s June Sprints, which wrapped up Sunday in Elkhart Lake.

Goeden’s children, including Nanci Czuppa, got the message as well and went to work on creating a memorable surprise for their dad in time for Father’s Day.

“My daughter Nanci gave us tickets the week before and she said, ‘I’d like you to stop up there at Elkhart Lake and that’s all I will tell you,’” Willie said, adding what was happening was being called Project 72. “She just said stop up there.”

Goeden arrived at the track Friday, was picked up by a golf cart and was taken to a large motor home and trailer.

“I said, ‘What’s all happening?’” Goeden said.

He added, “I got out and met this fella, Mike, and he said, ‘I’m from the southern part of Georgia. I came up here to race.’ And he says, ‘You probably don’t remember me.’” Goeden tried to remember but came up empty.

“He said, ‘Forty years ago, when you were racing at Cedarburg, I was one that got in your car and you gave me a ride around for the parade lap. I got in and we went around in your race car,’” Goeden said. “He said he lived in Cedarburg at the time and always went to the races.

“He said, ‘I wanted to meet you again.’” About an hour passed, all the while a car sat under a tarp in a tent.

“He says, ‘Before we get lunch, why don’t we uncover the car?’” Goeden said.

The tarp was pulled and there it was: Moore’s Mazda painted just like Goeden’s 1977 Chevrolet Camaro late model he raced on tracks throughout southeastern Wisconsin five or six nights per week. It had the white base with blue covering the roof and hood and with the red trim.

But here was the best part: The number 72 was exactly how it was on that Camaro as well as the rabbit logo to symbolize Goeden’s nickname. Goeden’s name was also on the door.

Moore and Czuppa said there wasn’t a dry eye nearby. Goeden was no exception, either.

“A couple tears came out of my eyes,” Goeden said.

He admitted he had a quick inkling to get in the car and race it.

“But I knew I couldn’t,” he said.

On the dashboard of the car is a photo of Moore riding with Goeden in the aforementioned moment in 1977.

“It brought back old memories,” Goeden said.

That car had a profound effect on Moore, who raced the deckedout Mazda in the Spec Miata class at Road America over the weekend.

“That was like larger than life to be next to a stock car like that,” he said. “He said, ‘Hold onto the roll bar.’ For that, it made a lasting impression.”

Moore’s father raced at Road America and other tracks in the region, so racing was in his bloodline. But, that moment when he met Goeden, who was fresh off championships in the late model division at Hales Corners and Cedarburg in 1976, Moore’s mind was made up.

“He was one of my favorite guys,” Moore said, referring to Goeden. “I told him how important that one night meant to me.”

During a full-course caution in one of the Spec Miata races, word quickly spread about that No. 72 car as the public address announcer got wind of it via social media. So, during the caution period, the story was explained. Soon after, Moore recognized people

waving along the side of the track. He didn’t know why.

When he got back to his pit area, he found out why.

“It was an incredible experience,” Moore said. Czuppa doesn’t have strong memories of the car, but remembered what life was like for the family during those summers of racing.

For five or six nights a week during the summer, whether it was Cedarburg, Hales Corners, Slinger or somewhere else, the routine was get up in the morning, clean out and repack the cooler, wash the driver’s suit, take a nap and pack up and head to the track.

And Czuppa said to see the salute people gave Moore while driving that No. 72 was chilling.

“It’s good to know that dad’s reputation or dad’s legacy is still known out there and that he’s known as an excellent driver and has a good family,” she said. “To have that reputation feels good.”

As for Goeden, who was inducted into the Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame in 2007, he had one thought once he cleared his eyes of tears.

“One of the best Father’s Days I’ve ever had,” he said.

In start No. 101, Keith finds Victory Lane

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: June 19, 2018

In start No. 101, Keith finds Victory Lane

SLINGER SUPER SPEEDWAY

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

For reasons unknown, Brad Keith, while sitting on a boat on the lake with his wife, Kelly, and their 7-month-old daughter Hadley, looked at his wife and did something he never does.

“I told my wife I think we have a good chance to win,” Keith said. “I never say that. I’m usually pretty humble.”

His hunch was right.

In his 101st super late model start at Slinger Super Speedway, Keith won his first career feature, holding off a late push by defending track champion

Gary LaMonte courtesy of a caution with four laps to go in the 60-lap main event.

“It took long enough,” Keith said Monday. “At certain times, I wonder if it was going to happen.”

That was especially true as he sat and watched drivers such as LaMonte or Dennis Prunty or Steve Apel win seemingly at will.

“Are we ever going to get that opportunity?” Keith said. “You wonder if everything was going to fall into place.”

And lately, he had good reason to think that as it seemed every bad luck thing that could happen in a race car did the last several weeks.

“A lot of it has things go your way,” Keith said.

“Everything fell into place.”

Conrad Morgan finished third in the feature, followed by Grant Griesbach and John DeAngelis Jr.

Also picking up feature victories Sunday were Nick Egan (limited late model), Matt Urban (Slinger Bees), Rick Schaefer (Super Beez) and Rick Bruskiewicz (Figure 8).

And talking about everything falling into place, Keith won the milestone feature on his first Father’s Day.

“It was pretty special,” Keith said. “You won’t forget that.”

Keith had to work for it, too. He started the feature in eighth place after the invert after being second-quickest in qualifying. Most of the season, Keith said he believed he had a fast race car, one certainly good enough to challenge for wins.

Despite that, he was weary of his chances to win the race moments before the feature.

“I don’t think I ever really thought it could be it,” Keith said. “It seems like there hasn’t been a lot of passing in the super lates this year.”

Keith’s eighth-place starting spot matched the furthest back on the grid a driver has had to come from to win a race this season in the super late model division. On May 6, Prunty started eighth. Otherwise, the starting spots of the

eventual feature winners in the division were fifth, fourth, fifth and first.

“You think for your first one, you’d win from the front row and not mid-pack,” Keith said.

Sixty laps at Slinger is not a lot of time to work with when a lap lasts less than 12 seconds in a race setting. Not to mention, the side-by-side racing makes it difficult to pass.

But, Keith found a way and did so quickly, working his way to the lead on lap 19.

“I knew that at some point our luck was going to change,” Keith said.

With four laps to go, Travis Dassow and Nick Wagner crashed to bring out the yellow flag.

Keith chose the outside line for the restart and did so because he knew LaMonte’s car is typically not the strongest on a short run. He believed that played to his advantage.

Shortly after the green flag waved, LaMonte and Keith made slight contact, but Keith got the run off Turn 2 and surged to sole possession of the lead.

“It felt like 160 laps,” Keith said. “I was not letting that one slip away last night.”

The victory wasn’t Keith’s first in a super late model. In 2015, he won a super late model feature at La Crosse. But, this one was different.

Keith has been going to Slinger as a driver or as a fan since he was 8 years old. He grew up in Slinger. This track is close to his heart. It means a lot to him. He is a track champion and has 15 feature wins in other divisions at Slinger.

It also means a lot to the family.

Keith’s family has invested plenty into the sport and Slinger. Keith’s Marina in West Bend sponsors at least one race night a season and have been a supporter of the track and its competitors for several years.

“It’s pretty cool,” Keith said. “My first feature win came in a Mid-am car on Keith’s Marina night in 2006.”

He added, “My dad was excited. To get your first win on your first Father’s Day is pretty special.”

The next race at Slinger is one of those Keith’s Marina-sponsored nights. And it’s a fundraiser for cancer research.

Several raffle prizes, door prizes will be available for fans with proceeds going toward Chix 4 A Cause.

“We’ve got door prizes; a lot of good stuff,” Keith said.

For more information on the fundraiser or to get tickets, contact Keith through Facebook or go to Keith’s Marina, 4339 Highway 33, West Bend or Kurly’s Grand Larsony, 143 Main St., Kewaskum

81-year-old dies after pontoon flips on Wallace Lake

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: June 15, 2018

81-year-old dies after pontoon flips on Wallace Lake

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

TOWN OF TRENTON — An 81-year-old town of Trenton man died Thursday after a weed-cutting pontoon he was riding on Wallace Lake overturned, pinning the man underwater for about two hours.

The death was confirmed by the Washington County Medical Examiner, Sheriff Dale Schmidt said at the scene.

Schmidt said the Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at about 12:10 p.m. from a resident in the 7100 block of South Wallace Lake Drive. The resident reported the weed-cutting machine was in the water behind the home and upside down.

Newburg Fire Department and Washington County Dive Team immediately responded, as well as deputies from the Sheriff’s Office.

Jeff Gonzalez, assistant chief for the Newburg Fire Department, said he requested mutual aid. West Bend Fire Department and Fillmore Fire Department responded, as well as Saukville ambulance and Port Washington ambulance, with further assistance from Kewaskum, Waubeka and Jackson.

“The call came in that said someone was trapped,” Gonzalez said.

A sergeant from the Sheriff’s Office was the first to arrive at the scene and immediately got into the water and swam to the boat, which was floating upside down in about 4 1/2 feet of water and about 35 yards from shore. The sergeant went underwater and, by feel, found a victim.

“We did try to extricate him and we could tell he was seriously pinned underneath the machine,” Schmidt said, adding the victim was completely underwater. He also said the lack of water clarity made rescue efforts more difficult.

Once the divers arrived as well as other first responders, small airbags were used to try and lift the machine enough to remove the victim. Those attempts were unsuccessful.

“At that point, enough time had elapsed that chances of survival were slim so we switched to

recovery mode at that point,” Schmidt said.

At about 2 p.m., the victim was pulled from the machine and brought to shore.

“He was pronounced deceased by the Medical Examiner,” Schmidt said.

The machine is operated by the Wallace Lake Sanitary District.

“He does have several years experience of doing this,” Schmidt said.

“We won’t know the actual cause of death for some time,” he added.

How the boat overturned is unknown. Schmidt said witnesses saw the boat on the lake, but there were no witnesses to the boat turning over.

“What we do know is they had been cutting weeds this morning,” Schmidt said. “There was a load of weeds on the machine. He was en route to unload that at the shoreline to the east.”

Schmidt said there was another person out on the water with the victim, but was on a different boat.

The machine has rotating cutters that cut the weeds underneath the waterline.

“Many lakes do processes like this every summer, all summer long,” Schmidt said. “I’m not aware of any other accidents involving these machines.”

West Bend man honored by the Medical College of Wisconsin is joined by the man who helped him overcome a deadly disease

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: May 29, 2018

Saving lives after his was saved

West Bend man honored by the Medical College of Wisconsin is joined by the man who helped him overcome a deadly disease

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

West Bend’s Mike Orban was sent home to the U.S., traveling several time zones from western Africa where he was serving in the Peace Corps, to die, carrying a disease no one could figure out what it was.

It didn’t change once he returned stateside and visited the U.S. State Department in Washington where he was seen by tropical disease experts.

Orban fully believed he was going to die. Everyone who saw him, thought the same thing.

That was nearly 40 years ago.

His life changed and was miraculously extended for an additional 35plus years soon after he met Dr. Michael Dailey in Menomonee Falls.

Dailey’s background in microbiology helped not only diagnose what was wrong with Orban, but discover a cure.

On Friday, Orban was presented an honorary doctorate degree for his work with post-traumatic stress disorder and veterans by the Medical College of Wisconsin.

It’s safe to say had it not been for Dailey, Orban wouldn’t have gone on a path that has helped saved the lives of countless veterans from their battles of depression, trauma, alcoholism and suicide after their time in the military.

“It’s staggering,” Orban said of the honor. “It’s unbelievable. The passion I have is I know the suffering of an infantry solider. I know the suffering of readjusting. ... I know that deep struggling.”

And of course Dailey wouldn’t miss the honor. He was on stage with Orban during the hooding ceremony.

“As a doctor who was at the front line, having a patient get better and go on and have a successful life as well as ... more than a successful life and you contributed, it couldn’t get more thrilling as a doctor,” Dailey said.

Orban was one of eight people who got honorary degrees from MCW, the same institution that, with the help of Dailey, helped Orban beat the odds. When Orban learned of the honor, he had flashbacks to that flight home from Africa fully believing his time on Earth was rapidly approaching.

“(The doctors) said this was going to be a painful death,” Orban said. “It was not looking good.”

Orban served in the Vietnam War and admitted when

he returned home he “was so messed up.” Orban was drafted in 1969 and served one year in Vietnam. When he came home, it was 10 years before PTSD was recognized as a disease. That forced Orban to wait years to get help.

Since then, Orban has committed his life to connect with veterans to make sure he catches them before they succumb to alcoholism, depression, trauma or suicide.

“I was never shooting for the award,” Orban said. “I was shooting to help another veteran and their families.”

Without a cure for PTSD or it being recognized as an illness, Orban didn’t want to get on medication to treat some his bouts with anxiety, depression, etc. Instead, what he did to help deal with those wounds was he went to Africa and joined the Peace Corps. He lived in Gabon, on the western edge of Africa, along the equator.

The last thing Orban wanted or needed was something to go against him.

The effects of the illness were nearly unbearable. Orban had golf ball-sized welts and pustules on his back that were itchy and painful. His skin also deteriorated and some of those large scars from his welts remain today.

Dailey remembers Orban’s case “like it was yesterday.”

On Friday, Dailey called Orban’s case and eventual diagnosis and cure the crowning achievement of his career. Dailey went on to practice in Atlanta and collaborated on cases for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“He was like, ‘Mike. This was the important case in my life,’” Orban said. “It was terminal.”

Orban became the first patient diagnosed in the U.S. with the filarial disease Acanthocheilonema perstans (A. Perstans) from the bite of a tsetse fly.

At the time, Dailey was in his first year as a fellow in infectious disease. He had a master’s degree in microbiology.

“I was comfortable with the diseases,” Dailey said. Several tests were done and no questions were answered. Dailey wasn’t nervous about getting told he was getting someone destined to die. Instead, he felt empowered and remained persistent.

“I felt that we had the technology to know the answer,” Dailey said. “I thought there was someone who could put the crowning blow on that diagnosis.”

Several experiments later, a diagnosis and a cure was found. Then, once cured, Orban found his life calling.

“I get called all the time to come help them with a veteran who is in real distress,” Orban said.

He co-founded The Warrior Partnership, an MCW program in which veterans talk about traumatic war experiences with medical students who learn how to integrate the unique needs of PTSD sufferers into their care. He also co-founded the Incarcerated Veterans Project and serves on the community-academic advisory board for Milwaukee PROMPT (Prevention of Opioid Misuse through Peer Training project), a collaboration between MCW and local veterans that is developing innovative ways to address opioid use disorder among veterans. Orban often gives keynote speeches on PTSD, suicide and transition to civilian life. He is also the author of “Souled Out, Conquering Combat PTSD.”

“It reinforces that I’m doing the right thing that I should be doing,” Orban said of the honorary doctorate. “It encourages me to go on and do more.”

On Thursday, the day before the ceremony, it was the first time Orban and Dailey had seen each other since Orban’s illness.

“There is just a connection that is so special ... he was part of a significant moment in your life,” Orban said.

When they saw each other, their faces had changed quite a bit.

“We put on weight and we’re old,” Orban said with a smile.

But Dailey said he quickly remembered Orban’s voice the moment he heard it.

“I’d know his voice anywhere,” Dailey said.

Then, there was plenty of catching up and even more hugs and handshakes, lasting about two days, Orban said.

“He kept telling me during the ceremony, I’m so happy to be one part of your life to receive this award today,” Orban said.