State sales tax holiday kicks off

Daily News (West Bend,Wis.)
Published: Aug. 2, 2018

State sales tax holiday kicks off

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

WEST BEND — Nanci Czuppa remembered when her mom set a $150 spending limit on clothes and school supplies for her and each of her four siblings.

“I think you need more stuff, like some of their calculators are $150 for certain math classes,” she said. “When you have to buy those, it is expensive.”

Other items that have gotten expensive over the years, Czuppa said, include shoes and clothing.

To help consumers save on those costs, Gov. Scott Walker introduced a sales tax holiday to help backto- school shoppers, exempting school supplies and other school necessities, such as clothing, from a sales tax.

Wednesday was the first day of the holiday and shoppers certainly took advantage, according to Zachary Hutchins, assistant manager at West Bend’s Shopko on South Main Street.

“It’s been pretty busy,” he said, adding an additional 15 employees were brought in to assist with the expected increased shopper traffic. “We overstaffed to make sure all of our customers have the best shopping experience.”

The sales tax holiday ends Sunday.

“I think it’s great for families that need it,” said Czuppa, who bought a new backpack for her daughter, Nina, who will be a sophomore at West Bend West High School.

Preparation for the sales tax holiday began in March for retailers such as Shopko, which was still another two-plus months before the end of the school year. Then, soon after school was let out for the summer in late May and early June, Shopko, Hutchins said, was already getting its back to school stock.

“This is when the bulk of school supply shopping happens,” Hutchins said, adding the school supply shopping season is similar to Black Friday as far as importance to retailers.

“There’s a lot of planning and staff that goes into it. There’s also extra discounts we allow our customers to have.”

Set by the state’s Department of Revenue, more than 40 clothing items are on the exemption list. Other items exempt from a sales tax include desktop computers, laptop and notebook computers and tablets, as long as the cost is $750 or less; items such as computer printers, personal digital assistant (not including cellphones), computer storage media and printer supplies are also included, as long as the cost is $250 or less.

Essentially, anything related to school will fit in the sales tax exemption.

While it was nice to save some money with the new school year rapidly approaching, Czuppa as well as Teri Bley admitted it was bittersweet to already be shopping for school supplies again.

“It’s depressing,” said Bley, who picked up several supplies for her son, Brenden, who will be an eighthgrader at Badger Middle School.

Nina Czuppa said she is not ready to go back to school after a summer where she went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for vacation. She also worked and played basketball.

Nanci Czuppa said she typically does the back-to-school shopping after the school

year starts when she has a better idea what is needed. But, with the sales tax exemption, she took care of some of the preliminary shopping Wednesday.

Bley said this is about the normal time of the year she starts her back to school shopping, but she admitted having the sales tax exemption was a nice incentive.

On Wednesday, Walker visited Fleet Farm in Appleton to help promote the holiday’s opening day. A news release from the governor’s office said the holiday is expected to save consumers an estimated $14.8 million over the five days.

“When we have a surplus, those dollars should be returned to the hardworking taxpayers,” Walker said in the release. “We want every Wisconsinite to participate in the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday to have surplus dollars put back in their pockets.”

1st-time exhibitor learns about the different side of a county fair

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: July 31, 2018

1st-time exhibitor learns about the different side of a county fair

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

TOWN OF POLK — One year ago, Slinger High School graduate Brady Hattori brought home a rabbit from the Washington County Fair. It wasn’t a popular decision with his father.

“I’ve always wanted a rabbit, like my whole life,” he said. “Last year at the fair, I texted my dad that I was coming home with a rabbit and he was like, ‘OK. Whatever.’ “He was totally OK with it until I came home with one.”

Hattori went home with a rabbit known as a Mini-Rex. His name is Jack and he’s about 3 1/2-4 pounds.

“They’re known for their ears and their bodies; they’re very soft,” Hattori said.

He wanted it because “they’re cute and fun.”

One year later, showing animals for the first time at the fair, Hattori took second place with Jack in the open mini-rex division and broken senior buck category.

Broken represents the fur pattern, Hattori said. Senior means the rabbit is older than 6 months. Buck is because the rabbit is a male. A female is a doe.

And in his first year showing Jack, they almost took first place. The difference? Jack chipped a tooth about a week before the fair.

“I was expecting to just come in for the experience,” Hattori said. “I did a lot of research, but I didn’t think ... many of these people have been doing it for many, many years.”

Soon after bringing home Jack, Hattori went to work to learn more about the bundle of fur.

“I did a lot of research and I know friends that show rabbits,” he said. “It was a lot of preparation, maintaining them, clipping their nails, brushing them and keep their fur soft, make sure they’re not sick at all.”

One of the first things he learned, and maybe most important, was the rabbit’s diet. It’s more than just carrots.

“Some rabbits need a specific diet,” Hattori said. “It’s supposed to be 20 percent rabbit pellets, 70 percent hay and the other 10 percent is vegetables and treats.”

The rabbit pellets are similar to vitamins for humans.

This year has been a learning experience for Hattori at the fair, giving him a different perspective of what goes on at the fair and what it means to a different set of people.

“It’s been a little frightening to be honest because I don’t know as much as they do,” he said. “I’m a very beginner at this.”

It’s like being the new kid at school.

“When I talk to people that have been doing this for years, they know what they’re doing, they know what to look at in rabbits, how to pick one out.

“I just brought it home.”

His reason for picking the rabbit he did was simple.

“I liked his color, his pattern and he was soft,” Hattori said.

When not at the fair, Jack stays at Hattori’s house and in a cage. Hattori potty-trained Jack, too, to where he uses a litter box.

Hattori said Jack is a good house pet.

“We let him run around the house most of the time,” Hattori said.

While showing was a bit intimidating, Hattori enjoyed the experience.

“For sure; it’s been a whole new experience,” he said.

A FAIR — BUT NO FAIREST?

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: July 31, 2018

A FAIR — BUT NO FAIREST?

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

TOWN OF POLK — Teresa Artymiuk (nee Dietenberger) was the Fairest of the Fair for the 2012 Washington County Fair.

No one has unseated her.

That’s because not since then has there been a Fairest of the Fair contest at the Washington County Fair.

Shortly before the 2013 fair, officials announced it was discontinuing the Fairest of the Fair competition, a fair tradition each year since 1974 until its discontinuation. However, it doesn’t appear to be coming back anytime soon.

“It is every fair’s decision whether to participate or not,” said Kellie Boone, Fair Park executive director. “It became too difficult to get volunteers to run it. It’s a very time intensive competition to do.”

Six years later, Artymiuk is still disappointed the competition remains absent from her home fair.

“I think having a Fairest of the Fair is a huge asset to fairs,” she said. “Their main job is to promote the fair and interact with the residents and add a personal touch to both the promotion and interactions.”

In a 2013 article in the Daily News announcing the Fairest of the Fair contest was being cut, then executive director and fair manager Sandy Lang said, “We decided not to have the contest due to lack of participation and lack of committee.”

In that story, Artymiuk, then Dietenberger, said, “it’s a shame. I was in 4-H for seven years. The fair is comparable to Christmas.”

When Artymiuk won, three girls competed for the title.

At that time, Lang said she didn’t believe not having a “fairest” would have a direct impact on the fair. So far that doesn’t appear to be the case and a potential revival is quite a ways away, if ever.

“Being named fairest was a huge highlight in my career of the Washington County Fair,” Artymiuk said. “I am a 4-H alumni and current leader. Fair time means showing off what the exhibitors worked on for 359 days to the community over a matter of six days. Also it meant that I would be able to assist promoting what is my favorite time of year.”

One common misconception about Fairest of the Fair is that it is only open to women. That is not true, Artymiuk said.

“Fairest of the Fair competition is open to males,” she said. “Many years ago Washington County had a male contestant. Also from the pictures I saw from last year’s Wisconsin Fair’s Convention, there was a male contestant representing one of the many fairs from within the state.”

There have been discussions about trying to revive the competition. But, so far, the discussions haven’t gotten very far.

“The decision still has been no,” Boone said.

Some fairgoers didn’t know the competition had ceased to exist, including Marie Schmidt and Donna Kleinmaus.

“It’s unfortunate for the county,” Schmidt said.

The Fairest of the Fair serves as an ambassador

for a county fair by promoting the fair at various functions, such as parades or festivals. The Fairest of the Fair from all participating counties represents the corresponding fair at the annual Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis.

Out of the individual fairs, a statewide Fairest of the Fair is crowned. This year, that honor went to Isabella Haen, representing the Kewaunee County Fair. On Wednesday, Haen was at the Washington County Fair. A tradition for 52 years, the state’s Fairest of the Fair travels to all the county, district and state fairs in Wisconsin to promote “the educational, agricultural, social, cultural and commercial opportunities available at our state’s great fairs,” according to the Wisconsin Association of Fairs website.

Boone said she’s seen from other county fairs that the Fairest of the Fair is becoming less common. The reason again centers on interested competitors and volunteers to organize and judge the competition.

“It’s extremely difficult to get the volunteers you need,” Boone said.

Schmidt said the fairest competition is “fun to have it.” But it appears no longer a necessity.

At the Washington County Fair, specifically with the Fair Park facility, Boone has made a push for the grounds to be a year-round facility, offering events or concerts, outside of the County Fair offerings. One of those examples is the inaugural Country Live Music Festival in September, which is headlined by national recording star Rodney Atkins.

Because of events such as that, the time available for staff at Fair Park has dwindled.

Boone said she wouldn’t object to Fairest of the Fair at the Washington County Fair returning at some point. In order to do so, however, a lot of people will need to step up and take on the several-months task. “It’s something we’ll revisit every year and we can determine whether not we have the volunteers or the staff,” Boone said.

“I definitely think that our Fairest program should be brought back,” Artymiuk said. “Fairs of all sizes through out the state have been bringing back the program. The state competition continues to grow and I think it is a great experience for anyone interested.”

Gone to the birds: Kids show off their poultry-raising skills at the fair

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: July 27, 2018

Gone to the birds: Kids show off their poultry-raising skills at the fair

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

TOWN OF POLK — A stroll through the small animal barn on the eastern side of Washington County Fair Park will take you past several cages of chickens, roosters, ducks and pigeons.

On some of those cages will be ribbons or a trophy to let a passerby know how they did at the 160th Washington County Fair.

Thursday was judging day for the birds at the fair. To find out who was the top birds in one of several classes or categories, careful preparation was made by all the participants. And most of them spend all year prepping the bird for what is a matter of minutes of judging.

There is a meticulous set of guidelines that are followed in order to be crowned champion of the Washington County Fair or any other fair. A book dubbed the Poultry Bible by some volunteers but officially called “The American Standard of Perfection” is a 396-page book full of breed pictures and characteristics that defines the perfect bird.

The book, for example, will show a picture of a chicken and list requirements for feather pattern, feather color, the comb, the beak, etc.

If one thing is off, that can mean the difference of leaving the fair with a ribbon or empty-handed.

Haley Meinert, 15, of Cedarburg, who is a member at Kirchhayn Trotters 4-H Club in Jackson, was champion in the standard chicken class Thursday.

“It’s very exciting,” she said.

“Every day, you have to make sure they have fresh food and water,” she added. “Before the fair, we always take them out and wash them, make sure they’re clean and pretty.”

This is just a small portion of what Meinert and other bird showers do leading up to the all-important judging.

“I try to handle my birds almost every day, make sure they don’t have any of the wrong feathers, make sure they’re growing right,” said Meinert, who will be a sophomore at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School this fall.

The birds’ nutrition is an important element to the showmanship.

“You have to make sure they have food with enough protein and enough of the minerals they need and nutrition and making sure they have fresh clean water,” said Sam Chapman, 15, of Germantown, who is also a member of Kirchhayn Trotters and will be a

sophomore at Germantown High School. On Thursday, Chapman was the reserve champion in standard chicken behind Meinert.

If the chickens don’t get the proper nutrition, Chapman said, “they’ll get sick, they might not be the right color, they’ll be really skinny, boney, their feathers will be ruffled.”

Because of the yearlong effort, there is plenty of pride that goes into showing the animals, big or small.

“You feel accomplished, like you’ve done what you needed to do for the chickens,” Chapman said.

37 Wisconsin companies awarded Foxconn contracts

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: July 25, 2018

37 Wisconsin companies awarded Foxconn contracts

Nine from Waukesha County; three each from Washington, Ozaukee counties

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

WEST BEND — For the largest project ever to come to Wisconsin, why not be a part of it any way they can?

That’s the mindset for several companies throughout Wisconsin as the Foxconn project in Racine County gets going.

On Tuesday, 37 companies — all with operations in Wisconsin — were awarded contracts to be involved in constructing a multipurpose building at Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park. Among those companies, three are from Washington and Ozaukee counties and nine are from Waukesha County.

“We’re delighted and honored to be a part of it,” said Mike Pilgrim, president of Systems LLC in Germantown. “We’re ecstatic that they got Systems involved, a Wisconsin-based company.”

In May, Foxconn announced 27 Wisconsinbased companies were selected to perform site preparation at its display manufacturing facility being built in Mount Pleasant, near Racine. Among those was Michels Corp. in Brownsville.

“We have many skill trades in this area,” said Mary Kinateder, president of KMI Construction Inc., in Brookfield. “For (Foxconn) to utilize the talent of our men and women in this area is a good thing.”

Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha county companies

The Washington County companies selected were (with specialty): ASC Pumping Equipment in West Bend (fire protection pumping equipment), Professional Systems Analysis Inc. in Germantown (test and balance) and Systems (loading dock equipment).

The Ozaukee County companies selected were (with specialty): HVA Products Inc. in Mequon (gas unit heaters and air curtains), Paul Reilly Co. in Mequon (overhead sectional doors) and SiteOne Landscape Supply in Mequon (irrigation material supplier).

The Waukesha County companies selected were (with specialty): Builders Hardware in Menomonee Falls (hollow metal doors, frames, hardware supplier), Halquist Stone in Sussex (decorative stone), Johnson’s Nursery in Menomonee Falls (plant material supplier), Kevco Inc. in New Berlin (caulking), KMI Construction, Precise Contractors Inc. in Brookfield (excavation), Scott’s Pressure Washing Services in Muskego (final

panel washing), Vyron Corp. in Waukesha (make up air units) and Wolter Power Systems, a division of Wisconsin Lift Truck Corp. in Brookfield (generator supplier).

In the last month, Foxconn announced facilities to be built in Green Bay and Eau Claire.

“Today’s announcement reflects Foxconn’s continued commitment to a ‘Wisconsin First’ plan by working with companies all across the state,” said Dr. Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn founder and CEO Terry Gou in a news release. “We are proud all of these companies have Wisconsin operations, and it is good to see that many are from Southeast Wisconsin, as well as some from the Madisonarea, the Fox Valley and West Central Wisconsin.

“Part of the reason we selected Wisconsin is the quality of workmanship we find here. We look forward to our continued partnership with companies here as we invest $10 billion and create 13,000 jobs that will pay an average of $53,875 annually.”

The multipurpose building is a 120,000 square-foot facility and the first building being constructed on the Foxconn campus. The structure will serve as office space for construction companies building the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park. It will also house research and development facilities focusing on advanced display technology and applications in all aspects of smart lives. It will contribute to the development of the AI 8K+5G ecosystem that Foxconn is building across the state.

Systems and KMI

“This is a small start for what they have planned long-term,” Pilgrim said. “Getting in on the ground floor like this allows us to prove ourselves and grow.”

Systems was founded in 1961 and its common clients include grocery, trucking, retail or warehousing and distribution. It’s based in Germantown, but also has a facility in Malvern, Arkansas.

In 2017, the company was bought by Chamberlain Group.

Systems’ brands include Poweramp, DLM Docks, McGuire and Allied Dock Solutions.

Systems employs more than 260 people, such as machinists and welders and most are in Wisconsin.

KMI Construction was founded in 2011.

“I think we are a company that we feel has the best skilled masons and laborers,” Kinateder said. “Contractors want to use us. We do great work.”

KMI will provide the mason work for this phase

of the Foxconn project.

“I think it says a lot for Foxconn for using the area businesses,” Kinateder said. “So why not utilize the trades in this area?”

More information sessions planned

A second round of informational sessions are planned for constructionrelated companies in southeastern Wisconsin that want to learn more about becoming a vendor, subcontractor, supplier or professional service provider for the Foxconn project.

Hosted by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Gilbane Building Company and M+W Group, the two sessions will take place Aug. 1 at Gateway Technical College’s SC Johnson iMET Center, 2320 Renaissance Blvd., Sturtevant.

For the first session, registration is 11:30 a.m.-noon, followed by the informational session from noon-1:30 p.m. For the second session, registration is 2:30-3 p.m., followed by the information session from 3-4:30 p.m.

An update on the construction schedule with a focus on the next 12 months and a detailed timeline for the next anticipated round of bidding will be provided. Representatives will also explain how the project is being broken down into smaller segments to allow smaller companies opportunities to participate as part of the “Wisconsin First” approach.

Representatives from WEDC, Gilbane Building Company, and M+W Group will be available to answer questions about the project and the opportunities available to Wisconsin companies. The sessions are free, but registration is required at www.wisconnvalley.wi.gov.