Downtown West Bend sign comes down — temporarily — after more than 75 years

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: December 28, 2018

Downtown West Bend sign comes down — temporarily — after more than 75 years

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

WEST BEND — A downtown landmark hovered in the heart of downtown on Main Street on a drizzling and cool Thursday morning.

Several people stood on the sidewalk capturing the moment with the camera on their phones.

The West Bend sign that has graced and illuminated downtown for more than 75 years was officially taken down in the most important step of the historic theater restoration project.

Bill Laufer, born and raised in West Bend, had one thought cross his mind the moment he saw the sign gone. “It looks naked,” he said. West Bend native Chris Forston agreed.

“It’s a little weird,” he said.

Laufer, who is also co-owner of the theater’s neighboring business Candyman on Main, also thought about how the milestone will impact his business.

He said whenever he’s asked where his store is, he always says it’s next to the big West Bend sign on Main Street.

“I’m going to have to change that,” Laufer said.

It’s a temporary move as part of the big-scale theater restoration project. The sign, which was taken down by a crew from Poblocki Sign Co., was put on the back of a flatbed truck where it’ll be restored with new wiring, paint and bulbs. It’ll return to its home on the front of the downtown theater in the summer.

But, for a couple months, downtown West Bend is going to look quite different.

“It’s been there my whole life,” Forston said.

“We’ll miss it more at night when the lights aren’t shining,” Laufer said.

For the last several months, work has been done on the inside of the theater. But the removal of the sign is arguably the most important step since planning on the project began about two years ago.

“This is the most visible step,” said Pat O’Connor, treasurer for the Historic West Bend Theatre Inc. board.

“It’s absolutely thrilling,” he said, adding the sign’s removal sends a message to the community that the project is for real.

The theater opened in 1929 but closed in 2006. The restoration effort has received high praise from the community as well as restoration experts, including Jeff Greene of Evergreene Architectural Arts in Brooklyn, New York.

O’Connor said another important milestone has been reached. The project’s goal was to raise at least $2 million of the projected $3.5 million through the private sector. That goal has been achieved.

Also Thursday, the Rotary Club of West Bend made a $25,000 donation toward the project.

The hope is for the theater to reopen by this time next year. Once open, it is believed it will enrich the downtown offerings with several entertainment options, such as movies, live theater, concerts, company gatherings and so on.

Forston said if a top-notch comedian came to West Bend and performed at the theater, he wouldn’t flinch to go see the show, even if tickets are $100 or more. He’d go just to go back to the theater.

“It’s nostalgia,” Forston said when asked what makes the theater special.

“The West Bend theater is a symbol of what West Bend was built on,” he said, adding residents or visitors can’t help but think of the West Bend theater and its 470-bulb sign when talking or thinking about West Bend.

“I’m glad to see it’s being refurbished,” Forston said.

Throughout the preparation leading up Thursday’s milestone, several board members have heard consistent memories of the theater and how excited the community is for its pending return.

Forston is one of those with fond memories. He remembers going to see movies there growing up. He knows friends who remember where they liked to sit in the theater.

During Fall Fest, O’Connor spoke with people who stopped by the theater to check on its progress. He heard countless stories from people, now grandparents, who spent their childhood and early adult years going to the theater.

O’Connor isn’t from West Bend originally but “married into West Bend 30 years ago.” However, he’s also heard his fair share of stories about the theater, especially from his mother-in-law who remembered going to the theater as a little girl.

O’Connor estimated the theater’s reopening will bring more than 3,000 people to the city’s downtown annually.

When complete, the combination of the theater, as well as the improved Riverwalk, the Museum of Wisconsin Art, the Gallery of Wisconsin Art, a newly-opened authentic Italian restaurant and The Hub coffee shop will put the city’s downtown on another level as far as attracting visitors.

“It’s a very successful project,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor also revealed some thoughts being considered on how to raise some more money, as well as helping the community embrace the project.

There is thought about creating a system similar to what the Green Bay Packers have where people can buy a piece of ownership. The thought is to offer the community chances to put down a certain amount of money for something such as a seat in the theater or a light bulb on the West Bend sign. They’d then get some kind of recognition as having some “ownership” in the restoration of the downtown theater.

Laufer is excited for the project as a native of the city and as a downtown business owner.

“It’s our calling card, especially at night,” he said.

Laufer and his partner, Tom Meurer, have owned Candyman on Main for 10 years and have never been open when the theater was open.

“We’re excited about the possibilities,” Laufer said.

With Dad in Kuwait, Hubertus family gets special visitor

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Dec. 26, 2018

With Dad in Kuwait, Hubertus family gets special visitor

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

HUBERTUS — Julie Wolf knows the challenges and pressures that come with being a parent.

But for her, she was grateful to have her husband at her side.

For her niece, Laura Zignego Kusik, the mother of six children and a seventh due in late February, the story is different.

Kusik’s husband is Sgt. Timothy Kusik of the Army Reserve. On this Christmas Day, Timothy is serving in his third tour of duty overseas and is not expected home until late spring or early summer.

Wolf said when her husband traveled for work, he was gone for only a few days. When he returned, she couldn’t wait to hand over the kids to get a relief.

Each of Tim’s deployments have been for one year — 2009-10, 2013-14 and 2018-19. “I can’t imagine

a whole year,” Wolf said. “I’m so proud of her,” she said of her niece. To temporarily fill the void on Christmas, a special arrangement was made Tuesday to brighten the holidays for the Kusiks, including the children — Demetrius (11 years old), Anastasia (9), Philomena (7), Tatiana (6), Jacinta (3) and Cecili (1).

Carrying a sack full of presents was a man with a paper-white beard, a red suit and red hat — Santa Claus.

Played by Pat Storrs, Santa visited the Kusik family and several others throughout the county to help bring extra holiday cheer.

Pat, along with his wife Nancy, collaborated with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County as well as the Daily News to have Santa visit families that needed an extra smile on Christmas.

Pat said it was a wonderful experience to see the smiling faces on all the children he visited Tuesday.

Wolf nominated her niece for the visit.

“This is a season of love,” she said. “She’s a trooper. They’re a great example of loving parents.”

To see the joy on her kids’ faces, Laura couldn’t help but smile.

“It makes you feel the Christmas spirit,” Laura said.

While there were gifts for the children, there were also gifts for mom. She received a pair of tickets to see the Milwaukee Ballet at the Schauer Center in Hartford and got a $100 gift card, good for any desired service, from Healing Elements Day Spa in West Bend.

When the seventh child is born — the due date is Feb. 27 — it’ll be the second one Tim won’t be present for. The Kusiks don’t know if he it’ll be a boy or a girl.

“He sacrifices a lot to be gone,” Laura said of her husband. “I think it’s harder on him.”

Tim joined the military shortly after 9/11. He married Laura on Feb. 3, 2007. Two years later — with a toddler son, Demetrius, and his first daughter, Anastasia, on the way — he was in Afghanistan.

In 2013, now with four children, Tim was deployed to Kuwait.

The Kusiks met as coworkers at Froedtert in the radiology department. Tim is an x-ray technician and Laura is a registered nurse in the oncology department.

Laura is grateful for the love and support her friends and family continue to offer while Tim is away.

“We’re very blessed,” she said.

Technology has also been a help for the Kusiks. About once a week, the family can communicate with Tim via Skype. On Christmas morning, Tim, who in Kuwait is nine hours ahead of his family back home, saw his children open their presents Tuesday morning via Skype for about 30 minutes.

“It’s very good that he’s able to do that,” Laura said.

However, especially on family moments such as Christmas, the void is still tough.

“It’s still hard to miss him,” Laura said of her children and their dad. “It’s all they know. It’s their normal.”

That is why Wolf wanted to do something special for her niece and the Storrs and several others were glad to help in any way they could.

“It feels good,” Pat said.

Pat had been growing out his beard since February because he wanted to help out with a local Breakfast with Santa event. But as the holidays approached, they thought they would see how else they could spread the holiday spirit.

With grown children, the Storrs wanted to do something.

“We had nothing else to do,” Nancy said.

What they came up with was coordinated visits, with the help of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County, to families throughout the county.

“It was beautiful,” Laura said of the visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, played by Nancy.

Demetrius, who got Legos from Santa, said his dad is doing well and he misses his dad.

But, he and his five sisters were glad Santa paid them a visit.

Kewaskum junior’s involvement in NFL program helps her get tickets to the big game

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Dec. 22, 2018

Kewaskum junior’s involvement in NFL program helps her get tickets to the big game

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

KEWASKUM — In front of the entire student body of Kewaskum High School on Friday, junior Courtney Zarda was singled out by Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman and former Wisconsin Badger Travis Frederick.

That’s when she knew something was up. Appearing via online video, Frederick invited Zarda to come to a podium that was placed in the center of the fieldhouse and she looked into the computer screen and talked to a player from her favorite NFL team.

She was in disbelief and was about to get the surprise of a lifetime.

First, she was presented Cowboys apparel, including a jersey of running back Ezekiel Elliot.

“I have one more surprise for you,” Frederick said.

Frederick, on behalf of the NFL and its Fuel Up to Play 60 program, presented Zarda with a pair of tickets to this year’s Super Bowl in Atlanta.

She covered her mouth and crouched over, all while her classmates shouted and cheered.

“I really can’t wrap my head around it,” she said moments after learning she was Super Bowl-bound.

Very few people knew about the presentation, none of them informed Zarda, her parents or the rest of the student body.

Throughout the day, she thought the full school assembly was going to be a greeting from Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and National League MVP Christian Yelich or someone coming home from the military.

So, when Fredrick popped up on the projection screen in the fieldhouse, Zarda was excited, but also confused.

I was like, ‘Why are we Facetiming him?’” she said.

“I was like, ‘Why our school?’” she said.

According to its website, the NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60 is an inschool nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council and the NFL, in collaboration with the USDA, to help encourage youth to lead healthier lives.

“It’s been a passion ever since middle school, getting involved in this program,” Zarda said.

She also said she enjoys being a role model for kids and the program.

Brian Vetter, one of Zarda’s teachers and an advisor within Kewaskum High School for the program, couldn’t think of anyone more deserving to be recognized like this than her.

“I met her three years ago when I got here to the high school, when I started Fuel Up to Play 60 program here,” said Vetter, a former West Bend teacher. “She was one of our leaders right away. “With it being my first year in the program, not really familiar with the program, she was actually one of the people teaching me about it.”

And imagine how difficult this was for Vetter. He has Courtney in his classroom every day and he knew the surprise nearly three weeks ago.

“There were definitely a handful of times that I wanted to ... I just made some comment

and I stopped myself because ‘Oh. I can’t say that out loud,’” Vetter said. “When she’d walk down the hall, my heart would immediately start racing.”

According to her parents, Rick and Jenni, Courtney doesn’t drink soda as one healthy choice she made.

She also has taken on several projects to help spread the word about the importance of eating healthy and being active. Her most recent project was leading the way to get healthy food options sold at Kewaskum sporting events.

“She puts in so much hard work ... It’s just amazing that they noticed her,” Rick said. “It’s crazy.”

For her career aspiration, she wants to be a physical education teacher, so the NFL’s program fits right into that dream. But she never dreamed it would lead her to the Super Bowl.

Zarda was picked by the NFL to go to the Super Bowl. She and a guest — likely dad — will receive the allexpense paid trip, including airfare and hotel, plus tickets to the game.

In addition, Zarda was given $500 as a gift by Jane Losee of the Wisconsin Dairy Council.

“It’s an honor,” Courtney said about going to the Super Bowl. “I’m so thankful to be even given this opportunity. ... I’m so grateful for it.”

As for her favorite team’s chances to get to the Super Bowl, Courtney and her dad are optimistic.

“Their defense is pretty solid,” she said, quickly adding, “Let’s not talk about the Indianapolis game.”

The Cowboys, who are 8-6 and lead the NFC East division, lost to the Colts, 23-0.

“We play the (Tampa Bay) Buccaneers this week,” she said. “We’ll see how that goes.”

Iconic West Bend theater sign to come down next week

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

Iconic West Bend theater sign to come down next week

Sign to be refurbished, then reinstalled on the theater in the summer

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

WEST BEND — The vision for the restoration of the historic downtown West Bend Theatre is about to look different.

The Historic West Bend Theatre Board said Tuesday the iconic “West Bend” sign, also known as “the blade,” will come down Dec. 27 as part of the multi-million dollar restoration project.

A backup date is set for Dec. 28, if necessary.

“This is step one of many steps to bring the historic icon back to life as our community’s historically modern gathering place,” said

Nic Novaczyk, HWBT board president, in a news release. “Ninety years of history brought us to today. This refurbishment will keep ‘The Bend’ lit through the many decades ahead.”

The sign, which was installed when the initial theater opened in 1929, has 235 bulbs on each side, accounting for 470 in all.

Poblocki Sign Company has been contracted to restore the sign and the marquee.

After the sign comes down, Poblocki will repaint it, rewire and put in new bulbs. Once that is complete, the sign will be reinstalled sometime next summer.

John Torinus, theater group board member, said the goal is to reopen the theater by this time next year.

Also announced Tuesday is a planned campaign to allow residents a chance to make their mark on history. The campaign will give people the opportunity to purchase individual light bulbs as a way to develop a sense of community ownership and another way to raise restoration funds, the release said.

The new bulbs will all be LED for conservation

purposes.

“That sign has been a beacon in downtown for nine decades,” Novaczyk said. “When we are finished, it will shine as brightly as it did in 1929.”

There have already been several steps made toward the theater’s long-awaited reopening after it closed in 2006.

In November, the HWBT campaign received $250,000 from the National Exchange Bank Foundation and the Barbara and Peter Stone Family Foundation to go toward the project.

The estimated cost is $3 million. Thus far, more than $1.7 million has been raised. Torinus said Tuesday a fundraising update is not available, but “we are doing great.”

On Dec. 5, long-lost artwork was uncovered by restoration experts in Brooklyn, New York, that will add another authentic element to the theater when opening day arrives.

KML grad suffers paralyzing injury while skiing

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Dec. 12, 2018

KML grad suffers paralyzing injury while skiing

Brandon Mantz motivated to prove doctors wrong

By Nicholas Dettmann

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

WEST BEND — Having been a three-sport athlete at Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Brandon Mantz won’t shy away from a challenge.

And the one in front of him is the biggest of his life.

On Saturday, while skiing in Colorado, Mantz crashed and suffered several injuries, including a broken clavicle and significant internal bleeding. He also severed his spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

Mantz, who graduated from KML in 2011, has been told by doctors he has a 0 percent chance of walking again.

Mantz has taken that assessment as a challenge.

“I want to walk again; live as normal of a lifestyle as possible,” he said Tuesday from his hospital room near Denver.

Mantz was skiing with his girlfriend in Breckenridge, Colorado, about an hour-anda- half west of Denver. Heading down one of the

hills, Mantz lost control of his ski. He was going too fast and couldn’t regain control, hitting a sign post. He was wearing a helmet, which he said probably helped him avoid a brain injury.

Within minutes, emergency personnel was on the scene and he was airlifted by Flight for Life to the hospital. The quick action by first responders likely saved his life.

Mantz said when he got to the hospital — St. Anthony’s in Lakewood, Colorado, a western suburb of Denver — there was about 3 pints of blood in his chest. He immediately underwent surgery to pump out the blood.

At this point, Mantz’s family back home in Wisconsin was notified of what happened.

“When we got the news, it’s the not the kind of news you want to hear,” said Bill Mantz, his father, who is in Colorado with Brandon, as well as the rest of the family.

When the family found out, they immediately worked to find a way to get to Brandon as fast as possible.

The family flew to Denver and joined Brandon by Sunday morning, just before Brandon went into a second surgery, this one on his back.

Bill said two rods were placed on either side of Brandon’s spine, as well as 10 screws and a couple support bars were inserted. In all, Brandon was in surgery for about five hours.

“They had to make sure he was stable with internal bleeding before doing back surgery,” Bill said.

Soon after, the devastating news was shared about Mantz’s likelihood of walking again.

“They told me there’d be 0 percent chance of walking again; that hit me pretty hard,” Brandon said. “It was shocking at first.”

In the hours that followed as friends and other family members learned of the crash and the injury, support came pouring in.

“Everyone has been outstanding,” Brandon said. “I want to give a shout out to Flight for Life and first responders. They’re a big reason I’m still here.”

The support has been coming in almost nonstop from people who knew Brandon in some way. He said his phone has been “blowing up.” He’s even heard from people who were friends of friends, people he doesn’t know.

A GoFundMe page has been set up and within 24 hours, more than 70 people combined to donate nearly $10,000. In addition, a Caring Bridge website has been created to help people write messages to Brandon. Since that was created Monday, there have been more than 10,400 visits to his website. On its Facebook page, the West Bend Baseball Association said it plans to have a fundraiser for the Mantz family.

Bill and Brandon each said the support is overwhelming, but wholeheartedly appreciated.

“It’s allowed me to be positive and optimistic,” Brandon said. “One person

after the next has reached out.”

That is why Brandon’s most difficult day could be a shining moment.

“It’s meant everything,” he said of the support. “Just having family and friends here, my phone is blowing up, people reaching out saying they’ve got my back. It’s turned to motivation. I’m motivated and optimistic through everyone’s well-wishes. I’m not going to stop fighting.”

He also said, “I’m not going to give up on that. I’ve got a huge support system around me.”

Already, Brandon has made an improvement. He’s been gently moved around and has been fitted for a back brace.

Going forward, the plan is to, within a week or two, hopefully move Brandon into a rehabilitation hospital. Within a couple of months, the hope is that he can regain some independence.

Brandon has an upbeat look at the future, regardless if he walks again or not. He said he wants to look into some Paralympic Games possibilities, continue coaching and someday have a family of his own, which has was told is still possible.

“God has a plan for my life,” Brandon said. “It’s just part of the plan.”

This has also taught Brandon’s parents something they can only dream of when raising him, but it’s hard to find out the truth.

“We’re all trying to be focus on his future on what he needs and supporting anyway possible,” Bill said. “The faith is what’s really helping. We have a huge support structure. We’re really proud Brandon has touched so many lives in a positive way.