Unlocking the music takes 88 keys

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: July 15, 2016

Unlocking the music takes 88 keys

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

Dan Moldenhauer will get the opportunity most dream about: working with their idol.

Starting at 7:30 p.m. today at Concordia University’s Todd Wehr Auditorium, 12800 N. Lake Shore Drive, Mequon, Moldenhauer, a Hartford native, will be one of two pianists The Acacia Theatre in Milwaukee’s presentation of the Tony Award-winning musical, “I Do! I Do!”

After today’s performance, the production will continue at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. It will then resume July 2124.

He’s thrilled for the opportunity. But he’s more thrilled to play alongside someone he looks up to: Maggie Rebers.

As a student at Wisconsin Lutheran College, Moldenhauer, 23, was a music education major. Rebers accompanied him during recitals.

Rebers’ husband, Tim, will also be in “I Do! I Do!” as an actor.

“I felt very honored,” Moldenhauer said of being asked to perform in the show with Tim and Maggie Rebers. “I look up to both of them as performers. It’s cool to work with them and do something more professional.”

The musical is Moldenhauer’s first stage performance, at least of this magnitude. Otherwise, he’s accompanied people at several camps. He’s a choir teacher at Horicon High School.

“Not really,” Moldenhauer said when asked if he’s nervous for his professional debut. “More excited.”

For the show, Moldenhauer and Maggie will provide the music — the soundtrack — on piano. “The music carries the audience along with lovely and entertaining songs requiring two pianos,” said Janet Bouman Peterson, director of the production. “I’m particularly pleased in the very talented cast we have with Tim Rebers and Susan Wiedmeyer.

“But I’m also delighted to work with Dan Moldenhauer and Maggie Rebers, Tim Rebers’ wife, as the two piano accompanists.”

The Broadway production “I Do! I Do!” was originally released in 1966. It was nominated for seven Tony Awards in 1967 and won for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. The winner was Robert Preston, who got an Oscar nomination in the 1982 film “Victor Victoria.”

“I Do! I Do!” follows the marriage of Michael and Agnes, from wedding night jitters to the thrills of parenthood, through the threat of infidelity, culminating in a rich relationship worth fighting for. It is based on a book and lyrics by Tom Jones, and the music by Harvey Schmidt.

“At heart, it is still a musical comedy,” Bouman Peterson said. “And I think if people come they will be entertained, hear lovely music, a good story and maybe leave with something to ponder while humming a memorable tune.”

A New York Post review said, “At once amusing, astonishingly touching and truly endearing.”

Moldenhauer was contacted, with the encouragement of Maggie, about four months ago and was asked to be in the show.

However, he hasn’t attended many of the rehearsals, which started about two months ago.

Up until about two weeks ago, the rehearsals were held at a small church in Milwaukee. There wasn’t enough room for two pianos there, so Maggie attended most of the rehearsals. Then she’d meet with Moldenhauer separately, and they’d go over the rehearsal and practice.

“The main thing for not being at rehearsal is not getting the cues,” Moldenhauer said. “That’s been the main issue for me, figuring out when I’m supposed to be playing.”

The notes he’s gotten from Maggie have been good.

“I was always up to date,” he said.

Moldenhauer began playing piano when he was in third grade after watching his siblings take lessons.

“It is a part of me,” he said about why he plays the piano. He also plays organ.

He added that with everything going on in the world, playing the piano and music “is something that’s beautiful; what’s going right in the world.”

Be a guest at 'Beauty and the Beast'

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: July 14, 2016

Be a guest at ‘Beauty and the Beast’

Hartford Players’ take on Disney classic opens Friday

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

HARTFORD — Playing the role of a timeless Disney princess, Belle, is a welcome challenge for 17-year-old Grace Becker.

But, days before the Hartford Players Ltd. production of “Beauty and the Beast” takes to the stage at the Schauer Arts and Activities Center, the soon-to-be Divine Savior Holy Angels senior said she is beginning to feel the pressure.

“Absolutely,” Becker said. “It’s crazy to be the one that the little girls are excited to see and hear. It’s got its pressures because she’s so iconic and well-known. She’s an instant image that comes to everyone’s head.”

The show opens Friday and runs through Sunday before resuming July 22-23.

It is Becker’s first leading role.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” she said, wearing a black wig, white shirt and blue skirt.

Her father and the director of the production, Jerry, joked that Grace looks like Belle.

“It’s a wonderful challenge because I adore every minute of it,” Grace said. “It’s something that you have an immediate reference point — the movie of course. But it also presents its challenge as far as what people expect, what they expect to see and hear, expect you to act.”

Her voice will be an attentiongrabber and will take attendees on a classic Disney adventure in real life.

Right away, the audience, especially ones who saw the 1991 hit movie on the big screen, will get a flashback — maybe even sing-along to the opening number, “Belle.”

And who can forget “Be Our Guest?”

Grace has been in theater productions since she was 6 months old — she was held on stage for a role.

“One of the things I love about Belle is how relatable she is,” Grace said. “She’s not a mermaid. She doesn’t talk to fairies or anything. She’s just a regular girl that feels out of place in her town.

“That’s something I’ve always related to and makes her a wonderful role model for girls today.”

Three days before opening night, more than 250 tickets had been sold for that performance.

“It’s a popular show,” Jerry said when asked why he wanted to direct.

He added people will hear more of the story with an on-stage musical, rather than the music sort of dominating the big screen adaptation.

“Beauty and the Beast” on the big screen was during the Disney renaissance, which saw the release of 10 movies — starting with “The Little Mermaid” in 1989 and ending with “Tarzan” in 1999. Other movies in that period include “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” and “Pocahontas.”

Grace Becker never saw “Beauty and the Beast” in theaters. It was released more than 15 years before she was born. But her father saw it.

“It’s a classic,” he said.

“Everybody has an attachment to it. I have a soft spot for fairy tales.”

He said he is proud to see his daughter play the iconic princess.

“It’s really exciting,” Jerry said.

In a way, it wasn’t a hard role to prepare for.

“I spent a lot of time with the script,” Grace said. “I looked for what were her motivations, what gets her going, what gets her excited, what her hesitations are. What were her strengths and weaknesses.

“And I spent a lot of time with the movie. I’ve been trying to bring (Belle) back to life as much as I can.”

She added she watched the movie “a lot.” But Grace wants to put a little spin of her own on the character.

The first time she watched the movie was when she was 5 years old — or about 13 years after the movie was released.

The song, “Be Our Guest,” was her first memory.

“Belle was immediately my favorite Disney princess,” Grace said.

She’ll get to showcase that starting Friday.

“It’s amazing to be able to play her,” Grace said.

Area police react to Dallas tragedy

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published; July 9, 2016

Area police react to Dallas tragedy

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com

262-306-5043 Local law enforcement officers said they can prepare and train for any possible situation, such as the one that struck Dallas late Thursday.

But they can never prepare for when it will happen — if at all.

“I’m sure they prepared at what level they felt comfortable with,” said Dale Schmidt, Washington County sheriff of Dallas police. “It’s difficult to secure all those areas. It indicates that in this country, law enforcement has to keep ramping up the security precautions for public events.

“It’s going to cost more money and more officers to ensure people can go about their lives.”

On Thursday night, five Dallas police officers were shot and killed — several others injured — during a rally protesting the latest of a series of police officer shootings involving black men in the United States. The most recent incidents took place this week in Louisiana and Minnesota.

“Obviously, it’s shock and disgust,” said Ken Meuler, West Bend police chief, of the Dallas shootings.

Schmidt said unless the president is walking down the street it’s almost impossible for law enforcement to secure any and all surroundings, including nearby buildings.

“To always keep general awareness of your surrounding,” he said when asked what he talks to his department about regarding situations like in Dallas. “It doesn’t mean you’re on high alert. ... It’s difficult to prepare for, difficult to predict.”

The growing number of police officer-related shootings has put plenty of challenges on departments, especially public perception and interaction.

Meuler said it is the “wrong perception” that police officers are the bad guys.

Schmidt admitted the officers have struggled with morale in the last couple of years. However, he tries to use these situations as a motivator.

“It makes people want to pull together more,” Schmidt said. “I’ve really strived in the last year to share with them that I believe the community is very supportive of law enforcement.”

Schmidt and Meuler each said the West Bend and greater Washington County communities are supportive of local law enforcement. They’re grateful for it.

“Our officers reach out every day to work with the community,” Meuler said. “... I have far more complimentary letters and phone calls. They support the police department.”

Schmidt’s key to his department is to not look at the national reputation and said he sincerely appreciates the support his department receives from the community.

“I believe most people are supportive of their officers,” he said. “But clearly, when big events happen like that, it’s hard to understand what it’s like to be a cop in Dallas.”

On Friday, police officers were reportedly targeted in Tennessee, Missouri and Georgia.

In Missouri, an officer was critically injured during a traffic stop.

“It’s hard to not feel like it’s not important anymore,” Schmidt added.

In general, Meuler doesn’t believe people look at police officers as villains. He also acknowledged there are problems.

“It’s more than just a law enforcement issue,” he said.

How can this be corrected? It’s hard to say.

Lawmakers are doing what they can as far as gun control, but that’s often met with criticism.

“There’s a lot of things to be learned,” Schmidt said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

The difference for Addison man is audible

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: July 8, 2016 - A3

The difference for Addison man is audible

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com

262-306-5043

TOWN OF ADDISON — Jon Haldemann’s telephone rang and rang and rang.

Frightened and nervous — almost reluctant — he picked it up.

It was a struggle for more than 25 years.

“Either when I was talking on the phone, I couldn’t get the phone in the right spot to hear people because the microphone was above the ear I had to have the phone in a weird position,” he said. “I couldn’t just stick it onto my ear.

“A lot of times if I got in the right spot, it would cause a squeal. ... I absolutely dreaded talking on the phone.”

Innovative technology now has him comfortable on the phone and in life, called the Baha 5 SuperPower Sound Processor.

It is the first super-power bone conduction solution with smart, direct-to-device wireless technology for patients.

Cochlear Ltd. of Centennial, Colorado, the company that designed the technology, announced in March the innovation had received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“It means that the people who need it most can now benefit from a device that not only provides the amplification they need, but the ability to connect wirelessly to their favorite electronic devices, including smartphones and TVs,” said Tony Manna, North America president of Cochlear Ltd.

Technology on his phone helps Haldemann control the volume based on his surroundings. In March, about 50 people in the United States and Europe had been fitted for it, including Haldemann. He was alerted to the project years earlier.

“I hear more now than I did before,” Haldemann said.

About two years ago, Haldemann became the first person in Wisconsin to get the Baha Attract System, a bone conduction hearing system designed to leave the skin intact. It uses a magnetic connection to attract the sound processor to the implant in the head, sending sound to the inner ear without anything breaking the skin.

His hearing improved, but a problem lingered.

“My hearing loss was so great, I had it cranked up so much that it was squealing,” Haldemann said. “It didn’t matter to me I couldn’t hear it, but everybody else around me could hear the feedback.”

It was like putting a microphone in front of a speaker. Thus, it was a struggle to find a balance — a balance to where he could hear and it not being annoying to those around him.

On June 23, Cochlear’s Baha 5 SuperPower Sound Processor was released. Haldemann got his six weeks before then.

“I’ve always been the guy that said, ‘Hey, if you want to try something, try it on me,’” Haldemannsaid.

He added, as a bird chirped from a nearby tree, he always knew he was hearing something. He just didn’t know what it was.

❑❑❑

Haldemann struggled with hearing since he was a preteen. The tipping point came when he was in high school.

Sitting in class — college prep algebra — as a freshman at Slinger High School, he began to think people were playing tricks on him.

“I couldn’t hear anybody,” Haldemann recalled. “It was like everybody was whispering.”

Doing what he thought was the right thing, his teacher asked him a question.

“I couldn’t hear anything so I was like, ‘Sure,’” Haldemann said.

The whole class cracked up.

“That I heard,” he said, adding the teacher got mad. “She asked me another question and I said, ‘Uh huh.’ “I had no idea what she was saying. I couldn’t read her lips because I had no practice in reading lips.”

Haldemann was taken into the hallway. He knew he was in trouble because he could see the teacher’s lips moving and the facial expressions.

Problem was he had no idea why.

“After about 30 seconds of chewing me out, she looks at me and stops, she gets real close and she goes, ‘Can you hear anything I’m saying?’” Haldemann said. “I said, ‘No.’” That was the first time Haldemann realized there was a problem. The same went for others around him.

“It was like it finally went over the tipping point,” Haldemann said.

He went to the office and that’s when Haldemann’s life went a different direction.

❑❑❑

In one of his first doctor visits, Haldemann’s doctor thought it was fluid buildup in the ears.

Haldemann’s mother was a medical transcriptionist and knew of a doctor she thought could help through a series of several exams. He suggested a stapedectomy.

At 15 years old, Haldemann had the stapedectomy, a surgical procedure of the middle ear performed in order to improve hearing.

“I had hearing aids until I was about 28 or 29 (years old) when laser surgery came around,” Haldemann said. “I was set up for laser surgery, went in, they opened my ear up and said, ‘Wow. That’s really bad.’ And they closed it back up.”

Haldemann added, “I have the worst case of otosclerosis any of the doctors have ever seen.”

According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, otosclerosis is caused by abnormal bone remodeling in the middle ear. Abnormal remodeling — or in Haldemann’s case, a calcium buildup — disrupts the ability for sound to travel from the middle ear to the inner ear. Otosclerosis affects more than three million Americans.

Over the years, he’s had several procedures on both ears and hearing aids to try to help him. The results were temporary. Six to eight weeks after the stapedectomy, his hearing faded.

“I still needed hearing aids,” Haldemann said, adding the change was like “flipping a switch.”

Because of high costs and lack of insurance support, Haldemann spent much of his teenager years with one hearing aid and getting by as best he could with the muffled hearing in the ear that didn’t have the aid.

In the 1980s, hearing aids were $800 to $1,000 each. According to a recent survey published by the Hearing Review, the average price of a mid-level pair of aids is between $4,000 and $4,500.

In college, he learned about Division Vocational Rehab that helped finance hearing aids every three years while in the program.

But once out of college, it was back to cash out-of-pocket.

Since then, he’s done hours of research to find the best possible aid to fit his budget.

“I was a master at making my hearing aids last,” Haldemann said.

On average, hearing aids last three to five years. Haldemann stretched them five to seven years.

❑❑❑

What’s the hearing like now?

Well, it depends on which way one looks at it. Haldemann has a sense of humor about it.

“There’s now things that I hear that are annoying because I’m not used to hearing them,” he said.

Among those things are conversations or cars come down the street before they pass the house.

“We have loud typers at work, which never used to bother me,” said Haldemann, a systems administrator for Batteries Plus Bulbs.

“It’s a lot of little things I never knew I was hearing,” he added.

However, he wouldn’t want it the other way. Frankly, he’s tired of the alternative.

“Now I feel like I’m not stressed out because I can’t hear,” Haldemann said.

His wife of 20 years, Wendy, also has a sense of humor about her husband’s hearing.

“You also have selective hearing,” she joked, looking at him. “He still has that.”

West tandem has solid chemistry

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: June 2, 2016

West tandem has solid chemistry

Spartans’ duo has 13 matches under their belt

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

Chemistry is not a problem with West Bend West’s Clay Czisny and Mitch Johnson.

There could be concern of chemistry because of lack of playing together this spring, despite qualifying for the WIAA Boys Tennis State Tournament, which begins today at Nielsen Tennis Stadium at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Sixty-four duos qualified for state in Division 1 doubles, among them is Germantown’s Justin Luo and Xander Rait. Of those 64, five played less matches together than Clay Czisny and Johnson (13).

“We have good chemistry,” Clay said.

One of those to have played less include the No. 1 seed — Brookfield East’s Patrick Krill and Doug Francken (12-0). The fewest matches played by a statequalifying Division 1 doubles team was Wauwatosa East’s Michael Lockhart and Jordan Crump (5-2).

Clay Czisny and Johnson each rotated between singles and doubles throughout the season. But most of the time in Wisconsin Little Ten Conference matches, they played singles.

“The reason I didn’t play them at doubles all the time was I wanted to get as many points in conference matches as possible,” West coach Steve Czisny said. “In doubles, they would’ve been strong all year. It would’ve cost our team a couple points.”

Even if they had played doubles all season, Steve doesn’t believe it would’ve made a difference as far as seeding at state.

When they were together, they were good. They went 11-2.

“Those two are very comparable players,” Steve said.

Clay has a strong net game and is consistent, while Johnson has a powerful stroke and serve. They are a perfect match, Steve said.

If West had more depth at its singles positions, Clay and Johnson would’ve likely played doubles all season.

“Part of me wishes we could’ve played them 20 times together,” Steve said.

But it was for the better of the team. And that was OK.

“We did get the best of both worlds,” Steve said.

Clay and Johnson’s firstround opponent is Madison LaFollette’s Kevin Dunn and Evan Loken, who went 18-6 this year. That’s nearly twice as many matches together as Clay and Johnson.

But in Johnson’s mind, who cares?

“We plan to do some damage at the tournament,” Johnson said.

Steve believes the two are playing outstanding tennis after going 2-1 at the sectional.

It is the first time at the state meet for both players. Clay is a senior and Johnson is a junior.

For Clay, getting to the sectional was an accomplishment because it was something he hadn’t done before.

He didn’t even know he and Johnson qualified for state after winning their first match at the sectional. His dad, his coach had to tell him.

Clay was surprised.

At the No. 1 flight at the sectional, singles players and doubles teams need to win the first match of the competition to qualify for state. After that, it’s about playing for the best possible seed at state.

“It was great once I realized it,” Clay joked. “I didn’t know you needed to only win one match. I wasn’t superexcited at the moment.”

He certainly was once he realized it.

“I’m super-excited,” Clay said. “It’s what I’ve worked for for the last four years.”

“I’m pretty excited,” Johnson said. “But I’m kind of nervous because I’ve never been there.”

The duo was never concerned about chemistry, even as they went back and forth throughout the season from singles to doubles.

A part of that was because they grew up a few doors down from each other.

Then at practice, they often played either against each other or with each other.

There may be a perception they lack match experience, but neither of them believe they have a problem with whatever situation presents them.

“I think we complement each other very well,” Clay said. “We helped each other a lot.”

In addition, rotating between No. 1 and No. 2 singles gave them experience of playing against good competition.

“It wasn’t a hard transition,” Johnson said.

Also at state from the county is Slinger’s JP McGuire. The Owls’ senior earned a spot at state as a special qualifier. He went 19-5 this season. Reach sports editor Nicholas Dettmann at ndettmann@conleynet.com.

The great debate: Is the color green bad in racing?

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: May 31, 2016

The great debate: Is the color green bad in racing?

SLINGER — Rob Braun hasn’t had a new look on a race car in quite some time. So he decided to test a long-standing debate: Is green bad luck in racing?

Some say yes. Others say it’s a myth.

But the sliver of curiosity of green being bad luck is intriguing enough for drivers to give it a shot. Several drivers are doing just that. Among them is Braun.

For years, Braun had leopard print on his car mixed with blue. This year, he built a new car and painted it black and green. He also added another wrinkle: He painted the chassis or body frame gold.

Why? Color of money.

“The race car soaks up so much cash, I figured I’d make it a gold chassis and a green car,” Braun said.

It also has a unique nickname, but it can’t be disclosed. Braun said he had no idea why green is considered bad luck in racing.

It’s not like it’s nonexistent at race track.

After all, the flag used to start a race is green. NASCAR has an initiative of “Going Green” to promote fuel efficiency, recycling and waste diversion, emission reductions, and renewable energy.

But is it really bad luck?

Not according to Conrad Morgan.

“It’s a myth,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of people that feel that way.”

Alex Prunty, a rookie in the super late model division at Slinger, went away from the red and black that was on his limited late model for four seasons and painted the new car black and green. He had good reason, though.

“Sponsorships, my friend,” he said with a smile. “It’s all it is. … I like the red and black.”

However, it’s coming around.

“The green’s kind of been growing on me,” Prunty said. “I think it looks pretty cool.”

Others with some kind of green on their car at Slinger include Paul Wagner (area sportsman), Joe Shelby (area sportsman), Kevin Bush (area sportsman), Nick Schmidt (Slinger Bees), Paul Reagles (Slinger Bees) and Tom Berens (Slinger Bees).

Is it bad luck?

“I don’t think so,” Prunty said. “We escaped the first race without a scratch.”

One former driver tested the green-car-is-bad-luck theory and another bad-luck theory.

Brittni Helmers, who competed in the limited late model division from 2012 to 2015, decked out her car in black and green. But to make it more interesting, she also used the No. 13. Braun was willing to do the same thing.

“I was going to make (the car) No. 13 and eat peanuts every week,” he joked.

Having shelled peanuts around the track is another superstition in racing.

❑

Conrad Morgan took the checkered flag in the EH Wolf and Sons Memorial Day 75 super late model feature Sunday at Slinger Super Speedway.

Morgan, who started the feature in eighth place, took the lead from Ryan DeStefano on lap 36 of the 75-lap feature and led the rest of the way.

Super late model rookie Alex Prunty had his second straight runner-up finish after starting the feature in 14th. Jeff Holtz was third, followed by Steve Apel and Dennis Prunty to round out the top five.

Also picking up feature victories were Joe Shelby (area sportsman), Jordan DeVoy (limited late model), Kyle Stark (Slinger Bees) and Willy Van Camp (Figure 8).

❑

Johnny Sauter won the late model feature in the Memorial 50 Armed Forces Night on Saturday at Dells Raceway Park in Wisconsin Dells.

Alex Prunty, last season’s Rookie of the Year, was second, followed by Jeremy Miller, Tim Schendel and John DeAngelis Jr.

❑

Kurt Davis held off Kewaskum’s Shane Wenninger in the 360 sprint car “A” main Saturday at Plymouth Dirt Track. Kewaskum’s Donny Goeden was fourth.

Justin Schmidt won the late model feature. Brad Mueller, who is trying to win a track championship at Plymouth and at Slinger this season, was third.

At Plymouth, Mueller is seventh in points, 47 behind leader Taylor Scheffler. At Slinger, Mueller is fourth in the super late model points, 65 behind leader Dennis Prunty.

Reach sports editor Nicholas Dettmann at ndettmann@conleynet.com.

Local connections talk about Sunday’s 100th running of the Indianapolis 500

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: May 28, 2016

Local connections talk about Sunday’s 100th running of the Indianapolis 500

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

Thirty-six years have passed since Sun Prairie’s Billy Engelhart, a 2010 inductee into the Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame in Hartford, finished 11th at the Indianapolis 500 — his only “500.”

He wishes he could’ve done better. He knows he could’ve done better. That’s why it still brings a slightly sour taste in the Hall of Famer’s mouth.

“I think we could’ve been top five or top six,” Engelhart said. “I think the car was capable of it.”

“I still feel bad the way things went,” he added.

Outside of that, he’s honored to be a small part of what has been a Memorial Day weekend tradition since 1911.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway celebrates its 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

“There’s such tradition,” Engelhart said. “The pageantry and the buildup for the 500 is unprecedented.”

Engelhart is not alone when it comes to local connections to the Indy 500.

Duane Sweeney was the chief starter and flag man for 17 Indy 500s (1980-1996). He was inducted into the Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame in 2007. He died in 2004 at the age of 81.

Hartford’s Norm Hornitschek worked as a pit crew member in five Indy 500s — the last being in 2011 with James Hinchcliffe, Sunday’s pole sitter.

“It’s kind of priceless,” Hornitschek said about being involved in the Indy 500. “I always feel like I’m a part of it. Race day is going to be pretty special. It hasn’t sunk in yet about how epic this is going to be.”

Hornitschek’s first Indy 500 was in 2005 with Sebastien Bourdais. He missed the 2006 and 2007 races, and returned in 2008 with the late Justin Wilson. Then Hornitschek was with Robert Doornbos in 2009, Hideki Mutoh in 2010 and Hinchcliffe in 2011.

For a crew member, it’s another day at the track.

“It’s a long, long day,” Hornitschek said. “To beat the traffic, you have to leave at 4 or 5 in the morning.”

The race doesn’t typically start until around noon.

One of the most memorable moments for Hornitschek at the 500 is when he and his crew mates push off the car onto the track in qualifying and they hear the car go through the other turns on the 2.5-mile, four-turn race track.

“The speed is something not everybody gets to experience,” Hornitschek said.

He returned to the speedway in 2014 as a fan. It changed his outlook on the event.

“It was more appreciation of being a fan,” Hornitschek said.

For Engelhart, he remembered the large crowds that’d line the inside and outside of the track. “It was a tremendous thing to see,” he recalled. In the 1980 race, which was won by Johnny Rutherford, there were 10 rookies, including Engelhart. And one of the first things the rookies were told was the crowd and what it does to a driver’s perception.

“We had never been on the track with the place so full,” Engelhart said. “It just closes on you. It seemed like everything was so narrow. The whole thing closed on you because of the tremendous attendance. It had a mental affect on you.”

He admitted he didn’t want to believe what was said in the rookie meeting. The rookies learned quickly they weren’t joking.

“I don’t think any of us grasped what it would seem like on race day when you’re three abreast and all these people are in there,” Engelhart said. “It’s totally different.”

Thirty-six years are between now and Engelhart’s lone Indy 500 appearance. He admitted it still gets to him. He remembers it almost like it was yesterday.

“You keep telling yourself you’re not going to get involved,” he said. “But when race day morning gets around … I don’t think there’s anything more emotional than the buildup for the Indy 500.

“It gets me every year.”

In the race, his nerves didn’t settle down until about lap 30 of the 200-lap event, or the first pit stop of the race. Unfortunately, those first 30 laps were adventurous.

He missed a shift when the green flag flew. Then he overrevved the engine causing an engine problem. It lost a cylinder. It eventually came back, but it was a struggle to pass cars when that happened.

Once everything cleared up, Engelhart charged through the field and settled for an 11thplace finish. “I feel blessed to have had the opportunity,” he said, adding it’s special to have been a small part of it.

“As a driver, you always feel like you could’ve done better. You wished you were a bigger part of it. Still, it’s amazing that it’s gone on for 100 years.”

Reach sports editor Nicholas Dettmann at ndettmann@conleynet.com.

Things speed up at Slinger with new tires

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: May 24, 2016

Things speed up at Slinger with new tires

SLINGER — Cooler temperatures early in the 2016 season at Slinger Super Speedway have led to fast laps. Weather isn’t the only factor for the fast start by several drivers at the track as four track records fell in the first two weekends of the season.

“Everybody bought new cars,” said Rob Braun, the 2010 limited late model champion at Slinger. “A lot of new chassis, a lot of new technology, everybody’s updated.”

Or is it the new tire compound engineered by Hoosier Tire?

It’s a softer compound, specifically with the right-side tires, with firmer sidewalls, which help with grip. In addition, because they are softer, they get up to temperature quicker, which also helps with grip.

The left-side tires are firmer. So adding the softer rights and firmer lefts creates better balance with the tires and the car.

“We ran it last year at Madison and Kaukauna,” Travis Dassow said. “It’s a more stable and consistent tire. The speeds stay up throughout the whole race. It doesn’t fall off at the end of the race like the old tire does.

“The racing has been pretty good here.”

Whatever the reason, it’s provided some thrills for drivers and fans. And when the weather warms up, don’t expect the competition to dissipate.

The speeds may slip, but track copromoter Todd Thelen believes the speed will slip only about a tenth of a second.

“The drivers are doing their homework,” he said.

Braun, Dassow and Conrad Morgan are three of the drivers that built new cars in the offseason in the super late model division.

“I needed one,” Braun said when asked why he built a new car, adding his previous car was about 15 years old.

“The car I was racing wasn’t capable ... I couldn’t put in the set-ups everybody is running these days,” Morgan said. “I decided I had to do something.”

Dick Melius, the pit steward at Slinger, said Hoosier tested the tire last fall at Slinger and was thrilled with the result.

“It’s a tire we used to run here,” Dassow said. “We used to run it five or six years ago. I always liked this tire. I’ve been begging to go back to it.”

If the tire has a harder side wall, Melius said, it allows drivers to be more aggressive in the corners without the worry of abusing the right-front tire. That tire can take a so-called beating, especially on a high-banked track like Slinger. If the tire has a softer side wall it can roll, which is an unsettling feeling for a driver — especially one trying to make up every tenth-of-a-second possible.

The change in tire compound may also cut some costs. When the tires are closer in firmness, a driver can rotate the them whereas before it was harder to do that because of the imbalance.

“It helps cut down burning up your tires because you’re not running the car so hard,” Dassow said. “I’m driving the car way easier and going faster.”

On May 15, Mike Held and Jordan DeVoy reset the track record during qualifying in the limited late model division. Held broke the record he set April 24 in the season opener, which was 12.053 seconds. Held’s time Sunday was 12.029.

It didn’t last long.

DeVoy upped Held’s mark with a lap in 12.018 seconds. They weren’t alone as far as track records were concerned.

In the area sportsman, Scott Ascher broke Bill Prietzel’s record of 12.868 with a lap in 12.833.

The super late models are inching closer to a mark seemingly unbreakable for several years. The record is 11.095, set by Tony Strupp in 1994.

At the 2010 Slinger Nationals, NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch turned a lap in 11.185 seconds. Since then, no driver had come within seven-tenths of a second — which at Slinger is a big difference — in more than six years.

On April 24, Jeff Holtz was fast qualifier with a time of 11.239, the fastest lap turned at Slinger since Busch’s lap.

“I do believe the track record is within grasp,” Thelen said.

They’re getting close.

On May 15, Dennis Prunty set fast time at 11.226 seconds. With 28 super late models in the pit area that evening, the top 16 made the 60lap feature on qualifying time. The 16th-fastest qualifier was Tim Lampmann at 11.381, which would’ve been fast time in six of 18 races last season.

The 17th quickest in qualifying was Josh Wallace (11.385). The top 16 in qualifying were separated by 0.155 seconds.

“I think it’s good to have the tighter competition,” Braun said. “You always hear the talk about the old days where it was super tight to make the show.

“I would argue more cars are closer together today than they were in the Tony Strupp days when it was so tough to make the feature.” A bobble off a turn may make the difference as to whether a driver qualifies for the feature or not.

According to some veterans like Morgan and Dassow, it’s been at least a decade since the competition has been as close as it is on the speed chart.

“It’s a blast,” Morgan said. “I’d rather have the close competition.”

Competition like this is common at Slinger Nationals, but not in the middle of May.

“I think it’ll be very difficult for anyone to come in here and be competitive,” Braun said.

The quantity of cars isn’t where it used to be and it may never be again. However, the quality is maybe at its best in more than 10 years.

“I believe guys have stepped it up a notch this year,” Braun said.

❑

West Bend’s Brad Hetzel won his first career late model feature Saturday at Dells Raceway Park in Wisconsin Dells.

Hetzel, the 2012 thunderstock track champion at Slinger, held off Kurt Clapper by 0.894 seconds to win the 40-lap feature. Hetzel started the feature on the pole position and led all 40 laps.

❑

Kewaskum’s Donny Goeden won the 360 sprint car “A” main Saturday at Plymouth Dirt Track, his second in a row. Kewaskum’s Shane Wenninger was fourth and West Bend’s Paul Pokorski was ninth.

Rick Scheffler won the late model feature, Matt Loehr won the grand national feature and Brandon Berth won the sport modified feature.

Reach sports editor Nicholas Dettmann at ndettmann@conleynet.com

 

True to cheese-making

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: May 18, 2016 - Business feature

True to cheese-making

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars makes room for more

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

THERESA — People from 21 states and two countries have visited Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in this quaint village in the northeast corner of Dodge County.

That’s in the last seven months.

To keep up with growing demand — and popularity — Widmer’s recently finished a 4,000-square-foot expansion project to bring its total space to nearly 20,000 square feet, adding to its packaging and cold storage facilities.

“We realized that we were running out of room, our sales were increasing,” said Joey Widmer, one of the plant’s cheesemakers and fourth-generation Widmer to put his hands into the cheese-making practice.

“There was a need for the extra space, especially during Christmas time,” he added.

On the corner of Henni and Wisconsin streets off the north-south drag through town — Highway 175 — in a community of less than 1,300 people, Widmer’s has handcrafted its cheese since Day 1.

That day was in 1922 when John O. Widmer came to the United States from Switzerland. He bought a vacant building that occupies today’s cheese factory.

Four generations have maintained the family tradition in the art of cheese-making, which includes Widmer’s grandson and Joey’s father, Joe, who is graced with the title of Wisconsin Master Cheese Maker.

The tradition is what entices people from around the world to come to this place year after year, and often doing so more than once.

“It puts Theresa on the map,” said Susan Fink, village of Theresa deputy clerk.

“That’s why people stop (in Theresa). ... It adds to the charm of Theresa.”

In April, Widmer’s was named a top 10 Tasting Tour for Cheddar Lovers in the United States by USA Today.

“They must be doing something right,” Fink said.

Widmer’s produces several cheeses, including Wisconsin brick and colby cheese, both invented in Wisconsin in the 1870s. It also produces cheddar cheese from mild to extremely sharp.

It’s tradition that’s kept Widmer’s running through every possible obstacle in nearly 100 years of business and economic ebbs and flows.

“We’ve been doing the same thing for almost 100 years,” Joey said. “We haven’t (changed) the process at all.”

That approach was what John O. Widmer held dear to his heart as the most important aspect of his new business in the early 1920s.

Over the years, the Internet and mail have helped spread the word with orders and advertising around the world.

“Willpower and determination,” Joey said when asked what got the company going and sustained it.

He never met his grandfather or great-grandfather. But he knows their reputation in the plant’s early days.

“I heard that my great-grandfather was a hard-nosed guy, very determined,” Joey said. “He knew what he wanted.”

This year, citizens from 14 states have opened the double glass door to the gift shop and entered the facility. Also this year, Widmer’s had visitors from Thailand.

“It makes us proud,” Joey said.

Once through the doors, patrons are greeted with a stiff smell of cheese and they see the plant’s operation. There are no windows, no walls. It’s in clear sight.

“You can’t see that anywhere else,” Joey said.

Widmer’s employs anywhere from 15-20 people, depending on the time of year. Of those 15-20 people, five are fulltime cheesemakers.

The holidays, such as Christmas, are the busiest. And preparation for the holidays has started.

“We’ve changed with the times, but also remained true to the product that you make,” Joey said. “Not tweaking how you make the product, making small adjustments.”

In 2004, Widmer’s expanded to add office space and a break area, among other additions. But in that expansion, they noticed they had room to expand further.

In 2014, the talks of more expansion ramped up.

On average, they store cheese as old as 10 years — so it backs up quickly.

“My dad said as soon as he got done building it in 2004, he realized he probably could’ve built on more than he had,” Joey said. “But you can’t see ahead of time on how sales are going to increase or anything like that.”

So that’s what they did. They expanded.

Now, they believe they’ve reached the limit as far as expansion on the plant. The only potential expansion remaining — and it is being considered — is to the gift shop and visitor’s entrance.

Otherwise, the facility is landlocked.

“If we hadn’t expanded, it would’ve created issues here,” Joey said.

At the same time, it’s a nice problem to have.

“It’s wonderful, especially with businesses closing left and right,” Fink said about Widmer’s expansion. “It’s wonderful in a questionable economy.”

It’s survived plenty of tests over the years. It’s ready to survive more.

“We must be doing something right,” Joey said.

It shows after a bite into a slice or curd of handmade cheese.

“It must be in the cheese,” Fink said.

Reach sports editor Nicholas Dettmann at ndettmann@conleynet.com.

Rick Riehl enters the West Bend Wall of Fame

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: May 18, 2016 - A1

Rick Riehl enters the West Bend Wall of Fame

An honorable man

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

Daily News

Nearly seven months have passed since beloved coach and teacher Rick Riehl died of a rare brain disease.

His widow, Donna, admits things have been hard, but, “I’ve made tremendous progress.”

Tonight is another chance for reflection for family and friends during the annual West Bend high schools senior student-athlete awards ceremony.

During the ceremony, he will be inducted onto the West Bend Athletics Wall of Fame.

Jennifer Sell (East, Class of 1982) will also be inducted, but will be recognized during homecoming in the fall.

Rick died Nov. 29 after a brief battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. He was 67. “I think it would’ve meant everything to him,” said Donna, his wife of 44 years. “He needed to know and wanted to know that he did make a difference in people’s lives.”

His daughter, Tara, will accept the honor on her late father’s behalf.

“There’s a lot of mixed feelings,” she said. “It’s something he wanted for as long as I could remember. Him not being there to receive the honor is hard. I’m proud and sad, a lot of things at once.”

Another honor awaits Rick in September when he is inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

While honored their beloved husband and father is getting the recognition they’ve long known he deserved, their only regret is it is all happening without him to enjoy it.

Tara tried to get that done. Unfortunately, time came up short. Rick died about two months after his diagnosis.

“I would love to have seen the pleasure he would’ve gotten,” Donna said. “He will be receiving it. He’ll be looking down.”

And Donna knows what kind of speech her husband would’ve had lined up.

“There would’ve been humor, but also giving credit to all the people who supported him,” she said.

“I was in awe of him and appreciated him every day of our married life in that I allowed him to pursue that passion,” Donna added. “It took a lot of time and energy from us and our family. I knew that was his passion. But I wanted to help him pursue it.”

It’s moments like these that make it harder on the Riehl family.

“It does re-open those wounds,” Tara said.

Like her mom, it’s been an up-anddown battle with emotions since Rick’s passing.

“It’ll be better for a while, then it’s hard unexpectedly,” Tara said. “You think you’re out of the woods then you’re crying for three days straight.”

Rick’s efforts changed girls basketball in West Bend and throughout Wisconsin. In 1984, he led East to the city’s first state basketball championship.

“I was told that we would not have the success because it was West Bend and West Bend doesn’t succeed in basketball,” Rick told the Daily News in March 2014 — the 30th anniversary of the championship. “You remember those kinds of things. I wrote that one down.

“We had no business winning a state championship without all sorts of things falling into place.”

In the state quarterfinal, the Suns played Merrill. During warmups, one of Merrill’s top players tripped over a basketball and sprained her ankle.

In the state semifinal against Oak Creek, the Suns trailed by 13 points with six minutes to go, but scored the next 14 to win.

In the championship game, the Suns almost booted it away. This time, they were the ones up by double digits late against Brookfield East.

“We gave up all but one point of it away, but we hung on to win,” Rick said in 2014. “I remember every minute of all three of those games because they were one-possession games.”

Thirty years later, it remains the only basketball championship — boys or girls — in West Bend history.

“He was really proud,” Tara said.

Riehl led the Suns to a 178-101 mark in 13 seasons as the girls basketball coach. He also coached football, baseball and softball at East. In all, he won 334 games with five conference and 10 regional championships amongst all the sports he coached.

He was also a teacher for more than 30 years.

One of his greatest contributions to Wisconsin sports was starting the Wisconsin Coaches Scouting Service in 1983, a basketball camp for boys and girls.

In a 1984 West Bend News article, he said he was “immensely frustrated” at the lack of scholarship opportunities for girls.

Thirty years later, more than 500 former and current Division I girls basketball players have participated in WCSS sessions and received a scholarship.

“He would’ve been really humble,” Tara said when asked what she thought her father would’ve said or done if he could’ve accepted the award. “He would’ve cracked jokes.”

“It is a great honor for him,” Donna said. “We’re excited that he will be honored.”

Reach sports editor Nicholas Dettmann at ndettmann@conleynet.com.