Voices of Spider Lake
Preserve and protect Town of Spider Lake, Wisconsin
Long Time No Blogging
I just went back and realized that the last time I blogged was for the April 2021 elections. Wow! How time flies. I really need to be better disciplined in my blogging. The solution, I added it to my daily TO DO list.
This past year has been somewhat chaotic. Just before the April 2021 election I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. It was determined that a lumpectomy would be the best course of action followed by radiation.
In fact I was in Minnesota receiving radiation treatments during the election. My husband stood in for me since I tied with my opponent and after a recount it came down to a coin toss. He was there to witness the coin toss.
Lucky? me, I won the coin toss. Actually I did feel lucky. It gave me two more years to work on projects I had started and I really wanted to finish them.
So now I’m three years in and busier than ever. There is nothing more important to me than preserving and protecting what we are all so blessed to have living here in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
Over the next couple of weeks I will be addressing some of the issues we have and will welcome your comments and ideas.
Don’t forget. Next Thursday, August 18th from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M is our next listening session. All stakeholders are welcome to attend. Come prepared if you wish to speak. Each speaker will have 3 minutes. The Board of Supervisors will remain afterwards to speak to participants one on one.
Once this third session is over the comments and suggestions that we received will be posted on the –
Town Website
April 6, 2021 Election
YOUR VOTE MATTERS
The Town of Spider Lake Spring election is over and we welcome two new Town Supervisors, Mark Johns and Sarah Delaney. Our current Chair, Clerk and Treasurer all won their reelections. The new board is:
Tim Sheldon – Chair of Town of Spider Lake – Incumbent re-elected, two year term
Chelsea Tripodi – Clerk of TOSL – Incumbent re-elected, two year term
Kathy Overman – Treasurer of TOSL – Incumbent re-elected, two year term
Sarah Delaney – Town Supervisor – Newly elected, two year term
Mark Johns – Town Supervisor – Newly elected, two year term
Sue Dale – Town Supervisor – Incumbent
Deb Amery – Town Supervisor – Incumbent
The office of Supervisor terms are staggered. Every two years, two Supervisor are up for re-election.
We welcome our two newly elected Supervisors and give our warmest thanks to our two outgoing Supervisors. Being willing to serve in any of these positions is a huge commitment. Stephanie Martin and Mike Lemminger gave of their time and expertise during their terms.
Be on the look-out for updates and continued progress in our town by signing up for notifications on our new website, http://TownOfSpiderLake.com.
It’s Getting to be that time of year – 2021 Election
Once again it’s election time. This year we vote on 6 April 2021. On the ballot we have Tim Sheldon up for re-election as our Town Chair. I’ve worked with Tim since April of 2020 when both of us were elected to the Town of Spider Lake Board of Supervisors. In August he was elected to the position of Chair.
What has impressed me about Tim is his careful consideration and willingness to do what’s best for our town. He’s willing to do the work of researching his decisions and asks the same of those of us on the Board of Supervisors.
Chelsea Tripodi who is up for the position of Town Clerk has been a joy to work with. There has been nothing that I’ve asked of her that she hasn’t provided me with. It’s the information I need to do my job as Supervisor and committee Chair and Co-Chair. She was one of the driving forces for updating our town website. Currently, she’s working on updating our accounting system as she sees a need to provide even more detailed information to the Board of Supervisors. She went above and beyond bringing the town hall up to date for the Zoom meetings during this pandemic. She deserves our votes.
Kathy Overman is running for re-election as our Town Treasurer. She brings a wealth of experience to the town and is an invaluable resource for all things Town of Spider Lake. She has served on the Board and also on the Town of Spider Lake Volunteer Fire Department. Her willingness to make herself available to the Board for all things financial has been such an asset. She also deserves our votes.
You have three residents running for the two supervisor positions. Mike Lemminger is running for re-election and Mark Johns and Sarah Delaney are also running. Remember to get out and vote for your choice of supervisors. I recommend you call them if you have questions about where they stand on issues that are important to you.
Get out and vote. That is what’s important. VOTE!!
New Town of Spider Lake Website
Come visit the new site
After several months of hard work and many hours, our town has a new website. We worked with Town Web, a company which specializes in town websites, the new site just rolled out last week.
As a town, we’ve been blessed with town residents who have helped in the past few years and spent many of their own hours updating our website. We made the decision to go with a Town Web site due to their unlimited support system and their ability at no additional cost to do any postings we require. This will be a huge time saver for our Town Clerk.
My thanks go out to Sue G., Michelle K., and Kathy S. Our three residents who donated not only their time and expertise but their patience.
I hope you enjoy the new site and look forward to your comments and anything you would like to see on there. It is still a work in progress as we develop content and load documents that we know our residents want access to.
I also want to know if you encounter any issues when you use it. I’m excited about this new site because I think it will be a wonderful avenue for the Board of Supervisors to use as a communication platform with all of our stakeholders.
FYI, we’re on the lookout for photos of the Town of Spider Lake. Old, new, animals, scenery, anything that was taken in our town. If you would like to see your photos on the site, please send them on with a signed permission for us to use them on the site and also your name so we can give credit to the photographer.
Enjoy.
Bad Blogger
Well, here it is February 2021 and I haven’t written a word since August 2020. That would make me a very bad blogger. My only excuse has been my involvement in the many actions and work being done as a Town Supervisor. Yes, not a great excuse but the one I’m going with.
I have several ideas for some future posts that I’ll be posting in the next few days. It helps that the outside temps have been in the below zero range. Brrr. Makes it easy to find things to do inside.
So now it’s time to start writing.
Fireworks – Did you know?
I have received several complaints concerning the use of fireworks in the Town of Spider Lake. Often times the complaints are due to the late hour.
Did you know that you need a permit to use fireworks in the TOSL? That you need to show proof of insurance in order to receive a permit? That there are restrictions for the use of fireworks?
All the information you need is available on the town website. www.TownOfSpiderLake.com In the search box on the right side of the home page enter fireworks permit and all of the information is available along with a printable permit application.
The cost of putting out a fire caused by the use of fireworks can be substantial. You must show proof of insurance that would cover that cost. If you don’t have a permit and a fire occurs you become liable for all of those costs.
There are to be no fireworks after 11:00 P.M. You are not to shoot them into the waterways or over buildings.
Take the time to read the rules and remember, be considerate of your neighbors.
What to do, what to do? Ideas for when you are practicing self quarantine.
This year brought us COVID-19. A vicious virus that is frightening in its ability to infect so many, so quickly. A virus that has a high mortality rate. A virus that has brought us to a standstill.
Some of us have underlying health issues that makes practicing social distancing and hand washing a must. The downside of all of this is that we no longer have the social outlets that we enjoy. Senior lunches, Bingo, local live music, Friday Fish Fry, book clubs, lunches and dinners with friends. So much more and it is all no longer options.
In speaking with a friend recently she was telling me how she has been having a hard time. She just feels sad. I think many of us can relate to this. We can’t see family who live apart from us. For me, I usually have family up several times during the summer. My sisters and I cook together, play board games, laugh quite a bit and get all the family gossip in.
Now we don’t have that so we feel isolated, sad, and sometimes angry. On these beautiful summer days we want to have people to share it with.
So what do we do? How to keep busy and involved while we are all hibernating in our homes? I’ve tried to put together a few ideas and would love everyone’s input in what they have been doing.
Remember those classes you slept through in high school? World History? Government and Civics? US Government and Politics? Grammer? Well guess what it’s never too late to learn. Khan Academy online courses are available free of charge and it’s fun to find out how much you’ve retained or in my case, didn’t retain. You can brush up on all of those courses and more. For those of you who have kids or grandkids in the house, they have added a whole section for kids projects to do at home. http://KhanAcademy.org
I’ve spent some time going through closets and cupboards. Amazing the things you find that you had forgotten you had. Much of it I no longer need so it’s now in a box waiting to go to the Northwoods Humane Society Thrift Store or Salvation Army. But just recently I ran into someone who told me that both places are only taking certain items because they have received so much. Give them a call before you make the drive to make sure they can take your items.
While doing this purge I ran across several blank journals and my “Gratitude” journal. I had been in the habit of writing in it daily but somewhere in the last move it got tucked away and forgotten. So I started a new one. I found it helpful to really think about what I’m grateful for and even more so when things are stressful or I’m feeling down.
I’ve been reading about what others are filling their time with. Some are learning a new language, how to play the piano or guitar, signing up for online courses. So many ideas and now we have the time.
So, what have you been doing? I would love to hear what you have been doing. Please share your ideas.
Live each day
In this photo from left to right, my nephew Noah, his daughter, Nevada, my brother-in-law, Don, and his great-granddaughter Addie.
Nevada was also Don’s granddaughter and became his sidekick. Where Grandpa went, Nevada was right there with him. His trips to Menards and Home Depot, Nevada went with. His weekly lunch with his lifelong friend, Nevada was there. His late afternoon stop at the Elks Club for his 2 glasses of diet Coke, Nevada was by his side.
My brother-in-law had a stroke about 10 years ago. It altered his personality. He was less affectionate with those who loved him, but Nevada was the exception. She was his buddy and loved him unconditionally. If my sister yelled at him Nevada would get up on Grandpa’s lap and say in a very stern voice, “Don’t you yell at my Grandpa.” She was the one person he didn’t lose patience with, get annoyed by, or angry with.
We lost Don in June of last summer. Completely unexpected. While everyone else has learned to live without his presence, Nevada who just turned five still mourns him daily. She continues to ask us, “Why did Grandpa leave?” She’s slowly starting to understand but it’s been a tough winter for her.
With each loss in my life I’m reminded. We are only here for a short while. My sister sent me a lovely opinion piece that talks about anger. What a wasteful emotion it is. That it is. The news cycle is filled daily with opinions and outrage. It can be so easy to get caught up in it.
Covid19 has brought a level of stress to our lives that most of us have never experienced. Fear of a disease. A silent, possible deadly virus. The news is filled daily with rising positives and deaths due to this virus. Your heart aches to read about victims who died alone without the comfort of their loved ones.
I’m in the high-risk category, a cancer survivor. The restrictions can at times seem overwhelming. As much as I used to hate grocery shopping, now I would actually enjoy it. Funny how those things we saw as chores have now become desirable. The ability to interact with other people, seeing what we are actually buying, not dependent on what someone else thinks is a suitable substitution.
All those simple things in life have changed and will stay changed for the foreseeable future. But I look for the positives. I’m blessed to live in an area that social distancing really isn’t an issue. Also stay at home isn’t hard to do. I’m surrounded by nature and have neighbors nearby that have become friends.
So every day is a blessing. As my dad used to say when I would ask him how he was doing, his response was always, “Great. I woke up today so it’s a great day.” I would always laugh but I’ve come to realize that he was right. Every day that you open your eyes to a new day, it is a great day. Cherish them and those you love. Let go of anger and remind yourself of what you have to be thankful for.
Summer In the Northwoods
I’ve been absent here for the past several months. I’m going to plead guilty to getting overwhelmed with new things to learn and do.
I’ve come to appreciate just how much work is involved being a town supervisor. There is so much to learn and then there is the actual work that needs to be done. That said, I have to give a shout out to George Brandt our retiring supervisor who has served our town for over 38 years in a variety of roles. His thoughtful approach was welcomed by so many of us. He listened to everyone and his votes reflected what the people wanted.
The hummingbirds are once again here in abundance. They empty the two feeders on a daily basis. 10 pounds of sugar so far. I have my Marketplace order in and hopefully I can replace my depleted sugar stash. I find it interesting that they empty the feeders, one at a time.
When we lived in Eau Claire, WI we had a front porch. I started Morning Glory vines by one corner of the porch. I had a small table with chairs in that corner. The vines were so thick and filled with blooms. In the morning while sitting out there having my morning coffee there would be the constant chitter of the hummingbirds in the vine. Often one would fly out and hover in front of my face. It was the perfect way to start the day.
I also need sugar to make some rhubarb bars. My husband loves the bars a friend makes. She sent me the recipe and there was one ingredient that threw me, candied orange slices. This recipe is from her mother’s best friend. They lived in a small Northern Minnesota town. Both women were fantastic bakers. But the candied orange slices threw me. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
My friend has generously shared many of the recipes with me. Like her mother, Mary is a talented baker and cook. When you visit Mary, and her husband Phil, I can guarantee you will not leave their home hungry. We often stay overnight with them when we are in Minneapolis. I’ve watched in amazement as Mary fills a table with food in just a few minutes.
Some people have a talent like Mary & Phil. They always make you feel welcome and offer their hospitality with what seems like effortless ease. I envy that talent. I’m always scrambling at the last minute to have everything ready. We often tease them that they are the 5 star of Bed & Breakfast available in Minneapolis.
Back to work, yard to mow, garden to weed and then a nightly cruise on the lake to finish off the day. I do love summer in our beautiful Northwoods.
What’s your favorite part of summer? Let me know.
Election Results 2020
With the help and support of so many within our small community I was elected as Supervisor of the Town of Spider Lake last evening. Thank you to each and every one who took the time to vote.
Tim Sheldon was also voted in as Supervisor and our town will be a better place with his service. He brings a willingness to do the work that will provide us with the research and the facts we need before decisions are made. He is detailed oriented and has a desire to see us take our time before decisions that will affect our environment, taxes, health and welfare of our town are made. I look forward to working with Tim and our town governance to make that possible.
Talking with Tim throughout the campaign one thing became clear. We both desire to see the divide that has been created healed. That with civil conversation and debate that we can move forward to find thoughtful compromise on issues that have been so divisive.
I look forward to serving our town and want to encourage each and every person who has a stake in our future to speak out. We need everyone’s voice to be heard. It is only when we work together in unity can we move into the future with our goal of protecting this unique place so many of us call home or second home.
All of the candidates deserve a huge thank you. We were able to debate and campaign in a very positive manner throughout the campaign. It was clear that each of us care about this town and we all were running for that reason.
Now the work begins.
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