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| WALWORTH
COUNTY SUNDAY |
Telfer tabbed as next UW-W chancellor
WHITEWATER — The search for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s
next chancellor never needed to leave campus.
UW System President Kevin Reilly and a special UW
Board of Regents search committee have recommended
interim Chancellor Richard Telfer permanently for the
position. The full Board of Regents is expected to
act on the recommendation in June.
“With 23 years of service to UW-Whitewater, Richard
Telfer knows the campus from top to bottom,” Reilly
said in a news release. “He came up through the faculty
ranks, earning the respect of fellow educators and
students along the way, demonstrating an uncommon commitment
to the university and the whole community ... He has
been, and will be, a tireless champion for higher education
in Wisconsin.”
Telfer has served as interim chancellor since June
2007. Prior to that, Telfer served as the university’s
provost and vice chancellor for five years, and as
its associate vice chancellor from 1997 to 2002. He
previously served as a professor and department chairman
in UW-W’s curriculum and instruction department, and
as an assistant dean of the campus’ graduate school.
He first joined the campus as an assistant professor
in 1985.
Telfer earned his doctorate degree in curriculum and
instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
He has a bachelor’s degree in speech/English and a
master’s degree in secondary education/reading improvement
from Central Michigan University.
Telfer was one of five finalists for the UW-Whitewater
chancellor position recommended by a campus search-and-screen
committee.
A Sweet Tooth’s Dream
BURLINGTON — Every year, thousands flock to Burlington
to enjoy entertainment, activities, and, of course,
some chocolate during the city’s annual Chocolate Fest
celebration.
This year, the festivals runs Friday through Monday
(May 26). The theme is “Pirates of the Chocolate Be’an.”
“This is the perfect time of year to have Chocolate
Fest,” said Jan Ludtke, director of the Burlington
Area Chamber of Commerce. “After a long winter this
year, and (falling) on a holiday weekend, the timing
is perfect.”
The festival will once again feature a Chocolate Experience
area, filled with yummy treats from several area vendors
and candymakers.
There also will be a chocolate-eating contest, Harley
Day, a parade, a downtown art show, a treasure hunt,
candy-wrapper fashion show, chocolate-carving contest,
bake-off, fireworks and more.
“It is exciting to see the huge influx of visitors
and community members who come out to enjoy the festival,”
Ludtke said. “The Chocolate Experience area is very
neat, and it is always exciting to see the unique project
Nestle unveils each year.”
She added that Chocolate Fest has something for everyone,
and truly has become a family-oriented event.
“Time with family and friends is wonderful,” she said.
“But the best part, of course, is still the chocolate.”
The festival is held at Echo Park, located at 864
Maryland Ave.
For more information, visit www.chocolatefest.com.
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STATELINE
NEWS |
Officials debate merits of harsher drunk driving
penalties
By
Sam Killian
Staff Writer
JANESVILLE — Alcohol all but destroyed Danny King’s
life, and he doesn’t want anyone else to learn that
lesson the way he did.
The 23-year-old Parker High School graduate and current
Beloit resident was involved in an alcohol-related
accident in 2005 that killed an 18-year-old woman.
Now, King speaks out about the dangers of driving under
the influence.
“You never think about who you can hurt, and who’s
going to be affected by what you do,” he said.
While government and nonprofit groups have tried to
educate the public for years about the dangers of driving
drunk, the focus recently shifted to making penalties
stiffer for repeat offenders.
Last week, Gov. Jim Doyle called for a law to make
a person’s third driving under the influence charge
a felony (see related story). Currently, a fifth offense
is considered a felony.
In addition, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers
proposed a bill to revoke driving privileges and confiscate
vehicles of people convicted of a third drunk-driving
offense.
Bill Hollingsworth, a drug and alcohol counselor for
the Janesville Psychiatric Clinic, said tougher penalties
could affect some offenders. He said many of his clients
who are undergoing addiction treatment say the prospect
of prison is the only thing keeping them from continuing
their actions.
However, when dealing with addictions, more deterrents
might be necessary.
“They need to change their lives, and it can’t be
just a quickie eight- (to) 10-week treatment,” Hollingsworth
said.
Local law enforcement officials agree that a mindset
change may be more effective than a change in the laws.
A recent survey released by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services found that 26 percent of
Wisconsinites admitted to driving under the influence
at least once last year — the highest percentage of
any state. State Department of Transportation statistics
show that drivers ages 25 to 34 were involved in more
fatal alcohol-related accidents in 2006 than any other
age group.
“From adults who were in high school when the drinking
age was 18, there’s kind of an acceptance of, ‘Well
I did it when I was in school’ mentality,” said Rock
County District Attorney David O’Leary. “It’s just
not considered socially unacceptable.”
Rock County Sheriff Bob Spoden agreed.
“It’s alarming that Wisconsin is the highest state
in the nation for drinking and driving,” he said. “We’re
committed to dealing not only with people who are currently
drinking and driving, but also letting our young people
know that this is not an acceptable behavior in Rock
County.”
King recently spoke about the dangers of drinking
and driving to students at Parker High School.
Hollingsworth said tackling the issue at a younger
age could be crucial down the road.
“So many times your best friends will be your enemies
at that point, and get you right back in (to harmful
behavior),” he said.
In Rock County, convicted offenders enter the Intoxicated
Driver’s Program, where they receive an evaluation
and are sent to a rehabilitation class.
Some offenders need simple driver’s safety classes,
while others are recommended for more extensive treatment.
Thanks to several state grants, the sheriff’s department
now performs more underage drinking checks at local
bars and has increased its drunk-driving enforcement.
The county also received state grants to increase patrols
during the prom season.
But Spoden and other officials believe increased enforcement
isn’t enough, because often the legal consequences
are lost on the individuals involved, particularly
repeat offenders.
For King, until his accident — which occurred less
than two blocks from his house — fun far outweighed
the legal ramifications.
“I was doing this pretty consistently every weekend,”
he said. “A lot of us think, ‘It’s not going to happen
to me.’”
After spending a year in jail, King now attends alcohol-treatment
classes and is on probation for the next eight-and-a-half
years. However, he said his sentence pales in comparison
to the pain he feels for his victim’s family.
“Knowing that a family that doesn’t even know you
hates you — and that they’re totally entitled to it
— is probably the hardest thing to deal with,” he said.
Spoden said increased penalties may not be the best
way to address the issue.
“We have to change the way we view alcohol consumption
in this state,” he said.
As the county turns to more jail-diversion programs
for nonviolent offenders, Spoden said the focus should
be on treatment and curbing repeat offenses.
“It’s been a slow transition, but we have seen some
success with those programs,” he said.
Bucs primed for big year on diamond in 2009
By
Rick West
Stateline News Sports
BELOIT — Eleven losses in 16 conference games
kept the third-place Beloit College baseball team
out of last weekend’s Midwest Conference tournament,
but a number of individual and team records are
evidence the future is bright.
“The guys really see next year as a chance to
do some great things,” head coach Dave DeGeorge
said of his team, which finished 18-16 overall.
“I think we’re hungry enough and confident enough
that we feel we should do quite a bit better than
that,” DeGeorge said.
The chase for records (see related graphic) included
a head-to-head battle between sophomore infielders
Scott Slubowski and Ryan Schmitz for the school’s
single-season at-bats and hits records.
“We both would have rather been fighting for the
conference tournament than battling with each other,
but we made it fun,” said Schmitz, the team’s shortstop.
Both players surpassed the previous records, with
Schmitz collecting 48 hits and Slubowski 134 at
bats.
Slubowski also set a new Bucs mark with 40 singles
in 2008 and became the school’s top fielding second
baseman with a .985 fielding percentage. He committed
only three errors in 198 chances.
“When I do make an error, it really bothers me,”
Slubowski said. “I would rather strike out than
make an error. It’s that big of a deal to me.”
Slubowski topped the team with 12 stolen bases,
while sophomore first baseman Hunter Nelson had
a team-best .392 batting average. Schmitz led the
team with 29 RBIs. He also made seven appearances
as a starting pitcher, posting a 1-4 record with
a team-best 38 strikeouts.
Behind the plate, sophomore catcher Matt Bartz
set a single-season mark by throwing out 22 of
43 base stealers for a team-record percentage of
.512.
“Our pitchers didn’t have to get (more than) seven
innings of outs this year, because Matt was able
to throw people out,” DeGeorge said. “That’s a
huge statistic.”
The Bucs’ pitching staff also had a good season,
with one pitcher adding his name to the record
book. Sophomore reliever Chris Welborn set records
with 16 appearances and five saves.
“Those records were about helping out the team;
that’s what it’s all about,” Welborn said. “Five
saves count as five (team) wins.”
Welborn ended the season with a 4-4 record and
a team-leading 2.77 earned run average.
“Every time I stepped out there I was confident
we were going to make the plays,” Welborn said.
Junior starting pitcher Rick Krajewski led the
Bucs with six wins in nine decisions, just one
shy of the team’s all-time wins record.
The left-handed starter noted the Bucs’ offense
made his job easier.
“When staked to a five run lead early on … it
takes a lot of weight off my shoulders from worrying
about giving up that one or two runs,” Krajewski
said. “It gives me the freedom to go out there
and just throw.”
The biggest concern, DeGeorge said, was the team’s
.277 batting average with runners in scoring position.
“Our biggest weakness — and this was at its worst
in the conference games — we weren’t as good with
runners in scoring position as we needed to be,”
he said. “We left a lot of runners on base.”
In 34 games the Bucs stranded an average of almost
nine runners per game.
The Bucs are losing only a few players — outfielder
Jeff Weiner and pitcher Ryan Nichols who are seniors,
and junior pitcher Brett Erlenbach, who may not
return.
“I don’t know that we absolutely need anything,”
DeGeorge said about his recruiting efforts for
2009. “I look at the recruiting from a standpoint
of trying to bring in a quality player just about
everywhere so that we kind of protect ourselves.”
The returning players say they are committed to
winning a championship.
“I think everyone is going to expect to win,”
Schmitz said. “Losing is not an option anymore.
We’re a winner now, and we expect to be in the
conference tournament next year.”
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JANESVILLE
MESSENGER |
Horse-rescue organization asks for help achieving
its mission
By
Sam Killian
Staff Writer
JANESVILLE — As animal-rights
activists bristled last month at the euthanizing
of Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles, Soledad
del Oeste was enjoying her new lease on life.
The horse, plagued by hoof and ankle problems,
faced imminent death before being taken in by the
Footville-based Humane Organization Rescuing and
Saving Equine, an organization that cares for and
rehabilitates injured and neglected horses.
High-profile racehorses like Eight Belles, who
collapsed on the track at Churchill Downs when
she broke both front ankles shortly after crossing
the finish line, make up only a portion of animals
in danger of being euthanized or abandoned after
an injury.
“A lot of horses are being turned loose in national
parks, or they’re being abandoned at sale barns,”
said Dean Peterson, an equine veterinarian at the
Janesville Animal Medical Center. “So there is
a need for places that will take them in. But it’s
expensive.”
Cindy Bondowski and her husband, Jim, founded
HORSE about 10 years ago. In that time, the organization
has adopted out nearly 35 horses and has cared
for countless more. At any time, there are 15 to
40 horses at the facility.
The Bondowskis believe their cause is worth every
penny.
“We’re trying to stop the slaughtering of these
animals, and trying to find good homes for them,”
Jim Bondowski said.
However, many of those horses are too sick and
injured to be put up for adoption, and will remain
at the HORSE farm until they die.
“We don’t give horses out if they aren’t suitable
to be ridden,” Cindy Bondowski said.
Jim Bondowski is a veterinary technician and equine
massage therapist, and performs basic rehabilitation
on injured horses. However, the group must call
area veterinarians or a farrier for other medical
procedures and shoe-work.
Put simply, the job is a labor of love.
“We put food in the horses’ mouths before we put
food in our mouths,” Cindy Bondowski said.
Tractor Supply Co. of Delavan has helped gather
donations for the organization. The store, which
sells horse-care supplies, accepts items such as
saddles or bridles, and also donates feed products
the store cannot sell.
“We don’t get into too many organizations because
it becomes overwhelming,” said store manager Matt
VanDyne. “We have a lot of equine enthusiasts that
shop with us, so it fit in with our business and
clientele to work with them.”
Because HORSE is not yet a registered 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization, it cannot accept horses
taken in by the Rock County Humane Society or other
organized equine-rescue organizations.
Jim Bondowski said the group has applied for 501(c)(3)
status, and expects to be approved in six to eight
months. After receiving the federal tax-exemption
status, he added, HORSE will apply for a state
license from the Department of Regulation and Licensing.
“We’ve got our Web site set up, which is a big
requirement (for approval),” Cindy Bondowski said.
Peterson commended the organization for its work,
but said equine owners should ask questions before
turning their horses over to anyone.
“It’s a big time and financial commitment, and
I applaud those that try to do it and do it well,”
he said. “If a rehab facility is starting up, they
need to have enough pasture for the whole summer.”
For now, the group will continue its mission of
finding good adoptive homes for the horses it cares
for. The Bondowskis hope to see more happy endings
like that of Soledad del Oeste and another horse,
Shadow, whose mother died last month shortly after
he was born.
Cindy Bondowski’s daughter, DeAnne Day, and her
family adopted both horses. The Days will house
them at the HORSE farm until they move into a new
home.
“I’ve never owned a horse, and now I gained two
in a week,” said Day, whose family also are HORSE
volunteers. “I’ve been riding horses from this
farm for a while, and I just decided I needed one.”
Although Shadow will stay with a surrogate mother
for several more months, DeAnne’s husband, Ryan,
said he immediately fell in love with the horse.
“He was just like a pet dog, really,” he said.
“He’d lay down by your side.”
DeAnne looks forward to the challenges of being
a horse owner.
“It kind of gives me a feeling of responsibility,”
she said. “I’ve never had anything like that to
say was mine, and it’s very fulfilling.”
Parker grad ends college career on record-breaking
note
By
Chris Karstaedt
Staff Writer
JANESVILLE —
No one should be surprised if Janesville
native Justin Bohler is glued to television
coverage of the men’s heptathlon and
decathlon at the Summer Olympics in Beijing
later this summer.
That’s because Bohler, a 2004 Parker High
School graduate, has competed against several
Olympic qualifiers, including Brian Clay
of the United States, a 2004 Olympic decathlon
silver medalist.
That head-to-head experience came Feb.
15-16 during the heptathlon of the Iowa
State Classic in Ames, Iowa. Bohler, competing
as a member of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
squad, finished sixth in the event and
set a school record with 4,995 points.
The heptathlon consists of seven events
over a two days: a 55-meter sprint, long
jump, shot put and high jump on the first
day, and 55-meter hurdles, pole vault and
1,000-meter run on the second.
Bohler said he will forever cherish his
victory over Clay in the event’s 1,000-meter
run.
“He is probably the best decathlete in
the world,” Bohler said of Clay, whom many
believe is an odds-on favorite to bring
home a second Olympic medal this summer.
Bohler recently completed his college
career as the holder of two UW-Milwaukee
records. In addition to the heptathlon,
he set the school’s all-time mark in the
decathlon with 6,836 points April 11-12
during the Sea Ray Relays at the University
of Tennessee.
The decathlon is made up of 10 events
over two days: the 100-meter dash, long
jump, shot put, high jump and 400-meter
run on the first day, and the 110-meter
hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and
1,500-meter run on the second.
Bohler finished fifth at that meet in
a field filled with some of the nation’s
top decathletes.
“It was really something knowing that
I could compete on the same level with
those guys,” he said.
The roots of that competitive drive were
evident during Bohler’s time at Parker.
He burst on the scene by finishing third
in state in the 110-meter hurdles his junior
year.
“Justin started to turn heads,” said Parker
track coach Joe Dye. “He was one heck of
an athlete, and a great person on top of
that.”
Soon after, Bohler started to receive
recruiting letters from a number of colleges.
He narrowed his choices to UW-Madison and
UW-Milwaukee.
After a second-place state finish in the
110-meter hurdles his senior year, he decided
to become a Panther.
“It was a tough decision, but Milwaukee
offered me a better scholarship,” Bohler
said.
Looking back on Bohler’s college career,
UW-Milwaukee coach Pete Corfeld couldn’t
be more pleased with the Parker graduate’s
commitment and performance.
“Justin is a great competitor and a good
student,” Corfeld said. “He represents
everything that UW-Milwaukee student-athletes
are about.”
Bohler quickly learned that going from
high school to collegiate athletics was
a bigger adjustment than he expected.
“The biggest difference was the difficulty
of the track workouts,” he said. “In high
school, I would practice my event for an
hour, and I would be done. At Milwaukee,
I would lift in the morning for about an
hour-and-a-half, and then practice two
to three events later in the day.”
He also had difficulty managing his time
between academics and athletics. After
being an “A” student in high school, he
had a 2.9 grade-point average after his
freshman year at UWM.
“It was a shock for me to see my grade-point
average that low,” Bohler said.
By his sophomore year, he learned what
it takes at the collegiate level to excel
in the classroom and on the field. His
grades got better, and he won Horizon League
titles in both the 400-meter hurdles and
the heptathlon.
“He struggled at first with dividing his
time up between school and practice,” Corfeld
said, “but he was a good student, and once
he learned how to manage his time, he was
fine.”
Bohler’s career has come full circle.
Although he won’t be competing in any more
track meets, he has other goals to look
forward to. In December, he will graduate
with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
“I’m really going to miss being with the
team, the camaraderie and the friends I
have made,” he said.
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