Wonders
WALWORTH COUNTY of
Published by Southern Lakes Newspapers LLC
Spring 2020
Page 2
WONDERS OF WALWORTH COUNTY
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Finding the silver lining SPRING 2020
WONDERS OF WALWORTH COUNTY
Page 3
Owner of Friends on the Square remains upbeat in downturn
By Heather Ruenz STAFF WRITER
Businesses all over have made the temporary switch to curbside pickup for customers, including Friends on the Square in Elkhorn. And while it’s not an ideal situation, owner Kelly Odling is trying to keep a positive attitude. Odling said when the order was imposed saying people couldn’t come inside the cafe, Friends began offering delivery as well as curbside pickup but didn’t have many requests for delivery so it has stuck with the curbside option. “Customers pull up and order or call in advance. We have them either pay over the phone or bring exact change and that’s helped simplify things a lot,” Odling said. Friends is a homey café, coffee and gift shop that features hot and cold coffee drinks, bakery items, breakfast and lunch paninis, soups and a variety of ice cream dishes from a scoop or two to a float or fruit smoothie. Odling said most people have been getting the coffee drinks but there have been some orders for paninis, too. She said it’s very different, and that’s also what customers say when she or one of her employees delivers the food and/or drinks to people waiting in their vehicle or outside the shop. “But we’re all doing what we can. I do think people are trying to make that extra effort to support local businesses and we do appreciate that,” Odling said. She said her regular customers have been great but they’ve also had new customers come out to support them “which has been really neat.” At Friends, the full menu of drinks is available, as are some food options, boxes of tea and coffee bags for people to make at home, and gift cards in any amount if people are looking to purchase them. So far, Odling said, they haven’t had to order anything. But there is one thing especially out of the norm for the shop this time of the year – the ice cream options. “We’re really limited on the ice cream – we only have about eight flavors right now. Normally we’d be starting
to carry 24 flavors around this time of year as this is when things start to pick up,” she said. Among the current ice cream flavors available are: mint chip, chocolate, butter pecan, vanilla, caramel cashew and coconut.
Growing project list
Odling said they made plans a while ago to have the floors in the shop redone last week but once the Coronavirus hit, they have taken on more projects than planned. “Among many things, we’ve done a lot of cleaning. I think a lot of businesses are doing that and catching up on things we fall behind on,” she said. Maybe the hardest hit for Friends has been the event venue on the second floor called Uptown. “We lost a lot of business with the upstairs. Everyone canceled their events for April and while some did reschedule for later, others wanted their money back. I completely understand but sure hope they’ll reschedule once they have new dates,” Odling said. As trying as this is, for businesses and people in general, she said she’s seen some good changes. “I think people are being a lot nicer and the best part is, nobody’s in a hurry. They normally rush in here, get their drink and rush out. Now everyone sits in their cars and talks to each other, from a distance, and they’re not in a hurry to leave,” Odling said. She said seeing everyone slow down a little has been good to see. “We don’t enjoy the little things anymore so that’s the positive, I think, is that we are now. And I love to see all the people out walking – that’s been great,” she said. Odling said they’ve also tried to spread some positivity, from creating art on the sidewalk in front of the shop to
putting up hearts on the windows. “We did the Happy Heart Hunt, a Facebook page where people all over are posting hearts they see in things or make. That’s been fun for us and it’s making people smile,” she said.
The longest wait
Something making Odling smile is that she just became a grandma for the first time. “My son and his wife had a baby – our first grandchild – and we can’t even hold her. They send pictures, of course, and we go and look at her through the window,” she said. Her granddaughter’s name is Rhettleigh. Besides not being able to hold the new bundle of joy, Odling said they feel bad that they’re not able to do as much as they’d like for their son and daughter-in-law. “It’s so hard – we can’t see her or help them at all right now. We’re trying to be supportive but we can’t be there in person. I know if I could I’d probably be over there every day checking in,” she said. Odling said despite the challenges, she tries to remain upbeat. “I think we all have our breakdown moments when we wonder what we’re going to do. But we get past that moment and keep going,” she said. “I truly believe Elkhorn will bounce back. We all will.” She hopes some of the lessons being learned – or relearned – now will remain. “I hope people continue to appreciate the little things and remember to slow down because that part has been really nice to see,” Odling said. Friends on the Square is at 41 N. Wisconsin St., Elkhorn. For more information call 262-723-2909 or follow the shop on Facebook.
FROM TOP: Abriel Odling brings ice cream sundaes out to customers of Friends on the Square in Elkhorn. The people, who had phoned-in their order and were waiting for curbside delivery; There is a group on Facebook, “Happy Heart Hunt,” which was created in March to spread happiness, love, kindness and positivity. People create items around a theme of hearts and submit a photo of it to the page for possible posting, such as Friends on the Square did; Odling, of Friends on the Square, delivers sundaes curbside to the Grisius family – Kevin, Angie, Shawn and their dog, Rocky – from Muskego last Friday afternoon. They said they decided to take a drive and ordered a treat when they saw the sign on the door at Friends. HEATHER RUENZ Wonders of Walworth County
Page 4
WONDERS OF WALWORTH COUNTY
SPRING 2020
Woman celebrates
milestone birthday Estelle Peatee shares how times have changed in past 105 years By Penny Gruetzmacher CORRESPONDENT
“Be self-sufficient, apply yourself and don’t procrastinate. Work and study… nothing comes free,” are among the words of advice Estelle Peatee has to share. Estelle knows better than most, based on her experience. She celebrated her 105th birthday Feb. 5. She said there’s no magic formula to longevity but believes people can live a longer life if they watch their diet and take natural, not synthetic, supplements. “I try to avoid carbs and cut out my sugar,” Estelle said, adding that she also eats fruits and vegetable along with small meals. She said things were a lot different for her growing up than it is for children today. Estelle’s father spoke five languages – Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Czechoslovakian and English, the latter of which she said her mom never learned. There were 10 children in her family and she was number six. Though none of her siblings are still alive, she said many of them lived into their nineties. “We all had jobs at an early age. As a young teenager, I remember walking two miles to pick berries and being paid 5 cents per quart and then walking home. I also remember working at a little hotel where I cleaned rooms and washed the dishes,” Estelle recalled. She said she held several jobs while growing up and going to school including at restaurants and she waited on tables that fed workers from three large companies in her hometown of Rossford, Ohio. “We were in the same category as Danny Thomas – the poor helping the poor. We were mostly immigrants and when people heard that someone was sick, they helped one another. Maybe a big pot of chicken noodle soup would arrive at the door,” Estelle said. She said her mom would bake 10 loaves of bread at a time and her dad had built a
brick oven outside used to bake the bread. So many changes Estelle said there were no streetlights, no paved streets and it was pitch black when she would walk home at night. “I remember my mom teaching me that if I were home alone and someone that I didn’t know came to the door, I was to start yelling all my brothers’ names like they were in the
Estelle Peatee celebrates her 105th birthday with her great-granddaughter, Stella Truesdale, at a family gathering prior to her actual birthday, which was Feb. 5. She recently talked about her childhood, changes over the years and offered some advice, including the importance of being self-sufficient. PENNY GRUETZMACHER Wonders of Walworth County
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house. I taught this to my children,” she said. Her mom took in boarders during the day to sleep to bring in a little extra money; they worked at night at Libbey Owens Ford, the largest employer in Rossford at the time. Estelle said she remembers helping her mom scrub floors at Libbey Owens and the outhouse back by the alley. “There were no cars. Everyone rode streetcars, buses, or walked. We always walked to the grocery store or church. My mom washed clothes on a washboard and I would turn the wringer for her. I was 16 when mom finally got a washing machine,” she said. Prior to meeting her husband, Estelle worked at the Paramount Theater in Toledo
The
where she met many celebrities such as Paul Whiteman and Ozzy Nelson. “We wore long gowns and had different duties. Also, I worked at a cafeteria as a cashier, which fed 700 people daily. They had amazing food and a magnificent bakery,” she said. Estelle also recalls a lot of homes being quarantined. She also said babies were born at home with midwives and funerals were held in the front parlors of homes. “When I raised my children, we had cloth diapers and hung them outside to dry. I boiled bottles to make formula for the baby,” she said. Her daughter, Kathy Truesdale, remembers when her mom spilled that pot of scalding water on her arm, calmly threw a towel over it and said it will be fine. “It was wrapped in bandages for weeks,” Kathy said. Estelle said during the war, they rationed sugar. “We were given more sugar than needed, since the children were so small, so I shared it with other families,” she said. Among Estelle’s favorite changes and improvements over the years have been washing machines, dryers, and stoves. Estelle and her husband, Harely, had seven children. All of them graduated from college – most have a masters in a variety of studies from Chemistry, English, Social Studies to Guidance and Counseling and Dentistry. They live in Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Estelle said Harley started his own business selling sanitary supplies and as the company grew, it afforded them the opportunity to travel. She’s been to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany and England. “Traveling gives you the broadest education,” Estelle said. She stayed in their condo after Harley died at the age of 71 and eventually moved into an independent living facility in Ohio. “I gave up my drivers license at the age of 100 and was never involved in an accident,” Estelle said.
Wonders of Walworth County
See BIRTHDAY, Page 7
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On the cover: A picturesque view at Bromley Woods, a combined 40 acres that will become the Geneva Lake Conservancy’s fourth preserve in midMay. Learn more local conservation efforts and Earth Day on Page 6.
SPRING 2020
WONDERS OF WALWORTH COUNTY
Page 5
Celebrating 55 Yrs.
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WONDERS OF WALWORTH COUNTY
SPRING 2020
Earth Day reaches celebratory milestone Area groups doing their part in tackling climate change
By Todd Mishler COPY EDITOR
T
he current issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine takes an in-depth, historical look at Earth Day, which celebrates its 50th anniversary on Wednesday, April 22. “Wisconsinites of all stripes can agree that a changing climate affects our natural resources, our communities and is a grave threat to our health, safety and economic well-being,” Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole says. “Moving forward, we have a lot of work to do, work we can do together.” Several groups in the Southern Lakes region are doing their best to carry on the tradition that former Wisconsin governor and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson started. And they’re building on that legacy despite today’s environmental challenges, including the Kettle Moraine Land Trust and the Geneva Lake Conservancy. Greg Rajsky and Karen Yancey are executive directors of the KLMT and GLC, respectively, and they said their missions
FOR MORE INFO: For more information about the Kettle Moraine Land Trust, call 262949-7211 or visit www.kmlandtrust. org. For information about the Geneva Lake Conservancy, call 262-275-5700, email to GLC@ GenevaLakeConservancy.org or visit www.genevalakeconservancy.org.
remain the same even though the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced them to cancel events and left other activities in limbo. Gateway Technical College also has cancelled its annual Earth Day celebrations on the Elkhorn and Kenosha campuses (April 18). But Rajsky and Yancey said their work, as well as that of their supporters and volunteers, moves forward. “One of our messages is that everything is connected,” said Rajsky, who was named to his current role in December 2018. “If you plant flowers somewhere, it doesn’t
just benefit those plants or one species, it functions for the well being of all ecosystems.” Yancey joined the conservancy four years ago and has been on just such a board in Door County for 16 years. She echoed Radsky’s sentiments. “Our focus is protecting the natural areas, waterways and virgin forests of Walworth County,” she said. “There are 1,700 land trusts all over the country whose goal is to protect these important lands and help slow down the effects of climate change.” GLC has accomplished that through two significant projects in recent months. The first such effort occurred last October with the purchase of 32 acres – that features an oak forest and kettle pond – in the Town of La Grange that borders Kettle Moraine State Park. The Bromley family donated an adjacent 8-acre oak savanna that contains more than 200- to 300-year-old oak trees.
Thus, it’s called Bromley Woods, which was bought with private donations as well as grants from the DNR’s Knowles Nelson Stewardship Fund and Pheasants Forever. “It is an extraordinary oak forest on a property that the family has owned since 1844,” Yancey said. “They have been good custodians of land that protects an important wildlife habitat, especially for migratory birds, so we are grateful to them.” The most recent project came to fruition in January, when the conservancy completed a 556-acre conservation easement agreement with Ron Piening, a retired DNR employee who started buying the parcels in the towns of Darien and Richmond in 1965. Named the Holzinger Memorial Preserve after his father’s family, the property includes 270 acres of woodland (featuring a remnant oak forest), 240 acres of agricultural land and a dozen kettle ponds. It also is home to several endangered species and species of concern in the Badger State, such as the Blanding turtle and the massasauga rattlesnake. Under this arrangement, Piening and GLC staff will work together in planning and continuing to restore the preserve in which the former has planted hundreds of native and adventure trees. Part of the plan eventually is to turn the farmland into natural grassland. “This easement was the largest by a land trust in Wisconsin or Illinois in 2019,” Yancey said. “In this kind of situation it’s up to the landowner to decide what and how much they want to open up to the public.” Regardless, the preserve is a huge
See EARTH DAY, Page 7 FROM TOP: Volunteers for the Kettle Moraine Land Trust clear out invasive buckthorn at Petersen Island Woods preserve in January; This youth participates in the Kettle Moraine Land Trust’s field day with Elkhorn Area High School students at its Turtle Creek preserve in May 2019; EAHS students listen to a wildlife ecologist from the DNR in the Lauderdale Lakes Community Center after doing fieldwork in May 2019 with the Kettle Moraine Land Trust. SUBMITTED PHOTOS Wonders of Walworth County
SPRING 2020
Area academic bowl team earns second
Wisconsin School for the Deaf competed against 17 other teams
The Wisconsin School for the Deaf Academic Bowl team recently reached a historical milestone when the team earned second place out of 18 teams that competed in the Midwest Regional Academic Bowl competition at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf in Faribault, Minn. The WSC team had not qualified for the championships since 2004. Gallaudet University sponsors four regional competitions annually, with about 80 teams from deaf and hard-of-hearing programs nationwide participating. The top four finishers from each regional advance to the national competition along with four wildcard teams. Members of the WSD team include: Madison Bongard (fourth-year player, senior), Katie McClyman (third-year player, junior), Caleb Zapadinsky (second-year player, sophomore) and Marissa LaGow (first-year player, sophomore) and coaches Lucinda Inches and Casey Kelly. A couple of the team members recently took a moment to share their experiences. Bongard said she cherished all four years of Academic Bowl but felt this year was the best year yet for the WSD team. “Our chemistry is unbreakable (especially with our countless inside jokes), and no matter what, we never gave up. Being able to play in the championship game is something that my team and I have always dreamed of
doing, so we came, we fought, and we succeeded,” she said. Bongard said words cannot explain how incredibly proud she is of her team and that she’ll always be grateful for having amazing coaches who prepared the team well, for her extraordinary teammates, and for the opportunities Academic Bowl has provided. “Out of my four years of playing, I will never forget this team and everything that happened during the 2020 Midwest Academic Bowl Regionals tournament. So, to everyone who made the 2020 Regionals special, thank you,” she said. Zapadinsky agreed that this year’s team had much better chemistry than last year. We are much more balanced now as a team and we each are confident in each other and the team,” he said. Zapadinsky said when they won second place, he felt a lot of pride in the team, himself and for the fans who went to Minnesota to support them. “We couldn’t win this without the support from our families, our amazing coaches, our community, and from each other,” he said. “I would like to give many thanks to my wonderful supportive teachers who believe in us, in our amazing ‘oneof-a-kind’ coaches, our families who kept supporting and believing in us, and our fantastic fans who drove 4 1/2 hours to see us complete at Minnesota,” Zapadinsky added.
Kelly, who coached the team along with Inches, said the team put in a lot of time preparing. “We worked so hard throughout the year studying, practicing and buzzing. It paid off, now we qualified for nationals two years in a row and it was a great feeling when we entered the championship match,” he said. “Madison got the 4-year medal and Caleb got the All-Star Award. We are also very proud of Katie and Marissa who contributed lots of points as well,” Kelly said, adding that all four players are key to the success of the team. “They represented our school very well,” he said. The team also got to meet Roberta (Bobbi) Cordano, president of Gallaudet University. “She was proud and applauded the team because she has a deep connection with Wisconsin. She, herself, is a native of Delavan,” Kelly said. Scores in the pool matches were: WSD, 76 vs. Edmonds Woodway, 36; WSD, 53 vs. Hinsdale South, 33; WSD, 69 vs. Nebraska Regional, 33; and WSD, 35 vs. Arkansas School for the Deaf, 5. Bracket matches went as follows: Round of 16 – WSD, 27 vs. Arkansas School for the Deaf, 9; Quarterfinal – WSD, 29 vs. Michigan School for the Deaf, 22; Semifinal – WSD, 44 vs. Iowa School for the Deaf, 33; Championship – John Hersey, 84 vs. WSD, 34.
The academic bowl team from the Wisconsin School for the Deaf earned second place out of 18 teams at the Midwest Regional Academic Bowl competition in Minnesota. Team members are, from the left (front) Caleb Zapadinsky, Marissa LaGow, Madison Bongard, Katie McClyman, and their coaches (back) Casey Kelly and Lucinda Inches. SUBMITTED PHOTO Wonders of Walworth County
WONDERS OF WALWORTH COUNTY
• Birthday
Page 7
(Continued from page 4) Family memories Kathy said her sister, Diane, described their mom this way: A profile in loveliness, art, grace, style, elegance and natural beauty. “I have always thought mom to be the most curious person I have ever known – whatever the topic – recipes, politics, fashion, decorating, news stories, supplements and healthy eating,” Diane told Kathy. Kathy said she remembers her mom making their clothes, canning pickles, and vegetables, always having a beautiful dinner ready for the family of nine, always eating at 6 p.m. when her dad got home from work. “I remember her baking beautiful pies, cakes, and cookies for special occasions. Sundays were about family not work,” Kathy said. She said they all went to church together and would then pile into the station wagon for an activity – a day in the park, an ice cream treat, a trip to an apple orchard or on a special occasion, a day at the beach. “I especially remember her talking about the importance of an education so we could take care of ourselves. There was no doubt what she expected from all of us. She had the older ones helping the younger ones,” Kathy said. “And I remember always feeling that she gave me special attention. We probably all felt that way,” she added. Two of Estelle’s kids have died: Sandy from breast cancer; Ron from a drive-by shooting. She has 14 grandchildren ranging in age from 30 to 53, and 22 greatgrandchildren who are 1 1/2 to 25 years old. Estelle, who now lives at Ridgestone in Elkhorn, said these days she enjoys getting out socially, talking to people, going out to eat and attending mass at St. Patrick’s. “I especially enjoy playing dice games with my grandchildren and great grandchildren,” Estelle said. “I like to win too!”
• Earth Day (Continued from page 6) win for Piening and the conservancy, which has protected more than 2,700 acres in Walworth County since 1977 and manages three nature preserves – Bromley Woods becomes its fourth in mid-May. The KLMT also has tackled numerous efforts. It owns four preserves totaling 100 acres throughout the county: Turtle Creek in the Town of Darien, Beulah Bluff near East Troy, Jackson Creek south of Elkhorn and Petersen Island Woods in Lauderdale Lakes. It also has three conservation easement agreements, not to mention it partners with the DNR to care for Beulah Bog and with Walworth County to manage Price and Natureland parks. “We try to schedule events and rotate workdays at our four preserve locations every year,” Rajsky said. Although this year’s annual hands-on and educational event with Elkhorn Area High School students may not happen in late April, KLMT hopes to complete a new quarter-mile trail that runs parallels Oak Park Road at its Petersen Island property. Rajsky said the land trust continually looks for ways to help preserve natural areas.
Page 8
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