Washington Island Observer

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Featured News Articles 2

Despite uncertainty Rock Island projects move forward

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By Emily Small

With the Covid-19 crisis and rising water significant contributors to how the upcoming season will look, the Department of Natural Resources and Friends of Rock Island are focusing on finishing old projects and beginning new ones.

According to FORI president Tina Jacoby, last season saw the installation of brand-new campfire grates with swivel hinges in all forty sites. FORI also upgraded the woodlot shed with a new roof.

A bench in honor of iconic Rock Island naturalist Paul King was added to the grounds. Also, last season marked the first one in which FORI held the contract for securing Rock’s firewood. According to Jacoby, their decision to hire a third party to provide (including delivery) bundled firewood received positive feedback from campers.

There are several new projects in the works. The Observer spoke at length with Jacoby and Michelle Hefty, Rock Island park manager about those projects.

The pavilion, referred to as the pagoda, located on the large lawn behind the boathouse, is currently under construction and restoration. One corner was sinking, leading to concerns about the safety of the nearly one-hundred-year-old structure. Hefty said, “my greatest fear was there was going to be a critical fail…[that’s] not happening.” She said the Wisconsin Department of Administration is heading the project. Immel Construction received the bid for general contractor and there “are workers over there right now” according to Jacoby. 

Hefty says they have removed every rock on the foundation, categorized them, and will replace them using historical photographs. “It’s kind of amazing,” says Hefty.

Read the rest of the story in this week’s issue.

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Washington Island school hosts State Superintendent of Public Instruction Carolyn Stanford Taylor

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Photo by Heidi Hodges

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Carolyn Stanford Taylor visited the Washington Island school district, meeting with teachers, students, administrators and parents. Stanford Taylor arrived May 21, spending the school day touring classrooms along with her Chief of Staff Dr. Scott Jones. At the end of the day, Stanford Taylor posed with the entire school before heading back on the ferry and a trip back to Madison.

Tournament in Kiel hard-fought; yields triple-double for Gunnlaugsson

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By Jim Rose

Tiffany Wacaser takes a shot in the late-December game against Kewaskum, at Kiel.
PHOTO BY JIM ROSE

On Dec. 27 and 28, our girls basketball team participated in a girls tournament in Kiel, Wis. Our team was not originally invited but got a chance to play when one of the other JV teams could not make it. They did also have a varsity bracket. The first night our team played the host team, Kiel, and was defeated handily. I was not there for that game, but was able to make the next game, against the Kewaskum, Wis., JV team. This was a much closer match and made for an interesting game to watch. Our girls were ahead for almost the entire first half, until Kewaskum pulled ahead with seven seconds left in the half. Kewaskum pulled further ahead in the second half, but our girls did not give up, catching up to within one point twice in that half. But, by the end of the game, our girls were down by ten, and ended up losing with the final score being 39-49.

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