GRAFTON ― The Willard House & Clock Museum is looking into the future with plans to expand its collection and build a state-of-the-art 10,000-square-foot facility The museum announced last year that it would receive a $15 million gift last year from Trustee Charles N Grichar The gift also included his collection of Willard clocks which will more than double the museum's current collection along with some 300 wrist and pocket watches some of which are 11 feet tall," said Robert Gierschick "These pieces were built for train stations The museum's plans include a new Charles N Grichar Center at Willard House & Clock Museum complete with horological support services "The public will be able to see some of the clocks being worked on," said Gierschick These plans will be presented to the public on Saturday, May 10, between noon 4 p.m. at the clock museum at 11 Willard St. Grichar will be there to highlight the incoming collection and showcase how the architectural plans for the new addition will complement the historical plot The collection is not just an important part of local history The museum is one of the only ones in the world that teaches horology "The plans really tell the story of the history here while also looking into the future," he said the museum has raised $4.2 million through donations It needs to raise $2.8 million more to reach its $6 million goal by 2028 in order to receive the $15 million donation The $6 million will go into the museum's endowment "We've made extremely good progress," Gierschick said The museum is involved in a match challenge with the Worcester-based William J which is offering a dollar-for-dollar match on donations of $10,000 to $50,000 Outside the museum – which also includes the original 1718 Willard house and 1766 clock-making workshop – work is also being done on a multiyear pollinator meadow project Volunteers have been hard at work creating pathways planting roughly 50 species of plants and trees Benches made by local Eagle Scouts will be placed around the meadow marking specific seasons via the tilt of the earth all placed with the help of a NASA solar ambassador With the largest collection of Willard clocks in existence Gierschick said the expansion will bring in more people from around the country and overseas Sweat4Vets is a joint venture between the Cedarburg and Grafton American Legion Auxiliary Units The mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion and to honor the sacrifice of those who serve by enhancing the lives of veterans Sweat4Vets is a 2.5 mile Post-to-Post walk where participants walk between two American Legion Posts supporting a different veteran mission each year Sweat4Vets was nominated for the best Ozaukee Community Choice Awards Where: Grafton American Legion Post – 1540 13th Avenue For more information visit Sweat4Vets Report a typo Va — A 13-year-old boy has been charged with bringing a gun to school Friday morning at Grafton High School administrators got a report that a student had a gun according to the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office The school principal and sheriff's office school resource officer found the student with a semi-automatic pistol in a small bag around his neck Deputies say the pistol was not loaded and there was no ammunition found in the bag or on the student The student was charged with possession of a firearm on school property and now is in custody at the Merrimac Detention Center FARGO — A North Dakota potato farmer and politician has been named the head of the U.S Agriculture Department Rural Development in North Dakota Tom Campbell will serve as the state director for the national program meant to improve quality of life in rural areas according to a news release the USDA issued Friday The division oversees more than 50 financial assistance programs including grants for rural business development multifamily housing rental assistance and funding for community facilities Campbell co-founded Campbell Farms with his two brothers in Grafton yellow and organic potatoes in North Dakota and Minnesota Campbell was a North Dakota senator who served from 2013 to 2018 The Republican has made several failed attempts to seek an elected federal office Senate in 2018 against incumbent Heidi Heitkamp Campbell withdrew from the race when then-U.S Campbell then made a bid for Cramer’s position only to be defeated at the State Republican Convention by North Dakota Sen Rumors spread that he may run for governor in 2024 after then-Gov Doug Burgum announced he would not seek reelection House after Armstrong decided to run for governor also chose Brad Thykeson to return to his spot as the Farm Service Agency executive director in North Dakota He held the post during President Donald Trump’s first term He serves as a board director of the American Soybean Association Campbell's and Thykeson's appointments were backed by North Dakota's U.S Nearly two years after fentanyl-laced drugs left one man dead and three others hospitalized in Grafton a Saukville woman who authorities say sold them the drugs at a state lawmaker’s tavern has been charged That regular who allegedly sold him the drugs has now been identified according to a criminal complaint filed April 11 in Ozaukee County Circuit Court was charged with one count of first-degree reckless homicide The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine Williams was arrested after turning herself in on April 13 said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel 'Everyone who used the drug became unresponsive,' a witness told law enforcementAccording to the criminal complaint: Grafton police responded to a call from a residence in Grafton on May 6 They found one person barely lucid enough to call for police and three people unresponsive including a man passed out in the bathroom a woman with severe facial injuries from a dog attack and another man Hamilton was the only one not breathing and without a pulse a nasal spray that can reverse opioid overdoses and attempted other life-saving measures but were not successful Hamilton was taken to the Aurora Medical Center Grafton and was placed on a ventilator A white powdery substance found on a kitchen plate at the residence tested positive for fentanyl and forensic testing confirmed the presence of fentanyl in Hamilton’s system Milwaukee County Chief Medical Examiner Wieslawa Tlomak determined the synthetic opioid was a substantial factor in his death Detectives later interviewed several witnesses who had been with Hamilton earlier that night at the Railroad Station bar in Saukville One of them told investigators Hamilton had approached Williams at the bar and obtained two plastic bags of what was believed to be cocaine The person who called police at the Grafton residence said she and Hamilton had used the substance in the first bag in his car shortly after purchasing it after using the contents of the second bag later at the Grafton residence everyone who used the drug became unresponsive Joe Hamilton attended Williams' initial appearance in court April 14 where Judge Steven Cain set cash bond at $100,000 The Wisconsin statute that Williams is charged under allows for homicide charges in cases where someone dies as a result of ingesting drugs provided by another person Nick's family hopes to 'prevent this from happening to someone else’s child'Nick's death sent shockwaves through the Grafton community and devastated his family his family held a celebration of life in his honor at the Bridge Inn in Grafton raising money that was dispersed between funds for his three children and the Grafton School District's Special Education program Joe said the family received an outpouring of support from their community at the event and over the past two years news of development in Nick’s case was bittersweet he’s waited two years for charges to be filed in his son’s death Joe said everyone in his immediate family understands their son or sibling was no angel and his choices cost him his life,” Joe said but also to prevent this from happening to someone else’s child.” Joe said the family has been persistent in seeking answers and accountability for Nick’s death They’ve assisted law enforcement with the case even providing some tips from their own investigating and from other community members helping Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin, is highly addictive and can be lethal in doses as little as 2 milligrams, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency Experts have attributed a national surge in overdose deaths in recent years to fentanyl being laced into many illicit drugs resulting in a devastating opioid epidemic According to Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services, the state saw more than 1,400 opioid overdose deaths in 2022 up 73% since 2018 and over 13 times the total number of deaths in 2000 Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13 — The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Wednesday crash on Grafton Road that claimed the life of a Uniontown woman and injured three other people deputies were sent to the 2500 block of Grafton Road (Route 119) to respond to a three-vehicle collision According to information provided by the sheriff’s office a 2020 Harley-Davidson ridden by Brian Livingood of Reedsville followed by a 2017 Ford F-250 driven by Jerry Robinson with passenger Michael Mitchell A 2003 Mercury Mountaineer operated by Chelsea Deziray Johnson of Uniontown was traveling north when the vehicle crossed the center line and entered the southbound lane Johnson’s vehicle apparently struck the rear of Livingood’s motorcycle The Mercury then collided head-on with the pickup truck Livingood suffered serious injuries and was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital where he remained in the intensive care unit as of Thursday morning Robinson and Mitchell were taken to the same hospital for treatment of minor or non-life-threatening injuries Anyone with additional information and/or video footage of the incident is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 304-291-7260 If you have an account and are registered for online access sign in with your email address and password below Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe Copyright © Herald-Standard | Contact | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy — The names of Grafton-Park River hockey stars of decades ago flow effortlessly from the mouths of the town’s current hockey leaders “There are a lot of towns where they can’t name the high school stars from 30 years before but if anyone asked about Lee Brodeur in my age group they could all tell you he was an excellent player,” said former Grafton-River player and youth hockey coach Andrew Petersen “It was almost mythical who was on the state championship teams it wasn’t so much about playing college hockey 65 in the 1984 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens — the highest drafted North Dakota prep until Fargo’s Tyler Kleven in 2020 (No Grafton has long been a hockey-crazed town From 1963 to 1985 playing as just Grafton and 1989 to 2013 as the Grafton-Park River co-op the Spoilers went to every North Dakota state boys hockey tournament in those spans except one (1999) The Spoilers won five state championships (1978 As Roseau and Warroad have built reputations as hockey-obsessed communities in Minnesota Grafton once held that distinction in North Dakota Grafton was a small town punching up against big-city peers the Spoilers have been to state once (2018) and have now missed the tournament for seven straight seasons Grafton-Park River finished 4-18 in 2024-25 with two of those wins against Mayville-Portland the Spoilers have been positioned more on the outer edges of the Eastern Dakota Conference tournament than the cusp of the state tournament let alone knocking on the door of state titles like they once did It all begs the question: Can Spoiler hockey ever rise again to be among the state’s elite programs Grafton-Park River hockey leaders say there’s reason for optimism The resurgence starts with participation numbers The North Stars youth hockey program — which pulls from the towns of Grafton Adams and Edinburg — reached 174 kids this year North Stars director Kylen Kostrzewski said that number is up about 50 from seven years ago coaches and administrators are just as excited about the local tradition-rich hockey families returning to the sport “It was a culture,” Kostrzewski said of what made the Spoilers successful previously “Now we’re having guys coming back into the program doing some coaching that were part of the program when it was winning little-guy-going-against-the-big-guy mentality We pick 13 kids out of 27 and go play Grand Forks and its bantam program has 120 one important indicator of progress is a junior varsity team Grafton-Park River only fielded a varsity program the Spoilers had enough for a partial junior varsity squad but coaches foresee a full JV team in 2025-26 The North Stars expect three squirt teams — two teams for any age group of Grafton's size is considered a success — for the next few years and had 44 mites this year “We had guys who needed JV minutes,” said Spoilers varsity head coach Joe Demers a 31-year-old who graduated in 2012 after playing in four straight state hockey tournaments as a Grafton-Park River player “A lot of guys didn’t see much varsity time They didn’t get the game experience they needed That’s challenging in the development process We had some small classes come through and that’s the hand you’re dealt I see us staying junior varsity/varsity for the foreseeable future We were so fortunate for so many years to be a powerhouse in the EDC You used to see hockey families with long histories in Spoiler hockey and you had a generation come through The nice thing is a lot of these guys … we’ll get back to that now Demers attended Valley City State to play baseball He later returned to Grafton and was asked to be an assistant hockey coach under head coach Scott Robideaux Demers is set on bringing Spoilers hockey back to state tournaments — a staple of his youth “It’s just something you were taught at a young age,” he said “You’re going up against the bigger towns and you probably can’t out-skill We have to play a physical brand of hockey You couldn’t wait to get to high school to be a Spoiler It was your turn to keep that tradition going We had such a great run of state appearances and that fed the next group and the next group We have guys coming through who have never seen the Spoilers at the state tournament so that’s our challenge — trying to bring that back.” Grafton first formed a high school hockey team of players who had been training on a frozen swamp The 17 kids were hoping for a new indoor arena to replace the original Grafton Winter Sports Arena that burned Sept the Grand Forks Herald reported the Grafton Blue Line Club was working toward a $600,000 drive to complete construction of the Centennial Center a new 32,500-square-foot multi-purpose building The Grafton Community Arena on Fifth Street downtown had no heating it's 20-below inside," Lloyd Holy told the Herald’s Kevin Bonham in 1986 "There are people in town who won't go to a hockey game because they'll freeze." Completing a second rink was a full community effort Holy called local farmers to donate to fill the site "There was just a stream of trucks," he said Grafton broke in the new Centennial Center in February of 1988 with a 3-3 tie against Grand Forks Central the Winter Sports Arena was deemed unusable It now serves as storage and office space for an electrical company we were fortunate to have two sheets of ice and program directors that were willing to get us open ice when available,” Petersen said Spoiler hockey leaders hope to address ice availability moving forward “It’s a constant battle trying to make time with one sheet of ice in Grafton and one in Park River,” Petersen said “We don’t have open ice opportunities for kids nearly often enough The game of hockey isn’t always learned under a structured environment but the opportunity to free play between camps and figure skating and hockey It wasn’t a good year to use the outdoor rinks We have people working hard to make the dream (a second ice sheet) a reality.” Youth coaches say Demers has strengthened the connection between the North Star program and the high school level encouraging youth attendance at varsity games and instilling the varsity disciplines for the younger players to know the expectation as they age into his program the two Grand Forks schools often cut more players than the Spoilers have altogether Kostrzewski said Demers has been a strong asset for the Spoiler future “He’s a Demers; his hockey knowledge is immense,” said Kostrzewski who graduated in 2010 and played on the 2008 state title team He’s very involved with helping us develop coaches and teaching the right things my thing I’m saying lately is we have numbers now We’re looking at how we’re practicing and what other towns are doing who you play isn’t apples to apples with Grand Forks and Fargo But we’re very competitive in the youth levels and the numbers are healthy and we’re excited to have those numbers again.” Although the Spoilers won just four games this past season Grafton-Park River’s best win came late in the year in the East Region quarterfinals against Fargo South-Shanley to set up an opportunity to head to state losing 5-4 to Fargo North in a state qualifier the Spoilers expect to bring back their top six scorers “The wins haven’t been there but our play is much improved,” Demers said — The Grafton City Council unanimously approved a municipal bond up to $7 million on Monday for an indoor athletic training facility which will include the town's second indoor ice rink The plan is for the bonds' repayment to come from the Blue Line Club's charitable gaming according to facility organizer Mikey Olson Naming rights will also be sold for various portions of the facility and the center as a whole The facility will be attached to the high school's main rink "It's exciting for the community for economic development and for the kids to have a high performance facility," Olson said The plan for the facility includes artificial turf for summer months and a running track around the ice rink The facility would also house a hockey skills room a weight training room and share a heated lobby with the main Centennial rink "Since we fired this (plan) back up about a month and a half ago it's been nothing but positive from the Blue Line Club the Park Board is operating and maintaining it and the school will contribute Every person that we've talked to is excited about it That's not very often in a small community It's not very often you can do a $7 million facility and not ask for taxpayer dollars To do it this way has been great and will be very good for multiple types of athletes." The CATC (Centennial Athletic Training Center) committee has been working with TL Stroh Architects during the process The CATC plan says construction could start as soon as this July Olson said Blue Line Club President Roger Stark and Vice President David Hills — both veterans of the organization — deserve a lot of credit for the project to reach this point Grafton has had just one indoor hockey rink since 2014 when the Winter Sports Arena was deemed unusable the community could see a $1 million boost in annual local spending by hosting roughly eight tournaments per year GRAFTON — Nearly two years after a group of people overdosed on tainted drugs and a woman had her face severely bitten by a dog in the aftermath a person has been charged in connection with the death Amber Williams of Saukville was charged Friday with one count of first degree reckless homicide A judge on Monday ordered her to be held on $100,000 cash bond Grafton police were called to a home in the 1700 block of Falls Road around 4:45 a.m 2023 for a report of two men and two women who were found suffering from fentanyl poisoning one was moving slowly and had slurred speech two were unresponsive on the couch and another was unresponsive in the bathroom Officers administered several doses of Narcan to the three who were unresponsive — one of whom did not have a pulse One of the women also suffered severe injuries to her face after being mauled by a dog in the home A white powdery substance found on a plate was also recovered at the scene with a portion of it later testing positive for fentanyl a detective spoke with "ML," who described being with the four and others at the Railroad Station bar in Saukville ML recalled that "CM" asked if anyone had cocaine and that Hamilton responded that he knew where they could get some CM then took out money from an ATM machine and gave it to Hamilton who handed the money to Williams in exchange for baggies of cocaine SIGN UP CM stated in her testimony that she and Hamilton went in his car and did some cocaine from one baggie and CM returned to the vehicle to do some more a second time from the same baggie they used some more drugs from the other baggie and CM said that she immediately felt different from when she used cocaine in the past and from when she used some from the other baggie earlier Hamilton and the two others all used some of the drugs on the plate on the kitchen counter and afterwards became unresponsive said he is happy that Williams is in custody but he hopes that the tragedy is a lesson to others A lot of different emotions because our son actually did something he wasn’t supposed to do and if he wasn’t with the crowd he was with that night but that was his decision he made but none of them thought they were going to get served straight fentanyl .. we’re very happy she’s in custody,” Joe Hamilton told the News Graphic our whole goal is to get the word out and hopefully with all of the pressure we put and things we talked about I know there’s been overdoses that have happened since Nick passed and we have no way of rating how many there would’ve been if we wouldn't have said anything 10 things to know this week from the WOW counties (Waukesha Ozaukee and Washington) sent on Sundays Get the latest Ozaukee County news delivered Tuesday and Thursdays so you don't miss out on updates Have Ozaukee County breaking news alerts sent to your inbox as they happen Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: GRAND FORKS — Grafton boys basketball built a 12-point lead over Hillsboro-Central Valley on a Brody Lillemoen breakaway layup with three minutes left to play in the third quarter of the first North Dakota Region 2 Division A quarterfinal game Monday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center Senior forward Keithan Muller (43) grabbed an offensive rebound and putback to bring the Burros within three points with 3 minutes But Grafton (14-8) held on to beat the Burros 57-51 and set up a semifinal matchup with No “We escaped with that win,” Grafton coach Riley Lillemoen said because we were doing everything we could to give it right back to them We made some big time mental mistakes that we can’t make if we expect to win games.” Lillemoen said the Spoilers struggled with the same mistakes they’ve made all season “We’re hoping we’re going to be better by now “But thankfully we guaranteed ourselves at least two more games now to try to fix it and be better Hopefully we come out tomorrow and play a little more loose Tonight is a little more pressure – it’s you lose and you’re done Grafton beat Hillsboro (8-14) twice in the regular season including in a 65-54 win on March 4 to end the regular season “We missed too many shots in the first half,” Hillsboro coach Elliot Rotvold said and they got a couple buckets against our press there but he sat for much of the fourth quarter after getting called for his fourth foul 33 seconds into the final quarter Kyler Droog added 21 points for the Spoilers Keithan Muller led Hillsboro with 14 points helped spark the Burros in the second half Benjamin McRitchie added nine points for the Burros Grafton will face the Firebirds at 5:30 p.m Devils Lake has gotten the better of Grafton this season beating the Spoilers 70-47 and 81-55 this year so maybe they'll be nervous tomorrow,” Droog said They beat us pretty well in the regular season Riley Lillemoen added: “There's not one person that expects us to win the game tomorrow night but we're going to do what we can and see if we can make it happen.” “This year we struggled with them a little bit They've got guys that can score all over the floor Pictured at the Grafton village president candidate forum are who is seeking another term; moderator Mary Fran Lepeska of the League of Women Voters of Ozaukee and Washington Counties and candidate Lisa Uribe Harbeck GRAFTON — Those who have not attended a recent Grafton Village Board meeting may not have understood the occasional tension between Village Board candidates Dan Delorit and Lisa Uribe Harbeck at a forum held last Thursday Current President Dan Delorit has been criticized by Uribe Harbeck who has served on the Village Board for 15 years for what she said is a lack of transparency and unwillingness to let the public talk at certain times during meetings Delorit has tightened the rules for public comment at board meetings following a long tenure by former Village President Jim Brunnquell who was more informal and allowed the public to comment on individual issues as they arose throughout the meeting Delorit has limited input from the public to two minutes — and had a large timer installed to ensure commenters don’t run over — and has limited comments to a designated time for public comments during the meeting Uribe Harbeck took multiple opportunities to challenge Delorit on that last week The 2025 Village of Grafton Candidate Forum has been made possible by: which was held at the Rose-Harms American Legion Post was hosted by the Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce and moderated by the League of Women Voters of Ozaukee and Washington Counties "I want to restore the rights of the residents to speak and ask questions during meetings," she said "Many residents have complained about this to me She said that these are issues that affect residents and they have a right to be heard on them "Your right to speak at a Village Board meeting during a topic of consideration has been taken away," she said Delorit said that any notion that the board doesn’t allow comments from the audience is untrue They are allowed to speak for two to three minutes on any topic The state guidelines actually do not require citizen comments at meetings The issue is people speaking while the board is deliberating public hearings are also held when the board is looking for major input Uribe Harbeck said she and her husband moved to Grafton for the same reasons many people did: rural atmosphere Uribe Harbeck was one of the leaders of the effort to save the Bridge Street dam from removal She said her priorities are to curb additional high-rise luxury apartments add green space to future residential developments and support the Ozaukee Central Fire Department who also served as a village trustee from 2020 to 2023 said he stands for "common sense principles." Those include providing support for public safety using logical decision-making processes in determining future development providing more village outreach and developing strong working relationships with other governmental agencies Several questions were asked about development particularly the type of residential housing needed and the affordability as he did several times throughout the forum referenced the village’s comprehensive plan and zoning ordinances which he said dictate what is allowed to be built — and what isn’t He said the 450 to 500 apartments under construction on Port Washington Road were approved over two years ago and that he has talked to the director of Community Development about the subject Delorit said they have had developers approach them to build more but the village has told them they’d like to see how the current ones fill up What’s also important about the comprehensive plan is making sure the village follows up on those policies to make sure they are working Uribe Harbeck said residents don’t want more luxury apartments and she is happy it has been contained to the area near the freeway “I don’t think citizens want high-density apartments She said that more single-family homes need to be built and they should be affordable by “regular people.” Delorit said he would love to have more “working wage housing,” but that is expensive because of high building and land costs one question asked what village officials do to encourage business development or if they wait for businesses to come to them Delorit said the Director of Community Development and Assistant Village Administrator Jessica Wolff is constantly working to find businesses to come to the village of Grafton we’re getting a great mix of new businesses,” he said citing especially the South Business District and the east side Uribe Harbek said she has heard from some people who are frustrated with the types of businesses that are coming to the village She said it is hard to get sit-down restaurants in Grafton Delorit suggested that if the people of Grafton didn’t enjoy pizza so much the pizza shops owners wouldn’t open up there Another question was asked about how to fund the village’s portion of renovations at the fire station the headquarters of the Ozaukee Central Fire Department The newly created department is made up of the villages and towns of Grafton and Saukville Uribe Harbeck said discussions on consolidation have been ongoing for several years A referendum approved last year only addressed staffing at the response level No provisions were made for human resources or business manager staff “So there’s a lot of other costs that we need to consider and I think that’s something that wasn’t talked about in the initial referendum I think that’s something that we need to add,” she said She added that those costs will need to be shared about the four communities but work is needed on the building that is not in compliance Delorit said the four municipalities came up with the best formula on what money would be needed to run the department He said goal of the OCFD was to decrease response times He said there are many opportunities to fund improvements at the station They can work with the other municipalities to come up with the funding and they can add more impact fees Read more of our election coverage at gmtoday.com/elections To see every race and referendum that will be on your ballot, visit myvote.wi.gov and click on the "What's On My Ballot?" button GRAFTON — It’s been eight years since the last time there was a contested race for the Grafton Town Board But the town’s withdrawal from the joint library agreement with the village last year has prompted interest from some who want to be more involved in their local government There are two seats open on the April 1 ballot: those held by Jeff Thoma and Karron Stockwell The seats are at large and the terms are for two years The News Graphic asked each of the candidates three questions Why do you want to serve on the Town Board Mary Tillman Gosewehr: Being involved in local government is an opportunity to be informed of the issues affecting our citizens and ultimately our taxes Balancing the big picture with the impact on its citizens is critical to making sound decisions for our future With 30 years as an accountant and 10 years as an equity trader am approachable and open minded with a willingness to compromise to produce the best outcome for the citizens in the town of Grafton Nick Offerman: Town government serves a quiet but vital role in our community determines how our local services are provided and partners with other municipalities the county and the state to fill in service gaps that we can’t manage on our own I’d like to serve on the Town Board to help make decisions that will deliver the services we need now and in the future Jeff Thoma: I’ve always had an interest in small town government I was appointed to various commissions and committees knowledge of and appreciation for public service Serving on the Town Board is a direct way to positively impact our community and improve the quality of life for all residents commissioners and staff makes serving enjoyable with no personal agendas that could cause discord Kelsey Ward: I want to be actively involved in shaping Grafton’s future and I want to be a voice for the residents as we look to the future my children are in the Grafton School District my husband coaches Grafton Little League and I want to serve this community and make a positive impact local voices in decisions that affect everyone As vice president of the Grafton Library Board I’ve been part of many discussions around the budget and while opinions can vary on how things have played out but I know for sure is that a well-funded library has a huge positive impact on our community and if elected I will do my best to ensure that this vital standard of a community is appropriately funded What do you believe are the top two issues for the town in the coming term Tillman Gosewehr: (1) Development affecting town land and village annexation and (2) Shared cost agreements for the OCFD and joint library Offerman: While talking with hundreds of town voters over the last few months many town residents are concerned about the impact of new construction on the character of our town — its effect on traffic safety on the rural character of their properties and on the loss of wildlife and natural habitats While recognizing that the town’s powers to slow development are very limited a constant eye towards protecting our local character is crucial many expressed frustration over the Town Board’s decision to terminate our joint library agreement with the village in June 2024 The library is a vital public resource to many town patrons and the board chose to create a drawn-out standoff with the village and library leadership rather than collaborating to find a better solution no new proposed agreement has been shared with the public whether through zoning changes or working with the village we need to slow the annexation of our shrinking Township we need to work with the village to rewrite and adopt the outdated joint library agreement to benefit both communities Mary Gosewehr and I have worked extensively on drafting that agreement Ward: This may not seem like an “issue,” however town participation is something that really has come into focus for me Many town residents aren’t necessarily aware of the functions of the Board of Supervisors and I am really hoping to engage in community based decisions; to hear from residents and try my best to reflect that in my work as a town supervisor Voters in the four municipalities that make up the Ozaukee Central Fire Department approved referendums last year that allowed for funding additional staff But more funding may be needed for improvements to the fire station Tillman Gosewehr: I would support additional expenditures with a proven need for the benefit of safety How that would be financed is dependent on the cost current budget and projected revenues and expenditures There is more than one option regarding financing The Town Board recognizes the importance of balancing the needs of the town and being conscientious stewards of taxpayer funds Offerman: I support making necessary improvements to OCFD’s facilities so they are up to code and able to serve the staffing model that our communities have voted for Only preliminary estimates have been shared so far When a more detailed proposal is available and determine how to meet the challenge in a fiscally responsible way Thoma: As the commissioner of public safety for many years I’ve heard numerous accounts about the need for consolidation and increased funding I am glad that we have achieved consolidation and I am proud of Chief Rice for guiding the four communities to this point The approved referendum is still in its infancy and waiting for further development is advisable I am confident that the OCFD fire board will enact effective methods to improve the fire stations As the stations require further improvements Another is that one of the two Villages would bond (borrow) for the funds payments could be distributed among the four communities on a pro-rata basis Borrowing like this can be added to the levy without a referendum but must be removed from the levy once the bond is paid off we have collectively voted for this agreement and I believe that our residents want a functional Fire Department I am confident that the more we work together as a broader community By being creative and reevaluating how the municipalities can collaborate I believe we can develop a funding plan that ensures the Fire Department is adequately supported and properly funded See all of our election coverage at gmtoday.com/elections Occupation: Software engineer / at-home parent  Occupation: Building inspector for city of Cedarburg Previous elected experience: Town of Grafton Board Supervisor since 2023; Planning Commissioner Occupation: International credential evaluator Fleeting Glimpse will be located a couple doors down from PostNet on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Falls Road GRAFTON — A proposal for a retail store selling vinyl records trading cards and anime merchandise is expected to go before the Grafton Plan Commission later this month Justin Cook of Grafton is seeking a conditional use to open up Fleeting Glimpse at 411 Falls Road on the north side of the Pick ‘n Save building The total floor area of the store is 1200 square feet with a maximum two employees on each shift Cook anticipates there will be up to 20 people in the store at one time He also said in his operation plan that he will be playing music at a "reasonable level indoors." He will also sell pre-packaged non-alcoholic drinks Other items expected to come before the Plan Commission on April 22 include: The store will offer pre-packaged frozen popsicles made from fresh fruit and/or dairy - The Good Feet Store at 1256 Port Washington Road - Relocating Young’s Natural Dry Cleaner from 394 Falls Road to 1963 Wisconsin Ave. in the same shopping center occupied by Papa John’s and Big Apple Bagels - A public hearing on Indoor Storage and Wholesaling at 995 Badger Circle south of Kapco Metal Stamping - A public hearing on whether to allow mausoleums as a conditional use in the districts zoned institutional Information on the petition will be available for review at Village Hall and on the Village’s website www.villageofgraftonwi.gov by April 18 Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application 1937 to Pietro and Vincenza Guarino in North Hill  Ann Marie was a wonderful wife and mother and above all a fabulous Grandmother Her grandchildren loved to spend the night at Grandma’s house where nothing was off limits.   Ann retired from JC Penny’s as bridal consultant in 1992 She took great pride in helping people with their special day  After retiring you could find Ann at Eastwood Mall on any given day Ann never met a stranger and had many friends everywhere she went.  She is survived by her husband of 70 years Richard “Dick” Grafton; children Damian Kouvaris and Marina Kouvaris; great grandchildren Abigail and Isabella Pandrea; brother James (Charlotte) Guarino and many nieces and nephews.  She will be missed by all whose lives she touched 2024 from 4:00-6:00PM at Bissler and Sons Funeral Home Funeral services will follow at 6:00PM at the funeral home.  A private service for the family will be held at Restland Cemetery Services in the care of Bissler and Sons Funeral Home Bissler & Sons Funeral Home and Crematory Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors with a new “upscale casual” refresh of the popular brewpub The new concept, called 13 North will offer an elevated dining experience in a more intimate warm dining setting overlooking the Milwaukee River 13 North is set to open to the public on April 7 “We've enjoyed being part of Grafton for the past 14 years," co-owner Duffy O'Neil said in a statement "It's exciting to create something fresh and dynamic for a community that's continuing to grow and develop."  The refreshed menu will include elevated appetizers and main dishes including mushroom ricotta gnocchi in garlic cream sauce herb and garlic brick chicken in a white wine sauce A curated beverage list includes a range of draft and bottled beer an approachable wine list and craft cocktails including the Grafton Sour with a cherry float and a chocolate old fashioned with Aztec chocolate bitters The interior of the restaurant has been reimagined Guests can expect an intimate dining room that reflects the elevated menu while retaining the relaxed-yet-vibrant atmosphere they’ve known at the Milwaukee Ale House Along with the warm dining room and lively bar area 13 North will boast a new three-season deck overlooking the Milwaukee River giving guests multiple options for their preferred dining atmosphere in one refreshed space "We really hope you will enjoy this exciting new dining venue,” co-owner Mike Stoner said in the statement but we feel the Grafton community and the Milwaukee area needed a place like 13 North dinner or drinks and appetizers at your new favorite restaurant!"  More information: 13 North officially opens its doors on April 7 the restaurant will be open from 4 to 9:00 p.m Hours starting April 14 are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reservations can be made by calling (262) 375-2337 or online at 13northgrafton.com.  Pictured at the Grafton village trustees candidate forum are candidates Kevin Curtis and Dave Armstrong moderator Mary Fran Lepeska of the League of Women Voters of Ozaukee and Washington Counties and candidates Sarah Scarpace and Jim Miller GRAFTON — Of all the questions asked at Thursday’s village trustee candidates forum one may have looked deepest into the candidates’ civic soul: If given a $5 million grant for the village to use any way they want Four candidates are running on the April 1 ballot for two open seats: incumbents Jim Miller and Dave Armstrong as well as Kevin Curtis and Sarah Scarpace held at the Rose-Harms American Legion Post which numbered 65 in person and 185 online Miller’s answer to the question about how to use the grant was the most concise nicest park around," Miller said "That’s all I need." which he said was one of the best libraries he’s ever been to that $5 million could go a long way for the village and he emphasized funding for the fire and police departments Scarpace said she would give raises for the Department of Public Works employees fund improvements to the Ozaukee Central Fire Department station and finance an ongoing maintenance fund for the dam and Milwaukee River and give money to the public pool and the parks It was the most playful question of the night which otherwise remained focused on topics such as residential development who worked at the Grafton Area Chamber for nearly four years She said she wants to focus on controlling both residential and business development and frequently expressed support for the Department of Public Works and the newly formed Ozaukee Central Fire Department She said more emphasis needs to be put on listening to residents and being more selective about what projects are approved "There seems to be an ongoing disconnect between the different types residents want in Grafton versus what’s being approved for development," she said His focus is on controlling growth and tending to the village’s natural resources said that the village should be more selective on what is built and where He would like to see more emphasis on reuse of existing buildings "I want to bring more people into Grafton who want to stay there for a long time," he said who was first elected to the Village Board two years ago He said it’s important for the village to develop the downtown area and to simply do what’s right for the people which he said starts with having a police department that is staffed and has the equipment and technology it needs He said his passion is with parks and recreation He also discussed his role as a member of the Grafton High School support staff and a WIAA member who has officiated 5,000 games though he said he hears from many people that they want "the old downtown" back He said it would be best to fill the current vacancies Growth and development were ongoing themes throughout the night Armstrong said that there are enough apartments in the village now and more emphasis should be put on single-family homes He deviated from the others on the feasibility of bringing more affordable housing into Grafton saying that developers won’t build it because they cannot make money off of it The village needs to bring in people who can afford the homes I just don’t know if affordable housing is the answer." but I don’t know if we’re trying hard enough," Miller said "I’m not so sure we’ve worked hard enough." and perhaps they could be working more closely with him Curtis and Scarpace both insisted the lack of homes and apartments accessible to more people must be fixed Scarpace said people who work in the village can’t afford to live there She is also concerned about rising rent costs Curtis spoke about a subdivision with homes under 2,000-square-feet that cost around $800,000 "There needs to be more homes that are within reach of starter families," he said Armstrong said that someone came up to him and said Armstrong’s father would be proud of the job he is doing "I couldn’t ask for a better compliment," he said "That’s what I’m striving to do here as a trustee." Scarpace thanked those who attended and watched online Naturally’ has always captured the feel of Grafton," she said She said she would listen to residents and meet with them regularly Miller became emotional when he talked about serving on the same board as his father He said he would do his best to keep the taxes down the garbage picked up and provide the safety people have come to know and expect Curtis thanked the people who attended and said that without involved citizens they wouldn’t have the community that they do He said that living up to the village motto requires people who are invested in the community and who want to help as much as they can He said he is one of the people who will do that Lynn retired as Postmaster for the Postal Service and was of Christian faith Lynn was a remarkable woman whose spirit shone brightly in the hearts of her family and friends a craft that allowed her to express her creativity while enriching the lives of those around her with her beautifully crafted pieces Lynn's heart was a treasure trove of love for her family but a devoted grandmother and great-grandmother who was affectionately known as "Granny." The light in her life shone brightest in the laughter and hugs shared with her grandchildren Lynn's legacy is one of unwavering love and support and she nurtured her family with the same care and artistry she poured into her quilting filling the air with melodies that resonated with warmth and affection Her home was adorned with her beloved collection of beautiful teapots much like the many travels Lynn took throughout her life particularly enjoying the serene beauty of the beach Lynn is survived by daughters; Nadine Gwinn (Bill) Lisa Mathews (Anthony) and Beth Helm (Patrick); six grandchildren Jimmy Helm and Amelia Helm; seven great-grandchildren and one on the way; sister In addition to her husband and her parents she is preceded in death by great- grandson Gerald League (Beverly) and Doug League; brother-in-law A funeral service will be held on Saturday 2025 at 2:00 PM in the Chapel of Robinson Funeral Home - Powdersville Road Burial will follow in Robinson Memorial Gardens.  The family would like to thank the loving and caring staff at Sitter’s Registry donations may be made to the Dementia Society at www.dementiasociety.org and her unbreakable spirit that brought people together but her love will continue to resonate in the hearts of those she left behind forever reminding us of the beauty of family and the importance of holding onto every precious moment Visit RobinsonFuneralHomes.com or Robinson Funeral Home & Crematory – Powdersville Road The new sign is already up for the new 13 North restaurant at the former Milwaukee Ale House location on 13th Avenue the Milwaukee Ale House is reopening as 13 North from 4 p.m The restaurant will retain its causal energy while introducing an upscale-casual dining experience Owners Mike Stoner and Duffy O’Neil of the former Milwaukee Ale House Grafton will remain at the helm with O’Neil leading the kitchen and Stoner overseeing front-of-house operations Stoner and O’Neil have been business partners since 2004 are also owners of North Star American Bistro in Brookfield "We look forward to seeing everyone at 13 North — our loyal customers and those who have yet to check us out," Stoner said "We really hope you will enjoy this exciting new dining venue dinner or drinks and appetizers at your new favorite restaurant!" O’Neil said they have enjoyed being part of Grafton for all these years "It’s exciting to create something fresh and dynamic for a community that’s continuing to grow and develop," he said The interior of 13 North has been completely reimagined to reflect the elevated menu and beverage offerings Guests will enjoy a more intimate and warm main dining room a vibrant yet relaxed bar setting and a brand-new three-season deck overlooking the Milwaukee River 13 North’s menu features an expanded selection of appetizers and main dishes brisket burgers on brioche buns mushroom ricotta gnocchi in an herb cream sauce herb and garlic brick chicken with a white-wine pan sauce New York strip with cheesy potato pavé and more There will also be a curated beverage menu with a range of draft and bottled beers a wine list and craft cocktails like the Grafton Sour with a cherry float and a chocolate Old Fashioned featuring Aztec chocolate bitters Hours for its first week being open will be 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 7 through April 10 and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. April 12 and 13. Hours starting April 14 are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reservations are now available by calling 262-375-2337 and will also be available through the website at www.13northgrafton.com The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office has ordered the home at 450 Woodhaven in the town of Grafton to be razed GRAFTON — The woman found in a town of Grafton home with no running water or gas and more than 80 cats has little family remaining in the area and simply kept to herself GRAFTON — The woman found in a town of Grafton home with no running water or gas and more than 80 cats has little family remaining in the area and simply kept to herself who the News Graphic is not naming due to the sensitivity of the case is a widow with four stepchildren — three of whom have died was unaware of what had unfolded at the home at 450 Woodhaven Drive until informed by a newspaper reporter He said he hasn’t talked to his stepmother in well over a decade But she was a private person who loved to garden According to an Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office incident report a We Energies utility worker called the Sheriff’s Office for a welfare check at the home on Jan He was in the area checking meters when he discovered that the gas needed to heat the home had been off since last October he also noticed a heavy frost buildup on the inside of the windows multiple unopened packages by the garage and front door and dozens of cats in the house He tried to make contact with anyone who might be in the house A deputy arrived and announced himself as being from the Sheriff’s Office The deputy noticed the woman was wearing dirty clothes and “an overwhelming odor of ammonia came from the house,” according to the incident report The woman said she was fine and did not want to go in an ambulance The deputy was able to get consent to go into the home The incident report said the deputy observed that the basement had flooded sometime last fall The situation that had prevented a gas worker from installing a new line at the home and shut off her gas She has been relying on an electric heater to keep her and her cats warm she had been buying bottled water for her and the cats and the deputy could see dozens of cats while looking through the window as well as fecal matter throughout the house Ozaukee Central Fire Department Assistant Chief Matthew Karpinski advised sheriff’s deputies that due to the number of cats in the home and the strong ammonia smell The deputy wrote in the report that after taking a few steps into the home “the air was toxic and not fit for humans.” “I got three steps in the house and my eyes throat and lungs started burning,' the deputy wrote “I was unable to continue into the house and turned around.” An air meter indicated dangerous levels of ammonia in the house and the deputies escorted the resident out of the house she said she did not see an issue living there where deputies talked to her about a process to remove the cats Firefighters went into the home in hazmat gear to assess the situation They found cat feces throughout the house and saw approximately 30 felines wandering through the home They also found black mold from floor to ceiling on the basement walls The basement ceiling had started to collapse and there were signs of significant water damage Because of the damage to the electrical system We Energies had also shut off power to the house a sheriff’s deputy had served a raze order on the home It gave the woman 30 days from that date to demolish and remove the building and restore it to a dust-free and erosion-free condition officials with the Wisconsin Humane Society Ozaukee Campus were able to enter the home but left traps to ensure all cats were removed The cats were kept at the Ozaukee County shelter while all of the animals were moved to the Milwaukee campus to make room for the ones in this case Wisconsin Humane Society Vice President of Marketing and Communications Angela Speed said last week that 81 cats were ultimately removed from the home alive Fifteen have already been adopted and there are about 40 currently available for adoption “Others remain in treatment or foster care for a variety of medical and behavioral issues,” Speed said “Some were euthanized for severe medical issues.” The stepson said that his nephew lived with the woman for a while Nor has he been able to find the whereabouts of his stepmother GRAFTON — The Grafton High School junior prom court has been selected The event will be held Saturday at the River Club of Mequon InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/2025/02/27/mistrial-stops-sex-assault-trial-of-grafton-county-jail-officer/) Juror misconduct put a halt to the sex assault trial of a former Grafton County House of Corrections officer accused of assaulting two inmates Max Fournier has maintained his innocence for years since he was first investigated for the alleged assaults in 2019.  Get unbiased nonprofit watchdog news sent directly to your inbox he’s been waiting years for this,” said his attorney Mark Sisti we were looking forward to getting this out of the way.” The sister of the alleged victim in the trial told InDepthNH.org the trial this week was traumatic for the woman “[She] has worked so hard to turn her life around and this has absolutely not been a positive thing for her to have to add to her plate She has done every program available to better herself and achieve being clean from drugs,” the sister said The trial began this week in Grafton Superior Court and the first witness was still giving testimony when the mistrial was declared Sisti said a juror had been discussing facts of the case with another juror The jury had been instructed not to discuss any aspect of the case during their breaks from the trial Jurors are not supposed to deliberate the cases until the trial is complete and all of the facts have been presented “The integrity of the criminal justice system depends on the jury listening to and obeying the court’s orders,” Sisti said A new trial on the charges likely won’t get underway for months given the heavy caseloads New Hampshire courts have “I want him to face consequences and to have the injustices of the department on display,” the sister said.  Fournier is facing two separate trials after he was indicted in 2022 for the alleged assaults of two different female prisoners called Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 in the court files He’s charged with one class B felony for felonious sexual assault and three special enhanced felonies for aggravated felonious sexual assault The three aggravated felonious sexual assault charges are enhanced due to Fournier’s position of authority over the woman The first trial was scheduled to start in July before prosecutors called it off days before opening arguments The last-minute cancellation was allowed when Assistant Belknap County Attorney Sheldon Nason told Grafton Superior Court Judge Lawrence MacLeod that the victim was having a memory issue The Belknap County Attorney’s Office was brought in to prosecute Fournier in order to avoid conflicts of interest.  During trial preparation days before the July trial the woman’s memory of the alleged assault no longer lined up with the facts stated in the indictments Prosecutors eventually dropped the problematic indictments and brought new charges against Fournier based on the clarified memories of the alleged victim.  Fournier was a corporal in the jail when he was placed on leave in 2020 over the allegations Part of his duties included training other officers in how to handle inmates.  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License A generous gift in any amount helps us continue to bring you this service InDepthNH protects independent journalism that holds government accountable to the people Our investigative reporting prompts civil discourse that spurs citizens to action corruption and influence-peddling while giving voice to the disenfranchised InDepthNH fulfills the press’ watchdog role as envisioned by the founders of our democracy InDepthNH.org is published by the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News The Milwaukee Ale House in Grafton is located along the Milwaukee River GRAFTON — The Milwaukee Ale House in Grafton closed its doors after service on Saturday but the owners are promising the restaurant will return better than ever announced it would be temporarily closing on Facebook last week "A new chapter is coming and we couldn’t be more excited We truly appreciate all your love and support and look forward to seeing you all very soon!" according to the announcement he assured that there would be no ownership change will offer something a little different and interesting for Grafton and the surrounding communities," he said It also seems like the Milwaukee Ale House — Grafton won’t be closed for long Stoner added they will be remodeling the space and changing some of the equipment in their kitchen with the hope to reopen the first week of April