2009 rewind: What when on last year?

After tripping through the first six months of 2009 in last week’s edition, this week we will thumb through the major events and happenings in Sheboygan Falls, from July through December.

JULY

Picture-perfect weather conditions, combined with the attraction of classic cars, racing ducks and entertaining family-oriented activities proved to be a recipe for success for the Sheboygan Falls Chamber- Main Street’s 21st annual Ducktona 500 Duck Race and Car Show July 5, at River Park in Sheboygan Falls.

The popular event, which drew an estimated 7,000 people, featured a record 407 entrants in the class car show and 94 participants in the kids’ Big Wheel races.

Meygan Thelen, 1½, of Sheboygan Falls earned the $1,000 top prize in the annual duck race, which took 40 minutes to complete, due to a stagnant current.

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The Sheboygan Falls Common Council approved a new fire-and-rescue service charge for surrounding state highways July 7.

The council’s vote gave the city the right to charge a flat fee of $500 for fire-and-rescue service calls to state highways.

At the same meeting, the Town Board voted to renew a two-year contract with C&S Construction for grass-cutting, general road maintenance and snow-plowing services.

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Pastor Kathryn Kuhn was installed as the full-time minister at Saron United Church of Christ in the town of Sheboygan Falls July 12.

*** The Sheboygan Falls Smart Growth Committee adopted a vision statement for the city of Sheboygan Falls July 14.

*** Sheboygan Falls High School served as the site for the 2009 American Cancer Society of Sheboygan County Relay for Life July 17-18.

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Wisconsin and Southern Railroad issued a request for proposals from contractors to cut and clear brush along the long-dormant 11-mile rail line, between Plymouth, Sheboygan Falls and Kohler.

The railroad also began soliciting proposals for project development and engineering services for the line, which has been out of service for more than 20 years.

Bemis Manufacturing Co. Richardson Building Products and Kettle Lakes Cooperative in Sheboygan Falls are among the local businesses committed to using the line, which is projected to reopen in mid to late 2010.

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Jifram Extrusions Inc. in Sheboygan Falls celebrated its 28th anniversary of serving the worldwide custom profile extrusions market.

*** Former Green Bay Packers and NFL Hall of Fame legend Paul Hornung was the special guest at the 10th annual Marshview Conservation Club Banquet.

*** The Sheboygan Falls Common Council voted to authorize the city to borrow $2,285,000 for various maintenance repairs and capital-improvement projects July 21.

*** A fire in a microbiology lab at Johnsonville Sausage Co. left one employee with second-degree burns July 24.

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The Sheboygan County Memorial Airport hosted the Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour July 25-26.

The show featured many rare and vintage bomber and fighter aircrafts, including the Consolidated B024 Liberator and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.

The Trojan Horseman T-28 Warbird Aerobatic Formation Demonstration Team also performed, during the event.

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City residents approved a projected $7,731,811 total tax levy, during the Sheboygan Falls School District’s annual public meeting July 27.

AUGUST

Teachers, staff members, parents and volunteers completed a playground-renovation project at Sheboygan Falls Elementary School. The project was part of the Peaceful Playgrounds program.

*** Morgan Aircraft and Sheboygan County entered into a 50-year lease agreement Aug. 3. The agreement cleared the way for Morgan Aircraft to build a $314 million, 600,000-square-foot corporate headquarters, office and manufacturing facility at the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport.

*** The Sheboygan Falls Town Board voted to accept a road-repair proposal from the Sheboygan County Highway Department Aug. 3. The county, which served as the contractor for the road-paving project, agreed to provide a 1½-inch overlay on 1,800 feet of Meadowlark Road to remedy a cracking problem.

*** The Sheboygan Falls Common Council approved the appointment of Anne Krauter to fill the vacant 1st District aldermanic seat Aug. 4. Brian Passehl, who stepped down in June, had previously occupied the seat.

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In an effort to cover existing maintenance costs and future improvement projects, the Sheboygan Falls Park Board voted to raise fees for the city’s park shelters Aug. 4.

*** The city and town of Sheboygan Falls held a joint Smart Growth meeting Aug. 6, to clarify portion of the city and town’s comprehensive land-use plans.

*** The second annual Breast Fest, organized by the Koene family of Sheboygan Falls, netted $6,600 for breast-cancer research Aug. 15. The event included a 5K run-walk through Sheboygan Falls, as well as a food-and-drink fundraiser at The Other Place Pub and Eatery.

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The Sheboygan Falls School Board voted to save the high school cheerleading program and hire and additional fifth-grade teacher Aug. 17.

*** Buehler Furniture celebrated 35 years of business in downtown Sheboygan Falls.

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The Sheboygan Falls Jaycees Falls Fest returned to River Park for its 40th annual event Aug. 22.

In addition to the wide range of activities at River Park, the popular Falls Fest Parade drew a large throng of parade-goers to downtown Falls.

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Pastor Kirby Andersen bid farewell to the Word of Grace Community Church congregation, after 19 years of service.

*** The Sheboygan Falls Common Council approved the demolition of completed portions of the aborted GuestHouse Inn and Suite project Aug. 18. The foundation and elevator shaft were removed from the site Aug. 25.

*** The 11-building, 88-unit Timber Springs Apartment Complex opened on the northwest side of the city on Happy Lane Aug. 26.

SEPTEMBER

Beautiful weather brought couples out in droves for the third annual Sheboygan Falls Chamber-Main Street Date Nite event Thursday, Sept. 10.

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Daydream Café opened for business Sept. 14, at 608 Broadway St. in downtown Sheboygan Falls.

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Foreclosure proceedings at the Plankview Green Lifestyle Center near the intersection of State 32 and State 23 left the future of the 43,000-square-foot retail center in question.

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The Sheboygan Falls School Board voted to discontinue the district’s policy of providing cell phones to administrative staff Sept. 21.

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Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle designated the Plymouth to Kohler rail line to receive a $12 million state grant for to cover reconstruction projects.

*** Approximately 500 walkers converged on River Park in Sheboygan for the ninth annual Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk to Cure Diabetes Sept. 26.

OCTOBER The Sheboygan Falls volleyball team hosted a special Block Breast Cancer fundraiser in conjunction with its Eastern Wisconsin Conference volleyball match against New Holstein Oct. 1.

All money raised at the event went toward scholarships benefiting girls, who have lost a parent to breast cancer.

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The Sheboygan Falls Municipal Building served as the site of the third annual Sheboygan Countywide Crime Stoppers Crime Prevention and Safety Fair Oct. 3.

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The Wisconsin Historical Society presented the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center in Sheboygan Falls with the 2009 Public Programming Award for the Dutch-American Experience in Wisconsin Conference.

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Sheboygan Falls Town Chairman Steve Bauer and Sheboygan County Board Supervisor Peggy Feider voiced their opposition to a proposed countywide private sewer tax increase Oct. 5.

On Oct. 20, the Sheboygan County Board voted to raise the private sewer tax, from $7.50 to $15 per year, by a slim 17-16 margin.

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The Sheboygan Falls Common Council approved adding $20,000 in undesignated reserve funds to help bolster the city’s proposed 2010 budget Oct. 20.

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Former Sheboygan Falls Jaycees Bingo Chairman Chris Perl was charged with stealing $26,000 from the Falls Jaycees’ bingo account over a 16-month period Oct. 22.

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Despite wet and cold weather conditions, a strong contingent of ladies converged on downtown Sheboygan Falls for the fourth annual Sheboygan Falls Chamber-Main Street Ladies Nite Out event Oct. 23.

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Faced with a decrease in state aid for the first time in five years, the Sheboygan Falls School Board approved a 4.48-percent property tax levy increase for the 2009-10 school year Oct. 26.

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Strapped with the challenge of balancing a budget filled with declining sate aid and escalating costs, the Sheboygan Falls Common Council took on the topic of salary increases for department managers, during a special Finance and Personnel Committee meeting Oct. 27.

NOVEMBER Michael Gregorie of Sheboygan bagged a possible record-setting 12-point, 240-pound buck Nov. 5. The buck’s massive rack unofficially taped out at 217 5/8 inches, which could set a state and world record upon completion of a 60-day drying period and a further scoring by three licensed, random scorers.

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The Sheboygan Falls Common Council established a permanent no-parking ordinance for Amherst Avenue Nov. 3.

The ban covered the south side of Amherst Avenue in front of Sheboygan Falls High School, from Giddings Avenue to Dartmouth Drive, during school hours (7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.).

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Rev. Glenn Quirk settled in as the new senior pastor at Word of Grace Community Church in Sheboygan Falls.

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Dr. Sandra Piefer opened her own dentistry practice at the former office of Dr. Christine Tempas on Fond du Lac Avenue in Sheboygan Falls.

*** Residents of the town of Sheboygan Falls approved a 0-percent town tax levy at the town’s annual budget hearing Nov. 9.

*** Nine new members joined the Sheboygan Falls Jaycees Nov. 12, saving the chapter from the brink of dissolving.

The addition of the new members brought the organization’s membership to 24, well above the statemandate of 20 members.

The Wisconsin Jaycees governing body had placed the Falls chapter on probation for not meeting the minimum requirement of 20 members.

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Mayor Randy Meyer cast the deciding vote to enact a revised 2009-10 salary ordinance, during a Sheboygan Falls Common Council meeting Nov. 17.

The hotly debated salary ordinance provided city managers with a 3.25-percent salary increase, beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

The motion had produced a deadlocked 3-3 vote among members of the council.

*** Frank D. Heikkinen of Sheboygan Falls was sentenced to four years in prison, upon being convicted of abusing his infant son Nov. 17.

*** Colette Anderson of Sheboygan took home the $3,490 progressive jackpot prize, as Sheboygan Falls Jaycees bingo returned to the Sheboygan Falls Municipal Building Nov. 30, after a three-month hiatus.

DECEMBER The Sheboygan Falls Common Council certified the city’s 2009-10 tax rate at 4.86 cents per thousand Dec. 1. The total tax levy of $2,800,670 represented a 4.48-percent increase over 2008-09.

*** The Wisconsin Department of Transportation adopted and released a 20-year, long-range plan called Connections 2030. The plan provides a vision for state highways, local roads, water, air, rail, bicycle, pedestrian and transit systems through 2030.

The long-term plan calls for State 23 to be converted to a freeway, between State 67 and State 32.

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Sheboygan Falls welcomed the holiday season in a big way, during the annual Main Street Memories holiday celebration, Dec. 5.

*** Dawn’s Doll Emporium and More opened at 508 Broadway St. in downtown Sheboygan Falls Dec. 5.

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The Sheboygan Falls Town Board passed the town’s 2010 budget, with a 0-percent town tax increase, Dec 7.

The budget includes a total tax levy of $143,238.19, payable in 2010.

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Sheboygan Falls Mayor Randy Meyer, 1st District Alderman Terry Van Engen, 2nd District Alderman Randy Messner, 3rd District Alderperson Dawn Beimel and Municipal Judge Dave Specht announced plans to seek re-election in the April 6, 2010 spring election.

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After weeks of shortages and delays, the Sheboygan County Division of Public Health held a community-based H1N1 flu vaccine clinic Dec. 16, at Sheboygan Falls Elementary School.

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Wisconsin First Lady Jessica Doyle visited St. Mary School in Sheboygan Falls Dec. 21, to honor fourth-grade student Megan Hand for being a weekly winner of the “Where in Wisconsin is Jessica Doyle” online geography quiz contest.